cat bites man

A Sad Anniversary

2007-03-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

3,204

The number of dead American Military Personnel in Iraq.
(13 Pending, not yet confirmed by the Department of Defense)

32,544

The number of service personnel wounded in Iraq.

500,000+

The number of Iraqi Casualties, civilian and military.

250,000+

The number of estimated American Military Personnel Suffering From PTSD.

60,000

The number of divorces among American military personnel since the start of the Iraq War.

0

The number of days that George Bush and Dick Cheney spent in a combat unit.

0

The number of White House officials being held responsible for the Iraq fiasco.

Unknown

The amount of time we will remain in Iraq.
Then number of lives that will be lost while we remain in Iraq.
The number of lives destroyed at home and abroad.

Unlimited

The amount of profits yet to be reaped by Halliburton, Blackwater and the other military contractors.

God bless America indeed.

Happy Birthday Daddy

2007-03-16T14:05:00.000-05:00

Today is my father's birthday. He would have been 92.

Dad died five years ago on Valentine's Day from a stroke and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think about him. The picture to the left is Dad and Mom's first Christmas after they got engaged. I didn't find this photo until after they were both gone, and then only the negative. (I guess it wasn't one of Mom's favs.)

Dad was a Southern gentleman who left the South and came to New York to find his fortune. Considering it was during the depression, anything was better than manual labor in Virginia.

He wouldn't use foul language in front of a woman, although he could curse with the best of them. He was a Democrat his entire life. He hated Nixon, and didn't have much more respect for Eisenhower. I think the only time he ever voted Republican for President was Reagan in his second term but nobody's perfect.

He broke his hip playing football in high school and, because of a metal plate inserted there, walked with a limp. In many places, he was considered a cripple and said that he had to work twice as hard as everyone else to earn half as much. Yet his disability didn't stop him from carrying 200 pound sides of beef on his shoulder, or from chasing his kids around Disney World when he was in his 50's.

Dad loved my Mom dearly. He suffered with her when it was discovered she had cancer, and swore up until the day he died that she was the best thing that ever happened to him. We always thought that Dad couldn't live without Mom but later found out that they drew their strength from each other.

I could write a book about my Dad, like all the times in high school when we didn't get along and had daily screaming matches. Or in his declining years, when he needed my hand to help lift him out of his chair.

I got the call while I was at work. He had suffered a stroke and was in the emergency room. Dad was paralyzed on his right side but he was alert and his prognosis was good. Thirty six hours later he was gone.

In the end, you wish that you had more time to tell the people in your life you love them, tell them how much you appreciate all they have done for you and how happy you are that they are a part of your life.

And you wish you had another chance to tell them happy birthday.

Hello Pot? This is the Kettle.................

2007-03-12T22:52:00.000-05:00

How fucking ignorant is Gen. Peter Pace?

On Monday, he made the declaration that "homosexual acts between two individuals are immoral and that [we] should not condone immoral acts." [Pace Calls Homosexuality Immoral]

Brilliant. Absolutely fucking brilliant.

He went on to say, regarding the military policy of 'Don't ask, Don't tell':

"I do not believe the United States is well served by a policy that says it is OK to be immoral in any way."

So, Pete, please tell me how an illegal war, started with fabricated evidence, that has resulted in the deaths of over 3,000 American service personnel, the deaths of over 250,000 Iraqi citizens - including women, children and the elderly, and thousands of amputations and severe brain injuries, can be considered "moral". Explain to me how the loss of fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers because of corruption and greed constitutes a moral act.

Perhaps Gen. Pace should overcome his general homophobia and look at the bigger picture.

Faux News Channel : What's Next?

2007-03-07T05:22:00.000-05:00

I caught myself turning over to the Faux News Channel again last night. This makes two nights in a row.

Why do I torture myself in this manner? I mean, it's not like I am working for a blog like News Hounds or Media Matters, which chronicle their daily stack of lies.

I confess. I wanted to see the spin in action. And it was as I imagined - like watching a train wreck in slow motion.

Monday night was the republican spokesman ann coulter love fest at hannity and Colmes. I know that hannity is married, but I'd bet real money that he's tea bagging the coultergeist. Last night was four lemmings and Alan Colmes discussing the Libby verdict - and of course the lemmings all cried "what a miscarriage of justice!"

I just have one question: Do these people really believe this manure they're shoveling? Have they come to the point in their own brainwashing where they can no longer disseminate the truth from lies anymore? Or are they so deep into the mud with the architects of this administration that they have nowhere else to go?

They gloss over the Walter Reed story. They deny that Valerie Plame was a covert agent. They continue to blame Clinton for untold sins. And they continue to worship the chimp, the dark lord and his minion, all the while steering other lemmings away from real news towards fluff like Anna Nicole and American Idol.

Pathetic.

Ann Coulter's Little White Lies

2007-03-05T12:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I was feeling particularly brave and decided to venture into that cesspool known as AnnCoulter.com. I had hoped that the mAnnly would have done some fact checking before writing her column. Alas, it was not to be.

Her column on global warming was a screed of republican talking points and accusations leveled against Democrats and Liberals, blaming them for all of the evil in the world, blah, blah, blah… But then one little morsel caught my attention:

“…DDT opponent Rachel Carson wanted to eliminate Africans (introduction to her book "Silent Spring" written by ... Al Gore!)…”

Al Gore endorsing a proponent of mass genocide? Could it be true?

A search in The Google brought up an obscure article from 2003 from FrontPageMagazine.com entitled “Rachel Carson’s Ecological Genocide” by Lisa Makson. Okay, now it’s looking even worse for Al – promoting someone who is against the environment. After a few moments of silent contemplation and prayer, I ran a check on Rachel Carson. Who was this mystery woman preaching the virtues of destroying the environment and killing off Africans?

To put it in the simplest terms, Rachel Carson was one of the original environmentalists. Carson was a zoologist and marine biologist who worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It was during her years at the Bureau that she became troubled by the effects of pesticides, including the newly created DDT. This led her to write the book Silent Spring. It was not a total condemnation of the use of pesticides so much as its careless misuse. In her own words,

"Spray as little as you possibly can rather than [S]pray to the limit of your capacity."

As with most environmentalists, Carson had a number of opponents, most notably the chemical industry, which produced those pesticides. Time Magazine, in 1999, wrote the following:

"Carson was violently assailed by threats of lawsuits and derision, including suggestions that this meticulous scientist was a "hysterical woman" unqualified to write such a book. A huge counterattack was organized and led by Monsanto, Velsicol, American Cyanamid - indeed, the whole chemical industry - duly supported by the Agriculture Department as well as the more cautious in the media."

