NSA spying on website visitors..

"NEW YORK (AP) -- The National Security Agency's Internet site has been placing files on visitors' computers that can track their Web surfing activity despite strict federal rules banning most of them.

These files, known as 'cookies,' disappeared after a privacy activist complained and The Associated Press made inquiries this week, and agency officials acknowledged Wednesday they had made a mistake....

Don Weber, an NSA spokesman, said in a statement Wednesday that the cookie use resulted from a recent software upgrade. Normally, the site uses temporary, permissible cookies that are automatically deleted when users close their Web browsers, he said, but the software in use shipped with persistent cookies already on." read on...

What was that? Another "oops" in the War on Terror where they keep their illegal activities operable only until someone tells on them. Much like the street criminal who continues to steal until he gets caught. Common crooks, they are.

BTW, how come a spy agency, supposedly as technologically sophisticated and ultra-secret as the NSA not know exactly what the cookie would do when they installed it? Are we to beleive that the US's largest intelligence agency is so incompetent that they don't know what's on their own software? The explanation by Mr. Weber doesn't pass the sniff test. IMHO, they knew exactly what they were doing, and that it was illegal.

Eat them up, yum.

Ex Mizzou Great Released From US Custody in Iraq

Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash, aka: "Mrs. Anthrax;" "Chemical Sally;" "The 39th Most Wanted Iraqi;" "Five of Hearts;" and "MU Tiger(huh?);" was released from US custody in Iraq on December 19.

According to the BushGang, she was head of Saddam Hussein's bio-weapons program. Except that there wasn't one. Oops.
US officials claim that she is no longer a security threat and that Iraqi law allows her release.

Why now? In the wake of Iraq’s elections, U.S. officials hope to indicate to hard-line Sunnis and some former Saddam loyalists that they too have a stake in the new Iraq. Sunni insurgents often have demanded prisoner releases as a condition for ending their violent rebellion. A particularly ruthless group of Sunni kidnappers specifically demanded that Iraqi women detainees—Ammash and Taha key among them—be freed last year after Briton Kenneth Bigley was taken hostage. He was killed in September 2004 after the kidnappers’ deadline passed. [...]
The timing of the gestures of leniency also came just a few days after President George W. Bush conceded that 2003 intelligence reports on Iraq’s purported WMD programs were flawed. Now we’re being told by media quoting a former Western arms inspector, that Ammash was cooperative in detention and provided U.S. interrogators with credible evidence that Saddam did not have an active WMD program before the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

Dr. Ammash has studied and written about the damaging environmental and biological impact of the first Gulf War, so naturally she was an enemy of the Bush Cabal. She also suffers from cancer that may very well have been caused by Gulf War I's resultant "mixture of toxic, radiological, chemical and electromagnetic exposure."

In other Mizzou news...
Mizzou Math Prof Solves 40 Year Old Problem. The humble Dr. Steven Hofmann solves the Kato Conjecture, downplays his acheivement. Congratulations Dr. Hofmann, you pretty much rock.

Friday afternoon, the Mizzou Football Tigers take on the South Carolina Football Gamecocks in the something-or-other bowl. I should have more to say on this topic, being a devoted Mizzou Football fan/alumnus, and having once lived in Columbia, SC where the U of SC is. I don't, really. Spurrier is my most-hated coach, i could care less about Gamecock sports, and i don't care for Mizzou coach Pinkel, either. i think i'll go to Texas, see the Old 97's, hang with my girl and ignore the game all together. But 'go tigers!' anyway. :)

Iraqis support "cut and run"

The headline reads, "Iraqis Want U.S. Out As Soon As Possible." So, in Shrub's black & white, good and evil world of absolutes, this surely means that the Iraqi people support a policy of "cut and run" esposed by evil freedom haters such as Murtha, Pelosi, and Dean, yes?
Bush (November, 2001): "You're either with us or against us in the war on terror." Well, i guess the Iraqi people are now against us and for the terrorists. Congratulations, Mr. Bush, you have managed to create 26 million terrorists. Mission accomplished.

R.I.P.

Vincent Schiavelli 1948 - 2005

Thirty-four

...today. I don't feel any different than yesterday when i was thirty-three. Except maybe today i'm excited cuz i'm flying down to Texas to visit my favorite girlfriend of all times:

i never thought i'd say this, but i can't wait to get to Texas.

I found the home page for my old elementary school. Check it:

I checked the "History" but all they talked about was the school's history - Built in 1880, blah blah blah. No mention of past Student Council Presidents (my administration: 1982-1983), famous alumni (Phillies righty Jon Lieber), or if any of my Physical Fitness records still stood (e.g. 21 pull ups, 1983). I noticed some of the same teachers are there: Ruth Rysta, Roger Salyers, Jean Pashby, Julie Ryan. Thankfully for the kids, that mean nazi Mrs. Weitz is long gone. She had it in for me, i'm sure. She knew i was the main subversive element in the school, but she could never make many of her substantive charges stick. i got good grades and i was Student Council President (i won by one vote), i had a mandate, dammit! Jennifer Sherman, the girl i beat in the election even voted for me.
All Mrs. Weitz could do was try to nickel and dime me on technicalities and very minor rule violations. I'm sure in her mind she was positive it was i who let the air out of Mrs. Peterson's tires. Maybe it was i, maybe it was someone i had convinced it would be funny. Who knows? i had the motive: i protested Mrs. Peterson's approach to music class instruction and her "ban" on bringing The Grease Soundtrack for music appreciation time. I have since learned why she banned that record. It's filthy!
Maybe it was i who hacked into the brand new Apple IIe computer and changed Brian Arrowsmith's math scores. Okay, yeah, i got ratted out by someone i thought was loyal, and i was forced to admit to that one. Ah, misguided youthful rebellion...
Where are my old classmates from that era (besides the two that i know of who are no longer of the physical)? Where are Shad Coppock, Chad Pechacek, John Case, Jason Talcott, Shawna Benson, Danielle Bristol, Barb Paulson, Chris Skaggs? They were all very bright and talented kids who no doubt are doing well for themselves and their communities. i really would like to reconnect, or at least catch up and see how they're doing. i'll bet you a million bucks i'm the only one without a spouse and kids. i don't get up that way too often, but maybe i should try harder next time i go. i guess that's what google is for...

Operation Screw This

Recent headlines...
U.S. Troops Draw Up Own Exit Strategy BAGHDAD--..."My marines are the best-trained, best-equipped, most homesick fighting force in the world," said Staff Sgt. Cornelius Woods. "Just give us the order, and we will commandeer every available vehicle to execute a flanking maneuver on the airstrips of Mosul. By this time tomorrow, we will have retaken our positions at our families' dinner tables in full force." read on...

