Marine Lance Cpl. James Jenkins is buried in the same New Jersey cemetery that he used to run through on his way to high school, stopping at the Eat Good Bakery to get two glazed doughnuts and an orange juice before heading off to class. When his mother, Cynthia Fleming, visits his grave, she looks over the low cemetery wall at not only the bakery but the used-car lot where James used to sell Christmas trees during the winter and the nursing home where he worked every summer and says, "Lord, son, you're on your own turf." James, who died at 23, is buried in Greenwood Cemetery; the owners told Cynthia they're proud to have him there.
During his short career as a marine, Corporal Jenkins received many commendations recognizing his "intense desire to excel," "unbridled enthusiasm" and "unswerving devotion to duty." It was for heroic actions performed during a fifty-five-hour battle with the Mahdi militia in Najaf that Jenkins was awarded a Bronze Star for valor. The fighting, which began on the city streets in August 2004 and moved into the Wadi al Salam Cemetery, was ferociously personal. Marines and militiamen were often only yards apart, killing one another at close range. When the battle was over, eight Americans and hundreds of militiamen were dead.
After that tour, his second in Iraq, Jenkins could barely sleep. When he did, the nightmares were horrible. He was plagued by remorse and depression, unable to be intimate with his fiancée, run ragged by an adrenaline surge he couldn't turn off.
Back at San Diego's Camp Pendleton the following January, Jenkins took to gambling, or gambling took to him; he became addicted to blackjack and pai gow, a fast-moving card game where you can lose your shirt in a minute. The knife-edge excitement felt comfortingly familiar. Jenkins went into debt, borrowing thousands of dollars from payday loan companies. Busted for writing bad checks, he was locked up in the Camp Pendleton brig that spring pending court-martial. In the months that followed, he was released, locked up and released again. He spoke often of suicide. The Marines never diagnosed his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). When his mother called his command seeking help, Jenkins's first sergeant, who had not served in Iraq, told Fleming he thought James was using his suicidal feelings to his advantage. "I have 130 marines to worry about other than your son," she recalls the sergeant saying. When his command decided to lock him up a third time, James Jenkins ran.
On September 28, 2005, eight months after returning from Iraq, Jenkins found himself cornered in the Oceanside apartment he shared with his fiancée. A deputy sheriff pounded on the front door, while a US Marshal covered the back. The young man with the "intense desire to excel" decided he could not go back to the brig or get an other-than-honorable discharge. He would not shame his family or have his hard-won achievements and his pride stripped away. And he was in pain. "He said, 'I can't even shut my eyes,'" his mother says, recalling one of his calls home that month. "He said, 'I killed 213 people, Mom.' He said, 'I can't live like this.' He said, 'Everything I worked for is down the drain,' and he was crying like a baby." While the officers waited for his fiancée to open the door, Jenkins shot himself in the right temple.
Continued...
Monday, February 04, 2008
Sunday, February 03, 2008
Today's Quote
"If you know what to do to reach your goal, it's not a big enough goal."
Bob Proctor
Author and Speaker
Bob Proctor
Author and Speaker
Barry Manilow and The Heartbreak of Psoriasis
While the rest of America is preparing to watch the Super Bowl, I'm writing an update on my blog. I've never watched a Super Bowl. I've attended some Super Bowl parties for the socialization and food but never actually watched a game and today will be no exception. When it gets a bit closer to game time, I'll wander outdoors to run a couple of errands as I am sure that will be a great time to go to the dreaded grocery store and pick up a couple of items at Lowe's.
I played some cards with a couple of dear ex-coworkers yesterday. The host was actually an old boss and it was great to see them and catch up. I so miss working with the both of them. They are great people and a lot of fun. We used to play cards during our lunch hour - a great way to break up the day. We played a round of cribbage, a game of hearts and an interesting game I'd never played called "Up and Down the River". I was so out of practice I didn't win a single game but had a great time.
I am attending a Barry Manilow concert this week. Aren't you just green with envy? Sixth row seats no less. I never would have purchased tickets to see BM but someone I went through orientation with in my current job has four tickets and invited three of us who went through orientation together to go with. Thought it would be a fun night out so accepted. I heard his show is great so I'm going with an open mind.
My middle sister's birthday was last week and so several members of the family met for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. The Margarita's were good not to mention huge - and after we were all sufficiently high we sat around for two hours engaged in a loud Irish 'discussion' over the democratic primaries and God. In the end we were all thankful to God we are not Republicans with the sorry field they have to choose from and the ridiculous positions they take.
I went to a dermatologist this past Monday for treatment for what I believed was a case of chronic athlete's foot that I have been battling since early last summer. I've never had it but had come to accept my new status as an athlete. Summer is fast approaching and wanted to get it cleared up in time for pedicures and sandals. Imagine my shock and surprise to learn that I wasn't an athlete after all but suffer from the heartbreak of psoriasis.....also which I never knew that I had. A few days of treatment with a steroid cream and some urea ointment and my feet are once again baby butt soft and smooth. I am so thankful to have insurance as the doctor and two prescriptions only cost me $35. I guess that's $135 when I consider the cost of my monthly premium which is about $50 per pay check.
Am going to start my taxes this evening. Yes, that happy time of year when I am reminded that George Bush's tax cuts did not apply to me. I always use Turbo Tax and am hopeful it will guide me through the "home office" stuff. I get to deduct a portion of my mortgage from my taxes since I work from home. I use one bedroom exclusively for the home office and understand that makes it less complicated. Hope it's easy as I don't want to pay someone to do them for me. I paid once and that was enough for me. My goal is to do a little bit at a time and file them by next weekend. Wish me luck.
Hope all is well in your worlds!
Tax Update: Well I've gotten through the personal data and added all my income sources and my retirement fund rollovers and then was forced to stop at the mortgage interest reporting. I have the interest reporting documents for one mortgage company but not for the other. We're off to a great start!
I played some cards with a couple of dear ex-coworkers yesterday. The host was actually an old boss and it was great to see them and catch up. I so miss working with the both of them. They are great people and a lot of fun. We used to play cards during our lunch hour - a great way to break up the day. We played a round of cribbage, a game of hearts and an interesting game I'd never played called "Up and Down the River". I was so out of practice I didn't win a single game but had a great time.
I am attending a Barry Manilow concert this week. Aren't you just green with envy? Sixth row seats no less. I never would have purchased tickets to see BM but someone I went through orientation with in my current job has four tickets and invited three of us who went through orientation together to go with. Thought it would be a fun night out so accepted. I heard his show is great so I'm going with an open mind.
My middle sister's birthday was last week and so several members of the family met for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. The Margarita's were good not to mention huge - and after we were all sufficiently high we sat around for two hours engaged in a loud Irish 'discussion' over the democratic primaries and God. In the end we were all thankful to God we are not Republicans with the sorry field they have to choose from and the ridiculous positions they take.
I went to a dermatologist this past Monday for treatment for what I believed was a case of chronic athlete's foot that I have been battling since early last summer. I've never had it but had come to accept my new status as an athlete. Summer is fast approaching and wanted to get it cleared up in time for pedicures and sandals. Imagine my shock and surprise to learn that I wasn't an athlete after all but suffer from the heartbreak of psoriasis.....also which I never knew that I had. A few days of treatment with a steroid cream and some urea ointment and my feet are once again baby butt soft and smooth. I am so thankful to have insurance as the doctor and two prescriptions only cost me $35. I guess that's $135 when I consider the cost of my monthly premium which is about $50 per pay check.
Am going to start my taxes this evening. Yes, that happy time of year when I am reminded that George Bush's tax cuts did not apply to me. I always use Turbo Tax and am hopeful it will guide me through the "home office" stuff. I get to deduct a portion of my mortgage from my taxes since I work from home. I use one bedroom exclusively for the home office and understand that makes it less complicated. Hope it's easy as I don't want to pay someone to do them for me. I paid once and that was enough for me. My goal is to do a little bit at a time and file them by next weekend. Wish me luck.
Hope all is well in your worlds!
Tax Update: Well I've gotten through the personal data and added all my income sources and my retirement fund rollovers and then was forced to stop at the mortgage interest reporting. I have the interest reporting documents for one mortgage company but not for the other. We're off to a great start!
Matthews Attacks
http://www.matthewsmonitor.com/
MSNBC's Chris Matthews is very influential among Washington's media elite, helping to define "conventional wisdom". WE MUST HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.
Find breaking news and action alerts on Matthews at www.MatthewsMonitor.com.
