Indecision is the key to flexibility

"We meet today in a time of war for our country, a war (i.e., the war on terror) we did not start yet one that we will win."
-- George W. Bush, August 31st, 2004

"I don’t think you can win it (i.e., the war on terror). But I think you can create conditions so that the — those who use terror as a tool are — less acceptable in parts of the world."
-- George W. Bush, August 28th, 2004

More "catastrophic success"

Change, real median household income (2003 adjusted dollars)
Bush II: -$1,535
Clinton: +$5,489
Bush I: -$1,314

Change, number of people living in poverty

Bush II: +4,280,000
Clinton: -6,433,000
Bush I: +6,269,000

Proud of America Today

"On bicycles, on foot, and some with their children in tow, hundreds of thousands of people moved through areas of Manhattan today in rallies or mass demonstrations, carrying messages against war and the Bush administration.
In the largest demonstration ever at a political convention, people swarmed through the midtown area of Manhattan in a march organized by United for Peace and Justice, passing by Madison Square Garden...At the height of the march, it took more than an hour to move one block."

I am very proud of America today. I haven't felt so for the last few years. Yesterday, Americans showed up in New York and made it clear to the Bush administration and to the world that this country belongs to us, and is not a wholly owned subsidiary of Halliburton. It was beautiful. Thanks to all of you who were in New York yesterday, on behalf of those of us who couldn't be there with you.

I couldn't resist this graph from Mark Morford

Sentient Non-Idiots For Kerry / Repubs pick a fight about Vietnam while Bush ruins America right now? Is the nation drunk?: "So, let's see: Bona-fide war hero turned incredibly articulate, educated, gifted Vietnam War protester and respected senator on one side, alcoholic AWOL failed-businessman born-again pampered daddy's boy evangelical Christian on the other. Is this really the contest? Bush slugs gin and tonics like Evian while Kerry is accused of ... what again? Not being incredibly heroic enough? Wow."

Via Corrente - Zell needs to reuse this speech

"I made it because Lyndon Johnson showed America that people who were born poor didn't have to die poor. And I made it because a man with whom I served in the Georgia Senate - a man named Jimmy Carter - brought honesty and decency and integrity to public service.
I am a Democrat because we are the party of hope. For... dark years the Republicans have dealt in cynicism and skepticism. They've mastered the art of division and diversion%2C and they have robbed us of our hope.
Americans have seen plants closed down, jobs shipped overseas and our hopes fade away as our economic position collapses right before our very eyes. And George Bush does not get it. Let's face facts. A George Bush just doesn't get it. He doesn't see it he doesn't feel it and he's done nothing about it.%"

Credit to ArchPundit for the catch, and also for noting "we need rules for a drinking game here". The full, original text can be found here.

Where to Shop

Information from Slate:

Costco
Based: Washington State
Pay: Starts at $10 an hour.
Turnover: 21%
Unionized: 1 in 6 workers.
Executive Donations: $365,750 to Democratic causes.

Walmart (includes Sam's Club)
Based: Arkansas
Pay: Average pay lower than Costco's lowest pay.
Praises Sung By: Dick Cheney
Turnover: 44%
Unionized: No none nada.
Company donations: $1.658 million, 81% to Republicans

You know what to do.

Another must read from Mark Morford

Time To Get Out The Bush / How do you know it's time for a major change in American leadership? Let us count the signs: "Don't you feel it? The sensation that the country cannot continue to careen down this ultraviolent, antihumanitarian path much longer without implosion and desperation and a massive increase in sedative prescriptions for anyone with an even slightly intuitive sense of justice and future and long hot sighs of hope? You're not alone.
You know it's time for a dramatic change when American bookstores and movie theaters are filled with unprecedented numbers of extraordinarily damning BushCo expos�s and embarrassing tell-all tomes and brutal whistle-blower digests from all corners of the culture, produced by everyone from disheartened CIA insiders to ex-generals to respected reporters to former U.S. allies."

Ronald McDonald doesn't love you

I’ve been suffering off and on for several weeks with a maddening lower GI trouble that finally forced me to go to a Colon/rectal specialist. Turns out it is mostly attributable to improper diet, mostly not enough dietary fiber. Now that I am on a fiber rich diet with proper amounts of fruit, grains and less meats I am slowly getting a little better. It is, however, very slow going.

This last month or so, of serious pain at times, has given me some time to reassess how I am eating and my philosophy of food. Those who know me know how I love good food and enjoy cooking with the best ingredients and generally having and creating a lot excitement around food and its preparation. This is all fine and good and this is not changing. What needs to change and has, is what defines good food.

It boils down to this. General Foods, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, KFC, Kroger, or Publix, you name it, doesn’t care about you except as a source of revenue. That is because these folks are supposed to make money first and foremost. They are in businesses doing what businesses are supposed to do. They don’t care for you or whether you feel good and energized. They are not going to be with you when you are sick, your children are sick or when you die. If you are lucky your friends and your family will be with you. And likewise you will be there for them during life’s ups and downs. This brings us to the food part. Your family and friends are supposed to provide you with good food and you, in turn, are to provide for them. Feeding someone should be an act of love and caring. If someone truly loves or cares for us then they will always be our best source of nourishment. If you rely on businesses to provide what is best for you then you will be ill served as they don’t care about you.
As a society we are poisoned, fat, sick and dying because we have turned our most basic, important function of life over to corporations who don’t love us. We have chosen to value our food and care so little that we entrust it to strangers. We are talking insane here.
Feed yourselves. Feed your loved ones. Especially feed the children. Please don’t trust anyone else to do it. This is not to say that you shouldn’t go out to dinner or buy anything to eat from a stranger every now and then. It is fun to go to a good restaurant where the chef understands and loves food. If we encourage chefs and restaurants to use natural, organic foods and remove toxic manufactured foods from their menus we can change the market place and cause this kind of food to be more readily available.

What it means is that you must understand the sources of your food. Chicken, beef and lamb are not created in the grocery. They were living things that were produced to provide us with nourishment. Were they raised and slaughtered with love? Have they been pumped with hormones and antibiotics whose effect on us is known? Think natural and organic. Think about the near term and long term effects of what you are eating and giving to your loved ones to eat. Love good food for what it can do for you and your loved ones. Take responsibility for what you are eating and feeding to them.

Bush rally was sad day for democracy

This is not an isolated incident but happening everyday along the Bush and Cheney campaign trail.
I think I am suffering from outrage fatigue.

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