Voice of God Revealed To Be Cheney on Intercom WASHINGTON, DC—Telephone logs recorded by the National Security Agency and obtained by Congress as part of an ongoing investigation suggest that the vice president may have used the Oval Office intercom system to address President Bush at crucial moments, giving categorical directives in a voice the president believed to be that of God. continue...

Rove Implicated in Santa Identity Leak WASHINGTON, DC—The recent leak revealing Santa Claus to be "your mommy and daddy" has been linked to President Bush's senior political adviser and deputy chief of staff Karl Rove. onward...


Congressman Lets His Guitar Do the Talking

God bless the Onion. Be sure to check the Onion's latest Sports headlines.

Bush: "Congress saw the same intelligence I did."

Congressional Research Service: "False." Will the mainstream media finally catch on and call out the pundits and the preznit the next time this lie gets repeated? I doubt it. Thank you, Feinstein for asking. Hat tip to Josh Marshall for scooping.

George W. Bush's "War on Peace" Updates....
Brought to you by the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The Freedom of Information Act: Get Yours Today!!
And by Veiled Government Powers. Veiled Government Powers: Fighting the FOIA since 1966!

BushCo has been spying on US citizens without those pesky warrants. Don't you feel safer?

The Pentagon has been gathering data on peace-loving US citizens. The Pentagon is protecting us from insidious threats like the Raging Grannies. I feel safer already.

McCain amendment to be attached to Defense bill. At face value, this appears to be a big victory for McCain, human rights advocates and the United States of America over the Bush Administration. So why don't i feel satisfied? Oh yeah. A little thing called the Graham-Levin-Kyl Amendment, which will allow the US gov't to use evidence gathered via torture, and restrict detainees' rights to an independent court to review the factual basis of their detention. I guess habeas corpus is another of those "quaint" notions that BushCo. feels is obsolete in their War on Terror. sweet.

And i'm out. Peace. For real.

Decemberists, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah....

The Decemberists have signed to Capitol Records...Colin Meloy solo tour dates (same link, scroll down)...Kill Rock Stars to release Colin's college band, Tarkio anthology in January (same link, scroll down further).

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah will appear on Late Night with Conan O'Brien Friday nite. Set your TiVos, VCRs, see what the fuss is all about...You Ain't No Picasso re-posts 4 "new" CYHSY songs...

War update...

The UK's Independent has some numbers after 1,000 days of war in Iraq Up: casualties; kidnappings; daily attacks. Down: Iraqi security; electricity; inflation. DEAD EVEN: WMD's found still at zero. I hope W's "Plan for Victory" is implemented soon.

The War on Christmas - classic battle between Liberal Jew Sam Seder of Air America Radio vs Bob Knight, Radical Religious Right Wing Reactionary and director of The Culture and Family Institute. SAM SEDER: "...I feel like we should be waging a war on Christmas. I mean, I believe that Christmas, it's almost proven that Christmas has nuclear weapons, can be an imminent threat to this country, that they have operative ties with terrorists and I believe that we should sacrifice thousands of American lives in pursuit of this war on Christmas. And hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money." BOB KNIGHT: [i'm paraphrasing here] "Christians are being persecuted, everyone should pray to the baby Jesus, the Nazis were against Christmas, blah, blah , blah..." Crooks and Liars has the video from CNN. Atrios has a partial transcript.

How much has the War on Drugs cost so far? Click here for up-to-the-second figures

Campuses crusade against Coke(the soft drink)

Hong Kong's War on Monkeys

Kansas' war on science:Anti-creationism KU prof. beaten, resigns

Kazakhstan's War on fictional reporter, Borat from Da Ali G show

Pregnant woman wins battle in War on Gravity

Get Your War On has been updated recently. If you're not familiar with this cartoon, start here at October 9, 2001.

Sam Beam does Six Parts Seven, Rogue Wave Bonus

I thought i'd share this song i recently rediscovered. I got "Lost Notes From Forgotten Songs" some time last year as a promo bonus from Suicide Squeeze Records. It's kind of a tribute type deal where a few singer/songwriters take a Six Parts Seven song (who are an excellent intrumental outfit), rework it and add their own lyrics. See a review here, for a better description. The following is Sam Beam's version of Sleeping Diagonally.

Sleeping Diagonally - Sam Beam

Speaking of bonus discs, i got a 4 song demo from Sub Pop when i pre-odered Rogue Wave's 2005 release, "Descended Like Vultures" a few weeks back. Here is a demo version of Publish My Love:

04 - Rogue Wave - Bonus Demos - Publish My Love
i can upload the other three RW demo songs at your request, kind and gentle reader.

Visit:

Iron & Wine
Six Parts Seven
Rogue Wave Visit RW's MySpace page. Shh! Don't tell anyone!
Enjoy!
These songs are for sampling only and will be uploadable for a limited time.

If You're Not Outraged, You're Not Paying Attention

Not sure where that phrase originated, but it sure is true.
Stay informed on what to be outraged about: Fired Up Missouri, because few things are more foolish than blind rage.

Missouri's own beloved Boy Blunt now has a 34% Approval rating. That is up a tick from 33% just six months ago. So, i guess congratulations are in order? Uhh..hold up a sec. His Disapproval rating shot up from 57% to 62% during the same period. More folks are feeling Blunt Trauma, evidently.

Song Spotter: Spoon, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

Monday night i was watching Kitchen Confidential on Fox. One might ask me, "Why?". I may answer, "Because i like it and it was on after Arrested Development." Like AD, i know KitchCon (i made that up) is only gonna be on a few more times before the idiots at Fox give it the axe, so i watch it looking for good qualities in order to prove just how stupid the Fox Execs are.
Anyway..Monday's episode focused on a feud between KitchCon's main character - a flawed but likeable chef at an upscale restaurant - and a chef at a rival restaurant, who is also flawed, but not ostensibly likeable. He's a womanizing, conniving, vile pig of a man. And he's French. His name is Michel. During the final scene, we learn that his last name is Valentine. My favorite Spoon song, The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine, immediately comes to mind, and seconds later, that very song comes on the TV! Wow! We then learn that Mishel V. isn't so conniving, and is not quite as vile as we had thought (but he's still a womanizing smelly Frenchman). As the show fades to black and the credits roll, you hear, "..Til you know the two sides of Monsieur Valentine." That's a tidy way to end an otherwise mediocre episode of a doomed show. It makes me wonder if the writers liked the song to begin with and wrote the whole episode around it.