So, what does the banning of DDT have to do with the genocide of Africans? According to FrontPageMagazine one word: Malaria.

From the United Nations website:

“Malaria is by far the world's most important tropical parasitic disease, and kills more people than any other communicable disease except tuberculosis. In many developing countries, and in Africa especially, malaria exacts an enormous toll in lives, in medical costs, and in days of labour lost.

The spread of the disease is linked with activities like road building, mining, logging and new agricultural and irrigation projects, particularly in "frontier" areas like the Amazon.”

So now I am beginning to wonder if this is really about the loss of African lives or is it about money and revenues lost.

I went back to the original article and checked the sources for this expose. One of the comments, by Dr. Wenceslaus Kilama, Chairman of the Malaria Foundation International, is taken totally out of context and appears to back up Ms. Makson’s viewpoint. Two other sources are repeatedly cited, namely Dr. Harold M. Koenig and Dr. Roger Bate.

Dr. Koenig, a former Surgeon General and retired Navy vice admiral, currently is affiliated with The Annapolis Center for Science-Based Public Policy. In their own words is “[t]he Annapolis Center is a national, non-profit educational organization that supports and promotes responsible energy, environmental, health and safety policy-making through the use of sound science. Founded by scientists, former policy-makers, and economists, The Center is committed to ensuring that public policy decisions are based on scientific facts and reasoning.”

However, between the years 1998 and 2005, The Annapolis Center received almost $700,000 from ExxonMobil. Further, “The Annapolis Center actively argues against the idea that global warming is the result of burning fossil fuels. They also advocate increased logging for better forest health and question rising mercury levels among other things. The Annapolis Center is funded primarily by the National Association of Manufacturers. The Center's founder and COO, Richard Seibert was a former National Association of Manufacturers Vice President.”

And what about Dr. Bate? Back in May of 2003, Dr. Bate gave a speech on behalf of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity (anything with “freedom” and “prosperity” in the title has to be a right-leaning organization). It was given to the Chamber of Commerce Economic Forum in the Cayman Islands, entitled: "Harmonisation of Taxes and Regulations: A European Initiative". In his speech, this proponent of DDT as a means of saving lives offers this little tidbit:

“The EU and its pressure group allies have worked at presenting fairness or egalitarian messages. You know the kind 'Its unfair that rich people can avoid tax'.

If we don't combat these messages more seriously, the world will be pushed by vested interests (primarily in Europe) towards a harmonised, homogenised global governance structure that will slow world growth to European proportions – something that the aspiring nations cannot afford (they desperately need to get out of poverty) and we shouldn't want.”

Doesn’t exactly sound like he was there for humanitarianism purposes, does it?

Finally, Ms. Makson quotes Dr. Amir Attaran, a distinguished scholar who had consulted for groups like the United Nations and Amnesty International. This guy has to be on the level… except that he is a board member of the group Africa Fighting Malaria, which is funded largely in part by the American Enterprise Institute.

And it wasn’t so very long ago that George Bush set up a new initiative to fight malaria.

This isn’t about global warming, or malaria killing African babies. It’s about capitalism and corporatism and global domination by all the republican cronies and their like. People like Ann Coulter couldn’t care less about the deaths of Africans much less whether polar bears are drowning in the Arctic or if the rain forests are totally obliterated. As long as the chemical companies can make lots of money selling DDT, land speculators can clear cut the Amazon without government interference or losing production hours to illness, and oil companies can continue to make huge profits, all is right with the world.

And who cares if a woman who died back in 1964 is vilified for wanting to save the environment? Ann Coulter has no problem calling people faggots or advocating the assassination of Supreme Court Justices, so what's the harm in a little white lie.

It's not like anyone is going to check her information.

The Death of A Child

2007-03-01T00:23:00.000-05:00

One of the greatest tragedies is the death of a child, particularly when that death was preventable.

On the front page of the February 28 issue of the Washington Post*, the lead story was of a 12 year old boy dying because of a lack of dental insurance. A combination of poor nutrition and no regular dental care, he developed an infection in his brain after getting an abscessed tooth. What followed was a series of surgeries on his brain, seizures and eventually death from meningitis.

All for the lack of dental insurance and available Medicaid dental providers.

Sadly, this happened in Maryland, not far from that bastion of hypocrisy, Washington, DC. All senators, congressmen, judicial appointees and departmental appointees receive full medical and dental coverage. And, of course, the Decider and his henchmen all receive top medical care, courtesy of the American taxpayers. The people who continue to enjoy the privilege of quality health coverage (and get to vote themselves annual pay raises), are the ones who have slashed Medicare, Medicaid and VA benefits while cutting taxes for the very rich.

A few years ago, I got into a particularly heated argument with a troll regarding universal health care. He made the remark:

"Health care is a privilege, not a right."

I asked him what the working class was supposed to do if they couldn’t afford health care – “join the military,” I asked. Not surprisingly, he seemed to think that was a rational solution. Unfortunately for the troll, even that is no longer a viable option. Just ask any of our military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Or better still, ask veterans of World War II, Korea or Vietnam. If they hadn't applied for benefits by 2003, they are no longer eligible for health care. Likewise, returning veterans now have a window of 24 months in which to apply for benefits or risk losing them forever.

The cruel irony of the Post story is that the attempt to save this child's life has resulted in over $250,000 in medical bills. Since his mother had lost her Medicaid benefits (one of the reasons her son had not been able to see a dentist), she will probably be billed for those expenses and then will be unable to claim bankruptcy, thanks to the Bankruptcy Bill. A simple program of annual dental checkups, including education on dental health, might cost around $100 a year per child – but that cost is too great for the conservatives and others who rally against the so-called “welfare state”.

What happens to a society when the poor, the sick, the disabled, the very young and the very old are expendable?

Take a good look at America. We’re there.

*[You will need to be registered at the Washington Post to view this article, however, registration is free.]

What Color is the Sky in BushWorld?

2007-02-22T08:16:00.000-05:00

What is Patrick Fitzgerald smoking? Is there anyone on this planet who believes for one moment that if the jury finds I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby guilty of perjury that Libby will spend one day behind bars?

The lame-duck Decider, holding the lowest ratings of any president in U.S. history, will not hesitate to grant Libby a pardon the moment a guilty verdict is announced. There is no way that Libby will be allowed the opportunity to turn evidence on his former boss, the Dark Lord, Dick Cheney. He would most likely end up in a swamp out in Virginia if he hinted of moving in that direction.

Too much time and preparation has been made well in advance of this verdict. The cloaking of all high crimes and misdemeanors committed by this White House began before September 11, 2001, and continues today. Provisions were made in the Patriot Act that allows the White House to replace federal judges without oversight. Presidential records from Reagan through Dubya have been made secret and can only be made public by their offspring because of an Executive Order signed by the chimpanator.

