Happy Birthday Lydia!

Please join us as we wish our friend Lydia Cornell a Happy Birthday! Please give Lydia your birthday greetings, and then please read Lydia's amazing article following this birthday greeting titled "When The Peasants Revolt.




Instead of counting candles,
Or tallying the years,
Contemplate your blessings,
As your birthday nears.

Consider special people
Who love you, and who care,
And others who’ve enriched your life
Just by being there.

Think about the memories
Passing years can never mar,
Experiences great and small
That have made you who you are.

Another year is a happy gift,
So cut your cake, and say,
"Instead of counting birthdays,
I count blessings every day!"

By Joanna Fuchs

Suzie Q has another Birthday tribute!

Lydia, you make our lives better and we hope you have a very Happy Birthday!

The Schmooze Award

Just want to interrupt to say please read Brad Blog for news about the Holt Bill. Also, thanks for the award! I am writing from Belize, where we are on vacation with the kids and father-in-law. We are in the most beautiful place, Ambergris Caye. Went to Altun Ha, the Mayan ruins, and to Maruba Jungle Spa, in the middle of the jungle. Went scuba diving and snorkeling with sharks and sting-rays.



Also here are some photos of famed pop artist/Warhold protege Steve Kaufman (top) and actor Chris McDonald (bottom) at the Mrs. United States pageant in Vegas. We were all judges.

Schmoozing is the natural ability “to converse casually, especially in order to gain an advantage or make a social connection.” Good schmoozers effortlessly weave their way in and out of the blogosphere, leaving friendly trails and smiles, happily making new friends along the way. They don’t limit their visits to only the rich and successful, but spend some time to say hello to new blogs as well. Bloggers who accept the award should then each pass it on to five blogs of their choice.

We have gained many new regular commenters here on Lydia's blog, and it's nice to have them come to schmooze with Lydia and become another blogging friend. Two such friends with wonderful blogs of their own, have separately bestowed the popular Schmooze Award of which I will name 5 more to pass the award onto.

Thank you Tomcat of the widly popular Politics Plus and also to the popular Betmo of Life's Journey for the award, and for your comments here on Lydia's blog.

The people that this award will be passed to have become regulars here on Lydia's blog and elsewhere, and they each have excellent blogs of their own. It's hard to choose five people, with so many making a presence on various blogs.

Mirth of Liberally Mirth has a popular blog which can be attributed to Mirth's daily visits on various blogs, that bring many to want to visit hers.

Chuck and Karen of Divided States of Bushmerika2 make their way around dozens of blogs, and really do have the art of schmoozing down pat.

Tom Harper of Who Hijacked Our Country has been appearing on many blogs including this one, leaving his thoughts on the issues of the day. Check out his blog, it's a good one.

Jim of An Average American Patriot makes his way to various blogs commenting on the way our country is headed. Check out his blog.

The very popular Lynn of Zelleblog seems to be everywhere making comments as well as writing some great articles for her blog. Check her blog out.

Don't forget to listen to the Basham and Cornell Progressive Talk Show Saturday at 9:00 AM PST. Each week they have well known guests, lively commentary and your phone calls.

Thinking Blogger Award

We are happy to announce that the Lydia Cornell blog has been tagged with the "Thinking Blogger Award" by our friends Chuck and Karen at their widely popular blog The Divided States Of Bushmerika 2.

Thank you Chuck and Karen for your kind words and your regular comments on this blog. As many of you know we now have to choose 5 blogs that make us think. So many have been chosen in the past that we want to pick some that make us think, and maybe our viewers haven't discovered, or rediscovered yet.

THE RULES ARE AS FOLLOWS:
1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think.

2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme.

3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote.

Last Left Turn Before Hooterville is a popular blog by good friend Alicia Morgan. Alicia writes about political matters with wisdom and humor. Alicia is an excellent writer.

Watergate Summer marks the recent return to the blogosphere of Enigma4Ever from her exile of being a whistle blower in the recent Attorneygate scandals that rocked the Bush administration. Check this site out. It is worth the read.

Morning Martini is the popular blog by our new friend Pissed off Patricia. Patricia has become a regular commenter here and her articles on her blog are worth the read.

We welcome the return of famed blogger Neal Shakespeare and his way of wit and humor that has always made us think.

Our last entry is Left of Centrist is a growing blog put out by Robert Rouse and his team of contributors. Is has updated political stories and is worth checking out.

