LATE UPDATE: All the audio archives of my Guest Host stints last week on both the Malloy and PBC shows are now available here for your listening pleasure...

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Please join me this Thursday and Friday 3p-6p PT (6p-9p ET) as I'll be sitting in as Guest Host on the Peter B. Collins Show.

The good PBC is on a much-deserved vacation this week, and I'm delighted that he's been foolish enough to hand the keys over to me to ruin his otherwise excellent reputation.

I'm in Phoenix where I'll be "Bradcasting" from the studios of affiliate station 1480 KPHX (Phoenix's Air America affiliate and the flagship station for the Nova M Radio Network). If you don't pick up PBC on a local affiliate, you can listen online via either of the links above and, of course feel free to call in at 1-888-5PeterB.

Thursday's scheduled guest include... Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) on Fairness Doctrine, David Swanson on yesterday's House Judiciary Signing Statement hearing and Impeachment, John Soltz of VoteVets.org on Iraq Escalation and other troop issues from troops perspective, John Bonifaz on the FL-13 Congressional Election Challenge and Election Reform, Margie Burns from the courtroom after today's Libby/CIA Leak Trial, John Gideon with a Daily Voting News update, AmericaBLOG's John Aravosis, plus your calls at 1-888-5PeterB!

Friday's show will feature a very special remote LIVE Townhall Forum on Election Integrity issues here in Arizona. If you're in the Phoenix area, please joins us for the LIVE broadcast beginning at 4pm AZ time. We'll be at the Plumbers & Pipefitters Union Hall at 24th Street & Earl, just north of Thomas. All are welcome! We'd love to see ya there!

That show is being sponsored by, and will feature many of the good folks from, the non-partisan Election Integrity group AuditAZ, the Arizona Advocacy Network, VelvetRevolution.us and, of course, KPHX who is making all of the impossible possible.

Here's a 45-second Audio Promo for the special shows as currently running during PBC's national feed this week as well as on KPHX throughout the day and night....

-- Audio Promo for Special PBC "Bradcasts" from Phoenix! [MP3, :45 seconds]

I'll try and post some of our expected guests tomorrow!

Has it been three years? Apparently. And we were so busy covering the latest Diebold debacle on Wednesday that we forgot to remember it was our Anniversary!

My unknowing gift to myself, apparently, was the huge number of sites which linked up to that story across the World Wide Interwebs in the subsequent 24 or so. But did any of those hundreds of thousands of readers leave a single anniversary tip for yours truly? Of course not

Whining now out of the way...a heads up that we'll be hitting the road shortly for a week or so. You may or may not notice. While gone, we'll be sitting in to Guest Host the mighty Peter B. Collins Show a couple of days late next week from Phoenix. Hope to have some pretty exciting guests. But more details next week.

And as we enter Year 4 here, I suspect we'll enjoy many more breathtaking plunges, climbs and g-force brownouts on the unpredictable roller coaster that is The BRAD BLOG. Hopefully we'll see some exciting changes as well.

To that end --- and as I consider making the new "Dark on Light" color scheme (selectable from the right sidebar) the default theme here in the not-too-distant future, just to blow all expectations to hell by subordinating the classic BRAD BLOG yellow-on-green (we hate for anybody to ever get too comfortable) --- please feel free to leave in comments any thoughts, suggestions, hopes, dreams or criticisms that you'd like me to consider --- technical, substantive or otherwise --- in the coming year.

Honored to have your input. For good or bad. Like Dick Cheney, I've got a thick hide and I'll just completely ignore what I don't like, so feel free to have at me.

Thanks to all BRAD BLOG readers and supporters for three years of unimaginable "success"! Couldn't be prouder to know you're here. Onward!

Guest Blogged by Des

SUNDAY, January 7th...

BLOOD SURGE
Congress Must Demand to Know the White House's Estimated Body Count for Bush's Double-Down Scheme in Iraq...

(A)side from cutting off funding for the war, now or in the future, there is another option for the moment in answer to Bush's predicted call for a "surge": demand that the White House release their estimates of the number of casualties we will incur during such a "surge."

MONDAY, January 8th...

BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Major E-Voting Critic, Attorney Named to Key Voting Systems Oversight Role by New CA Secretary of State!
Debra Bowen Appoints Lowell Finley of Election Integrity Watchdog Group VoterAction.org to Role of 'Deputy SoS for Voting Systems Technology and Policy'
[UPDATED] Critics of E-Voting Hail News as 'Collosal Suprise,' Very Good for Voters, Very Bad for the Nation's Electronic Voting Machine Companies...

TUESDAY, January 9th...

