And In The Prediction Department ...

This morning, The Garlic takes a bold, previously-untaken step, in offering three predictions for Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

1. There's likely to be a large number of your employees calling in sick on Monday

2. Expect mass resignations in the very near future

3. Buy earplugs, so you can muffle the plaintive cries of "Help Me Mr. Wizard!"

What prompts this polishing of the old crystal ball? Has the spirit of Jean Dixon cracked through a few of those cloves?

It was the news - alarming news if you happen to work for the State Department - in this mornings' Washington Post;

State Dept. To Order Diplomats To Iraq; As Many as 50 Positions Are Expected to Be Open

And it carried this ominous gem;

On Monday, 200 to 300 employees will be notified of their selection as "prime candidates" for 50 open positions in Iraq, said Harry K. Thomas, director general of the Foreign Service. Some are expected to respond by volunteering, he said. However, if an insufficient number volunteers by Nov. 12, a department panel will determine which ones will be ordered to report to the Baghdad embassy next summer.

"Ordered to report to the Baghdad embassy ..."

You mean the Baghdad embassy that been in the news lately?

The one with poor workmanship and that is running over budget and delayed?

But wait a minute, they're dangling a few carrots for you;

Those who are ordered to Baghdad as part of the new call-up will receive incentives, known as the Iraq Service Package, already offered to volunteers. It includes additional pay of about 70 percent for most mid-level officers, plus another 20 percent of basic salary to compensate for long hours. Officers are not allowed to take their families to Baghdad, but the package allows them to leave spouses and children in whatever post they transfer from for the length of their tour, or to send them back to Washington.

U.S. diplomats in Baghdad are given five "rest and relaxation" breaks during the year, including up to three of them in the United States, for a total of 60 days outside Iraq. Those completing a Baghdad tour are also given preference in choosing their next assignment."

Well, they probably did tell you, either in the interview, or when you first came to work at State, that you could end up in an exciting and exotic location.

Could be worse - you could have been assigned to the team that is pretending to be conducting diplomacy with Iran.

In any case, Buena Suerta, Baby! ... You're gonna need it.

Bonus Condi Riffs

Top Ten Cloves: Ways To Tell Your Newly Constructed Iraq Embassy Is Poorly Built

Top Ten Cloves: Things About Condoleezza Rice Becoming NFL Commissioner

New Liz Cheney Op-Ed!

Our Girl Condi Gets A Theme Song - Neocons and Lovers


If Condi says so, a lot of new State Dept. boots will be walking around in Baghdad

Top Ten Cloves: Things That Are Confusing To People About Taco Bells' "Steal A Base, Steal A Taco" Baseball Promotion

News Item: Taco Bell promotion is off base to some

10. Can I steal other things from Taco Bell, along with the taco?

9. October 30th isn't good for me ... Can I steal a taco on another day?

8. Are there any trans-fat in tacos?

7. I don't get it ... Do we have to steal a baseball player first?

6. Is this part of the Immigration problem? Are illegal immigrants stealing tacos?

5. I heard it on Fox Sports - Does that mean only Republicans get the free tacos?

4. Only baseball players are getting the free tacos?

3. Do they allow substitutions? Can I get a burrito, instead?

2. I don't like tacos ... Can I steal something from McDonalds?

1. This isn't a fake offer, is it? ... Something like that FEMA news conference thing?


Bonus, But Stolen, Links

Red Sox Player Earns You a Free Taco; World Series Stolen Base Means Everyone Can Get a Freebie

Coco and Clayton ring Taco’s bell with dougout chat

Free Taco Promotion at Taco Bell

Wag The FEMA

Well, it appears that life - in this case, your government - is imitating the movies.

FEMA Stages Press Conference: Staff Pose As Journalists And Ask ‘Softball’ Questions

As Al Karmen, in the Washington Post reports;

"And so I think what you're really seeing here is the benefit of experience, the benefit of good leadership and the benefit of good partnership," Johnson said, "none of which were present in Katrina." (Wasn't Michael Chertoff DHS chief then?) Very smooth, very professional. But something didn't seem right. The reporters were lobbing too many softballs. No one asked about trailers with formaldehyde for those made homeless by the fires. And the media seemed to be giving Johnson all day to wax on and on about FEMA's greatness.