It's time to play Hardball...
MSNBC's Chris Matthews is very influential among Washington's media elite, helping to define "conventional wisdom". WE MUST HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.
Find breaking news and action alerts on Matthews at www.MatthewsMonitor.com.
It's time to play Hardball...
Bush legacy: Setting a standard in fear-mongering
Richard A. Clarke is former head of counterterrorism at the National Security Council
When I left the Bush administration in 2003, it was clear to me that its strategy for defeating terrorism was leaving our nation more vulnerable and our people in a perilous place. Not only did its policies misappropriate resources, weaken the moral standing of America, and threaten long-standing legal and constitutional provisions, but the president also employed misleading and reckless rhetoric to perpetuate his agenda.
This week's State of the Union proved nothing has changed.
Besides overstating successes in Afghanistan, painting a rosy future for Iraq, and touting unfinished domestic objectives, he again used his favorite tactic - fear - as a tool to scare Congress and the American people. On one issue in particular - FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) - the president misconstrued the truth and manipulated the facts.
Let me be clear: Our ability to track and monitor terrorists overseas would not cease should the Protect America Act expire. If this were true, the president would not threaten to terminate any temporary extension with his veto pen. All surveillance currently occurring would continue even after legislative provisions lapsed because authorizations issued under the act are in effect up to a full year.
Simply put, it was wrong for the president to suggest that warrants issued in compliance with FISA would suddenly evaporate with congressional inaction. Instead - even though Congress extended the Protect America Act by two weeks - he is using the existence of the sunset provision to cast his political opponents in a negative light.
For this president, fear is an easier political tactic than compromise. With FISA, he is attempting to rattle Congress into hastily expanding his own executive powers at the expense of civil liberties and constitutional protections.
Continued...
When I left the Bush administration in 2003, it was clear to me that its strategy for defeating terrorism was leaving our nation more vulnerable and our people in a perilous place. Not only did its policies misappropriate resources, weaken the moral standing of America, and threaten long-standing legal and constitutional provisions, but the president also employed misleading and reckless rhetoric to perpetuate his agenda.
This week's State of the Union proved nothing has changed.
Besides overstating successes in Afghanistan, painting a rosy future for Iraq, and touting unfinished domestic objectives, he again used his favorite tactic - fear - as a tool to scare Congress and the American people. On one issue in particular - FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) - the president misconstrued the truth and manipulated the facts.
Let me be clear: Our ability to track and monitor terrorists overseas would not cease should the Protect America Act expire. If this were true, the president would not threaten to terminate any temporary extension with his veto pen. All surveillance currently occurring would continue even after legislative provisions lapsed because authorizations issued under the act are in effect up to a full year.
Simply put, it was wrong for the president to suggest that warrants issued in compliance with FISA would suddenly evaporate with congressional inaction. Instead - even though Congress extended the Protect America Act by two weeks - he is using the existence of the sunset provision to cast his political opponents in a negative light.
For this president, fear is an easier political tactic than compromise. With FISA, he is attempting to rattle Congress into hastily expanding his own executive powers at the expense of civil liberties and constitutional protections.
Continued...
Marching For Peace
Filipino Muslim children march in a suburb south of Manila for the resumption of peace talks between the government and Muslim separatists. (AP photo by Aaron Favila / January 20, 2008)
Here's The Joke
Bob received a free ticket to the Superbowl from his company. Unfortunately, when Bob arrived at the stadium he realized the seat was in the last row in the corner of the stadium. He was closer to the Goodyear Blimp than the field!
About halfway through the first quarter, Bob noticed an empty seat 10 rows off the field right on the 50-yard line. He decided to take a chance and made his way through the stadium and around the security guards to the empty seat.
As he sat down, he asked the gentleman sitting next to him, "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"
The man said "No."
Very excited to be in such a great seat for the game, Bob said to the man next to him, "This is incredible! Who in their right mind would have a seat like this at the Superbowl and not use it?!"
The man replied, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Superbowl we haven't been to together since we got married in 1967."
"That's really sad," said Bob, "But still, couldn't you find someone to take the seat? A relative or a close friend?"
"No," the man replied, "They're all at the funeral."
About halfway through the first quarter, Bob noticed an empty seat 10 rows off the field right on the 50-yard line. He decided to take a chance and made his way through the stadium and around the security guards to the empty seat.
As he sat down, he asked the gentleman sitting next to him, "Excuse me, is anyone sitting here?"
The man said "No."
Very excited to be in such a great seat for the game, Bob said to the man next to him, "This is incredible! Who in their right mind would have a seat like this at the Superbowl and not use it?!"
The man replied, "Well, actually, the seat belongs to me. I was supposed to come with my wife, but she passed away. This is the first Superbowl we haven't been to together since we got married in 1967."
"That's really sad," said Bob, "But still, couldn't you find someone to take the seat? A relative or a close friend?"
"No," the man replied, "They're all at the funeral."
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Today's Quote
We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies.
— Roderick Thor
— Roderick Thor
Here's The Joke
An 18 year old Italian girl tells her Mom that she has missed her period for 2 months. Very worried, the mother goes to the drugstore and buys a pregnancy kit. The test result shows that the girl is pregnant.
Shouting, cursing, crying, the mother says, “who was the pig that did this to you? I want to know!” The girl picks up the phone and makes a call.
Half an hour later, a Ferrari stops in front of their house. A mature and distinguished man with gray ha ir and impeccably dressed in an Armani suit steps out of the of the Ferrari and enters the house.
He sits in the living room with the father, mother, and the girl and tells them: “Good morning, your daughter has informed me of the problem. I can’t marry her because of my personal family situation but I’ll take charge. I will pay all costs and provide for your daughter for the rest of her life.
Additionally, if a girl is born, I will bequeath a Ferrari, a beach house, 2 retail stores, a townhouse, a beachfront villa, and a $2,000,000 bank account.
If a boy is born, my legacy will be a couple of factories and a $4,000,000 bank account. If twins, they will receive a factory and $2,000,000 each.
However, if there is a miscarriage, what do you suggest I do?”
At this point, the father, who had remained silent, places a hand firmly on the man’s shoulder and tells him, “You try again.”
Shouting, cursing, crying, the mother says, “who was the pig that did this to you? I want to know!” The girl picks up the phone and makes a call.
Half an hour later, a Ferrari stops in front of their house. A mature and distinguished man with gray ha ir and impeccably dressed in an Armani suit steps out of the of the Ferrari and enters the house.
He sits in the living room with the father, mother, and the girl and tells them: “Good morning, your daughter has informed me of the problem. I can’t marry her because of my personal family situation but I’ll take charge. I will pay all costs and provide for your daughter for the rest of her life.
Additionally, if a girl is born, I will bequeath a Ferrari, a beach house, 2 retail stores, a townhouse, a beachfront villa, and a $2,000,000 bank account.
If a boy is born, my legacy will be a couple of factories and a $4,000,000 bank account. If twins, they will receive a factory and $2,000,000 each.
However, if there is a miscarriage, what do you suggest I do?”
At this point, the father, who had remained silent, places a hand firmly on the man’s shoulder and tells him, “You try again.”
Friday, February 01, 2008
Amazon Kindle
Ok, I’ve decided I must have one of these. If anyone has one and has some input for me to consider, let me know. I may wait for the next generation with the hopes that they’ll add a backlight and that the price will drop.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Today's Quote
“Take pride in what you do. The kind of pride I’m talking about is not the arrogant puffed-up kind; it’s just the whole idea of caring - fiercely caring.”
-Red Aurbach
Professional Basketball Coach
-Red Aurbach
Professional Basketball Coach
Indonesia bird flu death toll hits 100
A 23-year-old Indonesian woman from East Jakarta has died from bird flu, taking the country’s death toll to 100, according to a report from Indonesia’s bird flu information centre on Monday.
Continued…
Continued…
Why The Republican Party is Bad for America - #4
A 2005 internal study - which the Interior Department refused to release for more than a year - concluded that billions of dollars of tax incentives provided to oil companies were essentially wasted money. Designed to get oil companies to drill n the Gulf of Mexico, the incentives simply allowed companies to avoid paying royalties to the government for oil they would have drilled anyway.
Tribute to Voytek, the smoking, drinking fighting, soldier bear
He enjoyed a cigarette and a bottle of cold beer and could carry more mortar rounds than any other soldier. But Voytek wasn’t one of the ordinary dogs of war – he was a battling bear.
