Greg Palast nails the burning cross caucus of the Republican Party

"Don't kid yourself: the Republican party's decision yesterday to 'delay' the renewal of the Voting Rights Act has not a darn thing to do with objections of the Republican's white sheets caucus.
Complaints by a couple of good ol' boys to legislation have never stopped the GOP leadership from rolling over dissenters.

This is a strategic stall that is meant to decriminalise the Republican party's new game of challenging voters of colour by the hundreds of thousands.

In the 2004 presidential race, the GOP ran a massive, multi-state, multimillion-dollar operation to challenge the legitimacy of black, Hispanic and Native American voters. The methods used breached the Voting Rights Act, and while the Bush administration's civil rights division grinned and looked the other way, civil rights lawyers began circling, preparing to sue to stop the violations of the act before the 2008 race.

So Republicans have promised to no longer break the law - not by going legit but by eliminating the law."

U.S. to intercept N. Korea missile?

The whole world knows we've never been able to shoot down one of our own missiles even with a homing device on the missile so who's kidding who about shooting down this one.
U.S. to intercept N. Korea missile? - Asia-Pacific - MSNBC.com

Former Antiterror Officials Find Industry Pays Better

These assholes get the gold mine while the public gets the shaft and the country goes bankrupt. Meanwhile the poor rubes making 5 bucks an hour keep sending their sons and daughters for bush's war machine and keep voting for more of the same. These criminals have no shame.
Former Antiterror Officials Find Industry Pays Better - New York Times: " At least 90 officials at the Department of Homeland Security or the White House Office of Homeland Security including the department's former secretary, Tom Ridge; the former deputy secretary, Adm. James M. Loy; and the former under secretary, Asa Hutchinson are executives, consultants or lobbyists for companies that collectively do billions of dollars' worth of domestic security business. "

GOP Measure Forces House Debate on War

Ten hours of debate for a 3+ year war. That boils down to 250 dead service men and women for each hour. How gracious of these pathetic clowns to show such compassion. Does that mean they'll debate through lunch also?
GOP Measure Forces House Debate on War: "'I can't help but feel through eyes of a combat-wounded Marine in Vietnam, if someone was shot, you tried to save his life. . . . While you were in combat, you had a sense of urgency to end the slaughter, and around here we don't have that sense of urgency,' said Rep. Wayne T. Gilchrest (Md.), a usually soft-spoken Republican who has urged his leaders to challenge the White House on Iraq. 'To me, the administration does not act like there's a war going on. The Congress certainly doesn't act like there's a war going on. If you're raising money to keep the majority, if you're thinking about gay marriage, if you're doing all this other peripheral stuff, what does that say to the guy who's about ready to drive over a land mine?'"

Gay Marriage Amendment Getting a Presidential Push

As Stranger over at Blah3 says, "the rubes ain't buying it". Hopefully we'll get a nice video clip of the assembled VIP (vermin in photo-op) mode to use in the coming fall election campaigns.
Gay Marriage Amendment Getting a Presidential Push - Los Angeles Times

Truthdig - Reports - Robert Scheer: Bush Links Energized Enron

The Bush family consistently acted to put Enron and its longtime CEO, Ken Lay, into a position to rip off investors and taxpayers. Why is the mass media ignoring that fact now that Lay has been convicted in arguably the most egregious example of white-collar fraud in U.S. history?
Truthdig - Reports - Robert Scheer: Bush Links Energized Enron
After the Enron crash, Bush attempted to distance himself from the “Bush pioneer,” who had sent more than $2 million in Enron funds George W.’s way, as well as supplying him with the Enron company jet on at least eight occasions. “I have not met with him personally,” Bush said after the scandal broke

It's way too late to spay the bitch

After jeb then neil?
A Few Years, and Then Another Bush? - New York Times

The Price of Iraq

"It's time for Mr. Bush either to chart a course that can actually be followed, or admit that there is none."
The Price of Iraq - New York Times:

Bush Crime Family Enron Connection

"Kenny who?"
Consortiumnews.com: "Four years ago, when the taboo against calling George W. Bush a liar was even stronger than it is today, the national news media bought into the Bush administration's spin that the President did nothing to bail out his Enron benefactors, including Kenneth Lay."

Bush and Rice must be smoking dope together.

These jackasses have to be living on another planet. All is well if you ignore the mayhem going on all over the country
1010 WINS - On-Air, Online, On Demand: "'I assured them that the United States will continue to assist Iraqis in the formation of a new country because I fully understand that a free Iraq will be an important ally in the war on terror, will serve as a devastating defeat for the terrorists and al-Qaida and will serve as example for others in the region who desire to be free.'"
And Rice says "They want to make sure that they have it right," Rice said on "Fox News Sunday." "I think it's quite obvious that when you take this kind of time, it shows the kind of determination and maturity."

Truthdig - A/V Booth - Reporter Spars With Bush Over Ratings

And because I'm the Great Decider!
http://images1.americanprogress.org/il80web20037/ThinkProgress/2006/bushnbc.320.240.mov
Truthdig - A/V Booth - Reporter Spars With Bush Over Ratings

Laura Bush doesn't believe bad polls on husband

The bitch is probably still smarting from the Stephen Colbert roast of a couple weeks ago where she had to suck it up and hear whats happening in the real world. Considering that she and bush are never exposed to the real world, only to the pre-selected audience of nut case neocons and the Jerry Falwell crowd its no wonder she would have a problem believing the polls.
Laura Bush doesn't believe bad polls on husband - Yahoo! News

Murtha Predicts U.S. Pullout From Iraq - Yahoo! News

One can only hope this is not wishful thinking. The dems are going to have to make this happen.
Murtha Predicts U.S. Pullout From Iraq - Yahoo! News
Most likely, there will be a "tidal wave" that propels Democrats into the majority, said Murtha. He predicts Democrats will gain 40-50 seats — well more than the 15 needed for the party to gain control.

A Bush Think Tank

I almost spit up my false teeth when I read that statement. And as far as a Bush library goes any old broom closet will hold his two coloring books. He hasn't finished the second one though so that will have to wait.
His Legacy and His Library Occupy Bush's Thoughts - New York Times

Hillary Clinton: Too Much of a Clinton Democrat?

"The last thing we need is yet another Democrat afraid to stand on principle."-- Markos Moulitsas
Hillary Clinton: Too Much of a Clinton Democrat?
The operation is rudderless, without any sign of significant leadership. And to top it off, a sizable number of Democrats don't think she could win a general election, anyway.
Can Hillary Clinton overcome those impediments? Money and star power go a long way, but the netroots is now many times larger than it was only three years ago, and we have attractive alternatives to back (and fund), such as former governor Mark W. Warner and Sen. Russell Feingold.

