Bits and Pieces for the Week of September 23 - 29

If you haven't been closely following the "Nukes on a Plane" saga from last week, this Washington Post article will scare your socks off, if not make you wet yourself. The Group News Blog takes a more analytical approach to the story. (Mike)

Did you know that there are over 130,000 environmental and social justice groups in the world? Check out this inspiring 6 min. video. (Mike)

The human cost of producing ethanol fuel (Mike)

Too little and probably too late, but it still sets a good example for other wealthy persons to put their wallet where their mouth is. (Mike)

Iraq/Afghanistan vet, Brandon Friedman, skewers General Casey for being a coward. I hope 7 of 6 has more to say about this. (Mike)

Oh sure, blame the sunspots for global warming. (Mike)

CMU professor gives his last lesson on life (Mike)

The One Laptop per Child Project is coming to fruition. (Mike)

Health News: Increasing concern over health effects of wireless phones and Wi-Fi; plus: Unraveling the mysteries of the human genome (Mike)

Marcel Marceau, the world's most famous mime artist, has died at age 84. A French Jew who survived the Nazi occupation, Marceau was France's biggest theatrical export of the past 50 years. RIP Marcel. Everytime I saw you in my youth, you brought me smiles and laughter! (7 of 6)

GOP-lite, (D) Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana is backing Hillary Clinton in her run for president. Yawn! (7 of 6)

What happens when Bush/Cheney give the orders and we start bombing Iran? I don't know, but here are a few thing I suspect may happen:

• First and foremost, thousands of Iraqis will die immediately.
• The Democrats in Congress will fall in lock-step with our new Fuhrer.
• Millions of Americans will protest in the streets, to the silence of the media and everyone else.
  
• Small plastic American flags will be dusted off and attached to the millions of cars of everyone else.
• The price of gas will jump to $4/gal. and then gradually crawl up to $8/gal.
• Our soldiers in Iraq will be increasingly targeted and killed/maimed.
• Iran which, in contrast to pre-2003 Iraq, actually has an air force, will target U.S. military installations in Iraq and ships and the waters surrounding Iran. Terrorists in Europe and the U.S. will come out of hiding and terrorize all major cities.
  
• There will be unthinkable, yet serious, planning by the Pentagon for using nuclear weapons against Iran.
• The now-subservient Congress will pass new military induction laws. (More silent protests will follow.)
  
• Bush will institute the now-legal marshall law and suspend federal elections.
• The tenuous stability in nations surrounding Iraq and Iran (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Pakistan, etc.) will go up in flames and general mayhem, death and destruction will be the order of the day, with Israel in the middle of the mix.
• Oil supplies from the Middle East will plummet with worldwide gas rationing the new order of the day. Oil tankers will become prime targets.
  
• The U.S. economy will revert to that seen in the 1930's, where everything of common need will be scarce and rationed and black markets will evolve everywhere.
• Lawlessness in the streets will be common, resulting in the emergence of a new federal police state.
• A massive exodus of Americans into Canada and Mexico(!) will begin.
  

You think I'm nuts? Then tell me in the comments what you see happening after our bombs start falling from the Iranian sky.

Scott Ritter explains how it's up to us to prevent Cheney from starting war with Iran (snippet):

".... The antiwar movement in America must make a strategic decision, and soon: Contain the war in Iraq, and stop a war from breaking out in Iran. The war in Iraq can be contained simply by letting war be war. There is no genuine good news coming out of Iraq. There won’t be as long as the United States is there. As callous as it sounds, let the war establish the news cycle, and let the reality of war serve to contain it. The surge has failed. Congress may not act decisively to bring the troops home, but it is highly unlikely that Congress will idly approve any massive expansion of an unpopular war that continues to fail so publicly. "Iran, however, is a different matter. Congress has already provided legal authority for the president to wage war in Iran through its existing war powers authority (one resolution passed in 2001, the other in 2002). Likewise, Congress has allowed the Bush administration to forward deploy the infrastructure of war deep into the Middle East and neighboring regions, all in the name of the “global war on terror." The startup costs for a military strike against Iran would therefore be greatly diminished. Sustaining such a conflict is a different matter, but given current congressional reticence to stand up to a war-time president, it is highly unlikely any meaningful action would be taken to stop an Iranian war once the bombs start falling. And we should never forget that Iran has a vote in how this would end; once it is attacked, Iran will respond in ways that are unpredictable, and as such set in motion a string of cause-effect military actions with the United States and others that spins any future conflict out of control. "The highest priority for the antiwar movement in America today must be the prevention of a war with Iran. The strategic objectives should include getting Congress to repeal the war-powers authorities currently on the books, thereby forcing the president to seek new congressional approval for any new war. Likewise, a concerted effort must be undertaken to counter the disinformation being spread by the Bush administration and others about the nature of the Iranian threat. Every action undertaken by the antiwar movement must be connected to one or both of these strategic objectives. This is not the time for one-off sophomoric newspaper advertisements, but rather for sustained action focused on generating congressional hearings and public debate across the entire spectrum of American society. From the colleges and universities to the churches and on to the public square of small-town America, public information talks, presentations and panels must be held. Communities should flood local media outlets with requests for coverage and appeal to regional media to run stories. Mainstream media will follow. Demonstrations, if useful at all, must be focused events linked to an overall campaign designed to facilitate a strategic objective. "We all should remember the fall of 2002. Many felt that there was no chance for a war with Iraq, especially once U.N. inspectors made their return. In March 2003, everyone who thought so was proved wrong. The fall of 2007 is no different. There is a sense of complacency when one speaks of the potential for a war with Iran. But time is not on the side of those who oppose conflict. If nothing is done to change the political situation inside America regarding Iran, there is an all too real possibility for a war to break out in the spring of 2008. "Sadly, there really is no alternative for the antiwar movement: Put opposition to the war in Iraq on the back burner and make preventing a war with Iran the No. 1 priority, at least until the national election cycle kicks in during the summer of 2008. If a war with Iran hasn’t happened by then, it probably won’t. And the national debate on Iraq won’t be engaged until that time, anyway. A war with Iran would make the current conflict in Iraq pale by comparison, and would detrimentally impact the whole of America, not just certain demographics. As such, it is critical that we all put aside our ideological and political differences and focus on the one issue which, if left unheeded, will have devastating consequences for the immediate future of us all: Prevent a future war with Iran."

