LEFT is RIGHT (blogging against The Bush-war) |
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Iraq War Cost
 
 
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| "The phoenix of the human spirit is rising out of the Western-imposed chaos introduced into Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a spirit being manifested worldwide, as reason breaks asunder the bonds of fear and terror foisted on humanity by corporate greed, the religion of materialism, and the corruption of Western economic and political power." - - - Casey Butler |
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Thursday Bits
Juan Cole explains the consequences of a nuclear attack against Iran, plans for which the Bush-war Administration is currently drawing up.
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And now, a word from our leader...
In case you missed it, our Righteous Christian President Bush flipped off the press yesterday. HERE is the video, courtesy AmericaBlog.
I guess that when you have the self-proclaimed ability to talk directly to god, you can do anything you want without consequences. Say, isn't that what's been happening the past four years?
I guess that when you have the self-proclaimed ability to talk directly to god, you can do anything you want without consequences. Say, isn't that what's been happening the past four years?
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| “A human being is a part of the whole, called by us, “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. Nobody is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.” - - - Albert Einstein |
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July 27, 2005
"Hospital waste raises public health concerns"
This horrible news courtesy IRIN:
I have spent my entire adult life working in hospitals, and thus can attest that this is a very serious health issue. Combining this with all the problems associated with depleted uranium, filthy water, the poorly functioning health care system, and inadequate immunizations and other medical care, we are, I think, systematically killing off this wonderful nation's population.
Would you call it genocide?
| BASRA, 26 July (IRIN) - Toxic hospital waste being released in residential areas in southern Iraq is causing a health and environmental hazard in the Basra area, despite repeated appeals for help to tackle the situation, according to local sources in both fields. “The waste usually consists of pharmaceutical, chemical, radioactive, infectious and other materials that should only be disposed of in incinerators, which burn the materials at high temperatures,” Hasan Sahib, an environmental activist, said. Other sterilisation techniques, such as high-pressure steam treatment, are increasingly more important than incineration in the safe disposal of hospital waste in the developed world, but the treatment of pollutants and toxic waste is regarded as vital everywhere. Liquid waste is going directly into sewers and rivers, and solid waste is being burned but not in an incinerator, according to Sahib. Vials, syringes and substances from intravenous (IV) units, and sometimes even body parts, are not being disposed of properly, health workers confirmed. "We do not have waste treatment equipment to treat it before draining liquid into the sewage systems,” said Dr Ra’ad Salman, general director of Basra health department. “We only have old systems which are old fashioned and not sufficient.” He estimates that Basra hospitals and clinics produce between 15 and 25 mt of waste daily. “We have asked the US forces and many other organisations to build medical waste treatment units in Basra,” he said. “They promised us, but nothing has been done so far.” The doctor explained that disease and illnesses have already increased by 10 percent due to an accumulation of health issues. “We also suffer from the negligence of employees collecting waste,” Salman said. “They do not apply the techniques of waste - classifying and separation in medical bags that are distributed by the health directorate - although we have now sent some of them abroad to learn about techniques.” Mohamed Hasan aged 15, a waste collector, has contracted typhoid, a bacterial infection of the intestines and occasionally the bloodstream, often associated with poor hygiene practices that cause the germs to spread through food and water. Hasan has now been hospitalised. “Many people told me that my job is dangerous but my father died and my three brothers, my mother and I have to work,” he told IRIN. “We are obliged to work in this job to earn a living.” When asked if he would return to the job he said: “Yes, because I do not have any other work.” Rubbish accumulating in the streets has also led to children scavenging through the dumped material, looking for items to sell. The medical waste processing units increasingly being used worldwide are known as autoclaving machines. Using steam at high pressure to sterilise objects used in medical operations, they are often used instead of hospital incinerators. The technique dramatically reduces environmental pollutants, according to experts, but waste management is still an important concern. Current hospital waste disposal practices in Basra, and the lack of treatment equipment, fall well shy of acceptable, and pose a considerable threat to health, according to Dr Salman. “The current situation will lead to accumulating waste in the hospital and this is very dangerous,” he said. |
I have spent my entire adult life working in hospitals, and thus can attest that this is a very serious health issue. Combining this with all the problems associated with depleted uranium, filthy water, the poorly functioning health care system, and inadequate immunizations and other medical care, we are, I think, systematically killing off this wonderful nation's population.
Would you call it genocide?
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Dear Hillary
| Dear Sen. Clinton: I'm writing to commend you for calling for a $90-million study on the effects of video games on children, and in particular the courageous stand you have taken in recent weeks against the notorious "Grand Theft Auto" series. I'd like to draw your attention to another game whose nonstop violence and hostility has captured the attention of millions of kids — a game that instills aggressive thoughts in the minds of its players, some of whom have gone on to commit real-world acts of violence and sexual assault after playing. I'm talking, of course, about high school football. I know a congressional investigation into football won't play so well with those crucial swing voters, but it makes about as much sense as an investigation into the pressing issue that is Xbox and PlayStation 2.... - - - Steven Johnson, author of Steven Johnson's "Everything Bad Is Good For You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter" |
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Hey Mom, *cough* *cough*, Dad's smoke is burning my developing eyes!
Even dad's smoke bad for fetuses. Oh really? Then why hasn't our pro-fetus anti-child Republican Christian government passed any laws to protect their hallowed fetuses from such environmental abuse? I mean, where's the consistency? Or does the Tobacco Lobby have too much of a stranglehold on our Right-wing Evangelical Fundamentalist leaders?
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Risk Your Life, Then Risk Your Livelihood
Thinking of joining the military to go spread American Christian Democracy to Iraq and all those other countries patiently standing in the reception line for their turn? Well, you might want to read this report first. It is a study done by the Army to investigate how well injured soldiers are getting their much-deserved pay. The findings (excerpted):
Be sure to read the entire PDF-formatted report. It details examples that support each of the points above. It also makes recommendations to the Departments of the Army and Defense, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and to the U.S. Congress, on how to clean up the financial mess that is affecting tens of thousands of our soldiers.
| Wounded Soldier Pay Support: Management Deficiencies During Operation Iraqi Freedom The Army lacks an effective means of tracking and reporting dates of hospitalization for wounded and injured soldiers. The complexity of the laws and regulations governing military pay is a significant obstacle to delivering accurate and timely pay to soldiers. The Army has not provided an adequate number of military pay clerks to support the considerable amount of wounded and injured soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi freedom. |
Be sure to read the entire PDF-formatted report. It details examples that support each of the points above. It also makes recommendations to the Departments of the Army and Defense, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and to the U.S. Congress, on how to clean up the financial mess that is affecting tens of thousands of our soldiers.
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July 26, 2005
| "All the chicken hawks back here who said, 'Oh, Iraq is talking bad about us. They're going to threaten us' - look, if you really believe that, you leave your wife and three kids and go sign up for the Army or Marines and go over there and fight. Otherwise, shut your mouth." - - - Paul Hackett, Democratic candidate for Congress in Ohio's 2nd District |
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Courtesy DCCC, here is a timeline (with references/links) for all the significant events composing the Rove/Plame scandal. The fact that it ties together covert and illegal Executive Branch actions, perjury, obstruction of justice, treason, and conspiracy to falsify information used to justify war, makes it the most important federal case of my lifetime.
What amazes me the most is not that these illegal and very damaging actions were done by the Republican Administration, but that the vast majority of the American public continue to sit on their collective and ever-expanding asses, indifferent to the importance of the scandal.
Speaking of public indifference, here are some apropos quotes, courtesy ICH:
What amazes me the most is not that these illegal and very damaging actions were done by the Republican Administration, but that the vast majority of the American public continue to sit on their collective and ever-expanding asses, indifferent to the importance of the scandal.
