Thai Courts Rule - Prime Minister Resigns!

It is a familiar story, a high court rules and the leadership of a country is changed. Not here for a pleasant change, but in Thailand. There amid the daily protests by citizens, the prime minister and the three ruling parties have been declared illegal by the country's high court. The decision triggered dancing in the streets in some areas.

From the AP:

Thailand's prime minister resigned on Tuesday after weeks of protests that paralyzed his government and closed the capital's airports. Cargo flights resumed and protesters promised to lift their siege by Wednesday.

The resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat came after the nation's Constitutional Court dissolved Thailand's top three ruling parties for electoral fraud and banned him from politics for five years.

Somchai, who has been forced to govern from the northern city of Chiang Mai since Wednesday, accepted the ruling with equanimity.

"It is not a problem. I was not working for myself. Now I will be a full-time citizen," he told reporters in Chiang Mai.

Let's hope Thailand can return to sanity and peace.

Some Thoughts On World AIDS Day

Twenty years ago at a summit of health ministers from around the world, they decided to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS by declaring December 1 as World AIDS Day. Since that time much progress has been made on AIDS treatment but so far no cure has been found.

That is an important thing to remember. Especially in light of a recent report. The report, released just ahead of World AIDS Day on Monday, found while Massachusetts has had success battling the spread of the disease among injection drug users and heterosexual men and women, it has had less success among gay and bisexual men. More than 50% of new HIV infections between 2004 and 2006 were among gay and bisexual men.

This is amazing to me. The gay and bisexual communities have been living with the problems of AIDS for longer than anyone else. We know how to prevent the disease and yet we are still getting infected at a higher rate. What is going wrong?

Well as I have been reading an interesting book on "The Science of Fear" in which the author notes that people make decisions based on either their "gut" or their "head". Our "head" or intellect knows how to protect ourselves, but our "gut" emotions tell us "unprotected sex feels good". Irrationally, we conclude if it feels good it can't be bad and we shut off our brains.

How can we change this? Well it will not be easy, but it worked when the epidemic first started and it can work now. We need to hammer the message home that unprotected sex is not only wrong, but not as much fun. Because our fear of AIDS used to be stronger, unprotected sex felt risky and not as good. Today, with the insane barrage of "bareback" videos and websites, we are being convinced that unprotected sex is "better". We need to de-eroticise it and start eroticizing safer-sex before we fall victim to another wave of AIDS deaths.

Am I a killjoy? Hell no, just someone who wants his friends to be around for a long time so we can grow old together.

Here's my suggestion, start eroticising safer-sex. Next time you choose a video, make sure it's safe sex only. Next time you masturbate, wear a condom. If you do it often enough, you will come to associate the condom with sexual pleasure and half the battle will be won.

Why We Fight? For $100 Hit Men & Honor Killings?

Iraq is a country of contrasts. It is at once a modern emerging Middle Eastern nation and at times a throw back to the Middle Ages. Take the booming business of Honor Killings in Basra. The local authorities say the have no control over these paid assassinations that often target young women.

For as little as $100 you can hire a killer to defend your family's honor by assassinating an unfaithful wife, or a disobedient daughter. So far this year, 81 women in the city have been murdered for allegedly bringing shame on their families. Only five people have been convicted. In some cases the police have even been reported to have congratulated the man hiring the killer!

The story is tragic and really shows the gulf between East and West. It should also give pause to anyone who believes they really understand the situation on the ground in Iraq. I seriously doubt anyone does.

NPR Journalist Escapes Car Bombing In Iraq

One of the great things about NPR reporting is how they go beyond the surface and actually do some "reporting". I especially have liked the stories NPR has brought from Iraq. Behind the PR of the US occupation force and the Iraqi government there are often poignant and disturbing tales of what Iraq is like now.

That "real Iraq" was hammered home to NPR correspondent Ivan Watson and his colleagues yesterday when their armored BMW was destroyed by a "sticky bomb" planted by a terrorist.
Luckily the NPR crew was warned away from the car at the last moment by Iraqi soldiers who had received a tip that the reporters would be targeted.

The car was blown up in Rabiye Street, once a bustling commercial street filled with boutiques and cafes. The crew had been doing an interview with a Kebab shop owner just prior to the explosion.

What this incident does is make abundantly clear that Iraq is still in a state of chaos, despite the years of our occupation and the work by the Iraqi authorities. Life there is far from normal, no matter what Dick Cheney and George Bush say. I also suspect the target of the attack was specifically intended to harm American journalists, reinforcing my belief that our presence is doing more harm than good right now.

I expect we will hear more from Ivan Watson on this incident on NPR soon.

New FDA Regulation Allows Poison In Infant Formula

How much Melamine is safe for infants? Well back in October the FDA said they didn't know, but now they have set a level of 1 part per million of melamine in formula, provided a related chemical isn't present. No research is cited, no explanation of why it's safe, just a new regulation that is higher than the level previously allow and even higher than regulations in countries like Taiwan.

The chemical that poisoned infants in China is now considered safe in low doses for our kids? How much poison is not all that bad? This is another attempt by the outgoing Bush administration to shove through regulations that are beneficial to business, especially imported goods business, and detrimental to our citizens. Another last minute "F*#k You" on the way out the White House door.

Couldn't we just arrest the guy and his henchmen and charge them with treason now?

Wal-Mart Stampede Ends In Death For Employee

That happy face logo of Wal-Mart's seems pretty ironic today as a throng of suburban New York shoppers crashed through the doors of a Nassau County Wal-Mart and trampled a 34-year-old part-time worker to death. A crowd of 2000 people had already lined up outside the store by 5:00am this morning. People in the real of the crowd began pushing and soon the crowd broke through the glass doors and rushed into the store.

As they did they knocked Jdimytai Damour of Jamaica, Queens to the floor and proceeded to trample him to death in a mad rush for bargains.

Aside from the horrific idea that buying cheap crap at Wal-Mart was more important than a human life, this was an entirely preventable death and that is also shocking. Why the store had insufficient preparations for the crowd, had not given employees training in crowd control and had insufficient security on hand should be the subject of a big fat lawsuit.

I was watching a program on TV last night showing at least 5 scenes of shoppers doing similar things in the past, though no deaths were involved. The videos showed people first crowding and then being pressed forward through too-narrow doors and passageways and some falling. Instead of helping the fallen shoppers to their feet, the crowd simply walked over and around them as though they were simple an inconvenience.

I had remarked to my partner that it was amazing no one had been killed in these "black Friday" sore promotions, and BINGO, my prediction paid off in a tragic way.

Crowds have an energy and mind of their own. even people who are decent and law abiding can turn into an ugly mob in the right circumstances. I would be quick to criticize the shoppers for being inhuman, but their actions are all too human. Whether we like it or not, we still have a certain amount of "herd mentality" in us, and in the worst cases it comes out. The Wal-Mart stampede is just an example of that.

