Did a plane really hit the Pentagon?
A coworker sent this video to me. I'm not really sure what to make of it, except I remember there was speculation about the events surrounding the Pentagon.
Video
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, September 07, 2004
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
What if Bush wins?
It's a question I've asked myself a number of times. The Washington Monthly has 16 different authors' opions on the subject, ranging from Paul Begala to Grover Norquist. Check it out here.
It's a question I've asked myself a number of times. The Washington Monthly has 16 different authors' opions on the subject, ranging from Paul Begala to Grover Norquist. Check it out here.
Tech Tuesday
First off, I know it's wednesday, but how cool does Tech Wednesday sound? Second, Waingroh, keep your comments to yourself.
Apple has unveiled the new iMac, and it's pretty fucking cool. No box, all screen. Complete with wireless keyboard, mouse, and just about everything else. Tape drive/burner is an upgrade. I'd love to get my hands on one, but my cab only supports one computer at a time. I was thinking though, if each of our regular readers donated around $100 I would be about half way there. They begin shipping in about two weeks, so step up and give me some sugar, baby.
And before the Microsoft Borgs come at me, check this out:
First off, I know it's wednesday, but how cool does Tech Wednesday sound? Second, Waingroh, keep your comments to yourself.
Apple has unveiled the new iMac, and it's pretty fucking cool. No box, all screen. Complete with wireless keyboard, mouse, and just about everything else. Tape drive/burner is an upgrade. I'd love to get my hands on one, but my cab only supports one computer at a time. I was thinking though, if each of our regular readers donated around $100 I would be about half way there. They begin shipping in about two weeks, so step up and give me some sugar, baby.
And before the Microsoft Borgs come at me, check this out:
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Tonight and all this week: Vomit
The media coverage over the past few weeks have made me physically ill, and disillusioned once again. Culminating with this weeks convention, journalism has soared to new heights not seen since Baghdad Bob was forced off the air. Not that I really had any faith left in the major media, but I am gonna have to sit this one out. Hopefully until the debates, but I doubt I'll last that long
The media coverage over the past few weeks have made me physically ill, and disillusioned once again. Culminating with this weeks convention, journalism has soared to new heights not seen since Baghdad Bob was forced off the air. Not that I really had any faith left in the major media, but I am gonna have to sit this one out. Hopefully until the debates, but I doubt I'll last that long
Monday, August 30, 2004
Worse than I thought
Wow, I thought I'd be able to do it, I really did. I mean, I've sat through the press conferences, speeches, and horrible interviews with George W (some of them multiple times with tivo). I thought I'd slowly built up an immunity to the bullshit and be able to stomach the GOP convention. I lasted 3 minutes tops. I missed McCain, but according to other bloggers, I didn't miss much. I turned it on when I returned from finding out that I do indeed own the cutest kitty of all time and started up in the middle of a 9/11 tribute. Don't get me wrong, I believe in paying tribute to the heroes of 9/11. What they did tonight in the 3 minutes I was watching was disgusting and an insult to their memories by tying their heroism to Bush's policies. The Bushies ignored all warnings to 9/11 and then paid little heed to the actual threat (Afghanistan) and moved on to fucking over Iraq. The worst part of it all, was that the tribute was being done by the families of people who died in in 9/11. I'm used to Bush and gang's horrible distortion of facts, but to have people who should genuinely be pissed and feel utterly betrayed spewing talking points was more than I could handle. I have great respect for those of you who can stomach it. I lasted up until the last woman, whose brother died in 9/11 and whose son was in Iraq. Of all people, she should be outraged, instead she tried to connect 9/11 to Iraq, and then some guy broke into Amazing Grace. They remind me of this horrible church I went to once as a teenager because everyone else was going. All they did was try to play on our emotions and fears. I thought it was dirty back then and it's even dirtier now. The Bushies, instead of doing it themselves (although they have and no doubt will), have enlisted people who have already been victims, and now they will be victims again, they just haven't realized it yet.
Wow, I thought I'd be able to do it, I really did. I mean, I've sat through the press conferences, speeches, and horrible interviews with George W (some of them multiple times with tivo). I thought I'd slowly built up an immunity to the bullshit and be able to stomach the GOP convention. I lasted 3 minutes tops. I missed McCain, but according to other bloggers, I didn't miss much. I turned it on when I returned from finding out that I do indeed own the cutest kitty of all time and started up in the middle of a 9/11 tribute. Don't get me wrong, I believe in paying tribute to the heroes of 9/11. What they did tonight in the 3 minutes I was watching was disgusting and an insult to their memories by tying their heroism to Bush's policies. The Bushies ignored all warnings to 9/11 and then paid little heed to the actual threat (Afghanistan) and moved on to fucking over Iraq. The worst part of it all, was that the tribute was being done by the families of people who died in in 9/11. I'm used to Bush and gang's horrible distortion of facts, but to have people who should genuinely be pissed and feel utterly betrayed spewing talking points was more than I could handle. I have great respect for those of you who can stomach it. I lasted up until the last woman, whose brother died in 9/11 and whose son was in Iraq. Of all people, she should be outraged, instead she tried to connect 9/11 to Iraq, and then some guy broke into Amazing Grace. They remind me of this horrible church I went to once as a teenager because everyone else was going. All they did was try to play on our emotions and fears. I thought it was dirty back then and it's even dirtier now. The Bushies, instead of doing it themselves (although they have and no doubt will), have enlisted people who have already been victims, and now they will be victims again, they just haven't realized it yet.
The Falcon
Little did Waingroh know it when he woke up this morning, but he would soon gain access to national security secrets that are usually classified for only the highest officials in international intelligence to see. Waingroh is no spy, but has now made a contact that has top-level security clearance and access to information that is so dangerous, this liason's real name cannot be revealed here. To his intrictate web of Government contacts, he's known only as: "The Falcon".
The Falcon pumps gas at the Shell station on 82nd & Foster. As he was filling up Waingroh's Turbo this morning, waingroh made a casual remark about how the price of gas was on the rise. Little did I know, this comment activated The Falcon's subliminal conditioning. He first looked around to make sure no one else was listening (and I could tell he was incredibly well-trained at this, because his right eye continuously wandered around in a circle as he spoke).
"Yup, they expect it to hit $3 a gallon by the end of the year, when the blackouts come," The Falcon said through his two remaining front teeth; he must've taken quite a few beatings in foreign interrogation rooms.
"Really. Blackouts huh? What kind of blackouts?" I asked. The way his haggard face perked up, those must have been the secret code words - and lucky Waingroh happened upon them by chance! The Falcon launched into a monologue about the war in Iraq, the secret war inside the US, the real problems with oil, and the coming "blackouts" that will knock out all communications throughout the country.
"'Cause that's what'll happen when the nukes hit." Whoa. I played it cool, like that's nothing I haven't heard before, but of course I knew I was on to something special; secrets that not just every lucky driver who pulls into the Shell station at 9a.m. can get access to. "Nukes, huh?"
"That's how they'll hit us. 40 briefcase nukes that they'll bring into the country, and explode 'em all at once. Each one's got about a 35-mile radius too, that's how they'll do it. Then they got no choice but fer blackouts." I knew I hit a goldmine of information, but The Falcon was beginning to break down. He was obviously sweating, and I think some of his past CIA training was failing and was affecting his speech, which was a little slurred and drool-producing.
As I was about to ask "So when they hit us with 40 nukes, the price of gas will still only be $3 a gallon?", I decided instead that I didn't want to press him too much further. The Falcon probably had surveillance from all kinds of intelligence agencies on him, and to keep our initial meeting low profile, I drove off with a charity smile. I could hear the Falcon yelling "35 mile radius!" as I drove off, a reminder of my password for the next meeting.
Keep your eyes out, I have a feeling that The Falcon may just be one of a vast gas-station intelligence network.
Little did Waingroh know it when he woke up this morning, but he would soon gain access to national security secrets that are usually classified for only the highest officials in international intelligence to see. Waingroh is no spy, but has now made a contact that has top-level security clearance and access to information that is so dangerous, this liason's real name cannot be revealed here. To his intrictate web of Government contacts, he's known only as: "The Falcon".
The Falcon pumps gas at the Shell station on 82nd & Foster. As he was filling up Waingroh's Turbo this morning, waingroh made a casual remark about how the price of gas was on the rise. Little did I know, this comment activated The Falcon's subliminal conditioning. He first looked around to make sure no one else was listening (and I could tell he was incredibly well-trained at this, because his right eye continuously wandered around in a circle as he spoke).
"Yup, they expect it to hit $3 a gallon by the end of the year, when the blackouts come," The Falcon said through his two remaining front teeth; he must've taken quite a few beatings in foreign interrogation rooms.
"Really. Blackouts huh? What kind of blackouts?" I asked. The way his haggard face perked up, those must have been the secret code words - and lucky Waingroh happened upon them by chance! The Falcon launched into a monologue about the war in Iraq, the secret war inside the US, the real problems with oil, and the coming "blackouts" that will knock out all communications throughout the country.
"'Cause that's what'll happen when the nukes hit." Whoa. I played it cool, like that's nothing I haven't heard before, but of course I knew I was on to something special; secrets that not just every lucky driver who pulls into the Shell station at 9a.m. can get access to. "Nukes, huh?"
"That's how they'll hit us. 40 briefcase nukes that they'll bring into the country, and explode 'em all at once. Each one's got about a 35-mile radius too, that's how they'll do it. Then they got no choice but fer blackouts." I knew I hit a goldmine of information, but The Falcon was beginning to break down. He was obviously sweating, and I think some of his past CIA training was failing and was affecting his speech, which was a little slurred and drool-producing.
As I was about to ask "So when they hit us with 40 nukes, the price of gas will still only be $3 a gallon?", I decided instead that I didn't want to press him too much further. The Falcon probably had surveillance from all kinds of intelligence agencies on him, and to keep our initial meeting low profile, I drove off with a charity smile. I could hear the Falcon yelling "35 mile radius!" as I drove off, a reminder of my password for the next meeting.
Keep your eyes out, I have a feeling that The Falcon may just be one of a vast gas-station intelligence network.
Friday, August 27, 2004
Nice Goin', Asshole
Link
As a sidenote, who names their kid Stephen Beaven?
Link
Clackamas County puts Alfred French on leave after he says he misled his supervisor about an extramarital affair
Friday, August 27, 2004
STEPHEN BEAVEN
Clackamas County prosecutor Alfred French, who called Sen. John Kerry a liar in a political commercial, acknowledged Thursday that he lied to his boss when confronted about an extramarital affair with a colleague.Hours later, the Clackamas County district attorney's office said French had been placed on a 30-day paid leave while it conducts an investigation into his conduct.