Speaking of public indifference, here are some apropos quotes, courtesy ICH:
| “As I watch government at all levels daily eat away at our freedom, I keep thinking how prosperity and government largesse have combined to make most of us fat and lazy and indifferent to, or actually in favor of, the limits being placed on that freedom.” - - - Lyn Nofziger - [Franklyn C. Nofziger] Press Secretary for President Reagan “It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become prey to the active. The conditions upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime, and the punishment of his guilt.” - - - John Philpot Curran - (1750-1814) Irish Orator, Statesman, Judge - Date: July 10, 1790 - Source: Speech, Dublin, July 10, 1790 “For most Americans the Constitution had become a hazy document, cited like the Bible on ceremonial occasions but forgotten in the daily transactions of life.” - - - Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. - (1888-1965) |
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Liberals' War or Conservative Democrats' War?
Check out this pile of crap from the DLC, which once was the policy speaker for the Democratic Party (snippet):
The old Democratic Party leadership (to which, unfortunately, Hillary Clinton and other leading Democrats still cling) is obviously out of touch with the grassroots, i.e. the Democratic voters.
Note to DLC: The issue IS the Iraq War, you dumbshits.
| Nobody said it better than London Mayor Ken ("Red Ken") Livingstone, a leading leftist. Though openly critical of Tony Blair for his support of the war in Iraq, Livingstone was eloquent and unequivocal about the terrorists. Pointing out that London had been chosen for the 2012 Olympic Games partly because 300 languages are spoken in his city, Livingstone said the jihadists' "cowardly attack" was aimed not "against the mighty or the powerful, it was aimed at ordinary working-class Londoners. Black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindus and Jews, young and old. It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, class, religion whatever." If only we could hear such moral clarity from our own party's left! Instead, we heard from Daily Kos, the ur-liberal ur-blogger, whose blog included a cheer for, among others, outcast Labourite George Galloway, who blamed the attacks on Blair's Iraq policy -- and was roundly denounced by virtually all British politicians. "See, Democrats? That's how it's done," lectured the blogger ignorantly. Likewise, Matt Yglesias, an articulate liberal voice at The American Prospect, who belittled Marshall Wittmann's call for moral clarity as a phrase never used "unironically" anymore. No wonder Democrats are perceived to have a values problem. My liberal friends are quick to point out that the left's chief grievance is with the war in Iraq, not the war on terror. But what does it do for the image of the Democratic Party -- not to mention the thinking of rank and file Democrats -- when some of our most skilled commentators use a moment of unambiguous terror to first find fault with an American policy (unseating Saddam Hussein) rather than first condemning the terrorists? It's both morally wrong and politically dumb. These musings in the left-wing blogosphere may be read regularly by only a few thousand people, but they seep into the intellectual bloodstream of the Democratic Party. They once again place Democrats on the wrong side of the ultimate issue of our time: winning the war on terror. |
The old Democratic Party leadership (to which, unfortunately, Hillary Clinton and other leading Democrats still cling) is obviously out of touch with the grassroots, i.e. the Democratic voters.
Note to DLC: The issue IS the Iraq War, you dumbshits.
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| "Arnold Schwarzenegger, now exposed as the most corrupt sitting governor in the United States, will never win another election." --Lawrence O'Donnell, making his prediction at the end of The McLaughlin Group. |
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July 25, 2005
But hey, not to worry. Pres. Bush says things are improving in Iraq. I mean, we got democracy breaking out everywhere in the Middle East, so the old democracy thing will take care of everything. Right?
Wanted: Food for Iraqis
| BAGHDAD, 25 July (IRIN) - A shortage of items in Iraq's monthly food rations is starting to worry government planners and the UN World Food Programme, particularly as most of the Iraqi population still depends on food aid. "There is a shortage of oil, tea, sugar, rice and washing powder, across all governorates," said Ali Mazlon, deputy director of the state company for food stuff at the Ministry of Trade, which is responsible for the distribution of food items under the Public Distribution System [PDS]. The WFP reported significant commodity shortages earlier this month. "The July circle of the PDS is well underway," it said in mid-July. "However, there continue to be significant shortages in the supply of commodities in many governorates. "This situation has been exacerbated by the continuing shortages in water and electricity, and now increasingly in fuel such as gas, kerosene and petrol." Mazlon said there were several reasons for the shortages. First of all there was insecurity, he said, with few trucking companies willing to operate in Iraq because of the kidnapping of some drivers and threats to others, particularly on the western border with Syria. There has also been a slow response to Iraq's food and commodity needs by suppliers, he added. "I have not had any tea, sugar or oil for a month - and I cannot afford to buy it," Baghdad housewife Samira Jabbar said. At present tea is being imported from Sri Lanka and India, rice from Thailand and the US, sugar from Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, and oil from various countries worldwide.... |
But hey, not to worry. Pres. Bush says things are improving in Iraq. I mean, we got democracy breaking out everywhere in the Middle East, so the old democracy thing will take care of everything. Right?
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Monday Bits
Are we prepared for the upcoming bird flu pandemic?
Online etiquette ("how to best use the Internet in a way that gets your message heard")
Online etiquette ("how to best use the Internet in a way that gets your message heard")
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Your Compassionate Bush-war Government Hard at Work for You
From the Washington Post (snippet):
| The Bush administration in recent days has been lobbying to block legislation supported by Republican senators that would bar the U.S. military from engaging in "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment" of detainees, from hiding prisoners from the Red Cross, and from using interrogation methods not authorized by a new Army field manual. Vice President Cheney met Thursday evening with three senior Republican members of the Senate Armed Services Committee to press the administration's case that legislation on these matters would usurp the president's authority and -- in the words of a White House official -- interfere with his ability "to protect Americans effectively from terrorist attack." |
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| "Funding [for cancer research] is tough to come by these days. The biggest downside to a war in Iraq is what you could do with that money. What does a war in Iraq cost a week? A billion? Maybe a billion a day? The budget for the National Cancer Institute is four billion. That has to change. It needs to become a priority again. Polls say people are much more afraid of cancer than of a plane flying into their house or a bomb or any other form of terrorism. It is a priority for the American public." - - - Lance Armstrong |
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Citizens' Rights Continue Going Down the Drain
Dan Gillmor reminds us that our government considers our constitutional right to individual privacy as irrelevant:
| AP: TSA Broke Privacy Laws. (The Transportation Security Agency) had promised it would only use the limited information about passengers that it had obtained from airlines. Instead, the agency and its contractors compiled files on people using data from commercial brokers and then compared those files with the lists. The article goes on to show how the agency then changed its "disclosure" after the fact to say it was doing what it had promised not to do. In other words, public officials lied through their teeth. Keep in mind that these new American apparachik work for a government that considers privacy an absolutely unacceptable luxury in an age of terrorism -- a government that not only fails to enforce the law but does pretty much what it pleases, however contrary its actions may be to the Constitution, in pursuit of its goals. The federal government is not alone. As has been pointed out here recently, New York City is blatantly ignoring the Fourth Amendment in its new subway security sweeps. Meanwhile, Congress sits there and does nothing, unless you count its imminent move to ratify the "Patriot" Act. And Americans sit there like sheep, preferring an illusion of safety to the facts of modern life, that liberty brings risks. Too bad people don't realize that the risks will be there even after we've abandoned liberty, too. |
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July 22, 2005
Roe v. Roberts
Many of you readers have probably already seen this analysis by Media Matters in regards to Supreme Court Nominee John Roberts, but it is a crucial argument of why he should NOT be confirmed by the Senate (snippet):
| During initial coverage of President Bush's nomination of John G. Roberts Jr. to the Supreme Court, many media outlets have cited Roberts's pledge at his 2003 appellate court nomination hearing to "fully and faithfully apply" Roe v. Wade as the "settled law of the land" as evidence that he would vote to uphold the 1973 decision establishing a constitutional right to abortion if confirmed to the Supreme Court. But the suggestion that Roberts's previous description of Roe as "settled law" signals anything about how he would vote if confirmed to the highest court is incorrect. As an appellate court judge, the position to which he was "applying" in 2003 when he pledged to follow the law, Roberts is bound to adhere to Supreme Court precedent or face possible reversal on appeal. But as a Supreme Court justice, he would be in a position to vote to overturn Roe, or any other Supreme Court decision with which he disagreed, no matter how "settled." In the words of The Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the upholding of binding precedent "is required of lower-court judges," and therefore Roberts's comment "seems to leave open the possibility that he could vote to overturn Roe as a high-court justice." |
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Iran Wins the War In Iraq
Juan Cole, on the newly-emerging partnership between the interim Shiite-majority Iriqi government and Iran (snippet):
| ...The ongoing chaos in Iraq has made it impossible for Bush administration hawks to carry out their long-held dream of overthrowing the Iranian regime, or even of forcing it to end its nuclear ambitions. (The Iranian nuclear research program will almost certainly continue, since the Iranians are bright enough to see what happened to the one member of the "axis of evil" that did not have an active nuclear weapons program.) The United States lacks the troops, but perhaps even more critically, it is now dependent on Iran to help it deal with a vicious guerrilla war that it cannot win. In the Middle East, the twists and turns of history tend to make strange bedfellows -- something the neocons, whose breathtaking ignorance of the region helped bring us to this place, are now learning to their dismay. More than two years after the fall of Saddam Hussein, it is difficult to see what real benefits have accrued to the United States from the Iraq war, though a handful of corporations have benefited marginally. In contrast, Iran is the big winner. The Shiites of Iraq increasingly realize they need Iranian backing to defeat the Sunni guerrillas and put the Iraqi economy right, a task the Americans have proved unable to accomplish. And Iran will still be Iraq's neighbor long after the fickle American political class has switched its focus to some other global hot spot. |
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Friday Bits
The Wilson-Plame-Novak-Rove Blame Game (your complete up-to-date guide, in chronological form)
Plame/Rove-gate intensifies. Several Administration officials may face serious espionage charges.