Of course, that could be because the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters. We're told the questions were asked by Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director of external affairs, and by "Mike" Widomski, the deputy director of public affairs. Director of External Affairs John "Pat" Philbin asked a question, and another came, we understand, from someone who sounds like press aide Ali Kirin.

Why isn't this totally shocking?

After all, we've had a unitary, imperial presidency in which they have been their own Congress (See Signing Statements), been their own Court (See Making Their Own Laws), been their own jailers (See CIA Black Sites and Extraordinary Rendition).

So, it goes that this would seep down into the branches of their inept administration.

Perhaps the bigger shock is why this hasn't happened sooner.

Well, technically, it did - See Jeff Gannon.

What may be sadder in all of this, is that, it wasn't far off the track of what the lapdog, lame, Kool-Aid-drinking Mainstream Media has been like for most of this regime.

After all, they carried it, live on television and nobody noticed anything unusual.

And the most ironic thing about it, forget about life-saving supplies, FEMA couldn't even deliver journalists to a press conference.

Time once again, to cue up Que Sera Sera...

Bonus "Real" Links

The Carpetbagger Report: FEMA holds a press conference with itself

Larisa Alexandrovna: FEMA staffers impersonate reporters...

Creature/The Reaction: Managing the message

Christy Hardin Smith/FireDogLake: Bizarre Moments In Bushworld

Public Service Announcement - Dick Cheney Hunting Alert

If you are traveling in the Poughkeepsie/Duchess County, New York area, this is for you.

Courtesy of Think Progress:

"The Poughkeepsie Journal in New York reports that “Vice President Dick Cheney is coming to Duchess County again to go hunting.” On Monday, Cheney is “expected to leave Poughkeepsie and head to the Clove Valley Rod & Gun Club.”

People there should worry about the Vice President, not drinking, but falling asleep.

Bonus Meditating VP Riffs

White House To Manage Media; New White House Press Strategy On VP Shooting Deemed "Smashing Success"; Expect More Reports From Average Citizens, Local Papers Breaking News; President May Board Up Press Room

Bush To Change Legal Landscape; White House Primed To Replace "Miranda" With New, "Cheney Decision"; Says Still Tough On Crime; Won't Be Applicable For Rounded-Up Terror Suspects - "That's What Patriot Act Is For"

News In Brief! Cheney Woozy After MTP, Failed To Continue Nazi Thread; Cheney Briefly Hospitalized After Television Appearance Yesterday; Vice President Complained Of Dizziness After Relentless Spin Session on ‘Meet The Press’

Cheney Slated For Surgery; Halliburton Gets No Bid Contract; $26M For Operating Room Clean-up; "Can't have VP's DNA Floating Around" Says White House

Libby Trial Update - The Scooter and Cheney Show Theme Song

Barry Crimmins Exclusive! Quick action saves Reagan Library

Barry Crimmins has another exclusive, this one concerning the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.

Threatened by the raging wildfires that are devastating Southern California, Crimmins reports that "a ragtag group of American patriots, former residents of Central America and nation-less arms traders banded together" to save the day.

Read the Crimmins Scoop - Quick action saves Reagan Library

Visit Barry Crimmin's website

Other Barry Crimmins on The Garlic

Roger Ailes Is Slipping ... Blows Wildfire Scoop For New Biz Network

"I heard that Al Qaeda causes night to fall"
Keith Olbermann

Heads are gonna roll on this one.

You can expect certain things ... Like the Rightwing Freakshow, such as Glen Beck and Stalkin' "M-Squared" Malkin, heads spinning like Linda Blair, foaming that the Environmentalists are to blame for the California wildfires.

And, of course the flag-waving, Bush-Lovin', fear-fueling, Faux News Network.

You think that uber-newsman Roger Ailes would be on top of his game, especially this week, with the launch of the Faux Business Network. That they would be bellowing and hawking everything in the name of FBN. From Wall Street mergers to Kool-Aid stands (Republican, Red State Kool Aid stands, of course).

