hockey sticks?

Well, it sure looks like the meeting this week in Denmark is going to be very interesting.

The "hockey stick" graph for climate change is coming under pressure. The "leaked" emails from England have only added to the fuel against drastic, made made, climate change.

Things are so bad that Al, not my pal, Gore has backed out of even attending this meeting. He was supposed to give at least one speech on this topic. What with his now tow books, his Oscar winning movie, and of all things, a Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts on the man made climate change, his no show leaves many folks wondering about the whole topic.

While this "disaster" of the emails gives fuel to the "deniers", it should make any sane, rational person stop and ask questions. One thing that really needs to be addressed, from my point of view, is why have the people who have been pushing the "hockey stick" data been so very slow, if at all, in sharing their data? As I understand things, the way science is supposed to work is you share all of your data with any other researcher who asks for it. In this way, they are able to use your data and see if they came get the same results that you have obtained. By not sharing this data, or being very slow to share it, they give the impression that they may have something they wish to keep secret. By not sharing the data, or in being very slow to do so, they make other researchers wonder why they are doing this. If you are an honest researcher, you should be willing to share all of your data with any other competent researchers. That is how new discoveries are validated. The with holding of data gives the impression of having something to hide.

And, it would seem that some of the "hockey stick" people did have things they wanted to hide. At least one researcher who finally got access to the original data has not been able to confirm their "hockey stick" conclusions. In fact, he has found that the "Medieval Warm Period" was even warmer that the temperatures we are experiencing today. This does not show in the hockey stick models. In fact, the "Medieval Warm Period" drops out completely in the "hockey stick" conclusions. Amazing.

Some of the "hockey stick" data only include tree rings from 10 (ten) tree ring samples. Also, those ten samples were not random samples. Not exactly a representative sampling in any way at all.

I do not claim that there is no climate change. The climate of planet earth has been changing for the last 4 billion years. Yep, ever since the planet formed. It will continue to keep on changing until the sun burns out.

The climate has undergone many periods of extreme climate change. We know there have been more than one ice age. We also know that it has been much warmer than it has been in our life times. During the age of the dinosaurs the climate was much warmer. Humans did not drive any of the previous climate changes.

I seriously doubt that the current climate change is driven by human activity also.

That being said, I see no reason why we should not do our best to conserve our natural resources. That just makes good sense to me. The less we use of them, the more there will be for future generations. Saving energy, by using high efficiency appliances, cars and truck that get better fuel milage are things we ought to do. It will save us money in the short term and it will help to insure that those resources may be available for the next generations.

What is very worrying to me is this "idea" of "cap and trade". This sounds like another scam for the very rich to get even richer and for the poor to get even poorer. As I said, just another scam. Actually, to me, "cap and trade" is not unlike those emails you get that inform you that you have "won" some lottery or other. Sure thing, by "random drawing" you have just "won" a huge sum of money. Now, you "only" need to send the "keeping fees" to "insure" the delivery of your prize. Just another SCAM, as is "cap and trade".

Bottom line, we all need to do our part to save our resources fro future generations. What we do not need to do is to tax the poor people of the world. We do not need government mandates to force conservation. While a few nice "carrots" could be useful in this, big "sticks" of higher taxes on the poor will not make things any better for any except government tax collectors and the speculators who will get rich off the idiot "cap and trade" schemes.

Just my 2 cents on climate change.

semper fi

and now it just keeps getting deeper

Oh boy, have we been had!

I don't know if I should laugh or cuss. I just caught some news on al-Jazeera. Herr Gates has stated to Congress that the president has given him the "leeway" to send an additional 3,000 troops to Afghanistan. That is OVER the 30,000 that Go-bomb-them told us the other night that he will be sending to that cluster f**k.

Yes, you did the math properly there, a total, so far, of 33,000 new troops to the killing fields of Afghanistan. And you voted for Go-bomb-them because you "thought" he was anti-war? Well, he sure as hell fooled you, didn't he?

I could sit here and say, "told ya so". But just because I voted for Ms. McKinney, not the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in D.C., I won't do that. It isn't polite, and those who honestly believed this guy might be anti-war have enough grief to deal with. So, no, I won't rub it in.

Now, another question for you all. Do you really think that he will start to draw down the number of troops in Afghanistan in the summer of 2011 as he said he would the other night? Can you still trust this guy? Is it that hard for you to see that he is just another liar, a typical politician? Come on people! Wake up! The guy said whatever he needed to say to get elected. He is not a savior nor is he in any way anti-war.

Hell, if he was truly an anti-war person he never would have made it out of the primaries, IF he would even have been allowed to run in the first place. This is America, anti-war people do not get elected to office, at least not to any office with real power behind it. Not today for sure. Maybe someday, but dreaming won't help just now.

We need to protest this damn idiot war of choice. It matters not at all that a member of the donkey gang occupies the White House. Hell, LBJ was a member of that gang and he "suffered" all sorts of protest demonstrations. Why not picket Go-bomb-them? What has he done for America?

Well, he has escalated the stupid, idiotic war in Afghanistan is what. For that he should be picketed and protested against. Email the White House, email your Congress critter. Call them. Tell them to end the goddamn stupid wars of choice. These wars are not making AMerica safer. In fact, they are insuring that we now have more enemies than ever before. Every time we kill a civilian (collateral damage) we create more "terrorists". Every dead Afghan has family, they will demand revenge. It is in their culture to do so. Not unlike America. What you say? America wants revenge? Damn right! We invaded Afghanistan and then Iraq because Shrub and crew said they were behind the attacks in New York city and the Pentagon. Revenge was what motivated this country to go half a world away to "kick ass and take names". Pure, simple revenge. And we just create more enemies by killing more innocent civilians.

We are stuck in two idiotic wars of choice. There is no end in sight for either. The SOFA (status of forces agreement) with Iraq is not worth the paper it is printed on. Why? Because it is baed on "facts on the ground", just as the 18 months and out for the new Afghan troop deployment is. And those "facts on the ground" are very much subject to change. Can you honestly believe that when summer 2011 gets closer that old McCrystal will not say, well, things have "changed" and we "need" to keep the troops here longer? Think he won't say that? If you really believe he won't, I just might have a nice bridge for you to buy. Or maybe some nice beach front property in, oh, Arizona.

We are in these wars for the long haul people. There is no "exit strategy" for either. There won't be either. This is the "long war" the Pentagon has been lusting for since the Soviet Union fell apart. The "long war" has NO end. That is the "beauty" of it all. Endless war for endless profits for the likes of Boeing, Lockheed-Martin and the other "defense" corporations. These wars have nothing at all to do with "democracy" or "human rights", those are just smoke screens to keep us in line with our "leaders" wishes.

The country is being run by the war profiteers and the "too big to fail" banksters. They all make obscene profits from war. Way back in 1933, General Smedley Butler wrote a pamphlet entitled "War is a Racket". He was 100% correct then and even more so now. War is a business, and the profits are great. Not for those who do the fighting and dying however. They are expendable. Mere cogs in the machine.

Notice how those who cry the loudest for war are those who have never been to war. Most of them have never even worn the uniform of any military.

We have been lied to for years people. We all need to protest against these stupid, illegal, damned idiotic wars of choice.

we knew this was coming

Well, the war lovers should all be happy now.

Yep, Go-bomb-them has "decided" to send more troops to the disaster of Afghanistan. Thanks loads there bud. I keep looking for that "change" we were supposed to be able to believe in. Some change there Mr. President. Just what we didn't need, more body bags filled with our dead troops. More money down a rat hole. Merry goddamn xmas to you too there in the White House.

