Shinseki will head VA

I heartily concur with this choice! Here's Gen. Shinseki's wikistory.

Run, Tweety, Run!

P.M.Carpenter

Nothing has created so much breathless Internet stir since W. choked on a pretzel.

You recognized instantly, of course, that the "nothing" of which I just wrote is the nothing of Chris Matthews' possible -- probable -- run for the U.S. Senate, circa if not precisely 2010.

Plus, Arlen Specter isn't exactly the Huey Long of the Republican Party. He's about as boringly moderate as boring moderate can get, which is the only reason his extended tenure is endangered to begin with. Only the consecrated Whackos from the reddest hues of Whackoism are ever truly safe.

Eliminating Arlen only means eliminating the lingering vestiges of sanity in the GOP.

On the other hand, a Matthews run would irritate the bejesus out of the PUMA people -- and who can honestly say that that wouldn't be one helluva lot of splendid fun? I miss them, I miss them already, and I miss them deeply. They never write me anymore and I fear they're depressed. Matthews would give them something to live for, something to hang their hat-full of organized but homeless psychosis on.

So sure, that right there is reason enough, I suppose, for me to proudly don a "Matthews for Senate" button and then, maybe, when I'm feeling bulletproof, breeze by a few Women's Studies departments just to draw some amusing fire. It would seem like old times.

Please go read the rest.

Personally, I think Matthews has better sense than to run for the Senate. First, his entire body of work is on tape, some of which is the stupidest shit ever recorded, and a clever editor could cut inumerable 30-second ads that would tear him a new one and have us all either rolling on the floor laughing or throwing things at our TV sets. Second, he may not want to take the cut in pay.

We will see.

Remember

Saturday Crazy Biker Boyz Rock 'n Roll Blogging

You might think this is a wee departure from my usual musical offerings. Let's just say I can relate to the subject matter. Hey, I wuz young once too, ya know...

"Black Leather Jacket" Rocking Scoundrels

Thanks to zooneyman.

Fortune Teller

This is dedicated to anyone who thinks they know how the Obama administration is going to turn out. Heh. So far, all my attempts to find out exactly what date and time to show up at the Race & Sports Book with my life savings have come to naught...

Robert Plant & Alison Krause

To hear Mr. Plant and Ms. Krause shift gears a little, go hear 'Your Long Journey' and see a nice slide show.

Whiskey ain't just fer breakfast any more

In honor of yesterday being the 75th Anniversary of the repeal of Prohibition (see post below) I thought I'd kick off the weekend with a nice version of an old Irish (figures!) fiddle tune. Some pretty good pickin'. Enjoy.

Brad Davis,Robert Bowlin,and Wil Maring doing a fine job on this Irish classic.

"Whiskey Before Breakfast"

This tune is usually done as an instrumental, but here are the lyrics from Triskelle, whose masthead reads 'You are now entering Free Derry':

Early one day the sun wouldn't shine
I was walking down the street not feeling too fine
I saw two old men with a bottle between 'em
And this was the song that I heard them singing

Lord preserve us and protect us,
We've been drinking whiskey 'fore breakfast

Well I stopped by the steps where they was sitting
And I couldn't believe how drunk they were getting
I said "old men, have you been drinking long?"
They said "just long enough to be singing this song"

Lord preserve us and protect us,
We've been drinking whiskey 'fore breakfast

Well they passed me the bottle and I took a little sip
And it felt so good I just couldn't quit
I drank some more and next thing I knew
There were three of us sitting there singing this tune

Lord preserve us and protect us,
We've been drinking whiskey 'fore breakfast

One by one everybody in the town
They heard our ruckus and they all came down
And pretty soon all the streets were ringing
With the sound of the whole town laughing and singing

I don't recommend drinking on an empty stomach, but I damn sure do recommend doing anything you can to give the anti-fun people fits, as I'm sure the last verse did!

Update:

I was clicking through the thumbnails after the video and found this short version of the tune by Broadwaybabe923. This 13-year-old young lady is pretty amazing!

NUMMI*, and a few words from Nummy...

