Welcome to The Now

Just a piece from his WashPost entry : We cannot afford to waste time being told that admitting mistakes, not the mistakes themselves, will provide our enemies with an intolerable propaganda victory. We've already lost years being told that we have no choice but to stay the course of a failed policy. This isn't a time for stubbornness, nor is it a time for halfway solutions -- or warmed-over "new" solutions that our own experience tells us will only make the problem worse. The Iraq Study Group tells us that "the situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating." It joins the chorus of experts in and outside of Baghdad reminding us that there is no military solution to a political crisis. And yet, over the warnings of former secretary of state Colin Powell, Gen. John Abizaid and the entire Joint Chiefs of Staff, Washington is considering a "troop buildup" option, sending more troops into harm's way to referee a civil war. We have already tried a tri...

Seattlepi.com : Narrowly defeated in his bid for a fourth term, Montana Sen. Conrad Burns turned his anger on the National Republican Senatorial Committee and commercials it had run months before the election. "The ads hurt me more than they helped. I wouldn't have spent the money," he said, his comments characteristic of the season of second-guessing now unfolding among Republicans. That's funny because I thought Burns' defeat had to do with something other than the NRSC. As Marie Horrigan of the New York Times noted: Burns’ defeat was a perfect storm of voter dissent over the sizable campaign contributions Burns received in the past from disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff , and the senator’s uncanny ability to commit verbal gaffes. Montana Democrats scored bonus points when Tester won the June 6 primary over state Auditor John Morrison. A lawyer with an urbane manner, Morrison might have had a hard time offsetting former farm broadcaster Burns’ claims that he was ...

Just how old is Congress? "...the average age of the incoming Democratic House committee leaders is 67, six years older than the Republicans they are replacing. The trend is the same, albeit less pronounced, in the Senate, where the average age of Democratic chairmen will be about 68.5, a year older than the Republican leaders who are losing their majority status." Part of infusing new ideas into government has to include having literally "new blood." You can't expect a politician who's been in office for over 20 years to be innovative. Effective, maybe; but not innovative.

AP : A federal appeals court told the Bush administration Friday that it does not need to immediately restart a housing program for thousands (4,200 to be exact) of Hurricane Katrina victims.

AFP : The Supreme Court heard arguments over how US schools try to promote racial balance, appearing to back the goal of integration but not necessarily the means used to achieve it... ...The high court on Monday examined school assignment policies for high schools in Seattle in the Pacific Northwest state of Washington and in elementary schools in Louisville, Kentucky, two cities where whites and blacks live in mostly segregated neighborhoods. Parents whose children were not able to attend the school of their choice -- due to policies that require a certain racial balance -- have sued their school districts arguing that classifying children based on race is unconstitutional. Backed by the US government, the plaintiffs also argue that the policy distorts a landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision, "Brown versus Board of Education of Topeka," which barred racial segregation in schools.

Media Matters gives that " award " to ABC.

Colbert I. King on modern day slavery in America.

If you must see what the hoopla is about concerning Miss Nevada (USA), the answer can be found here (WARNING: not for the kiddies!).

Via Media Matters: the most outrageous comments of 2006 .

Did you know that Bart Simpson did this week's NFL picks ? Well, now you do.

Houston Chronicle : Cutting the first hole in a key campaign funding law, a federal court here ruled Thursday that corporations, unions and special interest groups had a free-speech right to run some broadcast ads during the campaign season that refer to candidates seeking election. In a 2-1 ruling, the judges said "genuine issue ads" that refer to a lawmaker's pending business in the capital may be the subject of corporate-funded ads. The decision sets the stage for the Supreme Court to reconsider the McCain-Feingold Act of 2002, the measure that sharply limits the use of money from wealthy donors, corporations and unions in election campaigns. If anyone thought that this years election ads were rough, brace yourselves. If this goes to the Supreme Court and they reconsider the MC-F Act, the ads are bound to get alot harsher.