No doubt the idiots like Limburger, Beck, and the rest of that crew will howl that we aren't sending enough troops off to war. Anybody else ever notice how those who cheer the loudest for war and more war are those who never saw war in person. In fact, most of them never even wore a uniform of any military. How is it that some people actually listen to the likes of Beck, Limburger and that bunch talk on and on about war. Those morons never even were in the military. Beck could not pass the mental tests to enlist and Limburger got a medical deferment. How is it that some people actually think these fools know anything about war? What the hell do they even know about the military? They never served. Why listen to somebody who has no experience with the military or war? Is America that goddamn stupid? Enough of the country must be, these fools get the ratings, so somebody is watching/listening to them. Holy shit! Well, go follow those jack asses, see where it gets you. Oh, and when it blows up in your face, I WILL laugh at you. Damn right I will. Don't ever stop to listen to anybody who has actually been in a war. Nope, just follow the bloody loud mouth fools.

And then we have our(?) cowardly, bought and paid for Congress critters who tell us how "free" we are. Yeah, sure we are, free to kiss the hind end of zionism.

First thing to do, ban AIPAC.

Second thing, close every military base we have in every foreign country and bring ALL of our troops home. I'd let the Marines stay on guard at our embassies. They do provide security and they look good in dress blues. They have a tradition of embassy guarding also. Plus, I was told that embassy duty is very good duty.

Third, we shut down the war profiteers. Yep, the defense(?) contractors. Put the money into what we really need, like a decent national health plan that covers ALL Americans. Something like the Congress critters give themselves at OUR expense. Why do they get to have "socialized" medicine and we don't?

Then we break up those "too big to fail" banks. Also, we bring back Glass-Steagal, with even better oversight.

After that, we have real elections.

We might actually be able to restore the old Constitutional republic.

Just my Xmas wish list. And yes, I use Xmas. Why not? This IS America where the only thing that matters is profits.

Oh, one more thing, NO Xtians allowed in government. ALL religions will have to register as agents of a foreign power. Put some real separation between religion and government. Anybody who says he/she is a member of any religion first and an American next is out of any government position.

pre turkey day rant

Well, it is almost turkey day here in the old US of A. Time for another rant from the corner.

First up, the "economy". I wonder at times if we still have one. Today I saw an article about housing and mortgages. According to a report by First American Core Logic 10.7 million home owners owe more than the homes are worth. 10.7 Million! Ouch. The same report says that 23%, nearly 1 in 4, are "under water". Double ouch!

Oh, but don't worry folks. The stock market has been going up. OK, so, then where are the jobs? Well, they have all been sent off shore. Yep, outsourced. All in the name of profits. Screw the American worker. The corporations and stock holders need huge profits. Americans be damned if there is money to be made. Talk about your sunshine patriots.

And yet, the big banksters will get huge bonuses this year. Almost makes you proud to be an American. Where the regular people starve, but the rich just get ever richer. America, what a country.

Health care? Does anybody have any? Well, our wonderful Congress critter sure as hell do. In fact they have a super health care plan. All government paid for and run by the way. Yep, those very same critters who could never allow "socialism" like national health care have a tax payer financed health care plan that is gold plated and then some. Why don't you ever hear Beck, Limburger, O'Really, or the other morons at Faux Noise talk about that? Makes you stop and think, doesn't it? Well, damn it, it sure as hell should make every American think, and very hard at that. Here our elected "leaders" get super health care, paid for by we the people, and they refuse to let us peons have anything like single payer health care. Can you say hypocrites? YES you CAN!!! And we should all tell them so, every day until WE get a decent national health care for ALL Americans. Rattle their cages. Crap, if that moron Beck can start something, then us sane folks ought to be able to make some noise also.

Email, write, and/or call your elected officials and ask why they get special treatment while we get shit. Might wake a few of them up. It is worth a try at the very least. What do we have left to lose?

The wars. Well, first off, both Iraq and Afghanistan are illegal. Look up international law. In fact, just look at American law. We did NOT declare war on either of these countries. Nope, not at all. Oh sure, Congress voted to "authorize" the president to invade them both. NOT even close to being a declared war people. Congress let more than one president put troops into and then add thousands more troops to the war in Vietnam. Never declared war there either. In fact, the last declared war was World War Two. Not Korea, not Vietnam, not Iraq, either time, not Afghanistan, not Grenada, nor any of the countless other wars America has been involved in since 1945.

Tie to end these two stupid wars of choice. One good point for our current president, he DID say Iraq was not a good war. No kidding?! Well, Mr. President, neither is Afghanistan. Yes, I know, he said it was a war of necessity. Well, he was wrong. Why not just say so and bring the troops home? Hell, it is easy. Just admit that he made a mistake. I have done that myself. It is how I was taught as a kid. Dad always told me that I should admit my mistakes and do my best to not repeat them. Let Go-bomb-them do the same. Act like an adult there Mr. President. You are only human, we all make mistakes.

Oh, and while you are out there bringing the troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan, bring them home from all the other 700+ bases we have in foreign countries. We do not need troops stationed all over the world. I'd allow for the Marine guards at our overseas embassies. They do provide security and they have a long tradition of doing so. They can stay on the job. The rest of our troops need to be here in America. It IS called the Department of Defense, NOT the Department of Defending other countries. Our troops should be in America defending America. NOT in bases around the world. That does not provide security to us, no way Jose.

It is way past time for us to give up this stupid idea of empire. Yes, I said empire. That IS what we have in fact people. If we don't have an empire, why do we "need" 700+ bases on foreign soil? Explain that one to me. Empire has bases in foreign countries, Constitutional republics have NO need for such crap.

America is NOT at all more secure due to all those bases and the two wars we are stuck in. If anything those things make us less secure, less safe. Even the top military brass admit that for every civilian we kill in Iraq and Afghanistan, we create at least one more "terrorist". I put terrorist in quotes there for a reason. Most of those who are fighting our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are NOT terrorists. They are just people who live in those countries and they do NOT want to have a foreign army as occupiers. How would WE like having some foreign army occupying America? You know damn well, we would NOT like it at all. OK, so why should other people like it when we occupy their country? Can you say "double standards"? Of course you can. We are NOT in either Afghanistan or Iraq to promote "democracy". We are in those countries for one thing and only one thing. Huge profits for the military-industrial-bankster-media complex. That is why "we" fight today, for profits, money. And lots and lots of money. It sure as hell is not for any "glory". I have been in war and there is NO "glory" in it at all. Yes, there is heroism and bravery, but no glory, none at all. War is just mass murder. And huge profits for those who never even wear a uniform who get rich from the bleeding and dying of others.

America likes to say it is a Christian nation. Well, as I remember it, Christ said something to the effect of "blessed are the peacemakers". I also recall him being quoted as saying things like "love your enemy" and also "do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Well, do "we" want others to come and occupy America? Do we Christians? Remember Christians, actions speak louder than words. Yes, I AM calling you Christians out. Damn right I am. You claim to follow Christ, well show it. I am sick of hearing you Christians go on and on about Jesus and love but you never put it into actions. You should ALL of you Christians, be out emailing, phoning, and writing your Congress critters telling them to stop the wars. WHEn will you do so? I have done that and will continue to do so. When will the Christians step up?

Or is it just old heathens like me who speak out against illegal wars? America is a Christian nation? Well, PROVE it! Or else keep quiet about it.

One final comment on health care. I'm just waiting to see how much more of a cut I am going to have in my Social Security for my Medicare next year. Of course there will be no cost of living increase in Social Security next year. We knew that months ago. But, they have not said how much the Medicare deduction will go up yet. And don't forget that "wonderful" part D also. No doubt it will go up. It has every year so far. And if you have a Medicare supplement that will be going higher also. Count on it. All because our dear leader likes his phony "bi=partisanship" crap. He knows that the elephant gang will never admit he has done anything good. And they never will. The damn fool elephant gang is stuck on one thing only, "no". That is all they have, and maybe some hot air. Oh, and they still have the moose burger bimbo. She is out hyping her new book. Oh joy. Come on Mr. President, give this country a decent, true single payer national health care system. We are the only industrialized country without such a system. World wide America is, get this folks, number 37 in health care. 37!!! That means 36 other countries have better health care than we have. And with the shit coming from this Congress, it will only get worse. Stop listening to that damn "talk radio" and Faux Noise people. Demand national health care for every American. Period.

