a follow up on the 'it's ok to rape me if i'm drinking' tee

according to feministing it's been pulled

(my original posting on this story

A Feministing Win: Rape shirt pulled!
Via Hear Me Roar, we find out that David & Goliath has pulled the oh-so-funny rape t-shirt (at least online, it seems). First Wal-Mart's panties and now this - we're on a roll, folks!
But don't worry, they still have the classic "I'm too pretty to do math" shirt. (Sigh.)

this is good

it's funny BUT it's scary too
A Liberal Goes Undercover to Brave America's Premiere Right-Wing Gathering
By Mister Leonard Pierce, AlterNet
So I decided to go to the 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC -- America's foremost gathering of the extreme right wing of the Republican Party. Why did I do it? For years, I'd been writing snotty articles about the reactionary right as a contributor to the blog Sadly, No! but aside from family reunions, I never spent much time with them. So, with a hotly contested presidential election in the offing and rumors of the retreat of modern neoconservativism being whispered in the corridors of punditry, I decided there was no better time than the present to worm my way into the midst of the right wing's true believers. Using the generous donations of Sadly, No! readers and other well-wishers, and posing as a lobbyist for the American Milk Solids Council, I made my way to Washington in early February and sat through every moment of CPAC 2008. Herewith, a highly abridged version of my copious notes from the belly of the beast.
*****
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. When I arrive at the hotel, two members of the Young America's Foundation -- the omnipresent youth league that superceded the hippie-punching Young Americans for Freedom -- are trying to check in using a credit card not belonging to them. Rules are for poor people, and they seem to think that if they berate the poor West African guy working the front desk, they'll get what they want eventually. They may be wrong, but damn it, no late-shift immigrant is going to tell them that. Modern Washington, the Washington of Bush and CPAC, was built to keep people like him from telling people like them what to do.
The convention will be attended, largely, by two groups of people: the mainline Republican rump of 19-percenters, who think George W. Bush is doing a Brownian heck of a job, and the radical right, who think that the problem with George is that he's not heartlessly conservative enough. To put it another way, here we have the people who look at the wreckage of the American 2000s and pronounce it a wonderful thing and the people who look at it and say, "Yeah, it's pretty awful, but if we tried, we could make it a whole lot worse."..............

shades of things to come?

2 Of 3 Tests Of New Ballot Scanners Fail
CLEVELAND -- The third time was the charm for pretest of the new optical ballot scanners at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Chief Investigator Duane Pohlman reported that the board ran two tests of the scanners on Friday, and during both tests, the computer repeatedly showed an error message.
However, a third test ran successfully.

(see, it's OK a THIRD TEST was FINE)

i know where we can save 120 to 200 million

PLUS MUCH MORE
BRING OUR MEN AND WOMEN HOME FROM THE MIDDLE EAST. sell the f**king us embassy in iraq (sure we'll take a GIANT loss, but we can get a few bucks for the monstrosity).

we can't help others because we can't even help ourselves. we're not going to be able to fill our cars with gas to get to work. we're not going to be able to feed our families but the good ol' white boy network will be going strong
Soaring Food Prices Putting U.S. Emergency Aid in Peril
Supplies and Recipients Likely to Be Reduced

By Anthony Faiola Washington Post Staff Writer
The U.S. government's humanitarian relief agency will significantly scale back emergency food aid to some of the world's poorest countries this year because of soaring global food prices, and the U.S. Agency for International Development is drafting plans to reduce the number of recipient nations, the amount of food provided to them, or both, officials at the agency said.
USAID officials said that a 41 percent surge in prices for wheat, corn, rice and other cereals over the past six months has generated a $120 million budget shortfall that will force the agency to reduce emergency operations. That deficit is projected to rise to $200 million by year's end. Prices have skyrocketed as more grains go to biofuel production or are consumed by such fast-emerging markets as China and India.
Officials said they were reviewing all of the agency's emergency programs -- which target almost 40 countries and zones including Ethiopia, Iraq, Somalia, Honduras and Sudan's Darfur region -- to decide how and where the cuts will be made. ...........

