where you goin' with that cosmik debris
Posts
DEBTOCRACY- A GREEK FILM WITH LESSONS FOR IRELAND
12 years ago
Saturday, February 09, 2008
i took this from
cv rick (no, he didn't 'tag' me)
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? yes, part of my name was my grandmother’s name. my name is long enough (last name is very long as well), however, my mom once told me she was going to name me Dominique a rose is a rose
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? the day before yesterday
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? no
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? i’m vegan but there is some kick-ass ‘lunch meat’ by lightlife. it’s smart deli santa fe chick’n (it really IS very good)
5. HAVE YOU ANY CHILDREN? no
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? for some reason or another, yes
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? me?
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes i have everything i was born with EXCEPT my hyoid
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? not just NO but HELL NO.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? bob’s redmill ten grain (hot) cereal. it’s THE best. i bring it to work each morning with a little soy milk and (real) maple syrup.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? i don’t wear tie shoes (except on occasion my docs then yes, one MUST untie them to get them off)
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? i have to be
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? vegan again but i am NOT suffering. soy delicious by turtle mountain makes some wonderful ‘ice creams’. My favorite is turtle trails. lately i have taken to making my own. light coconut milk, soy milk, maple syrup, vanilla, peaches, raisins, apples, brown rice syrup, nutmeg (fresh) and pistachio nuts. it's GOOD
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? their eyes, they must have kind eyes
15. RED OR PINK? pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my ability to not think before i speak.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO DO THIS MEME? nope
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? no pants and no shoes (i’m still in my long navy blue heavy cotton knit thingy i wear around the house. big blue fuzzy socks
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? tofu salad sandwich on whole grain bread
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the television is on in the background. pbs. a sewing show just finished
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? burnt umber (i don’t think they make it any more though)
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? freshly ground coffee brewing, the air when rain is coming, vincenzo
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE? my father
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO MADE YOU DO THIS STUPID MEME? no one made me do it
26. WHICH SPORT DO YOU ENJOY WATCHING MOST? my beloved bosox
27. HAIR COLOR? black and silver
28. EYE COLOR? sometimes green sometimes hazel
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACT LENSES? i have them, i rarely wear them. almost always my glasses
30. FAVORITE FOOD? polenta , crusty bread, inari sushi, samosas,
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? scary no doubt about that
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? the parrots of telegraph hill
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? on top of my navy blue thingy i have a grey hoodie
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? winter
35. HUGS OR KISSES? depends on who
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? trifle (but i’ve not had a vegan version yet )
39. WHAT BOOK(S) ARE YOU READING NOW? andy thibault’s law and justice in every day life
40. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? don’t have one here. the one at work has the helpdesk phone number on it
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? bones and house (like rick though i saw lost and eli stone the night before. )
42. FAVORITE SOUND? the ocean
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? beatles all the way
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? texas
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? yes
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? hartford connecticut.
1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? yes, part of my name was my grandmother’s name. my name is long enough (last name is very long as well), however, my mom once told me she was going to name me Dominique a rose is a rose
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? the day before yesterday
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? no
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? i’m vegan but there is some kick-ass ‘lunch meat’ by lightlife. it’s smart deli santa fe chick’n (it really IS very good)
5. HAVE YOU ANY CHILDREN? no
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? for some reason or another, yes
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? me?
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes i have everything i was born with EXCEPT my hyoid
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? not just NO but HELL NO.
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? bob’s redmill ten grain (hot) cereal. it’s THE best. i bring it to work each morning with a little soy milk and (real) maple syrup.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? i don’t wear tie shoes (except on occasion my docs then yes, one MUST untie them to get them off)
12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? i have to be
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? vegan again but i am NOT suffering. soy delicious by turtle mountain makes some wonderful ‘ice creams’. My favorite is turtle trails. lately i have taken to making my own. light coconut milk, soy milk, maple syrup, vanilla, peaches, raisins, apples, brown rice syrup, nutmeg (fresh) and pistachio nuts. it's GOOD
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? their eyes, they must have kind eyes
15. RED OR PINK? pink
16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my ability to not think before i speak.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE YOU KNOW TO DO THIS MEME? nope
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? no pants and no shoes (i’m still in my long navy blue heavy cotton knit thingy i wear around the house. big blue fuzzy socks
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? tofu salad sandwich on whole grain bread
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? the television is on in the background. pbs. a sewing show just finished
22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? burnt umber (i don’t think they make it any more though)
23. FAVORITE SMELLS? freshly ground coffee brewing, the air when rain is coming, vincenzo
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE? my father
25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO MADE YOU DO THIS STUPID MEME? no one made me do it
26. WHICH SPORT DO YOU ENJOY WATCHING MOST? my beloved bosox
27. HAIR COLOR? black and silver
28. EYE COLOR? sometimes green sometimes hazel
29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACT LENSES? i have them, i rarely wear them. almost always my glasses
30. FAVORITE FOOD? polenta , crusty bread, inari sushi, samosas,
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? scary no doubt about that
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? the parrots of telegraph hill
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? on top of my navy blue thingy i have a grey hoodie
34. SUMMER OR WINTER? winter
35. HUGS OR KISSES? depends on who
36. FAVORITE DESSERT? trifle (but i’ve not had a vegan version yet )
39. WHAT BOOK(S) ARE YOU READING NOW? andy thibault’s law and justice in every day life
40. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? don’t have one here. the one at work has the helpdesk phone number on it
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? bones and house (like rick though i saw lost and eli stone the night before. )
42. FAVORITE SOUND? the ocean
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? beatles all the way
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? texas
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? yes
46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? hartford connecticut.
this photograph should be on the front page
of every newspaper in the world. it should be on every voting booth in the united states in november as well.
photo by adem hadei
Spot News 1st place. Adem Hadei, Associated Press. A woman takes her dead son into her arms, as she grieves for her six-year-old son, Dhiya Thamer, who was killed when their family car came under fire by unknown gunmen in Baqouba, capital of Iraq's Diyala province, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, on Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007. The boy's ten-year old brother, Qusay, was injured in the attack as the family returned from enrolling the children in school, where Dhiya was to begin his first year. "Last Touch"
bringing (more) our democracy to iraq
yeah, things are getting better all right
then again, it's ok because they're JUST women
Violations of 'Islamic teachings' take deadly toll on Iraqi women
Arwa Damon
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The images in the Basra police file are nauseating: Page after page of women killed in brutal fashion -- some strangled to death, their faces disfigured; others beheaded. All bear signs of torture. The women are killed, police say, because they failed to wear a headscarf or because they ignored other "rules" that secretive fundamentalist groups want to enforce.
"Fear, fear is always there," says 30-year-old Safana, an artist and university professor. "We don't know who to be afraid of. Maybe it's a friend or a student you teach. There is no break, no security. I don't know who to be afraid of."
Her fear is justified. Iraq's second-largest city, Basra, is a stronghold of conservative Shia groups. As many as 133 women were killed in Basra last year -- 79 for violation of "Islamic teachings" and 47 for so-called honor killings, according to IRIN, the news branch of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
One glance through the police file is enough to understand the consequences. Basra's police chief, Gen. Abdul Jalil Khalaf, flips through the file, pointing to one unsolved case after another. Watch Khalaf show evidence of the brutality »......
then again, it's ok because they're JUST women
Violations of 'Islamic teachings' take deadly toll on Iraqi women
Arwa Damon
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The images in the Basra police file are nauseating: Page after page of women killed in brutal fashion -- some strangled to death, their faces disfigured; others beheaded. All bear signs of torture. The women are killed, police say, because they failed to wear a headscarf or because they ignored other "rules" that secretive fundamentalist groups want to enforce.
"Fear, fear is always there," says 30-year-old Safana, an artist and university professor. "We don't know who to be afraid of. Maybe it's a friend or a student you teach. There is no break, no security. I don't know who to be afraid of."
Her fear is justified. Iraq's second-largest city, Basra, is a stronghold of conservative Shia groups. As many as 133 women were killed in Basra last year -- 79 for violation of "Islamic teachings" and 47 for so-called honor killings, according to IRIN, the news branch of the U.N.'s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
One glance through the police file is enough to understand the consequences. Basra's police chief, Gen. Abdul Jalil Khalaf, flips through the file, pointing to one unsolved case after another. Watch Khalaf show evidence of the brutality »......
i don't know if you've read about the death of col. ted westhusing
or not. i have and i've posted on it. col westhusing was alleged to have committed suicide. the HIGHEST ranking officer in iraq to have died. well now, there may be doubt about the CAUSE of death. it might very well be MURDER
A Death Reconsidered
Was Col. Ted Westhusing's death in Iraq something more sinister than suicide?
Robert Bryce
Since last March, when I wrote a story about the apparent suicide of Col. Ted Westhusing in Iraq, I had believed there was nothing else to write about his tragic death.
