ATT - NSA Wiretap Lawsuit ... Shhhhh! It's A Secret.

Hiding behind the defense of last resort the NSA and the Bush White House are attempting to block a civil liberties suit by the Electronic Frontiers Foundation to uncover the illegally complicit actions in tapping the phones and internet communications of American's without any warrants. The are calling the matter "Top Secret" and trying to hush the entire episode up. The truth may be more disturbing than the NSA warrantless wiretaps that Bush ordered.

According to Mark Klein, a former technician for AT&T who says Internet data passing through a switching center in San Francisco is being diverted to a secret room. There, Mr. Klein says, "the security agency has installed powerful computers to eavesdrop without warrants on the digital data and forward the information to an undisclosed place."

Not surprising they want this hushed up. This is in clear violation of several laws and makes the current wiretap scandal pale in comparison. AT&T claims things should be secret too, they are claiming infringement on trade secrets to block the investigation.

So it seems that now whenever a whistleblower calls Bush or his cronies on an illegal scheme, it immediately becomes "Top Secret". Welcome to the new totalitarianism. "We decide what is good for you, you will not question us."

Karl Rove In Hell

Karl Rove's lawyer said of his last (5th) appearance before the grand jury as "hell", according to RAW STORY. Rove met for three and a half hours and described the session as grueling. Apparently he is more worried than ever of being indicted.

Poor Karl, and the grand jury s scheduled to meet again tomorrow. Could Fitzmas be far away?

Meanwhile, Scooters attempt to have charges dropped in a last minute legal maneuver failed. Their argument that Fitzgerald didn't have the legal power to bring the indictments was rebutted by the federal judge.

Exxon Drowning In Profits

Exxon Mobil Corp. made an $8.4 billion profit in the first quarter. And even though that's a 7 percent increase over last year analysts were disappointed with the numbers. Net income only rose to $1.37 per share for the January-March period from $7.86 billion or $1.22 per share last year. Wall Street analysts were looking for 1.47 per share. Too bad for poor Exxon-Mobil.

If only they could figure a way to make more profit!

Well the Senate is interested in their profits, too. Seems the Senate Finance Committee is seeking the Income Tax records of the oil behemoth. Senator Grassley (R) of Iowa said, "I want to make sure the oil companies aren't taking a speed pass by the tax man."

My guess is that there will be the usual grandstanding and then the whole thing will again be swept under the table. The inner workings of the oil companies and their insane profits will continue to be opaque and we may never know the truth.

I found it interesting that last night on the Daily Show, Jon Stewart was interviewing a Wall Street Journal columnist (I cannot remember her name). He tried to get her to tell him how the oil companies could be making record profits without price gouging and she kept telling him he just didn't understand how business worked.

Bear with me for a moment. This is a very greatly simplified example but I suspect this is why Stewart and myself are so confused. Try this equation: X + Y = Z

X= price per barrel of oil
Y= cost of refining gasoline
Z= price at the pump

Now if oil prices go up, the cost of gas increases, however the cost to refine it doesn't change. So one would think that the profits of the gas companies would remain stable, since the amount of gas purchased doesn't change and they are passing the additional oil cost along the way. So why the record profits, even with increased costs?

Here's my suspicion, they use a mark-up formula that is based on a percentage of the cost of the oil + the refinery costs. Therefore, not only is the extra cost passed on, its marked up an additional percent, so the higher the oil prices, the more profit for the oil companies. For them it's a win/win situation and for us it’s another chance to be screwed by big business.

Simple isn't it? They pass on the cost and increased profits and we pay. Now why couldn't Jon Stewart understand that? What could be better? Well Bush has suspended the environmental restrictions for the refineries, so they can pollute the air even more, make gas a little cheaper and still keep those record profits rolling. What a country!

Conservatives Give Green Light To Terrorists At Ports

Rep. Ed Markley, (D-MA) proposed an amendment that would assure that all containers entering the US would be screened for radioactive material. Similar screening already takes place in Hong Kong and has been cost effective and successful. Conservatives, prodded by heavy industry lobbying killed the measure, leaving our ports exposed again. The industry coalition includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Retail Industry Leaders Association, which represents outlets like Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot and Best Buy.

