MARCY WINOGRAD, A TRUE PROGRESSIVE, TO BEAT JANE HARMON!! Photo by Margery Epstein.
This site is dedicated to truth, spiritual growth and awareness.
The most touching gift: I was blown away by the gift I received from JOHN CONLEY of Oklahoma, who sent me his PURPLE HEART in its original case. Conley is a disabled Marine combat vet who received 2 Purple Hearts for wounds suffered in Viet Nam. He is one of the true HEROES of America, and he was a great support during a very trying time. After getting death threats from so-called "Christian" Ann Coulter fans, his letters of encouragement helped me immeasurably. He wrote: Dear Lydia, "This is for the slings and arrows you took for today's soldiers and Marines and I'm proud to call you my friend. There is no Purple Heart awarded for the wounds you suffered at the hands of mindless critics who wouldn't know a true patriot if one fell on him. There are so many troops who not only agree with you, but veterans who are also grateful. A great example of someone who "supports the troops" in ways that go beyond simply slapping a magnetic yellow ribbon to a car. Our country needs more people like yourself to stay active and if I can do one little thing to inspire you to this end, then it makes me happy. God bless, my dear, John"
This last line make me think how vital it is that we speak out against lies and corruption in our government. I hardly recognize America anymore. IT IS VITAL TO keep in mind that if, instead of siding with Hitler, the Christians of Germany - who represented some 96% of the population - had joined with the Jews, handicaps, homosexuals and the "Liberals", there would have been no war and no holocaust! But Hitler responded: "I have the churches in my back pocket." He then proceeded to arrange for the Nazi government to pay for the support of the clergy, their churches and their schools, so long as they didn't get in his way. That is just one of the many reasons why so few of the Christian clergy dared to speak out against Hitler, no matter how heinous his policies became! (From www.LiberalslikeChrist.org)
As the Native Americans reminded us: No tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves.
My father-in-law from Wisconsin
Went to the REAGAN LIBRARY on Mother's Day. My father-in-law was in town and really wanted to see it. I must say, it's pretty magnificent. Strolled through Air Force One, which sits inside a stunningly beautiful glass pavilion. Kids learned all about the Cold War. At least Ronald Reagan was a communicator, and was a statesman; he believed in talking face-to-face with world leaders to befriend them. I came away from there with a new found respect for this great Republican, air-traffic controllers' strike excluded. BUSH shouldn't even be in the same White House as Reagan; they are light-years apart. I can't believe they even allowed his portrait to hang with the other presidents.
The above photos are: my mother on Mother's Day with the flowers we sent her; Charles, my father-in-law; me in front of a piece of the Berlin Wall (the flower side is the West side of course;) portrait of Regan; and the presidential chopper.
Sorry about the problems with Blogger the past week. It's finally back up and I'll post more soon. Will be in Detroit this weekend for Motor City Comic Convention, and at the Riviera Vegas June 5-11 doing standup with Destiny. Steve Schiruppa from the Sopranos owns the Comedy Club at the Riviera.
ABC News: Federal official says US tracking calls made by ABC News, New York Times, Washington Post
RAW STORY Published: Monday May 15, 2006
ABC's Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:
A senior federal law enforcement official tells ABC News the government is tracking the phone numbers we call in an effort to root out confidential sources.
"It's time for you to get some new cell phones, quick," the source told us in an in-person conversation.
We do not know how the government determined who we are calling, or whether our phone records were provided to the government as part of the recently-disclosed NSA collection of domestic phone calls.
Other sources have told us that phone calls and contacts by reporters for ABC News, along with the New York Times and the Washington Post, are being examined as part of a widespread CIA leak investigation.
One former official was asked to sign a document stating he was not a confidential source for New York Times reporter James Risen.
Our reports on the CIA's secret prisons in Romania and Poland were known to have upset CIA officials.
People questioned by the FBI about leaks of intelligence information say the CIA was also disturbed by ABC News reports that revealed the use of CIA predator missiles inside Pakistan.
Under Bush Administration guidelines, it is not considered illegal for the government to keep track of numbers dialed by phone customers.
The official who warned ABC News said there was no indication our phones were being tapped so the content of the conversation could be recorded.
A pattern of phone calls from a reporter, however, could provide valuable clues for leak investigators.
DEVELOPING...
The Washington Post is reporting that Cheney is worth around $100 million and still growing.
ReplyDeleteGuess the war does pay off for some.
Got new pictures up from Reagan Library. thanks for your patience.
ReplyDeletexo
Lydia
Thanks Lydia, hope you had a great Mothers Day. Also, I just wanted to say i;m really glad you did away with the anonymous posting, I think it was a good move and long term it will pay dividends.
ReplyDeleteBTW, thanks for updating the blog, I was going to beg you to make a new blog 1) because I look forward to reading your blogs and 2) with dial up it was getting really painful to load 1700 plus posts.
I find it disturbing that it no sooner came out of Bush's mouth that they are just monitoring these calls to fight terrorism and they will not use it for ANYTHING ELSE and all of the sudden they are using it to trace intelligence leaks.
ReplyDeleteWhat will they use this data for next????, i'm so tired of Bush making up the rules as he goes along, its about time someone reigned in our little spoiled brat of a dictator and let him no he needs to follow our laws as well.
its about time someone impeaches this fool before he turns America into a version of Orwell's 1984.
Bush was asked today if monitoring Americans calls was an invasion of privacy and he wouldn't answer.
ReplyDeleteHe went to his Rove-programmed answer that he is protecting Americans from terrorist.
Reagan was great in the same sense that Clinton was a virgin.
ReplyDeleteBagdad:
ReplyDeleteGunmen blew up a parked oil tanker in northeast Bagdad today killing 18 people and injuring 37.
Another US serviceman was killed today bring the total killed in Iraq to 2448 ( that the govt will admit to).
Wonder if Bush is proud of himself?
Compared to Bush, Reagan was great...compared to Kennedy, Reagan sucked.....
ReplyDeleteWonder why georgie wants to talk about the border with Mexico and not 5the fiasco in Iraq HE started.
ReplyDeleteBush must think if everyone gets stirred up about his love for Mexico, then they will forget about his love for War.
ReplyDeleteNot exactly his love for it buit get it off the evening news castsplus give them another thing to fear IMMIGRANTS taking over they'll taske our jobs, ruin our schools and get welfare, that is the repug not so hidden message, fear that does not remind Americans how dismal they have preformed in Afghanistan (where Osama still roams free, and the Taliban is making a comeback) and Iraq, a fiasco that makes Vietnam look good in comparison(and we won every battle in vietnam, but still lost the strategetic war thus the country to the same people who fought the Japanese and French before US
ReplyDeleteBradblog has the latest show of Bill Mayer from HBO from this past Friday, which featured the panel discussion on the latest domestic spying.
ReplyDeleteIf you missed the show, it is worth checking it out.
Also speaking of leaks, what ever happened to bush saying he would investigate who leaked Valerie Plame's identity and fire them, i'm still waiting for him to fire himself and Cheney and Rove etc....
ReplyDeleteI mean the "DECIDER" said he hates leaks and he claims he never flip flops or changes his mind, so does that mean he hates himself and his VP and Rove?????
ReplyDeleteMy feet smell soooooo bad, that its completely outrageous.
ReplyDeleteMy socks will crunch in another hour.
HMMMM.......wonder if the NSA investigated the phone records of the guys that leaked that info, wonder if the montitor the phone records of Bush and his cabal or just the 300 million peasants he considers his loyal subjects or chattel.
ReplyDeleteMike you do not understand the post 9-11 form of goberment we have ....if the decider decides it, it ain't no leak see, cause he's the decider and he decided to decide to imediately declassify what ever was revealed that was used to prop up his previous decidereds that didn't go according to spin which is the new way of planning see.
ReplyDeleteI mean wouldnt it be kind of interesting to monitor Bush's phone records immediately during and after 9/11 to see if his phone records are similar to how other presidents would have responded, afterall he didnt look too surprised, in fact he didnt look surprised at all.
ReplyDeleteMike there is an office called white house communications and they travel with the president, so the records are in theri hands and no civilian agency would ever get access to them
ReplyDeleteCliff said
ReplyDelete"Wonder why Jesus told those who wanted to stone the adulteress that yea with out sin cast the first stone, and when they all left Jesus did not acuse her, but did not have the same compassion at the temple for the rich money lenders...wonder why he had different compassion for two different comandments?"
Easy question Cliff.
Obviously, Jesus realizes there are limits to the amount of baloney any human being can handle, therefore Jesus approves of a little turban ripping and violence as suggested by his aggressive actions at the temple.
Jesus has patience for minor infractions, however, is not tolerant of what he percieves is a violation of human worth.
Quite simply, he cracks!
Rather than use loving thoughts or forgiveness to subdue the money lenders, Jesus felt a little physical force might get the message across.
Kinda like his Father, who uses violence to eradicate his mistakes by way of a flood.
THUS, LOVE IS NOT ALWAYS THE ANSWER!
And, Im supposed to be near perfect to make it into heaven....gimmee a break!
LOL
Wrong Johnny Jesus was not Violant against the people just their tables and coins of the trade.....stop putting your wants in the story.
ReplyDeleteHey I see you guys mentioned ole JFK,I've told this before,its true.You know Jacks older brother Joe was killed in the war and he was the one old man Kennedy was sure was going to be president.Well after Joe's death the old man twisted Jacks arm to enter polictics,finally becoming president but the truth is Jack Kennedy never wanted anything to do with politics,in fact since he was a your boy he always wanted to be a boxer....but he could'nt take a shot to the head.....rim shot here!
ReplyDeleteGod/Jesus would flip their wigs if they had the balls to check things out down here as they are today.
ReplyDeleteJesus would wind up in a mental hospital from his impatient behaviour.
LOL
No johnny with all the directed calls to authority of what hypocrites and liers they are Jesus since he was born in the middleeast probably would be declared a terrorists and given accomidations at Gitmo
ReplyDeleteJesus/God only cares through words...not actions!
ReplyDeleteAny idiot can talk!
LOL
Cliff said
ReplyDelete"just their tables and coins of the trade"
Thats what the whole world is about Cliff......C,mon!
Jesus has a low tolerance level....period!
Part of Jesus teaching involves the idea that if you are given more than more is expected of you, and in life the rich are GIVEN more, more chances more breaks better luck(especially at birth), thus the tradition started by Jesus wants more back in following his message of reaching down to those less fortunate and giving to them, like the story in;
ReplyDeleteMark 12:41 Then he sat down opposite the offering box, and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts. 12:42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. 12:43 He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. 12:44 For they all gave out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”
It is not how much we give but how much of what we have we actually give that counts......
Thats what the whole world is about Cliff......C,mon!
ReplyDeleteAccording to who, not where I was raised. And not according to the majority of the tradition that the christians claim to believe in....
Clif,
ReplyDeleteI answered your question about the harlot and the temple in the other thread.
Carl I see it differently, the woman had just sinned against GOD and not hurt the lives of her fellow men, where as the money changers were hurting the poor and weaker of their fellow citizens and Christ saw this as a greater sin because it not only sinned against GOD but hurt other of GOD's children......
ReplyDeleteHere is where I base my thoughts on;
ReplyDeleteThe Greatest Commandment
22:34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. 22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: 22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 22:38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 22:40 All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
Where the woman only broke the first the money changers were cheating their fellow people thus violating both, thus destroying the law itself...