Even if Libby wanted to bear his soul and gain absolution, there is a darker force working in the Oval Office, and it isn’t Satan but I’m sure he could take a few tips from Cheney and Rove.

Thank God It's Friday!

2007-02-16T13:38:00.000-05:00

I'm finally beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It's been a really long week but for the members of the Senate there will be no rest for the wicked. Sen. Harry Reid has decided to stick the Republicans feet to the fire and make them work through the weekend. Serves them right for turning tail on their own bill, especially Sen. Warner.

I'll probably watch the dog and pony show on CSPAN, and keep track of how many times McConnell and the other Cheney lap dogs invoke 9/11 and "not supporting the troops". Not much fun but it beats a root canal. And it's certainly better than doing laundry or cleaning up after the cats.

Good times, good times.

On the plus side, the National Weather Service is saying that some relief is in sight for the few, the proud, the frozen. Warmer winds are supposed to be blowing in from the Pacific and those of us in the Midwest and Northeast will be experiencing a heat wave - temps might actually get above freezing.

And, even though I have been grumbling about lack of sleep, I am only a few hours away from a new record of overtime on my timesheet. I might even be able to splurge and put meat in my Hamburger Helper.

Since I'm always talking about my kids, I figured I'd quit the week with a picture of four of my brats when they were still of managable size.

Big, Buddy, Mittens and Sydney - When they were angels

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Stay warm.

Down On His Knees - But I Doubt He's Praying

2007-02-14T06:38:00.000-05:00

Just when you thought John McCain couldn't sink any lower on the food chain, he manages to denegrate himself further.

On February 23, McCain will be the keynote speaker at a luncheon being held by the Discovery Institute, giving "his vision for the United States' role in the world." Now that's a scary thought.

But what is even scarier is that he is condescending himself to speak at this function. For those unfamiliar with the organization, the Discovery Institute is a think tank that started out promoting the idea of creationism/intelligent design. Located in Seattle, Washington, in 2004 the group set up an office in Washington, DC and hired the same public relations firm responsible for the Swift Boat ads, advertising for the RNC, the Christian Coalition and the Contract with America. Discovery has been involved in the Kansas School Board evolution controversy, the Dover, Pennsylvania School Board evolution fiasco, and was behind an amendment on evolution sponsored by the late, great man-on-dog Senator Rick Santorum.

Like most right wing, neoconservative faith based movements, Discovery uses deception and outright fraud to drive home its message. It promotes the idea that evolution is only a theory with no basis in fact. In addition, in Wikipedia, the Discovery Institute is “opposed to assisted suicide, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, human genetic manipulation, human cloning, and the animal rights movement. Its economics and legal programs advocate tort reform, lower taxation, and reduced economic regulation of individuals and groups as the best economic policy. The Discovery Institute also maintains a foreign policy program currently focused on Russia and East Asia.”

Sounds like the perfect fit with the current administration. And it's nice to see that they're not boxing themselves in to just that creationism thing.

Discovery has gone so far as to hire professors and scientists (ala ExxonMobil) to prove their view of the world and to further cloud the theory of evolution. Their own website advertises for such positions:

-------------------------------------
If you have a Ph.D. in engineering, mathematics, computer science, biology, chemistry, or one of the other natural sciences, and you agree with the following statement, "We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged," then please contact us at cscinfo@discovery.org.

If you are a medical doctor who is skeptical of Darwinian evolution please visit Physicians and Surgeons for Scientific Integrity at www.doctorsdoubtingdarwin.com and sign their list for doctors who dissent.
-------------------------------------

So much for intelligent design.

Nice going, John. I doubt anyone is going to take you seriously now.

It's Official. I'm Sick of Winter

2007-02-13T09:49:00.000-05:00

As a kid, I loved winter. Loved everything about snow. My parents used to laugh at how my brother and I would go out for an hour, get cold and soaked, come inside, change and repeat the process all over again. One of our favorite things to do was dig tunnels in the giant snowdrifts outside our house. We'd dig back as far as possible and when it would collapse, we'd pop up through the center and start the process over again.

I'm not that excited about snow anymore. Especially when we are on week two of bad weather with no end in sight – and another storm is on the way.

Snow, nowadays, means hours of shoveling and sanding. It means driving slower and more defensively because of all the idiots with SUVs who haven’t learned that they have just as much traction on ice as someone without four wheel drive. I plan ahead in case I get stuck at work, which is an hour drive from my house in good weather. I carry an extra bag of clothes and toiletries with me at all times, and have friends that I can stay with, just in case the roads are too bad. There is water, a blanket, extra gloves and granola bars in my car in case I get stranded - and a good book to pass the time. I keep my gas tank filled and my cell phone charged. And all the time I am at work I'm constantly wondering: when is this storm supposed to hit; how much snow are we going to get; will I make it home tonight?

I should be used to this by now. I've worked in Buffalo for seven years now, lived in Western New York all my life. Seen the Blizzards of sixty-six and seventy-seven but thankfully was safe at home when both of them hit. I've been stranded twice at work and survived that inconvenience. And it definitely could be worse - I could live and work in Oneida County, New York where they've gotten over one hundred inches of snow the past week.

But I'm not happy. All I can think of is green grass and spring flowers and a black car that isn't white from the layer of salt spray on it. I’m thinking of all the idiot neocons who are making jokes about global warming in the midst of this cold spell – kind of like when they make jokes about Democrats who say Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with bin Laden and 9-11, or “they were for the war before they were against it”.

While I am waiting for the snow, I will continue to check the radar and Doppler. I will remain cautiously optimistic that my bosses will let us out early enough that the roads aren’t jammed with all the other businesses who were let out early.

And I will ride out this storm, just like all other storms brewing on the horizon.

My World and Welcome To It

2007-02-11T10:07:00.000-05:00

Squeaky and Chloe, during a quiet moment

I wish I could say that my week was interesting. The fact that I survived it without dying from frustration is a plus. Right now, while I am attempting to write something - anything - my latest two-hundred-fifty dollar stray cat is doing everything possible to thwart my efforts by stepping on the keyboard.

Squeaky and her sister Chloe, were the two latest emergencies that turned up on my doorstep. Both were very pregnant, possibly only a week or two away from giving birth. Since I already have too many cats, even by humanitarian standards, I did the only rational thing I could do - I had them both spayed, effectively ending this and all future bouts of procreation. And I paid for it dearly. Because my regular old country vet, (who takes pity on me and my blossoming animal shelter) is out on medical leave, I had to find someone else. And the only vet who could take them right away charged me close to five hundred dollars for the convenience of not having any more kittens. Five hundred dollars for two stray cats. It's no wonder the animal shelters are full - the average minimum wage earner can't afford to spay or neuter their pets at those prices. Oh, I know what the conservative would say - if you can't afford it, you shouldn't have it. But does that credo apply to other things as well say a car, a house, children?

