TPM Cafe has the complete article that appeared in the New Orleans Times-Picayune on June 8th, 2004 on federal budget cuts that practically halted all work on fortifying the levees around the city. Meanwhile we are hemorraging money for a war that is at best a grotesque mistake.
TPMCafe || Hurricane Protection Budget Cuts Exact a Big Price
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Getting Agnostic About 9/11 - Los Angeles Times
Interview with David Ray Griffin, author of "The 9/11 Commission: Omissions and Distortions" -- a book I highly recommend, it is a reasoned, detailed account raising serious questions.
Getting Agnostic About 9/11
Getting Agnostic About 9/11
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Military Families May Once Again Lead Us Out of War
Military Families May Once Again Lead Us Out of War:
"'You bet your goddamn dollar I'm bitter. It's people like us who give up our sons for the country,' said a firefighter whose son was killed in action. 'Let's face it: if you have a lot of money, or if you have the right connections, you don't end up on a firing line over there. I think we ought to win that war or pull out. What the hell else should we do -- sit and bleed ourselves to death, year after year?' His wife jumps in to add, 'My husband and I can't help but thinking that our son gave his life for nothing, nothing at all.'"
"'You bet your goddamn dollar I'm bitter. It's people like us who give up our sons for the country,' said a firefighter whose son was killed in action. 'Let's face it: if you have a lot of money, or if you have the right connections, you don't end up on a firing line over there. I think we ought to win that war or pull out. What the hell else should we do -- sit and bleed ourselves to death, year after year?' His wife jumps in to add, 'My husband and I can't help but thinking that our son gave his life for nothing, nothing at all.'"
Monday, August 29, 2005
>>>>the DOSSIER - the War on Terrorism Exposed. Oil - Gas - Terrorism<<<<
Comprehensive resource on why we went to war in Iraq:
the War on Terrorism Exposed. Oil - Gas - Terrorism
the War on Terrorism Exposed. Oil - Gas - Terrorism
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Informed Comment
As we drove back from an attempt on Sheep Mountain, near Pikes Peak, we too heard the strange Darth Vader-like transmission from the prez over Sirius Satellite Radio. Very Weird. Ethereal.... This after we had suffered through an hour of "Revenge of the Sith" yesterday at the "dollar theater" before we walked out in sheer boredom... I hate Star Wars!!
Informed Comment:
"I just heard Bush's audio on CNN concerning the situation in Iraq. I don't know if all the news programs had the same bad feed, but the poor quality of the transmission made Bush sound like Darth Vader, with a faint electronic echo. Sounding like a science fiction villain did not help the credibility of his typically panglossian screed on Iraq.
"
Informed Comment:
"I just heard Bush's audio on CNN concerning the situation in Iraq. I don't know if all the news programs had the same bad feed, but the poor quality of the transmission made Bush sound like Darth Vader, with a faint electronic echo. Sounding like a science fiction villain did not help the credibility of his typically panglossian screed on Iraq.
"
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth
Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth
You already know Christmas trees and Easter eggs were originally Pagan, and you probably know the traditional mid-winter and spring timing of the two holidays was Pagan too. Mildly interesting. Not what you'll find here.
What you'll discover here is that Christianity inherited everything from the Pagans. The core of Christianity -- the worship of a dying Godman who is resurrected, ascends into heaven and brings salvation to mankind -- was also the core of a number of ancient Pagan religions that began in the Near East two thousand years before Jesus.
You already know Christmas trees and Easter eggs were originally Pagan, and you probably know the traditional mid-winter and spring timing of the two holidays was Pagan too. Mildly interesting. Not what you'll find here.
What you'll discover here is that Christianity inherited everything from the Pagans. The core of Christianity -- the worship of a dying Godman who is resurrected, ascends into heaven and brings salvation to mankind -- was also the core of a number of ancient Pagan religions that began in the Near East two thousand years before Jesus.
Experts Warn Debt May Threaten Economy - Yahoo! News
Experts Warn Debt May Threaten Economy
You owe $145,000. And the bill is rising every day. That's how much it would cost every American man, woman and child to pay the tab for the long-term promises the U.S. government has made to creditors, retirees, veterans and the poor.
You owe $145,000. And the bill is rising every day. That's how much it would cost every American man, woman and child to pay the tab for the long-term promises the U.S. government has made to creditors, retirees, veterans and the poor.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Matthew R. Simmons "Twilight in the Desert"
"Twilight in the Desert"
Long read, but worth it.... The end of oil and the ramifications....
