So here's the thing. Last week I wrote my essay a day ahead of time and found that I could not use it the day I was responsible for doing the diary. Today I decided to wait for inspiration while mining (9 diaries selected and 38 comments chosen for tonight - just so you know what you are in for down below ;-). Various subjects popped in and out of my head but nothing quite stuck around long enough to get me writing. So for now I will give you a few things to think about while you look at the comments in the hopes that you will share some of what you have learned.
The question is to look at some of the things in your life, large and small, that you have learned and to sum them up in a sentence. I will start off with a few from my list.
I have learned…
…that reason doesn’t always triumph over youth
…that hope is best kept on a slow simmer
…that having expectations can get in the way of accepting reality
…that there comes a time that giving away possessions is more fun than acquiring them
…that sharing a book with a friend is like taking a trip together
…that mixing metaphors is good for the soul
…that words are meant to be played with or what is a language for
…that wisdom is like cheese – better use it before it gets moldy
…that accepting wrinkles, bags and sags is easier than fighting them
…that the girl in me still longs for my very own room
…as I get older I am always ready for the seasons to change even if they are so much shorter than they use to be
…in spring I wish I had more flowerbeds, by summer I think I might have enough and by fall I know I do! But I still have to learn this each year
On with the show!
My selections for today
Diary: NH US Attorney ignores GOP crime
By: Betsy Devine
A phenomenal diary that shows the extent of IOKIYAR at its highest! The diarist did her research on this one and reinforces why US Attorney Tom Colantuono made Paul Krugman's list of US Attorneys that should have been fired.
Republic Not Empire illustrates the growing influence and power of state-based blogs in this invitation to the diarist. A discussion of jurisdiction follows in this thread.
Casey Morris on what happens when a 'relationship' turns sour.
standingup brings a quote on the subject made by Josh Marshall of TPM that reinforces the findings.
Diary: Marine Overdose at Los Angles VAMC, Latest in a Long Line
By: ilona
This diarist, known for her outstanding work on behalf of PTSD, writes of the rise in suicides in Iraq veterans. A sad statistic that we are going to see rise to alarming levels in the coming years. Having lost a son this way after Gulf 1, my heart aches for these families and the continued price they will pay for the rest of their years.
Deep Dark on the long-term future and the long-term cost.
testvet6778 speaks from the heart as a voice of experience.
CalNM on the "pre-existing" condition dodge that is becoming a common excuse for denying treatment.
ctsteve on how the military is not supporting the troops.
Diary: The rest of the Mark Foley Story
By: john javna
This diary explores the difference one person can make in bringing justice to bear and the price sometimes paid. Part #3 in an ongoing series on Blogpac Netroots Heros by diarist. Concise and well-written.
zic on the challenges faced in investigative journalism and the pay-offs as well.
RFK Lives makes some excellent points about the Dems not stepping up and helping a person that handed them so much.
Diary: White House Document Dump: An Iraq War shell-game
By: smintheus
Not only does the administration make a request for more money, but they are lying about what they are going to use it for as the diarist explains. Not only that, but the billions are going to come from - wait for it - domestic programs! Excellent in-depth diary on where the money is going to come from and where it is going - down the Iraq rat-hole.
FishOutofWater on the sucking leeches among us.
cometman on sooner is better.
MichiganGirl on a familiar response becoming more common these days.
semiot with the exact location of Grover Norquist's bathtub! If you read only one selected comment, please choose this one!
Marcus Tullius on the 'action items' that are going to occupy his day.
hannah has been busy, too.
SocioSam looks at the various paradoxes in the chosen cuts. Stunning.
Bobjack23 on defunding the bases over here because we are funding them over there.
fly's short, pithy remark!
Diary: Fox has jumped the Shark
By: Cenk Uygur
Cenk smacks Fox all over the place with the facts in this diary by repeatedly citing examples of their willful, egregious, toxic opinion-mongering ways and mendacious reporting.
Randall Sherman makes a suggestion; snarky thread follows.
rktect expands the field.
MadRuth has a good jab.
The Raven's explanation of the term and the 'let me count the ways' examples of Fox's increasing desperation.
bumblebums on asinine name-calling by Kondracke.
Bearpaw finds a 'teachable moment'.
IndyScott on how his worries have changed due to Fox News.
Diary: The real story: Halliburton had already left
By: ProgressiveSouth
I caught this diary just before it slipped off the list and was glad I did. PS reports that Halliburton didn't even have the courtesy of informing the mayor of Houston and other community leaders of this upcoming move. Also, the last stockholders meeting was held in Duncan, Oklahoma to avoid attention from those 'pesky' activist-types! Several more juicy tidbits included that were missed in the initial rush of this story.
Uncle Buck's three-point plan for dealing with them.
bink on the shell-game with KBR.
Diary: Schumer: Rove must testify on DOJ purge
By: Vyan
Vyan reports on Sen. Shumer's calls for an explanation of Karl Rove's involvement in the attorney firings and Sen. Lindsey 'Huckleberry' Graham down-playing the call as 'just politics' talking. Vyan goes on to bring us up to speed on all the happenings over the weekend. Pass the popcorn.
Dallasdoc on Rove's prior duplicitious behavior. With karl is there any other kind?
goldberry has some suggestions for capturing the wily Rove.
goodasgold has Rove's job description and responsibilities.
mataliandy submits a side-benefit to getting Gonzales to answer all those subpoenas.
Diary: Waxman to Rice: About Those Fabricated Niger Claims
By: Magnifico
Magnifico's diary covers Rep. Henry Waxman's displeasure at being ignored by Sec. of State Rice on numerous occasions. Tsk, tsk, Condi - it's not nice not to answer your mail so many times. The Waxman is on to you now. If 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', then it goes double for a man ignored! She has two weeks to answer a four-year old letter about forged Niger documents, but the sweet thing is Valerie Plame with get there first this Friday. Pass the popcorn again - or should that be puffed Rice?
wystler 'talk pretty today' - follow the thread for more!