Adopted by the Polish army, the European brown bear “fought” at the bloody Battle of Monte Cassino before dying, not of a bullet wound, but of old age, in Edinburgh Zoo. Now a campaign has been started to build a monument to him.
Voytek was adopted as a cub in the Middle East in 1943, before growing into much more than a mascot. He eventually stood 6ft on his hind legs and weighed 35 stone, and he used his strength to help the armed forces, carrying ammunition at the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy the following year. The four-month battle, one of western Europe’s bloodiest, left a quarter of a million soldiers dead.
Voytek – known as the Soldier Bear – was brought to Scotland after the war by Polish troops and was stationed near the Berwickshire village of Hutton, before moving to Edinburgh Zoo, where he died in 1963.
Continued…
Adopted by the Polish army, the European brown bear “fought” at the bloody Battle of Monte Cassino before dying, not of a bullet wound, but of old age, in Edinburgh Zoo. Now a campaign has been started to build a monument to him.
Voytek was adopted as a cub in the Middle East in 1943, before growing into much more than a mascot. He eventually stood 6ft on his hind legs and weighed 35 stone, and he used his strength to help the armed forces, carrying ammunition at the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy the following year. The four-month battle, one of western Europe’s bloodiest, left a quarter of a million soldiers dead.
Voytek – known as the Soldier Bear – was brought to Scotland after the war by Polish troops and was stationed near the Berwickshire village of Hutton, before moving to Edinburgh Zoo, where he died in 1963.
Continued…
9/11 Commissioner Hides Ties to Bush
When someone comes out with a book called The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation, you know it’s not going to be a fawning portrait of the commission’s thoroughness and objectivity. And indeed the book, by New York Times reporter Philip Shenon, has some revelations that are sure to challenge its reputation.
The book is being closely held until its release next month, but Max Holland, a D.C. area blogger and author, was somehow able to snag an advance audio copy at his local bookstore.
A lot of what has been “censored,” it turns out, revolves around the commission’s executive director Philip Zelikow. According to Holland, Shenon reports that Zelikow 1) hid the depth and breadth of his relationship to key members in the administration, 2) had a number of private conversations with Karl Rove (funny how he keeps popping up) while he was on the panel, and 3) succeeded in softening the final report’s judgment on the Bush Administration’s responsibility.
Star ABC muckraker and TPM alum Justin Rood confirmed Holland’s account, and got Zelikow’s response. But on to the revelations. First, about what Zelikow failed to disclose. He was a former aide to Condoleezza Rice, and had a long relationship with her.
Continued…
The book is being closely held until its release next month, but Max Holland, a D.C. area blogger and author, was somehow able to snag an advance audio copy at his local bookstore.
A lot of what has been “censored,” it turns out, revolves around the commission’s executive director Philip Zelikow. According to Holland, Shenon reports that Zelikow 1) hid the depth and breadth of his relationship to key members in the administration, 2) had a number of private conversations with Karl Rove (funny how he keeps popping up) while he was on the panel, and 3) succeeded in softening the final report’s judgment on the Bush Administration’s responsibility.
Star ABC muckraker and TPM alum Justin Rood confirmed Holland’s account, and got Zelikow’s response. But on to the revelations. First, about what Zelikow failed to disclose. He was a former aide to Condoleezza Rice, and had a long relationship with her.
Continued…
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Today's Quote
What do we live for; if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?
— George Eliot
— George Eliot
Weekly Savings Tip - Rebates
The U.S. Congress is currently reviewing a economic stimulus package that may provide tax payers a rebate of $300-$1200, depending on one’s tax bracket and claimed dependents. While the package has not passed yet and the funds probably will not arrive for several months, the unexpected check from Uncle Sam may be your ticket to jumpstart
your savings.
Consider using unexpected income like a tax refund to pay off debt or increase your savings. Click here to learn the best way to handle a financial windfall, and visit www.FeedthePig.org for more money-saving tips.
your savings.
Consider using unexpected income like a tax refund to pay off debt or increase your savings. Click here to learn the best way to handle a financial windfall, and visit www.FeedthePig.org for more money-saving tips.
Here's The Joke
An old man and his wife lived deep in the hills and seldom saw many people.
One day a peddler came by to sell his goods and asked the man if he or his wife wanted to buy anything.
“Well, my wife ain’t home, she’s gone down to the crick to wash clothes, but lemme see what you got,” said the man.
The peddler showed him pots and pans, tools and gadgets, but the old man wasn’t interested.
Then the man spotted a mirror and said, “What’s that?”
Before the peddler could tell him it was a mirror, the old man picked it up and said, “My God how’d you get a picture of my Pappy?”
The old man was so happy he traded his wife’s best pitcher for it. The peddler left before the wife came back and spoiled his sale.
The old man was worried that the wife would be mad at him for trading her best pitcher, so he hid it in the barn behind some boxes of junk.
He would go out to the barn 2 or 3 times a day to look at the “picture” and eventually the wife got suspicious.
One day she got fed up and after he retired for the night, she went out to the barn. She saw the mirror behind the boxes, picked it up and said, “So this is the hussy he’s been foolin’ around with!”
One day a peddler came by to sell his goods and asked the man if he or his wife wanted to buy anything.
“Well, my wife ain’t home, she’s gone down to the crick to wash clothes, but lemme see what you got,” said the man.
The peddler showed him pots and pans, tools and gadgets, but the old man wasn’t interested.
Then the man spotted a mirror and said, “What’s that?”
Before the peddler could tell him it was a mirror, the old man picked it up and said, “My God how’d you get a picture of my Pappy?”
The old man was so happy he traded his wife’s best pitcher for it. The peddler left before the wife came back and spoiled his sale.
The old man was worried that the wife would be mad at him for trading her best pitcher, so he hid it in the barn behind some boxes of junk.
He would go out to the barn 2 or 3 times a day to look at the “picture” and eventually the wife got suspicious.
One day she got fed up and after he retired for the night, she went out to the barn. She saw the mirror behind the boxes, picked it up and said, “So this is the hussy he’s been foolin’ around with!”
Judiciary Committee should move to impeach Bush and Cheney
While Caroline Kennedy was endorsing Obama on the editorial pages of the NY Times, Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman was calling for the Impeachment of Bush and Cheney on the pages of the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman (eholtzman@herrick.com) served on the House Judiciary Committee during proceedings toward Nixon’s impeachment. She coauthored the 1973 special-prosecutor statute, and cowrote (with Cynthia L. Cooper) the 2006 book “The Impeachment of George W. Bush.”
There is more than ample justification for impeachment. The Constitution specifies the grounds as treason, bribery or “high crimes and misdemeanors,” a term that means “great and dangerous offenses that subvert the Constitution.” As the House Judiciary Committee determined during Watergate, impeachment is warranted when a president puts himself above the law and gravely abuses power.
Have Bush and Cheney done that?
Yes. With the vice president’s participation, President Bush repeatedly violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which requires court approval for presidential wiretaps. Former President Richard Nixon’s illegal wiretapping was one of the offenses that led to his impeachment. FISA was enacted precisely to avoid such abuses by future presidents.
Bush and Cheney were involved in detainee abuse, flouting federal criminal statutes (the War Crimes Act of 1996 and the anti-torture Act) and the Geneva Conventions. The president removed Geneva protections from al-Qaeda and the Taliban, setting the abuse in motion, and may have even personally authorized them.
The president and vice president also used deception to drive us into the Iraq war, claiming Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda were in cahoots, when they knew better. They invoked the specter of a nuclear attack on the United States, alleging Hussein purchased uranium in Niger and wanted aluminum tubes for uranium enrichment, when they had every reason to know these claims were phony or at least seriously questioned within the administration. Withholding and distorting facts usurps Congress’ constitutional powers to decide on going to war.
Can a commander-in-chief disobey laws on wiretapping or torture to protect the country in wartime?
No. The Constitution requires the president to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” The Supreme Court ruled Harry S. Truman could not seize steel mills to prevent a strike, even during the Korean War. Nixon’s claim of national security as a justification for illegal wiretaps was also rejected in impeachment proceedings against him.
Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman (eholtzman@herrick.com) served on the House Judiciary Committee during proceedings toward Nixon’s impeachment. She coauthored the 1973 special-prosecutor statute, and cowrote (with Cynthia L. Cooper) the 2006 book “The Impeachment of George W. Bush.”
