Baker To Bush: Game Over

From TomPaine

Wow - I'm impressed! The Iraq study group didn't take long at all, did they!!

Feds Rate Travelers for Terrorism

Without notifying the public, federal agents for the past four years have assigned millions of international travelers, including Americans, computer-generated scores rating the risk they pose of being terrorists or criminals.

Hawking: Humans Must Colonize Other Planets

Oh I absolutely agree. Can we leave the bushistas on earth though?

Hawking figures that our species could be wiped out by an asteroid or a nuclear war, so we should set up colonies on other planets. We obviously can't travel to another solar system by conventional methods, so don't pack your bags just yet.

We could get elsewhere "by using "matter/antimatter annihilation", velocities just below the speed of light could be reached, making it possible to reach the next star in about six years."

CDC polonium 210 update

For those of you who have any questions or concerns about the radiation poisoning of the Russian spy in the UK. Here is the update that the CDC has sent out to healthcare professionals:


What is Polonium 210?
Po-210 is a radioactive material that occurs naturally at very low concentrations in the environment; although it can be produced in university or government nuclear reactors, it requires expertise to do so. The exposures to this radionuclide in London represent a very rare event. Po-210 emits alpha particles, which carry high amounts of energy that can damage or destroy genetic material in cells inside the body. Po-210 is a particularly energetic radionuclide, giving off 5,000 times more alpha particles than does the same amount of radium. Po-210 is used in some industrial applications such as static eliminators, which are devices designed to eliminate static electricity in processes such as paper rolling, manufacturing sheet plastics, and spinning synthetic fibers.


Is Po-210 harmful to humans?
Po-210 is a radiation hazard only if it is taken into the body through breathing or eating or by entering a wound. This "internal contamination" can cause irradiation of internal organs, which can result in serious medical symptoms or death. Po-210 is not an external hazard to the body-neither polonium nor its radiation will penetrate intact skin or membranes. Most external traces of it can be removed through careful washing. For more information about contamination and irradiation (exposure), see CDC’s fact sheet "Radiological Contamination and Radiation Exposure"


Are other people at risk if they come into close contact with a contaminated person?
People will not be exposed to radiation (irradiated) simply by being near a person who is internally contaminated with Po-210. Health care workers who are providing care for a contaminated patient will not be exposed to Po-210 unless they inhale or ingest contaminated bodily fluids. Normal hygiene practices in hospitals for microbial contamination will be sufficient to protect workers from radiological contamination. For more information on radiation protection for health care workers, see CDC’s "Radiological Terrorism: Tool Kit for Emergency Services Clinicians"


What should you do if you have concerns about possible exposure related to the London incident?
If you were an overseas visitor during early November 2006 and think you might have had contact with persons or locations involved in the London incident see

This is rich

U.S. to unveil new citizenship questions
Up until now, the people I know with the most knowledge of US history, the constitution, the brances of government and what they do, are the foreign born citizens. Now the US gubmint is going to make the questions harder and more in depth. They are going to delve into the civil war too. Hmm. Try to find a northerner who knows much about the civil war.

They are now going to ask them CIVICS QUESTIONS!
When are they going to teach civics to those born here? We wouldn't be in this freaking mess in the US with all this division if those born and bred here knew civics, for gawd's sake.

They ought to give these citizen tests to the goddamn elected officials and pundits! I'd like to see bush try to pass the old citizenship test.

UPDATE: Want to see how you'd do on a civics test? Try this.
hat tip to Father Tyme.

I have no idea how the clusterfuck will be resolved

Re Bush agrees to speedy turnover in Iraq

Bush finally met with al-Maliki (Shiite) but not with King Abdulla II of Jordan (Sunni) in their presence. This was not Bush's idea. As you know, al-Maliki is supported by the Mahdi Army headed by Al-Sadr (Shiite) and they are responsible for much of the "sectarian violence" also known as the civil war (if there ever was a definition of civil war).

The official quoted al-Maliki as telling Bush that controlling the group "is not a big problem and we will find a solution for it."

Yeah right. Yesterday al-Sadr's group resigned from the Iraqi parliament in protest of al-Maliki's visit in Jordan. That may be why al-Maliki didn't meet with with King of Jordan and Bush simultaneously. It also could be because the bushistas leaked a negative memo about al-Maliki's competence as a leader. (two-faced aren't they?)

Bush says, "Heck of a job, Maliki." Uh oh. You know what happens after that: Maliki finds a horse's head in his bed.

" I appreciate the courage you show during these difficult times as you lead your country," Bush told al-Maliki after nearly two and a half hours of talks. "He's the right guy for Iraq." It was their third face-to-face meeting since al-Maliki took power about six months ago.

"There is no problem," declared al-Maliki.

Bush has maintained recently that Iraq is a sovereign nation and is capable of fighting its own battles, yet we read that 20,000 more troops may be sent to Baghdad to quell the violence. It seems like it's too little too late, but what the hell do I know? We have no idea who is running the show. I hope bush isn't making these decisions.

Bush doesn't want to see Iran (Shiite) help Iraq either. But al-Maliki is open to help from neighboring countries. President Talabani from Iraq enlisted help from Iran the other day as you may recall. There is also the possibility that help may be sought by the U.S. from Saudi Arabia (Sunni). The bush administration wants Sunni help and Maliki wants Shiite help.

So there is still no exit date and bush vowed to stay the course in Iraq with no graceful exit until there is victory even though no one can explain what victory will look like.

Now comes the interesting part:
You know that bi-partisan commission that was set up to figure out this mess? They have a plan and it flies in the face of everything bush has said.

A bipartisan commission next week will unveil long-awaited recommendations for a new U.S. policy in Iraq that a published report said would call for a gradual pullback of U.S. troops there — without a timetable — and direct diplomacy with Iran and Syria.

Alrighty then. I suspect that something big is going to go down next week.

What would you do if you were Maliki? I discussed this with Billydoom last night and we would go into exile if we were Maliki. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Plea for help

Leola Kinchen works at Fred's discount store in Louisiana and is a friend of Anntichrist S Coulter. Leola suffers from Neurofibromatosis-1, a condition commonly known as "Elephant Man's disease," even though recent research has suggested that John Merrick suffered from a variety of other diseases.

Lee has been diagnosed with a brain tumor, which is part of her disease, and that this tumor is pressing down on 8 of the 15 major nerve branches in her brain, as well as causing blockages and constriction of most of her major blood vessels in her brain.

Due to even more complications, Lee cannot receive SSDI/SSI, Medicare & Medicaid, and food stamps, because of her "part-time" job at Fred's, which won't even provide her with a healthcare plan until next year. Lee may not live that long.

Annti is actively seeking someone who is a grant writer or who has ties to a corporation willing to help with financing Lee's hospitalization which will run well over $100,000.

Lee desperately needs your help and any contribution will be greatly appreciated. Checks can be sent to the address below.

Fund For Leola Kinchen
Bank Of St. Francisville
P.O. Drawer 818
St. Francisville, LA 70775

There is a pay pal button at the website Annti set up for Lee.
Please help spread the word about Lee.

You can read all about Lee at http://forleola.blogspot.com/

Douchebag of the Week?

UPDATE: Not only is Prager dumb, he is a liar. He made up the whole controversy about Keith Ellison wanting to be sworn in with his hand on a Koran. In addition, the swearing-in ceremony for the House of Representatives never includes a religious book.


Perhaps Dennis Prager of Townhall.com should be the main contender although there are so many others. Prager may have opened a can of worms that he will regret.

Check out America, Not Keith Ellison, decides what book a congressman takes his oath on
and do read the comments as well. I can't decide who is more ignorant over there. Here's the problem as seen by Prager:

Keith Ellison, D-Minn., the first Muslim elected to the United States Congress, has announced that he will not take his oath of office on the Bible, but on the bible of Islam, the Koran. He should not be allowed to do so -- not because of any American hostility to the Koran, but because the act undermines American civilization.

Our "civilization" went down the tubes when Americans decided that they'd rather vote for bush because he'd make a good drinking buddy. Maybe it's time to just do away with swearing on the bible since it's so divisive in a pluralistic society and it's not required by the constitution to swear on a bible. Personally, I never believed in swearing on a bible even when I was "religious". He goes on:

Devotees of multiculturalism and political correctness who do not see how damaging to the fabric of American civilization it is to allow Ellison to choose his own book need only imagine a racist elected to Congress. Would they allow him to choose Hitler's "Mein Kampf," the Nazis' bible, for his oath? And if not, why not? On what grounds will those defending Ellison's right to choose his favorite book deny that same right to a racist who is elected to public office?

