wow wow wow

instead of david beckham getting paid a kazillion buck, all those soccer teams should hire these mexican kids

A M A Z I N G
(from bifurcated rivets via a welsh view)well i can't get it to play (i'm still going to leave the embed, just in case) anyway - here's the LINK CLICK IT!

ok, i don't like him. i think he's a pompous

self-serving ass. could i be WRONG? yeah, i might be (but i STILL can't bear to listen to him OR the music of u2. that's not as easy as it sounds when your stomping ground is an irish pub)
Bono auction raises $42m for Aids
An auction organised by U2 star Bono and artist Damien Hirst has raised $42.5m (£21.6m) towards the global fight against Aids.
Hirst donated seven of his works to the art sale in New York, including a cabinet filled with drugs to treat HIV, which fetched $7.15m (£3.6m).
The auction broke records for 17 artists, including Banksy, whose Keep It Spotless work made $1.8m (£950,300).
The price reached was more than six times its pre-sale estimate.
"Tonight we got serious about love, and not just the love of art, but the love of our brothers and sisters suffering from Aids in the poorest places on the planet," said Bono.
'Change the world'
Hirst said the success of the evening had "not sunk in yet".
"I'm never going to be cynical ever again for a while," he added. "We've helped change the world a little bit." ...............

he's NOT 'soft on terror'

but he (and his WHOLE F**KING COURT) doesn't (DON'T) give a flying f**k about our men and women in the armed forces. that's fo' sho'. not just because of this article. sure, this is bad enough in itself. but what about the TREATMENT of veterans once they're home? the wounded mentally and physically? they (king george and his court) just don't F**KING CARE

DOD Study: 100s of Marines dead and wounded because Bush admin dropped the ball on armor
by
John Aravosis (DC)
Gee, our president is once again calling Democrats soft on national security and at the same time an internal Defense Department study says that the Bush administration's malfeasance killed and injured 100s of Marines unnecessarily. Will the Democrats finally turn this issue around on Bush?
Hundreds of U.S. Marines have been killed or injured by roadside bombs in Iraq because Marine Corps bureaucrats refused an urgent request in 2005 from battlefield commanders for blast-resistant vehicles, an internal military study concludes.The study, written by a civilian Marine Corps official and obtained by The Associated Press, accuses the service of "gross mismanagement" that delayed deliveries of the mine-resistant, ambush-protected trucks for more than two years.Cost was a driving factor in the decision to turn down the request for the so-called MRAPs, according to the study. Stateside authorities saw the hulking vehicles, which can cost as much as a $1 million each, as a financial threat to programs aimed at developing lighter vehicles that were years from being fielded.........

wicked cool - gorilla love!

remember that scene in the clan of the cave bear where the male and female are mating doggie style? she gets all uppity (that is where it ALL started by the way) and makes him DO IT face to face.

anyway, this is cool as i said

photo: Thomas Breuer - WCS/MPI-EVA

Gorillas in a Tryst

Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2008 By BRYAN WALSH

Leah was staring at George. A series of rapid, pulsating whimpers escaped her lips. She then drew near to George, who locked gazes with her, his face unreadable. His shoulders were relaxed, and when Leah was within his grasp he opened his right arm and embraced her. Leah lay on the ground and George looked into her eyes. He bent over to lie on her, while Leah wrapped her legs around George's waist...
Is this a missing letter from the Penthouse Forum? The steamy section of a well-thumbed romance novel? Try neither: The scene is actually taken from the April 2007 issue of the Gorilla Gazette, a primatology journal. Leah and George aren't star-crossed lovers caught in mid-tryst. They're western gorillas in Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo, observed by primatologists whose interest is far more scientific than it is prurient. There's reason to watch — Leah and George's moment in the Mbeli Bai forest clearing, captured on film by a team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute in Germany and the Wildlife Conservation Society, is one of the only times gorillas have been seen mating face-to-face, rather than face-to-back. "It's an extremely rare behavior," says Thomas Breuer, the primatologist who photographed the pair through a telelens. "We haven't seen this in 13 years of observation. If you look at the photos it's a very nice piece of action."..........

a link to a post

from one of my favorite blogs. the cool justice report by andy thibault (even though this article is not by andy). andy is quite the renaissance man. i've never met him, but he and i both live in connecticut. i'm in the process of reading one of his books right now, law and justice in every day life. it's fascinating. i've told him i love reading the book, but the stories are scaring the HELL out of me (they deal for the most part with connecticut cases).



andy has taken up causes (i don't know if that's the correct terminology. i don't know if HE would describe it that way) from billy smolinski to avery doninger AND LOTS in between.



if i was ever in a jam, i hope i'd have someone like andy at my back





Column: Top Connecticut Lawyer Delineates Ethics Rules On Telling The Truth



Liar, Liar Pants on Fire: The Rules For Lawyers Have Changed" The lawyer is mandated to remedy the falsity, even if it means informing the court that the client is lying ... Thus it is not only truth by others, but as importantly, truth from attorneys that is mandated."By RICHARD MEEHAN The Cool Justice Report http://www.cooljustice.blogspot.com/

Feb. 15, 2008

EDITOR'S NOTE: This column is available for reprint courtesy of The Cool Justice Report, http://cooljustice.blogspot.com/

