Officials: Boy With Matches Started Fire - Politics on The Huffington Post: "Officials blamed a wildfire that consumed more than 38,000 acres and destroyed 21 homes last week on a boy playing with matches, and said they would ask a prosecutor to consider the case. The boy, whose name and age were not released, admitted to sparking the fire on Oct. 21, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Diane Hecht said Tuesday. Ferocious winds helped it quickly spread. 'He admitted to playing with matches and accidentally starting the fire,' Hecht said in a statement."
Well, FOX news, it was not Al Qaeda after all. Just a little boy who obviously ignored Smokey's advice. Then again, who knows, perhaps FOX will find (aka invent) some evidence that shows the boy regularly went to extremist mosques and discussed world domination with other little kids in their weekly sandbox meetings.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Free Speech? Probable Cause for Arrest?
And you thought you had free speech in America, and that there must be probable cause to arrest you? Think again. Here is another example of the police arresting peaceful protesters, and yet another example of the police fabricating charges and altering police reports in order to justify the arrests. Two words - Police State. Video from Hightower Lowdown.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
UN: Try or Release Enemy Combatants - CommonDreams.org
UN: Try or Release Enemy Combatants - CommonDreams.org: "UNITED NATIONS - A U.N. human rights expert is calling on the United States to prosecute or release suspects detained as 'unlawful enemy combatants' and to move quickly to close the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.
Martin Scheinin, the U.N.’s independent investigator on human rights in the fight against terrorism, said in a report released Monday that he’s concerned about U.S. detention practices, military courts and interrogation techniques.
He urged the U.S. government to end the CIA practice of extraordinary rendition, in which terrorism suspects are taken to foreign countries for interrogation.
Scheinin said he was also concerned about what he termed 'enhanced interrogation techniques reportedly used by the CIA,' saying that under international law 'there are no circumstances in which cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment may be justified.'
The U.S. military defended the current process. 'Unlawful enemy combatants held at Guantanamo are afforded more due process than any other captured enemy fighters in the history of warfare,' U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Defense Department spokesman on Guantanamo, told The Associated Press. 'We will enforce the law as spelled out in the Military Commissions Act of 2006.'"
The Administration will continue to ignore the U.N., while it expects other countries to follow through with any U.N. recommendations. Another example of the rampant hypocrisy in the white house.
Martin Scheinin, the U.N.’s independent investigator on human rights in the fight against terrorism, said in a report released Monday that he’s concerned about U.S. detention practices, military courts and interrogation techniques.
He urged the U.S. government to end the CIA practice of extraordinary rendition, in which terrorism suspects are taken to foreign countries for interrogation.
Scheinin said he was also concerned about what he termed 'enhanced interrogation techniques reportedly used by the CIA,' saying that under international law 'there are no circumstances in which cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment may be justified.'
The U.S. military defended the current process. 'Unlawful enemy combatants held at Guantanamo are afforded more due process than any other captured enemy fighters in the history of warfare,' U.S. Navy Cmdr. Jeffrey Gordon, a Defense Department spokesman on Guantanamo, told The Associated Press. 'We will enforce the law as spelled out in the Military Commissions Act of 2006.'"
The Administration will continue to ignore the U.N., while it expects other countries to follow through with any U.N. recommendations. Another example of the rampant hypocrisy in the white house.
Think Progress » Bush: ‘I Know I Would Respond’ If Iran Were To Attack Israel
Think Progress » Bush: ‘I Know I Would Respond’ If Iran Were To Attack Israel: "Before his press conference today, President Bush met exclusively with a group of GOP congressional leaders. According to Fox News, which spoke with some of the members at that discussion, Bush unequivocally promised that he would attack Iran if Iran 'were ever to attack Israel.'"
President Bush must have heard about the poll favoring the bombing of Iran, as he is getting bolder with his statements. Here comes the next quagmire....
President Bush must have heard about the poll favoring the bombing of Iran, as he is getting bolder with his statements. Here comes the next quagmire....
The Raw Story | Belmont, California: Anti-smoking capital of USA
The Raw Story | Belmont, California: Anti-smoking capital of USA: "The air will be cleaner when a broad smoking ban takes effect next month in this suburban enclave nestled between San Francisco and Silicon Valley.
But while some residents have breathed a sigh of relief over the decision, others are fuming.
The anti-smoking ordinance, one of the strictest in the nation, makes it illegal to smoke in parks, outdoor eateries, doorways, construction sites and even in private apartments."
The Fascists are at again. The residents of this town will no longer be able to smoke in their apartments, or within 20ft. of a window or door. It will not be long until this law migrates to the rest of California, then to other areas of the United States. "Sorry sir, we cannot allow you to destroy state property, and I mean your body, not just the park."
But while some residents have breathed a sigh of relief over the decision, others are fuming.
The anti-smoking ordinance, one of the strictest in the nation, makes it illegal to smoke in parks, outdoor eateries, doorways, construction sites and even in private apartments."
The Fascists are at again. The residents of this town will no longer be able to smoke in their apartments, or within 20ft. of a window or door. It will not be long until this law migrates to the rest of California, then to other areas of the United States. "Sorry sir, we cannot allow you to destroy state property, and I mean your body, not just the park."
