WHAT TO DO
By Paul Krugman
http://www.truthout.org/113008Y
By Paul Krugman
http://www.truthout.org/113008Y
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Those who do not learn from history...are doomed to repeat it
Sun-Tzu Described The
US Iraq/Afghan War
From Dick Allgire
11-29-8
US Iraq/Afghan War
From Dick Allgire
11-29-8
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Saturday, November 29, 2008
Great show in the sky tonight and tomorrow night! Don't miss it!
Jupiter, Venus, and the crescent moon will all be together in the southwest sky -- a spectacular sight. If you have a camera, you will want to take a photo of this.
http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/2008/11/29/spectacular-conjunction-dec-1st/
http://planetwaves.net/pagetwo/2008/11/29/spectacular-conjunction-dec-1st/
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Bush and Cheney must be held accountable!
I agree fully with Turley's opinion. We either uphold the principles on which our country was founded, or we acknowledge we have become a different kind of country entirely--just another untrustable rogue nation on the planet. Bush and Cheney took us down a very dark road in their administration, abandoning the values held so dear by our founding fathers. If Bush and Cheney are not charged with war crimes, we must stop holding up the U.S. as a role model of democracy for other countries to follow.
Jonathan Turley on The Rachel Maddow Show: We're all complicit in Bush's war crimes if we ignore them
By SilentPatriot Thursday Nov 27, 2008 6:00am -- www.crooksandliars.com
Download | Play
Download | Play
As David already discussed, constitutional-law expert Jonathan Turley joined Rachel last night to discuss the fate of top Bush administration figures involved in "harsh interrogation techniques." The White House has indicated that Bush will not be issuing blanket pardons, but the Wall Street Journal later reported that that's because it's "unnecessary" to do so.
Turley makes a critical point in the interview -- namely, that the moral burden of torture is on the backs of each one of us until these people are brought to justice. And it will be profoundly immoral to let them go:
"We have third world countries that when they have found that their leaders committed torture war crimes, they prosecuted them. But the most successful democracy in history is just, I think, about to see war crimes, and do nothing about it. And that's an indictment not just of George Bush and his administration. It's the indictment of all of us if we walk away from a clear war crime and say it's time for another commission."
Turley lays out a powerful case that's pretty hard to argue with. A wave of reconciliation and forgiveness seems to be sweeping Washington, but sanctioning torture and destroying America's moral credibility around the world is something that can't simply be ignored. I'm not opposed to a commission per se, but the commission MUST be granted sweeping investigatory powers and a mandate to prosecute any and all wrongdoing found to have been committed. Anything less is unacceptable.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The Lamest Duck -- Bush's Last Days
An excellent essay in TIME Magazine by Joe Klein. The author has crafted some perfect descriptions of Bush: "stupefying ineptitude," "overweening arrogance," and "paralytic incompetence." Read it fully at: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1862307,00.html
EXCERPT: At the end of a presidency of stupefying ineptitude, he has become the lamest of all possible ducks. ...I've been searching for valedictory encomiums. His position on immigration was admirable and courageous; he was right about the Dubai Ports deal and about free trade in general. He spoke well, in the abstract, about the importance of freedom. He is an impeccable classicist when it comes to baseball. And that just about does it for me. I'd add the bracing moment of Bush with the bullhorn in the ruins of the World Trade Center, but that was neutered in my memory by his ridiculous, preening appearance in a flight suit on the deck of the aircraft carrier beneath the "Mission Accomplished" sign. The flight-suit image is one of the two defining moments of the Bush failure. The other is the photo of Bush staring out the window of Air Force One, helplessly viewing the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. This is a presidency that has wobbled between those two poles — overweening arrogance and paralytic incompetence.(President Bush in the Middle East.) The latter has held sway these past few months as the economy has crumbled.
In the end, though, it will not be the creative paralysis that defines Bush. It will be his intellectual laziness, at home and abroad. Bush never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and regulation that was necessary to make markets work. He never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and equity that was necessary to maintain the strong middle class required for both prosperity and democracy. He never considered the complexities of the cultures he was invading. He never understood that faith, unaccompanied by rigorous skepticism, is a recipe for myopia and foolishness. He is less than President now, and that is appropriate. He was never very much of one.
EXCERPT: At the end of a presidency of stupefying ineptitude, he has become the lamest of all possible ducks. ...I've been searching for valedictory encomiums. His position on immigration was admirable and courageous; he was right about the Dubai Ports deal and about free trade in general. He spoke well, in the abstract, about the importance of freedom. He is an impeccable classicist when it comes to baseball. And that just about does it for me. I'd add the bracing moment of Bush with the bullhorn in the ruins of the World Trade Center, but that was neutered in my memory by his ridiculous, preening appearance in a flight suit on the deck of the aircraft carrier beneath the "Mission Accomplished" sign. The flight-suit image is one of the two defining moments of the Bush failure. The other is the photo of Bush staring out the window of Air Force One, helplessly viewing the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina. This is a presidency that has wobbled between those two poles — overweening arrogance and paralytic incompetence.(President Bush in the Middle East.) The latter has held sway these past few months as the economy has crumbled.
In the end, though, it will not be the creative paralysis that defines Bush. It will be his intellectual laziness, at home and abroad. Bush never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and regulation that was necessary to make markets work. He never understood, or cared about, the delicate balance between freedom and equity that was necessary to maintain the strong middle class required for both prosperity and democracy. He never considered the complexities of the cultures he was invading. He never understood that faith, unaccompanied by rigorous skepticism, is a recipe for myopia and foolishness. He is less than President now, and that is appropriate. He was never very much of one.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Scientists are trying to understand dark matter
How little we really know about the universe -- and about our own origins. In so many ways we act as if we are superior beings, while acting like nursery school children. Amazing, isn't it? This is an intriguing article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/science/25dark.html?_r=1&8dpc
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/science/25dark.html?_r=1&8dpc
Monday, November 24, 2008
Germany is first country to admit clandestine chemtrail operations
This is big news -- especially for those of us who, for years, have been warning about chemtrails, while being scoffed at for our "conspiracy" theories.
http://www.chycho.com/?q=Chemtrails
EXCERPT: For all those activists who have been investigating and reporting on clandestine government operations around the world to manipulate our weather patterns, this news from Germany is groundbreaking. The TV news report states that "the military planes of the German Federal Army are manipulating our climate; this is what the weather researchers are presuming and their suspicions are confirmed. "We can state with a 97% certainty that we have on our hands chemical trails (chemtrails) comprised by fine dust containing polymers and metals, used to disrupt radar signals."
This is their main purpose, but I was surprised that this artificial cloud was so wide-spread. The radar images are stunning considering the needed tons of dispersed elements -- although the federal army claims that only small amounts of material were propagated. The military heads claim that the substances used are not harmful.
