And why are they so afraid to tell us what is going on? I know, the bad guys ..we can't tell the bad guys..
The list of "bad guys" is getting larger according to the Shrub and his administration.
How is he going to spin our "bad guys" to the world? And why didn't he know about Haditha prior to a reporter asking him about it? Is he the proverbial mushroom? As I posted here, the story about Haditha has been out there since Time's piece, with video on March 19th 2006.
I do not consider the Marines under investigation to be bad guys..I think they are men that cracked under the pressure of a war where the enemy is illusive and hard to identify. I think they are men that in their THIRD tour of combat in Iraq,finally came unglued about the horror's they witnessed and the fear they felt every time they looked in the eyes of an Iraqi citizen.
But..and its a big but.. the rest of the world will view them as such. And there is no spin the Shrub can put on this horrible,disgusting killing of innocents that will pass muster with the world's court of public opinion. The filing of false reports, the confiscated pictures of the murdered women and children, how high did the cover-up go, who knew and when..these are all questions that will be asked..and they should be.
I want to know why the Decider didn't know..things just get stranger by the day in DC.
May 31, 2006
Al Gore crosses the big pond to deliver An Inconvienent Truth..and a little Bush bashing.
The Brits loved him. They found him funny and passionate. He sat down for an interview with the Guardian UK to discuss many things, including a possible run for the Presidency in 08. He also discussed the Shrub and his minions, describing them as: "If you have a renegade band of rightwing extremists who get hold of power, the whole thing goes to the right. But I haven't moved. I'm where I've always been."
The gist of the interview is that Gore is pushing his global warming message, not Gore the candidate. He states that even if he did run and was elected, without the Senate and House behind him there is little he could do with regard to global warming. He mentions the Kyoto conference and when he returned from the meetings only one senator would back him to ratify the accord he helped put in place. He states he has failed to deliver the message for 30 years on global warming, and he still has time to do it.
Its a fairly long, indepth interview and even though the interviewer tries to draw Gore out on his political aspirations, he doesn't bite. Take a gander at it if you have the time. I enjoyed it.
The gist of the interview is that Gore is pushing his global warming message, not Gore the candidate. He states that even if he did run and was elected, without the Senate and House behind him there is little he could do with regard to global warming. He mentions the Kyoto conference and when he returned from the meetings only one senator would back him to ratify the accord he helped put in place. He states he has failed to deliver the message for 30 years on global warming, and he still has time to do it.
Its a fairly long, indepth interview and even though the interviewer tries to draw Gore out on his political aspirations, he doesn't bite. Take a gander at it if you have the time. I enjoyed it.
May 30, 2006
Debate is a good thing.Name-calling is juvenile.
So, its with a sad heart I have turned comment moderation on..some fuckwad with the IQ of a blade of grass has descended upon my blog..and he will have to find somewhere else to spew his vile bullshit. Your comments will be visible after I approve them..which is no big thang really..I approve everyone except the pencil-dicked nimrod that goes by Anonymous Conservative..adios mutha fucka :) Try getting your own blog for your incoherent attacks.
Edit: In retrospect,its juvenile of moi to call AC a fuckwad and a pencil-dicked moron. But in all honesty I figured I had to speak at his level in order for him to understand where I was coming from..forgive me my dear reader. The IQ part is not a slam, its an obvious review of his intellectual and communication abilities, which everyone who sadly had to read his diatribes, has found to be non-existant. The parting comment is usually, in friendly circles, referred to as AMF..however mine isn't friendly by any stretch of the imagination.
Edit: In retrospect,its juvenile of moi to call AC a fuckwad and a pencil-dicked moron. But in all honesty I figured I had to speak at his level in order for him to understand where I was coming from..forgive me my dear reader. The IQ part is not a slam, its an obvious review of his intellectual and communication abilities, which everyone who sadly had to read his diatribes, has found to be non-existant. The parting comment is usually, in friendly circles, referred to as AMF..however mine isn't friendly by any stretch of the imagination.
Iran wanted negotiations in 2003, US said NO.
American Prospect has a great read up here about the Shrub and our favorite mullahs. Back in 2003, Iran secretly attempted to work out a deal with our Decider-in-chief..all to no avail. Here is a very telling quote from the Prospect article: "In the spring of 2003, the Islamic Republic of Iran not only proposed to negotiate with the Bush administration on its nuclear program and its support for terrorists but also offered concrete concessions that went very far toward meeting U.S. concerns. "
Hello!!!!! WTF is wrong with this picture? I will tell you..our illustrious leaders blew it off.
Richard Armitage, one of Colin Powell's minions pushed for negotiations..guess which side refused Iran's overture...go ahead..I will wait..
The group which always sides with Israel..who'd of thunk it? Yeah,right. Israel seeks nothing less than the complete annilation of all Islamic nations. This is fairly evident by thier inablity to consider negotiations even when an offer has been extended by a country such as Iran. Such an offer was made as I stated in 2003.
Flynt Leverett, a lifer at the CIA as an analyst and counter-terrorism expert attempted to institute discussions after 9-11 with all middle-east countries that were thought to harbor and support those lovely folks known as Al-Queda. Here is another quote from the American Prospect article regarding said talks: "“The United States was about to mount a global war on terrorism with complete legitimacy from the United Nations,” recalls Leverett, “and these states didn’t want to get on the downside of it.” Within weeks, Iran, Syria, Libya, and Sudan all approached the United States through various channels to offer their help in the fight against al-Qaeda. “The Iranians said we don’t like al-Qaeda any better than you, and we have assets in Afghanistan that could be useful,” Leverett recalls."
The article goes on to describe how Colin Powell and his boys started everything in motion to work with Iran regarding Al-Queda. Its heartening until you get to this:
The Neo-cons strike,effectively tossing the negotiations out the window in favor of..whats our favorite phrase kids?.....
Regime Change!!!!
Yes folks, our lovely and esteemed security advisor, Condo Rice couldn't stand up to the asshat from Texas and his boyz..so this scathing review of her follows in the article: "A stronger, more self-confident national security adviser would have insisted that an ill-informed President consider the pros and cons of making such a far-reaching foreign-policy decision on the basis of a half-baked concept, and perhaps insist on intelligence advice on the matter. But Rice had already earned a reputation among national security officials for always staying in Bush’s good graces by taking whatever position she believed he would favor. “She would guess which way the President would go and make sure that’s where she came out,” says Wilkerson, who watched her operate for four years. “She would be an advocate up to a point, but her advocacy would cease as soon as she sniffed the President’s position.”
Oh yeah..don't piss the Shrub off..hell no..don't stand up to the Decider,or Rummy or Dead-eye Dick.
I don't want to spoil the ending for you, my dear reader..so go read it. It might make your head spin and you might feel faint at the end..but its life, its a golden opportunity that flew out the window with the asshats and cronies running the show. Dead-eye Dick, Rummy and a cast of asshats not only put a stop to negotiations, they demanded that the negotiator be reprimanded (Guldimann) for having passed it on.Sad ain't it?
Its a great read, the author is Gareth Porter. I feel the information he reveals is enough to choke a horse..it systematically goes thru the whole process that was summarily shot down in favor of..you guessed it..REGIME CHANGE.
Hello!!!!! WTF is wrong with this picture? I will tell you..our illustrious leaders blew it off.
Richard Armitage, one of Colin Powell's minions pushed for negotiations..guess which side refused Iran's overture...go ahead..I will wait..
The group which always sides with Israel..who'd of thunk it? Yeah,right. Israel seeks nothing less than the complete annilation of all Islamic nations. This is fairly evident by thier inablity to consider negotiations even when an offer has been extended by a country such as Iran. Such an offer was made as I stated in 2003.
Flynt Leverett, a lifer at the CIA as an analyst and counter-terrorism expert attempted to institute discussions after 9-11 with all middle-east countries that were thought to harbor and support those lovely folks known as Al-Queda. Here is another quote from the American Prospect article regarding said talks: "“The United States was about to mount a global war on terrorism with complete legitimacy from the United Nations,” recalls Leverett, “and these states didn’t want to get on the downside of it.” Within weeks, Iran, Syria, Libya, and Sudan all approached the United States through various channels to offer their help in the fight against al-Qaeda. “The Iranians said we don’t like al-Qaeda any better than you, and we have assets in Afghanistan that could be useful,” Leverett recalls."
The article goes on to describe how Colin Powell and his boys started everything in motion to work with Iran regarding Al-Queda. Its heartening until you get to this:
The Neo-cons strike,effectively tossing the negotiations out the window in favor of..whats our favorite phrase kids?.....
Regime Change!!!!
Yes folks, our lovely and esteemed security advisor, Condo Rice couldn't stand up to the asshat from Texas and his boyz..so this scathing review of her follows in the article: "A stronger, more self-confident national security adviser would have insisted that an ill-informed President consider the pros and cons of making such a far-reaching foreign-policy decision on the basis of a half-baked concept, and perhaps insist on intelligence advice on the matter. But Rice had already earned a reputation among national security officials for always staying in Bush’s good graces by taking whatever position she believed he would favor. “She would guess which way the President would go and make sure that’s where she came out,” says Wilkerson, who watched her operate for four years. “She would be an advocate up to a point, but her advocacy would cease as soon as she sniffed the President’s position.”
Oh yeah..don't piss the Shrub off..hell no..don't stand up to the Decider,or Rummy or Dead-eye Dick.
I don't want to spoil the ending for you, my dear reader..so go read it. It might make your head spin and you might feel faint at the end..but its life, its a golden opportunity that flew out the window with the asshats and cronies running the show. Dead-eye Dick, Rummy and a cast of asshats not only put a stop to negotiations, they demanded that the negotiator be reprimanded (Guldimann) for having passed it on.Sad ain't it?
Its a great read, the author is Gareth Porter. I feel the information he reveals is enough to choke a horse..it systematically goes thru the whole process that was summarily shot down in favor of..you guessed it..REGIME CHANGE.
May 29, 2006
"My Dead Are Not Silent"
This is a poem from the Vietnam War era. Its written by Women that were "in-country". The title of the book: Visions of War, Dreams of Peace : Writings of Women in the Vietnam War. This book of writings by Women is to further the cause of a Women's Vietnam Memorial..which is still sadly a dream. It's not by me, but another woman named Dusty.
My dead are not silent.
They scream in my dreams.
My dead are not still.
They reach for their mothers.
My dead are young soldiers
spent, wasted, discarded.
They paid the price
for political ploys
for strategic follies
for tactical errors.
The politicians and planners
the orderers and senders
discomfited but unshamed
demand that my dead lie quiet
that my grief be smothered
that my ache be shunned
that my memories be denied.
