Deputies and supporters of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador stormed the podium in Mexico’s congress hall just before President Fox was to take the stage to deliver his last State of the Union speech. They were protesting the troubled election won by Fox’s handpicked successor, Felipe Calderon. The election has been fraught with accusations of fraud. During a recount, Mexico’s high court, taking a cue from the US Supreme Court, declared Obrador as the winner even though his lead was just over ½ a percentage point.
Having lived in Mexico, I can assure you that this country has fraud and corruption on a scale that makes the Bush administration look like amateurs. I have long suspected there might be another revolution there and perhaps this is the beginning of it. Now if the voters of this country will watch Mexico closely, they might learn something. Corruption must be stopped. The first line of defense is the ballot box; however once that has been corrupted the streets are the only choice left. Let’s hope it does not reach that point here.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Pat Buchanan Argues For Racial Purity
Pat would feel right at home with the other chief architect of racial purity. In his latest zany book, he warns that the white nation he so loved as a child will be gone by 2050.Next I suspect he will be arguing for invading Mexico so we have Leibensraum for the white Aryan Americans to grow. He never ceases to amaze me!
King Bush Puts Anti Labor Lawyer Into Wage & Hour Post
Bush plans another no-vote appointment. He sates he will recess appoint Paul DeCamp as head of the U.S. Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division. This guy was Wal-Mart’s attorney and has never come down on the side of the workers in any case. This is like turning over the Child Protective Services to a known child abuser.
Bush has no shame and no clue that the American people are fed up with him and his tyrannical authoritarian politics. He was not elected King and he cannot behave like one. Write your congressperson and let them know how upset you are. Even though you may get a form letter in reply at least they will know some people actually care that they are not doing their jobs.
Bush has no shame and no clue that the American people are fed up with him and his tyrannical authoritarian politics. He was not elected King and he cannot behave like one. Write your congressperson and let them know how upset you are. Even though you may get a form letter in reply at least they will know some people actually care that they are not doing their jobs.
September 11 Memories
Since everyone else is remembering September 11, I guess it’s my turn.
I was at a secluded resort near the shores of Lake Michigan attending a gathering with 300 of my closest kinky friends. That morning, I rose early as usual and wandered down to the cook tent. After slurping a cup of coffee, I overheard one of the busboys saying in Spanish that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.
I headed up to the Hotel bar and saw the TV on inside. There before me was the smoking north tower. As more and more people drifted into the bar to watch, we were as confused as the media, until we say the second plane hit the south tower. Immediately everyone said the same word, "terrorists". It didn’t take the announcer to let us know that his was the work of a planned attack.
Now the bar was getting crowded and a friend from New York next to me broke down in tears. "They’re destroying my city", he moaned choking back a sob. I put an arm around him as we continued to watch.
They cut to a correspondent at the Pentagon to get the official response, during her report there was a loud boom and she looked visibly shaken. Conjecture the stuff of the 24-hour news cycle was that there had been an explosion there, she would report back with more as soon as she had details. Before she could finish they cut to another reporter in Washington who said a 3rd plane had crashed into the pentagon.
Then the scene cut back to the towers, as we saw close ups of people jumping in twos and threes to their death rather than be burned alive. The most surreal image was the shower of paper that was streaming from the towers. White sheets fluttered like grim confetti at a parade, but this parade was a funeral march. As we listened to the newspeople babble, trying to make sense of it all, the rumors the unsubstantiated reports, we saw the south tower start to move. Buildings aren’t supposed to do that. Voices everywhere in the bar screamed as it rumbled downward. The announcers fell silent for a moment, bewildered by the sight.
As the clouds of dust and paper engulfed lower Manhattan, my heart was racing wildly. Where would they strike next? Friends from Chicago were on cell phones to people in the Sears tower, telling them to get out. I was on the phone to my lover in Dallas, making sure he was OK. Who knew what was happening?
A few friends and myself decided we needed to go home immediately, from the reports on the news, this could be only the beginning. Rumors of more planes and bombs filled the airwaves, and so we hit the ATM at the resort for a few hundred dollars in cash and headed off with all our luggage in a tiny rented compact car.
Four good-sized men and enough luggage to fill a station wagon were crammed into a Buick Sable and took off for Dallas. We listened to the radio constantly to hear some word from Washington and the President as to what was happening. What we heard was confusion. Bush was in Florida and now was on a plane bound for who knows where; Cheney was at an undisclosed location. It seemed as though the government had vacated Washington while the dust settled.
On the way back we passed gas stations changing their prices to $5 and $6 per gallon. Ah, capitalism at it’s worst! At one station we paid $3.50 a gallon to fill up and the owner was outside changing the sign to $8.00. Everyone at the station confronted him and told him to put the sign down and go back inside. At least there was some decency left!
