More from Right Wing Christian Terrorists

Ya, Ya, I know, I'm beating a dead horse here, but I am trying to make a point. One of the CF warriors came out of the ether at Jerry Falwell's funeral. This is a very disturbing phenomenon we have going on in the USA. The "moral majority" try to convince us that they are good people, but they have some serious issues regarding violence and holy war. Seriously, these folks are as nutty as the radical Muslims, but they get little press. The thing is THEY ARE ALL AROUND US!!! McVeigh wannabees are much more dangerous to our lives than the Islamic terrorists because they are already here, number in the millions, and are supported as a legitimate social group.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/diary-of-a-christian-terr_b_49167.html

Visitors to Mark David Uhl's Myspace page will quickly learn that Uhl is a student at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, that he is a devoted Christian, that his name means "Mighty Warrior" -- and that he likes Will Smith's saccharine tear-up-the-club track, "Switch." Uhl reveals his career ambitions on his page as well: "I will join the Army as an officer after college." Already, Uhl was preparing in Liberty's ROTC program

Uhl waited until he was offline, however, to reveal his plot to kill the family of itinerant Calvinist provocateur Fred Phelps (famous for their "Fag Troops" rallies outside soldiers' funerals). The Phelpses planned to protest Falwell's funeral, a bizarre stunt designed to highlight Falwell's somehow insufficiently draconian attitude towards homosexuals. Uhl made several bombs and allegedly told a family member he planned to use them to attack the Phelps family.

He was arrested soon after and charged with manufacturing explosives. On the surface, Uhl appears to be the latest version of Virginia Tech rampage killer (and "Richard McBeef" author) Cho Seung-Hui. Indeed, both Uhl and Cho were alienated young men who conceived or carried out campaigns of mass murder on college campuses.

But there is a crucial difference between Uhl and Cho: while Cho's motives remain a source of intense debate, Uhl was an a devout evangelical Christian who advocated religious violence in the name of American nationalism. Uhl's blog, featured on his Myspace page, offers a window into the political underpinnings of his bomb plot. In one post, Uhl implores Christians to die on the battlefield for "Uncle Sam." He justifies his call to arms by quoting several Biblical passages and reminding his readers that the "gift of God" is eternal life.

"Christians, we have been given life after death and we should help others receive it and not sit here in our big buildings and sing to ourselves so we can go home and feel good about ourselves," Uhl writes. "Christians, fear of death, fear of death. The fear of death shows you don't believe."

Uhl concludes, "God needs soldiers to fight so his children may live free. Are you afraid??? I'm not. SEND ME!!! "

Uhl's imploration sounds eerily like the battle-cries of another, more notorious religious radical: Osama bin-Laden. Consider what bin-Laden told the Independent in 1993. "`I was never afraid of death... As Muslims, we believe that when we die, we go to heaven. Before a battle, God sends us... tranquility."

Christian right leaders from the late Falwell to James Dobson have turned Muslim-bashing into a cottage industry, using the words of bin-Laden and his acolytes to allege that Islam is an inherently violent religion that "breeds" terrorism. After meeting with President George W. Bush two weeks ago about Iran and Iraq, Dobson conducted a hysterical five-part broadcast hyping the threat of radical Islam. (CD's of those broadcasts will soon be available on Focus on the Family's website, with all proceeds going to support Dobson's kulturkampf -- and his paycheck).

The response of Dobson and his allies to Uhl's arrest will reflect more on themselves than on any impressionable 19-year-old college student. The Christian right has warped religious doctrine to advance a Utopian political worldview that promises to purify the land of liberal decadence. Through one of its flagship universities, the Christian right produced a terrorist. Their hysterical warnings of the threat of radical Islam sound increasingly like projections.

But then again, maybe it's all Will Smith's fault.

Question

In the wall-to-wall coverage of the XDR TB guy, I have a really simple question. The guy traveled to Greece WITH his fiance to get married. Has anybody tested the bride? Because if she hasn't been infected, I think the rest of us are reasonably safe.

Animas River Days

OK, that last post was a downer. On a more upbeat note, I'm going to spend the weekend up in Durango for Animas River Days.http://www.riversports.com/events/animasriverdays.php

Here's a pic from last year:

A three day party for boaters sounds like a winner. I'll try to have fun.

Psycho

Ack! American psycho Norman Podhoretz has an article titled "The case for bombing Iran" out, and it's truly psychotic:http://www.commentarymagazine.com/cm/main/printArticle.html?article=com.commentarymagazine.content.Article::10882

Since a ground invasion of Iran must be ruled out for many different reasons, the job would have to be done, if it is to be done at all, by a campaign of air strikes. Furthermore, because Iran’s nuclear facilities are dispersed, and because some of them are underground, many sorties and bunker-busting munitions would be required. And because such a campaign is beyond the capabilities of Israel, and the will, let alone the courage, of any of our other allies, it could be carried out only by the United States.^* Even then, we would probably be unable to get at all the underground facilities, which means that, if Iran were still intent on going nuclear, it would not have to start over again from scratch. But a bombing campaign would without question set back its nuclear program for years to come, and might even lead to the overthrow of the mullahs.

What makes this so scary is that Podhoretz has the ear of the Cheney wing. He was one of the "brains" that planned our great adventure in Iraq.

Not so George W. Bush, a man who knows evil when he sees it and who has demonstrated an unfailingly courageous willingness to endure vilification and contumely in setting his face against it. It now remains to be seen whether this
President, battered more mercilessly and with less justification than any other in living memory, and weakened politically by the enemies of his policy in the Middle East in general and Iraq in particular, will find it possible to take the only action that can stop Iran from following through on its evil intentions both toward us and toward Israel. As an American and as a Jew, I pray with all my heart that he will.

The whole article is filled with references to the cold war and WW11 that are totally off base. The analogies he uses are simply outlandish distortions. Unfortunately, there are a lot of people will fall for this crap.

In short, the plain and brutal truth is that if Iran is to be prevented from developing a nuclear arsenal, there is no alternative to the actual use of military force—any more than there was an alternative to force if Hitler was to be stopped in 1938.

Dumpster Prophet

Howdy folks! I'm back from the year 2013, after having been sucked into a time travel device disguised as a dumpster. Ya'll needn't hear of that daunting perigrination, nor of how I got redeposited back to 2007, just yet. Don't get all rankled. I'm sure you all are curious about what life is like seven years from now. Trust me- for the most part, ye probably don't wanna know... But i will say that women will still be gorgeous , mellifluous, and occasionally generous, and the high art of brewing beer shall remain! Take heart in this, friends.
Before I got sucked into the time-dumpster, I found posting on blogs somewhat silly; altogether superfluous in the grand scheme of things. Well, now that i, Zymurgian, have actually seen how our current conduct, as a race of homo-sapiens, plays out in a mere seven revolutions of our sun, I would like to think, as a time-traveler, that perhaps i might help steer a course of events another way.
First of all- everything them stalwart fellas- Pygalgia, Sweaterman, Ghandixmas- rant about, should be carefully considered, as much of what they so perspicasiously predict MAY indeed insue.
Furthermore, quit driving. Most of all, QUIT DRIVING. Also, stock up on carragenan, vitamin B6 and organic pepperoni. A mere few years from now, genetic science will discover an anti-radioactive enzyme found only in organic pepperoni. Yer gonna need it-' in'jesu'n shiva's' allah'boo'thorschmoo'y.

How to Build an Iraqi Insurgency

This video pretty much speaks for itself. Listen to the voices of the US soldiers cheering this on. I am sure the locals know our intentions are good and these young men are there to free them. Good god.