*Sounds like 'roomy', not 'dummy'.

Following up on Fixer's post about the pending Big 3 bailout, I thought I'd whup out a little about the factory that made my pickup, of which a photo appears on the masthead of NUMMI's site.

Wiki, many links as is their wont.

New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. is an automobile manufacturing plant in Fremont, California. The factory was an old General Motors plant originally opened in 1962 and is now a joint venture between GM and Toyota. When it reopened for production in 1984, it was the first automotive joint venture plant in the United States. GM saw this joint venture as an opportunity to learn about the ideas of lean manufacturing from the Japanese company, while Toyota gained its first manufacturing base in North America and a chance to implement its production system in an American labor environment. Many business textbooks mention NUMMI when they discuss joint ventures.

NUMMI is now an award-winning facility which ranks with other Toyota plants among the most productive manufacturing operations in North America. GM places around 12 managers each year at the plant to learn lean techniques and has improved quality enough across the rest of its operations for it to show through on J.D. Power quality rankings. While the plant has been successful in adopting Lean, other GM plants have seen benefits. GM's Oshawa, Ontario plant received the 2006 JD Power Gold Plant Quality Award, the third time in the last five years.

From Toyota:

As the pioneering joint venture of General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motor Corporation, NUMMI was established in Fremont, California in 1984. NUMMI helped change the automobile industry in the United States by introducing the Toyota Production System and a teamwork-based working environment. The company's core values are based on five cornerstones: teamwork, equity, involvement, mutual trust and respect, and safety.
...

Current Investment: $883.1 million

Employment: 5,333

This approach seems to be working, if the number of their products that I see on the road is any indicator. Toyota Tacomas and Corollas, that is. The less said about Pontiac Vibes the better, I think.

A word about build quality and reliability from the driver's seat of a Fremont-built Tacoma: In 3½ years and 35,000 miles, there have been exactly three problems with this vehicle.

The little plastic dashpot that keeps the glove compartment lid from slamming open fell off. It's been put back in place by me and by the Service Manager at Carson City Toyota. It always falls right back off. The problem is a little molded-in plastic split pin that's just ever so slightly bent. The solution is to either replace the dashboard, which is out of the question, heat the pin and spread it a little without melting the entire dashboard, bend it cold and risk breaking it off thus ensuring it can never be fixed, or to cram something like a small wedge in the end of the thing after the dashpot is installed. If I ever think I have enough time to mess around like this, I'll go fishing instead. Since Mrs. G's knees do an adequate job of stopping the lid before it tears itself off its little hinges, and since it's a royal pain in the ass to get my big fat fingers in the tiny little place it resides, and since I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I had a vehicle with nothing wrong with it, I am happy to let this inconsequential problem slide.

At about 30K miles, a rear axle seal started leaking, which was noticed by my buds at The Auto & Tire Doctor, who advised me that it was a warranteeable repair. Note: this is one of the best reasons to get your rig serviced regularly by a shop you trust. The Toyota dealer at first said the warranty had expired by one day, even though I had informed them of the problem and made an appointment before the 3 years was up. They self-corrected on this and said oops! when they remembered that the drive train on the products sold out of the showroom forty feet away had a 60,000 mile warranty anyway. They replaced the seal and the brake shoes on that wheel at no cost to me. Happy I are.

The third, and most visible, problem was the right rear plastic mud flap catastrophically partially dismantled itself last weekend. It tore itself almost in two and fell down on the hot exhaust pipe, which put a big melty-lookin' spot on it. Naturally, I called the dealer to see about getting a new one. He had 'em in stock, but at $95 a copy, the damn thing is about three feet behind me at present, awaiting the old Gorilla Glue and ty-wrap treatment. The hardest part so far has been to find push fasteners to reattach it to the truck without another fiscal shock from the dealer. I scored some at an auto parts store that are supposed to fit GM products that look like they'll work. In case the glue and cable tie method doesn't work, the same store has very nice do-it-yourself rubber-like mud flaps for $24.99 the pair. I always liked the reclining nekkid girl with one knee up anyway. Just kiddin', dear. Or there's Pick-n-Pull (1-800-442-JUNK). Heh.