What we can do to prevent this in the future is avoid creating circumstances where this thinking takes over. We could start by making sure anyone who is planning a mass event like this sale, has proper preparation and a permit, much like a Parade Permit for a public event. This might keep greedy retailers from pulling stunts that cause these kinds of accidents.

President Elect Obama's Thanksgiving Message

Macy's Parade - Guilty Pleasure

Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade before going to church this morning I remembered why I love Broadway so much. The cast of In the Heights did a wonderful number from the show and the male cast of South Pacific did "There is Nothing Like a Dame". South Pacific hasn't been on Broadway since its first run and it still is filled with the clever lyrics and great music that made it a hit.

For me South Pacific was only a movie, since I was too young to see it in the theater as a kid. Watching this number I remembered not only how great the show was, but how homoerotic the scene was. A whole stage full of shirtless muscular guys talking about what they do without women. No irony that Ray Walston was one of the stars in the movie. Now I guess I am going to have to go to New York and see it live.

The Obama's Help Out For Thanksgiving

One of the things I like about Obama is how he can do things that just look ordinary. No hoopla, no big press op, just do it. He was helping hand out food for Thanksgiving to the needy in Chicago today at a church. This is raw video and you can see him and his family helping out. No granted, he just dropped by for a few moments. The Secret Service would not let him just hang out, but it is genuine and it has been so long since we have seen that quality in a President!

Bush Drinking Again? Sure Looks Like It!

It's no secret that I am a recovering addict. I last used drugs and alcohol over 20 years ago and have been clean and sober ever since. I know a lot of recovering alcoholics and I have seen my share of them have slips, so I can tell you with some knowledge that I really believe President Bush has "slipped".

From the pictures of him downing the traditional Peruvian cocktail, a Pisco Sour, to his reclusive and erratic behavior of late Mr Bush looks very much like a drunk who has fallen off the wagon. Slurred speech, (well he always sounds like that) confused and disoriented. Looking very tired and downright unhealthy!

I am not the only one who thinks so either. The problem is having a lame duck president who is soused and liable to do just about anything. I understand why Laura wants to live in Dallas and let him live on the ranch!

Now the question is how do you do an intervention on the President? If he is drinking again, the Secret Service has been enabling him. Worse he has been wandering around world leaders and you know how "handsy" he can get, just ask Angela Merkel.

Maybe he would just like to take a long vacation at the ranch and just let President Elect Obama step in for the news few weeks?

Crazy Straight People Trying To Defend Marriage Again!

It amazes me how crazy fundamentalists get about LGBT people getting married. To hear them talk you would think that because I might marry my partner of 14 years, their marriages would shatter. Say what?

Logic has nothing to do with the arguments against gay marriage, the entire issue is emotional and has no shred of logic to it. Just look at the campaign that has gone online by the Alliance for Marriage Foundation. Their website which is supposedly designed to protect DOMA (The Defense of Marriage Act) is filled with emotional appeals to people about how important their marriages are to them.

I have no argument with the importance of marriage to the married couples. It is important, and it is a sacrament of the church. My problem is the government getting in the sacrament business! Governments should protect the legal rights of couples and the churches should do the marriage. Civil Unions for everyone!

Another insidious feature of the "protect DOMA" website is that all the quotes are from Hispanic or African-American people. They obviously believed the flawed statistic that African-America Obama supporters overwhelmingly voted for Prop 8 in California.

Look, all you crazy straight fundamentalists, if you want to defend your marriages, don't get divorced. Even better, do a whole lot of soul searching and compatibility work before you get married! That would really defend your marriage.

Meanwhile, I have decided that until I get the full rights of every citizen of this country, including the legal equivallent of marriage, I will refuse to support any politician or official who actively denies me my full rights as a US Citizen. I would stop paying taxes, but I really have a thing about jail time. And for all you crazy straight people, well go work out your sexual insecurity issues somewhere else and leave me alone!

Citi Group Bailout Is A Mess

I was reading about the Citi Group bailout and wondering why this plan went through with not so much as a "pardon me" from Congress, yet the automakers are still scrambling. Granted GM and the other big three didn't come with any kind of plan and they should have been asked what they were going to do with any money, but the Citi mess is silly.

According to Paul Krugman, here is a short summary of the deal:

A bailout was necessary — but this bailout is an outrage: a lousy deal for the taxpayers, no accountability for management, and just to make things perfect, quite possibly inadequate, so that Citi will be back for more.

Amazing how much damage the lame ducks can do in the time remaining.

With the incompetence shown by this administration in the past it is amazing the Congress has not asked for a little accountability with the nation's treasure.

Pardon Time! Bush Breaks Out The Pardon Pen

I can only assume Bush is sitting in the Oval Office sipping Schnapps and chuckling as he spends his final days issuing pardons of thieves and drug dealers. Most of whom I will bet are white and wealthy (just a guess). Here are the 14 he did today. Look for higher profile ones to follow soon.

_Leslie Owen Collier of Charleston, Mo. She was convicted for unauthorized use of a pesticide and violating the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

_Milton Kirk Cordes of Rapid City, S.D. Cordes was convicted of conspiracy to violate the Lacey Act, which prohibits importation into the country of wildlife taken in violation of conservation laws.

_Richard Micheal Culpepper of Mahomet, Ill., who was convicted of making false statements to the federal government.

_Brenda Jean Dolenz-Helmer of Fort Worth, Texas, for reporting or helping cover up a crime.

_Andrew Foster Harley of Falls Church, Va. Harley was convicted of wrongful use and distribution of marijuana and cocaine.

_Obie Gene Helton of Rossville, Ga., whose offense was unauthorized acquisition of food stamps.

_Carey C. Hice Sr. of Travelers Rest, S.C., who was convicted of income tax evasion.

_Geneva Yvonne Hogg of Jacksonville, Fla., convicted of bank embezzlement.

_William Hoyle McCright Jr. of Midland, Texas, who was sentenced for making false entries, books, reports or statements to a bank.

_Paul Julian McCurdy of Sulphur, Okla., who was sentenced for misapplication of bank funds.

_Robert Earl Mohon Jr. of Grant, Ala., who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute marijuana.

_Ronald Alan Mohrhoff of Los Angeles, who was convicted for unlawful use of a telephone in a narcotics felony.

_Daniel Figh Pue III of Conroe, Texas, convicted of illegal treatment, storage and disposal of a hazardous waste without a permit.

_Orion Lynn Vick of White Hall, Ark., who was convicted of aiding and abetting the theft of government property.

Bush also commuted the prison sentences of John Edward Forte of North Brunswick, N.J., and James Russell Harris of Detroit, Mich. Both were convicted of cocaine offenses.

Dubai Atlantis Resort - Ultimate FIreworks Show!

The economy here may be tight but in Dubai that still have money to burn, literally. The new Atlantis resort opened with a gala celebration that featured what surely must be one of the world's largest fireworks spectaculars ever presented. The event involved the entire "palm island" and could best be seen from space. The video below is a pale comparison to the real thing but it's the best I could do.