We stayed the night in the lovely town of Bucksnort, TN (No joke). After watching replays of the days activities on TV we fell into a troubled sleep. The next morning we started off and made it to Dallas by afternoon. Rumors of "marshal law" abounded so we had no idea if we’d be able to get home or not.
Gratefully we pulled into DFW Airport and returned the rental car. We had all parked there when we flew out, so it made sense to return the car there. It was spooky. No planes flying and silence in a normally deafening soundscape. I heard music playing at the curb from the overhead sound system. I have never before or since been able to hear that at the airport. Funny what you remember.
That night I spent with my lover at home recapping the stories and watching TV to see what was really happening. I now know that I panicked needlessly and could have stayed a few more days without problem, but at times of crisis it’s comforting to be with the people you love and to know they are safe.
When I remember that day now, I find myself becoming very angry. Angry with a government whom did nothing while the planes turned and headed for NY and DC. Angry with a President who felt the need to read a story to preschoolers instead of speaking to a frightened and confused nation. Angry at the politicization of the tragedy and the failure to honor the real heroes who gave their lives to save many people in both the Pentagon and WTC. Angry that the President used what was a singularly uniting moment to start a war with Iraq instead of bring the world together to deal with the problem of terrorism and it’s root causes.
I still dream of the people falling from the towers and hear the collective gasp of all my friends watching with me on TV when the Towers crashed. The good that came from that day for me, was a commitment to work toward changing our world. Toward finding paths to peace and not to war, and toward bringing a system of checks and balances back to America through a real democracy.
I was at a secluded resort near the shores of Lake Michigan attending a gathering with 300 of my closest kinky friends. That morning, I rose early as usual and wandered down to the cook tent. After slurping a cup of coffee, I overheard one of the busboys saying in Spanish that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center.
I headed up to the Hotel bar and saw the TV on inside. There before me was the smoking north tower. As more and more people drifted into the bar to watch, we were as confused as the media, until we say the second plane hit the south tower. Immediately everyone said the same word, "terrorists". It didn’t take the announcer to let us know that his was the work of a planned attack.
Now the bar was getting crowded and a friend from New York next to me broke down in tears. "They’re destroying my city", he moaned choking back a sob. I put an arm around him as we continued to watch.
They cut to a correspondent at the Pentagon to get the official response, during her report there was a loud boom and she looked visibly shaken. Conjecture the stuff of the 24-hour news cycle was that there had been an explosion there, she would report back with more as soon as she had details. Before she could finish they cut to another reporter in Washington who said a 3rd plane had crashed into the pentagon.
Then the scene cut back to the towers, as we saw close ups of people jumping in twos and threes to their death rather than be burned alive. The most surreal image was the shower of paper that was streaming from the towers. White sheets fluttered like grim confetti at a parade, but this parade was a funeral march. As we listened to the newspeople babble, trying to make sense of it all, the rumors the unsubstantiated reports, we saw the south tower start to move. Buildings aren’t supposed to do that. Voices everywhere in the bar screamed as it rumbled downward. The announcers fell silent for a moment, bewildered by the sight.
As the clouds of dust and paper engulfed lower Manhattan, my heart was racing wildly. Where would they strike next? Friends from Chicago were on cell phones to people in the Sears tower, telling them to get out. I was on the phone to my lover in Dallas, making sure he was OK. Who knew what was happening?
A few friends and myself decided we needed to go home immediately, from the reports on the news, this could be only the beginning. Rumors of more planes and bombs filled the airwaves, and so we hit the ATM at the resort for a few hundred dollars in cash and headed off with all our luggage in a tiny rented compact car.
Four good-sized men and enough luggage to fill a station wagon were crammed into a Buick Sable and took off for Dallas. We listened to the radio constantly to hear some word from Washington and the President as to what was happening. What we heard was confusion. Bush was in Florida and now was on a plane bound for who knows where; Cheney was at an undisclosed location. It seemed as though the government had vacated Washington while the dust settled.
On the way back we passed gas stations changing their prices to $5 and $6 per gallon. Ah, capitalism at it’s worst! At one station we paid $3.50 a gallon to fill up and the owner was outside changing the sign to $8.00. Everyone at the station confronted him and told him to put the sign down and go back inside. At least there was some decency left!
We stayed the night in the lovely town of Bucksnort, TN (No joke). After watching replays of the days activities on TV we fell into a troubled sleep. The next morning we started off and made it to Dallas by afternoon. Rumors of "marshal law" abounded so we had no idea if we’d be able to get home or not.
