Speaking of a Police State

Are Americans are so afraid that they are willing to give up their privacy and freedom for the illusion of safety? According to ABC News today, 71% of us approve of the increased use of surveillance cameras. They didn't ask me.

Seniors are most apt to support the increased use of these cameras, with under-30s, least so; Republicans more than Democrats; women more than men; higher educated people more than the less educated; and whites more than African-Americans.

Through a political lens, support for increased use of surveillance systems is lowest, 62 percent, among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who support Barack Obama for president — and highest of all, 86 percent, among Republicans who support Rudy Giuliani, who made his name as New York City's crime-fighting mayor.

It's happened in the UK.
--------------

From 1984, Book I, Chapter 5 by George Orwell
"It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself—anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face… was itself a punishable offense. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: facecrime…"

"The only difference between Soviet propaganda and US propaganda is that the Soviet people knew it was propaganda."
-Me

"I have, like, no earthly idea what you're talking about"

Bush on Music Royalties:

Q Mr. President, music is one of our largest exports the country has. Currently, every country in the world -- except China, Iran, North Korea, Rwanda and the United States -- pay a statutory royalty to the performing artists for radio and television air play. Would your administration consider changing our laws to align it with the rest of the world?

THE PRESIDENT: Help. (Laughter.) Maybe you've never had a President say this -- I have, like, no earthly idea what you're talking about. (Laughter and applause.) Sounds like we're keeping interesting company, you know? (Laughter.) Look, I'll give you the old classic: contact my office, will you? (Laughter.) I really don't -- I'm totally out of my lane. I like listening to country music, if that helps. (Laughter.)**

**see comment #11 in above link (laughter laughter!!)


What's even MORE AMAZING is the White House Transcript of this ACTUAL, marvelous, fabulous gathering that took place in Nashville last week.

w visited the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center to discuss the budget and reach out to the "good, solid Tennessee citizens who are entrepreneurs, risk takers, dreamers. (Applause.)"

This actually took place. At first I thought it was a spoof or something. I felt like I was reading a SNL transcript. I must be losing it - it appears to be a true blue 'meeting of the minds'. A real ho-down - lots of laughter and applause!

He spoke of our soldiers:

".....there's no more amazing experience than to meet those who have served in harm's way and to realize the strength of spirit of American citizens who volunteer during a time of danger. And one of the young men I have met during my presidency -- I did so in my home state of Texas -- who is with us today, a man who is recovering from terrible injury, but has never lost the spirit of life: Kevin Downs. (Applause.) He's a good man. We're going to get him some new legs, and if he hurries up, he can outrun me on the South Lawn of the White House. Proud that Kevin's mom and dad are here with us, too."

The Economy:

"I want to spend a little time on the economy -- more particularly, the budget. You've got to worry about your budgets; we've got to worry about your budget, too, since you're paying for it. (Laughter.)"

Difficult times:

"We were confronted -- this administration has confronted some difficult economic times, particularly earlier in this administration. There was a recession. There were the terrorist attacks that affected the economy in a very direct way. There were corporate scandals which created some thousand -- uncertainty about our system that needed to be corrected. And we responded to those problems by cutting taxes."

and something about the Nashville Bun Co. and English Muffins:

"The Nashville Bun Company folks are organized so that they pay tax at the individual income tax level...
English muffin manufacturing company -- English muffin machine manufacturing company is more likely to have work. In other words, there's an effect, the tax code can affect commerce. And that's exactly what we did, and we cut the taxes and it's worked. This economy is strong. Unemployment has dropped........
--------


So.... there you go!

There you have it.

Where's Toby? - I need to borrow your fucking boot.....

I have, like, no earthly idea what to say.


Crossposted at BigBrassBlog

"FBI searches home of Alaska Sen. Stevens"

"The FBI and IRS have searched the home of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens in a ski resort in Alaska as part of an investigation into his links with an oil-services company, officials said on Monday."

Full article at Reuters.

How to transport a dime

Wear flip flops to avoid suspicion.

The 1884 S Barber dime is very rare because only a few were minted and were made as gifts by the minter. It's not a pretty dime. In fact Liberty looks pretty awful. One just sold for $1.9 million dollars. It traveled across the country to meet its new owner.

It was a flight filled with tension for the coin dealer charged with delivery.

He was too nervous to sleep, he said. He did not watch the in-flight movie, which was "Firehouse Dog.'' He turned down a Reuben sandwich and sensibly declined all offers of alcoholic beverages.

Shortly after boarding the plane, he transferred the dime from his pants pocket to his briefcase.

"I was worried that the dime might fall out of my pocket while I was sitting down,'' Feigenbaum said.

All across the country, Feigenbaum kept checking to make sure the dime was safe by reaching into his briefcase to feel for it. Feigenbaum did not actually take the dime out of his briefcase, as it is suspicious to stare at dimes.

He does recall fishing around -- somewhere over the Rockies, over the Midwest, and over the Alleghenies -- for the dime. For the rest of the flight, he kept his flip-flopped foot planted on the briefcase and his eyes wide open.

Read the story at SF Chronicle for a good chuckle: 'I didn't eat and I didn't sleep'

The WH Must Be Very Intimidated- sinks lower

This blog has been covering the plight of 9/11 rescue workers (and even the dogs) since the get go. It's been a bleak story and every positive baby step has been taken away by the powers that be.

In the movie, Sicko, Michael Moore takes sick 9/11 rescue workers to "Club Gitmo" in Cuba to get them 'free health care' like al Qaida gets. Through his loud speaker he told the guards there that he wanted, “The same kind Al Qaeda is getting!” Speaking truth to power is the hallmark of great journalism. It is what saved America from fascist takeovers in the past even when the Hearst Corporation was part of the problem.

It's no surprise that the bushistas have issued a subpoena to Michael Moore for traveling to Cuba. Power denying truth has been a hallmark with the bush administration. First he was issued a summons by the treasury department to furnish them with reasons that he went there. Obviously his travel there was for journalism, but no, the administration would rather harass him.

Think Progress notes that the WH has mocked Michael Moore. This sort of bullying is completely beneath the highest office in the country. Had any other administration acted in this way, heads would fly.

Noting that many celebrities visit Cuba with no repercussions, Moore noted, “I didn’t go there like Cameron Diaz to get a tan. … I was there to help them.” In a briefing yesterday, White House spokesman Dana Perino responded to Moore’s tan comment by mocking his appearance: “That’s probably a visual we don’t need.”

Excuse me, but this flippant attitude by the WH spokesperson is uncalled for and unprofessional. It's perfectly understandable that the WH fears journalists like Michael Moore, especially since all their denials of F911 have been proven to be futile as the truth won out. But this is not a playground and Dana Perino is as amateur as they come. Shame shame.

Walter Mondale Speaks Out

"Answering to No One"

By Walter F. Mondale
Sunday, July 29, 2007; B07

"The (Washington) Post's recent series on Dick Cheney's vice presidency certainly got my attention. Having held that office myself over a quarter-century ago, I have more than a passing interest in its evolution from the backwater of American politics to the second most powerful position in our government. Almost all of that evolution, under presidents and vice presidents of both parties, has been positive -- until now. Under George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, it has gone seriously off track."

Rest of article at WashingtonPost.com.

Some Good News

One of the less-known stories out of Iraq these days has been the Iraqi national football side (soccer team). Drawn from smaller clubs and leagues throuhgout the country, they represent a cross-section of all the various ethnic and religious groups in Iraq.

They took the name "Lions of the Two Rivers" and proved it today with their first-ever Asian Football Cup victory over four-time winner Saudi Arabia. They beat the Saudi side 1-0, leading to wild celebrations in the streets of Baghdad and throughout Iraq.

Congratulations to the Lions of the Two Rivers! You fought hard, and it paid off, and you provide an example of unity to your fellow citizens.

The continuing story of "Whose Side Are We On Anyway?"

In this week's episode, the bushistas will supply billions of dollars of fabulously advanced weapons to their old pals, the Saudis, not to mention other nations including Israel. I think this means that Israel and the Saudis are on the same side now. Oh wait, then that would mean that Iraq and Iran are on the same side as each other but on the other side... but Iraq is supposed to be on our side. Oh dear. Oh wait. Bush will increase military aid to Israel so that they won't feel bad about all the big guns that are also going to the Saudis.

The bigger question is: Who would Jesus bomb?

--------------
While we're speaking about whose side we're on, the story that won't go away is still on the fire: How come the US evacuated al Qaida fighters and hard-core Taliban fighters to Pakistan in November 2001 when we were supposed to be "smoking them out" and killing them for the crimes of 9/11? And now the US talks about invading yet another sovereign nation- Pakistan, for harboring terrorists when Rumsfeld actually ordered them there?
----------------

I d0n't know about you, but connecting all the dots since 2000 is painting a godawful scary picture.The guys who drive the subways in NY undergo more rigorous mental scrutiny than our very own imperialist Chimperor.

Another chapter in the dystopian novel that is America

In an effort to pretend that they really give a shit about the security of the American people...

The Washington Post reports

The United States and the European Union have agreed to expand a security program that shares personal data about millions of U.S.-bound airline passengers a year, potentially including information about a person's race, ethnicity, religion and health.

Under the agreement, airlines flying from Europe to the United States are required to provide data related to these matters to U.S. authorities if it exists in their reservation systems. The deal allows Washington to retain and use it only "where the life of a data subject or of others could be imperiled or seriously impaired," such as in a counterterrorism investigation.

According to the deal, the information that can be used in such exceptional circumstances includes "racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership" and data about an individual's health, traveling partners and sexual orientation.

And of course this information will not be used against any innocent people who have nothing to worry about because they are 'good people'.

Hat tip Americablog

Was "The Right Stuff" Rye or Bourbon?

Because I don't like the taste of bourbon. Cooking with it's fine, but not drinking it (tastes awful).

Anyway.

As the investigation into the diaper-wearing astronaut incident widened, it became apparent that NASA had a problem about which it was in deep denial. Deep? You could have floated Cleopatra's barge on it.

Allegedly (everything's alleged until the New York Times best-seller comes out) the astronauts have been having difficulties since the earliest days of the space program. Not with the equipment, but with alcohol. To be blunt, astronauts have been getting lit before launch.

Wait until the sun's up over the yardarm, guys and gals.

Now, I have much respect for anyone who deliberately straps themselves into an experimental craft built by the lowest bidder and perched precariously upon several thousand tons of high explosives. It may be a bit too much to expect that they be sober as judges when they do it, but that's not the point (although it may be - the Russians have probably allowed their cosmonauts a nip or two of vodka before flight).

Just a little alcohol is enough, in some people, to impair their reflexes and judgement, and when you're dealing with an environment that is actively trying to kill you you can't make any mistakes.

NASA is trying to set things right by increasing the frequency with which it does psychological evaluations, establishing an explicit code of conduct, and other measures. But this latest news is another black eye that the manned space program didn't need.

What is your favorite make-out song?

It's been a sad week. The constitution is in threads and I don't know about y'all, but any hope I had that the Dems might turn this ship around is slowly sinking into the crapper.
I somehow managed to finish putting up all our hay and my plan was to rest up. No sooner was I all prepared to commence mouth breathing on the back porch and occasionally ambling out to fish a minute or two --- up and comes this important query. "What's your favorite make-out music?"

Well, at first I was going to answer "America the Beautiful," but the medley " Moonglow " and "Love Theme", from the one of my most beloved movies ever, Picnic, won out.. It is a masterpiece. Although depending on my mood and hormone level, anything by Sting or Luther Vandross can have the same effect.

So if you don't mind me asking, what is your favorite make-out music?

New details on Tillman's death

It's not nice to kill a famous soldier. Heads are flying. Army doctors have long suspected that Tillman's wounds were too close together and from a close range- perhaps an "M-16 fired from a mere 10 yards or so away."

From the AP

The medical examiners' suspicions were outlined in 2,300 pages of testimony released to the AP this week by the Defense Department in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.

Among other information contained in the documents:

• In his last words moments before he was killed, Tillman snapped at a panicky comrade under fire to shut up and stop "sniveling."

• Army attorneys sent each other congratulatory e-mails for keeping criminal investigators at bay as the Army conducted an internal friendly-fire investigation that resulted in administrative, or non-criminal, punishments.

• The three-star general who kept the truth about Tillman's death from his family and the public told investigators some 70 times that he had a bad memory and couldn't recall details of his actions.

• No evidence at all of enemy fire was found at the scene — no one was hit by enemy fire, nor was any government equipment struck.

It's obvious from all this conflicting information that something is being covered up.

Obligatory Friday Sex Post

The police described it as "passionate fornication" and did nothing to stop nature's call (unlike in the USA where it would be deemed immoral and liberal.)

Horny Hedgehogs Spark Police Callout

Two hedgehogs triggered a nocturnal police operation in Germany this week after the spiky little mammals awoke neighbors with their loud, shameless mating. They went on fornicating even as a crowd gathered to watch them. In fact the attention made them even more vigorous.

This week's sex post was sent to us by reader "Who Else" a/k/a Dirruk the irrepressible limerick writer in our comments.

Unreal

Senior citizen Sara Weiss from Long Island is the reason for the TSA bulletin warning of terrorist suspects who travel with ice packs that are sealed with duct tape. She has a bad back and carries ice packs with her when she travels. They were really old she says and she taped the cracks with clear tape, not duct tape and there was no clay in them.

Read the story and about how she was questioned for hours.

The next time someone tells you that they don't do anything wrong so they don't care if the bushistas trample on civil rights.......

So that's how they did it

Disappointed Americans wondered how on earth King George ever won the 2004 election.
It will be on NOW tonight on PBS: "Voter Caging"

From Truthout:
"Previously undisclosed documents detail how Republican operatives, with the knowledge of several White House officials, engaged in an illegal, racially-motivated effort to suppress tens of thousands of votes during the 2004 presidential campaign in a state where George W. Bush was trailing his Democratic challenger, Senator John Kerry.

The documents also contain details describing how Bush-Cheney 2004 campaign officials, and at least one individual who worked for White House political adviser Karl Rove, planned to stop minorities residing in Cuyahoga County from voting on election day.

The efforts to purge voters from registration rolls was spearheaded by Tim Griffin, a former Republican National Committee opposition researcher. Griffin recently resigned from his post as interim US attorney for Little Rock Arkansas. His predecessor, Bud Cummins, was forced out to make way for Griffin.

Another set of documents, 43 pages of emails, provided to Truthout by the PBS news program "NOW," contains blueprints for a massive effort undertaken by RNC operatives in 2004, to challenge the eligibility of voters expected to support Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry in states such as Nevada, New Mexico, Florida and Pennsylvania.

One email, dated September 30, 2004, and sent to a dozen or so staffers on the Bush-Cheney campaign and the RNC, under the subject line "voter fraud strategy conference call," describes how campaign staffers planned to challenge the veracity of votes in a handful of battleground states in the event of a Democratic victory.

Furthermore, the emails show the Bush-Cheney campaign and RNC staffers compiled voter-challenge lists that targeted probable Democratic voters in at least five states: New Mexico, Ohio, Florida, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Voting rights lawyers have made allegations of so called "vote caging," against Republicans previously. These emails provide more evidence. One Republican operative involved in the planning wrote "we can do this in NV, FL, PA and NM because we have a list to run against the Absentee Ballot requests, and should."

Vote caging is an illegal tactic to suppress minorities from voting by having their names purged from voter rolls when they fail to respond to registered mail sent to their homes. The Republican National Committee signed a consent decree in 1986 stating they would not engage in the practice after they were caught suppressing votes in 1981 and 1986."

Lots more at Truthout with the emails that have been found which provide proof that the 2004 election in battleground states was undermined. Unbelievable. (well not really.)

Nuclear Terrorism - More Info

I received this email today. I thought someone might be interested in the information contained therein. It is much faster than reading the entire Allison book although I still recommend this.

Dear Candy,

I saw your recent post, “Nuclear terrorism.” While we agree with everything in the first half of Allison’s book, we don’t think the measures he outline to prevent this from happening go far enough—they are necessary but not sufficient to prevent nuclear terrorism. We just wrote a paper you might find interesting.

“Intelligence, Border Security, and Forensics Will Fail: Secure DC, NYC, and Other Cities from Nuclear Attacks with Highly Enriched Uranium”

http://www.devabhaktuni.us/research/onecity.pdf (Full report)

http://www.devabhaktuni.us/research/onecityop-ed.pdf (4-page essay)

Here’s a blog posting on the paper that gets to the punch-line http://armchairgeneralist.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/07/protecting-citi.html

Thanks,

-Sri

p.s. A previous paper we wrote on nuclear detection was published as Devabhaktuni Srikrishna, A. Narasimha Chari and Thomas Tisch, “DETERRENCE OF NUCLEAR TERRORISM WITH MOBILE RADIATION DETECTORS” (Nonproliferation Review, Vol. 12, No 3, November 2005, pages 573-614) http://cns.miis.edu/pubs/npr/vol12/123toc.htm

I have read the four page essay and the post by the armchair generalist. You may find them illuminating as well. The longer report will have to wait until I have more time.

And thank you very much Sri.

Only In America

An inmate serving 10 years for armed robbery got another 60 days in jail for masturbating in his jail cell.

"The sole witness in the case, BSO Deputy Coryus Veal, testified that Alexander did not try to hide what he was doing as most prisoners do. Veal saw him perform the act while she was working in a glass-enclosed master control room, 100 feetfrom Alexander's cell. There was no video tape or other witnesses"

The Great Fascist Takeover that almost was

BBC Radio: A document was uncovered that details of White House coup in the USA in 1933 by right-wing American businessmen.

The coup was aimed at toppling President Franklin D Roosevelt with the help of half-a-million war veterans. The plotters, who were alleged to involve some of the most famous families in America, (owners of Heinz, Birds Eye, Goodtea, Maxwell Hse & George Bush’s Grandfather, Prescott) believed that their country should adopt the policies of Hitler and Mussolini to beat the great depression.

Prescott Bush was no enemy of fascism.
How Bush's grandfather helped Hitler's rise to power


UPDATE:
Video at Amazon.com In Search Of History - The Plot To Overthrow FDR
The Book at Amazon.com The Plot to Seize the White House: The Shocking True Story of the Conspiracy to Overthrow FDR
Related: Maverick Marine: General Smedley D. Butler and the Contradictions of American Military History

UPDATE UPDATE:
YouTube Video John Buchanan on the Bush Dynasty

Proud To Be Partisan

Here is an excellent post by Jane Hamsher on why it is incumbent on us to be partisan at this time in our history. It is not long. This is why I cannot support any Republican for anything and may never do so again. (h/t Digby)

If it was up to me, his title would be "Flunker's Helpy".

A lotta folks been saying for better than six years now that boygeorge is not the "real" president of the United States, that it's Darth that's really been calling all the shots. So what does that make boygeorge? Well, you better check out the Dark Wraith's latest, either at his Forums Site or at The Big Brass Blog.

Any of youse out there live in cities that have both a city manager and a mayor? That's one of the examples to which he equates our current administration. Or...well, the title of his blog is "Prime Minister of the United States of America". Prime? Not where I come from. Back in my steel mill days we had several classifications for finished steel: Prime, Excess, Reject, Secondary, and Waste-Waste. And that memory might give me an idea for a future blog which would begin, "The Waste-Waste Minister of the United States is a wasted waste".

You s'pose they'll get better treatment than the folks who took refuge in the Superdome after Katrina?

"EMERGENCY services evacuated hundreds of homes in the university city of Oxford yesterday as the River Thames broke its banks and Britain grappled with its worst floods in 60 years.
"Water levels rose steadily during the night and police said they had evacuated 250 homes and had given people shelter in Oxford's soccer stadium."

Story in the Sydney Morning Herald.

The Yes Men interview with Bill Moyers

Bill Moyers gets in on the joke with two impersonators who use satire to make serious points about media consolidation, journalism, business ethics, and separating fact from fiction in a world of spin.

