Saddam Hussein is being prosecuted for signing execution orders for 148 people. This was related to an attempt on his life, and the large conspiracy to carry it out. He was the leader of a recognized country, and this is was his decision, for right or wrong. George Bush allowed the execution of 131 people while he was the Governor of Texas. He was the leader, and it was his decision, for right or wrong. George Bush is not being prosecuted.
What other similarities are there? That both wanted to control Iraq's oil? No, thats to easy. That both used WMD's? Yes that is true.. Saddam used them against Kurdish villages in the form of chemical weapons. Bush used them in the form of White Phosphorus in Fallujah and depleted uranium rounds. The DU is causing cancer in Iraqi's at an alarming level, and also affecting many US soldiers. Both began displaying cruelty at an early age. Saddam when he was a young man and became an enforcer of the Bath party, and Bush when he began killing and torturing small animals such as frogs when he was a young boy. many links have since been made to children who do this to animals, and those who develop sociopathic personalities later in life. I might add as well that both men suddenly "discovered" religion mid life as a means of ingraciating themselves with the populace. Make of this what you will. Turning up the heat on W.
bush, saddam, hussien, tammy, iraq, execution

CBS poll Bush job rating down to 34%.
In other country's the government would be dissolved if public confidence sank to such a deplorable level. Hell, in one country the leader might commit Hara-Kiri , or ritual suicide. But no, hubris, ego and narcissism keep this guy thumping along. Unlike a corporation with an inept CEO, he won't be fired, because even though the country is sinking into a pit of debt and mismanagement, people of his own party refuse to act. Refuse to act? This in itself is a treasonous, misuse of power. Do we not have three branches of government? Isn't it the duty of each branch to see that the business of the county is being carried out faithfuly and competently? Impeach Bush now!

Correction. It seems the sampling in the Bush poll was favored to Democrats and independants. Causing the numbers to be inaccurate. I still stand by the idea that Bush should lose his job.

My choice for Corruptco Blogfest is ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) This is the company that is one of the world’s largest agricultural processors of soybeans, corn, wheat and cocoa. The word Processor is key here, as they don't actually grow these crops, they just break them down into their base chemical properties, and then reconfigure them into other things. Think of them as a DOW chemical for food. So of course chemistry is not inately bad, why have I picked ADM as my “Corruptco”? The reason is simple, they are destroying the health of people in the US and world wide via the ingestion of HFCS (high fructose corn syrup). Why is HFCS bad? Why should I care? Who is Nelson Chang? Health Insurance companies are saying that the rise in health care cost is nearly directly related to the rise in obesity in Americans. Several things contribute to this. We are increasingly inactive, and get less exercise than we did in previous years, and we ingest tons of HFCS. Of course ADM has nothing to do with our high levels of inactivity, but they do make HFCS.. lots of it. It's cheaper than “real” sugar, and much more harmful.

Producing HFCS requires quite a lot of chemistry. It uses genetically modified bacteria, and fungus to chemically alter the starches found in corn. Corn is our most widely grown crop next to soy beans, and wheat. Corn is cheap to use as food because farmers are subsidized by our government to grow it. (one reason Bush's ethanol plan is crap. It's actually a net energy loser, and because of the subsidy isn't really as cheap as it looks.) many of the processes that go into making HFCS have huge tanks and vats with clumps of genetically altered bacteria and or Fungus floating on top. The result is a thick syrup comprised of Fructose and Glucose.

So why is this stuff bad for me, and why does it make me fat? Of course we're talking about different types of Sugar. Glucose is used easily by the body. When it enters the body it is metabolized, and the body produces insulin to regulate levels in the blood. glucose kicks off a cascade of biochemical reactions. It increases production of insulin by the pancreas, which enables sugar in the blood to be transported into cells, where it can be used for energy. It increases production of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fat storage, and it suppresses production of another hormone made by the stomach, ghrelin, that helps regulate food intake. It has been theorized that when ghrelin levels drop, as they do after eating carbohydrates composed of glucose, hunger declines. Of course too much is bad, but all in all glucose is easy for the body to use, and not as harmful as it's cousin Fructose. Fructose however act completely differently in the body. It acts for like a fat than a sugar. It's use does not prompt the body to produce insulin, so the blood sugar level is not regulated. It doesn't increase leptin production or suppress production of ghrelin. That suggests that consuming a lot of fructose, like consuming too much fat, could contribute to weight gain.