A great blog I ran across

DAYS

Why Republicans are screwed

It seems safe to assume that the party with the more motivated voters will win in 2006. Right now, that looks overwhelmingly like the Democrats.
Why Republicans are screwed. By John Dickerson: "It isn't easy being a Republican these days, either. Bush's approval rating is at an all-time low, gas prices are near an all-time high, and Iraq continues to burn. Voters have an even lower opinion of the GOP-controlled Congress. "

Do not attack Iran - Zbigniew Brzezinski TMSI

If only the criminals in the whitehouse had half as much intelligence as Mr. Brzezinski.
Do not attack Iran - Print Version - International Herald Tribune
If there is another terrorist attack in the United States, you can bet your bottom dollar that there will be also immediate charges that Iran was responsible in order to generate public hysteria in favor of military action.But there are four compelling reasons against a preventive air attack on Iranian nuclear facilities:

Senate Hearings on Bush, Now

Carl Bernstein, one of the distinguished investigative journalists of the Watergate era writes this compelling article suggesting Senate hearings on Bush. It should be a must read for anyone unfamiliar with Watergate and its similarities to the Bush presidency.
"There was understandable reluctance in the Congress to begin a serious investigation of the Nixon presidency. Then there came a time when it was unavoidable. That time in the Bush presidency has arrived."
VANITY FAIR : FEATURES : CONTENT
"There will forever be four indelible photographic images of the George W. Bush epoch: an airplane crashing into World Trade Tower number two; Bush in a Florida classroom reading from a book about a goat while a group of second-graders continued to captivate him for another seven minutes after Andrew Card had whispered to the president, "America is under attack"; floodwaters inundating New Orleans, and its residents clinging to rooftops for their lives; and, two days after the hurricane struck, Bush peeking out the window of Air Force One to inspect the devastation from a safe altitude. The aftermath of the hurricane's direct hit, both in terms of the devastation and the astonishing neglect and incompetence from the top down, would appear to be unique in American history. Except for the Civil War and the War of 1812 (when the British burned Washington), no president has ever lost an American city; and if New Orleans is not lost, it will only be because of the heroics of its people and their almost superhuman efforts to overcome the initial lethargy and apparent non-comprehension of the president. Bush's almost blank reaction was foretold vividly in a video of him and his aides meeting on August 28, 2005, the day before Katrina made landfall. The tape - withheld by the administration from Congress but obtained by the Associated Press along with seven days of transcripts of administration briefings - shows Bush and his Homeland Security chief being warned explicitly that the storm could cause levees to overflow, put large number of lives at risk, and overwhelm rescuers."

U.S. Building Massive Embassy in Baghdad - Yahoo! News

Will they name this bush summer vacation palace? Perhaps he'll be there when Iran lobs one of their nukes over in the vicinity.
U.S. Building Massive Embassy in Baghdad - Yahoo! News

US secrets for sale outside Bagram airbase

Top-secret US military intelligence documents which could compromise Hamid Karzai's government have turned up for sale in an Afghan bazaar, after apparently being stolen from a nearby US military base.
Independent Online Edition > Asia: "The computer memory sticks, which are about the size of a small Swiss army knife, were bought in the shabby bazaar which lines the road just 50 metres from the huge US airbase at Bagram, north of Kabul."

Top general defends Rumsfeld

Because he works nights and weekends Gen. Peter Pace says no one should question the dedication of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. So I guess anybody who works nights and weekends is qualified to run the biggest war machine in the world. What a bunch of bullshit. And they have some numnuts like this ready to nuke Iran.
CNN.com - Top general defends Rumsfeld - Apr 11, 2006: "Newbold criticized the Pentagon's civilian leadership for launching the invasion, which he said was done 'with a casualness and swagger that are the special province of those who have never had to execute these missions -- or bury the results.' And he criticized fellow officers for not standing up to those leaders, saying their silence meant 'that a fundamentally flawed plan was executed for an invented war.'"

Fw: republican values (memorize these)

What You Need To Believe To Be A True Republican:

Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton.

Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to the spirit of international harmony.

The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iraq.

A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

If condoms are kept out of schools, a dolescents won't have sex.

A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing
health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have only the best interests of the public at heart.

Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

A president lying about an extramarital affair is a impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die and billions of dollars are wasted is solid defense policy.

Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages, rescuing stem cells and censoring the Internet.

The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but
George Bush's driving and military records are none of our business.
Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

What Bill Clinton did in the 1960s is of vital national interest, but what George Bush is now doing is irrelevant.

Support for hunters who shoot their friends and blame them for wearing orange vests similar to those worn by the quail.

Feel free to pass this on. If you don't send it to at least 10 other
people, we're likely to be stuck with more Republicans in '06 and '08.

Friends don't let friends vote Republican.

US plans strike to topple Iran regime

It is past time for this congress to impeach bush/cheney/rumsfeld before they do any further harm to the US or the rest of the world. This attitude of bomb now and ask questions later is bullshit and what makes them think they will be greeted by the Iranians with rose petals any more than the Iraqis did. And what makes them think even a 50 foot wall around the green zone in Baghdad would save that "outpost of democracy" from an Iranian missile? These people should be made to sit down and read "Hiroshima" by John Hersey. Taking the advice of one who lived through the era may provide a little historical perspective in this administration and might go a long way in changing some of their idiotic views.
Guardian Unlimited Special reports US plans strike to topple Iran regime - report: "It is a widespread belief in Washington's neo-conservative circles that a comprehensive air assault would disorient the Tehran government and galvanise the Iranian people into bringing it down. The departure of senior neo-conservatives from the administration after Mr Bush's 2004 re-election was thought to have weakened their clout, but Mr Hersh's report suggested that the president's personal convictions may yet prove decisive."

Leak case: Personal paybacks? -

"Let me just say something about leaks in Washington. There are too many leaks of classified information in Washington. There are leaks at the executive branch; there are leaks in the legislative branch. There are just too many leaks. And if there is a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is. And if the person has violated law, the person will be taken care of." ---George Bush
Leak case: Personal paybacks? -:
According to Knight Ridder reports, the court documents stand as the hardest evidence to date that President Bush and vice-president Dick Cheney were "engaged in a campaign to disclose selected snippets of highly classified intelligence – much of it misleading, exaggerated or wrong – to a few trusted journalists in an effort to bolster their case for war."

