Good morning, Redd! We're all here just chatting away.
Prof |
03.26.06 - 6:29 am | #
So, is this sunday bird blogging?
I love it. I put the laptop in our dining room for breakfast on sunday mornings so I can check out the birds. Juncos are still around here in Indy, gold finches getting gold.
So, what kind of suet do you all use, I am experimenting.
DJ DrZ |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 6:29 am | #
thanks for the reminder - i'll run outside now to fill the feeders!
selise |
03.26.06 - 6:32 am | #
Christy, that bluebird is all of us.
And maybe it's a hope that a bunch of the red-staters will get just as made, and we can take them under our wings (that's where the red patches are) while we blues fly to rescue the country.
(Metaphor getting stretched a bit.)
Prof |
03.26.06 - 6:33 am | #
I want to comment on the last thread, which I only just found!
It was a pleasure to meet revdeb and selise, and be inspired by them. revdeb was very modest, she was articulate and passionate in laying out the case.
Secondly, I think the rhetorical shift is important. "Wait for investigation" can be read as a setup for a favorable political climate. "Take substantive action instead" is much harder to give much credit to. The minority can't take substantive action. A Senator of Kennedy's experience knows this. It sounds like a recipe for doing nothing. I hope someone talks me out of that.
Finally, I literally couldn't believe Kerry's office would outright not allow constituents into the building. I'm still a little shocked by it.
Professor Foland |
03.26.06 - 6:35 am | #
Fitz, FEINGOLD, and bluebirds -- THANKS, Christy!!
We've got them flying around like mad out here, starting to nest, I think, although the swallows will probably drive at least one pair out. And yes, juncos, goldfinch, cardinals, chickadees, the whole crew. Plus a huge, gorgeous and as-yet unidentified hawk landed on the fence two days ago, the closest I've ever been to one.
Happy Sunday Morning to all -- and may this be a REALLY TERRIFIC week!
dannyboy |
03.26.06 - 6:35 am | #
I thought Katrina Vanden Huevel (sp?) was supposed to be on one of the shows today. This Week, maybe.
Damn it, they were this close to getting an actual reality based liberal on the air!
Love the pissed off birdie pic!
TheOtherWA |
03.26.06 - 6:36 am | #
Morning, Christy.
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 6:36 am | #
Katrina is on This Week with Fareed and Will. Great grumpy bird, Christy!
angie |
03.26.06 - 6:38 am | #
Squirrel jumped into our pretty, blue-glass hanging feeder next to the dining window a few days ago and it swung so hard that it hit the house and broke into two.
We will not be intimidated by a squirrel!
Glued it back together and the junkos, jays, and others are happy again.
As for the European starlings who have enjoyed a few years getting past the nails around the ventilation holes in the roof, no more. We nailed up some screening wire ("hardware cloth," 1/4-inch openings) on the holes and now, each morning, they wake us up trying to peck their way at the wood around the openings. If these illegal furriners want to have their babies on American soil -- err, attics -- they'll just have to find some other place. I don't want to be accused of a felony for giving them succor (or whatever an attic is), so the hardware cloth stays up.
Let them go build a nest in the English ivy.
Prof |
03.26.06 - 6:40 am | #
Prof -- if you want to make the squirrels less interested in your seed, here's an old trick: mix a little cayenne pepper into your birdseed. The birds don't taste it at all, but the squirrels sure do leave it alone. *g*
Fi loves our squirrel horde, so I haven't done this in a while. But it really works. You can buy seed already coated with cayenne, too.
ReddHedd |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 6:43 am | #
I recall Maeterlinck's "Bluebird of Happiness" but that bird sure looks pissed! What's the moral of this story?
*ilson46201 |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 6:45 am | #
Is Newt reading FDL?
"Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who masterminded the 1994 elections that brought Republicans to power on promises of revolutionizing the way Washington is run, told Time that his party has so bungled the job of governing that the best campaign slogan for Democrats today could be boiled down to just two words: "Had enough?""
------ http://www.time.com/time/
magazin...1176959,00.html
blank kludge |
03.26.06 - 6:46 am | #
A rightwing rhyme:
There was a birdie in the snow
He was crippled, and could not go
I lured him to me with some bread
Then I stomped his f***ing head
Oilfieldguy |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 6:49 am | #
Oh man, I haven't seen a bluebird in a very, very long time. Thanks for the photo, but, jeez, it makes me so forlorn.
jayackroyd |
03.26.06 - 6:49 am | #
Redd -- We used to be scrupulously anti-squirrel also but, you know, life is just too short. And besides, I love mourning doves and we've not found a feeder yet that distinguishes between the two. So, they've actually all learned to cooperate -- which kind of drives my greyhounds nuts, since they're not allowed in that part of the yard...
dannyboy |
03.26.06 - 6:49 am | #
Prof, Juncos are ground feeders. THe hanging feeder won't do em...but if enough spills they will hunt and peck on th ground, which is beautiful in the snow.
Cayenne or any hot source keeps squirrels away, birds lack the trigeminal nerve which detects that sensation.
Amazing what I learned in Grad School. If you want to keep the birds away, grape nehi (the grape flavor is anthranilic acid and birds detest the odor.)
I could go on.
DJ DrZ |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 6:49 am | #
DJ DrZ -- What do you know about voles?
dannyboy |
03.26.06 - 6:52 am | #
Hehe...some good advice on rigging bird feeder's to prevent squirrels:
DJ DrZ-
So if I want to keep birds from nesting in my eaves, can I just spray some grape juice there and they'll stay away?
cathy |
03.26.06 - 6:54 am | #
the best campaign slogan for Democrats today could be boiled down to just two words: "Had enough?"
A bird left too late for the winter and his wings iced up plunging him into a barnyard and landed behind a defecating cow.
Immediately buried, he began to thaw out. Pleased, he began to chirp. The barnyard cat heard this and promptly uncovered and devoured the bird.
Three morals:
1) Not everyone who craps on you is your enemy.
2) Not everyone who removes that crap is your friend.
3) If your warm and happy in a pile of shit, you'd better keep your mouth shut.
Oilfieldguy |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 6:56 am | #
Why is the media ignoring the positive side of this story:
Bush signed the bill with fanfare at a White House ceremony March 9, calling it ''a piece of legislation that's vital to win the war on terror and to protect the American people." But after the reporters and guests had left, the White House quietly issued a ''signing statement," an official document in which a president lays out his interpretation of a new law.
dannyboy - i HATE voles! the damn things ate every single one of my small patch of double Sanguinaria canadensis. can you help DJ DrZ?
selise |
03.26.06 - 6:58 am | #
It's been quiet around our feeder lately and I suspect it's the seed, we tried a new brand and I guess it's a bust. Hasn't kept the nuthacthes, chickadees or the juncos away, but the cardinals only show occasionally at sundown (as a couple, natch) and that's about it.
