The Red Sox vs Bush

The Blog | Rep. John Conyers: The Constitution in Crisis: Censure and Investigate Possible Impeachment | The Huffington Post

I was thinking, what would I do if I had to choose between the Red Sox winning the World Series or impeaching Bush?

Can we have BOTH? I'd say they're both long overdue.

In the interest of humanity of course, if it came down to one or the other, I'd have to choose impeachment.

As anyone around me at the time could tell you, when Bush was "elected" I stated [MANY times] that "this clown* is going to get us into a war". I'm not sure exactly HOW I knew, but the feeling was strong.
What I DIDN'T know was how far they'd go in persuit of their (and the religious right's) goals.

The truth doesn't seem to matter, and apparently neither does the law.

If we as a country let all of this go it tells other countries that [we] accept this kind of behavior from our president and that we don't hold him responsible when he breaks the law. It would also make the American people somewhat complicit in his transgressions.

When you take a serious look at all the potentially (and outright) criminal actions this administration has committed, it really puts the impeachment (aka "Witch Hunt") of Clinton in perspective doesn't it? One lied about sex (I'm pretty sure nobody DIED because of that), and the other lied about the reason he committed our military to an unecessary war (and so many other things).

I vote for IMPEACHMENT!
And not just for Bush.
For Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld, and Meyers too.


* And other terms of endearment.

Oops, he did it again. Bush caught in ANOTHER lie.

Think Progress » Bush Caught on Tape: “A Wiretap Requires A Court Order. Nothing Has Changed.”

I'm sure the Bush administration will have a perfectly good lie to explain this...

Dammit, we're NOT "fighting to keep America free" in Iraq!

The Blog | Arianna Huffington: Poetry as a Tool of Foreign Policy | The Huffington Post

I'm a veteran, and I have all the respect in the world for our servicemen and women serving in the military. That said, the ones that say that they're "fighting for our freedom" in Iraq are missing the point or deceiving themselves, and are flat out WRONG.
The Iraq war has absolutely NOTHING to do with [our] 'freedom' here in the USA. OUR 'freedom' isn't threatened in any way. OUR freedom hasn't been threatened since WWII and not since then.
To claim that what we're doing in Iraq has anything to do with "our fight to keep America free" does a great disservice to those who actually DID fight to keep America free. And in doing so gives legitimacy to a war of CHOICE based on lies and deception.
Even if you add 'from terrorism' to the end of that statement it's still wrong.

I'm thinking that some of the soldiers (and civillians) making this type of statement are just parroting what they've heard others say, and some might not have the intellect to know what they're saying, but either way they need to be corrected. They are good soldiers, but some of them don't seem to know (or can't verbalize) the actual reason they're in Iraq.

Then again, it must be hard for them to get any kind of perspective on the 'big picture' while they're in the middle of it.

That's where a REAL leader is necessary. Not one who's reason's for the war change with the political winds and as their lies are exposed. Someone with character and honesty who can admit when they've made mistakes, and make CHANGES to fix them instead of 'staying the course'. One who could tell the American people and the brave people serving in our military the truth in the first place.

Think Progress » Bush Delegation Stages “Walk Out” at Climate Talks

The Bush administration's actions here couldn't be more childish unless they threatened to hold their breath until big bad President Clinton went away.

-- God I wish Clinton was [still] president!!!! We WOULDN'T be in this huge mess, and the world WOULD be a much better place because of it...

Let's not live to regret this issue. Iran's neighbors better STOP this before they're all TOAST!

Iran Leader's Remarks Draw Ire From Saudis - Yahoo! News

I truly believe that if this belligerence continues, Iran WILL be the location of the next big war.........

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other hard-liners like him are among the LAST people on earth who should be allowed to posess and control nuclear weapons. If they have them they'll most likely USE them, and I have no doubt whatsoever that once possessed, the REAL threatening of neighbors will commence. Then (or before) we'll have a second rogue country with a threatening leader (..OK, three when you count Bush)...

How can the rest of the world ALLOW such belligerent nations to possess weapons that could, if used, effect the world economy, not to mention hundreds of thousands of innocent people. It almost seems like Ahmadinejad is trying to outdo North Korea's Kim Jong Il in the " biggest loose cannon in the world" department.

Personally, this is one of the few scenarios where "pre-emptive" war/strike(s) are thinkable.

It's too late in the case of N. Korea, but I'll bet that if the world community doesn't prevent it,
Israel will [again] take it upon themselves to deal with it. Whether the US gets dragged into it,
well, it's "hard telln' not knowin". If it happens while dumbass is still president, possibly...If it happened after a Democrat [is] elected, maybe...maybe not. Again, it's "hard telln' not knowin". It just might depend on how badly oil supplies are affected, among other things.

Regular Iranians better think about this VERY hard when they listen to their 'leader' speak about Israel and other "enemies". I know it's not the same scenario, but PLEASE don't make the same mistake the american people AND media made before the Iraq war. QUESTION your leaders! It's YOUR future!

The moderates will be right in the middle of it. THEY (and their Arab/Muslim neighbors) should be the ones who put their foot down and stop the nuclear weapons desires of the hard-liners. If it's not stopped, I'm afaid the Middle East will end up with a serious nuclear hangover.

Most people alive today are probably in denial of the possibility of even a limited nuclear conflict becoming reality, but the more they know the facts and the players involved, the more the threat becomes a very REAL possibility.

I'm betting that NATO is taking it seriously, and I'm hoping that the Arab League-Muslim nations [also] determine that the risks of such a conflict are untenable, and unanimously DEMAND that Iran stop it's nuclear quest. They CAN'T sit on their hands and procrastinate on this one, it's TOO dangerous, and not an option this time.

..And one last thing.... Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, get it through your head, NOBODY believes the claim that this is all for "peaceful nuclear power for the future"!

The Stench of Corruption....and Boy Does Tom Delay STINK!

How DeLay and the Corporations Bought Our Government, by Allan Lichtman - Democratic Underground

Just read this....

Asman and Falwell, two sorry excuses for human beings...

Media Matters - Falwell attacked Lynn as "about as reverend as an oak tree"; guest host Asman asked permission to "repeat it at some point"

How ignorant of people with ideals like Falwell. The 'holier than thou' attitude, and the intolerance of anyone with differing views.

Now on top of that, Asman and Fox News gushing all over him without question.
It makes me sad to know that there are more like him out there, and even sadder that they actually BELIEVE and agree with him.

Another thing I don't really understand is why news outlets continue to "report" what he says. The only reason I can come up with for that is not the content of his comments, but the sensationalistic reputation he has. In other words, entertainment value (the whole gawking at a car wreck thing...).

Will it be a never ending struggle of the rational and tolerant against people like Falwell?
Maybe so, but if the people who CONTROL the news would become more concerned with the INTEGRITY of the CONTENT of their news than satisfying their shareholders and their (editors-producers-etc.) personal biases, this might become a better world for it.

I'm totally against censorship, but they don't HAVE to choose to report every inane thing Falwell says. He's proven himself time and time again to be a self-righteous, intolerant blowhard.