Oh, and happy turkey day to all.

American show trial?

Well, it now seems that Khaled Shaikh Mohammed will get a jury trial in New York city.

Of course the right wing folks are up in arms about this. They cry about the extra needed security for the trial. They claim that the military commissions are "good enough" for this sort of thing. Actually, I think the right wingers believe that ANY sort of "trial" even the military commissions are too good for these people.

Well, to that attitude, I say crap! America used to be a nation of laws. We had rules, we had trial by a jury of peers. It is still there in the old Constitution.

Military commissions and military trials are for those who are in the military.

This "idea" of an "unlawful enemy combatant" is total bullshit. Nobody has ever, to my knowledge, ever defined just what IS an "unlawful enemy combatant". I have NO idea what such a person could be. It is just another fig newton from the idiot gang of W. Shrub. There has never been such a thing as an "unlawful enemy combatant". This "category" comes from the same legal "minds"(??) as the definition of what actually is torture. Yep, it came from the likes of Gonzales and Yoo. Two "lawyers" who are war criminals by international law. Thanks loads there guys.

Supposedly KSM has admitted that he is the master mind behind 9/11. I would like to know if he confessed before or after he was water boarded. The powers that be admitted that this guy was water boarded over 180 times in ONE month! That is at least 6 times a day. Holy shit. With that sort of treatment, your dear sainted grandmother would admit to being the "lone gun man" in Dallas or to being the sole killer of Christ. Will this information come out during his upcoming trial? I wonder.

Of course he has supposedly said he is guilty and welcomes the death penalty. Of course he does. That would make him a martyr to Islam. Well, don't give him the death penalty. Let him get life with no parole. That would be total hell for him. Rob this nut case of his "glory" as a martyr. That would be fitting punishment.

Actually no. I doubt that there IS a fitting punishment for such acts. Just like the child molesters, what would be a fitting punishment for such crimes? I am not sure.

Personally, I do not believe in the death penalty. To me it is just the state killing some one in my name. That is done daily in the current illegal wars. We have more than enough death as it is. Much of it state sponsored.

Another question arises here. Why are only KSm and four others getting a trial by jury in the United States? What about those still left at Gitmo? Some of them will still get there "justice" from the military commissions. Wrong move. ALL those we have prisoners in Gitmo and other CIA secret prisons deserve a jury trial in this country.

Terrorism is a crime. It should be dealt with as a crime. Use police actions to catch them. Give them a civilian jury trial. That is how America is supposed to operate.

This whole mess of "unlawful enemy combatants", military commissions, and the rest of the bullshit "war on terror" is just a way to side step the Constitution. ENOUGH! Put an end to that crap. We must restore the constitutional republic.

Although I fear it may be too late for that. I hope it is not too late.

semper fi

well, it was a nice vacation

Well, I sure had a fun day at the drags Saturday. The "vacation" from poli-tricks was too short though. No sooner than I get over 1100 new photos downloaded to the old iMac than what pops up? Sarah Palin!

Holy crap. I thought the moose burger bimbo was still in Alaska. Yes, I know, she did quit as the governor of that state. Funny, but she still had close to half of her FIRST term left to fill.

Now that is really a fine politician for you. Some "radical" type who is "for the people" for sure. Hell yes. Get yourself elected as "one of the little people" and then, half way through your first term, well, just quit. Simple. Nothing to it folks. See how "good" she is? Just how much did she do for the state of Alaska during her half of a term? I'd bet it wasn't very much. The reason is, I have heard where it takes close to a year for the new person to just figure out who is who in the government. You can only get down to the real work after the first year in office. And that gave her, at best, one year to do much.

Well, the people of Alaska elected her. Poor folks, I feel for them. At least they didn't have to hold a special election to replace her. Just move the number two person up one spot.

Now the moose burger bimbo is on a book tour. Of course she had a professional ghost writer "help" her with the book. Help? More like have it ALL done for her. Supposedly the tome is over 400 pages. Now, I seriously doubt that Ms. Palin could fill five pages, double spaced, hand written. How she "managed" to write over 400 is way too much for me to believe. No, it is ALL ghost written in my opinion.

She has two "big interviews" already lined up also. She will be on Ophra and Baba Wawa will also get to "interview" her. Boy, I bet she won't have that Katie gal do one this time. Now that would be funny. Why, I'd almost be tempted to find somebody who owns a TV set and watch that one. Notice I said almost. Remember, almost, like close, only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. Oh yeah, and nuclear weapons.

Of course she is scheduled to be on Rush Limburger. Naturally. I bet she will show up on Faux Noise also. And you can bet your last dime that Keith Olbermann is crying that she won't be on his show. Olbermann is just as phony as O'Really, Beck, Limburger, and the rest of them.

Oh, some small bit of good news. Lou Dobbs is now gone from CNN. Maybe CNN has decided to get back to doing actual news again and stop the editorials. Well, if Wolfie is still employed at CNN then it still is not worth watching.

Back to Palin. Why anybody gives a rats hind end what she "thinks" about anything is beyond me. She claims to be "one of the people". Yeah, sure she is. How many "just plain folks" have the life style that family have? No, I don't mean the unwed teenager in the family. I mean the money they have. That house in Alaska didn't come cheap. And I do not believe her "story" about how she and the family did NOT want all those new clothes that the McCain crew "forced" onto them. Sure they didn't. And the Pope is a Baptist too. Or is he Pentecostal? Heck, I keep forgetting just what he is.

What is it about morons like Palin that seem to fascinate the American public? Do any real people actually give a crap about her? Or is it the media that keeps pushing her on us? Either way, she should have stayed in the North in the snow until global warming melted it all.

This is just another damn diversion. With the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq going badly, the economy (do we still have one?) in the toilet, the "incident" at Fort Hood, Go-bomb-them on his Asian trip, the Russians making noises about the gas supply to Europe, and other really important things, we get Palin again. Like I said, she is being used as a diversion here folks.

There are some pundits, on the net also, who are making the claim that this bimbo will be a "king maker" for the elephant gang. What?? This clown who cannot speak English much better than the idiot Shrub as a "king maker"??? One internet pundit even said she could be a "king breaker", in that if SHE doesn't approve of the person the elephant gang runs in 2012, then that person won't even get nominated!!! Again, WHAT???

How in hell did this failure get that sort of power? Are the elephants that bad off? Really?? Man, oh man, I knew that the elephant gang was in serious bad shape, but if this gal has that sort of power with them, they are way worse off than even I could ever imagine. Good grief, get the funeral party together now, the elephant gang died, but they don't know it yet. Seriously, if a clown who quits half way through her first term can have the power these pundits say she has, then the elephant gang IS dead. It just needs the burial.

On a more serious note regards Palin. She could be very dangerous to America. She had at her rallies during the 2008 campaign, people who, when Obama was mentioned, yelled out "Kill him!". They also shouted "Traitor" and "Treason" when his name was mentioned. Now that sort of shit is very dangerous folks. This clown lady could lead us to a type of Hitler. NO, she is not that, she doesn't have the brains to be that. But, she could set the stage for one. She comes across like a demented Joe Goebbels. NO, not Joe the plumber, the Nazi propaganda minister. She could be the cheerleader for the next Hitler. And, she has experience at that. Wasn't she actually a cheerleader in high school? I seem to remember that she had been. I may be wrong on that. Need to "fact check" it.