But my dead will not be stilled
They will not be shelved
numbered
catalogued
straightened
into sanitized rows.
Their blood yet drips through my soul
Their moans still echo through my heart.
My dead demand remembrance
My dead demand honor
My dead demand that lessons be learned.
I hear them still
through my dreams
through my laughter
through my prayers
My dead are not silent.
©1991, 1996 by Dusty Originally appeared in Visions of War, Dreams of Peace, Warner Books, 1991
My dead are not silent.
They scream in my dreams.
My dead are not still.
They reach for their mothers.
My dead are young soldiers
spent, wasted, discarded.
They paid the price
for political ploys
for strategic follies
for tactical errors.
The politicians and planners
the orderers and senders
discomfited but unshamed
demand that my dead lie quiet
that my grief be smothered
that my ache be shunned
that my memories be denied.
But my dead will not be stilled
They will not be shelved
numbered
catalogued
straightened
into sanitized rows.
Their blood yet drips through my soul
Their moans still echo through my heart.
My dead demand remembrance
My dead demand honor
My dead demand that lessons be learned.
I hear them still
through my dreams
through my laughter
through my prayers
My dead are not silent.
©1991, 1996 by Dusty Originally appeared in Visions of War, Dreams of Peace, Warner Books, 1991
Remembering the Boys
They were boys. They were so young,not even old enough to drink off-base,two of them. They are on this wall, those three boys of my youth. They will be forever young in my mind,unlike ex-husbands or relatives. Michael,Gus and Luke were never able to grow up and see what life held for them,unlike me. So today it is thoughts of them, and how they would be now,staring middle age in the face like I am. Dealing with the problems and enjoying the good things that life has when you get past the age of worrying about the rat race.
No war before Vietnam affected me. My father served in Korea but was in the Navy and therefore on a ship. He served for 20 years,he was deployed during the cuban missle crisis. But this war, the Vietnam war, it affected me by taking childhood friends in the beginning of their manhood. Michael jumped in the lake once to save me from drowning. He then proclaimed I was not really drowning, I just wanted his arms around me..he was right of course.
These three boys did not go willingly. They were drafted. I remember sitting in the dark,watching the lottery no one wanted to win. I remember the gasps when someone's number came up. I remember the silence when no one knew what to say. I lived in a military town, Lompoc,outside of Vandenberg AFB. But no one really wanted to go,they could see the war each night on the news, the living room war as it was called. But they went.
Demand the truth,don't let our government hide behind a wall of secrecy. We owe it to them, the ones that went inspite of their feelings,or those that went because of them.Unlike our President..they went over there and died over there. They deserve the truth,even now...especially now. Demand Truth.
May 27, 2006
Haditha means My Lai in Iraqi
Some of the victims were shot "execution style". The victims included women and six children. The men being investigated for these murders are a dozen Marines from the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division.
These men were in their third tour of Iraq. That is a fact that I think bears remembering.
If you doubt the validity of the way some of the victims were murdered, the government investigators have gruesome pictures of the carnage. The intelligence team took the pictures shortly after the shooting stopped. Such teams are typically assigned to collect information on insurgents after firefights or other military engagements. This happened November 19th 2005.
If Time magazine had not published it's piece on this murderous event, it would of never seen the light of day. The soldiers that took part in the killings falsified their reports. One focus of the administrative investigation by Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell is to find out how high up the Marine Corps chain of command misreporting went. The LA Times has an article here.
Those are the bastards I want to fry for this, the Marine Corp higher ups. And Rummy,Condo and the Shrub for keeping the soldiers in the field of combat for three fucking tours of duty.
These men were in their third tour of Iraq. That is a fact that I think bears remembering.
If you doubt the validity of the way some of the victims were murdered, the government investigators have gruesome pictures of the carnage. The intelligence team took the pictures shortly after the shooting stopped. Such teams are typically assigned to collect information on insurgents after firefights or other military engagements. This happened November 19th 2005.
If Time magazine had not published it's piece on this murderous event, it would of never seen the light of day. The soldiers that took part in the killings falsified their reports. One focus of the administrative investigation by Army Maj. Gen. Eldon Bargewell is to find out how high up the Marine Corps chain of command misreporting went. The LA Times has an article here.
Those are the bastards I want to fry for this, the Marine Corp higher ups. And Rummy,Condo and the Shrub for keeping the soldiers in the field of combat for three fucking tours of duty.
2464 Reasons to Hate this administration.
This is the picture our government doesn't want you to see. They don't want you to dwell on this image and what it means. Its not in "their" best interests to have us see this image, it makes people question the war...and it damn well should.
2464
Its the number the Defense Dept claims in dead americans. I don't know if its the real number, they lie about so much we can't tell. But its the number my daily counter on the right sidebar is giving me today, the start of the Memorial Weekend. Remember these dead americans this weekend. Remember them Tuesday morning as you go to work, or Tuesday night as you watch your kids sleeping. Don't forget these soldiers and what they died for...lies,ego and oil.
Now, go watch a video that the fine folks at Bring It On! have created for past memorial days since the war began. It's a moving video, and we all need to be moved to remember our fallen soldiers in this most unholy, ungodly of all wars.
Its the number the Defense Dept claims in dead americans. I don't know if its the real number, they lie about so much we can't tell. But its the number my daily counter on the right sidebar is giving me today, the start of the Memorial Weekend. Remember these dead americans this weekend. Remember them Tuesday morning as you go to work, or Tuesday night as you watch your kids sleeping. Don't forget these soldiers and what they died for...lies,ego and oil.
Now, go watch a video that the fine folks at Bring It On! have created for past memorial days since the war began. It's a moving video, and we all need to be moved to remember our fallen soldiers in this most unholy, ungodly of all wars.
May 26, 2006
Snark Alert!!!! AmericaBlog pisses off its own base again.
Its Friday people..try to relax..unless your in the House office Bldg..then your gonna have problems getting out for lunch..but here is a little parody/bitchslap for the weekend thats blooming as we speak:
we bring you..the Aravosisblog...LOVE IT :P If you wish to see the original comments Americablog's John Aravosis deleted that caused this latest furor..they are here. Haloscan never forgets it seems.
Edit..House Office Bldg still locked down, nothing found, nothing seen..but its a Friday and you can bet your ass people want to leave for the holiday weekend..sucks to be them.
we bring you..the Aravosisblog...LOVE IT :P If you wish to see the original comments Americablog's John Aravosis deleted that caused this latest furor..they are here. Haloscan never forgets it seems.
Edit..House Office Bldg still locked down, nothing found, nothing seen..but its a Friday and you can bet your ass people want to leave for the holiday weekend..sucks to be them.
Gunshots in the Parking Garage of House Office Bldg. News conference at noon (est)
All the news channels are on it, there is a lockdown apparently..but no one knows squat..
edit: Capitol Hill Police News Conference at noon eastern. Gunfire in the garage of the Rayburn Bldg.
edit: Capitol Hill Police News Conference at noon eastern. Gunfire in the garage of the Rayburn Bldg.
Al Gore on AirAmerica this morning..
Hey..my happy ass got up at 4:00 A fuckingM this morning to hear him.
Besides the topic of Global Warming, he said we are in the throes of a "Democracy Crisis"..good point Al.
He also said Condo won't run...personally I agree on this point. The "H" word didn't come up that I heard, I have been frantically rebuilding my site here since I blew it up messing with the html on some section or another whilst waiting for the live interview to start. Christ,that sucked..but I digress..
It was Rachel Madow's show. She brought up how she was the one that held up a huge banner and heckled his ass when he was on the campaign trail many moons ago. She was demanding Aids money for Africa. She wanted to know if he would support that kind of activism on behalf of Global WarmingHe kinda glossed over her statement by saying he believes citizens need to work within the system,and they have many options to do so..
So he isn't THAT big an activist is he? hmmmmm.....
Besides the topic of Global Warming, he said we are in the throes of a "Democracy Crisis"..good point Al.
He also said Condo won't run...personally I agree on this point. The "H" word didn't come up that I heard, I have been frantically rebuilding my site here since I blew it up messing with the html on some section or another whilst waiting for the live interview to start. Christ,that sucked..but I digress..
It was Rachel Madow's show. She brought up how she was the one that held up a huge banner and heckled his ass when he was on the campaign trail many moons ago. She was demanding Aids money for Africa. She wanted to know if he would support that kind of activism on behalf of Global WarmingHe kinda glossed over her statement by saying he believes citizens need to work within the system,and they have many options to do so..
So he isn't THAT big an activist is he? hmmmmm.....
May 25, 2006
Lay & Skilling will learn to do the perpwalk.
The boyz from Enron who brought us the biggest case of corporate greed to date have been found guilty. Couldn't happen to a nicer pair of asshats..Lay was found guilty on all counts, Skilling guilty on 19 of 28 counts..
Soon as I find a nice pic of them in prison orange, I will put it up.
May 24, 2006
OK..everyone needs to put this on their blog..come on now
I linked the originator of this graphic, if you click on the pic. Its my favorite frog, Kvatch. I am sure you can think of something smarmy to attach to it..I have faith, they give us soooooooo much to work with, those boys that subscribe to the message of Krazy Karl Rove...or any other Repube you can think of..its not rocket science.
The Immigration Debate....of 1671
Let's turn the tables..shall we? I am down for the count today..Physical Therapy kicked my ass..
May 23, 2006
Fox News is jousting at Al Gore..are they scared?
Those lovely folks over at Faux News are working overtime in a vain attempt to discredit Al Gore and his new movie An Inconvienent Truth. I just want to lay out some facts about Al that I have researched in the last six months:
Gore puts his money where his mouth is. He started an investment firm over two years ago that invests in nothing but eco-friendly companies. He teamed up with David Blood, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The name of the investment firm is Generataion Investment Management. The firm began investing client money in April 2005 (it now manages around $200 million in assets), and Gore, while declining to give specific figures, says the returns thus far have been "really gratifying, I mean really exciting." Initial investments include companies involved in photovoltaics, wind turbines, wave energy, and solar power. The firm put money into BP, betting on its new power plant in Scotland that injects carbon emissions back into the ground. It's the kind of technology Generation sees as having a competitive advantage in a carbon-constrained economy. The idea is to draw capital away from the fossil-fueled economy and direct it toward new and profitable centers of the sustainable economy. His goal is two fold..to make money for his investors and show the world that it pays to invest in these types of companies.
Gore has been talking about Global Warming for over 25 years. He downplayed it during his campaigns at the behest of his handlers..was that stupid? perhaps..hindsight is always 20-20. After the election, he started his lectures regarding Global Warming again. He has done these lectures since he was a junior congressman in the late '70s. MoveOn.org financed his post election tour. His slideshow was old hat Tipper told him. He needed to upgrade to a PowerPoint presentatiion...afterall, she reminded him.."You invented the internet".
