For a variety of reasons, I decided to cancel a planned trip to Eastern Washington with a couple of my fishing friends over the Labor Day Week-end. This trip was to be a combination of trout fishing, visiting distant friends, and hanging out at the property … one of my all-time favorite things to do in these wind-down years.
Instead of traveling, I am going to spend the week-end going through my belongings to sort out the useable items (especially clothing) that are in good shape, but no longer as useful to me as they will be to someone currently doing without because of Hurricane Katrina. By the end of the week-end, I expect to have a donation set aside that I can be proud of.
I am not currently in a position to donate cash, but I will be in a few months…so I am trying to figure out exactly when and how much I will be able to tithe to my less fortunate Brothers and Sisters each month. I know that tithing is usually done through the Church a person chooses to attend, but too many Churches support Ministerial Enterprise that touches the few rather than the many, so my tithing will be done through the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or one of the Medical Mercy Organizations (Mercy Corps) that are operated through and by the doctors dedicated to bringing health and hope to the poverty stricken of the world.
Another thing I intend to do in the future (not so distant) is put together ten to twenty kits that contain batteries, flashlights, small propane canisters, toiletries, bottled water, and other survival items as I can afford to do so, and let my Family, friends and neighbors know how to access them if the need should arise. It is hard to envision a situation as dire as that taking place in New Orleans ever happening in my community, but I can easily see the wisdom of being better prepared than I am now. It is also easy to see the wisdom of putting extra items aside for those who are unable…or just don’t do so.
I am thankful that my change of plans is due to choice rather than necessity, and my thoughts and prayers are with those suffering the tragedy of Katrina.
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Gooood Morning U. S. A.
I wonder how many pre-holiday-week-end incidents, events, and catastrophies have caused the rise of gasoline prices over the past thirty-five years...
Friday, September 02, 2005
Absolutely Useless
If integrity were gasoline, these people wouldn't have enough to prime a piss ant's motor scooter downhill.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Who could have known?
"No One Can Say they Didn't See it Coming"
(Excerpt) Read the entire article
The Bush administration's policy of turning over wetlands to developers almost certainly also contributed to the heightened level of the storm surge. In 1990, a federal task force began restoring lost wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Every two miles of wetland between the Crescent City and the Gulf reduces a surge by half a foot. Bush had promised "no net loss" of wetlands, a policy launched by his father's administration and bolstered by President Clinton. But he reversed his approach in 2003, unleashing the developers. The Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency then announced they could no longer protect wetlands unless they were somehow related to interstate commerce.
In response to this potential crisis, four leading environmental groups conducted a joint expert study, concluding in 2004 that without wetlands protection New Orleans could be devastated by an ordinary, much less a Category 4 or 5, hurricane. "There's no way to describe how mindless a policy that is when it comes to wetlands protection," said one of the report's authors. The chairman of the White House's Council on Environmental Quality dismissed the study as "highly questionable," and boasted, "Everybody loves what we're doing."
"My administration's climate change policy will be science based," President Bush declared in June 2001. But in 2002, when the Environmental Protection Agency submitted a study on global warming to the United Nations reflecting its expert research, Bush derided it as "a report put out by a bureaucracy," and excised the climate change assessment from the agency's annual report. The next year, when the EPA issued its first comprehensive "Report on the Environment," stating, "Climate change has global consequences for human health and the environment," the White House simply demanded removal of the line and all similar conclusions. At the G-8 meeting in Scotland this year, Bush successfully stymied any common action on global warming. Scientists, meanwhile, have continued to accumulate impressive data on the rising temperature of the oceans, which has produced more severe hurricanes.
In February 2004, 60 of the nation's leading scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, warned in a statement, "Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policymaking": "Successful application of science has played a large part in the policies that have made the United States of America the world's most powerful nation and its citizens increasingly prosperous and healthy ... Indeed, this principle has long been adhered to by presidents and administrations of both parties in forming and implementing policies. The administration of George W. Bush has, however, disregarded this principle ... The distortion of scientific knowledge for partisan political ends must cease." Bush completely ignored this statement.
In the two weeks preceding the storm in the Gulf, the trumping of science by ideology and expertise by special interests accelerated. The Federal Drug Administration announced that it was postponing sale of the morning-after contraceptive pill, despite overwhelming scientific evidence of its safety and its approval by the FDA's scientific advisory board. The United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa accused the Bush administration of responsibility for a condom shortage in Uganda -- the result of the administration's evangelical Christian agenda of "abstinence." When the chief of the Bureau of Justice Statistics in the Justice Department was ordered by the White House to delete its study that African-Americans and other minorities are subject to racial profiling in police traffic stops and he refused to buckle under, he was forced out of his job. When the Army Corps of Engineers' chief contracting oversight analyst objected to a $7 billion no-bid contract awarded for work in Iraq to Halliburton (the firm at which Vice President Cheney was formerly CEO), she was demoted despite her superior professional ratings. At the National Park Service, a former Cheney aide, a political appointee lacking professional background, drew up a plan to overturn past environmental practices and prohibit any mention of evolution while allowing sale of religious materials through the Park Service.
On the day the levees burst in New Orleans, Bush delivered a speech in Colorado comparing the Iraq war to World War II and himself to Franklin D. Roosevelt: "And he knew that the best way to bring peace and stability to the region was by bringing freedom to Japan." Bush had boarded his very own "Streetcar Named Desire."
(Excerpt) Read the entire article
The Bush administration's policy of turning over wetlands to developers almost certainly also contributed to the heightened level of the storm surge. In 1990, a federal task force began restoring lost wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Every two miles of wetland between the Crescent City and the Gulf reduces a surge by half a foot. Bush had promised "no net loss" of wetlands, a policy launched by his father's administration and bolstered by President Clinton. But he reversed his approach in 2003, unleashing the developers. The Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency then announced they could no longer protect wetlands unless they were somehow related to interstate commerce.
In response to this potential crisis, four leading environmental groups conducted a joint expert study, concluding in 2004 that without wetlands protection New Orleans could be devastated by an ordinary, much less a Category 4 or 5, hurricane. "There's no way to describe how mindless a policy that is when it comes to wetlands protection," said one of the report's authors. The chairman of the White House's Council on Environmental Quality dismissed the study as "highly questionable," and boasted, "Everybody loves what we're doing."
"My administration's climate change policy will be science based," President Bush declared in June 2001. But in 2002, when the Environmental Protection Agency submitted a study on global warming to the United Nations reflecting its expert research, Bush derided it as "a report put out by a bureaucracy," and excised the climate change assessment from the agency's annual report. The next year, when the EPA issued its first comprehensive "Report on the Environment," stating, "Climate change has global consequences for human health and the environment," the White House simply demanded removal of the line and all similar conclusions. At the G-8 meeting in Scotland this year, Bush successfully stymied any common action on global warming. Scientists, meanwhile, have continued to accumulate impressive data on the rising temperature of the oceans, which has produced more severe hurricanes.
In February 2004, 60 of the nation's leading scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, warned in a statement, "Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policymaking": "Successful application of science has played a large part in the policies that have made the United States of America the world's most powerful nation and its citizens increasingly prosperous and healthy ... Indeed, this principle has long been adhered to by presidents and administrations of both parties in forming and implementing policies. The administration of George W. Bush has, however, disregarded this principle ... The distortion of scientific knowledge for partisan political ends must cease." Bush completely ignored this statement.
In the two weeks preceding the storm in the Gulf, the trumping of science by ideology and expertise by special interests accelerated. The Federal Drug Administration announced that it was postponing sale of the morning-after contraceptive pill, despite overwhelming scientific evidence of its safety and its approval by the FDA's scientific advisory board. The United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa accused the Bush administration of responsibility for a condom shortage in Uganda -- the result of the administration's evangelical Christian agenda of "abstinence." When the chief of the Bureau of Justice Statistics in the Justice Department was ordered by the White House to delete its study that African-Americans and other minorities are subject to racial profiling in police traffic stops and he refused to buckle under, he was forced out of his job. When the Army Corps of Engineers' chief contracting oversight analyst objected to a $7 billion no-bid contract awarded for work in Iraq to Halliburton (the firm at which Vice President Cheney was formerly CEO), she was demoted despite her superior professional ratings. At the National Park Service, a former Cheney aide, a political appointee lacking professional background, drew up a plan to overturn past environmental practices and prohibit any mention of evolution while allowing sale of religious materials through the Park Service.
On the day the levees burst in New Orleans, Bush delivered a speech in Colorado comparing the Iraq war to World War II and himself to Franklin D. Roosevelt: "And he knew that the best way to bring peace and stability to the region was by bringing freedom to Japan." Bush had boarded his very own "Streetcar Named Desire."
Confidence in Bush down to single digits
Bush's Role in the New Orleans Disaster
(Excerpt) Read the entire atricle
Days after Hurricane Katrina hit shore and became the worst natural disaster in American history, questions are being raised about how much of the death and destruction was avoidable and, more important, what effect did Bush Administration policy and budget cuts have in contributing to this Southern nightmare. The answer is, plenty. New Orleans has always been vulnerable to potentially devastating flooding and damage from a direct hurricane hit. Since the 1960's, the federal government has worked with local governments to bolster precautionary measures as well as relief efforts. In 1995, after a huge rainstorm that killed several people, Congress enacted the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, or SELA, and appointed the Army Corps of Engineers to oversee the task of fixing the area's hurricane protection levees and to build pumping stations. We now know that it was the breach of three levees, caused by the overflowing Lake Ponchartrain, that has caused the most death and destruction this week, one day after the hurricane itself appeared to spare the city the worst of the storm's impact. What's infuriating is that the levee repair projects were adequately funded until recently, when President Bush wrote out of his 2004 budget most of the spending which the Corps had been receiving. Further, Bush ignored desperate pleas by Corps officials for the additional funding it said was urgently needed to properly protect the city from the kind of horrific chaos that Katrina has now brought. And the reason for the cuts? The cost of the war--the unjustified, unnecessary, 1000% elective, makes-me-mad-as-hell war--in Iraq was spiraling out of control, and the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans took much needed revenue out of the Fed's coffers. Simply, Bush needed the dough to feed his neo-con macho war fantasy, as well as fatten the already swollen wallets of his rich Republican constituents. So, screw the poor and screw the vulnerable down in N'Orleans. The levees project was not completed, and they were never fully raised to levels that could adequately protect the city from a ruthless beast like Katrina. And from his 2005 budget, Bush cut all funding for the repair project as well as funding for much-needed research studies to determine better methods for safeguarding the area and minimizing future destruction from major hurricanes.
(Excerpt) Read the entire atricle
Days after Hurricane Katrina hit shore and became the worst natural disaster in American history, questions are being raised about how much of the death and destruction was avoidable and, more important, what effect did Bush Administration policy and budget cuts have in contributing to this Southern nightmare. The answer is, plenty. New Orleans has always been vulnerable to potentially devastating flooding and damage from a direct hurricane hit. Since the 1960's, the federal government has worked with local governments to bolster precautionary measures as well as relief efforts. In 1995, after a huge rainstorm that killed several people, Congress enacted the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, or SELA, and appointed the Army Corps of Engineers to oversee the task of fixing the area's hurricane protection levees and to build pumping stations. We now know that it was the breach of three levees, caused by the overflowing Lake Ponchartrain, that has caused the most death and destruction this week, one day after the hurricane itself appeared to spare the city the worst of the storm's impact. What's infuriating is that the levee repair projects were adequately funded until recently, when President Bush wrote out of his 2004 budget most of the spending which the Corps had been receiving. Further, Bush ignored desperate pleas by Corps officials for the additional funding it said was urgently needed to properly protect the city from the kind of horrific chaos that Katrina has now brought. And the reason for the cuts? The cost of the war--the unjustified, unnecessary, 1000% elective, makes-me-mad-as-hell war--in Iraq was spiraling out of control, and the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans took much needed revenue out of the Fed's coffers. Simply, Bush needed the dough to feed his neo-con macho war fantasy, as well as fatten the already swollen wallets of his rich Republican constituents. So, screw the poor and screw the vulnerable down in N'Orleans. The levees project was not completed, and they were never fully raised to levels that could adequately protect the city from a ruthless beast like Katrina. And from his 2005 budget, Bush cut all funding for the repair project as well as funding for much-needed research studies to determine better methods for safeguarding the area and minimizing future destruction from major hurricanes.
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Monday, August 29, 2005
War Profiteers
The stench of the Bush Administration will linger in the collective nose of the American people for unimagineable years to come. There are so many areas in which this group of Pooter Pirates and Butt Buccaneers have failed us, but none so glaringly obvious as the debacle in Iraq.
With the voice of Paul Wolfowitz still murmuring sweet nothings about how the oil proceeds will more than cover the costs of Iraqi Reconstruction, it is way past time to revisit War Profiteering.
This website begins, continues, and will someday end the discussion.
With the voice of Paul Wolfowitz still murmuring sweet nothings about how the oil proceeds will more than cover the costs of Iraqi Reconstruction, it is way past time to revisit War Profiteering.
This website begins, continues, and will someday end the discussion.
Saturday, August 27, 2005
This is much better than sticking your finger down your throat
The following is from the Mother Jones Blog:
Iraq's Forgotten War
Iraq’s second war is continuing to play out. The first war is open, public, and has bitterly divided the United States. The second war is private, unheard and unseen by the West, and has received scant media attention by the corporate owned press. The first war is the one that the U.S. military is now conducting against the insurgency. The second war is the one being carried out against Iraq’s trade unions.
The opening move in this second war was made by former CPA head Paul Bremer in 2003 when he reinstated Saddam’s repressive law banning all strikes. This law came amidst a flurry of neoliberal changes designed to quickly open Iraq’s economy for privatization and foreign ownership of nearly every industry from banking to oil.
Despite this attempt to prevent organized labor from taking a foothold in the newly “liberated” Iraq, Iraq’s repressed unions quickly reorganized following Saddam’s fall. The three largest being the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions, the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions of Iraq, and the General Union of Oil Employees in Basra. With their new found strength and their commitment to a secular, democratic Iraq, many had hoped that the trade union movement would provide a foundation on which to build a free and pluralistic society.
Round two of this covert war moved from legal options to violent suppression. In December 2003, U.S. troops raided IFTU offices in Baghdad, arresting several of their leaders and then proceeded to shut the office down. By the end of 2004, a systematic attempt to intimidate and threaten trade union workers was being carried out. Railroad workers were kidnapped and mutilated. The offices of the Transportation and Communication Workers in Baghdad was bombed. Other workers were simply beaten.
