"New charges filed against Ohio Governor Bob Taft's former top aide have blazed a new trail between "Coingate" and the GOP theft of the 2004 presidential election.
"Brian Hicks appears in court today to answer charges that he failed to report vacation trips he took to Coingate mastermind Tom Noe's $1.3 million home in the Florida Keys. A top Taft aide for a dozen years, Hicks stayed at Noe's place in 2002 and 2003. Another Taft aide, Cherie Carroll, is charged with taking some $500 in free dinners from Noe.
"Noe is a high-roller crony of Taft, US Senator George Voinovich and President George W. Bush. Noe charged the Ohio Bureau of Worker's Compensation nearly $13 million to invest some $58 million. Ohio Attorney-General Jim Petro, to whom Noe once donated money, says some $4 million disappeared into Noe's pocket.
"The new charges against Taft's former aide are at the edge of Coingate's links to Bush, Voinovich and organized crime. Through Noe's wife Bernadette, those links extend to the GOP theft of Ohio 2004".
There's more and it gets interestinger. Read the rest at TheFreePress and a big hat tip to the Dark Wraith for the heads-up.
Sunday, July 31
Driftglass is Just So Damned Good!
Today I want to give up my post space and ask you to please drop over to Driftglass.
Scroll down to his post titled “Get Up Stand Up. Is that the best writing you have read on the “internets” in a long time, perhaps ever? After you read that post, you may want to read them all, but be sure to read the one titled “Hitler got my knickers...” which was posted yesterday. His letter to Jebus is outstanding!
Scroll down to his post titled “Get Up Stand Up. Is that the best writing you have read on the “internets” in a long time, perhaps ever? After you read that post, you may want to read them all, but be sure to read the one titled “Hitler got my knickers...” which was posted yesterday. His letter to Jebus is outstanding!
Rhetorical Question of the Day:
If people will presently strip themselves naked and let others look up their assholes in exchange for a plane ride, what will people be willing to exchange for a plate of bread?
Saturday, July 30
Rape cases in US prisons number in the thousands
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Nearly 2,100 incidents of rape and other sexual violence were recorded in US prisons in 2004, US justice authorities said.
The Department of Justice said that the highest rate of prison rape and other forced sexual acts was in state-run juvenile prisons, and that the largest portion involved prison staff abuse of inmates.
According to a department report on prison sexual violence, a total of 8,210 cases of sexual violence were reported in adult prisons, local jails and juvenile correctional facilities in 2004.
This amounted to 3.2 allegations per 1,000 inmates.
Roughly half of the alleged incidents that the Justice Department investigated could not be substantiated, however.
Of the 7,000 investigations completed by the department, about one-third of cases, or about 2,100, were substantiated, the report said.
Nearly 42 percent of reported cases of sexual violence involved prison staff abuse of inmates, while 37 percent was inmate-on-inmate violence.
Males comprised 90 percent of inmate-on-inmate violence.
The report also noted that sexual violence in state-run youth prison facilities was 10 times higher than that in adult prisons.
US prisons held more than 2.1 million people in 2004, not including juvenile offenders.
There appears to be a higher rate of sexual abuse in juvenile prisons than in churches. Nothing else about the article surprised me. When the pretzeldent said that we don't do things here in Amurka that were done in Abu Ghraib, boy was he talking out of his asshole.
How about a contest?
Inspired by cabana boy's silly post below, I wrote a some bad opening sentences to bad novels.
Faith based medicine: A parent's dream or nightmare?
While abstinence is certainly a parent's ideal wish for their teenage offspring, if they reminisce about that awkward teenage situation in the back seat of their future father-in-law's cigar smoked car and ended up doing that which is forbidden by god almighty himself, even though it started out innocently enough (as a mere blow job), and the subsequent forced marriage by shotgun to a once dream lover who turned out to be anything but, are sadly reminded that it's pure folly to believe that their precious angels who took the 'virginity until marriage' pledge won't end up following in their own dismal footsteps.
Dick Sanitorium's Dilemma
"I'm not apologizing to that fat fuck in Massachusetts" spewed the shaking senatorial, frothy mix of fecal matter and lube, visibly upset by the public and indignant request for an apology for declaring what he knows is true: Liberalism is what allows priests to enjoy a near Pompeiian lifestyle; "Liberalism is what made ME homosexual," sweat was now pouring from his brow, red and swollen with veins he hadn't popped since his altar boy days, "If I have to pretend to be righteous, catholic AND heterosexual, then I will use all my power to see to it that all homosexuals are put back in the closet where they belong, so help me God!"
"Time's up, Senator. You'd better see me again tomorrow," winced Dr. Seymour Cohen, psychiatrist and sex therapist for the US Senate.
It sucks! Wanna try it? Pick a topic in the news, a stupid politician or a stupid government policy and write yourbest worst opening sentence to an essay or novel. Loser Winner gets a prize from the blondesense activist active-wear shop. Judging will be done by blondesense writers, if we don't end up not speaking to each other.
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Faith based medicine: A parent's dream or nightmare?
While abstinence is certainly a parent's ideal wish for their teenage offspring, if they reminisce about that awkward teenage situation in the back seat of their future father-in-law's cigar smoked car and ended up doing that which is forbidden by god almighty himself, even though it started out innocently enough (as a mere blow job), and the subsequent forced marriage by shotgun to a once dream lover who turned out to be anything but, are sadly reminded that it's pure folly to believe that their precious angels who took the 'virginity until marriage' pledge won't end up following in their own dismal footsteps.
Dick Sanitorium's Dilemma
"I'm not apologizing to that fat fuck in Massachusetts" spewed the shaking senatorial, frothy mix of fecal matter and lube, visibly upset by the public and indignant request for an apology for declaring what he knows is true: Liberalism is what allows priests to enjoy a near Pompeiian lifestyle; "Liberalism is what made ME homosexual," sweat was now pouring from his brow, red and swollen with veins he hadn't popped since his altar boy days, "If I have to pretend to be righteous, catholic AND heterosexual, then I will use all my power to see to it that all homosexuals are put back in the closet where they belong, so help me God!"
"Time's up, Senator. You'd better see me again tomorrow," winced Dr. Seymour Cohen, psychiatrist and sex therapist for the US Senate.
It sucks! Wanna try it? Pick a topic in the news, a stupid politician or a stupid government policy and write your
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Carburetor breast fantasy wins bad writing contest
"As he stared at her ample bosom, he daydreamed of the dual Stromberg carburetors in his vintage Triumph Spitfire, highly functional yet pleasingly formed, perched prominently on top of the intake manifold, aching for experienced hands, the small knurled caps of the oil dampeners begging to be inspected and adjusted as described in chapter seven of the shop manual," went Dan McKay's winning entry in the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest.
Everything ya' need to know go get through a Saturday: Reuters
Everything ya' need to know go get through a Saturday: Reuters
Which Paperback Book Would You Recommend?
Week after next Mr. and Ms Pop are off to the beach to be beach bums. Yep, big decisions will be made that week. For me the decisions will be which restaurant to choose for dinner and whether to read on the beach or just go into a semi-coma on the sand. Mr. Pop will have to decide if he wants to swim or fish. Vacations are “hard work” plus of course you have to squeeze in some shopping. Toss me in that briar patch, please.
We’ll drop off Murphy and Fred the Cat in Tampa with the sister in law who is a veterinarian and who will keep them at her house with her pets. Nice, huh? Her house is like a second home for our “kids”. After the kids are ensconced at their aunt’s, the two of us are on our way to our yearly honeymoon. No responsibilities, just kick back, laugh, drink, eat, sleep and have fun. You think I’m looking forward to this? You’re right, I sure am.
Mr. Pop is totally burned out from work so he’s like a little kid getting ready to go to the circus. You would really like him. He’s fun, he makes me laugh, he’s kind and gentle and he has a great big soft heart for animals. He’s my very best friend and the person who has, by association, made me a better person. See why I look forward to this time away? I’ll be spending it with my best buddy and the person I love most in the world, plus we’ll be at the beach.
Of course I’m watching the weather station 24-7 to see if any of those little puffs hopping off the coast of Africa will become hurricanes that might head our way. Mr. Pop’s attitude is, Fuck the Storms. He says if one is headed this way we will put up the shutters, take in the outside stuff and go as we planned. I like his bravado and I’m inclined to agree with him. What the hell good will it do to stay here during another hurricane? After last year we are sort of calloused. Being here during Frances last year didn’t make a damned bit of difference, the damages happened. When you’re sealed up inside your house during a hurricane there’s nothing you can do but ride it out. Might as well be on the beach on the opposite coast. Why waste the time at home in the dark with no electric? Tried that last year and you know what? It’s not a bit of fun, plus you can’t have cocktails without ice.
So here’s the deal. Border’s bookstores emailed me a coupon for 30% off any paperback book in their store. I’m going to use that coupon so I’m asking you to suggest a paperback you think I should read while I’m at the beach. Please nothing too heavy and serious. A sun fried, hung over brain doesn’t deal well with deep serious stuff. Any suggestions will be deeply appreciated.
We’ll drop off Murphy and Fred the Cat in Tampa with the sister in law who is a veterinarian and who will keep them at her house with her pets. Nice, huh? Her house is like a second home for our “kids”. After the kids are ensconced at their aunt’s, the two of us are on our way to our yearly honeymoon. No responsibilities, just kick back, laugh, drink, eat, sleep and have fun. You think I’m looking forward to this? You’re right, I sure am.
Mr. Pop is totally burned out from work so he’s like a little kid getting ready to go to the circus. You would really like him. He’s fun, he makes me laugh, he’s kind and gentle and he has a great big soft heart for animals. He’s my very best friend and the person who has, by association, made me a better person. See why I look forward to this time away? I’ll be spending it with my best buddy and the person I love most in the world, plus we’ll be at the beach.
Of course I’m watching the weather station 24-7 to see if any of those little puffs hopping off the coast of Africa will become hurricanes that might head our way. Mr. Pop’s attitude is, Fuck the Storms. He says if one is headed this way we will put up the shutters, take in the outside stuff and go as we planned. I like his bravado and I’m inclined to agree with him. What the hell good will it do to stay here during another hurricane? After last year we are sort of calloused. Being here during Frances last year didn’t make a damned bit of difference, the damages happened. When you’re sealed up inside your house during a hurricane there’s nothing you can do but ride it out. Might as well be on the beach on the opposite coast. Why waste the time at home in the dark with no electric? Tried that last year and you know what? It’s not a bit of fun, plus you can’t have cocktails without ice.
So here’s the deal. Border’s bookstores emailed me a coupon for 30% off any paperback book in their store. I’m going to use that coupon so I’m asking you to suggest a paperback you think I should read while I’m at the beach. Please nothing too heavy and serious. A sun fried, hung over brain doesn’t deal well with deep serious stuff. Any suggestions will be deeply appreciated.
Friday, July 29
Criminals should never determine the definition of a crime.
So they want to take away a woman’s right to have an abortion. Might they also want to prevent a man from having a vasectomy? Lots of sperm are denied a future as an embryo when a man has a vasectomy. Are they not?
Are they really that concerned about the life of a fetus or is this about the rights of women in general. Will the next step be to take away the voting rights of women? Why not? If they don’t think we are wise enough to decide whether we want to have children, wouldn’t the next step be to decide that we aren’t wise enough to be entrusted with the vote? Maybe they will even step back farther and decide that wives are once again the property of their husbands. Hell, what’s to keep them from backing all the damned way back to bopping women over the head and dragging them home as their mate?
This is all about rights and privacy. This is about the government stepping into a woman’s life and telling her that she must give birth. That’s exactly what it is. It is insane to tell a woman that unless she wants to have a child she should never experience sex. You can preach it forever, but you’ll never succeed. Hormones trump laws just about every time. You can tell men and women that if a woman has sex with a man and a pregnancy occurs, they must have the child and tend to it for at least 18 years, but you’ll not succeed. Why? Because the sexual urge and desire between two people is one with no rationale. At the moment just before sex, the brain is not thinking about consequences. It surely isn’t. The instinct to experience sex will never be totally controlled. It’s as large a part of the normal human being as any other human emotion.
If women lose their right to legal abortions two things will happen and you can count on it. First women will continue to get abortions and those abortions may well be preformed by less than educated doctors. Women will die as a result. Next, America had best be prepared with a plan to care for many abandoned newborns. Even now in the area where I live, women can drop off newborns at fire departments and no questions will be asked. You can drop off unwanted kittens at the office of animal control. It’s sort of the same plan, in my opinion. The woman or young girl gets pregnant but for some reason, most likely religious or financial, she doesn’t have an abortion, so she has the baby and drops it off for someone else to deal with. Imagine how many drop off spots will be needed if abortion is ruled illegal.
If Roe v Wade is overturned, it will be the saddest day for women in this country, because it will be the ruling that forces women to have unwanted children. Seems a sad way to begin life. Women will be torn between breaking the law or having a child they do not want. Poor women will be hit the very hardest because they cannot afford to hop on a jet and fly away for a legal abortion. Poor women will be forced to either put their life in the hands of the man in the dirty room off the alley or bring another child into a world knowing full well that she cannot give this child the kind of life she feels that it deserves.
Remember the right to have an abortion does not require an abortion. It’s the choice that matters. That choice is the most important choice a woman will make. She, and she alone, must forever deal with the consequences. Most of us do not take lightly decisions of that magnitude. We must fight for the right to continue to be able to make those decisions ourselves. Decisions such as these are too important to be made by government. The government, as of late, has a track record of decision making that is not enviable.
Until our government shows me that their hands are clean in every way, I would appreciate it if they left my life, and the lives of all women, the hell alone. Criminals should never determine the definition of a crime.
Are they really that concerned about the life of a fetus or is this about the rights of women in general. Will the next step be to take away the voting rights of women? Why not? If they don’t think we are wise enough to decide whether we want to have children, wouldn’t the next step be to decide that we aren’t wise enough to be entrusted with the vote? Maybe they will even step back farther and decide that wives are once again the property of their husbands. Hell, what’s to keep them from backing all the damned way back to bopping women over the head and dragging them home as their mate?
This is all about rights and privacy. This is about the government stepping into a woman’s life and telling her that she must give birth. That’s exactly what it is. It is insane to tell a woman that unless she wants to have a child she should never experience sex. You can preach it forever, but you’ll never succeed. Hormones trump laws just about every time. You can tell men and women that if a woman has sex with a man and a pregnancy occurs, they must have the child and tend to it for at least 18 years, but you’ll not succeed. Why? Because the sexual urge and desire between two people is one with no rationale. At the moment just before sex, the brain is not thinking about consequences. It surely isn’t. The instinct to experience sex will never be totally controlled. It’s as large a part of the normal human being as any other human emotion.
