Was Unity Achieved?

The Rules and Bylaws Committee of the DNC met in DC today to discuss seating Florida and Michigan delegates. A recap of the emotional day follows.

First on the agenda was a discussion of Florida.

Jon Ausman basically made an argument to give full seating to Florida's 23 superdelegates and half-seating of the 185 pledged delegates. He argues that the superdelegates are not subject to the primary timing rules and therefore should be fully seated, if the intent of the committee is to follow the rules. In his final comment Ausman made a powerful point that Florida Democrats have suffered enough at the hands of Republicans. That is certainly hard to argue with!

Sen. Bill Nelson and Florida State Senator Arthenia Joyner made compelling arguments for counting all the votes. Both talked about the large turnout in the state -- 1.75 million Florida Democrats. And both talked about disenfranchisement Florida voters have faced in the past and how important the state will be for Democrats in November.

Wexler said that in supporting the Ausman petition, Obama is making a major concession in the interests of party unity and looking toward November. Is he kidding? How is it a "major concession" to ask the committee to consider following long-standing rules? It also doesn't at all take into consideration the unique position Florida Democrats were placed in by their Republican state legislature and Governor.

Both Tina Flourmoy and Alice Huffman asked Wexler how, if the committee made the decision to reinstating all of Florida's delegates, that would lead to party disunity rather than unity?

HUFFMAN: Some of us here might truly believe that the Democrats were not at fault for what happened in Florida. What I'm confused about -- I'm interested in the voters -- why would seating them all be disunity rather than unity?

WEXLER: I wish you had asked that question last year.

HUFFMAN: I couldn't for see such a primary a year ago, so forgive me for not being able to see that crystal ball. I've gotten thousands of letters and emails from people requesting that they have their votes counted.

WEXLER: Nobody cares more about having every vote count more than me.

Wexler clearly decided to dodge the question, instead of answer it, and to instead became confrontational. How does that jive with "Mr. Unity"?

The committee then focused its attention on Michigan.

Mark Brewer, MI Democratic Party Chair, is asking that all delegates be seated, saying that if they are not it would hurt the parties chances to take the state in November. He is presenting what seems like kind of a convoluted proposal on how the delegates should be allocated. The Clinton camp wants them allocated 73-55 in accordance with the election results. The Obama camp wants them split equally between the two candidates.

Brewer is proposing a "compromise", to allocated 69 delegates to Sen. Clinton and 59 delegates to Sen. Obama. He has presented a formula that includes exit polls and write-in votes in determining that number.

Sen. Carl Levin then outline for everyone how Michigan came to be in this position. I won't rehash the whole thing, but it seems like he is basically upset that Iowa and New Hampshire are always allowed to go first and second, and that the RBC reneged on a promise to MI after the 2004 election. He contends that NH was given a waiver, allowing them to "break the rules" -- while his state was punished by having all the delegates taken away.

It seems like a fair point.

It must be noted is that many of Obama's supporters seemed to be arguing not for the rights of the voters in FL and MI, but for the rights of the people who didn't come out to vote. Donna Brazil made a particularly impassioned comment about this, which drew boo's from the audience. I just found it an odd argument.

After an extended lunch, presumably to work out some sort of agreement, the committee returned to consider motions regarding the two challenges.

The Florida decision: Seat all the delegates, pledged and superdelegates, with one half vote. Not what the Florida representatives in the audience wanted, but the only vote that would pass the committee. Alice Huffman should be commended for her heartfelt presentation on behalf of the committee members who wanted to seat all the delegates, with full voting representation. The Huffman motion recognized that the decision to move the primary date was outside the control of Florida voters and state elected officials. Sadly, 15 members of the committee didn't see it that way.

The Michigan decision: Seat all the delegates, give each delegate half a vote, and allocate the votes as follows: 69 for Senator Clinton and 59 for Senator Obama. Harold Ickes commented that the motion would "hijack" 4 delegates from Sen. Clinton, overturning the judgement of 600,000 voters in Michigan. The vote, 19 in favor of the motion and 8 votes against, is essentially the MDP's position -- which has no basis whatsoever in the rules.

The decision not only takes four delegates from Clinton, but it gives 59 delegates to Obama that he didn't earn. What came through loud and clear today is that the Obama campaign was absolutely unwilling to compromise at all.

The new delegate total needed to secure the nomination is now 2118. The Associate Press reports the decision today gives Obama 2,052 delegates and Clinton 1,877.

Florida and Michigan will have some representation in Denver, but I don't see how the decisions today will bring the results party leaders were hoping for. With the Obama camp so unwilling to compromise, how can there be party unity?

DNC Coverage Begins at 9:30 AM

click to watch

Top 10 Surprises

In checking out a new Yikes! visitor, I discovered a fun post (and blog) that I would like to share. To read the "Top 10 Surprises in Scott McClellan's Book" visit JoeC at Hard-boiled Dreams of the World.