Blackwater: Christian Right Praetorian Guard?

Recently I have been reading up about Blackwater, a "private security firm" that is contracted with the US military in Iraq and elsewhere. Blackwater was founded by right wing Christian Erik Prince, a multimillionaire trust fund baby who decided to make his own money by building a private army he could lease out to the rich and powerful, including the US state. The war in Iraq has thousands of Blackwater private security guards (read mercenary) who are paid 4 to 5 times more than US army regulars and who are not subject to the military code of justice. It has been reported by Jeremy Scahill that Blackwater mercenaries are guilty of random and unjustified violence against Iraqi citizens. When Blackwater mercenaries indiscriminately kill Iraqis, Iraqi's become angry and resist, taking out their anger on US soldiers on the ground.

O.K., now the disturbing part to this story. As stated before, Blackwater is a private mercenary army founded by a right wing Christian Fundamentalist (CFs). CFs believe that they are God's children surrounded by wicked people who deserve to be violently punished by an angry deity. Christian fascists, as Chris hedges calls them, believe they are the agents to prosecute the violent Deity's holy plans. CFs believe, literally, that the Iraq war is part of a cosmic struggle of God vs. Satan (kinda like a WWF match 'Hulk Hogan vs. the Iron Sheik'). The Iraq war is only a staging ground for a much larger conflict already underway, leading to the 'Battle of Armageddon'.

Muslims are not the only perceived enemy of CFs. A long list of wicked people including secular humanists, liberals, feminists, homosexuals, ACLU members, abortion doctors, university professors, and other heathen are on the list of violent retribution for straying from God's will. CFs are taught by angry fire and brimstone evangelical preachers to prepare for the coming bloodshed. It is the duty of God's children to be ready to fight the holy war against the infidels (doesn't that sound familiar?!) I am wondering if writers like Chris Hedges is right. Is Blackwater a private CF army operating within the United States, readying itself to be a modern version of the Roman Praetorian Guard? Is Blackwater enriching and arming itself at the expense of the US state in an effort to protect its messianic elders from the coming chaos they perceive to already be in play? Remember, Blackwater has jets, helicopters, rockets, heavy machine guns and the ideological favor of an estimated 1/4 to 1/3 of the United States populace.

We need to think carefully about allowing a large private military to arise at state expense (our tax dollars) within the United States. It is possible that ideological extremists, such as CFs, could be preparing themselves for taking over the US state and imposing a radical theological state on all of us at gunpoint. These folks are open about their views of the "rapture" and what their roles are within this cosmic struggle. They believe that future chaos is inevitable and that all of us who do not believe in their views are subject to God's wrath. This wrath that is to be realized through their holy acts, characterized by violence.(that sounds damn familiar too, doesn't it?!)

Anyway, here is an excerpt of Chris Hedges' ideas. They are all over the net if you are interested in learning more...

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20061231_chris_hedges_americas_holy_warriors/

"One of the arguments used to assuage our fears that the mass movement being built by the Christian right is fascist at its core is that it has not yet created a Praetorian Guard, referring to the paramilitary force that defied legal constraints, made violence part of the political discourse and eventually plunged ancient Rome into tyranny and despotism. A paramilitary force that operates outside the law, one that sows fear among potential opponents and is capable of physically silencing those branded by their leaders as traitors, is a vital instrument in the hands of despotic movements. Communist and fascist movements during the last century each built paramilitary forces that operated beyond the reach of the law.

And yet we may be further down this road than we care to admit. Erik Prince, the secretive, mega-millionaire, right-wing Christian founder of Blackwater, the private security firm that has built a formidable mercenary force in Iraq, champions his company as a patriotic extension of the U.S. military. His employees, in an act as cynical as it is deceitful, take an oath of loyalty to the Constitution. These mercenary units in Iraq, including Blackwater, contain some 20,000 fighters. They unleash indiscriminate and wanton violence against unarmed Iraqis, have no accountability and are beyond the reach of legitimate authority. The appearance of these paramilitary fighters, heavily armed and wearing their trademark black uniforms, patrolling the streets of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, gave us a grim taste of the future. It was a stark reminder that the tyranny we impose on others we will one day impose on ourselves. "

Simon withdraws

Ellen Simon has withdrawn from the Democratic race for AZ-1, my congressional district.

May 28, 2007

Your support over the past year has meant a great deal to me and my family. I can never thank you enough for putting your energy, time and trust in me.

However, today I am announcing my withdrawal from the race for Arizona's First Congressional District.

Over the past two years, as I've traveled across our district, I've been privileged to meet so many of you. You continue to inspire me today and I will continue to try my best to serve this district. Although I won't be on the ballot in the next election, I feel confident that the Democratic Party in Arizona is stronger than ever and that there are a number of exciting, well-qualified leaders that would make terrific representatives. I will do everything in my power to make certain that one of these worthy Democrats takes back this seat and restores the high level of dignity and integrity that this district deserves.

Furthermore, in recent weeks I've decided to take on an important issue that is very close to my heart, an issue that, if I were to run, would undoubtedly compete for my attention.

The continual barrage of deceitful political advertising and character assassination is becoming far too commonplace in our national political culture. Too often, slanderous campaign ads go unchallenged. So I will be founding a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring integrity in political campaign communications.

I believe that each one of us has something valuable to contribute to the civic life of our communities and our country. I am becoming more convinced each day that the best use of my talent is to implement effective strategies that will return civility to our political process.

Again, thank you so much for your support.

I'm glad to see this, as Ms. Simon ran a very lackluster campaign in 2006(full disclosure: I volunteered for her campaign, and was disappointed by a defeatist attitude within her staff). While she's a fine person, we need to win in this competitive district. The evil Renzi or another rethug like him are unacceptable. I'm glad she's working for campaign integrity, as the Renzi campaign attacked her mercilessly, but sometimes you need to fight back. She didn't.

Pranked

Someone signed me up on the email lists for Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter. I'm assuming it was a prank, as my political views are pretty clear:

I confronted the person I thought was the most likely suspect, who laughed. He did think it was a great prank, and began signing his left-wing friends up, and signing his right-wing friends onto Dennis Kucinich and Hillary Clinton's email lists.

So, readers, is this a good prank? Or is it rude?
p.s. I'm finding both Hunter and Tancredo quite amusing.

A late Friday Boobie

Sorry for the delay. Tech central is working full time on my glitch.

system crash

Sorry about the lack of posts-my computer seems to crash within minutes of logging in to blogger. I'm working on it.

New propaganda

So the Cheney wing managed to spew some more anti-Iranian propaganda. Planted in the Guardian:

Iran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq in preparation for a summer showdown with coalition forces intended to tip a wavering US Congress into voting for full military withdrawal, US officials say.

"Iran is fighting a proxy war in Iraq and it's a very dangerous course for them to be following. They are already committing daily acts of war against US and British forces," a senior US official in Baghdad warned. "They [Iran] are behind a lot of high-profile attacks meant to undermine US will and British will, such as the rocket attacks on Basra palace and the Green Zone [in Baghdad]. The attacks are directed by the Revolutionary Guard who are connected right to the top [of the Iranian government]."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2085195,00.html

This is ridiculous. Juan Cole shoots the whole thing down in one paragraph.

