Well, Smack My Fanny And Call Me Annie!

The Calm Before The Sand: If The Shoe Fits...:Soldier in Iraq spanks the "Senate Democrats, Republicans, and 'American Idol' viewers across the nation"

Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster I do not fit that demographic!

Go forth and read!

Serious hat tip: Charlie at Bring It On!

cross-posted at Dizzy Dayz

In the news

Cindy Sheehan has had enough of the insults and abuse from both the left and right. After quiting the Democratic Party, she announced at DKos, that she is going home. Rest up Cindy, and take care of yourself. When and if you are ready to come back and fight, we will be here for you.

"Good Riddance Attention Whore"

I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called "Face" of the American anti-war movement. Especially since I renounced any tie I have remaining with the Democratic Party, I have been further trashed on such "liberal blogs" as the Democratic Underground. Being called an "attention whore" and being told "good riddance" are some of the more milder rebukes.

I have come to some heartbreaking conclusions this Memorial Day Morning. These are not spur of the moment reflections, but things I have been meditating on for about a year now. The conclusions that I have slowly and very reluctantly come to are very heartbreaking to me.

The first conclusion is that I was the darling of the so-called left as long as I limited my protests to George Bush and the Republican Party. Of course, I was slandered and libeled by the right as a "tool" of the Democratic Party. This label was to marginalize me and my message. How could a woman have an original thought, or be working outside of our "two-party" system?

However, when I started to hold the Democratic Party to the same standards that I held the Republican Party, support for my cause started to erode and the "left" started labeling me with the same slurs that the right used. I guess no one paid attention to me when I said that the issue of peace and people dying for no reason is not a matter of "right or left", but "right and wrong."

A senior Polish official has decided to pick up the torch of Jerry "the gays are coming" Falwell and get her stupid on. Ewa Sowinska has taken to attacking Tinky Winky with a gusto that would have made the ever insane Falwell proud. She has gone as far as to have "ordered psychologists to investigate whether the popular BBC TV show Teletubbies promotes a homosexual lifestyle."

Poland targets 'gay' Teletubbies

A senior Polish official has ordered psychologists to investigate whether the popular BBC TV show Teletubbies promotes a homosexual lifestyle.

The spokesperson for children's rights in Poland, Ewa Sowinska, singled out Tinky Winky, the purple character with a triangular aerial on his head.

"I noticed he was carrying a woman's handbag," she told a magazine. "At first, I didn't realise he was a boy."

EU officials have criticised Polish government policy towards homosexuals.

To round this out, check out the post Hart Williams has up at The Democratic Daily. The party of Lincoln indeed!

The Party of Lincoln

For those who read blogs, the screaming red flag has been raised by the casual dismissal by Monica Goodling of the term “caging list” as just “a direct mail term,” last week during her congressional testimony.

Caging is a felony, and Goodling essentially admitted that said felony was engaged in by officials of the Justice Department.

(Perhaps that should be the “Justice” Department, henceforth.)

Greg Palast is all over the place, because he exposed the whole scam long ago, and even has the major players named in his book ARMED MADHOUSE. Rightly so.

And, for the non-lawyer, who only knows about truth, and not how it can be made — as all lawyers seem to instinctively ooze — to go away under a rash of “reasonable sounding” rationalizations, distortions and lies … for the non-lawyer, “caging” is a technique used to weed out opposition voters.

Katrinacrat Memorial day post

I have thought long about this day, and the post I wanted to do on this day. I have seen much, and many times I have had my service questioned by wingers. Where do I even begin with this? The Reaper is a friend, and did tell a story that most don't know. I left three days after the burial of my murdered brother, to Marine Corps Boot Camp. This is a day that I had to think back, and remember my brothers and sisters. This was a hard day, as is usual on this day.

I feel pain today, because my brothers and sisters are in a war that they should not be in. I don't want to lose my brothers and sisters for a no good reason. This Marine is not for the war in Iraq! I hurt for them, and want to make it go away. I have done much thinking and remembering today, and I have cried when thinking of the sacrifice they make in the name of an idiot named Bush. In the name of GOD, he sends my fellow Marines to die over a lie. I cried today, and I grew more reason to fight this insanity. Not one more life in our name! You don't speak for us, and it is time for you to bring them home. Support our troops, take them out of that nightmare and bring them home! I am tired of seeing my fellows getting treated like shit. I rebuke you George Bush, and everything you stand for. Not one more drop of blood of my brothers and sisters for a lie.

Troops home now!

Reaper Speak: Memorial Day post

On this day, we look to our veterans. I know many, but some have touched you in more ways than one. Think real hard, and you can tell a story of a Vet you know. You might know one that has problems from his time in. You see it, and it pains you. We never give the real amount of honor to these people that should be given. On this very blog, you have Veterans, that gave something up, and they ask nothing in return for it. I await the post from my friend, Donnie the Veteran, because I know he will speak with honor and it will come from someone that knows what it is like to give a part of yourself. I talked to him, and he is taking it easy today, and wants to do a special post on this. Others here can do the same thing. I am humbled to be in the presence of so many accomplished bloggers. I am shocked that I was invited to even post here. So till my buddy gets enough beer in him, or the beer wears off, whatever the case may be, I am going to tell you a story about Donnie. Hope you don't mind buddy, but I think everyone here would like to know what you did. Time to honor, so what better time?

In 1985, Bobby James McDaniel turned up missing. Bobby was the older brother of Donnie. He was missing for 14 months, and was found a couple of weeks before Donnie left to Marine Corps Boot camp. Upon the finding, a family friend was arrested for the murder of Bobby. Donnie was faced with keeping the family tradition of having a person in the military from each generation, or using this info to hold out. If you have ever met him, you know this was the ultimate choice. He buried his brother, and left three days after to show up at boot camp! The man left his family to serve his country, even under conditions that would have warranted not going.

He got injured, and got put out after fighting to stay in. He wanted to make it a career like his uncle did. After getting out, he went to the VA for his shit ass appointment to see what his disability would be. A doctor sat at a desk, and never placed a finger on him, and made a choice on what his disability should be. After he left New Orleans, he got rear ended by a drunk driver on the West bank Expressway. In a new truck he got in California before he got put out. No, he did not hurt the guy, the cop did, Upon talking to Donnie, the cop was pissed! The cop was angry when he found out that he just came from the VA. The cop wanted him to wait and let the man come and answer to the Veteran he just hit. The cop wanted to see this man look into the eyes of a protector of our constitution. The guy just had his second wreck in half a day, and the cop was surprised by what was said. Donnie looked that guy in the eyes and told him that: HE FORGAVE HIM! HOLY SHIT!!!!!!! I could never have done that! What better way to look at this Holiday, than to look at our close friends? Amazing! Thank you for the friendship Buddy, and I salute you. Enjoy your day!

Nature pics

I took some pics lately, and I wanted to share them. The Moon was not easy to get a picture of at night with surrounding lights, but doing it with a digital camera posed a problem. The slightest vibration in my body caused it to blur. I saw the moon with what looked like a star next to it. I found it to be strange, because I have never seen it before.



Long before the grass cutting time came upon us, Robins were in the yard everyday to greet me when I got back home.



One morning when I was waiting to get off work, I walked outside and found this beautiful moth. As the moth moved around, the spots on the wings seemed to be like eyes and looked like they blinked. BEAUTIFUL!



I captured this one of a double rainbow on another day while waiting to get off work.

True Love

As you glance across the bar, you notice her. It's TRUE LOVE! Love at first sight. There is just something about her that grabs your attention. You just know she's special!



Ah yes, the joys of Love!

John Boehner: Wuss

What crocodile tears. "When are we going to stand up and take 'em on?" [gasp, gulp, sniffle] "When are we going to defeat them?" Uh, wtf are you talking about, John?