The thing is, we have some very un-smart folks in America today, didn't want to call them dumb, so I used un-smart. And the trouble with that sort is they tend to listen to fools like Palin, Limburger, Beck, O'Really, etc. When Limburger pushes some clown, the "ditto heads" flock to the new clown. All because "rush" said to do so. Now, I wonder if Beck will cry if the moose burger bimbo doesn't come on his show? Wouldn't you like to see that? Beck having a cry on air because Sarah turned him down. I'd watch the video on the net. No, it would NOT get me to go and buy a damn TV set. I don't sell out that cheap. Besides, something like that would be on the net almost immediately, so I'd still get to see it, over and over......LOL.

What would be best, my opinion, is for the snow queen (Palin) to form a third party. Then she could go down in flames, another donkey gang critter wins in 2012 and the snow queen fades into the darkest pages of history. Just like Teddy R did when he ran his bull moose party.Oh, and she could take Limburger, and ALL of Faux Noise and Dobbs with her. And the idiot woman Congress critter from Minnesota. Bachmann(sp). Hey, I can still dream. Or is it hope? Ah, "hope" that I might believe in? OK, so it was "change" to believe in. Well that "change" and "hope" never quite got to us, did it? Thanks loads there Barrack.

Well, that is about enough for this time.

Best to all of you. Keep working for real change folks. It is all we can do. If we each do our own small part to make this a better life, than some day it will happen. We CAN make this better. It won't be easy, but things that are worth it never do come easy.

semper fi.

What a drag

Well, it is time for a little change of pace here at the old "corner". Even a hardened old heathen like myself needs a bit of a break from the daily poli-tricks of the old US of A. So, I took Saturday off for some good old fashioned fun. Packed a lunch and a jug of home brewed lemonade and with a full tank of diesel in ye olde Cummins powered Dodge, headed South.

Yes sir folks, I went to Erwinville for a day of drag racing. The sights, sounds and smells of the racing did this old guy a world of good too. Nothing like going to the races and meeting all sorts of nice people to help recharge the old battery. I even had a few of the racers ask me how much I charged for my photos! No kidding, some of them seemed almost willing to pay me for taking photos of their cars.

Being a total amateur, I told them, just give me your email address and I will email them to you. Heck, I was out for fun. Why not share the joy? I wouldn't know how to price my photos any way. I don't feel right in using the "going" rate for a professional photog, so I have sent some and will finish in the next day or so. Going through over 1100 photos isn't fast. Well, I ain't very fast at much of anything these days. It;s a joke people. A joke on me, and about me. Hey, at least I can still laugh at myself.

Well, if you want to see the photos, I have them at fotki.com. I still have a place there for my photos. I could put some here, but the method for getting them to the blog is more than I care to try. After my fourth failed attempt at it, I just remembered the old fotki site and went there.

The address for my albums is; http://public.fotki.com/bear4751/

So, if you feel like being adventurous, please go look at my photos. Oh, let me know what you think of them, if you wish.

Thanks and have a great day.

elections and the donkey gang

Well, they had elections in part of the country yesterday and it looks to have been bad news for the donkey gang. Yes, they lost in many of the "contests" that were run.

Some of the analysis I have read so far today seem to think this is not just bad news for the rest of the donkey gang in next years elections, but it might not be good news for Go-bomb-them either.

Now what amazes me, is that some of these "pundits" are stunned. Really. They are saying how it is just one year ago today that our president won his election. Well, that is true, as far as it goes. It IS one year ago that Mr. obama DID win the presidential election. OK, so that is a fact, what of it?

Well, these folks who are analyzing yesterday's defeat for the donkey gang are surprised. I don't know why. Unless, oh my, these folks who are bemoaning last nights donkey defeat must have drunk the "change" and "hope" kool aid last summer. Yes, that has to be why they are now in a panic.

Apparently these folks actually thought(?) that Go-bomb-them was going to deliver on this "hope" and "change".

Well, he did, sort of. Now, we working class people can "hope" we get some sort of health care in America. And he did bring in some changes. Yes sir, he changed the Secretary of State from Condi Rice to Hi-Larry Clinton.

See, hope and change. That was so easy.

Another thing that bothers me about all the hand wringing over this loss last night is that they fear our president will be a one term guy. Well, considering what he has done for us in the past nine months, what does he need a second term for?

Also, how is it that these people are so surprised at the tiny bit that our new leader has actually accomplished? I suppose they must be like one person I talked with back in the summer of 2007. He was telling me how he really liked Obama. I asked what he thought was so special about the man. Well, he told me, he has some good ideas and he really speaks very well, he is saying lots of good things. Well, than, I had to do what I usually do, yes, I asked this guy just WHAT it was that candidate Obama was actually saying. There was a very long silence, then he finally said to me, well, the man has a very good speaking voice AND he talks in complete sentences.

Now, after having suffered listening, or trying to listen to the Shrub for more than seven years, I did have some small bit of sympathy for this guy. However, having a good speaking voice and being able to communicate in complete, understandable sentences is NOT the top requirement for being president of the US of A.

My problem, from the very first with Mr. Obama is that he never actually explained any of his ideas. He never really said just how he might try to do what he talked about.

Now, to find that not only might the entire donkey gang be in election trouble, but Go-bomb-them himself may have a re-election problem, well, I am not at all surprised.

The man made lots of "good speeches" during the campaign. He has even made a few good ones since he took the office. My question is, where or on what has he delivered?

This all fits quite well, I think, with my question about the "left" in America. Where IS the left? Where are all these supposed "progressives"? If they really believed in our president and his agenda, wouldn't you think they would have mobilized all their supporters to elect more "progressives" and other donkey gang folks?

Another article today asks where are the Democrats. Well, they are right where they have been since Clinton time. Sitting back doing nothing. They lost a good bit under Clinton. Under W. Bush, they were out of power and just sat on the sidelines and approved/voted for nearly everything W. asked for. Yes, the donkey gang voted for the "patriot act", the military commissions mess, Gitmo, and both of the damn wars of choice. They basically just folded under to the Cheney/Bush gang. Now that they control BOTH houses of Congress AND the presidency, they seem to have folded again! Only this time, it looks as if they have folded to Limburger, Beck, O'Really and the rest of Faux Noise. Can you say "gutless"? Of course you can, it is pronounced Democrat.

Maybe it will turn out that our current president will be a one term guy. I think the world may have been a much better place had "saint" Woodrow been a one term wonder. We will find out in 2012 if Mr. Obama gets a second term. Oh, but wait, that is the year the world is supposed to end on December 21st so it may not matter much if he is re-elected or not. Just ask those pesky old Mayans.

Ain't 'Merika a grand place to live?

p.s. NO, I do NOT believe the world will end in 2012. Unless some damn fool starts a nuclear war around that time. The only thing the Mayan calendar suggests is that a "new age" will begin as the old one ends. It is a cycle, nothing more than passing from one sign of/in the zodiac to another. And as to the alignment of the planets and all that, it happens every year in December. Just ask Neil Degrasse Tyson.

it is "official" in Afghanistan

Well it is now "official". Yep, the "election" in Afghanistan is now over. Mr. Karzai is now the "legitimate" leader/president/ruler or whatever title he claims. While watching the CBC news program last night on the internet, they came out with this "news" at about 10:13 PM central standard time.

Well, why not give the "election" to Karzai? Since the challenger decided to not take part in the run off to be held on the 7th of this month. We need to understand that it is a bit much to hold any sort of election, run off or other wise, when there is only one person running. I mean, who do you run off against in that case? Yourself?

Now all those folks who have lost a loved one to the war in Afghanistan can now be so very proud. Our troops died to bring democracy to that country. Democracy? Well, if you think a normal Chicago style election is democracy maybe. Or should we hold up as an example Florida in 2000? Or maybe Ohio in 2004?

Just what IS democracy American style now days? Rigged elections?