Bush-war continues his buildup for war with Iran...
How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart (reg. Req.)
Plame/Rove-gate intensifies. Several Administration officials may face serious espionage charges.
Bush-war continues his buildup for war with Iran...
How Costco Became the Anti-Wal-Mart (reg. Req.)
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This from a study released yesterday by the CDC:
We may no longer have lead around to damage kids' brains but, never fear: TV, cell phones, junk food and video games have taken up the slack.
| "About 1.6% of young children tested from 1999 to 2002 had elevated levels of lead, which could lower their intelligence and damage their brains, compared with 88.2% in the late 1970s and 4.4% in the early 1990s." |
We may no longer have lead around to damage kids' brains but, never fear: TV, cell phones, junk food and video games have taken up the slack.
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FRIDAY FUN
How to Fail an Exam
Google Maps Mania
Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - on kitchenware (video)
iPod jackets
"Pimp My Ride" parody (video)
Google Maps Transparencies (overlays street map onto satellite shot)
Cool Gadgets
Public service announcements and health class films from the '40s and '50s
Design your own House Online in 3D
Planarity (game; warning: very addictive)
Wi-Fi-FreeSpot™ Directory (find free WiFi near you for your laptop)
Google Maps Mania
Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse of the Heart" - on kitchenware (video)
iPod jackets
"Pimp My Ride" parody (video)
Google Maps Transparencies (overlays street map onto satellite shot)
Cool Gadgets
Public service announcements and health class films from the '40s and '50s
Design your own House Online in 3D
Planarity (game; warning: very addictive)
Wi-Fi-FreeSpot™ Directory (find free WiFi near you for your laptop)
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July 20, 2005
| “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” - - - Abraham Lincoln |
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Wednesday Bits
Declaration of Independence... from Oil (flash animation)
Turning the Tables: France Invades the U.S.
Fallujah AGAIN under U.S. attack
Reduction in breast cancer deaths associated with screening is small and not significant from a statistical standpoint, researchers report.
Uh oh... Microsoft sues Google
Turning the Tables: France Invades the U.S.
Fallujah AGAIN under U.S. attack
Reduction in breast cancer deaths associated with screening is small and not significant from a statistical standpoint, researchers report.
Uh oh... Microsoft sues Google
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Well, America, it's hardly been a month and already the Downing Street Memo and associated revelations are already slipping into the abyss. How soon before the Rove scandal follows right behind?
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When a "Right" Choice is a Wrong Choice
Bush's nomination of Roberts to replace O'Connor on the U.S. Supreme Court will have profoundly negative consequences for American women, as purported by Juan Cole:
Roberts sounds like a nice guy when he speaks. Look out for his ultra-right wing decisions and opinions, of which you'll be hearing a lot in the coming weeks.
LEFT is RIGHT's advice to Democratic Senators: Just Say No.
| George W. Bush's nomination of John Roberts, Jr. is a setback for American women, just has his policies in Iraq have produced a setback for women's rights in the Arab world. Indeed, Bush has been bad for women all around the globe. By nominating a man, Bush reduced the number of women on the Supreme Court. Sandra Day O'Connor is no progressive, but she knew what it was like to be locked out of the Old Boys Club, and she ruled in favor of women's issues like affirmative action and reproductive rights. Her feisty independence even led her to say that the Federal government had no business telling Californians they couldn't use marijuana for medical purposes. She is being replaced by a man who has no sympathy for any of the things she stood for. In particular, he wants to have men dictate to women whether they will carry to term babies that men impregnate them with. If abortion ends up being outlawed altogether, it will mean that rapists can in essence force their victims to bear their babies. In short, the more absolute forms of anti-reproductive rights philosophy is an active ally of these men against women (the daughters, nieces, wives and mothers of men). |
Roberts sounds like a nice guy when he speaks. Look out for his ultra-right wing decisions and opinions, of which you'll be hearing a lot in the coming weeks.
LEFT is RIGHT's advice to Democratic Senators: Just Say No.
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JOIN THE MARCH TO STOP GLOBAL WARMING
Dear LEFT is RIGHT reader:
We are marching across America for one year, via the internet, to bring everyone together in one loud clear voice of concern to urge our leaders to address global warming now. Please join the march and make your voice heard too.
You can read about the details HERE.
I invite you to add your name as a "virtual" marcher (no actual walking involved). If you are interested, please leave your email address in the comments (or email me at: mwstabile at gmail dot com) and I will send (via email) a formal invitation to you. There's no cost.
You can also join by registering at my personal web page at stopglobalwarming.org.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
We are marching across America for one year, via the internet, to bring everyone together in one loud clear voice of concern to urge our leaders to address global warming now. Please join the march and make your voice heard too.
| Stop Global Warming Virtual March on Washington Environmental activists Laurie David and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. were searching for a high-impact public campaign to make a real difference in the fight against global warming, the idea of a march on Washington was considered. Recognizing that a march on Washington starts and ends in one day and usually garners just minor mention on the evening news, David and Kennedy thought of the idea of a virtual march on Washington. Launching on Earth Day 2005, the March will build for one year, leading to a series of high profile events around the issue of global warming… a feature documentary airing on HBO in April, 2006 and numerous media opportunities tied into this release including a CNN town hall meeting, a cover story in Time magazine, etc. Working with a team of web and campaign organizing experts, the Virtual March on Washington to Stop Global Warming will utilize cutting edge technology and aggressive campaigning strategies to reach a diverse base of Americans to grow the March to millions strong. |
You can read about the details HERE.
I invite you to add your name as a "virtual" marcher (no actual walking involved). If you are interested, please leave your email address in the comments (or email me at: mwstabile at gmail dot com) and I will send (via email) a formal invitation to you. There's no cost.
You can also join by registering at my personal web page at stopglobalwarming.org.
Thank you very much for your consideration.
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July 19, 2005
HERE'S THE SCOOP on Bush's nomination tonight for the U.S. Supreme Court, John G. Roberts Jr. He's anti-women's rights, anti-environment, pro-corporation... basically anti-you and anti-me. We must stop him.
Well, we kinda sorta maybe took over Baghdad, but not really. "Saddam Hussein's elite troops" are now called the insurgent forces, but otherwise, everything noted above is true. Amazing. We'd better start looking for our tails, because we ARE going to have to put them between our legs pretty soon.
HERE'S THE SCOOP on Bush's nomination tonight for the U.S. Supreme Court, John G. Roberts Jr. He's anti-women's rights, anti-environment, pro-corporation... basically anti-you and anti-me. We must stop him.