In addition to the above link, the following site has information for Santa Cruzans re. the moth spraying that was done in our area, plus info. on other subjects, including the dangers of depleted uranium:
http://www.libertyforlife.com/military-war/chemtrails.htm
http://www.chycho.com/?q=Chemtrails
EXCERPT: For all those activists who have been investigating and reporting on clandestine government operations around the world to manipulate our weather patterns, this news from Germany is groundbreaking. The TV news report states that "the military planes of the German Federal Army are manipulating our climate; this is what the weather researchers are presuming and their suspicions are confirmed. "We can state with a 97% certainty that we have on our hands chemical trails (chemtrails) comprised by fine dust containing polymers and metals, used to disrupt radar signals."
This is their main purpose, but I was surprised that this artificial cloud was so wide-spread. The radar images are stunning considering the needed tons of dispersed elements -- although the federal army claims that only small amounts of material were propagated. The military heads claim that the substances used are not harmful.
In addition to the above link, the following site has information for Santa Cruzans re. the moth spraying that was done in our area, plus info. on other subjects, including the dangers of depleted uranium:
http://www.libertyforlife.com/military-war/chemtrails.htm
Why America Feels Like It's Been Ruled by a Foreign Occupier
After Eight Long Years of Hell, THANK GOD Competence and Intelligence are returning to lead the country! We have been in the neocon wilderness far too long!
Why America Feels Like It's Been Ruled by a Foreign Occupier for the Past Eight Years
By John Hallman
EXCERPT: It's like America lost a war, suffered an occupation and had to pay a 5 trillion dollar indemnity. We're in a similar position to France in 1870 or Germany in 1919 in that our common interests have been ignored, we've pursued an aggressive foreign policy to our own detriment and we are now deeply in debt.
As Obama takes over the wreckage this country is in, one can't help but feel like something alien to America has been controlling it these past eight years. The wave of emotion that has erupted with the election of Barack Obama reminds me of the Allied victory in France in WWII. After a long foreign occupation in which foreign German interests occupied the agenda of France, French governance would once again be representing the concerns of it's populace. That hope seems to pervade America after it's long neocons occupation. Here are a few of the parallels that I see.
Why America Feels Like It's Been Ruled by a Foreign Occupier for the Past Eight Years
By John Hallman
EXCERPT: It's like America lost a war, suffered an occupation and had to pay a 5 trillion dollar indemnity. We're in a similar position to France in 1870 or Germany in 1919 in that our common interests have been ignored, we've pursued an aggressive foreign policy to our own detriment and we are now deeply in debt.
As Obama takes over the wreckage this country is in, one can't help but feel like something alien to America has been controlling it these past eight years. The wave of emotion that has erupted with the election of Barack Obama reminds me of the Allied victory in France in WWII. After a long foreign occupation in which foreign German interests occupied the agenda of France, French governance would once again be representing the concerns of it's populace. That hope seems to pervade America after it's long neocons occupation. Here are a few of the parallels that I see.
- American Public Opinion Has Been Ignored
Polling has consistently shown that the American government pursues an agenda far to the right of American public opinion. For the slight margin of victory that Bush had in both elections he won, the sweeping changes he pursued illuminate his disregard for the sizable chunk of our society that disagree with him.
When Dick Cheney was questioned on ABC about whether the fact that two thirds of Americans were opposed to the Iraq War had any influence on decision-making, he basically said that the American people get to make their input every four years and after that they can be ignored. The government is there to represent the people and now that it seems like that is returning; joy is understandable.
- Core American Values Overturned
America fought a revolution to have its opinions represented by it's government. That has faded in Bush's term. America set up the UN after World War II to set up international law and put an end to military aggression and imperialism. That went out the window. Habeas Corpus was inherited from England where it originated in the 12th Century. Bush in that sense has embraced the morals of the middle ages. Along that line, America reinstituted the use of torture. England discontinued its use in the 1600's Frederick the Great ended it in Prussia in 1740, Italy in 1786, France in 1789, and Russia in 1801. Besides moral reasons, the practice was written off as ineffective in terms of yielding useful information. This administrations moral conduct is clearly alien to the values of most Americans.
- Basic Infrastructure Neglected
Bridges, roads, and environmental standards have degraded these past eight years. What could be of more interest to a population than the upkeep of these vital elements of society? Clearly the vital interests of the population did not matter. You would have to be completely foreign to what America is not to see it, as basic infrastructure degraded tremendously in Bush's tenure.
- National Resources Diverted Overseas
If you study any foreign occupation, one common thread would be that national wealth would be diverted into foreign lands. While American health care, education, and infrastructure languished, we dumped billions of dollars into Iraq and pursued an otherwise aggressive and destructive foreign policy across the world at large at tremendous cost.
On top of that, national debt doubled the past eight years. It's like America lost a war, suffered an occupation and had to pay a 5 trillion dollar indemnity. We're in a similar position to France in 1870 or Germany in 1919 in that our common interests have been ignored, we've pursued an aggressive foreign policy to our own detriment and we are now deeply in debt.
- Propaganda Tuned Up
Bush took the stance of a foreign occupier in his governance- rational argument would never win the minds and hearts of the masses so crude propaganda such as Fox News was trotted out to scare and paralyze America into obedience. The same quest for obedience through misinformation and crude scare tactics are the same you see in the totalitarian governments from South America to Asia that have brought nothing but misery to their own people and the world at large.David Brooks, ultra-conservative Republican, thinks Obama team is great
A true miracle: David Brooks thinking the Dems are smart and are doing the right thing. Too bad he'll never be able to convince the farthest right wing of his party who have Sarah Palin pegged as their intellectual giant. But then, they thought Bush was wonderful, too.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/opinion/21brooks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/opinion/21brooks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Further update on Store closings ...No Gift Cards this year
Sunday, November 23, 2008
You can read the entire short story of Benjamin Button online
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F. Scott Fitzgerald is now a movie with Brad Pitt in the title role. In preparation for seeing the movie (or in lieu of seeing it), you can read F. Scott Fitzgerald's mystically intriguing short story in about 20 minutes online at:
http://www.readbookonline.net/read/690/10628/
An important health tip for the women who read this blog
I recently received the following e-mail from Dr. Susan Lark, who puts out an informative newsletter especially for women. This is such a simple tip -- and is worthwhile trying. I am using baking soda daily now -- and am grateful to Dr. Lark for giving us this important information. Of course, this tip isn't only for women -- men can use it, too, and see how it works for them...
Dear Friend,
You've done it all. Juggled the demands of your career while being a loving wife and mother.
Been the family nurse, bookkeeper, chef, and social activities director. Lost the same ten pounds ten times. And stayed awake countless nights, worrying about everyone around you.
Sometimes you feel like all the cooking, cleaning, working, and family time are sucking you dry. Sometimes you wake up so drained and exhausted that you can barely get yourself out of bed.
With all these demands on your time and energy, how are you supposed to find time to care for your health?