Watch the interview here

via dailykos and crooksandliars

The Yes Men have a passion for media literacy and to bring to our attention who's telling the truth. They accomplish this through satire and parody. They are the masters of both.

You are so right Mr. Moyers -- "You can't get too absurd".

The Yes Men brilliantly show us how "we still do have pretty good free speech laws in this country --

YOU CAN SPEAK AT THE VOLUME OF HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE"


I rarely get the wind knocked out of me, but after viewing this, I'm down for the count here folks - SOMEbody please wake me up......


Crossposted at BigBrassBlog

Hey. Whose side are we on anyway?

I would bet you that if Osama bin Laden had a colonoscopy, that's where they would find Bush's head (since the only head found up bush's ass was Gonzales'.)

The president seems almost pleased that al Qaida is in Iraq and used that to criticize his war critics yesterday. He assured Americans in a speech that the al Qaida in Iraq is allegiant to bin Laden who attacked us on 9/11... so our troops have to stay in Iraq and fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here*.

Bush left out the part that his war on Iraq lured al Qaida into Iraq. Maybe that was part of his plan which he neglected to mention in public? He also left out the part that al Qaida in Iraq are not the principal killers of our troops in Iraq as John Kerry was quick to point out. In fact only 3-5% of insurgents in Iraq are al Qaida. He left out the part that bin Laden and the brains of al Qaida are in fucking Pakistan (if he ever bothered to read US intelligence reports.)


* It seems that we may have to "fight them over here" if all the latest scare tactics are true. And if they are not true and the bushistas made this up, then they are actually admitting that they absolutely suck as warriors because I get it.

It's just been made public that the TSA is on the lookout for terrorist dry runs this summer.
"Security officers were urged to keep an eye out for "ordinary items that look like improvised explosive device components."
Airport bigwigs say not to be scared because these memos go out all the time. It still begs the question- if we are attacked over here, then our fighting over there isn't doing much good is it?

To add insult to injury, from the AP:
"A top U.S. military commander said Tuesday he believes there are al-Qaida cells in the United States — or people working to create them — and the military needs to triple its response teams to counter a growing threat of attack."

So what's the deal here? Al Qaida is stronger than ever? How scared should I be? They weren't in Iraq when we started the invasion and occupation of Iraq. We had a great big coalition looking for al Qaida in Afghanistan. What happened to that? Since the US focused attention on Iraq, did they move over to Iraq because they weren't getting enough attention from the US elsewhere? Did al Qaida not enjoy fighting the UN peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan?

Did Bush recently radio bin Laden from up his ass to send terrorists to Iraq in order to give Bush a reason to keep troops in Iraq since US oil companies haven't seized and privatized Iraqi oil just yet?

As far as I am concerned the US "won" the war in Iraq long ago and our troops should get some R&R.

• Saddam was captured and he is dead.
• There are no WMD's in Iraq, nor will they be making any in the near future.
• The US destroyed their infrastructure, military and any social programs that were beneficial to the Iraqi people.
• The US reduced Baghdad to near rubble and the country's most promising citizens are either dead or have fled the country.
• A puppet government has been installed and "democratic" elections have been held.
• There is a civil war going on and left to their own devices will cripple the country even more.
• The US is despised around the world.

If that isn't victory, then what is? We sure showed them

Nuclear Terrorism

This is in response to Walt's post below re nuclear weapons. He is right - you cannot put the genie back in the bottle. Nuclear power seems to be here to stay. It is not inevitable that nuclear weapons will lead to Armageddon, however, although it is likely.

I read Nuclear Terrorism by Graham Allison a couple of years ago and do not remember all the details. I suggest it be read by anyone concerned about this issue. Allison spends the first part of the book outlining who could be planning a nuclear terrorist attack, where they could get the material, and how they could deliver it. The second half explains exactly how to prevent this from happening. Along the way he is scathing about the Bush administration's handling of foreign policy and our reputation in the world, both vital components in preventing a catastrophe. I quote from the book, "As one disillusioned State Department official wrote in a letter of resignation in February 2003, the administration seemed to have adopted the Roman emperor Caligula's dictum Oderint dum metuant: 'Let them hate as long as they fear.' "

This is a quote from The Boston Globe on the back cover: "In this urgent call to action, Graham Allison, one of America's leading experts on nuclear weapons and national security, presents the evidence for two provocative, compelling conclusions. First, if policy makers in Washington keep doing what they are currently doing about the threat, a nuclear terrorist attack on America is inevitable. Second, the surprising and largely unrecognized good news is that nuclear terrorism is, in fact, preventable. Allison offers an ambitious but feasible blueprint for eliminating the possibility of nuclear terrorist attacks, if we are willing to face the issue squarely." Of course, that last sentence is a big 'if'.

Here is one of the more amusing observations by Allison, of which there are many, on Bush and company: "The most memorable foreign policy line from the the 2000 campaign came from candidate George W. Bush, who called for the United States to conduct a 'humble foreign policy.' He said, 'If we are an arrogant nation, they will resent us, but if we are a humble nation, but strong, they will welcome us.' Unfortunately, either the president forgot his advice or he did not mean it. Vice President Cheney and other members of the administration evidently never heard it, or never agreed."

This is what I consider a required book nowadays. It is available in paperback.

Dow tanks 226 -- Halliburton's profit doubles -- Drug Companies fare well also

Credit Worries Wallop Stocks:

Stocks slid hard Tuesday as new worries about the credit arena and a profit shortfall at DuPont

.....Weighing further on the market were renewed concerns about debt, which have popped up several times in recent months. After the previous close, American Express topped analysts' profit estimates, but the financial services giant said it had to increase its loan-loss reserve because of a higher rate of delinquencies.

.....lender Countrywide missed by a wide margin, citing increased credit-related costs, and lowered its 2007 guidance, saying the second half will be challenging.

"There's fear entering certain parts of the market, and we're seeing a risk adjustment taking place," said Paul Mendelsohn, chief investment strategist with Windham Financial. "This shift could be foreshadowing something bigger, as everyone could run for the door at the same time. Once markets start picking up momentum, they tend to keep moving because everyone's on the same side."

Virtually every sector finished with losses. Among the worst decliners, the Amex Oil Index dropped 3.5%, the Philadelphia Utility Index slumped 3.5%, the Nasdaq Financial Index fell 3%, and the KBW Bank Index lost 3%.

Apple, which will post earnings late Wednesday, contributed to the tech sector's slide amid speculation the iPhone maker will miss sales targets for the new gadget. Shares tumbled 6.1% to $134.89.

Trading curbs were put into effect on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time since March 13, when subprime fears surrounding New Century and Accredited Home Lenders first became a force and sank the major averages"

(Lots more stock info on the link)




Halliburton's profit doubles


End of story......

(I'm outta gas)

Crossposted atBigBrassBlog

The "Perfect Asshole" warns of al-Qaida threat

Here's the AP story via ABC

President Bush on Tuesday lashed out at critics who say that al-Qaida's operation in Iraq is distinct from terrorists who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

"The merger between al-Qaida and its Iraqi affiliate is an alliance of killers and that is why the finest military in the world is on their trail," Bush said.

Citing security details he declassified for his speech, Bush described al-Qaida's burgeoning operation in Iraq as a direct threat to the United States. Bush accused critics in Congress of misleading the American public by suggesting otherwise.

"That's like watching a man walk into a bank with a mask and a gun and saying, 'He's probably just there to cash a check,'" Bush told troops at Charleston Air Force Base.



And here are the comments from the ABC story:

Loved this one:

"Hell, it's gotten to the point where parents in America have begun telling their children " Don't bush me!" when they catch them in a lie!"



Question -- do you say al-qaida or do you say al-qaeda?

I googled al-qaida and got
did you mean al-qaeda

I'm confused.........

The Genie

August 6th is the 62nd anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, so while I was arranging for black party favors I saw this editorial from the Japan Times:U.S. owes A-bomb apology

Read the article; it is an interesting insight into the Japanese Government's reasoning behind its own nuclear non-proliferation stance (even though it conveniently turns a blind eye to allowing nuclear-armed US warships to use its ports). Here's the money quote:

"To end the vicious cycle of nuclear proliferation, the U.S., the first to use nuclear bombs as a weapon of war, should apologize to Japan for the bombings and pledge to abandon all nuclear arms."

Got that? The editorial writer's opinion is that the United States of America apologize to the Japanese for dropping the first uranium and plutonium devices on their cities, as a way to start the ball rolling on a worldwide disarmament strategy.

First, a bit of historical context: Wars that start with a undeclared, or 'sneak' attack will usually not end well, and usually require both combatants to sink into real depths of competitive barbarism. We were attacked by the Japanese, and spent a boatload of money in developing these bombs. Some thought that it would have been wasted money and effort if we hadn't used them, while others pointed to the projected casualty figures for Operations Coronet and Olympic.

Second, as to apologies:
Has Japan apologized for invading Korea and China?
Has Japan apologized for the Rape of Nanjing?
Has Japan apologized for its experiments in chemical and biological warfare on Chinese civilians?
Has Japan apologized for its use of Chinese and Korean "comfort women?"

We did not attack Japan at Pearl Harbor. We didn't start the war - but we finished it. It is up to the vanquished to apologize first. It's just good manners.

Third, let me say this about the "cycle of nuclear proliferation:"

You can't stop it.

There, I said it. And I'd say it again if I had to.

Whenever a new piece of technology comes along, people just fester to get their hands on it. For any number of purposes. Take gunpowder, for example. Gunpowder started the development of modern arms (or we'd still be carving road tunnels with chisels and shooting each other with crossbows). There was no way to stop it - as soon as some half-bright serf with a handcannon and his ammunition fell into enemy hands, the search was on to reverse-engineer the stuff and find out how to make more.

Okay, analogy over.

Various scientists in several countries (even Japan) were working on the idea of nuclear fission as a viable weapon way back in the 30s, showing just how hard it is to stop the spread of ideas. However, only one nation had the resources to actually bring the device to fruition - the United States.

So, let's wind the clock back and see what the Genie did after we let it out of the bottle, shall we? For starters, the secrets of the Bomb were leaked to the Soviet Union. Great Britain and France developed theirs mostly on their own (Britain had aided the US in the Manhattan Project, and France had the son of the great Madame Curie to do the heavy lifting - and France has natural supplies of uranium). And US President Eisenhower, in his "Atoms for Peace" project, freely gave out nuclear reactor technology to developing nations so they could modernize.

One of the bad things about nuclear reactors is its waste product, which includes plutonium. So it was only a matter of time before smaller nations started using reactors as seedbeds to produce oralloy (highly enriched uranium) and plutonium.

The first nation (that we know of) to start this process was Israel, who is doing it for defense reasons (we hope, as the United States has consistently blocked UN attempts to see what's going at the Israeli reactor site at Dimona - a site that the Israelis are so paranoid about that they shot down one of their own planes after it accidentally overflew the area).

Pakistan and India followed suit, as did North Korea (although I laughed when I found out the estimated yield - a measly 500 tons, or half a kiloton).

::waves at the NSA guys::

A couple years ago the United States put up on the Internet a whole bunch of documents relating to Saddam Hussein's WMD programs. After a while, someone noticed that the recipe for nerve gases were on those documents, handily in Arabic. When this was brought to the US's attention, the papers were removed from the site. Last year, a minor foofaraw resulted when another survey of the posted documents showed the actual blueprints for an implosion device, including the all-important equations that cover the amount of fissile material and the tampers. This material, too, was taken down rapidly. But who could have read it and printed it out BEFORE it was deleted? No one knows.

You can not put the Genie back into the bottle.

On the lighter side........

WOMAN'S PERFECT BREAKFAST
She's sitting at the table with her gourmet coffee.
Her son is on the cover of the Wheaties box.
Her daughter is on the cover of Vogue.
Her boyfriend is on the cover of Business Week.
And her husband is on the back of the milk carton.

WOMEN'S REVENGE
"Cash, check or charge?" I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase.
As she fumbled for her wallet, I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.
"So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked.
"No," she replied, "but my husband refused to come shopping with me,
and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN (A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)
I know I'm not going to understand women.
I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax,
pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,
and still be afraid of a spider.

MARRIAGE SEMINAR
While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication,
Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor:
"It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes."
He addressed the man,
"Can you name your wife's favorite flower?"
Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn't it?

CIGARETTES AND TAMPONS
A man walks into a pharmacy and wanders up & down the aisles.
The sales girl notices him and asks him if she can help him.
He answers that he is looking for a box of tampons for his wife.
She directs him down the correct aisle.
A few minutes later, he deposits a huge bag of cotton balls and a ball of string on the counter.
She says, confused, "Sir, I thought you were looking for some tampons for your wife?
He answers, "You see, it's like this. Yesterday, I sent my wife to the store
to get me a carton of cigarettes, and she came back with a tin of tobacco
and some rolling papers, cause it's sooo-ooo--oo-ooo much cheaper.
So, I figure if I have to roll my own......... so does she.
(I figure this guy is the one on the milk carton!)

WIFE VS. HUSBAND
A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.
An earlier discussion had led to an argument and
neither of them wanted to concede their position.
As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs,
the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"
"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

WORDS
A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day...
30,000 to a man's 15,000.
The wife replied, "The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men...
The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

CREATION
A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how you can be
so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time.
"The wife responded, "Allow me to explain.
God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me;
God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!

WHO DOES WHAT
A man and his wife were having an argument about who
should brew the coffee each morning.
The wife said, "You should do it because you get up first,
and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee.
The husband said, "You are in charge of cooking around here and
you should do it, because that is your job, and I can just wait for my coffee."
Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible that the man should do the coffee."
Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."
So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament and showed him at the top of several pages, that it indeed says ......... "HEBREWS"

THE SILENT TREATMENT
A man and his wife were having some problems at home
and were giving each other the silent treatment.
Suddenly, the man realized that the next day, he would need his wife to wake him
at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.
Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,
"Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.
The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and see why his wife hadn't wakened him,
when he noticed a piece of paper by the bed.
The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."
Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.


God may have created man before woman, but there is always a rough draft before the masterpiece!!!

Um. All we have is ourselves.

An LA Times reporter, William Lobdel, who covered the religion beat in earnest for years has lost his faith and has written about it. It's a remarkable story and one that I know will touch the hearts of many readers of this blog based on the comments and emails I receive.Read Religion beat became a test of faith

Notice the similarity in church politics and national politics:

While reporting the [Father] Harris story, I learned — from court records and interviews — the lengths to which the church went to protect the priest. When Harris took an abrupt leave of absence as principal at Santa Margarita in January 1994, he issued a statement saying it was because of "stress." He resigned a month later.

His superiors didn't tell parents or students the real reason for his absence: Harris had been accused of molesting a student while he was principal at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana from 1977 to 1979; church officials possessed a note from Harris that appeared to be a confession; and they were sending him to a treatment center.

In September 1994, a second former student stepped forward, this time publicly, and filed a lawsuit. In response, parents and students held a rally for Harris at the school, singing, "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow." An airplane towed a banner overhead that read "We Love Father Harris."

By this time, church leaders possessed a psychological report in which Catholic psychiatrists diagnosed Harris as having an attraction to adolescents and concluded that he likely had molested multiple boys. (Harris, who has denied the allegations, now stands accused of molesting 12 boys, according to church records.) But they didn't step forward to set the record straight. Instead, a diocesan spokesman called Harris an "icon of the priesthood."

Harris' top defense attorney, John Barnett, lashed out at the priest's accusers in the media, calling them "sick individuals." Again, church leaders remained silent as the alleged victims were savaged. Some of the diocese's top priests — including the cleric in charge of investigating the accusations — threw a going-away party for Harris.

Does this remind you of US politics or what? And the sheeple!

---------

Personally I lost my faith in god and my country around the same time in my life. It started in the early Reagan years and really got going during Newt's "contract with America" which shattered my trust in human beings and the possibility that there is an almighty god. During the Clinton witch hunts I was reminded of old Salem in Massachusetts and Nathanial Hawthorne. By the time bush took office and the news channels referred to him (of all people) as a devout christian, I had abandoned any belief that anyone who sought to lead people in government or religion was a selfless person or even a semi-decent human being save for a few who to this day are despised and ridiculed by the powers that be.

People in real life often chide me for my insistence on discussing religion and politics. What can I say? Anyone's who's not paying attention needs a good metaphorical slap in the face. I don't care if people agree with my opinions exactly, I just want people to wake up and think.

Oh the poor professors that had to endure my term papers, class discussion and my answers and arguments on test papers as I studied for my masters degree in theology from a Catholic Seminary. (It was a very left of center seminary, where we eagerly awaited the death of Pope John Paul who set the church back 500 years, so I stayed till the end and graduated even while arguing that banning abortion was unfeasible in a secular society and expressed my very politically incorrect opinions when the subject of homosexuality came up in a place where the clergy was so openly gay and not terribly celibate that one of the older and very sincere priests told me he felt like he was living on the set of Designing Women. Indeed. Let's not even get into the gym and the pick-up bar in the basement of the seminary.

My mom was the first to notice that I had become an atheist and told the bishop so at my graduation. I hadn't even consciously accepted that I was an atheist at the time for I regarded the Catholic Church as a place where both very liberal and very conservative theologians and scholars were welcomed. I imagine they still are, but the oppressors are still in power promoting that mean old sky god who hates wimmin and homos. Just like in America. What ever happened to Jesus?

The more I try to understand this 'god and country' rhetoric, the more it reinforces my belief that We're on our own, cousin. All alone cousin...

Blasting Iran into a pile of rubble and destroying the country may be put on the back burner

Maybe Pakistan is next. A warm-up exercise?
Boston Globe: "US won't rule out force in Pakistan"
"President Bush's homeland security adviser said yesterday that the United States was prepared to take additional measures, including military force, to curb Al Qaeda's operations in remote regions of Pakistan."
More

Overheard on the street:

I presented the news item Bush undergoes colonoscopy to some of the folks around town over the weekend and asked if they had any thoughts and opinions.
Far and away the best response I received was from Ben Dover, who overwhelmed the folks at the local coffeeshop with the statement,
"As difficult as it may be to believe, I guess this means he's a bigger asshole than ever".

Beware of "Jesus coming in glory on a cloud."

Joe Lieberman's allegiance is to Israel, not the US or the people of Connecticut (unless they watch Fox News and buy all the crappola that Iran is an imminent threat to the world. Lieberman has gotten himself caught up with Christian radicals whom he thinks are on his side. He couldn't be more mistaken- they'd like to see him in hell. The sooner the better.

You must have been reading about the Christian Zionists (Christians United for Israel) who back Lieberman and his ilk, men who are itching to nuke Iran. This is not a marriage made in heaven. They are hell bent on getting Armageddon under way, no matter how much they insist that they are not. This final battle will not bode well for Jews if the Christian Zionists have their way. They are just as driven as Islamic extremists but they use their political clout to get their way and oh baby, do they have ever have political clout.

"they smile in your face, but all the time they want to take your place, the back stabbers"

Being that I have studied theology and a great deal of religion including quite a bit on the coming of Christ in the clouds end time scenarios (eschatology) on the graduate school level, I like to warn my hawkish Jewish pals not to trust the so called "Christian" agenda for it will spell death and doom to Israel, not to mention most of the planet. I figured this out in grad school. While the so called "Christians United for Israel" cheer for the hawkish policies of the radical far right, "pro-Israel" crowd, Jesus' coming in the clouds is just a metaphor for a final nuclear bomb aimed at their beloved Israel. The christian radical right which "supports" Israel are Koolaid-drinking, toe-tagged, death wishers- suicide bombers by proxy. These radicals should be feared by all good people of the world no matter what religious or non religious persuasion.

Therefore, I beg you to please read this well put together article on the subject by Sarah Posner, Theocrats Deny ‘End Times’ Theology Is Cause of Their Push for War with Iran
It's not too long and it gets to some of the core of their true agenda. This is stuff we should all be aware of. It ends with this scary quote by Joe "I'm rewriting history as we speak" Lieberman to the Christians United for Israel Summit:

"America is a faith-based initiative. We are not endowed by the great thinkers of the Enlightenment but endowed by our Creator ... Anyone who tries to separate American government from faith, is doing something profoundly unnatural."