Maybe I am very old fashioned, but this does not seem at all like the sort of democracy I was taught in high school civics class. Of course that was way back in 1965-66 and we all know the world has progressed so very far since then.

Yes sir, progress, like Vietnam, the first Gulf war, and now Iraq (again), and of course Afghanistan.

I meant no disrespect at all to the troops who have been killed or wounded in Afghanistan. Hell, I am a veteran of the Vietnam disaster. I respect all the veterans of all of our wars. The troops don't make policy, they just have to figure a way to carry it out. I just have to say that I find their sacrifice to have been in vain if the goal was to bring democracy to Afghanistan.

I see where Mr. Karzai has agreed to make some changes that our leader, Go-bomb-them has requested. Yes, from now on, the dead will only be allowed to vote twice in any future Afghan elections. Did I mention that the president of America is from Chicago?

Maybe it was best to call off the scheduled run off.

Just ranting

Some things I have been thinking about and some that just bother me this time at the old corner.

I had read an article about the left in America. You remember them, the liberals. What, you don't know who they are? Well, that just may be for the reason that the "left" or the "liberals" no longer truly exist here in America today.

Just what has the "left" done of late? The author of the article I read suggested that maybe the "left" was finally rousing. I don't think they are rousing from their long slumber at all. No, I think they are just sort of readjusting themselves in their bed. They have been sleeping there these many long years.

Without W. Shrub to kick around any more, what was the left (is there a pun in this?) of the "left" has gone back to the deep sleep of "Clinton time". Yep, was have a donkey gang member occupying 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue so go back to sleep folks. Yes sir, nothing to see here at all. Well, it is damn hard to see much when you are asleep.

In my opinion, the "left" of recent times, such as the eight miserable years of Cheney/Bush, was never much anyway. Look at what it was, MoveOn.org, ANSWER, and others I cannot even remember. What a joke that gang is/was. All hot air and very little else. A one issue gang, anything or anybody but Bush. Man,that sure sounds like the damnable elephant gang doesn't it? One issue and only one issue. Get Shrub out of office and they fold their tents and go home to sleep. Lazy assholes! Fools of the first order. Goddamn it, there is MUCH work to do yet!

Holy crap people, we have an "economy"(??) that is in tatters. Go-bomb-them is still running foreign affairs according to the damn Cheney script. Where the hell is the "left"? Out to lunch or fast asleep.

And this is coming from me, not some left wing nut ball, but an honest to god REAL former US Marine and a Vietnam veteran. Goddamn, if I can see this shit, why the hell can't the so-called "left" see it also? Are they really blind as well as deaf and dumb? Or is it that there isn't any money in it for them? Are they afraid of Faux Noise? Beck? O'Really? Limburger? They love Olbermann? Holy shit, I remember when all Olbermann could barely do was read the sports scores on the CBS TV station in Lost Angeles! I didn't think he was very good at that job either. Then he gets a job with ESPN and now he is some "left wing" commentator at MSNBC? What? How did this half assed sports reporter (actually score reader) get to that level? Holy crap, America IS brain dead. That this self inflated ego, Olbermann, is the "voice" of the left in America is sick. Or, maybe, just maybe, it is proof that the Peter Principle IS for real.

The level of discourse in America today is not even at the level of a group of three year olds in a sand box. All we get are the fools on the tube fighting(??) each other over ratings. Come on people. This sham of Olbermann against O'Really, Beck, and Limburger is a fraud. I would not be at all surprised to find out that they are vest pals off the set. Probably go out for drinks with each other every night. It is all for show, ratings, yet so many Americans swallow this show. Hook, line, and sinker. I don't believe any of them.

This all makes me very happy that I have not even owned a TV set for over two years and counting. Why would I want one? To watch the crap that passes itself off as news, or "political commentary"? No way Jose! I'll stick with the internet and decent sites like Counterpunch among many others that are worth MY time.

Hell, even CNN has sunk to new lows lately. Can any sane human being defend Lou Dobbs? Crap on ice. I saw some clips of his rants about Illegal aliens the other day. This guy is even loonier than Limburger. And that is something I thought would never be topped. Every problem in America is traced back to illegal aliens, if you listen to Dobbs that is. That is beyond crazy.

And now our(??) military is getting into the act. General McChrystal is telling people that if he doesn't get the number of troops he want, he will resign. Really? Well, have a good retirement then Stan. And don't let the door hit you in the rear on your way out.

This guy is a general and does not know the chain of command? He does NOT get to make policy. He does NOT get to demand anything from the Commander in Chief.

And where the hell is Go-bomb-them in all this shit? The guy is supposed to have been a Constitutional scholar. Wasn't he supposed to have taught Constitutional Law? Doesn't HE know the goddamn chain of command either? Who the hell IS in charge in D.C.? Anybody?

Now, if our president had any smarts, he would hire Scott Ritter to run his security crew. At last we would have an intelligent adult in charge.

Supposedly there is a rumor of a possible mutiny of the generals if Stan doesn't get all he wants for the Afghan mess. OK, let them try. I'll be against them rat generals. Hell, I am already. Damn fools, we got our hind ends handed to us in Vietnam. True, we won all the battles, but could never defeat the home them. Same thing happened right here along 1776 or there abouts. These fool generals don't even know American history! An invading army cannot defeat the home team. At some point the invaders will go home. The home team is already home.

Crap, a bunch of rag tag mechanics, carpenters, blacksmiths, merchants, and farmers beat the crap out of the super power of the day. The British Empire, right here, in good old 'Merika.

What a bunch of fools. You just know they are all graduates of some military school or other. West Point or Annapolis. Phooey! A pox on all of them.

Jeff Huber over at his blog Pen and Sword said every officer bird colonel and higher should be fired. On that point, I think Jeff is 100% correct. It just shows how back in Vietnam we were right when we said that rank is inversely proportional to intelligence. "Moon" Mullins, "king" David, and McCrapstyl just prove the point.

And then just the other day Hi-Larry springs back into the news. Yes sir, sshe sure told them dang "Pakis" a thing or three. By gawd she did. Yes sir, she sure knows how to keep our pals close. Yep, just tell them that you think they KNOW where the bad guys are, but they won't let us in on that secret. Now, if we are going to fight that damn stupid, jackass war in Afghanistan/Pakistan we NEED the Pakistanis to be on OUR side. We do NOT need to accuse them of being indifferent to our goals. We also have no cause, of any sort, to treat them as our lackeys. They are NOT our servants, even though Hi-Larry may think so. Why did Go-bomb-them allow this person onto his cabinet? She is NOT a diplomat in any way, shape, or form. Hell, I could do a better job than she did in Pakistan. Holy shit people, you do NOT go off and accuse your allies of being on the "wrong" side of things. Unless you have solid proof. Hi-LArry has no such thing.

The she skips over to Israel and pals around with Nutty-yahoo and now it is unreasonable for the Palestinians to demand a halt to ALL settlement building before they even begin peace talks. That request/demand is "unreasonable" according to Hi-Larry. It has never been done before, therefore, it is not allowed. Well, Israel has never entered into peace negotiations with any desire to achieve peace before either. So much for the "new" diplomatic front put up by Go-bomb-them. Wasn't he the one who told the Israelis to stop the settlements? I remember him saying that this past summer. Well, it looks like Hi-Larry IS in charge of this now. Forget what the president has said, she knows best.

This "new" administration came in with a promise of change. About the only change we got was a change of the idiots in the White House and the cabinet. It looks more and more like this gang is running the very same script that Cheney/Bush used.

Holy hell, what a damn mess we have.

additional comments, peace prize

OK, this is way out of hand now.

The more I read and hear about this "peace prize" the more I get disgusted about it all. Maybe I wrote the earlier post too soon. Well, here we go with more.