FRIDAY F U N

• Blogger.com just started BLOGGER PLAY, a very entertaining web page which shows, via slide show, images/photos as they are uploaded into blogs. Click an image to view the source blog.
  
• Convert any document from one format to another with YouConvertIt
  
• Free FedEx clock
• Watch a chimpanzee play pacman (better than I can)
  
• 10 misunderstood hand gestures
  
• I guess grand openings are very rare in Germany
• 5 nutritious habits of the planet's healthiest countries
• Finally, here's a clip from one of my favorite bands, Rancid. They have an extremely talented lead, Tim Armstrong, who writes and produces some of the best ska-punk around. I used to watch them opening for Offspring concerts at the Palladium in Hollywood. Also check out one of Tim's offshoot groups, The Transplants.

I may enjoy ska-punk, but I have a special place in my head for tunes from the early 60's too. Here's a link to one: Ricky Nelson – Rhythm Of The Falling Rain

As our brainless leaders eagerly propel us into war with Iran, we cannot forget those young Americans who believed and trusted those same White House morons who told all of us that Iraq was such an imminent danger to our very existence:


Online Videos by Veoh.com

Depending on your point of view, I guess this is either alarming (it's getting hot!) or exciting (hey, shorter trips around the world!):


Borrowed from Knowledge News (subscr. req.) Also, I have an issue with these types of graphs that skew the image by not showing the y-axis all the way down to zero.

Overcoming a White Country:

The argument about whether Cheney/Bush went into Iraq over petroleum is not interesting. Of course they did, one way or another. The question is what exactly they thought they were doing about Iraq's petroleum. I would argue that they threw public resources (perhaps as much as two trillion dollars worth when all is said and done) to secure profits for private companies. Otherwise, the US public will never, ever realize the sort of savings from the development of Iraqi petroleum that would compensate them for the blood and treasure they have spent in Iraq. (Not to mention the opportunity costs of squandering so many resources on a quagmire, when the public investment could have been put to much better uses). - - - Juan Cole

Independent Voters

Say what you will about the poor performance of our newly elected Democratic congress, the people of the United States are not dumb! Well, at least not 70% of us.

This next election will be the most important in the history of the United States of America. Even if it is a GOP-lite candidate nominated we must have a Democrat to continue change. A Republi-con will only ensure our national demise quicker. I personally feel that our once great Nation is at a crossroads, it's now or never. In order for a new dominant Progressive Party to take hold, the seeds of change must start now. There are naysayers out there, a few on the far left have given up hope. I'm far to the left but not that far, and I refuse give up. We can make change possible, it's going to be tough, it will take years of election cycles but we must not give up. To all my Independent voter friends, Please Vote Democratic, our existence as a Nation depends on it.

From coast to coast, independent voters tilt tellingly toward Democrats in their opposition to the Iraq war, their displeasure with Bush and their feeling that the country is moving in the wrong direction, according to data from recent Associated Press-Ipsos polls. That could be decisive in next year's contests for the White House and Congress, starting with the crucial early presidential primaries in New Hampshire. The portion of that state's registered voters not enrolled in a political party has grown to 44 percent. While people can vote in either major party's primary, more are expected to choose the Democratic contest. That potentially would boost antiestablishment candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., while leaving the GOP race more in the hands of the party's traditional conservative voters. National exit polls show that after leaning toward Republicans by 48 percent to 45 percent as recently as the 2002 elections, independents began shifting toward Democrats. "This is a serious problem" for Republicans, says GOP pollster Neil Newhouse. "We didn't get where we are among independents overnight. The data does suggest that it's going to take us some time to earn those votes back."

