Sunday, June 19, 2005
Saturday, June 18, 2005
An excellent comment
From Firedog Lake:
A heartwarming, humorous, and sobering comment on ENERGY, and where the Bush Administration stands up and falls down.
A heartwarming, humorous, and sobering comment on ENERGY, and where the Bush Administration stands up and falls down.
In the best interest of our Nation?
Utterly discredited? You've got the job.
OK, now we've seen everything. Philip A. Cooney, the White House staffer who last week got busted for "revising" government scientific reports to minimize the link between human activity and global warming, is going to work for ... ExxonMobil!
(My Comments)
Perhaps ExxonMobil is just displaying their entrepreneurial spirit in an attempt to create a better market for bottled oxygen.
OK, now we've seen everything. Philip A. Cooney, the White House staffer who last week got busted for "revising" government scientific reports to minimize the link between human activity and global warming, is going to work for ... ExxonMobil!
(My Comments)
Perhaps ExxonMobil is just displaying their entrepreneurial spirit in an attempt to create a better market for bottled oxygen.
Friday, June 17, 2005
Ahoy, the winds of change
Bush pressed to answer `Downing Street Memo' questions
Antiwar Group Says Leaked British Memo Shows Bush Misled Public on His War Plans
(Excerpt)
The Downing Street memo, so named because the meeting was at the prime minister's London residence, was published in The Sunday Times of London on May 1.
It is one of seven prewar documents leaked since September to Michael Smith, a reporter for The Daily Telegraph before he began working for The Sunday Times. One, written in preparation for the July 23 meeting and published Sunday by The Sunday Times, warned that "a postwar occupation of Iraq could lead to a protracted and costly nation-building exercise" in which "Washington could look to us to share a disproportionate share of the burden."
Activists have accused mainstream news organizations of playing down the document's significance, even as antiwar bloggers have seized upon it as evidence.
David Swanson, a Democratic activist and one of the founders of After Downing Street, criticized those defenders of President Bush and journalists who have called the memo "old news" because the president's war preparations were widely reported by mid-2002.
"It's not old news to most Americans," Mr. Swanson said.
(MY Comments)
Jim Vandehei, a reporter from the Washington Post, appeared on MSNBC’s Countdown (with Alex Witt filling in for Keith Obermann) last night to give his expert opinion about the Forum held By John Conyers.
Keep in mind that Vandehei was not asked if he had attended the hearing…or spoken to or listened to any of the witnesses before or after their testimony.
Jim, good evening. Nice to have you with us on COUNTDOWN.
JIM VANDEHEI, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, “THE WASHINGTON POST”: Good to be here, Alex.
WITT: Before we talk about the Downing Street memos, let me begin by asking you about what‘s going on in Iraq. I mean, specifically, Jim, is it getting more difficult for the president to keep on painting a rosy picture? Is this problem he can no longer ignore?
VANDEHEI: It‘s definitely something he can‘t ignore any more, and he acknowledges that. The White House is planning to shift its strategy in the next couple of weeks to focus more attention on Iraq, and probably at the expense of Social Security and some other issues.
The president is looking at the same poll numbers that we are, and he believes he has to reengage with the American people, explain the mission, and explain his plan for victory.
WITT: OK. Let‘s turn now to the Downing Street memos. Is anything in the documents, or anything that we‘ve heard today, as damning as the Democrats on the Hill or liberal bloggers might wish there to be?
VANDEHEI: Well, not really, and the reason would be that the two allegations that are in the memo are basically that the president was planning to go to war long before he was publicly acknowledging it, and determined to use highly disputed weapons of mass destruction information to justify an invasion. Both of those charges, I think, have largely been true—proved by the media, and by administration officials who were there during the war planning sessions.
So what you do have for the first time is, you have it in writing, you have this memo from the British, saying that this is our interpretation of what the United States is thinking. And that‘s what Democrats are seizing on.
WITT: Jim, how seriously was today‘s unofficial hearing being taken
by those on Capitol Hill who were not participating in it?
VANDEHEI: Probably not very seriously. I mean, what you had here were antiwar liberals holding a mock hearing, where they had critics of the administration only testifying. Basically, Republicans control all the levers power in Washington. Democrats have very little that they can do to raise issues or to raise investigations.
So what they did is, they held this mock hearing. And I think it generated some media attention, hence we‘re sitting here talking about it tonight.
WITT: Yes. There has been criticism, though, that the major media outlets have not been paying enough attention to the Downing Street memos. I mean, do you think that‘s starting to change? Do you think this story is really gathering steam, notwithstanding that we‘re talking about it tonight?
VANDEHEI: Right. Well, it‘s interesting, I mean, my e-mailbox has been filled with e-mails from several Democrats who are just angry that the media‘s not doing enough on the issue. And I think if you look at some of the television programs and the major newspapers over the last couple of days, there‘s been a lot of stories now about the memo. But a lot of them are about the process, about Democrats being angry that we‘re not talking about the memo.
Now, our newspaper did have a front-page story in the last week that talked about the specifics of what‘s in that memo and what is significant about it. But for the most part, I haven‘t seen a ton of coverage in the United States of the content.
WITT: And what‘s it going to take to get these memos on the front page of the newspapers? And do you think it should be there in that placement?
VANDEHEI: Right, I mean, I think that‘s usually an editor‘s judgment. I think that there‘s nothing else that‘s going to come that‘s from that memo. We‘ve seen the memo, we know the contents. So I don‘t think you‘re going to see a lot more coverage of it, other than Democrats saying that there should be more focus on why we went to war, more focus on the fact that the president was relying on faulty weapons of mass destruction information.