This guy, Go-bomb-them, has our country stuck in two huge tar pits. Iraq and Afghanistan/Pakistan. Now, here we are, this guy is running two wars, both wars of choice. OK, so far, no problem. Now we get to the "problem", how does running war, let alone more than one war, qualify you for any sort of "peace" prize?

Watching al-Jazeera just a few minutes ago, they had a phone interview, edited down for time, with one of the members of the jury who voted this prize. His comments were more about speeches given and "hope" for future actions. Well, LA-DE-DAH!!!!!! Big damn deal folks. I could do that. Holy shit, have the human race now stooped so bloody damn low that a speech now qualifies as grounds for a peace prize? Whatever happened to actions? Remember the old saying, actions speak louder than words? I remember that one. The actions of our "dear leader" sure as hell do NOT qualify as any sort of peace or the premise of getting any sort of prize. Well, his actions may qualify for a prize from those who profit from war, as he is running two of them now with threats for another with Iran still out there.

Back to my original question, what has the guy DONE to qualify for any sort of peace prize? All I can come up with are a few kind words about some future time. Again, holy shit! Nearly every person I know or have met has expressed the "hope" that some day there might be real peace in this world. Why aren't they being awarded some sort of peace prize?

Yes, this old guy is highly disgusted about this. I cannot see any justification what so ever for this award. It would seem that the Nobel Peace Prize now might be soon available for a small fee plus a few box tops. Or, better(worse?) yet, coming soon to a Wal-Mart near you.

Peace prize?

Our president has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Really? How? Why? What has he done to deserve this "honor"? What war has he ended? Where has he "delivered" peace between warring factions?

How did this guy, who has been in office less than one full year win this prize?

OK, he did give a speech where he said it would be nice to live in a world free of nuclear weapons. Well, big damn deal folks. I have known a good number of people in my life time who have said the very same thing. None of them was even considered for any such prize, at least I never heard they were. I have even on occasion, myself, said that a nuclear weapons free world would be a very nice place. OK, I was never on any list for the prize either. Hell, I don't remember getting much in the way of any prize recently. I DID win three (yes 3) awards for scale models that I built some years ago. That was really nice and it totally surprised me. Nothing at all even close, I suppose to the "big one" (aka Nobel Peace Prize).

Other than the speech about a nuclear weapons free world, no action mind you, just a speech, what has Go-bomb-them done to get this award?

Well, let us take a look at his performance so far in his current job.

He is still waging war in Iraq, check. He is now "considering" sending more troops to the war in Afghanistan, check. He still makes noises about sanctions and further actions against Iran, check. He has not made any progress at all on bringing and end to hostilities between the Palestinians and the Israelis, check.

These are just the more obvious, widely known not peace deals he has made so far.

Now, what has he actually done? Well, he did decide (there we go with the "decider guy" stuff again) to remove, even before they left here, the missile shield from eastern Europe. Nice move as the system has never really worked any way.

He has made nice with Russia, always a good idea to try to be friends with the other major nuclear weapons power on the planet.

He has probably done or talked about some other things that are peaceful but they didn't make much of an impression on me as I can't think of any more right now. Yes, I am too lazy this morning to do a google search for any. You want a google search of his accomplishments, go ahead and do one.

When I turned on ye olde computer this morning, I went to one of my news sites and was greeted with the headline; "Obama wins Peace Prize". My first reaction was, this has got to be a joke. Seriously, did I click on the main page for "The Onion", rather than a "hard news" site? Nope, I checked again, it was a "real news" web site I was on. Wow. I am still wondering just what he has done to achieve this level. All I can come up with is that he gave a speech at the UN.

Well, so did the leader of Libya. Don't see that guy winning any peace prize. Hey, don't laugh, what else has our "dear leader" done to win this prize?

As I said above, he is still bogged down in two (count them, 2) illegal wars of choice. Yes, I know, he has said that Afghanistan is a war of necessity, but that is total crap and anybody with a functioning brain knows that. We are still in Iraq, even though that war hardly ever is in the news lately. We are still making nasty sounding noises towards Iran, even though we did have talks with them recently. We seem to have allowed the Zionist gang who run Israel to get away with building whatever they wish on land that once had Palestinians living on it. Still has such occupants in fact.

So, tell me, folks.Just what the hell has Go-bomb-them done to warrant his getting the Nobel Peace Prize? Inquiring minds want to know.

War, war, endless war

Well, now that we have found the "secret" uranium enrichment plant being built by Iran, the war lovers are coming out of the woodwork. Yes sir, they are agitating for even more war.

Now this is amazing to me. True, I was a Marine and I did serve a tour in Vietnam, but I fail to understand why these people want another war. We are still fighting in Iraq, true this doesn't make the "news" much lately. We are still there though. We are, of course, deep in Afghanistan and that war does make even the main stream media here at home. Now, we are not in any way "winning" either of these wars at this time. Even the commander of the Afghan "adventure" is now requesting more troops for that war. And yet, some people are now getting the public ready for a new war, one with Iran.

Now to the best of my research, Iran did notify the IAEA about this new facility and apparently there was no problem in that announcement. No, the problem seems to come from what passes for leadership in America and in the media. We are being told by the "media" that the plant is for making bomb grade material. So far as I have found, the IAEA does not think so. To the best of my research, the Iranian plant will be subject to the very same inspections as the rest of their nuclear facilities are.

To date, the IAEA has found NO material to be diverted for any "secret" purposes. As far as the IAEA can tell, Iran is still NOT working on a nuclear weapon. As many commentators on the net have pointed out, it would be very foolish for Iran to build or acquire a nuclear weapon. It would, as some have said, paint a big bullseye on Iran. While it is very understandable that they might want such a weapon, to counter those held by Israel, so far they are not even working on such a device.

Good for them. The world has far too many of these evil weapons as it is. We need fewer nuclear weapons, not more of them. I would like to see a nuclear free world. No, that will not happen in my life time, but it is a nice thought.

America and the old Soviet Union signed an agreement to dismantle their nukes. Of course that isn't happening now. We did make a start, but now there seems to be no money for that program. Well, of course there isn't any money, we have spent it all on Iraq and Afghanistan! And we keep spending even more every passing day. According to a report I read this week, we spend $2,000,000,000 (2 Billion) every month for Afghanistan alone. By the end of this year, the Afghan war will have cost the American tax payer $200 Billion!

Now that is some serious money folks. Just imagine what could have been done with that amount of money, other than funding a useless and unwinnable war.

We could have a real national health care system with EVERY American getting full medical coverage. We could pay teachers a decent wage. We could repair our crumbling bridges and roads.

Our economy is in the dump and yet our "leaders" are pushing for yet another war. How many countries does America need to be at war with? Is any country that doesn't jump when "we" shout become an enemy?

Face it, that is the behavior of an empire, not a democratic republic.

Just what do "we" the people get from all this spending on wars? About all that I see that "we" get, is the damn bill for it all. "We" the people of America get nothing from this waste of lives, money, and resources. Just the bloody damn bill. Yes, the people get to pay for the wars. We pay with our money in the form of taxes and yet more taxes to buy the weapons and other materials needed to have these wars. We also pay with lives. It is the working class and the poor people who are the ones doing the fighting and dying. The rich people have "people" to do for them. They nor their children serve in the wars. I suppose like their pal Dick Cheney, they have "other priorities". Having been a member of the ground forces in Vietnam, I can say from personal experience that the troops in the wars have "other priorities" also. Their priorities are staying alive and keeping themselves and their fellow troops alive and well. What the troops really want to is survive with as few physical wounds as possible and to return home safe and n one piece. Of course even without any physical wounds, they are all wounded psychically, emotionally. All of those wounds stay with them forever. War, it just keeps on "giving". The troops can count on a lifetime of bad memories and nightmares. That is what war does to those who are caught up in it.

