I was blown away by how cleverly passive aggressive pol Hairy Reid  controlled the interview last night on the Daily  Show. Ostensibly, Reid was there to push a book, but Jon  was unable to take control of the interview because of the way Harry Reid handled the interaction.

This is an interesting story about the Obama family that might shed some light on his attitudes toward life and where some of his strengths have come from. Obama's Tutu  It is really an interesting thing that his grandmother was a groundbreaker too:

While Obama's views on race relations in America were being shaped, his maternal grandmother — Madelyn Dunham, now 85 — received a series of promotions at Hawai'i's top bank. And in December 1970, she was named one of the first two female vice presidents at Bank of Hawaii.

Do we need four more years with a complete idiot who "can’t tell his head from a hole in the ground" as me grampy used to say? This Republican candidate is a dolt.

On the channel 8 website a recent article here:  Obama Supporters in Hawaii Use Internet As Campaign Weapon  speaks to the intense interest the Obama campaign is generating in Hawaii.  Now bear in mind that although we are a small state, we are pretty sophisticated about some things, stardom, fame, notoriety are all ho hum part of the normal landscape for us since back in the day when we would find ourselves shopping for vegetables at Star Market along side Jack Lord or nowadays Dog the Bounty Hunter.  On the other hand, I'll bet Beth shops for the vegetables in their family.

The Hawaii Congressional delegation needs to pick up the telephone and phone their favorite administrator/regent at the University of Hawaii and tell (him/her) that June Jones needs a recruiting budget and better facilities as well as a good salary.  I feel like the winning Hawaii quarterback too:

Quarterback Colt Brennan, who completed his UH eligibility with last night's game, said he understands the frustrations of a limited budget, but he hopes Jones will return for a 10th season.

"I hope he stays," Brennan said. "He's a good fit for Hawai'i. I think he understands the culture and the people, and how to have success in Hawai'i. I really hope he stays."

I got interested in the whole political cycle once again (I have been involved in politics all my life) when our Hawaii delegation used their Congressional franking privileges to mail distracting and irrelevant flyers which arrived at my mailbox on the day of the vote to support the illegal American invasion of Iraq, another sovereign country.

I read a lot of blogs in the morning including many red-state and pajama-media types.  One of the blogs that occasionally show some sense is the one called  the Black Five.  Uncle Jimbo seems to be the main boy. This morning I read an article saying that "Rumsfeld was wrong!  What follows is a diary inspired by my comment to "Uncle Jimbo!"

Framing an issue properly is the only way to make any sense of the world today.  So I make a habit of framing things, at least, in my mind, in a way that I can best understand.  For example like the one in the title. I am seeking some of the most obvious and egregious examples of this phenomena.  Can you folks help? Can you think of more?  Your favs?

update:  DISCLAIMER.  I intend not to disparge meat eaters with the title.  It is merely an example of how far apart meaning can be dependent upon the frame.

This is the Hall of Shame.  The names of the folks that voted for the war and against ending it.  First the list of the names of the creeps in the senate who voted no on the bill to end the war.

As I have observed with others her at KOS, this diary began as a comment in a dialogue with someone on a diary about another topic.  As it turned out the writer I was responding too said he was a stationed on a destroyer and his wife was also in the Navy, active duty which gave me pause to reflect.  

I wondered how to respectfully point out that his present "profession"and the way it is defined and presented in public discourse is part of the problem?

I feel it is time we let go of the notion that warriors and wars are inevitable and even admirable part of a national policy.  The exigencies of life on a changing planet guarantee that doing business like a 19th century industrial bully in a 20th century world will end in failure!

So the latest story is that the the DARK PRINCE of AMERICA is to meet with the King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.  More bidness! More deals! More shenanigans?  What deal is this evil man making with the Saudis?  Whose agenda is he serving?  America's?  Doubt it!  After the fold please find a number of News Items from the Arab Press and others that make you go HHHHUUUUMMM?  Try check them out and see what you think?

Think about Israel, and the Palestine "situation" and the humor will get to you.  Grim humor indeed.  Here the Arabs in Saudi Arabia are trying to solve a problem the same way the Jews are in Israel?  Perhaps they admire the Jews so much that they want to emulate them?  And what other nation is building a fence to keep out the terror element in that country's southern sector?  Right, the USA!

From out of the mouths of babes as the saying goes. I have been sitting here telling folks that there is a new bully on the block for a year or so now on Kos and elsewhere.  China is just quietly watching as Mr. Bush squanders our treasury and jeopardizes our safety.  And I can see them quietly smiling in my mind's eye.  The "long noses are fools" they think.  And as far as most of our leaders go that seems to be the case.  

The extent to which things are rapidly turning to shit in Iraq is now nuts.  The Penatagon and the Administration are seemingly in denial and are hiding many of the facts.  Don't they want us to win?  We can't win or lose I guess if we don't know the facts, just the bullshit they want to tell us.  See the articles and blogs below for stories that the MSM seems to ignore or play down in favor of the smear stuff.  It seems like we are toast in Iraq.  The question is for us, what to do next?

I'm watching Mr. Bush on CSpann2, a rerun of his latest press conference.  At first I thought "holy shit, Jon Steward has been coaching him, or is he doing a Jon Stewart impression?  He's imitating himself.  Sadly, Mr. Bush is what he appears; a silly little stupid, ignorant, and dangerous man from Crawford Texas. Of all the leaders in the world he is most like the leader of North Korea (http://en.wikipedia.org/...), a cartoon person.  He has said nothing new, just shifting catch phrases from one lame obfuscation to another.  

This implications of this article blows me away especially as it relates to the story we get from our "embedded" news sources.  What it really tells is a back story that is growing by as is the insurgency.  The Newspaper, in Iraq has ben under attack from the Maliki faction for printing the it's version of the truth has printed a very telling story about the state of affairs in the divided country.  Go here Azzaman in english to see other articles.

I'm hoping that the costs associated with the recent earthquake will impede the plans for the so called "Hawaii Super Ferry." The ferry is clearly a money-making venture inevitably bound to impact the way of life of the local residents in a terrible and negative way. The truth of it is that we don't know the impacts because our Democratic legislators and our Republican Governor have neglected to provide an EIS.

I was pleased to see that the reasons for re-electing Mr. Akaka were demonstrated clearly in the debate between he and Ed Case on local television last night. Mr. Akaka took most rounds in my opinion.  Ed Case came across as whiny and arrogant.  Mr. Akaka seemed wise and self-confident.  Great Job Senator Akaka.

I have also been pleased to see a very effective television ad that the Akaka team has put together.  This TV ad helped me understand that there is already a strong case against Case. Case, by the way opened himself up to this ad by trying to swiftboat Akaka.  Go to You tube and view it there: http://www.youtube.com/...  or go to the Akaka web-site to contibute or check out his other web stuff: http://akaka2006.org/