First of all, the wingers are the political correctness devotees. Secondly, there ARE racists elected to public office and they are hypocrites who swear on the bible. Yes it sucks that there are racists holding public office, but if their constituents want a racist representative then they are entitled to have one and the rest of us are entitled to protest it. Mr Prager is entitled under the first amendment to suggest that swearing on the Koran may lead to a congresscritter to one day swear on Mein Kampf even if it's a ridiculous assertion. (It's also quite possible that some of our critters on capital hill do consider Mein Kampf their favorite book.)

Will you shop online?

I prefer to shop online. It's definitely more relaxing and less frustrating. A poll shows that NYers will spend the most of their holiday budget doing online shopping.

The poll showed that on average, $1,483 of a New Yorker's average holiday budget of $2,137 will be spent online. New Yorkers also had a significantly large lead; Orlando, Fla., came in second at an average of $645 spent online. Considering 58 percent of those polled said that they shop online to save time, it's not entirely surprising that New Yorkers came in first.

New Yorkers are always in a rush, you know. Isn't that what they say? When I travel around the country and see how darn slow things are everywhere else, I suppose that we look like we're in a rush. ;-) It doesn't look that way when you are here though. It just seems normal.

Here is another reason why NYers may shop online: The shipping costs can be cheaper than the sales tax we pay in NY which is almost 9%, thank you very much.

Lots of cooks in the kitchen now

UPDATE: al-Maliki did not meet with bush today. Bush didn't even find out about the cancellation until he arrived at the palace of of King Abdulla II in Jordan. Some say it is because of the memo below from the White House. The WH of course, denies it, so it must be true:

"Absolutely not," Bartlett said." He said the king and the prime minister had met before Bush arrived from a NATO summit in Latvia. "That negated the purpose to meet tonight together in a trilateral setting."

Some analysts say however the the memo leak might have been a good thing because it will show the distance between bush and al-Maliki to the Iraqi's.

Now on the other hand, "Radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's parliamentary bloc suspended its participation in the Iraqi government in protest at Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's meeting with the US president in Jordan." So that could be why al-Maliki hasn't met with bush. Hang in there. We'll see what happens.

-------------------
Bush will meet with al-Maliki in Jordon today to try to get him to step up security in his country.

But in a classified Nov. 8 memo following his Oct. 30 trip to Baghdad, Hadley expressed serious doubts about whether al-Maliki had the capacity to control the sectarian violence in Iraq, and recommended steps to strengthen the Iraqi leader's position, The New York Times reported in Wednesday editions.

"The reality on the streets of Baghdad suggests Maliki is either ignorant of what is going on, misrepresenting his intentions, or that his capabilities are not yet sufficient to turn his good intentions into action," the story quoted the memo as saying.

I wonder the same thing about Bush. Does he have a clue as to what is going on in Baghdad? Does he lose sleep at night knowing what he and his cronies have done? Does he read the news or is he still surrounded by 'yes men'?

Meanwhile, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani met with Iranian leaders:

"... for two days of talks with government officials to seek their support in quelling Iraq's violence. Iran, a Shiite Muslim country, is known to have considerable influence among Iraq's Shiite majority — elements of which have been blamed for the bulk of the recent attacks."
...

The Iranians have declared that "they are quite ready for complete cooperation with the Iraqi government to restore security and stability in Iraq," Osman said in a telephone interview from Tehran. He did not elaborate on how Iran would take part in curbing the violence.

Ok, so the Iranians know how to "deal with" the Shiites.... and meanwhile the Saudi's say they'll intervene if the US withdraws:

Using money, weapons or its oil power, Saudi Arabia will intervene to prevent Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias from massacring Iraqi Sunni Muslims once the United States begins pulling out of Iraq, a security adviser to the Saudi government said on Wednesday.

Oh this sounds... interesting.

The hawks are not really interested in all this though. They want complete victory in Iraq. There is no plan for victory, but they want it. Doesn't it sound like a world war?

What do you think of this poll?

A Quinnipiac University "Thermometer Poll" was released Monday. The poll asks respondents to rank the warmth of their feelings for a particular politican on a scale of 0-100.

1) Rudolph Giuliani - 64.2.
2) Sen. Barack Obama 58.8
3) Sen. John McCain 57.7
4) Condoleezza Rice - 56.1
5) Bill Clinton - 55.8
6) Sen. Joseph Lieberman - 52.7
7) NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg - 51.1
8) John Edwards - 49.9
9) Sen. Hillary Clinton - 49
10) N.M. Gov. Bill Richardson - 47.7
11) Sen. Joseph Biden 47
12) Nancy Pelosi 46.9
13) Gov. Mitt Romney - 45.9
14) Former VP Al Gore - 44.9
15) President George Bush - 43.8
16) Sen. Evan Bayh - 43.3
17) Newt Gingrich - 42
18) Sen. Bill Frist - 41.5
19) Sen. Harry Reid - 41.2
20) Sen. John Kerry - 39.6

Veterans Day - Week 2 issues

Congress to Ponder Conscription?
by Rep. Ron Paul


thank you Rep Ron Paul, but

it's the same speech, different date.

and Rep Rangel, you too,
same threat, different day.

Do you guys hang around together?

_____________________________________________


WHY DON'T YOU TWO WORK TOGETHER ON

THIS ISSUE:Depleted Uranium Situation Worsens

Bush means business!! Can you imagine such a thing???

U.S. Bans Sale of IPods to North Korea

The Bush administration wants North Korea's attention, so like a scolding parent it's trying to make it tougher for that country's eccentric leader to buy iPods, plasma televisions and Segway electric scooters.

The U.S. government's first-ever effort to use trade sanctions to personally aggravate a foreign president expressly targets items believed to be favored by Kim Jong Il or presented by him as gifts to the roughly 600 loyalist families who run the communist government.

(I just bought my first ipod this past weekend -- WOW! I can't believe what I have been missing.)

I did not know that.

Did you know that 22,000 people arrived outside the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation in Fort Benning, Georgia on Sunday for a protest? Funny that the MSM didn't pick up on it. You remember that place. They just changed the name to protect the guilty. It used to be called the School of the Assassins Americas, where the US military would train Latin American soldiers to kill and torture.

Here is the google search I did to find out about it.

What A Tool.

Newt Gingrich spoke at the annual Nackey S. Loeb First Amendment award dinner, which fetes people and organizations that stand up for freedom of speech in Manchester, NH last night.

[He said that] “the country will be forced to reexamine freedom of speech to meet the threat of terrorism.” And that a "different set of rules" may be needed to reduce terrorists' ability to use the Internet and free speech to recruit and get out their message. "We need to get ahead of the curve before we actually lose a city, which I think could happen in the next decade," he also said.


So just STFU or the terrorists will blow us up.

USA vs W

Yes, it has actually been put down on paper although not filed(yet).

Take a look at it and lets here what you think. United States of America Vs. George W. Bush

Baby, It's Warm Outside

I still have blooming impatience, chrysanthemums and pansies here at the very end of November. My neighbor's geraniums and petunias are still thriving. Our lawns are still growing here on Long Island. With temps in the 60's, there is no need to wear a jacket when you go out during the day. No one is complaining as they leisurely hang their christmas lights on their houses. By now, we should have had a killing frost. We've used less than 200 gallons of fuel in the past nine months in my family and there is definitely something strange going on. Could it be this?

Carbon emissions show sharp rise
By Richard Black
The rise in humanity's emissions of carbon dioxide has accelerated sharply, according to a new analysis.

The Global Carbon Project says that emissions were rising by less than 1% annually up to the year 2000, but are now rising at 2.5% per year.

It says the acceleration comes mainly from a rise in charcoal consumption and a lack of new energy efficiency gains.

Charcoal is filthy isn't it? Some of us have deliberately limited our use of fossil fuels but it just seems futile. Have you noticed any decrease in people using mega SUVs as grocery and kid chasers? Not in my neck of the woods. It looks like a Lincoln Navigator dealership in front of the local elementary school at 3 o'clock. People are still oblivious aren't they? And who is going to complain about sun bathing in November in the northeast?