I suppose I have to link to this silly article by poor Simon Tisdall in of all places, The
Guardian, whom someone is using to push a sinister agenda. Yes, its sources are looney in positing a coming offensive jointly sponsored by Iran, the Mahdi Army and al-Qaeda. Anyone who reads IC regularly will see immediately holes in this story. At a time when Sunni Arab guerrillas are said to be opposing "al-Qaeda inMesopotamia" for its indiscriminate violence against Iraqis, including Shiites, we are now expected to believe that Shiite Iran is allying with it. And, it claims that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards are shelling the Green Zone. The parliament building that was hit to day by such shelling is dominated by the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council and its paramilitary, the Badr Organization. Who trained Badr? The Iranian Revolutionary Guards. And they are trying to hit their own guys . . . why? By the way, the US has 16,000 suspected insurgents in custody. Tisdall should ask how many of them are Iranian. (Hint: close to none. What, do they just run faster than the others?) The article even traffics in the ridiculous assertion that Iran is backing hyper-Sunni,
Shiite-killing Taliban in Afghanistan. Why not just cut to the quick and openly
say that Supreme Jurisprudent Ali Khamenei is in reality . . . Satan! It really
is discouraging that Tisdall didn't report instead on what crazy things the US
military spokesmen in Iraq told him. US military spokesmen have been trying to
push implausible articles about Shiite Iran supporting Sunni insurgents for a
couple of years now, and with virtually the sole exception of the New York Times, no one in the journalistic community has taken these wild charges seriously. But The Guardian?

http://www.juancole.com/

P.S. not much posting-the old computer seems to need the sledgehammer treatment.

al-Sadr the moderate?

I've posted before on the possible role of Moqtada al-Sadr in Iraq's future. My bar-buddy "Ducky" often accuses me of being enamored of al-Sadr, but I'm not. I do try to look objectively at the Iraqi political landscape, and I see al-Sadr as a likely victor. Via Cernig,http://cernigsnewshog.blogspot.com/, this article from the WaPo seems to agree. Note that he's no longer "radical".

The 33-year-old populist is reaching out to a broad array of Sunni leaders, from
politicians to insurgents, and purging extremist members of his Mahdi Army militia who target Sunnis. Sadr's political followers are distancing themselves from the fragile Shiite-led government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, which is widely criticized as corrupt, inefficient and biased in favor of Iraq's majority Shiites. And moderates are taking up key roles in Sadr's movement, professing to be less anti-American and more nationalist as they seek to improve Sadr's image and position him in the middle of Iraq's ideological spectrum.

"We want to aim the guns against the occupation and al-Qaeda, not between Iraqis," Ahmed Shaibani, 37, a cleric who leads Sadr's newly formed reconciliationcommittee, said as he sat inside Sadr's heavily guarded compound here.

"Our retreating from the government is one way to show we are trying to work for the welfare of Iraq and not only for the welfare of Shiites," said Salah al-Obaidi, a senior aide to Sadr. He said the time was "not mature yet" to form a bloc that could challenge Maliki, who came to power largely because of Sadr's support.

I don't see al-Maliki lasting much longer. His support has fractured in the face of the ongoing violence. al-Sadr has a huge base of support amongst the Shia, and if he can build a working relationship with the Sunni's he'll be Iraq's next leader.

Sadr senses an opportunity in recent moves by Sunni insurgent groups to break
away from militants influenced by al-Qaeda, and in the threats by the largest Sunni political bloc to leave the government, which opens the possibility for a new cross-sectarian political alliance, his aides said.

If the sectarian war can be stopped, if the Mahdi Army and Sunni insurgent groups can join hands and break al-Qaeda in Iraq, there will be less reason for U.S. forces to stay, said Shaibani, wearing a black dishdasha, a traditional loose-fitting tunic, and
clutching a Nokia cellphone during an interview in late April. "The American
argument is we can't have a timetable because of al-Qaeda," he said. "So we're
going to weaken al-Qaeda for you."

Sadr's political followers have had informal talks with Sunni politicians and insurgent groups in the past month. "We think there is some possibility to have a closer relationship," said Hussein al-Falluji, a legislator in the Iraqi Accordance Front, the largest Sunni political bloc.

Abu Aja Naemi, a commander in the 1920 Revolution Brigades, said Sadr's representatives have had informal discussions with his group.

The Sadrists, like most Sunnis, are against the idea of creating autonomous regions. They share concerns over the fate of the contested oil-rich city of Kirkuk, division of oil revenue and the need for Iraq's constitution to be amended.

It would be an interesting quirk of history if the "anti-American" al-Sadr ended up helping create an environment that allowed America to withdraw from Iraq? As always, http://www.juancole.com/, has the best coverage.

Sudarsan Raghavan of WaPo reports that Muqtada al-Sadr has made a major political shift. He is said to be purging from the leadership ranks of his Sadr II Bloc
any extremists who target Sunni Arabs in general as opposed to "al-Qaeda." He is
reaching out for a political alliance with Sunni Arabs of a nationalist sort, and deserting the ineffective al-Maliki government. He may well be maneuvering
to have a Sadrist PM succeed al-Maliki if the latter's government falls, though
sources close to him say any such Sadrist government is a ways off.

KarbalaNews.net reports in Arabic that the Islamic Virtue Party (Fadhila), Shiite rival to the Sadrists, has also been negotiating with the Iraqi Accord Front (Sunni
fundamentalist) in hopes of forming a new pan-Islamic political block.

Flynt on Falwell

This was an interesting take on Jerry Falwell from Larry Flynt in the LA Times:

THE FIRST TIME the Rev. Jerry Falwell put his hands on me, I was stunned. Not
only had we been archenemies for 15 years, his beliefs and mine traveling in different solar systems, and not only had he sued me for $50 million (a case I lost repeatedly yet eventually won in the Supreme Court), but now he was hugging me in front of millions on the Larry King show.

It was 1997. My autobiography, "An Unseemly Man," had just been published, describing my life as a publisher of pornography. The film "The People vs. Larry Flynt" had recently come out, and the country was well aware of the battle that Falwell and I had fought: a battle that had changed the laws governing what the American public can see and hear in the media and that had dramatically strengthened our right to free speech.

King was conducting the interview. It was the first time since the infamous 1988 trial that the reverend and I had been in the same room together, and the thought of even breathing the same air with him made me sick. I disagreed with Falwell (who died last week) on absolutely everything he preached, and he looked at me as symbolic of all the social ills that a society can possibly have. But I'd do anything to sell the book and the film, and Falwell would do anything to preach, so King's audience of 8 million viewers was all the incentive either of us needed to bring us together.


Everyone was shocked at our victory — and no one more so than Falwell, who on the day of the decision called me a "sleaze merchant" hiding behind the 1st Amendment.
Still, over time, Falwell was forced to publicly come to grips with the reality that this is America, where you can make fun of anyone you want. That hadn't been absolutely clear before our case, but now it's being taught in law schools all over the country, and our case is being hailed as one of the most important free-speech cases of the 20th century.

No wonder that when he started hugging me and smooching me on television 10 years later, I was a bit confused. I hadn't seen him since we'd been in court together, and that night I didn't see him until I came out on the stage. I was expecting (and looking for) a fight, but instead he was putting his hands all over me. I remember thinking, "I spent $3 million taking that case to the Supreme Court, and now this guy wants to put his hand on my leg?"

Soon after that episode, I was in my office in Beverly Hills, and out of nowhere my secretary buzzes me, saying, "Jerry Falwell is here to see you." I was shocked, but I said, "Send him in." We talked for two hours, with the latest issues of Hustler neatly stacked on my desk in front of him. He suggested that we go around the country debating, and I agreed. We went to colleges, debating moral issues and 1st Amendment issues — what's "proper," what's not and why.

In the years that followed and up until his death, he'd come to see me every time he was in California. We'd have interesting philosophical conversations. We'd exchange personal Christmas cards. He'd show me pictures of his grandchildren. I was with him in Florida once when he complained about his health and his weight, so I suggested that he go on a diet that had worked for me. I faxed a copy to his wife when I got back home.