In many of the places where Jesus is quoted he removes our rights to judge others and pushes us to aid those less fortunately, even going so far as to say it is harder for a camel to get through thr eye of a needle than a rich man to get to heaven, and in other places he is quoted remarking that those who seek the rewards of this life have recieved their reward here. This is the judgement
ReplyDeleteMatthew 25:31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 25:32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 25:40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 25:44 Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 25:45 Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
But that quote does not sit real well with those who cry their taxes are too high and the poor should pull themselves up with their bootstraps.
Cliff said
ReplyDelete"Christ saw this as a greater sin because it not only sinned against GOD but hurt other of GOD's children......"
Cliff, are you suggesting the womans bad example could not possibly pass on to finer individuals?
I mean, her influence could disrupt and hurt many people if left unpunished.
ReplyDeleteCliff, are you suggesting the womans bad example could not possibly pass on to finer individuals?
ReplyDeleteNo I am saying that she did not cause others harm and if others wanted to violate the law, she is not responsible for their actions, or salvation.
But to those who took from those less fortunate and made their lives much harder they were harming others directally and thus their actions were more despised by Jesus.
A sin of an individual is not as bad as a sin that hurts others....
I mean, her influence could disrupt and hurt many people if left unpunished.
ReplyDeleteWrong Johnny I can not force you to do anything just by example that you would not do otherwise, it is the blame game where another is blamed for the choices we make....I am responsible for the choices I make....not you or others.
Cliff said
ReplyDelete"when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?"
Exactly Cliff! Seems God/Jesus exonerate themselves from these rules, but, expect it from us soooooooooo much!
Must be nice to create an ant farm and lazily make rules.
Johnny they are judging us for our actions, and there is enough for everyone if those who have horded the most didn't try and hoard even mopre daily while letting others suffer for their greed. seems you let the entire planet off the hook because GOD did not make us all obey blindly, poverty and hunger is a crime of the rich against the poor.
ReplyDeleteCliff
ReplyDeleteYou got me on your 4:50 PM post.
Congratulations.....very rare someone gets me!
Johnny just as we individuals areresponsible for our own actions we as groups are collectively responsible for our collective actions, a lesson from the passage where Jesus doesn't actually acuse one person but attempts to get a leader to throw the first stone, by asking who is without sin, by denying a leadership position nobody could claim a superior position thus no one could incite the group to furfil the law....shame the same principles are not applied now..we would not have been rushed into a war by a group that couldn't claim leadership by Christs rules....
ReplyDeleteAlso we as a nation would be "blessed" by GOD by how well we take care of the least among us not how great our weapons or monuments to idolitory and greed have become..........
ReplyDeleteOk, Cliff, why is it that evil rules the world?
ReplyDeletehehe
Because we as a whole people buy into the get richer schemes more than we buy into the themes address by Christ.
ReplyDeleteAs you stated;
Thats what the whole world is about Cliff......C,mon!
And you didn't even think that there is another way did you?
We have choices to make but manyu of the larger choices mad by a society are determined by those in power to their benefit or the benefit of those who actually put them there, thus we havwe a system where money is no controlling access to food, medical care housing, and other necessities of life.....exactally the situation Christ decried the pharisees about. He decried their oppulant lifestyle and arrogance while not actually helping those less fortunate...same situation different century
Human nature is built that way Cliff....we are incapable of truly understanding your 5:17 PM post....it only sounds good.
ReplyDeleteHowever, IMPOSSIBLE!
Thats what history has taught me anyways.
ReplyDeleteWorf said
ReplyDelete"Most never do."
Doesnt God care if we dont understand?
How about investing a little love?
Human nature is built that way Cliff....we are incapable of truly understanding your 5:17 PM post....it only sounds good.
ReplyDeleteHowever, IMPOSSIBLE!
Only because we choose it to be that way...in the not to distant past there was a nation that recreated reality but burned bodies of those they killed, and attacked the world, they were defeated and now the same nation minus their leaders learned to live peacefully...about a century and a half ago this country had a custom where certain inhabitants could be bought and sold and even killed without punishment by the master, but that also changed, we as a collective choose our reality one person at a time and it starts with the person you stare at in the mirror.....
On a lighter note..something we are not hearing about because we have to talk about immigration, the MSM says so;
ReplyDeleteSome in the British press are openly saying that Basra is lost and that Prime Minister Tony Blair's assurances show he is living in an alternative dimension. Whether it is true or not, saying it shows some spunk that is mostly lacking over here.
http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Stories.aspx?The%20British%20lose%20Basra&StoryID=7DD8A915-169B-45FA-9AAC-E6C4DCE00607&SectionID=803597D7-4BD5-45D5-BF88-E1AC85BF7FDF
http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Stories
.aspx?The%20British%20lose%20Basra&StoryID
=7DD8A915-169B-45FA-9AAC-E6C4DCE00607&
SectionID=803597D7-4BD5-45D5-BF88-E1AC85BF7FDF
This might be a better link to the Basra story;
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thebusinessonline.com/Stories.aspx?StoryId=7DD8A915-169B-45FA-9AAC-E6C4DCE00607&page=0
http://www.thebusinessonline.com/Stories
.aspx?StoryId=7DD8A915-169B-45FA-9AAC-
E6C4DCE00607&page=0
How about investing a little love?
ReplyDeleteThe love must come fromminside of you johnny, don't decry God for your lack of love for your fellow beings.....it is not his to make you give but you responsibility solely
Cliff
ReplyDeleteWhen I first met you, you said there will always be someone to fan the flames of war.
Therefore, I am correct in suggesting the rabbit hole is bottomless.
Our evolution is endless.....period!
Only because we choose to accept as leaders and follow those who pit some against others for primarily their benefit....and we close ourselves in smaller and smaller groups that do not communicate with others very much...look at how many people actually contribute here, even though we discuss interesting topics, almost one third of the regular contributors decry the message and openly advocate the things that Jesus decried, and condemed in his time, each of us make our choices and then has to live with them...
ReplyDeleteCliff said
ReplyDelete"The love must come fromminside of you johnny,"
Please define love Cliff and how far one is supposed to go to express it in order to make the trains run on time?
The Bible's kinda vague on this point.......wonder why?
LOL
Because since we came up with the idea of trains we should learn how to handle them for the bettgerment of everyone not just a few....the ideas for a good life for everybody are there, try a book called "sermon on the mount" by emmont fox, or reading GOD's politics by Jim Wallis, they both have good guides for living YOUR life, as for others it is their decision, not yours or mine....
ReplyDeleteWorf said
ReplyDelete"I'll see you at the fish fry."
There is no fish fry Worf. We live a futile existence, we die, and turn to dust......nothing more.
I accept this.
Johnny if you accept that there is no fish fry, why are you always decring a GOD you say you do not believe in...it is like decring casper the ghost for the rest of us...
ReplyDeleteWe pretend theirs a purpose to justify existence.
ReplyDeleteIn case you have something new to offer me Cliff.
ReplyDeleteAbsolute evidence or logic.
Some do but others are actualling following a calling from somewhere, and they usually do not want the material goodies up front....religion and spirituality are related but not the same and I for one prefer the spiritual journey instead of the dogmatic walk
ReplyDeleteVery simple logic johnny, but rather hard to actually do...learn to meditate and then do it to find if ther is something you haven't been listening to form inside instead of the mass of mixed messages your bombarded from the outside
ReplyDeleteWhy, Mr. Anderson, why? Why, why do you do it? Why, why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you're fighting for something, for more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is, do you even know? Is it freedom or truth, perhaps peace - could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson, vagaries of perception.
ReplyDeleteTemporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose.
Although, only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love.
You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson, you must know it by now! You can't win, it's pointless to keep fighting! Why, Mr. Anderson, why, why do you persist?
Agent Smith
Yes Johnny there is more than either Mr. Anderson or Mr. Smith argues for to base a life on, there is the reason YOU do it which the movie does not even question ...your reasons are the best for you
ReplyDeleteNBC just reported that Patrick Fitzgerald told news reporters, that he will be in Washington Wednesday to meet with the grand jury.
ReplyDeleteBye Bye Rove
Funny Voltaire but the quotes I used came from the Bible not the Communist Manifesto, and there are millions that do not agree with the reich wing nut version of what the BIble should mean, but bloviate away your OPINION
ReplyDeleteRegarding the rest of the religious debate,
ReplyDeleteIt's well documented that when you allow people to keep more of what they earn they spend more wisely than does the government.
LINK please, and one that has the figures to back up this claim
And Republicans donate more to charity than do democrats. Republicans give more of their OWN money, whereas Dems give more of EVERYONE ELSES money.
Seeing that we were discussing the Bible I for one do not know how you can claim to turn this into a dem vs repug question, not the way GOD sees us
How many lives has Bill Gates improved by creating new jobs where none existed before?
Probably quite a few but Bill appears much more progressive in the way he spends some of his money than neo-con giants like dead eye dick and the shrub or richard melon scaife, or the rev sung rung moon the financial backbone of the right
How much in new revenue has he generated for the treasury with all the new taxpayers?
Quite a bit until the shrub cut the payments on dividends and lowered the rates on the top which lowered the deposits by the tax payers, thus 8.4 trillion debt......
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, TEACH a man to fish and you feed him for life."
But you would have to accept the fact that the repugs would want to own the lake rent, the space, add extra costs for different reasons, it is not as simple as you attempt to make it....
Say it ain't so, not in Georgia;
ReplyDeleteJudge voids Georgia gay marriage ban
ATLANTA, May 16 — A Georgia judge Tuesday struck down a ban on same-sex marriage that was approved by voters in 2004, saying it violated the Southern state's constitution.
http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusgen/reuters05-16-185235.asp?t=renew&vts=51620062031
A quiet day in Iraq so why don't we talk about Mexico instead;
ReplyDeleteOn Monday, scattered bombings and shootings left at least 33 persons dead by my count. Dozens more died over the weekend in fighting between guerrillas and US troops. Al-Zaman says that security has collapsed in Basra, with fighting between tribesmen and the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Reuters reports that on Monday:
MOSUL: Guerrillas detonated a bomb in the northern city, killing one policeman and wounding 2 others.
RAMADI: Heavy fighting between local guerrillas and US troops left 8 dead and 9 wounded.
BALAD RUZ - Guerrillas shot down 4 primary school teachers in Diyala Province an hour's drive from Baquba.
WAJIHIYA: Guerrillas east of Baghdad fired a mortar shell that landed on a civilian home, killing a seven-year-old girl and wounding 7 members of her family.
BAGHDAD: Five members of a family in the capital were shot dead.
MAHAWEEL: Guerrillas detonated a bomb that wounded 3 policemen and left a civilian bystander dead.
KARBALA: A policeman who had earlier been abducted showed up dead in the Shiite shrine city on Monday. (Two ex-Baathists were also assassinated.)
AMARA: A mortar attack on a British base wounded one soldier seriously in the leg and inflicted minor injuries on three others.
BASRA: Tribesmen of the Marsh Arab Karamisha [Gramsha] tribe killed 11 policemen in and around Basra. They may have been taking revenge for the killing of one of their clan chiefs by persons dressed as special police commandos, a unit heavily infiltrated by the Badr Corps of the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
http://www.juancole.com/
And Basara which used to be reletively calm is erupting...
