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Thursday Morning Open Thread

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Blog Related
Posted on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:00:10 PM EST
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    Thursday Morning Open Thread | 194 comments (194 topical)

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    Your animal video of the day (5.00 / 1) (#10)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:57:02 PM EST
    Guilty yellow lab. Funniest thing I've seen for a while.

    awsum (none / 0) (#11)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:59:01 PM EST
    I think its a golden.

    Parent
    HA (none / 0) (#16)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:09:51 PM EST
    I guess I should watch the whole thing.

    Parent
    Ha! Yeah - the golden was just ratting out his pal (none / 0) (#20)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:16:14 PM EST


    Parent
    The golden had issues (none / 0) (#183)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 09:53:43 PM EST
    as would I, if I had to wear a dumb bandanna.

    Parent
    From the looks of him... (none / 0) (#39)
    by vml68 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:54:14 PM EST
    that wasn't the first bag of treats he got into!

    My 1 1/2 year old yellow lab is the first lab I've owned and is just about the sweetest boy ever.

    Parent

    labs (5.00 / 1) (#43)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:00:56 PM EST
    really are the best dogs.
    personality and temperment wise at least.


    Parent
    I wouldn't have agreed with your (5.00 / 1) (#51)
    by vml68 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:16:56 PM EST
    statement before I got this boy but he has made me a believer... :-)!


    Parent
    That sweet Lab temperament (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:06:59 PM EST
    must be a dominant genetic characteristic.  Even every Lab mix I've ever encountered has that innate sweetness -- no matter how goofy they can act.  I lost my Lab mix last year and I will always think of him as my Sweet Boy.  That is, when I don't think of him as my Beautiful Boy.

    He was a superior dog in so many ways.  Except that he had that other Lab characteristic -- a bottomless stomach.  He would eat anything.  And as well behaved and obedient as he was, a trashcan at the park after a picnic was more irresistible than I was.

    The stories I have about his attempts to get into the food bin -- both the successful and unsuccessful.

    Parent

    Re: bottomless stomachs.... (5.00 / 1) (#60)
    by vml68 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:40:30 PM EST
    no kidding!
    This guy has managed to eat part of a comforter, pebbles the size of a dime, the entire cord of my hair dryer (it was only after he threw up what looked like mangled metal that I found out he had eaten it) and part of my carpet.
    I did have a spaniel that would have given this boy a run for his money as far as bottomless/cast iron stomachs are concerned.

    Parent
    my most recent (5.00 / 1) (#62)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:48:06 PM EST
    lab experience (a foster for a few months) ate a substantial portion of my grandfather clock.


    Parent
    Be at peace (5.00 / 1) (#109)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:48:04 PM EST
    Maybe.

    He's almost out of adolescence. And should soon restrict his gorging to more tradionally edible items.  (I don't know how old Howdy's foster was, but it's usually adolescence or separation anxiety that brings out the cravings for inedibles in Labs.)

    Comestibles remain unsafe, though, like grapes, carrots, bird seed, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, caviar, whole loaves of bread, and.... chicken bones!!  (I mean seriously, until I got him I never realized how many chicken bones people just drop on sidewalks and curbs.  What are people doing eating chicken on sidewalks and curbs?)

    Tip:  I finally found a fairly decent snack and meal filler that would help to fill him up without contributing to his weight.  I got fresh string beans then blanched and froze them.  If he was still scrounging after meals, he was thrilled to get a handful of greenbeans.  And in the summer it was like popsicles.

    Parent

    I know, what gives with the chicken bones? (5.00 / 2) (#115)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:01:14 PM EST
    The only reason mine likes to go for walks at all is to sniff the neighborhood for stuff that fell out of trash bags on trash day. One time we got home from a walk and he spit out a half a lime he had been carrying around for god knows how long.

    Yes, you have to laugh or you'd kill them.

    Parent

    fed my chubby cocker spaniel (5.00 / 2) (#124)
    by The Addams Family on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:33:03 PM EST
    a can of green beans mixed in with half the normal amount of his kibble at every meal - he loved them & dropped the 10 lbs he needed to lose after tearing his ACL - used to get them by the case at Costco - this was recommended by an animal acupuncturist

    Parent
    Things Owen ate (5.00 / 2) (#130)
    by canuck eh on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:43:53 PM EST
    Owen is an 8 y/o chocolate lab/golden retriever mix that I have had since he was 6 weeks. I love him to death but brilliant he is not...

    Razorblades (straight from the package); lighters; a full roasted chicken (in about 2 minutes); an entire shelving unit from Ikea; the better part of the chair that was delivered with said shelving unit; a 6 week supply of his brother's kibble; AND, a signed copy of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie that was almost the death of him!

    This is not a comprehensive list but it's a good cross-section. Best part- other than some stomach discomfort like nausea and diarrhea none of it's been an issue for him

    Parent

    LOL, that sounds like my dear, departed (none / 0) (#155)
    by vml68 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:28:09 PM EST
    cocker spaniel. No razor blades but he ate a small bag of nails, half the leg of a dining table and a substantial part of one chair, drywall, carpet! He had a special fondness for toothpaste,soap,makeup and underwear and was a dumpster diver par exellence! I came home one day to find his face and front paws covered in what I thought was blood but turned out to be lipstick.
    His stomach handled all this just fine. The only time I had to rush him to the vet is when he polished of about three pounds of strawberries and a bowl of whipped cream and had a severe allergic reaction to one or the other.

    I finally lost him when he was 16 years old and he swallowed a tablespoon. The vet could not believe he had a tablespoon in there because my boy was not in any pain. The x-ray convinced him I was not making it up. I did not want to put him through the surgery needed to get it out considering his age. He was with us for a couple more weeks before he started to show signs of discomfort. With all the cr@p he had ingested over the years and survived, after the first few days and no sign of any pain I had started to believe that he just might make it with this in his stomach but it was not to be. It was one of the hardest days of my life.

    Parent

    Aw, I'm sorry (5.00 / 1) (#185)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 11:43:42 PM EST
    It's so hard when they leave us.  That last act that we do for our sweeties is one of the hardest things we do.

    Parent
    Bananas (none / 0) (#161)
    by MKS on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:41:41 PM EST
    Our Golden would eat everything except bananas....Rocks, rabbit "pellets," but not bananas.....Would spit them out in disgust.

    Parent
    Oh, man (5.00 / 1) (#184)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 11:40:54 PM EST
    the poops.  Rabbit poop, cat poop, Canadian Goose poop.  I think the geese were the worst because they land in large flocks so it's everywhere.

    Parent
    We had a dear friend (none / 0) (#193)
    by Zorba on Fri Mar 25, 2011 at 05:08:37 PM EST
    whose Old English Sheepdog was crazy about bananas.  Our first standard poodle ate bananas, but not overly enthusiastically.  She loved raw broccoli, however.  She had been taught to stay out of the garden (and was actually very good about not setting foot in it), but she would stand at the side, stretch her neck to the fullest extent, and neatly bite off every little broccoli side shoot she could reach.  We never tried to stop this- we figured it was good for her, or at least benign.