An excerpt:
MATT: So we have actually now created a pending domestic embargo, and we’re going to be lucky to get through the Summer without some periodic shortages. We probably will, but the odds are probably as high we will have some shortages, and then if we get through the Summer we have a fabulous respite from Labor Day to Thanksgiving, until we hunker to try to figure out how the world gets through the Winter of 2005 and 2006 because oil demand globally could easily go to 86-88 million bpd during the Winter, and that could easily exceed supply by 2-5 million bpd.
JIM: If that was to happen we would almost be looking at $75-80 oil, I suspect.
MATT: No, no, no. Oil prices could easily go up 5-10 times.
Long read, but worth it.... The end of oil and the ramifications....
An excerpt:
MATT: So we have actually now created a pending domestic embargo, and we’re going to be lucky to get through the Summer without some periodic shortages. We probably will, but the odds are probably as high we will have some shortages, and then if we get through the Summer we have a fabulous respite from Labor Day to Thanksgiving, until we hunker to try to figure out how the world gets through the Winter of 2005 and 2006 because oil demand globally could easily go to 86-88 million bpd during the Winter, and that could easily exceed supply by 2-5 million bpd.
JIM: If that was to happen we would almost be looking at $75-80 oil, I suspect.
MATT: No, no, no. Oil prices could easily go up 5-10 times.
The Blog | Justin Frank: Pedaling as Fast as He Can | The Huffington Post
The president is a dry drunk and a moron. He can't help it. That's just the way it is. We're stuck with him. He's "uncurious" and his handlers want to keep him that way. "George, go on vacation. Get out of the way." There is nobody in charge. Maybe Dick Cheney, I guess... Who knows anymore...
The Blog | Justin Frank: Pedaling as Fast as He Can | The Huffington Post
The Blog | Justin Frank: Pedaling as Fast as He Can | The Huffington Post
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
AlterNet: MediaCulture: The 'Big Lie' on Bush's Nightstand
AlterNet: MediaCulture: The 'Big Lie' on Bush's Nightstand:
"The idea that the President reads anything at all -- much less scholarly tomes -- shows how much contempt his handlers have for the public."
"The idea that the President reads anything at all -- much less scholarly tomes -- shows how much contempt his handlers have for the public."
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Why Can't I Own a Canadian?
Why Can't I Own a Canadian?:
"Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance."
"Dr. Laura Schlessinger is a radio personality who dispenses advice to people who call in to her radio show. Recently, she said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22 and cannot be condoned under any circumstance."
Adventure Capitalism and more follies
National Geographic
Hundreds of "petrified hippos," as conservationist J. Michael Fay calls them, throng what's left of a river in Tanzania's Katavi National Park in October of last year. Released this week, the aerial photo is evidence of the increasing human "footprint" that Fay witnessed during the "Megaflyover" -- his seven-month aerial survey of Africa (see map).
t r u t h o u t - Environmentalists Declare Victory over Wolf Decision
t r u t h o u t - Environmentalists Declare Victory over Wolf Decision
"The wolves are howlin'" in celebration, said Patrick Parenteau, director of the environmental law clinic at Vermont Law School.
"The wolves are howlin'" in celebration, said Patrick Parenteau, director of the environmental law clinic at Vermont Law School.
Monday, August 22, 2005
The Trillion-Dollar War - New York Times
The Trillion-Dollar War What are we fighting for? Is it worth the money?
WAPost: A Boy in his Bubble
In Australia, a headline taunted, "Awkward facts intruding on the Bush 'bubble.' " In India, a newspaper called Sheehan "the Rosa Parks of the anti-war movement." On ABC's "Good Morning America," George Stephanopoulos said that "a lot of Republicans would say . . . that this is the president's Swift boat moment," a reference to Sen. John F. Kerry's tardiness in responding to attacks on his war record during last year's presidential campaign.
Refusal to See Sheehan Is Second-Guessed
Refusal to See Sheehan Is Second-Guessed
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Whiskey Bar: Slouching Towards the Islamic Republic
Whiskey Bar: Slouching Towards the Islamic Republic
Juan Cole too on the "rule of Sharia" in Iraq:
Prospect of Islamic law in Iraq
And the president's remarks on Iraqi women's rights:
The advance of freedom in the greater Middle East has given new rights and new hopes to women. And America will do its part to continue the spread of liberty.
George W. Bush
Remarks on women's rights
March 12, 2005
Juan Cole too on the "rule of Sharia" in Iraq:
Prospect of Islamic law in Iraq
And the president's remarks on Iraqi women's rights:
The advance of freedom in the greater Middle East has given new rights and new hopes to women. And America will do its part to continue the spread of liberty.
George W. Bush
Remarks on women's rights
March 12, 2005
Thursday, August 18, 2005
San Diego and Diebold voting machines
Happily we have some forthright citizens who are working to expose the fraud of the Diebold voting chicanery. Beginning with the fraudulent 2000 elections, continuing with the scandal of the elections of 2002 in Georgia, and unbelievably, still obviously evident in the 2004 presidential elections, the Diebold scandal has managed to float below the radar--thanks to an absent MSM.