Thank you for viewing and making your comments on the Lydia Cornell blog. Your thoughtful comments are appreciated, and look for many big additions and new features with this blog, as we bring you fresh insight into different areas of politics and life. Please come back.

I.O.U Mom

In 1870 Julia Ward Howe penned the Mother's Day proclamation. Howe had earlier authored the famous Battle Hymn of the Republic. Howe wrote the Mother's Day proclamation calling for the women of the world to unite for peace.

The following piece was written in 1976 in honor of moms everywhere. These lyrics fit the typical mom. It probably describes your mom. Happy Mother's Day to all. We owe you more than we can ever repay.


I.O.U.
(Dean / Markes)

Many people look through their wallet or their pocket books and, way down at the bottom, past the
credit cards and baby pictures and so on, you usually find a little 'ol piece of dog-eared poetry.
I was cleaning out my wallet the other day and ran across a whole bunch of I.O.U's, some of 'em
thirty-five years overdue. And you know the funny thing, all these I.O.U's are owed to one person
and I kinda felt like that maybe now would be a pretty good time for an accountin'.
Mom, I sure hope you're listenin'.
Sweet lady, I.O.U. for so many things.....
A lot of services, like nightwatchman for instance.....
Lyin' awake nights, listenin' for coughs and cries and creakin'
floorboards.....hah-hah, and me comin' in too late.
Boy, you had the eye of an eagle and the roar of a lion,
But you always had a heart as big as a house.
I.O.U. for services like, uh, short order cook, chef, baker.....
For makin' sirloin out o' hamburger an' turkey out o' tuna fish,
And big ol' strappin' boys out of leftovers.
I.O.U. for cleanin' services,
The daily scrubbing of face and ears....all work done by hand.
And for the frequent dustin' of a small boy's pants
To try to make sure that you led a spotless life.
And for washin' and ironin' that no laundry could ever do.
Foy dryin' the tears of childhood
And ironin' out the problems of growin' up.
I.O.U. for services as a bodyguard,
For protectin' me from the terrors of thunderstorms and nightmares
Hah, And too many green apples.
And Lord knows, I.O.U. for medical attention,
For nursing me through measles, mumps, bruises,
Bumps, splinters and spring fever.
Oh-oh, let's not forget medical advice....important things like,
"If you keep on scratching that, it'll never get well" or
"If you cross your eyes, they're gonna stick like that".
And probably the most important advice of all,
"Boy, you be sure you got on clean underwear, in case you're in an accident".
And I.O.U. for veterinarian services,
For feeding every lost dog that I dragged home at the end of the rope,
And for healing the pains of puppy love.
And I.O.U. for entertainment.....
Entertainment that kept the household goin' through some pretty rough times.....
And for wonderful productions at Christmas, the Fourth of July, Birthdays.....
And for making make-believe come true.....
And you did it all on such a limited budget.
I.O.U. for construction work, for building kites and confidence, hopes and dreams an'.....
Somehow you made them all touch the sky.....
And for cementin' together a family
So it would stand the worst kind of shocks and blows.....
And for layin' down a good strong foundation to build a life on.
I.O.U. for carrier charges.....
For carryin' me on your books for the necessities of life
That a growin' boy somehow, well, they just gotta have.
Things like, hah-hah, a pair of high top boots,
With a little pocket on the side for a jack-knife.
And one thing, Mom, I'll never forget....
When there were two pieces of pie and three hungry people.....
You were always the one who decided, well, I'm not really that hungry anyhow.
These are just a few of the things for which payment is long overdue..
The person that I owe 'em to worked very, very cheap....
She managed by simply doin' without a whole lot o' things that she needed herself....
My I.O.U's add up to more than I could ever hope to repay,
But you know the nicest thing about it all....
That I know, that she had marked the entire bill 'Paid In Full'
For just one kiss and four little words....Mom, I Love You!

Happy Mother's Day Lydia Cornell. This piece is especially for you!

THE CRUMBLING INDUSTRIAL BASE

FANTASTIC SHOW! TODAY we come up with solutions...on Basham and Cornell Progressive Talk, we interview Brian Katulis – who worked in the National Security Council at the State Department during the Clinton administration. After that, we talk with ex-CIA agent Larry Johnson about his letter to George Tenet and his views on the lies leading up to Bush's invasion of Iraq. Larry Johnson is an old school pal of Valerie Plame and has a terrific blog called NoQuarter.typepad.com

This is a show you won't want to miss. Lots of juicy details.