    Parent
    I will stop worrying about the rather (none / 0) (#192)
    by ruffian on Fri Mar 25, 2011 at 02:49:11 PM EST
    benign things my younger golden ingests. A little dog poop every now and then seems pretty tame by comparison!

    Parent
    Sounds exactly like one of mine too (5.00 / 2) (#63)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:50:08 PM EST
    He is a yellow lab/golden retriever mix. Looks like that lab in the video, except with long hair. His disposition just charms everyone he meets. I call him my Sweet Sweet boy.

    And he sure has the lab bottomless stomach, and determination to fill it. Works his charms to good advantage at the park. He can smell treats in pockets at 30 paces, and proceeds to beg by going up to the person and acting all affectionate, then sitting pretty and raising a paw. Resistance is futile.


    Parent

    Resistance is Futile (5.00 / 1) (#83)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:18:11 PM EST
    LOL.  Indeed.  

    They're crafty, these Labs.  But so sweet all you can do is laugh along with them -- because you know they're laughing...

    Parent

    I have a black lab that is now on (5.00 / 1) (#106)
    by Anne on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:44:12 PM EST
    a limited ingredient diet because, after eliminating some other possibilities, the vet believes she has a food allergy.

    So, she's on a rabbit and potato kibble - and nothing else: no dog biscuits or bones, no "puppy pre-rinse" as the dishes go into the dishwasher, no random chip or table scrap.  I had to move the cats' dishes so she wouldn't belly up to the buffet.

    And our other dog doesn't have allergies, so she's eating different food, but is pretty much on the "nothing else" diet, too, because how can you give one something you can't give the other - and who wants to look at that expectant-and-then-sad face when she realizes she's not getting that treat?

    So, "treats" now are a couple pieces of kibble - and I have to say that they love the taste of the stuff (at $75 for 25 lbs., they should!).

    It's been about 3 1/2 weeks, and things are going well - the humans are pretty well-trained now, lol.

    Side benefit is that both labs needed to lose some weight, and I think this is going to help!

    Parent

    That takes some real discipline! (5.00 / 1) (#117)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:05:19 PM EST
    Kibble as treats works though. I do that too sometimes. They like it just as well as real 'treats'.

    I'm currently mixing my guy's prescription hip flexibility food with the weight loss diet food to take off a few pounds. He'll eat anything, so it is not a problem getting him used to it. Seems to be working - he is getting the vague outline of a waistline back.

    Parent

    My current dog (none / 0) (#116)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:03:39 PM EST
    is on a limited ingredient diet.  Anything with chicken or chicken by-products is likely to set off an episode of doggie IBS.  

    Apparently it's not that uncommon -- my neighbor's dog is the same way.  But we can give them after dinner treats without triggering the unhappy side effects.

    Limited ingredient kibble really is expensive.  My neighbor, who has to watch his budget, finds its cheaper to make G's food himself.  Pork is his meat of choice, supplemented with sweet potatoes, potatoes and oatmeal.  

    Parent

    My lab's problem isn't gastrointestinal, (none / 0) (#174)
    by Anne on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 07:24:09 PM EST
    she itches like a fiend - Army-crawling on the driveway to scratch her belly - you would hardly touch her and she would start scratching.

    We made sure she didn't have mites or scabies or any infection, we tried Benadryl, which didn't do much.  Then we tried the prednisolone, which  worked practically overnight, so we did that for probably three weeks, and almost as soon as she came off it, she was back scratching again.

    While she was on the second trial of the pred, we started the new diet - just about three weeks ago - and it can take 6 weeks to a couple of months to really "work."  She had her last dose of the pred almost a week ago, and she has only scratched a time or two (which may just be normal), so...we are keeping our fingers crossed that the diet is working.  

    We go back to the vet on Saturday for Lyme vaccine booster, and I will be interested to see if she's lost any weight, too.

    Makes me think I should be on a limited ingredient diet, too, with no treats or random noshing...
     

    Parent

    Sounds like my (none / 0) (#186)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 11:47:43 PM EST
    neighbor's dog.  He's a pit mix with almost no hair so you can clearly see the hives on his skin.  Add that to the intestinal stuff and he's one unhappy dog.  Not when he's eating it, of course.  They're not real big on that cause and effect thing.

    Good luck with her.  

    I know what you mean about about taking a second look at our own diets.  I'm just afraid it would mean no bread.  A fate too horrible to contemplate.

    Parent

    Our Golden Ajax (5.00 / 1) (#147)
    by MKS on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:19:37 PM EST
    had a neighborhood fan club.  Somehow he would get out and just cruise around looking for goodies....

    One Christmas Eve, I saw the kids next door running up our driveway with Ajax following....They said he had got out and they were bringing him back.

    Granda from next door told me Ajax just walked right in their kitchen wagging his tale looking for food.  Heh, I'm Ajax, got some eggnog?

    Parent

    a next door neighbor (5.00 / 2) (#151)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:25:34 PM EST
    who thankfully has sold and moved had about a three or four year old who loved Ghost.  he would give him all his food.  resulting in multiple "accidents" in the middle of the night.

    he would stand at the fence screaming DOOOOOOGGGGGIEEEEEEE!!!!!!   at the top of his lungs.

    he would toss everything he could lift over the fence to the dog.  when he ran out of stuff he would take his clothes off and toss them over the fence.  one day Ghost came in carrying a tiny red cowboy boot and I stomach dropped for a second until verified there was no foot in it.

    Parent

    Foot--Lol (5.00 / 2) (#157)
    by MKS on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:38:05 PM EST
    When we lost Ajax, about a week later the front doorbell rang.  It was the four year old boy from next door with his mom.  They had a letter addressed to my wife they wanted to hand deliver to her.

    It said that the boy was sorry Ajax had died and that he had been crying all week because of that.  But he knew Ajax was in heaven.  Somehow he had bonded with Ajax through the fence and on Ajax's clandestine outings....

    If there is a heaven, a major bone I have to pick with God is the unfairly short life span of Man's Best Friend...

    Parent

    Our sheltie is the same (5.00 / 2) (#127)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:37:11 PM EST
    and eats every d*mn thing in sight and many out of sight that he sniffs out behind bushes, dumpsters, younameit.  Paper, cardboard -- oh, the joy of fast-food wrappers! -- and plastic and metal as well.  He seems to have an especial fondness for earbuds, enjoying the wires like pasta noodles and then the yummy crunch of the metal earpieces.  My forgetful spouse has lost four sets of earbuds already.  Also leather; I lost a lovely new moccasin.  And ruined rugs, not just around edges.

    Yet he is very controlled as to intake of doggie food in the bowl, making it last for hours -- as I was told not to expect.  But then, if I had been told all to expect, I might have made the mistake of not getting our great and gorgeous puppy guy.  He just had to train us, I guess.

    Parent

    No doubt (none / 0) (#137)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:51:04 PM EST
    Ignorance is as crucial to the potential dog-owner as it is to the potential parent.  If everyone really knew what to expect in terms of inconvenience and hardship, they would never get to experience the joy, fun and other awesomeness.

    Parent
    Lab lovers (5.00 / 1) (#144)
    by MKS on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:15:45 PM EST
    If you haven't seen this, check it out.   It is hilarious.....Labs sliding on snow.