The truth is, the reverend and I had a lot in common. He was from Virginia, and I was from Kentucky. His father had been a bootlegger, and I had been one too in my 20s before I went into the Navy. We steered our conversations away from politics, but religion was within bounds. He wanted to save me and was determined to get me out of "the business."

My mother always told me that no matter how repugnant you find a person, when you meet them face to face you will always find something about them to like. The more I got to know Falwell, the more I began to see that his public portrayals were caricatures of himself. There was a dichotomy between the real Falwell and the one he showed the public.

He was definitely selling brimstone religion and would do anything to add another member to his mailing list. But in the end, I knew what he was selling, and he knew what I was selling, and we found a way to communicate.

[Larry Flynt, L.A. Times]

While I found Falwell hateful and Flynt shameless, it's interesting that the two could accept each other and form a bond.

McCain the insane

I've come to the conclusion that John McCain has lost it. The whole Iraq thing was delusional, and now this from the WaPo.

Via The Washington Post:

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) hasn't spent much time in the Capitol this year as he seeks the GOP presidential nomination. But one of his rare appearances this week provided a pretty salty exchange with a fellow
Republican.

During a meeting Thursday on immigration legislation, McCain and
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) got into a shouting match when Cornyn started voicing concerns about the number of judicial appeals that illegal immigrants could receive, according to multiple sources — both Democrats and Republicans — who heard firsthand accounts of the exchange from lawmakers who were in the room.

McCain, a former Navy pilot, then used language more accustomed to
sailors (not to mention the current vice president, who made news a few years back after a verbal encounter with Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont).

"[Expletive] you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room," shouted McCain at Cornyn. McCain helped craft a bill in 2006
that passed the Senate but couldn't be compromised with a House bill that was much tougher on illegal immigrants.

Overdue river pic

Heck, it's been over a week since I last posted a river pic. Here's one:

Colorado River, lower Grand Canyon.

The Food Safety Act of 2007

Here's a bill that I support. I've said repeatedly that we citizens should be able to trust the safety of our food, but that because of budget cuts, no one is checking.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/05/17/food.safety.law/index.html

(CNN) -- Spurred by deadly outbreaks of E. coli and other food-borne pathogens, a group of U.S. lawmakers is pushing to put all food safety oversight under a single federal agency.

"I believe the food safety system is broken. It's collapsing," Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, told CNN "We're unable to protect the public health. We're unable to protect public confidence in the food supply."

DeLauro has introduced the Food Safety Act of 2007, which would create a Food
Safety Administration responsible for ensuring the security of the food supply from all forms of contamination. (Watch Dr. Sanjay Gupta explain how spinach can become contaminated )

Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, and Chuck Schumer, D-New York, introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

The proposed legislation comes on the heels of a number of widespread outbreaks of food-borne illness.

Also, the strange split between the USDA and the FDA makes oversight sporadic at best.

The lines are not always clear-cut. For example, cheese pizzas fall under the
FDA, while pepperoni pizzas fall under the Department of Agriculture.

10 years of PNAC

An interesting read over at http://www.boomantribune.com/, where Booman follows up on the signatories of PNAC statement 10 years ago. Read it and weep, these are the architects of our disaster in Iraq. Most are doing fine.

Elliott Abrams- Deputy National Security Advisor.
Gary Bauer- current president of the conservative American Values organization.
William J. Bennett- May have a gig with CNN as a bloviator, and is riding high on the Air Force reading list. God help us.
Jeb Bush- Stole election for brother, served two terms as Governor of Florida, and currently serving on the board of Tenet Healthcare Corp.
Dick Cheney- Vice-President of the United States.
Eliot A. Cohen- US State Department Counselor, currently hopnobbing in places
like Pakistan.
Midge Decter- When she isn't partying with Conrad Black she is busy being the wife of Norman Podhoretz and mother of John Podhoretz.
Paula Dobriansky- Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs.
Steve Forbes- offering Republican presidential contenders advice.
Aaron Friedberg- Teaching at Princeton University and writing editorials for the LA Times.
Francis Fukuyama- repenting. Sort of.
Frank Gaffney- Doing weird shit as Center for Security Policy president.
Fred C. Ikle- apologizing for his friend and protege Paul Wolfowitz's behavior.
Donald Kagan- Sterling Professor of Classics and History at Yale University. His son, Fred, is the author of The Surge.
Zalmay Khalilzad- U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. He has already served as ambassador to Afghanistan and to Iraq.
I. Lewis Libby- awaiting sentencing for perjury, making false statements, and
obstruction of justice.
Norman Podhoretz- getting awards from Scooter Libby fans and making the case for bombing Iran.
Dan Quayle- he's still alive? Well, yes. He's chairman of global investments for Cerberus Capital Management and he's working on that Chrysler deal.
Peter W. Rodman- recently left as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs to take a job at the Brookings Institute.
Stephen P. Rosen- the Beton Michael Kaneb Professor of National Security and Military Affairs at Harvard University.
Henry S. Rowen- appointed on February 12, 2004, by President George W. Bush to be one of the "final two members of the Commission on the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States Regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction." He's also a member of the Department of Defense's Defense Policy Board.
Donald Rumsfeld- the less said the better. He was fired as Secretary of Defense.
Vin Weber- serving as chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy, a private, nonprofit organization designed to strengthen democratic institutions around the world through nongovernmental efforts. He's serving as Mitt Romney's policy chairman.
George Weigel- trying to convince Catholics that the Iraq War is just.
Paul Wolfowitz- shit-canned from the World Bank.

Accountability?

Immigration

There's a new immigration reform bill that seems to be extremely convoluted in an attempt to please all sides of the issue. One glaring hole that I see right off the bat: funding. It doesn't say a thing about paying for the changes, except for fines of $5,000 for being here illegally.
Here's what no one seems to point out about the whole immigration issue: the main reason we have so many illegal immigrants is that it has become so hard to immigrate legally. Due to repeated budget cuts, the INS now takes 3 to 5 years to process a green card application. Many, if not most, of the people here illegally would rather be legal but cannot wait that long for a green card.
One of the most frustrating things about the rethuglican philosophy of cutting spending is that they cut programs that were working to the point that the program fails. Then when faced with the problems caused by the lack of a working system, they start a new, more expensive system when simply funding the prior program would be the better answer.

This Friday's Boobies

A masked pair.

Wolfowitz

He hasn't resigned yet. Most politicians/diplomats would have walked away politely in the face of a controversy of this scale. He's being an asshole.
And don't get me started on Wolfie's role in the whole Iraq invasion. He's more disappointing than the guy who brings a baggie full of oregano to a High Times convention.
Update: The comb-sucker has agreed to slither away on June 30th.

Life in the tar pits

OK, this is really strange:

For years, educators at the Hancock Park site could only guess that methane gas was being released as the byproduct of oil creation 1,000 feet below the surface.

Researchers at UC Riverside have finally found the answer: Hardy bacteria embedded in the natural asphalt are eating away at the petroleum and burping up methane.

Of the bacteria the researchers isolated in tar pit samples, about 200 to 300 are previously unknown species.

And scientists are weird:

"We found some really great bacteria," Crowley said. "The types we found are all very specialized for life in extreme environments."

Living in the asphalt means living with no oxygen, almost no water and lots of toxic chemicals, he said.

But I'm wondering if this might lead to a variety of new technologies.

What makes these petroleum-eating bacteria interesting is their potential environmental application, Crowley said.

