Red Wolf Redux

HEMP - Truer Words Was Never Spoke

2011-12-08T11:18:00.001-05:00

I heard, just this past week, a state attorney on a local Public Radio program, called ironically, Radio Smart Talk. He staunchly defended the work his office does in tracking down and busting growers of tha demon weed we fondly refer to as grass, and other dangerous substances.

He stated the "fact", marijuana is a gateway drug leading to wrack and ruin, using as an example Greece, which is now in a state of near collapse due to the fact marijuana had been legalized there. No mention of the highly functional Netherlands, where marijuana has been legal forever it seems.

Sitting toad like in my kitchen, I bellowed out, "You jackass"! But there was more to come, for a moment later, this learned man said, “I've seen people dependent on marijuana, I've seen the destruction it causes, I've seen the violence!”

At this point, my jaw is resting on my lap, and I'm gasping for a breath of fresh reality.

This sort of propagandist rattling will be the enemy of legalized pot, and also legalized HEMP. Because, as we all know, having been so well informed by an upstanding hardcore conservative servant of the courts, and his soulless clones; the mere presence of that dangerous growing thing, will bring Americky to it's financial knees, (Umm a little late for that, don'tcha think?) will make addicts of our children,
(I thought TV and high fructose corn syrup had already been there and done that.) etc.

Why? Well, as we now all know, the minute the first legal HEMP seed hits fertile ground, every one of us nasty addictive types will line up, pipe or bong, or rolling paper in our sweaty anxious hands, just waiting for farmer Brown to lop off a tree branch sized hunk of said HEMP, so that we may go smoke it and destroy ourselves and Americky, as we know it.

Amen.

Written on July 10, 2011. I'm a little slow to post. Must be all that hemp in my carpet.

TO HELL WITH WAR

2011-07-29T13:34:00.004-04:00

In case your soul hasn't shriveled to the size of a dried lemon pit, this little story should complete the job.

A Sad Little Story

by John D. Amos / July 26, 2011 - 8:59pm / Permalink

Today, I stopped by one of my favorite pawn shops. This one is owned by an individual who runs both a sales business and a legitimate pawnbroker business. He pays well for top quality items and sells them at reasonable prices when the loan is not paid within a reasonable time period. Anyway, as I look though the items for sale, another guy, in his early fifties comments on one item and we get into a conversation. This guy, obviously a republican with a NASCAR cap, makes a comment about Obama taking old peoples' money to pay for wars we don't need to be fighting.

I start to comment, but hold back for some reason. Then, I remark that the entire argument is just a big show, designed by the rich folks so they will not have to pay back the money they borrowed from the Social Security Trust Fund to pay for our war making.

The NASCAR guy then saddens. The conversation turns to the war in Afghanistan. Lane tells me that his youngest son cannot find work and wants to join the army because he feels obligated to do something useful with himself. Then, Lane tells me that he is against this with his entire being. Then he tells me why.

"My oldest boy has been in Iraq and Afghanistan and over there for six years now. He has a wife and two kids here at home, but he doesn't even bother to come home anymore. When he gets some leave, he just travels to a city in Pakistan and he and several professional soldier buddies like him spend their down time smoking hashish and doing heroin and other drugs. Then when their leave is just about up, they clean themselves out for a week or so so they can pass the army drug tests and then go back to their units and back on duty."

"My boy told me that when they knock on a door and nobody answers, they just stick a pound of explosive to it and get away and detonate it and then go in to see if anyone is still alive, and if they are, they shoot them. This is why my boy does not want to come home anymore, because he cannot not stand to look at his own kids, knowing the stuff he does over there. He is finished and I think he is lost forever the way I see it right now. I hope it changes for him, but I don't look for it to change for him. He's too far gone already, and he won't or can't stop and he can't bring himself to come home anymore."

"The Army and his being over there has ruined my oldest boy, and now the sonofabitch recruiters are hounding my youngest boy at home when I'm not around. I told the sonofabitches to stay away, but I found out that they have still been calling him and talking to him anyway when I'm not around home."

"I will do just about anything to keep him from going over there and getting himself ruined like my oldest boy."

I told Lane that I was a Vietnam vet and that war is always a rich mans war and a poor man's fight. War changes people forever and nobody goes to war without being wounded by it.

"And this war is not needed. What are we fighting for? So Obama and his buddies can get richer." Lane remarked.

"The wars over there are for control of oil to sell to China and other people we owe money to for the stuff we buy there because our jobs have been sent there. Both parties are behind it all and both want the wars to continue as far as I can tell," I explained.

"Seems the same to me." Lane replied.

Presented here with full consent of the author. Thank you John.
Mr. Amos has an ongoing blog at The Smirking Chimp. Access it from here.

HEY, BARACK OBAMA, HEY CONGRESS, READ MY LIPS! NO MORE WAR!

The Magdalene Sisters

2011-07-07T21:34:00.004-04:00

Since my last article dealt with women in distress, I feel this fits in nicely, especially since the story is from the horrible truth of Catholicism, its attitude toward women, and the power the highly vaunted church wields with egregious arrogance.

Movie Review by Frederic Brussat
The Magdalene Sisters Peter Mullan Miramax 08/03 Feature Film R - violence/cruelty, nudity, sexual content, language

In his second feature film, actor Peter Mullan (My Name Is Joe) has created an unflinching and compelling drama that will make your blood boil. Up until 1996, profit-making laundries throughout Ireland operated by the Sisters of the Magdalene Order used young women as virtual slaves. An estimated 30,000 girls went through this system, sent to Magdalene Asylums for their so-called sexual improprieties — having a child out of wedlock or being a "temptress.” These poor souls were forced to work in silence seven days a week in laundries without pay. The intent of the sisters was to drive wayward souls to repentance through prayer and hard work. The asylums were named after Mary Magdalene, the prostitute who repented and was forgiven by Jesus.

The screenplay by Peter Mullan is loosely based on a Channel 4 documentary which contains interviews with some of the unlucky souls who were incarcerated in the Magdalene Asylums. In the opening scenes, three of the main characters are introduced.

At a wedding, Margaret (Ann-Marie Duff) is raped by her cousin. When she tells what happened, the males at the gathering rally around the man accused, and the next day, her family and priest have her sent away to the Magdalene Asylum.

At an orphanage run by Catholics, pretty Bernadette (Nora-Jane Noone) is constantly attracting the attention of boys who linger at the gates and give her trouble. The principal agrees with the nuns that she is a temptress who poses a stumbling block to men; so in order to save them, it is decided she must be removed from their midst.

Shortly after giving birth to a child out of wedlock, Rose (Dorothy Duffy) asks her mother for forgiveness and honestly acknowledges the error she made. But her devout father and mother follow the counsel of the priest who wants to put the child up for adoption.

They decide that Rose needs to pay for her sins at a Magdalene Asylum.

The three new arrivals are immediately shamed by Sister Bridget (Geraldine McEwan), the authoritarian head of the laundry. This malevolent woman is a fundamentalist who believes that these fallen women must symbolically wash away their sins and unworthiness by cleansing the clothes of others. The new arrivals also meet Crispina (Eileen Walsh), a simple-minded girl who uses her Saint Christopher Medal to commune with the young son who was taken away from her and sometimes stands at the gates of the asylum with her sister.

The harshness of the place and the rigorous use of silence as a weapon to keep the women from getting to know each other convinces Bernadette to find a way to escape.

However, a young woman (Mary Murray) who ran away is brought back by her father (Peter Mullan), who beats her up in front of the women in the dormitory. Her hair is then cut off by Sister Bridget in an attempt to further degrade her. In another instance, the three new arrivals along with others are forced to stand naked in front of a nun who ridicules their body parts.

Crispina is sexually abused by a priest who gives communion to the women. Her friend comes up with a scheme to humiliate him in front of everyone. Margaret is then liberated when her brother comes to take her home with him. Meanwhile, Bernadette and Rose, more determined than ever not to spend their lives in this hellhole, plot their escape.

At one point, one of the young women asks: "What in God's name have we done to deserve this?” They were unlucky enough to have been born into a Irish theocracy emboldened by the Catholic Church. The Magdalene asylums are now closed, but the system that spawned them is anything but extinct. To this day, various Christian, Jewish and Islamic fundamentalists continue to exalt men and subjugate women on account of their fear and hatred of female sexuality and freedom.

The Abortion Go Round 2011

2011-06-29T21:06:00.001-04:00

The Abortion-Go-Round - Reprint
January 22, 2003
Thirty years ago the case of Roe v Wade was decided, and abortion became legal in America.

It was a victory for the women of this country. America...a little behind the times as usual, but better late than never. Other countries had legal abortion. If an American woman could afford it, she could have an abortion done in safety, under sterile conditions, in a hospital or clinic outside of this country.

I have been listening to NPR today, and there has been a fair amount of coverage on the issue of abortion because there are demonstrations going on all over the country, both for and against legal abortion. Now why is all that so familiar? It's still the same old song after all these years. It should not be sung anymore, but it is, over and over again.

If you follow the commentaries at this site (refers to original site) with any diligence, you will know what my stance is regarding abortion. It's nobody's business except that of the people immediately involved.

IT'S NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!

That should be the stance of government.

Abortion may or may not be a moral issue for a woman contemplating having one. If it's a moral issue for a woman, it's her moral issue. She will deal with, cope with, or grapple with it. Not you.

THAT IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!

Government is not in place to guard morality. Morality itself can not be legislated, only the outward expression of morality, or alleged lack of it, can be legislated by laws that effectively suppress that outward expression.

Government is not in place to stick its nose into our private lives.

To be a true Liberal, you must recognize the rights of others even if it chokes you. NOTE: Since the term "Liberal" has become a dirty word, I will couch the phrase differently. In order to be "fair and balanced" in outlook, you must recognize the rights of others, even if it chokes you.

My personal belief is that we don't exist as individuals until we're born and breathing. Up to that point we're floating around like fish. The rights of the fetus are the rights of the woman who carries the fetus. If a fetus is harmed in, let's say an act of violence, the violence was directed toward the woman not the fetus. If the fetus does not survive the attack, but the woman does, it is absurd to bring a charge of manslaughter or murder against the assailant. Doing that imposes a religious belief on the legal system.

Self admittedly, I am unsentimental. I question the gushy diatribes regarding inherent motherly love. I think it's more a matter of falling in love with that cute squiggly little baby once it's there in your arms. I may be wrong. A woman in the grip of an unwanted pregnancy is not too likely to be feeling instant love for the fetus when she discovers to her dismay, that she is pregnant.

My mother said she grew fond of me as a result of a certain pity for my utter helplessness as I lay there squirming, howling, red as a beet, and scheming up ways to get things I wanted with minimal delay.

She may have been in a masochistic state of mind at the time, since she informed me eventually that: A- I never slept. B- I had the lungpower and vocal range of a hog caller.

But this isn't about motherly love, or cute babies. It's about death.

Prior to the legalization of abortion, women had abortions illegally, and therefore, dangerously. If the woman was caught after having had an abortion she was charged with committing a crime. (Usually she was turned in by the medical community because she needed help due to complications.) The police grilled her relentlessly, attempting to force her to divulge the name of the "fiend" who'd performed it. She could be jailed, fined, or both. She had broken the law.

She was spared no indignity. Treated as a criminal act, the story would be published in the newspapers, even in big cities such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, etc.

The well to do never had that problem. Their abortions were performed discretely by an abortionist or doctor of choice in America or elsewhere. They recovered in a day or so, and none were the wiser. For the wealthy (read connected) these things are always simple.

As always, the suffering was mercilessly meted out to the poor, and as usual, the defenseless.

The middle class, because they were not poor (this was true back in the good old days before Corporate America swallowed the worker for a snack), had the chance to resort to psychiatrists who declared them in mortal danger of killing themselves if they had to bear the child, and the magical legal/medical doors opened. It was a bit more complex, but usually it worked out for them.

A friendly doctor could claim the woman's life was in danger if she tried to have the child she was carrying, and once again, the magical doors opened. All it took was money. As the poor tend to rely on clinics, such "personal" attention was/is denied them.

The minimum wage in the year 1956 was 65 cents per hour. An abortion was in the area of $125.00 for a non-surgical procedure. More of course if it was a surgical (D&C) procedure. Much more.

At 65 cents an hour, the wage for a forty-hour week would be $26.00 before deductions. It would take over five weeks to save the money for a "cheap" abortion if the woman didn't spend a cent for anything else. She was supposed to live on air while trying to accumulate the money I guess.

Even with help, it was a lot of money for poor women to raise.

In 1961 you might have been able to get an abortion done for around $250.00 if you were lucky enough to find someone to perform a non-surgical procedure, but the average rate was around $400.00 to $500.00. They went as high as $2500.00.

There was an abortion ring in Mexico operating a clinic at that time. A woman was given anesthesia, had the abortion, stayed for a day or two, and returned home in great health.

This clinic charged $2500.00. There was just one problem about that place, and it had nothing to do with drinking the water.

The ring did not perform abortions. They did nothing at all. You were knocked out for a while, you woke up feeling terrific because you were healthy, you were happy, and you were going home free of pregnancy. Cute Huh?

Of course they got away with it. Who was going to tell? It was like getting ripped off for a big bag of dope...were you going to the police about it? Of course not.

The Means To An End

Way, way back in the good old days down on the farm, one method of self-induced abortion was to dip a turkey quill into turpentine or kerosene, insert the quill into the womb somehow, and hope you aborted. A quill has capillary action. It fills, as does a straw, when placed in fluid. And then there was that old standby, the knitting needle, or coat hanger. Anything a desperate woman or maybe the friend helping her could get into her womb. Women did help each other.

Desperate people do desperate things.

Feeling a little queasy?

On the slightly less violent side, there were scalding hot mustard baths, massive doses of quinine and gin, ergot of rye capsules, lifting injuriously heavy objects, ingesting turpentine by the teaspoonful poured over sugar, using powerful laxatives... Many of these were tried in conjunction with each other. None of these methods were especially safe.

As far as I know, during all the recent razzmatazz marking this thirtieth anniversary of Roe v Wade, not one mention was made of these grisly facts while discussing the pros and cons of legalized abortion.

Let us progress.

Some abortions were done by nurses. One had a chance at reasonable sterility with a nurse. Often a catheter was inserted into the womb, and left in place to act as an irritant that would cause a miscarriage, and expulsion of the fetus. A straightened clothes hanger was employed to give the catheter enough rigidity to pass through the cervix, and then the hanger was pulled out leaving the catheter (you hoped) in position. This was usually an overnight ordeal. You were in labor until it was over. If it worked.

There was also the method of having various fluids injected into the uterus. Chlorine bleach was one favored ingredient.

Then there was dilation and curettage, often done by a nurse, a medical student, a renegade doctor, or an old lady with dirty fingernails. Probably 90% of these were performed without the benefit of any anesthetic.

Doctors worked alone for the most part, with no one to monitor anesthesia administration. The other abortionists were in a hurry, and had no anesthesia. All of them expected you to lie there, hold still, and keep your mouth shut.

They were performed in doctor's offices in the middle of the night; in the homes of the women; in hotel rooms; in filthy slum apartments; in abandoned buildings...

They were done on floors with newspapers under the woman as a dubious concession to cleanliness; on kitchen tables; on filthy bare mattresses-no sheets that could be laundered for the sake of sanitation. The lucky ones were lying on a gynecological table with their feet in stirrups.

Women were held down or tied down, and at times blindfolded to protect the identity of the abortionist. Since silence was of the utmost importance some women were gagged, or had a hand held over their mouths. If there was a "helper" he or she dissolved into the mist as soon as it was over. Sometimes, if the woman was blindfolded, she had no idea of who actually performed the abortion. She might have contracted with a doctor, but was it a doctor?

Women died of perforated wombs, sepsis, severe blood loss, shock, and possibly, in the case of a weak heart let's say, of sheer terror and pain.

Their bodies were disposed of in dark hallways, cellars, dumpsters, on roofs, in alleys, into rivers, and wherever else one throws something that is of no value.

The women were left behind, or sent away as soon as the procedure was completed. If they were left where the abortion was performed, usually no one was there to see to them, to make sure they were all right. No one cared about them once it was done.

Many died right where they were. Alone. They died in an alley where they were dumped in the case of complications, or in their beds with their lives flowing like a river, out and away. They died in hospitals, and bus stations, train stations, in hotel rooms, in their cars trying to get home, or on the street where they fell.

Abortionists, like hookers, always got paid up front. They disappeared as soon as the job was done. The abortionists were protected by the women. Who else would help them if it happened to them again, or to a friend, or a relative?

WOMEN DIED. MANY, MANY WOMEN DIED.

Who is telling that part of it now?

Women have had abortions since time immemorial. They will have abortions whether they are legal or not. That cannot be stopped.

So what's better? To allow them a safe abortion, or to kill two birds with one slip of a hanger or curette, or knitting needle to satisfy the religious urge of a nation gone mad on the subject?

Again, the moral issue of abortion is a personal issue between the people involved and their god if they have one. It is not your business. It is not my business. Neither of us will pay the piper, nor go to hell for the actions of someone other than ourselves.

But we will pay the price extracted by our own unforgiving hearts that will not allow us to forget the terrible deed we will have done, if we consign women to the hell of illegal abortion again.

To be more specific, in the knowing of these realities I have spoken about here, we will be in hell every time we hear of a woman dying because of a dirty abortion.

Because we were silent.

Because we didn't tell the government to back off.

Because of some distorted ego, some almighty/divine attitude that tells some of us we know what's best for everyone.

Because this insanely distorted attitude allows us to demand the right to say no to women, no to their safety, no to their right of choice...through the edicts of this corrupt, draconian, hypocritical political administration presently in place.

Part Two

In The Afterglow of Victory

February 24, 2003
All these years later, after the legalization of abortion, I can't help but think about the innocence of women today who are of childbearing age. It is amazing in a sense to realize that women have enjoyed for so long, freedom from the danger of an abortion gone terribly wrong, or the consequences of having been "caught" by the police and being thrown into jail, that struggling with an unwanted pregnancy isn't a normal topic of conversation among them any more.

I was astonished to discover that the methods and means of aborting in the past were completely unknown to young women today. That's how far removed we are from the legal scourge of yesteryear. There was a time, especially during the '60's, when asking women you knew whether they knew any abortionists, was a completely natural thing.

There was an abortion information underground. Many women had a file of known abortionists containing data on what they charged, what method they used, whether they themselves, or a friend, had used that person, and how it went for them. They warned each other about the dirty ones, who'd leave you half dead, and the exceptional ones who did their best to insure you of a clean procedure. There were some good ones out there; finding them was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Today, I was talking to a friend who is in her thirties. I mentioned the previous article to her and for some reason I asked her if she had any idea of what having an abortion was like in the bad old days. She didn't have a clue. I mentioned a few details, and the expression of shock on her face told me something important.

Abortions of the past are a very carefully skirted issue in these times. The media, which could do so much to promote awareness of just how horrible things were then, is completely silent on the subject. And it comes as no surprise to me that as a result of this silence, how many young people are against legalized abortion today. The young men infuriate me most especially. What do they know? Absolutely nothing. The "Good Christian" model has probably never been nearer to a vagina than sitting beside their female family members on the couch. I think of them as the great unfucked.