The Rules of Professional Conduct (RPC) are the Bible governing lawyer ethics. Despite the cynicism of some wags, we do try to police ourselves as a profession and adhere to a code that places respect for the process above all other considerations.Lawyers have always had an obligation to be truthful with the court. Overzealous representation should not lead to an attorney misrepresenting the facts or misleading a court on issues of legal authorities. Traditionally, the RPC required that an attorney not participate actively in presenting false testimony before a tribunal. That rule has been amended to demand even more of lawyers.Rule 1.6 of the RPC requires lawyers to maintain client confidences. The sanctity of the attorney client privilege is no less than the sanctity of the seal of the confessional between priests and penitents.But what is the lawyer's responsibility when he learns that a client has given false testimony? Does the privilege mandate attorney silence and allow a subversion of the truth finding purpose of the judicial process? No.................. (read the rest at the link above)

our best buds, those wild and wacky saudis

are up to their ol' hijinks again! what a bunch of cards they are, huh? i laughed and laughed over this. as a matter of fact, i'm STILL laughing so hard right now, i could just kick the shite out of those f**king asswipes
why don't we bring our 'democracy' over there i wonder to myself?
Saudis to execute a woman for witchcraft
Rights Group: Saudis Should Halt Execution of a Woman for Witchcraft
DONNA ABU-NASR

A leading human rights group appealed to Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah on Thursday to stop the execution of a woman accused of witchcraft and performing supernatural acts. The New York-based Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the kingdom's religious police who arrested and interrogated Fawza Falih, and the judges who tried her in the northern town of Quraiyat never gave her the opportunity to prove her innocence in the face of "absurd charges that have no basis in law."
Falih's case underscores shortcomings in Saudi Arabia's Islamic legal system in which rules of evidence are shaky, lawyers are not always present and sentences often depend on the whim of judges.
The most frequent victims are women, who already suffer severe restrictions on daily life in Saudi Arabia: They cannot drive, appear before a judge without a male representative, or travel abroad without a male guardian's permission..........

The Saudi court cited an instance in which a man allegedly became impotent after being bewitched by Falih, the rights group said.

my blood is SO BOILING

yesterday, cv rick sent me this article
Female Referee Removed From Officiating Boys' Basketball Game by Religious School
KANSAS CITY, Mo — Kansas activities officials are investigating a religious school's refusal to let a female referee call a boys' high school basketball game.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association said referees reported that Michelle Campbell was preparing to officiate at St. Mary's Academy near Topeka on Feb. 2 when a school official insisted that Campbell could not call the game.
The reason given, according to the referees: Campbell, as a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy's beliefs.
Campbell then walked off the court along with Darin Putthoff, the referee who was to work the game with her..........

you know what i say? f**k them right up the wazoo and i mean it

now i read this
Mao offered U.S. 10 million women
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amid a discussion of trade in 1973, Chinese leader Mao Zedong made what U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger called a novel proposition: sending tens of thousands, even 10 million, Chinese women to the United States. "You know, China is a very poor country," Mao said, according to a document released by the State Department's historian office.
"We don't have much. What we have in excess is women. So if you want them we can give a few of those to you, some tens of thousands."
A few minutes later, Mao circled back to the offer. "Do you want our Chinese women?" he asked. "We can give you 10 million."......
all we are is chattel. something to trade, or give away. something to bargin for. just objects. never human beings. as you can see from the FIRST story, this is STILL going on. it's not 1808, it's 2008. i won't be treated this way and i won't allow other women to be treated this way

this makes my heart sing

lets face it, the drug and cosmetic (and military) don't give a flying yoo hoo about animal rights, hurting and torturing animals. their bottom line is COST (i.e. MONEY MONEY MONEY - THE ALLMIGHTY DOLLAR!) and this looks like it will be CHEAPER than torturing animals so we can wear blue eye makeup and lose weight

Robots could reduce animal tests
By Helen Briggs Science reporter, BBC News, Boston
US scientists are taking the first step towards testing potentially hazardous chemicals on cells grown in a laboratory, without using live animals.
Two government agencies are looking into the merits of using high-speed automated robots to carry out tests.
The long-term goal is to reduce the cost, time and number of animals used in screening everything from pesticides to household chemicals.
The move follows calls for scientists to rely less on animal studies.
Robots would be able to carry out to carry out hundreds of thousands of chemical tests a day to identify chemicals with toxic effects.
Details were published in the journal Science and discussed at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston.
Faster and cheaper
Speaking in a live link-up, Dr Francis Collins, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institute of Health (NIH), said high throughput screening might provide a faster, cheaper method of testing environmental chemicals. ......

links you may find interesting:
the draize test
animal testing in the military
animal testing - caution graphic pictures
animal testing alternatives
johns hopkins university - alternatives to animal testing

if you WANT to

you can now use one of THESE

IN TEXAS

Court Overturns Texas Sex Toys Ban

By ANGELA K. BROWN Associated Press Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas — A federal appeals court has overturned a Texas statute outlawing sex toy sales, leaving Alabama as the state with the strictest ban on such devices.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Texas law making it illegal to sell or promote obscene devices, punishable by up to two years in jail, violated the Constitution's 14th Amendment on the right to privacy.
Companies that own Dreamer's and Le Rouge Boutique, which sell the devices in its Austin stores, and the retail distributor Adam & Eve, sued in Austin federal court in 2004 over the constitutionality of the law. They appealed after a federal judge dismissed the suit and said the constitution did not protect their right to publicly promote such devices.
In its decision Tuesday, the appeals court cited Lawrence and Garner v. Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court's 2003 opinion that struck down bans on consensual sex between gay couples...........