Finally, as far as I'm concerned, any religious leader who claims that THEIR religion is the 'one and only', and attempts to discredit other people's beliefs is BAD.

See, religion in and of itself is inherently good. The problems start when bad/misguided people corrupt and co-opt them with their own failings and political ambitions. Now I don't speak for anyone but myself, but I would think any true Christian would be appauled by this man's statements.

If O'Reilly Keeps This Up He'll Be Sucking His Thumb On Air and Clutching His Blankee

The Blog | Arianna Huffington: Update: The Bill O'Reilly Blacklist | The Huffington Post

This reminds me of some kid in grade school that adds people who pick on him to his "list". Bill's obviously had some kind of 'break with reality' or whatever the psychiatrists call it, and is regressing rapidly.

Maybe he and "Rush" Limbaugh are going 'halves' on drugs these days?
Though I think he needs to add some serious psychotherapy to the mix.

If this doesn't prove it.... (and THANK YOU Keith Oberman!)

Fox now selling "Christmas" ornaments for "Chri ... [Media Matters]

...nothing will.

Except to the uber-faithful of Fox News who have demonstrated that they can ignore or explain anything negative regarding their 'leaders'.

They're higher on the 'loopy' scale than Tom Cruise!

I can't stand to watch anything on the Fox News channel, so I don't know if any of them have addressed this blatant hypocrisy [today], though I'm betting that they'll likely blame it on some 'staffer'.

I wish that the products themselves had "Holiday" on them. Changing the text/image on the web site was just too easy!

The best part for me was seeing Keith Oberman's show last night on MSNBC naming O'Reilly the worst human on earth!

I'd bet that everyone at Fox was hoping that it would be overlooked and/or under-reported.....HA!

Unfortunately, 'Countdown' has been the ONLY place [I've] seen it, outside of liberal blogs.

The more light that can be shone under that big rock they all live under the better, I say.

Not that O'Reilly, Gibson, and Fox News need any help to look foolish, but check THIS out!

Fox betrays Christmas crusade, sells "Holiday" ornaments for your "Holiday tree" [Media Matters]

THIS, as they say, is PRICELESS!

Even the political satire web sites can't top reality.

What fools they are, eh?

I'll take this as a early "Holiday" present from Fox.
How did they know? It's PERFECT!

Now for the BIG presents, I'd like Bush to be impeached, Cheney imprisoned, and Novak impaled. I could go on, but I don't want to get greedy.

Marty Kaplan........SCREW YOU!

The Blog | Marty Kaplan: A National Strategy for Strategy | The Huffington Post

I'm sick and tired of goddamn blowhards (especially liberals) spouting asinine insults like this: "Jeez, these people are even more pathetic than the Democrats.".

What a POS! If I ever had the displeasure of hearing him say that in person, I'd knock him on his ass.

If anything the Democrats need POSITIVE ideas, NOT INSULTS!

It's bad enough to hear the crap the right throws at the left.
Smarten up and HELP, Marty, and if you have some advice for Democrats let's hear it, but keep the childish insults to yourself.

Ex-Powell Aide Criticizes Detainee Effort - Yahoo! News

How long will we Americans wait before kicking these power-crazed pigs out of office?
Along with great power comes great responsibility, and these folks are being irresponsible with American lives and America's reputation.

We should have kept our focus in Afghanistan and finished THAT job dammit!

Would YOU trust President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with a nuke?

Oh this story just gets worse and worse.

Iran Continuing Purge of Reformers

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

This should cause GREAT concern throughout the world, and we all need to come together to stop this insanity. If I had to make up a list of groups most likely to actually USE nuclear weapons in the future, these cats in Iran would be in the top 3Religious zealots like Ahmadinejad, who despite backtracking on the most recent threat against Israel (calling for Israel to be "wiped out from the map of the world") continue to appoint other hard-liners to "key posts at security agencies". I'd bet my life that Israel (and others like NATO) are stepping up all forms of contingency plans to deal with this.

I have to wonder how this would have played out if Iraq wasn't invaded and Saddām Hussein was still the biggest bully in the area.

Would it have been a race to see who could produce a nuclear weapon first?
Would Saddām attack Iran in a preemptive strike?

It's hard to say, but things might have better all the way around* if King George W. hadn't invaded Iraq, and the US was still concentrating on Afghanistan.
Remember Afghanistan?

*Except for the Iraqis who were being brutalized and murdered by Saddām and his sons.

What about Novak?

Personally, I think Robert Novak should be considered persona non-grata in Washington DC, and everywhere else for that matter. And he should be sent on his way with a good tarring and feathering (Zell Miller's outburst at the convention gave me that idea).

Excuse my simple mind, but it doesn't make any sense to me that a CIA operative can be 'outed' in Novak's column with all the possible repercussions that entails, and it's NOT against the law?
Well it damn well ought to be!

I'm also thinking that he's definitely got more balls than brains, messing with the 'Company'.
And if I read about him having an 'accident' some time in the future, well let's just say I won't be surprised... or sad.
You reap what you sow Bob.....

I don't know what life is like for Novak these days, but I'm hoping that the only people who readily associate with him are similar 'dregs of the media'.

Kinda gives a new meaning to 'Vice' President's office doesn't it?

8:19 PM 10/28/2005

I was just watching "NOW" on PBS, Maria Hinojosa asked Matt Cooper why he didn't come forward when he heard Scott McLellan state emphatically, that he 'knew' that Scooter Libby and Karl Rove were not involved in leaking Valerie Plame's identity.

Matt Cooper said something that I took to mean 'protecting my source is more important than telling the truth to my readers' (and the American people). He might refute that assessment, but he's WRONG.

And Cooper's claim that he didn't know that what he was being told was against the law.....C'mon Cooper, you're not a rookie journalist, and you're not stupid.

Gee, that's what we need more of, reporters who feel that their main obligation is to the confidentiality of their source and not to the truth and their readers.
I might agree with that if their source is a 'whistle-blower' who's job and whole future could be in jeopardy, but not when they know that their 'source' (who's a top level administration official working for the Vice President) is just dishing dirt.

Kinda gives a new meaning to 'Vice' President's office doesn't it?

Q: How many other reporters willingly 'report' sleazy gossip they know isn't true?
A: TOO many....., and believe it or not, they're not all working at Fox/Fake News.

All you have to do is go to the Media Matters for America web site. Every day there are examples of [at best] crappy reporting, and [at worst] examples of DELIBERATE deception.
Some of us call them LIES.

Now someone please tell me, why there's a law against government officials exposing the identity of a CIA undercover operative, but it OK for a "journalist" (and I'm using that term VERY loosely) like Robert Novak to write about it in the newspaper?

By all rights Novak should have reported the fact that he was 'given' this information, and not the information itself. At least Matt Cooper did that.
But of course Novak is part of the 'Liars Club'. Like so many in that club*, their 'reporting' has nothing to do with the truth, and everything to do with spreading the propaganda their friends in the administration spoon feed them. And when called on, being the apologists for the administration.

