or was that O'Reilly??

The Simpsons

Mayor Quimby: I stand by my racial slur.

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Thank jeebus for Nevada!

At least we're not number one!

Gun Guys:

By the way, you might want to know the states that joined Nevada in the dubious achievement rankings for women murdered by men. They are, according to the Violence Policy Center: Alaska, Louisiana, New Mexico, Mississippi, Arkansas, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee, and Oklahoma.

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Don't worry about Jerry, but there are three other tropical trouble-spots.

Atlantic Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook

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It's JERRY!!!

Central Florida Hurricane Center 2007

Update - Sunday, 10:00AM EDT
Judging from observations from satellite, it appears that SubTD 10 has developed enough to be considered Tropical or Subtropical storm Jerry. Still no threat to any land.

Advisories beginning at 11 should reflect the new name.

As for the waves, here are development chances since a few asked:
Summary, a few waves to watch, nothing I would consider ominous, and nothing really has all that great a chance to develop.

Chances for Tropical Development of Disturbance in the Gulf (94L) In Next 2 days (Lounge discussion thread here )

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Oh. Vitter again?

Vitter earmarked federal money for creationist group

I could care less about the prostitutes. But this?! Whores make an honest living compared to Gitter.

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Chris Rose writes to K-Ville.

An open letter to the producers of 'K-Ville'- NOLA.com

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Another possible storm.

Central Florida Hurricane Center 2007

Of all the things in the tropics, a disturbance in the western Caribbean is the most likely to develop, but it may not be until it passes over the Yucatan peninsula and enters the southwestern Gulf. This is now being referred to as "94L".

The most likely scenario is that it crosses the Yucatan, forms into a depression in the Bay of Campeche and then begins moving more northward toward the Texas or Louisiana coastlines as potentially a sheared Tropical storm. This could change, especially if the storm stalls out in the Gulf, but that's the most likely scenario now.

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Income share of richest 10%

From Krugman's blog

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If Chris Rose likes it

| "K-Ville" captures reality of post-Katrina New Orleans too well |


it's OK by me.

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AL93207

It's in the gulf now. If it strengthens to a TS it will be Jerry.

Tropical Weather... Done Better!™

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Possible hurricane threat.

Central Florida Hurricane Center 2007

The surface low associated with 93L, which moved over central Florida last night, is now in the Gulf, and may have a chance to form over the next day or so in the gulf. The system is looking more potentially subtropical at the moment, as it moves gradually westward.

Conditions are there for some development, but as it is a rather spread out system with little to no convection around the surface low (There is around the upper level low, however). The current setup allows more for subtropical development than purely tropical. However tropical or subtropical development could sitll happen by the weekend, as the Gulf sometimes can be unpredictable intensity wise. So those in the Central and Western Gulf will want to keep track of any developments.

Hurricanes this season have developed unusually fast. It's a good idea to keep an eye on this system. The comments on this link are particularly interesting.

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AAAAAARRRRGH!

Lucy has snatched the football away again!!

Saints lose second in a row.

Watch out for a stampede for brown paper bags at the Piggly-Wiggly tomorrow.

NY Times backgounder on K-Ville

K-Ville - TV - New York Times
I realy realy hope that the series will be better than the pilot. It wasn't terrible bad, just bad bad. Silly, unbelievable, and, with an ending reminiscent of some old detective series that my parents used to watch. What was it?

Anyway, chases, gunshots, parental angst and sleazy rich people do not a series make.

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A new day in Louisiana

2theadvocate.com | News | Candidate challenged as convicted felon -- Baton Rouge, LA

One of Louisiana’s gubernatorial candidates may be booted from the race because he was convicted of a felony.

Unusual for us to get rid of felons before they become governor.


Yeah, I know, cheap shot. But if I didn't do it, someone else would have.

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The last word.

Fresh Intelligence : Radar Online : Cleaning Up Vitter's Dirty Diaper Rep Louisiana Senator David Vitter is Not Actually Into Dirty Diaper Sex

Cleaning Up Vitter's Dirty Diaper Rep

Literally. You have to read to the last word. LQTM.

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Could it be . . . . global warming?