When I hear one of those sanctimonious, wet behind the ears male virgins excoriating those who support the right to a legal abortion, all I can think is, that particular little know-it-all never had a sister, cousin, or friend go through the ordeal of an illegal, rather barbaric abortion that almost killed her, or that did kill her.

If that happened to any one of these youngsters, you'd see an abrupt about face regarding attitude. Not all of them would change their thinking of course, some would feel vindicated knowing the sinner had suffered so much, but I'd put my last dollar down that the majority of them would give the issue some damn serious thought, and probably stop being such judgmental little experts on the right and wrong of something they know nothing about.

We peaceful souls are against the death penalty, but if a person we loved was murdered, we'd cry for blood, at least in the beginning. It's human nature. All you need is for it to happen to you. That goes for almost anything.

It would be interesting to see how these young people today would handle watching a D&C performed with the woman fully conscious, trying to hold still, and keep quiet. It would be interesting to see how they would react to a woman dying of sepsis, or bleeding to death in front of them because of a perforated womb. Especially interesting if the woman or girl was someone they loved. Yes, very interesting indeed.

These young people today don't even realize there was no suction method back in the wonderful days of yore. The whole deal was a gritty, and very real-time horror show in its nature. It was furtive, terrifying, and totally risky. It was extremely difficult to get hooked up with someone who did abortions, and the paranoia of both parties justifiably saturated the atmosphere.

When Ronald Reagan was elected, I had only one comment. I said, "welcome back to the dark ages", and abortion was the thing I had on my mind.

It's taken the conservatives a long, long time to get into a position where the threat to make abortion a crime again is closer to reality, than simply being lip service. Some afterglow huh?

And one other thing: I wonder how it comes to pass that so many men are completely comfortable politicizing the wombs of women? Particularly "those" men, the so-called lawmakers of our society, the legislative body, now Republican in the majority.

I always think of Republicans as having been grown in test tubes. They're so fastidious (oh yeah?) I can scarce imagine them in the clutch of passion, tearing off a piece of ass. Allow me to state here, that if one of them got their girlfriend preggers, the very best abortionist would be available at the drop of a hat, legal or not (especially if he happened to have a wife tucked away at home).

And don't naively imagine for a moment that they don't have girlfriends.

I found a wonderful comment by Helen Forelle that sums things up so succinctly:

"If men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament."
Helen Forelle

Speculation now, horrible truth tomorrow?

2011-05-17T17:28:00.005-04:00

In keeping with my dim view, and lack of hope for a sane and just world, I present you with an article that was posted at a blog I found today. The blog is, El Sueno de Bolivar. It is written by Kevin Alvarez, who watches Latin America for the population that is too busy playing computer games and texting irrelevancies to equally disinterested parties.

This is the article:

Haitian President-elect Martelly to consider pardon for Dictator Duvalier

Last year Haiti suffered an earthquake that left hundreds of thousands dead, almost a million displaced, and left what was already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere in a worse state. This year, Haiti has suffered a political earthquake with the return of Dictator “Baby Doc” Duvalier and former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to the island nation. They arrived in the middle of Haiti’s presidential elections and many believed they would derail or alter the outcome of the elections. However, the elections proceeded and Michel Martelly was elected.

While on campaign, Martelly told reporters that he was more interested in preparing for Haiti’s future than dealing with its past. This was in reference to charges being brought against Duvalier for his time as dictator of the island nation. Many people were killed or disappeared during the reign of

Duvalier and he has returned to Haiti urging unity and a forgiveness of the past. Now whispers are again making their way through political circles in Haiti that Martelly will offer full amnesty to Duvalier in order to “turn the page” on Haiti’s history.

Haiti is a nation in which justice does not come easy. From the common rapist who lurks the tent cities to the officials who sell out the country’s resources and people, and now even its Dictators. Human Rights Watch has outlined a case for prosecuting crimes against Duvalier for the years of his repressive and oppressive government. However, it appears the reconciling Haiti’s past and pursuing justice will again be thrown under the bus in order to show Washington and the Western World that a “stable” government has taken over in Haiti and that the time is ripe for investment. Pitching that idea may prove difficult since Martelly has already made “revamping the military” one of the first objectives of his new government.

Despite the fact that Haiti’s civil societies and general population are the ones suffering the most from the aftermath of the earthquake we are still seeing the focus shifted away from them. Almost a million people still live in tents in Port-Au-Prince, why not make housing the focus? Violence and rape run rampant in the tent cities and some times MINUSTAH and Haitian officers are perpetrating that violence, why not empower communities to protect themselves? Haiti still has to import most of its food thanks to World Bank and IMF adjustment programs, why not rebuild Haiti’s infrastructure in order for the Haitian people to provide for themselves?

President-elect Martelly will not take office until May, and so there may yet be hope for a turning point for the Haitian people. Will we see someone who places the interests for foreigners above the well being of the Haitian people, or someone who risks his own position of power to do what’s right to provide the Haitian people with the dignity and respect they deserve?

My Source, El Sueno de Bolivar

Possible root which lends credibility to the article posted by Mr. Alvarez, and my fears.

What do we know about Haiti’s new president and his policies?
President-elect Martelly campaigned on a platform that called for change from both the political class and the policies that governed Haiti in the past. Martelly appealed to the country’s youth through celebrity, music and campaign rallies that were more like street parties than political forums. His supporters describe the president-elect as open minded and committed to a better future for Haitians.

During the campaign, Martelly called for improvements in educational opportunity, more available health care, better housing, and increased government services, but avoided providing specifics on how these goals would be accomplished. He also called for improved security through restoration of the Haitian army that was disbanded by then-President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Martelly’s call for restoring the army was seized upon by critics who noted that Haiti could ill afford the cost or the risk of recreating a military with a history of brutality and coups. Questions have also been raised about Martelly’s statement to a Canadian newspaper that he would consider an amnesty for former dictator Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier and President Aristide.

The Spoils of War: Afghanistan and Iraq

2011-05-04T22:30:00.007-04:00

These children are victims of the bombing of Afghanistan and Iraq. If they look dead, they are dead. It is not my intention to sugar coat this to make it palatable. I have lived with the memory of collecting this horrifying assortment depicting the ultimate result of violence meted out to the innocent. The impact they have on me is as brutal as it was on the day I found them. Don't ever wonder why I am so dedicatedly against war.

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Jeb Sprague on Stealth Duvalierism

2011-04-20T09:45:00.002-04:00

Here we are again boys and girls. Another piece of horror; well put together by Jeb Sprague, who has the credentials to write on Haiti like a native.

Jeb Sprague has a serious problem. He has a soul. It is impossible to think of him writing as he does about Haiti without writhing in spiritual pain. Journalist or not.

So, take your Xanax, ingest an antacid, light a candle and some incense for Buddha, and read this deeply disturbing piece of work.

Allow me to present, “Stealth Duvalierism”

A brief excerpt: “The real problem with Martelly, however, is not his perceived immorality, but his heinous political history and close affiliation with the reactionary “forces of darkness," as they are called in Haiti, which have snuffed out each genuine attempt Haitians have made over the past 20 years to elect a democratic government. Far from a champion of democracy, Martelly has been a cheerleader for, and perhaps even a participant in, bloody coups d'état and military rule.”

That ought to whet your appetite for truth, even if it does make you sick at heart, and in the stomach.

Link to source: http://jebsprague.blogspot.com/2010/12/stealth-duvalierism.html

Haiti candidate Martelly lost three S. Florida properties to foreclosure

2011-04-19T11:45:00.009-04:00

From the Miami Herald March, 7, 2011:
Remarks in brackets are those of The Red Wolf.
Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly has a list of liens and foreclosures in South Florida, which he says were the products of bad investments.

By Frances Robles
frobles@miamiherald.com

A long-time entertainer who is vying to become the next president of Haiti has defaulted on more than $1 million in loans and lost three South Florida properties to foreclosure in just over a year, public records show.

Among the houses Michel “Sweet Micky” Martelly ( the bullshit artist) lost was the 5-bedroom 6,000-square foot Royal Palm Beach home the singer shared with his wife and four children until he returned to Haiti in 2007.

Records show he and his wife Sophia bought the brand new two-story house on Wellington View Drive in the summer of 2005 for $910,000. They took out two loans, including one for $637,000, according to Palm Beach County records. Martelly stopped paying one of the mortgages’ $3,251 payment on Nov. 1, 2008, the files show.

The bank sued, Martelly and the trustee named on the records did not respond, and a judge ordered a foreclosure. The house was sold a month ago in a bank sale, and is now listed for sale for $500,000.

The house was among three properties Martelly purchased – including two in Broward County – that banks took back for lack of payment. Those lawsuits join liens from homeowner associations and a Broward County hospital, which sued the candidate for payment of a medical bill.

The issue of Martelly’s financial acumen will likely increase scrutiny of him him on the campaign trail, where he enjoys popular support among Haiti’s youth. Anonymous bloggers are spreading the word about the real estate deals and asking: “Why Michel Martelly is running for president of Haiti while facing deep financial problems in United States?”

Campaign spokesman Damian Merlo (the apologist) said the candidate was victim of a tanked economy and failed investments he did not manage personally. He denied that the singer ever lived in any of the houses, although in 2007 the Miami Herald visited Martelly twice at the unfurnished Royal Palm Beach home, which included a padded recording studio.

“I don’t think it’s related to his capability to manage investments or his capability as a successful businessman,” Merlo said. “Every successful businessman has transactions that are not as successful all the time. He is one of the most successful businessmen in Haiti and is hoping to transfer those skills as president of Haiti.”

But some analysts said the revelations could have an impact on Martelly’s campaign because not much is known about his management abilities.

“Haitian voters know little about Martelly and his track record in management of institutions, resources, and people — let alone a country —given his dearth of elected or otherwise political track record,” said Trinity University Prof. Robert Maguire, (the informed voice of reason) a longtime Haiti observer. “The next president of Haiti will be an instrumental force not just in leading Haiti beyond the aftermath of the earthquake to a future that addresses essential issues of poverty alleviation and economic growth, but also in managing relations with the international community which, in essence, finances Haiti’s future.

“If Martelly’s past track record of resource management is flawed, Haitian voters should know about it, and he should respond.”

Martelly moved to South Florida in the 1980s and tried his hand at construction. He ultimately became a kompa music star and had a regular gig on Ocean Drive in the 1990s. In 2007, he announced his retirement from the stage – and then stopped making payments on the real estate he had purchased.

Martelly bought the houses as investments, which soured when the real estate boom crashed, Merlo said. Asked whether Martelly walked away from the steep debt because he owed more than the houses were worth, Merlo said: “He could always pay.”

Merlo stressed that the investments were managed by Martelly advisor Natacha Magloire, (the fall guy/gal) an event promoter and licensed real estate agent.

That’s a weak defense from someone who seeks to be president, said mortgage foreclosure expert Shari Olefson, (another informed voice of reason) author of “Foreclosure Nation: Mortgaging the American Dream.”

“If his treasurer steals money when he’s president, will his defense be that he didn’t know, because it was the treasurer who did it? That’s not a leader,” Olefson said. “He obviously had no ethical qualms about walking away from promises he made to banks. If you break a promise three times, why honor any campaign promises made to the poor people in his country? This seems to be a guy who saw easy money and played the game along with the worst of them.”

The “more honorable” options when under water are to short sell or negotiate with the banks, she said.

“He’s the poster child of what you are not supposed to do,” Olefson said.

But veteran political consultant Armando Gutierrez, who has no connection to Martelly’s campaign, said lots of candidates have money problems.

“All he has to say is that he, like millions of other Americans, was a victim of the U.S. economy,” Gutierrez said. “A lot of people lose everything and then make it all back again.”

Records show it did not start out so bleak for Martelly and Magloire, the real estate advisor. They purchased a Brickell Avenue condo together in 2005 for $399,190, and sold it a year later for $715,000, according to Miami-Dade County records.

A second house he lost to foreclosure also leads back to Magloire. A Pembroke Pines home she purchased in 1998 changed hands several times between friends and family until the Martellys purchased it for $435,000 in February 2006, borrowing $348,000.

The last $1,848.75 mortgage payment was made March 2008, records show. Green Point Mortgage wanted its money, as did the community association. Another $16,868 in back taxes was due, too. Records show that when the bank sued, Magloire’s relatives Serge and Daniella Magloire were also named in the suit.

By Dec. 2009, the house was sold at a bank sale.

Three months later, a Wiles Road condo in Coral Springs Martelly paid $267,990 for also foreclosed. Purchased in Aug. 2007, it was in default within six months, because nobody made the $2,037 monthly payments.

“These were investments managed by Natacha Magloire; she was totally responsible for managing these. She was the one who advised him what properties to buy,” Merlo said, noting that bankruptcy has haunted the most successful of tycoons. “Even Donald Trump went into foreclosure. It doesn’t relate to running a country.”

This material is copyrighted by its original publisher. It is reprinted by Red Wolf Redux without permission, solely for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting, in accordance with the Fair Use Guidelines of copyright material under § 107 of U.S.C. Title 17.

Virtual hookup connects grieving Haitian father to Miami family

2011-04-17T20:11:00.005-04:00

A Haitian man tried and acquitted on terrorism charge is denied admittance into the United States to attend the funeral of his teenage son struck and killed by a vehicle on I-95.

BY JAY WEAVER AND JACQUELINE CHARLES
jcharles@MiamiHerald.com

PORT-AU-PRINCE – Lyglenson “Levi’’ Lemorin, sitting inside a Cyber Café Saturday, waited patiently for technology to connect him to the heartbreaking scene unfolding some 700 hundred miles away inside a Miami Liberty City church.

“You sitting next to my mother?’’ he asked, fighting back tears as he spoke to his 13-year-old daughter, Lauren, over a cell phone. “Stay strong, alright Baby? Baby, don’t cry.’’

Lauren and the rest of the Lemorin clan were grieving, crying not just for 15-year-old Lukenson “Lil Luke’’ Lemorin, killed on April 1 by a passing vehicle, but also for Lyglenson Lemorin.

A Haiti native who lived in Miami most of his life, the elder Lemorin, 36, has been on a painful odyssey since his arrest in June 2006 on terrorism charges, his acquittal, then his eventual deportation back to Haiti - country he left 24 years ago when he moved with his family to Miami.

Now, in the Port-au-Prince café, his grief is even more searing because he cannot physically be there with family members to mourn the death of his only son.

“There is no way my son would have been on the streets at 11:30 p.m.,’’ he said of his son, who, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, was struck by a vehicle as he and two cousins pushed their disabled car off I-95 into the median.

Lemorin was a member of the Miami-Dade group that became known as the Liberty City 7, who federal investigators charged in a highly publicized terrorism case accusing them of conspiring with al Qaeda to blow up Chicago’s Sears Tower and federal buildings in Miami. The indictment was built on a sting operation, with a government informant playing the role of an al Qaeda financier directed by the FBI.

The seven defendants, investigators say, took an oath to the terrorist group.

A Miami federal jury found that Lemorin had distanced himself from the group, which worked together in a stucco business and hung out in Liberty City.

On Jan. 20, Lemorin was among 27 Haitians sent back to that country, after U.S. immigration authorities resumed deportations. He was shipped out in the dark of night and arrived in an earthquake-ravaged country that was fighting off a deadly cholera epidemic. Having heard about the tents cities, he said, “I prayed to God I didn’t have to live in one.’’

On Friday, another 19 deportees arrived in Port-au-Prince amid protests from immigration activists.

“I am so sorry this happened to his son and to him,” Lemorin’s immigration lawyer Charles Kuck of Atlanta said. “His case is a classic example of government-assisted human tragedy."

Although Lemorin was acquitted, immigration authorities still deemed him a “national security” threat under the U.S. Patriot Act passed after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Now, he lives with the guilt over his son’s death, a son who went from a well-mannered kid to one in and out of juvenile detention center, and out late at night – a sign of defiance, Lemorin said, because he wasn’t there.

“I believe he acted up because I wasn’t around,’’ he said. “When he got arrested three times, I thought, ‘Does he actually think he’s going to end up the same place with me?’”

Since U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement denied his request to enter the United States to attend his son’s funeral, Lemorin was forced to view the Saturday service at Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church via Skype.

It took 55 minutes and multiple tries, but Lemorin was to finally connect to see images of the service where more than 200 mourners paid their respects to “Lil Luke,” whose body lay in a silver casket draped with white flowers. “Don’t show me inside the coffin,’’ he said as he heard his mother wailing in the background.

The virtual hookup with Lemorin in Port-au-Prince and mourners in Miami was organized by Michelle Karshan, Executive Director of Alternative Chance, a Haiti-based re-entry program for criminal deportees in Haiti.

In Miami, Debbie Carter, a California woman who has come to the aid of Lemorin and his co-defendants, carried a laptop around the church enabling Lemorin to connect with his wife, see the flowers and make out his son’s casket.

Lemorin’s family has been struggling to raise the estimated $10,000 to help defray the cost of his son’s funeral and burial. So far, they have raised about one-third of the money and are seeking donations from the public.

Meanwhile, Lemorin has been struggling to find meaning in his son’s death and the uncertain future he has been dealt in the country of his birth.

As for being able to attend the funeral – even through the Internet - Lemorin said he’s grateful.

“I got to hear my family,’’ he said.
Link to article: http://tinyurl.com/3vn6mr2

Miami Herald Staff Writer Kathleen McGrory contributed to this story.

This material is copyrighted by its original publisher. It is reprinted by Red Wolf Redux without permission, solely for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting, in accordance with the Fair Use Guidelines of copyright material under § 107 of U.S.C. Title 17.

Georgianne Nienaber on US troops in Haiti.

2011-04-13T19:26:00.001-04:00

This is a must read article. It is well written, and comments on the excessive external military presence in Haiti, where a day or so ago, President Elect Martelly, (though not yet sworn in) pointed out there is no war in Haiti. He also stated very distinctly, Haiti has its own army. To read Ms. Nienaber's excellent article, click on the link below.....wayyy below.
Thanks,
T.R.W.

Ralph Nader's Open Letter to President Obama

2011-04-12T10:02:00.005-04:00

"President Obama Treats Tax Dodging GE's Immelt Better than Consumer Protecting Elizabeth Warren"

TAKE NOTE:OUR PRESIDENT HAS BEEN ABDUCTED AND SPIRITED AWAY TO ANOTHER PLANET.

WHAT ELSE COULD EXPLAIN HIS ABANDONMENT OF THOSE LONG AGO PROMISES THAT GOT US TO EMBRACE HIM SO WHOLEHEARTEDLY, AND PUT HIM INTO OUR WHITE HOUSE?

YES, THE WHITE HOUSE IS OURS.

THE MAN YOU SEE GIVING AWAY THE FARM IS A ROBOTIC RINGER, NOT THE BARACK OBAMA WE ELECTED. OR, IS HE?

READ THE OPEN LETTER FROM RALPH NADER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA BY CLICKING THE LINK BELOW.

Source:
www.opednews.com

The Rude Pundit Once Again Reads My Mind

2009-12-29T05:33:00.004-05:00

Go get your valued toys reassessed by the rational. Be my guest.