If women lose their right to legal abortions two things will happen and you can count on it. First women will continue to get abortions and those abortions may well be preformed by less than educated doctors. Women will die as a result. Next, America had best be prepared with a plan to care for many abandoned newborns. Even now in the area where I live, women can drop off newborns at fire departments and no questions will be asked. You can drop off unwanted kittens at the office of animal control. It’s sort of the same plan, in my opinion. The woman or young girl gets pregnant but for some reason, most likely religious or financial, she doesn’t have an abortion, so she has the baby and drops it off for someone else to deal with. Imagine how many drop off spots will be needed if abortion is ruled illegal.
If Roe v Wade is overturned, it will be the saddest day for women in this country, because it will be the ruling that forces women to have unwanted children. Seems a sad way to begin life. Women will be torn between breaking the law or having a child they do not want. Poor women will be hit the very hardest because they cannot afford to hop on a jet and fly away for a legal abortion. Poor women will be forced to either put their life in the hands of the man in the dirty room off the alley or bring another child into a world knowing full well that she cannot give this child the kind of life she feels that it deserves.
Remember the right to have an abortion does not require an abortion. It’s the choice that matters. That choice is the most important choice a woman will make. She, and she alone, must forever deal with the consequences. Most of us do not take lightly decisions of that magnitude. We must fight for the right to continue to be able to make those decisions ourselves. Decisions such as these are too important to be made by government. The government, as of late, has a track record of decision making that is not enviable.
Until our government shows me that their hands are clean in every way, I would appreciate it if they left my life, and the lives of all women, the hell alone. Criminals should never determine the definition of a crime.
John "Got Milk" Bolton: Shocking revelation
He lied forgot.
When Milky testified to the senate, he said that he wasn't questioned in the government investigation into faulty prewar intelligence that Iraq was seeking nuclear materials in Africa. In fact he was interviewed in 2003. He says he doesn't remember. With such a faulty memory, he really shouldn't qualify for UN Ambassador in the real world. But we're not in the real world.
The shit is flying according to Yellow Dog Blog and Bob Geiger asks the million dollar question:
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When Milky testified to the senate, he said that he wasn't questioned in the government investigation into faulty prewar intelligence that Iraq was seeking nuclear materials in Africa. In fact he was interviewed in 2003. He says he doesn't remember. With such a faulty memory, he really shouldn't qualify for UN Ambassador in the real world. But we're not in the real world.
[State Department spokesman Noel] Clay said Bolton "didn't recall being interviewed by the State Department's inspector general" when he filled out the form. "Therefore, his form, as submitted, was inaccurate," Clay said. "He will correct it." Link
The shit is flying according to Yellow Dog Blog and Bob Geiger asks the million dollar question:
So what's Bush going to do with the nomination now that it looks like Bolton is fibbing all over the place? For this administration, I say it will be either the Medal of Freedom or a recess appointment to the United Nations.I say both.
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Oh Lord, Take My Money, Please
When I was a regular church goer (yes I actually was), every so often they would haul in witnesses who had tithed 10% of their income to the church. They would proclaim that because of their tithing, they had recieved riches tenfold in return. It wasn't only money they recieved- some of them won cars in raffles, were cured of disease and magic like that. The priest would then cite biblical references to the benefits of tithing- mostly being that the Lord demands it, but the faithful were already picturing themselves driving around in new Ford Explorers.
But being that the RC Church is quite adept at instilling fear in the faithful and is just as money grubbing as any television religion or corporation, bringing in successful regular people toshill testify brought the church coffers up to par (whatever that is). Now I won't argue that a parish needs money to keep going. I won't argue that my parish did wonders in reaching out to the community and helping our least bretheren, but employeeing dirty trickery in amassing money is outrageous in a church setting. Naturally, I didn't give money during the tithing drive being that I have been a rebel since day 1. I also read in the bible that Jesus, who spent most of his time explaining that being rich was contra-indicated if you wanted to sit at his table at the end of time.
I look back and see that there was something to the tithing drive that perhaps was true in a quantum mechanics sort of way but gawd forbid that it was used for good. Visualizing and feeling yourself in a new reality does make a difference. Tony Roberts and that hypnotism lady who advertises on Air America all the time teach (and make a lot of money) that you can change your reality and it starts inside your head. I suck at this, by the way- all the years of Catholic guilt are hard to shed. There is something to the concept though but it doesn't exist to make preachers rich.
Upon further inspection of the very theological gospel of John and comparing it to quantum mechanics, there is some very important wisdom and insight happening there. It is in keeping with beliefs of more mystical religions who use this knowledge to achieve peace and contentment. Unfortunately the christian religion sprang up and used those passages to oppress, subdue and keep the masses from discovering the true spiritual meaning of the gospels and mysteries of life. If there's money and power to be made from something, leave it to those white men who possess that quantum power to use it against their fellow man.
There are Christian weight loss programs now. Love the lord and shed those unwanted pounds. I get spam mail from a Christian mortgage company regularly and a lot of mail from other "christian" companies, capitalizing on the current rash of existential angst among the faithful. No entity, other than the Catholic Church, has made such inroads in capitalization off the faithful than the US government. Not only do they take your money, they contribute to the fear, the angst and the terror in tangible ways. The Church used fear of hell which is merely a man made concept. The government on the other hand uses that fear of hell plus the added bonus of nukes, wars, violent extremists™ and the media to pound terror into the submissive, terrified masses. Here, take our money, our freedom! Just keep us safe.
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But being that the RC Church is quite adept at instilling fear in the faithful and is just as money grubbing as any television religion or corporation, bringing in successful regular people to
I look back and see that there was something to the tithing drive that perhaps was true in a quantum mechanics sort of way but gawd forbid that it was used for good. Visualizing and feeling yourself in a new reality does make a difference. Tony Roberts and that hypnotism lady who advertises on Air America all the time teach (and make a lot of money) that you can change your reality and it starts inside your head. I suck at this, by the way- all the years of Catholic guilt are hard to shed. There is something to the concept though but it doesn't exist to make preachers rich.
Upon further inspection of the very theological gospel of John and comparing it to quantum mechanics, there is some very important wisdom and insight happening there. It is in keeping with beliefs of more mystical religions who use this knowledge to achieve peace and contentment. Unfortunately the christian religion sprang up and used those passages to oppress, subdue and keep the masses from discovering the true spiritual meaning of the gospels and mysteries of life. If there's money and power to be made from something, leave it to those white men who possess that quantum power to use it against their fellow man.
There are Christian weight loss programs now. Love the lord and shed those unwanted pounds. I get spam mail from a Christian mortgage company regularly and a lot of mail from other "christian" companies, capitalizing on the current rash of existential angst among the faithful. No entity, other than the Catholic Church, has made such inroads in capitalization off the faithful than the US government. Not only do they take your money, they contribute to the fear, the angst and the terror in tangible ways. The Church used fear of hell which is merely a man made concept. The government on the other hand uses that fear of hell plus the added bonus of nukes, wars, violent extremists™ and the media to pound terror into the submissive, terrified masses. Here, take our money, our freedom! Just keep us safe.
.
Thursday, July 28
Year Of The Dog
1994
Do you remember where you were in 1994, and what you were doing?
I do.
It was the best year of my life. I was working for my first radio station, slogging away at 5 bucks an hour, up to 80-90 hours a week (only about 35 of that "on the clock"), I was learning radio, I was writing my ass off (okay, granted, most of it was dirty jokes and commercials, but at least it was part of the job description), I was doing things in the production studio that were blowing the minds of quite a few higher-level radio geeks, and I had a circle of friends that felt like family. And yes, we got rather shit-faced on occasion, but it was almost all good. The radio station wasn't perfect by a long shot, but it was the best job that I'd ever had, or ever would have, which tells y'all a lot about my resume.'
I remember hearing something, vaguely, in the news, about Rwanda, but I didn't pay enough attention or nobody spoon-fed the information to me in the right way, but I knew that it was severely fucked-up and that we (the United States) weren't doing DICK about it. And then, as 23-year-olds are wont to do, I got wrapped-up in my own personal and professional dramas, and forgot about it.
Most likely, I'm one of twelve or thirteen people on the planet who haven't seen "Hotel Rwanda." Until tonight.
Y'ever been humbled?
I don't just mean the kind of "humbled" that you get by being dumped or cheated-on by your significant (or one-night-stand-gone-wrong) other. I don't just mean the kind of humbling that comes from standing in the long-ass line at the New Orleans unemployment office. I don't even mean the kind of humbled that drives you to open a vein in a plasma center, just to put gas in your vehicle or food in your stomach.
I mean wiped out. Eviscerated. Vivisectioned. Made to feel smaller than the first time that you see the Atlantic Ocean. Made to feel like the most insignificant speck of dust on a dot of flyshit under the naugahyde seats at the bus station.
That's what this movie was like to me.
Being born white & Southern and NOT a mouth-breathing trogolodyte or kuntry-klub klansman means that I have known, all of my life, the horrors that have been rent upon Africa by white people.
Yeah, yeah, I will never know what it means to be black in America. I will never feel what it means to be black anywhere. But at least I give a fuck.
I feel like a big ol' piece o'shit right now. I dunno if that's too foul for a blog front page, but there it is. While I was going to concerts and playing DOOM and watching television and just being a knob, almost a million people in Rwanda were murdered. For what?
For bullshit, that's what.
The only difference between a Tutsi and a Hutu is that the Belgian colonists told them that they were different from one another. That's it. Paperwork. Eeenie-meenie-miney-moe. And hence began the race warfare in a country that had almost recovered from the colonists when all hell broke loose.
It really makes you realize how fucking trivial our lives really are in this country. It also makes you understand HOW so-called Americans can not only CONDONE the mass murder of "BROWN PEOPLE" in Afghanistan and Iraq (and Kuwait, too, btw) --- but to ENDORSE IT.
Because they, quite simply, just don't fucking CARE.
There were no real differences between the Tutsi and the Hutu except that the Belgian massahs TOLD them that they were different and then the Belgians favored one over the other, so that generations-long resentments built-up. So they then began "ethnic cleansing" (much like Chad & Sudan today) by killing their own PEOPLE.
Hence the analogy between the Hutu and Americans. Brown people don't "look like us," right? So that makes it EVEN EASIER.
Everybody knows that Anntichrist S. Coulter is an avowed atheist. And most of y'all know why.
But I was partially raised by the last two GOOD Baptists on the planet, my maternal grandparents. My grandmother was so glad when Bill Clinton got the nomination, because not only was he SOUTHERN, but he was a SOUTHERN BAPTIST.
Needless to say (?), Nannie was more than a tad pissed when Bill let the republicunts catch him with his dick hanging out. She was pissed at Bill for being a 'ho, and she was pissed at the republicunts for wasting millions of tax dollars on the witch-hunt. She never said it outright, but if Baptists did excommunications, Bill's ass would've been TOAST. Okay, granted, with the neanderthal, recidivist sexist-pig THUGS who are running the Southern Baptist Convention nowadays, that would be more like a blessing than a curse, but Nannie wasn't anything like THOSE MORONS. She was genuinely broken-hearted when Bill couldn't act right.
My grandfather, btw, was a Baptist preacher. One of the last good ones. Franklin Graham ain't tick-piss upside of my Papa. But then, Papa wasn't a republicunt, either. How any BORN Southerner could be a republicunt, I will never understand. Papa was one of those old-school preachers, the ones who actually WENT OUT into the world to TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE. Giving his money to the poorest in the congregation. Giving his food to the hungry. Cutting the grass of widows or the sick. He wasn't perfect --- he chain-smoked Salems --- but he was a helluva lot better than these fag-bashing douchebags that call themselves "baptists" nowadays.
Bill Clinton didn't just screw up because of his sexual addictions. When it came to Rwanda, Bill Clinton tucked & taped and acted like the wussiest tranny on the planet. Bill Clinton pussed out.
Now, I know, most staunch Democrats will cry, "HERESY!" and want my voter-registration card burned.
I was born a Democrat, I registered to vote on my 18th birthday as a Democrat, and I will, most likely, DIE a Southern Democrat (an endangered species, I might add).
But watching this movie, "Hotel Rwanda," made me SO fucking ashamed to be an American. I know what little that we are ALLOWED to know about the attrocities in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo, and that makes me ashamed as well. Let's face it, kids --- this was never about "defense" any more than it was EVER about "democracy." THIS IS *NOT* A HUMAN-RIGHTS CAMPAIGN.
Sure, sure, they can talk about school supplies and take pictures with all of the little village kids that they want. It will never change the genocide that WE ARE COMMITTING RIGHT NOW. It will never change THE WAR CRIMES that our country has committed in our names. It will never change the fact that this fake-ass war has never been about anything but GREED AND COLONIALISM.
"Hegemony" is too kind a word for it.
But in addition to VietNam, in addition to Cambodia, in addition to the horrors in the Middle East that WE HAVE COMMITTED --- we will always be guilty of abandoning Rwanda.
Almost a million dead.
Bill Clinton broke my heart tonight. What little faith that I still had in that man, that post that I put up here about him helping, what? A THOUSAND kids with AIDS? How fucking naive was I.
I never knew that we, as a country, through our government, "the good guys," back then --- we signed the death warrants on almost a million people. We didn't know, and we didn't fucking care.
Bill Clinton is not only no Baptist, he is no Democrat.
Go ahead, light the pyre, I don't care. I've said what I had to say.
http://www.mgm.com/ua/hotelrwanda/intro.html
Do you remember where you were in 1994, and what you were doing?
I do.
It was the best year of my life. I was working for my first radio station, slogging away at 5 bucks an hour, up to 80-90 hours a week (only about 35 of that "on the clock"), I was learning radio, I was writing my ass off (okay, granted, most of it was dirty jokes and commercials, but at least it was part of the job description), I was doing things in the production studio that were blowing the minds of quite a few higher-level radio geeks, and I had a circle of friends that felt like family. And yes, we got rather shit-faced on occasion, but it was almost all good. The radio station wasn't perfect by a long shot, but it was the best job that I'd ever had, or ever would have, which tells y'all a lot about my resume.'
I remember hearing something, vaguely, in the news, about Rwanda, but I didn't pay enough attention or nobody spoon-fed the information to me in the right way, but I knew that it was severely fucked-up and that we (the United States) weren't doing DICK about it. And then, as 23-year-olds are wont to do, I got wrapped-up in my own personal and professional dramas, and forgot about it.
Most likely, I'm one of twelve or thirteen people on the planet who haven't seen "Hotel Rwanda." Until tonight.