Now we know Karl Rove also 'leaked' the same thing.
Why the hell isn't HE being indicted?
Is it not common knowledge that he also leaked the information?

Speaking of Karl, I'm betting that his statement to the press about how great a day Friday was, and how he's going to have a 'great weekend' is meant to be a finger in the eye of his detractors. Especially those who were expecting him to be indicted today.

I guess that Karl isn't bothered by the fact that today, for the first time in over a HUNDRED years, an indictment has been brought against a current administration official?
He's probably saying to himself "as long as it's not ME"....

I'm thinking that the reasoning behind Rove's statement is similar to Tom Delay's 'smiling' mug shot. And they're both pathetic.

All it says to me is that he's a pathetic, evil man whom I'm positive will get his justice not from a court
of law (not yet at least), but from a higher power of justice, be it during his life or after.
I believe in the power of Karma, but it can take so damn long, and many times it's not visible to others.

Sometimes I wish that there was a real person like the character Steven Segal played in "Above the Law" to bring sleazeballs like Rove some 'Instant Karma'.....and you can take THAT to the bank!

I wish that I was more enlightened than that, but I'm working on it.

He's already known to most Americans as a corrupt sleaze merchant, and he knows that.
Maybe he's in deep denial about how evil he is, and then again, maybe he knows EXACTLY how evil he is and doesn't care. Maybe he revels in it. Maybe he works really hard at being as dirty and nasty as he has to be to achieve his goals. Does that sound anything like a fictional movie character Michael Douglas portrayed maybe?
I can hear Karl now, talking to a group of like-minded evil-doers, "sleaze is GOOD".........



*Like Limbaugh, Hannity, O'Reilly, and basically all the reporters at Fox......[pardon me while I choke the bile back] News.

Bill O'Reilly is FOS, but [almost] everyone knows that right?

O'Reilly called Media Matters "100 percent dishonest" ... [Media Matters]

This clown O'Reilly is scared witless of a real debate against someone like David Brock, who has actual VERIFIABLE facts on his side. O'Reilly would be totally embarassed, and undoubtedly would revert to name calling and other juvenile bullying tactics.
...OK, he probably wouldn't wait for anything before using his normal tactics, but you get the idea.

Hey Bill, why don't you back up your words?
You say "Media Matters is 100% dishonest".
Well BACK IT UP! Show everyone exactly what you're talking about.
Prove your point! If you CAN......

But of course you can't because you're totally full of crap as usual.

It's bad enough you and Rush (and the rest) are habitual liars, but your loyal followers must be total FOOLS!
I sometimes wonder if they could even be 'deprogrammed', and come to realize that everything you told them was either taken out of context or total LIES.

It would be one thing if all you did was express your HONEST opinion, but you don't do that.
You purposely twist the FACTS so that your listeners end up with a false impression of what REALLY happened.

What would you call someone who did that.....for a living?
Besides YOU, another who comes to mind is Scott McLellan*, although he normally just avoids the question all together, but I digress...

Bottom line, the people of Media Matters have integrity (look it up), you and the others like you DON'T.

*See definition of "weasel".
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Update 5:40 PM: After further reading on the Media Matters web site I (not surprisingly) found a similar article about Bill's buddy Rush Limbaugh!
Same MO, don't let the facts get in the way...

Here's the [link].

Are these young Repugs all political science students majoring in B.S.?

The Young Chickenhawks

This article says that calling for Jenna and Barbara Bush to serve in Iraq "might not be fair". I'd have to agree with that, but it made me wonder, why don't we see them visiting the south where Katrina hit, maybe helping the Red Cross or something similar?

I have to think that the excuse might be something like 'it would be too much of a disruption having them there', or 'it might not be safe for them'.

All bullcrap I say.

I'm hoping that maybe they wanted to do something but 'mom/dad' wouldn't let them out of a fear for their safety. The undertones of that being that 'dad' is SO unpopular that it threatens his daughters safety.

Another thought I had was that maybe the twins aquired the same disconnect with/disdain for the underclass that their father (and grandmother) exhibits.
I'm sure that whatever they're doing these days is SO much more important than showing some compassion towards the people affected by Katrina. I think that if they were out there actually helping (not just 'faking it' for a photo-op) it would help their father's image somewhat, and their own image a LOT.

Regarding all the young Republican Chickenhawks on college campuses these days, I'm not really surprised, but more disappointed than anything. Especially lately, with all the administration's/House's criminal indictments, faked 'news stories', and scripted 'non-scripted' chats with hand-picked soldiers embarassing the Republican party, I wouldn't think that their numbers would actually be growing.

Doesn't say much for their intelligence or their honesty/integrity does it? These kids must be either very gullible, very dishonest, or BOTH.
I'm guessing that 'ethics' is not in their curriculum.

One thing's for sure. They sure are taking after their 'leader' aren't they? Following the [not so] proud tradition of 'do as I say, not as I do'. And like the president, their leaders seem to be Pompous asses.

On another note, I've been thinking again....(all jokes aside), that maybe the reason that GB seems to appoint underqualified people for positions in his administration stems from his own unwarranted rise to power. It's natural to want to surround yourself with people who share similar traits, is it not?
Of course in Bush's case it's quite dangerous (being the posterboy for the "Peter Principle") to nominate people who share his traits.

And on another tangent, if Harriet Miers had a shred of integrity, she would have thanked the President for wanting her to be the next Supreme Court Justice, but that she would have to decline because she has no real judicial experience, and there are SO many others who are more qualified.

My God, anyone who thinks (or writes) that GB is 'the best Governor EVER' should be screened for brain damage (or brain WASHING).

I keep thinking of a line in one of the Batman movies (and relating it to Washington DC) "This town needs an enema!"

Still blogging from downtown NO Internet Company

Survival of New Orleans Blog - Oct, 11, 2005

I wanted to post SOMETHING to my blog. Sorry for the lack of posts lately, blogging and daily blinding headaches don't go well together...

Anyway, this blog from downtown New Orleans continues to provide interesting insight from a non-MSM source. As I wrote previously, these bloggers stayed in NO during Katrina, keeping their internet company running throughout hurricane Katrina.

Now as the rebuilding starts, they're providing local insight and news that are unavailable through "normal" news channels.

For those who care, this is an excellent web site to "bookmark".

Aside from the news their blog provides, they've proven that their company(ies?) are definitely commited to providing their customers uninterrupted service throughout some of the most difficult situations likely to occur, including monumental disasters like Katrina. If I was in the market I'd certainly consider hiring them.

I've finally figured out how George Bush got elected!

I get it now! I've finally figured out how George Bush got elected, and why he's screwed things up from day one.

A meeting ocurred on a steamy night in August, 1998. A super-secret location was chosen in the eastern United States (actually they closed off a National Park/island near D.C.).
If it was during the day you'd think it was some kind of Tyson's Ford commercial with all the limos and SUVs, except for the fact that they were all armored.
Attending this meeting were many of the top Republican officials of the time.

Let me cut to the chase... Here's what I've figured out:

- Aliens have integrated into American society (and NO, they don't do those lame crop circles!).

