Life in OUR America, Volume 2, The Livyjr Files Options

[jeffmoskin]

I actually was a Republican, myself, although while I was one, I never was religious about being one, as I never saw anything to be religious about!

I actually thought, when I was young, and registered to vote, that you had to be one, or the other, and so, I registered Republican, because of Ike, who made quite an impression on me, when I was young!

True confessions, part deux:

I turned 21 in time for the 1962 mid term elections, and I voted for Kenneth B. Keating, REPUBLICAN, for Senate in New York State. He was a good guy, and back then, being a Republican didn't mean what it does today.

After I moved to Kah-lee-FAWN-yah, I voted for Thomas Kuchel, also a Republican for Senate. Another good guy.

Now that I think of it.

This post has been edited by jeffmoskin: Jul 1 2005, 10:25 PM

[Livyjr]

And here is some "breaking news" that, if true, probably wouldn't surprise a single soul on the face of the earth:

Just released 15 minutes ago on Editor & Publisher website!

"MSNBC Analyst Says Cooper Documents Reveal Karl Rove as Source in Plame Case"

By E&P Staff

Published: July 01, 2005 11:30 PM ET

NEW YORK - Now that Time Inc. has turned over documents to federal court, presumably revealing who its reporter, Matt Cooper, identified as his source in the Valerie Plame/CIA case, speculation runs rampant on the name of that source, and what might happen to him or her.

Tonight, on the syndicated McLaughlin Group political talk show, Lawrence O'Donnell, senior MSNBC political analyst, claimed to know that name--and it is, according to him, top White House mastermind Karl Rove.

Link here: http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp...

[Livyjr]

True confessions, part deux:

I turned 21 in time for the 1962 mid term elections, and I voted for Kenneth B. Keating, REPUBLICAN, for Senate in New York State.

He was a good guy, and back then, being a Republican didn't mean what it does today.

After I moved to Kah-lee-FAWN-yah, I voted for Thomas Kuchel, also a Republican for Senate.

Another good guy.

Now that I think of it.

If I understand what you are saying here, jeffmoskin, and believe me, it sounds most incredible, but are you hinting, yea, verily, even CLAIMING that you are not mindless, that you do not do what you are told, when you enter the voting booth!

Forsooth, jeffmoskin, do you actually expect us zomboid "Stepford Wives" Americans to believe a word you are saying here?

For shame, man!

Don't you know we all have cell phones now so that when we are in the voting booth, we can call CENTRAL to get the the latest up-dates on who actually to vote for, so that we can then earn that money that we sold our votes for?

Uh, how much they paying out in Kah-lee-FAWN-yah?

Here, it's still two dollars a vote, and I think with inflation and all, that it should be at least five .....

After all, what you can buy for two bucks, besides another vote, anyway?

[Livyjr]

New York State Thruway closed west of Albany, both lanes, east and west, is what I just heard!

Flooding!

How about that?

This is New York and this stuff never happens here, and so, it is probably just lies invented by enviros who want to attack George W. Bush, George Pataki and Dick Cheney and the REPUBLICANS, politically!

"Storms bring on flooding, mudslides - Part of Thruway closed for 90 minutes as water overwhelms drains; section of Route 5 shut"

By BRUCE A. SCRUTON, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union
First published: Saturday, July 2, 2005

A "collapsing" thunderstorm dumped more than five inches of rain on a small area near the border between Schenectady and Montgomery counties Friday, flooding the Thruway and creating a mudslide that closed Route 5.

Like a stack of child's building blocks, the storm kept growing higher and higher, then collapsed on itself, explained Vasil Koleci, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Albany.

"Normally, it would produce hail, but the atmosphere is too warm, hail just won't form."

"It topples right down as rain," he said.

Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton declared a state of emergency at 10 p.m. Friday due to excessive flooding throughout the city, said police spokesman Lt. Pete Frisoni.

"The North End and Stockade were hardest hit," Frisoni said.

"Really, there was just too much water for the storm drains to handle."

He said emergency personnel have responded to several flooded basements.

In declaring the emergency, the mayor asked people to stay off the streets until the water recedes.

The Thruway was closed to traffic about 90 minutes because the storm drains could not handle the volume of water, which accumulated an estimated four feet deep in some places between exits 26 and 27.

Across the Mohawk River, the heavy rainfall caused a mudslide that closed Route 5.

There was no estimate on how long it would take to reopen the road, according to Glenville police.