Barbara Ehrenreich Salutes the French

Instead of bashing the French perhaps some of the displaced people from mass layoffs like at General Motors, Verizon and other huge U.S. corporations should start lobbing a few Molotov cocktails
Barbara Ehrenreich Salutes the French (from The Progressive's May issue) The Progressive: "What corporations call "flexibility"--the right to dispose of workers at will--is what workers experience as disposability, not to mention insecurity and poverty. The French students who were tossing Molotov cocktails didn't want to become what they call "a Kleenex generation"--used and tossed away when the employer decides he needs a fresh one."

Administration-Fuck you the people, we make our own laws

Gonzales Suggests Legal Basis for Domestic Eavesdropping - New York Times: "Representative F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., the Wisconsin Republican who is chairman of the Judiciary Committee and one of the administration's staunchest allies, accused the administration of 'stonewalling.'
'Mr. Attorney General, how can we discharge our oversight responsibilities if every time we ask a pointed question, we're told that the answer is classified?' Mr. Sensenbrenner asked. 'Congress has an inherent constitutional responsibility to do oversight. We are attempting to discharge those responsibilities.'"

In Notification of Army Deaths, More Pain

After Neil Santorello heard the news that his son, a tank commander, had been killed in Iraq, from the officer in his living room, he walked out his front door and removed the American flag from its pole. Then, in tears, he tore down the yellow ribbons from his tree.
In Notification of Army Deaths, More Pain - New York Times

TomPaine.com - Ganging Up On Feingold

When the yellow belly democrats finally get the message that their base is only going to support those who have the balls to stand up for basic principles and those whose re-election campaign is based on getting out of Iraq they will sadly be losers once again. I'm putting my support behind those who have the guts to speak out against these criminals in power.
TomPaine.com - Ganging Up On Feingold
Of course, an ad that actually respected the listeners would tell them the truth. Something like:
Now Feingold, with little support from his quaking Democratic colleagues, wants to censure the President…for authorizing wiretapping on American citizens that even many prominent Republicans believe is illegal—and unnecessary. Feingold wants the president to pursue real suspected members of Al Qaeda—not turn the U.S. into a police state.

TIME.com: One Morning in Haditha -- Page 1

Collateral damage my ass. The probe concluded that the civilians were in fact killed by Marines and not by an insurgent's bomb and that no insurgents appeared to be in the first two houses raided by the Marines. The probe found, however, that the deaths were the result of "collateral damage" rather than malicious intent by the Marines, investigators say.
TIME.com: One Morning in Haditha -- Page 1

Iraqi police report details civilians' deaths at hands of U.S. troops

Support our troops? Who's in charge of these monsters?
KRT Wire 03/19/2006 Iraqi police report details civilians' deaths at hands of U.S. troops: "BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi police have accused American troops of executing 11 people, including a 75-year-old woman and a 6-month-old infant, in the aftermath of a raid last Wednesday on a house about 60 miles north of Baghdad.The villagers were killed after American troops herded them into a single room of the house, according to a police document obtained by Knight Ridder Newspapers. The soldiers also burned three vehicles, killed the villagers' animals and blew up the house, the document said."

Bush battered by US pessimism

A majority of Americans, 56 percent, believe Bush is "out of touch," the poll found. When asked for a one-word description of Bush, the most frequent response was "incompetent," followed by "good," "idiot" and "liar." In February 2005, the most frequent reply was "honest."
Bush battered by US pessimism, leadership doubts - Yahoo! News:

ABC News: New Documents from Saddam Hussein's Archives Discuss Bin Laden, WMDs

So why does ABC News even publish this bullshit as "intense debate" when it has long ago been discredited and has "limited evidentiary value"?
ABC News: New Documents from Saddam Hussein's Archives Discuss Bin Laden, WMDs: "(Editor's Note: The controversial claim that Osama bin Laden was cooperating with Saddam Hussein is an ongoing matter of intense debate. While the assertions contained in this document clearly support the claim, the sourcing is questionable i.e. an unnamed Afghan 'informant' reporting on a conversation with another Afghan 'consul.' The date of the document four days after 9/11 is worth noting but without further corroboration, this document is of limited evidentiary value.) "

Molly Ivins: Enough of the D.C. Dems | The Progressive

Hey Molly Ivins! I would love to nominate you for president. Who says it has to be some dimwit no balls like Bayh or republican lite Lieberman or some other has been never was beltway lapdog.
Molly Ivins: Enough of the D.C. Dems The Progressive: "Mah fellow progressives, now is the time for all good men and women to come to the aid of the party. I don�t know about you, but I have had it with the D.C. Democrats, had it with the DLC Democrats, had it with every calculating, equivocating, triangulating, straddling, hair-splitting son of a bitch up there, and that includes Hillary Rodham Clinton."

Bush Admits Rocky Start to Medicare Prescription Drug Plan - New York Times

Rocky start my ass. Everything this administration has started has been fucked up from the beginning and will take years for their replacements to repair the damage.
Bush Admits Rocky Start to Medicare Prescription Drug Plan - New York Times: "In an echo of speeches conceding errors in the responses to Hurricane Katrina and the Iraq reconstruction, and in which he insisted that the problems were being resolved, Mr. Bush told a group of pharmacists and Medicare participants here that he had expected that the program would have a rocky start."

A deaf man spouting

On the eve of George Bush's presidential campaign in 2000, the neoconservative Kenneth Adelman cast him as Prince Hal, who "puts the indiscretions of his youth behind him" and "redeems his father's reign". After September 11, Bush was wreathed with regal laurels as Henry V by a clerisy of pundits. From Ground Zero to the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln ("Mission Accomplished") the president struck bold poses, but his choreographed gestures have especially illuminated his hollow crown in the darkened breach
Guardian Unlimited Special reports A deaf man spouting: "For the first time, last week, the public has seen the spontaneous Bush behind closed doors, in a leaked videotape that recorded his briefing the day before Hurricane Katrina struck. Teleconferenced in from his Crawford ranch, Texas, Bush listens to disaster officials inform him that the storm will be unprecedented in its severity and consequences. 'This is, to put it mildly, the big one,' says Michael Brown, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Centre, warns: 'This hurricane is much larger than Hurricane Andrew ever was.' Bush asks not a single question, says, 'We are fully prepared', and departs."

At Conservative Forum on Bush, Everybody's a Critic

Finally, some of the boot lickers are getting fed up with bush and his cronies.
At Conservative Forum on Bush, Everybody's a Critic
Well, it could have been because of the first speaker, former Reagan aide Bruce Bartlett. Author of the new book "Impostor: How George W. Bush Bankrupted America and Betrayed the Reagan Legacy," Bartlett called the administration "unconscionable," "irresponsible," "vindictive" and "inept."
It might also have had something to do with speaker No. 2, conservative blogger Andrew Sullivan. Author of the forthcoming "The Conservative Soul: How We Lost It; How to Get It Back," Sullivan called Bush "reckless" and "a socialist," and accused him of betraying "almost every principle conservatism has ever stood for."