But in December, I talked to a source in the Department of Defense who met Westhusing in Iraq about three months before his death. The source, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, was investigating claims of wrongdoing against military contractors working in Iraq. After a short introduction, I asked him what he thought had happened to Westhusing. “I think he was killed. I honestly do. I think he was murdered,” the source told me. “Maybe DOD didn’t have enough evidence to call it murder, so they called it suicide.” I contacted the source through Larry C. Johnson, a former employee of the CIA who specializes in terrorism and security issues, and who writes the “No Quarter USA” blog. Johnson and other bloggers have written extensively about Westhusing’s death.
Two other factors led me to look into the story again: First, some members of Westhusing’s family—in particular his mother, Terry Clark—refuse to believe that the career Army officer, who was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head at Camp Dublin on June 5, 2005, took his own life.
Second, the curiosities about Westhusing’s death are getting attention on Capitol Hill. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by California Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman, has interviewed members of Westhusing’s family and some of the investigators who met with Westhusing in Iraq in 2005. A spokesperson for the committee confirmed that it is “looking into the matter.”..........
A Death Reconsidered
Was Col. Ted Westhusing's death in Iraq something more sinister than suicide?
Robert Bryce
Since last March, when I wrote a story about the apparent suicide of Col. Ted Westhusing in Iraq, I had believed there was nothing else to write about his tragic death.
But in December, I talked to a source in the Department of Defense who met Westhusing in Iraq about three months before his death. The source, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, was investigating claims of wrongdoing against military contractors working in Iraq. After a short introduction, I asked him what he thought had happened to Westhusing. “I think he was killed. I honestly do. I think he was murdered,” the source told me. “Maybe DOD didn’t have enough evidence to call it murder, so they called it suicide.” I contacted the source through Larry C. Johnson, a former employee of the CIA who specializes in terrorism and security issues, and who writes the “No Quarter USA” blog. Johnson and other bloggers have written extensively about Westhusing’s death.
Two other factors led me to look into the story again: First, some members of Westhusing’s family—in particular his mother, Terry Clark—refuse to believe that the career Army officer, who was found dead from a gunshot wound to the head at Camp Dublin on June 5, 2005, took his own life.
Second, the curiosities about Westhusing’s death are getting attention on Capitol Hill. The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, chaired by California Democrat Rep. Henry Waxman, has interviewed members of Westhusing’s family and some of the investigators who met with Westhusing in Iraq in 2005. A spokesperson for the committee confirmed that it is “looking into the matter.”..........
another example
of how we are bringing OUR democracy to iraq
Two children die as Iraqi poison plot recalls Saddam's assassination method of choice
Michael Howard in Baghdad Saturday February 9, 2008The Guardian
Iraqi authorities are investigating a case of poisoning at a Baghdad sports club popular with the army in which two children have died and nine people have been taken to hospital. All were reported to have eaten cakes laced with thallium, the toxin that was often used by Saddam's secret police to kill political opponents.
Security officials said it was the first known incident of deliberate thallium poisoning since the fall of the regime.
Police said they had traced the two cakes to a bakery in Baghdad's Adhamiya district. This Sunni Arab stronghold was a bastion for supporters of the late dictator, and more recently a major locus of activity for Sunni extremists..........
Two children die as Iraqi poison plot recalls Saddam's assassination method of choice
Michael Howard in Baghdad Saturday February 9, 2008The Guardian
Iraqi authorities are investigating a case of poisoning at a Baghdad sports club popular with the army in which two children have died and nine people have been taken to hospital. All were reported to have eaten cakes laced with thallium, the toxin that was often used by Saddam's secret police to kill political opponents.
Security officials said it was the first known incident of deliberate thallium poisoning since the fall of the regime.
Police said they had traced the two cakes to a bakery in Baghdad's Adhamiya district. This Sunni Arab stronghold was a bastion for supporters of the late dictator, and more recently a major locus of activity for Sunni extremists..........
he's doing it again
and everytime he does it, it's MORE frightening than the last time. now he's nominating the devil to be assistant attorney general
MSNBC host: Bush holding judges hostage to get 'torture memo' writer DoJ job
David Edwards and Nick Juliano
President Bush has decided to withdraw 84 executive branch nominees, including federal judges, effectively making them pawns in his political ploy to get one "ultra-conservative" lawyer approved to the justice department. MSNBC host Dan Abrams called out the president, who already will be leaving a right-leaning judiciary as his most lasting legacy.
"Steven Bradbury, the author of the secret memos that authorized torturing detainees, the man who decried that Harriet Miers did not have to testify about the fired U.S. attorneys scandal has been nominated to be assistant attorney general, in particular, a job that‘ is supposed to provide a political guidance on the legality of presidential actions," Abrams said Thusday night as part of his ongoing series, Bush League Justice. "According to Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Congress refusal to confirm him, has lead the president to pull 84 of his nominees for positions in the executive, judicial branches including judges, an order that came from the President‘s Chief of Staff."...........
MSNBC host: Bush holding judges hostage to get 'torture memo' writer DoJ job
David Edwards and Nick Juliano
President Bush has decided to withdraw 84 executive branch nominees, including federal judges, effectively making them pawns in his political ploy to get one "ultra-conservative" lawyer approved to the justice department. MSNBC host Dan Abrams called out the president, who already will be leaving a right-leaning judiciary as his most lasting legacy.
"Steven Bradbury, the author of the secret memos that authorized torturing detainees, the man who decried that Harriet Miers did not have to testify about the fired U.S. attorneys scandal has been nominated to be assistant attorney general, in particular, a job that‘ is supposed to provide a political guidance on the legality of presidential actions," Abrams said Thusday night as part of his ongoing series, Bush League Justice. "According to Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Congress refusal to confirm him, has lead the president to pull 84 of his nominees for positions in the executive, judicial branches including judges, an order that came from the President‘s Chief of Staff."...........
evil ugly and sickmaking
is what ALL of these f**kers are!
Justice Dept. 'Cannot' Probe Waterboarding, Mukasey Says
By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer
The attorney general yesterday rejected growing congressional calls for a criminal investigation of the CIA's use of simulated drownings to extract information from its detainees, as Vice President Cheney called it a "good thing" that the CIA was able to learn what it did from those subjected to the practice.
The remarks reflected a renewed effort by the Bush administration to defend its past approval of the interrogation tactic known as waterboarding, which some lawmakers, human rights experts and international lawyers have described as illegal torture.
Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said Justice Department lawyers concluded that the CIA's use of waterboarding in 2002 and 2003 was legal, and therefore the department cannot investigate whether a crime had occurred. .........,
Justice Dept. 'Cannot' Probe Waterboarding, Mukasey Says
By Dan Eggen Washington Post Staff Writer
The attorney general yesterday rejected growing congressional calls for a criminal investigation of the CIA's use of simulated drownings to extract information from its detainees, as Vice President Cheney called it a "good thing" that the CIA was able to learn what it did from those subjected to the practice.
The remarks reflected a renewed effort by the Bush administration to defend its past approval of the interrogation tactic known as waterboarding, which some lawmakers, human rights experts and international lawyers have described as illegal torture.
Testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey said Justice Department lawyers concluded that the CIA's use of waterboarding in 2002 and 2003 was legal, and therefore the department cannot investigate whether a crime had occurred. .........,
we have the money to send them to go get killed
(FOR NO REASON I MIGHT ADD) but we don't have the money to care for them or educate them? we have a king and a court who are LYING F**KWADS and no one calls them on it? (i'm surprised the wapo called 'em on it to begin with. even for all of you warmongers out there. do YOU think this is right?
No Funds in Bush Budget For Troop-Benefits Plan
He Made Proposal in January Speech
By Michael Abramowitz and Robin Wright Washington Post Staff Writers
President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. "Our military families serve our nation, they inspire our nation, and tonight our nation honors them," he said.
A week later, however, when Bush submitted his $3.1 trillion federal budget to Congress, he included no funding for such an initiative, which government analysts calculate could cost $1 billion to $2 billion annually.
Bush's proposal was added to the speech late in the process, administration officials said, after the president decided that he wanted to announce a program that would favor military families. That left little time to vet the idea, develop formal cost estimates or gauge how many people might take advantage of such a program. Some administration officials said the proposal surprised them, and they voiced concerns about how to fund it. ......
No Funds in Bush Budget For Troop-Benefits Plan
He Made Proposal in January Speech
By Michael Abramowitz and Robin Wright Washington Post Staff Writers
President Bush drew great applause during his State of the Union address last month when he called on Congress to allow U.S. troops to transfer their unused education benefits to family members. "Our military families serve our nation, they inspire our nation, and tonight our nation honors them," he said.
A week later, however, when Bush submitted his $3.1 trillion federal budget to Congress, he included no funding for such an initiative, which government analysts calculate could cost $1 billion to $2 billion annually.
