Such colorful and graphic, poetic prose, as usual, Morgana, with almost a jazz beat. I heard briefly on the radio news that the pRez is suspending all environmental regulations relating to oil. Does anyone know anything about that?

Anon I've seen the same, and my first reaction was of course, by all means, let's exaserbate Global Warming and befoul the air even further. What better way to continue knocking us off eh?

Boy howdy I sure hope Arnold continues pretending to be a Democrat for a bit longer.

Morgana, I love your analogies!

Today Randi Rhodes is talking about the State legislators in Illinois and California moving towards impeachment charges against Bush and Cheney. Vermont is also working on it in their State Legislature.

Morgana, anon, here's how they're spinning those EPA regulations--

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060425/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

Hot diggity dog! Morgana music! She sweeps, she twirls, she weaves sparkling images into the moody background of her tapestry. Wow! Many thanks!

"damping their pompous roar" oh how delicious to think of that Morgana. When I was in my early 40's there was this guy who asked me out and he seemed to be very nice. He was about 48 with a hint of a former glittering day of good looks. It was the saddest date I ever had, he was where he never thought he would be. He had been raised with a lot of money, inherited a ton, had been one of those ski jockeys all his life and tons of women panting all around him. Now here he was, too banged up for any kind of hot shot skiing, money waning, looks sunsetting, the "ski bunnies" looking for better digs.

This is what the "pompous roar" reminds me of, they have become overexposed with their press conferences saying nothing, their bloated opinions repeated over and over on CNN, MSNBC, Faux, and of course all the talk shows. They are where they never thought they would be as they marginalize themselves.

To the posters who have commented on the recent increase in fear:
Yes I agree, but with the very fundamental difference that after 9/11 people were afraid of 9/11 Bin Ladin and his ilk; but this time a rapidly icreasing number of citizens are rightfully afraid of the utter recklessness, desperation, and insane behavior of their own govt. in keeping the possibility of a nuclear first strike 'on the table' re Iran.

'Que venga el toro'. Thanks Morgana, for an entertaining read. It seems timely: as the seasons renew themselves, Americans have discovered the inescapable reality of being ruled by Republicans.

It's a time for renewed anger, breaking out everywhere as gas prices go through the roof. Since our fragile economy is marinated in gasoline, everything we do is affected by oil. Produce, consumer items, cars, everything is driven by oil.

It's no coincidence that if you draw a line showing out GDP, and lay a line over it showing our usage of oil, the line would be exactly the same. This means that as an economy, we are completely dependent on petroleum.

I sense that people are getting angry. Not just mildly angry like they have been for the past 5 years, but they are galvanizing and are ready to take action.

Meanwhile, in Greece today, CondaLiar Rice is stirring things up there. There was a demonstration, about 5,000 people showed up and things seemed very inflamed. Next, she's scheduled to move on to Turkey, where things might really get explosive.

Seems it's the Season of our Discontent. Or: Harvest of Wrath.

Kindasleezy visits stirring up wrath. Hmmmmmm. Kinda reminds me of The Season of the Witch.

Someone who watches the Colbert Report sent me a quote he had tonight and I thought it was hilarious.

"Only 1000 days left for Bush - but if we pay attention to every moment it will feel like a million!"

That is so true.

Too true, Sally. Unfortunately, even if the Dems do claim a majority in both houses of Congress this November, Impeachment procedings against Bush, Cheney and Co. could drag on for months. This will come in 2007, bringing government business to a grinding halt at a time when urgent issues (energy, economic and even environmental) are likely to demand both serious attention, leadership and immediate action.

Maybe we can just "outsource" Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld's criminal trials to The Hague/ICC?

jm, I didn't want to not respond to your earlier post about the West. I have heard some positive things about Montana's governor. He seems to draw his roots from the Republicans of old during Lincoln's time who were much closer to the interests of the people than the fat cats and faux holy men who now control that party.

He's sort of a socialist-libertarian hybrid, maybe, and seems to be emerging at a time when many long-time Republicans are finally waking up and finding themselves disillusioned by the thorough corruption of Bush, DeLay and the rest of the current GOP leadership. Whatever the fate of the party structure itself, I have a feeling that we'll be seeing many of these people follow in his ideological footsteps.

At any rate, I'm really looking forward to living in Arizona and an entirely different region of the country for awhile where the local economy hasn't entirely been trashed by glorified ignorance and corruption (at least for the moment). As I write this, Ohio's Sec. of State Ken Blackwell is running hate-filled homophobic ads on TV in an effort to shore up religious support for his gubernatorial candidacy. Now imagine that. A Black Republican running anti-Gay ads. He even has the nerve to liken himself to Martin Luther King. Makes me want to puke. And people wonder why this state's young people are fleeing in droves.

"The Bull, el toro with ribbon festooned lances hanging from its hide, blood dripping and rage in its eyes. The snorting, stamping, resounding bleacher rattling noise is a citizenry frustrated and no amount of spin can change the empty American wallet. El Toro en la corrida, watch out."

Hell's bells.

Well if you want some diversion from these disastrous 1000 days, I got something for you. Guess what is the last unexplored frontier?...The ocean floor. Less than 1% has been explored.

You would love the video called Volcanoes of the Deep Sea, directed by Stephen Low.
It's a film of the thermal vents on the ocean floor entirely without sunlight and heated from within the earth to temps over 200 degrees. Thought to have been formed when the earth was born from dead star matter trapped beneath the surface. The water is poisonous to us and the scientists thought life couldn't exist. Well, life is thriving there. The heat comes out in chimneys that looks like black smoke and all kinds of unbelievably strange sea creatures are enjoying life on a diet of odd bacteria. There are sea worms that have no mouths or digestive systems but eat bacteria trapped in their bodies and have hemoglobin just like ours. It's amazing. How lush it is and how weird they all are.

The most fascinating creature is one who builds formations in perfect hexagons. The same fossils have been found in Europe, and they thrived millions of years before the dinosaurs. The still live on the floor but scientists cannot find the actual creature, it's so illusive. Just their homes.
What a world.

Neo!

Well puke now since it may be your last chance. I haven't puked in five years (cut back on my partying!)
You'll be so glad to be free. It'll take a minute to get adjusted, but you will. I know how hard it is for a Taurus to change sometimes, but your Cardinal Cap Moon will come in handy.

Arizona is a good start. Montana is supposed to be a fantastic place, growing in a positive way. This governor was the first to reject the Patriot Act, and it's a portent of increasing state power, I imagine. He's in the forefront. And Westerners don't like to be told what to do.

If things go well, I think we will see an increasing desire to break the Washington stranglehold and get back to regional representation, in Washington, as well, to stand up for the diverse needs of all the groups around the country. The West is particularly concerned with environmental issues and we need the the pols to be influential.
That's a good phrase...sociaist/libertarian hybrid. You'll find that a lot out here. Independent thinking and a mixture of philosophies.

I think the progressive movement will be increasing as Neptune continues its transit of Aquarius. And when the ruler Uranus goes into Aries and forms the sextile, the ideas will probably be put into action. So it's good to be at the drawing board now with like-minded humanitarians and innovators.

Oh, and Neo. The gov of Montana is Brian Schweitzer, and he's actually a Democrat.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060425_prewar_intel_iraq_iran/

Robert Scheer: Top Spy’s Story on Prewar Intel Is Finally Told

“The policy was set. The war in Iraq was coming and they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy.”
—Tyler Drumheller, formerly CIA’s top spy in Europe

Confession time: In fall 2004, during a crucial presidential election campaign, I made the mistake of playing by corporate media rules that amount to self-censorship.

Specifically, I joined other journalists in denying the public the right to learn of a definitive investigative report by CBS’ “60 Minutes” on President Bush’s disregard for the truth concerning the weapons-of-mass-destruction threat allegedly posed to the United States by Iraq. Having received an advance copy of the devastating segment, I honored CBS’ proprietary request not to write about the news it carried until after it aired.

Only, it never aired. CBS got cold feet, probably because of Dan Rather’s troubles over an unrelated story critical of the president. The suppressed story was solidly reported and, by exposing the Bush administration’s utter disregard for the truth concerning Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction, should have been made available to the public before the November election. Now, no one seems to care.

The segment finally aired this past Sunday, in a more robust form. Unfortunately, the response has been tepid; it seems the media, at least, have become jaded with all the endless examples of the president’s perfidy. But the CBS story remains very important as further evidence of the depths of the Bush administration’s deception.

Perhaps most damning is an interview, added for the broadcast version, with Tyler Drumheller, a CIA veteran of 26 years’ service who was the agency’s top spy in Europe until his retirement a year ago. According to him, before the war Hussein’s foreign minister had been “turned” and was talking secretly to U.S. intelligence. At first excited by this rare inside look at Hussein’s regime, the top dogs at the White House dropped the issue like a hot rock as soon as his information contradicted their overheated rationale for “preemptive” war. “The policy was set,” Drumheller told CBS correspondent Ed Bradley. “The war in Iraq was coming. And they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy, to justify the policy.”