-------
another view on Israel-Palestine: Israel’s Primal Myth: A Barrier to Peace
-------
Oddjob sends a link to a "Worthwhile "paleocon" analysis of Iraq debacle and what might be done about it now": How to Win in Iraq. Makes some pretty good points.

Harry Potter As Metaphor

I know you are all gonna groan seeing that title. This is not about the plot and no spoilers. It is about the books in general. You may or may not know that when Tolkien was writing his famous books Hitler was rising and World War II was raging. Most literary critics see that as having influenced the darkness of those novels. We all know what has been rearing its head during the Harry Potter cycle. The early books were very much lighter than the latter ones. I have just reread books five and six as well as the seventh. It struck me much more this time around how it can be seen as a metaphor for our times.

Rowling is absolutely scathing toward the press in her Potter books. There is no reliable journalist to be seen. The intelligent characters know better than to get their news from the usual suspects. Sound familiar? In the end the press is virtually an arm of the government.

She is equally cynical about the government. In the latter books the government goes from just comically ignorant to actively malignant. Sound familiar?

Whether representative of her own feelings on the subject, and I can hardly suppose otherwise, it is a masterful metaphor. Unfortunately in the real world we seem to have no dragonslayers. Maybe that is why the books are so beloved. Reality sucks and diversion is comforting.

I also don't know whether Rowling is an atheist or not but Hermione Granger certainly is. Here is a short conversation regarding a stone that supposedly can raise the dead:

"'. . . . . . The thing you call the Resurrection Stone?'

'What of it?'

'Well, how can that be real?'

'Prove that it is not,' said Xenophilius.

Hermione looked outraged.

'But that's - I'm sorry, but that's completely ridiculous! How can I possibly prove it doesn't exist? Do you expect me to get hold of - of all the pebbles in the world and test them? I mean, you could claim that anything's real if the only basis for believing in it is that nobody's proved it doesn't exist!'"

You are so right Hermione.

Impeach George Bush to stop war lies, deaths

Newsday July 22, 2007
JIMMY BRESLIN
July 22, 2007

I am walking in Rosedale on this day early in the week while I wait for the funeral of Army soldier Le Ron Wilson, who died at age 18 in Iraq. He was 17 1/2 when he had his mother sign his enlistment papers at the Jamaica recruiting office. If she didn't, he told her, he would just wait for the months to his 18th birthday and go in anyway. He graduated from Thomas Edison High School at noon one day in May. He left right away for basic training. He came home in a box last weekend. He had a fast war.

The war was there to take his life because George Bush started it with bold-faced lies.


He got this lovely kid killed by lying.

If Bush did this in Queens, he would be in court on Queens Boulevard on a murder charge.

He did it in the White House, and it is appropriate, and mandatory for the good of the nation, that impeachment proceedings be started. You can't live with lies. You can't permit them to be passed on as if it is the thing to do.

Yesterday, Bush didn't run the country for a couple of hours while he had a colonoscopy at the presidential retreat, Camp David. He came out of it all right. He should now take his good health and go home, quit a job he doesn't have a clue as to how to do.

The other day, Bush said he couldn't understand why in the world would some people say that millions of Americans have no health insurance. "Why, all they have to do is go to the emergency room," he said.

Said this with the smirk, the insolent smug, contemptuous way he speaks to citizens.

People, particularly these politicians, these frightened beggars in suits, seem petrified about impeachment. It could wreck the country. Ridiculous. I've been around this business twice and we're all still here and no politician was even injured. Richard Nixon lied during a war and helped get some 58,500 Americans killed and many escaped by hanging onto helicopter skids. Nixon left peacefully. Mike Mansfield of Montana, the Democratic Senate majority leader, said on television that the Senate impeachment trial of Nixon would be televised and there would be no immunity. That meant Nixon would have to face the country under oath and if he lied he would go to prison. He knew he was finished as he heard this. Mansfield said no more. He got up and left. Barbara Walters, on the "Today" show, said, "He doesn't say very much, does he?"

The second time the subject was Bill Clinton for illegal holding in the hallway.

This time, we have dead bodies involved. Consider what is accomplished by the simple power of the word impeachment. If you read these broken-down news writers or terrified politicians claiming that an impeachment would leave the nation in pieces, don't give a moment to them.

It opens with the appointing of an investigator to report to the House on evidence that calls for impeachment. He could bring witnesses forward. That would be all you'd need. Here in the impeachment proceedings against Richard Nixon came John Dean. His history shows how far down the honesty and honor of this country has gone. Dean was the White House counsel. Richard Nixon, at his worst, never told him not to appear or to remain silent in front of the Congress. Dean went on and did his best to fill prisons. After that came Alexander Butterfield, a nobody. All he had to say was that the White House had a taping system that caught all the conversations in the White House. Any of them not on tape were erased by a participant.

The same is desperately needed now. Curious, following the words, an investigator - the mind here sees George Mitchell and Warren Rudman, and you name me better - can slap a hand on the slitherers and sneaks who have kept us in war for five years and who use failing generals to beg for more time and more lives of our young. A final word in September? Two years more, the generals and Bush people say.

Say impeachment and you'll get your troops home.

As I am walking in Rosedale, on these streets sparkling with sun, I remember the places I have been in the cold rain for the deaths of our young in this war. Rosedale now, Washington Heights before, and the South Bronx, and Bay Shore and Hauppauge and too many other places around here.

And in Washington we had this Bush, and it is implausible to have anyone who is this dumb running anything, smirking at his country. He sure doesn't mind copying those people. On his PBS television show the other night, Bill Moyers said he was amazed at Sara Taylor of the White House staff saying that she didn't have to talk to a congressional committee because George Bush had ordered her not to. "I took an oath to uphold the president," she said.

That president had been in charge of a government that kidnapped, tortured, lied, intercepted mail and calls, all in the name of opposing people who are willing to kill themselves right in front of you. You have to get rid of a government like this. Ask anybody in Rosedale, where Le Ron Wilson wanted to live his young life. His grave speaks out that this is an impeachable offense.

When Smoke Gets In My I

"Peace of mind, is very hard to find..." sang the great ganja-man, Bob Marley, "It's got to come from within".

Fascinating read


One of our best friends keeps telling hubby and I to read:
The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, by Julian Jaynes. I found this site while looking for info on the book, which references it:

" an interesting explanation of how the development of consciousness took place. Although Jaynes fails to fully recognize the strong role that plant-drugs may have played in the development of consciousness he has come up with what I think is a most revolutionary concept. It is explained on the book's back cover as follows:

Based on recent laboratory studies of the brain and a close reading of the archeological evidence, psychologist Julian Jaynes shows us how ancient people from Mesopotamia to Peru could not `think' as we do today, and were therefore not conscious. Unable to introspect, they experienced auditory hallucinations - voices of gods, actually heard as in the Old Testament or the Iliad - which, coming from the brain's right hemisphere, told a person what to do in circumstances of novelty or stress. This ancient mentality is called bicameral mind... Only catastrophe and cataclysm forced mankind to `learn' consciousness, and that happened only 3000 years ago.

It was in Terrence McKenna's Food of the Gods, that I was first introduced to Jaynes' book, and McKenna's articulate description of Jaynes' theory is worth quoting.

He proposes that through Homeric times people did not have the kind of interior psychic organization we take for granted. Thus what we call ego was for the Homeric people "god". When danger threatened suddenly, the god's voice was heard in the individual's mind: an intrusive and alien function was expressed as a kind of metaprogram for survival called forth under moments of great stress. This psychic function was perceived by those experiencing it as the direct voice of a god, of the king, or of the king in the afterlife. Merchants and traders moving from one society to another brought the unwelcome news that the gods were saying different things in different places, and so cast early seeds of doubt. At some point people integrated this previously autonomous function, and each person became the god and reinterpreted the inner voice as the `self' or, as it was later called, the `ego'.

-----------------------

Another amusing read - Part 4 of "When Smoke Gets in my I" a series on the history of cannabis and human consciousness
Cannabis and the Christ



Crossposted at BigBrassBlog

Dear Abby.

I've never written to you before, but I really need your advice. I have suspected for some time now that my husband has been cheating on me. The usual signs - phone rings but if I answer the caller hangs up. My husband has been going out with "the guys" a lot recently although when I ask their names he always says "Just some friends from work. You don't know them."

I always try to stay awake to look out for him coming home, but I usually fall asleep anyway. I have never approached the subject with my husband. I think deep down I just didn't want to know the truth, but last night he went out again and I decided to hide in the barn in the tack room behind my saddle racks so I could get a good view of the whole yard when he arrived home from his night out with "the guys".

When he got out of his car he was buttoning up his shirt, which was open. It was at that moment, crouching behind my tack, that I noticed that the sterling silver concho on my breast collar appeared to have a hairline crack right in the center.

Is this something I can fix myself or should I take it back to the tack store I bought it at? I am anxiously awaiting your reply.

Signed,

Perplexed

read

Amy Goodman asks: Why Is the White House Pretending That Saudi Insurgents in Iraq Are Iranian?

Dahr Jamail reports: After Reporting in Iraq, America Feels Like a Bizarre Disneyland.
Ya think?

Rick Perlstein on Deadly Conservatives- E. Coli Conservatives. "When Infrastructure Attacks!!"

Shocking. Another sex scandal

KANNAPOLIS -- Coy Privette, a retired Baptist pastor, conservative lawmaker and outspoken advocate for Christian groups, was charged Thursday with paying a prostitute for sex acts.

The 74-year-old Cabarrus County commissioner was arrested at his home in Kannapolis early Thursday...

Privette, a prominent Republican with a 30-year career, is one of the state's [NC] most vocal opponents against alcohol sales and legal gambling. He also serves on the State Baptist Convention of North Carolina and as president of the Christian Action League of North Carolina.

Well I never!

Stop The Fucking Presses

Senator Clinton sported a feminine pink jacket and necklace on Wednesday. Her daring, plunging neckline revealed that which must never be acknowledged in polite politics...
CLEAVAGE!

OMG. A stunned Washington Post writer reports.

What's next?

Signing Off

Not that you all care, but I will be offline now until sometime Sunday. I have been watching the progress of my Harry Potter book. They are using UPS this year. So y'all have a great weekend and try not to give in to despair.

Ah hell, I just HAD to post the whole thing, comments and all.

It's from the Big Brass Blog:

BREAKING NEWS: President Bush to Temporarily Transfer Power to Vice President Cheney
by: Dark Wraith
Updated 7/20/07 at 1:55 p.m. Sources indicate that President George W. Bush is scheduled for a Saturday colonoscopy and will, because of the heavy sedation typically used on patients during the procedure, temporarily transfer presidential power, for perhaps 2½ hours or so, to Vice President Richard V. Cheney.

8 comments:

There is a serious possibility that even the most experienced physician will not be able to determine conclusively which end is which.
by: LanceThruster (contact) - 20 Jul '07 - 12:50

"colonoscopy"
Is that the same type of operation that we here in the Midwest refer to as a "solidified semen search"?
by: Peter of Lone Tree (contact) - 20 Jul '07 - 12:52

Too many thoughts: not enough time!
by: Father Tyme (contact) - 20 Jul '07 - 13:05

i want to see waxman (d-california) go to work with the scope.
(sometimes the jokes just write themselves)
by: Minstrel Boy (contact) - 20 Jul '07 - 13:07

"Quick, nurse, the antiseptic. I think I've found his brain."
"Doctor, what are all these little Republican Conress critters doing up there?"
"Let's see...the card we found up there says 1-A. I wonder what that means?"
"Look! It's Brownie! You've done heck of a job!"
"Is that part of a frog's ass?"
"Doctor, the prophylactic you recovered from his colon has 'Property of the Vice President' on it."
"Wait, nurse...it looks...like a little...Damien!"
I'm killing myself!
by: Father Tyme (contact) - 20 Jul '07 - 13:14

"Is that Condi's lipstick shade?"
Ok , I'm done.
by: Father Tyme (contact) - 20 Jul '07 - 13:15

One more:
"No nurse. That's Lieberman's!"
by: Father Tyme (contact) - 20 Jul '07 - 13:16

The Dark Wraith is supposed to have a license to run a comedy club in this town.

Police State?

It's pretty frightening when a Reaganite, Paul Craig Roberts (the father of Reaganomics, former assistant secretary of the Treasury), warns Americans that the neocons are capable of turning our country into a dictatorship and police state if Congress doesn't immediately act to impeach Bush and Cheney. He appeared on Thom Hartmann's show on Air America yesterday. Listen here.

Roberts starts by asserting that the Executive Order that Peter refers to below has no checks. It doesn't have to be ratified by Congress and there is no recourse to the judiciary. Executive Orders are a form of one man, absolute rule.

Roberts says that Americans don't understand the dangers we face. Historically, unpopular presidents lose votes for their parties in subsequent elections and the Republicans could be wiped out completely in 2008. Some think that Democrats are relying on this. Roberts says that some think the bushistas are content with the GOP losing power after they inflict their damage on the US Constitution. He asks how likely could it be that Republicans are content to lose their party for Bush to have his fling? Indeed!

Roberts thinks it's more likely that Cheney and Rove have something in the works to stop the Republican party from going down. Perhaps something orchestrated... something that when it happens, all of Bush's executive orders are already in place and implemented. They could create a dictatorial police state where congress and the judiciary have no roles. Maybe the terrorists have something in the works and the neocons will just let it happen like they did in 2001.

Roberts also brings up the Nazi term the neocon's use for America: Homeland. Of course you have all thought about the use of that term when it was first brought up by the Bushistas. Hartmann plays a clip from the Nazi's first use of Homeland when it replaced Fatherland.

Roberts thinks that the NIE and Chertoff are preparing us for another "event." If al Qaeda doesn't do it, it will be orchestrated by the neocons in desperation. The Republicans are praying for another 9/11 in order to reconsolidate their power.

Hartmann asks what we can do about it save for impeachment? Roberts answers that The majority of the American people have to be more aware of what's really going on and how these attacks can be orchestrated. Americans, if more suspicious and alert, can make it harder for the neocon's to pull this off. We can't expect for the media to help us out as they are tools for the government.

Roberts asserts that after the "attacks" Bush will say that if more Americans trusted their government that this wouldn't have happened. He will blame the Democrats and civil libertarians. This is the strategy that the Nazi's used.

"Americans think their danger is terrorists. They don't understand the terrorists cannot take away habeas corpus, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution. The terrorists are not anything like the threat that we face to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution from our own government in the name of fighting terrorism. Americans just aren't able to perceive that."

Roberts mentions Pat Buchanan's piece that I linked to the other day where he warns that we are due for another Gulf of Tonkin event. Roberts doesn't think it's out of the question.

Roberts explains further that neocons did not take over the Reagan administration and they were fired because Reagan didn't like them. The Neocons decided then that we needed a new Pearl Harbor (PNAC). A person like Cheney would not stop at orchestrating an attack on our country. It's been on the agenda all along. The fact that the neocons let 9/11 happen shows that they are desperate for their goal of absolute power.

Well that's what Roberts thinks.

Read the article Impeach Now Or Face the End of Constitutional Democracy
and Robert's My wake-up call: Watch for another 9/11-WMD experience
and listen to the interview

Lots to think about.

I thought about Napolean: "Never ascribe to malice that which is adequately explained by incompetence."

Perhaps we are dealing with malicious incompentents in power. That could be worse.

The point is, DON'T BE QUIET.
Don't be afraid of hurting the troops by speaking the truth.
Question everything. Write letters.
Get a generator and stock up on food and water. (If the terrorists or Cheney don't get you, the weather has been pretty fucked up lately.)

Oh and maybe a military coup could save us if we don't impeach says Roberts. I'm not holding my breath.
---------

"But I know now that there is not a chance in hell of America becoming humane and reasonable. Because power corrupts us, and absolute power corrupts us absolutely. Human beings are chimpanzees who get crazy drunk on power. By saying that our leaders are power-drunk chimpanzees, am I in danger of wrecking the morale of our soldiers fighting and dying in the Middle East? Their morale, like so many lifeless bodies, is already shot to pieces. They are being treated, as I never was, like toys a rich kid got for Christmas.": Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. Author

Tucker makes me throw up in my mouth

When I see Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson on television, I involuntarily throw up a little in my mouth. I can't help it. Before I can change the channel, I feel the burn.

Carlson's askeered of wimmin. He thinks that they are out to git him and kick him in the nuts. He likes to say, ad nauseum, "When Hillary comes on television, I involuntarily cross my legs." Hey, he gave me an idea!

Boys like Carlson believe any woman who thinks for herself is a nut crusher. He pretends that his masculinity is at stake so he cowers like a little girl in the presence of a woman who isn't shy. So be it. Maybe he hates women because his mom named him Tucker and growing up with a name that rhymes with fucker gave him untold grief in his childhood which he refuses to get over. But he is laughing all the way to the bank by giving other "he-men" a forum for their fears. He's allowed to go on television and malign women who have something important to say for no other reason than that they are women and he fears for his balls. This says a lot. Perhaps it is he who is a metaphorical nut-crusher. Hey, if the jockstrap fits...

Speaking of Hillary, I have long suspected that the men on the so called "right" hate her guts because she didn't dump Bill for cheating on her. He sure did make a fool of her, but for whatever personal reasons, she didn't divorce him. It's none of my business. Personally, I think that not leaving is the best vengeance if you have the stomach for it. After all, Republican politicians expect to be divorced, forgiven by god and then marry the chippy who they banged on the side until the next chippy comes along. It's called serial monogamy. Someone ought to write a book about the GOP wives scorned. (This is not approved by Jesus however. According to the New Testament, your spouse would have to be dead before you marry again. Second marriages are just as adulterous as cheating if your original spouse is still alive if you are a "christian." No matter what the circumstances are. And don't knit pick with me on this. I know my shit.)

All this brings me to Mrs. Vitter. Wendy Vitter. Buzzflash gave her the title of GOP Hypocrite of the Week. Quite frankly I am tired of all this woman bashing when it comes to how a woman deals with the infidelity of her husband. It should be the cheating husband who is under fire, if you have to put someone under the gun, and not the wife.

Women just don't really know in advance how they will deal with infidelity because circumstances differ in every case. Sure Mrs Vitter mentioned she'd castrate her husband if he ever cheated on her during the Clinton impeachment while her very own husband was supposedly seeing prostitutes on the side... and maybe that can be seen as hypocritical because she is standing by her man while he is under fire for similar indiscretions almost 10 years later... but who knows, maybe she spoke in the heat of the moment. Maybe after all the crappola in the news lately about married but closeted homosexuals in the Republican party, she reconsidered her former stance because, hey, at least he's not gay! Or maybe she has a little intern on the side now. Or maybe she really loves him in spite of his failings. Imagine that?

I would not bash Wendy Vitter for standing by her man or expect her to live up to her word and cut his penis off or divorce him just so she can prove that she's not a GOP hypocrite. Her husband is the GOP hypocrite in this case and that's all there is to it. Bash him if you have to bash someone.

... which brings me back to Hillary Clinton. Hillary was damned if she did and damned if she didn't. She was a woman who had some ideas and that is simply not acceptable in this white man's corporate world. So the hell what if she had political ambitions? This is a representational government and there are simply too many men representing us. She's is expected to raise money in order to run for office because that's how it works in this country. I dare anyone to go ahead and try it while still sticking to their principles 100%. Sometimes you have to play the game in order to get to the strategic position that could change things. Bush did. He pretended that he gave a shit. Do you think Hillary would stand a chance by acting like a Stepford wife? She is expected to be twice as "fabulous" as a man in order to garner any respect and it is unfair, it's sucky and it stinks. Why do we expect so much more from a woman than from a man? Don't answer that- I know the answer.