The Raw Story | Bomb Iran, majority of Americans says in new poll
The Raw Story | Bomb Iran, majority of Americans says in new poll: "Despite President Bush's perpetually abysmal approval ratings, it appears his increasingly hostile rhetoric against Iran has drummed up enough fear of a 'nuclear holocaust' or a World War III that a majority of Americans are in favor of a US strike against the country aimed a curtailing its apparent nuclear ambitions, a new poll shows.
The Zogby International survey shows 52 percent of Americans would support a strike on Iran, while 53 percent expect President Bush to launch such an attack before the end of his second term. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is voters' No. 1 choice to deal with Iran, with 21 percent saying they would like to see her take on Tehran from the White House. Republican Rudy Giuliani was voters' second choice, with 15 percent.
Just 29 percent of Americans think the US should not attack Iran, with one in five people unsure about military action. Of those who would support a strike, 28 percent believe military action should wait until the next president is in office, while 23 percent want to see Bush let lose US missiles against Iran."
Well, that's it, consider the bombing a done deal now. How can the majority of people once again buy into the administration's propaganda? Have we not learned anything from the run-up to the Iraq war? Unbelievable...
The Zogby International survey shows 52 percent of Americans would support a strike on Iran, while 53 percent expect President Bush to launch such an attack before the end of his second term. Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is voters' No. 1 choice to deal with Iran, with 21 percent saying they would like to see her take on Tehran from the White House. Republican Rudy Giuliani was voters' second choice, with 15 percent.
Just 29 percent of Americans think the US should not attack Iran, with one in five people unsure about military action. Of those who would support a strike, 28 percent believe military action should wait until the next president is in office, while 23 percent want to see Bush let lose US missiles against Iran."
Well, that's it, consider the bombing a done deal now. How can the majority of people once again buy into the administration's propaganda? Have we not learned anything from the run-up to the Iraq war? Unbelievable...
The Raw Story | Declassified: US spying could top $50 billion in 2007
The Raw Story | Declassified: US spying could top $50 billion in 2007: "The tab for US non-military spying in 2007 is a whopping $43.5 billion, according to figures released today by National Director of Intelligence Mike McConnell.
Disclosure of that amount marks the first time in nine years that funds budgeted for national intelligence activities have been publicly aired, and comes amid mounting pressure from Congress and the Sept. 11 commission to make the practice routine.
A more complete budget figure for US spying is actually even higher, according to sources cited in the Washington Post, who told the paper that if still-classified totals for military-based programs were factored in, that number would reach $50 billion."
So 50 billion to spy on Americans is fine, but 60 billion to provide health care to kids is not? Now we see where the administration's priorities are...
Disclosure of that amount marks the first time in nine years that funds budgeted for national intelligence activities have been publicly aired, and comes amid mounting pressure from Congress and the Sept. 11 commission to make the practice routine.
A more complete budget figure for US spying is actually even higher, according to sources cited in the Washington Post, who told the paper that if still-classified totals for military-based programs were factored in, that number would reach $50 billion."
So 50 billion to spy on Americans is fine, but 60 billion to provide health care to kids is not? Now we see where the administration's priorities are...
The Raw Story | US: No objection to Egyptian nuclear program
The Raw Story | US: No objection to Egyptian nuclear program: "The White House on Monday said it had little information about Egypt's plans to relaunch its nuclear power program but declared itself 'generally supportive' of civilian atomic power.
'I don't know a lot about it. In general, we are supportive of countries pursuing civil nuclear energy. It's clean burning. It provides electricity in a clean-burning and affordable way for citizens,' said spokeswoman Dana Perino."
That's OK, we don't know what Egypt is doing in their nuclear program, but we support it. Iran, sorry, no peaceful nuclear program for you... What hypocrisy.
'I don't know a lot about it. In general, we are supportive of countries pursuing civil nuclear energy. It's clean burning. It provides electricity in a clean-burning and affordable way for citizens,' said spokeswoman Dana Perino."
That's OK, we don't know what Egypt is doing in their nuclear program, but we support it. Iran, sorry, no peaceful nuclear program for you... What hypocrisy.
The Raw Story | Report: 'Bush the Decider' related to 'Vlad the Impaler'
The Raw Story | Report: 'Bush the Decider' related to 'Vlad the Impaler': "Most of Bush's ancestors came to America in colonial times, and through them he -- like tens of thousands of other Americans -- is related to a large number of earlier presidents, as well as to both Dick Cheney and John Kerry.
Bush also turns out to be related to Vlad the Impaler -- the medieval tyrant who was one of the inspirations for the fictional Count Dracula. Some critics might say that Bush has certain things in common with Vlad, who is still honored by many Romanians for having saved their country from invasion by the Muslim Ottoman Turks. Vlad was a paranoid and bloodthirsty despot, however, who ruled through torture and murder."
Yes, now this makes a whole lot of sense.... Just in time for Halloween, it turns out that Bush is related to the historical Dracula. That puts a little perspective on everything that has happened in the last several years, doesn't it?
Bush also turns out to be related to Vlad the Impaler -- the medieval tyrant who was one of the inspirations for the fictional Count Dracula. Some critics might say that Bush has certain things in common with Vlad, who is still honored by many Romanians for having saved their country from invasion by the Muslim Ottoman Turks. Vlad was a paranoid and bloodthirsty despot, however, who ruled through torture and murder."
