An automotive rock and roll cliche, or just great road music?

It seems like I spent the whole day today driving.

And I got in one of those moods where only one kind of music sounded right.

See, I always grossly overpack the music. A 15 block drive to the office takes 4 CDs. A run up to Cedar Rapids? At least ten. Weekend road trip to Wisconsin calls for a milk crate of 100.

Of course, I always play the same one or two for the whole trip, but the point is to have the wide selection AVAILABLE.

So Today I had maybe 20 CDs with me, but all I could play was Springsteen. Over and over and over.

Inspirational verse of the day #1

Blame it on the lies that killed us
Blame it on the truth that ran us down
you can blame it all on me Terry It don't matter to me now
when the breakdown hit at midnight there was nothing left to say
but I hated him
and I hated you when you went away

Now, I've never been to New Jersey. I suppose some parts of Cedar Rapids could PASS for Jersey if you look at `em just right. But anyway, that was today. Four lanes and Born To Run at top volume.

Inspirational verse # 2

In the tunnels uptown
The Rat's own dream guns him down
as shots echo down them hallways in the
night No one watches when the ambulance pulls away
Or as the girl shuts out the bedroom light

Outside the street's on fire in a real death waltz
Between flesh and what's fantasy
and the poets down here don't write nothing at all, they just stand back and let it all be
And in the quick of a knife
they reach for their moment and try to make an honest stand
but they wind up wounded, not even dead
Tonight
in
Jungleland

Both Inspirational Verses Of The Day end in gutteral Spring-screams. One of the things about great music of any kind: it doesn't hold anything back.

So walk tall, or baby don't walk at all.

Packers can give Vikings lumps of coal

"Thousands of beer-guzzling cheeseheads streaming across the border for a Christmas Eve football game at the Metrodome..."

"I'll be grouchy because I'm missing the game," said the Rev. Steven McKinley.

The Packers are 4-0 on Christmas Eve games the last 15 years.

ANC Wins Big in South African Election

It's amazing the stories that get taken for granted...

And, it appears, other things are taken for granted too:

"70 percent of voters cast ballots Wednesday, a drop from the 89 percent 1999 turnout..."

REALLY pushing your luck, Henry...

Gangster Night with Henry Hill from Goodfellas
Julia's on Broadway, Seattle WA
April 22, 7 - 10 PM

Anybody wonder how tight security will be at THAT one? Or maybe he WANTS to get whacked. Remember from the Goodfellas credits: Jimmy The Gent is up for parole this year...

Report: Kidman Richest Aussie Entertainer

Beautiful, talented, AND rich? She STILL (!) hasn't called. Somehow I have my doubts that our lifestyles would be compatible:

"What shall it be this weekend, Nicole? Take your private jet to Tahiti and go windsurfing, or walk on down to Pearson's for a malt?"

Still, there is that Enquirer headline that she is NOT in fact getting back together with Tom...

While I'm at it here's a list of My Least Favorite Redheads

Margaret Thatcher

Lizzie Borden

That really obnoxious "You ARE the weakest link" lady

Gun Groups May Not Be Bush Campaign Weapon

Strange bedfellows:

"The issues that have most alienated many gun groups from the Bush administration have little to do with firearms, but rather with the Patriot Act and other homeland security measures instituted after Sept. 11. Opposition to such laws has aligned gun-rights activists with unlikely partners, such as liberal Democrats and the ACLU. 'It's not just gun rights for us, it's the Bill of Rights,' said Angel Shamaya, executive director of KeepAndBearArms.com..."

Rare Agreement With Yepsen

"For years, economists and demographers have reported that we need more people in Iowa - over 310,000 by the end of the decade just to maintain our current economy. We need these newcomers to fill jobs, particularly ones we natives don't want to do. They'll also make Iowa a more varied and interesting place. Well, it's 2004 and we're not going to make that population goal. So most of Iowa will continue to be a colony state that exports everything from corn to kids.

One reason we'll fall short is because politicians do demagogic things to win votes - like bash gays, metal-music fans and Latinos. It's an appeal to the darker angels of our nature, and it's disgusting because it often works..."

Waffles

"Some jokers who don't like the Democratic presidential candidate are trying to make his campaign Web site, johnkerry.com, the first answer to a search of the word 'waffles' on Google, the No. 1 Internet search engine," USA Today reports.

Fighting back: My link is to a bed and breakfast that serves waffles and currently ranks #1 on Google...

Senate surprise: Democrats pulling ahead

"Democrats, who less than a year ago faced dim chances of overcoming the GOP's 51-48 majority, now lead in the polls in all seven competitive races in which head-to-head public polling has been done, a trend that would produce a gain of three Democratic seats, in Oklahoma, Colorado, and Alaska..."

Throw in Illinois, and maybe Pennsylvania if Specter loses his primary...

If Elected, I Will Be Extremely Surprised

Some of you may recognize me as the guy who runs for office a lot. In the past, I've sought seats on the school board and in the city council. Last year, I even ran for mayor. Today, I cast my hat in the ring once more. The state-senate run marks my most ambitious, and most absurd, campaign to date. Please flabbergast me with your support.

Data Churners Try to Pinpoint Voters' Politics

This is what I do, on a very small local level:

"Oh, to find that one piece of esoterica, or more realistically, that pattern of likes and dislikes, that will predict the politics of millions of voters. A belief in the wizardry of computers, in the idea that they can "know" enough about everyone in the land to predict each voter's politics, is fueling experiments, hopes, dreams and even many an expert's election-year income in this campaign season..."

Aurora Alert

"A coronal mass ejection (CME) hurled into space by a solar explosion on April 6th is heading in the general direction of Earth. Sky watchers should be alert for auroras when it arrives, probably during the early hours of April 8th UT (for North Americans, that means during the night of April 7th).

Earth is already skirting through a solar wind stream flowing from a coronal hole on the sun. Because of this, geomagnetic storms and auroras are likely, off and on, for the next few days. The best displays will be at high latitudes--e.g., Canada and Alaska. When the incoming CME arrives, auroras could descend to lower latitudes, too..."

Tom and Nicole?!?