Bits and Pieces for the Week of September 16 - 22

How aggravating when a headline reads... Mattel apologizes to China over recalls. Jeez, don't you think millions of American kids and their parents deserve an apology in a headline. (7 of 6)

With the blood of over 1 Million dead Iraqis on their hands, Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld/et al. can now be considered a member of the same club to which these humans once belonged. (Mike)

Cholera has spread from northern Iraq to Baghdad now. Hello, MSM, people are sick, dying, homeless, have no potable water to drink or proper sanitation... hello? (7 of 6)

Can't imagine a perfume by Courtney Love selling well? (7 of 6)

The House Ethics Committee announced an investigation Wednesday of (D)Rep. Bob Filner's run-in with a baggage worker... Filner is in his eighth term and chairs the Veterans Affairs Committee. But are there any Ethics investigations of airport restroom cruising, toe-tapping (R)Sen. Craig or diaper wearing, prostitute visiting (R)Sen. Vitter? No, they were greeted with honor upon return. (7 of 6)

Not only is the Republican Party coming apart at the seams, but the fundamentalist evangelicals are starting to wake up. (Mike)

I used to read Paul Krugman all the time until the NY Times put him into their online subscription-only access (TimesSelect) a couple of years ago. Financial considerations have inspired them to free-up all their content starting tomorrow (Wed). (Mike)

This is fun. Watch this short piece about 10/17/07 and then create your own message. (Mike)

Mitt Romney improves ability to look stupid. (Mike)

Novel medical procedure: Woman gets gall bladder removed through vagina. No scars, no pain, no problem. (Mike)

The ACLU, never one to back down from a fight, claims that the sting operation which trapped Senator Craig is a violation of civil liberties. Just because Craig is an immoral hypocrite in his personal dealings doesn't mean that he doesn't get the same rights as the rest of us. Kudos to the ACLU for being non-partisan and consistent. (Mike)

Iraq's Prime Minister, Nuri al-Maliki doesn't have any friends. The parliament bloc loyal to influential cleric Muqtada al- Sadr walked out of Iraq's ruling Shiite coalition Saturday... Truly bad news for a stable Iraqi government and to bu$h. (7 of 6)

Wow, this is huge! "Gen. Wes Clark Endorses Hillary Clinton" Can you say cabinet post, Wes? (7 of 6)

Peter Galbraith

Peter Galbraith, former U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, and current critic of the U.S. Iraq policy, has written a great article for the Asia Times Online.

The scale of the US miscalculation is striking. Before the Iraq war began, its neo-conservative architects argued that conferring power on Iraq's Shi'ites would serve to undermine Iran because Iraq's Shi'ites, controlling the faith's two holiest cities, would, in the words of then deputy defense secretary Paul Wolfowitz, be "an independent source of authority for the Shi'ite religion emerging in a country that is democratic and pro-Western". Further, they argued, Iran could never dominate Iraq, because the Iraqi Shi'ites are Arabs and the Iranian Shi'ites Persian. It was a theory that, unfortunately, had no connection to reality. Iran's bond with the Iraqi Shi'ites goes far beyond the support Iran gave Shi'ite leaders in their struggle with Saddam. Decades of oppression have made their religious identity more important to Iraqi Shi'ites than their Arab ethnic identity. (Also, many Iraqi Shi'ites have Turkoman, Persian or Kurdish ancestors.) While Sunnis identify with the Arab world, Iraqi Shi'ites identify with the Shi'ite world, and for many this means Iran. - Peter Galbraith

(h/t Pat Lang)

Country Size Based On Oil Reserves:


[CLICK FOR LARGER VIEW]

FRIDAY F U N

• Punctuation Quiz (I scored only 75%. Damn.)
• Awesome photos taken by Space Shuttle Endeavor's astronauts. Check out Hurricane Dean in the last pic.
• Ingenious uses for common household items (I'm gonna have to try #19 one of these days)
• Toothpick city
• World's oddest holidays
  
• Scissors Art
• Remember Hotpants?
• Air conditioned shirt
  
• Etch-a-Sketch art
  
• Some cool optical illusions (video)
  
• Worst translated ad slogans ever
• Best web sites for History
• The etymology and history of first names

246 WATTS Body Battery Calculator - Find Out How Much Electricity Your Body is Producing - Dating

Free Online Dating from JustSayHi

I highly recommend this excellent analysis of the real Iraq:

NUKES ON A PLANE

John Edwards may very well be the best candidate for 2008. This two-part interview by Josh Marshall should be seen by all voters who aren't drinking the neocon koolaid:

"....As we all know now, we were lied into this war and it is lies that are keeping us there. They lied about Weapons of Mass Destruction, they lied about Jessica Lynch, they lied about Pat Tillman, and they lied about Al Qaeda and Saddam. And those are just the lies we know about! "But I’m not so mad that I was lied to, as I am that I cannot trust my government any more. It astounds me that yet so many Americans want more than anything to trust our government. When will we wake up, and realize that the power of the truth is greater than any force brought to bear by any Army ever fielded? "But there are some lies that are being told to our children every day in order to convince them to sign up to be sent into the Baghdad meat grinder. Proponents of the policy in Iraq are quick to point out that everyone in the military volunteered, but what does that mean if most of them were tricked into enlisting by the lies that recruiters tell every day? It means that to support the troops means to cut through the lies, bring them home, and stop this criminal occupation! "Since joining the military came to mean fighting for a lie, they have become so desperate, that the age and weight standards have been raised; there are a record number of “morality waivers” for convicted felons; it is now easy to get in without a high school diploma; even convicted rapists are allowed to enlist. With the standards lowered at the highest levels of decision-making, we can only imagine what recruiters are resorting to when they have trouble meeting their monthly quotas. "We have come to a point in history when our government’s intents are so far from the will of the people that we have to rise up! WHEN INJUSTICE BECOMES LAW, RESISTANCE BECOMES DUTY! "How do you resist liars? Speak the truth. How do you stop a war based on lies? It starts with the truth! When we take away these lies, we can force our government to choose between no military or one based on truth, that truly represents the will of the people...." Adam Kokesh

The UNcensored Sally Field:


Damn she looks good for 61.

