Thursday, February 28, 2008
Archie Shepp performing Mama Rose.
Who is perhaps the heaviest cat who ever swung a saxophone in the American Jazz movement? If you say John Coltrane, I will argue that you are wrong. There was and is one heavier, or at least as equally heavy, who actually "apprenticed" under and collaborated with the great Trane during the sixties. But while Coltrane ultimately soared into the heights, exploring Black spirituality, his contemporary "rival", so to speak, dove into the depths, exploring Black pain, tragedy and core existential truths, decade after decade.
I am talking about Archie Shepp, who has been infusing the American and European Jazz scene with deep, revolutionary, Speaking-Truth-to-Power energies, sounds and words since the 1960's, and he is still alive and kicking. Poet, dramatist, musician, professor at the U of Massachusetts, Amherst, Renaissance Man period, we should listen to his music and words more, because they are empowering and raw, a voice from the wilderness of the soul and Ghetto and world spirit against the mendacity of evil in our time.
His music can be described as primordial, beyond the blues in angst and clarity when he really gets into Spoken Word performances. And he excels in improvising in the minor keys with discordant sounds. His music is often torturous but spell-binding.
The above spoken word piece, Mama Rose, is one of his strongest works, in a muscial repertoire that spans five decades. To learn more about Archie and his music, click here.
His own website is: http://www.archieshepp.com/
As an added treat, here is his straight musical number Back Back (to Africa) at Imeem.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Writer-Director Alex Gibney said, "This is dedicated to two people who are no longer with us - Dilawar, the young Afghan taxi driver, and my father, a navy interrogator, who urged me to make this film because of his fury at what was being done to the rule of law," when he accepted the Oscar.
Hopefully, in the near future, we can get an Attorney General to run the Justice Department so that no one, no matter how important, is above the law.
Here's the film's website. This film will probably be coming to our area soon so keep an eye out on the Naro Cinema schedule.
Aijaz Ahmad, Senior News Analyst for the Real News Network, interprets what International Atomic Energy Agency Mr. ElBaradei is now reporting about Iran's nuclear program, a picture far different from the skewed fear-mongering propaganda that the White House and Israel continue to pump out against Iran. The White House right now is trying to bribe and bully the Security Council into implementing yet another round of sanctions against Iran, despite the fact that ElBaradei's latest report is rather favorable to Iran.
It is very clear that the Neocon movement internationally, in the United States, Great Britain, now France as well with Nicolas Sarkozy in power, and of course in Israel, are obsessed with destroying an independent Iran and reinstalling a Western puppet government. That is high on their agenda, so the last thing they are going to listen to is anything positive said about Iran. Instead, Iran is the object of daily demonization, depicted as a cross between the Third Reich and the old Soviet Union, a threat to the entire world, and one whose imaginery nuclear missiles must be defended against by a missile shield that extends to the borders of Russia.
Of course the Russians are not amused, for they look at this planned missile shield as transparent hostility against them as well, so against this growing great power conflict, it is doubtful that Russia or China, both of whom continue to increase their business ties to Iran daily, will go along with any serious new sanctions. They may vote for some listless decree after Washington has made a backroom deal, but it is doubtful that severe sanctions can be implemented, which would be a further step toward war, the ultimate obscenity.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
These "lobbyists" also represent the insurance industry, big Pharma, and defense contractors. Hillary has told us that when she takes money from lobbyists this will not influence her vote.
Last October, Thomas Edsall examined defense industry campaign contributions Edsall reported:
Senator Clinton took in $52,600, more than half of the total going to all Democrats, and a figure equaling 60 percent of the sum going to the entire GOP field. Her closest competitor for defense industry money is former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney (R.), who raised $32,000.Cluster bombs are controversial due to the ongoing danger to civilians, especially children, long after the battle has ended and peace treaties are signed. These cluster bombs (many actually look like a kid's toy) continue to lay around for years after a war has ended. Laying in wait to maim or kill innocent civilians....including women and children. (Cluster Bomb FAQ)
Hillary Clinton accepted a campaign contribution from a rogue military contractor, Textron. Textron is an international conglomerate based in Providence, RI. Textron is notorious for bribing Sadam Hussein and becoming embroiled in the Food for Oil Scandal. This resulted in Textron paying a 4.6 million dollar fine. Textron is also known for it's manufacture of cluster bombs.
Now we all know that Hillary likes to remind us that she is a champion for children.
Hillary's campaign website states :
America is ready for a president who fights for our children. Hillary has spent her lifetime as an effective advocate for parents and children.So we have Senator Hillary Clinton telling us that there is nothing wrong with her accepting lots of money from corporate special interest lobbyists. The money will never influence how she votes. Then why did Hillary Clinton vote against Senate Amendment 4882, which would have banned the sale of cluster munitions for use in heavily populated areas? Why did Hillary Clinton vote AGAINST protecting children she has promised to defend?
From her first job out of law school at the Children's Defense Fund to her time as First Lady of Arkansas and of the United States to her service in the Senate, helping children has been at the center of Hillary's public life.
In the White House, Hillary will continue her lifelong work to create a world where every child is cherished, loved, and able to fulfill his or her potential.
State Representative David Segal (D-Providence), whose district includes Textron and who asserts that the corporation produces cluster bombs, calls Textron’s conduct “starkly opposed to the values of most Democrats and Americans. Nobody who takes their money can legitimately claim to be against this war [in Iraq], or the horrors of war more generally.” (Source)
Providence City Councilman Miguel Luna, an Obama supporter, has asked Clinton to return Textron's PAC money. Luna says, “I find appalling the double standard that allows her to vote for war with Hussein, and also take money from a corporation that was bribing him . . . . By taking money from Textron and those who profit from war, she’s committing herself to continuing a foreign policy based on war, and not on dialogue.” (Source)
I say that Hillary Clinton has a lot of explaining to do. Christine Heenan, Rhode Island communications director for the Clinton campaign, was asked about the Textron issue and declined to comment. (Source)
Why does the corporate media refuse to ask Hillary Clinton the tough questions? Why isn't the press doing it's homework on the Senate record that she is so proud of. Her Senate record pales in comparison to Barack Obamas. (Source)
I believe that the corporate media is promoting their fave corporate girl by not asking the tough questions. Yet they highlight Senator Clinton making numerous, uncontested statements about how the media is out to get her. The corporate media adds fuel to Clinton's false claims of being fully "vetted" by allowing their pundits to make cheap sexist attacks that inflames Hillary's base to rise to her defense. It's such a load of corporate spin.
