WANDA, STAR TREK and BOOBGATE

British Film Festival Opening Night: Film Festival President and Swansea Resident extraordinaire Binda Singh, Lydia Cornell, Film maker Nick Meade

Did you know that Swansea, Wales, UK is an amazing Welsh town? Dylan Thomas, Richard Burton, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Kingsley Amis, and my new BFF Binda Singh all hail from Swansea, Wales, UK. (Among a throng of other notables.)

Saw STAR TREK with my three wild banshees over the weekend, as part of Mother's Day. I was blown away! We all thought it was wonderful. I thought the actor who played the young "Bones" was especially dead-on, and the young Spock looked exactly like Spock. Loved Lt. Uhura and Captain Kirk too. My kids aren't familiar with the original cast, so they didn't get all

the inside jokes, but they loved it anyway.

NEWS UPDATES: Miss California Vows to Use Her Naked Breasts for Good

From one of the funniest men in America, Andy Borowitz http://borowitzreport.com/

Fight Against Gay Marriage Will Be ‘Tireless, Topless'

Just moments after being told she could retain her beauty pageant crown, Miss California Carrie Prejean renewed her commitment to her mission, telling reporters, "From this day forward I promise I will use my naked breasts for good."

Ms. Prejean blasted the critics whom she claimed tried to silence her for her views on gay marriage, saying, "I intend to fight back with the two greatest weapons I have: my naked boobies."

The embattled pageant winner said she would be both "tireless and topless" in her efforts to fight same-sex unions.

She added that she plans to tour the country to speak out against gay marriage and hopes to draw attention to the issue by displaying her naked torso wherever possible.

"I will go anywhere, anytime, anyway to make my case," she said. "These breasts are made for walking."

Ms. Prejean refused to answer questions about another controversial topic, enhanced interrogation techniques, but she did remark, "I have always been in favor of enhancement."

At the White House correspondents' dinner, comedienne Wanda Sykes said things America needed to hear such as the following:

"Rush Limbaugh said he hopes this administration fails, so you're saying, 'I hope America fails,' you're like, 'I don't care about people losing their homes, their jobs, our soldiers in Iraq.' He just wants the country to fail. To me, that's treason," Sykes said.

"He's not saying anything differently than what Usama bin Laden is saying," she continued, before addressing the guest of honor, President Obama. "You know, you might want to look into this, sir, because I think maybe Rush Limbaugh was the 20th hijacker. But he was just so strung out on OxyContin he missed his flight."

Sean Hannity....Sean Hannity said he was going to get waterboarded for charity for our armed forces. He hasn't done it yet I see. You know talking about he can take a waterboarding. Please. Hey okay you might want to get waterboarded by someone you know or trust but let somebody from Pakistan waterboard him, or Keith Olbermann. Let Keith Olbermann waterboard him. He can't take a waterboarding.

I could break Sean Hannity just by giving him a middle seat in coach. Oh I need leg room!!

Dick Cheney...he's a scary man..scares me to death. I tell my kids, I say look if two cars pull up and one has a stranger and the other car has Dick Cheney...you get in the car with the stranger.

Please use this open forum to give us your opinion of Sykes humor commentary on Limbaugh.

Regarding the "kidney" comment about Limbaugh, remember that Republicans in the audience laughed too. It's an automatic response to a comic's presentation. So stop the fake shock and anger at Obama for laughing, as every other Republican did. And by the way, remember when Bush actually mocked the deaths of our troops in Iraq by pretending to look under the table for WMD at HIS White House Correspondent's Dinner? Why didn't Bush apologize for his despicable "joke" and his lies that killed thousands?

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

"You are the creator of your own reality, and so you are not in jeopardy. You do not need to control the behavior of others in order for you to thrive. Your attention to things that you think they do that keeps you from your thriving is, in fact, what keeps you from thriving... It is not what they do to you; it's what YOU do in fear of what you think that they will do to you." Fear is the operative word here and fear is an acronym for "false evidence appearing real."

Excerpted from Abraham-Hicks workshop in Philadelphia, PA on Thursday, May 12th, 2005
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Remember - - - 'STRESSED' spelled backwards! is 'DESSERTS'

I am trying to avoid Blogging, Twittering, Facebook and email. I am trying to shut out the world while going through what Robert Benchley calls "the upheaval of the soul" in writing or producing any decent work of art. But as you can see, it's not working.

Here is the exact quote by Robert Benchley: "Great literature must spring from an upheaval in the author's soul."

I love this Benchley quote too: "Anyone can do any amount of work, provided it isn't the work he is supposed be doing at that moment."

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HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

One of my favorite songs is by Jackson Browne. It's called "The Only Child."

"Take care of your mother,

And remember to be kind

For the pain of another

will serve to remind

There are those who find themselves exiled,

On whom the fortunes never smiled

And upon whom the heartache

Has been piled... "

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THIS IS LIFE! PICASSO IN PARIS - A MOTHER'S DAY GIFT

I have always loved Paris, and couldn't get enough of it when I was there years ago writing my Trotsky book, and visiting the sights on three separate occasions. I love Hemingway's "A Moveable Feast" and years ago discovered another wonderful little book called "Paris Was Yesterday" by Janet Flanner.


Here is a lovely little memory that Janet Flanner, former Paris correspondant for The New Yorker, writes in the introduction to a collection of her segments from the 1920s and '30s. She tells of one day when she met Picasso after seeing him in the same café nearly every night years before but never having the courage to speak to him.

"As I walked into the salon, which was as crowded with varied art works as an auction room, Picasso turned to me with his hand outstretched in greeting, and then, with a loud cry of astonishment, shouted, 'You! Why didn't you ever speak to me in the old days at the Flore? For years we saw each other and never spoke, until now. Are you just the same as you were? you look it!' By this time he had his arms around me and was thumping me enthusiastically on the shoulders. 'You look fine; not a day older,' and I said, "Nor do you,' and he said, "That's true; that's the way you and I are. We don't get older, we just get riper. Do you still love life the way you used to, and love people the way you did? I watched you and always wanted to know what you were thinking ... Tell me, do you still love the human race, especially your best friends? Do you still love love?' 'I do,' I said, astonished at the turn the monologue was taking. 'And so do I!' he shouted, laughing. 'Oh, we're great ones for that, you and I. Isn't love the greatest refreshment in life?' And he embraced me with his strong arms, in farewell." (from The Happy and Young Blog)

La vida es bella
No lo olvides
Serás felíz.
---------------------------------
Life is beautiful
Do not forget it
You will be happy.
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GREEN NEWS REPORT from BRADBLOG.COM

File (6 mins) at: Green News Report BradBlog MP3

More details and links on today's report at: More Details at BradBlog.com

Quick summary for today:

IN TODAY'S AUDIO REPORT: Fires and bats and bears --- OH MY!; Congress to offer 'Cash For Clunkers', PLUS: A new lightbulb that lasts for 25 years?!? .... All that and more in today's Green News Report!
---
Brad Friedman
Publisher/Editor, The BRAD BLOG
http://www.BradBlog.com

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Basham and Cornell Radio Show airs at 8 am Pacific Time on AM 1230 KLAV in Las Vegas and worldwide on the web.