- They have taken over the Republican Party (Take a long look at Tom Delay, Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, George and Laura Bush, and Osama (and his Mama). THEY'RE ALL ALIENS !!!).

- This is all a damned EXPERIMENT!
They're seeing how far they can push the "pure" earthlings in the United States and the rest of the world before they say No More!


This revelation explains so much. I don't know why I didn't think of it before now.
....oh yeah, I did think of it before but I thought it was just crazy. Then as time went on, it all began to make sense. THEN I got scared. These are NOT nice extraterestials.

That's it. I'm currently working on a reliable method to determine who's "alien-human" and who's not.
I don't want to be accused of unfair profiling, but so far the one thing they have in common is that they're ALL Republican ultra-conservatives. I'll be sure to post any new revelations on this incredible story as they reveal themselves (Inside Tom's Brain).

Be careful out there. It's a crazy time we're living in......................

Screw you Bush!

10:35 AM 10/4/2005

I'm listening to your press conference and I hear you calling for "cuts" in the budget to help offset the cost of the reconstruction down south. I kept waiting to hear you do the responsible thing and DEMAND that the Congress FIRST cut all the "PORK" out of the spending bills that were recently passed. We all know where the cuts you called for are most likely to occur. They'll be cuts that will affect the people who don't have multi-million dollar lobbyists to fight for them, THE POOR and the SICK. The people YOU only interact with when there's a disaster, or when you need a "backdrop" for one of your photo-ops.

On top of that, you're calling for the reconstruction money to be spent wisely. Is that why businesses are tripping over themselves to get some of what one businessman (Noah Lieske) described in a blog (Survival of New Orleans Blog) as "a NEVER ENDING SOURCE OF INCOME AT INFLATED WAGES DIRECLY FROM ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL US GOVERNMENT AGENCIES: FEMA." ???

Mr. President, I recall my mother saying as I grew up "talk is cheap". Well sir, to date, your actions have NOT matched your words.

More cronyism, no-bid contracts for "friends" of the administration, and bags of money being thrown around like the sandbags they dropped to stop the flooding levees. I guess that's what you mean when you say 'spending the money wisely', eh?

Are we going to hear AGAIN about contractors being paid [literally] with truckloads of CASH like in Iraq?

Are we going to hear AGAIN that millions, or as in Iraq BILLIONS of dollars are UNACOUNTED for?

The next thing I expect to hear is that FEMA's ordering that a giant catapult be built, so that (as in the current commercial on TV) we can "throw more money at the problem".

And who the hell at FEMA OK'd paying DOUBLE the normal price to Carnival Cruise Lines for the use of cruise ships to house evacuees? Is THAT being "responsible" Mr. President?
They don't even pay taxes here in America do they? This is freaking CRAZY!
If the concientious woman (Bunnatine H. Greenhouse) at the Pentagon (whose job was to control government procurement costs at the Army Corps. of Engineers) and others like her weren't prevented from doing their jobs this might not have happened.

I thought that because of all the scandals surrounding your administration (and now others in the Republican party), maybe the pressure is forcing you to make bad decisions. How else could you explain all the totally absurd choices you've made, like appointing such an incompetent horses ass to head FEMA? And now appointing your PERSONAL attorney for the position of Supreme Court Justice!
But then again, you've been making bad decisions throughout your presidency, so that can't be the cause.

Do you not care at all about your legacy? Wake up! As it stands now you'll be known for (among other things) widening the divide between the rich and the poor, tax cuts for the top 1%, a war of CHOICE with thousands of our soldiers and innocent Iraqis killed, creating a huge budget deficit, trying to gut Social Security, and some of the most inane choices for political appointments in my lifetime, one of which (Michael Brown) because of inaction, confusion, and incompetence probably contributed to many DEATHS after Katrina.

While people were waiting for help to arrive, YOU were still on vacation, screwing around at a photo-op strumming a guitar, and your director of FEMA didn't even know where the the shelters were
in NO!

The more I read about it, the more I realize you have some things in common with Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (Nero).
For one, Nero reportedly played a lyre on top of Quirinal Hill, you used (I won't say played) a guitar but very few were entertained.
In his defence, at least Nero returned from HIS vacation [in Anzio] "in haste".
Nero didn't accept any responsibility, and neither did you, despite your pathetic quasi-acceptance. Leaves me wondering who's going to be "thrown to the lions".

When the hell are you going to do what's right for America, and not what's right for you, your wealthy friends, or people who helped get you elected?

If I had to sum up the last five years of your "leadership" in three words, they'd be incompetence, cronyism, and corruption. Oh wait, there's more, unnecessary DEATHS here and abroad, international LOSS OF TRUST of America, and countless LIES from you and members of your administration........

You might be able to fool the ignorant people of this country, but I'm not fooled and I never was.
After you were first elected, I said* to MANY people "this idiot's going to get us into a war", and dammit I was [unfortunately] right. Little did I know that it would be even worse than I imagined.

I can't wait until the WHOLE story is told by the historians (and I'm not talking about the paid "writers" you occasionally employ) of you and your partners in crime like Rove, Cheney, etc.. It will read like a bad crime novel, set in the nations capital.

It's just too bad that we all (especially our children) will have to pay for your incompetence and selfishness in one way or another for years to come.

Nice legacy.



*Multiple times with MANY witnesses.

Amazing what scum the Republican party attracts...

Republican Congressional Candidate Hopes Katrina Victims Don't Move Back... | The Huffington Post


I often wonder exactly what percentage of Republicans have gone to the 'dark side'.
Did they sell their souls to gain the majority? Is that why many of them seem so hell-bent (pun intended) on grabbing all the power and loot they can while they're temporarily on top?

I wonder if Cheney had anything to do with this.

AOL News - Maker of Bulletproof Vest May Face Charges


I wonder if Cheney had anything to do with this. ("..but Vice President Cheney, why do you insist on wearing your old vest when the new vests were your idea?") [j/k]

Well said Sharon Olds!

No Place for a Poet at a Banquet of Shame

I'd say that this letter should give Laura Bush something to think about.

Is there any way Bush can be prevented from making any more appointments?

How many times does he have to totally screw-up before the American people say "NO MORE!" ?

From nominating the most outrageous candidates for Judges, to appointing someone with absolutely no credentials or experience like Brown to head a critical department like FEMA, president Bush has proven that he'd rather appoint political 'friends' than people with actual experience and strong credentials.
I guess Bush never learned about 'ethics' and 'responsibility'. He probably skipped class those days.

Can America afford this?

Now he's named Karl Rove to head the Katrina reconstruction efforts.

Experience = NONE

Danger of corruption/cronyism = GREAT

I don't know if others see the same thing I do when Bush speaks, but 99.9% of the time the look on his face says 'CLUELESS'.....

Could you imagine what would happen if Bush had to face questioning like Tony Blair does in England?
He'd wet himself. He has neither the intelect, nor the ability to think on his feet, and I'd just love to see it. Even WITH an earpiece prompting him....
As it is, whenever he's out for a photo-op or pushing his plan to ruin social security, the audiences are hand picked, and it's assured that nobody will ask him anything that he hasn't been 'prepped' for.