Hillary we the people are sick of politicians like you. We are sick of being sold out to special interests. We are sick of business as usual. Many of us were appalled that Madeline Albright (one of "your" foreign policy advisors) thinks the Iraqi embargo was worth it even though hundreds of thousands of innocent Iraqi children died because of this embargo. Yet this embargo did not stop Saddam Hussein from living in luxury from bribes from companies like Textron.
Hillary we are rejecting your experience....especially your foreign policy experience.
You are acting like George W. Bush. You deny the reality of the world around you. You are now running a negative campaign with a scorched earth policy. Your actions are shouting that IF YOU can't be the Democratic President in 2008...then you will do what you can to prevent any Democratic from becoming President in 2008.
Hillary, if you persist in your negative campaigning there are many American citizens willing to d what the corporate media fails to do....We will call you out on your record. We continue to speak out that we do NOT want to continue the negative politics, the special interests politics, the politics as usual. Hillary you represent the status quo. No matter what you do we want change.
It is not too late to salvage the Clinton legacy and keep your self-respect. You don't have to emulate George Bush's infamous inability to change course. You need to stop the dirty, negative campaign tricks immediately. On March 4th, I hope you will be able to read the writing on the wall and face the reality that you will not be able to win the democratic nomination. It would be refreshing to see you change the negative course you have embarked upon and do the right thing with grace.
I donated 100 dollars to the Kucinich campaign. I challenge others to donate what they can. America needs to keep men like Dennis Kucinich in Congress so the important issues can continue to be discussed.
Dennis Kucinich is a national treasure. The corporate special interests are trying to silence him. Let's not let the corporate special interests get their way.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Here is an excellent article comparing Senator Clinton and Senator Obama's past year in the Senate.
If you are a Clinton supporter prepare to be very disappointed....If you are an Obama supporter here's more proof that Obama is inspirational AND is able to get action even in our current U.S. Congress that has been stalemated for so long.
See for yourself.
Senator Clinton continues to play politics as usual and she appears willing to play word games and say anything to get elected. She claims to be fully vetted but refuses to release her income tax returnes...Obama released his. It makes it appear that once again the Clinton's have another financial scandal they don't want to deal with. Clinton loves to tout her Senate accomplishments and "diss" Obama's. Well, it appears to me after reading this article and then perusing the Congressional website that Obama's senate record better than Clinton's. Clinton is not inspiring...and she is not doing continues to hide from the people vital information about her finances.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
You are being screwed by the Beef Industry. They do not give a damn about anyone's health or safety. They only care about their bottom line. Do you think that an industry that routinely tortures animals has any love for the rest of God's creatures?
Watch this YouTube segment from Mike Adams, popularly known as the "Health Ranger" and see what I mean. This video is actually taken from a beef industry expose included in a documentary called All Jacked Up.
Here is what Mike has to say:
This exclusive clip from the movie All Jacked Up reveals the shocking truth about factory farming and beef slaughterhouses. Concerned about mad cow disease and "downer" cows? You should be. Cows are tortured and murdered to get their meat, and diseased cows who potentially have mad cow disease are routinely used in the human food supply.
Learn more by buying the DVD of the full film "All Jacked Up" at http://www.AllJackedUpMovie.com/
Mike also has nothing but contempt for the USDA, which he strongly condemns for their failure to properly protect the public during the latest tainted beef crisis and its rather phoney, delayed recall. Read his article "USDA Refuses to Recall "Comingled" Meat That Contains Beef from Westland Plant Downer Cows" by clicking here.
Here is an excerpt:
Following the unprecedented recall of 143 million pounds of beef that was potentially contaminated with mad cow disease, the USDA has decided that it's okay for children and consumer to eat that beef as long as it is comingled with beef from other cows. This startling decision appeared in a USDA memo reported in the Wall Street Journal, which stated:
"If a processor or grinder has records demonstrating that products were produced using less than 100% of recalled Westland meat for the meat component, then there is no need...to retrieve that 'commingled' product."
This statement from the USDA reveals that the agency believes the recalled beef is so dangerous that nobody should eat it, but it's safe enough to eat alongside beef from other cows. This is a curious -- if not downright laughable -- stance to take on public safety. If the meat is potentially contaminated with mad cow disease (which is the whole reason why it was recalled in the first place), then mixing mad cow disease-contaminated meat with non-contaminated meat does not reduce the potential danger of the "commingled" meat in any way whatsoever.
Mike's very informative, alternate health website, by the way, is NaturalNews.com
Friday, February 22, 2008
A growing number of active duty soldiers at Fort Hood are speaking out against the seemingly endless war in Iraq and have started their own chapter of IVAW, Iraq Veterans Against the War, a growing national veterans' movement, whose website is http://ivaw.org/.
This war has already lasted longer than World War II and has cost almost as much in terms of real dollars, and will definitely surpass that amount at some point. That is hard to believe, that the sinkhole of Iraq could cost more than defeating both the Japanese Empire and the Third Reich, two real and powerful threats with real armies, navies and air forces, and millions of men to fill their ranks. But two things in particular are different now. One is that the war is heavily "privatized", that is, left exposed to all the predations of corporate greed and corruption, which has been monumental. The other factor is that in WWII we were fighting real, tangible entities. In Iraq, we are fighting an archetype, which scatters with the sunrays and moonbeams daily. The archetypal terrorist is here, there, everywhere, phantomlike, possessed of magical powers and the quintessential embodiment of evil.