Shut up and smoke another pack of cigarettes.

Cross posted (and inhaled) from AoF

Sheriff Larpenter hired this man!

He was hired by Sheriff Larpenter, and he killed and raped! Chad Louviere was hired by Sheriff Jerry Larpenter, of Terrebonne Parish. Now Larpenter wants to run for Parish President. For many years, Larpenter has been put back into office, when people needed to remember what happened in the past. Chad Louviere was hired and employed by Sheriff Larpenter when he murdered and raped! Remember October 26, the day that a member of Larpenter's team killed and raped women of our community. Do you want this? Vote wise!

Former Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s deputy Chad Louviere is escorted from the Terrebonne Courthouse during proceedings that led to his death sentence in May 1999. (STAFF FILE)

Former deputy to appeal death penalty

The former Terrebonne Parish sheriff’s deputy accused of gunning down a young mother while holding his estranged wife and four other women hostage inside a bank more than 10 years ago could return to a Terrebonne courtroom this fall, as his death-penalty appeal begins its local phase.

After the October 1996 hostage standoff at the former ArgentBank on Grand Caillou Road, Chad Louviere was charged with murdering 27-year-old Pam Duplantis, raping two other female bank employees and multiple counts of kidnapping. He was sentenced to death in 1999, and, in successive years, that punishment was repeatedly upheld as his case climbed through the state appeals court, the state Supreme Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Larpenter doesn't like to talk about it! VOTE WISE!

Blessings from above in the Rose Garden

So Bush had his cocky little press conference yesterday. Armed with the same talking points, and the invoking of al-Qaeda 19 times, he was ready to get stuck on stupid. The press conference was called after Democrats caved like a bunch of weak bottom feeders with no spines on the Iraq spending bill. Being the idiot that he is, Bush went as far as to say "They are a threat to your children, David," to David Gregory of NBC. Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times, who has no children, was told "It's a danger to your children, Jim," by the madman that resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Rutenburg then asked the dunce, "Mr. President, why is he still at large?" referring to OBL. His royal highness then shot back with a Dubyaism:

"Why is he at large?" Bush shot back. "Because we haven't got him yet, Jim."

There's that higher learning in action again! The whole thing was pretty much the usual repetition Bush is known for. The one thing was not in the norm, was the high point of the whole thing. Between his 10th and 11th mentions of al-Qaeda, a bird came along and dropped the very same thing Bush had to offer, right on his left sleeve! He reached over and wiped it off with his bare hand. There was more than blood on his hand at that moment.

Is there no safe haven for President Bush?

It happened midway through his news conference in the Rose Garden yesterday morning, in between his 10th and 11th mentions of al-Qaeda: A bird flew over the president and deposited a wet, white dropping on the upper left sleeve of his jacket. Bush wiped the mess off with his bare hand.

Make no mistake about it Mr. President, that bird speaks for many of us. We are in total agreement with it. A majority of us at that!

Crooks and Liars has the video

Better hope we have no storms!

Take a close look at this pic. What do you imagine will happen if the gulf coast gets a hit like we did in 2005? After Katrina, gas in my town got up to $2.99 a gallon after the storms. That was with a shortage! Having to wait in lines to get some. At those that actually had it to sell. $2.99 a gallon is what I paid for the first gas I was able to get after Katrina, and this is what the price is now. A day or two later, it went up! It is now up to around $3.09 a gallon at the nearest station. This in an oil producing state. Better buckle up folks, it's going to get nasty if we get hit again.



Unleaded: $3.074

Unleaded Plus: $3.224

Premium Unleaded: $3.374

Hope you don't have plans to do a lot of travel. With the latest forecast on storms, you might have to hock your eldest child to afford a trip after this is over. Click on the pic to enlarge. OUCH!

Not "misled" or "inaccurate". LIED.

Republicans had absolutely no problems saying it about Clinton. Remember how “Clinton lied under oath” was all that we heard for the better part of two years (and the past 7)? So please – we can stop dancing around these terms. They are powerful terms, and should not be used lightly. But they are accurate terms. Deadly accurate.

McNulty didn’t “mislead” the Senate – he knew EXACTLY what he was saying, and exactly what he was hiding. And if he didn’t lie, then Goodling lied today. And I am pretty sure that lying should destroy her immunity deal.

Gonzales didn’t give “inaccurate” statements to Congress. The man spent the better part of a week being coached on his answers. And yet he still knowingly gave answers that he knew were untrue. He “didn’t recall” being in a meeting that was only the most important meeting about the US Attorney purge? These are only the top 93 US prosecutors who report to Gonzales. He “didn’t know”? Bullshit!! He LIED. To Congress. Not once but twice (at least).

Five million emails were “misplaced”? All by one Karl Rove – the same man who is knee deep in the US Attorney purge, the caging scheme run by his protégée Tim Griffin (who was pushed through as US Attorney), the outing of a CIA agent and her front company, the firing of David Iglesias, author of election fraud, THE math, connected to Jack Abramoff and lord knows what other scummy criminal acts. No – they were deleted. On purpose. While there was a document preservation order from Patrick Fitzgerald. That is lying about obstructing justice. Not “deleting”. Not “misplacing”.

Condi Rice didn’t make “misleading statements” to Congress about Iran’s overtures back in 2003. She knew damn well what was going on. And knowing that something is true yet willfully saying the opposite in order to convince those who you are talking to is a big fat lie. No other way to put it.

Mushroom clouds? Lies. Iraq linked to 9/11 or al Qaeda? Lies. Making progress? Lies. “Nobody would have thought….? Lies Scooter Libby, Karl Rove, Alberto Gonzales, Dick Cheney, George W. Bush. All Liars. Mark Foley. Dennis Hastert. Bill Frist. Tom DeLay. Jack Abramoff. John McCain. Rudy Giuliani. Liar, liar, liar, liar, liar, liar and liar. Richard Perle, Douglas Feith, Paul Wolfowitz, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Bremer, George “Slam Dunk” Tenet. Every single one of them, liars.

It’s time to stop pussy footing around and step up to the plate. There were no “misstatements” or “misunderstandings” or even “miscommunications”, “errors”, “misplacements” “misleading” or anything other than lies.

Period. Start calling it, and them, what they are.

National Continuity Policy

Anyone know how THIS hasn't received much attention? It's the National Continuity Policy, which flew in under the radar on May 9th.
The directive, signed by President Bush on May 9th, "... establishes a comprehensive national policy on the continuity of Federal Government structures and operations and a single National Continuity Coordinator responsible for coordinating the development and implementation of Federal continuity policies. This policy establishes 'National Essential Functions,' prescribes continuity requirements for all executive departments and agencies, and provides guidance for State, local, territorial, and tribal governments, and private sector organizations in order to ensure a comprehensive and integrated national continuity program that will enhance the credibility of our national security posture and enable a more rapid and effective response to and recovery from a national emergency."
This assigns sole power to the Executive Branch of government. It revokes the National Security Act of 1947 and the Presidential Decision Directive 67 of October 21, 1998 (Enduring Constitutional Government and Continuity of Government Operations), "including all Annexes thereto".And it effectively allows Bush to seize complete control of all branches of government should the United States suffer a catastrophic emergency.
"Catastrophic Emergency" means any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions.
"Continuity of Government," or "COG," means a coordinated effort within the Federal Government's executive branch to ensure that National Essential Functions continue to be performed during a Catastrophic Emergency.

October surprise, anyone?

Cross posted at Journeys with Jood

Editor's note: I added some links and a title to it. Hope you don't mind.

Welcome back Pentagon, Fix the levees!