In January 2005, much to the dismay of the international labor community, the International Secretary of IFTU Hadi Salih was kidnapped in his home, his hands and feet bound, and then tortured and assassinated. The war against Iraq’s trade union movement continued in the following months as several more union leaders were kidnapped and assassinated.
Yet despite the laws attempting to repress them and despite the violence trying to eliminate them, the Iraqi trade union movement has been pushing ahead strong. IFTU now has over 200,000 members and half of the member unions have held conferences in which they democratically elected their leadership. As it currently stands, IFTU is the only union to be recognized by the Iraqi government.
And the union movement won a huge victory in December when the GUOE in Basra with its 23,000 members threatened to shut down oil production, leading to a doubling of their wages. They again held a 24-hour strike in July, asking for higher wages and a larger investment of oil profits in the impoverished region.
Now further efforts are being undertaken to break the unions’ strength. The Iraqi Oil Ministry announced plans to begin privatizing portions of the southern oil fields. And earlier this month the new Iraqi government overturned an agreement allowing the trade unions to operate without state interference. Not only will the government release new regulation telling the unions how they will operate and organize, but they have also decreed that all money collected by Iraq’s trade unions may be confiscated by the authorities.
And so Iraq’s second war continues, unreported and unnoticed by the West, as the transnational capitalist class vies for control of Iraq’s oil wealth and as the workers struggle for a democratic and just independence.
Posted by Charles Norman Todd on 08/25/05 at 10:23 AM
Iraq's Forgotten War
Iraq’s second war is continuing to play out. The first war is open, public, and has bitterly divided the United States. The second war is private, unheard and unseen by the West, and has received scant media attention by the corporate owned press. The first war is the one that the U.S. military is now conducting against the insurgency. The second war is the one being carried out against Iraq’s trade unions.
The opening move in this second war was made by former CPA head Paul Bremer in 2003 when he reinstated Saddam’s repressive law banning all strikes. This law came amidst a flurry of neoliberal changes designed to quickly open Iraq’s economy for privatization and foreign ownership of nearly every industry from banking to oil.
Despite this attempt to prevent organized labor from taking a foothold in the newly “liberated” Iraq, Iraq’s repressed unions quickly reorganized following Saddam’s fall. The three largest being the Iraqi Federation of Trade Unions, the Federation of Workers Councils and Unions of Iraq, and the General Union of Oil Employees in Basra. With their new found strength and their commitment to a secular, democratic Iraq, many had hoped that the trade union movement would provide a foundation on which to build a free and pluralistic society.
Round two of this covert war moved from legal options to violent suppression. In December 2003, U.S. troops raided IFTU offices in Baghdad, arresting several of their leaders and then proceeded to shut the office down. By the end of 2004, a systematic attempt to intimidate and threaten trade union workers was being carried out. Railroad workers were kidnapped and mutilated. The offices of the Transportation and Communication Workers in Baghdad was bombed. Other workers were simply beaten.
In January 2005, much to the dismay of the international labor community, the International Secretary of IFTU Hadi Salih was kidnapped in his home, his hands and feet bound, and then tortured and assassinated. The war against Iraq’s trade union movement continued in the following months as several more union leaders were kidnapped and assassinated.
Yet despite the laws attempting to repress them and despite the violence trying to eliminate them, the Iraqi trade union movement has been pushing ahead strong. IFTU now has over 200,000 members and half of the member unions have held conferences in which they democratically elected their leadership. As it currently stands, IFTU is the only union to be recognized by the Iraqi government.
And the union movement won a huge victory in December when the GUOE in Basra with its 23,000 members threatened to shut down oil production, leading to a doubling of their wages. They again held a 24-hour strike in July, asking for higher wages and a larger investment of oil profits in the impoverished region.
Now further efforts are being undertaken to break the unions’ strength. The Iraqi Oil Ministry announced plans to begin privatizing portions of the southern oil fields. And earlier this month the new Iraqi government overturned an agreement allowing the trade unions to operate without state interference. Not only will the government release new regulation telling the unions how they will operate and organize, but they have also decreed that all money collected by Iraq’s trade unions may be confiscated by the authorities.
And so Iraq’s second war continues, unreported and unnoticed by the West, as the transnational capitalist class vies for control of Iraq’s oil wealth and as the workers struggle for a democratic and just independence.
Posted by Charles Norman Todd on 08/25/05 at 10:23 AM
Friday, August 26, 2005
And nothing but the Truth, so help me God.
The following piece of writing (via Easy Bake Coven) does not deserve to be excerpted, but it does deserve to be shared.
Here is the link…share it often.
“My Son Died for Nothing”
by Mike Whitney
www.dissidentvoice.org
August 22, 2005
“I know you can't bring Casey back. But it's time to admit mistakes and bring our troops home now.”
-- Cindy Sheehan, Camp Casey, Texas
The anti-war movement has finally found a pair of shoulders big enough to carry the load: Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan has single-handedly energized the “Bring the Troops Home” campaign and put the Washington warmongers on notice.
They have plenty of reason to worry, too.
The big guns on the Right, Limbaugh, Hannity, Drudge and O’ Reilly, have been pounding away hour by hour, day by day, wielding every vicious slander they can muster, but without affect. The right wing, mudslinging machine simply hasn’t matched the grit of the unyielding Sheehan.
Who could have guessed that a middle-aged mother from Vacaville, CA could be so dogged?
“My son died for nothing,” Sheehan raged, “He was sent to fight in a war that had no basis in reality and was killed for it….I say my son died for lies. George Bush LIED to us and he knew he was LYING.
Why are our young people fighting and dying in Iraq? What is this Noble Cause you are sending our young people to die for?...Why did you lie to us? Why did you lie to the American people? Why did you lie to the world? Why are our nation’s children still in harms way and dying every day when we know you lied?”
Sheehan is untouchable. The Bush propagandists haven’t laid a glove on her and they’ve savaged their own credibility in the process.
The media has tried to connect Sheehan to the mythical “American Left” suggesting she’s a pawn of Michael Moore.
Ridiculous. It only shows their frustration.
Attacking the mother of a dead soldier is like putting out a campfire with your hands.
It can’t be done and it’s crazy to try.
The dissolute Bill O’ Reilly, a man who was sued for harassing an employee with sexually explicit phone calls, has the gall to challenge Sheehan’s patriotism?!!
What a joke.
O’Reilly never served a day in uniform in his life and quivers whenever a car backfires too close to his padded LA studio.
What a miserable excuse for a human being.
Everyone from Wolf Blitzer to Rush Limbaugh has tried to take Sheehan down, but nothing has worked. The Forth Estate has lost its thunder by wasting its energy on petty diversions, fabrications, and personal attacks. Now, Sheehan’s image is growing larger and the media looks more and more like the wretched, hectoring bullhorn it really is.
Meanwhile, Bush is planning another five day “Mission Accomplished” tour around America to promote his wilting Iraq policy. He announced his trip on his weekly radio address where he reiterated the same fictions that drove the nation to war.
“Our troops know that they're fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere to protect their fellow Americans from a savage enemy,” Bush boomed.
No one’s buying Bush’s palavering anymore.
The last time the Crawford chickenhawk appeared in a crowd of Americans who weren’t “handpicked” by Republican staffers was 9-11.
Think about that.
No president in the history of this country has been so widely reviled that he couldn’t show his face in front of the American people. That is, not until the deserter-in-chief took office.
Come out, come out, George Bush.
Come out from behind the concertina wire and your phalanx of security thugs.
You ran away from the Texas National Guard and now you’re running away from a wretched 48-year-old woman.
Come out of your bubble world and see the misery you’ve caused, you chicken-hearted phony.
Sheehan has tapped into the bottomless ocean of rage that seethes just below the surface of American life. That rage is appearing everywhere and cracking the citadels of power.
“I have been known for some time as a person who speaks the truth and speaks it strongly,” Sheehan said. “I have always called a liar a liar and a hypocrite a hypocrite.”
Ka-boom! A direct hit!
This is why Bush won’t face her. He knows he’d wither if he heard the truth. He knows he’d have to slink back into his spider hole and wait for his handlers to re-inflate his ego before he could play president again.
Sheehan occupies rarified ground; she’s the mother of a dead Marine and the nation’s heart is with her. She is completely above the fray, impervious to any of the “slings and arrows” aimed at her.
Since she began her crusade, America’s political dynamic has changed dramatically with the country leaning more and more heavily towards withdrawal. It would take a miracle for Bush to regain the momentum for the war.
Sheehan took on the world’s most powerful man and left him running for cover.
Bush has been beaten and he knows it.
Now, he should do the right thing and bring the troops home.
Mike Whitney lives in Washington State, and can be reached at: fergiewhitney@msn.com.
Here is the link…share it often.
“My Son Died for Nothing”
by Mike Whitney
www.dissidentvoice.org
August 22, 2005
“I know you can't bring Casey back. But it's time to admit mistakes and bring our troops home now.”
-- Cindy Sheehan, Camp Casey, Texas
The anti-war movement has finally found a pair of shoulders big enough to carry the load: Cindy Sheehan. Sheehan has single-handedly energized the “Bring the Troops Home” campaign and put the Washington warmongers on notice.
They have plenty of reason to worry, too.
The big guns on the Right, Limbaugh, Hannity, Drudge and O’ Reilly, have been pounding away hour by hour, day by day, wielding every vicious slander they can muster, but without affect. The right wing, mudslinging machine simply hasn’t matched the grit of the unyielding Sheehan.
Who could have guessed that a middle-aged mother from Vacaville, CA could be so dogged?
“My son died for nothing,” Sheehan raged, “He was sent to fight in a war that had no basis in reality and was killed for it….I say my son died for lies. George Bush LIED to us and he knew he was LYING.
Why are our young people fighting and dying in Iraq? What is this Noble Cause you are sending our young people to die for?...Why did you lie to us? Why did you lie to the American people? Why did you lie to the world? Why are our nation’s children still in harms way and dying every day when we know you lied?”
Sheehan is untouchable. The Bush propagandists haven’t laid a glove on her and they’ve savaged their own credibility in the process.
The media has tried to connect Sheehan to the mythical “American Left” suggesting she’s a pawn of Michael Moore.
Ridiculous. It only shows their frustration.
Attacking the mother of a dead soldier is like putting out a campfire with your hands.
It can’t be done and it’s crazy to try.
The dissolute Bill O’ Reilly, a man who was sued for harassing an employee with sexually explicit phone calls, has the gall to challenge Sheehan’s patriotism?!!
What a joke.
O’Reilly never served a day in uniform in his life and quivers whenever a car backfires too close to his padded LA studio.
What a miserable excuse for a human being.
Everyone from Wolf Blitzer to Rush Limbaugh has tried to take Sheehan down, but nothing has worked. The Forth Estate has lost its thunder by wasting its energy on petty diversions, fabrications, and personal attacks. Now, Sheehan’s image is growing larger and the media looks more and more like the wretched, hectoring bullhorn it really is.
Meanwhile, Bush is planning another five day “Mission Accomplished” tour around America to promote his wilting Iraq policy. He announced his trip on his weekly radio address where he reiterated the same fictions that drove the nation to war.
“Our troops know that they're fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere to protect their fellow Americans from a savage enemy,” Bush boomed.
No one’s buying Bush’s palavering anymore.
The last time the Crawford chickenhawk appeared in a crowd of Americans who weren’t “handpicked” by Republican staffers was 9-11.
Think about that.
No president in the history of this country has been so widely reviled that he couldn’t show his face in front of the American people. That is, not until the deserter-in-chief took office.
Come out, come out, George Bush.
Come out from behind the concertina wire and your phalanx of security thugs.
You ran away from the Texas National Guard and now you’re running away from a wretched 48-year-old woman.
Come out of your bubble world and see the misery you’ve caused, you chicken-hearted phony.
Sheehan has tapped into the bottomless ocean of rage that seethes just below the surface of American life. That rage is appearing everywhere and cracking the citadels of power.
“I have been known for some time as a person who speaks the truth and speaks it strongly,” Sheehan said. “I have always called a liar a liar and a hypocrite a hypocrite.”
Ka-boom! A direct hit!
This is why Bush won’t face her. He knows he’d wither if he heard the truth. He knows he’d have to slink back into his spider hole and wait for his handlers to re-inflate his ego before he could play president again.
Sheehan occupies rarified ground; she’s the mother of a dead Marine and the nation’s heart is with her. She is completely above the fray, impervious to any of the “slings and arrows” aimed at her.
Since she began her crusade, America’s political dynamic has changed dramatically with the country leaning more and more heavily towards withdrawal. It would take a miracle for Bush to regain the momentum for the war.
Sheehan took on the world’s most powerful man and left him running for cover.
Bush has been beaten and he knows it.
Now, he should do the right thing and bring the troops home.
Mike Whitney lives in Washington State, and can be reached at: fergiewhitney@msn.com.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
American Legion Blowback
A comment from One Pissed off Veteran to American Legion’s Thomas Cadmus:
Hey, motherfucker, you DO NOT speak for me and you do not speak for the millions of other veterans who are actively opposed to this illegal and immoral war. What WE say is that we should never let happen again the foolish and needless squandering of American lives for a business deal. Our men and women in uniform are there to protect us; they are not there to be venture capital for the corrupt and evil Bush Crime Family.
You want to talk about "whatever means necessary"? We know what that means. You are skirting the issue, but everyone knows that you are talking about violence. Remember Malcolm X? Any means necessary? Remember that? Don't try to backpedal and give me any shit about not meaning "violence" when you know exactly what you mean.
Let it be known from this point forward that the American Legion is officially a Stalinist/Fascist organization, and if any of their jackbooted Nazi thug motherfuckers want to start something, we will be more than ready.
Mister Cadmus, how dare you try to take away my freedom to protest, my freedom to speak out against my government and its abysmal international terrorist foreign policy, its criminal acts against its own wounded veterans?
How dare you attempt to abrogate my constitutionally-protected right to peaceably assemble and petition my government for a redress of grievances?
You are so fucking stupid that you probably don't even recognize that, do you? It's in a quaint little document called The Constitution of the United States of America. You ought to try reading it sometime. Asshole.
How dare you, sir?! How fucking dare you??!!