Iraq War Results & Statistics as of Feb 24, 2008
From Deborah White,
(these figures are as of 2/28/2008)
3,971 US Soldiers Killed, 29,203 Seriously Wounded
For your quick reading, I've listed key statistics about the Iraq War, taken primarily from data analyzed by various think tanks, including The Brookings Institution's Iraq Index, and from mainstream media sources. Data is presented as of February 24, 2008, except as indicated.
US SPENDING IN IRAQ
Spent & Approved War-Spending - About $600 billion of US taxpayers' funds. President Bush has requested another $200 billion for 2008, which would bring the cumulative total to close to $800 billion.
U.S. Daily Spending in Iraq - oover $270 million, in November 2007
Cost of deploying one U.S. soldier for one year in Iraq - $390,000 (Congressional Research Service)
Lost & Unaccounted for in Iraq - $9 billion of US taxpayers' money and $549.7 milion in spare parts shipped in 2004 to US contractors.

just a little somethin' somethin' about ME ME ME now

i've eliminated white sugar (and non-whole grains as well) from my diet. i'm NOT on a health kick by any means. i am just looking for a change. i'm addicted to sweet (not as much as fat and salt though. however, it seems easier to give the fat up than the sweet). i drink black unsweeted coffee but when i have tea i need it sweet. except for the stevia, all of these have calories and they are all sweet. your body just happens to break them down differently (at least the brown rice syrup and the agave) i made some kick ass tapioca pudding too with soy milk, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, raisins, pistachios, slivered almonds, chopped dates, a bit of arrowroot and GIANT pearl tapioca. i had that craving.

my sweetners of choice are;

agave nectar

brown rice syrup

stevia

and VERMONT maple syrup

some info on natural sweeteners

beaded game board - beaded yarn

nice!!!!!!!!!!!

Hasbro / AP

A glass Scrabble board encrusted with more than 30,000 Swarovski crystals glitters at the American International Toy Fair in New York on Feb. 14. Hasbro created the board, worth about $20,000, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Scrabble.

now for the yarn. there IS yarn made with swarovski crystals. it's about 2.00 a foot. who can afford to knit ANYTHING (maybe a friendship bracelet?????) with yarn costing that much? but

artyarns beaded silk (Beaded Silk: Spun silk is twisted with a silk strand of glass beads to create this jewel-like yarn. ...............this yarn is shiny and soft, and can be used with all Regal Silk patterns. Also perfect to trim any garment.) is JUST as lovely and affordable (about 35.50 for 100 yards). iris schreier is the designer. you can't buy her yarn at her website, but there are links to stores where you can. she also has a yahoo group (i'm a member): Remember to join the Multidirectional Group for free patterns, support, and information on MD knitting. It's a wonderful resource.

i couldn't believe my eyes

i saw this on feministing and was outraged. i'm writing to the company and if you want to do it too, there's a link in the story. i went one better and printed a picture of ANOTHER tee the company had as well

by the way, they come in 'junior' sizes. wtf?????????????

Rape: Makes for great t-shirts

You know, I just have no words. I'm too fucking mentally and emotionally exhausted to yet again explain why rape isn't fucking funny.
Lodge your complaints here.

(and here's a follow up i posted a couple of days after this)

lee camp talks a bit about his appearance on faux "news"

Why I Called Fox News "Propaganda" While Live on Fox News
Posted by Lee Camp, AlterNet
As most of you have seen, I ripped into Fox "News" while on a Fox "News" morning show this past Saturday. If you haven't seen it, the clip is to your right. I didn't say what I said in order to get attention. I figured that my statements would piss off a few hundred Fox viewers (or maybe help them question the "facts" they're getting from their sacred channel) and that I would show the clip to a few friends. As it turned out, within a day the clip had been viewed around 300,000 times on various sites, and I was getting interview requests from national radio shows. Apparently I struck a nerve........

.............What happened after they cut to a commercial? Clayton Morris was visibly furious but didn't say a word. Neither did anyone in the main studio. I got up, took my microphone off, and walked silently back to the greenroom, itching to the get the fuck out of that sixth circle of hell. Back in the greenroom I saw the female co-host, who was wearing her normal business skirt that is only half an inch away from illegal in 23 states. Even though there are three TV's back there showing nothing but Fox "News" (and we act like water boarding is torture?) she apparently had not watched the segment. She looked at me and said, "GREAT JOB!! We need more humor on the show. It's all so serious!" She did not get to the natural conclusion of her thought, "Now excuse me. I have to go interview strippers wearing Star Trek outfits designed for three-year-olds."..........

if you cut corners and make shoddy equipment (allegedly) for our deployed troops

our government REWARDS YOU WITH MORE CONTRACTS. cool, no?
Advocate, watchdog call for Congress to investigate shoddy kevlar in troop helmets
(note: i'm afraid congress DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO INVESTIGATE THIS. THEY ARE FAR TOO BUSY WITH ROGER CLEMONS)