Y'ever been humbled?
I don't just mean the kind of "humbled" that you get by being dumped or cheated-on by your significant (or one-night-stand-gone-wrong) other. I don't just mean the kind of humbling that comes from standing in the long-ass line at the New Orleans unemployment office. I don't even mean the kind of humbled that drives you to open a vein in a plasma center, just to put gas in your vehicle or food in your stomach.
I mean wiped out. Eviscerated. Vivisectioned. Made to feel smaller than the first time that you see the Atlantic Ocean. Made to feel like the most insignificant speck of dust on a dot of flyshit under the naugahyde seats at the bus station.
That's what this movie was like to me.
Being born white & Southern and NOT a mouth-breathing trogolodyte or kuntry-klub klansman means that I have known, all of my life, the horrors that have been rent upon Africa by white people.
Yeah, yeah, I will never know what it means to be black in America. I will never feel what it means to be black anywhere. But at least I give a fuck.
I feel like a big ol' piece o'shit right now. I dunno if that's too foul for a blog front page, but there it is. While I was going to concerts and playing DOOM and watching television and just being a knob, almost a million people in Rwanda were murdered. For what?
For bullshit, that's what.
The only difference between a Tutsi and a Hutu is that the Belgian colonists told them that they were different from one another. That's it. Paperwork. Eeenie-meenie-miney-moe. And hence began the race warfare in a country that had almost recovered from the colonists when all hell broke loose.
It really makes you realize how fucking trivial our lives really are in this country. It also makes you understand HOW so-called Americans can not only CONDONE the mass murder of "BROWN PEOPLE" in Afghanistan and Iraq (and Kuwait, too, btw) --- but to ENDORSE IT.
Because they, quite simply, just don't fucking CARE.
There were no real differences between the Tutsi and the Hutu except that the Belgian massahs TOLD them that they were different and then the Belgians favored one over the other, so that generations-long resentments built-up. So they then began "ethnic cleansing" (much like Chad & Sudan today) by killing their own PEOPLE.
Hence the analogy between the Hutu and Americans. Brown people don't "look like us," right? So that makes it EVEN EASIER.
Everybody knows that Anntichrist S. Coulter is an avowed atheist. And most of y'all know why.
But I was partially raised by the last two GOOD Baptists on the planet, my maternal grandparents. My grandmother was so glad when Bill Clinton got the nomination, because not only was he SOUTHERN, but he was a SOUTHERN BAPTIST.
Needless to say (?), Nannie was more than a tad pissed when Bill let the republicunts catch him with his dick hanging out. She was pissed at Bill for being a 'ho, and she was pissed at the republicunts for wasting millions of tax dollars on the witch-hunt. She never said it outright, but if Baptists did excommunications, Bill's ass would've been TOAST. Okay, granted, with the neanderthal, recidivist sexist-pig THUGS who are running the Southern Baptist Convention nowadays, that would be more like a blessing than a curse, but Nannie wasn't anything like THOSE MORONS. She was genuinely broken-hearted when Bill couldn't act right.
My grandfather, btw, was a Baptist preacher. One of the last good ones. Franklin Graham ain't tick-piss upside of my Papa. But then, Papa wasn't a republicunt, either. How any BORN Southerner could be a republicunt, I will never understand. Papa was one of those old-school preachers, the ones who actually WENT OUT into the world to TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE. Giving his money to the poorest in the congregation. Giving his food to the hungry. Cutting the grass of widows or the sick. He wasn't perfect --- he chain-smoked Salems --- but he was a helluva lot better than these fag-bashing douchebags that call themselves "baptists" nowadays.
Bill Clinton didn't just screw up because of his sexual addictions. When it came to Rwanda, Bill Clinton tucked & taped and acted like the wussiest tranny on the planet. Bill Clinton pussed out.
Now, I know, most staunch Democrats will cry, "HERESY!" and want my voter-registration card burned.
I was born a Democrat, I registered to vote on my 18th birthday as a Democrat, and I will, most likely, DIE a Southern Democrat (an endangered species, I might add).
But watching this movie, "Hotel Rwanda," made me SO fucking ashamed to be an American. I know what little that we are ALLOWED to know about the attrocities in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo, and that makes me ashamed as well. Let's face it, kids --- this was never about "defense" any more than it was EVER about "democracy." THIS IS *NOT* A HUMAN-RIGHTS CAMPAIGN.
Sure, sure, they can talk about school supplies and take pictures with all of the little village kids that they want. It will never change the genocide that WE ARE COMMITTING RIGHT NOW. It will never change THE WAR CRIMES that our country has committed in our names. It will never change the fact that this fake-ass war has never been about anything but GREED AND COLONIALISM.
"Hegemony" is too kind a word for it.
But in addition to VietNam, in addition to Cambodia, in addition to the horrors in the Middle East that WE HAVE COMMITTED --- we will always be guilty of abandoning Rwanda.
Almost a million dead.
Bill Clinton broke my heart tonight. What little faith that I still had in that man, that post that I put up here about him helping, what? A THOUSAND kids with AIDS? How fucking naive was I.
I never knew that we, as a country, through our government, "the good guys," back then --- we signed the death warrants on almost a million people. We didn't know, and we didn't fucking care.
Bill Clinton is not only no Baptist, he is no Democrat.
Go ahead, light the pyre, I don't care. I've said what I had to say.
http://www.mgm.com/ua/hotelrwanda/intro.html
More Fecal Matter
"Why would Republicans working on the energy bill in conference sneak in a provision that gives a 'consortium' conveniently located in Tom DeLay's district control of a billion-dollar handout to big oil? Because they'd never get away with it had the measure been subjected to a vote. According to a letter from Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., this secretly inserted and obscenely costly provision is a 'serious abuse' and "should be deleted" before the final energy bill is brought to the House floor.
"Even President Bush's own energy secretary, Samuel Bodman, conceded yesterday that the energy bill gives too much money to industry. About the $3 billion in tax breaks and incentives in the bill, Bodman said that oil and gas companies 'don't need incentives with oil and gas prices being what they are today.' And Bodman was commenting only on the provisions that were inserted in the clear light of day, not those added after all discussion of the legislation had officially been closed."
Continue reading here at TomPaine.com
"Even President Bush's own energy secretary, Samuel Bodman, conceded yesterday that the energy bill gives too much money to industry. About the $3 billion in tax breaks and incentives in the bill, Bodman said that oil and gas companies 'don't need incentives with oil and gas prices being what they are today.' And Bodman was commenting only on the provisions that were inserted in the clear light of day, not those added after all discussion of the legislation had officially been closed."
Continue reading here at TomPaine.com
Bin Laden Brothers Tip-Off Two NASA Research Scientists In 1987 About U.S. Government Plans To Cause 9/11
Now Third Person Comes Forward To Verify Scientists' Incredible Story
From ArcticBeacon.com:
Besides the tip-off about 9/11, one of the researchers involved in a government-funded advanced brain development program says she uncovered a secret study called "Global Cleanse 2000" outlining U.S. Government strategies for intitiating global war and population reduction.
July 27, 2005
By Greg Szymanski
"Rene Welch cut 'a deal with the devil,' a deal she recently broke when she went public about her two 1987 encounters with Saudi royals, including two of the bin Laden brothers who claimed the U.S. government was actively involved in pre-arranging 9/11.
"Welch’s incredible story, first made public in May, has already been verified by one other former NASA scientist. But this week another person present at the meeting also came forward to verify Welch’s story.
"The meetings with the Saudis took place in Sedona and Pleasant Valley, Arizona, and lasted more than eight hours each time, the bin Ladens revealing in 1987 detailed plans how the U.S. government was planning to attack the World Trade Center, kicking off a global catastrophe, including a massive war in the Middle East.
"Besides being verified by Ronald Logsdon, 49, of Philadelphia, a scientist who worked in a NASA program with Welch and also present at the bin Laden meetings, this week long time Sedona resident, Naomi Niles, also verified the Sedona meeting took place.
"Yes, I was there at one of the meetings back in 1987," said Niles this week from her Sedona home, adding the details of the story should be left for Logsdon and Welch to describe since she was not a part of the NASA program.
"And Welch not only learned about the U.S. government’s pre-planning of 9/11 from the bin Ladens back in 1987, but this week from her Albuquerque home Welch added more, saying when working for NASA as a scientist on brain development research in Phoenix, she obtained a secret computer code and was able to uncover the findings of a government-funded project titled “Global Cleanse 2000,” a study outlining strategies for global war and population reduction.
"After learning of the government’s evil intentions almost 20 years ago and being a government target ever since, Welch talked about 'the deal she made with the devil,' adding she always had a tacit understanding with FBI and CIA operatives, that if she’d 'shut up and lay low,' they’d leave her alone.
"But two months ago Welch broke the deal, deciding to tell America what she learned about the U.S. government’s pre-planning of 9/11, saying although the story’s a hard pill to swallow and 'may sound unbelievable,' she felt the need to risk public humiliation, government harassment and warn Americans anyway.
"Just like before, they’ll be after me again now that I went public", said Welch who has been drugged and beaten on several occasions by government operatives.
"And since she went public in May the harassment stated again, starting in the similar subtle manner it did after she was unexpectedly approached by the Saudis, including the bin Ladens.
"But Welch, instead or running and hiding, is now prepared to fight back hard, making public a 200 page document detailing information obtained about the staging of 9/11, Global Cleanse 2000 and about FBI and CIA civil rights violations.
"I’m naming names and want justice", added Welch.
"She also said she wants to document her story in a book, starting from the time she was a ‘military brat,’ her father being an Air Force B-52 pilot, when at the age of three she displayed exceptional ESP abilities and channeling powers, powers that eventually led her into the NASA program as an adult.
"Concerning the 200 page diaries documenting her FBI troubles and knowledge of 9/11, copies of the documents have previously been sent to several members of the former Clinton White House, including Hillary Clinton, as well as to Taos, NM. former district attorney John Paternoster, who Welch approached in 1995 about government death threats.
"Paternoster, now in private practice in Taos, recently said he couldn’t remember ever meeting Welch or hearing about the bin Laden story.
"He knows me and an investigator named Martinez was even assigned to my case", said Welch this week in a telephone conversation from her New Mexico home. "I saw him several times and even have kept receipts from his office, given to me regarding the 200 page document I gave him. He just wants the whole thing to go away and is probably afraid to tell the truth".
Regarding possible FBI and CIA further retaliation, she added:
"What’s the difference if they’re planning global war and mass population reduction", said Welch. "When I worked for NASA Application Technical Center in Phoenix, involved in brain development and mind control projects, I accessed the code for the computers and read a secret project they were working on called 'Global Cleanse 2000', outlining certain strategies like 9/11 to start a global war and how other strategies regarding how to reduce the world’s population.
"Now, again, after I went public, the harassment has started, my phone is tapped and they are starting to mess with my life. This time I am really frightened since they are very serious about keeping people like me, who know too much, quiet since they are getting closer to their objective of destroying this country.
"In the past I noticed when I stayed quiet, they left me alone. But when I started talking, the harassment then followed. That’s how I know they are still watching me and have always been watching me".
"Welch’s claim that two of the outspoken bin Laden brothers, not Osama, told her about the U.S. government’s plans to stage 9/11 in 1987 is not an idle fantasy or a story made up by a hyper-sensitive person’s imagination.
"Logsdon, the other NASA employed scientist who worked along side Welch, verified her story this way:
"Two of the bin Laden brothers came some 90 miles from Phoenix, Arizona, and stopped at our doorstep unannounced. Their bodyguards set up a surveillance parameter around our property and others came into our house, taped up the windows and set up a film projector. The people in this motorcade seemed very scared, and presented this as a matter of life and death", recalled Logsdon, who said at the time in 1987 the couple had no idea about the eventual 9/11 implications.
"These men told us to be very cautious and to assume that we were under surveillance by our government. For several hours they showed us films of meetings of key Arabs and U.S. government officials discussing the oil issues. The bottom line was that if the Arabs did not do it their way, the U.S. would simply take their oil by force. They also explained that they have been manipulated into setting up bank accounts where oil profits were siphoned off and were no longer under their control.
"They then explained why the World Trade Centers were the ideal target for this purpose. The two bin Ladens showed us this film because they made it very clear how they did not want to be involved with any U.S. plot to manipulate the Arab governments or start a war".
"Regarding the ongoing government harassment to keep her quiet, Welch said a two year period in the mid 1990s was most troubling when an agent infiltrated her life, finally using drugs and other types of physical harassment to get information after gaining her trust.
"I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t tell you I was scared again and I know some people have a hard time believing this story, but it’s true", said Welch, recalling the years when she said the agent who used the name Alfred Hermendorf injected her with several types of different drugs.
"But I am going to release the information and tell my story in a book because these people are evil and want to destroy America. There is a global catastrophe right around the corner and they may even make it look like a natural disaster. But I saw the plans back in the 1980s and after 9/11. I know it is going to happen unless we quickly get Bush out of power".
"Welch and Logsdon became aware of this radical element in our government, trying to create this new world order, when they worked together as scientists at NASA’s Application Technical Center Institute in Phoenix.
"Together with over 100 'think tank' participants, Logsdon, an engineer, and Welch, a licensed hypnotism-therapist and head of the Global Elite Scientist’s Club, were developing technology to better understand the brain’s memory and psychic ability capacities.
"The pair came up with they called the 'light and sound' machine, receiving much praise during the 80s for what was thought then to be ground breaking work. It was this project that eventually brought them in contact with the bin Ladens, creating the backdrop for why they both know 9/11 was a staged U.S. government event.
(Editor's Note: I asked a trusted, learned friend for an opinion on the above article. Here is his reply: "Old news. Highly reliable. Global Cleanse 2000 had other names, too. You might want to probe that".)
From ArcticBeacon.com:
Besides the tip-off about 9/11, one of the researchers involved in a government-funded advanced brain development program says she uncovered a secret study called "Global Cleanse 2000" outlining U.S. Government strategies for intitiating global war and population reduction.
July 27, 2005
By Greg Szymanski
"Rene Welch cut 'a deal with the devil,' a deal she recently broke when she went public about her two 1987 encounters with Saudi royals, including two of the bin Laden brothers who claimed the U.S. government was actively involved in pre-arranging 9/11.
"Welch’s incredible story, first made public in May, has already been verified by one other former NASA scientist. But this week another person present at the meeting also came forward to verify Welch’s story.
"The meetings with the Saudis took place in Sedona and Pleasant Valley, Arizona, and lasted more than eight hours each time, the bin Ladens revealing in 1987 detailed plans how the U.S. government was planning to attack the World Trade Center, kicking off a global catastrophe, including a massive war in the Middle East.