(My Comment)
I might not have said it quite the same way, but it definitely reflects my feelings. My fourteen continuous years of membership in this organization will not extend to fifteen or beyond. I am sure I can show support for my fellow Veterans without continuing to support those who would abuse their position of trust.
Hey, motherfucker, you DO NOT speak for me and you do not speak for the millions of other veterans who are actively opposed to this illegal and immoral war. What WE say is that we should never let happen again the foolish and needless squandering of American lives for a business deal. Our men and women in uniform are there to protect us; they are not there to be venture capital for the corrupt and evil Bush Crime Family.
You want to talk about "whatever means necessary"? We know what that means. You are skirting the issue, but everyone knows that you are talking about violence. Remember Malcolm X? Any means necessary? Remember that? Don't try to backpedal and give me any shit about not meaning "violence" when you know exactly what you mean.
Let it be known from this point forward that the American Legion is officially a Stalinist/Fascist organization, and if any of their jackbooted Nazi thug motherfuckers want to start something, we will be more than ready.
Mister Cadmus, how dare you try to take away my freedom to protest, my freedom to speak out against my government and its abysmal international terrorist foreign policy, its criminal acts against its own wounded veterans?
How dare you attempt to abrogate my constitutionally-protected right to peaceably assemble and petition my government for a redress of grievances?
You are so fucking stupid that you probably don't even recognize that, do you? It's in a quaint little document called The Constitution of the United States of America. You ought to try reading it sometime. Asshole.
How dare you, sir?! How fucking dare you??!!
(My Comment)
I might not have said it quite the same way, but it definitely reflects my feelings. My fourteen continuous years of membership in this organization will not extend to fifteen or beyond. I am sure I can show support for my fellow Veterans without continuing to support those who would abuse their position of trust.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
What (protect Karl) noble (9/11 truths) cause, (clean Gannon’s dress) George?
(Excerpt from Seattle Weekly) Read the entire article
Out of nowhere, Sheehan is being touted as the leader the antiwar movement has supposedly been lacking. There is no question that Sheehan has galvanized the opposition. Her loss of a son gives her legitimacy the antiwar movement doesn't have in the eyes of some. Her refusal to back down in the face of the elements, hostile locals, and possible arrest has elevated her further.
The simplest measure of her effectiveness is the zeal with which the right wing is tearing into her—calling her a disgrace to her son's memory and a dupe of the radical antiwar left. She is neither of these, of course, in the eyes of the public—which is precisely why the right is attacking.
Seventy percent of Americans polled last week thought Bush should meet with Sheehan. He won't, of course. He'll finish his vacation in the comfort of his ranch and then go back to Washington. Three miles away, Sheehan will get arrested, or not, and then doubtless follow him back to Washington, her life transformed by the remarkable success of her simple protest.
But in the process, we will have learned a little more about Bush. We will have learned, again, that he is a man comfortable among acolytes and big donors but deeply uncomfortable when confronted with a skeptic, in or out of his inner circle. We will have learned that a man who has yet to attend the funeral service of a single fallen Iraq soldier can't make time for their families, either, unless it's on his terms. And we will have learned that he lacks the simple gift of empathy, which Clinton had in spades, and which would have allowed him to defuse the protest with a minimum of fuss or time.
(My Comments)
I have a great deal of interest in the fact that nothing has changed (except the media coverage) since the media drumbeat began the build-up toward invading Iraq. Those opposed to war are still opposed, and those supportive of the Bush regime are still supportive. Those with character and integrity haven’t changed, and those with a penchant toward lying, cheating, and stealing are still inking the line-up card and sending our best players on assignment when we most need them here at home.
What do you suppose has triggered the media coverage of Cindy Sheehan and her legion of supporters? What could possibly be taking place under our noses that the Bush cartel is more concerned about keeping from public scrutiny than the story of Cindy Sheehan and the simple question that can not possibly be answered without drawing even more attention to the fact that we were duped into this unethical act of naked aggression?
I shudder to consider the possibilities.
Out of nowhere, Sheehan is being touted as the leader the antiwar movement has supposedly been lacking. There is no question that Sheehan has galvanized the opposition. Her loss of a son gives her legitimacy the antiwar movement doesn't have in the eyes of some. Her refusal to back down in the face of the elements, hostile locals, and possible arrest has elevated her further.
The simplest measure of her effectiveness is the zeal with which the right wing is tearing into her—calling her a disgrace to her son's memory and a dupe of the radical antiwar left. She is neither of these, of course, in the eyes of the public—which is precisely why the right is attacking.
Seventy percent of Americans polled last week thought Bush should meet with Sheehan. He won't, of course. He'll finish his vacation in the comfort of his ranch and then go back to Washington. Three miles away, Sheehan will get arrested, or not, and then doubtless follow him back to Washington, her life transformed by the remarkable success of her simple protest.
But in the process, we will have learned a little more about Bush. We will have learned, again, that he is a man comfortable among acolytes and big donors but deeply uncomfortable when confronted with a skeptic, in or out of his inner circle. We will have learned that a man who has yet to attend the funeral service of a single fallen Iraq soldier can't make time for their families, either, unless it's on his terms. And we will have learned that he lacks the simple gift of empathy, which Clinton had in spades, and which would have allowed him to defuse the protest with a minimum of fuss or time.
(My Comments)
I have a great deal of interest in the fact that nothing has changed (except the media coverage) since the media drumbeat began the build-up toward invading Iraq. Those opposed to war are still opposed, and those supportive of the Bush regime are still supportive. Those with character and integrity haven’t changed, and those with a penchant toward lying, cheating, and stealing are still inking the line-up card and sending our best players on assignment when we most need them here at home.
What do you suppose has triggered the media coverage of Cindy Sheehan and her legion of supporters? What could possibly be taking place under our noses that the Bush cartel is more concerned about keeping from public scrutiny than the story of Cindy Sheehan and the simple question that can not possibly be answered without drawing even more attention to the fact that we were duped into this unethical act of naked aggression?
I shudder to consider the possibilities.
Friday, August 19, 2005
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Precious right-wing quotes
(From kos by way of One Pissed Off Veteran)
Quotes from when Clinton committed troops to Bosnia:
"You can support the troops but not the president." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years." --Joe Scarborough (R-FL)
"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?" --Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99
"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy." --Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy." --Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush
"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area." --Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today" --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." --Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)
Be sure to read the comments at kos...they are the meat of this post.
Quotes from when Clinton committed troops to Bosnia:
"You can support the troops but not the president." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years." --Joe Scarborough (R-FL)
"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?" --Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99
"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy." --Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)
"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy." --Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush
"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area." --Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)
"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today" --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)
"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." --Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)
Be sure to read the comments at kos...they are the meat of this post.
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Cindy: A Rose by any other name…
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet". Romeo and Juliet (Quote Act II, Sc. II).
I’m not sure where I first encountered the concept (probably in an English Composition class), but the more something is described or defined, the more bounded and enclosed it becomes. I am thinking more about labels here than anything else, because that seems to be where media communication is currently hanging its hat.
Cindy Sheehan, in my view, is a grieving Mother who, having lost her son in a military action initiated by his own Commander–in-Chief for dubious and unclear reasons, is justifiably pissed off about the reluctance of said Commander-in-Chief to explain to her and the other grieving parents of our fighting men and women lost in action why he believes this war is the noble cause he professes it to be, and why it can’t begin to end…now.
In the view of some media members, Cindy Sheehan is traitorous; a media whore, giving aid and comfort to the enemy… and the labels abound about how far LEFT supporting she has become.
This piece better expresses my thoughts:
A grieving mother, looking for answers as to why her son was killed in Iraq, came to Crawford, Texas and holds vigil to find them. Since then...
The commander-in-chief who sent our troops into Iraq refuses to spend one minute with her, deciding instead to "get on with my life."
The same man "answers" her via his Saturday morning radio address, hiding behind his listeners.
And again, his motorcade speeds past her post, not even slowing down to wave.
A radio host with zero military experience (and four sons of military age NOT serving) brings almost a busload of his listeners to yell "We don't care!" at her before retreating back to Dallas. One after another, other "clever" radio hosts follow suit.
She gets relentlessly smeared and slimed by right-wing major media pundit after right-wing major media pundit, accusing her NOT of sitting in the hot Texas sun because of a calling from her conscience, but of being a left-wing nut and a media whore.
A local lunatic fires a gun several times, saying he's practicing for "hunting doves."
Another lunatic plows his truck over roadside markers honoring the war dead.
The National Review says she's auditioning for her own Air America show.
Her character and her motives have been twisted, assassinated and put through the meat grinder by people who consider themselves "patriots."
Her reputation has been shot through the mud by people who don't even know her or the pain she feels.
Her divorce is now gossip fodder.
All because this woman traveled over the miles to a desolate Texas farmland to ask her president one simple question about her dead son.
I’m not sure where I first encountered the concept (probably in an English Composition class), but the more something is described or defined, the more bounded and enclosed it becomes. I am thinking more about labels here than anything else, because that seems to be where media communication is currently hanging its hat.
Cindy Sheehan, in my view, is a grieving Mother who, having lost her son in a military action initiated by his own Commander–in-Chief for dubious and unclear reasons, is justifiably pissed off about the reluctance of said Commander-in-Chief to explain to her and the other grieving parents of our fighting men and women lost in action why he believes this war is the noble cause he professes it to be, and why it can’t begin to end…now.
In the view of some media members, Cindy Sheehan is traitorous; a media whore, giving aid and comfort to the enemy… and the labels abound about how far LEFT supporting she has become.
This piece better expresses my thoughts:
A grieving mother, looking for answers as to why her son was killed in Iraq, came to Crawford, Texas and holds vigil to find them. Since then...
The commander-in-chief who sent our troops into Iraq refuses to spend one minute with her, deciding instead to "get on with my life."
The same man "answers" her via his Saturday morning radio address, hiding behind his listeners.
And again, his motorcade speeds past her post, not even slowing down to wave.
A radio host with zero military experience (and four sons of military age NOT serving) brings almost a busload of his listeners to yell "We don't care!" at her before retreating back to Dallas. One after another, other "clever" radio hosts follow suit.
She gets relentlessly smeared and slimed by right-wing major media pundit after right-wing major media pundit, accusing her NOT of sitting in the hot Texas sun because of a calling from her conscience, but of being a left-wing nut and a media whore.
A local lunatic fires a gun several times, saying he's practicing for "hunting doves."
Another lunatic plows his truck over roadside markers honoring the war dead.
The National Review says she's auditioning for her own Air America show.
Her character and her motives have been twisted, assassinated and put through the meat grinder by people who consider themselves "patriots."
Her reputation has been shot through the mud by people who don't even know her or the pain she feels.
Her divorce is now gossip fodder.
All because this woman traveled over the miles to a desolate Texas farmland to ask her president one simple question about her dead son.
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Promise them anything, but give them a betrayal of trust
A Soldier Speaks: Zechariah
By Celina R. De Leon, AlterNet. Posted August 4, 2005.
(Excerpt) Read the entire interview
Did your beliefs change once you were participating in the war?
I think my beliefs had changed once we were on the ground. Within days we had seized all of the oil fields in northern Iraq and our primary mission was to protect them. Bush had said this war wasn't about oil, but there I was defending oil fields at all costs in the middle of Iraq. A lot of the piping and workings of the fields had been destroyed by the fleeing army and before we even started to help the people by fixing the power or water supplies, they had construction crews trying to get everything up and running on the oil fields.
They say this war isn't about oil. How about they go and trade places with one of the soldiers that would love to come home, and see what's going on around the oil refineries and see how much work is being put into them and how little is being put into restoring power and water. My brother just got back [from Iraq] and said they still only have power and water for maybe five to six hours out of the day.
I also worked with a lot of the local hospitals. The whole time we were there, the hospitals kept getting worse and worse. They never had any supplies or new machines installed. Even some of the more simple machinery, like X-ray machines, were never replaced. Every time I went into one of the hospitals I almost emptied my aid bag so they could have sterile catheters and needles. I couldn't believe my eyes to see that they were having to reuse these supplies because they couldn't get replacement equipment. They didn't even have soap.
All of this helped me to see where the priorities in this war were. Obviously, not in the people.
By Celina R. De Leon, AlterNet. Posted August 4, 2005.
(Excerpt) Read the entire interview
Did your beliefs change once you were participating in the war?
I think my beliefs had changed once we were on the ground. Within days we had seized all of the oil fields in northern Iraq and our primary mission was to protect them. Bush had said this war wasn't about oil, but there I was defending oil fields at all costs in the middle of Iraq. A lot of the piping and workings of the fields had been destroyed by the fleeing army and before we even started to help the people by fixing the power or water supplies, they had construction crews trying to get everything up and running on the oil fields.
They say this war isn't about oil. How about they go and trade places with one of the soldiers that would love to come home, and see what's going on around the oil refineries and see how much work is being put into them and how little is being put into restoring power and water. My brother just got back [from Iraq] and said they still only have power and water for maybe five to six hours out of the day.
I also worked with a lot of the local hospitals. The whole time we were there, the hospitals kept getting worse and worse. They never had any supplies or new machines installed. Even some of the more simple machinery, like X-ray machines, were never replaced. Every time I went into one of the hospitals I almost emptied my aid bag so they could have sterile catheters and needles. I couldn't believe my eyes to see that they were having to reuse these supplies because they couldn't get replacement equipment. They didn't even have soap.
All of this helped me to see where the priorities in this war were. Obviously, not in the people.
Saturday, August 13, 2005
How accurate are polls?
In the Daily Read household, we have been listening to the argumentative discussion regarding the accuracy of political issue polls since approximately the end of 2000 when it was discovered that some segments of society actually use poll data to determine the truth of an issue.
I find it very confusing indeed that the Liberal side of most issues chooses to use an antiquated method of fact-based argument coupled with a huge amount of common sense against a much superior graphic and sound-bite method employed by the Conservative side. It is patently obvious which method is more effective, regardless of accuracy.
As this country was preparing to chase the WMD waving Dictator out of Iraq to eliminate the threat of a mushroom cloud smoking gun, the issue of public support in this country, the UN, and around the world became the issue of the day. Had it not been for the multitude of opinion charts and graphs graciously brought to us by Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and every major newspaper and magazine barely fit to wrap dead fish, we would have been deluded (by the images on Indy Media of millions and millions of protesters taking to the global streets) into thinking that public opinion was against this ramp-up to war. Fortunately, the Indy Media images moments were largely superseded by hours and hours of polling data charts and graphs, and even though our distinguished Commander-In-Chief swore not to give credence to polls or focus groups, the war machine rumbled forward.