But I think a lot of that stuff was really hashed out in the elections. A lot of people know that.
And what they‘re focused on now is the disconnect between what the president is saying is happening on the ground in Iraq, and what they‘re seeing on television, with mounting casualties and the insurgency appearing to look stronger rather than weaker. And I think that‘s where a lot of the focus is. And I know that‘s a lot of -- where a lot of the focus of our newspaper is right now.
WITT: How about historical context for these memos? Do you think—what do you think that‘s going to play out to be?
VANDEHEI: Right. I mean, I think the historical context is that it‘s the first time we really have something in writing that proves what I think a lot of people already knew. I mean, we had—our reporters have talked to several officials that have said exactly what‘s in those memos. But now you have a paper trail. So I think that would be the historical significance of it.
WITT: All right, Jim VandeHei of “The Washington Post,” thanks so much for your time here on COUNTDOWN. We appreciate it.
As an antiwar liberal (person with some maturity) and liberal leaning independent blogger, I am beginning to understand the concept of “tipping point”. The Bush Administration and their enablers have been hiding important facts about plans and activities to such a degree that the sheer weight of the hidden information is about to tip the container and spill out all over the awareness of the American people.
Antiwar Group Says Leaked British Memo Shows Bush Misled Public on His War Plans
(Excerpt)
The Downing Street memo, so named because the meeting was at the prime minister's London residence, was published in The Sunday Times of London on May 1.
It is one of seven prewar documents leaked since September to Michael Smith, a reporter for The Daily Telegraph before he began working for The Sunday Times. One, written in preparation for the July 23 meeting and published Sunday by The Sunday Times, warned that "a postwar occupation of Iraq could lead to a protracted and costly nation-building exercise" in which "Washington could look to us to share a disproportionate share of the burden."
Activists have accused mainstream news organizations of playing down the document's significance, even as antiwar bloggers have seized upon it as evidence.
David Swanson, a Democratic activist and one of the founders of After Downing Street, criticized those defenders of President Bush and journalists who have called the memo "old news" because the president's war preparations were widely reported by mid-2002.
"It's not old news to most Americans," Mr. Swanson said.
(MY Comments)
Jim Vandehei, a reporter from the Washington Post, appeared on MSNBC’s Countdown (with Alex Witt filling in for Keith Obermann) last night to give his expert opinion about the Forum held By John Conyers.
Keep in mind that Vandehei was not asked if he had attended the hearing…or spoken to or listened to any of the witnesses before or after their testimony.
Jim, good evening. Nice to have you with us on COUNTDOWN.
JIM VANDEHEI, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, “THE WASHINGTON POST”: Good to be here, Alex.
WITT: Before we talk about the Downing Street memos, let me begin by asking you about what‘s going on in Iraq. I mean, specifically, Jim, is it getting more difficult for the president to keep on painting a rosy picture? Is this problem he can no longer ignore?
VANDEHEI: It‘s definitely something he can‘t ignore any more, and he acknowledges that. The White House is planning to shift its strategy in the next couple of weeks to focus more attention on Iraq, and probably at the expense of Social Security and some other issues.
The president is looking at the same poll numbers that we are, and he believes he has to reengage with the American people, explain the mission, and explain his plan for victory.
WITT: OK. Let‘s turn now to the Downing Street memos. Is anything in the documents, or anything that we‘ve heard today, as damning as the Democrats on the Hill or liberal bloggers might wish there to be?
VANDEHEI: Well, not really, and the reason would be that the two allegations that are in the memo are basically that the president was planning to go to war long before he was publicly acknowledging it, and determined to use highly disputed weapons of mass destruction information to justify an invasion. Both of those charges, I think, have largely been true—proved by the media, and by administration officials who were there during the war planning sessions.
So what you do have for the first time is, you have it in writing, you have this memo from the British, saying that this is our interpretation of what the United States is thinking. And that‘s what Democrats are seizing on.
WITT: Jim, how seriously was today‘s unofficial hearing being taken
by those on Capitol Hill who were not participating in it?
VANDEHEI: Probably not very seriously. I mean, what you had here were antiwar liberals holding a mock hearing, where they had critics of the administration only testifying. Basically, Republicans control all the levers power in Washington. Democrats have very little that they can do to raise issues or to raise investigations.
So what they did is, they held this mock hearing. And I think it generated some media attention, hence we‘re sitting here talking about it tonight.
WITT: Yes. There has been criticism, though, that the major media outlets have not been paying enough attention to the Downing Street memos. I mean, do you think that‘s starting to change? Do you think this story is really gathering steam, notwithstanding that we‘re talking about it tonight?
VANDEHEI: Right. Well, it‘s interesting, I mean, my e-mailbox has been filled with e-mails from several Democrats who are just angry that the media‘s not doing enough on the issue. And I think if you look at some of the television programs and the major newspapers over the last couple of days, there‘s been a lot of stories now about the memo. But a lot of them are about the process, about Democrats being angry that we‘re not talking about the memo.
Now, our newspaper did have a front-page story in the last week that talked about the specifics of what‘s in that memo and what is significant about it. But for the most part, I haven‘t seen a ton of coverage in the United States of the content.
WITT: And what‘s it going to take to get these memos on the front page of the newspapers? And do you think it should be there in that placement?
VANDEHEI: Right, I mean, I think that‘s usually an editor‘s judgment. I think that there‘s nothing else that‘s going to come that‘s from that memo. We‘ve seen the memo, we know the contents. So I don‘t think you‘re going to see a lot more coverage of it, other than Democrats saying that there should be more focus on why we went to war, more focus on the fact that the president was relying on faulty weapons of mass destruction information.