Their ability to break up complex hydrocarbons could help clean up oil spills or clear the holds of oil tankers.

Some of the species they discovered in the genus Pseudomonas, for example, could help degrade trichloroethylene, a solvent in dry-cleaning and metal degreasing that is a major groundwater contaminant, Crowley said.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tarpits14may14,0,2989385.story?page=2&coll=la-home-center

On Ethanol and Chomsky

(in response to the post by Ghandisxmas.)
Chomsky's article points to a very real problem with the current ethanol industry, which is the reliance on foodstocks for ethanol production. The simple reason for this is that foodstocks are by nature high-yield sources, and therefore more profitable. Ethanol is merely fermented sugars distilled, and the more concentrated sugar in the source the greater the profit.
But there are other alternatives. All organic material can be broken down and made into ethanol. Often called "biomass" or "cellulosic" ethanol, the process involves more complexity. Therefore, it's not as easy to make a profit. Due to the huge quantity of non-food biomass, long term ethanol production will require plants designed to breakdown these materials. As oil prices rise, the market for ethanol will continue to grow. So the business of ethanol from non-food sources will expand.
One readily available source is algae, which can be grown rapidly by infusing CO2. Algae farms are a rapidly expanding industry.
Also, before Badtux stops by to lecture me on energy efficiencies, understand that ethanol is only a small stopgap measure to meet our energy needs for the short term. In the long term we need to increase energy production from a wide variety of sources, and increase the efficiency of the ways we utilize energy.

Branding someone a terrorist...

...because they want to change governmental policy doesn't seem to square too well with our democratic foundations, does it? And so it begins....

Feds Push Terrorist Label on Arsonists
By Jeff Barnard
The Associated Press

Tuesday 15 May 2007

Their guilt isn't in question. The six men and four women already admitted being involved in a series of arson fires that did $40 million in damage to research facilities, a ski resort and other businesses in the West. But are they terrorists?

A federal judge was to hear arguments Tuesday on a motion by the government to add a so-called terrorism enhancement to their sentencing.

Prosecutors want Judge Ann Aiken to declare the group terrorists - something defense attorneys argue has never happened in 1,200 arsons nationwide claimed by Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front.

The defense argues that branding their clients terrorists is more about politics than sentencing.

Full article at: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051607M.shtml

I've long argued that the provisions of the Patriot Act and other legislation passed since 9/11 to "make us safer" would surely be abused, and that the idea of what "terrorism" is will be expanded exponentially. That looks to be the case here.

The government is making the case that because these arsonists set their fires in order to change or influence government policy, they are therefore terrorists. This is an extraordinarily slippery slope to be contemplating, because repercussions could influence prosecutors to more often attempt to argue that defendents are terrorists, if only because they can squeeze that angle into the case, somehow. Additionally, it sets up a completely adversarial relationship (from the get-go) between Government and the Individual, one of another of those "for us, or against us" scenarios. Not too surprising, given this administration.

If public (and institutional) buildings would install better windows, they could radically change their heating and cooling costs, being less of a burden on taxpayers as well as being more efficient and eco-friendly. Unfortunately, most public buildings get built via a "lowest bidder" process, so materials may not be the best. I think this is a short-sighted policy and I want the government to change it. So, I take lots of rocks, and start chucking them at the windows of state and federal buildings. Sure, I can get picked up for vandalism, but should the prosecutor also charge me as a terrorist? I mean, terrorist? After all, just doing my best to change governmental policy.

What if I wanted my local city council to adopt a change to make our historic downtown car free? Let's do that by having a sit-in and snarling up the traffic. Oops, bad idea, because now we're (say it with me) terrorists for wanting to change the way our government does things.

Well excuse me, but I kinda thought that was the basis for a representative democracy. I shouldn't be tried as a terrorist for wanting to change policies.

Hopefully, the judge will see the foolishness of this type of argument, and remember that the blade swings both ways, and put a stop to it, but given the big Fear that this country has swallowed since Bush came into power, I doubt it. Look for what "terrorism" is defined as to morph as time goes on, and soon, one day we will all be terrorists.

Welcome to Ghandisxmas

Glad to see a post from Ghandisxmas, as I've been asking him to join us since our humble start. He's a very smart guy, with strong opinions, so I hope he'll post frequently.

Rethuglicans

I didn't watch the rethug debate, preferring comfortable digestion, but reading about it leads me to one conclusion: they're ALL wackos. Tancredo and Giuliani like torture, McCain loves wars, and Romney can take any position on any issue at any time.
What scares me is that a lot of people might vote for one of these freaks.
added: go to alicublog,http://alicublog.blogspot.com/, for a great summary of the debate. Sample:

McCAIN: We're fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them blah blah blah. Iraqis are disappointing.

THOMPSON: I too believe Iraqis are disappointing.

ROMNEY: Iraqis should do what I say.

BROWNBACK: Iraqis and Democrats should do what I say.

GIULIANI: Democrats and Republicans should do what I say.

TANCREDO: I agree with Bush.

PAUL: I agree with Reagan.

HUNTER: The Iraqis agree with me.

HUCKABEE: Gotta get it right the first time, that's the main thing. Wo ho, wo ho, wo ho, wo ho ho ho-o-o ho.

GILMORE: America, whattaya think about Iran?

Jeez, I Should Stop Reading 1984

What I am going to say will piss off readers, and may make some angry, but here goes:

In my book, Jerry Falwell is directly responsible for the incredible divisiveness of American society today. Period.

I have NO, ZERO, absolutely-fucking-rock-bottom-end-of-the-coal-mine, piss in your face, NONE sympathy for his death. I wish nothing but the worst that life has to offer for his family, his extended family, his extended-extended family and anybody that ever followed him. This includes AIDs, dismemberment, evil uranium-hexaflouride gas in their air-conditioning vents, Legionnaires, bird flu, and any other thing I can think of as horrible. Sorry if this makes me sound like a Nazi, but I'd pick up my Kill Bill Sword in a second to off those type of folks. Are we clear?

This, of course, I realize, makes me bad. It makes me a bad, bad person.

But, let me say, in my defense, that I was a high-school sophomore when he (Jerry) began to come to power. He, and other evangelicals like him, made a priority of certain moral guidelines - a black and white line - that infused American politics to extent that most Americans today, when they are thinking about their leaders, look at superficial bullshit, like who can have an abortion, or what is "God's" will in the Middle East.

Granted, he was a genius at mobilizing the previously non-aligned "Chrisitan" vote; pushing it into the Republican caucus, who was more than happy to welcome it after the Nixon debacle of the early 70s.

However, at what cost? To Jerry, apparently the cost had no ceiling.

So, that's why we (and by we, I mean politicians) diddle around with non-effective measures that blow-by the real problems of American society today; instead let's focus on the hot-button, "this will get me attention", ideas forwarded by the politicians and the media.

Well, that's bullshit. I will summarize my ideas in my next post, (with supporting anecdotes), but the fact is, the political force in this country is rapidy reaching a peak where most of us are not paying attention-well, that's not right, most of us are ignoring the government and believing in our own eyes about what is going on.

I'll bark about that in a further essay, but for now, that's where I'm heading....

Jerry Falwell's death

I suppose that I should be more sympathetic, but the man was a disgusting zealot who made me say "thank god I'm an atheist". He exploited religion to make himself rich and espoused a philosophy of hatred and exclusion that I consider truly un-American.

Nothing

"The biggest problem with 'doing nothing' is knowing when you've finished".

Can any of you please tell me who said that?
Sorry to be saying nothing, but today I have nothing to say. Raid the blogroll for good stuff.
added:http://monkeyfister.blogspot.com/ is on fire today.
added: The quote above is Walt Kelly in the comic strip Pogo. Took me a while to remember.