Nick Juliano
A company that allegedly produced sub-standard kevlar for battle helmets used by US troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan continues to receive lucrative government contracts, and Congressional oversight committees need to investigate if the company endangered servicemen and women, veterans' and government ethics activists said Thursday.
Much remains to be learned about whether Sioux Manufacturing cut corners and ignored safety standards outlined in its federal contract to produce the kevlar helmets. ...........
............Also on Thursday, CREW released secret recordings they say back up the assertions from whistleblowers Jeff Kenner and Tamra Elshaug that the company knowingly produced sub-standard kevlar. Both employees say they were fired in November 2005 for raising questions about the kevlar production.
Elshaug said she was harassed by co-workers after questioning company procedures and feared for her safety...........

mission accomplished!

two peas in a pod. neither living in reality
Despite Problems, Iraqi Leader Boasts of Success
Rivals See Maliki's Confidence as Rash, but Publicly Deny a Move to Topple Him

thanks for helping to save the lives of american women and men

we really appreciate it. we know you're in danger just because you did help us. but guess what? we don't give a flying yoo hoo! lucy, you can't be in the show (or come to america)
how we can turn aside and leave them in harm's way is beyond me.
Visas for War Zone Translators Halted
Current Quotas Are Nearly Filled

By Walter Pincus Washington Post Staff Writer
The State Department has stopped processing the applications of 551 Iraqi and Afghan translators seeking special visas to come to the United States, because the current legal quota of 500 visas for the program this year is about to be reached, according to department officials.
The applicants, all of whom have worked for U.S. military forces, received an e-mail notice from the State Department's National Visa Center last week. "We have temporarily stopped processing cases," the message said, adding that "the applicant should NOT make any travel arrangements, sell property or give up employment until the US Embassy or Consulate General has issued a visa." ............
...............More than 250 interpreters working for U.S. forces or their contractors have been killed in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003. Many American service members have worked to help their former translators gain a visa to come to the United States under a 2006 congressional program initially designed to admit 50 translators per year, a quota later increased to 500. .............

a little (and i do mean little) thursday humor

Sam's Club: Zell Says Economic Woes Caused By ... Obama and Clinton
NEW YORK Speaking on CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday, new Tribune Co. owner Sam Zell attributed much of the current economic woes to fear-mongering by Democratic foes Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. "Obviously what we have going on is an attempt to create a self-fulfilling prophecy," said Zell. "We have two Democratic candidates who are vying with each other to describe the economic situation worse. ....

PUT DOWN THE CRACK PIPE AND BACK AWAY SLOWLY........

(here's a link to a GREAT cartoon on zell by david horsey. i think the tribune co owns my local paper too, the hartford courant)

the nutmeg grater: he's an ass#links#links

the nutmeg grater: he's an ass#links#links

at first, i thought this headline

from boing boing was a joke.

IT'S NOT
GOP Senate hopeful got rich diverting corpsemeat from burn victims to enlarge penises

pretty amazing paper cuts

from danish artist, peter callesen

(hat tip once again: bifurcated rivets

the encyclopedia of life

Encyclopaedia of Life launched to document 1.8 million species
dpa German Press Agency

Washington- The world's 1.8 million named species arecurrently documented in a hodgepodge of books, websites, scientificassociations and libraries - accumulated over the 300 years since thescientific system of genus and species identification was invented.But with Wednesday's launch of the Encylopaedia of Life, theinformation will become available over the next 10 years to the worldvia the internet, with a web page for each species and illustrationsand weblinks if available, according to the network of sponsors of www.eol.com...........

NOTE: even though the above has eol.com it is NOT eol.com, it's eol dot org

our best friends in action again

yup, our buds the saudis making sure hilarity ensues once more
well if WE can set up OUR citizens (let's say don siegelman for example), why can't our buds?
Saudi tutor gets lashes for meeting student
A married university professor has been sentenced to 180 lashes and eight months in prison for having coffee with a female student.
The professor of psychology at Umm al-Qra University in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, was caught in a "honey trap" operation after angering members of the religious police during a training course, his lawyer said.
The academic is said to have received a call from a supposed student, who asked to discuss a problem in person; he agreed, provided she brought along a brother as a chaperone. When the man arrived at the meeting place, the girl was alone, and he was arrested for being in a state of khulwa - seclusion - with an unrelated female.
The professor, who has not been named, was reported to be a married man in his late 50s with children........

