Will Wonders Never Cease?

I reported on the first phase of this story about a year ago, when Boeing announced the award of this multi-billion dollar contract...that was negotiated by a former employee of theirs. Now, some sense has apparently been found in our government: Yahoo! News - Conferees Ban Lease of Boeing Tankers

It's hard to believe, but it looks like the guilty party, Darleen Druyun, is actually going to jail over her conduct! Wow!

Now if we could only get some indictments against those fools responsible for the mortally slow air defense response on 9/11/01.

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Paul

How long will we let them lie?

Do a lot of traveling and the USA Today newspaper attaches itself to your life. Given away free by most hotel chains, the often reviled “News McNuggets” is a surprisingly bi-partisan publication. Go figure. I have a new found respect for this paper because they seem to be solidly middle of the road.

USA Today’s coverage of the Vice Presidential Debate seemed fairly solid. They were willing to call the debate a basic draw, as did many other credible news organizations. But they went a bit further with an analysis of the many lies told by the Vice President. That’s right, lies. Intentional fallacies used in an attempt to both discredit his opponent and cover up his administration’s shameful record.

Once such lie was the bit about Edward’s Senate attendance record. Cheney puffed himself up about how he spends most Tuesday’s in the Senate Chamber in his role as president of the Senate…and then claimed that the debate was the first time that he has actually ever met John Edwards…clearly implying that Edwards never shows up for work. Cheney even went so far as to say that Edwards’ hometown newspaper had taken to calling him “Senator Gone”.

All untrue. All lies, according to USA Today. Yet Cheney delivered these untruths with such unwavering conviction that even John Edwards was stunned. I thought “geez, those were some pretty solid body shots” and I’m sure that Cheney’s supporters were beside themselves with glee. But USA Today checked the Congressional Record. They checked the “hometown” paper, they checked the facts. And the facts show that Cheney flat-out lied.

But the facts didn’t stop certain idiot/asshole TV talking heads from harping on it (http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/archive.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2004/10/07/hardball/index.html), just as they won’t stop a grip of blind Bush supporters from doing their best to re-elect the fool. But as some point, the American people are going to have to demand full accountability from their elected officials, especially from the Executive Branch. As it stands now, we can’t believe a word they say. How shameful is that?

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Paul

On this bogus ‘War on Terror’

Last night during the Vice Presidential Posturing Session (aka the Vice Presidential Debate), flyweight contender John Edwards continued the Democratic strategy of playing into the Republicans’ hands by asserting that he and Kerry intended to win the War on Terror by tracking down terrorists and killing them before they have the opportunity to harm us. Lil’ John spoke with such conviction one could get the impression that he actually believed what he was saying. Vice President Cheney just sat there stone-faced.

Why are the Democrats playing the Republican war-mongering game? Surely they know that this so-called ‘War’ is a total neo-conservative fabrication? Terrorists did NOT declare ‘war’ on the U.S. on 9/11; they did not declare ‘war’ on us when they bombed the U.S.S. Cole, the Beirut barracks, those African embassies or at any other time in the recent or distant past. Historically, ‘terrorist’ actions have been REACTIVE events, undertaken by people who feel their backs are against the wall and that extreme retributive violence is their only remaining option. I mean, how desperate does one have to be to actually plan and execute a SUICIDE mission?

And how blind does one have to be to miss the fact that the current administration is using their so-called ‘War on Terror’ to conduct neo-imperialist military actions in the Middle East? In the same vein, does anyone believe that the Democrats are blissfully unaware of what’s really going on? Kerry and Edwards totally support the ‘War’ because they totally support the aims of the neo-imperialist movement: controlling the oil supply of the Middle East through U.S. installed puppet regimes. Folks, this is no conspiracy theory, it’s straight up historical fact. For those that have trouble believing, I have three words: Shah of Iran.

