LEFT is RIGHT (blogging against The Bush-war) |
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Iraq War Cost
 
 
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| By Kathleen Maclay, Media Relations | 30 November 2004 BERKELEY – Contrary to current conventional wisdom, deaths and injuries of American troops in Iraq did hurt the election efforts of President George Bush while gay marriage ban initiatives in 11 states had no measurable impact, say two researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. "These findings don't mean the war was or was not justified, but that there was a political cost," said David Karol, a UC Berkeley acting assistant professor of political science. "What this shows is that it cost him votes." ... |
Read the entire article HERE.
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Virtuous Violence Is Upon Us
by Paul Craig Roberts
| The United States is in dire straits. Its government is in the hands of people who connect to events neither rationally nor morally. If President Bush’s neoconservative administration were rational, the US would never have invaded Iraq. If Bush’s government were moral, it would be ashamed of the carnage and horror it has unleashed in Iraq. The Bush administration has no doubts. It knows that it is right and virtuous. Bush and the neocons dismiss factual criticisms as evidence that the critics are "against us." People who know that they are right cannot avoid sinking deeper into mistakes. The Bush administration led the US into a war on the basis of claims that are now known to be untrue. Yet, President Bush and Vice President Cheney consistently refuse to admit that any mistake has been made. The chances are high, therefore, that the second Bush administration will be more disastrous than the first. The first Bush administration has cost America 10,000 casualties (dead and wounded). Eight of ten US divisions are tied down in Iraq by a few thousand lightly armed insurgents. Polls reveal that most Iraqis regard Americans as invaders and occupiers, not as liberators. US prestige in the Muslim world has evaporated. The majority of Muslims, who were with us, are now against us. Sooner or later, this change of mind will endanger our puppet regimes in Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. In a futile effort to assert hegemony in Iraq, the US has largely destroyed Fallujah, once a city of 300,000. Hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians have been killed by the indiscriminate use of high explosives. To cover up the extensive civilian deaths, US authorities count all Iraqi dead as insurgents, delivering a high body count as claim of success for a bloody-minded operation. The human cost for American families is 51 dead and 425 wounded US troops – casualties on par with the worst days of the Vietnam war. The film of a US Marine shooting a captured, wounded and unarmed Iraqi prisoner in the head at close range has been shown all over the world. Coming on top of proven acts of torture at US military prisons, this war crime has destroyed what remained of America’s image and moral authority. On November 17, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called for investigation of American war crimes in Fallujah. This is a remarkable turn of events, showing how far US prestige, and the morale of our armed forces, have fallen. However, for Bush administration partisans, war crimes are no longer something of which to be ashamed. Reflecting the neoconservative mindset that America’s monopoly on virtue justifies any and all US actions, Fox "News" talking heads and their Republican Party and retired military guests have arrogantly defended the marine who murdered the wounded Iraqi prisoner. Iraqi insurgents are condemned for deaths that they inflict on civilians. But when American troops fire indiscriminately upon civilians and US missile and bombing attacks kill Iraqis in their homes, the deaths are dismissed as "collateral damage." This double standard is a further indication that Americans have come to the belief that US ends justify any means. A number of former top US military leaders and heads of the CIA and National Security Agency have condemned Bush’s invasion of Iraq as a "strategic blunder." These are people who gave their lives to the service of our country and can in no way be said to be "against us." However, the Bush administration and its apologists regard critics as enemies. To accept criticism means to be held accountable, something the Bush administration is determined to avoid. Condoleezza Rice, who failed as National Security Adviser to prevent the Pentagon from using fabricated information to start a Middle East war, is being elevated to Secretary of State in Bush’s second term. Indeed, the entire panoply of neoconservatives, who intentionally fabricated the "intelligence" used to justify the US invasion of Iraq, are being rewarded by promotion to higher offices. Stephen Hadley is moving up to National Security Adviser. Hadley is the person who advocates "usable" mini-nukes for the US conquest of the Middle East. John Bolton is to be Deputy Secretary of State. Bolton is the person who wants the US to invade Iran. The few officials who are not warmongers, such as Secretary of State Colin Powell and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, are leaving the Bush administration. Right before our eyes, the CIA is being turned into a neoconservative propaganda organ as numerous senior officials resign and are replaced with yes-men. With its current troop strength, the Bush administration cannot achieve the Middle East goals it shares with the Israeli government. Either the draft will have to be restored or mini-nukes developed and deployed. As insurgents do not mass in military formations, the mini-nukes would be used as a genocidal weapon to wipe out entire cities that show any resistance to neocon dictates. Many Bush partisans send me e-mails fiercely advocating "virtuous violence." They do not flinch at the use of nuclear weapons against Muslims who refuse to do as we tell them. These partisans do not doubt for a second that Bush has the right to dictate to Muslims and everyone else (especially the French). Many also express their conviction that all of Bush’s critics should be rounded up and sent to the Middle East in time for the first nuke. |
This was lifted from the Hubert Humphrey Democratic Club's December, 2004 Newsletter.
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Blogger Continues Decline in Quality
I am so fed up with BLOGGER. What used to take a few seconds, editing or posting a post, now takes many minutes or longer (sometimes it times out). I pay a yearly subscription for BLOGSPOT, based on their promise that paid subscribers would receive faster service, yet each month service gets slower and slower. I thought that when Google bought BLOGGER that the former would use their resources to replace the BLOGGER servers with faster ones, but that doesn't seem like it happened. I've contacted BLOGGER Service but they're no help.
Before I started typing this post (in Notepad) I had clicked "Edit Posts", waiting for my list of posts to appear; I'm checking now... nothing yet. I'm on a T3 line, so the problem is not at my end. I have DSL at home and there is no difference in BLOGGER's editing performance. Occasionally I get a glimpse at what BLOGGER can do when I'll click a function and presto, the page appears. But this is becoming the very rare exception these days, and only confirms that it is not my index page that's too cumbersome to load for editing. (Checking again... still loading "Edit Posts".)
Since I've been on BLOGGER over two years and a gazillion other sites have bookmarked this one, I would hate to set up somewhere better and mess up all the links to my site that others have planted. Does anyone know how to do a "page redirect" that I could place here and instantly send the surfer to a new location?
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Around for Everyone
Arrested for Nothing
Fueling a Revolt by Using Sign Language
Black Cop, White Cop
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November 29, 2004
Rick Mercier analyzes moral values (excerpt):
When you comapre the political ideologies of the Republicans vs the Democrats, the Democrats hands-down represent much more closely the teachings of the christian bible. So the question is, why haven't the Democrats been drilling that point? Is it because we're primarily a bunch of woosies?
Never Surrender. Take the Pledge. Buy the brecelet.
Do you have Metabolic Syndrome?
Larry Caballero in the Los Cerritos Community News:
Let's all start referring to the Republican Party as the Pro-Birth Party. It's catchy and oh-so-true.
The Christian Right vs real Christianity
Rick Mercier analyzes moral values (excerpt):
| ....I have no doubt that the Christian right and their leader, George W. Bush, are sincere about their faith. But I also have no doubt--to paraphrase one of America's pre-eminent theologians, Stanley Hauerwas--that sincerity has precious little to do with Christianity. This "moral values" talk doesn't do much to sustain Christianity, either. The phrase is as banal as the hacks (of both the political and journalistic variety) who are busy fetishizing it. For political operatives, the phrase's beauty lies in its meaningless. It can be made to mean anything, and, in a culture with no meaningful moral narratives, it can be turned into a cudgel that's useful for political ends but has nothing to do with any coherent religious tradition. In the spiritual vacuum that exists in this country, the Christian right is well-positioned to argue that its menagerie of fears and chauvinisms--piled into a box labeled "moral values"--constitutes a serious moral narrative. It doesn't, but the Religious Right's contribution to the denigration of Christianity will continue unabated until other Christian communities come up with a compelling alternative. The trouble is, our society seems to lack the kind of exemplars who could build that alternative. What we need are the spiritual descendants of Martin Luther King Jr. and Dorothy Day, people who are willing to endure the enmity and scorn of the political establishment and mainstream culture. Maybe those people are out there, but I don't see them. That's why I'm not optimistic about the survival of the Christian tradition in our culture. What many view as a great spiritual revival looks a lot to me like another stage of rot in American Christianity's corpse. Can the cadaver rise up? It doesn't seem hopeful. In contemporary America, the Jewish Palestinian whom many call their messiah has become just another Middle Easterner to be ignored or reviled. |
When you comapre the political ideologies of the Republicans vs the Democrats, the Democrats hands-down represent much more closely the teachings of the christian bible. So the question is, why haven't the Democrats been drilling that point? Is it because we're primarily a bunch of woosies?