March Madness and the Grapefruit league (or cactus if you're so inclined) winding down, spring is in the air :) Here's to a more hopeful one than the last.
Jay |
03.26.06 - 6:58 am | #
So... Panel of Broder, Bumiller, Harwood, and Cook on Press the Meat. Not a Stephen Hayes or Byron York in the bunch. Is this a sign?
Thanks for the cayenne hints, Redd, but we think the squirrels are cute -- and they usually don't interfere.
But we won't be intimidated by them! We will keep gluing that feeder back together if they keep breaking it!
DJ DrZ, our juncos may have better learning-curves than yours. If they want seed, they come to the dish. (But it's quite open, and they land on it as if it were the ground, I guess.) (But they can also swing the dish and make it spill on the porch, and then you can see the snarky smiles on their little faces.
Prof |
03.26.06 - 7:04 am | #
Ah spring...and BASEBALL!
But, it will be a bittersweet year for my team. Jeff Bagwell finally came to the realization that his career is essentially over. I'm heart-broken. The Astros just won't seem the same without him, but at least we still have Biggio. Either way it'll be a fun year. Except for those damn Cardinals.
Hrm...maybe I should get Cheney season tickets the Cardinals games? Cardinals, Quail, I don't think he's too picky.
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 7:05 am | #
This Week is gonna do a segment on Global Warming, George is talking to the Gov. of Montana.
The topic for the first 45 min. of C-SPAN's Washington Journal was on the WAPO story on Abramoff. The wingnut callers were screeching and whining at even a higher decible level than usual. Then they did 45 min. with Amy Goodman. She called Bush a liar. A caller from Houston got on about 10 min. later. You could here the veins in his forehead exploding. It was great TV.
US steps up seizures of imported drugs
Warnings sent for prescriptions
By Christopher Rowland, Globe Staff | March 26, 2006
The story explains that the US Gov is now seizing medical prescription drugs ordered by mail from Canada, and sending the US buyers notices saying the drugs they purchased have been seized. Naturally, US consumers receiving these notices are concerned that they are in legal trouble. Here are the key dots:
While nominally lawful to seize these drugs (on the grounds that drugs mailed from foreign countries may not meet US safety standards), the US efforts to seize drugs from Canada increased 10 fold immediately after the Administration’s drug insurance plan – including Medicare Part D -- went into effect last year.
The woman whose drugs were seized was buying a common brand name drug.
The cost of purchasing the drug from Canada was substantially below what she would have had to pay for the identical product at a US drug store.
Under the new Medicare part D, the purchase cost would be slightly less than the discount price she was paying to the Canadian firm . . . but . . .
When you add in the Medicare part D premium, she would have to pay significantly more.
So to connect the dots from the story, add this:
If the Medicare part D provider – an insurance company – can provide the drug at or slightly below the cost from the Canadian supplier, that means the drugs are readily available on the wholesale market for about the same discount price.
In the Canadian single-payer system, the difference between this wholesale cost and the total cost of the US transaction (including premiums/co-payments) would be passed through mostly to the consumer.
In the US system, this savings is mostly captured by the insurance company.
So in effect, in the name of protecting consumers from “unsafe” drugs, the US government prevents consumers from getting access to the wholesale market discounts. This is a classic case of barrier to entry and access that prevents competition from benefitting consumers. The Government then uses its enforcement powers to stifle compeition and force consumers to give up the consumer savings and pay it to an insurance company, and otherwise unnecessary middleman.
This is the face of "corporate conservatism." In civilized societies, this is akin to extortion.
scarecrow |
03.26.06 - 7:05 am | #
Censure is non-sequitur!
Bush has declared that he wants to be the Unitary Executive. See for yourself in his signing statement: Bush wrote: ''The executive branch shall construe the provisions . . . that call for furnishing information to entities outside the executive branch . . . in a manner consistent with the president's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and to withhold information . . . "
What is Bush going to do after a censure, other than give a shrug and maybe one of his patented stupid grins? Nothing.
Trying to censure a self-proclaimed unitary executive is a joke to me, and certainly non-sequitur in reality.
What are Republicans going to harp after te censure motion is voted on: Move On: Censure and Move On, News Release
September 22, 1998: Disgusted citizens organize on the Internet: Urge Congress to Censure and Move On
We need an article of impeachment introduced in the house of Representatives on Monday for this signing statement alone. Rep. Conyers' HR. 635 is only an inquiry, and not an article of impeachment.
On Wiretaps, we need REAL hardcore investigations into the matter, best accomplished using a special counsel like Fitzgerald. Note that I am not saying that a call for impeachment should be made based on wiretaps; a lot needs to be unearthed on the wiretaps programs, before a solid case can be made based on that issue.
But, when a "president" declares himself a unitary executive, not drafting an artilce of impeachment on that fact alone is itself a dereliction of one's duty on everyone's part. Think about it.
If you agree, please call and write to Rep. Conyers and request him to introduce an article of impeachment.
NL |
03.26.06 - 7:05 am | #
Bluebird of Happiness, my ass. That fierce little bugger looks like Jane ripping Brady a new one.
op99 |
03.26.06 - 7:08 am | #
Just had an Orchard Oriole on the feeder. Bright orange and black, never saw one this early in the north country.
Gentleman Jm |
03.26.06 - 7:09 am | #
Dannyboy, too much. I have them, as well as chipmunks, and such. You can spray the entrances with castor bean oil, the scent tends to keep them away. We have two dogs who obviously aren't intimidating enough (Cardigan Corgis are much more loveable than terrible).
YOur best bet to keep rodents away is to not put out bird seed.
DJ DrZ |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 7:11 am | #
prof, thanks for the link to kelly's paper on the unitary exective. i've just started reading it - but it's freaked me out already... it's a must read for me.
selise |
03.26.06 - 7:11 am | #
So it's wallpaper Condosleazy Rice today? Will it be the Iran script or the NSA script? More mushroom clouds?
meta |
03.26.06 - 7:12 am | #
Whew. We sure moved on from bluebirds of happiness in a hurry. Hadn't read that signing statement -- and almost wish I hadn't. Utterly chilling.
You could "HEAR" the veins, gotta turn my blonde down.
Oilfieldguy..."Please don't tell momma I work in the Oilfeild, she still thinks I play piano in a whorehouse."