While there was a lot of water and some trees and limbs downed by wind, there were no reports of injuries from the series of storms that began moving across the area in mid-afternoon.

Niagara Mohawk reported some power outages caused by limbs and trees falling on wires.

Police agencies in Schenectady and Saratoga counties reported several roads closed at various times after cloudbursts dumped more water than storm drains could handle.

In some areas already saturated from thunderstorms earlier in the week, the ground gave way and flowed onto roads.

Koleci said a weather observer in Round Lake reported 2.1 inches of rain in a half-hour, while Clifton Park and Schenectady got just over an inch of rain in a similar time period.

[Livyjr]

Well, I would say that James Chaney is correct on every point he makes.

I would guess that most voters, regardless of their party affiliation,  who really pay attention to what's going on in this nation, would agree with him.

The 2006 and 2008 election results will tell how many voters are really aware of  how this administration has/is harming this nation.

For one of the most cogent political speechs that you are ever likely to hear in your life, a speech that shows why George W. Bush is in that very select Pantheon of ALL of the Heroic Leaders of All the World, at any given time, click on this URL, now:

http://dr-joe.net/flash-files/Bush-Leno.htm

[Livyjr]

Washington Gazette

FAIR AND BALANCED SPIN INSIDE THE BELTWAY

"Bush Twins Vow Support Of Military Recruitment Goals"

By John F. Youmans

As the Bush twins don their new camouflaged military uniforms, they have declared they will do everything possible to assist military recruiters reach their plummeting recruitment goals.

"It's the least we can do," one of the twins said.

"We believe in Shared Sacrifice."

"It is the responsibility of everyone to support this war to defend our country from terrorists."

When asked if they would be going to Iraq, both twins shrieked, "Lord no!"

"We haven't signed up."

"We are going to help others who are less fortunate to sign up."

And for some insight into the new recruiting strategies being employed by George W. Bush, and his Pentagon under Donald Rumsfeld, click on this URL, now:

http://dr-joe.net/flash-files/navy.htm

[Abu Beacon]

For one of the most cogent political speechs that you are ever likely to hear in your life, a speech that shows why George W. Bush is in that very select Pantheon of ALL of the Heroic Leaders of All the World, at any given time, click on this URL, now:

http://dr-joe.net/flash-files/Bush-Leno.htm

Hilarious!!
A.B.

This post has been edited by Abu Beacon: Jul 2 2005, 03:20 PM

[jeffmoskin]

Uh, how much they paying out in Kah-lee-FAWN-yah?

Here, it's still two dollars a vote, and I think with inflation and all, that it should be at least five .....

After all, what you can buy for two bucks, besides another vote, anyway?

Naw, our voting is pretty fair. After all, our A/G Bill Lockyer successfully sued Diebold, told them to take back their crappy macines, and got a few Mill in the bargain.

I first voted here in 64. Believe it or not, we used a paper ballot the size of a sheet of tablid newspaper (same quality paper, too). There was a rubber stamp with an "X", and an indelible ink pad in every burlap covered voting booth.

I always wondered whether this procedure was to guard against ballot stuffing (maybe the official ink was a special type) or whether they didn't think we were bright enough to mark an "X" by hand.

[Livyjr]

Naw, our voting is pretty fair.

After all, our A/G Bill Lockyer successfully sued Diebold, told them to take back their crappy machines, and got a few Mill in the bargain.

Boy, jeffmoskin, if you didn't bring this kind of information in here, we east coasters would never hear about this kind of thing!

I was not at all aware of this suit!

Things like that should be national news!

Thanks for making it be so!

[Livyjr]

Hilarious!!

A.B.

Wasn't it, Mr. A.B.!

And true to life, too, or I thought so, anyway!

[Livyjr]

"Pace of troop deaths up in Iraq"

By Rick Jervis, USA TODAY

Fri Jul 1, 6:31 AM ET

U.S. military deaths in Iraq increased by about one-third in the past year, even as Iraq established its own government and assumed more responsibility for battling the insurgency.

At least 882 U.S. troops died in the 12 months through Thursday, up from 657 in the preceding year, according to a USA TODAY analysis of Defense Department numbers.

Iraqis assumed sovereignty a year ago this week, part of a U.S. strategy to lessen the visibility of U.S. troops and shift more responsibility for security to Iraq forces.

Lately, insurgents have made roadside bombs deadlier and deployed more car and suicide bombs.