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Around for Everyone
Never Surrender. Take the Pledge. Buy the brecelet.
Do you have Metabolic Syndrome?
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The Pro-Birth Party
Larry Caballero in the Los Cerritos Community News:
| ...In truth, the Republicans are not really pro-life. Yes, I said it, and I mean it. The Republicans are pro-birth. There is a difference. They care about the unborn child, but once it is born, Republicans walk away. It’s up to the family, they believe, to take care of the child. No matter if they are unable or unwilling to do so. No matter if the child is underfed, poorly clothed, abused, ill, and receives a substandard education. The Republicans talk about being pro-life, but what about their support of capital punishment? People do die from those lethal injections! And how many innocent people, on both sides, have died in Iraq for a war that was not necessary? I wonder how many Iraqi citizens were pregnant women. What about those unborn children? So life is important if it’s an unborn American baby and maybe not so important after that.... |
Let's all start referring to the Republican Party as the Pro-Birth Party. It's catchy and oh-so-true.
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November 28, 2004
Received this e-message today:
I'm not sure how not displaying the Ten Commandments will cause the moral basis of our laws to be destroyed, and how that would cause some unspecified building to fall. If there are any morally superior Republicans out there that can explain this, please leave a comment. Thank you.
Received this e-message today:
| Dear Mike, As you know, the Supreme Court is currently studying the Ten Commandments issue. The Supreme Court is not immune to the will of the people. While we cannot directly influence the outcome of the decision by the Supreme Court, we can express our desires as citizens of the United States. I urge you to join with other Americans in expressing a desire that the Ten Commandments can be legally displayed in all public places. It is important that we have a moral basis for our laws. The Ten Commandments are in essence the foundation for our laws. Should the foundation be destroyed, the building will fall. Please join me in supporting the display of the Ten Commandments in all public places, including schools and courtrooms. From time to time the number of Americans who have expressed a desire to see the Ten Commandments legally displayed in public places will be released and forwarded to the Supreme Court. It will take millions of Americans participating for us to be successful. Thank you for participating in this effort. If we are to be successful, we need you to forward this letter to others today. Sincerely, Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman American Family Association |
I'm not sure how not displaying the Ten Commandments will cause the moral basis of our laws to be destroyed, and how that would cause some unspecified building to fall. If there are any morally superior Republicans out there that can explain this, please leave a comment. Thank you.
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The Bush Administration told us that the Iraqis would greet the invading U.S. army with "open arms". Maybe we should have looked up all the definitions of "arms" before disagreeing with them.
When will sanity break out?
Complete Exit Poll Results
NYC Tries to Recover $195 Million in Unpaid Parking Tickets - From Foreign Diplomats
The Politics of Victimization
Paralyzed woman walks again after stem cell therapy
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Moronic Republican Quote of the Hour
| "When the courts make unconstitutional decisions, we should not enforce them. Federal courts have no army or navy... The court can opine, decide, talk about, sing, whatever it wants to do. We're not saying they can't do that. At the end of the day, we're saying the court can't enforce its opinions." - - - Republican Rep. John Hostettler of Indiana |
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Around for Everyone
When will sanity break out?
Complete Exit Poll Results
NYC Tries to Recover $195 Million in Unpaid Parking Tickets - From Foreign Diplomats
The Politics of Victimization
Paralyzed woman walks again after stem cell therapy
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November 26, 2004
From Knowledge News (by subscription):
I still don't think we should let the kids read this. Chocolate might end up being the gateway chemical to other dangerously wholesome natural foods. If we put McDonalds and Burger King out of business as people start eating nutritiously, where will our kids get their first jobs?
Regarding #3: Actually I do eat pickles and salami, along wih chocolate, all of which seem to help me get in the mood. But, trust me, you need an incredible lover to make it all work.
Hecate suggests a different way to effectively protest (snippet):
Steve Gilliard feels otherwise:
Ooooh, my head hurts.
Scanning as Art
Ingenious (interactive online encyclopedia - not what you think)
Cybergenics 5 (photoshop contest)
50 Worst Guitar Solos
101-Word Novels
Elvis Lives!
Snake (game)
Birdlover's Site
Running Away in the Movies
Real Meanings of Nursery Rhymes
Street Art
How to do Everything
Constipation Song (flash)
Disappearing triple-jumper (video)
National Toy Museum
e-mail punctuation (video)
Dear Santa: Just Bring Me Lots of Chocolate
From Knowledge News (by subscription):
| Got a cough? You might want to put down that lozenge and pop a piece of chocolate instead. Earlier this week, British researchers announced the results of a new study that suggests cocoa might make a better cough suppressant than codeine, the active ingredient in many current cough meds. How can chocolate help control coughing? Turns out Willy Wonka's favorite treat contains a chemical called theobromine that calms the nerves in your lungs that cause coughs. It's the latest and greatest scientific news about chocolate. But wait, there's more. . . . 4 More Sweet Things About Chocolate You've heard the news. Some elements in chocolate have been scientifically proven to promote good health. Sounds crazy, but it's true. Your doctor's probably not about to start prescribing chocolate, but here are four (more) good things it can do for you. 1. Stop Cell Damage Chocolate doesn't just have flavor--it's chock full of flavonoids, along with similar chemicals called phenolics. Both are strong antioxidants, which we know fight cell and tissue damage. And they may help prevent clogged arteries, too. 2. Start Your Engines Along with lots of sugar, chocolate contains caffeine and another stimulant, theobromine (which can pick you up and keep you from coughing). It also contains a slight amount of a stimulant called phenylethylamine, which is related to amphetamine. Don't worry about getting the jitters, though. You'd have to eat 20 pounds of chocolate to get even the slightest buzz. 3. Start Your Lover's Engines Scientists haven't figured out for sure why it seems to work for some folks, but everybody from Montezuma to Casanova has used chocolate as an aphrodisiac. It may be that the rich blend of carbohydrates increases serotonin levels in the brain, just like Prozac. Or it could be the phenylethylamine, which your brain churns out when you're feeling good. Then again, pickles and salami contain phenylethylamine, too, and nobody eats those to get "in the mood." 4. Chill You Out While part of chocolate may rev you up, another part just might take the edge off your anxiety. Chocolate contains a chemical called anandamide, which mimics the effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana. But don't worry. The tiny amount present in chocolate is too small to create the munchies for anything except, well, more chocolate. But Wait, There's More You've heard of chocoholics? Yes, we all know someone who practically lives for the next hit of cocoa. But experiments designed to discover whether chocolate causes a real addiction have yielded good news. When subjects with notorious sweet tooths took pills containing all of chocolate's chemicals, their cravings weren't satisfied. Apparently, nothing in chocolate creates chemical addiction--chocoholics' cravings are purely habitual. Taken in moderation, chocolate is even nutritious. Because so much of chocolate comes from the seeds of a vegetable--the tropical cacao plant--it contains a whole load of plant nutrients. Significant amounts of protein, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin E can be found in just one bar of chocolate. Okay, That's Too Much "Taken in moderation"--ay, there's the rub. The big problem with chocolate is that it generally comes attached to lots of sugar and fat, two of the main culprits in the world's expanding obesity epidemic. If you want to have your health and eat chocolate, too, you'll need to take it in small doses. And be sure to get the good stuff. Cheap sweets are more sugar than chocolate. Christopher Call - November 26, 2004 |
I still don't think we should let the kids read this. Chocolate might end up being the gateway chemical to other dangerously wholesome natural foods. If we put McDonalds and Burger King out of business as people start eating nutritiously, where will our kids get their first jobs?
Regarding #3: Actually I do eat pickles and salami, along wih chocolate, all of which seem to help me get in the mood. But, trust me, you need an incredible lover to make it all work.