US envoy to Iraq: 'We have opened the Pandora's box'

The US ambassador to Baghdad conceded yesterday that the Iraq invasion had opened a Pandora's box of sectarian conflicts which could lead to a regional war and the rise of religious extremists who "would make Taliban Afghanistan look like child's play".
Guardian Unlimited Special reports US envoy to Iraq: 'We have opened the Pandora's box': "An opinion poll published by the Washington Post and ABC News yesterday suggested that most Americans agreed with Mr Khalilzad - with 80% saying civil war in Iraq was likely, and more than a third that it was very likely. More than half thought the US should start withdrawing its troops, although only one in six wanted all troops to be withdrawn immediately."

Bush Lies

ON THE DAY before Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, federal emergency officials warned President Bush that the hurricane could be "the big one," the storm the region had long feared; that the Superdome, the shelter of last resort in New Orleans, was below sea level and might well lose its roof; that medical and mortuary teams might not be prepared; and that the levees might not hold back the floodwaters. Mr. Bush, speaking during a videoconference, a tape of which was obtained by the Associated Press, responded by reassuring state officials that "we are fully prepared."
Caught on Tape: "It also should tell the nation something about the value of leadership. The Gulf Coast might have suffered less had the president just asked a few people the right questions."

Bush, Chertoff Warned Before Katrina - Yahoo! News

Bush didn't ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck on Aug. 29, but he assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."
Tape: Bush, Chertoff Warned Before Katrina - Yahoo! News: "In dramatic and sometimes agonizing terms, federal disaster officials warned President Bush and his homeland security chief before Hurricane Katrina struck that the storm could breach levees, put lives at risk in New Orleans' Superdome and overwhelm rescuers, according to confidential video footage. "

UAE terminal takeover extends to 21 ports

"Obviously, my request fell on deaf ears. I am disappointed that I was neither briefed nor informed of this sale prior to its approval. Instead, I read about it in the media."--Sen. Charles Grassley
United Press International - Security & Terrorism - UAE terminal takeover extends to 21 ports: "'All a terrorist organization needs to do is find a single weak link within a 'trusted' shipper's complex supply chain, such as a poorly paid truck driver taking a container from a remote factory to a port. They can then gain access to the container in one of the half-dozen ways well known to experienced smugglers,' CFR wrote."

Media Matters - O'Reilly: U.S. should leave Iraq "as fast as humanly possible" because "there are so many nuts in the country"

Media Matters - O'Reilly: U.S. should leave Iraq "as fast as humanly possible" because "there are so many nuts in the country": Bill O'Reilly suggested that the United States "hand over everything to the Iraqis as fast as humanly possible" because "there are so many nuts in the country -- so many crazies -- that we can't control them." O'Reilly has previously called those advocating immediate withdrawal from Iraq "pinheads" and compared them to Hitler appeasers.

Port deal Opposed by Republicans

Its about time republicans start digging in their heals and opposing the bush Whitehouse.
Frist Calls for Halt to U.S. Ports Deal - Yahoo! News: "Critics have noted that some of the 9/11 hijackers used the UAE as an operational and financial base. In addition, they contend the UAE was an important transfer point for shipments of smuggled nuclear components sent to Iran, North Korea and Libya by a Pakistani scientist. "

How to shoot yourself in the foot

This story like the Energizer bunny just keeps going and going and going and going. The glaring truth of the whole episode which should have been apparent when Cheney picked himself to run as Vice President is that he has been jerking the strings of the Kukla, Fran and Ollie puppet show since day one.
MediaGuardian.co.uk Media How to shoot yourself in the foot
When Dick Cheney shot his friend it was a bizarre accident. But his handling of the event has wounded the Bush administration and infuriated the press

SEX and the Statehouse

10 ways Indiana lawmakers want to send you to hell, to jail or both. Only in the heart of red state jesusland could lawmakers be so concerned about the private lives of its citizens and about what other people do in bed.
nuvo.net / SEX and the Statehouse: "The Indianapolis Police Department has arrested more than a dozen men in recent months on public indecency charges as part of a sting operation targeting gay men at local health clubs. At the National Institute of Fitness and Sport (NIFS) downtown, an undercover officer hung out, naked, in the mens shower and struck up several friendly conversations with fellow naked guys. In at least one instance, the officer began to chat up a fellow while the two were showering and the conversation became a little flirty. No offers of money were exchanged. No touching occurred. But when the perp got aroused during the conversation with the naked, soapy, sexy undercover officer, he got busted on charges of public indecency. Now the guy with the hard-on is facing a year in jail and a $5,000 fine."

Some more bush bullshit

Never mind searching those containers for WMD's. We've got to get this Lipitor traffic stopped because millions of old folks may live a little longer from unclogged arteries and put a strain on the social security administration. And we should probably transfer some of the weed patrol on the Mexican border to nip this Canadian drug traffic in the bud. Sigh,......
More Medicines From Abroad Seized - Los Angeles Times: "The U.S. government apparently is stepping up seizures of cheap drugs ordered by Americans mainly seniors from abroad, Canadian pharmacies say."

White House Knew of Levee's Failure on Night of Storm and DID NOTHING. And we're all supposed to feel safer now.

"FYI from FEMA," said an e-mail message from the agency's public affairs staff describing the helicopter flight, sent Monday night at 9:27 to the chief of staff of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and recently unearthed by investigators. Conditions, the message said, "are far more serious than media reports are currently reflecting. Finding extensive flooding and more stranded people than they had thought — also a number of fires."
White House Knew of Levee's Failure on Night of Storm - New York Times: "But the alert did not seem to register. Even the next morning, President Bush, on vacation in Texas, was feeling relieved that New Orleans had 'dodged the bullet,' he later recalled. Mr. Chertoff, similarly confident, flew Tuesday to Atlanta for a briefing on avian flu. With power out from the high winds and movement limited, even news reporters in New Orleans remained unaware of the full extent of the levee breaches until Tuesday.
The federal government let out a sigh of relief when in fact it should have been sounding an 'all hands on deck' alarm, the investigators have found."

Bush Appointee Attempts to Control Global Warming Debate

George C. Deutsch, the young presidential appointee at NASA who told public affairs workers to limit reporters' access to a top climate scientist and told a Web designer to add the word "theory" at every mention of the Big Bang, resigned yesterday, agency officials said.
A Young Bush Appointee Resigns His Post at NASA - New York Times: "'He's only a bit player,' Dr. Hansen said of Mr. Deutsch. ' The problem is much broader and much deeper and it goes across agencies. That's what I'm really concerned about.'
'On climate, the public has been misinformed and not informed,' he said. 'The foundation of a democracy is an informed public, which obviously means an honestly informed public. That's the big issue here.'"