Now that the issue of confidence in the Commander-In-Chief is being addressed on a daily basis, and the selective murmuring has risen in volume about the possible bias in every poll showing the public losing favor with the C-I-C, we have decided to conduct our own poll, and regardless of how closely it follows the media’s offering, we will live by the results. Remember, even though a poll has exhibited impeccable usefulness over a long period of time, a well orchestrated slash and burn campaign can easily render it worthless (as was the case with exit polling in Florida and Ohio).
The results of the Daily Read Poll are as follows:
Statement:
George W. Bush is doing the best job he possibly can.
Agree: 50% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 50%
It is comforting to know that GW Bush spends a lot of time on his knees.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
God would be angry about abortion, but not about using war as a method of population control (and economic stimulation).
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
General Richard Meyers was wrong when he said we should not refer to the conflict against extremism as a war because the solution is clearly not one of military action.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
The GOP (unlike the Democrats who merely incorporate them) is a party that clearly celebrates the differences, and their variety of Congressional Caucuses proves it.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
The War against Terror can more easily be won than the War against Drugs.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
The War against Drugs can more easily be won than the War against Terror.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
Valerie Plame was clearly not undercover.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
Sean Hannity is a great American.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
Note: Starr indicated her choice through the selection of the number of Kibble and Bits she consumed after each question. One indicated agreement, two indicated non-agreement, and all three indicated vehement non-agreement.
The results of the previous poll can only lead one to conclude the following:
George W. Bush will go down in history as one of the greatest Commander-In-Chiefs to ever be elected to the highest office in our land. The War against Terror obviously requires a military solution. The definition of a great American is forever indisputable. Opinion polls always reflect the true thoughts of the American public.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
Oh, what a tangled web we weave……
***Agree: 100% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 0%
*** Ran out of Kibbles and Bits.
I find it very confusing indeed that the Liberal side of most issues chooses to use an antiquated method of fact-based argument coupled with a huge amount of common sense against a much superior graphic and sound-bite method employed by the Conservative side. It is patently obvious which method is more effective, regardless of accuracy.
As this country was preparing to chase the WMD waving Dictator out of Iraq to eliminate the threat of a mushroom cloud smoking gun, the issue of public support in this country, the UN, and around the world became the issue of the day. Had it not been for the multitude of opinion charts and graphs graciously brought to us by Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and every major newspaper and magazine barely fit to wrap dead fish, we would have been deluded (by the images on Indy Media of millions and millions of protesters taking to the global streets) into thinking that public opinion was against this ramp-up to war. Fortunately, the Indy Media images moments were largely superseded by hours and hours of polling data charts and graphs, and even though our distinguished Commander-In-Chief swore not to give credence to polls or focus groups, the war machine rumbled forward.
Now that the issue of confidence in the Commander-In-Chief is being addressed on a daily basis, and the selective murmuring has risen in volume about the possible bias in every poll showing the public losing favor with the C-I-C, we have decided to conduct our own poll, and regardless of how closely it follows the media’s offering, we will live by the results. Remember, even though a poll has exhibited impeccable usefulness over a long period of time, a well orchestrated slash and burn campaign can easily render it worthless (as was the case with exit polling in Florida and Ohio).
The results of the Daily Read Poll are as follows:
Statement:
George W. Bush is doing the best job he possibly can.
Agree: 50% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 50%
It is comforting to know that GW Bush spends a lot of time on his knees.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
God would be angry about abortion, but not about using war as a method of population control (and economic stimulation).
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
General Richard Meyers was wrong when he said we should not refer to the conflict against extremism as a war because the solution is clearly not one of military action.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
The GOP (unlike the Democrats who merely incorporate them) is a party that clearly celebrates the differences, and their variety of Congressional Caucuses proves it.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
The War against Terror can more easily be won than the War against Drugs.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
The War against Drugs can more easily be won than the War against Terror.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
Valerie Plame was clearly not undercover.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
Sean Hannity is a great American.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
Note: Starr indicated her choice through the selection of the number of Kibble and Bits she consumed after each question. One indicated agreement, two indicated non-agreement, and all three indicated vehement non-agreement.
The results of the previous poll can only lead one to conclude the following:
George W. Bush will go down in history as one of the greatest Commander-In-Chiefs to ever be elected to the highest office in our land. The War against Terror obviously requires a military solution. The definition of a great American is forever indisputable. Opinion polls always reflect the true thoughts of the American public.
Agree: 0% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 100%
Oh, what a tangled web we weave……
***Agree: 100% Disagree: 0% Vehemently Disagree: 0%
*** Ran out of Kibbles and Bits.
Why War Sucks
Mr, Natural over at Left Edge North has posted a link that engages the heart-rending video of Cindy Sheehan put together at Information Clearing House. Mr. Natural credits Old American Century for pointing him toward this video.
After you have viewed the video, visit After Downing Street for more information on Cindy. You can also remind yourself why this war should result in the indictment and incarceration of the perpetrators.
After you have viewed the video, visit After Downing Street for more information on Cindy. You can also remind yourself why this war should result in the indictment and incarceration of the perpetrators.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Dead Man Walking II
In my younger days, I had occasion to frequent the Clallam County jail for a few days. I had the unique, if not joyful, experience of sharing a community cell block with a large tribal member named Irving.
Irving might have been a really nice guy in another setting, or another life, but in the community cell block, he was the definitive alpha male, hell bent on keeping everyone else on their toes, nervous, and looking forward to their release date.
It is my fervent prayer that there is another community cell block full of tribal brothers exactly like Irving (hopefully much worse) waiting to receive Jack Abramoff , Tom DeLay, and all their cohorts with a part (however minor) in defrauding the tribal casinos when their day of judgment finally arrives.
I would like to thank Irving for being part of the reason I became the upstanding citizen that I am today.
Irving might have been a really nice guy in another setting, or another life, but in the community cell block, he was the definitive alpha male, hell bent on keeping everyone else on their toes, nervous, and looking forward to their release date.
It is my fervent prayer that there is another community cell block full of tribal brothers exactly like Irving (hopefully much worse) waiting to receive Jack Abramoff , Tom DeLay, and all their cohorts with a part (however minor) in defrauding the tribal casinos when their day of judgment finally arrives.
I would like to thank Irving for being part of the reason I became the upstanding citizen that I am today.
Thursday, August 11, 2005
We don’t have enough rope for the Bush Gang
Whether you are Liberal, Conservative, or Independent, you can be certain that the election process is stacked against you somewhere in this country.
My previous post tells a story about people who have made a decision to take control of their local Government, and turn it back into an instrument of representation for the people. It is a wonderful story, full of hope and promise that the system is not always going to be broken and corrupt.
I firmly believe that a voting process that is conducted openly and honestly, as it was intended, will eventually make party loyalty a mute point. Once the system begins to properly respond to the true correlation between votes cast and votes counted, we will discover that there is really only one party, and that is the people.
The people understand that money spent wisely on the societal problems that have consistently been fodder for campaign promises (and nothing more) will elevate the quality of life for every citizen, smooth out the bumps and chuckholes in our National Transportation System, and allow us to rebuild the manufacturing base of America in a way that is responsible to the seventh generation to come.
The era of George W. Bush is chock full of lessons learned should we choose to recognize them publicly, and discuss them openly and honestly. This will probably require the FCC to be de-politicized and overhauled so we can re-build the worthiness of media outlets, but that just happens to be one of the lessons to be learned.
In any case, it all begins with the voting process, and your voice is needed to fill out the choir. If you post on a blog, include a weekly article from or mention of Black Box Voting (dot ORG), and if you are simply a reader, do what you can to keep the voting issue in the public discussion.
Arcata, California has given the issue of voter confidence some legs, and they deserve our respect, support, and willingness to step up in our own local communities. You’ll like the way it feels to speak out against political corruption and cronyism, I guarantee it.
My previous post tells a story about people who have made a decision to take control of their local Government, and turn it back into an instrument of representation for the people. It is a wonderful story, full of hope and promise that the system is not always going to be broken and corrupt.
I firmly believe that a voting process that is conducted openly and honestly, as it was intended, will eventually make party loyalty a mute point. Once the system begins to properly respond to the true correlation between votes cast and votes counted, we will discover that there is really only one party, and that is the people.
The people understand that money spent wisely on the societal problems that have consistently been fodder for campaign promises (and nothing more) will elevate the quality of life for every citizen, smooth out the bumps and chuckholes in our National Transportation System, and allow us to rebuild the manufacturing base of America in a way that is responsible to the seventh generation to come.
The era of George W. Bush is chock full of lessons learned should we choose to recognize them publicly, and discuss them openly and honestly. This will probably require the FCC to be de-politicized and overhauled so we can re-build the worthiness of media outlets, but that just happens to be one of the lessons to be learned.
In any case, it all begins with the voting process, and your voice is needed to fill out the choir. If you post on a blog, include a weekly article from or mention of Black Box Voting (dot ORG), and if you are simply a reader, do what you can to keep the voting issue in the public discussion.
Arcata, California has given the issue of voter confidence some legs, and they deserve our respect, support, and willingness to step up in our own local communities. You’ll like the way it feels to speak out against political corruption and cronyism, I guarantee it.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Voter Confidence Resolution
8-8-2005: Arcata, (CA) seeks to wrest election control from corporations
(Excerpt)
Black Box Voting is often asked to tell people what to do. We don't give marching orders.
When you depend on your government, "experts," or any organization to tell you what to do, you buy into the idea that you should depend on someone else for solutions -- yet, the founders of the U.S. envisioned that you would actively participate in decision making. They trusted your common sense, and knew that the true peril to our republic would come from complacency, rather than lack of wisdom.
Here is a story of citizens who chose not to be complacent: In Arcata, California, the local citizenry created a "Resolution of Voter Confidence." (led by Dave Berman, whose actions show that one person can truly make a difference!) The full text of the Resolution is posted below this story.
"The Voter Confidence Resolution is a common sense statement saying privatized election machines and secret vote counting ensure inconclusive outcomes. Under these conditions we will never have unanimous agreement about election results," says Dave Berman, co-founder of the Voter Confidence Committee of Humboldt County, Calif.
(See also: Berman's blog: http://guvwurld.blogspot.com; also, plan to participate here: THINK OUTSIDE THE BLACK BOX Online Think Tank, any time Aug. 27-Sep. 5 to brainstorm more real solutions.)
"The Arcata City Council has demonstrated that our local government does hear the voice of the people, even when the federal government has stopped listening."
The Voter Confidence Resolution passed by a margin of 3 to 2 after 15 months of community lobbying and ultimately just 35 minutes of official public comment and discussion.
Councilmember Dave Meserve voted with the majority and said, "Adopting the Voter Confidence Resolution is an important step in establishing the legitimacy of our federal elections. I'm pleased that Arcata was the first City to pass the Voter Confidence Resolution and hope that many other cities will follow."
Read The Entire Article
I am, therefore....
Ralph Nader, Al Gore and George W. Bush go to a fitness spa for some fun. After a stimulating, healthy lunch, all three decide to visit the men's room and they find a strange-looking gent sitting at the entrance who says,
"Welcome to the gentlemen's room. Be sure to check out our newest feature: a mirror that, if you look into it and say something truthful, you will be rewarded with your wish. But, be warned, if you say something false, you will be sucked into the mirror to live in a void of nothingness for all eternity!"
The men quickly entered, and upon finding the mirror, Ralph Nader steps up and says, "I think I'm the most truthful of us three," and he suddenly finds the keys to a brand new Bentley in his hands.
Al Gore steps up and says "I think I'm the most ambitious of us three," and in an instant, he was surrounded by a pile of money to fund his next Presidential Campaign.
Excited over the possibility of having a wish come true, George W. Bush looks into the mirror and says,"I think...", and is promptly sucked into the mirror.
"Welcome to the gentlemen's room. Be sure to check out our newest feature: a mirror that, if you look into it and say something truthful, you will be rewarded with your wish. But, be warned, if you say something false, you will be sucked into the mirror to live in a void of nothingness for all eternity!"
The men quickly entered, and upon finding the mirror, Ralph Nader steps up and says, "I think I'm the most truthful of us three," and he suddenly finds the keys to a brand new Bentley in his hands.
Al Gore steps up and says "I think I'm the most ambitious of us three," and in an instant, he was surrounded by a pile of money to fund his next Presidential Campaign.
Excited over the possibility of having a wish come true, George W. Bush looks into the mirror and says,"I think...", and is promptly sucked into the mirror.
Monday, August 08, 2005
Let us give credit where it is due
Cheney's Nuclear Drumbeat
Commentary: How the vice-president fits into the Plame case.
By Jim Lobe
August 1, 2005
In a recent piece, The Media's Roving Eye, trying to establish a timeline that would offer context for the Plame case, I wrote the following:
"Vice President Cheney started the administration's atomic drumbeat to war in Iraq with a series of speeches on Saddam's supposed nuclear capabilities and desires beginning in August of 2002. (The crucial role of Cheney, whose eye was first caught by a Defense Intelligence Agency report on the Niger uranium documents back in February 2002, in the events that would become the Plame case, has been poorly covered...)"
As I soon found out, I did not stand apart from most others in poor coverage of Cheney's role. Jim Lobe, whose pieces for Inter Press Service I've quoted from, linked to, and recommended endlessly over the last years, sent a few lines my way to tell me that I, too, was off in my Cheney timeline, that the Vice President had started in on the subject of Saddam Hussein's supposed nuclear program significantly earlier than I realized, and that this mattered greatly in understanding the nature of the events to follow. I asked him for a bit of clarification and the next thing I knew I had a piece in hand -- Lobe's first appearance at Tomdispatch -- an exercise, as he put it, in the sorts of connections that begin to appear when you pull a single string in the tangled ball of yarn that is the history of the Plame case. It's a reminder, as he points out below, of how a powerful web of neocon insiders and outsiders (and their allies) set the U.S. on the path to war in Iraq.
What follows then, from the man who has, in my opinion, done better reportorial work on the neoconservatives and the Bush administration than any other reporter around, is a disquisition on timing -- on Vice President Cheney's behaviour immediately before and after former ambassador Joseph Wilson's report on Saddam's supposed search for Niger yellowcake.