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An Idea - or Not
Hecate suggests a different way to effectively protest (snippet):
| ....This year, I’m urging everyone I know to refuse to spend money for Xmas as a protest. Stay out of the stores. For Goddess sake, don’t run up credit card debt. Give your family and friends the gift of your time and attention rather than a new sweater that they won’t wear or some object to clutter-up an already over-cluttered life. But just not buying isn’t enough. You’ve got to contact the retailers and credit card companies and tell them: I’m not going to be buying Xmas stuff and I’m not going to be charging Xmas stuff until this country has a system in place that ensures fair and verifiable elections. Reader Kate has done the research and discovered that The National Retail Federation “is the world’s largest retail trade association . . . .” Write to Their Vice President for Legislative and Political Affairs, Katherine Lugar. Here’s her contact info: National Retail Federation 325 7th Street, N.W. Suite 1100 Washington, D.C. 20004 Phone: 1-800-NRF-HOW2 Fax (202) 727-2849 Write to your credit card companies and tell them the same thing. You can find the address on the back of your latest bill. And, heck if you’re really angry about this last election, write to the large department stores that you patronize, or at least cc them on your letter to the National Retail Federation. CC your Senators and Congressman or Congresswoman as well.... |
Steve Gilliard feels otherwise:
| ....Jesus, people have to think this through. I don't want retailers and credit card companies demanding election law reform. Because their lobbies do as much damage as possible NOW. Don't let your frustration be your guide, because it leads you down blind alleys. You want to make a statement, don't act like a spoiled child, do something positive. Don't shop at Wal-Mart. Just don't do it. Shop at Costco and Target, places which treat their workers a lot better than Wal-Mart does. That's an affirmative statement. You don't need to ask the irrelevant to do the impossible, do the relevant and right thing. If sending a message is your concern, make sure Wal-Mart has a shitty Christmas and Target, Costo and Toys 'R Us have good one. Make a positive market decision, not a negative one. I won't buy anything sounds great, but to a six year old, it's pretty mean. To your parents, it's mean. To people who care about you, it's mean. We can decry consumerism, and I have gotten and given homemade gifts. Jen made me two bottles of preserved lemons and I made her spice rub. Cute, right. I also bought her a gift. Food gifts are nice. But this? No. Let's not be negative for once. Let's not whine and go after the wrong people. Let's be positive and make an affirmative statement. And all you have to do is not shop at Wal-Mart and avoid their American job-killing low, low prices. You want election law reform, you target the legislators who run the committees in your state and the people who give them money. You get good candidates for Secretary of State. You propose new laws. You don't do this. Even if they could do something, would you want them to? I wouldn't. |
Ooooh, my head hurts.
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Friday Fun - Holiday Edition
Scanning as Art
Ingenious (interactive online encyclopedia - not what you think)
Cybergenics 5 (photoshop contest)
50 Worst Guitar Solos
101-Word Novels
Elvis Lives!
Snake (game)
Birdlover's Site
Running Away in the Movies
Real Meanings of Nursery Rhymes
Street Art
How to do Everything
Constipation Song (flash)
Disappearing triple-jumper (video)
National Toy Museum
e-mail punctuation (video)
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November 25, 2004
HAPPY HOLIDAY BLOGGERS!
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The Parrot
| A young man named John received a parrot as a gift. The parrot had a bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary. Every word out of the bird's mouth was rude, obnoxious and laced with profanity. John tried and tried to change the bird's attitude by consistently saying only polite words, playing soft music and anything else he could think of to "clean up" the bird's vocabulary. Finally, John was fed up and he yelled at the parrot. The parrot yelled back. John shook the parrot and the parrot got angrier and even MORE rude. John, in desperation, threw up his hand, grabbed the bird and put him in the freezer. For a few minutes the parrot squawked and kicked and screamed. Then suddenly there was total quiet. Not a peep was heard for over a minute. Fearing that he'd hurt the parrot, John quickly opened the door to the freezer. The parrot calmly stepped out onto John's outstretched arms and said "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I am sincerely remorseful for my inappropriate transgressions and I fully intend to do everything I can to correct my unforgivable behavior." John was stunned at the change in the bird's attitude. As he was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the bird continued, "May I ask what the turkey did?" |
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November 24, 2004
Left is Right's Holiday Tip of the Decade
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Anyone seen the Comments? They seem to have disappeared. No Comments under here. None in here. Hmmm... Must be hangin' out with the WMD.
Update: Note to self: Don't put apostrophes in the blog title. It disrupts Backblog's comments.
Update: Note to self: Don't put apostrophes in the blog title. It disrupts Backblog's comments.
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On This Day Of Thank-You's
CAP has listed their thanks for the holidays. I've chosen a few:
|
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November 23, 2004
Help Save Sudanese Women and Children
This is great. Donate to a great cause and simultaneously add to your music collection. I just gave $25. What are you going to do?
From Union of Concerned Scientists:
At this point in time, I'll post just about anything that's good news for all of us.
Researchers advance potential to give sight to blind
These Dolphins Must Be Democrats
The Human Waste of Fallujah (flash/video)
Ronnie Earle writes in the NYT (excerpts, reg. req.):
From the Guardian:
It's only a matter of time, folks. The reelection of Bush has guaranteed a major economic downturn for all but the wealthy. Get ready for double-digit inflation, 12% home mortgage rates, rising unemployment and homelessness, and a really crappy 10-15 years of life.
Costs of Social Security Privatization (excerpt from CAP):
Ethnic and gender differences are only two facets of privatization that threaten the success of the system. Hardly mentioned these days are the effects on the financial markets of the surge in selling of account holdings as retiring baby boomers cash in their privatized accounts. The negative repercussions would affect both regular market investors and those with privatized accounts designed for future retirement.
True Majority Needs Your Help
Help Save Sudanese Women and Children
| Donate to humanitarian aid for Darfur, and get our new benefit album: the Afrobeat Sudan Aid Project At this moment, with so much wrong in America and around the world, the work of people who care for their fellow human beings in places like the Sudan seems especially heroic, compassionate, and worthy of our support. So we are grateful to our friends at the international aid group Oxfam for introducing us to the Kebkabiya Smallholders Charitable Society, which it founded to support farmers in the region. Fifty thousand refugees from Sudan's Darfur region have flooded into Kebkabiya, and this local organization is working hard every day to keep their countrymen alive. We want to raise $100,000 for this small group, so they will have the tools they need to continue their work. To do this, TrueMajority has teamed up with a group of afrobeat musicians – their driving grooves and political lyrics can raise both awareness and funds for the refugees. If you can pitch in at least $25 toward the cause, we'll send you a copy of TrueMajority's new benefit album, the Afrobeat Sudan Aid Project (ASAP) . Click here to donate, and let's give thanks for all those people in the world who try to help the destitute. |
This is great. Donate to a great cause and simultaneously add to your music collection. I just gave $25. What are you going to do?
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A Major Victory on Nuclear Weapons
From Union of Concerned Scientists:
| Dear Mike, Last week, Congress eliminated funding for two of the most provocative nuclear weapons programs and cut funding for two other nuclear-related initiatives. This is a major victory countering the Bush administration's dangerous nuclear weapons agenda and one for which we all can give thanks. And don't forget, you played a central role in our success. In July, we asked you to tell your senators to eliminate funds for these programs, and thousands of you sent emails and faxes. Your actions mattered. All funding was eliminated for both the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, a dangerous--and scientifically questionable--program to design a new nuclear "bunker buster," and for research into other new types of nuclear weapons. In addition, funding was sharply cut for a new factory to make plutonium "pits," the core of nuclear weapons, and efforts to shorten the time required to prepare for a full-scale nuclear weapons test were pushed back. These programs all threatened to undermine the United States' leadership role in nuclear nonproliferation. We cannot credibly ask other countries to restrain their nuclear weapons programs while we aggressively advance work on new weapons. This campaign would not have succeeded without leadership from Representative David Hobson (R-OH), whose early cuts in the House set the tone for the eventual elimination of funding. Thank you again for your support in helping us achieve this victory. We have sent a clear message to Congress and the administration that developing new nuclear weapons is not acceptable, and that the United States must lead by example to achieve true security.... |
At this point in time, I'll post just about anything that's good news for all of us.