Al has put a Think Tank of sorts together with regards to Global Warming called Alliance for Climate Protection. Its a NON-PARTISAN group, drawing from both parties. Here is a short list of people who have signed on as part of the brain trust and leadership roles: Brent Scowcroft, national-security adviser to presidents George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford; Carol Browner, head of the U.S. EPA under Bill Clinton, Lee Thomas, EPA chief under Ronald Reagan, and Teddy Roosevelt IV, venture capitalist and great-grandson of his namesake, the GOP president. Scowcroft,Thomas, and Roosevelt are all Republicans. There is only ONE "tree-hugger" on the board, Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation. Al doesn't hold a position on the board or give input as to what the alliance does, he doesn't want to give credence to those that say he has his own agenda with Alliance for Climate Protection.
The asshats over at Faux are scared to death Al is going to run. There is no recent mud to sling about Al, so they attack his movie and his motivation for doing it. Al was approached to do the movie which is based on his lecture, not the other way around. They had to beg and cajole him into doing it. Faux news needs to see Alex Trebek and buy a friggin clue. The only agenda Al Gore has now and has had is to educate the world on the imminent dangers of Global Warming. I personally hope he runs for Prez..we need him now more than we did last time..we are in much more trouble this time around.
Gore puts his money where his mouth is. He started an investment firm over two years ago that invests in nothing but eco-friendly companies. He teamed up with David Blood, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The name of the investment firm is Generataion Investment Management. The firm began investing client money in April 2005 (it now manages around $200 million in assets), and Gore, while declining to give specific figures, says the returns thus far have been "really gratifying, I mean really exciting." Initial investments include companies involved in photovoltaics, wind turbines, wave energy, and solar power. The firm put money into BP, betting on its new power plant in Scotland that injects carbon emissions back into the ground. It's the kind of technology Generation sees as having a competitive advantage in a carbon-constrained economy. The idea is to draw capital away from the fossil-fueled economy and direct it toward new and profitable centers of the sustainable economy. His goal is two fold..to make money for his investors and show the world that it pays to invest in these types of companies.
Gore has been talking about Global Warming for over 25 years. He downplayed it during his campaigns at the behest of his handlers..was that stupid? perhaps..hindsight is always 20-20. After the election, he started his lectures regarding Global Warming again. He has done these lectures since he was a junior congressman in the late '70s. MoveOn.org financed his post election tour. His slideshow was old hat Tipper told him. He needed to upgrade to a PowerPoint presentatiion...afterall, she reminded him.."You invented the internet".
Al has put a Think Tank of sorts together with regards to Global Warming called Alliance for Climate Protection. Its a NON-PARTISAN group, drawing from both parties. Here is a short list of people who have signed on as part of the brain trust and leadership roles: Brent Scowcroft, national-security adviser to presidents George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford; Carol Browner, head of the U.S. EPA under Bill Clinton, Lee Thomas, EPA chief under Ronald Reagan, and Teddy Roosevelt IV, venture capitalist and great-grandson of his namesake, the GOP president. Scowcroft,Thomas, and Roosevelt are all Republicans. There is only ONE "tree-hugger" on the board, Larry Schweiger, president of the National Wildlife Federation. Al doesn't hold a position on the board or give input as to what the alliance does, he doesn't want to give credence to those that say he has his own agenda with Alliance for Climate Protection.
The asshats over at Faux are scared to death Al is going to run. There is no recent mud to sling about Al, so they attack his movie and his motivation for doing it. Al was approached to do the movie which is based on his lecture, not the other way around. They had to beg and cajole him into doing it. Faux news needs to see Alex Trebek and buy a friggin clue. The only agenda Al Gore has now and has had is to educate the world on the imminent dangers of Global Warming. I personally hope he runs for Prez..we need him now more than we did last time..we are in much more trouble this time around.
An Inconvienent Truth SEE IT starting tomorrow in NYC and LA
See it, tell everyone else to see it, take your kids to see it..just see it. Click on the poster to your left and it links to the website for the movie which lists all the locations it will be playing. If you live in Hell-A or NYC you can see it starting tomorrow. I will be going down to the depths of hell this weekend to see it. I live safely on the other side of a very high mountain range from Hell-A...actually,its not that safe..we get their smog dammit.You can't afford NOT to see it. Time's a'waisting sportsfans..we need to be afraid..then do something to change the status quo.
I will put this in my right sidebar..so you can click it after June 1st,which is when it opens Nationwide.
May 22, 2006
Mark Klein is sharing with us what he has on AT&T
Wired, the online Magazine,has a good article up on their site here. Its the goods that Mark Klein has on AT&T regarding their co-operation with the Fed's on the NSA's spy program on americans. EFF has filed a class action lawsuit against the once Ma Bell, now just Big Bell AT&T.
Mr. Klein is a former AT&T tech and now the star witness against his former employer. The Wired article has Mr.Kleins entire public statement regarding what he knows AND copies of company manuals that ANYONE can download showing how AT&T installed the spyware on thier systems to get the info the NSA was looking for.
I hope AT&T takes it deep and hard in EFF's lawsuit. As a customer of AT&T I wrote them an email last week regarding this bullshit. Their response I posted here,basicially says they didn't do anything outside the law..pardon me whilst I toss my cookies..The title of Wired's article: Whistle-Blower's Evidence, Uncut.
Mr. Klein is a former AT&T tech and now the star witness against his former employer. The Wired article has Mr.Kleins entire public statement regarding what he knows AND copies of company manuals that ANYONE can download showing how AT&T installed the spyware on thier systems to get the info the NSA was looking for.
I hope AT&T takes it deep and hard in EFF's lawsuit. As a customer of AT&T I wrote them an email last week regarding this bullshit. Their response I posted here,basicially says they didn't do anything outside the law..pardon me whilst I toss my cookies..The title of Wired's article: Whistle-Blower's Evidence, Uncut.
May 21, 2006
Is the religious left going to stand up and be heard?
“When facism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag,
carrying a cross.”--Sinclair Lewis
According to WaPo it is. The article is here. It might come as a surprise to some, not me...that not all people that worship God are in cahoots with Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Bill Frist. It seems those folks who hold poverty, global warming and affordable health care as important issues for all are rising up and screaming back at the folks I named above and their followers. There is a quote I liked from the WaPo article I wish to share with you, my dear reader:
"Evangelical Christians are not all white people living in the suburbs and only concerned with abortion and same-sex marriage."
But they are the ones getting the most airtime,print space, webspace and god knows what else. I have always figured that the religious right is basically just a loud albeit small bunch of nutjobs with blinders on. They reminded me of that fly you just can't seem to swat and it keeps buzzing around your ears,driving you slowly insane until you get up and either move indoors or find something with which to smash it into smithereens.
Not that I am advocating smashing the religious right to smithereens. I think we should pray for their souls, because at the rate they are going...hell is going to be their final resting place.
carrying a cross.”--Sinclair Lewis
According to WaPo it is. The article is here. It might come as a surprise to some, not me...that not all people that worship God are in cahoots with Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell and Bill Frist. It seems those folks who hold poverty, global warming and affordable health care as important issues for all are rising up and screaming back at the folks I named above and their followers. There is a quote I liked from the WaPo article I wish to share with you, my dear reader:
"Evangelical Christians are not all white people living in the suburbs and only concerned with abortion and same-sex marriage."
But they are the ones getting the most airtime,print space, webspace and god knows what else. I have always figured that the religious right is basically just a loud albeit small bunch of nutjobs with blinders on. They reminded me of that fly you just can't seem to swat and it keeps buzzing around your ears,driving you slowly insane until you get up and either move indoors or find something with which to smash it into smithereens.
Not that I am advocating smashing the religious right to smithereens. I think we should pray for their souls, because at the rate they are going...hell is going to be their final resting place.
May 20, 2006
May 19, 2006
The first thing you do is...kill all the lawyers.
There have been laws created to stop this law firm's abuse of the litigation system. They didn't work, the firm still made an obscene amount of money. Milberg Weiss and two of its prominent partners, David J. Bershad and Steven G. Schulman have been indicted on some serious charges, that some say, might ultimately bring the law firm to its knees...and drive it out of business.
A 20..count em 20 count indictment was handed down by the feds after a 7 year investigation according to an LA Times article. It includes these lovely charges: racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud, money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. THESE ARE CHARGES YOU WOULD SEE AGAINST MOBSTERS FOR GODS SAKE. It all started to unravel, according to the LA Times writeup thusly: "The investigation gained momentum in 2001, when Steven G. Cooperman, a former Beverly Hills eye surgeon who had been a plaintiff in about 60 Milberg cases, became a government informant. He faced up to 10 years in federal prison for faking the theft of a Monet and a Picasso from his home, then swindling insurers out of $17.5 million. In return for his help in the Milberg probe, Cooperman wound up serving 21 months."
Sorry for the caps, I used to work for a law office or two..one, a huge corporate firm, the other a one-man show..so I know attorneys to some degree. I have rubbed elbows with them off and on the job. They piss me off more times than not and make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Toss in the fact that 99 percent of our elected officials are "lawyers" and there you have it..a reason to kill them all. The actual quote from Shakespeare was a tribute to attorneys. I think not in this case.
Back to the boys at Milberg Weiss...They filed class-action securities lawsuits. According to the NY Times article: "The lawsuits cited in the indictment spanned two decades, occurring as recently as 2005, and generated some $216 million in legal fees for the firm."
What set this indictment apart for me, was the whole mob mentality of the firm..they paid,according to the charges, $11 million in secret payments to three individuals who served as plaintiffs in more than 150 lawsuits. Also..and I love this part..they laundered money through casinos and actually kept some of it in the office of one of the partners in a credenza..a pricey one I bet.
And the irony is this...now Milberg Weiss is open to being hit with plethora of lawsuits themselves. Pissed off clients and competing firms, not to mention some if not all these cases could be overturned now that hanky-panky has been unearthed. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and some of these cases go back 20 years. Thats real cold. Sadly, the firm has most likely structured the financials so that the partners assets are protected from lawsuits. But their assets can't be protected from the feds..part of the indictment asks that the legal fees be returned. Ain't that a bitch..plus the two senior partners are facing upwards of 20 years in the slammer. Its going to be a bitch doing the "perpwalk" at their advanced ages of 66 and 54. The LA Times is putting a political spin on these indictments noting the various indictees connection to the Democratic Party. Since the investigation has been on-going for around 7 years, I fail to see the connection. Smarmy lawyers come in all shapes,colors and party affiliations.