So what are the consequences? The center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that obesity cost the US $75 Billion dollars annually. It costs all of us because of health care premiums, time off work, uninsured health costs, and general quality of life issues. The HFCS industry is said to make about 7 to 10 billion dollars per year, but this substance is costing us over 75 Billion. Cheap calories are killing us, as well as inactivity. However, when everything we eat is pumped full of HFCS it's difficult to avoid, from cookies and meat products to soft drinks. An interesting fact it that since artificial sweeteners like Nutrasweet came on the market, the use of HFCS has actually increased dramatically.

ravings of a semi-sane madwoman also has a tie in with ADM. Seems that the Cocoa industry on the Ivory Coast of Africa uses child labor. Please visit her site to read her CorruptCo contribution.

corruptco obesity HFCS ADM sugar

Hmm Watching CNN this morning, and they are at Mardi Gras. The Woman who's is on the scene is babbling about the festivities, and I'm just having my first cup of coffee. They are showing the Bacchus parade with all the colorful floats, and people dressed up in costume. All of a sudden she explains that ”..the Bacchus parade commemorated Bacchus.. ..the first person to bring floats to the parade.”. Hmm I wish I had been there to see that. An ancient Greek God resurrected for a 19th century parade, and bringing theater erected on hay wagons and pulled by tractors. Now we know why he was a god.
mardi gras New Orleans Bacchus parade

Want to feel really great for a few minutes? No, not that way!
Check this out.

I really want to see some coments on this.

More info here..(Biography)

Regarding my letter about the proposed budget.

Dear Mr. " Left of Center" Thank you for contacting me regarding the President's fiscal year 2007 budget request. On February 6, 2006, the President submitted his FY 2007 budget request to Congress. The budget submitted by the President shortchanges hard-working Americans, gives the biggest breaks to only the wealthiest among us, and puts our nation in deeper debt. As the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives begin their discussions and debate, the budget will be carefully scrutinized. To set spending priorities, I firmly believe we must implement sound fiscal policies that will help reduce the $8 trillion debt. Reducing the debt will help prevent inflation and cuts in critical government programs that many Americans rely upon, like Social Security and Medicare. As a member of the Senate Budget Committee, I will work with my colleagues to achieve a budget that reflects the values and priorities of Florida and the nation. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future. Your communication helps me to serve you better in the Senate.

Pictured is Charles Nelson Reilly

Mr. McClellan:"...And as I've previously stated, while that investigation is ongoing, the White House is not going to comment on it. The President directed the White House to cooperate fully with the investigation, and as part of cooperating fully with the investigation, we made a decision that we weren't going to comment on it while it is ongoing."

Q: Scott, is it difficult having eleven fingers?
A: I have ten... ten like everyone else. next question.
Q: Um, Scott I count eleven.
A: Whitehouse attorneys as well as the Surgeon general have all looked into this. I have ten fingers. Does anyone have a different question?

Found this on The Daily Kos
From Reuters
U.S. Treasury debt prices extended losses on Thursday after an auction of five-year notes garnered surprisingly weak demand, including from indirect bidders.
That category includes customers of primary dealers but also foreign central banks, and it is therefore used as a proxy for offshore interest in U.S. government debt.
Already unnerved by a drop in jobless claims that reinforced the likelihood of further interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, traders kept bond prices well into negative territory.
"It was a terrible auction," summed up one trader at a U.S. primary dealer. "The bid-to-cover stank, the indirect bid was bad -- I would be surprised if the market manages to rally from here."

Scary stuff. This is the price we pay for short sighted policies, and greed to the extreme by the ruling class.

The most powerful person in the world.

Concerning the Cheney shooting incident.... Reports from eye witnesses say he WAS intoxicated. Secret Service agents are talking and according to Capitol Hill Blue “One agent at the scene has been placed on administrative leave and another requested reassignment this week. A memo reportedly written by one agent has been destroyed, sources said Wednesday afternoon. “ This article tells quite a bit about just how easy it is for people of wealth , status and power to bury the truth.