NSFW:

top pictures: rosebuds

bottom picture: chastity

a letter to king george

from congressman silvestre reyes. i'm printing it in it's entirety

President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500
Dear Mr. President:
The Preamble to our Constitution states that one of our highest duties as public officials is to "provide for the common defence." As an elected Member of Congress, a senior Member of the House Armed Services Committee, and Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I work everyday to ensure that our defense and intelligence capabilities remain strong in the face of serious threats to our national security.
Because I care so deeply about protecting our country, I take strong offense to your suggestion in recent days that the country will be vulnerable to terrorist attack unless Congress immediately enacts legislation giving you broader powers to conduct warrantless surveillance of Americans' communications and provides legal immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in the Administration's warrantless surveillance program.
Today, the National Security Agency (NSA) has authority to conduct surveillance in at least three different ways, all of which provide strong capability to monitor the communications of possible terrorists.
First, NSA can use its authority under Executive Order 12333 to conduct surveillance abroad of any known or suspected terrorist. There is no requirement for a warrant. There is no requirement for probable cause. Most of NSA's collection occurs under this authority.
Second, NSA can use its authority under the Protect America Act, enacted last August, to conduct surveillance here in the U.S of any foreign target. This authority does not "expire" on Saturday, as you have stated. Under the PAA, orders authorizing surveillance may last for one year – until at least August 2008. These orders may cover every terrorist group without limitation. If a new member of the group is identified, or if a new phone number or email address is identified, the NSA may add it to the existing orders, and surveillance can begin immediately. We will not "go dark."
Third, in the remote possibility that a new terrorist organization emerges that we have never previously identified, the NSA could use existing authority under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to monitor those communications. Since its establishment nearly 30 years ago, the FISA Court has approved nearly every application for a warrant from the Department of Justice. In an emergency, NSA or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may begin surveillance immediately, and a FISA Court order does not have to be obtained for three days. The former head of FISA operations for the Department of Justice has testified publicly that emergency authorization may be granted in a matter of minutes.
As you know, the 1978 FISA law, which has been modernized and updated numerous times since 9/11, was instrumental in disrupting the terrorist plot in Germany last summer. Those who say that FISA is outdated do not understand the strength of this important tool.
If our nation is left vulnerable in the coming months, it will not be because we don't have enough domestic spying powers. It will be because your Administration has not done enough to defeat terrorist organizations – including al Qaeda -- that have gained strength since 9/11. We do not have nearly enough linguists to translate the reams of information we currently collect. We do not have enough intelligence officers who can penetrate the hardest targets, such as al Qaeda. We have surged so many intelligence resources into Iraq that we have taken our eye off the ball in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As a result, you have allowed al Qaeda to reconstitute itself on your watch.
You have also suggested that Congress must grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies. As someone who has been briefed on our most sensitive intelligence programs, I can see no argument why the future security of our country depends on whether past actions of telecommunications companies are immunized.
The issue of telecom liability should be carefully considered based on a full review of the documents that your Administration withheld from Congress for eight months. However, it is an insult to the intelligence of the American people to say that we will be vulnerable unless we grant immunity for actions that happened years ago.
Congress has not been sitting on its hands. Last November, the House passed responsible legislation to authorize the NSA to conduct surveillance of foreign terrorists and to provide clarity and legal protection to our private sector partners who assist in that surveillance.
The proper course is now to conference the House bill with the Senate bill that was passed on Tuesday. There are significant differences between these two bills and a conference, in regular order, is the appropriate mechanism to resolve the differences between these two bills. I urge you, Mr. President, to put partisanship aside and allow Republicans in Congress to arrive at a compromise that will protect America and protect our Constitution.
I, for one, do not intend to back down – not to the terrorists and not to anyone, including a President, who wants Americans to cower in fear.
We are a strong nation. We cannot allow ourselves to be scared into suspending the Constitution. If we do that, we might as well call the terrorists and tell them that they have won.
Sincerely,
Silvestre Reyes
Member of Congress
Chairman, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence

wow, the house grew a set

(for a day)
West Wing Aides Cited for Contempt
Refusal to Testify Prompts House Action

By Paul Kane Washington Post Staff Writer
The House yesterday escalated a constitutional showdown with President Bush, approving the first-ever contempt of Congress citations against West Wing aides and reigniting last year's battle over the scope of executive privilege. On a 223 to 32 vote, the House approved contempt citations against White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet E. Miers over their refusal to cooperate with an investigation into the mass firings of U.S. attorneys and allegations that administration officials sought to politicize the Justice Department.
The vote came after a morning of tense partisan bickering over parliamentary rules, including a GOP call for a vote on a motion to close the chamber that briefly forced lawmakers to leave a memorial service for Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), who died this week. The conflict was capped later in the day when most House Republicans walked off the floor and refused to cast a final vote. They accused Democrats of forcing a partisan vote on the contempt citations instead of approving a surveillance bill supported by Bush. .........

operation baghdad pups

no, soldiers are not allowed to keep animals while on combat duty. we ALL know how animals make us feel though. they calm us. they love us. they even save us. welcome to your new home charlie
(check out more great photos of charlie, at the link below)


Making a Home for Charlie, Away From Baghdad's Slums



By Karin Brulliard Washington Post Staff Writer





He hesitated just a bit as he rounded a corner inside Dulles International Airport yesterday and spotted the flock of television cameras and cooing journalists awaiting him. Then, with posture erect like a soldier's, he trotted straight toward the action -- he was used to bomb blasts and gunfire, after all, so this was nothing. Post-escape from Baghdad and fresh off a 13-hour flight from Kuwait, Charlie the border collie mix actually seemed to be smiling for the crowd.
Five months after the SPCA International received a plea from American soldiers hoping to transfer their beloved Iraqi stray to U.S. terrain, the 9-month-old mutt became the first beneficiary of the animal advocacy organization's effort to rescue pets from the war zones where they provide solace to service members. Charlie eventually will live in Phoenix with one of his caretaker soldiers. ...........