President Bush pardoned 16 people for the year 2006 . They include: -Charles James Allen of Winchester, Va., conspiracy to defraud the United States. A former federal employee, Allen was convicted in 1979 for approving payments to James Hilles Associates Inc., a Virginia firm, for office supplies that were never delivered. In return, Allen received car parts, a radio, a freezer and other gifts from the firm. He was sentenced to a year of custody to be served by 30 days in jail, 90 days in a work-release program, and the remaining period on parole. -William Sidney Baldwin Sr. of Green Pond, S.C., conspiracy to possess marijuana. Sentenced Oct. 27, 1981, to six years’ imprisonment. -Timothy Evans Barfield of Cary, N.C., aiding and abetting false statements on a Small Business Administration loan application. Sentenced July 17, 1989, to three years’ probation, including 96 hours of community service. -Clyde Philip Boudreaux of Thibodaux, La., borrowing money from enlisted men, a...

Credit cards will be in full force this holiday season , when it's all said and done. I've always been fascinated at how people will literally put themselves into debt in order to insure a day and a half of commercial happiness for others. I'm not sure I would consider it a sacrifice in every instance, either. I say this because, in personal experience, most people don't know what the person they're buying gifts for wants. I've talked to friends, co-workers and family about this, and more often than not they're buying blind. As a result, they overcompensate and end up spending way more they probably have to. Then, more likely than not, the month of January is one of poverty as they fight to pay of holiday bills and struggle to pay the normal monthly ones. My only suggestion to those who are doing any last-minute shopping is: talk to the person you're buying a gift for, and get a sense of what they'd like. I know that getting info from some people is ...

Arch Campbell was one of those rare critics who gave a fair yet firm review of theatre productions and movies. A classy guy who didn't bash everything because it may nor have reflected "his generation." He'll be sorely missed . Take care, Arch.

"Yesterday, in an interview with The Washington Post , while acknowledging that the United States is not winning in Iraq, Bush bluntly dismissed the suggestion that the midterm elections meant voters want to bring the mission in that country to closure. He said he interpreted the election results "as people not satisfied with the progress" in Iraq."

WashPost : President Bush said today that he plans to expand the size of the U.S. military to meet the challenges of a long-term global war against terrorists, a response to warnings that sustained deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan have stretched the armed forces to near the breaking point . Hopefully, he's not planning on sending all of this newly expanded military to Iraq; only 11% of Americans think more troops in Iraq is a good idea .

Against American soldiers and Iraqi troops in Iraq, if the figures in this report is correct.

Looks like Denver is Allen Iverson's new destination .

The JibJab Year in Review is in, and boy is it funny.

New York Times : Over the past six months, Baghdad has been all but isolated electrically, Iraqi officials say, as insurgents have effectively won their battle to bring down critical high-voltage lines and cut off the capital from the major power plants to the north, south and west. The battle has been waged in the remotest parts of the open desert, where the great towers that support thousands of miles of exposed lines are frequently felled with explosive charges in increasingly determined and sophisticated attacks, generally at night. Crews that arrive to repair the damage are often attacked and sometimes killed, ensuring that the government falls further and further behind as it attempts to repair the lines. And in a measure of the deep disunity and dysfunction of this nation, when the repair crews and security forces are slow to respond, skilled looters often arrive with heavy trucks that pull down more of the towers to steal as much of the valuable aluminum conducting material in ...

George Karl isn't happy that Isiah Thomas got off scot free in the Knicks/Nuggets confrontation.

Reuters : "U.S. growers produce nearly $35 billion worth of marijuana annually, making the illegal drug the country's largest cash crop, bigger than corn and wheat combined, an advocate of medical marijuana use said in a study released on Monday. The report, conducted by Jon Gettman, a public policy analyst and former head of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, also concluded that five U.S. states produce more than $1 billion worth of marijuana apiece: California, Tennessee, Kentucky, Hawaii and Washington." You have to think at some point the federal government will push for legalization; if for anything to get some of that "phat money cake."

From CNN : New Orleans police lined up "like at a firing range" and fatally shot an unarmed man in the back as he fled from them in the days after Hurricane Katrina swept ashore, a witness to the shooting told CNN. It marks the first time a witness has come forward publicly with information about the shooting of Ronald Madison, a 40-year-old mentally retarded man whose death has sparked a police investigation and a grand jury probe into what happened in and around the Danziger Bridge that day. "He just fell like he was collapsing," Kasimir Gaston told CNN. "Like something just wiped him out." Gaston was one of many flood refugees living on the second floor of the Friendly Inn, a low-income motel on the city's east side. On Sunday, September 4 of last year, he says he woke up and stepped onto the balcony of the motel and saw a man running, hands outstretched and being fired upon. Initial police accounts said that Madison reached for his waistband and tu...