Baseball

I'm a lifelong baseball fan. A lifelong San Fransisco Giants fan. So when I saw today's lineup, I cringed. Looked like the worst hitting lineup imaginable. What happened? 15 runs and 22 hits, a rookie with lousy numbers in the minors hits for the cycle. Guess I don't know the game as well as I thought.

Where'd you get the coconuts?

For the Monty Python fans in the audience:

FIVE and a half thousands of people in London's Trafalgar Square have
smashed the record for the world's largest coconut
orchestra

Original Monty Python Stars Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam led 5,567 members of the public and cast members from the musical "Monty Python's Spamalot" in a rendition of their classic singalong "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" to claim the Guinness World Record title.

The previous record for the largest number of people gathered in one location
playing coconuts at the same time stood at 1789 and was set in March 2002 in New
York, according to Guinness World Records.

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,21722491-5012895,00.html

What a record.

Mom's day

Happy Mom's day. I'm sure my own beloved mother is having a great day, cause she's way too busy to answer the phone. Mom still thinks she's 21, and she almost looks it in her black leather biker jacket. Rock on, mom.

Changing politics in Iraq

This is interesting. Apparently SCIRI is moving away from Iranian support to follow Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's biggest Shi'ite party on Saturday pledged its
allegiance to the country's top Shi'ite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani,
in a move that would distance it from Shi'ite Iran where it was formed.

The Supreme Council for Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) said it had
introduced significant policy changes and changed its name to the Supreme
Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC) -- dropping the word "Revolution".

Party officials told Reuters on Friday that the changes were aimed at giving
the party more of an Iraqi flavour and to reflect the changing situation in the
country since the U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

They said the party had been close to Sistani for some time, but a two-day
conference on Baghdad that ended on Friday had formalised relations with the
influential cleric.

"We cherish the great role played by the religious establishment headed by
Grand Ayatollah Sayed Ali al-Sistani ... in preserving the unity of Iraq and the
blood of Iraqis and in helping them building a political system based on the
constitution and law," said Rida Jawad al-Takki, a senior group member, who read
out the party's decisions to reporters.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKL1221651520070512?rpc=401&

While it's not clear how this will impact the opposition to American occupation, it will increase SCIRI's strength in parliament.

Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics?

Gallup has asked Americans whether U.S. involvement in Iraq was a "mistake" in seven polls so far this year. Across these more than 7,000 interviews, an average of 57% have said "yes."

AND THEN:

Did the United States make a mistake in sending troops to Iraq? (by age)

Age:

18-29 Yes - 56% No - 41%
30-39 Yes - 48% No - 50%
40-49 Yes - 52% No - 47%
50-59 Yes - 61% No - 38%
60-69 Yes - 62% No - 37%
70-79 Yes - 70% No - 28%
80+ Yes - 69% No - 26%

I'm glad to be in a group that opposes (overall) this stupid waste of my country's heritage, as well as the monetary future of several generations of American citizens.

From that chart, it looks like if'n you're a young person, you sure as hell think it was a mistake, probably because your ass would be the first to go. Second, if you're an older person (40+), then you've probably already served, or are at least wise enough to see what a folly our Iraqi adventure is, so you're also agin' this "war." But finally, if you're among the eldest (70+), then you're a member of Tom Brokaw's "Greatest Generation", and, you're most against the war. Given that those folks fought an actual war against an actual menace, that's not surprising.

It's kind of sad that then 30-39 age group are pro-war, or more correctly, they don't think the US sending troops to Iraq was a mistake. However, folks in that age group probably began to become politically aware during the Ray-gun (and Bush I) administrations, and they've formed their crappy foreign policy views based on the actions of those administrations.

Driving politics

Found this image over at The Peoples Republic of Seabrook,http://intellectualize.org/, and I couldn't resist "borrowing" it. Thanks, Jack.

The car-free mechanic

I've been living car-free for about 11 years now. This was a very simple choice for me, as I simply don't need one. I used to be in the floor covering business, and needed a truck for work. When I got out of that line of work, I no longer needed a vehicle. I can walk, bike, or bus to anywhere in town, and being single I don't have to drive anyone else around. I made this choice for both environmental and economic reasons.
But today, I get to play mechanic. The long-term houseguest's car has broken down, and she needs me to fix it. It's a 1981 toyota with about 300k miles, so there's a number of problems, but the most pressing is electrical. It's kind of weird, because the car is virtually identical to the car my now ex-wife drove when we first started dating (only older now). Luckily, one of my good friends is a real mechanic with a shop nearby, and he's kindly offered the use of a bay at the shop and an array of tools that I don't have (or don't want to dig out. 11 years without a car can bury tools that I've kept but haven't needed). As an aside, my mechanic friend also lives car- free by choice.
So I'm asking any of you readers out there: Would you live car-free if you could? Do any of you live car-free now?

This weeks boobie

The Friday boobie.
My computer issues aren't quite resolved. In fact they're getting worse. Multiple diagnostics point to a hardware component failing, which would be a bad thing. So for both my readers, I may not be able to post much.

Go Cheney yourself

Cheney tells Maliki "it's game time", like a playoff or something. Great wisdom there. So the previous 4+ years were an exhibition game?
Now here's a delightful little rumor:

May 10, 2007 -- WMR has received a third well-placed confirmation that
Vice President Dick Cheney, while CEO of Halliburton, was a client of the escort service of DC Madam, Deborah Jeane Palfrey. In addition, one of Cheney's closest military advisers and friends was also a client of the DC Madam's Pamela Martin & Associates escort service. Cheney used the escort service while he was a part time resident of the posh Ballantrae section of McLean, Virginia.

After intense pressure from the White House and Disney executives, ABC News killed the DC Madam client story after having been given exclusive access to Palfrey's ten years' of phone call records.

http://www.waynemadsenreport.com/

eeew!

I doubt that he'll face impeachment. After telling a senator to "go fuck yourself" and shooting an old man in the face (and getting the victim to apologize), we can assume that he'll get away with a little prostitution hiring.

added: according to Al-Hayat, a lebanese news service, there was a LOT more serious shelling during Cheney's visit than the American press reported.

استقبلته تظاهرات وقذائف على المنطقة الخضراء... وتفجير شاحنة أمام «وزارة
الداخلية» الكردية في أربيل ... تشيني يحض المالكي على مصالحة البعثيين وواشنطن
تؤكد التمييز بين دمشق وطهران

واشنطن , بغداد - جوي
كرم الحياة
10/05/07//

تراهن الادارة الاميركية على المصالحة بين البعثيين وحكومة نوري المالكي، أي على
«المتمردين» السنة، مفرقة بينهم وبين «الارهابيين الأجانب» وتنظيم «القاعدة».
وانطلاقاً من هذا الفهم لخريطة القوى السياسية العراقية بدأ نائب الرئيس الأميركي
ديك تشيني زيارته لبغداد، حيث استقبل بتظاهرات مضادة نظمها أنصار الزعيم الشيعي
مقتدى الصدر، وبسيل من القذائف انهمرت على المنطقة الخضراء، حين كان مجتمعاً مع
المالكي الذي استقبله بإعلان تعديل وزاري

Basically, the report claims that the mortar barrage lasted more than an hour, with about 40 blasts in or near the green zone. I don't know if it's true, but since this is a rumor based post I'll pass it on.

(dang, blogger doesn't like arabic)

Can we get out of Iraq?