I was watching The Office on NBC a coupla weeks ago. "But dude, that show is just an unimaginative American clone of the original BBC series!" I thought it sucked at first too, Mr. Inner Contrarian Dialogue Man, especially because the first few episodes consisted mostly of recycled scenes from the original. "Phooey!" i said in disapointment. But i kept watching, and i'm glad i did. It has since found its own space and i no longer find myself constantly comparing the American characters with their British counterparts. Not to mention Steve Carrel seems to have been born to play the role of Office boss Michael Scott.
Anyway...On this episode, Jim throws a party, and playing in the background is a fmiliar tune that takes me a minute to recognize. Then finally i realize it's Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's song, The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth. i can't believe it took my brain that long to register it, since i've been listening to that album nonstop for a coupla months now. i think the file retreival system in my head inexplicably comes up 404 sometimes. Early dimentia?
So here are the songs i spotted on the TV for your aural pleasure. Keep in mind that these songs are for sampling purposes only. If you've not heard these two bands before and like them, seek them out. Go to their shows, buy an album or two, purchase a t-shirt. To save these songs to your computer, right click, save as...

Spoon (actually, it's just Britt Daniel) : The Two Sides of Monsieur Valentine Live on KEXP
buy Spoon albums here.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah : The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth - album version
visit CYHSY here.
Enjoy!

Freedom ain't free...

...so say the sloganeers.

• Miami police to "shock and awe" random citizens by terrorizing them. This is how Florida conducts their own little War on Terror. Now shut up and show me your ID.
  
• Consumer confidence up, gas prices dip. Now be a good citizen and shop, shop, shop. If you don't, the terrorists win.
• Vatican: Homosexual love is not equivalent to hetero love. How do they know? Oh, yeah, God told them. Now shut up and pray. The Vatican has been working on this document for ten years! They are clearly obsessed.
  
• Alito supported the execution of 16 - 17 year olds. Death penalties for everyone, yay! Now shut up and climb up there on that electric chair. Here's a booster seat.
• California Rebublican Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham pleads guilty to taking bribes of $2.4 million. He cried at his press conference. Does anyone feel sorry for this guy? Tom DeLay called him a hero. "Freedom isn't free and neither am I. Now shut up and write me a check."
• The Iraq Debacle: The most foolish war since 9 B.C. Damned if we do, damned if we don't.
• Former Powell Chief of Staff on Cheney: "a moron, an idiot or a nefarious bastard." You forgot ugly, lazy, and disrespectful.
• Armored minibus carrying Missouri Rep. Ike Skelton crashes in Iraq. Skelton "doing well" in Germany. Best wishes to Ike and family, no snark.
• Bush to unveil "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq" tomorrow (11/30/05, 32 months into this war!). Details will be scarce, platitudes and vagaries will be abundant. Now shut up and support the troops. Here's a magnet for your car.
  

Get one for yourself here.
Hat tip to Carol for Peace via Jesus' General

Iraqis want foreign troops out

"CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Leaders of Iraq's sharply divided Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis called Monday for a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces in the country and said Iraq's opposition had a `legitimate right' of resistance."
Bring 'em home!!! Yay!!

"Debate in Washington over when to bring troops home turned bitter last week after decorated Vietnam War vet Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., called for an immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, and estimated a pullout could be complete within six months. Republicans rejected Murtha’s position."
The Iraqi leaders are basically adopting Rep. Murtha's proposal.
Will Repugnicans reject the position of the Iraqis? I'm waiting for "Mean" Jean Schmidt to call them cowards for wanting us to "cut and run".

"'Though resistance is a legitimate right for all people, terrorism does not represent resistance. Therefore, we condemn terrorism and acts of violence, killing and kidnapping targeting Iraqi citizens and humanitarian, civil, government institutions, national resources and houses of worships,' the document said."
So they are saying that targeting US-led troops and contractors is not terrorism, it's freedom fighting. Fair enough. If some foreign government invaded the US, deposed our dictator and proceeded to destroy my country, i would also prefer to be called an "insurgent," not a "terrorist."

"The final communique also stressed participants' commitment to Iraq's unity and called for the release of all "innocent detainees" who have not been convicted by courts. It asked that allegations of torture against prisoners be investigated and those responsible be held accountable."
Oh, those cute Iraqis with their quaint notions about rair trials and the concept of "innocent until proven quilty."

"The statement also demanded 'an immediate end to arbitrary raids and arrests without a documented judicial order.'"
B-b-but Uncle Dick hasn't had a chance to torture them yet!

In other Middle-East related news..
Uzbekistan is kicking the US to the curb. Well, there goes our cozy relationship with that brutal totalitarian dictator...Re-deploy the troops!!


Blair talked Bush out of bombing Saudi TV Network Al-Jazeera.
You know this Administration is fucked up when a brown-nosing lickspittle is the only one who thinks taking out an ally's asset is not a good idea. Related: I heard that Chrisopher Hitchens convinced Bush not to nuke CBS news.

POTUS: Idiot

Bush tries to duck reporters, stymied by locked door.

The Art of Randall McD

My freind, Randall, is displaying some of his artwork on his website: The Art of Randy McDermit Most of his pieces are highly emotional figure studies done on large canvas with acrylic. On his site, you will also find a coupla charcoal and pastel pieces. i have also seen many smaller pen & ink drawings that are both bold and delicate.
Randy tells me he hasn't updated in a while, so maybe he'll put some more work in that space soon. The pieces on his site are representative of the body of work that i have seen at shows, around town, and all around his own home.
The most striking feature of Randy's paintings is his use of geometric blocks of color to emote the fractious, tormented souls of his subjects. The juxtaposition of warm and cool hues throughout the composition stresses the more emotive details of the figure as the rest commingles with the background, effectively creating a sense that the confusion of the subject is casued by, or part of, her surroundings. Or is it the other way around? Is the inner turmoil manifesting itself as chaos in her outer world?
On some of Randy's more abstract pieces, it's difficult to tell if the figure is emerging from the tumult or receding into it. Your interpretation will vary, depending on your current state of mind, and that is one of the reasons i think Randy's work is so successful. Although the figures may appear dispondent at this moment, Randy's careful and measured choices of color and composition effectively create a palpable sense of desperation as the subject reaches a tipping point. This is where Randy's talent is best displayed, and the efficacy of his work hits you as it captures the subject in that moment of inner peace as disorder swirls about them. It is left to the observer to decide whether the figure will maintain the placidity of the moment and emerge from dispair, or surrender and fade into the discordant milieu.
More photos of Randy's work are on display here on his website. If you would like to contact Randy and perhaps purchase a painting or two (x-mas is right around the corner!) please let me know. You can email me (most of you know my contact info), or leave a comment by clicking on "comments" on his website or mine..

-Enjoy!

Monday's news...

• Vice President continues to pressure congress to allow CIA, Dept. of Def. to torture detainees. John McCain, other Senators resist because they know torture is immoral, illegal, and bad for America.

"Just last week, Cheney showed up at a Republican senatorial luncheon to lobby lawmakers for a CIA exemption to an amendment by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) that would ban torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners. The exemption would cover the CIA's covert "black sites" in several Eastern European democracies and other countries where key al Qaeda captives are being kept."