Gyro Gear Lose |
03.26.06 - 7:12 am | #
Zergle,
Bagwell, and you could see it all along, was juiced up as much as Bonds, Caminiti, Canseco and Sosa ever were. He was pretty wirey as a younger player and he blew up. Loved his unique stance, guy could hit. Since he was born in Boston and was originally a Red Sox prospect I always rooted for the guy....sad.
I commented after last week's Jack Murtha interview in MTP that I was VERY encouraged by his take on Iran (just isn't going to happen, can't) and I heard that Peter Pace, late in the week, made essentially the same argument. Could it be that the necon nutjobs finally realize that they've bitten off about as much as the U.S. military can chew, at least for now?
Jay |
03.26.06 - 7:16 am | #
Did anyone else watch Reliable Sources on CNN? Kurtz was talking to Lara Logan in Baghdad about "journalists only reporting the bad things" and wow, she smacked back at critics in general and Laura Ingraham in particular.
It was a thing of beauty.
TheOtherWA |
03.26.06 - 7:16 am | #
TheOtherWA:
I have it on now. She's still going. And Markos will be on later.
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 7:18 am | #
Another Sunday Morning talking head show of note: Reliable Sources -- this morning's Q&A with Lara Logan of CBS News. She is outstanding! Strong comments about the role of journalists in Iraq and how constrained they are to do their jobs.
More meat in that few minutes than the same ol' tired swirl of spin from Crocodilia Rice. Yeah, her canned sympathy crocodile tears for the family of victims on this morning's MTP did make me want to puke.
Love the bluebird! I've a cocker spaniel puppy who's mastered that same expression!
Prairie Sunshine |
03.26.06 - 7:18 am | #
Time for us to move on also, but in case you are interested:
And you know what? He'll take the time to wander in the wilderness as he rightly should. He'll walk that road. The least the rest of us can do is be waiting for him at its end. So today, the world thinks ill of Ben Domenech. But perhaps it should step back a bit. His crime was not mortal, and his character is not irredeemable. Indeed, most of his friends believe this episode a _deviation_ from a core character that is fundamentally good. He is my friend. He is our friend and will remain so. He needs some time away from this – and he’ll get it in the form of a leave of absence.
and:
Our critics can raise their glasses and toast to what they think is success – tearing down a flawed conservative. But therein lies their greatest weakness: destroying a conservative is not to destroy conservatism.
before i get down to serious work, can I just pimp for a moment:
There's an Australian lad who is doing an Herculean amount of work (ala Jane and Christy) over at Wotisitgood4.com. (can't get a link, dammit). He's the go-to guy for all things Sibel - and a few other things which FDL'ers for some reason eschew....
but he's on the same page as most of us(?)(I'm gonna now self-importantly include myself as an FDL-er)
Lukery's the kid's name - and he links often with love and affection to FDL - good taste and all....
I love FDL - but there seem to be some issues which are verboten...
It's a great big world - the issues here at FDL, as wonderfully addressed as they may be, are not solely inclusive. The fire, passion and courage in this here FDL spot should never be trivialized - but beacons of hope must must try to shine their light as far as possible - across oceans -
We are not asleep - let it ring....
jayt | 03.26.06 - 7:07 am | #
and - P.S. no affiliation with Wotisitgood4.com whatsoever - wouldn't know the boy if I saw him.
jayt |
03.26.06 - 7:21 am | #
From another blog:
rebellious renee said...
Here's the test. Just answer the questions for yourself.
1. Do you own more than one pair on anything to wear on your feet (shoes, sneakers, sandals, boots, ect.)?
2. Do you own more than one pair of underwear?
3. Do you have your own type of transportation (car, donkey, rickshaw, bicycle, etc.)?
4. Can you choose between foodstuffs for one meal a day?
If you can answer "yes" to 3 of the 4 above questions....congratulations!...you are in the richest 10% of the world's population.
Gyro Gear Lose |
03.26.06 - 7:21 am | #
Nice bird.
Alex Greenwood |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 7:22 am | #
Pach,
Mets and '86. Scarred me for a very long time. It took vanquishing the Yankees and sweeping the Cardinals in the WS to get over it. Being a huge fan of the game, I'd like to see some of the smaller market teams with loyal fan bases start to sink their teeth into success. Baltimore, Cincinnati (no I'm not bitter about '75) Milwaukee, I hope they can compete for the sake of the overall welfare of the game.
Jay |
03.26.06 - 7:22 am | #
On another topic: Jane is on Air America at 11 am PST, she wrote last night.
Prof |
03.26.06 - 7:23 am | #
Gyro Gear Lose @ 7:12
Just In-Laws and Otlaws here in the 'patch'.
Sorta like the "oilman" in the white house.
(note the lowercase "o")
Oilfieldguy |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 7:25 am | #
Pach, thanks for the reminder. That wound will never heal. Especially because of folks like YOU! Damn Mets. Hope you enjoy Beltran...LOL!
Jay - of all the people who have juiced over the years, I do not believe Bags was one of them. Cami, no question. Biggio I think did when he was recovering from an injury a few years back. But Bagwell, no. I've watched him his entire career and his build was VERY natural. I can't back it up beyond saying that you can usually tell when a player starts juicing. The one year Biggio did it I could tell. Hidalgo did it after signing a fat contract, and Cami, well, steroids were the least of his problems. Then you look at Bonds. When he was with the Pirates he was average at best, then suddenly he exploded. Same with Sosa. It was pretty damn obvious with them.
Of course it will always be debatable, but I really don't think Bags was a juicer. Same with Berkman. They have to much respect for the sport in my humble opinion.
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 7:26 am | #
Gyro Gear Lose--
Amy Goodman was spectacular on WJ this am -- missed the Abramoff thing. the caller from Texas -- 'you should be ashamed to sit in that chair, how can you call our preznit a liar, blah, blah, blah, you don't know the truth'. wingnut nutjob now can go back and drink from his fountain of 'truth' and feel proud that he stood up to that woman.
angie |
03.26.06 - 7:27 am | #
. . . we find that Delay’s office and staff ran a money laundering scheme for personal enrichment. Lobbyists would ask clients to contribute to Delay’s “charity,” US Family Network, but Delay’s chief of staff , Buckman, would skim off a third of that ($1 million over several years) and then kick back several thousand a month to Delay and Delay’s wife. There’s lots more in the article.
scarecrow |
03.26.06 - 7:27 am | #
Damn Houstonians drinking that Kool Aid. Drives me nuts! I swear we don't all drink the drink! I swear!