Had a lengthy discussion last night regarding getting out of Iraq where I was basically pessimistic about the chances under the current administration. Simply put, the Cheney crowd aren't going to budge. But today's news from the Iraqi parliament provides another push in the right direction.

BAGHDAD (AP) - A majority of Iraqi legislators have endorsed a bill calling for a timetable for the withdrawal of foreign troops and demanding a freeze on the number of foreign troops already in the country.

The legislation was being debated even as U.S. politicians were locked in a dispute with the White House over their call to start reducing the size of the U.S. force in Iraq.

The Iraqi bill, drafted by a parliamentary bloc loyal to anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, was signed by 144 members of the 275-member house, according to Nassar al-Rubaie, the leader of the Sadrist bloc.

The Sadrist bloc, which sees the U.S.-led forces as an occupying army, has pushed similar bills before, but this was the first time it had garnered the support of a majority of legislators.

The bill would require the Iraqi government to seek approval from parliament before it requests an extension of the UN mandate for foreign forces to be in Iraq, al-Rubaie said. It also calls for a timetable for the troop withdrawal and a freeze on the size of the foreign forces.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2007/05/10/pf-4168971.html

I doubt that shrub and crew will pay much attention, but it may help strengthen congressional willpower. Also noted that Moqtada al-Sadr is driving this in parliament, further strengthening his political position.

300

Hey, post #300! Have a picture:

Kuwait stockpiles food

Via Cernig, I see that Kuwait thinks shrub is crazy enough to attack Iran.

KUWAIT, May 9 (Reuters) - Iran's neighbour Kuwait said on Wednesday it had prepared emergency food stocks in case a war breaks out in the Gulf amid tension between Washington and Tehran over Tehran's nuclear programme.

Kuwait, which was a launch pad for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, said last
month it would take "precautionary measures" amid concern of prospects of war between Iran and the West.

State news agency KUNA quoted Trade and Industry Minister Falah al-Hajeri as saying Kuwait had secured necessary food stocks to supply the population in case of a war.

"The ministry has prepared a strategic stock of food to be used in case of a war in the Gulf region as a result of the Iranian nuclear file," he said after the government briefed parliament about its preparations.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/CrisesArticle.aspx?rpc=401&storyId=L09153999

I still believe that sanity will prevail, and that war with Iran will be avoided. With the disaster of Iraq, attacking Iran is simply not an option.

The Fort Dix Six

Six wackos wanted to attack a military base? Now that's a plan that could work...not. Last I looked, military bases had soldiers. Armed, trained soldiers. These guys have to be idiots to think that they could take their jihad against America to such a target.
I'd take them much more seriously if they planned to attack the defensless. But it's kinda wierd to see the media hysteria as they report on this story.
(posting has been light, as my computer has been having some issues. My tech skills are being tested as I attempt to resolve them.)

Reagan's Diary

Wow, Vanity Fair is publishing excerpts from St. Ronnie's diary. Interesting reading for those with an interest in political history.Here's a sample:

Mon. June 1 • I approved naval maneuvers in Mediterranean waters that
Qaddafi of Libya has declared are his territorial waters. I'm not being foolhardy but he's a madman. He has been harassing our planes out over international waters & it's time to show the other nations there Egypt, Morocco, et al that there is different management here.

Sun. June 7 • Got word of Israeli bombing of Iraq—nuclear reactor. I
swear I believe Armageddon is near.

Returned to W.H. at 3 p.m. More word on bombing. P.M. Begin informed us after
the fact.

Tues. June 9 • Ended day with an N.S.C. meeting re the bombing of Iraq. P.M. Begin insists the plant was preparing to produce nuclear weapons for use on Israel. If he waited 'til the French shipment of "hot" uranium arrived he couldn't order the bombing because of the radiation that would be loosed over Baghdad.

I can understand his fear but feel he took wrong option. He should have told us & the French, we could have done something to remove the threat.

However we are not turning on Israel—that would be an invitation for the Arabs to attack. It's time to raise H—l world wide for a settlement of the "middle-east" problem. What has happened is the result of fear & suspicion on both sides. We need a real push for a solid peace.

http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2007/06/reagan200706?currentPage=1

As those who discuss politics with me know, I got to know Ronald Reagan through my father. I have always stated that he was a much smarter, astute political mind than most on the left ever gave him credit for. I disagreed with almost all of his views, but I respected his intelligence and actually enjoyed debating politics with him.
added: But this line isn't quite brilliant:

I walked into the emergency room and was hoisted onto a cart where I was stripped of my clothes. It was then we learned I'd been shot & had a bullet in my lung.

Getting shot hurts.

Nebraska

Once upon a time, the national guard was there to respond to natural disasters. Not anymore:

Iraq War Hampers Kansas Cleanup

GREENSBURG,
Kan. (AP) -- The rebuilding effort in tornado-ravaged
Greensburg, Kansas, likely will be hampered because some much-needed equipment is in Iraq, said that state’s governor.

Governor Kathleen Sebelius said much of the National Guard equipment usually positioned around the state to respond to emergencies is gone. She said not having immediate access to things like tents, trucks and semitrailers will really handicap the rebuilding effort.

The Greensburg administrator estimated that 95 percent of the town of 1500
was destroyed by Friday's tornado.

The Kansas National Guard has about 40 percent of the equipment it is
allotted because much of it has been sent to Iraq.http://www.kcbs.com/pages/424076.php?contentType=4&contentId=472199

Just another fringe benefit from shrub's folly.

Canyon shot

End the occupation

I need to say this: it's not a war in Iraq; it's an occupation. The war ended four years ago. The neocons had a stated vision of Iraq as a "pro-American democracy", but what they really wanted was a colony of a new American empire. The stubborn refusal to leave Iraq is based on this desire, but it is doomed to failure. The age of empire is over. Throughout history the middle east has resisted foreign occupation, and the current situation in Iraq reflects this. As we continue to fight "insurgents", we should ask ourselves "Who are they? What is their motivation?".
Put yourself in the position of an Iraqi citizen: foreign soldiers and tanks are on your streets, people who don't speak your language or understand your culture rule your lives. Remember that before the foreigners came, you had a stable society despite the brutality of the dictator. Now you are surrounded by chaos. Would you resist the foreigners?
As Americans, we believe that we're innately good and benevolent. We need to realize that this is a myopic view that the Iraqis do not share. We cannot remake their society into our ideal.
The reality is that at some point in time we will have to leave Iraq, whether tomorrow or ten years from now. Our continued occupation will only lead to more death and destruction, destroying more Iraqi and American lives.
The administration's rhetoric is patently false. They can't even tell us who the "enemy" is. Vague terms like "terrorists" or "insurgents" are disingenuous. They can't define "victory". A "free and democratic" Iraq? How can they be "free" while our tanks roam their streets?
I'll end this rant with this from Riverbend:

I remember Baghdad before the war- one could live anywhere. We didn't know what
our neighbors were- we didn't care. No one asked about religion or sect. No one
bothered with what was considered a trivial topic: are you Sunni or Shia? You only asked something like that if you were uncouth and backward. Our lives revolve around it now. Our existence depends on hiding it or highlighting it- depending on the group of masked men who stop you or raid your home in the middle of the night.

On a personal note, we've finally decided to leave. I guess I've known we would be leaving for a while now. We discussed it as a family dozens of times. At first, someone would suggest it tentatively because, it was just a preposterous idea- leaving ones home and extended family- leaving ones country- and to what? To where?http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/

May

May 5th, Cinco de Mayo, and I wake up to snow. Life in the mountains.

And a Friday Boobie

The Red-Footed Boobie.