I know it's a lot to ask (seeing as half the country re-elected the liar), but isn't it becoming obvious to even the most gullible Americans that his choices can't be trusted?
He's taken us from a budget surplus to a huge deficit, given away billions of our tax dollars to the richest Americans and corporations that don't need it like the Oil & Gas industry (who are now making such huge profits they're buying up shares of their own stock), taken America into an unecessary war, trashed our international reputation, and is now making more bad decisions that are costing more American lives and placing a huge financial burden on the next generation.

How much more can we take people?


PS: Let's not forget about Darfur, Tom Delay, Halliburton, PlameGate, and a hundred other issues I can't recall at the moment.

This couldn't happen in America, right?

Uzbekistan: Where journalism is branded terrorism - Editorials & Commentary - International Herald Tribune

If you replace the words "Uzbek state" for "Rush Limbaugh and the gang of right-wing attack dogs", and make this reporter American, this could have been taken from today's news.

These days there are so many parallels to what goes on in places like Russia (and some of the former Soviet satellites), and Bush administration's actions, it's scary. The "uber" secrecy, the denials, the corruption/cronyism, et al..

I'm not saying that this administration would actually do what Uzbekistan's doing, but I'd bet that they would if they thought they could get away with it.

What's more important, your name on a 'bridge to nowhere', or helping your country?

Daily Kos: Compassionate Conservatism at work

I've been waiting to see what the response from the politicians from Alaska would be when the question of returning the pork dollars they received from the Federal Highway Bill.

We now know what Rep. Don Young, the Alaska Republican who is chairman of the transportation committee thinks of the idea.

I heard the other day that some folks in Washington were talking about making cuts to the budget to help pay for the Katrina disaster. I think that's a good idea, but not in the areas that were mentioned, like drug benefits to seniors. The budget was bad enough as it is with not enough money going where it's badly needed, and far too much going where it's NOT needed.

Take a second and think of the federal budget as your household budget. If you budget money for a trip to Vegas, and then a tree falls on your roof, you cut the trip to Vegas out and fix your roof (unless you've got a lot of extra money, which you/we don't).

How damned irresponsible and selfish IS Rep. Don Young?

Pork projects should never be acceptable unless the government is running a surplus, and even then, two $200+ million bridges to serve under a hundred people looks like the 'Hogzilla' of pork projects.

Rep. Don Young of Alaska, stop acting like a spoiled child and do the right thing.
And that goes for any other politician unwilling to give up his/her pork project(s)!

President Bush, why have you made such disasterous appointments ?

Think Progress » “One of the Worst Abandonments of Americans on American Soil Ever”


I challenge anyone with a heart to read this/watch the Meet the Press episode, and not feel the pain, anger, and helplessness of the locals trying to do their best despite having to deal with Federal officials with their heads up their asses.

While the White House damage control tries to deflect criticism towards FEMA, please remember who's responsible for appointing the director Michael Brown. Look at his "credentials" for the job.
Tell me, how does the President choose this guy over of all the people who could have been considered?

Maybe I'm missing something, but the ONLY reason I can think of for hiring someone with his lack of experience is political.
The only other explanation is complete incompetence on the part of the person responsible for choosing him.
(If you think about it, it's the incompetent, hiring the incompetent!)

Just look at all the people chosen by this President for important positions in his administration. They haven't been people the majority could agree on, for the most part they've been outrageous "in your face" type appointments.

So childish many of these Right-Wingers are (as Yoda might say..).
Kind of reminds me of a 2nd in command who gets temporary command and acts like a "Frank Burns" from M*A*S*H. (GW and Frank Burns, 'separated at birth'? OR 'Twin Sons of Different Mothers?)

Half the time while watching C-SPAN I expect to see some Senator stick his/her tounge out across the isle and go "Nah, na na na na! We won and you lost. We're in charge, and you can't do anything about it. Nah, na na na na!"

The "chicken's come home to roost" as they say. In other words Mr. President, one of your unqualified appointees has come back to bite you in the ass!

Only an IDIOT would appoint such an unqualified person to such a critical position!

For ONCE Mr President, show some honesty and integrity and admit you made a big mistake in appointing Michael Brown. Replace him NOW. Don't make things worse by rewarding his failure*. Remember that many times throughout history Generals have been replaced during a war because of incompetence that caused great loss of life. Not doing so could have left our country with a very different history than the one we know.

Be a leader for a change. Do the right thing for the right reason, for a change.

I just hope that in every election from now on, the American people see through the web of lies and half-truths the Republican Spinmeisters weave and "do the right thing" for a change. It's a daunting challenge. Your magic is strong. Last election you got so many people to believe outragous lies. You've trashed honorable War Heros like Max Cleland, John McCain, and John Kerry for purely political reasons.

Too bad that same "magic" wasn't brought to bear in Iraq, was it? Talk about 'Clueless in Iraq'.


*In the same way I feel that you Mr. President, should not have been rewarded with a second term after your failures during your first term.

Administrative Notice: Due to "Comment SPAM"...

Well like so many others, I'm starting to receive "Comment Spam"....(#@%!*%^^$!!!)

So I'm turning on the "Word Verification" [option], which means that people who want to leave a comment on my blog have to take a couple of seconds to type the letters they're shown into the small box provided.

Thanks for understanding.

Comment to the Right-Wing Interlopers

Comment to the Right-Wing interlopers our there who troll the progressive web sites, especially the ones who've remarked to me that "you (or "you liberals") seem to have anger issues" (this is usually after they have posted, maybe quoting Drudge [or some equally 'truth-challenged' web site] to support their point, and railed against us liberals):

Though most of you wouldn't admit it, liberals getting angry and pissed off scares you, or at least it should. The true-blue liberals generally (though I try to avoid making generalizations) aren't the kind of people who get angry for any length of time. I think they're much more forgiving people.
But I feel that the battle to help this country get back on track and break the cold grip of calculating right-wing idealogues, tough battles have to be fought.

I'd much rather "go with the flow", because "fighting" against something usually isn't the way, but at times you just have to stand up to evil and things you feel are wrong, especially when you see your country being led down the path of selfishness, secrecy, lies, corruption, and unecessary conflict.

The more liberals getting angry the better I say. And yes, some get mad and make thoughtless angry comments. Some of those comments are just as inane as comments coming from conservatives, but on the whole I think it's just against the "liberal nature" to be as nasty as what we see daily coming from the "other side".

Unfortunately, I think it will take many of us liberals (and intelligent Republicans and Independants) getting angry. Angry enough to DO something about the tragedy that is our current administration and the Republican bullies that have taken over the people's government!

On a side note, I think that it's too bad that ALL of us can't put our country first (along with family), and our political views second or third, behind self interest/self enrichment.

