[Rhodes22-list] Naked Women and Hard Times

Wed Dec 17 14:27:13 EST 2008

One of the great things about hard times is the increased use of soft 
core porn to pique the attention of men.

We should be seeing a lot of it.

X-10 is the bellwether site--the hardware is in the background; the 
girls are up front.

Bill Effros

Brad Haslett wrote:
> Bill,
>
> This is one of the better 4 minutes of internet film that doesn't
> involve naked women.
>
> http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2008/12/16/scarborough-msm-was-wasilla-instead-investigating-obama-blago-conn
>
> Nixon was a smart guy, why didn't he come up with the "I've
> investigated myself and found nothing wrong, next question please"
> approach to the press?
>
> Brad
>
> On Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 4:37 PM, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>   
>> Brad,
>>
>> They found him!  Sadly, the Big O was unable to determine what he said
>> that was captured on FBI tape.
>>
>> (No surprise there, Obama said he barely knew Rezko until the FBI
>> produced tapes and recordings of him having lunch with Rezko on a
>> regular basis.)
>>
>> December 16, 2008, 1:08 pm
>>
>>
>>      Obama News Conference: More on Cabinet, Less on Blagojevich
>>
>> By Katharine Q. Seelye
>> <http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/author/katharine-q-seelye/>
>>
>> Barack Obama today skirted a question about whether there should be a
>> special election in Illinois to replace him in the United States Senate.
>>
>> Many in Illinois have been calling for a special election, saying that
>> any appointment by Gov. Rod Blagojevich
>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/rod_r_blagojevich/index.html>
>> would be tainted. But some Democrats may be backing off that idea now,
>> apparently worried that a Democrat would not be able to hold the seat in
>> this political climate.
>>
>> Mr. Obama, speaking at a brief news conference in Chicago, where he
>> introduced Arne Duncan as his choice for education secretary
>> <http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/obama-picks-arne-duncan-for-education-post/?scp=1&sq=arne&st=Search>,
>> said he would leave the decision up to the state legislature.
>>
>> He did say that he believed the governor could not serve effectively.
>>
>> But in a somewhat tense moment during his few minutes with the press, he
>> cut off a reporter who asked him to reconcile his earlier statement that
>> he would take a "hands off" approach to finding a replacement for
>> himself and a report that his top adviser, Rahm Emanuel, had presented
>> the governor with a list of possible replacements.
>>
>> Stopping the reporter midsentence, Mr. Obama told him he didn't want him
>> to waste his time asking a question he wouldn't answer. Mr. Obama said,
>> as he had yesterday, that he had done a "full review" of the situation
>> but at the request of the United States attorney, he would not comment
>> on the matter until next week.
>>
>> He added that he had "not confirmed" the report about Mr. Emanuel's
>> presenting the governor with a list of names.
>>
>> At this point, the cameras cut away from Mr. Obama to show a smiling Mr.
>> Emanuel standing in the back of the room.
>>
>> The reporter tried to press the question but got nowhere, then tossed
>> Mr. Obama a softball about his jump shot (forgive the mixed metaphor).
>>
>> The episode prompted the instant analysts on MSNBC to suggest that the
>> press corps needed to get tougher on Mr. Obama and hold him more
>> accountable. For one thing, they suggested the reporters demand that Mr.
>> Obama take more than three or four questions at a time. And they
>> lamented the absence of reporters like Sam Donaldson of ABC News, who
>> was famous for using his deep loud voice to demand answers to his questions.
>>
>> On other matters, Mr. Obama was asked whether he was running out of
>> options to jump-start the economy, now that the Fed was lowering its
>> interest rates to almost zero.
>>
>> Mr. Obama said it would not be good policy for him to second-guess the
>> Fed, but acknowledged that "we are running out of the traditional
>> ammunition that's used in a recession, which is to lower interest rates."
>>
>> He then made a pitch for his economic stimulus plan.
>>
>> He was also asked about his commitment to public schools, given that he
>> sends his daughters to private school, and whether he agreed with the
>> idea of paying students $100 for getting As and Bs. He did not respond
>> directly, but did say that the Chicago public schools "aren't as good as
>> they need to be."
>>
>> The last question was whether he would keep his earlier promise to
>> appoint Republicans to his cabinet. He has appointed only one or two so
>> far, but noted that he has more appointments to make.
>>
>> "When you look at our entire White House staff and cabinet, people will
>> feel we followed through on our commitment to make sure this is not only
>> an administration that is diverse ethnically but also politically and in
>> terms of people's life experience."
>>
>> Bill Effros
>>
>> Brad Haslett wrote:
>>     
>>> Bill,
>>>
>>> Hey, until the Illinois legislature figures out what to do next, maybe
>>> we can help Team Obama.   One of their key players is missing.
>>>
>>> http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_L6pDyjqqsvY/SUfjxSZ7YtI/AAAAAAAAXew/P9I5DJ8m658/s1600-h/rahmbo+milk
>>>
>>> The Big Man himself said yesterday they had done an internal review
>>> and declared themselves OK.  Come out of hiding Tiny Dancer, the coast
>>> is clear!
>>>
>>> Brad
>>>
>>> On Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 1:34 PM, Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>       
>>>> The New York Times <http://www.nytimes.com/>
>>>> Printer Friendly Format Sponsored By
>>>> <http://www.nytimes.com/adx/bin/adx_click.html?type=goto&page=www.nytimes.com/printer-friendly&pos=Position1&sn2=336c557e/4f3dd5d2&sn1=fcdd2034/2d875738&camp=foxsearch2008_emailtools_810910e_nyt5&ad=slumdog_f_88x31_11-12&goto=http://www.foxsearchlight.com/slumdogmillionaire/>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> December 17, 2008
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>  Blagojevich Impeachment Inquiry Stalls
>>>>
>>>> By MONICA DAVEY
>>>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/d/monica_davey/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>>>>
>>>> SPRINGFIELD, Ill. --- A committee of the Illinois House considering
>>>> evidence and testimony in an impeachment inquiry against Gov. Rod R.
>>>> Blagojevich
>>>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/rod_r_blagojevich/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>>>> adjourned its first day of hearings after about an hour on Tuesday,
>>>> after the governor's lawyer and the federal prosecutor seeking to indict
>>>> him both expressed concerns.
>>>>
>>>> Members of the 21-member committee, appointed Monday, said that United
>>>> States Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald
>>>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/f/patrick_j_fitzgerald/index.html?inline=nyt-per>
>>>> had asked for them more details about the witnesses the committee
>>>> planned to call in its hearings. Mr. Fitzgerald asked the committee for
>>>> a formal letter outlining its plans, indicating some reluctance about
>>>> having witnesses testify who might harm the federal case.
>>>>
>>>> The lawyer for Mr. Blagojevich, Edward Genson, also objected, saying
>>>> that he wanted to be present at the proceedings. The committee agreed,
>>>> and Mr. Genson, who was not at the hearing on Tuesday, said he would be
>>>> there when the committee reconvenes Wednesday morning.
>>>>
>>>> Mr. Genson, a noted Chicago-based criminal defense attorney who
>>>> confirmed Monday that he had been retained by Mr. Blagojevich, said:
>>>> "He's not guilty, so we're going to go to court. We're not agreeing to
>>>> impeachment. If you read these transcripts closely, you'll find that
>>>> nobody did anything. People are just talking, and that's not against the
>>>> law."
>>>>
>>>> As he put it, "Bad language doesn't make you a criminal." The Associated
>>>> Press reported that Mr. Blagojevich ignored reporters' questions as he
>>>> left his house in Chicago on Tuesday morning, carrying a briefcase and
>>>> gym bag. On Monday, he went to work as usual and signed 11 bills into
>>>> law, including one that increased tax credits to encourage films being
>>>> made in Illinois.
>>>>
>>>> The confusion over the committee's procedures and plans was the latest
>>>> indication that many questions remained as to how state lawmakers will
>>>> pursue impeachment. No Illinois governor has ever been impeached, and
>>>> the state constitution gives little direction. As a result, many
>>>> lawmakers here were wrestling with the dimensions of what the committee
>>>> would be trying to prove and how its work might clash with criminal
>>>> proceedings by federal prosecutors.
>>>>
>>>> In opening statements on Tuesday, members of the committee, which
>>>> consists of 12 Democrats and 9 Republicans, pledged that despite their
>>>> criticisms of the governor, they would examine the evidence surrounding
>>>> him objectively, without preconceptions.
>>>>
>>>> Mr. Blagojevich, a Democrat, was arrested a week ago on federal
>>>> corruption charges that included efforts to make money off his power to
>>>> appoint a successor to the United States Senate
>>>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/organizations/s/senate/index.html?inline=nyt-org>
>>>> seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama
>>>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/o/barack_obama/index.html?inline=nyt-per>.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Let us remember that we are not Alice in Wonderland --- we are not the
>>>> Red Queen," Representative Barbara Flynn Currie, a Democrat who is the
>>>> panel's chairwoman, told her colleagues. "We do not sentence first and
>>>> then do the verdict."
>>>>
>>>> "Frontier justice," she went on, will not carry the day. "We are in a
>>>> crisis of confidence in state government. We are left with no choice but
>>>> to initiate an impeachment inquiry."
>>>>
>>>> Some said they worried that the impeachment work --- which is expected
>>>> to occupy many late nights and many weekends --- might take time from
>>>> what needs to be done to deal with the state's other problems, including
>>>> a budget deficit and what some lawmakers say has been a virtual halt to
>>>> state business since Mr. Blagojevich was arrested a week ago.
>>>>
>>>> "While the work of this committee continues, I would hope that the work
>>>> of the state shall also be able to somehow function and that we do
>>>> whatever is necessary to see to that the services this state is supposed
>>>> to provide" are taken care of, said Representative Bill Black, a
>>>> Republican on the committee.
>>>>
>>>> Representative Mary Flowers, a Democrat, said the impeachment movement
>>>> was being propelled by a cloud that was hanging over the state that must
>>>> be shed so Illinois can reclaim some respect. "It's the land of
>>>> Lincoln," Ms. Flowers said. "It's the land of Barack Obama."
>>>>
>>>> Mr. Blagojevich has not yet been indicted in the criminal investigation,
>>>> and some experts say the inquiry might create problems for federal
>>>> prosecutors' criminal proceedings against him, if witnesses are
>>>> compelled to testify and are granted immunity.
>>>>
>>>> "If you grant people immunity, you can really screw up investigations,"
>>>> said Ronald J. Allen, a professor of law at Northwestern, pointing to
>>>> the case of Oliver L. North
>>>> <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/n/oliver_l_north/index.html?inline=nyt-per>,
>>>> whose conviction in the Iran-contra affair was thrown out because of
>>>> immunity granted during Congressional hearings. Professor Allen said
>>>> most at risk were potential cases against people who were involved but
>>>> have not yet been charged.
>>>>
>>>> Randall Samborn, a spokesman for Mr. Fitzgerald, the United States
>>>> attorney for the Northern district of Illinois, declined to comment
>>>> Monday on whether prosecutors were concerned that impeachment
>>>> proceedings in Springfield could interfere with their investigation.
>>>>
>>>> Anton R. Valukas, a former United States attorney in Chicago, said Mr.
>>>> Fitzgerald was likely to show a high level of deference to a legislative
>>>> process that was about the people's right to make a judgment about who
>>>> should govern them.
>>>>
>>>> Meanwhile, Mr. Obama said at a news conference on Tuesday in Chicago
>>>> that it was inappropriate for him to comment in detail on the
>>>> Blagojevich investigation. He said he would let the Illinois legislature
>>>> decide whether a special election should be held to choose his successor.
>>>>
>>>> Mr. Obama also reiterated that an internal report by his staff on any
>>>> connections between his staff and the governor's office will be released
>>>> next week.
>>>>
>>>> Sharon Otterman contributed reporting from New York.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>> To subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>>> __________________________________________________
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>         
>>> __________________________________________________
>>> To subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>>> __________________________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>>       
>> __________________________________________________
>> To subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
>> __________________________________________________
>>
>>     
> __________________________________________________
> To subscribe/unsubscribe or for help with using the mailing list go to http://www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
>
>   