Digital painting: Jack's shadow

click to enlarge jack's shadow
---o0o---

Hillary Clinton and John Edwards caught on a live mike scheming how to eliminate some of their opponents from debates

I always love these "hot mike" incidents on the campaign trail! In this case, however, it was probably not a hot mike, but a shotgun mike trained on them from some distance away. . .by our good friends at Fox "News." An A.P. story gives a few more details.

Democrats John Edwards and Hillary Rodham Clinton were caught yesterday by Fox News microphones discussing a plan to limit future joint appearances and cut out some of whom they consider to be lesser rivals and also-rans.

Edwards: "We should try to have a more serious and a smaller group."
Clinton: "We've got to cut the number" and "they're not serious."

---o0o---

Remember, 27% of the people still approve of President Bush's performance in office. . .

click the Prez. to enlarge

---o0o---

Dr. Michael Toubbeh

This post, two other related articles, and forty comments were deleted by the All This Is That editors on July 12, 2007.

If you are an All This Is That regular, you know this isn't the way we generally operate this popsicle stand. On the other hand, as much as it sticks in my craw, it seemed karmically right. Aside from the White House, I never wanted this blog to cause pain for anyone. Let me note, however, that the removal of these posts and their emotional and heated comments in no way reflects on the veracity of the articles, or the valid and palpable passion and emotion engendered in the many comments.

I could have stuck to my guns. I told the T.S.A. to take a hike when they asked for further information about another article regarding the Vice President. On the other hand, I've dealt with this one too long, and now, at last, it has begun to interfere with the actual business at hand: poetry, politics, paranormal (aka aliens), pop, parody, painting, and pranks. Sometimes you can fight the good fight; and sometimes it's just not worth the expenditure of oxygen. I don't mean to be cryptic about all of this. . .I just want to play Pilate and wash my hands of it. And then, remember that this is the internet. All the material deleted from All This Is That is available elsewhere. You just have to look for it, nudge nudge. Selah. /jack
---o0o---

"We have not released man-eating badgers into the area"

The British are being blamed for releasing a horde of man-eating badgers into the Iraqi city of Basra. Badger is the common name for three subfamilies of the family Mustelidae. The Mustelidae family of mammals includes ferrets, weasels, and the beloved and adorable otter, and several carnivores.

British military spokesmen deny they released a plague of ferocious badgers (duh!). Word spread among the populace that limey troops introduced strange man-eating, bear-like beasts into the area to sow panic among "the peasants." Several of the creatures killed by local farmers were identified by experts as honey badgers. . .an indigenous species. As it turns out, the rumours began because the animals appeared near the British base at Basra airport.

"We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area."

The director of Basra's veterinary hospital—Mushtaq Abdul-Mahdi—inspected several of the animals' corpses and told a news agency: "These appeared before the fall of the regime in 1986. They are known locally as Al-Girta. Talk that this animal was brought by the British forces is incorrect and unscientific." A Brit military spokesman Major Mike Shearer said: "We can categorically state that we have not released man-eating badgers into the area."

Dr Ghazi Yaqub Azzam, deputy dean of Basra's veterinary college, speculated that the badgers were being driven towards the city because of flooding in the marshlands north of Basra.
---o0o---

If I were the President of this land. . .I'd stick my head in the oven

I'd stick my head in the oven and crank open the jets if I was in POTUS's boots today. There have been a few other similar periods, but the torrent of bad news in the last two weeks has to have the President openly weeping in the West Wing. I mean, if you studied statistics in college you probably know that no matter how bad things are, statisically, some things will break your way. . .once in a while. Au contraire, mon frere. The President has faced a relentless monsoon of bad news over the last few weeks. And not one thing has broken his way of late. Here is a quick sample of just what has gone wrong in the last few days:

click poster to enlarge

Republicans abandoning Bush
Bush And Cheney's Cursing Cited In FCC Enforcement Case...
NEWSWEEK Poll: Bush hits All-Time Low; 28%...

Bush invokes executive privilege...
CLASSIFIED REPORT: AL QAEDA AT PRE-9/11 STRENGTH

Iraq surge a failure, top Democrats tell Bush

Cheney to have heart defibrillator replaced...
White House, Cheney's Office, Subpoenaed
Chertoff bases warning of terror risk on 'gut feeling'
CALLS FOR IMPEACHMENT OF CHENEY AT GEPHARDT EVENT
Bush Orders Miers Not to Testify
Much of US favors Bush impeachment: poll

---o0o---

Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere" Music and Lyrics

I've Been Everywhere is one of my many favorite Johnny Cash Tunes. Here is a video with postcards a woman, Jen, put together. I put it up because I want you to hear the tune. Of the places he names, I've actually been to 29 of them. . . how about you? /jack



"I've Been Everywhere"

I was toting my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road
When along came a semi with a high canvas covered load
If your goin' to Winnemucca, Mack with me you can ride
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand
And I said, "Listen! I've traveled every road in this here land!"