EXCLUSIVE: The EAC Now Admits 'The Ciber Report' Does Exist After All
Federal Commission Admits There is Paperwork on 'Barred' Voting Machine Testing Lab, Will Release 'When the Process is Complete'
Lab Was Secretly Refused Credentials in July, State and Local Voting Officials Were Kept in Dark Throughout November Elections Until NYTimes' Revelations...

EXCLUSIVE FL-13 UPDATE: ES&S Moves to Strike U.S. House Admin Committee Letter
Voting Machine Company Claims Chairwoman's Missive 'An Attempt to Intimidate, Unduly Influence' Florida Court
Plaintiff Attorney Says Claim is 'Remarkable,' 'Takes a Lot of Chutzpah'

WEDNESDAY, January 10th...

Update on Busby/Bilbray CA50 Election Contest Appeal
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: Details of Attorney Oral Arguments Concerning Whether the U.S. Congress Can Overrule State Election Laws Simply by Swearing Someone In
Also, Updates on Some of the Sad Players...Some Gone, Others (Hopefully) on Their Way Out...

ABC: Bush Gives Congress, American People, Democracy the Finger
Begins Iraq Escalation Before Speech, Approval From Congress, in Wake of Opposition from Dems and Republicans Alike...
POST-SPEECH UPDATE: No Estimate Given for Change in Casualties in New Plan. Surprised?

THURSDAY, January 11th...

EXCLUSIVE: NEW COULTER VOTER FRAUD DOCS - Police Report Says TWO Third Degree Felonies, One Misdemeanor May Have Been Committed by GOP Darling!
New Third Degree Felony for Fraudulently Registering Driver's License Added to Previous Allegations of Voter Fraud!
But Palm Beach Election Supervisor Having Trouble Finding Law Enforcement Agency to Bring Charges...

Christine Jennings Admits She Should Have Listened to Election Integrity Advocates Earlier...

"Those people with the Sarasota Alliance for Fair Elections? I used to pat them on the back at Democratic meetings, but I had no idea. The vote is the great equalizer in this country - and when we've lost that, we've really lost something.''

FRIDAY, January 12th...

White House Made No Casualty Estimates for 'Surge' Plan According to Rice Admission!
Rightwing Outlets Smear Senator Who Asked Question, Ignore Stunning Newsworthiness of Answer
Iraq Vet Source Dubious About Secretary of State's Admission that Military Lacks Body County Estimates...

SATURDAY, January 13th...

New York Times Joins Rightwing Outlets in Twisting and Torturing Boxer's Comments While Ignoring White House Delinquency in Their New Iraq Plan
The Once-Great Paper Misrepresents the Facts, Quotes Only Rightwingers and Misrepresents Some of them to Suggest They are 'Liberal'
PLUS: An Invitation to Bill O'Reilly...

Maryland Preparing to Screw up Their Election System Yet Again
State Lawmakers Moving Towards Paper 'Trail' Voting Instead of Paper BALLOTS...

Unlike last year, and the year before, we're unable to muster up anything clever or ironic with which to kick off the new year. We are without explanation for the unusually somber tone of the evening at year's end. Perhaps it's the news of the last few days which have left us feeling less than giddy. At least for tonight.

Instead, we'll hope the coming year will be overflowing with mirth for us all, and that you'll join The BRAD BLOG in our one simple wish for 2007...

I'm not sure if I'm exhausted from putting together the final part of The BRAD BLOG Year in Review 2006 or if simply being reminded of all that's gone on over the past year on these pages is enough to tucker me out all over again.

Either way, I couldn't be prouder of what we've done. Whatever it was, it was never enough, but I do believe that at least we helped move the ball forward. From helping to expose the criminal corruption in our government, to further exposing the failure of our once-great fourth-estate, I hope that we've had a direct positive affect on each of them.

Here then is the last entry in this thing I call "Year in Review" since it's not necessarily a "Best of" (too much to figure out what was "best") or a "Highlights" (since sometimes the lowest lights were the highest and vice versa), so we'll call it a pu pu platter of the year that was as seen on these pages. It's also, by the way, your last chance to tip the piano player before calling it a year, not that we won't nag you about that again in the near future.

As much as this joint has overtaken my life this year, it has been anything but a solo effort. I cannot adequately express my indebtedness to several folks whose tireless efforts manning the blog with loving care and expertise at various times and for various lengths over the past year have made it possible to keep things going here. They also allowed me to keep going by allowing a few stolen moments here and there to look at things like sunshine and trees. So my less-than-adequate year end gratitude goes out to John Gideon, David Edwards, Agent 99, Winter Patriot, Alan Breslauer, Desi Doyen, Emily Levy and Czaragorn for all of the gas they've put into this engine over the past year via extraordinary work in often less than ideal circumstances on a rather regular basis. Thank you is not enough, but it will have to do.