While you are there check out Joe's "Amasnic Fact Off!!!" area as well. Here is just one 'amasnic' things you will learn:

The Largest Swimming Pool in the World

So JoeC, thanks for stopping by!

In Memoriam - Harvey Korman

MSNBC reports:

Actor and comedian Harvey Korman, who was a regular on “The Carol Burnett Show” and appeared in a string of Mel Brooks films such as “Blazing Saddles” and “High Anxiety,” died Thursday at age 81 at UCLA Medical Center, according to the hospital. Korman suffered a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago, according to hospital officials.

Obama Apology Tour Continues

It seems every time we turn around Sen. Obama is apologizing for something! How clever that he doesn't have to make the questionable comments, and can try to appear to be above it all. That's not going to fly much longer Senator.

So what is Obama apologizing for now? This:


Let me be very clear in saying that if I thought for one moment that Sen. Clinton felt entitled to the nomination because she is "white" I would drop my support for her in a heartbeat. Fortunately, I don't have to do that because this is the biggest load of crap I've heard in a long time.

On this point, Father Michael Pfleger is wrong.

Is there "white privilege" in this country? You bet. Is it a good thing? Hell no. Is this the way to address it? Absolutely not.

There is no question in my mind that "white privilege" exists, and that some people do feel entitled to benefits simply because they are white. It's also true that sexism exists, and that probably many of those same people believe they are entitled to power because they are men.

And there is no question that far too many corporations have benefited from the exploitation of both people of color and women. It's been going on for a very long time.

There are racial problems that need to be addressed, just as there are issues of sexism that must be addressed.

We must not allow ourselves to fall victim to a divide and conquer strategy, and THAT is the problem I have with Father Pfleger's message.

NBC owes Ashleigh Banfield an apology - and back pay!

And Phil Donahue, too!

Ashleigh Banfield, the reporter who made wearing glasses fashionable, was basically dumped by MSNBC for daring to make a public speech critical of the way reporters were covering the war. Given all the current hype over Scott McClellan's new book, I think NBC owes Banfield and Donahue an apology -- and back pay!

In 2003, Banfield was asked to speak at Kansas State University, as a participant in the school's Landon Lecture series. Her speech touched on many issues, with probably the most controversial being the "sanitized" coverage of the war.

You didn't see where those bullets landed. You didn't see what happened when the mortar landed. A puff of smoke is not what a mortar looks like when it explodes, believe me. There are horrors that were completely left out of this war. So was this journalism or was this coverage? There is a grand difference between journalism and coverage, and getting access does not mean you're getting the story... . [...]

As a journalist I'm often ostracized just for ... going on television and saying, "Here's what the leaders of Hezbullah are telling me and here's what the Lebanese are telling me and here's what the Syrians have said about Hezbullah. Here's what they have to say about the Golan Heights." Like it or lump it, don't shoot the messenger, but invariably the messenger gets shot.

We hired somebody on MSNBC recently named Michael Savage. Some of you may know his name already from his radio program. He was so taken aback by my dare to speak with Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade about why they do what they do, why they're prepared to sacrifice themselves for what they call a freedom fight and we call terrorism. He was so taken aback that he chose to label me as a slut on the air. [...]

How can you discuss, how can you solve anything when attacks from a mere radio flak is what America hears on a regular basis, let alone at the government level? I mean, if this kind of attitude is prevailing, forget discussion, forget diplomacy, diplomacy is becoming a bad word.

Banfield goes on to talk about the "FOX news effect" and how by having an "agenda" in their coverage they were able to take viewers away from CNN and MSNBC. Marketing replaced reporting. A memo that I'm sure was meant to be confidential leaked about why Donahue was fired. MSNBC didn't want an "anti-war" voice while FOX was waving the flag every night, calling anyone who opposed the war unpatriotic.

I'm hoping that I will have a future in news in cable, but not the way some cable news operators wrap themselves in the American flag and patriotism and go after a certain target demographic, which is very lucrative. You can already see the effects, you can already see the big hires on other networks, right wing hires to chase after this effect, and you can already see that flag waving in the corners of those cable news stations where they have exciting American music to go along with their war coverage.

As responsible citizens I think we must question the actions of our government, and our media. The Fourth Estate has great power, and with that power should go a responsibility to serve the best interests of the people. It can do that by presenting all sides of an issue, and then letting the people decide.

When a news outlet bangs the war drum, we need to call them on it. And when it jumps on the bandwagon for a particular candidate, we need to call them on that as well.


See:
MSNBC's Banfield Slams War Coverage
Ashleigh Banfield: "Don't Shoot The Messenger"
Commentary: The Surrender Of MSNBC
Battling For The Soul Of Donahue

Who said it?

.

"The people who cast the votes don't decide an election,
the people who count the votes do. "

.