$750,000,000 and counting........

counting down to what? our poverty? our high oil prices? the cost of groceries? the health care of our veterans? the health care of our elderly? the health care of our children? the education of our citizens? (but not to worry, our congress is investigating drug use in mlb)

State Dept. orders another review of troubled Baghdad embassy
By Warren P. Strobel McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — The State Department's new embassy construction chief has rejected his predecessor's certification that the $740 million new U.S. embassy in Baghdad is "substantially completed" and has instead begun a top-to-bottom review of the troubled project.
The official, Richard Shinnick, said in an interview the State Department hopes that the sprawling embassy complex — originally scheduled to be completed last September — will be ready by March 31.
But he said repeatedly that he's not setting a target date because past deadlines have forced a rush to complete the embassy's defective work. "That's not the message I want to send," he said.
The central issue appears to be the firefighting systems.
The embassy will house more than 1,000 U.S. diplomats and military personnel, many of whom live and work at a palace of former president Saddam Hussein that is subject to frequent rocket and mortar attacks — adding urgency to completing the new complex.........

i heard some of the testimony

(read by the news reporter) on npr
Exxon Makes Case on Valdez for High Court
by Nina Totenberg

All Things Considered, February 27, 2008 · The Supreme Court heard arguments from Exxon today that the amount the corporation has been ordered to pay as a result of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska is unreasonable.
Lawyers representing fishermen, Native Alaskans and others say the punitive damages are necessary, because Exxon has not shown that it takes responsibility for the spill and it has fired only one person over the incident: the captain of the Exxon Valdez............... (if you click the npr link above, in addition to the rest of the article, there's an audio link)



i was shocked, astounded and very disturbed. it seemed the justices had NO problems with exxon making money hand over fish (yes, i meant that) while the effected citizens of alaska STILL suffered. seems like they didn't hold exxon responsible even though it sure as heck appeared they knew the captain had 'drinking' issues (for at least 3 years they knew). sure they fired the captain (ONLY), AND EVERYONE ELSE GOT A BIG FAT EFFING BONUS.



it's GOOD to be an american (BIG CORPORATION that is)

At the High Court, Damage Control

By Dana Milbank

Exxon Mobil, the giant oil corporation appearing before the Supreme Court yesterday, had earned a profit of nearly $40 billion in 2006, the largest ever reported by a U.S. company -- but that's not what bothered Roberts. What bothered the chief justice was that Exxon was being ordered to pay $2.5 billion -- roughly three weeks' worth of profits -- for destroying a long swath of the Alaska coastline in the largest oil spill in American history.
"So what can a corporation do to protect itself against punitive-damages awards such as this?" Roberts asked in court.
The lawyer arguing for the Alaska fishermen affected by the spill, Jeffrey Fisher, had an idea. "Well," he said, "it can hire fit and competent people."
The rare sound of laughter rippled through the august chamber. The chief justice did not look amused. ........

good idea

let's make it look like it's the NEXT president's fault! wonder how king george and his court can do the same with iraq?
'Virtual Fence' Along Border To Be Delayed

By Spencer S. Hsu Washington Post Staff Writer
The Bush administration has scaled back plans to quickly build a "virtual fence" along the U.S.-Mexico border, delaying completion of the first phase of the project by at least three years and shifting away from linked, tower-mounted sensors and communications and surveillance gear, federal officials said yesterday.
Technical problems discovered in a 28-mile pilot project south of Tucson prompted the change in plans, Department of Homeland Security officials and congressional auditors told a House subcommittee.
While the department took over that initial stretch Friday from Boeing, authorities confirmed that Project 28, the initial deployment of its Secure Border Initiative network, did not work as planned or meet the needs of the U.S. Border Patrol............

because while we're spending money on building fences and bringing roger clemens up on charges our deployed men and women aren't being protected as they should.