McCain vows to add anti-torture amendment to every bill: "He vowed today that his measure would be 'on every vehicle that goes through this body' until it's enacted into law. 'It's not going away,' he said on the Senate floor. 'This issue is incredibly harmful to the United States of America and our image throughout the world.'" Hooray for John McCain, hooray for American values. Dick "Torquemada" Chaney and his apologists should be ashamed of themselves.

• President Bush says, "We do not torture" terror suspects. Oh, okay. Sure. I believe you. This is gonna be one of those statements that backfires. Remember these gems of eloquence?: "I really do believe that we will be greeted as liberators." "Bring 'em on!" "Major combat operations in Iraq have ended" "The insurgency is in its last throes." The prisoners at Gitmo are "living in the tropics. They're well fed. They've got everything they could possibly want." Bald faced-liars, all of them.
  
• The US is using white phosphorus on Iraqi civilians. This is nasty toxic stuff that virtually desintegrates skin on contact. "Bodies melted away before us." Holy crap. Saddam Hussein "used chemical weapons on his own people" and they call him a tyrant. The US does it and we call ourselves liberators. This is how we win hearts and minds of the Iraqi people?
• Harper's: "A history of the Iraq war, told entirely of lies." The lies used to tell this history are all quotes from senior Bush administration officials.
• "When I Die" will be shown Saturday at the Starz Denver International Film Festival. The hour-long movie depicts the creation of the 15-story tower that was used to blast Hunter S. Thompson's ashes into the sky at a closed memorial service on his Woody Creek property in August." Cool.
• The Family Guy took on the FCC last night. Did anybody watch? i missed it, was watching the Redskins beat the Eagles. Related: T.O. out of Philly. Ok, who wants a belligerent man-baby on their team? Any takers?.......anyone? The sad thing is, somebody's gonna pick him up, and that somebody's gonna regret it very soon after.
• TV tonight: Don't miss the return of Arrested Development on Fox. It's the best show on TV (standard disclaimer: besides The Simpsons). Yay! Thanks to DTS for the heads up on that one.
  

Later!

Wednesday website tour

Here's a round up of what some of my favorite internets are talking about today.

• Think Progress: "Administration's Secret Prison System Violates Law" TP provides a quote from the White House that turns out to be *gasp!* bullshit. Here's the Washington Post story cited as the source: "CIA Holds Terror Suspects in Secret Prisons".
• DailyKos' Armando blogs on David Broder's WP article, "President Pushover" Mr. Broder says that the White House and other members of the Religious Radical Right (RRR) can no longer insist that W's judicial nominees get an up or down vote, given how the RRR and other conservatives successfully torpedoed Harriett Miers' nomination before she even got to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• Atrios hosts a "ballsy" Harry Reid photo caption contest
  
• Rob at AmericaBlog tells us that the latest Gallup Poll shows Alito's nomination is a flop with mainstream America.
• Crooks and Liars has video of Harry Reid's press conference held yesterday after the Senate's secret session. In case you missed it, "...Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid dramatically wrenched the political agenda from the Republican majority Monday (October 31, 205) by forcing the Senate into secret session...Reid’s gambit was designed to prod Republicans to agree to speed up 'Phase II' of the investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee, led by Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, into how spy data was used or misused in the prelude to the invasion of Iraq in March 2003." Reid, et. al, provoked by the indictment of Scooteer Libby, want to know why Senate Repugnicans are putting politics before national security by continuing to stonewall Democrats and stall this investigation. Give 'em hell, Harry! You too, Jay!
  
• The Raw Story has details about the Repugnicans' stonewalling tactics including specific dates and methods.
• Tbogg notes that the RRR's favorite fascist faux-journalist, Michelle Malkin has a book out. Read some of the 5-star reviews here.
• Wonkette blogs the President's dance with foreign jounalists. The Presdient appears to be the only person in the world who can stumble over someone else's feet while doing the Macarena.
• Brad Blog continues his dogged pursuit to uncover the flaws in e-voting and election fraud in November of 2004. "The GAO report which The Brad Blog broke on October 20th, confirms that '[C]oncerns about electronic voting machines have been realized and have caused problems with recent elections, resulting in the loss and miscount of votes.' "
• A Lie A Day notes that the President's own church urges a withdrawal of American troops from Iraq and calls for an investigation into reports of detainee abuse and torture. Do methodists ever excommunicate anyone? If not, they should start with George W. Bush and Dick "go fuck yourself" Cheney.
• The Onion reports: "Iraqi Constitution Ratified, Burned" "BAGHDAD—The people of Iraq celebrated the passage of their new constitution Monday, in a formal ceremony that included a stirring speech by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a series of explosions that left 77 dead, and a traditional dance performed by Iraqi schoolchildren." I noticed that The Onion is still using the Presidential Seal here.
• Fired Up Missouri blogs about an article in The New Republic that raises troubling questions about the relationship between Tom DeLay's money train and MO Governor Matt Blunt. See the post for a link to the article, or go out and buy your own copy of The New Republic.
• DTS is amused by a class action suit against Major League Baseball on behalf of those in attendance at the World Series games in Houston. The attorney filing the suit claims the fans got sick because MLB Commissioner Bud Selig mandated that Minute Maid Park's retractible roof remain open during the WS.
• Huffington Post links to an article about the the highly anticipated Sunday night debut of "The Boondocks" on the Cartoon Network. Yay! i can't wait!
  
• Songs:Illinois does his usual quality mp3 blogging by pointing to fantastic indie/countrified artists that i would like.
  
• Largehearted Boy introduced me to a site called The Space Lab with great photos of a recent Hold Steady show in Minneapolis, MN. I saw these guys for the first time last Thursday and they made me very happy. Go to their website for a listen to a coupla songs.
• Chromewaves reviews a show by Spoon, whom i haven't seen before, but will very soon (next Thursday, November 10!!), because their new album, Gimme Fiction grooves and rocks and makes me want to sing in my car. Navigate Spoon's official site for songs and videos.
• Early spreads are up for NFL's Week 9. i need to win some tacos this week, i'm falling behind in my league. i'm at a respectable .500, but way behind the leaders. Who's got the inside dope? Where's the smart money goin'?
  

Type at ya later...

Goodbye freedom, Hello Alito!!

The President successfully gave the media something besides his recent f-ckups to talk about. By choosing Judge Samuel Alito to be his nominee for Associate Supreme Court Justice, he gets plenty of "atta boy"'s from his base and the requisite outrage from those on the left. The Religious Radical Right Wing of the Republican Party got the kind of judicial activist they love and the fight they wanted to unite their fragmented party on Capitol Hill. The Liberals and Progressives got the kind of nominee they were glad they didn't get with Miers, but knew they were gonna get anyway, once they realized the Religious Radical Right got their panties all knotted up over her.
Expect a fillibuster. Expect the Religious Radical Right (RRR) to cry, "Nominees deserve an up or down vote!" which would be yet another 180 degree turn, bringing them back full circle to pre-Miers talking points.