"Besides being verified by Ronald Logsdon, 49, of Philadelphia, a scientist who worked in a NASA program with Welch and also present at the bin Laden meetings, this week long time Sedona resident, Naomi Niles, also verified the Sedona meeting took place.
"Yes, I was there at one of the meetings back in 1987," said Niles this week from her Sedona home, adding the details of the story should be left for Logsdon and Welch to describe since she was not a part of the NASA program.
"And Welch not only learned about the U.S. government’s pre-planning of 9/11 from the bin Ladens back in 1987, but this week from her Albuquerque home Welch added more, saying when working for NASA as a scientist on brain development research in Phoenix, she obtained a secret computer code and was able to uncover the findings of a government-funded project titled “Global Cleanse 2000,” a study outlining strategies for global war and population reduction.
"After learning of the government’s evil intentions almost 20 years ago and being a government target ever since, Welch talked about 'the deal she made with the devil,' adding she always had a tacit understanding with FBI and CIA operatives, that if she’d 'shut up and lay low,' they’d leave her alone.
"But two months ago Welch broke the deal, deciding to tell America what she learned about the U.S. government’s pre-planning of 9/11, saying although the story’s a hard pill to swallow and 'may sound unbelievable,' she felt the need to risk public humiliation, government harassment and warn Americans anyway.
"Just like before, they’ll be after me again now that I went public", said Welch who has been drugged and beaten on several occasions by government operatives.
"And since she went public in May the harassment stated again, starting in the similar subtle manner it did after she was unexpectedly approached by the Saudis, including the bin Ladens.
"But Welch, instead or running and hiding, is now prepared to fight back hard, making public a 200 page document detailing information obtained about the staging of 9/11, Global Cleanse 2000 and about FBI and CIA civil rights violations.
"I’m naming names and want justice", added Welch.
"She also said she wants to document her story in a book, starting from the time she was a ‘military brat,’ her father being an Air Force B-52 pilot, when at the age of three she displayed exceptional ESP abilities and channeling powers, powers that eventually led her into the NASA program as an adult.
"Concerning the 200 page diaries documenting her FBI troubles and knowledge of 9/11, copies of the documents have previously been sent to several members of the former Clinton White House, including Hillary Clinton, as well as to Taos, NM. former district attorney John Paternoster, who Welch approached in 1995 about government death threats.
"Paternoster, now in private practice in Taos, recently said he couldn’t remember ever meeting Welch or hearing about the bin Laden story.
"He knows me and an investigator named Martinez was even assigned to my case", said Welch this week in a telephone conversation from her New Mexico home. "I saw him several times and even have kept receipts from his office, given to me regarding the 200 page document I gave him. He just wants the whole thing to go away and is probably afraid to tell the truth".
Regarding possible FBI and CIA further retaliation, she added:
"What’s the difference if they’re planning global war and mass population reduction", said Welch. "When I worked for NASA Application Technical Center in Phoenix, involved in brain development and mind control projects, I accessed the code for the computers and read a secret project they were working on called 'Global Cleanse 2000', outlining certain strategies like 9/11 to start a global war and how other strategies regarding how to reduce the world’s population.
"Now, again, after I went public, the harassment has started, my phone is tapped and they are starting to mess with my life. This time I am really frightened since they are very serious about keeping people like me, who know too much, quiet since they are getting closer to their objective of destroying this country.
"In the past I noticed when I stayed quiet, they left me alone. But when I started talking, the harassment then followed. That’s how I know they are still watching me and have always been watching me".
"Welch’s claim that two of the outspoken bin Laden brothers, not Osama, told her about the U.S. government’s plans to stage 9/11 in 1987 is not an idle fantasy or a story made up by a hyper-sensitive person’s imagination.
"Logsdon, the other NASA employed scientist who worked along side Welch, verified her story this way:
"Two of the bin Laden brothers came some 90 miles from Phoenix, Arizona, and stopped at our doorstep unannounced. Their bodyguards set up a surveillance parameter around our property and others came into our house, taped up the windows and set up a film projector. The people in this motorcade seemed very scared, and presented this as a matter of life and death", recalled Logsdon, who said at the time in 1987 the couple had no idea about the eventual 9/11 implications.
"These men told us to be very cautious and to assume that we were under surveillance by our government. For several hours they showed us films of meetings of key Arabs and U.S. government officials discussing the oil issues. The bottom line was that if the Arabs did not do it their way, the U.S. would simply take their oil by force. They also explained that they have been manipulated into setting up bank accounts where oil profits were siphoned off and were no longer under their control.
"They then explained why the World Trade Centers were the ideal target for this purpose. The two bin Ladens showed us this film because they made it very clear how they did not want to be involved with any U.S. plot to manipulate the Arab governments or start a war".
"Regarding the ongoing government harassment to keep her quiet, Welch said a two year period in the mid 1990s was most troubling when an agent infiltrated her life, finally using drugs and other types of physical harassment to get information after gaining her trust.
"I wouldn’t be honest if I didn’t tell you I was scared again and I know some people have a hard time believing this story, but it’s true", said Welch, recalling the years when she said the agent who used the name Alfred Hermendorf injected her with several types of different drugs.
"But I am going to release the information and tell my story in a book because these people are evil and want to destroy America. There is a global catastrophe right around the corner and they may even make it look like a natural disaster. But I saw the plans back in the 1980s and after 9/11. I know it is going to happen unless we quickly get Bush out of power".
"Welch and Logsdon became aware of this radical element in our government, trying to create this new world order, when they worked together as scientists at NASA’s Application Technical Center Institute in Phoenix.
"Together with over 100 'think tank' participants, Logsdon, an engineer, and Welch, a licensed hypnotism-therapist and head of the Global Elite Scientist’s Club, were developing technology to better understand the brain’s memory and psychic ability capacities.
"The pair came up with they called the 'light and sound' machine, receiving much praise during the 80s for what was thought then to be ground breaking work. It was this project that eventually brought them in contact with the bin Ladens, creating the backdrop for why they both know 9/11 was a staged U.S. government event.
(Editor's Note: I asked a trusted, learned friend for an opinion on the above article. Here is his reply: "Old news. Highly reliable. Global Cleanse 2000 had other names, too. You might want to probe that".)
Winning Bumper Sticker Idea of the Week:
Shamelessly ripped off from the Dark Wraith Discussion Forum.
Unemployed? Republican? Join Bushco's military and be buried with work.
Unemployed? Republican? Join Bushco's military and be buried with work.
This is Why We Are Where We Are
Before the CAFTA vote last night, this is the atmosphere as described by the Washington Post:
“The last-minute negotiations for Republican votes resembled the wheeling and dealing on a car lot. Republicans who were opposed or undecided were courted during hurried meetings in Capitol hallways, on the House floor and at the White House. GOP leaders told their rank and file that if they wanted anything, now was the time to ask, lawmakers said, and members took advantage of the opportunity by requesting such things as fundraising appearances by Cheney and the restoration of money the White House has tried to cut from agriculture programs. Lawmakers also said many of the favors bestowed in exchange for votes will be tucked into the huge energy and highway bills that Congress is scheduled to pass this week before leaving for the August recess.”
The votes had nothing to do with what was best for our country, they were about favors like fundraising appearances by Cheney. Gives you a queasy feeling in your stomach, doesn’t it?
“The last-minute negotiations for Republican votes resembled the wheeling and dealing on a car lot. Republicans who were opposed or undecided were courted during hurried meetings in Capitol hallways, on the House floor and at the White House. GOP leaders told their rank and file that if they wanted anything, now was the time to ask, lawmakers said, and members took advantage of the opportunity by requesting such things as fundraising appearances by Cheney and the restoration of money the White House has tried to cut from agriculture programs. Lawmakers also said many of the favors bestowed in exchange for votes will be tucked into the huge energy and highway bills that Congress is scheduled to pass this week before leaving for the August recess.”
The votes had nothing to do with what was best for our country, they were about favors like fundraising appearances by Cheney. Gives you a queasy feeling in your stomach, doesn’t it?
The Pentagon has a secret new strategy for taking on terrorists--and taking them down
By Linda Robinson
"On March 3, with little fanfare, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers, signed a comprehensive new plan for the war on terrorism. Senior defense officials briefed U.S. News on the contents of the still-secret document, which is to be released soon in an unclassified form. Officially titled the 'National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism,' the document is the culmination of 18 months of work and is a significant evolution from the approach adopted after the 9/11 attacks, which was to focus on capturing or killing the top al Qaeda leaders. For the first time since then, Pentagon officials say, they have a strategy that examines the nature of the antiterror war in depth, lays out a detailed road map for prosecuting it, and establishes a score card to determine where and whether progress is being made."
Continue reading here: U.S. News & World Report.
"On March 3, with little fanfare, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Richard Myers, signed a comprehensive new plan for the war on terrorism. Senior defense officials briefed U.S. News on the contents of the still-secret document, which is to be released soon in an unclassified form. Officially titled the 'National Military Strategic Plan for the War on Terrorism,' the document is the culmination of 18 months of work and is a significant evolution from the approach adopted after the 9/11 attacks, which was to focus on capturing or killing the top al Qaeda leaders. For the first time since then, Pentagon officials say, they have a strategy that examines the nature of the antiterror war in depth, lays out a detailed road map for prosecuting it, and establishes a score card to determine where and whether progress is being made."
Continue reading here: U.S. News & World Report.
Case of C.I.A. Officer's Leaked Identity Takes New Turn
From the New York Times:
“Mr. Pincus has not identified his source to the public. But a review of Mr. Pincus's own accounts and those of other people with detailed knowledge of the case strongly suggest that his source was neither Karl Rove, Mr. Bush's top political adviser, nor I. Lewis Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, and was in fact a third administration official whose identity has not yet been publicly disclosed.”
“Mr. Pincus has not identified his source to the public. But a review of Mr. Pincus's own accounts and those of other people with detailed knowledge of the case strongly suggest that his source was neither Karl Rove, Mr. Bush's top political adviser, nor I. Lewis Libby, the chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney, and was in fact a third administration official whose identity has not yet been publicly disclosed.”
It's Summer For Gawd's Sake
Of course it's hot as hell. And yes, I've been cranky because the sweat drips into my eyeballs and my glasses are always fogged up. Yes, people are melting. Some areas are sopped with rain and others aren't. What else is new? It's summer. Why all the "news" coverage about the hot weather when we can just turn on the weather channel for typical summer heat wave news?
Our admitted C student pretzeldent says that he doesn't think global warming is an issue and that is why the US doesn't cooperate with the rest of the world to curb pollutants. The corporate media depicts environmentalists and those of us who give a shit about the environment as kooks anyway, so the media should just quit their yammering about the damn heat wave.
We're at war and our government is involved in a huge coverup of the false pretenses that led us to war. Now that's news.
PS. The heatwave just broke here in NY. Ahhh.
Our admitted C student pretzeldent says that he doesn't think global warming is an issue and that is why the US doesn't cooperate with the rest of the world to curb pollutants. The corporate media depicts environmentalists and those of us who give a shit about the environment as kooks anyway, so the media should just quit their yammering about the damn heat wave.
We're at war and our government is involved in a huge coverup of the false pretenses that led us to war. Now that's news.
PS. The heatwave just broke here in NY. Ahhh.
Used Space Shuttle Fleet For Sale
Used space shuttle fleet for sale, as is. Some parts missing and may require application of glue and foam insulation before being flown again. Hopefully the shuttle Discovery will be available in about ten days. Fly at your own risk.
Contact NASA and ask for the Grounded Shuttle Dept.
NASA to Ground Shuttles Again
"NASA said Wednesday that it will again ground the space shuttle fleet after analysts discovered that during the launch of Discovery the external fuel tank lost chunks of foam insulation similar to those that fatally damaged Columbia 2 1/2 years ago".
The rest is at The Washington Post.
Contact NASA and ask for the Grounded Shuttle Dept.
NASA to Ground Shuttles Again
"NASA said Wednesday that it will again ground the space shuttle fleet after analysts discovered that during the launch of Discovery the external fuel tank lost chunks of foam insulation similar to those that fatally damaged Columbia 2 1/2 years ago".
The rest is at The Washington Post.
Sad Tale of Disfigured Iraq Boy
The NY Times reports a story about a 13 year old Iraqi boy was maimed by an American cluster bomb when his cow set it off. The boy was so traumatized by his facial scars and the other kids making fun of him that he dropped out of school. He dreamed of having his old face back.
A retired law professor in Miami read about his plight and arranged for him to come to the US to get the shrapnel removed from his face and to fix his eye which was blinded. He was unable to get a cornea transplant because of the severity of the damage so he got a contact lens instead, which he lost already but his sponsors said they hope to send him a replacement. What, they couldn't give him a lifetime supply?
He got sort of fixed up here in the states, visited some tourist sites, went shopping, met with all sorts of politicians and even saluted George Bush's picture. So, there ya go warmongers, a nice story from Iraq. Kind of. The sad part is that he came to America and got to see all the decadence, get medical treatment and is now being sent back to the war zone. It's really kind of creepy in a propaganda sort of way.
A retired law professor in Miami read about his plight and arranged for him to come to the US to get the shrapnel removed from his face and to fix his eye which was blinded. He was unable to get a cornea transplant because of the severity of the damage so he got a contact lens instead, which he lost already but his sponsors said they hope to send him a replacement. What, they couldn't give him a lifetime supply?
He got sort of fixed up here in the states, visited some tourist sites, went shopping, met with all sorts of politicians and even saluted George Bush's picture. So, there ya go warmongers, a nice story from Iraq. Kind of. The sad part is that he came to America and got to see all the decadence, get medical treatment and is now being sent back to the war zone. It's really kind of creepy in a propaganda sort of way.
They were scheduled to leave New York on an 11 p.m. flight for the Middle East and the sight of their suitcases stuffed with new clothes, cameras and Herbal Essence shampoo depressed them.(use bugmenot.com for a user name and password)
"I thought the Americans could do everything," Ayad's father said.
Ayad stared at the carpet and whispered, "I hope we come back." (The NY Times)
Police State News
The following story is quite frightening. If it can happen in London, you can be damn sure, it could happen here. British police shooting to kill? Something is soooo rotten.
The Guardian
Brazilian did not wear bulky jacketThursday July 28, 2005
Relatives say Met admits that, contrary to reports, electrician did not leap tube station barrier
Jean Charles de Menezes, the Brazilian shot dead in the head, was not wearing a heavy jacket that might have concealed a bomb, and did not jump the ticket barrier when challenged by armed plainclothes police, his cousin said yesterday.
Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with the Metropolitan police, Vivien Figueiredo, 22, said that the first reports of how her 27-year-old cousin had come to be killed in mistake for a suicide bomber on Friday at Stockwell tube station were wrong.
The Guardian
Wednesday, July 27
"a global struggle against violent extremism"
The powers that be probably couldn't take all the jibing about the term "War on Terra"™. After all, you can't declare war on a concept or a method of violence. So now we are going to call U.S. Imperialism, "a global struggle against violent extremism". (IHT)
Wow that's a mouthful. A.G.S.A.V.E. ag-save. Not very catchy though.
Let's think of something better.
Wow that's a mouthful. A.G.S.A.V.E. ag-save. Not very catchy though.
Let's think of something better.
Forget the Hand Basket, We’re in a Cute Little Tote Bag Now
I’ve heard a couple of times lately that the name of the war is being changed. Now they’ve decided to call it "global struggle against violent extremism" or, I guess, GSAVE for short. That’s GSAVE, as in George SAVE your ass and find a way to get us the hell out of this freakin’ war that someone convinced you was a good idea, a war that cannot end as long as someone somewhere wants to kill a bunch of people. Idiot! What the hell were you thinking?
Well, I have a bunch of questions about this name change deal.
This morning it was said that Iraqis are calling for a swift American withdrawal from their country. So is the war over and has the struggle begun? Are we going to stop bombing countries on a whim and instead struggle with violent extremists? How shall we define violent extremist? What about the terrorists? They aren’t terrorist groups any longer? Is that supposed to make us feel better?
Calling it a war on terror was insane, because terror is an emotion. But now in the middle of the war, to change the war to a struggle is kind of lame. Bush said he was a "war president". Is he now a "struggle president"?
So now that we are in the midst of a struggle against violent extremism and extremists, do all the rules of war no longer apply? What are the rules of struggle? Can you take prisoners during a struggle? What about the prisoners of struggle? I bet the Geneva Conventions do not apply to a struggle.
So if you have a family member serving in Iraq, are you now supposed to say he’s in a struggle against violent extremism? Guess so.
This reminds me of some of the football teams. If they are constantly losing games and fans, they change things - new team name, new uniforms, everything/anything to change the reputation of the team. Change the team's name from The Losers to The Winners. Cover the losing seasons with a new and hopefully more appealing coat of paint. Of course underneath you still have the root of the problem--namely the players couldn’t play well enough to win. But at least they aren’t called The Losers any longer.
Washington seems to be trying to do a do-over with this war. Oops sorry, this struggle. Things are going to hell in a hand basket so they toss out the hand basket and put everything in a cute little tote bag. Everything is the same, but damn, doesn’t it look better now?
Well, I have a bunch of questions about this name change deal.
This morning it was said that Iraqis are calling for a swift American withdrawal from their country. So is the war over and has the struggle begun? Are we going to stop bombing countries on a whim and instead struggle with violent extremists? How shall we define violent extremist? What about the terrorists? They aren’t terrorist groups any longer? Is that supposed to make us feel better?
Calling it a war on terror was insane, because terror is an emotion. But now in the middle of the war, to change the war to a struggle is kind of lame. Bush said he was a "war president". Is he now a "struggle president"?
So now that we are in the midst of a struggle against violent extremism and extremists, do all the rules of war no longer apply? What are the rules of struggle? Can you take prisoners during a struggle? What about the prisoners of struggle? I bet the Geneva Conventions do not apply to a struggle.
So if you have a family member serving in Iraq, are you now supposed to say he’s in a struggle against violent extremism? Guess so.
This reminds me of some of the football teams. If they are constantly losing games and fans, they change things - new team name, new uniforms, everything/anything to change the reputation of the team. Change the team's name from The Losers to The Winners. Cover the losing seasons with a new and hopefully more appealing coat of paint. Of course underneath you still have the root of the problem--namely the players couldn’t play well enough to win. But at least they aren’t called The Losers any longer.
Washington seems to be trying to do a do-over with this war. Oops sorry, this struggle. Things are going to hell in a hand basket so they toss out the hand basket and put everything in a cute little tote bag. Everything is the same, but damn, doesn’t it look better now?
WHEW! Just in time...with the national elections coming up.
"US aims to sharply cut Iraq force within a year"
"The United States hopes to sharply reduce its forces in Iraq by the middle of next year, its top commander on the ground said on Wednesday.
"The remarks by General George Casey appear to have been the first time since the insurgency worsened sharply in April that top Pentagon officials have suggested a timeline for withdrawal".
You can read the rest at Reuters.
"The United States hopes to sharply reduce its forces in Iraq by the middle of next year, its top commander on the ground said on Wednesday.
"The remarks by General George Casey appear to have been the first time since the insurgency worsened sharply in April that top Pentagon officials have suggested a timeline for withdrawal".
You can read the rest at Reuters.
Cannon Fodder Shortage Threatens Our Effort to Do Whatever it is We’re Doing
Driving Over Bombs and Dodging Bullets Not as Alluring as Army Would Hope
From USA Today:
"The Army, which expects to miss its 2005 recruiting goal by about 12,000, already is falling behind for next year".
And
"Next year's recruits may also not be as qualified as this year's, because the Army will be looking for enlistees it can quickly ship to basic training. That means recruits whose options are limited, 'are not in school and not in a job,' said Cheney, chief operating officer of Business Executives for National Security in Washington, D.C.
"The Army is offering unprecedented enticements — including enlistment bonuses as high as $20,000 and service stints as short as 15 months — but so far has been unable to persuade enough young men and women to join.
"Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey recently proposed increasing the top enlistment bonus to $40,000 and is about to add 800 additional recruiters to the force. Even the new recruiters and higher bonuses 'may not be enough for everyone,' Rochelle said.
"None of the recruiting trends bode well for the Army, said Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va.
"If you think of the Army as a watershed, their reservoir is about to run dry," Thompson said. "They have nothing left in reserve."
"Join the Police Force in Iraq and Become 'Cannon Fodder'" Yahoo News (Link)
"A US government report has concluded that likely insurgents have infiltrated Iraq's police service, while other recruits have criminal records or are barely literate.
"In a more controversial opinion, according to Time magazine, the report by the Department of Defense and State Department inspector generals also says that the Pentagon has been using Iraqi police as 'cannon fodder' in Iraq."
And
"The so-called progress report, which is expected to be released in Washington this week, also states that the training of Iraqi police recruits is badly behind schedule.
"It notes that 'too many recruits are marginally literate; some show up for training with criminal records or physical handicaps,' Time said, citing the conclusions of the inspectors general."
And finally this tidbit July 23, 2005 NY Times:
"The Pentagon announced Friday that Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who has been in charge of efforts to train Iraqi security forces, has completed his yearlong tour of duty and will become commander of the Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan."
Is it any wonder that Rumsfeld is making a surprise visit to Iraq today? We’re running out of cannon fodder, the Iraqi cannon fodder isn’t up to snuff, so what happens now? If we don’t come up with more and better cannon fodder do we have to end the war?
I guess it’s "hard work" when you are in the process of running and ruining two countries at the same time. Not to mention this from MSNBC.
From USA Today:
"The Army, which expects to miss its 2005 recruiting goal by about 12,000, already is falling behind for next year".
And
"Next year's recruits may also not be as qualified as this year's, because the Army will be looking for enlistees it can quickly ship to basic training. That means recruits whose options are limited, 'are not in school and not in a job,' said Cheney, chief operating officer of Business Executives for National Security in Washington, D.C.
"The Army is offering unprecedented enticements — including enlistment bonuses as high as $20,000 and service stints as short as 15 months — but so far has been unable to persuade enough young men and women to join.
"Secretary of the Army Francis Harvey recently proposed increasing the top enlistment bonus to $40,000 and is about to add 800 additional recruiters to the force. Even the new recruiters and higher bonuses 'may not be enough for everyone,' Rochelle said.
"None of the recruiting trends bode well for the Army, said Loren Thompson, an analyst at the Lexington Institute in Arlington, Va.
"If you think of the Army as a watershed, their reservoir is about to run dry," Thompson said. "They have nothing left in reserve."
"Join the Police Force in Iraq and Become 'Cannon Fodder'" Yahoo News (Link)
"A US government report has concluded that likely insurgents have infiltrated Iraq's police service, while other recruits have criminal records or are barely literate.
"In a more controversial opinion, according to Time magazine, the report by the Department of Defense and State Department inspector generals also says that the Pentagon has been using Iraqi police as 'cannon fodder' in Iraq."
And
"The so-called progress report, which is expected to be released in Washington this week, also states that the training of Iraqi police recruits is badly behind schedule.
"It notes that 'too many recruits are marginally literate; some show up for training with criminal records or physical handicaps,' Time said, citing the conclusions of the inspectors general."
And finally this tidbit July 23, 2005 NY Times:
"The Pentagon announced Friday that Lt. Gen. David H. Petraeus, who has been in charge of efforts to train Iraqi security forces, has completed his yearlong tour of duty and will become commander of the Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kan."
Is it any wonder that Rumsfeld is making a surprise visit to Iraq today? We’re running out of cannon fodder, the Iraqi cannon fodder isn’t up to snuff, so what happens now? If we don’t come up with more and better cannon fodder do we have to end the war?
I guess it’s "hard work" when you are in the process of running and ruining two countries at the same time. Not to mention this from MSNBC.
Tuesday, July 26
9/11 Scandal
C-SPAN Lecture & Excellent Article in Scholarly Journal
"A Zogby poll in late August 2004 found 49 per cent of New York City residents and 41 per cent of New York citizens overall agreed that 'some leaders in the U.S. government knew in advance that attacks were planned on or around September 11, 2001, and that they consciously failed to take action.' Stanley Hilton -- a former aide to Senator Bob Dole -- has filed a $7 billion suit on behalf of the families of 14 victims of the 9/11 attacks, alleging that Bush, along with Cheney, Rumsfeld and others, actually ordered 9/11 to happen for political gain. Hilton says he has incriminating documents and witnesses showing this."
It's a bit of a read. But it's a keeper. Click HERE for the entire article.
"A Zogby poll in late August 2004 found 49 per cent of New York City residents and 41 per cent of New York citizens overall agreed that 'some leaders in the U.S. government knew in advance that attacks were planned on or around September 11, 2001, and that they consciously failed to take action.' Stanley Hilton -- a former aide to Senator Bob Dole -- has filed a $7 billion suit on behalf of the families of 14 victims of the 9/11 attacks, alleging that Bush, along with Cheney, Rumsfeld and others, actually ordered 9/11 to happen for political gain. Hilton says he has incriminating documents and witnesses showing this."
It's a bit of a read. But it's a keeper. Click HERE for the entire article.
Put Away All Sharp Objects Before Reading This
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate put off until fall completing a $491 billion defense bill in order to act this week on the National Rifle Association's top priority: shielding gun manufacturers and dealers from liability suits stemming from gun crimes.
On a 66-32 test vote Tuesday, the Senate indicated there's plenty of support for Republican leaders' determination to pass the gun bill before lawmakers leave at the end of this week for a month long vacation.
The rest is here in the Guardian.
On a 66-32 test vote Tuesday, the Senate indicated there's plenty of support for Republican leaders' determination to pass the gun bill before lawmakers leave at the end of this week for a month long vacation.
The rest is here in the Guardian.
Ancient phallus unearthed in cave
From BBC News (this is my favorite part of the story):
Its life size suggests it may well have been used as a sex aid by its Ice Age makers, scientists report.
Catapulted Propaganda List
Entries in the 2005 Josef Goebbels Award Contest for Official Veracity TBRNews (Link)
This is fun to read, in a morbid sort of way. It’s about half way down the page. You might want to bookmark this page for future reference; I did.
"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons."
George W. Bush
Speech to U.N. General Assembly, Sept. 12, 2002
"If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world."
Ari Fleischer
Press Briefing, Dec. 2, 2002
This is fun to read, in a morbid sort of way. It’s about half way down the page. You might want to bookmark this page for future reference; I did.
"Right now, Iraq is expanding and improving facilities that were used for the production of biological weapons."
George W. Bush
Speech to U.N. General Assembly, Sept. 12, 2002
"If he declares he has none, then we will know that Saddam Hussein is once again misleading the world."
Ari Fleischer
Press Briefing, Dec. 2, 2002
Two-thirds of Muslims consider leaving UK
Maybe that is what the Anglo Saxons wanted all along?
Hundreds of thousands of Muslims have thought about leaving Britain after the London bombings, according to a new Guardian/ICM poll.
The figure illustrates how widespread fears are of an anti-Muslim backlash following the July 7 bombings which were carried out by British born suicide bombers.
The poll also shows that tens of thousands of Muslims have suffered from increased Islamophobia, with one in five saying they or a family member have faced abuse or hostility since the attacks.
Police have recorded more than 1,200 suspected Islamophobic incidents across the country ranging from verbal abuse to one murder in the past three weeks. The poll suggests the headline figure is a large underestimate. (the Guardian)
Look at the bright side: Crime in NY subways is down 22.6%
Oh for gawd's sake, this is what graced the cover of the morning paper. Barely awake, my existential angst kicked in. 1984 1984 Police State Police State The man on the top has kind of sexy eyes in a Frida Kahlo sort of way, but I digress. What should I be afraid of today? Mayor Bloomberg of NYC said that we should beware of sweaty people using mass transit. Bwahahahaha. Arrest them all! The humidity is 95%. He must have never stood on a sweltering underground subway or train platform. It's not unusual to see homeless people wearing ALL their clothes at once even in the summer.According to Newsday:
In the days since a second round of bombs exploded in London last week, an informal survey conducted both above and below ground -- in subway stations and cars, as well as Long Island Rail Road platforms -- suggests that relatively few New Yorkers have seen anything that makes them suspicious or uncomfortable.That's because we've seen it all. We see it all everyday. This is New York! The most suspicious thing is all the police presence hanging around mass transit. Open zee bags or walk, you swines. Foreigners? Try to spend one minute here without hearing foreign accents. Dark skinned people? It's summer! What are we supposed to find unusual other than planes crashing into buildings? Unattended bags? hmmm. ok. Nice try.
There's a great account at Buzzflash of a NY man telling the baffled but pissed off cops at a subway station that they WILL NOT check his bags and he WILL still ride the subway.
