Friday, May 22, 2009

Friday Night In San Francisco

Good Evening Garlic Fans

Our apologies, for the lack of posting the past few days - and not owning up to it with a clarifying Editor's Note.

As regular readers know, it's been an extremely hectic period on the homefront the past two-weeks, with a little extra added on the recent days, with some heavy-duty allergies riding in, with the summer-like weather we have had in the Northeast.

It has been tough, carving out reading, and writing time, this week, having to juggle doctors, visiting nurses, Elderly Services, and today, a follow-up doc visit.

So, we are taking the night off, and maybe tomorrow, as well.

And, as we like to do, we don't leave you empty-handed.

Another gem to groove on, from the tremendous (over 6-million copies sold world-wide!), album, ''Friday Night In San Francisco', with Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin.

So, dig into "Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho", while we throw up our heels, and chill out some.

"Mediterranean Sundance/Rio Ancho" - Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia



Mediterranean Sundance - Paco de Lucía


Now, His Wallet Is Flat

Maybe he was moonlighting, to pick up some extra bucks, to throw a big bash for the sixth anniversary of "Suck On This! Day".

Thomas "My Head If Flat" Friedman, self-propelled star NYT columnist, got whacked, by his own papers Ethics rules, forking back a $75,000 speaking fee, he had forked over to him last week

James Rainey, of the LA Times has the scoop;

I was dogging the New York Times and star columnist Thomas Friedman last week for lack of transparency after it was revealed that Friedman received $75,000 for speaking to a Northern California air quality district.

Friedman ended up giving the money back to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District because the newspaper's ethics guidelines prohibit journalists from taking speaking payments from anything other than nonprofits and educational institutions. That means fees from government agencies are verboten.

Friedman wouldn't talk, so I didn't get to ask him if he would be willing to disclose the payments from his other appearances. I'm told the "World Is Flat" author gets paid for roughly one speaking engagement a month. If he received his standard $75,000 fee for each, that would be $900,000 in outside income a year.
Lord know, he could use the extra bucks.

Not bad scratch, considering his track record, he the proud creator of "The Friedman Unit".

We'll have to wait and see if Bill Keller releases info on the delayed, and pending, 2008 audit, or, perhaps, who leaks it.

Oughta be pretty interesting ...


Bonus Thomas "My Head If Flat" Friedman Riffs

Thomas Freidman, Clearly, Is Eating Lead-Painted Toys From His Flat World Economy!

Happy 5th Anniversary of "Suck On This" Day!


This Day ... On The Garlic


22 May 2008... On The Garlic


Top Ten Cloves: Questions Possible Running Mates Will Have For John McCain At Weekend Meeting


22 May 2007... On The Garlic

You Shouldn't Worry There, Dick ... Everyone Knows You're A Hard-Ass ... The Results - The Garlic Weekly Poll

Top Ten Cloves: Things About If Abraham Lincoln Were Shot Today


Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Take Five

Good Evening Garlic Fans

Well, we tried to kick-start it last evening, however, we falter tonight.

After a blip early Sunday morning (another hospital run, quick fix and turn-around, no admittance needed), the Aunt is doing very well, and we've been getting back into routine.

While it was tough to carve out some writing time today, we figured we could get to this evening, and yet, another roadblock;

Allergies!

It was too much to work through, so, as Mr. Dave Brubeck will deliver below, we decided to Take Five.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Take Five (1961)




This Date ... On The Garlic


19 May 2008... On The Garlic


Controlled Unclassified Information ... Brilliant!

This Is Just Going To Be Too Easy ...

Top Ten Cloves: Reasons U.S. Military Used Koran For Target Practice


19 May 2007... On The Garlic


We're Waiting, John Fund ... For You To Take Your Head Out Of Your Ass ... Lieberman Abandoned The Democrats To Run As An Indie, He Wasn't Forced To


19 May 2006... On The Garlic


Crimmins Knocks One Out Of The Park With New Recording; Satirist/Author Cites “Profane Times”, Skewers Bush, Rumsfield, SUV’s


19 May 2005... On The Garlic


Google Fires Executive Chef; Caught Searching Recipes On Yahoo, MSN

Rumsfeld Dismiss Call For Space Weapons Program; "Happens every time a new Star Wars or some other Sci-Fi film comes out"

Top Ten Cloves: How Malcolm Glazer Will Make Manchester United and English Soccer More American


Monday, May 18, 2009

Top Ten Cloves: Other Possible Excuses Maureen Dowd Could Used For Plagiarizing TPM's Josh Marshall

News Item: How would the NYT react if Joe Biden gave an excuse this lame?

10. Thought "Josh Marshall" was a big department store in Chicago

9. Didn't think the "pajama-wearing, cheeto-eating" crowd would notice

8. She was trying to piss off the Chenny Fluffers on CNN

7. It's Sweeps Month!

6. Believed Alex Rodriguez was "tipping" her that it was okay to plagiarize

5. Just the burden, the strain, of having to write TWO columns, per week

4. Got confused, thought she was lifting material from 'The West Wing'

3. She was jealous of Ann Coulter

2. Thought she had given up plagiarizing from Polk Award winners for Lent

1. She, and her friend, were just goofing around, playing the old Johnny Carson 'Carnac the Magnificent' game, and the TPM thing came up, and, somehow, made it into her column


Bonus Dowd Boner Riffs

Nicole Belle: Ruh Roh! MoDo Caught Plagiarizing From TPM

Glenn Greenwald: The myth of the parasitical bloggers

TBogg: The Incredible Shrinking Pundit

Digby: Karma

Skippy, the bush kangaroo: maureen dowd - my sweet lord, she's so fine!


This Date ... On The Garlic


18 May 2008... On The Garlic


"Talk about the despot calling the kettle "Barack."

Al Giordano Handing Out Campaign Sheepskins ... To Hillary Supporters

"Wherever McCain goes, Lieberman is sure to show up ..."


18 May 2007... On The Garlic


Okay Wolfie, Hit It! ... New Garlic Song For The Wolf Man


18 May 2005... On The Garlic


GoldenPlace.Com Issues Bonus For Flushed Koran; $100K Up For "Story-of-the-Year"; Offers To Buy Prisoner Too

Court Wine Decision Causes National Gridlock; Highways Jammed; Internet Slowed To Crawl With Wine Orders

Top Ten Cloves: Other Things Newsweek Says U.S. Military Uses The Koran For That Hasn't Been Published Yet