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 7:29 am | #
There are many ways I can imagine enjoying Beltran, but I'll have to settle for what's available.
20 year anniversary of '86. Opening day at Shea will have the ceremonial first pitch thrown by Orosco to Carter.
Any bets on whether Jesse will throw his glove in the air?
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 7:32 am | #
jayt -- it's not that the stuff that lukery covers is something that we eschew -- more that there are only two of us and we can only get fully up to speed on so many topics before our brains explode and still have some pathetic semblance of a life outside the blog.
Truly, it is an embarassment of riches to have a group of people so amazingly dedicated to patriotism and truth and doing the hard work and having such amazing discussions. But it takes an inordinate amount of time to keep this running smoothly for both Jane and me, and it takes more and more time as we move forward. Again, really not complaining...but it does make it difficult to cover everything.
We try to hit the things that grab us -- or that need to be hit hardest -- but every day that leaves about a billion other issues that really deserve some discussion out in the cold. And that is painful. But you just have to reach a point where you say to yourself, I'm doing as much as I can and I'll try and hit that tomorrow...and then see when and if you can get back to it. Lately, things have been moving so quickly that this strategy hadsn't worked as well as it used to when the blog moved a little more slowly, but we try and do the best we can. That our commenters catch so many of the issues we miss -- and the discussion goes on above and beyond what we do -- is one of the riches of our wonderful readership. :)
ReddHedd |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 7:34 am | #
Orosco and Carter, a couple of classics. Though Mookie was always a favorite.
Man, that was one hell of a team. If anyone was going to beat the 'Stros that year, it was good that it was the Mets. They earned it. But poor ol' Buckner. Man, talk about a bad day at the office.
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 7:35 am | #
Course Buckner will forever wear the goathorns, it was the disintegration of the bullpen that cost the Red Sox in '86. It's always about pitching!
Jay |
03.26.06 - 7:39 am | #
Safflower seeds work for those who want to keep squirrels away from ground feeding birds. Morning Doves, Cardinals, and Nuthatchs love them, and squirrels don't touch them.
As for the hapless squirrels in my grove of oak trees, they are in for a surprise this am. They are going to find pistachio nuts. It will blow their minds since pistachios are not native to NJ. What a lucky day for some squierell out for a random scrounge.
Thanks for the tip about Duncraft Redd.
Millineryman |
03.26.06 - 7:39 am | #
ReddHedd-
I hope you don't try to cover every story out there. Then this blog would be so watered down, it wouldn't be as good. When you were away and we had guest bloggers, it was nice to have a change and they did a great job, but so much was thrown at us, I couldn't keep up. I like the pace you have set here, and we can talk things through thoroughly, and feel that we examined all the aspects of a topic.
cathy |
03.26.06 - 7:40 am | #
Pach:
OT, and maybe this has been addressed, but you were wondering who accused Box Turtle Ben of having sex with his mother. I think it was The General
Oilfieldguy |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 7:41 am | #
kennedy on face the nation right now - talking about censure. shit i should have recorded this.
selise |
03.26.06 - 7:42 am | #
How's he doing, Selise? Am watching My Neighbor Totoro (a Miyazake anime) with Fiona here this morning. Am peeved to be missing Kennedy, but I couldn't get over to start the Tivo in time. SIGH
ReddHedd |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 7:44 am | #
selise: I'll wager C&L will have it later.
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 7:44 am | #
Quite true Jay. Can't put the whole game on Billie boy. They shouldn't have been at that point in the first place. Same with Lidge in the WS last year. He did the best he could with what he was given. He'll rebound fine though because he knows it wasn't all him. Our offense was pretty abysmal and we were just lucky to get that far. I mean how can you get shutout 5+ times with Clemens on the mound with an ERA in those games below 1?
I think, despite the loss of Bags, the offense should be a lot stronger this year. I expect Lane to have a huge year, and I look forward to watching Willy Taveras develop. If Preston Wilson can stay healthy, we should have a good lineup.
But of course without the Rocket, we're going to be hurting for pitching. 1-2 no problem with Oswalt and Pettitte, then Backe on a good day. After that it's a crap shoot.
Still...I have hope. The Cards are the team to beat, but I think the Brewers are going to surprise some folks as well.
Then there's the Mets. If they can take the East from the Braves then I'll root for them. Gonna be tough though with Florida.
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 7:45 am | #
And how pathetic is it that my life has gotten to the point where I need a Tivo on both our TVs? lol
ReddHedd |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 7:45 am | #
selise,
Another post of interest is by Glenn Greenwald yesterday (mentioned in another thread briefly), in which he analyzes a Friday evening release by the Department of Justice of replies to questions about FISA. After quoting from the DoJ letters, Greenwald summarizes:
Can that be any clearer for you - Congressmen, Senators, journalists? The President is bestowed by the Constitution with the unlimited and un-limitable power to do anything that he believes is necessary to "protect the nation." Thus, even if Congress passes laws which seek to limit that power in any way, and even if the President agrees to those restrictions and signs that bill into law, he still retains the power to violate it whenever he wants.
Scroll down a few screens; it's on the left side.
Prof |
03.26.06 - 7:47 am | #
Good Morning Christy and All,
The college girl really loved this book when she was Fiona's age.
Simple story of a bluebird family with gorgeous illustrations - Deirdre can still name all seven
Bluebirds Seven: Paintings
by R. Bruce Horsfall, Carra Elisabeth Hunting Horsfall,
Thanks for 'Grumpy', we didn't have our winter resident pair this year due to drought. Zergle, our bluebonnets and Scissor Tailed Flycatchers arrived this week, how 'bout you ?
Gov. Schweizer (sp?) just on - I love that it was what ?, 2 years ago they were getting away with poo-pooing the concept as tree hugging junk science.
cbl |
03.26.06 - 7:47 am | #
Redd-Not pathetic at all, just means you've got a lot to keep on top of. (There's a lot of jokes there, but I'll leave those to your husband to make.)
We all appreciate the time and effort that it takes to do this. I don't think any of us can fully understand it, but we all appreciate it greatly!
BTW...any more updates on the rumor that Rove is going to get his this week?
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 7:48 am | #
Redd: It's a good sign, maybe if it means our side is doing more pushback. Reliable Sources is not bad today at all, and Markos is still coming up. Bill Bennet got pwned.
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 7:49 am | #
Zergle: For us, our year rides a lot on Pedro's health. We have potential, but the Braves have a big psychout mojo on us, unfortunately.
Remind you of any politcal parties you know?