Via Boston Globe : " Universal healthcare, an issue the White House and Congress have largely abandoned since the early 1990s, has reemerged as an issue on Capitol Hill and around the country, with lawmakers looking to Massachusetts' landmark plan as a political and structural model for the nation's 46 million uninsured ." Of course, Republican governor and presidential wannbe Mitt Romney presided over this thing so expect him to use it in his bid.

As Christmas nears, the gas prices are (still) rising.

Did I mention that at my job I ran into, of all people FORMER Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore?! Hey Gilly, how's that humble pie taste?!

While I'll agree with Rosen that the WizKids have much to work on in the defense department , here are some things that may have been overlooked in last night's game : 1. The Lakers are a unique group of lanky forwards and guards , and that presented problems both offensively and defensively for the considerably shorter (and less athletic) Wizards. 2. It's harder to break down East-West matchups in comparison to inter-conference matchups because teams who don't see each other but twice a year don't really prepare the same. While all the Wizards are aware of Kobe (and to a lesser extent, Kwame Brown), who knew that center Brian Cook could hit a 3-pointer? 3. For the Stat Lovers: actually, the Wizards were par for course and it was the Lakers who came up sort defensively this time around . 4. Kobe hinted (actually he didn't hint; he was pretty clear ) that Gilbert Arenas was a chucker, which is funny considering that their stats this season are fairly similiar.

Fred Hiatt (from the WashPost) says while the Secretary of State has a good delivery, what she has to deliver has much to be desired .

Now normally when I speak of asses, I do so positively, usually because I, like a lot of other men, WILL LOOK at your ass factor as you walk by! But in this case, this is a bad thing. Here's why: Ok, so I kinda "borrowed" this one from this morning's edition of "The Russ Parr Morning Show", but Russ did bring up an interesting point. There have been MANY asses that have made themselves apparent in 2006. I'll give you a list of mine and why. Here goes. 1. Michael Richards (Kramer). I think all my black folk know WHY . if I have to go into it, where have you been? Under a rock??? 2. My boss, as one female caller put it. I'm inclined to agree with this one. Earlier this year, I tried to take my 2-week vaca and he waited until 2 days prior to tell me I had to chop a week off, and the reason was, get this, "I need you" ! Yes, yall! sounding like a bitch with that one! Oooh! yall can't imagine how pissed I was that day! I missed out on goi...

ThinkProgress : WashPost writer and blog hater George Will expresses his frustration with Time's choice for Person of the Year. MichaelMoore.com : Mike Ferner has a message for the anti-war choir.

Joseph Galloway gives his theory on what to expect at the end of President Bush's "Listening Tour:" The power brokers in Washington spent the week carefully arranging fig leaves and tasteful screens to cover the emperor’s nakedness while he was busy pretending to listen hard to everyone with an opinion about Iraq while hearing nothing. Sometime early in the New Year, President Bush will go on national television to tell a disgruntled American public what he's decided should be done to salvage "victory" from the jaws of certain defeat in the war he started. The word on the street, or in the Pentagon rings, is that he'll choose to beef up American forces on the ground in Iraq by 20,000 to 30,000 troops by various sleight-of-hand maneuvers - extending the combat tours of soldiers and Marines who are nearing an end to their second or third year in Hell and accelerating the shipment of others into that Hell - and send them into the bloody streets of Baghdad. ...

Sen. Obama apologizes for his prior dealings with an indicted political insider. Apparently, he realizes it's best to get this sort of thing out of the way now in case he does declare an intent to run for president.

1. Something to Salute : " Naval Academy Gets First Woman Commandant of Midshipmen ." 2. Please, Quit Your Day Job : "Authorities are investigating a 13-year-old girl's claims that her mother has been hosting sex parties in their Stafford home ." 3. Sick of School : "Officials at Catholic University say they've learned the cause of a gastrointestinal illness that's hit dozens of students in the past three days. " 4. Separate, But Something : "The report says black males should be taught in single-sex classes by a more diverse pool of teachers. It also suggest that African-American boys take more PSAT tests and Advanced Placement classes." 5. No Butts About it, Teach : "He creates floral and abstract art by plastering his posterior and genitals with paint and pressing them against canvas. " 6. On the Other Hand, You Could Have This Teacher : "A middle school teacher who didn't have time to escort three students to ...