A 20..count em 20 count indictment was handed down by the feds after a 7 year investigation according to an LA Times article. It includes these lovely charges: racketeering conspiracy, mail fraud, money laundering conspiracy and obstruction of justice. THESE ARE CHARGES YOU WOULD SEE AGAINST MOBSTERS FOR GODS SAKE. It all started to unravel, according to the LA Times writeup thusly: "The investigation gained momentum in 2001, when Steven G. Cooperman, a former Beverly Hills eye surgeon who had been a plaintiff in about 60 Milberg cases, became a government informant. He faced up to 10 years in federal prison for faking the theft of a Monet and a Picasso from his home, then swindling insurers out of $17.5 million. In return for his help in the Milberg probe, Cooperman wound up serving 21 months."
Sorry for the caps, I used to work for a law office or two..one, a huge corporate firm, the other a one-man show..so I know attorneys to some degree. I have rubbed elbows with them off and on the job. They piss me off more times than not and make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Toss in the fact that 99 percent of our elected officials are "lawyers" and there you have it..a reason to kill them all. The actual quote from Shakespeare was a tribute to attorneys. I think not in this case.
Back to the boys at Milberg Weiss...They filed class-action securities lawsuits. According to the NY Times article: "The lawsuits cited in the indictment spanned two decades, occurring as recently as 2005, and generated some $216 million in legal fees for the firm."
What set this indictment apart for me, was the whole mob mentality of the firm..they paid,according to the charges, $11 million in secret payments to three individuals who served as plaintiffs in more than 150 lawsuits. Also..and I love this part..they laundered money through casinos and actually kept some of it in the office of one of the partners in a credenza..a pricey one I bet.
And the irony is this...now Milberg Weiss is open to being hit with plethora of lawsuits themselves. Pissed off clients and competing firms, not to mention some if not all these cases could be overturned now that hanky-panky has been unearthed. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and some of these cases go back 20 years. Thats real cold. Sadly, the firm has most likely structured the financials so that the partners assets are protected from lawsuits. But their assets can't be protected from the feds..part of the indictment asks that the legal fees be returned. Ain't that a bitch..plus the two senior partners are facing upwards of 20 years in the slammer. Its going to be a bitch doing the "perpwalk" at their advanced ages of 66 and 54. The LA Times is putting a political spin on these indictments noting the various indictees connection to the Democratic Party. Since the investigation has been on-going for around 7 years, I fail to see the connection. Smarmy lawyers come in all shapes,colors and party affiliations.
Not even $34/hour draws workers for landscape company in Riverside, CA
This story ran in the LA Times. Its another nail in the coffin of the radical right that says a guest worker program is not needed. A landscape company, willing to pay people, with experience, is offering $34 an hour. The owner isn't getting any takers. She is even willing to pay people off the street,without ANY experience, $14 an hour. The owner is a republican, her name is Cyndi Smallwood. She even has a signed photo of the Shrub hanging in her office from the RNC thanking her for her financial contribution. The author of the Times article asked her if she was going to vote republican again. This is the response printed in the paper: "Not hardly."
Cyndi has gone toe to toe with her local congressional representative regarding his stance against the guest worker program, Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-Diamond Bar). At one point Rep. Miller said his own son would work for the advertised $34 bucks an hour. Cyndi called his bluff and told him to send his son over, Miller agreed. Miller's son never showed up. According to the LA Times article...Miller declined to be interviewed.
Cyndi is one of the few landscaping companies that refuses to hire illegal's. She states on all her ads and flyers that documentation allowing a prospective employee to work in the U.S. is required. She states that as far as she can determine all her employees are here legally. She works for local and federal governments and schools districts. She must pay a "prevailing" wage when she works for the federal government on contracts such as highway beautification or drainage projects. She is having to pay overtime for the employees she does have because she is so short-handed. One of her supervisors is currently making over $52 an hour because of the overtime she must pay to finish her contracted jobs.
A conversation she had recently sets the tone for Cyndi's frustration. A car detailer, who states he makes around $60K a year refused a job with her even though he too works in the hot sun all day. He even admitted he would make more an hour working for Cyndi...but he also told her .."I don't want to work that hard".
Cyndi has posted her flyers at over half a dozen landscape supply stores, which would be seen by employees from other companies, legal or not. That one clause on the flyer "no application would be accepted "without verification of proper identification that allows you, by law, to work in the USA.", keeps her still waiting for a prospective applicant. She has had no takers as of the articles printing which is dated yesterday, May 18th.
Cyndi has gone toe to toe with her local congressional representative regarding his stance against the guest worker program, Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-Diamond Bar). At one point Rep. Miller said his own son would work for the advertised $34 bucks an hour. Cyndi called his bluff and told him to send his son over, Miller agreed. Miller's son never showed up. According to the LA Times article...Miller declined to be interviewed.
Cyndi is one of the few landscaping companies that refuses to hire illegal's. She states on all her ads and flyers that documentation allowing a prospective employee to work in the U.S. is required. She states that as far as she can determine all her employees are here legally. She works for local and federal governments and schools districts. She must pay a "prevailing" wage when she works for the federal government on contracts such as highway beautification or drainage projects. She is having to pay overtime for the employees she does have because she is so short-handed. One of her supervisors is currently making over $52 an hour because of the overtime she must pay to finish her contracted jobs.
A conversation she had recently sets the tone for Cyndi's frustration. A car detailer, who states he makes around $60K a year refused a job with her even though he too works in the hot sun all day. He even admitted he would make more an hour working for Cyndi...but he also told her .."I don't want to work that hard".
Cyndi has posted her flyers at over half a dozen landscape supply stores, which would be seen by employees from other companies, legal or not. That one clause on the flyer "no application would be accepted "without verification of proper identification that allows you, by law, to work in the USA.", keeps her still waiting for a prospective applicant. She has had no takers as of the articles printing which is dated yesterday, May 18th.
TruthOut's Marc Ash issues an apology of sorts..
This is from his posting on the TruthOuts Town Meeting page:
The Rove Indictment Story as of Right Now
The Rove Indictment Story as of Right Now
Fri May 19th, 2006 at 04:23:39 PM EDT :: Fitzgerald Investigation
(3 comments)
On Saturday afternoon, May 13, 2006, TruthOut ran a story titled, "Karl Rove Indicted on Charges of Perjury, Lying to Investigators." The story stated in part that top Bush aide Karl Rove had earlier that day been indicted on the charges set forth in the story's title.
The time has now come, however, to issue a partial apology to our readership for this story. While we paid very careful attention to the sourcing on this story, we erred in getting too far out in front of the news-cycle. In moving as quickly as we did, we caused more confusion than clarity. And that was a disservice to our readership and we regret it.
As such, we will be taking the wait-and-see approach for the time being. We will keep you posted.
Marc Ash, Executive Director - t r u t h o u t
mailto:director@truthout.org
When no news is bad news.
Seems today will not be Fitzmas day. This makes me sad as I am sure it does many others. TruthOut and Jason Leopold are taking a huge, nasty hit today. I have read many articles this week either backing Leopold or slamming him, very few are in the middle on this it seems. Those who support him are waiting to see what comes out this afternoon from Truthout. TruthOut has stated they will be issuing a statement later today via an email I just received from them. I have no feelings either way on Leopold's agressive reporting on the Rove indictment. I want to see how he handles this situation. I know all about his history, many writers have been more than willing to draw and quarter him based on his track record with several media outlets and various problems in his personal life.
May 18, 2006
Catch and Release? Was he sucking up to fishermen or what?
Jon Stewart, god love that man, has the best explanation of wtf and who the hell the Shrub was talking about. I thought my head was going to explode with all the reading I was doing regarding the Shrubs speech on immigration and the people dissecting it for me. The line in his speech that drove me crazy was the "catch and release". I was totally and completely sure the Shrub had lost his place on the teleprompter and perhaps was reading off the cover of an old issue of Field and Stream.
For the sake of our minds, a little humor if you will. Jon Stewarts brief albeit funny take on the Shrubs speech is here. We have to laugh whilst waiting for the perpwalk..don't we?
For the sake of our minds, a little humor if you will. Jon Stewarts brief albeit funny take on the Shrubs speech is here. We have to laugh whilst waiting for the perpwalk..don't we?
May 17, 2006
Truthout updates Rover's indictment story.
Marc Ash has a post up with more information regarding their sources and the MSM's involvement. The linkage is here.
Make sure next time, there are No Pets Left Behind.
This isn't a joke. Its a bill the Humane Societyof the U.S. has in front of the Senate(S. 2548) and the House (H.R. 3858) regarding pets during evacuations such as what happened with Katrina last year.The bill is called the PETS Act. The Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act will insure that thousands of animals are not left behind to starve and die a horrible death by allowing them to be evacuated with their owners. PETS requires state and local authorities to consider the needs of individuals with pets and service animals in the event of a major disaster. That means ANY type of disaster that requires evacuations. There are still hundreds and hundreds of dogs and cats that are living in shelters that in many cases, will never be reunited with their owners. Don't allow this to happen again. We know there will be more hurricanes, earthquakes and natural disasters. We need to make sure the littlest victims have a fighting chance to survive. Please click on the picture to go to the Humane Society website and sign the letter that will go to your Congress Rep and Senate Rep. We don't know when the next disaster will occur but we need to get these bills through and protect the ones that give us unconditional love daily. If you would like to read the proposed bill the linkage is here.
AT&T's response to my email regarding the NSA data-mining
I did it to see what they would say. I did not expect anyone to call me. I did not expect anything but a canned response. My email was brief:
If I find out that you provided our phone recordsAnd their response wasn't brief by any stretch of the imagination. But what did they actually tell me? Notta damn thing:
of either our landline residential or our
Cingular wireless phones to the NSA, I will be looking
for a class action lawsuit to join,not to mention
cancelling all of our services.
Thank you for your recent email.
We understand your concern and want to stress
that we vigorously protect our customers' privacy.
There has been a lot of speculation in the news
media. The fact is, AT&T does not allow
wiretapping without a court order nor has it otherwise
given customer information to law enforcement
authorities or government agencies without legal
authorization.
We have an obligation to assist law enforcement
and other government agencies responsible for
protecting the public welfare, whether it be an
individual or the security interests of the entire
nation.
We prize the trust our customers place in us. If
and when AT&T is asked by government agencies for
help, we do so strictly within the law and under
the most stringent conditions.
Beyond that, we can't comment on matters of
national security. This is a national security issue
and needs to be addressed on a national level.
We do appreciate hearing from you and we value
your business.