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A Blast from the Past
| US will lose war, says former UN inspector March 26 2003 at 06:42PM Lisbon - The United States does not have the military means to take over Baghdad and will lose the war against Iraq, former United Nations weapons inspector Scott Ritter said. "The United States is going to leave Iraq with its tail between its legs, defeated. It is a war we can not win," he told private radio TSF in an interview broadcast here Tuesday evening. "We do not have the military means to take over Baghdad and for this reason I believe the defeat of the United States in this war is inevitable," he said. "Every time we confront Iraqi troops we may win some tactical battles, as we did for ten years in Vietnam but we will not be able to win this war, which in my opinion is already lost," Ritter added. Stiffening Iraqi resistance as US-led forces close in on Baghdad have prompted questions about the strategy to use precision air power and a smaller, fast moving ground force to topple Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. Some military analysts have said there are not enough allied troops in Iraq to take control of Baghdad, where Saddam Hussein's elite troops are said to be concentrated, and that the planning of the war was overly optimistic. But British Prime Minister Tony Blair told parliament Wednesday the United States and Britain believe they have "sufficient forces" in Iraq and London was not planning to send reinforcements to the country at this stage. A combination of bad weather and heavy fighting in central Iraq has slowed the advance of coalition troops marching on Baghdad. Ritter resigned in August 1998 after accusing both Washington and the United Nations of not doing enough to support the weapons inspectors. Since leaving the UN weapons inspectors team he has become an outspoken critic of US policies towards Iraq. - Sapa-AFP |
Well, we kinda sorta maybe took over Baghdad, but not really. "Saddam Hussein's elite troops" are now called the insurgent forces, but otherwise, everything noted above is true. Amazing. We'd better start looking for our tails, because we ARE going to have to put them between our legs pretty soon.
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July 18, 2005
I usually post only snippets of posts from other blogs with the assumption that, if you are interested enough, you'll go to the linked source and finish it. In this case, I offer to you the brazenly thought-provoking product in its entirety for obvious reasons:
While at Comic-Con this weekend I attended a preview and panel discussion of a new TV show for this fall, THRESHOLD. If you like getting scared out of your pants, miss X-Files, appreciate mature subject matter (no, not porn) and love realistic Sci-Fi, I highly recommend this new show. The producers have credentials up the yazoo, and the cast is first-rate. The production values look better than I've ever seen for television, and the producers and network seem quite serious about the success of this show.
Plus, one of my favorite actors is starring:
PETER DINKLAGE
| Right and wrong by kos - Mon Jul 18th, 2005 at 00:05:12 PDT In the days after the discovery of Deep Throat's identity, many people noted how Watergate would be impossible in today's political climate -- where partisanship trumps the truth inside a GOP machine so deeply entrenched in this country's governance structure that it controls the White House, House, Senate, Supreme Court, most appelate courts, and the media. And where the GOP can do no wrong, regardless of the ethical or criminal transgression. It is quite instructive and shocking, even with this administration, that the outing of a CIA agent, her front company, and god knows how many other agents and operations, is met with a collective shrug from wingnut circles. While a blow job gave them the vapors, a genuine breach of national security gives them no pause, gives them no reason to abandon "the architect". Political power trumps everything -- even the safety of our nation. Given what we know of the case, we know that Rove violated his non-disclose agreement. We know that Rove acted unethically, without regard to the consequences of his actions. Whether a crime has been committed remains to be seen, but shouldn't matter a whit. The technical letter of the law isn't a shield from accountability, an antidote to endangering national security, an amnesiac from the lies McClellan -- and by extension Bush and Co -- spewed to the American people two years ago. Right-thinking people -- even Republicans -- should look at these unfolding events with horror. I would certainly feel betrayed and angry if a Democratic administration thusly endangered national security and undermined our non-proliferation efforts. I wouldn't make apologies for it. I wouldn't rationalize it, attempt to distract with irrelevant, tangential points. I would demand accountability. But to modern-day Republicans and their apologists, they can do no wrong. No Republican's action is worthy of scorn or censure. They are perfect. Flawless. Immune to error. Godlike. How someone could be reduced to that level is beyond me. Republicans have now sent notice that they place allegiance to party and power above their allegiance to the United States of America. To them, the elephant flies above the Stars and Stripes. The Democratic majorities were undone in large part to the endemic corruption that afflicted the long-entrenched Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. It's the curse of any party that rules for too long, the insidious creep of hubris, corruption, and sense of entitlement which we, as a species, can't seem to avoid. The GOP is now facing those very same pressures, and exposing that corruption and hubris in spectacular fashion to the American public. A party that believes it holds a "permanent majority" is under no pressure to behave ethically and work for the common good above all else. Their missteps have been big. Their crimes increasingly brazen. And their own partisans, their foot soldiers, refuse to hold their party accountable. Rather, they join in the rationalizations and embolden their leaders to stay the course. No crime against the nation is bad enough for these guys. No ethical violations too distasteful. They applaud and cheer from the sidelines, as though their nation and their party is somehow well served by such shenanigans. Neither are. I don't care about the Republican Party. They can continue to rot from within. But I do care about this country and so do a lot of folks who suddenly don't like what they're seeing. The GOP can continue to pretend that rot smells like roses, even as the stench nauseates the rest of us. That disconnect can only help quicken their eventual exit. The big question, however, is how much damage they will inflict on the nation's national security before they're gone. |
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I rarely recommend TV shows but...
While at Comic-Con this weekend I attended a preview and panel discussion of a new TV show for this fall, THRESHOLD. If you like getting scared out of your pants, miss X-Files, appreciate mature subject matter (no, not porn) and love realistic Sci-Fi, I highly recommend this new show. The producers have credentials up the yazoo, and the cast is first-rate. The production values look better than I've ever seen for television, and the producers and network seem quite serious about the success of this show.
Plus, one of my favorite actors is starring:
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Study cites seeds of terror in Iraq (snippets):
Agree with this I do.
| ....interrogations of nearly 300 Saudis captured while trying to sneak into Iraq and case studies of more than three dozen others who blew themselves up in suicide attacks show that most were heeding the calls from clerics and activists to drive infidels out of Arab land, according to a study by Saudi investigator Nawaf Obaid, a US-trained analyst who was commissioned by the Saudi government and given access to Saudi officials and intelligence. A separate Israeli analysis of 154 foreign fighters compiled by a leading terrorism researcher found that despite the presence of some senior Al Qaeda operatives who are organizing the volunteers, ''the vast majority of [non-Iraqi] Arabs killed in Iraq have never taken part in any terrorist activity prior to their arrival in Iraq." ''Only a few were involved in past Islamic insurgencies in Afghanistan, Bosnia, or Chechnya," the Israeli study says. Out of the 154 fighters analyzed, only a handful had past associations with terrorism, including six who had fathers who fought the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, said the report, compiled by the Global Research in International Affairs Center in Herzliya, Israel. American intelligence officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, and terrorism specialists paint a similar portrait of the suicide bombers wreaking havoc in Iraq: Prior to the Iraq war, they were not Islamic extremists seeking to attack the United States, as Al Qaeda did four years ago, but are part of a new generation of terrorists responding to calls to defend their fellow Muslims from ''crusaders" and ''infidels." ''The president is right that Iraq is a main front in the war on terrorism, but this is a front we created," said Peter Bergen, a terrorism specialist at the nonpartisan New America Foundation, a Washington think tank. Foreign militants make up only a small percentage of the insurgents fighting in Iraq, as little as 10 percent, according to US military and intelligence officials. The top general in Iraq said late last month that about 600 foreign fighters have been captured or killed by coalition forces since the Jan. 30 Iraqi elections. The wider insurgency, numbering in the tens of thousands, is believed to consist of former Iraqi soldiers, Saddam Hussein loyalists, and members of Iraq's Sunni Muslim minority. But the impact of the foreign fighters has been enormous. They are blamed for the almost daily suicide attacks against US and Iraqi forces and have killed thousands of civilians, mostly members of Iraq's Shia Muslim majority. Their exploits have been responsible for much of the headline-grabbing carnage recently, contributing to the slide in American public support for the war.... |
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| "As soon as Bush is officially a lame duck, we clearly need John McCain and other moderates to take back the Republican Party. I know that this sounds naieve to many who think that it is impossible to turn back the power of religious fundamentalists in the party, but I disagree. And in the Democratic Party, they still haven't cleaned house. The party is still risk-averse, clinging to a 50%-plus-one attititude, which keeps it from appealing to the passions and hopes of those who want more from national leaders. And yes, I'll add to the mantra -- the Dems have been abysmally slow and ineffective in the manufacturing and production of "new ideas." There have been some gains -- but Dems need to unclog their arteries. I really don't care if the White House is held by a Republican or Democratic president if that president reflects the best interests of a broad cross section of the public and manages public interests and goals honorably and competently. But right now, both parties are deeply flawed and controlled by forces that inhibit the leadership Americans deserve from coming to the helm. In my view, it seems easier to hijack and redirect the Democratic Party towards great purposes than the Republican establishment. And I worry that if John McCain, whom I very much like, got the Republican Party nomination, he'd have to swallow George Allen or Jeb Bush in the Vice Presidential slots. If he sent either of these two off to work on highway beautification, or inner-city crime problems, perhaps we could live with that. But we can never again accept or tolerate a Vice President of Dick Cheney's ilk. - - - Steve Clemons |
Agree with this I do.