The Daily Advertiser

To put this in development perspective, no tropical cyclone in the historical record has ever reached this intensity at a faster rate near landfall," said James Franklin of the National Hurricane Center. Humberto didn't even exist when the day began on Wednesday. It was just a little swirl in the Gulf. But by mid-morning, it had become a tropical depression; by mid-afternoon, it was a tropical storm.

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This is crazy?

AL092007mlts.gif (GIF Image, 600x500 pixels)

Apparently Humberto is borracho.

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Something Vitter this way comes . . .

Flynt Unveiling More Vitter Claims - The Huffington Post

NEW ORLEANS — A former New Orleans prostitute who says she had an affair with Sen. David Vitter has passed a lie-detector test and will provide details of the four-month relationship at a press conference Tuesday, according to Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt.

Wendy Cortez, whose real name is Wendy Ellis, says she had a sexual relationship with Vitter, R-La., in 1999, when he was a state legislator.

Copies of the results of Cortez's polygraph test, which she took at Flynt's request, will be provided to reporters at the news conference at Flynt's office in Beverly Hills, Calif., Hustler said in a news release Monday.

The best part:

"He was a very clean man," Ellis said. "He came in, took a shower, did his business and would leave."

Pass the popcorn.


PS: As usual, Your Right Hand Thief is on top of the story. So to speak.

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Will this have any effect?

2theadvocate.com: Prostitute's new claims make life more complicated for Vitter

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Analysts said the political future of U.S. Sen. David Vitter again was thrown into question Tuesday after a former New Orleans prostitute vouched in person that the senator was one of her former clients.

"It's just a continuous drip of information, allegations, contradictions that are beyond his control," said Silas Lee, a New Orleans political analyst. "The question is what's the tolerance of voters."

Wasn't there a poll a few weeks back showing that Vitterhad not been hurt by the allegations. He had something like a 60% approval rating. Maybe what people were saying about Louisiana's tolerance for "nasty, bad, naughty boys"* is true.

*Thanks to Sen. Craig for this phrase.

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Something unusual. TWO idiots in one month.

It's simply amazing that two people could be this stupid at the same time. They're using up most of the universe's stupid quota at one time. Please, won't someone ask them not to concentrate all the inanity into one month.

Ah, the Old South, complete with glue and dry ice in the rice

A Letter From New Orleans by Jim Gabour - The Digital Journalist (September 2007)

A Letter From New Orleans:

Cry "Oncle"!

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Just keep an eye on this.

Still just a tropical wave, and the forecast from the Central Florida Hurricane Center is that there is little chance for it to develop into a hurricane. It it does, it will probably be called Humberto.

Idiot of the Month

Stupid, rote conservative revisits Katrina recovery.

How many ways is this guy just perversely wrong?

Shreveport TV station: US to use clergy to "quell dissent."

KLSA Shreveport

Dr. Durell Tuberville serves as chaplain for the Shreveport Fire Department and the Caddo Sheriff's Office. Tuberville said of the clergy team's mission, "the primary thing that we say to anybody is, 'let's cooperate and get this thing over with and then we'll settle the differences once the crisis is over.'"
Such clergy response teams would walk a tight-rope during martial law between the demands of the government on the one side, versus the wishes of the public on the other. "In a lot of cases, these clergy would already be known in the neighborhoods in which they're helping to diffuse that situation," assured Sandy Davis. He serves as the director of the Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
For the clergy team, one of the biggest tools that they will have in helping calm the public down or to obey the law is the bible itself, specifically Romans 13. Dr. Tuberville elaborated, "because the government's established by the Lord, you know. And, that's what we believe in the Christian faith. That's what's stated in the scripture."

Yeah, and "render unto Caesar . . ."
This is no hysterical loon warning about the dangers of state-religious tyrany (theocracy). It's a smiling, calm firefighter/chaplain with a nice haircut, and a director of Homeland Security in S'port City.

There's great irony in this, since the government's plan for evacuating New Orleans had given responsibility to clergy for those who had no means to get out. That was a complete failure, as we all know. But I think this plan has a better chance of succeeding, especially in the South, where many clergy are right-wing, and the people easily bend the knee to authority.