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Paul

YIKES

Ted Rall has quickly become one of my favorite editorial cartoonists, mostly because he has a hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners sense of humor. But even I had to wince at his latest: Ted Rall online

I mean, he's talking about reality, but it is VERY UNCOMFORTABLE...but why should we be comfortable with sending American men and women to their deaths in questionable military actions?

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Paul

Freedom Reigns...just not in the Nation's Capital

Here's an interesting story, but not for the obvious reasons: Yahoo! News - House Votes to Repeal D.C. Gun Limits

And here's the quiz: For what other U.S. city can the U.S. House of Representatives enact local legislation? Answer: none.

Here's the second part of the quiz: How many voting representatives from the District of Columbia sit in the U.S. Congress? Answer: same as above - none.

So if D.C. has NO congressional representation, how does the House have jurisdiction? Answer: slavery. Or something like that. As a former resident of the District, I STILL think it's an international travesty that the residents of that city live in what is basically a dictatorship, run not by their mayor or city council, but by people who don't even live there.

'The D.C. handgun ban . . . has failed miserably. This bill is demanded by the people of the United States,' the key sponsor of the bill said.

Of course, no one asked the people of the District of Columbia what THEIR demands were...

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Paul

I support THESE troops...

Check this story out:A strident minority: anti-Bush US troops in Iraq | csmonitor.com Apparently, they've been able to show "Fahrenheit 911" to our men and women in uniform over in Iraq. I've got to give the DoD credit for having the balls to do that. Unsurprisingly, it's not making a whole lot of soldiers feel better about George Bush.

From the article: "We shouldn't be here," said one Marine infantryman bluntly. "There was no reason for invading this country in the first place. We just came here and [angered people] and killed a lot of innocent people," said the marine, who has seen regular combat in Ramadi. "I don't enjoy killing women and children, it's not my thing."

It's LONG past time to get out...

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Paul

Out of Control?

Yesterday in the Nation's Capital, a pregnant woman was arrested by a transit officer for "socially unacceptable behavior" - talking too loudly on her cellphone:Between Metro and Cell User, a Disconnect (washingtonpost.com)

Now, if all you read was my first sentence, then you might be inclined to agree with the actions of the subway cop. We've all witnessed rude cellphone users and were forced to endure their bothersome conversations. But according to the story, the Metro transit police officer arrested the woman AFTER her phone conversation...and AFTER he pushed her to the ground.

Say what? A police officer pushed a pregnant woman to the ground? Sometimes when I read the news I forget which country this is...but then I remember, this happened in the same city that CONTINUES to re-elect a proven criminal politician, Marion Barry.

Police Officer: "You have to lower your voice, ma'am"
Pregnant woman: "You can't tell me how loud I can talk."
Police Officer: "I can arrest you"
And a scuffle ensues. The officer forced her to the ground, called for backup, and detained the woman for three hours. I guess the officer was in fear for his life. NOT...

All of this happened, mind you, NOT on a subway car and NOT in a subway station, but OUTSIDE a subway station. And according to the article, the 23-year-old woman was charged with two misdemeanors: "disorderly manner that disturbed the public peace" and resisting arrest.

Response from Metro officials: "We need better enforcement to allow people to know we are serious and want to maintain the high-quality level of the system," said Robert J. Smith, chairman of the Metro board, adding that "ranting youth" have become a plague on the subway.

A plague of "ranting youth"? That's a mass transit problem? Sounds like a social problem to me.

Police state, here we come.

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Paul

Poll Dancing

Read this article and then tell me if your faith in American politics has been restored...or destroyed: Yahoo! News - Campaign Puts Polling Methods Under Microscope

The very sad truth of the matter is that political opinion polls are almost never used to gauge opinion, but to INFLUENCE opinion. If you were able to audit the two major parties' campaign budgets, you'd find that an almost obscene amount of money is spent on polling. And the number of polling "styles" and methods is about as varied as the number of polling organizations. Truth be told, each organization makes up its own rules...and to a very troubling extent, the American media reports those results as the gospel truth, without EVER questioning the accuracy.

