This is what I've been waiting for...

President Obama is tired of stupid people too!!! I made my favorite parts in bold:


Obama to GOP: "Iranians can speak for themselves"

By Mike Madden

President Obama answers a question during a news conference at the White House Tuesday.

June 23, 2009 | WASHINGTON -- Live from the White House on Tuesday, the world got a lesson in what happens when an unstoppable force -- in this case, the 24-hour news cycle -- meets an immovable object -- the elaborate conventions of international diplomacy, and 30 years of poisoned Iran-U.S. relations. The results weren't always pretty.

"You seemed to hint that there are human rights violations taking place [in Iran]," NBC's Chuck Todd asked President Obama, though it was more a statement than a question. Since the demonstrations began, the White House has been trying to walk a fine line between speaking out against the gruesome ways the Iranian government has cracked down and inserting the United States blindly into the situation. Obama had opened his Tuesday press conference with the strongest language he's used yet to express U.S. outrage. But the press corps spent the better part of the next hour asking questions that seemed designed to suck any remaining nuance out of the White House stance. So Obama didn't bother extending reporters the same diplomatic niceties he's trying to use with Iran.

"I'm not hinting," he told Todd, referring -- for the second time -- to the videos of Neda Agha Soltan being killed on Saturday. "I think that when a young woman gets shot on the street when she gets out of her car, that's a problem." Todd tried to follow up, asking why Obama wouldn't lay out specific consequences for Iran if the crackdown continued. "Because I think that we don't know yet how this thing is going to play out," Obama snapped. "I know everybody here is on a 24-hour news cycle. I'm not. OK?"

That was how things went Tuesday, in Obama's fourth formal news conference since taking office (and the first one held in the middle of the day, instead of during prime time). No one watching could have had any doubts about whose side the president is on in the ongoing clashes between the militias and paramilitaries backing Iran's hard-line clerics and the thousands of protesters who have taken to the streets since last Friday's election.

"The United States and the international community have been appalled and outraged by the threats, the beatings and imprisonments of the last few days," Obama said, to open the press conference. "I strongly condemn these unjust actions, and I join with the American people in mourning each and every innocent life that is lost."

But the angrier tone didn't mean the White House wanted to get drawn into a debate with Iran's ruling cleric, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has been trying to blame the country's unrest on the U.S., the United Kingdom, Zionists, the Appalachian Trail -- pretty much anyone except himself. Though GOP critics have been pushing for a harder line from Washington since the crisis started, Obama wouldn't budge. The White House is still playing a high-stakes game, trying to show support for the protesters, couched in terms of universal human rights, without making the demonstrations about the U.S.

"This tired strategy of using old tensions to scapegoat other countries won't work anymore in Iran," Obama said. "This is not about the United States or the West; this is about the people of Iran and the future that they -- and only they -- will choose."

"The Iranian people can speak for themselves. That's precisely what's happened in the last few days."

What hasn't been clear, listening to Republicans evoke gauzy, soft-focus memories of Ronald Reagan standing up to various dictators (never mind that his administration also sold Iran weapons during its bloody war with Iraq), is exactly what the point of intervening in the civil unrest would be. "The pope and Ronald Reagan inspired people," Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, told Fox News Monday night, hearkening back to the Cold War. "And this president, to his credit, is one of the great orators of our time. I'd like to see him go to a place like the Statue of Liberty and speak boldly for this young lady who died." That seems like it would mostly serve to pump up American patriotism, though. The protesters -- who go to their roofs every night to shout, "Allah-o akbar," or "God is great," in Farsi, echoing Iran's 1979 revolution that put the mullahs in power -- don't seem to be identifying themselves with the U.S., directly or indirectly.

Iranian-American activists have been making that point to anyone in Washington whom they can reach lately. "If our intention is to help, we have to first listen to the people in Iran rather than to pretend to speak for them without ever having had consulted with them," said Trita Parsi, the president of the National Iranian American Council, in a statement after Obama's remarks. It's not clear whether a recent round of public appearances by Reza Pahlavi -- the son of the U.S.-backed shah, deposed in 1979 -- have been doing much to help the cause in Tehran, either.