And it is not just the troops who get these "gifts" from war, but the civilians who are exposed to wars have the very same "gifts" bestowed upon them by war. War is an "equal opportunity" giver of terrible memories and sleepless nights.

We need to find a way to end this senseless cycle of war. The world needs to realize that ALL people have the same needs. We all have the same basic desires also. We all want to provide a decent life for our families. We want decent shelter, food, and clothing. We want a decent, well paying job or career. We want our children to have at least as good a life as we have, and if possible, we want our children to have a better life than we do. This holds for every religion, creed, culture,skin color, or any other "differences" we have or seem to have. People are people. We need to find a way to get along with each other and stop the killing of our fellow human beings.

Memorial Day and other thoughts

Well, here we are on the "new" Memorial Day weekend and the old fart (me) is still here. Yep, this mess we call America hasn't killed me off, yet.

First off, a small bit of history. Originally, Memorial Day was the 30th of May. It was not then a "long weekend" holiday. It had been established to honor the Union troops who had died during the "Civil War" or as some still call it, the War of Northern Aggression".  Back then it was called "Decoration Day" according to Wikipedia. It was not until after World War One that it was expanded to include ALL American troops who were killed in any military action. Just as a point of interest in case you thought this "holiday" had always been a long weekend.

It was also the traditional day for the running of the Indianapolis 500. Yep, back when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's, the race was run on 30 May. It didn't matter if that day fell on a week day, ie. Monday through Friday, that was THE race day. Of course now, like many other holidays, we changed the original date of celebration so that we get a long weekend.  I'm still waiting for our government to change the other holidays to suit this long weekend deal. You know the few that still are NOT yet a long weekend. They are very few today and I believe only amount to July 4th, Christmas, and New Years Day. All our other holidays have been "reset" so that they now are "long weekend" holidays.

Well, you wonder, what is this old fool pissing about? Not much I suppose, just making a point. But it does seem funny to me that we now seem to "need" a long weekend for most of our major holidays. Somehow we seem to be unable to have a holiday in mid week. Funny, that is how things were originally. How did we manage to cope with that "disruption"?  Another thing on this matter. I don't remember many businesses being open with "special holiday" sales on many of those days either. Of course one could never expect our selfless businesses to close down for an entire weekend today. The "public" would revolt I suppose. In fact, many people seem to look forward to and even plan on shopping during these holiday sales periods. Well, that IS the "new" America, make a quick buck, and/or, get a "good deal" on some item. Yep, it is all about the (no longer) almighty dollar.  Ain't America a grand place?

Another item for today, prompted by an article I read today. It concerns the "Rolling Thunder" folks. An article I just read about that group caught my attention in an odd sort of way. In the article, the author talks of how this patriotic group once was riding their motorcycles in celebration of the Vietnam dead and missing. She goes on to tell how they "lost their way" sort of in the recent past years. Since the Iraq mess of W. Shrub, they now have transformed into a pro-war group. Or so the author has suggested. Personally I don't  know much about them, but it is possible. She does give a good argument for this and I accept it, mostly.

Any way, in this article the myth of the Vietnam vet being spit on is brought up, again. Crap! When is this myth going to die and get buried?  Come ON people! It did NOT happen! As a veteran of the Marine Corps and Vietnam, I never had any such experience, nor have ANY other veteran I have ever talked to. It is a myth, plain and simple. Leave this damn lie/myth die the death it deserves.

Now, I will admit, and it is provable, that about EVERY TV cop show of the early 1970's had at least one episode where the "bad guy(s)" were the nearly universal "deranged Vietnam vet(s)". THAT is one real thing that pissed me off at the time and still has the ability to "get" me today even.  We were no all a bunch of drugged out criminals. We did not all lose all sense of morality.

We were not all criminals.

The very same can be said of Arabic peoples today. They seem to be the "target" of choice in some police dramas and movies recently. Why is this so? My opinion is that they, like the "deranged Vietnam vet" of the 70's are an easy target for Hollywood. We are bogged down in two wars in the Arab world and looking to start at least one more (in Pakistan). Also, the fact that the guys who attacked the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon, were Arabic people. Arabs are the "target of choice" for our military and Hollywood. To me, any "easy" target becomes the "new" movie/cop show "bad guy" of choice. It "flows" with the news and also, it helps to reinforce the government propaganda/stereotype. 

Now this is reason enough for me to not watch these TV shows and/or movies.  The stereotype bad guy is never correct in my opinion. The main reason to me, is that it never gives any real context. We never are told the "why" the current "bad guy" acts as he/she does. They are just held up as bad for the simple reason that they are either a Vietnam vet or an Arab. Simple folks. They are "bad guys" just because of who they are, the group they are part of. No further explanation is given, nor even hinted at.

Of course to give very much of a background as to why the "bad guy" really is doing as he/she does would make for very dull TV/movie experience. The American TV/movie watcher wants, in fact demands, action. Action, above a believable story line seems to rule what passes as "entertainment" for America. We love car chases, gun fights, and explosions. Oh, and plenty of fake blood and gore. Reality, well, that is for another time, maybe.

Funny, though, if you think on this. We seem to "enjoy" the fake blood and gore of our movies and TV shows (to a lesser extent on TV).  BUT, we never seem to be able to "take" it when it comes to the "real" news we watch. We "escape" to the fake blood shed of the movies, yet we shrink from the real blood of the news. Amazing. Maybe some "smart" folks will do a study on this and write a long, rather boring volume on this topic. Hell, maybe some of them have already. It still amazes me, how we "enjoy" Hollywood wars, yet we shrink from the real wars we are stuck in.

My opinion? We NEED to be shown just what a REAL war does to those who are caught up in it. In FULL COLOR. Hey, we now have high definition TV so, even better to show the gore and mess, the true hell of war. One small drawback, though, you still cannot transmit the smells of war through the TV or the movies. IF that were possible, then every war lover could have the experience of war right at home. 

Having survived a tour in Vietnam, I would like for ALL of these "war lovers" to have to sit and watch the real results of war, complete with ALL the sights, sounds, AND smells of war. I wonder just how many of them would still favor war after that. 

War is the most pornographic thing we humans have ever devised. Trust me on this people. Unless you have been in a war, you cannot, will never, fully understand what war is, what it does to those who are caught up in it. The sights, sounds, and yes, the smells of war are beyond imagining. You have to have been there, as they say.

So, in closing, on this "new" Memorial Day holiday, we need to remember not just the troops who have died in our wars, past and present, but we should remember ALL the people who have been caught up in our wars and who have been killed and/or maimed from war.

semper fi

What a world

Well this old world just gets crazier and crazier as each day passes.

An excellent source of truth and information is over  at    http:// www.tomdispatch.com/. I highly recommend the entry of 23 April 2009, "Killing Civilians" or, How Safe Do You Actually Want To Be? This site by Mr. Tom Engelhardt is always most useful and his own articles always worth your time. This latest article by him is particularly important. He gives an excellent look at what "we" are doing in Afghanistan. 

We continue to kill innocent civilians, yet we are very slow to admit any "mistakes". When we finally DO admit to having killed civilians, rather than say Taliban or al-Qaeda types, the best(?) we do is to offer an apology and a small payment in cash to the survivors. 

What "we" fail to realize, is that for every death of the innocent, "we" create more radicals who now have a valid reason to despise or even hate us. This is the same as we did in Vietnam, Iraq, and many other countries. Is America that bloody damn stupid? Do "we" ever learn from our past mistakes? Do "we" enjoy making more and more enemies with every passing day? When is this country going to wake up and 

 that wars of choice, in particular, are entirely evil?