Not that we aren't killing a lot of people, but they are largely the Devil du Jour, one day a Sunni fighter when we are against Sunnis, the next day a Shiite when we are against Shiites, and sometimes we're against both at the same time. Then there is al Qaeda in Iraq, with which label we often tar whomever we're feeling hostile to that week, because that is the ultimate demonization tag, making it easier to rationalize killing whomever. But they don't seem to want to go away either, al Qaeda in Iraq, even though we keep announcing that we've decapitated the leadership.
On the collective subconscious level, we are fighting demons in our own heads.
When the smoke and dust from bombs has settled and the blood has dried, far from being able to say that this has brought us a step closer to "Tokyo" or "Berlin", we often find that, shit, we just bombed someone's house and turned another family, community or village against us, a few more young or old men swearing blood vengeance against us, for you see an archetype comes out of our heads, and is projected onto flesh and blood people who bear no resemblence to our mental concept of them and naturally resent being shot at, tortured, pillaged or raped. So they fight back, actively, passively, covertly, whatever. A violent occupation by nature sows the seeds of its own undoing over time.
After a half a trillion dollars spent, at least, on what was supposed to be a low-cost cakewalk, with hundreds of thousands dead, this should be obvious, but it isn't to a large section of the population and ruling class in America who perceive reality in terms of ideology, archetypes and collective egotism, "us against them" to the end of time.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Pepe Escobar, one of the leading globetrotting journalists on the planet with contacts and connections everywhere, and author of the Roving Eye column for Asia Times Online, projects what a McCain Administration will look like.
Looking into the history of American-Iranian relations, it is not hard to see why Iran is not exactly our Friday night drinking buddy. Even so, that did not stop either side from engineering what became known as the Iran-Contra scandal in the 80's. But this was an example of antagonists using each other, and the end result was quite negative.
The hostility remains, and plans are on the Pentagon books to bomb Iran back to the Stone Age, as well as to implement regime change, that is, to repeat the traditional Imperial paradigm all over again of "Bow to our will, dogs, or die!"
This is, of course, a prescription for more war, chaos, death and destruction, the eternal spawn of the Path of Fear and Hatred between nations. It is all about ego and power, which as any good Buddhist will tell you, are delusional concepts. And these concepts keep the planet in the sorry state it is today.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Angela Garbarino gets the Hell beat out of her while handcuffed. (source)
Angie before and after she "fell". (source)
It just doesn't stop! Police brutality is becoming epidemic in America. This Louisiana cop didn't like this woman's combativeness and wailed on her after turning off the camera. Watch this and weep for how far the new quasi-religion of sadism that Bush has ushered into America has embedded itself in our culture. Glorify mass-murder and torture at the top, all cloaked in clever lies and rationalizations, and see what happens more and more down the line: this kind of sordid behavior, also cloaked in a fog of denials. On its own you could say this incident is an anomoly, but we are seeing new incidents weekly, sometimes daily that make you stand up and shout, "What the Hell is going on!"
And then there are the scores of people dying from being Tasered because these massive jolts of electricity disrupt their hearts. Speak up before you yourself get Tasered, beaten to a pulp or framed by cops who have no ethics.
There is an emotional plague gripping America, and it is unleashing our most perverted, sick drives. Where it stops I don't know, but imagine the kind of danger we will all face if we become an actual police state.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Rap has all too often taken the original rage in the ghettoes against oppression, as well as the original revolutionary impulses, and commodified them, twisted them, and even turned them upon blacks themselves. So we now have the phenomenon of egomaniac Rapsters who glorify male chauvinism, criminal violence and themselves while they roll wheelbarrows of money into the banks. And they have even gotten into deadly rivalries amongst themselves. Welcome to the land of greed, destruction and alienation.
Let me point out however, as a commenter has explained, that some Rappers like Talib Kweli, KRS-One, Public Enemy, Spearhead, The Coup, work to remain true to Rap's original social message. There is a similar conflict within Hip-Hop poetry and spoken word, by the way, from which Rap evolved.
To hear Mumia's Prison Radio broadcast, check out: http://prisonradio.org/MumiaRapReggae.htm. Pick 2), the long version, to hear his whole message.
Mumia, ever astute, reminds us through his words of the need to maintain liberating art forms for the greater good, such as Reggae. Of course Reggae is not one pure, monolithic manifestation, but has its own complexities and shortcomings too. However, resistance against racism, imperialism and exploitation has remained a key focus. One of the greatest exemplifiers of this liberating theme, of course, has been Bob Marley.
To listen to one of Bob Marley's songs, by the way, click here.
Whenever I view the callousness I see in this video I believe that some folks should not be given the powers of an "officer of the peace." No amount of training is going to get rid of some folks callous and sadistic tendencies. None of the "officers" in the video appeared to be ruffled by this hideous, callous behavior. Maybe police officers should have be screened with some basic psychological test before communities invest money in training them.
The more I see of Christian Churches headed by folks like Pat Robertson, Dobson, and Drake the more I wonder how anyone can mistake their teachings as those of Jesus. Many right wing Christians in America have distorted Christianity as much as the extremists who are twisting Islam to justify terrorism. Wishing death to your opponents seems to be a common theme for all these groups.
More Info Here.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
George Bush has been lying through his teeth about the FISA bill that he "insists" on passing. What is George Bush intent on hiding from the American people with the retroactive immunity clause?
If this matter is fully investigated then the American people will be the last to be told that the Bush/Cheney Cabal began their illegal wireless surveillance program BEFORE 9/11 and that it's main targets were not terrorists but the American people themselves (including some journalists...and I bet some of our elected officials also). The problem was that the existing FISA law would have restricted the Bush/Cheney Cabal to actually target 'suspects" not your averae American citizen, or a journalist investigating something that the Bush/Cheney Cabal wanted hidden.
So Bush was willing to lie, throw tantrums, scream that national security and "keeping Americans safe" was the issue...when the issue was retroactive immunity and protecting Bush/Cheney and their minions from prosecution for breaking laws tme and again.
What was even worse, was that time and again, was how Congress would give in without a fight whenever Bush played his "keeping US safe card."