From a hard number standpoint, most polls are wildly inaccurate. To explain what I mean by this, I'll use the Presidential approval poll, the poll used to judge whether the American people feel the current President is doing a good job. Setting aside the subjective nature of the question (what, exactly, is a 'good job'?), there is NO WAY for any polling organization to question enough Americans to get an accurate read on this. Statistical experts, of course, beg to differ. And that's their job, so they have to protect their turf. But how can a poll of 20,000 people accurately reflect the thoughts of 250 million?

It cannot.

That's why I choose NOT to pay any attention to these wild-assed pre-election polls about who's "leading" who....they have no way of knowing or predicting what's actually going to happen at the REAL polls in November. And as we all learned last election, even THOSE polls can be compromised.

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Paul

Would You?

Virgin's head madman Richard Branson is at it again, as always, in a big way:Telegraph | News | Branson promises to send tourists into space by 2007

The funny thing is, he sort of has the credibility to pull this off, even though the three-year timetable seems awfully short. Branson has proven to be the kind of man that does what he says he's going to do. And if anyone has the pulse of the ultra-rich adventurer market, it would be Sir Branson. I can't wait to see if he can make this happen. In the meantime, I'll just settle for one of those posh Virgin Atlantic flights...

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Paul

The TSA is Idiotic

Hot on the heels of the Yusef Islam (formerly known as "Cat Stevens") story is this sober news about airline security...or the lack thereof: USATODAY.com - Airport screeners missed weapons

As someone who flies on a weekly basis, and has to endure the whole "empty your pockets, take out your laptop, remove your shoes, is that a belt?" ordeal at least twice a week, it finally hits me that this is all an elaborate ruse to coddle the American public. The entire TSA sham has nothing to do with actually improving airline safety...it's all about giving the APPEARANCE of improved safety...that's all.

Think about it. What is needed to hijack a plane? A bomb? A gun? A box cutter? A nail file? I have to put my nail file in my checked luggage, because they will definitely confiscate it (six inches of stainless, nail-filing steel!) should I be so bold as to carry it in my carry-on. The point is, the only thing that's needed to hijack a plane is INTENT...and a good poker face. One could crumple up a airline-supplied coffee cup with a couple bags of airline-supplied peanuts, stuff it into an airline-supplied vomit bag, then hold it up and yell "I'VE GOT A BOMB! EVERYBODY DO AS I SAY!" and successfully bluff a hijack. You don't need to have real explosives or weapons with you to do that.

The alleged 9/11 hijackers didn't have guns or explosives (so we're told), and look how much damage they did. Why on earth would you bring explosives on board what is already a flying bomb full of explosive jet fuel? That's like bringing sand to the beach.

The truth of the matter is this: if someone is determined to commandeer an airliner, NO amount of luggage pre-screening will stop them. The TSA already knows this, and they will even admit it if you back them into a rhetorical corner. No, the TSA is in existence for two very specific reasons: 1) to project a veneer of increased security and 2) to make someone a lot of money. Guess who?

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Paul

And it just keeps getting worse

Our borders are like sieves, and we let all types of nasty people in this country. But every once in a while, we prevent REALLY dangerous people from entering: Yahoo! News - Ex-Pop Star Cat Stevens Deported from U.S.

Of course, I'm being facetious. There are a lot of strange and unsettling things about this story, not the least of which is the fact that the U.S. news media continue to identify Mr. Islam by a name he left behind DECADES ago...

But even worse is the fact that because he was simply on the airplane, U.S. authorities diverted the flight from it's original destination of Northern Virginia and forced it to land in MAINE. Why Maine? Ostensibly to protect the Northeast corridor, but when did Maine stop being in the Northeast?

Then after being illegally held and questioned - oops, my bad: under the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act they can detain and question at will WITHOUT proof - U.S. authorities transported Mr. Islam to Boston, where he was put on a plane back to London (from whence he originally came).