The Basham and Cornell Show broadcasts weekday mornings at 8 am Pacific (11 a.m. Eastern) on KLAV 1230 AM Radio live in Las Vegas. Again, all shows are simulcast worldwide on the Internet (and archived) and can be listened to at Basham and Cornell Radio

RECENT GUESTS:

M*A*S*H Star Mike Farrell was live on our show Listen in the audio archives at Basham and Cornell Radio Show

Mike is best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the popular television series M*A*S*H (1975–83). He is also a prominent progressive, political activist.

Mike narrates the new film, "The Life Penalty," which will screened at the British Film Festival Los Angeles, which takes place May 3rd thru' May 8th in Redondo Beach, California. Why does the United States rank with China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Vietnam in executions?

Listen to our recent interview with legendary White House Press Correspondent HELEN THOMAS in the archives on our radio website. THIS IS AN AMAZING INTERVIEW. Helen Thomas has covered every president since John F. Kennedy. Barack is her 10th. She flew on Air Force One with JFK and has been in the front row of the White House press room with ten U.S. presidents. She served for fifty-seven years as a correspondent and, later, White House bureau chief for United Press International (UPI) for 25 years.

Thomas was the first female officer of the National Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents Association, and, in 1975, the first female member of the Gridiron Club. She has written four books; her latest is Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public.

The Basham and Cornell Show broadcasts weekday mornings at 8 am Pacific (11 a.m. Eastern) on KLAV 1230 AM Radio live in Las Vegas. Again, all shows are simulcast worldwide on the Internet (and archived) and can be listened to at Basham and Cornell Radio

If you've missed our show, check out the audio archives for MP3 podcasts. Recent Guests: Obama Cabinet, Obama Transistion team MikeLux, founder of American Center for Progress; Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader; Presidential candidates, Pulitzer Prize winner Charlie Savage; MSNBC's Pat Buchanan, former Reagan advisor; CNN's Paul Begala, former Clinton advisor; Bill Press, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Sen. John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich, John Dean, NBC Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv Martin Fletcher, Congressman Charlie Rangel,Valerie Plame, Vincent Bugliosi, Christine Pelosi, Dahr Jamail, Senator Mike Gravel; Senator Byron Dorgan; bestselling authors Naomi Klein, Paul Krugman.... and many more. ain, all shows are simulcast worldwide on the Internet (and archived) and can be listened to at Basham and Cornell Radio

WE LOVE MEXICO! plus THE POWER OF COMPASSION *

Rest in peace, Dom Deluise. You're probably flipping tortillas in heaven on Cinco de Mayo! My friend Sumi Lee says: "Met Dom Deluise once at Koo Koo Roo. He was very sweet and we discussed chicken." This makes me laugh, and I know Dom would appreciate us laughing! When people pass, we should celebrate them.

We extend our love, and prayers to Mexico. HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!! My favorite food EVER is Mexican food, and I love the Mexican people.

Yesterday, May 4th was Star Wars Day: May the Fourth be with you!


THE POWER OF COMPASSION

Buddhists believe strongly that people must immerse themselves in feeling other’s pain in order to gain the compassion that heals the world. When your heart is full of love for your fellow man, you can reach out and actually change people’s lives.

"The only response to hatred is love." - Wayne Dyer

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all arguments and which can not fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance; that principle is CONTEMPT PRIOR TO INVESTIGATION." - Herbert Spencer

One day when my son was 8 years old, in third grade, he came home from school with a notice from the principal that a 10-year-old boy had died overnight from a high fever. My own son had also been home from school that week, suffering from a similar fever. We had never met this boy or his family, but I instantly felt the mother’s pain so deeply it shattered me and I couldn't stop crying. I looked up the family name in the school directory to see if they had any other children, which they did: one other son in ninth grade at our local high school.

I prayed deeply for this mother — pouring compassion out to her, holding her in my heart and communing with the divine love that passes all understanding. I asked God to comfort her, to fill her with peace. And then the tears stopped. It was four o’clock in the afternoon. I felt an urgent need to get in my car and find this woman. All I knew was that she lived in a large apartment building on Rexford Drive, a few blocks away. The car seemed to drive itself down the street, and at the end of the block, I saw a tall woman in a bathrobe, pacing the sidewalk, bleary-eyed. She looked at me with a sadness I will never forget. I parked in a driveway and rolled down the window. “Are you Benjamin’s mother?” I asked, getting out of the car. The woman ran towards me — literally rushing into my arms, sobbing. We held each other, both of us crying and she said “Did God send you?”

The woman was Korean-American, and explained in broken English that she had just come outside to search for her husband, who had disappeared in grief earlier that day. She asked if I would come in and look at pictures of her son. We went inside and she showed me her son’s “room,” which was just a corner of the living room. Though this was Beverly Hills, they lived in a modest one-bedroom apartment. Both sons slept in the living room. She showed me Benjamin’s report card, schoolwork, baseball trophies, Yugioh cards — which were just like my son’s. She poured tea and told me all the wonderful things about Benjamin.

I silently asked God to give me the right words to say, and out of my mouth came some memories formed into words I could not take credit for. I told her about my precious brother Paul and how he had come to me in a vision a few days after his death. I’ll never forget this because I was driving my car and literally had to pull over and stop. On the radio they were playing the song from the Disney movie “Pocahontas” with the lyric “Who knows how high the Sycamore grows... if you cut it down you’ll never know.” This struck me because we had Paul’s memorial service underneath a giant Sycamore tree. My head collapsed onto the steering wheel I was crying uncontrollably. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a surge of warmth and light filled my body and I bolted upright in my seat. I saw my brother’s face beaming at me so broadly I had never seen him this radiant. He told me to stop crying, that he'd “see me later,” that “there is no death.” He even said “I love you Lydia; you really helped me.” This was in 1995, on the third day after I had found his body. I felt completely at peace about him from then on.