I would say I've had no trouble at all with this truck from NUMMI, and am very happy with it. I consider that I got good value for money. What else is there when it comes to a vehicle?

When it comes to the bailout, I'm torn. On the one hand, given the awful management and shortsightedness that has gotten them to where they are, not to mention the behind-the-times nature of some of their products, and that it didn't come as a surprise but has been heading that way for years, I would have to say that the market should prevail and they be allowed to go down the shitter.

On the other hand, being the sentimental old fool that I am, I kinda got a soft spot in my head for these old American makes. I remember back when they were the good cars. From a flathead six Chrysler in '61, a hand-me-down '50 that my Dad bought new, through a succession of other cars and Chevy and Dodge trucks, a coupla which I still have, they were rugged and dependable. They sorta turned ta shit a few years back, so I went with that other American make, Toyota. I'd hate to see 'em go.

Note: I even had a Ford once while I was in the service. I was desperate for wheels in those days! A '52 four-door sedan, it was painted flat black with a white roof. I called it 'the horny nun'. Used more oil than gas, which wasn't much of a problem as you could get 'reclaimed' oil, AKA 'crankcase squeezins', for 6¢ a quart in those days. I was probably the tenth Marine to own the thing and probably also the tenth Marine to pay fifty bucks for it too. It was better than walkin'. The Marine I sold it to was gonna take it back home to Tennessee and give it to his Dad to haul field hands to the tobacco fields. Picture on request. No concours contender, that one!

If, and it's a big 'if' given their history, the Big 3 can make changes worthy of loaning them our money, then OK, give it to 'em with conditions and oversight that work. Better still, Michael Moore has said that since the entire value of GM stock is only about $3bn, we should just buy it outright rather than give 'em $34bn or whatever it's up to today. Sell the sonofabitch to Toyota or Hyundai or Fiat or somebody that can make it work again and keep Americans employed.

Boy, looking back at this before I post it reminds me of another fine old American car: Rambler.

75th Anniversary Of Legal Hootch

EssEffChron

Trucks loaded with cartons of Tipo Chianti drive to San Francisco's Civic Center after Prohibition ends. Today, the city plans to mark the 75th anniversary of the repeal of the liquor law that made drinkers of nearly everyone.

The repeal of Prohibition was the end of an infamous era in the United States, when the whole nation seemed to turn its back on the law. When booze became illegal, gangsters took over the booze business, and it became fashionable to break the law. Although President Herbert Hoover famously observed that Prohibition was "an experiment noble in purpose," prohibiting liquor made drinkers of nearly everyone.

"It didn't work," said Robert Chandler, an author and a historian for Wells Fargo Bank. "You can't legislate morality" (my em). Although San Francisco didn't have the reputation that places such as Chicago had for breaking the law, the Volstead Act, which enabled the 18th Amendment establishing Prohibition, was widely ignored in Northern California.

"San Francisco always was in favor of, shall we say, 'pleasant living,' " Chandler said.

Aren't we all?

The 'Prohibition' called the 'War On Some Drugs' needs to be repealed for exactly the same reason: a Puritanical way of turning citizens into criminals that has failed at horrendous expense, both societally and monetarily. On the other hand, if all you want to do is lock up minority people as a way to keep them down because you can no longer enslave them or keep them in their 'place' with Jim Crow laws, it has succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. It has been of great benefit to the prison industry. It's the American Way.

Oh noes!!!!!!1

Unfortunately, I get home early enough in the afternoons (1 pm) to be able to hear all the drivel on CNN before Wolfie comes on (Kyra Phillips - Good god, Rick Sanchez - you must be kidding me). Yesterday, I was treated to auto execs groveling before Congress, agreeing to everything the Banking Committee suggested (pathetic, really). Woulda been nice if the folks at Ford were so accommodating when I worked for 'em or I might still be there but I digress.

The thing that struck me, throughout everything, were the statements that the loss of the American auto industry would result in another Great Depression. Horseshit.