Isn't Boston in the Northeast, too? So much for "protecting" the Northeast...

As to the issue of WHY the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens was treated like a terrorist, well, read the article. But also note this quote that I pulled out of said article: "United Airlines spokesman Jeff Green said airline staff in London had cross-checked all the information on Islam and found nothing to stop him getting on the U.S.-bound flight. 'All I can say is that we followed all of our procedures and we came up with nothing. To suggest that the blame lies on a United employee is incorrect and unfair,' said Green. "

Well hell, if the airline didn't find anything objectionable about the presence of Mr. Islam, what did U.S. authorities find? Well, they're not saying exactly, but just mumbling something about something that might be something that has something to do with possible terrorist activities.

It's a slippery slope we traverse...

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Paul

What Year is This Again?

I read this article and had to re-read the dates involved: Yahoo! News - Millions Blocked from Voting in U.S. Election. I have trouble believing that these types of activities are still occurring in the United States of America.

What's next, the return of Jim Crow?

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Paul

You Tell 'Em, Ralph

Ralph Nader called the Democrats "gutless, spineless, clueless and hapless" today. Get down, Ralph! Ain't it a pity that neither of the Johns has the courage to speak out as strongly as Ralph Nader does. And it's a REAL pity that the DNC chooses to subvert our democracy out of fear of losing votes to a viable, third party candidate: Yahoo! News - Nader Blames Kerry for Ballot Access Fight.

The "Anybody but Bush" strategy was ill-advised in the first place. For me, it's getting to be "Anybody but Kerry"...

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Paul

The Brown Bunny.

So I was falling asleep in the middle of Vincent Gallo’s new movie “The Brown Bunny”, when all of a sudden Cheryl Tiegs appeared on the screen. It was actually kind of a shock, because just as my mind began to recognize her famous features, her damaged goods, alcoholic, highway rest-stop whore character became visible as well. Wearing cheesy clothes and little to no makeup, Tiegs bravely tossed away her glamour girl past in order to wordlessly make out on a picnic table with Gallo. This is a woman who sold more pinup posters than Farrah Fawcett. She once had her own signature clothing line at Sears! Of course, the big question is why did she agree to it? That’s an even bigger mystery than the rationale behind Chloe Sevigny’s fateful decision to participate in this production.

This movie is kind of like a Jackson Pollack splatter painting: at first glance it just looks like a random mess, but then real art starts to peek out at you, leaving you to wonder if the artist deliberately arranged the aesthetic, or just got lucky. To be sure, there are moments in “Bunny” when most people would give serious consideration to walking out, but most people are sexual voyeurs, and so we sit and impatiently endure the questionable parts of the film in order to see what we all came for: Chloe Sevigny giving head to Gallo.

Now, blow jobs in the cinema are not all that remarkable. If you have watched ANY porn at all, you’ve seen at least one workable dick-sucking. Way back in the less-obvious ‘70’s, Marilyn Chambers became notorious for the movie “Deep Throat”. Imagine that: a whole movie devoted to head. So the early buzz around “The Brown Bunny” was that a semi-famous actress allows herself to be filmed sucking off the lead character (who also happens to be the writer/producer/director/DP). As a way to sell tickets, apparently fellatio has few peers.

But what’s truly interesting is what happens AFTER the act. That’s when the movie shifts into another gear and in fact, makes the whole thing worthwhile. Gallo almost comes off as some sort of low-end M. Night Shyamalan, with a little Gaspar Noe tossed in for flavor. He certainly gives you something to talk about when the lights come up.

There are a few things to like in this movie besides the end. Gallo’s character Bud is the motorcycle racer as cowboy, and he even treats his race bike like a mechanical steed. You never see him working on it or preparing for his next big race, not even to fill it with fuel, but he does take it out of his black van to exercise it. Even when he finally arrives at his mechanic’s shop in L.A., instead of performing any type of maintenance or prep, they just strap the machine to a stationary roller (actually, a dynamometer), and ride the bike on THAT for a few minutes. Then they herd it back into the van. I guess all his bike needs is a little attention.