I kept a picture of Paul by my bedside that week, with a candle burning next to it. One morning three days after his death, my toddler Jack, who was a year and a half old, woke up, giggled, pointed to the picture and said, “Paul happy!” This gives me goose bumps even now when I remember it. Now I’m going to sound completely loony, but on the day we scattered his ashes at sea, before we left for the boat, three white doves alighted on our lawn, and these were not doves for hire. What is it with the number three?

As I sat with the woman, I told her that her son Benjamin was a gift that she was blessed with for ten years and now God needed him back home for bigger things. I told her “our children are on loan to us.” I don't know where these words came from. As she walked me out she said she felt an enormous wave of peace come over her. “I was so depressed and now I feel I was visited by an angel.” It dawned on me that we can all be comforters or ‘human angels’ for each other when we open up and begin to really care about others.

Our entire school attended Benjamin’s funeral. During the eulogy, the minister read a letter written by the mother, in which she said: “Benjamin was a gift to us for ten years, and now God called him back home for more important things…"

It’s amazing how Love uses us when we make ourselves available. I've had full-blown miracles and healings from prayer -- and I’ve come to rely on ceaseless prayer for every problem in life including overcoming "genetic" diseases. But the best kind is praying for others with compassion.

After my crash and burn, I began to transcend my ego in fits and starts. It did not succumb willingly. Sometimes the ego is so big it needs an apartment of its own.

But the most important change was when I began to have more compassion for others. I believe that’s the main idea: to transcend our demanding egos and put others first. There’s no time to waste; we all need to get over ourselves and branch out. As Christ said, “you have to lose your life to save it,” and the St. Francis Prayer,“It is by self-forgetting that one finds.”

I always tell my children, “No matter how much you acquire or accomplish in life, if you’re not kind to others, you’ve missed the whole point.”

It's really hard to get out of my self-centeredness and actually do it. There are so many times I’ve received a nudge to extend myself to help someone, but out of laziness or fear, I’ve ignored the call.

Einstein said it beautifully here: "A human being is a part of the whole called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

It took years to smash my ego, gain some humility, stop forcing things my way, let go of fear and begin to deeply care about others. As I’ve become more enlightened, I’ve become more generous, more “liberal”, but I don’t mean this politically.

I believe "good conservatives are really liberals at heart."

Why are so many fundamentalist Christians stuck in the Old Testament with its eye-for-an-eye mentality — which is the exact opposite of Christian? Maybe they don’t realize the word “Christ” is the root of the word “Christian” because the vowel sounds are different! Christ brought the new law, in the new testament -- which brought the law of love. Christ talks about how we must take care of the “least among us,” we must be peacemakers and take care of the poor, the meek, and the outcasts. Perhaps this doesn’t fit their worldview of the downtrodden as “victims.”

I heard Gay Talese talk about his interest in the common man, the humble underdog who struggles through life without fame, fanfare or charisma – and how important it is to celebrate everyday heroes rather than superstars, gorgeous models and million-dollar athletes. In other words, we should value substance over style.

M*A*S*H Star Mike Farrell on our Show plus SPIRITUAL ARCHITECTURE

Quote of the Day: “If there isn't deep integrity and fundamental character strength, the challenges of life will cause true motives to surface and human relationship failure will replace short-term success." —Stephen R. Covey

One of the most inspiring stories of 2008: 'Good Samaritan' saves crying woman's foreclosed home (from CNN.com)... But first some infuriating things my husband said that weren't so funny while they were happening...





Spiritual architecture

My husband and I went to a sports bar to watch the last Packer game of the season on Sunday. We had so much fun — but we have the goofiest relationship. Paul hates it when I use big words; he always wants me to act like a dumb blonde. So when the waitress came over to take our order I happened to be telling him an idea for a chapter in my book called "Spiritual Architecture" he got really embarrassed and told me to please not use intelligent words like that. "It might make the waitress uncomfortable," he said.

WTF?? Was he implying the waitress was stupid? No. What he meant was that he wanted me to fit into the Neanderthal crowd. Usually I have to use very pornographic language just to get his attention.

When we fight, we are talking to each other's wounds...not to each other. We fight over who’s being nicer. We strangle each other over who is doing the Golden Rule better. This reminds me of my favorite line from Dr. Strangelove: “You can’t fight in here, this is the War Room!”

By the way, when I first met my husband I was shocked at how much TV he watched. And it was always some celebrity tabloid show featuring the flavor of the month. I asked him, “Don’t you think we’re too obsessed with celebrities in this culture? He just stared at the TV and said, “No, it’s educational.”

My big question is, why am I experiencing life with this particular person? Oh yeah, according to Bob Lancer -- the purpose of marriage is to learn compassion!

So I asked him, “Tell me how, how is it educational to learn how many belly-button rings or mansions Britney Spears has? I think this is making us a nation of covetous, jealous, greedy, panicky zombies.”

He wouldn't answer. He was zoned out staring at the TV, and didn't hear me.

Over Christmas, my sister and I were going through all our old record albums, LPs. I have all the original Beatles, Jethro Tull ('Benefit' is the best, especially the song 'Sossity!') Led Zeppelin, Moody Blues, ELP, The Band, Zephyr, Fleetwood Mac ('Mystery to Me' - my favorite before Buckingham-Nicks came along...) We were reminiscing about how much fun it was to put the needle into the groove of the record, even if it would scratch the record. There was something so solid about “playing a record” on an actual turntable.

I began to think about the way we are becoming less material and more digital. Doing away with cumbersome record players, cassettes, and even CDs. We are becoming "thought" -- one mind. We are able to communicate and almost think directly to each other over computer signals and “text” messages – which is like grabbing words out of thin air.

Think of the invisible notes of music or the invisible numbers of mathematics. There is a divine harmony underlying everything. Everything is beauty and harmony. The physical picture is not the real story. Kind of like the inner software in a computer — the substance, the meat. Everything else is just temporary packaging. What's real is what's inside. The invisible.