Citizens Request Recount in San Diego Mayoral Race
Citizens Request Recount in San Diego Mayoral Race
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Message I sent to Laura Bush
Hi Laura,
I have a good feeling about you. A good friend of mine is a librarian who has met with you and with your husband. He is an apointee of the administration.
I am a career Air Force officer with more than 23 years of service. I am concerned about our course of action and national strategy. I can't help but agree with Gen Barry McAffrey that "the wheels have come off" our project to establish democracy in Iraq. It seems that we are in a bad stink of throwing good men after bad. Let's stop this nonsense. Please have a heart-to-heart with GW. We have to get out of Iraq.
Sincerely,
Maj Steve Bremner
USAF
I have a good feeling about you. A good friend of mine is a librarian who has met with you and with your husband. He is an apointee of the administration.
I am a career Air Force officer with more than 23 years of service. I am concerned about our course of action and national strategy. I can't help but agree with Gen Barry McAffrey that "the wheels have come off" our project to establish democracy in Iraq. It seems that we are in a bad stink of throwing good men after bad. Let's stop this nonsense. Please have a heart-to-heart with GW. We have to get out of Iraq.
Sincerely,
Maj Steve Bremner
USAF
Limbaugh loses it
Limbaugh baselessly compared Cindy Sheehan to Bill Burkett: "Her story is nothing more than forged documents" [Media Matters]
Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Is Bush Out of Control?
Is Bush Out of Control?
Buy beleaguered, overworked White House aides enough drinks and they tell a sordid tale of an administration under siege, beset by bitter staff infighting and led by a man whose mood swings suggest paranoia bordering on schizophrenia.
They describe a President whose public persona masks an angry, obscenity-spouting man who berates staff, unleashes tirades against those who disagree with him and ends meetings in the Oval Office with “get out of here!”
In fact, George W. Bush’s mood swings have become so drastic that White House emails often contain “weather reports” to warn of the President’s demeanor. “Calm seas” means Bush is calm while “tornado alert” is a warning that he is pissed at the world.
Decreasing job approval ratings and increased criticism within his own party drives the President’s paranoia even higher. Bush, in a meeting with senior advisors, called Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist a “god-damned traitor” for opposing him on stem-cell research.
“There’s real concern in the West Wing that the President is losing it,” a high-level aide told me recently.
Buy beleaguered, overworked White House aides enough drinks and they tell a sordid tale of an administration under siege, beset by bitter staff infighting and led by a man whose mood swings suggest paranoia bordering on schizophrenia.
They describe a President whose public persona masks an angry, obscenity-spouting man who berates staff, unleashes tirades against those who disagree with him and ends meetings in the Oval Office with “get out of here!”
In fact, George W. Bush’s mood swings have become so drastic that White House emails often contain “weather reports” to warn of the President’s demeanor. “Calm seas” means Bush is calm while “tornado alert” is a warning that he is pissed at the world.
Decreasing job approval ratings and increased criticism within his own party drives the President’s paranoia even higher. Bush, in a meeting with senior advisors, called Senator Majority Leader Bill Frist a “god-damned traitor” for opposing him on stem-cell research.
“There’s real concern in the West Wing that the President is losing it,” a high-level aide told me recently.
Monday, August 15, 2005
How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later
The greatest Science Fiction writer of all time:
How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later
Philip K. Dick, 1978
Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. We can't talk about science, because our knowledge of it is limited and unofficial, and usually our fiction is dreadful. A few years ago, no college or university would ever have considered inviting one of us to speak. We were mercifully confined to lurid pulp magazines, impressing no one. In those days, friends would say me, "But are you writing anything serious?" meaning "Are you writing anything other than science fiction?" We longed to be accepted. We yearned to be noticed. Then, suddenly, the academic world noticed us, we were invited to give speeches and appear on panels — and immediately we made idiots of ourselves. The problem is simply this: What does a science fiction writer know about? On what topic is he an authority?
It reminds me of a headline that appeared in a California newspaper just before I flew here. SCIENTISTS SAY THAT MICE CANNOT BE MADE TO LOOK LIKE HUMAN BEINGS. It was a federally funded research program, I suppose. Just think: Someone in this world is an authority on the topic of whether mice can or cannot put on two-tone shoes, derby hats, pinstriped shirts, and Dacron pants, and pass as humans.
Well, I will tell you what interests me, what I consider important. I can't claim to be an authority on anything, but I can honestly say that certain matters absolutely fascinate me, and that I write about them all the time. The two basic topics which fascinate me are "What is reality?" and "What constitutes the authentic human being?"