Failure at Sharm El-Sheik

So Rice went to the Sharm El-Sheik summit, but didn't talk to the Iranians. Whatever good could come from the dialogue with Syria has been cancelled by insulting the Iranians.

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) - Iran's foreign minister walked out of a dinner of diplomats where he was seated directly across from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, on the pretext that
the female violinist entertaining the gathering was dressed too revealingly.

``I don't know which woman he was afraid of, the woman in the red dress or the secretary of state,'' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Friday, regarding the actions of Iran's
Manouchehr Mottaki.

The Iranian entered the lunch, greeting the gathered diplomats with the Arabic phrase, ``As-salama aleikum,'' or ``Peace be upon you,'' according to an Iraqi official who was present.

Rice replied to him in English, ``Hello,'' then added: ``Your English is better than my Arabic,'' according to the Iraqi official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the lunch was private.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit then piped in, telling Mottaki, ``We want to warm the atmosphere some.''

Mottaki smiled and replied in English with a saying: ``In Russia, they eat ice cream in winter because it's warmer than the weather'' - more or less meaning, ``You take whatever atmosphere-warming you can get.''

``That's true,'' Rice replied, according to the Iraqi official.http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6607749,00.html

The Iraqi government and some Arab countries had hoped for a real one-on-one meeting between Rice and Mottaki, saying that the two countries' conflict is only fueling Iraq's chaos. Ahead of the two day conference in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheik, Rice had expressed a willingness to meet, and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad said he would welcome talks.

But on Thursday, Rice said the American side was not asking for a meeting, and the Iranians appeared reluctant to be the ones to make the first move.

The U.S. accuses Iran of increasing Iraq's violence by backing militants there, as well as accusing Tehran of aiming to build a nuclear weapons program. The Bush administration has rejected direct talks with Iran despite growing calls for contacts.

I'm inclined to blame the Cheney wing of the administration, who's policy seems to be that diplomacy is for wimps. We should have engaged with Iraq's neighbors years ago, but the neocons were determined to impose their will on the region. Now we're stuck with a disaster and an administration that refuses to make any concessions that might help resolve the situation.
Can I hide in the wilderness until 1/20/09?

Trip Photos

Here are a few photos from the river trip. I didn't get to take too many, as halfway through the trip my camera decided to quit on me. I think it may have gotten some water in it despite my best efforts to keep it dry. I'll try to collect more from my fellow travelers.

Boats ready to launch.

Boatman ready.

Camped at Travertine Falls.

On the water.

I'll post a few others in the future. I'm so ready to go back that I'm already planning a trip for September.

A slow return

I'm taking my time returning to civilization, with my mind still river mellow. I'm finding the news is something I really don't want to think about.
One item I will comment on: Ellen Simon has announced that she will again run for congress in my district, AZ-1. My response is "please, don't". Simon ran a completely lackluster campaign against Rick Renzi in 2006, and while she might be a competent congressperson there really is nothing inspiring about her. I'm betting that Renzi won't be the rethuglican candidate for 2008, but I really want a dynamic Democratic candidate.

I'm back

I'm back. The trip went great. I'll be downloading photos later, but I didn't get all that many. Midway through the trip my camera lost it's mind (I think some water got in it) and refused to store new pics. Now I've got tons of gear to unload, organize, and clean. And no energy.

Game, Set, and Match.....to the Iraqis!

"To put this in a simple army metaphor, the Commander-in-Chief seems to have gone AWOL, that is 'absent without leave.' He neither acts nor talks as though he is in charge. Rather, he engages in tit-for-tat games…I hope the President seizes this moment for a basic change in course and signs the bill the Congress has sent him. I will respect him greatly for such a rare act of courage, and so too, I suspect, will most Americans."
- Lieutenant General William E. Odom

Does that sum it up enough for everyone? We've lost. Get over it. Move on to constructive activities in the Middle East (by which I mean NOT bombing anyone).

Why We Live Where We Live

OK, so yesterday, in our hometown, it was "officially" the real, true, first day of Spring. I know, I know, we're about a month late, but yesterday felt like you knew we weren't going to have any more lousy weather (e.g., snow or rain) for bit, and that you could really get out and enjoy the town and its surroundings.

So here's how to spend a weekend, now that many of the students are in finals and are getting ready to leave, and the tourists haven't really gathered yet.

Saturday:

Sleep in until 8 am. Ye gads, I ain't slept that late in awhile. Get up, some tea now that I've eschewed the java, shower, girlfriend is over by ten am, and we're set to walk downtown and get some eats, preferably at the new creperie.

As we're walking, a couple of blocks down a friend - C - yells out a window for us to stop - and he'll join us. So it's 3 for breakfast now.

We get to the creperie, but they're not set up yet, so we wander to MartAnne's and, getting a table right away, we eat (hugely) there. It really is the best place for chorizo or chiliquillas early on.

After breakfast, we wander the few blocks of downtown, window shopping, while tourists are just starting to flood out of the hotels and hostels to join us. We catch a seat in front of the Christmas store and people watch, and then go listen to Jee-bus man (an itinerant preacher) shout out salvation in the town square. Hugely chuckle at the "For Rent" sign plastered in front of Renzi's office; you take laughs where you can get them, I guess.

Girlfriend has to work for a couple of hours, starting at 12:30, so we wander to the park next to the library, and sprawl on the grass, kicking off shoes, lounging and making pointed comments on the parks other denizens - the couple all dressed in white, the puppy dogs cruising by, and the dancer/martial art troupe practicing nearby (and by practicing I mean really doing a lot of stretching).

Girlfriend is at work, and friend C has decided to change into shorts, so we walk the 3 blocks to his house, and then return downtown, marveling at the great freakin' weather. We let the changing of the downtown streetlights guide our passage, and eventually find ourselves back at the park to wait for girlfriend, while we lie in the grass and snooze.

Girlfriend's work finished, we decide to head 3 blocks back to downtown and drink beers at a local brewery, on the outside patio. Luckily, we grab the local arts rag and find out that the downtown theater/concert hall is showing "CaddyShack" that evening in a new tradition of movie nights downtown, so we make a note to go.

Of course, we sit in the sun too long and have one too many beers, but, as friends stop by to visit and move on, we don't really worry.

Finally, we must grab some food, so after going home and getting cleaned up, we meet again downtown and we end up at the creperie for dinner before heading off to the movie house.

CaddyShack was as silly as ever, but the theater does have a full bar, so slugging down a cold one while watching Bill Murray's antics was well worth it. We even all got up and danced the gopher dance to Kenny Loggins at the end.

Finally C had to go off to meet other friends, and girlfriend and I were ready to crash, so we all went home.

Sunday:

Starts as a repeat of Saturday, up with girlfriend over by 10 am, only this time, we're packing everything on our backs.

It's a quick 15-mile sprint out of town and we're down in a local canyon, rock-hopping through the (dried-out) wash, climbing up and down the trail, and even venturing off-trail to climb through an amazing natural arch - which left us stranded for a few minutes until we butt-slid our way back down.

After and hour and a half and two miles of boulder hopping, we decide we're getting hungry and decide to head back, rather than walk all the way to Sedona. Good thing, too, because that's an over-nighter for sure, and we didn't have all our gear.

So we get home, get cleaned up, she goes to study and I go have a beer and do the shopping, and then we get together and have an absolutely fantastic dinner of grilled steak and spuds and a cucumber salad. Oh and beets, fresh beets from a friend. A-and, a lot of aloe vera lotion to help with sunburn.

That's our town. It may not be Lake Woebegone, but, it works for all of us. So, while the crew is enjoying themselves on the river this week, they'll be glad to know we're keeping up our enjoyment end right here in town, while we wait for their return.