The right-wing attack dogs seems to be SO good at whipping up false anger and blind rage (remind you of other parts of the world?) that it has to be countered by the truth, somehow deprogramming the zombie hoards that pray daily to the American Mullahs like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Roberts.
Frankly it seems like an overwhelming challenge, and some just might have too much "Kool-Aid" in their system to ever see the light, but we have to try. NO, we have to SUCCEED!

But first many Democrats have to overcome their natural instinct to be passive, and HELP FIGHT for a better government!

To be continued........

Chertoff knows CYA...

Chertoff had both hands firmly planted on his ass today when he spoke to the media.

I don't know if it was the skill with which he covered his butt or "journalists" just not getting the job done, but no reporter really challenged him or his statements.


This kinda how I heard most of it:

We couldn't have foreseen BOTH, of those TWO SEPARATE, did I mention UNFORESEEN? Maybe one, but definitely not two, no, definitely not both together, who could've known?

OK for three, not a four or five...

This was Mother Nature, bad - bad, Mother Nature!*
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Follow my chain of consciousness>>>>>>



My Bottom line:

People died that didn't have to. This was case where time is life.....
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
I look at the aerial shots of submerged houses and I wonder how many of them have people in them who died waiting for help?

As usual, there doesn't seem to have been any ONE "leader" to kick butt and actually show a "sense of urgency" until yesterday, and once he arrived, trucks were rolling into New Orleans within hours. If the President had any decent military training, HE might have done that same thing at the outset, but actions show a lot. His kind words of compassion were welcome I'm sure, but just imagine if we could could go back.....
Back to before the huge tax cut, hell, back before Bonzo went to Washington!

But realistically, back before the cuts to the levee programs slowed things down, or even back to the night the storm hit. So much could have, no SHOULD have been done that night. All the bureaucratic roadblocks and hesitation were left to play out without the leadership necessary to overcome them quickly and expedite the critical decisions.

Again, communications were a MAJOR problem for First Responders....?

I agree with the people saying that they fear the next terror attack more now because of the way this disaster was handled at the beginning.

Now back to Chertoff's press conference.

More interested in covering his and the government's butt, than admitting 'mistakes were made, we learned from them, and we won't make them again'. I'm OK with that, as opposed to how it went down.

It won't bring back the lives of those who died, WAITING for someone, to act, to mobilize all the State and Federal Disaster Search and Rescue Units. To find out exactly what the local Police need 'right now' and get it to them.

To have learned from previous natural disasters and terrorist attacks, and implemented more effective responses, much more so than has been done to date.

Damn it, why can't people's lives be put before wasteful PORK projects and lobbying efforts that may be wonderful for that company (and the politician who "helps", I mean, thinks "it's going to help so many people"), Senator, Congressman, or Trade Group, but take budget dollars away from projects that will ultimately save lives and benefit the majority in many ways.

Pretty much the best that can be hoped for when government screws up and people die, is to ADMIT IT, LEARN from it, and NEVER repeat it.

Am I hoping for too much? Do you want to chalk it to naivete' on my part? I know, I'm not being "realistic" right? Tell that to those who died unnecessarily.... That's right, you can't.


*Maybe Mother Nature AND bad planning and implementation? [trd]

Very cool. A blog from downtown New Orleans (at least until their generator runs out of fuel)

mgno.com

OK, I originally heard about this via a feed from digg.com that linked to a story on wired.com.

Here's a link to the wired.com story, and the link [above] takes you to the blog.

This blog is fascinating. The more I read the more amazed I become. Truly an 'insider's' look. And with the police using the building as a staging area, we can gain some news and insight that the MSM just can't compete with. It's amazing.

The people working there must have serious mixed feelings about their 'relative' good fortune when people are dying outside. I sure would.

One question I have is how long can they expect to be allowed to stay there if they do get fuel and provisions? Isn't the city supposed to be totally evacuated at some point?

Either way, the blog should give us a first-hand account, and some inside information of the goings on in the city of New Orleans (and the only business still operating).
And that's without the sensationalistic and repetitive coverage of the MSM.

This blog, along with the blogs ("Baghdad Burning" & "Healing Iraq") that have been coming out of Baghdad give us an unmatched glimpse of life from the inside (even if they haven't been updated for quite a while).

I just had a thought... They must have lighting available, but I doubt very much that it's visible from the outside.
Can you imagine what would happen if they were the only building in the area with some lights on? I'm betting that they're keeping a very low profile.

Hurricane Katrina.... Where do I start ?

My first thoughts are of course with the people in need there in the affected areas.
I've been sending them all the positive energy I can, and I just sent the Red Cross the last $23.00 from my checking account.

As far as the local and federal efforts, I know that a lot of people are working selflessly to help and they deserve our respect and support.

That said, I have many questions regarding the contingency plans that were/weren't in place before this disaster struck and the DEADLY delay in reacting to the situation by local AND FEDERAL agencies.

The first being the President's continuing his vacation past the beginning of the the hurricane making landfall. The press spokesman and many of the MSM press (ba-a-a-a-a) made a big deal about the fact that the President "cut his vacation short" to deal with this tragedy. Wow, two days out of a FIVE WEEK VACATION. Now THAT"S dedication for you. How could he be playing golf while people were DYING? I guess that maybe he's used to it now with the WAR and all.

Now as far as contingency plans, this area IS hurricane country. WHY are the police having trouble communicating? They say the backup batteries are failing. Where are these batteries located? At ground level? Shouldn't they be located places like on top of tall buldings? If so, they could be replaced relatively easily. Are they talking about "handheld" radios batteries? Those should be able to be recharged in their patrol cars.
On a side note, I was disgusted to read the first hand report of some police and firefighters JOINING IN THE LOOTING!

Some of the news reminds me of the first days in Iraq after the fall of Baghdad.
The looting, and the delay of the troops to do anything about it until nearly everything was already gone, and no plans beforehand to protect assets like museums, banks, and LITTLE things like weapons depots, including a warehouse full of TONS of high explosives that our military didn't secure!!!

Now that the gun shops have been fully looted (including WAL-Mart, [view pictures]), (NOW??) they say they're starting to bring in National Guard troops to control the looting? There's barely anything left to steal, and they're just now bringing in help...

And surprise, surprise, surprise, as GOMER would say, they've had to stop the helicopter airlifts from the Superdome.....because they're getting SHOT AT!
Go-o-ly sarge, maybe we should have thought of that BEFOREHAND!

Now everyone's seen (and probably joked about) a group of city workers standing around scratching their heads while one guy works, and heard the familiar phrase "too many chiefs, and not enough indians (absolutely no offense to indians meant).
Something similar seems to be happening around the New Orleans area (and inside the beltway).
How much time has to go by/has already gone by before anything is done about the levee breaks flooding the city?

I'll say it again, THIS IS HURRICANE COUNTRY! Why weren't things like sandbags (pre-filled) warehoused in strategic areas?
Was it because this administration/Congress CUT FEDERAL FUNDING ($71.2 million) for things like that?

Our first responders always do a heroic job regardless of the problems created with poor planning, but WHEN are we going to start doing the right thing BEFOREHAND?
WHEN are we going to start putting PEOPLE before the "bottom line"?