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Around for Everyone
Researchers advance potential to give sight to blind
These Dolphins Must Be Democrats
The Human Waste of Fallujah (flash/video)
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Observing Our Loss of Democracy
Ronnie Earle writes in the NYT (excerpts, reg. req.):
| "The rules you apply to yourself are the true test of your moral values." "There is no limit to what you can do if you have the power to change the rules. Congress may make its own rules, but the public makes the rule of law, and depends for its peace on the enforcement of the law. Hypocrisy at the highest levels of government is toxic to the moral fiber that holds our communities together. The open contempt for moral values by our elected officials has a corrosive effect. It is a sad day for law enforcement when Congress offers such poor leadership on moral values and ethical behavior. We are a moral people, and the first lesson of democracy is not to hold the public in contempt." - - - Ronnie Earle is the district attorney for Travis County, Texas, and currently under attack by supporters of House Speaker Tom DeLay. |
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Glimmers of a Catastrophic U.S. Recession
From the Guardian:
| "International investors will eventually adjust their accumulation of dollar assets or, alternatively, seek higher dollar returns to offset concentration risk, elevating the cost of financing the US current account deficit and rendering it increasingly less tenable." - - - Alan Greenspan, Federal Reserve chairman, speaking at a banking conference in Frankfurt this week. |
It's only a matter of time, folks. The reelection of Bush has guaranteed a major economic downturn for all but the wealthy. Get ready for double-digit inflation, 12% home mortgage rates, rising unemployment and homelessness, and a really crappy 10-15 years of life.
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Social Insecurity
Costs of Social Security Privatization (excerpt from CAP):
| Social Security privatization is once again on the front burner of the public policy discussion. President Bush has indicated that he wants to make it a top priority of his second term to replace part of the existing social insurance with a system of individual accounts. Privatization not only exposes workers to additional risks, it also substantially raises the costs of saving for retirement. A number of these costs have been well-documented. Workers would have to pay management fees for their accounts. In addition, they would have to pay insurance premiums to private insurance companies if they want the same level of protection that Social Security offers for themselves and their families. Further, they would have to bear an enormous burden to pay for the transition from one system to the other. Another cost of individual accounts – so-called labor market risks – has often been ignored in the public debate. Typically, workers’ earnings are below average in a recession, when it would be most opportune to purchase stocks because of a concurrent stock market decline. This risk affects all workers to some degree. The exposure to labor market risks is greater for women and minorities than for others. In essence, they accumulate fewer savings for each dollar they invest in their individual accounts compared to men and whites. This is especially pronounced for women, who consequently face costs that are comparable to the costs of turning their savings into lifetime monthly benefits – annuities. The link between the labor market and individual accounts essentially punishes women and minorities twice. For one, they have lower lifetime earnings than men and whites and thus proportionately lower savings. Second, they accumulate fewer savings for each dollar they put away because of greater fluctuations in employment and wages. Social Security is the only way to reduce the labor market risks. In the current setup, benefits do not depend on the performance of the stock market. Furthermore, Social Security pays proportionately higher benefits to low lifetime earners than to high lifetime ones. |
Ethnic and gender differences are only two facets of privatization that threaten the success of the system. Hardly mentioned these days are the effects on the financial markets of the surge in selling of account holdings as retiring baby boomers cash in their privatized accounts. The negative repercussions would affect both regular market investors and those with privatized accounts designed for future retirement.
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November 22, 2004
Kevin Drum summarizes the first five days of congress:
Kevin Sites explains the video he shot of U.S. soldier killing injured Iraqi soldier in cold blood. (If you read only one thing today, make it this.)
Indigenous peoples in the Arctic need names for new animals.
Help Eli Stephens create the Greatest Antiwar and Political Songs of All Time list.
U.S. helping Iraq bring population of children under control.
10 Reasons for not moving to Canada, versus The Only Reason Needed For Moving To Canada.
Green Chemistry: One solution to saving the environment?
2004's Most Tasteless Program of the Year: JFK Reloaded.
Things going well in Fallujah - NOT.
E-voting irregularities in Florida in 2004 election were examined by U.C. Berkeley researchers. Summary:
The entire paper is HERE.
Definitely not a do-nothing congress
Kevin Drum summarizes the first five days of congress:
| MANDATE WATCH....Congressional Republicans have now been back in town for five days following their big election victory on the 2nd. So what are they using their newfound mandate for? Let's take a peek: - At the request of Rep. Ernest Istook (R-Oklahoma), passed a law giving Appropriations Committee chairmen the right to look at anyone's tax returns without regard to privacy rights. When caught by Democrats, they said it was all just a big mistake and promised they'd never actually use this authority. - Overwhelmingly revoked a rule stating that Republican congressional leaders have to step down if indicted of a felony. This was done to protect House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who appears to be on the verge of being indicted for a felony. - Approved funding to buy President Bush a yacht. - Killed long-awaited intelligence reform legislation that was widely supported by both Democrats and Republicans, the president, the 9/11 Commission, and 9/11 victims groups. Pretty good work for five days! I wonder what they'll manage to get done when they actually have a full session on their hands next year? |
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| Censorship, like charity, should begin at home; but, unlike charity, it should end there. - - - Clare Booth Luce |
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Around for Everyone
Kevin Sites explains the video he shot of U.S. soldier killing injured Iraqi soldier in cold blood. (If you read only one thing today, make it this.)
Indigenous peoples in the Arctic need names for new animals.
Help Eli Stephens create the Greatest Antiwar and Political Songs of All Time list.
U.S. helping Iraq bring population of children under control.
10 Reasons for not moving to Canada, versus The Only Reason Needed For Moving To Canada.
Green Chemistry: One solution to saving the environment?
2004's Most Tasteless Program of the Year: JFK Reloaded.
Things going well in Fallujah - NOT.
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Initial Findings: 130,000 or more free votes for Bush in Florida
E-voting irregularities in Florida in 2004 election were examined by U.C. Berkeley researchers. Summary:
| - Irregularities associated with electronic voting machines may have awarded 130,000 excess votes or more to President George W. Bush in Florida. - Compared to counties with paper ballots, counties with electronic voting machines were significantly more likely to show increases in support for President Bush between 2000 and 2004. This effect cannot be explained by differences between counties in income, number of voters, change in voter turnout, or size of Hispanic/Latino population. - In Broward County alone, President Bush appears to have received approximately 72,000 excess votes. - We can be 99.9% sure that these effects are not attributable to chance. |
The entire paper is HERE.
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November 20, 2004
Everychild Foundation: A New Approach to Philanthropy
As the Bush Administration continues to do its damnedest to curtail social programs, we will need to consider other ways to help those who cannot help themselves. This is one very admirable way. This foundation is a model for future philanthropy.
The Future of Philanthropy?
Everychild Foundation: A New Approach to Philanthropy
| The Everychild Foundation was born out of the belief that there is a group of women in Los Angeles who together can make a serious difference in the lives of children in need without requiring a significant time commitment. Our approach is simple: Create a small group of women —just over 200— who are each ready to commit $5,000 annually to make the dream of the Everychild Foundation a reality. Donations are, of course, tax deductible to the extent allowed by law, and matching grants are accepted. The Everychild Foundation is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation. Our EIN is 31-1693985; Target one non-profit organization each year with a dream project that our gift can make possible. Each project, carefully selected by the members, profoundly helps children facing disease, abuse, neglect, poverty or disability; Award $1 million to fund that project. All grant recipients are closely monitored by the Everychild Foundation, and grant money is delivered in phases, based on performance in meeting specific grant requirements; Limit membership in order to eliminate bureaucracy and red tape and to ensure a highly efficient, targeted orginization. To become a member of the organization, an opening must be available; however Everychild will always ... Welcome contributions of any size from anyone or any institution wishing to help further the mission of helping children in need. You may also want to consider including the Everychild Foundation in your will. |
As the Bush Administration continues to do its damnedest to curtail social programs, we will need to consider other ways to help those who cannot help themselves. This is one very admirable way. This foundation is a model for future philanthropy.
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November 19, 2004
Concerned Parents Councils and Moral Citizens for Righteousness and Morose Adults with Secret Margarine Fetishes... (Mark Morford)
I just know Ohio residents are just tickled pink about getting Bush elected. And now comes the payback:
A Time To Break the Democrats' Silence on Falluja and the Escalation of the War in Iraq
I wish we could have done this BEFORE the election.