More...

Jane Jacobs has passed on. May her work be adopted into the rebuilding of America.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jane_Jacobs

another Heneghan briefing that reads like Tom Clancy(some bad language here folks)

http://www.cloakanddagger.de/media/TOM%20HENEGHAN/cloakanddagger.de_IEAR_APR25.htm

and another episode of "Voice of the White House"
featuring more about KKKarl....

http://www.thetruthseeker.co.uk/article.asp?ID=4435

The announcement of Tony Snow was at 9:13 am, EST in Washingington DC.

Morgana, my apologies for my tardiness in thanking you for one more piece of poetry. I must be getting spoiled. Thank you so much!

Morgana, yours is the poet's voice, make no mistake!

This new Moon is always one i look forward to. Seeds go in the ground now. The gardens are fertile, ready to receive. Oh yeah, it's very erotic and i love the smell of dirt.

Adding to jm's train of thought, is this:
http://www.trueblueliberal.com/2006/04/18/the-big-burp-theory-of-the-apocalypse/

(snip)Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. And thousands of gigatons of methane, equivalent to the total amount of coal in the world, lie deep within the oceans in the form of ice-like solids called methane hydrates.

The big question is whether global warming — temperatures have risen about one degree Fahrenheit over the last 30 years — will thaw some of these methane hydrates. If so, the methane might be released as a gargantuan oceanic burp. Once in the atmosphere, that methane would accelerate the greenhouse effect and warm the earth and raise sea levels even more.

“The juiciest disaster-movie scenario would be a release of enough methane to significantly change the atmospheric concentration,” suggests the excellent discussion of methane hydrates by scholars at www.realclimate.org.

One reason for concern about a methane hydrate apocalypse is that something like it may have happened several times in the past. For example, 251 million years ago, there was a catastrophe known as the Permian extinction that came close to wiping out life on earth.

Nobody is sure what caused the Permian extinction, but one theory is that it was methane burps. (end quote)

Speaking of gas, over at DU there are several threads re this Snowjob. You could probably place a bet over there on how long he'll last.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/

Wonderful article Morgana, as usual...

and while Americans are focused on price of gas, watch the full three-card monte...

---------

my, my --- look who is in the news again (still?)

Laura Rozen at war and piece:

April 25, 2006

Via Steve Aftergood, this Balt Sun piece from Siobahn Gorman raises some interesting questions. "At the request of National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte, the legislation would allow agency security forces at the NSA and CIA to make arrests outside the grounds of those agencies." Given the well-known White House conviction that the intelligence community is out to get them, one can envision some interesting, 24-like possibilities here.

link to Steve Aftergood http://tinyurl.com/zfx6b

April 25, 2006

Intelligence Fusion Centers Emerge Across the U.S. The contours of the U.S. intelligence bureaucracy are expanding to include dozens of new "intelligence fusion centers" based around the country.

Con't at link above

link to http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.spies25apr25,0,5928384.story

Laura Rozen thinks you might enjoy this sketch of John Negroponte by Dana Milbank

He Could Tell You, but Then He'd Have to Kill You

By Dana Milbank

Tuesday, April 25, 2006; Page A02

John Negroponte, the national intelligence director, who is in the thick of an unprecedented effort to crack down on leaks of classified information, figured he'd start off his speech at the Mayflower Hotel yesterday with a couple of journalism jokes.

After an affectionate introduction by an official from the Anti-Defamation League, Negroponte quipped, "Beats the introduction I got at the National Press Club the other day."

Con't http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/24/AR2006042401524.html

from Bernard at MoA

secrecy news: House Poised to Grant Arrest Powers to CIA, NSA

The House version of the 2007 intelligence authorization bill would grant CIA and NSA security personnel the authority to make arrests for "any felony" committed in their presence, no matter how remote from the foreign intelligence mission it might be, the Baltimore Sun reported today.
Section 423 of H.R. 5020 "appears...to grant to CIA security personnel powers that have little to do with the primary mission of 'executive protection,' and potentially creates a pretext for use or abuse of these powers for the purposes of general domestic law enforcement -- something no element of the CIA has ever been empowered to perform," wrote Danielle Brian of the Project on Government Oversight in a letter to members of the House Intelligence Committee opposing the provision.
Section 432 of the bill grants similar authority to NSA security personnel.
The bill also includes measures intended to increase penalties for unauthorized disclosures of classified information.
See "Congress cracking down on U.S. leaks" by Siobhan Gorman, Baltimore Sun, April 25.
any felony? or just selective felonies...

http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2006/04/house_poised_to_grant_arrest_p.html

see post #1864 above re "Intelligence Fusion Centers" --- anyone else have trouble with this? Powers to arrest and centers popping up across the country?

Check out this link for new 'facilities' being built

http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_3451385

Digby's alarms are ringing also...

At the request of National Intelligence Director John D. Negroponte, the legislation would allow agency security forces at the NSA and CIA to make arrests outside the grounds of those agencies. Ware said the measure is "just clarifying the authority" of agency security officers "to arrest individuals."
It would apparently overrule a written opinion by the Maryland attorney general's office, which stated that the NSA's police powers are limited to the agency's grounds and to streets within a 500-foot perimeter of its Fort Meade campus.
The June 2005 opinion concluded that, under Maryland law, NSA officers "may make a citizen's arrest" and would have no immunity from liability for their actions if they are outside their jurisdiction. It notes that NSA officers can only carry firearms within that jurisdiction. The bill would allow them to carry guns.
[...]

Loch Johnson, a top Senate aide on the Church Committee, which investigated CIA abuses in the 1970s, called it a "worrisome" expansion of power.
"That's why we have the FBI and other law enforcement officials," he said. "I don't know that this needs to be an intelligence officer's function. I wouldn't think it should be."
Aftergood termed the proposal "shocking" and said "it raises the specter of a secret police force that is unaccountable and operates outside of the normal law enforcement parameters."
I know I feel safer already, don't you?

This is the kind of stuff that's going on right now in the Congress, even as the president's approval rating sits in the low 30's and the Republicans appear to be poised to lose their majority in the fall. They are like sharks, mercilessly pursuing their agenda no matter what is going on around them. They know that it is much more difficult to reverse this kind of thing than it is to enact it. Their gargantuan, national security bureaucracy replete with gun-toting NSA "security" authorized to arrest anyone they choose will be institutionalized and anyone who tries to end it will be tarred as a Democratic sissy for the next generation. If they can sneak this one through, they will.

This letter from the Project On Government Oversight to Rep. Peter Hoekstra and Jane Harmon outlines the various issues of concern. It's hard to believe that these people would have the gall to use this leak controversy as an excuse to create two new secret police forces in the CIA and NSA, but that's what they're doing (among other heinous things.)

http://tinyurl.com/e6zby Hullabaloo

Ask Sally about John Dimitri Negroponte's chart... or Morgana, I'm sure you recall this entity... Joanna?

Geez Shy, we put another Fox in the chickenshi* house!

I laughed hysterically yesterday when Bush said he would be relaxing environmental regulations -- one way of helping ease this oil crunch. Well. . .Bushit, Kindasleezy (I love that, Shy) and Dickyboy are laughing all the way to the bank. http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/25/1343214

(snip) Now, there's two intimate connections between the war and the price of gas. But first, I think it’s very important for people to understand that the vertical integration of the oil industry, which has been absolutely exacerbated under the Bush administration. For example, ChevronTexaco and Unocal merging into one company, the completion of Exxon and Mobil's merger, all of these little companies merging into enormous behemoths, so that you have ExxonMobil being the company that has received the highest profits of any company in the world, over the last two years, ever in the history of the world. That is because of the vertical integration and monopoly power of these companies. That means that they control exploration, production, refining, marketing and sales.

The price of oil at the pump is about 50% the price of a barrel of oil, about 25% taxes, and then the rest is marketing and just the price determined by the company at the pump. So that means that about 18% to 20% is absolutely determined by the oil companies themselves and governed by the companies themselves. So they could reduce the price of oil and reduce their profit margin, or they could jack up the price of oil and increase their profit margin. They have chosen to do the latter.

And one of the things that has helped them do that is, first of all, the United States is receiving a tremendous amount of oil from Iraq. Oil is down in overall export and production, but not tremendously so. We were -- at prewar was 2.5 million barrels a day. We’re now at about 2 or 2.2 million barrels a day. But 50% of that, on average, is coming to the United States, and it’s being brought to the United States by Chevron and Exxon and Marathon. The myth of dramatically reduced supply has helped them create an argument to the American public, which is, you know, it’s a time of war, we’re suffering, gas prices are going to go up, everyone needs to come in and support this because this is war. Well, that's just not true. The companies are using that as a myth to help make it okay for them to receive these utterly ridiculous profits. (end quote)

Oh, and there's more. . .so much more.