And there are moments of, perhaps not exactly cinematic beauty, but interesting mixes of sound and picture as the road winds ever westward. But it really is the ending that makes the whole exercise worthwhile, and leads to further thought. At least for me. Don’t just go for the sex scene, go for the surprise. You’ll feel better about yourself when it’s over.

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Paul

I Don't Care

I'm still voting for Nader, even though this story pretty much seals the deal against him:Yahoo! News - Democrats Score Win in Fight Over Nader in Florida.

Call me a fool; many have already. But I am still not satisfied with the words and so-called "ideas" that have been issuing forth from the Democratic camp. At this late date, the Dems are still acting as if the election is all about Bush losing, instead of their team WINNING. If the Democrats were serious about winning this damn thing, they would have never picked the two incredibly unexciting men that are John Kerry and John Edwards.

I mean, it's mid-September already: when are the debates going to start? When are the issues going to be discussed? Kerry's bullshit about providing "incentives" for health care is weak. I'd really like to see him debate Ralph on health care. Hell, Al Sharpton could smoke John Kerry in a debate on health care! Because Kerry is in the industry's pocket already, just like lil' Bush.

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Paul

They must do a lot of drugs there...

Once again, the residents of Washington, D.C. have spoken...and once again, they have chosen the notorious B.A.R.R.Y., also known as "Mayor for Life" Marion Berry, for City Council: Yahoo! News - Barry In, 3 D.C. Council Incumbents Out.

Running and winning a council seat for the city's poorest (and blackest) Ward, Barry, at the grand old age of 68 (!) is once again on the City Payroll. Which prompts me to ask:

Where are all of the young leaders? It's the city council of the Nation's Capital, but it's also probably the most impotent city government in the Nation. Where are the men and women of the future? Who will answer the call to defeat the dinosaurs and take back the city? And who the heck is voting for Barry?

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Paul

You Go, Girl!

Okay, I gotta give Oprah MAD PROPS for pulling off the television stunt of all time yesterday (PONTIAC | WILDEST DREAMS). Pontiac deserves kudos for going along with it, too, but wow! What a GREAT IDEA! Giving brand new cars to every single person in the studio audience!

Now, the cynic in me immediately thought about the fact that all of those winners will have to pay sales tax and registration and insurance and all of that other stuff, so the cars are not entirely free. But the rest of me has to yell SO WHAT!? Not only did Oprah make a TON of people (276, to be exact) ecstatically happy, but she virtually guaranteed her show will remain atop the daytime ratings for at least another season. And if you thought it was hard to get Oprah tickets BEFORE...

Seriously, this was not only an extremely cunning promotional move, it was also the kind of thing that only a big-hearted person would even think about doing. Just when you think she can't get any more impressive, Oprah knocks it outta the park. I am very, very impressed.

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Paul

Terror takes on a New Face: White

This is truly a sad day in Russia, and the rest of the world: Yahoo! News - Russians Storm School; 100 Bodies Found.

Sad because innocent people have died, once again for political reasons. Yesterday, the media labeled the instigators "rebels"; today, they are called "terrorists". In any case, they were willing to kidnap and kill supposedly for their nation's independence. Should we call them freedom fighters? Or murderers?

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Paul

Is that with a capital "T"?

Remember those two Russian airliners that crashed the other day, almost simultaneously? According to this article (NEWS.com.au Plane crash a terror attack: authorities (August 27, 2004), Russian "authorities" are saying that at least one of the tragedies "came as the result of a terror attack".

Now, this might seem like I'm making light of a horrific accident that killed nearly 100 people, but the wording of this article begs the question: terror attack? Is that like a panic attack? Was it a case of the heebie jeebies that brought the plane down? Was the pilot startled by something?

