Letters to the Editor
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George can sure pick 'em
Fired former U.S.A. for New Mexico David Iglesias, Fall 2007: "It appears to me that he (Mukasey) gets it, He understands the necessity for having an independent attorney general and an independent Department of Justice." Iglesias added that he liked "the fact that he's a former federal prosecutor. He understands that you have to build an absolute firewall from politics."
Glenn Greenwald, Sept 16, 2007: "Mukasey is very smart and independent, not part of the Bush political circle, and -- at least compared to the array of nightmarish alternatives -- it is hard to see him becoming a subservient tool of the White House."
GlennNYC, page 4 of comments to this post: "During the Mukasey confirmation fight, you probably saw comments on various blogs from the occasional lawyer here in NY who had practiced before Mukasey and defended him as conservative, but fair and independent. I admit to having said this a few times."
Mukasay seemed to many knowledgeable people to be a rational, somewhat principled (in the context of his conservative ideology) person. But of course, given the opportunity break whatever law and principles he ostensible held dear as a judge and prosecutor, he has done so. I have no idea how George spots his fellow authortarians -- those who will swear fealty to him and discard all principles except service to their master. Do they walk around with the human equivalent of having their tail betwen their legs and most of us just can't see it? What are the interviews like? Did George frankly ask a potential Attorney General to disregard all of the laws and principles of government he has been practicing his whole life? George's greatest talent may be spotting people who will do his bidding without question -- or is it just that most of these right wingers are closet sociopaths and George just can't miss?
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@ ALL
Please accept my humble apologies for the several times I posted today, said posts being off topic and occasionally titilating.
I'll do better tomorrow when I thaw.
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Mona, I believe the answer to the FISA question has to do with where the "target" of the surveilance is located, not whether they may be calling into the US. If a US citizen happens to be picked up in this surveilance of an overseas target, the information gained on that person must be whatchamacalled (deleted). If it turns out that the subject in the US is being a bad boy, that would warrant (pardon the pun) a warrant which would permit surveiling the person in the US.
I'm probably wrong though since I neither went to law school or stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.
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In my opinion....
If a Afghanistan peasant lives in an adobe home with a family and several young children,
and there are flower Iris's aglow in the back yard herb plot with light blue exterior blossom, Yup, plus,
and a inner grey-yellow colored aura with pollen is within the flower, then, The United States Military need Not bomb! Right? No.
P.S. First, take every emergency precaution. They may not have a telephone. Call the local agrarian neighbors, and ask if a infant baby exhales gentle breaths in a wooden rocking heirloom cradle.
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Just for the record Aych
Aycharaych: Conan Doyle was absolutely right in "The Purloined Letter", the very best way to hide something is right out in plain sight.
"The Purloined Letter" was written by Edgar Allan Poe, not Conan Doyle.
That's the problem with being self-educated — there's no one to tell you when you've got it wrong. Of course, regardless of who published it, the point remains valid: the best place to hide something is in plain sight.
But I'm not trying to pick on you. I just hate to see facts abused — even in a good cause.
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That's the problem with being self-educated ...
"— there's no one to tell you when you've got it wrong. Of course, regardless of who published it, the point remains valid: the best place to hide something is in plain sight."
It is not just being self-educated. I find as I age that I remember the important bits such as the message in the book as outlined by both of you; yet I am starting to forget the authors or other parts I used to know by heart. Hell, last week at lunch I even forgot Nixon's first VP's name even though I knew the whole story of why he resigned. A friend tossed in the name in mid-sentence and I kept going on to the point.
Ah, hell ... what were we talking about?
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formal schooling
A school teacher wrote a note home to Abdul's mother: "Dear Mrs. Nasrudin, your son, Abdul, is a smart boy, but he spends all of his time with the girls. I am trying to break him of this habit."
The teacher received this reply: "I wish you success. Please let me know how you do it. I have been trying for years to break his father of the same habit."
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I wasn't trying ...
... to reawaken the previous discussion on the merits of formal versus informal education. It's hardly a new observation. In fact, as far as I'm concerned the final word on it was said two and a half centuries ago:
"I presumed," cries the ensign, "only upon the information of your great learning."—"Oh! sir," answered Jones, "it is as possible for a man to know something without having been at school, as it is to have been at school and to know nothing."
— Henry Fielding, Tom Jones (1749) Book VII, Chapter XII -
Spiro. Theo. a mocker of Theos?
Spiro T. Anew was a hater of rational discussion. Hewas a real estate tycoon from Maryland.
He'd go to Ocean City on the clock and wear a sleeveless tie-die tank top and his flip-flops.
If a conversation about ancient Theos arose, Spiro Theadore mocked the old ornithologist.
Spiro called peaceful people, 'Uranus' folk. People get tired a politics and wisecrackers too.
okay.
cranky.
left winger?
right winger?
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"The Purloined Letter" was written by Edgar Allan Poe, not Conan Doyle.
You're right, I read all of both authors before I was sixteen and got the stories confused.
It has been over forty years so perhaps you might cut me a little slack.
I'm glad that we have some individuals with perfect memories on this board to keep us mere mortals in line.