So what happens?

They leave the scoop of the week - that Al Qaeda may be behind the California wildfires - to their sappy, dopey Morning Show crew. 'Fox & Friends'.

Memo to Roger: Fire all your producers!

Following the Faux News policy of ignoring facts, pumping up the Bush Grindhouse, and being as far away from reality as possible, 'Fox and Friends laid out "the plot", from uncorroborated evidence of a terrorist detainee, of setting wildfires as part of a vast terrorist attack on the United States.

One small problem - the memo on this scoop was four-years old, and, if that wasn't noticed, California wasn't mentioned as being part of this attack.

2nd Memo to Roger: Make sure new producers you hire can read, or have eye-glasses

Now just think, you've launched an alleged business network, you have hours-and-hours of airtime to fill and you have this hot scoop on the Number One story in the nation this same week and you blow it!

I mean, Roger, jeepers, you could have milked this for two, possible three, days .. Maybe all week!

All those graphics and kirons, blaring out on the terrorist plot to undermine our economy.

"Al Qaeda Set Wildfires To Destroy U.S. Timber Industry"

There's a day of talking heads ... Analysts, Lobbyists, other industry gadflys, egged on by your anchors, predicting dire consequences of no newspapers, no greeting cards (quick cut to Jane Doe, somewhere in Red State America, crying at not being able to send out Christmas Cards this year - Get O"Reilly on this one, so he can launch this years' War Against Christmas bullshit)

Transportation, Roger.

The wildfires were started by Al Qaeda to cripple the transportation (think of the kirons you could use; "Al Qaeda To Californians - Start Walking!"). You could pull your big gun, Sean Hannity, to a guest spot and revive his ranting about the buses.

Or "Al Qaeda Wildfires Aimed At Crippling California Agriculture"

The Food Industry, Roger ... Oh, Christ, that's three-days, minimum ...

No lettuce for salads, which you can tie-in and exploit with the obesity issue ("Al Qaeda Wants To Make Americans Fat!") ... Avocados! ... Reporter stand-ups from Southern California restaurants, camera-shot on a lonely bowl of salsa chips, which, thanks to Al Qaeda, there's nothing to dip them into.

Grapes! ... Wine! ... Here's the tried-and-true Faux News brand of bashing the French ... That the French must be in cahoots with Al Qaeda so they can push up the sales of French wine, over California Wine ... More hours of experts babbling away, quoting Republican talking points ...

The Ratings Buster










And, of course Roger, the scoop of scoops ... The Ratings Buster ... The item that will redefine the maps that this story will place your fledgling network on ...

Using all the power of those skills so deftly employed by the Faux News Network, namely, making up whatever you want to drill home your jingoistic fear-mongering, and after hours and days of teasers about the big story, what it's all about, coming ...

"Al Qaeda Wildfires Seen As Diversion; Goal Is To Overtake Disneyland"

That's right. Osama bin Laden wants to take control of Disneyland and turn it into a Muslim playground ... All woman (including Minnie Mouse) visitors in hijabs ... Out goes the Hall of Presidents, in comes the Hall of Ayatollahs ... It now becomes Country Camel Jamboree ...

And here's the kicker, Roger ... The piece that will give this thing legs, carry you for weeks at the top of the ratings - You tie Iran into it ... That Iran is supporting Al Qaeda in taking over Disneyland ... The story will practical write itself (well, actually, all you have to do is copy whatever is coming out of the Bush Grindhouse for the Iran part)).

You blew it Roger ... You messed up ...

You let your "Chatty Kathy's" in the morning dribble out this faux story when you could have trumpeted it for days-on-end with your new business channel ... Aside from building your audience and television footprint, think of all that lost revenue ... Millions, Roger, millions ...

And you know what that means ... Ruppert comes down on you.

So, get busy, hire all those new producers and have them start combing through some more 4-year old intelligence memos ... There's gotta be another non-story story that you can puff up.