Well, I have some good news for you. Staying healthy and full of energy is a lot easier than you think. And in the next few pages, you're going to learn exactly how to do it.
You're going to find out how to have stronger bones... greater mental alertness... and a powerful immune system that protects you against colds, flu, and even cancer.
You're going to learn how to maintain your perfect weight, without torturing yourself.
And you're going to discover the secret to getting a good night's sleep and waking up feeling great every day. No more waking up stiff, in pain, or with that sluggish, puffy-eyed look.
Best of all, you're going to do all this without dangerous drugs, without punishing exercises, without Spartan diets, and without choking down fistfuls of nutritional supplements.
I know it sounds too good to be true. But it's not! And in the next few pages, I'm going to prove it to you.
My name is Susan Lark, and I'm a medical doctor with 31 years of clinical practice. But more importantly, I'm a wife, mother, and working professional.
Today, at the age of 61, I have tremendous energy, vitality, and health. I rarely get colds... my memory is excellent... my bones and muscles are strong... my skin is tight and smooth... and my hormone levels are in balance.
But it wasn't always that way. Back in my mid-thirties, my health was absolutely horrible!
On the surface, my life appeared perfect. I had a happy family, a thriving medical practice, and was on the clinical faculty at Stanford University Medical School.
But little by little, the stress of my personal and professional life began to wear me down. During a single three-year period, I'd gone through a divorce, gotten re-married, and given birth to a daughter who was born prematurely.
Rather than allowing this to slow me down, I kicked myself into high gear. I became Super Mom, Super Wife, and Super Doctor—juggling my patients, my students, and my family... and rushing madly from one task to another.
My body couldn't handle the stresses I was loading on it. I began to feel tired and have trouble sleeping. Then I started getting swollen glands and frequent sore throats.
Finally, I had a full-fledged health breakdown. I became so worn out and weak that I could hardly move. My digestive system shut down to the point that the only foods I could tolerate were boiled potatoes and steamed vegetables!
And food wasn't the only thing my body couldn't tolerate: any time I was exposed to perfumes, lawn chemicals, or household cleaners, I'd get dizzy and feel like I was going to faint.
I'd break down in tears and wonder how I would ever get through the day.
But you know what? I dug myself out of that black hole and nursed myself back to health. I went back to being the peak performer I once was. And in the process, I discovered my mission in life: to help exhausted, stressed-out women find the health and vitality they deserve. And to do so with simple, practical solutions that don't take a lot of time or expense.
And those are the solutions I'd like to share with you, starting right now!
The Simplest, Most Dramatic Thing You Can Do For Your Health
What if I were to tell you that there's one simple cure you can use to beat osteoporosis... fatigue... joint pain... muscle aches... brain fog... and allergies? You'd probably be skeptical. Yet it's true. It's the first thing I did to nurse myself back to health... and it's also worked on hundreds of my patients.
What is it? Simply to balance your acid and alkaline level.
You see, if you suffer from any of the ailments I mentioned above, the common cause is too much acidity in your body. Neutralize this acidity, and your problems often disappear. Here's why:
Almost all of the body's functions require a slightly alkaline state. This includes immunity, cardiovascular function, muscle function, brain function, tissue health, and energy output. very minute of every day, your body works to get rid of excess acid. In fact, almost every cell of your body contains alkaline substances such as calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate. These alkaline substances neutralize the acid in your body.
"If you're under stress, you probably generate more acidic waste products than your body can handle."
In addition, your lungs regulate pH by breathing in alkaline oxygen and breathing out acidic carbon dioxide. And your kidneys filter out excess acid so that it's excreted in your urine.
It's a perfectly choreographed balancing act. And it works wonders.
But here's the problem: today's modern lifestyle creates a lot more acidity than your body can handle.
First off, the typical American diet is filled with acid-forming foods like wheat, dairy products, red meat, sugar, and coffee. In fact, the USDA did a study and found that the average American eats six times more acidic foods than alkaline ones!
And even if you eat a healthy diet, the chances are good that you're still getting too much acid. That's because even healthy stuff like citrus fruits, vitamin C, and vigorous exercise are all acid-forming!
But that's not all. Frequent flying, air pollution, and over-the-counter medications all make your body acidic. And if you're under physical or mental stress (and who isn't these days!), you use more nutrients and generate more acidic waste products than your body can process and dispose of rapidly.
The aging process doesn't help, either.
The older we get, the harder our bodies have to work to maintain the acid/alkaline balance. For example, oxygen is essential to keeping your body alkaline. Yet your lungs' ability to take in oxygen declines one percent per year on average. It peaks for women at age 20, and by age 70, your oxygen intake is reduced by half.
What's more, after mid life, your pancreas produces less of the bicarbonate that keeps your body alkaline.
So what does your body do to make up for this? It starts taking calcium, magnesium, and other alkaline minerals from your bones! This happens day after day, year after year, until one day you have a bone density test and your doctor says "you have early osteoporosis."
And osteoporosis is just one of the problems caused by acidity. When your joints are acidic, you have joint pain. When your muscle tissues are acidic, you feel tired and achy. When the tissues of your brain are acidic, you feel mentally foggy. And when the tissues in your respiratory tract are acidic, they release histamine, causing sneezing, sniffling, and other allergy symptoms.
No wonder so many women feel lousy!
But here's good news: you can reverse all these problems, simply by correcting your acid/alkaline imbalance.
So how do you correct your acid/alkaline imbalance? One way is to cut down on meats, dairy, and starches, while eating more fresh vegetables. Of course, this isn't always easy to do. If you have a busy schedule, you may have to eat on the run like I do. And if, like me, you have an "empty nest" family, you're less likely to cook as often now that the kids are gone and you're cooking for just one or two people.
Don't worry, though. There's a quick fix you can use to instantly rebalance your body's pH. It's quick, it's easy, and it costs just pennies. And best of all, it's something you probably already have on hand!
The "Miracle Cure" in Your Refrigerator
The quick fix I'm talking about is baking soda! That's right, that little yellow box you keep in your fridge contains sodium bicarbonate, a highly alkaline substance. All you have to do is mix some baking soda in water and drink it.
I know it sounds too simple. But scientific studies prove it! In one study, baking soda reduced the uric acid crystals that cause joint pain and kidney stones. And in several other studies, athletes taking baking soda were able to improve their speed in races and increase the amount of time they could exercise before getting exhausted.
There's so much more I want to tell you about this amazing remedy, but I don't have room here. That's why I want to send you a FREE report I've just finished writing called The pH Miracle.
The report tells you all the ways you can benefit by taking baking soda. But that's not all. You'll also find other need-to-know information like this:
- How to check your acid/alkaline balance with a simple test you can do at home.
- An easy way to tell how much baking soda you should take. (Take too little, and you won't get the results you need. Take too much, and you can have diarrhea and abdominal discomfort.)