Speaking of music, our kids blew our minds on New Years Eve. We took them to a party and they sat down at the piano and played the entire night. Each separately - Kevin, 13 played Cold Play and Muse. Jack, who is 14, played songs from the new Jack's Mannequin album (his favorite band) plus The Pink Panther, Sting and lots of other stuff. Jack wants guitar lessons too. A couple of years ago, I couldn't get them to even consider piano lessons. Now they each have a Yamaha in their rooms and they compose music everyday! You can plug in your laptop and compose as it creates sheet music.

My father was a violinist, my sister is a composer who wrote a new theme song for Extreme Home Makeover (and a major Gospel Choir is singing her composition!!) and my younger brother, who died a few years ago, was a prodigy with perfect pitch.
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New Year's Resolutions

In 2009 I am going to try to be less sensitive. I am so sensitive I feel sorry for that little depressed egg bobbing around in the “Depression” commercial…

I am so sensitive, I cried at the violence in the James Bond movie and then jumped out of the car when my husband said I had “too much compassion." My son Kevin was upset that I reminded him to have a conscience after the movie – that I made him less numb to violence. In other words, I ruined his high... and therefore it’s a bad thing! …???
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Jim Bullock put his face on my body when we were signing autographs. Fans actually bought this one: (Jimmy: Sorry you missed our Christmas party and we couldn't make it to your play in KC!)


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Epiphany: I woke up on December 1, 2008 out of the ether and realized I was depressed. Usually I light a candle on this sad day, but I had even forgotten to call my mother — as it is the anniversary of my brother's death. I picked up Eckhardt Tolle's bestseller "A New Earth: Awakening to your Life's Purpose" and randomly turned to a page at the back, which said that the only times we are unhappy are when we are looking backward or forward — in other words, when we are not living in the present moment: RIGHT NOW. Right now, nothing bad is happening. It is only when we live in the past and future that we feel pain.

The book said that we must wake up and fully enjoy the present moment - be fully conscious and look at the joy we can create by being grateful for the tiniest thing. We must also see what we can do for others, for "Only a life lived for others is worth living." I realized I had two kids in the house who needed me -- and one in particular was in a lot of pain, hobbling around after his bone surgery, with his foot bent in a crooked position. He needed me to be in good spirits, to really care about him (which I always do, but sometimes I am focused on my own deadlines and projects and fear -- that I forget to "feel his pain." So I got up and made his breakfast with so much love. Then I made his lunch and put a note in it. Then I got his shoes and rubbed his feet with Tiger Balm. Then I offered to drive him to school. He was so grateful that I lifted his burdens for the morning. My whole world changed from this simple committtment to "stay in the present moment" and stay out of my head (it's a bad neighborhood.) Stay out of worry and fear -- for they are not real and do not exist. Only the GOOD is real.






M*A*S*H Star Mike Farrell was live on our show Thursday. Listen in the audio archives at Basham and Cornell Radio Show

Mike is best known for his role as Captain B.J. Hunnicutt on the popular television series M*A*S*H (1975–83). He is also a prominent progressive, political activist.

Mike narrates the new film, "The Life Penalty," which will screened at the British Film Festival Los Angeles, which takes place May 3rd thru' May 8th in Redondo Beach, California. Why does the United States rank with China, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Vietnam in executions?

Support for ‘death’ centers in the former slave states, and “who must die” is not a question of justice, but of politics. Casting a revelatory and often uncomfortable light on the US justice system, The Life Penalty shakes the ethical and moral foundations of capital punishment.


Basham and Cornell Radio Show airs at 8 am Pacific Time on AM 1230 KLAV in Las Vegas and worldwide on the web.

The Basham and Cornell Show broadcasts weekday mornings at 8 am Pacific (11 a.m. Eastern) on KLAV 1230 AM Radio live in Las Vegas. Again, all shows are simulcast worldwide on the Internet (and archived) and can be listened to at Basham and Cornell Radio

FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION * HOW WE CAN HELP OUR NEIGHBORS... read below

Listen to our recent interview with legendary White House Press Correspondent HELEN THOMAS in the archives on our radio website. THIS IS AN AMAZING INTERVIEW. Helen Thomas has covered every president since John F. Kennedy. Barack is her 10th. She flew on Air Force One with JFK and has been in the front row of the White House press room with ten U.S. presidents. She served for fifty-seven years as a correspondent and, later, White House bureau chief for United Press International (UPI) for 25 years.

Thomas was the first female officer of the National Press Club, the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents Association, and, in 1975, the first female member of the Gridiron Club. She has written four books; her latest is Watchdogs of Democracy?: The Waning Washington Press Corps and How It Has Failed the Public.

The Basham and Cornell Show broadcasts weekday mornings at 8 am Pacific (11 a.m. Eastern) on KLAV 1230 AM Radio live in Las Vegas. Again, all shows are simulcast worldwide on the Internet (and archived) and can be listened to at Basham and Cornell Radio

If you've missed our show, check out the audio archives for MP3 podcasts. Recent Guests: Obama Cabinet, Obama Transistion team MikeLux, founder of American Center for Progress; Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader; Presidential candidates, Pulitzer Prize winner Charlie Savage; MSNBC's Pat Buchanan, former Reagan advisor; CNN's Paul Begala, former Clinton advisor; Bill Press, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Sen. John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, Dennis & Elizabeth Kucinich, John Dean, NBC Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv Martin Fletcher, Congressman Charlie Rangel,Valerie Plame, Vincent Bugliosi, Christine Pelosi, Dahr Jamail, Senator Mike Gravel; Senator Byron Dorgan; bestselling authors Naomi Klein, Paul Krugman.... and many more.

WE MUST TAKE CARE OF THE 'LEAST AMONG US'

Ways we can all help: I was devastated by the news that California is cutting hot lunches from schools, firing teachers, closing down arts and music programs and closing several public schools. I started Googling Food Banks and supplemental programs to see which non-profits can pick up the slack. Some churches in under-privileged communities offer after-school snacks and places to hang out. Think about ways in your community in which you can mentor a young person who is having a hard time in school, or doesn't have enough to eat. Join the Boys' Club or your neighborhood YMCA.