Dating Cheney's Nuclear Drumbeat:
Framing the Plame Case
By Jim Lobe
Commentary: How the vice-president fits into the Plame case.
By Jim Lobe
August 1, 2005
In a recent piece, The Media's Roving Eye, trying to establish a timeline that would offer context for the Plame case, I wrote the following:
"Vice President Cheney started the administration's atomic drumbeat to war in Iraq with a series of speeches on Saddam's supposed nuclear capabilities and desires beginning in August of 2002. (The crucial role of Cheney, whose eye was first caught by a Defense Intelligence Agency report on the Niger uranium documents back in February 2002, in the events that would become the Plame case, has been poorly covered...)"
As I soon found out, I did not stand apart from most others in poor coverage of Cheney's role. Jim Lobe, whose pieces for Inter Press Service I've quoted from, linked to, and recommended endlessly over the last years, sent a few lines my way to tell me that I, too, was off in my Cheney timeline, that the Vice President had started in on the subject of Saddam Hussein's supposed nuclear program significantly earlier than I realized, and that this mattered greatly in understanding the nature of the events to follow. I asked him for a bit of clarification and the next thing I knew I had a piece in hand -- Lobe's first appearance at Tomdispatch -- an exercise, as he put it, in the sorts of connections that begin to appear when you pull a single string in the tangled ball of yarn that is the history of the Plame case. It's a reminder, as he points out below, of how a powerful web of neocon insiders and outsiders (and their allies) set the U.S. on the path to war in Iraq.
What follows then, from the man who has, in my opinion, done better reportorial work on the neoconservatives and the Bush administration than any other reporter around, is a disquisition on timing -- on Vice President Cheney's behaviour immediately before and after former ambassador Joseph Wilson's report on Saddam's supposed search for Niger yellowcake.
Dating Cheney's Nuclear Drumbeat:
Framing the Plame Case
By Jim Lobe
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Picture for previous post
This doesn't give you a sense of the river, but you can see that the dogs have no fear of plopping down right in the middle of the road. The gravel bar is a couple miles long, and would easily accommodate hundreds of campers. I have heard that there are wild dancing girls in that area, but I have always missed seeing them due to my age and inability to last into the night. On that note, I am off to dream of pocket pairs and river flushes.
Time for the Annual Road Trip
The time has come to take a step back, and look at this political world from an entirely different perspective. I certainly can’t continue to look at it from the front end of a television set displaying CNN, MSNBC, or FOX NEWS and expect a different outcome…so; I will try looking at it through the bottom of a beer bottle or whiskey glass for a few days. Hopefully, that will clear things up.
Coincidentally, it is time for the annual road trip back into the wilderness with a caravan of hard working (and hard playing) friends. I have been looking forward to it for approximately a year now, so it is about time…
Most of today (Thursday) will be spent packing and loading for the trip with a few evening hours spent trying to make the final table in a satellite hold ‘em tournament. I am going to be a passenger on this trip, so all I have to worry about is getting enough sleep before we head out on Friday morning.
Our destination is a desolate gravel bar on the bank of a river that dumps into the Pacific Ocean somewhere along the upper coast of Washington State. It is an awesome place to gather for a week end with about twenty or thirty of your closest and most distant friends. There are enough trees surrounding this intimate setting to assure even the most jaded naturist that the Bush Administration is not yet aware of its existence.
I have the deepest admiration for those of you forced to stay behind to monitor the political goings on while I am on holiday. Perhaps you will get lucky and pResident Bush will also go on vacation. God knows the man has a tendency to overwork… especially some of the words and phrases he is forced to use by his dough-boy looking handler. In any case, you have my gratitude.
I shall return with a renewed sense of vigilance…smoke ‘em if you got ‘em!
Coincidentally, it is time for the annual road trip back into the wilderness with a caravan of hard working (and hard playing) friends. I have been looking forward to it for approximately a year now, so it is about time…
Most of today (Thursday) will be spent packing and loading for the trip with a few evening hours spent trying to make the final table in a satellite hold ‘em tournament. I am going to be a passenger on this trip, so all I have to worry about is getting enough sleep before we head out on Friday morning.
Our destination is a desolate gravel bar on the bank of a river that dumps into the Pacific Ocean somewhere along the upper coast of Washington State. It is an awesome place to gather for a week end with about twenty or thirty of your closest and most distant friends. There are enough trees surrounding this intimate setting to assure even the most jaded naturist that the Bush Administration is not yet aware of its existence.
I have the deepest admiration for those of you forced to stay behind to monitor the political goings on while I am on holiday. Perhaps you will get lucky and pResident Bush will also go on vacation. God knows the man has a tendency to overwork… especially some of the words and phrases he is forced to use by his dough-boy looking handler. In any case, you have my gratitude.
I shall return with a renewed sense of vigilance…smoke ‘em if you got ‘em!
Monday, August 01, 2005
Bush family Moons the world
Is there a connection between the photo and the following story? We report, you decide....
(Excerpt courtesy of mahablog via buzzflash)
How to Fake News: A Primer
It's fun to check in with Memeorandum now and then to see what the righties are linking to. Yesterday they were gathering like flies to a carcass to a story that appears to be phony.
I say "appears"; maybe it isn't. It's hard to tell, for reasons that I hope become apparent as you read this post. The point of this post is not to prove or disprove certain allegations, but to illustrate how, shall we say, uncritical reading and writing can create a lot of smoke without there necessarily being a fire.
So, here we go:
An editorial in the Washington Times (link above) claimed that Air America Radio is stealing money from poor children and sick old people.
Did Al Franken's liberal radio network Air America divert city money for the elderly and inner-city children to itself? That's the question people should be asking this week after the revelation that the New York Department of Investigation is looking into whether hundreds of thousands of dollars were illegally transferred from a Bronx community center to Air America.
Now, this may be true, but it can't be verified through the Department of Investigation web site. And as I examined various other stories it seems no one has verified this claim with the D of I directly. So how does the Washington Times know about this outrage? From "sources quoted anonymously by the Bronx News," it says.
I live about a ten minutes' drive from the Bronx and wasn't aware there is a Bronx News. Nor can I find mention of a Bronx News through Google. There is a Bronx Times, and the Bronx Times recently carried a story about the legal difficulties of this same community center, the Gloria Wise Boys & Girls Club, but there was no mention in that story of Air America.
Read the rest of this story so you can understand the true value of media ownership and biased reporting.
Bolton or strapon…this is really going to hurt
Bush is giving the world a Bolton, which has a lifetime more staying power than a strapon…but Bolton or strapon, the overall event will be very painful for all of us. I am going to have a lot of difficulty getting past this insult to my sensibilities, which is Bush’s way of letting us know that he is not pleased with the heat his administration has been getting over the outing of Valerie Plame.
I fully expect to see the formation of a Congressional Postal Caucus in the coming days. Of course, that will require the discovery of a large box of Congressional Cajones in the Democrat washroom… here’s hoping.
In the meantime, I believe I will be spending a lot more time at the poker table, catching up on household chores, and keeping my back to the proverbial wall while my blood has a chance to cool down to the point that I won’t do something really stupid without thinking.
And God Bless America.
I fully expect to see the formation of a Congressional Postal Caucus in the coming days. Of course, that will require the discovery of a large box of Congressional Cajones in the Democrat washroom… here’s hoping.
In the meantime, I believe I will be spending a lot more time at the poker table, catching up on household chores, and keeping my back to the proverbial wall while my blood has a chance to cool down to the point that I won’t do something really stupid without thinking.
And God Bless America.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
It isn’t always about politics
Someone in the family just purchased a nice RV, so I am going to tag along with my camera on a trip to the Port Townsend area… which is one of my favorite places to go anyway. We are going to get together with the kids and Grandkids for the day, and perhaps spend the night if there is space available on short notice.
The Pacific Northwest weather has been summer nice all week and promises to continue that way through the week end with a minor cooling trend into Monday and Tuesday. The annual road trip is coming up next week end, and a trip to Eastern Washington a few weeks after that, so the lazy pace of retirement is beginning to pick up somewhat.
Enjoy your week end as much as possible.
The Pacific Northwest weather has been summer nice all week and promises to continue that way through the week end with a minor cooling trend into Monday and Tuesday. The annual road trip is coming up next week end, and a trip to Eastern Washington a few weeks after that, so the lazy pace of retirement is beginning to pick up somewhat.
Enjoy your week end as much as possible.
Friday, July 29, 2005
On second thought...
A lady walks into a drug store and tells the pharmacist she needs some Cyanide. The pharmacist said, "Why in the world do you need Cyanide?"
The lady then explained she needed it to poison her husband. The pharmacist's eyes got big and he said, "Lord have mercy, I can't give you cyanide to kill your husband! That's against the law! I'll lose my license, they'll throw both of us in jail and all kinds of bad things will happen! Absolutely not, you can NOT have any Cyanide!"
Then the lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the pharmacist's wife. The pharmacist looked at the picture and replied, "Well now, you didn't tell me you had a prescription!"
The lady then explained she needed it to poison her husband. The pharmacist's eyes got big and he said, "Lord have mercy, I can't give you cyanide to kill your husband! That's against the law! I'll lose my license, they'll throw both of us in jail and all kinds of bad things will happen! Absolutely not, you can NOT have any Cyanide!"
Then the lady reached into her purse and pulled out a picture of her husband in bed with the pharmacist's wife. The pharmacist looked at the picture and replied, "Well now, you didn't tell me you had a prescription!"
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Let's talk about election transparency
VIEWING THE DIEBOLD VOTE-TALLYING SCREEN PROHIBITED
Update - Tabulation results appear odd for July 26 election
Jim March, a member of the Black Box Voting board of directors, was arrested Tuesday evening for trying to observe the Diebold central tabulator (vote tallying machine) as the votes were being counted in San Diego's mayoral election (July 26).
According to Jim Hamilton, an elections integrity advocate from San Diego, he and March visited the office of the registrar of elections earlier in the day. During this visit, March made two requests, which were refused by Mikel Haas, the San Diego Registrar of elections.
1) March asked that the central tabulator, the computer that tallies up the votes from all the precincts, be positioned so that citizens could observe it. According to Hamilton, this would have required simply moving a table a few feet.
2) March also asked for a copy of the ".gbf" files -- the vote tally files collected during the course of tabulation – to be provided for examination after the election.
During the tallying of the election, the Diebold computer was positioned too far away for citizens to read the screen. Citizens could not watch error messages, or even perceive significant anomalies or malfunctions.
Unable to see the screen, March went into the office where the tabulator was housed. Two deputies followed him and escorted him out.
According to Hamilton: "He was not belligerent, not at all. After he went inside the tabulator room he came [was escorted] out and he said learly 'I’m not resisting.' They handcuffed him, took him out of the building. They put him in a squad car. They’re going to take him to the police station, book him and take him to jail," said Hamilton. "He’s getting charged with a felony, 'interfering with an election official.'"
March's actions are the culmination of two years of increasing frustration with the refusal of election officials to respond to security deficiencies in the voting machines. The software that tallies the votes in San Diego is made by Diebold Election Systems, a company that has already paid the state of California $2.8 million for making false claims, due to a lawsuit filed by March and Black Box Voting founder Bev Harris.
On July 4, a report was released by European computer security expert Harri Hursti, revealing that the Diebold voting system contains profound architectural flaws. "It is open for business," says Hursti, who demonstrated the flaws on Leon County, Florida Diebold machines. He penetrated the voting system in less than five minutes, manipulating vote reports in a way that was undetectable.
Despite the critical security alert issued by Hursti, San Diego County sent 713 voting machines home with poll workers, increasing the risk that the "memory cards" housed in the machines could be hacked, and removing the argument that "inside access" was carefully safeguarded.
The arrest of Jim March underlines a fundamental problem facing Americans today as, increasingly, they lose the ability to monitor, verify, or watch any part of the counting process.
Update - Tabulation results appear odd for July 26 election
Jim March, a member of the Black Box Voting board of directors, was arrested Tuesday evening for trying to observe the Diebold central tabulator (vote tallying machine) as the votes were being counted in San Diego's mayoral election (July 26).
According to Jim Hamilton, an elections integrity advocate from San Diego, he and March visited the office of the registrar of elections earlier in the day. During this visit, March made two requests, which were refused by Mikel Haas, the San Diego Registrar of elections.
1) March asked that the central tabulator, the computer that tallies up the votes from all the precincts, be positioned so that citizens could observe it. According to Hamilton, this would have required simply moving a table a few feet.
2) March also asked for a copy of the ".gbf" files -- the vote tally files collected during the course of tabulation – to be provided for examination after the election.
During the tallying of the election, the Diebold computer was positioned too far away for citizens to read the screen. Citizens could not watch error messages, or even perceive significant anomalies or malfunctions.
Unable to see the screen, March went into the office where the tabulator was housed. Two deputies followed him and escorted him out.
According to Hamilton: "He was not belligerent, not at all. After he went inside the tabulator room he came [was escorted] out and he said learly 'I’m not resisting.' They handcuffed him, took him out of the building. They put him in a squad car. They’re going to take him to the police station, book him and take him to jail," said Hamilton. "He’s getting charged with a felony, 'interfering with an election official.'"
March's actions are the culmination of two years of increasing frustration with the refusal of election officials to respond to security deficiencies in the voting machines. The software that tallies the votes in San Diego is made by Diebold Election Systems, a company that has already paid the state of California $2.8 million for making false claims, due to a lawsuit filed by March and Black Box Voting founder Bev Harris.
On July 4, a report was released by European computer security expert Harri Hursti, revealing that the Diebold voting system contains profound architectural flaws. "It is open for business," says Hursti, who demonstrated the flaws on Leon County, Florida Diebold machines. He penetrated the voting system in less than five minutes, manipulating vote reports in a way that was undetectable.
Despite the critical security alert issued by Hursti, San Diego County sent 713 voting machines home with poll workers, increasing the risk that the "memory cards" housed in the machines could be hacked, and removing the argument that "inside access" was carefully safeguarded.
The arrest of Jim March underlines a fundamental problem facing Americans today as, increasingly, they lose the ability to monitor, verify, or watch any part of the counting process.
Regarding DEEP DEFICITS
Sob stories mask a giveaway for the super wealthy
When Factcheck.org, a non-partisan watchdog group, questions the accuracy of a political advertisement, it normally does so in dry language. It might call an ad "misleading," or even "inaccurate."