Well, it's nice to see that the Pentagon had someone come here again. The site meter let me know that they had someone stop by, and they were searching on "yolanda king going home wake". How sweet is that? While you were here, did you notice that we don't want your war or the abuse given to Louisiana? I hope you enjoyed the Out of Iraq, into New Orleans" quote. BTW, what's up with your people? Fix the fuckin' levees already! Ain't it time to bring our people home yet? WTF? So when are you gonna get to doing your job, and defend our nation? Our constitution is being raped, and it's your duty to defend it. What gives with that? Time to stop waiting on the commander guy, and do your jobs. Try to make this Marine proud for the love of GOD! If you did not get the memo, the Army is responsible for the levees, that gave way and flooded our great city of New Orleans. They are still fucked up! Get your asses in gear, and do your jobs! Maybe, just maybe, you and your fellows could spend more time on the ground if you spent less time reading blogs, and less time in a civil war! I'm just saying.....

Who Would Jesus Bomb?

The American Taliban strikes again, and it was at Liberty University none the less. A 19 year old member of the American Taliban was arrested after authorities were alerted by a relative. Five of the devices were found in the trunk of his car. Made of "gasoline and detergent", the devices were described as "slow burn" by a law enforcement official. Assisting the Virgina State Police in the investigation, is the ATF(Bureau of Booze, Smokes, and Gats), along with the FBI(Federal Bureau of Intimidation). Three other suspects are being sought, and among them, "is a high school student" and a "soldier from Fort Benning, Ga."

Even in death, the Rev. Jerry Falwell rouses the most volatile of emotions.

A small group of protesters gathered near the funeral services to criticize the man who mobilized Christian evangelicals and made them a major force in American politics -- often by playing on social prejudices.

A group of students from Falwell's Liberty University staged a counterprotest.

And Campbell County authorities arrested a Liberty University student for having several homemade bombs in his car.

The student, 19-year-old Mark D. Uhl of Amissville, Va., reportedly told authorities that he was making the bombs to stop protesters from disrupting the funeral service. The devices were made of a combination of gasoline and detergent, a law enforcement official told ABC News' Pierre Thomas. They were "slow burn," according to the official, and would not have been very destructive.

73 year old Falwell, known as the "father of the Christian conservative movement" made the world a better place last week, when he took on a "cut and run" policy with life. Like the poison he was, he continued his legacy through others. Haters and bigots in the name of GOD. Even his funeral, became an example of religious fanaticism. It is also worthy of note that:

No national Republicans attended Tuesday's funeral, including none of the GOP presidential candidates. All said they were too busy.

UPDATE: Cross Posted at Booman Tribune and on the Recommended list. Also Cross Posted and Frontpaged at BlueSunbelt.com Frontpaged at The Democratic Daily

Stop, Look, Listen and Gulp

I just can not encourage you enough to go watch this video on Google/Canada. It's about 911, making the rounds on the internet and gaining tremendous impact. People I know who were skeptics are not skeptical anymore. It's an hour and a half video, but I was a believer after the first 20 minutes. To watch, go HERE.

Any questions?

Impeach Gonzales

I'm back!

Damn tech problems! As Pamela noted below, I was able to call her and tell her what was going on. I was down to having my cell phone as the only means of communicating. The phone and the internet was out. When you tried to call my home phone, it had a message that it was being checked for problems. Morons! I hope the problem is solved for now. Everything has been offline since I noticed it Friday night after I woke up to get ready for work. Now after hearing that stupid message, I had to control my temper when they had no idea it was out till I showed up today! I was there as they opened up, and I can't help but wonder how many angry people went there after me and did not hold back.

Message from the Katrinacrat

Head's up Katrinacrat readers...

I just received a message from Donnie that he's having tech problems and hasn't been able to get online for the past couple of days.

He hopes the issues will be fixed and he'll be back online tomorrow. I'll keep all you Katrinacrat readers updated if I hear more.

Dr. Laura's Glass House Appears To Be Cracked

Sandy, of States-a-Mind, makes this great catch about Dr. Laura!

did "ms. bible morals" take her eyes off the ball during son's formative years?

Maybe this explains why she refused to mention where her son was stationed during her little STFU speech to wives of soldiers serving in Iraq.

Crossposted at Dizzy Dayz

Come Out, Come Out, Wherever You Are: Show Your Face!

Come out of the shadows and show your face in protest of the illegal war in Iraq!

Support Our Troops: Bring Them Home Now Be a part of an online antiwar protest by showing your face: be a part of www.seemyface.org

I added my face. Go add yours!

Serious Hat Tip to betmo!

Crossposted for you elucidation at Dizzy Dayz!

A Lousy 3 FUCKING Percent?!?!

Tonight on MSNBC, they highlighted the fact that Bush's credo of "supporting the troops" is nothing more than a fucking lie and lip service to all the fuckers who support this lousy sunnuvabitch.The Congress wanted to give the troops a 3.5% pay raise (a fucking joke) but the fucker Bush wants to give them only 3%.

The difference hovers around $6 a month. Guess that will break the fucking bank considering all the KABILLIONS we give to Halliburton and the rest of Cheney's cabal/secret energy policy bitches.It was also noted that not only enlisted men and women are relying on WIC and food stamps to make ends meet, but officers as well.

Amazing. Fucking amazing...and appalling. 3% doesn't buy a FUCKING thing. And the administration concluded that this was enough to ensure a "higher quality of life." And also, the death benefits were given just a $40 raise a month. That doesn't even fill my car up with gas. Yeah, those soldiers are fighting for the fucking oil while back home their families pay $3 a gallon on a GOOD day!

It would behoove the American people to call their lousy congressmen and senators and insist on a higher raise for those poor soliders. Shitty healthcare, lousy and SHRINKING veterans' benefits and extended tours does not equal "Support the Troops"...it means fuck you in the armed services.

This is not a drill. This is the Real Thing!

When I read this excerpt from Al Gore's new book, An Assault on Reason, I laughed, I cried and ran down the street yelling, "Somebody has heard us! They can help us!"

Put on your running shoes and go, go read it NOW!

Bloody Pond

So my joke was not well received. Blushing now....okay, so I'm not! I thought it was funny. I'm not going to tell jokes this time. I have a tale to tell. The Reaper is taking you back in time. A time of war, and a time of horror. A war that divided our nation. A war that brought you the BLOODY POND!



Just look at the name, and you know it was hell on earth. During the battle of Shiloh, Bloody Pond became a name that would forever be attached to the brutal reality of war. It was reported that the shallow pond became the last source of water for wounded soldiers of both sides. The area and the pond, was littered with dead soldiers and horses. Coming to get a last drink of water, soldiers died there among their fellow Americans. They died drinking from the shallow water of a pond stained with the blood of fellow Americans. The pond turned red from the blood of the fallen soldiers!



That is the reality of war. War should never be taken lightly, and should never be a war of choice. Iraq is a war of choice, and we need to get our people out of that CIVIL WAR before they have to taste the bitter waters of their own Bloody Pond! We had our own Civil War! TROOPS HOME NOW!

Pictures from Kerosene Bomb

Been Drinking Brew For Breakfast

Not me, but I think that Chris Cillizza has been. Before going to work for the WAPO, he wrote for Roll Call and before that, he worked for the Cook Political Report. The man knows, or else should know, Washington and foreign policy. It's safe to assume that he's heard of Michael Scheuer (any cable news watcher would recognize Scheuer's face) and that he has some familiarity with the 9-11 Report. So I suspect that Cillizza had downed a few when he wrote:

A High Note for Giuliani

Giuliani is always on his best footing when talking about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and their aftermath.

After Rep. Ron Paul (Texas) essentially insinuated that America had provoked those attacks, Giuliani leapt in. "That is an extraordinary statement," he said. "I've heard some pretty absurd explanations for Sept. 11."

He went on to call on Paul to rescind his statement, which the congressman chose not to do.

It was a rare moment of raw emotion for Giuliani, and a good one.