FINALLY, some congressmen have stood up and called Bush's bluff. Amazingly enough it was not the Senator I most expected would stand up to Bush and call his bluff---Senator Webb folded and ended up supporting what Bush wanted.
It was a few House Democrats, noteably Rep. John Conyers, Rep Silvestre Reyes, and Rep Nancy Palosi who have taken the stand.
And what has Bush done in response? Bush had said he would have to cancel his AFrica trip. Well, Bush is in AFrica. Meanwhile there has been no increased level of America's terror threat level.
Obviously, Bush and Cheney are lying in an attempt to protect their own butts. Thankfully some membr
It appears that Hillary Clinton is attempting to outflank George Bush by going to his right (if that is possible) when it comes to Iran.
Heaven help us if "this" woman becomes America's first example of what a woman President is able to do.
For further information go to The Dreyfuss Report.
Conyers sets the FISA record straight.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. released the following statement to President Bush’s commitment to work on foreign surveillance legislation through the recess:
“The President’s efforts to cast blame on FISA, echoed by his allies in Congress, show an appalling disregard for the facts. He threatened to veto any extension of the Protect America Act and, following his lead, every single Republican in the House voted against the 21 day extension I sponsored in the House. The President and House Republicans cannot have it both ways, simultaneously arguing that the PAA is essential to national security and also engineering the defeat of an extension of it. The consequences for inaction are their responsibility.
“Unfortunately, it is the same old tired rhetoric of fear that the country overwhelmingly rejected in the 2006 elections.
“From what I have seen from the Justice Department documents so far, there is no need to provide amnesty to telecommunication companies who are protected under current law, as long as they and the government are acting accordingly. I have not seen anything that leads me to believe, as the President seems to believe, that providing amnesty to these companies is a more compelling public interest than our Constitutionally protected right to privacy. (Source)
Chairman Silvestre Reyes of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence also issued a statement challenging Bush to “put partisanship aside” on the FISA debate:
The proper course is now to conference the House bill with the Senate bill that was passed on Tuesday. There are significant differences between these two bills and a conference, in regular order, is the appropriate mechanism to resolve the differences between these two bills. I urge you, Mr. President, to put partisanship aside and allow Republicans in Congress to arrive at a compromise that will protect America and protect our Constitution.
I, for one, do not intend to back down - not to the terrorists and not to anyone, including a President, who wants Americans to cower in fear.
We are a strong nation. We cannot allow ourselves to be scared into suspending the Constitution. If we do that, we might as well call the terrorists and tell them that they have won. (The letter that Reyes sent to George Bush on Friday is here.)
It's Shameful that the Democratic Senators allowed two members of their party--Reid and Rockefeller--to railroad others into joining the Republicans to cover up criminal behavior and grant retroactive immunity so there would be no accountability to our nation's laws nor the public these folks "pretend" to be serving.
Sincere thank yous are due to both Conyers and Reyes for upholding their oaths of office to protect our constitution and allow the laws of our land an opportunity to work.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Sen Harry Reid and Sen John Rockefeller are the Dems leading the charge for the Bush Cheney cabal to grant retroactive immunity to cover-up the numerous examples of illegal wireless surveillance that will be exposed if the lawsuits are continued in court.
Unfortunately, Sen Jim Webb blinked and backed down...passing this ball of wax to Rep John Conyers, Rep Silvestre Reyes and Sen Patrick Leahy to do what they can to prevent this Senate version from being approved by the House. The utterly contemptible Sen John Rockefeller an alleged Democrat from West VA has joined forces with the Bush/Cheney faction to continue to get this legislation rammed through Congress. How much is Sen John Rockefeller operating due to receiving LOTS of telecommunications money and how much is this Sen Rockefeller protecting himself from future liability? Has to make one wonder if Sen John Rockefeller and/or Sen Harry Reid were in on the illegal wireless surveillance program long before other congressional Dems even knew it was occurring?
Hopefully the lawsuits will result in valuable information coming out into the public forum.
Senator John Rockefeller, allegedly a Democratic Senator, is going to continue to promote the special interests of the telecommunications industry in spite of the fact that there are no constituents (or any repectable constituent groups) requesting retroactive immunity.
Quite the contrary....the people of America have vocalized loudly that they do not want ANYONE to receive retroactive immunity.
Interesting enough John Rockefeller is now a top recipient of telecommunication lobbyist money. So it should surprise no one that Sen Rockefeller is now carrying water for this special interest group. What separates Sen Rockefeller from any of those previous Republican chairs who have been lamblasted for selling out their positions for special interest money?
So let John Rockefeller know that you know he is now on the take. Let his office know what you think about this. Don't be surprised when his staff tell you that Rockefeller will continue to promote retroactive immunity and have no comments on his acceptance of large sums of telecommunications money or the fact that no constituents or constiutent groups are backing retroactive immunity. You may simply end up as one of our researchers did....getting music blasted into your ear. That surely sends a message of how important American citizens are to Senator Rockefeller and his staff.
Don't forget that Sen Harry Reid "enabled" Rockefeller's bill to reach the floor ahead of the judicial committee's bill which would NOT have granted retroactive immunity and know that Harry Reid is also on the take.
Lo and behold what's a voter to do when the Chair of he Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Majority Leader join the Bush/Cheney Cabal Cover up?? Hopefully, both will be stripped of their positions in the next Congress.
February 12, 2008
Statement of Senator Webb on FISA Passage in Senate
“There were a number of measures brought before the Senate today that I believed could have improved the FISA bill which passed overwhelmingly tonight. This is a complex law. It becomes imperative that we look for ways to both keep our nation safe from further terrorist attacks and ensure that our government’s surveillance is conducted in a legal manner that comports with the U.S. Constitution.
“Senators Feingold, Tester and I spent two months working to construct and introduce an amendment designed to add further safeguards against Executive Branch surveillance on innocent Americans. I believe the amendment best answered the call of Americans who have been demanding a proper system of checks and balances for our government’s surveillance program. Our amendment regrettably failed this afternoon.