ReplyDeleteAl-Zaman/ AFP report that the security situation in Basra has collapsed in the wake of the killing by persons dressed as Iraqi policemen of Shaikh Hasan Jarih al-Karamishi, the head of the al-Karamisha tribe in Basra. Firefights subsquently broke out in several districts of the city at a time of political vacuum in the central government. Majid al-Sari, adviser to the Minister of Defense, said that individuals from this tribe came out into the streets of the city heavily armed and killed 11 policemen in the course of an attack on a police station in the Dair quarter to the south of the city. They also burned down two buildings used as party headquarters in the Intisar district of the Dair quarter by the Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq.
Al-Sari said that for the last month, Basra has been afflicted by a mass of assassinations, equalling one each hour of the day. (That would be 24 a day, and 720 for the month). Sources in the city allege that the police are helpless to intervene, and indeed refuse to go out to the crime scene to attempt to capture the assassins, since they would take fire from tribesmen supporting the assassins, who belong to their tribe.
Two organizations, Rebels of the Uprising and the Revenge of God (Tha'r Allah, a branch of the Badr Corps) staged demonstrations Sunday and Monday against Governor Muhammad Misbah al-Wa'ili in protest against the collapse of security in the city.
Al-Zaman's sources told it that Basra is in chaos and dominated by militias and lawless gangs. Automobiles with darkened windows cruise the streets, armed militiamen within, who impose their law on the city. These sources blamed Kuwait and Iran for the situation, alleging that their intelligence services are funding and arming the Iraqi militias for their own purposes. Tribal firefights between the Marsh Arab Al-Bait Sa'idah tribe and the Bani Mansur are common-- as is fighting between Bani Ammar and Al-`Ashur. The sources say that Basra is without authority save that of the militiamen. The major political parties are unable to dampen down the violence because they are so divided against one another
http://www.juancole.com/
Juan Coles blog is relatively good for the information he has about Iraq and the Arab world.
Seems that the country which was recently described as under control except for four provinces is no longer under much control except for which milita exists in the streets or country side....
ReplyDeleteThere is a lawsuit filed in Michigan with parties suing the NSA the lawsuit can be found here,
ReplyDeletehttp://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/nsaamicumbrief5906.pdf
http://www.house.gov/judiciary_democrats/
nsaamicumbrief5906.pdf
and the most interesting part is the 72 congressional people who signed on to the lawsuit including John Conyers Jr. the ranking member of the House Judiciary committee, and who will Chair the same if the Democratic party takes back control of the House in November....
Clif said "Carl I see it differently, the woman had just sinned against GOD and not hurt the lives of her fellow men, where as the money changers were hurting the poor and weaker of their fellow citizens and Christ saw this as a greater sin because it not only sinned against GOD but hurt other of GOD's children......"
ReplyDeleteexactly right Clif hurting or taking advantage of those who are poorer or weaker than you are is dispicable and is far worse than sins or infractions that do not directly injure others. I can remember from from grade school to work to life in general the vast majoity of times I have chosen to fight either literally or figuratively was to defend those who were weaker and not able to defend themselves.
I always despised bullies who pick on or try to take advantage of those who are weaker and that is what I despise most about the Bush Administration they constantly try to intimidate people or countries who speak out against them, defy them or fail to do their bidding.
Voltaire, If your talking about the Bush administration then I would have to agree that most people would spend more wisely than the current government, but having said that we need to become more fiscally responsible and that will mean raising taxes before the economy implodes, what the neo cons fail to grasp is that spending money you dont have is far worse than taxing and spending, huge deficits will raise interest rates which will kill the economy.
ReplyDeleteAs for republicans donating more to charity than democrats are you talking strictly in dollar terms, or as a percentage of income and do you have any link to substantiate this claim, because I would tend to think the opposite.
Lastly like worf said, good luck trying to claim Bill gates as a republican, i'd like to see you try to prove that one.
Voltaire what makes you say Clif is a communist because he care about the poor, the desire to help those less fortunate than ourselves is something we should all take more seriously. One of the major downfalls of all the major world powers from Rome forward was disdain and neglect of the poor and becoming entangled in wars that squandered their resources and military might and I see us heading down that same road.
ReplyDeleteLove = money
ReplyDeleteI have performed many kind acts towards others less fortunate than myself only to be taken advantage of and backstabbed.
One guy I was helping out demanded more, the more I gave him. Rather than appreciate all I had done for him, he became very angry when I ceased my charity.
Another act of kindness towards someone less fortunate, has had a paralyzing, intoxicating, and deep negative impact upon my life that has forever left it changed.....I got srewed BIG TIME!
Oh well.....
Voltaire, i'm pretty much in agreement with your 6:30AM post as well.
ReplyDeleteHowever Worf although I do agree that both Bill Gates and Microsoft have done a lot of good things, I think there is a legitimate argument that they have a monopoly or pretty close to it on operating systems, and I think it is pretty widely accepted regardless of your political affiliation that more competition is better than less. Now i'm not saying I agree with everything that went on in the anti trust hearings, but if you really think about it the reliability standards of Microsoft operating systems are pretty pathetic, I mean think about it would you find it acceptable if your refrigerator or tv crashed as frequently or had as many bugs and problems as your computer, I dont think so, in fact if it did, you would probably choose to buy a different brand the next time if that was the case. Unfortunately no such choice exists for operating systems or computers.
Again i'm not saying Microsoft is the devil, theyve done a lot of good things, but I think they have a lock on the operating system business just like Standard oil did on the oil business 100 years ago and I think more competition would be a better thing, but that doesnt mean stifling innovation or regulating or penalizing them for the sake of looking pro active.
Does anyone find anything fishy about the Pentagon photo of 911 plane?
ReplyDeleteRusty, thank you for your comment.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Lydia
Of course I am being facetious Rusty Shackleford.
ReplyDeleteWashington Post:
ReplyDelete69% of Americans think the country is on the Wrong track.
56% say they want the Democrats in control of Congress after the elections.
32% approve of the way of the way Bush is handling Iraq war.
Democrats are preferred to handling terrorism by 46%-41%.
British Gary -- what an amazing diving picture. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteIt's all moot if the voting machines aren't working. 100 of them are down and counting....big scandal that no one wants to wake up to.
ReplyDeleteThe bad thing is, Microsoft is doing more with China, whose main focus is stealing technology and any thing they haven't learned to make.
ReplyDeleteWorf all valid points you made, and I do have a lot of respect for Gates and all he did, I realize you have a lot more knowledge and experience with operating systems than I do, but I think if I distilled what I was trying to say down to one main point I guess it would be that although Microsoft clearly does have the best operating system out there I think that due to their monopoly status complacency has set in and they are more concerned with updating and improving their product just enough and fixing just enough flaws and bugs to maximize sales instead of inovating as much as possible and putting out the best product they can. In other words because there is no real direct competion they purposely leave flaws so they can fix them for the next sales cycle a few years down the road.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the level of reliability or lack thereof in operating systems would not be tolerated by the consumer in any other consumer electronics product because most other products have real competition and consumers have other options that force companies to make more of an effort to put out the best product they are capable of creating not merely one that is just enough better to get people to buy it. that being said I'm not sure that regulating or penalizing Microsoft is the answer if they are not stifling competition, but I think steps to encourage competition so companies put forth their best most reliable product would benefit everyone. deciding what those steps are is what is difficult.
I mean is it to much to expect our computers to be as reliable as or TV's or refrigerators, you would think with a company with the vast resources of Microsoft they could make a product as reliable as a PS2 or a tv, a refrigerator etc... is that too much to expect from the premire company it IT, with billions in its R & D budget.????
ReplyDeleteWorf said " They get Windows lite"
ReplyDeleteI am glad they do not export advanced encryption to China, because China will steal any thing they can.
I know of a company that makes padlocks, and China duplicated it and called it their own in spite of any patents.
I came out of the Vitreous China industry where China now rules with duplication.
maybe i'm in left field and expect too much, but I just think our PC's should be more reliable than that and not break and get infected with spyware all the time.
ReplyDeleteBTW, my PC is 4 years old its a pentium 4 and everthing worked fine including the sound and video until it started getting infected by spyware last summer, I bought a firewall and anti virus and spyware protection and still had problems I just dont see why with billions of dollars Microsoft cant design a more stable operating system and the software companies cant provide better protection for spyware.
I mean I feel like a woman getting taken advantage of by a car dealer I took my PC in twice to have it fixed they charged me $100 each time and didnt fix a damn thing.
Do you think a 4 year old pentium 4 is outdated????
ReplyDeleteLydia said "This last line make me think how vital it is that we speak out against lies and corruption in our government. I hardly recognize America anymore. IT IS VITAL TO keep in mind that if, instead of siding with Hitler, the Christians of Germany - who represented some 96% of the population - had joined with the Jews, handicaps, homosexuals and the "Liberals", there would have been no war and no holocaust!"
ReplyDeleteLydia, great post, I've been saying that since I came here that we need to to speak out against lies and corruption in our government early while we still have a voice, evil tends to grow in power if unchecked and unchallenged and Hitler could have been stopped if good people would have spoken up early in the game and challenged his rhetoric and corrupt policies before it was too late. I dont like the current path our country is going down under the Bush administration and I feel it is crucial to speak out now before it is too late even if it is only discussing key issues and bouncing around ideas on this blog, just shining the light of truth on the lies and poisonous rhetoric coming out of this administration does a lot of good.
Worf said "Windows is stable.
ReplyDeleteViruses however are a 3rd party variable that would be less prominent if people would stop forcing Microsoft to open their code for inspection.
Closed code means secure OS."
I stand corrected, good point.
Worf said "If you buy a new set of tires, and someone comes along and punctures one with a screwdriver, is it the tire makers fault?"
and good example, I concede microsoft, but I still think the software companies that make anti spyware and anti virus protection could do a better job, but i'm ready to move on to the next topic.
Clif Said "Carl I see it differently, the woman had just sinned against GOD and not hurt the lives of her fellow men, where as the money changers were hurting the poor and weaker of their fellow citizens and Christ saw this as a greater sin because it not only sinned against GOD but hurt other of GOD's children......"
ReplyDeleteisnt it amazing that so little has changed in 2000 years, time after time I hear repugs trying to compare Clinton getting a blow job to causing hundreds of thousands of deaths by lying us into a corrupt war for self serving interests or appointing incompetent cronnies to key positions then turning your back on the poor and those in need such as during Katrina.
Clif is absolutely right there is no comparison adultery while wrong does not compare in magnitude to sins against society such as turning your back on the poor or those in need or bullying, oppressing or taking advantage of those who are weaker, or lies that result in unneccessary and senseless deaths to enrich the few elite.
AP Updated: 4:39 p.m. ET May 17, 2006
ReplyDeleteWASHINGTON - President Bush signed a $70 billion tax-cut package Wednesday that Republicans hope will ingratiate them with voters as they head into midterm elections with worries about holding control of Congress.
“Our pro-growth policies stand in stark contrast to those in Washington who believe you grow your economy by raising taxes and centralizing power,” said Bush, who was joined at the signing ceremony by Vice President Dick Cheney. “They are wrong. Our pro-growth economic polices are working for all Americans.”
The GOP says the tax cuts, which were first enacted in 2003, have created millions of new jobs and bolstered tax revenue. Democrats overwhelmingly opposed the bill, saying the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends will flow mostly to rich Americans.
Amazing, deficits as far as the eye can see, the dollar has been falling steadily and they Cut taxes, thats like someone drowing in debt quitting their second job because they feel they are "ENTITLED" to a better life style.