Cillizza omitted the fact that Giuliani claimed to have never heard "that one" before -- not a good message from Rudy. He's telling us that he either cares and knows as little about foreign policy as George Bush did before invading Iraq or that he's a thoroughly dishonest opportunist. I'm inclined to believe the latter for reasons that have nothing to do with mind-reading. The transcript lists it as cross talk, but Giuliani could clearly be heard saying that terrorism would never make him waiver in his support for Israel. Ron Paul didn't say anything about Israel, but Michael Scheuer did.

Yeah, I'm sure that the song references have been played to death elsewhere, but how often do you get to make fun of a WAPO columnist and Republican presidential candidate at the same time that you make allusions to two songs that came out the year you graduated from high school/started college? I didn't think that one was quite that old, but then again, I also didn't think that Giuliani could ever make me feel nostalgic.

cross-posted at Moldy City

Dr. Laura Thinks MilSpouses Should Call The Waa-mbulance.

Military wives' whining wears on Dr. Laura

Dr. Laura thinks that milspouses, such as myself, need to shut up about being alone while our soldiers are continually deployed.

She believes, if not for soldiers, like my husband, fighting them over there, they would be over here and, we could one day wake up wearing burkas:

"When you're in the military, that comes first," Schlessinger said. "You don't want to not have gone and find out your wife has to wear a burka," referring to the outer garment worn by some Islamic women that covers the entire body.

In fact, according to Dr. Laura, we milspouses have nothing to complain about, since we made the decision to marry a soldier (no mention of those women who married men they thought would only be "weekend warriors").

"He could come back without arms, legs or eyeballs, and you're (whining)?" Schlessinger asked before taking the stage at the base theater to host her daily program on ethics, morals and values. "You're not dodging bullets, so I don't want to hear any whining -- that's my message to them."

She's basically saying that since we were stupid enough to marry a soldier and because of the war on terrorism, we do not have any right nor place to complain: we made our bed, so now we must lie in it.

It's a good thing I don't give a flying frak what Dr. Laura thinks. It's an even better thing that she has, thankfully, never been to my duty station (it's bad enough that Bush and Cheney have stunk up the place).

Crossposted for your amusement at Dizzy Dayz

Rest in Peace Yolanda King

"The first born of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King", has passed away at the age of 51. Yolanda King was an author, actress and "continued her father's campaign for non-violence." Rest in peace Yolanda, you will be missed.

The first-born of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Yolanda King, has died in Santa Monica, Calif., at the age of 51.

The Rev. Joseph Lowery, one of the King family's closest friends and knew all of the King children since birth, told reporters he did not know the cause of her death Tuesday night. However, a spokesman for the King Center in Atlanta told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that family members suspect she had heart problems.

Known as "Yokie" since childhood, King was born in 1955 in Montgomery, Ala., and went on to become an actress. She also was an author and continued her father's campaign for non-violence.

Do they have to be caught eating puppies?

I was originally going to call this diary So, did you call Mrs. Ashcroft, George? but then Kagro X posted another front page story about the NSA program which, as much as I can’t believe I am saying it, is moving me from the “it would be great if he/they were impeached” camp into the “they did WHAT? Are you fucking kidding me???” camp.

While I still think that Gonzales, for all of the lines he has crossed, for all of the acts that he has sanctioned, laws he has disregarded, treaties he has rendered as “quaint” and collusion with others in this administration – he is the last line of defense for Bush and the republican party as a whole. My gut feel is that all of this goes back to election fraud and while there may be more egregiously illegal acts, that is the one that will resonate further with the electorate if and when enough comes out.

However, the events of the past few days, especially Comey’s testimony on the illegal recertification of the NSA program, despite objections by Comey, Ashcroft and the DOJ have made me think that we have more than Bush “just” admitting to an impeachable offense. What about direct involvement in obstructing justice, exerting pressure on a critically ill Attorney General (who was reported to be “out of it” at the time) to certify a program that was already deemed to be illegal, then continuing the illegal program and, here is the kicker, selectively blocking investigations while allowing investigations of those who reported this illegal act.

No, none of this is “breaking news” other than the testimony by Comey (which isn’t even breaking to us). But it does raise some specific points that hit to plausible deniability. This has been the “get out of jail free card” (literally) for Reagan in the Iran-Contra fiasco, among others. And it is something that this administration knows and uses well – especially since Cheney’s hero, Richard Nixon didn’t have it.

As ridiculous as it may sound (and as much as it would make Gonzales look even worse than he already looks), Bush could, in theory, have indicated that he relied on Gonzales (as White House Counsel) and Card (as his Chief of Staff) with respect to the certification process – did he at the time know that DOJ refused to sign off on it? Or could Gonzales have said to Bush – even after his and Card’s late night raid of Ashcroft’s hospital room – yes, we were able to get the verbal approval that the program was legal? I know, it sounds absolutely insane, and would mean one of two things: (1) Gonzales lied in telling Bush that the program was legal when he knew that DOJ wouldn’t sign off on it, or (2) Gonzales didn’t lie to Bush, but Bush lied about being advised that it was ok.

Now, #2 would seem to be extremely difficult to prove, except for one thing: Comey’s testimony that he “had some recollection that the call” [to Ashcroft’s hospital room to Mrs. Ashcroft] “was from the president himself”. This of course begs the question - Did Bush make that call to Mrs. Ashcroft, and if so, what was the purpose?

If Bush made the call, then plausible deniability goes “bye-bye” and we have absolute proof that Bush himself intervened to make an incapacitated Attorney General (who gave up his post temporarily to Comey anyway) sign off on a program that he and his Deputy both deemed to be illegal – and then went ahead with the illegal program anyway. If he didn’t make that call, then there is still “plausible deniability” – as scummy as that is. But if he did make that call, then I don’t see how he escapes the proof that he broke at least a few laws willingly.

Move forward to Kagro X’s other front page post. In this post, there is the point that the investigation into whether Gonzales or others broke the law in recertifying the illegal program was being thwarted and blocked, all while an investigation into how the New York Times found out about this program was being pushed forward. In the comments section, I asked whether Bush himself stepped in here or someone else would have been responsible for granting or denying security clearances related to the investigations. And as Kagro X replied:

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee today that President Bush personally halted an internal Justice Department investigation into whether Gonzales and other senior department officials acted within the law in approving and overseeing the administration's domestic surveillance program. (http://news.nationaljournal.com/articles/0718nj1.htm)

I highly recommend reading the Waas post that is linked. But essentially, what this means is not only did Bush (presumably) personally intervene by calling Ashcroft’s hospital room but he personally thwarted the investigation into the events surrounding the recertification process (also presumably by denying security clearances in what was called an “unprecedented manner”) all while pushing for an investigation into those who “spilled the beans” on this illegality. Additionally, as Kagro X points out as well – who was the one who had Bush nix this investigation, and did he (or did Gonzales) know at the time that Gonzales would be under investigation. But I’ll leave that to those who are more well versed in that aspect.

To me, I learned a few huge things today:

• If Bush made the call to Ashcroft’s hospital room (as Comey suggested), that puts him square in the middle of this and removes any plausible deniability;


• The hospital confrontation would have been a major part of the investigation that Bush himself thwarted – all while allowing an investigation into those who reported the truth about the recertification; and


• Either Gonzales lied to Bush or BOTH Bush and Gonzales lied about obstructing the investigation.

All of the loose ends that have been reported over the past year or so by Murray Waas, by Kagro X and by all of the others who have been following this are starting to tie together. And they look like they are tying together into a noose for this administration.

It can’t get any more blatant or simple than this.

• Bush, his Chief of Staff and White House Counsel intervened to make something deemed illegal by his own DOJ certified as legal;


• When it was not declared legal, they did it anyway;


• Bush personally blocked the investigation into (i.e., obstructing justice) something that he, his Chief of Staff and his Counsel did which was illegal.