NOOOOOOO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

She never DID call, ya know...

Cobain, 10 Years Later

I used to turn on the radio and every one in a while just get slapped in the ears with a song that made me go WOW.

It's been a long time. The last time it happened was in 1991. I's seen this blue album cover of a naked baby and didn't know what the big deal was.

Then I HEARD it.

Here we are now, entertain us.

It was impossible to make the radio go loud enough.

Suddenly the gawdawful hairmetal bands were dropping like flies, choking on their own hairspray. Suddenly something REAL was in the air.

Fifteen years too late, America has its punk rock hereo, its Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious all in one.

I was driving back from Wisconsin today, in my minivan with the I GUESS I WAS PUNK ONCE bumper sticker, playing Bleach and Nevermind.

Kurt Cobain put every bit of himself into those songs. Then when he had nothing left, when he debuted and number one and destoryes the meaning of the word "alternative," when the pain in his heart and his stomach and his soul got to be too much, he ended it.

Or so he thought.

Because when you make music that alive, even a bullet in the brain can't kill you. When you make a song as incredible as Teen Spirit, you live forever.

Dylan Appearing in Victoria's Secret Ads

Don't worry. The 62-year-old Dylan keeps his clothes on.

"What would you rather have Bob Dylan selling, ladies' underwear or cat food?"

Consult this site for a long series of punchlines...

Space Geek Report

Clear skies again tonight and I topped my previous feat by viewing the ancient astronomical perfecta all in the telescope:

Mercury rapidly disappearing into the sunset

Venus as high and bright as it ever gets, en route to the June 8 transit, passing right by the Pleiades for a couple days (got them both in the same field of view)

Mars, much much faded from the glory of last summer

Jupiter, with three Galilean moons on one side and one on the other

Saturn, with the air still enough for me to maybe make out the rings (my eyes are getting worse!)

The Moon at waxing gibbous, with really nice relief on the big craters of the southern hemisphere

Then I topped the ancients an hour later by checking out a space station pass.

The scientific evidence from these observations is that I'm a bigger space geek than I thought.

Tragic News

THE future is bleak for redheads.

Red hair, say scientists in a report by the Oxford Hair Foundation, is in retreat because a maximum of just 4% of the world's population carry the gene.

Dr. John Gray said black and brown haired people are wiping out the red hair gene.

"The way things are going red hair will either be extremely rare or extinct by the end of the century."

Well, it's not my fault, since I certainly haven't contributed any of my DNA to any redheads...

Herseth leads in poll

A big lead for the Most Attractive Woman In American Politics:

With two months remaining in the campaign for South Dakota's U.S. House seat, Democrat Stephanie Herseth has maintained a healthy lead over Republican Larry Diedrich.

Herseth leads Diedrich 53 percent to 37 percent, according to a poll of 501 likely voters conducted last weekend by Zogby International. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percent. 8 percent are undecided.

48 percent said they were unfamiliar with Diedrich, who has not run for a statewide office before. Twelve percent were unfamiliar with Herseth, who ran unsuccessfully against Republican Bill Janklow in 2002...

Clear skies at last

And I pulled off the ancient astronomical perfecta: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and the Moon all at once. Plus a short but bright Iridium satellite flare while I was at it.

Lyric of the moment

"Let's put our heads together
and start a new country up..."

OK, it's R.E.M. from 1986 but it still applies. And kids who were babies when Cuyahoga came out can vote this year.

I remember making my first and only trip to the South back in 1984 right after Reckoning came out and playing it over and over on a bus across Georgia... sort of a macrobiotic theory of music, playing artists as you passed through their geography. (I slept through Tennessee. This was before my tenure as a country DJ.)

Wal-Mart Officially Launches 88-Cent Online Music Downloads

Any guesses on whether it's clean versions only?

Oregon county bans all marriage - Mar 23, 2004

"It may seem odd," Benton County Commissioner Linda Modrell told Reuters in a telephone interview, but "we need to treat everyone in our county equally."

Clinic workers feel threatened by protester

"I advocate for the execution of abortionists because they deserve to die," Dan Holman told the court. "They're cold-blooded murderers."

This jerk is talking about friends of mine.

A Gathering of Planets

The five brightest planets are gathering in the evening sky for a rare after-dark display...

"After sunset on March 24th, look west again. Mercury will be a little higher than it was on March 22nd, and thus easier to find. Trace the same imaginary line upward past Venus and the Moon (a dazzling pair), Mars, Saturn, and behind your back, Jupiter..."

UPDATE: And of COURSE it's been cloudy all week...

Pet lover thrives in giving 75 felines a home

"They all mean something to me," said Riegel, 33, a self-employed information technology consultant.

Riegel began a computer database to track his cats, noting each creature's acquisition date, health needs and other characteristics that distinguish, say, Thumper from Squunk...

"My friends," said Riegel, "know I'm eccentric."

Wagner's Ring Cycle Returns to Met

Some people take this seriously. A lot more people are thinking "kill the wabbit, kill the wabbit."

Evening Space Station Viewing this week

Now, if the sky would only clear up...

3/18 07:15:15pm
3/19 07:46:55pm
3/20 06:42:42pm (best)

UPDATE: I caught the directly-overhead pass on Saturday the 20th. Took me longer than usual to see it rising in the west (yes, it rises in the west)

Look! Up In The Sky! It's a bird! it's a plane! It's a frog!

Nor bird nor plane nor even frog, it's the Space Station again.

3/19 07:46:54pm
3/20 06:42:42pm Again, this is the best, almost directly overhead
3/21 07:14:28pm

Howard Stern Tells Listeners to Vote Against Bush

"If you're listening to me now, the one thing I ask you to do is vote against Bush. Vote for Kerry."

Howard Stern is swapping his trademark trash talk for politics as the syndicated radio talk-show host becomes one of the Bush administration's most influential critics.

The shock jock previously supported the president and is now promoting the Democrats just as the FCC is launching a major crackdown on decency on the airwaves...

ABCNEWS.com : G.I. Seeks Conscientious Objector Status

Shaken by a gunfight in Iraq that killed innocent civilians, a 28-year-old U.S. soldier declared the invasion "an oil-driven war" and said he won't return to the Middle East and fight.

Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia, of Miami Beach, surrendered Monday at an air force base in Massachusetts, where he was ordered to report to his unit Tuesday at the North Miami Armory in suburban Miami.

How to make sure that Nader doesn't do it again

This whole article is a must read. I'm posting the whole thing so you can skip the Schindler's List ad on Salon.

This sounds a lot like what I've been saying for three-plus years now...


How to make sure that Nader doesn't do it again:
The Democrats need to take his issues seriously.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Seth Colter Walls



It's easy to forget that, up until the desperate final weeks of the 2000 campaign, Team Gore's official line about Ralph Nader was that they weren't "losing any sleep" over his candidacy. Nader wore this patronizing dig as if it were a badge of honor, even working it into his stump speech. "Slumber on, Al Gore!" he'd chant to the thousands gathered at his surprisingly vital rallies. To Naderites (full disclosure: I used to be one), the Democrats' inattention was seen as a kind of playground taunt, further evidence of an arrogant party elite that was unwilling to recognize sincere political passion within their own natural base. John Kerry, already thought by many to be aloof, cannot afford to sleep on this front. If he wants to be president, he'll need to actively defeat two candidates: Bush and Nader. To do so, he will need to engage Nader directly in September and October.

This contradicts conventional political wisdom. It's taken as gospel that the last thing a front-running or major-party candidate wants to do is legitimize a quixotic campaign by deigning to acknowledge its existence. (Gore's "not losing any sleep" approach was textbook in this regard, though it probably helped doom him to many a sleepless night after the election.) But Nader is not your average political Don Quixote: He starts out with high name recognition, a base (admittedly small, but large enough to matter), and a public persona based on an impressive record of accomplishment. It's not as though Kerry would risk alerting people to a little-known challenger if he were to name-check Nader during an interview.

Another lesson of 2000 is that the Democrats can't prevent Nader's candidacy from becoming a story by pretending it doesn't exist. This is the political equivalent of playing dumb, and it's far from clever. As long as he keeps polling at 6 percent in AP polls, Nader is going to draw attention from the press. (Other current polls have Nader drawing as little as 2 percent, but as everyone should be able to concede, 2 percent can turn a few blue states red.) He will likely end up on enough state ballots to pose a problem for Democrats. Moreover, if Kerry chooses not to engage with Nader, he gives Nader a de facto monopoly over defining what Nader's candidacy is all about.

Some will argue that Kerry should leave this work of engagement to surrogates and pundits. As a former Naderite, I can tell you this alone will not suffice. It would be disastrous for the Democrats to dispatch Howard Dean to Nader country as a stand-in for John Kerry. Whatever you make of the Naderites' political savvy, they aren't oblivious: They know who was savaging Kerry as a "handmaiden of the special interests" as recently as Jan. 31. Likewise, relying on opinion pieces from Gloria Steinem as your rebuttal to Nader's message (as was attempted in 2000) seems a little, well, feeble. Besides, what would shying away from Nader mean for the "bring it on," "I'm a fighter" bravado of Kerry's own political identity?

Another question certain to be raised is whether Naderites are persuadable voters, or simply lost causes (I happen to be evidence of the former). It might sound petty, but the best way to win Naderites' votes in 2004 is to take them seriously. In 2000, Nader and the Greens nailed a damning bill of particulars to the door of the DNC. Instead of responding to the claims, however, Democrats chose to mock the quality of the paper on which they had been printed (home-pressed hemp, perhaps). Forget whether you think Nader deserves a response from the new nominee; Naderites think he does. The good news is that Democrats have, at long last, begun to exhibit the tenacity of a true opposition party to the Republicans.

This is why Kerry should also move beyond the "spoiler" argument if and when he addresses the Nader threat. That Nader refuses to concede his candidacy's impact on the 2000 election is frustrating, as it's a settled issue among nearly everyone else. But the Democrats still need to get substantive. Those even thinking about voting for Nader this time around are clearly not interested in strategic voting -- they've decided to vote for someone who reflects their values, and a stern lecture won't convert them. There's a passionate, values-based message Kerry can deliver to Nader's base about "fixing" trade agreements and aggressively going after corporate crime. (One can also imagine Edwards doing wonders in this respect, should he be on the ticket.) But Kerry can't wait until late October to start.

Contesting Nader on the merits can take several forms, as long as the Democrats drop their prideful prohibition on speaking his name. For example, in states where Nader has a strong base of support, state Democratic parties should target some direct mail at Greens and liberal Democrats. Such a campaign could outline areas of commonality between Nader and Kerry on specific policies (reining in corporations who use overseas sleights-of-hand to avoid paying taxes, protecting the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, etc.).

What is often overlooked in the debate over whether Nader is a jerk for running is the fact that he's not at all a person you'd want to lead the executive branch (though he'd make a truly ripping senior Justice Department official). I didn't realize this myself until after 2000, in part because Gore had handcuffed himself by adhering to a strategy of disengagement. Whatever else the presidency is, it's a job fit for someone who's comfortable with authority. While it's true Nader has founded many successful organizations, his model has always been decidedly collectivist and anti-authoritarian: He would empower a group of young lawyers or citizens to realize their civic potential and then decamp to organize another group of young lawyers or citizens in a different arena. He has experience in shepherding legislation, but displays a shocking inflexibility when it comes to compromise and negotiation. As a candidate, he's more than vulnerable when it comes to national security concerns. But Kerry can't make any of these valid criticisms until he acknowledges that Nader matters.

The boldest way to engage Nader, obviously, would be to debate him once during the fall. Of course this would be risky, as the 70-year-old lawyer's greatest political strength is his rhetorical ability -- but, traditionally, if you want to vanquish a nemesis you have to make peace with the idea of a final confrontation. A widely perceived victory would pay huge dividends for Kerry. Before the debate, he could challenge Bush to participate in a truly gloves-off forum. When the leader of the free world inevitably chooses to hide behind the skirt of the Commission on Presidential Debates, Kerry would be able to attack Bush as a political coward. Then, when debating Nader, Kerry could stake out middle-ground positions, putting the lie to the Bush machine's (almost certain) "big scary liberal" approach. As long as he treated Nader respectfully, he would have a decent chance of coming out smelling like a rose in liberal as well as moderate circles. Plus, you can bet Nader would use his platform to hammer Bush something fierce.