ReplyDeleteMike:
ReplyDeleteDid you see the Repub leaders on their little photo ops today, boasting of their tax cuts and how it will help average Americans?
The "tax cut" will give someone making $20,000-$30,000 a whopping $9.
That will really help average Americans.
I agree Larry, it m,akes me sick, how is giving $9 to the poor or $43 to the lower middle class going to stimulate the economy or create jobs, its all rhetoric and smoke and mirrors with these guys.
ReplyDeleteI was also wrong about the indictment. In all my excitement and anticipation, I thought it would happen.
ReplyDeleteThe grand jury is meeting today so maybe this week America will see their dreams become a reality.
There is good news. The Bush Brigade will reap a tax harvest.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that is what they think the middle class is.
Mike it is about the rich accumulating as much as possible before the next economic melt-down. The poor who have very many bills will just loose and the middle class will sell their stocks at a loss just to attempt to save their homes, thus the rich who are accumulating larger amounts of capital with the tax cuts will clean up at the depression sale this country will have to go through after the debt comes due and the dollar tanks....
ReplyDeleteCNN said the grand jury are meeting today and Friday.
ReplyDeleteMSNBC said yesterday, Fitzgerald was staying in Washington because they were meeting.
I know I may take heat on this one, but another thing that has always bothered me is the social security deal where the wealthy only pay social security on the the first $90,000 of their income, and when ever you bring this up they say why should they pay it on their entire income if they cant collect.
ReplyDeleteNow why would someone as wealthy as Cheney or Buffett or Rummy want or need to collect social security? I cant even conceive how they would want to take the money away from someone who really needs it just because they can. I have family members worth 8 figures who are democrats despise what the Bush Admiinstration is doing and are good people who give to charity regularly and would fit right in on this blog and yet both collect social security and I just cant understand it.
If the wealthy would pay social security on there entire income and people who didnt need it didnt collect it would be there for people who did need it.Do you really think it would be a hardship on Bill Gates or Warren Buffet
to pay social security on their entire income.
Worf said "Tax incentives for businesses should be for things like hiring US Workers and NOT for Outsourcing, investing in the communities, and paying a living"
ReplyDeleteExactly right Worf, we need to give tax credits and incentives to encourage companies to not outsource and keep good paying jobs here or our middle class will shrink further as will our standard of living, manufacturing has been being outsourced for a while, but they are now regularly outsorcing IT and engineering /R & D jobs as well and if that contines we will become a country of burger flippers and our standard of living will becline as India's and China's rise.
There is a petition going around to get the law changed so all politicians will get Social Security instead of their lavish govt retirements.
ReplyDeleteThe argument is, if they have the same Social Security as everyone else, they will fix the system, instead of taking money from it for their projects.
Clif, i'll e-mail you later to see if we can meet up because I hit the road tomorrow and will be incommunicado till Saturday and possibly Sunday if I meet up with you.
ReplyDeleteThat would be another move in the right direction Larry, these guys dont care about something that doesnt effect them.
ReplyDeleteMike one of the ways that the repugs always gets the poorer lowerclass is promising a ytax cut, but most lower wage people oay more in SS taxes, which are never getting cut than payroll revenue taxes, and to boot Bush takes every extra SS dollar that the poor pay in a higher rate than any person earning 180,000 or more, and use it to prop up more tax cuts...they have been robbing SS since Reagan's time, half of the national debt is owed to SS
ReplyDeleteThe politicians of either party will never allow themselves to receive the same Social Security as everyone else.
ReplyDeleteThey should also be on the same healthcare system as the 46 million without any.
I bet they would take care of that as well.
Like I said its a smoke and mirrors with these liars.
ReplyDeleteMike if you are going to be in the Area Sunday I will try and be around, plus I will email you my cell ph # so George can listen in also....
ReplyDeleteIf the congress personnel had to follow the active duty regiment of a soldiers health care and their families had to use tricare neither program would have the current problems, and after leaving office they can only use the VA, that would lead to wholesale changes in that system
ReplyDeleteFor a group that is supposed to be so Pro military, they sure have gutted the benefits of veterans.
ReplyDeleteThe VA system has fallen by the way in favor of whatever they want to use those dollars for.
Larry they just want soldiers to fight their corupt war for them, they could care less about them after that,after that its may as well die and decrease the surplus population.
ReplyDeleteLarry I wouldnt call the repugs pro military, I think calling them pro war is more accurate.
ReplyDeleteRay McGovern, the former CIA analyst who verbally attacked Rummy at a press conference a couple of weeks ago, will be on Lou Dobbs in a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteEvery repug has fought to cut veterans benefits to pay for tax cuts or their favorite ear marks to their campaigm contributor buddies, they spuot words during election times and at parades and ceremonies but NEVER at the time for fully funding the veterans medical care they helped make necessary.....the cycle will begin again right after the Iraqi and Iranian situation are cleared from the nations TV screens...there are still vets of WW2 Korea that have issues from their service that need VA treatment and the wait times are getting longer, not toi mention the Vietnam, Greneda, Gulf war, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Iraqi, Panama vets, andf the ones Georgie wants to make in Iran.
ReplyDeleteworfeus said...
ReplyDeleteGates was smart. He knew that SOFTWARE was the answer. Everyone was going to need software, and it would always be changing, improving.
True, and the Microsoft business case is taught in B-schools worldwide.
But here comes Apple. Gates has made a huge mistake and gambled MS on three things:
1) That his operating system is the only thing that will run on PCs
2) That MS can dominate the gaming business as easily as it did the PC software market
3) That MS will port Windows easily to a family machine, since people use Windows at work.
Apple has taken a tack that I believe will ultimately force MS into bankruptcy: grab the hardware market with design and ease, and the hearts and minds will follow.
MS and Apple have been gearing up for a showdown for a few years now, ever since Apple took a swing at MS's markets with Safari and Keynote. Quietly, Apple has developed very good products that exploit the Apple OS. MS's response?
They've stopped supporting Apple, and have been slow to improve their primary cash cow, Office for the Mac.
Apple now has a toe in the Windows market with Boot Camp. I predict within five years, Apple's marketshare of the OS software market will exceed Microsoft.
Yes. It will happen that quickly. Apple has already carved back out significant inroads by porting the iPod design to its Macs (I'm currently on a G5 iMac, and it's my sixth Mac computer, and this one is one amazing machine). As people have learned how easy an iPod is to use, and that its even easier to use with a Mac and Mac prices continue to drift downward, Apple will eventually reach a critical mass of users and the avalanche will begin.
Almost makes me wistful for the days of my Performa 6360CD....
Lawmaker: Marines killed Iraqis ‘in cold blood’
ReplyDeleteNavy conducting war crimes probe into November violence in Haditha
WASHINGTON - A Pentagon probe into the death of Iraqi civilians last November in the Iraqi city of Haditha will show that U.S. Marines "killed innocent civilians in cold blood," a U.S. lawmaker said Wednesday.
From the beginning, Iraqis in the town of Haditha said U.S. Marines deliberately killed 15 unarmed Iraqi civilians, including seven women and three children.
One young Iraqi girl said the Marines killed six members of her family, including her parents. “The Americans came into the room where my father was praying,” she said, “and shot him.”
On Wednesday, Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said the accounts are true.
Military officials told NBC News that the Marine Corps' own evidence appears to show Murtha is right.
A videotape taken by an Iraqi showed the aftermath of the alleged attack: a blood-smeared bedroom floor and bits of what appear to be human flesh and bullet holes on the walls.
The video, obtained by Time magazine, was broadcast a day after town residents told The Associated Press that American troops entered homes on Nov. 19 and shot dead 15 members of two families, including a 3-year-old girl, after a roadside bomb killed a U.S. Marine.
On Nov. 20, U.S. Marines spokesman Capt. Jeffrey Pool issued a statement saying that on the previous day a roadside bomb had killed 15 civilians and a Marine. In a later gunbattle, U.S. and Iraqi troops killed eight insurgents, he said.
U.S. military officials later confirmed that the version of events was wrong.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12838343/
I posted about this before but it is getting bigger, and with situations like My Lai from vietnam as a comparison, this will not help the arguments for war or thr idiot in chief,
We have lost about all pretense for anything as a reason to invade and the situation is getting worse by the day,,
Wonder why the repugs in congress and the white house want to talk about sending troops to the mexican border and illegal immigrants, instead of the optional war started by lies and deception on the part of Bush and Cheney, could it be the war is going soooo badlyt that there is no good way to spin the bad news?
Clif,
ReplyDeleteYou spoke far more eloquently than I on the difference between the harlot and the moneychangers.
Sometimes I let my words get in the way of my thoughts.
BritGary, here are some of my diving photos:
From NYC
http://www.flickr.com/photos/actor212/85692190/in/set-72057594063330022/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/actor212/85692164/in/set-72057594063330022/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/actor212/85692141/in/set-72057594063330022/
From Bonaire:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/actor212/sets/1171439/
I'm heading back to Bonaire this summer, and my daughter and I will both have cameras. She's the young lady feeding the cat in one of the Bonaire pix.
I shoot an Oly5050CZ
Oh, and Gary?
ReplyDeleteFly a glider? Hell, I can barely manage driving a car! :-)
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteJust came across an interesting book called "The Bush Agenda: Invading The World One Economy at a Time.
ReplyDeleteHere's part of the review on the book jacket:
The corporations, the neoconservatives, and the GWB Administration are three interlocking groups with fluid demarcations. Iraq represents several things to these players: Oil, wealth, regional power, and global power. Iraq presents them with the first opportunity for a truly imperial invasion.... And as President Bush has repeatedly said Iraq is only the beginning.
In this important book renowned international trade and finance policy expert Antonia Juhasz exposes a radical corporate globalization agenda more befitting a ruthless empire than a world leader of demoracy. thia agenda has been refined by leading members and allies of the Bush administration over decades and has reached its most aggressive implementation under GWB. And Bush Agenda adherants hope it will outlast him.
Juhasz brings into sharp focus the dangerous fallacy that the USA can combat terrorism and spread democracy through its so called free trade policies, which are allowing the world's largest corporations to earn vast wealth for a few elite players at the expense of entire populations. The result has been dislocation, extreme poverty, and increased violence and terrorism worldwide...........etc....
Update on the Rove Indictment Story
ReplyDeleteBy Marc Ash,
Wed May 17th, 2006 at 12:52:48 PM EDT :: Fitzgerald Investigation
For the past few days, we have endured non-stop attacks on our credibility, and we have fought hard to defend our reputation. In addition, we have worked around the clock to provide additional information to our readership. People want to know more about this, and our job is to keep them informed. We take that responsibility seriously.
Here's what we now know: I spoke personally yesterday with both Rove's spokesman Mark Corallo and Rove's attorney Robert Luskin. Both men categorically denied all key points of our recent reporting on this issue. Both said, "Rove is not a target," "Rove did not inform the White House late last week that he would be indicted," and "Rove has not been indicted." Further, both Corallo and Luskin denied Leopold's account of events at the offices of Patton Boggs, the law firm that represents Karl Rove. They specifically stated again that no such meeting ever occurred, that Fitzgerald was not there, that Rove was not there, and that a major meeting did not take place. Both men were unequivocal on that point.
We can now report, however, that we have additional, independent sources that refute those denials by Corallo and Luskin. While we had only our own sources to work with in the beginning, additional sources have now come forward and offered corroboration to us.