More on this later. Meanwhile read Alliance For Justice's preliminary report on the nominee here (thanks to who else? AmericaBlog. Gotta go!

Bush vs. The Onion "#2": The Onion Fires Back

This is the ultimate nexus of my previous two
posts.
Hi-freakin'-larious!

"Doctors have been unable to locate hemorrhoids, ulcers, tumors, or fissures in her anus. After 150 days, the First Lady says she just wants someone to do something."

Given the context and the target, i think this is the funniest gaddamed thing i've ever seen on all of the internets.

Craptastic Headlines

* Dallas cab driver convicted on felony charges for tainting grocery store pastries with feces. Mmmmm...extra fudge...
* Mr. Floatie withdraws from mayoral race. "Of course I'm not a real person. I'm a big piece of poop."
* "Feces examination during the spring and fall semester used to be an annual event in school." Read on.
* Rare Species: The Canadian Crap Weasel Amazing.
* School expels children's author for 'crap, poo, fart' talk "I think that my language was appropriate," Reverend Graham Taylor said. Later, he added that the complaining teachers were being "intolerant poopyheads."
* Ad Guru Quits After "Crap" Comments. "A creative director who was forced to quit his job after saying women in advertising were 'crap' has insisted he is not sexist."
* Penguin Poo Wins Ig Nobel Prize What's an Ig Nobel Prize?
* Rod Stewart and daughter in spat over dog poo. "I cannot stand it when there's poo and pee on the carpet. It drives me mad." I think Mr. Stewart speaks for all of us.
* Meet Dr. Scoopy Poo
* Poo Bags for Beach Camels. Well, that's just common sense.

BREAKING...

*President Bush's attorney and "public scatology" expert withdraws her nomination for Supreme Court.

*" Turd Blossom" ponders plea deal? Stay tuned, tomorrow could be Fitzmas Day.
Treason's Greetings!

Bush vs. The Onion

Freakin' rediculous.










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Bible Study

Just like that song goes, "Don't know much about History/Don't know much Biology," i don't know much Bible-o-logy. Good thing i live in the twenty-oughts where all the information in the world is at my fingertips via the internets. With the help of this Bloggie-thingy, i am able to help enlighten my kind readers by directing them to interesting nuggets of wisdom that i find help to reduce my ingorance of subjects like the G-O-D and His writings.
i read a good chunk of the Bible when i was a senior in high school for a western civilization class. Yes, we read the Bible in public school. *gasp!* But it was used in the curriculum, a)as a work of fiction (because it is, duh!), and b)as the foundation for morality, on which most modern western civilizations were built. Plus it was California, so we were all like, "Whatever, dude!"
I enjoyed reading it becasue of the mythology and fables it contained were intriguing and fantastic enough to keep your interest, as long as you skip through all the begats and what have you's. But that's the last time i looked at a holy book of any kind, unless you count the 24-Hours a Day book that was once my late grandfather's. i find it inspirational just knowing that he opened this very copy when he felt he needed daily guidance as he struggled through tenuous periods of sobriety. i keep that book close by to remind me that sobriety is a constant battle that is easily lost, and every day i don't drink is an extra day i get to live and be with my family and friends.
To the point of this post, which, i'm afraid has gotten away from me a bit:
Helpful links for the Bible-Curious
First, check out Rev. Brendan Powell Smith's The Brick Testament.Thanks to JT for pointing me to the genius of this site a few months ago. This site shows Lego reenactments of scenes and lessons from the Bible. Perfect for the everyday ignorant infidel or as a primer for Bible beginners!

For you old schoolers out there, check out the charts of Clarence Larkin.This site that has some early 20th Century charts that illustrate some of the Bible's principles and prophecies to help heathens and holy rollers alike. Very cool. i have always been fascinated by late 19th and early 20th Century charts, drawings and wood carvings.

Although the Bible, at some point in history, has been used as justification for every evil ranging from persecution to mass murder, doesn't mean it can't be fun!

Enjoy!

Dr. Bill Frist: Miracle Worker

Wow! Not only can senate majority leader Bill Frist (R-TN) diagnose the dying via video tape, he can also miraculously enable his "Blind Trust" to see!

This photo shows the former heart surgeon showcasing his healing powers during a stop on one of his "Dr. Bill and the Miracle Majority" tours. These engagemnets wowed thousands of knuckle-dragging mouth-breathers across the South with prayers, "miracles" (which turned out to be cheap parlor tricks), and "Ask the Doctor" sessions(AIDS can be spread through tears and sweat!).
That guy in the first row looks like he's totally getting "Fristed."

Paige Laurie returns the diploma she didn't earn

I heard about this yesterday on a local radio station. Now it's on CNN's website. I forgot that this was national news. In case you missed it on ABC's 20/20 in November of last year, see the full story, "Big Cheats on Campus." I can't believe it took almost a year for her to hand it over. What a dummy. Now how is she going to get accepted to university? How will she ever get by without a college education? Who would want to name big buildings after her now? These are things i worry about. I wonder if they had some sort of anti-commencement ceremony where that guy on a horse dressed up like the USC Trojan rides by and snatches the diploma out of the princess' slimy (but well-manicured) hands. That would be cool.
This post brought to you by the word, "schaedenfraude". Schaedenfraude does not mean, "crappy fake girl," it refers to the feelings i get when i read stories like this one about Ms. Laurie. And this one. And this one. And this one. Oh, schaedenfraude, sweet, sweet schaedenfraude! More schaedenfraude is on the horizon, me thinks. Schaedenfraude.

Wiiiii-iii-iiillmaaaaa!

Every time i hear the name "Wilma" i can't help but thinking of Fred Flinstone pounding on the door outside his boulder house so Wilma could let him in. He got locked out by Dino, perhaps? I think it was at the end of the opening credits while the theme song played.
Anyway, hurricane Wilma gained strength over night and is now a Category 5:

"Fluctuations in intensity are likely, but Wilma is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous Category 5 hurricane through Thursday. The projected track of the storm takes it through the Yucatan Channel into the extreme southern Gulf of Mexico Friday. After that, Wilma is expected to come under the influence of westerly winds aloft blowing across the Gulf. That should hurl the hurricane toward the Florida Peninsula, probably the southern part of the peninsula, this weekend. Wilma is expected to be weakening by then, but weakening is a relative term and Wilma may still be a major hurricane (winds over 110 mph) when it makes landfall."

Yikes.

If Fred knew what was on the other side of that door, he would have went over to chill with Barney and Betty, i think.

Cards win! Wow.

DTS says it best: Oh my.