Scientists Debunk Astrology
By Jennifer Viegas, Discovery News

type size: [A] [A] [A]

April 24, 2006 — One of the largest studies of the possible link between human traits and astrology found little, if any, connection between the traditional sun signs of the zodiac and characteristics of individuals.

The study adds to the growing body of evidence that there is no scientific basis for star signs, such as Aries, Taurus and so on. These signs are based on the place of the sun in relation to the date of birth of the subject.

The researchers, however, leave open the question as to whether other, more detailed and personal forms of astrology hold any validity

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/briefs/20060424/astrology_hum_print.html

Negroponte (July 21, 1939, London, England, Midnight) is a nasty piece of work. He has an exact Mars/Saturn/Pluto t-square in Aquarius/Taurus/Leo respectively - 0 degrees. Saturn just went over that point this last year and he is under stress. There was a story about him a couple of months ago that he spends hardly anytime in his office but hours every day in a gentleman's club in Washington. Over the next two months, particularly when Mars reaches late degrees Cancer and into Leo, you will hear more about Negroponte. He's not much of a leader but will follow almost without question so his "death squads" are orders from on high. He plays his cards close to his vest but his Mercury/Uranus square (again fixed signs) give him a tendency to blurt out information from time to time. He has a difficult summer and fall ahead.

The "Snow" job we were just handed with Tony Snow is almost pathetic in this administration's attempt to show they really do listen to non agreeing voices. Tony will have a "honeymoon" with the press, because he is their friend. However the press reaches an impasse with him fairly soon. I would say mid-May would show up a weakness of this selection. I don't have his birth information and this is just off the time of his appointment printed above. I don't know what people expect from him. Honesty? That's not a requirement of the job. A press secretary is nothing more than another level of pit bull to keep the press from asking the president questions, his job is to mislead, confuse, cover up etc.

Karen, "And one of the things that has helped them do that is, first of all, the United States is receiving a tremendous amount of oil from Iraq. Oil is down in overall export and production, but not tremendously so. We were -- at prewar was 2.5 million barrels a day. We’re now at about 2 or 2.2 million barrels a day."

I am not sure of the validity of that statement. Yesterday's NYT had a front page article on the great debacle of KBR's repair of a critical pipeline in Iraq that was bombed out in the invasion. NYT: "The failed project to restore critical pipelines at the Fatah crossing has been a major factor in Iraq's disappointing oil ouput since the invasion in 2003." The article is extensive and addresses the incompetence of the repair work and the outrageous cost. But it does give a bit of support to a theory for going into Iraq in the first place. Not, as many believed, to secure a reliable,affordable source of oil flow to the US but to control output in order to control oil prices - - UPWARD. Turn off the Iraq spigot and you've got less supply, more demand and higher prices. What better way to turn off that spigot than to bungle the repair of a critical pipeline. And who, again, is big oil's best friend forever?!

And another thing that's interesting about this: NYT has a map of where the Fatah crossing is. It's way up north, west of Kirkuk, far away from Bagdad and, according to this map, in nowhere land. Who/what were we bombing up there? Why would we bomb the pipelines? Wasnt the plan for iraqi oil to pay for the war . . .

Look like Patrick Fitzgerald hasn't fallen off the face of the earth, might be tipping the apple cart over..

CIA Leak Prosecutor Goes to Grand Jury

WASHINGTON - Special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald early Wednesday went before a federal grand jury looking into the leak of the identity of undercover CIA officer Valerie Plame.

snip

Fitzgerald's unfinished business includes White House deputy chief of staff Karl Rove, who was under investigation when the previous grand jury that indicted Libby expired.

snip.

Drip, drip, drip.

Here's the link oops.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060426/ap_on_go_ot/cia_leak_investigation_2

Hello Anon. . .good info! Yet, part of the same transnational corporate package. One of my Bush-bashing relatives contends that oil is not depleted that it is a purposeful and intentional lie, as the author states in her book. I've been thinking about this in regard to other transnational corps -- the auto makers. It's all rather twisted so bear with me. . .

1. They glutted the country with gas-guzzling SUVs, then. . .
2. Cried when sales began to plummet, so
3. They're dropping union workers and
4. Threatening bankruptcy (lies)
5. Until they retool
6. And begin selling us a whole new product that STILL uses gas, but not as much, vehicles that are
7. Made by union-free workers

(And don't get me started about utilities charging us extra so that THEY can build more solar and wind plants! Errrrrrrr)

Mission accomplished. Now, if only those oil barons could get into Iraq and make the oil flow again. Kissinger's not as effective as he used to be and that Negroponte (thanks for that Sally) well, he's about to be retired. We all had better be skeptical about the next Presidential contenders and THEIR connections. Maybe this will be when the people rise up, when it hits them that they, their sons, their daughters, et al are just pawns in the game.

Sorry Sally, that was my unsigned post at 3:02 --- I'm at my daughter's and the slot is not filled in with my name... thanks for providing info on Negroponte for everyone...

[REZ] EXCHANGES TOASTS WITH SNEAKY, UNCOOPERATIVE HEAD OF COMMUNIST NATION WHICH OWNS AMERICA LOCK, STOCK, & BARREL

Statement by [rez]

[REZ]: Mr President Jintao, Madame Hu-San, Laura & me is real honored to have you Chineses here at the WH. You know it's not often we get to hold these big shindigs for foreign leaders – mainly on account of I've done such a shockin' awesome job getting the rest of world to hate our guts. (Laughter.)

We're glad you're here. Thank you for the lovely set of porcelain panda bears. We were afraid you might bring real ones, & honestly, between Barney & Miss Beazley, the groundskeepers have enough critter fudge to scoop off the South Lawn. (Laughs.)

We've been doing our best to show Pres Hu a great time today. First we put on a big show about FREEDOM® with lots of fellas dressed in those fruity Revolutionary War getups, after which we played a little practical joke by having the band say that China's national anthem was actually Taiwan's. Honestly, I didn't really get the joke, but my crackerjack team of foreign relations experts say the Chinese aren't big on that stodgy diplomatic protocol nonsense.

Unfortunately, the whole event was almost ruined when some screaming chinkatronic broad had the gall to use that free speech stuff before she was violently tackled & dragged away in handcuffs. Of course I apologized profusely to Pres Hu for exposing him to such a vulgar display, & assured him she'll be charged with a felony & locked up for a very long time. My only regret was that we could not riddle her with bullets on the spot – Tiannemen Square style. (Thumbs up.)

Anyway, let's toast to all the issues me & Pres Jintao made concrete progress on while dick cheney was napping during our Oval Office meeting:

To China's embrace of Democracy & FREEDOM® OF SPEE– oh, wait. Ummm...

To China's respect for INTELLECTUAL PROPER– Oopsie. How about:

To China's people having FREEDOM® OF RELIGI– No, not that one neither...

To China helping level the TRADE DEFI– Hmmmm... What did we agree to again? Oh yeah, I got it now:

To China flooding Wal-Mart with slavery-subsidized goods, & my [regime] continuing to give them carte blanche on currency manipulation since they now practically own us on account of we're borrowed up to our eyeballs!

(A toast is offered.)

(Applause.)

PRESIDENT HU: (As translated.) Sank you, Sank you. It very nice be here America. I come see Bill Gates. Tell him China govt want stuff in Windows Vista for spy on, arrest Chinese people. He say OK, no problem, he already secretly doing that for USA Patriot Act.

I plan go home after see Bill Gates, but george bush beg me come Wash DC. He ask for much things from China. I no give him any. (Laughs.) He no realize yet America going to be China's bitch. (Laughs.) OK, toast now.

To America people: only 300 million of them, but think own world. Forget they only political & religious minority. They too dumb do basic math; live on Visa card, take giant loans from China. China laugh all way to bank! In 100 years, America be like other failed round-eye empires: France, England, Romans. China great, powerful culure survive 1000s of years; will lead world again soon. Yes, to America people, who making Communist China world's richest superpower by spending USA into poorhouse!

(A toast is offered.)

(Applause.)

[REZ]: Thank you, President Jintao. What an interesting sounding language that is. Too bad I just had to fire my Chinese interpreter on account of he was a homo.

Thank you all for coming, & God Bless America.

http://whitehouse.org/news/2006/042006.asp

WV, don't know that I would put a lot of stock in that report by Jennifer Viegas. She doesnt' name the study, or the scientist, or the criteria used. These come out every so often as do the reports that a man never landed on the moon, the holocost never happened, and there isn't any global warming.

Tony Snow born June 1, 1955 in Berea, KY, (no birthtime so take Noon. Tony was operated on for Colon Cancer Feb. of 2005 when Neptune activated his Venus/Saturn opposition. His mother died at the age of 38 with cancer and I am sure cancer is a constant fear for him. Neptune will activate that point one more time this year. Hope this job isn't too stressful for him, and I am not comfortable in "slamming" him or putting out negative energy toward him.