picture: SPCA International Baghdad Pups program transports a dog named Charlie, of Charlie Company, for a soldier in Iraq who befriended the 9-month-old Border Collie mix.
Carol Guzy - The Washington Post

all i can say is

i hope, i pray, i beg the goddess

these people are free bruce willis, billy bob thornton, ben affleck, will patton, steve buscemi, william fichtner, owen wilson, michael clark duncan and peter stormere

to handle THIS

it ain't easy being green

but in the LONG RUN IT'S WORTH IT. i sent this article to my department at work. it's a start. perhaps other departments will pick it up as well. it seems small, but it's a start
One Tiny Change Could Save Thousands Of Trees
By JOANN KLIMKIEWICZ Courant Staff Writer
The spark for Tamara Krinsky's grass-roots paper-saving movement came years ago, and it had less to do with living a green lifestyle than it did a thrifty one.Back in her days as a struggling actress, Krinsky found herself going through stacks of paper as she printed thick manuscripts and writing drafts from home. By shrinking the default margin settings to under an inch, she found she could scrimp on paper and save herself a few bucks.Years later Krinsky struggled no more, but her frugal habit remained. So while working on the marketing campaign for an environmental documentary film last summer, she was reflexively changing the margins on a research document when a light bulb went off. "Granted," she says, "it was an environmentally friendly light bulb."What would happen and how much paper might be saved, she wondered, if the paper-printing masses adopted a narrower standard margin setting? Besides, what but habit dictates that pages be capped with inch-wide margins at their tops and bottoms and a quarter-inch more on their sides?......

change the margins

holy f**king shite

this ass thinks rape is NOT rape if a woman is NOT a virgin (or if she's assaulted by her husband). AND HE'S AN EFFING LAWMAKER on top of it

again, holy f**king shite
via feministing
Rape: They just don't make it like they used to
I can't believe we missed this. Last week, after a debate over legislation that would amend the state constitution to say that it does not guarantee the right to abortion or require funding for abortion, Tennessee state Sen. Doug Henry (at right), said,
“Rape, ladies and gentlemen, is not today what rape was. Rape, when I was learning these things, was the violation of a chaste woman, against her will, by some party not her spouse. Today it’s simply, ‘Let’s don’t go forward with this act.’ ”
In the modern era, now that all women are dirty whores, rape is really no big deal. After all, women can just say no!
Perhaps we should write Sen. Henry an email or two and let him know what has and hasn't changed about sexual assault in this country?..........

you call it 'an unmitigated disaster'

i call it PAR FOR THE COURSE
Bush forest budget called disastrous
Lawmaker Calls Bush Forest Budget 'Unmitigated Disaster'
MATTHEW DALY AP News
A Bush administration spending plan that would slash money for the Forest Service could lead to massive layoffs at the agency charged with managing 193 million acres of national forests, Democratic lawmakers said Wednesday. Spending for the Forest Service would be cut by nearly 8 percent next year, to $4.1 billion, in a budget plan submitted by President Bush.
The plan could mean the loss of more than 2,700 jobs — nearly 10 percent of the agency's work force — as well as reductions in dozens of non-fire related programs, from road and trail maintenance to state assistance, land acquisition and recreation, lawmakers said.
Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Wash., chairman of the House Appropriations Interior subcommittee, called the budget plan "an unmitigated disaster" that "would cause real harm to our 193-million acre national forest system."............

funny

i thought waterboarding was torture and torture was BANNED ALL ALONG! silly me, huh?
doesn't matter, king george LIKES waterboarding. he and big dick and the rest of 'em feel they don't have to obey ANY laws. why waste the time of the senate and congress anyway? they have MORE IMPORTANT things to do such as interrogate pro baseball players (a VERY pressing issue in my mind. f**k our men and women dying in iraq. f**k health care. f**k education. i care about a few KAZILLIONAIRE baseball players use of drugs)

Senate Passes Ban On Waterboarding, Other Techniques

By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer
The Senate voted yesterday to ban waterboarding and other harsh interrogation tactics used by the CIA, matching a previous House vote and putting Congress on a collision course with the White House over a pivotal national security issue.
In a 51 to 45 vote, the Senate approved an intelligence bill that limits the CIA to using 19 less-aggressive interrogation tactics outlined in a U.S. Army Field Manual. The measure would effectively ban the use of simulated drowning, temperature extremes and other harsh tactics that the CIA used on al-Qaeda prisoners after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
President Bush has vowed to veto the legislation, which the House approved in December, and Congress does not appear to have enough votes to override a veto. ........

i guess i'll have to read the book now

i have it on my desk at work. i got it as a 'mistake' from my book club. i forgot to reply to that month's book selection so they auto sent it. i hadn't even read what the selections were. i had never heard of it anyway, so i would have said NOT to send it. i'll read it now. if it's good enough for the coens it's good enough for ME
Coens to adapt Chabon bestseller
The Coen brothers are to adapt author Michael Chabon's bestseller The Yiddish Policeman's Union for the big screen.
Joel and Ethan Coen will write and direct the Alaskan murder mystery, set in a fictional Jewish settlement, after Columbia Pictures acquired the rights.
The Coens' current film No Country for Old Men, which earned the brothers a Bafta for best director at the weekend, is nominated for eight Academy Awards. ...............

they are protecting america from terrorists

THAT ARE 14 DAYS OLD (and have heart conditions). how sad is this?