On disappointment:

Baseball is mean -- it'll break your fucking heart. Just as real as when your crush says she wants to be just friends -- your favorite team will fail and you won't see a way past it. It is your permanence. I like to think I've outgrown this, but I remember it so vividly. Sometimes I hope my son never falls in love with baseball so that he'll never experience this feeling.

On elation:

Pujols smashed it and I leap off the floor squealing like a schoolgirl who just found out Johnny likes her likes her. I hear our bedroom door open upstairs and know that my wife was watching. She rushes down the stairs and I hear her "oh my God, did you see, did you see?" We hug, jump up and down, express our disbelief, our great fortune.

Read on...

Monday Morning Link Dump

Troops Relax With Musical Pillow Yeah, but is it bulletproof?
School is in for future exorcists Among the required materials for the class: 16 oz. bottle of Pope’s Choice Devil-Be-Gone® Filtered Holy Water; Tiffany ® Solid Gold Crucifix; Parker Bros. Ouija Board ®.
Bush: “God would tell me, ‘George, go and end the tyrrany in Iraq,’ and I did.” Sounds like our president needs an exorcist.
More guns, less laws for everyone in Alaska!
Senator Ted Kennedy helps rescue citizens stranded by flood waters
Calling Dr. Scholl… Couple completes 4,900 mile walk.
Latest get-rich-quick scheme for the tinfoil hat crowd: Capture Big Foot, get a million dollars
Hormones, Prozac, other biosolids in US water supply No wonder I’ve been feeling vaguely content and unpregnant lately.
Man Coughs Up Screw After Operation Scalpel still missing.
Harriett Miers gets a makeover
Bush Administration using soldiers as propagandists. Sounds like something dirty commies would do.
Bush braces for hurricane Fitz-Miers

Scotty McClellan very testy today

Helen Thomas, a 57-year veteran correspondent with UPI asked White House Spokesperson Scotty McClellan what Bush meant by "total victory" in Iraq. Fair question, right? Snotty gets defensive, says he is sure Helen "is opposed to the broader war on terrorism." ABC's Terry Moran jumps in and defends Helen. Here's the exchange:

HELEN: What does the President mean by "total victory" -- that we will never leave Iraq until we have "total victory"? What does that mean?
MR. McCLELLAN: Free and democratic Iraq in the heart of the Middle East, because a free and democratic Iraq in the heart of the Middle East will be a major blow to the ambitions --
HELEN: If they ask us to leave, then we'll leave?
MR. McCLELLAN: I'm trying to respond. A free and democratic Iraq in the heart of the broader Middle East will be a major blow to the ambitions of al Qaeda and their terrorist associates. They want to establish or impose their rule over the broader Middle East -- we saw that in the Zawahiri letter that was released earlier this week by the intelligence community.
HELEN: They also know we invaded Iraq.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, Helen, the President recognizes that we are engaged in a global war on terrorism. And when you're engaged in a war, it's not always pleasant, and it's certainly a last resort. But when you engage in a war, you take the fight to the enemy, you go on the offense. And that's exactly what we are doing. We are fighting them there so that we don't have to fight them here. September 11th taught us --
HELEN: It has nothing to do with -- Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11.
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, you have a very different view of the war on terrorism, and I'm sure you're opposed to the broader war on terrorism. The President recognizes this requires a comprehensive strategy, and that this is a broad war, that it is not a law enforcement matter.
Terry.
TERRY: On what basis do you say Helen is opposed to the broader war on terrorism?
MR. McCLELLAN: Well, she certainly expressed her concerns about Afghanistan and Iraq and going into those two countries. I think I can go back and pull up her comments over the course of the past couple of years.
TERRY: And speak for her, which is odd.
MR. McCLELLAN: No, I said she may be, because certainly if you look at her comments over the course of the past couple of years, she's expressed her concerns --
HELEN: I'm opposed to preemptive war, unprovoked preemptive war.
MR. McCLELLAN: -- she's expressed her concerns.

And with that, the subject shifts to the President's latest lame attempt at PR.
Notice how Scotty backtracks, claiming that he said she may be against the broader war on terrorism, when everyone in the room heard him say "I'm sure you're opposed to the broader war on terrorism." First of all, what an dick! Secondly, did he think he could get away with it? It's Scotty's job to not make news from that podium, but he sure did today by apparently channeling Ann Coulter. What a dick.
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In case you missed Keith Olbermann last night, click here to read about the 13 Coincidences.

What to watch on TV tonite...

Tonite is Game One of the National League Championship Series featuring the mighty St. Louis Cardinals versus the Houston Astros. Why those dummies would name their team after a cartoon dog is beyond me, but they're from Texas, thus they think they can do whatever the funk they want. Bully for them, but it won't help them win this crazy thing.

The Cards have had three days' rest since they finished their sweep of the Padres late Saturday nite. The RAstros needed a home run in the bottom of the 18th inning in game 4 of their Division Series Sunday nite, sending the Braves to their tee times after the longest playoff game ever. They are working on only two days of rest and are feeling quite sure of themselves.

Tonite the Cards send out their ace right hander Chris Carpenter (22-5, 2.83 ERA reg. season) against Houston's Andy Pettite (17-9, 2.39 ERA reg. season), a lefty. Although this is a rematch of last year's NLCS, neither of these pitchers played in last year's series that the Cardinals won in 7 games. Pettite was recovering from surgery and Carpenter was out with a biceps injury.

With the RAstros coming off an emotional high with their draaaaammaaaaaaaaaaatiiiiic win over the Braves i would expect them to come out smokin' and get a coupla runs early. The Cards have had an easier time in their Division Series, so they might be caught on their heels a bit. The Redbirds will need everything in their arsenal to win this series - solid starting pitching, unlikely heroes, timely hitting, a reliable bullpen and all the things that a good "small ball" team does to manufacture runs in tight games - because runs will be at a premium in the games played at Busch Stadium. Once they get to MinuteMaid Park for game 3 Saturday, who the heck knows? The series could bust wide open in the hitter-friendly park and be up for grabs. That's why the Cards need to take care of games one and two while they are at home in front of very pumped and sentimental fans who are hoping that Busch Stadium remains open until at least October 26.
My bold prediction for the NLCS: Partly cloudy and mild with 10-15 mph breeze and 20% chance of rain. No hurricanes. Oh, and the Cardinals in 6.
****************************************************

May i also encourage you to check out Countdown with Keith Olbermann tonite?

OLBERMANN: Last Thursday, we spoke of at least 13 coincidences of timing between bad political news for the government and a terror or terror-related event. We will be presenting a special report detailing those and other coincidences on Wednesday night's edition of this news hour, "The Nexus of Politics and Terror" on COUNTDOWN this Wednesday at 8:00 (7pm Central) and midnight Eastern (11pm Central) here on MSNBC.