    Parent
    I love that video (5.00 / 1) (#146)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:19:01 PM EST
    especially the snow nibbling as they slide.

    Parent
    Being chubby helps.... (5.00 / 1) (#149)
    by MKS on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:20:27 PM EST


    Parent
    I love that video (none / 0) (#187)
    by sj on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 11:49:33 PM EST
    It makes me wish there was a good hill for my son's dog to roll down.  She loves the snow.  She will find the last little patch of snow and lay down or roll in it as long as you let her.

    Parent
    pretty awesome (5.00 / 1) (#65)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:57:49 PM EST
    photo from NASA of the crazy full moon rising over Boston last Saturday.  The moon was insane that night.  Like a giant spotlight in the sky.

    Love that. (5.00 / 1) (#80)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:16:12 PM EST
    It did not seem that outstanding here, but I did miss it at its peak.

    Parent
    Wow, that's what I wanted to see (none / 0) (#128)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:38:31 PM EST
    on supermoon night, but it was rainy here and not an especially different sight.  Thanks!

    Parent
    More Muslims running for office in US (5.00 / 2) (#114)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:55:52 PM EST
    and I love that in this article, they are mostly women.

    Take that Osama!

    my lucky day (5.00 / 4) (#150)
    by Dr Molly on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:23:58 PM EST
    Got the post-surgery pathology results back today - benign! Took them long enough, and they sure scared the bejeezus out of me with the potential odds for bad news, but all good in the end. So, other than a few weeks of panic after they found this thing, a surreal experience with anesthesia, a few nasty but healing incisions, and minus a few body parts - everything's cool.

    Thanks all for the good wishes. I'm one lucky camper.

    good for you (5.00 / 2) (#152)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:26:23 PM EST


    Parent
    That's wonderful news, Dr Molly. (5.00 / 1) (#156)
    by vml68 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:33:42 PM EST
    Time to celebrate!

    Parent
    Excellent news, Dr. Molly. (5.00 / 1) (#160)
    by caseyOR on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:38:27 PM EST
    So glad to hear this. Now celebrate!

    Parent
    congrats! (5.00 / 1) (#168)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 06:26:24 PM EST
    That must have been terrifying.  There's nothing worse than waiting for bad news.  Glad everything turned out okay.

    Parent
    Oh - so happy to hear this, Molly! (5.00 / 3) (#170)
    by Anne on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 07:03:35 PM EST
    Thank you so much for sharing the good news - how relieved you and your family must be.

    And I'm relieved, too; I was starting to worry when we didn't hear anything...

    Now you can put your energy into healing, knowing that everything's okay.

    Best news I've heard in a while; am raising a glass of chardonnay in your honor!

    Parent

    I must say (5.00 / 4) (#172)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 07:20:44 PM EST
    Anne you are one of the most thoughtful people on the internet!

    Parent
    Glad (5.00 / 1) (#171)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 07:20:21 PM EST
    to hear your wonderful news!

    Parent
    Hooray!!! (5.00 / 1) (#189)
    by kdog on Fri Mar 25, 2011 at 08:54:49 AM EST
    Great news Doc...hopefully this means we'll be rerading more of your dropped science.

    Might not always agree, but I always appreciate the brain food.

    Parent

    Fantastic news (5.00 / 1) (#190)
    by MO Blue on Fri Mar 25, 2011 at 12:10:43 PM EST
    Benign is one of the best words in the English language.

    You're one lucky camper for sure.

    Parent

    Very glad to hear that! (5.00 / 1) (#191)
    by ruffian on Fri Mar 25, 2011 at 02:46:59 PM EST
    I'm sure the wounds will recover faster with the worries lifted too!

    Parent
    308M People in the US (none / 0) (#1)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:12:58 PM EST
    Census numbers out today.
    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42246452/ns/us_news-life/

    TX gains 4 new house seats, FL 2.
    NY and OH lose two.

    A handful of states either gained or lost a seat, but most will remain the same.

    And 1 in 6 people in the entire country is Hispanic.

    And the population center of the nation (none / 0) (#2)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:28:12 PM EST
    that has been in the Midwest for 150 years now is on the very western edge of that region.  Sometime between now and 2020, the population center of the nation will be in the West.

    No surprise that the president today is from the farthest western state of all, Hawaii -- and that the Repubs' ticket was from the Southwest, McCain, and from that other young western state, Alaska.  Perhaps historians looking back with less heat and more hindsight will see the loss to the Hawaiian by a Midwesterner, Hillary Clinton, was owing as much to regionality as to gender?  

    Parent

    I'm with Demi on that one (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:47:41 PM EST
    Obama is not politically from Hawaii. He concentrated on winning the west, for the demographic reasons stated, but no one thinks of him as a 'Western Politician'.

    Parent
    Not just demographics (none / 0) (#13)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:03:49 PM EST
    I think.  The midwest/west are the purple states.

    With the exception of the fuzziness near the Mason-Dixon Line, and South Florida, the east is clearly divided between north and south for Dems and Repubs.  So there is less of an incentive to appeal to those states, no matter what side of the aisle you are on.  Because if a Democrat is winning in Georgia, or a Republican is winning in New York, the opposition is already toast.  The western states are more up for grabs.

    Parent

    Aren't you mixing birthplace (none / 0) (#4)
    by Demi Moaned on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:39:43 PM EST
    ... with center of political activity? Yes, the President was born in HI and Sec. Clinton in IL. But wasn't McCain born in the Canal Zone, IIRC?

    Lincoln wasn't born in IL either, but we consider him and the current incumbent as from there. And Reagan, who was born in IL, is considered to have been from CA.

    Parent

    Correct, yes (none / 0) (#36)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:44:24 PM EST
    I muddled it from memory and had forgotten that McCain was born not in a state but a territory.

    But Eureka, Illinois, still claims "Dutch" Reagan, and Kentucky still claims to be the start of the Lincoln Trail.  So what "we" think also is not correct, if we are to be factual birthers!

    Really, more important are those childhood years, I think, when values are shaped -- although what also makes so many such historic figures historic and intriguing is how often they conquered or even rebelled against their regional upbringing.  Lincoln's rearing by Southerners amid slavery (also in southern Illinois, illegally) made him more knowledgeable about the institution's impact on both African Americans and other Southerners, which so shaped his more merciful plan for Reconstruction.  And Reagan's childhood rearing by Democrats in the Depression, and a dad on the New Deal dole, led him to react against "welfare."

    But Obama really is the example of brilliance in using well but not being bound his birthplace in the West, his ancestors in the rural Midwest, etc., with his decision to pick Chicago as the place for his political aspirations.  I wonder, with this population shift, though, where future pols will pick -- and when in the future, with the usual lag in actual electoral impact?

    Parent

    Reagan was born and raised in Dixon, IL, (5.00 / 0) (#138)
    by caseyOR on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:53:09 PM EST
    home of the Dixon Mounds, a native American burial site. I visited there with my Brownie troop in the early '60s.

    Eureka's claim to "Dutch" is his college years, which he spent at Eureka College.