Word is the party cost over $22,224,000 and was attended by a host of celebrities, all of which I assume still have lots of cash. Now I know who will live in all those super high dollar high-rises they are building.

Helping Out The America Car Industry

Though GM and the other big 3 showed up in their corporate jets to beg for bailout money from Congress, they really need it. Hundreds of thousands of American jobs are on the line and if you consider the other thousands those jobs support we are talking huge disaster if GM were to shutter its plants.

What the car makers lacked was a real plan for what they are going to do with the cash. If they intend on only using it to plug up the leaks it won't work. They need a real plan of action, albeit preliminary, to show that they actually have a vision of what the American car manufacturing worlds will look like post-recession. Perhaps a real effort to move toward non-internal combustion cars? Or a genuine fuel efficient model that doesn't look cheap and tacky.

The Japanese figured this out long ago and they lead the market in fuel efficiency and style, why can't we take that back? Perhaps because the management of the Big 3 are a bunch of ossified old billionaires who have no idea what their market is anymore.

I sincerely hope they will put their over-paid heads together and come back to Congress with a plan. The US cannot afford to let them fail. Hundreds of thousands of jobs depend on it and that will affect our whole economy. I have already written my representatives and asked them to find a way to help the automakers. We did it once with Chrysler and it worked out pretty well, we can do it again.

One More - Old School Hitler Rap!

OK, couldn't resist just one more Hitler parody. This one is old school by Mel Brooks. It was released with the DVD of "To Be or Not To Be". Enjoy or be horrified!

Rise and Fall of the Mortgage Market!

AmericaBlog.com finds really great stuff, especially for a Friday afternoon. Finally, something in the mortgage crisis to laugh about. Ignore that the translation is bogus and enjoy!

Bush Burned In Effigy In Baghdad

Well so much for that "George Bush Square" that Richard Pearle has been holding out for in Baghdad. Today, followers of Muqtada al-Sadr held a rally and prayer vigil where they stomped and burn an effigy of Bush. Apparently they don't like us occupying their country? How unusual?

The protest was to voice their opinion on the recently negotiated pact that would allow US forces to stay in Iraq until 2011. It has yet to be ratified by the Iraqi Congress, but passage is expected soon. To give an idea of how different people see this agreement, in our country it's called a "U.S.-Iraqi security pact" but in Iraq it's called a "withdrawal agreement".

Tomato tom-ah-toe!

Obama's Choices & The Road Ahead

I remember after the primaries that I had spoken with friends who were Hillary supporters. I told them that I thought she would make a great Secretary of State. She has the contacts with foreign leaders. She is a very accomplished politician and diplomat and she can be very tough and formidable when necessary. All of those are good skills for a Secretary of State, especially given our current standing in the world.

The choice of Hillary has been criticized by some in the blogosphere but for me it’s a great fit. I think Obama’s choices for his cabinet so far are sound and he has chosen people who are experienced but not worn out. He has not made the mistake Bush made by inserting the cabinet of his party’s predecessors as his own. The bush cabinet looked like a replay of Bush Sr.!

Now it’s time to put the network of individuals to work, those supporters of Obama who are now wired up in his network. So far he has encouraged people to help out inn the wildfire relief in California, and that is a good start. The network of supporters will form the basis of a new American activist movement, motivated people who are willing to respond at the ring of a text message to pull together for the good of our country.

My hope is that all of us who are part of that network are as willing to work as we were to vote!

Transgender Day of Rememberance

I missed the date, but the sentiment is still valid. Yesterday was Transgender Day of Rememberance. The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.

I count a lot of Transgender folk in my group of friends and I know from their stories the challenges they face. My hope is that their struggle as well as the struggle of all queer people will make great strides in the coming years.

Detroit Shows Up For A Handout

So Detroit showed up in Washington today with their hands out and their private jets waiting on the runways. OK, so that is a slightly unfair thing to say, but it was a bad image to give for their poor-house story.

Detroit is suffering from lots of problems, most of which are a lack of imagination and poor management. Granted there are expenses for wages, pensions and health care, but the biggest problem is that they don’t make cars people want. The big 3 have continued to make big gas guzzlers when America wants small efficient cars like the Toyota Prius. Detroit makes small cars, but in general they suck. They feel cheap and drive crummy and look worse.

There is a lot of hope and fortune tied up in the Chevy Volt, but if it premiers at $40,000 it won’t go anywhere. A luxury price for an electric car is silly. For the rich who want an electric car, there already is the Tesla. For the common man, a reasonably priced electric is the answer. Why Detroit can’t figure out how to do that is a mystery. Fewer moving parts, less assembly, what’s the problem?

Well, electric cars have been around for a while. The EV1 was a hit with consumers but failed for the company since dealers hated it. Not enough service money. Besides it was done at gunpoint for California only. Why couldn’t they just roll out a larger production version? It could be on the market right now!

My hope is the automakers return to Washington with a real plan to save the industry. I feel sure the Senate and House will support them if they come with more than their hands out.

Happy Great American Smokeout!

Today, the Thursday before Thanksgiving is the Great American Smokeout. No it isn't a barbecue, it's the American Lung Association's drive to end smoking in America.

Now as an ex-cigarette smoker, you would think I would be sympathetic to those folks who still continue to sully their lungs with cigarette smoke, but I am not. I am tired of going to a bar and coming home reeking of cigarettes. Getting that smell out of leather is a real bitch!

I will freely admit I have smoked cigars in the past, and though I find the smell of cigar smoke a turn-on, I know many folks do not. So in the interest of the community I have forsaken the stogies and gone smoke-free. Now if Dallas would just pass an anti-smoking ordinance for all public buildings we all could breath more freely.

I understand there are those who claim it will hurt business in bars, but I know folks in San Francisco who tell me that the bars are just as busy as ever several years after a smoking ban. The lure of camaraderie, booze and sex is stringer than nicotine! In fact without the smoke, I might even show up at our local watering holes more often, knowing it wouldn't take a dry cleaners to remove the sediment of the nights visit from my clothing.

So here is to the Great American Smokeout. Good luck to everyone who is trying to quit. My suggestion as someone who did quit is just go cold turkey. Find lots of good books and take up a hobby. You surely can find better things to do with your hands than lift a burning tube of paper and tobacco to your lips every few seconds.

Internet Pirates! 50 Million Individuals Medical Info Stolen

First it was the pirates off the coast of Somalia and now it's on the internet!

If you thought your medical history and prescription information was secure, think again. Express Scripts, one of the nation's largest pharmacy benefits managers, got a nasty little extortion letter which included personal information from 75 Express Scripts clients inlcuding Social Security numbers, dates of birth and, in some cases, information about prescription medications.

According to a story in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "the letter demanded money from the company — the amount has not been disclosed — and threatened to use the Internet to reveal personal and medical information about millions of people if the demands were not met."

The company manages information on 50 million workers at 1,600 American companies. That is a very big security breach and the FBI is pressing forward on the case.

Begich Wins Alaska, Ted Stevens Is Out!