- What to take instead of baking soda if you're watching your sodium intake. This substitute works just as well. What it is, and where to get it.
- The one type of vitamin C that isn't acid-forming. Make sure your brand contains this form.
- How to eat an alkaline diet without depriving yourself of the foods you love. (I've included a handy, wallet-sized chart that lists delicious alkaline foods you can add to your diet. Take it with you when you're dining out or shopping at the grocery store.)
- Most women are too acidic, but others have the opposite problem—they're too alkaline! Here's how to tell... plus what to do about it.
- And much more.
As you can see, this report is chock-full of information that can help you restore your body's balance so you think clearly, resist disease, and recover your youthful energy. And I'd like to send you a copy absolutely FREE. Why? It's my way of introducing you to the health-boosting information in my monthly advisory, Women's Wellness Today.
Now I realize that you probably already subscribe to one or more health publications. So why would you want another one? The answer is that Women's Wellness Today is for women only.
ou see, most health publications give the same advice for both men and women. And this is a big mistake. Did you know, for example, that the female symptoms of a heart attack are different from the male symptoms? Or that a drug can act one way on a woman and another way on a man? Or that the causes of female anxiety are the exact opposite of the causes of male anxiety? It's true! That's why I decided years ago to start writing Women's Wellness Today.
Now, I know there are other publications geared to the female audience. But most of them rely on conventional medicine only. Or they're written by journalists... or by PhDs who've never treated a patient. Women's Wellness Today is the ONLY alternative health letter in the world for women only, written by a woman doctor.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Here's my answer to you, "Anonymous"
I just received a query from a reader of this blog who signs himself or herself "Anonymous." Here is what he/she wrote, in regard to the article about Obama trying to bring us 2.5 million new jobs by 2011: :How many really believe he will add 2.5 million jobs? How many really believe the dozens of other promises that he has made prior to the election? What happens in the next two or three years, when these promises haven't been fulfilled?
Here is my reply to you: I prefer to think positively, now that we have a more positive president waiting in the wings to go onstage. Obama has not even taken over the presidency yet, and you are already putting out negative comments about him?!!! Why not wait and see what the man can do in turning around our ship of state that Cheney and Bush steered into disastrous waters? Are you not willing to give Obama a chance? If so, what does that say about you? Those of us who knew Gore had been truly elected in 2000 were told by Bush/Cheney supporters, "Get over it!" And so we did -- and we waited patiently to see what kind of presidency Bush and Cheney would bring us. Well, we have seen it. And we know what kind of "leadership" they provided. Most historians today put Bush at the very bottom of the list of presidents, earning him the well-deserved label "Worst President Ever." So I ask of you on the right to give the same chance to Obama that we on the left gave to Bush and Cheney. I am VERY hopeful that President Obama will deliver on his promises as much as is humanly possible and will vigorously try to undo all of the damage that was done to us, our country, and our Constitution by the Cheney/Bush administration. The task before him is monumental, and it would speak much better of you if you were willing to give him a chance to tackle it before condemning him.
Here is my reply to you: I prefer to think positively, now that we have a more positive president waiting in the wings to go onstage. Obama has not even taken over the presidency yet, and you are already putting out negative comments about him?!!! Why not wait and see what the man can do in turning around our ship of state that Cheney and Bush steered into disastrous waters? Are you not willing to give Obama a chance? If so, what does that say about you? Those of us who knew Gore had been truly elected in 2000 were told by Bush/Cheney supporters, "Get over it!" And so we did -- and we waited patiently to see what kind of presidency Bush and Cheney would bring us. Well, we have seen it. And we know what kind of "leadership" they provided. Most historians today put Bush at the very bottom of the list of presidents, earning him the well-deserved label "Worst President Ever." So I ask of you on the right to give the same chance to Obama that we on the left gave to Bush and Cheney. I am VERY hopeful that President Obama will deliver on his promises as much as is humanly possible and will vigorously try to undo all of the damage that was done to us, our country, and our Constitution by the Cheney/Bush administration. The task before him is monumental, and it would speak much better of you if you were willing to give him a chance to tackle it before condemning him.
THE AMAZING LYREBIRD!
You’ll meet an amazing bird in this video. Some birds sing majestic and beautiful songs. Some just have ear-splitting squawks. The Lyrebird’s song is something else entirely.
In this short video, David Attenborough tracks down one of these unusual birds. The Lyrebird can easily mimic other birds’ calls. More than that, it can mimic nearly any sound it hears.
You’ll be floored by what comes out of his bird’s beak. At first you won’t believe your ears. But it’s all real!
http://videos.komando.com/2008/10/16/the-amazing-lyrebird/
Store closings and potential impact on gift cards
Here is an updated list of large retail chains that are either going to close outlets by the end of 2008 or are in financial difficulty that may entail their closing soon.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/storeclosings.asp
http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/storeclosings.asp
Obama announces plan to create 2.5 million jobs
See video of his talk with the American people at www.huffingtonpost.com
We are a country without leadership in the White House until January 20, 2009. Bush is an empty suit sitting in the Oval Office, taking up space while Rome burns all around him. Cheney is in his "undisclosed location" where he's been for many months now -- and good riddance! Obama knows we can only have one president at a time, and so is doing his best at taking the reins from the back seat with these "fireside chat"-type talks with his fellow citizens. Thankfully, we have him in the wings, ready to step onstage immediately with plans and cabinet advisors already in place for action. That day can't come soon enough for our poor country that has suffered for eight long years under the equivalent of Caligula and Nero.
We are a country without leadership in the White House until January 20, 2009. Bush is an empty suit sitting in the Oval Office, taking up space while Rome burns all around him. Cheney is in his "undisclosed location" where he's been for many months now -- and good riddance! Obama knows we can only have one president at a time, and so is doing his best at taking the reins from the back seat with these "fireside chat"-type talks with his fellow citizens. Thankfully, we have him in the wings, ready to step onstage immediately with plans and cabinet advisors already in place for action. That day can't come soon enough for our poor country that has suffered for eight long years under the equivalent of Caligula and Nero.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Outlook for U.S. into 2025 doesn't look so good...
Many changes in sight for our kids and grandkids...it will be a very different picture on earth than it was for us...
http://www.reuters.com/article/usDollarRpt/idUSN2041155720081120
http://www.reuters.com/article/usDollarRpt/idUSN2041155720081120
Hillary as Sec. of State is a brilliant, though risky, move
Clinton might play bad cop to Obama's good cop
By Steve Clemons
By Steve Clemons
EXCERPT: Clinton deploys ideas, tears them up when they don't work and relaunches them. She's tenaciously committed to results.
If Obama wants to change the strategic game on Iran, Israel-Palestine, Syria, Cuba, Russia and other challenges, he will need partners who are perceived as tough, smart, shrewd and even skeptical of the deals he wants to do. Clinton is all of these.