Baby dies in DHS/Immigration custody at airport...
Maybe DHS, can get retroactive immunity for all of the deaths piling up at their doorstep? This one will make your pull your hair out of your head:
"A 14-day-old infant traveling here for heart surgery died at Honolulu International Airport on Friday after he, his mother and a nurse were detained by immigration officials in a locked room, a lawyer for the boy's family said.
The Honolulu medical examiner's office yesterday identified the infant as Michael Futi of Tafuna, American Samoa's largest village, which is located on the east coast of Tutuila Island. Autopsy findings have been deferred.
According to police, the child died at 5:50 a.m. It is unknown why immigration officials detained the mother, the nurse and the child. Scott Ishikawa, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, said the child went into respiratory failure while in the customs office, which is located near the baggage claims area of the overseas terminal. Airport paramedics were called about 6:10 a.m., he said.".............

from fatfree vegan kitchen

check out these entries (too late to vote, there is already a winner) for vegetable love

there are Curry Chickpea Crepes by LaMana at Culinary Healing

Vegan Molten Chocolate Cakes by Ricki at Diet, Dessert and Dogs

Vietnamese Rolls by Purplesque at Purplesque's Vox

Cauliflower Couscous with Basil Leaves and Avocado by Coppe at Something About Penguins

there are MORE at the link to vegetable love above check them out!

(i voted for the curry chickpea crepes - which came in second)

elaine chao

i'd never heard of her (or if i had, i don't remember). none of this information surprises me in the least. the fact all of this went on and we did NOTHING about it doesn't surprise me either. what DOES surprise me is WHY? why have we let this go on? i don't understand any of it. if you click the link below you'll find out some of the things ms chao actually DID (or in some cases didn't) do
reprehensible
What's wrong with Elaine Chao?
by thsisnotanexit
Short answer: lots.
Elaine Chao is the Secretary of Labor, George W. Bush's longest-serving cabinet member, and wife of Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
Under Elaine’s 'leadership,' the Department of Labor has turned into an agency that screws America's workers and enables corporate giveaways.
That's why today workers' rights advocacy group American Rights at Work launches a new campaign against Elaine Chao at www.ShameOnElaine.org.
Let's take a look at some of her more egregious failures.
thsisnotanexit's diary :: ::
We compiled a lot of dirt that's piled up about Elaine Chao over the last seven years on a multitude of issues, from mine safety lapses to plain old corruption.
Unlike her cohorts in the Bush Administration, Elaine Chao has escaped much-needed public scrutiny of her time on the job. From littering the Labor Department with corporate insiders to dismantling worker safety protections and collaborating with her husband, Sen. Mitch McConnell, on a blatant anti-worker political agenda, Elaine has disgraced her role as Secretary of Labor.
Elaine Chao’s egregious policies include rollbacks of critical mine safety protections, hostility toward workers and their unions, and collaboration with corporate interests, most notably through her husband, Senator Mitch McConnell...........

another tragedy

that's been brought to light before. yet nothing is done. i don't even understand why people still enlist in the military these days. the treatement we afford our veterans (ALL veterans actually, not just those from iraq and afghanistan) is shameful. the care we dole out is at the very least lacking. at the very most a crime
AP Scoop: War Veterans Make Up Half of Suicides At Hom
WASHINGTON National Guard and Reserve troops who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan make up more than half of veterans who committed suicide after returning home from those wars, according to new government data obtained by The Associated Press.A Department of Veterans Affairs analysis of ongoing research of deaths among veterans of both wars -- obtained exclusively by The AP -- found that Guard or Reserve members were 53 percent of the veteran suicides from 2001, when the war in Afghanistan began, through the end of 2005.The research, conducted by the agency's Office of Environmental Epidemiology, provides the first demographic look at suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who left the military -- a situation that veterans and mental health advocates worry might worsen as the wars drag on.Upon learning of the VA's findings on Tuesday, the Veterans of Foreign Wars called for the Pentagon and the VA to combine their efforts to track suicides among those who have served in those countries in order to get a clearer picture of the problem.''We're very concerned for the overall well-being of our military men and women as well as our veterans and want to know, is there a growing problem that needs to be addressed by both the (Defense Department) and the VA?'' said Joe Davis, the VFW's public affairs director. ''To fix a problem, you have to define it first.''Military leaders have leaned heavily on Guard and Reserve troops in the wars. At certain times in 2005, members of the Guard and Reserve made up nearly half the troops fighting in Iraq.Overall, they were nearly 28 percent of all U.S. military forces deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan or in support of the operations, according to Defense Department data through the end of 2007.............

and some news that makes my heart heavy

our america is becomming russia (the OLD soviet union) or north korea or cuba. they've ripped up and spit on our constitution and our bill of rights AND WE LET THEM
the senate approved this, i hope beyond hope the house does NOT
Senate Authorizes Broad Expansion Of Surveillance Act
By Paul Kane Washington Post Staff Writer
The Senate yesterday approved a sweeping measure that would expand the government's clandestine surveillance powers, delivering a key victory to the White House by approving immunity from lawsuits for telecommunications companies that cooperated with intelligence agencies in domestic spying after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.
On a 68 to 29 vote, the Senate approved the reauthorization of a law that would give the government greater powers to eavesdrop in terrorism and intelligence cases without obtaining warrants from a secret court.
The Senate's action, days before a temporary surveillance law expires Friday, sets up a clash with House Democrats, who have previously approved legislation that does not contain immunity for the telecommunications industry. The chambers have been locked in a standoff over the immunity provision since the House vote Nov. 15, with President Bush demanding the protection for the industry.
White House spokesman Tony Fratto said the president "will not sign another extension" of the temporary law, a decision that could force congressional leaders to reconcile their differences this week...............

yes we can!

what a WONDERFUL thing to wake up to!
Winning Streak Extends To District, Md. and Va.