How to Build a Universe That Doesn't Fall Apart Two Days Later
Philip K. Dick, 1978
Science fiction writers, I am sorry to say, really do not know anything. We can't talk about science, because our knowledge of it is limited and unofficial, and usually our fiction is dreadful. A few years ago, no college or university would ever have considered inviting one of us to speak. We were mercifully confined to lurid pulp magazines, impressing no one. In those days, friends would say me, "But are you writing anything serious?" meaning "Are you writing anything other than science fiction?" We longed to be accepted. We yearned to be noticed. Then, suddenly, the academic world noticed us, we were invited to give speeches and appear on panels — and immediately we made idiots of ourselves. The problem is simply this: What does a science fiction writer know about? On what topic is he an authority?
It reminds me of a headline that appeared in a California newspaper just before I flew here. SCIENTISTS SAY THAT MICE CANNOT BE MADE TO LOOK LIKE HUMAN BEINGS. It was a federally funded research program, I suppose. Just think: Someone in this world is an authority on the topic of whether mice can or cannot put on two-tone shoes, derby hats, pinstriped shirts, and Dacron pants, and pass as humans.
Well, I will tell you what interests me, what I consider important. I can't claim to be an authority on anything, but I can honestly say that certain matters absolutely fascinate me, and that I write about them all the time. The two basic topics which fascinate me are "What is reality?" and "What constitutes the authentic human being?"
Did the U.S. Help Saddam Acquire Biological Weapons?
Senator Robert Byrd is a great statesman. Here he makes history in 2002 on the Senate floor. History will show who was right and who was wrong.....:
Did the U.S. Help Saddam Acquire Biological Weapons?
Did the U.S. Help Saddam Acquire Biological Weapons?
t r u t h o u t - William Rivers Pitt | Cindy's Victory
Cindy's Victory
"This thing, the wheels are coming off it."
- Gen. Barry McCaffrey, after returning from an inspection of Iraq, 08/12/2005.
They are sunburned and storm-lashed. They sleep in tents that sit along the muddy earth of drainage ditches by the side of the road. They have been heckled by "counter-demonstrators" who chanted "We don't care!" during a rendition of "God Bless America." They have been attacked by fire ants and hassled by local health inspectors. On Thursday morning, at about 5:30am, they were blasted awake by a fourteen-car convoy of Secret Service SUVs which roared through the camp at high speed while leaning on their horns the whole time.
They have been jolted with fear when a local resident fired his weapon into the air several times to make them go away. When the shooter, one Larry Mattlage, was asked why he was firing his gun, he said, "We're going to start doing our war and it's going to be underneath the law. We're going to do whatever it takes." It is safe to say, therefore, that their lives have been threatened.
The thing is, they've already won.
Cindy Sheehan and her ever-growing band of supporters intend to stay in those ditches outside Bush's Crawford "ranch" until he comes out to talk or until August 31st, whichever comes first. If he does not come out by the end of the month, she intends to follow him to Washington and camp out in front of the White House. She and the others have been there for more than a week now, garnering more and more attention from the national and international press. Yes, they are tired. Yes, they are uncomfortable. Yes, they have already won.
"This thing, the wheels are coming off it."
- Gen. Barry McCaffrey, after returning from an inspection of Iraq, 08/12/2005.
They are sunburned and storm-lashed. They sleep in tents that sit along the muddy earth of drainage ditches by the side of the road. They have been heckled by "counter-demonstrators" who chanted "We don't care!" during a rendition of "God Bless America." They have been attacked by fire ants and hassled by local health inspectors. On Thursday morning, at about 5:30am, they were blasted awake by a fourteen-car convoy of Secret Service SUVs which roared through the camp at high speed while leaning on their horns the whole time.
They have been jolted with fear when a local resident fired his weapon into the air several times to make them go away. When the shooter, one Larry Mattlage, was asked why he was firing his gun, he said, "We're going to start doing our war and it's going to be underneath the law. We're going to do whatever it takes." It is safe to say, therefore, that their lives have been threatened.
The thing is, they've already won.
Cindy Sheehan and her ever-growing band of supporters intend to stay in those ditches outside Bush's Crawford "ranch" until he comes out to talk or until August 31st, whichever comes first. If he does not come out by the end of the month, she intends to follow him to Washington and camp out in front of the White House. She and the others have been there for more than a week now, garnering more and more attention from the national and international press. Yes, they are tired. Yes, they are uncomfortable. Yes, they have already won.
PREDICTION
A retired Army Colonel hits the nail on the head with this prediction. Chicago Tribune | PREDICTION
Sunday, August 14, 2005
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