But I think a lot of that stuff was really hashed out in the elections. A lot of people know that.
And what they‘re focused on now is the disconnect between what the president is saying is happening on the ground in Iraq, and what they‘re seeing on television, with mounting casualties and the insurgency appearing to look stronger rather than weaker. And I think that‘s where a lot of the focus is. And I know that‘s a lot of -- where a lot of the focus of our newspaper is right now.
WITT: How about historical context for these memos? Do you think—what do you think that‘s going to play out to be?
VANDEHEI: Right. I mean, I think the historical context is that it‘s the first time we really have something in writing that proves what I think a lot of people already knew. I mean, we had—our reporters have talked to several officials that have said exactly what‘s in those memos. But now you have a paper trail. So I think that would be the historical significance of it.
WITT: All right, Jim VandeHei of “The Washington Post,” thanks so much for your time here on COUNTDOWN. We appreciate it.
As an antiwar liberal (person with some maturity) and liberal leaning independent blogger, I am beginning to understand the concept of “tipping point”. The Bush Administration and their enablers have been hiding important facts about plans and activities to such a degree that the sheer weight of the hidden information is about to tip the container and spill out all over the awareness of the American people.
Wednesday, June 15, 2005
Should USDA officials be appointed, elected, or imprisoned?
The following are from rense.com:
The Great US Mad Cow Coverup Begins To Unravel
By John Stauber
CounterPunch.org
6-15-5
Mad Cows, Mad Wildlife & The Rise Of Alzheimer's Disease In North America
Thirteen Things You Should Know Alzheimer's Disease
By Colm Kelleher PhD
6-12-5
Cluster Of Three BSE Cows Found On Farm In Wales
By James Meikle
Health Correspondent
The Guardian - UK
5-29-5
US Man To Be Retested For Human Mad Cow
By Steve Mitchell
ScienceDaily.com
5-19-5
The rense.com archives on CJD – CWD - BSE
The Great US Mad Cow Coverup Begins To Unravel
By John Stauber
CounterPunch.org
6-15-5
Mad Cows, Mad Wildlife & The Rise Of Alzheimer's Disease In North America
Thirteen Things You Should Know Alzheimer's Disease
By Colm Kelleher PhD
6-12-5
Cluster Of Three BSE Cows Found On Farm In Wales
By James Meikle
Health Correspondent
The Guardian - UK
5-29-5
US Man To Be Retested For Human Mad Cow
By Steve Mitchell
ScienceDaily.com
5-19-5
The rense.com archives on CJD – CWD - BSE
Authorities state BSE not unexpected
(Excerpt) Read More
The United States Department of Agriculture has announced that a bovine brain sample that had previously tested inconclusive using two rapid tests for BSE, then tested negative on an IHC test, was recently tested again using the Western Blot test with a presumptive positive result.
The sample is now being flown to the BSE World Reference Laboratory in Weybridge, England for further testing.
In a news conference the USDA stated the animal was an aged beef cow and there was no indication it had been imported.
Both Canadian and U.S. authorities have stated it would not be unexpected to find a few additional cases of BSE on either side of the border. Regulations related to food safety, animal feed and international trade in both countries have been designed with this possibility in mind.
(My Comments)
Everyone I know of taking enough interest in this topic to do a minimum amount of their own research has made an informed decision to exclude beef and dairy from their grocery lists. The only exceptions (myself included) are those with the ability to purchase from local sources that can be validated as organic and humane.
It is becoming more apparent that the amount of testing done on beef cattle in this country is woefully inadequate.
The United States Department of Agriculture has announced that a bovine brain sample that had previously tested inconclusive using two rapid tests for BSE, then tested negative on an IHC test, was recently tested again using the Western Blot test with a presumptive positive result.
The sample is now being flown to the BSE World Reference Laboratory in Weybridge, England for further testing.
In a news conference the USDA stated the animal was an aged beef cow and there was no indication it had been imported.
Both Canadian and U.S. authorities have stated it would not be unexpected to find a few additional cases of BSE on either side of the border. Regulations related to food safety, animal feed and international trade in both countries have been designed with this possibility in mind.
(My Comments)
Everyone I know of taking enough interest in this topic to do a minimum amount of their own research has made an informed decision to exclude beef and dairy from their grocery lists. The only exceptions (myself included) are those with the ability to purchase from local sources that can be validated as organic and humane.
It is becoming more apparent that the amount of testing done on beef cattle in this country is woefully inadequate.
Tuesday, June 14, 2005
From the mouths of self-serving Bastards
(Excerpt from By The Times) Found at What Really Happened
Rather than seek honest intelligence with a desire to protect the nation from actual enemies, the Administration leaned on the intelligence community to get the ''facts'' they wanted. They even went so far as to create a ''special'' intelligence unit, composed of long time war advocates, charged to dig up anything, however doubtful or discredited, to tout as ''evidence.''
Numerous speeches, ''news'' show interviews, and the ''State of the Union'' speech to Congress were used to push the deceptive claims. Here are a few of those statements, with the remaining 228 also available at the websites above:
''Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''U.S. intelligence indicates that Saddam Hussein had upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''We have also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''Our intelligence sources tell us that he (Saddam) has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''Satellite photographs reveal that Iraq is rebuilding facilities at [past nuclear] sites.''--Bush speech to the nation, 10/7/2002
''The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''We know he's been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons, and we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons.''--VP Dick Cheney, ''Meet the Press'' 3/16/2003
''We gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn't let them in.''--Bush Press Conference, 7/14/2003
(Read More)
Rather than seek honest intelligence with a desire to protect the nation from actual enemies, the Administration leaned on the intelligence community to get the ''facts'' they wanted. They even went so far as to create a ''special'' intelligence unit, composed of long time war advocates, charged to dig up anything, however doubtful or discredited, to tout as ''evidence.''