Clinton may be the bad cop to Obama's good cop. Because she is trusted by Pentagon-hugging national security conservatives, she may legitimize his desire to respond to this pivot point in American history with bold strokes rather than incremental ones.
Bush came into his job focused on making faith-based politics and tax cuts the hallmarks of his administration. He forfeited to Vice President Cheney and his team enormous latitude in defining Bush's national security agenda.
Obama seems like he has no intention of doing something similar. He intends to, in part, be his own secretary of state, focused on re-sculpting America's global social contract and working in partnership with a diverse team of hard-edged policy players like Clinton to make even his rivals do his direct bidding.
This could be a kind of proactive agenda-setting in foreign policy we haven't seen in decades. Obama does not want an ad hoc, reactive presidency -- and he wants to succeed.
Clinton has a lot of reasons to pull cooperatively with Obama and may want to help America achieve a new strategic direction and establish a new global equilibrium -- securing Obama's place in history, and her own.
For full article, see: http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/19/clemons.hillary/
Dick Cheney indicted in Texas
An encouraging word from Texas!...and the following is a statement and video on the subject that I just received from brasschecktv. "I'm not sure anyone can fix the trashed world financial system...but I'll personally feel a whole lot better when Dick Cheney and George Bush are in jail. Half of that ideal may be on the verge of being achieved. A Texas prosecutor has just filed a formal indictment against Cheney for being part of a criminal conspiracy. Interesting case... Privately owned prisons abused prisoners... Cheney was an investor in these prisons... he and former crooked Attorney General Alberto Gonzales actively interfered with the investigation of abuses, including murder, in these prisons. It's a RICO charge - the operation of an organized criminal enterprise. And the indictments are real. Will Mr. Cheney soon be a guest at the Graybar Hotel? I certainly hope so. It would be good for America's soul." Details: http://www.brasschecktv.com/page/486.html
Sarah Palin outdoes herself -- in stupidity
Just when you think it can't get any worse. Sarah Palin (whom many in the Republican party would like to see in the presidency!) is blundering her way into all-new stupid territory, giving Duhmbya a run for his Dumbest-of-them-all title! Thinking Republicans will soon have to give up on their party altogether -- if they haven't already.
Sarah's latest interview, after she "pardoned" one Alaska turkey, is given in front of Joe the Turkey Slaughterer as he goes about his grisly business -- for all to see. Watch video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kjM1asH-8
When the interviewer noticed what was going on in the background and suggested maybe she might want to move away from it, she said, "Nah...this is OK."
Sarah's latest interview, after she "pardoned" one Alaska turkey, is given in front of Joe the Turkey Slaughterer as he goes about his grisly business -- for all to see. Watch video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-kjM1asH-8
When the interviewer noticed what was going on in the background and suggested maybe she might want to move away from it, she said, "Nah...this is OK."
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Lincoln quote - so very true!
I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts."
--Abraham Lincoln
Bush is the worst president in history
The following articles were written several months ago -- and the Bush presidency has gotten worse since then--to the point that he is now a pariah in the world. It couldn't have happened to a more deserving man. His only friends now are Barney the dog and Laura the wife...and I have my doubts about Barney. Maybe Laura, too, although she is cast in the Stepford Wife mold to a degree that hasn't been seen since Pat Nixon. Those Republican presidents are not known for allowing equality to their wives -- and, in both of these cases, the wives were/are far superior human beings to the men they had the misfortune to marry. I can't say the same for Lynne Cheney -- she seems to be a perfect match for her aptly named husband Dick. Those two certainly deserve each other, but our country did not deserve them. The day they and the Bushes came into our national lives was a day of great sorrow and infamy. If only it--and they--could be erased from history and we could be returned to where we were before they took office--with Al Gore, the rightful winner of the 2000 election, ready to take office as president!!!
Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101509.html
History News Network: http://hnn.us/articles/48916.html
Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/01/AR2006120101509.html
History News Network: http://hnn.us/articles/48916.html
An intelligent post from a reader of Huffington Post
Speaking of President Obama's casting a wide net--even into the Republican Party--for his cabinet members, a Huffington Post reader made the following observant remark:
They drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win.
I drew a circle that took them in.
If you surf the right wing blogs, you'll see the Republican Party fracturing into the Libertarians, the Religious Right, and the Moderates. Obama is reaching out to the Moderates, thus depriving the remainder of the Right of a major constituency. Look for the moderate, pragmatic wing to get down to work with the Dems while the Market Fundies and the Biblical Fundies duke themselves into irrelevance.
I have noticed for many months the parallels between Obama and Lincoln, even going so far as to suggest that Obama might be Lincoln reincarnated--who knows? We do know for sure that Obama is reading Lincoln--and no doubt Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals book about how Lincoln chose his cabinet. Our new president (hooray!) seems to be following Lincoln's wisdom of drawing your friends close, and your enemies even closer. It's a wonderful feeling to have a real president (elect for now but soon to be) once again after those eight years of hell, isn't it? The world pariah Bush can't leave the White House soon enough! For the full Huffington Post article Obama is Killing the GOP with Kindness by Jacob Heilbrun, go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-heilbrunn/obama-is-killing-the-gop_b_144422.html
They drew a circle that shut me out
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But love and I had the wit to win.
I drew a circle that took them in.
If you surf the right wing blogs, you'll see the Republican Party fracturing into the Libertarians, the Religious Right, and the Moderates. Obama is reaching out to the Moderates, thus depriving the remainder of the Right of a major constituency. Look for the moderate, pragmatic wing to get down to work with the Dems while the Market Fundies and the Biblical Fundies duke themselves into irrelevance.
I have noticed for many months the parallels between Obama and Lincoln, even going so far as to suggest that Obama might be Lincoln reincarnated--who knows? We do know for sure that Obama is reading Lincoln--and no doubt Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals book about how Lincoln chose his cabinet. Our new president (hooray!) seems to be following Lincoln's wisdom of drawing your friends close, and your enemies even closer. It's a wonderful feeling to have a real president (elect for now but soon to be) once again after those eight years of hell, isn't it? The world pariah Bush can't leave the White House soon enough! For the full Huffington Post article Obama is Killing the GOP with Kindness by Jacob Heilbrun, go to: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacob-heilbrunn/obama-is-killing-the-gop_b_144422.html
VIDEO: World Leaders Snub Bush at Summit
Not one of them shook his hand or acknowledged him as he walked in a line of other leaders where everyone else was acknowledged with a handshake. If there was any doubt before, now there is no missing the scorn in which he is held. What is that old saying from the Bible? Oh yes: Pride goeth before a fall. The bullying arrogance of the Bush/Cheney administration is getting payback, big time. The tragedy is that they took America down with them. See video at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/20/world-leaders-dont-shake_n_145141.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/20/world-leaders-dont-shake_n_145141.html
Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State? Maybe Not.
From the Huffington Post:
Update 11/20: The New York Times reports that suspected leaks from the Clinton team are angering Obama aides and may threaten Hillary Clinton's position:
Both sides were engaged in a delicate public and private dance, maneuvering for position and reputation in case the deal falls through. Aides in each camp have grown increasingly sour toward the other in recent days as the matter played out publicly.
In their public signals, the Clintons are trying to take the former president's activities off the table as an issue, in their view eliminating any excuses for Mr. Obama not to give Mrs. Clinton the job. Some in the Obama camp are bristling at what they see as strategic leaks by the Clintons aimed at boxing in the president-elect and forcing him to offer the post.The tension could foreshadow a complex relationship burdened by suspicion and enmity should Mrs. Clinton become secretary of state. By putting her in the cabinet, Mr. Obama could remove a potential thorn in the Senate on issues like health care and a potential rival for the nomination in 2012 if his term proves rocky. But he could also face a rival power center within his own administration with her on his team.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Chuck Hagel takes aim at Bush, Rush, and his own party
A very intelligent, introspective man who sees things as they really are, Republican Senator Chuck Hagel is speaking out to any Republican with brains and the sense to use them, should there be any of that type still left in existence. I hope Obama finds a place for Hagel in his administration.
Two months before he leaves office, Sen. Chuck Hagel is increasingly unrestrained by political niceties.
Appearing at a forum at the Johns Hopkins School of Advances International Studies, the outgoing Nebraska Republican leveled harsh criticism at his own party, the lack of intellectual curiosity among some of his colleagues, the Bush administration's handling of nearly every aspect of governance and -- perhaps most bitingly -- the conservative radio voices that often dictate the GOP agenda.
"We are educated by the great entertainers like Rush Limbaugh," said Hagel, sarcastically referencing the talk radio host who once called him "Senator Betrayus." "You know, I wish Rush Limbaugh and others like that would run for office. They have so much to contribute and so much leadership and they have an answer for everything. And they would be elected overwhelmingly," he offered. "[The truth is] they try to rip everyone down and make fools of everybody but they don't have any answers."
It wasn't all an exercise in unloading pent-up frustrations. Hagel offered praise for Robert Gates -- creating the impression that he would like the current Pentagon chief to remain at the post once President-elect Barack Obama takes office. He also deflected questions about whether he would serve in the Obama administration or what he thought of the possibility of Hillary Clinton at Secretary of State. Moreover, Hagel offered what amounted to an hour-long plea for the next administration and Congress to reconfigure the way it works together and within the international framework when it comes to foreign affairs.
"Eighty-seven percent of the American people said America is going in the wrong direction," said Hagel. "You don't need to know another number about anything, and so the election was pretty predictable: the American people don't like what is going on... they want us to start doing what leaders are expected to do, address the problems, find some consensus to governing. Get along. There will be disagreements, sure... but in the end we can't hold ourselves captives to this raw, partisan, political paralysis."
But the truly memorable bits came when -- unrestrained by formalities -- he deployed a sharp tongue while riffing on the GOP. Reflecting on the Bush administration, Hagel, one of the earliest critics of the Iraq war, held back few punches.
"Yes, there have been some differences and some pretty significant ones in [the Republican Party]. But when you ask the question: 'Has [our approach] worked? I don't think many people will say it has worked," he said, adding later: "God knows I would never question the quality of our elected officials, that's why I'm so popular with many of them."
The main thrust of his critiques was aimed not at any individual specifically, but at a closed-off mindset that he believed had taken hold of Republican politics and, consequently, the GOP's approach to foreign policy. "Engagement is not appeasement," he said. "Diplomacy is not retreat. Somehow too many in this town and in this country have disconnected all of that."
Later in the question-and-answer session, he offered an example to illustrate this quip, gently mocking those officials and voters who, for one reason or another, had problems with things from France or people who were Muslim.
"There is always going to be a certain no-nothing element to democracy," said Hagel. "That is their choice. But in a world that is so vitally interconnected, it does help if you try to understand the other side... Ask them: 'What is it that scares you about the French so much?'"
There were, additionally, some compliments to spare. Hagel, on several occasions, lauded the work and approach of Gates, who he said had taken the right ethos to the job at Defense. Finally, he offered a sincerely funny line about Warren Buffet, the heralded financier, Oracle from Omaha and (seemingly) one individual to have weathered the current financial market meltdown.
There is news today that [Obama] is in serious negotiations with Warren Buffet for Buffet to buy the entire United States government," Hagel joked in the opening of his speech. "I applaud that. I am seeking the job of Buffet's driver. He is the only one who has money. Obviously we think highly of Warren and we take great pride that he is a cornhusker."
Jabberwocky: Rush Limbaugh Style
Excerpt from following article: (This says it all in a nutshell)
Rush Limbaugh: Making Millions Spouting Deceitful Nonsense
by Bill Hare
Lewis Carroll, creator of “Alice in Wonderland,” had a word describing what Limbaugh does regularly, and on which he has become a specialist. The word is jabberwocky, defined as nonsensical poetry, but generically means spouting perpetual absurdity, that which is totally lacking in reason or logic.
With Limbaugh a commentary does not have to make any kind of logical sense. The only essential component is playing to a warped gallery constantly hungering for red meat. Limbaugh fed some red meat of jabberwocky to his lap-dog faithful, affectionately known as “ditto heads,” while they collectively snarled over the election of Obama.
With the stock market recording reverses during a period marking the culmination of radical right economics which Limbaugh and his listeners heartily supported, he asserted that America is currently immersed in a “Barack Obama recession.”
This absurdity was mouthed more than two months from the time that Obama will take office on January 20, 2009. Such reasoning is obviously unfair because it constitutes reason in a Limbaugh world monopolized by red meat jabberwocky.
Rush Limbaugh: Making Millions Spouting Deceitful Nonsense
by Bill Hare
When Rush Limbaugh left his job as a nurse he switched to radio broadcasting in Sacramento. It has been reported that a discovery he made prompted him to develop an approach that has served him ever since as a key to riches.
Limbaugh observed that when he turned into a sour curmudgeon spouting hate for the approval of the perpetually disgusted his ratings soared. The rest is history as he achieved a radio standing in which he reportedly plays to an audience of 30 million listeners per week as delighted sponsors reward him with contracts involving millions of dollars.
Limbaugh’s on-the-air blitzkriegs, while offensive to those of sensibility and sensitivity, provide a measure of comfort to those who delight in being uncomfortable.
His non-stop gutter sniping at anyone to the political left of his listening audience, which might well be anyone other than his 30 million faithful, along with those so busy watching Fox News that they lack sufficient opportunity to pay him sufficient due, is a two-step approach.
The first step is to unleash a barrage of hatred to develop and hold an audience comparable to a depression version of Archie Bunker. The difference is that the late Carroll O’Connor fashioned his character as comedic and lived in the real world, a well-read and highly articulate political liberal.