Thank you for choosing the new AT&T - the
culmination of AT&T's passion to invent and SBC's drive
to deliver. We appreciate your business and
continued loyalty. Check out the new AT&T at
www.att.com.
For additional information, click on the links
below, or cut and paste the links into your browser
(see safety note below):
The rest was just a large commercial..bastards..so I responded with this:
I would like to understand how providing my telephone records to the
NSA has become an issue of National Security,over the rights of the
individual to due process. Please explain how two elderly,disabled
people..one of whom voted Bush into office are National Security risks.
Did you receive a warrant requesting this information? Did you receive
a letter perhaps outlining how we are suspected of engaging in
terrorist activities? The answer to these questions is NO, you didn't
get anything, you summarily handed them over without so much as due
process on behalf of your customer..ME. When my contract period is
over, I will be changing cell phone carriers. Thanks for protecting me
and my rights.Qwest was the ONLY Telco that said no and the fed's just
walked away. Too bad I no longer live in their service area, I have the
utmost respect for them now. As for you, a giant conglomerate that only
values the almightly dollar..does the word Facism ring a bell? It
should..your company allowed this to happen without so much as a
question regarding the legality of it.
May 16, 2006
Ayaan Hirsi Ali comes to America..A female Rush Limbaugh?
It's about a woman who happens to be Muslim. She did a movie that exposed the dark belly of female abuse within the Dutch Muslim community. She is moving to America, she is the controversial Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I say controversial only because she is just that in her adopted land of the Netherlands. The director of her latest movie about the abuse of Muslim Fundi's women,Theo Van Gogh, was murdered in broad daylight,on a busy street in Amsterdam. The brutality of the murder is what stands out. They didn't just shoot him, twice even. They slit his throat from ear to ear and then took a dagger and plunged it into his chest with a note attached..for Ms.Ali.
Theo was the great grand nephew of yes, THAT VanGogh. Ms.Ali has taken a position at that Think Tank so fond of the Shrub and his ideals, the American Enterprize Institute(AEI).That is where Krazy Karl spoke on Monday, if it kind of rings a bell sportfans. Ayaan Ali has a deep hatred for the Muslim Fundi's,personally I don't know who could blame her in that respect.
What has caused the furor in Europe is that she lied on her asylum request to enter the Netherlands. She is one of the strict immigration proponents that has now had, what I like to call..a Rush Limbaugh moment.
As a believer in strict immigration policies, she must be having a helluva time explaining this one..or perhaps,she isn't explaining it. Thats why the move to America perhaps, although having a letter addressed to you sticking out of a brutally murdered man would tend to help make up your mind too. But, the boys and girls over at AEI didn't have a problem with her obvious double-standard regarding who should be allowed to immigrate and why. Somehow I was not surprised that they welcomed her with open arms. Immigration policies are only for the little mexican farmworker types..it doesn't apply to folks with money, fame or a huge political following.
An article on Theo van Gogh can be found by clicking on his name above. He was considered a pain in the ass by some..a brillant film-maker by others. A write up about Ms.Ali can be found here. The DailyKos had this to say about Ms. Ali: "DailyKos diarist Dearkitty, who lives in the Netherlands, slams Ali, claiming she's been "exposed as a fake," and that the AEI is "one of the most prominent pro Bush pro war neocon spin factories in the USA."
My POV is this..she might be Rush Limbaugh in high-heels,but the shit she has seen with regard to the crazy sumbitch's known as the Islamic Fundi's makes me respect that she had the nads to do the book and then the movie. The title of the documentary is Submission, and the IMDB has a short synopis here.
data mining..do they actually know what to do with it?
This angle regarding the latest smokescreen put out by those lovely folks at the WH helps me sleep at night. The government wouldn't know what to do with all those friggin phone numbers anyway. Seriously, does anyone think they are that competent? I mean, think about it..they can't find Bin Laden even though most likely he is dragging a fucking kidney dialysis machine around with him in his mountain hideaway. They are a slightly more modernized, technologically advanced version of the keystone cops. Plus they keep getting caught with their pants down..sometimes literally...so the players keep changing like a high school football team.
Another way to look at it is, if that one doesn't make you warm and fuzzy try this one on for size:
Its all about mathematics. Its all about crunching the numbers. But without other information to enter into the equation, all those friggin numbers can only produce so much information. Take for example, the Enron debacle. As this article points out in the opinion section of the NYT: "But without additional data, its reach is limited: as any mathematician will admit, even when you know everyone in the graph is a terrorist, it doesn't directly portray information about the order or hierarchy of the cell. Social network researchers look instead for graph features like "centrality": they try to identify nodes that are connected to a lot of other nodes, like spokes around the hub of a bicycle wheel.
But this isn't as helpful as you might imagine. First, the "central player" — the person with the most spokes — might not be as important as the hub metaphor suggests. For example, Jafar Adibi, an information scientist at the University of Southern California, analyzed e-mail traffic among Enron employees before the company collapsed. He found that if you naïvely analyzed the resulting graph, you could conclude that one of the "central" players was Ken Lay's ... secretary."
And then..if that didn't make you chuckle..or,god forbid cry..our mathematician brings up the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon theory..er game.
Since there is little we, as citizens can do about the heinous crimes most recently surfacing by those pencil-dicked guys in DC, I figured it was my job to try to make you relax..and hope that a whole lotta senators,congressmen and women and god knows those idiots in the WH are calling people that they dont want ANYONE to know about and they will bitchslap those nimrods good and stop this trampling of our rights.
Another way to look at it is, if that one doesn't make you warm and fuzzy try this one on for size:
Its all about mathematics. Its all about crunching the numbers. But without other information to enter into the equation, all those friggin numbers can only produce so much information. Take for example, the Enron debacle. As this article points out in the opinion section of the NYT: "But without additional data, its reach is limited: as any mathematician will admit, even when you know everyone in the graph is a terrorist, it doesn't directly portray information about the order or hierarchy of the cell. Social network researchers look instead for graph features like "centrality": they try to identify nodes that are connected to a lot of other nodes, like spokes around the hub of a bicycle wheel.
But this isn't as helpful as you might imagine. First, the "central player" — the person with the most spokes — might not be as important as the hub metaphor suggests. For example, Jafar Adibi, an information scientist at the University of Southern California, analyzed e-mail traffic among Enron employees before the company collapsed. He found that if you naïvely analyzed the resulting graph, you could conclude that one of the "central" players was Ken Lay's ... secretary."
And then..if that didn't make you chuckle..or,god forbid cry..our mathematician brings up the 6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon theory..er game.
Since there is little we, as citizens can do about the heinous crimes most recently surfacing by those pencil-dicked guys in DC, I figured it was my job to try to make you relax..and hope that a whole lotta senators,congressmen and women and god knows those idiots in the WH are calling people that they dont want ANYONE to know about and they will bitchslap those nimrods good and stop this trampling of our rights.
May 15, 2006
Truthout's explanation of their Rove indictment story.
Truthout has sent out the following email regarding their reports late last week regarding Krazy Karl's indictment:
How Accurate Was the 'Rove Indicted' Story?On Saturday afternoon, we ran a breaking story titled, "Karl Rove Indicted on Charges of Perjury, Lying to Investigators." We assumed that we were well ahead of the mainstream media and that we would be subsequently questioned. Right on both counts.What everyone is asking right now is how accurate is the story? Has Rove in fact been indicted? The story is accurate, and Karl Rove's attorneys have been served with an indictment.In short, we had two sources close to the Fitzgerald investigation who were explicit about the information that we published, and a former high-ranking state department official who reported communication with a source who had "direct knowledge" of the meeting at Patton Boggs. In both instances, substantial detail was provided and matched.We had confirmation. We ran the story.
How Accurate Was the 'Rove Indicted' Story?On Saturday afternoon, we ran a breaking story titled, "Karl Rove Indicted on Charges of Perjury, Lying to Investigators." We assumed that we were well ahead of the mainstream media and that we would be subsequently questioned. Right on both counts.What everyone is asking right now is how accurate is the story? Has Rove in fact been indicted? The story is accurate, and Karl Rove's attorneys have been served with an indictment.In short, we had two sources close to the Fitzgerald investigation who were explicit about the information that we published, and a former high-ranking state department official who reported communication with a source who had "direct knowledge" of the meeting at Patton Boggs. In both instances, substantial detail was provided and matched.We had confirmation. We ran the story.
Talk Left has a good post up about this situation and how they see it. Perhaps Jason's source's are not attorneys and unfamiliar with some of the jargon. Talk Left states after numerous convo's with Jason Leopold this weekend, if his sources did in fact lie to him..Jason Leopold will identify them..stay tuned sportsfans.
Dear Mr. President: Ahmadinejad's letter to Bush
I have read the leader of Iran's letter several times. I find it a little flaky and full of religious references through the entire letter. First, if you my dear reader, haven't read it, you can do so here. It is an actual copy of the letter in pdf format, albeit a translation of the original I presume. He wrote extensively about Israel, and how and why the state of Israel was created in the midst of Palestinian lands. He rants about why some of the events leading up to and including the attacks on 9-11 are still kept secret. He has nothing but questions, and very little of the correspondence actually deals with the issue of uranium in Iran. Its more of a "pointing finger" at our country with regard to how the Shrub does business. Its largely a philosophical paper in my view, but he did make the following points:
He questions how the Shrub can talk about WMD's as a reason to occupy Iraq but none were ever found. He even calls Sadaam a "murderous dictator" and wonders how we could of supported him for years knowing what a sack of sheep shit he was. Personally, I have always wondered this too.
He questions the prisoners at Gitmo not having legal representation and the fact that the Shrub refuses to allow the International Red Cross to visit these prisoners. This fact really bothers me also. Does the Shrub have something to hide? The federal government has the nads to bitch about prisoner abuse in other nations, yet the Shrub won't allow the International Red Cross to visit these prisoners? Talk about a double standard..
Thats it sportsfans..oh..its also 18 pages long. Brevity isn't Ahmadinejad's strong suit is it?
He questions how the Shrub can talk about WMD's as a reason to occupy Iraq but none were ever found. He even calls Sadaam a "murderous dictator" and wonders how we could of supported him for years knowing what a sack of sheep shit he was. Personally, I have always wondered this too.
He questions the prisoners at Gitmo not having legal representation and the fact that the Shrub refuses to allow the International Red Cross to visit these prisoners. This fact really bothers me also. Does the Shrub have something to hide? The federal government has the nads to bitch about prisoner abuse in other nations, yet the Shrub won't allow the International Red Cross to visit these prisoners? Talk about a double standard..
Thats it sportsfans..oh..its also 18 pages long. Brevity isn't Ahmadinejad's strong suit is it?