China confirms Briton's execution, despite UK plea

2009-12-29T05:15:00.003-05:00

More "justice" Chinese style.

Dec 29, 3:35 AM (ET)

By NG HAN GUAN

URUMQI, China (AP) - China brushed aside international appeals Tuesday and executed a British drug smuggler whose relatives say was mentally unstable and unwittingly lured into crime.

Britain's prime minister quickly criticized the execution - China's first of a European citizen in nearly 60 years.

"I condemn the execution of Akmal Shaikh in the strongest terms, and am appalled and disappointed that our persistent requests for clemency have not been granted. I am particularly concerned that no mental health assessment was undertaken," Prime Minister Gordon Brown said in a statement issued by the Foreign Office.

The press office of the Xinjiang region where Shaikh had been held confirmed the execution in a faxed statement.

Shaikh, 53, first learned he was about to be executed Monday from his visiting cousins, who made a last-minute plea for his life. They say he is mentally unstable and was lured to China from a life on the street in Poland by men playing on his dreams to record a pop song for world peace.

Brown had spoken personally to China's prime minister about his case. Foreign Secretary David Miliband also condemned the execution and said there were unanswered questions about the trial.

"I also deeply regret the fact that our specific concerns about the individual in this case were not taken into consideration ... These included mental health issues, and inadequate professional interpretation during the trial," Miliband said in a statement.

China defended the case and criticized Brown's comments, saying drug smuggling was a serious crime.

"We express our strong dissatisfaction and opposition to the British accusation," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular news conference.

Jiang said she hoped the case did not harm bilateral relations, and called on London not to create any "obstacles" to better ties.

Shaikh was arrested in 2007 for carrying a suitcase with almost 9 pounds (4 kilograms) of heroin into China on a flight from Tajikistan. He told Chinese officials he didn't know about the drugs and that the suitcase wasn't his, according to Reprieve, a London-based prisoner advocacy group that is helping with his case.

He was convicted in 2008 after a half-hour trial.

The official Xinhua News Agency said Shaikh was put to death by lethal injection. China, which executes more people than any other country, is increasingly doing so by lethal injection, although some death sentences are still carried out by a shot in the head.

The Beijing-based lawyer for Shaikh's death sentence review, Zhang Qingsong, said Tuesday he never got to meet with Shaikh despite asking the judge and the detention center for access. He said China's highest court never evaluated Shaikh's mental status.

According to Reprieve, the last European executed in China was Antonio Riva, an Italian pilot who was shot by a firing squad in 1951 after being convicted of involvement in what China said was a plot to assassinate Mao Zedong and other high-ranking Communist officials.

"The death of Akmal Shaikh is a sad indictment of today's world, and particularly of China's legal system. ... We at Reprieve are sickened by what we have seen during our work on this case," said Sally Rowen, legal director of Reprieve's death penalty team.

Reprieve issued a statement from Shaikh's family members saying they expressed "their grief at the Chinese decision to refuse mercy."

---

Associated Press reporters Alexa Olesen and Cara Anna in Beijing contributed to this story.

The Rude One Speaks

2009-10-30T22:23:00.006-04:00

The Rude Pundit, one of my fave savages of all time, has this to say regarding that "hot button issue".

Can you guess what it is?

Oh, think real hard now honey, you'll get it.

What is it that's been giving the conserves a total hissy fit for as long as they could grunt?

And what has fueled their evil engines since they learned to piss, moan, and do their best to squelch anything that has to do with a woman's right to control her own life?

Whew, I didn't think it was going to take you THAT long. I thought you were smarter than that.

We must be rusty. But now chickadees, you've got it.

Let's say it loud, and say it in unison. Ready? Okay, here we go. 1 2 3

Legalized Abortion!

Excellent! Read the Rude One Here.

Pinch Me ...a message from Michael Moore

2008-11-05T21:14:00.004-05:00

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Friends,

Who among us is not at a loss for words? Tears pour out. Tears of joy. Tears of relief. A stunning, whopping landslide of hope in a time of deep despair.

In a nation that was founded on genocide and then built on the backs of slaves, it was an unexpected moment, shocking in its simplicity: Barack Obama, a good man, a black man, said he would bring change to Washington, and the majority of the country liked that idea. The racists were present throughout the campaign and in the voting booth. But they are no longer the majority, and we will see their flame of hate fizzle out in our lifetime.

There was another important "first" last night. Never before in our history has an avowed anti-war candidate been elected president during a time of war. I hope President-elect Obama remembers that as he considers expanding the war in Afghanistan. The faith we now have will be lost if he forgets the main issue on which he beat his fellow Dems in the primaries and then a great war hero in the general election: The people of America are tired of war. Sick and tired. And their voice was loud and clear yesterday.

It's been an inexcusable 44 years since a Democrat running for president has received even just 51% of the vote. That's because most Americans haven't really liked the Democrats. They see them as rarely having the guts to get the job done or stand up for the working people they say they support. Well, here's their chance. It has been handed to them, via the voting public, in the form of a man who is not a party hack, not a set-for-life Beltway bureaucrat. Will he now become one of them, or will he force them to be more like him? We pray for the latter.

But today we celebrate this triumph of decency over personal attack, of peace over war, of intelligence over a belief that Adam and Eve rode around on dinosaurs just 6,000 years ago. What will it be like to have a smart president? Science, banished for eight years, will return. Imagine supporting our country's greatest minds as they seek to cure illness, discover new forms of energy, and work to save the planet. I know, pinch me.

We may, just possibly, also see a time of refreshing openness, enlightenment and creativity. The arts and the artists will not be seen as the enemy. Perhaps art will be explored in order to discover the greater truths. When FDR was ushered in with his landslide in 1932, what followed was Frank Capra and Preston Sturgis, Woody Guthrie and John Steinbeck, Dorothea Lange and Orson Welles. All week long I have been inundated with media asking me, "gee, Mike, what will you do now that Bush is gone?" Are they kidding? What will it be like to work and create in an environment that nurtures and supports film and the arts, science and invention, and the freedom to be whatever you want to be? Watch a thousand flowers bloom! We've entered a new era, and if I could sum up our collective first thought of this new era, it is this: Anything Is Possible.

An African American has been elected President of the United States! Anything is possible! We can wrestle our economy out of the hands of the reckless rich and return it to the people. Anything is possible! Every citizen can be guaranteed health care. Anything is possible! We can stop melting the polar ice caps. Anything is possible! Those who have committed war crimes will be brought to justice. Anything is possible.

We really don't have much time. There is big work to do. But this is the week for all of us to revel in this great moment. Be humble about it. Do not treat the Republicans in your life the way they have treated you the past eight years. Show them the grace and goodness that Barack Obama exuded throughout the campaign. Though called every name in the book, he refused to lower himself to the gutter and sling the mud back. Can we follow his example? I know, it will be hard.

I want to thank everyone who gave of their time and resources to make this victory happen. It's been a long road, and huge damage has been done to this great country, not to mention to many of you who have lost your jobs, gone bankrupt from medical bills, or suffered through a loved one being shipped off to Iraq. We will now work to repair this damage, and it won't be easy.

But what a way to start! Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States. Wow. Seriously, wow.

Yours,
Michael Moore
MichaelMoore.com
MMFlint@aol.com

JOY IN THE MORNING

2008-11-05T05:33:00.008-05:00

YES!

Click image to enlarge.

For the first time since the voters concluded George Bush was fit to run the United States, I am proud to be an American. It certainly has been a long time in coming...the winds of change are stirring. Rise to the occasion sisters and brothers.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

Click image to enlarge.

Nude Buttocks May Cost ABC $1.4 Million

2008-01-26T10:55:00.000-05:00

Does a herd of half-asses equal a whole ass?

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Communications Commission has proposed a $1.4 million fine against 52 ABC Television Network stations over a 2003 broadcast of cop drama NYPD Blue.

The fine is for a scene where a boy surprises a woman as she prepares to take a shower. The scene depicted "multiple, close-up views" of the woman's "nude buttocks" according to an agency order issued late Friday.

ABC is owned by the Walt Disney Co. The fines were issued against 52 stations either owned by or affiliated with the network.

FCC's definition of indecent content requires that the broadcast "depicts or describes sexual or excretory activities" in a "patently offensive way" and is aired between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m.

The agency said the show was indecent because "it depicts sexual organs and excretory organs - specifically an adult woman's buttocks."

The agency rejected the network's argument that "the buttocks are not a sexual organ."

*************
Oh, F.C.C., you cheeky beggers, you've thrown me into a tizzy.

I am loath to display so much ignorance of human anatomy, but for all these years, I've been laboring under the delusion buttocks are to sit on.

I simply can't figure out how to excrete anything at all through my buttocks! Perhaps I am deformed.

Now since I know what they're for, what should I rest upon while seated? My laurels?

Jimmy Carter Faces Down Darfur Officials

2007-10-03T10:25:00.000-04:00

Oct 3, 9:51 AM (ET)

By ALFRED de MONTESQUIOU

KABKABIYA, Sudan (AP) - Former President Carter got in a shouting match Wednesday with Sudanese security services who blocked him from a town in Darfur where he was trying to meet with refugees from the ongoing conflict.

The 83-year-old Carter walked into this highly volatile pro-Sudanese government town to meet refugees too frightened to attend a scheduled meeting at a nearby compound. He was able to make it to a school where he met with one tribal representative and was preparing to go further into the town when Sudanese security officers stopped him.

"You can't go. It's not on the program!" the local security chief, who only gave his first name as Omar, yelled at Carter, who is in Darfur as part of a delegation of respected international figures known as "The Elders."

"We're going to anyway!" an angry Carter retorted as a crowd began to gather. "You don't have the power to stop me."

U.N. officials told Carter's entourage the Sudanese state police could bar his way. Carter's traveling companions, billionaire businessman Richard Branson and Graca Machel, the wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela, tried to ease his frustration and his Secret Service detail urged him to get into a car and leave.

"I'll tell President Bashir about this," Carter said, referring to Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Carter later agreed to a compromise by which tribal representatives would be brought to him at another location later Wednesday. But the refugee delegates never showed up.

The Darfur conflict began when ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Sudanese government, accusing it of decades of neglect. Sudan's government is accused of retaliating by unleashing a militia of Arab nomads known as the janjaweed - a charge it denies. More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in four years of violence.

Most refugees appeared too frightened to speak in Kabkabiya, a North Darfur town that has long been a stronghold of the pro-government janjaweed militia.

Branson said some refugees had slipped notes in his pockets. "We (are) still suffering from the war as our girls are being raped on a daily basis," read one of the notes, translated from Arabic, that Branson handed to The Associated Press.

The note said that on Sept. 26, a group of girls had been raped, and a refugee had also been shot two days ago. Branson said it had been handed over by an ethnic African man.

The visit by "The Elders," which is headed by Nobel Peace laureates Carter and Desmond Tutu, is largely a symbolic move by a host of respected figures to push all sides to make peace. Tutu visited a refugee camp in south Darfur, but the U..N. Mission in Sudan deemed it too dangerous for Carter to make a similar visit.

Carter instead flew to a World Food Program compound in Kabkabiya, where he was supposed to meet with refugees, many of whom were chased from their homes by pro-government janjaweed and Sudanese government forces.

But as the meeting was set to get under way, none of the nongovernment refugee representatives arrived, and Carter decided to walk out into the town to try to talk with them.

"We are in the security field. We're not that flexible," said the security chief, Omar, after the confrontation ended. He said Carter already breached security once by walking to the school and would not be allowed to breach security again.

"This illustrates the challenges that communities and humanitarian workers face in Darfur," said Orla Clinton, spokeswoman for the U.N. Mission in Sudan who witnessed the incident.

Carter later returned to the North Darfur capital of El Fasher and where he was planning to meet with community representatives later Wednesday.

"The Elders" delegation is trying to use their influence at a crucial time - with peace talks due to start in Libya and the deployment of a 26,000-strong hybrid African Union-U.N. peacekeeping force to begin later this month.

Tensions are running high after rebels overran an AU peacekeeping base in northern Darfur over the weekend, killing 10 in the deadliest attack on the beleaguered force since it arrived in the region three years ago.

Carter said he felt the trip was proving effective. He said al-Bashir told him this week that Sudan has committed $100 million to a fund for Darfur's reconstruction and another $200 million has been pledged by Chinese diplomatic allies.

Carter said the main goal of the three-day visit to Sudan was to seek guarantees for free and fair elections throughout the country in 2009. Observes fear the elections could be postponed and warn this would imperil the fragile peace in southern Sudan and worsen the conflict in Darfur.

The 2009 vote would be the first democratic election in Sudan since al-Bashir came to power in a military and Islamist coup in 1989. Carter said al-Bashir vowed to allow the election to take place during a private meeting between the two in Khartoum.

"If the CPA fails to fulfill its commitment to free and fair elections and democracy in this country, all other efforts will be futile," Carter said, referring to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended 21 years of civil war between the government and Christian and animist rebels in the south.

Report: Millions Wasted on Gov't Travel

2007-10-02T18:40:00.000-04:00

Does this come as any surprise?

Oct 2, 6:07 PM (ET)

By HOPE YEN

WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal employees wasted at least $146 million over a one-year period on business- and first-class airline tickets, in some cases simply because they felt entitled to the perk, congressional investigators say.

A draft report by the Government Accountability Office, obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press, is the first to examine compliance with travel rules across the federal government following reports of extensive abuse of premium-class travel by Pentagon and State Department employees.

The review of travel spending by more than a dozen agencies from July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, found 67 percent of premium-class travel by executives or their employees, worth at least $146 million, was unauthorized or otherwise unjustified.

Among the worst offenders: the State Department, whose employees typically fly abroad on official business.

Many of the cases involved high-ranking senior officials or political appointees who claimed exceptions to federal travel rules by citing old medical records or questionable approval from a subordinate employee.

Investigators found that senior officials often flew business- or first-class because they felt entitled to the perk.

The higher airfare for traveling in one of the premium classes resulted in expenses often five to 10 times more than what was authorized under government travel rules.

"With the serious fiscal challenges facing the federal government, agencies must maximize their ability to manage and safeguard valuable taxpayers' dollars," investigators wrote, suggesting agencies recoup the extra cost from those who abuse travel policies.

Under federal rules, government employees generally must fly coach for both domestic and international travel unless the flight takes 14 hours or longer. A few exceptions apply when the employee receives agency approval based on a medical condition, security concerns, lack of availability of coach seats or when required "because of agency mission."

Government investigators found that employees openly flouted the rules and agencies did little to check their abuses. Among the waste cited:

_An Agriculture Department executive took 25 premium-class flights costing $163,000 and said the extra expense had been authorized by a subordinate. In 10 of those trips, the traveler claimed exceptional circumstances to justify the pricier travel to western Europe, even though agency policy forbids premium-class travel unless the flight time is longer than 14 hours.

_Thirty-two State Department employees flew from Washington to Liberia in premium class over a six-month period. Five of those travelers did not have authorization for premium class; three had duplicate tickets and no evidence that the duplicates were refunded; and 17 were not properly justified, as their trips did not meet the 14-hour rule. These flights cost $293,000 and comparable coach-class tickets would have cost $124,000 - a difference of $169,000.

_At the Pentagon, a political appointee took 15 premium-class flights and cited a medical condition as justification for the $105,000 in expenses. However, the only evidence of a medical condition was a note signed by a fellow Pentagon employee, not a physician, attesting to surgery from several years earlier. The Pentagon did not have a doctor's certification from the employee as required by agency policy.

_Nine Justice Department employees charged the agency $35,000 for premium-class air tickets to Frankfurt, Germany, claiming the flight time was over 14 hours. Investigators found the employees added a separate flight to their calculations to reach the 14-hour total, a practice not allowed under government travel rules. Also, two of the flights were not authorized.

The GAO, Congress' investigative and auditing arm, said it was referring all cases it found of improper and abusive travel to the respective agencies and inspector general's offices for possible administrative action and repayment of the difference between premium-class and coach-class travel.

The report comes as some lawmakers are pressing to strengthen government sunshine laws by requiring agency disclosure of business-class travel to Congress. Currently, business-class travel accounts for 96 percent of the premium travel claimed by federal employees.

"No one disputes the fact that government officials need to travel, as not all work can be done behind a desk. Nor should all premium-class travel be eliminated. But the rules are there for a reason and the federal government should enforce them," said Sen. Norm Coleman, R-Minn.

Coleman noted that after a 2003 GAO report uncovered abuses in Pentagon travel, the department tightened policies and has since dramatically reduced its use of premium travel.

"We simply need the necessary oversight mechanisms in place to ensure that taxpayers' dollars are spent properly," he said.

The latest GAO report noted that several government entities are not subject to government rules on premium-class travel - among them, the U.S. Postal Service, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. - opening up more opportunities for unnecessary waste.

Those entities often allow members of their board of governors to travel business or first class for shorter flights overseas and sometimes domestically. In one case, a deputy director of FDIC flew business class from Washington to London and back at a cost of $7,200, while a coach- class ticket would have cost $800.

My my, what a long time it's been...

2007-09-25T21:38:00.000-04:00

Aw, you know how it is, it flies when you're having fun.

Fun these days consists of the acquisition of toys varying in price from pennies to dimes. Latest toy: a nice external hard drive. What more could a girl want? Maybe two external hard drives.

So, when something is new you try to destroy it with over-use as the implement. Enter...transferring files.

In the process of moving files, one does catch up with a lot of total junk and razzmatazz. Some good dirty pictures too. The one of Minnie with her boobs over Ashcroft's shoulder being a particular favorite.

Ashcroft who?

Yeah...lots of flotsam over the dam. A few nasty dead guys, and some time to reflect.

Here then is an old letter to friends right after a fateful event:

A Howl, Not the Last

My friends,

I have received a couple of queries as to whether I have fallen upon my dagger, or slipped into a hot tub with a glass of hemlock tea and a single edge razor blade. Or thoughts to that effect.

No. Resoundingly, NO.

What I am at this point is angry. Better that than tears any day. We, the Democrat voters fought a good fight, but not good enough. Politics is like sex. Nice and gentle is alright, but harder, harder, faster, faster gets you to the howling point.

When did anyone ever fight in the trenches, and keep his nails clean?

The right-wing is filthy, and playing the game by the rules when you're the only one that does...well that's just plain stupid.

John Kerry has me pissed off bigtime because there will always be a doubt about Ohio in my mind. I think some investigation should have been demanded. I also feel his conceding so quickly, against the advice of his running mate, was a terrible blunder. He looks weak now, and that's another bouquet of roses we handed the King of Chaos.

Bush can now do what he wants to do. He's a lame duck that can, and probably will, shoot bullets.

Rehnquist is half dead, the majority of the Justices are so old they creak, and 3-4 new Justices will be selected by a religious fanatic with a very odd take on morality.

All the arguments have been made...why go on?

There is a reason. WE AIN'T DEAD YET! There are many elections at the local level that will take place in the next four years. VOTE. Don't roll over now, and don't fall asleep at the thought of politics. They run your life.

Start giving very serious thought to future candidates at any level. Look for the most progressive ones and do what you can to further their aims.