Found this on Mashable.com
This just sounds funny: “This week, Yahoo announced a deal with Bebo that will help it compete with Google. I had to wiki Bebo to find out it’s kind of like Friendster and Woofie. Gosh, I hope they can all band together to save Fuzzelton village from the evil Snords. Grow up. If I want to see uncaring, money-making machines with cutesy names, I go to a strip club.”
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Dick Cheney: Through the Cracked Moral Compass, Darkly
by Brian Ross HuffPo

Should it be surprising that Dick Cheney, the guy who is the chief architect of the morally and ethically bankrupt Bush Administration policies on everything from the Iraq War to torture to padding Halliburton's pockets to shipping jobs overseas to the gelding of the media now wants to use his Fox News mouthpiece to try and spin a positive light on his misdeeds in office? It is as if he is daring the Obama Administration to put him on trial. The question is, why?
Read more at: HuffingtonPost.com

Flashback: CHENEY'S HALLIBURTON/KBR WAR PROFITEERS: Dick Cheney's Haliburton influence during the Bush administration: Apparently, no-bid contracts awarded to Halliburton skyrocketed, enriching the oil giant by billions.

"Halliburton's CEO also enjoyed an incredible personal gain from Iraq and the commensurate rise in gasoline prices. A HalliburtonWatch analysis reveals that CEO David Lesar's stock holdings in Halliburton increased by a stunning $78 million since the Iraq invasion."

Now, a bribery conviction spurs call to terminate KBR contracts.

BREAKING: Could former Bush administration cabinet members like Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and Alberto Gonzales face charges that could result in prison terms or worse? A new report from the Senate Armed Services Committee — of which John McCain is a member — says there is growing proof that Bush Senior officials ordered torture, inhumane treatment of prisoners, and other criminal abuses...

Trickle-Down Torture: Rumsfeld Memo Used to Justify Torture in Gitmo, Afghanistan and Iraq
By Susie Madrak crooksandliars.com

WASHINGTON — A newly declassified Congressional report released Tuesday outlined the most detailed evidence yet that the military’s use of harsh interrogation methods on terrorism suspects was approved at high levels of the Bush administration.

The report focused solely on interrogations carried out by the military, not those conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency at its secret prisons overseas. It rejected claims by former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and others that Pentagon policies played no role in harsh treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq or other military facilities.

The 232-page report, the product of an 18-month inquiry, was approved on Nov. 20 by the Senate Armed Services Committee, but has since been under Pentagon review for declassification. Some of the findings were made public in a Dec. 12 article in The New York Times; a spokesman for Mr. Rumsfeld dismissed the report at the time as “unfounded allegations against those who have served our nation.”

The Senate report documented how some of the techniques used by the military at prisons in Afghanistan and at the naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, as well as in Iraq — stripping detainees, placing them in “stress positions” or depriving them of sleep — originated in a military program known as Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape, or SERE, intended to train American troops to resist abusive enemy interrogations.

According to the Senate investigation, a military behavioral scientist and a colleague who had witnessed SERE training proposed its use at Guantánamo in October 2002, as pressure was rising “to get ‘tougher’ with detainee interrogations.” Officers there sought authorization, and Mr. Rumsfeld approved 15 interrogation techniques.

The report showed that Mr. Rumsfeld’s authorization was cited by a United States military special-operations lawyer in Afghanistan as “an analogy and basis for use of these techniques,” and that, in February 2003, a special-operations unit in Iraq obtained a copy of the policy from Afghanistan “that included aggressive techniques, changed the letterhead, and adopted the policy verbatim.”

Months later, the report said, the interrogation officer in charge at Abu Ghraib obtained a copy of that policy “and submitted it, virtually unchanged, through her chain of command.” This ultimately led to authorization by Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez of the use of stress positions, “sleep management” and military dogs to exploit detainees’ fears, the report said.

“The paper trail on abuse leads to top civilian leaders, and our report connects the dots,” Senator Carl Levin, Democrat of Michigan, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said on Tuesday in a conference call with reporters. “This report, in great detail, shows a paper trail going from that authorization” by Mr. Rumsfeld “to Guantánamo to Afghanistan and to Iraq,” Mr. Levin said.

Dave N.: Suzanne Ito reports reaction from the Senate, including Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich:

In my judgment, the report represents a condemnation of both the Bush administration’s interrogation policies and of senior administration officials who attempted to shift the blame for abuse — such as that seen at Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, and Afghanistan — to low ranking soldiers. Claims, such as that made by former Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz that detainee abuses could be chalked up to the unauthorized acts of a “few bad apples,” were simply false.

....The abuses and the dangers do not end with the torture memos. Americans still know far too little about President Bush’s decision to illegally eavesdrop on Americans — a program that has since been given legal cover by the Congress.

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Harman begins to backtrack denials of wiretap story
John Byrne -- Wednesday April 22, 2009
Raw Story.com

The California Democrat who was allegedly caught on an FBI wiretap promising to aid accused Israeli spies in 2005 has begun walking back her original denials after requesting the transcript of the wiretapped conversation be released.

Pelosi tipped off to wiretap after intelligence mutiny
John Byrne -- Thursday April 23, 2009
Raw Story.com

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was told that a fellow Democratic congresswoman had been wiretapped because intelligence officials were irate that then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales had blocked a probe into the congresswoman's involvement related to an Israeli espionage case, CQ's Jeff Stein revealed late Wednesday.

Holder says 'no one is above the law' as calls for special prosecutor mount
Jeremy Gantz -- Wednesday April 22, 2009
Raw Story.com
Hours after being presented with more than a quarter million signatures demanding that he appoint a special independent prosecutor to investigate Bush-era torture practices, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Wednesday that "no one is above the law" and that his department would "follow the evidence."

Fox anchor: 'This is America! We do not f---ing torture'
David Edwards and John Byrne -- Thursday April 23, 2009
Fox News' Online Webcast
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Quote of the Day: "Reagan proved deficits don't matter. We won the midterms, this is our due." - Dick Cheney

So why, Mr. Cheney, are you attacking Obama for a the deficit you helped create that you are now blaming on Obama?

From TPM: "I mean...long before 9-11, Cheney laid out the plans to invade Iraq, detailing the locations of Iraq's oil fields in the infamous Energy Task Force memos. A founding member of PNAC. The CEO of Halliburton, who, during his tenure, not only sold Saddam $26 million worth of illegal oil drilling equipment, but oversaw their Enron-style hiding of $100 million worth of debt from the books, their auditors and their stockholders. He bought Grace, CO, which was then under siege by dozens of lawsuits for asbestos poisoning of entire Montana cities, and then as VP, conveniently muscled through legislation limiting said asbestos lawsuit claims. All aside the obvious no-bid contracts to his former company while his stock was held in a so-called 'blind trust'.