So Tucker, go ahead and cross your legs. You big baby.

How to create an Angry American

It's time for me to force my entire family to sit down in front of my computer and WATCH THIS VIDEO

ALL LIES - MORE LIES - STILL LYING - STOP THE LYING - STOP THE WAR

THE PRESIDENT WHO DOES NOT LIE!
(and How the American media use euphemisms, substitutions, and muted language to re-define and soft-pedal the word LIE!)

IT's MAGIC!!

From TVNewsLIES

FUCK YOU GWB!

Can ya tell I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore?????

I Feel So Much Cleaner Now

I don't know about anyone else but I am far more concerned about the loss of habeas corpus, thousands of lives lost in Iraq, our civil rights disappearing right and left, etc., etc. than I am about possibly hearing shit or fuck on the airwaves. Limbaugh, O'Reilly and Coulter do much more to foul the airwaves than those two words could ever do.

Heckuva job Congress.

I knew they weren't fucking around:

Copied directly from
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070717-3.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 17, 2007

Executive Order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq
White House News

Message to the Congress of the United States Regarding International Emergency Economic Powers Act

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, as amended (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)(IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)(NEA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, find that, due to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by acts of violence threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq and to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, it is in the interests of the United States to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, and expanded in Executive Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, and Executive Order 13364 of November 29, 2004. I hereby order:

Section 1. (a) Except to the extent provided in section 203(b)(1), (3), and (4) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(1), (3), and (4)), or in regulations, orders, directives, or licenses that may be issued pursuant to this order, and notwithstanding any contract entered into or any license or permit granted prior to the date of this order, all property and interests in property of the following persons, that are in the United States, that hereafter come within the United States, or that are or hereafter come within the possession or control of United States persons, are blocked and may not be transferred, paid, exported, withdrawn, or otherwise dealt in: any person determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense,

(i) to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of:

(A) threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq; or

(B) undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people;

(ii) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, such an act or acts of violence or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or

(iii) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.

(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section include, but are not limited to, (i) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order, and (ii) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.

Sec. 2. (a) Any transaction by a United States person or within the United States that evades or avoids, has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

(b) Any conspiracy formed to violate any of the prohibitions set forth in this order is prohibited.

Sec. 3. For purposes of this order:

(a) the term "person" means an individual or entity;

(b) the term "entity" means a partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or other organization; and

(c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.

Sec. 4. I hereby determine that the making of donations of the type specified in section 203(b)(2) of IEEPA (50 U.S.C. 1702(b)(2)) by, to, or for the benefit of, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order would seriously impair my ability to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 and expanded in Executive Order 13315, and I hereby prohibit such donations as provided by section 1 of this order.

Sec. 5. For those persons whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order who might have a constitutional presence in the United States, I find that, because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render these measures ineffectual. I therefore determine that for these measures to be effective in addressing the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 and expanded in Executive Order 13315, there need be no prior notice of a listing or determination made pursuant to section 1(a) of this order.

Sec. 6. The Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, is hereby authorized to take such actions, including the promulgation of rules and regulations, and to employ all powers granted to the President by IEEPA as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this order. The Secretary of the Treasury may redelegate any of these functions to other officers and agencies of the United States Government, consistent with applicable law. All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order and, where appropriate, to advise the Secretary of the Treasury in a timely manner of the measures taken.

Sec. 7. Nothing in this order is intended to affect the continued effectiveness of any rules, regulations, orders, licenses, or other forms of administrative action issued, taken, or continued in effect heretofore or hereafter under 31 C.F.R. chapter V, except as expressly terminated, modified, or suspended by or pursuant to this order.

Sec. 8. This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right, benefit, or privilege, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, instrumentalities, or entities, its officers or employees, or any other person.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

July 17, 2007.

So It's Not Kool-Aid After All

This could be the explanation for a lot of things. (h/t Salon)

We're so fucked

Musings from an island girl

Even on a good day, it isn't easy to get off Long Island (one reason I don't leave all that often unless it's in the middle of the night). God forbid a catastrophe would hit, it would be best to pass out cyanide pills. There is no plan to actually evacuate Long Island as that would be near impossible but there is supposedly a plan to move residents from low lying areas to higher ground (not that we have a lot of higher ground nor is it easy to get there.) By the way, it's aggravating as hell to actually get to this island from the mainland.

I don't know exactly how many people reside on the island in total, but it's more than many states and we only have a couple of bridges to the actual mainland (The Bronx- a traffic nightmare made in hell). More exits were planned but the good folks who live in coastal communities didn't want any stinking bridges in their backyards which were probably under water yesterday. After that, there are bridges and tunnels to other islands such as Manhattan and Staten Island and then more more bridges and tunnels to New Jersey, yet another traffic nightmare and a flood zone when there is a sprinkle. Pretty pathetic when you come to think about it. Why do I pay tremendous taxes to live here? I dunno. I was born and raised here. What confuses me is why so many people move here. Sure, we have fabulous water recreation, but still...

Yesterday I awoke to terrible storms, one after another for hours and hours. My kitchen was under 2" of water as I learned exactly where my roof was most vulnerable. I learned that the chimney for the fireplace in the kitchen is a water conduit. I watched everyone's Newsday's floating down the river that was once my street. Luckily it wasn't garbage day. This is the second time in 2 weeks that I have seen anything like this. We lost tremendous trees in my neighborhood in a freak storm only 2 weeks ago. I can't remember a time since the summer of 1985 that we've been inundated with watery storms in the center of the island. We were under a tornado watch and one struck a village in the next county over yesterday. I don't have a basement for shelter and if I did it wouldn't have been under water anyway. While my island was becoming one with the ocean and 5" of rain fell in my neighborhood, I watched the Senate on CSpan spell doom for our troops.

No wonder I had so much trouble securing a homeowner's insurance policy just last year even after explaining that I was 50 feet above sea level and 10 miles from the ocean and 10 miles from the Long Island Sound.

Some pictures of my neck of the woods courtesy of Newsday:












And so much for mass transit

The US Threatens Pakistan Too

It's too late to say that cheney shouldn't have ordered bush to send our troops to Iraq when the real terrorists were in Afghanistan. The real terrorists are supposedly occupying tribal areas on Pakistan's border. Bush wants Musharraf to do something about it. This article explains the difficulty in forming a strategy by the Pakistani government to handle the situation. Unlike the Bushistas and their culture of "life", President Musharraf military wants to avoid a civilian bloodbath and military carnage.

Speaking of Pakistan, Pakistan criticizes U.S. terror warning
The US hasn't provided the Pakistan government any actionable intelligence concerning the regrouping and training of al Qaeda.

"We would firmly act to eliminate any Al-Qaida hideout on the basis of specific intelligence or information," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"It does not help simply to make assertions about the presence or regeneration of Al-Qaida in bordering areas of Pakistan. What is needed is concrete and actionable information and intelligence sharing," it said.

What would you do if we were invaded by non-English speaking liberators?

If Long Island were invaded and occupied by another country in order to "liberate" us in the same manner as the US has done to Iraqi's, I too would become an insurgent. If the invaders would carelessly and recklessly break into my neighbors homes for nothing, I would sure as hell fight to the death for the well being of my family and neighbors. I'd see the soldiers as the enemy. If they didn't understand English, the only language they would understand is the dangerous end of my gun. It's human nature, for gawd's sake.

Amy Goodman in "If Soldiers Came From Another Country And Did This To My Family, I Would Be An Insurgent Too” spoke to some of the soldiers from the all telling Nation article The Other War: Iraq Vets Bear Witness who cannot rid their minds of the atrocities the Americans have perpetrated on innocent Iraqi people:

STAFF SGT. TIMOTHY JOHN WESTPHAL: I never imagined that America would ever get to this point. I never imagined that the American public would be so apathetic as they have been, in my estimation. A lot of them don't listen to the stories we tell. There's a reason that all these guys got together for this article, because they have a commitment to the truth, and we definitely want the truth to be out there, that America has brought terror to the country of Iraq, and that's something that we have to deal with.

AMY GOODMAN: Do you think the US soldiers should be brought home now?

STAFF SGT. TIMOTHY JOHN WESTPHAL: Absolutely. You know, I support the United States military. I'm a soldier. I always will be. I'm tremendously proud of the men I served with. However, yes, I do believe that we need to bring our troops home right now, because all we're doing is making more terrorists and more people who hate America.

George's reasons for not caring about our most vulnerable

Why Does Bush Hate Our Children?

A bipartisan group of lawmakers called for a $35 billion increase in health care spending for the renewal of State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP which would add $50 billion over 5 years. An additional 3 million uninsured children would be covered in addition to the current 6.6 million children. The Bushistas only wanted a $5 billion increase over the next five years. Why so cheap when we piss away billions each month ruining the health and well being of the people of Iraq?

Interestingly the money needed would be provided by levying a 61 cent a pack increase on the cigarette taxes.

The tax increase would be used to subsidize health insurance for children and some adults with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid but not high enough to afford insurance on their own.

Bush's excuses as to why he will veto the bill: (which happen to be ironically ridiculous)

• Taxpayers will feel the pinch (being the compassionate conservative he is).
• Small businesses are feeling the pinch of having to provide health care benefits to its employees. (business before humanity)
  
• Some poor families may cancel their private insurance in order to use the "government" health care. (only the wealthy would do such a thing)
  
• Billions of dollars in insurance costs will be shifted from the private sector to the federal government under the Senate proposal. (gosh, the private sector businesses will be hurt)
  

Over and over again, studies show that the health and well being of our children, our most vulnerable citizens affect the economy of this country. hmmm.

Would the US Actually Provoke a War with Iran?

Don't perish that thought.

In Tonkin Gulf II and the Guns of August by Pat Buchanan, he asks, "Is the United States provoking war with Iran, to begin while the Congress is conveniently on its August recess?" The USS Enterprise has joined the Nimitz and the Stennis off the coast of Iran.

Congress gave bush their blessing to do war with Iran. Buchanan asks if congress is in on it. Seems so. And it seems that the US is on the same side as al Qaeda more and more.

Query: If Iran's ally, the Maliki government, is our ally, and if Iran's enemy, al-Qaeda in Iraq, is our enemy, why would Iran use the Quds Force to attack Americans and risk U.S. retaliation?

Killing Americans in Iraq is not going to defeat the United States. But it could trigger heavy U.S. retaliation, not only on the Quds Force, but on Iran's nuclear facilities – and a war with the United States. Yet Iran's diplomatic behavior suggests it wishes to avoid such a war.

Another explanation comes to mind. Iran is not initiating, but is responding to U.S.-inspired attacks inside Iran, in the Kurdish north, the Arab southwest, and the Baluchi southeast of its country. Was Karbala an attempted kidnapping to exchange U.S. soldiers for the five Iranian "diplomats" we are holding?

Has Bush secretly authorized covert attacks inside Iran? Are U.S. and Israeli agents in Kurdistan behind the attacks across the border to provoke Iran? On July 11, Iranian troops clashed with Kurd rebels inside Iran, and the Iranians fired artillery back into Iraq.

Why is Congress going on vacation? Why are a Democratic-controlled House and Senate not asking these questions in public hearings? Why is Congress letting Bush and Vice President Cheney decide whether we launch a third war in the Middle East?

Or is Congress in on it?

The Republican obstructionists have won again.

I'm watching it on CSpan with a heavy heart. If reason trumped partisanship in the Republican party perhaps our country wouldn't be in danger of being attacked again.

The bushistas would like al Qaida to stay the course in Iraq. (So what if they caught the top al Qaida guy in Iraq? They keep catching him again and again and it doesn't seem to get any better, does it?)

Mitch McConnell asserted that every Iraq bill will be filibustered.
Harry Reid pulled the Defense Authorization Bill off the floor as a result.

Why are children today so unhappy?

From the UK DailyMail:

We live in one of the wealthiest, most technologically advanced nations on earth. We've had 60 years of peace and prosperity with free education and medical services for all.

Our homes are crammed with labour-saving devices and electronic entertainment that previous generations couldn't even dream of. Surely our children should be growing happier every year?

Well, no. According to figures released last month, one in ten now suffers from a clinically-recognised mental health problem, and earlier this year a UNICEF report on "childhood well-being" found that out of 21 nations across the developed world, British children are the unhappiest.

A damning survey by the National Consumer Council, reported in the Mail, revealed that children who watch too much television and spend hours on the internet are "greedy and unhappy".

(We discussed this UNICEF "report card" a few months ago:

CHILD WELL-BEING TABLE
1. Netherlands
2. Sweden
3. Denmark
4. Finland
5. Spain
6. Switzerland
7. Norway
8. Italy
9. Republic of Ireland
10. Belgium
11. Germany
12. Canada
13. Greece
14. Poland
15. Czech Republic
16. France
17. Portugal
18. Austria
19. Hungary
20. United States
21. United Kingdom

The UK is also near the top of international polls for anti-social behaviour, self-harm and eating disorders. I see the same issues facing our children in the US (we are second to last, beating out the UK). I was just discussing these problems with my kids yesterday. They were telling me that in the middle schools, they now have the guidance counselors on duty in the cafe because of the overwhelming need by parents to make sure their girls eat lunch. THIS IS THE PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY. But I do believe it "does take a village", so I'll back off on my opinion here. I do feel, however, that all this promoting of self-esteem by educators and making the kids feeeeel good about themselves is backfiring on them.

My girls ages 13 & 16, imho, are heavier than they should be. I addressed this with them last summer when I got a look at them in their bathing suites. I gotta tell you -- I WAS SHOCKED! I wouldn't consider them overweight when looking at them dressed, but to actually see the cellulite and stretch marks taking over their bodies prompted me to speak up. My sister was over and just as I was about to "discuss" the obvious dark purple huge stretch marks on the youngest, she kicked me under the table and gave me that keep your mouth shut look. She told me to choose my words carefully because so many mothers are critical of their girls bodies and that's why they develop the eating disorders they do (she's going for her masters in child development). I layed into them anyway but not in a negative way. Of course they started to blame me because of all the junk food I buy and there's never any healthy food in the house. (not true). I shot them down in record time, pointing out that there's nothing wrong with junk food in moderation. I like a side of chips with a sandwich -- a bag will last me a week. I pointed out that when they get their hands on the bag - it's gone in minutes! They had no comeback.

I spent the past year working overtime teaching the girls the fine art of self-control -- and not just with regard to eating. I did it constantly, but in a positive way. I also held my own "Marketing 101" class everyday, pointing out how TV and commercials have a huge impact on their habits. My role as a mom these past few years has more or less been spent undoing EVERYTHING they see and hear (learn) on the TV, computer, radio, etc. It's exhausting, but unfortunately necessary in today's world. They are now understanding that money and "things" don't buy you happiness. They get frustrated and a bit depressed because it seems like I say NO most of the time. They understand now that most of the SHIT they had growing up was bought on borrowed money i.e. credit cards. We finally paid all the balances off and ripped up the cards. They understand "the more you have, the more you want". I have them write out the monthly bills now from the checking account to give them a sense of reality. They don't ask for much anymore. They make their own fun and games and are having a better time doing so.

They need to play, play, play - in the street that is. They need to duke it out on the playground and they don't need mom and dad running interference. They also don't need mom and dad carting them all over town to kindergarten kickers, dance lessons, and all of the other organized activities that have taken over the simple pleasures of childhood.


I wonder if this IED (intermittent explosive disorder) has a direct relationship with lack of play in boys:

1 in 10 men believed mad enough to damage property, injure others

Memorable Quotes:

Each of these quotes intruded themselves on my consciousness this a.m., one upon the other:

"Money is like manure; it's not worth a thing unless it's spread around encouraging young things to grow." -- Thornton Wilder

"Some men see things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not." -- George Bernard Shaw (often attributed to Robert F. Kennedy)

A Digression

This has absolutely nothing to do with politics so if you are an addict you might want to skip this post. We saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix this evening. I think most people who have not read the book will be happy with this film. I, on the other hand, am not. This will be my least favorite and it is an excellent film. The book is 900 pages and would need at least six hours to tell the whole story. Obviously that is impossible. They left out all my favorite parts so I am not delighted. But if you are a Potter fan you should not miss it.

The ultimate Potter book arrives in my mailbox on Saturday. I will be incommunicado until I finish it as I don't want to know the ending before I read it. With the internet that is an iffy possibility. Last time someone spoiled the ending. Now, if Harry dies I will have to fly to England and throttle J. K. Rowling.

Unlike some of you, I need a break from the constant outrage sometimes. Harry Potter is a blessing in a dark age.

PROFESSIONAL BLOG WARRIORS - aka Trolls for Hire

via DailyKos


Well this certainly takes the dirty game of politics to a new low.

(they appear to be republicans - gasp!)

Dangerous Hate Crimes Bill

Since Bush and Cheney are not the biggest threats to our children's futures according to "pro-lifers"and liberals are because they are anti-war, pro-choice and advocate tolerance of homosexuals, Lifesite.net has an article damning Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) for inserting the "Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act" as one of hundreds of amendments to the Defense Reauthorization bill requested by President Bush.

"There's no question this is an attempt to sneak the bill in under the most shameful circumstances because they are attaching it to the defense of our military troops," Mat Staver, founder of the Liberty Counsel told LifeSiteNews.com.

Sens. Kennedy and Smith's strategy, Staver said, forces the President into a terrible dilemma: President Bush must either approve "hate crimes" legislation or veto the entire spending bill thus leaving US troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan without new support and dwindling resources. Since the President has no line-item veto, approval of the defense bill is an all or nothing deal.

"This is an underhanded ploy by liberals in the Senate to try to force Bush to sign dangerous hate crimes legislation into law," said Matt Barber, policy director for cultural issues at Concerned Women for America (CWA). "I would suspect that [Bush] would send this back to the Senate and say 'quit playing games with the lives of our troops' and have them send a clean bill to his desk to get these troops taken care of."

Politically speaking, when you are dealing with self professed Republican obstructionists, this strategy makes sense. Plus this is what they always have done and will do. That's how it works in DC. Yes it sucks.

Conservatives and freepers are beside themselves over this ploy by the libruls. The comments from the freepers are so off the mark though and it's funny to see how when the shoe is on the other foot, they freak out. Join the club, freepers. I can see why people are perturbed about how far the "hate crimes" legislation would reach, but I don't see how being an anti-abortion advocate would be threatened. Furthermore, I take exception to conservatives blaming liberals for legal abortions. For years, the Republicans had enough of a majority to ban abortion and they didn't. Blame your own Republican party for the failure to ban abortions, not the liberals. And even furthermore, what on earth does the "genocide of fetuses" have to do with this hate crimes legislation?


In another article at lifesite.net which is used to show that hate crimes legislation is evil, this example is used to demonstrate suppression of religious freedom:

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX) asked, “If a minister was giving a sermon, a Bible study or any kind of written or spoken message saying that homosexuality was a serious sin and a person in the congregation went out and committed a crime against a homosexual would the minister be charged with the crime of incitement?”

Chairman John Conyers and Congressional Democrats kept evading the issue, providing reasons why they could not accept the amendment until Rep. Lundgren demanded, “What is your answer? Would there be incitement charges against the pastor?”

At that point Democrat Congressman Artur Davis from Alabama candidly said, “Yes.”

“By refusing to accept this amendment the Democrats on this committee have proven their purpose, to remove freedom of religion from the U.S. Constitution,” concluded Rev. Lou Sheldon, Chairman of TVC, who attended the day-long proceedings with TVC CEO Andrea Laffert

Well that's just ridiculous. Many Republicans support this legislation and the Democratic agenda is not to remove religious freedom from the Constitution. I may have a problem with the hate crimes bill but not because of that.

What constitutes religion anyway? Especially Christianity which is supposed to advocate love and forgiveness? But what about the issue of religious leaders inciting the flock to commit atrocities against homosexuals? Why are there so many crimes against homosexuals anyway? Where do people get this animosity? If it comes from a so-called person of god, why shouldn't that person be held somewhat responsible for inciting someone to hurt someone else? After all, people of faith are not expected to use reasoning when it comes to religion. Who should be held responsible if a person who is acting on faith, not reason, commits a crime against another person? God himself? Why does God create homosexuals if he hates them so much?