I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to:
Reno
Chicago
Fargo
Minnesota
Buffalo
Toronto
Winslow
Sarasota
Wichita
Tulsa
Ottawa
Oklahoma
Tampa
Panama
Mattawa
LaPaloma
Bangor
Baltimore
Salvador
Amarillo
Tocapillo
Barranquilla
And Padilla

I'm a Killer
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to:
Boston
Charleston
Dayton
Louisiana
Washington
Houston
Kingston
Texarkana
Monterey
Fairaday
Santa Fe
Tallapoosa
Glen Rock
Black Rock
Little Rock
Oskaloosa
Tennessee
Chicopee
Spirit Lake
Grand Lake
Devil's Lake
Crater Lake

For Pete's Sake
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to:
Louisville
Nashville
Knoxville
Ombabika
Schefferville
Jacksonville
Waterville
Costa Rock
Pittsfield
Springfield
Bakersfield
Shreveport
Hackensack
Cadillac
Fond du Lac
Davenport
Idaho
Jellico
Argentina
Diamantina
Pasadena
Catalina

See What I Mean
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been to:
Pittsburgh
Parkersburg
Gravelbourg
Colorado
Ellensburg
Rexburg
Vicksburg
Eldorado
Larimore
Adimore
Haverstraw
Chatanika
Shasta
Nebraska
Alaska
Opalacka
Baraboo
Waterloo
Kalamazoo
Kansas City
Sioux City
Cedar City
Dodge City

What A Pity
I've been everywhere, man
I've been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I've breathed the mountain air, man
Of travel I've had my share, man
I've been everywhere

I've been everywhere

Backlink of the day: The finger, the wanker, the shaka sign, and many more

The "fake finger"

This backlink of the day points to an article where I describe a wide varity of mostly hand signals and signs. It is one of the top ten visited articles here. . .

The finger, the wanker, the cuckoo sign, the choke sign, rock horns, the shaka sign, and many more
---o0o---

The Big Exodus: Senator McCain's Chief Strategist and Campaign Manager Throw In The Towel

Sen. John McCain's campaign manager Terry Nelson and chief strategist John Weaver resigned today (or were more likely sacked for their pathetic performance in the polls and fundraising), which the Arizona senator accepted with "regret and deep gratitude for their dedication, hard work and friendship." Translation: "I hope they all die!"

"out of nowhere, he transmogrified from a charmingly off-kilter maverick to a bellicose Administration cheerleader and apologist for the war in Iraq"

This has to be bittersweet for the Senator, who emerged early on as an unbeatable candidate, only to fluff it in the early turns of the race. There was a time when I thought he would sweep every primary and caucus. And then, out of nowhere, he transmogrified from a charmingly off-kilter maverick (not unlike fellow Arizonan Barry Goldwater in his later years) to a bellicose Administration cheerleader and apologist for the war in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the coming war in Iran. Maybe he believed in the cause or maybe he misread the electorate, but in any case, the change cost him the White House.

It's puzzling why he hasn't checked out of the race already, although at this point, he doesn't have much to lose. Even so, it can't be pleasant to be bitch-slapped daily by the anti-war candidates, not to mention his fellow Senators and the Governors in the race. It has to be particularly galling being stomped in the polls by Fred Thompson, who jumped in at the last minute, not to mention being bested by Rudy Giuliani, an even more deranged and unstable candidate (if that is even possible). If you're being mocked and hectored by one-issue lightweights like Cindy Sheehan, Dennis Kucinich, and Ralph Nader (a/k/a "The Dingbat"), you know you have taken a mortal blow. . .

Recent All This Is That articles on the Senator:

Pfffft! Senator McCain's campaign fizzles out

The Republicans And Democrats Are Running Scared Re: Mitt Romney

---o0o---

The 51st President: A Found Magazine Find Of The Day

. . .click the fan letter to enlarge. . .


As the President's ratings continue their freefall, and talk of impeachment begins, GWB still has some friends out there in the hustings.

This fan letter was found by Kevin Habberstad in Portland, Oregon, who wrote to Found Magazine (I am a subscriber) "I found this while cleaning an office building. It chills me to the bone." It sure does.
---o0o---

Backlink of the day: Uncle Guy, more hillbilly cred, and living a good life

Jack's sister, Loa, Uncle Guy, and Jack


The backlink of the day—Uncle Guy, more hillbilly cred, and living a good life—originally appeared here in January, 2006. Click here to read the story.
---o0o---

Go, Al, Go!:::::::::::Al Franken swamps his senate competition in fund-raising

Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken raised almost $2 million in the recent reporting period, according to the Associates Press, and pulled in more money either his Democratic rival or the Republican incumbent, Senator Norm Coleman.

Franken, the comedian-turned-writer-turned-talk show host-turned-candidate, announced yesterday that he raised $1.9 million in the second quarter of the year. The incumbent said he raised about $1.6 million in the period, and Democrat Mike Ciresi, a pathetic $750,000.

"It's unusual for a challenger to have this kind of quarter," Steven S. Smith, a political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis told the wire service, "It is a very impressive showing."

Once again, this is going to be a fun election. . .

---o0o---