Limbaugh may lay claim to injecting comedy, but it is aimed at the type that enjoys stripping the wings off butterflies.
Limbaugh’s second point is that you deliver consistent, unrelenting verbal fusillades to reinforce the collective ignorance of your audience by distorting the true and real at staggering levels, to the point at which one must be willing to accept what is said as a blind article of faith.
Lewis Carroll, creator of “Alice in Wonderland,” had a word describing what Limbaugh does regularly, and on which he has become a specialist. The word is jabberwocky, defined as nonsensical poetry, but generically means spouting perpetual absurdity, that which is totally lacking in reason or logic.
With Limbaugh a commentary does not have to make any kind of logical sense. The only essential component is playing to a warped gallery constantly hungering for red meat.
Limbaugh fed some red meat of jabberwocky to his lap-dog faithful, affectionately known as “ditto heads,” while they collectively snarled over the election of Obama.
With the stock market recording reverses during a period marking the culmination of radical right economics which Limbaugh and his listeners heartily supported, he asserted that America is currently immersed in a “Barack Obama recession.”
This absurdity was mouthed more than two months from the time that Obama will take office on January 20, 2009. Such reasoning is obviously unfair because it constitutes reason in a Limbaugh world monopolized by red meat jabberwocky.
Get ready for much more of the same not only because a Democrat is assuming presidential office, but due to Limbaugh’s filthy-mouthed racism, which in the past has prompted him to tell one African-American caller to “take the bone out of your nose.” The radio king of red meat jabberwocky also stated that he has noticed how much certain criminal defendants resemble Jesse Jackson.
One time, Limbaugh’s foul racist act cost him a job at ESPN after the sports network unwisely hired him to do commentaries.
Racism trumped any semblance of reason as Limbaugh lamented that Donovan McNabb, star quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles, had achieved his status not due to physical talent but because that vast liberal conspiracy he sees everywhere wanted to promote an African American at that showcase position.
The racist content was matched by a pathetic level of football ignorance. At the time McNabb was cited by Limbaugh as a quarterback being promoted because of his race, he had already been chosen by his peers with 3 Pro Bowl selections.
The good news was that the pressure generated by the McNabb comment resulted in Limbaugh's dismissal, an unscheduled landing on his backside.
Such landings are the only known acts of man or beast that can rival the volume of Limbaugh’s on-the-air tirades.
Monday, November 17, 2008
NY TIMES HEADLINES WE WOULD REALLY LOVE TO SEE!
This (unfortunately) is only a "spoof" NY Times put out by pranksters...but oh, don't you wish the stories were true?!!! It's a Keeper, if only to buoy our hopes! As one of the pranksters said, "It's about what's possible, if we think big and act collectively." The Obama interview on 60 Minutes last night also gave me great hope. We will finally have an intelligent adult at the head of our country, making what I hope will be wise decisions. (~.~)
http://www.nytimes-se.com/
http://www.nytimes-se.com/
Pranksters give out hoax N.Y. Times issue
NEW YORK (UPI) -- A band of pranksters said Wednesday they distributed 1.2 million copies of a hoax issue of The New York Times proclaiming the end of the Iraq war.
Leaders said in an announcement it took hundreds of independent writers, artists and activist to put the "special edition" together and thousands of volunteers to distribute copies in cities across the United States.
The mock Times issue was dated July 4, 2009, and bore the banner headline "Iraq War Ends." Other made-up stories dealt with national health care and and corporate lobbying and pay issues.
The creators also put up a spoof Web site: http://www.nytimes-se.com/.
"We wanted to experience what it would look like, and feel like, to read headlines we really want to read. It's about what's possible, if we think big and act collectively," Steve Lambert, one of the prank organizers, said in a news release.
Another member, Beka Economopoulos, added, "It's up to all of us now to make these headlines come true."
A number of groups were involved in the project: The Yes Men, the Anti-Advertising Agency, CODEPINK, United for Peace and Justice, Not An Alternative, May First/People Link, Improv Everywhere, Evil Twin and Cultures of Resistance.
The organizers said the Times' response to being told of the fantasy issue was: "We are looking into it."
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Change: How Political Eras End and Begin
by Ron Suskind, NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/magazine/16change.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
EXCERPT: Bush, locked in his Oedipal struggles — father and son, World War II and Vietnam, a faded generation and a fading one — again and again mistook rigidity for fortitude and never really evolved in office, as all presidents must. He rose up, using his innate trust of emotion and impulse, to meet the first challenges of 9/11, but then froze solid. At a time when the nation’s challenges, so fresh, so fast-moving, so startling, demanded constant reappraisal and response, he — the child of a president — thought it was about him: his issues, his battles, his heart. It’s not, at least not now.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/16/magazine/16change.html?_r=1&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all&oref=slogin
EXCERPT: Bush, locked in his Oedipal struggles — father and son, World War II and Vietnam, a faded generation and a fading one — again and again mistook rigidity for fortitude and never really evolved in office, as all presidents must. He rose up, using his innate trust of emotion and impulse, to meet the first challenges of 9/11, but then froze solid. At a time when the nation’s challenges, so fresh, so fast-moving, so startling, demanded constant reappraisal and response, he — the child of a president — thought it was about him: his issues, his battles, his heart. It’s not, at least not now.
In a time of crisis, the American public took hold of its system of self-governance, broken, over many years, by compulsive divisiveness, and said, Let’s try something new — and reach for history’s arc.
That’s why they, the people, sent Barack Obama onto the stage.What a Depression Would Look Like
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2008/11/16/depression_2009_what_would_it_look_like/?page=full
A depression today might look different from the one in the '30s, but its effects would be just as devastating on the public.
A depression today might look different from the one in the '30s, but its effects would be just as devastating on the public.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Maya Angelou quote
"People will forget what you said, people will forget what you
did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
--Maya Angelou
Robert Frost quote
"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on."
- Robert Frost
- Robert Frost
Jokes to make you belly laugh
SUBJECT: And then the fight started........
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My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping the |
Psychopaths in our midst
When I saw Bush recently being interviewed with the question, "What do you most regret from your eight years as president?" and heard his pitiful answer, I realized for certain that the man is incapable of feeling guilt or empathy. "Compassion" to him is just a word. Read the following to get Bush's answer regarding his "regrets" -- and other suggestions for him to consider.
http://www.236.com/news/2008/11/14/bush_has_two_regrets_we_provid_1_10243.php
There is an excellent article in the November 10th issue of the New Yorker Magazine, regarding sociopaths/psychopaths (the two terms mean the same thing: people who feel no empathy for others or guilt for their deeds) -- it is worthwhile reading and comparing Bush and Cheney to the descriptions given for this type of disorder. The article's title is SUFFERING SOULS: The search for the roots of psychopathy. Its author is John Seabrook. You can read it at: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/10/081110fa_fact_seabrook
I found the article to be particularly informative, because I have run into a few psychopaths in my own life -- and, through some hard and painful interactions with them, I believe I have learned to recognize these types when I meet them and have a chance to observe how they relate with and treat others. Believe me, I now give them a wide berth. It's not difficult to peg Cheney and Bush as members of that particular clan. The article states that most of us will meet at least one psychopath as we travel through life. The book mentioned in the article (The Mask of Sanity by Hervey Cleckley) tells that they are found in every area of life: the business world, the medical world, the legal world, the religious world, and all branches of government. I have a copy of that book and have read it more than once to get the realization that people without consciences walk among us every day. Life is much easier when you can identify them and choose to stay out of their path.