A large percentage of Nader's righteously indignant anger is focused on process discrimination in our elections ("locked out of debates," "barriers to the ballot," etc.); Kerry would take a big arrow out of Nader's quiver just by appearing on a stage and rebutting some of his positions and agreeing with select others. And then what? If the results from 2000 (and current polls) are any guide, a slender majority of the country's voters will decide whom to vote for instead of George W. Bush. Kerry needs to win about 99 percent of that vote to become president. It's an achievable task, but it won't happen without his conceding that he has more than one opponent.

Canadian Official: Human Remains May Be in Meat

"What I know from the RCMP is we can't rule out the possibility of cross-contamination," Dr. Perry Kendall said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"I think if we could rule it out, we definitely would like to," he added.

Hey, I think I saw that one on The Sopranos once! Or was that the Ed Gein Story?

A wacky '70s comeback

"In May, the Topps Co. will re-release Wacky Packages with one eye on the nostaglia market and its other on kids brought up in the computer age. The company hopes its product can transcend time and the generation gap."

"Anyone who was 7 years old in 1973 who wasn't really square was into this stuff," said Greg Grant, a University of Pennsylvania research mathematician who runs an elaborate "Wacky Packages" Web site...

I would have been 9. My parents, who were teachers in 1973, will be aghast. Anyone my age will recall the banning of Wacky Packages in classrooms everywhere ("Gadzooka Bubble Gum: Annoy your teacher, chew bubble gum in class").

To this day there are products in the store that I can't look at without thinking of the Wacky Package like "Chock Full O'Bolts Coffee".

Kerry Veepstakes?

This is rapidly becoming the expanded short list

Senator Bob Graham (D-FL)

Congressman Dick Gephardt (D-MO)

Governor Bill Richardson (D-NM)

Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)

Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)

Senator John Edwards (D-NC)

Senator John Breaux (D-LA)

Former Senator Max Cleland (D-GA)

Governor Mark Warner (D-VA)

Governor Tom Vilsack (D-IA)

Hum. Looks kinda white and male to me. I can't complain about seeing my own governor there.

Don't underestimate the importance of the Deaniacs in the Democratic Party. Gephardt would be rubbing our noses in it.

In the grand scheme of things, though, running mates don't matter. Two words: Dan Quayle.

Godzilla Stomped Out

"Japanese studio Toho Co., which created the rubber reptile, announced Thursday that it would retire the big fella after this year's finale... Godzilla: Final Wars will feature the genetically altered dino facing off against 10 foes, new and old, on a global stage, including New York, Paris, Shanghai and Sydney!"

Divorce is now an issue for GOP

"Republican candidates in their Illinois Senate primary battle on Wednesday called on GOP contender Jack Ryan to unseal his complete 1999 divorce file from actress Jeri Ryan..."

Insert my Tom Cruise theory here.

Oddsmaker: Johnny Sack Will Get Whacked

I STILL need a friend with HBO!

We finally win one

"Vermont gave former Gov. Howard Dean a sentimental victory in his home state's Democratic presidential primary Tuesday, two weeks after he ended his once high-flying campaign for the White House..."

Meanwhile, Dennis gets in the win column in Ohio... uh, wait a minute, that's for renomination in his house district.

Cheney disses Herseth Rival

"Larry Diedrich, Republican candidate for U.S. House, will not be part of Cheney's fund-raising visit to Sioux Falls, but he said the Bush-Cheney campaign will be assisting his campaign in other ways..."

Fourth down and long yardage...

Pope Urges End to Gay Marriages

"Pope John Paul II urged authorities Saturday to stop approving gay marriages, saying they 'degrade' the true sense of marriage between a man and a woman."

Wrong; what's degrading is priests molesting little boys. Git yer own house in order, Pontiff...

Sofia Coppola Looks to Make Oscar History

"She even overcame her intense camera shyness to try acting in The Godfather: Part III not that her uneasiness wasn't obvious..."

I guess everyone gets a shot at redemption. Besides, she wasn't the real problem with 3 anyway. No Duvall.

By the way I have eight days to find a friend with HBO. Free Italian food can be yours! Offer only good 8-9 PM Sundays.

Welcome To Gilead Part 2

"Attorney General John Ashcroft is demanding records of abortions performed on hundreds of women at six Planned Parenthood affiliates across the country..."

Dean's Advice: Paint Bush as Radical

"I will do everything I can to ensure that the 2004 Democratic nominee runs as a true progressive, as a champion of working Americans and their hopes for a better future. Because -- I will say it again -- that is the way to win in 2004."

Nader's run for redemption

Interesting analysis of Why Ralph Runs:

"You want to see Bush beaten, but most of all, you want to erase 2000 -- that is, to prove your enemies wrong. What do you do?

You could urge your supporters to vote for the Democrat. But then all the stories would read: 'Ralph Nader, who in 2000 said there was no meaningful difference between the major party nominees, as much as admitted he was wrong yesterday...'

In the end, with Democrats united and the nation polarized, your candidacy won't attract much support. You'll do worse than Pat Buchanan did in 2000 as the Reform Party champion. And that's exactly what you want. If the Democrats win, you'll be able to say: See, any halfway decent candidate could have beaten Bush. That just shows I wasn't what cost the Democrats the 2000 election. The problem was that Al Gore's campaign defined pathetic.

But if Bush wins, with your vote totals tiny, it should be clear to everyone that you played no role, that even a united Democratic Party couldn't win."

Brave challenge in Iowa City

"I would like to have the law agree with the constitution and be able to therefore yes to issue those licenses to people who come before me to be married who appreciate the solemn act with the desire to enter into it." - Johnson County Recorder Kim Painter

These nurses deserve thank, not reprimands

Gazette site is pay to play so I'm posting the whole article. Things have sunk pretty low when nurses get fired for helping patients.