Bits and Pieces for the Week of September 9 - 15

Oh, great. Now every time I get a pain in my knee, I'm going to freak out. (Mike)

This is likely the greatest invention of the decade. (Mike)

Hilarious! "You know something is wrong when the New England Patriots face stiffer penalties for spying on innocent Americans than Dick Cheney and George Bush." - Bill Richardson. (7 of 6)

If Bush/Cheney haven't already maimed/killed your spouse/son/daughter/brother/sister serving in Iraq, get ready for a frontal assault on your personal finances. (Mike)

Gotta love them UC Berkeley "Tree Huggers". (7 of 6)

Jeebus Creebus, I never thought I'd link to an op/ed piece in my local conservative rag, the L.A. Times, but apparently they have stopped drinking the koolaid?! (Mike)

Two of the Non-Commissioned (NCO's) soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division who wrote the N.Y. Times Op-Ed died in an vehicle rollover accident in Iraq. One shot in the head, (expected to live), 2 dead in an accident. I hope the remaining 4 (as with all) make it out safe and in one piece! (7 of 6)

While all the hullabaloo is going on in Washington... nine more soldiers were killed in Iraq. But, "We're kicking ass!" (7 of 6)

"The Pentagon is preparing to build a military base near the Iraq-Iran border..." EXCUSE ME!? WTF, I thought the American people want us to get the hell out of there! And now we are building another, new base! *shakes head in disbelief* (7 of 6)

Comprehensive and noteworthy speech by John Edwards (Mike)

The US will provide security for an Iraqi Oil venture, yet ignore the security it takes for purifying water. Now, in southern Iraq, cholera is breaking out as well. But let's have the republi-con narrative push that security has been achieved on the ground. We can't even protect infrastructure workers, let alone add chlorine to water treatment plants to protect the health of Iraqis. Oh yeah, "We're kicking ass!" (7 of 6)

"Waiting for the Truth on Iraq"

Watching and waiting with attempted detachment to the disgusting and bloody American political environment one wonders if one—just one—United States politician anywhere will ever just speak the plain truth about Iraq: we lied to ourselves and our people to wage a terrible war we now cannot fix. We’re getting the hell out of Iraq, all of us, and doing the best we can with what we’re left with. So far official Washington DC Establishment insists on lying to the people to an increasing tempo of baffling bullshit (we’re going, we’re staying, we’re losing, we’re winning, we’re surging, we’re bringing our boys home) until it finally just all becomes white media noise, until the truth is spoken, some glorious day, all the rationalization chatter becomes totally meaningless, just a long wait for liars to grow up.... Dick Cheney and George Bush, Democrats and Republicans in Congress, the Supreme Court, the Pentagon, the corporate Media, politicians running for President: the great America is lead by lying murderers. Jesus Christ, we and all the freaking planet know, okay? We know. You’re thieves who squandered and stole the greatest fortune of all time. We get it. There isn’t anything to report but losing and failure for the country’s strategic and moral interests. No shit, you chattering dunces! Yet all our blathering political and media class to this very day run around in circles of fantasy about Iraq, insisting on lying to themselves that they can yap their way out of this roaring maelstrom of failure, simply oblivious that everyone else knows the truth and has been wondering for a long, long time if American leadership can ever stop lying to itself, no matter how comical or utterly pathetic the delusion becomes. Until the lying stops Iraq will continue to sear the US into humiliating failure and defeat, for once nothing can cover for America this time. There is no way out if except openly accepting all the horrible truth about what we’ve done, and some days it seems as if our DC leadership never will pass beyond adolescence and admit the plain truth. We’re lying killers, we lost the war, we squandered a trillion dollars, there is no way to fix any of it. Until it’s plainly spoken for the love of baby Jesus have the sense to shut up, it’s embarrassing to hear all the lying year after year, finally wake up and realize no one’s listening until the truth is spoken. - Paradox

Blogging, Quagmire and Ron Hinkle

I find it difficult to continue blogging while my country is caught in this quagmire in Iraq. Not to mention the humanitarian crisis the people of Iraq face. My depression and frustration deepens daily when I see 10 billion dollars a month go out the door to support our occupation, while I witness my government trying to steal the natural resources of Iraq. And America's politicians remain impotent to stop our criminal pResident and his sycophants!

My heart goes out to the people of Iraq. Their land is occupied by a foreign force. The destruction of an entire society and reconstruction of a new one, materially, socially and politically all shaped by U.S. agendas and interests. By some accounts, 1 million dead and 2.5 million refugees forced to flee to Syria and Jordan. Forced out of their land by cancer-causing depleted uranium bombs, daily sectarian violence, contaminated water and little or no electricity. Attempts at rebuilding the infrastructure have failed because the U.S. military cannot protect themselves and the accomplished work. And this has been happening for over 4-1/2 years.

The men and women serving in our military who get injured and die in Iraq are innocent pawns of the politicians in Washington, Democrats and Republi-cons alike. At least the Democrats empathize more, or so they say. I continue to see our injured soldiers who come home get treated like trash.