Yes, now this makes a whole lot of sense.... Just in time for Halloween, it turns out that Bush is related to the historical Dracula. That puts a little perspective on everything that has happened in the last several years, doesn't it?
Monday, October 29, 2007
Back-Talk #4 Here Comes Success!
A video detailing how the Administration's efforts to prevent terrorism are horribly unsatisfactory. Unfortunately, that is because preventing terrorism is not the goal, the real goal is to control Americans.
1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories' - Politics on The Huffington Post
1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories' - Politics on The Huffington Post: "WASHINGTON — It's a nickname no principal could be proud of: 'Dropout Factory,' a high school where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. That dubious distinction applies to more than one in 10 high schools across America.
'If you're born in a neighborhood or town where the only high school is one where graduation is not the norm, how is this living in the land of equal opportunity?' asks Bob Balfanz, the researcher at Johns Hopkins University who defines such a school as a 'dropout factory.'
There are about 1,700 regular or vocational high schools nationwide that fit that description, according to an analysis of Education Department data conducted by Johns Hopkins for The Associated Press. That's 12 percent of all such schools, no more than a decade ago but no less, either."
More proof that the public education system simply does not work as advertised. Home-schooling is the way to go.
'If you're born in a neighborhood or town where the only high school is one where graduation is not the norm, how is this living in the land of equal opportunity?' asks Bob Balfanz, the researcher at Johns Hopkins University who defines such a school as a 'dropout factory.'
There are about 1,700 regular or vocational high schools nationwide that fit that description, according to an analysis of Education Department data conducted by Johns Hopkins for The Associated Press. That's 12 percent of all such schools, no more than a decade ago but no less, either."
More proof that the public education system simply does not work as advertised. Home-schooling is the way to go.
AlterNet: Forget Impeachment, Put Bush and Cheney in a Straightjacket
AlterNet: Forget Impeachment, Put Bush and Cheney in a Straightjacket: "The U.S. is full of ordinary people with serious forms of mental illness -- delusional people with violent fantasies who think they're the president, or who think they get instructions from the CIA through their dental fillings.
The problem with Bush is that he is the president -- and he gives instructions to the CIA and military, without having to go through his dental fillings.
Impeachment's not the solution to psychosis, no matter how flagrant. But despite their impressive foresight in other areas, the framers unaccountably neglected to include an involuntary civil commitment procedure in the Constitution."
Well they do seem to exhibit many of the symptoms that would get the average Joe locked up in the psych ward. Perhaps some anti-psychotics can do away with their paranoid delusions about the WMD capabilities of middle eastern countries, as well as their driven-by-god fantasies.
The problem with Bush is that he is the president -- and he gives instructions to the CIA and military, without having to go through his dental fillings.
Impeachment's not the solution to psychosis, no matter how flagrant. But despite their impressive foresight in other areas, the framers unaccountably neglected to include an involuntary civil commitment procedure in the Constitution."
Well they do seem to exhibit many of the symptoms that would get the average Joe locked up in the psych ward. Perhaps some anti-psychotics can do away with their paranoid delusions about the WMD capabilities of middle eastern countries, as well as their driven-by-god fantasies.
AlterNet: Rumsfeld Flees France, Fearing Arrest
AlterNet: Rumsfeld Flees France, Fearing Arrest: "Former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld fled France today fearing arrest over charges of 'ordering and authorizing' torture of detainees at both the American-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the U.S. military's detainment facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, unconfirmed reports coming from Paris suggest.
U.S. embassy officials whisked Rumsfeld away yesterday from a breakfast meeting in Paris organized by the Foreign Policy magazine after human rights groups filed a criminal complaint against the man who spearheaded President George W. Bush's 'war on terror' for six years.
Under international law, authorities in France are obliged to open an investigation when a complaint is made while the alleged torturer is on French soil."
This is very funny. As the report indicates, the story is unconfirmed, but I would not doubt that Rumsfeld's exit from France was due to the possibility of arrest. I would like to see the results if the government of France actually investigates the allegations.
U.S. embassy officials whisked Rumsfeld away yesterday from a breakfast meeting in Paris organized by the Foreign Policy magazine after human rights groups filed a criminal complaint against the man who spearheaded President George W. Bush's 'war on terror' for six years.
Under international law, authorities in France are obliged to open an investigation when a complaint is made while the alleged torturer is on French soil."
This is very funny. As the report indicates, the story is unconfirmed, but I would not doubt that Rumsfeld's exit from France was due to the possibility of arrest. I would like to see the results if the government of France actually investigates the allegations.
Sam Sedaei: The Biggest Lie Told To The American People: Ahmadinejad's Alleged Remarks On Israel - Politics on The Huffington Post
Sam Sedaei: The Biggest Lie Told To The American People: Ahmadinejad's Alleged Remarks On Israel - Politics on The Huffington Post: "As the Bush Administration beats the drums for another war of choice with another country that had nothing to do with 9/11, they are using another series of fabricated facts to indoctrinate the American people into thinking that Iran poses a serious threat to our security. At the core of these fabrications is the claim that on October 25, 2005, during a speech at the Ministry of Interior conference hall, the then newly-elected President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad remarked that 'Israel must be wiped off the map.' As someone who was born in Tehran, lived there for seventeen years and is a native Farsi speaker, I have read the original transcripts of the speech in Farsi and want to inform you that Ahmadinejad never said 'Israel must be wiped off the map,' but rather, his statement was grossly mistranslated and taken out of context, perhaps to help make a case for military action against Iran."