Bush's proposal was added to the speech late in the process, administration officials said, after the president decided that he wanted to announce a program that would favor military families. That left little time to vet the idea, develop formal cost estimates or gauge how many people might take advantage of such a program. Some administration officials said the proposal surprised them, and they voiced concerns about how to fund it. ......
Friday, February 08, 2008
i'm always saying
how things CAN'T be real (a couple of postings ago i did it). well i just read this and i KNOW it's real. i think martial law may damn well be a possibility. i'm scared but i will NEVER go gently into that good night. i'll never shut up and i'll never give up. there HAVE to be more of US than THEM, no?
do you realize we have MORE of a change of being shot by one of 'our own' than a militant (foreign) terrorist?
FBI Deputizes Private Contractors With Extraordinary Powers, Including 'Shoot to Kill'
By Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive
Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does -- and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to "shoot to kill" in the event of martial law. InfraGard is "a child of the FBI," says Michael Hershman, the chairman of the advisory board of the InfraGard National Members Alliance and CEO of the Fairfax Group, an international consulting firm.
InfraGard started in Cleveland back in 1996, when the private sector there cooperated with the FBI to investigate cyber threats.
"Then the FBI cloned it," says Phyllis Schneck, chairman of the board of directors of the InfraGard National Members Alliance, and the prime mover behind the growth of InfraGard over the last several years...........
do you realize we have MORE of a change of being shot by one of 'our own' than a militant (foreign) terrorist?
FBI Deputizes Private Contractors With Extraordinary Powers, Including 'Shoot to Kill'
By Matthew Rothschild, The Progressive
Today, more than 23,000 representatives of private industry are working quietly with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The members of this rapidly growing group, called InfraGard, receive secret warnings of terrorist threats before the public does -- and, at least on one occasion, before elected officials. In return, they provide information to the government, which alarms the ACLU. But there may be more to it than that. One business executive, who showed me his InfraGard card, told me they have permission to "shoot to kill" in the event of martial law. InfraGard is "a child of the FBI," says Michael Hershman, the chairman of the advisory board of the InfraGard National Members Alliance and CEO of the Fairfax Group, an international consulting firm.
InfraGard started in Cleveland back in 1996, when the private sector there cooperated with the FBI to investigate cyber threats.
"Then the FBI cloned it," says Phyllis Schneck, chairman of the board of directors of the InfraGard National Members Alliance, and the prime mover behind the growth of InfraGard over the last several years...........
wow!!!
they're MY heroes as well! these two EIGHT GRADE grrrls KNOW abstinance-only 'education' doesn't work. if THEY know how come king george and his court don't? ARE THEY SMARTER THAN AN 8TH GRADER? (no)
Tori Shoemaker and Cheyenne Byrd, two eighth graders in St. Louis protested their school's abstinence-only education program by wearing shirts to school adorned with condoms, reading "Safe Sex or No Sex." For daring to speak out, they were suspended for two days from school. The superindent said the shirts were inappropriate and a "distraction" at school.............
well what WOULD this REPUBLICAN
lawmaker rather them do? HAVE AN ABORTION, I WONDER?
Legislator: Sorry for calling unmarried teen parents 'sluts'
COLORADO SPRINGS — A state lawmaker who used a derogatory term Wednesday to describe unmarried teen parents as sexually promiscuous today apologized for using the slur.
“The derogatory term I used was offensive and inappropriate and I would like to apologize for using it," Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Larry Liston said in a statement. “Because of my unfortunate choice of language, the message that I was trying to get across about personal responsibility, and parental responsibility, has been overshadowed.
"I certainly regret using the term I did.”
Wednesday, Liston, appearing at a GOP legislative caucus in Denver, said: “In my parents’ day and age, (unmarried teen parents) were sent away, they were shunned, they were called what they are. There was at least a sense of shame.........
Legislator: Sorry for calling unmarried teen parents 'sluts'
COLORADO SPRINGS — A state lawmaker who used a derogatory term Wednesday to describe unmarried teen parents as sexually promiscuous today apologized for using the slur.
“The derogatory term I used was offensive and inappropriate and I would like to apologize for using it," Colorado Springs Republican Rep. Larry Liston said in a statement. “Because of my unfortunate choice of language, the message that I was trying to get across about personal responsibility, and parental responsibility, has been overshadowed.
"I certainly regret using the term I did.”
Wednesday, Liston, appearing at a GOP legislative caucus in Denver, said: “In my parents’ day and age, (unmarried teen parents) were sent away, they were shunned, they were called what they are. There was at least a sense of shame.........
our form of american democracy
at work!
Voters are told pen had 'invisible ink'
BLANK BALLOTS Staffers try to reach 20 who thought they'd voted
February 6, 2008
BY ANNIE SWEENEY Staff Reporter/asweeney@suntimes.com
When it comes to election shenanigans, Chicago has been accused of just about everything.
But invisible ink?
Twenty voters at a Far North Side precinct who found their ink pens not working were told by election judges not to worry.
It's invisible ink, officials said. The scanner will count it.
But their votes weren't recorded after all............
Voters are told pen had 'invisible ink'
BLANK BALLOTS Staffers try to reach 20 who thought they'd voted
February 6, 2008
BY ANNIE SWEENEY Staff Reporter/asweeney@suntimes.com
When it comes to election shenanigans, Chicago has been accused of just about everything.
But invisible ink?
Twenty voters at a Far North Side precinct who found their ink pens not working were told by election judges not to worry.
It's invisible ink, officials said. The scanner will count it.
But their votes weren't recorded after all............
i tube
they tube we ALL tube for YOUTUBE. once again, not news (because we know it's happening) but rather funny. i get hits from the pentagon, from military, from the senate and the like. now those are the ones that actually SHOW the source. i'm guessing the fbi and cia would mask their ip address (the pentagon too if they were actually spying on me). however, ALL of these sources have just as much right to read blogs as everyone else. just don't do it in a COVERT manner ok?
In search for foreign intelligence, spies turn to YouTube, MySpace, blogs
Nick Juliano
With rapidly advancing technology spreading across the globe, US spies are shifting their focus from surreptitiously photographing secret Soviet documents to trolling the Internet for what could be the next key nugget of foreign intelligence.
Among the most valuable sources, one top spook says, are blogs, MySpace and other Web 2.0 hallmarks.
"We're looking now at YouTube, which carries some unique and honest-to-goodness intelligence," Doug Naquin, director of the CIA's Open Source Center said in a recent speech to CIA retirees..............
In search for foreign intelligence, spies turn to YouTube, MySpace, blogs
Nick Juliano
With rapidly advancing technology spreading across the globe, US spies are shifting their focus from surreptitiously photographing secret Soviet documents to trolling the Internet for what could be the next key nugget of foreign intelligence.
Among the most valuable sources, one top spook says, are blogs, MySpace and other Web 2.0 hallmarks.
"We're looking now at YouTube, which carries some unique and honest-to-goodness intelligence," Doug Naquin, director of the CIA's Open Source Center said in a recent speech to CIA retirees..............
let's hope this professor ummmmmmmmm
has a rather VIVID imagination. let's hope his story is NOT true (the part about him and his students being shills for al-qaeda). this CANNOT be true
Iowa professor claims FBI suspects him of al Qaeda ties
David Edwards and Muriel Kane
A professor at Northwest Iowa Community College claims that the FBI is investigating students and faculty there on suspicions that pirated music, movies, and software are being sold to help fund al Qaeda.
College President William Giddings acknowledges that law enforcement officers were asked to look into problems with excessive bandwidth use and possible illicit file-sharing, but he expressed bewilderment at allegations of an al Qaeda connection.
The al Qaeda story comes from computer science professor Steven Gifford, who says that he was visited by the FBI and "they told us the college had alleged that my students and I were running a piracy ring. We were downloading, cracking and re-selling software, movies and music and were doing this in support of al Qaeda terrorists." ........
Iowa professor claims FBI suspects him of al Qaeda ties
David Edwards and Muriel Kane
A professor at Northwest Iowa Community College claims that the FBI is investigating students and faculty there on suspicions that pirated music, movies, and software are being sold to help fund al Qaeda.
College President William Giddings acknowledges that law enforcement officers were asked to look into problems with excessive bandwidth use and possible illicit file-sharing, but he expressed bewilderment at allegations of an al Qaeda connection.
The al Qaeda story comes from computer science professor Steven Gifford, who says that he was visited by the FBI and "they told us the college had alleged that my students and I were running a piracy ring. We were downloading, cracking and re-selling software, movies and music and were doing this in support of al Qaeda terrorists." ........