I have mentioned this very subject back in May, and the point is possibly even more valid today, with our hapless, hopeless and helpless Leader using tired old tricks and half-hearted public appearances to try and save his flailing presidency. i seriously don't think he likes playing "president" anymore and he just wants to go home and bite his pilllow, legacy be damned.

Keith's show airs at 7pm Central on MSNBC, while the first pitch of the Cards game is at 7:20pm Central on FX. i'll tune in to the first 20 minutes of Countdown, then turn it over to the NLCS. i can do without all the pre-game branding and network packaging that goes with these series. [STFU already and just show the freakin' game! aaarrgghpfphppfpp!!] Later at 11pm Central, MSNBC replays the Countdown in case i/you miss it the first time. Sound like a plan? Sweet. Type at ya tomorrow...

"An American in Chains": James Yee's Gitmo experience as an Army captain and prisoner

An important article from the TimesOnlineUK.

James Yee entered Guantanamo as a patriotic US officer and Muslim chaplain. He ended up in shackles, branded a spy. This is his disturbing story. [snip] I was accused of mutiny and sedition, aiding the enemy and espionage, all of which carried the death penalty. I was regarded as a traitor to the army and my country. This was all blatantly untrue — as would be proved when, after a long fight, all the charges against me were dropped and I won an honourable discharge from the army. [snip] My real “crime” had been that I had tried to ensure that the suspected Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters detained in the Gitmo cages were given every opportunity to practise their religion freely, one of the most fundamental of American ideals.

Read the whole article.

James Yee's book, For God and Country: Faith and Patriotism Under Fire is available here.

Tag: James Yee

Why does Senator Kit Bond love torture?

The US Senate approves detainee treatment rules

By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - The Senate faces a confrontation with the House over a $440 billion military spending bill that, despite White House opposition, would impose restrictions on the treatment of terrorism suspects.
Delivering a rare wartime slap at Pentagon authority and President Bush, the GOP-controlled Senate voted 90-9 on Wednesday to back an amendment that would prohibit the use of "cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment" against anyone in U.S. government custody, regardless of where they are held.

Nine senators - nine! - voted against this amendment, including the Show-Me State's own Christopher "Kit" Bond. i guess he thinks it's okay to torture detainees, thus giving our enemies and their allies further casus belli. You can email Mr. Bond here. Be sure to ask him for an explanation why he loves emboldening our enemies and hates America.

BTW, everyone knows by now that Dubya sucks, but is the AP piling on? i love how the AP says the US Senate delivered "a rare wartime slap at Pentagon authority and President Bush..." i have noticed that some of their stories have been a bit sassy toward W lately. i guess they are tired of being lied to for four and a half years, too.

tag: Kit Bond

DeLay's carousel of concealed cash benefits the Blunts

Hat tip to A Lie A Day Blog. DeLay's greasy tentacles seem to reach everywhere.
From the Associated Press:

By JOHN SOLOMON and SHARON THEIMER
Associated Press Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Tom DeLay deliberately raised more money than he needed to throw parties at the 2000 presidential convention, then diverted some of the excess to longtime ally Roy Blunt through a series of donations that benefited both men's causes.

When the financial carousel stopped, DeLay's private charity, the consulting firm that employed DeLay's wife and the Missouri campaign of Blunt's son all ended up with money, according to campaign documents reviewed by The Associated Press.

Jack Abramoff, a Washington lobbyist recently charged in an ongoing federal corruption and fraud investigation, and Jim Ellis, the DeLay fundraiser indicted with his boss last week in Texas, also came into the picture.

Read the rest of the article.
Even Jack Abramoff is involved in this one. The GOP Culture of Corruption knows no bounds.

So Much Malfeasance, So Little Time...

How do the Repugnicans get away with so much? Maybe it's cuz they do so much that it's impossible to keep track of it all. It is difficult for those of us who care to keep our heads from spinning as a new scandal comes down the pike pert near daily. These people have serious issues and an appalling lack of shame. Remember, this is the "family values" and "compassionate conservative" crowd espousing their "faith-based" style of government. Hypocrites, all of them.

Here are a few links to help you catch up on some of the various aspersions that spell t-r-o-u-b-l-e for the GOP. These articles will provide you with enough facts and reality-based perspective to counter Republican talking points as the Radical Right Wingers recite them. You can now yell, "bullshit!!" at fascists like Ann Coulter and Sean Hannity on the TV with full confidence. You're welcome.

PERRspectives Blog: Banana Republicans Misdeeds of the miscreants.

BeyondDeLay.org: 13 Most Corrupt Members of Congress Guess who is first on their list? One Mr. Roy Blunt (R-MO).

Salon.com: The Scandal Sheet - 34 Scandals of the first four years of BushCo that are worse than whitewater.

Enjoy!

DeLay indicted!

Holy. Crap.


Now Roy Blunt (R-MO) is the temporary House Majority Leader. He's as ethically challenged as DeLay, really. WTF are the Repugnicans thinking? Why choose one of DeLay's henchmen? Not to mention he'll make us Missourians look like a buncha mouth-breathin', knuckle-draggin', Bible-thumpin', flag-wavin', pick'emup truck drivin' simps like the Blunts.

I'm forecasting a Category 5 shitstorm headed straight to Capitol Hill that won't relent until November 2006 - if the opposition party can capitalize on these scandals. Rove, Frist, Cunningham, Brownie? What a mess. I guess it's true: "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Time to throw the bums out.

POTUS vs. BabelFish, Round 2

The President of the United States spoke 09/26/05 at the Energy Department about hurricane effects on the energy supply. As i have done before, i will take some choice snippets of the President "speaking" and use Alta Vista's BabelFish to translate them to German. Then i will translate them from German back to English and see what happens. Keep in mind that the orignial snippets are real. Thanks to First Draft for pointing out which snippets to use.
On GA Governor Pudue's leadership:"Governor Perdue of Georgia I thought did a -- showed some leadership by saying we've got to -- anticipating a problem, here's what we need to do to correct it."
BabelFish Translation: "Automatic controller Perdue Georgia I of the thought did to A -- somewhat saying guidance showed by us has -- a problem anticipating to be repaired is here, which we must do, in order it." The translation almost works better than W's original.
Georgie Babble on EPA regulation:"And so while there's a shortfall because of down refining capacity, we will work with -- we have instructed EPA to leave the rules in place, or to suspend the rules that were in place, keep the suspension in place, which would make it easier to increase supply, and continue to get supply of gasoline here."
BabelFish:"And in such a way, while there is a deficit because of down the refining ability, we cooperate -- we instructed EPA, in order to leave the guidelines in the place, or, to shift the guidelines those in the place, hold the abolition in the place were simpler, for that it to increase form supplying material and would drive away to receive supplying material here gasoline." Exactly!
GDub said this about local officials: "I look forward to dealing with local -- talking to local leaders about what -- the situation and the problems they face."
Translation regarding natives: "I make to employ native ones -- speaking with local leaders about which -- the situation and the problems happy, which confront her."
Tha Prez on learnin' expectations : "And, therefore, we've got to have high standards and high expectations and focus money on Title I children to teach -- so that they -- so that children can learn to read." Yeah, someone needs to learn to read.
The BabelFish responds: "And therefore we have to have the high standards and high expectations and focus money on children of the title I, which can be informed, -- with it them -- thereby children to learn can read."
Our Dear Leader says stop dreaming and clean up the mess!: "I mean, when I go down to Mississippi, I appreciate the vision that they're beginning to think about, but my first priority was to help those local folks remove debris. And then the next question is, what do we do with the debris once it's removed."
Tranlation please: "I mean, if I go down to Mississippi, I estimate the sight, which they begin to think approximately but my first priority should help those local peoples to remove arrears. And then the following question, which we do with the arrears, is once, which it is removed."