God Hates Shrimp
Breaching Experments
Everyday Mysteries Explained
Front Lawn Ornament
Obi Wan Kenobi Shops for a Car (video)
Change This
Deep Sea Creatures (photos)
Lunch Slots (let the internet suggest a restaurant - just enter your zip code)
The 6 Pound Rubik's Cube
Nerd Gym
How to Pack Your Brain for Shipment
Click It (game)
A case against the internet (video)
The A**hole Song (a Denis Leary classic - mile profanity; click "play")
Around for Everyone
Concerned Parents Councils and Moral Citizens for Righteousness and Morose Adults with Secret Margarine Fetishes... (Mark Morford)
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OHIO CLOSING SCHOOLS
I just know Ohio residents are just tickled pink about getting Bush elected. And now comes the payback:
| Ohio schools, faced with drastic budget cuts, are struggling to stay afloat. Cash-strapped Cincinnati is planning to completely eliminate seven schools next year, cramming their students into other existing schools by raising class sizes and using mobile classrooms. This will also eliminate as many as 600 teachers and staff, or more than 10 percent of the district's 5,800 employees. The National Priorities Project estimates underfunding for the administration's No Child Left Behind Act directly affected these budgets with a $225.7 million shortfall in grants to the Buckeye State for Title I (the program designed to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students) and an $8.8 million shortfall for programs to improve teacher quality. |
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Progressive Wing of the Democratic Party Announces First Policy Statement and Ongoing Mission
A Time To Break the Democrats' Silence on Falluja and the Escalation of the War in Iraq
| As Progressive Democrats we call on our Democratic Party leadership to break the public silence on the bloodbath in Falluja. Sixteen hundred Iraqi insurgents are said to have been killed and countless others maimed, crippled or injured in a single week. Over thirty American soldiers are dead and several hundred are wounded. Over eighty major attacks have been launched on American positions in several other uprisings from Mosul to Baghdad. Despite military and administration public relations, the US-trained Iraqi forces cannot or will not stand on their own. America is creating a slaughterhouse in the name of democratic elections. As foreigners, we are dividing Sunni from Shiite and Kurd in the name of a fragmented Iraqi unity. We are ominously alone, abandoned by fifteen of our Coalition allies - so far - and by the United Nations. This military strike was timed to occur after the American presidential election. While the main responsibility lies with President Bush, the national Democratic Party leadership has supported and encouraged the military offensive in Falluja as well. Both parties have bloody hands. It is time for the bipartisan collusion in this war to end. It is time for the Democratic Party to become faithful to its faithful rank-and-file through becoming the party of opposition. It is time to declare clearly that this war is a mistake. The conduct of the war is a mistake. America is squandering the lives of its soldiers, the revenues of its taxpayers, and the trust of its people for a mistake. When will our party leaders join in asking who will be the last American to die for this mistake? Progressive Democrats will neither wait nor be silent. We will organize locally as voices and voters for peace. We will hold our Congressional representatives accountable if they support a $75 billion blood-stained check for the Iraq war. We will point out the daily cost of the war to our deficits, our cities, health care, housing and anti-poverty programs. We will demand greater candor and respect for our combat soldiers while also honoring those troops and their families who choose to oppose the war in the tradition of the young John Kerry. During the presidential campaign, we gave one hundred percent for a Democratic ticket that felt compelled to defend a mistake. We do not believe that the November election was a mandate to destroy Iraq while saving it nor an endorsement of the President's management of the conflict. It is George Bush's mistake now, and the role of all Democrats and concerned Americans is to make him end his denial, accept responsibility and take significant steps to end the American occupation and leave Iraq to the Iraqis. |
I wish we could have done this BEFORE the election.
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FRIDAY FUN
God Hates Shrimp
Breaching Experments
Everyday Mysteries Explained
Front Lawn Ornament
Obi Wan Kenobi Shops for a Car (video)
Change This
Deep Sea Creatures (photos)
Lunch Slots (let the internet suggest a restaurant - just enter your zip code)
The 6 Pound Rubik's Cube
Nerd Gym
How to Pack Your Brain for Shipment
Click It (game)
A case against the internet (video)
The A**hole Song (a Denis Leary classic - mile profanity; click "play")
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November 18, 2004
Juan Cole attempts to justify U.S.'s action in Falluja. snippet:
I normally agree with Mr. Cole's opinion, but not today. Simply put, two wrongs don't make a right. I mean, come on... Would there be car bombings and hostage-taking right now if we hadn't illegally invaded this nation?
The next great flu pandemic - coming soon to strike dead someone near you.
Depleted Uranium: Gulf War Syndrome and the Expendable G.I.
With problems mounting in Iraq and a weakened economy, the first order of business for congressional conservatives is to abandon their own ethical standards.
This is cool: GOOGLE SCHOLAR
We taught them everything.
The Coming U.S. Economy Bust
New analysis places age of Grand Canyon at 4,500 years, rather than 6,000,000.
Fallujah FUBAR
Juan Cole attempts to justify U.S.'s action in Falluja. snippet:
| ....So, the Marines at Fallujah are operating in accordance with a UNSC Resolution and have all the legitimacy in international law that flows from that. The Allawi government asked them to undertake this Fallujah mission. To compare them to the murderous thugs who kidnapped CARE worker Margaret Hassan, held her hostage, terrified her, and then killed her is frankly monstrous. The multinational forces are soldiers fighting a war in which they are targetting combatants and sometimes accidentally killing innocents. The hostage-takers are terrorists deliberately killing innocents. It is simply not the same thing. Now, I don't like the timing of the Fallujah mission. I don't like all the mistakes made along the way, which produced this operation. I don't like its tactics. I don't like the way it put so many civilians in harm's way. I don't like the violations of international law (targetting the hospital, turning away the Red Crescent, killing wounded and disarmed combatants), etc. I protest the latter. I don't know enough about military affairs to offer an alternative on the former issues, and don't mind admitting my technical ignorance. You can't do everything. But the basic idea of attacking the guerrillas holding up in that city is not in and of itself criminal or irresponsible. A significant proportion of the absolutely horrible car bombings that have killed hundreds and thousands of innocent Iraqis, especially Shiites, were planned and executed from Fallujah. There were serious and heavily armed forces in Fallujah planning out ways of killing hundreds to prevent elections from being held in January. These are mass murderers, serial murderers. If they were fighting only to defend Fallujah, that would be one thing; even the Marines would respect them for that. They aren't, or at least, a significant proportion of them aren't. They are killing civilians elsewhere in order to throw Iraq into chaos and avoid the enfranchisement of the Kurds and Shiites.... |
I normally agree with Mr. Cole's opinion, but not today. Simply put, two wrongs don't make a right. I mean, come on... Would there be car bombings and hostage-taking right now if we hadn't illegally invaded this nation?
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Around for Everyone
The next great flu pandemic - coming soon to strike dead someone near you.
Depleted Uranium: Gulf War Syndrome and the Expendable G.I.
With problems mounting in Iraq and a weakened economy, the first order of business for congressional conservatives is to abandon their own ethical standards.
This is cool: GOOGLE SCHOLAR
We taught them everything.
The Coming U.S. Economy Bust
New analysis places age of Grand Canyon at 4,500 years, rather than 6,000,000.
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November 16, 2004
God Damn It.
Flashback of Our New Secretary of State (video)
Congratulations to Dan Gillmor, whose column we occasionally quote on Left is Right.
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Around for Everyone
Flashback of Our New Secretary of State (video)
Congratulations to Dan Gillmor, whose column we occasionally quote on Left is Right.
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Which Shirt Are You?
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| "As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." - - - H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956) |
| "I will make a bargain with the Republicans. If they stop telling lies about Democrats, Democrats will stop telling the truth about them." - - - Adlai Stevenson |
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November 15, 2004
Just great, as THIS PHOTO illustrates:
Aw shucks, here's another:
May as golly-gee-willickers well show more...
..
..