The Associated Press just called Alaska's Senatorial race in favor of Mark Begich who will become the first Democratic Senator from Alaska in recent memory. Ted Steven's 40 year career has now ended in a flurry of scandal and his conviction.

Begich has 150,728 votes (47.76 percent) and Stevens has 147,004 (46.58 percent). Under state law, the only time an automatic recount is triggered is in the case of a tie. Stevens can request one, but would have to pay for it himself.

Repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell - Generals & Admirals Petition

From PageOneQ comes the text of a petition signed and calling on the new administration to repeal the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" policy. Here is the text and the signers of the petition:

We – the undersigned -- respectfully call for the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Those of us endorsing this letter have dedicated our lives to defending the rights of our citizens to believe whatever they wish. Scholarly data shows there are approximately one million gay and lesbian veterans in the United States today as well as 65,000 gays and lesbians currently serving in our armed forces. They have served our nation honorably. We support the recent comments of former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General John Shalikashvili, who has concluded that repealing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy would not harm and would indeed help our armed forces. As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality. Such collaboration reflects the strength and the best traditions of our democracy.

Former Secretary of the Army Clifford Alexander
Admiral Charles Larson, USN (ret.)
Lieutenant General Quinn Becker, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Henry Emerson, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Robert Flowers, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Robert Gard, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Jerry Hilmes, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Claudia Kennedy, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Donald Kerrick, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Ira Owens, USA (ret.)
Lieutenant General Thomas Rienzi, USA (ret.)
Vice Admiral Harold Koenig, USN (ret.)
Vice Admiral Jack Shanahan, USN (ret.)
Vice Admiral James Zimble, USN (ret.)
Major General Anders Aadland, USA (ret.)
Major General Floyd Baker, USA (ret.)
Major General Harry Brooks Jr., USA (ret.)
Major General Leslie Burger, USA (ret.)
Major General Alexander Burgin, USANG (ret.)
Major General Rosetta Burke, AUS (ret.)
Major General William Burke, USA (ret.)
Major General Michael Conrad, USA (ret.)
Major General Eugene Cromartie, USA (ret.)
Major General James Delk, AUS (ret.)
Major General Oliver Dillard, USA (ret.)
Major General John Faith, USA (ret.)
Major General Jack Farris, USAF (ret.)
Major General Fred Forster, USANG (ret.)
Major General Robert Gamrath, AUS (ret.)
Major General Albert Genetti Jr., USA (ret.)
Major General Luis Gonzales-Vales, AUS (ret.)
Major General David Hale, USA (ret.)
Major General Randy Jayne, USANG (ret.)
Major General Lawrence Johnson, AUS (ret.)
Major General Dennis Laich, USA (ret.)
Major General Frederick Lawson, AUS (ret.)
Major General Thomas Lynch, USA (ret.)
Major General Dennis Malcor, USA (ret.)
Major General John Roth, AUS (ret.)
Major General Henry Rasmussen, USA (ret.)
Major General Alan Salisbury, USA (ret.)
Major General Michael Scotti Jr., USA (ret.)*
Major General Harry Sieben, USANG (ret.)
Major General Paul Smith, USA (ret.)
Major General Robert B. Smith, USA (ret.)
Major General Charles Starr Jr., USA (ret.)
Major General Story Stevens, USA (ret.)
Major General Joseph E. Turner, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General John C. Adams, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Clara Adams-Ender, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Hugh Aitken, USMC (ret.)
Brigadier General John "Joe" Allen, USAF (ret.)
Brigadier General Patricia Anderson, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Dale Barber, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General George Baxter, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Baxter, USAF (ret.)
Brigadier General George Blysak, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Harold Bowman, USANG (ret.)
Brigadier General Douglas Bradley, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Jack Capps, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Richard Carter, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Steve Chapplis, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General BG David Cole, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General William Colvin, USANG (ret.)
Brigadier General Joseph Cutrona, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Tom Daniels, USAF (ret.)
Brigadier General Von DeLoatch, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Dilworth, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General George Eggers Jr., USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Evelyn Foote, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Giffen, USAF (ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Hardy Jr., USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Carlos Hayden, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Edwin Heffelfinger, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General James Hunt, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General John H. Johns, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General J.D Johnson, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Keith H. Kerr, CSMR (ret.)
Brigadier General Douglas Kinnard, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Dean Mann, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General James Martin, USAF (ret.)
Brigadier General William Meehan II, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Harold Miller, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Kenneth Newbold, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General I.R. Obenchain Jr., USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Phil Peay, USANG (ret.)
Brigadier General Dorothy Pocklington, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Poirot, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Philip Pushkin, USANG (ret.)
Brigadier General Virgil Richard, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General William Richter, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Kenneth Rieth, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Ernst Roberts, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Murray Sagsveen, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General Norman Salisbury, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Donald Schenk, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Bettye Simmons, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Theodore Vander Els, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Daniel Wardrop, USA (ret.)
Brigadier General Robert Watling, AUS (ret.)
Brigadier General John Weinzettle, USA (ret.)
Rear Admiral James Barnett, USN (ret.)
Rear Admiral Robert Krasner, USN (ret.)
Rear Admiral Charles Rauch, USN (ret.)
Rear Admiral Alan Steinman, USPHS (ret.)

• AUS is the Army of the United States. **General Scotti passed away in September, 2007. His widow asked that his name remain on this statement.

Cheney and Gonzales Indicted by Grand Jury - Seriously!

Vice President Dick Cheney and former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales have been indicted by a Grand Jury in South Texas. Not for the crimes you might imagine either! The charges are related to the alleged abuse of prisoners in Willacy County's federal detention centers run by a private company. Cheney has investments that tie him to that group.

The indictment accuses Cheney of a conflict of interest and "at least misdemeanor assaults" on detainees by working through the prison companies.

Personally, I suspect this is headed nowhere, but it makes a nice dark cloud for the VP to end his career under and that's just fine by me.

James Dobson's Group Faces Layoffs

It couldn't happen to more deserving people. Focus on the Family, the hate group in Colorado Springs that masquerades as a ministry is laying off employees. Seems they spent so much on getting Proposition 8 passed in California, they are running low on funds.

If there is a tarnished silver lining to that ballot initiative, it's this. Read more on ThinkProgress.org.

How to Train a Mule

In this current battle for LGBT rights, I am reminded of a saying my grandfather used to tell me. I didn't understand it then, but I see the wisdom of it now.

He told me how you train a mule. You do it with a rolled up newspaper, and gently tap the mule on the nose to nudge it the direction you want. However, first you smack it's ass with a two-by-four to get its attention!

Well taking to the streets is one way to smack our complcent country in the ass and get its attention. It worked for the Civil Rights movement of the 60's and it can work now, especially now that we have a more progressive administration and congress to deal with! Peaceful marches and demonstrations can serve to shake the country from its Bush induced coma and awaken people to the realization that there is a whole class of people who are denied equal rights simply because of who they love.