There is more than ample justification for impeachment. The Constitution specifies the grounds as treason, bribery or “high crimes and misdemeanors,” a term that means “great and dangerous offenses that subvert the Constitution.” As the House Judiciary Committee determined during Watergate, impeachment is warranted when a president puts himself above the law and gravely abuses power.
Have Bush and Cheney done that?
Yes. With the vice president’s participation, President Bush repeatedly violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which requires court approval for presidential wiretaps. Former President Richard Nixon’s illegal wiretapping was one of the offenses that led to his impeachment. FISA was enacted precisely to avoid such abuses by future presidents.
Bush and Cheney were involved in detainee abuse, flouting federal criminal statutes (the War Crimes Act of 1996 and the anti-torture Act) and the Geneva Conventions. The president removed Geneva protections from al-Qaeda and the Taliban, setting the abuse in motion, and may have even personally authorized them.
The president and vice president also used deception to drive us into the Iraq war, claiming Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda were in cahoots, when they knew better. They invoked the specter of a nuclear attack on the United States, alleging Hussein purchased uranium in Niger and wanted aluminum tubes for uranium enrichment, when they had every reason to know these claims were phony or at least seriously questioned within the administration. Withholding and distorting facts usurps Congress’ constitutional powers to decide on going to war.
Can a commander-in-chief disobey laws on wiretapping or torture to protect the country in wartime?
No. The Constitution requires the president to “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.” The Supreme Court ruled Harry S. Truman could not seize steel mills to prevent a strike, even during the Korean War. Nixon’s claim of national security as a justification for illegal wiretaps was also rejected in impeachment proceedings against him.
Fly naked on nudist holiday flight
German nudists will be able to start their holidays early by stripping off on the plane if they take up a new offer from an eastern German travel firm.
Travel agency OssiUrlaub.de said it would start taking bookings from Friday for a trial nudist day trip from the eastern German town of Erfurt to the popular Baltic Sea resort of Usedom, planned for July 5 and costing 499 euros ($735).
Continued…
Travel agency OssiUrlaub.de said it would start taking bookings from Friday for a trial nudist day trip from the eastern German town of Erfurt to the popular Baltic Sea resort of Usedom, planned for July 5 and costing 499 euros ($735).
Continued…
The Begining of the End
By William Rivers Pitt
t r u t h o u t | Columnist
Tuesday 29 January 2008
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
- Revelations 8:1, King James Bible
George W. Bush’s State of the Union (SOTU) speeches have been the basis for a new kind of drinking game for several years now, basically because the things have always needed some kind of actual substance from somewhere, and because it was a good way to dull the pain of it all. The rules: 1. When he says the word “terra” or “terra-ists,” take a drink. 2. When he says “tax cuts,” take a drink. 3. When he says “Iraq,” take a drink. 4. When he says “nook-yuh-lerr,” take a drink and a shot and a good swift kick to the head. Et cetera.
But that’s just one night out of the year. Reality has proven to be far more alcoholic in nature. For seven years now, the whole phenomenon of this government has been one long drinking game played out each and every day. The rules of this game? 1. Say the words, “George W. Bush is in charge of the country.” 2. Turn off the TV. 3. Just drink.
Sounds familiar, right? Just about everyone has played that game a time or two by now. We have endured seven Bush SOTU speeches as of last night. Seven years worth of lies, carnage, greed, disgrace, failure, ignominy, calamity heaped upon calamity heaped upon calamity for more than two thousand five hundred days now, with three hundred and fifty seven more days still to go.
Seven speeches. Seven years.
No more.
The final deal went down in DC last night, wreathed in all the pomp and circumstance of political theater and media spectacle. The first tangible evidence this long national and planetary nightmare is actually beginning to come to an end was served up live on network television, for the viewing pleasure of a thoroughly disgusted and entirely disinterested American public.
If Bush’s lips are moving, it means he must be lying; so it has been for all those days, and so it was again on Monday evening. Some 75 percent of the citizenry believe this country to be “on the wrong track,” and since the gomer giving the speech last night is seen as being largely responsible for putting us all on this “wrong track” to begin with, a vast American majority pretty much didn’t give a fig about what he had to say.
All that most people cared about was the historic significance of the night itself. It was The Last Bush SOTU Speech Ever.
Seven speeches.
Seven years.
No more.
Continued…
t r u t h o u t | Columnist
Tuesday 29 January 2008
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
- Revelations 8:1, King James Bible
George W. Bush’s State of the Union (SOTU) speeches have been the basis for a new kind of drinking game for several years now, basically because the things have always needed some kind of actual substance from somewhere, and because it was a good way to dull the pain of it all. The rules: 1. When he says the word “terra” or “terra-ists,” take a drink. 2. When he says “tax cuts,” take a drink. 3. When he says “Iraq,” take a drink. 4. When he says “nook-yuh-lerr,” take a drink and a shot and a good swift kick to the head. Et cetera.
But that’s just one night out of the year. Reality has proven to be far more alcoholic in nature. For seven years now, the whole phenomenon of this government has been one long drinking game played out each and every day. The rules of this game? 1. Say the words, “George W. Bush is in charge of the country.” 2. Turn off the TV. 3. Just drink.
Sounds familiar, right? Just about everyone has played that game a time or two by now. We have endured seven Bush SOTU speeches as of last night. Seven years worth of lies, carnage, greed, disgrace, failure, ignominy, calamity heaped upon calamity heaped upon calamity for more than two thousand five hundred days now, with three hundred and fifty seven more days still to go.
Seven speeches. Seven years.
No more.
The final deal went down in DC last night, wreathed in all the pomp and circumstance of political theater and media spectacle. The first tangible evidence this long national and planetary nightmare is actually beginning to come to an end was served up live on network television, for the viewing pleasure of a thoroughly disgusted and entirely disinterested American public.
If Bush’s lips are moving, it means he must be lying; so it has been for all those days, and so it was again on Monday evening. Some 75 percent of the citizenry believe this country to be “on the wrong track,” and since the gomer giving the speech last night is seen as being largely responsible for putting us all on this “wrong track” to begin with, a vast American majority pretty much didn’t give a fig about what he had to say.
All that most people cared about was the historic significance of the night itself. It was The Last Bush SOTU Speech Ever.
Seven speeches.
Seven years.
No more.
Continued…
Annan starts talks in Kenya amid violence
A man of the Luo tribe in Kenya who supports opposition leader Raila Odinga sits inside a vehicle destroyed in ethnic clashes in Kisumu. Former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan started formal talks between Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki on Tuesday. (AFP/Getty Images photo by Yasuyoshi Chiba / January 29, 2008)
Judiciary Committee should move to impeach Bush and Cheney
While Caroline Kennedy was endorsing Obama on the editorial pages of the NY Times, Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman was calling for the Impeachment of Bush and Cheney on the pages of the Philadelphia Enquirer.
Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman (eholtzman@herrick.com) served on the House Judiciary Committee during proceedings toward Nixon's impeachment. She coauthored the 1973 special-prosecutor statute, and cowrote (with Cynthia L. Cooper) the 2006 book "The Impeachment of George W. Bush."
There is more than ample justification for impeachment. The Constitution specifies the grounds as treason, bribery or "high crimes and misdemeanors," a term that means "great and dangerous offenses that subvert the Constitution." As the House Judiciary Committee determined during Watergate, impeachment is warranted when a president puts himself above the law and gravely abuses power.More...
Have Bush and Cheney done that?
Yes. With the vice president's participation, President Bush repeatedly violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which requires court approval for presidential wiretaps. Former President Richard Nixon's illegal wiretapping was one of the offenses that led to his impeachment. FISA was enacted precisely to avoid such abuses by future presidents.
Bush and Cheney were involved in detainee abuse, flouting federal criminal statutes (the War Crimes Act of 1996 and the anti-torture Act) and the Geneva Conventions. The president removed Geneva protections from al-Qaeda and the Taliban, setting the abuse in motion, and may have even personally authorized them.
The president and vice president also used deception to drive us into the Iraq war, claiming Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda were in cahoots, when they knew better. They invoked the specter of a nuclear attack on the United States, alleging Hussein purchased uranium in Niger and wanted aluminum tubes for uranium enrichment, when they had every reason to know these claims were phony or at least seriously questioned within the administration. Withholding and distorting facts usurps Congress' constitutional powers to decide on going to war.
Can a commander-in-chief disobey laws on wiretapping or torture to protect the country in wartime?