And now a word from our sponsor ...

... because the dogs and I played in the backyard all day and I just saw these.

Count Every Vote

I've now watched the film "Recount" a couple of times, and the message so clearly sent is the importance of counting every vote. I get it, some reading this get it, and Marc Rubin, posting at TaylorMarsh.com, also gets it. It seems that everyone except Obama and his supporters get it.

Nothing is more detrimental to the country as a whole than political corruption in any guise. So the statement issued by Barack Obama the other day regarding Florida and Michigan should be seen for what it is: a politician willing to engage in whatever undermining of the democratic process it takes to achieve his political ambition.

I encourage you to read the rest of the post.

Fake Birdjam update!

Well--the fake Birdjam project is on hold for now while I try to get to the bustling metropolis of State College to buy an audio CD (as opposed to a data CD) to record the AAC tracks onto. WTF, you're asking? Here's the blow-by-blow:

1. I downloaded the Birdjam maker software, courtesy of my pal Jay Davis at Birdjam. I installed everything according to the instructions, and it went off without a hitch.

2. I reloaded my Stokes Eastern Birds CDs into iTunes. I have a PC at work, but at home I have an old iMac (who knows which model--it was someone's FREE! hand-me-down).

3. I then ran the conversion of the song files through the Birdjam maker program. It was really easy--you just click a button and voila, the program goes through and does the work of separating double tracks (i.e. American Bittern/Least Bittern) and taking Lang Elliot's voice at the beginning of each track ("Warbling Vireo") out. It converts the files to AAC format in order to accomplish this editing.

4. Because my phone does not play AAC files (when I loaded the tracks onto the phone, the phone didn't recognize the edits that were made because it's not an iPhone. So I need to convert the AACs back into mp3 files. I googled "convert AAC to mp3" and got a nice little geeky site that explained the easiest way to make this conversion is to copy the AAC files onto an audio (not a data) CD.

5. Once I do that (I haven't gone into town because school is over, so I have no reason to waste the gas to go there yet. I need to add more errands to the trip so I can justify it -- we're on a very tight gas budget at the Marsh House, and for good reason!) -- once I get the audio CD, I'll copy the AAC tracks (which are edited and which contain all the Birdjam information like a transcription of the bird song, the Latin name for the bird, etc.) onto it. Then I'll convert those files on the CD back to mp3s with iTunes. (for a good explanation of this, see that geeky site linked above).

So that's where I am. But for the high price of gas, I would have my fake Birdjam! Curse you, oil companies! Curse you, gasoline-powered (albeit economical) car! Curse you, oh culture (and self) so dependent on oil!

DNC Rally May 31: Count Our Votes

Count Every Vote!
DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee
HireHeels.com
ProjectOrangeCrush.com
WalkAMileInOurShoes.org
SeatOurDelegates.com
HillaryResponders.com
SaveTheVoters.org
CountOurVotes.org
FloridaDemandsRepresentation.org


h/t Tennessee Guerilla Women

Caucuses vs. Primaries

Since hearing the report from close friends who were in Iowa, the caucus system doesn't seem to be the best for selecting a nominee. They limit participation and create an atmosphere where voters may be intimidated. Try opposing your boss, or maybe your spouse, in full view of everyone.

Jeralyn, at TalkLeft, has an excellent post you might want to take a look at: Caucuses vs. Primaries : A Report

What has 2008 shown us in terms of the fairness of the Democratic nomination process? That the caucus system is neither fair nor representative.

Mystery bird sounds

I've been trying to get these posted for a while but have had technical difficulties. Please put your birdy ears on and help if you can. Thanks!

I've heard three birds/sounds lately which I cannot identify. Here is the first one, heard yesterday by Penns Creek. The bird was rather plain, with light/white front and gray back and wings--I didn't see any distinguishing field marks, due to the bad light and quick view. Here's the call:

Wait a second.... Is that a veery? It is, isn't it?

Okay--the other two. First, a recording of the chock sound I heard a few weeks ago at the Coburn rail trail:

Second, another mystery sound, recorded that same day by the creek at the Coburn rail trail:

Lifers! But not birds

This weekend, I didn't see any life birds, but I did see two lifers of the reptilian/amphibian kind:

First, this snake was lying on our front walk (and scared the beejeesus out me). I thought he was sunning himself, but it turned out he was dead:

I'm guessing he was run over and was just able to make it down our steps from street-level before he gave up the ghost (do snakes have ghosts to give up?). Poor little guy. I looked him up online, as I'd never seen a snake like this before; he's an Eastern Milk Snake. Life herp!

Gretchen and I went for a very long walk yesterday and made a stop at the marsh, where I saw my first-ever snapping turtle:

His shell is about ten inches long--huge! He didn't poke his head up or anything, which was too bad--I kinda wanted to see him SNAP! (Not my fingers, though--a stick or something!)