As you know, we here in the Fixer household are close to the auto industry. For those who don't know, I've been a mechanic and engine builder for the better part of my life and most of the Japanese automakers are Mrs. F's clients.

All afternoon yesterday, I had to hear how a loss of one, or more, of the Big Three will result in so many follow-on job losses. They extrapolate out how many suppliers will be affected, how many dealerships, all that stuff. I just answer that with one question. Okay, maybe more than one.

Don't you think the Japenese (Honda, Nissan, Toyota) all have contingency plans to expand to fill the void left by the loss of GM (I use GM because they're the closest to the precipice) or any of the others? Don't you think all of them want a piece of that 11-million unit market share? Don't you think they have a detailed plan to hire a good portion of the trained line workers and maybe take over some of the old assembly plants (if they don't expand their existing lines here)? If they want to sell more cars in America, they're gonna have to build 'em here.

Shit doesn't happen in a vacuum and in a free market like the U.S., (did you hear the auto execs whining about not having trade protection from the government?), there is always someone waiting in the wings to step up. If the Japanese, and probably the Germans and Koreans too, aren't planning to take advantage of the situation they'd be goddamn stupid. There maybe a few upstarts we haven't heard about waiting for their chance as well.

It's time we stop rewarding bad management and greed. The CEOs of Chrysler, Ford, and GM were willing to agree to anything yesterday, I would too for that chunk of change, especially if my existence is threatened, but there is ample evidence agreements will go out the window once they get the loot:

...

2:29: Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., asks what the automakers have done for Congress lately in terms of fuel efficiency and responsible spending. Then he addresses questions to Moody’s economist Mark Zandi. Zandi says the federal government should provide aid. He also estimates it will cost $75 billion to $125 billion of taxpayer money from TARP and other federal funds just to keep them out of bankruptcy for the next two years. He doubts the Big Three will "stick to the script" of a bailout and need to be watched, constantly. [my ems]

...

Back close to 30 years ago when Lee Iacocca came to Washington with his hand out, he was given a list of conditions he had to satisfy before he got dollar one. It took him 6 months* and when he came back he got what he was asking for. Chrysler, Ford, and GM shouldn't get a dime until they prove they'll "stick to the script" before they get a dime of public money.

Congress fucked up big time with the Wall St. bailout. I hope they don't turn around and throw money at another bunch who are too stupid, or too willingly ignorant, to read the writing on the wall.

*And yes, I realize GM doesn't have 6 months but tough shit.

Update:

And just to be clear. I'm not saying the Big Three shouldn't be bailed out. I'm just saying we should make sure it's done right, that there are serious conditions, and that it shouldn't be done immediately just to stave off GM's impending doom.

Twenty bucks?

Ain't worth it.

Pic stolen from Chris.

Odetta, 1930-2008

Another good one is gone.

LATimes

Odetta, the classically trained folk, blues and gospel singer who used her powerfully rich and dusky voice to champion African American music and civil rights issues for more than half a century starting in the folk revival of the 1950s, has died. She was 77.

Please go read about her.

Odetta - Cotton Fields

Goin' Gonzo

Here's something for all you Hunter S. Thompson fans. Of whom I am one also me too.

LATimes

The new Hunter S. Thompson CD set

How did Hunter S. Thompson capture the manic, drug-fueled energy of his reportorial pursuits? He was a mad genius, but he had help: He carried a tape recorder. Shout Factory has just released "The Gonzo Tapes: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson," a five-CD set that begins with his Hells Angels work in 1965 and ends in Saigon in 1975.

Music is a constant presence: The Carpenters are on the radio in the background in Vegas, the Hells Angels listen to Joan Baez. The tapes themselves have only mediocre sound quality -- some people are too far from the mike, the sound of traffic intrudes, parts are muffled, and sometimes the recording stops mid-sentence. Then again, listening to these CDs is like sitting in a room with Thompson, with the soundtrack of popular music and the motion and the chaos. You can even hear the ice in his glass. They provide a ringside seat to witness the glory -- and the destruction -- of the great gonzo writer.

I just know you'll go read what's in between those two quotes without any prompting from moi.