No. The Constitution requires the president to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." The Supreme Court ruled Harry S. Truman could not seize steel mills to prevent a strike, even during the Korean War. Nixon's claim of national security as a justification for illegal wiretaps was also rejected in impeachment proceedings against him.
Former Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman (eholtzman@herrick.com) served on the House Judiciary Committee during proceedings toward Nixon's impeachment. She coauthored the 1973 special-prosecutor statute, and cowrote (with Cynthia L. Cooper) the 2006 book "The Impeachment of George W. Bush."
There is more than ample justification for impeachment. The Constitution specifies the grounds as treason, bribery or "high crimes and misdemeanors," a term that means "great and dangerous offenses that subvert the Constitution." As the House Judiciary Committee determined during Watergate, impeachment is warranted when a president puts himself above the law and gravely abuses power.More...
Have Bush and Cheney done that?
Yes. With the vice president's participation, President Bush repeatedly violated the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which requires court approval for presidential wiretaps. Former President Richard Nixon's illegal wiretapping was one of the offenses that led to his impeachment. FISA was enacted precisely to avoid such abuses by future presidents.
Bush and Cheney were involved in detainee abuse, flouting federal criminal statutes (the War Crimes Act of 1996 and the anti-torture Act) and the Geneva Conventions. The president removed Geneva protections from al-Qaeda and the Taliban, setting the abuse in motion, and may have even personally authorized them.
The president and vice president also used deception to drive us into the Iraq war, claiming Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda were in cahoots, when they knew better. They invoked the specter of a nuclear attack on the United States, alleging Hussein purchased uranium in Niger and wanted aluminum tubes for uranium enrichment, when they had every reason to know these claims were phony or at least seriously questioned within the administration. Withholding and distorting facts usurps Congress' constitutional powers to decide on going to war.
Can a commander-in-chief disobey laws on wiretapping or torture to protect the country in wartime?
No. The Constitution requires the president to "take care that the laws be faithfully executed." The Supreme Court ruled Harry S. Truman could not seize steel mills to prevent a strike, even during the Korean War. Nixon's claim of national security as a justification for illegal wiretaps was also rejected in impeachment proceedings against him.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Website of the Day - Julie Blackmon
Check out Julie Blackmon’s photo’s - they’re really very unique. Click the picture on THIS PAGE to see some of her unique photo’s.
Persistence
There is no substitute for persistence! It cannot be supplanted by any other quality! Remember this in the beginning and it will hearten you when the going may seem difficult and slow.
Those who have cultivated the habit of persistence seem to enjoy insurance against failure. No matter how many times they are defeated, they finally arrive up near the top of the ladder. Sometimes it appears there is a hidden guide whose duty is to test people through all sorts of discouraging experiences. Those who pick themselves up after defeat and keep on trying arrive; and the world cries, “Bravo! I knew you could do it!” The hidden guide lets no one enjoy great achievement without passing the persistence test. Those who can’t take it simply do not make the grade..
Those who can “take it” are bountifully rewarded for their persistence. They receive, as their compensation, whatever goal they are pursuing.
Napoleon Hill
From Think and Grow Rich
Valentine Gift Idea - My Mistress’s Sparrow Is Dead: Great Love Stories, from Chekhov to Munro
Here’s a gift idea for the person in your life who loves to read - a book of love stories. Below is the synopsis I found from the Barne’s and Noble website.
Synopsis
“When it comes to love, there are a million theories to explain it. But when it comes to love stories, things are simpler. A love story can never be about full possession. Love stories depend on disappointment, on unequal births and feuding families, on matrimonial boredom and at least one cold heart. Love stories, nearly without exception, give love a bad name…. It is perhaps only in reading a love story (or in writing one) that we can simultaneously partake of the ecstasy and agony of being in love without paying a crippling emotional price. I offer this book, then, as a cure for lovesickness and an antidote to adultery. Read these love stories in the safety of your single bed. Let everybody else suffer.” –Jeffrey Eugenides, from the introduction to My Mistress’s Sparrow Is Dead
All proceeds from My Mistress’s Sparrow Is Dead will go directly to fund the free youth writing programs offered by 826 Chicago. 826 Chicago is part of the network of seven writing centers across the United States affiliated with 826 National, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Study: Bushies Lied 935 Times to Sell Iraq Invasion
President George W. Bush and seven of his administration’s top officials, including Vice President Dick Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, made at least 935 false statements in the two years following September 11, 2001, about the national security threat posed by Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Nearly five years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, an exhaustive examination of the record shows that the statements were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses.
On at least 532 separate occasions (in speeches, briefings, interviews, testimony, and the like), Bush and these three key officials, along with Secretary of State Colin Powell, Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, and White House press secretaries Ari Fleischer and Scott McClellan, stated unequivocally that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (or was trying to produce or obtain them), links to Al Qaeda, or both. This concerted effort was the underpinning of the Bush administration’s case for war.
Read this post on thiscantbehappening.net
A Government of Liars Must Be Brought Down
When journalists are caught lying outright, they can be fired, and can even find their careers terminated. Take Janet Cooke, the Washington Post reporter who made up a story about a young drug user. A decade after her firing, she was earning $6/hour as a Liz Claiborne clerk in a department store. Or consider Stephen Glass, who famously made up stories at the New Republic. He landed on his feet as a fiction writer, but his journalism days are over. And don’t forget poor Dan Rather, who was pushed out of his anchor job for reporting the truth about George Bush’s AWOL in the Air National Guard, but simply cited a questionable document.
So what to do about George Bush and his gang of fabulists, who now, thanks to a study by the Center for Public Integrity and the Fund for Independence in Journalism, stand shown to have lied to Congress and the American people 935 times in what the two organizations say was “part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses.”
Another Blonde Joke
A few days ago I was having some work done at my local garage. A blonde came in and asked for a seven-hundred-ten. We all looked at each other and another customer asked, “What is a seven-hundred-ten?”
She replied, “You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one..” She replied that she did not know exactly what it was, but this piece had always been there.
The mechanic gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. She drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710. He then took her over to another car which had its hood up and asked “is there a 710 on this car?”
She pointed and said, “Of course, its right there.”
If you’re not sure what a 710 is Click Here
She replied, “You know, the little piece in the middle of the engine, I have lost it and need a new one..” She replied that she did not know exactly what it was, but this piece had always been there.
The mechanic gave her a piece of paper and a pen and asked her to draw what the piece looked like. She drew a circle and in the middle of it wrote 710. He then took her over to another car which had its hood up and asked “is there a 710 on this car?”
She pointed and said, “Of course, its right there.”
If you’re not sure what a 710 is Click Here
Website of the Day - The Vick House Project
A project to convert a property notorious for dogfighting into a shelter for abused dogs.
The Vick House Project is an opportunity to make a good ending to a sad story. For much of this past year, Americans have heard about the tragic tales of mistreatment and abuse to dogs for the purpose of dog fighting.
The Vick House Project is a chance to purchase the property in Surry County, Virginia, that was the center of the dog fighting tragedy. After which it will become a shelter for abused and mistreated dogs.
The project isn’t a political statement or an attempt to point fingers at those involved in the mistreatment of these defenseless dogs. This is a chance to give back to the spirit of the animals that were harmed. It is a chance for animal lovers to contribute to a noble cause. It is a chance to create a happy final chapter to a sordid and tragic tale.
After purchase, we will turn to an organization such as the SPCA to seek assistance in operations.
In the event we fail to purchase the property (should the property be bought before we successfully get the property de-listed), all monies raised will go to the ASPCA. (We will contact donors of contributions larger than $1,000 to discuss specific wishes with the donation, to include returning the donation.)
The Vick House Project is an opportunity to make a good ending to a sad story. For much of this past year, Americans have heard about the tragic tales of mistreatment and abuse to dogs for the purpose of dog fighting.
The Vick House Project is a chance to purchase the property in Surry County, Virginia, that was the center of the dog fighting tragedy. After which it will become a shelter for abused and mistreated dogs.
The project isn’t a political statement or an attempt to point fingers at those involved in the mistreatment of these defenseless dogs. This is a chance to give back to the spirit of the animals that were harmed. It is a chance for animal lovers to contribute to a noble cause. It is a chance to create a happy final chapter to a sordid and tragic tale.
After purchase, we will turn to an organization such as the SPCA to seek assistance in operations.
In the event we fail to purchase the property (should the property be bought before we successfully get the property de-listed), all monies raised will go to the ASPCA. (We will contact donors of contributions larger than $1,000 to discuss specific wishes with the donation, to include returning the donation.)