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Phone on the Brain
If you're concerned about the brain-cancer-causing radiation emitted from cell phones, then you'll be interested in this CNET guide to Cell Phone Radiation Levels. It lists the ten worst (highest emitting) and ten best phones currently on the market. You can also look up your phone model and see its radiation emission rating.
If you're not concerned about this danger (especially if you have kids with phones), then you're just plain stupid and/or ignorant.
If you're not concerned about this danger (especially if you have kids with phones), then you're just plain stupid and/or ignorant.
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Should Endangered Species Act Be Put On Endangered Species List?
| July 18, 2005 Proposed Legislation Would Destroy Endangered Species Act Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), a longtime foe of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), is about to introduce a bill that will dramatically alter the reach of the act. Titled the Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Act of 2005, the Pombo bill has infuriated environmental groups, who have dubbed it the "Wildlife Extinction Bill." ESA is in many ways the underpinning of the entire structure of America's environmental protection system. The Pombo bill would actually repeal ESA entirely in 2015. Pombo's bill dramatically alters the criteria a species must meet in order to qualify as endangered. While the current ESA requires that species be listed if their survival is threatened "in a significant portion of [their] range," Pombo's bill only considers a species to be endangered if its survival is threatened in its current remaining occupied habitat. In other words if a healthy population of an endangered species exists in an isolated region, but is threatened elsewhere, it would not be considered endangered. Kieran Suckling, policy director of the Center for Biological Diversity, told BushGreenwatch that this change in the Act's language "would wipe most currently endangered species off the list and prevent most others from ever getting there, making endangered species recovery impossible." Pombo's bill also limits which species can be considered endangered by allowing only species imperiled by "human activities or by invasive species, competition from other species, drought, fire or other catastrophic natural causes," whereas the current ESA requires the listing of any endangered species, regardless of what threatens its survival. Lacking any scientific rationale, the Pombo bill defines invasive species to exclude those "grown for food, fiber or human use." This change makes the criteria to qualify as an endangered species even more stringent because many harmful invasive species, such as bullfrogs, buffel grass, brown trout, carp, tamarisk, and predatory snails, were or still are being introduced for "human use." Defying the ESA's goal of assisting endangered species recovery, Pombo's bill proposes to protect only enough habitat for an endangered species to survive on the brink of extinction, not enough to grow. The ESA currently designates "critical habitat" as areas "essential to the conservation of the species," regardless of whether or not the species has a presence there. Critics charge that by limiting critical habitat to a bare minimum, Pombo's legislation contradicts the overarching goal of the ESA, which is to prevent endangered species from going extinct. Jamie Rappaport Clark, former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and current vice president of Defenders of Wildlife points out that, "Loss of habitat is widely recognized by scientists to be the primary cause of species endangerment and extinction." Further inhibiting endangered species from restoring their population to healthy levels, Pombo's bill gets rid of the current ESA requirement to assist endangered species recovery using "all methods and procedures necessary to bring any endangered species or threatened species" back to levels where it is no longer considered endangered. Pombo's bill makes the recovery requirement optional. The Pombo bill also severely limits protection for "threatened species" whose populations are in rapid decline but not yet considered "endangered." The current ESA mandates protection of critical habitat for both threatened and endangered species, Pombo's bill flat-out disallows federal protection for threatened species. |
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Hey Arnold, How About Some Accountability?
Douglas Heller and Carmen Balber have some suggestions for Governor Groperzenegger:
Instead of "acting" like a typical Republican corporate shill, maybe Arnold could start "acting" like he cares about Californians who are NOT corporate executives.
| Arnold did the right thing this afternoon by severing his multi-million dollar contract with the muscle mags. But the fact that Arnold's team defiantly defended the deal yesterday indicates he's more concerned about a source of bad press than the conflict of interest that caused public outrage. He skirted that bad press for more than a year and made the conflict worse when he lied about the deal, revealing an arrangement for charitable contributions by the magazines in '04 but withholding the fact that he was also personally making millions from the magazines' sale of dietary supplement ads. So, just cutting the contract doesn't do the trick. If he wants Californians to trust that his decisions are made in the public interest and not because he's getting paid on the side, Arnold must: 1. Return any money that he has already received for selling diet supplement ads - at least $1.5 million. 2. Provide a more detailed explanation of all his income, including the money received from the other 20 companies that were listed with the muscle mags as income earned through his corporate shell, Oak Productions, as well as other sources of income that he aggregates in his ethics filings. 3. Do what President Bush and most other politicians do and make his tax returns public. The citizens of California have a right to know where Arnold gets his money each year to determine if he is being unduly influenced as a result of other secret business deals. 4. Immediately revisit the law regulating the supplement industry that he vetoed last year while receiving income from their advertising. If the gov won't come clean, the Legislature should subpoena his records to determine if there are other contracts that force Arnold to choose between the public interest and his personal enrichment. There's no such thing as being a little anabolic. |
Instead of "acting" like a typical Republican corporate shill, maybe Arnold could start "acting" like he cares about Californians who are NOT corporate executives.
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FRIDAY FUN
Sorry for being late. I've been out of town...
Smithsonian Global Sound (recordings by new artists from around the world)
Five Minutes With: Stephen Colbert
Archive of Live 8 music
Don't Click It (interactive)
History of the Batmobile
Covering the hurricane coverage (audio)
Boing Boing (cartoon)
Photos of Trains
Bad Book Covers
Smithsonian Global Sound (recordings by new artists from around the world)
Five Minutes With: Stephen Colbert
Archive of Live 8 music
Don't Click It (interactive)
History of the Batmobile
Covering the hurricane coverage (audio)
Boing Boing (cartoon)
Photos of Trains
Bad Book Covers
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July 14, 2005
Posting to LEFT is RIGHT will be sparse to non-existent over the next four days as yours truly will be attending COMICON!
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How I Learn
I've had friends and family ask me where I get my information for posting. Well, for the majority of my posts I review several free daily email newsletters:
Above the Fold (from Environmental Health News)
Arnold Watch (the Groperzenegger's latest shenanigans)
BushGreenWatch (Bush's anti-environmental policies)
Campus progress Network (from Center for American Progress)
Common Dreams (progressive news and views)
Economic Policy Weekly (from Center for American Progress)
Information Clearing House
IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks)
The Progress Report (from Center for American Progress)
The Roundup (daily California politics)
I religiously visit my Daily Readings links, especially those under "The Best". I also periodically check many of the links listed in the three lines at the top of this blog. Otherwise, like everyone else, I just look at promising links that I might come across while surfing.