Numerous speeches, ''news'' show interviews, and the ''State of the Union'' speech to Congress were used to push the deceptive claims. Here are a few of those statements, with the remaining 228 also available at the websites above:
''Our intelligence officials estimate that Saddam Hussein had the materials to produce as much as 500 tons of sarin, mustard and VX nerve agent.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''U.S. intelligence indicates that Saddam Hussein had upwards of 30,000 munitions capable of delivering chemical agents.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''We have also discovered through intelligence that Iraq has a growing fleet of manned and unmanned aerial vehicles that could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons across broad areas.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''Evidence from intelligence sources, secret communications and statements by people now in custody reveal that Saddam Hussein aids and protects terrorists, including members of Al Qaeda.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''Our intelligence sources tell us that he (Saddam) has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes suitable for nuclear weapons production.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''Satellite photographs reveal that Iraq is rebuilding facilities at [past nuclear] sites.''--Bush speech to the nation, 10/7/2002
''The British government has learned that Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa.''--State of the Union Address, 1/28/2003
''We know he's been absolutely devoted to trying to acquire nuclear weapons, and we believe he has, in fact, reconstituted nuclear weapons.''--VP Dick Cheney, ''Meet the Press'' 3/16/2003
''We gave him a chance to allow the inspectors in, and he wouldn't let them in.''--Bush Press Conference, 7/14/2003
(Read More)
The LIE of the Century
First...read the article.
Then........
SO HERE IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO
The Bush administration and their friends in the media want this story to go away. More than want it to go away, they are in a panic, and will do everything they can to stop it. They will use every dirty trick, every paid shill, every presstitute that they can. Already there is a report that the Michael Jackson jury is "expected" to reach a verdict just before the Conyers hearings.
So, I want YOU to copy this article off, post it everywhere. This article is placed in the public domain. Mail it to your friends. Then send it to your local media and your Congresscritters and have everyone you know do the same. Get on the phones. Flood their offices.
The term is "Viral Marketing" where you get the people who need a product to market it for you. Well, this nation NEEDS this "product". It needs to know that this war was started with lies. INTENTIONAL lies. And they need to know there is something they can do about it, and that is to start pounding on the doors of power.
Because when a flood of such messages reaches the Congress and the media, what they will hear is that there is no more time. Either they will deal with these lies and the liars, in full, or they will lose all credibility as a government and as media.
A government that lies to the people cannot be the legal government of this land. Make sure that they understand that YOU understand that the Constitution does not allow the government to lie to the people. Calling themselves the government does not make it so if they act unconstitutionally and illegally. The Constitution is the original "Contract with America" and a government that lies stands in clear breach of that contract.
MORE MEDIA CONTACTS MORE CONGRESSIONAL CONTACTS
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
-- "The Declaration of Independence"
Then........
SO HERE IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO
The Bush administration and their friends in the media want this story to go away. More than want it to go away, they are in a panic, and will do everything they can to stop it. They will use every dirty trick, every paid shill, every presstitute that they can. Already there is a report that the Michael Jackson jury is "expected" to reach a verdict just before the Conyers hearings.
So, I want YOU to copy this article off, post it everywhere. This article is placed in the public domain. Mail it to your friends. Then send it to your local media and your Congresscritters and have everyone you know do the same. Get on the phones. Flood their offices.
The term is "Viral Marketing" where you get the people who need a product to market it for you. Well, this nation NEEDS this "product". It needs to know that this war was started with lies. INTENTIONAL lies. And they need to know there is something they can do about it, and that is to start pounding on the doors of power.
Because when a flood of such messages reaches the Congress and the media, what they will hear is that there is no more time. Either they will deal with these lies and the liars, in full, or they will lose all credibility as a government and as media.
A government that lies to the people cannot be the legal government of this land. Make sure that they understand that YOU understand that the Constitution does not allow the government to lie to the people. Calling themselves the government does not make it so if they act unconstitutionally and illegally. The Constitution is the original "Contract with America" and a government that lies stands in clear breach of that contract.
MORE MEDIA CONTACTS MORE CONGRESSIONAL CONTACTS
But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
-- "The Declaration of Independence"
Monday, June 13, 2005
Share the Love
Like a lot of my friends and neighbors, I am not currently a member of any organized church. I don't consider myself religious, but I am very spiritual, and I subscribe to the qualities in people that elevate the interests of others.
There are many religious organizations and politicians in the spotlight these days speaking loudly and often about a values based society and nation. I would suggest each of them be exposed to the information at the following link:
http://LiberalsLikeChrist.Org/DemocraticParty
Perhaps you would be willing to send this link to all your upstanding local and national politicians. I am sure they will appreciate your sentiment.
There are many religious organizations and politicians in the spotlight these days speaking loudly and often about a values based society and nation. I would suggest each of them be exposed to the information at the following link:
http://LiberalsLikeChrist.Org/DemocraticParty
Perhaps you would be willing to send this link to all your upstanding local and national politicians. I am sure they will appreciate your sentiment.
Economy hinges on corrupt myth
Dollar hits 9-mth highs on rate outlook
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar hit a nine-month high against the euro and an eight-month peak versus the yen on Monday, extending gains after last week's U.S. trade data and comments from Fed chief Alan Greenspan' name=c1>SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3>Alan Greenspan reinforced views of more interest rate hikes.