Stop The Spying
The terrible Intelligence Committee-passed version of the FISA Amendments Act — S. 2248 — is back, and it’s being debated on the Senate floor RIGHT NOW.If you care about your civil liberties … your right not to be spied on without a warrant … and accountability for the Bush administration’s illegal wiretapping and the telecommunications companies that helped carry it out, the time to act is now.We’re partnering with our allies at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) to offer you a more creative way to tell your Senators to OPPOSE the Intel-passed S. 2248, which includes retroactive immunity for the telecom companies.
Check it out and please take part at http://www.StopTheSpying.org.
Retroactive immunity for the telecom companies is really just a roundabout way of granting retroactive immunity to the Bush administration. It would effectively pull the plug on litigation that promises to shed light on the extent of the administration’s lawbreaking, and it would set a dangerous precedent.
Over the next few days, People For, EFF and our friends will be lobbying intensely to stop any version of FISA reform legislation that grants retroactive telecom immunity. We can’t fly you out to Washington to lobby your Senators directly, but we can take them your message, in your words, spoken in your voice or accompanied by your photo — hopefully this is the next best thing.
Got a webcam or a video camera? Got a regular camera or even just a camera on your cell phone? Then add to our efforts to use technology to bring constituent contact to the next level.
http://www.StopTheSpying.org
Check it out and please take part at http://www.StopTheSpying.org.
Retroactive immunity for the telecom companies is really just a roundabout way of granting retroactive immunity to the Bush administration. It would effectively pull the plug on litigation that promises to shed light on the extent of the administration’s lawbreaking, and it would set a dangerous precedent.
Over the next few days, People For, EFF and our friends will be lobbying intensely to stop any version of FISA reform legislation that grants retroactive telecom immunity. We can’t fly you out to Washington to lobby your Senators directly, but we can take them your message, in your words, spoken in your voice or accompanied by your photo — hopefully this is the next best thing.
Got a webcam or a video camera? Got a regular camera or even just a camera on your cell phone? Then add to our efforts to use technology to bring constituent contact to the next level.
http://www.StopTheSpying.org
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Here's The Joke
A father put his three year old daughter to bed, told her a story and listened to her prayers which she ended by saying: “God bless Mommy, God bless Daddy, God bless Grandma and good-bye Grandpa.”
The father asked, “Why did you say good-bye grandpa?”
The little girl said, “I don’t know daddy, it just seemed like the thing to do.”
The next day grandpa died. The father thought it was a strange coincidence. A few months later the father put the girl to bed and listened to her prayers which went like this: “God bless Mommy, God Bless Daddy and good-bye Grandma..”
The next day the grandmother died. Oh my gosh, thought the father, this kid is in contact with the other side. Several weeks later when the girl was going to bed the dad heard her say:”God bless Mommy and good-bye Daddy.”
He practically went into shock. He couldn’t sleep all night and got up at the crack! of dawn to go to his office. He was nervous as a cat all day, had lunch sent in and watched the clock. He figured if he could get by until midnight he would be okay. He felt safe in the office, so instead of going home at the end of the day he stayed there, drinking coffee, looking at his watch and jumping at every sound. Finally midnight arrived, he breathed a sigh of relief and went home.
When he got home his wife said “I’ve never seen you work so late, what’s the matter?”
He said “I don’t want to talk about it, I’ve just spent the worst day of my life.”
She said “You think you had a bad day, you’ll never believe what happened to me. This morning my golf pro dropped dead in the middle of my lesson!”
Website of the Day - StumbleUpon
Join 4,339,015 Stumblers & Discover New Sites
Channel surf the internet with the StumbleUpon toolbar to find great sites, videos, photos and more based on your interests. StumbleUpon learns what you like and makes better recommendations.
Channel surf the internet with the StumbleUpon toolbar to find great sites, videos, photos and more based on your interests. StumbleUpon learns what you like and makes better recommendations.
50 Years of Courage, Love
Their marriage demanded courage not required of most people in love.
But Lawrence and Lena Nelson accepted the challenge of interracial marriage and they’ve kept it together for 50 years.
“She didn’t look at me as Black; I didn’t look at her as White,” Lawrence said, sitting with his wife in their east Mesa home.
“Our hearts,” Lena added, “didn’t know the difference.”
But others did, and so did statutes outlawing interracial marriage in most states in the 1950s.
A President Like My Father
In a NY Times OP Ed which runs on Sunday, Caroline Kennedy, endorses Barack Obama for president.
OVER the years, I’ve been deeply moved by the people who’ve told me they wished they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This sense is even more profound today. That is why I am supporting a presidential candidate in the Democratic primaries, Barack Obama.
My reasons are patriotic, political and personal, and the three are intertwined. All my life, people have told me that my father changed their lives, that they got involved in public service or politics because he asked them to. And the generation he inspired has passed that spirit on to its children. I meet young people who were born long after John F. Kennedy was president, yet who ask me how to live out his ideals.
Sometimes it takes a while to recognize that someone has a special ability to get us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals and imagine that together we can do great things. In those rare moments, when such a person comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible.
We have that kind of opportunity with Senator Obama. It isn’t that the other candidates are not experienced or knowledgeable. But this year, that may not be enough. We need a change in the leadership of this country — just as we did in 1960.
Most of us would prefer to base our voting decision on policy differences. However, the candidates’ goals are similar. They have all laid out detailed plans on everything from strengthening our middle class to investing in early childhood education. So qualities of leadership, character and judgment play a larger role than usual.
Senator Obama has demonstrated these qualities throughout his more than two decades of public service, not just in the United States Senate but in Illinois, where he helped turn around struggling communities, taught constitutional law and was an elected state official for eight years. And Senator Obama is showing the same qualities today. He has built a movement that is changing the face of politics in this country, and he has demonstrated a special gift for inspiring young people — known for a willingness to volunteer, but an aversion to politics — to become engaged in the political process.
I have spent the past five years working in the New York City public schools and have three teenage children of my own. There is a generation coming of age that is hopeful, hard-working, innovative and imaginative. But too many of them are also hopeless, defeated and disengaged. As parents, we have a responsibility to help our children to believe in themselves and in their power to shape their future. Senator Obama is inspiring my children, my parents’ grandchildren, with that sense of possibility.
Senator Obama is running a dignified and honest campaign. He has spoken eloquently about the role of faith in his life, and opened a window into his character in two compelling books. And when it comes to judgment, Barack Obama made the right call on the most important issue of our time by opposing the war in Iraq from the beginning.
I want a president who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and encourage others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him, to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; and who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs every one of us to get involved.
I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.
Caroline Kennedy is the author of “A Patriot’s Handbook: Songs, Poems, Stories and Speeches Celebrating the Land We Love.”
Who is listening to your private phone calls?
Did you know AT&T and Verizon are capturing their customers’ phone conversations, and giving them to George Bush’s NSA?
I t would be nice if Harry Reid’s “Democratic” Senate stopped them when they vote on the Orwellian-named “Protect America Act” on Monday, but I’m not holding my breath and neither should you.
Why not switch to a progressive phone company that doesn’t spy on you?
Friday, January 25, 2008
Wisdom
Remember, once you get over the hill, you’ll begin to pick up speed.
I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
If it weren’t for STRESS, I’d have no energy at all.
Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some, like me, just don’t have any film.
I always know God won’t give me more than I can handle, bu! there are times I wish He didn’t trust me quite so much.
Never be too open minded, your brains could fall out.
If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
Some days are a total waste of makeup.
Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.
If it weren’t for STRESS, I’d have no energy at all.
Whatever hits the fan will not be evenly distributed.
Everyone has a photographic memory. Some, like me, just don’t have any film.
I always know God won’t give me more than I can handle, bu! there are times I wish He didn’t trust me quite so much.
Never be too open minded, your brains could fall out.
If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
Some days are a total waste of makeup.
Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
Junk is something you’ve kept for years and throw away three weeks before you need it.
Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Here's The Joke
A woman calls her boss one morning and tells him that she is staying home because she is not feeling well.
“What’s the matter?” he asks.
“I have a case of anal glaucoma,” she says in a weak voice.
“What the hell is anal glaucoma?”
“I can’t see my ass coming into work today.”
“What’s the matter?” he asks.
“I have a case of anal glaucoma,” she says in a weak voice.
“What the hell is anal glaucoma?”
“I can’t see my ass coming into work today.”
Diamond refunds are a consumer’s best friend
Diamonds may be forever. But the price you paid for them may not.