Frankly, what some say about the Democratic Party is too true. It is old, weak, conciliatory, right leaning, and generally indistinguishable from the GOP.

Watch Barack Obama. Learn from that fine man. And let's make the initials GOP stand for Grand Old Prat-fall in the coming years.

Screw them. And this time, fight dirty, just like they do.

"This time" is coming faster than you think. In 2006 Rick Santorum will be running for re-election. He wants to be Pope. Those of us here in PA have to "just say no". I have no doubt he would love to run for prez some day. 'Round about now, you should be saying something expressive like, ewwww.

I leave you with that thought.

For those who had the sensitivity to ask, I thank you. I am fine. Really pissed off, and that's fine too.

Wolf
Thursday, November 04, 2004 3:55 PM

Well, I think it's interesting....

Cheney, Bush, and Gonzo

2007-03-24T12:26:00.000-04:00

In keeping with my credo, "Good Taste At Any Cost", I present three men with no lips. This may or may not affect their ability to taste good things, but assuredly, it doesn't affect their ability to behave tastelessly.

Click image for enlargement, to see what small really means.

Elizabeth Edwards

2007-03-22T13:31:00.000-04:00

I am saddened to hear of Mrs. Edwards's medical report diagnosing her condition as being a return of the cancer she had been treated for.

I send my best wishes to the Edwards family, and my hope that somehow Mrs. Edwards triumphs over this disease, in spite of the odds.

Good luck Mrs. Edwards. My thoughts will be with you.

Oh Ji Ho and the Korean Caste System

2007-01-24T12:37:00.000-05:00

Note: Oh Ji Ho is a Korean actor who has recently achieved much deserved acclaim in his country for his role in a TV romantic comedy/drama titled, Fantasy Couple, or at times referred to as Couple of Fantasy.

Asian movies and dramas have a certain liquidity when it comes to titles, an aspect that can be both frustrating and amusing.

I am a hard core fan of Oh Ji Ho's, so, when the news broke in The Korean Times, that his woman friend had committed suicide, I was horrified at the tone of the article by staff reporter,Chung Ah-young, and the often ugly response of the Korean public.

In the blogs that I publish having to do with Asian film/drama, I do not post the link to the article. It has already achieved it's purpose in slandering a newly, and vastly popular actor, who has been working hard at his craft for more than the seven years the author, Chung Ah-young, cedits him with.
Link to the article.

Here then, is a take on...
Oh Ji Ho and the Korean Caste System

"Judging from the many hits I’ve had here at the site, I feel it safe to assume the word about Oh Ji Ho’s lady friend committing suicide has hit the fan, and everyone wants to hear all about it.

"I probably know as much about it as you do, but do you know…?

"Korea has a distinct caste system, although they are loath to call it that. Instead they excuse it by calling it tradition. I have despised it since I became aware of it, and I don’t excuse it on any grounds.

"There was an amusing piece about K-Dramas posted at K-PopVideo recently. I thought it was pretty funny and close to the bone, so I posted it at The Hyacinth Papers.

"Yes, it’s funny, but, there is something unfunny about the nasty truth it reveals.

"Exerpts:
8. When someone hits a subordinate, it is always on the head, and most often across the back of the head.

"My note: why feel so free to hit a subordinate?

9. The wealthy have contempt for those without, and those on the lower rungs kiss the feet of their superiors. Korean society treats the wealthy and the poor completely differently.

"This applies to those public figures that have achieved fame also. And it is a very powerful force in the culture of Korea, and within families where the bludgeon of guilt is useful.

"If a family doesn’t want a son or daughter to marry someone they don’t feel fits their idea of ‘correct’ in terms of status, for one thing, the marriage is almost impossible to achieve. (See My Lovely Km, Sam-soon for the perfect example, or if you can stomach it, see Memories of Bali, an unfunny terrible story of family, business, and propriety according to the omnipotent parents who lean on custom like a crutch, and wield it like a club, in order to control, and incidentally destroy, their younger son who loves a ‘common’ girl. Nobody wins in that one.

"Oh Ji Ho is a victim of this societal structure, this caste system. He is a Korean. He was raised with the customs, and has evidently buckled under their weight. You have to have seen Memories of Bali to appreciate just how intense that weight can be. It is The Irresistible Force.

"You have no doubt seen the news coverage regarding Oh Ji Ho. In a sense, it makes him look so guilty because he lied.

"Guilty of what? Self protection?

"Yes, he did not tell all when the news first leaked out. His career is in jeopardy now, and in fact it may already be in ruins because this unhappy woman killed herself, and initially he denied being involved with her.

"According to some articles I’ve come upon in a very conservative online version of the news(The Korea Herald), suicide has become almost a national pastime. I just typed the words korea suicides into Google, and got 1, 800,000 entries to choose from. It seems to have become the awful solution for so many woes.

"When I view this situation in that light I see it from a perspective that is very saddening, but also more understandable. I have trouble with Oh Ji Ho’s denial, but I also have a real problem regarding doubtless extreme blame that will be launched at him from so many sides.

"The bottom line is this though: This young woman made a choice. She took her own life. She was not murdered. She killed herself.

"I am not romantic enough to believe that love is something you kill yourself over.

"In my country, it would be viewed as a tragedy for all involved, definitely including Oh Ji Ho. He would be supported by those who care about him. He would very likely not be dumped alongside a cliff because he has become a financial liability. Actually, here he would not become one. We are not as a nation, so full of self-righteousness.

"He will feel guilt for the rest of his life because the culture has failed him as it has so many others. It has formed him; it has overburdened him with obligations to a skewed societal structure. The woman was a bar hostess. So what? If he loved her here, they'd be left alone to live their lives and flourish. That's called Democracy.

"The Korean culture creates people who are driven to be successful from the first minute they enter school. They are obligated the second they are born. Bucking up against the parental, scholastic, employer related, public related wall of demanded obedience to that society is to crash and burn.

"It will be easy for some to say things about him that are damaging to him because they have an image of this man that is not accurate in the least. It is a dream.

"He is imagined to be a hero of some sort. He is imagined to be a great lover. He is fantasized about as the rescuer who will ride in and take many women away from their drab lives. He is envisioned as a prospective husband to thousands of wishers.

"He is none of these things.

"He is human. He has his failures and flaws of personality. He has weakness and fear within himself. He is, simply put, just like me. And if you are honest with yourself, just like you too.

"I will continue to support him, and I will continue to give all my heart over to understanding the entire thing with clarity, and good judgment.

"There is a song sung by Tom Rush from a long time ago. One line always stands out in my mind. It is, “Don’t confront me with my failures, I’ve not forgotten them.” Right.

"And just before you say, “I would never have done what he did”, remember this: never is a long time, and you don’t know what’s around the corner."

Hyacinth
Posted at the Oh Ji Ho website.

If you wish to support Mr. Oh as an actor with a right to continue his career in peace, and hopefully, prosperity, you are requested to send cards or short notes of encouragement to Mr. Oh. See the site dedicated to him for details.

Michael J. Sakara, one of an endangered species.

2006-12-13T20:04:00.000-05:00

Michael Sakara was my friend. We lived a couple of blocks apart in New York City. We met in 1969 around the time my mother was dying. The circumstances of our meeting were awkward and highly charged. They are not relevant to anything that will follow here.

In time, after we met, we had a few conversations, and found ourselves liking each other a lot in spite of a rocky beginning. We became friends. I became one of a group of his friends that would get together, usually at his place, for a few drinks and conversation. I enjoyed his other friends, and we became a circle of sorts. My feelings for Michael deepened, as his did for me. We talked on the phone a couple of times a week at least, and got together very often. We were only a sneeze apart.

His other friends were all far above me in education, and mostly in economic status also. I may have actually been the least solvent of the group. They were mainly involved in the arts. Music, theatre, writing…. They were fascinating, warm, accomplished individuals.

I met an opera singer there, who has since become well known. I will not name her because I would prefer to have her permission to do so. But I’ve heard her sing on recordings, and she sang for us once while another friend, Stewart, played the piano. Michael’s shiny black grand piano sat at the end of the living room in front of large windows. It was a beautiful scene, with her singing against a backdrop of New York lights and big potted plants.

I liked all those people. They were so intelligent, clever and funny, and they accepted me immediately as one of them. It was a new experience for me, being at the center of that much intellectual energy and wit.

So many years later, I am finally aware that I had some talents myself, even at that fledgling level of my development. One of his very close friends, a composer(this man is well known in the field of music, and again I don’t have permission to name him, so I can’t for the sake of his privacy) set a poem I'd written to a piece of his music, another, a writer, sat in my apartment one night reading my poetry, brutalizing it, but found the pieces he felt were good, and told me why they were. Today I think I love him for it. His name was Tom.

Michael was aware of my ugly-duckling, un-dated, un-courted existence of the time, and began taking me to dinner often, always picking up the tab. We would dress up, and go. It would be like a date, and it made me feel happy. I was in mourning for my mother, and he understood that I needed some cheering up, some getting out and away from it all.

We spent so many days, and even nights together, when I’d fall asleep on his sofa, because we had talked until we were nearly unconscious.

We played chess. I never won. I’m not a player, but it was such an elegant game, and Michael was an elegant man. It was a classy thing to do together. I loved it. He never criticized me for playing poorly.

Michael loved good food.

The first time I ate escargot, it was with Michael. He gave me one to try, and I loved it. The first time I ate frog’s legs, it was with Michael, I tasted his. The first time I had Banana Flambé it was with Michael. My first glass of Cointreau…. There were so many sophisticated adventures between us. I felt as though I were being groomed in a sense.

He gave me good wine, and we smoked good grass together. We listened to good music, and I learned to become me. He was the only person I knew who would lie down on the floor wearing headphones to hear music, while feeling the vibrations of it through his body. I got a pair of headphones as a gift eventually, and almost always listened while feeling the music through the floor. Michael taught me about good electronic equipment, and to this day I buy the best I can afford. He showed me quality in places I wasn’t aware of before knowing him.

It was with Michael that I took my first hit of mescaline, and he pulled me across the divide toward recognition that I was in fact, safe and sane in his arms in spite of my terror of the moment. He held me until I got back to the world uninhabited by nightmare visions. I have never regretted that first hit. We both learned that I would do better on a half tab, and hysteria never devoured me again when I was tripping. I almost always did it with him. When I was alone, it was never fun. Together, the world was hilarious, music was something divine, and introspection was sacred.

No matter what the attitude of these times may be, and no matter how comfortably I might be viewed with distaste for my drug ventures, I will challenge any critic to reach the places of deep understanding I reached when under the “influence”.

I would never have gone there without Michael being my guardian and guide. I will always be happy that I went on those mind journeys with my friend.

I will also always remember the sun rising across the water as we rode the Staten Island Ferry back home to The City during my first trip, as the drug’s effect wore off. I will always remember the flowers I bought at a sidewalk stand, and carried with me, just to look at the color of them all through the night. I will always remember the early breakfast at The Brasserie on 53rd St. as we made our way back to so-called real life. I can taste the coffee, I can hear our laughter at the night we’d passed as strange wanderers, and I can see his smile…. He had a cheerful absolute smile.

Michael was murdered in July of 1993. I found out about it during one of my searches on the web, looking for lost friends. He was cut into seven pieces after he was eviscerated. He was left here and there in plastic trash bags. He was thrown away.

I discovered it just a couple of hours ago, and I am going mad from it.

Writing this isn’t about me and this terrible grief that is eating my heart. It’s about Michael, and maybe someone you love.

Michael died because he was gay. It’s just that simple. He was gay. He loved men instead of women.

But he loved me, and I’m a woman. I was his friend. He loved his sister, and I suppose his mother, and I know he loved the women friends of the little charmed circle.

He could be difficult, who can’t? But he was a giving friend, and a kind one, and he could be very comforting to a newly orphaned 29 year old. He had great beauty within, and he shared all the good things about himself. He was often the center of a group, but it was always okay that he be so.

Years after I left New York, I spoke with him. I called him out of the blue. My marriage had fallen into ashes, and I was moving to a new place. I bought a small dwelling for myself, and wanted to tell him. He was sorry about my marriage, but very happy for me about my new home.

Things didn’t go too well for me right after that, and there were many economic woes and close calls to deal with, and everyone from yesterday faded in the face of new disasters.

When I finally got a computer in 2000, I discovered eventually that I could find people on the web, but his number wasn’t listed anymore. He had moved away it seemed. I’d tried to call but the phone was disconnected. I figured he’d been gone too long for a forwarding intercept. So I kept trying the Internet.

I never quit looking, but I didn’t do it obsessively. Every couple of years I’d search for one friend or another. Search engines weren’t what they are today, and today I got a taste of high technological excellence when Google dropped two old New York Times articles from the sky into my brain.

When I searched this time, I just typed in Michael Sakara, no initial, and there they were…two articles about the murdered Michael J. Sakara. I knew there was no mistake in identity. It was him.

And now my bookmarks contain a lot of things about it that I can’t deal with at the moment.

When the righteous among us revile gay people it makes my stomach turn to a bile filled sack. Who are they to judge anyone else? I hope I don’t hear any anti-gay rhetoric from anyone soon, because I’m liable to become very vehement and vicious, and maybe even physically unwise. This would serve no purpose whatsoever.

My friend will never call to invite me to dinner again, or to rove the midnight streets just looking in store windows. The family he left behind will feel his absence at the holidays, and on his birthday, and on the anniversary of his death, and every time they recall something he said that was funny, or kind, or even hateful. If he left a lover behind, that man will always feel the pain.

When we love deeply, I think it tends to stay with us in one way or another until we die. And there’s always a time that comes when the light is a certain color, or a breeze touches you with a familiar scent that evokes a shade of melancholy, and we mourn for a moment for the lost loves…child, sibling, parent, grand-parent, uncle or aunt…spouse, lover…friend….

Michael, I know I hurt you a long time ago. I was too dense to ever tell you how much it bothered me. So I want to say here, I am so sorry my friend.

If you, the reader have a gay person in your life, please be aware that they are always in potential danger because lunatics prey on them the same way they prey on children, or defenseless women.

They beat. They rape. They hack. They slash. They shoot. They pulverize. They drown. They dismember. They torture. They do it all, and they are out there in the guise of the respectable. The man who murdered Michael was a surgical nurse for many years at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York. He was working there when he killed Michael.

Yes, a very respectable man, just having a drink in a quiet gay bar, just having a conversation with another man he didn’t know. Just a serial killer who cut my friend up and threw him away like garbage. My friend was not garbage; he was a human being of worth.

The murder, Richard W. Rogers, got life in prison. If he’s still living, I hope he suffers every single day of his miserable existence, and if he ever gets out, as they often do, it would be nice to imagine a fate of an ugly unexpected nature awaited him. But I am not such a dreamer. All I can do is curse him in my razor sharp rage, and call hell down on him. He’s getting old now, if he’s still alive. I can’t find anything that indicates he isn’t. He’s an old murderer.

I am a newly minted mourner. If my hatred can reach into his heart like an ice pick, I send it his way.

Ahhhhh...

2006-11-08T16:02:00.000-05:00

Fresh air.

I feel so much better now.

Pissed off Prez

2006-09-15T22:11:00.000-04:00

President George W. Bush arrives for a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House, in Washington, Friday, Sept. 15, 2006. Bush pushed back at dissenting Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee and renewed his call for legislation to interrogate and prosecute terrorism suspects. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Bush responds to dissent among Senate Republicans during a news conference in the Rose Garden at the White House, in Washington, Friday, Sept. 15, 2006. Facing a GOP revolt in the Senate, President Bush urged Congress on Friday to join in backing legislation to spell out strategies for interrogating and trying terror suspects, saying "the enemy wants to attack us again." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

President Bush pauses during a Rose Garden news conference, Friday, Sept. 15, 2006,where he confronted a Republican rebellion in the Senate over tough anti-terror legislation led by Sen. John Warner (R-Va), Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

President Bush urged Congress on Friday to join in backing legislation to spell out strategies for interrogating and trying terror suspects, during a news conference at the White House, in Washington, Friday, Sept. 15, 2006. "Time is running out," Bush said in a Rose Garden news conference. "Congress needs to act wisely and promptly." (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Senate Panel Defies Bush on Terror

2006-09-15T03:46:00.000-04:00

Sep 15, 2:59 AM (ET)

By ANNE PLUMMER FLAHERTY

WASHINGTON (AP) - A rebellious Senate committee defied President Bush on Thursday and approved terror-detainee legislation he has vowed to block, deepening Republican conflict over terrorism and national security in the middle of the election season.

Republican Sen. John Warner of Virginia, normally a Bush supporter, pushed the measure through his Armed Services Committee by a 15-9 vote, with Warner and three other GOP lawmakers joining Democrats. The vote set the stage for a showdown on the Senate floor as early as next week.

In an embarrassment to the White House, Colin Powell - Bush's first secretary of state - announced his opposition to his old boss' plan, saying it would hurt the country. Powell's successor, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, jumped to the president's defense in a letter of her own. (Naturally. What else does a good handmaiden do? Appended by Redwolf)

President Bush is greeted by former Secretary of State Colin Powell before making remarks at the Initiative for Global Developments 2006 National Summit in a Thursday, June 15, 2006 file photo in Washington. Former Secretary of State Powell endorsed efforts to block President Bush's plan to authorize harsh interrogations of terror suspects Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006, even as Bush lobbied personally for it Thursday on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

All this played out after Bush started his day by journeying to the Capitol to try nailing down support for his own version of the legislation - and by issuing a threat to the maverick Republicans.

"I will resist any bill that does not enable this program to go forward with legal clarity," Bush said at the White House.

The president's measure would go further than the Senate package in allowing classified evidence to be withheld from defendants in terror trials, using coerced testimony and protecting CIA and other U.S. interrogators against prosecution for using methods that may violate the Geneva Conventions.

"The world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism," Powell, a retired general who is also a former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote in his letter.

Powell said Bush's bill, by redefining the kind of treatment the Geneva Conventions allow, "would add to those doubts. Furthermore, it would put our own troops at risk."

Firing back, White House spokesman Tony Snow said Powell was "confused" about the White House plan. Later, Snow said he probably shouldn't have used that word.

"I know that Colin Powell wants to beat the terrorists, too," he said.

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow reacts to questions during his daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006, about former Secretary of State Colin Powell's endorsement of efforts to block President Bush's plan to authorize harsh interrogations of terror suspects. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)

The administration also produced its own letter from Rice. She wrote that narrowing the standards for detainee treatment as Bush has proposed "would add meaningful definition and clarification to vague terms in the treaties."

In addition, CIA Director Michael Hayden wrote a letter to his employees saying he has asked Congress "to help define our responsibilities so that we and the Department of Justice can judge the appropriateness of any procedures we would propose to use" whle questioning terrorism suspects. He said Bush's bill did that.

In the committee vote, Warner was supported by GOP Sens. McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine. Warner, McCain and Graham had been the most active senators opposing Bush's plan. The vote by the moderate Collins underscored that there might be broad enough GOP support to successfully take on Bush on the floor of the Republican-run Senate.

As the battle mushrooms, it threatens to undermine campaign season assertions by the administration that it has shown a steady hand on security matters and that Republicans should be trusted over Democrats on such issues.