Above the Fold (from Environmental Health News)
Arnold Watch (the Groperzenegger's latest shenanigans)
BushGreenWatch (Bush's anti-environmental policies)
Campus progress Network (from Center for American Progress)
Common Dreams (progressive news and views)
Economic Policy Weekly (from Center for American Progress)
Information Clearing House
IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks)
The Progress Report (from Center for American Progress)
The Roundup (daily California politics)
I religiously visit my Daily Readings links, especially those under "The Best". I also periodically check many of the links listed in the three lines at the top of this blog. Otherwise, like everyone else, I just look at promising links that I might come across while surfing.
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July 13, 2005
Today's LEFT is RIGHT pop quiz
Consider the following quote:
The source of this quote is:
[A] Taken from a script of an episode of the popular TV show "CSI".
[B] A typical comment by Bush in 2002 regarding his policy of verifying whether or not WMD existed in Iraq.
[C] What Bush said to reporters today regarding the grand jury probe of Karl Rove.
If you said [A]: It could be true, but I don't watch the show, so study your class notes better next time rather than watching so much TV.
If you said [B]: Where the hell have you been the past three years? Under a rock? Have your parents call me as soon as you get home. You're obviously reading the wrong newspapers for your homework.
If you said [C]: Good job of paying attention. Go to the from of the class and take one, AND ONLY ONE, toy from the incentive box.
| "This is a serious investigation. I will be more than happy to comment on this matter once this investigation is complete. I also will not prejudge the investigation based on media reports." |
The source of this quote is:
[A] Taken from a script of an episode of the popular TV show "CSI".
[B] A typical comment by Bush in 2002 regarding his policy of verifying whether or not WMD existed in Iraq.
[C] What Bush said to reporters today regarding the grand jury probe of Karl Rove.
If you said [A]: It could be true, but I don't watch the show, so study your class notes better next time rather than watching so much TV.
If you said [B]: Where the hell have you been the past three years? Under a rock? Have your parents call me as soon as you get home. You're obviously reading the wrong newspapers for your homework.
If you said [C]: Good job of paying attention. Go to the from of the class and take one, AND ONLY ONE, toy from the incentive box.
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"The Big Lie About Valerie Plame"
| By Larry Johnson - - From: TPMCafe Special Guests - Jul 13, 2005 -- 12:47:20 AM EST The misinformation being spread in the media about the Plame affair is alarming and damaging to the longterm security interests of the United States. Republicans' talking points are trying to savage Joe Wilson and, by implication, his wife, Valerie Plame as liars. That is the truly big lie. For starters, Valerie Plame was an undercover operations officer until outed in the press by Robert Novak. Novak's column was not an isolated attack. It was in fact part of a coordinated, orchestrated smear that we now know includes at least Karl Rove. Valerie Plame was a classmate of mine from the day she started with the CIA. I entered on duty at the CIA in September 1985. All of my classmates were undercover--in other words, we told our family and friends that we were working for other overt U.S. Government agencies. We had official cover. That means we had a black passport--i.e., a diplomatic passport. If we were caught overseas engaged in espionage activity the black passport was a get out of jail free card. A few of my classmates, and Valerie was one of these, became a non-official cover officer. That meant she agreed to operate overseas without the protection of a diplomatic passport. If caught in that status she would have been executed. The lies by people like Victoria Toensing, Representative Peter King, and P. J. O'Rourke insist that Valerie was nothing, just a desk jockey. Yet, until Robert Novak betrayed her she was still undercover and the company that was her front was still a secret to the world. When Novak outed Valerie he also compromised her company and every individual overseas who had been in contact with that company and with her. The Republicans now want to hide behind the legalism that "no laws were broken". I don't know if a man made law was broken but an ethical and moral code was breached. For the first time a group of partisan political operatives publically identified a CIA NOC. They have set a precendent that the next group of political hacks may feel free to violate. They try to hide behind the specious claim that Joe Wilson "lied". Although Joe did not lie let's follow that reasoning to the logical conclusion. Let's use the same standard for the Bush Administration. Here are the facts. Bush's lies have resulted in the deaths of almost 1800 American soldiers and the mutilation of 12,000. Joe Wilson has not killed anyone. He tried to prevent the needless death of Americans and the loss of American prestige in the world. But don't take my word for it, read the biased Senate intelligence committee report. Even though it was slanted to try to portray Joe in the worst possible light this fact emerges on page 52 of the report: According to the US Ambassador to Niger (who was commenting on Joe's visit in February 2002), "Ambassador Wilson reached the same conclusion that the Embassy has reached that it was highly unlikely that anything between Iraq and Niger was going on." Joe's findings were consistent with those of the Deputy Commander of the European Command, Major General Fulford. The Republicans insist on the lie that Val got her husband the job. She did not. She was not a division director, instead she was the equivalent of an Army major. Yes it is true she recommended her husband to do the job that needed to be done but the decision to send Joe Wilson on this mission was made by her bosses. At the end of the day, Joe Wilson was right. There were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. It was the Bush Administration that pushed that lie and because of that lie Americans are dying. Shame on those who continue to slander Joe Wilson while giving Bush and his pack of liars a pass. That's the true outrage. |
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THIS is why Fox news should be sent to hell.
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Here's the definition of "double super secret background":
| It's just like regular background but with no tagbacks, frontsies or backsies, taken to infinity plus one on opposite day, circle circle dot dot now you've got a cootie shot. It was first pioneered by Edward R. Murrow. - - - Stephen Colbert |
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July 12, 2005
The Left Coaster says that maybe we finally can stop being cynical about the White House press corps:
| Many of you are justified for being cynical that this [Rove-gate] means anything at all, after watching how this team has cowed the media for the last four years. But this attitude change is significant because the issue of credibility has been put front and center by the White House press corps, the people who get massaged by this team every day, and who are willing accomplices in the messaging. These aren't the pundits or Democratic activists doing the trashing, its part of the message machine itself: the day to day water carriers inside the press room. And it is significant for another reason: the Rove-Plame story is really only a small part of what is about to unravel, namely the other larger activities of this crew that trampled on national security through a flouting of the espionage laws of this country. And if the media is already on the attack for being lied to on just this part of the overall story, then they will be much more receptive when any bigger stories come out subsequent to this one. |
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Tuesday Bits
Is sending aid to Africa WRONG??
Blair coverup of London Bombings?
Heeeere comes Emily!
An indicator of the progress in America's training of the Iraqi police force
Additional time to be added to 2005!
"My moral integrity? Oh, about this big."
Blair coverup of London Bombings?
Heeeere comes Emily!
An indicator of the progress in America's training of the Iraqi police force
Additional time to be added to 2005!
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| "...But Rove's revenge on Wilson was the ultimate. Plame was undercover as an employee of a phony energy company. She was actually investigating illegal proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. When Rove blew her cover to the US press, everyone who had ever been seen with her in Africa or Asia was put in extreme danger. It is said that some of her contacts may have been killed. Imagine the setback to the US struggle against weapons of mass destruction proliferation that this represents. Rove marched us off to Iraq, where there weren't any. But he disrupted a major effort by the CIA to fight WMD that really did exist...." - - - Juan Cole |
"My moral integrity? Oh, about this big."[Go to Top] [HOME]
July 11, 2005
Monday Bits
Latest Israeli government decision is likely to get us all killed
U.S. Soldier serving in Iraq is arrested for opinion
Where's Dennis?
U.S. Soldier serving in Iraq is arrested for opinion
Where's Dennis?
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What Happens When Village Idiots Are Allowed to Breed
This from Village Voice:
"Holy Darwin, Batman! Idiots are taking over the world!"
| "It's not logical. . . . It doesn't go with any scientific evidence," explained Forrest Montgomery, 20, a student at Murrieta Calvary Chapel Bible College in California. "It's a theory, and it's been disproven many times. . . . They have to keep on changing the theory of evolution . . . and it's terrible because they teach it in schools as fact, and they say you can't teach the Bible. . . . The Bible hasn't been proven wrong, and it's impossible to prove it wrong. Like, the Bible—it's flawless. It's the word of God." Montgomery was one of hundreds of evangelicals who came to New York last week for the Billy Graham Crusade. Another was his classmate Kenny Kagawa, 23. "I used to believe in evolution," said Kagawa, "but after I started thinking, I'm like, why am I believing something that there's no proof to? You know? And then when I heard the story of Christ and just the creation and everything, I researched it, and there's so much more evidence that goes along with the story of the Bible, like, accounts of the beginning. . . . "So, Christianity's not a bunch of people who are brainwashed and don't know anything, you know what I mean? It's a life-changing experience. . . . God created us with a brain to think on our own, and that's what I did. I went to school. I went to college. I did good. . . . I'm not one just to believe in anything." |
"Holy Darwin, Batman! Idiots are taking over the world!"