Thursday, February 07, 2008
once again ANOTHER egregious act
by our government. a firm who manufactured helmets for our armed forces f**ked up. they were defective. the government sued them, they had to pay (a mere pittance i might add). then what happened you're wondering to yourselves???????????????
well OUR government turned around and AWARDED THEM A $74,000,000 CONTRACT TO MAKE NEW HELMETS
that's just F**KED UP
U.S. helmet maker settles suit over helmets' quality
By Bruce Lambert
A North Dakota manufacturer has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a suit alleging that it had repeatedly shortchanged the armor in up to 2.2 million helmets for the military, including helmets for the first troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Twelve days before the settlement with the Justice Department was announced, the company, Sioux Manufacturing of Fort Totten, was given a new contract of up to $74 million to make more armor for helmets to replace the old ones, which were made from the late 1980s to last year.
Sioux upgraded its looms in 2006, company executives say, and the government says it has started inspections at the plant.
The U.S. attorney for North Dakota, Drew Wrigley, called the accord "an appropriate resolution" because the Defense Department had said that 200 sample helmets passed ballistic tests and that it "has no information of injuries or deaths due to inadequate PASGT helmet protection.".........
well OUR government turned around and AWARDED THEM A $74,000,000 CONTRACT TO MAKE NEW HELMETS
that's just F**KED UP
U.S. helmet maker settles suit over helmets' quality
By Bruce Lambert
A North Dakota manufacturer has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a suit alleging that it had repeatedly shortchanged the armor in up to 2.2 million helmets for the military, including helmets for the first troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Twelve days before the settlement with the Justice Department was announced, the company, Sioux Manufacturing of Fort Totten, was given a new contract of up to $74 million to make more armor for helmets to replace the old ones, which were made from the late 1980s to last year.
Sioux upgraded its looms in 2006, company executives say, and the government says it has started inspections at the plant.
The U.S. attorney for North Dakota, Drew Wrigley, called the accord "an appropriate resolution" because the Defense Department had said that 200 sample helmets passed ballistic tests and that it "has no information of injuries or deaths due to inadequate PASGT helmet protection.".........
a few years ago my cholesterol was
275. yes, 275. now it runs from 120 is (yes i said 120) to 140 ish. my good cholesterol is at a great level and my bad cholesterol is where it should be.
how did this happen? well first off i stopped eating MAYONNAISE (i am addicted, just like i am to sugar. so i don't keep either product). i attempted to go vegan as well (and am now for the most part* after many attempts and failures. i've been a vegetarian since i was 18 and NEVER failed on that level - and i am past 18 by more than 2 X). what else? i take lipitor. my doctor insists upon it. he also told me, he'd most likely have me on it even if my cholesterol was normal in the first place. he provided me with literature on all sorts of studies conducted on the product (when i walk out of his office, i always have a fistfull of medical articles on one thing or another).
do i mind if dr jarvik rows or not? of COURSE NOT. i don't give a flying yoo hoo. do i mind if he takes lipitor or not (but says he does)? YES THAT I CARE ABOUT. and i believe him when he says he takes it too.
*i knit with wool and silk fibers. real vegans would not do such things
i want everyone to know i think the fda is THE most useless organization on this goddess' earth. it appears to me they are a bunch of weasels (again, no offense to the weasels). they're out to PLEASE BIG BID-NEZ and shaft the rest (why are all sorts of drugs approved even when studies show they are DANGEROUS. and why then do they get their panties in a twist about things like stevia and l-tryptophan?????????? WHY WHY WHY)
For Jarvik Heart Pioneer, Drug Ads Raise Questions
By STEPHANIE SAUL
Dr. Robert Jarvik is best known for the artificial heart he pioneered more than a quarter-century ago. Since then he had toiled in relative obscurity — until he began appearing in television ads two years ago for the Pfizer cholesterol drug Lipitor.
The ads have depicted him, among other outdoorsy pursuits, rowing a one-man racing shell swiftly across a mountain lake. “When diet and exercise aren’t enough, adding Lipitor significantly lowers cholesterol,” Dr. Jarvik says in the ad.
Celebrity advertising endorsements are nothing new, of course. But the Lipitor campaign is a rare instance of a well-known doctor’s endorsing a drug in advertising — and it has helped rekindle a smoldering debate over whether it is appropriate to aim ads for prescription drugs directly at consumers.
A Congressional committee, concerned that the Lipitor ads could be misleading, has said it wants to interview Dr. Jarvik about his role as the drug’s pitchman.
Some of the questions may involve his credentials. Even though Dr. Jarvik holds a medical degree, for example, he is not a cardiologist and is not licensed to practice medicine. So what, critics ask, qualifies him to recommend Lipitor on television — even if, as he says in some of the ads, he takes the drug himself? ......
how did this happen? well first off i stopped eating MAYONNAISE (i am addicted, just like i am to sugar. so i don't keep either product). i attempted to go vegan as well (and am now for the most part* after many attempts and failures. i've been a vegetarian since i was 18 and NEVER failed on that level - and i am past 18 by more than 2 X). what else? i take lipitor. my doctor insists upon it. he also told me, he'd most likely have me on it even if my cholesterol was normal in the first place. he provided me with literature on all sorts of studies conducted on the product (when i walk out of his office, i always have a fistfull of medical articles on one thing or another).
do i mind if dr jarvik rows or not? of COURSE NOT. i don't give a flying yoo hoo. do i mind if he takes lipitor or not (but says he does)? YES THAT I CARE ABOUT. and i believe him when he says he takes it too.
*i knit with wool and silk fibers. real vegans would not do such things
i want everyone to know i think the fda is THE most useless organization on this goddess' earth. it appears to me they are a bunch of weasels (again, no offense to the weasels). they're out to PLEASE BIG BID-NEZ and shaft the rest (why are all sorts of drugs approved even when studies show they are DANGEROUS. and why then do they get their panties in a twist about things like stevia and l-tryptophan?????????? WHY WHY WHY)
For Jarvik Heart Pioneer, Drug Ads Raise Questions
By STEPHANIE SAUL
Dr. Robert Jarvik is best known for the artificial heart he pioneered more than a quarter-century ago. Since then he had toiled in relative obscurity — until he began appearing in television ads two years ago for the Pfizer cholesterol drug Lipitor.
The ads have depicted him, among other outdoorsy pursuits, rowing a one-man racing shell swiftly across a mountain lake. “When diet and exercise aren’t enough, adding Lipitor significantly lowers cholesterol,” Dr. Jarvik says in the ad.
Celebrity advertising endorsements are nothing new, of course. But the Lipitor campaign is a rare instance of a well-known doctor’s endorsing a drug in advertising — and it has helped rekindle a smoldering debate over whether it is appropriate to aim ads for prescription drugs directly at consumers.
A Congressional committee, concerned that the Lipitor ads could be misleading, has said it wants to interview Dr. Jarvik about his role as the drug’s pitchman.
Some of the questions may involve his credentials. Even though Dr. Jarvik holds a medical degree, for example, he is not a cardiologist and is not licensed to practice medicine. So what, critics ask, qualifies him to recommend Lipitor on television — even if, as he says in some of the ads, he takes the drug himself? ......
uh-oh!
someone in the gop involved in a scandal? say it ain't so!
NRCC probe scares GOP
By: Patrick O'Connor and John Bresnahan
Top House Republicans were told in recent days that a former employee of their campaign committee may have forged an official audit during the contentious 2006 election cycle and that they should brace for the possibility that an unfolding investigation could uncover financial improprieties stretching back several years, according to GOP sources briefed on the members-only discussions.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has retained a forensic auditor to review its accounting for the last several election cycles, the sources said.
The NRCC’s accounting problems were discussed during two high-level conference calls between senior GOP lawmakers on Friday and Monday night, according to Republicans briefed on the calls.
“There is a sense that this could be very damaging to the committee,” said a Republican insider close to the GOP leadership. .............
FBI probing figure linked to 2004 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth; Accused of forging campaign audit
Michael Roston
.......................Since the spring of 2004, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth paid Ward’s firm nearly $230,000 for services ranging from database management to website consulting, according to disbursements archived at PoliticalMoneyLine, a nonpartisan website that tracks fundraising," according to a July 2007 report in The Hill.
Reporter Alexander Bolton also noted that Ward did not directly handle the Swift Boat Vets' work which was carried out by another Political Compliance Services, Inc. partner.
The Swift Boat Vets played a powerful role in the 2004 presidential election. The group raised tens of millions of dollars, much of it from major Republican Party donors, and paid for commercials and mailings questioning Democratic Senator John Kerry's military service record, as well as his anti-war activities after his return from Vietnam................
NRCC probe scares GOP
By: Patrick O'Connor and John Bresnahan
Top House Republicans were told in recent days that a former employee of their campaign committee may have forged an official audit during the contentious 2006 election cycle and that they should brace for the possibility that an unfolding investigation could uncover financial improprieties stretching back several years, according to GOP sources briefed on the members-only discussions.