Bonus Faux Links

News Hounds - We watch FOX so you don't have to

Cenk Uygur - POLL: Time For Us To Label Fox?

Fox News: 'Fair and Balanced' or 'Fox for Bush?'

Top Ten Cloves: Ways Roger Ailes and Fox News Plans On Ending Its’ Ratings Slump

Keith Olbermann: President Bush’s fear fiction


President Bush’s fear fiction

Top Ten Cloves: Ways President Bush Wants To Improve The Terror Watch List

News Item: More Than 755,000 on US Terrorist Watch List

10. Debating whether or not to add the Extraordinary Rendition people onto the list

9. Have White House lawyers make sure he owns copyright to list, so, when he leaves office, he can sell the movie rights

8. Still trying to figure out how to use, before the 2008 elections, the Terror Watch List to supress the Democrats' votes

7. Needs to get on top of David Addington, to bury the paperwork; The memos from Cheney everyday, adding thousands is getting to be too much

6. If the legislation doesn't get passed, will be adding gays to the list, if only, to stop the weddings

5. Rolling out a "Frequent Detainee Program"

4. Needs to hire more people, to capture critical comment writers on liberal blog sites so they can be added to the list

3. Actually likes the Terror Watch List; Don't need to go to the FISA Court to put someone on it and tap their telephones

2. Approve RNC request to use it as a fundraiser - Big, six-figure donors get to look through list, see if there's anyone they know on it

1. Things have gotten better, and less confusing, since he listened to Laura and changed his other list to "Scary Movies To View" up in the living quarters

Bonus The Decider/Commander/Shakespeare Guy Links

"And Now We Come To The Sanity Clause ..."

"Anyway, look, nobody has accused me of being Shakespeare, you know?"

Top Ten Cloves: Ways To Tell If You Have "Bush Fatigue"

This Just In! Romney Backs McCain In Wanting To "Shoot Obama"

Says Consulted Sons About Using Deadly Force; Hopes Opportunity Comes Before Primaries

Jumping sharks and strapping dogs to the roof of the family car just don't seem quite enough.

For the second straight day, Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney brought up the name of a Democratic rival, this time, saying he would back fellow candidate John McCain in "shooting Barack Obama".

Romney was following up on a McCain appearance yesterday, at the Thompson Center Arms in Rochester, New Hampshire, where the Arizona Senator was pandering for support, telling workers at the small arms factory that "I will follow Osama Bin Laden to the gates of hell and I will shoot him with your products."

Romney, not wanting to stumble again on using force, as he did in the Republican debate last week, quickly supported his rival, and attempted to top him, saying "I wouldn't wait to get to the Gates of Hell, I would go to the ends-of-the-earth to shoot Barack Obama."

Romney then, jokingly, added "I just hope it the opportunity comes before the primaries."

Just yesterday, Romney, speaking at a Chamber of Commerce meeting in Greenwood, South Carolina, and discussing the latest audio tape release of the still-on-the-loose Al Qaeda leader, told a stunned audience that "Actually, just look at what Osam - Barack Obama - said just yesterday. Barack Obama, calling on radicals, jihadists of all different types, to come together in Iraq. That is the battlefield ..."

Romney spokesman Kevin Madden brushed off the name stumble, highlighting it was the first time, since the debate, that Romney could reach out for "good advice" from his sons.

"Notice," Madden asked the assembled media, "that the Governor didn't say he would consult with lawyers before shooting Obama? Notice how decisive he was ... How he didn't hesitate to say he would use deadly force ... He'll be just as strong, just as quick, when he is the President."

When alerted to Romney's comments, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton sighed.

"That means," said a weary Burton, "that we'll have to go out and get our own body armor ... If we wait for this administration to provide it ... Well, I don't want to think about that."

Surprisingly, Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey injected himself into the Romney gaffe.

When asked by reporters to comment on one candidate shooting another candidate, Mukasey paused before answering, and then offered that "If it amounts to shooting, then it is not Constitutional... Unless it's the President doing the shooting."

McCain, after hearing Romney's remarks snapped that Romney's sons "should be thrown out of the country."