    Let me just say, as a native of Illinois I am very happy that in the "home of a president" sweepstakes, Illinois got Lincoln and California is stuck with Reagan.

    Parent

    I gather Abe's grandparents were Virginians (none / 0) (#169)
    by the capstan on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 06:48:35 PM EST
    so I will grant them a slave-owning bias. but the cabin-dwellers of the Appalachians were not well-equipped with slaves or body servants.  Later, Abe spoke of 'his' people, the hard-scrabble, self-educated folk of the hills.   Families were bitterly divided over the slavery issue, and, yes, he did have in mind a different kind of reconstruction for that region.  I'd say Abe's upbringing probably developed in him a bent toward hard work instead of a life of ease provided by the work of the oppressed.

    Parent
    Pls reread (none / 0) (#178)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 08:34:00 PM EST
    as I did not say he came from slaveowners; I said he grew up with slavery around him in Kentucky and in southern Illinois (where it was widespread if illegal).  

    I do not happen to have a car, but I see a lot of them every day, and I see their impact. . . .

    Parent

    I always enjoy (none / 0) (#5)
    by CoralGables on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:45:00 PM EST
    terms people use that aren't really all that valid. Take the term midwest for example. Many of the supposed midwest states are more east than west. The geometric center of the contiguous lower 48 is in Lebanon Kansas. Anything east of Lebanon can't be considered any part of the west. To make things more complicated, the geographic center of all 50 states is just north of Belle Fourche, South Dakota.

    With the population center from the last census being Plato, Missouri, the center of the country is still east of the geographic center of the lower 48 making it more Mideast than Midwest.

    Parent

    Except (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:16:07 PM EST
    That's how the US Census Bureau defines it.

    We don't have a "mid east" region in this country (except during March Madness).  And the term "Midwest" has been in use for over 100 years - this region used to be "The Northwest".

    Parent

    Once upon a time, (none / 0) (#154)
    by MKS on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:28:03 PM EST
    Ohio was in the West.....

    "Midwest" is an anachronism....

    Parent

    Yes, I also always enjoy (none / 0) (#37)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:47:52 PM EST
    the funny results from surveys of where the heck people think the Midwest is.  I wish that I had an online link to the maps from the most recent study, which tell so much more about the regions surveyed than about the region that was the survey subject.

    But this is a post about the census so, stunningly, I used the census definition: 12 states, including 5 east of the Mississippi (the old North West Territory) and 7 west of the Mississippi, including Missouri.  Read the link to the census release, perhaps?

    Parent

    But I thought (none / 0) (#41)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:57:25 PM EST
    the Great Lakes were in Oregon?

    Parent
    Nope, all 5 Great Lakes (none / 0) (#50)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:13:11 PM EST
    are in one of those 56 other states.  But you knew that.

    Parent
    Yep (none / 0) (#53)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:20:52 PM EST
    Being born and raised in "The Great Lake State" (Michigan, for those who don't know), they teach us that stuff at a pretty young age!

    Parent
    Well, you Michiganders (none / 0) (#129)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:40:00 PM EST
    have more Great Lakes to enjoy on your borders than anyone else, after all.  Nice of you to share a few with that 58th state, Canada.

    Parent
    We do try! :) (none / 0) (#132)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:46:39 PM EST


    Parent
    Coral (none / 0) (#89)
    by ScottW714 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:26:50 PM EST
    The term might not be valid, but it historically accurate and significant.  The country at one time was considerably smaller, so basically anything west of Appalachia was considered the west, hence the term Northwest Territory.  Which if memory serves me correctly, was entirely east of the Mississippi.

    Then as the real west was acquired and explored, that area, from Appalachia to the Mississippi morphed into the mid west because it was mid way to the west.

    It continues to morph, but according to the Census Bureau, the Midwest is two groups, East & West North Central Divisions.

    Being from Wisconsin, there are still plenty of remnants of the old territory, such as Northwestern University and Northwest airlines.  Not in Wisconsin, but part of the NW territory.

    Parent

    Yes, the North West vs. the First West (none / 0) (#134)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:48:01 PM EST
    which was the new Americans called the first areas beyond the original colonies -- for example, the future Kentucky, and I forget which other ones that were part of the territory won in the Revolution; the rest of that territory ca. 1783 became called the North-West Territory.  It was recently British but mainly French, the old New or Nouvelle France.

    The area west of the Mississippi that became the rest of the Midwest was part of the Louisiana Purchase two decades later, in 1803.  Also French but also Spanish and with a far different history, in large part by not being under the North-West Ordinance and so being open to slavery (legally, although it existed illegally in every state by then and to come).  And thus, that area led the North and South into battling for it from the Missouri Compromise in 1820 through the Fugitive Slave Law in the 1850 Compromise, the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act, the 1857 Dred Scott Decision, etc., and into Civil War.

    And as you note, from the First West to the Middle West/Midwest (the name evolved), we then had to come up with something to explain the rest:  the Far West.

    Parent

    Cream City - is that you in disguise? :) (none / 0) (#136)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:49:21 PM EST


    Parent
    I asked this question too on a thread a (none / 0) (#140)
    by vml68 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:58:44 PM EST
    few days ago, and instantly regretted it.
    If Towanda is CC and she wants us to know, she will let us know on her own terms. Till then as far as I am concerned, she is Towanda!

    Parent
    Of course it's CC (none / 0) (#175)
    by Spamlet on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 07:43:21 PM EST


    Parent
    Who is this "CC"? (n/t) (none / 0) (#179)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 08:35:49 PM EST


    Parent
    The disappeared frequent TL commenter (5.00 / 1) (#181)
    by Peter G on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 09:12:52 PM EST
    whom I miss the most.

    Parent
    Aww. So you're saying (5.00 / 2) (#182)
    by Towanda on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 09:52:02 PM EST
    "Where Did You Go?" -- a truly early Four Tops tune for you! but without bad lip-synching and too-short trousers.  

    Parent
    Lovely number (5.00 / 1) (#188)
    by Peter G on Fri Mar 25, 2011 at 12:07:00 AM EST
    It's not "On Wisconsin (Women)" or anything, but still, very nice.

    Parent
    Since the last census (none / 0) (#35)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:43:53 PM EST

    Detroit has lost 25% of its population.  Pretty amazing what has happened to a city that a mere 50 years ago could reasonably be called the industrial capital of the world.

    Parent
    I read that (none / 0) (#153)
    by Madeline on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:26:42 PM EST
    1.4 million in the city of Detroit in the 1950's and just over 700,000 now.

    If you have seen any pictures of Detroit recently, you see those old beautiful buildings in decay.
    I think it will come back though.  

    Parent

    welcome to the new world order part 2 (none / 0) (#3)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:34:19 PM EST
    New rules allow investigators to hold domestic-terror suspects longer than others without giving them a Miranda warning, significantly expanding exceptions to the instructions that have governed the handling of criminal suspects for more than four decades.

    The move is one of the Obama administration's most significant revisions to rules governing the investigation of terror suspects in the U.S. And it potentially opens a new political tussle over national security policy, as the administration marks another step back from pre-election criticism of unorthodox counterterror methods.
    {{Sigh}} (none / 0) (#30)
    by Zorba on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:36:30 PM EST
    Gee, I'm sure glad I voted for a Democrat.  (At least, at the time, I thought he was a Democrat.)  And no doubt we will be reading a defense of the Obama DOJ's new rules here in 4...3...2...1.........