?

hmmmmmmmmm
Sunni Forces Losing Patience With U.S.

shocking, repulsive, racist

and a whole bunch of other things. as one commenter (on the original article in feministing said, don't one or both of these stoneless, spineless, id-jits want to do everything in their power to help PREVENT native americans from procreating? the answer is YES if you didn't know that. i'm sure they'd LOVE them ALL -ANY person of color-to be forcibly sterilized). they get to take it out of their pants and put it wherever THEY want - then beg for forgiveness but they judge others? NOT on MY watch

Vitter symbolically restricts native women's abortion access
This morning the Senate passed the Vitter Amendment -- yup, that David Vitter -- banning the use of federal Indian Health Service (IHS) funds for abortions. Except that the Hyde Amendment -- another piece of "pro-family" legislation named for a noted philanderer -- already restricts the rights of low-income women by denying Medicaid and IHS coverage for abortion.
So what's Vitter doing? He claims his amendment closes a loophole in the Hyde Amendment that may be exploited by a pro-choice president. But really, this is bullshit. All his amendment does reiterate our existing federal policy, and muck things up for a future Democratic congress or president that may repeal the Hyde Amendment. Explains Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards:
“Sen. Vitter’s amendment is simply a political tactic that will do nothing to improve health care for Native Americans, nor reduce the number of unintended pregnancies,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “If Sen. Vitter is serious about preventing unintended pregnancies, he would support prevention legislation that invests in family planning programs. Unfortunately, Sen. Vitter’s amendment puts politics over the health and welfare of Native Americans.”....

from libertad latina

.........
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) reports currently that of American Indian (Indigenous) women who experience rape in the U.S., 82% of the victims had been assaulted by white men. (These are not men who identify with liberal ideas.)

DOJ also reports that Native American women face a rate of rape in the U.S. that is 3.5 times higher than the average rate of rape faced by other U.S. women. .......

i've pre-screened this article (rick)

and it's safe to read. it doesn't give anything away (AND it even says 'the wire' is barack obama's favorite show).. a good analysis of the show.

'The Wire' -- Why Criticize One of the Best Crime Shows in TV History?
By Brian Cook, In These Times
............In a recent story in The Nation, Chris Hayes used 2,200-plus words to argue why progressives should back Sen. Barack Obama. I'll use only seven: Obama's favorite TV show is The Wire. It's certainly true, as Hayes noted, that Obama, like every presidential candidate, won't be saying one word about the prison-industrial complex or the disastrous consequences of the "war on drugs." But it's heartening to think that at least he's tuning in to one of the few public forums that fiercely drags such issues into our consciousness.
Throughout its five seasons on HBO, The Wire has created riveting fictional drama out of the residents living, policing and selling dope on the streets of Baltimore. Described by its co-creator David Simon as the ultimate "anti-cop show, a rebellion against the horseshit police procedurals afflicting American television," The Wire obliterates easy dichotomies of "good cops" and "bad drug dealers." Instead, it builds morally complex characters on both sides of the law whose individual decisions are largely shaped by political and economic forces outside their control. After detailing the ravages of the drug trade in its first season, the show broadened its scope in each subsequent season, examining the city's collapsing industrial sector (and unions), political system, public schools and, finally, journalistic institutions.
The result has been a show that can't seem to garner enough critical accolades: "Extraordinary" (San Jose Mercury News), "revolutionary" (Entertainment Weekly), "Dickensian" (New York Times) and "the best television show ever" (Salon and Slate). And yet quietly simmering beneath this loving consensus, there have been recent murmurs of discontent and unease with the show's portrayal of inner-city America...........

well it appears king george may be right (see prior posting)

SOME of us may NOT be in a recession
(the rich just keep getting richer)
Former Halliburton subsidiary KBR's 4th quarter profits up 65%
HOUSTON (AP) -- Former Halliburton subsidiary KBR Inc. said Tuesday fourth-quarter profit rose 65 percent, lifted by contributions from natural-gas projects, work in Iraq and a tax benefit related to a 2006 asset sale.
The Houston-based military contractor and engineering and construction firm said profit for the October-December period was $71 million, or 42 cents a share, up from $43 million, or 28 cents a share, in the prior-year period.
The most-recent quarter included income from discontinued operations of $23 million, or 14 cents a share, due to tax benefits from the 2006 sale of its production services group.
The prior-year period included a loss from discontinued operations of $2 million, or 1 cent a share.........

just like forest gump

(things are slow). now king george, please tell that to my soon to be 81 year old father. i am estimating his next home heating oil bill to be in the $800.00 range.