Bonus Fric-and-Frac Links

Retro Garlic ... That Madcap McCain Is At It - Again!

More Bad News For McCain; Death Cat Curling Up Next To His Campaign Photos; Senator and Presidential Hopeful Drops F-Bomb, As Feline Grim Reaper Maintains Streak, Giving Signal That McCain Effort Over

Top Ten Cloves: Things About Mitt Romney's Announcement To Run For President

Retro Garlic: I'm Surprised It Wasn't Headlined As "Mormon Candidate Ties To Cosmetic Industry Exposed"


30 Rock - Jenna on Politics

Yet Another "I'm Shocked ... Shocked To Find Gambling Going On Here ..."

Jeez ... They're not even trying to hide it, to act surprised ... Make an effort at not being blatantly overt ...

In our latest installment of "I'm Shocked ... Shocked To Find Gambling Going On Here..." (Second one this month), the Bush Grindhouse is up to it's usual tricks ...

In the AM

Bush Wants $46 Billion More for Wars

In the PM

Worried Bin Laden Urges Iraq Insurgents to 'Unite'

That's right, boys and girls, just as The Commander Guy digs in to batter the Congress again with his Invasion and Occupation Funding requests, right off the presses comes a brand-spanking-new Osama bin Laden tape.

And we have to give the spinmeisters some credit ... They're updating their fearmongering ...

Since we've been beaten over the head, via the PetraeusReportPalooza, on how the surging is working, and things are getting better in Iraq ... And those little bon mots tossed around last week, with no real ownership, but just enough oomph to get it in the headlines, on how AIQ, to use the lingo, is all but vanquished ...

So, they can't have OBL (more lingo usage) spouting off with new threats, boastfully. They've gotta have him sweating ... Nervous ... And, as you see above, it's a "Worried Bin Laden" today ...

I can just picture Cheney, and Hadley and assorted other Neocronies, sitting around, putting the finishing touches on it.

"Concerned ...Let's say he's concerned"

"No, Mr. Vice President, we need something more telling ... Remember, the surge is working, we've got them on the run."

"You're right ... You're right ..."

"Let's say he's worried ... Worried conveys just enough weakness that our people can embellish on, in the PR's, etc ... We can tweak all the numbers to show that he has cause to be worried, etc ... Let's us show our strength ... "

And then they all clink their Caffeine-Free Diet Sprite cans together in a toast ...

I know it’s a week early, but much like when the little children come around in their Halloween costumes (rumor has the "No Health Insurance" is the hottest get-up), try to act scared and surprised ... You want to make them feel good.

Bonus They're Out There Links

Crooks and Liars: Bush Says No To Children And Yes To War - Bin Laden Tape Shows Up Just In Time

Think Progress: Days After Claiming U.S. Less Safe Due To Iraq War, Counterterrorism Chief Suddenly Resigns

Truthout: Olbermann: Bush Used Bogus Terror Threat to Scare Votes for FISA Bill

Crooks and Liars: Keith Olbermann Updates The Nexus Of Terror And Politics - Creating Terror Scares

Extra! Extra! Crimmins Scoop On Giuliani!

Considering his record, I suppose it would be a bigger scoop if a day went by without a scoop on America's 911 Mayor.

But the ever-digging Barry Crimmins has come up with one, that is, how should we say, quite arresting;

We will all be there before (we know it)

Visit Barry Crimmin's website

Other Barry Crimmins on The Garlic


Bonus Rudy Riffs

Anonymous Liberal: Anyone But Giuliani

Wayne Barrett: Rudy Giuliani's Five Big Lies About 9/11

Something Rudy

Obit: Former Packer Max McGee Dead At 75

Out Partying The Night Before, Not Expecting To Die

Former Green Bay Packer wide receiver Max McGee died this week, a result of an accident while clearing leaves from the roof of his home.

McGee, a little-used player for the powerhouse Packers of the early 1960's, rose to fame in the first Super Bowl, which saw the Packers crush the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10, back in 1966.

Not expecting to see any action in the game, and after a night out-on-the-town, McGee was pressed into play after an injury to star receiver Boyd Dowler forced him to the sidelines.