The protests in major cities around the country were a first step in the next battle for equal rights for LGBT people. Our goal should not be just marriage, but full and equal rights iunder the law. Now where are those picket signs?

Bill Marriott Responds Boycott Action

OK, so I checked out the contributors to Prop 8 through the data base I linked in the previous post and Bill Marriott is not among the backers. I guess I should take him at his word that he and his company have not supported the Prop 8 initiative.

Here is a statement by him regarding the issue. My apologies to Mr. Marriott for assuming he was part of it, however his church was very active. I cannot in good conscience endorse a boycott of Marriott if the company and family did not back the measure.

I do however still have a big bone to pick with the LDS church and the $22 million+ they put into the ballot initiative.

UPDATE: There are lots of Mormons who are upset with their church position on Prop 8. Here is a site of Mormons who have protested or resigned the church over it!

Texans Who Hate Gays - Or At Least Their Wallet Does!

The following is a list of Texans who contributed to the Proposition 8 ballot initiative in California. Their names are public record and the list was compiled using the data base of Calif. Secretary of State's Office since 2007. The searchable listing is available here. It's fun to find your friends and enemies!

I just included the supporters who gave over $9000. There are hundreds more under that threshold. If you know these folks, call them up and let them know you really don't appreciate their bigotry and you just want the same rights as they have to marry who you choose.

Dale Brown $50,000.00 Midland
Rachel Weidman $50,000.00 Dallas
Loren Carroll $25,000.00 Kingwood
Spencer Wheelwright $25,000.00 Austin
Richard Platt $25,000.00 Prosper
Laurence E. Simmons $25,000.00 Houston
Jeff Kent $15,000.00 Austin
Arlo Terry $10,000.00 San Antonio
Dale Waite $10,000.00 Damon
Douglas Baker $10,000.00 Plano
Duke Williams $10,000.00 San Antonio
Francis C. Burton $10,000.00 San Antonio
John Woodward $10,000.00 San Antonio
Kim Beckstead $10,000.00 San Antonio
Larry Sprouse $10,000.00 San Antonio
Melbourne O'Banion $10,000.00 San Antonio
Scott Spendlove $10,000.00 San Antonio
Steve Vore $10,000.00 Odessa
David Nielson $10,000.00 San Antonio
Gregory Coleman $10,000.00 Cedar Park
Janell Berrett $10,000.00 San Antonio
Michael Knepp $10,000.00 Austin
Jonathan Cannon $10,000.00 Flower Mound
Peter Evans $10,000.00 San Antonio
Barbara Jones $10,000.00 Spring
Frank Call $10,000.00 Austin
John Erickson $10,000.00 Austin
Alan Stock $9,999.00 Plano
Joseph Elmer $9,999.00 Flower Mound
Ronald Kimball $9,999.00 San Antonio
Donald Yacktman $9,999.00 Austin
Jana Hilton $9,999.00 San Antonio
Sherrie Cox $9,999.00 San Antonio
Gary Riding $9,999.00 Highland Village
Roger Hepworth $9,995.00 Austin
David Hollingsworth $9,975.00 Cedar Park
Stephen Yacktman $9,900.00 Austin

Defend Equality - Love Unites

From the artist who brought you the great Obama posters.

Harvey Milk Talks About Hope - Video

BlogActive had this excerpt of a speech by Harvey Milk. I almost forgot how great a speaker he was and how much we lost when he was assassinated. Milk speaks of hope. Perhaps that hope is still alive.

Boycott Cinemark - Supporters Of Prop 8

Add to the list of people and companies to boycott for supporting Proposition 8 in California, the local theater chain, Cinemark. Its CEO, Alan Stock, donated $9,999 to the cause that was designed to take away the right to marry in California.

I ran across this tidbit on AmericaBlog.com, and checked it through the San Francisco Gate website that searches a database of contributors to the Prop 8 funds. It's time we took our money and went elsewhere to see films! Now if we can get Sundance Film Festival to leave the Hate State of Utah perhaps some folks will notice.

Colbert Goes Super Hero!

Marvel Comics has enshrined Stephen Colbert in the pantheon of Marvel superheros in the latest The Amazing Spider-Man (issue No. 573). In the Marvel universe Colbert is declared winner by the Daily Bugle and he wins the popular vote but Obama wins the electoral vote. The Bugle prints his win in a "Dewy Wins" snafu.

I suspect these issues will be on Ebay for bog bucks soon!

Keith Olbermann Comments On Prop 8

Gay Marriages Start Tomorrow In Connecticut!

According to the Associated Press, same sex marriages will be issued starting tomorrow in Connecticut.

Superior Court Judge Jonathan Silbert has scheduled a hearing at 9:15 a.m. Wednesday in New Haven to enter the final judgment in the case that allows same-sex marriages in Connecticut. Once the hearing ends, couples can pick up marriage license forms at town and city clerk's offices.

It's unclear how many couples will get married. The state public health department says 2,032 civil union licenses were issued in Connecticut between October 2005 and July 2008.

The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Oct. 10 that same-sex couples have the right to wed rather than accept a civil union law. Only Connecticut and Massachusetts have legalized gay marriage.

Move Sundance Film Festival Out Of The "Hate State" - Utah!

Utah makes a lot of money from tourists. Around $6 billion a year flows into the state's coffers from visitors. A big chunk of that comes from the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Since the Mormon Church funded most of the "Prop 8" campaign in California, and since the film industry still calls California its home it would seem like a no-brainer to get that cash cow moved to another location.

The Prop 8 funding was close to $20,000,000. No chump change and without it the change in the law that negates the right to marry for gay and lesbians in California would most likely have failed.

The Mormons delight in meddling in the personal lives of people, from baptizing the dead to keeping tabs on the genealogy of everyone as well as funding anti-gay measures in many states. Its time that they and Utah, a majority Mormon state pay the piper.

Bloggers including myself are encouraging a boycott of all things Mormon including Utah. And if you plan travel this year, avoid Marriott Hotels as well, owned by a Mormon family.

While you are at it write to the Sundance Festival and ask them to get the heck out of the "Hate State" Utah!

Prop 8 Protest In San Francisco - Video

My cousin in San Francisco sent me this. Pity this didn't happen before the election.

CNN's "Hologram" Just Video Quackery, Not Holographic

What was supposed to be a "gee-wiz" moment for the CNN election coverage was more of a "so what". Wolf Blitzer breathlessly alerted viewers to something that they had never seen before as correspondents at Grant Park were "hologrammed" into the CNN studio.

That got my interest so I watched as a poor quality image of the correspondent appeared on a red dot on the floor of the studio. It looked less convincing than Princess Leah's urgent message to Obi-Wan in Star Wars. and that was done with 30 year old film technology and optical printers.

In reality the alleged Hologram was a green screen image capture technique using dozens of cameras surrounding the subject in Grant Park. The images were knitted together electronically and matched to the camera movements in the CNN studio to simulate the presence of the remote subject. Sounds pretty high tech doesn't it?