(Read More)
(My Comments)
I watched parts of a Senate hearing on pension plans over the week-end (on CSPAN) which brought me to a level of quiet outrage I had never before reached. One of the expert witnesses made a comment that insinuated it would be wiser for workers to invest more of their retirement money in a 401K plan than a retirement fund because they would then be in control of what happened to their money.
I find it ironic that the people coming up with these programs and spending millions of dollars to convince workers to participate always seem to find a way to insinuate that not keeping their promise to pay is a result of something the workers did, didn’t do, should have done, or could have done.
When a company takes the money you invest in retirement every payday, and they invest it in the stock market, they should have no excuse to default on your retirement when the stock market tanks.
If I know that the stock market is a scam, why doesn’t everyone know? It is because the Congress is complicit in the scam, and they write whatever laws are necessary, when they are necessary, to excuse the corporate scam artists for ending up with all the money when retirees end up with the empty paper promises that comprise the stock market.
Damn them anyway!
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The dollar hit a nine-month high against the euro and an eight-month peak versus the yen on Monday, extending gains after last week's U.S. trade data and comments from Fed chief Alan Greenspan' name=c1>SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3>Alan Greenspan reinforced views of more interest rate hikes.
(Read More)
(My Comments)
I watched parts of a Senate hearing on pension plans over the week-end (on CSPAN) which brought me to a level of quiet outrage I had never before reached. One of the expert witnesses made a comment that insinuated it would be wiser for workers to invest more of their retirement money in a 401K plan than a retirement fund because they would then be in control of what happened to their money.
I find it ironic that the people coming up with these programs and spending millions of dollars to convince workers to participate always seem to find a way to insinuate that not keeping their promise to pay is a result of something the workers did, didn’t do, should have done, or could have done.
When a company takes the money you invest in retirement every payday, and they invest it in the stock market, they should have no excuse to default on your retirement when the stock market tanks.
If I know that the stock market is a scam, why doesn’t everyone know? It is because the Congress is complicit in the scam, and they write whatever laws are necessary, when they are necessary, to excuse the corporate scam artists for ending up with all the money when retirees end up with the empty paper promises that comprise the stock market.
Damn them anyway!
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Are you the owner...or the ownee?
From The Illuminati Conspiracy Archives
The Origins of the Overclass
(Excerpt)
But the World Grows Wise…
It was only a matter of time before other nations caught on to these fronts. They learned that when the CIA comes to their countries to commit their crimes and atrocities, they come disguised as American journalists, businessmen, missionaries and charity volunteers.
Unfortunately, foreigners are now targeting these professions as hostile. In Lebanon, terrorists held U.S. journalist Terry Anderson hostage for nearly seven years, on the not unreasonable assumption that he was a spy. Whether or not this was true is beside the point. The CIA has put all Americans abroad at risk, whether they are CIA agents or not. In hearings before the Senate in 1996, many organizations urged Congress to stop using their professions as CIA cover. Don Argue of the National Association of Evangelicals testified: "Such use of missionary agents for covert activities by the CIA would be unethical and immoral." 13
[Snip]
Scaife's CIA roots are typical of those who head the new conservative foundations. By 1994 the most active were:
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Carthage Foundation
Earhart Foundation
Charles G. Koch
David H. Koch
Claude R. Lambe
Philip M. McKenna
J.M. Foundation
John M. Olin Foundation
Henry Salvatori Foundation
Sarah Scaife Foundation
Smith Richardson Foundation
Between 1992 and 1994, these foundations gave $210 million to conservative causes. Here is the breakdown of their donations:
$88.9 million for conservative scholarships;
$79.2 million to enhance a national infrastructure of think tanks and advocacy groups;
$16.3 million for alternative media outlets and watchdog groups;
$10.5 million for conservative pro-market law firms;
$9.3 million for regional and state think tanks and advocacy groups;
$5.4 million to "organizations working to transform the nations social views and giving practices of the nation's religious and philanthropic leaders." 19
The political machine they built is broad and comprehensive, covering every aspect of the political fight. It includes right-wing departments and chairs in the nation’s top universities, think tanks, public relations firms, media companies, fake grassroots organizations that pressure Congress (irreverently known as "Astroturf" movements), "Roll-out-the-vote" machines, pollsters, fax networks, lobbyist organizations, economic seminars for the nation’s judges, and more. And because corporations are the richest sector of society, their greater financing overwhelms similar efforts by Democrats.
Besides creating foundations, the CIA helped organize the business community. There have always been special interest groups representing business, like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, and the CIA has long been involved with them. However, after 1973, a spate of powerful new groups would come into existence, like the Business Roundtable and the Trilateral Commission. These organizations quickly became powerhouses in promoting the business agenda.
Their efforts clearly succeeded. With the 1975 SUN-PAC decision, corporations persuaded government to legalize corporate Political Action Committees (the lobbyist organizations that bribe our government). By 1992, corporations formed 67 percent of all PACs, and they donated 79 percent of all campaign contributions to political parties. 20
In two landmark elections — 1980 and 1994 — corporations gave heavily and one-sidedly to Republicans, turning one or both houses of Congress over to the GOP. Democratic incumbents were shocked by the threat of being rolled completely out of power, so they quietly shifted to the right on economic issues, even though they continued a public façade of liberalism.
