Is your name a reference to Harvey Birdman, or to the excellent protein-filled legume itself?

This is not, however, a diary about another diary. I believe any complaints about other diaries should be posted within those diaries themselves. More on the flip.

His Holiness, The Dalai Lama is in town for a conference to discuss meditation, and how scientists are exploring "its highly active nature and how it can enhance and heal the human mind and body." (11/09/05 WaPo / Kauffman)
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But first his Holiness wanted a look up close to see the legendary blankness serious students of meditation often work years to learn to achieve.
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Find out more about Buddhism at the Mind and Life Institute. A site about the seminar be here now.
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This dKos diary (Chinese-Americans Protest Dalai Lama Speech) has some background on an attempt to politicize the conference.

Please recommend to keep it visible.

BarbinMD already has a thread going discussing the background to this shutdown. Maryscott O'Connor's Harry Reid: YIPPEE KI YAY, MOTHERFUCKERS is up, for related discussion. Looks like the blow-by-blow coverage is done and it's all over but the GOP whining (and the impending librul happy-dance contest.)

UPDATE: CSPAN2 has the audio. Will update with links to live web streaming when they become available and I've been able to verify.

My browser's refreshing very slowly (I assume dKos is getting a lot of traffic right now) so pretend there's a goofy Technical Difficulties are Temporary graphic.

UPDATE2:dmsilev posted a copy of Harry Reid's speech on the Senate Floor.

UPDATE3: Senate has returned to open session.

UPDATE4: Title change and link updates. Tag additions.

After the Roberts' non-answers and after the WH stonewalling documents promised to the Senate so they could perform their duty of advice and consent, the actions beg the question: if the nominee is worthy, why all the weaseling?

All Senators and their constituents should should ask, of the administration and of Roberts:

• Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of imminently threatening WMDs in Iraq? Team after team found none, despite Cheney and the right wing propaganda machine's increasingly ludicrous claims explaining the continual 'disappearance' and new location of these massive stores.
  
• Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of a Saddam-9/11 connection? After admitting there was no connection, administration officials continue to make the claim publicly to satisfy Joe and Mary Dumbass in Dumbfuck USA.
  
• Is their word as credible as this administration's guarantees of a Medicare bill that would benefit seniors? Seniors are paying more, and getting fewer services.
  

Vacation is Over... an open letter from Michael Moore to George W. Bush (09/02/05)
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Dear Mr. Bush:
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Any idea where all our helicopters are? It's Day 5 of Hurricane Katrina and thousands remain stranded in New Orleans and need to be airlifted. Where on earth could you have misplaced all our military choppers? Do you need help finding them? I once lost my car in a Sears parking lot. Man, was that a drag. [...]
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Last Thursday I was in south Florida and sat outside while the eye of Hurricane Katrina passed over my head. It was only a Category 1 then but it was pretty nasty. Eleven people died and, as of today, there were still homes without power. That night the weatherman said this storm was on its way to New Orleans. That was Thursday! Did anybody tell you? [...]
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I especially like how, the day after the hurricane, instead of flying to Louisiana, you flew to San Diego to party with your business peeps. Don't let people criticize you for this -- after all, the hurricane was over and what the heck could you do, put your finger in the dike?
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More

:: and more ::

When Bad Luck Blackie takes his weekend constitutional through the news wires, the crap in his wake tends to be a little more foul than usual.

Note that the weekend timing of this stuff isn't in itself cynical or ominous, it's just that the appearance of some news in weekend dumpsters is the equivalent of finding a blood spattered wallet emptied of its cash in one dumpster and a recently fired handgun with the registration number filed clean in the very next one. I'm just sayin, is all.

Crossposted at the Booman Tribune

July 20, 2005
President's Remarks to the Press After Meeting with Judge Roberts
Rose Garden
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THE PRESIDENT: Good morning, how are you? I just had a cup of coffee with the nominee and told him I thought things were off to a very good start for his nomination. ...
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And so I told Judge Roberts over coffee that we'll provide all the support that's necessary for the senators to be able to make up their minds ...
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So I appreciate you coming by for coffee this morning.
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JUDGE ROBERTS: Thank you very much.

July 20, 2005
Press Briefing by Scott McClellan
James S. Brady Briefing Room
1:18 P.M. EDT
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MR. McCLELLAN: Good afternoon, everybody. The President was pleased to have coffee this morning with his nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge Roberts. They had a good discussion. You all heard from the President following their coffee. Judge Roberts is now over, beginning some meetings with members of the Senate. ...

Well it looks like the WH picked the wrong week to give up heroin!!!

UPDATE: Corrected spelling in title.

The allegory is a continuation of the spring planting of the Equinox, playing out nine months later during Yule, Winter Solstice, when the longest night bears new light -- a baby day, so to speak. Christmas Eve, called the Night of the Mother in many old school Pagan areas, is one cultural observance of many of new light born out of darkness. Here, Yule is loudly observed in the annual event of Bill O'Reilly wailing like an infant that someone swiped Christmas.

But the Summer Solstice is when Juno/Vesta sit back and feast. Echoes of the ancient rituals abound, whether it's a plug and play groom snapped into the traditional wedding planned by a voracious June (for Juno) Bride or Nude Pride Week Beach Parties claiming the unfortunate results of incomplete sunblock application. So WWJD? (Whose Weenie is Juno Demanding?)

~~~~~~Puccini~~~~~~

Cheers, thanks and love from me to all the gay teachers, librarians, clergy, coaches, neighbors, family and friends for being who you were & are in every sense of the word: totally human, totally humane, and totally divine! That goes for Innies or Outies both, who do what you have to to be true to yourself, and share the best in yourself with others. Thanks for fostering a more diverse, intelligent, and compassionate society. Over to you, Puccini ...

Please use this for analysis on the hearings and a description of the activism. Congressman Conyers will be delivering a petition with over half a million signatures to the White House, asking the President to come clean about Iraq.

If there are no other diaries on the subject tomorrow, I'll post a new one with transcript links, articles on the rallies, quotes roundup, etc.

Please unrecommend Pt. 1

Update: There's a Live Blogger at the hearing

Cedwyn has a diary and Terre has one as well

C-Span will also have coverage at 8:00pm.

See more at: Downingstreetmemo.com has a RealityCheck Page and tips on how to Awaken the Media, and at Congressman Conyers' Blog

The DNC will serve as an overflow room: the Wasserman Room at 430 S Capitol St. SE. (AfterDowningStreet.org)

Live Coverage

Indy Media has a page dedicated to today's activities

Check out live streaming from Pacifica and on C-Span. Though not specifically announced, The Randi Rhodes Show on Air America Radio may also have intermittent coverage and commentary.

Related activism:

AfterDowningStreet.org encourages people [to lobby] their Congress Member and two senators ... Talking points can be found in a one-page document at (link).

[Rally] at 5:00 p.m. ET in Lafayette Square Park, in front of the White House (AfterDowningStreet.org)