Literally hundreds of people chimed in on Allen Iverson's premature departure from Philly, and the Sports Guy shows us his favorites . If you want to see some good highlights, try here . And a point of clarification: the guy is a warrior, no doubt. Put him on any "soft" team and they become a force (think the Suns); put him on a one-man show and they become a contender (think the T'Wolves); put him on a contender and they become a favorite (think the Spurs). Of course, it's not likely that he'd go to any of those teams, but it's fun to dream.

1. Those Who Can't Debate, Ridicule : When a fiction author gets his environmental views debunked, he retaliates in the most immature way . 2. No Confidence : "Barely one-third of Americans expect the United States to win the war in Iraq, a bleak assessment that's chasing the Bush administration into ever-deeper political disfavor." 3. " Attack the Purse :" so says the latest presidential wannbe. 4. Santorum Country? : Outed senator looks at his options . 5. Book 'Em : Let O.J. Simpson know how you really feel .

You can call him " former political consultant " after Bush's term is up. But I'm sure that won't stop from showing up as a special guest pundit now and then.

Presidential wannabe John McCain declares war on blogs . Assuming the guy knows that there are countless non-political blogs out there, what does McCain think he can accomplish by doing this?

Jay Bakker (son of Jim Baker) has a show that features him trying to move on with his life.

The Saudi Ambassador to the US resigns ; making the Bush Administration's failure at foreign policy almost complete.

A possible new Ripper has England on edge.

If one were to look at this picture, one might think that the story is about the health risks that associate with trying to eat this thing. Nope, the story is the sexy nurse-like outfits that the waitresses are wearing, which are ticking off real nurses. Question: these real nurses, they no that pornography exists, right? And that some porn stars dress up as dancers, waitresses and...nurses, right? Where's the outrage there? Methinks the real nurses should be more ticked off that they'll have to revive the victims of the Triple Bypass Burger.

"To local officials combating Shenzhen's reputation as a den of vice, it seemed like a good idea , the perfect way to dissuade provincial girls from turning to prostitution in the big city and frighten away the men who patronize their brothels. So after raiding the karaoke bars, saunas and barbershops where prostitutes often ply their trade, police officers in the southern Chinese boomtown paraded about 100 women and their alleged johns in the street, using loudspeakers to read out their names and the misdeeds they were accused of committing. News photographers snapped away while thousands of residents lined up to take in the show."

Allen Iverson, Mr. Practice himself, allegedly wants out of Philly . UPDATE : It looks more likely .

Eugene Robinson : At least the five senior Republicans and five senior Democrats who made up the panel have put down a marker. Facts do count, they remind us, and the possibility that the Iraq misadventure will spark a wider regional war is enough to powerfully concentrate the mind... ...Roughly the first half of the report is pure journalism, an example of what old foreign correspondents used to call a "situationer" -- a snapshot overview of whatever country one's editors thought needed assessing. I learned things I hadn't known... ...The second half of the report is less a news story than a long op-ed piece. The panel ruled out my preferred exit strategy, which it dismisses as "precipitate withdrawal." (I prefer to call it "wake up and smell the coffee.'') The report explains how splitting Iraq into three autonomous parts would be an unacceptably bloody process, as well as intolerable to the neighbors; and how the option of sending a lot more ...

Timothy Noah warned that "Blaming Iraqis" would be the latest method of deflecting any criticism about the war from the Bush Administration. Well, he was right : Whose fault is the trouble in Iraq? Bush's fault? No, it's the Iraqis' fault. They're the ones who are committing sectarian violence, not American troops. They're the ones who are using their freedom from Saddam [Hussein] to kill their neighbors instead of trying to get the power running or pump the oil or pave the streets or fix the schools or repair the hospitals. If the Iraqi death toll is horrendous -- and no one can seriously claim it isn't -- you have to ask, "Who is doing this stuff?" Are there terrorists in Iraq causing trouble? Sure, but not this many. The death toll in Iraq is clearly the doing of Iraqis. And we ought to be saying to the Iraqi government, "Look, your fingerprints are all over this Shia death squad stuff. They're operating in Iraqi police uniforms,...

Check it out in all it's glory .

Funniest. Quote. Ever. Here's why monkeys have become a problem in New Delhi .