Corporations went ahead and donated to Democratic incumbents in all other elections, but only as long as they abandoned the interests of workers, consumers, minorities and the poor. As expected, the new pro-corporate Congress passed laws favoring the rich: between 1975 and 1992, the amount of national household wealth owned by the richest 1 percent soared from 22 to 42 percent. 21
The CIA also helped create the conservative think tank movement. Prior to the 70s, think tanks spanned the political spectrum, with moderate think tanks receiving three times as much funding as conservative ones. At these early think tanks, scholars typically brainstormed for creative solutions to policy problems. This would all change after the rise of conservative foundations in the early 70s.
The Heritage Foundation opened its doors in 1973, the recipient of $250,000 in seed money from the Coors Foundation. A flood of conservative think tanks followed shortly thereafter, and by 1980 they overwhelmed the scene.
The new think tanks turned out to be little more than propaganda mills, rigging studies to "prove" that their corporate sponsors needed tax breaks, deregulation and other favors from government.
The Origins of the Overclass
(Excerpt)
But the World Grows Wise…
It was only a matter of time before other nations caught on to these fronts. They learned that when the CIA comes to their countries to commit their crimes and atrocities, they come disguised as American journalists, businessmen, missionaries and charity volunteers.
Unfortunately, foreigners are now targeting these professions as hostile. In Lebanon, terrorists held U.S. journalist Terry Anderson hostage for nearly seven years, on the not unreasonable assumption that he was a spy. Whether or not this was true is beside the point. The CIA has put all Americans abroad at risk, whether they are CIA agents or not. In hearings before the Senate in 1996, many organizations urged Congress to stop using their professions as CIA cover. Don Argue of the National Association of Evangelicals testified: "Such use of missionary agents for covert activities by the CIA would be unethical and immoral." 13
[Snip]
Scaife's CIA roots are typical of those who head the new conservative foundations. By 1994 the most active were:
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Carthage Foundation
Earhart Foundation
Charles G. Koch
David H. Koch
Claude R. Lambe
Philip M. McKenna
J.M. Foundation
John M. Olin Foundation
Henry Salvatori Foundation
Sarah Scaife Foundation
Smith Richardson Foundation
Between 1992 and 1994, these foundations gave $210 million to conservative causes. Here is the breakdown of their donations:
$88.9 million for conservative scholarships;
$79.2 million to enhance a national infrastructure of think tanks and advocacy groups;
$16.3 million for alternative media outlets and watchdog groups;
$10.5 million for conservative pro-market law firms;
$9.3 million for regional and state think tanks and advocacy groups;
$5.4 million to "organizations working to transform the nations social views and giving practices of the nation's religious and philanthropic leaders." 19
The political machine they built is broad and comprehensive, covering every aspect of the political fight. It includes right-wing departments and chairs in the nation’s top universities, think tanks, public relations firms, media companies, fake grassroots organizations that pressure Congress (irreverently known as "Astroturf" movements), "Roll-out-the-vote" machines, pollsters, fax networks, lobbyist organizations, economic seminars for the nation’s judges, and more. And because corporations are the richest sector of society, their greater financing overwhelms similar efforts by Democrats.
Besides creating foundations, the CIA helped organize the business community. There have always been special interest groups representing business, like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, and the CIA has long been involved with them. However, after 1973, a spate of powerful new groups would come into existence, like the Business Roundtable and the Trilateral Commission. These organizations quickly became powerhouses in promoting the business agenda.
Their efforts clearly succeeded. With the 1975 SUN-PAC decision, corporations persuaded government to legalize corporate Political Action Committees (the lobbyist organizations that bribe our government). By 1992, corporations formed 67 percent of all PACs, and they donated 79 percent of all campaign contributions to political parties. 20
In two landmark elections — 1980 and 1994 — corporations gave heavily and one-sidedly to Republicans, turning one or both houses of Congress over to the GOP. Democratic incumbents were shocked by the threat of being rolled completely out of power, so they quietly shifted to the right on economic issues, even though they continued a public façade of liberalism.
Corporations went ahead and donated to Democratic incumbents in all other elections, but only as long as they abandoned the interests of workers, consumers, minorities and the poor. As expected, the new pro-corporate Congress passed laws favoring the rich: between 1975 and 1992, the amount of national household wealth owned by the richest 1 percent soared from 22 to 42 percent. 21
The CIA also helped create the conservative think tank movement. Prior to the 70s, think tanks spanned the political spectrum, with moderate think tanks receiving three times as much funding as conservative ones. At these early think tanks, scholars typically brainstormed for creative solutions to policy problems. This would all change after the rise of conservative foundations in the early 70s.
The Heritage Foundation opened its doors in 1973, the recipient of $250,000 in seed money from the Coors Foundation. A flood of conservative think tanks followed shortly thereafter, and by 1980 they overwhelmed the scene.
The new think tanks turned out to be little more than propaganda mills, rigging studies to "prove" that their corporate sponsors needed tax breaks, deregulation and other favors from government.
Tuesday, June 07, 2005
What a bunch of SH..
(This is where Kate links to Crooks &Liars)
Sean Hannity asked Rosie:
Do you DENY the Iraqi people and the world are better off with Saddam out of power?
My answer:
I fervently believe the Iraqi people AND the world are much worse off with Saddam out of power unless you define the Iraqi people as those currently in power and you define the world as multi-national contractors with a mandate to reconstruct Iraq or provide a private army of bodyguards to those able to afford the cost.
Sean Hannity continues to refer to the mass graves and 400,000 bodies he saw pulled from them after Saddam fell, but that image will eventually pale next to the number of innocent Iraqis butchered, burned and savaged from the beginning of “shock and awe” through the scandal and corruption that Congress refuses to talk about or investigate.