This is not the first time that I have heard that Ahmadinejad's speeches have been mistranslated, and surely it was not accidental. I just love the fact that the corporate media takes the mistranslation and runs with it every time. Whatever happened to research and fact-checking? Certainly the man is not a good person, but the government has chosen to make him look even worse with bad translations.
This is not the first time that I have heard that Ahmadinejad's speeches have been mistranslated, and surely it was not accidental. I just love the fact that the corporate media takes the mistranslation and runs with it every time. Whatever happened to research and fact-checking? Certainly the man is not a good person, but the government has chosen to make him look even worse with bad translations.
Immunity Deal Hampers Blackwater Inquiry - Politics on The Huffington Post
Immunity Deal Hampers Blackwater Inquiry - Politics on The Huffington Post: "WASHINGTON — The State Department promised Blackwater USA bodyguards immunity from prosecution in its investigation of last month's deadly shooting of 17 Iraqi civilians, The Associated Press has learned. The immunity deal has delayed a criminal inquiry into the Sept. 16 killings and could undermine any effort to prosecute security contractors for their role in the incident that has infuriated the Iraqi government. 'Once you give immunity, you can't take it away,' said a senior law enforcement official familiar with the investigation."
If the Iraq government gets its way, these people will be pulled from Iraq. Then Blackwater will probably be used by our government for national disasters, as contractors were used during Katrina. How would you like to be face to face with one of these thugs?
If the Iraq government gets its way, these people will be pulled from Iraq. Then Blackwater will probably be used by our government for national disasters, as contractors were used during Katrina. How would you like to be face to face with one of these thugs?
Sunday, October 28, 2007
We Have Been Ambushed ! >> Four Winds 10 - fourwinds10.com
We Have Been Ambushed ! >> Four Winds 10 - fourwinds10.com: "VERY QUIETLY AND WITHOUT ANY MEDIA ATTENTION, THE U.S. CONGRESS INTRODUCED THE 'VIOLENT RADICALIZATION AND HOMEGROWN TERRORISM ACT' BACK IN APRIL THE BILL WENT QUIETLY THROUGH COMMITTEE - AND WAS PASSED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TODAY! The Bill creates a Commission which will study how to prohibit '. . . . .the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system . . . . .to advance political, religious, or social change.. . . .' Folks, they are trying to outlaw what people are able to BELIEVE. Outlaw what opinions people are able to utter! Ladies and Gentlemen, this Bill opens the first skirmish in what will become a direct legislative assault upon our most basic right to freedom of THOUGHT and the ability to speak those thoughts! Under this type of Legislative thinking, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton and the other Founding Fathers, would be jailed!!!!"
From the bill itself...
"(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.
From the Declaration of Independence:
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
From the bill itself...
"(1) COMMISSION- The term `Commission' means the National Commission on the Prevention of Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism established under section 899C.
`(2) VIOLENT RADICALIZATION- The term `violent radicalization' means the process of adopting or promoting an extremist belief system for the purpose of facilitating ideologically based violence to advance political, religious, or social change.
`(3) HOMEGROWN TERRORISM- The term `homegrown terrorism' means the use, planned use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual born, raised, or based and operating primarily within the United States or any possession of the United States to intimidate or coerce the United States government, the civilian population of the United States, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.
`(4) IDEOLOGICALLY BASED VIOLENCE- The term `ideologically based violence' means the use, planned use, or threatened use of force or violence by a group or individual to promote the group or individual's political, religious, or social beliefs."
This is the end of liberty if this passes the senate and is signed into law. The broad language used truly will allow people to be arrested for simply speaking against the government. Saying "It is time for a revolution" will get you a one way pass to a detention center. Let's not forget that it is our duty to dissolve the government if the government has removed the power from the citizens. That is what they are trying to prevent. Forget terrorism, it is about complete and utter control over each and every one of us. [Also, think about the fact that Timothy McVeigh was brought to justice without such a law. The only reason they need this is control.]
From the Declaration of Independence:
"That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
Saturday, October 27, 2007
From CIA Jails, Inmates Fade Into Obscurity
From CIA Jails, Inmates Fade Into Obscurity: "ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- On Sept. 6, 2006, President Bush announced that the CIA's overseas secret prisons had been temporarily emptied and 14 al-Qaeda leaders taken to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. But since then, there has been no official accounting of what happened to about 30 other 'ghost prisoners' who spent extended time in the custody of the CIA.
Some have been secretly transferred to their home countries, where they remain in detention and out of public view, according to interviews in Pakistan and Europe with government officials, human rights groups and lawyers for the detainees. Others have disappeared without a trace and may or may not still be under CIA control."
Who knows how many people the CIA has made simply disappear. Very creepy.
Some have been secretly transferred to their home countries, where they remain in detention and out of public view, according to interviews in Pakistan and Europe with government officials, human rights groups and lawyers for the detainees. Others have disappeared without a trace and may or may not still be under CIA control."
Who knows how many people the CIA has made simply disappear. Very creepy.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Cool video...
