The Dusty Dog

What Dicks Do....

2008-12-26T11:29:00.005-05:00

I hate the dubya fuckers. Yup, they're fucking us over with their Midnight Regulations. I hate the fuckers that voted them into office, stupidly thinking that dubya and his dick would somehow serve America's best interests.

Speaking of dubya and his dick..... that's what dicks do. They fuck.

Last Night's Dream

2008-12-14T09:52:00.010-05:00

I had a dream last night. It was about Zuki, the Dusty Dog. I just keep reliving it, over and over. Fact is, I'm consciously trying to relive it. I am trying to remember every last detail about this dream. It's the only way that I can still feel like Zuki is with me. Sure, I have tons of photographs of her. I'm a photographer, after all. But, photographs only take me so far. They enable me to see her as she literally was. They enable me to remember how beautiful she was. They enable me to hold a piece of her forever in my heart.

But, dreams are different. Dreams, when vivid, carry along into the daytime an emotional thread that photos will never do. Granted, dreams distort that life she actually led. But, I don't care. It works for me.

I woke up with a piece of her, a piece of the emotional attachment that we had. And, that is a piece that is so hard to hold onto. It gets diluted over time, whether I want it to, or not. It becomes a memory that I will always and gratefully have, but absent some emotional impact. Maybe, I keep trying to hold onto that emotional impact of the day she died. Nothing is more emotional than that. Nothing. And, as painful as it is, it's a pain that I hold near and dear to my heart. It somehow keeps it a bit real for me.

I know that the same holds true for my brother who died May 3, 1978. That's a long time ago, but a day that I refuse to ever let go. It holds the emotion of my sadness that he died, but also the total love that we had. But, I digress. This article is about Zuki.

The dream was, as most dreams are, quite odd. I dreamed that she was physically disabled, as she was before she died. She was not able to get up on her own. She needed the help of a scarf tied around her rump. Her spinal stenosis robbed her of the strength to push herself up into a standing position. But once up, she could walk.

In the dream, I pulled her up, and she took off into a run with her best buddy, Luka, my friend's German Shepherd. This is where it gets odd. From the view of these two dog's rear ends, as I was running to catch up with them, it was obvious that they were both males; both were intact males. How odd is that? They were two beautiful male German Shepherds running down the street, past houses and other odd events.

Another dream oddness was the three WWII German soldiers who were struggling to fire some kind of archaic and damaged weapon, like a mortar gun, at the two dogs. They escaped the soldiers' efforts, and kept running down the street, me running behind them. And, that's when I woke up. I just stayed in bed, hoping to remember every single detail of the dream, including the houses they ran past and the street trees. That's all I can remember.

Zuki was a very special dog. She was a German Shepherd, but she also was part wolf. She was a human construct of an animal, a beast caught between two worlds. I rescued her from a no-kill shelter, being her fourth owner in her then short 1-1/2 years. She lived to be 7-1/2 years old, being ultimately struck down by a horrific disease that rendered her a quadriplegic, FCE. I already wrote about this in a previous post, dated October 15, 2008.

I'm not sure why I'm writing this. Maybe it's cathartic. I think I just need this little photo blog article about her. Maybe, it's my way of keeping her "alive." I don't know. I'm not sure it matters. It just works for me.

Seasons Greetings, with a Dash of Hope

2008-12-06T09:35:00.013-05:00

I hate this time of year. I really do. Don't get me wrong, though. I'm not criticizing religion (at least, not now). I'm just sick and tired and totally disgusted at the commercialism that pervades this time of year. I hate it. It's obscene. It's destructive. It's downright evil.

I do realize that so much of the health of our economy is predicated on how well business, companies and stores succeed in pushing their commercial garbage, but I really think that that minor NOT little issue is maybe what is so critically wrong with our society. We've gone nuts. We're tipping off the deep end. Oh wait...... we already tumbled. Yeah, I wonder why...

Maybe, it's because we put material garbage over the health of children. Maybe it's because we think that the more crapolla we buy, the more American we think we are. People dying in our crumbling streets BE DAMNED. They're not real Americans. Crap! They don't even pay taxes, after all. We can't help them. They don't pay taxes. We can't feed them. They don't pay taxes.

Back to the Christmas season. I always wish the best seasons' greeting to my friends and family, and my coworkers, and my neighbors, and the world. My season's greeting are always about hope for peace in a violent world, hope for health and a humane prosperity, a clean environment free of the toxins of our at present excessive consumption, educational opportunities for all who want and/or need such. The list goes on.

But, one thing I can't quite stomach is the need to go out and buy shit to give to other people, be it family or friends, just to satisfy a seasonal ritual that has nothing to do with Christianity or Judaism or any other religion, and has everything to do with our bloated overindulgent consumoid society, that serves nothing but puts citizens into debt and lines the pockets of traitorous CEOs and politicians. I hate this time of year. I really do.

Oh miggod!!! This little missive is touching on so much, and I haven't even written anything. So, a few of my admittedly simplistic thoughts on the American economy.....

As a society, our economic health, which is the apparent pinnacle of our societal health, is based on consumerism. The more we buy, the more crap has to be made to satify our need to buy. The manufacturers hire more people to make more crap to sell. They flood the markets with the crap and then they spend megabucks on advertising to remind us how badly we need all their crap. It's a cyclic exercise in destruction, as the making of the crap uses energy we can ill afford to use, pollutes our precious environment, and fills our landfills with packaging and all of yesterday's crap.

Speaking of yesterday's crap.... About 20 years ago, I worked with a man from India. He made a very insightful observation about the differences between the American and the Indian societies. In America, labor is expensive, but items are cheap. Therefore, we Americans have developed a throw-away society, needing to always manufacture more stuff using cheap materials to replace, rather than fix damaged older stuff. Cars are a prime example of this, as are other appliances, like washing machines, toasters, etc. Appliances and large ticket items have become disposable, and likely include a planned obsolesce so they require the purchasing of new items sooner, rather than later.

In India, however, materials were very expensive, but labor was cheap. Indians couldn't afford to buy new stuff, because the material to make it was crazy expensive. So, they fixed everything. A car, according to my coworker, would last for 300,000 miles before it had to be replaced. This was the same with all other kinds of appliances and "fixable" items. Unlike India, Americans want to replace their cars, computers and appliances as soon as new models role off the assembly lines.

Well, manufacturers apparently found the best of both worlds. They got their cheap materials from America, shipped it overseas to the far east, India, Malaysia, China, where ever, and now could build their crap for cheap labor. Didn't matter that the labor was exploitative, or that they were trashing the environment of their cheap laborers' neighborhoods, or that they ruined the American economy by reducing the manufacturing base to skeleton-like crews. Didn't matter, at all. They made profits hand over fist. They made out like bandits. Yup, the bandits that they really are. A bunch of crooked, self-serving, now hugely and obscenely wealthy individuals that are laughing all the way to the bank. And, to add insult to injury, they even convinced dirtbag politicians that somehow their "free trade" initiatives were helpful, so they got tax breaks for their criminal efforts. Tax breaks so huge that they actually avoided paying any taxes at all. It was/is so cheap to do business "overseas" that it no longer even made any sense at all to keep manufacturing jobs in America.