But when Factcheck focused on ads by an anti-estate tax group, the American Family Business Institute, it opted for more colorful prose, calling them "malarkey."
The word choice is a play on the name of the ad's narrator, World War II veteran Donald Malarkey. But it's also a dig at the ads' contents, which make it sound as if it's no longer safe to pass away. "When you die," one ad warns, "the IRS can bury your family in crippling tax bills. It can cost them everything."
What it doesn't say is that the vast majority of people listening won't even be taxed when they die. Nor does it say that most estate taxes are paid by the very wealthy.
Read the entire account
When Factcheck.org, a non-partisan watchdog group, questions the accuracy of a political advertisement, it normally does so in dry language. It might call an ad "misleading," or even "inaccurate."
But when Factcheck focused on ads by an anti-estate tax group, the American Family Business Institute, it opted for more colorful prose, calling them "malarkey."
The word choice is a play on the name of the ad's narrator, World War II veteran Donald Malarkey. But it's also a dig at the ads' contents, which make it sound as if it's no longer safe to pass away. "When you die," one ad warns, "the IRS can bury your family in crippling tax bills. It can cost them everything."
What it doesn't say is that the vast majority of people listening won't even be taxed when they die. Nor does it say that most estate taxes are paid by the very wealthy.
Read the entire account
Tuesday, July 26, 2005
An open letter to Labor Union Leadership
It is extremely bothersome to me that Labor Union membership has declined to 8% of the American labor force (or less). As a retiree, I am obviously no longer in a position to worry about how union membership might affect my future career and quality of life, but I am not too old to realize that my current quality of life (which is comfortable) would have been far below the standard I enjoy had it not been for labor unions.
Even though I only joined the union when my employment required it, I was always willing to accept the benefits that became the standard in most work places because those benefits were negotiated into existence. Whether part of the membership or not, I was always represented by a labor union.
In this time of economic hardship for the work force and record breaking profits for the corporations, I would like to propose a partial solution to the dilemma faced by dwindling union membership.
The strength of the labor union has always been, and always will be in the vast numbers of its membership. If it doesn’t already exist, I would propose establishing two levels of supporting membership (a reduced fee supporting level that carries no ability to vote and a full fee supporting level that carries the ability to vote) that will assist with rebuilding the rank and file. Supporting members will be able to participate in picket line activities, and will ensure that a boycott against labor hostile companies has the ability to affect the bottom line more severely. Additionally, supporting membership will allow those retirees feeling useless and cast aside to step up one more time in support of the economic future of this faltering, once great Nation.
The benefits of union membership must be aimed toward improving the quality of life for each member and his/her family. If an infusion of supporting members brings additional money and opportunity to that process, it will benefit everyone involved. I, for one, would like to see an environment of people helping people re-established in average America, and honesty, integrity, and genuine caring rewarded rather than scoffed at or punished by those supposedly representing our interests.
I look forward to a thoughtful discussion on this concept.
Respectfully,
Even though I only joined the union when my employment required it, I was always willing to accept the benefits that became the standard in most work places because those benefits were negotiated into existence. Whether part of the membership or not, I was always represented by a labor union.
In this time of economic hardship for the work force and record breaking profits for the corporations, I would like to propose a partial solution to the dilemma faced by dwindling union membership.
The strength of the labor union has always been, and always will be in the vast numbers of its membership. If it doesn’t already exist, I would propose establishing two levels of supporting membership (a reduced fee supporting level that carries no ability to vote and a full fee supporting level that carries the ability to vote) that will assist with rebuilding the rank and file. Supporting members will be able to participate in picket line activities, and will ensure that a boycott against labor hostile companies has the ability to affect the bottom line more severely. Additionally, supporting membership will allow those retirees feeling useless and cast aside to step up one more time in support of the economic future of this faltering, once great Nation.
The benefits of union membership must be aimed toward improving the quality of life for each member and his/her family. If an infusion of supporting members brings additional money and opportunity to that process, it will benefit everyone involved. I, for one, would like to see an environment of people helping people re-established in average America, and honesty, integrity, and genuine caring rewarded rather than scoffed at or punished by those supposedly representing our interests.
I look forward to a thoughtful discussion on this concept.
Respectfully,
Monday, July 25, 2005
Reality check on popularity of war in Iraq
Military Update: Personnel chiefs talk around war's unpopularity
BY TOM PHILPOTT
(Excerpt from Daily Press) Thanks to Buzzflash
Snyder, the panel's senior Democrat, finally raised what other lawmakers, two senior defense officials and 10 star-rank officers ignored in their remakes - perhaps in deference to President Bush or to protect troop morale.
"I don't think I agree with the view that somehow all we have to do is change the news reporting that comes from Iraq and Afghanistan, and that's going to take care of our problems," Snyder said. "First of all, there ain't no one in this room going to change the news reporting. These folks are professional journalists. They're reporting what they think is the news. But there's a deeper issue."
An advantage of civilian control of the military, he said, is that the commander in chief and Congress - not the military - are responsible if force is used in ways not supported by a large segment of society. That division in the nation doesn't make military service any less noble or honorable, Snyder said, but it shouldn't be ignored. He hears about it, he said, from parents who have children serving in Iraq but who opposed the invasion of Iraq.
"We need to step forward and recognize that even in this time of disagreement over where our foreign policy is going, it helps all of us to have the military be as strong as it can be," he said.
(My Comments)
Congressional Democrats have nothing to lose and everything to gain by standing tall and speaking truth in the hallowed halls. Dennis Kucinich has shown the way since the Iraq invasion began, and it is always good to see others testing the waters.
The difficulty is never with the truth...it is always in the energy required to maintain the lie (as Karl Rove and his pack of butt buddies are beginning to understand).
BY TOM PHILPOTT
(Excerpt from Daily Press) Thanks to Buzzflash
Snyder, the panel's senior Democrat, finally raised what other lawmakers, two senior defense officials and 10 star-rank officers ignored in their remakes - perhaps in deference to President Bush or to protect troop morale.
"I don't think I agree with the view that somehow all we have to do is change the news reporting that comes from Iraq and Afghanistan, and that's going to take care of our problems," Snyder said. "First of all, there ain't no one in this room going to change the news reporting. These folks are professional journalists. They're reporting what they think is the news. But there's a deeper issue."
An advantage of civilian control of the military, he said, is that the commander in chief and Congress - not the military - are responsible if force is used in ways not supported by a large segment of society. That division in the nation doesn't make military service any less noble or honorable, Snyder said, but it shouldn't be ignored. He hears about it, he said, from parents who have children serving in Iraq but who opposed the invasion of Iraq.
"We need to step forward and recognize that even in this time of disagreement over where our foreign policy is going, it helps all of us to have the military be as strong as it can be," he said.
(My Comments)
Congressional Democrats have nothing to lose and everything to gain by standing tall and speaking truth in the hallowed halls. Dennis Kucinich has shown the way since the Iraq invasion began, and it is always good to see others testing the waters.
The difficulty is never with the truth...it is always in the energy required to maintain the lie (as Karl Rove and his pack of butt buddies are beginning to understand).
Symone
This is the picture I should have included with the previous post. If you haven't investigated the website, I highly recommend that you do. In this world of heart rending political crapola, it helps to be able to have someone specific to root for. My heart suffers for victims everywhere, so Symone's recovery helps me look forward on particularly dark days.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
A tug at my heart
The story of Simone
On Friday morning, June the 24th 2005 at 3am, she suffered a tragic accident and accidentally fell 70 feet from the top floor of a shopping centre. Fortunately an ambulance was at the scene at the time and one of the officers was experienced in intensive, critical care. She was in the hospital within 15 minutes of her fall. Had that not happened she would have most certainly died. Symone suffered a serious brain injury. Her brain was severely bruised and swollen and we were told that one small part of her brain had already died. This was allegedly in the right hemisphere of the brain and in a part of the brain that was the least used. (Note: this may now not be true - see Updates).
The doctors operated immediately and removed part of her skull to relieve the massive brain pressure she was experiencing, as well as a large blood clot. Since that time, for the first week following her accident, they regularly drained brain fluid to keep her pressure down. She remained in an induced coma for 2 weeks so that the brain could begin to heal. Miraculously she suffered no other organ damage or broken bones except for a crushed vertebrae. There were no nerves severed in her back.
Symone appeared to be steadily improving in the first week following her injury with her brain pressure levels stabilizing to slightly above normal. She even seemed to respond to external stimuli. However she suffered a setback on the night of July the 2nd when her brain pressure rose dramatically and she developed a high fever. This, combined with other symptoms she was experiencing, caused the doctors to fear that she may have suffered damage to the central part of her brain known as the Hypothalamus. See its functions below...
"hypothalamus
(hi-po-thal-ms) , an important supervisory center in the brain, rich in ganglia, nerve fibers, and synaptic connections. It is composed of several sections called nuclei, each of which controls a specific function. The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, blood pressure, heartbeat, metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, and sugar levels in the blood. Through direct attachment to the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus also meters secretions controlling water balance and milk production in the female. The role of the hypothalamus in awareness of
pleasure and pain has been well established in the laboratory. It is thought to be involved in the expression of emotions, such as fear and rage, and in sexual behaviors. Despite its numerous vital functions, the hypothalamus in humans accounts for only 1⁄300 of total brain weight, and is about the size of an almond. Structurally, it is joined to the thalamus; the two work together to monitor the sleep-wake cycle."
Present Time
Right now there are literally tens of thousands of people from all over the world praying for Symone's recovery. This is partially due to the many friends she has worldwide, her father's business connections with Reverse Speech, and also the notice placed on the Jeff Rense radio show website.
Symone faces a long battle in front her of many months, if not years, to recover from this injury. We will be using traditional methods of healing as well as alternate remedies. She commenced "Sound Therapy" on Monday July the 4th, hypnotic healing inductions have already been used (Click here for more information on hypnosis), Remote healing (Click here), as well as some Reiki treatment (Click here for more information on Reiki). Other treatments will begin over the next few weeks
On Friday morning, June the 24th 2005 at 3am, she suffered a tragic accident and accidentally fell 70 feet from the top floor of a shopping centre. Fortunately an ambulance was at the scene at the time and one of the officers was experienced in intensive, critical care. She was in the hospital within 15 minutes of her fall. Had that not happened she would have most certainly died. Symone suffered a serious brain injury. Her brain was severely bruised and swollen and we were told that one small part of her brain had already died. This was allegedly in the right hemisphere of the brain and in a part of the brain that was the least used. (Note: this may now not be true - see Updates).
The doctors operated immediately and removed part of her skull to relieve the massive brain pressure she was experiencing, as well as a large blood clot. Since that time, for the first week following her accident, they regularly drained brain fluid to keep her pressure down. She remained in an induced coma for 2 weeks so that the brain could begin to heal. Miraculously she suffered no other organ damage or broken bones except for a crushed vertebrae. There were no nerves severed in her back.
Symone appeared to be steadily improving in the first week following her injury with her brain pressure levels stabilizing to slightly above normal. She even seemed to respond to external stimuli. However she suffered a setback on the night of July the 2nd when her brain pressure rose dramatically and she developed a high fever. This, combined with other symptoms she was experiencing, caused the doctors to fear that she may have suffered damage to the central part of her brain known as the Hypothalamus. See its functions below...
"hypothalamus
(hi-po-thal-ms) , an important supervisory center in the brain, rich in ganglia, nerve fibers, and synaptic connections. It is composed of several sections called nuclei, each of which controls a specific function. The hypothalamus regulates body temperature, blood pressure, heartbeat, metabolism of fats and carbohydrates, and sugar levels in the blood. Through direct attachment to the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus also meters secretions controlling water balance and milk production in the female. The role of the hypothalamus in awareness of
pleasure and pain has been well established in the laboratory. It is thought to be involved in the expression of emotions, such as fear and rage, and in sexual behaviors. Despite its numerous vital functions, the hypothalamus in humans accounts for only 1⁄300 of total brain weight, and is about the size of an almond. Structurally, it is joined to the thalamus; the two work together to monitor the sleep-wake cycle."
Present Time
Right now there are literally tens of thousands of people from all over the world praying for Symone's recovery. This is partially due to the many friends she has worldwide, her father's business connections with Reverse Speech, and also the notice placed on the Jeff Rense radio show website.
Symone faces a long battle in front her of many months, if not years, to recover from this injury. We will be using traditional methods of healing as well as alternate remedies. She commenced "Sound Therapy" on Monday July the 4th, hypnotic healing inductions have already been used (Click here for more information on hypnosis), Remote healing (Click here), as well as some Reiki treatment (Click here for more information on Reiki). Other treatments will begin over the next few weeks
Crimes against humanity
Minor Misconduct
(Excerpt from Mother Jones)
While its certainly not as sexy of a story as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's conflict of interest surrounding nutritional supplements, The House Energy and Commerce Committee recently announced that they had been told by the director of the National Institute of Health that investigators recently found 44 scientists who violated the agency's conflict of interest rules. Nine of the cases have been deemed serious enough to be investigated for criminal wrongdoing.
In June, the prestigious British scientific journal Nature published a study suggesting that close to one-third of American scientists have engaged in "questionable practices." The most widely engaged in misconduct was the relatively minor offense of inadequate record-keeping. But unsettlingly large numbers of scientists admitted to more serious matters like changing a study because of pressure from a funding source (15.5 percent) or overlooking other studies with weak methodology or data (12.5 percent).
(Excerpt from Mother Jones)
While its certainly not as sexy of a story as California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's conflict of interest surrounding nutritional supplements, The House Energy and Commerce Committee recently announced that they had been told by the director of the National Institute of Health that investigators recently found 44 scientists who violated the agency's conflict of interest rules. Nine of the cases have been deemed serious enough to be investigated for criminal wrongdoing.
In June, the prestigious British scientific journal Nature published a study suggesting that close to one-third of American scientists have engaged in "questionable practices." The most widely engaged in misconduct was the relatively minor offense of inadequate record-keeping. But unsettlingly large numbers of scientists admitted to more serious matters like changing a study because of pressure from a funding source (15.5 percent) or overlooking other studies with weak methodology or data (12.5 percent).