McGee will live in posterity as the first person to score a Super Bowl touchdown, making a dazzling one-handed catch for a 37-yard TD. McGee went on to score another touchdown, ending the day with seven receptions for 138 yards.

Following his football career, Max McGee enjoyed success in developing restaurants and as a football television commentator.

According to a family friend, McGee was out partying the night before his death, getting virtually no sleep before attempting to clean the leaves from his roof.

"Max had no earthly idea he was going to die that day," said the friend.

Bonus Max McGee Links

Max McGee, former Packers receiver, dies at 75 in fall from roof

NFL Wire Notes | Green Bay teammates recall McGee

McGee Leads the Pack

On Colbert & Russert: "The citizens of Dresden didn't endure as much of a bombing as this"

Colbert may be thinking about changing his name, once again, this time to Col-Boring!

It was pretty brutal, almost to the point of having to reevaluate Rich Little's WHCA Dinner disaster (at least, being thankful that Little Timmy Russert didn't interview Rich as part of the act)

It was complete with awkward pauses, and awkward glances ... The longer it went on, leaving you on edge, and sickened, as if watching some of the Bush Grindhouse's non-torture, torture practices.

We're talking about, of course, yesterday's 'Meet The Press', where the final segment of the show had Little Timmy Russert interviewing faux presidential candidate (who is also a faux news anchor/host) Stephen Colbert.

Now, Colbert has built himself a good gig and continues to inject humor, at times, into his one-joke act.

This "running for president" thing, though, is all about selling - what a surprise - a new book, written by - oh no, another surprise - Stephen Colbert.

And even Colbert himself must know that this thing went old about 10-minutes after he announced it, being he is only running in one state (his home of South Carolina; And he's running on both the Republican and Democratic ballots, apparently, to extend the joke).

But people are taking polls, and taking measure on his electoral chances.

In case you missed it, just above;

This "running for president" thing is all about selling - what a surprise - a new book, written by - oh no, another surprise - Stephen Colbert.

As the great satirist Barry Crimmins noted last week, on comedians running for President, or other elective office, "It's been done".

But the MTP bomb ... Phew ... I supposed we should be grateful that Little Timmy didn't book him for the entire hour.

God, drill my teeth, without Novocain, in the middle of an insurance underwriters convention.

And to be fair to Colbert, Little Timmy was as much the culprit, with attempting to adopt the same persona as Colbert in which to interview this faux candidate.

Which is most ironic, being that, when Little Timmy is in his own persona, week-after-week, he, pretty much, is a softball-throwing, vice-presidential-favorite, faux newsman anyway.

The citizens of Dresden didn't endure as much of a bombing as this.

Over-the-top, you say?

Russert droned on with an absolutely, going-nowhere Sesame Street riff, complete with holding up a Ernie doll;

"He and Mr. Russert went round and round about his name, too, in one of the wilder moments when Mr. Russert held up a Sesame Street character and asked Mr. Colbert (who now pronounces his name Col-bair rather than his family’s pronunciation of Col-burt) to identify the other half of (fill-in-the blank) and Ernie. And Mr. Russert kept it up, asking why then he shouldn’t pronounce his own name as Russ-air."

How about 'Russ-Rear", as in a horse's ass.

And Stephen ... You don't need MTP ... You have your own show, five nights a week ... You want to sell a book, fine ... Wear a sandwich-board sign ... Or next time, go on Oprah ...


The All-Colbert Link Fest

Wonkette: colbert '08 - Stephen Colbert, Tim Russert Confuse Each Other

Michael J.W. Stickings: Colbert and Russert

Raw Story: Comedian Stephen Colbert explains his Presidential aspirations to NBC's Tim Russert

The Caucus: Colbert: I Am a Candidate (And So Can You!)

Top Ten Cloves: Things Overheard At The Voter Value Summit

News Item: Evangelicals Gather at Summit

10. Think any of these new guys running will pick up where Ralph Reed left off, and get us back into the casino business?