Well, in my opinion, they're all a bunch of traitors, including the band of deregulators that enabled this fleecing of America. Dubya and his dick certainly come to mind. Phil Fucking Graham, too. They put America up for sale, for cryin' out loud. And, they've made a fortune doing it. There are laws against profiting from public office, but these dirtbags are apparently above the law. They've sold us all down the river. It's really quite sad.

In just over a month, Obama will take office. He is planning the largest public works initiative in over 50 years. He is going to get people working again so that they can have roofs over their heads, food on their tables, and boost the economy by buying more crap. Oh no! More crap??!!!

I dunno. I think a huge paradigm shift has to take place here. A shift that removes that concept that consumerism is the pinnacle of our economic wealth, and make it where the health of the people themselves are the basis of our economic health. Education is a key, and medical care, infrastructure, environmental health, and reduced energy consumption, are just a few of what I see to be critically important building blocks of a health society. I am holding out great hope for Obama. My hope is that he will institute a model of governing that tosses, finally for cryin' out loud, fucking Reagonomics, the voodoo economic model that was the beginning of the financial crisis we are in today. I continue to hold Obama Hope for the future. He's all we've got right now.

It Ain't Pretty

2008-11-16T08:41:00.014-05:00

Dear Goddess, where to start?

There are two issues that are weighing heavily on our society right now that hit very close to home for me. Unfortunately, both are akin to little canaries, indicative of where our society is today, and where we are on a political scale. It ain't pretty.

First is the blatant racism that has emerged under the election of Barack Obama. The second is the passage of the hate legislation making it illegal for gays and lesbians to marry. Both issues are examples of a frustrated and hateful segment of our society that is hell-bent on criminalizing otherwise legal and human feelings and activities. But, closer look of these two issues, and the closer look at who is perpetrating such hate brings me to a single conclusion: it's the same segment, the same haters, the same racist, homophobic community and their leaders who are complicit in this hate.

And, make no mistake about it.... the hate of gays and lesbians is as much a civil rights issue, as it is with race relations. Thousands and thousands of people across the country marched to denounce the passage of anti-gay sentiment, including the passages of anti-gay marriage legislation in three states this past November 4th election. Per the NYTimes online, "The demonstrations — from a sun-splashed throng in San Francisco to a chilly crowd in Minneapolis — came 11 days after California voters narrowly passed a ballot measure, Proposition 8, that outlawed previously legal same-sex ceremonies in the state. The measure’s passage has spurred protests in California and across the country, including at several Mormon temples, a reflection of that church’s ardent backing of the proposition." The passage of these legislative initiatives are clear examples of where hate is actually condoned and institutionalized by our society. Rather than spend the necessary effort to make this an inclusive and tolerant society, fat and lazy politicians defer to the prevalence of hate in our society, and allow such laws to be passed. These bums are more than just lazy, though. Their own hate is effectively muted by their collective claim that it was the choice of the majority. This, rather than taking on the issue of hate by its ugly horns. It's really sad.

News services are reporting all over this country that incidents of hate are on the rise, as pointed out by this AOL news article, "... just as many of us can feel proud of a country so enlightened that its majority can elect a minority to the highest office of the land, we must not shy away from the uncomfortable fact that a significant number of Americans dislike Obama based, first and foremost, on the color of his skin." It's a sentiment I will never, in a million years, understand.

Also, in this Yahoo article, Obama has more threats than other presidents-elect, "Earlier this week, the Secret Service looked into the case of a sign posted on a tree in Vay, Idaho, with Obama's name and the offer of a "free public hanging." In North Carolina, civil rights officials complained of threatening racist graffiti targeting Obama found in a tunnel near the North Carolina State University campus." As you can clearly see here, the hatred for Obama is not only predicated on their disdain for liberals and progressives. It's mired in the good 'ol hate of the black man. None of this is a surprise, I suppose. On the contrary, it's kind of expected, unfortunately.

But, here on Long Island, NY, where racism is overt and rampant, and Hispanic immigrants are prevalent, these immigrants are taking a huge brunt of this hate. Patchogue experienced the death of a hardworking and young Ecuadorean at the hands of seven high school students for the sole reason that he was Hispanic. Marcelo Lucero was an immigrant. It didn't matter whether he was legal or illegal. That was not at issue in this horrific murder. These arguably "upstanding" good students went out last week to do one thing: "beat up a Mexican."

Now, we're forced to confront this racism head on. Miggod! It's been apparent for years. As this Newsday article points out, "In nine years, Suffolk's gone from battling day laborers to batting illegal immigrants to battling Hispanics to having our children hunt "beaners."" It should have been confronted years ago. It should be part of school curriculum, starting at very early ages, to teach tolerance and inclusiveness. But, given how lazy we are, as a society, we look the other way until a boy dies at the hands of racist aggressors. It's hard to ask the family of this Ecuadorean immigrant to hope that society will maybe learn something from his death. If I was that boy's mother, I'd not be so forgiving.

So, who the hell are these haters? What makes them hate so much? Is it so simple to say that these hateful individuals need to put down someone in order to falsely elevate their own perceived standings in this world? I cannot answer these questions. I am not a sociologist, a student of this issue. All I can do is stand against hate, fight the institutionalization of hate, and work to teach the children well, as advocated by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance agenda.

I think that the reality is that society will have learned nothing from this killing in Patchogue. I don't know. Call me negative, and without hope. It's hard to hold such hope in my heart right now. Honestly, I thought that the election of Barack Obama would elevate the issue to a higher standing, put it up front right away. Maybe, this is what this "elevation" looks like right now. It ain't pretty.

Obama Hope

2008-11-08T15:14:00.008-05:00

As I bask in the sunshine that is streaming down upon us by the Obama win, I read with curiosity today's article in the NYTimes, The Return of John McCain, But Which One?. I really don't understand why people think there are two McCains. As far as I'm concerned, there's only one, and has only ever been only one. He's the same pandering, sleazy excuse for a human being who somehow convinced people that there is some kind of noble side to him. In my opinion, he has no noble side.

This is the same McCain who graduated fifth from the bottom - 894th out of a class of 899 at Annapolis. Being a lazy, drunken sot must have had something to do with it.

This is the same McCain who got as far as he did, even while crashing three (or was it four?) fighter jets (before the one that ended him up as a POW), because daddy was a admiral who could pull strings.

This is the same McCain who only entered politics because he couldn't get four stars like his daddy.

This is the same McCain who was complicit in the Keating 5 scandal.

This is the same McCain who unapologetically continues to support the boondoggle called the Iraq invasion.