Millions of American consumers who bought diamond rings or other diamond jewelry could be in for a sizable rebate thanks to the pending settlement of a series of class-action lawsuits that accused the giant De Beers diamond company of price-fixing and monopoly practices.
Translation: You got bling? Ka-ching!
Millions of American consumers who bought diamond rings or other diamond jewelry could be in for a sizable rebate thanks to the pending settlement of a series of class-action lawsuits that accused the giant De Beers diamond company of price-fixing and monopoly practices.
Translation: You got bling? Ka-ching!
Monday, January 21, 2008
A black president? We’ve already had the pleasure
America is ready for a black president because we’ve seen them before. Black presidents, in fact, have been our awesomest presidents ever: Morgan Freeman in “Deep Impact” and Dennis Haysbert in “24.” And their approval ratings — box office grosses and Nielsen ratings, the only approval that matters in the U.S. — have been huge. The Freeman and Haysbert administrations, which endured Carter-level challenges such as a comet headed toward Earth and working with Kiefer Sutherland, have specifically prepared us for Obama. Like him, they confront without being confrontational. They’re calm, earnest, utterly decent and way, way cooler than white presidents — which is what I’m sure Joe Biden was trying to say when he called Obama “articulate” and “clean.” If only I had translated for him sooner.
A man placed some flowers on the grave of his dearly departed mother and started
back toward his car when his attention was diverted to another man kneeling at a
grave.
The man seemed to be praying with profound intensity and kept repeating, Why did
you have to die? Why did you have to die?"
The first man approached him and said, "Sir, I don't wish to interfere with your
private grief, but this demonstration of pain is more than I've ever seen
before. For whom do you mourn so deeply? A child? A parent?"
The mourner took a moment to collect himself, then replied,"My wife's first husband."
back toward his car when his attention was diverted to another man kneeling at a
grave.
The man seemed to be praying with profound intensity and kept repeating, Why did
you have to die? Why did you have to die?"
The first man approached him and said, "Sir, I don't wish to interfere with your
private grief, but this demonstration of pain is more than I've ever seen
before. For whom do you mourn so deeply? A child? A parent?"
The mourner took a moment to collect himself, then replied,"My wife's first husband."
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Why The Republican Party is Bad for America - #2
During Katie Couric’s debut week in September 2006 as anchor for CBS Evening News, she interviewed President Bush, who confided, “One of the hardest parts of my job is to connect Iraq to the war on terror.”
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Banana Cake
Ingredients
5-1/3 Tbsp. (2/3 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans.
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
5 baby bananas or 1 to 2 bananas, roughly mashed (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 larg egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1 cup walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 and position rack in center. Lightly butter and 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ loaf pan; set aside.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside. Place butter, honey, sugar, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, add bananas and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until bananas are smashed, about 1 minute.
3. Reduce speed to medium-low. Add egg and yogurt; mix until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in three parts, mixing just until no traces of flour remain, about 10 seconds; gently fold in walnuts.
4. Transfer batter to prepared pan; spread level. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes; unmold and transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Makes about 12 servings.
Another Blonde Joke
Bob, a handsome dude, walked into a sports bar around 9:58 PM.
He sat down next to a blonde at the bar and stared up at the TV. The 10:00 news was now on. The news
crew was covering a story of a man on a ledge of a tall building preparing to jump.
The blonde looked at Bob and said, “Do you think he’ll jump?” Bob said, “You know, I bet he’ll jump.”
The blonde replied, “Well, I bet he won’t.”
Bob placed $20 on the bar and said, “You’re on!”
Just as the blonde placed her money on the bar, the guy did a swan dive off of the building, falling to his death.
The blonde was very upset and handed her $20 to Bob, saying, “fair’s fair. Here’s your money.”
Bob replied, “I can’t take your money; I saw this earlier on the 5 o’clock news and so I knew he would jump.”
The blonde replied, “I did too, but I didn’t think he’d do it again!”
Bob took the money.
Russian Couple Reunited After 60 Years Apart
And now, a touching story for all you “touching story” fans…….
When Anna Kozlov caught sight of the elderly man clambering out of a car in her home village of Borovlyanka in Siberia, she stopped dead in her tracks, convinced her eyes were playing tricks.
There, in front of her, was Boris, the man she had fallen in love with and married 60 years earlier. The last time she had seen him was three days after their wedding, when she kissed him goodbye and sent him off to rejoin his Red Army unit.
Now, more than half a century later, they were reunited, an extraordinary coincidence leading them both to return to their home village on the very same day.
Here's The Joke
No one believes seniors…everyone thinks they’re senile. A perfect example is of an elderly couple who were celebrating their 60th anniversary. The couple had married as childhood sweethearts and had moved back to their old neighborhood after they retired.
Holding hands they walked back to their old school. It was not locked, so they entered, and found the old desk they’d shared, where Mike had carved, “I love you, Nancy.”
On their way back home, a bag of money fell out of an armored car, practically landing at their feet. Nancy quickly picked it up, but not
sure what to do with it, they took it home. There she counted the money - - fifty-thousand dollars.
Mike said, “We’ve got to give it back.”
Nancy said, “Finders keepers.” She put the money back in the bag and hid it in their attic.
The next day, two FBI men were canvassing the neighborhood looking for the money, and knock on the door. “Pardon me, but did either of you find a bag that fell out of an armored car yesterday?” Nancy said, “No.”
Mike said, “She’s lying. She hid it up in the attic.”
Nancy said, “Don’t believe him, he’s getting senile.”
The agents turn to Mike and begin to question him. One says: “Tell us the story from the beginning.”
Mike says, “Well, when Nancy and I were walking home from school yesterday, “
The first FBI agent turns to his partner and says, “We’re outta here.”
Website of the Day - Zipskinny
From VSL:
You may think you know your neighborhood, but you certainly can’t beat the information the federal government has collected about it. We’re not being paranoid: The U.S. Census Bureau is a statistician’s paradise — and now Mark Nash, an amateur programmer in Dallas, has launched Zipskinny, a website that renders all that data user-friendly. Zipskinny makes the numbers from the 2000 census searchable by ZIP code, so you can easily see how you compare with your neighbors when it comes to marital status, age, income bracket, even education.
Tom Ridge: Waterboarding Is Torture
The first secretary of the Homeland Security Department says waterboarding is torture.
“There’s just no doubt in my mind — under any set of rules — waterboarding is torture,” Tom Ridge said Friday in an interview with the Associated Press. Ridge had offered the same opinion earlier in the day to members of the American Bar Association at a homeland security conference.
“One of America’s greatest strengths is the soft power of our value system and how we treat prisoners of war, and we don’t torture,” Ridge said in the interview. Ridge was secretary of the Homeland Security Department between 2003 and 2005. “And I believe, unlike others in the administration, that waterboarding was, is — and will always be — torture. That’s a simple statement.”
Why The Republican Party is Bad for America - #1
During the 2006 dispute over the administration’s proposed bill to allow secret evidence in trials of prisoners at Guantanamo, Republican Senator Lindsay “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” Graham scornfully summed up the president’s position this way: “Trust us, you’re guilty, we’re going to execute you, but we can’t tell you why.”
Then he voted for the bill anyway.
Energy Boosters & Busters
Boosters
Exercise: A University of Georgia analysis of 70 studies on exercise and fatigue overwhelmingly showed that regular workouts increase energy levels.
Tyrosine supplements: Tyrosine is an amino acid that acts like caffeine without the downsides,” says Hyla Cass, MD, author of Supplement Your Prescription. She also recommends coenzyme Q10, a fat-soluble vitaminlike compound that helps convert nutrients into energy.
Acupuncture: “An unexpected benefit is that it seems to make a person’s energy more available to her,” says Rosa N. Schnyer, an acupuncturist and investigator at the Osher Institute at Harvard Medical School.
Nap: To recharge from the afternoon did, lie down for 20 to 30 minutes - no longer, or you’ll wake up groggy, says Phyllis C. Zee, MD, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.
Busters
Stress: When prolonged and unresolved, it can cause the adrenal glands to stop producing as much cortisol. Low levels of cortisol, known as the stress hormone, can leave you feeling lethargic.
Winter darkness:“Lack of energy is the number one complaint of people with seasonal affective disorder,” says SAD expert Kelly Rohan, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Vermont in Burlington (more info at healthyminds.org/factsheets/LTF-SAD.pdf and mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195).