So, who screwed up our kids? Why can't public schools get these kids to perform......

you know, like we did way back when. How many tests, besides classroom subject tests, did we have in school? (I started kindergarten in 1960something). I'm sure there must have been some kind of standardized test we took that measured our progres. I know it wasn't every other week though! I don't remember at the moment. I just went to school, did what I was told -- LIVED for recess and band -- went home and did my homework (by myself), watched McHale's Navy everyday at 6pm and went outside and played, played, played!! Rode bikes, knocked on doors, played baseball in the street, or a million other different games we made up. I took a couple of dancing classes as a kid, but that was it. No gymnastics, soccer club, t-ball, karate, etc. One car per family -- dad took it to work and life was pretty simple.

Besides the breakdown of the family, what else has contributed to teachers being unable to get american school children to perform as well as kids from other countries? Nothing is working. 'No child left behind' seems to have made things worse. How much lower do the 'test results' have to be to say "IT'S NOT WORKING"!


Pierre Tristam's latest:The Mis-Education of America
Revenge of the Home-Schoolers
is a great commentary, and is what got me going on this subject.

I really don't care for a lot of what I hear happens during the course of a school day. I spend way to much time undoing what they see and hear all day when they get home. I would love to homeschool my kids, but I know myself all too well. I would take waaay to many field trips and probably try to find the movie instead of reading the book!!

(It's a great read, and I think he is spot on. Join in on his comment thread if you'd like.)



I came across this video by Bob Sinclair called
"Love Generation" and
it's message, spoke volumes to me.

As much as I hate to say it....It DOES take a village.


Maybe combine the two?

It takes a village to make sure no child is left behind......

More Questions Than Answers in Queens Shooting of Groom and Friends

In this article, Police Questioned After N.Y. Shootings, we learn that

None of the five unidentified officers had ever fired their 16-shot semiautomatic pistols on patrol before that morning, officials said. The undercover officer fired first, squeezing off 11 rounds; another, a 12-year-veteran, fired 31 times, meaning he paused to reload.

Officials said all the officers would have received training to combat against "contagious or sympathetic fire" -- when police become disoriented by the sound of friendly fire and blast away at a phantom threat.

"We stress when officers go to the range that they fire no more than three rounds and then assess what the situation is," Kelly said.

The 37,000-officer New York Police Department, the nation's largest, trains its members on "how to defend themselves and not use excessive force," Bloomberg said Monday. "What exactly happened here, we do not know."

Sharpton wasn't buying that "excuse", but in yesterday's paper it was revealed that "Multiple shots fired are common"

To the average person, 50 may seem like an excessive number of bullets fired by police officers.

Yet several criminologists said basic police training and the dynamics of shooting confrontations can often lead to high numbers of bullets fired and that little can be done to avoid such outcomes.

You often hear people say, 'Why couldn't they just shoot him in the leg, or why couldn't they just shoot the air out of his tire? Well, the police are not trained to do that," said Tom Nolan, a professor of criminal justice at Boston University...

The general rule in police training is that officers can use deadly force when they perceive "imminent death or bodily harm" to themselves or others.
...
"They receive training that really tells them not to shoot, except in dire circumstances," O'Donnell said. "What is less easy to teach is that once a decision is made to shoot, how and when they should stop."

There is a lot for me to learn about all this. My opinion on the whole matter is still reserved pending further investigation. One thing is for sure, NYC's Mayor Mike Bloomberg is no Rudy Guiliani.
Bloomberg believes 'excessive force' was used in deadly shooting

Of the victims, Bloomberg said Monday: "There is no evidence that they were doing anything wrong," referring to everything leading up to the moment they struck an officer with their car.

Still not a civil war according to bush

Bush: Iraq violence part of al-Qaida plot

President Bush said Tuesday that the sectarian violence rocking Iraq is part of an al-Qaida plot to goad Iraqi factions into repeated attacks and counterattacks.

"No question it's tough, no question about it," Bush said at a news conference with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves. "There's a lot of sectarian violence taking place, fomented in my opinion because of the attacks by al-Qaida causing people to seek reprisal."

UPDATE 10AM: Bush just gave a speech in Latvia avoiding the use of the term, "civil war." He has vowed once again to leave our troops in Iraq until there is a victory. He didn't state what a victory would look like.

More importantly, in bimbo news, Britney has been seen shopping and partying with Paris Hilton (didn't she just have a baby?) and the bush twins have allegedly been asked to leave Argentina (one of them left so far).

Iraq. How fucked up is this?

Now that the shit has totally hit the fan and Iraq is in a bigger mess than could ever be dreamed of, congressional leaders are pressing bush on Iraq. The president will fly to Jordan to talk to allies about doing something about the quagmire as if anything he ever does has any effect on anything. Cheney met with the clowned prince of Saudia Arabia the other day... and the clowned prince wanted to talk about Palestine v Israel and the situation in Lebanon rather than Iraq. Notice that our leaders only speak to their friends? I would want to keep dialogue open with my "enemies" if I were a world leader, but what the hell do I know?

Oh wait, Panel to Weigh Overture by U.S. to Iran, Syria

Mr. Bush spent 90 minutes with commission members in a closed session at the White House two weeks ago “essentially arguing why we should embrace what amounts to a ‘stay the course’ strategy,” said one commission official who was present.

Officials said that the draft of the section on diplomatic strategy, which was heavily influenced by Mr. Baker, seemed to reflect his public criticism of the administration for its unwillingness to talk with nations like Iran and Syria.

But senior administration officials, including Stephen J. Hadley, the president’s national security adviser, have expressed skepticism that either of those nations would go along, especially while Iran is locked in a confrontation with the United States over its nuclear program. “Talking isn’t a strategy,” he said in an interview in October.

Mr Hadley, you are so wrong. You don't read the news and your administration never even tried to talk to enemies so how the hell do you know? Why don't you all sit there and discuss strategy in your comfy rooms while my friend is fighting for his life in Baghdad?

And the most ironic part? Iraqi President Jalal Talabani will fly to Tehran to meet with Ahmadinejad once it's safe for him to actually go to the airport and fly out of Iraq.

On Sunday, Iran's president said his country was willing to take a more active role in Iraq's future.

Ahmadinejad first lambasted the United States and its allies, in particular Britain, for being "accomplices in the crimes committed in Iraq," according to state-run news agency, IRNA. The president, an acerbic critic of U.S. policy, called on the United States and Britain to leave that war-torn country.

"You have to stop bullying, threatening and insulting nations. Today, you and your hegemony are about to collapse," he said.

Later, in the same speech, Ahmadinejad offered to help the United States "put an end to the present situation" in Iraq, on the condition that Washington stop its "bullying" in that country, and revise its approach in the Middle East.

"In that case, Iran will be ready to help you out," he said.

Oh man. Let's see how this plays out. Will the bushista's hubris prevent them from allowing Iran and/or Syria stop the madness in Iraq?

The East Will Dominate the West

How do you like these headlines?
West must prepare for Chinese, Indian dominance
(isn't that one of the end times bible prophesies too?)

Former World Bank chief James Wolfensohn has warned that western nations must prepare for a "future dominated by China and India, whose rapid economic rise will soon fundamentally alter the balance of power."

So this is what happened while we were all sleeping and the corporate powered government was at work?

Wolfensohn said that somewhere between 2030 and 2040, China would become the largest economy in the world, leaving the United States behind.

By 2050, China's current two trillion US dollar GDP was set to balloon to 48.6 trillion, while that of India, whose economy weighs in at under a trillion dollars, would hit 27 trillion, he said, citing projections by investment bank Goldman Sachs.

In comparison, the US's 13 trillion dollar income would expand to only 37 trillion -- 10 trillion behind China.

"You will have in the growth of these countries a 22 times growth between now and the year 2050 and the current rich countries will grow maybe 2.5 times."

In light of these forecasts, it was clear that Western nations and Australia were not investing enough in educating the next generation to be able to take advantage of the coming realignment, he said.

"The fact that not enough of our young people are preparing themselves with knowledge, experience, residence and language to deal certainly with China, although India has the benefit of an English language, it does seem to me that it presents a formidable challenge."

Wolfensohn pointed to both China's and India's recent substantial investments in Africa as an example of how the two emerging giants were exercising their increasing clout on the global stage.