Committee chairman Peter King (R-NY) called the plan "not realistic".

So much for strong defense. Either there really is no terrorist threat, or the conservatives are working against the security of our nation for profit motives. It's time we called these guys what they are, liars and sellouts.

Senators Son Gets Reduced Sex Offense Deal

Parents of the children abused at a summer camp think the son of Sen. Ken Bennett (R) of Arizona got reduced charges because he was the son of a powerful politician. Ya think?

Clifton Bennet pleaded guilty to assaulting boys in their cabin by poking a broomstick, a flashlight and cane in their rears. Though they claimed no penetration occurred, the offense was categorized as aggravated assault and because they were held against their will it was also kidnapping. County Attorney Sheila Polk rejected demands from parents that she press sexual assault charges stating there was no sexual intent or penetration.

No sexual intent? Oh but of course people go around poking each other in the butt just for fun. Well in my community they do, but it is definitely done with sexual intent.

When I look at this case closer I have to agree with the judge. I think the assaults were the result of a hazing prank gone too far, however to say there was no sexual intent is erroneous.
Teenagers are always exploring outlets for their sexual urges. Whether they know it or not much of that exploration can take the form of same-sex behavior, and in a repressive society the urge for same-sex contact can become masked in aggression.

I think they deserve punishment, but more importantly they need counseling to find out where all that misplaced aggression came from. Otherwise, they will probably do it again, and maybe next time with disastrous results.

Western Shoshone Tribe Sues Halt Nuclear Style Test

"Divine Strake" is anything but divine to the Western Shoshone tribe. The tribe filed a federal lawsuit naming officials with the Defense Department, National Nuclear Security Administration and Defense Threat Reduction Agency as defendants. The proposed test is on traditional Western Shoshone land.

The tribe as well as many citizens of Nevada and other western states worry that the blast, over 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, could kick up radioactive material left from numerous A-bomb tests on the same proving ground in the 50's and 60's. Utah Senator Orin Hatch is even concerned. "The more I look into this, the more upset I become," Hatch said.

The test is also in direct violation of a UN decision as part of the United Nations Committe to Eliminate Racial Discrimination.

Has Iraq War Has Played Into Bin Laden's Hands?

Author and Middle East Analyst Fawaz Gerges in his new book "The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global" says that the jihadi movement had nearly sputter in the late 1990's. The movement took their battle to what he calls the "near enemy" Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt but had almost played out when Al Qaeda decided to take its fight to the West, "the far enemy".

This caused rifts in the movement and could have broken the momentum, however the war in Iraq has reinvigorated not Al Qaeda, but the global juhadi movement. In an interview with Aljazeera, Geres says, "I think the American war in Iraq has played into the hands of al-Qaeda's trans-national ideology on global jihad. In many respects, Iraq is slowly and gradually replacing Afghanistan as a recruiting tool and ground for jihadi action. "

The interview on the Aljazeera website is though provoking and gives us a glimpse into the forces behind the jihadi movement. Gerges, holds the Christian Johnson Chair in International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies at New York's Sarah Lawrence University. I strongly suggest reading his new book.

Bush Orders investigation Into Gas Price Manipulation - And Other Fairy Tales

"There's no magic wand to wave,'' Bush is quoted saying at a Republican fundraiser in Las Vegas. He also announced that the Justice Department will begin an investigation into possible price gouging and manipulation by the oil industry.

Meanwhile the Senate released a joint announcement that they intend to have hearings on the subject. The real question is, will they really have sworn testimony from oil company execs, or will this be another fake hearing like the last one where oil executives spun whimsical stories about capacity, reformulation and our old friend "supply and demand".

So while Bush looks for his magic wand and the Senate struggles whether to actually have oil execs sworn in for testimony, the consumer pays all time record prices for gas and the oil companies make record profits. Have a safe summer driving season as you vacation a couple of blocks away from home.

Bush Approval Rating Slips Again!