Brian Katulis is a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress where he examines U.S. national security policy in the Middle East and democratization, with a focus on Iraq. Prior to joining the Center, he lived and worked in the Middle East for the National Democratic Institute and Freedom House, including projects in Egypt, Iraq, and the Palestinian territories.


SATURDAY MORNINGS TUNE IN LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS and LOS ANGELES to our show BASHAM AND CORNELL PROGRESSIVE TALK
from 9 - 10 a.m. We broadcast live -- or go to our website and click on the link to hear the entire show in the archives.

The U.S trade deficit with China has risen to a $46.4 billion deficit for the first quarter of this year, which is twice what the deficit was the first quarter of 2006. In 2006 the U.S trade deficit was an astounding $233 billion.

At least eight million U.S jobs reportedly have went overseas over the past several years, and the manufacturing industry has been hit the hardest. Off shoring of jobs has also hit the technology industry as well as business and professional services.

The U.S auto industry for instance is in serious trouble. Both General Motors and Ford have reported major losses and are teetering on the brink of oblivion, while Daimler-Chrysler hopes to sell The Chrysler Group due to falling profits.

The U.S manufacturing industry will take another major blow as more than two-hundred thousand U.S auto jobs are to be exported to China, India and Mexico within three years which will cause auto assembly and auto parts plants in the U.S to shut down.

Ford has been busy building new plants in China and Thailand while expanding production in India. General Motors has also been investing in manufacturing facilities in several countries while closing many within the U.S.

There are a reported 44 million workers in the U.S who no longer have regular full time permanent jobs. There are at least 60 million workers or 40 percent of the U.S workforce who are unemployed, underemployed, part time or temporary workers.

Rising health care costs and outrageous executive compensation packages as well as the rising level of foreign imports have led the American Industrial base to be in dangerous peril. As the Bush administration seeks further freedoms in negotiating trade agreements, U.S workers of every genre face a future tied to the interests of Corporate America.

Don't forget to listen to the Basham and Cornell Progressive Talk Radio Show Saturday at 9:00 AM PST. BashamandCornellProgressiveTalk

Talk Radio

SATURDAY MORNINGS TUNE IN LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS and LOS ANGELES to our show BASHAM AND CORNELL PROGRESSIVE TALK
from 9 - 10 a.m. We broadcast live -- or go to our website and click on the link to hear the entire show in the archives.

LISTEN TO YESTERDAY'S SHOW IN THE ARCHIVES: Yesterday, we had Paul Waldman from Media Matters on to discuss Bill O'Reilly's delusional rant accusing Media Matters of being a propaganda website funded by George Soros. This is hilarious, you have to hear it. Media Matters.org is a Washington think-tank whose sole purose is to correct deception, misinformation and hate-speak in the right-wing media. Media Matters for America is a Web-based, not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) progressive research and information center dedicated to comprehensively monitoring, analyzing, and correcting conservative misinformation in the U.S. media.

TALK RADIO by Larry Johnson

Talk radio has become a billion dollar business in America and the audience is growing with the influence of Internet Talk Radio to capture a growing block of the audience. More and more people are logging on to listen to talk radio over their computers and hand held devices.

Conservatives took the lead in talk radio with influences like Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity dominating the airwaves with their abrasive tones slanted sharply to a conservative point of view. As these shows caught on other conservative shows hit the airwaves and helped push the Republican party into power.

Progressive talk shows came at a disadvantage as the conservative influence had long dominated the airwaves. As Air America came into existence and progressive talk shows began to gain an audience, politics in the U.S slowly started to turn.

Eight of the top ten talk radio shows are conservative programs that reach millions of listeners, who daily use their broadcasts to further the conservative agenda. Each week these and other talk radio pundits make outrageous claims that often prove untrue.

A new breed of progressive talk has recently hit the airwaves. Broadcasting from Las Vegas and Los Angeles, Doug Basham and Lydia Cornell host the Basham and Cornell Progressive Talk show every Saturday at 9:00 AM PST.

This Saturday on Basham and Cornell Progressive Talk they will interview Paul Waldman of Media Matters. The subject will be the recent outrageous remarks of Bill O'Reilly and other conservative claims that have been untrue.