Bush: US in 'slowdown' not recession
US President George W. Bush denied Tuesday that the US economy was in recession or would go into one despite a spate of downcast reports and gloomy indicators.
"We're not in a recession, I don't think we will go in a recession. We're in a slowdown, and there's a difference," Bush said in an interview with American Urban Radio Networks. "No question there is softening now."
The US president boasted of job growth since he took office in January 2001 but acknowledged that "economies go through cycles, and the question is how do you deal with the down-cycle."
"I am confident in our economy," he said...

man these people CAN DANCE!

i have never seen such movements in my WHOLE life! it makes me sit up and take notice. apparently i'm only one of a few who do. we all KNEW they were lying when they said they were going to attempt to retrieve the emails. we all KNEW they were talking through their collective hats. we all KNEW they should have been held accountable THEN. we all know they were not then NOR WILL THEY BE NOW. why are we letting these criminals walk? (not just walk, we're giving them a free pass to boot). i am a citizen of the united states of america. we have a constitution. we have laws. i demand accountability. i want to know why the rest of my fellow citizens don't demand it as well

GOP Halts Effort to Retrieve White House E-Mails

By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer
After promising last year to search its computers for tens of thousands of e-mails sent by White House officials, the Republican National Committee has informed a House committee that it no longer plans to retrieve the communications by restoring computer backup tapes, the panel's chairman said yesterday.
The move increases the likelihood that an untold number of RNC e-mails dealing with official White House business during the first term of the Bush administration -- including many sent or received by former presidential adviser Karl Rove -- will never be recovered, said House Democrats and public records advocates.
The RNC had previously told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee that it was attempting to restore e-mails from 2001 to 2003, when the RNC had a policy of purging all e-mails, including those to and from White House officials, after 30 days. But Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) disclosed during a hearing yesterday that the RNC has now said it "has no intention of trying to restore the missing White House e-mails." ......

the nutmeg grater: keep your fingers crossed#links#links

the nutmeg grater: keep your fingers crossed#links#links

ms simpson has a grand point

SHE testified before congress. HE refused to even show up. who do YOU believe?
In exclusive interview, Alabama whistleblower says Rove trying to smear her
Larisa Alexandrovna
Rove's attorney says CBS should apologize for story
After a CBS affiliate blacked out 60 Minutes in Alabama, Dana Jill Simpson, the Republican attorney from Alabama and a whistleblower in the Don Siegelman case, told RAW STORY Monday that the coordinated smear attack on her credibility by the state's GOP and the American Spectator publication are being pushed by Karl Rove – the former senior aide to President Bush – in retaliation for her revelations of his role in the investigation and conviction of Don Siegelman.

Simpson, however, points to the fact she testified to Congress under oath. Though called to testify, Rove did not show up. “Mr. Rove was subpoenaed to testify in front a Congressional committee,” said Simpson this morning during a telephone interview. “He would not testify. He did not even appear in front of Congress, which is like not showing up for a court subpoena.”

88% of the women are illiterate

57% are forced to marry prior to their 16th birthday. 1 in 9 women dies giving birth. they're offered in trade, just like a cow or a bushel of grain. yeah, we're REALLY making a difference.
Women's lives worse than ever
By Terri Judd
Grinding poverty and the escalating war is driving an increasing number of Afghan families to sell their daughters into forced marriages.
Girls as young as six are being married into a life of slavery and rape, often by multiple members of their new relatives. Banned from seeing their own parents or siblings, they are also prohibited from going to school. With little recognition of the illegality of the situation or any effective recourse, many of the victims are driven to self-immolation – burning themselves to death – or severe self-harm.
Six years after the US and Britain "freed" Afghan women from the oppressive Taliban regime, a new report proves that life is just as bad for most, and worse in some cases.
Projects started in the optimistic days of 2002 have begun to wane as the UK and its Nato allies fail to treat women's rights as a priority, workers in the country insist..........

............The banned practice of offering money for a girl is still rampant – along with exchanging her as restitution for crime, debt or dispute. With the going price for a child bride at £800 to £2,000 – as much as three years salary for a labourer – many grooms are forced to take loans or swap their sisters instead, explained Partawmina Hashemee, the director of the Afghan Women Resource Centre..................

way down in the hole

opening to seasons one through five of the wire

ONLY ONE MORE EPISODE. i'm devastated. (there are two left, but on demand has them a week early, so i just watched the next to the last episode 1/2 hour ago. again, i'm devastated)


1-the blind boys of alabama
2-tom waits
3-the neville brothers
4-domaje
5-steve earle

season four


season three


season one

season five

season two

as a bonus, one of THE best scenes i've watched on television

(i love you omar!!!)

hey senator warner, bite down on a big one, ok?