Obama calls on Fox News at press conference

Raw Story

Breaking a streak of snubs, President-elect Barack Obama, at a Wednesday press conference with New Mexico Governor and Commerce Secretary designee Bill Richardson, took a question from a Fox News correspondent.

Obama, who ignored Fox News five consecutive times at previous press conferences, answered a question from the network's Wendell Goler.

Goler asked Obama if he was fearful over the prospect of Treasury Sec. Paulson allocating all TARP bailout funds before he takes office. "And if I may also ask the Governor: What happened to the beard, sir?"

"I'm going to answer this question about the beard," Obama responded. "I think it was a mistake for him to get rid of it. I thought that whole Western, rugged look was really working for him. For some reason, maybe because it was scratchy when he kissed his wife, he was forced to get rid of it--but we're deeply disappointed with the loss of the beard.

Yeah, I miss Bill's womb broom too.

As to the Paulson/TARP question, Obama gave the answer he needed to, which didn't enlighten anybody. Just like F** News.

Mr. Bush, Here's Something You May Not Understand About The Millions Who'll Attend Obama's Inauguration

Tony Peyser

Many simply want to see Barack do something
Many thought no Black would ever be achieving
But after two terms of corruption, they also need
To be damn sure that you're actually leaving.

U.S. Supreme Court: State Medical Marijuana Laws Not Preempted by Federal Law

Americans For Safe Access

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to review a landmark decision today in which California state courts found that its medical marijuana law was not preempted by federal law. The state appellate court decision from November 28, 2007, ruled that "it is not the job of the local police to enforce the federal drug laws." The case, involving Felix Kha, a medical marijuana patient from Garden Grove, was the result of a wrongful seizure of medical marijuana by local police in June 2005. Medical marijuana advocates hailed today's decision as a huge victory in clarifying law enforcement's obligation to uphold state law. Advocates assert that better adherence to state medical marijuana laws by local police will result in fewer needless arrests and seizures. In turn, this will allow for better implementation of medical marijuana laws not only in California, but in all states that have adopted such laws.

"It's now settled that state law enforcement officers cannot arrest medical marijuana patients or seize their medicine simply because they prefer the contrary federal law," said Joe Elford, Chief Counsel with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the medical marijuana advocacy organization that represented the defendant Felix Kha in a case that the City of Garden Grove appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. "Perhaps, in the future local government will think twice about expending significant time and resources to defy a law that is overwhelmingly supported by the people of our state."

A step in the right direction. Now local LEOs should work to interdict Feds who come into town to arrest yer granny and swipe her stash. I suggest arresting them on domestic terrorism charges.

Quote of the Day

Mr. Philadelphia via Avedon:

Do Brookings and CFR exist to provide employment for the stupidest of our citizens?

Yes.

Off to work.

Stealin' ...

From POP because she hits it on the head. Jeez, Barry won't be in office for another month and a half. Let's see what he does when The Force is with him:

...

I am completely tired of reading and hearing that the "change" hasn’t come, that this person or that person is a bad choice. I just refuse to get involved in all that. I am determined to take that page from Obama’s book and try my level best to let it be my guide when I am tempted to wander off the beaten path and try to fight all the fights. My change has already arrived and now, like our future president, I am going to try and pick my battles instead of allowing them to pick at me.

...

Like I said over there, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until he actually gets the chance to do something. I'd say he's done a lot more as President-elect to help people through this financial crisis than the sitting President. Talk to me a year from now and then we'll discuss what kind of change he's bringing.

Heh ...

Honest Christmas gifts.



More here.

Thanks to Maru for the link.

Prop 8 The Musical

Update:

Mormon Homophobia: Up Close And Personal

CA-04 Update

Got home to an e-mail from Charlie Brown. He considers the vote count to be fair and accurate and has conceded to McCarpetbagger.

From CA SecState as of 11/26, although it only became official last night and I think the actual difference was less than .5%:

Charlie Brown (Dem) 182,967 49.7%
Tom McClintock (Rep) 184,543 50.3%

Damn, that was close! Try again in '10, Charlie.