By Dan Balz and Tim Craig Washington Post Staff Writers
Sen. Barack Obama swamped Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in Maryland, Virginia and the District yesterday, extending his post-Super Tuesday winning streak and forcing Clinton onto the defensive as the Democratic presidential race moves toward a showdown in Ohio and Texas on March 4.
On a day when there was huge turnout in the area, the senator from Illinois won Virginia with about 64 percent of the vote. In Maryland, where the polls were kept open an additional 90 minutes because of bad weather, he was winning with about 62 percent to Clinton's 35 percent. He was headed for an even bigger win in the District, where he was attracting about 75 percent of the vote. ...........

the other day i read about montel williams

losing his job. no big whoop i thought to myself, UNTIL - i read THIS today: Montel Williams Loses Job after Defending Troops on Fox News
By Daily Kos. 04 Feb 2008-->
For just over three minutes on Saturday morning, TV talk show host Montel Williams owned the hosts of Fox and Friends. A former Marine and Naval officer, Montel lectured the stunned hosts on the stupidity of spending air time on the death of Heath Ledger, rather than covering the war in Iraq. It was a spectacle rarely seen on live cable television, as Montel exposed and condemned both tabloid “news” shows and much of American culture for what they have each become: shallow and greedy.
Three minutes into this awkward segment on Fox, one host cut off Montel in order to go to a commercial. Montel did not return after the break. Four days later, after 17 years as a television host, Montel lost his job. Variety reported on Wednesday that the Fate of “The Montel Williams Show” was sealed when key Fox-owned stations opted not to renew it for the 2008-09 season.

(video at the link above)

et tu discovery channel?

how disappointed i am in you. controversial? it's REAL. it HAPPENED. it's THE TRUTH. it is NOW PART OF AMERICA'S STORY AND HISTORY. we must accept the bad along with the good. how else can we make america better?
Discovery Channel Drops Plans To Air ‘Taxi To The Dark Side’ Because It Is Too ‘Controversial’
Taxi to the Dark Side, a documentary about an innocent Afghan taxi driver tortured to death by U.S. officials at Bagram Air Base, has received wide critical acclaim since its debut in April at the Tribeca Film Festival. The New York Times’s A.O. Scott said, “If recent American history is ever going to be discussed with the necessary clarity and ethical rigor, this film will be essential.”
Director Alex Gibney agreed to sell the rights of Taxi to the Discovery Channel because executives convinced him they would “give the film a prominent broadcast.” Now, however, Discovery has dropped its plans to air the documentary because the film is too controversial. Gibney responded to the news in a press release this week:
Now, I am told that ‘it doesn’t fit into Discovery’s plans,’ and that the film’s controversial content might damage Discovery’s public offering.
Having directed ‘Enron,’ very little about this kind of corporate behavior shocks me, but I am surprised that a network that touts itself as a supporter of documentaries would be so shamelessly craven. This is a film that, in an election year, is of critical interest to the viewing public. What Discovery is doing is tantamount to political censorship.......

why won't they stop him?

(by legal non-violent means. starting with impeachment and ending with him AND his court being thrown in the big house, NOT WHITE HOUSE, BIG HOUSE, for the crimes they have committed) before it's too late? it's ALMOST too late now. we're teetering on the brink. his legacy will live on through our grandchildren's time (and if you don't believe that you are a fool)

Pen Him In
Justin Florence and Matthew Gerke
As the clock ticks down on George W. Bush’s presidency, his administration is eager to forge an agreement with Iraq to secure a long-term U.S. presence there. Last November, Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki signed a joint declaration of principles, and they expect to sign a bilateral agreement this summer. Although the administration has kept the details of the agreement close to its vest, it has made one thing clear: It won’t submit the agreement to Congress for approval. Members of Congress, including Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Barack Obama (D-Ill.), are concerned by the president’s unilateral approach and his intention to tie the hands of a future president. Bills pending in the House (H.R. 4959) and the Senate (S. 2426) would cut off funding for any such agreement. They also would express the “sense of Congress” that an agreement without congressional approval “does not have the force . . . of law.” As a practical matter, Congress may be unlikely to cut off funds for Iraq activities. But there might be enough votes to affirm a statement that protects Congress’ constitutional role in our government. And such a statement could be more than a mere rhetorical flourish: The words may be enough to block the Iraq agreement as a matter of both U.S. and international law. FOREIGN AGREEMENTS The Constitution grants the president the authority to make treaties, provided they are approved by two-thirds of the Senate. As a matter of historical practice, the president may also make international agreements if authorized to do so by a law passed by Congress. (These are called “congressional-executive agreements”; the North American Free Trade Agreement is a prominent example.) And in some narrow cases, the president may create an international agreement all by himself through his own constitutional powers. (These are referred to as “sole executive agreements”; the Algiers Accords, which ended the Iran hostage crisis, are an example.) Although these have different names in U.S. law, as a matter of international law they are all considered treaties, and they all legally bind the United States and future presidents. ........

hey esser you giant ass

i MAY be a loudmouth (well, not may, i AM one) but i sure as shite am NOT shiftless NOR am i a deadbeat. i've been working since i was 16 years old, paying my taxes (and surprisingly NOT lying about anything ON those tax forms) and i have voted in EVERY election (since the time i was able to vote), local and national (except ONE local one). remember that - i DO vote you giant pile of steamin' scheist
from the brad blog
WA GOP Chair, Esser the Suppressor: 'To win the election, we have to keep as many of these loudmouth leftists and shiftless deadbeats away from the polls as possible'

The Man Who Stopped Counting GOP Caucus Votes...in His Earlier Days...
Huckabee Today: 'This is Not What We do in American Elections...That's How They Used to Conduct it in the old Soviet Union'...............