"Within the last two weeks the world has been put on notice that Africa is no longer the basket case that everybody had historically thought it was but is now front and centre in terms of development by India and China."

I certainly hope that China and India do a better job with Africa than the western nations did and teach them about STD transmission in a responsible way.

The president gave a speech in February of this year, "Some people have said the 21st century will be the Asian century. I believe the 21st century will be freedom's century. And together, free Asians and free Americans will seize the opportunities this new century offers and lay the foundation of peace and prosperity for generations to come."

He left out the part where free Asia would leave free America in the dust, not that it wasn't obvious it would happen.

The War on Peace Continues

UPDATE: The subdivision has approved the woman's peace wreath. Peace at last.

So a woman hangs a Christmas wreath on her house in the shape of a peace sign- you know, Peace on Earth, Goodwill To Men... her neighbors go apeshit thinking that it's a sign of Satan or an anti-war protest (which perhaps it might be and so the hell what?) And why on earth doesn't the president of the association tell the morons who think it's a satanic symbol that it's not? The homeowners association president doesn't think that people should hang symbols or flags that might be construed as "divisive" and has decided to charge her $25/day for ignoring the subdivision's rules that say "no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee." Architecture control committee? Scary.

Wouldn't Christmas decorations on a home be considered divisive if you are going to be picky about not insulting your very thin skinned neighbors who have no lives? Not hanging any decorations on your home at Christmas time can be divisive too.

There are some people in the subdivision whose family members are serving in Iraq and they are also offended by the peace symbol. That, I don't get. Are they worried that if there is peace, someone will be out of a job? Who says that people who advocate for peace hate the military? It could be that most people who advocate for peace would like to see the military used for defense rather than war profiteering. That's offensive?

Why not educate "silly" people rather than let their ignorance dictate the social agenda? This political correctness has gotten completely out of hand.

Is this "homowners association" business just practice for the fascist take over of America? You buy a home, you have to pay taxes and then you have to live by a bunch of rules decided by your neighbors who may or may not be nazi sympathizers? They would have to pay ME to live under such conditions. If people have enough money to buy a new home in this day and age, they should certainly be able to decide for themselves how they want to present their homes on the outside. It works in my neighborhood and where millions upon millions of other people live.

The committee members in the homeowner's association decided that the woman shouldn't be forced to take down the wreath, so the president of the association fired the committee members. I suspect that there will be mutiny.

Hat tip to Eclectics Anonymous

What's with all the presidents and former prime ministers fainting?

Berlusconi slumps over during speech

Mexico's Fox out of danger after dizzy spell
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - "Mexican President Vicente Fox became faint on Sunday at a farewell party at his ranch five days before leaving office but is out of danger, the government said.

"After the corresponding medical examination, the president returned to the celebration, which continued in a cordial atmosphere," his office said in a statement."

And they're buddies of our head dumshit. Ya' s'pose gigologeorge sent them a bag of pretzels? Hmm.

UPDATE: Maybe I answered my own question: Perhaps they were overwhelmed by the thought of "Bush the Diplomat":

Bush Set for Burst of Talks With Allies
Bush Heading Overseas Again for a Week of High-Stakes Diplomacy on Iraq, Afghanistan

instead of "Bush the kill-crazy, war-mongering, imbecile".

Protester Immolation Virtually Unnoticed

CHICAGO -- Malachi Ritscher envisioned his death as one full of purpose.

He carefully planned the details, mailed a copy of his apartment key to a friend, created to-do lists for his family. On his Web site, the 52-year-old experimental musician who'd fought with depression even penned his obituary.

At 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 3 -- four days before an election caused a seismic shift in Washington politics -- Ritscher, a frequent anti-war protester, stood by an off-ramp in downtown Chicago near a statue of a giant flame, set up a video camera, doused himself with gasoline and lit himself on fire.

Aglow for the crush of morning commuters, his flaming body was supposed to be a call to the nation, a symbol of his rage and discontent with the U.S. war in Iraq.

"Here is the statement I want to make: if I am required to pay for your barbaric war, I choose not to live in your world. I refuse to finance the mass murder of innocent civilians, who did nothing to threaten our country," he wrote in his suicide note. "... If one death can atone for anything, in any small way, to say to the world: I apologize for what we have done to you, I am ashamed for the mayhem and turmoil caused by my country."

There was only one problem: No one was listening.

Here is the rest of this very sad story.

Science a la Joe Camel, by Laurie David

At hundreds of screenings this year of "An Inconvenient Truth," the first thing many viewers said after the lights came up was that every student in every school in the United States needed to see this movie.

The producers of former vice president Al Gore's film about global warming, myself included, certainly agreed. So the company that made the documentary decided to offer 50,000 free DVDs to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) for educators to use in their classrooms. It seemed like a no-brainer.

The teachers had a different idea: Thanks but no thanks, they said.


UNBELIEVABLE!Read the rest here...

_______________________________________________________________
Laurie David is married to Larry David, and worked on the "Earth to America" comedy special last year.
Here's his monologue. Both of them are truly dedicated to these issues and work hard to bring global warming reality to the public's attention.

Iraq Fever in NY?

Cops shoot 3, kill groom on wedding day

I'm not sure exactly what started it in Queens but the NYPD felt it necessary to fire 50 rounds of ammo at 3 unarmed men in a moving car also spraying homes and a train station with gunfire. They had just left a strip club (sheesh) where the driver's bachelor party took place. He was to be married the next day and 250 guests were expected. Al Sharpton is all over this. I will hold my written opinion until all the facts are in yet I will be shooting my big mouth off when I'm off the record.

UPDATE: The situation escalates as crowds gather demanding answers to what happened. The article also states what I thought was the law in NY: that police may not open fire on a moving vehicle "unless deadly force is being used against the police officers or another person present, by means other than a moving vehicle." Hmm.

It still hasn't been determined if the undercover cops actually identified themselves as such. (I get the impression from reading the story that the 3 men did not know that the guys with guns were cops and were just trying to get the hell out of there.) We'll see.

Music Review

Ever wonder what happened to those geeky kids who played in the school orchestra? They are cool cats now and playing with Brian Setzer (of the Stray Cats fame) Orchestra who's on the annual coast to coast tour for the holidays (tour schedule).

Long Islander, Setzer sells out each year when he comes back to perform at the Westbury Music Fair, now named for some bank but we still call it by the old name here in Westbury. It's a great way to kick off the holidays each year even if you're not even ready for the holidays and don't even care about them. I guess my holidays were kicked off last night. It's just too bad that you're stuck in a seat when the band starts playing and your foot starts tapping.

After many songs with the orchestra, Brian played some great rockabilly classics with the bass player and the drummer to remind us of 25 years ago when we were young and pretty and the Stray Cats would prowl Long Island. Setzer still looks pretty.

Are We There Yet? by Edgar J. Steele

My name is Edgar J. Steele.

You probably already have heard this, from both others and me, but here it is again, received over the Internet from a list member quoting an unnamed source :

"This has long been said to be the line of demarcation for the US dollar. Below $0.85 there is not much to support it."
Only five or six years ago it was around $1.25. Thirty five percent is a lot of value to lose in that short period of time. From here, further decline could be faster. China - by its buying of the world's resources - is going to create enormous upward pressure on all commodity prices.
STOP

cue:
Sesame Street: Dragnet Parody - Wanted Letter W

Btw,
Got Gold?

My family puts the FUN in dysFUNctional!!!

How was YOUR thanksgiving holiday?

I was thankful that I had been whistling this tune all week, and that it was fresh in my mind -- it helped me get through the day.


ALWAYS LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE OF LIFE
(watch video and wistle along!!)


oh -- THE FOOD WAS FABULOUS!!

and as always....I thank goddess above for my sister!

(God got me in 'Eric Idle Mode' last week with this catchy tune about our galaxy)

Obligatory Friday Sex Post

Hair Color for Down There
As long as it matches the hair on your head, you don't have to shave it off in order to be fashionable when you're naked. Oh thank Gawd. I was so worried about that.


Speaking of bush maintenance, a Missouri law regarding cosmetologists and barbers also provides that parental consent must be given for a minor to obtain body waxing on or near genitalia. Mommy can I get my bush waxed? Of course, honey. Let me write you a permission note.

Meanwhile, have you watched the one minute Dove Campaign for real beauty movie?