Whirlpool Corp. on Thursday agreed to sell its recently acquired Hoover floor-care operation for $107 million to Hong Kong-based Techtronics Industries Co . Sale of the floor-care business "allows us to focus on our core appliance business," said Whirlpool Chairman and Chief Executive Jeff Fettig. Whirlpool announced several months ago that it intended to sell the Hoover operation, which has had difficulty competing with a surge of low-cost imports, in part because the vacuummaker is saddled with relatively high labor costs .

Seriously, it was .

That's how many Americans approve of Bush's handling of Iraq .

Media Matters : 1. Money spent on Iraq, and the lack of basic understanding of the enemy are only two of the issues in the ISG Report that the mainstream media isn't talking about . 2. You want a reminder that race will be a factor if Barack Obama decides to run for president? Well, here it is . ThinkProgess : 3. When the ISG first met with President Bush, he didn't ask any questions . 4. Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist ironically talks about playing nice. Crooks&Liars : 5. Republicans admit that they didn't do much with this Congress (with that three-day work week and all). 6. "Six Months" Friedman tells Imus that we gotta get out of Iraq .

"Gunmen attacked a southern Nigerian oil installation belonging to a subsidiary of Italy's Eni SpA early today, taking three Italians hostage and killing another person, Italian and Nigerian officials said."

Apparently, Jenna Bush's trip to Paraguay wasn't just for fun: Foreign news agencies , including the Latin American News Service, are reporting that Bush has purchased almost 100,000 acres in northern Paraguay , near the borders of Brazil and Bolivia. Rumors of the purchase began with Prensa Latina, the state-run Cuban news agency. One of the orignial stories on the matter, seen here , translates as the following: The eventual purchase of 40 thousand hectares in the Chaco Paraguayan on the part of the American president, George W. Bush, revives today as theme of public debate, after social and political authorities expressed uneasiness. Although it has not been confirmed for official sources, the news that travels through the continent I need that the lands are located in Step of Country, near the reserves of gas of Bolivia and of the Guarani Aquifer, in the region of the Triple Border. Last year, when the Paraguayan Congress approved a request of immunity for the American tr...

The survivors of this horrific attack will meet for the last time.

James Baker has been Chief Ass Coverer for the Bush Family for years, but apparently our current President Bush isn't as grateful as his dad. Asked if Baker would help implement the report, a spokesman for Mr. Bush said, "Jim Baker can go back to his day job." Just another chapter in the Saga known as "Bush & Bush: Father Vs. Son."

How the WashPost describes the ISG report findings on Iraq .

Things like this : "U.S. soldiers are dying trying to help people who don't want their help. That makes you angry."

Andy Dick now has to apologize for trying to find humor in KramerGate.

"Sen. Barbara Boxer, the soon-to-be chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said Tuesday she will ask Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and two Democratic state lawmakers to testify about why Congress should pass federal legislation modeled on California's landmark law to combat global warming. "

D.C. will have to wait until the 110th Congress comes in to get a chance at full voting rights in the House of Representatives because Republican leaders basically killed any chances of the bill passing. As for a clue into why: "The bill had faced long odds for approval this week, given the time constraints. Even if it got through the House, it would have needed to clear the Senate. But proponents had taken heart from the bipartisan support it had attracted. The bill would have balanced the new seat for the mostly Democratic District with an additional one for heavily Republican Utah." Either Republicans didn't want another Democrat vote, or Democrats didn't want another Republican one. Considering the party that's coming into power, I'm guessing that it was the former.

President Bush knew that VA Senator-elect Jim Webb's son was in danger before their infamous exchange.

" Growth in worker productivity slowed sharply in the summer while wages and benefits rose at a rate that was far below a previous estimate. Productivity, the key ingredient to rising living standards, edged up at an 0.2 percent annual rate in the July-September quarter. That was better than the zero change that was first reported, but it was below analysts’ expectation for a slightly stronger 0.5 percent increase."

The Washington Wizards were only able to play 3 quarters of solid basketball, but that was enough to handle the recently red-hot Dallas Mavericks.

1. From C&L: When he's speaking in front of a safe crowd, President Bush talks tough about things, like whether or not Iraq is in a civil war. But when he's under the interview lamp, he backs down . 2. From Media Matters: Bill O'Reilly can't leave the non-existent "war on Christmas" riff alone. 3. From ThinkProgress: MSNBC wants us to believe that former president Jimmy Carter doesn't like Jewish people.

There was a time (especially in regards to minorities) that hair extensions were frowned upon. I guess now the rules have changed .

