Open Thread and Diary Rescue

This evening's Rescue Rangers are taylormattd, Painty Kat, jennyjem, dadanation, shayera, kath25 and joyful, with Patriot Daily as editor.

• A double-dip of diaries on our precious Mother Earth: A Siegel calls foul when WashPost Blurs R-D Presidential Race's Climate Change Differences while Lipo ponders The politicians role in environmental strategy. (joyful)
• markthshark describes how the Vice President is seeking to block the release of videotaped depositions of two Cheney aides who witnessed a physical encounter between an Iraq war opponent and Mr. Cheney in Cheney Fights Release of Video Showing Altercation with Anti-War Protester. (taylormattd)
• Johnny Venom wonders, Are the GOP of 2008 the Progressive Conservatives of 1993? (joyful)
• gjohnsit presents a wealth of economic research and information in the important but woefully overlooked How the S&L Crisis is repeating today. (kath25)
• First-time diarist SocProf reviews a book by author Marc Bousquet about the exploitation of students working for financial aid at Universities: Book Review - How the University Works. (taylormattd)
• goldkeyrealty reminds us that the toll of PTSD will continue for a very long time in The Festering Wound of PTSD. (shayera)
• penguins4peace asks if an elderly beggar or the women with babies who beg will survive. The larger question is whether Tajikistan can survive with the grim circumstances the country currently faces. A Cry for Tajikistan. (PaintyKat)
• orpheus brings news of an impressive national tour by author Stephen Kinzer and several other notables aimed to educate Americans on The Folly of Attacking Iran. (kath25)
• rayabernathy serves up a well-written screed about the folly of electing another Republican in McCain on the loose, chasing the Goose. (kath25)
• Philip Dawdy takes on the conclusions and underlying biases of a recent New York Times' OpEd dealing with forced treatment for the mentally ill in Using Britney Spears To Argue For Forced Treatment. (dadanation)
• Pause for a moment of reflection and artistry with ourprez08 in his Open Poetry Thread: Porque ¿por que no? (kath25)
• daveparts is also moved to verse form in this explanation of the futility of our coming rebate checks in I Think that I Shall Never See". (kath25)
• In her own Voice prescribes a cure for the stress that comes from fighting for our planet in When the Tsunami of Truth Rises out of 'Peak Everything'... (jennyjem)
• JeffLieber has a pick-me-up if the question of superdelegates has got you down, with his rant SYFPH: What about the VEGIdelegates? (jennyjem)

Elise has Top Comments: Forecast - 100% Snow.