Open Thread

Yesterday I tried to take a day off from worrying (not really) about the US invasion and occupation of Iraq and believed I could leave it to our administration to watch over our troops, so imagine just how pleased I was to find out that our leader took time from his day to call 10 sevice members from his cushy chair and wish them a happy Thanksgiving while the situation in Iraq goes straight to hell.

Happy Thanksgiving

Arlo Guthrie performs the classic Alice's Restaurant

You might ask, "HUH"?

Shortly into his latest post, entitled "Special Blog Post: Thankfulness"
The Dark Wraith utters these words: "I am thankful for our President, George W. Bush." And you might be thinking, "My god, the poor old fellow has slipped over the edge". No such thing.

Enough of my words.

Read His Here.

Notice anything strange about this headline?:

"Bush, Maliki to meet as Iraqi deaths hit new high"

The article from the usually reliable Reuters, goes on to say,
"U.S. President George W. Bush will meet Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki in Jordan next week with grim new statistics showing record numbers of Iraqis were killed last month and many more fled the country.

"A U.N. report put civilian deaths in October at 3,709 -- 120 a day and up from 3,345 in September." Reuters. (If that link doesn't work, go to their Main Page.)

But then, we contrast that with this CNN article which, using the British Medical Journal Lancet as a source says that since the beginning of the war, 655,000 Iraqis have died: "Violence including gunfire and bombs caused the majority of deaths but thousands of people died from worsening health and environmental conditions directly related to the conflict that began in 2003, U.S. and Iraqi public health researchers said. Since March 2003, an additional 2.5 percent of Iraq's population have died above what would have occurred without conflict..." which works out to about 22,000+ deaths every month.

Of course, the (usually UNreliable) CNN report came out on October 11, a little less than a month before elections. Which lends credence to my theory that the Republicans, with the compliance of the MSM, wanted to throw the elections.

Winning Hearts and Minds Here and Abroad

Yesterday the story broke that U.S. RATED WORST FOR TRAVEL

The study, conducted by the polling firm RT Strategies for the Discover America Partnership, was intended to help "promote travel to the United States and improve the country's image abroad."

Instead it showed the U.S. as rated twice as unfriendly in its procedures as the runner-up: the Middle East and the Asian subcontinent. Over half of the 2,000 travelers surveyed termed U.S. immigration officials as "rude," while two-thirds said they feared they would be detained on arriving in the United States "for a simple mistake in their paper work or for saying the wrong thing to an immigration official."

Oh jeez, they are so rude at the airports overall. Since when does "security" have to entail rudeness?

Today it's reported that travel will also be a pain in the ass for Americans:

The Homeland Security Department will require virtually all air travelers entering the United States after Jan. 23 to show passports - even U.S. citizens.

Until now, U.S. citizens, travelers from Canada and Bermuda, and some travelers from Mexico who have special border-crossing cards for frequent visitors were allowed to show other proofs of identification, such as drivers' licenses or birth certificates.

It really does seem more like they are trying to keep us in, doesn't it?

Just stay home for thanksgiving.
If you are traveling by air this weekend or anytime soon, remember that your liquids are still an issue in carry on luggage as my son learned this past week in San Jose. You have to carry your liquids in a clear zip lock bag (check) but the containers can't be larger than 3 oz. (uh oh)

When I picked him up at JFK the other morning, I notice that the line to get through security at 7am was virtually stopped dead due to the liquids issue.

First they said that you can't bring box cutters on the plane, but it didn't pertain to me.
Then they went after manicure sets, but it didn't pertain to me.
Then they went after my Oil of Olay, and it was too late, there was no one left to advocate for me.

Lame Duck Pardons Turkey

"Tomorrow at the White House, President Bush will pardon the turkey ... and today, Dick Cheney spent all day torturing it" --David Letterman

Today: President is more careful around turkey.

More on the draft

Yesterday I was listening to Al Franken on Air America Radio. He had Lawrence O'Donnell on and they were talking about Charlie Rangel's idea of reintroducing the draft. I posted something the other day about the draft saying that I am against it, but I thought Rangel had a point in that it is something that should be debated by congress only to get American people thinking about the war, any war, and it's ramifications. O'Donnell had pretty much the same opinion- Let Rangel's bill come to congress and let them debate it. It's so unsettling to hear peoeple advocate for the war and yet they have no intention of fighting it- let the poor suckers who volunteered fight our battles, is the name of the game.

Today he writes in Huffington Post a few good reasons why this debate should happen:

Let the Republicans give speeches listing all the good reasons why we should have a volunteer Army. But let's hear Rangel's speech about how the burden of war is not fairly shared in this country. Let's get America thinking about exactly who is being left in the line of fire in the war Americans have turned against and know we can't win. Let's get America thinking about John Kerry's line about Vietnam--who is going to be the last soldier to die for a mistake? A real debate on the draft will do that. Don't worry, the bill has no chance of passing.
---
I've reached a Rangel-like breaking point with my TV pundit colleagues who championed the Iraq war and now say we can't leave even if we went there for the wrong reasons. For every one of them, I have a simple question: Why aren't you in Iraq? Or why did you avoid combat in your generation's war? The one unifying characteristic that all of us men in make-up on political chat shows share is fear of combat. Every one of us has done everything we can to avoid combat or even being fitted for a military uniform. Just like George Bush, Bill Clinton, and Dick Cheney, we are all combat cowards. It takes a very special kind of combat coward to advocate combat for others. It's the kind of thing that can get you as angry as Charlie Rangel.

Poor Papa Bush

Papa Bush visited Abu Dhabi today at a leadership conference. Forty one was shocked by the hostility toward 43. Apparently 41 is also living in a bubble.

"We do not respect your son. We do not respect what he's doing all over the world," a woman in the audience bluntly told Bush after his speech.

Bush, 82, appeared stunned as others in the audience whooped and whistled in approval.

41 answered a student who criticized globalization saying that it's nuts to think that the US only does things for the money. 41 is right, the student left out "power".

The hostile comments came during a quesion-and-answer session after Bush finished a folksy address on leadership by telling the audience how deeply hurt he feels when his presidential son is criticized.

If 43 was my son, I'd be mortified at his actions and yet upset when others made fun of him. But when you live life in the public eye, wheeling and dealing around the world in order to make your friends richer and more powerful, it's something you will just have to get used to.

Bush said he was surprised by the audience's criticism of his son.

"He is working hard for peace. It takes a lot of guts to get up and tell a father about his son in those terms when I just told you the thing that matters in my heart is my family," he said. "How come everybody wants to come to the United States if the United States is so bad?"

Because the regular people are so very lovely.

Flower Power People Are Still Ruining the Country

OH for goodness' sake. Now I know what happened to our country, why it went down the tubes and why everything is so darn icky... the hippies haven't all died yet.

Jenean Mcbrearty, a columnist at the Lexington Herald-leader declares that "America won't win another war until the 1960s flower children are pushing up petunias." Damn hippies still want utopia and they refuse to accept reality. Apparently the reality is that everyone is out to get us and we are not scared enough.

Silly Ms Mcbrearty goes on to create a straw hippy that has influenced the straw media:

For example, consider their continued belief that America's armed forces are neo-Nazi stormtroopers who delight in burning babies to further the aims of imperialistic corporations. Such nonsense, now treated as legitimate by the left-leaning media, denigrates the patriotic values and sincerity of half the nation.

Um. No. Not the troops- their leaders, but thanks for trying.

And how dare the flower children, the dirty, looney hippies renounce the military industrial complex when they are in business to keep us safe! And those pagan hippies want us to lose the war in Iraq too:

Their BAWL (Buddha-Allah-Wicca-Lenin) is better than some old Judeo-Christian God.

In their heart of hearts, lefty loonies do want America to lose in Iraq and every military theater. They want outside enemies to accomplish quickly the demolition of American capitalism, using the violence the lefty loonies are too old, too scared and too well-invested to use.

Outside enemies? Our enemies are within, but thanks for trying again. Not all capitalism needs to be demolished, silly... just cruel capitalism a/k/a corporatism or fascism.

Do read her interesting op ed and perhaps write her a note.

Have at it.

Mr Bush goes to Hawaii.



UPDATE BELOW: Oh my god, what is he doing?