Jose Padilla, as you may know, is an American citizen detained by the Bush Administration for being an enemy combatant. He was aggressively treated/tortured , and since then he's been using the legal system to fight back (in his first two years of incarceration, he didn't have access to a lawyer). How the courts treat Padilla will set a precedent on future hearings, and may even have an impact on the Anti-Habeas Corpus bill that was passed before the November elections. So it's in the Bush Administration's best interests to "nip this thing in the bud" as soon as possible. I guess that's why they've decided to us the "torturing him must have made him crazy" argument: I mean, if he's crazy, how can his testimony be trusted in a court of law, right? Now here's where I have to get A Few Good Men on that argument: If the "techniques" used are supposed to be considered successful in getting detainees to reveal information, yet th...

Almost at the end of another year, and my last bits of craziness for the year 2006. For the sake of laughter, Let's get it! 1. 3 days ago, I saw the first Asian chick with huge titties that were real. how rare... 2. Man, I LOVE when a woman calls me "papi"! If I hear it again this year, I swear I'll lose it!! 3. It's a good thing people can't see what I think of them in my brain. Maybe I should be on tv... 4. Why do fat people always buy those little ass cars (Mini Coopers for example), like they can even fit into em? It's like watching a busted can of sardines ooze out! My bad, my BBWS, cuz I don't mean y'all... 5. No, Burger King does not have several XBOX games based on their mascot, the King!! Go to one, you'll see em! There's even a commercial based on them; the games are like those "Tony Hawk" skateboard games! 6. Why do vegetarians proudly proclaim they don't eat meat like they're just plain better than everybody ...

This is a repost of a posting my sister pointed out to me from an anonymous user on Craigslist. The title is called "Being Ugly". Warning!! This posting is a real tear-jerker. You've been warned... Being Ugly Date: 2005-04-17, 11:42PM PDT Everyone in the apartment complex I lived in knew who Ugly was. Ugly was the resident tomcat. Ugly loved three things in this world: fighting, eating garbage, and shall we say, love. The combination of these things combined with a life spent outside had their effect on Ugly. To start with, he had only one eye, and where the other should have been was a gaping hole. He was also missing his ear on the same side, his left foot has appeared to have been badly broken at one time, and had healed at an unnatural angle, making him look like he was always turning the corner. His tail has long since been lost, leaving only the smallest stub, which he would constantly jerk and twitch. Ugly would have been a dark gray tabby striped-type, excep...

Happy Thanks TAKING , everybody! The following is a recap of what happened to me over the last 4 days. Enjoy! --Sunday November 19, 2006-- I went to church twice and in the second half of the day, I was at my uncle's church to christen the new building. We got to the final service in the new building late, and being that my cousins didn't want to be stared at as we went to go sit in the front, and even though the pastor's his dad and my uncle, we went to the downstairs to help set up the food. After a few taste tests of the food, we tried to watch football on the tv in my uncle's office, but could only get CBS, and waited for the service to end. But then the testimonies came -- you know, the part at the end that will keep your ass in service for about another 4-5 days?? Yeah,THAT part... Finally, the service is about to start for the new building. While my other cuz and I speak to his girl about a person from our home church that came, my cousin's wife shushes m...

Guess we can forget my earlier plea for Lohan to expand her horizon: she has started to attend AA meetings . Hey, if she's trying to right her ship, I'm all for it. Besides, there's always a chance that Tara Reid or Courtney Love may change their professional venue.

That phrase has gone from a prank to a Supreme Court hearing .

After Katherine Harris' exit from the limelight that is politics, I was thinking that there's a void that needs to be filled: the train wreck candidate. Since Hollywood is full of trainwrecks, let me nominate Lindsay Lohan as Harris' replacement. Someone needs to get this young woman to run for something. Mayor, alderwoman, county exec, anything. Why? Well check this out, courtesy of TMZ.com : Lindsay Lohan flipped out when she saw Jessica Biel at an event in L.A. the other night, because Jessica's assistant used to work for the freckled phenom – until a few months ago, when she quit. Page Six reports that Lohan, upon seeing Biel and the woman at the GQ Men of the Year awards, screamed, "If she stays, I'm outta here! I can't look at that girl!" But Lindsay's tirade elicited not so much as a shrug from Jessica: "It was really uncalled for. Jessica and everyone else ignored her." Even more humiliating, says the Post, was Will Ferrell...