Bush still has many congressional allies, including House and Senate leaders and conservatives, who want to align themselves with the president's tough stance on interrogation and prosecution. The House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday passed a bill that supports the administration's position by 52-8.

But that support is not universal. Rep. Steve Buyer, R-Ind., said he told Bush during the president's visit that he should heed the military's top uniformed lawyers, who have previously opposed some provisions of the president's plan.

Buyer and other Republicans are expected to align themselves with McCain, who spent more than five years as a prisoner of war during Vietnam. Last year, he overcame Bush's objections to pass legislation banning cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of detainees.

Leaving his closed-door meeting with the House GOP caucus, Bush said he would "continue to work with members of the Congress to get good legislation." He complimented a House bill but did not mention the Senate version.

"I reminded them that the most important job of government is to protect the homeland," he said. Bush was accompanied by Vice President Dick Cheney and White House political adviser Karl Rove.

The White House also released a letter to lawmakers signed by the military's top uniformed lawyers. Saying they wanted to clarify past testimony on Capitol Hill in which they opposed the administration's plan, the lawyers wrote that they "do not object" to sections of Bush's proposal for the treatment of detainees.

Two congressional aides who favor McCain's plan said the military lawyers signed that letter after refusing to endorse an earlier one offered by the Pentagon's general counsel, William Haynes, that expressed more forceful support for Bush's plan.

The aides spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Asked if Haynes had encouraged them to write the letter, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said, "Not that I'm aware of."

Another Bush bill would give legal status to the administration's warrantless wiretapping program. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill on a party-line vote Wednesday, but it is stalled in the House amid opposition from Democrats and some Republicans concerned that the program violates civil liberties.
During his daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow responds to a reporters question about former Secretary of State Colin Powell's endorsement of efforts to block President Bush's plan to authorize harsh interrogations of terror suspects. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
_

Associated Press writers Robert Burns and Katherine Shrader contributed to this report.

IAEA: U.S. Report on Iran 'Dishonest'

2006-09-15T03:24:00.000-04:00

IAEA: U.S. Report on Iran 'Dishonest'

Sep 15, 2:56 AM (ET)

By GEORGE JAHN

VIENNA, Austria (AP) - A recent House of Representatives committee report on Iran's nuclear capability is "outrageous and dishonest" in trying to make a case that Tehran's program is geared toward making weapons, a senior official of the U.N. nuclear watchdog has said.

The letter, obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday outside a 35-nation board meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says the report is false in saying Iran is making weapons-grade uranium at an experimental enrichment site, when it has in fact produced material only in small quantities that is far below the level that can be used in nuclear arms.

The letter, which was first reported on by The Washington Post, also says the report erroneously says that IAEA chief Mohamed ElBaradei removed a senior nuclear inspector from the team investigating Iran's nuclear program "for concluding that the purpose of Iran's nuclear program is to construct weapons."

In fact, the inspector was sidelined on Tehran's request, and the Islamic republic had a right to ask for a replacement under agreements that govern all states relationships with the agency, said the letter, calling the report's version "incorrect and misleading."

"In addition," says the letter, "the report contains an outrageous and dishonest suggestion that such removal might have been for 'not having adhered to an unstated IAEA policy barring IAEA officials from telling the whole truth about the Iranian nuclear program.'"

Dated Aug. 12, the letter was addressed to Rep. Peter Hoekstra, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. It was signed by Vilmos Cserveny, a senior director of the Vienna-based agency.

An IAEA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the letter, said it was written "to set the record straight."

Jamal Ware, a spokesman for the House committee, confirmed they had received the letter and said the chairman had referred it to Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., and Rep. Rush Hold, D-N.J. They will review it and issue a formal response if necessary, he said.

"All IAEA complains about is a photo caption. If you read the report, it's very clear that what it is saying is that Iran is working to develop the capability to enrich uranium to weapons grade, not that they have done so," Ware said. "They use a string of adjectives, while not pointing to any substantive criticism of the report. There are areas where we would disagree with them. A disagreement does not make what we say erroneous."

The dispute was reminiscent of the clashes between the IAEA and Washington over whether Saddam Hussein was trying to make weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms. American arguments that Saddam had such covert arms programs were given as the chief reason for invading Iraq and toppling Saddam.

ElBaradei's criticism of the U.S. standpoint on Iraq and subsequent perceptions that he was soft on Iran in his staff's investigation of suspicions Tehran's nuclear activities may be a cover for a weapons program led to a failed attempt last year by Washington to prevent his re-election.

Take Our Country Back!

2006-09-13T18:24:00.000-04:00

Don't Let Osama bin Laden Tell You How To Vote.

Dump the Republican fearmongers.

Living in Republican Hell is getting pretty damn old.

Let's get real again.

The Abortion-Go-Round - Reprint

2006-01-01T19:39:00.000-05:00

January 22, 2003
Thirty years ago the case of Roe v Wade was decided, and abortion became legal in America.

It was a victory for the women of this country. America...a little behind the times as usual, but better late than never. Other countries had legal abortion. If an American woman could afford it, she could have an abortion done in safety, under sterile conditions, in a hospital or clinic outside of this country.

I have been listening to NPR today, and there has been a fair amount of coverage on the issue of abortion because there are demonstrations going on all over the country, both for and against legal abortion. Now why is all that so familiar? It's still the same old song after all these years. It should not be sung anymore, but it is, over and over again.

If you follow the commentaries at this site (refers to original site) with any diligence, you will know what my stance is regarding abortion. It's nobody's business except that of the people immediately involved.

IT'S NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!

That should be the stance of government.

Abortion may or may not be a moral issue for a woman contemplating having one. If it's a moral issue for a woman, it's her moral issue. She will deal with, cope with, or grapple with it. Not you.

THAT IS NONE OF OUR BUSINESS!

Government is not in place to guard morality. Morality itself can not be legislated, only the outward expression of morality, or alleged lack of it, can be legislated by laws that effectively suppress that outward expression.

Government is not in place to stick its nose into our private lives.

To be a true Liberal, you must recognize the rights of others even if it chokes you. NOTE: Since the term "Liberal" has become a dirty word, I will couch the phrase differently. In order to be "fair and balanced" in outlook, you must recognize the rights of others, even if it chokes you.

My personal belief is that we don't exist as individuals until we're born and breathing. Up to that point we're floating around like fish. The rights of the fetus are the rights of the woman who carries the fetus. If a fetus is harmed in, let's say an act of violence, the violence was directed toward the woman not the fetus. If the fetus does not survive the attack, but the woman does, it is absurd to bring a charge of manslaughter or murder against the assailant. Doing that imposes a religious belief on the legal system.

Self admittedly, I am unsentimental. I question the gushy diatribes regarding inherent motherly love. I think it's more a matter of falling in love with that cute squiggly little baby once it's there in your arms. I may be wrong. A woman in the grip of an unwanted pregnancy is not too likely to be feeling instant love for the fetus when she discovers to her dismay, that she is pregnant.

My mother said she grew fond of me as a result of a certain pity for my utter helplessness as I lay there squirming, howling, red as a beet, and scheming up ways to get things I wanted with minimal delay.

She may have been in a masochistic state of mind at the time, since she informed me eventually that: A- I never slept. B- I had the lungpower and vocal range of a hog caller.

But this isn't about motherly love, or cute babies. It's about death.

Prior to the legalization of abortion, women had abortions illegally, and therefore, dangerously. If the woman was caught after having had an abortion she was charged with committing a crime. (Usually she was turned in by the medical community because she needed help due to complications.) The police grilled her relentlessly, attempting to force her to divulge the name of the "fiend" who'd performed it. She could be jailed, fined, or both. She had broken the law.

She was spared no indignity. Treated as a criminal act, the story would be published in the newspapers, even in big cities such as Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, etc.

The well to do never had that problem. Their abortions were performed discretely by an abortionist or doctor of choice in America or elsewhere. They recovered in a day or so, and none were the wiser. For the wealthy (read connected) these things are always simple.

As always, the suffering was mercilessly meted out to the poor, and as usual, the defenseless.

The middle class, because they were not poor (this was true back in the good old days before Corporate America swallowed the worker for a snack), had the chance to resort to psychiatrists who declared them in mortal danger of killing themselves if they had to bear the child, and the magical legal/medical doors opened. It was a bit more complex, but usually it worked out for them.

A friendly doctor could claim the woman's life was in danger if she tried to have the child she was carrying, and once again, the magical doors opened. All it took was money. As the poor tend to rely on clinics, such "personal" attention was/is denied them.

The minimum wage in the year 1956 was 65 cents per hour. An abortion was in the area of $125.00 for a non-surgical procedure. More of course if it was a surgical (D&C) procedure. Much more.

At 65 cents an hour, the wage for a forty-hour week would be $26.00 before deductions. It would take over five weeks to save the money for a "cheap" abortion if the woman didn't spend a cent for anything else. She was supposed to live on air while trying to accumulate the money I guess.

Even with help, it was a lot of money for poor women to raise.

In 1961 you might have been able to get an abortion done for around $250.00 if you were lucky enough to find someone to perform a non-surgical procedure, but the average rate was around $400.00 to $500.00. They went as high as $2500.00.

There was an abortion ring in Mexico operating a clinic at that time. A woman was given anesthesia, had the abortion, stayed for a day or two, and returned home in great health.

This clinic charged $2500.00. There was just one problem about that place, and it had nothing to do with drinking the water.

The ring did not perform abortions. They did nothing at all. You were knocked out for a while, you woke up feeling terrific because you were healthy, you were happy, and you were going home free of pregnancy. Cute Huh?

Of course they got away with it. Who was going to tell? It was like getting ripped off for a big bag of dope...were you going to the police about it? Of course not.

The Means To An End

Way, way back in the good old days down on the farm, one method of self-induced abortion was to dip a turkey quill into turpentine or kerosene, insert the quill into the womb somehow, and hope you aborted. A quill has capillary action. It fills, as does a straw, when placed in fluid. And then there was that old standby, the knitting needle, or coat hanger. Anything a desperate woman or maybe the friend helping her could get into her womb. Women did help each other.

Desperate people do desperate things.

Feeling a little queasy?

On the slightly less violent side, there were scalding hot mustard baths, massive doses of quinine and gin, ergot of rye capsules, lifting injuriously heavy objects, ingesting turpentine by the teaspoonful poured over sugar, using powerful laxatives... Many of these were tried in conjunction with each other. None of these methods were especially safe.

As far as I know, during all the recent razzmatazz marking this thirtieth anniversary of Roe v Wade, not one mention was made of these grisly facts while discussing the pros and cons of legalized abortion.

Let us progress.

Some abortions were done by nurses. One had a chance at reasonable sterility with a nurse. Often a catheter was inserted into the womb, and left in place to act as an irritant that would cause a miscarriage, and expulsion of the fetus. A straightened clothes hanger was employed to give the catheter enough rigidity to pass through the cervix, and then the hanger was pulled out leaving the catheter (you hoped) in position. This was usually an overnight ordeal. You were in labor until it was over. If it worked.

There was also the method of having various fluids injected into the uterus. Chlorine bleach was one favored ingredient.

Then there was dilation and curettage, often done by a nurse, a medical student, a renegade doctor, or an old lady with dirty fingernails. Probably 90% of these were performed without the benefit of any anesthetic.

Doctors worked alone for the most part, with no one to monitor anesthesia administration. The other abortionists were in a hurry, and had no anesthesia. All of them expected you to lie there, hold still, and keep your mouth shut.

They were performed in doctor's offices in the middle of the night; in the homes of the women; in hotel rooms; in filthy slum apartments; in abandoned buildings...

They were done on floors with newspapers under the woman as a dubious concession to cleanliness; on kitchen tables; on filthy bare mattresses-no sheets that could be laundered for the sake of sanitation. The lucky ones were lying on a gynecological table with their feet in stirrups.

Women were held down or tied down, and at times blindfolded to protect the identity of the abortionist. Since silence was of the utmost importance some women were gagged, or had a hand held over their mouths. If there was a "helper" he or she dissolved into the mist as soon as it was over. Sometimes, if the woman was blindfolded, she had no idea of who actually performed the abortion. She might have contracted with a doctor, but was it a doctor?

Women died of perforated wombs, sepsis, severe blood loss, shock, and possibly, in the case of a weak heart let's say, of sheer terror and pain.

Their bodies were disposed of in dark hallways, cellars, dumpsters, on roofs, in alleys, into rivers, and wherever else one throws something that is of no value.

The women were left behind, or sent away as soon as the procedure was completed. If they were left where the abortion was performed, usually no one was there to see to them, to make sure they were all right. No one cared about them once it was done.

Many died right where they were. Alone. They died in an alley where they were dumped in the case of complications, or in their beds with their lives flowing like a river, out and away. They died in hospitals, and bus stations, train stations, in hotel rooms, in their cars trying to get home, or on the street where they fell.

Abortionists, like hookers, always got paid up front. They disappeared as soon as the job was done. The abortionists were protected by the women. Who else would help them if it happened to them again, or to a friend, or a relative?

WOMEN DIED. MANY, MANY WOMEN DIED.

Who is telling that part of it now?

Women have had abortions since time immemorial. They will have abortions whether they are legal or not. That cannot be stopped.

So what's better? To allow them a safe abortion, or to kill two birds with one slip of a hanger or curette, or knitting needle to satisfy the religious urge of a nation gone mad on the subject?

Again, the moral issue of abortion is a personal issue between the people involved and their god if they have one. It is not your business. It is not my business. Neither of us will pay the piper, nor go to hell for the actions of someone other than ourselves.

But we will pay the price extracted by our own unforgiving hearts that will not allow us to forget the terrible deed we will have done, if we consign women to the hell of illegal abortion again.

To be more specific, in the knowing of these realities I have spoken about here, we will be in hell every time we hear of a woman dying because of a dirty abortion.

Because we were silent.

Because we didn't tell the government to back off.

Because of some distorted ego, some almighty/divine attitude that tells some of us we know what's best for everyone.

Because this insanely distorted attitude allows us to demand the right to say no to women, no to their safety, no to their right of choice...through the edicts of this corrupt, draconian, hypocritical political administration presently in place.

Part Two

In The Afterglow of Victory

February 24, 2003
All these years later, after the legalization of abortion, I can't help but think about the innocence of women today who are of childbearing age. It is amazing in a sense to realize that women have enjoyed for so long, freedom from the danger of an abortion gone terribly wrong, or the consequences of having been "caught" by the police and being thrown into jail, that struggling with an unwanted pregnancy isn't a normal topic of conversation among them any more.

I was astonished to discover that the methods and means of aborting in the past were completely unknown to young women today. That's how far removed we are from the legal scourge of yesteryear. There was a time, especially during the '60's, when asking women you knew whether they knew any abortionists, was a completely natural thing.

There was an abortion information underground. Many women had a file of known abortionists containing data on what they charged, what method they used, whether they themselves, or a friend, had used that person, and how it went for them. They warned each other about the dirty ones, who'd leave you half dead, and the exceptional ones who did their best to insure you of a clean procedure. There were some good ones out there; finding them was like searching for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

Today, I was talking to a friend who is in her thirties. I mentioned the previous article to her and for some reason I asked her if she had any idea of what having an abortion was like in the bad old days. She didn't have a clue. I mentioned a few details, and the expression of shock on her face told me something important.

Abortions of the past are a very carefully skirted issue in these times. The media, which could do so much to promote awareness of just how horrible things were then, is completely silent on the subject. And it comes as no surprise to me that as a result of this silence, how many young people are against legalized abortion today. The young men infuriate me most especially. What do they know? Absolutely nothing. The "Good Christian" model has probably never been nearer to a vagina than sitting beside their female family members on the couch. I think of them as the great unfucked.

When I hear one of those sanctimonious, wet behind the ears male virgins excoriating those who support the right to a legal abortion, all I can think is, that particular little know-it-all never had a sister, cousin, or friend go through the ordeal of an illegal, rather barbaric abortion that almost killed her, or that did kill her.

If that happened to any one of these youngsters, you'd see an abrupt about face regarding attitude. Not all of them would change their thinking of course, some would feel vindicated knowing the sinner had suffered so much, but I'd put my last dollar down that the majority of them would give the issue some damn serious thought, and probably stop being such judgmental little experts on the right and wrong of something they know nothing about.

We peaceful souls are against the death penalty, but if a person we loved was murdered, we'd cry for blood, at least in the beginning. It's human nature. All you need is for it to happen to you. That goes for almost anything.

It would be interesting to see how these young people today would handle watching a D&C performed with the woman fully conscious, trying to hold still, and keep quiet. It would be interesting to see how they would react to a woman dying of sepsis, or bleeding to death in front of them because of a perforated womb. Especially interesting if the woman or girl was someone they loved. Yes, very interesting indeed.

These young people today don't even realize there was no suction method back in the wonderful days of yore. The whole deal was a gritty, and very real-time horror show in its nature. It was furtive, terrifying, and totally risky. It was extremely difficult to get hooked up with someone who did abortions, and the paranoia of both parties justifiably saturated the atmosphere.

When Ronald Reagan was elected, I had only one comment. I said, "welcome back to the dark ages", and abortion was the thing I had on my mind.

It's taken the conservatives a long, long time to get into a position where the threat to make abortion a crime again is closer to reality, than simply being lip service. Some afterglow huh?

And one other thing: I wonder how it comes to pass that so many men are completely comfortable politicizing the wombs of women? Particularly "those" men, the so-called lawmakers of our society, the legislative body, now Republican in the majority.

I always think of Republicans as having been grown in test tubes. They're so fastidious (oh yeah?) I can scarce imagine them in the clutch of passion, tearing off a piece of ass. Allow me to state here, that if one of them got their girlfriend preggers, the very best abortionist would be available at the drop of a hat, legal or not (especially if he happened to have a wife tucked away at home).

And don't naively imagine for a moment that they don't have girlfriends.

I found a wonderful comment by Helen Forelle that sums things up so succinctly:

"If men got pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament."
Helen Forelle

2006-01-01T11:55:00.001-05:00

The Truth About The Guys in Charge is...

You really wanna know? Mmmm, well...click my link baby! .Right here.
(Things have changed. It is 2011, and we have a whole new group in charge. The original was the song, "You're an Asshole".It was so fitting, with a slide show with photos of the former, now silent Prez Bush. Now it's Obama on YouTube. Haven't watched it.)

If you're on the job, don't do it. If language upsets you, visit The Rude Pundit for your immunization shot. I love that guy.(Changes or not, The Rudd Pundit always sparks things up. And you can always depend on your Red Wolf to blow the shit out of propriety.

Most special thanks to Dave at Midnight Mecca for this gem, which has spread like measles all over the web by now.

This is a repeat posting. We need to view these things now and again.
NOTE:Things may never be the same. So little raunch, so few laughs.

Coronation Of A Turkey

2005-01-22T14:01:00.000-05:00

The coronation of King George went off without a hitch. Unless you count the protestors that got picture space in the news.

I was busy that day, so I didn't attend, but did catch an occasional blast of a fanfare emanating from my radio. I was very impressed. There's nothing like a good fanfare to usher in a Monarch of note.

I leave you with this exclusive portrait of the King and his virgin consort.