Hat tip to deebee who wrote: Trial fitting at NOOSES 'r' US, Hague outlet

Interesting Stuff in The News This Morning

Bush says that he "would understand" if Israel attacked Iran (so is that the plan?). French government official says it would be a disaster if Israel attacked Iran saying that it would only add 2 years to the completion of Iran's nuclear program and that Iran surely would cancel membership the Non-Proliferation Treaty and maybe target bigger fish than Israel in the future.

Cheney says, "we don't need no stinking congress to declare war on Iran." He demonstrates how he'd do it by reminiscing on how he ripped off and short changed the power company he worked for in Wyoming as a lad and how he would use the same technique on any legislative restrictions. Why is he still alive?

US Won't Be Rid Of Arms until 2023. The Pentagon has extended its timeline to destroy and dispose of the US' stash of chemical weapons until 11 years after the due date. Imagine how much stuff could be stolen? It's not like the US is good at keeping weapons out of the bad guy's hands.

Rupert Murdoch "badly miscalculated" the public's tolerance for the OJ book and tv show and pulled it. When are we going to re-regulate media ownership and forbid this foreigner and fighter against freedom from controlling so much US media? And wasn't this whole idea the brain child of Judith Regan, the sex partner of Bernard Kerick during the Ground Zero cleanup in NY? The same Judith Regan who was completely appalled at Clinton's blow job and exclaimed her distaste at anyone who would commit adultery on the television news ad nauseum in the 90's? Gag me with a spoon.

STORY UPDATE: Think Progress reports that hush money was offered to the Brown Family.

Detroit teen creates nuclear fushion in his basement.
"Originally, he wanted to build a hyperbolic chamber," his mother said, adding that she promptly said no. But, when he came asking about the nuclear fusion machine, she relented.

Toilet paper giant, Charmin, set up 20 pristine bathroom stalls in NY's Times Square for the holiday season. Users were interviewed:

"It's very clean, and you feel welcome. I'll be sure to use it again before I go home."
"You hear some negative things about New York and then you get here and you see something like this."
"This is just another overhyped Times Square gimmick. I like the idea of a clean public rest room, but you don't need five people talking to you before and after you do your business."

Please don't forget about Leola Kichen, friend of Anntichrist S. Coulter who is fighting for her life.

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda

A soldier's cry.......


My battle against cynicysm ended quickly with me barking down the Road to Nowhere.... So, as usual, I plug in -- put my headphones on -- and withdraw for a while.

I'm listening to a song that Father Tyme sent to me last week on Veteran's Day, And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda by Irish Tenor, John McDermott

Please take a listen here. Thank you SO MUCH for setting this up Father.

song review: "a heartrending ballad of a young Aussie soldier who fights, and is horribly maimed, during one of World War I's major fiascoes undertaken by British Empire troops, the Galipolli Campaign"


Now when I was a young man and I carried my pack
and I lived the free life of the rover
From the Murray's green basin to the dusty out back
I waltzed my Matilda all over.
Then in 1915 my country said "Son
It's time to stop rambling, there's work to be done"
And they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war.

And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As the ships pulled away from the quay
And amid all the tears, flag waving and cheers
We sailed off to Galipolli

And how I remember that terrible day
How our blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs to the slaughter.

Johnnie Turk was ready, oh he primed himself well
He rained us with bullets and he showered us with shell
And in five minutes flat we were all blown to hell
nearly blew us all back home to Australia.

But the band played Waltzing Matilda
as we stuck to bury our slain
We burned ours and the Turks buried theirs
and we started all over again

Those who were living just tried to survive
In a mad world of blood death and fire
And for ten weary weeks, I kept myself alive
While around me the corpses piled higher

Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head
And when I awoke in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done and I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying
For no more I'll go Waltzing Matilda
All round the green bush far and near
For to hump tent and pegs a man needs both legs
No more Waltzing Matilda for me.

They collected the crippled, the wounded, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship pulled in to Circular Key
And I looked at the place where my legs used to be
I thanked Christ there was no one there waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to Pity

And the band played Waltzing Matilda
as they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood there and stared
And turned all their faces away

So now every April, I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march
Renewing their dreams of past glory

I see the old men all tired, stiff and sore
The weary old heroes of a forgotten war
And the young people ask "What are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question

And the band played Waltzing Matilda
And the old men still answer the call
But year after year, the numbers get fewer
Some day none will march there at all

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a Waltzing Matilda with me
And their ghosts may be heard as they march by the billabong
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me.


Please come back and comment next week after the thanksgiving holiday (or now). I'd like to make this a weekly discussion. Maybe every Monday we can have a

"Veteran's Day: Reloaded"

Whatever Rep. Rangel's Reasons -- there's lots to discuss. We need to put some ideas into ACTION


We Want Your Ideas!


WE WANT YOU!

HOW HIGH THE MOON

OMG I don't know what else to say. Father-Tyme and I have been desparately searching for this song. THE ONE AND ONLY VERSION
of the way this song should be sung. (download it right under the title of the article, Pat...)

Perfect Timing (as usual)

You may remember it....

It played in the background during the opening scene of Biloxi Blues as the train pulled into boot camp.

" I don't think much about the Big War anymore....the one they call the Second One, because the small wars that came after it seem a lot bigger now than the Big War was.

Most people today look back at the Big One with sort of fond memories; it was, in a sense, an OK war. We knew why we were fighting it, and we felt pretty proud of ourselves for being in it. We liked the songs.....we liked the uniforms.....we LIKED the girls!

we liked that everyone liked us....

So, looking back, it really was one of your better wars; except that you were just a kid, a year out of highschool; heading south in a troop train knowing that in 2 months you'd be in some mud hole fighting for your life."

The "draft" word comes up again.

"A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude.": Aldous Huxley, Brave New World

Rep. Charlie Rangel, D-N.Y has a point when he talks about reinstating the draft. It's just ironic how much politicians enjoy a good war, because it's good for the economy and corporations, yet they absolutely don't support a draft. Rangel also suggests that 'the all-volunteer military disproportionately puts the burden of war on minorities and lower-income families.' Politicians don't care about that though. (I absolutely don't support a draft or wars in general unless our country is invaded and how likely is that?)

"The welfare of the people in particular has always been the alibi of tyrants, and it provides the further advantage of giving the servants of tyranny a good conscience." -- Albert Camus

There's talk of more wars and decades of war against terror (TM), which means that it won't end until all the bad guys are killed or imprisoned, which means it will never end... so it does make sense to expect all our young people who have barely experienced life yet, to go out and kill bad guys around the world and hopefully come back home in one piece and continue on with their happy lives. Not.

Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it: Albert Einstein

If you think in terms of fairness, how fair is it that National Guard troops have to serve in Iraq? They signed up to defend our country- what Iraq has to do with that, beats the hell out of me. I would feel safer with the National Guard here. My friend, a reservist, is fighting for HIS life in Iraq for the second time... trying to survive so he can see his baby who was born while he was gone. Fairness would suggest that reservists wouldn't have to go to Iraq twice. He was there for 18 months the first time.

Rangel believes that if we had the draft, our country would think twice before launching an invasion and occupation of another country. That's true. Rangel knows and I know that there is no way that Americans would support a draft, but it's probably a good thing for people to think about it before they support wars.

"I hope we shall crush in its birth the aristocracy of our moneyed corporations, which dare already to challenge our government to a trial of strength and bid defiance to the laws of our country." : Thomas Jefferson

Here in NY, when you turn 18, a draft card arrives in the mail automatically. How is it in your state?

Where is the justice of political power if it executes the murderer and jails the plunderer, and then itself marches upon neighboring lands, killing thousands and pillaging the very hills?: Kahlil Gibran

The Global Orgasm for Peace

The reasons given for this particular type of protest are right on (especially if you're a quantum mechanics afficianado). I'm in.

Calif. Couple Calls for Orgasm for Peace

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:08 p.m. ET

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Two peace activists have planned a massive anti-war demonstration for the first day of winter.

But they don't want you marching in the streets. They'd much rather you just stay home.

The Global Orgasm for Peace was conceived by Donna Sheehan, 76, and Paul Reffell, 55, whose immodest goal is for everyone in the world to have an orgasm Dec. 22 while focusing on world peace.

''The orgasm gives out an incredible feeling of peace during it and after it,'' Reffell said Sunday. ''Your mind is like a blank. It's like a meditative state. And mass meditations have been shown to make a change.''