The National Republican Congressional Committee has retained a forensic auditor to review its accounting for the last several election cycles, the sources said.
The NRCC’s accounting problems were discussed during two high-level conference calls between senior GOP lawmakers on Friday and Monday night, according to Republicans briefed on the calls.
“There is a sense that this could be very damaging to the committee,” said a Republican insider close to the GOP leadership. .............
FBI probing figure linked to 2004 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth; Accused of forging campaign audit
Michael Roston
.......................Since the spring of 2004, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth paid Ward’s firm nearly $230,000 for services ranging from database management to website consulting, according to disbursements archived at PoliticalMoneyLine, a nonpartisan website that tracks fundraising," according to a July 2007 report in The Hill.
Reporter Alexander Bolton also noted that Ward did not directly handle the Swift Boat Vets' work which was carried out by another Political Compliance Services, Inc. partner.
The Swift Boat Vets played a powerful role in the 2004 presidential election. The group raised tens of millions of dollars, much of it from major Republican Party donors, and paid for commercials and mailings questioning Democratic Senator John Kerry's military service record, as well as his anti-war activities after his return from Vietnam................
iraq
will NEVER be the same AND it will NEVER BE SAFE
Mosul now more dangerous than two years ago, soldier says
As the war in Iraq largely slips from the front of Americans' minds, a new report from Mosul demonstrates the daily hardships and constant threat of attack still faced by US troops trying to pacify the country.
NBC's Richard Engel is in the middle of an interview with one member of the Army's 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment when their combat outpost in Mosul comes under attack. Engel and the soldier he is interviewing -- both outfitted in helmets and body armor -- flinch as the first bullets fly toward the makeshift base.
"It's clear the war here is as intense as ever," Engel says, narrating his piece.
He asks the soldier if the attacks are a "constant problem."
"Yes," the soldier says grimly..........
Mosul now more dangerous than two years ago, soldier says
As the war in Iraq largely slips from the front of Americans' minds, a new report from Mosul demonstrates the daily hardships and constant threat of attack still faced by US troops trying to pacify the country.
NBC's Richard Engel is in the middle of an interview with one member of the Army's 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment when their combat outpost in Mosul comes under attack. Engel and the soldier he is interviewing -- both outfitted in helmets and body armor -- flinch as the first bullets fly toward the makeshift base.
"It's clear the war here is as intense as ever," Engel says, narrating his piece.
He asks the soldier if the attacks are a "constant problem."
"Yes," the soldier says grimly..........
i don't like this
i don't like it AT ALL. if i brought my laptop to the airport and they demanded i log in so they could see the websites i visited, i'd be LIVID. it's NONE OF THEIR F**KING BUSINESS. of course i know they're tracking me right now (i'm not naive) but i sure as shite am NOT going to bend over for them. they'll have to work for it. same goes for my cell phone. who i call, when i call and how often is NO ONE'S BUSINESS (yet i also know they're tracking that as well. especially since i have at&t to begin with). then again, i have less to worry about than someone whose skin is not my color. someone who may have a different set of religious beliefs than i do. (this IS america, right?)
Clarity Sought on Electronics Searches
Travelers' Devices Seized at Border
By Ellen Nakashima Washington Post Staff Writer
Nabila Mango, a therapist and a U.S. citizen who has lived in the country since 1965, had just flown in from Jordan last December when, she said, she was detained at customs and her cellphone was taken from her purse. Her daughter, waiting outside San Francisco International Airport, tried repeatedly to call her during the hour and a half she was questioned. But after her phone was returned, Mango saw that records of her daughter's calls had been erased.
A few months earlier in the same airport, a tech engineer returning from a business trip to London objected when a federal agent asked him to type his password into his laptop computer. "This laptop doesn't belong to me," he remembers protesting. "It belongs to my company." Eventually, he agreed to log on and stood by as the officer copied the Web sites he had visited, said the engineer, a U.S. citizen who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of calling attention to himself...........
Clarity Sought on Electronics Searches
Travelers' Devices Seized at Border
By Ellen Nakashima Washington Post Staff Writer
Nabila Mango, a therapist and a U.S. citizen who has lived in the country since 1965, had just flown in from Jordan last December when, she said, she was detained at customs and her cellphone was taken from her purse. Her daughter, waiting outside San Francisco International Airport, tried repeatedly to call her during the hour and a half she was questioned. But after her phone was returned, Mango saw that records of her daughter's calls had been erased.
A few months earlier in the same airport, a tech engineer returning from a business trip to London objected when a federal agent asked him to type his password into his laptop computer. "This laptop doesn't belong to me," he remembers protesting. "It belongs to my company." Eventually, he agreed to log on and stood by as the officer copied the Web sites he had visited, said the engineer, a U.S. citizen who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of calling attention to himself...........
rick, this one is for you
i thought it was cool
Scientists to launch paper planes from space
Theory is paper craft may escape worst of friction and heat on re-entry
By Yoko Kubota
KASHIWA CITY, Japan - A spacecraft made of folded paper zooming through the skies may sound far-fetched, but Japanese scientists plan to launch paper planes from the International Space Station to see if they make it back to Earth.
On Wednesday the University of Tokyo researchers tested small, origami planes made of special paper for 30 seconds in 482 degrees Fahrenheit heat and wind at seven times the speed of sound. The planes survived the wind tunnel test intact.
The theory is that paper craft, being much lighter than space shuttles, may escape the worst of the friction and heat that much heavier space shuttles face on re-entry to the atmosphere..........
my question is this: if the origami planes DO make it back to earth and they hit someone or something, would they cause damage?
Scientists to launch paper planes from space
Theory is paper craft may escape worst of friction and heat on re-entry
By Yoko Kubota
KASHIWA CITY, Japan - A spacecraft made of folded paper zooming through the skies may sound far-fetched, but Japanese scientists plan to launch paper planes from the International Space Station to see if they make it back to Earth.
On Wednesday the University of Tokyo researchers tested small, origami planes made of special paper for 30 seconds in 482 degrees Fahrenheit heat and wind at seven times the speed of sound. The planes survived the wind tunnel test intact.
The theory is that paper craft, being much lighter than space shuttles, may escape the worst of the friction and heat that much heavier space shuttles face on re-entry to the atmosphere..........
my question is this: if the origami planes DO make it back to earth and they hit someone or something, would they cause damage?
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
i wonder if 'now' cares about this?
i sure as shite do. that's fo' sho'
Special Report: Clinton vs. Obama on the Cluster Bomb Vote
"[Cluster bombs are] the single greatest risk civilians face with regard to a current weapon that is in use." -Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch
David Rees, the man behind the hilarious and trenchant Get Your War On, reminded me yesterday of another especially egregious - yet much less known - vote cast by Senator Hillary Clinton, which no one in the mainstream media is talking about:
But in the autumn of 2006, there was a chance to take a step in the right direction: Senate Amendment No. 4882, an amendment to a Pentagon appropriations bill that would have banned the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas.
Senator Obama of Illinois voted IN FAVOR of the ban.
Senator Clinton of New York voted AGAINST the ban.
Analysts say Clinton did not want to risk appearing "soft on terror," as it would have harmed her electibility............
Special Report: Clinton vs. Obama on the Cluster Bomb Vote
"[Cluster bombs are] the single greatest risk civilians face with regard to a current weapon that is in use." -Marc Garlasco, senior military analyst at Human Rights Watch
David Rees, the man behind the hilarious and trenchant Get Your War On, reminded me yesterday of another especially egregious - yet much less known - vote cast by Senator Hillary Clinton, which no one in the mainstream media is talking about:
But in the autumn of 2006, there was a chance to take a step in the right direction: Senate Amendment No. 4882, an amendment to a Pentagon appropriations bill that would have banned the use of cluster bombs in civilian areas.
Senator Obama of Illinois voted IN FAVOR of the ban.
Senator Clinton of New York voted AGAINST the ban.
Analysts say Clinton did not want to risk appearing "soft on terror," as it would have harmed her electibility............
i have very little to say, except:
1) this was her THIRD tour of duty in iraq
2) we should NOT be in iraq (as warriors)
3) to the family and friends of tracy birkman, i am so very sorry for your loss. you are all in my thoughts and prayers
from greg mitchell at pressing issues
Mother of three dies in Iraq
As some of you may know, I have tracked "nonhostile" deaths among U.S. troops in Iraq for more than four years, including those caused by accidents, illness, suicides. There was another reported today (the number is approaching 900 now) and I just came across one from last week: a 41-year-old mother of three from the Roanoke, Virginia, area, named Tracy Birkman, an Army mechanic. Cause of death not yet released (as per norm). Two of her three sons are in Middle School........