“I also supported two amendments which sought to limit immunity for telephone companies in proper situations. These amendments would have allowed consumers to move forward with legal action in certain situations, for example where companies have acted in bad faith in aiding government surveillance. Unfortunately, both of these amendments failed as well.“Our current FISA bill expires in two days. As someone who has decades of experience in dealing with national security matters and classified intelligence, I believed it was necessary to implement a surveillance program that provides professionals an updated set of tools to properly respond to terrorist threats. However, I plan to urge my colleagues who sit on the Senate-House conference committee to adopt House provisions that better protect Americans from Executive branch overreach.”
I'm sitting here scratching my head. Surely, Jim Webb understood that if his preferred version of the FISA bill had passed Bush was going to veto it. Bush's veto would have resulted in our nation being unprotected. So why would Jim Webb vote "YES" on such a flawed bill to "protect" us? I want to be protected from corrupt, tainted, anti-constitutional bills that are making my country as a democracy totally unrecognizable.
I have put a lot of my trust in Senator Webb as the man who can fight for me in the Senate. I still believe that no one can buy Senator Webb...a RARE asset in our Congress these days. But wasn't these one of those times to either vote no or fight? I have phoned Senator Webb on this matter. I am hoping that someone from his office will be able to explain to me why did Webb choose to vote yes instead of registering a no vote on this bill?
I am pleased that Senator Webb has written to the members of the Senate/House sub committee that must reconcile the Senate and House versions of the bill. Webb is urging that the House version be adopted which does not grant retroactive immunity. I have to ask the question--Why should these Senators hold firm and push the House bill version forward when Senator Webb himself "gave in" and approved Bush/Cheney's dream come true version??
I am so sick of having a President who puts his ego and his power trip above national security, my security, in order to threaten Congress to do his bidding. President Bush is basically saying it's my way or there will be NO SECURITY and the terrorists will do what they will. Let's be clear folks.....retroactive immunity is protecting law breakers and is not necessary in any way, shape, or form, for a "legal" wireless surveillance program to be implemented.
How do "yes" votes like this FISA bill protect me from a White House that continues to control every branch of my government with no restraints or consequences? (Why are the most powerless in our society ending up being the ones forced to deal with the heaviest consequences?) When will Congress represent us and do what is needed to put a stop to the machiavellian process that enables the White House to control every branch of our government with no restraints and no consequences?
In the meantime FISA's final form is in the following hands-- Sen Jay Rockefeller, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, Sen Patrick Leahy, Rep John Conyers, Sen Kit Bond, Rep Peter Hoekstra, Sen Arlen Specter, and Rep Lamar Smith. Looks like I'll have my hands full taking action via phone and email. I do not get any pay or benefits for my patriotic services to my country. Hopefully others will also be voicing their own objections to this abhorrent retroactive immunity clause that provides the curtain for Bush and Cheney to hide their illegal actions behind.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Amen Keith Olberman....Shame on Jim Webb for JOINING the Bush/Cheney war crime folks AND the special interests corporate lawbreakers. So much for his oath to defend our civil liberties, the rule of law, and our constitution.
Hopefully, there will be a day of reckoning and Senator Harry Reid,Senator Rockefeller, and other Dems who want to be complicit in the Bush war crimes can share adjoining cells to George Bush and Dick Cheney.
Why the Democrats were so quick to help the Republicans cover up so much info that would have come out in court....information such as...Bush's illegal wireless surveillance program has NOTHING to do with capturing terrorists or 9/11....In fact Bush started the program BEFORE 9/11 occurred......
Makes me wonder how many Dems like Harry Reid, Rockefeller, ex dem Lieberman have been comlicit partners in the Bush war crimes.
WE are NOT going to forget this folks. The majority leader and the party are now brazenly supporting the Republican agenda. We need folks to run against these turncoats....
To the Democratic Contenders. Barack Obama made sure he voted on this important bill...and he voted to uphold our constitution. Hillary Clinton was in Washington but Hillary could not be bothered to take the time to do her job...the job she is being paid to do as a Senator. Sorry Hillary, but I'll say it again. Yours is the type of experience this country does not need any more of.
Hopefully, some of us will be able to take some time to follow the telecommunication money trail so we can report who the Dems are that can be bought. We don't need any more Senators for Corporations and special interests in "our" Congress....It's ready for our Congress to REJECT the OLD EXPERIENCE AND CREATE AN HONEST WAY TO DO THE PEOPLE'S BUSINESS....
Any chance the House Dems have encough shreds of honesty to do the right thing and not approve the Senate version with it's telecommunications immunity? (A piece of the bill that has NOTHING TO DO WITH PROTECTING THE PUBLIC AND IS ANTITHETICAL TO THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST.
If dreams really do come true Condi Rice may end up in a court of law for a war crimes trial in the near future.
In Washington, the vote counting stopped at 87% of the votes counted when McCain pulled slightly ahead of Huckabee by just 242 votes with only a 1.8% lead by McCain. Huckabee announced he was not conceding the election, discussed the "wierd things going on," and is checking his legal options.
Meanwhile Reuters simply reported the Washington State Republican's verdict that McCain has won the state, making no mention that the state had stopped counting the votes with 13% of the votes not counted. (I'm willing to bet that the remaining 13% of the votes did not belong to many precincts that were predicted to vote favorably to McCain. Why else announce McCain the winner without completing the vote tally.
Why does any American rely on Corporate media to keep them informed when the Corporate Media leaves out such pertinet facts? For more info here's the link.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Karl Rove actually spills the beans on McCain. Interesting....Rove actually gave McCain some money this time for his presidential campaign. With the Republican Senators speaking out that they are "worried" about McCain's temperament in the White House this just adds more fuel to the "character" of who John McCain really is. Will McCain ever reveal his nasty dark side when the news media is around? One can only hope.
Moore exemplifies the values of freedom, equality, and social justice.