My Sister ran across this video on You Tube.... There are now many songs out in every genre criticizing this administration. It is a good way to spread the word... [Warning, graphic language ]
The Raw Story | White House defends 'health benefits' of climate change
The Raw Story | White House defends 'health benefits' of climate change: "Asked to detail what the benefits would be, Perino replied: 'Look, this is an issue where I'm sure lots of people would love to ridicule me when I say this. 'But it is true that many people die from cold-related deaths every winter. And there are studies that say that climate change in certain areas of the world would help those individuals,' she added. 'I'm not an expert.'"
Hey, it is kind of nice to be able to wear a T-shirt in Upstate New York during January, hang out on the front porch in February with a light sweatshirt on, like I did last winter, but the far-reaching consequences of global warming will not all be sunny warm days in the middle of winter. Try mosquitoes year-round carrying viruses, the migration of malaria and other tropical diseases to more northern regions, displacement of entire species of insects and animals. Let's not forget the possibility of mass extinctions, record droughts, and the sea claiming our coastal cities.
Hey, it is kind of nice to be able to wear a T-shirt in Upstate New York during January, hang out on the front porch in February with a light sweatshirt on, like I did last winter, but the far-reaching consequences of global warming will not all be sunny warm days in the middle of winter. Try mosquitoes year-round carrying viruses, the migration of malaria and other tropical diseases to more northern regions, displacement of entire species of insects and animals. Let's not forget the possibility of mass extinctions, record droughts, and the sea claiming our coastal cities.
Al Kamen - FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA - washingtonpost.com
Al Kamen - FEMA Meets the Press, Which Happens to Be . . . FEMA - washingtonpost.com: "The reporters were lobbing too many softballs. No one asked about trailers with formaldehyde for those made homeless by the fires. And the media seemed to be giving Johnson all day to wax on and on about FEMA's greatness.
Of course, that could be because the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters. We're told the questions were asked by Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director of external affairs, and by 'Mike' Widomski, the deputy director of public affairs. Director of External Affairs John 'Pat' Philbin asked a question, and another came, we understand, from someone who sounds like press aide Ali Kirin.
Asked about this, Widomski said: 'We had been getting mobbed with phone calls from reporters, and this was thrown together at the last minute.' But the staff did not make up the questions, he said, and Johnson did not know what was going to be asked. 'We pulled questions from those we had been getting from reporters earlier in the day.' Despite the very short notice, 'we were expecting the press to come,' he said, but they didn't. So the staff played reporters for what on TV looked just like the real thing."
How freaking low can these people get? This sounds like something Stalin or Hitler would have done. Propaganda to the extreme...
Of course, that could be because the questions were asked by FEMA staffers playing reporters. We're told the questions were asked by Cindy Taylor, FEMA's deputy director of external affairs, and by 'Mike' Widomski, the deputy director of public affairs. Director of External Affairs John 'Pat' Philbin asked a question, and another came, we understand, from someone who sounds like press aide Ali Kirin.
Asked about this, Widomski said: 'We had been getting mobbed with phone calls from reporters, and this was thrown together at the last minute.' But the staff did not make up the questions, he said, and Johnson did not know what was going to be asked. 'We pulled questions from those we had been getting from reporters earlier in the day.' Despite the very short notice, 'we were expecting the press to come,' he said, but they didn't. So the staff played reporters for what on TV looked just like the real thing."
How freaking low can these people get? This sounds like something Stalin or Hitler would have done. Propaganda to the extreme...
PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Exclusive: Cheney to hunt in Dutchess County again
PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Exclusive: Cheney to hunt in Dutchess County again: "Vice President Dick Cheney is coming to Dutchess County again to go hunting, according to two sources familiar with his plans. Cheney will arrive Sunday night and head to a hunting club in Dutchess Monday morning. Cheney is expected to arrive Sunday night at Stewart airport and travel to a hotel in Poughkeepsie, sources said."
Those who live in Dutchess may be wise to keep their children and animals indoors, and away from the windows. Perhaps hide your anti-Bush stuff as well, that may be enough for a few pot-shots.
Those who live in Dutchess may be wise to keep their children and animals indoors, and away from the windows. Perhaps hide your anti-Bush stuff as well, that may be enough for a few pot-shots.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
The Raw Story | With no new evidence, Fox continues to ask: Did al Qaeda burn California?
The Raw Story | With no new evidence, Fox continues to ask: Did al Qaeda burn California?: "For the second straight day, Fox News stood virtually alone in advancing thinly supported speculation to raise fears that the wildfires ravaging California are not the result of a confluence of arid heat and high winds but were set deliberately by al Qaeda terrorists bent on destroying America. Fox & Friends, the conservative cable channel, was panned Wednesday for breathlessly reporting a sketchy, four-year-old FBI memo as if it offered new information linking America's enemies in the 'Global War on Terror' with a plot to burn down southern California."
Fox News Alert: Threat Level Red - Be on the lookout for suspicious men of middle-eastern decent carrying lighters...
What a joke, this is really a leap... Did they hire writers from the Daily Show or something???
Fox News Alert: Threat Level Red - Be on the lookout for suspicious men of middle-eastern decent carrying lighters...
What a joke, this is really a leap... Did they hire writers from the Daily Show or something???
Military may get control of contractors - Yahoo! News
Military may get control of contractors - Yahoo! News: "Congress is moving to put all armed contractors operating in combat zones under military control, acting on a Pentagon recommendation that could run into resistance at the State Department."
Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it. I doubt the contractors are going start taking orders from the military without a fight. They have had free reign in Iraq for far too long.
Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it. I doubt the contractors are going start taking orders from the military without a fight. They have had free reign in Iraq for far too long.
New sanctions levied against Iran - Yahoo! News
New sanctions levied against Iran - Yahoo! News: "The Bush administration announced sweeping new sanctions against Iran Thursday — the harshest since the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in 1979 — charging anew that Tehran supports terrorism in the Middle East, exports missiles and is engaging in a nuclear build up.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, said the moves against Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, an element of its defense ministry and three of its largest banks are designed to punish Tehran for weapons proliferation and alleged support of terrorist organizations in Iraq and the Middle East.
'Unfortunately the Iranian government continues to spurn our offer of open negotiations, instead threatening peace and security,' through its disputed nuclear program, production and export of ballistic missiles and backing for Shia insurgents in Iraq, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas movement in Gaza, Rice said."
There is no doubt in my mind that these new sanctions are designed to push Iran to retaliate against the U.S., and when they do, it will be the justification that the administration needs to start dropping bombs on the country. In anther story that came out yesterday, the Administration requested emergency funding to modify its current line of B-2 bombers so that they can carry a new, heavier version of the bunker-buster bomb that was used in the Iraq bombing. Those bombs would be quite useful for destroying heavily-protected nuclear weapon sites, if Iran actually has any, that is. Who knows what to believe when the propaganda machine starts churning?
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, said the moves against Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, an element of its defense ministry and three of its largest banks are designed to punish Tehran for weapons proliferation and alleged support of terrorist organizations in Iraq and the Middle East.
'Unfortunately the Iranian government continues to spurn our offer of open negotiations, instead threatening peace and security,' through its disputed nuclear program, production and export of ballistic missiles and backing for Shia insurgents in Iraq, the Taliban in Afghanistan, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas movement in Gaza, Rice said."
There is no doubt in my mind that these new sanctions are designed to push Iran to retaliate against the U.S., and when they do, it will be the justification that the administration needs to start dropping bombs on the country. In anther story that came out yesterday, the Administration requested emergency funding to modify its current line of B-2 bombers so that they can carry a new, heavier version of the bunker-buster bomb that was used in the Iraq bombing. Those bombs would be quite useful for destroying heavily-protected nuclear weapon sites, if Iran actually has any, that is. Who knows what to believe when the propaganda machine starts churning?
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Companies Seeking Immunity Donate to Senator - New York Times
Companies Seeking Immunity Donate to Senator - New York Times: "WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 — Executives at the two biggest phone companies contributed more than $42,000 in political donations to Senator John D. Rockefeller IV this year while seeking his support for legal immunity for businesses participating in National Security Agency eavesdropping. The surge in contributions came from a Who’s Who of executives at the companies, AT&T and Verizon, starting with the chief executives and including at least 50 executives and lawyers at the two utilities, according to campaign finance reports."
Why don't the members of our congress drop the entire charade, and just offer their votes to the highest bidders on eBay? It would eliminate all of the hassles for the major corporations trying to buy votes...
Why don't the members of our congress drop the entire charade, and just offer their votes to the highest bidders on eBay? It would eliminate all of the hassles for the major corporations trying to buy votes...
Senators Say White House Cut Deal With Panel on FISA
Senators Say White House Cut Deal With Panel on FISA: "Senate Judiciary Committee members yesterday angrily accused the White House of allowing the Senate Intelligence Committee to review documents on its warrantless surveillance program in return for agreeing that telecommunications companies should get immunity from lawsuits. Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), the ranking Republican, said any such agreement would be 'unacceptable,' signaling that legislation granting immunity to certain telecom carriers could run into trouble. Leahy and Specter demanded that the documents, which were provided only to the Intelligence Committee, be turned over to the Judiciary Committee as well."
These kind of back room deals are what got us into this whole unconstitutional mess in the first place. The white house ignores subpoenas for documents, only to show some of the documents, as long as they get something in return...
These kind of back room deals are what got us into this whole unconstitutional mess in the first place. The white house ignores subpoenas for documents, only to show some of the documents, as long as they get something in return...
Iran seen to need 3-8 yrs to produce bomb - Yahoo! News
Iran seen to need 3-8 yrs to produce bomb - Yahoo! News: "PARIS (Reuters) - Iran would need another three to eight years to make a nuclear bomb, the head of the U.N. nuclear watchdog said in an interview published on Monday, warning against any rush to use force to curb its nuclear ambitions."
That does not stop the administration from tying to convince us that Iran is an imminent danger. Between Bush's WWIII comment, and Cheney's assertion on Sunday that we have not ruled out an attack, it is quite obvious that, like Iraq, they really do not care about the actual ability of Iran to produce a weapon, they have some other motivation behind their plans. I wonder what that could be? Not oil, of course...
That does not stop the administration from tying to convince us that Iran is an imminent danger. Between Bush's WWIII comment, and Cheney's assertion on Sunday that we have not ruled out an attack, it is quite obvious that, like Iraq, they really do not care about the actual ability of Iran to produce a weapon, they have some other motivation behind their plans. I wonder what that could be? Not oil, of course...