If you have read any of my previous posts here, you know that I agree 100% with General Smedley Butler who said there are ONLY two reasons for war. One; to defend OUR homes. Two; to defend the Bill of Rights. ALL other reasons (excuses) for war are a racket. By that, he meant and I agree, that ANY other reason (excuse) for war are a total racket designed ONLY to enrich those who make the weapons and other materials of war. That does include those who make the under wear and socks the troops wear! No kidding folks, those manufacturers also make out like bandits during a war. General Butler knew this and in his small pamphlet "War Is A Racket" (available at Amazon.com and other book sellers), he states that quite clearly. It is NOT only those who make the weapons of war who profit from wars. As I just mentioned, clothing makers reap profits from wars. So do those who make the rations our troops eat and other "normal" products that the troops need for daily living or comfort. In short, war is big business. 

Well, I still believe that old poster from the 1960's, "War is unhealthy for children and other living things". 

That our new "decider guy", Mr. Oh-bomb-them, has "decided" that Afghanistan is a "good" war is disgusting. If you had really paid any attention to his campaign talk, you KNEW he was not, and never has been, anti war. Yes, he was (and supposedly still is) against the Iraq war. But, that is only because he thinks(?) it is the "wrong" war. In truth, we had and have NO business in either Iraq or Afghanistan. After 9/11, it would have been acceptable to send in teams of special operations types to go after bin Laden and his people. That would have been a valid use of resources. To invade with whole regiments is and was stupid beyond belief. It is like using a sledge hammer to swat a fly, overkill. It is also useless, or worse than useless. The Afghans have NEVER tolerated any invading force, as far back as Alexander the Great! NO invading army has ever :subdued" that country, and we are failing as well. Had we sent in small units with the specific task of killing or capturing al-Qaeda, then we might have had a chance for success. By invading in "full force" the mission was doomed from the very start. Apparently our new "decider guy" isn't quite as smart as some people want him to be. 

We will lose in Afghanistan,  just as Alexander, the British, and the Russians lost.  Don't any of our leaders ever read any history? Apparently not. Or, they must be filled to overflowing with hubris. Either way, it does not bode well for America.

I still stand by my comment that war is the MOST pornographic thing we humans have ever devised. 

Some interesting news. Ms. Jane Harman, a Democrat who "loves" the Bushies wire taps has gone and got herself caught on at least one of them! Outstanding! Now, let's sit back and see how this shakes out. It ought to be interesting to say the least. She apparently was tapped discussing tactics with an agent of AIPAC to pressure Ms. Pelosi to make Harman the chair of an intelligence committee.  Hmmm, swap money for position? Isn't that just "normal" behavior for our(?) elected officials?  Just business as usual? As more than one commentary has stated, it is time (actually way PAST time) for AIPAC to finally register as a foreign agency. 

One more item of note. The new foreign minister of Israel, Avigdor Lieberman, has said that "America accepts all our decisions." Translation, whatever Israel wants to do, say with regards to Palestine or Iran, America will "just go along" with whatever Israel wishes to do.  And yet, there are those who say that Israel and AIPAC do NOT have great influence in Washington D.C.!!!! 

Man, talk about arrogance! America will go along with "Whatever" Israel wants!?!!???!!! Well, hell there Avigdor, thanks for informing us idiot Americans of this. 

Of course when we have such "representatives" as Ms. Harman, who seem to be more loyal to Israel than to America, maybe he is right, as far as the "leadership" goes any way.

People, it is long overdue for "we the people" to stand up and tell OUR elected representatives that they work for US, and NOT for Israel. Who elected them? Since when do the Israelis vote in OUR elections? YES, AIPAC and others "donate" huge sums of money to both wings of the ruling party.  The best government money can buy is what we get stuck with. 

It is time for the people of America to wake up, get up off the couch and take back OUR country while there is still anything worth saving. 

semper fi

A question for America

There is an excellent article at the following blog site. The address is; http://velvelonnationalaffairs.blogspot.com. 

In this post, Dean Lawrence Velvel asks if we are Joe McCarthy or Joseph Welch. I would ask all of you to go and read his article.

This was my email reply to his latest.

Dean Velevel,

Sir, thank you for this excellent commentary.

Yes, we ARE at that sort of moment. How will we respond to it? I wish, sincerely hope, that we will prosecute ALL the criminals from the Bush dictatorship, including ALL members of BOTH parties in both houses of Congress (i.e. Pelosi etc) who knew the real truth about the torture of the innocent and even those who are guilty of terror acts who we have held in our miserable military prisons.

Notice sir, I say I wish/hope that we, as a country do so. Do I think this will happen? Sadly, no, I do not. I do not think it will happen for the reason that too many who are currently in power, as members of Congress or still in the "new" administration would be put on trial if this were to happen. Those people are fairly wealthy, there are few, if any, "poor folks" who are members of our(??) Congress now days. It takes far too much money to get elected for any "common" folks to be members of Congress.

As I just said, there are far too many current members of Congress who had knowledge of this torture. The knew, and yet, they did nothing about it. They kept silent. This silence reminds ME of that poem about the Nazis. I don't know the name (title) of it, nor do I know it entirely, but the sentiment(?) goes like this; When they came for the communists, I kept quiet, as I was not a communist.........Until, when they came for me, there was nobody left to object. THAT is how I see our(??) members of Congress who KNEW what was happening and to innocent people even,at Gitmo and other military prisons. THEY kept silent, and NOW, they hope all the rest of US will keep silent and not agitate for the prosecution of the criminals who approved of, ordered, and administered the torture. THEY, members of Congress, "hope" that their complicity will be overlooked, let to "slide by" as it were. THEY are having trouble sleeping at night, as THEY are in fear of THEIR own freedom. If THEY are found out, they THEY will have to go before a judge and jury to answer for THEIR silence in regards to what THEY knew.

Any member of Congress who DID know of such crimes and yet kept silent IS as guilty as the other criminals who engaged in any way in the torture of prisoners.

America DOES, indeed deeply NEEDS, to have the truth come out. The country NEEDS to have the criminals brought before a court of law to answer the charges. If found guilty, they MUST be sentenced to long prison terms. My personal choice of punishment would be life, with NO chance ever of parole or pardon. That would be life, making little rocks from big rocks. NO exceptions. No exceptions for reasons of health, age, sex, nor ANY other "excuse" from such punishment if found guilty of these crimes.

Am I being overly harsh? Maybe, yet I do not think so. We are talking about the moral standing of OUR country here. Not some minor detail. The moral health of America demands that the people who were involved in the torture of ANY prisoner in the custody of Americans be prosecuted according to OUR own laws. When we do this, we will show to ourselves that we actually ARE a nation of laws, not a nation of men.

I personally believe that this is absolutely VITAL to the long term health and well being of America. If we allow members of our government and military to escape punishment for torture, when they swore to uphold and defend the Constitution, how can anybody ever trust America again? How can any decent human being not demand that those who engaged in such crimes be allowed to go unpunished?

I am not a religious person. Ask me what my religion is, and I will tell you that I am a heathen. I have NO religion at all. I do not believe in any of them. I do think that I am a, somewhat at least, moral person. I believe that common decency and any moral reasoning demand that those who were involved in or knew of the torture of any prisoners must be put on trial for those crimes. I cannot fathom how any person who has any mild sense of decency or even the mildest of morals could allow for those who were involved in or knew of this torture to go free, with not even as such as a simple trial. No sir, I cannot, will not accept that any moral, decent human being would allow such crimes to go unpunished.

After posting this, I found an article that shows where Spain has laid out charges against six former Bush administration people. They are, former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Mr. Yoo, Mr. Feith, Mr. Bybee, Mr. Addington, and Mr. Haynes.

Excellent news, these guys are finally being charged for their crimes. BUT, why is it that Spain is doing this and NOT America?

Why does president "rainbow" insist that he will not "look backwards" at all? How can we go forward if we do not realize where we have been?

The crimes committed by the last administration MUST be addressed. America needs to step up to the plate here.