Well in practice it looked slightly worse than the first "chroma-key" set up I used to use when working in live TV back in the 1970's. The edges of the person were fuzzy and ringed with a blue cast and though the camera moved and the perspective was supposed to change accordingly, it looked like a flat paper doll as photographed through a screen door.

My suspicion is that the image looked really clear and some genius at CNN decided it needed to look more like a hologram, so they trashed it up and added a blue glowing edge. Either way it was a fraud. This technique has nothing to do with Holograms. Those images are made using lasers and not TV cameras. In fact to view a hologram you must actually look through the film it is recorded on to see the image illusion of 3-D. So far a projected hologram is the holy grail and has yet to be achieved and in the view of many will never be a reality beyond the fictional realm of Star Trek.

Now, CNN, why not apologize for the fraud and just do a damn interview with the guest on a remote camera. After all, why "beam in" the guest from a location where news is actually happening when you can just cut to that location and see the news. Seems a better use of television technology to me.

North Carolina Goes To Obama!

After a long and protracted vote count and verification the Associated Press is finally calling North Carolina for Barack Obama. Though the electoral votes are not necessary now, it does increase the overall total to a whopping 364! The electoral landslide further cements the mandate for Obama from the people of the United States.

Looking at the electoral map from this year compared to 2004 the changes are shocking. Many red states that voted for Bush in 2004 are now firmly in the blue camp. Democrats have asserted themselves throughout the country and according to a new demographic map in the New York Times, the vast majorit of America is now trending blue.

Palin The Object Of RNC Scorn - It's All About The Clothes Again!

Let the recriminations begin!

Seems like Sarah Palin is being blamed for much of the loss and wouldn't you know, her wardrobe "malfunction" is still causing problems. According to Newsweek, a McCain aid referred to her and her family as the "Wasilla Hillbillies looting Neiman-Marcus".

Her shopping spree apparently started as a request by handlers to go out and buy 3 suits.

Taking credit cards from wealth donors and RNC staff, Palin proceeded to outfit her entire family with high end clothes. The story now states that she blew somewhere between $20,000 and $40,000 on husband Todd's wardrobe alone. Then that well worn $150,000 on her may have been a low end estimate.

From the tone of the comments coming from the RNC, Palin's 15 minutes of fame are over. My guess is she and her career will be shredded leaving her no chance to return to the national stage. Thank goodness for small miracles.

Marriott Boycott - No Money For Mormons!

It's high time we stopped supporting the Mormons. Their influence and money were deciding factors in the passing of Proposition 8 in California. That little ballot initiative cancelled about 20,000 marriages in one fell swoop.

Marriott Hotels is owned and operated by the Marriott family, who are major figures in the Mormon church. I have no problem with Mormons, except when they try to infringe on my rights and that steams me! I will stop staying at Marriott hotels in the future and encourage all my LGBT friends to do the same. They fought against our rights with money, now let's return the favor!

Franken & Colman Still in Battle - AP Uncalls MN Senate Race

From the Associated Press:

Republican Sen. Norm Coleman finished ahead of Democrat Al Franken early Wednesday in the final vote count, but his 571-vote margin falls within the state's mandatory recount law. That law requires a recount any time the margin between the top two candidates is less than one-half of one percent.

The AP called the race prematurely.

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie said the recount won't begin until mid-November at the earliest and will probably stretch into December. It will involve local election officials from around the state.

Obama's Victory Speech

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama—as prepared for delivery
Election Night
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
Chicago, Illinois

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from our the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

OBAMA WINS!

It is a new day in America! American's voters were cajoled and threatened and lied to and yet they still managed to discern the truth and the message of hope given by Barack Obama. The landslide of electoral votes gave a clear signal that America has changed. The old politics of hate and fear are behind us and a new brighter future is before us.

State By State Results From MSNBC

Palin Blathering To The Press

So for months Sarah Palin couldn't be contacted by the press, and now she won't shut up. I suspect she is basking in her last bit of fame before returning to her job as Governor of Alaska and eventual obscurity. (that is my hope!) Her aides tried time and again to get her away from the press but she just couldn't be persuaded.

She begins her rant with the incredible statement that she was glad she was exonerated of any wrong doing in the abuse of power ethics investigation. As everyone but Sarah knows, she was found guilty of ethics violations!

Message From Howard Dean - VOTE!

Barack Obama's Grandmother Dies In Hawaii

My sincere condolences and prayers go out to Senator Barack Obama and his family. His beloved grandmother died today on the even of the election in Hawaii.

"She was the cornerstone of our family, and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment, strength, and humility," Obama said in a statement released by his campaign. "She was proud of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren and left this world with the knowledge that her impact on all of us was meaningful and enduring."

Circuit City Closes 155 US Stores

A little over a year ago I predicted bad things for Circuit City when they dropped their commission sales policy. Now the company is closing 155 stores in the US to preserve its cash. While I don't think these are directly related there is a connection. Granted the economy has pushed consumer electronics to the edge of the retail business, after all which do you really need, food or the new video game?

The lack of commissioned sales people means less customer service and in this climate that may be your only point of difference in the retail business. I had an uncle who was twice the top salesman for furniture in the country for a large department store chain and in bad times and good he made record sales. Though people are always looking for a good price, great service and a personal touch go a long way toward customer loyalty.

I hope this trend does not continue. We don't need any more unemployment in our country.

Don't Let Up! Get Out The Vote!

Palin Stonewalls Her Medical Records - Hiding Something Big?

Seems Sarah Palin has been disingenuous in her claims that she would release medical records for herself prior to the election. After numerous promises and much cajoling by the press she still has yet to do so. What is she hiding?

Here is my theory. If you remember her daughter's pregnancy was finally exposed to the press after rumors swirled that her youngest child was not Sarah Palin's but her daughter's. In an effort to dispute the rumors, Palin announced that her daughter was pregnant now with her boyfriends baby. I guess this somehow blunts the possibility that Trig born in April was not Sarahs baby.

However! And this is a big however, her medical records would prove the pregnancy was Sarah Palin's and not her daughter's or vice-versa. I suspect the rumor may have been true and like an episode of Desperate Housewives, Sarah faked her pregnancy and claimed the baby as hers to protect her daughter. Medical records could put to rest that theory, but since she refuses to release them, I am guessing it's more than a theory!

The pther possibility is she has something bad in her records that would not instill comfidence in the voting public. Either way, it's really fishy and the public has a right to know!

YES WE CAN!

Palin Gets Punked!

Sarah Palin gets punked with this call from the Canadian radio DJ's the Justicier's. She apparently has no staff that knows anything about world affairs or checks phone numbers before turning the candidate over to such ridicule.

Cheney Endorses McCain! With Friends Like These, Who Needs Enemies?

Here's a great way to lose an election, get the most hated man in American politics to endorse you! And so it has happened...Dick Cheney, self admitted Darth Vader of the GOP has endorsed John McCain. With any luck it will be the kiss of disaster for his failing campaign. After all, if you can't trust Dick Cheney, and nobody can, can you trust his judgment for a nominee?