French's former boss, James O'Leary, said he asked French about the rumored affair with a secretary about 10 years ago, but French denied it. O'Leary said he would have fired French if he'd admitted the relationship because it violated office policy.
French, who said he served in the same military unit with Kerry for two months in 1969, has come under intense scrutiny in the past week as the anti-Kerry ad has become a central issue in the presidential campaign. Suddenly, the well-respected Oregon prosecutor found himself the target of questions about his own credibility and the truthfulness of his statements against Kerry.
French's affidavit supporting the ad accused Kerry of exaggerating his war record, yet French conceded that he was relying on the account of war buddies, not what he witnessed. Since then, he's faced pickets outside his office and complaints of unethical conduct to the state bar.
As a sidenote, who names their kid Stephen Beaven?
Thursday, August 26, 2004
Commercial Troubles
So the Bush campaign is obviously struggling to find any accomplishments to highlight in their commercials. They've got the swiftboat liars doing some of the dirty work and if any of you have watched the olympics, you've seen the terrible ad highlighting the two new "democracies" at the games. Unfortunately, the Iraqi soccer team was pretty pissed.
Did you hear that Bush? If he wasn't playing soccer he'd be in Iraq fighting against our kids over there. But that's not all, now the olympic committee is criticizing the ad and calling for the ad to be removed. Why not just campaign on the issues Georgie Boy??? Oh, that's right, then you're totally fucked.
So the Bush campaign is obviously struggling to find any accomplishments to highlight in their commercials. They've got the swiftboat liars doing some of the dirty work and if any of you have watched the olympics, you've seen the terrible ad highlighting the two new "democracies" at the games. Unfortunately, the Iraqi soccer team was pretty pissed.
Midfielder Salih Sadir said that the Iraqi team - which won its group stage in Greece - was furious that it had been used in Bush's re-election campaign ads.
"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," Sadir said .
One player accused the U.S. President of committing "many crimes", and another said he would be fighting U.S. occupation troops if he were not at the Olympic Games in Athens.
Did you hear that Bush? If he wasn't playing soccer he'd be in Iraq fighting against our kids over there. But that's not all, now the olympic committee is criticizing the ad and calling for the ad to be removed. Why not just campaign on the issues Georgie Boy??? Oh, that's right, then you're totally fucked.
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
More Shenannigans
link
link
African American leaders from across the country are voicing their support for President Bush. Join the African American Team to show your support today!It really says that, so I thought I'd better join up! I figure they've got so many African American leaders that they could use a Dutch/Irish whiteboy from the Northwest, just to keep it real.
Shenannigans
I was just surfing the BC'04 site and found something rather interesting. Under the "5 ways to help right now" section, #4 is "vote early for George W. Bush." Link
Gee, I wonder why that is so important?
I was just surfing the BC'04 site and found something rather interesting. Under the "5 ways to help right now" section, #4 is "vote early for George W. Bush." Link
This election could be as close as 2000, and there is nothing more important you can do to help reelect President Bush than make sure that you and those that support President Bush cast their vote. If you are a registered voter, you may be eligible to cast your vote early by mail or in person.
Not my emphasis.
Gee, I wonder why that is so important?
Fucking Asshole
Link
I still want those signatures checked, just to fuck with him.
Link
Less than a half-hour before the 5 p.m. deadline, Nader supporters gave the state what officials later said were 18,186 signatures. That's well over the 15,306 they need.I think the fact that Nader has been exposed as a Republican stooge, and the desire to beat Bush has overwhelmed even the most idealistic Nader supporters, at least here in Oregon.
But the fight may not be over. Although county elections workers have verified the signatures, state Elections Division officials said they will scrutinize the petition sheets again after claims of fraud. And a union that has investigated the petition drive said it might mount legal challenges.
----
For all the infighting over Nader's presence on the ballot, a poll released Tuesday suggested he may not have much effect on the presidential race in Oregon. The survey shows Kerry leading Bush by 54 percent to 43 percent and Nader with 1.5 percent.
I still want those signatures checked, just to fuck with him.
Tuesday, August 24, 2004
Hammer of the Gods
Link
Fitting.
Link
The former Led Zeppelin guitarist cast his hand prints in cement Monday as the first music legend to feature on London's reply to the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Fitting.
Jack McCoy would NEVER!!!
What about this isn't perjury?
Once he signed an affidavit the "right to his opinion" was replaced by an obligation (or legal requirement) to tell the truth. This guy is a D.A. He knows how it works. Someone please clarify: WHY ISN'T THIS PERJURY???? Adam Schiff would never let this fly.
What about this isn't perjury?
Before recording the ad, French signed an affidavit that said: "I am able to swear, as I do hereby swear, that all facts and statements contained in this affidavit are true and correct and within my personal knowledge and belief..."
In an interview with The Oregonian newspaper last week, French said he relied on the accounts of three other veterans in making the statement about Kerry and did not personally witness the events. French did not return two messages left at his office Monday...
District Attorney John Foote released a statement Monday chiding French for bringing unwanted publicity to the suburban county's office, but stood by his employee.
"I do not personally share the opinions expressed by our prosecutor," Foote wrote. "However, all of our employees have the right to their own opinions on these subjects and to express their opinions on their own time."
Once he signed an affidavit the "right to his opinion" was replaced by an obligation (or legal requirement) to tell the truth. This guy is a D.A. He knows how it works. Someone please clarify: WHY ISN'T THIS PERJURY???? Adam Schiff would never let this fly.
Monday, August 23, 2004
Pat Buchannan is Making Sense
No, really. Link
I know Pat hates the neocons for different reasons than I do. Mainly, he longs for a more traditional, caveman conservative movement. But you know what they say about politics and bedfellows. Welcome aboard Pat, hop in the bed and just close your eyes... it all feels the same.
No, really. Link
So it appears that the decisive test of the Bush Doctrine will come in Iran. And that test is probably not far off.
The Israelis have reportedly practiced strikes on Iran by crossing Turkish airspace and have special forces in the Kurdish regions of Iraq. There are rumors Sharon has told the White House that if we do not effect the nuclear castration of Iran, Israel will do the surgery herself, because she cannot live under the cloud of an atomic bomb in the possession of the patrons of Hezbollah.
Enter the "cakewalk" neoconservatives. Though disastrously wrong about Iraq's receptivity to U.S.-imposed democracy, and though they face disgrace and oblivion if Bush loses, they have one last card to play: That is to have America widen her wars with Afghanistan and Iraq with a preemptive strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. For the neoconservatives, Iraq was simply Phase II of "World War IV" for imperial domination of the Middle East and serial destruction of the regimes in Iraq, Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia, as well as of Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
The neocons have not abandoned this imperial project. Nor has Bush removed a single one from power, though they may yet cost him his presidency. And the neoconservative commentariat is again beating the drums for war – this time on Iran.
This is their hole card. If they can ignite a new war, the country may forget how they bungled the old war. In escalation lies vindication.
I know Pat hates the neocons for different reasons than I do. Mainly, he longs for a more traditional, caveman conservative movement. But you know what they say about politics and bedfellows. Welcome aboard Pat, hop in the bed and just close your eyes... it all feels the same.
Muqtada Lars-sadr
Venomous ranting. Religious Fervor. Maniacal senses of self-importance. Absolute intolerance of differing viewpoints…
Am I the first to notice the striking resemblance between the jowly al-Sadr and the rotten-toothed Lars Larson. What? It’s the other way around? Sorry about that, it happens a lot.
Whatever the case, I’ve gotta call similarities on wind-filled assbags like
I see em.
guest post by mcgeggy
Venomous ranting. Religious Fervor. Maniacal senses of self-importance. Absolute intolerance of differing viewpoints…
Am I the first to notice the striking resemblance between the jowly al-Sadr and the rotten-toothed Lars Larson. What? It’s the other way around? Sorry about that, it happens a lot.
Whatever the case, I’ve gotta call similarities on wind-filled assbags like
I see em.
guest post by mcgeggy
What a Dud
When dubya came to Portland on Aug. 13, he was greeted at the airport by former Trailblazer Chris Dudley. Dudley, whose foundation helps children with insulin deficiency health problems, was honored to learn that Pres. Bush himself would present this year's Freedom Corps award to his foundation in person.
Dudley had to make special preparations to excuse himself from the final day of his Dudley Foundation camp; recording a video explaining to the kids that he couldn't be there because the President was recognizing them for a special award.
As it turns out, the only honor available that day was "getting" to be used as a photo opportunity by the Bushy camp. Karl Rove wanted a beloved local hero to meet the prez in town, so all the local media could print that special Kodak moment. They concocted the story about the presentation. Instead, expect 4-6 weeks delivery, probably C.O.D.
When dubya came to Portland on Aug. 13, he was greeted at the airport by former Trailblazer Chris Dudley. Dudley, whose foundation helps children with insulin deficiency health problems, was honored to learn that Pres. Bush himself would present this year's Freedom Corps award to his foundation in person.
Dudley had to make special preparations to excuse himself from the final day of his Dudley Foundation camp; recording a video explaining to the kids that he couldn't be there because the President was recognizing them for a special award.
As it turns out, the only honor available that day was "getting" to be used as a photo opportunity by the Bushy camp. Karl Rove wanted a beloved local hero to meet the prez in town, so all the local media could print that special Kodak moment. They concocted the story about the presentation. Instead, expect 4-6 weeks delivery, probably C.O.D.
 |
"Hi." |
Sunday, August 22, 2004
Not so fast, Karl.
The Iraqi soccer team are apparently not fans of Bush. Link
The Iraqi soccer team are apparently not fans of Bush. Link
US media has touted the success of Iraq's under-23 team as it beat Portugal 4-2 and Costa Rica 2-0 and sailed through to the quarterfinals.
However, the sudden interest in the team - particularly from the US Republican re-election campaign platform - has irked some of its members.
"Iraq as a team does not want Mr. Bush to use us for the presidential campaign," Iraqi player Salih Sadir told SI.com.
"He can find another way to advertise himself."
Sadir has so far scored two goals for the team.
But some players went further: substitute Ahmad Manajid, who played as a midfielder in Wednesday's match against Morocco (1-2) told the monthly sports magazine "How will he meet his god having slaughtered so many men and women?"
"He has committed so many crimes."
Defending Iraq
Manajid went on to say "I want to defend my home. If a stranger invades America and the people resist, does that mean they are terrorists?"