Woman is stripped naked and abused by Start County Sheriff Dept. http://www.sheriff.co.stark.oh.us/ Email the sheriff at email@example.com (copy/paste this in your own email-the Blog link won't work) to let them know how you feel.
I pulled this video from an article by Mark A. Goldman entitled "Guantanamo Comes to Main Street U.S.A." Click here to read it.
Welcome to Bush Amerika. Seven years of corroded ethics and a festering culture of international sadism and mass murder by our benighted government have slowly but surely transformed our country into a budding Fascist police state. I started telling people five years ago that this new Right-wing pseudo religion of sadism masquerading as the "War on Terror" will come home to roost. We know that the police in this country have often tortured and abused minorities in manners similar to what is shown on this video, but now their perversity is being directed at white, middle class men and women. This America is becoming increasingly grotesque to its own citizens, not to mention the rest of the world.
We are a country going to Hell in a handbasket. We have lost any connection to the Divine collectively through our actions, and are descending deeper into the Pit weekly. This is the way things went in Nazi Germany, Stalin Russia, Pinochet Chile, to name a few odious examples. Stand up now, speak out and fight back, or risk seeing yourself or your loved ones in a position similar to that of the woman in the video one of these days.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
Does Hillary think she can keep us distracted from information like this?
I alway;s thought that Who's got the money? Where the money goes...and Who it ends up with are vital questions that voters need to know in order to make an informed decision.
No one needs a nominee like this. Here's the source.
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.
Yes we can.
It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.
Yes we can.
It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.
Yes we can.
It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.
Yes we can to justice and equality.
Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.
Yes we can heal this nation.
Yes we can repair this world.
Yes we can.
We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.
We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.
But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.
Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --
Yes. We. Can.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Here is an excerpt from an eye-popping article by Paul Joseph Watson, dated December 3, 2007:
Ex-Italian President: Intel Agencies Know 9/11 An Inside Job
Man who set up Operation Gladio tells Italy's largest newspaper attacks were run by CIA, Mossad (original article)
Former Italian President and the man who revealed the existence of Operation Gladio, Francesco Cossiga, has gone public on 9/11, telling Italy's most respected newspaper that the attacks were run by the CIA and Mossad and that this was common knowledge amongst global intelligence agencies.
Cossiga was elected President of the Italian Senate in July 1983 before winning a landslide 1985 election to become President of the country in 1985.
Cossiga gained respect from opposition parties as one of a rare breed - an honest politician - and led the country for seven years until April 1992.Cossiga's tendency to be outspoken upset the Italian political establishment and he was forced to resign after revealing the existence of, and his part in setting up, Operation Gladio - a rogue intelligence network under NATO auspices that carried out bombings across Europe in the 60's, 70's and 80's. (again, click here for full article)
Cossiga is a man with deep ties to intelligence communities who are privy to knowledge and information the general public doesn't get to see. Now the truth is being allowed to surface, slowly but deliberately perhaps. Cossiga likely would not have come forward if he did not have some kind of support from these communities.
Now, what is Operation Gladio? In a nutshell, it was a European-wide, criminal enterprise that recruited from the Right, up to and including ex-Nazis, serving Western powers against both the Soviet Union and Leftist political organizations in general. It specialized in False Flag Ops, violent acts that enraged the public and were engineered in such a way that they could be blamed on an intended victim, such as a political party or radical group.
I'm going to let the BBC introduce the subject with the following videos. You are about to enter a covert, dangerous world that most of you had no idea existed, yet which has been influencing our lives for decades, a world of Right-Wing and State-sponsored terror, assassinations and, as I mentioned, False Flag Ops designed to manipulate public opinion and eliminate enemies. Such methodology and philosophy is ongoing today on the world stage and is practiced by our own government. To what extent might shock you.
Here is the first video on the history of Operation Gladio. Note that a lot of this series is in French or Italian with sub-titles:
Here is the second video:
And the third video:
There are twelve more videos in this series. If you are really into this, here are the links to the rest:
Part 4) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWbW-L_xYzE&NR=1
Part 5) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8f6dcMwVrw&feature=related
Part 6) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73U9v9aMcFk&feature=related
Part 7) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XXl-6nQWSg&feature=related
Part 8) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyh0kZjdqdc&feature=related
Part 9) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zP4VJAhTLY&feature=related
Part 10) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma6Mgr9hgFI&feature=relat
Part 11) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gNL_uwxRtM&feature=related
Part 12) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzVW5V12k3I&feature=related
Part 13) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hg0UNzoWVA&feature=related
Part 14) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3CAcjsdxBs&feature=related
Part 15) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vNLjtE-LTk&feature=related
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
The "buzz buzz" is that the Clinton's are now having to put their own money into the campaign starting at 5 million dollars. (Hillary must be thankful that they have deep pockets and can keep digging in as needed.) Obama supporters have already matched this and then some within the last 24 hours.
I tried to buy shirts and jackets at Obama's website store. They are all sold out and they wouldn't let me buy some really nice stuff that is on back order....I was able to get one back ordered shirt though.
Out of curiosity I visited Hillary's website. They appear to have plenty of shirts and jackets in stock, sitting there, waiting for someone to purchase them. Any business person with sense knows that if you "need money" and your inventory isn't selling you must lower your prices. I wonder when Hillary will be advertising a sale on her items?
Meanwhile, Obama's store is struggling to meet the demand. They have even had to start raising prices.
I have heard of campaigns having to run to their state headquarters to get restocked with bumper stickers and yard signs but I can't remember ever visiting a national campaign website and ALL the t-shirts and jackets sold out....Looks like Obama is making history again! LOL
I've always been told that money talks....It's speaking LOUDLY right now. We, the people are going to keep Obama supplied with enough money so that he will end up being our next President.
A documentary film crew filmed the party and interviewed folks for a MoveOn documentary. I always love talking to film crews since I've had the treat to work on one documentary in the past.
The buzz is out that Barack Obama will be coming to VA soon...so keep your eyes and ears open...you won't want to miss attending a live Barack Obama event. Besides, don't you want to "check out" this Presidential contender for yourself?