The couple are no strangers to sex and social activism. Sheehan, no relation to anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, brought together nearly 50 women in 2002 who stripped naked and spelled out the word ''Peace.''

The stunt spawned a mini-movement called Baring Witness that led to similar unclothed demonstrations worldwide.

The couple have studied evolutionary psychology and believe that war is mainly an outgrowth of men trying to impress potential mates, a case of ''my missile is bigger than your missile,'' as Reffell put it.

By promoting what they hope to be a synchronized global orgasm, they hope to get people to channel their sexual energy into something more positive.

The couple said interest appears strong, with 26,000 hits a day to their Web site, www.globalorgasm.org.

''The dream is to have everyone in the world (take part),'' Reffell said. ''And if that means laying down your gun for a few minutes, then hey, all the better.''

Also check out their blog.
Hat tip to Gaia Sighs for the alert.

How to stop the stupid

Stupid has reached critical mass in America. And as we lead the world, for good or ill, civilization itself threatens to become an unstoppable juggernaut of blind running stupidity.


By one pissed off liberal

Via Time for a Constitutional Convention

via, WRH

IT'S ONLY MONDAY!!
please.... turn this firehose off ALREADY

Senior Democrat renews call for military draft

An influential Democratic lawmaker on Sunday called for reinstatement of the draft..

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An influential Democratic lawmaker on Sunday called for reinstatement of the draft as a way to boost U.S. troop levels and draw a broader section of the population into the military or public service.

U.S. Rep. Charles Rangel, the incoming chairman of the House of Representatives' tax-writing committee, said he would introduce legislation to reinstate the draft as soon as the new, Democratic-controlled Congress convenes in January.

Asked on CBS' "Face the Nation" if he was still serious about the proposal for a universal draft he raised a couple of years ago, he said, "You bet your life. Underscore serious."

"If we're going to challenge Iran and challenge North Korea and then, as some people have asked, to send more troops to Iraq, we can't do that without a draft," he said.

Rangel, who opposed the 2003 invasion of Iraq, also said he did not think the United States would have invaded Iraq if the children of members of Congress were sent to fight. He has said the U.S. fighting force is comprised disproportionately of people from low-income families and minorities.

"I don't see how anyone can support the war and not support the draft. I think to do so is hypocritical," he said.

The New York Democrat had introduced legislation to reinstate the draft in January 2003 before the Iraq invasion. The Pentagon has said the all-volunteer army is working well and there is no need for a draft, and the idea had no traction in the Republican-led Congress.

Democrats gained control of both the House and Senate for the first time in 12 years in the November 7 election, and a wholesale change in the leadership of Congress is to be made in January. Rangel is to head the House Ways and Means Committee, which is charged with U.S. tax and trade legislation.

The draft was in place from 1948 to 1973, when the United States converted to an all-volunteer army. But almost all men living in the United States - including most male noncitizens - are required to register with the Selective Service upon reaching 18, and federal benefits, including financial aid for college studies, are contingent on registration.

Rangel said his legislation on the draft would also offer the alternative of a couple of years of public service with educational benefits.


© Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved

by Jackie Frank

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


My daughter wrote the following on Saturday for a 'persuasive speech' assignment that she is giving this morning in class.
I just read it, and I hope she doesn't mind me pasting it here for my friends to see. We couldn't find much in the 'tubes' on Friday while searching the subject via google. She wrote her thoughts, read a few articles, and asked our opinions.

I just read the above Reuters story after I read hers. Wait til she wakes up and sees this!! I'm not sure what to say. I have no comment at the moment......(I'm just going to run a few copies of the Reuters story for her, ya know....kinda like a handout after her speech)

** How Would You Feel? **


Most of us in here are almost 16, and the war in Iraq doesn’t look like it’s going to end anytime soon. So what happens next? There is a chance that the draft will be reinstated, and we are a mere 2 years away from possibly being drafted into the war, and also being of age to vote against issues such as the draft. Are Americans ready to accept the need to sacrifice their unwilling sons and daughters to be sent overseas to fight for who knows how long? I think that the military draft should not be reinstated.
My first reason why I think the draft should not be reinstated is because those teenagers about to be drafted may be unjustly impacted depending on the reasons for the war. Because once you’re in the military, you’re in the military and there’s nothing you can do about it, and it is not right to make somebody go do something without caring what they have to say about the issue, even if they oppose it. But the military draft doesn’t just draft men, women are drafted as well. According to the Chief of Selective Service System, “it has been proposed to register women for the draft and requires those registering to tell the government if they have any special computer or language skills, especially Arabic and Afghan dialects.” Wondering what the age limits for being drafted is? For women, the age intervals would extend from 18 to 34. This interval has been raised from the previous requirement of 18 to 25. As you probably know, one of the biggest enticements for getting people to volunteer for the military is a free college education. Although it may sound like a pretty good deal, by the time soldiers have come back from the war, they are frequently mentally ill, they are not always able to function correctly in society, and they are unable to concentrate on the thought of college. This is because many come back from the war with PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and have to deal with it for the rest of their lives.
Secondly, I am against the military draft because of the horrors of war. Young men and women should not have to go through that kind of experience. For so long we have been brought up to believe that it is our patriotic duty to support our country, and defend our country’s democracy. We don’t see what really goes on in a war. A big part of this is the fact that young kids playing war video games, or watching military commercials, think that going to war and killing people is a fun game. But just think of how you would feel after being forced into the war, having to fight, and then coming home, and everyday flashing back to scenes of people dying, innocent people being taken prisoner, and possibly your own friends being hurt. Those are the facts that people don’t realize actually happen, but they are the realities of a war.
Lastly, I am against the military draft because it is unfair. Nobody should be mandated to go off to the war without having a choice and a clear understanding of what we are fighting for. The military tries to tempt you and guilt you into joining by telling you that it will “accelerate your life ” and that you have “sense of duty to the nation”, and that if you don’t join you’re letting your country down. Realistically, you’re not letting your country down - you are simply making a choice of your own free will and of your own persuasion to not join the military and be sent off to war, and instead go to college, get a better education, a job, and maybe even have a family. Volunteering for the army is one thing, but you shouldn’t be left without a choice- bringing back the draft would take away that choice. America has spent hundreds of years following the principle of being free, and having a land that supports freedom for everyone. We will become a nation without the right of being free if the draft is reinstated and we don’t get to choose what we want to do with our futures, and our lives.
So let’s face the facts - the draft may unjustly impact young men and women, the horrors of the war they will face are too extreme to imagine, and it is unfair overall. Since this is an issue facing every teenager today, boys and girls, I urge you to get involved and start thinking of ways to stop this unjust draft from being put into action. If everyone stopped for a second and thought about if you wanted the draft back or not, then I predict that when we come of voting age in a short 2 years, we can put an end to the draft. And just think, how would you feel if it were you?

The Importance of Teaching Civics in Schools

I'm so glad this is on You Tube because I wanted to write about Dreyfuss' latest appearance on Real Time. It's better if you just watch. Dreyfuss has been studying civics at Oxford. I'll look for a transcript too.

End Drive-Through Masectomies

You probably know women, like your mom, your wife, your sister, yourself, your co-workers, neighbors and friends, who have been in and out of the hospital after having a masectomy. Sometimes they are sent home with their drainage tubes still attached.

Support the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act which would allow insurance companies to cover a minimum 48-hour hospital stay for patients undergoing a mastectomy. It takes a minute to sign the petition at Lifetime Television. Last years bill didn't pass. Let's keep trying.


Thank you.

The battle against cynicysm

MY battle with cynicysm began a few days ago. I watched this video
via GOD

It's about Billy Bragg singing a protest song in the lobby of the AFL-CIO during a Get Out the Vote rally. ... in 2002.

The song is called "It's 'All About the Price of Oil'
Before he sings, he first reminds his audience that the we need to take charge.

"Take charge -- we have the power, and the economy to do this. -- we need to act responsibily WITH OTHER PEOPLE to make the world a better place.

We need to bring back the great american tradition of barn raising!!!

and our enemy in doing this is not capitalism or conservatism, it is, frighteningly, ....cynicism. We've got to overcome people's cynicysm of the ability of nations to act together and act responsibly for the good of everyone. It's what is letting the rush's of this world get away with what they get away with. Cynicysm is what is making the vote go down what's killing the turnout and we're battling against cynicysm in favor of participation and were' battling against war..........."