Of course I'm being sarcastically crude. The United States of America, headed by his holiness God-Bush, the moral compass of the world, has unilaterally masssacred hundreds if not thousands of Iraqi civilians in their own hometown of Fallujah, destroyed the holy city's sacred buildings, leveled hundreds of homes and other buildings, and caused deadly uprisings in surrounding cities to grow and fester to alarming levels. Simultaneously we are being led by a "right-to-life" Republican Administration hell-bent on the death and destruction of anyone and anything that may even hint at being an obstacle to its success.
I am not going to try writing with eloquent rage. We are, as tax-paying supporters of our government and citizens of our nation, completely responsible for this nightmare of evil, not seen by Americans since the Mai Lai Massacre, which was covered up by former Secretary of State Colin Powell of anthrax-in-a-vial fame.
Don't give me any of that "I didn't vote for Bush in either election" bullcrap. If you paid your income taxes or purchase gasoline, then you and I are directly funding this mission-from-hell. You and I are fully responsible for this slaughter of human beings. Why are we letting a handful of truly evil and morally corrupt persons get away with this? Why aren't we hanging them from the nearest flagpole? Why? Why aren't you overcome with debilitating rage every time you think about this?
We pretend to care and sympathize with our neighbor down the street who just lost their child-soldier to a roadside bomb outside Baghdad. "Ohhh, so sad, so horrible is this war; so sorry for your loss; and those Iraqis aren't really THAT bad, but they did kill an AMERICAN (salute flag here)". Goddam bullshit. Most of those American soldiers killed were poorly-trained and poorly-equipped members of the National Guard, who joined because they thought they would be called up to place sandbags around American homes during floods and provide assistance in local emergencies. Instead, our vile and corrupt Bush Administration has shipped them off to a poor nation that never wanted them, that desperately wants them to leave.
The time is now to get out of your homes and into the streets to passionately protest this outrage to humanity. 99.99% of the citizens of this nation want nothing to do with the murder of innocent civilians of any nation, including Iraq; and yet here we are, sitting idly by, watching in bemused horror while lip-synching to third-rate pop music trash, burping and farting while driving our monstrous SUV's on our way to Wal-Mart to purchase ridiculously cheap clothes made in sweat shops manned by children and women who are paid less in a month than you paid for that toxic, super-sized whopper combo you're washing down with that 40 ounce chemical-laden Slurpee... We Americans are a fuckingly pathetic and mentally/physically obese group of subhumans. All of us.
To quote a famous singing duo from the 60's: "And the beat goes on..."
Aww, come on. 51% of the American public can't be THAT wrong.
Bush: Largest Threat to Mankind
Revealed: True reason for Bush Admin. dissing of Kyoto Treaty.
Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil.
Another "Why They Won" essay. And another.
Microsoft: The Ultimate Monopoly?
So, How's it going in Whack-a-mole?
Just great, as THIS PHOTO illustrates:
Aw shucks, here's another:
May as golly-gee-willickers well show more...
....Of course I'm being sarcastically crude. The United States of America, headed by his holiness God-Bush, the moral compass of the world, has unilaterally masssacred hundreds if not thousands of Iraqi civilians in their own hometown of Fallujah, destroyed the holy city's sacred buildings, leveled hundreds of homes and other buildings, and caused deadly uprisings in surrounding cities to grow and fester to alarming levels. Simultaneously we are being led by a "right-to-life" Republican Administration hell-bent on the death and destruction of anyone and anything that may even hint at being an obstacle to its success.
I am not going to try writing with eloquent rage. We are, as tax-paying supporters of our government and citizens of our nation, completely responsible for this nightmare of evil, not seen by Americans since the Mai Lai Massacre, which was covered up by former Secretary of State Colin Powell of anthrax-in-a-vial fame.
Don't give me any of that "I didn't vote for Bush in either election" bullcrap. If you paid your income taxes or purchase gasoline, then you and I are directly funding this mission-from-hell. You and I are fully responsible for this slaughter of human beings. Why are we letting a handful of truly evil and morally corrupt persons get away with this? Why aren't we hanging them from the nearest flagpole? Why? Why aren't you overcome with debilitating rage every time you think about this?
We pretend to care and sympathize with our neighbor down the street who just lost their child-soldier to a roadside bomb outside Baghdad. "Ohhh, so sad, so horrible is this war; so sorry for your loss; and those Iraqis aren't really THAT bad, but they did kill an AMERICAN (salute flag here)". Goddam bullshit. Most of those American soldiers killed were poorly-trained and poorly-equipped members of the National Guard, who joined because they thought they would be called up to place sandbags around American homes during floods and provide assistance in local emergencies. Instead, our vile and corrupt Bush Administration has shipped them off to a poor nation that never wanted them, that desperately wants them to leave.
The time is now to get out of your homes and into the streets to passionately protest this outrage to humanity. 99.99% of the citizens of this nation want nothing to do with the murder of innocent civilians of any nation, including Iraq; and yet here we are, sitting idly by, watching in bemused horror while lip-synching to third-rate pop music trash, burping and farting while driving our monstrous SUV's on our way to Wal-Mart to purchase ridiculously cheap clothes made in sweat shops manned by children and women who are paid less in a month than you paid for that toxic, super-sized whopper combo you're washing down with that 40 ounce chemical-laden Slurpee... We Americans are a fuckingly pathetic and mentally/physically obese group of subhumans. All of us.
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No Deficit of Horrendous Economic Policy
| Chattanooga, Tenn. - Chattanooga Times Free Press November 8, 2004 - Editorial - No link available "The deficit-ridden Bush administration will have to borrow another $147 billion mostly from Asian central banks – in just the first quarter of 2005 – to keep its checks from bouncing, the Treasury Department confirmed the day after the election. At that rate, the federal budget deficit for the 2004-05 fiscal year will end up close to $600 billion. And that's not counting the annual Social Security surpluses ($65 billion next year) the Bush team has been gobbling up every year since taking office to mask the true size of Mr. Bush's deficit-spending and borrowing binge. Nor does it count new funding, now estimated at $75 billion, that Bush officials have confirmed they soon must seek to pay the rising costs of the Iraq war in 2005… "The president's borrowing binge for the first four years has already increased the national debt by 40 percent, from $5.25 trillion to $7.35 trillion, making the United States by far the biggest debtor nation in the world. At the same time, the Treasury Department reports, annual revenue to the government from taxes has fallen by $100 billion this year below the level it was when Mr. Bush took office in 2001, due mainly to tax cuts, not the brief recession. In the same period, spending has soared; this year's spending by the Bush administration will be $400 billion higher than when he took office… "The most frightening part of all this rising debt for unsound policies is the risk to the national and global economies. Mr. Bush's policies invite excessive reliance on the Chinese and Japanese central banks that are now buying most of the Treasury notes Washington has to float to sop up its red ink and keep its checks from bouncing. That's extraordinarily risky because it makes the United States so vulnerable to Asian decisions. It compromises U.S. independence, as well. And it threatens global financial and economic instability: When we can't keep our fiscal house in order and catch a cold, the countries tied to our economy catch pneumonia." |
To quote a famous singing duo from the 60's: "And the beat goes on..."
Aww, come on. 51% of the American public can't be THAT wrong.
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Around for Everyone
Bush: Largest Threat to Mankind
Revealed: True reason for Bush Admin. dissing of Kyoto Treaty.
Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil, Sieg Heil.
Another "Why They Won" essay. And another.
Microsoft: The Ultimate Monopoly?
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November 12, 2004
Build a Better Bush (interactive)
Have you seen Bungles twanger?
Room Defenders
L.A. to New York in 3 minutes (video)
Body Art (possibly not safe for under 17 y/o, although I didn't find any of it offensive; of course I'm not a Republican)
Philosophers' Break-Up Lines
Stupid Questions Answered (check out the archives)
Hulk's Blog (a classic revisited)
A Phone Call to Tempur-Pedic
View of [name of planet] as seen from [name of planet]
Wendy's Training Video
Joseph Wu Origami
My Best Friend Plank (video)
Lunar Landscapes
Play Doctor
Caffeine Replacement Therapy: Find the 7 differences in the photos (NOT for weak of heart!)
FRIDAY FUN
Build a Better Bush (interactive)
Have you seen Bungles twanger?