May 14, 2006
Mothers..we are a compassionate bunch.
I am taking the rest of the day off from the blogosphere, I will revel in being the mother of a child that has finally pulled his head out of his self-serving ass and become a decent,contributing member of our society.
So, I will point you to my mothers day post made earlier this morning, the one on my fluff blog. Then there is the one I will cut and paste below. Its was a comment in response to a post by that grand old sage, the Omnipotentpoobah over on Bring it On, a forum we both contribute on.
So, I will point you to my mothers day post made earlier this morning, the one on my fluff blog. Then there is the one I will cut and paste below. Its was a comment in response to a post by that grand old sage, the Omnipotentpoobah over on Bring it On, a forum we both contribute on.
May 13, 2006
McCain & Falwell do a little slap and tickle today.
I once considered..albeit briefly..voting for McCain..as a way of expressing my dissatisfaction with the Democrap running..but I took a nap and realized the error of my ways..on to the story..
John kissed some Falwell ass today as the commencement speaker at Falwells religious mecca known as Liberty U. in Lynchburg VA. I can't think of anything to say at this point,its so smarmy to me..so here's the link. I hope someone photoshops a goodie of these two blowhards together at the podium. Nothing like pasty, over-fed white guys making up to warm the cockles of my heart...
Jason Leopold states Rove served with indictment papers Yesterday.
Hot damn!Hot off the presses!!! Truthout has Jason's report up today stating the St. Fitz spent half the day friday at Krazy Karl's attorney serving indictment papers. Krazy Karl is charged with perjury and lying to investigators..like thats friggin news St. Fitz? :P The question now is who is the leaker-in-chief?
Leopolds sources state that Karl has 24 hours to get his "affairs" in order. St.Fitz met w/Luskin(KK's attorney) for 15 freaking hours. The visual of Krazy Karl in handcuffs just makes my day. Whos the friggin leaker??????????????????????? Spill it Karl.
"Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain...hes going to be unemployed soon."Wizard of Oz the movie and dusty :)
May 12, 2006
Truthout.org:Rove admits he will be indicted
Check it out. Jason Leopold hasn't been wrong yet.The linkage is here. He is just waiting for St.Fitz to drop the other shoe and make it official.
Damn,its good friday again?
It seems someone thought this was real..its a photoshop..and a damn good one..
Quote o' the Day...
It comes from that old sage Maggie Thatcher..the former Prime Minister of Britain:
"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."
"Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren't."
May 11, 2006
Bakersfield,CA "Caught Red-handed" event for MoveOn
It was friggin hot yesterday. It was only noon but believe me when I say it was hovering around triple digits. We were there to present our congressional Rep. Bill Thomas with a check from the Drug Companies. Why? Because Wild Bill took ALOT of drug company cash. Lots and lots..to the tune of over HALF A MILLION BUCKS. I don't know about you, my dear reader, but to me thats one helluva lot of money from one section of big business. Bill is retiring after this session, but we wanted to let him know we haven't forgotten what he meant to us...and to the drug companies. Wild Bill is head of the powerful Ways and Means committee. Wild Bill wasn't home,but we didn't expect him to be. We figured he would be DC lining his pockets with more PAC money. We had a small turnout, but this is a small town. Bakersfield has over 2,000 MoveOn members and many of them signed a peition online recently to request an overhaul of that mess known as the Medicare Drug Plan. You know the one..where the private drug companies are making millions off the backs of the seniors and disabled. The petition also demanded Wild Bill help change the deadline date of May 15th. Between 11-15 million seniors and disabled have not signed up for this screwed up program. Most of those that have signed up were done so automatically through their HMO's and insurance companies.Anyway, I digress..back to our rally. It was small but enthusiastic. We had several seniors that drove over 50 miles to attend, they are that fed up with this mess. They are tired of being fucked over by our administration in the name of the big pharmacuetical companies. The press showed up..well, half the media did.. KERO and KGET, two local TV stations did. Emily Valdez did a great piece on our rally and the plight of seniors trying to wade through the crap to sign up before the deadline. It was on the 6 and 11pm news. A BIG THANKS TO EMILY! Minoo's mother had a horror story about her walk through the gauntlet of the drug plan. Her medicene for arthritis costs over 3000 a month..thats three thousand bucks sportsfans. She used to get it free but now that she actually signed up for the program her insurance company has removed it from the approved drug list AND she pays a monthly premium for this stupid program. I read a short speech about this disgusting and obvious big business-friendly program. We had a nice big visual in the check made out to Wild Bill for $570,550.00. We symbolically tore up the check,demanded he stop kissing drug companies ass's and protect the seniors and disabled in his district. We then walked into his nice, COOL office and presented the petitions to one of his minions. She was very nice in all honesty and thanked us. Who wouldn't? The county voted this dipshit into office so he could get all that lovely money from the drug companies. What pisses me off is everyone, no matter what their party affiliation has a parent or loved one most likely affected by this drug plan. It shouldnt be a partisan issue..but it is..and that..my dear reader..is total and complete bullshit. They have in most cases worked hard their entire life, gave much to this country and this is the thanks they get..a royal shaft by the Shrub's administration all in the name of profits for the drug companies. Write or call your Representatives today..please..tell them to quit screwing the seniors and remove the deadline and overhaul this friggin mess. The seniors deserve better than this. Everyone does. Thanks to Doug for his photos..YOU ROCK DOUG!
May 10, 2006
Poor folks are now subsidizing the rich..thats a switch.
One of my favorite emails every morning is from TomPaine.com. I love the writers, and I love the topics..not the usual rants and ravings stuff. Intelligent, well written and well researched articles.
Today I get this one. Its a goodie..you need to check it out if your bored or what a good read. Its called "The Welfare Kings" by Dean Baker. Dean is the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
I am organizing a nice lil event for MoveOn tomorrow so I am very busy..and most likely won't post till this weekend..take care my dear reader..
Today I get this one. Its a goodie..you need to check it out if your bored or what a good read. Its called "The Welfare Kings" by Dean Baker. Dean is the co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research.
I am organizing a nice lil event for MoveOn tomorrow so I am very busy..and most likely won't post till this weekend..take care my dear reader..
A pictorial essay of Tommy,Dead-eye Dick,Condo and The Shrub
I don't remember where I got them..but I like them. Click on the image if you want a copy.
May 9, 2006
Is the Army so desperate for men they enlist Autistic 18 year olds? The answer is yes.
I want to thank Steve O. over at Bring it On! for posting this story today.I had to blog about it, if only to get it out of my head. As a parent, it upset me. As a daughter and wife of former Navy men it pissed me off.
Last year, many reports were out there regarding military recruiters abusing the rules to sign up new enlistees. The level of abuse was so bad, the Army halted recruiting for one day last May to re-instruct recruiters on legalities regarding their recruitment policies.
Well, they are at it again.
Army recruiters in Oregon signed up an autistic 18-year old. They signed him up for one of the most dangerous jobs in the Army, a scout. That means if he doesn’t get blown to bits, its ok for the rest of them to go into a situation or area. The child, and yes mentally he is still a child, has been tested by the Army and passed with flying colors…that is, if you think 43 of 99 correct answers is a passing grade. The Army will enlist adults that score as low as 31 correct answers. Is a passing grade of less than 33% acceptable in the real world
Ummm..no.
Jared, the autistic 18 year old, told his parents he was going to enlist. They figured no way he would pass a test, not to mention the recruiters would be able to ascertain that Jared had a disability. I mean, the girls in school could figure it out pretty quickly. Jared is a good looking kid and those young chicks are always on the prowl for a “hottie”..that is until he can’t hold a decent conversation…then, they turn and walk away. The recruiters didn’t care. His mother called and asked him what he was doing. Jared told her he was taking a test, and entrance test. His mother asked to speak to the Army recruiter, Cpl. Ronan Ansley. She explained to Ansley that Jared had a disability that would never be outgrown, he was autistic. Ansley said he had one too..he had dyslexia.
Big difference between those wouldn’t you say?
So, after finding out her son had “passed” his entrance exam, Jared’s mother called the recruitment office and asked for Ansley’s superior. She spoke with Sgt. Alejandro Velasco. She again explained Jared’s disability. She advised Velasco to review Jared’s long medical history. Velasco declined stating he didn’t need to, the recruiter would take care of all that. Jared’s mother begged and pleaded with Velasco. His response was this:
"Well, Jared's an 18-year-old man. He doesn't need his mommy to make his decisions for him."
Jared’s parents contacted their local newspaper, the Oregonian. Thankfully they ran with the story. They contacted Velasco who denied knowing anything about Jared’s autism. Sgt. Velasco threw Cpl. Ansley under the bus, stating he had no knowledge of Jared’s condition and that Cpl Ansley was the man to talk to. The Oregonian also faxed Jared's medical records to the U.S. Army Recruiting Battalion commander Lt. Col. David Carlton in Portland, who on Wednesday ordered an investigation. Jared’s parents are still waiting to hear if he will be released from his commitment to join the Army.
If you think this kind of behavior by our military recruiters is unusual, its not.
There are plenty of articles online about the Army’s enlistment tactics. Check out this one here. It’s the story of an honor student who told an Army recruiter that he flunked out of high school and had a marijuana habit he couldn’t kick. The recruiter told him how to get a fake diploma and took him to a store and picked out a masking agent for his urine test. Read the Ohio story of recruiters enlisting a 21 year old bi-polar man that had recently been released from a psych ward. I love the Houston story about a recruiter telling someone that a warrant would be issued for his arrest if he didn’t attend a meeting. The male wasn’t signed up, he was merely THINKING about it. There are many more..I am just too sick to my stomach to link them all at this point. The best part is yet to come however on the Houston story.
The Houston recruiter who threatened the interested male with an arrest warrant has been..drumroll please..promoted. The Army just loves those gun-ho types.
Don’t you?
May 8, 2006
Ray McGovern talks about his meeting with Rummy
TomPaine.com has an article up by Ray. He is the man that called out Rummy in Georgia last week. The guy who has 27-years w/the intelligence community. The man who had the nads to question Rumsfield on his lies and half-truths. He talks about the MSM's questions afterwards, including that lovely Paula Zahn, who was her usual partisan self. Its a detailed account of what transpired ...Its a good read, check it out here.
A complete transcript of the exchange between Ray McGovern and Rummy can be found here.
The final paragraph from Ray's account is sad to me, showing that ignorance is bliss for some folks: "This was immediately greeted with what Pravda used to describe as “stormy applause,” followed immediately by rather unseemly shouts by this otherwise well-disciplined and well-heeled group to have me summarily thrown out. At the end, as we all filed out slowly, I could make eye contact with only one person—who proceeded to berate me for being insubordinate.