Gretchen got a few lifers herself, including cedar waxwing, yellow warbler (which are now EVERYWHERE around the area), and muskrat.

Finally, I also found this feather in the water. Could this be a bittern feather, maybe? Can anyone help me out?

In Memoriam - Sydney Pollack

The Associated Press reports:

Academy Award-winning director Sydney Pollack, a Hollywood mainstay who achieved commercial success and critical acclaim with the gender-bending comedy "Tootsie" and the period drama "Out of Africa, has died. He was 73.

Pollack died of cancer Monday afternoon at his home in Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles, surrounded by family, said agent Leslee Dart. He had been diagnosed with cancer about nine months ago, said Dart.

Born July 1, 1934, in Lafayette, Indiana, Pollack directed and produced more than 40 films.

Some of my favorites included:

The Firm (1993)
Leaving Normal (1992)
Tootsie (1982)
Absence of Malice (1981)
The Electric Horseman (1979)
The Way We Were (1973)
The Swimmer (1971)
They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
The Slender Thread (1965)

Pollack appeared in some of my favorite films and television shows, such as: Will & Grace, The Sopranos, Mad About You, Frasier, and The Twilight Zone. And The Interpreter, The Majestic, Eyes Wide Shut, Tootsie, and The Electric Horseman.

This is a terrible loss.

Reliable Sources - Misogyny in the media

[I]f you ever saw the language, the vulgarity, the vitriol that is hurled at Hillary Clinton by liberal Democrats, by the liberal blogs, largely by, frankly, Obama supporters, you'd be appalled. I mean, you'd punish your children for this.

--Marie Cocco


h/t Tennessee Guerilla Women

Blog Surfing

Here are a few must read posts:

The Democratic Process
and
More reality based posts on the primary process
by Jerome Armstrong at MyDD


Gallup: Clinton Beats McCain, Obama Doesn't
by SCAN at Taylor Marsh

Clinton vs. McCain

Obama vs. McCain

Fake outrage and republican-like behavior
by likelihood zero at MyDD

Sunday Funnies

Women Set to Race at Indy 500

The 92nd Indianapolis 500 starts later today, and for the second year in a row the field includes three women. Danica Patrick, making her 4th appearance on the track, will start in the 5th position. Sarah Fisher, in her 7th appearance, starts the race from the 22nd position, and in her second Indy 500 race, driver Milka Duno is in 27th position. (click image to enlarge)

Danica Patrick was named the Rookie of the Year for both the 2005 Indianapolis 500 and the 2005 IndyCar Series season. With her win in the 2008 Indy Japan 300, Danica became the first woman to win an Indy car race.

Sarah Fisher is best known for being the youngest woman to ever compete in the Indianapolis 500 as well as the first woman to win a pole position in a major auto racing series. Sarah was 19 when she competed for the first time, and was the third woman to compete in the Indy 500 behind Janet Guthrie and Lyn St. James. Earlier in the month Sarah had a special visitor at the track, when presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stopped by to wish Sarah good luck.

When Milka Duno passed her IRL rookie test in 2007, and qualified for the race, it marked the first time three women were included in the 33-car field. It proved to be a challenging year for Milka, but she is back racing again at Indy.

Good luck to all of them and let's hope for a safe race day!

Strong Women, Sexist Men

The Women's Media Center and Media Matters created this video to illustrate the problem and send a message to the media: Sexism might sell, but we're not buying it!

Sign the Women's Media Center petition

How Feminism Works

Melissa McEwan has an excellent post "How Feminism Works" at Shakesville. A must read.

Hillary Sexism Watch

Shakesville has been keeping watch, and you only need to read 100 posts to catch up! [Note: Links to the other 99 are listed at the end of this one.]

Tennessee Guerilla Women is not ready to make nice.

And digby, at Hullabaloo, has a great post about sexism on display in the media: You can believe us ... or you can believe your lying eyes.


And last, but not ... well, let's just say it's last ...

Sexism in Media: Enough is Enough

Alex Castellanos, appearing on CNN, said: "It can be accurate to call a woman a bitch." Emily's List responds:

Dear BAC,

It's happened again.

Talking heads on cable news using vile, sexist language that insults and degrades women.

This time it's GOP consultant Alex Castellanos -- purveyor of a racist attack ad on behalf of former Sen. Jesse Helms -- appearing on CNN's Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer Tuesday, May 20.

Commenting in a discussion about a comedy routine characterizing Hillary as a "white b**ch," Castellanos said: "And some women, by the way, are named that and it's accurate."

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

In that same discussion, Castellanos went on to describe Hillary as "a very abrasive, aggressive, irritating person. . ."

Join me in telling CNN that it’s time to stop condoning sexism and start showing some respect for women.

A good first step is to stop inviting Alex Castellanos onto their programs.