We have been contacted by at least three reporters from mainstream media - network level organizations - who shared with us off-the-record confirmation and moral support. When we asked why they were not going public with this information, in each case they expressed frustration with superiors who would not allow it.
We also learned the following: The events at the office building that houses the law firm of Patton Boggs were not in fact a very well-guarded secret. Despite denials by Corallo and Luskin, there was intense activity at the office building. In fact, the building was staked out by at least two major network news crews. Further, although Corallo and Luskin are not prepared to talk about what happened in the offices of Patton Boggs, others emerging from the building were, both on background and off-the-record. There were a lot of talkers, and they confirmed our accounts. We do have more information, but want additional confirmation before going public with it.
THE 24 HOUR THING
We reported that Patrick Fitzgerald had, "instructed one of the attorneys to tell Rove that he has 24 business hours to get his affairs in order...." That does not mean that at the end of that 24-hour period, Fitzgerald is obliged to hold a press conference and make an announcement. It just means that he has given Rove a 24-hour formal notification. Fitzgerald is not obliged to make an announcement at any point; he does so at his own discretion, and not if it compromises his case. So we're all stuck waiting here. Grab some coffee.
http://forum.truthout.org/blog/story/2006/5/17/125248/099
I ain't saying we are going to see it tommorrow, but that don't mean KKKarl denies he was served...
Former Air Force Officer says Bush was never properly trained to be an officer....
ReplyDeleteBut here is something that is provable. No one in journalism has picked up one aspect of Bush's past: He never was properly trained to be a second lieutenant in the first place! I'm talking about before flight school, entrance to which requires an officer's commission.
Those of us in the real Air Force got commissioned in one of three ways: The Air Force Academy, ROTC, or -- if already college graduates -- the Officer Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. If you saw the film An Officer and a Gentleman, depicting the Navy's version, you have a rough idea of what that training was like. It was goddamned hard.
But young Georgie didn't have to go through it. If you examine his records, you will find that he was given a direct commission as a second lieutenant after completing enlisted basic training and nothing more! Bang: He went directly from Airman Third Class, which is the rank of someone just out of basic, to a second lieutenant with a few typewriter keystrokes. Then he went to flight school.
Now I don't know if this was standard procedure for everyone in the Guard -- I was too busy spying on Americans to pay attention. We always assumed that Guardsmen and Reservists who wore the same uniform and the same insignia of grade as we did had undergone same training we did. But some kind of favoritism certainly applied to the arrogant young punk who was to become Commander Codpiece -- again, a psycho of the first magnitude who really and truly believes he is a war hero.
http://www.americanpolitics.com/20060517Graham.html
Good Christian values, you know the ones that say a father and mother should not live with their children unless the religious right approves their marital situation....
ReplyDeleteBLACK JACK, Mo. - The city council has rejected a measure allowing unmarried couples with multiple children to live together, and the mayor said those who fall into that category could soon face eviction.
Olivia Shelltrack and Fondrey Loving were denied an occupancy permit after moving into a home in this St. Louis suburb because they have three children and are not married.
The town's planning and zoning commission proposed a change in the law, but the measure was rejected Tuesday by the city council in a 5-3 vote.
"I'm just shocked," Shelltrack said. "I really thought this would all be over, and we could go on with our lives."
The current ordinance prohibits more than three people from living together unless they are related by "blood, marriage or adoption." The defeated measure would have changed the definition of a family to include unmarried couples with two or more children.
Mayor Norman McCourt declined to be interviewed but said in a statement that those who do not meet the town's definition of family could soon face eviction.
Black Jack's special counsel, Sheldon Stock, declined to say whether the city will seek to remove Loving and Shelltrack from their home.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060517/ap_on_re_us/unmarried_couples_1
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060517/
ap_on_re_us/unmarried_couples_1
Religious right Republicans attack Laura Bush, call her "tragic"
ReplyDeleteby John in DC - 5/17/2006 06:16:00 PM
Picking on the first lady because she doesn't think bashing gays should be an issue Republicans exploit in the fall elections. This should be interesting. And from the American Family Association, no less.
Then again, it has to suck for the American Family Association to finally see all of Mary Cheney's inside influence coming home to roost. You don't invite an avowed lesbian activist, which Mary very much was once upon a time (she wasn't just the gay liaision for Coors, she was also on the board of a gay-straight activist group), into the inner most circles of Republican power and NOT expect her openly-gay presence and rather strong-willed views to influence those around her.
Pick up Mary's book, folks (but please don't buy it, it's really not worth it, just browse at a bookstore). In the book Mary makes clear that lots and lots and LOTS of Republican aides came into her office, closed the door, and told her how awful they thought this anti-gay constitutional amendment was. Mary was their friend, and they didn't want to do ANYTHING to hurt their friend. Does anyone in the religious right REALLY think ANY of those staffers are pulling the extra hours to help make gay-bashing a high priority in the Mary Cheney White House? I don't think so.
And you just saw Mary's influence on Laura Bush. Does anyone really believe that it's a coincidence that Laura Bush is speaking out rather unfavorably on the religious right gay-bashing agenda the same week that Mary Cheney's "I'm a lesbian and dad thinks it's okay" book comes out? Please.
The lesson here for Republicans and corporate America is that whether you're a big American company (Ford) or the president of the United States (Bush), if you get in bed with these people they WILL burn you. They know no loyalty, no limits, and have no sense of politics other than threatening to destroy you unless you agree with 110% of their agenda. To hell with gas prices going through roof, seniors getting threatened with Medicare cut-offs, the war in Iraq getting worse every day. The religious right Republicans will demand that you focus on THEIR extreme fringe agenda, even if it shoots you in the foot, or you're dead.
You created Frankenbigot, my Republican friends, now you get to live with it.
http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/05/religious-right-republicans-attack.html
Hey Clif, I think worf jinxed me, my computer crashed and wont boot up, so after 2 hours I finally got my 10 year old computer fired up, i'm going to send you an e-mail since I wont be able to check in here till Saturday. if you want to get in touch with me drop me an e-mail as I will check it every night. Probably be out your way Sunday, but if I make good time it could be Saturday as well.
ReplyDeleteWorfeus actually was tryibg to hex you Mike the jinx was the best he could get out so quickly...LOL
ReplyDeleteFrom the Wayne Madsen Report;
ReplyDeleteMay 17, 2006 -- LATE EDITION -- WMR can report tonight on more details concerning the confusing reports regarding Karl Rove and Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald from last Friday. WMR can confirm that the appearance of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales before the Grand Jury at the US Federal Courthouse in Washington was a formality in which the jury informed the Attorney General of their decision to indict Karl Rove. That proceeding lasted for less than 30 minutes and took place shortly after noon. Gonzales's personal security detachment was present in the courthouse during the Grand Jury briefing. From the courthouse, Gonzales's motorcade proceeded directly down Constitution Avenue to the Department of Justice.
According to sources within the Patton and Boggs law firm, Karl Rove was present at the law firm's building on M Street. WMR was told by a credible source that a Patton and Boggs attorney confirmed that Fitzgerald paid a visit to the law firm to inform Rove attorney Robert Luskin and Rove that an indictment would be returned by the Grand Jury against Rove. Contrary to other reports, some of which may have emanated from the Rove camp in order to create diversions and smokescreens, the meetings at Patton and Boggs did not last 15 hours nor was a 24-hour notice of intent to indict delivered to Rove. In the Scooter Libby case last October, after the Grand Jury decided to indict Libby on Friday, October 21 and the Attorney General personally heard the decision the same day at a meeting with the jury, the actual indictment was issued the following Friday, October 28. Several sources have told WMR that an announcement concerning the indictment of Rove will be made on Friday, May 19 generally following the same scenario from October 28, 2005 -- the posting of the indictment on the Special Prosecutor's web site followed by a press conference at Main Justice.
WMR was also told by a credible source that part of the reason for Fitzgerald's visit to Patton and Boggs was to inform Rove attorney Luskin that he has moved into the category of a "subject" of the special prosecutor's investigation as a result of a conversation with Time reporter Viveca Novak, in which Novak told Luskin that Rove was a source for Time's Matt Cooper. The special prosecutor, who has prosecuted one defense attorney in the Hollinger case, is reportedly investigating whether Luskin, as an officer of the court, may have violated laws on obstruction of justice.
WMR has also discovered that last year Rove, realizing he remained a lightning rod in the CIA Leakgate scandal, made preliminary plans to move into the private sector from the White House to take political heat off the Bush administration. However, as it became clear that he was in over his head legally and his legal bills piled up, Rove decided to remain at the White House.
http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/
Hi, I find in funny that you would stand in front of a statue of Reagan. When you google your husband's name. It says he married Patty Davis, Ronald Reagan's daughter back in 1994
ReplyDeleteLOL, your too much anonymouse, what is she supposed to do throw darts at Reagan or have a Reagan Voodoo doll, we all have pasts, and like usual you fail to make a point among your drivel.
ReplyDeleteWell i'm about to hit the Road, usually everytime I go on vacation some big newsworthy story comes out, hope that isnt the case this time unless.........KKKarl Rove is indicted, that i could handle, the sooner the better. I'll be incomunicado for the next few days, so hold down the fort while i'm gone and dont do anything I wouldnt do LOL.
ReplyDeleteMotorcycle trip to Buffalo, I should see Clif Sunday hopefully.
ReplyDeletesee ya!
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteHi, I find in funny that you would stand in front of a statue of Reagan. When you google your husband's name. It says he married Patty Davis, Ronald Reagan's daughter back in 1994
I'm missing the point.
Are you making fun of divorces?
Wasn't Reagan banging Nancy when he was still married to Jane Wyman?
I wonder which destroys more marriages...gays trying to get married,
ReplyDeleteOr straights getting divorced?
Come November a few of them might find out we mean the highway(even if by way of federal prison) for them...
ReplyDeleteReuters:
ReplyDeleteSenior Bush 04 Campaign Official was sent to prison for 10 months, for his role in suppressing votes in a key US Senate rate.
Maybe he will see Rove there.
Baghdad:
ReplyDeleteAttacks by insurgents killed at least 24 people, including 4 US servicemen.
The total ( reported) death toll stands at 2455 US military.
Bush sure is "Commander in Chief"
And things are getting worse in Afghanistan;
ReplyDeleteScores dead in heavy Afghan fighting
Canadian officer becomes country's first female combat death
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/05/18/afghan.taliban/index.html?section=cnn_world
And worfeus they are getting stronger better equiped and attacking much more brazenly...must not have had a mission accomplished in Afghanistan either, just another photo op for the pResident of photo ops...
ReplyDeleteBush and Cheney can make more money from Iraq, than they could in Afganistan.
ReplyDeleteThey could care less about avenging 911, but they do care about how they can use it for their own gain.
Real Patriots.
Dozens killed in heavy fighting in Afghanistan
ReplyDeleteKANDAHAR, Afghanistan - Some of the fiercest violence since the Taliban’s ouster in 2001 erupted across southern Afghanistan, with militants battling coalition forces, detonating car bombs and attacking a small village. Up to 105 people were killed, officials said Thursday.
The violence occurred in Helmand and Kandahar provinces, where 9,000 NATO-led forces are scheduled to deploy this summer to suppress the stubborn insurgency.