Or perhaps, James Bond's SMERSH really exists, and they are getting ready to blackmail the planet.
Here is a news update from The Wayne Madsen Report (source):
February 6, 2008 -- Cable cuts now up to six
publication date: Feb 6, 2008
After four submarine cables carrying Internet and phone traffic were cut, two off of Alexandria, Egypt and two in the Persian Gulf, two additional cable cuts are now being reported, another in the Gulf off Iran and the other off the western coast of Malaysia.
.......The report continued, "Contrary to previous reports in the corporate media, Egypt's Communications and Information Technology Ministry said the two cables that were severed near Alexandria last week, FLAG Telecom and SEA-Me-We4, were not cut by the anchors of ships. Egyptian authorities examined photographic footage of the restricted maritime area and no ships were seen 12 hours before and 12 hours after the time of the cable cuts."
The fifth cable cut reportedly came off the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas and affected the FLAG FALCON ring cable the serves the Persian Gulf. The other cut was on the SeaMeWe-4 cable off the city of Penang, Malaysia.
The six cable cuts are being blamed on a covert sabotage operation. A hundred million users in Iran, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, and Maldives have been affected by the six verified cable cuts. Since Israel and U.S.-occupied Iraq have been unaffected by the sabotage, Middle East intelligence agencies and computer users are blaming the United States and/or Israel for the attacks.
American Icon, Willie Nelson (source)
Well, Willie Nelson said it Monday, Feb 4, and then ABC News picked it up on Tuesday. This will send ripples throughout the collective consciousness of America. Nelson is too well-loved to be Swift-Boated, so people are going to take note of what he said, especially in Texas. Just what did he say? Here is an excerpt from an article by Paul Watson on the radio interview he had with Alex Jones:
Straight talking American icon Willie Nelson today told a national radio show that he thought the twin towers were imploded like condemned Las Vegas casino buildings, as the country music superstar controversially voiced his doubts about the official 9/11 story.(to read the entire article, click here)
Agreeing with host Alex Jones that he questioned the official story, Nelson elaborated, "I saw those towers fall and I've seen an implosion in Las Vegas - there's too much similarities between the two, and I saw a building fall that didn't get hit by nothing," added Nelson, referring to WTC Building 7 which collapsed in the late afternoon of September 11.
"How naive are we - what do they think we'll go for?," asked Nelson, pointing out that his doubts began on the very day of 9/11. "I saw one fall and it was just so symmetrical, I said wait a minute I just saw that last week at the casino in Las Vegas and you see these implosions all the time and the next one fell and I said hell there's another one - and they're trying to tell me that an airplane did it and I can't go along with that," said Nelson.
The former Highwayman, fresh from his appearance at this past weekend's superbowl, questioned why Afghanistan became an immediate target in the aftermath of 9/11 when the official story posited that mostly Saudi Arabians were responsible for the attack.
"When I get hit I like to look around and see who did it before I start swinging at everybody in the room and that's kind of what we were doing," said Nelson, "We get hit over here and then next thing you know we're jumping on everybody in the town - so (if) we got hit from Saudi Arabia, I think we've got some questions that need to be answered from those folks," said Nelson.
In light of his viewpoint, Nelson said that recent revelations concerning the impartiality of the 9/11 Commission and its close links with the White House did not surprise him.
"What does it take for us to realize we're having the wool pulled over our eyes one more time?" he concluded.
To hear the entire one hour radio interview, go to the bottom of the linked article and click the MP3 link.
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Last September or so, US Navy Top Gun Pilot Ralph Kolstad spoke out about 9/11, more or less dissing the 9/11 Commission Report, pointing out that he could not perform some of the maneuvers the 9/11 Commission claimed the minimally trained hijackers managed to pull off. Something stinks to high Heaven he states.
What might that be? The entire scenario that the Bush Administration constructed to explain 9/11 and take us to war perhaps?
Here is the link to the original article in the video if you are having trouble reading it: click here
Monday, February 04, 2008
Cross-section of a submarine communications cable.
3--Stranded metal "Steel" wires
4--Aluminum water barrier
6--Copper or aluminum tube
The Buzz in the Middle East is that the internet has been intentionally cut off...to add fuel to this fire both Israel and Iran are not affected by the current internet blackout. "Large areas of the Middle East, Asia. Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Pakistan and India, are all experiencing severe problems.According to InternetTraffic.com, Iran has been completely cut off from the Internet, though Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's blog can still be accessed." (Source)
WhatReallyHappened.com speculates that skepticism was deserved with one cable being cut by a ship's anchor...You'd think the developers would have planned for such an occurrence (and they have.) Now four separate cables in different locations have been cut. Even more bizarre is the fact that Israel and Iran are the only two countries in the Middle East that aren't affected. Dr. Richard Sauder speculates that this is a Zionist Neo Con aggressive act of war against Iran. Sauder's theory encompasses the ability of the U.S. Navy to blakout the world wide web:
For the uninitiated it seems bizarre and unlikely, but the plain fact of the matter is that American military divers really go out onto the seabed from special submarines outfitted with airlocks and they actually cut undersea communications cables-- then patch in sophisticated surveillance equipment -- then they splice the cables back together. That is if the motive is espionage. If the purpose of the operation is garden variety sabotage, then simply cutting the cable suffices. It's like something out of a spy novel thriller, but the U.S. Navy really does have submarines and deep diving, special operations personnel who specialize in precisely this sort of operation. So cutting a few undersea cables in two or three days is well within the operational capabilities of the United States Navy. (Source)Khaleej Times Online reports that Egypt's communications ministry states that no ship caused their outage:
The transport ministry added that footage recorded by onshore video cameras of the location of the cables showed no maritime traffic in the area when the cables were damaged....The area is also marked on maps as a no-go zone and it is therefore ruled out that the damage to the cables was caused by ships....
Two cables were damaged earlier this week in the Mediterranean sea and another off the coast of Dubai, causing widespread disruption to Internet and international telephone services in Egypt, Gulf Arab states and South Asia.