The NYT has an editorial on what the proposed Bush budget REALY looks like. So they say Nero played the violin as Rome burned? Well the American rich can certainly afford a lot of violins thanks to Bush. This budget is a work of criminal minds, no doubt about it. Not only does it say a big “f*** you” to veterans, but also screws kids trying to get a college degree, the poor, and our national parks. The madness never ends with these people in charge. Please read the story here.

....Mr. Bush's spending and taxing proposals are a mass of missing information. The cost of keeping the military in Iraq and Afghanistan isn't included. Neither, as it turns out, are the usual projections of the long-term effects of proposals to cut $183 billion from domestic programs other than entitlements....

By TED BRIDIS
Associated Press Writer
The Bush administration secretly required a company in the United Arab Emirates to cooperate with future U.S. investigations before approving its takeover of operations at six American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. It chose not to impose other, routine restrictions.

As part of the $6.8 billion purchase, state-owned Dubai Ports World agreed to reveal records on demand about "foreign operational direction" of its business at U.S. ports, the documents said. Those records broadly include details about the design, maintenance or operation of ports and equipment.

Secret agreements? The Bush Whitehouse?
This bothers me.. Why? Because if they are our ally in the war on Terror, that would mean they HAVE been cooperating. Why this deal then? If they haven't been, then they are NOT our ally. Why do they get to keep their records off US soil? To avoid investigations? Will some future congessional investigation be stymied because of this?

If the CEO of a publicly held company was this incompetent, they would be fired.

Articles of Impeachment for
President George W. Bush
for High Crimes and Misdemeanors
As found on The Daily Kos

WHEREAS, United States House of Representatives rules allow for setting a federal impeachment in motion by charges transmitted from the legislature of a State or territory; and

WHEREAS, The State of Florida and the former territory of Mississippi have established precedent by referring such charges to Congress, which in each case resulted in Congress ordering a Committee to investigate and report on the charges, and which in one case resulted in the impeachment hearings of Judge Charles Swayne of Florida; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush, President of the United States, has so conducted himself and his office as to cause the people of the State of Rhode Island to doubt his integrity and to believe that his official actions as president have constituted High Crimes and Misdemeanors having repeatedly and intentionally violated and ignored the United States Constitution and other laws of the United States; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush has ordered the federalization and deployment of our state's National Guard members overseas and thus has exceeded the authority granted in the provision of the United States Constitution that Congress shall have the power to "provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the laws of the Union, to suppress insurrections and repel invasions," reserving to our State Assembly and Governor the authority to direct the training and arming of members of our state's National Guard for defense of the state; and

WHEREAS, The federalization and deployment of National Guard members has rendered the National Guard force unable to carry out its state activities effectively and thus deprived the state of its Constitutional power to keep the National Guard for defense of our state; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush has allowed stop-loss orders that violate the mutual understanding between Rhode Islanders in the Armed Forces including the National Guard and our state and nation they agreed to serve; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush in violation of his constitutional oath faithfully to execute the office of President of the United States and, to the best of his ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and in violation of his constitutional duty to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, committed a felony under 18 U.S.C. 1001, having conspired to exceed his constitutional authority to wage war, in that on March 19, 2003, by his order the United States of America invaded the sovereign country of Iraq in direct defiance of the United Nations Security Council. This constitutes a violation of Chapter 1, Article 2 of the United Nations Charter and a violation of Principal VI of the Nuremberg Charter.
According to Article VI of the United States Constitution "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land." George W. Bush has subverted and violated the principles of democracy by:

1. Providing misinformation to the United Nations Security Council, Congress, and the American people overstating the offensive capabilities of Iraq, including weapons of mass destruction, as justification for military action against Iraq.

2. Repeatedly manipulating the sentiments of the American people by erroneously linking Iraq with the terrorist attacks of September 11th by Al-Qaeda.

3. Repeatedly claiming that satellite photos of sites in Iraq depicted factories for weapons of mass destruction in contradiction with the results of ground inspections by United Nations teams.

4. Stating that "Saddam Hussein recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa" in his State of the Union Address after being told by the CIA that this was untrue and that the supporting documents were forged.

5. Influencing, manipulating and distorting intelligence related to Iraq with the intention of using that intelligence to support his goal of invading Iraq.

6. Invading Iraq with United States military forces.

7. Sacrificing the lives of thousands of American soldiers.

8. Killing tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians and conscripts.

9. Rejecting peaceful resolution by acts of UN compliance by Saddam Hussein.

10. Violating the Geneva Convention by abducting and transporting human beings to prisons in foreign countries where they can be subjected to inhumane treatment.