2) we should NOT be in iraq (as warriors)
3) to the family and friends of tracy birkman, i am so very sorry for your loss. you are all in my thoughts and prayers
from greg mitchell at pressing issues
Mother of three dies in Iraq
As some of you may know, I have tracked "nonhostile" deaths among U.S. troops in Iraq for more than four years, including those caused by accidents, illness, suicides. There was another reported today (the number is approaching 900 now) and I just came across one from last week: a 41-year-old mother of three from the Roanoke, Virginia, area, named Tracy Birkman, an Army mechanic. Cause of death not yet released (as per norm). Two of her three sons are in Middle School........
liberty and justice* for all*
(*the all and the justice are ONLY if you are king george or a member of his court). This is AMERICAN everyone. how can we allow this to happen? what is going on? we let these criminals run our country and don't say boo? we let them send our men and women into an unjust, illegal and immoral war? we allow them to torture? we allow them to deprive our veterans, our elderly, our children and our poor from education, health care, FOOD AND SHELTER? we allow them to ignore citizens who have been victims of catastrophies? we allow them to manipulate data concerning our earth, our votes and goddess only knows what else? we allow them to lock people up with NO charges, NO lawyers and NO HOPE? this MUST STOP
here is the back story GOP lawyer ties Rove to Siegelman case
By Susan Crabtree
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) on Wednesday released an interview with GOP lawyer Dana Jill Simpson implicating former White House adviser Karl Rove in the prosecution and conviction of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D) on corruption charges. In a closed-door interview with committee staff, Simpson recalled how Rob Riley, current Gov. Bob Riley’s (R) son, told her about Rove’s role in a plan to prosecute Siegelman if he did not back down from contesting the 2001 gubernatorial election results that handed the office to Riley.
According to the transcript, Simpson described a 2005 conversation with Rob Riley, who told her that Rove had contacted the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice to press for further prosecution of Siegelman. She said Rob Riley also recounted how the case would be assigned to a federal judge who “hated” Siegelman and would “hang Don Siegelman.” ......
and here is an update: from larisa alexandrovna of at largely
60 Minutes Caves to Pressure from White House on Siegelman Story...
Well folks, seems that 60 Minutes is postponing (read "killing") its Siegelman story. The excuse I am told for this lapse in ethics is that the network needs more time to vet the whistle-blower, Dana Jill Simpson. You see, the reason the network suddenly needs more time to vet Simpson is that the White House has launched a direct campaign inside CBS to discredit her and just to make sure the dirt sticks, they have called in some favors too. I am told that Senator Jeff Sessions has been instructed to help the White House discredit Simpson as part of his "Senatorial" duties. Nice system of government we have here, eh? ........
(my original posting on don siegelman)
here is the back story GOP lawyer ties Rove to Siegelman case
By Susan Crabtree
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) on Wednesday released an interview with GOP lawyer Dana Jill Simpson implicating former White House adviser Karl Rove in the prosecution and conviction of former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman (D) on corruption charges. In a closed-door interview with committee staff, Simpson recalled how Rob Riley, current Gov. Bob Riley’s (R) son, told her about Rove’s role in a plan to prosecute Siegelman if he did not back down from contesting the 2001 gubernatorial election results that handed the office to Riley.
According to the transcript, Simpson described a 2005 conversation with Rob Riley, who told her that Rove had contacted the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice to press for further prosecution of Siegelman. She said Rob Riley also recounted how the case would be assigned to a federal judge who “hated” Siegelman and would “hang Don Siegelman.” ......
and here is an update: from larisa alexandrovna of at largely
60 Minutes Caves to Pressure from White House on Siegelman Story...
Well folks, seems that 60 Minutes is postponing (read "killing") its Siegelman story. The excuse I am told for this lapse in ethics is that the network needs more time to vet the whistle-blower, Dana Jill Simpson. You see, the reason the network suddenly needs more time to vet Simpson is that the White House has launched a direct campaign inside CBS to discredit her and just to make sure the dirt sticks, they have called in some favors too. I am told that Senator Jeff Sessions has been instructed to help the White House discredit Simpson as part of his "Senatorial" duties. Nice system of government we have here, eh? ........
(my original posting on don siegelman)
more DEMOCRACY and EQUALITY
from our BESTEST BUDS IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE, the saudis! what do i say? i say FUCK THEM. i also say, let my sisters and i go on over and give them a peek at REAL democracy in action
Saudis Arrest, Strip Search Woman for Having a Business Meeting With a Man
Posted by Lucinda Marshall, Feminist Peace Network
Doesn't it give you a warm fuzzy feeling that these misogynist thugs are our allies?
"A businesswoman was detained and strip-searched by Saudi Arabia's religious police for sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop with an unrelated man, taboo in the country.
The English-language Arab News today quoted a 40-year-old financial consultant, named only as Yara, as saying she was arrested by members of the powerful Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
She said she was holding a business meeting with the man in a branch of Starbucks in Riyadh, in a section reserved for families.
Yara said she was taken to a Riyadh prison, strip-searched and forced to sign a confession to having been caught alone with a unrelated man - an illegal act in the kingdom which enforces a strict Islamic moral code.
"I had no other choice" but to sign, said the married mother of three.
"I was scared for my life ... I was afraid that they would abuse me or do something to me."
...........
Saudis Arrest, Strip Search Woman for Having a Business Meeting With a Man
Posted by Lucinda Marshall, Feminist Peace Network
Doesn't it give you a warm fuzzy feeling that these misogynist thugs are our allies?
"A businesswoman was detained and strip-searched by Saudi Arabia's religious police for sitting in a Starbucks coffee shop with an unrelated man, taboo in the country.
The English-language Arab News today quoted a 40-year-old financial consultant, named only as Yara, as saying she was arrested by members of the powerful Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.
She said she was holding a business meeting with the man in a branch of Starbucks in Riyadh, in a section reserved for families.
Yara said she was taken to a Riyadh prison, strip-searched and forced to sign a confession to having been caught alone with a unrelated man - an illegal act in the kingdom which enforces a strict Islamic moral code.
"I had no other choice" but to sign, said the married mother of three.
"I was scared for my life ... I was afraid that they would abuse me or do something to me."
...........
this seals it
even if i WAS affiliated with NOW (which i never was), i would resign immediately. this pisses me off something FIERCE
NOW Again Attacks Obama's Illinois Voting Record on Abortion Bills
By Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writer
A national women's rights group supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) distributed an e-mail yesterday accusing Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) of being soft on abortion rights, revisiting an eleventh-hour attack that some analysts credited with swaying female voters in New Hampshire.
The e-mail from Rosemary J. Dempsey, president of the Connecticut National Organization for Women, told members that Obama's record during his time in the Illinois Senate included several instances in which he voted "present" instead of yes or no on abortion-related legislation. ........
NOW Again Attacks Obama's Illinois Voting Record on Abortion Bills
By Matthew Mosk
Washington Post Staff Writer
A national women's rights group supporting Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) distributed an e-mail yesterday accusing Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) of being soft on abortion rights, revisiting an eleventh-hour attack that some analysts credited with swaying female voters in New Hampshire.
The e-mail from Rosemary J. Dempsey, president of the Connecticut National Organization for Women, told members that Obama's record during his time in the Illinois Senate included several instances in which he voted "present" instead of yes or no on abortion-related legislation. ........
so now they've actually said it out loud
we torture...........and now we can hang our heads in shame (for real). although my head has been hanging low for just about 7 years and change now
U.S. Acknowledges Use of Waterboarding
By LARA JAKES JORDAN
WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats demanded a criminal investigation into waterboarding by government interrogators Tuesday after the Bush administration acknowledged for the first time that the tactic was used on three terror suspects.
In congressional testimony Tuesday, CIA Director Michael Hayden became the first administration official to publicly acknowledge the agency used waterboarding on detainees following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Waterboarding involves strapping a suspect down and pouring water over his cloth-covered face to create the sensation of drowning. It has been traced back hundreds of years, to the Spanish Inquisition, and is condemned by nations around the world. .........
U.S. Acknowledges Use of Waterboarding
By LARA JAKES JORDAN
WASHINGTON -- Senate Democrats demanded a criminal investigation into waterboarding by government interrogators Tuesday after the Bush administration acknowledged for the first time that the tactic was used on three terror suspects.
In congressional testimony Tuesday, CIA Director Michael Hayden became the first administration official to publicly acknowledge the agency used waterboarding on detainees following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Waterboarding involves strapping a suspect down and pouring water over his cloth-covered face to create the sensation of drowning. It has been traced back hundreds of years, to the Spanish Inquisition, and is condemned by nations around the world. .........
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
are you a feminist crafter?
here's part of her reason(s) why:
.....I'm interested in studying crafting as a resistance mechanism: in the age of mass-production, corporate mega-profits and the resulting unethical production practices such as the use of sweatshop labor, crafting (and buying handmade goods) stands in opposition to the unethical labor and production practices of certain large corporations. Feminism is a natural extension of this, as historically textile work, sewing and needlecrafts have been located within the sphere of women. And now, crafters (some motivated by feminism), are reclaiming the once domestic significations of handicrafts as both liberating and pleasurable, and embracing this new domesticity as a form of feminist resistance and subversion.