"Everyone [in Falluja] has been labelled a terrorist. These are all lies. Falluja people are some of the best people in Iraq."
According to Sports Illustrated, one of Manajid's cousin was a resistance fighter who was killed by US occupation forces. He allegedly told SI.com that he would have become a resistance fighter had he not been on the Olympic team.
Thursday, August 19, 2004
c'mon Floodgates....
Congressman Doug Bereuter for Nebraska wrote a four page letter today that blasted Bush's Iraq War as the miserable failure everyone knows it has become. What is significant is that Bereuter is a Republican, and has dared to break ranks and criticize the President. In this backbiting political climate, where any sign of "disloyalty" to the King - I mean President - gets you an instant reprimand by Emperor Rove, why would a Republican risk his political future by speaking out?
Congressman Bereuter is retiring next month. He has a rare opportunity as a Republican to speak the truth about Bush's policy without fear of future career consequence. It's my belief that Bushy is rubbing most of the conservatives in Washington the wrong way, but Rove's reputation as a career-ender for whistle blowers goes back to Bushy's days as Texas Governor. Bereuter's 4 page letter probably contains a lot of common sentiment among righties, but only now as a retiree is he free to speak even this small amount.
As the Republican Doctrine dictates, anyone who speaks against Herr President's policies must immediately be attacked and personally discredited (though no actual defense of the criticism itself is given, it's enough in their minds to simply attack the man). Same-day Rove Textbook responses include suggestions that this letter is a parting shot from a bitter man, that he was passed up for promotion and has an agenda, and the fact that he is not in a "leadership" role so his opinion isn't significant. Yawn.
I hope he didn't sign one of those "oath of loyalty" agreements that Cheney loves to pass around, Bereuter might be facing charges soon. More likely, he'll just become Fox News' attack campaign target du jour for a week, following the likes of Richard Clarke, John Dean, Joe Wilson, etc.
Congressman Doug Bereuter for Nebraska wrote a four page letter today that blasted Bush's Iraq War as the miserable failure everyone knows it has become. What is significant is that Bereuter is a Republican, and has dared to break ranks and criticize the President. In this backbiting political climate, where any sign of "disloyalty" to the King - I mean President - gets you an instant reprimand by Emperor Rove, why would a Republican risk his political future by speaking out?
Congressman Bereuter is retiring next month. He has a rare opportunity as a Republican to speak the truth about Bush's policy without fear of future career consequence. It's my belief that Bushy is rubbing most of the conservatives in Washington the wrong way, but Rove's reputation as a career-ender for whistle blowers goes back to Bushy's days as Texas Governor. Bereuter's 4 page letter probably contains a lot of common sentiment among righties, but only now as a retiree is he free to speak even this small amount.
As the Republican Doctrine dictates, anyone who speaks against Herr President's policies must immediately be attacked and personally discredited (though no actual defense of the criticism itself is given, it's enough in their minds to simply attack the man). Same-day Rove Textbook responses include suggestions that this letter is a parting shot from a bitter man, that he was passed up for promotion and has an agenda, and the fact that he is not in a "leadership" role so his opinion isn't significant. Yawn.
I hope he didn't sign one of those "oath of loyalty" agreements that Cheney loves to pass around, Bereuter might be facing charges soon. More likely, he'll just become Fox News' attack campaign target du jour for a week, following the likes of Richard Clarke, John Dean, Joe Wilson, etc.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Frothy!
Waingroh knew that Senator Rick Santorum is a disgusting, backward, evil religious zealot, but now a little light has been shed on why he's the foremost ant-gay marriage crusader. Type in "santorum" in a google search and you'll see he's made quite a reputation for himself in his closeted private life.
Waingroh knew that Senator Rick Santorum is a disgusting, backward, evil religious zealot, but now a little light has been shed on why he's the foremost ant-gay marriage crusader. Type in "santorum" in a google search and you'll see he's made quite a reputation for himself in his closeted private life.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Very Scary
This guy needs to be stoped.
This guy needs to be stoped.
Chavez:Go read the whole article by Tariq Ali
'I don't believe in the dogmatic postulates of Marxist revolution. I don't accept that we are living in a period of proletarian revolutions. All that must be revised. Reality is telling us that every day. Are we aiming in Venezuela today for the abolition of private property or a classless society? I don't think so. But if I'm told that because of that reality you can't do anything to help the poor, the people who have made this country rich through their labour and never forget that some of it was slave labour, then I say 'We part company'. I will never accept that there can be no redistribution of wealth in society. Our upper classes don't even like paying taxes. That's one reason they hate me. We said 'You must pay your taxes'. I believe it's better to die in battle, rather than hold aloft a very revolutionary and very pure banner, and do nothing ... That position often strikes me as very convenient, a good excuse ... Try and make your revolution, go into combat, advance a little, even if it's only a millimetre, in the right direction, instead of dreaming about utopias.'
Monday, August 16, 2004
Thursday, August 12, 2004
Friday, August 06, 2004
Escape From New York
The Republican National Convention is just three weeks away, and it promises to be the biggest political spectacle this country has seen in years. No, not because Arnold is speaking, or anything going on inside Madison Square Garden for that matter, but because of what will be taking place outside the convention. This year's RNC will be the scene of the largest political protest in the United States since the 1968 Chicago DNC riots.
For the first time in history, the Republican Party will hold its convention in New York City. Normally considered "enemy" territory for repubs, the choice was obvious for this administration that continues to capitalize on 9/11 for political gain. This transparent basis for choosing New York hasn't been lost on its citizens, either. Some activists and protestors have had this convention circled on their calendars for years, and early estimates have placed the total number of protestors at over one million.
Unlike Chicago in 1968, with thousands of random street protests and outbreaks of violence, this year's protest has seen unprecedented organization and planning. United for Peace & Justice is an organization formed in 2002 whose sole purpose is coordinating anti-Bush protests, in particular the 2004 RNC convention. Over 800 organizations around the US will be participating in the NYC protests, and the UPJ covers everything from securing city protest permits to scheduling bus trips into the city for protestors around the country.
But as the organization of protesting has gotten more advanced, this year's level of law enforcement has kept pace. Bushy is known to travel worldwide in so-called "security bubbles", sort of like travelling green zones. You'd better believe that New York City at the end of August is going to be one huge "bubble" (i.e. shitstorm). This may produce some of the least American imagery ever taken place inside the states: concrete roadblocks on downtown streets, police checkpoints to verify people's "papers", movable barricades supported with heavy weapons, bizarre police car "swarms", an estimated 40,000 police & law enforcement personnel - many with machine guns, helicoptors flying overhead. Lockdown. Full details (a must read!) ....
In addition, the police dept. has taken a lesson from the Department of Homeland Security, and issued its own type of "terror warnings" :
Protestors now must apply for special permits to protest (many have been denied), and then are given isolated "freedom zones" (fenced-in city blocks, or "pits") that are miles away from the convention. Needless to say, many activists have taken to protesting the permits themselves. Here's a preliminary description of expected protest activites (expecting 1,000 arrests per day).....
What does it say about an administration, when it needs to shutdown and suppress the civil liberties of its people wherever it goes, all for the purpose of maintaining the "democratic process"? As well organized and thought out as both the protests and law enforcement are for this year's events, all the ingredients are there for something to go wrong. Angry protestors, paranoid law enforcement, vietnam-style divisive political beliefs, all taking place in the busiest city in the country (is there anything less settling for an American than seeing their own city being controlled by machine gun wielding troops?) . It will be interesting to see if all this gets as much news coverage as anything Arnold has to say.
....JINGLE ALL ZEE VAY!
The Republican National Convention is just three weeks away, and it promises to be the biggest political spectacle this country has seen in years. No, not because Arnold is speaking, or anything going on inside Madison Square Garden for that matter, but because of what will be taking place outside the convention. This year's RNC will be the scene of the largest political protest in the United States since the 1968 Chicago DNC riots.
For the first time in history, the Republican Party will hold its convention in New York City. Normally considered "enemy" territory for repubs, the choice was obvious for this administration that continues to capitalize on 9/11 for political gain. This transparent basis for choosing New York hasn't been lost on its citizens, either. Some activists and protestors have had this convention circled on their calendars for years, and early estimates have placed the total number of protestors at over one million.
Unlike Chicago in 1968, with thousands of random street protests and outbreaks of violence, this year's protest has seen unprecedented organization and planning. United for Peace & Justice is an organization formed in 2002 whose sole purpose is coordinating anti-Bush protests, in particular the 2004 RNC convention. Over 800 organizations around the US will be participating in the NYC protests, and the UPJ covers everything from securing city protest permits to scheduling bus trips into the city for protestors around the country.
But as the organization of protesting has gotten more advanced, this year's level of law enforcement has kept pace. Bushy is known to travel worldwide in so-called "security bubbles", sort of like travelling green zones. You'd better believe that New York City at the end of August is going to be one huge "bubble" (i.e. shitstorm). This may produce some of the least American imagery ever taken place inside the states: concrete roadblocks on downtown streets, police checkpoints to verify people's "papers", movable barricades supported with heavy weapons, bizarre police car "swarms", an estimated 40,000 police & law enforcement personnel - many with machine guns, helicoptors flying overhead. Lockdown. Full details (a must read!) ....
In addition, the police dept. has taken a lesson from the Department of Homeland Security, and issued its own type of "terror warnings" :
Such words are meant to encourage some sections of the protesters to "distance" themselves from more militant and confrontational forces--and to set up justification for police brutality against those who refuse to stay within the bound of allowable protest as defined by those in authority. Dropping such items into the media is an attempt by the authorities to set the terms in advance for police tactics like charging into protests--permitted or not--to "extract" and arrest demonstrators. The NYPD has specially trained squads--made up of nine cops each and led by a sergeant--to move into crowds of protesters and single out specific people for arrests.
Protestors now must apply for special permits to protest (many have been denied), and then are given isolated "freedom zones" (fenced-in city blocks, or "pits") that are miles away from the convention. Needless to say, many activists have taken to protesting the permits themselves. Here's a preliminary description of expected protest activites (expecting 1,000 arrests per day).....
What does it say about an administration, when it needs to shutdown and suppress the civil liberties of its people wherever it goes, all for the purpose of maintaining the "democratic process"? As well organized and thought out as both the protests and law enforcement are for this year's events, all the ingredients are there for something to go wrong. Angry protestors, paranoid law enforcement, vietnam-style divisive political beliefs, all taking place in the busiest city in the country (is there anything less settling for an American than seeing their own city being controlled by machine gun wielding troops?) . It will be interesting to see if all this gets as much news coverage as anything Arnold has to say.