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 7:52 am | #
On Face the Nation, Kennedy said, wrt censure, "I hope it's not necessary," and went on to describe the opposition to the warrantless NSA programs from the ABA (yeah, Mary!), a Congressional report and officials/dissidents in the DoJ. He didn't support or oppose, per se, but did refer to the subcommittee with Rockefeller, Feinstein and Levin. He anticipates legislation. But he said at the end that if the President is not responsive to concerns, then it would be hard to ignore requests for censure.
So although TK is focused on the "investigation" sidestep, he's trying to use the censure as a means to leverage more cooperation on hearings/oversight.
scarecrow |
03.26.06 - 7:54 am | #
kennedy wouldn't directly answer the question on how he would vote if censure came up for a vote.
didn't tape it, so might not have this quite right... but, here's what i heard:
working together... blah,blah... hopes it won't come to a vote about censure... about how a lawyers group has now come out against the warrantless spying... about how he hopes the administration will be more forthcoming but if they continue to stonewall pressure will build (for censure).
selise |
03.26.06 - 7:54 am | #
cbl - Can't say I've seen much. Though this has been the weirdest Winter/Spring I can remember. The plants don't have a clue what's going on. Hell my oaks pollinated in mid-Feb this year. I mean when was the last time we had a freeze in March? Hell it was 40 this morning! What's up with that? (And of course the moron Kool Aid drinkers cite this as proof there is no global warming. We're still trying to get everyone to understand how to read cursive down here, so we've got a ways to go on the whole science thing.)
I'll have to take a drive out 290 one day and see what we have NW of us. Usually there are some gorgeous blooming fields on the way to Austin.
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 7:55 am | #
Cathy, not grape juice, artifical grape flavoring.
Better living through chemistry.
DJ DrZ |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 7:57 am | #
Markos kicking ass. Box Turtle Ben up, and Markos hitting Brady.
Pach - yeah the Braves have the mojo on everyone! I was just glad that the Astros managed to get past it last year. That was WELL worth the sweep in the WS. Just beating the Braves. I enjoy that sooooooo much.
OK...I think we've hijacked this thread enough with our Baseball talk. Fun though.
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 7:58 am | #
If you think that the President's signing statement for the unPATRIOTic Act is news, think again.
Google it. For example, use these two phrases, enclosing them in quotes:
"signing statement" "patriot act"
Now click on "News" so you see how much news coverage the Boston Globe's story has garnered.
Almost zip. It just isn't on the radar screen.
Only Senator Leahy has said anything, as far as I know:
The President’s signing statement poses two profound threats to our constitutional system of checks and balances. First, his unorthodox but repeatedly invoked unitary executive theory is really a unilateral executive theory. This President appears to believe that he can pick and choose which laws to obey and need never submit to congressional oversight. . . .
Second, this President appears to hold a strange and novel view of the appropriate role of the President in the legislative process. . . .Despite various threats on stem cells and Dubai Ports, for example, and despite having signed profoundly irresponsible fiscal and other legislation that should never have been enacted, this President has not vetoed a single bill in 5 years. Instead, he has repeatedly waited until legislation is final to issue “signing statements” that purport to pick and choose – usually on “unitary executive” grounds – which provisions he will deem himself bound by.
These signing statements are a clever device if Congress will let him get away with them.
This Administration’s “unitary executive” doctrine and the signing statements that articulate it are nothing short of a radical effort to re-shape the constitutional separation of powers and evade accountability and responsibility for following the law. We in Congress have a constitutional duty to prevent this. The President’s signing statements are not the law, and we should not allow them to be the last word.
and Senator Leahy's position on the Feingold censure resolution or the Conyer's impeachment resolution is . . . . ? ? ? ?
Prof |
03.26.06 - 7:59 am | #
thanks scarecrow! that was a much better summary!
ReddHedd - instead of getting another tivo, next time we FDLers could coordinate the recording.
selise |
03.26.06 - 8:00 am | #
NSC Advisor Hadley now on Face the Nation. Trying to make a link again between Iran and explosives used in Iraq. Borger doesn't nail him on the question asked to Pace: Can you trace this to Iran govt policy? To this is more Bush spin to keep the notion of going to war with Iran open.
Hadley is a threat to national security. But of course, most Bush appointees are a threat to the principles/objectives for which their agencies were created. Are there any exceptions?
scarecrow |
03.26.06 - 8:00 am | #
Anything the Congress does that doesn't directly deal with Bush's power grab is completely pointless at this time. We've got to get to that issue, or everything else really won't matter. I'm shocked he hasn't already tried to call off Fitz and the Abramhoff investigations. Though I imagine it's just a matter of time.
I guess there is one good thing. Now we know he's not going to overturn term limits. He wants to get away from the Iraq mess as soon as he can.
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 8:01 am | #
what cathy said:
When you were away and we had guest bloggers, it was nice to have a change and they did a great job, but so much was thrown at us, I couldn't keep up. I like the pace you have set here, and we can talk things through thoroughly, and feel that we examined all the aspects of a topic.
Markos-Brady runs WaPo.com and he doesn't know how to Google (to check on people he wants to hire). He's clueless!
Howie-But, but, but...
Me- Ha, ha!
/laughing like Nelson on the Simpsons
TheOtherWA |
03.26.06 - 8:02 am | #
Listening to Brady talk about the web is like listening to Republicans talk about poor people. No clue, and more importantly, no interest in getting a clue.
Zergle |
03.26.06 - 8:06 am | #
Redd,
Just pointing out a detail to take care of when there's time regarding the port to the new blog host and SW. The "Homepage" link on your comment signature still links to the blogspot site.
This is truly the most valuaable site on the 'net these days!
Minnesotachuck |
03.26.06 - 8:09 am | #
Great bird...sort of how I look (and definitely how I feel) every time the preznit opens his mouth and I happen to hear it.
I don't have lots to contribute, but feel compelled to say how very much I appreciate FDL and have turned on my freiends and family to you. I learn so much from every one here.
Just to go back to the late night thread...Even my 93 y/o mother is now returning the DCCC and DLC requests for donations with messages saying her days of contributing to the party are over. She is now contributing directly to candidates. Go MOM !!!
BYW: what does EPU'd mean?
leslie |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 8:11 am | #
Prof -- in December or so, you wrote about the distinction between the theory of a "unitary executive" and the concept of a "unilateral" executive. I found this very helpful.
As I understood what you said, the "unitary" aspect relates to the view that the president commands the entire executive structure, and can thus force it to speak with one voice -- his. That raises concerns about so-called independent regulatory agencies within the executive branch.