Next McCain will get the endorsement of Richard Nixon from the grave I suspect.

MC Yogi - Obama '08 - Music Video

Obama Running Ads in Arizona!

Why is John McCain so surprised? Well he has real tough competition in his home state of Arizona! Obama is running ads there and the polls show them in a statistical dead heat. For the Senator from Arizona to not have his state locked up is a big surprise! I only hope there are more surprises ahead for him on Tuesday....like losing!

Obama's campaign is willing to venture onto McCain's turf, but it intends to tread lightly. Officials said the Arizona ad would be positive, a calculation to avoid a backlash from voters sympathetic to McCain.

When RoboCalls Attack! New Obama Video!

Vote NO on Prop. 8

Ted Stevens Is Delusional - Says He Was Never Convicted!

If Alaskans needed further proof that their beloved Senator Ted Stevens was delusional and really needs to be put in a home, here goes. In a debate with his opponent in the Senatorial race last night Steven's said he hadn't been convicted of anything. As everyone but Stevens knows he was convicted on all 7 counts of lying on Senate disclosure forms to conceal more than $250,000 in gifts and renovations to his home from VECO Corp. founder Bill Allen.

Bush Rushing To Push Through More Deregulation

As Bush prepares to leave office I am reminded of a failed general, as he withdraws from the battle field deciding to burn and destroy everything he can. Our failed president is trying to push through measures that would further deregulate consumer protections and financial industries.

According to a story in the Washington Post:

As many as 90 new regulations are in the works, and at least nine of them are considered "economically significant" because they impose costs or promote societal benefits that exceed $100 million annually. They include new rules governing employees who take family- and medical-related leaves, new standards for preventing or containing oil spills, and a simplified process for settling real estate transactions.

The new rules would be among the most controversial deregulatory steps of the Bush era and could be difficult for his successor to undo. Some would ease or lift constraints on private industry, including power plants, mines and farms.

Those and other regulations would help clear obstacles to some commercial ocean-fishing activities, ease controls on emissions of pollutants that contribute to global warming, relax drinking-water standards and lift a key restriction on mountaintop coal mining.

McCain Tied To Terrorist? You Betcha!

McCain has been palin' around with anti-Semites. In fact he was head of a group that gave almost half a million dollars to Rashid Khalidi. If you haven't heard, Khalidi was once a spokesman for the PLO and the McCain folks have been trying to tar Obama with his associations.

The truth is McCain had far more contact and influence with Khalidi thorugh the International Republican Institute, an organization McCain chaired.

During the 1990s, while he served as chairman of the International Republican Institute (IRI), McCain distributed several grants to the Palestinian research center co-founded by Khalidi, including one worth half a million dollars.

A 1998 tax filing for the McCain-led group shows a $448,873 grant to Khalidi's Center for Palestine Research and Studies for work in the West Bank. (See grant number 5180, "West Bank: CPRS" on page 14 of this PDF.)

The relationship extends back as far as 1993, when John McCain joined IRI as chairman in January. Foreign Affairs noted in September of that year that IRI had helped fund several extensive studies in Palestine run by Khalidi's group, including over 30 public opinion polls and a study of "sociopolitical attitudes."

Palin "Drill, Baby Drill" At Solar Power Company Speech?

Sarah Palin is about as empty a $5000 Versace suit as I have ever seen. Here is the story from the Associated Press:

TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin on Wednesday called for a "clean break" from the Bush administration's energy policies, which she says rely too much on importing foreign oil.

Palin spoke after touring Xunlight Corp., one of a handful of solar technology startup companies in Toledo, a struggling industrial city in this swing state. The city's leaders are hoping that the solar companies will create jobs to replace some of those lost by downsizing in the auto industry.

But Palin made only a passing reference to solar power in her speech and instead renewed her call for more drilling in U.S. coastal waters. She repeated her signature anthem, "drill, baby, drill," which seemed to fall a bit flat on the audience at the plant even as it's become a popular chant at her rallies.

Kay Hagen Fights Back - Take That Elizabeth Dole!

Elizabeth Dole's repulsive attack ads against her opponent in the North Carolina race for Senate and all but state outright that she is an atheist. Hagen, taught Sunday school and is far from an atheist, though Dole's ad even fakes her voice saying "there is no God". It's the lowest, slimiest attack I have ever seen on TV and now Hagen is fighting back! Give her heck, Kay!

New Ad Running In Arizona

The Economist Endorses Obama!

There are times in history when you are conscious of a real sea change in politics and public attitudes. It is rare that they happen in ways that are noticeable until that change is long past. Today, that is different. We are witnessing one such change and one sign of it comes from the bastion of conservative thinking , "The Economist" magazine.

The Economist does not have a vote, but if it did, it would cast it for Mr Obama. We do so wholeheartedly: the Democratic candidate has clearly shown that he offers the better chance of restoring America’s self-confidence. But we acknowledge it is a gamble. Given Mr Obama’s inexperience, the lack of clarity about some of his beliefs and the prospect of a stridently Democratic Congress, voting for him is a risk. Yet it is one America should take, given the steep road ahead.

The Economist endorsing Obama! Maybe there is hope for America after all?

Texans Are As Dumb As I Always Suspected - 25% Believe Obama Is A Muslim!

Well it's official! A fact I long suspected about us Texans...we are dumb as a post sometimes. Now we have proof. A recent poll by the University of Texas says that about 1/4 that's a quarter of all Texans believe Barack Obama is a Muslim. Molly Ivins is laughing from her grave!

From ThinkProgress.org:

When asked to identify Obama’s religion, 45 percent of respondents accurately identified him as Protestant, however 23 percent erroneously identified him as Muslim.

Another 28 percent of Texans did not know Obama’s religion, while 0.2 percent of Texans believe that Obama is a Hindu. The poll’s sponsors did not speculate as to why so many Texans are mistaken about Obama’s faith.

Lordy, I guess some folks just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get their news from the back of a cereal box. It's a wonder Texas has newspapers and television, heck apparently a quarter of the people here only use the paper to line birdcages and the TV, well if it's not football or NASCAR, why watch?

And before you go flaming me for this rant, I am born and raised in Texas. I drink iced tea and Dr, Pepper like the rest of us Texans so get over it! Now, if you aren't curious enough to find out anything about the candidates and their positions, much less their religion, please DON'T VOTE. Otherwise, you'll saddle the rest of us with another idiot like you did in the last general election.

For the record, Obama is a Protestant, always was, too.

Obama TV!

If you missed it, here it is. A brilliant piece of television.

Palin Has Yet To Release Her Medical Records - What Is She Hiding?

So what is Sarah Palin hiding, besides a lack of intellectual curiosity and a really ditsy personality? Her people promised to release medical records over a week ago and still no word on when those might be forthcoming. What is she hiding?

If this were the Obama records, McCain and Palin would be all over TV and Radio asking "Who is Barack Obama and what medical problems is he hiding?"