A better solution is to set a firm policy against letting anyone -- host or guest -- come onto CNN and spout off hateful, sexist commentary.

Please help by sending your own letter to CNN.

Feel free to borrow language from our sample message.

Click here to watch the video and send a letter to CNN.

Together we can make our voices heard,
Ellen R. Malcolm
President

As was pointed out in the video, no one on MSM today would be allowed to say a similar disparaging comment about Sen. Obama. If they did, not only would they be fired, but we would never hear the end of it. Using racist language is unacceptable -- AS IT SHOULD BE. But SEXIST LANGUAGE SHOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE AS WELL.

I encourage you to take a moment and make your voice heard on this important issue.

Not So Fast ... Sen. Obama

The New York Times is reporting that Sen. Obama has begun a "secret" search for a running mate. Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't candidates usually wait until they have WON to start this process? There are still three more contests, a rules committee meeting, and the rest of the supredelegates must weigh in before a winner should be announced.

Not so fast, Sen. Obama, you can wait another two weeks before starting this process. To leak news of your "secret" meetings at this point is yet another sign of disrespect for Sen. Clinton and the millions of people who support her.

Polar bears still not safe

No sooner do we celebrate the listing of the polar as threatened than the idiots strike back.

Why is it that governmental bodies--from city councils on up to the Dictator of the United States--always talk about how important "development" and "progress" are? Are they really representing a majority of We The People's wishes when they waste our money on bridges to nowhere, for instance?

Look at what development and progress have brought to our lives: where we once lived in close union with the land, in some sense of harmony with nature, we have now paved and blacktopped our way over much of that land. We've cut down entire forests, plowed down hills, blown off mountaintops, melted glaciers, raised our planet's temperature, and uglified what was once the most beautiful place we could ever hope to live.

We've stressed ourselves into heart attacks, ulcers, mental breakdowns, and early deaths. We live in a world that's so fast-paced, we hardly have time to even see the roses, much less smell them. We've worked ourselves to death for material objects, often failing to see the value of just being--being in nature, being among the birds and other wildlife that share our planet.

The people of Alaska lived for generations without "development." So did the animals.

It's only a few greedy humans, who view the world as a commodity rather than a gift from the universe, who think "development" is more important than life.

Let Them Eat Cake

A long time friend and her partner are finally going to be legally married. In an email message from my friend Robin Tyler, she included a link to her article at Huffington Post. Robin Tyler is one of the Original Plaintiffs in the CA Supreme Court Lawsuit, Tyler v. County of LA, and her post "Let Them Eat Cake" begins:

Wedding cake that is. And " them" means everyone one of us. Everyone!

Everyone has the right to be treated equally. And that means the right to be legally married. Here, in the state of California, where Diane Olson and I were the initial lesbian litigants on this matter, we finally had our day in court. And what a day it was! A very courageous and just court applied the very basic tests of our American ideal of equality.

To be quite honest, we were both shocked by the scope of the decision. Diane, whose grandfather, Culbert Levy Olson, was the first elected Democratic Governor of California (1938-1942) and ran on the platform of 'Separation of Church and State,' said, "My grandfather would be very proud of us today." Both of us, together 15 years, wept when we heard the ruling.

One of the couples she writes about, Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, have been together for more than 50 years. A number of my friends have been in their relationships for 15, 20, 25 years or more. When so many heterosexual marriages end in divorce, one would think our society would want to celebrate this kind of commitment.

A good friend who recently passed away had been with her partner for 25 years. How sad that this loving couple had to jump through so many hoops to protect themselves regarding their home, decision making at the hospital, etc. One simple legal document could have taken care of everything.

I have sometimes joked with friends that you can always tell when it's "election season" because conservative Republicans dusts off their constitutional amendments banning same-sex marriage to put them on the ballot. The Religious Right plays along, because it's a cash-cow for them. Voters come out in droves -- pleasing the Republicans. And Religious Right coffers fill up -- pleasing bigots.

But it's important to remember that part of the genius of our American legal system is precisely that the majority does not have the right to abrogate minorities' rights. That is what the court system is for, and that is why we filed the lawsuit. We know that hate is an industry and raises enormous amounts of money. But the radical right does not have the right to hide their prejudices behind religious beliefs and use fear tactics to scare those who feel we might be harming the value of their marriages. Giving equal rights to one group does not diminish the value of those rights for another. Love doesn't divide, it multiplies.

Congratulations to Robin and Diana on a well deserved victory!

DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee Meeting

Release on DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee Meeting

DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee to Meet Saturday, May 31st

WASHINGTON - The Democratic National Committee’s Rules & Bylaws Committee will meet on Saturday May 31, 2008 in Washington, DC. The Rules and Bylaws Committee will consider the two challenges that have been filed pursuant to Rule 20.B of the 2008 Delegate Selection Rules and Regulation 3 of the Regulations of the Rules and Bylaws Committee concerning the seating of delegations from Florida and Michigan.