Now, Congress MUST do something with this noose. And I don’t mean hang themselves.

Doing the Dunce

What better argument is there for abortion? Take a close look, had enough yet?

The "Moral Majority" Was Neither

I realize the folly of speaking ill of the dead, but before the hosannas and praises start pouring in over Jerry Falwell's death today, let's take a moment to remind ourselves exactly how hateful and hurtful this guy and his Moral Majority thugs actually were, once upon a time. Here are a few delicious quotes from the good Reverend:

On September 11th: Blame rests with "throwing God out successfully with the help of the federal court system, throwing God out of the public square, out of the schools. The abortionists have got to bear some burden for this because God will not be mocked. And when we destroy 40 million little innocent babies, we make God mad. I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way -- all of them who have tried to secularize America -- I point the finger in their face and say, "You helped this happen."

On AIDS: "AIDS is not just God's punishment for homosexuals; it is God's punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals." And this: "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals. To oppose it would be like an Israelite jumping in the Red Sea to save one of Pharoah's chariotters."

On Christianity and Politics: "The idea that religion and politics don't mix was invented by the Devil to keep Christians from running their own country." And this: "The ACLU is to Christians what the American Nazi party is to Jews." And this: "If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being."

And of course, let's not forget these "principled" stances: "In 1999, he told an evangelical conference that the Antichrist was a male Jew who was probably already alive. Falwell later apologized for the remark but not for holding the belief. A month later, his National Liberty Journal warned parents that Tinky Winky, a purple, purse-toting character on television's ''Teletubbies'' show, was a gay role model and morally damaging to children."

And this last gem, on prostitutes: "Grown men should not be having sex with prostitutes unless they are married to them."

LOL. Oh, how we'll miss you, Reverend.

Or not.

Cross posted (in sin) from AoF

If You Blog About New Orleans or South Louisiana,

You should link to Our Coast to Fix -- or Lose, John Barry's list of six reasons why coastal restoration is in the national interest that appeared in saturday's Washington Post. I'm not sure how much attention Saturday columns generally receive, but I know that I wouldn't have seen it if Maitri hadn't written about it.

Like he did in last year's USA Today piece, Barry points out that:

The nation as a whole gets nearly all the benefits of engineering the river. Louisiana and some of coastal Mississippi get 100 percent of the costs.

However, one thing has changed since Bary wrote the earlier column:

Despite all this and President Bush's pledge from New Orleans in September 2005 that "we will do what it takes" to help people rebuild, a draft White House cuts its own recommendation of $2 billion for coastal restoration to $1 billion while calling for an increase in the state's contribution from the usual 35 percent to 50 percent.

I imagine that a Bush defender would say that state officials said that wth an offshore revenue deal, we could pay for restoration. In fact, Louisiana officials said that with an equitable share, the state could finance restoration by itself. The fact is that the recently passed revenue sharing bill isn't nearly enough for the state for the state to pick up the tab for coastal restoration:

As it turned out, the deal approved by Congress after a marathon day of negotiations Friday would steer the same percentage to four Gulf Coast states from newly authorized offshore energy drilling. For Louisiana, it is projected to mean $200 million through 2017 and some $650 million annually thereafter as revenue sharing expands throughout the Gulf of Mexico.

But is it equitable?

While inland states enjoy 50 percent of the tax revenue from drilling on their federal lands, Louisiana gets back a mere $35 million of the $5 billion it contributes to the federal treasury each year from offshore drilling, or less than one percent

...
For example, in 1997, the state of Wyoming hosted development of Federal mineral resources that generated more than $569 million in revenues. Wyoming received $239 million for its share of revenues produced on Federal lands. In the same year, Louisiana hosted development of Federal mineral resources offshore that generated more than $3.8 BILLION, and received only $18.2 million for its share of the revenues produced in Federal offshore waters.

Decide for yourself:

Distribution of revenues associated with onshore federal lands is split 50-40-10, with 50 percent of the money going directly to the state within which the specific lease was located. Forty percent is sent to the Reclamation Fund of the U.S. Treasury. This special account finances the Bureau of Reclamation's water projects in 17 western states. The remaining 10 percent goes to the Treasury's General Fund. (From da po'blog)

cross-posted at Moldy City

Note to CBS: It's Katie, not "a woman" who we dislike

In an attempt to dig CBS out of the gawd knows how many millions of dollars mistake it made by hiring Katie Couric to anchor its Evening News, CBS seems to have hit a new low – a low that is even lower than Couric’s ratings. Blaming it on the assumption that “people don’t want to get their news from women”.

I kid you not. Sean McManus, the president of CBS News, had this to say in an absolutely disgraceful article that gives CBS a pass but attempts to shift the blame towards a “bias against women”:

“It was almost a watershed event to have a woman in that chair.” He added, “There is a percentage of people out there that probably prefers not to get their news from a woman.”

No, jackhole, there is a percentage of people who want to get their news from news shows. Not who want to get fluff from news shows. Don’t blame “women” or set up strawmen (clearly not “straw women”) to cover for hiring someone with little to no serious journalistic experience – someone who was known as a “personality” as opposed to someone who could deliver news in an adult manner – someone whose interview skills weren’t completely lacking and someone who is a complete lightweight compared to serious women journalists.

There is a reason why the CBS Evening News ratings are at a 20 year low - that is the person who is delivering the news. The news which is being “delivered” isn’t much different than the news being “delivered” by Brian Williams or by Charles Gibson. It isn’t different from the other networks. It is the PERSON not the sex of the person that people don’t like. Plain and simple.

It was just about a month ago when I wrote a diary called Save Face, CBS. Dump Katie. Since then, the ratings for CBS Evening News have fallen further behind NBC and ABC. It wasn’t anyone else’s fault when CBS decided to go for “flair” just when everyone in America was starting to wake up from their slumber and (GASP) wanted to get REAL news. It wasn’t anyone else’s fault when the ratings for “talking meatsick punditry” was dropping faster than Mark Foley’s pants when a Congressional page logged onto AIM, yet it was CBS’ decision to throw close to $15 million per year at someone controversial AND unproven.

No, it is the fault of CBS for hiring someone that was in over her head way before she even started. It is Couric’s fault for not taking the job of Evening News anchor seriously. For her double standards towards Democrats, for being unsympathetic bordering on rude in her interview of John and Elizabeth Edwards, for having Rush Limbaugh on one of her initial shows without challenging him.

As for the whole “maybe people don’t like watching women” thing, well I have news for you – people don’t like their intelligence insulted. People don’t like when “credible journalists” plagiarize. People don’t like lazy journalism and allegations of “some people say”.

People watched Connie Chung and Barbara Walters. People watched Elizabeth Vargas and Jessica Savitch. People would watch Lara Logan, Christiane Amanpour, Amy Goodman, Campbell Brown, Judy Woodruff, even Rachel Maddow – just for starters. It isn’t about wanting to watch a woman read or deliver the news - it is about someone credible and unbiased reading or delivering the news. Period.

Sadly, in my diary from last month, I predicted (as did others) that the mistake by CBS to hire a clearly unqualified hack (whether it was male or female) would be used as an excuse to bash “women anchors”. So not only did Katie Couric completely ruin CBS’ Evening News – one of the most venerable Evening News shows in history, but also now has led to a doubting of women’s capability to anchor the Evening News.

Nothing could be further from the truth – but in under a year, Couric has destroyed CBS Evening News even worse than anyone could have imagined. Her complete lack of focus, attention to delivering real and not sensationalized news and seriousness in her approach to the job now has network executives publicly wondering whether it is a “women in general” problem.