The chubby cop caught my bait, "Is that right, you're going to get by all four of us?" "I will, and without much difficulty," I told them, just as easy as a terrorist would be able to do it. I continued, I will simply go upstairs and cross the street and enter on the other side where there are no cops standing around. And if tomorrow there are cops there, I will simply walk to the next station."In NYC, 5 British tourists were mistaken for terrorists (tourist-terrorist... kind of sounds the same), a lunch box in Brooklyn was mistaken for a bomb, New Yorkers were evacuated from their buildings due to a loud police water gun, A Grayline busdriver reported 5 "suspicious" men causing 100 armed cops to evacuate a bus. Hey! All this paranoia means the terrorists won, doesn't it? British police, of all people on earth are told to shoot to kill. Don't tell me that world leaders and terrorists aren't using Orwell's 1984 as their handbook.
Attention suicide bombers: Stay out of the sun, learn to speak with a Noo Yawk axxent, tweeze those eyebrows, wear short sleeves and find a subway station without cops.
I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so facetious, but this latest exercise in futility has gotten my blonde dander up. If all our fighter planes, all our "intelligence", the PDB that declared OBL was determined to strike in the US, all the air traffic controllers and all the cameras in airports couldn't prevent 9/11, I seriously doubt that bag checks in subways, plus all the media coverage of said bag checks, will prevent a terrorist attack. If terrible pilots could crash commercial airplanes into buildings with such precision, then what's to stop a suicide bomber from finding another way into the subway system? The government blew it. The War on Terra™ sucks.
.
Fingers Crossed at NASA
As I write this, it’s about three hours before the shuttle liftoff and I’m edgy about it. Never having been a space geek I have no desire to ever ride inside a shuttle and especially not this one. The Palm Beach Post says there is one chance in a hundred that something will go wrong. Not the kind of odds that I like. The Kennedy Space Center is an hour and a half drive from my backyard. On a clear day you can see the shuttle about three minutes after liftoff and for quite some time before it disappears into the heavens. I’ll be out in the yard with the binoculars this morning and I hope I don’t see anything more spectacular than usual.
To me this flight is like getting in your car prepared for a long trip across the desert. You notice your oil light is on so you pull into the dealership and ask them to check the oil and the light. The mechanic tells you that it’s just a malfunctioning light and you are good to go. Would you venture to drive across the desert in this car? In my opinion that’s the way this shuttle is today except if something does go wrong you can’t just stop and wait for help.
The reports we have heard from NASA make it sound like the shuttle has been duct taped and bungee corded up for this flight. Remember before the last planned attempt some pieces fell off the shuttle as it was sitting still on the pad? I don’t think that’s reassuring. Then there is the problem of the stubborn little fuel sensor light. Nope, I don’t believe Florida has a lemon law that covers the shuttle so let’s all hope if there is a problem that the astronauts have a heavenly parachute. Most of all let’s hope that this mission comes off without a single hitch. The folks at NASA say they, “have their fingers crossed”. Is that for luck or is that for when they tell us the shuttle is good to go? Neither makes me feel good about this.
To me this flight is like getting in your car prepared for a long trip across the desert. You notice your oil light is on so you pull into the dealership and ask them to check the oil and the light. The mechanic tells you that it’s just a malfunctioning light and you are good to go. Would you venture to drive across the desert in this car? In my opinion that’s the way this shuttle is today except if something does go wrong you can’t just stop and wait for help.
The reports we have heard from NASA make it sound like the shuttle has been duct taped and bungee corded up for this flight. Remember before the last planned attempt some pieces fell off the shuttle as it was sitting still on the pad? I don’t think that’s reassuring. Then there is the problem of the stubborn little fuel sensor light. Nope, I don’t believe Florida has a lemon law that covers the shuttle so let’s all hope if there is a problem that the astronauts have a heavenly parachute. Most of all let’s hope that this mission comes off without a single hitch. The folks at NASA say they, “have their fingers crossed”. Is that for luck or is that for when they tell us the shuttle is good to go? Neither makes me feel good about this.
This is probably a repost, but what the hell...
I'm probably going to piss off the resident christians around here, but sometimes this kind of thing needs to be said.
Bobo's World keeps a running tally of the crimes of church-related crimes, the large majority being against children, and a few education-related crimes (against children), to boot.
It'll probably nauseate the hell out of you, but reality does that sometimes.
Now, back to the Kudzu Rove Adventures!
Bobo's World keeps a running tally of the crimes of church-related crimes, the large majority being against children, and a few education-related crimes (against children), to boot.
It'll probably nauseate the hell out of you, but reality does that sometimes.
Now, back to the Kudzu Rove Adventures!
Monday, July 25
In smaller news...
Bill Clinton Launches HIV/AIDS Program
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) -- Former President Bill Clinton launched a program Saturday that will nearly double the number of children receiving treatment for HIV infection in Kenya by the end of the year.
Some 100,000 children are infected with HIV, but only 1,200 receive treatment. The Clinton Foundation's Pediatric HIV/AIDS Initiative will provide treatment to an additional 1,000 children in this East African nation.
Say what you will of Bill's bad taste in paramours, not to mention his oft-rumoured "techniques" --- it made me very glad to see this article in Sunday's paper. Maybe now he's trying the Jimmy Carter approach --- embarrassing the living shit out of the current administration by quietly, deliberately setting about a life of good works. I'm not going to say that Bill Clinton has the huge heart or the altruism of Jimmy Carter, but at least it's a step in the right direction.
In crappier news:
Judge Rejects American Indian's Appeal
FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- A judge has rejected an appeal by imprisoned American Indian activist Leonard Peltier, who argued the U.S. government had no right to try him for crimes that occurred on a South Dakota reservation.
Peltier, 60, is serving a life sentence for killing two FBI agents during a 1975 standoff on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. He was convicted in 1977 and has filed numerous appeals.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Much Unresolved After 1975 S.D. Shooting
Before President Clinton left office in January 2001, he considered granting Peltier clemency. Among those who urged Clinton to keep Peltier behind bars: then-FBI Director Louis Freeh, former U.S. Sen. Tom Daschle and former Gov. Bill Janklow, who flew to Washington and had a lengthy meeting with Clinton at the White House.
In April, a federal judge in St. Paul, Minn., admonished the FBI for withholding documents on Peltier's case but denied a request by Peltier's lawyers for quicker access to information used to convict him.
I don't think that we will ever know the whole truth about the AIM standoff at Pine Ridge, especially why the FBI was on sovereign territory in the first place. The truth probably died with a long time ago, but maybe we could get a bit more of it by freeing Leonard Peltier. And I am still pissed that Clinton dismissed any concern over this case, as well as having viewed both documentaries about the West Memphis (Arkansas) Three and having done NOTHING to pursue actual JUSTICE in either case. www.wm3.org
Excellent books on the subject:
- "In The Spirit Of Crazy Horse" by Peter Matthiessen
- "Prison Writings: My Life Is Sun Dance," by Leonard Peltier, Harvey Arden, Chief Arvol Looking Horse, and Ramsey Clark
I wanted to also include a link to the Public Library of Science article/study about cats & the genes that determine how mammals taste & smell ("Cats don't like sweets because they're missing the gene,") since my two heathens can dispute those findings in under 15 minutes. All it takes is one bag of Oreos. (and yes, I know that chocolate is dangerous for small mammals, but the little thieves STOLE my Oreos and destroyed the whole bag!)
Couldn't find the link through AP or PLOS, but I did find this tidbit:
How Linux Could Overthrow Microsoft... heh heh heh...
Remember?
If you were ever a member of the Federalist Society, would you remember it?
Well, according to what they’re saying on CNN, The white house says that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts can't remember if he was ever a member or not.
Shoot, I remember being a member of the National Honor Society in high school and that was longer ago than 1998. If Judge Roberts’ memory is this bad, perhaps he shouldn’t be confirmed.
Well, according to what they’re saying on CNN, The white house says that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts can't remember if he was ever a member or not.
Shoot, I remember being a member of the National Honor Society in high school and that was longer ago than 1998. If Judge Roberts’ memory is this bad, perhaps he shouldn’t be confirmed.
Will the Republicans just sit there?
What kind of man is Gonzalez? He decided to wait to see if there'd be a criminal investigation of the Plame leak. Hey, no sense in trying to find out who leaked unless he already knew or he was trying to cover something up. Frank Rich's story in the NY Times claim that Gonzalez waited 12 hours before notifying the WH staff (except Andy Card) of the criminal investigation.
Today at 4:30 26 Democratic Senators will hold a Press Conference urging congress to investigate the role of Alberto Gonzalez. (Raw Story)
Today at 4:30 26 Democratic Senators will hold a Press Conference urging congress to investigate the role of Alberto Gonzalez. (Raw Story)
A Way Out of Iraq, but No Takers in DC
Do they really want out of Iraq? Do they really want to end the blood shed? Why not?
From TomPaine.com link:
"Currently, Sammarae, an engineer and CEO of KCI Engineering Consultants, heads the National Assembly for the Unity and Reconstruction of Iraq, an organization of Iraqis seeking to prevent the breakup of the Iraqi state and to find a nonsectarian solution for Iraq’s divisive politics.
"Sammarae delivered an astonishing speech and then spoke to me afterward, making it clear that if the United States wants to negotiate a political solution in Iraq, it could do so with an opposition that is neither faceless, nor invisible, nor disorganized. When I asked him about the reception he received from the U.S. government, he smiled, and said, “It was mixed. It depends on who you talk to.” Behind the scenes, other sources say that there are people in the State Department and elsewhere in the U.S. government who are thinking hard about an exit strategy in Iraq and who might be receptive to Sammarae’s ideas. Others, predictably at the Pentagon and in the White House, vociferously oppose anything other than the stay-the-course view espoused by President Bush".
Please, please read the rest following the link above.
From TomPaine.com link:
"Currently, Sammarae, an engineer and CEO of KCI Engineering Consultants, heads the National Assembly for the Unity and Reconstruction of Iraq, an organization of Iraqis seeking to prevent the breakup of the Iraqi state and to find a nonsectarian solution for Iraq’s divisive politics.
"Sammarae delivered an astonishing speech and then spoke to me afterward, making it clear that if the United States wants to negotiate a political solution in Iraq, it could do so with an opposition that is neither faceless, nor invisible, nor disorganized. When I asked him about the reception he received from the U.S. government, he smiled, and said, “It was mixed. It depends on who you talk to.” Behind the scenes, other sources say that there are people in the State Department and elsewhere in the U.S. government who are thinking hard about an exit strategy in Iraq and who might be receptive to Sammarae’s ideas. Others, predictably at the Pentagon and in the White House, vociferously oppose anything other than the stay-the-course view espoused by President Bush".
Please, please read the rest following the link above.
If You Put the Right’s Spin Together, Here’s What You Hear
There’s this desk jockey who works at the CIA. We know she’s nothing more than a desk jockey because she drives from her home to where she works everyday. Everyone knows that CIA undercover agents get to work some other sneaky shadowy way, perhaps underground or something. One day she and her husband schemed to send her husband to Africa so that he could come back and falsely report that Iraq had not tried to buy yellow cake uranium from Niger, even though Iraq never did. Anyway, they planned this scheme so that they could expose the report and try to make the president and his administration look like lying crooks for getting America to support the invasion of Iraq. Now, here’s the good part. A reporter/journalist magically acquired the information about the desk jockey’s job description and called the white house to report this. This reporter said, hey, the wife of this crooked guy who reported about no attempt by Iraq to purchase yellow cake uranium from Niger, even though there was no attempt, is a pencil pusher, desk jockey who drives from her house to work everyday. Then more magically, for some reason several reporters just happen to call the white house and ask about the job description of this desk jockey. They ask if it’s true and the white house says, I heard something about it. When the liberal media wouldn’t reveal the identity of the pencil pusher a good Republican journalist steps up to the plate and put the story out for all to see. He said the wife of the lying bastard who exposed the reasons why our president should be impeached for lying to the world is, get ready, a desk jockey. So everyone relaxes, knowing that anything the husband of a desk jockey says or does must be unreliable. Obviously he can’t be trusted if he’s married to a pencil pusher. He obviously lied when he said no attempt was ever made by Iraq to buy yellow cake uranium from Niger, even though there never was.
Now somewhere along the way all hell broke loose, but we’re not sure where or why. But all of a sudden the pansy Democrats began whining that the pencil pusher was a CIA agent and that her husband is not a lying, treasonous, son of a bitch. They say that they see evidence that someone like Karl Rove, who is famous for hitting below the belt, has hit someone below the belt. They say he told reporters/journalists about the desk jockey’s ID so that she would no longer be able to push her pencil. They are raising such hell you would think they had a case or something. Next thing you know a special prosecutor is involved and subpoenas are flying. They are accusing the Republicans of treason and gosh knows what else. They even go so far as to accuse our president of lying in order to begin this war that is going so well now. They say just because he was wrong about a few little details, that the US never should have invaded Iraq. Instead of allowing everyone, even the president, a little mistake or something, they call him a liar. They claim that someone in the white house was so mad about the report that Iraq never attempted to purchase yellow cake uranium, even though it never did, that this angry person exposed the pencil pusher because she was, get this, a CIA agent. They say that her cover as an “agent” was blown in order to get even with her and her husband for that little scheme they cooked up to expose the big scheme the white house was cooking up. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reporter who called the white house to give them information on the pencil pusher’s job description did so because it said so much about the kind of person a pencil pusher’s husband can be. What other reason could there be? And, why would Rove want to leak her job description? Why would he or anyone go to so much trouble just to out a pencil pushing desk jockey, and why?
Now somewhere along the way all hell broke loose, but we’re not sure where or why. But all of a sudden the pansy Democrats began whining that the pencil pusher was a CIA agent and that her husband is not a lying, treasonous, son of a bitch. They say that they see evidence that someone like Karl Rove, who is famous for hitting below the belt, has hit someone below the belt. They say he told reporters/journalists about the desk jockey’s ID so that she would no longer be able to push her pencil. They are raising such hell you would think they had a case or something. Next thing you know a special prosecutor is involved and subpoenas are flying. They are accusing the Republicans of treason and gosh knows what else. They even go so far as to accuse our president of lying in order to begin this war that is going so well now. They say just because he was wrong about a few little details, that the US never should have invaded Iraq. Instead of allowing everyone, even the president, a little mistake or something, they call him a liar. They claim that someone in the white house was so mad about the report that Iraq never attempted to purchase yellow cake uranium, even though it never did, that this angry person exposed the pencil pusher because she was, get this, a CIA agent. They say that her cover as an “agent” was blown in order to get even with her and her husband for that little scheme they cooked up to expose the big scheme the white house was cooking up. Nothing could be further from the truth. The reporter who called the white house to give them information on the pencil pusher’s job description did so because it said so much about the kind of person a pencil pusher’s husband can be. What other reason could there be? And, why would Rove want to leak her job description? Why would he or anyone go to so much trouble just to out a pencil pushing desk jockey, and why?