....JINGLE ALL ZEE VAY!
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Fuck You Lars
Link
Link
Limbaugh, pals get liberally thrashed
Attention, Rush Limbaugh and everyone else who thought that liberal talk radio couldn’t work: Portland is proving otherwise. At least if you believe the folks who measure listenership.
The spring Arbitron ratings show that KPOJ (620 AM), which carries the upstart Air America Network with Al Franken, Randi Rhodes, et al., has made huge strides since its March 30 launch.
In the important 25-54 age category, KPOJ ranks third in the Portland market with a 4.9 share (which means a 4.9 percent share of the listening audience). It’s ahead of all other AM stations and finished behind top-ranked country-music KUPL (98.7 FM) and No. 2-ranked adult rock station KINK (101. 9 FM).
In a three-month period, KPOJ went from 12,000 listeners to almost 80,000 listeners per week, with little promotion or marketing. Previously KPOJ had been airing golden oldies, drawing a 1 percent share.
With numbers like that, KPOJ’s success could very well spawn other stations featuring “progressive” talk in Portland and around the country where underperforming stations may be looking for a new format.
“There are a lot of stations out there that were just kind of watching and waiting to see what happened,” said KPOJ Program Director Tony Coles. “My guess is that for Air America and for Ed Schultz, the phones will be ringing off the hooks once stations see the Portland numbers.” Schultz, whose show can be heard on KPOJ from noon to 3 p.m., is syndicated through the Jones Radio Network rather than Air America.
Of the 16 stations around the country where Air America is featured, Portland is the biggest success story, showing the most substantial growth. It also was one of only a handful of stations that carried Air America from the beginning, when financial problems almost sunk the network in its first month.
In the midday period from10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Air America’s Al Franken and Schultz rank No. 1, leaving Limbaugh, KPAM’s (860 AM) Sean Hannity and KXL’s (750 AM) Lars Larson in their wake.
However, when measured by listeners ages 12-plus throughout the day, KPOJ is in 11th place overall with a 3.7 share. KEX (1190 AM) is in sixth place with a 4.2 share, and KXL is eighth with a 4 share.
The hour-to-hour breakdowns had not been released at press time, so it’s not yet known whether Franken actually beats Limbaugh head-to-head from 9 a.m. to noon.
KPOJ is owned by Clear Channel Communications, which also owns KEX, the home of Limbaugh. In the mornings — from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. — KPOJ ended up in ninth place in the 25-54 age group, ahead of No. 11 KEX, which took a serious hit from its sister station.
As long as we’re keeping track, the 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. ratings indicate that Howard Stern on KUFO (101.1 FM) is No. 1 in the mornings among listeners 25-54, with a 7.6 share. He’s followed by KGON (92.3 FM),KUPL, KKCW (103.3 FM) and KWJJ (99.5 FM).
The Arbitron ratings are based on listener weekly diaries, and theories abound about how accurate — or inaccurate — they are. Some inside the industry speculate that fans of KPOJ and what it stands for are writing down in the Arbitron diaries more hours than they really tune in for.
But Arbitron is the only radio ratings game around, and advertisers have little else to go on.
“People have created their own bumper stickers and yard signs in support of the station,” says Mary Lou Gunn, market manager of Clear Channel Radio Portland.
For Air America, it’s still early in the game. To ensure its survival, the network must pick up stations in dozens of markets and needs to grow audience in places such as New York and Los Angeles. But in Portland, it’s on a definite roll.
Kerry's not a hero..........well that's WHAT I HEARD!
John McCain continues to be the most frustrating American politician to get a read on. Just when you want disregard him as a sellout for heading Bush's campaign in Arizona, he goes and pulls a stunt full of uncharacteristic integrity for a Republican and gives you hope for accountability in Washington.
"Swift Boat Veterans For Truth", a Republican funded 527 lie factory, just released a commercial denouncing John Kerry's vietnam heroics in several key swing states. Stating, among other things, that there was no direct gunfire when Kerry rescued his shipmate from the water. Yep. You read it right. Hold your horses Kerry - you've been EXPOSED!!! Better change your campaign strategy now! Seriously though, even if this account was true (and that's highly doubtful - SBVT includes no servicemen who were actually on Kerry's boat), it's absolutley deplorable the level of nitpicking of 30 year old events the Repubs feel inclined to do.
It was a war. Kerry won medals. Your guy didn't, because he didn't go. There's no room for spin here.
Thankfully, John McCain's sense of honor and ethics hasn't been totally beaten out of him by Karl Rove just yet; he called the ad dishonest and dishonorable, and directly challenged the White House to condemn the ad.
"It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me,'' McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press, comparing the anti-Kerry ad to tactics in his bitter Republican primary fight with President Bush.
Scotty McClellan, as usual, diverted the question and instead condemned the whole institution of 527 groups, particluarly the $62 million spent on attack ads against W from "shadowy groups" (Huh. Makes you wonder if the whole SBVT stunt was a way to bring stricter campaign finance reform back into the limelight, what with the incredible success and popularity of anti-Bush groups like MoveOn.org). You can read an incredible excercise on how to spin an issue in today's White House briefing.
Joe Conasson from Salon wrote:
More interesting facts on the Swift Boat Veterans for Lies.
John McCain continues to be the most frustrating American politician to get a read on. Just when you want disregard him as a sellout for heading Bush's campaign in Arizona, he goes and pulls a stunt full of uncharacteristic integrity for a Republican and gives you hope for accountability in Washington.
"Swift Boat Veterans For Truth", a Republican funded 527 lie factory, just released a commercial denouncing John Kerry's vietnam heroics in several key swing states. Stating, among other things, that there was no direct gunfire when Kerry rescued his shipmate from the water. Yep. You read it right. Hold your horses Kerry - you've been EXPOSED!!! Better change your campaign strategy now! Seriously though, even if this account was true (and that's highly doubtful - SBVT includes no servicemen who were actually on Kerry's boat), it's absolutley deplorable the level of nitpicking of 30 year old events the Repubs feel inclined to do.
It was a war. Kerry won medals. Your guy didn't, because he didn't go. There's no room for spin here.
Thankfully, John McCain's sense of honor and ethics hasn't been totally beaten out of him by Karl Rove just yet; he called the ad dishonest and dishonorable, and directly challenged the White House to condemn the ad.
"It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me,'' McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press, comparing the anti-Kerry ad to tactics in his bitter Republican primary fight with President Bush.
Scotty McClellan, as usual, diverted the question and instead condemned the whole institution of 527 groups, particluarly the $62 million spent on attack ads against W from "shadowy groups" (Huh. Makes you wonder if the whole SBVT stunt was a way to bring stricter campaign finance reform back into the limelight, what with the incredible success and popularity of anti-Bush groups like MoveOn.org). You can read an incredible excercise on how to spin an issue in today's White House briefing.
Joe Conasson from Salon wrote:
"Arguments about the war in Vietnam seem destined to continue forever. For now, however, the lingering bitterness and ambiguity of those days provide smear material against an antiwar war hero with five medals on behalf of a privileged Guardsman with a dubious duty record. The president's Texas allies -- whose animus against his Democratic challenger dates back to the Nixon era -- are now deploying the same techniques and personnel they used to attack McCain's integrity four years ago. Bush's 'independent' supporters would apparently rather talk about the Vietnam quagmire than about his deadly incompetence in Iraq."
More interesting facts on the Swift Boat Veterans for Lies.
Bush's Brain
Waingroh's number one nemesis, the evil emperor Karl Rove, is now the subject of a documentary movie. Based on the book by the same name, Bush's Brain is slated to come out on August 27. You can see the trailer here.
Creepy.
Waingroh's number one nemesis, the evil emperor Karl Rove, is now the subject of a documentary movie. Based on the book by the same name, Bush's Brain is slated to come out on August 27. You can see the trailer here.
Creepy.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Thursday, July 29, 2004
It's not Osama, but.......
Waingroh has been detained in Guantanamo Bay for the last few weeks, for an unspecified violation of his parole, and has bargained for limited internet access during his stay of an unspecified amount of time.....
As Waingroh posted three weeks ago, the Bush clan was pressuring Musharraf and the Pakistani boys to come up with a High Value Target, and that "it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July"--the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston." Well, they missed it by one day (I'm sure Karl Rove will have to give Pervez a nasty call), but they got their man.
The term "like clockwork" is becoming synonymous with Rove's transparent and scripted campaign. Like a bad movie, cliche plot twists can be seen a mile away and events unfold just to set up eye rolling one-liners. Maybe that's why Ahnold's become such a rising star in the Republican Party. "AghgHagh! Come see my holiday classic JINGLE ALL ZEE VAY!!!"
Waingroh has been detained in Guantanamo Bay for the last few weeks, for an unspecified violation of his parole, and has bargained for limited internet access during his stay of an unspecified amount of time.....
As Waingroh posted three weeks ago, the Bush clan was pressuring Musharraf and the Pakistani boys to come up with a High Value Target, and that "it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July"--the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston." Well, they missed it by one day (I'm sure Karl Rove will have to give Pervez a nasty call), but they got their man.
The term "like clockwork" is becoming synonymous with Rove's transparent and scripted campaign. Like a bad movie, cliche plot twists can be seen a mile away and events unfold just to set up eye rolling one-liners. Maybe that's why Ahnold's become such a rising star in the Republican Party. "AghgHagh! Come see my holiday classic JINGLE ALL ZEE VAY!!!"
Wednesday, July 28, 2004
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Vision does not ensure wisdom
My favorite quote so far from the convention was from President Clinton:
It's amusing to watch the GOP respond to that statement:
Notice they bring up vision, not wisdom. Not really comparable in my mind... Name a dictator that had a vision and wasn't consistent with it... are they saying that consistency is a sign of wisdom? My dog shits in the same part of the yard every day. Now, as I've mention in the past, he is quite smart, but do I think he should run the country because he has a vision of shitting in the yard that he is consistent with, probably not.
My favorite quote so far from the convention was from President Clinton:
Their opponents will tell you to be afraid of John Kerry and John Edwards, because they won't stand up to the terrorists -- don't you believe it. Strength and wisdom are not conflicting values.
It's amusing to watch the GOP respond to that statement:
Republicans gathered at the GOP war room on Tuesday tried to pick apart a suggestion by former President Clinton that Kerry has the "strength and wisdom" to keep America safe.
"Part of wisdom is having a vision and being consistent with that vision," said Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman. "With Senator Kerry, we have seven different positions on his vote against the 87 billion dollars for Iraq.