CORALVILLE -- Simone Grace wouldn't risk going a day without the anti-rejection medicines she's taken since her pancreas transplant 2 years ago.

But when a snafu between Medicaid and Medicare left her without the expensive drugs, she turned to the nursing staff at University Hospitals in Iowa City, where her surgery was performed.

Grace, 39, of Coralville, said nurses provided what she needed for a couple days until payment for the two drugs -- costing $2,245 and $383 per month -- was rectified.

"These people are a godsend," she said of the staff who oversee operations from pre-transplant, on. "They are a lifeline. Whatever you need . . . they bend over backward for you. They care about us."

Grace said she was heartsick to hear that two nurses in the UI transplant organ program were fired for the longtime practice of "recycling" anti-rejection drugs donated by families after a patient died or changed medications.

Four or five other UI Hospitals employees received written reprimands.

Hospital officials have said there was no evidence any patients were harmed by the "irregularities" in handling prescription medicine.

But Grace wonders how many patients will be harmed if the nurses can't provide them with the crucial anti-rejection drugs in emergencies.

The family of a 17-year-old Missouri girl killed in a car crash donated the pancreas for Grace's transplant, a four to six hour surgery that cost $110,000.

A diabetic since age 5, with life-threatening complications, Grace said the operation changed her life.

No longer did she have to meticulously count every carbohydrate she consumed, which included grilling waiters and waitresses on the ingredients of anything they served her, down to the sauce. Nor did she have to continue to stick needles from an insulin pump into her body or fear passing out from low blood sugar levels.

The pancreas, an elongated gland behind the stomach, is instrumental in producing insulin, a hormone that helps the body use sugar and other carbohydrates.

"There's so much more freedom now," Grace said of life with her donated pancreas. "I can eat whatever I want, whenever I want."

But for the rest of her life, she will need to take anti-rejection drugs. Grace also takes 10 other prescriptions and five over-the-counter supplements daily. The cost per month for the prescriptions is $3,700. Because she only receives $947 in monthly Supplemental Security Income, she relies on Medicare and Medicaid to survive.

Her life is a turnabout from the one she had been living after graduating from the UI with an engineering degree and landing a job with a small local firm.

Her three-year stint with the company, where she earned more than $40,000 annually, ended when she was injured and went on disability.

But Grace doesn't have time for self-pity.

Instead, she is concerned for the nurses who were fired for helping people like herself and for patients who will no longer have a safety net to obtain their needed anti-rejection drugs.

Grace hopes to mobilize transplant patients and their families in a letter-writing and call-in campaign to UI administrators, in the hopes the nurses will be re-hired.

Hospital administrators made no comment on the situation Monday. Public safety director Chuck Green said UI police began an investigation Monday.

Political Wire: Bush Rushes To Engage Democrats

Hm. I thought it said "enrage" Democrats...

Welcome To Gilead

The union of a man and woman is the most enduring human institution, honored and encouraged in all cultures and by every religious faith. Ages of experience have taught humanity that the commitment of a husband and wife to love and to serve one another promotes the welfare of children and the stability of society. Marriage cannot be severed from its cultural, religious and natural roots without weakening the good influence of society.

- the fake president

A pleasant surprise

"Payments will be mailed to Music Purchasers who filed valid claims beginning on February 20, 2004 and two weeks should be allowed for delivery..."

I got a check for $13.86 today. I'd completely forgotten about it - this was that thing where they decided the music industry was price-fixing CDs.

Just enough money to buy a spindle of blank CDs... to back up my data, of course ;)

Run, Ralph, run. Just don't expect me to follow

"The reason Nader managed to get 3 percent of the national vote in the first place is that Gore was such an abysmal candidate. He not only failed to sharply define the difference between himself and Bush, he also failed to find a way to embrace what was wonderful about the Clinton presidency. It was this inner-Goreness that cost him the election in 2000. Nader just added insult to (self-inflicted) injury..."

Liberal Vows To Not Vote Conscience

"Weisen, who voted for Nader in the 2000 election, has become the asshole co-worker that warned him not to vote for Nader last time..."

Weekly World News: Politicians are sucking up to Britney Spears

Forget Britney - what about the all-important Bat Boy vote, and the coveted Space Alien endorsement?

Ed Sec calls NEA 'terrorist organization'

"These were the words, 'The NEA is a terrorist organization,'" said Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin...

I'm sure my Mom and Dad, both retired NEA members, will be surprised...

Backlash Envelops Nader Before He's in Race

We're gonna get it wrong AGAIN.

I voted for Ralph Nader in 2000 and I'mproud of it. Given the 2000 Democratic ticket I have no regrets, even knowing how it went down. I needed to hear some things from Al Gore that I never heard. So I voted for the candidate who best represented the values of the Democratic Party, who unfortunately was not the Democratic nominee.

I don't expect to vote for Nader in 2004.

I expect John Kerry to be the Democratic nominee. The powers that be will squash Edwards just like they squashed us.

The more I learn about Kerry the less I like him. I've heard way too many "do you know who I am" stories.

But, in the spirit of minimal high regard, I don't hate him as much as I hate Gore.

Back to Kerry later. Let's talk about Nader.

The establishment of the Democratic Party insists on believing that left-progressive votes belong to THEM and not to the individual VOTERS. Somehow Nader's three million votes in 2000 "belonged" to Gore-Lieberman and Nader "stole" them.

I'm biased because I live in a college town. But I don't give a crap about winning over the middle of the road. Let the middle of the road watch Survivor and decide in the last week which candidate is cuter.

I care about the future. I care about bringing young people into the process and giving them something to believe in.

The real race in my town is not Kerry vs. Bush. Bush will get about 30 percent no matter what the local GOP does and no matter what we do. There's just 30 percent of folks in this town who are Republicans.

The REAL race is Kerry vs. Nader.

It's October. I'm on campus, facing a 19 year old first time voter who tells me John Kerry voted for the war and the Patriot Act and there's no difference between the Democrats and the Republicans.

What do I tell him?

"We have to beat Bush" ?

"You're throwing your vote away" ?

"It's people like you who elected Bush" ?