Oh, boy:

"Rove Meets with Attorneys, Testifies Before Grand Jury
by SusanG
Wed Apr 26, 2006 at 08:51:41 AM PDT"

It's at dailykos.com

Garry, what flavor popcorn you cookin'?

Morgana, what a brilliant artist combination of astrology and poetry you've done!

Folks, on the cover of the new WIRED zine is Al Gore! Within it are articles on him and the rise of the neo-greens. He is really winning over big business people in becoming environmently friendly manufacturers. He's friends with Steve Jobs and is on the board of Apple as well as a senior advisor for Google. His company Generation Investment Management puts money into businesses that are positioned to capitalize on the carbon-constrained economy of the future.
http://www.generationim.com/about
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.05/gore.html

Anybody with the expertise to do so want to take a look at this chart? Karen Huge, Dec 27, 1956, Paris France (Say what? Does she prefer Freedom Fries?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Hughes

http://www.alternet.org/story/35439/

Israel Lobby Nutjobs on the Loose
By Molly Ivins, AlterNet

One of the consistent deformities in American policy debate has been challenged by a couple of professors, and the reaction proves their point so neatly it's almost funny. A working paper by John Mearsheimer, professor of political science at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, professor of international affairs at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, called "The Israel Lobby" was printed in the London Review of Books earlier this month. And all hell broke loose in the more excitable reaches of journalism and academe.

For having the sheer effrontery to point out the painfully obvious -- that there is an Israel lobby in the United States -- Mearsheimer and Walt have been accused of being anti-Semitic, nutty and guilty of "kooky academic work." Alan Dershowitz, who seems to be easily upset, went totally ballistic over the mild, academic, not to suggest pretty boring article by Mearsheimer and Walt, calling them "liars" and "bigots."

Of course there is an Israeli lobby in America -- its leading working group is the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). It calls itself "America's Pro-Israel Lobby," and it attempts to influence U.S. legislation and policy.

Several national Jewish organizations lobby from time to time. Big deal -- why is anyone pretending this non-news requires falling on the floor and howling? Because of this weird deformity of debate.

In the United States, we do not have full-throated, full-throttle debate about Israel. In Israel, they have it as a matter of course, but the truth is that the accusation of anti-Semitism is far too often raised in this country against anyone who criticizes the government of Israel.

More...

http://www.slate.com/id/2140538/?nav=tap3

Shooting an Elephant
Why Republicans are screwed.

When George Bush and Gerald Ford met this week, it’s unlikely the president asked his predecessor for advice about how to weather midterm elections. In 1974, Ford alienated conservatives by picking moderate Nelson Rockefeller as his vice president. Then he alienated everyone else by pardoning Nixon just two months before the elections, leading to a 20-point plunge in his approval rating. The Republican National Committee could only rally the troops through commiseration, running an ad that asked, “When has it been easy to be a Republican?” Ford’s party dropped 43 seats in the House and four in the Senate.

It isn’t easy being a Republican these days, either. Bush’s approval rating is at an all-time low, gas prices are near an all-time high, and Iraq continues to burn. Voters have an even lower opinion of the GOP-controlled Congress. Ideological disputes within the party make it hard for believers to pick sides, and incompetence at the top makes it difficult to follow through on the agenda items Republicans do agree on, like reducing the deficit. Bad news from Iraq and any number of scandals tied to the GOP erupt regularly. A month ago, the Republican political class was merely worried. Now its members are talking about “avoiding catastrophic losses.” Conversations about the state of the party used to have two parts: all the bad news followed by signs of hope. I’m just hearing a one-act play now.

On the stump, presidential hopefuls John McCain and Newt Gingrich are openly prophesying doom. When party leaders try to act, their base slaps them for it. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and House Speaker Denny Hastert penned an urgent letter imploring President Bush to investigate price gouging. The National Review and Wall Street Journal thumped them like a tub. “Few things are less becoming in a political party than desperation,” began the Journal’s editorial. “Republicans can blame business all they want for high [gas] prices, but sounding like liberal Democrats won’t save them in November.” The blogosphere echo chamber has also turned sharply critical.

More….Links within text

From my local rag.....

"Where have all the Republicans gone?
In April, 2004, the year Democrats took over the statehouse and grabbed a US Senate seat and a congressional seat, there were 1,049,607 Republicans in Colorado. Since the they've lost 4,039 voters. Meanwhile, Democrats added 8,653, up 1% to 872,616.
However, a whopping 54,843 new voters have registered as unaffiliated. Their ranks are up 6% in just two years, and their share of the electorate has grown more than a full percentage point, closing in on the GOP's shrinking majority."

http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2006/04/25/listening_to_bin_laden.php

Listening To Bin Laden

Osama bin Laden's latest anti-Western rant shows that his grasp of history is as flawed as his grasp of morality.

But it also indicates that that he is still an adept master of exploiting the flaws of U.S. counter-terrorism policies as well as the prejudices, fears and resentments of millions of Arab Muslims in an increasingly polarized post-9/11 world.

The focus of bin Laden's latest tape recording, broadcast on Al-Jazeera on April 23, was Sudan. His self-serving analysis takes mendacity to extraordinary levels: the West is blamed for the disaster in Darfur; the United States is accused of seeking to divide Sudan between North and South; and Britain is accused of having divided the Sudan from Egypt back in colonial times.

In fact, responsibility for the holocaust taking place in Western Sudan, in which the victims (hundreds of thousands of them) are all Muslims, lies not with "Zionist Crusaders" but lies squarely on the shoulders of bin Laden's own erstwhile protectors, the Islamists in the Khartoum regime who provided al-Qaida with sanctuary in the 1990s.

The 2005 Sudanese peace agreement, a rare recent success of U.S. foreign policy, which has brought to an end fifty years of bloodshed in southern Sudan, provides for self determination for the South: The mostly non-Muslim population of southern Sudan will decide for themselves in a referendum in 2011 whether they want to remain part of a united Sudan or to secede.

As for the claim that Britain divided Sudan from Egypt, the opposite is in fact the truth: The British colonial authorities aided and abetted the Egyptian re-colonization of Sudan in 1899 when the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium was established—and the Sudanese were glad to be rid of both the Egyptians and the British when they achieved independence half a century ago.

However, bin Laden is not about to let the truth spoil his message on Sudan or anywhere else.

More....

Thank you, Morgana, and thank you, Sally, for your last several postings.

I don't get here very often, and what I am going to post may or may not have anything to do with anything you may or may not be interested in...

here's to grassroots involvement...
_______________________

From:
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=6648

April 26th, 2006 3:17 pm
Berkeley council calls for impeachment of Bush

By Alan Lopez / Contra Costa Times

With little fanfare, the Berkeley City Council at its Tuesday meeting joined three other California cities in calling for the impeachment of President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

In a resolution that will be sent to U.S. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., the Berkeley council accused the president and vice president of, among other things: defrauding the country and Congress regarding the Iraq war; authorizing torture in violation of the Geneva Conventions; ordering secret surveillance of U.S. citizens; and failing to quickly respond to the Gulf Coast hurricane.

The council unanimously approved the resolution and also took a step toward giving residents a voice. The Berkeley Peace and Justice Commission will give a recommendation about whether the city should ask voters for their opinion in an advisory ballot measure.

That came about as result of Constitution Summer, a national grass-roots law student coalition that is pushing for ballot measures to build momentum for impeachment.

At the meeting, a number of local residents and students applauded the council's action.

"I think it's a tremendous educational tool for the whole nation," one Kensington woman said. "If it can be on the ballot, there will be a great turnout as well."

Berkeley joined San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Arcata in calling for the impeachment.

Cisco DeVries, Mayor Tom Bates' chief of staff, said the council had resisted a previous effort at an impeachment resolution.

"Even in Berkeley," DeVries said, "it's a strong change from where we were 18 months ago when this issue came up. I believe the council (then) said no."

==================

and more...

Cast your vote for impeachment at:

http://www.impeachbush.org/
______________________________________

Neil Young Releases Anti-War Protest Song Living With War

Neil Young is set to rush release 'Living With War', an all-new album that details his outlook on the Iraq war and George Bush's leadership. The ten-track album will be available to stream in its entirety from his official website from April 28th and will then be made available commercially as a download release from May 2nd.

Physical formats of the album will follow as soon as they can be manufactured with a retail release estimated to be sometime between May 5th and May 15th. Written in a two-week burst of creativity, Neil Young is eager for the album to be made available as soon as possible.

"I was waiting for someone to come along, some young singer 18 to 22 years old to write these songs and stand up," he told the Los Angeles Times. "I waited a long time. Then I decided that maybe the generation that has to do this is still the '60s generation. We're still here."

The tracklisting of the album, which he compares to the likes of Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs and also features what he describes as a "metal folk" sound, runs as follows:

'After The Garden', 'Living With War', 'Restless Consumer', 'Shock & Awe', 'Families', 'Flags Of Freedom', 'Let's Impeach The President', 'Looking For A Leader', 'Roger And Out' and 'America The Beautiful'.