Another wonderful occurrence in my life was dealing with the auto mechanic/body shop after my most recent deer strike. This was number four in about fifteen years, third in less than five years. And while my insurance carrier has paid for all my mishaps without complaint, I am quite certain my rate of coverage is higher than most folks, even though my driving record is otherwise exemplary. So even though Bambi is now pushing up daisies, and I was without a car for six very long, frustrating days, my car is now back to its original glory. Now if I could just keep the little bastards from jumping out in front of me.

And finally, more and more, I am depressed about living in the chimpster's a-mer-rika. For the third time in six months, I have been offered overtime and am jumping at it. Even though I will be working six days out of seven, some days more than 12 hours, I simply cannot afford not to do it. This is one of those months where everything comes due at the same time: taxes, insurances, car payment, loans, annual bills, etc. The feeling of not being able to pay everything is like a weight upon my chest at times. The fear of losing everything is more real than ever, particularly in this "ownership society." Even with my good job and benefits, and a second income, the ability to even consider a savings account seems unreasonable most days.

I often consider if I am struggling to meet my obligations, someone without children, what hope does a person have who is working minimum wage jobs with no benefits and a family to support? Again, I guess the conservative thought bubble would read: "if you can't afford it, you shouldn't have it." However, if that were to happen, the folks at the country club would have to carry their own bag, wash their own toilets and pour their own cocktails.

Oh yes, and fight their own wars.

On this Sunday morning, before my day kicks into high gear, I will reflect upon the things I have and not the things I am missing out on. I will pray for the soldiers in Iraq and their safe return home. I will reflect upon the knowledge that with luck the chimp will be out of the White House in less than twenty-three months. And I will try to remain optimistic about the future of this country and my life in general, including my $250 cat.

Hugo Chavez: Savior or Tyrant

2007-02-04T09:54:00.000-05:00

I had the strangest dream last night. I can't remember what it was about but remember at the end of the dream there was a news report saying that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had been under State arrest for a month. What is really odd is that I don't remember reading or viewing anything about Chavez lately, so it's not like he was in my thought bubble. Still, the idea of Chavez being a target for another coup d'etat is not without merit.

I confess to having mixed feelings about Chavez. I had a roommate in college from Venezuela so I know the problems that existed in that country, particularly with its poorer citizens. There is no doubt the country was being robbed and raped by the upper class and the oil companies that descended upon her. One of the boldest and best moves, in my opinion, was when he nationalized the oil fields. It is a lesson that could be learned in Iraq.

However, while adored by the common man, Chavez has managed to create many enemies with his policies and his own unique brand of political speech. I will not disagree with Chavez’s assessment of George Bush of being el Diablo, but it casts doubt upon his legitimacy as a world leader. And it creates further political enemies for him within the United States. Add to that his political ideology with Fidel Castro and Bolivian President Juan Morales and it becomes apparent that Chavez’s brand of social democracy leans more towards communism than socialism or democracy.

There are several reports out of South America that cast more doubt upon Chavez’s true intentions. As reported in the Washington Post*, the National Assembly of Venezuela has given Chavez power to create new laws, restructure the government and dictate the flow of Venezuela’s oil profits. He also has been given the power to nationalize other industries such as utilities and telecommunications. And he could change the Country’s constitution to end presidential term limits.

Now substitute Hugo Chavez’s name with George Bush. Doesn’t sound so attractive, does it?

Add to that a growing sentiment of anti-Semitism within the nations of Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador** as well as the strengthening of ties between Venezuela, China and Iran and you begin to question just what are Chavez’s true intentions. Unlike Cuba, who was dependent upon the Soviet Union to survive, Venezuela, with its oil fields, can dictate terms to the rest of the world as long as we remain dependent upon oil.

Just one final thought. Chavez has been looked upon as the benevolent savior of many in the northeast United States when he provided inexpensive fuel oil to the poor of Boston and New York City. I’m not sure that there is any significance to it other than the generosity of the act. However, as a military leader, it is possible that Hugo Chavez has learned the one strategic element crucial to winning any war – to win the hearts and minds of the country you want to control.

Again, a lesson George Bush should have learned in Iraq.

* Washington Post, February 2, 2007
** JTA.org, February 3, 2007

Much Ado About Nothing

2007-02-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

I am lucky enough to have a job where I only work three days a week. Today is an off day and I am grateful not to be out in the cold. I live in the Northeast and they are predicting record low temps this weekend - highs around 10 degrees, if we're lucky - accompanied by lake effect snows, high winds and generally yucky conditions. Again, I am grateful that I have a couple days off and don't have to be out in the cold.

It is on days like this that I can be lazy and unproductive, and just reflect on things in the universe. I try not to do this too often because the universe right now is a pretty scary place, especially considering that the Dubya is trying to take over the planet. Sadly, I still long for the days of Bill Clinton. Bill might have had a problem with controlling his libedo but at least I never had to worry about him setting off a full scale nuclear war.

And at least Bill knew how to pronounce the word nuclear.

Hillary is running for President and that should give me some comfort. But frankly, it doesn't. She has been a reasonably capable Senator for my state although she is very adept at playing the politician. Hill has made a number of campaign promises which have all quietly fallen by the wayside and probably won't make headlines.

Although I try not to think about it too much, the war in Iraq with its ever increasing sectarian violence is never far from my thoughts. The administration still refuses to call it what it is: a civil war. Stephen Hadley, in his best White House doublespeak has announced that it was more complex than a civil war. What is that phase I'm looking for... a rose by any other name? Still, we are supposed to take some comfort in the fact that this president never makes mistakes. He is just given bad advice.

Finally, I found out this week that the soldier I wrote about in an earlier post had been one of the four hostages taken in the raid on the police headquarters in Karbala - the one where the militiamen had American uniforms, spoke English and drove Humvees. His funeral was on Wednesday and over 2,000 people attended the service. The American soldiers taken were bound and executed, and for what purpose?

At times I wish I could look twenty years into the future and see where this is all going to end up. Will it be worse than Vietnam? How many more soldiers will sacrifice and die? Can the next president mop up this mess of our own making? Will we even have a Republic in 20 years?

Of one thing I am certain. It is a cold world indeed, and it is getting scarier every day.

Good Night Sweet Molly

2007-02-01T07:49:00.000-05:00

I heard the news last night on my drive home. Molly Ivins, the champion of the left and Shrub's biggest pain in the side, has lost her battle with breast cancer.