Like any sport worth its salt, in politics you have adversaries, opponents, enemies. Our enemies are loudmouth leftists and shiftless deadbeats. To win the election, we have to keep as many of these people away from the polls as possible. Now your average leftist loudmouth is a committed individual and can almost never be persuaded to ignore his constitutional rights. The deadbeats, however, are a different matter entirely. Years of interminable welfare checks and free government services have made these modern-day sloths even more lazy. They will vote on election day, if it isn’t much of a bother. But even the slightest inconvenience can keep them from the polling place.

get a load of this shite

they're making a solider who has bi-polar disorder (most everyone agrees on that) and abuses alcohol and who attempted suicide and who already did a tour in kuwait deploy AGAIN to the middle east. let's just say you're king george or a member of his court and you don't give a flying yoo hoo about this young man. let's just say that. WELL WHAT ABOUT THE FACT A SUICIDAL, DEPRESSED, ALCOHOLIC IS GIVEN A GUN AND MADE TO 'DEFEND YOU AND YOUR COUNTRY AGAINST THE WAR ON TERROR'! you don't have a problem with THAT? (note: i am more concerned about the young man of course. i'm just making a point here)
Soldier, After Bipolar Treatment and Suicide Attempts, Sent Back to War Zone
FORT CARSON A Fort Carson soldier who says he was in treatment at Cedar Springs Hospital for bipolar disorder and alcohol abuse was released early and ordered to deploy to the Middle East with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.The 28-year-old specialist spent 31 days in Kuwait and was returned to Fort Carson on Dec. 31 after health care professionals in Kuwait concurred that his symptoms met criteria for bipolar disorder and “some paranoia and possible homicidal tendencies,” according to e-mails obtained by a Denver newspaper.The soldier, who asked not to be identified because of the stigma surrounding mental illness and because he will seek employment when he leaves the Army, said he checked himself into Cedar Springs on Nov. 9 or Nov. 10 after he attempted suicide while under the influence of alcohol. He said his treatment was supposed to end Dec. 10, but his commanding officers showed up at the hospital Nov. 29 and ordered him to leave.“I was pulled out to deploy,” said the soldier, who has three years in the Army and has served a tour in Iraq........

more evidence

NO ONE WILL DO ANY DAMN THING ABOUT

Army Buried Study Faulting Iraq Planning

By MICHAEL R. GORDON

WASHINGTON — The Army is accustomed to protecting classified information. But when it comes to the planning for the Iraq war, even an unclassified assessment can acquire the status of a state secret. That is what happened to a detailed study of the planning for postwar Iraq prepared for the Army by the RAND Corporation, a federally financed center that conducts research for the military.
After 18 months of research, RAND submitted a report in the summer of 2005 called “Rebuilding Iraq.” RAND researchers provided an unclassified version of the report along with a secret one, hoping that its publication would contribute to the public debate on how to prepare for future conflicts.
But the study’s wide-ranging critique of the White House, the Defense Department and other government agencies was a concern for Army generals, and the Army has sought to keep the report under lock and key. ........

picture: Charles Dharapak/Associated Press
An assessment of the planning for Iraq’s rebuilding was submitted in 2005 as criticism of the war was growing. President Bush countered such criticism that November with a speech on strategy.

gosh, this is SO SWEET!

our vice president, the BIG DICK is concerned about the welfare and state of mind of employees who work for him. he does NOT want THEM to be embarrassed in any way shape or form. if they testified and were videotaped, the big dick is CERTAIN THEY would end up looking like fools on youtube. see? i told you he's SWEET and TENDER and KIND! hold on someone is at my door and wants to sell me this big bridge.............(does he REALLY think WE think he's concerned about his aides? hell no!)
Cheney fights release of videos
The VP's office worries depositions of two aides in a Golden man's civil lawsuit may show up on YouTube.
By David OlingerThe Denver Post

The office of Vice President Dick Cheney is seeking to block the release of videotaped depositions given by two aides who witnessed a physical encounter between an Iraq war opponent and Cheney.
In a motion filed Saturday, Cheney's office contended that the videotapes could be used to invade the privacy and embarrass two aides called to testify about the encounter in a civil lawsuit.
The motion for a protective order expressed particular concern that both aides' faces could wind up on YouTube.com.
"As courts have recognized, using digital technology, a video recording can easily be 'cut and spliced,' so as to embarrass and even humiliate a witness," Cheney's lawyers wrote in a U.S. District Court filing.
"That much can readily be seen from a visit to YouTube. . . . A simple query using the search term 'deposition' yields over 400 video clips, in which many of the deponents are made to look boorish, mendacious, or unintelligent." ..........

america; where the buffalo

USED to roam:
Yellowstone puts 53 wild bison on death row
Wild bison soon to be wild meat By Elizabeth Laden GARDINER — Yellowstone National Park officials lured 53 bison Friday morning to the Stephens Creek bison corrals north of Gardiner within park boundaries. According to a park news release, the bison had crossed the park boundary and moved onto private land. The bison will either be sent directly to a slaughterhouse or to a research facility at Corwin Springs north of Gardiner. Park officials also said they have tried to herd the animals back into the park since early December. In a news release the West Yellowstone-based Buffalo Field Campaign (BFC) condemned the capture and noted that the animals were following their migratory instincts to search for food no longer available in the snow-covered park...........