Notice they bring up vision, not wisdom. Not really comparable in my mind... Name a dictator that had a vision and wasn't consistent with it... are they saying that consistency is a sign of wisdom? My dog shits in the same part of the yard every day. Now, as I've mention in the past, he is quite smart, but do I think he should run the country because he has a vision of shitting in the yard that he is consistent with, probably not.
Convention Coverage: Day Two
There is no doubt in my mind that Shepard Smith of Fox Report is gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Has Reagan always been so cool? Not just his speech, but I've been watching him on MSNBC lately (don't ask), and he seems like a pretty good guy.
I know his speech has been billed as "non-partisan", but so far it seems like a not so subtle jab at the religious right. Gotta love that.
There is no doubt in my mind that Shepard Smith of Fox Report is gay. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Has Reagan always been so cool? Not just his speech, but I've been watching him on MSNBC lately (don't ask), and he seems like a pretty good guy.
I know his speech has been billed as "non-partisan", but so far it seems like a not so subtle jab at the religious right. Gotta love that.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Convention Coverage You'll Get Nowhere Else
Updated in realtime.
Bob Novak is gross. He makes me physically ill.
Wonkette is kind of hot... kind of.
Is Anderson Cooper in his 20's, or 50's?
Most bloggers are too ugly to be in radio.
According to channels 44 - 48, "Shove it" is just as offensive as "Go fuck yourself".
Apparently, this is Atrios.
Remember what a real President was like?
Why can't we repeal the 22nd amendment?
Clinton: "They need a divided America... We don't."
He is a rockstar.
Updated in realtime.
Bob Novak is gross. He makes me physically ill.
Wonkette is kind of hot... kind of.
Is Anderson Cooper in his 20's, or 50's?
Most bloggers are too ugly to be in radio.
According to channels 44 - 48, "Shove it" is just as offensive as "Go fuck yourself".
Apparently, this is Atrios.
Remember what a real President was like?
Why can't we repeal the 22nd amendment?
Clinton: "They need a divided America... We don't."
He is a rockstar.
Sunday, July 25, 2004
It's Official
Lance just one his sixth Tour in a row. Amazing. This one wasn't ever really close either. From the prologue on, Lance let it be known that there would be no gifts this year and he was out to set the record. Lance normally wins it in the mountain stages, be he just destroyed the mountains this year, and with that, the rest of the competition.
It will years before history will be able to sort out how great Lance really is, but I put him up higher than MJ, easily one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Lance just one his sixth Tour in a row. Amazing. This one wasn't ever really close either. From the prologue on, Lance let it be known that there would be no gifts this year and he was out to set the record. Lance normally wins it in the mountain stages, be he just destroyed the mountains this year, and with that, the rest of the competition.
It will years before history will be able to sort out how great Lance really is, but I put him up higher than MJ, easily one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Friday, July 23, 2004
Not Scared Enough...
So apparently we aren't scared enough of another terrorist attack. Maybe because announcements by Tom Ridge, or Asscroft for that matter, come at times when the White House is trying to divert attention, or maybe because people are starting to realize that the Bushies have been playing off of our fears for too long, but this new one seems to combine ideas... It's released the day after the 9/11 report comes out, at a time when the talking point of the day is "we're safer than we were on 9/11, but we're not safe," which makes as much sense, as Randi Rhodes so eloquently put, "These shoes fit, but they pinch." So in order for them to really grind it in that we could die at any moment Tom Ridge jumps into the spot light...
So you hear that? You know that game you were gonna go see this weekend, be careful, cause you may DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So apparently we aren't scared enough of another terrorist attack. Maybe because announcements by Tom Ridge, or Asscroft for that matter, come at times when the White House is trying to divert attention, or maybe because people are starting to realize that the Bushies have been playing off of our fears for too long, but this new one seems to combine ideas... It's released the day after the 9/11 report comes out, at a time when the talking point of the day is "we're safer than we were on 9/11, but we're not safe," which makes as much sense, as Randi Rhodes so eloquently put, "These shoes fit, but they pinch." So in order for them to really grind it in that we could die at any moment Tom Ridge jumps into the spot light...
U.S. Warns Sports Officials of Al Qaeda Threat
HERNDON, Va. (Reuters) - U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge on Friday warned top executives of major American sports organizations that al Qaeda may strike soon -- possibly at large sports events...
He repeated a warning that the government fears al Qaeda might try to stage another large-scale attack in the United States, though he said he had no details on the time, place or method.
So you hear that? You know that game you were gonna go see this weekend, be careful, cause you may DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Found Them!
It was an inadvertent oversight that they said they inadvertently destroyed them...
Not that I ever had any doubt, but this really seals the deal for me. If Bush had been there, with all the resources he's got, he could have proved it by now.
UPDATE: Sorry, I didn't read it closely enough. For some reason when I read "shed no new light" I assumed they were right. Shoulda learned by now. Look at the highlighted portions... doesn't that say he WASN'T there? That seems pretty clear! Leave it to the Bushies to document dump on a Friday night.
It was an inadvertent oversight that they said they inadvertently destroyed them...
Pentagon Finds Bush's Guard Records
WASHINGTON - The Pentagon on Friday released newly discovered payroll records from President Bush's 1972 service in the Alabama National Guard, though the records shed no new light on the future president's activities during that summer.
A Pentagon official said the earlier contention that the records were destroyed was an "inadvertent oversight."
Like records released earlier by the White House, the newly released computerized payroll records show no indication Bush drilled with the Alabama unit during July, August and September of 1972. Pay records covering all of 1972, released previously, also indicated no guard service for Bush during those three months.
The records do not give any new information toward determining whether Bush kept his National Guard commitments during 1972, when he transferred to the Alabama National Guard unit so he could work on the U.S. Senate campaign of a family friend.
Not that I ever had any doubt, but this really seals the deal for me. If Bush had been there, with all the resources he's got, he could have proved it by now.
UPDATE: Sorry, I didn't read it closely enough. For some reason when I read "shed no new light" I assumed they were right. Shoulda learned by now. Look at the highlighted portions... doesn't that say he WASN'T there? That seems pretty clear! Leave it to the Bushies to document dump on a Friday night.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Berger Sock Experiment
Finally, a scientific study of the sock stuffing theory... courtesy of Myrick
Click here for the results...
Finally, a scientific study of the sock stuffing theory... courtesy of Myrick
Armed with a pair of mid-length dress socks and a Brooks Brothers' sock suspenders I attempted walking about my house with various materials – both with and without the braces.
Click here for the results...
No healthcare... but FREE BOOBS!!!
Finally, the incentive I've been waiting for...
Geez, someone to practice on? Ummm... maybe I won't join. I was soooooo close.
Finally, the incentive I've been waiting for...
Bigger Breasts for Free: Join the Army
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has long lured recruits with the slogan "Be All You Can Be," but now soldiers and their families can receive plastic surgery, including breast enlargements, on the taxpayers' dime.
The New Yorker magazine reports in its July 26th edition that members of all four branches of the U.S. military can get face-lifts, breast enlargements, liposuction and nose jobs for free -- something the military says helps surgeons practice their skills.
"Anyone wearing a uniform is eligible," Dr. Bob Lyons, chief of plastic surgery at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio told the magazine, which said soldiers needed the approval of their commanding officers to get the time off.
Between 2000 and 2003, military doctors performed 496 breast enlargements and 1,361 liposuction surgeries on soldiers and their dependents, the magazine said.
The magazine quoted an Army spokeswoman as saying, "the surgeons have to have someone to practice on."
Geez, someone to practice on? Ummm... maybe I won't join. I was soooooo close.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
The Daily Show
It started off making fun of the news... but now, as the news is SOOO bad, the Daily Show's spoof on the news, is actually better than the news...
The rest of the news media, as Ed Helms would say, "are a bunch of pussies."
It started off making fun of the news... but now, as the news is SOOO bad, the Daily Show's spoof on the news, is actually better than the news...
TV critics vote for merit, message
Only television critics, for instance, would have conferred this year's prize for outstanding news and information programming to Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" — vaulting it over rivals like PBS' "Frontline" and ABC's "Nightline."
It was a decision made on both merit and message. As my cross-town rival, Melanie McFarland of the Post-Intelligencer, said when presenting the award, at a time when the mainstream media seem cowed, Jon Stewart and company embody "a core of truth."
The rest of the news media, as Ed Helms would say, "are a bunch of pussies."
Monday, July 19, 2004
What an ass
Well, the Republican party came to Ralph's rescue in Michigan with 40,000 signatures to get him on the state ballot. Ralph, not a man to refuse a gift from his newest and bestest buddies, gladly accepted.
The Whiskey Bar opened up briefly tonight, and the bartender weighed in; Ralph has obviously switched sides. Go have a drink.
Well, the Republican party came to Ralph's rescue in Michigan with 40,000 signatures to get him on the state ballot. Ralph, not a man to refuse a gift from his newest and bestest buddies, gladly accepted.
The Whiskey Bar opened up briefly tonight, and the bartender weighed in; Ralph has obviously switched sides. Go have a drink.
Dog Days of Summer
It seems that there hasn't really been much going on lately, well at least anything new going on. And I have been incredibly busy with work, so I am not even gonna try to blog for the next few days.
If you're a total junkie, check out the Agonist or Cursor, for daily Iraq updates, Juan Cole is the way to go.
It seems that there hasn't really been much going on lately, well at least anything new going on. And I have been incredibly busy with work, so I am not even gonna try to blog for the next few days.
If you're a total junkie, check out the Agonist or Cursor, for daily Iraq updates, Juan Cole is the way to go.
Friday, July 16, 2004
Big News
link
Blackwell Halts Deployment Of Diebold Voting Machines For 2004
July 16, 2004
COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell today halted deployment of Diebold Election Systems’ electronic voting devices in Ohio for the 2004 General Election. The decision is based on preliminary findings from the secretary of state's second round of security testing conducted by Compuware Corporation showing the existence of previously identified, but yet unresolved security issues. Hardin, Lorain and Trumbull counties had selected to use new Diebold equipment this November. Those counties will use their current voting devices in 2004.
“As I made clear last year, I will not place these voting devices before Ohio’s voters until identified risks are corrected,” Blackwell said. “Diebold Election Systems has successfully addressed many, but not all, of the problems that were identified in our first security review. The lack of comprehensive resolution prevents me from giving county boards of elections a green light for this November.