You may have the portrait autographed with a rubber stamp applied by no lesser a personage than the King's handmaiden herself, Condoleezza Rice.

Please send the portrait, plus the small fee of $1000.00 to cover the cost of handling, and a return SASE.

Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.

A Pledge By George Bush Is Not A Bird In The Hand

2005-01-08T13:40:00.000-05:00

Addendum 1/01/2006: We did contribute the sum promised. I'd admit to being amazed except that we are so disliked as a country these days, it would be political madness to have reneged. Political madness is a disorder the current administration avoids when possible. Of course, with the present captain at the helm, we're always listing to the side, always scrambling, always bailing out.

ORIGINAL POST

George W. Bush initially pledged fifteen million dollars to aid the victims of the December 26th earthquake induced tsunami that swallowed South East Asia, and regurgitated hell.

Fifteen million.... Whoa! Say what?

That embarrassing sum was buried under the more respectable thirty-five million soon after. Thirty-five is impressive. After all, it's more than double the original.

The horrified recoil of those who were appalled by such penury, was heard like, "the shot that was heard around the world". The term stingy was applied, thinly veiled as being aimed at the generic rich countries of the world, but we all know to whom it referred.

George W. Bush then pledged 350 million dollars. So there. Top that!

Japan did.

Now then, let's look at two little points here. The first being, where is all this money coming from? We are a nation sinking under the burden of debt.

The second point is simple enough. A pledge for any sum of money for any cause has all the validity of, "don't worry, I'll pull out..."

If this were not such a political plum for the Bush administration, I might have more tolerance for it all. I might even believe in it.

I might feel better believing that the survivors of the flood will fare reasonably, if not well, in great part due to our government's generosity. I might feel better believing they will be fed, sheltered, healed of physical damage, and spoken softly to in the attempt to ease the vision of walls of water swallowing their loved ones, their homes, their lives as they knew them. I would feel better believing in all this saving grace, thanks to us.

But it is a political plum, and I am a cynical pragmatist. Bush suddenly and miraculously has a potential handle on damage control where his mass slaughter of Arabic peoples is concerned. This is his chance to prove to the Muslim world that he doesn't hate them. What a lucky boy George is. Landed on his feet again!

Unlike some though, I have a nasty asset. It's called a memory. And I remember the pledges to Afghanistan that were almost laughed off eventually. I remember Karzai coming to the land of plenty to plead with the Congressional hogs to PLEASE honor their pledge. Afghanistan had received a fraction of what was promised. Afghanistan is dying of a disease only immense sums of money will cure. Unthinkably immense sums of money.

But, George had a country to invade, places to go, people to kill, and those ventures require cash. Lots of it. Mr. Karzai got a few crumbs and another pledge. That and a ticket will get him a ride on a merry-go-round.

We are not the only ones to renege on our promises to Afghanistan. But we were the ones who dropped bombs and depleted uranium over the land, in the name of revenge. We owe those people. Unfortunately, their place in line is not the best, because Afghanistan isn't sexy anymore. Just like homelessness in America isn't sexy anymore. It's old hat. No big celebs raising funds, no benefits for the impoverished and depleted uranium semi-dead.

Don't count the chickens before they hatch now. Don't stop digging into your pocket and giving money to help those battered, wounded, desperate people who haven't even had the time to mourn adequately, make it through another day. And another and another. It takes a lotta money.

Much more depends on the kindness of strangers now, than may be evident. I am not a pleasant person a lot of the time because I am a realist, and reality is a bad tasting pill unless you really did win the Lottery.

One reality is that the American people have donated huge sums for this cause. I am so touched, and so proud of them. Another reality is that we are not finished.

There is more to deal with which remains out of the view of the public.

The ecosystem in that part of the world has suffered damage it will take many decades to recover from. I read recently that it could be up to a century before the coral beds have grown back. They are highly essential to fishing communities. They are the haven for thousands of fishes that live within their structures, safe from predators.

The environmental impact will be immense. It is immense now, but the immediate needs that are so great, force these other equally important things into the shadows.

The tsunami and it's aftermath will cease to be sexy. We should recognize that as truth and promise ourselves that we will not forget. Promise ourselves we will keep the lamp of kind private generosity burning here, and promise ourselves we will make a special effort to give what we can, when we can, long after the sound and bustle has died down.

Let us not depend on the Bush administration to come through in a year or two.

I have a possibly naïve suggestion. It has to do with adoption. I have adopted Sri Lanka. I place myself in the position of giving to my "child", as it is feasible for me. I promise this to myself.

There's more to rebuilding than putting up a house. I want to help tomorrow, after the house is built, when the secret of nature discloses herself entirely. I'll sleep better knowing I didn't turn my back.

They say goodness is it's own reward. I believe that. I believe life is a circle, and very often in our worst moments the hand of a stranger catches us and sets us down on steady ground, and there's never a word about repayment.

That's what casting your bread upon the water means. But don't wait for it to come back. Sometimes you don't even know it did.

Ever wonder where the money went?

2004-11-27T13:57:00.001-05:00

Libertarians chide Congress for passing bill filled with pork -- and turkey, and more

WASHINGTON -- Just in time for Thanksgiving, Congress has passed another obscenely expensive budget bill crammed with pork -- and turkey, and potatoes, and soybeans, and bananas, and 11,768 other items that have no business being purchased with taxpayers' money, Libertarians say.

"This turkey of a bill couldn't fly anyplace except Washington, DC," said Joseph Seehusen, executive director of the Libertarian Party. "And while special interests have a lot to be thankful for, this legislation should cause ordinary Americans to lose their appetite."

The $388 billion omnibus spending bill for 2005, passed by Congress last weekend, contains an eye-popping 11,772 earmarked "special projects," adding up to $15.8 billion. Though the mammoth spending bill was temporarily held up by a tax provision, Bush is expected to sign it once that measure is removed.

And that's bad news for taxpayers, Libertarians say.

"Congress' Thanksgiving recipe for pork includes, well, pork," Seehusen observed. "Specifically, the Missouri Pork Producers Federation has been awarded $1 million to convert hog waste into energy. And just to prove they're in the holiday spirit, these turkey-barreling politicians threw in $225,000 for the National Wild Turkey Federation in South Carolina."

Also on the legislative menu: $1,593 to store potatoes in Madison, Wisconsin; $800,000 for "soybean rust" research in Ames, Iowa; $250,000 for asparagus technology and production in Washington state; and $25,000 for a banana factory for an arts program in Bethany, Pennsylvania.

But that's not all, Libertarians warn. As if to prove that no funding request is too frivolous, Congress will also spend $25,000 to study mariachi music in Nevada; $100,000 on a swimming pool in Ottawa, Kansas; $306,000 to repair an outhouse in Indiana; and even $75,000 to renovate the Merry Go Round Playhouse in Auburn, New York.

"Clearly, having the opportunity to spend other people's money brings out the animal instinct in politicians," Seehusen said. "That's why they squandered $1 million for a 'world birding center' in Texas; $150,000 to pay for 'beaver management' in Wisconsin; and $75,000 for hides and leather research in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania."

Americans who want to get an even better idea of the size of the bill can simply pick up a Thanksgiving turkey, Seehusen suggested. "This 3,000-page bill weighs in at 14 pounds, a good size for a bird, but a bit overweight for a responsible spending plan."

Perhaps the most telling provision in the mammoth bill, Libertarians say, is the $1.5 million that was quietly inserted for the Rep. Richard Gephardt Archive at the Missouri Historical Society -- demonstrating
that politicians never forget their favorite special interest: themselves.

"Programs like the Richard Gephardt archive prove that pork-barreling politicians continue to inflict financial damage on the country long after they're retired," Seehusen said. "Unfortunately, taxpayers don't
need an archive to remember all the ways that greedy politicians are gobbling up their money."

BayouBuzz.com-Louisiana Politics and News

2004-11-20T06:46:00.000-05:00

What's next, knitting needles?

Stay tuned for a reprint of my article on abortion.

New York Times excerpt:

Negotiators Add Abortion Clause to Spending Bill

November 20, 2004 By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG and CARL HULSE

WASHINGTON, Saturday, Nov. 20 - House and Senate negotiators have tucked a potentially far-reaching anti-abortion provision into a $388 billion must-pass spending bill, complicating plans for Congress to wrap up its business and adjourn for the year.

The provision may be an early indication of the growing political muscle of social conservatives who provided crucial support for Republican candidates, including President Bush, in the election.

House officials said Saturday morning that the final details of the spending measure were worked out before midnight and that the bill was filed for the House vote on Saturday.

The abortion language would bar federal, state and local agencies from withholding taxpayer money from health care providers that refuse to provide or pay for abortions or refuse to offer abortion counseling or referrals. Current federal law, aimed at protecting Roman Catholic doctors, provides such "conscience protection'' to doctors who do not want to undergo abortion training. The new language would expand that protection to all health care providers, including hospitals, doctors, clinics and insurers.

"It's something we've had a longstanding interest in," said Douglas Johnson, a spokesman for the National Right to Life Committee. He added, "This is in response to an orchestrated campaign by pro-abortion groups across the country to use government agencies to coerce health care providers to participate in abortions."

Full article can be seen here. Registration (easy, free, and fast) required.

Minnie 'n John

2004-11-11T22:58:00.000-05:00

So, John Ashcroft is booking, as some would say. Before you rejoice yourself into a swivet, consider what monster will be lurking in the wings, and in the dark corners of the administration's sick mind. Torquemada perhaps? Vlad the Impaler? Who knowz?

While the sun still shines my good readers, let us recall fondly,the one ridiculous, non-damaging feat for which Dear John will be long remembered. A modesty panel (several actually) for Minnie Lou.

For the unaware, a modesty panel is the front panel of a desk or typing table, which was added exclusively to keep women's legs out of site during the workday, as they toiled in offices filled with lust crazed males who would be rendered incapable of slaving their tushes off for The Boss Man, should they catch a glimpse of silk stocking. Those were the days...

Here is a lovely link for you. It leads to the BBC's article on the infamous draperies, with a nice little bagatelle at the very end, I just know you'll adore.

Another link. Read Dr. Susan Block on the subject. This is a good one. (wicked chuckles)

"...But Asscraft knew all about the Spirit of Justice when he accepted the job of Attorney General. He shouldn't have taken the job if he didn't like the trappings." Dr.Susan Block

D.C. DOES IT RIGHT

2004-11-03T08:59:00.000-05:00

Washington, D.C.
Kerry 90%
Beautiful.

No wonder he
spends so much
time in Crawford.

Headline: Zell Miller Sells Soul to Devil

2004-11-02T21:44:00.000-05:00

Yes, his seat went to the party of his choice. If this piece of iguana vomit ever runs for any office higher than garbage commissioner, I will take on the sending of care packages to you for the rest of my life when you're in prison...all YOU have to do is run him through with a pike. No, not the fish. Look it up in the dictionary, and at the same time try "mace", no not the spray, and not the spice.

Scum floats, maybe someone will mistake him for a pile of flotsam, and pitch him into a grinder to make fertilizer. God, I loved Fargo.

flot·sam
a. Wreckage or cargo that remains
afloat after a ship has sunk.
b. Floating refuse or debris.
c. Discarded odds and ends.
d. Vagrant, usually destitute people.

I like item b.

It's just a bit after 8:00 PM. The vodka bottle and I have had a meeting of minds. Keeping myself occupied until I know for a certainty that I'll fall asleep before I give in and sit here wringing my paws until all the tiny, but important, bones crumble.

The small good news: Barack Obama
It's now official. He won (of course). Eat your heart out Keyes.

China is having riots, which they would have preferred to keep quiet. How else will they kill off the dissenters without quashing the demand for cheap goods that flow like the Yangtze River from their land to ours. Must save face. Do not protest too loudly, or in addition to your punishment by firing squad, we will torture your most favored son. Whoops, made a mistake there. They do it by lethal injection now, neat death-all the better to harvest organs from bodies that are not blown to bits. A burgeoning enterprise there.

President Twig was expressing his ambitions regarding Cuba a day or so ago, sucking up to the Latino voters. Evidently, after he invades Iran, he has plans for Cuba too. Never a mumblin' word passes from the lips of the sainted leader of the idiot pack, regarding China and it's perpetual wrongdoing in the rights department. Evidently his god has little interest in human rights, but a lot of interest in money. Gotta keep them priorities straight boys and girls.

What else is there to bitch about? Eh, the night is young. I'm sure something will irk the Wolf, who should feel mellow now, but instead feels like throwing bricks at people.

Blogs are so bitchin' when it comes to bitching.

2004-11-02T20:53:00.000-05:00

BLONDE? WTF? A trick of the lighting, but how sweet.

2004-11-02T08:47:00.000-05:00

The Voting Dog

2004-11-01T09:57:00.000-05:00

Your Vote Counts!

Just because your state is very likely going to go with the Democrats on election day, doesn't mean your vote won't count for anything. If you're thinking it won't, allow me to explain something to you. This is not a scolding, so don't feel I'm on your back.

The number of votes cast do get counted, because statisticians love numbers, and these numbers say something important. They say that you, John or Jane Doe, are active Democratic or Independent voters, and that makes you a threat. There's something very sweet about being a threat in such threatening times. We need a hammer or a club these days, or maybe a nice old fashion mace. Our weapon will be in our numbers. The greater our numbers, the louder our voice.

Speak your mind on November 2, 2004. Let your voice be heard. Cast your vote, and know that it is saying something important about you, and about us.

We're here, and we're watching everything they do. Everything. They wouldn't care about ten pairs of eyes, they'd sure as hell care about thousands of pairs of eyes. The greater the statistical data that shows our presence, the more they'll pay attention.

Our vote is our club, our fist, and our power. We are strong when we are united. When we vote, we unite. We need to take Congress back. We must. That is our next goal, no matter how it goes on November 2nd. We must never imagine the job is done, even if we get to the top again.

Keep your attention on anyone who occupies the White House for the next four years, but don't stop there. Never stop, now that you've started. We stopped in the past, and look at the result.

Teach your children about voting. It's your job, don't leave it up to someone else. It's not the job of the schools; it's your job. Do it.
Teach them to watch what's going on around them in this country and the world outside.

Teach your children not to fall asleep behind the wheel, because the politicians never sleep when something is afoot, they work all night, sometimes accomplishing some very ugly things we would not approve of. Our politicians always need to be watched no matter what side they're on. They're on their own side first.

Don't forget though, we pay their wage, and it's a good wage. What other employees do you know of that can vote themselves a raise?

Keep in mind, no matter how much they want you to leave everything in their hands, they are there by our sufferance, they work for us, they're answerable to us, not the other way around. That includes the President whether he knows it or not. No boss worth his salt let's his employees run the show, and no boss in his right mind ignores the goings on in his own business. He watches it like a hawk. America is our business.

Speak out loud. Cast your vote tomorrow. And watch them like a hawk.

Vigilance is forever.

Movie Time!

2004-11-01T06:09:00.000-05:00

The alert and conscientious Mr. Dave comes through again. See here. Then make a nuisance of yourself by signing up and sending this to your friends. We only have one of these that counts. It's called our environment.

2004-11-01T06:08:00.000-05:00

In Search Of

2004-10-30T20:24:00.000-04:00

Toles Says It All

2004-10-29T23:55:00.000-04:00

More GOP Bushshit?

What's your take on the alleged new bin Laden tape? Why alleged? It hasn't been exposed to the usual scrutiny by the "experts" yet. I'll go on record as saying I think it's a hoax, or worse.

What do I mean by worse? I'll tell you very simply, so that if you're one of those still undecided types who have trouble following a train of thought even if you're tied onto it, you'll understand my reason for the way I feel about it.

I listened to part of the tape tonight. I heard the translation. The term "messing with," or "mess with" was used in the news segment. Very un bin Laden like. It's extremely American in its terminology. Mr. bin Laden would not refer to New York City as Manhattan, a term that was also used in the news broadcast.

If this whole deal doesn't sound like a slimy Republican put up job, nothing does.

I would like to hear it again. I would like to hear it in Arabic, then a good professional English translation afterward. The tape is 18 minutes long. I can spare 36 minutes to hear it in both languages. I would like to hear Mr. bin Laden NOT use the name of Allah repeatedly, as he ALWAYS does. Do not forget…Mr. Bin Laden is as fanatically religious as your fearsome leader. Without the name Allah used repeatedly, it, simply put, is not Usama bin Laden.

Mr. Bin Laden would not address the American people, as he appears to have on this tape. He would never be conciliatory, as he was on this tape. By conciliatory I mean that he warned the country, told it how to avoid another attack. Everything about this tape is wrong.

This tape, as it will be used by the bush-bastards in the next couple of days, can be very easily construed as being favorable to John Kerry. You don't think so? Well you'd better start thinking like a devious s.o.b. just like I do. I didn't get to be a Wolf by being a dumb lamb on the way to full-blown sheephood. I was born a wolf, and I'll die one.

You know, sometimes your Wolf gets tired of having carrier pigeons come home with all that cooing and carrying on, bringing back the words the Wolf sent out in the past, like prophesy coming home to roost.

During the spring, a friend and I were having breakfast together. My friend said he was sick of all the political talk on teevee. I decided not to mention the subject out of deference to him, so I sat chawing on my bagel, sipping at my tea, and being amiable. This lasted five minutes. All at once, out of the blue, he said, "What do you think Bush is going to do to get reelected?"

I shrugged my shoulders and remarked sarcastically, "Well short of doing his old man in to get the sympathy vote, I guess he'll just have to pull Usama bin Rabbit out of his hat." And lookee here. My, my, my.

Timing is everything.

2004-10-29T22:29:00.000-04:00

Bush's Best Friends

2004-10-29T16:15:00.000-04:00

Voting in 2004

In 1998 I read a book by Jim Hightower that had a very alarming story within it's pages. The story concerned Karl Rove, and his attack on Ann Richards, the then governor of Texas.

This man destroyed her chance of re-election. He lied about her. He's so good at lying manipulations, even his mama would believe him. He's a total completely fanatical devotee of the GOP. The evil he does is his biggest rush, making orgasm seem as interesting as chewing bubble gum. For Karl Rove, it's all in the game. He loves the game above all else.

I knew about Karl Rove when most, if not damn near all of you, were asleep in the arms of a comfy Democratic Administration.

A short article in The Texas Observer by Molly Ivins gave the first hint that George W. Bush was possibly going to run as the GOP contender in the next presidential election.

Karl Rove was/is George Bush's engine.

Bush wasn't the only thing that was running...my blood was running like ice water in my veins, and I was cynical enough then to realize no one stood the chance of a snowball in hell of beating him. If they couldn't win it, they'd buy it, one way or another they'd get the White House back.

And they did.

Today, I sit here wondering why I bother. Is your Wolf demoralized? You bet. Why? Because I'm still a cynic. Because Rehnquist will drag his dying body back to the bench to, make sure their man gets in. Because a terrible precedent was set in 2000 when the Supreme Court was allowed to pick the pet GOP gelding for president.

Short of arranging a plane crash for Kerry, there's nothing else to do but screw with the poor (many already intimidated, black) voters down there in the south-land, fix the voting machines, lose thousands of ballots, flood every possible form of media with their unconscionable lying evasive bullshit, and generally brainwash the braindead who can't conclude which hand to wipe their asses with unless they consult some kind of oracle.