I know it's easy to criticize "after the fact", but PLANNING FOR, AND RESPONDING TO DISASTERS is what certain people are paid to do! And when they screw-up PEOPLE can and do DIE....

One final thought, turning people away from the Houston Astrodome who are (in many cases) spending their last dollars staying in motels is heartless, not to mention foolish and unecessary. And speaking of heartless, the business owners who are "gouging" should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and shunned by their communities! At the risk of sounding like Zell Miller ("I wish we lived in the day where you could challenge a person to a duel."), maybe we should bring back the public pillary for a while. I know who I'd vote for to be first in line, how about you?

Do as we say, not as we do ?

'Times-Picayune' Announces New Home--in Houma--and Reports Looting by Cops and Firemen

I really don't know what to say about this story. It's shameful.

While other 1st responders were dealing with the death, destruction, and rescue efforts, these cops were probably using their patrol cars to carry off their stolen loot.

And even if it's just a tiny fraction of the total police force, it's sick. Plus it gives folks who probably don't need much of an excuse a reason to join in.

Like the woman quoted at the end of the article said, "It must be legal," she said. "The police are here taking stuff, too."

And to think, some were worried that there would be a problem [again] at the Superdome with violence and theft. I guess the police and the National Guard shouldn't have been looking solely at "civillians" breaking the law.

More obvious retaliation by Dick[head] Cheney and Rummy.

Critic of No-Bid Halliburton Contract Demoted; Democrats Demand Probe - Los Angeles Times

I'd bet that there are many more instances of this that I'm not aware of, but this is a blatant example of retaliation against someone daring to do the right thing.

And another thing, the excuse used to demote her is similar to that of the old Soviet Union's (a cold/the flu) when one of their leaders was dying, or members of the White House administration leaving their position for 'family reasons' when everyone knows they were forced to leave.

We can't have someone honest trying to do the right thing for American taxpayers now can we ? Good thing her husband doesn't work for the CIA, eh ?

Why the Hell isn't there anything being done about Cheney's former company getting these sweetheart deals and ripping off the American people ?
Will we have to wait until the crooks are all out of office before any real investigations begin ?

Good News. Leo Laporte & Call for Help are back !

Starting Monday, August 29th (11 AM est. on Comcast cable), Leo Laporte and the rest of the (Canadian CFH) crew can be seen on the "G4" channel. I'm not sure if G4 is available via satellite.

From what I hear, Kevin Rose will be making some appearances on the show, and I'd imagine that Pat Norton (and other former TechTV'ers) might also.

It really sucked when Comcast/G4 media took over, then destroyed the popular "TechTV" in favor of their little-known G4 channel, alienating a large part of their uber-faithful audience.

Since then, some of the TechTV talent has been snapped up by the likes of CNN Headline News and CNN (Erica Hill and Sumi Das respectively), MSNBC (Jennifer London), KTLA (Michaela Pereira), and Style Network (Jessica Corbin). Others like Patrick Norton (ExtremeTech, DigitalLifeTV) work/write for various online magazines.

Then there's John C. Dvorak..... ;) , author, columnnist, lecturer, who used to be part of the TechTV family with his show "Silicon Spin", and continues to hang out with Leo Laporte and the gang, weekly, on the podcast "This Week in Tech" (TWiT - [over 400,000 listeners and rising]).

White House, is that egg on your face? Do you care?

Think Progress » White House Misrepresents 9/11 Report

I don't think they do care. They'll just ignore it unless forced to do otherwise.

This administration has brought dirty tricks, dishonesty and partisianship to a new low not seen since the days of Watergate.

Why has Pat Robertson not been charged with a crime ?

FindLaw's Writ - Dean: Was Pat Robertson's Call For Assassination Of A Foreign Leader A Crime?

John Dean makes a good case here, and sums it up in his last paragraph:

" Will Robertson be investigated or prosecuted by federal authorities? Will he be called before Congress? Will the President, or the Secretary of State, publicly chastise Robertson? Are those three silly questions about a man who controls millions of Republican votes from Christian conservatives? "

It sounds like the end of a daily soap opera...."tune in tomorrow for the answers", but it's all too real, and I'd be willing to bet that none of the above will be done. Neither the President nor the Secretary of State (aka Pinnochio) has the *integrity* to do so.

Sad News.... The Daggett House has been sold and will become a private residence :(

The Daggett House - The Inn On Edgartown Harbor, Martha's Vineyard

I'm not sure exactly when this happened, but that's the message on the Daggett House web site.

That'll teach me for putting off the trip to Martha's Vinyard where I have always wanted to visit, and of course to visit my family's namesake The Daggett House on Edgartown Harbor. My main excuse to myself for not making the trip has always been my dislike for crowds, and from what I've seen and heard, the summer crowds are horrendous. And it certainly hasn't been helped by all the celebrities and high rollers buying properties all over the Island, which of course draws even more people.

There are some places that I wish time and the masses could just ignore. I think I'd probably love it there in the off season (if there even is one these days).

My family's history on Martha's Vinyard goes back to the very beginning, and I've always been awed when I think of what fortitude those people must have had to survive those early years.

Well anyway, whoever bought the Daggett House is very fortunate, and I hope they appreciate what they have.

Why am I not surprised that Deepak Chopra's daughter is so wise.

The Dissenting Opinion : IntentBlog

I was just making my daily visit to The Huffington Post when I spotted a post by Deepak Chopra, one of my favorite contributors to the site, when I followed a link at the bottom of his post to a new web site of his (and Shekhar Kapur's) called "IntentBlog".

After reading the "comments" to the post, and subsequently a post on IntentBlog by his daughter (Mallika Chopra) regarding "Dissenting Opinions", I was left impressed at how wise (and intelligent) a woman she appears to be.

As far as the rest of Dr. Chopra's family who also post on IntentBlog, although I haven't read their posts [yet], I won't be surprised if they too express their own variations of the wisdom that their parents have instilled in them.

I now have one more "must read daily" blog-site.

Impressed, but definitely not surprised.

A voice of reason where you [might] not expect it.

Joe Galloway: "There's Something Happening Here"

Most civillians probably wouldn't expect to read an article/comment such as this on a "Military" web site (and truthfully neither did I until I spent a little time at a few "military" web sites), but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Now that I think about it, that was foolish, and doesn't give enough credit to the men and women of our Armed Forces and [many of] the journalists who cover the military on a regular basis.
Sure, many of them are 'gung-ho" "the President's right no matter what" folks, but many can also see the larger picture.

Looking at the author's history*, he's had plenty of experience covering conflicts over the years and I'm glad he's able to present his thoughts on the Military.com web site as well as numerous other publications.

BTW: For any former military personnel out there, this web site (Military.com) is an excellent source for information and links to most (if not all) Veteran's issues, including Veteran's Benefits, and "Buddy Finder".


*Unfortunately his Bio (web page) was unavailable at the time of this post ("The requested article was not found.").

This looks like a promising solution to the RPG/IED problem !

North Bay News and Weather on BayToday.ca

I'm not sure where Troy Hurtubise gets his "dream inventions" from, but whatever the source, they're amazing and so is he.

