Nothing speaks better politics than numbers.

Senate Democratic Policy Committee Web Site

After Sept. 11, there was an external enemy, "evildoers" against whom to summon fear and fervor. Now, instead, the flood has brought to the surface the deepest national questions of race, class and inequality. On Aug. 30, the day after the hurricane hit, the Census Bureau released figures showing that the poor had increased by 1.1 million since 2003, to 12.7 percent of the population, the fourth annual increase, with blacks and Hispanics the poorest, and the South remaining the poorest region. Since Bush has been in office, poverty has grown by almost 9 percent. (Under President Clinton, poverty fell by 25 percent.) As these issues began to receive serious attention for the first time in years, Bush reiterated that it was inappropriate to "play the blame game."

Meanwhile, his aides sought to blame New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco. On Sept. 3, the Washington Post, citing an anonymous "senior administration official," reported that Blanco "still had not declared a state of emergency." Newsweek published a similar report. Within hours, however, the Post published a correction; the report was false. In fact, Blanco had declared an emergency on Aug. 26 and sent President Bush a letter on Aug. 27 requesting that the federal government declare an emergency and provide aid; and, in fact, Bush did make such a declaration, thereby accepting responsibility. Nonetheless, these facts have not stymied White House aides from their drumbeat that state and local officials -- but curiously, not the Republican governors of Mississippi and Alabama -- are ultimately to blame.

Salon has had some really good coverage of the flood porn aspect of other peoples' misfortunes. Earlier this week they pointed out how Geraldo Rivera made some poor elderly woman walk from the heliport to the Superdome twice just so he could get another take for the newscast. Now we have a look at all of the self congratulating in the current Administration, who thinks that they've done everything right once they started.

'What didn't go right?'

William H. Rehnquist, the 16th Chief Justice of the United States and a leader of the court's conservative bloc for three decades, died Saturday evening at his home in Arlington, a court spokesman announced.

Rehnquist, 80, has been undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer since October.

His death creates the first vacancy for a chief justice since 1986.

Court spokesman Kathy Arberg said Rehnquist was surrounded by his three children when he died, the Associated Press reported.

"The Chief Justice battled thyroid cancer since being diagnosed last October and continued to perform his dues on the court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days," she said.

Rehnquist's death provides President Bush with yet another vacancy to fill on the court. He nominated John G. Roberts Jr. earlier this summer to succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who announced her retirement on July 1. Hearings on the Roberts nomination are scheduled to begin Tuesday.

The announcement follows months of speculation and rumor about Rehnquist's health. The frenzy prompted Rehnquist to put out a statement on July 14 saying he wanted "to put to rest the speculation and unfounded rumors of my imminent retirement. I am not about to announce my retirement," he said. "I will continue to perform my duties as chief justice as long as my health permits."

Bush now has a major opportunity to attempt to reshape the highest court in the land.

Rehnquist's death creates the need for two and perhaps three confirmation hearings. If Bush elevates a sitting justice to Rehnquist's position, confirmation hearings will be required for the designated Chief Justice, as well as for replacements for the associate justice elevated as well as for Roberts.

here's the post article... pretty light and boiler plate. Dunno how many A-hitting writers are near a computer to spit out good copy. Since it broke so late we'll see if makes more than 8 column inches. Expect best stuff to come out online and Monday morning.

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist Dies

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died Saturday evening at his home in suburban Virginia, said Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg.

A statement from the spokeswoman said he was surrounded by his three children when he died in Arlington.

"The Chief Justice battled thyroid cancer since being diagnosed last October and continued to perform his dues on the court until a precipitous decline in his health the last couple of days," she said.

Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice in 1971 by President Nixon and took his seat on Jan. 7, 1982. He was elevated to chief justice by President Reagan in 1986.

His death ends a remarkable 33-year Supreme Court career during which Rehnquist oversaw the court's conservative shift, presided over an impeachment trial and helped decide a presidential election.

The death President Bush his second court opening within pour months and sets up what's expected to be an even more bruising Senate confirmation battle than that of John Roberts.

Rehnquist, 80 and ill with cancer, presided over President Clinton's impeachment trial in 1999, helped settle the 2000 presidential election in Bush's favor, and fashioned decisions over the years that diluted the powers of the federal government while strengthening those of the states.

oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit oh shit.

Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died Saturday evening

This is a movie about the indie music scene from abouty three-four different areas... washington dc, Los Angeles, SF, and the Portland-Seatle thing. It's a good movie, there's lots of good music on it.

The thing that's killing me about it is how much is just bands on the road in a car driving around doing shows. I'm staring at $3.60/ga gas.

Are the days of kick ass shows limited? Or am I just gonna know more and more about the local DC music scene? Are the days of touring around with the band making and just enough money to break even and having a good time over?

I hope not. Fuck yeah, punk rock.

Songs for Cassavetes (2001)

Ghetto Office Creamed Corn Casserole

I got a little big ambitious w/ today's recipe. So ambitious that I blew my budget. Not that I was planning to, but DC weather sucks. The plan for today involves making a casserole. I planned on waking up this morning and digging up some potatoes that my dad's grown in the little garden and using it in my dish, but since god hates me he made it rain. It rained so hard that I completely lost my motivation to wake up early, grab a pitchfork and till the earth in the search for some good potatoes.

So I had to -BUY- my potatoes and it blew the budget. Two russet potatoes cost $1.16. But if you ignore the potatoes (like I originally planned on) this entire meal cost me $0.90. And what a meal! I'm eating it as I type and I don't think I can finish it. It's frickin GI-NORMOUS.