Marine Lt. Gen. James Conway said at a Pentagon briefing Thursday that insurgents are increasing their use of the type of attack "that gives you the big blast and possibly causes more casualties."

"The insurgency is shifting all the time," Maj. Gen. William Webster, commander of U.S. troops in Baghdad, said recently.

"This is a learning enemy."

In June, 79 U.S. servicemembers died in Iraq, about as many as in May.

President Bush has counseled patience with the mission.

In marking the anniversary of sovereignty Tuesday night, he warned that there will be "tough moments that test America's resolve" in Iraq.

The insurgents' continually shifting tactics have frustrated U.S. and Iraqi military efforts to halt their attacks.

For example, offensives in Fallujah and other insurgent strongholds deprived the militants of havens and forced them to scatter them throughout the country.

The insurgents then regrouped in scattered pockets.

The increasing use of car bombs may be part of the insurgents' reaction to the offensives that took away their secure bases.

Car bombs inflict maximum damage with minimum resources, Air Force Brig. Gen. Donald Alston, the chief U.S. military spokesman in Iraq, said Thursday.

"They've gone to more spectacular systems that could inflict more casualties per attack, likely because they can't sustain a high volume of attacks," Alston said.

The military cautions against drawing conclusions from spikes in violence.

Attacks typically come in waves, and militants use the lulls between those waves to regroup, train and choose new targets.

For example, there were a record 140 car bombs in May and 135 in April.

In June, the number dropped to 70, plus 18 that were discovered before they were detonated, according to the U.S. military.

Insurgents have also created more dangerous roadside bombs designed to penetrate the American military's heavily armored vehicles.

"Shaped charges" are designed to concentrate the blast in a single area, increasing the chance of penetrating armor.

"We have lost soldiers and/or Marines to some of these devices," Conway said at an earlier briefing.

U.S. troops continue to train Iraqi forces.

There are currently more than 168,500 trained and equipped Iraqi security forces, though not all are battle-ready.

[jeffmoskin]

Boy, jeffmoskin, if you didn't bring this kind of information in here, we east coasters would never hear about this kind of thing!

I was not at all aware of this suit!

Things like that should be national news!

Thanks for making it be so!

In case you were overwhelmed by the Michael Jackson coverage...


http://caag.state.ca.us/newsalerts/2004/04-130.htm

[Abu Beacon]

Well, I would say that James Chaney is correct on every point he makes. I would guess that most voters, regardless of their party affiliation,  who really pay attention to what's going on in this
nation, would agree with him. The 2006 and 2008 election results will tell how many voters are really aware of  how this administration  has/is harming this nation.

Good post there, Amy.

As you say. 2006 and 2008 will be very revealing concerning what people really think.

How people can see what is going on and still not REALLY SEE what is happening to our country is baffling.

Perhaps their individual needs are being taken care of, which is of far more importance to them than the long range results which are inevitable.

America is on a downward path right now.

Already we have passed the stage where silent dissent means anything.

IMO, we must be very vocal, not shrill but knowlegeable. I believe it was Livyjr who made the point, try to change people who do not see what is going on, ONE AT A Time.

A.B.

[amy]

Good post there, Amy.

As you say. 2006 and 2008 will be very revealing concerning what people really think.

How people can see what is going on and still not REALLY SEE what is happening to our country is baffling.

Perhaps their individual needs are being taken care of, which is of far more importance to them than the long range results which are inevitable.

America is on a downward path right now.

Already we have passed the stage where silent dissent means anything.

IMO, we must be very vocal, not shrill but knowlegeable. I believe it was Livyjr who made the point, try to change people who do not see what is going on, ONE AT A Time.

A.B.

Yes A.B.. people have a tendency to think "locally" ..... the "If my house is in order, then no need to worry myself too much about other issues that are not affecting me personally" mentality. I don't denigrate people who take that position- domestic and foreign relations issues are complicated, it's difficult for people to decide which actions will best solve the problems, and I think people are really over stressed right now in OUR America. I think most people would like to be informed and want to know their vote could make a difference. Sooo, what's to be done? I think that Howard Dean is definitely on the right track with the idea that citizen participation must begin and remain at the grassroots level. You know A.B., it's all so BIG "out there",our political system seems beyond the reach of most citizens- don't expect people to reach out too far, the issues must be brought to their doorsteps.
And, in addition to grassroots political involvement and education, the Dem Party needs to speak simply and honestly to Americans, painting a verbal picture of where we are NOW domestically and in foreign relations, where they think we SHOULD BE and WHY, and HOW they plan on taking
us there. I believe the WHY is the most important part of that process because a lot of voters are not going to take the time to figure out the "whys" of a Party agenda, they want the candidates to figure it all out and let them know their plans for a strong and safer America.