That is what this story is about:

Four months after Army Spc. Ronald Hinkle left his ranch and family in Colorado to serve his country in Iraq, he was injured in an IED blast. He now suffers from a traumatic brain injury and is unable to think clearly. He suffers from seizures and cannot be left alone. Ron's wife, Reece, quit her high-paying job to care for him. They live on their Byers, Colo., ranch with their two daughters, Rebecca, 14, and Callie, 13, and Reece's mother, Lois White... Ron Hinkle survived his wounds, but he'll probably never work again. Meanwhile, Reece has serious health concerns of her own: She awaits a kidney and pancreas transplant. And their two daughters are just past bouts with cancer. That means that, along with a plunge in income, the family is dealing with crushing medical bills... UPDATE: Since NPR spoke with Hinkle last month, his financial situation has become more precarious. He is now owed two paychecks from the Army. It's not clear when the checks will resume or whether he'll receive back pay. The family is missing close to $2,500 in back salary. In addition, last week Hinkle was notified by the finance department at Fort Carson that a $3,000 enlistment bonus will not be honored because "he failed to fulfill his contract" due to his injury in Iraq.

I would hope that all those folks contributing to the politics of this country would give Ron Hinkle some cash. At least until his situation is straghtened out.

Think about it folks: The man serves his country, comes back with a severe brain injury and "he failed to fulfill his contract" due to his injury in Iraq. Sick!

Please... this country has gone insane!!

Blogging will be light from me for the next 3 weeks, family reasons. After that I have a 10 day vacation in Mexico coming up from October 5th to the 14th. I hope to come back refreshed and enthusiastic.

Feist - 1 2 3 4

Facts about the Iraq occupation have never been a concern of the Bush Administration or enough of one for Republican and Democratic Congressmen/women. More amazing, this lack of concern by our government doesn't seem to concern enough Americans to make any difference, either.

Luckily for Bush, the impending financial collapse of the Dollar along with the imminent recession will further distract us all from the fuck-ups running our country. We've already been beaten over the head enough times by the so-called Democratic leadership (a.k.a "spinally challenged") to know that they aren't going to do anything other than complain.

So I guess the thing to do now is get that old revolver out of the attic, dust it off, lube it up and get ready for the coming revolution in the streets.

Because that's about the only thing "left" these days.

FRIDAY F U N

• 25 of the world's most interesting animals
• Great Halloween decoration: vomiting zombie
  
• Hot on the trail of the iPhone comes the gPhone
• Seven Underwater Wonders of the World
  
• Wow. Inexpensive telescope adapter (named "Lucky") creates images from space that are twice as sharp as Hubble's.
• Really, REALLY big holes
  
• LEFT is RIGHT's annual audio tribute to Mike the Headless Chicken
  
• The internet's 200 most successful web sites
• If you liked me you'd get me a Skeletool
• Crappy sex life? Here are some other uses for your condoms.
  
• How the world thinks Americans view the world

Of Course bu$h Brought Up Korea

Steve Soto at The Left Coaster asked this question before bu$h'$ speech last night: "Will He Really Bring Up Korea?"

Of course the trolls got going in the comment thread. Some comparing bu$h to Truman and Korea being a successfull example, etc... I couldn't resist replying to the lies brought up by these neo-con, knuckle draggers.

I literally get ill when I think of a 50 year comittment in Iraq!

The thing with Korea is at least it's a truce. The Korean people are much more tolerable. They were grateful that we rescued them from the Japanese during WWII and an impending communist China. A time when our standing in the world wasn't tarnished by this idiot from Tejas. The U.S. has created the quagmire in Iraq. We are the invaders. There will never be a truce with the religious leaders and their followers in Iraq. The Iraqi's will never let foreign occupiers be at peace in their land. We will continue to be sniped at, bombed and never allowed to walk freely and safely among the streets of Baghdad or any other Iraqi city. (And dare I ask the trolls if this happened in the U.S., would we, the American people, be doing anything different than the disgruntled Iraqi's?) We have spent all our money on bases for U.S. interests and agendas, contracts with bu$h cronies and our embassy. A pittance for the Iraqi infrastructure and their people. There are still no water treatment or sewer plants up, the country is down to 5% total potable water for it's people. Cholera is rampant, one just needs to google the WHO reports in Iraq. Electricity is at an all time low. Why, because workers are not safe and when it does get installed the insurgents quickly eliminate it. Let's not forget the contamination from Depleted Uranium. Is it any wonder why 2.5 million have left for Syria and Jordan. Oh, and some reports have the fatality list for Iraqi's at 1 million! It's unreal to me that the GOP and bu$h followers can still justify this invasion and the damage it has caused to the innocent Iraqi people for it's non-link to Al Qaeda!?!? Somehow, this all got ommitted in the "He-failed-us" report before congress. And not one MSM outlet has the nerve to bring it up for the public to hear. After all, if it's not in the MSM, congress will never know about it! We have been in Iraq for 4 1/2 years. We've been told the same lies over and over again by this thing called a pResident. "We're making good progress... I see good progress..." continually with no accomplishments. Only making the Islamic world hate us more. Bring our troops home NOW!!! And I can't help but think, there is only one thing holding us back from leaving Iraq: A single picture in the minds of Americans... celebratory Iraqi's dancing in the streets. Seven of Six

This is mighty interesting...

William Blum, author of Empire Report, raises a good point about homosexuality:

"Do you think homosexuality is a choice, or is it biological?" was the question posed to presidential candidate Bill Richardson by singer Melissa Etheridge. "It's a choice," replied the New Mexico governor at the August 9 forum for Democratic candidates. Etheridge then said to Richardson, "Maybe you didn't understand the question," and she rephrased it. Richardson again said he thought it was a choice. The next time you hear someone say that homosexuality is a choice, ask them how old they were when they chose to be heterosexual. When they admit that they never made such a conscious choice, thus implying that people don't choose to be heterosexual, the next question to the person should be: "So only homosexuals choose to be homosexual? But what comes first, being homosexual so you can make the choice, or making the choice and thus becoming homosexual?"