Sunday, July 24
The Many Names of Death
Death on 9-11, victim of terrorist
Death of civilian in Iraq/Afghanistan war, collateral damage
Death of civilian in Iraq/Afghanistan war killed by those fighting against US, tragedy
Death of soldier, hero
Death on July 7, in London, victim of terrorist
Death of innocent man shot in London, example
So many people have died and the world gives them so many names, but no matter what they call them, they are all equally dead.
Death of civilian in Iraq/Afghanistan war, collateral damage
Death of civilian in Iraq/Afghanistan war killed by those fighting against US, tragedy
Death of soldier, hero
Death on July 7, in London, victim of terrorist
Death of innocent man shot in London, example
So many people have died and the world gives them so many names, but no matter what they call them, they are all equally dead.
My first Blondesense post
Dumbass Of The Week:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/tribettmug1.html
Meanwhile, in Opposite-World...
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0721053bush1.html
This teacher was allegedly fired for having a mini-shrine to Dumbya in her classroom. Of course, this was in NEW YORK STATE, far, far away from the redneck hellhole where I currently hang my hat.
And the reason that this is "opposite world" is --- anywhere else in the country right now, this teacher would make tenure for this shit.
For those of you who missed the little drama last year between myself and the local junior-high principal, I was blackballed from the parish ("county") schools as a substitute teacher for being an atheist. And he didn't even have the gonads to say it to my face.
Since this is Blondesense's front page, I'm leaving out my real descriptions of that "principal" --- but you can imagine the color commentary.
And yes, I'd give both of my bosoms to have been a sub in Nassau County, NY. A "drama & communications" degree isn't worth a whole lot more than subbing in Louisiana, so I dunno, maybe in another state, it might actually warrant a "real job."
But that's my hissy-fit for the day. Enjoy!
(P.S.: When & if I can get outta this parish, yes, I fully intend to call in the ACLU on that jackass.)
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots/tribettmug1.html
Meanwhile, in Opposite-World...
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0721053bush1.html
This teacher was allegedly fired for having a mini-shrine to Dumbya in her classroom. Of course, this was in NEW YORK STATE, far, far away from the redneck hellhole where I currently hang my hat.
And the reason that this is "opposite world" is --- anywhere else in the country right now, this teacher would make tenure for this shit.
For those of you who missed the little drama last year between myself and the local junior-high principal, I was blackballed from the parish ("county") schools as a substitute teacher for being an atheist. And he didn't even have the gonads to say it to my face.
Since this is Blondesense's front page, I'm leaving out my real descriptions of that "principal" --- but you can imagine the color commentary.
And yes, I'd give both of my bosoms to have been a sub in Nassau County, NY. A "drama & communications" degree isn't worth a whole lot more than subbing in Louisiana, so I dunno, maybe in another state, it might actually warrant a "real job."
But that's my hissy-fit for the day. Enjoy!
(P.S.: When & if I can get outta this parish, yes, I fully intend to call in the ACLU on that jackass.)
Abu Ghraib Revisited
The women were passing messages saying ‘Please come and kill me, because of what's happened.’
Yeah, I'm sure you were waiting breathlessly for the rest of the pictures from Abu Ghraib's college pranks but the gubmint decided to withhold the pictures afterall. The description of what was withheld is making me ill.
"’The American public needs to understand we're talking about rape and murder here. We're not just talking about giving people a humiliating experience,’ Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina told reporters...
“A report by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba on the abuse at the prison outside Baghdad says videotapes and photographs show naked detainees, and that groups of men were forced to masturbate while being photographed and videotaped. Taguba also found evidence of a ‘male MP guard having sex with a female detainee.’
“Rumsfeld told Congress the unrevealed photos and videos contain acts 'that can only be described as blatantly sadistic, cruel and inhuman.’”
The military later screened some of the images for lawmakers, who said they showed, among other things, attack dogs snarling at cowed prisoners, Iraqi women forced to expose their breasts, and naked prisoners forced to have sex with each other.
In the same period, reporter Seymour Hersh, who helped uncover the scandal, said in a speech before an ACLU convention: “Some of the worse that happened that you don't know about, ok? Videos, there are women there. Some of you may have read they were passing letters, communications out to their men….The women were passing messages saying ‘Please come and kill me, because of what's happened.’
“Basically what happened is that those women who were arrested with young boys/children in cases that have been recorded. The boys were sodomized with the cameras rolling. The worst about all of them is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking that your government has. They are in total terror it's going to come out."
The Week in 9/11
* Columnist Leonard Pitts Jr opines that 9/11 brought an upsurge in yahooism. This is not news, but it's in the paper.
* Mindy Kleinberg, whose husband was killed in the north tower on 9/11 has yet to have her very important questions regarding the lack of military air intervention answered.
* A local congressman here on LI, Peter King has been drunk on Jim Jones' koolaid for sometime now.
* Lee Hamilton of the 9/11 Commission says:
elected running this country to hell and beyond. But that's just my opinion and what do I know?
Stay vigilant. Watch your leaders closely.
* Mindy Kleinberg, whose husband was killed in the north tower on 9/11 has yet to have her very important questions regarding the lack of military air intervention answered.
* A local congressman here on LI, Peter King has been drunk on Jim Jones' koolaid for sometime now.
"The vulnerabilities inherent in a free society were exploited by people who came here, have a hatred for our freedom and a hatred for anyone whom they declare to be an infidel," King said.Hope he moves to a red state after he loses the election next year. He's being watched carefully by voters.
"We need all of the tools the Patriot Act provides to preempt terrorist attacks on us in this country. Those tools so far have been a major part of the reason why we have not been attacked again."
* Lee Hamilton of the 9/11 Commission says:
"We still do not have a single watch list (for terrorist suspects) ... that law enforcement can check on. That's been years that we've been working on it."Something is very very wrong and many have noticed since that tragic day in Sept, 2001 that some (or all) of the villians behind it all are white American men who were
"There must be "even greater urgency in implementing the recommendations. The Congress has not made the changes to enable it to have very robust oversight of the intelligence community." "We still don't have a law on the books to permit the first responders to talk to one another" when they get to the scene of an attack, Hamilton said.
Stay vigilant. Watch your leaders closely.
Holy Shit, It's 1984 Batman!
From Newsday this morning regarding the cold blooded murder of an innocent Brazilian man who had permission to work in England for the past 3 years:
Oh and Long Island is gearing up to become a police state too in Foot soldiers to safeguard Long Island:
This still begs the question for the London police... if a terrorist has a bomb strapped to his body, what makes you think that the bomb won't explode if you riddle him with bullets to his body? Wouldn't it be prudent to shoot would-be terrorists in the head, if in fact you were trying thwart a subway attack? Just asking.
.
PS. The story was updated and according to my readers, the man was shot in the head, not the body. But still... what if they missed? And how many times do you have to shoot someone in the head?
Um. Stay out of London, folks.
Menezes' family was Roman Catholic. When asked if he had become Muslim in Britain, Agostino Ferreira Rosa, a policeman in Gonzaga said: "According to his family, he had nothing to do with Muslims or Islamism. He was Catholic."
"There was no reason to think he was a terrorist," Menezes' grandmother, Zilda Ambrosia de Figueiredo, told the Globo TV late Saturday. "He was very easygoing and very communicative with everybody. It's terrible what they have done to him."
Mayor Ken Livingstone said the killing was a "human tragedy" that was a consequence of the attacks.
"The police acted to do what they believed necessary to protect the lives of the public," he said. "This tragedy has added another victim to the toll of deaths for which the terrorists bear responsibility."
Livingstone drew a hard line before the mistake became clear, declaring that anyone believed to be a suicide bomber faced a "shoot-to-kill policy."
Oh and Long Island is gearing up to become a police state too in Foot soldiers to safeguard Long Island:
"If everybody does their bit to be vigilant and report suspicious activities, then they become part of the mosaic contributing to making the whole nation safe," said Nassau Assistant Police Chief Anthony Rocco. "Homeland security is hometown security." ...This sooooo totally sucks. Sure I won't be mistaken for a Muslim terrorist but there are an awful lot of middle easterners living here whom I know, love and respect. Not to mention NY City denizens are under surveillance as well. Don't ride the subway if you don't want anyone to search your bags:
...
"It's based on people acting or looking differently and that definitely includes race," Feuer said, arguing that Arabs and people of the Muslim faith are more likely to be singled out by Operation Safeguard, given that the terrorists who attacked New York and Washington, D.C., on Sept. 11, 2001, came from the Middle East.
For Kevin McCoy, chairman of the Suffolk County Library Associations's intellectual freedom committee, Operation Safeguard presents a stark choice.
"They are asking us to spy on our patrons," he said "It's sweeping. You no longer look at people as patrons but you're looking at everyone as potential criminals."
Do they mean to tell us that no one thought about the mass underground rails in NYC after 9/11? I can assure them that each and every person I know was terrified to ride a train through a NYC tunnel after 9/11, including moi.
Officers, some with bomb-sniffing dogs, will stop people carrying bags as they enter subways, buses and ferries at various points in the city, police said. Anyone who refuses a search will be turned away, and those caught carrying drugs or other contraband could be arrested.
Police officials said they had considered taking the measure to thwart bombings for the past three years. Two terrorist attacks on transit targets in London forced their hand, said Paul Browne, the police department's chief spokesman.
Browne called it "the first time this regimen has been used in (New York's) transit system."
This still begs the question for the London police... if a terrorist has a bomb strapped to his body, what makes you think that the bomb won't explode if you riddle him with bullets to his body? Wouldn't it be prudent to shoot would-be terrorists in the head, if in fact you were trying thwart a subway attack? Just asking.
.
PS. The story was updated and according to my readers, the man was shot in the head, not the body. But still... what if they missed? And how many times do you have to shoot someone in the head?
Saturday, July 23
MCKINNEY REOPENS 9/11
Conspiracy theories implicating president aired at 8-hour hearing
By BOB KEMPER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 07/23/05
Washington — "Revisiting the issue that helped spur her ouster from Congress three years ago, Rep. Cynthia McKinney led a Capitol Hill hearing Friday on whether the Bush administration was involved in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
"The eight-hour hearing, timed to mark the first anniversary of the release of the Sept. 11 commission's report on the attacks, drew dozens of contrarians and conspiracy theorists who suggest President Bush purposely ignored warnings or may even have had a hand in the attack — claims participants said the commission ignored.
You can read the rest in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
(Some registration might be required.)
Dealing In Shit
A Turd Blossom is manure flower. What a fitting description for that man who fell in love with Bush decades ago and eventually pushed his substance abused but supposedly charismatic ass into political life regardless of his qualifications. Rove's initial impression of Bush: "Huge amounts of charisma, swagger, cowboy boots, flight jacket, wonderful smile, just charisma—you know, wow."
I have wrongly remarked in the past that Karl Rove was a marketing genius when in fact it is not marketing but manure that Rove uses to achieve his goals. There is a fine line between marketing genius and manure spreader. Being adept at destroying your competition by spreading vicious lies, dirty rumors and hurting people is not marketing at all. It's the M.O. of a bully, a shit slinger, an all around terrible guy. Turd Blossom honed these skills in college. Lee Atwater, a master ruiner of political ambitions and former Rove mentor actually apologized on his death bed for all the damage he caused. But Atwater didn't create Bush Sr the way Rove took his loser son and made him president. Rove branded George McGovern, a decorated WWII veteran as a "Left wing peacenik" in 1972. The Turd destroyed McCain's chances in 2000 by a dirty campaign which made McCain appear to be an unstable POW survivor with a drug addicted wife and illegitimate black child. We won't soon forget how Kerry's fellow Swift Boat veterans turned against him. Bush who was AWOL in his stint in the TANG, had a drunk driving charge and a trail of failed corporations came out victorious.
If Rove had used legitimate marketing strategies in trying to achieve his agenda, he wouldn't have succeeded because you can't promote crap unless you shovel it on to your opponent. This isn't marketing at all. It's manure flinging. If you have nothing good to say about your product, you have no other choice than to destroy the competition. Rove chose to deal in shit for a living and he will drown in it one day.
.
PS. thanks to readers for all the corrections.
I have wrongly remarked in the past that Karl Rove was a marketing genius when in fact it is not marketing but manure that Rove uses to achieve his goals. There is a fine line between marketing genius and manure spreader. Being adept at destroying your competition by spreading vicious lies, dirty rumors and hurting people is not marketing at all. It's the M.O. of a bully, a shit slinger, an all around terrible guy. Turd Blossom honed these skills in college. Lee Atwater, a master ruiner of political ambitions and former Rove mentor actually apologized on his death bed for all the damage he caused. But Atwater didn't create Bush Sr the way Rove took his loser son and made him president. Rove branded George McGovern, a decorated WWII veteran as a "Left wing peacenik" in 1972. The Turd destroyed McCain's chances in 2000 by a dirty campaign which made McCain appear to be an unstable POW survivor with a drug addicted wife and illegitimate black child. We won't soon forget how Kerry's fellow Swift Boat veterans turned against him. Bush who was AWOL in his stint in the TANG, had a drunk driving charge and a trail of failed corporations came out victorious.
If Rove had used legitimate marketing strategies in trying to achieve his agenda, he wouldn't have succeeded because you can't promote crap unless you shovel it on to your opponent. This isn't marketing at all. It's manure flinging. If you have nothing good to say about your product, you have no other choice than to destroy the competition. Rove chose to deal in shit for a living and he will drown in it one day.
.
PS. thanks to readers for all the corrections.
Reporting on the War Against Liars and Abusers (WALA)
"The White House on Thursday threatened to veto a massive Senate bill for $442 billion in next year's defense programs if it moves to regulate the Pentagon's treatment of detainees or sets up a commission to investigate operations at Guantanamo Bay prison and elsewhere.
"The Bush administration, under fire for the indefinite detention of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and questions over whether its policies led to horrendous abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, put lawmakers on notice it did not want them legislating on the matter.
"In a statement, the White House said such amendments would "interfere with the protection of Americans from terrorism by diverting resources from the war."
"If legislation is presented that would restrict the president's authority to protect Americans effectively from terrorist attack and bring terrorists to justice," the bill could be vetoed, the statement said".
This is where you yell at the top of your lungs, Bull Shit! Do it again. Feels good, doesn’t it?
Please read the rest of the article here at Yahoo News.
I think that tells you about the heart of this administration. Yes, they have a heart it just works to pump blood through their bodies, it has no other function.
This threat isn’t aimed at just Democratic Senators; there are some Republican Senators with ideas of their own. This whole thing is so mean and so nasty and so dictatorial that it should scare the freakin’ breath right out of you.