I heard all of those myself in 2000 and since. Sorry, Dems. That won't win anyone over. It'll just piss them off.

You have to come up with positive, affirmative, progressive things a Kerry presidency would accomplish. (Hint: a troop withdrawal date would help...)

And you have to respect and take seriously the right of people to choose another alternative.

Put simply: you have to EARN the vote. And frankly, nominating Kerry instead of Dean made the job harder. Hey, it ain't a coincidence that Nader did this the weekend after Dean dropped out. (Hint to Dennis Kucinich: even Nader knows you're going nowhere)

But what happened happened and we have to work with what we have.

I have to say this: I'm 40 years old and I barely remember Vietnam. Someone who's 20 definitely doesn't care about Vietnam, the Smoot-Hawley tariff, free silver, or 54-40 or fight.

And don't create a "shut up" climate in the Democratic Party where we can't talk about THIS war.

Finally, y'all need some grace in victory.

I was a Bradley person in 2000 and I felt very ignored after the nomination was clinched. The Gore camp's attitude was "we won, fuck you." And we NEVER thought Bradley was gonna win.

We more than "thought" Howard Dean was gonna win: we KNEW. The Dean thing was a lot more important than "my guy lost and your guy won." It was about changing the whole system, and we were beaten by some of the worst aspects of the old system. We still hurt, we need some time to heal.

Then you need to reach out to us. You need to listen to us, you need to let us vent, and you can't shut us out. And don't don't DON'T try to silence us on the war.

We are the future of the Democratic Party. We built something powerful and wonderful. We also proved you don't need fat cats to fund a campaign, and that scared the establishment. We were paid back in full - THIS time. (I loved the way Dick Gephardt took one for the team - one of them had to do the dirty work of ripping us apart.)

The party decided to play it safe, which was counter-productive. We gave up on expanding the electorate in exchange for the ever-shrinking middle of the road.

Maybe the best I'll be able to say is "I'm voting against Bush even though Kerry voted for the war." You'll just have to accept that as the best I can do. Don't ask me to fall in love with the guy.

Voting against. Voting against.

Someday I'll be voting FOR. I thought this was the year.

Questions for Joe Trippi: Primary Recollections

"...The second Al Gore endorsed Howard Dean, alarms went off in newsrooms and at every other campaign headquarters. At the campaign headquarters, they all had meetings and said, ''We've got to stop Howard Dean right this second.'' That's what the Al Gore endorsement meant. It meant, We've got to kill this guy or he's going to be the nominee."

Next year is here

"Forget about being lovable losers, the Billy Goat Curse and the Bartman jinx. Cubs fans view the return of Maddux as an omen that will end a nearly century-long World Series victory drought... Still, after decades of futility, Cubs fans can't help but be paranoid.

MSNBC will carry live coverage Thursday of the destruction of the Bartman ball at Harry Caray's Restaurant... The baseball spent the winter in a high-security display case at the restaurant beneath Caray's trademark black glasses. When the ball it is no more, Cubs fans hope to finally reach the Promised Land."

Hide Your Cats!

"The speculation about 2008 is partly fueled by Frist's statement that he won't run for re-election in 2006. He hasn't said what he'll do, but political observers say that would be the time to launch a presidential bid..."

Family Won't Let Johnny Cash Song Be Used in Ad

"We would never allow the song to be demeaned like that" - Rosanne Cash

This is extremely tasteless but nevertheless funny:

"Advertising writers in Florida were planning to pitch hemorrhoid-relief products with a commercial featuring Johnny Cash's classic song Ring of Fire..."

Bad Astronomy Alert

"Edwards continues to defy skeptics
His political rise is nothing short of meteoric"

For the 100th time: Meteors. don't. rise. They. FALL.

Insiders Who Are On the Outs

Payback time is coming:

"Publicly, the party was one step closer to closing ranks. But for those who had defected to the outsider, there were still some wrinkles: party leaders who had to explain themselves, consultants who have to grovel to the winning team, lobbyists who might see their business drop off, think-tankers who might not be invited to participate in the next Democratic Party roundtable..."

My track record remains perfect

1984: Gary Hart.
1988: Jesse Jackson.
1992: Tom Harkin.
2000: Bill Bradley.
2004: Howard Dean.

It seems my support in a primary is the kiss of death. I was aware of this trend and considered backing Lieberman just in case.

Israel Barrier Violates Humanitarian Law, Red Cross Says

"The measures taken by the Israeli authorities linked to the construction of the Barrier in occupied territory go far beyond what is permissible for an occupying power under international humanitarian law," it declared.

Chandler Wins

Could it BE any more of a pickup?

Former state attorney general Ben Chandler on Tuesday easily won the U.S. House seat vacated by GOP Gov. Ernie Fletcher, ending a long Democratic losing streak in congressional special elections.


98 percent reporting
Chandler (D): 54.6
Kerr (R): 43.6

Novoselic Won't Run for Wash. Office

Novoselic said he would keep working with Music for America to boost voter participation among young people and continue his efforts for election reform but concluded, "the whole thing about running a campaign and being a public servant isn't the way to do it."

War A Major Issue?

"A cartoon last week in the Green Bay Press-Gazette captured the curious retro mood that hovers over Tuesday's Wisconsin Democratic primary and George W. Bush's re-election campaign..."

Looks like the war is going to be a major issue in this election.
Iraq or Afghanistan?
Vietnam.

The Rich Get Richer

"Alex Rodriguez is a Yankee. Commissioner Bud Selig approved the record-setting swap Monday, allowing the reigning AL MVP to be traded to New York by the Texas Rangers...

Texas will pay $67 million of the $179 million left on Rodriguez's $252 million, 10-year contract, the most cash included in a trade in major league history. The Rangers get All-Star second baseman Alfonso Soriano and a player to be named - but they also will pay Rodriguez through 2025...

The Yankees, baseball's biggest spenders, will raise their payroll to about $190 million..."

WISCONSIN: Kerry 47, AntiKerry 46

"Dean is polling very well among young people around Madison. He is polling well enough to get delegates and it's interesting to see that Edwards and Dean together suggest a substantial non-Kerry vote. What would happen if Kerry were to face just one opponent?"