As sad as this news is, it still didn't take the right long to jump on the story and turn loose their hate-filled venom.*

Here are a few of their sentiments on Molly's passing:

i'm glad she is dead. that "thing" did nothing but spew the same old worn out left wing slogans.

the world is now a better place. oh when will cancer take care of hillary?!?!

a sad case -- she couldn't help being ugly and stupid, but she could have kept her mouth shut and her fingers off the keyboard. good riddance.

all that liberal anger and rage against those not like her neocommunist self decayed molly from the inside out. hate kills.

you see molly, when you are so full of hate, the cheap way you attacked the president, no wonder you got cancer. the world is a better place without this vile witch!

sorry that she died of cancer, but i'd have to make the observation that there is now one less whining, bleating liberal.

I guess freedom of the press and standing up for truth and liberty goes against all they believe in. And they say we are the party of intolerance and hatred.

* (Hat tip to Steve Anderson at the Huffington Post)

And Justice For All

2007-01-30T10:57:00.000-05:00

In Tampa, Florida, a young woman was recently arrested for failure to make restitution on a charge committed when she was a juvenile.

What makes this case so extraordinary is that the girl was arrested after being raped.

And to add insult to injury, she was denied the morning after pill in jail because it was against the jail supervisor's beliefs - even though the drug was prescribed by the hospital. Further, she was denied bond.

After she was finally released, it seems that the police department has decided they should do some mopping up of their SNAFU:

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"At this point, we're very concerned about the welfare of this young woman," said Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy. "There's a lot of unanswered questions about exactly how this unfolded we are going to get to the bottom of it."

McElroy says there is a policy in place where anyone who is suspected of a misdemeanor is not taken to jail if they're the victim of a sex crime.

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Oops. What sort of ignoramous throws a rape victim in jail without looking up the arrest warrant? Or if they did, who throws a rape victim in jail hours after the assault and then denies her the morning after pill because Jesus told you it was wrong?

One more reason not to move to Florida.

Source: www.myfoxtampabay.com

Coming Home

2007-01-29T15:57:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately, too many Iraq War Veterans are now returning home as amputees. Figures are sketchy (just the way the White House likes it) but some reports say there is over 500 veterans who are amputees. I'm sure the figure is much higher considering a report from one doctor in Germany. He said that he was performing an average of one to two genital amputations every day at an evac hospital.

Construction is expected to begin this spring on a new amputee center in Washington, DC and another opened this month San Antonio, Texas. Both centers have been described as "state of the art" or "high tech" and will cost over $60 million. And both appear to be "hurry up" projects, the center at Walter Reed breaking ground before a contract had even been awarded.

This seems almost comical considering that in a report to the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs, over 30% of VA Centers in the United States need more staff to deal with the volume of new veterans needing critical services. Services are being rationed, waiting lists are being utilized, and in some cases Veterans are waiting over six months to have their claims processed. This same report stated the following:

In addition to this report, the Government Accountability Office recently reported (GAO-06-1119T) that the Administration failed to fund $300 million in resources which the Administration previously touted for veterans’ mental health services in 2005 and 2006. (Link)

In 2005, there was a $2.6 billion shortfall in the Veterans Administration budget. And of all the veterans using VA inpatient services, 85% of them have incomes of $15,000 or less. Divorce, homelessness, alcoholism and suicide are all on the rise among U.S. veterans. So, what did Bush say about them in last week's SOTU address?

Nothing.

Perhaps they forgot to post it on the teleprompter. Maybe the speechwriter misplaced his notes and didn't put it in the final draft. Or maybe, this Administration didn't want to broach the subject, just like Bush ignored the victims of Katrina. It has been said that the Decisionmaker has a real problem dealing with death and hardship. The kid who never really faced up to the death of his sister, the airman who dodged service in Vietnam by going AWOL, the governor who made fun of a woman awaiting execution, the President who ignored those drowning in New Orleans, is now ignoring our returning war heroes.

Maybe he can give Rummy some medals or go ride his bike. Or maybe he can take another vacation in Crawford to clear some brush - that is if that awful Cindy Sheehan is around to keep reminding him about her son. Anything to take his mind off all that unpleasantness.

America's Best and Bravest. Out of sight, out of mind for the Commander in Chief.

Random Thoughts

2007-01-27T08:51:00.000-05:00

What’s in a Name?
The chimpster-in-chief changed his title from “The Decider” to “The Decisionmaker”, this week. Yeah, that’ll give him more credibility.

Wonder if Turdblossom and the Dark Lord wishes he’d get permanent laryngitis.

Tool of the Decade
Hands down, this one goes to John McCain. Is it possible for this man to sink any lower in order to be elected President? If getting the job required McCain to suck the cock of every voting male in the United States, I’m beginning to think he’d do it.

He’s already sold his soul. What’s wrong with a little self-degradation?

Not Here, Not Now
Hillary cannot win the Presidency. Or at least she shouldn’t.

I have nothing against Hill personally. I have voted for her, once. Yes, I think she is capable and would do an admirable job. And we would get Bill as part of the package. But here’s the problem: the “vast right wing conspiracy” group, that made us all miserable for eight years, are already firing up their engines. Think how little she will be able to accomplish if there is a republican majority in the House and Senate. It's like the song, Every breath you take, every move you make... I'll be watching you. She won't be able to go to the bathroom without someone reporting on it.

Yes, a woman can and eventually will be elected to the highest office in our country. Just not Hillary.

Enough with Obama Already
I like Barack Obama. I really like him. He is a wonderful orator, thoughtful, insightful and has the makings of a Jack Kennedy. Someday he will make a wonderful President.

But not now. As the daughter of a Virginian, I know that the South will not elect a black man for President. At least not at this point in time.

Don’t believe me. Ask Harold Ford.

Emboldening Our Enemies
According to the White House and conservative talk media, just about everything we do emboldens our enemies.

If we leave Iraq.
If we don’t send in more troops.
If we don’t stand behind the President.
If we send the enemy a mixed message.
If we protest against the war.

I have a different school of thought.

We embolden our enemies by slaughtering their men, women, children.

We embolden our enemies by destroying their infrastructure and stealing their oil.

We embolden our enemies by spitting on their religion and demanding that they conform to American standards.

We embolden our enemy by staying in Iraq.

But since when has Bush listened to anything the American people have to say?

2007-01-22T12:55:00.000-05:00

I was having a perfectly awful day at work when a friend put everything in perspective for me.

Hey Girlfriend,

I just need to vent right now and I know you will listen. I am PISSED at George Bush!!!! My daughter's boyfriend was killed in Iraq over the weekend. What the hell are we doing over there anyway? I cant make any sense of this. His name was Shawn #####, 23 years old, his whole life ahead of him. He was in the Army. I know it was his choice to join but it wasnt his choice to die. I am sorry for my rambling. Will write more when I can stop crying. Thanks for listening.