This is the same McCain who celebrated his birthday with cake on an airstrip with dubya while New Orleans drowned.

And, this is the same McCain who thinks that Obama pals around with terrorists, is unAmerican, is a socialist, and stupidly fell for the Joe the Plumber scam. Geez.......

This is the same McCain that Rolling Stone calls the Make-Believe Maverick for all of the things I listed above, and then some. Per that article, "The myth of John McCain hinges on two transformations — from pampered flyboy to selfless patriot, and from Keating crony to incorruptible reformer — that simply never happened. But there is one serious conversion that has taken root in McCain: his transformation from a cautious realist on foreign policy into a reckless cheerleader of neoconservatism."

There's only one John McCain, and he's a pandering, rightwing hack who continues to support deregulation while the banks and Wall Street laugh all the way the the US Mint. John McCain is a war hawk who is still submerged in the hate of the Vietnam era and the excesses of his unregulated buddies.

But, back to the NYTimes article..... "Some of the hatchets are quickly being buried. Senator Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat and Senate majority leader, spoke by telephone with Mr. McCain on Friday; according to an aide, they agreed to put the attacks of the last few months behind them. Mr. Reid, who for months during the campaign had carried with him a set of negative quotes about Mr. McCain from fellow Republicans to have ready for recitation, plans on ripping up the quotes, said his spokesman, Jim Manley."

I don't know how people just "bury the hatchet" and pretend that John McCain is something that he's not. But unfortunately, Congress is made up of so many other John McCains that if they don't look the other way so as not to see McCain's very ugly personality, they'd essentially be condemning themselves.

The challenge for Obama, among all the mess that the dubya regime will leave him, will be to figure out how to work with all the Congressional dirtbags. Was he, after all, one of them? I don't think so. Thank the goddess for the new Democratic majority! I am still being showered with Obama Hope.

Victory!

2008-11-05T00:00:00.006-05:00

The republicans got spanked tonight. McStupid will likely not make 200 electoral votes, given that Obama has 338 right now. The republicans represent a dying cause, an era gone by, an America that no longer exists. His America, as seen by the crowd at his concession speech was a lily white bunch of losers who will never get it. That mindset is now in the minority. That mindset is now irrelevant.

History was made tonight.

Obama's rally is truly representative of what this nation is comprised of today. I am struck with awe. I never thought I'd live to see the day that a man of African decent would inhabit the White House. In fact, I have this vision of his girls running around there, and my heart swells. The stage they are on right now, Grant Park in Chicago, is comprised of two families, the Bidens and the Obamas. The stage is as gloriously mixed as the people in the crowd. I am so proud.

I am so proud

Toast, Burned Toast & TheTaste of Victory

2008-11-02T14:36:00.005-05:00

As of this morning, FiveThirtyEight has Obama beating out McStupid 332.9 to 205.1 electoral votes. After watching this morning's George Stephanopolis roundable, all of the panels are predicting an Obama win of approximately 240-250 electoral votes. Makes me wonder..... Given that there are 538 electoral votes to be had, will McStupid even get 200 votes? I'm guessing not. He's toast. His lipstick is burned toast. An Obama/Biden victory will be so sweet regardless.

Restoration of Faith and Trust

2008-11-02T08:59:00.008-05:00

I came across this story today, and I find it horrifying. I hope that one of the first orders of Obama's first days in office will be to rescind the two executive orders signed by the dubya regime. (I think it's pretty safe to say that if McStupid is elected, he would do nothing, and in fact, likely support this fascist piece of garbage.) I look forward to the restoration of Constitutional rights in this country of ours under an Obama/Biden administration. I look forward to the restoration of sanity in the Oval Office.

I got this from the Project Censored website. It's a wealth of information about the subversive activities that go on at the hands of government, at the hands of corporations, at the hands of lobbyists, and with a free pass from the press, the Fourth Estate.

An exerpt is included below. I encourage everyone to read it, then go to the site to read the entire story. What I find striking about it, other than the absolute unconstitutionality of this order, is that the investigation report was written in 2007, but it is still worthy of making onto Project Censored top unreported stories of 2009. Scary stuff.

Seizing War Protesters’ Assets

President Bush has signed two executive orders that would allow the US Treasury Department to seize the property of any person perceived to, directly or indirectly, pose a threat to US operations in the Middle East.

The first of these executive orders, titled “Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq,” signed by Bush on July 17, 2007, authorizes the Secretary of Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Defense, to confiscate the assets of US citizens and organizations who “directly or indirectly” pose a risk to US operations in Iraq. Bush’s order states:

I have issued an Executive Order blocking property of persons determined 1) to have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq or undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq . . . or 2) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, such an act or acts of violence or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order . . .

Section five of this order announces that, “because of the ability to transfer funds or other assets instantaneously, prior notice to such persons of measures to be taken pursuant to this order would render these measures ineffectual. I therefore determine . . . there need be no prior notice of listing or determination [of seizure] . . .”

On August 1, Bush issued a similar executive order, titled “Blocking Property of Persons Undermining the Sovereignty of Lebanon or Its Democratic Processes and Institutions.” While the text in this order is, for the most part, identical to the first, the order regarding Lebanon is more severe.

More here.

As Barak Obama and Joe Biden transition into their new roles, I'm sure they'll have a host of issues and just plain evil executive orders to roll back. I'm sure this is but one of many (think signing statements). Having posted this, and feeling somewhat secure that Obama will do everything within his power and judgment to end the Iraq debacle, thereby rendering protests against the Iraq war unnecessary. I sure hope so. But, I think that every single little piece of unconstitutional legislation and executive orders that were the products of the worst and most fascist regime ever to inhabit the Oval Office must be rescinded. It's Step One (or very close to it). It's a matter of restoring faith and trust in our government for all Americans and the rest of the world.

Where's The Outrage?

2008-11-01T10:01:00.007-04:00

When I first read the article about McStupid busing in 4,000 Florida school children into his rally to fill a 6,000 person venue (if that's what it was), I found it amusing that the low-life candidate of the republican party just can't get enough people at his rallies, while Obama can't fit everyone who shows up into his. I do find it amusing.

On second thought, however, I find it to be outrageous. If I was a parent of one of those kids, I'd be outraged. Of course, given my political bias, getting bused to a McStupid rally would be the worst. But, getting bused to any political rally, including an Obama rally, is an outrage. In this particular case, "The entire 2,500-student Defiance School District was in attendance, the official said, in addition to at least three other schools from neighboring districts, one of which sent 14 buses."
Fourteen buses??!! Was this an appropriate use of anyone's school tax dollars? What about the separation of politics and education, particularly for grade schools? If I was a parent of one of those children, I'd sue the ass off McStupid, his campaign, his advisors, and the school district. As a matter of fact, I'd absolutely insist, via court order if necessary, that the McCain camp show how they paid for this venture. If they didn't, they'd damned well better. I'd make that part of the law suit settlement. Where's the outrage? Where's the ACLU?