FireCrow on 'BullDog' Waxman.
Ninepatch on 'clean clocks' and 'sorry asses'!
Magnifico posts another juicy section of Henry's letter to Condi showing just how long he has been waiting for answers to his questions.
Diary: Senator calls on Treasury to investigate Halliburton
By: Craig Burnham
Craig reports on the efforts by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) to find out if the proposed move to the UAE is to avoid running into US sanctions against doing business with the terrorist state of Iran.
madgranny thinks Halliburton wants its cake and eat it, too, while asking the administration to feed it to them.
stonemason follows a long trail.
His last sentence is a real stunner!!!
Mogolori sums up why it has been such a good day!
~~~~~~~~~~
From phongery
Diary: Army Is Ordering Injured Troops To Go To Iraq
By: paddykraska
paddykraska tries to 'think' like the Army.
From marykk
If you missed this diary, it is a great read and some wonderful storytelling ~Cronesense
Diary: Memories and Recipes - Irish Potato Famine Edition
By: marykk
marykk on how the shoe fits the other foot.
From tryptamine
Diary: the true political correctness
By: scoutbanana
shanikkia provides a history lesson.
From Elise
I couldn't decide on just one comment, so instead I'm passing along the link to zeus4prez's diary, "BREAKING! Senator Hagel's Breakfast Transcript Released"
Lots of funnies in there :-)
From sardonyx
mataliandy explains just how much a solar system costs—no, not the one with Jupiter and Venus in it, the one you might put on your house—and better, what you can do to reduce electricity use before you set up your solar...array. All this and much more is available in the diary ENERGIZE AMERICA: Home Efficiency Deadline Edition by MarketTrustee.
Pager gets off a beautiful one-liner that really requires HairyTrueMan's set up be read first before you read Pager's response immediately below it in Mary Scott O'Connor's diary Reflections on the Colombian Protests Against Bush. I should mention that green917 wished that she or he could recommend Pager's comment more than once: a TC wish has been granted to that effect, which uses up this month's quota. Another comment worth reading from this diary is JekyllInHyde's a mere two down the thread from Pager's; the direct link is here.
WinSmith on now, more than ever, we must fight!
~~~~~~~~~~
Tonight's Top Mojo is provided by BeninSC Thank you Ben!
Top Mojo - excluding search-identifiable tip jars, first diary comments and C&J comments:
1 And for failure to respond... by wiscmass - 142
2 The rats are utterly beyond the law by FishOutofWater - 112
3 yes by Politburo - 111
4 It's not that FOX is conservative... by Casey Morris - 82
5 welcome by FireCrow - 80
6 Who didn't? by Stymnus - 75
7 One Word: Subpoena by RepubAnon - 72
8 After the two weeks, then subpoena... by jgilhousen - 64
9 MSNBC's War on Fox by MadRuth - 63
10 Feel free. . . by LarryInNYC - 63
11 And Valerie Plame coming to testify by egarratt - 63
12 I'm not all that thrilled when he shows it here. by Pager - 57
13 Excellent work smintheus! by skymutt - 55
14 My son and I were watching together. "Who'd they by St Louis Woman - 50
15 Dubai is a pirate state by rktect - 49
16 He's probably by kos - 49
17 Jeb! vs. Hillary, the ultimate nightmare by Dump Terry McAuliffe - 48
18 my opinion of Winter Daylight Savings Time: by condoleaser - 47
19 don't know if this has been posted by MadAsHellMaddie - 47
20 under oath??? by Buffalo Girl - 47
21 I really like the ads on MSNBC by Yoshimi - 45
22 Condi-Liar- will she be accountable? by MD patriot - 45
23 Daily Kes by kestrel9000 - 43
24 I've been waiting for this shoe to drop by 8ackgr0und N015e - 43
25 I'm personally looking forward to the Mayan by Pager - 42
26 Weird loophole... by Olds88 - 42
27 Yes, read the whole letter by Magnifico - 42
Top Mojo - everything included:
1 Tips by Cenk Uygur - 385
2 March 23, 2007 by Magnifico - 319
3 Will any journalists report on the document dump? by smintheus - 263
4 Tip Jar n/t by Vyan - 197
5 Is this how a tip jar works? by Betsy Devine - 182
6 That last bit about the G8 was inspired... by Maryscott OConnor - 152
7 And for failure to respond... by wiscmass - 144
8 Tips for Sen. Lautenberg by Craig Burnham - 141
9 Someone beat me to the punch by Maccabee - 134
10 OEF/OIF stats... by ilona - 119
11 yes by Politburo - 113
12 The rats are utterly beyond the law by FishOutofWater - 112
13 It's not that FOX is conservative... by Casey Morris - 82
14 welcome by FireCrow - 80
15 Who didn't? by Stymnus - 75
16 One Word: Subpoena by RepubAnon - 72
17 Upbringing by bink - 65
18 Tip jar by plf515 - 64
19 After the two weeks, then subpoena... by jgilhousen - 64
20 MSNBC's War on Fox by MadRuth - 63
21 Feel free. . . by LarryInNYC - 63
22 And Valerie Plame coming to testify by egarratt - 63
23 Tip Jar by AAbshier - 58
24 I'm not all that thrilled when he shows it here. by Pager - 57
25 Excellent work smintheus! by skymutt - 55
26 My son and I were watching together. "Who'd they by St Louis Woman - 50
27 Dubai is a pirate state by rktect - 49
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