As well, thanks are due to many of those who have contributed once or twice or more via Guest Blogs on these pages this year including Joy and Tom Williams, Joseph Cannon, Jim Cirile, Rebecca Abrahams, Eric Brewer, Harvey Friedman, Steve Huff, Daniel Borchers, Sibel Edmonds, Stephen Heller, Warren Stewart, Michael Collins, Tova Andrea Wang, Dan Field, STOP George, Chris Floyd, Jeeni Criscenzo and if I left anyone off, I do apologize. Blame Canada.

Thanks also to all of those folks --- sources, whistleblowers or just random tipsters --- who have taken the time to send hot leads or, even more, put yourselves on the line by entrusting me to treat your information with the respect and attention it deserves along with confidentiality that many of you require for all number of reasons. To those whose tips I missed due to a still-out-of-control inbox, my apoligies. Please resend and let's see if I catch it this time!

Finally, I thank you, The BRAD BLOG readers at the end of another year. Whether it's the "6 or 7" of you who stop by with daily devotion for a tasty morsel with your morning coffee, or the millions more who blow by only long enough to pick up an occasional "sirened" hot headline. Thank you for stopping by, supporting our work, and even more so, for spreading the word and making noise.

All of that, and I haven't even been given an award. Oh, well. As the band plays me off for another year, a reminder that Part 1 (Jan - Apr) is back here, Part 2 (May - Aug) is back here, and Part 3 (Sep - Dec) of The BRAD BLOG Year in Review 2006 follows in full...

After an unexpected item or two of unexpected breaking news, we continue with Part 2 of our 3-part BRAD BLOG Year in Review 2006, highlighting some (but by no means all) of the most notable moments over this extraordinary year here in our own little corner of the world. A world which seems to have grown just a bit larger, if the following headlines are any indication.

For those who think we've grown quite big enough and thus don't think we need your support, well, we wish that was the case. So once again we include a shameless plea for your support via donation as you would be stunned as to just how few folks actually send such support given the number of readers we've had over the past year, and the arguably positive contribution we've made towards the betterment of our nation. If you can help, we (that actually means "I") would much appreciate it.

With that out the way, Part 1 (Jan - Apr) is back here, and Part 2 (May - Aug) follows below...

It's been quite a year. An exhausting one at that. Even gathering up some of the "Best of" stuff from The BRAD BLOG this year turned into a much taller order than we had planned on. So tall, in fact, that we're breaking it into three bite size pieces, to be posted over the next several days, for your reviewing pleasure.

It turned out to be an impossible task to choose "Best of" stuff from this extraordinary year, so we decided to focus only on this year's Exclusives and Breaking News for the most part. Mind you, even at that, as regular readers will quickly see, what we have room to remind you of here is very much just tip-of-the-iceberg stuff. Though even just the basics, in review, make for one helluva story --- about which someone should write a book or two some day (we wonder who that someone might be).

Anyway, until that big book advance comes through, we remind you again at year's end that we appreciate whatever BRAD BLOG DONATION you may be able to make to our continuing efforts. We also remind you that 2007 could be even more spectacular by kicking it off with a monthly subscription (as always, optional, and available via the blue form on the right of every page.)

So here now, Part 1 (Jan - Apr) of our 3-part look back at a few of the most notable stories in The BRAD BLOG Year in Review 2006...

We've been accused from time to time of being, variously, a "CIA Internet Fake" or a Karl Rove plant or whatever other nonsense folks may dredge up here in Freedom of Speech land. Unfortunately, neither the CIA nor Rove nor "the Jews" have ever paid up. (Please see our blue donation form on the right of every page. We'll take whatever we can get. Even via PayPal. We're not proud.)

On that note then, NYPost reports on some of the companies who are paying bloggers in hopes of good reviews...

While we have little interest in either the Speed Channel or the PGA, we've spent the bulk of the Christmas quiet time backing up, reformatting and restoring a hard drive on our ailing computer and still have yet to either finish, or fix the problem that seemed to be there in the first place.

So with that in mind, if Office Max --- a fine, upstanding company, if ever we saw one --- wishes to help out, we certainly could use both a new monitor and, at least, one new computer.

Given the lack of donations The BRAD BLOG seems to receive, along with Office Max's reputation for offering only the best goods and services available at some of the most reasonable prices in the industry (now offering fast, free delivery on most orders over $50!), we believe it'd be the perfect fit!