As a parent (my two children are grown now), I sent my kids to school under the assumption that they were relatively safe, hopefully learning, essentially handing over the responsibility of them to the Board of Education, the school district from where I live. If I found out later that my children were then plucked from that school setting to fill a political venue, I'd be livid. This McStupid stunt goes beyond the pale. It's a violation of trust. It's inappropriate beyond belief.

I would think that this would go without saying, but apparently nothing goes without saying. These are CHILDREN! Children in their formative years, not yet old enough to make mature decisions. For cryin' out loud!!! They were sent to school, for cryin' out loud. To learn, for cryin' out loud. Not to be used as props for a political rally. Where's the outrage?

And, not for nothin', but I'd bet dollars to donuts that if it was the Obama camp who bused in the children (which I trust they'd never even think of doing), the republican dirtbags would be on a tear about how the liberals are trying to steal the minds of the children by turning them into socialist automatons. I'd guarantee that.

For anyone that's interested, I did a bit of google digging, and came up with these images of the rally, and worse yet, the actual text that the school district put on the site.

John McCain Visits Defiance
October 30, 2008

Defiance students were extremely fortunate to see our political process in action when Presidential Candidate John McCain visited our city. Every child had the opportunity to attend the rally held in front of the Middle School/Junior High Complex. It was an educational experience that will be long remembered.

I continue to be amazed at the depths that the McStupid camp will plumb to maybe eek out a victory next week. I continue to be amazed at what our society allows them to get away with. I continue to be totally amazed, and outraged.

DRILL, Baby, dri.......

2008-10-31T08:39:00.003-04:00

I found this article in the Smirking Chimp. It's too good to pass up...

Palin calls for oil drilling while speaking at solar panel plant
submitted by classwarfare on October 30, 2008 - 1:08pm

click to view article from ap.google.com

Palin spoke after touring Xunlight Corp., one of a handful of solar technology startup companies in Toledo, a struggling industrial city in this swing state. The city's leaders are hoping that the solar companies will create jobs to replace some of those lost by downsizing in the auto industry.

But Palin made only a passing reference to solar power in her speech and instead renewed her call for more drilling in U.S. coastal waters. She repeated her signature anthem, "drill, baby, drill," which seemed to fall a bit flat on the audience at the plant even as it's become a popular chant at her rallies.

Ideological Stupidity

2008-10-30T18:18:00.007-04:00

I just continue to be amazed that anyone can possibly buy into McStupid's tax plan. He calls for tax cut. So does Obama. But, the differences are vast. Completely ideological opposites.

Obama has stated in a recent rally, including yesterday, I believe, that McStupid's plan calls for $200 billion in tax breaks for corporations, including $4 billion to oil industries. Was that hyperbole on Obama's part? Apparently not.

According to CNN Political Ticker's Fact Check

The Statement:
Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, speaking in Canton, Ohio, on October 27, referred to Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain's tax plans and said, "It's not change when he wants to give $200 billion to the biggest corporations or $4 billion to the oil companies."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Verdict: True. Obama's statement accurately reflects two studies of McCain's tax proposals.

Two days later, on October 30, 2008, CNBC's Exxon Mobil posts biggest US quarterly profit ever is published. Per the article,

Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest publicly traded oil company, reported income Thursday that shattered its own record for the biggest profit from operations by a U.S. corporation, earning $14.83 billion in the third quarter.

Combine this with the fact that major corporations already don't pay taxes. This from the Huffington Post,

In a stunning report released by the United States Government Accountability Office in July 2008, Americans learned that many corporations, including those with assets over $250M, reported no tax liabilities. In fact, from 1998-2005, 72% of foreign-controlled domestic corporations (FCDC's), and 55% of US-controlled corporations (USCC's), reported zero tax liability for at least one of those years.

In total, two-thirds of the corporations doing business in the U.S. paid no taxes from 1998-2005, while collectively reporting $2.5 trillion dollars in sales.

John McCain's official website would make it seem as if corporate taxes are somehow crippling American business.

I don't know how McStupid's proposal can pass the straight face test given that CNBC article and the GAO report. If, after the past eight years of dubya's trickle down tax policies hasn't convinced people that it's a pile of hooey that accomplishes only one task - transfer money from the middle class to the very wealthy - then I am not sure what anyone can say or do to convince those that vote for McStupid, particularly those of the lower or middle class, that they're absolutely voting against their own self interests. There has to be something else at play here. Maybe, the answer is just very simple. They're stupid. They're incurious, ignorant, and just plain ideologically stupid. I know this is harsh, but I just don't know what else to say.

The Undecided

2008-10-29T15:34:00.008-04:00

You gotta wonder.... Who the hell are they? Well, I had a conversation with one this week. She really hasn't made up her mind yet. Huh???

When I asked her what she was confused about, her response was typical to what I've been hearing - "I hate them both." In my opinion, of which I have many, that's such a ignorant and mindless answer. It's a cop out. It means that all she is basing her decisions upon are the TV sound bites. If that's all you've got, of course you're gonna hate them both. They are trashing each other, McStupid way more than Obama (another opinion of mine), that all you'll hear is negative crap.

I asked her what she "hated" about both of them. Her response, again quite typical - "They both are horrific liars." "OK," I said,"So putting aside the exaggerations and hyperbole that they are both guilty of, what exactly is Obama lying about?" All she could come up with was Obama's relationship with Jeremiah Wright, and Wright's hatred of white people.

Amazing. Another person who was participating in this conversation piped in, "That's nonsense." She had read some of Wright's sermons, and heard him speak, and she did not read or hear anything that indicated any across the board hatred of white people, the way the McStupid camp portrayed him to do, and want the electorate to believe." I concurred, as I also read and heard him speak. I stated that what the McStupid camp quoted of Wright was taken completely out of context to make him out to be a hateful bigot, and in fact, what Wright was preaching was his disdain for the horrific treatment that blacks have had to endure at the hands of whites.

I find it hard to believe that anyone in McStupid's camp really believes that Wright is practicing this concept of "reverse" racism, but they don't care. They know that if they continue to spew this garbage, the Obama camp must remain silent, or else they, the Obama camp, will be accused of racism. It's truly a catch 22 for the Obama campaign.

When I see the campaign rallies on TV (I've not been to any in person), the differences in the attendees is striking. Obama's rallies are truly a representation of our melting pot, multiracial society. There is a sea of people of all races, attending the rallies by the tens of thousands. The McStupid rallies always have a single black person strategically located right behind the candidate who is doing the yakking, so the camera will capture him, and it's virtually always a him (I've never seen a her). Those rallies are a sea of white people, all a single one thousand of them. My tendency is to say, "Draw your own conclusion." But, I am taking the next step, as I have already drawn the conclusion, of which I share herein. Believe me, this is not something I've noticed alone. There is a lot of discussion on the internet already about this very issue.