Obama made fairly clear what he thought of the input from Graham, and, for that matter, Sen. John McCain, his opponent last year -- who has also urged him to speak more firmly. CBS's Chip Reid asked the president whether the GOP pressure had changed policy. "What do you think?" Obama asked him, with a withering stare. "I think that all of us share a belief that we want justice to prevail."

"But only I'm the president of the United States," he continued. "And I've got responsibilities in making certain that we are continually advancing our national security interests and that we are not used as a tool to be exploited by other countries."

There were, of course, other topics that came up at the press conference. Obama defended his healthcare plan, which is showing signs of not being as dead as pundits declared it to be. He took a question on Latin America policy, in a nod to the visit, later in the afternoon, by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet. He said the economy was lurching toward recovery, and wouldn't need a second stimulus plan yet.

And he also admitted, after mocking the question, that he still has a vice or two that he hides from the public. "Look, I've said before that as a former smoker I constantly struggle with it," Obama said, in one of the press conference's strangest detours (prompted by the news that the president had signed into law on Monday new legislation giving the federal government authority to regulate cigarettes). "Have I fallen off the wagon sometimes? Yes. Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No. I don't do it in front of my kids. I don't do it in front of my family. And, you know, I would say that I am 95 percent cured. But there are times where ... There are times where I mess up." For any president, it was a rare confession. Don't expect to hear him say that about his Iran policy any time soon. Listening to Obama on Tuesday, it was pretty clear he thinks he's got that right. For now.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/06/23/obama/index.html

Suck on THAT JohnMcLindseyGrahamCain. Don't you two have better things to do?? Like keeping your state's governor's pants on and in the country?? Yeah stimulus money doesn't mean Argentinian booty call at the taxpayers expense.
And remember what Joe Klein told you, McCain??
"Be quiet,"You don't need to do this. You know? You know what you're doing is a self-indulgent at this point. Sen. McCain, if he's going to talk about this, should also talk about the fact that the United States supported Saddam Hussein in the Iran/Iraq war for eight years. Every one of those protesters out in the streets, every last one of them believes the United States supplied Saddam Hussein with the poison gas that has debilitated tens of thousands of Iranian men."

How disappointing is this???

So my daughters and I stopped at fireworks stand to buy some firecrackers. We had a grand scheme to light them right outside my bedroom window after my husband went to bed. Firecrackers are illegal in Utah these days. I know that they probably blew off a few digits when I was young, but I didn't lose MY thumb when I had a premature explosion. I lost feeling in it for a while, but I was careful to choose the ones with longer fuses if I needed to toss it. This could explain the problems with young people these days. Safety is forced upon them. So we asked for something loud. There's a scale of one to four, four being the loudest and we bought some. He went to bed at 10:30 so we tiptoed outside and set one on the ground, lit it and attempted to run. I lit and jumped up and tried to run sideways fell and rolled a while. The firework was a high pitched screech and it sent the outdoor cats running and we were trying to get inside to act totally innocent. Unfortunately the indoor cats were gathered at the backdoor curious and we had a small tangle. We all were back in place on the couch but laughing hysterically at the whole incident and waited for him to come out. Nothing.. We went back out, this time we wedged it in the gate right next to the window. I lit, we ran, nothing. It was a dud. We tried again and this time it was all perfect. We were all in place although we were still laughing. The man is totally deaf. We went in to ask him what the heck is wrong with him. He heard nothing. So basically our house could be robbed and we could be dragged from the house screaming and my husband would have no freaking clue.
AND the scale should go up to a 10. We could have been arrested. Hauled off to the clink. He wouldn't even know until he read the article in the newspaper about who has been arrested in the past 24 hours.
Total bummer. I have grass stains on my PJs, a bruise on my butt, traumatized cats, and a rash from the grass. But it WAS pretty freaking funny!