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Criminal record? Just put it in your resume.
Bush-war continues to hire more criminals into the Administration:
Unbelievable. Still.
| CONFESSED IRAN-CONTRA CONSPIRATOR LANDS PLUM PENTAGON JOB: Robert Earl confessed to a grand jury that "he had destroyed and stolen national security documents while working for Lt. Col. Oliver L. North during the Iran-Contra scandal." Today, in the Bush administration, "Earl has clearance to review the kinds of classified documents he once destroyed." Earl has landed "one of the most coveted offices in the Pentagon as chief of staff to Gordon R. England, acting deputy secretary of Defense." Pentagon spokesmen said they weren't concerned with Earl's involvement in an illegal cover-up because it occurred "nearly two decades ago." |
Unbelievable. Still.
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July 10, 2005
Today I finally figured out what was causing this blog to expand beyond the limits of the screen's right side. I don't know more than a novice level of HTML coding, so it was satisfying to decipher the cause.
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Hollywood movie studios are experiencing a box office sales slump. I wonder why. Could it be because movie patrons are finally starting to get weary of sitting through 15-20 minutes of previews and commercials?
Yes. Wake up, theater owners. By advertising your business to your own customers, you're driving them away.
Commercial TV is free because the advertisers pay. I'd be more likely to go to movie theaters if the tickets were free or priced to reflect the fact that customers are forced to sit through commercials for movies. $10-12 per ticket is unreasonable, unless they strip the previews/commercials. Besides, they make a killing at the concessions stands.
Yes. Wake up, theater owners. By advertising your business to your own customers, you're driving them away.
Commercial TV is free because the advertisers pay. I'd be more likely to go to movie theaters if the tickets were free or priced to reflect the fact that customers are forced to sit through commercials for movies. $10-12 per ticket is unreasonable, unless they strip the previews/commercials. Besides, they make a killing at the concessions stands.
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A TIMELINE OF VENGENCE AND DECEIT: HOW THE OUTING OF A COVERT CIA AGENT TIES TO POTENTIAL IMPEACHMENT
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July 9, 2005
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July 8, 2005
I sense that Bush's invasion of Iraq, now coupled with the recent success of the retaliatory bombings in London, have likely increased the motivation of Islamic militant extremists to visit the U.S. and blow up more of us. Bush should just abandon his buddies' Iraq dreams and bring the soldiers back home to guard us. What's more important, the American people or the Iraq oil fields? (Well, of course the American people are more imp..... Oh, wait, I forgot. As far as the Neocons are concerned, it's definitely not us. Unless we're missing half our brains and on feeding tubes, or are undifferentiated stem cells.) (Now that I think about it, the Republican Right do act like they have half a brain, so maybe that's why Bush kowtows to them and... Oh, never mind.)
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Friday Bits
This is just totally obscene (login: bobtimes password: nytimes)
An Animated Dennis
White House Silence: Bolton's Nomination Just Withering Away. . .
An Animated Dennis
White House Silence: Bolton's Nomination Just Withering Away. . .
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L.A. City Council Passes Resolution Against Social Security Privatization
Resolution passed 13-0. (emphasis added)
New Mayor Tony Villaraigosa is off to a great start!
| File Number 05-0002-S20 Last Changed Date 07/08/2005 Title PRIVATIZING social security Initiated by Villaraigosa Mover 2005 / Weiss Subject Resolution - WHEREAS, social security is our country's most important and successful income insurance program providing economic security to retired Americans and their families; persons with disabilities and their families; and surviving spouses and children of deceased workers; and WHEREAS, social security provides essential benefits to over 46 million Americans, 63% of whom are over the age of 65; 13% of whom are disabled workers; 6% of whom are the wives and husbands of retired and disabled workers; 10% of whom are aged widows and widowers; and 8% of whom are children; and WHEREAS, social security has reduced the poverty rate of older Americans from over 30% forty years ago to 10.2% today; and WHEREAS, proposals are being considered in Washington, D.C. that would partially privatize social security - to the great detriment of current beneficiaries as well as future generations; and WHEREAS, partial privatization worsens social security's financial outlook and requires larger benefit cuts or revenue increases than would otherwise be necessary for solvency; and WHEREAS, the purpose of social security is to assure basic income when it is most needed. No private account can achieve that goal because, unlike social security, there is always a risk that the asset values of private accounts will fall; and WHEREAS, in 2000-2001, when the NASDAQ fell more than 70% and the S&P 500 fell nearly 50%, Americans witnessed just how risky and unpredictable market investments are. For income that is relied upon to such an extent as social security, this risk could mean catastrophe for citizens on the eve of retirement; and WHEREAS, not only are privately managed accounts too risky for the social security system, but post-retirement inflation erodes private pensions. social security, in contrast, fully protects against inflation; and WHEREAS, the federal budget deficit over the next decade is estimated at over $5 trillion. Diverting payroll taxes from social security into individual accounts would, according to President Bush's own commission on privatizing social security, add $4 trillion to the deficit by 2040. This kind of debt could be detrimental to the U.S. economy and would almost certainly drain the social security Trust Fund. Benefit cuts would soon follow; and WHEREAS, social security is not in crisis, and there are other options for reinforcing social security and protecting future beneficiaries. Such proposals do not undermine the system, rather they address the deficit and keep social security viable beyond 2050; and WHEREAS, rejecting the privatization of social security in no way prevents private citizens from creating their own market-responsive investment accounts. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that with the concurrence of the Mayor, the City of Los Angeles declares its OPPOSITION to the partial or total privatization of social security and urges Congress to reject these proposals. |
New Mayor Tony Villaraigosa is off to a great start!
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 "I mean, my first thought when I heard -- just on a personal basis, when I heard there had been this attack and I saw the futures this morning, which were really in the tank, I thought, "Hmmm, time to buy." - - - Brit Hume, on his initial reaction to the London bombings |
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FRIDAY FUN
Take the STICK FIGURE MOVIE SCENE Quiz
Girl with Cups (video)
Doberman-to-Poodle Conversion Kit
Google Sightseeing (might not be up yet)
Deep Impact Photos
Lock up your ice cream
Comparing Kittens to Dogs and Babies
Gay Urinals
Paper Airplanes
Tom Cruise is Nuts
Sudoku (game)
Test yourself for testicular cancer (for guys only, obviously)
Bouncing, falling woman (I can't decide whether or not this is sexist, but it is definitely weird)
iPod Flea (video) (and really funny)
Optical Illusions
Girl with Cups (video)
Doberman-to-Poodle Conversion Kit
Google Sightseeing (might not be up yet)
Deep Impact Photos
Lock up your ice cream
Comparing Kittens to Dogs and Babies
Gay Urinals
Paper Airplanes
Tom Cruise is Nuts
Sudoku (game)
Test yourself for testicular cancer (for guys only, obviously)
Bouncing, falling woman (I can't decide whether or not this is sexist, but it is definitely weird)
iPod Flea (video) (and really funny)
Optical Illusions
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Steely Fan
Okay, this is just weird. From the L.A. Times Sports Section:
A beer at his side? When I'm dead I want a beer in each hand and my feet propped up with a 24-bottle case. And I want all my blood replaced with the best beer in the world; forget that smelly formaldehyde crap.
| Heaven on earth: James Henry Smith, 55, who died of prostate cancer last week, was a passionate Pittsburgh Steeler fan. So his family arranged an unusual viewing Tuesday night. Smith's body was placed on a recliner with his feet crossed and a remote in his hand. He wore black and gold silk pajamas, slippers and a robe. A beer was at his side as a high-definition TV showed continuous Steeler highlights. |
A beer at his side? When I'm dead I want a beer in each hand and my feet propped up with a 24-bottle case. And I want all my blood replaced with the best beer in the world; forget that smelly formaldehyde crap.