Now Dubbya is down to 32% approval rating according to a new CNN poll, the lowest ever for him.

The slide is dramatic, late in March a Pew Center poll had him at 35%, then a Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll pegged his rating at 33% and now this. It's going to take more than a reshuffling of the deck chairs to keep this Titanic from sinking.

My hope is that Democrats and Republicans who can still use critical thinking will realize now is the time to start investigations into the President's pathological lies and deceit. I can understand not wanting to rock the boat of a popular president, but Bush is headed for ratings lower than Nixon soon, and the time is right to investigate and if necessary, take legal action.
Impeachment or censure should be the least of these options.

Former CIA Official Says Bush, Rice, Cheney Knew Iraq Had No WMD In 2002

Former top CIA official, Tyler Drumheller spoke to Ed Bradley on CBS New Show, 60 Minutes tonight and spilled the beans. He said in a report to Bush, Cheney and Rice in 2002 that a highly placed source, Naji Sabri, Saddam's foreign minister turned spy, reported that there were no active WMD programs in Iraq.

Drumheller also goes on to say that the Iraq war policy was already set, and the administration was only interested in information that supported it. The video is available on thinkprogress.org.

This story is the kind of stuff CBS News should have been doing all along, I applaud them for it, even though it's a few years too late.

Physicists Tell Bush "Nuclear Weapons Against Iran Gravely Irresponsible!”

In a story that went virtually uncovered by US press, thirteen of the nation's most prominent physicists wrote a letter to President Bush. In it they called U.S. plans to reportedly use nuclear weapons against Iran "gravely irresponsible" and warned that such action would have "disastrous consequences for the security of the United States and the world."

The letter which will be publiclycally in Lafayette Park across from the White House April 26 states,"There are no sharp lines between small "tactical" nuclear weapons and large ones, nor between nucweaponseapns targeting facilities and those targeting armies or cities." It goes on to warn that once nuclear weapons are used it will lessen the "taboo" against them and "there will be a greatly enhanced risk that regional conflicts could expand into global nuclear war."

I will be surprised if the White House listens to these scientists. Bush and his cronies seem to listen only to those voices that have been carefully screened to tell them what they want to hear. Scientists have had little sway with this White House, in fact it could be argued that Bush has done his best to squelch scientific advise of any kind, from news of global warming to this letter about nuclear war.

The petitioners include Nobel laureates, a National Medal of Science winner and three past presidents of the American Physical Society. With credentials like these I suspect the White House will take steps to avoid reading this one for sure.

Christian Online Sex Shop In Wales

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Bush Meets With Think Tank To Plan Iran War

The Center for American Progress reported that Bush held meetings today with the Hoover Institute fellow George Schultz. The libertarian Hoover Institute has been promoting the viability of a war with Iran.

The story was buried in a blurb in the Sunday Washington Post.

This administration is rushing madly into what could be a nuclear confrontation with delusions of absolute power. Bush and his advisor/cronies are drunk on the power they have achieved and seem destined to start a major global conflict with roots in the middle east.

I can only wonder if they will push this madness right before the election and use it as the excuse to either suspend elections or declare martial law. It's beginning to look a lot like Germany in the 1930's. Alarmist? Maybe, but the alarm has to be sounded to stop Bush and his cronies from making another big military blunder. The difference is that this one will gain us only the hatred of the few remaining allies we have.

South Carolina To Ban Dildos - Pleasure + Sex = Obscene

Ah, another Southern state moved closer to the dark ages. South Carolina is trying to pass a law similar to the one here in Texas banning the sale of sex toys. They are claiming it is constitutional by warping the "community standards" clause in the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding obscenity.

The real underlying reason for trying to prosecute these kinds of victimless crimes is very plain. In the minds of the puritanical legislators sex is for "makin babies" and anything that would enhance the experience or bring pleasure must be a sin. What a bunch of repressed hypocrites these guys are!