Are you ready for a terrorist attack?

Just how much are we screwing up our children?

From Lew Rockwell's blog:

Live on Faux News: The Terrists are Coming!
Posted by Thomas DiLorenzo at 06:13 AM July 17, 2007

Faux News gets goofier and goofier every day in its ham-handed, desperate attempts to make excuses for the Dunce-in-Chief. This morning the network's smirking sissies and barking bimbos proclaimed that, according to some undefined "government report," terrists may be sneaking into the U.S. Along with this scary announcement was film of two guys crawling through a sewer pipe. But have no fear, Dubya-Dog here! (With his own version of "Polly Purebread," Condoleeza Rice. Don't forget to catch the new "Underdog" flick next month).

Then, as if that weren't enough to scare the pants right off Paris Hilton, one of the barking bimbos explains why the war on terra has failed: There may be spies in the CIA! That's right, enemy spies spying on the CIA from within the CIA. So thaaaaaaaaat explains it.

Now watch this commercial from the DHS. Tell your family what to do in case of a terrorist attack (thanks Father Tyme for the tip):

Mitt Romney's new commercial vowing to put an end to pornography, violence and sex (hat tip Sully via oddjob).



Contrast and compare.

U.S. no longer tallest country in world

The US had the tallest citizens in the world from the founding fathers up until WWII. Now Europeans are taller.

Does it matter? Economists think so because height correlates with a population's well being.

It's not that being tall actually makes you smarter, richer or healthier. It's that the same things that make you tall — a nutritious diet, good prenatal care and a healthy childhood — also benefit you in those other ways.

That makes height a good indicator for economists who are interested in measuring how well a nation provides for its citizens during their prime growing years. With one simple, easily collected statistic, economists can essentially measure how well a society prepares its children for life.

Lots more here.

Staying up all night

WASHINGTON - The Senate this week will pull its first all-night debate on the Iraq war in advance of a vote on whether to bring home combat troops by next spring, Democrats said Monday.

The rare, round-the-clock session Tuesday night through Wednesday morning is intended to bait Republicans into an exhaustive debate on the politically unpopular war, as well as punish GOP members for routinely blocking anti-war legislation.

"How many sleepless nights have our soldiers and their families had?" said Democratic Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

story here at yahoo

Here's what the director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University has to say about housing and immigration

Picture and article via HousingPANIC blog
(interesting display of comments at end of post)

The New Homeowner
By Nicholas P. Retsinas

CONGRESS, presidential candidates, and lots of Americans may be giving a tepid welcome to the immigrants settling into America's neighborhoods -- some illegally, most legally. But the housing industry should be sending a welcome wagon. And every baby boomer hoping to sell his home in the next decade should be embracing these newcomers, for they will constitute an increasing segment of the home-buying, apartment-renting market. According to University of Southern California demographer Dowell Myers, immigrants and baby boomers must "forge a new social contract."

The Garcias and Nguyens are buoying the housing industry........

Forecasting the impact of immigration does not require a crystal ball -- merely an actuarial table. The current statistics are compelling. The nation's sharp increase in immigration over the last decade will shape and define the housing market for the next decade -- and beyond. Welcome to my open house.


Read the entire article: here


So, what's your take on this?

War with the wrong country

We've known this all along- Most of the insurgents in Iraq are Saudi's. It's Saudi's who are targeting and killing our troops. It's Saudi's who are targeting the Shia government in Iraq and Iraqi civilians- creating terror in Iraq.

Does anyone in the Senate issue a threat to Saudi Arabia?

Nope. They are our friends. So what if the 9/11 hijackers were Saudi's?
I believe that al Qaida is mostly hiding out on the Pakistan/Afghanistan border, are they not? What are we doing in Iraq? And can we leave Iran alone for a second?

The Senate voted 97-0 to censure Iran for the attacks against our troops during wartime claiming they were acts of war. It is a war isn't it? We started it. Yes, Iran may be responsible for many deaths, but so is fucking saudi arabia and much more so. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This administration talks out of both sides of its asshole.

Question of the day:
Does Joe Lieberman represent the US or Israel?

Bush sides with Cheney and puts war with Iran on the table. Rice favors diplomacy. That is too girly-girl. Money talks. Wake up America.

So how was your weekend?

I have a habit of anthropologizing when I go somewhere. I like to get a feel for the human climate wherever I go. I'm probably annoying to some because I ask hard questions sometimes, but my job is to make people stop and think for a minute.

I went to a polymer clay retreat in Nashua NH over the weekend for artists. It was fabulous but not very restful because we were on a creating frenzy. My carpal tunnels were having a field day throbbing and pulsating. I'm surprised I can type this. I couldn't figure out how to get online because no one knew the user name and password for the campus wifi. I was too exhausted to really do much of anything at 1am anyway and my buddies were banging on my door at 8am to get moving. There were no TVs or radios, so pretty much 60+ of us relied on each other for information from the outside world. Thank Gawd, this time, my fellow retreaters were critical thinkers (as opposed to the Nazi sympathizers and Christianistas on my last retreat in Dallas.) I lost no hair this time.

The believers were reasonable and open minded (we had great theological discussions) and the few Republicans were your typical northeastern Republicans like me- socially liberal capitalists (but I am an Independent now). The average age of the mostly female gathering was probably 50-55. Well more than half (maybe 3/4's) of the attendees were appalled at Dick Cheney's secrecy, knew about Halliburton moving to Dubai, think bush is the worse president in their lifetime, are opposed to the war and a war with Iran and deeply disappointed with the Democratic representatives who are not doing all they can to stop the madness. The many gals from Connecticut apologized for Lieberman. (I made them. I also asked them to find out about a recall.) Everyone I spoke to would like to see Cheney and Bush extradited and charged with war crimes.

Hillary and Bill were in NH over the weekend. That caused a bit of chatter. Mostly good chatter. I saw a headline on the Boston Herald in a convenience store that read: "Face it. A vote for Hillary is a vote for Bill." I looked at it and asked a customer if I was supposed to take that as a bad thing. He said, not for him.

Even though a lot of progressives have all sorts of issues with the Clintons, people have to remember that we just spent 6 1/2 years battling a fascist takeover. This is not a fairy tale and there is no one out there who will come and save the day. The best we can hope for is a lesser evil. If Hillary is pandering to every group hoping to get votes, then so what? That's what politicians do. Personally, I am sick of white men running this country. I would like to see a female president in my lifetime. I know that she will be hammered unmercifully by the fascist media, but I believe Hillary is up to the job like no other woman. I think she knows what she's doing and if she has an agenda, it may be to cripple the powers that be. Whether or not she will succeed is not known, but any movement towards reclaiming this country away from the corporatists will be a step in the right direction.

Late Saturday, a woman at the retreat got news that her daughter was being deployed to Iraq and she left in tears to go home to say goodbye. When the news spread throughout the gathering, you could feel the temperature rise in the room and see the anger and tears welling up in everyone's eyes. No one could say anything positive to her like "oh it will be all right."

Seriously. It's like we're living in a Stephen King novel.

PS there is a ton of email in my box. I've read it all, thank you. I will do my best to answer but I broke my glasses, am wearing sunglasses and need to get to Lens Crafters.

The Dark Wraith has a poll going...

...over at The Big Brass Blog asking, "Will the Presidential Election of 2008 be held?" So far, 4 yeses, 4 nos.

UPDATE: Latest figures:

Option Votes %
Yes-----25---46.3

No -----29---53.7

...and our soldiers in Iraq died for _ _ _.

Fill in the blank: OIL
There was a subliminal message in the original mission for Iraq;

Operation Iraq Liberation.
When they realized the message was blatantly in the initials, they quickly changed it to Operation Iraq Freedom.
In may 2001 Dick Cheney had a meeting with major business leaders (read, Exxon, Chevron, Texaco etc) at the Enterprise Institute, with an outline map of Iraq, carved up with dotted lines, just as you see the cow in a meat factory, delineating with dotted lines the prime rib, from porterhouse, or shell steak. This happened way before 9/11.

It is no secret to us, amateur pundits, that we're there for Cheney's oil.

You hear a lot of talking about Iraq and the failure of the Iraqi Government to make progress on benchmarks, from the Big Media; so the blaming game is on the Iraqis.

What they fail to tell you is why aren't they making progress on any of those benchmarks. Everything comes down to OIL; the only resource Iraq has.

The Bush-Cheney Government pushes the Iraqis to privatize the oil industry in Iraq (can you hear, Exxon, Chevron, Texaco and Halliburton???)

All negotiations depend on Oil. There will be no reconciliation, disbanding militias, reform the Constitution, restore the ba'athists, oil revenue laws until the Americans leave. The Iraqis are waiting for us to leave, then they'll fix their affairs.

Nouri-al-Maliki said today that the americans can leave tomorrow as far as he is concerned. They can take care of their own security.

I thought we're there at the request of the sovereign State of Iraq.

If you want a clear picture of the Iraq situation, watch CNN correspondent Michael Ware from Baghdad.

Is The "New" Osama Video a FAKE??

Wired.com
"It is a 40-minute video with a short clip of Osama bin Laden that we have likely seen before."

HotAir.com
"Mystery solved — new video matches video shot in 2001"

Meanwhile, most of the MSM hasn't "gotten it" yet, including Reuters, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal.

Picture of the Day:

From Signs-of-the-Times:

At Least I Look Good In Black

This article by John Dean pretty much sums up what could be the end of America. Being a realist I fully expect the worst. Congress has not shown enough spine to stand up to the king so far.

"In short, the Bush White House is not bluffing with this act of defiance. Rather, the White House truly wants to test, and attempt to expand, presidential power. Bush's White House is ready, willing, and able to play hardball. Indeed, the White House may actually be trying to bait the House Judiciary Committee and the House of Representatives into voting to deem Ms. Miers in contempt of congress."

(h/t Crooks & Liars)

This Does Not Bode Well

World War III on the horizon? Are there any sane leaders left in the world?

"Thirteen Techniques for Truth Suppression"

That's the title.
Here they are from BrassCheck.com:
"Dummy up. If it's not reported, if it's not news, it didn't happen.
"Wax indignant. This is also known as the "how dare you?" gambit.
"Characterize the charges as "rumors" or, better yet, "wild rumors." If, in spite of the news blackout, the public is still able to learn about the suspicious facts, it can only be through "rumors."
"Knock down straw men. Deal only with the weakest aspect of the weakest charges. Even better, create your own straw men. Make up wild rumors and give them lead play when you appear to debunk all the charges, real and fanciful alike.
"Call the skeptics names like "conspiracy theorist," "nut," "ranter," "kook," "crackpot," and of course, "rumor monger." You must then carefully avoid fair and open debate with any of the people you have thus maligned.
"Impugn motives. Attempt to marginalize the critics by suggesting strongly that they are not really interested in the truth but are simply pursuing a partisan political agenda or are out to make money.
"Invoke authority. Here the controlled press and the sham opposition can be very useful.
"Dismiss the charges as "old news."
"Come half-clean. This is also known as "confession and avoidance" or "taking the limited hang-out route." This way, you create the impression of candor and honesty while you admit only to relatively harmless, less-than-criminal "mistakes." This stratagem often requires the embrace of a fall-back position quite different from the one originally taken.
"Characterize the crimes as impossibly complex and the truth as ultimately unknowable.
"Reason backward, using the deductive method with a vengeance. With thoroughly rigorous deduction, troublesome evidence is irrelevant. For example: We have a completely free press. If they know of evidence that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) had prior knowledge of the Oklahoma City bombing they would have reported it. They haven't reported it, so there was no prior knowledge by the BATF. Another variation on this theme involves the likelihood of a conspiracy leaker and a press that would report it.
"Require the skeptics to solve the crime completely.
"Change the subject. This technique includes creating and/or reporting a distraction."

The article where I caught this, with elaborations, is at Signs-of-the-Times.

Oh, Mmm'Peach mint.

Ben and Jerry is coming out with a new flavor for their ice cream.
The flavor is Peach and Mint, so when you taste it you'll go:

Mmmm'peach Mint.

I love this new flavor!

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Exxon Mobil tops $500 billion -- half a fucking trillion!!!

why make trillions when we could make billions!!! ~ gwb



Exxon Mobil Corp. became the first publicly traded company valued above half a trillion dollars Thursday.



Lee "Fat Bastard" Raymond says -

Welcome to Amerika where we are

Born TO BE ALIVE (sing along now!)

UH-OH!

Iran Asks Japan to Pay Yen for Oil, Start Immediately
"Iran asked Japanese refiners to switch to the yen to pay for all crude oil purchases, after Iran's central bank said it's cutting holdings of the U.S. dollar.
"Iran wants yen-based transactions "for any/all of your forthcoming Iranian crude oil liftings," according to a letter sent to Japanese refiners that was signed by Ali A. Arshi, general manager of crude oil marketing and exports in Tehran at the National Iranian Oil Co. The request is for all shipments "effective immediately," according to the letter, dated July 10 and obtained by Bloomberg News."


Currencies, Foreign Exchange Rates...

Friday Sex Post

Structural Concrete Edition.


The city of Keizer, Oregon had a minor problem - pedestrians needed to be protected from speeding cars. So they bought and had installed these concrete posts. Problem solved, right?

Wrong.

To quote the article, "A number of residents have complained to the city that the posts resemble male genitalia."

Well, in a sexually repressed society such as our own, EVERYTHING looks like genitalia, from orchids to skyscrapers.

Now it gets weird. The city wants to disguise the phallic shapes of the posts by decorating them with steel collars and chains.

One woman stated that her son suggested they could be used as sex education aids, by covering them in plastic.

Friday's Sex Post: "Getting ready is more fun" - a delightful post from MOG featuring Amy Winehouse singing "F*** ME Pumps"

Great Tune!! and a great post as well!!!

(click at bottom to play song -- we forgive the blonde pic. I guess)

They want to KILL YOU where you shop!

Tony Snow on Faux News after the president's speech which claimed "progress" in Iraq (despite the facts):

"To walk out of Iraq right now would plant a seed that ultimately would lead to destabilization there, hundreds of thousands of deaths, loss of our influence in the region, would create instability throughout the Middle East throughout East Asia, throughout Europe. And sooner or later it would come to our shores, to a shopping mall near you."

OMG not my precious shopping mall! They do hate my freedom! Bring it on (over there of course.)

See also Fact Check: debunking presidential claims of success in Iraq.

gastric terror alert

Ebert Hearts Coulter

I had no idea Roger Ebert was a fan. This is hilarious. (h/t Crooks & Liars)

So, how'd that "historic" hindu prayer go in the senate chambers today??

See for yourself right here




***spoiler alert below***

The three protesters, who all belong to the Christian Right anti-abortion group Operation Save America, interrupted by loudly asking for God's forgiveness for allowing the false prayer of a Hindu in the Senate chamber.

"Lord Jesus, forgive us father for allowing a prayer of the wicked, which is an abomination in your sight," the first protester began.

"This is an abomination," he continued. "We shall have no other gods before You."


Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), serving as the presiding officer for the morning, immediately ordered them taken away — though they continued to yell at the Hindu cleric as they were headed out the door, shouting out phrases such as, "No Lord but Jesus Christ!" and "There's only one true God!"

Back to the Basics

Despite my nausea, I listened patiently to the Presidential Press Conference.
Among the questions addressed to him was how can he ignore the majority of the american people about the Iraq debacle.
His answer summarized the usual excuse that he is the "Commander in Chief" and he cannot define a military mission by polls, or politics. We all heard that before.

The question is, how does he ignore the US Congress? Who gives him the right to ignore the Congress?
The last I checked this country is a democracy, precisely a representative democracy. We hire our President and Commander in Chief by elections, but we also send our Representatives' every two years (by elections) to reflect our will to the Commander in Chief.
What pisses me off is the Representatives contempt of the people, together with the President's contempt of the will of the People.

We should keep reminding them, why are they there.

asshats

The cover of Newsday.

You Just HAVE to Love This ...

This little gem of Republican Family Values was found in today's Lakeland, Florida Ledger:

(The bold bits are for emphasis.)

Rep. Allen Faces Prostitution Charge

State Rep. Bob Allen was arrested Wednesday after offering to perform oral sex on an undercover male police officer for $20, authorities said.

Veteran's Memorial Park was under surveillance when Allen, R-Merritt Island, was seen coming into and out of a restroom three times, Lt. Todd Hutchinson. Allen, 48, then approached an undercover officer and was arrested.

He has been charged with solicitation for prostitution, which has a maximum penalty of one year in jail. Allen was booked into Brevard County jail on $500 bail.

Allen is a married father of one.

***

Is it wrong for me, a registered Republican, to display such unseemly glee at the idea of yet another of these "family values" assholes whacked upside the head by their lusts?

Didn't think so.

Daily Reflections

Like most recovering alcoholics I try to do a daily reading from AA literature. It helps center me when I get too big for my britches and start showing the lack of that elusive quality called humility. When I first got sober I didn't realize I was looking for humility because I thought it would help me get what I wanted, and that I would do anything for others if I thought the God of my understanding would somehow reward me for it. So by taking a moment each day to remember now that the world and the people in it that I meet in the course of my day are as close to the G-O-D as I am ever going to get while on this earth. By doing that, I don't need to search for Gawd or humility, it has found me.

I've been thinking lately about George Bush's amazing ability to stay sober without, what appears to me, any real understanding of the word and how it relates to his own " sobriety." I've spent far too many years around people who are sober and I've yet to meet one that exhibits the behavior and attitude of President Bush. Well, unless they're on a dry bender.

Today's daily reflection is about giving up center stage. As a recovering alcoholic lemme tell ya, just about the time you think you've got a handle on it it will jump up and bite ya in the buttocks if you don't take a daily inventory. So today as well as taking my own I took our fearless leader's. Yes, I know. I'm not suppose to do that. So sue me. I claim progress, not perfection!

July 12th

"For without some degree of humility, no alcoholic can stay sober at all....Without it, they cannot live to much useful purpose, or, in adversity, be able to summon the faith that can meet any emergency." Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions p. 70

"Why do I balk at the word "humility"? I am not humbling myself toward other people, but towards God as I understand him or her. Humility means "to show submissive respect,"and by being humble I realize I am not the center of the universe. When I was drinking, I was consumed by pride and self-centeredness. I felt the entire world revolved around me, that I was master of my destiny. Humility enables me to depend more on the universe or the gawd of my own understanding to help me overcome obstacles, to help me with my own imperfections, so I may grow spiritually. I must solve more difficult problems to increase my proficiency and, as I encounter life's stumbling blocks. I must learn to overcome them through Gawd's help never forgetting that in the course of my day the people I meet are about as close to gawd as I'm gonna get in this lifetime. Daily communion with God demonstrates my humility and provides me with the realizations that an entity more powerful than I is willing to help me if I cease trying to play God myself."

I have no clue if the "Decider" has a sponsor or not. His disdain for any accountability tells me it is highly unlikely. I suspect that if any of his keepers attempt to shine a small light on the reality of his character defects they would be quickly sent to the gallows. Having suffered from alcoholism, I should understand the illness, but sometimes I feel annoyance, even contempt, towards a person who cannot take the suggestions of A.A. But then again, but for the grace of the Goddess, there go I.

oh just read it and weep

The Other War: Iraq Vets Bear Witness
by CHRIS HEDGES & LAILA AL-ARIAN
The Nation

In Iraq, Specialist Middleton said, "a lot of guys really supported that whole concept that, you know, if they don't speak English and they have darker skin, they're not as human as us, so we can do what we want."

And that they did. Our congress approves of this.

Bush Pardons Entire GOP - Prez "pre-emptively" saves all Repubs from becoming "prison bitches." Dems: "Can he do that?"