I'll start with McCain. Per Capitol Hill Blue,

McCain loved to tell jokes about lesbians, blacks, Hispanics and the Vietnamese community that occupied a large section of Arlington County, Virginia, just south of the District of Columbia.

Of course, McCain didn't use polite language in the jokes: He used names like "fags" or "queers" or "dykes" or "niggers" or "spics" or "wetbacks" or "gooks."

Feel free to read more from that article, as it has lots of other links and specific examples of the racist pile of crap that McStupid really is. It's really telling of who and what the republican party is and represents if they think that this poor excuse for a human being is the best they have to represent their party. There's plenty more where that came from. Just do a search on the words "McCain racist" and you'll get lots of hits. Miggod, it's just sickening.

Sarah Palin is her own racist bitch. This from the LA Progressive

Besides insulting Obama with a Step-N’-Fetch-It, “darkie musical” swipe, people who know her say she refers regularly to Alaska’s Aboriginal people as “Arctic Arabs” – how efficient, lumping two apparently undesirable groups into one ugly description – as well as the more colourful “mukluks” along with the totally unimaginative “f**king Eskimo’s,” according to a number of Alaskans and Wasillians interviewed for this article.

Again, read more of this article and again put "Palin racist" into a google search, and you'll get many hits. Again, it's just sickening.

Back to my conversation with the undecided. When the only thing that she could come up with when I asked her about any Obama lies was the Jeremiah Wright issue, which of course had nothing to do with any Obama lies, my only conclusion is that she's going to vote for McStupid. She can do nothing else. Although I have always liked this person, and still do, I do believe she is a racist. I think that she doesn't even realize she's a racist, and certainly would never admit it, if she did. But, she is. Period. And sadly, I do believe that she is very likely representative of lots of undecided voters. Unquestioning, incurious, and subconsciously (at the very least) racist. It is a very sad reality of our American society.

Having written all of this, I am so hopeful that Obama will win. Aside from the fact that I do believe that he is America's best hope for progress, fairness, and respect (to undo the past eight years of the dubya and his dick regime) for our country, he will also be a role model for black people to look up to, and for white people to hopefully realize that being black does not diminish, in any way, a person's stature as a human being. That's my hope in this election.

Images:
Decision 2008 - http://current.com/items/89399625_who_really_are_these_undecided_voters
White/Black Hands - http://bolsonon.wordpress.com/2008/03/22/racist-the-latest-version-of-gotcha-politics/
McCain Rally - http://entequilaesverdad.blogspot.com/2008/08/relative-enthusiasm.html
Sarah Palin - http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1155/527062966_cc0f58daa3.jpg
Obama Hope - http://obamamedia.wordpress.com/2008/03/06/high-quality-obama-wallpapers-and-signs/

The Horrors of an Obama Presidency.....

2008-10-29T07:36:00.010-04:00

.... NOT!! Oh, the thought......

If Obama is elected, we're going to see:

1. Civil discourse in the White House for the first time since 2001.

2. A president who actually reads books and is curious about the world around him for the first time since 2001.

3. Respect on the world stage for the first time since 2001

4. A White House cabinet made up of competent, intelligent people, instead of losers and cronies for the first time since 2001.

5. The possibility of a competent and fair Supreme Court justice pick, instead of an extremist whack job, for the first time since 2001.

6. A truly compassionate administration, instead of the bogus "compassionate conservatism" that we've seen in the White House for the past 8 years.

7. Restoration of civil liberties as described (and one would have thought required) in the Bill of Rights, from what was eroded during the past 8 years.

8. A real, plausible discussion of how to end the Iraq debacle, thereby bringing our troops home, and restoring $10 billion a month back into the American economy.

9. Consideration of health care for all Americans, instead of continuing to base fair health care solely on employment.

The list goes on and on. I'm shaking in my boots. The excitement has me obsessing. Now, look at that list above, consider what I'm very likely missing, and think about what it would be under a McStupid administration. That would be the real horror.

As The Race Tightens......

2008-10-28T07:51:00.003-04:00

I found this graphic on the Randi Rhodes message board this morning. Credit goes to someone named RoyPDX. I love it.

The Dusty Dog

2008-10-27T18:47:00.008-04:00

As I resurrect my blog, I feel compelled to start with an article about the Dusty Dog. In lots of ways, she was the inspiration for this blog, and one thing I noticed as I was looking at the dates of my last articles is that I basically stopped writing here when she fell ill in May 2007. I did try to come back, but I guess I wasn't ready. I am now.

This article is a tribute to that great dog.

Those of you who are reading this who never knew Zuki, the Dusty Dog, have probably already surmised that she is deceased. After falling ill in May with severe arthritis in her lumbar spine, she required surgery to get her walking again. That surgery was a resounding success. But, after about six weeks, she went down again. This time, her diagnosis was fibrocartilagenous embolism (FCE) of her cervical spine. It rendered her, a 110 lbs German Shepherd/wolf mix, a quadriplegic. Zuki was humanely euthanized on July 18, 2007.

The name of this site is my tribute to her. As I was developing this blog in 2005, I was sitting at my computer trying to come up with a clever name for the blog, when she came into the house from her den under the front porch. I hated that she went under there. She always came out filthy. Anyway, when she walked in, I put my hand on her back, resulting in a huge cloud of dust that flew up into the room. My site was named.

When I adopted her from a shelter, she was only 1-1/2 years old, and I was her fourth owner. She was a mess. A gigantic scared, untrained and I do believe, a dangerous animal. I really started to think that I bit off more than I could chew. But, if she and I could not make it work, I promised her that she'd never spend another day in a shelter. I promised her that I would drive her out to Minnesota to a wolfdog rescue facility, if necessary. And so the challenge began.

First, she had to learn how to not hate or fear men. That was the most dangerous aspect of her behavior. It took a ton of work, and many men who I managed to coerce to test her as I trained her. She always continued to hate/fear the men whom she first met when I got her, though newer acquaintances were more acceptable to her. She also had to learn how to ride in a car. Her fear of cars was inexplicable, though I'm sure her car sickness had something to do with it. She had to learn basic commands - walk on a leash, sit, down, stay, come, and of course, paw. She was a quick study, but she was also strong willed. She knew what I wanted, but teaching her that obedience was not optional was the challenge. She had to learn not to chew on my electronics (palm pilot, TV remote, cell phone). But, the most goddess awful challenge was overcoming her horrifically severe separation anxiety. All in all, the training took two years, and two trainers. I think I was the challenge for trainers more than the dog.

Zuki was a gorgeous dog. She was a wolf hybrid, mixed with German Shepherd, and I think the most shepherd part of her was her ears. Pure shepherd. Her body, her size, her coat were all wolf. And, she shed like a wolf. She blew her coat twice a year, big clumps of fur hanging onto her, and piles and piles of fur brushed off of her. She was a fur machine.

