DC Area Solidarity with Burma
Fri Sep 28, 2007 at 08:08:38 AM PDT
This was in my inbox this morning:
Dear friends
Please come and [show] support for Burma. I hope you can come this friday 9/28/07 near by Burmese embassy at 4:00 p.m.
Thank you
Bhante Uparatana
Bhante Uparatana is one of more venerated Buddhist monks in the Washington DC area. So if he calls for our attention, we should listen and take what he asks seriously.
US Army Has No Ready, Strategic Reserve.
Tue Aug 01, 2006 at 07:25:28 PM PDT
The Honorable Senator Reid and Congresswoman Pelosi requested the
National Security Advisory Group to report on the readiness of the our Army. The NSAG includes such luminaries as William Perry, Wes Clarke, John Shalikashvili among others. Their letter was published today in this
press release. The two main points are
We have recently learned that:
-- Two thirds of the Army's operating force, active and reserve, is now reporting in as unready.
-- There is not a single non-deployed Army Brigade Combat Team in the United States that is ready to deploy.
The bottom line is that our Army currently has no ready, strategic reserve. Not since the Vietnam era and its aftermath has the Army's readiness been so degraded.
'Vote was Hacked' Curtis runs for Congress
Wed Jun 07, 2006 at 10:28:43 PM PDT
You all remember Clint Curtis,
the computer programmer who testified to Congress that he had been requested by Congressman Tom Feeney, to build software that could flip the votes in an electronic voting machine without detection.
He's running for Congress. See
Voting machine 'hacker' runs for congress.
Follow me after the jump for the best part...
Somalia falls to the Islamists
Mon Jun 05, 2006 at 08:30:35 PM PDT
I've been seeing this story the last few days, but I haven't seen any dairies. But now I see the NYTimes has a new article.
Islamic Militants Declare Victory in Mogadishu
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 5 -- Islamic militias declared victory today over Somalia's traditional warlords in the battle for control of Mogadishu, quelling months of fierce fighting in the lawless capital but raising new questions about whether this regime, which American officials have accused of sheltering terrorists, will steer the country down an extremist path.
Do I understand this correctly? While Bush and a majority of the GOP have been busy peering into our bedrooms, the followers of
Sayyid Kotb and
Ayman al-Zawahiri have gained control of another country?
Murder and Corruption in Iraq
Tue May 09, 2006 at 07:09:04 AM PDT
From today's New York Times,
Killings in Iraq Spawn Search for Missing Funds, we learn how the murder of a US human rights worker and her companions may connect to some of the $8 billion that went missing while the Coalition Provisional Authority was in charge.
The killing of Fern Holland...remains unsolved and as mysterious...federal investigators [are looking into] what happened to hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash issued by American authorities to Ms. Holland
American investigators are trying to determine whether that money was stolen as part of the web of bribery, kickbacks, theft and conspiracy...That corruption case, centered on reconstruction efforts, has led to four arrests, and more are expected.
State Secrets Privilege, the NSA and the EFF
Fri Apr 28, 2006 at 09:28:38 PM PDT
On April 6th, SusanG
wrote about the "Electronic Frontier Foundation's (EFF) class action lawsuit against ATT, alleging the telecom giant opened 'its network and databases to wholesale surveillance by the NSA.'" This evening (a Friday night news dump?) we learn of the federal government's response.
Wired is reporting
The federal government intends to invoke the rarely used "State Secrets Privilege" -- the legal equivalent of a nuclear bomb -- in the Electronic Frontier Foundation's class action lawsuit against AT&T that alleges the telecom collaborated with the government's secret spying on American citizens.
Baghdad to be liberated, again, this summer (w/poll)
Mon Apr 17, 2006 at 07:38:58 AM PDT
From
The Sunday Times (UK):
The American military is planning a "second liberation of Baghdad" to be carried out with the Iraqi army when a new government is installed.
Pacifying the lawless capital is regarded as essential to establishing the authority of the incoming government and preparing for a significant withdrawal of American troops.
Attack helicopters, more from the article and a rant after the fold...
"For war billions more but no more for the poor"
Tue Feb 07, 2006 at 09:38:28 PM PDT
No sooner has Rev. Lowery spoken
these words than we read this. From the AP,
No New Katrina Aid in Bush BudgetThe Bush administration offered no new aid for Hurricane Katrina victims in the budget it released Monday, instead putting modest amounts of money into preparedness and response plans for future disasters.