Another MARK MORFORD MASTERPIECE:

Allegedly reacting to some sort of hallucinogenic fever dream following an overlong bubble bath during which he reportedly sputtered lots of motorboat noises and ate one too many purple crayons, President Bush today made the stunning yet somehow entirely understandable announcement that all Republicans in his administration are hereby officially excused from any and all crimes they have committed, are in the process of committing, are planning to commit, or even merely fantasize about committing while encased in sweaty latex bodysuits in any one of a number of GOP-friendly D.C. fetish dungeons..........

Word of the Universal Republican Pardon (URP) quickly spread to the current Democratic congressional leadership, who were, naturally, slightly upset.

"This is a true outrage!" screamed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, apparently frantically entering search terms into Wikipedia in her office iMac in an attempt to see what the hell was actually happening.

He can't do that! Wait, can he? Can he do that? Isn't there some sort of, like, legal or constitutional mechanism in place to stop him from doing stuff like that?" Pelosi scanned the confused faces of the various congressional aides standing around her office, but got nothing back but lots of people staring at their feet. "Hello? Anyone? What the hell do I pay you people for?!"

full article here


h/t to Foiled Goil at BBB who found this gem!

Today will go down in infamy: The Hindu Threat

I'm not sure why the Senate needs to open their sessions with prayers but today marks the first time in our illustrious monotheistic American history that a Hindu prayer will be read at the opening of the US Senate.

When oh when will the shit hit the fan, you ask?

Why it's happening as we speak.

A spokesman for the American Family Association says it represents an official stamp by the government on paganism, a move which may draw God's anger according to biblical example.
...

Buddy Smith is a spokesman for American Family Association, which opposes the non-Christian prayer and urges citizens to call their Washington legislators to take action.

"It is a watershed day in that it brings to mind some of these precedent-setting events like the day that we took prayer and Bible-reading out of school in our country [and] the day that we legalized abortion," Smith offers. "I fear that while God has been so merciful with our country in the past, events such as are about to happen, like this in the U.S. Senate, is angering a just God. I fear that we bring judgment upon our country with such acts."

The mean, nasty, vengeful, woman hating, fag hating, war mongering, spiteful, heavenly being and creator will smite those he created in his image. Why didn't God smite the pagans and scientists off the whole earth by now? It would save us a whole lot of aggravation.

You know how when you built a sand castle or toy out of blocks and then you'd get fed up with it or it didn't turn out right, you'd just stomp on it? When you were writing a paper and it just wasn't working, you'd tear it up or delete it from your hard drive? You didn't torture it or exact revenge on it. You just started over again.

Why doesn't God just delete the human race and try again? Maybe he shouldn't make us in his image the next time, you know? Maybe he ought to try to improve us and then make himself in our image?

OH MY GOD

I had an interesting encounter yesterday. We have a booth at an antique store and a customer and I were discussing the dearth of rain in our area. I mentioned this, thinking it was totally hilarious. She did not. Her comment was that we could use a lot more prayer. It was not my establishment so I was constrained from speaking my mind. It did occur to me, however, that what we actually need is for people to spend a lot less time on their knees and more actually doing something practical about the ills we face as a society. Praying is a cop out. Apparently you can feel you have done your part with a few minutes speech with your invisible friend. No wonder we are going backwards.

A Message From God via Blondesense

"Michael Chertoff mistook a "gut feeling" for a message from Me. Had he correctly ascertained that his feeling was indeed Me warning him that al Qaida was just as strong now as it was in the summer of 2001, more people wouldn't have laughingly questioned his gastric impulses and would take this threat seriously. Even the WH poo-pooed this gastric theory.

As a GOP'er (God's Own Party) who is familiar with the jargon, Mr. Chertoff should have known that the correct interpretation for a feeling is to say that I, God myself, spoke to him. (Messages from Me do not only come when you are caught committing adultery.) Historically, I set up nations to do battle with one another. What you've eaten the night before, is something I've no time to interfere with. You simply cannot get a country to get caught up in fear and reprisal over repercussions from a bad taco.

For My sake, Mr. Chertoff, get with the program."

end of heavenly transmission
Amen

Infidel

This is in response to some of the comments on my previous post. I do not think it matters where a barbaric practice originated. What matters is that it is being used today. If you still do not believe that Islam is a violent, hateful religion, I urge you to read the following.

If you are doing a study of contemporary women in Muslim countries you could bookend it with Reading Lolita In Teheran and Ayaan Hirsi Ali's Infidel. I spent the last two days immersed in Infidel. It is engrossing, enlightening and edifying. Ms. Ali's story traces her life from Somalia through Saudia Arabia, Ethiopia, and Kenya to The Netherlands and ultimately to the United States. She grew up in Muslim society where girls are routinely genitally mutilated and married off by their fathers to men they have never met. Women can be beaten with impunity and the countries themselves are mired in the Seventh Century.

Ali made her escape from a forced marriage to Holland where she gained a degree in Political Science and, finally, became a Member of Parliament. She worked with Theo Van Gogh on the film Submission, for which Theo was murdered and her own life threatened so she now must be guarded at all times.

For those who still try to delude themselves that Islam is peace, take a look at the real thing. In Ms. Ali's own words: "The kind of thinking I saw in Saudi Arabia, and among the Muslim Brotherhood in Kenya and Somalia, is incompatible with human rights and liberal values. It preserves a feudal mind-set based on tribal concepts of honor and shame. It rests on self-deception, hypocrisy, and double standards. It relies on the technological advances of the West while pretending to ignore their origin in Western thinking. This mind-set makes the transition to modernity very painful for all who practice Islam.

'It is always difficult to make the transition to a modern world. . . . . . . I moved from the world of faith to the world of reason - from the world of excision and forced marriage to the world of sexual emancipation. Having made that journey, I know that one of those worlds is simply better than the other. Not because of its flashy gadgets, but fundamentally, because of its values.

'The message of this book, if it must have a message, is that we in the West would be wrong to prolong the pain of that transition unnecessarily, by elevating cultures full of bigotry and hatred toward women to the stature of respectable alternative ways of life."

And we in America would be very wrong not to recognize the rise of Christian fundamentalism in this country as an attempt to return to the same type of misogynist reality as that of Islam. The book is a warning in many ways. If you doubt that last warning, please read Kingdom Coming by Michelle Goldberg. But most of all, read Ali's story - a brilliant, caring woman's journey to enlightenment and an attempt to help all Muslim women living under the yoke of Allah's will.

This was originally posted on my blog several months ago.

Just What We Needed:

Another "JBBTB" is shooting off his mouth, thereby creating discord among the Judeo-Christian world. What? There's not enough conflict between the religions of the world now?
"You are not real churches, Pope says to Protestants"
That's the Sydney Morning Herald's headline which begins:
"PROTESTANT churches have reacted with dismay to a new declaration approved by the Pope insisting they were mere "ecclesial communities" and their ministers in effect phonies with no right to give communion."

Joe, sweetie, YOU are the fake; you are the fraud; and you are the phony. Hate-consumed, soulless beings such as you are very high on my list when it comes to considering who it is among us that might best fulfill the description of the "Anti-Christ".

(Oh. JBBTB? That stands for jizum-blasted bung-tongue boy.)

(Aside to Liz: Is there a process whereby people can UNbaptize themselves?)

Why Do Senate Republicans Hate Our Troops?

It's pretty obvious that they do, you know.

The Senators on a Certain Side of the chamber (and their favorite catamite, Joe Lieberman, sadly of Connecticut) have consistently sabotaged every measure designed to help support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Higher pay? Struck down.

Veteran's benefits? Struck down.

Medical care? Struck down.

And now they've obstructed the Webb Amendment to the defense appropriation bill, which would have required troops to spend the same amount of time at the rear as they spent up on the front lines.

A while back, soldiers spent two years resting and recuperating for every year they were in combat. Now, that didn't necessarily mean they were home; that meant they were resting and recuperating (somewhere to the rear, where you could get a drink and maybe snag a hooker for some Horizontal Refreshment).

Now, thanks to the Bush Administration's almost Pharaonic desire to make bricks without straw, soldiers spend fifteen months on deployment or longer for every twelve months home. Which is a sad state of affairs, as it will burn out the troops that much faster.

All Senator Webb (a combat veteran himself) wanted was for the troops to spend the same amount of time resting and being with their family as they spend risking being blown up.

But apart from a few GOP Senators that voted with the Democrats, the measure failed to get the 60 votes necessary. I guess the others must think that we don't have actual, flesh-and-blood soldiers out there; I guess they think we've contracted with the Trade Federation for some Mark 15 Battle Droids or something.

Start beating that drum - the Senate Republicans Hate Our Troops.

Rudy, A message to you.....

It's time you straighten right out

Stop your running around

Makin' trouble in town

You want to think of your future

You might end up in jail.......

Oh don't ya think this would be a PERFECT campaign (smear that is) song for Papa Bear? take a listen here. (from Reggae Roots Sunday -- the whole post is worth a listen)

Another one of his cubs in trouble again:

Senator Vitter admits number on 'DC Madam' phone records

This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," said Vitter in a statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there-with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way."

From 1999 to 2004, Vitter served as a congressman in Louisiana's 1st district. The 46-year-old politico is also the southern regional chair of Rudy Giuliani's presidential campaign.

In 2004, Vitter campaigned with a promise of "protecting the sanctity of marriage," and was a co-author of the "Federal Marriage Act" that sought to prohibit courts from interpreting same-sex marriage laws.

"This is a real outrage. The Hollywood left is redefining the most basic institution in human history," he said then.

What a prick! Look at him!! OMG I can just hear him in a whinny robotic voice: i'm. so. sorry. please. for. give. me.

Here's his voting record:

Voted NO on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's AMWR. (Nov 2005)

Voted NO on $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas. (Oct 2005)

Voted NO on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)

Voted NO on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Mar 2005)

Voted YES on passage of the Bush Administration national energy policy. (Jun 2004)

Voted YES on implementing Bush-Cheney national energy policy. (Nov 2003)

Voted NO on raising CAFE standards; incentives for alternative fuels. (Aug 2001)

Voted NO on prohibiting oil drilling & development in ANWR. (Aug 2001)

Voted NO on starting implementation of Kyoto Protocol. (Jun 2000)

Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)

Voted YES on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)

Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life. (Oct 2003)

Voted YES on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)

Voted YES on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. (May 2001)

Voted YES on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. (Apr 2001)

Voted YES on banning partial-birth abortions. (Apr 2000)

Voted YES on barring transporting minors to get an abortion. (Jun 1999)

Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)

Discontinue affirmative action programs. (Nov 2002)

Voted YES on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration. (Jun 2006)

Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)

Voted YES on Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage. (Sep 2004)

Voted YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration. (Jun 2003)

Voted YES on banning gay adoptions in DC. (Jul 1999)

Supports anti-flag desecration amendment. (Mar 2001)

Rated 7% by the ACLU, indicating an anti-civil rights voting record. (Dec 2002)

----------------

OMG Pass the Kouchie.....


Crossposted at BigBrassBlog

Let it Snow!

Buenos Aires has first snow since 1918 How cool is that!!

(?)


They're sure having fun dancin' in the streets!

(I wouldn't mind a quick snow squall right about now. It's awfully hot on the east coast)

Zeitgeist presents .......

a theory on what Christianity, 9/11 and The Federal Reserve have in common.



I think I put this in one of the comment threads the other day. Reader honchocho just plunked it in another thread today. I think it deserves a post. I had it filed under "AMERO".

Of course
it's up at youtube in 5 parts for ease in viewing.

I found it over atstopthelie (I think)

get the popcorn

I Had No Idea

Really. I know female circumcision is a huge problem in African and Middle Eastern countries with large Muslim populations. I did not know the scope of it in Britain, who only criminalized it recently. Then I wondered about the U. S. Congress made it illegal in 1996 but no one seems to know how to enforce it or even how much of a problem it is.

This practice is barbaric and goes to show the backwardness of Islam. Any thoughts?

Officials worry of summer terror attack

Here we go again

This time, it's a "gut feeling" about a new period of increased risk said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff.

"The threat coming out of there is very real, even if there aren't a lot of specifics attached to it," one of the officials said.

Chertoff's department has not made any move to increase the nation's color-coded terror alert system.






Hey dude, let's go to the Surf Shop, yo! Alrighty

~Ace Ventura, Pet Detective

Ass Prints* and Kicking the Can

*Aren't those "bench marks" too?

Yes, once again I'm going to talk about Iraq. So there.

Yesterday the Associated Press revealed a preview of a report to be made to the Congress on July 15th regarding the progress of Our Grand Imperial Military Adventure in Iraq (Phase #12,741) and the efforts of the Iraqi Puppet Government (excuse me, the al-Maliki regime) to meet the benchmarks the Congress set for it.

For those of you playing along at home, there were four primary benchmarks that included a law to equitably distribute the nation's oil revenues among the four major ethno-religious groups (Shiite, Sunni, Kurd and Turkmen).

To the surprise of virtually no one outside of Fox Bullshit, the Iraqi government has met not a single benchmark, and violence has actually increased since the escalation started. More Americans have died.

But not to worry, says Press Secretary Tony Snow.

Snow, who looks as if he needs a lobster bib to keep the secretions off his shirt, told reporters yesterday that the benchmarks were essentially meaningless and would have nothing to do with the progress (or lack thereof) of the escalation. Instead, he referred to it as a "snapshot of the starting line" for the so-called Surge.

Wipe the semen off your chin, Tony. Maybe you can use it to mousse your hair.

Back in the halcyon days of childhood there was a game called Kick the Can. It was really simple - all you needed was a can, and a good firm kicking motion. You kicked the can, followed it to where it came to rest, and kicked it again. Like many games, it was a pointless endeavor.

However, it's a perfect metaphor for the Bushite strategy in Iraq right now. Keep kicking the can down the road, setting new benchmarks, new goals and just hope that things go on as they are until Bush can leave office and deposit this flaming sack of dog poo into the lap of his successor.

Meanwhile, things are starting to unravel in Baghdad. Not swiftly, but at a glacial pace. Several cabinet members have voiced misgivings about a precipitous withdrawal of our troops (as if anyone's actually supporting such a move), while others have called upon the Iraqi public to arm themselves, a strong implied admission that the Iraqi Army and security forces are unable to keep the population safe.

They're not "standing up," George, so we should start considering Other Options.

Local Legislator Criminalizes Responsible Parents

And to think I would have voted for this knucklehead who was running for congress against Peter King, if I lived in that district. I even campaigned for him. Legis. David Mejias (D-North Massapequa) is doing worse damage in being a local legislator- whom I didn't vote for. How do these legislators in NYS get their jobs anyway? They're a bunch of Nazi's.

Newsday: "Adults who allow underage drinkers to consume alcohol in their homes would for the first time be held criminally responsible under a "social host" bill passed unanimously Monday by the Nassau County Legislature..."

BTW, it doesn't matter if the kids don't drive afterwards or if they just have a glass of wine with dinner. The parents can be charged with a crime. Religious observances are not included. Of course.

This bill is supposed to cut down on underage drinking. Forgive me if I don't buy this crap. I am a responsible parent and considerate citizen- those like myself who would allow a younger person to have a cocktail or two under my supervision (rather than drinking a bottle of swill at the beach and passing out abandoned by friends and choking on puke and dying) will be criminals. Way to go! There's less of a penalty for hosting a pot party in Nassau than for smoking in public or drinking in private. Hmm.

/rant

Wolf trashed by Moore

As we've noticed, teevee news isn't really "news" in the sense of the way we grew up thinking it was. We expected that facts would be reported, not hearsay. But since the corporate takeover of our country, we now get "he said- she said" snippets and the people are expected to figure out who's lying. You can turn on Tweety any afternoon and watch him not challenge those who lie to his face... cause hey, it's not his job to disseminate facts- just to host a debate as to who is the better propaganda spewer.

Yesterday, Billydoom called me and told me to watch Wolf Blitzer getting trashed by Michael Moore. So I did. Very few people have called out the media on their deliberate distortions. You can try to watch the video at Crooks and Liars (if you have a fast connection) or read the transcript which is now up at CNN.

Dr. Sanjay Gupta ran a hit piece against the movie "Sicko" which was aired right before Moore appeared.

Highlights:

MOORE: First of all, Wolf, yeah, well -- yeah, I'd like about 10 minutes to respond to what was said.

BLITZER: Give us a couple of headlines, what you'd like to say.

MOORE: I don't talk in sound bites. So -- that report was so biased. I can't imagine what pharmaceutical company ad's coming up right after our break here.

But why don't you tell the truth to the American people? I mean, I wish that CNN and the other mainstream media would just for once tell the truth about what's going on in this country, whether it's with healthcare -- I don't care what it is. I mean, you guys have such a poor track record.

And for me to come on here and have to listen to that kind of crap. I mean, seriously, I haven't been on your show now for three years. The last time I was on, you ran a similar piece about "Fahrenheit 9/11" saying this can't be true what he's saying about the war, how it's going to be a quagmire, the weapons of mass destruction.

You know, and -- why don't you start off actually with my first appearance back here on your show in three years and maybe apologize to me for saying that three years ago, because it turned out everything I said in "Fahrenheit" was true. Everything has come to happen.

Everything I said. I mean, I was -- I took you in that film to Walter Reed Hospital and it took three years before you or any of the rest of the mainstream media would go to Walter Reed Hospital and see what was happening to our troops. So for me to have to sit here and listen again to more crap about socialized medicine or how the Canadians have it worse than us and all this, all the statistics show that we have far worse healthcare than these other industrialized countries.

We're the only ones that don't have it free and universal. And, you know, there's a -- there's a -- you said that Germany was the only one that was better than us in terms of wait times. The Commonwealth Fund last year showed of the top six countries, we were second to last, next to Canada. It showed that Britain, for instance, 71 percent of the British public, when they call to see a doctor, get to see the doctor that day or the next day. It's 69 percent in Germany. It's 66% in Australia. And you're the ones who are fudging the facts. You fudged the facts to the American people now for I don't know how long about this issue, about the war.

And I'm just curious when are you going to just stand there and apologize to the American people for not bringing the truth to them that isn't sponsored by some major corporation? I mean, I'll sit here for as long as it takes, if you can do that for me.

read it all here.

Moore has been my hero for years and years. Remember the "Awful Truth"? What a great show. Remember F911? Remember how many friends you lost over that movie? Moore was right all along. But we knew that, yet we were up against 24 propaganda faux news. I hope my so called "friends" are reading this.

At this very moment, the corporate media is doing it's utmost to smear and trash the movie "Sicko." Some will say that this is merely freedom of speech. When the media exercises its "freedom of speech" however, it's expected that there will be real facts in a challenge and not a bunch of pro-corporate propaganda.

My 2 cents on healthcare crapola

My doctor told me yesterday that he had watched Sicko over the weekend and enjoyed it, yet he had a totally different view of what would work- he's turning libertarian, I think. He thinks that every family should set up a health care fund for their babies when they are born. Yeah right. What universe is he living in? Oh of course, the upper east side of Manhattan.

But then again he's in a practice that is generally refused by HMO's. On the other hand, he takes medical reports sponsored by big pharm seriously. Naturally this is a bone of contention between us. On the other hand, since I don't have pharm benefits at the moment, he gives me boxloads of samples every month since I pay cash for the visits. At one time, I had insurance that covered my visits to him- it just depends on whether or not the husband works for a good company or a bad company.

Speaking of samples, one medication I desperately need is no longer available as a sample in NYS or Kentucky. I have narcolepsy. There is no generic substitute for Provigil. Provigil is wonderful, has no side effects, doesn't give me insomnia and my mind is perfectly clear. Every other state in the union allows samples of this drug. I would have to pay $10/pill x 30 days each month which is out of the question. At one time, I did have an insurance carrier which would give me a month's supply for $50. Recently I was prescribed cheaper Dexedrine and Adderal (speed) for a while which I had to give up because I couldn't think clearly even though I was wide awake. Anyway, when I disappear from the blog, it's because I'm sleeping.

