Hammering...

VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR MARCH IN VETERANS DAY PARADE IN BOSTON:

Well, I am sick. I have a cold from sitting in the cold on Sunday and Monday for Veterans Day.

I'm trying not to mope...especially knowing that Monkey is probably feeling worse than I do.

So monkey, you hang tough--we're thinking about you! And I promise I'll try to stop moping everytime I sneeze or cough or wipe a runny-nose. Sometimes a cold is just a cold...even if it feels like hell to get through it.

We are the Roman Empire and headed the way they went.

That Georgies America!!!!!!

Kangaroo: I have been thinking that for quite a while but....we have beer & ice cream & chocolate rather easily and they didn't..

Good for him.

Not enough coverage, pro-impeachment Dem launches KucinichTV

http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Not_enough_coverage_proimpeachment_Dem_launches_1114.html

Hello to my global friends...

Apologies for the delay, this is my 1st chance to be up and functional. There were major complications with the original surgery done last Friday, and I've had 2 additional procedures done since, so I've been heavily medicated until today.

It turns out, the extra nerves in my heart were malignant, and at first they were unable to reach them all, but the good news is that what remained of them have died off since the original surgery. Very scary, because they didnt know how bad it really was until they got in ther, and it could have caused sudden cardiac death at anytime, so they caught it in the nick of time.

I am incredibly spent, and feeling as weak as a Majority Leader, but you're prayers and good vibes have reached me all along.

I'll check back in as I can, but I am feeling incredibly blessed today, and that ain't the morphine talkin'.

Is there a Speaker in the House?

Hey Monkey... Thank goodness to hear from you!

You may be feeling weak as Reid and Pelosi, but maybe this song will suit your mood.

monkey,
We love you SOOO much!!

And that heart of yours is just too full of love to quit. So keep getting better!

"...and feeling as weak as a Majority Leader"

HAHAHAHA!!

I love you Monkey. You still rule!

We miss you and it just isn't the same without you.

Hey Monkey, I have something that will make you feel better.

Seriously, it may be the cutest photo I have ever seen.

http://christysartblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/so-freaking-adorable.html

Seriously, it may be the cutest photo I have ever seen.

She reminds me of Shirley Temple in all her movies.

Get well soon Monkey, best wishes, and prayers from Down Under.

I am Alive,

excellent sparrow

Amazing, you learn something every day.

State Terrorism and September 11,
1973 & 2001

http://zmagsite.zmag.org/Oct2003/burbach1003.html

Ralph,

Excellent video at the top!!!

It's really awsome the way we can post video links on the new blog now. So I want to encourage everyone to click those little arrow buttons that make them play. (Same with clicking links to articles.)

I know we all get tired, but lot's of scavenging goes on to bring links and videos here. (Saves you the time of doing the scavenging for yourself too.)

General fired from Walter Reed to head Fort Detrick
Source: Baltimore Sun/AP
By David Dishneau | The Associated Press
3:39 PM EST, November 13, 2007
HAGERSTOWN - The two-star general who was fired as the head of Walter Reed Army Medical Center amid revelations about poor care of wounded soldiers, will oversee U.S. biological weapons defense research as commander of Fort Detrick in Frederick, the Defense Department said.
Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, a physician who works in the Army surgeon general's office in Falls Church, Va., will command both Fort Detrick and the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command headquartered there, according to a Defense Department press release. He replaces Col. Jonathan Jaffin, Fort Detrick's acting commander since March 3.
Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said he was troubled by the announcement because Weightman's firing on March 1 was widely believed to have ruined his chances for another prominent command post.
"The way Walter Reed turned out should be a career killer," Rieckhoff said. "If Weightman's getting a second chance here, I think the Army needs to explain why the turnaround happened."
Army officials and Weightman didn't immediately return telephone calls from the Associated Press seeking comment.
When Weightman was fired from Walter Reed, the Army said senior leaders "had lost trust and confidence" in his leadership abilities to fix the problems there.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-general1113,0,567945.story

Ralph,

Excellent video at the top!!!