WHEREAS, the administration of the United States' invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, and handling of the aftermath of Katrina, has resulted in the waste of assets, through incompetence, insufficient oversight, insufficient planning, and no-bid contracts with companies associated with White House officials that are serious conflicts of interest.; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush has admitted that he willingly and repeatedly directed unwarranted surveillance of U. S. persons, in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of the United States; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed felonies under 18 U.S.C. 641 and 643 by transferring funds authorized for use in the war in Afghanistan and diverting it to an as-yet unauthorized build-up towards war in Iraq; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush committed felonies, namely espionage, fraud, or obstruction of justice, through involvement in the cover-up of the leak of Valerie (Plame) Wilson's identity; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush has approved of torture under the name of stress and duress, has denied the applicability of existing laws and treaties against torture, and has indicated in his signing statement of H.R. 1815 his future intention to continue to disregard such laws and treaties; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush has appointed unqualified personnel to critical government positions as political favors where their incompetence places American citizens at risk or intentionally blocks information that may require consideration for the public good; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush has repeatedly acted to expand the power of a unitary executive in violation of the principle of balance of power; and

WHEREAS, George W. Bush, through the above actions has denied the citizens of our state of their rights and their safety; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, by the General Assembly of this state, that our Senators and Representatives in the United States Congress be, and they are hereby, requested to cause to be instituted in the Congress of the United States proper proceedings for the investigation of the governance of the Executive Branch by George W. Bush as President of the United States, and of his acts and doings as such, to the end that he may be impeached and removed from such office; and be it further

Resolved, That the Secretary of State of Rhode Island be, and is hereby, instructed to certify to each Senator and Representative in the Congress of the United States, under the great seal of this state, a copy of this resolution and its adoption by its legislature.

President Bush staunchly defends this port deal. He says that those that oppose it are acting like national racists. He vowed to veto any bill that would stand in the way of the sale. Come to find out that Bush didnt even know this deal was in the works. What?!!! I suppose we shouldnt be supprised.. When is he ever in the loop. I say Mr Bush, I have a pineapple somewhere with your name on it, so bend over. A foreign owned company should NEVER be allowed to own a defense vital asset of this country. I understand that a British firm has this port responsibility now, and it doesn't make me happy, but the British aren't supporting terrorist. The company that is looking to buy in on our port action is a state owned company, not even a true capitalistic entity. So far no Senator or Congressman has stood with the President on this deal. If the President vetoes, then it will most assuredly be over ridden. President Bush fell off the clue truck long ago. This may be the issue that illustrates this to those Cult of Bush people, that still drink the Kool Aid. John McCain,(Presidential Ass Boy) has come out saying we need to be very reasonable on this issue and give the United Arab Emirates the benefit of the doubt. I guess thats the kind of thing you have to say when the Rove campaign machine has turned over “the name list” to you.

I could'nt see the updates to my site. I was pulling my hair out. Finally I just reset my template.. UG!

In 1995 in the spirit of open government, President Clinton signed a declassification order which rapidly brought many formerly secret files kept by the government to light. However, our CIA and other agencies did not accept that many of these documents should be public knowledge, and immediately began “reclassifying” documents. They began a secret review which then accelerated under the Bush Whitehouse. Thirty or so reviewers, mostly CIA and defense related agencies work in a million dollar safe room deciding what is fit for public consumption. Important things like the CIA's failure to predict Chinas entry into Korea two weeks before it did. Historians who have ferreted out this reclassification say that many of the reclassified documents are just ridiculous. Many they say have subject matter that has no relevance to national security, or was published in government studies that are public knowledge. The reason for this I would speculate would be to create white noise. Like writing over computer data with rubbish, to make the real targets disappear in the ditrious. At any rate, this wholesale rewriting of our countries document history is Orwellian.
Read more in this link to the NYT and the story written by Scott Shane.