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July 7, 2005
Heather at Here's What's Left describes the Right Brothers singing the wrong music. Here's some of their lyrics (from: "You Can't Racial Profile"):
Well, I ain't never seen a grandma
Strap dynamite around her waist
Or put explosives in her slip-ons
And try to blow a plane to outerspace
As a matter of fact every terrorist act
That's taken place in the friendly sky
You must understand has been by an olived skinned man
Between 18 and 35
Chorus
You can't racial profile
We've got laws against that insensitive attack
And meanwhile, they can pull every granny out of line
You can poke 'em and prod 'em if they're yellow, black or white
But if they're Middle Eastern well you'd better treat 'em right
'Cause being politically correct is more important than saving lives
I am starting to think that I will never understand just how so many people can become so insane as to truly believe in the Extreme Christian Conservative doctrine. It's gotta be something they've been puttin' into the tap water for the past three decades.
Well, I ain't never seen a grandma
Strap dynamite around her waist
Or put explosives in her slip-ons
And try to blow a plane to outerspace
As a matter of fact every terrorist act
That's taken place in the friendly sky
You must understand has been by an olived skinned man
Between 18 and 35
Chorus
You can't racial profile
We've got laws against that insensitive attack
And meanwhile, they can pull every granny out of line
You can poke 'em and prod 'em if they're yellow, black or white
But if they're Middle Eastern well you'd better treat 'em right
'Cause being politically correct is more important than saving lives
I am starting to think that I will never understand just how so many people can become so insane as to truly believe in the Extreme Christian Conservative doctrine. It's gotta be something they've been puttin' into the tap water for the past three decades.
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| Isn't it interesting that we pledge alligence to the flag, and then almost as an after thought, "and to the republic for which it stands"? And that same pledge says we provide justice for all; when in reality, we provide justice only to those we want to provide justice to, and all others be damned. It would be so much cleaner to just say: "I pledge alligence to the United States of America, one nation, indivisable, with liberty and justice for most citizens." - - - Mike Hedblom |
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Left i has succinctly summarized the ramifications of today's attack in London:
| In conjunction with the tragic bombings in London (no more tragic than bombings which occur daily in Iraq, of course, not that that won't mean they get a thousand times the press coverage and government attention), I keep hearing various officials claiming that "we knew if wasn't a question of if, but when" -- terrorist attacks as an "act of God" (i.e., nature), like a tsunami or an earthquake. Not once have I heard anyone in authority raise the question of maybe, just maybe, the way to put an end to these attacks is not by invading more countries, or surrounding more public places with more police, or curtailing civil liberties to the point of facism, but by simply and fundamentally changing American (and British) foreign policy, starting with an end to the U.S. occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, an end to U.S. support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine, an end to the 700+ U.S. military bases in countries around the world, and an acknowledgement that the United States isn't above international law. You know, simple things like that. Although no politicians or media "pundits" will make this observation, there will be tens of thousands of people who will be saying it, on September 24 in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, and cities around the country and the world. Join us. |
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Thursday Bits
Israel Warned United Kingdom About Possible Attacks
Teacher Evaluation Reform - Part I - Part II - Part III
Latest news on London Attacks
Astrologer sues NASA for $300M for comet blast
Mistrust rises with autism rate
Deadly Flu Strain Shows Up in Migratory Birds
Bioethics in California
Teacher Evaluation Reform - Part I - Part II - Part III
Latest news on London Attacks
Astrologer sues NASA for $300M for comet blast
Mistrust rises with autism rate
Deadly Flu Strain Shows Up in Migratory Birds
Bioethics in California
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Interesting, isn't it.
Terrorists blow things up in London, with dozens of innocent victims, and Everyone is aghast. Everyone being the "media", the Bush-war Administration, and of course Politicians.
Nearly every day terrorists blow things up in Iraq, with dozens of innocent victims, and Everyone acts unconcerned. Why? Well, you don't want to rile your sources of soldiers by supplying information that makes them question your intentions.
British law enforcement, which has been preparing for this for years, and you and I, aren't the least bit surprised by this morning's bombings. Why? Because we all realize that the invasion of Iraq was wrong and that retaliation by those we've aggrieved was inevitable?
Until we stop terrorizing the Iraqis, Afghans and other Muslim groups, consequently motivating the Islamic extremists, they will never cease retaliating.
What's so difficult to understand? Stop invading and occupying foreign nations, stop oppressing foreign nations and religious groups economically and politically, and they'll halt their aggression against us, their terrorists.
So, who's going to make Everyone turn in their Bully badges? I think that that job belongs to, unfortunately, you and me. And until you and I start doing it, the oppressed will continue exercising their only recourse.
Terrorists blow things up in London, with dozens of innocent victims, and Everyone is aghast. Everyone being the "media", the Bush-war Administration, and of course Politicians.
Nearly every day terrorists blow things up in Iraq, with dozens of innocent victims, and Everyone acts unconcerned. Why? Well, you don't want to rile your sources of soldiers by supplying information that makes them question your intentions.
British law enforcement, which has been preparing for this for years, and you and I, aren't the least bit surprised by this morning's bombings. Why? Because we all realize that the invasion of Iraq was wrong and that retaliation by those we've aggrieved was inevitable?
Until we stop terrorizing the Iraqis, Afghans and other Muslim groups, consequently motivating the Islamic extremists, they will never cease retaliating.
What's so difficult to understand? Stop invading and occupying foreign nations, stop oppressing foreign nations and religious groups economically and politically, and they'll halt their aggression against us, their terrorists.
So, who's going to make Everyone turn in their Bully badges? I think that that job belongs to, unfortunately, you and me. And until you and I start doing it, the oppressed will continue exercising their only recourse.
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July 6, 2005
Army buys $12M in blimps for Iraq
From UPI:
Another "smart" use of taxpayers' money. Just how long do they really think the Iraqi insurgents are going to let these things stay in the air before shooting them down? Forget the "fly for hours even if pierced by small arms fire" promise by the military. Remember, this is the same military that can't even shoot down a missile that beams its own location to anti-missile missiles (multi-billion $ Star Wars program). These blimps will stay in the air only long enough for the Iraqis to stop laughing hysterically and aim their shoulder-mount grenade launchers.
WASHINGTON, July 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army is buying 16 tactical blimps for use in Iraq from a Columbia, Md., company, TCOM, L.P. announced Tuesday. The deal is worth $12 million, and the unmanned, tethered blimps will be built in Elizabeth City, N.C. The Tactical Aerostat System operates at about 1,000 feet, providing surveillance and a communications relay system aloft for up to a week at a time. The contract award is part of the Rapid Aerostat Initial Development system contract the Army has with Raytheon. The airship's use was demonstrated last fall over Washington, when an A-170 manned blimp hovered over the city for 24 hours. The helium-based blimp can fly for hours even if pierced by small arms fire, according to the Army.... |
Another "smart" use of taxpayers' money. Just how long do they really think the Iraqi insurgents are going to let these things stay in the air before shooting them down? Forget the "fly for hours even if pierced by small arms fire" promise by the military. Remember, this is the same military that can't even shoot down a missile that beams its own location to anti-missile missiles (multi-billion $ Star Wars program). These blimps will stay in the air only long enough for the Iraqis to stop laughing hysterically and aim their shoulder-mount grenade launchers.
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| "I believe American soldiers (my brothers and sisters) are being killed needlessly over here in this lie we call “the Occupation of Iraq”. To me it is a great offense to the laws of humanity to have American soldiers die needlessly in a place far from their native home when this evil practice could be stopped. When should a person, a human being if you will, speak out ? Well, for me these fellow soldiers are my loved ones, and if I were ever going to speak out about anything it would be to save the lives of those I love. To have human beings sacrifice their lives for a lie is a violation of their human rights, and so there you have it – I believe that not only are my human rights being violated but those of my fellow soldiers as well. |