There is hope after all...
link
Blackwell Halts Deployment Of Diebold Voting Machines For 2004
July 16, 2004
COLUMBUS – Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell today halted deployment of Diebold Election Systems’ electronic voting devices in Ohio for the 2004 General Election. The decision is based on preliminary findings from the secretary of state's second round of security testing conducted by Compuware Corporation showing the existence of previously identified, but yet unresolved security issues. Hardin, Lorain and Trumbull counties had selected to use new Diebold equipment this November. Those counties will use their current voting devices in 2004.
“As I made clear last year, I will not place these voting devices before Ohio’s voters until identified risks are corrected,” Blackwell said. “Diebold Election Systems has successfully addressed many, but not all, of the problems that were identified in our first security review. The lack of comprehensive resolution prevents me from giving county boards of elections a green light for this November.
There is hope after all...
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
It's getting better all the time
It has seemed like the media has quit covering troop casualties in Iraq, especially since the "handover" took place on 6/28. Is that because a sovereign Iraq has become safer for our troops? Apparently not. From the latest numbers I can find, 36 US have been killed in the 16 days following the "transfer of power". As a comparison, the first 27 days of June saw 38 US casualties.
I don't point this out because of how it reflects on Bush, or shows how pointless this war has become. These men were sent to their deaths on at best a blundered, but well meaning plan, and at worst, a blundered, deceitful plan. The least the media can do is honor these men's ultimate sacrifice by acknowledging their deaths.
It has seemed like the media has quit covering troop casualties in Iraq, especially since the "handover" took place on 6/28. Is that because a sovereign Iraq has become safer for our troops? Apparently not. From the latest numbers I can find, 36 US have been killed in the 16 days following the "transfer of power". As a comparison, the first 27 days of June saw 38 US casualties.
I don't point this out because of how it reflects on Bush, or shows how pointless this war has become. These men were sent to their deaths on at best a blundered, but well meaning plan, and at worst, a blundered, deceitful plan. The least the media can do is honor these men's ultimate sacrifice by acknowledging their deaths.
No spin here... seriously
David Cole confirms what we all know, as he reports on his first and last visit to the No Spin Zone.
Bill O'Reilly is a major-league asshole. Big Time.
David Cole confirms what we all know, as he reports on his first and last visit to the No Spin Zone.
Bill O'Reilly is a major-league asshole. Big Time.
Spin this...
Wonkette's got a huge list of memos sent to journalists by the makers of "Outfoxed" to support their claim that Fox is the propoganda machine of the republican party. Some highlights:
Wonkette's got a huge list of memos sent to journalists by the makers of "Outfoxed" to support their claim that Fox is the propoganda machine of the republican party. Some highlights:
"Let's not overdo the appearances by Kerry's swiftboat mate John O'Neil."
"The so-called 9/11 commission has already been meeting."
"today is likely to be the apex of the so-called 9/11 commission hearings."
"As is often the case, the real news is Iraq is being obscured by temporary tragedy."
"We'll have to devote some time to the tornadoes, simply out of respect to the magnitude of damage they did."
"It won't be long before some people start to decry the use of "excessive force." We won't be among that group."
The events in Iraq Tuesday are going to be the top story, unless and until something else (or worse) happens. Err on the side of doing too much Iraq rather than not enough. Do not fall into the easy trap of mourning the loss of US lives and asking out loud why are we there? The US is in Iraq to help a country brutalized for 30 years protect the gains made by Operation Iraqi Freedom and set it on the path to democracy. Some people in Iraq don't want that to happen. That is why American GIs are dying. And what we should remind our viewers.
"Also, let's refer to the US marines we see in the foreground as "sharpshooters" not snipers, which carries a negative connotation."
"Do not ignore the Oil for Food story, please."
Kristof
Ashcroft's at it again... Can't let Oregon be Oregon. Kristof has a good piece today on the Death With Dignity law...
Ashcroft's at it again... Can't let Oregon be Oregon. Kristof has a good piece today on the Death With Dignity law...
Choosing Death
John Ashcroft and other members of the Christian right have desperately tried to eviscerate Oregon's Death With Dignity law, on the ground that it undermines the sanctity of life...
My hunch is that the right to die will become a hotter issue over the next decade or two as baby boomers confront their own mortality. Boomers have transformed every stage of life they've passed through, and they will surely transform our way of death as well.
That's what Oregon is now pioneering. I'm an Oregonian myself, and like most people here I was ambivalent when the law was first proposed as a ballot measure in 1994. Opponents argued that the terminally ill would feel pressure to commit suicide so they wouldn't be a burden to family members.
That seemed a reasonable argument at the time, but such abuses do not appear to have occurred. Oregonians seem increasingly content with the experiment — partly because of its limited scale. The most recent figures, from February 2003, showed that at least 171 people had hastened their deaths since the law took effect in 1997 (although many with terminal illnesses start the process by getting a lethal prescription so they have the option if they want it).
All in all, the Oregon law has provided the world with a model for how to offer dying people a real choice about how they should bid farewell to the world...
Mr. Ashcroft and other critics have so far lost in their efforts, in the courts and in Congress, to block the Oregon law. But instead of moving on and letting Oregon proceed with its pathbreaking experiment, the Justice Department asked a federal appeals court on Monday for a new hearing.
The Oregon law deserves to be upheld. It forces us to examine the question of what is special about human life. The answer, I think, is the autonomy and dignity inherent in our individuality — in making hard decisions for ourselves and determining our own destinies. Oregon honors that vision of what is sacred about life.
Tuesday, July 13, 2004
How To Free A Hostage
Interesting article in Time. Here's just a schnibit:
Interesting article in Time. Here's just a schnibit:
A bewildering variety of groups — some seeking money, some pushing a terrorist agenda — have kidnapped dozens of foreigners since the end of the war last year. The hostages then become commodities in a deadly human trade that links street gangs to local mafias to insurgents like Abu Mousab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaeda — linked jihadi thought to be behind many of the recent terrorist attacks in Iraq. Victims are sold up the chain, and each handler scores thousands of dollars, money used to finance gun running, drug smuggling and the insurgency...
The West generally is aware of only kidnappings that are politically motivated, like the abduction and subsequent beheading of American businessman Nick Berg. But the practice is far more common, and the kidnappers — the men who initially seize the innocents — are often petty criminals. "Those who take the hostages are not sophisticated," says Andrew White, director of the Iraqi Center for Dialogue, Reconciliation and Peace. "They're thugs, gangsters."
The best hope for springing a hostage comes at the initial stage. Groups like White's contact mosques, tribal leaders, militias and even former intelligence agents in search of news about the victim. Because the low-level gangs are after cash, a quick payout might free the hostage before he is "sold up" to groups with less easily deciphered, deadlier agendas. Such deals can be lucrative: prices paid range from $10,000 to $100,000, according to White, with U.S. soldiers fetching the highest rate.
Daily Mislead
BUSH MISLEADS ABOUT RACE RELATIONS
In 2000, Presidential candidate George W. Bush courageously chastised his own conservative colleagues saying "while some in my party have avoided the NAACP, and while some in the NAACP have avoided my party, I'm proud to be here...I believe we can find common ground." [SOURCE: Bush Speech, 7/10/2000] But after refusing to speak at yesterday's NAACP's annual convention, President Bush became the first President since Herbert Hoover not to attend an NAACP convention.[1]
According to NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, the NAACP "has reached out to Bush numerous times in hopes of meeting with him,"[2] but the President never responded to the NAACP. Instead, the President chose to mark key civil rights holidays with racially-insensitive announcements and behavior. For instance, last year, the President chose the Martin Luther King holiday to announce the Administration's stance against affirmative action.[3] This year, the President used the same holiday to unilaterally elevate Charles Pickering to the federal appellate bench[4] in the face of what Mfume noted was "Pickering's hostility to civil rights and leniency to cross burners."[5] This year he also used a visit to Martin Luther King's grave to force taxpayers to foot the travel costs for a $2,000-a-plate political fundraiser in Atlanta, Georgia.[6]
Monday, July 12, 2004
Calling all terrorists
Link
Did you get that, Osama? I know we've been ignoring you lately, but you could effect the elections. We're not trying to give you any ideas or anything, but if you want to attack, we might suspend the elections and declare martial law. You got that? Good.
Link
American counterterrorism officials, citing what they call "alarming" intelligence about a possible Qaeda strike inside the United States this fall, are reviewing a proposal that could allow for the postponement of the November presidential election in the event of such an attack, NEWSWEEK has learned.
The prospect that Al Qaeda might seek to disrupt the U.S. election was a major factor behind last week's terror warning by Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge. Ridge and other counterterrorism officials concede they have no intel about any specific plots. But the success of March's Madrid railway bombings in influencing the Spanish elections—as well as intercepted "chatter" among Qaeda operatives—has led analysts to conclude "they want to interfere with the elections," says one official.
Did you get that, Osama? I know we've been ignoring you lately, but you could effect the elections. We're not trying to give you any ideas or anything, but if you want to attack, we might suspend the elections and declare martial law. You got that? Good.
Out-FOXed
The new documentary on the Fox News Channel was released in New York. Check out a trailer here.
The new documentary on the Fox News Channel was released in New York. Check out a trailer here.
Friday, July 09, 2004
Grow-the-fuck-up
I read this earlier on Atrios:
And now I just read this on my yahoo...
Besides the obvious "we can't handle criticism" attitude, does anyone else notice a trend in the above two articles????
I read this earlier on Atrios:
The global increase in HIV infection rates has been cited as "one of the greatest threats to U.S. and global security."
Yet the Bush administration has cut the number of US representatives to the international AIDS conference in Bangkok Sunday by 75% because poor Tommy Thompson was heckled last year:The U.S. government will send only one-quarter as many people to the huge international AIDS conference starting Sunday in Bangkok as it sent to the last one in Barcelona.
The decision to cut attendance, which comes as the Bush administration is rolling out its five-year, $15 billion global AIDS treatment plan, was reached long after many government scientists had made plans to attend the conference, which is held every two years. Dozens of scientific presentations were withdrawn, about 50 will be published only as summaries and not presented publicly, and dozens of meetings -- many designed to train Third World AIDS researchers and foster international collaboration -- were canceled.
The move, which officials say is to save money, is interpreted by many AIDS experts as payback for the heckling of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson at the last AIDS conference and further evidence of a "go-it-alone" attitude in the administration's global AIDS program.
And now I just read this on my yahoo...
Bush to Skip NAACP Meeting Due to Hostile Comments
KUTZTOWN, Pa. (Reuters) - President Bush has decided not to speak to the country's largest civil rights group, the White House said on Friday, citing openly hostile comments by its leaders about the president.
The White House initially attributed Bush's decision not to accept the invitation to speak at the NAACP annual convention to a scheduling conflict. The convention opens on Saturday in Philadelphia.