So today I was going to take a break from the blog and just enjoy my 40th birthday. I had DVD's to watch, wine to drink, and a big apple pie to eat. (two other birthdays this months means cake is getting overdone.) So... after the Pie it was time for my two oldest boys to take a shower. One is 7, the other 5. I started the water, and got the 5 year old in. As I prepared the other to get in I turned, and was astonished to see the cat was on the edge of the tub, and Malcolm the 5 year old was peeing on it. The all white cat was now dappled with yellow and apparently had no problem with this. (Where is my wine glass?) "Malcolm, why did you pee on the cat?" "She was trying to attack me." Oi!

Many religious folks say the earth was created about 6000 years ago, and if a recent finding pans out, then Indiana could be the original Eden. According to a story in the associated press, an oak tree recently found buried in Edinburgh Indiana could be 6000 years old. A dredge operator found it in 40 feet of sand and gravel. What implecations could there be if this is true? Might we find the remains of the original man and woman? Are the bones of Adam and Eve there, laying side by side with the bones of dinosaurs and other creatures? Might we have more insight into the earliest of Bible tales? What a wonderful story the creator has woven, with the beginning of all things, being discovered on the threshold of the Rapture. I'm beyond words.


btw I bought a telescope for my son so we can go out at night and watch the universe orbit around the Earth.

This story hurts. What happened hurts. Harpooning a fresh, strong candidate with authentic backbone instead of pumped up bravado is a travesty. The powers that be at the DNC, like to look as if they're the new rejuvenated Democrats, but I submit that they represent the same old lazy, spineless product with just a new coat of shellac. Paul Hacket not only deserves an apology, but full support and funding for his next race.

By David Goodman
Mother Jones
Democratic Senate candidate and Marine Corps Major Paul Hackett is accustomed to waging quixotic battles and taking his hits. He just didn’t expect the lowest—and fatal—blows to come from his own party.

I just read this story by Tom Lasseter
Knight Ridder Newspapers
I have stopped counting how many of these stories I have read. A town in Iraq. A small contingent of US soldiers.
Death..
Indifference..
Guilt..
Insanity..
Fear..
Bravery..
Helplessness..
More young American men being forced into killing for reasons no one seems to understand. Protecting Americas Freedom? Tell that to the young man with the dead, expressionless stare. The young man that just shot a person who was returning to his house. This post is just to remind everyone that there are stories out there that rival that of a loose Wippet dog in NY. (yea sorry CNN.. home of wippet news)
Picture taken from www.truthout.org

Well, Rove wins again. After a frenzy of calls, visits and threats, Carl Rove has silenced, dissent in the GOP, and has killed any chance of the Senate investigating the NSA wiretapping. Republican slugs let more Bushco intrusion go unopposed. If they keep this up Cheney will have to approve another raise. Pictured right, is Carl Rove displaying some of his favorite Senators.

From the AP
“The Bush administration on Thursday rebuffed criticism about potential security risks of a $6.8 billion sale that gives a company in the United Arab Emirates control over significant operations at six major American ports.”

This is absurd! What will these people (Bushco) not do for money? To give control of some of our major ports to a group that is often openly hostile to America is beyond explanation. I suspect that many of these secretive panel members will eventually land jobs with the UAE in someway or another. Bush's relationship with these people is not in the best interest of America. To paraphrase a line in the movie Syriana.. “ 50 years ago these people were cutting each others heads off in the desert, and in another 50 they will be doing the same thing.”. The only thing these people produce is oil and misery. Let them run their own ports.

Just a reminder. Bill Maher starts his new season on HBO Friday the 17th. I love Bill's commentary, and think his show represents one of the few realms where people can speak unfiltered. Of course many women hate him because of his misogynistic tendencies. I don't condone that, but as I told one woman..If a woman is with Bill because he is famous and rich, then she knows what she's getting. So misogynistic or not it's her choice. Nelson Chang has been heard saying that Bill is brilliant. Then again Mr. Chang has also been witnessed rolling on the floor laughing while watching Will and Grace.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Dick Cheney disclosed Wednesday that he has the power to declassify sensitive government information, authority that could set up a criminal defense for his former chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby. (full story by Pete Yost)

Georgia10 on the Daily Kos has a great piece on the technical aspects of New Vice Presidential powers

This guy appointed himself to be Bush's running mate. Running mate? Vice President? Cheney no longer hides the fact that he's the guy in charge. Now that he has said he has the authority, he assumes he is beyond reproach.