From another front in the War Against Liars and Abusers, check out Rove Gate, Who Leaked to the Leakers? (Subtitle: This Isn't About Karl Rove by Justin Raimondo.)
This sheds a different light on the investigation and it’s very interesting.
"The Bush administration, under fire for the indefinite detention of enemy combatants at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba and questions over whether its policies led to horrendous abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, put lawmakers on notice it did not want them legislating on the matter.
"In a statement, the White House said such amendments would "interfere with the protection of Americans from terrorism by diverting resources from the war."
"If legislation is presented that would restrict the president's authority to protect Americans effectively from terrorist attack and bring terrorists to justice," the bill could be vetoed, the statement said".
This is where you yell at the top of your lungs, Bull Shit! Do it again. Feels good, doesn’t it?
Please read the rest of the article here at Yahoo News.
I think that tells you about the heart of this administration. Yes, they have a heart it just works to pump blood through their bodies, it has no other function.
This threat isn’t aimed at just Democratic Senators; there are some Republican Senators with ideas of their own. This whole thing is so mean and so nasty and so dictatorial that it should scare the freakin’ breath right out of you.
From another front in the War Against Liars and Abusers, check out Rove Gate, Who Leaked to the Leakers? (Subtitle: This Isn't About Karl Rove by Justin Raimondo.)
This sheds a different light on the investigation and it’s very interesting.
it is always something
One of our Boston terriers died this past Tuesday. Pancreatitis,brittle diabetes, respiratory failure. There is this huge hole in our lives and we miss her. Her sister is confused. She was apparently not well for sometime, but Boston's don't complain, Zelda never whimpered, not once and by the time she had overt symptoms, she was not responding to treatment.
My Bar exam is next week. I am trying to prepare, focus, concentrate. I have written about our dog's death over at my personal rant-page, http://windingroad.typepad.com, but I haven't posted much here of late due to the Bar, the dog's decline and death, and the inability to keep all those plates spinning like that act on Ed Sullivan's show when I was a child. Life can sure play hell with your politics and politics can sure play hell with our lives. My thoughts about Rove, Libby, et. al. are probably no secret to BlondeSense's readers. Perhaps perjury indictments will come down next week. What a delicious turn of political fortunes. The nation will finally get a real lesson about the difference between civil and criminal perjury. The local news isn't discussing it in Houston. Our top story this week has been the conviction of a woman who cut off her ex-boyfriend's penis. Wow, thinks the television anchor, I get to say penis on live television.
Speaking of penises or is that peni, the President evidently thought that having penis is a requirement for the Supreme Court. He hopes to replace the first woman on the Court with another white, male, Anglo-Catholic, without a paper trail. Not that any of Bush's picks would make me jump up and say, "Those people who said you weren't qualified to be baseball commissioner or president were just wrong." Anyone he sent up to the Hill for hearings would not be my choice. And this guy ain't pro-choice. But, you knew that. Not that it was actually like discussed or anything. Bush actually asked in his interview of Judge (for two years)Roberts how often he exercises. Is that like the new pick up line? I remember when it was, have you read any good books lately?
Even with the distractions of life and politics, I am trying to get that law license next week. I keep telling myself if John Mitchell passed the Bar, so can I. I can't say how important our week's lessons have been from the life of our dog: Love fiercely; don't take any single walk with your friends for granted; be determined to be yourself; live fully; run with your pack; loyalty, devotion, love are true comforts in this seriously fucked up world.
My Bar exam is next week. I am trying to prepare, focus, concentrate. I have written about our dog's death over at my personal rant-page, http://windingroad.typepad.com, but I haven't posted much here of late due to the Bar, the dog's decline and death, and the inability to keep all those plates spinning like that act on Ed Sullivan's show when I was a child. Life can sure play hell with your politics and politics can sure play hell with our lives. My thoughts about Rove, Libby, et. al. are probably no secret to BlondeSense's readers. Perhaps perjury indictments will come down next week. What a delicious turn of political fortunes. The nation will finally get a real lesson about the difference between civil and criminal perjury. The local news isn't discussing it in Houston. Our top story this week has been the conviction of a woman who cut off her ex-boyfriend's penis. Wow, thinks the television anchor, I get to say penis on live television.
Speaking of penises or is that peni, the President evidently thought that having penis is a requirement for the Supreme Court. He hopes to replace the first woman on the Court with another white, male, Anglo-Catholic, without a paper trail. Not that any of Bush's picks would make me jump up and say, "Those people who said you weren't qualified to be baseball commissioner or president were just wrong." Anyone he sent up to the Hill for hearings would not be my choice. And this guy ain't pro-choice. But, you knew that. Not that it was actually like discussed or anything. Bush actually asked in his interview of Judge (for two years)Roberts how often he exercises. Is that like the new pick up line? I remember when it was, have you read any good books lately?
Even with the distractions of life and politics, I am trying to get that law license next week. I keep telling myself if John Mitchell passed the Bar, so can I. I can't say how important our week's lessons have been from the life of our dog: Love fiercely; don't take any single walk with your friends for granted; be determined to be yourself; live fully; run with your pack; loyalty, devotion, love are true comforts in this seriously fucked up world.
Friday, July 22
"Damned Disturbing"
"During more than seven hours of testimony this week, a Senate committee heard that Iraq is in a low-grade civil war, that there are no additional U.S. or allied troops to help and that Iraqi soldiers are far from ready to take over.
"From experts on the war in Iraq, senators heard that a new constitution could make things worse, and wouldn't quiet the insurgency.
"They heard that the oil industry is sabotaged for profit, not just politics, and that much of the billions of dollars spent on reconstruction so far have accomplished nothing.
"Discount half of what you said, it's still damn disturbing," Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., told the witnesses."
There’s more "Experts offer pessimistic outlooks on Iraq" at NBC Action News.
"From experts on the war in Iraq, senators heard that a new constitution could make things worse, and wouldn't quiet the insurgency.
"They heard that the oil industry is sabotaged for profit, not just politics, and that much of the billions of dollars spent on reconstruction so far have accomplished nothing.
"Discount half of what you said, it's still damn disturbing," Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., told the witnesses."
There’s more "Experts offer pessimistic outlooks on Iraq" at NBC Action News.
Happy Birthday Craig Crawford
Craig, I hope you enjoy those ribs your dad is cooking tonight just as much as I enjoy watching you when you’re on TV
We don’t always agree, but I always respect your point of view. Plus, you make me laugh with your dry sense of humor.
Have a Happy Birthday today and many more in the future.
You too can wish Craig a Happy Birthday by going to his site CrawfordsList
We don’t always agree, but I always respect your point of view. Plus, you make me laugh with your dry sense of humor.
Have a Happy Birthday today and many more in the future.
You too can wish Craig a Happy Birthday by going to his site CrawfordsList
Here we go again.
The sentence below appeared in the op-ed section of today's Daily Iowan:
"Are Iowa's Caucuses Worth Being First"?
"Above all, the Iowa caucuses put the candidates in the spotlight. It's a test. It might not be what the campaigns want, because extended media attention often leads to gaffes or loud, obnoxious shrieks (i.e., Howard Dean)."
So says Mark Simons, UI student.
Here is how I replied to the Daily Iowan:
"But of course, serious students of politics, journalism, and economics will realize that in the case cited, the media caused the "loud, obnoxious shriek" by manipulating the audio (from Truthout):
"Last year, a young cable news producer attended one of our twice-yearly Ethics Institutes at Washington and Lee University, in which students and journalists gather to discuss newsroom wrongdoing. He brought two clips.
"The first was the familiar pool footage of Dean in Iowa. The candidate filled the screen, no supporters were visible. Crowd noise was silenced by the microphone he held, which deadened ambient sounds. You saw only him and heard only his inexplicable screaming.
"The second clip was the same speech taped by a supporter on the floor of the hall. The difference was stunning. The place was packed. The noise was deafening. Dean was on the podium, but you couldn't hear him. The roar from his supporters was drowning him out.
"Dean was no longer scary, unhinged, volcanic, over the top. He was like the coach of a would-be championship NCAA football team at a pre-game rally, trying to be heard over a gym full of determined, wildly enthusiastic fans. I saw energy, not lunacy.
"The difference was context. As psychiatrist R.D. Laing once wrote: We see a woman on her knees, eyes closed, muttering to someone who isn't there. Of course, she's praying. But if we deny her that context, we naturally conclude she's insane.
"The Dean Scream footage that was repeatedly aired rests on a similar falsehood. It takes a man who in context was acting reasonably, and by stripping away that context transforms him into a lunatic.
"But that clip was aired an estimated 700 times on various cable and broadcast channels in the week after the Iowa caucus. The people who showed that clip are far more technically sophisticated than I and had to understand how tight visual framing and noise-suppression hardware can distort reality." (emph. PoLT)
"Dean scream" "media manipulation" yields 245 "hits" in Google Search. But this sounds like a conspiracy, doesn't it? Perish the thought! By the way, I would have phoned this message into the Daily Iowan's offices but I feared some of you wouldn't be able to hear me unless I was shrieking".
"Are Iowa's Caucuses Worth Being First"?
"Above all, the Iowa caucuses put the candidates in the spotlight. It's a test. It might not be what the campaigns want, because extended media attention often leads to gaffes or loud, obnoxious shrieks (i.e., Howard Dean)."
So says Mark Simons, UI student.
Here is how I replied to the Daily Iowan:
"But of course, serious students of politics, journalism, and economics will realize that in the case cited, the media caused the "loud, obnoxious shriek" by manipulating the audio (from Truthout):
"Last year, a young cable news producer attended one of our twice-yearly Ethics Institutes at Washington and Lee University, in which students and journalists gather to discuss newsroom wrongdoing. He brought two clips.
"The first was the familiar pool footage of Dean in Iowa. The candidate filled the screen, no supporters were visible. Crowd noise was silenced by the microphone he held, which deadened ambient sounds. You saw only him and heard only his inexplicable screaming.
"The second clip was the same speech taped by a supporter on the floor of the hall. The difference was stunning. The place was packed. The noise was deafening. Dean was on the podium, but you couldn't hear him. The roar from his supporters was drowning him out.
"Dean was no longer scary, unhinged, volcanic, over the top. He was like the coach of a would-be championship NCAA football team at a pre-game rally, trying to be heard over a gym full of determined, wildly enthusiastic fans. I saw energy, not lunacy.
"The difference was context. As psychiatrist R.D. Laing once wrote: We see a woman on her knees, eyes closed, muttering to someone who isn't there. Of course, she's praying. But if we deny her that context, we naturally conclude she's insane.
"The Dean Scream footage that was repeatedly aired rests on a similar falsehood. It takes a man who in context was acting reasonably, and by stripping away that context transforms him into a lunatic.
"But that clip was aired an estimated 700 times on various cable and broadcast channels in the week after the Iowa caucus. The people who showed that clip are far more technically sophisticated than I and had to understand how tight visual framing and noise-suppression hardware can distort reality." (emph. PoLT)
"Dean scream" "media manipulation" yields 245 "hits" in Google Search. But this sounds like a conspiracy, doesn't it? Perish the thought! By the way, I would have phoned this message into the Daily Iowan's offices but I feared some of you wouldn't be able to hear me unless I was shrieking".
Drinking the Kool-Aid, Summer of 2004
Middle East Policy Council Journal
If you read it then, please read it again.
If you haven’t read it, please take the time to read it soon.
Just about all that’s needed to know is in this article. This should be the bible of why we’re in the mess that we find ourselves in today.
The author, W. Patrick Lang, was on the panel today at the hearing regarding Public Disclosure of Covert Agents.
Col. Lang is president of Global Resources, Inc. and former defense intelligence officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
If you read it then, please read it again.
If you haven’t read it, please take the time to read it soon.
Just about all that’s needed to know is in this article. This should be the bible of why we’re in the mess that we find ourselves in today.
The author, W. Patrick Lang, was on the panel today at the hearing regarding Public Disclosure of Covert Agents.
Col. Lang is president of Global Resources, Inc. and former defense intelligence officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).
Trapped Soldiers Need Help!
“My son in law in Iraq said they are being pressured round the clock to re-enlist or face stop loss. They are being offering $30,000 tax free signing bonus, and told if they don't re-enlist they are going to be Stop Lossed and get zero dollars. They are pushing the troops round the clock to re-enlist. Mark got only three hours sleep in 48 hours but when he got back he was again faced with re-enlisting. Mark said many guys are scared and are signing up, and their families at home are very upset -- for good reason. We really need to push our media and congressmen to expose the horrible way our troops are being treated.”
-Lisa Gill-
Son-in-law in Iraq
"March 05, it was time for both to make the decision to re-enlist. Already under orders to redeploy and already under Stop-Loss, their choices were 1) don't re-enlist but wind up in Iraq anyway under Stop-Loss and 2) re-enlist; while you'll still wind up in Iraq under, at least you'll have the attractive bonus being offered.
"The point is that the 'high retention' rate that is being touted as demonstrative of a soldier's fervor and good faith in the war is another deception being foisted on the media and public. Closer to the truth is that they are in and they cannot get out. It is entrapment from the front end with deceptive recruitment practices, again at re-enlistment time with the threat of deployment to Iraq under Stop Loss, and again when their contract ends and they are kept in and deployed via Stop Loss. What continues to be called an 'all voluntary military' has become an 'involuntary military' through the use strategies of deception and legal maneuvering for which there seems to be no remedy for Stop Loss."
-Lietta Ruger-
Family with two Iraq veterans; second deployments
Intervention Magazine (LINK)
Cindy Sheehan also has something to say in the article.
-Lisa Gill-
Son-in-law in Iraq
"March 05, it was time for both to make the decision to re-enlist. Already under orders to redeploy and already under Stop-Loss, their choices were 1) don't re-enlist but wind up in Iraq anyway under Stop-Loss and 2) re-enlist; while you'll still wind up in Iraq under, at least you'll have the attractive bonus being offered.
"The point is that the 'high retention' rate that is being touted as demonstrative of a soldier's fervor and good faith in the war is another deception being foisted on the media and public. Closer to the truth is that they are in and they cannot get out. It is entrapment from the front end with deceptive recruitment practices, again at re-enlistment time with the threat of deployment to Iraq under Stop Loss, and again when their contract ends and they are kept in and deployed via Stop Loss. What continues to be called an 'all voluntary military' has become an 'involuntary military' through the use strategies of deception and legal maneuvering for which there seems to be no remedy for Stop Loss."
-Lietta Ruger-
Family with two Iraq veterans; second deployments
Intervention Magazine (LINK)
Cindy Sheehan also has something to say in the article.
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