Scary. No open minds there. A graphic reminder for those wishing to spread some truth around that we have our work cut out for us. We have to find imaginative ways to use truth as a lever to pry open closed minds."
The folks boarding the good ship Titanic are lemmings in human form..how else can you explain their ability to follow this administration to the depths of hell?
A complete transcript of the exchange between Ray McGovern and Rummy can be found here.
The final paragraph from Ray's account is sad to me, showing that ignorance is bliss for some folks: "This was immediately greeted with what Pravda used to describe as “stormy applause,” followed immediately by rather unseemly shouts by this otherwise well-disciplined and well-heeled group to have me summarily thrown out. At the end, as we all filed out slowly, I could make eye contact with only one person—who proceeded to berate me for being insubordinate.
Scary. No open minds there. A graphic reminder for those wishing to spread some truth around that we have our work cut out for us. We have to find imaginative ways to use truth as a lever to pry open closed minds."
The folks boarding the good ship Titanic are lemmings in human form..how else can you explain their ability to follow this administration to the depths of hell?
Global warming and species extinction are inter-twined
I remember crying as a child when I heard about a species of animal becoming extinct. I would lie on my bed and cry my eyes out, wondering why god would allow this to happen.
I don't cry anymore, it happens too often now. And I realize god had nothing to do with it. It was humans and their quest to live where ever they wanted, or something they needed from a part of the earth animals only inhabited, and stupid human needs such as animal tusks to be ground into powder for old men who lost their sex drive.
Scientists have also discovered that global warming affects many animal species' ability to survive. Ah...one more thing global warming affects. The following quote is from an article on NewScientist.com : "Overall, 16,119 animal and plant species are in danger of extinction, including 1 in 8 birds, 1 in 4 mammals and 1 in 3 amphibian species. Since records began, 784 species have been declared extinct. From the poles to the deserts, “biodiversity loss is increasing, not slowing down,” says IUCN director-general Achim Steiner."
Of course global warming isn't the only culprit..people are still the biggest bully on the block. I felt the saddness that surrounded me as a child when I read the article. Knowing there were beautiful creatures I would never see and the eco-chain was getting the shaft again. Ah..progress..its such a heartless bitch.
I don't cry anymore, it happens too often now. And I realize god had nothing to do with it. It was humans and their quest to live where ever they wanted, or something they needed from a part of the earth animals only inhabited, and stupid human needs such as animal tusks to be ground into powder for old men who lost their sex drive.
Scientists have also discovered that global warming affects many animal species' ability to survive. Ah...one more thing global warming affects. The following quote is from an article on NewScientist.com : "Overall, 16,119 animal and plant species are in danger of extinction, including 1 in 8 birds, 1 in 4 mammals and 1 in 3 amphibian species. Since records began, 784 species have been declared extinct. From the poles to the deserts, “biodiversity loss is increasing, not slowing down,” says IUCN director-general Achim Steiner."
Of course global warming isn't the only culprit..people are still the biggest bully on the block. I felt the saddness that surrounded me as a child when I read the article. Knowing there were beautiful creatures I would never see and the eco-chain was getting the shaft again. Ah..progress..its such a heartless bitch.
May 7, 2006
Repubes bite the hand that leads them..ain't that grand?
The folks on the Senate Intel Commitee are none too thrilled with Military man Hayden leading the CIA. They don't like the idea of military men running everything regarding intelligence..linkage to Rep. Peter Hoekstra's (R-Mich) bitch fest is here.
This just reminds me of a good one liner.. Naval Intelligence, you can have one but not both in the same phrase...think about it :P
This just reminds me of a good one liner.. Naval Intelligence, you can have one but not both in the same phrase...think about it :P
May 6, 2006
Bakersfield marks the 10th anniversary of medicinal marijuana bill's passage
Today, somehow, I missed this anniversary. Of course I am laid up with a trashed back from a work injury so I am not on top of things,being medicated up to my eyeballs with muscle relaxers,N-Saids and pain pills. All these drugs have marked side effects on my body, some of them worse than what they are designed to alleviate. For me sometimes, the cure is worse than the disease.
Which brings me to the reason for this post. Last month was the national celebration of 4/20. I didn't really post on that day but read some good posts and bad posts on the subject. One bad post quoted the "press" release that day from those wonderful folks over at the FDA. It reinterated the basic "political" premise that marijuana has no medical use, its a nasty drug and yada yada yada..I would like to bring up something those asshats over at the FDA seemed to have forgotten...
Back in 1999, the Institute of Medicine,the medical part of the National Academy of Sciences released a report on medicinal marijuana and other related topics. The NAS is an organization chartered by Congress to provide independent, nonpartisan scientific and technological advice. They released a 288 page report(which you can read in its entirety here) which stated various points regarding marijuana as a gateway drug(low probability), potential for addiction(also low probability), the effect of smoking marijuana on the lungs(no obvious long-term problems) and the usefulness of marijuana in treating such debilitating diseases,conditions or illnesses associated with cancer chemotherapy, appetite stimulation for cancer and HIV patients, and treatment of muscle spasticity for patients with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. Time and time again throughout the report, the 11 well respected scientists urged more testing and research into the usefulness of medicinal marijuana.
Since that report was released, our government as blocked virtually ALL efforts to conduct research on this plant that grows wild as a weed in various parts of the world, including the United States. What this means is the politically motivated press release last month is nothing more than bat guano since NOTHING has been proven, due to the governments efforts to stonewall any and all research.
So, once again our government has given us nothing more than lies,half-truths and basic bullshit masquerading at truth in the name of medical science. Don't you just love how those asshats can say all this crap with a straight face and a steady voice knowing its the biggest crock of hog poop since Scooter Libby said he was too busy to remember who he talked to about Valerie Plames status over at the CIA?
I know I do..
Anyway..in this red county of Kern, filled chock full of republicans that simply hate that medicinal marijuana is legal in this state, marchers walked proudly, were pushed in wheel chairs, and hobbled in support of the right to use a drug that many researchers OUTSIDE the U.S have shown is a viable alternative to prescription medication that not only costs a bloody fortune but has side effects that hamper its use by many sick individuals.
Thanks to those that marched today. I am just sorry I wasn't able to join you. I salute you all.
Which brings me to the reason for this post. Last month was the national celebration of 4/20. I didn't really post on that day but read some good posts and bad posts on the subject. One bad post quoted the "press" release that day from those wonderful folks over at the FDA. It reinterated the basic "political" premise that marijuana has no medical use, its a nasty drug and yada yada yada..I would like to bring up something those asshats over at the FDA seemed to have forgotten...
Back in 1999, the Institute of Medicine,the medical part of the National Academy of Sciences released a report on medicinal marijuana and other related topics. The NAS is an organization chartered by Congress to provide independent, nonpartisan scientific and technological advice. They released a 288 page report(which you can read in its entirety here) which stated various points regarding marijuana as a gateway drug(low probability), potential for addiction(also low probability), the effect of smoking marijuana on the lungs(no obvious long-term problems) and the usefulness of marijuana in treating such debilitating diseases,conditions or illnesses associated with cancer chemotherapy, appetite stimulation for cancer and HIV patients, and treatment of muscle spasticity for patients with multiple sclerosis or spinal cord injury. Time and time again throughout the report, the 11 well respected scientists urged more testing and research into the usefulness of medicinal marijuana.
Since that report was released, our government as blocked virtually ALL efforts to conduct research on this plant that grows wild as a weed in various parts of the world, including the United States. What this means is the politically motivated press release last month is nothing more than bat guano since NOTHING has been proven, due to the governments efforts to stonewall any and all research.
So, once again our government has given us nothing more than lies,half-truths and basic bullshit masquerading at truth in the name of medical science. Don't you just love how those asshats can say all this crap with a straight face and a steady voice knowing its the biggest crock of hog poop since Scooter Libby said he was too busy to remember who he talked to about Valerie Plames status over at the CIA?
I know I do..
Anyway..in this red county of Kern, filled chock full of republicans that simply hate that medicinal marijuana is legal in this state, marchers walked proudly, were pushed in wheel chairs, and hobbled in support of the right to use a drug that many researchers OUTSIDE the U.S have shown is a viable alternative to prescription medication that not only costs a bloody fortune but has side effects that hamper its use by many sick individuals.
Thanks to those that marched today. I am just sorry I wasn't able to join you. I salute you all.
May 5, 2006
GAO finds Medicare drug benefit fiasco continues
The General Accouting Office has released results of an independant review of Medicare Operators regarding information they are or are not providing regarding the new Medicare part D drug plan. They called 1-800-Medicare which is the number the government is using to provide help and information on the mess known as the Medicare drug plan, one of the Shrub's supposed 'highlights' of his administation.
It ain't good. The GAO placed 500 calls to the government operators responsible for handing questions from seniors and disabled citizens on the program. The Deadline for signing up for coverage under the plan without penalty is May 15th.
Of the 500 calls placed at least ONE-THIRD were given incorrect information and in some cases NO information at all. The wait time to talk to an operator ran as high as almost an hour, which I guess shows why information wasn't handed out..ya think?
The report also states that the promotional pamphlets and materials used too much technical jargon and the website is so confusing many people gave up before finishing the registration process.
The Shrub's minion responded by calling the report, out-dated, inaccurate ,incomplete...and unfortunate. No shit its unfortunate..for the consumers trying to sign up prior to the administration's deadline. If consumers sign up after the deadline, they will be assessed a higher life-long premium which increases each month after the administrations imposed deadline.
Advocacy groups have been screaming for some time that the government's program is a mess, impossible to understand and the deadline needs to be dropped or moved out so the remaining 12-15 million disabled and elderly recipients can sign up without penalties.
Ah..our tax dollars at work..isn't it grand? Truthout has an article up about the report here.
Contact your representatives and demand they extend the current deadline of May 15th. Everyone has a relative or loved one affected by this program.
It ain't good. The GAO placed 500 calls to the government operators responsible for handing questions from seniors and disabled citizens on the program. The Deadline for signing up for coverage under the plan without penalty is May 15th.
Of the 500 calls placed at least ONE-THIRD were given incorrect information and in some cases NO information at all. The wait time to talk to an operator ran as high as almost an hour, which I guess shows why information wasn't handed out..ya think?
The report also states that the promotional pamphlets and materials used too much technical jargon and the website is so confusing many people gave up before finishing the registration process.
The Shrub's minion responded by calling the report, out-dated, inaccurate ,incomplete...and unfortunate. No shit its unfortunate..for the consumers trying to sign up prior to the administration's deadline. If consumers sign up after the deadline, they will be assessed a higher life-long premium which increases each month after the administrations imposed deadline.