Baghdad Airstrike: They Hit the Wrong House
Fri Jan 06, 2006 at 01:42:37 PM PDT
On Tuesday,
Eternal Hope put up the diary
BREAKING: US airstrikes kill innocent family of 12 in Baghdad. The key point was this:
Most of the victims were women and children. The Iraqi government and local residents are saying that there were no terrorists present.
I liked many of the points he made, including the failure of the military technology Rumsfeld is
so in love with.
Well, more comes out on this story...
So how did that Iraqi election turn out?
Thu Dec 22, 2005 at 05:26:45 PM PDT
The recent elections in Iraq have been heralded by Bush as all important. The simple fact that Iraqi got to vote for a new government on Dec 15th is in and of itself enough of a justification for the invasion of a country <strike>with WMDs</strike> or <strike>linked to al Qaeda's attack on 9/11</strike> . It turns out without US help, we could not get a new
Islamic Republic in the mideast. Without the US invasion, the
influence of Tehran on Baghad politics was being being kept out. But those sad days of political oppression are over.
Too much more after the flip..
Careful what you read, the Feds are watching
Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 08:56:53 AM PDT
From the New Bedford Standard-Times,
Agents' visit chills UMass Dartmouth senior:
A senior at UMass Dartmouth was visited by federal agents two months ago, after he requested a copy of Mao Tse-Tung's tome on Communism called The Little Red Book...he requested the book through the UMass Dartmouth library's interlibrary loan program...was completing a research paper on Communism for Professor Pontbriand's class on fascism and totalitarianism.
He was later visited at his parents' home in New Bedford by two agents of the Department of Homeland Security, the professors said.
US and UK to cut and run in Iraq
Mon Dec 12, 2005 at 10:01:40 PM PDT
From the top of Tuesday's Times of London, we have
Iraq troop pull-out to begin in months:BRITAIN and America are planning a phased withdrawal of their forces from Iraq as soon as a permanent government is installed in Baghdad after this week's elections.
...a move that has caused alarm in the outgoing Iraqi administration...
...appear to run contrary to statements by President Bush...
...Foshyar Zebari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister: "Those who advocate an early withdrawal do not know what is at stake....The fate of this country and the whole region could be endangered...
Sen Reid thinks bin Laden is dead
Wed Nov 30, 2005 at 09:22:41 PM PDT
From KRNV in Reno, NV,
Reid thinks Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan earthquakeSpeaking Wednesday on News 4's Nevada News Makers, Reid says he was informed today that Bin Laden may have died in the October temblor.
"I heard today that he may have died in the earthquake that they had in Pakistan, seriously." Reid says that if that is the case, "that's good for the world."
When asked about Bin Laden during an exclusive News 4 interview, Reid said, "I'm not sure he is alive anymore. I think perhaps the earthquake took him down. I certainly hope so."
You can see portions of that exclusive interview on News 4 at Five and Six today.
I will update if I can find more information on this interview. At this time, nothing else at their website.
There is a weird irony here, if true. After two wars, 100's of billions of dollars and more than 2100 dead US soldiers, it is one of the recent natural disaster that has rid the world of one violent extremist.
A Thanksgiving Prayer from WSB
Thu Nov 24, 2005 at 10:24:58 AM PDT
Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1986
For John Dillinger, In hope he is still alive
Thanks for the last and greatest betrayal of the last and greatest of human dreams.
Texas banned ALL marriages
Wed Nov 09, 2005 at 09:30:00 PM PDT
While wasting so much valuable time surfing the internets, I came across Jonathan Ichikawa's blog
There is some truth in that. The linked entry gives the text of what was voted on:
Sec. 32. (a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.
(b) This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.
Flanigan NOT to be Fitzgerald's new boss [w/ God poll]
Fri Oct 07, 2005 at 12:46:44 PM PDT
or anyone else's. From the AP,
Flanigan Withdraws Nomination at JusticTimothy E. Flanigan has withdrawn as a nominee to be deputy attorney general amid a delay in his confirmation because of his dealings with indicted Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, The Associated Press has learned.