Pursuant to Section 3.4(N) of the Committee’s Regulations, each challenger will be entitled to present an Oral Argument before the RBC prior to Committee consideration for a period of 15 minutes each. A representative from each state party and from each presidential campaign will also have an opportunity to address the committee regarding each of the challenges. Oral arguments from the parties will be heard during the committee’s morning session. Following a lunch break, committee members will consider and debate the challenges.

What: DNC Rules & Bylaws Committee Meeting
When: May 31, 2008 - 9:30 AM
Morning Session: Oral Arguments
Afternoon Session: Consideration and Debate
Where: Marriott Wardman Park Hotel - Salon I

I'm planning on attending, so let me know in comments if you will be there, too.

Photo from TaylorMarsh.com

BIGBY weekend birding update

Well, it's nice to know Clawsie's been holding down the blogging fort. I'm surprised she was awake long enough to type that post! I finally remembered my camera, so here is my weekend update -- with a BIGBY milestone!

I took a two-hour walk in the fog Sunday morning and though visibility was quite poor, I was able to notch enough birds on the walk to up my BIGBY list total to 80! Most are yardbirds, but I've been trying to take walks to get a little exercise.

The weather is definitely not cooperating; it's in the 40s today, so I will be keeping my new little tomato and green pepper plants indoors a little longer. I also bought some broccoli on a lark; I hope it turns out well. I think it should do well in this cooler weather now and later on the early fall. It's my first time to grow my own broccoli and I'm totally pumped! I hear the biggest problem with broccoli is WORMS, so I'll have to be diligent. Maybe I can crush up some eggshells and put a ring around each plant. Will those worms be deterred like slugs are?

Of course, any worms I find will make the birds happy!

Here are some pictures to show you how thick the fog was; here, on Rt 45 near the house, visibility is about 50 feet:
I left the house a little before 6 a.m., and if anything the fog worsened the longer I was out; here, on Shook Hollow Rd, we got down to about 30 feet of visibility:
I was hoping to see an indigo bunting on Shook Hollow--I've been lucky on that road with brown thrashers and indigo buntings--but I'm still bunting-less for the year. I did hear several ruby-crowned kinglets staunchly defending their territory as I walked by, and I was also treated to a near-collision between my head and a brown thrasher crossing the road. I wish I had photos of them, but it was hard enough to see and ID the birds as it was. The camera was almost useless in the opaqueness of the mist and the poor light under the canopy of trees that covers the road just before the open fields shown above.

I also saw some examples of the fungus among us:
Check out the size of those mushrooms! (note the dollar for perspective! I learned it on Forensic Files.) If only these were portabellas! Do portabellas grow here? Wild?

This old stump had lots of things growing on it and in it:
It's so wet here that mushrooms and moss grow EVERYWHERE. Nothing like the low-rain territory I'm from in Texas.

After Shook Hollow, I decided to check out the marsh, though the fog was still thick. I discovered that my marsh now has an official name!

That's the marsh owners' dog Max, who loved to play around in the mud. (Note: he is NOT the dog who fowled a Canada goose nest a couple of years ago; oh the horror!) Mary Kay, who owns the marsh and Cooke Tavern (a B&B) with her husband Greg, told me Max passed away last year, but he lived a long and happy life, and now he's immortalized in this sign and on the marsh. They have a bunch of signs all around the marsh now, including one that talks about the invasive purple loosestrife. Let's hope they can change that sign (and kill all the loosestrife) soon.

Here's a shot from my backyard--somewhere in that mist lies a marsh...

There's my little bare garden on the left, waiting for life to sprout.

It was pretty quiet back there, with only a few red-winged blackbirds to keep me company. Here's a female perched on the stupid loosestrife:
Check out my brushpile! One of our lilac trees dropped a big limb/trunk, so I broke it up and added it to my pile. The sparrows love it:

Note how green everything is. We've had almost non-stop rain this year, and today the temps are in the low 50s. Those seeds I planted in the garden are probably freezing their little coats off.

Clinton Victory Speech

"What Propels Us Is The Struggle To Realize America's Promise."

Clinton Wins Big in Kentucky

CNN is reporting with 99% of the votes counted Sen. Clinton has defeated Sen Obama 65% to 30%.

"Tonight we have achieved an important victory," Clinton said in Louisville.

"It's not just Kentucky bluegrass that's music to my ears. It's the sound of your overwhelming vote of confidence even in the face of some pretty tough odds."

Clinton beat Obama across all age groups, income groups and education levels in Kentucky.

Eighty-nine percent of Tuesday's voters in Kentucky were white, according to the exit polls. Among them, Clinton won 72-22 percent. Nine percent of the voters were African-American and they overwhelmingly broke for Obama, 87-7 percent.

The exit polls from Kentucky also suggest a deep division among Democrats.