A fourth cable linking Qatar to the United Arab Emirates was damaged on Sunday causing yet more disruptions, telecommunication provider Qtel said.
Folks in the middle east are worried that this internet blackout maybe the precursor to an American attack on Iran. Some people in the U.S. are worried that the Pentagon may cut on internet service in parts of the U.S. ( or the entire U.S.) in order to control information. This soundx outrageous until you read what the Pentagon says about the internet.
The Pentagon's Information Operations Roadmap Information Operations Roadmap is blunt about the fact that an internet, with the potential for free speech, is in direct opposition to their goals. The internet needs to be dealt with as if it were an enemy "weapons system".....
"When implemented the recommendations of this report will effectively jumpstart a rapid improvement of CNA [Computer Network Attack] capability." - 7 "
Enhanced IO [information operations] capabilities for the warfighter, including: ... A robust offensive suite of capabilities to include full-range electronic and computer network attack..." [emphasis mine] - 7(Source)
Bottom Line--This is one way to control information in the Middle East for at least a few weeks. Wonder what the "instigators" are planning to do within the next few weeks.
We still have to fight to keep the corporations from trying to "own OUR web" and internet neutrality is not being talked about by either the Democrats nor Republicans. Now we have the Pentagon with plans to take over the net and control information.
It looks like there are some big fights ahead for those of us who cherish our freedom of speech.
Hopefully, enough government heads are questioning why this blackout has occurred and there will be no invasion of Iran and these cables will soon be fixed.
Sunday, February 03, 2008
1--Honesty --We've just been through 8 years of a President who lies...do we want more? Read this brilliant piece on Hillary's latest lie in The Richmond Democrat.
2-Inability to admit a mistake.--We've been through 8 years of a President who has a big blindspot. He cannot admit an error or a mistake. Sound like someone we know? The last debates, once again, Hillary was given a great opportunity to "admit" her mistake in voting to give President Bush the power to invade Iraq. She could not admit that she'd made a mistake.
3--Divisiveness- -Haven't we had more than enough of this in 8 years. For whatever reason, it appears Hillary's greatest natural talent (maybe because of 1 and 2?) is to divide people...this makes her the "choice" Democratic candidate among the Republicans. Hillary will not be able to unite folks. But we have a GREAT candidate who can.
Barack Obama is NOT more of the same. He can bring the honesty, the ability to admit a mistake, unity, and inspiration back to our white house.
Isn't it time for a real change for the better? We have a clear choice in these two candidates. Hillary will be the status quo, politics a usual, with a ring of corporate lobbyists around her. Barack Obama ha pledged greater transparency in goverenment operations and creating a more inclusive government process for the American people.
Yes it would be great to have a woman as President of the United States. But that's not enough reason to vote for a second rate, status quo candidate that will bring us more of what we are already sick of. When a woman does win the white house (and she will) I would prefer it to be a great, positive experience for our nation and one that will open the doors for more women to run in the future. It will be terrific when our woman candidate really is the best candidate running. But that is not true in this race. The best candidate running is Barack Obama. And he's not running on the history making fact that he will be the first black man in office. He's running on his own merits. This is the moment, the time, to put the best candidate into the White House AND make history at the same time.
It just doesn't get better than that does it? Feminists should have no trouble supporting a man of color....it's a feminist ideal to support people of color. This will only open the door to new candidates and new possibilities because I am positive that Barack Obama is the best candidate for these times.
I'll be phone banking for Obama as much as possible between now and Super Tuesday evening.
I really do want to be able to vote for a Presidential Candidate this election cycle. Unfortunately, my heart and my soul cannot be forced to support Hillary Clinton. I beleve if Hillary makes it as President, this version of "Margaret Thatcher" (she compared herself to Margaret Thatcher) will only make it more difficult for women running in the future.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
According to Susan Eisenhower:
Forty-seven years ago, my grandfather Dwight D. Eisenhower bid farewell to a nation he had served for more than five decades. In his televised address, Ike famously coined the term "military-industrial complex," and he offered advice that is still relevant today. "As we peer into society's future," he said, we "must avoid the impulse to live only for today, plundering, for our own ease and convenience, the precious resources of tomorrow. We cannot mortgage the material assets of our grandchildren without risking the loss also of their political and spiritual heritage. We want democracy to survive for all generations to come, not to become the insolvent phantom of tomorrow....
It is in this great tradition of crossover voters that I support Barack Obama's candidacy for president. If the Democratic Party chooses Obama as its candidate, this lifelong Republican will work to get him elected and encourage him to seek strategic solutions to meet America's greatest challenges. To be successful, our president will need bipartisan help.
The choice is clear...The Democratic candidate with the ability to crossover is Barack Obama. He's a unifer....Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, Hillary is the exact opposite...a polarizing candidate. Let's choose the best candidate who can truly unite our nation to fix the multitude of problems we are facing. Support the best candidate for the job of President of these United States--Barack Obama.
Times are far too dark, the price of failure too steep and the road ahead too perilous for us to vote on identity politics. I would love to see a woman be president. I would love to see an African American be president. But right now, what I would love most is to elect the best person for the job.
I believe that person is Sen. Barack Obama. As a leader, he has inspired generations of Americans to look beyond reductive categories like gender or race. Instead, he calls on us to think past our own individual interests, to envision a world that is better for every person in it.Recently, my mother, Ethel Kennedy, said of Obama: 'I think he feels it. He feels it just like Bobby did. He has the passion in his heart. He's not selling you. It's just him.'
So we have the brother of John F. Kennedy and Robert Kennedy endorsing Obama along with JFK's daughter and RFK's wife and daughter. Rory Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy have both put their strong, clear, direct, endorsements in writing so we will understand how they came to their decision to support Barack Obama instead of Hillary Clinton. This is unprecedented. This is the first major Presidential endorsement from the Kennedy clan that was not a Kennedy.
I hope that you will study the issue.
Rory Kennedy is an award winning documentary film maker.
To read Rory's full endorsement which includes recognition of Hillary Clinton and what it would mean to have a woman president go here.