Kim

Kim and I have been friends since elementary school. We have shared everything in the past 25+ years and yet I am totally at a loss for words. I would like to tell her that the Democrats in office are going to investigate the actions of this White House Administration. That Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid will lead the Congress in impeaching this son of a bitch for crimes against humanity and that he will spend the next 10 years defending himself in courts around the world.

Unfortunately, that's not going to happen.

Even if impeached, Bush will never face a jury of his peers (so to speak). He will never be put on trial in the World Court. And the chances are great that he will live out the rest of his natural life in relative comfort down in Paraguay, far away from his political enemies. And we will continue to pay for his greed and corruption.

And the family members of kids like Shawn will spend the rest of their lives wondering why.

2007-01-22T08:04:00.000-05:00

Today is the 34th anniversary of the landmark supreme court ruling, Roe v. Wade. Anti-abortionists like to make the claim that the ruling was based on a lie. (Norma McCorvey, the complainant in the case (a/k/a Jane Roe), has since recanted her original claim that she was pregnant as a result of rape.)

The decider-in-chief, who has never done anything to promote the repeal of Roe, will speak to the March for Life protestors at their annual gathering today in D.C., undoubtedly by videotape since he has already released portions of his speech to the press.

Since "The Decider" is so adamantly pro-life, I wonder if he will include an announcement that he will be pulling our troops out of Iraq....

or that he will be calling for a ban on capital punishment;

that he will step up the U.S. government's efforts to stop the genocide in Darfur;

find new ways to prevent infant mortality in our own country;

and provide more money to African nations to combat the AIDS epidemic.

I guess, with his elevated god-like abilities, he can decide which lives are precious and which ones are not.

cold as a monkey's

2007-01-20T09:25:00.000-05:00

one of my best friends is a guy named dave out of canada. aside from being a fan of the maple leafs, he's a pretty decent guy and we share many political viewpoints, the most significant is our contempt for dubya.

dave has been instrumental in getting his american-born, republican wife to rethink her opinion of dubya, never failing to point out the serious lack of critical thinking skills on the part of the white house. and we often share serious political discussions on congress and america's standing in the world since 9/11. however, aside from hockey, there is one major issue that dave and i disagree upon - global warming. or as he refers to it, climate change.

for some odd reason, with all the bullshit that he has been able to sift through, dave doesn't believe that global warming is a fact. forget the fact that over 160 countries, including canada, are part of the Kyoto Protocol calling for a reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. ignore the following information:

The number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has almost doubled in the last 30 years.
Malaria has spread to higher altitudes in places like the Columbian Andes, 7,000 feet above sea level.
The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled over the past decade.
At least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming, moving closer to the poles.

(Source: An Inconvenient Truth)

i get angry at my friend when he ignores the findings of hundreds of scientists and repeats the garbage spewed by the current administration that "the jury is still out on global warming". for someone so smart and politically savvy, he refuses to look at the data.

in the meantime, those of us are having the weirdest winter on record - and for folks in middle america, it's colder than a monkey's

congress to america: bend over and take it like a man

2007-01-19T17:51:00.000-05:00

just when it appeared that some sanity and credibility was returning to the senate and house of representatives, the republicans have thrown a monkey wrench into the wheels of progress...

and the democrats are going to let them get away with it.

senator robert byrd stopped an attempt by senator judd gregg to add an amendment allowing line item vetos to the ethics bill on thursday night. a compromise so that amendment would be added to a bill on Monday. apparently, it was agreed upon and the ethics bill was approved 96 - 2.

now here comes the bad news. it was decided that the line item veto amendment would be added to the senate bill on minimum wage increases.

what's the punchline to this joke?

there is absolutely no way that any bill containing a line item veto amendment is ever going to be passed. ever. dare we even imagine how much damage the chimpster could do if he had this power?

so who pays the price for this compromise? the same people who have been paying the last ten years. the poverty line is now $9,570 per year for a single person, $12,830 for a two person family (according to the dept. of health & human services). a person working at the minimum wage rate of $5.15 per hour earns $10,712 before taxes and social security - and yet the conservatives in this country say there shouldn't even be a minimum wage. just let the marketplace control set wage levels according to demand, so their argument goes.

as one wise economist pointed out, if the minimum wage goes up in new york, mcdonalds and wal-mart don't pack up and move across the state line to pennsylvania. currently there are thirty states (according to the dept. of labor) that have higher standard rates for wages than the feds - and i'm sure there is no shortage of fast food restaurants and big box stores in those states. a stagnant minimum wage will ensure more credit card companies higher profits as individuals and families continue to use the plastic to make ends meet, and more families will be unable to afford basic necessities like purchasing a home. the economy will in all likelihood continue towards a recession while big corporations rake in big profits from shipping jobs overseas.

no one complains about corporate welfare. you know, the subsidies handed out in the form of tax breaks and government loans that never seem to be repaid. but god forbid the working class catches a break in the form of a raise.

if our newly elected senate is going to make a compromise, why does it have to come at the expense of the minimum wage increase? last time i checked, they never seem to have a problem voting themselves a pay increase.

springtime for hitler

2007-01-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

it's been a while since my last post. a long while.

many things have happened in the wake of november's elections - some level of sanity has been restored to our nation's capital. and there (finally) appears to be some level of apprehension in the hearts of our fearless leader and his minion. better still, the republican party is no longer able to rubberstamp the great divider's battleplan for destroying the Constitution, all the while wasting taxpayers' time and dollars on such lofty ideals as amendments against gay marriage and flag burning.

quite a legacy the 109th congress made for itself. less days spent working than the do-nothing congress of Harry Truman, and the bulk of their legislation aimed at renaming federal buildings. our founding fathers would be proud. (just a reminder, they are the party of Abraham Lincoln, although i'm not so sure that he would admit it.)

unfortunately, the vast right wing conspiracy machine rolls on. the decider is asking for 22,000+ more troops for his glorious revolutionary war in iraq - and enough money to fund total armageddon in iran and syria. perhaps he is hoping that if he brings on the prophesies in the Bible that the lord almighty will glorify him in the kingdom of heaven. and while bush practices his slight of hand, fox news, rush limbaugh, sean hannity, bill o'reilly and others try to convince the voters that a vote for Barack (Hussein) Obama is a vote for the terrorists.

now let us return to reality, shall we?

it is time for this congress to say no to the fuehrer’s plans for global thermal nuclear war - and to shut down the industrial war machine who is getting wealthier every day off the blood of america's best and brightest. fire up the senate subcommittee that will demand some oversight on the war contractors. find the wasted billions in taxpayer dollars and prosecute the twenty-seven individuals who have made billions during this senseless and illegal war.