so senator warner was either calling barack obama a LIAR OR wanting to find out the name of the army captain senator obama mentioned. WHY did he want to find out the name of the army captain (who by the way IS REAL, abc interviewed him). TO PUNISH HIM OF COURSE! our military has certain rules and regulations you know. just because our men and women don’t have enough equipment, some of the equipment they DO have is shite, some of the personnel are not properly trained, their lives are on the line EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY doesn’t mean they have to do everything within their power to protect themselves you silly goose(s)! dang. it’s ok to be maimed or killed AS LONG AS YOU OBEY EVERY RULE AND REGULATION while you’re in iraq and afghanistan and senator warner is warm and cozy stateside (i’m sure with ALL SORTS of technology and assistants to do his bidding. on the other hand senator warner, you are one of the FEW republican officials who have served their country. for that i salute you). instead of worrying about finding the captain sen warner, HOW ABOUT GETTING OUR TROOPS HOME FROM IRAQ AND EQUIPPING THE ONES THAT ARE DEPLOYED, CORRECTLY AND SAFELY
Warner to Obama: Bring Me Your Captain
By Leslie Wayne
One of the dramatic moments in Thursday’s Democratic debate came when Senator Barack Obama — in making the case that Iraq was the wrong place to launch a war — cited an Army captain in Afghanistan who told him of a rifle platoon that lacked manpower, ammunition and Humvees. As Mr. Obama recounted, the soldiers looked for captured Taliban weapons as it was easier to be armed that way than “to get properly equipped by our current commander in chief.”
Conservatives pounced on the story, questioning its authenticity. Senator John Warner of Virginia, the ranking Republican and former chairman of the Armed Services Committee who has endorsed Senator John McCain, wrote to Mr. Obama on Friday seeking more details. Senator Warner wants to find out of the story is true -– and, if so, who might be responsible for any lapses. He said that he will also raise the issue with Army Secretary Peter Geren and Army Chief of Staff William Casey when they testify next week before his committee.
In the letter, which begins “Dear Barack,” Senator Warner said that the incident most likely occurred while he was chairman of the committee, whose members also include Senator John McCain and Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. .....

60 minutes update-don siegelman case

by larissa alexandrovna
did you know some parts of that story were BLACKED OUT in ALABAMA? hmmmmmmmm. this IS america, right?

Update on the Media Blackout of 60 Minutes story...
Okay, people from Northern Alabama and Mobile - very southeast - are letting me know that the show was blocked - black screen - during the Siegelman segment of 60 Minutes ONLY. I also got one email from Florida saying that they had strange GOP "Dem's are soft on terror," commercials. People, let me make myself clear here. If it is indeed true that so many people were blocked from viewing a show about DOJ corruption, then we are well into the arms of fascism. Please post here in the comments, so that other people can see, if you were a victim of this blackout.
Please note who your service provider is and what state you are in.
Update I:I now have confirmation of Channel 19 going to black screen during Siegelman's part of the 60 Minutes broadcast. Also, these are thus far the cities that were blocked from viewing this story by the Soviets of America: Huntsville and Mobile for sure. Still collecting more data................

Soviet America...
No doubt you have all seen the broadcast on 60 Minutes about the Don Siegelman case. It was excellent and out of the three major bombshells, two were delivered tonight. Here is what I have learned today to add to this drama and it demands that you take actions:
1. 60 Minutes is interested in doing additional add-on installments of this story. I have it on good authority that the show's reporters and producers have much more to tell about the duo of Bill and Leura Canary as well as more about the corrupt judge, Mark Fuller, on the case. The network has agreed to run one, maybe two more installments if there is interest shown by the public. You have to let them know you want more on Fuller, the Canary couple, and the trial itself. You can contact CBS here:
ADDRESS: 60 Minutes 524 West 57th St. New York, NY 10019 EMAIL: 60m@cbsnews.com
PHONE: (212) 975-3247 ..................

this is PRICELESS, PRICELESS i tell you!

damn, i have ANOTHER hero! lee camp who calls faux 'news' (ON AIR, ON FAUX
'NEWS') a FESTIVAL OF IGNORANCE. this is THE best (and that cut away to a story on how sexy captain kirk is, is surreal. shite, i'm in heaven)
Comedian Lee Camp: Fox News a 'festival of ignorance'
"What is Fox News?" asks comedian and activist Lee Camp on the air. "It's just a parade of propaganda, isn't it? It's just a...festival of ignorance.
"A million people are dead in Iraq. Come on. This is ridiculous. What's the point of this?"
"This is insane," Camp continues. "Go out--leave your home. Go outside! Go hug your children! Love your family, you know? Do something with your life."
The anchor and panelist quickly act to drown out Camp's speech before handing the show off to another Fox anchor, flanked by four buxom women in makeshift Star Trek uniforms, to promote a story about Captain Kirk's sex appeal.......