But the "unilateral" concept is more pernicious, asserting that the President can unilaterally assert powers, often to the exclusion of or in contrast to claims of authority or oversight by the other two branches. This is the concern raised by the signing statements.
If I've got this right, then the references in the signing statements to a "unitary executive" are not the problem of most concern; the more important problem is his claim that he can unilaterally interpret the statutes in ways that are contrary to the intent/wording of the statutues, arguing that the Constitution requires him to do this.
leslie -- welcome. EPU= the initials for a regular fdl commenter, Evil Parallel Universe. His comments often appeared at the end of a thread, and while he was typing them, a new thread appeared. Everyone would move to the new thread, and his comment would not be seen by many. Folks starting to call this occurrence as being "EPU'd."
Any person EPU'd at the bottom of an old thread has a constitutionally recognized right to repeat his/her comment in the new thread, if ya wanna.
scarecrow |
03.26.06 - 8:18 am | #
scarecrow, yes, that's exactly the difference between a classical unitary executive theory (denies the right of Congress to create independent agencies; intellectually respectable argument even if not correct; biggest exponent is Justice Scalia; Alito believes in it also) and what I call the "unilateral executive" (claims unlimited, unilateral Presidential power, no matter what Congress does, if the area of action can be loosely characterized as involving "national security").
But I think that the Bush Administration may well have consciously used the words "unitary executive" when they mean unilateral executive as a tactic of deception.
And it works. People don't rise up and scream.
As Glenn Greenwald wrote Friday at the end of his analysis:
As usual, the most amazing aspect of all of this is not that the Administration is claiming these powers. It is that even as it claims them as expressly and clearly as can be, the Congress continues to ignore it and pretend that it still retains power to restrict the Administration by the laws it passes. And the media continues to fail in its duty to inform the country about the powers the Administration has seized, likely because they are so extreme that people still do not really believe that the Administration means what they are saying. What else do they need to do in order to demonstrate their sincerity?
Pach, as much as I love the Mets (a fan for nearly 40 years), I try not to bring up '86 around Sox fans. It was just TOO painful for those long suffering fans. I felt so sorry for them; and especially Buckner, who made just one mistake of many that inning...how many last strike pitches did the Sox pitchers throw without success, 17? Boy, was I happy to see them beat the Yankees and go on to win it all.
And I'm very glad to see you've been added to the FDL contributors. You're doing a wonderful job.
Bob Adams |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 8:24 am | #
Hey RevDeb, Andy, and Selise -
A big fat Thank You and Good on Ya!!!
'86 ???, The one and only time I advocated the death penalty - how the good people of Boston did not march Johnny McNamara on to Boston Common and execute his ass eludes me to this day - he was sitting right next to a healthy, rested Roger Clemons in what would have been the final WS game and let a less than healthy Buckner take the field, 20 years already ? guess i'lll need a few more decades
cbl |
03.26.06 - 8:24 am | #
Stay tuned this week. It promises to be another busy one.
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 8:25 am | #
Prof -- thanks. I'd read Glen's piece, and it is chilling. It would be helpful if, during negotiations over any bill, or debates in Committe or the floor, the Dems (and the trad press) raised questions about what, if any, reservations the Administration had with respect to any of the provisions of the proposed statute. If the WH says, "none," then they can't come back later with a qualifying signing statment without being called for lying. If they say there are reservations, then the issue becomes public as the bill is being considered.
I don't know why anyone would negotiate anything with this administration, when it is clear they seldom act in good faith.
scarecrow |
03.26.06 - 8:28 am | #
FWIW, I rooted big for the Sox when they won. I felt bad for Boston in '86, even, but what could I do?
My first words were "mama" and "Cleon Jones."
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 8:28 am | #
God I love Leahy. I've called his offices -local and D.C. - several times on censure. I am also going to stop in this week to twist the ears of his staff once again. In a recent email responding to my calls about censure he coupled Feingold's resolution to censure with his own Resolution 350 - which asserts that the Senate's authorization of military force prior to Afganistan did not authorize warrantless eavesdropping.
My read on Leahy is this: he's a straight shooter full of integrity. I think that he is trying to do the right thing despite the muddied fuck you Senator level of politics that abound in Washington. Perhaps he is trying to give Specter a chance to do the right thing. But if the hearing turns out to be a sham, and this is all swept under the rug, I expect that Leahy will be prepared to go further. The man is a Patriot, and I doubt he's prepared to watch the Constitution go down the toilet. My take is that he is Pissed Off.
Carolyn Urban |
03.26.06 - 8:29 am | #
scarecrow, thank you.
and I meant "friends" and "BTW"...
but you knew what I was trying to say.
I thought "EPU" referred to Evil Parallel Universe, but wasn't certain. Your explanation was helpful to me, the uninitiated..
leslie |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 8:30 am | #
My 2 cents -- Thanks everyone for the conversaton. Having my breakfast while I read the comments is a great way to start the morning.
Last night my daughter hosted a giant overnight for the 'cousins' including Cody (the grandchild in the terrible accident). They had 8 kids ages 15, 12, 11, 9, 7, 5, 4, & 2. She and her husband said they had a great time and Cody and his sister seemed relieved to be in a different environment.
GrandmaJ |
03.26.06 - 8:30 am | #
I just finished screaming at the TV watching George S. interview Tom Tancredo.
Why can't they ask OBVIOUS follow up questions?
Why didn't he ask the good Congressman how he intends to deal with the entire collapse of the California economy is his proposed legislation is passed and enforced?
lina |
03.26.06 - 8:31 am | #
And Redd?
Please. Apologizing for this wonderful site? This great source of information? This fabulous community that assembles here because of you and Jane and your talented contributors? I've said thank you in my head countless times, now let me write it down. Thanks for all the time and intelligence and passion you pour into this site.
Carolyn Urban |
03.26.06 - 8:33 am | #
EPU'd - so that's what that means. Good info.
Man, Georgia over at Kos has been incredible! That article that Pach links to today is a must read.
Good god, Democrats, wake up. You've been punk'd by the President. There is no Congress. There is no legislative branch. The laws you pass are meaningless. Have the clerk scribble them on a piece of toilet paper because all the President is going to do is wipe his ass with your precious "oversight bills."
for those interested in the continuing issue of Pres. Bush's unilateral assertion of unlimited power, I recommend strongly that you read not only Glenn Greenwald's post, but also the comment thread over there. I have been going through it. There is a Bush apologist named Bart who posts, and that is good, for it helps others point out the flaws in such talking points.
And now, doesn't this Friday news make you happy:
WASHINGTON - U.S. District Judge John D. Bates has been named to replace a judge who resigned from the secretive court set up by Congress to oversee domestic spying.