Crafting as a form of feminist resistance is being examined by a few other scholars, but as far as I know, I am the only one looking specifically at Etsy and the crafts production and marketing cycle. Because craftwork provides an alternative to mass-production, I believe that buying and selling handmade goods is a politically subversive act that allows for a fair, equitable, and ethical form of capitalism. Ultimately, the handmade movement can help create positive social change. .......
Crafting as a form of feminist resistance is being examined by a few other scholars, but as far as I know, I am the only one looking specifically at Etsy and the crafts production and marketing cycle. Because craftwork provides an alternative to mass-production, I believe that buying and selling handmade goods is a politically subversive act that allows for a fair, equitable, and ethical form of capitalism. Ultimately, the handmade movement can help create positive social change. .......
Photo by nicasaurusrex on flickr
this starts with ONE story
out of how many, we really can't even guess (unfortunately). it's the story of Marine Lance Cpl. James Jenkins. his very brief life, then his death. i blame king george and his court for lance corporal jenkins' death. they have committed crimes against humanity and they must be held accountable. it's a long article with ugly facts.
Denial in the Corps
Kathy Dobie
Marine Lance Cpl. James Jenkins is buried in the same New Jersey cemetery that he used to run through on his way to high school, stopping at the Eat Good Bakery to get two glazed doughnuts and an orange juice before heading off to class. When his mother, Cynthia Fleming, visits his grave, she looks over the low cemetery wall at not only the bakery but the used-car lot where James used to sell Christmas trees during the winter and the nursing home where he worked every summer and says, "Lord, son, you're on your own turf." James, who died at 23, is buried in Greenwood Cemetery; the owners told Cynthia they're proud to have him there. ......
Denial in the Corps
Kathy Dobie
Marine Lance Cpl. James Jenkins is buried in the same New Jersey cemetery that he used to run through on his way to high school, stopping at the Eat Good Bakery to get two glazed doughnuts and an orange juice before heading off to class. When his mother, Cynthia Fleming, visits his grave, she looks over the low cemetery wall at not only the bakery but the used-car lot where James used to sell Christmas trees during the winter and the nursing home where he worked every summer and says, "Lord, son, you're on your own turf." James, who died at 23, is buried in Greenwood Cemetery; the owners told Cynthia they're proud to have him there. ......
here is a letter to yesterday's
san francisco chronicle
BAEZ FOR OBAMA
.............Editor - I have attempted throughout my life to give a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, and options to the cynical and complacent. From Northern Ireland to Sarajevo to Latin America, I have sung and marched, engaged in civil disobedience, visited war zones, and broken bread with those who had little bread to break.
Through all those years, I chose not to engage in party politics. Though I was asked many times to endorse candidates at every level, I was never comfortable doing so. At this time, however, changing that posture feels like the responsible thing to do. If anyone can navigate the contaminated waters of Washington, lift up the poor, and appeal to the rich to share their wealth, it is Sen. Barack Obama. If anyone can bring light to the darkened corners of this nation and restore our positive influence in world affairs, it is Barack Obama. If anyone can begin the process of healing and bring unity to a country that has been divided for too long, it is Barack Obama. It is time to begin a new journey.
JOAN BAEZ ............
a rose is a rose is voting in the primary today, first thing at 6:00 am. she too will be voting for barack obama
BAEZ FOR OBAMA
.............Editor - I have attempted throughout my life to give a voice to the voiceless, hope to the hopeless, encouragement to the discouraged, and options to the cynical and complacent. From Northern Ireland to Sarajevo to Latin America, I have sung and marched, engaged in civil disobedience, visited war zones, and broken bread with those who had little bread to break.
Through all those years, I chose not to engage in party politics. Though I was asked many times to endorse candidates at every level, I was never comfortable doing so. At this time, however, changing that posture feels like the responsible thing to do. If anyone can navigate the contaminated waters of Washington, lift up the poor, and appeal to the rich to share their wealth, it is Sen. Barack Obama. If anyone can bring light to the darkened corners of this nation and restore our positive influence in world affairs, it is Barack Obama. If anyone can begin the process of healing and bring unity to a country that has been divided for too long, it is Barack Obama. It is time to begin a new journey.
JOAN BAEZ ............
a rose is a rose is voting in the primary today, first thing at 6:00 am. she too will be voting for barack obama
a shout out to del tom hucker
and the state of maryland. a while back we discovered some of the coats we were buying that were labled 'faux fur' were REAL fur (mostly from racoon dogs. a dog native to china). well maryland wants to do something about it!
Md. Bill Seeks to End Mislabeling of Fur Coats
By Philip Rucker Washington Post Staff Writer
Imagine discovering that the trim on your designer coat, labeled as faux fur, actually was rabbit. Or raccoon. Or even dog hair. .......
...................Although U.S. law prohibits the importing of dog and cat fur, federal regulations don't require manufacturers to label the type of fur if the piece is valued at less than $150. So a lawmaker from Montgomery County plans to introduce legislation today that would change the rules in Maryland by requiring all manufacturers and retailers selling fur coats in the state to identify the species and country of origin on their labels, regardless of value.
"Consumers think they know what they're buying and what they're wearing," said Del. Tom Hucker (D), the bill's sponsor. "A lot of people I've talked to are shocked to know this is going on." .........
Md. Bill Seeks to End Mislabeling of Fur Coats
By Philip Rucker Washington Post Staff Writer
Imagine discovering that the trim on your designer coat, labeled as faux fur, actually was rabbit. Or raccoon. Or even dog hair. .......
...................Although U.S. law prohibits the importing of dog and cat fur, federal regulations don't require manufacturers to label the type of fur if the piece is valued at less than $150. So a lawmaker from Montgomery County plans to introduce legislation today that would change the rules in Maryland by requiring all manufacturers and retailers selling fur coats in the state to identify the species and country of origin on their labels, regardless of value.
"Consumers think they know what they're buying and what they're wearing," said Del. Tom Hucker (D), the bill's sponsor. "A lot of people I've talked to are shocked to know this is going on." .........
Monday, February 04, 2008
yup bringing OUR
brand of democracy EVERYWHERE!
Baghdad drowning in sewage: Iraqi official
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Baghdad is drowning in sewage, thirsty for water and largely powerless, an Iraqi official said on Sunday in a grim assessment of services in the capital five years after the US-led invasion. One of three sewage treatment plants is out of commission, one is working at stuttering capacity while a pipe blockage in the third means sewage is forming a foul lake so large it can be seen "as a big black spot on Google Earth," said Tahseen Sheikhly, civilian spokesman for the Baghdad security plan.
Sheikhly told a news conference in the capital that water pipes, where they exist, are so old that it is not possible to pump water at a sufficient rate to meet demands -- leaving many neighbourhoods parched.............
Baghdad drowning in sewage: Iraqi official
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Baghdad is drowning in sewage, thirsty for water and largely powerless, an Iraqi official said on Sunday in a grim assessment of services in the capital five years after the US-led invasion. One of three sewage treatment plants is out of commission, one is working at stuttering capacity while a pipe blockage in the third means sewage is forming a foul lake so large it can be seen "as a big black spot on Google Earth," said Tahseen Sheikhly, civilian spokesman for the Baghdad security plan.
Sheikhly told a news conference in the capital that water pipes, where they exist, are so old that it is not possible to pump water at a sufficient rate to meet demands -- leaving many neighbourhoods parched.............
get out your tie dyed tees
and your headbands and bells
Grateful Dead to reunite for Obama concert
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Life!) - The Grateful Dead, the San Francisco cult rock band that has played at political events since the 1960s, will reunite on Monday for the first time in four years to rally support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a spokesman said on Friday.
Band leader Jerry Garcia died in 1995. Surviving members have played together occasionally since then, most recently in 2004. On Monday, original members Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will play at a San Francisco theater a day before California's primary.
"They have agreed to reunite for this one-time-only event in order to lend support to Senator Obama leading into the crucial 'Super-Tuesday' series of primaries held on Tuesday, February 5th," the band said in a statement.............
Grateful Dead to reunite for Obama concert
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Life!) - The Grateful Dead, the San Francisco cult rock band that has played at political events since the 1960s, will reunite on Monday for the first time in four years to rally support for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, a spokesman said on Friday.
Band leader Jerry Garcia died in 1995. Surviving members have played together occasionally since then, most recently in 2004. On Monday, original members Mickey Hart, Phil Lesh and Bob Weir will play at a San Francisco theater a day before California's primary.
"They have agreed to reunite for this one-time-only event in order to lend support to Senator Obama leading into the crucial 'Super-Tuesday' series of primaries held on Tuesday, February 5th," the band said in a statement.............
whoops!