Advocacy groups have been screaming for some time that the government's program is a mess, impossible to understand and the deadline needs to be dropped or moved out so the remaining 12-15 million disabled and elderly recipients can sign up without penalties.
Ah..our tax dollars at work..isn't it grand? Truthout has an article up about the report here.
Contact your representatives and demand they extend the current deadline of May 15th. Everyone has a relative or loved one affected by this program.
May 4, 2006
FEMA closing NOLA office..WTF?
After the Shrub has stated on numerous occasions that the federal government will stay as long as it takes to rebuild post-Katrina....drumroll please...The FEMA office is closing in New Orleans and all of the federal employees save five have been reassigned. The remaining five are waiting for reassignment orders.
The rebuilding hasn't even begun in earnest. There are still homeless victims of Katrina trying to piece their lives and those of their families together. The city's officials and business leaders have asked for funding to support the hiring of planners and FEMA doesn't think its their job to provide funds for that endeavor..*cough*bullshit*cough*.
Since much of the reason the city is still unplanned much less rebuilding, is due to FEMA's tardy and sometimes fucktarded response to needs..how can they abandon New Orleans?
Simple..like the nuclear waste in Hanford..the feds just don't want to be bothered. They would rather allocate tax savings for Oil companies and the upper 1% of the population. They gotta cut something somewhere to do that you know..
So, once again..the victims of Katrina get the short end of the stick..thanks guys..your running true to form ya bastards.
The link to the AP writeup by Rukmini Callimachi is here.
Edit: The pic is courtesy of Sue who is going back to NOLA and will let us know what is happening there from her perspective. Her blog is over on my sidebar if you, my dear reader don't blogroll her.
May 2, 2006
Tell me again..how safe is nuclear waste?
Lesley Stahl has a story up on the 60 minutes website that aired this past Sunday evening. Its about Hanford WA. home to the largest piece of radioactive real estate this side of Russia, 586 square miles. There the government stores its radioactive waste..waste that is as old as original Nagasaki bomb waste. Say it again..original Nagasaki radioactive bomb waste. From THAT bomb..you know the one..it helped end WWII. Hanford is located along the Columbia River.
Try this on for size: "There are 53 million gallons of highly radioactive liquid waste stored in underground tanks that are now so old they have leaked one million gallons of the stuff."
Thats a sobering statistic. Its not denied by the government or any other entity.
Now that you have absorbed that stat..let me give you another one..The waste has leaked into the groundwater. It's heading for the Colombia River. Over a million human beings live downstream of the Columbia River.
The government has grandiose plans for dealing with this toxic nightmare that has been around now for decades upon decades and growing. They been working on it for years..and years..and years..and I think you get my drift. 60 Minutes has been following the saga of the nuclear waste at Hanford for 16 years. Its only gotten worse.
The acronym FUBAR comes to mind. The plan was to move the waste into better built containers and then make glass logs out of it. Not a bad idea..if it works. They don't really know if it will work..they won't be able to try it out until the year....ready for this number?? The year 2018. Thats not all..the cost over runs,construction delays and the fact that the tanks weren't built to the correct specs really makes you feel warm and fuzzy don't they? Bechtel is a wonderful company..even if they did screw up the build of the tanks...AND get a very hefty $15 Million dollar bonus for building the faulty and bascially useless tanks. Lets reward mediocrity!!!!! Its the American Way..right? The boondoggles on this project just blow your mind. The promises to correct and move forward are treasonous lies and bullshit in my humble opinion. I haven't even told you about the other screwups and lies and coverups..you need to read the writeup. I can't bring myself to type them all out.
Leslie Stahl interviewed some of those lovely folks over at the Department of Energy for this latest twist in the ongoing soap opera that is Hanford's nuclear waste problem. Its everyone's problem, isn't it? Of course I thank God that I do not live in that part of the United States. The government will have us all beleive they are doing the best they can. The governor of the state of WA, Christine Gregoire doesn't believe the bullshit for one minute. Her quote from the article is sobering: "Let me tell you the story. 1989: They told me there was zero chance that there would be any leakage and ground water contamination. Sixteen years later, we have confirmed 67 leakers, groundwater contamination. I told them then, 'Gravity works like this.' And I’ll tell them again today: gravity means we are very vulnerable to the groundwater contamination and a plume that we now have moving towards the Columbia River, which is the lifeline of our Pacific Northwest,"
The final rub is this....the federal government wants to CUT the budget for the Hanford clean-up. They basically want to "walk away" from this mess they created that can become a huge ,catastrophic disaster of mythic proportions at any given time for the residents of WA state that reside along the Columbia River.
Tell me again how safe this shit is... If we can't figure what to do with the millions of gallons of radioactive waste we already have..how can we call it a "safe, alternative energy source" with a straight face? We still don't know how to deal with the left-overs sportsfans. The Nuclear Energy Institute can pay the former founder of Greenpeace and a former head of the EPA to talk up this crap up about "safe" nuclear power till the next millenium..I don't care..I will never back nuclear energy until they figure out the disposal of it and show that it works. For me, signing off on nuclear power at this stage is tantamount to telling the residents along the Columbia River..we will get back to you on the Hanford site, but just sign off on this energy source..okey dokey?
Unless of course you don't mind waiting 10,000 years to use the Columbia River when the "plume" of radioactive waste thats heading for it gets there. Don't hand me the mumbo jumbo about nuclear plant waste being "less" toxic than the stuff at Hanford. It's not the point. My point is its all toxic and deadly..and there is NO plan to deal with any of it that works. Thats the operative phase..No plan that has been shown to work. The priority should be to deal with the radioactive waste first. Not building more nuclear reactors and worrying about the waste later..thats called closing the barn door after the horse has run away.
May 1, 2006
Corporate Greed rears its ugly head again..this time they are going after the Internet.
Those lovely corporate types are pushing to limit the internet content YOU and I will be able to access. This is pure and total crap sportsfans..Tell your congress freaks how you feel about it..join the fight against the stripping our rights. An easy to use form is here to let your specific congress rep's how you feel about this. This link here will give you tools to use in order to get the word out about this heinous bill that will restrict our freedoms once again in the name of CORPORATE GREED. You can put buttons on your blog/website that will link directly to SaveTheInternet.com so that other bloggers can get w/the program to stop these bastards. Join the fight or shut the hell up..its as simple as that.
This bill affects everyone..EVERYONE that blogs,maintains a website or surfs the internet.
Blogging and Journalism..never the twain shall meet?
I love Doug Thompson's Capitol Hill Blue, the world's oldest Internet News Site. CHB pulls no punches and shows no favoritism to the left,right or nutjobs inbetween..I also enjoy Doug's personal blog, Blue Ridge Muse. Doug had a huge meltdown of his servers last week and all posts from both sites were lost for a week. There had been several great posts on blogging that were lost from his personal blog. I had linked to one of them, doing my own post about Bloggers and Disinformation here. Doug had also done a post about Blogging and Journalism which was lost. I was in the middle of doing my own post after heavy thought about his when the meltdown occured. Doug has graciously reconstructed the latter post..THANKS DOUG!!! You can read Doug's post that forced me to think long and hard about blogs and journalism here.
In Doug's post, he takes issue with Bloggers that fancy themselves as Journalists. Doug has a right to state his beliefs, he's been a Journalist forever..a good, balanced one in my humble opinion. A quote from Doug's post: "In today's Internet-driven world, people too often confuse bloggers with journalists. Some bloggers consider themselves journalists. Most, even those who aspire to be journalists, are not. They confuse opinion with facts, perception with truth and bias with objectivity."
I understand his point, and since reading it last week, I find myself examining posts from other blogs that seem to feel they are contributing members of the news media. I sometimes think I am providing quality information on breaking news, or items which I deem news-worthy. What most bloggers do is analyze the news..not gather it. I am guilty of this as I have figured out thanks to Doug and his post. Opinion pieces are not news, but they are a small part of the whole process of reporting the news. There are a few bloggers like Doug, that are journalists..but the list is very very short. 99% 0f us are ranters,commenters or researchers. We need to remember that, and our place in the blog eco chain.
In Doug's post, he takes issue with Bloggers that fancy themselves as Journalists. Doug has a right to state his beliefs, he's been a Journalist forever..a good, balanced one in my humble opinion. A quote from Doug's post: "In today's Internet-driven world, people too often confuse bloggers with journalists. Some bloggers consider themselves journalists. Most, even those who aspire to be journalists, are not. They confuse opinion with facts, perception with truth and bias with objectivity."
I understand his point, and since reading it last week, I find myself examining posts from other blogs that seem to feel they are contributing members of the news media. I sometimes think I am providing quality information on breaking news, or items which I deem news-worthy. What most bloggers do is analyze the news..not gather it. I am guilty of this as I have figured out thanks to Doug and his post. Opinion pieces are not news, but they are a small part of the whole process of reporting the news. There are a few bloggers like Doug, that are journalists..but the list is very very short. 99% 0f us are ranters,commenters or researchers. We need to remember that, and our place in the blog eco chain.
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When did we(the universal we) lose our compassion for those less fortunate? Losing that one aspect of our persona affects everything we do. It affects how we view and deal with our neighbors, how we answer a call for help from countries that we have nothing in common with but breathing the polluted air swirling this planet. When did it become ok to ignore the plight of starving nations while we attack other nations, all the while screaming to the world that we are the protector of everything good.Some ideologies have always conflicted with compassion, and when they become the prevailing line of thought and actions, we lose a part of our soul.
The prevailing ideology now is one such example. It is a greedy, self-centered belief that we are going to get what we can first and formost,for ourselves. We put our self-centered,often times mean-spirited needs above those less fortunate. We have become the bully that everyone fears and no one likes. We justify our actions in the name of good,when in reality its neither good or noble.
But someone has to take the bully to task, someone has to stand up to the bully. When Nixon and J.Edgar had a grand plan for America people slowly started to gather together and stand up to the bullies. It starts out small, their voices barely heard over the din of the bullies posturing and bragging. It snowballs as we gather strength in numbers. Everyone’s soul still has compassion, some just buried it deep inside themselves.
We must remain ever-diligent in our holy war against the bullies. We have something they buried long ago. We still have our soul,our compassion. Thats what drives us when we are tired and sad and overwhelmed. It will give us strength. The bully’s strength is derived from their size and greed. Greed is not self-sustaining, if anything it is self-defeating.
We can do it again. I have faith in our compassion coming to the surface again. My faith in human nature gives me strength when I am tired of fighting the good fight against the bully that is our government of greed and chest-thumping self-righteousness.