Zuki was also very intimidating looking. I felt safe with her at my side and in my house. I knew what most people didn't - that her wolf nature made her a terrible watch dog. She rarely barked. If she felt threatened, her leary, shy wolf nature predominated, which meant that her nature was to shy away from challenges. I'm not sure how she would have done if we, I would have been seriously threatened. I like to think she would have protected me. I don't know. We were never tested.

As Zuki lay on the floor the day she died, I told her that I was supposed to use her as an ambassador to instruct people that crossing wolves and dogs is an awful thing to do. Zuki would have been a good ambassador. She had clearly straddled both worlds. She always had this feral thing going on. She was independent, proud, and confident. But, she was also a dog. She was dependent, proud and confident. She was a wolf first, I think, and a dog second. Her wolfness predominated, but she had to live in a human/dog world. For all that I truly believe is wrong with cross breeding these animals, I also feel honored to have spent five years of my life with one. I was honored to spend five years with a wolf, and with a huge, gorgeous pet. We learned our places in the house, and clearly I was alpha. Otherwise, I think she would have been living in Minnesota.

Zuki was my project and my challenge. She gave me an enormous sense of accomplishment. I know in my heart that we rescued each other. She changed my life when she came into it, and she changed it when she left, as I changed hers. I miss her more than anyone can imagine. Over a year later, I still cry. I am crying now.

Time To Resurrect My Blog

2008-10-27T07:47:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I've posted anything. I've been totally preoccupied with my photography. But, now that we're one week from Election Day, and Barack Obama will very likely be elected as our next president, I think I'd love to start weighing in again.

So, I need to fix my banner. Fix my links. New links, new pics, and just some same ol' fashioned political hammering. It's cathartic for me, I guess. The need to vent, and the need to share what I learn to my very limited audience of readers is important to me. And, it's fun!

Stay tuned....

Benchmark No. 1: Privatizing Iraq's Oil

2007-05-27T07:01:00.000-04:00

For those who may have missed this, I reprint, in it's entirety, this Truthout article. It's important that everyone know why the US is really in Iraq, and what is the primary mission there. Not that this is new news. But, the fact that Benchmark No. 1 so brazenly points that out, and is what was really passed this past week by Congress, does make it new news. I'm sorry. As much as I support a raise in the minimum wage, another provision of this bill, it's just not worth Benchmark No. 1. It's a hellava way to rationalize an otherwise really bad bill. Please read:

What Congress Really Approved: Benchmark No. 1: Privatizing Iraq's Oil for US Companies

By Ann Wright
t r u t h o u t | Guest Contributor

Saturday 26 May 2007

On Thursday, May 24, the US Congress voted to continue the war in Iraq. The members called it "supporting the troops." I call it stealing Iraq's oil - the second largest reserves in the world. The "benchmark," or goal, the Bush administration has been working on furiously since the US invaded Iraq is privatization of Iraq's oil. Now they have Congress blackmailing the Iraqi Parliament and the Iraqi people: no privatization of Iraqi oil, no reconstruction funds.

This threat could not be clearer. If the Iraqi Parliament refuses to pass the privatization legislation, Congress will withhold US reconstruction funds that were promised to the Iraqis to rebuild what the United States has destroyed there. The privatization law, written by American oil company consultants hired by the Bush administration, would leave control with the Iraq National Oil Company for only 17 of the 80 known oil fields. The remainder (two-thirds) of known oil fields, and all yet undiscovered ones, would be up for grabs by the private oil companies of the world (but guess how many would go to United States firms - given to them by the compliant Iraqi government.)

No other nation in the Middle East has privatized its oil. Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iran give only limited usage contracts to international oil companies for one or two years. The $12 billion dollar "Support the Troops" legislation passed by Congress requires Iraq, in order to get reconstruction funds from the United States, to privatize its oil resources and put them up for long term (20- to 30-year) contracts.

What does this "Support the Troops" legislation mean for the United States military? Supporting our troops has nothing to do with this bill, other than keeping them there for another 30 years to protect US oil interests. It means that every military service member will need Arabic language training. It means that every soldier and Marine would spend most of his or her career in Iraq. It means that the fourteen permanent bases will get new Taco Bells and Burger Kings! Why? Because the US military will be protecting the US corporate oilfields leased to US companies by the compliant Iraqi government. Our troops will be the guardians of US corporate interests in Iraq for the life of the contracts - for the next thirty years.

With the Bush administration's "Support the Troops" bill and its benchmarks, primarily Benchmark No. 1, we finally have the reason for the US invasion of Iraq: to get easily accessible, cheap, high-grade Iraq oil for US corporations.

Now the choice is for US military personnel and their families to decide whether they want their loved ones to be physically and emotionally injured to protect not our national security, but the financial security of the biggest corporate barons left in our country - the oil companies.

It's a choice for only our military families, because most non-military Americans do not really care whether our volunteer military spends its time protecting corporate oil to fuel our one-person cars. Of course, when a tornado, hurricane, flood or other natural disaster hits in our hometown, we want our National Guard unit back. But on a normal day, who remembers the 180,000 US military or the 150,000 US private contractors in Iraq?

Since the "Surge" began in January, over 500 Americans and 15,000 Iraqis have been killed. By the time September 2007 rolls around for the administration's review of the "surge" plan, another 400 Americans will be dead, as well as another 12,000 Iraqis.

How much more can our military and their families take?

Ann Wright served 29 years in the US Army and US Army Reserves and retired as a colonel. She served 16 years in the US diplomatic corps in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Micronesia and Mongolia. She resigned from the US Department of State in March, 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq.

Griles, Repugs, NOT Gale Norton Too, and Dogfish Head

2007-03-25T00:24:00.000-04:00

I think this is amazing stuff. Call it progress if you will, but I call it "it's about freakin' time" on two counts. First of all, Steven Griles has pled guilty. Second, the press is finally reporting stuff that the dubya dummies aren't happy about, and I'm sure it's because we now have a democratic congress. Lots of people seem to think that it doesn't make a squat of difference whether a person is a dem or a repug. I think it does, and particularly now.
[Geez, I'm having a hard time typing..... one beer and I'm toasted... Yea, Dogfish Head!!!)

I digress...............

Griles pled guilty for "testifying falsely before the Senate Indian Affairs Committee on November 2, 2005, and during an earlier deposition with the panel's investigators on October 20, 2005." This according to CNN. As I said, two counts. A double whammy. I wrote about this miserably despicable piece of crap in January 2006, in an article called NOT Gale Norton, Too. The writing certainly was on the wall. But, I bet dollars to donuts, if the House and Senate stayed in Repugs' control, this story would have never seen the light of day. Either Griles never would have been prosecuted, and/or the press would not have bothered to write about it. So yes, boys and girls, it does make a difference. Dems in control of the House and Senate, in control of Congress in its entirety, seems to be bringing some modicum of sanity and accountability back to Washington.