Boredom: “We know about burnout, from doing too much, but there’s also ‘boredout’ caused by doing too little,” says Carl Mumpower, PhD, a clinical psychologist in Asheville, North Carolina. The longer you’re bored, the less energy you have and the more likely that this temporary feeling can become permanent, he says.
O Magazine, 1/08, pg 181
Word of the Day
ebullient \ih-BUL-yuhnt\, adjective:
1. Overflowing with enthusiasm or excitement; high-spirited.
2. Boiling up or over.
The glasses he wore for astigmatism gave him a deceptively clerkish appearance, for he had an ebullient, gregarious personality, a hot temper, and an outsized imagination.
– Jon Lee Anderson, Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life
He was no longer an ebullient, energetic adolescent.
– Linda Simon, Genuine Reality: A Life of William James
Sometimes he would come back from the Drenchery Club holding on to the walls till he got to my office, where he’d be jolly and ebullient. At other times, he’d return morose.
– Harriet Wasserman, Handsome Is: Adventures with Saul Bellow
Ebullient comes from Latin ebullire, “to bubble up,” from e-, “out of, from” + bullire, “to bubble, to boil.”
Friday, January 18, 2008
Anti-whalers”taken hostage” on Japanese whaling ship
Two anti-whaling activists were “taken hostage” and tied to a radar mast of a Japanese whaling vessel in the Southern Ocean on Tuesday, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society said.
Another Blonde Joke
A blonde woman was having financial troubles so she decided to kidnap a child and demand a ransom. She went to a local park, grabbed a little boy, took him behind a tree and wrote a note. “I have kidnapped your child. I am sorry to do this but I need the money. Leave $10,000 in a plain brown bag behind the big oak tree in the park at 7 AM.” Signed, “The Blonde.”
She pinned the note inside the little boy’s jacket and told him to go straight home.
The next morning, she returned to the park to find the $10,000 in a brown bag behind the big oak tree, just as she had instructed. Inside the bag with the cash was the following note. “Here is your money. I cannot believe that one blonde would do this to another.”
Winfrey to start own TV network
As Oprah Winfrey recalls it, she was struggling with whether her nationally syndicated talk show would or even could pull itself out of the muck that was enveloping daytime TV when she wrote a particularly ambitious yet prophetic journal entry. She wrote on May 24, 1992, of wanting to leverage her top-rated program to fulfill her “vision of creating my own network” to teach people “to be all they can be in the world and living their best lives,” Winfrey said Tuesday as she and Discovery Communications Chief Executive David Zaslav unveiled the fulfillment of that long-held dream.
OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network is set to make its debut in the second half of next year in 70 million homes on what is now the Discovery Health Network.
Word of the Day
gelid \JEL-id\, adjective:
Extremely cold; icy.
The weather is gelid on a recent Thursday night–so uninviting that it’s hard to imagine anyone venturing out.
– Letta Tayler, “The Accent’s on Brooklyn”, Newsday, April 6, 2000
Last January a major crisis arose when the Argentine naval supply ship Bahia Paraiso foundered near an island off the Antarctic Peninsula, creating a diesel-oil spill that inflicted untold damage on the ecosystems clinging to the edges of the icy continent or swimming in its gelid seas.
– Christopher Redman Paris, “Could anything be more terrible than this silent, windswept immensity?”, Time, October 23, 1989
Gelid comes from Latin gelidus, from gelu, “frost, cold.”
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Hearty Chicken & Noodle Casserole
One of my goals for the new year is to do more cooking for myself and to eat out less. When I was married with children I cooked regularly and was considered to be a pretty good cook at that. Eating out was a treat - not a matter of routine.
Living alone, I got little joy out of preparing meals for myself. Why bother with the shopping, the cooking and the cleaning up if there’s no one around to appreciate it? So, like many of you, I fell into the fast food routine trap. No muss, no fuss, quick and filling……with one major drawback. That stuff is hazardous to your health.
I’ve come to realize that no one else need be around to appreciate the fruits of my labors. I am a worthwhile and valuable person who is entitled to live a magnificent existence. I am worth the bother of shopping and cooking and cleaning up after enjoying something I created for no one but myself. So, I’ve got myself all psyched up only to recognize that I am way out of the habit of planning and preparing meals. So it’s baby steps for me - starting with a meal or two a week and working my way up to eating in six nights a week. I sure am gonna miss pizza and burgers.
Ingredients:
1 can (10 3/4 oz) Cream of Mushroom Soup (I used low sodium)
1/2 cup milk (I use soy)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
2 cups cubed cooked chicken (I bought a roasted chicken at the store and used that)
2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained (I used a whole wheat pasta - not for everyone but I like it)
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese.Preparation:
1. Stir soup, milk, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, vegetables, chicken and noodles in 1-1/2 qt. casserole.
2. Bake at 400 for 25 min. or until hot. Stir.
3. Top with Cheddar cheese.
I had salad and crusty bread on the side —- oh, and never forget the wine.
Cold Weather - A Perspective
Fahrenheit -
60 above zero:
Arizonians turn on the heat.
People in Iowa plant gardens.
50 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Cedar Rapids sunbathe.
40 above zero:
Italian & English cars won’t start.
People in Iowa drive with the windows down.
32 above zero:
Distilled water freezes.
The water in Des Moines gets thicker.
20 above zero: Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool
hats.
People in Iowa throw on a flannel shirt.
15 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Iowa have the last cookout before it gets cold.
0
People in Miami all die.
Iowans close the windows.
10 below zero:
Californians fly away to Mexico
People in Iowa get out their winter coats.
25 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Iowa are selling cookies door to door.
(True!)
40 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Iowa let the dogs sleep indoors.
100 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Iowa get upset because they can’t start the Mini-Van.
460 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale.)
People in Iowa start saying…”Cold ’nuff fer ya?”
500 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Schools in Iowa on two hour delay.
Self Fulfilling Prophecy
Proverbs 23: 7 - “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.”
The batter hits the ball high in the air towards right field. It arcs majestically against the sky. It is going right towards Sammy. Everybody in the park knows that he’s going to drop it. Sammy knows that he’s going to drop it. He drops it.
This scene has been replayed time and time again on fields around the world. It doesn’t have to be a fielder; it sometime is a batter you know is going to strike out. It doesn’t even have to be baseball. It can be anything.
It’s called a self-fulfilling prophecy. I wasn’t familiar with this term until I took a psychology class in university. Basically it means that what you believe will usually happen.
If you believe you are going to flunk a test, you probably will. If you think the meal you are making for your new in-laws will be a disaster, it probably will. If you think you will be in a car accident, better call your insurance agent. In all these cases, your visualizing the worst-case scenario will greatly increase the possibility of them actually happening.
There are people in the world who sew the seeds of the self-fulfilling prophecy. They are the people who put their fears on you. For example, their fears that something might happen to you make you uneasy and possibly help the unfortunate event happen. They are usually the first ones to say, “I told you so.”
So what do you do? First, look at history. There were plenty of people who said humans would never fly, let alone walk on the moon. You have the choice to believe those thoughts. Also, you can replace those thoughts with positive ones. You don’t have to believe the nay-sayers. If self-fulfilling prophecy works with negative thoughts, it can also work with positive ones.
George Bernard Shaw said, “You see things; and you say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say, ‘Why not?’ ” What message are you playing in your mind?
When I started playing softball, I was like Sammy. I was hoping the batter wouldn’t hit the ball to me. Eventually those thoughts were replaced with positive ones and I was begging for the batter to hit it to me. Can you guess which thoughts allowed me to enjoy the game the most and perform the best?
When the game was on the line, Michael Jordan wanted the ball. He already saw the ball going in before he shot.
Pete Rose, who holds the record for the most hits in baseball, was asked how many times in a game he thought he was going to get a hit. He answer was, “Every time.” Did he get a hit every time? No, but his belief that he would greatly increased his success.
It’s the same with life. Put positive, happy thoughts in your mind and you will tend to be happy. If you are constantly worrying that something MIGHT happen, you will not lead a full life and probably not reach your potential. What does worrying do most of the time anyway? It usually prevents you from doing your best in a situation.
It comes down to the simple saying. If you think you can, you may be right. If you think you can’t, you are almost certainly right. Put another way, success comes in cans!
John Stevens
John Stevens is a freelance writer in St. Marys, Ontario. You can read more of his writing at his blog at http://johnnyvfanclub.blogspot.com or send John an email to: john.stevens@rogers.com
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