Secretary of State Rice went before a Congressional panel yesterday to request 70 million dollars to "promote democracy" in Iran. Last time a checked Iran WAS a democracy. Oh, thats it.. Those silly Iranians elected the wrong guy. Just Like Chili, or Venezuela. Man, don't those people get it? Reminds me of a song lyric from the Who. “I'm your wicked uncle Ernie and you can't see or hear me as I fiddle about.. fiddle about.”
Left of Center B. Shilliday

So days after the vice president of the United States shoots a man, he finally makes a statement. How? He slinks over to the Fox network and does a cosy little interview with Brit Hume. What a joke. Cheney was a punk during vietnam, and he's a punk today. He said it was one of the hardest days of his life.. Boo Hoo hoo.. What about the guy he shot? Here's some tissues mr. Vice president.

Speaking in Ohio the President just said that our earnings after taxes are up 8% since 2001. Well, asshole, my health insurance costs have tripled since then and the price of gas is up by nearly 50%. Your a net loser for me you dick wad!

Mike Chertoff is to testify today before the congressional panel. If anything stands out I'll be sure to post it here. I don't really know if I can stand to look at him for long. He looks like an escapee from a gulaag. When the President gave the SOTU Chertoff clapped like a seal with rubber flippers. Pretty weird looking.

Cast your Move -On vote now. I of course voted YES!
Oh by the way Cheney's victim had a small heart attack at a result of being shot.



Pictured is Congressman Henry Cuellar of Texas. He might as well be a Bush Republican.

Yesterday Frances Fragos Townsend, a White House adviser, came out to defend the President and Mr. Chertoff saying that they were fully engaged with hurricane planing starting days before Katrina made landfall. She placed the blame squarely on the former FEMA director's shoulders. Mr. Brown was fully scapegoated in typical Bush Whitehouse fashion. Of course Mr. Chertoff has said that he is fully responsible. However, Mr. Bush has said this as well. It really means nothing as their form of responsibility holds no penalty for failure or incompetence. Chertoff was scheduled to testify today before the investigative panel, but that was canceled so senators could attend to tax legislation. More on Mrs. Townsend's yapping can be read here.

This story may be more serious than we really suspected. It's being reported now that she was actively working on tracking nuclear tech in the mid east, and was especially engaged in the Iran developments. If this is true then her outing has serious "homeland Security" consequences, and those responsible should really be in a world of trouble. I first saw this new development on The Raw Story.

Funny thing about accidents is that many things are often brought to light. We usually aren't privy to what the Vice president is doing and WHO he is doing them with. I wondered who these people were that are being mentioned in this Cheney shooting incident, so I Googled them.. The results are more interesting than I anticipated. First off Harry Whittington is the head of the Texas Funeral Services Commision. He was appointed by GW Bush, then Governor of Texas, after a minor scandal involving a whistle blower who's case was thrown out after the Bush administration mucked up the works and Sen. John Cornyn, then Texas State prosecutor didn't push for Bush to testify. The case involved prosecuting one of the worlds largest funeral homes, and big Bush campaign donor.

Katharine Armstrong, on the other hand, is a big Texas mucky muck, and lobbyist. It was her family ranch that the VP was on when the accident happened. Her father is a Bush Pioneer, and she has slept over at the Whitehouse. Much more on this family to include ties to Haliburton can be found in the links.

Today while hunting Vice President Cheney Shot an old man full of bird shot. He was later sadened to hear that the man survived. One less soul to pay Satan for his powers.

Please go on over to Clusterfuck Nation, and read Kunstler's lattest posting, Addiction. Funny, even though I have been aware of all the information he speaks about, it wasnt me that put it all together so succinctly. I guess thats why he gets paid to write, and I just get hollered at by the spousal unit.

Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing. He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, three Brazilian soldiers were killed."

"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"

His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as the President sits, head in hands.

Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"


picture stolen from The Spoof.com

A Jan. 23 letter from Special Prosecutor Patrick J. Fitzgerald to lawyers for Libby, states that Mr. Libby has testified that he was told by his superiors to tell of the identity of the CIA agent Valerie Plame. A good story concerning this can be found in the LAT. I'm wondering how and why this letter has come to the attention of the press. We, of course suspected that This “leak” came from someone like Cheney or Rove. I just hope this is not added to the series of escapes performed by those in the Bush Whitehouse.