Saddam could have been removed from power in a manner that would have avoided plunging the country into an illegal war that has served to highlight the ignorance, arrogance and ineptitude of our current Administration. And the Iraqi people and the world would have been better off for it.
Is it defamation of character to say I would pay to watch someone take Hannity’s temperature with a Volkswagon bus?
Sean Hannity asked Rosie:
Do you DENY the Iraqi people and the world are better off with Saddam out of power?
My answer:
I fervently believe the Iraqi people AND the world are much worse off with Saddam out of power unless you define the Iraqi people as those currently in power and you define the world as multi-national contractors with a mandate to reconstruct Iraq or provide a private army of bodyguards to those able to afford the cost.
Sean Hannity continues to refer to the mass graves and 400,000 bodies he saw pulled from them after Saddam fell, but that image will eventually pale next to the number of innocent Iraqis butchered, burned and savaged from the beginning of “shock and awe” through the scandal and corruption that Congress refuses to talk about or investigate.
Saddam could have been removed from power in a manner that would have avoided plunging the country into an illegal war that has served to highlight the ignorance, arrogance and ineptitude of our current Administration. And the Iraqi people and the world would have been better off for it.
Is it defamation of character to say I would pay to watch someone take Hannity’s temperature with a Volkswagon bus?
Monday, June 06, 2005
What's cooking?...and in what?
(Where this came from)
Generally speaking, it's the nickel in stainless steel that concerns people. Nickel is a well known toxin and some people are even allergic to skin contact with metals that contain nickel. The rule of thumb is that magnetic stainless steel is ok because it does not contain nickel, and non-magnetic stainless steel should be avoided because it contains nickel. (See this thread from WAPF Chapter Leaders for an example.)More detailed information can be found on the Stainless Steel Information Center's faq which explains that: "The 300 series (which contains nickel) is NOT magnetic. The 400 series (which just contains chromium and no nickel) ARE magnetic." (But 300 series steel can be made magnetic according to this page.)
Generally speaking, it's the nickel in stainless steel that concerns people. Nickel is a well known toxin and some people are even allergic to skin contact with metals that contain nickel. The rule of thumb is that magnetic stainless steel is ok because it does not contain nickel, and non-magnetic stainless steel should be avoided because it contains nickel. (See this thread from WAPF Chapter Leaders for an example.)More detailed information can be found on the Stainless Steel Information Center's faq which explains that: "The 300 series (which contains nickel) is NOT magnetic. The 400 series (which just contains chromium and no nickel) ARE magnetic." (But 300 series steel can be made magnetic according to this page.)
Sunday, June 05, 2005
Saturday, June 04, 2005
Optical scan system hacked
This posting forum at Black Box Voting (dot org) is knocking down the arguments against the possibility of election fraud.
Regardless of the political party you prefer, chances are some of your folks have cheated, lied and stolen election results in the past.
Now is the time to return honor to the system. If we do that, we might be able to return honor to our Nation.
Regardless of the political party you prefer, chances are some of your folks have cheated, lied and stolen election results in the past.
Now is the time to return honor to the system. If we do that, we might be able to return honor to our Nation.
Bolton: Shameful rampage as corrupt foot soldier for Bush
AP Probe on Bolton Finds Disturbing Links to Iraq War
(Excerpt)
A former Bolton deputy says the U.S. undersecretary of state felt Jose Bustani "had to go," particularly because the Brazilian was trying to send chemical weapons inspectors to Baghdad. That might have helped defuse the crisis over alleged Iraqi weapons and undermined a U.S. rationale for war.
Bustani, who says he got a "menacing" phone call from Bolton at one point, was removed by a vote of just one-third of member nations at an unusual special session of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), at which the United States cited alleged mismanagement in calling for his ouster.
The United Nations' highest administrative tribunal later condemned the action as an "unacceptable violation" of principles protecting international civil servants. The OPCW session's Swiss chairman now calls it an "unfortunate precedent" and Bustani a "man with merit."
"Many believed the U.S. delegation didn't want meddling from outside in the Iraq business," said the retired Swiss diplomat, Heinrich Reimann. "That could be the case.
"The Iraq connection to the OPCW affair comes as fresh evidence, known as the "Downing Street Memo," surfaces that the Bush administration was intent from early on to pursue military and not diplomatic action against Saddam Hussein's regime.
Bolton's handling of the multilateral showdown takes on added significance now as he looks for U.S. Senate confirmation as early as this week as U.N. ambassador, a key role on the international stage, and as more details have emerged in Associated Press interviews about what happened in 2002.
A spokeswoman told AP Bolton, keeping a low profile during his confirmation process, would have no comment for this article.
(Excerpt)
A former Bolton deputy says the U.S. undersecretary of state felt Jose Bustani "had to go," particularly because the Brazilian was trying to send chemical weapons inspectors to Baghdad. That might have helped defuse the crisis over alleged Iraqi weapons and undermined a U.S. rationale for war.
Bustani, who says he got a "menacing" phone call from Bolton at one point, was removed by a vote of just one-third of member nations at an unusual special session of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), at which the United States cited alleged mismanagement in calling for his ouster.
The United Nations' highest administrative tribunal later condemned the action as an "unacceptable violation" of principles protecting international civil servants. The OPCW session's Swiss chairman now calls it an "unfortunate precedent" and Bustani a "man with merit."
"Many believed the U.S. delegation didn't want meddling from outside in the Iraq business," said the retired Swiss diplomat, Heinrich Reimann. "That could be the case.