The Taliban death toll from fighting Wednesday night and Thursday ranged up to 87, U.S. and Afghan officials said. Also, 14 Afghan police officers, one American civilian, a Canadian soldier and an Afghan civilian also were killed in the fighting, officials said.
Violence recently has been rising in southern Afghanistan, with militants launching increasingly bold attacks and suicide bombings.
The surge in violence comes as NATO prepares to take over security operations from the U.S.-led coalition, which has been hunting for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the region since late 2001. Troops from nations including Canada, Britain and the Netherlands are moving into the south.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12846546/
No wonder they are spending so much time getting the MSM to focus on illegal immigration.
A proud salute to Canadian, Captain Nichola Goddard, 26, for sacrificing her life so others may live in peace & freedom.
ReplyDeleteEighteen turbans were peeled in the fighting.
I also salute all Americans who have sacrificed themselves fighting taliban.
Thanx Cliff...
Wonder if loving thoughts are effective against extremists?
Johnny it probably make less of them in the long run....
ReplyDeletePerhaps a little Cliff. However, there are billions of individuals who each possess their own version of how they feel the trains should run on time, therefore conflict is absolutely inevitable.
ReplyDeleteAt best, we can only minimize conflict....period.
No amount of love could do away with the whole spectrum of human emotion; especially when people are trying to figure out the best approach to the overrated and complicated aspect of love.
There will always be war/conflict and thats the real truth.....period!
True peace is impossible! Only lost souls envision a planet of peaceful, lobotomized fairy's.
Ahhhh....the comfort of illusion.
But Johnny beating or killing people has been shown not to be very good at getting the trains to run on time, and treating them with a small amount of respect does, thus a minimal amount of love would go much farther preventing new terrorists than all the bombs and tanks we have already unleashed in Iraq....
ReplyDeleteWhy was he receiving death threats from Ann Coulter's/Michelle Malkin's trained rats?
ReplyDeleteCliff said
ReplyDelete"But Johnny beating or killing people has been shown not to be very good at getting the trains to run on time.."
This is also true Cliff!
However, you cant walk into a mental hospital and tell all its patients to be reasonable within 24 hrs.
Also, Chamberlain is excellent proof respect is not an absolute.
Thus leading me to Agent Smith.
Chamberlin is a bad example because the british were for hitler when they thought he was just after the Communists in the USSR, just like Henry Ford, Thomas Edison and Prescott Bush to back Hitler before they were forced to agree to fight the Nazi scourge, after Hitlers true aims were known...by the attacks on Poland...France...and Norway, before HGitler attacked the USSR which is where the aboved wanted Hitler top go in the first place...
ReplyDeleteWhere are the trolls that praised the "win" of Blackwell;
ReplyDeleteElection 2006
Ohio Governor
Date Strickl. Black.
May 8 52% 36%
Apr 19 52% 35%
Mar 28 50% 40%
Feb 16 47% 35%
Jan 3 44% 40%
Nov 14 42% 36%
May 18, 2006--Congressman Ted Strickland (D) leads Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R) by 16-percentage points in the race to become Governor of Ohio. The first Rasmussen Reports election poll conducted following the May 2 Primary Election finds Strickland with 52% of the vote and Blackwell with 36% (see crosstabs).
Strickland won the Democratic Primary with 79% of the vote. Blackwell faced stiffer competition and won the GOP nomination with 56% of the vote.
The candidates began the year much closer than they are today with Strickland leading just 44% to 40% in our January survey. Since then, his lead has been in double digits every month. Our last three surveys found the Democrat at 50% or above each time.
Blackwell had an especially nasty Primary battle with Republican Attorney General Jim Petro.
In Ohio Republicans have occupied the governor's mansion for the past 16 years. But the current governor, Republican Governor Bob Taft, is caught up in scandal and extremely unpopular. Just 2% of voters have a "very favorable" opinion of Taft while 55% have a "very unfavorable" opinion of him.
In the state's Senate race, Democrat Sherrod Brown has pulled ahead of incumbent Senator Mike DeWine (R).
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/2006/State%20Polls/May%202006/Ohio%20Governor%20May.htm
as can easily be seen Strickland has over 50% and his lead is growing, OHIO could very well have a democratic Governour this November...and Dewine don't look so good either......tick tick tick november is coming
Cliff
ReplyDeleteI think you may be over emphasizing the mutual dislike of communism by both Germany and Britian.
Chamberlain appeased Hitler over and over again by ceding territory over to him in an effort to avert a European war.
Hitler always bragged he got a good chunk of Europe without firing a shot.
Chamberlain was weak, thus allowing Hitler to become more powerful.
Chamberlin was doing nothing by hisself the industrialists in Briton were just the same as those in America in the early and middle 30's that saw Hitler as a counter to the communist and socialist groups that grew up in many countries as a result of the great depression. Many people before WW2 in the US england France canada, even Germany before hitler were members of the communist parties, thus the repug capitalists looked to other political movements to counter their rise...and the Nazi's in germaby through out the 20's and early 30's proved to be just that, it was only after Hitlers quest for a German dominated empire(which he saw Britian as a second smaller partner) was the British repullsed and fought against the Same person that in the mid 30's they saw as a counter to the Soviet Union and the danger of communism taking europe one country at a time through elective campaigns...
ReplyDeleteCliff
ReplyDeleteYou have completely neglected to take into account " The Treaty of Versailles."
Quite simply, Hitler wanted revenge for the treaty's humiliating and unrealistic demands which caused so much misery to the German nation. Especially, for the loss of German land; he wanted both territory and German honor back.
Hitler constantly and cleverly challenged the treaty under the threat of being severely punished by the allies.
He started off small by rearming and forming divisions - no one acted.
He took Austria - no one acted.
Rhineland - no one acted.
Sudaetenland - no one acted, etc...
Remember Cliff, France and Russia had a pact prior to WW2.
Clif, I should be in Nashville sometime tonight or tomorrow morning depending on the weather, do you think we could meet up for an early lunch on Sunday ?? I'll e-mail tonight.
ReplyDeleteHey Col.Klink (A.K.A.) Clif,I took the time to read a couple of your usual longwinded nonsensical musings.Let me get this straight,are you really comparing capitilist to nazis? If so you are a much bigger moron then even I thought you were.
ReplyDeleteIraq Has a Lower Violent Death Rate Than Washington, Baltimore or Atlanta
ReplyDeleteThe Rush Limbaugh Show | may 16, 2006 |
Iraq Has a Lower Violent Death Rate Than Washington, Baltimore or Atlanta
May 16, 2006
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Interesting story today in the New York Sun:
"It's that time of year when New Yorkers start making their summer vacation plans. Renting a place in the Hamptons? Nah, been there, done that. How about a Parisian jaunt? Noooo. Too many riots. Well, how about visiting a country that's ancient, historic, beautiful and exotic - Iraq? Sure, there's a little war going on there, but when you look at the violent death statistics in the world, [Iraq is] safer than a number of other popular travel destinations. Believe it or not. I happened to catch Rep. Steve King, a Republican of Iowa, on C-span last week and he rattled off some startling figures that demonstrate how off-base journalists are when it comes to reporting on the war in Iraq.
"According to Mr. King, the violent death rate in Iraq is 25.71 per 100,000. That may sound high, but not when you compare it to places like Colombia 61.7" per 100,000 death rate, violent death rate. South Africa, has a higher violent death rate per 100,000: 49.6 per 100,000. Even Jamaica has a higher violent death rate than does Iraq: 32.4, and Venezuela comes in at 31.6 violent deaths per 100,000. "How about the violent death rates in American cities? New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina was 53.1," violent death rate per 100,000. "FBI statistics for 2004-05 have Washington" DC's violent death rate at 45.9 per 100,000; Baltimore at 37.7 per 100,000, and Atlanta at 34.9 per 100,000. The figure again from Iraq, 25.71 per 100,000, and that includes the war.
So Iraq, I mean, if you're just going to roll the dice and take your chances, Iraq's a much safer place to go than Washington or Jamaica or New Orleans pre-Katrina, or Venezuela!
END TRANSCRIPT
Hey slooooow Mike,did you put a horn on your Schwinn for this ride?I'm assuming you've gone beyond training wheels.
ReplyDeleteHey libs,I just read where your hero in the Senate Dingy Harry Reid called the bill to make English the offical language of america "racist." What a guy that ole Harry is,a true American,someone to stand behind....and piss on his leg.
ReplyDeleteNuclear war is looming??? Are you out of you friggin mind,that is,among some of your other ones the dumbest things you've written.Run Henny Penny run,the sky is falling.You wufuss are the definition of a mamaluke.
ReplyDeleteAmerica's Children Paying the Price for Bush's Silly War on Terror
ReplyDeleteThe nightly news is filled with reports of terrorist attacks, suicide bombings, and newly discovered mass graves filled with the bodies of innocent men, women, and children. Indeed, the right-wing media has gone to great lengths to give the Religion of Peace a bad rap, so that voters will turn to Republicans more out of fear than anything else. With so much negative imagery bombarding them at every turn, American children are liable to believe that every Muslim male who blows himself up in a deli is a bad guy as well.
Such clear cut lines between good & evil are unhealthy for developing progressive minds. It is important, therefore, that we instill our children with the ability to blur such lines for the sake of their own emotional well-being. Men like Zacarias Moussaoui aren't evil monsters, but simply misunderstood. Perhaps they are even victims themselves. Victims of poverty. Victims of imperialist U.S. agression. Victims of a fascist $5 cover charge at Azteca last Cinco De Mayo. Whatever gets you through the night. Given enough love, appeasement, capitulation, and the complete abandonment of Israel, these so-called "evildoers" might even accept us as their friends. After all, 60 million Frenchmen can't be wrong, and it would be the height of arrogance to believe otherwise.
That's why I had such high hopes for my ill-fated series of children's books. Along with his sidekick, Richie Hotfoot, Moussaoui Moose would encounter a colorful cast of characters on his many fun-filled adventures, each designed to teach kids that "terrorist" is a subjective and downright hurtful label to place on anyone. Studies show that thanks to Bush's economy, a growing majority of Americans are just one paycheck away from bankruptcy. Given the right set of circumstances, any of us could saw someone's head off while they're still alive and then post videos of it on the internet. It's not an Islam thing, and it doesn't make us monsters. It just makes us different. And isn't embracing our differences one of the most important things we can teach our kids?
Unfortunately, Bush and his Big Publishing Buddies put an end to The Adventures of Moussoaui Moose and the Religion of Peace Gang. But the conceptual sketches survived, and in lieu of posting anything of substance tonight I will present them to you now.
http://blamebush.typepad.com/blamebush/2006/05/but_wait_theres.html
Baghdad:
ReplyDeleteRoadside bombs and other attacks killed 10 and wounded 26 people, including one US soldier.
Gunmen in a minibus opened fire just outside Baghdad, wounding 11 passengers.
Arsonists burned more than 30 shops in an area 80 miles south of Baghdad.
Police found the bullet-riddled bodies of 4 Iraqis. They had been tortured.
Isn't the Bush Democracy wonderful?
wufuss's daddy said...
ReplyDeleteHey libs,I just read where your hero in the Senate Dingy Harry Reid called the bill to make English the offical language of america "racist." What a guy that ole Harry is,a true American,someone to stand behind....and piss on his leg.
Why is it that cowards like Wufuss here can't get the fact that it doesn't take an act of Congress to keep English the official language of America?
What are you afraid of, son? Your children might grow up gay AND Hispanic?