Spot on ralph, also yours sparrow, I posted at Rebelle

check this one out check the crowds, wish we could get them today
Peter, Paul & Mary - Washington Peace March - 1971

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ARE DEBATING THE IRAQ WAR AND THE FUNDING FOR THE IRAQ WAR RIGHT NOW:

http://www.c-span.org/watch/cs_cspan_rm.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS

Bank of America to write-off 3 Billion Dollars (sic) tied to mortgage bets
Source: Yahoo
14 minutes ago
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Bank of America will likely have to write off around three billion dollars in troubled debt related to subprime mortgages, a senior executive warned Tuesday
Bank of America's chief financial officer Joe Price said the bank expects to write off three billion dollars in pre-tax debt largely linked to such mortgages during the fourth quarter, according to a securities filing.
"These are not normal times," Price said, according to the transcript.
Bank of America's top financial officer also cautioned that the financial giant might have to absorb further write-downs if market conditions worsen.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071113/ts_alt_afp/usbankingcompanybankofamericachina_071113210056

Something very wierd going on at Stars and Stripes.

Both the Defense Department and the business side at Stripes have refused to release information on exactly how much money was channeled through the newspaper for America Supports You.

On Tuesday, midlevel editors sent acting publisher Lederer an e-mail accusing him and other people in Stripes of “stonewalling attempts to find the truth” by not responding to requests for information on exactly how much money was moved through Stripes for America Supports You.

“What message is Stripes’ leadership trying to send to the public by ignoring these requests and failing to turn over the documents?” the e-mail said.

The editors concluded by saying they had lost confidence in Lederer and they asked for him to step down.

Stripes Managing Editor Doug Clawson echoed the editors’ concerns about the need to disclose any involvement between Stripes and DOD public affairs that are outside the newspaper’s core mission of providing editorially independent news to the troops.

“This needs to happen immediately. We’ve asked for this repeatedly. Until we see everything, it’s tough to know what to do next,” Clawson said in an e-mail Tuesday.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=50253

Protecting the Homeland in Georgies America
Canadian firetruck responding to U.S. call held up at border
Source: CNN
A Canadian firetruck responding with lights and sirens to a weekend fire in Rouses Point, New York, was stopped at the U.S. border for about eight minutes, U.S. border officials said Tuesday. Fire officials battling the blaze called for help from fire departments in nearby Quebec, using a longstanding and often-used mutual aid agreement. But the first truck that arrived at the small Rouses Point border crossing was delayed as officials checked documentation of the firefighters and their truck, officials confirmed.
Two other trucks that arrived at the crossing next were cleared in less then two minutes each, a time that one fire official said was still too long considering the situation.
"It's embarrassing," said Chris Trombley, chief of the Champlain Volunteer Fire Department and deputy fire coordinator for Clinton County Emergency Services. "We're calling for help from another country and the first roadblock they hit is at our border."
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/14/border.firetruck/index.html

oh monkey. You've still got good things to do. I'm sure of that. I've been sending my best to you too. Although, with my sense of direction my thoughts may be coming to you via the Shetland Islands.

Sorry that it took 3 procedures, but it's good to know that you're on the side of rallying around and will be back soon. Thanks for your words here. Take your time. Get well first.

November 14, 2007 2:06 PM
kangaroo said:
We are the Roman Empire and headed the way they went.

That Georgies America!!!!!!

Gore Vidal has written about this very thing, kangaroo. I haven't read them yet, but I do like his writing. And his point of view. And his intelligence. What a shame writers never get to be presidents. Only pretenders.

Correction. I didn't mean that writers only get to be pretenders. I meant that only the pretenders get to be president. How many 3rd rate actors have been in the running or held the offices of Governor or President.

I have been feeling wierd lately, and it lead me to look up the exact definition of anarchists... yeah, wierd, huh?

"Anarchism (from Greek ἀν (without) + ἄρχειν (to rule) + ισμός (from stem -ιζειν), "without archons," "without rulers")[1] is a political philosophy encompassing theories and attitudes which reject compulsory government[2] (the state) and support its elimination,[3][4] often due to a wider rejection of involuntary or permanent authority.[5] Anarchism is defined by The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics as "a cluster of doctrines and attitudes centered on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary."[6]"

And I realized, OMFG! I must be an anarchist then. But I am not sure because I have never been one before.