Nice work, Katie – you may very well have destroyed the chance for many highly qualified women to advance in the field of journalism. And the sexist bosses at CBS News now have a convenient scapegoat for their colossal lack of foresight and planning. Knowing that there would be a spotlight on this “first woman solo anchor ever” situation, there was more than a responsibility to viewers and to journalistic integrity. There was a responsibility to serious women journalists that you wouldn’t screw this up so bad that it would threaten the opportunity for others after you.

And that responsibility was shirked in a massive way. By CBS and by Couric. That is nobody’s fault but CBSs’ and Couric’s.

"Students cried and hid under tables"

What kind of sick and twisted staff member of an elementary school would stage a fake gunman for six graders? YOU HEARD THAT RIGHT! They staged a "fictitious gun attack on students during a class trip, telling them it was not a drill as the children cried and hid under tables."

Staff members of an elementary school staged a fictitious gun attack on students during a class trip, telling them it was not a drill as the children cried and hid under tables.

The mock attack Thursday night was intended as a learning experience and lasted five minutes during the weeklong trip to a state park, said Scales Elementary School Assistant Principal Don Bartch, who led the trip.

"We got together and discussed what we would have done in a real situation," he said.

But parents of the sixth-grade students were outraged. (Watch student recount incident, mother react)

Now think back when you were in six grade, and imagine how you would have reacted and felt if your teachers told you a gunman was running loose and this was not a drill. Imagine if one of the teachers put on a hooded sweat shirt and pulled on the locked door to the room you were hiding in. Try to imagine being in that room as a six grader with the lights turned off as you hid under a table, thinking you were about to die.

"The children were in that room in the dark, begging for their lives, because they thought there was someone with a gun after them," said Brandy Cole, whose son went on the trip.

---snip---

During the last night of the trip, staff members convinced the 69 students that there was a gunman on the loose. They were told to lie on the floor or hide underneath tables and stay quiet. A teacher, disguised in a hooded sweat shirt, even pulled on a locked door.

After the lights went out, about 20 kids started to cry, 11-year-old Shay Naylor said.

What the hell is wrong with those people? Have we not seen enough fear mongering to last for a long time to come? It's fine to teach the kids a lesson and make them safer if something was to happen, but this is plain stupid and insane. What happens to those kids now? What will this do to them now that those teachers chose to use tactics that are not only "poor judgment", but criminal?

Wake Up Call! Sound the Alarms!

Have you been scratching your head trying to comprehend what in the world is going on in this country, look no further. I kept seeing more and more internet chatter about Ron Paul, Republican candidate for President and finally took the time to listen to his famous "We've Been Neoconned" address. It's lengthy, sobering and to me, is like someone slapping Americans in the face and yelling, "Wake up, Wake up!"

Here is a link to the video of that now banned by the mainstream media, especially Fox News and feared by the Neocon community.

Here is a link to the transcript.

Here is a link to Congressman Ron Paul Archives of other speeches.

Here's a little teaser from the infamous speech. It gives a brief summary of what Neocons believe:

1.
They agree with Trotsky on permanent revolution, violent as well as intellectual.
2.
They are for redrawing the map of the Middle East and are willing to use force to do so.
3.
They believe in preemptive war to achieve desired ends.
4.
They accept the notion that the ends justify the means – that hard-ball politics is a moral necessity.
5.
They express no opposition to the welfare state.
6.
They are not bashful about an American empire; instead they strongly endorse it.
7.
They believe lying is necessary for the state to survive.
8.
They believe a powerful federal government is a benefit.
9.
They believe pertinent facts about how a society should be run should be held by the elite and
withheld from those who do not have the courage to deal with it.
10.
They believe neutrality in foreign affairs is ill-advised.
11.
They hold Leo Strauss in high esteem.
12.
They believe imperialism, if progressive in nature, is appropriate.
13.
Using American might to force American ideals on others is acceptable. Force should
not be limited to the defense of our country.
14.
9-11 resulted from the lack of foreign entanglements, not from too many.
15.
They dislike and despise libertarians (therefore, the same applies to all strict constitutionalists.)
16.
They endorse attacks on civil liberties, such as those found in the Patriot Act, as being necessary.
17.
They unconditionally support Israel and have a close alliance with the Likud Party.

Houma firefighters may head to Florida

Local Houma firefighters are standing by to go return the love shown by their brothers after the storms here. The volunteers are "waiting to see if rain associated with a tropical system off the coast will help douse the flames" that "Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said he hopes Subtropical Storm Andrea brings." If local Houma firefighters are tapped to go, they are expected to be gone for 14 days and "their primary job would be to man the stations so local crews can dedicate their time battling wildfires."

A handful of firefighters from the Houma and Bayou Cane fire departments are preparing to head to Florida and help battle the more than 200 fires raging throughout the state.

Local fire officials are waiting to hear if the help will be needed. If it is, each fire chief says he’s prepared to send up to six firefighters to help Florida crews extinguish the 236 forest fires burning there. The fires are threatening towns, and the smoke has prompted authorities to close some roads.

The local firefighters are waiting to see if rain associated with a tropical system off the coast will help douse the flames.

“They are hoping the weather will help, and that is part of the reason we are in stand down,” said Houma Fire Chief Daniel Scott. “The chance is right now we are not going, but we are preparing still.”

---snip---

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist said he hopes Subtropical Storm Andrea brings rain, but not wind, to help douse the flames. But until the rain falls, the governor urged Floridians near the wildfires to keep trash and flammable debris away from their homes and to stay inside.

If local firefighters are tapped to go, they will be gone for 14 days, authorities said. Once there, their primary job would be to man the stations so local crews can dedicate their time battling wildfires.

---snip---

The call for help could come at anytime, and if so, their firefighters are ready to jump into action, the two chiefs said.

“They want to go help out and do what they can to make it happen,” Gautreaux said. “They didn’t forget the Florida fire fighters came to help us out” after the hurricanes.

Cheney involved in "Hookergate"!

From Wayne Madsen:

May 12-13, 2007 -- Hookergate involves fired US Attorney. US District Judge for the District of Columbia Gladys Kessler, a Clinton appointee, has re-issued an order prohibiting DC Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey from releasing any more phone lists of her Pamela Martin & Associates customers. Secrecy of the phone records has been a priority for DC Assistant US Attorney William Cowden. Palfrey released her 10 years of customer phone records to ABC's "20/20" before Kessler's March order prohibiting such a release took effect. As WMR reported, ABC and Disney, under pressure from the Bush White House, killed the story and stated that there were no "newsworthy" names on the Madam's list. WMR has been informed by three well-placed sources that Vice President Dick Cheney, while a part-time resident of McLean, Virginia and while serving as Halliburton's CEO, was a customer of the DC Madam.

Read the entire story at Wayne Madsen's site.

Soldiers Banned From Social Networking Sites

Last week, we learned that the Army was cracking down on soldiers' blogging habits, now we hear that soldiers will be banned, starting next week, from surfing social networking pages on DoD servers.

Is it just me, or could they be weaning the troops off of their "regular" diet of war time web-surfing so they can justify a full ban on internet use (they can later claim there was not enough "demand" for it...you know, since they limited its use...)?

How ironic that our troops are supposedly fighting for our rights "over there" while, daily, they are losing their own rights over here.

Crossposted: Dizzy Dayz

Trouble in Florida and No National Guard

Everything is shrouded in smoke. This looks like a quiet foggy morning, but it's all smoke and ashes. People have been warned to stay indoors if possible.

No sunbathing here today. The sun is wearing a mask of smoke. Visibility is about 50 yards. Ashes cover everything. No birds. No animals. No little anoli lizards greeting me when I go out the door. Breathing is interrupted with coughing. Many, many 911 calls for respiratory distress. Children and pets indoors.