9. I know he gives us good coverage, but we've put up a lot with O'Reilly ... The Loofahs ... The Harlem restaurant ... We have to draw the line with this business of being in love with Matt Damon

8. Go out in the parking lot and see for yourself ... Romney brought his dog and it's strapped to the roof of his car!

7. I thought this was going to be another Justice Sunday?

6. We're going to have to speak to Roger Ailes, about getting wholesome, church-going girls on that new business thing he's doing

5. Somebody said Ted Haggard's masseuse was here ... Do you know where can I find him?

4. The discount coupons for the Creation Museum were supposed to be in the registration packages, not given to the Huckabee campaign!

3. I heard, for the big finale today, Pat Robertson is going to debut a new curse against the liberals ... Maybe even smote a few

2. Good thing the Yankees were knocked out of the playoffs, so that it didn't present a schedule conflict for Giuliani

1. Nice they set up a Jesus Camp, so we could bring the kids


Somebody said Ted Haggard's masseuse was here ... Do you know where can I find him?

The Savvy Girls of Summer

Here's a little something for you, before the big Game 7, this evening ...

We never know what's going to turn up when we run our, now infamous, baseball primers (featuring, of course, The Baseball Essay!) ... We get letters, for sure, lots of them (See the sidebar, under "Sports ... On The Garlic" for links).

Earlier this month, when we posted It's MLB Playoff Time ... That Means Time For The Garlic Baseball Primer Essay, along with the usual letters flowing in, something else turned up as well ...

The Savvy Girls of Summer

Deidre (of Deidre and Jackie fame) emailed, hipping The Garlic to their exploits, up there in the dark, often rainy, Northwest city of Seattle.

Along with writing their blog, these two ladies are on the runway of fame and fortune, turning their lives, and the merger of said, with their life-long love of baseball, and have written a book - "Are Diamonds for Everyone?" - due to be published and released in 2008.

We finally realized that not working ourselves into a lather about the 1952 World Series didn’t make us any less of a fan than our male counterparts or others that considered themselves "real" fans. We were relieved when we realized that we simply enjoy baseball from a different perspective. This perspective is missing in baseball literature - it is that of the pure spectator. The one who was never coached in how to turn a double play. Our book is an effort to share our enthusiasm for baseball with lifelong fans and the "baseball curious" of either gender.

Take a spin over to The Savvy Girls of Summer and check it out ... The ballpark outings, the tales of real life and the baseball scorebook they've come up with (which you can purchase) ...

And put Deidre and Jackie, and their book, on your radar next year

Of Sports, Politics, Constitutional Crises and Yesteryear ... I'd put my money on Sam Ervin ...

These arguments are, typically, always centered around sports, of who's better, the athletes of today, or the athletes of yesteryear.

I mean, everyone knows that Alex Rodriguez can't hold a candle to Mickey Mantle ... Or that Bill Russell would have Lebron James for lunch ...

Yesterday, such wistfulness filled me, longing for a United States Congress that truly, and legitimately, responds to a Constitutional Crises.

For yesterday, October 20th, was the 34th anniversary of the infamous "Saturday Night Massacre", perhaps, arguably, the tipping point of the Watergate Scandal.

On Oct. 20, 1973, in the so-called Saturday Night Massacre, President Nixon abolished the office of special Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, accepted the resignation of Attorney General Elliot L. Richardson and fired Deputy Attorney General William B. Ruckelshaus

The U.S. Congress of 1973 did respond, within days, by pumping out Articles of Impeachment against Richard M. Nixon and the rest, as they say, is history.

And what do we have today?

Senate and Bush Agree On Terms of Spying Bill; Some Telecom Companies Would Receive Immunity

The Congress of today would rather endorse, and be complicit with the abuses of the Constitution by a lawless, corrupt Executive Office, rather than to knock their teeth out and get them the hell out.

I'd put my money on Sam Ervin kicking Harry Reid's ass ...

Bonus Links

Daniel Ellsberg: 'A Coup Has Occurred'

William Fisher: Executive Privilege Used to Expand Government Secrecy

John Fabian Witt: A Declaration The President Ignores