RIP Michael Jackson

I remember when I first heard the 80's Michael Jackson. I hated him. Then I loved him. I loved everything he did, I loved how cheesy the whole Beat It gang fight was. Hated the gloves, hated the floods, hated the military jackets and the red ones. Loved the videos, loved the music. I've never understood the plastic surgery, because he was so cute. It was a sad and strange obsession. I also think he had a sad and horrifying childhood. A freaky ambitious father that heaped on all sorts of abuse. I can't imagine what his childhood was like, but I watched him destroy himself and fight off one child molestation case after another. I can't believe that it's all misunderstandings and to acquit time after time was frightening. I tend to believe that where there's smoke, there's fire. I've been heartbroken about all of the victims that came of this. I hope his children will be okay. I hope they can find a way to deal with the tragedy in their lives. Heal and find some normalcy.
I am sadden by the loss of Michael Jackson. I felt he was slipping away long ago, but his death at such a young age is very, very, sad. I hope he's found peace.

Reza Aslan on The Daily Show.

I love love LOVED this interview! Def worth the watch:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Reza Aslan
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

Something I would blog about...

But chose to actually have a conversation about:

Homophobic Perez Hilton.. The new face of Gay rights.

Don't cry for me Argentina...

The GOP is dropping like flies. So the whole Gov. Mark Sanford missing in action and his people lied to the state of South Carolina to cover for him. It was shady from the get go, but I think we all knew there was another man, woman or llama. After several versions of the story, he's finally admitted to having another woman and has withdrawn. I'd like to see the numbers of dems vs. repubs and their shady dramas lately.

All of the thorns seem to have disappeared from the Paradox Patch..

I haven't been as vocal in my political feelings lately. I'm oddly calm lately or maybe it's the turmoil in my little corner of the world.
The Iranian reformists have not taken the rigged election lightly. People with green bands around their arms are endangering their lives to fight the corrupt regime that has violated the rights of their citizens. Peaceful protestors have been gunned down for exercising their right to oppose unfair treatment. Back in the good ol' US of A a good many people are criticizing President Obama's handling of the situation. He's not forceful enough for the fat lazy Americans (mostly the GOP) who kick back watching people who are more courageous than they will ever be. These protesters are exposing the corrupt regime more and more everyday. They are taking their country back. You think they don't know that they may die for that? Once upon a time we did the exact same thing. President Obama is watching the situation and taking it very seriously, but his interference would only serve to bring more violence and death to these brave people. Let them take their country back. We support that. We did it ourselves. So McCain, reacquaint yourself with our fore fathers and what advice they gave us. Foreign entanglements is not always wise or safe. For them and for us. President Reagan was a perfect example that the spoken word was often mightier than the famous Beach Boys/ McCain hit "Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb bomb Iran". Also there is an stand that Prez Bush Sr. took that was just like this and it turned out to be correct. I am sure I'm not alone in my admiration of the strength and determination of the reformists of Iran. I think some Americans have forgotten what it is to fight to the death for what they believe in. RIP Neda.

Mad cow or multiple personalities??

Okay here's an update on the tentatively named Charlie feline from hell:

Charlie and Boo. This is rare together moment because Charlie is usually in hiding so he can jump on Boo's back and try to stay on for 8 seconds.

Charlie and Sasha. Sasha has a lot more patience than Boo does, but she gets tormented more often.

This is the saloon girl who has had one too many, look.

This needs no explanation. How do you name a cat like this???

A shout out to my sister.

I had a lively discussion about politics and global events and even though we disagreed upon occasion, it was intelligent and respectful. I enjoyed it.

Woohoo!!!! Wonderland is coming!!

I'm so excited for Public Enemies on July 1st that I can barely contain myself. But NOW they've released some pic's from Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland. Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Queen of Hearts and Anne Hathaway as the White Queen. Check it out: