Apparently, the vote is today?  Watch it here on CSPAN.

Sorry for this fly by diary, but Russ is on the floor now.  Catch the CSPAN here.

Please recommend the mothership!

I'm in a mood or something, because my nagalicious diary from the other day just wasn't enough.  I think I beat tags pretty well into the ground there, so today will be an expansion on the troll rating issue and I'ma launch into the finer points of the diary guidelines.  I see you shiver with antici.......pation!

* does the dancing banana *


Okay, people.  Maybe I'm just extra cranky this morning, but I find myself blowing a gasket regarding site usage recently.  So my caffeinated self is going to lecture and admonish sternly below the fold. And you people had better listen!  

This is blogging, not Vietnam...there are rules!

; )

My job is a very strange one:  I transcribe quarterly financial reports.  You know, all that pesky financial transparency stuff born of Enron.  As you might imagine, it's been fairly interesting lately, given all the shenanigans going down in the market.  I mean, "gross margin" this and "market share" that is never a compelling read, but it's fun to see who is booming and who is busting, as it were.

It's usually fun, anyway.  But today, I had a file that just made me mad...

I get emails from a lovely organization called Bark:

Make sure you let the Forest Service know by Thursday, November 1st that you value quiet recreation opportunities, improved salmon and wildlife habitat, and clean drinking watersheds.The Forest Service's current approach to travel planning is ignoring these larger issues and only focusing on creating six new areas for ATVers, motorbikers and off-road vehicle users totaling 50,000 acres or 4.5% of the forest!

For the past few months, Bark has worked with a coalition and diverse group of concerned citizens to start creating a vision that will lead to a future for Mt. Hood National Forest that balances long-term ecosystem health with diverse opportunities for world-class recreation. The best way to achieve this vision is for the Forest Service to include an alternative proposal that simultaneously addresses the impacts of off-highway vehicle (OHV) use AND the crumbling road system on ecosystem health and all recreation access.

Send a letter to the Forest Service and let them know that you care about the future of the forest go to Bark's travel plan campaign page.

During the massive, unbelievable Fireblog session we recently had, a lot of people were asking about the Mothership "thing" and how all the liveblogging business worked.  I've been meaning to an intro diary of sorts, explaining the ins and outs of what we've devised, but just didn't get around to it.  

Having seen lots of new "faces" in the fireblog diaries, I don't think I can put if off any longer - more cats to herd!  So, lots of nerdy process/systems info below the fold.  But first, a step out a level, in case some people are new to liveblogging itself.

I have HAD it.  Waaaay too many progressive people have allowed themselves to heed Paul's siren call and it makes me want to scream.  His fetish against federal spending just lets him pretend to be Mr. Constitution; the man is an idealogue and really doesn't give a toss about the freedoms he's always on about.

I make my case below the fold...  

Yeah, okay, it's been over a week now since Congress held hearings on the role of Blackwater in security operations in Iraq; what can I say...I'm a slackard.  But I've finally gotten around to diarying it, because some of the questioning definitely deserves a much wider audience.  If you missed the testimony, I must say it was damn fascinating.  I transcribed my favorite exchanges from the hearing and present them here to you.  

There were quite a few highlights, e.g., "I'm not a lawyer" is the new "I can't recall."  But it wasn't all fun and snark.  Let's jump straight to the testimony that gave me this diary's title.  Representative Jim Cooper (D - TN) brought up some very compelling points about just what Blackwater might and might not do within their business model.  

Take the jump below the fold...

Waxman and Watson are my heroes!  uNf!  

I'm not 100% today, so this is a cheap cut 'n paste job.  On to the sandbox!

The hearing is titled "Private Security Firms in Iraq" will cover "the mission and performance of Blackwater USA and its affiliated companies in Iraq and Afghanistan and to review whether the reliance of the U.S. government on private security contractors is serving U.S. interests in Iraq".  It is being held by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee; chaired by Henry Waxman.

The hearing will address three key questions: (1) Is Blackwater's presence advancing or undermining U.S. efforts? (2) Has State Department responded appropriately to the shooting incidents involving Blackwater forces? (3) What are the costs to U.S. taxpayers for the reliance on Blackwater and other private military contractors?

The hearing started at 10:00am EDT and is scheduled to last approximately 3.5 hours.

