Wow! How nice it was to meet Dr Rachel Maddow at NoHo Pride. Rachel just enjoyed herself immensely standing at her mic at her old radio station, adroitly greeting folks between on-air times.

When I introduced myself, Rachel immediately pulled me into a quick sisterly hug, saying, "I feel I already know you."  I thought, if only my sister was anything remotely as cool as you....!

My husbear, Rocco, was tickled to meet Rachel, too. He took our pix (thanks to Rachel for squatting to make me look taller) with standard film, so it'll take me weeks before I can post a pic link here. Now I know why Rachel really is big enough to stand up to Bill O'Reilly. Whoa.

Thanks, AAR, for the great swag, too! I have a new favorite nightshirt.

—RonNLC 

Bush: Best moment as president was catching a fish
May 7, 2006 8:09 PM The Associated Press

WHITE HOUSE President Bush laughingly says his best moment as president was the time he caught a seven-and-a-half-pound largemouth bass on his lake.

But when the German newspaper Bild asked him to name his worst moment, the president became more introspective. He says it was September the eleventh, 2001.

He tells the paper it took time to understand the depth of the terrorist attacks. As he puts it,"the toughest moment of all was after the whole reality sunk in and I was trying to help the nation understand what was going on, and at the same time, be empathetic for those who had lost lives."

If you are interested in the Iranian Letter story.

Link:

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/05/08/iran.letter/index.html

Bomar

Rachel & Kent —

I am disappointed with you both for your quipping about Hugo Chávez's comments regarding removal of term limits.  Something I would have thought scholars like yourselves might have noticed, or at least would like to know now, in today's WSJ of all places, this exculpatory statement appears:

     Speaking Saturday at a stadium packed with supporters
     in central Lara state, Mr. Chavez rejected allegations he
     was a power-hungry tyrant but said he might seek to
     extend his rule beyond current term limits if the
     opposition pulls out of the presidential vote, as it did
     last year's congressional election.

This is merely:
     1.     a removal of term limits, which are only recent even in the US, and don't yet exist for the British PM.  
     2.     happens only as a response to the funky chicken opposition pulling a boycott.

Chávez is saying "Let mine enemy confront me!".

Please try to be more careful slinging Right-wing talking points around the airwaves, OK?  Jeez!

By the way, your blog engine sucks the green weenie.  I had to cobble together "blockquote" and "ordered list" out of non-breaking spaces and shift-returns <sigh>

—the Proud Primate (clic for pic)

—e sono tanto semplice, li uomini

Countdown with Keith Olbermann now is offering a morning repeat of the previous days show. 

The Countdown program starts right after Rachel's program is over, 9:00am EST/8:00am CST

Bomar

What a great.......civilization...jeeeeeeeez...
From Andrew Sullivan's blog...
The Rwandan troops did not head for the areas where the genocidaires were hiding out. They headed straight for the mines like this one in Kalehe, and they swiftly enslaved the populations to dig for them. They did not clear out the genocidaires – they teamed up with them to rape Congo. Jean-Pierre Ondekane, the Chief of the Rwandan forces in Goma, urged his units to maintain good relations "with our Interhamwe [genocidaire] brothers." They set up a Congo Desk that whisked billions out of the country and into Rwandan bank accounts – and they fought to stay and pillage some more. The UN found that a Who's Who of British, American and Belgian companies collaborated with this crime...
Oh, and the reason why this invasion was so profitable? Global demand for coltan was soaring throughout the war because of the massive popularity of coltan-filled Sony Playstations. As Oona King, one of the few British politicians to notice Congo, explains as we travel together for a few days, "Kids in Congo were being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms."

Bush says he would like to close Guantanamo, but awaiting Supreme Court ruling
May 7, 2006 8:44 PM The Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Bush says he would like to close the detention center at Guantanamo in Cuba. But he says he's waiting first for a U-S Supreme Court ruling on whether inmates can face military tribunals.

In an interview with A-R-D German television, the president says that "obviously, the Guantanamo issue is a sensitive issue for people."

Bush says he's waiting on the Supreme Court to decide -- quote -- "whether the people need to have a fair trial in a civilian court or in a military court."

The Bush administration has been criticized for the open-ended detention of people captured in the war on terrorism and for alleged interrogation techniques used at the camp.

Hundreds of people suspected of ties to al-Qaida and the Taliban have been swept up by the U-S military and secretly shipped to Guantanamo since 2002.

Bush wasn't concerned about the law when he jugged these goomers; why so worried now?  Maybe he's full of it, up to his eyebrows?  Just a guess. 

Bonds said no when he was asked at his news conference if he would sign the ball if a fan wanted an autograph. Moments later, when an official asked if there were any more questions, Oliveras piped up:

"Will you sign my ball?"

Bonds smirked and said nothing.

After his news conference, Bonds shook Oliveras' hand and took a picture with him.

"I'm happy because I got a picture and he shook my hand," he said.

There was one signature needed though. Oliveras had to sign a waiver for Bonds' reality show.

link