Bates, a former Whitewater prosecutor, was appointed by Chief Justice John Roberts in February to replace U.S. District Judge James Robertson, who quit shortly after news reports about the Bush administration going around the court to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens suspected of communicating with terrorists.
And just who is Judge John Bates?
Bates was named to the federal bench in 2001 by President Bush. Prior to joining the court, Bates worked as a private practice attorney. From 1995 to 1997, he was an assistant U.S. attorney who wored for Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr on the investigation into President Clinton's Whitewater investment deals.
Great news, GrandmaJ.
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 8:36 am | #
Zergle --
I'm west of Austin, south of 290 and it's definitely spring. My bluebonnets started blooming three weeks ago and I'm seeing
patches of them along the roadside. We had wild turkeys in our meadow the other day -- out looking for girlfriends -- it's spring all right. Give it another week or so and it'll be worth the drive.
As for krazy-kool-aid drinking Houstonians, I've got some relatives that can't get enough of the stuff. But we're not all members of that club. I made phone calls to a dozen or so senators last week urging them to sponsor Feingold's censure resolution, which I wholly support.
There comes a time when you have to put your foot down and say what you stand for. I had a friend whose kid was verbally abusive towards her from the time he was 11 and she let him get away with it. When he was 16, she tried to do something about it but it was too late. He was bigger than she was and could take a sock at her -- and did.
Censure may come to nothing but we can't wait till the polls open in November to let people know where we stand and why.
I'm doing the spring cleaning thing this weekend so back to it. I'll catch up with fdl on my next break.
alittlemusicalityplease |
03.26.06 - 8:37 am | #
Ah, Billy Buckner -- my heart goes out. Starting as a Brooklyn Dodger fan, I suffered through the move to LA. When Billy B was with the LA Dodgers, he was an all-out, crash the walls, dive-for-theball, hustling player, who hit line drives to all fields. And when he roped one and took off, you just knew he would try to stretch a single into a double, a double into a triple -- and when he did, it was a think of beauty.
So don't get me started on baseball and the games I saw at Candlestick (coldest days I every spent were the summers at Candlestick). Like the game when Juan Marichal bopped John Roseboro on the head with his bat, or the Dickey Dietz getting hit by the pitch incident, or the time when Willy Mays scored from first on a single, with Maury Wills so stunned at the audacity that he threw to the plate a split second too late, or . . .
scarecrow |
03.26.06 - 8:38 am | #
OK. Does Wolf Blitzer always fawn all over Condasleazy like this? I have CNN on and I thought he was going to have to excuse himself while he was slobbering all over her.
JF Christmas! I'm going to have to wash my television screen.
And why do they want her to run for president? Haven't we had enough?
When Dan Hynes was running for state senator of IL, he sent out a photo of bush with large red letters saying "Had Enough?" It's on my front door, with an impeach bush bumper sticker right below.
For a while, mine wasn't the most popular front door in my building, but now it is...
leslie |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 8:39 am | #
cbl: I remember watching Schiraldi come up in the Mets system. Had a great year with Dykstra at AA Jackson in maybe '82(?).
We all knew in NY he had great stuff but could not handle pressure. We loved seeing him face us with the ame on the line.
Pachacutec |
03.26.06 - 8:49 am | #
What a bird and loved his story. We have escaped finches - no idea what kind they are, one's a pale green, another yellow an black - from our neighbor's chicken coop hanging out on the wires right in front of the living room window.
We've been trying to figure out how to keep the squirrels out of the birdfeeders . After we watched one of those crazy shows on Discovery about how smart squirrels are we decided to give up. We're going to build one for the squirrels that has peanuts and sunflowers seeds only, see if that will keep the little raiders happy.
The other morning I watched a grey fox kill and eat most of my favorite chicken. He turned to face us at one point with a wing, all spread out, in his mouth. He looked like a fan dancer. It was my first fox sighting in the entire 12 years we've lived here, though I've seen a bobcat, two mountain lions and, in spring, daily bears.
Nature, red in tooth and claw, no longer breaks my heart. Now, people...that's a whole nother story.
mommybrain |
03.26.06 - 8:50 am | #
Thanks for your description of what happened at Kerry's office, which really bugs me. I can't understand how someone works in a Senator's office as a receptionist and gets to treat their bosses (US!) the way you were treated.
TeddySanFran |
03.26.06 - 8:51 am | #
prof - thanks again for the additional reading material... i hate it when i miss the best bits!
also re the appointment of Judge John Bates to the FISA court... does this appointment require senate confirmation?
selise |
03.26.06 - 8:52 am | #
Only one comment here gets the point of Tancredo & Sensenbrenners "Legalize the KKK" HR 4437:
If there are 10 million workers who do not have papers, and each one has, say, 4 relatives/friends/employers, that's 50 million felons created overnight, with one fell swoop of the pen!
Notice the dearth of MSM on the 500,000 to 1million people marching yesterday. Helicopter "fly-over" reporters.
The "fly-overs" are clueless. They live in a room full of mirrors with no one under $100k a year even in their list of acquaintances.
Where was a CNN or MSNBC reporter, on the street, interviewing the next Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King?
This is how fascism - drip by drip by drip - gradually invades a nation's psyche _ "who are all those ugly people? I don't know any."
"Who are all these people under the helicopter's camera?"
Someone should try to paint a step by step scenario of how many police, rat-finks and minutemen ditto- heads, it will take, and how long, to criminalize 50 million people. And..
What will the "Roundup" of these 50 million criminals looke like, and in a country with 2nd Amendment rights. Not pretty.
What Tancredo, Sensennbrenner and now Frist are doing is not your father's KKK.
The word "reactionary" was invented to describe these type stupid, callow idealogues - Bombastic comments without a plan.
Goebbels is smiling in his grave.
Mac in Colo |
03.26.06 - 8:54 am | #
Great news GrandmaJ,
I was kinda worried when your son said they were going to retreat for a while. People drive ya nuts but they are the best cure for sadness too, I've found. And thank God for FDL in that regard.
Sharon |
03.26.06 - 8:55 am | #
Hi GrandmaJ,
Sounds like things are getting back to normal for Cody. Hurrah! Hang in there. {{xoxoxo}}}
mommybrain |
03.26.06 - 8:59 am | #
Tom Tancredo is certifiable. Having him as the public face of the rethugs is good for Dems.
I've been seeing birds that look like orioles here in the mountains, but they have really richly red-orange heads. Do orioles change color with the seasons?