THIS IS SO SAD AND I AM NOT READY TO GET OVER IT

"Dean was also surrounded by suggestions of denouement, a radio host who referred to the 'final days' of his campaign and reporters asking him to sign their foam cheeseheads for posterity..."

Earth & Sky : Tonight's Sky for 2/14/04

See four planets tonight!

Skies look clear over Iowa City tonight, I may have to get the telescope out...

UPDATE

I did get the scope out (Spot the cat did not go outside to help observe). This scope is designed for wide-field viewing so fine planet detail is not gonna happen. It's still nice. I got really good views of the Pleiades and the nebula in Orion's belt.

Checked out Venus, Mars (much faded from last summer), and Saturn. I could just barely make out the rings. While I was looking for Saturn I stumbled onto a satellite! Near as I can tell it was a Japanese satellite called ADEOS. The timing of the pass was just right.

Saw Jupiter rising and I may check it out later. For now I'm back to my caucus data entry and my black bean soup.

Hooray for Peter Pumpkinhead

Peter Pumpkinhead came to town
Spreading wisdom and cash around
Fed the starving and housed the poor
Showed the Vatican what gold's for

Peter Pumpkinhead pulled them all
Emptied churches and shopping malls
Where he spoke, it would raise the roof
Peter Pumpkinhead told the truth

But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?

Peter Pumpkinhead put to shame
Governments who would slur his name
Plots and sex scandals failed outright
Peter merely said
Any kind of love is alright

But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?

Peter Pumpkinhead was too good
Had him nailed to a chunk of wood
He died grinning on live TV
Hanging there he looked a lot like you
And an awful lot like me!

But he made too many enemies
Of the people who would keep us on our knees
Hooray for Peter Pumpkin
Who'll pray for Peter Pumpkinhead?

Oh my oh my oh!
Doesn't it make you want to cry oh?

Cubs Ready to Play More Night Games

I remember I was on the air the sad sad night in 1988 when the first night game was scheduled at Wrigley. They played an old Statler Brothers song. The boys were declaring their undying devotion to their sweetie with a list of impossible things, and the ultimate, the granddaddy of All Things That Could Never Happen was:

"When the lights come on at Wrigley Field..."

It rained that night.

madison.com | Owl Ready To Prowl

A great horned owl named Minerva, believed to be the world's first owl to receive eye lens implants for cataracts, grudgingly endured a follow-up exam Wednesday...

Dean has yet to win, but he's not at a loss

"Squinting at his questioner through the glare of the TV lights, Dean said bluntly, 'I haven't promised to go to Washington and unify everybody. And there's a reason for my not making that promise. I think it's important to stand up for what you believe in.'

Then Dean uttered a few combative lines that encapsulated the strengths and weaknesses of his boom-or-bust campaign: 'I'm not going to Washington to be a nice guy. I'm going to Washington to kick the right wing out.' "

Clark Set to Endorse Kerry

That sure didn't take long either...

But Kos writes:

"Given that Clark was talking about Kerry's "intern problem", it would lend credence to this theory. And like I said, I have independent confirmation that Clark did, indeed, make those comments. And given that these allegations have been circulating for several weeks, it's possible Lehane leaked this hoping it would break sooner. But knowing it was going to explode, why would Clark drop out? It doesn't seem to make sense."

This doesn't seem to be taking off. We are talking Drudge stuff here. But it gave me a brief moment of hope.

Memo To John Kerry: Heed Not The Call Of The Mild

Arianna sure has metamorphosed over the years, huh:

Despite Dean’s sensational crash-and-burn, the grassroots movement that sprung up around him remains intact and still desperate to move toward its stated goal: removing Bush, remaking the Democratic Party and, indeed, remaking America.

Assuming the current campaign trajectory continues, Kerry should have a Brahmin death grip on the Democratic nomination long before the Ides of March is upon us. At which point, he’s going to hear an iPod’s worth of siren songs all warning him that he needs to rein in his newly fiery populist rhetoric for fear of scaring off Wall Street or soccer moms or NASCAR dads or those elusive DLC Dems.

But the real kiss of death would be to heed this call of the mild.

Instead of dusting off the Democratic Party’s tried-and-untrue swing-voter strategy — remember 2002? — Kerry needs to become the pied piper of the discontented, the disillusioned, the disenfranchised and the millions who have stopped believing that politics is the way to make a difference in the world.

The country cannot afford another four years of George Bush’s destructive policies while the movement regroups and grows stronger. Which is why the Democrats cannot afford to squander the passion of the Deaniacs.

Herseth has wide lead

"Significant support from Republicans, women and Sioux Falls residents, combined with the low name recognition of her opponent, gives Stephanie Herseth a 58-29% lead in the U.S. House special-election race, according to a poll of likely South Dakota voters..."

And here's ANOTHER chance to pick one up. He's not nearly as good-looking as Stephanie, but Ben Chandler is ahead in Tuesday's special in Kentucky...

Political Wire: Exit Polls

Tennessee: Kerry 46, Edwards 28, Clark 15, Dean 7
Virginia: Kerry 48, Edwards 25, Clark 11, Dean 8

AntiKerry=Kerry

If this holds: buh-bye Clark...

Game over for Dean's Web dreams?

Well, maybe not, and I'm not in agreement with the general anti-Dean tone, but there are some gems here:

Game over, webheads. John Kerry is cruising to the Democratic nomination the old-fashioned way. He squeezes fat cats and the traditional Democratic special interests for big donations. He runs slick television ads that voters respond to. He uses the mainstream media -- the TV networks and the major newspapers -- as his megaphones, because they reach the widest audiences...

Political Wire: Quote of the Day

"Sen. Kerry is a war hero, but if campaigns were about war records, I would have won easily in 1996."

-- Bob Dole

Gephardt to Endorse Kerry

Like we didn't see that one coming...

LIEBERMAN QUITS!

Glad to see you go go go go goodbye
Glad to see you go go go go goodbye
Glad to see you go go go go goodbye
Go go go go goodbye -The Ramones

Boy it's gonna be nice to say "I will support the Democratic nominee" without that stinkin' qualifier.