Well, who is Sarah Palin and what medical problems is she hiding, and for that matter what about John McCain? His campaign gave a quick peek to reporters at his medical records, over 1400 unnumbered pages. In about a hour it was impossible for people to gain any in depth information and for a cancer patient who seeks to be president, that might be a nice thing to know.

Now here is the woman who would be a heartbeat from the presidency stonewalling her own health records. That just looks incredibly fishy.

McCain Lying Again! And Again, And Again.....

Glad the JedReport has been watching this stuff, personally I couldn't listen to this much McCain, but his lies are amazing. Here is a fact check.

More Tainted Chinese Food - This Time It's Eggs!

So what exactly is the daily recommended dose of Melamine? That would most likely be "0" since melamine is a component in plastic and is not used in food products. Not so for food from China. The melamine tainted milk and milk powder as well as the melamine in pet food from China got a lot of press.

No comes word that the ubiquitous chemical has popped up in eggs from China. Apparently those crafty Chinese capitalists were adding melamine to chicken feed to make it appear to have more protein than it really does. Now the eggs have their own little dose of the plastic.

The whole thing highlights the abysmal regulatory climate in China. From lead tainted toys to poison pet food to melamine tainted baby formula, nothing is immune to the greed of the Chinese Capitalists.

Here in the US we used to feel safe with a healthy FDA and sufficient product safety regulations to protect us, but in the last decade, those regulations have been gutted, leaving us exposed to the same possible problems as the Chinese. Since we import so much from China, we are doubly vulnerable.

It is my hope that the next administration will do something to restore our food and product safety for both domestic and imported goods and substances. Of course if that administration is Republican, all bets are off!

Important Video for Obama Supporters!

GOP Spending Spree - Art Restoration A Campaign Expense?

For people who like to throw the term "elitist" around the Republicans are sure looking like a damn fancy bunch of Joe Sixpacks. In the campaign expenses that revealed the $150,000 shopping spree for Sarah Palin comes this little tidbit. $6,000 to an art restoration company!

You have to wonder what part of the campaign art restoration was crucial to? Huffington Post details more of the exorbitant GOP spending that really makes the term "elitist" seem mild.

For instance, the McCain Victory 2008 committee spent nearly $9,000 on "event site rental" from a yacht company in San Diego, while the John McCain 2008 committee bought $336 worth of "event tickets" for an Arizona Diamondbacks baseball game.

Hoping to lavish big time donors with gifts of appreciation during the GOP convention in Minnesota, McCain Victory 2008 purchased 250 wine glasses adorned with elephant designs, at a cost of nearly $7,000, from a shop in Georgia. It was considered a deal.

"I gave them a 20 percent discount," said an employee of Kevin's of Thomasville. "We are all Republicans here."

That same committee also purchased $3,589 worth of elephant shaped chocolates from a sweet shop in Dallas, Texas. "They bought about 1,000 pieces," said the storeowner. "About eleven ounces a piece in all three types of chocolate: milk, dark and light."

McCain's Big Bang - Car Crash Covered Up

Back in 1964, when McCain was in the Navy, he may have been involved in a fatal car crash near the gates of the Naval Base at Portsmouth, Virginia. Vanity Fair has filed Freedom of Information Act papers to uncover the incident which appears to have been covered up by the Navy.

According to a news story in Huffington Post:

"Plaintiffs have also obtained documents showing that law enforcement officers were ordered back to the accident scene to retrieve personal physical effects. The Navy has never publicly acknowledged this information," one document reads. "This request involves federal government activity, as it addresses what may be an attempt by the Navy to protect by concealment the involvement of a former Navy officer, sitting Senator and Presidential candidate in a serious incident involving the injury or death of another human being."

More bad news for the McCain campaign, now reeling from interval strife and low numbers in the polls.

Vote Fraud In Virginia! Fake Flyers Sent to Democrats

From ThinkProgress.org:

The Virginia Pilot reports today that a phony Virginia Board of Elections flier is being distributed in Hamption Roads, VA telling Democrats that they are now scheduled to vote on November 5. The flier falsely claims that “an emergency session of the General Assembly” adopted a new voting schedule to “ease the load” at polling places on election day:

As the Pilot explains, “no emergency action has been take by the General Assembly, which isn’t in session, and furthermore, doesn’t have the authority to change the date of a federal election.” Along with the rest of the nation, Virginians in all parties vote on November 4.

Obama in Ohio! Inspiring Again.

This is the last few minutes of his speech in Ohio. This man will be a great president!

How To Make It Through The Next 8 Days!

The folks at 23/6 are brilliant sometimes!

Take this little tip sheet for example: (Click it to enlarge)

Ted Stevens To Do Perp-Walk

Senator "Bridge To Nowhere" will soon be doing the perp-walk! Ted Stevens of Alaska was convicted on all 7 counts of making false statements on his financial disclosure regarding $250,000 in home renovations and other gifts he received from an oil contractor.

Senator Steven's was one of Sarah Palin's "pals" and she even served as director of the 527 group Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc. So Palin pals around with felons! Nice vetting Senator McCain!

Early Voting In Dallas

Out here in the wilds of North Dallas, you would expect the McCain/Palin signs to be everywhere, but not so in my neck of the woods. Here in the once conservative bastion of Dallas I see more Obama signs than in my own front yard, lots more.

My partner and I voted Saturday, to beat the long lines that are sure to form on election day, and guess what? We got stuck in a line. After 30 minutes we voted, but the line behind us stretched across the parking lot and onto the sidewalk of the church where we voted. The even better news was the number of Obama bumper stickers on cars in the parking lot. They outnumbered McCain stickers 3 or 4 to one.

I know it's very unscientific, but I get the same kinds of reports from my friends who voted early as well. At last count over 1.1 million Texans have already voted in the 15 most populous counties through Thursday, compared with 655,265 in the top 15 counties four years ago. Wow!

Considering the demographics shows that early voters are mostly Democrats, I hesitate to get to encouraged, but the "L" word might be appropriate if the early votes are any indication.

Republican Senator Hagel Says Palin Not Qualified

Today, Chuck Hagel, Republican Senator from Nebraska, joined the chorus of GOP loyalists who has looked at John McCain and his running mate and found them wanting.

Here is his unprecedentedly candid comment in New Yorker Magazine:

Hagel may be the only senior Republican elected official who has publicly criticized McCain’s choice of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. “I don’t believe she’s qualified to be President of the United States,” Hagel told me. “The first judgment a potential President makes is who their running mate is—and I don’t think John made a very good selection.” He scoffed at McCain’s attempts to portray her as an experienced politician. “To try to make the excuse that she looks out her window and sees Russia—and that she’s commander of the Alaska National Guard.” He added, “There is no question that this candidate is arguably the thinnest-résumé candidate for Vice-President in the history of America.”

Obama Speaks In Denver To 100,000+

Barack Obama was back on the campaign trail today stopping at this small gathering in Denver, Colorado. About 100,000+ of his close personal friends and loyal supporters showed up!

McCain Obama Dance Off! Video!