    Parent
    who wants to bet (5.00 / 0) (#31)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:37:49 PM EST
    "terror suspect" is vaguely defined.

    Parent
    C'mon (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:41:34 PM EST
    You were warned he wasn't a "Democrat!"  

    <snark>

    :)

    Parent

    who ARE the Democarts these days? (5.00 / 1) (#68)
    by jondee on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:03:40 PM EST
    all I see are Goldman Sachs-humping oligarchs on one side and mean-spirited carnival pinheads on the other.

    Parent
    Of course! (none / 0) (#49)
    by Zorba on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:12:42 PM EST
    (Slaps forehead.)  We were explicitly told, after all, that he was a socialist/fascist/Kenyan.   ;-)

    Parent
    Actually (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:20:15 PM EST
    Many Democrats told you he wasn't a Democrat!

    Parent
    He was (none / 0) (#59)
    by Zorba on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:39:16 PM EST
    never Democratic enough for me, but then I was a Dennis Kucinich supporter, which makes me a DFH.  I voted for him in the general election because I couldn't stand the thought of having McCranky and Caribou Barbie elected.  

    Parent
    I think (none / 0) (#64)
    by AngryBlackGuy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:56:57 PM EST
    Obama is pretty much exactly what he said he'd be.

    The people making him out to be a far lefty were conservative.  Most dems knew pretty much what they were getting.

    I don't understand why Obama's haters point their "I told you so" fingers at other dems.

    It's the Hannity/Beck/Rush/O'Reilly types that were proven wrong.

    Obama's a pragmatic Clinton democrat. He's been saying as much since his first book.

    Parent

    Strange (5.00 / 2) (#66)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:59:09 PM EST
    He couldn't even call himself that (or any other kind of Democrat) at the Democratic National Convention, when they nominated him to be the Democratic nominee for President.

    Hmmm....I wonder why?

    Parent

    If Obama (5.00 / 2) (#69)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:04:13 PM EST
    was a Clinton Democrat I would be okay with that but he isn't. Obama is a Reagan Republican. He is a true blue supply sider University of Chicago apostle.

    I have never seen anyone hate his voting base as much as Obama does. Yet, they are expected to show up dutifully and vote for him "because they have nowhere else to go". Well, there's a lot of places to go on voting day: home, a restaurant, a bar to drown your sorrows, whatever.

    Parent

    And deregulating Wall St (5.00 / 1) (#74)
    by jondee on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:10:08 PM EST
    had nothing to do with the belief in the power of supply-side economics?

    Parent
    FYI (none / 0) (#173)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 07:22:26 PM EST
    you are on ignore from me.

    Parent
    apparently not completely.. (none / 0) (#194)
    by jondee on Mon Mar 28, 2011 at 02:41:40 PM EST
    so..you can't acknowledge that handing the keys to Wall St over to Alan-the-bug-eyed-monstor and Bob Rubin to plant economic time bombs MIGHT be interpreted by some as being a tad..what? Reaganesque?

    Not to rain on your parade..

    Parent

    Vote for an also-ran... (none / 0) (#105)
    by kdog on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:43:59 PM EST
    at least your dipleasure is on record GA...thats what I've been doing.

    A waste of time?  Yeah, I guess...but I've watsed oodles more time than an hour every 4 years.  Any hope for the proles lies in the also-rans.

    Parent

    since his first book.. (5.00 / 2) (#71)
    by jondee on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:08:35 PM EST
    and his first appointments..

    If he could've reformed welfare and handed it all over to Greenspan and Bob Rubin to redistribute again, no doubt he would've done that to..

    Parent

    Did he say he was going to (5.00 / 2) (#96)
    by Anne on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:34:39 PM EST
    weaken Miranda rights?  Get us into another war without consulting the Congress?  Did he say he was going to maintain the veil of secrecy around much of the Bush Administration's actions?  Did he say he was going to give Bush and Cheney and Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz snd Rice and Yoo and many others at the highest levels of the Bush administration a free pass on their actions?

    Well, golly - no he didn't.  He railed against the secrecy, said a president absolutely must go to Congress to get authorization for war, said we must, must, must be a nation that abided by the rule of law.  

    At least that's how I remember it.

    But this passage from Glenn Greenwald today must have been written with you in mind:

    Thus, when you argue that wars need Congressional approval, you're standing up for the Constitution; when you start a war without Congressional approval, you're a humanitarian. When you announce you will release torture photos in the government's possession, you're a stalwart defender of transparency; when you change your mind two weeks later and announce you'll conceal those photos, you're standing up for The Troops. When you give Miranda warnings to Terrorism suspects, you're honoring the Rule of Law and protecting American values; when you turn around and deny those very same rights, you're showing your devotion to Keeping us Safe.

    Most Dems thought they were going to get the Obama they were being sold, but that is not the Obama he turned out to be (although there were plenty of us who looked past the campaign optics and did our homework and knew pretty much exactly what Obama we were going to get); he certainly did not sell himself as a pragmatic Clinton Democrat because he was running as far and as fast as he could from any and everything "Clinton."

    But, you know what?  We can spend the next 100 or so comments arguing about who or what Obama is or isn't, but all that really matters to me can be expressed by Glenn, thusly:

    When it comes to debates between Left and Right over the Constitution and due process, Miranda has always been viewed as one of the key defining issues. Richard Nixon was obsessed with demonizing the Warren Court for providing too many rights to the accused, and his attacks on Miranda were part of a decades-long war by the American Right on the constitutional liberties established over the last half-century. With a swoop of a pen -- more than 9 years removed from the 9/11 attacks -- Barack Obama has done more to erode Miranda than any right-wing politician could have dreamed of achieving.

    Is that who you thought Obama was, what he stood for?

    I almost can't wait to read how you're going to excuse and explain this latest development...

    Parent

    No "excuse and explain," necessary (5.00 / 0) (#177)
    by NYShooter on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 08:26:40 PM EST
    with a shrug of a shoulder, and the refrane, "Obama Hater,"

    move along

    Parent

    I would be a lot more open (none / 0) (#73)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:09:44 PM EST
    to that if he would stop doing the kind of thing described in the original comment.

    Parent
    Music question (not classical): (none / 0) (#7)
    by oculus on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:50:19 PM EST
    Willie Weeks played bass guitar at recent Eric Clapton concert here.  Solo riffs by drummer, and each of the two keyboard players.  And of course by Clapton.  Why none by Weeks?  Is Clapton insecure?

    I don't hear many bass guitar solos at concerts (none / 0) (#8)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:53:41 PM EST
    Only one I can think of is Joe Walsh at a recent Eagles concert, and he only got one brief one on bass. Not sure the bass guitar makes a very exciting rock-blues concert solo.

    Or maybe Weeks is just modest - not a showboater. I just can't believe EC is insecure about his own stage presence!

    Parent

    John Entwistle... (none / 0) (#48)
    by kdog on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:12:02 PM EST
    absolutely destroyed a bass solo when I saw The Who before he passed.