I know this is a short diary - screw it, it's a slow news Friday!  And this is such good news!

Mychal Bell exited the courthouse, free for the first time in 10 months. He was cheered by a crowd that included the Rev. Al Sharpton.

...Bell was released on $45,000 bail Thursday after the prosecutor dropped an attempt to try the 17-year-old as an adult on charges of aggravated second-degree battery in the beating of a white classmate.

Well the BLM is at it again and this time they've ignored popular opinion and outcry to allow logging of the old growth forests on Mt. Hood.  Bastards.  Bastards, bastards, bastards!

I know that this is a local issue and so, what can a New Yorker do?  But I also know that we all know every bit makes a difference.  If our pols get it through their damn skulls that old growth forests need to be protected no matter what, we might be ok.  

Below the fold is an email alert I received yesterday; it's also online.  Please make sure to share it with any Oregonians you know and let's use this as yet another excuse to bombard our congresscritters. Oooh!!!  I'ma go talk to Wyden since they're all on vacation.

Donnamarie can't post this go 'round, so I am, once again, on cat-herding detail.  Only this time, it's going to work!  hahaha!

I know this is kind of early - the sandbox festivities aren't until Tuesday, but my westcoastness dictates that I prep the main diary today, given that proceedings start at 6somethingam in my world.  and blahblahblah...coffee...yadda yadda...coffee IV, and so on and so forth.

Anyhoo, the main attraction and other details below the fold:

This has been super-duper fun, but I'm fading fast.  I'd hate to go pass out and leave everybody hanging.  Marcus will post the next diary as Liveblog - it should replace me on the rec list.  Everybody else is in the same slot on the list; nothing else has changed.

Please unrecommend this diary and let's get the new Liveblog post on the rec list when it hits!

I'm totally off cat-herding duty now and won't be in my email so much.  if the volunteer list could just be kept alive in the diaries, that'll do.
 
Thanks!

Hopefully, everybody has stumbled upon the meetup details in some form or another, but I am posting one last diary just to be sure.  So it took us three diaries to get a handle on everything...herding cats, I tell ya what!

Yay!  Thanks to the diligent efforts of Carnacki and MLK, we are making steady progress on the logisics for our get together!  Yay indeed!

As I type this, The Black Rooster is the clear winner in the "where the !@#$%& should we go?!?" poll. And now, I present the "exactly when in the !@#$%& is this happening?!?" poll.  And to super duper make sure you're in the final loop, give, send me an email - I'm cedwynn at gmail.

Help us herd these cats!

No; this story will not die.  So There.  And why should it?  Colbert's performance at the White House Correspondents Association Dinner is still just as ballsalicious and snarktastic as ever.  Besides; the more we blather on about it, the more people come to realize the preznit got owned.  

To that end, I've been sharing it with lots of people and found myself having to explain some of the references.  I've run into a similar situation regarding Pink's "Dear Mr. President;" not everyone is familiar with the "hard work" reference.  So I thought it'd be fun to have an annotated Colbert for those who don't live, eat and breathe political news.  Naturally, I can't claim to speak for him; any editorializing or snark is a product of my warped mind.  But I have tried to identify the inspiration for said snark accurately.  Without further ado, Mr. Colbert:
 

Okay, people.  We need to heed Christy's words and light 'em up.  It looks like the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act of 2006 (COPE Act) is due for a vote in the Senate Commerce Committee on Thursday.  Christy has all the Senators' contact info, as well as the great coverage of Misener and McCurry. Update [2006-6-20 14:30:16 by Cedwyn]:Maven has more details at this comment - the committee's schedule and more information on the bill itself. Apparently, it isn't just that Ted "Tantrum" Stevens is on the committee; this is his bill altogether. Update [2006-6-20 23:15:21 by Cedwyn]: And while you're calling, encourage them to sponsor the Dorgan-Snowe Net Neutrality bill as well.

Update [2006-6-24 2:14:8 by Cedwyn]:: Apparently, Thursday was just a mark-up session; they are expecting a vote as early as Tuesday next week. Great excuse to write LTEs and send those faxes!

We all know what's at stake here; I won't bore you with any details. What you may not realize (I didn't) is that America has been here before; this fight is nothing new.