nothing less is a slap in the face of the voters who wanted an end to the war - and another nail in the casket of america's military.

sick and tired

2006-10-25T06:55:00.000-05:00

as of late i am feeling tired. very tired.

i try to stay atop of all the blogs and news posts but my heart just isn't in it lately. i hate to label it as being discouraged but that is exactly what it feels like. even though all the polls point to a democratic victory in the senate and possibly the house this november, i keep having flashbacks to two previous elections.

the elections in 2000 and 2004 are still painfully vivid in my mind - the polls all pointing to a democratic victory and then the horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach when i realized it was not going to happen.

the recent news of problems with voting machines in three large democratic districts in virginia, the multi-million dollar bankrolling of attack ads across the country, the predictable use of last minute pork to swing votes to the republican party - it just never seems to end. and it is all done in an attempt to keep one political party in total control of the government.

our 'commander in chief' has even taken to outright lying by saying that he never said "stay the course" in iraq. just how gullible does he really think americans are about iraq?

the loss of habeas corpus; the outsourcing of millions of jobs; the virtual destruction of the middle class - - how much more are americans going to take? and should the republicans find a way to steal some elections this year, would we, as good citizens, be willing to take to the streets and protest the further destruction of the constitution and our rights like they do in mexico, kyrgyzstan, zambia and the ukraine?

the proof is yet to be seen.

survival of the fittest?

2006-10-10T12:10:00.000-05:00

the midterm elections are approximately twenty-eight days away. the big question is: will we survive?

team bush seems determined to do everything in its power to wipe america off the face of the planet. perhaps el presidente is under the impression that wearing his religion on his sleeve will save his soul. or maybe he believes, as the fundamentalists do, that he will miss global-thermo-nuclear war as the rapture takes him and the "truly faithful" away from it all.

of course, that is all supposition – that his higher power actually approves of what he has done and is doing. that the rest of the world is in the wrong and that america doesn’t have to listen to the concerns of the rest of the world, or even its own citizens. that God would approve of the rendition and torture of people; of the killing of innocent women and children in an illegal war; and of the death and mutilation of america’s young men and women to promote the war machine and make the rich richer.

while our fearless leader is busy pulling the wings off the flies in iran and iraq, another madman is busy testing nuclear weapons and likewise daring us to “bring it on.” it makes you wonder if you should start stockpiling canned goods and water, or move to a neutral site that might be out of harm’s way.

i’m thinking antarctica might be the place to go, if it weren’t for the global warming. but that’s a different concern.

random thoughts

2006-10-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

there is far too many things going on to comment on every single one of them. the recent events in the united states have been scrutinized and overanalyzed for the past two weeks. with all that has happened with the mark foley situation, i thought it would be appropriate to shed some thought on the things that got only a blip on the radar screen and thus were ignored or missed by the populace in general.

forgiveness

everyone knows about the terrible tragedy in the amish community – about the sad, twisted perversions of a single man whose repulsive intent ended before he tortured those little girls. but have we truly considered the grace and character of the people who lost children and neighbors? how they have put aside the natural instinct of hatred and retribution for the greater good of forgiveness and charity. the amish are a truly amazing people and must be commended for rising above the situation.

loss

in the wake of the foley scandal, every other news story has been left in the dirt. what should be of particular interest is the loss of eighteen u.s. soldiers in iraq within a three day period. the number of deaths of iraqi citizens is also on the rise – some reports say it is as high as one hundred per day. and the infiltration of shite death squads in the iraqi police force has caused the removal of those policeman only to be replaced with american forces. “we’ll stand down as they’ll stand up”, mr. president? so much for that strategy.

my prayers and condolences to the family and friends of all who have lost.

denial

condolezza rice is in full denial mode. first she denies ever been told of reports, then says she “got the memo” and lays the blame on someone else’s doorstep, and then says the information was of no value because it was “old news”. perhaps madam secretary is finally beginning to feel the heat for her culpability in the 9/11 attacks and is shooting for the plausible deniability excuse. whatever it is, i would give anything to have madeline albright back in the driver seat but then, who wouldn’t?

oversight

there is a theory buzzing around the kingdom of george the first that it is the democrats who have created this horrible scandal that has become the focus of every media outlet in america. according to some, this is the fault of the liberals and george soros and abc news for bringing out this information five weeks before the midterm elections. it is bill clinton’s fault for not doing something even though it was supposedly going on before he took office. and it is the democrats fault for making this a partisan issue. those poor, poor republicans. how ever can they come up with an excuse for cloaking the sins of one of their own this late in the election year cycle? how can rep. tom reynolds explain how he told the speaker of the house back in july (or march, or whenever) of this problem but still took mark foley’s $100,000 contribution to the national republican congressional committee and convinced foley that he should continue to run? how will blunt and boehner and hastert ever explain that they knew foley was a homosexual, that he had a penchant for young boys, and that he had a history of contacting them via emails and instant messages? whatever will they say back in the home district?

i said i wouldn’t talk about this but it is too much to ignore. this is not an issue of homosexuality. it is not an issue of congressional pages playing a joke on the chairman of the committee for exploited and missing children. it is about the predatory stalking of children by a man who is being shielded by a group of men trying to stay in power. men who would rather put the lives of children at risk than to lose their office or their majority rule.

there has been some confusion as to the technicality of the age of the boys. supposedly the age of consent in washington, d.c. is sixteen. the only problem with that argument is that sixteen year old boys (or seventeen, or eighteen) may be chronologically of age but they are not mature enough to handle that sort of situation. foley likes them young – it didn’t matter to him if they were legal or not. let’s call a spade a spade. this isn’t an issue about a homosexual man. it is an issue of a pedophile using his power and influence to seduce young boys. and every single member of congress who knew about this but chose to keep quiet for the good of the party does not deserve to remain in office.

in this one event there is loss; there is denial; there was absolutely no oversight, and for that, there can be no forgiveness.

driving for a cause

2006-09-22T11:18:00.000-05:00

in an attempt to feel like i am making a change in the world, even in a small way, the neo-conservative roommate and i have begun volunteering for a local german shepherd rescue. on our first run we transported a pregnant dalmation going to a separate rescue and a three month old german shepherd puppy. of course we both fell in love with him and are now attempting to adopt him.

while this puppy will find a "forever" home, hundreds of thousands of animals are sent off to pounds and shelters every year. over 450,000 breed dogs are either surrendered or removed from owners. unfortunately, only about one in four of all the dogs that end up in shelters make it out alive. the odds for a cat are about one in ten.