Lieberman said conceding if winless Tuesday

"While campaign staff continued to insist that Lieberman was moving on to campaign in Virginia this week, others close to the senator confirmed they have been told about a tentative 3 p.m. event in Hartford on Wednesday..."

I'm gettin' ready to dance...

Exit Poll Mania

South Carolina: Edwards 44, Kerry 30, Sharpton 10
Oklahoma: Edwards 31, Kerry 29, Clark 28
Missouri: Kerry 52, Edwards 23, Dean 10
Delaware: Kerry 47, Dean 14, Lieberman 11, Edwards 11
Arizona: Kerry 46, Clark 24, Dean 13

Of course, at this time last week, Dean was only down five in New Hampshire. But Edwards winning two would be interesting.

If these numbers hold, watch the Iowa Boycotters both make a hasty exit. That sound you will hear will be my happy feet dancing on Joe Lieberman's political grave. More significantly, Clark's departure will make Dean the only plausible (sorry Dennis and Al) peace candidate...

Bush to pick panel for WMD inquiry

"It turns out we were all wrong, and that is most disturbing," Kay said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing during which he called for an independent probe of the apparent intelligence failure.

Hey, did anyone notice this today while everyone was going defcon 4 over Janet Jackson's boob?

Herseth holds 10-1 advantage in money

"Herseth released her first fund-raising report for the campaign, showing she had raised $352,358 in the fourth quarter of 2003. She also reported $354,023 on hand."

Hey, that's countin' my 25 bucks.

Techie Names Son Version 2.0

"Version 2.0 was born Tuesday at Holland Community Hospital (search), and the proud parents took him home Friday..."

Hm. Maybe they're just really big Garbage fans?

The Version of Reality You Didn't Hear on TV

"After my interview with Dean and his wife I noticed that on that tape he's holding a hand-held microphone designed to filter out the background noise. It isolates your voice. The crowds are deafening to us standing there, but the viewer at home hears only our voice.

We asked the reporters who were there to help us replicate what they experienced in the room. Dean's boisterous countdown of the upcoming primaries as we all heard it on TV was isolated, when in fact he was shouting over the roaring crowd.

And what about the scream as we all heard it? In the room, the so-called scream couldn't really be heard at all."

Thanks for jumping on that right away, Sawyer.

Primary Season as NASCAR Season

For an Iowan, the nomination season is like the NASCAR season. Bear with me while I belabor an essentially meaningless point.

Biggest football game of the year? Well, yah. Super Bowl. End of the year.

Biggest baseball event of the year? World Series. Again, naturally, end of the year.

Biggest NASCAR race? The Daytona 500. Which is the FIRST race of the year.

That's what the nomination season is like for an Iowan. The big one is first then it's all downhill.

'Anti-Police' Rap CD Targeted in Ariz.

"Arpaio faxed his complaint letter to Tower Records' corporate headquarters earlier this week... a spokeswoman with Tower Records, said the company has pulled the discs from the store."

Paging Ice-T...

Sen. Mikulski Makes Plea for Hubble Reprieve

"Without the service mission, which had been planned for 2006, scientists believe the orbiting telescope could stop working several years before its scheduled 2010 retirement..."

No Joementum: It's Time to Go, Joe

"He performed best among primary voters who usually think of themselves as Republicans, consider themselves conservative on political matters, attend religious serves weekly, are satisfied with (but not enthusiastic about) the Bush administration, believe the Bush tax cuts should be left entirely in place, and strongly approve of the US decision to go to war in Iraq. In other words, Lieberman is doing best among Bush voters. Does any sane person think that that's a prescription for winning upcoming Democratic primaries and caucuses, and for snatching the Democratic nomination? The longer he runs for President, the more clueless he will seem..."

In the Comeback Kid Zone

As of noon Iowa time (1 PM in NH), "exit polls show Kerry in the lead, Dean in close second within the Margin of Error. Dean's visibility operation appears to be the best of the lot making the race more competitive than suggested by polls..."

Followup: Uh, never mind...

Spin Control: Candidates' Musical Tastes

"Music, it seems, isn't a genuine passion for any of these guys, but unless you expect them to DJ your next party, that probably doesn't really matter. It'd be grand if Sen. Joseph Lieberman loved Urge Overkill, or if former governor Howard Dean sincerely thought Metallica totally freaking ruled, or if retired Gen. Wesley Clark believed the New York Dolls changed his life. But we're probably better off with a commander in chief who cares more deeply about, say, nuclear proliferation than his collection of vinyl..."

Alford not amused by Illinois fan behavior

Classic example of Alford's priorities: "they're pickin' on poor Pierre Pierce." Awwww. Why is he still even on campus, let alone on the team?

Republicans choose Diedrich

Herseth says she is looking forward to the race.

"I have been ready for a couple of months now. We have gotten our office open, we have many volunteers ready, and I am more than ready for the next four months," she said.

One More Cheer for the IDP

1/26: "509 Bandwidth Limit Exceeded"

Lieberman Denounces Video Game

I think Joe would have other things to worry about... like the fact that he's at 5 percent in New Hampshire after he rented an apartment there...

No matter how Dean does Tuesday, I'll be a happy man Wednesday when Joe Lieberman gives us a tearful farewell speech. Good riddance.

Even the immediate family vote appears to be in jeopardy:

'He's such a good man. I don't know why he didn't catch on.' - Joe Lieberman's mother

Another point of view

Here's someone who was in the crowd in Des Moines on Monday who's posted video: how it looked if you were there.

YEEEEAAAAAAH!

Context, everybody, context: On Sunday I was on stage behind Howard Dean, in a hall full of 1600 screamin' Deanies, and I could barely hear what The Doctor was saying.

This is an exciting campaign. It's been a long time since I've seen this many people, especially young people, excited about politics. Embrace the moment.

Meanwhile, the sound clips are funny. Probably they're meant to mock Dean. But juxtaposed against the music, what they do instead is capture a little of the excitement.

I especially like the James Brown one...

Who can beat Herseth?

"Republicans pick a candidate Saturday for South Dakota's open seat in Congress..."