Okay, it might seem like I'm just playing around, but seriously, WHEN are we (the Western world) going to stop using this overused boondoggle of a word "terrorism" and start saying what we actually mean: "murderous acts by fanatical Muslims"? Because that's what we mean over here in the United States.

Face it, everytime you hear the word "Terrorist" in the American media, a picture of someone who looks a lot like Osama bin laden automatically pops up in your mind's eye. You can't help it, we've all been programmed to believe that a terrorist is a suicide bomber from a Middle-Eastern country. Sure, there are one or two people in Great Britain who have a different mental image of a terrorist, but their minds are changing with every minute they watch another show on one of Rupert Murdoch's many satellite channels.

When President Bush declared the "War on Terror", EVERYONE knew he meant we were gonna start bombing in the Middle East. Even the Middle Easterners knew it. Our so-called "War" is a blatant attempt to rid the world of Muslims. Not all of them, of course, but enough so that the rest step in line and stop complaining about Israel. It's that simple.

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Paul

My problems with John Kerry.

Direct from the John Kerry for President website, his position on National Security:
“Today, we face three great challenges above all others - First, to win the global war against terror; Second, to stop the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; Third, to promote democracy, freedom, and opportunity around the world, starting by winning the peace in Iraq.”

First off, this “war on terror” is Bush’s made-up war, not a real war. Why take it on? Why not tell the truth: we have to address the fact that there are people out there that hate us, and killing them all is not an option.

Second, stopping n/b/c weapons begins at home, where they were invented for the most part, and then sold to other nations by our fantastically profitable military industries. Is he promoting a shutdown of the weapons manufacturers? Of course not, he is promoting pre-emptive military strikes against non-aligned countries that have these weapons. World police, just like Bush. JUST LIKE BUSH.

Third, what the heck is he talking about? “Winning the peace” in Iraq? And that will promote “democracy and freedom” around the world? This is Republican jingoism, but it was found on Kerry’s website! And notice the namby-pamby words used: “promote”…what, is he gonna put up posters? Maybe do some radio ads? Or…is he gonna use the military…JUST LIKE BUSH?? I could be wrong, but it seems to me the best way to promote a form of governance is to actually EXERCISE IT….yet we continue to be a republic and not an actual democracy. Do as we say, not as we do…

Again, from his website, his position on healthcare: “Kerry and Edwards will allow reimportation (sic) of safe, FDA-approved prescription drugs to give Americans access to the substantial discounts for prescription drugs in Canada…” And again, what the heck?
Why not just attack the problem where it lives, here at home….and get those greedy pharms to drop their U.S. prices to more reasonable levels. That old “price of R&D” argument is getting stale and moldy, and they know it.

Or how about this statement on energy: “The Kerry-Edwards plan will increase energy conservation and create clean, renewable sources of energy that no terrorist can sabotage and no foreign government can seize. Their plan will also save billions by cutting waste and pork-barrel spending in Washington.” Again with the terrorist line. The DNC is getting really good at this fear-monger business. Please explain what type of clean, renewable source of energy hasn’t already been created, and cannot be sabotaged. Why is he reluctant to spell things out? Are we talking legalizing hemp or what? If so, excellent! Just say so and you have my vote.

But what does clean, renewable energy have to do with waste and “pork-barrel spending in Washington”? Once again, WHAT THE HECK IS HE TALKING ABOUT?? Digging deeper in the website, I found this: “They will create an “Energy Security Trust Fund,” which will encourage the development of new clean fuels and technologies of the future, and their plan will promote the diversification of energy sources like natural gas, coal, renewable and nuclear energy.” Oh, I see now…it’s all so clear to me….NOT.

You’ve got a website; why not use it to tell people WHY THEY SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU? Instead, we get the usual vapor-policies that will go up in smoke as soon as the pledge is finished at the inauguration. Kerry represents politics as usual, and I for one am not going to accept it any longer. Either put up or shut up, Mr. Kerry.

More later…
Paul