Tall Texan said...
ReplyDeleteIraq Has a Lower Violent Death Rate Than Washington, Baltimore or Atlanta
Errrrr, dickhead?
Those stats fr Atlanta et al included car crashes. Iraq's did not.
Iraq's ALSO included the population of American soldiers, most of whom live safely behind the wall in the Green Zone.
Sheesh. If you're going to pass along lies, then at least pass along ones that are harder to debunk.
Wufssy crybaby try reading some history of the 20's and 30's especially the European and you will see the danger the capitalists felt from the communists movements in their country...how about when Franco..a fascist was supported by both the capitalists elites and Hitler(including military assets) to fight the communists in Spain in the 30's....and the party of opposition that Hitler RAN against was not the Jews but the communists, in fact the Reichstag's fire was blamed on the communists in order to round them up...a significant portion of the other six million victims of the concentration camps( six million were Jewish, but there was about twelve million total victims) were the communists of Europe...
ReplyDeleteYou know wufusscrybaby....all your ranting has very factual basis sort of like bush's sense of reality...probably because it is soooo liberal not being bent to the neo-con lies they perpetrate
Some Iraq war vets go homeless after return to US;
ReplyDeleteThe nightmare of Iraq was bad enough for Vanessa Gamboa. Unprepared for combat beyond her basic training, the supply specialist soon found herself in a firefight, commanding a handful of clerks.
"They promoted me to sergeant. I knew my job but I didn't know anything about combat. So I'm responsible for all these people and I don't know what to tell them but to duck," Gamboa said.
The battle, on a supply delivery run, ended without casualties, and it did little to steel Gamboa for what awaited her back home in Brooklyn.
When the single mother was discharged in April, after her second tour in Iraq, she was 24 and had little money and no place to live. She slept in her son's day-care center.
Gamboa is part of a small but growing trend among U.S. veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars -- homelessness.
On any given night the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) helps 200 to 250 of them, and more go uncounted. They are among nearly 200,000 homeless veterans in America, largely from the Vietnam War.
And the cycle begins to repeat itself all over again.......
Advocates say the number of homeless veterans is certain to grow, just as it did in the years following the Vietnam and Gulf wars, as a consequence of the stresses of war and inadequate job training.
ReplyDeleteHomeless veterans have remained in the shadows of the national debate about Iraq, although the issue may gain traction from the film "When I Came Home," which won an award this month for best New York-made documentary at the city's Tribeca Film Festival.
The documentary tells the story of Iraq war veteran Herold Noel as he lived in his car. It will get a screening in June at the U.S. Capitol in Washington.
U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, a California Democrat, calls it a "national disgrace" that homelessness among veterans has not been solved and held an informal hearing on Thursday to highlight the issue.
"We've seen the same thing with Agent Orange and Gulf War syndrome," Filner said of ailments from prior wars. "The bureaucracy is denying that there's anything wrong. First it's deny, deny, deny. Then they admit it's a small problem. And later they admit it's a widespread problem.
"We're not talking about a lot of money (to solve the problem) compared with overall spending on the war in Iraq. We're spending a billion dollars every two and a half days," he told Reuters.
Military recruiters target poor neighborhoods like Gamboa's Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. Young adults with few job skills join the Army. When they get out, many have fallen behind their contemporaries, experts say.
ReplyDeleteThe stresses of combat and military life contribute to post traumatic stress disorder, substance abuse and mental illness, which are especially taboo subjects to soldiers trained not to admit failure easily.
About half of all homeless veterans suffer from mental illness, and more than two-thirds suffer from alcohol or drug abuse problems, the VA says.
Gamboa has avoided those pitfalls, but female veterans are three times more likely to become homeless than women in the general population, the American Journal of Public Health reported.
Repeated deployments -- a hallmark of the Iraq war -- and separation from family can also portend future problems.
"Then the downward spiral begins with substance abuse and problems with the law," said Amy Fairweather of Iraq Veteran, which helps war veterans in San Francisco.
"If you wanted to put together all the repercussions that put people at risk for homelessness, you couldn't do better than the Iraq war."
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsarticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID=2006-05-19T171220Z_01_N19384748_RTRUKOC_0_US-IRAQ-HOMELESS-VETERANS.xml&pageNumber=0&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage3
Like they said they support the troops...until they come home...and sometimes not even til then....
Wufuss crybaby slander away...TT defend the undefendable...
CIA Chief nominee Hayden says there were some intelligence failures, in the run-up to the Iraq war, but Hayden says we won't make that mistake again.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the idiots going to do about the mistake already made?
The way Hayden sounds, the Iraq mistake is no big deal. Just so they don't repeat it.
Tell Hayden to talk to the 18,000 vets who are haviong problems reajustimg like a place to live or the madness that consumes them...the impossibility to leave the insanity of Iraq in Iraq but it overloads the mind...
ReplyDeletetell him to preach to those and duck real quick...,
Remember Cliff, France and Russia had a pact prior to WW2.
ReplyDeleteSo did Germany and Russia...in fact Russia conquered about half of Poland, half of which is still part of Russia even today, if you do not believe me check a preWW2 and post WW2 maps of Poland...the eastern post WW2 boundary is the agreed line where Nazi Germany and the USSR divided up Poland...
Hitler did not launch the attack on Poland until Ribbentrop brought back the non-aggression pact between the Nazi's and USSR
Col. Klink,if you hate the military and the country as much as you show in those long winded rantings refuse the check you get everymonth.You should'nt be getting paid for your men fragging you anyway.Step up to the plate refuse to take the handout.
ReplyDeletewufuss's daddy said...
ReplyDeleteCol. Klink,if you hate the military and the country as much as you show in those long winded rantings refuse the check you get everymonth.
Explain how looking back into history is hating the military ot country and if you are saying commenting on the actual operations or inactions of a government is hating it you know nothing of our founding fathers....
an dif you thing I'm lomg winded go back to the prekindergardewn primers you seem to want to read
Some Iraq war vets go homeless after return to US;
ReplyDeleteand if you think this is hating the military and the country then you as a neo-con apologist do not understand the country or military is no more than the people that make either up...thus for both the country and military to drop the ball 18,000 times and then having somebody call then on it is not hate for those people but asking the institutions which are administrated by people that have not actually done the things by the combat vets have then the ones who haven't but by the fact of their position they have accepted responsibility for aiding those who have,
You see posting about problems that the combat vets of the current war are having which the government is not apparently addressing is not hating the military if the military is primarily those who wear the uniform...but actually asking the same individuals who sent those to the battlefield to care for them when they come home just as Washington hisself promised...
But continue as a simpleton idiot propaganda spout for the idiot in chief other people will understand the veterans sometimes come home with new problems they did not have predeployment thus the government formed the VA and promised to aid those vets… something your chicken-hawked scared a$$ would never have the testicular fortitude to actually do....
Religious liberals gain new visibility
ReplyDeleteLeft-winged group no longer overshadowed by Christian right
Long overshadowed by the Christian right, religious liberals across a wide swath of denominations are engaged today in their most intensive bout of political organizing and alliance-building since the civil rights and anti-Vietnam War movements of the 1960s, according to scholars, politicians and clergy members.
The quickening pulse of the religious left is evident in myriad ways:
More than a dozen books have been published in the past year decrying the religious right's influence in politics. Three have been particularly influential in galvanizing activists: Michael Lerner's "The Left Hand of God: Taking Back Our Country From the Religious Right," Jim Wallis's "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It," and Jimmy Carter's "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis."
The recently formed Network of Spiritual Progressives is holding a four-day conference that began Wednesday at All Souls Church in Northwest Washington. A thousand participants from 39 states are discussing a new "Spiritual Covenant for America" and spent Thursday visiting their members of Congress. Lerner, the California-based rabbi who founded the network, said the conference is partly aimed at countering an aversion to religion among secular liberals and "the liberal culture" of the Democratic Party. "I can guarantee you that every Democrat running for office in 2006 and 2008 will be quoting the Bible and talking about their most recent experience in church," he said.
The Democratic Faith Working Group, made up of 30 members of the House and scores of aides, has begun meeting monthly on Capitol Hill to discuss faith and politics, opening each session with a prayer. Its purpose is to "work with our fellow Democrats and get them comfortable with faith issues," said its chairman, Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), a preacher's son who was raised in the fundamentalist Church of God.
Organizations and Web sites that meld religion and liberal politics have mushroomed since the 2004 elections, said Clinton White House chief of staff John D. Podesta. The think tank he heads, the Center for American Progress, has helped form alliances between some of these new groups -- such as Faith in Public Life, the Catholic Alliance for the Common Good and FaithfulAmerica.org -- and long-standing organizations, such as the National Council of Churches.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12879318/
We know that Jesus in his day stood up against the ruling elite of both the Romans, and the Jewish aristocracy and priests and pharisees, thus was not a conservative...he even went as far to reinterpert the ten commandments, and challange the right of individuals to judge others or punish them for violations of the religious code.,...thus he probably wouldn't side with Herr Bush...Falwell..
Robertson...Dobson...Colson, or many of the other reich wing appologists for the desecration of Christs message in order to advocate a message Christ did not preach..
Like havivg all you can grab at the expense of others is good, and if someone else4 is not as sucessful it is their fault not the responsibility of each of us..is contridicted by...
MatthewSeven Woes
23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 23:2 “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
Like the ones who claim to have all the religious answers of today like Falwell..dobson..robertson ...bush
23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. 23:4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.
They sent others to do that which they are unwilling to do them selves
can we say chicken-hawks..and imposters that love photo ops but do not actually furfill the law
23:5 They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. 23:6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues1 23:7 and elaborate greetings11 in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 23:8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 23:9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.
23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
Boy are Bush..Rummy...Cheney...., and the religious talking heads going to be disappointed upon their arrival in Heaven
23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.
23:15 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!
and
23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others. 23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!
23:25 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!
Do what actually is necessary...photo opos do not count, and clean up your countries before crossing the ocean to attempt tyo clean others...even if you can invent reason to invade
23:27 “Woe to you, experts in the law31 and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 23:28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Makes the current crop of holier than thou look no better than those who set in judgement of Christ and HANDED him to the Romans.
23:29 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
23:34 “For this reason I am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, 23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 23:36 I tell you the truth, this generation will be held responsible for all these things!
I think maybe I missed the event.Did that prick Karl Rove get indicted yet? What the hell is taking so friggin long?
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Bush IS the threat of terror in this nation. His approval rating is at the lowest its ever been (lower than Nixon), and the continuing case of idiotis that this guy has just keeps on getting worse and worse.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure Criminal Bush has better things to do for this nation than send a bunch of troops to guard the Mexican border. When all is said and done, at the rate he's going, we're going to have another Berlin Wall on our hands, as I mentioned in my blog earlier.
I wonder how Vicente Fox feels about sending those national guard troops over there; despite the fact that his government is just as corrupt as ours.
Wufuss/dufuss,my goodness you're really in your hate mood today.Might be too much sugar,stop drinking those Mountain Dews and Red Bulls.Get outside,get some fresh air.Go for a jog,oops I forgot you cant run at your weight.Well go for a short walk then.
ReplyDeleteClif, E-mail,me when you get a chance.
ReplyDeleteClif, E-mail,me when you get a chance.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking about jizz, Tall Texan knows what that is, he gives himself hand-jobs, because he can't get laid to save his pitiful soul, plus the girls would laugh at his little pecker.