Sheehan considers challenge to Pelosi

Cindy Sheehan, the soldier's mother who galvanized the anti-war movement, said Sunday that she plans to seek House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's congressional seat unless she introduces articles of impeachment against President Bush in the next two weeks

GO CINDY!!!!! -- you've just MADE MY DAY!!!


TOTH to our reader PATRIOT

Rick Santorum predicts "some unfortunate events" will give Americans a "very different view of this war"

Here's the story from 911blogger

Ron Paul

I need to share some comments with you from various links that make a lot of sense to me and have fueled my support for Ron Paul over the past few months. I'm not very knowledgeable with regard to "politics" and look to all the opinions I can find in order to understand what is going on.

Before the internet, I pretty much believed whatever our elected officials said because I had been told over and over again that our country and government was STILL the best in the world. And it is -- WHEN THE CONSTITUTION IS OBEYED. His "radical" views and opinions (IMHO) are all about freedom and the Constitution. We need to defend our constitution because OBVIOUSLY, as we have come to learn, IT CANNOT DEFEND ITSELF.

Since it looks like we will never have publicly funded elections, (which would solve MOST of our problems - imho) I believe we need to look at individuals who openly state that this system is broken and that we must have a new start. I can't even tell the difference between the left and right anymore. It's ALL a joke.

So far, Ron Paul is the only one not going along with this good cop/bad cop scam that has taken over our two party system.

Here are some random comments and links from Ron Paul supporters that make me believe he is our man:

We have a corporate, fascist state now. The government is run by the Banking and Military Industrial Complex. Ron Paul has vowed to end this.


Ron Paul foreign policy IS THE REASON Ron Paul domestic policy WILL work.

Paul has been very clear that he would continue to fund domestic programs with the increased national revenues that don't go to war. He has also said that any going away from these programs would require a transition period (JC's bold) and would never leave the elderly or those on welfare to just SUDDENLY fend for themselves. His campaign is about accountability and common-sense in government and not a cold-blooded approach to leave the needy starving and homeless. He would like to seem them capable of taking care of themselves and he'd definitely like to see the government playing a much limited roll in a lot of spheres.

You seriously need to consider your statements by looking at statistics and history.

Not a single government controlled economic policy has ever served its intended purpose.

Listen to Milton Friedman explain why only limited Government Helps the poor.

Milton Freidman and why limited government helps the poor:

"Insanity is attempting to do the same thing over and over again, expecting to accomplish a different result; Government policies are no different...."

(Maybe the Dark Wraith can help me with this economic view point. He's the only "one armed economist" I know.)
--------------
I understand the concern, but even Dr Paul admits that there would have to be a transitional period of around a decade (in regards to the dismantling of entitlement programs). We have at least two generations who have been taught to expect too much from government and that are far too dependant on it.

And don't forget that he's not saying to cut assistance, he's saying let the local governments handle it (city, county, state) and keep the massive federal government out of it.

If the the definition of insanity is to continue doing what is not working, then Ron Paul is the only man to lead America.
----------------

All the others keep saying the same thing and doing the same thing. The only common sense guy with common sense solutions is Ron Paul.
----------------

We all know that in this 'TEAM Politics' Era he will NEVER be nominated, including him. They will choose who they want to work their agenda and Paul and his ideas will be out of the public consciousness the moment the race starts. And we will be on the usual path until this system change, which we will happen when Ron Paul or his present day equivalent gets the nomination. I don't know if he's the right guy but i am all for the one with the most radical WTF ideas, not because i know if they will work or not but because i know the other way sure as hell doesn't and this HAS to be worth a shot.

Instead we hear, 'here's another guy with 'radical' ideas for us to mock, and here are six other candidates robotically spewing out the same information that you have to hear but have no choice in selecting.' when the whole thing is a charade because they've already made their decision. Guliani will get the not because he's the one that said, President Bush reviewed the libby case and made the right choice. And for the very statement that will get him the republican nod, is the very one that shows that he will be an extension of the Bush administration and as usual there will be no consequences. Just like with bush. I say abolish parties they don't work.
-------------------

Ron Paul demands that the government exists to protect our freedom and civil liberty not constantly destroy and limit them.

Fight for freedom. Fight to save the minority communities from your drug war. Fight to stop imperialism. Support the only candidate that can defeat Hillary and bring peace.
-------------------

We have lost our free Constitutional nation. Ron Paul wants to reduce the Federal Government back to a reasonable level. Centralized power leads to corruption and endless war.

Everything the government touches turns to shit. The war on education, drugs, poverty, terror, everything, they make worse.

America is in a crisis similar to the rise of Hitler and Stalin. The people, that means you, must defend the Constitution. It is almost too late. What can you do?
--------------------

free markets are a MUCH better option than a government monopoly. Free markets stimulate competition. Since when has any government run anything efficiently or cost effectively?

Ron Paul wants to reduce the power held by the Executive branch first and foremost. If you don't hear any other candidate talking about that, then ask yourself why.

As for economic theory...

The market is so corrupted by government forces, and vice versa, that it's almost ridiculous to use any of those examples as reasons that a free market isn't superior to a government controlled market.

What you guys are railing about is government coddled corporations. This has been going on a long time. Corporations wouldn't get so big and powerful if the government stayed out. If you want to point out the robber barons such as the railroads, etc., I think you have to look at who was paying those corporations so many dollars a mile to lay track. Uncle Sam himself. The huge demand for steel rails and wooden railroad ties built the huge timber companies and the huge steel companies. Hell the government even gave away free ammo to kill off the pests called buffalos
-----------------------
First, there is no possibility of having a market without Government. Dr. Paul knows that. The Government controls and builds the Market. Without government, there are no rules, there is no currency, hence no marketplace. As I understand it, Rep. Paul wants to reign in big business, stabilize our economy and monetary system, and empower the lower classes (to which I belong) to own a greater share of A merican wealth. The richest Americans are increasing in number rapidly. When you look at the numbers, it is staggering. The current system we have in place is not working. It's time to try something different.
-----------------------
Inflation is caused by the Federal Reserve, the Government and the Wall Street interests. They know how to profit from it, the average man gets screwed. Ron Paul would stop this
---------------------
Ron Paul will kill the Military Industrial Complex. He is the only candidate that can defeat Neo-Con war goddess Hillary.
----------------------

Let me tell you, your programs help no one. Minority communities are war zones now after 40 years of liberal influence. The elderly live in poverty because they were told the government would care for them. The liberal influence on education has turned our young people into some of the most poorly educated in the civilized world. Everything you liberals touch turns to shit.

Now Liberals have fostered so much centralized federal control that GW Bush has nearly declared himself a dictator.

Why are you people so dedicated to turning America into a communist dictatorship? Haven't you seen what has happened to past communist dictatorships? It did not end well for the people.

This is not about whether the bankrupt social security system should be privatized, this about going back to the roots of freedom in America.

Medicare sucks, so does social security, and so does every other federal program that isn't outlined in the Constitution. If we got the government out of our lives, we wouldn't have all the poverty to need these programs
-------------------
I am telling you right now that a communist health care system would be nothing more that the fascist corporate system we have now except, you will no longer have any control. Doctors will have no control and patients will have no control.

Through the government, the corporations will own you. Everything our government touches turns to shit. Why would you trust them to ration your health care?
-------------------


Thanks for listening my friends.

Oh, and here is a link to ronpaulforums and a discussion about his "racist" comments.

crossposted at BigBrassBlog

Dumbest Criminal?

This made me laugh maybe it will you as well. Happy Sunday.

The times they are a-changin' - GO RON PAUL!

New York City REVOLutionized!


This is a b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l video made yesterday, 7/7/07, when "New York City received a dose of the Ron Paul REVOLution!" It's a short clip, set to one of Dylan's finest. A goose bump moment for sure!

Ron Paul is still my man. He's just about the only hope I have to hold on to for the next year.

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.


I'm still quite angry about the way he is being censored in the MSM. Not one person I have talked to "on the street" -- as in friends and family who only watch the boob tube and read the morning paper -- have ever heard of him. NOT FAIR NOT FAIR NOT FAIR PISS ME OFF PISS ME OFF PISS ME OFF.

For the heck of it, I just went over to HuffPo to see what, if any, headlines they have put up referencing Ron Paul. NOT MUCH as far as I could gather. Maybe I'm not searching the site properly.

Here's what's up today:

Stephanopulos Tells Ron Paul That He Would Bet His "Every Cent That Paul won't be President

PISS ME OFF EVEN MORE. What the hell is going on over there????? I really think he deserves a little more coverage than he is getting over there.

I will say, to my suprise, the comments (I'm a comment addict) over at youtube following the video, and at Huffpo following that AWFUL HEADLINE are all positive. I'm suprised because the commenters at both places, for the most part, are pretty nasty and quite obnoxious.

The times they are a changin' fur sure!

A Happy Surprise

I had some artwork to do yesterday that required my being indoors with the a/c on and a bowl of ice water (I was doing clay and my hands are so hot that I melt it.) Luckily the family is out of town.

I found Live Earth on UHD in the morning after I got set up at the table. Throughout the day I realized that it was on several other NBC channels that featured different acts at different times (in case the stuff I didn't like at all got to me). Holy Mackerel, does Al Gore have clout or what? I've never had the TV on for so long-16 hours. I learned the name of bands/artists that I didn't know but I had heard their songs. I learned the songs recorded by bands/artists I had heard of but didn't know what songs they did. I noticed that African music sounds like Cuban music. (you can watch it it all here.)

My favorite part was Spinal Tap in London. Christopher Guest greeted the folks at Wembley by saying hello to everyone at Wimbleton. For "Big Bottom", they brought on all the bass players who were there to perform... "every bass player in the known universe..." Hilarious. And of course, the little Stonehenge pieces were wheeled out during the "Stonehenge" song. They also performed a new song especially for Live Earth called "Warmer Than Hell." Rob Reiner introduced them in his Marty DiBurghi character.

There were so many great performances that I can't remember them all. I especially adored Roger Waters and The Police though. That was on full volume. Did I ever mention that I am a huge Pink Floyd fan? Now you know.

The NY, but really NJ, location for Live Earth was ironically held in the only place on earth that gives me asthma- even if I'm just driving by on the NJ Tpke. Seriously- there is something evil in the air around the Meadowlands. Literally.

But I digress. Did you watch it?

New 7 Wonders of the World Chosen

Here's the story

LISBON, Portugal (AP) - The Great Wall of China, Rome's Colosseum and India's Taj Mahal were among seven architectural marvels named the new wonders of the world Saturday.

The other four winners, chosen by a global poll, were Peru's Machu Picchu, Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer, Jordan's Petra and Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid.


The seven beat out 21 other nominated landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Easter Island, the Statue of Liberty, the Acropolis, Russia's Kremlin and Australia Sydney Opera House.

The Great Pyramids of Giza, the only surviving structures from the original seven wonders of the ancient world, were assured of retaining their status in addition to the new seven after indignant Egyptian officials said it was a disgrace they had to compete.

The United States' Statue of Liberty and Australia's Sydney Opera House have been sitting near the bottom from the start.

-------------------------------

Since I've never been anywhere except Cape Cod, I really can't comment. (don't tell anyone I've never been to the Statue of Liberty)

Anybody ever been to any of these "wonders"?

OMG Peggy Noonan Saw a Mexican in NY

Noonan's writings in the WSJ freak me out sometimes in the WSJ. She almost gets you, but then...

Peggy surmises:
English is the official language of America.
Canada seems silly because they have 2 official languages.
The Mexicans should learn English so we can all talk to each other.
Talking about God is universal.


How did she arrive at this conclusion?
Highlights:

It is late afternoon in Manhattan on the Fourth of July, and I'm walking along on Lexington and 59th, in front of Bloomingdale's. Suddenly in my sight there's a young woman standing on a street grate. She is short, about 5 feet tall, and stocky, with a broad brown face. She is, I think, Latin American, maybe of Indian blood. She has a big pile of advertisements in her hand, and puts one toward me.
...

You might have seen this person before. She's one of a small army of advertisement giver-outers in New York...

You should always take an advertisement, or 10, from the advertisement giver-outers, just to give them a break, because once they give out all the ads, they can go back and get paid. So I took the ad and thanked her and walked on.
...

Anyway, I look back at the woman on the street grate. It's summer and she's in heavy jeans and a black sweatshirt with a hood. On top of that, literally, she's wearing a sandwich board--MENS SUITS NEW YORK. Her hair is long and heavy, her ponytail limp on her shoulders. She's out here on a day when everybody else, as she well knows--the streets are not crowded--is at a ballgame or the beach. Everyone else is off.

But Peggy is going to Bloomingdales on the 4th of July.

So I turned around and went back. I wanted to say something--I don't know what, find out where she was from, encourage her. I said hello, and she looked at me and I patted her arm and said, "Happy Fourth of July, my friend." She was startled and then shy, and she smiled and made a sound, and I realized: She doesn't speak English. "God bless you," I said, because a little while in America and you know the word God just as 10 minutes in Mexico and you learn the word Dios. And we both smiled and nodded and I left.

I went into Bloomingdale's and wrote these words: "We must speak the same language so we can hearten each other."

Bloomingdales on Lex is a very inspiring venue.

via wonkette via oddjob

7-7-07

Is today your lucky day? It's supposed to be. Why?




Meanwhile, to the westerners, I was reading about the heat wave. Stay inside.
It's headed east next week. Maybe you'll get a break.

A moral distinction, eh? I have to think about this

According to the , more noncombatants were killed in Afghanistan by US and NATO troops than by the Taliban insurgents. While it's true that insurgents use civilians as human shields, you wonder if this whole exercise in "democracy" is truly worth it.

"Western military leaders argue that any comparison of casualties caused by Western forces and by the Taliban is fundamentally unfair because there is a clear moral distinction to be made between accidental deaths resulting from combat operations and deliberate killings of innocents by militants."

Since military leaders are supposedly making moral distinctions, they ought to consider the morality of going in there and bombing rubble in the first place.

See also Airstrikes kill scores of Afghan civilians: officials

Blast hurts 4 NATO troops in Afghanistan
-----
They are supposed to protect us, not kill us.
— Mohammed Reza, Whose brother was fatally shot by NATO-led troops

Honey, I'm so sorry. I never condoned of the invasion of your country even when I was shell shocked after 9/11. There was something terribly fishy about it since the terrorists weren't your countrymen. Why does Saudi Arabia turn out such unhappy Islamic fundamentalists? (rhetorical question)

Indeed

Tali writes: "Think there might be some...oh, I dunno...bias here now that the shoe is on the other foot, so to speak?"

FDA Delay in Cancer Therapy is Attacked.

I'm so sick of politics. what else is new?

link- Upset with loudness of fireworks, opens fire on neighbors. Kills 3.

link- Six year old girl has her intestines sucked out by pool drain pump.

link- Study finds that men talk as much as women. Well duh.

link- Australian company seeks condom testers. It's a sexecutive position.

link- aren't you glad you're not Muslim?

link- Polish family stole their own roof.

link- Smirting (smoking and flirting): The guide to the new way to pick up babes.
Warning: Nothing kills conversation like a phlegmatic smoker’s cough.

link- Hong Kong woman who stabbed boyfriend in the eye 6 years ago, gets out of jail and stabs him in the other eye with a chopstick

link- Condoms distributed to Indians to prevent the spread of HIV are being used for toys and balloons instead. OMG!

Lesbian Gangs. A New Threat?

According to BillO and a very unreliable "expert" guest, militant and criminal lesbians are beating up kids, making them have sex (?) and hurting them with pink guns.

Oh puhleeeeeeeeeese

This is important stuff you know

Well not really.


Liz as anime character
linky poo


Liz as South Park character
linky poo

Liz as Simpsons character
linky poo

Yours truly as an m&m
linky poo


I'm an avatar
linky poo

In My Lifetime

This is in some respects a response to the idiots who keep comparing everything that happens in the Bush administration with the Clinton imbroglio. I am not, nor have I ever been, a Democrat. I have retained my independence as a voter for 35 years. I have voted for Republicans and Democrats and many others as well. As of the last six years, however, I will never vote for ANY Republican again.

There are several political highlights that immediately spring to mind from my adult life. Watergate, the Iran hostage crisis, Iran Contra, Clinton's impeachment and the whole Bush presidency. Why is it so difficult for thirty percent of the country to see that the most egregious, and dangerous of those events were always perpetrated by the Republicans when they were in power. Any rational person knows that Clinton and his sexual peccadilloes were no business of anyone but he, Monica and Hillary. And yet the country was subjected to years of a circus, funded by our tax dollars, created by Republicans for political reasons.

Watergate, Iran Contra and pretty much everything perpetrated by the Bush/Cheney devils made great inroads on eroding the Constitution, something those people swore an oath to uphold. It should be more than obvious that the Republican Party, at least in its present incarnation, is a serious danger to democracy. Why would anyone want to belong to it except to hold onto money or power. That is nondemocratic. Not only does the Republican Party need to completely reform itself, but we need at least one other viable party, preferably two or three more. There is no democracy when the leaders are beholden to those with the purse strings. Since Americans seem unable to demand campaign finance reform, could we find a way to form some other parties, viable parties. Or does this just mean the corporate funds would be spread around differently? I don't have answers but I am sure some of you do. Have at it.

Night Of The Living Dead Children

This is a very creepy article. (h/t Crooks & Liars) When do you suppose the Bush Youth will make their appearance? Maybe that was one of the things discussed at the Kennebunkport Summit. One of the most unforgivable methods of totalitarians, be they political or religious, is the use of youth indoctrination. It not only takes away their will and their childhood but it turns them into monsters who, in many cases, will never be able to change.

Getting closer to election time, I see:

Sen. Pete Domenici changes position on Iraq war

Post-4th "WTF?" Moment

While strolling through the virtual pages of the Washington Post today, I happened across this in the "Post-Global / On Faith" section. I'm going to add my own comments on a paragraph-by-paragraph basis, because this screed (by an ex-Watergate conspirator/convict turned preacher)demands it.

Paganism May Not Pass Religious Muster

by Chuck Colson

It is debatable whether paganism is a religion, per say. It is generally defined as a pre-Christian state, but it takes a wide variety of forms—all the way from relatively benign New Age-style nature worship, to pantheism, to witchcraft, and even human sacrifice.

"Human sacrifice," Chuck? Where have you seen that lately - apart from the soldiers that Bush keeps sacrificing to Moloch? The thing I admire about Wicca is its First Principle: "An it harm none, do what ye will."

Those who publicly identify themselves as pagans are at best a marginal number and are basically no different from dozens of other cults.

I remind you that many Christian sects are considered cults by other Christian sects (Mormonism, anyone?) and that Christianity itself was considered a cult within Judaism.

I see no reason why Wiccans or pagans generally should have the services of taxpayer-paid chaplains. It is perfectly appropriate, if a group meets court tests for religion, that outside priest/ministers be allowed to come into federal facilities and minister. But historically, with standards that have been spelled out carefully by the courts, chaplains are appointed to represent mainline religions.

The courts have already spoken on this subject. Wicca is a recognized religion, and the courts have carved an exception out of the church/state wall to accommodate chaplains. Basically, you don't want anyone horning in on your lucrative business.

The more difficult question is whether I would vote for a pagan for public office. The answer is that on one hand I fully respect the fact that there should be no religious test for public office; on the other hand, I would have great difficulty supporting an explicit Wiccan or pagan for high public office. There are tenets of their belief that, I think, are incompatible with the requirements of American democratic governance.

Tenets of their belief - hmm, yes yes yes. Harming none, respecting nature, brotherhood - I can see where those could be described as pernicious and un-American, at least in your mind.

Lest this sound discriminatory, I think it is very clear from reading the writings of our founding fathers that a sound adherence to the values of the Judeo-Christian tradition—or at the very least, deism—was essential as a basis of the moral law that would sustain a free society.

And who's to say that any other moral code - even a humanistic one - can't do as good a job of enforcing moral behavior as Christianity? Seems to me that Judeo-Christian traditions haven't been much of a help in government of late.