Ingredients:
* 1 can of Creamed Corn (I bought generic and it was 0.35 after the super safeway discount card)
* 1 russet potato
* 1 oz of cubed smoked ham (from the office cafeteria salad bar)
* 1/3 oz of shredded yellow cheese (from same salad bar)
* 1 piece of cafeteria corn bread (this plus the two ingredients above cost a staggering $0.55, the checkout lady gave me the corn bread for free cause she didn't know how much it cost)
* 1 jalepeno pepper (picked from co-worker john's garden, thanks john!)
* enough salt and pepper pkts to taste (for me that was one pkt of salt and two pkts of pepper)

This recipe actually takes a little prep time... about 20m to be exact.

1) Microwave the potatos.
- stab potato w/ fork
- nuke for 5-10m or until desired doneness is achieved. I like my potatoes on the firm side (5m), you may not (13m).

2) Slice cooked potato in to little potato medallions.
- I used a plastic knife taken from the cafeteria
- I used a paper towel to cut on, but I suppose using a co-worker's set of binders could work out just as well

3) Open can of creamed corn.

4) This is the tricky part. You're gonna want use a microwave safe bowl (or co-worker's coffee cup). We're gonna want to build this casserole layer by layer. I managed to have FIVE layers in mine from just the ingredients listed above.
- Line the bottom of the vessel w/ the potato medallions.
- Pour some creamed corn on top of potato
- apply a layer of ham and a bit of cheese
- line w/ more potato
- pour on more creamed corn
- cut up the jalepeno (with office shears) and lay it on top of the creamed corn
- crumble the corn bread on top of the creamed corn
- apply remaining bits of cheese & ham.

5) Nuke it.
- give it like 3-5m. Let it rest for a minute, then nuke it again for 3-5m. Let the whole thing rest and take it out and eat.

Like any casserole this one lends itself to variations:

If you have access to a toaster oven maybe cut the raw potato into little circles and roast them first before you line the pan, but be sure to use some butter from the office cafeteria before you do that.

Know someone that smokes or at least know an office worker that likes have butane torches (there's always one)? Well pour on a little sugar (from the pkt) and give the top of your casserole the creme brule treatment.

Don't have the corn bread at the cafeteria? USE CRACKERS! (And by crackers I mean white people.)

Next week I may try to do a creamy casserole w/ the ubiquitous cream of mushroom soup.

UPDATE! I have a PICTURE.

UPATE: Please someone send a couch, I'm about to go into food coma

Lunch for about $1 a day: Creamed Corn

Let me start by saying I have a good job. I have a job that pays me well. They don't seem to mind if at times I'm underqualified or a bit overwhelmed. Either way I'm not doing this because I have to... it's an experiment, this is science.

Here are the rules and constraints for my experiment:
- I can't spend more than $1 for a meal.
- I can't eat more meals than breakfast and lunch (no elevensies). This should be a meal that can sustain me for the high-impact white collar job.
- It goes without saying that as I'm attempting to do with only a dollar a meal I will be stealing as much as I possibly can.

So here's my first recipe:
Ghetto Office Tuna Salad

Everything except the tuna in the recipe was taken from the condiments tray in my office cafeteria. That means this meal cost me a whopping: $0.44. Regular price for bumblebee is $0.69 but a quick swipe of my safeway card saved two bits.

Ingredients:
* 1 can of BumbleBee Tuna (I used the "Light in Water", but I guess "In Oil" would be just fine.)
* 3 pkts of mayonnaise
* 1 pkt of sweet relish
* 3 pkts of pepper
* 1 pkt of salt
* 1 pkt of mustard
* half a pkt of hot sauce
* as many pkts of crackers as you can steal

This isn't rocket science... drain the tuna in a sink and then open everything except the crackers and mix it together. Eat the mix with crackers. (For completeness I mixed everything in a bowl I got from afore mentioned cafeteria.)

Lunch for about $1 a day: BumbleBee Tuna

Cindy Sheehan, mother of Army Specialist Casey Sheehan who was killed in Iraq, continues her vigil outside President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas. She was recently joined by more moms who lost a child in Iraq and other military families. Meanwhile President Bush continues his five-week vacation and pledged Thursday to keep U.S. troops in Iraq—meaning more moms will lose a child.

The big one will be at 7:30 in DC infront of the White House along Hst. 189 people are registered thus far. The big one in Atlanta already has 302 registered. There's one in nashville at the parthenon has 106. Come on out...

Join us as we recognize the efforts of Cindy Sheenan with a respectful vigil this Wednesday. It is our opportunity to show admiration for her courage, as she waits in front of the president’s ranch for a chance to speak to him She would like to ask him if her son would feel that he died for the good of his country, because she feels his death was unnecessary. Those who would like to share their thoughts or prayers are invited to do so. This is a public sidewalk and is handicap accessible.

MoveOn.org Political Action

The Bush administration is significantly lowering expectations of what can be achieved in Iraq, recognizing that the United States will have to settle for far less progress than originally envisioned during the transition due to end in four months, according to U.S. officials in Washington and Baghdad.

The United States no longer expects to see a model new democracy, a self-supporting oil industry or a society in which the majority of people are free from serious security or economic challenges, U.S. officials say.

"What we expected to achieve was never realistic given the timetable or what unfolded on the ground," said a senior official involved in policy since the 2003 invasion. "We are in a process of absorbing the factors of the situation we're in and shedding the unreality that dominated at the beginning."

So iraq's a myth and so is sub $70/barrel oil prices.

So do they have to redact the "mission accomplished" image?

This infact a good article I'm just too mad to write up a good thing about it.

U.S. Lowers Sights On What Can Be Achieved in Iraq

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Do you want to get into an unfair business arrangement? Like long hours and putting up 100% of the risk? Think eating is "good" but does thinking about food ruffle your brow? Wanted to have the label "money... You'll have to supply all of that.

Sysco Brandables Programs - Sysco Corporation