Saturday, July 23, 2005
Redefining Honesty and Integrity
Muffled No Longer, Rowley Runs for Congress
Speaking of suicide bombers, FBI agent did—before 9-11—but superiors in D.C. didn't listen
(Excerpt from Village Voice)
Think how devastating it would have been in November 2004. And this is an internal report, mind you. Coleen Rowley made the report's first page:
Oops. But too bad if you want to learn more. The rest of that intro (see top photo) was redacted by regime officials, because it concerns Moussaoui. The report's entire chapter on Moussaoui is also blacked out—yes, still blacked out even though Moussaoui finally pled guilty last April.
To refresh your memory, read Rowley's May 21, 2002, memo to FBI Director Robert Mueller; a redacted (of course) version was posted by Time. In it, Rowley told Mueller:
Speaking of suicide bombers, FBI agent did—before 9-11—but superiors in D.C. didn't listen
(Excerpt from Village Voice)
Think how devastating it would have been in November 2004. And this is an internal report, mind you. Coleen Rowley made the report's first page:
One of the key questions arising after the attacks was what information the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) knew before September 11 that was
potentially related to the terrorist attacks. On May 21, 2002, Coleen Rowley,
the Chief Division Counsel in the FBI's Minneapolis Field Office, wrote a
13-page letter to FBI Director Robert Mueller in which she raised concerns about
how the FBI had handled certain information in its possession before the
attacks—
Oops. But too bad if you want to learn more. The rest of that intro (see top photo) was redacted by regime officials, because it concerns Moussaoui. The report's entire chapter on Moussaoui is also blacked out—yes, still blacked out even though Moussaoui finally pled guilty last April.
To refresh your memory, read Rowley's May 21, 2002, memo to FBI Director Robert Mueller; a redacted (of course) version was posted by Time. In it, Rowley told Mueller:
The issues are fundamentally ones of INTEGRITY and go to the heart of the FBI's law enforcement mission and mandate.
Thursday, July 21, 2005
Stomp on the weak and hurdle the dead
Washington State Seeking Liens Against Medicaid Patients
(Excerpt)
SEATTLE -- Washington state officials are going to start seeking liens against Medicaid patients' estates to recover costs of long-term care -- even if the patient has deeded the property to
relatives or others. Liens are allowed under a new law that closes a loophole some Medicaid patients have used to keep their homes out of the state's reach. The law applies to all such property transfers made after June 30. It also clears the way for the state to file liens on property while terminal patients are still in a nursing home or the hospital.
(Excerpt)
SEATTLE -- Washington state officials are going to start seeking liens against Medicaid patients' estates to recover costs of long-term care -- even if the patient has deeded the property to
relatives or others. Liens are allowed under a new law that closes a loophole some Medicaid patients have used to keep their homes out of the state's reach. The law applies to all such property transfers made after June 30. It also clears the way for the state to file liens on property while terminal patients are still in a nursing home or the hospital.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Repelling the corporate butt buccaneers
Pirates of the Corporation
News: Holding American companies responsible for high crimes committed overseas.
By Joshua Kurlantzick
July/August 2005 Issue
(Excerpt from Mother Jones)
No plaintiff has yet won an ATCA case against a company, but Collingsworth has persisted, pitting his small staff against the nation’s white- shoe firms and weathering appeal after appeal. (“At no point did I feel their 180 lawyers gave them an advantage,” he says staunchly.) In December, he facilitated the first legal settlement under the ATCA by a multinational company—a payout by Unocal to the Burmese villagers. After the Supreme Court determined that the law could indeed be used against companies, Unocal agreed to pay the villagers a sum in the tens of millions.
Elliot Schrage, a former senior vice president at Gap who is now at the Council on Foreign Relations, believes this was a turning point. “The Unocal settlement legitimates the idea that [ATCA] is a real business risk,” he says. So serious a risk, in fact, that big business and the White House have gone on the offensive to undermine it.
Multinationals have grouped together to file briefs seeking to scuttle ATCA cases, and the National Foreign Trade Council, an organization of corporate giants, has been touting a study warning that ATCA suits could “seriously damage the world economy.” Another study cautions that the threat of ATCA suits could discourage companies from rebuilding countries like war-torn Iraq. Some companies have considered drafting legislation that could kill or seriously limit the ATCA—legislation that could be pushed through Congress with little fanfare. Yet Collingsworth thinks there’s still time to win settlements or decisions in other cases. “The business community,” he says, “doesn’t yet have a champion to stand up and say they’re repealing a statute that prohibits slavery [and] dates back to the nation’s founding.”
The White House has launched its own backdoor strike on the law, filing briefs and letters in support of companies accused in ATCA cases. The administration argues that the suits will damage America’s relations with other countries and impede the war on terror. In one letter obtained by Mother Jones, the State Department’s legal adviser, William H. Taft IV, claimed that an ATCA suit against mining giant Rio Tinto’s operations in Papua New Guinea would damage “an important United States foreign policy objective”—evidently U.S. relations with that obscure island nation have become a critical diplomatic matter. Other corporate defendants are now requesting that the State Department intervene with letters in their favor.
As Schrage has put it, “The message of these actions appears to be that the Bush administration opposes enforcement of international law standards against multinational corporations.” But the White House may be motivated by something more than unilateralism. The ATCA “is a real problem for this government,” notes Sarah Cleveland, an ATCA expert at the University of Texas School of Law. For, as some Iraqis and Afghans have begun to realize, a law that holds corporations responsible for torture and abuse just might do the same for government officials.
News: Holding American companies responsible for high crimes committed overseas.
By Joshua Kurlantzick
July/August 2005 Issue
(Excerpt from Mother Jones)
No plaintiff has yet won an ATCA case against a company, but Collingsworth has persisted, pitting his small staff against the nation’s white- shoe firms and weathering appeal after appeal. (“At no point did I feel their 180 lawyers gave them an advantage,” he says staunchly.) In December, he facilitated the first legal settlement under the ATCA by a multinational company—a payout by Unocal to the Burmese villagers. After the Supreme Court determined that the law could indeed be used against companies, Unocal agreed to pay the villagers a sum in the tens of millions.
Elliot Schrage, a former senior vice president at Gap who is now at the Council on Foreign Relations, believes this was a turning point. “The Unocal settlement legitimates the idea that [ATCA] is a real business risk,” he says. So serious a risk, in fact, that big business and the White House have gone on the offensive to undermine it.
Multinationals have grouped together to file briefs seeking to scuttle ATCA cases, and the National Foreign Trade Council, an organization of corporate giants, has been touting a study warning that ATCA suits could “seriously damage the world economy.” Another study cautions that the threat of ATCA suits could discourage companies from rebuilding countries like war-torn Iraq. Some companies have considered drafting legislation that could kill or seriously limit the ATCA—legislation that could be pushed through Congress with little fanfare. Yet Collingsworth thinks there’s still time to win settlements or decisions in other cases. “The business community,” he says, “doesn’t yet have a champion to stand up and say they’re repealing a statute that prohibits slavery [and] dates back to the nation’s founding.”
The White House has launched its own backdoor strike on the law, filing briefs and letters in support of companies accused in ATCA cases. The administration argues that the suits will damage America’s relations with other countries and impede the war on terror. In one letter obtained by Mother Jones, the State Department’s legal adviser, William H. Taft IV, claimed that an ATCA suit against mining giant Rio Tinto’s operations in Papua New Guinea would damage “an important United States foreign policy objective”—evidently U.S. relations with that obscure island nation have become a critical diplomatic matter. Other corporate defendants are now requesting that the State Department intervene with letters in their favor.
As Schrage has put it, “The message of these actions appears to be that the Bush administration opposes enforcement of international law standards against multinational corporations.” But the White House may be motivated by something more than unilateralism. The ATCA “is a real problem for this government,” notes Sarah Cleveland, an ATCA expert at the University of Texas School of Law. For, as some Iraqis and Afghans have begun to realize, a law that holds corporations responsible for torture and abuse just might do the same for government officials.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
More Congressional Hard Work
Culture of Life (Toxic Womb Edition!)
(Excerpt from Mother Jones)
This from the executive summary:
Researchers at two major laboratories found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in August and September of 2004 in U.S. hospitals. Tests revealed a total of 287 chemicals in the group. The umbilical cord blood of these 10 children, collected by Red Cross after the cord was cut, harbored pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.
Garbage!? Among the compounds discovered are eight perfluorochemicals used as stain and oil repellants in fast food packaging, clothes and textiles, dozens of widely used brominated flame retardants and their toxic by-products, and numerous pesticides. Now, admittedly 10 babies doesn't sound like a very scientific sample, though they were picked at random; still, the results are suggestive, to say the least, and indicate that somebody should be, you know, looking into this.
Again, from the exec. summary:
Had we tested for a broader array of chemicals, we would almost certainly have detected far more than 287. But testing umbilical cord blood for industrial chemicals is technically challenging. Chemical manufacturers are not required to divulge to the public or government health officials methods to detect their chemicals in humans.
This is too bad, because "U.S. industries manufacture and import approximately 75,000 chemicals, 3,000 of them at over a million pounds per year. Health officials do not know how many of these chemicals pollute fetal blood and what the health consequences of in utero exposures may be."
There ought to be a law against it! But, alarmingly ...
The Toxic Substances Control Act, the 1976 federal law meant to ensure the safety of commercial chemicals, essentially deemed 63,000 existing chemicals "safe as used" the day the law was passed, through mandated, en masse approval for use with no safety scrutiny. It forces the government to approve new chemicals within 90 days of a company's application at an average pace of seven per day. It has not been improved for nearly 30 years — longer than any other major environmental or public health statute — and does nothing to reduce or ensure the safety of exposure to pollution in the womb.
Looks like we might want to give the law a bit of a rethink, for, as EWG notes (and I think we can all agree):
As a society we have a responsibility to ensure that babies do not enter this world pre-polluted, with 200 industrial chemicals in their blood.
(Excerpt from Mother Jones)
This from the executive summary:
Researchers at two major laboratories found an average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants in umbilical cord blood from 10 babies born in August and September of 2004 in U.S. hospitals. Tests revealed a total of 287 chemicals in the group. The umbilical cord blood of these 10 children, collected by Red Cross after the cord was cut, harbored pesticides, consumer product ingredients, and wastes from burning coal, gasoline, and garbage.
Garbage!? Among the compounds discovered are eight perfluorochemicals used as stain and oil repellants in fast food packaging, clothes and textiles, dozens of widely used brominated flame retardants and their toxic by-products, and numerous pesticides. Now, admittedly 10 babies doesn't sound like a very scientific sample, though they were picked at random; still, the results are suggestive, to say the least, and indicate that somebody should be, you know, looking into this.
Again, from the exec. summary:
Had we tested for a broader array of chemicals, we would almost certainly have detected far more than 287. But testing umbilical cord blood for industrial chemicals is technically challenging. Chemical manufacturers are not required to divulge to the public or government health officials methods to detect their chemicals in humans.
This is too bad, because "U.S. industries manufacture and import approximately 75,000 chemicals, 3,000 of them at over a million pounds per year. Health officials do not know how many of these chemicals pollute fetal blood and what the health consequences of in utero exposures may be."
There ought to be a law against it! But, alarmingly ...
The Toxic Substances Control Act, the 1976 federal law meant to ensure the safety of commercial chemicals, essentially deemed 63,000 existing chemicals "safe as used" the day the law was passed, through mandated, en masse approval for use with no safety scrutiny. It forces the government to approve new chemicals within 90 days of a company's application at an average pace of seven per day. It has not been improved for nearly 30 years — longer than any other major environmental or public health statute — and does nothing to reduce or ensure the safety of exposure to pollution in the womb.
Looks like we might want to give the law a bit of a rethink, for, as EWG notes (and I think we can all agree):
As a society we have a responsibility to ensure that babies do not enter this world pre-polluted, with 200 industrial chemicals in their blood.
Friday, July 15, 2005
Miscellaneous Quotes
For one man, the truth would be as painful as his anal cysts.
From Troutman
96.37% of all statistics are made up. - Kevin D. Quitt
History is made at night. Character is what you are in the dark. - Lord John Whorfin
The wise man never argues with the fool; casual observers may not be able to tell which is which.
If we make peaceful revolution impossible, we make violent revolution inevitable. - John Kennedy
If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you.
An ounce of pretention is worth a pound of manure.
A good idea doesn't care who has it, and neither should you.
I'm not cynical - just experienced.
Democracy is the worst possible political system, except for all the others.
You can lie with statistics, but not to a statistician.
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. - Isaac Asimov
It is impossible to prepare simultanteously for war and peace and still have time for golf.
Opinion - knowledge without the hindrance of silly facts.
The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size. - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye. The more light you shine on it, the more it will contract. - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
From Troutman
96.37% of all statistics are made up. - Kevin D. Quitt
History is made at night. Character is what you are in the dark. - Lord John Whorfin
The wise man never argues with the fool; casual observers may not be able to tell which is which.
If we make peaceful revolution impossible, we make violent revolution inevitable. - John Kennedy
If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you.
An ounce of pretention is worth a pound of manure.
A good idea doesn't care who has it, and neither should you.
I'm not cynical - just experienced.
Democracy is the worst possible political system, except for all the others.
You can lie with statistics, but not to a statistician.
Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent. - Isaac Asimov
It is impossible to prepare simultanteously for war and peace and still have time for golf.
Opinion - knowledge without the hindrance of silly facts.
The mind, once expanded to the dimensions of larger ideas, never returns to its original size. - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
The mind of a bigot is like the pupil of the eye. The more light you shine on it, the more it will contract. - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Democrats speak on Bush protecting Rove
Why Is Bush Protecting This Man?
Posted by Jesse Berney on July 12, 2005 at 06:25 PM
(Excerpt)
George Bush campaigned as someone who would "restore honor and integrity" to the office of the Presidency. As President, George Bush told his senior staff that they must "avoid even the appearance" of ethical violations. Recently it has become clear that this was all empty rhetoric.
Karl Rove, one of Bush's closest friends and Senior Advisor potentially violated the law when he disclosed the identity of an undercover CIA agent. Ever since the leak was announced in 2003, the White House has defended Karl Rove. They have called the claims Rove was the leak" ridiculous." At the same time, George Bush was saying that if there were a leak they the leak would be "taken care of" and criminal charges would be filed.
Now, President Bush has a tough choice to make: does he protect the man who constructed his rise to power, or does he keep his promise to the American people?
Be sure to read all the comments.
Posted by Jesse Berney on July 12, 2005 at 06:25 PM
(Excerpt)
George Bush campaigned as someone who would "restore honor and integrity" to the office of the Presidency. As President, George Bush told his senior staff that they must "avoid even the appearance" of ethical violations. Recently it has become clear that this was all empty rhetoric.