Room Defenders
L.A. to New York in 3 minutes (video)
Body Art (possibly not safe for under 17 y/o, although I didn't find any of it offensive; of course I'm not a Republican)
Philosophers' Break-Up Lines
Stupid Questions Answered (check out the archives)
Hulk's Blog (a classic revisited)
A Phone Call to Tempur-Pedic
View of [name of planet] as seen from [name of planet]
Wendy's Training Video
Joseph Wu Origami
My Best Friend Plank (video)
Lunar Landscapes
Play Doctor
Caffeine Replacement Therapy: Find the 7 differences in the photos (NOT for weak of heart!)
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November 11, 2004
Stolen from HERE.
Progressives: That's our wake-up call!
Stolen from HERE.
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| "If we can’t win this damn election with a Democratic Party more unified than ever before, with us having raised as much money as the Republicans, with 55% of the country believing we’re heading in the wrong direction, with our candidate having won all three debates, and with our side being more passionate about the outcome than theirs — if we can’t win this one, then we can’t win shit! And we need to completely rethink the Democratic Party." - - - James Carville |
Progressives: That's our wake-up call!
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| "The question you need to ask is this: what do we offer them when they wake up? What do we tell them? Who do we offer for them to vote for. We need to pick the fights closest to home and be credible. We should go after the liberterians and fiscal conservatives and tell them the GOP is leaving them. The Vets, who are being betrayed by them. We need to welcome these people and explain what the GOP is really turning into. We need to oppose them, not just in Washington, but at City Hall and the school board. We end the free ride we gave them. We oppose them at every turn." - - - Steve Gilliard |
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Okay, so you guys didn't want to do it because it might have seemed like a petty thing to do before the election and the voters would turn against us, yada yada yada....
No Sweat
"We should have let them go when they wanted to leave." (Some profanity)
Warming Up to New Beachfront Property
Mistaken Let the truth be told. (4:31 video)
No tooth Fairy (Boondocks)
Because it's a holiday and I'm burnt out from work and trying to instill common sense into our misguided conservative friends, I offer you some relatively worthless trivia:
Still think there's really little difference between red and blue states, other than emphasis on christian fundamentalism in the reds? Still befuddled as to why the red states' residents are called morons by other nations for voting for Bush? Maybe THIS will explain it. Still not convinced? Try THIS
So NOW can we impeach Bush? |
I mean, we've got a bit more than a stained dress for evidence.
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Around for Everyone
No Sweat
"We should have let them go when they wanted to leave." (Some profanity)
Warming Up to New Beachfront Property
Mistaken Let the truth be told. (4:31 video)
No tooth Fairy (Boondocks)
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Bettys
Because it's a holiday and I'm burnt out from work and trying to instill common sense into our misguided conservative friends, I offer you some relatively worthless trivia:
| Mental_Floss says "You Betty, You Bet!" * Betty White, who portrayed man-hungry Sue Ann Nivens on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," was also up for the role of the man-hungry Blanche Devereaux on "The Golden Girls." As it turned out, she was perfect for another role on the series, the dimwitted Rose Nylund, while Rue McClanahan took the role of Blanche. * Betty Crocker was a fictitious person who answered letters for the Washburn Crosby Company during a contest the company began to promote its Gold Medal brand flour. She's gone through many "facelifts" over the years, and currently appears perhaps younger than she ever has. * Betty Cooper is the blonde-haired beauty in the "Archie" comic series. Others who appear include her main rival, Veronica Lodge, along with Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. Archie's last name is Andrews. * Betty Ford, former First Lady and wife of Gerald R. Ford, was born Elizabeth Bloomer Warren. The couple married in 1948. * Betty Joan Perske was one of Hollywood's sexiest female stars, and was married to a Hollywood heavyweight with whom she appeared in a few notable film classics. You may know her better by her stage name, Lauren Bacall. * Betty Jean McBricker was the maiden name of Barney Rubble's wife. Neighbors of "The Flintstones," the Rubbles adopted muscle-bound son Bamm-Bamm shortly after Wilma and Fred had little Pebbles. * Betty Friedan coined the term "feminine mystique," and wrote a book by that title which was published in 1963. Three years later, she founded the National Organization for Women, one of the country's leading women's rights organizations. * Brown Betty is a baked pudding made with apples and raisins, sometimes known as Apple Brown Betty. "Black Betty," on the other hand, was a heavy-beat song made into a hit by the group Ram Jam. |
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Red I.Q. vs Blue I.Q.
Still think there's really little difference between red and blue states, other than emphasis on christian fundamentalism in the reds? Still befuddled as to why the red states' residents are called morons by other nations for voting for Bush? Maybe THIS will explain it. Still not convinced? Try THIS
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November 10, 2004
Destroying the Village in Order to Save It.
Bush administration's environmental enforcement record is the worst in 15 years
Tragic Fun (Mark Morford)
PC Magazine's Fall Freeware Recommendations (a cornucopia of free software)
Today's Quote
| "...shooting a horse to scare a fly on it." --- Sheikh Ghazi Al-Yawar, Iraq's interim president, describing the decision of the U.S.-led coalition to bring Fallujah down by force. |
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Around for Everyone
Destroying the Village in Order to Save It.
Bush administration's environmental enforcement record is the worst in 15 years
Tragic Fun (Mark Morford)
PC Magazine's Fall Freeware Recommendations (a cornucopia of free software)
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| "Well, the company I worked for was a company named Chas. T. Main in Boston, Massachusetts. We were about 2,000 employees, and I became its chief economist. I ended up having fifty people working for me. But my real job was deal-making. It was giving loans to other countries, huge loans, much bigger than they could possibly repay. One of the conditions of the loan–let's say a $1 billion to a country like Indonesia or Ecuador–and this country would then have to give ninety percent of that loan back to a U.S. company, or U.S. companies, to build the infrastructure–a Halliburton or a Bechtel. These were big ones. Those companies would then go in and build an electrical system or ports or highways, and these would basically serve just a few of the very wealthiest families in those countries. The poor people in those countries would be stuck ultimately with this amazing debt that they couldn’t possibly repay. A country today like Ecuador owes over fifty percent of its national budget just to pay down its debt. And it really can’t do it. So, we literally have them over a barrel. So, when we want more oil, we go to Ecuador and say, “Look, you're not able to repay your debts, therefore give our oil companies your Amazon rain forest, which are filled with oil.” And today we're going in and destroying Amazonian rain forests, forcing Ecuador to give them to us because they’ve accumulated all this debt. So we make this big loan, most of it comes back to the United States, the country is left with the debt plus lots of interest, and they basically become our servants, our slaves. It's an empire. There's no two ways about it. It’s a huge empire. It's been extremely successful." --- John Perkins, author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man |
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November 9, 2004
This would be hilarious if the writer wasn't so serious (excerpt):
I repeat: They really, really hate us. And without California, New York, Massachusetts and Illinois, the remaining USA would become a third world country in no time.
Wow. Check out THIS new news site. Very cool.
Bush: Screw Greenhouse Emissions
And they want to get rid of us
This would be hilarious if the writer wasn't so serious (excerpt):
| ....The truth is, America is not just broken--it is becoming irreparable. If you believe that recent years of uncivil behavior are burdensome, imagine the likelihood of a future in which all bizarre acts are the norm, and a government-booted foot stands permanently on your face. That is why the unthinkable must become thinkable. If the so-called "Red States" (those that voted for George W. Bush) cannot be respected or at least tolerated by the "Blue States" (those that voted for Al Gore and John Kerry), then the most disparate of them must live apart--not by secession of the former (a majority), but by expulsion of the latter. Here is how to do it. Having been amended only 17 times since 10 vital amendments (the Bill of Rights) were added at the republic's inception, the U.S. Constitution is not easily changed, primarily because so many states (75%, now 38 of 50) must agree. Yet, there are 38 states today that may be inclined to adopt, let us call it, a "Declaration of Expulsion," that is, a specific constitutional amendment to kick out the systemically troublesome states and those trending rapidly toward anti-American, if not outright subversive, behavior. The 12 states that must go: California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maryland, and Delaware. Only the remaining 38 states would retain the name, "United States of America." The 12 expelled mobs could call themselves the "Dirty Dozen," or individually keep their identity and go their separate ways, probably straight to Hell.... |
I repeat: They really, really hate us. And without California, New York, Massachusetts and Illinois, the remaining USA would become a third world country in no time.