The present blitz of bush-bullshit has overwhelmed my senses. Living without a television set was a choice I made in 1989. I do not regret it. I am shielded from the visual input of the product of the advertising industry, which is a major step toward true freedom of choice regarding what I'll buy.

So where do I get my information? The radio supplies some, the Internet the rest of it. Hard copy information is already old news by the time it hits the den. My choice? NPR.

However, on Wednesday and Thursday of this week, I heard the NPR so-called news broadcast several times, and discovered that for every sound byte Kerry got, Bush got two. Last night there was a news "story" that gave Bush so much exposure it amounted to a short campaign speech on his part. This was the news, NOT All Things Considered. The news aired late in the evening carried an expanded byte from the stump speech that was aired on All Things Considered. What did Kerry get? He got balls. He got shit upon. He got screwed up the ass without lube.

What happened?

The only sound byte regarding Kerry was one of his daughter speaking, telling a man there would be no draft if Kerry got into office. He was extracting a promise from her. Nice distraction. Was he a plant? Maybe. See. I told you I'm a cynic.

There you have Mr. Kerry's gentle spoken daughter, versus the bullshit puppet spewing out his self-aggrandizing rhetoric to one of his hand picked cheering audiences.

I make a vow here. NEVER again in my lifetime will I support any NPR affiliate. My money, when I can spare it will go to Pacifica stations.

Imagine what it's like for the uninformed who watch the crap on teevee as their heads swivel from side to side, and their vacuous minds swing from side to side, when they're confronted with the ballot, the voting machine, the touch screen...what will they remember? The last loud thing they heard. And that's most likely going to be that bullshit artist in the White House.

It's up to us to get our bodies up on Tuesday and cast that vote for Kerry. Saving America is in your hands.

Need more input by a better writer? Let me introduce you to Mark Morford here. Go read.

FLUB-A-DUB-DUB

2004-10-21T19:57:00.000-04:00

The link that was not functioning earlier today for the matinee showing of the fine film spoken of in "The Truth About the Guys in Charge" is fixed (again). I have only this to say about the system at the moment. &%#%!#&*!&#!&(!&*^%$!$!$$!##*((()*^%%$@#^%!!*($!. Have I repeated myself?

Okay. That's done. Here is your link in case you can't stand scrolling down to be disappointed once more. ME LINK. ME ALREADY OLD NEWS. CLICK ME TO MAKE WOLF STOP CHEWING OWN LEG.

Ah. You good person. Enjoy photo below. Brad loved it.

2004-10-21T12:23:00.000-04:00

A gift suggestion

For the appointed and annointed unworthies of the administration who starred in the preceeding fine film. With ever deepening gratitude to Dave at Midnight Mecca.

2004-10-20T23:23:00.000-04:00

To be forgotten tomorrow?

The heat is on, and all parties are in full swing attempting to best each other. From small hamlets to great cities, to sprawling plains…the fervor and fever claim more attention than any presidential election has in my lifetime.

The fighting is dirty, and getting dirtier. When it's over, there will be family members and neighbors who will not speak to each other and regardless of who sits in the Biggest House, the snaps and snarls from the little dog houses will be heard.

Eventually, unless you have your own big house, with lots of kibble and bucks, you become as important to the occupant of the Biggest House, as a dog that grew into it's paws, out of it's cute stage, and refused to be housebroken. You now live outside.

As the outside dog, having been left in the cold, you will snarl at people who have nearly nothing to do with how poorly your life is going. The neighbor who voted against your choice has nothing to do with it, and might be the guy who comes to your rescue if your house catches fire, or something simpler, like just giving you a jump-start when your car battery is low on some vicious cold morning when he's in his pajamas, and still half asleep.

Remember that.

The big fat happy dogs merely need to cast an eye on their respective piles of bucks, and every one falls into line in the Biggest House.

The big dogs don't know the meaning of losing a job, losing a life to poverty, losing a child to the hard streets, losing hope….

You should know that but you may not think of it much. It's easier by far to hate your Republican/Democrat neighbor, much easier to direct ire toward your spouse or kid, your subordinate at work, the clerk in the grocery store, and all the other little people that you vent at, than to take on the big dogs.

Some of the big dogs don't lick the hands of the Big House residents, but they still have a better dog house, a bigger pile of kibble and bucks, and even though they were there in your hometown for a while, trying to sign you up to vote, entertaining you with song and gyrations, and telling you they love you, they still went home at the end, and home is not down the block.

You can't blame them for having made it. You can't hate them for having a bigger share, because that's the way life is. They go home because that's where they live.

It's possible they'll even think of you with a certain sadness because they saw your lives and heard your cheers above the cries of inner distress that you carry with you day after day, and remember this too: some of them came from the same places you do, and they really do know how it is.

Those are the ones that actually do help. They put their money where the bullshit mouthpieces of the government are. They are often silent, or at least, very quiet activists.

The place to point your finger of blame and condemnation is toward the administration, of whoever sits in the Oval Office. Whether it's your man, or "theirs".

If you are poor, and are neglected by all who could actually do something for you as a collective of people, and I am thinking of Cleveland, Ohio as I write this, you must not allow yourself to fall by the wayside, after the party is over. The dance has just begun.

Additional link to an article in The Plain Dealer regarding poverty in Cleveland, Ohio.

2004-10-18T20:05:00.000-04:00

In the land of the Wolf

...it is never too early or late for a howl at the expense of the bloated and terribly important. Your Wolf enjoys excellent digestion because the Wolf has been favored by destiny with a sense of humor that can cause trouble at times. Your Wolf however, refuses to contain or curtail it, due to a perhaps excessive, fondness for good digestion.

This made the Wolf laugh mightily, with great guffaws and an annoyingly loud smacking of lips.

Now then, while said Wolf has your attention, let it be known that a new segment to this tapeworm of words has been added. If you are competent, relatively vicious but lyrical, you are invited to share your talents from this (never) humble part of the lair called Wolf Song.

Many thanks to Dave of Midnight Mecca for the Wolfish delight his link has engendered. The Wolf could just lick you! We will confine this enthusiasm though, to a sweeping wag of the freshly groomed, fluffed up tail.

2004-10-16T23:48:00.000-04:00

I Had A Dream
March 18, 2003

Several nights ago, actually probably quite early in the morning of the 14th, I dreamed I was looking at a very large flat-screened TV. (For the record, I do not have television.) I saw the city of Baghdad. It was totally silent. A man (voice over) was narrating the events as they unfolded. He pointed out that this was Baghdad, and America had decided to launch an attack upon it.

It appeared that the cameras then drew back, and I saw many, many ships with huge guns mounted on them. Planes began to fly over the city. But all was still silent there.

There were no people visible. For a time, nothing happened, and then a single bomb was dropped from one plane. It seemed to fall slowly, then hit a building. For a second, still nothing happened, and then all at once, the entire city was engulfed in flame. It was an inferno, and it happened faster than the eye or mind could take in.

The voice, now agitated, remarked that Saddam Hussein had booby trapped every building in the city with explosives which would in turn spark fires all over Baghdad, and would burn the city to the ground. Then I saw some bodies melting in the heat, and a few people running covered with flames. I heard screams of agony and terror.

Suddenly I was seeing the whole of Iraq, and it wasn't just Baghdad that was burning. It was every town of any size, and finally the oil wells too were burning furiously, spewing out thick black clouds of smoke. I was in the midst of it, on land, then at the Turkish border looking back, and seeing people running and stumbling across the sand toward us.

The border was thrown open, and the soldiers and guards threw down their guns and ran toward the people who were pointing to the black cloud and saying it was poison. The people, just a few at first, kept coming, and the Turks continued to try to rescue all they could. There was peace between the Kurds and the Turks. All tried to help.

This dream moved around. At one moment I was there in Iraq, then Turkey, and in the next, I was watching the screen. There were headlines on the screen saying the United States had been declared in breach of International Law and was now classified as a rogue nation unanimously by all the countries of the world. It was charged with the obligation of acting solely as a humanitarian body, and cleaning up the horrors it had precipitated.

The entire world was against America because it had started World War Three. What was left of the world wanted peace on earth. There were people saying those words on the screen, people from all the remaining nations of the world saying in their own languages, "We want peace on earth."

Finally, there was a large newspaper page on the screen in black and white. The headline said: Experts Agree, Impact of Radiation Upon World Ecology Irreversible-Millions Are Dead or Dying.

We were all dying. I saw eruptions on the skin of all the people around me, and finally, I saw one on my own wrist.

After word: This article is a true recounting of a dream I had on the 14th of March 2003. It was originally posted at "Politically Cherry?"

There is a conspiratorial silence regarding the prevalence of depleted uranium in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. The "experts" investigating Gulf War Syndrome have ruled out Sarin as the culprit, but do not whisper the words depleted uranium. Instead these people we are supposed to trust, say they simply don't know what it is. Meanwhile men women and in the case of those other countries, children, continue to sicken and die here, and in those places we have graced with the poisonous kiss.

See articles below, particularly the first one.

San Francisco Bay View Newspaper article:
"UC Regents lose control of nuclear weapons program"

New York Daily News article: Poisoned?

In Memoriam

2004-10-11T14:03:00.000-04:00

I was very saddened to learn of the death of Christopher Reeve. In many ways this man was a beacon of hope to people in similar circumstances because he believed in himself, and he never quit trying.

When you consider his longings, and his faith in the possibilities to be derived from continuing stem cell research, it makes his death at this time even more painful.

His is one more voice silenced in the face of George Bush and his reprehensible insane Christian fundamentalism, which I've never respected, and have always viewed with great suspicion, seeing it as merely another tool being used to sway masses of mindless voters toward him, no matter what kind of liar, thief and shill he is.

Christopher Reeve had the attention of this nation every time he tried to walk, every time he tried to get one millimeter ahead of the thing that killed him.

He was an actor who played a part, and finally, in the most egregiously unfortunate condition, he became a hero.

I believe many people who hoped he would be able to sway opinion on stem cell research enough eventually, to make it not only allowable, but vigorously pursued, are deeply distressed and grieved by his death.

I will always see him as whole. And I will never forget his incredible struggle, and his great accomplishments, brought about by sheer willpower, and courage way beyond that of the ordinary.

I tender my condolences to all who loved him.

Man of Leisure, King George

2004-10-09T01:14:00.000-04:00

Washington artist Kayti Didriksen's painting 'Man of Leisure, King George' depicts President Bush in the well-known style of Manet's 'Olympia', as he is presented with his crown by a depiction of Vice President Dick Cheney. The cartoonish painting has been taken down from the wall at the City Museum of Washington, awaiting a more welcoming venue. (AP Photo/Artomatic, Jim Tretick)

Monkey Wrenches by Ralph

2004-10-07T16:36:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine has been waiting for an absentee ballot to arrive, having sent in an application 2-3 weeks ago. Normally this process takes a few days at best.

On calling the Board of Elections in her county, she was told that the absentee ballots hadn't been sent out yet. She was silent, in a state of mild confusion. Her silence spurred the woman she was speaking to, to say, "it's because of the Nader thing."

The light came on.

Here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, there's a court case pending, regarding whether or not Ralph Nader will be allowed on the ballot here.

Meanwhile, the county Boards of Election in Pennsylvania are faced with the choice of whether or not they will send out ballots containing Nader's name without knowing whether he will be allowed to run here.

No decision has been made regarding his legitimacy as a candidate in the state yet, and the court battle(s) could go on for a long time.

The problem facing county election officials is one of potential confusion among the voters.

If Nader's name is on the ballot, and he's disqualified, there may still be people who assume that since his name is on an official government form, he will be getting their vote if he's the candidate of their choice.

The vote for president is null and void in that case.

Some counties have sent the ballots out for fear too many people may not have adequate time to get them filed before the deadline, which is October 29, 2004.

The last date the ballots may be mailed to the voters is October 19, 2004. Since many people request absentee voting due to travel plans, in the short time allotted the voter has raised some concern. Justifiably so.

The Commonwealth has stringent requirements for issuing an absentee ballot. Either one is unavailable due to being out of the area (military personnel, people who travel for business, vacationers…it encompasses a lot of voters)or infirm individuals.

Tight, but also a large enough group.

My friend is severely disabled. She depends on others to bring her mail to her, and then also, to mail letters out. Needless to say, she's somewhat concerned. I am also concerned. Time is of the essence.

The Commonwealth is now making it more difficult than is reasonable, to vote. There are new requirements for two forms of identification (perhaps only for first time voters---am foggy on this---sorry) which many elderly or poverty stricken people might not have. There are alternatives to this, but those people may have difficulty understanding them. A protest is fomenting, especially within "minority" communities, which is where the greatest backlash of all the new complications are most likely to be felt.

In the year when the most important election of my lifetime is taking place, all this razzmatazz really makes me sick. I'm already untrusting, and paranoid enough. Need I ramp that part of my nature up a notch or two?

2004-10-07T07:38:00.000-04:00

Many blindly follow Bush despite failings

BY JOHN SOMMERS-FLANAGAN
October 1, 2004

I still feel stunned when a woman tells me she's returning to live with a man who recently broke her jaw. With her teeth clenched and mouth wired shut, she says she's going back, "because he loves me and I love him."Pardon me if I'm not bowled over by the magic of love.

I still feel shaken by the boy who tells me, in great detail and with boundless enthusiasm, all about the father who abandoned him when he was 4-years-old. And I am still disturbed by the good soldier who blindly follows his leader's orders and marches into danger -- although his leader has shown, time and again, poor judgment, lack of planning, and disregard for the men who serve him.

As a psychologist, I should know better than to be stunned, shaken or disturbed by these images. After all, I know why humans behave irrationally. I even do it myself.

On Sept. 9, 2001, President George W. Bush's approval rating was 55 percent. Only three days later, after the worst attack on U.S. soil in history, his approval rating was 86 percent.

In psychology, the enhanced allegiance to a person associated with your abuse is referred to as trauma-bonding. It is a powerful phenomenon. It accounts for why a woman might return to the husband who broke her jaw. It explains why otherwise intelligent people begin worshiping those very people whose behaviors have threatened their safety.

When our world is shaken, we seek safety. And who better to protect us than the big, strong, tough-talking leader who has been in charge all along. The competence or morality of our leader becomes less relevant. We are afraid. Change might make things worse. As Vice President Dick Cheney has so eloquently claimed, we'd better not vote for John Kerry or we may be hit again by terrorists, this time even worse. Never mind that Cheney's former company is a big benefactor from the hit that occurred on his watch.

Bush and his people consistently claim to be results-oriented. That the American people and the press accept this statement is irrational. The facts and results suggest that Bush has repeatedly and sometimes perversely failed the American people.

He claimed to be a uniter, not a divider, but Republicans and Democrats are more divided than ever. He asserted ad nauseam that Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction were an imminent danger to America. But time has shown these assertions to be untrue. Never mind the absence of weapons, he now says, because Saddam Hussein had links to Al Qaeda and was an architect of terror. And although Hussein was very bad, with 1,048 Americans dead, 20,000 Iraqis dead, 27,000 Americans wounded, and Iraq a center of insurgency, there's more terror emanating from Iraq now than before our invasion.

Bush said he was not interested in nation-building, but now we're begging the international community to help us build a new Iraq. He said he was a fiscal conservative but has racked up record budget deficits.

Still, despite the facts and, yes, flip-flops, we follow him. We still approve his performance. In this regard, we're being irrational in the massive and self-deceptive way characteristic only of humans.

The abuser never admits mistakes, never truly apologizes and never shows weakness. The abuser, despite his inconsistent and capricious decisions, insists he has not changed his philosophy. He is determined and resolute.

The abuser manipulates us with fear.

Unfortunately, the abuser does not have our best interests at heart. He's interested in oil, money and power. He's interested in control and domination. He will act like he's concerned and compassionate, but when he has regained control, he will turn away from the poor, the weak, the hungry, the women and the children.

The choice is clear: Shall we believe in ourselves, risk his disfavor, and assert our independence, or will we continue to irrationally cling to our failed leader? Shall we boldly vote for change November 2, or will we wire our jaws shut for another four years?

JOHN SOMMERS-FLANGAN, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and author on the faculty of the Counselor Education Department of the University of Montana in Missoula.

A wag of the tail to Dave Steimling of Midnight Mecca for this article. There are times when something crosses your desk that is so well stated, it would be foolish not to get it out before the public eye. This is one such piece.

Reprinted material is copyrighted by its original publisher.

It is reprinted by Red Wolf Redux without permission, solely for purposes of criticism, comment, and news reporting, in accordance with the Fair Use Guidelines of copyright material under § 107 of U.S.C. Title 17.

2004-10-06T09:06:00.000-04:00

Vice Presidential Debate

Nearly every political writer/blogger/pundit and so forth, will be in the process of, or already has, written something intelligent/thoughtful/critical and so forth, about the debate that took place last night.

Your Red Wolf however, is in a state of mourning, and is having a difficult time at the moment.

Recently, The Red Wolf agreed to share the den during the winter months in order to defray the high cost of living, and to have another soul with whom to exchange anecdotes during long months of snow/sleet/winds, and bad radio shows.

Things seemed to be going along well enough. Oh, there were the usual disagreements to be expected during a period of adjustment. You know how it is...little things...like whether the toilet seat was to be left up or down, whose turn it was to lick the platters clean, run the sweeper, pick up the mail...but all in all it seemed to be working out.

Then tragedy struck.

The Wolf's roommate's work had been outsourced, he lost his job, and became depressed. No amount of Wolfish humor, joshing, pep talks, or concern could lift the mood. The die was cast, and trouble was in the wings.

Some time late Sunday night, or early Monday morning, Rodney Q. Mouse lll, leaped to his death from the rim of the toilet. The Coroner's report declared the death by drowning to have been self-inflicted. A brief note was found at the scene.

In his note, Rodney stated that even though the present administration continues to tout the improved economy, the freedom and well being of the Iraqis, and the idea that we are living somewhere over the rainbow, his life was miserable.

His job was gone, some of his Iraqi friends had either been blown to bits, or eaten by starving cats, and there was yet another scheduled appearance by Dick Cheney on teevee later in the week.

He said he could live with the lack of grain in the larder, the deaths of his friends were premature, but wadda ya gonna do...the life expectancy of a mouse isn't all that great anyway. It was the thought of seeing Cheney's cartoon shark face staring out at him in livid color, from the giant teevee screen at the local pub yet one more time, that caused him to decide to end it all.

He was a kindly fellow, a good Yellow Dog Democrat, and a polite little being who never farted at dinner.

He will be missed.

The Vice Presidential debate? More un-sexy lies, not worth a video tape.

After a solitary dinner, which was pretty damn good in spite of everything, your Wolf curled up near the embers with tail draped over snout, and rested peacefully.

A short while later, a Wolfish commentary on the debate was broadcast from the den. In stereo. It is reproduced here for your convenience.

Z z z z z z z z z z z z z z

Oh, you wanted a flash of a sparkling incisor did you? Can't say sumthin' about yak-yak that amounted to nothin'.