I hate george w. bush.

Is it any wonder the invader-occupiers are so hated?

US guards killed 14 Iraqis 'without cause'
David Johnston, Washington
November 15, 2007

FBI agents investigating the September 16 episode in which Blackwater security personnel shot and killed 17 Iraqi civilians have found that at least 14 of the shootings were unjustified.

Investigation of the fatal shootings in Baghdad is still under way, but the findings, which indicate the company's employees recklessly used lethal force, are already under review by the Justice Department.

Prosecutors have yet to decide whether to seek indictments, and some officials have expressed pessimism about whether adequate criminal laws exist to enable them to charge any Blackwater employee with criminal wrongdoing.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/us-guards-killed-14-iraqis-without-cause/2007/11/14/1194766766975.html

Christy
There are always plenty of anarchists on the scene!

By the way, I could find very little on the American lawyers protesting today in solidarity with those in Pakistan, so I found what I could and put it at our little website. Anyone who has more please let me know!
http://www.silencedmajority.blogs.com. Nyc is on Lower East side so maybe saw something and Kayakbiker is temporarily in Beantown. I was up in Everett so didn't see a thing but only heard about it on local NPR.

Guys in suits protesting, in whichever country - that's what we need - actual legal practitioners who recognize leaders who believe they are above the law - in whichever country!

MORE TROUBLE ON THE BLACKWATER FRONT... NEPOTISM AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT/INSPECTOR GENERAL'S OFFICE regarding audits of Blackwater:

Monkey,

So glad to hear from you!!!

Be well, friend. The world needs all it's monkeys!

Hey All:

Sort of on topic, and Monkey should like this, here's Van Morrison and John Lee Hooker, Belfast Ulster and Coahoma County, Mississippi, singing "Gloria":

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GRlVE2pNQ-s

SO anything must be possible....

Chuck in Houston

Condoleeezzza be jive talking with Tim Russert???

Christy:

Careful with that anarchist stuff! For example, when you cogently posted one of the definitions of anarchism (specifically: "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics as "a cluster of doctrines and attitudes centered on the belief that government is both harmful and unnecessary....") that could just as well be a Grover Norquist bumper sticker.

Chuck in Houston

BTW: Condi jive talkin' video is X-rated - don't let it get near the children....

I never remember Mary Travers looking that good. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, according to Wikipedia, but came up in the Village, NYC, according to the PP&M website -- what's the story there?

Ralpheh:

Roger that on the ratings! Amazing what modern technology can do....

Chuck in Houston

Monkey

Please stay well and get better!

I've been silent because of 12+ hour workdays for the past week (including Sat and Sun). But I'm here and still wishing you all the best.

Of course, as I used to say in respect of Rumsfeld et al, to a hammer, every problem looks like a nail....

Just freely associating.

By the way, when I try to comment on the regular blog threads (as opposed to this open thread), it never works. I noticed that others had this issue too. Just an FYI....

Chuck

Ralpheh
The John Kerry talking 'bout 'shrooms is esp. funny - it's 'shroom season in the Pac NW btw

Re anarchy .. I think most anti-government philosophies come from government not having the philosophy of fostering the greater good .. the most positive outcome for the greatest number of people.

What I know of the punk version of anarchy (sometimes a little naive) was that there was "no future" for so many (as it still must seem, with the rich getting richer and poor getting poorer). Remember - it was the Reagan era. & there was also a DIY (do it yourself) ethic of taking care of things locally and it went along with the "think globally, act locally" philosophy of the nascent environmentalists. This is AGAIN coming into vogue with the widespread recognition of global warming and shortage of fossil fuels & other resources.

Surely there must be something between no-government and full-control. Right now it seems like our government does too much in some areas (social pressures and military) and too little in others (education, R&D for energy future, & health).