Gratefully we pulled into DFW Airport and returned the rental car. We had all parked there when we flew out, so it made sense to return the car there. It was spooky. No planes flying and silence in a normally deafening soundscape. I heard music playing at the curb from the overhead sound system. I have never before or since been able to hear that at the airport. Funny what you remember.
That night I spent with my lover at home recapping the stories and watching TV to see what was really happening. I now know that I panicked needlessly and could have stayed a few more days without problem, but at times of crisis it’s comforting to be with the people you love and to know they are safe.
When I remember that day now, I find myself becoming very angry. Angry with a government whom did nothing while the planes turned and headed for NY and DC. Angry with a President who felt the need to read a story to preschoolers instead of speaking to a frightened and confused nation. Angry at the politicization of the tragedy and the failure to honor the real heroes who gave their lives to save many people in both the Pentagon and WTC. Angry that the President used what was a singularly uniting moment to start a war with Iraq instead of bring the world together to deal with the problem of terrorism and it’s root causes.
I still dream of the people falling from the towers and hear the collective gasp of all my friends watching with me on TV when the Towers crashed. The good that came from that day for me, was a commitment to work toward changing our world. Toward finding paths to peace and not to war, and toward bringing a system of checks and balances back to America through a real democracy.
Ann Coulter Makes Another Death Threat
Once again the reigning Queen of Mean makes another death threat. On a recent Fox News broadcast her commentary was highlighted with the banner "The shot the wrong Lincoln", referring to moderate Republican Lincoln Chafee. Funny how these Neocon pundits can make what amount to death threats and remain immune to prosecution.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Wearing T-shirts With Arabic Now Cause For Ban From Flight
"We Will Not Be Silent" was the slogan of the White Rose group. They were brave Germans who resisted the Nazis during their rise to power. Today, their memory has been defamed but US transport officials.
An architect wearing a black T-shirt with the slogan "We Will Not Be Silent" was forced to change his shirt or not be allowed to board a JetBlue flight from NY to California. The reason? Well the slogan was printed in both English and Arabic, and he was of Middle-Eastern descent. This action by authorities is exactly the reason every patriotic American should wear a similar shirt. To be denied the freedom to express ideals, even through something as trivial as a T-shirt are protected as FREE SPEECH in this country, or at least used to be. Now, the sad state of affairs is that they are not.
An architect wearing a black T-shirt with the slogan "We Will Not Be Silent" was forced to change his shirt or not be allowed to board a JetBlue flight from NY to California. The reason? Well the slogan was printed in both English and Arabic, and he was of Middle-Eastern descent. This action by authorities is exactly the reason every patriotic American should wear a similar shirt. To be denied the freedom to express ideals, even through something as trivial as a T-shirt are protected as FREE SPEECH in this country, or at least used to be. Now, the sad state of affairs is that they are not.
ABC News Erupts With Supervolcano Non Story! Be Affraid NOW!
Looks like there isn’t enough fear in America for the population to be controllable. Guess what? Now ABC News is thumping a buls*#t story about SUPERVOLCANOES! Yellowstone could explode at any moment and end the world. BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFFRIAD!
Well being a vulcanology enthusiast, I only had to click my browser twice to get to the bottom of this crap. USGS, one of the only government organizations not yet staffed by political hacks has a whole page on Supervolcanoes and since the Discovery Channel did their wacko fictionalized special, the folks at the United States Geological Service decided to set the record straight.
In ABC News story they don’t even have the dates right, much less the science. Why the story? Well there is a special about "The Last Days on Earth" on 20/20. How can I avoid the conclusion that they are selling more fear to try to influence the November elections? Cynical? Damn right I am Cynical!
Well being a vulcanology enthusiast, I only had to click my browser twice to get to the bottom of this crap. USGS, one of the only government organizations not yet staffed by political hacks has a whole page on Supervolcanoes and since the Discovery Channel did their wacko fictionalized special, the folks at the United States Geological Service decided to set the record straight.
In ABC News story they don’t even have the dates right, much less the science. Why the story? Well there is a special about "The Last Days on Earth" on 20/20. How can I avoid the conclusion that they are selling more fear to try to influence the November elections? Cynical? Damn right I am Cynical!
Fox News Dives In Ratings
Fox News, the network that brings you’re the hate mongering Bill O’Riley has taken a nosedive in the ratings. Their rating dropped a whopping 28% among all viewers, and 20% in the 24-55 demographic, the folks with money!
Fox may be suffering the same fate as the President whose approval continues to plumb the depths. I wonder how long Rupert will continue to follow the party line, when he starts hemorrhaging money from the exodus of advertisers and lowered revenue?
Fox may be suffering the same fate as the President whose approval continues to plumb the depths. I wonder how long Rupert will continue to follow the party line, when he starts hemorrhaging money from the exodus of advertisers and lowered revenue?