That kind of backward thinking by Richardson sealed the turn-around in my initial support of his candidacy earlier this year.

Juan Cole explains how the Republicans have set up the Democrats (and America) for failure (snippet):

....But in all likelihood, when the Democratic president pulls US troops out in summer of 2009, all hell is going to break loose. The consequences may include even higher petroleum prices than we have seen recently, which at some point could bring back stagflation or very high rates of inflation. In other words, the Democratic president risks being Fordized when s/he withdraws from Iraq, by the aftermath. A one-term president associated with humiliation abroad and high inflation at home? Maybe I should say, Carterized. The Republican Party could come back strong in 2012 and then dominate politics for decades, if that happened. It is all so unfair, of course, since Bush started and prosecuted this disaster in Iraq, and Bush is refusing to accept responsibility for the failure, pushing it off onto his successor. But life is unfair. So what can the Dems do to avoid being made the fall guy this way? They could try to legislate stronger US diplomacy aiming at ensuring peace between Sunni Saudi Arabia and Shiite Iran even if there is sectarian violence on a greater scale in Iraq. They could resist the temptation to demonize Iran or to push it onto a war footing with threats or even bombings. As for Iraq itself, the best hope for the Dems may be that Gen. Petraeus actually succeeds, over the next year, in significantly reducing ethnic tensions. It is a slim reed to hold onto, as they recognize. But from the moment Bush went into Iraq, Americans were screwed. And that includes the Democratic Party, which is being set up to take the fall. I'm a severe skeptic on the likelihood of anything that looks like success in Iraq. But I don't think career public servants such as Ryan Crocker and David Petraeus are acting as partisan Republicans in their Iraq efforts. I think they both are sincere, experienced men attempting to retrieve what they can for America from Bush's catastrophe. They may as well try, since the Democrats can't over-rule Bush and get the troops out, anyway. If the troops are there, they may as well at least be deployed intelligently, which is what Gen. Petraeus is doing. I wish them well in their Herculean labors. Because if they fail, I have a sinking feeling that we are all going down with them, including the next Democratic president. And their success is a long shot.

If the number of Iraqi deaths is decreasing, as the Right keeps insisting, then it's because there are fewer Iraqis at risk of dying. Since March 2003 when the country's population was 24 million, over one million Iraqis have been killed and nearly two million have fled the country, both as a result of our invasion and occupation. So I guess that's one way of reducing the ongoing number of deaths.

Confused about General Betray-us and his rosy predictions? Glenn Greenwald easily puts that to rest:

Wow. Tom Friedman talking totally bat shit:



This is why I can't watch Charlie Rose. He gives air time to completely insane and very dangerous, "serious" political pundits.

General Betray-us will be spouting lies to Congress and America all week long, with completely false statistics and "facts" about how the "surge" is working to improve the security in Iraq. If you ignore the b.s. coming from the White House and Pentagon and instead refer to your usual online sources for real news about Iraq, you will find many indicators of the true security status within Iraq. For example, just look at the refugee statistics, as posted on Informed Comment:

Helman: Refugees a Measure of Security Conditions Ambassador Gerald B. Helman writes: In current discussions of the situation in Iraq, insufficient attention is being paid to perhaps the most sensitive barometer available, that of refugee flows. To date, of Iraq's pre-war population of about 30 million, about 13% have either fled their country or are internally displaced--a historically very large proportion of a population. That means that a very large percentage of the Iraqi people have found conditions so dangerous or otherwise unacceptable--constant threats to life, polluted water, uncertain electricity, broken medical facilities, bad sanitation, uncertain educational opportunities and more--that they have left home, family, friends, jobs for the uncertainties and often miseries of the life of a refugee. Think about what that means in personal terms. And, according to reports of refugee organizations such as the IOM, the outward flow continues. Organizations such as the IOM and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees have learned from decades of experience that refugees flows also constitute a sensitive barometer of when conditions in the home country have improved. Refugees maintain contact with family and friends still in place and typically will be sensitive to their advice on when conditions are safe for return--no one wants to stay a refugee if there is an alternative. Clearly, that's nowhere near happening in Iraq, a more telling fact then all of the other contradictory statistics of attacks and deaths being bandied about in the current debate. It says that life in Iraq remains dangerous, brutish and, too often, short.

Unless you are doing research on just how severely the Bush Administration lies to the public, I suggest that you ignore network news stories that are blanketing us with the congressional testimony of General Betray-us this week. Your sanity will thank you.

Remember back in the Fall of 2006 how excited we were that it looked for sure like we were taking back the House? Remember after the election in November 2006 how surprised and excited we were about taking BOTH the House and Senate? Well, it's 10 months later, and look what's different:

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.

Except for:

Tens of thousands of additional dead Iraqis. Hundreds of thousands of additional sick and injured Iraqis. Another hundred-or-so billion dollars of American taxpayers' hard-earned money meant for infrastructure, social programs, foreign aide, medical research, school improvement, public transportation, etc., lost forever.

Oh, and thousands more young Americans, suckered into Bush's patriotic war, dead or injured and/or psychologically traumatized for life.