At least until "the Jews" come through with the big money as promised.

If you accidentally forgot to spend a few dollars on gifts for loved ones, please feel free to donate a few of them to your friendly neighborhood BRAD BLOG. We could use the help, as I have been woefully delinquent at fund raising over the past many months.

DONATE HERE or really help my holidays be merrier by signing up for a monthly subscription, of any amount, by using the blue form on the right of this page.

Beyond that, consider this an Open Thread for the stragglers who haven't scrammed (I would be one of them, even as I've been busy with all manners of things all day which have kept me from blogging as I had hoped).

AP covers here. Time's cover story best sums up their reasoning for choosing us for the award this way:

Thank you, Time. We are humbly honored to accept this prestigious award.

Got kids from 2 to 8 years old? Considering buying them this swell new Telestory Console w/ Spongebob Squarepants Story Cartridge which plugs into your TV and either reads to them, or allows them to read to themselves!

Is this a bald-faced advertisement smack dab in the middle of The BRAD BLOG? Only sort of...

I'm the voice reading the story and performing all of the character voices on the Spongebob story cartridges. While I don't make money specifically from your purchase of this item --- though if you use a link in this article, I get a few cents from Amazon --- if the Telestory line is successful, perhaps I'll be hired to do the voice-overs for more story cartridges in the future, in which case, I would make some money from it. And I could use it!

Cartridges also available (though not featuring me) for Dora the Explorer, Cinderella, Lion King, Winnie the Pooh, and Power Rangers. Click here to see all the Telestory products at once.

Got no kids or nieces or nephews or neighbors to buy Telestory for, but want to support The BRAD BLOG anyway? No problem, you can always send a donation right here! We'll take that too! (Better yet, start a subscription to The BRAD BLOG for any amount you like! See the blue box on the right side of every page to sign up! For all of those who once requested such a feature, I've only had a few sign-ups. So please remember us on your list of Holiday Shopping!)

Here endeth our shameless plea for today...

I've been mostly quiet this weekend. Catching up, finally, with some much overdue blog maintenance. A busman's holiday perhaps, but --- for me --- a holiday nonetheless. The other side of my brain was begging for excercise. It still is.

You may have noticed some of the tweaks I've been making to The BRAD BLOG if you've been paying attention. Other tweaks are still in the works. For now though, one of the most oft-requested changes has been for a Dark text on Light background version of the blog. I was finally able to find the free hours needed to complete such a version.

You may now select the "Dark on Light" scheme from new "SELECT COLOR SCHEME" choice near the top of our right sidebar. Your selection will be remembered the next time you return to The BRAD BLOG and switching back is as easy as selecting the other option. Hopefully, it's a no brainer that works for everyone. If you have any problems, please let me know here in comments and tell me what browser and OS you are using.

There will be tweaks to come on both color schemes (and I welcome anyone who knows CSS and may wish to create yet another choice for readers!), but for now, please let me know what you think here in comments, and by trying out this nifty new poll gizmo below...

From today's New York Times in an article headlined "Blogs Take Lead in Reporting Polling Problems" by Tom Zeller, Jr.:

Well, somebody hadda "take the lead in reporting polling problems," Zeller!

Continuing the previous thread... which includes more details on the Election Integrity Broadcast Marathon with Peter B. Collins and Brad Friedman (listen up right here!)

Everyone, please start commenting on this thread now. We want to hear from our dial-up friends, and long threads knock them out of the conversation.

UPDATE FROM BRAD: Feel free to call in as well at 888-573-8372 and let us know how we're doing! Thanks Kira and 99 for doing a beautiful job here! Jim Cirile to blog a fresh Clint Curtis item shortly I'm told!

Now broadcasting coast-to-coast! Click right here to listen on the net!

Chat, chat, chat away with your hosts Agent 99 and Kira! Thanks guys! I'll try to keep my eyes on this thread!

Expected guests to include Greg Palast (on now), John Gideon, Clint Curtis, DeForest Soaries, Bev Harris, Mike Malloy, The Young Turks, Steve Young, Rebecca Abrahams, and many many more!

Plus your calls! Call us at 1-888-5-PeterB (1-888-573-8372).

All with your hosts Peter B. Collins and Brad Friedman of BradBlog.com all night long until at least Midnight PT (3am ET).

Thanks to RAW STORY for helping support this special RAW RADIO Event! And to the good folks at WhiteRoseSociety.org who are streaming us, along with KPFTx.org (and more that we'll add here soon!)

{PLEASE MOVE TO NEW COMMENT THREAD NOW EVERYONE... --99}