The article relates how brain tests are now being done on prison inmates to detect differences in the brains of psychopaths/sociopaths from the brains of ordinary people who have never committed crimes. Wouldn't it be interesting if they could conduct the same types of tests on our leaders of the past eight years? Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice, et al? Yes, the results of those tests could be very revealing! Read the article and see what you think. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/10/081110fa_fact_seabrook
http://www.236.com/news/2008/11/14/bush_has_two_regrets_we_provid_1_10243.php
There is an excellent article in the November 10th issue of the New Yorker Magazine, regarding sociopaths/psychopaths (the two terms mean the same thing: people who feel no empathy for others or guilt for their deeds) -- it is worthwhile reading and comparing Bush and Cheney to the descriptions given for this type of disorder. The article's title is SUFFERING SOULS: The search for the roots of psychopathy. Its author is John Seabrook. You can read it at: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/10/081110fa_fact_seabrook
I found the article to be particularly informative, because I have run into a few psychopaths in my own life -- and, through some hard and painful interactions with them, I believe I have learned to recognize these types when I meet them and have a chance to observe how they relate with and treat others. Believe me, I now give them a wide berth. It's not difficult to peg Cheney and Bush as members of that particular clan. The article states that most of us will meet at least one psychopath as we travel through life. The book mentioned in the article (The Mask of Sanity by Hervey Cleckley) tells that they are found in every area of life: the business world, the medical world, the legal world, the religious world, and all branches of government. I have a copy of that book and have read it more than once to get the realization that people without consciences walk among us every day. Life is much easier when you can identify them and choose to stay out of their path.
The article relates how brain tests are now being done on prison inmates to detect differences in the brains of psychopaths/sociopaths from the brains of ordinary people who have never committed crimes. Wouldn't it be interesting if they could conduct the same types of tests on our leaders of the past eight years? Cheney, Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Rice, et al? Yes, the results of those tests could be very revealing! Read the article and see what you think. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/11/10/081110fa_fact_seabrook
New Yorker article of Interest
For those who would like to know how the Sarah Palin VP choice came about, the following is a Very interesting article!
The Insiders: How McCain Came to Pick Sarah Palin
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/27/081027fa_fact_mayer
The Insiders: How McCain Came to Pick Sarah Palin
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/27/081027fa_fact_mayer
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Doctors tell which vitamins they take
Notice that ALL of them take Vitamin D. The right kind to look for is Vitamin D3.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/11/13/ep.vitamin.primer/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
EXCERPT: Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and multiple sclerosis, as well as other conditions. Studies show many of us are vitamin D deficient. Weil says look on the label to make sure you're getting vitamin D3, not vitamin D2.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/11/13/ep.vitamin.primer/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
EXCERPT: Vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, and multiple sclerosis, as well as other conditions. Studies show many of us are vitamin D deficient. Weil says look on the label to make sure you're getting vitamin D3, not vitamin D2.
Mysterious glowing aurora over Saturn confounds scientists
From the Keeping-Us-Humble Department: Another strange mystery to prove there is still so much for us to learn!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1085354/Mysterious-glowing-aurora-Saturn-confounds-scientists.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1085354/Mysterious-glowing-aurora-Saturn-confounds-scientists.html
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Frontline last night was well worth watching-- A Sad and Tragic Life
It showed the documentary Boogie Man: The Lee Atwater Story. This video should be required viewing for all right wingers -- but, unfortunately, they would probably not see the real point being made in it. Instead, they would no doubt praise Atwater for his slick lies and wasted life, which spawned proteges like Karl Rove, who continue the same Machievellian political practices. Atwater, at least, seemed to regret what he had done as his life came to an early close due to a brain tumor. You can see excerpts from the video at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/atwater/view/ But to see the entire documentary, you will have to purchase it.
Many of Atwater's friends say he was terrified when given a death sentence by the doctors. He was only 40 and at the prime of his "career" as dirty-trickster-in-chief. But he had been spinning lies for so long, it was as if he could not be honest with himself--even as he faced death. He ordered a Bible and quoted biblical verses, but aides who helped clean up his possessions after his death said that the Bible was still wrapped in its cellophane outer wrap, and had never been opened. Karl Rove doesn't seem worried about his own life and legacy -- he apparently still worships Atwater as his hero and mentor. Rove certainly has followed all of Atwater's practices--and then some.
From a Maureen Dowd column in 1993: ( http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6DA1E31F932A15752C1A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all )
His friends say Atwater was not at peace when he died. He was frightened, slipping in and out of lucidity, dictating an anecdotal autobiography, lurching from Catholicism to Judaism to Buddhism to crystals. He went from bloated to emaciated, his hands like toothpicks, black and withered, his face like that of an 80-year-old man, charcoal circles under his eyes.
Many of Atwater's friends say he was terrified when given a death sentence by the doctors. He was only 40 and at the prime of his "career" as dirty-trickster-in-chief. But he had been spinning lies for so long, it was as if he could not be honest with himself--even as he faced death. He ordered a Bible and quoted biblical verses, but aides who helped clean up his possessions after his death said that the Bible was still wrapped in its cellophane outer wrap, and had never been opened. Karl Rove doesn't seem worried about his own life and legacy -- he apparently still worships Atwater as his hero and mentor. Rove certainly has followed all of Atwater's practices--and then some.
From a Maureen Dowd column in 1993: ( http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F0CE6DA1E31F932A15752C1A965958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all )
His friends say Atwater was not at peace when he died. He was frightened, slipping in and out of lucidity, dictating an anecdotal autobiography, lurching from Catholicism to Judaism to Buddhism to crystals. He went from bloated to emaciated, his hands like toothpicks, black and withered, his face like that of an 80-year-old man, charcoal circles under his eyes.
One by one, he called in friends he had double-crossed. He told them, even when they murmured it was not necessary, the lies he had told to George Bush about them, in order to get them banished from the magic circle.
"It was not a true conversion but just the best calculation he could make to settle old scores because he was scared," said a close friend. "Lee was spinning his own death." A liar to the end.
To see how Lee Atwater's teaching lives on in today's politics (as if we didn't know!), see NOW video of Dirty Politics at: http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/401/index.html
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