Polly Toynbee: Cut a deal with the mullahs

Now the mad mullahs of Iran will soon have nuclear bombs, are we all doomed? Thumbing his nose at the impotent west, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad taunts us: "Our enemies cannot do a damn thing. We do not need you at all. But you are in need of the Iranian nation." And he is absolutely right. A frisson of panic shudders around the globe: he has already threatened to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth. Do something, someone! But what and who? And if there is nothing to be done, what then?
Guardian Unlimited Columnists Polly Toynbee: Cut a deal with the mullahs: "What's more, Iran is the true winner of that war. They only had to sit tight and smile as the west delivered on a golden plate all the influence Iran had always sought in the Middle East. The US and its allies will soon be gone from Afghanistan and Iraq, leaving Iranian-backed Shias dominant in both countries, their influence well spread across Syria, a chunk of Saudi Arabia and other countries for decades to come. Historic Iranian ambitions have been fulfilled without firing a shot while the US is reduced to fist-shaking. How foolish was that?"

Can the President Order a Killing on U.S. Soil? - Newsweek Politics - MSNBC.com

Can it get any worse than this? Must we run outside every time we hear an aircraft overhead fearing that it may be a spying drone ready to blow anybody it chooses to bits? Like kill now and ask questions later? Can this nation endure three more years of this insanity?
Exclusive: Can the President Order a Killing on U.S. Soil? - Newsweek Politics - MSNBC.com:
"In the latest twist in the debate over presidential powers, a Justice Department official suggested that in certain circumstances, the president might have the power to order the killing of terrorist suspects inside the United States."

The Seattle Times: Politics: Iraq war is costing $100,000 per minute

Isn't it strange that CNN can focus on some little robot thing wandering in a park, I believe in California and already having been determined it has nothing to do with terrorism can ignore the fact the US is spending $100,000 per minute to blow shit up and kill people in Iraq and Afghanistan?
The Seattle Times: Politics: Iraq war is costing $100,000 per minute
The White House said Thursday that it plans to ask Congress for an additional $70 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, driving the cost of military operations in the two countries to $120 billion this year, the highest ever.

ABC News: Activist Cindy Sheehan Arrested at Capitol

The gestapo are alive and well in Amerika.
ABC News: Activist Cindy Sheehan Arrested at Capitol: " Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a fallen soldier in Iraq who reinvigorated the anti-war movement, was taken into custody by police in the House gallery Tuesday night just before President Bush's State of the Union address. "

Democrat Senator Surrender Monkeys 

In Alito, G.O.P. Reaps Harvest-WE BOXED THEM IN

Those who are being BOXED IN are the American public who are being FUCKED ROYALLY
In Alito, G.O.P. Reaps Harvest Planted in '82 - New York Times: "We boxed them in," one lawyer present during the strategy meetings said with pride in an interview over the weekend. This lawyer and others present who described the meeting were granted anonymity because the meetings were confidential and because the team had told its allies not to exult publicly until the confirmation vote was cast.

Paul Craig Roberts: Blind Ignorance

From a great CounterPunch article
"The total lack of rationality and competence in the White House and the inability of half of the US population to acquire and understand information are far larger threats to Americans than terrorism".
Paul Craig Roberts: Blind Ignorance: "What does it say for democracy that half of the American population is unable to draw a rational conclusion from unambiguous facts?"

Documents Show Army Seized Wives as Tactic - Yahoo! News

Excuse me, but hasn't the administration always preached of taking hostages as being such a despicable act? Since when has taking a family hostage now deemed acceptable?
Documents Show Army Seized Wives as Tactic - Yahoo! News: "The U.S. Army in Iraq has at least twice seized and jailed the wives of suspected insurgents in hopes of 'leveraging' their husbands into surrender, U.S. military documents show.
In one case, a secretive task force locked up the young mother of a nursing baby, a U.S. intelligence officer reported. In the case of a second detainee, one American colonel suggested to another that they catch her husband by tacking a note to the family's door telling him 'to come get his wife.'"

CNN.com - Poison Justice Stevens, Coulter jokes

This woman should be jailed along with Pat Robertson. Why does the media continue to recognize this whore as a conservative commentator?
CNN.com - Poison Justice Stevens,Coulter jokes - Jan 27, 2006
"We need somebody to put rat poisoning in Justice Stevens' creme brulee," Coulter said. "That's just a joke, for you in the media."

Bush's shadow government exposed Sidney Blumenthal - openDemocracy

Congress, at best, is held in contempt as a pest and, at worst, is regarded as an intruder on the president's rightful authority. The Republican chairmen of the House and Senate armed services and intelligence committees, Congressman Duncan Hunter of California and Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas, have been models of complicity in fending off oversight, attacking other members of Congress, especially Republicans, who have had the temerity to insist on it, using their committees to help the White House suppress essential information about the operations of government, and issuing tilted partisan reports smearing critics. This is the sort of congressional involvement, at White House direction, that the White House believes fulfils the congressional mandate.
Bush's shadow government exposed Sidney Blumenthal - openDemocracy: "The American president's fervent attacks on whistleblowers and the press suggest his secret government cannot bear the light of day, says Sidney Blumenthal. "

Bush Says Surveillance Legal and Necessary but the majority of Americans disagree

Oh goody, the asshole can now take a question without being fed the answer thru an earpiece. The questions may not have been screened but the audience sure was. Did any of the couple hundred outside the arena get any of their questions answered. Yeah, when pigs fly.
Bush Says Surveillance Legal and Necessary - Yahoo! News: "The White House says none of the questions was prescreened. The site chosen for Monday's event, however, was in friendly Bush territory in the reliably 'red' state of Kansas."

t r u t h o u t - Democrats: Get Up and Walk Out

William Rivers Pitt has one of the best (and possibly the last) ideas I've come across for Congressional Democrats to once and for all to stand up as a group and show some backbone. The idea that somehow the Democrats can stand idly by like sheep waiting for slaughter and win elections by osmosis is absurd.
t r u t h o u t - Democrats: Get Up and Walk Out
"George W. Bush's delivery of the State of the Union address will take place on Tuesday, January 31, a little more than a week from now. It is my strong belief that every single Democrat present in the House chamber for the speech should, at a predetermined moment, stand up and walk out. No yelling. No heated words. Every Democrat should simply stand silently and leave."

Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!

Some great pics of Osaama and Tweety in Exclusive: Jihadball
Welcome to MichaelMoore.com!

Tweety Needs to Control his Mouth

Chris Matthews compares bin Laden to Michael Moore. OUTFUCKINGRAGEOUS
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2006_01_15_digbysblog_archive.html#113772990196606438

Remember Afghanistan? Insurgents bring suicide terror to country

The relentless rise in violence has been described as the "re-Talibanisation" of Afghanistan
Independent Online Edition > Asia: "A suicide bomber yesterday rode into town, killing at least 20 in the deadliest insurgent attack since the US invasion. More than 1,600 were killed in 2005, and the murder rate is rising. The rule of law has collapsed. The government is trapped in its own fortified compound in the capital. Soon, Britain will commit another 3,500 troops to a dangerous mission with no clear goals or exit strategy... "

Gore calls for Special Counsel on Eavesdropping

US News Article Reuters.com

'Marshall Plan' for Iraq Fades - Los Angeles Times

The $18 billion spent in Iraq and stolen by bush/cheney cronies Halliburton and other thieves would have went a long way in restoring New Orleans and the Mississipi gulf coast. But as long as these criminals are in power and the bush cronies in congress have the credit card don't expect much to change.
'Marshall Plan' for Iraq Fades - Los Angeles Times: "Baghdad's roads are an obstacle course of barriers, potholes and debris. Many government and office buildings are either still gutted or strung with webs of electrical wire connecting to generators that run 12 hours on good days. A brown haze fouls the air and pools of sewage overflow dot the streets."

The Impeachment of George W. Bush

Finally, Elisabeth Holtzman and The Nation are on the right track to get the nation talking about impeachment which even a non-legal mind can readily understand. Anyone who lived through the Nixon years can readily see the high crimes of george bush and his cronies.
The Impeachment of George W. Bush: "Finally, it has started. People have begun to speak of impeaching President George W. Bush--not in hushed whispers but openly, in newspapers, on the Internet, in ordinary conversations and even in Congress. As a former member of Congress who sat on the House Judiciary Committee during the impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon, I believe they are right to do so. "

Judge Alito, in His Own Words - New York Times

In his deadpan bureaucrat's voice, Judge Alito has said some truly disturbing things about his view of the law. In three days of testimony, he has given the American people reasons to be worried - and senators reasons to oppose his nomination.
Judge Alito, in His Own Words - New York Times: "The debate over Judge Alito is generally presented as one between Republicans and Democrats. But his testimony should trouble moderate Republicans, especially those who favor abortion rights or are concerned about presidential excesses. The hearings may be short on fireworks, but they have produced, through Judge Alito's words, an array of reasons to be concerned about this nomination. "

Domestic Terrorists Attack Freedom of the Press

One has to wonder if george bush has been monitoring this terrorist. Surely, with all the snooping in peoples lives they have the goods on this arsonist(s) but then according to bush "they hate our freedoms" only applies to furiners. I wonder how much play this will get in the WSJ and NYT?
GROUND ZERO IN SOUTH CAROLINA - Yahoo! News: "This domestic terror attack is a direct assault on basic American civil liberties--more so than 9/11, which was not, contrary to George W. Bush's assertion, carried out because 'they hate our freedoms.' The freedom of the press guaranteed by the First Amendment, voluntarily ceded by newspaper editors and television news producers across the country, has found its Ground Zero in a despicable act of terror in Columbia. But most 'journalists' remain oblivious."

'Brokeback' defies gay cowboy label - Yahoo! News

Don't look now, but Brokeback Mountain is selling in the heartland.
'Brokeback' defies gay cowboy label - Yahoo! News: "Still, the film's strong box-office performance solidifies Brokeback's position as the film to beat at the Academy Awards on March 5."

The Blog | Sherman Yellen: Bush as Bad Theatre | The Huffington Post

A tragic summary of the next three years.
The Blog Sherman Yellen: Bush as Bad Theatre The Huffington Post: "We have three more years of Bush as the main player in our national drama, three more years of platitudes, certainties, grinning, winking, cajoling, but never owning the consequences of his own actions. Since he cannot change his act, we will continue to get what we see -- an empty man propped up with a foolish sense of his own worth, taking us from one new disaster to another -- that is, unless the other players in our national drama, the stumbling Democrats and few surviving decent Republicans effectively oppose a leader who cannot lead. We don't need a hero for our national play, just some strong supporting actors with enough courage and sense to stand up against this comedian in our tragedy. More important is an enlightened electorate who must ultimately take center stage and restore the values upon which this country was founded."

Two Stations Won't Air 'Book of Daniel' - Yahoo! News

Bob Waliszewski, of Focus on the Family's teen ministries, said the show portrayed Christ as a "namby-pamby frat boy who basically winks at every sin and perversity under the sun.""When the pastor's teen son is sexually active and having many romps with his 15-year-old girlfriend, this Jesus says, `A kid has to be a kid,'"
Two Stations Won't Air 'Book of Daniel' - Yahoo! News:
One would think he was talking about the young george bush.

Hey Main Stream Media!

Get your facts straight about the Jack Abramoff/GOP corruption affair. Implying that this is a bipartisan affair is BULLSHIT and that since supposedly everybody does it, that makes it OK.

Bush could bypass new torture ban - The Boston Globe

OUT-FUCKING-RAGEOUS
Bush could bypass new torture ban - The Boston Globe

President Visits Troops at Brooke Army Medical Center

Of course the presidential sliver can't compare with having your arms and legs blown off but....

"As you can possibly see, I have an injury myself -- not here at the hospital, but in combat with a Cedar. I eventually won. The Cedar gave me a little scratch. As a matter of fact, the Colonel asked if I needed first aid when she first saw me. I was able to avoid any major surgical operations here, but thanks for your compassion, Colonel."

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060101.html

 

"We had a very strong economy, and we'll work to keep the economy as strong as it possibly can, so anybody that wants to find a job can find one."

 

I hear Wal-Mart is hiring.

Criminal Inquiry Opens Into Spying Leak - New York Times

Criminal Inquiry Opens Into Spying Leak - New York Times: "President Bush broke the law and lied to the American people when he unilaterally authorized secret wiretaps of U.S. citizens,' said Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. 'But rather than focus on this constitutional crisis, Attorney General Gonzales is cracking down on critics of his friend and boss. Our nation is strengthened, not weakened, by those whistle-blowers who are courageous enough to speak out on violations of the law.'"

The Hidden State Steps Forward

There is a name for a system of government that wages aggressive war, deceives its citizens, violates their rights, abuses power and breaks the law, rejects judicial and legislative checks on itself, claims power without limit, tortures prisoners and acts in secret. It is dictatorship.
The Hidden State Steps Forward: "The Administration of George W. Bush is not a dictatorship, but it does manifest the characteristics of one in embryonic form. "

Intelligence abuse dj vu - Los Angeles Times

Intelligence abuse dj vu - Los Angeles Times: "So what goes around, comes around. Here we are again, 30 years later, in yet another unwise war, no wiser and once again willing to sacrifice constitutional liberties for security expediency. If there was one lesson all of us who served on the Church Committee learned, it was that there are no secrets, that everything comes out and that the sacrifice of liberty is almost never justified by improved security."

Unauthorized Snooping

Unauthorized Snooping: "It is impossible to believe that Congress, in authorizing the use of force against al Qaeda, understood itself to be making compliance with FISA optional -- particularly because it was, in that same period, relaxing certain provisions of the surveillance statute in the USA Patriot Act. If the authorization of force implied a repeal of a decades-old law that comprehensively regulates domestic surveillance, what other laws does the administration think were repealed?"

TomPaine.com - No Room To Spin

How bush/cheney can continue to spin their lies in the face of the American people is beyond comprehension. When oh when will the democrats start standing together as an opposition party and start speaking out against these criminals.
TomPaine.com - No Room To Spin: "John Prados is a senior fellow of the National Security Archive in Washington, DC, and author of Hoodwinked: The Documents that Reveal How Bush Sold Us a War (The New Press). "

Bush Acknowledges Approving Eavesdropping after lying about it yesterday

The only Senator to vote against the Iraq war and the only Senator with balls enough to tell it like it is.
Bush Acknowledges Approving Eavesdropping - New York Times: "''If that's true, he doesn't need the Patriot Act because he can just make it up as he goes along. I tell you, he's President George Bush, not King George Bush. This is not the system of government we have and that we fought for,'' "

Bush Acknowledges Approving Eavesdropping

BULLSHIT! When will the House start impeachment proceedings?
Bush Acknowledges Approving Eavesdropping - Yahoo! News

New tests fuel doubts about vote machines

A political operative with hacking skills could alter the results of any election on Diebold-made voting machines -- and possibly other new voting systems in Florida -- according to the state capital's election supervisor, who said Diebold software has failed repeated tests.
Herald.com | 12/15/2005 | New tests fuel doubts about vote machines: "A top election official and computer experts say computer hackers could easily change election results, after they found numerous flaws with a state-approved voting-machine in Tallahassee."

Bob Novak Says President Knows Leak Source

Novak said that "I'd be amazed" if the president didn't know the source's identity and that the public should "bug the president as to whether he should reveal who the source is."
Bob Novak Says President Knows Leak Source - Yahoo! News: " Columnist Bob Novak, who first published the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame, says he is confident that President Bush knows who leaked Plame's name. "

Death of an American City

President Bush said it wouldn't happen. He stood in Jackson Square and said, "There is no way to imagine America without New Orleans." But it has been over three months since Hurricane Katrina struck and the city is in complete shambles.
Death of an American City - New York Times: "At this moment the reconstruction is a rudderless ship. There is no effective leadership that we can identify. How many people could even name the president's liaison for the reconstruction effort, Donald Powell? Lawmakers need to understand that for New Orleans the words 'pending in Congress' are a death warrant requiring no signature."

Military Misleads Press, Families, About How 10 Marines Died Last Week in Iraq

Why is it the first stories out are always a complete fabrication and never the REAL information? No wonder the public turns to the comedy channel rather than listening to any of the so called media when announcing pentagon propaganda.
Military Misleads Press, Families, About How 10 Marines Died Last Week in Iraq: "NEW YORK Why did the U.S. military mislead the media and the families of ten Marines killed near the Iraqi city of Falluja while 'on patrol' last week about how they were killed? The military announced on Tuesday that it actually happened at a 'promotion' ceremony and they were not on foot patrol as initially reported"

The incompetence of this administration

continues to boggle the mind.  One has to wonder if the whole whitehouse staff isn't in the oval with bush snorting a line or two.  Their casual attitude toward the country's worst natural disaster is without precedent.

KATRINA -- DOCUMENTS REVEAL WHITE HOUSE'S FAILURE TO ACT: Despite the White House's efforts during Hurricane Katrina to blame state and local officials for not requesting federal assistance early enough, recently-revealed documents include a letter Gov. Kathleen Blanco (D) sent to President Bush a day before the Hurricane hit. "I have determined that this incident will be of such severity and magnitude that effective response will be beyond the capabilities of the state and the affected local governments and that supplementary federal assistance will be necessary," Blanco wrote. Five days later, Bush assistant Maggie Grant e-mailed Blanco aide Paine Gowen to say that the White House did not receive the letter. "We found it on the governor's website but we need 'an original,' for our staff secretary to formally process the requests she is making," Grant wrote. "We are on the job but appreciate your help with a technical request. Tnx!" Earlier document releases showed former FEMA director Michael Brown failed to act on information he was receiving about the hurricane's devastation.

 

IS GEORGE BUSH THE WORST PRESIDENT -- EVER?

IS GEORGE BUSH THE WORST PRESIDENT -- EVER? - Yahoo! News: " The History News Network at George Mason University has just polled historians informally on the Bush record. Four hundred and fifteen, about a third of those contacted, answered -- maybe they were all crazed liberals -- making the project as unofficial as it was interesting. These were the results: 338 said they believed Bush was failing, while 77 said he was succeeding. Fifty said they thought he was the worst president ever. Worse than Buchanan.
This is what those historians said -- and it should be noted that some of the criticism about deficit spending and misuse of the military came from self-identified conservatives -- about the Bush record:"

Obama Mouths Mush on War

U.S. Senator Barack Obama has planted his feet deeply inside the Iraq war-prolongation camp of the Democratic Party, the great swamp that, if not drained, will swallow up any hope of victory over the GOP in next year's congressional elections
The Black Commentator - Cover Story: Obama Mouths Mush on War: "It is truly pitiful that the Bush men and DLC-centered Democrats cling to the hope that their Iraqi clients will rescue them from the debacle that was foreordained in March, 2003. Barack Obama has definitively joined the ranks of those who seek to prolong the agony. However, BC's critique is not 'idealistic,' as Sen. Obama might seek to paint it, but practical - 'pragmatic,' if you will. By late summer of 2006, when voters are deciding what they want their Senate and House to look like, if the Democrats have not caught up to public opinion to offer a tangible and quick exit from Iraq, the Republicans will retain control of both chambers of congress. "

AllAroundPhilly

One by one these criminals will go to jail. Isn't it strange , they all start crying when they're finally convicted and brought to justice. I wonder when bush, cheney and the rest of the war mongers will get their day in the Hague.
AllAroundPhilly: "Rep. Randy 'Duke' Cunningham pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy and tax charges and tearfully resigned from office, admitting he took $2.4 million in bribes to steer defense contracts to conspirators."

Alito Distancing Himself From Views on Abortion in '85 Letter

Alito Distancing Himself From Views on Abortion in '85 Letter: "Supreme Court nominee Samuel A. Alito Jr. sought to distance himself yesterday from staunchly conservative views he expressed 20 years ago, but some liberals and conservatives said they see the comments as the best indication yet of judicial philosophies he would bring to the bench. One liberal group said it will use the remarks in ads opposing Alito's confirmation."

MURTHA SPEAKS TRUTH TO BUSH'S LIES

A great article by Bill Gallagher for the Niagara Falls Reporter cuts to the chase and tells it like it is. Too bad some of the NYT and WaPo journalists don't do the same.
Niagara Falls Reporter Opinion: "MURTHA SPEAKS TRUTH TO BUSH'S LIES"
Privately, President George W. Bush is having a political panic attack as he retreats to his cocoon, seeking comfort from his nannies. Babs, his mommy, wife Laura, Condi Rice and Karen Hughes serve as his ladies in waiting, assuring our courageous leader that the boo-boos he gets on his head will get better and those bad boys criticizing his war are just meanies who don't like him.
Vice President Dick Cheney, whose bum advice has cost him his male-nanny status, still is called upon for political valet duties. He made a pitiful attempt to quiet Iraq war critics and rewrite history. Cheney, the Lord of the Lies, still sticks to the bogus script he, more than anyone else, crafted: that Saddam Hussein was a dangerous threat to our security and war was the only way to save the republic.

Civility in Congress

Just minutes after she was sworn in Sept. 6 to represent the Cincinnati-based 2nd Congressional District, Jean Schmidt promised that she would never resort to name calling.
In that inaugural speech in the House floor, Schmidt declared, "It is easy to quickly sink to the lowest form of political debate. Harsh words often lead to headlines, but walking this path is not a victimless crime.''
It took Schmidt less than three months to expose herself as a hypocrite.
The Cincinnati Post - Civility in Congress: "We've arrived at a point in our politics where a 31-year veteran of Congress - a former Marine colonel who served in Korea and Vietnam, who holds a Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry - cannot stand up and say what many Americans believe without being called a coward by someone who hasn't served a day in uniform and not even three months in Congress. Where anyone who tries to bring up a principled debate on a withdrawal strategy risks being branded by the likes of Geoff Davis as a feckless traitor giving aid and comfort to the enemy."

Life in the 1500's

LIFE IN THE 1500'S
 The next time you are washing your hands don't complain because  the
water temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things
used tobe. Here are some facts about the 1500s:

 These are interesting...

 Most people got married in June because they took their yearlybath in
May, and still smelled pretty good by June. However, they were starting to
smell, so brides carried a bouquet of flowers to
hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet
when getting married.

 Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man ofthe
house had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other
sons and men, then the women and finally the children Last of all the babies. By
then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the
saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

 Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood
underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the
cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained
it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and off the roof.
Hence the saying "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This
posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings
could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet

 hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds
came into existence.

 The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than
dirt. Hence the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would
get slippery in the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on floor
to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh
until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside A piece of
wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a
"thresh hold."
 

(Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

 In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle
that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things
to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat.
They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in
it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge
hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

 Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite
special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It
wasa sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon." They would
cut off a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the
fat."

 Thosewith money had plates made of pewter Food with high acid
content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning
death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400
yearsorso, tomatoes were considered poisonous.
Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt
bottom ofthe loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper
crust."
 Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would
sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking
along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They
were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would
gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake
up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."
England is old and small and the local
folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would
digup coffins and would take the bones to a "bone-house" and reuse the
grave.
When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to havescratch
marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people
alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through
 the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone
would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the "graveyard
shift") tolisten for the bell; thus, someone could be "saved by the bell" or was
considered a "dead ringer."

 And that's the truth... Now, whoever said that History was borin! !


 Educatesomeone...Share these facts with a friend
 

 Imagination is more important than knowledge...
                        Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

Democrats Provided Edge on Detainee Vote - New York Times

I wonder what the reaction would be from these DINO's if an American were imprisoned in an Iraqi or any foreign jail without access to due process. Would they feel that a military tribunal is good enough. I don't think so.
Democrats Provided Edge on Detainee Vote - New York Times

People For the American Way - Right-Wing Outrage

Jack Cafferty thinks pat ought to get on geritol. I think the mother fucker needs to mind his own business and somebody should pull the plug on his 700 club bullshit.
People For the American Way - Right-Wing Outrage

Would Laura doing him in the oval office count? Or maybe Harriet or Condi would volunteer. 

President Bush's Walkabout - New York Times

The New York Times is finally 'getting it'. It's a shame they didn't start printing editorials like this about three years ago. We wouldn't be in the mess we are now.
President Bush's Walkabout - New York Times

On the Wal-Mart Money Trail

"One item in the Walton Family Foundation's most recent IRS filing shows how uninterested this family is in true social responsibility: a measly $6,000 to something called the Wal-Mart Associates in Need Fund. Contrast that with the millions the family spends promoting right-wing causes, and it becomes painfully clear that the Waltons value conservative ideology far more than they value the human beings who have made them the richest family on earth. Told about these figures, Kathleen MacDonald, a Wal-Mart candy department clerk in Aiken, South Carolina, responded bluntly, "All I have to say about that is, it doesn't surprise me. Like Bush, they don't have a clue what working families go through." MacDonald would like to see The Simple Life do a show about working at Wal-Mart. "I could see Paris Hilton on a register at Christmastime, or stocking shelves," she says. Or perhaps Alice Walton as a greeter, on her feet all day, thanking us for shopping at Wal-Mart."
On the Wal-Mart Money Trail

When swimming in the river

http://www.drlaniac.com/Headlines/default.asp?mode=results&stype=item&sparam=2682
one is bound to encounter and occasional turd; the big ones sink to the bottom quickly while the small ones may float on out to the sea and eventually sink to the bottom also. In the end they all just return to the earth as organic matter but never the less are nothing more than pieces of shit who have returned to the food chain. And so there goes David Corn...one of the big ones.

Young Alito defended privacy, gay rights

Young Alito defended privacy, gay rights: "In college, Samuel Alito led a student conference that urged legalization of sodomy and curbs on domestic intelligence, a sweeping defense of privacy rights he said were under threat by the government and the dawning computer age."