    But ruffian is right Oc...traditionally in rock music the bass holds the fort while others solo.  See funk or reggae for bass melody and solos...and of course, jazz.

    Parent

    I know (none / 0) (#9)
    by CoralGables on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:54:43 PM EST
    I won't be alone on this but will get hell raised by a few....solo bass is damn boring.

    Parent
    Not if done correct... (none / 0) (#139)
    by kdog on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:56:10 PM EST
    I mean check out Thunderfingers.

    Parent
    Ed Harris is John McCain (none / 0) (#12)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 12:59:45 PM EST
    in game change

    really interested to see who plays Obama.

    Im thinkin this guy (5.00 / 1) (#56)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:33:54 PM EST
    Tracy Morgan

    Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American actor, comedian and author who is best known for his eight seasons as a cast member on Saturday Night Live and currently known for playing the role of Tracy Jordan on the NBC series 30 Rock.


    Parent
    I was thinking.... (none / 0) (#67)
    by kdog on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:02:40 PM EST
    my main man Paul Mooney but I don't think he could pass as a corporate fellating spineless centrist.

    Parent
    Hmmmm.... (none / 0) (#70)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:04:22 PM EST
    Wouldn't it be difficult to fellate if spineless?

    Parent
    not yourself (none / 0) (#81)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:16:21 PM EST
    :-)

    I will let you mentally picture that

    Parent

    Thank goodness (none / 0) (#100)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:36:55 PM EST
    I was drinking from a straw when I read that!

    :)

    Parent

    please (none / 0) (#15)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:09:10 PM EST
    not Morgan Freeman.

    Not that he's a bad actor, just that he's already played the president too many times, and I can't think of him as a specific president - he's just Morgan Freeman as president.  Don Cheadle, for example, or Terrence Howard.

    Parent

    Chris Rock (none / 0) (#17)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:10:21 PM EST
    Im tellin ya

    Parent
    Ha! (none / 0) (#18)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:11:56 PM EST
    Dave Chappelle could probably do it.  Chris Rock is too loud.

    Parent
    Peter Mensah (none / 0) (#22)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:21:15 PM EST
    I think this guy would be good. (doctore from Spartacus).

    god.  just please dont let it be Will Smith.


    Parent

    hmmm (none / 0) (#24)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:24:18 PM EST
    too beef-cake-y, IMO.  Obama's a nerd.

    Parent
    actually I hope (5.00 / 1) (#26)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:29:26 PM EST
    they find someone completely unknown.  it would be fitting and I am sure there are dozens of young black actors out there who could do it.

    Parent
    yea (none / 0) (#38)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:52:35 PM EST
    But given who they went with for Palin and McCain I kind of doubt they will.

    My guess is it will not be a big name like Will Smith/Morgan Freeman/Denzell Washington, but it will be someone with moderate/limited fame who is not a complete unknown.

    Also, Obama is young for a president, but not for an actor.

    Parent

    Julianne Moore and Ed Harris (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:59:25 PM EST
    are not really moderately famous.  they are both big stars.

    I hope to god its not Will Smith.  I dont care what Obama wants.  Will Smith is not an actor any more than John Wayne was.  he is a character.


    Parent

    right (none / 0) (#44)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:02:28 PM EST
    but they are the main characters, I think Obama is a more of a supporting actor role.

    I agree about Will Smith.  He's great at playing Will Smith.

    Parent

    How about (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:04:17 PM EST
    the guy who plays him on SNL?

    Parent
    Fred Armisen (none / 0) (#176)
    by Raskolnikov on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 08:14:08 PM EST
    He's great actually, in a lot of things, very funny guy.  Seconded.

    Parent
    John Wayne could act, I think (none / 0) (#163)
    by MKS on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:49:41 PM EST
    he wasn't asked to do it very often....

    The Searchers was his best role....Mean and racist and loner....

    Parent

    Idris Elba (none / 0) (#21)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:19:22 PM EST
    Right age, tall, can do accents, all around great actor I'm sure he'd be good.

    Parent
    oo good one (none / 0) (#25)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:26:37 PM EST
    The boss from the office.

    He's got the right stature too.

    Parent

    Didn't know he was on The Office! (none / 0) (#27)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:30:01 PM EST
    Might have to start watching. He was on 'The Wire' and that horrible Laura Linney show on Showtime too.

    Parent
    He was on last year only (none / 0) (#29)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:35:00 PM EST


    Parent
    it was great while it lasted (none / 0) (#34)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:43:40 PM EST
    Mindy Kaling could play Obamagirl :)

    Parent
    Morgan Freeman is a little too old to (none / 0) (#40)
    by vml68 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:56:58 PM EST
    play Obama. Didn't Obama once say that he thought Will Smith should play the movie version of him?

    Parent
    Harrys 137th birthday today (none / 0) (#14)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:05:40 PM EST
    in case you have not been to google
    from slashfilm

    Sony has revived plans to make a Harry Houdini film. Francis Lawrence (Water For Elephants, I Am Legend) is now in talks to direct the film that once had Paul Verhoeven set to direct.
    Sony's Houdini films joins several other similar projects in development. DreamWorks recently bought Voices From the Dead, a script by J. Michael Straczynski that uses the friendship between Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as the basis for a supernatural thriller.
    And in 2009 Jeff Nathanson was writing The Secret Life of Houdini for Summit and that project is still kicking; last we heard Noah Oppenheim was writing a new draft. Finally, Aaron Sorkin and Danny Elfman are writing a Houdini musical intended for Hugh Jackman. Which one of these projects, or which ones, will see the light of day?
    Incomprehensible twitterer (none / 0) (#23)
    by lilburro on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:23:31 PM EST
    Chuck Grassley responds to criticism of his tweeting style.

    I can't look (none / 0) (#28)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:32:36 PM EST
    That is so wrong on so many levels.

    Parent
    the way it is (none / 0) (#33)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 01:42:32 PM EST
    star of Sucker Punch Emily Browning speaks:

    . . .  "I had a very tame and mild love scene with Jon Hamm. It was like heavy breathing and making out. It was hardly a sex scene... I think that it's great for this young girl to actually take control of her own sexuality. Well, the MPAA doesn't like that. They don't think a girl should ever be in control of her own sexuality because they're from the Stone Age. I don't know what the f*ck is going on and I will openly criticize it, happily. So essentially, they got Zack to edit the scene and make it look less like she's into it. And Zack said he edited it down to the point where it looked like he was taking advantage of her. That's the only way he could get a PG-13 (rating) and he said, `I don't want to send that message.' So they cut the scene!"

    good for Emily and good for Snyder.  the reviews of this few tho they are, are not great.  not a surprise.  the "critics" didnt get Watchmen, the best movie of its year, either.

    I know there was (none / 0) (#47)
    by lilburro on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:10:13 PM EST
    a documentary about this ("This Film Is Not Yet Rated")...considering this story and the one about Blue Valentine it sounds like the MPAA does have a real problem with women.

    Parent
    very nice story (none / 0) (#54)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:27:47 PM EST
    lumped my throat a little more than usual because its the same leg, and same limp, that I fixed for my Ghost.