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Rumsfeld Lies Again
I guess it’s hard being the Secretary of Defense who oversaw the baseless attacks on Iraq, but now he’s just making stuff up. In a speech before the American Legion, he likened critics of the war to those who tried to appease the Nazi’s during WWII.
It is shameful when the Secretary of Defense starts spewing these kind of nonsensical allegations. He fails to name anyone in Congress who favors appeasement of terrorists, yet makes bold claims that a new kind of fascism is loose in the world.
I have news for Mr. Rumsfeld, a new fascism is loose in the world and it’s seat of power is in Washington, DC in the White House. A president who is unchecked by Congress and seeks more and more power looks pretty much like a fascist to me. But enough of the name calling, let’s see your facts Mr. Rumsfeld. Name one Senator or Congressman that has advocated appeasing the terrorists.
(Ominous silence)
It is shameful when the Secretary of Defense starts spewing these kind of nonsensical allegations. He fails to name anyone in Congress who favors appeasement of terrorists, yet makes bold claims that a new kind of fascism is loose in the world.
I have news for Mr. Rumsfeld, a new fascism is loose in the world and it’s seat of power is in Washington, DC in the White House. A president who is unchecked by Congress and seeks more and more power looks pretty much like a fascist to me. But enough of the name calling, let’s see your facts Mr. Rumsfeld. Name one Senator or Congressman that has advocated appeasing the terrorists.
(Ominous silence)
Return Of The Dust Bowl?
In the 1930’s the southern Great Plains became a big mass of swirling dust. Over tilling the soil and poor land management as well as a continued drought led to huge quantities of topsoil being swept away by high winds. Dust storms made conditions intolerable and many were forced from their farms by bankruptcy and just plain old despair.
Well, thanks to he recent continued drought the northern Great Plains now face a similar fate. Cattle ranchers have had to sell their cattle early because the grazing is so poor. Even hay is at a premium because of the drought.
The effects of global warming? No one knows for sure, but if this is a persistent pattern, the Great Plains may become the Great American Desert again. My suggestion is similar to the Governor of South Dakota, pray for rain. Meanwhile, we need to start taking steps to reverse the global warming trend. If not now, we may not have another opportunity.
Well, thanks to he recent continued drought the northern Great Plains now face a similar fate. Cattle ranchers have had to sell their cattle early because the grazing is so poor. Even hay is at a premium because of the drought.
The effects of global warming? No one knows for sure, but if this is a persistent pattern, the Great Plains may become the Great American Desert again. My suggestion is similar to the Governor of South Dakota, pray for rain. Meanwhile, we need to start taking steps to reverse the global warming trend. If not now, we may not have another opportunity.
Monday, August 28, 2006
Archbishop Of Canterbury Says Gays Not Welcome In Church
The concept of grace and God’s love for all his children, a concept which Jesus preached relentlessly has apparently not reached the Anglican Church. The archbishop of Canterbury has told gays that they need to change their behavior if they are to be welcomed into the church.
It seems that God only loves those who his earthly servants judge. The God of the Archbishop is a servant to church proclamations and not the omnipotent and all-loving God I worship. I guess as a Christian who tries to follow Jesus I will have to look elsewhere for spiritual guidance. Again, I am grateful for denominations like the United Church of Christ and other liberal Christian churches that let God speak for himself through whomever hears his call.
It seems that God only loves those who his earthly servants judge. The God of the Archbishop is a servant to church proclamations and not the omnipotent and all-loving God I worship. I guess as a Christian who tries to follow Jesus I will have to look elsewhere for spiritual guidance. Again, I am grateful for denominations like the United Church of Christ and other liberal Christian churches that let God speak for himself through whomever hears his call.
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Quote For The Day
What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy? - Mohandas Ghandi
Hundreds Protest At Presidential Vacation To Maine
Bush seems to be dogged by protesters wherever he goes these days, and that’s a good thing. As Bush has said, "you have to keep repeating yourself to catapult the propaganda." Well, a group of 700+ were on hand outside the Kennebunkport compound of his father to let Bush know that the US needs to get out of Iraq.
We have Camp Casey in Crawford, this group on Maine, next we need a group camped outside the White House doing the same thing, except that group needs to be several hundred thousand strong. A mass protest in Washington to call attention to the unjust and illegal war might just catapult not only the propaganda, but Bush from office.
We have Camp Casey in Crawford, this group on Maine, next we need a group camped outside the White House doing the same thing, except that group needs to be several hundred thousand strong. A mass protest in Washington to call attention to the unjust and illegal war might just catapult not only the propaganda, but Bush from office.
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