ReplyDeleteWhen TT would get a hard-on he would walk into the wall and break his nose....little peter boy
As Bush's self imposed Iraqi cabinet was installed, at least 33 people were killed, and another 58 wounded, in a series of attacks across Iraq.
ReplyDeleteBodies of 22 Iraqis were found that had been kidnapped and tortured by death squads.
Thus goes Bush's Iraq policy.
Hey Juan,how long ago did you come across the border and when does the lettuce crop come in?
ReplyDeleteOh wufuss/dufuss you are such a wit.I see you have another big weekend planned at the keyboard,just you some hot pockets and a six pack of Mountain Dew.Or will you be hitting the "dojo"?You know what I mean...wink,wink,nod,dod.
ReplyDeleteGambling on a Weaker Dollar
ReplyDeleteFor some time now, shortsighted lawmakers in Congress have been threatening China with tariffs for what they call its unfair currency practices. The Bush administration, to its credit, has generally resisted the protectionist rant, most notably by refusing to brand China a "currency manipulator" in an official report to Congress last week.
China responded to the administration's responsible policy and diplomatic courtesy this week when it loosened, a bit, the tether that binds the Chinese currency, the yuan, to the dollar. A stronger yuan implies a weaker dollar, as does the general strengthening so far this year of the euro and the yen. By making foreign goods sold here more expensive and American goods sold abroad cheaper, a weaker dollar would, in theory, eventually help reduce the United States' huge trade gap.
The problem is this: unless a falling dollar is paired with reductions in the federal budget deficit, it could do more harm than good by driving up interest rates, perhaps sharply. That's because the foreign investors who finance the administration's "borrow as you go" budget are likely to demand higher returns to invest in a depreciating dollar.
But if budget deficits declined over the long run, the government's reduced need to borrow would help keep interest rates low as the dollar depreciated. Then, after a lag, the falling dollar would shrink the trade deficit without risking big increases in interest rates in the process.
Unfortunately, the incessant tax cutting of the past five years precludes any serious attempt to reduce the budget deficit. So to keep interest rates in check as the dollar falls, the administration would have to persuade investors not to believe what they see: a dollar that is declining even as the United States does nothing to curb its borrowing.
That would be a difficult trick even for a Treasury Department that commanded respect. It will be especially difficult for Mr. Bush's Treasury team, which has suffered a diminution of esteem and credibility.
The Bush tax cuts also make it harder for Americans as a nation to bail themselves out of the trade deficit by saving more. Higher personal savings would allow the government to finance its budget deficit without outsized foreign borrowing — another safe route to a cheaper dollar and a smaller trade gap. But the Republicans who control Congress let a tax credit for low-income savers expire this year to free up room in the budget for nearly $70 billion in additional tax cuts for high-income Americans over the near term.
That tax cut bill, signed into law this week by President Bush, also commits an estimated $53 billion through the middle of the century to help those same high earners shift their existing savings into tax shelters. This adds not one cent of new savings and presages big deficits far into the future.
A weakening dollar, on top of intractable budget deficits and a chronic savings shortfall, is a recipe for recession. The question now is whether the country will change direction in time. The portents are not good
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/20/opinion/20sat1.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
Wonder if those in the monet in the stock market see this and this week have been pulling their m,oney out before the second BUSH Recession.
And we all know that Bush is NO FDR but a poor Hoover
Col.Klink,for christ sake you're a long winded bore.Your the guy at the holiday dinner table that make everyone else silently think "jesus christ is this windbag ever going to shut the fuck up?"
ReplyDeleteSuck on this wufuss crybaby;
ReplyDeleteEx-deputy secretary of state new figure in CIA leak probe
BY KENNETH R. BAZINET and JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON - Former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has emerged as a key witness in the CIA leak probe, the Daily News has learned.
Armitage has been questioned several times, but is not expected to be indicted by the federal grand jury investigating who outed CIA spy Valerie Plame to journalists in 2003, sources said.
Armitage's testimony could hurt Vice President Cheney's indicted former chief aide Lewis (Scooter) Libby, or President Bush's political guru, Karl Rove.
Two sources familiar with the case said Armitage, Rove and Libby all had contacts with the press about Plame. Unlike Rove and Libby, Armitage appears to have tried to dissuade reporters from writing about her.
Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald recently had to sneak Armitage into a Washington courthouse to get past reporters - a sign of his value in the case, according to one source.
"Rich has been cooperating with Fitzgerald since day one," said another source, who has close ties to Armitage. "He was one of the first people to offer his testimony."
Armitage's office said he was was not available to comment.
Rove has testified five times as a subject of the grand jury probe.
Even if Rove escapes indictment, he could still be forced to resign for talking about Plame with a Time magazine reporter.
"People don't seem to want to talk about the possibility that Karl could be named an unindicted co-conspirator," a third source close to the case said. "Can an unindicted co-conspirator remain at the White House? Personally, I don't think so."
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/wn_report/story/419364p-354152c.html
Sorry that my posts strain your mental abilities wufuss crybaby but that doesn't change the fact that our current federal fiscal policy combined with our trade policy is a hindenburg in the making...and this time we can see the wreck coming
ReplyDeleteAnd Kkkarl Rove is in trouble and HE knows it.....funny Armitage is acting in typical repug fasion how fasty can he sell out somebody else to save his a$$
You two bore's are pathetic.One's a former soldier who got drummed out of the service and now envisions himself as a military and economics expert and the other is a short chubby computer geek living in a fantasy world of Jackie Chan movies and dreams of things he will never have,like a date with a live woman.
ReplyDeleteCome on wufuss/dufuss tell us the truth.When's the last time you actually had a date with a woman? Taking your second cousin to the prom does'nt count nor does having lunch and speaking Klingon with with your buddies sister at the Star Trek convention count.
ReplyDeleteOh yea, the blow up doll does'nt count either.Sorry.
ReplyDeleteAre you on the "ranch" tonight or at the "dojo?" Pathetic,just pathetic.
ReplyDeleteIts no wonder you and Col.Klink dispise anyone who has gotten anywhere.You two dullards just dont have it in you to compete,just complain and bitch.
ReplyDeleteWufuss/dufuss.here's a good tip,dont ever let your mouth write a check your fat ass cant cash.
ReplyDeleteThose are things you'll never know "fantasy boy."
ReplyDeletedufuss, now there's another one of your fantasy's.Get a grip on reality boy.
ReplyDeleteRemember in school when the other boys used to put you head in the toilet and give you wedgies.
ReplyDeleteWell wufuss little "fantasy boy" I'm gonna leave for the evening,you and Col. Klink have a good one.
ReplyDeletewufuss's daddy said...
ReplyDeleteRemember in school when the other boys used to put you head in the toilet and give you wedgies.
Wufuss crybaby I know those memories you cry about must be painful but if you let them go you will not have to throw so much hate around....unl;ess they are still happening and thewn I for one would tell you to stay out of the girls bathroom
May 21, 2006
ReplyDeleteI'm sticking with Bush
U.S. president remains world's best hope despite plummeting popularity ratings
By Paul Jackson
President George W. Bush strides across the world stage as much as the U.S. dominates the world's stage.
This is very good news for those of us who still believe in decency and democracy.
So forget what some slanted opinion polls say about the leadership of the 43rd president and his patriot countrymen.
Recall, Sir Winston Churchill was once one of the most detested men in Britain, then went on to save the free world.
That's Churchill's undisputed legacy.
In another era it may be Bush's legacy, too.
This past week, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, one of America's strongest allies, was in Washington on a state visit.
He was hailed by one and all in the nation's capital.
Later, Howard was in Ottawa to visit America's latest allies, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the newly elected Conservative government of Canada.
And we all know British Prime Minister Tony Blair is also one of Bush's -- and America's -- strongest allies.
Bush and America have many other allies throughout the world, too, although to read the nauseating Lib-Left news media, one would get the impression Bush is a pariah and America a rogue state.
Well, would you rather have the likes of Communist China, Communist North Korea, or Communist Cuba soldiering the world?
How about Middle East sheikdoms such as Iran, Libya, or Yemen running the show.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has already let it be known when his nation gets its hands on nuclear weapons he will use them against the Western democracies.
North Korea's president Kim Jong-il boasts he already has nuclear weapons and is building intercontinental ballistic missiles to carry them to western countries.
Back in the 1960s, Castro tried to install Soviet missiles on his island nation aimed at Canada and the U.S.
Do you honestly believe Bush, Blair, Howard and the like do not have a duty to safeguard us against these types.
Or would you rather have a stack of African dictatorships in charge -- nations ravaged by tribal warfare with their hands constantly out for billions of dollars in western aid that invariably is used to build luxurious palaces and deposited in secretive Swiss banks.
Vladimir Putin's Russia is a mess -- democracy there is in danger -- and old Soviet-style hawks want to take it back to the days of Stalinism.
Many of its non-Eastern European vassal states are in a mess, too, governed by local chieftains.
In Latin America bullies such as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez are on the rise.
Their hero, Fidel Castro, lives in luxury while his people continue to live under decades of food rationing.
India and Pakistan -- always at each other's throats, and courtesy of past Canadian Liberal regimes loaded with nuclear missiles -- pose a constant threat to that part of the world.
In Italy, we just lost Silvio Berlusconi, one of Bush's and America's best friends, in favour of left-winger Romano Ponti, and we don't know where he stands on preserving the international rule of law.
In Spain, when the Conservative government of Jose Maria Aznar fell, and Socialist Jose Zapatero came into power, the Spanish quickly capitulated to Islamic terrorist blackmail.
Thankfully, NATO and Norad are still holding together, and some perceptive Europeans leaders are even talking about a missile shield against rogue nations similar to the one proposed by Bush and rejected by weak-kneed types such as the Jean Chretien/Paul Martin Liberals.
Gutless, every one of them.
Talk about 21st century Neville Chamberlains!
So we're left basically with Bush, Blair and Howard and whatever smaller nations such as freed Soviet slave states in the European Union can pull together.
Yes, we've all read in the midst of this international war on terror that Bush has slipped this month to an all-time low in opinion polls at just 29%.
But recall that back in 1951 during another war on terror -- the attempt to prevent Josef Stalin's hordes from advancing into Western Europe and the all-out effort to save South Korea from advancing Communist North Korean forces, backed by Red China -- Democratic President Harry Truman fell to 23% in the polls.
The anti-America mobs can howl all they like, but I'm sticking with Bush, Blair, Howard and other true leaders of the western democracies.
I hope you are, too.
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Columnists/Jackson_Paul/2006/05/21/pf-1590634.html
I need an update.Has Karl Rove been indicted yet? If not,why not?
ReplyDeleteTall Texan aka Wufuss Daddy, and all the other scum names he uses, is nothing more than a piece of Texas shit. Texas is the land of assholes
ReplyDeleteAttorney General Gonzales said Sunday reporters can be prosecuted for what they write.
ReplyDeleteGonzales said there are some statutes on the books, that if you " read the language carefully" it would "Seem" to indicate that is a posibility.
It sounds like they are looking awfully hard to find something that would "Seem" to say they can go after reporters.
If you can't win a war you needlessly start, then the only answer must be to destroy the messenger.
"Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteTall Texan aka Wufuss Daddy, and all the other scum names he uses, is nothing more than a piece of Texas shit. Texas is the land of assholes"
What a touching sentiment. Did you go to a special school to write like that?