Two-thirds of Clinton's supporters there said they would vote Republican or not vote at all rather than for Obama, according to the polls.

Forty-one percent of Clinton supporters said they'd cast their vote for John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, and 23 percent said they would not vote at all.

Just 33 percent said they would back Obama in the general election, according to the polls.

Those numbers are even worse for Obama than in West Virginia one week ago, where 36 percent of Clinton voters said they would back him in the fall.

The Obama camp needs to be paying attention.

UPDATE: Jerome Armstrong, at MyDD, points out that Sen. Clinton not only won KY tonight, but also North Carolina:

SUSA does poll both Obama and Clinton in North Carolina today. Obama loses by double-digits, while Clinton defeats McCain:

North Carolina

Clinton 49
McCain 43

McCain 51
Obama 43

Going strictly by the latest poll shows Clinton leading by a 310-228 EV count over McCain, while the presumptive nominee, Obama, trails McCain by a 285-253 EV margin.

This is what makes Clinton supporters crazy -- the thought that the strongest general election candidate might not be on the ticket.

In Memoriam - Hamilton Jordan

CNN just reported that Hamilton Jordan, a key advisor and former Chief of Staff to President Jimmy Carter, has died.

Jordan was born in Charlotte, N.C., in 1944 and raised in Albany, Georgia. He attended the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia and graduated with an A.B. in Political Science in 1967. After being disqualified from military service due to leg problems, he worked as a civilian volunteer in Vietnam during the war there, assisting refugees.

Jordan was a key advisor and strategist for Jimmy Carter during the 1976 presidential campaign and during Carter's administration, serving as White House Chief of Staff in 1979-1980.

In 1986, he ran for the Democratic nomination for one of Georgia's seats in the United States Senate. He lost the primary to Representative Wyche Fowler, who went on to win the general election.

Jordan had survived a personal struggle with two kinds of cancer after his service to Carter. He and his wife, a pediatric oncology nurse, founded a camp for children with cancer - Camp Sunshine Retreat - in Georgia. He was an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. He is survived by three children Hamilton, Kathleen, and Alex.

Jordan died on May 20, 2008 due to complications of his cancer.

Sexism

Sen. Hillary Clinton, in an interview with Lois Romano of the Washington Post, addresses the sexism in this contest that many of us have complained about for months.

"It's been deeply offensive to millions of women," Clinton said. "I believe this campaign has been a groundbreaker in a lot of ways. But it certainly has been challenging given some of the attitudes in the press, and I regret that, because I think it's been really not worthy of the seriousness of the campaign and the historical nature of the two candidacies we have here."

"The manifestation of some of the sexism that has gone on in this campaign is somehow more respectable, or at least more accepted, and . . . there should be equal rejection of the sexism and the racism when it raises its ugly head," she said. "It does seem as though the press at least is not as bothered by the incredible vitriol that has been engendered by the comments by people who are nothing but misogynists."

Grey, at Taylor Marsh, offers the following:

The sexism has been pervasive and blatant, though rarely taken seriously, a great miscalculation on the part of the Obama campaign. Should he become the nominee, there won't be enough good will left for him to even begin to repair the rift, and he should not operate under the illusion that women, as well as many of their male allies, will "get over it" and fall in line. The repeated, insistent calls for Sen. Clinton to abandon the race aren't helping and are, in fact, rankling her supporters:

"I'm real tired of the pundits telling me the race is over -- telling America what it should think," said Dorinda Perkins, 63, a lab technician. "I do not want her to quit."

"I love her because she's a helluva fighter. She's tenacious and I like that," said Pat Parker, a night-shift worker at Hardee's in Bowling Green. "She cares for everybody, for people like me. . . . I'll tell you, she's been treated pretty shabby."

I have said before, if Obama becomes the nominee he will have a lot of work to do in just trying to win over the base of the Democratic party -- women.

Kennedy Has Brain Tumor

This is very sad news. Doctors have determined that Sen. Ten Kennedy has a cancerous brain tumor, which caused the seizure he suffered on Saturday. The Associated Press reports:

The Massachusetts Democrat as a malignant glioma in the left parietal-lobe, according to doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital, where Kennedy, 76, has been undergoing tests since Saturday after having a seizure at his Cape Cod home.

The usual course of treatment includes combinations of radiation and chemotherapy, but Kennedy's treatment will be decided after more tests.

"He has had no further seizures, remains in good overall condition, and is up and walking around the hospital," said a joint statement issued by Dr. Lee Schwamm, vice chairman of the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Dr. Larry Ronan, Kennedy's primary care physician.

The doctors said Kennedy will remain in the hospital "for the next couple of days according to routine protocol." [...]

Malignant gliomas are a type of brain cancer diagnosed in about 9,000 Americans a year — and the most common type among adults. It's a starting diagnosis: How well patients fare depends on what specific tumor type is determined by further testing.