U.S. says latest bin Laden tape 'authentic' - Yahoo! News
U.S. says latest bin Laden tape 'authentic' - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. intelligence agencies have determined that the latest audio tape of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is authentic, the White House said on Tuesday. 'Intelligence officials do believe that the tape is authentic and that it is Osama bin Laden,' White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. The recording sounded like al Qaeda was 'trying to recapture some lost ground,' she said. In the audio recording aired on Monday, bin Laden urged insurgents in Iraq to unite with his al Qaeda followers."
Another tape from "bin Laden," just as the senate is discussing the wiretapping program, and considering immunity to telecoms.... Boy this bin laden guy has some damn good timing, doesn't he?
Another tape from "bin Laden," just as the senate is discussing the wiretapping program, and considering immunity to telecoms.... Boy this bin laden guy has some damn good timing, doesn't he?
Saturday, October 20, 2007
ACLU: DoD sought citizens’ bank records - Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times
ACLU: DoD sought citizens’ bank records - Army News, opinions, editorials, news from Iraq, photos, reports - Army Times: "The American Civil Liberties Union said Sunday that newly uncovered documents show that the Pentagon secretly sent hundreds of letters seeking the financial records of private citizens without court approval.
The ACLU said an analysis of 455 so-called national security letters issued after Sept. 11, 2001 shows that the Pentagon collaborated with the FBI to circumvent the law and may have overstepped its legal authority to obtain financial and credit records. The ACLU has been reviewing the letters and the accompanying documentation over the past few days."
Is there anything personal left that the government does not have access to, legal or not? Call me paranoid, but I do not say anything that could even be construed as incriminating over the phone, in email, or in instant messages. Hell sometimes I do not feel comfortable talking aloud in my own damn house, but the extent of the spying on innocent people has gone so far as to make that a legitimate concern. (Not to mention that I have pissed off a few authorities lately...)
Many people seem to believe that spying should be okay if you are doing nothing wrong, but that is not the way America is supposed to work.
The ACLU said an analysis of 455 so-called national security letters issued after Sept. 11, 2001 shows that the Pentagon collaborated with the FBI to circumvent the law and may have overstepped its legal authority to obtain financial and credit records. The ACLU has been reviewing the letters and the accompanying documentation over the past few days."
Is there anything personal left that the government does not have access to, legal or not? Call me paranoid, but I do not say anything that could even be construed as incriminating over the phone, in email, or in instant messages. Hell sometimes I do not feel comfortable talking aloud in my own damn house, but the extent of the spying on innocent people has gone so far as to make that a legitimate concern. (Not to mention that I have pissed off a few authorities lately...)
Many people seem to believe that spying should be okay if you are doing nothing wrong, but that is not the way America is supposed to work.
The Associated Press: Blackwater Wanted Iraqi Military Planes
The Associated Press: Blackwater Wanted Iraqi Military Planes: "Blackwater USA tried to take at least two Iraqi military aircraft out of Iraq two years ago and refused to give the planes back when Iraqi officials sought to reclaim them, according to a congressional committee investigating the private security contractor.
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wants the company to provide all documents related to the attempted shipment and to explain where the aircraft are now.
In a letter sent Friday to Erik Prince, Blackwater's top executive, Waxman said he learned of the 2005 attempt from a military official who contacted the committee. That official is not identified in the letter, nor is the type of aircraft."
"Hmmm, I like these war planes, let's ship them home and play with them a bit..." I can't believe the arrogance that Blackwater seems to have. They believe staling aircraft from an occupied country is right. It is kind of scary thinking about what they could do with such hardware...
Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, wants the company to provide all documents related to the attempted shipment and to explain where the aircraft are now.
In a letter sent Friday to Erik Prince, Blackwater's top executive, Waxman said he learned of the 2005 attempt from a military official who contacted the committee. That official is not identified in the letter, nor is the type of aircraft."
"Hmmm, I like these war planes, let's ship them home and play with them a bit..." I can't believe the arrogance that Blackwater seems to have. They believe staling aircraft from an occupied country is right. It is kind of scary thinking about what they could do with such hardware...
The Raw Story | Congress apologizes for rendition and torture of innocent man
The Raw Story | Congress apologizes for rendition and torture of innocent man: "Members of a Congressional committee have issued an apology to Maher Arar, a Canadian citizen who was wrongly detained at JFK Airport in 2002 as a suspected terrorist and subjected to extraordinary rendition to Syria, where he was tortured into making a false confession.
Arar thanked the Congressmembers by video link because, even though an investigation has cleared him of any terrorist connections, he is still on a watch list and not allowed into the United States. The Bush administration has never apologized to Arar and is working to block his lawsuit against the US government."
Arar thanked congress for the apology? I would have said screw you, you tortured me, and no apology is enough...
I find it funny that he was rendered to Syria for the torture. I seem to remember them being classified as a state that supports terrorism. I guess they are only useful when we need them...
Arar thanked the Congressmembers by video link because, even though an investigation has cleared him of any terrorist connections, he is still on a watch list and not allowed into the United States. The Bush administration has never apologized to Arar and is working to block his lawsuit against the US government."
Arar thanked congress for the apology? I would have said screw you, you tortured me, and no apology is enough...
I find it funny that he was rendered to Syria for the torture. I seem to remember them being classified as a state that supports terrorism. I guess they are only useful when we need them...