In trying to pander to the wacko fundamentalist fringe they are passing laws that they don't feel will hurt anyone, or at least anyone they might care about. That way they can say they are strong on "family values" and yet do nothing significant. In reality these yokels are blind to any moral judgment that doesn't fall between the waist and the knees. Take kickback, graft, steal, and murder people in the name of the state, is just fine, as long as there was no sex involved. Of course I do remember Jesse Helms and the African American woman he got pregnant out of wedlock. I guess that was OK because she was black.

The new law will make it a felony to distribute or sell sex toys and levy offenders with a $10,000 fine and five years in prison. I guess this law could have been pushed by the local law enforcement who has been the victim of drive by dildoings lately. Gawd bless Amerika!

Great Anti War Music Video

I usually don't just post links to other people's work, but this music video is so good I think everyone has to see it.

"Bush Boys Ready To Blow"

Check it out!

Homeland Security = More Clowns & Balloons

Millions of Homeland Security grant dollars have been used for everything from clowns and puppet shows to gym equipment. Meanwhile our ports are still under protected and the lines at the airport grow longer as passengers must partially undress to clear the metal detectors.

Is something wrong with this picture? Wouldn't a government that was really concerned about security have some better guidelines than this to assure that actual security improvements happen? Guess I need to go pitch a magic show to the White House, they already have their full contingent of clowns.

Congressman Joe Barton Receives Earth Killer Award

Joe Barton (R-TX), Chair of the United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce will receive the first annual "Earth Killer" award. The award, created by Hope for Peace and Justice was designed as a way to highlight public servants who "have worked tirelessly to remove and prevent regulations that would ensure clean air and water for future generations."

The mock ceremony will take place Sunday, April 23 at the Cathedral of Hope during its 9 and 11 a.m. worship services. The Earth Killer Award will be presented in conjunction with the Cathedral of Hope’s observance of Earth Day. Congressman Barton has been invited to attend in order to receive the award in person, but he has not yet accepted the invitation. What a surprise!

TIRANNT - Another Brilliant Nickname From The Folks Who Brought You Divine Strake

The nick name business is booming at the Pentagon. The same people who created the ill-named "Operation Infinite Justice" and the name "Divine Strake" for the latest non-nuclear-nuclear simulation now add TIRANNT. ("theater Iran near term")

Besides their public relations disaster potential, these planners had another surprise. This little operation was planned back in 2003. Of course here in the USA we never hear about these things, but in the middle east and the rest of the world, they keep a keen eye on this stuff.

In addition to this plan, we made plans for missile attacks on Iran as well as held war games in cooperation with Britain. And according to security analyst William Arkin, it would be " a Caspian Sea scenario that could also pave the way for northern operations against Iran."

Of course the pentagon makes lots of contingency plans, and rightly so, but lately it seems that these contingencies turn into pretty poor on-the-ground realities. We can only hope that this stays a plan and not tomorrows headlines.

Passing Of A Prophet - Rev. William Sloan Coffin, Jr.

United Church of Christ minister and prominent peace activist William Sloan Coffin died April 12 at age 81. I remember him best for his fiery speeches during the 1970's against the Vietnam War. He had already made a name for himself as an advocate of civil disobedience during the Civil Rights Movement. He was a Freedom Rider and helped organize bussloads of activists to challenge segregation laws in the South.

His voice in the church, for tolerance, peace and justice rang clear and his influence on American culture was profound. When defending the recent television campaign of the UCC he said about fundamentalists, "The UCC properly implied that millions of American Christians are at odds with the Christian Right. In reality, there are no biblical literalists, only selective literalists."

It is my hope that other voices with the clarity and strength of Coffin's will take up the struggle and continue to work for peace and justice in our country and the world.

Granny Peace Brigade On Trial

BBC News reports a group of women who call themselves the "Granny Peace Brigade" have gone on trial in New York for their protest against the Iraq war.

Noted civil rights lawyer Norman Siegel is defending the women in court. "We should be praising these grandmothers, not prosecuting them," Mr Siegel said.

One of my personal heros, Cindy Sheehan, has joined a large group of anti-war protesters who are supporting the Grannies. "When women like grannies are punished for trying to save lives, this country is in a terrible mess," she said. Truer words have rarely been spoken.