The hearing is about to start. Brown sits shuffling papers as he awaits his integrators. He's here so apparently the Bush Whitehouse has not conceded to his demands of a legal excuse not to testify. More to come as the hearing progresses.

A. Mr. Brown has asked Whitehouse counsel (Harriet Myers) whether the Whitehouse wanted to put Mr. Brown under Executive privilege. The Whitehouse counsel declined. Sen Ted Stephens (R Alaska) seemed miffed at this as he really doesn't want Mr. Brown spewing his guts all over the hearing room. Mr Brown talks about having conversations with many high lvl people including Andy Card.

B. Brown says that the DHS saying they didn't know the situation on the ground was "baloney". He said he E-mailed a Whitehouse official the night of the flooding about the situation." They had to know." Said Brown. Brown said that after getting a report from a FEMA staffer who had just flown over the area, that he called the Whitehouse, and spoke to Joe Higgin (probably) He wanted to get the word out to the President (who as usual was in Crawford) Mr. Brown said he knew it was a worse case scenario.

C. As this conversation progresses it seems evident that Michael Chertoff is conspicuously absent from any of the processes going on.

D. Mr. Brown says Republicans responsible for making an ineffective bureaucracy in reference to the Department of homeland Security. Again he states that Andy Card was told that "this is the big one", in reference to the hurricane. The Whitehouse knew.

Mr. Brown ended his testimony having answered all questions asked of him, and not once declining to answer. He also did not shirk his own responsibility, ansd provided documentation of all his claims.

Today I just got my second letter read live on CNN. The question asked by Jack Cafferty was "why does the Bush Whitehouse seem more open about the spying issue?"

My answer:

Jack, they aren't more open. It's the illusion of openness. Not one of them will go under oath, so they can say whatever they want. It's a sham, a lie, a travesty. An independent counsel is needed. Thank you, B. Shilliday FL

Out in the distance I could make out a small moving shape on the side of the mountain. It was sometimes obscured by outcroppings of rock. The camera shook a little, and the sound of wind was heard. The shape was a person, dressed in simple and drab colored clothing. Suddenly there was a blur of gray and red. What seemed like bits of cloth were flung into the air with other undistinguished bits. The camera pulls back to the immediate area of the photographer, a young American sharpshooter was sitting up next to his 50. caliber sniper weapon. He was excited and laughing. The cameraman was laughing to. Laughing as if they had just vanquished some foe in a video game. Some mass of pixels that contains no soul, and no family to wonder what became of them. In this video I recently viewed, this scene played out about a dozen times. Each time the glee the soldiers exhibited was most ghastly. These damaged young men will soon be back home with us, and without a fully funded Veterans Administration to help them.

Contrary to popular belief that Democracy depends upon a full dissemination of information, the opposite is in fact true. Since the invention of the printing press, those who would hold the reins of power have fought against an informed public. One quote from the time of the printing press goes as follows: “They have made the people thereby so curious and so arrogant that they will never find humility enough to submit to a civil rule.” “Democracy is a game for the elites, not for the masses, which must be marginalized, diverted and controlled, for their own good.” As quoted by Noam Chomsky. Our founding fathers believed that those who owned the country should control it.Walter Lippman (Author) penned the term “the manufacture of consent” around 1921. he spoke of the Practice of Democracy, and how the common good is a concept that eluded the average citizen as their interests are to varied. They must be controlled. This is the domain of a specialized class. Similar theorys were espoused by Reinhold Niebuhr. He said “rationality belongs to the cool observer”. But because of the stupidity of the average man, who puts his force not behind reason, but faith. This naive faith requires necessary illusion, and emotionally potent oversimplification.” The illusions are provided by the myth maker to keep the common citizen “on course”. There are two ways a government can control the populace, by force, or by information. It is essential to control what people think, the method is called propaganda.

So here it is.. the cartoon that has spurned violence throughout the world. I'm not a Muslim so I do not have to follow the rules of Islam. If you are a Muslim then do not look upon it, create, post or copy such images. Also, do not think you may impose your mythology on me. As the Danish news paper editor said. "I have no intention of disrespecting Muslim people." This, as he said is an exercise in self censorship. I understand that the Islamic world has a lot to be pissed about.. so be pissed about the real reasons... not this phony cartoon crap. Say your tired of your rich leaders stealing all the wealth from the oil. Say you want them to invest in industry so you can have a better job. Say you want them to build real schools and put the medrassas back in the stone age. But don't come with violence because of a cartoon.

