meggo

or maybe you should call me!

ok this one made me lol. more than once. so did the couch shitting one. did someone really shit on your couch c towns? that sucks! i'm going to finish my beer.

i find this is a bit frightening. i actually have an american cousin who emailed me this morning and quite seriously asked me for tips on how to expedite the process of emigrating to canada as a skilled worker! [PS, if anyone knows anything about that, i'm all ears! i know a lot of immigrants, but can't think of any who came with that status off the top of my head...] Landmark Supreme Court ruling allows corporate political cash James Vicini WASHINGTON Thu Jan 21, 2010 2:42pm EST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Corporations can spend freely to support or oppose candidates for president and Congress, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, a landmark decision denounced by President Barack Obama for giving special interests more power. "The Supreme Court has given a green light to a new stampede of special interest money in our politics," Obama said after the 5-4 ruling that divided the nation's high court along conservative and liberal lines. "It is a major victory for big oil, Wall Street banks, health insurance companies and the other powerful interests that marshal their power every day in Washington to drown out the voices of everyday Americans," Obama said. Obama said he instructed administration officials "to get to work immediately with Congress on this issue" and "talk with bipartisan congressional leaders to develop a forceful response to this decision." The ruling, a defeat for Obama and supporters of campaign finance limits, is expected to unleash a flood of money to be spent in this year's congressional election and the 2012 presidential contest. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said the long-standing campaign finance limits violated constitutional free-speech rights of corporations. "The government may regulate corporate political speech through disclaimer and disclosure requirements, but it may not suppress that speech altogether," he wrote. The four liberal dissenters said allowing corporate money to flood the political marketplace will corrupt democracy. RULING COULD UNDERMINE INTEGRITY-DISSENT In his sharply worded dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, "The court's ruling threatens to undermine the integrity of elected institutions across the nation." The justices overturned Supreme Court precedents from 2003 and 1990 that upheld federal and state limits on independent expenditures by corporate treasuries to support or oppose candidates. In the 2008 election cycle, nearly $6 billion was spent on all federal campaigns, including more than $1 billion from corporate political action committees, trade associations, executives and lobbyists. The ruling will almost certainly allow labor unions to spend more freely in political campaigns also and it posed a threat to similar limits that had been imposed in about half of the country's 50 states. The top court struck down the part of the federal law that restricted broadcast advertisements for or against political candidates right before elections that are paid for by corporations, labor unions and advocacy groups. The 2002 campaign finance law at issue was named after Senator John McCain, the unsuccessful Republican presidential nominee in 2008, and Democratic Senator Russell Feingold. Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele praised the ruling and said, "Free speech strengths our democracy." Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, long an opponent of the law, said, "For too long, some in this country have been deprived of full participation in the political process." But the law's supporters said the ruling will allow corporations to spend unlimited sums to influence elections. "The bottom line is, the Supreme Court has just predetermined the winners of next November's election. It won't be the Republican or the Democrats and it won't be the American people; it will be corporate America," Senator Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York, said. The decision was a victory for a conservative advocacy group's challenge to the campaign finance law as part of its efforts to broadcast and promote a 2008 movie critical of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. She later became Obama's secretary of state. The Obama administration defended the law's restrictions on election-related spending by corporations, unions and interest groups. The court's conservative majority, with the addition of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, both appointees of then-President George W. Bush, in the ruling made a dramatic change in the campaign finance law designed to regulate the role of money in politics and prevent corruption. (Editing by Howard Goller and Cynthia Osterman)

nice UHF reference! heehee..

soooo... good times? sorry i couldn't make it out, damn saturday school but it was great to see a few faces before hand!

Two more Canadians dead in Haiti

amen GM et al. i am definitely more interested in latin america, but of course spain would be delightful i'm sure. and jay... i will be anticipating a visit from you and the moe.ron, absolutely!!! now all i have to do is find a job...

i know some of them seem sketchy, but i'm doing my homework. colombia is not what it used to be... certainly not perfect, but much better. mexico has a lot of problems these days, but monterrey is one of the safer northern cities. i don't know anything about queretaro. i am quite intrigued by panama, actually. been hearing a lot of good things about it. anyway, useful info would be appreciated kevo, i'd love to talk to your friend.

looking into doing a bit of international teaching for the next school year. here are the countries/cities i'm looking at currently: mexico - mexico city, monterrey, queretaro colombia - bogota, cali, medellin, manizares [sp?] panama - panama city spain - barcelona, puzol these are my top pics! anyone been to any of these places? muchas gracias

wicked!!!! thanks for the info!

thanks for the heads up DB! PS jaimoe i saw them on that tour too.. it was in 93 or 94 in london at centennial hall. here's hoping it's not terrible!!

interesting article hamilton! thx!

another REALLY easy one i've done is a carrot/curry soup. do a quick internet search and there are lots of recipes. basically- -boil a bunch of carrots in chicken broth -blend them up so they're as smooth as you like -add curry powder probably you would also want some diced/sauteed onions in there, and maybe some other stuff!

last week i made a kind of southwestern chili. not too high maintenance. my version: -shredded chicken -kidney beans -black beans -corn [frozen works well] -onion -garlic -chili powder -cumin -canned chipotles [a couple, chopped] -tomato [diced, from a can] -i think there might have been some chicken broth in there? garnish: -sour cream -cilantro -lime squeeze really good! and makes lots.

happy birthday again! maybe for your special day, i will introduce you to another pablo sanchez... for real!!!

love vampire weekend!! thank you stapes for getting me hooked!

that's great schwa! will see you for sure.

ohhhh fuck. i have a french [like france french] colleague who has made this for us a few times and it is sooooooo amazing. so simple and rustic and yet so delicious!!! love it.

i am so, so sorry to hear this. i think the last time i saw jesse was at the wilco/neil young show here in ottawa. he was always smiling, always made you feel at ease. thinking of you eric and julia.. please give amber a big hug for me too. sending tons of love your way.... xoxoxoxo

yeah!!! congratulations todd!!!

feliz cumple amiguito! i have a very special video from the 19th... i'll try to load it to sendspace!! [nothing embarassing i promise!]

merry christmas!!

i bought some truffle cheese once - i think i got it from la bottega?

feliz cumple mono!!!! xo

take care girl, thinking of you and your mom! xoxo