Average survival can range from less than a year for very advanced and aggressive types — such as glioblastomas — or to about five years for different types that are slower growing.

Surgery can be an option for some types, especially to reduce symptoms as a tumor enlarges and puts pressure on the rest of the brain. Many gliomas infiltrate normal brain tissue instead of forming a solid mass, making it hard to remove much of the tumor.

This is such difficult news to hear. As I have mentioned in the past, my interest in politics was sparked by John F. Kennedy's campaign for the White House in 1960. I was seven years old at the time, and even though my parents were registered Republicans -- and my mother worked for the local Republican Party -- she encouraged my interest in the race.

I was also a Bobby Kennedy fan, following his campaign in 1968, and was devastated when an assassins bullet changed the course of history forever.

Ted Kennedy has been a champion of liberal causes for the more than four decades he has served in the U.S. Senate. Very often taking the lead on issues important to women. We need his voice in the Senate.

The Kennedy family is known for its strong faith. Please send positive thoughts to the Senator and his family during this difficult time.

UPDATE: There is a place on Sen. Kennedy's web site where you can send best wishes.

And now a word from our kitty

Hi folks -- Clawsie here. Just wanted to let you know that The One Who Feeds Me has all sorts of posts written up about her weekend birding and such, but she forgot her camera at home and thus has no photos to liven up the presentation.

She's like that sometimes; you know, forgetful. Like when she forgets that she needs to wake up at about 4 a.m. every morning and put some food in my bowl. She claims that feeding time is really 7 a.m., but come on, people. I gotta have food.

So I always remind her of this fact by walking up beside her on the bed and staring at her until she wakes up. Sometimes, though, I guess she's really sleeping hard or something, so then I make this weird smacking/breathing noise with my mouth. Drives her and Mommy up the freakin' wall!

If that doesn't work, I bite her, ever so gently, on her hands.

If that doesn't work, I go for the hair.

She calls me evil, but I don't care. You and I both know what's important: getting the food in the bowl.

The rest is just about the other kitties, including that weird one with no ears.

McCain on Ageism

DNC: Fractured Fairy Tales

Almost Heaven

No, I haven't moved to West Virginia, but I did just step out of my new little hot tub. Gee, if I'd known it would be this relaxing I would have gotten one a long time ago.

I'm taking an extended vacation, and made an executive decision that instead of going somewhere exotic, I'd just bring what I most look forward to while I'm on vacation to me instead.

I've recently spent a lot of time and money renovating my home, and it's very comfortable being here. My job involves a lot of travel, so for me it doesn't really seem like a vacation to pack a bag and get on an airplane.

So for about half what I would have spent on airfare and hotel costs I purchased a portable hot tub. The other advantage is that for not a lot of money I get to test whether or not I would actually use one, if I had a more permanent set up.

Well, based on the test run just complete, it was definitely money well spent.

The dogs were playing in the backyard, I was watching a movie on the television in my back room (former storage area, now comfortable living space), while the water bubbled around me and I hadn't packed a single bag ... sigh ... it was heaven!

Sunday Funnies

Not so fast ...

click image to enlarge

Obama's Map Problem

To all the superdelegates who ready this blog, I'd like to direct you to ANOTHER blog for a moment. Scan has a must read post for you here: "Obama Blames Geography, Email and Fox News for Upcoming Loss"

Obama seems to be having a little trouble with the map lately. First he thinks there are at least 57 states (maybe 60), and now he thinks Arkansas is closer to Kentucky than Illinois.

He claims geography is why Clinton is beating him in KY. Should we add WVA, IN, OH, and PA to that line up? Someone get this candidate a map, QUICK!! His home state is closer than Arkansas is to ALL of the states mentioned.

While we are on the subject of maps, MyDD has Electoral College maps in both sidebars at the top of their home page that indicate Clinton would defeat McCain 295 to 243, while McCain would defeat Obama 285 to 253. You need 270 to win.

Pundits are quick to say "It's the math ... the math ..." Maybe superdelegates should look at the map to get the REAL story about "the math."

Sen. Kennedy Suffers a Seizure

First reports were that Sen. Kennedy had suffered a stroke. I was attending the NOW Mid Atlantic Regional Conference when Ellie Smeal interrupted the speaker to announce the news. She urged everyone to send best wishes to the Senator and his family.

Kennedy has come under fire from feminist recently for his endorsement of Barack Obama. Women, who have supported Kennedy for decades -- during some of the Senator's most difficult times -- felt let down that he was not returning the favor.
But while me may differ with him on who the Democratic nominee should be, there is no question that Sen. Kennedy has been a champion of women's rights in the Senate. In some cases leading the battle.

Sen. Clinton issued the following statement: "My thoughts and prayers are with Ted Kennedy and his family today. We all wish him well and a quick recovery."