    Midnight's New Leg

    Midnight the miniature horse was born missing part of one leg, and then was so neglected by his owner that he was seized by authorities. The adorable horse was close to being euthanized when the staff at Ranch Hand Rescue came up with a plan to get Midnight a new leg. You have to watch this one all the way through -you'll be glad you did
    Does anybody else (none / 0) (#55)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:30:09 PM EST
    have conservative friends on facebook who fall for every hoax there is out there?

    Yep. Facebook, email, everywhere (5.00 / 1) (#78)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:14:04 PM EST


    Parent
    oh yeah (none / 0) (#57)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:34:33 PM EST


    Parent
    except (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:35:11 PM EST
    in my case its relatives.  

    Parent
    For those (none / 0) (#61)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 02:42:57 PM EST
    who insist that Mitt Romney will have a hard time with the Tea Party because of "Romneycare".

    Think again:

    About one-in-five (21%) Republican and Republican-leaning registered voters say they would like to see Mitt Romney win the nomination while about the same percentage (20%) chooses Mike Huckabee; 13% back Sarah Palin, 11% opt for Newt Gingrich and 8% back Ron Paul. At this early stage in the race, 15% of GOP voters have no preference.

    SNIP

    Among those who say they agree with the Tea Party movement, 24% say Romney would be their first choice, 19% say Huckabee, 15% say Gingrich, 13% say Paul and 12% say Palin.

    Overall, this early poll is good news for Obama, but with the huge caveat that Republican voters haven't coalesced around a single candidate yet.

    Honestly (none / 0) (#72)
    by AngryBlackGuy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:09:24 PM EST
    Is there any republican on that list that will beat Obama:

    Romey: Romney-care achilles heal.

    Huckabee: Crazy statements recently/Not trusted by Wall Street conservatives

    Palin: ha ha

    Gingrich: ha ha

    Paul: surprisingly credible but no.  He still wants to legalize prostitution and the christian coalition types aren't going for that.

    Pawlenty.  I think if Obama starts thinking about Pawlenty right now and figures out the strategy to neutralize him, he's a two termer.


    Parent

    btw (5.00 / 1) (#77)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:12:29 PM EST
    I am curious.  who do you think should play Obama in the movie Game Change?

    Parent
    that was a serious (none / 0) (#86)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:23:09 PM EST
    question.  btw.  I really am curious.  my black co workers agree with me on anyone but Will Smith.

    Parent
    I think he should be played by (none / 0) (#91)
    by AngryBlackGuy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:29:14 PM EST
    Harry Lennix of the Matrix sequels.

    Link

    People don't think about him but he's perfect for it.

    Parent

    Never seen the movies, but (5.00 / 1) (#118)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:08:17 PM EST
    he sure looks perfect for the part. There is a real resemblance there.

    Parent
    interesting (none / 0) (#92)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:30:48 PM EST


    Parent
    whats that in the sky (none / 0) (#75)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:10:44 PM EST
    its a bird its a plane
    no, its TRUMP MAN

    Parent
    if some of the more (5.00 / 2) (#79)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:15:29 PM EST
    legitimate/serious GOP candidates decide to wait it out for 2016, this could be one of the funner primaries in recent history.

    Between Palin who can't open her mouth without sticking her foot in it, Huckabee who is just a hokey whack-job, the Trumpmeister who wants to swindle our enemies into bankruptcy, Newt "politics make me horny" Gingrich, and now Bachmann with her "shot heard round the world" getting in on some of that presidential action, there should be some serious comedic gold out there.

    Parent

    indeed (5.00 / 0) (#82)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:17:41 PM EST
    we may need more popcorn

    Parent
    Yeah (none / 0) (#84)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:20:55 PM EST
    the primaries are probably going to be interesting but I don't think Newt is going to run nor Palin or Bachmann. Even Huckabee is questionable I understand simply because he has fundraising issues.

    Parent
    you may be right about Huck (none / 0) (#85)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:22:04 PM EST
    the others are in. IMO. see the Bachman comment below.

    Parent
    Ha! (none / 0) (#158)
    by Madeline on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:38:05 PM EST
    just wait until one of them wins.  I do not discount any of them...been there done that...in 2004.

    Parent
    and dont forget (none / 0) (#76)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:11:45 PM EST
    Michelle Bachman.  who is official now

    Parent
    Well (none / 0) (#87)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:24:39 PM EST
    she's just forming a committee. I'm willing to bet that she finds she can't raise enough money. I mean she, Palin and Huck are competing for the same pool of voters. Trump can self fund and from what I hear the big money people are behind Romney.

    Parent
    Bachman will find the money. (5.00 / 1) (#88)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:26:49 PM EST
    I LOVE that she was in an early primary state bragging about homeschooling her kids in the last few days.

    I mean, seriously.

    Parent

    Romney has the same problem he (none / 0) (#90)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:27:05 PM EST
    had last time. Wrong brand of Christian. They can say it is about Romneycare, but it's not. It is a conundrum he has - he could only get elected in a relatively liberal, non-Christian Coalition state....and now he wants to lead a party whose nominating process is dominated by the Christian Coalition types. Not gonna happen.

    I think the nominee will be none of the above, but I don't know who...a man called Petraueus?...T-Paw will be VP nominee.

    Parent

    I've said it before (5.00 / 1) (#98)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:35:51 PM EST
    If the econony is bad, and the Republicans smell blood in the water and it looks like Romney could beat Obama (he certainly is the only one who could credibly hold his own in a debate), the only people who will play up the Mormonism will be the Democrats.

    Problems with the Mormonism are so 2008.

    Parent

    ya (none / 0) (#101)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:37:36 PM EST
    after 4 years of Muslim socialist a mormon may not look that bad.

    Parent
    LOL. Probably true. (5.00 / 1) (#119)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:16:45 PM EST
    I am soooo 2007.

    Parent
    Exactly (none / 0) (#104)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:42:55 PM EST
    He's white.

    Parent
    hahaha (none / 0) (#107)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:44:42 PM EST
    I was about to write this exact same comment.

    Parent
    It's just a a matter (none / 0) (#108)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:46:32 PM EST
    restoring the universe to it's proper order - white 60+ man in the WH - like it should be, right?

    Parent
    heck (none / 0) (#111)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:52:55 PM EST
    he is almost translucent

    Parent
    Hmmm, you must be right (none / 0) (#122)
    by ruffian on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:28:21 PM EST
    christian winger group American Family Association says the Frist Amendment was not written to apply to Islam. It is only to protect Christianity.

    Actually, since it was pre-Mormonism, I guess it does not protect them either.

    Parent

    come on (none / 0) (#123)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:30:50 PM EST
    the let jews and catholics in.  

    Parent
    really? (none / 0) (#93)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:31:17 PM EST
    I think in the face of a "scary-secret-Muslim-illegal-immigrant-socialist-fascist-hitlerwannabee" Mitt Romney's brand of Christian will be just fine.

    I think he is polling ok now, but once every other person running for candidate starts making hay out of Romneycare things might go south.

    Then again, he's always been good at flip-flopping.  He really is a republican Kerry.