To say that i am easily amused would be an understatement. Or, To say that I will easily maintain a Untertreibung would be.

This is cool..

Click here. Use your mouse to manipulate the falling prez.
Thanks to Crooks & Liars for the link.

Pat Tillman: Patriot, soldier, hero. Oh, and was totally against Bush and the Iraq war.

Hat tip to AmericaBlog for pointing me to this post at The Cunning Realist: "Anatomy of a Disgrace," which quotes the SF Chronicle's article detailing Tillman's family's struggle to get to the truth about his death. The US military has been lying about the circumstances surrounding his death by friendly fire in Afghanistan and politicians exploited his "heroism" for their selfish purposes. Turns out, Pat Tillman was killed by military incompetence and he hated Bush and was against the war in Iraq. Here's an account from Spc. Russell Baer, sho served with Tillman and was next to him when he died:

“I can see it like a movie screen,” Baer said. “We were outside of (a city in southern Iraq) watching as bombs were dropping on the town. We were at an old air base, me, Kevin and Pat, we weren’t in the fight right then. We were talking. And Pat said, ‘You know, this war is so f— illegal.’ And we all said, ‘Yeah.’ That’s who he was. He totally was against Bush.” Another soldier in the platoon, who asked not to be identified, said Pat urged him to vote for Bush’s Democratic opponent in the 2004 election, Sen. John Kerry.

This war is so wrong. Don't believe me? Try this. Absolutely disgusting.

"KatRita" update from a friend in the midst of it all

My friend, DTS forwarded a message to me from our friend Chris, who is once again volunteering for the Red Cross. Chris did some heroic stuff for the Red Cross in the aftermath of 9-11. Now he is efforting the recovery after Katrina and finds himself bracing in anticipation of Rita...

Howdy, folks -

Just a quick update on my whereabouts and doings. I'm still managing a shelter for the Red Cross here in Larose, Louisiana, about 45 miles west of New Orleans ...... a shelter whose population nearly doubled to 150 today in what me and the 13-member Red Cross crew I'm heading (10 mass care staff/3 nurses) are now referring to as our "KatRita" deployment. I've been in Louisiana for almost three weeks now; two weeks at this location with brief stints in Baton Rouge, Houma, and Grand Isle, Louisiana. This area is currently under a voluntary evacuation order for Hurricane Rita and after much talk of evacuating, we have now hunkered down here in the Larose Civic Center to ride out the storm. The Pennsylvania National Guard made a heroic entrance earlier in the evening with two gigantic, Mad Max lookin' trucks full of MREs which were unloaded by an impressive and efficient chain of military guys, Red Cross volunteers and shelter residents in record time. We were already loaded down with water and the building has a generator fueled to run for more than a week once we lose standard power. Our cable television and Red Cross satellite phones and internet access are holding up through the first squalls as we've experienced brief, intense outbursts of wind and rain, with the phones and 'net likely to remain constant as long as we can keep the dish out back from blowing over or away. At this point, we've been told to expect tropical storm force winds for 24 or more hours but every inch eastward you see the landfall projections move, the more intense things will get around here. The worst of it should hit just after midnight Friday night/Saturday morning so we're expecting our currently well-behaved population to surge further toward the Civic Center's maximum sheltering capacity of 300 or 400. Sounds like a party, no!!?!! So here I am ..... split three ways between feeling like I can really help here and all is well, wanting to be in the safe comfort of home with my kitties as I fear what's in store, and just loving the adrenaline rush of riding out this major storm and historical event. Regardless of my spin on it, we're here to stay now. I'm on my third set of plane reservations as I vacillated between trying to get out in advance of the storm and trying to project a safe time after it will have passed. My current schedule to fly out of Baton Rouge on Saturday will almost certainly need to be altered once again. Meanwhile, it should be an interesting ride!!

Hope you're all well. Check in if/when you can -

--Chris--

Godspeed to Chris. Stay safe.

The Bush Administration and the "F" word..Zogby and the "I" word

Tip o' the hat to Crooks & Liars for pointing me to this article by Marshall Auerback, blogger at PrudentBear, containing the following observation:

The reconstruction of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama provides a fascinating picture of how the Bush administration actually works. His government represents an odd melding of corporatism and cronyism, more in tune with the workings of 1930s Italy or Spain. In fact, if one looks at fascist regimes of the 20th century, it is appears that the Bush administration draws more from these sources than traditional conservatism. Dr. Lawrence Britt has examined the fascist regimes of Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Franco (Spain), Suharto (Indonesia) and several Latin American regimes. Britt found 14 defining characteristics common to each:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism - Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights - Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause - The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military - Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism - The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Divorce, abortion and homosexuality are suppressed and the state is represented as the ultimate guardian of the family institution.
6. Controlled Mass Media - Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security - Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are intertwined - Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is protected - The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is suppressed - Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and letters is openly attacked.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment - Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption - Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections - Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

(Source: The Fourteen Defining Characteristics of Fascism, Dr. Lawrence Britt, Spring 2003, Free Inquiry)

Has anyone else noted this connection? You betcha.

####

Pollster John Zogby says he will only poll America about their support for Bush's impeachment again if the price is right or if the question is raised by congress. Here is Zogby's article dated June 30, 2005 showing the results of the first time the question was asked of Americans: 42% of those polled said that "if it is found that President Bush did not tell the truth about his reasons for going to war with Iraq, Congress should hold him accountable through impeachment." 42% seems to me to be a big number, but proving that Bush "did not tell the truth" about reasons to destroy Iraq would be difficult, given that no one has ever "proven" that he actually knows what he is saying when he addresses the nation. And of course it would all depend on what your definintion of "truth" is.
In June, Mr. Zogby said he would pose the impeachment question "probably in a month from now" on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. An Austrailian blog called Wot Is It Good 4 has been corresponding with Zogby on this matter since August, and has gotten the run-around from Zogby's peeps. Karl Rove has gotten to them, apparently, so don't look for the "I" word to come up any time soon.