Finally, this is the man who directed George W. Bush's Vice President search team, and found the one man who could satisfy his discerning viewpoints perfectly - himself.

BOMBSHELL #2: from Senate Armed Services Committee report: Bush torture team ordered the abuse of detainees to manufacture a link between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attacks. But despite their failure to do so, President Bush and his water carriers continue to perpetuate that myth to this day.

USS INCHON REUNION!!

Don't Miss the USS Inchon Association's 5th Reunion! April 22-26 2009, Washington DC

On Christmas 1982, I had the honor of going to Beirut, Lebanon to visit our troops for the USO. I went with Johnny Grant and singer Kellee Patterson. Shortly after I left, over 250 Marines of the 24th MAU were blown up by a suicide bomber. I have such wild tales of my time in Beirut. The Marines picked us up at midnight from the airport in a blackout, driving the jeep through mine fields. We stayed in the partially bombed out Beirut Carlton hotel, where we sat up all night drinking whiskey with Capt. Dale Dye. The next day we were picked up by helicopter and flown to the decks of the USS INCHON and USS SHREVEPORT where I met these amazing men, one of whom is David Fix. David found me on Facebook and invited me to Washington D.C. for the 5th Inchon reunion, which starts tomorrow.

Talk about a strip search! As we left Beirut we were strip searched by the Lebanese... (just the women were!)

I am still trying to figure out a way to fly in on the weekend and surprise them. I had a work-related conflict and couldn't make it as of last week. If by Friday, I am back in town I would love to be there!

The 5th Reunion for former shipmates of the USS Inchon will be held in Washington, DC From April 22-26, 2009. We will be meeting for hospitality, tours, dining and friendship at the Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts, Dulles Airport.
Host Hotel:

Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts
DULLES AIRPORT
2200 CENTREVILLE RD.
HERNDON, VA 20170

ReservationWeb Site: Crowne Plaza® Hotels & Resorts
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Rematch- Buchanan V O'Donnell Over Chavez' Fawning handshake with Obama ...

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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VETS YOU ARE NOT ALONE... plus FRIDAY COMIC RELIEF

But first, an important word from VoteVets.org:

"War is the thread that binds, even as it unravels." - Scott Kesterson, veteran and war reporter

Today we'd like to tell you about an important new project that has the potential to both change the way veterans communicate and to revolutionize the treatment of combat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). It's called Not Alone, and this is what it's all about:

Mike Jones was back home for almost a year when he started to wonder why the problems weren't going away. He wondered why he couldn't drive down the road without his heart racing, why he could still hear the echo of chatter on the tactical radio in his head, and why the dreams wouldn't stop. "I can do this," Mike said to himself. "I survived war. I can defeat this."

Yet there he was, angry and bitter a year after his second tour. He was alone. For the first time in his life, something was defeating him. Mike's body and his mind were still on patrol. He just wasn't deployed anymore.

It doesn't have to be like that.

"Not Alone" is a community, by warriors and spouses and for warriors and spouses, created to help find the new normal after the war. It lets warriors and spouses anonymously talk about their problems through forums, social networking and blogs. Here you can find others that have gone through exactly what you have gone through. And soon you will be able to find expert help here too.

You can help and find help at Not Alone in three ways...

1. Listen to stories of other VoteVets.org members such as Brandon Friedman and Kayla Williams, as they discuss what war is like and what they faced in coming home. Hear how they've begun to rebuild their lives after the devastation of war. Or hear how spouses like Michelle Briggs and Marshele Waddell picked up the pieces after their husbands returned with deep wounds, visible and not.
2. Sign up now! Join the community. Find support and be supported in the forums.
3. Donate either time or money to tackle the issues that combat stress are placing on our warriors and families today. Rand, in their groundbreaking 2007 study, estimates that over 300,000 families are dealing with combat stress and post-traumatic stress.

Most importantly, you can spread the word. Tell others about Not Alone.

Sincerely, Brandon Friedman
Vice Chairman, VoteVets.org
Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran
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I really feel badly for these women. If there are any psychiatrists in the house, please tell us where phobias like these come from. What causes this kind of thing? Is it a brain disorder or did someone the kid to eat cotton candy early in life? And to viewers, would you please share your own phobias? You can do it anonymously, as I turned on "anonymous comments" here in the comment section. Thank you.

ACTUAL SIGNS IN CHINA:






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CREATE MIRACLES: THE SOUL TRUTH

On our show Basham and Cornell Radio tomorrow, Thursday: Sheila and Marcus Gillette, authors of "The Soul Truth: A Guide to Inner Peace"

Guiding us through the most profound shift in consciousness and spiritual awakening ever before witnessed on our planet are the twelve archangels collectively known as "THEO." Following her near-death experience in 1969, world renown spiritual medium Sheila Gillette became the channel for these angelic messengers from God who are now exalting humanity into a new way of thinking and being. Taking human potential to a whole new level, Theo provides the tools to transcend the limitations of the physical world and enter into the timeless dimensions of the soul. As you awaken to this unlimited spiritual energy, you will feel the joy and excitement of manifesting peak spiritual experiences and illumination that until now have been thought to be the exclusive domain of saints and mystics.



The Basham and Cornell Show broadcasts weekday mornings at 8 am Pacific (11 a.m. Eastern) on KLAV 1230 AM Radio live in Las Vegas. Again, all shows are simulcast worldwide on the Internet (and archived) and can be listened to at Basham and Cornell Radio

If you've missed our show, check out the audio archives for MP3 podcasts. We recently interviewed Helen Thomas, Legendary White House correspondent;Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader; Presidential candidates, Pulitzer Prize winner Charlie Savage; MSNBC's Pat Buchanan, former Reagan advisor; CNN's Paul Begala, former Clinton advisor; Bill Press, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Sen. John Edwards, Elizabeth Edwards, Congressman Dennis Kucinich ; Elizabeth Kucinich, John Dean, NBC Bureau Chief in Tel Aviv Martin Fletcher, Congressman Charlie Rangel,Valerie Plame, Vincent Bugliosi, Christine Pelosi, Dahr Jamail, Senator Mike Gravel; Senator Byron Dorgan; bestselling authors Naomi Klein, Paul Krugman, Mike Lux .... and many more.