Karl Rove, one of Bush's closest friends and Senior Advisor potentially violated the law when he disclosed the identity of an undercover CIA agent. Ever since the leak was announced in 2003, the White House has defended Karl Rove. They have called the claims Rove was the leak" ridiculous." At the same time, George Bush was saying that if there were a leak they the leak would be "taken care of" and criminal charges would be filed.
Now, President Bush has a tough choice to make: does he protect the man who constructed his rise to power, or does he keep his promise to the American people?
Be sure to read all the comments.
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
The voting question
Your next vote will most likely be counted (perhaps more than once), but for whom will it count?
The issue of black box voting is not yet close to being resolved although many problems are being uncovered and disclosed by heroic investigators working diligently on the voter's behalf.
Take some time to read about the things you won't find in the media until the angry roar from the voters forces the issue.
Read about it here.
The issue of black box voting is not yet close to being resolved although many problems are being uncovered and disclosed by heroic investigators working diligently on the voter's behalf.
Take some time to read about the things you won't find in the media until the angry roar from the voters forces the issue.
Read about it here.
Catching up with reality
Mr. Natural, over at Left Edge North, reminded me to take a look at Driftglass this morning, where the past couple posts are always worth a serious read and today is no exception.
Katharine, over at Cut to the Chase, has already taken some time out of her busy day to post a couple interesting items, and Karlo, over at Swerve Left, has written about the arrest of Leonard Clark, a member of the Arizona Army National Guard arrested for his political beliefs while serving in Iraq.
All of these blogs are worth reading and the links they share are worth following
Katharine, over at Cut to the Chase, has already taken some time out of her busy day to post a couple interesting items, and Karlo, over at Swerve Left, has written about the arrest of Leonard Clark, a member of the Arizona Army National Guard arrested for his political beliefs while serving in Iraq.
All of these blogs are worth reading and the links they share are worth following
More Fraud, Waste, and serious Abuse
Reforming California's Prisons: An Interview With Jackie Speier
News: The state senator is working to hold California's powerful corrections department to account.
Interviewed By Lisa Katayama
July 7, 2005
(Excerpt from Mother Jones article)
In April of this year, Jackie Speier spent the night at Valley State Prison for Women to find out for herself what the living conditions in a California women's prison were like. Having recently visited Valley State myself as an attorney representative for California Prison Focus, I was curious to hear about her experience, and to find out more about the reforms she was pursuing.
(My Comments)
If you don’t have a friend or family member currently riding out a hitch in the pen, you are among the few. The prison industrial complex has long been competing with the military industrial complex as a vehicle to siphon taxpayer funds into corporate coffers. This article focuses on California’s prison system, but a little research will uncover a vast number of articles directed toward the high cost of corruption permeating the prison system in most (if not all) other states.
The war on drugs has filled our prisons from sea to shining sea with non-violent offenders who should be working out their social problems in a way that allows them to continue caring for their families, and contributing to their communities in positive ways rather than adding to the financial burden of a constantly increasing prison industry.
Please check this out, and add your voice to the demand for common sense solutions to a situation that is already out of control.
News: The state senator is working to hold California's powerful corrections department to account.
Interviewed By Lisa Katayama
July 7, 2005
(Excerpt from Mother Jones article)
In April of this year, Jackie Speier spent the night at Valley State Prison for Women to find out for herself what the living conditions in a California women's prison were like. Having recently visited Valley State myself as an attorney representative for California Prison Focus, I was curious to hear about her experience, and to find out more about the reforms she was pursuing.
(My Comments)
If you don’t have a friend or family member currently riding out a hitch in the pen, you are among the few. The prison industrial complex has long been competing with the military industrial complex as a vehicle to siphon taxpayer funds into corporate coffers. This article focuses on California’s prison system, but a little research will uncover a vast number of articles directed toward the high cost of corruption permeating the prison system in most (if not all) other states.
The war on drugs has filled our prisons from sea to shining sea with non-violent offenders who should be working out their social problems in a way that allows them to continue caring for their families, and contributing to their communities in positive ways rather than adding to the financial burden of a constantly increasing prison industry.
Please check this out, and add your voice to the demand for common sense solutions to a situation that is already out of control.
Monday, July 11, 2005
Doing God's work
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble.
At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.
He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered."Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.”Of course, sir, come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."The man gestured, and the gate began to open."Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked."I'm sorry; sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book."Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?""Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.""How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog."There should be a bowl by the pump."
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree."What do you call this place?" the traveler asked."This is Heaven," he answered."Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.""Oh, you mean the place with the golden streets and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.""Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"
"No, we're just happy that they screen out the Republicans."
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble.
At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold.
He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered."Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.”Of course, sir, come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up."The man gestured, and the gate began to open."Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked."I'm sorry; sir, but we don't accept pets."
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book."Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?""Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.""How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog."There should be a bowl by the pump."
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree."What do you call this place?" the traveler asked."This is Heaven," he answered."Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.""Oh, you mean the place with the golden streets and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.""Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"
"No, we're just happy that they screen out the Republicans."
Sunday, July 10, 2005
Common Sense at Work
A Liberal Minor League
Progressive Majority says the left needs to develop a good farm system if it is to take back Congress.
by George Howland Jr.
(Excerpt From Seattle Weekly article)
2005 is an off year. There are no regularly scheduled elections for Congress, and liberal Democrats cannot do anything about conservative Republicans' complete and total domination of the federal government, right? Wrong, says Dean Nielsen, state director of Progressive Majority. This year, Nielsen says, liberals need to get busy building the farm team. "If we have any hope of taking back congressional seats," says Nielsen, "we have to start at the local level." Seventy-five percent of the members of Congress were once locally elected officials—members of city councils, county councils, port commissions, and school boards. For instance, nine out of 11 of Washington's congressional delegation began their political careers in local office. If Democrats want to take back the majority in Congress, Nielsen says, they need a pool of locally elected officials who are hungry to move up to the big leagues. "We believe in investing in people," he says.
Progressive Majority is an independent organization devoted to recruiting and training liberal candidates. After the 2000 election, when conservative Republicans ended up in control of the White House and Congress, Democrats began figuring out what had gone wrong. Progressive Majority was founded the following year in D.C. with the help of liberal members of Congress, including Washington's senior U.S. senator, Patty Murray. Most of the group's funding comes from wealthy individuals and labor unions. In 2004, Progressive Majority opened state chapters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington. It has since added chapters in Colorado and Arizona.
(My Comments)
There are many local Democrats out of office by virtue of having lost the last election. Some of these people are seasoned politicians and worthy of support should they be convinced to step up one more time. Talk to them…write about them…then support them however possible should they answer the call.
Do not neglect to consider the Independents or third party candidates either. All people of honesty and integrity need to be encouraged in their political endeavors. Only by purging the system of the political blight we now suffer by infusing local politics with those truly concerned with the common good will we begin to see an end to the corruption that is nurtured and fertilized by many current office holders.
Progressive Majority says the left needs to develop a good farm system if it is to take back Congress.
by George Howland Jr.
(Excerpt From Seattle Weekly article)
2005 is an off year. There are no regularly scheduled elections for Congress, and liberal Democrats cannot do anything about conservative Republicans' complete and total domination of the federal government, right? Wrong, says Dean Nielsen, state director of Progressive Majority. This year, Nielsen says, liberals need to get busy building the farm team. "If we have any hope of taking back congressional seats," says Nielsen, "we have to start at the local level." Seventy-five percent of the members of Congress were once locally elected officials—members of city councils, county councils, port commissions, and school boards. For instance, nine out of 11 of Washington's congressional delegation began their political careers in local office. If Democrats want to take back the majority in Congress, Nielsen says, they need a pool of locally elected officials who are hungry to move up to the big leagues. "We believe in investing in people," he says.
Progressive Majority is an independent organization devoted to recruiting and training liberal candidates. After the 2000 election, when conservative Republicans ended up in control of the White House and Congress, Democrats began figuring out what had gone wrong. Progressive Majority was founded the following year in D.C. with the help of liberal members of Congress, including Washington's senior U.S. senator, Patty Murray. Most of the group's funding comes from wealthy individuals and labor unions. In 2004, Progressive Majority opened state chapters in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Washington. It has since added chapters in Colorado and Arizona.
(My Comments)
There are many local Democrats out of office by virtue of having lost the last election. Some of these people are seasoned politicians and worthy of support should they be convinced to step up one more time. Talk to them…write about them…then support them however possible should they answer the call.
Do not neglect to consider the Independents or third party candidates either. All people of honesty and integrity need to be encouraged in their political endeavors. Only by purging the system of the political blight we now suffer by infusing local politics with those truly concerned with the common good will we begin to see an end to the corruption that is nurtured and fertilized by many current office holders.
TEN COMMANDMENTS
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments in a Courthouse?
You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery"
and "Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness" in a building full of lawyers, judges
and politicians.
It creates a hostile work environment.
You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery"
and "Thou Shall Not Bear False Witness" in a building full of lawyers, judges
and politicians.
It creates a hostile work environment.
Friday, July 08, 2005
Abolish election theft
It really doesn’t matter which issue you decide to pour your energy into if the ability to steal elections is not addressed and resolved first. Every blogger should realize the importance of carrying links to voting issues on the sidebar or in a weekly post. If you don’t make it a point to visit Black Box Voting on a regular basis, this issue just might slip from your mind until 2006 when the voters are once again burned at the voting booth. Please don’t let lack of interest occur on your watch.
Voting for Reform
News: For progressive Democrats, fixing the electoral system is job number one.
By Jeff Fleischer
June 21, 2005
Voting for Reform
News: For progressive Democrats, fixing the electoral system is job number one.
By Jeff Fleischer
June 21, 2005
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Twisted Tunes
The Bob Rivers Show features a Twisted Tunes Audio Player that currently lists four songs related to Independence Day. Go take a listen to “Burgers on the Grill” or “Burned on the Bar-B-Q”. I think these are the best of the four. You can also select something from the archives.
KZOK 102.5 FM in Seattle is where this show originates. It is definitely a place to spend some time.
KZOK 102.5 FM in Seattle is where this show originates. It is definitely a place to spend some time.
Good to be home
This should have been my first post after coming home from a great trip to the ocean, but the article on domestic violence begged to be heard. I hope you read it all, and I hope you feel as I do toward those able to assert their manliness only in the presence of submissive women and children… of course you do, or you probably wouldn’t find anything of interest in the topics that populate this blog.
The picture is of a Southwest Washington beach at sundown. Thirty minutes later, it was dark except for the brief colorful flashes from skyward bound explosives expressing our ability to carry on under the threat of terror. The fireworks displays continued long after I had tasted the bottom of my last White Russian, and was snuggled deep into my sleeping bag.
I managed to work in a face to face meeting with the author of Left Edge North and his lovely wife, Ellen, during this much enjoyed getaway. We were forced to hold our meeting at Doc’s Tavern in Ocean Park because the Republicans refused to allow the use of Congressional meeting rooms for progressive purposes. Joe and Ellen seem to be great people, and I am pleased that we were able to get together for a brief time. Perhaps we will manage to do so again.
It is good to be home with a wonderful road trip behind me, and the prospect of Karl Rove being exposed as “the best argument for abortion” possibly only days ahead.
Domestic Violence: the measure of politics
Domestic Violence is the reflection of a moral society cast through the looking glass of our State and National Legislators. DV is a societal character trait that emanates downward from the character of those who lead us. The DV husband obsessive about having absolute control over all in his domain is little different than the Majority Party obsessive about absolute control in every aspect of Government.
The Lesson of Tacoma
Commentary: How should the Supreme Court and Congress address domestic violence? Tacoma, Washington, offers answers gleaned from tragedy.
By Russ Rymer
July/August 2005 Issue
(Excerpt from Mother Jones)
…Complicity in violence takes many forms. President Bush’s recent budgets underfunded Violence Against Women Act programs by $40 million a year, a Center for Disease Control rape-prevention program by $36 million a year, and grants for battered women shelters by $49 million a year below their authorizations. When the Violence Against Women Act comes up for renewal this fall, its funding may again be cut. And Senator Murray’s 2004 amendment went down to defeat, opposed by anti-abortionists who felt that the measure, in addressing the abuse of women, deflected attention from what Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Wash.) called “the ultimate victims of domestic violence,” fetuses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce likewise opposed the amendment, on the grounds that businesses might find some of its common-sense provisions expensive. Among those were proposals to extend job protection and family-leave privileges to women forced to take refuge in shelters or called to testify in court, thus interrupting the vicious cycle in which batterers force women to lose their jobs, trapping them further in financial dependence on their tormentors. Murray countered the Chamber’s claims with data showing the cost to business of domestic abuse. That cost accrues to almost 8 million lost workdays and $3 to $5 billion in health care annually, not to mention the price of extra security, since 75 percent of abused women are harassed at their workplaces and 20 percent of workplace homicides are committed by intimate partners
The Lesson of Tacoma
Commentary: How should the Supreme Court and Congress address domestic violence? Tacoma, Washington, offers answers gleaned from tragedy.
By Russ Rymer
July/August 2005 Issue
(Excerpt from Mother Jones)
…Complicity in violence takes many forms. President Bush’s recent budgets underfunded Violence Against Women Act programs by $40 million a year, a Center for Disease Control rape-prevention program by $36 million a year, and grants for battered women shelters by $49 million a year below their authorizations. When the Violence Against Women Act comes up for renewal this fall, its funding may again be cut. And Senator Murray’s 2004 amendment went down to defeat, opposed by anti-abortionists who felt that the measure, in addressing the abuse of women, deflected attention from what Rep. George Nethercutt (R-Wash.) called “the ultimate victims of domestic violence,” fetuses. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce likewise opposed the amendment, on the grounds that businesses might find some of its common-sense provisions expensive. Among those were proposals to extend job protection and family-leave privileges to women forced to take refuge in shelters or called to testify in court, thus interrupting the vicious cycle in which batterers force women to lose their jobs, trapping them further in financial dependence on their tormentors. Murray countered the Chamber’s claims with data showing the cost to business of domestic abuse. That cost accrues to almost 8 million lost workdays and $3 to $5 billion in health care annually, not to mention the price of extra security, since 75 percent of abused women are harassed at their workplaces and 20 percent of workplace homicides are committed by intimate partners
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