See all the other guys' writings. This time around I will bow out of the spotlight and let a better creature breathe life into the recounting of this historic event, which was declared a draw by just about everyone who threw their high-priced opinion into the wind.

'Nuff said.

2004-10-05T18:29:00.000-04:00

A Class Act

It is with great pleasure that I welcome The CultureGhost to the mix here.

Since I got it together to arrange my favorite rogues gallery of likeminded parties more or less alphabetically (applaud here) you must scroll down to see the name in pale gray non-lights. (Saving on the energy bill.)

All links here are first vetted thoroughly by your Wolf, which means I had both eyes open at the same time. Therefore you may rest assured The CultureGhost, (who B.T.W. likes Smokin' Joe's place, and is not afraid to confess to it--tripple tail wag for that) is of as great a quality as any other link on this page since they were all examined with both Wolf eyes open while actually awake.

It don't get much better than that. Go visit. You have my blessings on your haid.

What overkill? You can never give too much praise if you are pure of heart and full of food. Since you will then have no ulterior political type motive, and will not be trying to disarm your dinner with sweet talk.

2004-10-03T23:40:00.001-04:00

The Red Wolf Recommends:
$olpugid $pring$---A great Place To Raze The Kids

$olpugid $pring$ is an ongoing book of short stories that are strange, hypnotic, and full of dark fascination. It sinks a hook into you, and you can't quite reach it to pull it out. You're caught.

The author winds you in questions that stretch over you like a spider web by dint of his obscured face, his mystery, and his surreal writings.

At times it can seem he's a man living in a crumbling mansion filled with frayed decadence, deep in the south. The last of his line. A wastrel son who has a perverse interest in his realm, which is immense, and stuffed with peculiar variety. In some ways, it's like Jumanji. He tosses the dice, and then….

He takes you with him on fearsome journeys, from which you may never return.

At other times he appears to be a simple desert dweller, at home with spiders that can kill, and snakes that tranquilly observe his presence, along with coyotes that watch him from a distance. He's quiet within himself, perhaps seeking peace from the nightmares of $olpugid $pring$, that never leave him.

If you looked into his eyes, there could be troubling dreams looking back at you.

To read this evolving book, is to see raw cynicism, and skewed visions rendered faithfully by a consummate storyteller, who has a familiarity with the dark side, and little, if any, fear of exploring that risky landscape. His illustrations are beautiful and exotic, and as compelling as the stories he tells.

Stephen King is a child alongside Smokin' Joe.

The difference between them is that Joe would squat beside you next to an abandoned building down in the poor side of town, out of the wind. He'd roll a cigarette, smoke it, and drink his whiskey while just looking at the world moving along, passing you his bottle when the evening chill got a little too close to the inner self for comfort.

Stephen King would not be there in the first place The writing of Smokin' Joe pulsates with raw life---sharp, bitter, dangerous, outrageously funny, and twisted like a hard tornado bearing down on you from the prairie.

He's an author who stands in a long line of storytellers that will be remembered for the effect they have had on their readers, and he fits in seamlessly. He is in good company, and so are they.

Join them at $olpugid $pring$

Debatio Delicioso-Vintage 2004

2004-10-02T20:17:00.000-04:00

Without intending to, on Thursday evening I listened to the debate between the Titans of the moment, Mr. Kerry and Mr. Bush, arranged here in order of credibility.

I have a difficult time hearing Mr. Bush, which is why I was going to forego the stress of the debate. It's not the timbre of his voice that interferes with my aural abilities; it's the volume of my own voice hurling colorful and fulsome obscenities in the general direction of the radio.

This time though, I was having a much-needed lie-down at the mouth of the den when 9:00 P.M. rolled around. The stereo seemed impossibly far away, and your Wolf was near to drowse state. As it is with most critters of my bent, curiosity about the buzz and hum of political voices made me perk up my ears and give a listen.

Now, I'd had the idea this was to be a neatly choreographed event, sorta like a nice Cotillion in the days of yore, so I was expecting very little in the way of excitement. The Wolf will confess to having found gratification in listening. Not as much perhaps as a nice marinated rib roast of Republican schmeckle would have provided, but good. Better than good.

To begin with, let's look at the beginning. A coin toss decided who would be the first speaker. Anyone who's ever gotten a divorce will know, he who speaks up first tends to haul off the spoils. The advantage of an aggressive opening shot is that the opponent is put instantly on the defensive. It's then up to number one to keep him there, sweating and twitching.

In my opinion Mr. Kerry did that for the most part. He did get caught in one of those cleverly baited traps Karl Rove is so adept at laying in the minefield of Bushspin, but no matter...one of the best points he could have made, he did. When he said, "we're now 90 percent of the casualties in Iraq and 90 percent of the costs."

America is paying with 90 percent of the casualties in Iraq, and 90 percent of the bread to sponsor Bush's Folly. This slides very neatly into a truth spoken in print by Jimmy Breslin:

"There is no political power outside of a gun, available to man, that is able to withstand a populace that experiences abnormal pain when it reaches for it's money."

You can't beat the number "90 percent", for shock value. Americans are cheap. They don't want to pay taxes; schools, roads, services; they should all be free. Pixies should pay for it, or maybe the tooth fairy. They want everything for unrealistically low prices, hence the success of Wal-Mart, and of course we'll have only our attachment to the cheap side to blame, for the subsequent flood of sub-standard, shoddy merchandise that will inevitably follow all the confetti and balloons of celebration at the low prices.

Now pay attention. You get what you pay for. To win this thing in Iraq, it will cost more, more, more.

So Americans were told they are footing a hell of a bill for Iraq. They were told it many times. Good for Mr. Kerry. When you say something costs xyz number of billions or trillions of dollars, it's so beyond the pale, people can't relate to it. It floats past them as in a dream.

When somebody puts it in terms any buffoon can understand, like 90 percent, which we can all relate to, it takes on a new meaning. Here: we are sharing a meal. We have one plate. I have a big fork, you have a toothpick. I eat 90 percent of the food, and you're so hungry you could eat your own shorts, so you want to kill me.

Bush belabored to the point of absurdity, the "coalition of the willing" of thirty nations which is composed of , in some instances, small countries that sent just a few guys over there. What are they doing? Sometimes only cleaning the floors. This was his version of the numbers game. Futile when placed beside the figure of 90 percent of damn near anything.

So, Mr. Kerry scores with his point, which due to American educational standards that allow students to sleep through school and still get a diploma, must work as subliminal advertising. That's alright though, because Mr. John has placed it within their pea brains attached to something they can relate to. MONEY, in terms of the percentage of loss to us.

Excellent.

A stroke of genius.

The nation will mourn it's dead, but due to an attenuated ability to focus on anything for more than a nanosecond, they will soon forget them, unless one of the fallen is one of their own, which in some cases makes them want to do a Fargo on el Presidente. Some settle instead, for painful vociferous complaint and accusation against the administration. The media whores gobble this up, and there it is on the teevee while America eats it's Tuna Helper din-din. But it's still just a blip on the screen of the American consciousness. You mention money however....

By comparison, the Bushspin figure of thirty nations "sharing " the burden, looks so pathetic, you could almost feel sorry for the poor man.

I said almost.

The fact the debates were staged as they were with so much physical control over the entire proceeding, worked to Kerry's advantage, and much to Bush's disadvantage. Kerry is a self-controlled, and self-disciplined individual. The Bush self-control can only be achieved by a continuous turning to God in the form of prayer. As a markedly dependent personality, he relies heavily on the outer force of religion (giving things over to God/Jesus); Kerry has the personal inner resources of a self-reliant, self-confident and poised individual. In a situation where Bush can't very well fall back on the power of prayer, publicly beseeching his God to keep him from screwing up big-time, he's on his own, and he's on shaky ground.

He is not comfortable with one on one exchanges, unless he's in control. We know this well from descriptions of one on one interviews he's had with single reporters.

Jim Lehrer controlled the entire 90 minutes of the first debate.

Essentially, as I understand it from written accounts on the web and little sound-bytes on the radio, Bush was twitching like a horse with flies on his back. It looks bad. It looks terrible in fact. His audible sighs added to the picture of discomfort in his situation. This is a man the nation is supposed to be able to lean on in times of trouble because he is the default Papa. He has the club in his hand, and will get rid of the intruders. Papa don't
twitch.

He also doesn't repeatedly sigh aloud, and tell you how hard the job is. Papa doesn't grouse and whine, and curry sympathy. Papa is a strong ball-buster of a man who takes care of business. Bush wants to play Papa, and yet, also play the baby, complaining of the (self sought) burden of presidency to make himself look like an heroic martyr for America by using emotional blackmail, a tactic of the child attempting to control his surroundings, and winning what he wants. You can't have it both ways. His swaying, vacillating modus operandi, is the ultimate example of flip-flop---to borrow their stupid term.

In the controlled atmosphere, one of the most weakening aspects for Bush was the absolute silence of the hall. I described it to my friend H3ath3n as being quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Since the silence was not only imposed on the candidates between questions, but on all present, it was eminently fair. It was also refreshing not to have the candidates straining the vocal chords to get their words across. Kerry has a well-modulated pleasant voice that was warmer than expected.

Bush, to his credit at least in the beginning, was bearable, and he only caused the Wolf to break into raucous howls twice. The rest of the Wolf's snarls and growls were also well modulated and unintrusive, so as to hear everything uttered by the opponents.

To Bush, such silence is not golden. The sound of cheering, and applause in his favor is lifeblood to him. He's a vampire who shows up on the scene full of hunger and need, and a little wan looking.

As he recites his well scripted lines composed by the spinmeisters of his administration, his little cheerleaders with their bubble headed mentalities, and their cute little tits and asses stoke the vetted audience up by starting the chant, "Four more years!"

George glows with vitality and the precious life force, that only approval and applause supply to him. He shines. He's at ease; funny and quick with a quip, an adlibber supreme. It is here he's at his best, and here is where you will see the younger man, before he sold his soul completely---amusing, charismatic, convincing as any good flimflam man should be; winning, winning, winning the love of the selected mass before him. He is flying, he is onstage which is his true place in the sun. His timing is enviable, and he exudes warmth, and the inevitable concern, and the now famous "love" he has for us all.

He is the Pied Piper, in his finest hours.

You take this man, and fetter him with the bondage of a silent audience, and you see the core. He's covered his emotional tracks so well in front of you for so long, you have no idea of whom he is. He's frequently frightened, and dependant on so great a power, that he bends to what he thinks might be it's will, just to keep from drowning, even though that causes him to be mocked the world over at times.

He is the child forever seeking parental approval. An individual resorting to the twitches and sighs of the put upon, hoping against hope that this will make time dissolve, and that he will be released from the torture of being held accountable for his actions. His famous arrogance is a mask covering a neurotic manipulative/manipulated being who is often lost at sea.

Throughout the long (and painful for Bush) debate, your Wolf seized upon every tender morsel of faux pas tossed out by el Presidente, who managed to get a dig in about France, never giving thought to the idea it was out of place, out of time, and strategically damaging. There are many Americans, born within the boundaries of the United States, whose veins carry the blood of France within them. Your Wolf is one of them. It is likely enough that many of these people of French descent, who may have done well in this country, are Republicans. What a poor idea to insult any group among your constituents.

Ah yes, the mention of Poland as one of the great nations who are part of the coalition of the willing, thrilled the Wolf to bits.

This is no slur upon Poland, or the people of Polish extraction who live in, and love this country. It is a slap against the tasteless use of a country that is struggling these days for cohesion, and economic solvency. The people of Poland have suffered much, and now they are trying to change things, but to do this they need help from America-the all powerful and filthy rich.

If you were in dire straits, and the big dog had a bone that might save you and your family, would you tell the big dog to go Cheney itself, or would you try to show yourself as a ally willing to shed blood for said dog? It's called survival, and no man should criticize it. The criticism here is directed strictly toward Bush, who, no doubt , promised gold for blood, then held Poland up as a prize to serve his own purpose.
Amen.

Oh yes, and then there was England, and Tony Blair.

England, the jewel in the crown of the boy king. He waved England around like a pennant. He said, " My opponent says we didn't have any allies in this war. What's he say to Tony Blair?"

This is one of the lines that caused a great uninhibited politically incorrect sound to spring from the throat of your Wolf. Your Wolf howled out, "why you dickhead, you call him America's poodle... here puppy, c'mon boy, good dog, nice poodle. "

The finest moment of the night though, was when Mr. Kerry said in answer to the question, "What criteria would you use to determine when to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq?"

Kerry: "...Now I believe there's a better way to do this. You know, the president's father did not go into Iraq, into Baghdad, beyond Basra. And the reason he didn't is, he said -- he wrote in his book -- because there was no viable exit strategy. And he said our troops would be occupiers in a bitterly hostile land."

Ah yes, those magic words, first suggested by The Rude Pundit, of this very Land of Blog (you MUST read this...follow the link). What could be better? The meat closest to the bone is always the sweetest, and that was the meat. How can a man contest the actions, the philosophy, or the wisdom of his father, a former president of this country? He cannot.

Kerry won this debate. He was Tha Man. Time will tell how well he will hold this lead.

The handlers of the boy king are sweating, and burning the midnight oil trying to make the king a seamless piece of invulnerable armor-covered presidential material for just a little longer. Long enough to grab this election.

After that, if he should win, all hell will break loose, but none of them will care because the purpose was served. Dubya is in the White House, the rights of those who are dissenters will shrink, more extreme conservatives will achieve powerful positions in the government, The Supreme Court will be renamed Torquemada's Cozy Corner, in honor of the attitude it will now have, and the power it will mercilessly exert when needed in cases like picking a new president, or dismantling the rights of so many groups and people who are tiresome dissidents in the eyes of the Party.

It takes my breath away.

Special regards to the special people listed in alphabetical order below, for their help and/or political acumen, intelligence, bravery, articulacy, and dedication to the cause of continuing freedom.

H3ath3n of Heath3n's Fried Meat Shed
The Rude Pundit at the site of the same name
And last, but surely not least, The Good Uncle Horn Head

I bow my head to you gentlemen.

May the wind always be at your back, and may there be a chicken in your pot every Sunday.

T.R.W.

Which Biological Molecule Are You? --I am...

2004-09-28T23:13:00.001-04:00

You are an enzyme. You are powerful, dark,
variable, and can change many things at your
whim...even when they're not supposed to be
changed. Bad you. You can be dangerous or
wonderful; it's your choice.

Which Biological Molecule Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Environmental Lamentation by The Red Wolf

2004-09-27T18:07:00.000-04:00

If a giant sequoia falls does the sound equal the dollars it brings?

As I may or may not have pointed out very clearly in prior rants, the current administration has always had a heady agenda. Hence, many special interest groups are having the continual party of their dreams. For the chosen, it's better than Christmas, better than the 4th of July, better than an effortless weight loss before bikini season---better than ice cream, better than sex.

Now what? Oh, nothing too important, since WE ARE AT WAR--- Just a rollback of a few environmental regulations while we were glued to Afghanistan on teevee (and later Iraq). Wait up here---they're going to get rid of the arsenic in our water! We should be celebrating that!

It's wonderful! Look how it frees us up! We can drop dead of something else instead.

Maybe a new type of lung cancer? Maybe taking part in the present and future war(s) created by our fearless leader. Wow, the possibilities are without limit!

What was the last thing you heard about the reduction of arsenic in the water we drink? Anything at all?

As to air pollution, there's a right way and a wrong way to do it. The right way is: first you throw as much crap into the air as possible, then you cut down as many trees as possible, breathing deeply all the while, of the fumes thrown back from the chainsaw, while you, and the animals living in the forested area you are destroying, enjoy the deafening sound you are creating, as an added bonus.

Also of course, encourage your lawmakers to keep that speed limit up there to insure maximum unfettered use of the automobile. (And the now ubiquitous SUV.) Maybe you can even chat them up to consider jacking it up a tad--- let's see---hmmm---70mph sounds good. NO! Let's go all the way! How about 85mph? In addition to being fun, it's a great population control device!

So what did they do this time? (December 2001) Eh---just a rollback of the restrictions on snowmobiles in those boring wilderness areas Clinton tried in a half assed way to protect. No big deal.

Photo Credit: Dave Steimling

Just allowed a little freedom in screwing with the wetlands, for those who cherish that as a wet dream. Nothing to worry your head about. Just an effective invisible muzzle on the mouths of the interested parties. If an environmentalist shrieks and raises hell while WE ARE AT WAR, does anyone hear the sound?

Now in the land of Georgiola, we'll probably also go drill for more oil in what should be inviolate places, and have a few more oil spills while doing so. But there are always more birds to replace the ones that die caked with the stuff, there are always more crustaceans, always more fish in the sea, always ways to clean the sand, always silence in the wilderness during the warm months---. Always always.

I want to move to Mars.

But hey---look--- WE ARE AT WAR, and this is decidedly unpatriotic talk, not to be tolerated at all.

King George's pet rocks in the Senate and Congress are nodding out on the opiate of security, assured of reelection both for the Kinglet, and themselves. All is well with their world. And on the perpetual campaign trail, that has never been un-traversed since the moment the king was anointed on January 20, 2001, business goes on as usual.

Oh! You mean you hadn't noticed? Shame on you. Go to the corner.

This article was originally published in December 2001. As you might have realized while reading it, not too much has actually changed except the recent removal of some (unpopular) animals from the endangered species list. And of course, the keener than ever pursuit of drilling for oil wherever it exists…let's see…Alaska, Iraq, Iran, Syria….

There are many serious reasons not to reelect George W. Bush. One of them is the love of country. Literally.

Do you think I shouldn't bring up old news? It isn't old news, it's obscured news. You are distracted away from it, and the importance of it.

I would like to point out to you, the horrible result of Hurricane Jeanne on the once exquisite island of Haiti. Deforestation has allowed the destruction of that poor beaten country, and cost so many lives it makes me sick.

The natural environment is incredibly important in so many ways. The beauty that thrills the heart is possibly the least of it. That depends on your personal take….
The very air you breathe, the water you drink, and the sun you worship, are becoming more and more dangerous to your health.

This president is a man determined to leave a mark on history. What will he be? The "Education" President? The "War" President? Or the "Oil" President perhaps? My favorite is Ex…Ex President George Walker Bush. Has a nice ring, don't you think?

Bozo Rocks

2004-09-26T15:50:00.000-04:00

In the horrifying event that Bush actually manages to
get reelected, you can whip this baby out of the sock
drawer, and proudly say, "see, I had the right guy after all".

A wag o' the tail to the fire breathin' h3ath3n for this one.

Relax!

2004-09-26T09:54:00.000-04:00

Today is Sunday. While the Wolf has been known to work on Sunday, it is important for the Wolf to have a sane organized head in order to present you with Wolfish input that makes some sense, and has few typos.

The Wolf will labor for you. Be patient. Patience is a virtue, and according to some, virtues are in the spotlight on Sunday. For many among us however, it's a good day to catch up on sleep, socialize with those who don't want to kill us, and eat nice things.

Luncheon Tip: Raving Rightist Republican goes well with a full-bodied beer, ale, or a nice red. Just a suggestion.

As Arnie said in the past ,when he was doing something useful, i.e. entertaining the masses; "I'll be back ".