I would like to bring your attention to the artistic brilliance, wit and wisdom of my gifted friend and childrens' book author, Deb Robicheau.

Her paintings are magical and so is her writing.

The Undersea Raven of Pinkerton Depp

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THE POWER OF COMPASSION

Author: Lydia Cornell

"The only response to hatred is love." - Wayne Dyer

Buddhists believe strongly that people must immerse themselves in feeling others’ pain in order to gain the compassion that heals the world. When your heart is full of love for your fellow man, you can reach out and actually change people’s lives.

One day when my son Jack was eight-years old and in third grade, he came home from school with a notice from the principal that a ten-year-old boy in our school — a fifth grader — had accidentally died overnight from a high fever. We had never met this boy or his family, but I felt the mother’s pain so deeply it shattered me. As I was reading the note, I started sobbing and couldn't stop. My own son had been home in bed all week suffering from a similar fever. I searched for the family name in the school directory to see if they had any other children, which they did: one other son in ninth grade at our local high school.

I prayed so deeply for this mother I lost all sense of time — pouring compassion out to her, holding her in my heart with a love that passes all understanding. Maybe that’s what prayer is — the invisible transfer of love to another. I mumbled any prayer I could remember, finally landing on the Lord’s Prayer, which I knew by heart.

And then my tears stopped. It was four o’clock in the afternoon. I felt an urgent need to get in my car and find this woman. All I knew was that she lived in a large apartment building a few blocks away. The car seemed to drive itself down the street, and at the end of the block, I saw an unusually tall Asian woman in a bathrobe, pacing the sidewalk, looking shell-shocked. I veered into a driveway and stopped the car. She looked at me with a depth of sadness I will never forget. “Are you Benjamin’s mother?” I asked as I stepped out of the car. At that moment something surreal happened. The woman began running toward me, and I toward her. She rushed into my arms and we just stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, holding each other. She was sobbing. Finally she looked at me and asked, “Did God send you?”

All I could say was, "I think so."

The woman was Korean-American, and explained in broken English that she had just come outside to search for her husband, who had disappeared in grief earlier that day. She asked if I would come in and look at pictures of her son. We went inside and she showed me her son’s “room,” which was just a corner of the living room that he shared with his older brother. Though this was Beverly Hills, they lived modestly in a one-bedroom apartment. She showed me Benjamin’s report card, schoolwork, baseball trophies, and his Yugioh cards — which were just like my son’s. She poured tea and told me all the wonderful things about Benjamin.

I silently asked the universe to give me the right words to say, and out of my mouth came some memories formed into words I cannot not take credit for. I told her about my precious brother Paul and how he had come to me in a vision a few days after his death. I’ll never forget this because I was driving my car and literally had to pull over and stop. On the radio they were playing the song from the Disney movie “Pocahontas” when this lyric about the Sycamore tree came on: “Who knows how high the Sycamore grows, if you cut it down you’ll never know.” This struck me because we had Paul’s memorial service beneath a giant Sycamore tree in Franklin Canyon. Overcome by grief, my head collapsed onto the steering wheel.

Now this may sound completely loony but suddenly, out of nowhere, a surge of warmth and light filled my body and I bolted upright in my seat. I have never experienced anything quite like this. I saw my brother’s face beaming at me, smiling so broadly I had never seen him like this before. It was as if he was right there talking to me, though it was an inner vision. He told me not to cry, that he'd “see me later,” and that “there is no death.” Then, he said “I love you Lydia.” This was on the third day after I had found his body after the drug overdose. I felt at peace about him from that point on.

I kept a picture of my brother Paul by my bedside, with a candle burning next to it. One morning three days after his death, my one and a half-year-old toddler Jack woke up, giggled, pointed to the picture and exclaimed, “Paul happy!” This gives me chills even now when I remember it. To this day I can’t even believe he could speak this well or even say these words — or even remember who Paul was! He had only met him a few times and most the time Paul was wearing sunglasses!

On the day we scattered his ashes at sea, before we left for the boat, three white doves alighted on our lawn, and these were not doves for hire. What is it with the number three?

As I sat with this woman, I told her that her son Benjamin was a gift that she had been blessed with for ten years — and now God needed him back home for bigger things. I told her “our children are on loan to us.” I have no idea where I got this, as I had never even thought about it that way before.

As she walked me out she said she felt a wave of peace come over her. “I was so sad before you came.” Then she said something about this being "an angel visit", and it dawned on me that we can all be angels and comforters for each other when we open up and begin to really care about each other. It’s amazing how love uses us when we make ourselves available.

Our entire school attended Benjamin’s funeral. During the eulogy, the minister read a letter written by this mother, which said: “Benjamin was a gift to us for ten years, and now God needs him back home.”

Maybe God is only to be explained through acts of human kindness, benevolence and comedy. Maybe that’s all we need to know. There are so many times I’ve received a nudge to extend myself to help someone, but out of laziness or fear, I’ve ignored the call. Often I didn’t feel equipped to help others because I was such a mess myself — and I wasn’t able to get out of my self-centered fear. But in the twelve steps there’s a saying, “The answers will come when your own house is in order.” This means that once we have eliminated our own defects of character that keep us separate from our fellow man (condemnation, judgment, fear, pride, greed, envy, etc.) we are of better use to the world.
***

The other day I was working on a Pirates of the Caribbean puzzle with my son. It’s ironic that at the very same time I was succeeding at putting the puzzle pieces together, my life had somehow quietly, behind my back, slipped into place, into a sort of divine alignment.

How did it happen? This journey has swept me into Hollywood and brought me to my knees. It has also uncovered immense spiritual resources I never knew I had. Sometimes I think life is a tapestry and we are underneath with the long yarn, holding on for dear life, holding onto the shreds and yards of fibers unraveling, winding, knotting chaotically — but all the time being woven into something orderly and magnificent from the other angle, from above — if we would just let go and not hold the strings so tight. We just can’t see it.

I have the profound sense that we can touch God everyday when we are loving to others, especially those who offend us and disturb us, and especially those less fortunate. Have you seen someone's face light up with just one kind word?

Why do people talk so much about whether or not God exists, when God is simply love? Who can argue with love? Kindness, unselfishness, compassion, sharing, forgiveness. Asking someone to prove God’s existence is like asking him to prove he loves his kids. How do you prove love exists except by watching it in action?