The album's lyrics are being posted as rolling tickers on Neil Young's official website as a rate of one per day. At present, the full lyrics to five tracks have been posted.

see more at Neil Young’s website:
http://www.neilyoung.com/

Living With War

From:
http://livingwithwar.blogspot.com/

“I was told the CD would be available in stores as soon as they can get them manufactured, "early May". Of course, it's already been reported that it'll be available for download next week if you can't wait.”
___________________________________________
if you wonder about what “else” might be going on on the immigration scene, take a look at:

http://www.minutemanproject.com/

Minuteman Project Inc.
Attn: Jim Gilchrist
P.O. Box 3944
Laguna Hills, California
92654-3944

24 Hour Message Line:
949-222-4266
24 Hour Fax Line:
949-222-6607
_______________________

Best wishes to all of you here at AW. Onward to victory in November.

OG

how 'bout these stats?....

Illinois: Sun, Mars, Uranus, Mercury, and Neptune in Sagittarius.
What was that about Astrology's failures?
Saturn and Pluto in Pisces. Uranus on the saturn square Sun now.
Moon in Aquarius. North Node in Aries. It's no wonder this little state took the initiative.
This could be the start of something different. The fiery vision and the courage of the people to put their own destiny in their hands. Who or what in the world says we can't? It takes a lot of energy, so health and good habits help. Maybe it's in the Illinois corn.

Blumenthal on some very recent developments:
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/sidney_blumenthal/2006/04/white_house_snow_job.html

Old granny, how great to hear from you and your post is absolutely pertinent. I saw the Neil Young interview and I think tons of people are waiting for his song. Thanks for all the info and do you have to be a resident of California to vote to impeach?

Don't know about that, Cap'n Sally, but I am thrilled to report we are slowly making progress here in CA re those diabolical (i.e., Repug) voting machines:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=203x425366

I just posted this by mistake on the last thread, which was also open on my screen...so here it is on this thread...

I just think it is so FINE that Morgana and Sally have written these articles at this time....I was trying to remember the name of famous pamphleteer of the American Revolution (Thomas Paine) and googled that, and noticed that historians are calling bloggers the pamphleteers of our time...Thomas Paines, all of you.

Having been felled by flu, dentist, and work, I hadn't had much to add to this discussion (the physical problems included a spike in blood pressure WAY high and a racing pulse....as if I had mainlined expresso....but found today that perhaps it is something going along with that stomach virus...so back to the dentist in SF, and while killing time, ran into some young guys down from Seattle....handing out pampletts of course....and they were part of Lindon LaRouches's Youth Movement...on their way to the Democratic convention is Sacramento. This guy gave me a pile of LaRouche's latest pamplete (actually 4 of them) and I was flabberghasted....it is all there in black and white. Read for yourself....http://www.larouchepac.com

Sally, if you haven't seen this LaRouche publication, How To Capitalize A Recovery...well....it is pretty good reading. And of course, he does bring up the East India Company, etc. It really has been almost 250 years since the Treaty of Paris (1763) and the beginning of our modern day economic model. Almost time for it to GO. AND, this young man on the street corner says LaRouche predicts the collapse of the economy in September. Kind of dovetails with Bob's predictions....and in this case, it will be the collapse of the housing market. That would certainly dovetail with what happened 15 years ago under #41, when the same thing happened. As Yogi Berra said, It is de ja vu all over again.

And this just showed up by email from a friend...
WHAT GAS SHORTAGE??

I just think everyone should know... I am a tugboat sailor. The gas shortage is totally bogus. There are "fleets" all up and down the gulf coast that you don't know about. They consist of hundreds and thousands of tank barges that we tie up daily that are filled with millions of gallons of fuel. The big companies pump their fuel into the barges and as long as the fuel is in a barge it is considered offshore and not part of the reserve. So, there are millions of gallons of fuel tied up to spud barges all through the bays, intracoastal inlets, and canals all up and down the coast that the companies don't have to report. They fabricate the shortage by pumping their millions of gallons of fuel and hide them in these fleets creating the shortage so they can make their multi billion dollar gains while we can't afford the gas at the pump. I've never in my life asked anyone to forward anything, but this has me fuming. Accidental pun now intended. With many voices, we can put a stop to this.

James F. Ransdell

That was my post on LaRouche, also...

Hmmmm. I thought LaRouche et al. was a cult.

Shylurker...even the young man made a joke about that...check out the articles and see what you think. Perhaps he has been painted that way (as a 'cult") from being the type who organizes people outside of acceptable channels? The youth organization is www.wlym.com

I was impressed with the articles ....especially having read nearly the same from other sources over the years. But few which have put out the information quite so bluntly. In one of his speeches (Jan 3, 2001, he warned about the Danger of Dictatorship at the end of the speech:

"You will have small wars set off in various parts of the world, which the Bush Administration will respond to, with crisis-management methods of provocation (set off by memebers of the Special Warfare types, of the Secret Government, the secret police teams, and so forth). That's what you'll get. And that's what the problem is, and you have to face that. You' ve to to control this process now, while you still have the power to do so. Don't be like the dumb Germans, who, after Hitler was appointed to the Chancellorship, in Jan 1933, sat back and said 'No, we're going to defeat him at the next election' There was never a next elelction - there was just this 'Jawohl', for Hitler as dictator. Because the Notverordnunug of Feb 1933 eliminated the political factor.

"And that's the danger you'll get here. If the Bush Adminsitration is determined to hammer its way through on this thing, if it's not resisted, and you allow it to do so, you will find it strongly tempted. And you look at, remember what George Bush's (#41)specialty was, as I remember very well... Remember Iran Contra, one of the biggest mass-murder swindles in modern history, run by VP Bush, under special powers, given to him under special orders, with the Executive Branch. HE ran Iran-Contra, the biggest drug-running game in the world. And behind Bush-and I know these guys very well, because I've been up against them; most of my problems came from these characters - these guys, pushed to the wall, will come out with knives in the dark. The will not fight you politically;' they will get you in the back. The will use their thugs to get you. That's their method. Know it."
-----
Which might explain, I asy, why Clinton was threatened when he ran agains GHWB; why Gore and Kerry gave in so easily....and why the dems are so 'quiet'. And do you REALLY wonder why the crack down on marijuana has reenergized? All those legalized clubs will seriously cut into their black ops funds...narco dollars. Not to mention the 10 year push by Darth Cheney,George Shultz and Felix Rowatyn to privatize the military....they did that. This has been under plan a long time. LaRouche saids 40 years.....in various forms.

This is on the Weimar Collapse and the similarity now to 19239with the Sept 2006 date):
http://www.larouchepac.com/pages/writings_files/2006/060420_weimar_collapse.htm

I've been reading LaRouche since he came on the scene in the 70's. I thought he was a bit of a nut case because everyone said he was. Then in the mid to late 80's his words took on a new meaning for me as I saw the political, social and cultural landscape begin to change. Now, things I never thought this country would do or accept have been done and we are accepting them. The US definately has slipped into despotism and it didn't come just with this administration, it's been moving in that direction for a long time, and it's been a planned move. I do think we might be on the verge of economic collapse, but I also think there is potential for revival. This isn't just a US problem, this exists throughout the world and I believe we can rise from this and I hope soon.

I normally don't waste must precious attention on George Bush because he is such a distraction from real problems with his carny comedy shows or cheap matinee melodramas. And he flubs so many lines. But today my newspaper had a picture of him that so perfectly represented the New Taurus Moon and the Mars in cancer, that I had to take notice. He was speaking to the Renewable Fuel Association in Washington.

He was standing at the podium with his arms outstretched and those ugly ungracious hands reaching out. His face had that gape mouthed frightened pleading expression he so often has. Behind him was an absolutely gorgeous picture of some American farmland and the letters RFA on it.(Renewable Fuel Assoc.) The Taurus land and the terrified man with Mars transiting his Cancer 12th house were worth a peek. A resolved and courageous leader he is not and it is apparent. But our country is beautiful and capable of fueling our tremendous desires. The plot thickens.

Thank you, Travieso, for that enjoyably article. That's interesting about the progressed Moon in Leo. It will be around the Saturn when it opposes Neptune giving more emphasis on the development of a clear snapshot for a moment.

Thank you also to the poster who thanked Astroworld for the astrological knowledge disseminated. Yesterday the comments reached a magical moment for me. The rhythm and grace were downright musical and then Morgana's rich and lively piece appeared suddenly. The artist in me is always seeking these experiences. So I'd also like to thank everybody at Astroworld for this reliable continuing pleasure.

If collapse does come, and if our civilization comes to an end while we're together, let's meet again in the next dimension. You'll recognize me. I'm the one with the wild Aries hair and the moss green hazel eyes.

Seal Totem:
Seals are at home in the water but give birth on land. During the mating season the males can engage in ferocious battles one minute and be playful and amusing the next. Seals have the agility to move from anger to complete calm. Being excellent swimmers they know how to flow with the ever changing currents. If seal pops its head into your life you are being asked to review the ebb and flow of your thoughts and emotions and maintain a point of balance.