most of the dogs and puppies that end up there are from puppy mills. the breeding dogs either outlive their usefulness or the puppies become too old to sell off at a profit. in the downstate new york area in the past three months over 50 german shepherds were seized from two such puppy mills, most of the animals either starved, neglected or both.

if you are considering getting a dog or a cat, please visit your local pound or humane society shelter. oftentimes if they do not have what you are looking for, they can put you on a waiting list or direct you to another shelter or rescue group.

and please, please, please consider a pound puppy before buying from a breeder. unless you plan on showing an animal professionally, there is absolutely no good reason to have an animal with "papers".

this concludes my rant for the day. carry on.

trying to get the feeling again

2006-09-21T14:46:00.000-05:00

i have been avoiding the blogs and usual hangouts of progressives the past few weeks. the prospect of another stolen election, the mudslinging, the idea of another two years of bush's mandate have left me with fear and paranoia over what is to become of our country.

politics is one of those things that can either make you absolutely indifferent or totally absorbed. and unfortunately, every election cycle can determine the mood depending on the results. i have run the gamut of non-stop politics, twenty-four hours a day to zero tolerance for all things political. since there is a perception that the common man (or woman) has no bearing or influence on the government, it becomes easy to see why the majority of americans don’t even bother to vote in off-year elections, much less become involved in political campaigns.

in light of new legislation being pushed through the house of representatives, even fewer americans who want to vote will be given the opportunity. under the guise of the “help america vote act”, the house has determined that all americans must have what amounts to as a national id card – a photo identification card saying they are who they claim to be. besides the obvious burden on the elderly, the poor and the disenfranchised, it is a joke. anyone who has ever had their identity stolen knows the ease with which criminals can manufacture an identification card. likewise, anyone cannot produce a birth certificate, such as people who have been adopted, will find themselves unable to cast a vote.

individual red states have already done their part in removing the one true inalienable right of american citizens: florida, missouri, arizona, indiana, ohio… all have managed to corrupt the system under the guise of preventing voter fraud. yet in the past two presidential elections, the only allegations of fraud was aimed directly at the majority party.

it’s enough to make anyone apathetic. unfortunately, the surest way of guaranteeing that your vote won’t be counted is to not vote.

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves – and the only way they could do this by not voting. ~ Franklin Roosevelt

what if someone gave a party and no one came…..

2006-09-13T18:32:00.000-05:00

i have been contemplating the vast array of blogs on the internet and the insignificance of my little piece of immortality. it occurred to me, without advertising and pumping all my friends and acquaintances to check out my blog, it might very well die a very sad, lonely fate, much like the old man without friends who is found in his home weeks after his death.

it begs the question, “if you have an opinion but no one hears it, does it have any value?”

seriously, what is the point of the common blog? is it to gain the attention, both famous and notorious, of dozens (hopefully hundreds) of anonymous strangers? is it to put forth your values and ideals when you have no other means of expression, no hope of being published on a grander scale? or is it to push an agenda that is found no where else in hopes of drawing more anonymous strangers to your site and more disciples to your cause?

today i read an announcement that air america radio (aar) will fill for bankruptcy reorganization on friday. this is something i am quite certain all the neo conservatives will be peeing their pants over while causing the liberals and progressives to hang their heads in defeat once more. while it is a disappointment, it is not the end of the road.

unlike the anonymous faceless blog (like this one), there is an audience for air america – a growing one, in fact. progressive talk shows are gaining audiences, and new stations, every week. two such stations turned progressive in my little corner of the world just this year. ed schultz, stephanie miller and bill press are three examples of shows that have no ties to aar and yet are doing quite nicely. and the ratings growth of countdown with keith olbermann has shown that americans have had more than enough of the o'reilly factor.

the idea of progressive radio (like progressive thought and liberal ideals), is not dead - not by a long shot - no matter how much the likes of limbaugh and o’reilly proclaim. we forget that while limbaugh has been on the air since 1988, he began with only one station. aar has, unfortunately, had several problems with management and securing capital but may yet find their footing.

the democratic party has been napping for the past forty years, secure in the assumption that they were the party of choice and were invincible. they got caught with their guard down and have been paying for it ever since. the nightmare that we call the bush administration has been in the planning stages for the past forty years. this is not something that has happened overnight, and it is not something the democrats can hope to smash in just eight years. the neocon movement is a well-oiled machine; savvy in their talking points and smooth in their delivery. as the saying goes: a lie told often enough becomes the truth.

this is not the time to moan over what might have been - al gore as president; a working congress that has the people in mind instead of corporations; universal health care; a strong economy; a surplus in the national budget; young men and women coming home from their tour of duty on two strong legs instead of in a body bag. this is the time to speak out for what you believe in, shouting it from the mountaintops if need be. this is the time for courage and solidarity. there will be plenty of time for fighting among the ranks once the majority rule is regained.

what if someone gave a party and no one came? the democrats, liberals and progressives need to ask themselves:

"what if someone had an idea to make things better but were too afraid to say it aloud – does it still have value?"

Until the party speaks up and takes a stand we may never know.

just another day in paradise

2006-09-12T21:10:00.000-05:00

given the recent vitriol of the past two days, it is difficult to image a united states that is truly united. it would seem the days of bipartisanship are truly lost to us forever. no longer is it fashionable or reasonable for senators and congressmen to reach across the aisle in an attempt to help their constituents and the nation. instead it is every man for himself. or every lobbyist and cause for themself.

there are a lot of phrases being bandied about this election year. "cut and run." "islamic fascism." "appeasement."

how about this one: "peace without honor."

democracy cannot be achieved or maintained with catch phrases and platitudes. just because george w. bush said it does not make it noble or honorable. and if we are winning the war on terror (or so we are told), it does not mean we are spreading democracy. it does not mean that people will respect us.

and it does not mean that the world, or the united states, is safe because of our actions a half a world away.

thirty years ago there was another war going on a half a world away. in it we did not achieve peace with honor. in the end we abandoned the people of vietnam to the khmer rouge. and the country, where we tried to instill democracy, somehow overcame our bad impersonation of the british empire, but at what cost? in the end 58,209 americans perished, 153,303 were wounded. an estimated 2 to 4 million vietnamese died during the war.

perhaps iraq can somehow find its way after we leave, create some stability out of chaos. it would seem right now there can be no peace with honor.

another day, another blog

2006-09-11T16:06:00.000-05:00

everyone is looking for fifteen minutes of fame

since fame and fortune has managed to allude me these past (unintelligble) years, i need to shoot for the smaller screen

the following are my thoughts and observations comments are welcome although maybe not always appreciated as with most blogs i reserve the right to delete any entries that are derogatory defamatory or just plain ignorant

as with all things in life take this in moderation and with a grain of salt