(no, it's NOT funny. although i can hear king george and the big dick chuckling over it right now)
U.S. Says It Accidentally Killed 9 Iraqi Civilians
U.S. Says It Accidentally Killed 9 Iraqi Civilians
i read the headline of this story
and said, 'WHO THE F**K inhales pig brains'? the i slapped myself on the forehead and said
'SLAUGHTERHOUSE WORKERS of course'! (and WHO works in slaughterhouses you ask? well lots of born americans for sure, BUT a way LOT of immigrants as well. first breathing in the additives in the popcorn* came to light, now this. none of it surprising
Inhaling Pig Brains May Be Cause of New Illness
By David Brown Washington Post Staff Writer
Fittingly, the first person to detect a faint signal in all the noise was the interpreter.
The 33-year-old woman who worked for eight years working with Spanish-speaking patients at a medical clinic in southern Minnesota noticed something familiar as she translated the story of a young meatpacker last September.
Earlier last summer, she had heard a version of it from two other workers at the same slaughterhouse, and had told it to their doctors, who were different from her current patient's. When the consultation was over, she pointed this out.
The interpreter's insight set in motion a story, still unfolding, that may be making envious the ghost of Berton Roueche, the legendary chronicler of medical mysteries at the New Yorker magazine. A new disease has surfaced in 12 people among the 1,300 employees at the factory run by Quality Pork Processors about 100 miles south of Minneapolis. ..........
*NOTE king george's administration threatened to VETO any actions to halt or regulate diacetyl
'SLAUGHTERHOUSE WORKERS of course'! (and WHO works in slaughterhouses you ask? well lots of born americans for sure, BUT a way LOT of immigrants as well. first breathing in the additives in the popcorn* came to light, now this. none of it surprising
Inhaling Pig Brains May Be Cause of New Illness
By David Brown Washington Post Staff Writer
Fittingly, the first person to detect a faint signal in all the noise was the interpreter.
The 33-year-old woman who worked for eight years working with Spanish-speaking patients at a medical clinic in southern Minnesota noticed something familiar as she translated the story of a young meatpacker last September.
Earlier last summer, she had heard a version of it from two other workers at the same slaughterhouse, and had told it to their doctors, who were different from her current patient's. When the consultation was over, she pointed this out.
The interpreter's insight set in motion a story, still unfolding, that may be making envious the ghost of Berton Roueche, the legendary chronicler of medical mysteries at the New Yorker magazine. A new disease has surfaced in 12 people among the 1,300 employees at the factory run by Quality Pork Processors about 100 miles south of Minneapolis. ..........
*NOTE king george's administration threatened to VETO any actions to halt or regulate diacetyl
Sunday, February 03, 2008
you know that song
isn't it ironic by alanis morissette (that was an irony ONLY because none of the shite in the song was ironic)???
well THIS is ironic
Blackwater and Blood: Spilling it in Iraq, Donating it at Home
Posted by Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet
.................This week, the company received an award from the American Red Cross -- not for its skill at making Iraqis bleed, but for Blackwater's recent blood drive, where company employees reportedly gave 264 units of blood. "That means that well over 600 lives have been saved in this region," said Georgia Donaldson of the Mid Atlantic region Red Cross.
The group presented Blackwater's owner, Erik Prince with a plaque, honoring the company. "I'm proud of the folks we have here. We have a great team, they constantly go above and beyond the call of duty, they give back and they're giving to their local community here," said Prince. But here's the money quote: Blackwater "saw a need for the community to receive more blood, so we made it available and our folks answered the call." Sort of like what they do in Iraq for Bush. Oh, and this blood must be mighty special. As Prince told Congress last year, his men "bleed red, white and blue." ...................
well THIS is ironic
Blackwater and Blood: Spilling it in Iraq, Donating it at Home
Posted by Jeremy Scahill, AlterNet
.................This week, the company received an award from the American Red Cross -- not for its skill at making Iraqis bleed, but for Blackwater's recent blood drive, where company employees reportedly gave 264 units of blood. "That means that well over 600 lives have been saved in this region," said Georgia Donaldson of the Mid Atlantic region Red Cross.
The group presented Blackwater's owner, Erik Prince with a plaque, honoring the company. "I'm proud of the folks we have here. We have a great team, they constantly go above and beyond the call of duty, they give back and they're giving to their local community here," said Prince. But here's the money quote: Blackwater "saw a need for the community to receive more blood, so we made it available and our folks answered the call." Sort of like what they do in Iraq for Bush. Oh, and this blood must be mighty special. As Prince told Congress last year, his men "bleed red, white and blue." ...................
wow, i want a contract with the us military
seems like the more you f**k up, the MORE money they give you! dang, what a racket (whose money is it you ax? IT'S OUR F**KING MONEY)
Military contractors are hard to fire
Military's Dependence on Contractors Makes It Hard to Fire Private-Sector Partners
RICHARD LARDNER
ITT Federal Services International, a defense contractor hired to maintain battle gear for U.S. troops in Iraq, repeatedly failed to do the job right. Combat vehicles ITT declared as repaired and ready for action flunked inspections and had to be fixed again. Equipment to be sanitized for return to the United States was found caked with dirt. And ITT's computer database for tracking the work was rife with errors.
Formal "letters of concern" were sent to the contractor. Still, the Army didn't fire ITT. Instead, it gave the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based company more work to do. Since October 2004, ITT has been paid $638 million through the Global Maintenance and Supply Services contract.............
Military contractors are hard to fire
Military's Dependence on Contractors Makes It Hard to Fire Private-Sector Partners
RICHARD LARDNER
ITT Federal Services International, a defense contractor hired to maintain battle gear for U.S. troops in Iraq, repeatedly failed to do the job right. Combat vehicles ITT declared as repaired and ready for action flunked inspections and had to be fixed again. Equipment to be sanitized for return to the United States was found caked with dirt. And ITT's computer database for tracking the work was rife with errors.
Formal "letters of concern" were sent to the contractor. Still, the Army didn't fire ITT. Instead, it gave the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based company more work to do. Since October 2004, ITT has been paid $638 million through the Global Maintenance and Supply Services contract.............
so let me get this straight
we're WINNING the 'war on terror' in iraq. but instead of us illegally and immorally invading the country to fight ONE war, we're actually watching THREE WARS occur? yeah, that's winning all right
In Iraq, Three Wars Engage U.S.
Shiite Extremists Pose Greatest Challenge, Military Officials Say
By Thomas E. Ricks Washington Post Staff Writer
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq-- Three separate but related wars are being waged in this country now, and the third one, against Shiite extremists, is the most worrisome, according to the commander and senior staff of the U.S. Army division patrolling Baghdad. The first, against al-Qaeda in Iraq, a Sunni group that U.S. officials believe is foreign-led, is going well despite occasional spikes in violence, such as Friday's dual bombings of Baghdad marketplaces. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is "frustrated" but "not defeated," Maj. Gen. Jeffrey W. Hammond, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, said in an interview last week.
The second fight, against the domestic Sunni insurgency, has become dormant in many places in the past year, as about 80,000 armed men, many of them former insurgents, switched sides and came onto the U.S. payroll with groups that officers here call "Concerned Local Citizens."
The third conflict, and perhaps the most vexing for U.S. commanders, is with Shiite extremist militias. More than two-thirds of U.S. casualties are caused by roadside bombs, particularly by high-tech anti-armor devices, planted by those groups. .........
oh and one more little tiny thing, 3,943 of OUR men and women have given their lives for this shite. that does NOT include those injured (outside as well as inside)
In Iraq, Three Wars Engage U.S.
Shiite Extremists Pose Greatest Challenge, Military Officials Say
By Thomas E. Ricks Washington Post Staff Writer
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq-- Three separate but related wars are being waged in this country now, and the third one, against Shiite extremists, is the most worrisome, according to the commander and senior staff of the U.S. Army division patrolling Baghdad. The first, against al-Qaeda in Iraq, a Sunni group that U.S. officials believe is foreign-led, is going well despite occasional spikes in violence, such as Friday's dual bombings of Baghdad marketplaces. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is "frustrated" but "not defeated," Maj. Gen. Jeffrey W. Hammond, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, said in an interview last week.
The second fight, against the domestic Sunni insurgency, has become dormant in many places in the past year, as about 80,000 armed men, many of them former insurgents, switched sides and came onto the U.S. payroll with groups that officers here call "Concerned Local Citizens."
The third conflict, and perhaps the most vexing for U.S. commanders, is with Shiite extremist militias. More than two-thirds of U.S. casualties are caused by roadside bombs, particularly by high-tech anti-armor devices, planted by those groups. .........
oh and one more little tiny thing, 3,943 of OUR men and women have given their lives for this shite. that does NOT include those injured (outside as well as inside)
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