Water is a creative element and represents the feminine imagination and intuition. When a seal appears in your life it is a signal to pay close attention to your imagination and insight both in the dreamtime and in the waking state. Much of what your imagining may have, and usually does, a strong basis in reality no matter how far fetched it appears.

Seals do not have external ears, just small openings. This signifies its kinship with their inner voice and can show those with this totem how to listen to the sound within. That sound is a inherent part of ones creative, imaginative powers.

Seals swim above and beneath the water enabling them to experience both the inner and outer worlds. They teach those with this totem how to flow, how to hear, and how to discover the deeper mysteries of their true nature. There are no limits to the creative energies stimulated by this medicine. The seal is the keeper of wisdom and shows us what is hidden deep within ourselves. They teach us how to integrate the our imagination with the reasoning power of the  intellect. Doing this promotes balance and harmony on all levels.
A Seal visited my yard yesterday! She swam up the stream in quest of smelts. My new moon gift!
The water trine was always the driving force in my art career. Picses 10, Cancer 2, Scorpio 6th.
Thanks to the Goddess, spirit returning! In spite of the terrible externals!
PQ

http://salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2006/04/27/rove_bush/

The passion of George W. Bush

The president doesn’t care that he is reviled. He is a martyr, and someday all will see his glory. Meanwhile, he’s got Karl doing his dirty work.

By Sidney Blumenthal

The urgent dispatch of Karl Rove to the business of maintaining one-party rule in the midterm elections is the Bush White House’s belated startle reflex to its endangerment. Besieged by crises of his own making, plummeting to ever lower depths in the polls week after week, Bush has assigned his political general to muster dwindling forces for a heroic offensive to break out of the closing ring. If the Democrats gain control of the House or Senate they will launch a thousand subpoenas to establish the oversight that has been abdicated by the Republican Congress.

In his acceptance speech before the Republican National Convention in 2004, the “war president” spoke of “greatness” and “resolve” and repeatedly promised “a safer world” and “security,” and compared himself “to a resolute president named Truman.” Afterward, Bush declared he had had his “accountability moment”; further debate was unnecessary; the future was settled.

But Rove’s elaborate design for Republican rule during the second term has collapsed under the strain of his grandiosity. In 2004, Rove galvanized “the base” (ironically, “al-Qaida” in Arabic) through ruthless divide-and-conquer and slash-and-burn tactics. But with Bush winning the election by a bare 50.73 percent, he failed to forge the unassailable Republican realignment that he sought.

Rove is an amateur historian whose goal was modeled on the apparently unlikely figure of President William McKinley. Bush’s radicalism bears little resemblance to McKinley’s stalwart conservatism except for his friendly orientation toward big business. Rove zeroed in on McKinley because his election in 1896 created a natural Republican presidential majority that was broken only by the party split of 1912, when Theodore Roosevelt ran as a Progressive and when Franklin D. Roosevelt ushered in a Democratic realignment in 1932. Rove and Bush had hoped to use the second term to force radical changes that would alter American government, society and politics. At last, they planned to undo the New Deal and return to the Republican Eden. But Rove’s proposal for the privatization of Social Security, among other schemes, was aborted without even a single congressional hearing.

The Republican cathedral of his dreams in ruins, Rove has now discharged formal control of moribund domestic policy to a protégé, Joel Kaplan (a former law clerk of Justice Antonin Scalia’s), in a reshuffle of the White House senior staff that includes the rise of another Rove protégé, Josh Bolten, as chief of staff, replacing Andrew Card, a New England Bush family factotum left over from the term of the elder Bush who was not one of Rove’s creations. As Bolten has explained privately, Rove remains at the apex of a new iron triangle, just as he stood at the peak of the Texas triangle of Karen Hughes, Joe Allbaugh and himself that managed George W. Bush’s 2000 campaign for president.

More….

The gas shortage that took place while Carter was in Office was also a fake. The company I worked with during that time was being courted by a large refining company, which was trying to buy the patent on a renewable fuel system our company had developed. When we met with them (in a smokey hotel room) they told the president of our company they were cash short because they were paying to store so much refined gasoline that was not being shipped to gas stations. This man was not shy about saying this at all. My guess is that many many people knew there was no gas shortage back then either. It was fraud then......

BTW, I think it was done back then to hurt Carter.

http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=629252006

This is how Tories must have felt at end - Labour minister

Charles Clarke admits to mistakenly freeing 1000 foreign criminals

John Prescott admits to extra-marital affair with further details to emerge

Patricia Hewitt barracked by nurses over controversial reform package

Key quote

"There's just a really miserable atmosphere at the moment - people are walking around with these grim, grim faces. No-one believes the polls - we feel like we're miles behind and nothing goes right. This must be how the Tories felt towards the end." - LABOUR MINISTER

Story in full INCOMPETENCE. Sleaze. Sex. Labour yesterday completed the triple crown of political infamy, with three of Tony Blair's senior ministers in the mire and an air of crisis hanging over the government.

Damaging admissions, grave accusations and angry public criticisms combined to make yesterday Labour's worst since last year's election, and perhaps since coming to power in 1997.

The bleak day followed allegations that Labour gave honours in exchange for cash and a string of minor scandals about ministers' competence and financial affairs.

One government minister last night privately likened Labour's situation to that which faced the Conservatives in the last days of John Major's leadership.

Even staunchly loyal Blairite MPs were yesterday accepting that Labour is facing a mauling in English local elections next week, almost inevitably triggering a new wave of speculation about the Prime Minister's position.

More....

Thank you Judi and Sally for your comments on LaRouche. I had never heard of him and plan to read the link Judi provided. I would like to believe that Bush is incompetent or just plain stupid like we hear so often. But how stupid is he really? Hasnt he done everything he apparently set out to do. Help big biz, especially big oil, cut taxes for the wealthy, and get rid of "entitlement" programs. Iraq is a money pit that will deplete the treasury and kill off all the "entitlement" programs by attrition. They didnt lose the Social Security battle. They didnt need reform; they won gloriously by letting “the war that will go on forever” suck it dry. Tax cuts for the rich, by all means. After all, why should the rich pay for all these programs they dont need. Let the ones who need them pay. We can see big biz back in the driver’s seat and bigger than ever. It has carte blanche to pollute, ignore health costs, scam the public (Enron), keep a lid on minimum wage, etc. etc. And if you want to complain about it, you better not forget the "Patriot" Act, enacted to legitimize illegal surveillance, arrests without due process, torture, intimidation, all weapons in the fight against this vague, amorphous war on terrorism or more aptly termed war on the bogeyman or hobgoblins (fear is so debilitating). And now we have legislation aimed at regulating the internet to shut everyone up and keep them in the dark. On all these fronts, he has the right to claim “Mission Accomplished.” Incompetent - - stupid? I dont think so. The neocon agenda is being served - - spectacularly. He has engineered the most radical change this country has ever seen. And, for those of us who see America and its values and strength in an entirely different light, the scary part is that it is happening so fast. We have to stop seeing him as a stupid chimp, puppet, whatever. He has been, unfortunately, and contrary to popular opinion, very effective.

Dennis Banks: Sacred Run
A Film by Rebecca MacNeice

http://www.truthout.org/multimedia.htm

Dennis Banks, co-founder of American Indian Movement, organized the first Sacred Run across the country 28 years ago. The run is a staggered event that covers the country by foot between February 11 and April 22, ending in Washington, DC, on Earth Day. This year's closing ceremony was held at the Lincoln Memorial. Along the way, the core group of runners were joined intermittently by other walkers and runners. Banks has always been accompanied by Buddhist monks from the Nipponzan Myohoji sect.

Anon, yes, how stupid is Bush really? Add to your most excellent list the fact that unions are now busted as well, a goal of transnationals for several years.

Did anyone catch Sylvia Browne yesterday? She made a statement in passing, something to this effect: That those who have recently passed on are not re-entering the Earth plane again. It's a common theme she's been noticing for the past fifteen years. Her guess was that the Earth wasn't going to be around in about 95 years.

I found it interesting in that there are a number of science-related factors pointing to the potential of a great shift: the poles tipping and adjusting, obviously global warming, the Big Burp Theory, an Ice Age Theory coming on the heals of global warming, etc.

How many times has this "correction" occurred before? Beyond Atlantis, beyond Mu. Perhaps the Earth is much, much older than we can possibly know. And maybe it's time to begin again.

Yikes.

One of the major aims of necrocons is to implant controlling "FEAR" within the consciousness of folks... it's apparently working as shown by some of the latest posts. Bah. Humbug.

It's the necrocons who're terrified... let 'em keep it! They deserve it!

For the angels & crystals crowd... http://www.matthewbooks.com/mm/anmviewer.asp?a=54&z=2

About how stupid Bush is, I think that he may be successful in furthering the neo con agenda, and I think he may be a crafty and underhanded criminal who has gotten away with a great deal, but I also think that has nothing to do with intelligence.

