Guest Blogger of the Week

Our Bodies, Ourselves

American Street — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:49:28 -0400

There’s no better day than Mother’s Day to highlight a great blog building on a great book, Our Bodies, Ourselves. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving, to mothers, daughters and sisters, so please, pass it on.

(h/t to Avedon Carol for that find)

Happy Mothers Day ! A tribute to naked women grunting us into existence

American Street — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:23:47 -0400

Yes, it’s that day for long-suffering mamas so this is a suite for all my sweet Mothers:

Malvina Reynolds appeared at Pete Seeger’s Rainbow Quest #6 to sing No Hole in my Head.
.

And next to my very own dear Mother, at 83, the next three are a tribute to my second favorite mother, one that this planet was lucky to have once.

And who am I, to know and love my Mother, my Mother Earth, my Mother of Invention? That’s easy. I’m The Obvious Child.
.

Fearguth’s Great Snark Hunt

American Street — Sun, 11 May 2008 17:27:29 -0400

Everybody sat up and took notice when
Pamela Anderson wore her McCains.

Fearguth’s Great Snark Hunt

American Street — Sun, 11 May 2008 14:55:21 -0400

“For every thirst, there’s a flavor.
Drink Haterade!”

Myanmar Discussion: US Blames India For High Food Prices

American Street — Sun, 11 May 2008 10:54:46 -0400

Myanmar: U.S. seeks India’s help

NEW DELHI: The U.S. has sought India’s good offices to persuade Myanmar to adopt a more liberal approach towards foreign aid for its cyclone-hit people. It also downplayed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s earlier statement blaming increasing consumption in India for the rise in food prices.

Ms. Rice spoke to External Affairs Minister Mukherjee on Friday evening as part of her talks with several world leaders on Lebanon, Zimbabwe and Myanmar. With Mr. Mukherjee she also touched upon the India-U.S. civil nuclear deal but there was no amplification on the issue.

A Foreign Office statement here said, Mr. Mukherjee and Ms. Rice exchanged views on important developments in the region as well as on global issues since they last met in March.

“Part of their discussion was also about the Indian civil nuclear deal but they focused quite a bit on the issue of Burma [Myanmar]. And the message was to urge all the parties to do what they can to reach out and use whatever leverage they have with the top decision-making layer in the Burmese regime to get them to reverse the course that they have been on in terms of not allowing large scale humanitarian supplies to come into Burma, and then also, and very importantly, to allow experts who can offer assistance with humanitarian relief into Burma.”

McCain Is Making This Too Easy

American Street — Sun, 11 May 2008 00:49:42 -0400

John McCain being in bed with lobbyists is not really news, even when he’s actually, you know, “in bed” with them. His notorious escapades as the “most culpable” of the Keating Five would certainly have left a less well connected politician spending more time with his family.

But this one goes way beyond schmoozing and playing the system. Johnathan Singer informs us that McCain tapped one of his lobbyist pals to run the GOP Convention this August, but let him go hours after Michael Isikoff’s Newsweek story disclosed that the guy was the CEO of a firm representing the Burma Military Junta — hired to whitewash their image with Washington insiders.

Singer then connects the dots with a Marc Ambinder note that a McCain Campaign regional manager was the stooge directly in charge of that Burmese (Myanmar) Junta account for the very same influence pedaling firm — and he’s still on the job.

Just calling John McCain a continuation of the Bush nightmare is giving him too much credit. This guy is a wholly owned subsidiary of the corporate kleptocracy. It doesn’t matter if McCain fires this lobbyist or distances himself from that one. He’s so swamped with them another would take take the place of an inconveniently notorious one in a heartbeat.

George Bush sold the American government to the highest (no)-bidder. A McCain administration would represent the new owners taking up residence.