But White House spokesman Scott McClellan, traveling with Bush on a campaign bus trip through Pennsylvania cited "hostile political rhetoric about the president" from the group's leaders.
Besides the obvious "we can't handle criticism" attitude, does anyone else notice a trend in the above two articles????
"Nice putt.....and it's par for the course!"
The Bush Administration is stepping up pressure on Pakistan to capture Bin Laden or other High Value Targets. Well, finally, that's good news, right?
Desperation? Pinning your election hopes on the Pakistani Army doesn't sound like a solid plan, but once again the Bushies concentrate more on political appearance than on policy itself.
The Bush Administration is stepping up pressure on Pakistan to capture Bin Laden or other High Value Targets. Well, finally, that's good news, right?
This public pressure would be appropriate, even laudable, had it not been accompanied by an unseemly private insistence that the Pakistanis deliver these high-value targets (HVTs) before Americans go to the polls in November.....Pakistani security officials have been told they must produce HVTs by the election.
What's more, this source claims that Bush administration officials have told their Pakistani counterparts they have a date in mind for announcing this achievement: a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that "it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July"--the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
Another official, this one from the Pakistani Interior Ministry, which is responsible for internal security, explains, "The Musharraf government has a history of rescuing the Bush administration. They now want Musharraf to bail them out when they are facing hard times in the coming elections."
Desperation? Pinning your election hopes on the Pakistani Army doesn't sound like a solid plan, but once again the Bushies concentrate more on political appearance than on policy itself.
SHOCKING!!!!!
No wait, not shocking... shocking for the Bushies would be disclosing something of real value.
No wait, not shocking... shocking for the Bushies would be disclosing something of real value.
Pentagon: Bush Military Records Destroyed
WASHINGTON - Military payroll records that could more fully document President Bush's whereabouts during his service in the Texas Air National Guard were inadvertently destroyed, according to the Pentagon
In a letter responding to a freedom of information request by The Associated Press, the Defense Department said that microfilm containing the pertinent National Guard payroll records was damaged and could not be salvaged. The damaged material included payroll records for the first quarter of 1969 and the third quarter of 1972.
"President Bush's payroll records for those two quarters were among the records destroyed," wrote C.Y. Talbott, of the Pentagon's Freedom of Information and Security Review section. "Searches for back-up paper copies of the missing records were unsuccessful."
Fuck for Forest
Here's a new approach...
They definitely get the thinking outside of the box award (as well as fucking outside of the box.)
Here's a new approach...
The environmental activists who claim they had sex on stage at a live music festival in Norway this week to help protect the world's rain forests say they won't pay fines doled out by police. That means the case will likely head for court...
Ellingsen claims the couple performed the surprise sex stunt during a set by the controversial band The Cumshots "actually to draw attention to the rain forests, which are in the process of disappearing."
The couple also runs a porno web site called "Fuck for Forest," which offers pornographic photos for money that they claim they donate to rain forest preservation groups. " We're idealists, call us 'environmental radicals,'" Ellingsen said. "Porn is just a means of reaching our goals."
They definitely get the thinking outside of the box award (as well as fucking outside of the box.)
Thursday, July 08, 2004
Ri-god-damn-diculous
Interesting strategy. Maybe the Blazers could adopt a similar tactic and just keep extending the game until they get enough points to win.
The Republican-led House bowed to a White House veto threat Thursday and stood by the USA Patriot Act, defeating an effort to block the part of the anti-terrorism law that helps the government investigate people's reading habits.
The effort to defy Bush and bridle the law's powers lost by 210-210, with a majority needed to prevail. The amendment appeared on its way to victory as the roll call's normal 15-minute time limit expired, but GOP leaders kept the vote open for about 20 more minutes as they persuaded about 10 Republicans who initially supported the provision to change their votes.
"Shame, shame, shame," Democrats chanted as the minutes passed and votes were switched. The tactic was reminiscent of last year's House passage of the Medicare overhaul measure, when GOP leaders held the vote open for an extra three hours until they got the votes they needed.
Interesting strategy. Maybe the Blazers could adopt a similar tactic and just keep extending the game until they get enough points to win.
Like clockwork
On the first full news day of the indictment of Bush's single largest campaign contributor... surprise, surprise... a new blanket terror alert, warning of a large-scale attack.
This is getting rifuckingdiculous.
On the first full news day of the indictment of Bush's single largest campaign contributor... surprise, surprise... a new blanket terror alert, warning of a large-scale attack.
This is getting rifuckingdiculous.
Larry Flynt v. The People in Charge
Link.
Worth watching a brief commercial on Salon to read the article.
Link.
The hustler's new book accuses the president of paying for an illegal abortion, the press of lying down on the job and Ann Coulter of being a "fag hag."
Worth watching a brief commercial on Salon to read the article.
Remember ANWR?
Well the Bushies hope you don't. Bruce Babbit, the Interior Secretary under Clinton, writes about more underhanded, under the radar behavior by the White House.
Gale Norton's makin' the call? Bye Bye Inupiat...
Well the Bushies hope you don't. Bruce Babbit, the Interior Secretary under Clinton, writes about more underhanded, under the radar behavior by the White House.
BARROW, Alaska — Thwarted by the public in its efforts to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling, the Bush administration and the oil companies are now quietly turning their attention to the balance of the Arctic region of Alaska, all the way west to the Chukchi Sea, within sight of Siberia. In advance of its efforts, the administration has jettisoned environmental safeguards and is now threatening the traditional-use rights of the Alaska Natives who have hunted caribou and waterfowl along the Arctic slope for thousands of years.
This plan was announced in Anchorage just as Congress recessed for the Reagan funeral. Outside Alaska it has received little notice, not even for its centerpiece — a proposal to lease rights for oil and gas development in Teshekpuk Lake, a body of water that is vital to the region. This shallow lake, which is about 30 miles across, is the biological heart of the western Arctic, the summer nesting and breeding ground for hundreds of thousands of black brant, spectacled eider, yellow-billed loons, white-fronted geese and other migratory birds that arrive here each year from 32 of the lower 48 states as well as countries as far south as Argentina.
The lake, however, isn't just for the birds. It is also a critically important subsistence area for the indigenous Inupiat communities on the Arctic slope. They go there to hunt and fish for food to sustain them through the long, dark winters...
In 1998 the Clinton administration took the first steps to open the reserve with a two-year study involving hundreds of scientists and representatives of the Inupiat communities. Two years later the scientific teams returned with a recommendation to begin oil leasing, with stipulations for setting aside approximately 13 percent of the study area, mostly rivers and lakes, including Teshekpuk, as protected areas. They also recommended a ban on permanent roads across the fragile tundra, based upon assurances from the oil companies that they could operate with temporary winter "ice roads" that would simply melt away as summer approached and waterfowl and migratory caribou began congregating at the lake.
The Bush administration now proposes to eliminate these safeguards intended to protect the lake, the wildlife and the Inupiat who depend on it. The decision is not yet final. During the summer there will be hearings in Anchorage and Washington. Then, Interior Secretary Gale Norton is expected to make a decision. In this land of endless summer days, there are bound to be a lot of sleepless nights.
Gale Norton's makin' the call? Bye Bye Inupiat...
Wednesday, July 07, 2004
Can you believe the nerve of Kerry?
Matthew Dowd:
What's next? Campaigning like he wants to win. Unbelievable.
Matthew Dowd:
What the choice says, Mr. Dowd added, is that Mr. Kerry was "reduced to picking someone who would help him win the election"
What's next? Campaigning like he wants to win. Unbelievable.
Portland in Top 10
Other cities in top ten are: Vancouver, Canada; Chicago, IL, USA; Reykjavik, Iceland; Sacramento, CA, USA; Barcelona, Spain; Malmo, Sweden; Austin, Texas, USA; Freiburg, Germany; Sydney, Australia
The World’s Greenest Cities
Seventy-five percent of world energy consumption happens in cities, says Energe-Cites, a France-based organization, which acts as the voice of some 100 European cities committed to sustainable practices. This means that urban areas present rich opportunities for energy conservation. Indeed, a growing number of cities around the world are pursuing eco-friendly strategies. The 10 cities mentioned below are unique because of their innovative approaches to green energy usage.
Portland, Oregon, USA
While renewables now provide only about 10% of its electric load, this Pacific Northwest city (population: roughly 0.5 million people) has set its sights on an ambitious goal—to get 100% of its energy from renewables by 2010. As part of that effort, it depends on solar energy to power its parking meters. What’s more, it also employs fuel cells powered by waste methane, a micro hydro facility located in its drinking water system, and microturbines propelled by waste methane.
Other cities in top ten are: Vancouver, Canada; Chicago, IL, USA; Reykjavik, Iceland; Sacramento, CA, USA; Barcelona, Spain; Malmo, Sweden; Austin, Texas, USA; Freiburg, Germany; Sydney, Australia
John Grisham Novel?
Courtesy of Atrios:
No, John Edwards' life...
Courtesy of Atrios:
The defining case in Edwards' legal career wrapped up that same year. In 1993, a five-year-old girl named Valerie Lakey had been playing in a Wake County, N.C., wading pool when she became caught in an uncovered drain so forcefully that the suction pulled out most of her intestines. She survived but for the rest of her life will need to be hooked up to feeding tubes for 12 hours each night. Edwards filed suit on the Lakeys' behalf against Sta-Rite Industries, the Wisconsin corporation that manufactured the drain. Attorneys describe his handling of the case as a virtuoso example of a trial layer bringing a negligent corporation to heel. Sta-Rite offered the Lakeys $100,000 to settle the case. Edwards passed. Before trial, he discovered that 12 other children had suffered similar injuries from Sta-Rite drains. The company raised its offer to $1.25 million. Two weeks into the trial, they upped the figure to $8.5 million. Edwards declined the offer and asked for their insurance policy limit of $22.5 million. The day before the trial resumed from Christmas break, Sta-Rite countered with $17.5 million. Again, Edwards said no. On January 10, 1997, lawyers from across the state packed the courtroom to hear Edwards' closing argument, "the most impressive legal performance I have ever seen," recalls Dayton. Three days later, the jury found Sta-Rite guilty and liable for $25 million in economic damages (by state law, punitive damages could have tripled that amount). The company immediately settled for $25 million, the largest verdict in state history. For their part, Edwards and Kirby earned the Association of Trial Lawyers of America's national award for public service.
Freedomship
Ashcroft's ideal democracy...
Link
Ashcroft's ideal democracy...