I first became aware of Troy Hurtubise when I saw him on TV demonstrating his "Mark VI Bearproof Suit" years ago. That invention was impressive, but nothing compared to some of the other incredible inventions he's developed like "Angel Light", "Fire Paste", and LIMBC ("Light Infantry Military Blast Cushions").
Oh yeah, and another invention called "Fire Suppressant Agent 333" that could allow (economically feasible) access to the oil that's currently locked inside oil shale and sand. The same technology also helps clean up oil spills that effect coastlines.

The second time I saw him on TV was a demonstration of his "Fire Paste". What I remember from that show was him sitting there with a coating of the fire [proof] paste covering part of his head and a blowtorch aimed directly at it (for a LONG time).

You might think that Mr. Hurtubise is a top scientist working for a large corporation or research facility but he's not (and that's probably a good thing).
And it would be easy to write him off as just some wacky inventor if all you knew about him was his "Bearproof Suit" invention, but that would be incredibly foolish.

The reason I wanted to post about this guy here is that I believe his "Blast Cushions" and the associated technologies could be at least a partial solution to what I believe is the biggest threat to our troops today, the simple Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG).

It's always amazed me that with all our technical advances in military hardware, million dollar machines like helicopters and almost all of our ground vehicles can [potentially] be neutralized with the simple RPG.

Of course the chances of this technology getting through the maze of required Pentagon and Congressional approvals (and POLITICS) and to our troops in Iraq (and everywhere else) anytime soon are remote.

Think about it. This guy is coming up with solutions for problems that have only been dreams for generations of scientists.

Does Bush live in the state of Texas, or in the state of DENIAL ?

Think Progress » Bush Denies He’s On Vacation

You know, there are SO many examples of this, and I'm so tired lately, I'm just going to leave it here.....

....Well, just one more comment.

I suffer from chronic depression (among other things like ADD, and a serious lack of short-term memory) which [for one] makes it exceptionally hard to compose my thoughts for this blog (and other similar tasks).
FYI: It usually takes me at least an hour to compose what others can do in ten minutes.

But another area where "depression" affects me is simply reading and watching the news.

The general state of affairs in the world is enough to depress many people, and the state of the current administration (AND news coverage, or the LACK of) is MORE than enough to deal with for me...

It just seems that (especially in the current administration) the Heart and SOUL inside the Republican party has disappeared (whatever SOUL was left) which is interesting, considering the number of sanctimonious "Holier than thou" folks there.

I think that politics (and the MSM's coverage of) has become too much like Madison Avenue, where it's OK to "stretch the truth" or otherwise lead people to the wrong/inaccurate conclusion.
We're being programmed to accept BS, and unless you're a serious skeptic like I am, you're vulnerable to it.

I tell you folks, sometimes it's just way too much to take.......
The one good thing is that I think blogging about all this bullshit helps "vent" some of the frustration I feel (at least about politics).

It's [mostly] "who you know" when it comes to the so-called "War on drugs"

Think Progress » Always Low Prices, Even for Meth Lab Owners

As if the administration's "War or Drugs" wasn't bullshit enough, here's more proof.

The administration is so heartless they won't advocate medical marijuana for people dying of cancer, or even the growing of "Hemp" (which isn't useful for smoking, for those who don't already know), which can be used for a multitude of products.

But what do you know, Wal-Mart's lobbyists evidently have a lot more influence with this administration than NORML does.

So by this administration's action (and/or inaction) they seem to be "OK" with Wal-Mart selling [all] the ingredients to make "Meth", and other potentially deadly drugs like alcohol and tobacco, but refuse to decriminalize marijuana (which unlike the others mentioned, isn't responsible for tens of thousands of deaths each year, and has been deemed helpful by countless doctors).

Isn't it amazing what piles of money and powerful lobbyists (not to mention hypocrites in the administration) can do ?

I think that if Wal-Mart had an interest in selling marijuana, THEY might have the lobbying power to achieve it.

Here's an interesting article (from Business Week Online) asking the question - Is Wal-Mart too powerful ?

The lobbying power of Wal-Mart doesn't surprise me, nor does the hypocrisy, but since they've taken such a prudish stance on "moral" issues like selling Maxim magazine (Oh, the HORROR !), I thought they would stop or "restrict" the sales of Meth ingredients just as other retailers have done.

They really must be selling a $hitload of the aforementioned cold products, although they were probably selling lots of Maxim, FHM, etc. magazines before they banned them from their stores.

What other reason could there be ?

Bush searches for new things to screw-up...

Daylight-saving change could confuse gadgets | CNET News.com

George "duh" Bush seems to be on a quest to screw-up as many things he can before leaving office.

Let's see now, the economy, an assualt(/lack of) on ethics in his administration, foreign relations, the gap between rich and poor (incl. healthcare), the safety of America (and Americans the world over), the environment, and now technology (you can add your own favorites HERE...).

And I thought he was too lazy to accomplish anything !

WTF ?

InformationWeek > Open Source, Mozilla > Mozilla Creates For-Profit Unit, But Insists It's Not 'Selling Out' > August 3, 2005

I'm not buying it !

This piece is REALLY funny.

Unconfirmed Sources

I hope Tom Delay gets a chance to read this page, 'tho we doubt it.

On a side note: This is the first web site I've thought to create a "Funny Political Web Sites" folder for in my Firefox Bookmarks.
This is good stuff !

If I was a Movie/Web Site critic, I might say something like:
"I laughed so hard I farted !"

"Unconfirmed Sources" and Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" are it as far as I'm concerned ! (Unless there are other equally funny web sites out there, unseen by my eyes, just waiting to give me a temporary lift from the enormous issue that I see as the power-drunk "Religious Right". With an all too willing fool * doing their bidding in the White House it's like a race to grab all they can [while they can].)

*I was tempted to insert a URL to the old "Bush or Chimp" web site here. :-P

A Tale of Two Parties

For me, this is a great example of [one of] the differences between the two parties.

I just turned on MSNBC's "Connected Coast to Coast". The next piece they're doing is about Hillary Clinton. The Democratic guest is Bob Kunst, the leader of "Hillary Now!". The other guest is one of the "Hillary-Haters" Gary Aldrich from the putrid website "Stop Hillary Now!".

Anyway, it boils down to this. The Democratic guest is working FOR something, the Republican guest is working AGAINST something.

California Trains Private Guards in Antiterrorism

NTI: Global Security Newswire - Wednesday, August 3, 2005

Here's several comments regarding this article:

1. I think this is an excellent idea.

2. This is a "no-brainer", why has it taken four years to
implement ?

3. Why is California the only state doing this ?

4. Is 4 hours an adequate amount of time ?

5. Finally, 40 hours to become a licensed private security guard ?
That's a lot less time than it takes to become a licensed hair
stylist, isn't it ?
Now no offense to hair stylists, but personally I'd like to
think that someone who might be guarding a potential terrorist
target gets (considerably) more training than 40 hrs, and
definitely more than 4 hrs of antiterrorism training !