    Parent

    Your first (none / 0) (#97)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:34:57 PM EST
    sentence says a lot. That's pretty much the mindset of the GOP.

    I'm still left wondering how much Romneycare is going to be a factor.

    Parent

    he's still a Mormon (none / 0) (#102)
    by jondee on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:39:11 PM EST
    isn't he?

    Isn't that considered a demonic religion by a lot of the Republican base?

    Parent

    demonic religion (none / 0) (#103)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:42:39 PM EST
    is a relative thing.  relative to the "alternative" I mean.

    Parent
    I agree its likely (none / 0) (#94)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:31:41 PM EST
    to be someone not being discussed

    Parent
    Don't bet on it (none / 0) (#95)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:33:30 PM EST
    These voters are like lemmings. If they are told by the leaders to come out and vote for Romney they will. Baa...baaa...baaa.

    Just from personal experience, people who thought his religion was a big thing in 2008 no longer seem concerned. They are all about getting rid of Obama and if Romney is the one they have to vote for, they will.

    The evangelical vote is so splintered right now that I don't think any one candidate has a monopoly on it.

    Parent

    you could be right (none / 0) (#99)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:36:22 PM EST
    they do usually end up nominating the next in line.  I never ever thought they would nominate McCain but that happened.

    after such a colorful primary Romney would seem like watching the Wizard of Oz in reverse.  with the black and white part last.

    Parent

    They're baaaacck! (none / 0) (#110)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:52:11 PM EST
    The Westboro Church will picket Elizabeth Taylor's funeral.

    she would love that (none / 0) (#112)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:53:20 PM EST
    I think.  probably be offended if they did not.

    Parent
    I love the suggestion (5.00 / 5) (#113)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 03:55:06 PM EST
    To let'em protest, and then make a donation to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.  

    Do it in their name so they get a big thank you card.

    Parent

    we are doomed as a species (none / 0) (#120)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:21:39 PM EST
    part 12,347

    Ready or not, swimsuit season is here
    This year's crop of swimsuits includes an interesting offering for young girls: padded bikini tops.

    Yes, Abercrombie Kids seems to think your 8-year-old's chest is too flat.
    Any parents that buy (5.00 / 1) (#125)
    by Zorba on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:33:13 PM EST
    these for their young daughters need to have their heads examined.

    Parent
    if there was not a market (5.00 / 1) (#131)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:46:32 PM EST
    there would not be a product

    Parent
    And they should all (5.00 / 1) (#143)
    by Zorba on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:13:34 PM EST
    have their heads examined.

    Parent
    part 12,348 (none / 0) (#121)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:24:14 PM EST
    In The Sun, beautician Kerry Campbell claims that she regularly injects botox and fillers into her 8-year-old daughter's face. Apparently, she thinks this is a one-way ticket to fame and fortune. She explains:

       "What I am doing for Britney now will help her become a star ... I know one day she will be a model, actress or singer, and having these treatments now will ensure she stays looking younger and baby-faced for longer ... All I want is for Britney to have the best start in life, so it is easier for her to become a superstar. More mothers should do it for their daughters."

    "She also has her virgin wax monthly, which gets rid of her fluffy leg hair and makes sure she wont develop pubic hair in the future. It will save her a fortune in waxing when she's older."

    via stinque

    Parent

    Okay, this is (5.00 / 2) (#126)
    by Zorba on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:36:58 PM EST
    child abuse.  Injecting botox and fillers into a young child?  (Well, at least she won't have to buy her daughter the Abercrombie & Fitch padded bikini top- she can just inject the girl's chest with some of those fillers.  [Of course I'm being sarcastic, and maybe I shouldn't give this lunatic any ideas- she might just do it.])

    Parent
    Definite child abuse... (none / 0) (#141)
    by kdog on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:04:22 PM EST
    jesus h. christ that's bad.

    This is kosher but god forbid ya have some pot in the house they'll threaten to take your kids away.

    What a country.

    Parent

    Okay, I'm hopelessly out of touch. I admit (none / 0) (#133)
    by caseyOR on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:47:09 PM EST
    it. So, please, someone tell me, when was it decided that women should not have pubic hair? And why?

    Parent
    I never could (none / 0) (#145)
    by Zorba on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:18:42 PM EST
    figure this one out.  I guess women who wear tiny bikinis don't want to have any pubic hair showing.  (My response would be: then don't wear tiny bikinis!) Other than that, I don't know.

    Parent
    honestly? (none / 0) (#148)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:19:59 PM EST
    its porn sensibility going main stream.  thats all it is.

    Parent
    Seriously? So, according to p0rn producers (5.00 / 0) (#164)
    by caseyOR on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:52:11 PM EST
    men desire sex with young girls? Hence, no pubic hair? And, then, what, women, minus the hair, are used in p0rn only because using actual girls is illegal?

    I swear to god, one of the worst things about the internet is the easy access to p0rn. It has surely screwed up the sexual sensibilities of an entire generation. I am not railing against p0rn, per se, but if what young people are getting from it is that women are only sexually attractive if they mimic young girls, well, that is wrong in so many ways.

    Parent

    that and (none / 0) (#165)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:55:42 PM EST
    haute couture are equally responsible.  IMO.


    Parent
    sorry (none / 0) (#166)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:56:12 PM EST
    I always forget to code that word

    Parent
    I found out recently that it is (none / 0) (#159)
    by vml68 on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:38:23 PM EST
    fairly common in the teen to early thirties crowd. The brazilian wax is pretty mainsream now.

    Parent
    I would only caution (none / 0) (#167)
    by CST on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 06:24:50 PM EST
    that while it is mainstream, it is by no means a majority.  I think a recent poll had it somewhere around 9% of women 18-40.  So while that is higher than it use to be, and 1 in 10 is not entirely fringe, it's not like everyone under 30 is going out and getting one.

    I think this might be a case of the "beltway" only in fashion reporting.  As in, just because everyone in DC thinks making $200,000 a year is normal, doesn't mean it is.  Likewise, just because everyone on e-news is doing this, doesn't mean the rest of America is too.  Obviously plenty of people are, just not everyone, and by no means the majority.

    Parent

    I just rad this out loud to my co-workers (none / 0) (#135)
    by jbindc on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 04:48:43 PM EST
    and their reaction was all the same.

    "OH.MY.GOD!"

    Parent

    is official. men are obsolete (none / 0) (#142)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:10:57 PM EST
    although I love the "deeply in denial" headline:

    Hope for infertile men as scientists grow test-tube sperm capable of fertilising eggs

    also (none / 0) (#162)
    by Capt Howdy on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 05:44:47 PM EST
    I really want to know more about this:

    In a world first, they took just a just a sliver of tissue and coaxed it into producing sperm capable of fertilise eggs.

    I see some lab rat standing over a petri dish saying, are you close?  are you close?

    Parent

    Alec Baldwin! (none / 0) (#180)
    by NYShooter on Thu Mar 24, 2011 at 08:39:40 PM EST
    Don't laugh; he's tremendously committed to liberal causes, and really, really ticked off at where the dems have gone.

    Plus, he's very smart, good looking, and we all know how america loves its stars.

    Thursday Morning Open Thread | 194 comments (194 topical)

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