Tune in Saturday at 9:00 AM PST for the fastest growing show in talk radio. bashamandcornell

PROGRESSIVE TALK RADIO - U.S. vs BUSH et al

THIS SATURDAY: VetStage Symposium to benefit troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq who have lived to tell their own stories on stage and in film. VetStage hosts an acting & writing workshop with Academy Award© winning writer/producer, Bobby Moresco (Crash, Million Dollar Baby), casting director Sarah Finn (Iron Man, Mission Impossible II, Crash), former agent and current producer Larry Becsey (In the Valley of Elah, Against All Enemies) and award winning producer, Mark R. Harris (Crash, Gods and Monsters). Benefit Symposium for Vet Stage (all proceeds benefit vetstage.org Visit http://vetstage.com/index_files/moresco.htm to sign up.

Upcoming: This Saturday morning, March 3, we will interview Paul Waldman of Media Matters on his amazing new book "BEING RIGHT IS NOT ENOUGH: What Progressives Must Learn From Conservative Success." Upcoming on Basham And Cornell Progressive Talk 9 am PST Saturday mornings on 1230 AM KLAV in Las Vegas, simulcast on the internet at

Basham and Cornell Progressive Talk

This past Saturday February 24, We had the pleasure of interviewing former federal prosecutor Elizabeth de la Vega, author of the new bestseller "U.S. vs BUSH" The Case for Impeachment. It was a fascinating interview.

Doug Basham was on Lou Dobbs last week as one of America's "top talkers." Check out Doug's site for a list of all the incredible guests he has interviewed and see what Senate Majority leader Harry Reid, Pat Buchanan, Joe Conason, Daniel Ellsberg, Catherine Crier, Helen Thomas, Caspar Weinberger, Lou Dobbs, Congress people and best-selling authors say about Doug Basham: Basham Radio

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In the sidebar is a YouTube clip of a recent interview with my co-stars from Too Close for Comfort. The editor cut the clip in the wrong place, just after I say, "I had a crush on Jim Bullock and dreamed of him every night." I was the only person on the set who had no inkling he was gay; I was madly in love with him, and held out hope we would be together one day! Guess I was barking up the wrong tree. We still laugh about this, and the Youtube clip starts in a weird place, without this background information. By the way, he still makes me laugh harder than anyone.

BASHAM and CORNELL PROGRESSIVE TALK... Last Saturday, Basham and I taped our first show together (I've been on his show twice before, as a guest.) Please go to our website and click on the link to hear the entire show. Every Saturday we are on live on KLAV or simulcast on the internet at Basham and Cornell Progressive Talk


Join us each Saturday morning live for progressive talk, interviews with Senators, politicians, candidates and best-selling authors. It might be rough, but it’ll be real. Be there.

From Wikipedia & Basham Radio Press release: "Cornell went to Beirut, Lebanon, to a war zone, to visit American troops in the Multinational Peacekeeping Force Christmas Eve 1982. She visited the Marines in underground bunkers as well as sailors and naval officers on several aircraft carriers. Shortly after their departure from Beirut, over 250 Marines of the 24th MAU were killed in one of the first suicide bombings. A truck entered the barracks as the troops slept, killing them all.

Cornell's blog, a double Koufax nominee for best writing, is "a consistently thought-provoking firecracker of pointed socio-political commentary and observant, caustic wit." (Shotgun Reviews) John Conley, a Marine combat vet even sent her his Purple Heart for her courage in speaking out about the war in Iraq and against Ann Coulter's extremism in her Brad Blog article "Death is Sexier than Sex, to Ann Coulter (see sidebar.) Although still active in Hollywood - HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm, writing, producing and garnering indie acting nominations - Cornell spends most of her time, creatively speaking, in front of her keyboard. She has several books awaiting publication including the literary thriller The Sylvia Plan, about Stalin's plot to kill Trotsky; a comedy for women, plus several spiritual and political books.

Basham and Cornell
The progressive community’s
weekend wakeup call
Saturday mornings at 9 am Pacific
on AM 1230 KLAV in Las Vegas

All shows simulcast on the Internet
http://www.BashamAndCornell.com

EVERYONE TAKE A MOMENT TO WATCH THIS CLIP OF CRAIG FERGUSON. He has more class than any other talk show host. Here's what humility looks like: