Homeless Iraq Vets Speak Out

I've written before about how veterans from Iraq are strting to show up in homeless shelters. Monday and last Thursday, Amy Goodman interviewed two Iraq vets who are or have been homeless. Remarkably enough, the Army was the cause of one soldier losing his home, because they failed to pay him while he served in Iraq. I guess the GOP only supports the troops while they have a use for them. After they get home, they're on their own.

Compelling interviews, not to be missed.

Kerry to Iraq

In an e-mail to supporters last week John Kerry mentions that he's planning a trip to Iraq next month "to see the situation firsthand".

If this is part of his permanent campaign, good. However, I can't help but wonder if it might have done more good if he had pledged to do that during the campaign. Like when Eisenhower pledged to go to Korea during the 1952 campaign. I'm sure the right-wingers would have found a way to spin even that into a negative, claiming that Kerry would be exploiting the troops for political gain, even though Bush does that every time he gets dressed up to appear before crowds of troops who have been ordered to be there.

It will be interesting to see how this trip plays out when it happens.

US Media Stinks

I'm up late/early this morning, as I often am on the weekends and I was watching the BBC News on BBC America. They did an uninterrupted half hour of reporting on the earthquake and tsunamis that have killed thousands and affected millions in south Asia. After the half hour was up (BBC America is primarily an entertainment channel), I wanted to see more coverage. I turn to CNN and I see a show about Jesus. MSNBC, a show about Tom Brokaw. Fox actually had a brief live report and then started a show about Jesus. I know it's the day after Christmas and a weekend, but this is a huge story and the US media is asleep at the wheel. No wonder Americans are so ill informed about world events.

My Idea for Social Security

Bush is eager to "fix" Social Security. To the extent it needs fixing, here's my idea on how to do it.

Remove the earnings cap, currently $84,900, and cut the payroll tax rate for everyone. Simple, huh? No private accounts, no $2 trillion in borrowing and a tax cut for the majority of workers. Makes sense to me, but what do I know.

This Weekend's Movies

Saw some great ones this weekend:

Spanglish:
Punch-Drunk Love wasn't a fluke, Adam Sandler can act and so can the rest of this terriffic cast. Keep an eye on Paz Vega. Wow! (9/10)

Hard Boiled:
John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat. 'Nuff said. (9/10)

Heavenly Creatures:
Peter Jackson before Hobbits. Kate Winslet's first film. Amazing. (9/10)

Tenebre:
My first Italian horror movie. Good stuff. (8/10)

Happy Solstice!

In the spirit of the season, I'm lifting my previous restrictions and will give away Gmail invites to the first 6 people to send me an email. Use the link on the right.

Happy Holidays!

Rumsfeld to Sign Death Notices

Via Political Wire:
Donald Rumsfeld is now going to start signing death notices himself, after previosly designating the task to a machine.

Good. Anything to help drive home the cost of this war to its leaders is a good thing.

Now if we could just get Bush to go to a funeral....

The Army We Have

Via GreenCine Daily:
Just in case you doubted it, Salon has a clip from the upcoming documentary Gunner Palace that has a soldier showing off his Humvee that's been armored with scrap metal.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Farewell, Bill Moyers

I've written before about Bill Moyers and his show on PBS. So I wanted to remind you that tonight is his last show. Check your local lisings for time and station.

Today's Fresh Air featured a collection of interviews with Mr. Moyers and the NY Times has a nice story.

Bill Moyers was a unique voice on the airwaves, one which will be greatly missed.

A Reminder

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America.

Boy Refuses Assignment, Parents Interrogated

The Washington Post is reporting that the parents of an 11 year old boy who refused an assignment to write to a Marine by saying "(The Marines) might as well die, as much as I care" received a visit from police and were questioned in their home for three hours.

The boy's mother, Pamela Albaugh, said:

"It was intimidating," she said. "I told them it's like a George Orwell novel, that it felt like they were the thought police. If someone would have asked me five years ago if this was something my government would do, I would have said never."

What I find chilling is this part of statement that was placed in the boy's file after he was suspended.

Instead, Yishai (the boy) said he has learned that it is not worth challenging authority. "At the end of the day, you lose," he said, adding: "All of these freedoms and things they're supposed to uphold, they bash them."

Are these the values we want to teach our children?

Book Banner is Bush Buddy

The Guardian of London (an excellent news source, btw) has an interview with Alabama state legislator Gerald Allen who has introduced a bill that would ban the use of state funds to purchase any books or other materials that "promote homosexuality" in order to "encourage and protect our culture". Read the interview to see how much Mr. Allen knows about culture.

Mr. Allen has met with Bush five times. What a surprise.

Missile Test Fails

A test of the national missile defense system failed today.

In other news, water is wet and the sky is blue.

We're spending $10 billion a year on this piece of junk. What a colossal waste of money.

Schwarzenegger Terminates Lunch

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is trying to ram through rules that would allow employers to eliminate previously state-mandated lunch breaks. The new rules would also limit employees' right to sue for damages resulting from lost lunch breaks.

You probably think that I'm going to say this is a bad thing. I'm not. It's a good thing because this may be the single greatest union recruiting tool ever devised. Way to go.

Franken Puts Money Where Mouth Is

Comedian, author and talk-show host, Al Franken is going on a USO tour to the Persian Gulf to entertain the troops. This will be the second time he's gone to the region.

Kudos to him. I'd find it difficult to believe that Limbaugh, Hannity, or O'Reilly would have the guts to do the same.

Who supports the troops?

Gmail Giveaway Update

Still no takers on my Gmail invite giveaway. Please read the rules in my first post on the subject. You may also subscribe to the site feed to qualify.

This Weekend's Movies

Closer:
It was very good, but I still felt a little disappointed by it. (8/10)

Zatoichi: The Fugitive: (7/10)

Mystic River:
For some reason, I thought I wouldn't like this. Absolutely brilliant (10/10)

One Year Ago

Saddam Hussein was captured. And today...

Wow, that made a lot of difference. I feel so much safer.

It was Hussein's capture that derailed Howard Dean's candidacy, according to some, because he claimed that Hussein's capture wouldn't make us any safer. Turns out he was right about that too.

Hussein's capture knocked Dean off the cover of Newsweek. Here's the original cover:


Sigh, what could have been.

Iraq Vets Show in Homeless Shelters

Believe it or not, but as many as 50 veterans form the Iraq war have started to show up at homeless shelters around the country. That 's not even the most disturbing thing. Up to one sixth of returning vets may suffer form post traumatic stress disorder. With 1 million troops having served in Iraq or Afghanistan (300,000 more than once) this could be a huge problem.

You can listen to an interview with the reporter who wrote the story here.

NASA Administrator Resigns

NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe resigned today to take a position at LSU.

This troubles me. I am afraid of what might happen to the agency when Bush appoints another one of his partisan idealogoues to run it. He already has a record of trying to inject politics into science. If the wrong person gets a hold of it, there might not be a NASA for much longer and that would be a tragedy for everyone.

This does bring to mind a joke:
Why did Bush want to go to Mars?
Because it's the red planet.

Recommended Online Viewing

I should kick myself for taking so long to get to it, but Howard Dean's speech Wednesday at George Washington University on the future of the Democratic Party is recommended. Watch it in Real Video or read the transcript.

Life Imitates Art

From Low Culture:
An eerie juxtaposition of real life and art.

It's Not Physics

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said during his now infamous exchange with Tennessee National Guard Specialist Thomas Wilson Wednesday:

"It's essentially a matter of physics," Mr. Rumsfeld said. "It isn't a matter of money. It isn't a matter on the part of the Army of desire. It's a matter of production and capability of doing it."

According to an NPR report this morning, it's not. A producer of armored humvees says they could produce another 50-100 vehicles a month. A producer of ceramic armor kits for the humvee can double its current level of production to 600 kits a month. Both said they were only waiting for the Pentagon to ask them to make more.

Which, according to tomorrow's New York Times, they will do.

So, if it wasn't "physics", money or desire, what was the problem? Could it be incomptence? Bush and Rumsfeld sent the troops into battle under-manned and under-equipped. Two years later they're still scrambling to make things right.

If this had happened during a Democratic Administration, Republicans would be screaming bloody murder about how Democrats didn't "support the troops". During the campaign, the GOP warned of the dire consequences for our troops if Kerry was elected because he voted aginst the $87 billion appropriation. Well the bill passed, Kerry lost (for now), so what's their excuse? My guess is they'll try and blame it on Clinton. Four years after he left office.

Are these guys ever responsible for anything?

Shop Blue

Previously, I posted a link to some basic information on corproate political donations as a guide to your holiday shopping. Today, I found about a couple of sites with some more detailed information. Choose the Blue and Buy Blue. Check them out.

The Final Total is... Nine

The White House announced today that the remaining Cabinet members who haven't resigned will be staying put. Making the final total for Cabinet changes, nine. I guess Bush didn't have what it takes to break Nixon's record.

Today's Recommended Listening

Two great segments on today's Democracy Now!, both recorded Tuesday at the New York Society for Ethical Culture. First, former counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke on Iraq, the Intelligence bill and the threat of another attack on the US. Second, BBC reporter Greg Palast on the election in Ohio.

Quote of the day from Richard Clarke:
"His (Bush's) new Cabinet, which is, if the old Cabinet was a closed circle, this Cabinet is an infinite dot."

Snow Stays, Principi Goes

After previous reports that Treasury Secretary John Snow was on his way out, he accepted Bush's offer to stay on today. Just to keep things balanced, VA Secretary Anthony Principi resigned.

I expect Snow is staying because they couldn't find anyone fool enough to take the job.

Nine and counting.

Rumsfeld Gets an Earful

Donald Rumsfeld, in Kuwait to give a pep talk to troops headed to Iraq, got more than he bargained for during a question and answer period.

"A lot of us are getting ready to move north (to Iraq) relatively soon. Our vehicles are not armored. We're digging pieces of rusted scrap metal and compromised ballistic glass that's already been shot up, dropped, busted - picking the best out of this scrap to put on our vehicles to take into combat."

Rumsfeld's response:

"You go to war with the Army you have ... not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time ... and if you think about it, you can have all the armor in the world on a tank and a tank can be blown up. And you can have an up-armored Humvee and it can be blown up."

Senator Chris Dodd's (D-CT) response to Rumsfeld:

"Mr. Secretary, our troops go to war with the Army that our nation's leaders provide," he wrote.

What I'd like to know is, two years into this: Where has the money gone? Over $149 billion, according to Cost of War, and our soldiers have to scrounge to protect themselves? Where has the money gone?

Can't We Work this Out?

In an ideal world, there would be a way for the people filing this lawsuit to serve in the military and the people filing this lawsuit could go home. But this is Bushworld, which is far from ideal.

Seriously, this reminds me of the situation in Major League Baseball during WWII. While a one armed player, Pete Gray, was in the majors, great players like Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige were stuck in the Negro Leagues. We have the same situation in the military today, where we're sending one legged soldiers back to Iraq and soldiers who thought their commitments were long over are being recalled. Meanwhile, there are untold thousands of able-bodied, patriotic Americans who would be proud to serve their country, except they're homosexual.

I think there's going to be a draft, but if there's not, the Iraq war may be what it takes to allow homosexuals to freely serve, just out of necessity.

It's a Small World Department

The Chicago building where the fire took place last night? I used to work there. Of course, I was on the first floor, but still.

Gmail Giveaway Update

Still no takers on my Gmail invite giveaway. Please read the rules in my first post on the subject.

This Weekend's Movies

The Incredibles: Great fun! I can't wait for the DVD on this one. (9/10)

Better Off Dead: With John Cusack. Not without it's charms, but looks a bit dated. (7/10)

The Last Samurai: Perhaps not historically accurate, but enjoyable nonetheless. (8/10)

Big Fish: Directed by Tim Burton. Part fantasy, part father-son drama. (8/10)

Wonderland: John Holmes and the Wonderland murders. (7/10)

Cartoon of the Day

On politics and science. From the excellent Tom Toles.

Number Nine...

Via Political Wire:
The New York Times is reporting that Bush is looking to replace Treasury Secretary John Snow with his chief of staff Andrew Card.

C'mon George one more to break the record! Go for it!

The One Guy Who Needs to Go, Stays...

Tommy Thompson resigned his post as HHS secretary Friday, bringing to eight the number of Cabinet members who've resigned since the election. Meanwhile, Donald Rumsfeld is staying. That's right, the only Cabinet member, other than Ashcroft, who needed to go, is staying. Once again, failure is rewarded in this Administration.

Holiday Spending Guide

If you'd like to consider a company's politics when deciding where to spend your holiday dollars this year, Donkey Rising has a guide to corporate political giving. Here's five from each side:

Democrats:

• Price Club/Costco donated $225K, of which 99% went to democrats;
• Rite Aid, $517K, 60% to democrats;
• Magla Products (Stanley tools, Mr. Clean), $22K, 100% to democrats;
• Warnaco (undergarments), $55K, 73% to democrats;
• Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, $153K, 99% to democrats;

(Makes you wonder if her prosecution wasn't politically motivated)


Republicans:

• WalMart, $467K, 97% to republicans;
• K-Mart, $524K, 86% to republicans;
• Home Depot, $298K, 89% to republicans;
• Target, $226K, 70% to republicans;
• Circuit City Stores, $261K, 95% to republicans;

From the Irony Department

The only place you can work for Wal-Mart and freely join a union? Communist China.

Welcome to Wal-Mao!

Is it 2004 or 1984?

From Cinemocracy:
Just when you think things can't get worse, they do.

How Bad Off Is the Army?

That we have to send one legged soldiers to Iraq?

After an anti-tank mine destroyed his foot and part of his leg in Iraq, Capt. David Rozelle, 31, considered his future. In another era, the commander of a cavalry troop would have been heralded for his bravery and likely issued a medical retirement.

But Rozelle experienced a different message while hospitalized at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. Nearly every officer who visited his room cheered on a comeback. The Texas native spent the next nine months swimming, weight lifting, mountain biking and getting used to running with an artificial leg. He passed the necessary physical fitness tests given by the Army medical board and was declared fit for duty. Next year, Rozelle is slated to deploy to Iraq as the commander of a 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment headquarters troop.

Yeah, I believe there's no draft coming.

Nader Does Good

I'm no fan of Ralph Nader, I think it's his fault Bush was installed in 2000, and his run this year was pure ego. But I'm willing to give credit where credit's due, and the partial recount he asked for in New Hampshire was a good thing. Even though it didn't change the result, it should go a long way toward giving people like me confidence in the system. It should also reinforce the need for a paper trail, no matter what system is used.

On to Ohio!

NOW He Tells Us

Ken Starr says now he shouldn't have been the one to investigate Bill Clinton in the Monica Lewinsky case.

The former independent counsel, now dean of the Pepperdine University law school, says "the most fundamental thing that could have been done differently" was for somebody else to have investigated Clinton's statements under oath denying he had an affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

I wish he had done something about it six years ago, maybe we all could have been saved the trouble.

Thanks Ken!

Gmail Giveaway Update

I have yet to receive a valid response to my Gmail giveaway I announced last week. ("Gimme Gmail" is NOT a valid comment.) Read the full details in last week's post.

This Weekend's Movies

Zatoichi: The New Tale of Zatoichi
The first color entry in the Zatoichi series. Good drama. (8/10)

Lost in La Mancha
The story of Terry Gilliam's failed attempt to film Don Quixote. A fascinating look at a doomed film production. If he ever finishes it, I'd love to see it. (8/10)

About Schmidt
With Jack Nicholson (7/10)

How'd They Let THIS Get Out?

The Wednesday before the Thanksgiving the Pentagon confirmed the contents of a report by the Defense Science Board that's highly critical of Bush Administration policy. Here's a key quote:

'Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather they hate our policies [the report says]. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights, and the long-standing, even increasing, support for what Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan and the Gulf states. Thus, when American public diplomacy talks about bringing democracy to Islamic societies, this is seen as no more than self-serving hypocrisy.'

Of course, those of us NOT in the cult of the GOP already knew this, but it's amazing that something that so clearly contradicts Administraion policy come out from anything resembling a government agency.

Will the Last Person in the Bush Cabinet Please Turn Off the Lights?

Tom Ridge's resignation this week brings to seven the number of Cabinet members leaving the Bush Administration. With three more rumored to be on the way out, (Mineta, Snow, Thompson) Bush would break Richard Nixon's(!) old record of nine. I guess Bush doesn't inspire as much loyalty as he would have you believe.

Update (12/2): Although he's not a Cabinet member, the respected John Danforth resigned today from his post as UN ambassador after a whopping five months on the job. If anyone voted for Bush based on who his advisors were, they were sold a bill of goods.

Carpetbagger has an excellent analysis on this.

Walter Cronkite is PO'd

Sorry for the long delay between posts. I hope everyone had a a happy Thanksgiving.

This is from last week, but I think it's approprate with Tom Brokaw's retirement tonight.

What America needs right now, legendary TV anchor Walter Cronkite said Thursday, is a new election -- and, he warned a laughing press conference full of reporters, he wasn't kidding.

''That's not entirely a joke,'' Cronkite said solemnly, arguing that the Bush administration has spent itself into ruin while embroiling the country in a war that will eventually make public revulsion to the war in Vietnam look ``like peanuts.''

If the year was 1974 instead of 2004, when Cronkite was still on the job, he would have had Bush ridden out of Washington on a rail long ago. It just proves how toothless the media is nowadays. I was only 14 when he retired, but I'd still trust him over anyone on TV today.

Gmail Giveaway!

I'm curious to know if anyone out there is actually reading this, so I've decided to have a giveaway. I have six of the coveted Gmail invites to give to readers. You're going to have to work for them, though. Here's how to get one:

• Add a link to my blog to your site.
• Leave an intelligent comment about something I've written. "Gimme gmail" doesn't count.
• Write a letter to the editor or to your Senator or Representative.
• Do an hour of community service.
• Pledge to support your local public radio or TV station.

The first six readers to send me an email (see link on the right) telling me which of the above you have done (or will do) win! I will repost this weekly until they're all gone. If you already have Gmail, don't feel left out. If you'd like, I can send a prize pack of Kerry/Edwards campaign memorobilia, which includes a button, a bumper sticker, and a yard sign (no frame). Destined to be collectors items!

Void where prohibited, decision of the judges is final, your mileage may vary, batteries not included.

This Weekend's Movies

Fire: A love story between two women in India. (7/10)

El Mariachi: Robert Rodriguez' first movie. I think I'd seen this before, but I didn't remember it. (7/10)

Stray Cat Rock: Sex Hunter: 70's Japanese cool, with a surprisingly serious subject. Stars the terriffic Meiko Kaji. (7/10)

Show Me Love: A love story between two girls in Sweden. (8/10)

(I swear I'm not obsessed with lesbians)

Kerry's Permanent Campaign?

I was somewhat surprised to recieve an email from John Kerry on Friday. He was asking for support on a bill that would provide healthcare for every child that he was planning to introduce at the opening of the next Congress. A healthcare bill was supposed to be his first priority if he had been elected.

I think this is an interesting idea. With Democrats out of power in all branches of government, we need a leader that we can look to. If Kerry can keep it up with a series of popularly supported legislative initiatives, he would be well positioned for 2008.

In fact, this is similar to what I wanted Gore to do after the 2000 debacle. If Gore had stayed in the public eye by commenting on the failures of the Bush Administration as they happened, he would have been a shoo-in for the nomination this year.

If you didn't get one, you can read the text of the email here. Or watch a video here.

Update (12/1): Looks like The Carpetbagger Report agrees with me. Cool.

How Did Your GOP Congressman Vote?

Daily Delay has a terriffic list of how GOP House members voted on the rules change to benefit Majority Leader Tom DeLay. It also has how much money each of them accepted from DeLay's PAC. Use it to harass your Congressman or write a letter to the editor.

Indecent or Racist?

I only heard about the flap over the Monday Night Football intro yesterday so after viewing the clip, I was at a loss to understand what the fuss was about. You certainly couldn't see anything.

Then the good folks over at Cinemocracy clued me in. It wasn't sex that was the problem, it was race.

Since Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction, the FCC has taken it upon itself to be the primary protector of America’s “moral values.” They “protect” us from everything they deem indecent or profane. If the FCC finds this not-very-salacious but disturbing-to-some-white-people film clip worthy of a fine, then it will only serve to justify archaic racial prejudices.

I, too thought we were past this kind of thing. For crying out loud, it was nearly 40 years ago that Captain Kirk kissed Uhura on Star Trek (I feel old), and people still have a problem with this? Get over it, attractive people come in all colors, a fact for which I will be eternally grateful.

Science? Also NOT Political!

NPR reported this morning on a National Academy of Sciences report on how the Bush Administration is trying to inject politics into the selection of Federal advisory committees. I know Bush is all about creating his own "reality", but is he trying to create his own science now?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Science is about the search for truth, but the only truth Bush wants to hear is what he's already decided is true. The facts be damned. One of these days real reality is going to collide with Bush's reality and we're all going to be in big trouble.

Losing the Game? Change the Rules!

House Republicans today changed their own rules to allow Tom DeLay to continue to serve as House Majority Leader, even if he's indicted in Texas. This, despite the fact the House Ethics Committee has reprimanded him three times and that a number of his aides have already been indicted on related charges.

If DeLay is convicted, and if there's any justice he will be, look for the GOP to change the rules to allow DeLay to continue to serve from his prison cell.

Politics Imitates Life?

I've been thinking about how the changes in the Cabinet mirror George W Bush's own life. Bush failed at every business venture he ever tried. Yet, thanks to his family connections, he continued to get more opportunites, until he winds up in the White House. The same scenario seems to be playing out in the Cabinet. Alberto Gonzales writes a memo endorsing torture, and he gets a promotion to Attorney General. Condoleeza Rice fails as National Security Advisor and gets a promotion to Secretary of State.

Bush is just following his life experience. Failure = promotion. Maybe if he hadn't been coddled his whole life, we'd all be a lot better off.

Update

On Monday's item about the man who set himself on fire outside the White House. It turns out that it wasn't political after all. NPR reports that the Yemeni man, Mohamed Alanssi, was an FBI informant who hadn't been rewarded for his work.

Is This a Trend?

A little over a week after a man kills himself at Ground Zero, a man set himself on fire outside the White House today. I was immediately reminded of this famous photo. I can appreciate the sacrifices these people are making, but I'm afraid that unless it happens on live national TV, few people are going to either know about it or be affected by it.

The CIA is NOT a Political Agency

At least it's not supposed to be. According to Newsday, the White House has ordered the new CIA director, Porter Goss, to purge the agency of officers suspected of being disloyal to the Administration.

"The agency is being purged on instructions from the White House," said a former senior CIA official who maintains close ties to both the agency and to the White House. "Goss was given instructions ... to get rid of those soft leakers and liberal Democrats. The CIA is looked on by the White House as a hotbed of liberals and people who have been obstructing the president's agenda."

People were concerned about Goss' nomination as CIA director, because it was thought that he would be too political, and that concern is turning out to be correct.

The CIA's job is to provide accurate intelligence to the President. It's not supposed to be a rubber stamp for the Administration's policies. If the CIA is filled with yes-men who do whatever Bush wants, I fear for the safety of this country.

Colin Powell Has Left the Administration

With him goes the last reasonable voice in this White House. To no one's surprise Colin Powell reisged his post as Secretary of State today. Not that it really mattered, because it seems to me that there wasn't anyone more ignored by Bush than Powell.

There are going to be a lot of books written by the people leaving this Administration. Powell's is the one I'm most interested in reading. I'm positive there's some very revealing stuff there.

This Weekend's Movies

The other big interest in my life is movies, so here's what I saw this weekend:

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World: I'm kind of sorry I didn't go and see this one on a big screen, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. (8/10)

Prey for Rock and Roll: I'd wanted to see this ever since I saw Rocked With Gina Gershon on IFC. It gets a bit melodramatic at the end, but otherwise quite enjoyable. (7/10)

My Little Eye: I just happened to catch this on HBO. A thriller with a very interesting twist. (7/10)
Update: Jennifer Sky gets naked in this one. So it's got that going for it.

Why is This Man Smiling?

Industrial Waste has the picture of Dick Cheney the White House doesn't want you to see. I don't know why, that's something most men wouldn't want to hide. It does make me wonder why he's so grumpy all the time, though.

Are you watching NOW?

The newsmagazine on PBS? You should be. It's one of the few sources of unbiased news on TV. Check your local listings. It's a damn shame that the anchor, Bill Moyers, is retiring at the end of the year. At which point the show will be cut from an hour to 30 minutes. Catch it while you can.

Absolutely Amazing

The scene from Yasser Arafat's burial yesterday. I didn't get to see all of it before I had to leave for work, but it's a wonder they ever managed to get him off that helicopter. I think we forget how amazing it is that we can sit in our homes a half a world away and witness history like that.

Is it Veterans Day or April Fools?

Because I couldn't believe it when I heard this:

WASHINGTON -- November 11 -- Yesterday, the Philadelphia School District announced plans to sell naming rights to a new high school in West Philadelphia. The school district also plans to sell naming rights to individual classrooms, the auditorium, and other parts of the school, according to the Associated Press.

C'mon people, pony up a few extra tax dollars to keep our schools non-commercial.

Unity poem

From Political Wire:

The election is over, the results are now known.
The will of the people has clearly been shown.
We should show by our thoughts, our words and our deeds
That unity is just what our country needs.
Let's all get together. Let bitterness pass.
I'll hug your elephant.
You kiss my ass.

NO! NO! NO!

I think I speak for many when I say that I was pleased to hear that John Ashcroft was resigning. I thought that you couldn't do worse than Ashcroft as Attorney General. Until now.

Alberto Gonzales? You have got to be kidding me! The top law enforcement officer endorsing torture? In a just world, he would have been fired as White House counsel just for writing that memo. Instead he gets a promotion?! Republican "values" indeed.

I don't know if they're going to wait for the new Congress to confirm him, but write your Senators now! Let them know that you think the Attorney General shouldn't endorse torture.

The Center for American Progress lists 10 facts about Gonzales that anyone should find worrisome.

Happy Veterans Day!

Thank a veteran for your freedom. I hope it lasts.

Bush Makes Me Feel Safer,... NOT!

A couple of items from the excellent Carpetbagger Report.

On Election Day, National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice was helping Karl Rove read exit polls. Instead of doing, I don't know, her job?! I'm sure Osama is so upset that Kerry lost with people like that on his trail.

Not only have hundreds of tons of high explosives gone missing in Iraq, now there are thousands of shoulder fired missiles missing too. It's bad enough our troops are being blown up on the roads of Iraq, soon they'll be getting blown out of the sky as well. Way to go George!

I Predict...

That the image available here will soon be available on a variety of merchandise on a left-leaning website near you. If you know which one, please let me know. ;)

Update 11/22: T-shirts available here. I told you so.

What Sense Does This Make?

I noticed yesterday that the Kerry/Edwards signs that were behind my house had been stolen. (I had already taken down the ones in front). I can see stealing them before the election, but after? Typical Republican thinking.

Hello World!

Greetings!
This is my initial post. My purpose in creating this blog was to share the underreported stories that I find and my thoughts about them. I expect most of them to be political, but I also hope to share what I'm reading or watching. If you're really lucky I might tell you something about myself. So, without further ado...

Georgia man commits suicide at Ground Zero

New York, NY, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- A Georgia man fatally shot himself at Ground Zero in New York, in what was believed to be a protest against President Bush's reelection and the war in Iraq.

After the elections, I started thinking about strting a blog, and this was the story that finally got me to do it. Probably because I can identify with the man's feelings. Before the election, the thought of a Bush victory was inconceivable to me, but afterwards I took some comfort in the fact that I had done all I could to help the Democrats win. I was out knocking on doors until 6pm on Election Day trying shake loose a few more votes. While I fully expect Bush's second term to be worse than his first, people of good conscience can't lose hope.

It's late. More tomorrow?