Why hasn't there been another attack on American soil since 9/11? Because all the mechinisms are not yet in place for the ultimate NeoCon power grab. Just wait.

New Orleans still lays in ruins five months after the hurricane Katrina. Today thousands of people who were being housed in hotels and other establishments are being evicted unless they have been approved for an extension. The money that has been promised is no where to be found. Meanwhile, billions are being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan, millions being stolen by unscrupulous contractors and local officials. Yet we can't help our own. This is yet another failure of the Bush administration, an embarrassment to this country, it's shameful. New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin, is securing foreign moneys for the rebuilding. Countries like France and Jordan are happy to invest in the rebuilding. Think of it, the most powerful country in the history of the world, unwilling to rebuild a storm damaged region and help it's own people. It's a travesty.

Dear Congressman Bilirakis, I have just read about the contents of the new budget as proposed by President Bush. $2.77 Trillion dollars, increased military spending, and cuts in social programs. This is insanity! Our military budget is already bigger than all the world's countries combined. Our President asks for this money, even as thousands of illegal aliens cross our borders. Also, to ask for increased military spending in the face of cutting social programs such as Medicare is just immoral. Please, you are one of the few Republicans I vote for. I know you can step outside of the current GOP lockstep, and do the right thing. Send this budget packing!
Thank you, B. Shilliday


Feel free to use this, or write something better. Just Do it!

Debra Burlingame who is a relative of a 9/11 victim was brought out by house Republicans, (Jeff Sessions) during a break in the NSA hearings to talk about the need to keep these eves dropping powers in place. She spoke as if she was some kind of security expert, talking about what we need to do in times of war to protect citizens. First of all, how dare the GOP drag out this woman to strengthen their claims of legitimacy for this illegal program. Once again, they have manipulated families of this tragedy to their own ends. Mrs. Burlingame is one of two things, an unwitting dupe, or a partner in crime. As I watch the NSA hearings on C-Span, all I see are Republicans being an extension of the White house, and foregoing their separate but equal powers. I see an Attorney general who is nothing more than an empowered White house attorney, and I see Democrats who don't know how to ask questions that will lead to anything we don't know already. This hearing is a joke. A charade.

On the Huffington post, they have a monthly contest for creative media.. movies, flash, pictures, music.. I found this one to be particularly moving. I encourage everyone to watch it. As you do, think about how many letters you have written to your representatives telling them that you will not have this done in your name. Thanks to Mikevotes over at Born at the crest of the empire for the heads up on this.

The City of Amsterdam has begun selling recently introduced "no toking" signs to prevent the official ones from being stolen as collector's items, a spokesman said Friday.

Please, if the "F" word is offensive to you don't enlarge (click) the picture.





"Whats more offensive, the "f" word, or what our leaders are doing to this country?"

Project TALON stands for Threat and Local Observation Notice. Gen. Robert W. Noonan Jr said in 2001 that although the Military could not actually spy on American citizens, it could “collect” information from other sources.

From William M. Arkin (Early Warning)
It is the military's equivalent of the FBI and intelligence community's post 9/11 shift, and Wolfowitz directed the sharing of reports on ambiguous activity. This new reporting mechanism -- called TALON for Threat and Local Observation Notice -- applies to seven reporting categories:
1.Non-specific threats
2.Surveillance
3.Elicitation
4.Test of security
5.Unusual repetitive activity
6.Bomb threats
7.Other suspicious activity
According to a classified Standing Joint Force Headquarters-North document on "intelligence sharing" dated July 20, 2005, and obtained exclusively by this washingtonpost.com blogger, collection of intelligence on U.S. persons is allowed by military intelligence units if there is a reason to believe the U.S. person is:
"Connected to international terrorist activities;
Connected to international narcotics;
Connected to foreign intelligence;
A threat to DoD installations, property, or persons; or,
The subject of authorized counterintelligence."

More on the program can be found here:

http://www1.cq.com/cq.com/www.cq.com/public/20060131_homeland.html

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/6/29/204152.shtml

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/10/AR2005121000893.html

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TALON

New Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito split with the court's conservative Wednesday night, refusing to let Missouri execute a death-row inmate contesting lethal injection.