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Around for Everyone
Wow. Check out THIS new news site. Very cool.
Bush: Screw Greenhouse Emissions
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November 8, 2004
This is how I feel when I'm not sober:
When 9/11 happened, I'm sure at one point that Gore thought: If this was destined to happen no matter what, then I'm glad it wasn't on my watch.
When Kerry began his campaign, Iraq was VERY salvageable. By election day Iraq was completely unsalvageable, and Kerry knew it. I'm sure he would have assumed his role as POTUS with honor and integrity, after all he is a good soldier and statesman.
But given a nearly impossible situation (Iraq) with almost no support (Republican Congress) can you really blame him for bowing out when he did?
So let's lay off the Kerry-bashing and look at the whole picture. He gave it his best when it counted, nearly pulled off an upset against an election coup, and was the most forthright politician in decades to run for national office. Let's give Kerry the kudos he deserves. Save your bashing for those who deserve it: the bigots who drive the Republican steamroller.
From Knowledge News (snippet):
That's right, kids. When Bush reinstates the draft next year, you'll get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see foreigners really up-close! If you're not interested, Canada is looking for college graduates.
Liberals: Set aside about 15 minutes and read THIS BLUNT MESSAGE (micro-snippet):
Republicans Bigots: Don't waste your time on this. You'll never get it. Plus, it will take you several many days to read it... there are many words with more than two syllables parts.
A Christian Democrat speaks out:
Did Kerry screw us? PDA opines.
Blocking the Vote (video; give it time to load... it's worth it)
Warming up to a new world map.
Shades of Purple (cartogram of voting results)
Turn Your Back.
How to Vote (cartoon)
The Florida portion of the election coup.
A sober view of gays.
Some Feel-Good Words
This is how I feel when I'm not sober:
| "We don't have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. Even when we don't "win," there is fun and fulfillment in the fact that we have been involved, with other good people, in something worthwhile. We need hope. An optimist isn't necessarily a blithe, slightly sappy whistler in the dark of our time. To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places-and there are so many-where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future. The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory." - - - Howard Zinn |
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| "Few people would use an automated teller machine at your bank if it didn't spit out a paper receipt. Yet many of us were blithely willing to trust our votes to similar machines, running flawed software, with no such backup." - - - Dan Gillmor |
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Why I Think Kerry Conceded So Quickly
When 9/11 happened, I'm sure at one point that Gore thought: If this was destined to happen no matter what, then I'm glad it wasn't on my watch.
When Kerry began his campaign, Iraq was VERY salvageable. By election day Iraq was completely unsalvageable, and Kerry knew it. I'm sure he would have assumed his role as POTUS with honor and integrity, after all he is a good soldier and statesman.
But given a nearly impossible situation (Iraq) with almost no support (Republican Congress) can you really blame him for bowing out when he did?
So let's lay off the Kerry-bashing and look at the whole picture. He gave it his best when it counted, nearly pulled off an upset against an election coup, and was the most forthright politician in decades to run for national office. Let's give Kerry the kudos he deserves. Save your bashing for those who deserve it: the bigots who drive the Republican steamroller.
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Hey, Kids!
From Knowledge News (snippet):
| ...A little-known truth, though, is that only about 16 percent of the servicemen in Vietnam were drafted. Those who were drafted were often assigned the most dangerous jobs. (For instance, 88 percent of infantry rifleman were draftees.) And that meant that draftees were killed in disproportionately high numbers. Draftees accounted for more than half of the Army's battle deaths. |
That's right, kids. When Bush reinstates the draft next year, you'll get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see foreigners really up-close! If you're not interested, Canada is looking for college graduates.
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They Hate Me. They Really, Really Hate Me.
Liberals: Set aside about 15 minutes and read THIS BLUNT MESSAGE (micro-snippet):
| ....Your kindness, your warm welcome, your generosity, your concern, your love and passion--it will never work. These people hate you. Understand? They HATE you. They want you dead. All your work, your energy, your wisdom, your experience--it means nothing to them and it reads as weakness. They see your open, extended hand, and they feel oppressed by it-- it reads as scolding, as hectoring, as judgment, as oppression. They think you're going to take away their children and their guns and their Bible that they never read and teach them evolution and force them to get gay married. They really, really believe that, even as they take you for all you're worth. In fact, this belief of theirs is what gives meaning to their sordid, hateful, fearful, resentful lives. They will never change. Your kindness and generosity only enables them. They'll take what we've got--our money, our art, our science, our technology, our wisdom, our humor, our compassion--and they'll spit on us and calls us communist traitor faggots. Time to let go. They hate us. It's time we realize that.... |
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I vs. We
A Christian Democrat speaks out:
| Column Left - Los Cerritos Community news - November 4, 2004 Republicans & Democrats: Opposite Starting Points - by Charlie Ara, President Emeritus, Hubert H. Humphrey Democratic Club I am writing this on the day before the election. Of course, I hope Kerry will win. We will know by the time this Column Left is published. However, what I do know from my years of experience, is that Republicans and Democrats have opposite starting points. Republicans start with the individual and the Democrats start with the common good. Rugged individualism is a hallmark of the republican philosophy while social justice is a hallmark of the democratic philosophy. To put it in another way, the Republican Party is the party of like-minded individuals while the Democratic party is the party of diversity embracing a broad cross section of the commonweal. When I talk to Republicans I hear "I want my taxes to be lowered" "I have the right to own a gun"... "My country right or wrong" and other sentiments that begin with "I" or "me or my." When I talk to fellow democrats I hear "the working poor need a living wage" "the poor, the disabled, the mentally ill, the elderly, the immigrant are our concern." "we need affordable health care for all" "we need decent low-income housing in our communities." Since the Republicans, disregarding the first amendment of separation of church & state, have brought faith into politics, let’s look at opposite starting points there. From the Christian perspective, Republicans focus on the concept of "Jesus and I." From the Christian perspective, Democrats focus on the concept of that beatitude that says "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice " In addition, from a Christian perspective, Democrats focus on those words in Matthew 25: "I was hungry and you gave me to eat, thirsty and you gave me to drink, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to me, etc." Without getting into the complex issue of biblical interpretation, salvation for the Christian Republican depends on personal conversion and for the Christian Democrat salvation depends on what we have done for our fellow human being. Again, we are looking at "I versus we" as a starting point. Now, let’s look at the issue of morality. Christian Republicans see morality in sexual terms. Christian democrats see morality in terms of life after birth. For the Christian Democrat the most burning moral issue of the day is the morality of war. I do not want to oversimplify this, but the Pope and all major Protestant denominations condemned the war in Iraq on the basis that the moral conditions for a just war were not satisfied. In the seminary, I studied ethics as one of the seven parts of philosophy. One of the most basic tenets of ethics is that the end does not justify the means. As I see it, from both a rational and a faith perspective, the Democratic Party promotes the common good by its concern for the good of all while it appears to me that the Republican Party uses whatever means it can to protect the rich and to deprive the poor of their God-given rights. |
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Around for Everyone
Did Kerry screw us? PDA opines.
Blocking the Vote (video; give it time to load... it's worth it)
Warming up to a new world map.
Shades of Purple (cartogram of voting results)
Turn Your Back.
How to Vote (cartoon)
The Florida portion of the election coup.
A sober view of gays.
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November 7, 2004
Today's Post by a SPECIAL GUEST BLOGGER!
(APPLAUSE)
The Star Wars Trailer Bonanza!
Today's Post by a SPECIAL GUEST BLOGGER!
(APPLAUSE)
| Yes indeedy, folks. The Star Wars: Episode III teaser trailer has arrived. Titled Revenge of the Sith, this may be the film to save the name of the crappy-thus-far prequel trilogy of the Star Wars saga. Technically available only to members of the Official Fan Club, AOL users, and anybody who saw The Incredibles, you can see it with your very own eyes HERE (warning: may be a slow load). Take a break from the unpleasantness of the election and get your nerd on! Watch it frame by frame! HERE we have another nerdy Star Wars treat, brought to you by the fine folks at LucasArts Video Games (warning: slow load). The game comes out May 5 for PS2 and Xbox, and the movie comes out May 19 at a theater somewhere in your general direction. Hooray! |
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November 5, 2004