Link
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The Iraqi government issued a long-anticipated package of security laws Wednesday to help crush insurgents, including a provision allowing interim Prime Minister Iyad Allawi to impose martial law...
The new laws give Allawi the right to impose curfews, to conduct search operations and detain individuals with weapons, once he receives unanimous approval from the Presidential Council. They also give him the right to assign governors, including military leaders, in specific areas, and they empower him to freeze the assets of suspects and monitor their communications.
The Environmental President...
And par for the course...
Forest Service delays release of fire salvage project records
Bush Team Pushes Huge Timber Sale Under Guise of Fire Protection
Under the guise of preventing forest fires, the Bush administration is planning the biggest timber sale on public lands in modern history. The Biscuit Project would allow logging of 372 million board feet of timber across 30 square miles of southwest Oregon's Siskiyou National Forest—enough timber to fill 70,000 logging trucks. The logging would be done on wildlands of uncommon beauty and ecological diversity, far from any community that could be damaged in a fire.
"It's the biggest logging sale since World War II," says Steve Holmer, communications director with the Unified Forest Defense Campaign, a coalition of national and regional conservation organizations. "Timber companies have made huge contributions to the Bush campaign. This project is political payback."
Holmer tells BushGreenwatch that the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) initially proposed a much smaller project. "When the Forest Service first started looking at the area, they planned maybe a 100 million board feet sale." That changed once Mark Rey, formerly a top lobbyist for the timber industry who is now the administration's undersecretary for natural resources and environment in the Department of Agriculture, began to work on the sale.
And par for the course...
Forest Service delays release of fire salvage project records
Tuesday, July 06, 2004
Iraqi Political & Militia Groups.
Via Juan Cole. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has compiled a list of political and armed groups now operating in Iraq. Part 1. Part 2. Militias/Armed groups.
Via Juan Cole. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has compiled a list of political and armed groups now operating in Iraq. Part 1. Part 2. Militias/Armed groups.
Monday, July 05, 2004
Only In Oregon
The Oregonian has three stories today about beavers, and only one is actually about beavers.
Can you guess which one?
The Oregonian has three stories today about beavers, and only one is actually about beavers.
Beavers win with strong effort by Knott, Guzman, Oxspring
Beavers rebound, strengthen habitat
Bullpen is Beavers' biggest concern
Can you guess which one?
Saturday, July 03, 2004
This is your president, re-mix
DJ Waingroh felt vibrant and confident to give yesterday's Bush speech a quick little touchup. It's in mp3 format, so that's good news, idn't it? particularly is you somebody who has an mp3 player.
Right click to download Confi-Dense.mp3
DJ Waingroh felt vibrant and confident to give yesterday's Bush speech a quick little touchup. It's in mp3 format, so that's good news, idn't it? particularly is you somebody who has an mp3 player.
Right click to download Confi-Dense.mp3
Friday, July 02, 2004
This is your President
Link Go watch the video too, it's even better with his commanding oration.
Oh, ok. Confidence is good. Especially amongst the deciders.
Wow, look out Adam Smith.
That is good news though, because I is someone who has got a wallet.
Link Go watch the video too, it's even better with his commanding oration.
I was pleased to see that consumer confidence is at a two-year high. That's an indication that the economy is strong, and getting better. When people are confident, they tend to be a part of the decision-making process amongst millions of deciders that say the future is going to be better.
Oh, ok. Confidence is good. Especially amongst the deciders.
Real after-tax incomes are up 11 percent since December of 2000. To me, that's a vital statistic. Real after-tax incomes -- that means that the amount of money in somebody's wallet is increasing. That's what we want to hear, isn't it; particularly is you're somebody who has got a wallet.
Wow, look out Adam Smith.
That is good news though, because I is someone who has got a wallet.
No wonder they're scared
Link.
Note: this is in Fayetteville, N.C.
Link.
"Fahrenheit 9/11," a left-sided documentary that bashes the Bush administration's war on terrorism, wouldn't find much of an audience in a military town.
Or so they thought.
"This has broken all of our past records," said Nasim Kuenzel, an owner of the Cameo Art House Theatre. "The movie that I thought would make us hardly any money - I never thought it would break all the records."
Note: this is in Fayetteville, N.C.
Village Idiots
First Ashcroft's "Let the Eeeeeeeeeeagles soar", now Colin gives us his own special soundtrack to Iraq. Interesting he chose the construction worker, I woulda thought the Army guy in assless pants much more appropriate.
Idiot.
First Ashcroft's "Let the Eeeeeeeeeeagles soar", now Colin gives us his own special soundtrack to Iraq. Interesting he chose the construction worker, I woulda thought the Army guy in assless pants much more appropriate.
Idiot.
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Krugman on F9/11
Link
Link
Mr. Bush's carefully constructed persona is that of an all-American regular guy — not like his suspiciously cosmopolitan opponent, with his patrician air. The news media have cheerfully gone along with the pretense. How many stories have you seen contrasting John Kerry's upper-crusty vacation on Nantucket with Mr. Bush's down-home time at the ranch?
But the reality, revealed by Mr. Moore, is that Mr. Bush has always lived in a bubble of privilege. And his family, far from consisting of regular folks with deep roots in the heartland, is deeply enmeshed, financially and personally, with foreign elites — with the Saudis in particular.
Mr. Moore's greatest strength is a real empathy with working-class Americans that most journalists lack. Having stripped away Mr. Bush's common-man mask, he uses his film to make the case, in a way statistics never could, that Mr. Bush's policies favor a narrow elite at the expense of less fortunate Americans — sometimes, indeed, at the cost of their lives.
In a nation where the affluent rarely serve in the military, Mr. Moore follows Marine recruiters as they trawl the malls of depressed communities, where enlistment is the only way for young men and women to escape poverty. He shows corporate executives at a lavish conference on Iraq, nibbling on canapés and exulting over the profit opportunities, then shows the terrible price paid by the soldiers creating those opportunities.
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
This Guy is Not a Journalist
Drudge has a report that Hillary will be named the VP candidate, and he has an anonymous "insider, one of the most influential and well-placed in the nation's capital" to tell the story.
I'm not opposed at all to Hillary as VP, I haven't really thought about it. But this "insider" is so obviously a Republican hack pretending to be a Democratic insider, it's just laughable. Go check it out.
Drudge has a report that Hillary will be named the VP candidate, and he has an anonymous "insider, one of the most influential and well-placed in the nation's capital" to tell the story.
I'm not opposed at all to Hillary as VP, I haven't really thought about it. But this "insider" is so obviously a Republican hack pretending to be a Democratic insider, it's just laughable. Go check it out.
Insurgents
Time has a pretty good article on the insurgents here. The thing I don't buy is that they all went from being Saddam loyalists to all being radical jihadists loyal to Zarqawi. I'm sure that once Saddam was captured, the insurgents loyal to him could have become more fundamentalist. But there have been all types of insurgents from the very beginning, especially nationalist ones, as evidenced by Sadr's recent uprising. I don't see why insurgents have to be portrayed as religious radicals or Saddam "dead enders", when, quite obviously, they are all fighting for one thing. The expulsion of US troops and control of their future. I guess it makes it easier to hate them if they're all extremists and psychos.
Time has a pretty good article on the insurgents here. The thing I don't buy is that they all went from being Saddam loyalists to all being radical jihadists loyal to Zarqawi. I'm sure that once Saddam was captured, the insurgents loyal to him could have become more fundamentalist. But there have been all types of insurgents from the very beginning, especially nationalist ones, as evidenced by Sadr's recent uprising. I don't see why insurgents have to be portrayed as religious radicals or Saddam "dead enders", when, quite obviously, they are all fighting for one thing. The expulsion of US troops and control of their future. I guess it makes it easier to hate them if they're all extremists and psychos.
Shocker
Iraq worse off.
In a few key areas - electricity, the judicial system and overall security - the Iraq that America handed back to its residents Monday is worse off than before the war began last year, according to calculations in a new General Accounting Office report released Tuesday.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Yankee Fans
So I may not like the Yankees, but their fans are pretty smart...
link:
So I may not like the Yankees, but their fans are pretty smart...
link:
Cheney, who visited both clubhouses after batting practice, watched part of the game from the box of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and part from a first-row seat next to the Yankees dugout, where he sat between New York Gov. George Pataki and former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Cheney was booed when he was shown on the right-field videoboard during the seventh-inning stretch.
If people at Z-Net feel this way...
Why can't the Naderites? Norman Solomon.
Why can't the Naderites? Norman Solomon.
This morning I mailed a form changing my party registration from “decline to state” to the Green Party. It’s a tiny individual step in response to a hugely important collective action -- the party’s decision at its national convention to nominate David Cobb for president.
A majority of the delegates went for a candidate who relied on grassroots organizing and respectful debate. Cobb won the nomination after proving his capacity to engage in substantive dialogue with Green Party activists and other progressives. Without that capacity, he probably wouldn’t have ended up taking his position in favor of a “safe states” approach to this year’s presidential race.
How thoroughly Cobb and his running mate Pat LaMarche will implement such a strategy remains to be seen. Hopefully, history will record that in 2004 the Green ticket boosted the party’s strength among progressives nationwide while making common cause with the wide array of movements determined to prevent a victory for the Bush-Cheney gang on Election Day.
As a practical matter, ending the George W. Bush presidency on November 2 will require sufficient votes for John Kerry in most of the 20 or so swing states: Oregon and Washington; Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado; Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Delaware; New Hampshire and Maine; West Virginia, Arkansas and Louisiana; and, of course, Florida.
(Since I live in California, where Kerry is running 12 to 15 points ahead of Bush, I’m safely voting for Cobb. But if I lived in one of the 20 closely fought swing states, I’d vote for Kerry.)
With the swing states all too close for comfort, activists should be emphatic that the Green Party’s presidential campaign this year ought to concentrate its efforts on “safe states” -- where the Bush-Kerry race isn’t close.
The Green Party should not be at cross-purposes with the progressive movements struggling to end the Bush presidency. People in those movements will long remember, for good or ill, how the Green Party conducts itself between now and the day that seals the fate of the Bush White House.
One of the potential key benefits of Cobb’s nomination is that he seems genuinely interested in hearing -- and being responsive to -- grassroots activists. This is a refreshing and vital departure for a Green Party presidential nominee. So, more than ever, it’s time for activists to speak up.
If strategic thinking prevails, the possibility exists that the Green Party in 2004 will strengthen itself from the bottom up while also providing tangible solidarity in the national effort to defeat Bush. If the Green Party proves equal to this momentous task, it could open up new possibilities for the years and decades ahead.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)