Way to go, Democrats!

The Latino Comedy Project's "300" Parody

FRIDAY F U N

• Celebrity Partial Face Transplants
• I wish they had speed limit signs like this in my city (warning: exposed breasts)
• Where we are in the universe
• World's oddest statues
• Movie and TV mistakes
  
• "Dear John" letter generator
• Matrix Goggles
  
• Unusual gadgets that will keep you cool this summer

Bits and Pieces for the Week of September 2 - 8

Hot on the trail of the iPhone comes the gPhone (Mike)

Discovery of virus linked to mass extinction of bee colonies (Mike)

More bu$h boner's overseas today. Opening the keynote speech of his visit to Sydney, Bush thanked Australian Prime Minister John Howard "for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit"..."APEC summit," Bush corrected himself quickly, to laughter from his audience at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. Then his comment on Iraq, "We're kicking ass!" No bu$h, you're the ASS! (7 of 6)

One of countless evils cast by Bush onto the Iraqis: Substantial rise in alcoholism (Mike)

Revealed: Links found between food additives and hyperactivity/ADHD in children. (Mike)

Ha ha, what a burn to all those fanatics who bought the iPhone (8GB version): Apple just dropped the price by $200! (Mike) (note: I updated the link; previous one required a site subscription)

Before judging the difference between Democratic and Republican leaders, you need to make sure you read what many Democratic leaders said about Iraq immediately before the 2000 election. (Mike)

Odd story of the day: NY lifeguard rescues shark from swimmers (Mike)

While bu$h wants 50 billion to continue the occupation in Iraq, "Heckuva Job Jimmy" Nicholson, claims the Veteran's Administration does not need more money! Taking his orders straight from bu$h. I see, the Veteran's don't need it, Iraq does; pathetic comes to mind. (7 of 6)

The Times of India is reporting of a joint military exercise in the Bay of Bengal. ...involving India, the US, Japan, Australia and Singapore, scheduled to begin in the Bay of Bengal from Tuesday. Amazingly, the left is beginning a massive campaign against it. And on the West side of India is the Arabian Sea. (7 of 6)

"Bush Plans War on Iran" ...“an attack on Iran would effectively launch World War III.” Will this be bu$h'$ final straw... pushing the American people to the brink of anarchy! Some say it's posturing. Myself, I wouldn't put nothing past this lunatic!! (7 of 6)

Here's a summary, just from YTD 2007, of some of the events that have defined the Repulbican Party's Culture of Corruption (Mike)

"We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Raise hell. Think of something to make the ridiculous look ridiculous. Make our troops know we're for them and trying to get them out of there. Hit the streets to protest Bush's proposed surge. If you can, go to the peace march in Washington on Jan. 27. We need people in the streets, banging pots and pans and demanding, 'Stop it, now!'" - - - Molly Ivins

Look at the following portion of an email that I received from MoveOn today (emphasis mine):

....Dear MoveOn member, I'm John Bruhns and I served in Baghdad as an army sergeant for the first year of the war. Within my first days there, I realized that so much of what I had been told—about weapons of mass destruction, connections to 9/11—was just White House spin to sell the war. I'm seeing the same thing all over again now. Even with this being the bloodiest summer for US troops in Iraq, even with Iraqi casualties running at twice the pace of last year, and even with 15 of 18 of President Bush's own benchmarks unmet, the White House is at it again. They're telling us that black is white, up is down, and things in Iraq are going just great thanks to the troop "surge." This month Congress is going to vote on war policy for the next year—and Bush is hoping all this "progress" talk will scare Congress away from voting for withdrawal. We can't let that happen. Almost 4,000 US troops have died. We've spent half a trillion dollars in Iraq. Every day you turn on the news and more people are killed. We need Congress to stand up and fight to bring our troops home this fall....

No offense to our military and their families, but I am sick and tired of hearing only about the number of U.S. troops killed in this war. Every single soldier killed in this preemptive, premeditated debacle by the Bush/Cheney gang is a tragedy. But to totally ignore the one million or more Iraqis who have died as a result of our illegal invasion of this sovereign nation, is immoral and unforgivable. Believe it or not, a U.S. soldier's life is no more (nor less) valuable that any single Iraqi. It's about time we all started complaining to anyone who belittles the value of nationals from any other country besides ours. For every one U.S. soldier killed, there have been 270 Iraqi deaths. So every time we lose one soldier, there are 270 additional grieving, shattered, and forever-altered Iraqi families.

For having caused the unjust death of even ONE Iraqi, Bush should be hanged (as he hanged Saddam) or else given life imprisonment. My only question is, what is the punishment for killing one MILLION?

A Refugee, Yet Equal Again

Riverbend posts from exile in Syria. This is a partial sampling of her article.

The Syrian border was almost equally packed, but the environment was more relaxed. People were getting out of their cars and stretching. Some of them recognized each other and waved or shared woeful stories or comments through the windows of the cars. Most importantly, we were all equal. Sunnis and Shia, Arabs and Kurds… we were all equal in front of the Syrian border personnel. We were all refugees- rich or poor. And refugees all look the same- there’s a unique expression you’ll find on their faces- relief, mixed with sorrow, tinged with apprehension. The faces almost all look the same. The first minutes after passing the border were overwhelming. Overwhelming relief and overwhelming sadness… How is it that only a stretch of several kilometers and maybe twenty minutes, so firmly segregates life from death? How is it that a border no one can see or touch stands between car bombs, militias, death squads and… peace, safety? It’s difficult to believe- even now. I sit here and write this and wonder why I can’t hear the explosions. I wonder at how the windows don’t rattle as the planes pass overhead. I’m trying to rid myself of the expectation that armed people in black will break through the door and into our lives. I’m trying to let my eyes grow accustomed to streets free of road blocks, hummers and pictures of Muqtada and the rest… How is it that all of this lies a short car ride away?