We need rain in the worst way. There was a time when we had a National Guard to help out in putting out the fires, but you won't hear our Republican Governor complaining to Washington. These Republicans put Bush and party way, way before the country and it's welfare.

Did anyone else note the incongruity of the Iraqi Parliment, one day they have a majority vote telling our troops to leave. Then Cheney visits and Iraq sends someone to lobby Congress to stay. So, now we know that Cheney trotted over there to hire a lobbiest for his war and his war profiteers. Wonder how much they paid him to keep the war machine cranked up and the cash flow dumping into their coffers.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day

Funny...

I don't feel very appreciated...

It'd be more believable if I didn't have to keep planning birthdays, anniversaries and Christmases as if they were away games.

...Sigh...

Republican president, Ronald Reagan declared this day (The Friday before Mother's Day) as Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Republican president, gEORGE bUSH has squandered that goodwill.

I think that Bubbles could better appreciate military spouses by bringing their soldiers home...You know, thank all military families for their patience by returning the troops to their loved ones and getting them out of this illegal war in Iraq?

I'm jus' sayin'...

Another case of Republicrats preaching "family values" and yet refusing to actually put them into practice.

Crossposted: Dizzy Dayz

Joke Genie: Planted WMD's

Gawd help me, but the Reaper wanted to do a joke. He could not get the time to do it, and shared it with me. So the crazy one asked if I could put it up for him to share with you. I mentioned the joke Genie that I used one time, and put my foot in my mouth! So I will try to do justice to his joke, and hope you like it. This one is for you buddy. You crazy bastard!

It has come to my attention that there is a really solid reason for the republicans to not have planted WMD's in Iraq to help their cause. When the plan to PLANT WMD's was placed before George W. Bush, Bush rebuked the whole lot of them, and mocked them for even thinking that anything could grow in the desert!

And now for his Signature that he insisted be used:

SWOOSH!

Mint Juleps With O.J.

O.J. Simpson tossed from Steakhouse on Derby Eve:

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The owner of an upscale steakhouse in Louisville said he asked O.J. Simpson to leave his restaurant the night before the Kentucky Derby because he is sickened by the attention Simpson still attracts.

[Owner Jeff Ruby] said he went to Simpson's table & said, "I'm not serving you." When Simpson didn't respond, he repeated himself and left the room."

So what did the Juice do, after he left? Played the race card and sicked his attorney on the owner of the Steakhouse.

"Simpson's attorney, Yale Galanter, said the incident was about race, and he intended to pursue the matter and possibly go after the restaurant's liquor license.

"He screwed with the wrong guy, he really did," Galanter said by telephone Tuesday night.

LOL. You got that right. He might even, y'know, try to kill him or something.

And what was O.J. doing hanging with the horsey set at the Kentucky Derby anyway? Why, I didn't know they let black folks attend that event, did you, Mr. Galanter?

Cross posted (on horseback) from AoF

Formula Viewpoint for Bush Administration

No matter if you are discussing how Bush and gang handled Katrina or illegal immigrants or the people of Iraq, it doesn't matter - you can use this from Jack Cafferty to frame it all -

...I'm 62 and I remember the riots in Watts, I remember the earth Quake in San Francisco, I remember a lot of things. I have never, ever seen anything as badly bungled and poorly handled as this situation in New Orleans. Where the hell is the water for these people. Why can't sandwiches be dropped to those people that are in that Super Dome down there...This is Thursday...This storm happened five days ago. It's a disgrace and don't think the world isn't watching...

The world is watching. I don't know about you, but my level of frustration with the daily onslaught of Bush created horror hit it's limit long ago and is now overflowing. I don't remember anytime when being known as an American has had such criminal connotations world-wide.

What can we do? Make another phone call; march some more; blog; post signs; sign petitions; join up with others. What? What does it take?

Peace through Tourism

The International Institute for Peace Through Tourism is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fostering and facilitating tourism initiatives which contribute to international understanding and cooperation, an improved quality of environment, the preservation of heritage, and through these initiatives, helping to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world.

It is based on a vision of the world's largest industry, travel and tourism - becoming the world's first global peace industry; and the belief that every traveler is potentially an "Ambassador for Peace."

A primary goal of IIPT is to mobilize the travel and tourism industry as a leading force for poverty reduction.

I became a travel agent in 1991. I believe strongly that travel is the first step in creating peace because it can open your heart. IIPT is the strongest organization out there to train the travel industry and the traveler on taking action to create peace. What shocks me on a daily basis is how thoughtless (without thought) so many people in my industry actually are. I believe I have an obligation to gently guide my clients to travel with a gentle heart and open eyes.

This is IIPT's Credo for the Peaceful Traveler:

Grateful for the opportunity to travel and experience the world and because peace begins with the individual, I affirm my personal responsibility and commitment to:

Journey with an open mind and gentle heart

Accept with grace and gratitude the diversity I encounter

Revere and protect the natural environment which sustains all life

Appreciate all cultures I discover

Respect and thank my hosts for their welcome

Offer my hand in friendship to everyone I meet

Support travel services that share these views and act upon them and,

By my spirit, words and actions, encourage others to travel the world in peace

cross posted at The Fat Lady Sings and Journeys with Jood

So Long Verizon!

I read today that Verizon is practicing its freedom of speech by surrendering its phone records to the government.

Well, as a Verizon customer who's contract ends next month, I will exercise my fucking freedom of speech and take me and my progressive ass to another service provider.

We have a huge swath of the Gulf Coast to rebuild. Kansas and Oklahoma have tornado disasters. California and Georgia have out of control wild fires. And they wanna check our phone records?

The damn government can't govern but they want to rummage through my fucking call records. I don't think so. When you have Tier 4 law school trash running the damn Justice Department and that miserable asshole Gonzales at the top of the clown heap, there is NO reason for Verizon or any other mobile phone company to be giving out records to appease the paranoid dickless cowards over at GOPig, Inc.

I urge all of you that are using Verizon for anything to go take a giant leap. They aren't getting a dime more of my money once my damn contract is up. We can exercise our freedom of speech, too!

Contact this media person to let him know how you feel: Email: william.kula@verizon.com His office number is 972.718.6924.

Fuck Verizon!

Off With His Head

In the old days, Doofus wouldn't have made it off the podium before someone lopped off his nuts, on the Queen's command, for being such an ingrate.

What was really funny was the Queen's response, which according to Keith Olbermann last night, was "Booyah." Long Live The Queen!

Cross posted from AoF

Reaper Speak: Reaping some rebel republican ass

Oh hell yea! I finally get to do my work that I came here to do. Republicans, you know they are racist, and I know it like you do. But what would you say if I told you that a "House Republican delivered a foreign policy speech yesterday in which he quoted Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder of the KKK?" Holy Shit! Rep. Ted Poe, a Texas Republican, "invoked the words of Civil War Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest: “Git thar fustest with the mostest.”" Any history buff, can tell you that he quoted it wrong! But what is important, is to remember that the Texas Republican quoted not only a Confederate General on the floor, but the very same man that was responsible for the Fort Pillow massacre!

The Carpetbagger brings us the story of this idiot, and what he said. This is something to remember, when the thugs question you on why they are viewed as racist, and wonder why it has been said that Bush hates blacks. This is the real face of a major portion of the republican party. Think about it, have you ever heard of a Liberal or Democratic Skinhead or Klansman? Even the racist survivalist types are the radical pro gun types. Twisting logic and using GOD to reason their hatred.

Roll Call reports today that a House Republican delivered a foreign policy speech yesterday in which he quoted Nathan Bedford Forrest, founder of the KKK.

On Monday, Rep. Ted Poe took to the House floor to discuss foreign policy matters. To make a point, the Texas Republican invoked the words of Civil War Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest: “Git thar fustest with the mostest.”