“Compassion for others is impossible when we are filled with a belief that we are separate and distinct from other human beings,” says Wayne Dyer. Love really does heal everything. But ‘faith without works is dead,” and we are all called to get out of ourselves and help each other, like the Good Samaritan. We must be peacemakers and take care of the poor, the meek, and the outcasts, the widows and orphans.

Einstein said it beautifully here: A human being is a part of the whole called by us “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.

REBIRTH: HAPPY EASTER! HAPPY PASSOVER! HAPPY WEEKEND!

HAPPY BUNNIES

The idea of resurrection has always appealed to me. A second chance, new life, rebirth, Spring. I believe we can start our day over, and our lives over, at any moment. We can choose to learn from our mistakes, say we're sorry, forgive others, forgive ourselves, leave the past behind and GO FORWARD. We are not meant to carry the burdens of the past or fear of the future. Don't look back. Don't live with guilt or shame.

We can also choose not to be a victim of anyone or anything.

PASSOVER SEDER DINNER

I've had lots of Seders, even from early childhood. My best friend Susie invited me to my first. The hard-boiled egg, the matzo ball soup, the Gefilte fish, the radish, the brisket.. and my favorite part: the chocolate gold coin hidden in the house.

I also love Shabat, the Friday night dinners. I wish our kids had this tight-knit community, this sense of belonging to a group that takes care of each other. And I happen to love the Barmitzvahs! I love our local deli because it's so warm and cozy. I take my son there for chicken soup. There is something wonderful about the Jewish families in our neighborhood.

JUST FOR TODAY.. from Alanon

Just for today, I will be happy. This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said, that "Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires.

Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and not get found out; if anybody knows of it, it will not count. I will do at leat two things I don't want to do — just for excercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not show it.

Just for today, I will be agreeable. I will act courteously and criticize not one bit. I will not find fault with anything and not try to imporve or regulate anybody but myself.

Just for today, I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me.

HOW TO LEAVE THE PAST BEHIND WITH NO REGRETS

* Admit we are powerless over some things in life, and get into "acceptance." Acceptance is the key to serenity.
* Clean up the wreckage of our past by seeing our mistakes clearly.
* Share our darkest secrets with someone we trust.
* Surrender our burdens to a power greater than yourself, the universe, God, the sky or whatever you believe in. If you don't believe in a power greater than yourself, go to the ocean and try to stop the waves.

Sometimes I take an imaginary football, fill it with all my worries and throw it over a fence in my mind. Or I write down all my anger, worry and fear on a piece of paper. As I write I can feel the anger coming out of my heart, flowing down my arm, out of the pen and onto the paper. The anger is now out of my body. Then I say a quick prayer such as: I release my worries today and focus on the good. Then I tear the paper to shreds, toss it away, burn it or put it in a "God Box." This is a cleansing ritual and is very effective for moving forward. Sometimes we need rituals like this.

The point is to NOT TAKE THE WORRY BACK. Do not think of your problem again. In other words, problems that keep replaying in your mind are habitual worries or resentments. If there is no human solution and no action you can take to solve them, JUST LET THEM GO. Unless you can take concrete action to solve a problem such as modifying your mortgage or calling a Credit Counseling service, or hunting for a job, then the problem is simply a form of worry or fear. These may seem real, but they don't exist in the real world. Let go and let God.

Good Friday, also called Holy Friday, Great Friday or Black Friday, is a religious holiday observed primarily by adherents to Christianity commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Golgotha, an event central to Christian theology. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and often coincides with the Jewish observance of Passover.

Based on the scriptural details of the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most probably on a Friday. The exact year of Good Friday has been estimated as AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon.- Wikipedia

WINGNUT MEDIA UPDATES

Glen Beck: "Believe in something even if it's wrong!"

FRANKEN WON: WHY WON'T THE MEDIA SAY SO?

Brad Blog Alert Franken Isn't 'Leading', He Won and Coleman Lost

With a 312 vote victory for the Democrat, and nothing left to count, the corporate media continues to misreport the facts of the U.S. Senate election in Minnesota...
-- Guest Blogged by Ernest A. Canning, with Brad Friedman

We'd ask not why the media fail to describe Coleman as a "sore loser", as they did Al Gore (who didn't actually lose) but rather, why is it that -- even with Tuesday's final count of any remaining, lawfully cast, previously uncounted absentee ballots -- the media fail to describe Coleman as the loser at all, much less a sore one.

From the New York Times to AP to MSNBC et al, despite all countable ballots having now been counted, and clear rulings having been issued by both the MN Supreme Court and the bipartisan three-judge panel overseeing the contest, the media seem to have developed an aversion to using the "L" word -- loser -- in their coverage of the MN contest. Perhaps it's because they're listening to only one side of the argument (Coleman's), but the facts of the case, and the many clear court decisions, leave no question that Franken is the winner, and Coleman is the loser. So why won't the media say as much?...

FULL STORY: BradBlog.com









NBA 101: My good friend John Bendheim and me at the Staples Center with the Lakers!

Today's radio show was amazing!

The Basham and Cornell Show

Please listen in the archives to our weekly Friday roundtable with political consultants Peggy Maze Johnson and Dave Schwartz. We alleviated a lot of tension surrounding Obama's "wiretapping" decision. Listen to what one of our troops, who's awaiting his order for Afghanistan, has to say about this. He really put my mind at ease.

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Gore Vidal on Bill Maher
Gore Vidal was on Bill Maher's show last night and he made a bit of a passionate statement on lost constitutional rights during the Bush era. Starts at about the 4:10 mark of this video, the last 6 minutes of the show, but the whole clip is highly entertaining.



He asks where was "the voice on television" speaking out about the loss of constitutional rights, besides himself. He seemed to be hearkening back to Edward R. Murrow's calling out of Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950s. What is more frightening than the notion that no one was speaking out about the Bush administration's offences was that people were actually pointing them out the whole time. It took a while for the voices to multiply and create a tidal wave that led to Republican defeat. But you can certainly rattle off the names who were speaking in their own venues and with their own respective weight about what was happening (Olbermann, Turley, Balkinization, Cafferty, Horton, Greenwald, etc.). And there were lawyers in the courts pressing cases and winning (Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, for example) From impolitical.blogspot.com

Also: RON HOWARD on Bill Maher!!