The writings of all the founders are clear on this. I would refer anyone interested particularly to Michael Novak’s book On Two Wings, in which he describes the influence of the Judeo-Christian tradition on one wing and the influence of the Enlightenment on the other. They were finally balanced in our founding. But everyone, devout believer or deist or otherwise, saw the necessity of a strong moral law which would provide self restraint. Without self restraint, free governments cannot succeed.

John Adams famously wrote, “We have no government, armed in power, capable of contending with human passion unbridled by morality and religion . . . our Constitution was made only for moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” And George Washington said, “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to a political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

Not being as familiar with paganism in its various forms, I do not wish to condemn it unfairly. But from what I know of it, I do not think it can provide the “indispensable supports” Washington wrote about.

I refer to my previous comments above. Colson is just trying to straddle the fence in an attempt to avoid blatantly pissing people off.

So I would not appoint pagan chaplains, nor would I, as a personal decision but influenced greatly by the founders, vote for a pagan.

***

Lest I sound prejudiced, I would not vote for any evangelical. The Founders would agree with me that such a possessor of theological rabies should be kept as far away as possible from any political office higher than dog catcher.

Great moments in sports

Joey Chestnut brings great honor and the title back to America, where it belongs.

Flipping around the channels landed me at ESPN and the Coney Island Nathan's Hot Dog eating championships held yesterday. Did anyone catch it? The title was taken by an American, Joey Chestnut. Previously the title was held for 6 years by a Japanese man. In such tumultuous times in history, it's good for our country's morale to know that we hold the title in hot dog eating. Chestnut ingested 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes. The Japanese man was close but he barfed up a few in the end.

What was most fascinating was when the contestants were announced, their stats were printed on the screen... ate 7 pounds of Spam in 5 minutes, ate 20 pounds of fried asparagus in 7 minutes... stuff like that. Very interesting. I had no idea that speed eating was such a tremendous sport.

I doubt that I will be following it however as it is totally disgusting to watch and I had to avert my eyes quite often.
---------

Speaking of eating, Chinese villagers eat dinosaur bones
"Villagers in central China dug up a ton of dinosaur bones and boiled them in soup or ground them into powder for traditional medicine, believing they were from flying dragons and had healing powers."

The Final Days (according the the Myan calendar -- 12/21/2012)

This is a fascinating read that appeared in the July 1 issue of the NYTimes Magazine. It is written By BENJAMIN ANASTAS and provides an excellent insight into this ancient civilization and how the Maya looked into the stars and predicted catastrophic changes to the earth, all pegged to the end date of an historical cycle on one of their calendars, Dec. 21, 2012:


..... “there’s a growing realization that materialism and the rational, empirical worldview that comes with it has reached its expiration date......”

"Far from its origins, divorced from its context and enlisted in a prophetic project that it may never have been designed to fulfill, the Mayan calendar is at the center of an escalating cultural phenomenon — with New Age roots — that unites numinous dreams of societal transformation with the darker tropes of biblical cataclysm. To some, 2012 will bring the end of time; to others, it carries the promise of a new beginning; to still others, 2012 provides an explanation for troubling new realities — environmental change, for example — that seem beyond the control of our technology and impervious to reason. Just in time for the final five-year countdown, the Mayan apocalypse has come of age."

“Apocalypse literally means uncovering or revealing,” Pinchbeck went on, “and I think the process is already under way. We’re on the verge of transitioning to a dispensation of consciousness that’s more intuitive, mystical and shamanic.”


"Judging by the sheer number of predicted end dates that have come and gone without the trumpets blowing and angels rushing in, we are a people impatient to see our world redeemed through catastrophe — and we are always wrong."

Why DO we think/dream/contemplate the "apocolypse" in a death and destructive ball of fire setting? How do those thoughts first get into your head and take over your consciousness, forbiding you to take it to higher levels? Religion of course. I remember being as young as 5 years old, lying in bed every night thinking about "the end of the world". I always took my thoughts further than the ones put there by my parents -- you know.....the same way of thinking that their parents and "men of God" passed on to them: when the world ends we will be reunited with our bodies in heaven and have everlasting life with our creator and there will be all good and no evil and we will just float around and sing and dance forever!! (if you're a good little boy or girl and do what we say, that is.....)

I wonder if most people think they will be "involved" in the end of the world. Probably most people do I think. I always thought I would witness this at some point in my lifetime. Maybe it was in a selfish sense though. I think I didn't trust what would happen to me in the ground waiting around for my body to show up again. Maybe it was just wishful thinking cause I don't want to miss any of the action.

Well, now I'm convinced that 5 years from now enough of us will have moved close enough to this enlightenment that will be necessary to halt this destructive armageddon story that has blurred our vision for thousands of years. I am positive that we will be able to get enough of the sheeple to see that the neocon/evangelical types are the ones who are trying to bring about (fulfill the prophecy) the end times -- I think there really is something to "self fulfilling prophocies". Hubby always gets mad at me when I say things outloud that are negative. "STOP saying that -- if enough people start thinking that way, shit like that can and probably will happen -- think positive". He's right.

We've got five years to shift this way of thinking.

I can't believe what I've learned just in the past few years from blogging and hooking up with the brilliant minds at Blondesense and the many sites that are devoted to consciousness and our ability to achieve world wide peace.

“To me it’s all about a movement toward enlightenment. We say compassion over competition. This whole shift in consciousness is going to wipe away everything negative. Armageddon isn’t what it used to be, you know?” Kissell told me that she had recently tried spending 21 days without having a negative thought: “It’s really hard! I tried, but I didn’t make it through the second week.”

What Ms. Kissell said above!!

h/t to Indigus who posted this story and has raised my level of consciousness quite a bit over the past few years.

A lot of work ahead my friends......tick, tick tick.

We are more than capable -- you know it, and I know it.

What does one thing have to do with another?

Since the Libby sentence commutation, you can barely meet a group of people without one of them bringing up President Clinton's pardons and the shit storm that ensued. Usually it's just one misinformed person in a group... someone who catches drips and drabs of news stories but really has no facts.

I did a little bit of googling, looking for old articles mostly, about the Clinton pardons, even though his pardons really have no bearing on the the Libby situation, but since the fascists brought it up, I'll bite.

NY TIMES 2/18/2001 My Reasons for the Pardons by President Clinton.
That's one side of the story. I don't care for the excuse that since other presidents did it, then it's ok. But there are still some interesting tidbits:

Some of the uses of the power have been extremely controversial, such as President Washington's pardons of leaders of the Whiskey Rebellion, President Harding's commutation of the sentence of Eugene Debs, President Nixon's commutation of the sentence of James Hoffa, President Ford's pardon of former President Nixon, President Carter's pardon of Vietnam War draft resisters, and President Bush's 1992 pardon of six Iran-contra defendants, including former Defense Secretary Weinberger, which assured the end of that investigation.

...

The case for the pardons was reviewed and advocated not only by my former White House counsel Jack Quinn but also by three distinguished Republican attorneys: Leonard Garment, a former Nixon White House official; William Bradford Reynolds, a former high-ranking official in the Reagan Justice Department; and Lewis Libby, now Vice President Cheney's chief of staff; (8) finally, and importantly, many present and former high-ranking Israeli officials of both major political parties and leaders of Jewish communities in America and Europe urged the pardon of Mr. Rich because of his contributions and services to Israeli charitable causes, to the Mossad's efforts to rescue and evacuate Jews from hostile countries, and to the peace process through sponsorship of education and health programs in Gaza and the West Bank.

CNN.com 2/8/2001 House committee investigates Rich pardon
Some proof that Republicans are more politically motivated than Democrats regardless of the morality of a situation. Naturally the Republicans were all over this, but so are the democrats:

The committee's ranking Democrat, Rep. Henry Waxman of California, said that Clinton made a mistake and used bad judgment.

"The Rich pardon is a bad precedent," Waxman said. "It appears to set a double standard for the wealthy and the powerful. And it is an end run around the judicial process.

Time Magazine 2/13/2001 The Marc Rich Case: A Primer
Tidbit:

How does President Bush feel about the Rich pardon inquiries?
Bush has been quoted as saying he thinks "it's time to move on," and by all accounts has little interest in pursuing any investigation that keeps his predecessor in the national spotlight.

To wrap it up, Terrible has a neat list of "Facts About I. Lewis (Scooter) Libbys' Felony Conviction For Obstruction of Justice"

Gruesome thoughts laid to rest:

Recently I was pondering the horrifying implications of what might happen if the situation illustrated in the Dark Wraith's Post actually came to pass. Here it is again:

I had been speaking to one of Lone Tree's resident philosophers, Phil Theefokker, and told him that a sickening spectacle might ensue when the lever were tripped, plunging boygeorge through the trapdoor.
"What sickening spectacle"?, asked Phil.
"Well", I replied, "Since the hangee has no backbone, no brain cells, and is nothing but an empty shell, his head might be jerked off, such as happened when Barzan Ibrahim, Saddam’s half brother and former intelligence chief, was hanged back in January".
"Peter", replied Phil, "You don't always think things completely through. Sure, it might be a thoroughly disgusting incident, but if his head were jerked off and fell on the floor, that would give all those attending the ceremony an empty vessel in which to puke".


PoLT will continue to seek both The Dark Wraith's and Phil Theefokker's advice before drawing any more conclusions about world events.

Private contractors outnumber U.S. troops in Iraq

LA TIMES:

The number of U.S.-paid private contractors in Iraq now exceeds that of American combat troops, newly released figures show, raising fresh questions about the privatization of the war effort and the government's capacity to carry out military and rebuilding campaigns.

More than 180,000 civilians — including Americans, foreigners and Iraqis — are working in Iraq under U.S. contracts, according to State and Defense department figures obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

Including the recent troop buildup, 160,000 soldiers and a few thousand civilian government employees are stationed in Iraq.

The total number of private contractors, far higher than previously reported, shows how heavily the Bush administration has relied on corporations to carry out the occupation of Iraq — a mission criticized as being undermanned.

"These numbers are big," said Peter Singer, a Brookings Institution scholar who has written on military contracting. "They illustrate better than anything that we went in without enough troops. This is not the coalition of the willing. It's the coalition of the billing."

The numbers include at least 21,000 Americans, 43,000 foreign contractors and about 118,000 Iraqis — all employed in Iraq by U.S. tax dollars, according to the most recent government data.




Here's the rest of the story.

h/t to Indigus who posted a very informative website called tvnewslies that linked to this story. Check out the site -- they cover a lot of stories that the MSM is not willing to share with the sheeple.

One Ray Of Hope

Not a long article but well worth a read. h/t Digby

Free Energy? Maybe.

First caught the following at Cryptogon:
(From RTE News):
"An Irish company will today reveal controversial technology that allegedly defies basic laws of physics to produce free power.

"Steorn, which is based in Dublin, claims to have discovered a method of creating clean, constant energy, which it claims could end the global fuel crisis.

"Called Orbo technology, it is based on the interaction of magnetic fields and has yet to be conclusively proven."
The RTE link is at RTE.ie.com.

Ever-suspicious PoLT has noticed some funny error messages when trying hit some of the links. And in the same vein, there's a googlenews link at the cryptogon site that, when I first attempted to link, showed 12 hits, and now, only shows 10. Couple all that with the way we are being inundated with "Scooter" news and...(I just met myself coming back in trying to figure out what might be "info", "disinfo", and "misinfo".)

Free energy of any sort sure would give the BIGOILBOYS a case of the screaming thinnies now, wouldn't it? (Fervent prayer): Dear Goddesses, please let me live long enough to see boygeorge shit a ring around himself.

Bah Humbug

Excerpt from Bob Geiger's: No Joy This Fourth of July

It's a bitter irony that what we celebrate today is deliverance from just such an absolute power and authority in the form of King George III, about whom the Founding Fathers railed in the majority of the Declaration of Independence and from whom they declared our freedom. We broke away from the colonial rule of a tyrant and, in the preamble to this sacred document, we stated that our leaders are ultimately governed by those for which government is created and that those elected president get "their just powers from the consent of the governed."

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

We declared our break from a monarch, an absolute ruler, in 1776 when the 13 colonies risked it all to repudiate that form of government and to say that the leader of what would become the new United States of America should listen to the will of the people and not the other way around.

Something to think about while you're not celebrating and flag waving today. No?

God Bless Our History of Rape (now pass me a beer, a hot dog and a firecracker)

I can't help but wonder what Geronimo would think about the 4th of July and the rat bastards that stole his independence and country.

Oh America

Another birthday. We had this chat last year but it seems to have made no difference. I know you are well over two hundred years old but theoretically a democracy should last forever. There are certain things that must be done on a regular basis for that to happen. You must EXERCISE . . . . . .your rights. You must do it often and most especially in times of crisis and fear. You must have a healthy INTAKE . . .. . of information. A constant diet of Coulter, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Matthews, Beck, Hannity would make anyone very sick. You must not TRY TO LOOK YOUNGER. Many of us as we age wish we could look as we did decades ago. Some even turn to plastic surgery. The recent plastic surgery you have had, America, at the hands of SCOTUS is a very bad job. It makes you look ugly, very ugly. Better to have let yourself age gracefully and not made yourself a laughingstock and a fright mask. I am not kidding, America, you frighten more people than you inspire these days.

And, finally, America you must HOLD FAST TO THE RULE OF LAW. The Founders created something almost miraculous in the Constitution and the three branches of government. You ignore this at your own peril.

America your lack of exercise and your poor intake have made you terribly fat and lazy. That is a recipe for a heart attack. GET OFF YOUR BUTT AMERICA and maybe next year's birthday won't be so dismal. If you don't we may be going to your funeral soon.

This is cross-posted at my blog.

(202) 456-1414

I couldn't get through to the WH this morning. Duh. Surprise.
My message is simple:
Why even bother to have a justice department?

UPDATE
Here are more phone numbers to the WH. I got through.

It appears for the moment that haloscan comments are swamped and the service may be down.

As Only The Dark Wraith Can Phrase It:

Put Away the Flags - by Howard Zinn

On this July 4, we would do well to renounce nationalism and all its symbols: its flags, its pledges of allegiance, its anthems, its insistence in song that God must single out America to be blessed.

Is not nationalism — that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder — one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred?

These ways of thinking — cultivated, nurtured, indoctrinated from childhood on — have been useful to those in power, and deadly for those out of power.

National spirit can be benign in a country that is small and lacking both in military power and a hunger for expansion (Switzerland, Norway, Costa Rica and many more). But in a nation like ours — huge, possessing thousands of weapons of mass destruction — what might have been harmless pride becomes an arrogant nationalism dangerous to others and to ourselves.

Our citizenry has been brought up to see our nation as different from others, an exception in the world, uniquely moral, expanding into other lands in order to bring civilization, liberty, democracy.

That self-deception started early.

When the first English settlers moved into Indian land in Massachusetts Bay and were resisted, the violence escalated into war with the Pequot Indians. The killing of Indians was seen as approved by God, the taking of land as commanded by the Bible. The Puritans cited one of the Psalms, which says: “Ask of me, and I shall give thee, the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession.”

When the English set fire to a Pequot village and massacred men, women and children, the Puritan theologian Cotton Mather said: “It was supposed that no less than 600 Pequot souls were brought down to hell that day.”

On the eve of the Mexican War, an American journalist declared it our “Manifest Destiny to overspread the continent allotted by Providence.” After the invasion of Mexico began, The New York Herald announced: “We believe it is a part of our destiny to civilize that beautiful country.”

It was always supposedly for benign purposes that our country went to
war.

We invaded Cuba in 1898 to liberate the Cubans, and went to war in the Philippines shortly after, as President McKinley put it, “to civilize and Christianize” the Filipino people.

As our armies were committing massacres in the Philippines (at least 600,000 Filipinos died in a few years of conflict), Elihu Root, our secretary of war, was saying: “The American soldier is different from all other soldiers of all other countries since the war began. He is the advance guard of liberty and justice, of law and order, and of peace and happiness.”

We see in Iraq that our soldiers are not different. They have, perhaps against their better nature, killed thousands of Iraq civilians. And some soldiers have shown themselves capable of brutality, of torture.

Yet they are victims, too, of our government’s lies.

How many times have we heard President Bush tell the troops that if they die, if they return without arms or legs, or blinded, it is for “liberty,” for “democracy”?

One of the effects of nationalist thinking is a loss of a sense of proportion. The killing of 2,300 people at Pearl Harbor becomes the justification for killing 240,000 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The killing of 3,000 people on Sept. 11 becomes the justification for killing tens of thousands of people in Afghanistan and Iraq.

And nationalism is given a special virulence when it is said to be blessed by Providence. Today we have a president, invading two countries in four years, who announced on the campaign trail in 2004 that God speaks through him.

We need to refute the idea that our nation is different from, morally superior to, the other imperial powers of world history.

We need to assert our allegiance to the human race, and not to any one nation.


Well, this will be the first 4th that I don't adorn my front porch with the red, white and blue. Feels kinda weird. My mom defines what SHE believes the word "patriotic" to mean -- she's A FLAG FREAK! So, needless to say, I've been indoctrinated since childhood, as Mr. Zinn points out. I also grew up as a member of various color guards, fife and drum corps. and marching bands. For most of my life, I've reacted to the sight of the American flag with goose bumps from head to toe. Not so anymore -- and I don't think it's because of this perennial hot flash mode I've been in lately --

I now feel as Mr. Zinn states: our "flag waving" is no longer harmless pride -- it's become an arrogant nationalism dangerous to others and to ourselves.


Maybe I'll just go out onto the porch this 4th and hoof along with Sammy to Yankee Doodle Dandy!!

Yankee Doodle is the tune
Americans delight in;
It's just the tune for marching to,
And just the thing for fighting.


Yankee Doodle, keep it up .....

A Beautiful Voice ...

Falls silent.

Beverly Sills, 1929-2007.

Lieberman is completely off his rocker.

He has declared that Iran has declared war on the US.
Hopefully no one pays any attention to him.

hat tip oddjob

Putin stressed "further substantial intercourse."

They talked about the missile shield that Bush wants to erect in eastern europe and Putin doesn't.
They ate lobster, they went fishing and relaxed in Kennebunkport.
The 2 world leaders don't agree but they still love each other.
Bush says he trusts Putin. I don't trust Bush.

Bush found time to pardon scooter.

Cry Enough And You Get What You Want

At least if your name is Scooter. Now who didn't see this coming?

Picturesque Kennebunkport, Maine.

What a gorgeous place. I can just picture my art store on the main street with the river out back with my sailboat (of my dreams).

Years ago when Bush I was the president, my brother-in-law took us for a ride there in his new VW van. They live in southern Maine which is also picturesque but I digress. I had the video camera running because we had the babies with us who are now hairy young men. We stopped outside the Bush compound and my bro-in-law went into a maniacal tirade against the fascists. I must have it on video somewhere. It was prescient.

A few years ago (maybe 3), Billydoom and I stopped in Kennebunkport for brunch and then roamed around some of the shops while I explained my dream for my shop/residence in a town like that someday. There was a button for sale in a souvenir shop with a picture of Bill Clinton as a hairy young man. It said, "My President." It was supposed to be a satire. Billydoom caught a glimpse of it and said aloud, "Bill Clinton was the greatest US president we ever had," in his European accent. I was a bit concerned because I wasn't sure who was in that particular store and if the tourists were bush lovers and if a shitstorm would arise. Bush lovers can be very stupid and mistake a European for an al Qaida terrorist. But we were in New England and fascism is frowned upon. Anyway, the tourists and the locals there all chimed in at how horrible the Bush's are as both people and politicians and after a while we all left there smiling and patting each other on the backs, exchanging email addresses and promising to meet again to bash the bushies.

I just love Maine. I plan to stop by after my trip to NH next week.
I wonder if Vladimir Putin enjoyed it?

UPDATE: Check out Wonkette's lovely pictures and commentary of the weekend.