"For 20 years, Rick Warren was wrong about AIDS, he told listeners at the opening session of the much-anticipated 2006 Global Summit on AIDS and the Church. " But thanks to his wife, he was able to see the truth about the global dangers AIDS presents.

First Newt Gingrich suggests that we should curb Freedom of Speech because of the Internet. Now: "A Department of Homeland Security advisory cautioning that al Qaeda may be planning cyber attacks on banking and financial institution Web sites was issued out of an abundance of caution, although there is no corroboration, a DHS spokesman told CNN Thursday." Expect Gingrich and others to tie the two together, and suggest an Internet-version of the Patriot Act (or worse) as a way to "combat terrorism."

Outgoing RNC Chair Ken Mehlman told a bunch of GOP governors " the party will face years in the political wilderness unless it corrects the mistakes that led to last month's election losses ." He also assured them that they were the future of the party, which may come as a shock to the Republican leaders in both the Senate and the House. I'm sure Mehlman has looked at the track record of Governors becoming Presidents (i.e., Clinton and Bush) and likes their chances better.

When Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison combine for less than 51 points, the team is 1-8 .

Democrat Tom Vilsack, the governor of Iowa, has thrown his hat into the presidential ring . Here's a little history if (like me) your are asking, "Tom Who?"

Via ESPN's NBA Daily Dime : Greg (MA) : Celtics are [Ed. note: were] in first place in the Atlantic Divison! We're gonna win the championship! David Thorpe: You have the optimism of the 80-year-old man who marries a 22-year-old woman and buys a large house next to an elementary school.

"It was a solemn pledge, repeated by Democratic leaders and candidates over and over: If elected to the majority in Congress, Democrats would implement all of the recommendations of the bipartisan commission that examined the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001." Reading this intro, you'd think the WashPost is calling the Democrats cheats for "fooling" the American public into voting for them. But if you read the next paragragh: "But with control of Congress now secured, Democratic leaders have decided for now against implementing the one measure that would affect them most directly: a wholesale reorganization of Congress to improve oversight and funding of the nation's intelligence agencies . Instead, Democratic leaders may create a panel to look at the issue and produce recommendations, according to congressional aides and lawmakers." I think, right now, the concern with Democrats is them not wanting to right more blank checks to the Bush Administration. ...

"An Ohio woman was arrested and charged Monday in the August 2005 death of her infant daughter. Police said the girl died from burns possibly caused by a microwave oven . Her mother, China Arnold, 26, was jailed Monday on a charge of aggravated murder, more than a year after she brought her dead month-old baby to a hospital. Bail was set Tuesday at $1 million."

The media needs to catch up to scholars who have recognized that what's going on in Iraq amounts to a civil war.

" Fierce fighting Wednesday between coalition forces and insurgents shut down the Iraqi city of Baqouba, which has been roiled by violence in recent days, killing scores of militants and civilians."

I think it's safe to say many political journalists have personal political affiliations. They may try to hide it, but eventually it comes out in one form or another. I personally believe field reporters and anchorpeople should keep their affiliation in check and try to be as pragmatic as possible. As for the pundits and political talk show hosts, it would good if they would be more upfront about it. Why? Because these two groups do a lot of talking and invoke their opinion more than reporters and anchorpeople. And even though they don't want to admit it, the words of a pundit or talk show host resonates more with the public. Despite this, many try to maintain the facade that they are neutral. Nothing can be further from the truth. Anyone who considers themself a political insider has obviously made friends from one of the two major parties (or both) and most likely has something to lose (like insider information) when/if members of that party lose elections or leave office. Wi...

As long as funding requests can be made in the name of the "Global War on Terror," the sky's the limit .

"A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that the Bush administration violated the Constitution when it froze the assets of more than two dozen alleged terrorist groups after the Sept. 11 attacks. U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins, in a ruling released Monday, held that an executive order Bush issued Sept. 24, 2001 — designating 27 groups and individuals as 'specially designated global terrorists' — was ' unconstitutionally vague .'"

A peek into Dick Cheney's early infatuation with the "unitary executive."

Mr. Limbaugh decides to "cut and run" . Funny how a person's opinion on issues that effect all Americans change when their political party loses power.

"The Justice Department is launching an internal review of its participation in the Bush administration's controversial domestic eavesdropping program, the department's inspector general told congressional leaders on Monday. The review, which congressional Democrats have sought for nearly a year, will examine the Justice Department's role in the warrantless domestic spying program run by the super-secret National Security Agency (NSA), Justice Department Inspector General Glenn Fine said."