Keith Olbermann Special Comment - Bush Lies, Lied, and will Lie

Healthcare for the Veteran: bu$h'$ Top Priority?

Here's part of pResident bu$h'$ VFW speech:

But here's what we do agree on: We agree our veterans deserve the full support of the United States government. (Applause.) That's why in this budget I submitted there's $87 billion for the veterans; it's the highest level of support ever for the veterans in American history. (Applause.) We agree that health care for our veterans is a top priority, and that's why we've increased health care spending for our veterans by 83 percent since I was sworn in as your President. (Applause.) We agree that a troop coming out of Iraq or Afghanistan deserves the best health care not only as an active duty citizen, but as a military guy, but also as a veteran -- and you're going to get the best health care we can possibly provide. (Applause.) We agree our homeless vets ought to have shelter, and that's what we're providing. In other words, we agree the veterans deserve the full support of our government and that's what you're going to get as George W. Bush as your President. (Applause.)

I understand what a contradiction is. But to have "Heckuva Job Jimmy" Nicholson come out and lobby congress for less money for Veterans is just plain despicable. In addition he threatens congress, "...that time is short to avoid disruption in veterans’ programs."
Please Jim, don't let the door hit you on the ass too soon!!

The Department of Veterans Affairs does not need more money; it just needs a budget to quickly pass Congress, VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said in a letter to key lawmakers. Nicholson, who will be leaving the VA post by Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year, says in the letter, released Friday, that time is short to avoid disruption in veterans’ programs. Passing a funding bill by the start of the fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1, “is essential” to avoid the problems that would result from operating under a temporary budget, where spending is capped and new programs cannot be started. “I know you agree that we owe it to veterans to complete work on time,” Nicholson said, noting that when Congress returns to work Sept. 4, there will be just 19 legislative days before the new fiscal year begins. The House already has passed its version of the veterans’ spending bill and the Senate expects to begin debate on its version Sept. 4. Nicholson asked lawmakers to resist adding more money to the $39.4 billion requested by President Bush. The Bush request, a $2.9 billion increase over the 2007 budget, is part of “a fiscally responsible path to fund the nation’s highest veterans priorities,” Nicholson said. “I am confident the top-line amount set for VA would enable the department to successfully accomplish our noble mission of serving our nation’s veterans with the quality and commitment Americans expect,” he said... The House version of the VA spending bill includes $3.8 billion more than the Bush administration requested, which prompted a warning from the White House’s Office of Management and Budget that it would veto other appropriations bills unless cuts in other programs were found to offset the increase for veterans’ programs.

OK, so my eyes are deceiving me, right! bu$h promised: "...in this budget I submitted there's $87 billion for the veterans..."
Yet, "Nicholson asked lawmakers to resist adding more money to the $39.4 billion requested by President Bush." If my math skills are still intact, that would mean the budget bu$h promised in his VFW speech has suddenly shrunk by 55%! It still sounds like the Veteran is getting the short end of the stick. And bu$h'$ rhetoric to the VFW was just that, rhetoric.

Finally, bu$h made the statement, "We agree our homeless vets ought to have shelter, and that's what we're providing."

Federal government surveys show that one-third of adult homeless men and nearly one-quarter of all homeless adults across the country have served in the armed forces. The ratio of veterans among the homeless is the same in Massachusetts, according to research by the joint legislative committee. The Bedford center is one of only two in the state run by the federal government for veterans; the other is in Brockton. Other homeless shelters -- some exclusively for veterans, others not -- are run privately or by the state.

bu$h, have you thought, that no United States Veteran should be homeless, hungry, without money or proper medical care...ever?
Nothing is more shameful for our country to endure! These brave soldiers go off to defend their country, serve their patriotic duty, be used as photo props, and have them end up sick, injured and homeless!

Shame on you bu$h, shame on you Nicholson! No amount of money will be enough!

Happy Labor Day

The Rolling Stones - Salt of the Earth

Salt of the Earth Lets drink to the hard working people Lets drink to the lowly of birth Raise your glass to the good and the evil Lets drink to the salt of the earth Say a prayer for the common foot soldier Spare a thought for his back breaking work Say a prayer for his wife and his children Who burn the fires and who still till the earth And when I search a faceless crowd A swirling mass of gray and Black and white They dont look real to me In fact, they look so strange Raise your glass to the hard working people Lets drink to the uncounted heads Lets think of the wavering millions Who need leaders but get gamblers instead Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter His empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows And a parade of the gray suited grafters A choice of cancer or polio And when I look in the faceless crowd A swirling mass of grays and Black and white They dont look real to me Or dont they look so strange Lets drink to the hard working people Lets think of the lowly of birth Spare a thought for the rag taggy people Lets drink to the salt of the earth Lets drink to the hard working people Lets drink to the salt of the earth Lets drink to the two thousand million Lets think of the humble of birth (M. Jagger/K. Richards)