..........Yellowstone’s bison are “members of the last wild, genetically intact population existing in the United States, and number fewer than 4,600. Most, if not all, will be sent to slaughter without being tested for brucellosis antibodies. The National Park Service is caving in to the unreasonable demands of Montana's livestock industry at the expense of an American icon, our national heritage," said Stephany Seay, BFC’s media coordinator..........

another wounded soldier's story

that is NOT pretty. he fought and he won (well not really WON) BUT HE NEVER SHOULD HAVE FOUGHT (in iraq OR for veterans benefits and proper health care) to begin with!
Gravely wounded Iraq vet visits old Walter Reed haunts
By Les Blumenthal McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — For months, Spc. Rory Dunn lay in Bed 32, Ward 58, on the fifth floor of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, recovering after a roadside bomb in Iraq exploded and crushed his forehead from ear to ear.
As he lay in the neuroscience unit struggling to recover from one of the worst traumatic brain injuries doctors had seen, he vowed that he'd never come back to Walter Reed.
Last week, he did.
Dunn wanted to thank the doctors, surgeons, nurses, therapists and others who'd helped him survive after most thought he'd surely die.
"This guy here is a miracle," said Solomon Montgomery, a former professional football player turned physical therapist, as he enveloped Dunn in a hug.
"Dude, you look good," said Dr. Stephen Rouse, who restored Dunn's skull using a plastic insert designed by a 3-D computer program.
Since he left the hospital in 2005, Dunn has rebuilt his life. He's living with his dog, Duke, in a condo he bought in Renton, Wash.
His wounds have healed, but scars remain...........

as

cv rick said; obama kicked ass in maine (well i paraphrased)

Maine caucus shatters turnout record
By Chris Good
Despite snowfall, Democrats in Maine more than doubled the state’s previous turnout record for presidential caucuses Sunday as Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) defeated Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) for the majority of the state’s delegates.
With 97 percent of caucus precincts reporting, 46,000 Maine Democrats had participated in the nominating contest compared with 17,000 in 2004, the state’s previous record, according to the Maine Democratic Party.......

and the rich keep getting richer

on the LIVES of our brothers and sisters that is.
Muscular Defense Plan Buoys Contractors
Proposed Budget Would Benefit Area Companies

By Dana Hedgpeth Washington Post Staff Writer
A run of healthy profits for defense contractors that has lasted nearly a decade will continue for at least another year, analysts and company executives said after the Bush administration last week submitted its new defense budget.
The $515.4 billion defense spending proposal for fiscal 2009 is 7.5 percent higher than the current year's and promises to fund some of the armed forces' largest and most costly weapons programs. It includes $104.2 billion for weapons procurement and nearly $80 billion for research and development, testing and evaluation.
That would mean big new opportunities and more funding for major projects for local defense and technology contractors, including Lockheed Martin of Bethesda, General Dynamics of Falls Church, SI International of Reston, CACI International of Arlington and Northrop Grumman, which is based in Los Angeles but has a large presence in the Washington area. .....

the nutmeg grater: i thought they said the devil was NOT going to speak#links#links

the nutmeg grater: i thought they said the devil was NOT going to speak#links#links

waterboarding IS torture

i know you know it and someone who REALLY knows it says it out loud. you might not care if we waterboard or not. i do. i care because i don't want it done to OUR men and women. i don't want US to be monsters and savages. it's 2008. we are human beings. we should be MORAL human beings who obey LAWS
Why It Was Called 'Water Torture'
By Richard E. Mezo
Last week, much to my dismay, government officials testified before Congress that the United States has used the interrogation technique known as waterboarding and would like to hold out the option of using it in the future. As someone who has experienced waterboarding, albeit in a controlled setting, I know that the act is indeed torture. I was waterboarded during my training to become a Navy flight crew member. As has been noted in The Post and other media outlets, waterboarding is "real drowning that simulates death." It's an experience our country should not subject people to.
In February 1963, I was ordered from the Naval Air Station in Alameda, Calif., to Whidbey Island, Wash., for survival training. Part of the week-long program was a brief incarceration in a simulated prisoner-of-war camp; at that time, the program was modeled on events that had occurred during the Korean War. First we were to be "held" in a mock North Korean camp and later transferred to a Chinese camp. .........

so how is this

surge working anyway?
N. Iraq Blasts Kill Dozens; Gates Arrives In Baghdad
U.S.-Backed Sunni Guards, Security Forces Are Targeted

sure life is unfair

if you're not rich and you're NOT a friend to king george and his court
(how DARE he)
Bush to tornado victims: 'Life is unfair'
While visiting tornado-ravaged Tennessee, President Bush stopped in to speak to residents affected.
We're sorry you're going through what you're going through.
You know, life sometimes is, uh, you know, is unfair, and you don't get to play the hand that you wanted to play. But, the question is, when you get dealt the hand, how do you play it?
And I've come away with this impression of the folks of Macon County. One, you're down-to-Earth, good, hard-workin' people. They have a respect for the Almighty, and this community's going to be as strong as ever. That's what I think............

some GOOD news for a change

Obama Sweeps Clinton in Louisiana, Nebraska, Washington