ColoradoBlue |
03.26.06 - 9:02 am | #
ColoradoBlue -- maybe you are seeing a scarlet tanager?
I think it may have been tanagers. Thanks for the site. I think I'm turning into a birder. Saw my first blue heron in river the other day, and smelled my first skunk of the season.
We've got red headed woodpeckers galore, I love them except when they try to peck a nest in my siding!
ColoradoBlue |
03.26.06 - 9:08 am | #
Saw Condi this morning with Little Timmy, may as well have stayed in bed. Immigration is a big issue this morning on George, it looks like an issue with the potential to seriously wound the ReThugs. They want the cheap labor, BUT! I disagree (and not necessarily respectfully) that there are all these jobs that Americans won't do. They would do them if they paid well enough to live in dignity in America. It's a sign of how bad things are in Mexico for all but the elite that they will come here and work at dirty, dangerous jobs for long hours at low pay with no benefits whatever.
I found this over at Liberty Forum:
"Then appeared, hardly a week later, the annual human-rights report issued by the US State Department, which roundly criticized the Russian leadership of President Vladimir Putin for authoritarianism by "virtually stripping parliament of power ... continuing media restrictions and self-censorship ... continuing corruption and selectivity in enforcement of law, political pressure on the judiciary, and harassment of some non-governmental organizations", all of which has resulted in an "erosion of the accountability of government leaders to the people".
It would read just as well if you traded the UN for State Department, congress for parliament and Dubya for Putin, don't you think?
It's from :
Reheating the Cold War
By M K Bhadrakumar
Colorado -- don't know if you've ever seen it, but I have a great birding book -- The Sibley Guide to Birds -- that is fantastic for identification. The artwork is amazing -- very realistic, and shows various season plumage. :)
ReddHedd |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 9:19 am | #
We've got red headed woodpeckers galore, I love them except when they try to peck a nest in my siding!
ColoradoBlue | 03.26.06 - 9:08 am | #
When we moved in, we had to replace most of the interior walls. As we tore out sections of drywall in the dining room, we found hundreds of honey-soaked acorns deposited by the local woodpeckers and bee hives full of almost 50# of honey (and pesticides from the previous owner, rendering it inedible). For the next couple of years we awoke to the sound of then hammering on the siding until we replaced it with concrete siding that looks just like the real thing. I thought they'd just move to another location, but the went away altogether.
mommybrain |
03.26.06 - 9:29 am | #
Sibley is great, but a bit heavy. Keep it in the car sometimes, but often leave it at home.
National Geographic has good ID plus range maps, unlike the Peterson's.
Prof |
03.26.06 - 9:29 am | #
Glad to know I'm not the only one who yells at the TV...
Saw Carl Levin on FNS this morning and he - like others - seems to think censure is "premature" until an investigation and hearings.
What the Dems should really be saying is:
"The question isn't 'should the president be censured?' The question is, 'Why does it take a censure resolution to get the majority party to pay even lip service to fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide oversight with respect to the actions and policies of the executive and judicial branches of this government?' It's time for the Congress, and particularly the Republicans, to decide whether choosing to protect the president instead of choosing to protect the interests of the American people, is the wisest course of action, and whether that choice is truly serving national security, or political power."
That's pretty much what I was yelling at the TV this morning; I wish I could understand why this doesn't seem more obvious to the Dems, but I don't.
Anne |
03.26.06 - 9:52 am | #
I spent yesterday at the Othello,Washinton Sandhill Crane Festival. Several thousand cranes, Canadian geese and various waterfowl resting up before continuing their journey northwards to their traditional breeding grounds.
For me the scene evoked some ancient African DNA of humanities original home. The sound was incredible ... although for me a melancholy emerged and I heard in the birds cries a plea for help. I came away loving all life more then ever ... and at the same time .. fearful of our blind pursuit of ephemral pleasures at the expense of survival of all other life on this fragile planet.
Thanks Christy for placing the birds first each Sunday morning. Mammals can be so narcissistic.
abarefootboy |
03.26.06 - 10:07 am | #
Gotta love Sibley. Such a prolific artist and such detail - the birds are shown in different positions and plumages.
I've got the big book, and a smaller version: "Sibley's Field Guide of Birds: Western North America." It fits in a backpack.
There's a new one : "Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior."
Voles, you ask? The scourge last year here in the Willamette Valley, thanks to the global warming related mild winters. My field was peppered with vole (field mice) holes. They invaded my house. I had to take serious measures; my cat much prefers birds, and was useless. I'm hoping this year the population is down.
Except for those damn Cardinals.
Zergle | 03.26.06 - 7:05 am |
Cardinal fan here...I'll take that as a compliment :)
I'm glad the 'stros made it to the show, tho'
back to your regularly scheduled FDL...
Southpa* |
03.26.06 - 10:50 am | #
The hummingbirds returned yesterday. Haven't seen one yet but can hear them in the forest around our house. With the thaw of last week's snow, spring has sprung!
Marg |
03.26.06 - 11:04 am | #
Chris Matthews ended his show today with another rant on how Bush tied 9/11 and Saddam together and then, suprise, denied it. Matthews is a strange guy, with his two personalities, but he doesn't appear to be slowing down in his rants on Bush's denial.
aquarius2 |
Homepage |
03.26.06 - 11:10 am | #
Okay, maybe I'm out of sync or something, and don't take this the wrong way, but next time could we have the Sunday Talks on one thread and the bird talk on another? I've got absolutely nothing against birding or birders, but I was kinda hoping to get a sense of what happened on the shows today, since I can't stand to watch them myself plus I have choirs to sing in. It's inconvenient having to hunt and peck, so to speak, for the bits I'm actually interested in. Just my $.02.
DrBB |
03.26.06 - 11:34 am | #
Christy, next time you're looking for cute animal pictures, could you please consider posting some pics of either Aphyosemiou or Nothobranchius killifish?
They are gorgeous little tropical fish that people rarely get to see in fish stores. Sort of the orchids of the fish hobbyist community. Google some images for either word and you will find a host of beautiful pictures that will look like they were photoshopped to increase saturation (but weren't).
Dumbo |
03.26.06 - 12:42 pm | #
I would love to see George Will send a timecapsule to his grandkids in 30 years of his performance on ABC This week where he read a 30 year old document to ridicule today's scientific consenus about global warming. I am very frustrated about this because I feel that if you could get in the face of these administration apologists and ask them point blank about their grandkids future you might be able to gain some traction. Do they worry about the levels of Mercury in fish? Or do they let their daughters go on a sushi binge?
Harmonicajoe |
03.26.06 - 5:52 pm | #