Friday, October 12, 2007
AlterNet: Feds Won't Let Go of Case Accusing Artist of Bioterrorism
AlterNet: Feds Won't Let Go of Case Accusing Artist of Bioterrorism: "At that point, the nation was still reeling from the 2001 anthrax scares. Kurtz was detained (not arrested, not charged but held beyond the range of due process, under the USA Patriot Act) on suspicion of bioterrorism. Within days, FBI tests showed that there were no harmful biological agents in his house and that his wife had died of natural causes. But the case against Kurtz has not gone away. Forced to drop charges of weapons manufacture, a federal prosecutor charged mail fraud against both Kurtz and Robert Ferrell, a professor of genetics at the University of Pittsburgh who sent Kurtz the uncontestedly harmless, legal, unregulated bacterial cultures used in his artwork. The 'fraud' alleged is that they did not reveal, in a requisition form, the purpose of the mailing. Neither the University of Pittsburgh nor Buffalo has asserted fraud, and neither Ferrell nor Kurtz believed that there was anything fraudulent in their dealings. The allegation of fraud is made exclusively by the federal prosecutor -- a first as far as anyone knows."
Wow, don't you dare have harmless bacterial cultures in your house when the police come, you could be detained without charges, and then when the government is proven wrong, they will simply make up another charge. Just another day in the Fascist States of America...
Wow, don't you dare have harmless bacterial cultures in your house when the police come, you could be detained without charges, and then when the government is proven wrong, they will simply make up another charge. Just another day in the Fascist States of America...
Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Tech & telecom
Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Tech & telecom: "The National Security Agency and other government agencies retaliated against Qwest because the Denver telco refused to go along with a phone spying program, documents released Wednesday suggest. The documents indicate that likely would have been at the heart of former CEO Joe Nacchio's so-called 'classified information' defense at his insider trading trial, had he been allowed to present it."
These kind of tactics are what makes the whole wiretapping program very scary, and if immunity is granted, no company will stand up to the government's illegal requests for our information...
These kind of tactics are what makes the whole wiretapping program very scary, and if immunity is granted, no company will stand up to the government's illegal requests for our information...
The Raw Story | Senate preparing to fold on telecom immunity: reports
The Raw Story | Senate preparing to fold on telecom immunity: reports: "Reports are emerging that the Senate is preparing to introduce a foreign surveillance law update that would shield telecommunications companies from litigation or prosecution over their assistance in the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program instituted after Sept. 11."
The democrats folding? no way...
You simply cannot call this America any more if this law passes again, especially if immunity is granted to the telecoms. The corporations so freely gave information to the government that they should not have, and this bill would protect them, and thus the government, from any type of scrutiny whatsoever.
The democrats folding? no way...
You simply cannot call this America any more if this law passes again, especially if immunity is granted to the telecoms. The corporations so freely gave information to the government that they should not have, and this bill would protect them, and thus the government, from any type of scrutiny whatsoever.
Dragonfly or Insect Spy? Scientists at Work on Robobugs.
Dragonfly or Insect Spy? Scientists at Work on Robobugs.: "That is just one of the questions hovering over a handful of similar sightings at political events in Washington and New York. Some suspect the insectlike drones are high-tech surveillance tools, perhaps deployed by the Department of Homeland Security."
This is quite the crazy story, but you have to wonder if it could be true. I would not put it past the Administration at all...
This is quite the crazy story, but you have to wonder if it could be true. I would not put it past the Administration at all...
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The Raw Story | White House: We're not hyping terror fears to expand spy powers
The Raw Story | White House: We're not hyping terror fears to expand spy powers: "As House Democrats released their plan to amend a foreign surveillance law Tuesday, the White House issued an ominous yet unspecific terror warning, setting up a possible repeat of this summer's fight over spying, in which President Bush prevailed amid fresh fears of an al Qaeda bomb plot.
A White House reporter noted the timing of a Department of Homeland Security strategy that warned al Qaeda was stepping up its efforts to put operatives within the US. An administration spokeswoman faced questions over whether the report was timed to coincide with Congress's debate over surveillance.
'No,' White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said during a press briefing Tuesday, hours after Democrats released a proposal to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act."
Sure, they are not using fear to control us. Anytime there is a potentially damaging piece of news floating around, or any time the King's court think they need more power, there is a whole new round of repeated words.
9/11
Terrorists
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
National Security
Homeland Security
Iran
Bomb
War on Terror
They want to kill Americans
Then a few plots unfold, the media hypes the minor events up, and next thing you know, all attention is on the terrorists, and the administration gets what they want.
A White House reporter noted the timing of a Department of Homeland Security strategy that warned al Qaeda was stepping up its efforts to put operatives within the US. An administration spokeswoman faced questions over whether the report was timed to coincide with Congress's debate over surveillance.
'No,' White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said during a press briefing Tuesday, hours after Democrats released a proposal to amend the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act."
Sure, they are not using fear to control us. Anytime there is a potentially damaging piece of news floating around, or any time the King's court think they need more power, there is a whole new round of repeated words.
9/11
Terrorists
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
National Security
Homeland Security
Iran
Bomb
War on Terror
They want to kill Americans
Then a few plots unfold, the media hypes the minor events up, and next thing you know, all attention is on the terrorists, and the administration gets what they want.
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