Here's a commentary on the Romans 13 passage by Eric Voegelin, refugee from the Nazis and former LSU professor, who notes how Hitler made use of the passage by getting the pastors and bishops of Nazi Germany to counsel caution to their flock. Are American clergy as easily manipulated?

It should be noted that the author of Romans, Paul, was executed by Roman authorities. It cannot be possible that those were the same authorities of whom he wrote:

" Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves."

Or maybe that's not an accurate translation. Ya think?

Here's a link to a more complete commentary.

Another former Reagan aide wants Bush out.

The Raw Story | Former Reagan aide says Congress must start impeachment inquiry

A constitutional lawyer who served in Ronald Reagan's administration says President Bush's "apparently criminal" authorization of a warrantless wiretapping program is grounds for the House to begin an impeachment inquiry.

But it's too late. If these "Wise Men" had spoken sooner, maybe things would be different.
And Nancy Pelosi-- why did you take impeachment "off the table"?

Thousands are dead. Bush arrogance and our inaction.

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The Craig/Vitter Double Standard

Leahy pointed it out on one of the morning programs this morning. The scripted republican response was predictable: "Craig pleaded guilty. Vitter did not. No crime so Vitter gets to stay." (And they say we Louisianans are shifty.)

Steven Benen has a good comment on the "no crime" defense.

his may not be wisest strategy. For one thing, confronted with evidence that made use of a prostitution service, Vitter conceded immediately that he’d “sinned.” I’m not an expert in the subject, but as I understand it, paying for sex is a crime, and Vitter publicly conceded that he’d violated this law. He would have been subject to criminal charges, but the statute of limitations ran out. For the GOP, that makes the “pretty big distinction” fairly small — Craig pleaded guilty to a recent crime, Vitter acknowledged guilt of a less recent crime.

Moreover, the whole argument seems premised on strained legalisms. Remember when the president urged Republicans to hold themselves to the highest moral standard? “We must always ask ourselves not only what is legal, but what is right,” Bush said in 2001. “There is no goal of government worth accomplishing if it cannot be accomplished with integrity.”

So much for that idea.

Benen has a great memory for fine, aged hypocrisy, a rare talent in a time when there seems to be so much cheap nouveau hypocrisy.

Hey, even conservative Hilary-haters are disgusted with the sleaze on their side of the aisle.

And Ramesh Ponnuru at the "Corner" has an interesting take. "I don't think they're as worried that Vitter will be frequenting prostitutes." I wouldn't be so sure. And even if he does, he's still got Larry Flynt dangling the penis of Damocles over his head.

But the real reason for the double standard. If Craig quits a Republican governor names his replacement. If Vitter quits, Blanco names . . . who?

Two days ago this hurricane didn't even have a name.

Now it's already a category 5!!!
It is not supposed to change direction much, but it it makes a turn to the northwest, look out!

Local boy gets Blitzered.

Boustany shows he's not quite ready for prime time by letting Blitzer spank his fanny.




Big thanks to Think Progress.

The corruption lie.

But as the article points out, most of the corruption has been at the federal level.

Presidential candidate: Time to stop funding post-Katrina recovery | News for New Orleans, Louisiana | Local News | News for New Orleans, Louisiana | wwltv.com

Citing a Government Accountability Office report, Tancredo said potentially more than $1 billion in taxpayer money has been "squandered through waste, fraud and abuse."

"This whole fiasco has been a perfect storm of corruption and incompetence at all levels" Tancredo said. "It's time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station." Tancredo said he had earlier warned that Louisiana officials could not be trusted with federal money. "State and local
officials have been shirking their responsibilities and taking
advantage of taxpayers since before Day One," he said. "Throwing more
money at this debacle will do nothing but perpetuate more of the same."

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The new senator from Idaho?

Is this any better than a bathroom troll?


Meet the New Hypocrite... | TPMCafe

"Here in Idaho, we couldn’t understand how people [in Louisiana] could sit around on the kerbs waiting for the federal government to come and do something. We had a dam break in 1976, but we didn’t whine about it. We got out our backhoes and we rebuilt the roads and replanted the fields and got on with our lives. That’s the culture here. Not waiting for the federal government to bring you drinking water. In Idaho there would have been entrepreneurs selling the drinking water."

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The Nairobi Trio

Ernie Kovacs. Genius.