Only stupid people are blind to the outcome of their actions. He and his enablers are the stupidest human beings on earth because it's stupid to destroy everything for no better reason than to be rich and powerful. It's stupid to gut social services and to alienate the people of a dozen nations with no thought for their own safety in the long run. It's stupid to dismiss 8 generals, countless Congresspeople and Senators, entire States like Louisiana, and now California.

So, yeah, he's stupid. So is Rove, Condaleeza, Rumsfeld, Josh Bolton and John Bolton, Negroponte, Wolfowitz and all their minions.

Well, I don't wanna be seen as a fear propagater, but here's the latest from the Ghost Troop via cloakanddagger.ca:

http://www.cloakanddagger.de/lenny/ghost%20troopapr26.htm

Where is the Sears Tower they are speaking of, Garry?

Excellent article Morgana, such imagery and prose!

I saw the comments from the previous thread on my bunker buster concern and wonder if anyone has done a chart for that day to see if anything is out of order. The whole western US is connected to the Yellowstone Caldera as well as the fault lines that run in the region.

Karen, Sylvia is right about some things but I think she is wrong about the earth being gone in 100 years. From what I have been able to "see" about the future is this:

A major portion of humanity will suffer the greatest losses during the next 25 to 100 years due to the powers that be in control now, natural disasters and nuclear war. Pockets of life will survive in the higher elevations and the southern hemisphere.

My guides keep telling me to run away from this country if possible and are showing me a mountain range that looks like the Andes. For some reason the southern hemisphere will not get the full brunt of nuclear fallout due to the jet stream. South Africa, extreme S. America and Australia will be spared. The rest of the world will suffer.

Also, be aware that the class, race and religous wars will be where the most death occurs.

On a more positive note the awakening is in full swing, but people are lost and do not have a clue to how it got this way and what they can do to change it.

Don't mean to be a doomsayer...I'm am just a messenger. There are many souls here to help during this time and some are here at this site. Many beings from various origins also have incarnated to help and hinder. Those with eyes that see and ears that hear must not take anything for granted and be extremely careful during these dangerous times. Listen to your soul, that is the key to survival.

Many Blessings to my fellow Astroworlders.

Anon...The Sears Tower is in downtown Chicago. The 666 (June 6, 2006 is the day before my birthday of June 7!

We are living in a time when the forces of Neeo-Feudalism have risien again....and here is a nice joke about whether these people are intelligent or not (it isn't about intelligence - except in Bush's case)...it is the DISCONNECT they have from their ideas and their consequences)

Did you hear that Bush has had a major CAT scan?

The found nothing right on the left side, and nothing left on the right side....

When I was a kid I had a recurring dream about nuclear devastation and that the only safe place to be was way down south as Cybear states (I kept on imagining Australia ...). Due to the jet streat! Isn't that amazing!

Cybear posted:

My guides keep telling me to run away from this country if possible and are showing me a mountain range that looks like the Andes. For some reason the southern hemisphere will not get the full brunt of nuclear fallout due to the jet stream. South Africa, extreme S. America and Australia will be spared. The rest of the world will suffer.

Cybear, perhaps i should have paraphrased Sylvia as saying: life as we know it will not be the same. This DOES fit with not only your vision, but some of Cayce's AND the collective, evidenciary science.

As in all life, the truth and disinformation often co-exist. The trick is in maintaining awarness of this aspect. So often, we seek information that supports our views (I am no exception.) So, i've no idea what WILL occur, because we still have choices to make. It would be oh-so, way cool if we COULD Fire The Grid and suddenly SEE the connections between all things. WOW!

Clinton is Democrats' favourite for White House but ....
Apr 26 5:52 PM US/Eastern
Email this story

Senator Hillary Clinton is the favourite among Democratic voters to be the party's candidate in the 2008 presidential election, according to a poll.

But only 12 percent of Democrat electors believe the wife of ex-president Bill Clinton can overcome the hostility of US Republicans to take the White House, according to the Financial Dynamics poll for The Hotline political newsletter.

The New York senator had support from 38 percent of Democrats, a 24 percentage point lead over nearest rival, Senator John Kerry, the losing Democratic candidate in the 2004 election.

"The depth and breadth of Hillary Clinton's support among Democrats is daunting for other potential Democratic candidates in 2008, especially coupled with her enormous fundraising edge," said The Hotline editor Chuck Todd.

But Clinton is divisive figure. Many conservatives dislike her because of her attempts to influence policy while her husband was president.

The poll said that Senator John McCain was the leading Republican candidate among Democrats.

Fifty-five percent of the 603 people questioned had a favourable view of the Vietnam War veteran who fought George W. Bush for the Republican candidacy in 2000, a higher rating than many Democratic party chiefs received.

The poll, carried out April 19-23, had a margin of error of four percentage points.

I have written a comment on the Move On Forum asking if MOve On members would support a grassroots backing for Sen Ron Wyden's proposed amendment to the budget bill. I would appreciate it if someone here who is a member of DU could take this message over there as I am not a member.

You can vote here:

http://www.actionforum.com/forum/index.html?forum_id=266

Thank you.

bob

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/business/4904142.stm

Chevron invests in India refinery

US oil giant Chevron is investing $300m in a new Indian refinery as it looks to meet growing demand from Asia.

It is buying 5% of Reliance Petroleum, a company set up by Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries to operate a new export refinery in north-west India.

The 580,000 barrels-per-day site in Jamnagar will process heavy crude and is due to open in December 2008.

It will sit next to another similar sized Reliant-owned facility, creating the world's biggest refinery complex.

Chevron has the right to increase its stake in the refinery to 29% at a late date. It has an agreement with Reliance to try to collaborate on other energy projects in the region.

"This underscores the importance of Asia to Chevron generally, and India specifically," said Chevron chief executive Dave O'Reilly.

Chevron said the new refinery would increase its ability to process a wide variety of hard-to-refine crude oils.

I'm sorry that i wasnt able to convey my thoughts more artfully. I wasnt discussing whether Bush's agenda indicates stupidity or wisdom. The point was that we shouldnt trivialize him by thinking he's stupid. To call Bush stupid, in a sense, is to dismiss him and see him as ineffective. What i was trying to say, and not very well, is that to dismiss him as ineffective is danerous. We need to recognize that they have an agenda and are systematically implementing it with a degree of success. Our attention now needs to be focused on figuring how to defeat it. Less venting, more thinking!

Yaaay Joanna! Miss Humbug, herself. You exemplify exactly what we can do about all this manipulation.
The fear is there no matter what. It's seems to be a constant. I'm suspicious of all the dire predictions and how much folks really believe these, because I don't see anyone actually moving. Real doom is potent and can be sensed by some as the animals we are. At least some would be acting on it rather than talking and trying to figure out which seer to believe. Some of the prophets also have agendas to look out for. In history they sometimes used their cleverness to gain favor with the seat of power. When people actually start moving, that's when I would take notice. Of course, many people are blind to reality, but some are not. Survival instincts are powerful.
An Ice Age will come. They do in regular patterns. Then the population will adjust, diminish, and move closer to the equator. But it will be awhile, I think.

The neocon manipulation is no different than the ones before and lacks imagination, thankfully. The fear they inject, and others who do this, can be used as a vaccination to build immunity. This might be happening to some extent as the Iran test is proving. People are slightly more immune to the manipulation. It takes many innoculations. They never seem to catch on to the gas price game, for some reason.

The return to old political systems is happening some places but renewal and progress are happening in others, such as South America, if it takes hold. It's a constant dynamic of shifting sands all in an attempt to maintain equilibrium. No one dominates for long.

I think the neocons are failures. They made their mistake when they just squeaked by with Iran Contra. They should have taken the money and run, but they insisted on coming back for more.
Well, they're going to get it. They have slipped up miserably on their timing and secrecy. How in tarnation can you do secret surveillance when everybody knows about it? They are way too exposed. The power they have is the power you give up to them. Snatch it back when you can. Now is a perfect time. They won't be getting another chance.

The wisemen say that Pluto in Capricorn will bring backward systems again, government crackdowns on the people, and police states. This might very well be. But the opposite could also occur. The people cracking down on the government. Look at what just happened in Nepal in the blink of an eye when the King tried to rule by excessive force. Some ruthless dictatorships are due for demolition, while some freedom lovers are due for some discipline. It's a page turner.

PQ....what a beautiful post on the seals. That sounds auspicious.

http://www.tomdispatch.com/index.mhtml?emx=x&pid=80291

Judith Coburn, Caring for Veterans on the Cheap

Here's another clue about the neoconartists.
Sagittarius rules advertising and with Pluto there, the cons came in with the power of advertising. But there is also the element of truth in advertising, which seems to be in question. The shift in press secretaries indicates that the PR game is in trouble. Probably more than we realize. They can't rule without this. They don't have other skills.
It remains to be seen if Pluto destroys this or not. Whether or not a more pared down technique with some semblance of honesty comes in with the next presidential election.