Rest In Peace , Ms. Bebe Moore Campbell.

Fighting poverty and global warming doesn't seem to be big concerns for many in the Christian Coalition of America, because the president-elect who wanted to push these things has called it quits .

Apparently, the cost of everything from that famous song is currently $18,920 .

The Bush Twins refuse to leave Argentina early, even after the government has told them that their presence has increased security concerns . Hmmm. A Bush (in this case, two) refusing to leave a country that wants him/her to go, even though leaving may be a positive in the long run? I think I've heard this story before.

In the House of Representatives John Dingell (House Energy and Commerce Committee), Charles Rangel (Ways and Means Committee), John Conyers (Judiciary Committee), and Henry Waxman (Government Reform Committee) will be some of the " roughshod and overzealous " Democrats to chair when power offically shifts in January.

Author Larry Kahaner talks about the AK-47, one of the most popular and deadly weapons ever made .

Whenever someone mentions that we need to build a big fence around America, I'm going to remind them about this cartoon from Robert Ariail. Imagine how history would have played out if Native Americans were as xenophobic as some of the fences' proponents are...

Michael Moore makes a good point about how countries have been traditionally (and succesfully) liberated, and it bares repeating: There are many ways to liberate a country. Usually the residents of that country rise up and liberate themselves. That's how we did it. You can also do it through nonviolent, mass civil disobedience. That's how India did it. You can get the world to boycott a regime until they are so ostracized they capitulate. That's how South Africa did it. Or you can just wait them out and, sooner or later, the king's legions simply leave (sometimes just because they're too cold). That's how Canada did it. The one way that DOESN'T work is to invade a country and tell the people, "We are here to liberate you!" -- when they have done NOTHING to liberate themselves. Where were all the suicide bombers when Saddam was oppressing them? Where were the insurgents planting bombs along the roadside as the evildoer Saddam's convoy passed the...

"Comedian Michael Richards said Sunday he did not consider himself a racist, and that he was "shattered" by the comments he made to two young black men during a tirade at a Los Angeles comedy club. Richards appeared on the Rev. Jesse Jackson's nationally syndicated radio program, "Keep Hope Alive," as a part of a series of apologies for the incident. He said he knew his comments hurt the black community, and hoped to meet with the two men."

They can protect the President from reality, but for some reason can't protect his daughter from a purse-snatcher : Reports that an agile Argentine thief snatched the purse of one of the twin daughters of President Bush while U.S. Secret Service agents were nearby had local media in a buzz Wednesday. "Bush's bodyguards couldn't handle San Telmo purse-snatcher," read a headline on the Web site of official news agency Telam. Telam said a government source, who asked not to be named, confirmed reports regarding the robbery. Different local reports said the incident happened on Sunday or Monday. A law enforcement source briefed on the incident told CNN that Barbara Bush's purse was stolen while she was in Argentina with her twin sister, Jenna. But the source said that "at no point were the protectees out of visual contact and at no point was there any risk of harm." If Bush declares war on Argentina anytime soon, we'll know why.

Ok, now that LOST has gone into their ridiculous hiatus, now's the time to ask some questions: 1. Why did the Others want Kate and Sawyer? Jack makes sense, but what value does a runaway fugitive and a con man have? 2. Why didn't the "monster" kill Eko last season? 3. Can the "monster" really shapeshift? If so, think about all the things in black people have encountered: Sawyer's boar, Kate's horse, Jack dad (suit), Eko's brother (again, suit). 4. Why haven't the Others ever bothered to do something about Rousseau? Or Desmond? Why were let left alone while the Flight 815 people were attacked, killed and kidnapped? 5. Was Libby's stay in the mental institution because of her husband's death? 6. If the Others have a way to reach the outside world, what's making them stay? 7. How did the Others get so much information on Jack and Sawyer? Ethan couldn't have known that Sawyer was a con man, and I don't remember Michael ...

Eugene Robinson talks about the undercurrent that may have sparked Michael Richard's tirade.

"Only one in four Americans believe President Bush is a better president than his father, George H. W. Bush, a new CNN poll has found ."

Mark Fuhrman gives his take on the tasteless O.J. book, as only he can . Looks like he's found a home with FoxNews.