The quotation got some floor watchers’ attention pretty quickly. Forrest is a controversial figure who was one of the Klan’s first grand wizards. Although the Civil War hero (if you were a Confederate, that is) ultimately abandoned the Klan for its violent tactics, he continues to kick up dust.

“Controversial figure” doesn’t quite cut it. Most lists of the worst Americans in U.S. history include Nathan Bedford Forrest near the top. That’s what happens when someone creates the KKK to terrorize freed slaves and their allies, after taking up arms against the United States. What on earth would possess a GOP lawmaker to quote Forrest on the House floor?

Way to go thugs! You continue to make the point for everyone else. To think that you took offense to the claims that Bush hates black people after Katrina. What is a sure thing, is the fact that your party sure as hell does! Once again, who the hell ever met a Liberal Klansman?

SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH! Did I miss anyone?

The new face of Lady Liberty

Just keep them where they are, if they're that hungry, have no fear. Dubya's buddies will put a McDonalds there soon enough.

“The Statue of Liberty is no longer saying, "Give me your poor, your tired, your huddled masses." She's got a baseball bat and yelling, "You want a piece of me?"”--Robin Williams quotes

Tell me again what will happen if we withdraw?

Frankly, I’m passed outraged and more tired of the old platitudes that come out of the usual robotic mouths of Bush, McCain, Cheney, Guiliani, Hannity, O’Reilly and any of the other talking meatsticks about all of the horrific things that will happen if the evil lib’ruls and Democrats get their way and a timetable is set for troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Notwithstanding the whole “All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars and gather their strength” line of crap, being ludicrous for many reasons, this is just another round in the permanent vacation from reality that most of the republican party has been on for the better part of the last decade.

President Bush, May 5, 2007: If we were to leave Iraq before the government can defend itself, there would be a security vacuum in the country. Extremists from all factions could compete to fill that vacuum, causing sectarian killing to multiply on a horrific scale.

Just don’t pay any attention to the over 50 who were killed today alone or that a torture chamber was found this past weekend (in Iraq, not in America or Gitmo) or that a dozen US troops were killed today alone.

President Bush, May 5, 2007: The goal of the new strategy he is implementing is to help the Iraqis secure their capital, so they can make progress toward reconciliation and build a free nation that respects the rights of its people, upholds the rule of law, and fights extremists alongside the United States in the war on terror.

Except for the little fact that the BBC is reporting that “bombs continue to rock Iraq’s capital despite an 11 week security clampdown”. Or that the architects of the escalation, Fred Kagan and Jack Keane doubted that their plan could be successful with anything less than 30,000 additional troops.

President Bush, May 1, 2007: That means American commanders in the middle of a combat zone would have to take fighting directions from politicians 6,000 miles away in Washington, D.C. This is a prescription for chaos and confusion, and we must not impose it on our troops.

But what about current Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who isn’t so keen on the escalation? Doesn’t that cause some confusion when the head of the Pentagon is saying that the Democratic call for withdrawal timetables will put pressure on the Iraqis? And what about the 2nd in command in Iraq saying that this military escalation is not enough to save Iraq? Does that demoraliza our troops?

President Bush, May 1, 2007: Last week, General Petraeus was in Washington to brief me, and he briefed members of Congress on how the operation is unfolding. He noted that one of the most important indicators of progress is the level of sectarian violence in Baghdad. And he reported that since January, the number of sectarian murders has dropped substantially.

Of course, much of that drop in violence is because car bombings (one of the top causes of violence) is now being excluded from the murder count. A great way to report a decrease in violence, murder and deaths – just stop counting the top causes of violence, murder and death. And please pay no mind to the fact that US troop deaths are higher over the past six months than in any six month period since the invasion.

John McCain, Republican debate: We must win in Iraq. If we withdraw, there will be chaos; there will be genocide; and they will follow us home.

One person who is using the term “genocide massacres” about Iraq is Greg Stanton, vice president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars and the Washington-based Genocide Watch. As for there being chaos, well, newspapers in Utah and Virginia (this paper supported the invasion), Minnesota, as well as other countries’ papers. So I think we are a little late there.

Rudy Giuliani, May 1, 2007: "In the history of war, I have never heard of a situation in which one nation is required to not only retreat, but give a schedule of its retreat to the enemy," Giuliani said. "I mean, when has an army that has to retreat ever had to give a printed-out list of how it's going to retreat to its enemy? That's not the most prudent thing to do."

Never mind it being perfectly ok to call for withdrawal timetables when it wasn’t your disaster, um occupation, I mean “war” or when the other party is in charge of the White House.

Dick Cheney, April 22, 2007: First of all, they're wrong; we're making significant progress. We've had major success on the political front in terms of three national elections last year by the Iraqis.

Too bad that government rarely gets a quorum and is taking ALL of July AND August off. And too bad there is so much infighting among the Shiite ruling party that the government is in danger of collapse. All this amid whispers of the (still remote for now) possibility of a “no confidence” vote Maliki.

Dick Cheney, April 22, 2007: We do have a plan. It's there for anybody who wants to take a look at it. The Democrats have repeatedly made this charge. It's simply not the case. There's a good plan in place. We are making significant progress.

Just one hitch: the “Plan” is a secret and the republicans won’t tell what it is. Unfortunately, McCain isn’t in on the secret as he has no “Plan B”. Even General Petraeus said that “things may get worse before they get better”. Things getting worse is, by definition, not making progress.

So can we please stop with this nonsense? There is no conceivable way for anyone to measure any success. There is no logic behind the statements of those who want us out of their own country so they can try and put together their shattered lives “following us home”. Al Qaeda wanted to hit us “here at home” and did. If they want to again, they will, regardless of whether we stay in Iraq. Besides, 94 percent of Iraqis have an unfavorable view of al Qaeda, with 82 percent expressing a very unfavorable view, and 93 percent have an unfavorable view of bin Laden, with 77 percent very unfavorable. So if/when there continues to be fighting in Iraq the only common enemy will be al Qaeda. Now, there is a 2nd common enemy (our troops), and we are Public Enemy Number One (hat tip to Chuck D).

No more lies. No more procrastination or finger pointing. Not even our own generals who are executing this latest failure of a strategy think it will be a success. It is time to bring this occupation to an end.

The Seducers Are Out There

A big hat tip to Frederick for the Bastard Fairies video. Many have suggested it could be the anthem at the Democratic convention. Really, it could be the password for any politician. They'll do anything to get your vote.

Have you ever been seduced by someone who seemed so very charming and then turned out to be a nightmare? Many people have and they have that same experience over and over until they get educated on how to recognize an abusive personality. Here are a few tips you can apply not only to personal relationships, but also to select a President/VP or any other congressional representative. How many of these match up with Bush and Cheney?

The politician avoids responsibility for own actions, reactions, behaviors. I was drunk, stressed, had a bad day, needed a vacation, misunderstood.

Is jealous, demands absolute loyalty and unable to accept the slightest constructive criticism.

Has family lifestyle of violence; hunts for the sake of killing animals.

This politician demonstrates a violent temper when thwarted in the least – shows rage, tantrums, throwing objects, fist shaking, finger pointing and must always remain in the “one up” position.

Is preoccupied with weapons as weapons and use of force is an extension of self and the politician’s ability to control others at all cost.

Uses possessions to improve self-image – you may become his possession. If you are not an improvement to the politician’s image, you can be treated as throw-away object. People who are in need (poor, homeless, flood victims, handicapped) are often the throw away objects of abusive politicians.

This politician shows a pattern of blaming others for his/her problems and is unable to accept his/her faults and responsibilities when things go wrong. The politician may become silent and surely when unable to convince others that he/she is still right even in the face of overwhelming evidence of wrongdoing.

Changes the story of what really happened to place him/herself in a better light (spin).

So how are the candidates stacking up under this scrutiny?