Let's not forget, in all this excitement, that Gail Norton, former Secretary of the Interior, appointed by the dumbya dickwad himself, was Griles' boss. There's no way that I could ever believe that Norton is not complicit in the seedy transactions between Griles and Abramoff. Remember, folks, when Abramoff went down, Norton quietly resigned her post. Gee wizzakers, I wonder why? So, when is that dirtbag-ess going to get indicted?

Let's not get carried away here. DC is still a cesspool of corruption on so many levels, no doubt. But, I do believe that the Dems are more about maintaining their control and their jobs, thereby hovering ever so close to that fine line of corruption, but at least maybe, maybe some of them staying on the good side, whereas the repugs, in their ultimate desire for that selfish, self-serving, and self-enriching power grab, coupled with a virtual lack of concern for society at large, have almost in their collective entirety crossed that line a long fuckin' time ago.

The Tip of the Iceberg

2007-03-08T06:34:00.000-05:00

First of all, I got this image from Informed Consent, wherein Juan Cole has written a very concise and illustrated review of the series of events that led to the U.S. invasion into Iraq, and the deliberate lies that took us there. It all revolves around the fraudulent Niger yellow cake story. Cole admits in this piece that he has no idea where the original artwork credit belongs for this image, is in fact all over the internet right now, but would be happy to give such credit, if the artist comes forward. I concur, and would do the same.

I am putting this image up for two reasons: first, to direct my readers to this website, as it really tells it all. It's so simple, really. And, the case for impeachment is so strong, that it would behoove our government, the democrats now running Congress, to initiate impeachment proceedings. Or, at the very least, begin a very concerted investigations effort, complete with subpoenas, to get to the bottom of what our American soldiers are dying for, being maimed for, why Iraq is in grip of death and ruins, and why the world is a less safe place now, as a direct result of this ill-advised and poorly waged war. To do anything less would serve only to act with some degree of complicity in this felonious debacle, thereby diminishing even further the already diminished credibility of the U.S. around the world.

I appreciate that the democrats are using their Congressional powers to hopefully force the dubya administration to withdraw/redeploy? the troops sooner, rather than later. But, that is a separate task. Investigations and impeachment must also be undertaken. Makes me wonder...... Can a president who is in the process of being impeached have the legal authority to pardon those who were complicit in the act for which he is being impeached? If that's the case, then that is just one more reason to initiate impeachment proceeding RIGHT NOW.

I Want Justice

2007-02-11T14:24:00.000-05:00

One of the strongest arguments for keeping American troops in Iraq is the resulting bloodbath if we just pull up our tents and leave. I've been scratching my head over this dilemma for the past few years, because on the one hand it seems to make no sense, given that the American invasion already unleashed a full-blown blood bath. On the other hand, I wrestled with the notion that maybe, just maybe the argument holds some merit. I sure do not want to be responsible for advocating such a horror. I like to believe that that is not who I am.

As I think about this dilemma, this contradiction, I have been sure that I am not alone in my ambivilence. I have continued to be angry about the whole stinkin' mess. I'm angry that the invasion was based on lies and deceipt. What makes me most angry about this is that I knew before the invasion that the Niger document was a fraud. For that, I hold the mainstream media and press responsible. If I knew, so did they. They had the power to trumpet this lie to the world, but instead chose silence, in deference to the decision made by madmen.

I'm angry that so many American families are forever changed by the death and injuries perpetrated by out dumbass decider. I'm angry that thousands upon thousands upon thousands of Iraqis have died or been maimed or their survivors, like the Americans, are changed forever. I am sorry that I often find myself using the collective "we" when I talk about the American invasion. "We invaded Iraq." But, "we" didn't. I had nothing to do with it. I was a helpless bystander watching a horror unfold before the American people. I'm not one of those who supported the decision. I'm not a "we", but I keep using the term. I am, after all, an American. I am, after all, deeply ashamed by the horrors perpetrated upon Iraq in my name, as an American. I am so angry.

Today, in the Washington Post, is an article written by William E. Odom, called Victory is Not an Option. It is one of the best bits of writing that I've encountered that describes the ambivilence and the dilemma of staying in Iraq or calling it quits. An excerpt:

1) We must continue the war to prevent the terrible aftermath that will occur if our forces are withdrawn soon. Reflect on the double-think of this formulation. We are now fighting to prevent what our invasion made inevitable! Undoubtedly we will leave a mess -- the mess we created, which has become worse each year we have remained. Lawmakers gravely proclaim their opposition to the war, but in the next breath express fear that quitting it will leave a blood bath, a civil war, a terrorist haven, a "failed state," or some other horror. But this "aftermath" is already upon us; a prolonged U.S. occupation cannot prevent what already exists.

William Odin has distinquished credentials. He a retired Army lieutenant general, was head of Army intelligence and director of the National Security Agency under Ronald Reagan. He served on the National Security Council staff under Jimmy Carter. In my opinion, he's not just some pundit talking head. He's got experience. And, for him to come out and say what he's saying indicates that he also has scruples. He's earned my respect.

I want justice. I want those responsible to be held accountable. I have a somewhat vindictive nature. I don't believe in the death penalty. I don't believe that torture is appropriate under any circumstances. But, I do believe that people should live the lives that they created for others. I would just love to see dubya and his dick, and condi and rummy too, living in the slums of Sadr City, behind bars, and under the authority of the Iraqi prison guards. I cannot think of a more apt justice. Of course, I would also take great glee in being a fly on the wall and watching dubya, his dick, rummy, condi, and all the little generals reading about the failures that they created; the misery they brought upon the world. I'd love to see them grimace over how the historians will be writing about their failed administration.

Gas Turbines and War Profiteering?

2007-01-15T06:59:00.000-05:00

Maybe I'm back in business here in the blogosphere; I dunno. I've never lost my interest in the politics of the day, but my attention has shifted dramatically from actively blogging to my photography. Ever since I fell into the bay with my old camera, and have been upgrading my equipment, taking my photography to the next level of technical ability and expertise, I've spent all of my time either taking pictures, post processing images, or just plain spending money for the equipment I need. For instance, you'd think that buying a tripod ballhead clamp, never mind the tripod itself, would be just finding what I like and buy it. But, it's not. I've been researching, asking questions, obsessing, till I finally did made my decision. I've been trying to go on the cheap, modify my existing ballhead, but doing so without throwing good money after bad. Unless you're familiar with the topic, you likely have no idea what I'm talking about. But, more about that later.