Well, call me a cynic, I guess.

Maybe I should try to ease up a bit on the cynicysm? You know, get more serious...

But I'm in such good company:
George Bernard Shaw (who pops up frequently), Oscar Wilde (ditto), and Shakespeare, and Mae West....H.L. Mencken

OK, maybe I should rein in a bit? Lately, I can sometimes vision myself actually reverting, and becoming one of the 'early day cynics' as I grow more and more frustrated trying to understand WTF our fearless leaders of the world are doing every day. WOOF WOOF

I found that Cynics have their own FABULOUS WEBSITE

They believed that virtue was the greatest good. But they took it a step further than the old master, who would merely challenge unsuspecting folks to good-natured debates and let their own foolishness trip them up.

The Cynics were more blunt when it came to exposing foolishness. They'd hang out in the streets like a pack of dogs ("Cynic" comes from the Greek word for dog), watch the passing crowd, and ridicule anyone who seemed pompous, pretentious, materialistic or downright wicked. Fiercely proud of their independence, they led disciplined and virtuous lives. The most famous of the ancient Cynics was Diogenes, who reportedly took up residence in a tub to demonstrate his freedom from material wants. This cranky street-philosopher would introduce himself by saying, "I am Diogenes the dog. I nuzzle the kind, bark at the greedy and bite scoundrels." He'd use a lantern by daylight, explaining that he was searching for an honest man. Even Alexander the Great didn't escape unscathed. When the young conqueror found Diogenes sitting in the marketplace and asked how he could help him, the old philosopher replied that "you can step out of my sunlight."

Yeah, and lately, I have much more contempt for people, and more concern for mankind as a whole. (I have been spending a lot of time in the pool, tub, etc. lately) I better watch out...

Hmmmm......so, shall I TAKE CHARGE and lead the battle against cynicysm??

Oh, I have a drumbeat in my head already, and the PERFECT Video to lead us on our way......

Have At It

I couldn't get enough of these pictures. Click pic for larger version.

Desperate Crossing: The Untold Story of The Mayflower

It premiers tonight on The History Channel
You can also see the list of other show times.


Here is a clip about the documentary

Russia can repel asteroids to save Earth: official

I'm pretty sure we talked about this a few weeks ago - ? -

I just had to post this digg conversation I came across while doing a search for 'cynical'.

A few days ago, GOD had this story Ancient Crash, Epic Wave
-- Fascinating story! I especially got a kick out of the "Correction Appended" part!!!!



WELL -- the conversations I just found while searching for 'cynical' lead me to 2 comment threads which related to the NYTimes ancient crash story. I read the digg comments first, which were MOST SPOT ON, imho. Somehow, I came across this conversation at PhysOrgForum that called the folks at digg some bad, bad names.

Go read what the people at digg.com are saying ... a bunch of good for nothing morons.

and

Man, that 'worldpeace' guy needs to calm the hell down. He doesn't come off as very peaceful. Digg threads are always stinking cesspools of immaturity, and the posters aren't always from America. Letting it get under your skin just shows you're as immature as they are........



Great conversation!

All Hail You Tube! They Shall Set Us Free

I know I posted something similar to this a few weeks ago concerning citizen journalists (hey, SOMEONE has to be a journalist and the professionals sure as hell aren't doing the job) and You Tube. Just to prove my point may I direct your attention to

Police TRAMPLING picketing janitors with horses, the LAPD beating a man, there are 390 results for police violence and over 600 for police brutaliy. What does this say about our country and the way laws are being enforced?

At one point in time it was the victim's word against the blue brotherhood (and granted there are some cases where force IS needed, but not many), but now a citizen journalist can record and upload the evidence within minutes. Nothing to confiscate, no way to stop it, it is viral and it WILL take on a life of its own. This is something that I hope will help our society, perhaps make certain authority figures think over some of their more outrageous actions.

Irony Meter is Off the Scale

As if Judith Miller opining that the Bush administration has made us less safe wasn't bad enough. As if Josh Wolf, a young blogger being imprisoned in California and denied both bail and a hearing because he DID NOT have the evidence (raw footage) that the STATE wanted to prosecute a case of VANDALISM wasn't insane enough. We now have this -

Now we have W himself, in Hanoi, making stupid statements about Iraq which has been compared with Vietnam on COUNTLESS occasions. Not to mention his handlers trying to spin the details of his 'interactions' (not) with the Vietnamese.

Tin foil isn't enough anymore, we need effing space suits,

Bush's Brain

Have you heard that Rove may be leaving the administration within weeks? Think Progress has the story.

What do you think?

that depends on what the definition of "if" is

There should be a regular feature column on bad judgment. Social faux pas that reveal perhaps what we really intend to hide. Macaca. Trent Lott sent to hide in the attic for having the bad judgment to reveal the racism of Republicans. Forgetting in the confusion that was 9/11 that Rudy Gulliani, what a stand up guy, what a leader, announced on television to his wife and children what they already knew, that he had a girlfriend, yes that one he brought into the Mayor's house, and he was getting a divorce. What the hell did he do on 9/11? He was in town before Bush got there. Well, he is the mayor and he didn't hide in his office. So he should be our president?

We like murder. We like it a lot. Someone said, "Bad men do what good men dream." As a culture we really like violence against women. We really like to kill ourselves an uppity bitch.

So Judith Regan, who enjoyed trysting with New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik in an apartment overlooking the crime scene of the World Trade Center, publishes O.J. Simpson's roman a clef. Fox will televise the interview. If I Did It. That depends on what the definition of "if" is. Perhaps if Ms. Regan, Mr. Simpson, and Mr. Murdock would donate their profits to domestic violence victims and Mr. Simpson could pay the judgment against him for murdering two people, then I could see it. Simpson won't pay the families of his victims because to do so is, evidently, an admission or recognition of his guilt. But he will write about his prowess as an athletic murderer of two people under the guise of producing fiction.

Who is the sicker? The editor, the publisher, the author? Or the reader? Blaming Regan for publishing Simpson's return to his most stunning achievement is like blaming a woman for making her mad dog husband kill her. Is it that he killed two people or that he will now profit from it? Or that we want to be entertained by a description of the crime many wish to commit. We hate women so much that there is a culture that exists for media to produce and consumers to, well, consume. Regan isn't any more disturbed than we are. She is simply noting our own death wish, our own participation in our own misery.

The only thing he didn't do was consume their flesh after he nearly beheaded them. He certainly consumed Nicole Brown's life. Now he can enjoy her all over again and this time he invites us to watch. It would only be more thrilling if we could smell the coppery scent of their blood; if he offered us a knife so we can carry the ball with him. The invitation would not have been printed if they didn't know we would come. Am I not aware of the irony of complaining about that which repulses me? Compulsion-revulsion. Paging Dr. Freud.

Regan is profiting from the murder of two human beings. The next step on the ladder of degradation and depravity isn't that she is publishing a confession. The next step is asking him to do it again for the cameras. The next step is asking a killer can we go along, video recorder in hand, to the crime scene he is about to create.

Murdock knows how to package carnage as reportage. What is surprising is some people are surprised by this new true crime novel marketed as fiction.

The Passion of the Christ. Michael Jackson singing about how he wants to make a difference in people's lives. Simpson describes how he would, if he could, kill his wife and a young man. A snuff film reduced to type, to words on a page. Are there color photos of the crime scene? How does he explain his blood at the scene? And just as Bush can't find Osama, Simpson has yet to find the "real killers." How is he to explain himself to his children?

Indeed, how will the national father figure President George W. Bush explain to us how he killed our children by lying to us about the reasons for going to war in Iraq? How do we as a culture participate in hearing the lie. Do we feel burned for being lied to or for allowing him to lie to us? How do you feel about Simpson lying to you again? Are you upset that he lies to us or that you want to hear the lie?

Will Simpson describe Ron Goldman as merely an opponent keeping him from the goal line? Someone to run through to make a touchdown? Aren't we entertained by these murders which were committed in a terrible expression of agility and strength as much as we were entertained by Simpson's athletic ability? And of course the victims are once again merely rendered passive like sticky tackling dummies. Goldman and Brown's murders are more about Simpson's abilities than their own deaths.

And we like to watch from our morally superior reading chair.