Comic
by luvnews

and now for something completely different...

well, NO, it's NOT different at all. suicide bombers, attacks between turkey and iraqi kurds, our men and women's lives on the line, king george and his court all warm and cozy.

Blast Kills at Least 40 Shiite Pilgrims in Iraq
Fighting in North Intensifies; Turkish Soldiers, Kurdish Guerrillas Clash for Fourth Day

By Amit R. Paley and Joshua Partlow Washington Post Foreign Service
BAGHDAD, Feb. 24 -- A suicide bomber killed at least 40 people Sunday in southern Iraq when he attacked a crowd of pilgrims marching to commemorate one of Shiite Islam's holiest days, U.S. and Iraqi officials said.
In northern Iraq, Turkish soldiers and Kurdish guerrillas clashed for a fourth straight day, with scores reported killed. The guerrillas, who are seeking greater autonomy for Turkish Kurds, use the area as a base for attacks in Turkey.
The fighting has strained ties between the United States and Iraqi Kurds, who have pleaded with Washington to pressure the Turkish military to end its incursion.
The suicide attack occurred near the town of Iskandariyah at a tent set aside for pilgrims belonging to the movement of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, police said. .......

a GIANT wtf?

why are these people being watched i wonder? perhaps it's like a traffic accident. you just can't look away. they're id-jits plain and simple. they just HAVE to associate obama with osama. they just FUCKING HAVE TO

FOXNews Poll: Who Does Bin Laden Want To Win White House?

"80 percent of the capital's districts were now considered free of organized extremist activity."

except for the parts where they're not of course
US Military Reports Violence Down in Baghdad As Green Zone Attacked
PATRICK QUINN
Extremists fired an explosive barrage Saturday into the capital's heavily protected Green Zone, targeting the heart of America's diplomatic and military mission in Iraq. The U.S. military said there were no injuries from the early morning volley, which could be heard throughout downtown Baghdad.
The earth-jarring detonations, nearly 10 of them, even shook buildings across the Tigris River from the capital's fortified core, which houses the U.S. Embassy, military facilities and the Iraqi government.
The attack came shortly before Brig. Gen. Mike Milano, a top U.S. military official tasked with restoring security to Baghdad, said that nearly 80 percent of the capital's districts were now considered free of organized extremist activity..........

this is shocking!

the WOMEN WERE NOT ARRESTED (i don't think). as we all know, it's ALWAYS the fault of women (at least in saudi arabia)
Saudis arrested for flirting with women Saudi Arabia Investigates Men Arrested After Allegedly Flirting With Women in Public
Saudi Arabia began interrogating 57 men Saturday who were arrested after allegedly flirting with women in front of a shopping mall in the holy city of Mecca, a local newspaper reported. The country's religious police arrested the men Thursday night, alleging behavior that included dancing to pop music blaring from their cars and wearing improper clothing, according to the Okaz newspaper, which is deemed close to the government.
The Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice runs the religious police, who are charged with enforcing Saudi Arabia's strict Islamic lifestyle........

if they are good enough to put on a military uniform

and risk their lives for the united states of american, then they SURE AS SHITE ARE GOOD ENOUGH TO BE CITIZENS. no ifs ands or buts. i've posted on this before. it pisses me off something fierce. how DARE we take someone's life and not give them anything in return

yet ANOTHER broken promise by king george and his court
After War, New Battle to Become Citizens
By FERNANDA SANTOS
Despite a 2002 promise from President Bush to put citizenship applications for immigrant members of the military on a fast track, some are finding themselves waiting months, or even years, because of bureaucratic backlogs. One, Sgt. Kendell K. Frederick of the Army, who had tried three times to file for citizenship, was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq as he returned from submitting fingerprints for his application. About 7,200 service members or people who have been recently discharged have citizenship applications pending, but neither the Department of Defense nor Citizenship and Immigration Services keeps track of how long they have been waiting. Immigration lawyers and politicians say they have received a significant number of complaints about delays because of background checks, misplaced paperwork, confusion about deployments and other problems.......