As I said, I'm back to blogging, and it's a particular article in Yahoo News that has caught my attention. Of course, it's about the Iraq debaucle. However, I now find that the word "debaucle" does not adequately define or describe the dubya policies and ventures in Iraq. Outright criminality is more like it. War crimes isn't saying too much. What these cockroaches have done is nothing short of criminal, and off the backs of well-meaning soldiers, who are likely just misinformed chumps doing their damnedest to be patriotic. They're heroically losing life and limb for nothing. That's a hard pill for them and their families to accept, but I do believe they are finally getting it. No one, not anyone, not even the most patriotic person wants to venture into that meat grinder called Iraq anymore. Nothing but an exercise in futility, for sure.

Case in point, and the reason for this resurgence in my blogging interests - the Yahoo news article, Bush Plan's $1B won't go far in Iraq. The article discusses how the $billions$ was never really enough, and the insurgency and sabatage are resulting in just throwing good money after bad.

"It is symbolic, at best, and is unlikely to have substantial impact in Iraq," Gordon Adams, a budget expert at Washington's Woodrow Wilson Center, said of the Bush aid proposal.

But, to really capture what this whole fiasco was about, let's take a look at this next exerpt:

For electricity alone, Iraq needs $27 billion to fully rebuild the grid to meet growing power needs, Baghdad's Electricity Ministry estimates. In a new Iraq oversight report, the U.S.
Government Accountability Office (GAO) says Iraq's electricity demand averaged 8,210 megawatts last year, but peak generation reached only 4,317 megawatts. Baghdad residents got only six hours of power a day on average last summer.

The U.S. reconstruction effort added more than 2,000 megawatts of generating capacity to a system that produced 4,200 before the 2003 U.S. invasion. But the grid has been crippled by toppled transmission towers and other sabotage, insurgent attacks, looting, poor maintenance and poor planning.

The GAO reports that 16 of 35 gas turbines the Americans installed in Iraqi power plants — even though Iraq lacks an extensive natural gas network — are using crude oil or other low-quality fuels, producing as little as half the rated power and causing frequent shutdowns.

"Why did the United States purchase natural gas turbines to generate electricity when the necessary supply of natural gas was not assured in Iraq?" the auditors asked.

Things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmmmm.......... It certainly begs the question of who exactly benefitted from the construction of these gas turbines. Was it a no-bid contract to one of dubya's dick's henchmen to line their pockets? My first reaction of course is OF COURSE! Kind of a no-brainer that should be followed to its source, that being the contract's beneficiaries. Maybe Greg Palast has some information about this apparent war profiteering venture. Maybe CorpWatch does. In my few minutes of google research on this issue, I came up with this lil' exerpt from a ThomasNet IndustrialNewsRoom article, dated March 21, 2006:

Some believe mistakes are more to blame than are extrinsic problems. For instance, Americans installed gas-turbine generators rather than having built or overhauled more of the oil-fuelled, steam-run plants. “Iraq doesn’t have pipelines to deliver natural gas from its oil fields, so plant operators resort to low-grade oil to run the gas-combustion engines, reducing power output by up to 50 percent and potentially damaging the machinery,” notes AP. Meanwhile, demand continues to rise as Iraqis invest in imported air conditioners, washers/driers, DVD players and other power-hungry appliances. To help fill the gap, households or neighborhood groups are buying diesel-run generators, stringing dangerous makeshift wiring around their homes.

If the GAO isn't investigating this, then for sure we have some corruption goin' on in DC. Like that's a big surprise......

Images:
Absolut Corruption from PinkDome
Expose Corruption from The India Tribune

Photo of the Day

2006-12-16T09:19:00.000-05:00

Actually, the photo was taken on August 15, 2006, but I didn't post process it till this morning. I was viewing older images just to see if anything was worthwhile, and I came across this one. "Hmmmmmmm.........," I thought to myself. The original RAW file looked awful, but after applying some postprocessing magic, I offer up this image, which I call, Lifeguarded Beach on a Cloudy Day:

click to enlarge

Photo of the Day

2006-10-11T10:39:00.000-04:00

Another butterfly. I shot this 8/31/06
click to enlarge

Iraq Body Count

2006-10-11T08:42:00.000-04:00

Admittedly, it's not very accurate, that there is a high margin of error. The headline leads with "600,000" as the estimated count. Six hundred thousand dead Iraqis since the 2003 American invasion to oust Saddam Hussein, retribution for 9/11, and to remove WMDs. That's 600,000 dead people in exchange for one lunatic who's "fair" trial is questionable. That's 600,000 dead Iraqis for WMDs that never existed. That's 600,000 dead Iraqis for an act of terrorism that they had nothing to do with.

Oh yeah, the estimate....... According to the NYTimes, "But it is an estimate and not a precise count, and researchers acknowledged a margin of error that ranged from 426,369 to 793,663 deaths." Well, excuse those who complain that 600,000 is inaccurately high. The lower end is just above 426 thousand, and climbing. That's then 426,000 for getting one man, for WMDs that never existed, and retribution for an act of terrorism that they had nothing to do with.

Oh my freakin' god!

Here we are, a few weeks before midterm elections, and these republican dirtbags are complaining that the estimate is too high; that it's politically driven. So, I'd like to know what they feel is an acceptable number for this Iraqi invasion folly. Is 100,000 dead Iraqis acceptable for taking down one man? Is 100,000 dead Iraqis an acceptable count for WMD's that never existed, or for retribution against an act of terrorism for which they had no culpability? Is 200,000 an acceptable number? 50,000? What? I'd like to know.

Of course, let us not forget that "axis of evil" notion perpetrated by the dubya regime. Remember that? The countries they included were Iran, North Korea and Iraq. So, they attacked Iraq, the ONLY GODDAMM COUNTRY WITH NO NUCLEAR CAPABILITY. That, or course, means that they attacked the one country that could not fight back. Why coudn't they fight back? Well, because the UN sanctions had already crippled Saddam's ability to create WMD's. The neocon dirtbags went after the one country that was the weak link in their axis. All it accomplished was to get those other axis nations to better build up their nuclear arsenals in case the US had notions of going after them. The neocon cockroaches have created a more dangerous world by fueling the fires of hatred against us, and by resurrecting the nuclear arms race.

It's that simple, really.

For those of you repukes who continue to support this evil dirtbag neocon regime, I salute you. I salute your stupidity. I salute your ignorance. I salute your dumbass bullshit asswipe notion that the republicans are the good guys. And, I'll be celebrating over your dismay when impeachment of these neocon crooks begins. I'll be celebrating when they're convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and for breaking the laws of this great nation and its Constitution to empower themselves to accomplish the demise of what was at least a somewhat sane government before they took the reigns (pun intended).

Fuck all of you republican dirtbags who support, against all evidence of wrongdoing, a government that has gone awry. Fuck you all. I hate anyone who can support this neocon insanity. I hate you all for supporting the regime that will make our children pay for these dirtbags' selfishness, with either their taxes to pay the deficits, and for their lives when the bombs start falling. Your support of the neocons have set our world back to the cold war days. Thanks for fucking nothing.

Photo of the Day

2006-10-07T23:46:00.000-04:00

click to enlarge....