I'm just one too many mornings, and a thousand miles behind:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=84ortTXTKXM&feature=related

Chuck in Houston

NMP:

How could a democratic government, contrained by respect for individual liberty, not be for the greater good?

Chuck in Houston

I Walk the Line:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=krVACUbciJE&feature=related

Ring of Fire:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=gRlj5vjp3Ko&feature=related

Ring of Fire five years later:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y2iv_E-Fn9E&feature=related

And there is only one way to go out of this world, which is singing:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nYFmQK2nOoU&feature=related

Oh all these you-tube musical videos I post remind me of different things in my life. Some are good and some are bad. Apologies for the imposition. But I do feel obligated to say something about the man in black. I've always liked the man in black. And I had a boss once, from Oklahoma, that claimed he was the only non-indian in his school in Oklahoma, when he was coming up, although I am pretty sure he is at least almost half Comanche. Anyway. So he asked me if I had any country disks one evening, and I said, well, I have some Johnny Cash. He got mad, and said, "Country is Country, and Johnny Cash is Johnny Cash!"

Chuck in Houston

2nd Day On Job: Mukasey Threatens Veto Over Dem Warrantless Spying Bill

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/11/14/new-attorney-general-opposes-changes-to-wiretap-law/

ralpheh, thanks for the video at the top. Even the police had the good grace to realise that arresting a 92 year old vet must surely be wrong. Mind you, he didn't get the front seat. He'd have chosen to ride in the back with his brothers anyway. Excellent video. Even though it made me cry.

Is anyone else finding that getting older is very emotional? I used to wonder at my father sitting with tears rolling down his face. The tears were triggered by a very few words, or some symbolism on tv. A couple of years ago I watched a gathering of Australia's stolen generation of Aboriginal children - now adults - who were taken from their families and given to white families to raise. I watched as all of the stolen generation, who could possibly be at the gathering, walked hand in hand and single filed across the stage. It went on and on and on. That never-ending line of stolen children.

No words were spoken. I was sobbing by the end. I don't know if I can cope with the sadness of life as more years pass by.

Chuck - good find - Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. Amazing.

When my grandfather was a boy, the whiteman here stole him too. Sent him to a government school for indian kids and the first thing they did was shave off his braids.

He never spoke of it, but my grandmother did sometimes. She told us that if they were caught using native languages (dialects of Creek and Cherokee) they would be beaten until they couldn't speak at all. The kids would turn on each other to please the teachers.

When WW2 came my grandpa refused to fight until he met my white grandmother and she talked him into it. She said it was his final act of submission.

All in all it turned my grandfather into a cold hard man. Him too, I think, he was overwhelmed by the sadness of it all.

My grandfather never told my father a single time that he loved him. Not just his only son, but his only child.

He just couldn't do it. I think he thought it made him weak.

He did though tell me he loved me like 3 or 4 times, but he refused to say it to his own child.

God bless Dick Durbin.

Senator: U.S. has become haven for war criminals

WASHINGTON — More than 1,000 people from 85 countries who are accused of such crimes as rape, killings, torture and genocide are living in the United States, according to Department of Homeland Security figures.

America has become a haven for the world's war criminals because it lacks the laws needed to prosecute them, Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., said Wednesday. There's been only one U.S. indictment of someone suspected of a serious human-rights abuse. Durbin said torture was the only serious human-rights violation that was a crime under American law when committed outside the United States by a non-American national.

"This is unacceptable. Our laws must change and our determination to end this shameful situation must become a priority," Durbin, the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law, said at a hearing of the subcommittee Wednesday.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/homepage/story/21535.html

It is about time someone in DC noticed.

Mornin' all, Lori P. is off to her hearing for her arrest-for-sitting-there-with-her-hands-in-her-lap.

Meanwhile, the REAL criminals....

well, you all know.

Also, the Ontario Four car is still being held because now it is accused of brushing up against an officer as it allegedly fled the scene of a crime that happened in DC while it was parked in a 7-11 in Pennsylvania. Receipts in the car, with time stamps.

Abu Ghraib was no worse than a fraternity hazing, but peaceful protests? TERRIZM!!