"The Iraq connection to the OPCW affair comes as fresh evidence, known as the "Downing Street Memo," surfaces that the Bush administration was intent from early on to pursue military and not diplomatic action against Saddam Hussein's regime.
Bolton's handling of the multilateral showdown takes on added significance now as he looks for U.S. Senate confirmation as early as this week as U.N. ambassador, a key role on the international stage, and as more details have emerged in Associated Press interviews about what happened in 2002.
A spokeswoman told AP Bolton, keeping a low profile during his confirmation process, would have no comment for this article.
Liberals Like Christ
Go say hello to Ray over at Liberals Like Christ. Whatever your belief system, you will enjoy the visit.
Friday, June 03, 2005
The alpha level of mind
How many times have you purchased a new household item or electronic gadget that is a little too complicated for your basic abilities so you pull out the huge instruction manual…only to discover that the technical writer was severely lacking in an understanding of the English language? How does it make you feel about all the money the manufacturer saved by outsourcing the task of Technical Writing to an overseas company? Does it make you feel better to know that technical assistance is available over the phone at a nominal cost per minute? How about when you discover the person on the other end of the line has difficulty understanding your problem, and you have difficulty understanding what that person is saying?
It is undeniable that a language disconnect can be the most frustrating situation imaginable…especially when one party is in dire need and the other party professes the ability to solve the problem but is handcuffed by a lack of clear understanding about what the problem actually is.
Can you imagine a situation where this disconnect is intentionally contrived? If not, you probably haven’t spent enough time watching the cable news media regarding historical political events, the latest being the revealing of the identity of “Deep Throat”.
Each event seems to be addressed by producing the same faces spewing the same rhetorical explanation that were used to address the preceding event, and will undoubtedly be used to address any future events. The result of this process is to cultivate a culture of confusion, boredom and ultimate ignorance regarding these events and the truth about them. It is intentionally contrived, and it works.
Confusion is an invitation to the rational mind to take a short break, and escape into the area know as the alpha level of mind (daydream time). This is a natural level of mind that occurs many times during the normal day, most frequently during times of boredom or stress. It is at this level of mind that we remove natural inhibitions to healing and learning. During this level of mind, we are most susceptible to the impact of visual media…images accompanied by concepts.
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a study, an explanation, and an application of techniques designed to utilize confusion to permanently alter patterns of behavior that are less than beneficial. Much has been written about NLP, but this Thom Hartmann review of a book and DVD by George Lakoff will bring you a long way toward understanding why ignorance is the only legal tender used by the Republican elite and their lackeys.
It is undeniable that a language disconnect can be the most frustrating situation imaginable…especially when one party is in dire need and the other party professes the ability to solve the problem but is handcuffed by a lack of clear understanding about what the problem actually is.
Can you imagine a situation where this disconnect is intentionally contrived? If not, you probably haven’t spent enough time watching the cable news media regarding historical political events, the latest being the revealing of the identity of “Deep Throat”.
Each event seems to be addressed by producing the same faces spewing the same rhetorical explanation that were used to address the preceding event, and will undoubtedly be used to address any future events. The result of this process is to cultivate a culture of confusion, boredom and ultimate ignorance regarding these events and the truth about them. It is intentionally contrived, and it works.
Confusion is an invitation to the rational mind to take a short break, and escape into the area know as the alpha level of mind (daydream time). This is a natural level of mind that occurs many times during the normal day, most frequently during times of boredom or stress. It is at this level of mind that we remove natural inhibitions to healing and learning. During this level of mind, we are most susceptible to the impact of visual media…images accompanied by concepts.
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a study, an explanation, and an application of techniques designed to utilize confusion to permanently alter patterns of behavior that are less than beneficial. Much has been written about NLP, but this Thom Hartmann review of a book and DVD by George Lakoff will bring you a long way toward understanding why ignorance is the only legal tender used by the Republican elite and their lackeys.
Moving Forward
It has been difficult for me to get past the whirlwind of memories that Memorial Day conjured up for me. On one hand they were intense and somewhat painful, while on the other hand they brought the realization that I am never as alone as I sometimes think I am.
Knowing that, I can jump back into the mainstream dumpster for more quality reads about food safety, education opportunities for our kids, continuing economic progress for America’s middle class, and how dishonorable it was for “Deep Throat” to have spilled the beans on a bunch of dishonest political criminals (comments conveniently provided by said dishonest political criminals and their stable of enablers). I find it ironic that even Robert Novak (the criminal outer of a CIA undercover operative) has something to say about dishonor in this instance.
So I am moving forward once again. Back to the comfort of Kate, Karlo, my friend out on the LB Peninsula, the General for my daily chuckle, and a host of other bloggers who offer those wonderful sudden turns for my thought process. I hope you all realize that you give much more than you could possibly hope to receive in this continual exchange of ideas…thank you.
Knowing that, I can jump back into the mainstream dumpster for more quality reads about food safety, education opportunities for our kids, continuing economic progress for America’s middle class, and how dishonorable it was for “Deep Throat” to have spilled the beans on a bunch of dishonest political criminals (comments conveniently provided by said dishonest political criminals and their stable of enablers). I find it ironic that even Robert Novak (the criminal outer of a CIA undercover operative) has something to say about dishonor in this instance.
So I am moving forward once again. Back to the comfort of Kate, Karlo, my friend out on the LB Peninsula, the General for my daily chuckle, and a host of other bloggers who offer those wonderful sudden turns for my thought process. I hope you all realize that you give much more than you could possibly hope to receive in this continual exchange of ideas…thank you.
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