My ramblings for the morning!

[Gabrielle]

Amy,
You have very good morning "ramblings!"

[Livyjr]

IMO, we must be very vocal, not shrill, but knowlegeable.

A.B.

Stand fast!

Steadfast!

Laconic!

"Oh, well!"

Life is as it is, is it not, Mr. A.B., and so, we must beware "reacting" to what is now over, which keeps us unbalanced with respect to what is yet to come, to the point of complete and total blindness!

"Didja hear, didja hear, didja hear ........"

"Yes, I did, and I think five or ten dead people did too, that is how loud the voice was", is what I say a lot to people who bombard me with what "these people" are doing to us, and my point is, "YES, THEY ARE!"

It is obvious, so why dwell on it!

If someone is standing on your foot in a crowded elevator, what do you do about it?

Get a debate going about how just or unjust it is, or how fair, or unfair?

How about simply getting your foot back, in the least energetically challenging way that is available to you, AT THAT TIME?

I am glad you used that word "shrill", Mr. A.B. because that is where this crap pushes us to, and that is where we are at OUR most ineffective, if we are simply "shrill"!

Me, I like those words one of the Spartans said, when told the Persians were so many, and so numerous, that when they launched their flights of arrows at the few Spartans standing there that day, that the Persian arrows, in their flight would blot out the light of the sun, and turn day into night, at which the Spartan said, "well, then we won't have to worry about fighting in the heat, anyway", and that is simply that!

Oh, well ......

[Livyjr]

Amy,

You have very good morning "ramblings!"

And Gabrielle, it is so nice to see you, too, and I mean that, sincerely!

The "Bringer of the Stove" returns!

Beats the "prodigal son" any day of the week, and twice on Sunday!

Welcome, Gabrielle, you have been missed!

[Livyjr]

Yes A.B.. people have a tendency to think "locally" .....

My ramblings for the morning!

amy, if there was one thing I would have wished for when I started this thread, it is what is happening in here, which is some intelligent thought, for a change, as opposed to the "shrillness" I first encountered, when I started posting on the old John Kerry forum, out of whose ashes this forum arose!

If people like you do not "posit", then there is nothing for people like me, in some other place far removed from you and your local concerns, to have to even consider, as is the case with jeffmoskin, who is about 3300 miles away from where I am, and so, has issues of his own to confront each morning when he awakes, which is three hours later than me, even if we are both up, at the same hour of the clock, in our respective places on the face of this earth of OURS!

In conversations in real life with people where I am, I often point out that if there is a little old lady trying to cross a street just five blocks from us, at the same time that we are talking, that there is absolutely nothing we can do to aid or assist her, if she is five blocks away from us at the time, and we are on the other side of the busy street, and so, cannot get to her, in the first place, even if we were aware of her plight, which we likely would not be, since we are separated by five blocks, and a busy street!

And so, we all must think locally, FIRST, because if you cannot do yourself any good where you are, how can you help the world, when you cannot even see the other side of the street where you have lived all your own life?

As an infantryman in Viet Nam, I truly was an "Army of one", and despite the mockery that saying got over here when the Army was using it as a recruiting tool a few years ago, it remains that way, to this day, and to me, IS THE AMERICAN WAY, in ways that nothing else ever will be ....

Self-reliance!

If you cannot stand on your own two feet, then how many others are needed to prop you up, and when they are propping you up, then who is doing their work for them?

And that is not to say that we should not care about the plight of others!

Far from it!

But if we do not bring peace and quiet and calmness into OUR own lives first, and some clarity of thought and vision, then who out there can we do a lick of good for, starting with our own families, then our communities, then our nation and then, the world?

I think it was Mr. A.B. who said something like, "change minds and influence people, one at a time ...."

[Gabrielle]

Livyjr,

It's good to see you, too!!! I've been reading over at the Tai Chi corner, too.

[Livyjr]

Livyjr,

It's good to see you, too!!! 

I've been reading over at the Tai Chi corner, too.

Well, I'm very happy that you are leaving some good energy over at the T'ai Chi Corner, for that is my alter ego to this thread, the yang breath, the yin breath, in between balance!

How was it Mr. A.B. said?

"Don't leave home without it?"

Something like that, anyway, right, Mr. A.B.!