About LaRouche. He's been delegated to the fringes because he's a reactionary and a loose cannon. On the surface he sounds super intelligent and progressive, but it's a good idea to study his history and you'll see why he doesn't gain ground in spite of being a perpetual Presidential candidate for decades. The following is an excerpt from a long biographical piece about him in Wikipedia

[snip]
n 1974, a former member of LaRouche's U.S. Labor Party, Gregory Rose, published an article in National Review alleging that LaRouche had established contacts with Palestinian terrorist organizations such as the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and also with the Iraqi mission to the United Nations in New York. These contacts culminated in LaRouche's visit to Baghdad in 1975, during which he made a presentation to the Baath Party conference on the topic of his "Oasis Plan," a proposal for Arab-Israeli peace based on the joint construction of massive water projects. During 1975, LaRouche's newspaper New Solidarity began running articles favourable to Iraq, and extensively quoting Saddam Hussein, at that time Iraq's vice-president. Rose also alleged that LaRouche at this time was in contact with Soviet diplomats.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyndon_LaRouche

judiGem,
Your comment @ 05:39 on the email about the gas shortage being bogus from the tugboat guy intrigued me. I posted it at FDL and got quite the response, to where people are emailing me asking for more info. They also want to know how credible or true it is, and if your friend knows this guy, etc.? What can you find out please? Thanks!

Collapse or transformation? This is rather interesting.

"Critics plan offensive as IMF-World Bank crisis deepens".

http://www.asianewsnet.net/columnist.php?aid=792

peeps this could take or keep 20 to 80 BILLION tax dollars out of our coffers. Do you just want to let the big oil companies keep that much of our money?

bob

Excellent article jm. Very interesting.

bob, no, absollutely not.

grrrrrrr

Cross post to save time. This will be my final attempt to get people to act, The words we type here mean nothing to those in DC but action by perhaps millions of members of Move On might get through to them. It's your choice.

There are 2 sections for comments, 1 on the upper half of the page for something I can't figure out, and 1 on the lower part of the page for "new" comments. My comment is on the lower part of the page which only shows the first 5 comments in that section. To see more you have to click on "next 5" at the bottom.

Last I looked mine was at 16 with 5 votes. The 5 on the top half of the page had 23, 15, 10, 1736, and 357 votes in that order. The 15 comments in front of mine on the bottom part of the page had
1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 3, 3, 2, 2, 1, 2, 5, 4, 6, and 4, with mine having 5. Above where you rate it by stars there is a choice as to whether you agree or disagree with the comment.

bob

The astrology - this will be started on a New Moon.

http://www.actionforum.com/forum/index.html?forum_id=266

bob, I posted it around some other sites too.

Shez....I sent an email back to the person who sent me the tugboat thing (and what is FDL?)...but I think it was also being sent around asking if anyone could confirm. Pat C. posted the article above about the 'shortage' during the Carter administration...

I think I will google this guy's name (James Ransdell)

golden Silence...John McCain is also considered a loose cannon. Some times the loose cannons are the ones who have real info tho....but haven't learend to be judicious. I'm pretty much a loose cannon myself, and although I have worked in various forms of advertising for my whole career, haven't gotten over being one myself. Been fired from every job I've had, pretty much for 'telling the truth' against the powers that be. Saturn conj. the Sun, ya know.

Wonder if Lyndon has that too?

Hey...I remember the LaRouche stuff too....interesting guy, though.

judiGem,

I have Saturn conjunct Sun opposing my Moon. I also speak truth to power and they hate it! I've lost every one of my jobs too. The only thing I learned was that I'm incapable of playing along with assumed servility and attempts at class abuse. If they would just stop with all the control crap life would be very pleasant. With Saturn sitting on my Sun though, I have disciplined stubborness and assertiveness they can never match or beat.

Boy! They do hate truth though!

Shez....I sent an email back to the person who sent me the tugboat thing (and what is FDL?)...but I think it was also being sent around asking if anyone could confirm. Pat C. posted the article above about the 'shortage' during the Carter administration...

I think I will google this guy's name (James Ransdell)

golden Silence...John McCain is also considered a loose cannon. Some times the loose cannons are the ones who have real info tho....but haven't learend to be judicious. I'm pretty much a loose cannon myself, and although I have worked in various forms of advertising for my whole career, haven't gotten over being one myself. Been fired from every job I've had, pretty much for 'telling the truth' against the powers that be. Saturn conj. the Sun, ya know.

Wonder if Lyndon has that too?

Hey...I remember the LaRouche stuff too....interesting guy, though.

weird communications screw up there....hey, Golden, you are the first person I've met with that sun/sat conjunction. Mine is exact at 16 Gemini.

What's yours?

My Saturn is at 26 Leo and my Sun is 27 Leo which is also my IC. Both are opposite my Moon in the 10th House.

I'm a Gemini Rising though so we have a lot in common.

Thanks judiGem! (FDL is short for Firedoglake) A gal that emailed me did some digging and found this link, said it was the earliest she could find as a reference:

http://www.aspendailynews.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=427&sid=3b5cae637fbdc8f7b5f61d687b7e8223

I've emailed that poster this evening with some questions about it so we'll see if I get a response back. In the forum post he doesn't source it or sign it, and if I recall correctly it's dated something like Apr 4th. We're just so intrigued by it that I hope we can find out more about it.

Shez....well, apparently the person who sent it to my friend was looking for links also...I've emailed her directly now, and we will trace it back....Judi

Goldensilence, that explains it. Your self confidence and your Sun/Saturn. A good, solid, dense, heavyweight, self respectin', don't mess with me ego. What I wouldn't give for one of those. If I may indulge in some osmosis, I'd like to absorb some of yours and Judi g's as they radiate.

The New Moon in Taurus, man.
Reproducing myself is not on the top of my list of immediate goals, even if I could. But last night I dreamt I was smooching seriously with the most unlikely guy....a Taurus. Only in my dreams.

I came across this quote in a stack of writings from my acerbic Saturn in Sagittarius soul friend who was raised a Southern Baptist in North Carolina. I thought you guys that don't like our organized religion might like it.

"My God exists.
He's not that bald headed lecher who clamped his sweaty hand over my nose and mouth in baptismal at Lower Creek when I was twelve.
I'm not telling you who God is...just telling you who he isn't."

Shez. . .from my post above, this quote and link regarding shortages.

(quote) The myth of dramatically reduced supply has helped them create an argument to the American public, which is, you know, it’s a time of war, we’re suffering, gas prices are going to go up, everyone needs to come in and support this because this is war. Well, that's just not true. The companies are using that as a myth to help make it okay for them to receive these utterly ridiculous profits. (quote)
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/25/1343214

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/04/27/damon.baladtroops/index.html

Leaders visit; front-line troops say, 'Yeah, so?'

As Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld made their surprise visits to Baghdad on Wednesday, many of the troops stationed north of Baghdad, in Balad and Dujail, say either they didn't know about it or didn't care.

"I'd ask him for a plane ticket home to see my wife. I have barely seen her in the last two years," said a young sergeant, who did not want to be identified. Like many of the soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division, he is on his second deployment to Iraq.

Some joked that whenever VIP's come to visit they just go to the main bases and meet the "fobbits," the nickname given to troops who do not go outside the barbed wire.

"They have to get out to see the people that are doing the jobs they are making them do. If they didn't they would not be very good leaders," said Maj. Michael Humphreys, one of the few soldiers here willing to tell journalists some of his opinions on senior leadership.
More....

...................

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/060427/480/dcpm10904272019

Hastert Caught Ditching Hybrid He Drove To Energy News Conference For SUV...

House Speaker Dennis Hastert of Ill., center, gets out of a Hydrogen Alternative Fueled automobile, left, as he prepares to board his SUV, which uses gasoline, after holding a new conference at a local gas station in Washington, Thursday, April 27, 2006 to discuss the recent rise in gas prices. Hastert and other members of Congress drove off in the Hydrogen-Fueled cars only to switch to their official cars to drive back the few block back to the U.S. Capitol. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

................

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-burnett/

George Bush and The Cat in the Hat

Once upon a time
The Cat in the Hat
George Bush and I
Had a big spat.

One summer day,
Just after three
My mother said,
"I'm going for tea."

She went out the door
And in two seconds flat
Out of the closet
Came the Cat in the Hat.

"It's time to have fun,"
Said the Cat in the Hat
"Let's watch TV,
Nothing's better than that."

He went to our den
And without saying please
Turned on the FOX news
Which quivered my knees.

More....

Morgana, poetry in motion!

On another note, I don't think much of Condoleeza Rice, but found this article amusing ... these neocon old white men must hate having to share power with a woman ...

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/04/28/MNGPKIGV7F1.DTL&feed=rss.news

Hastert using a fuel efficient vehicle as a propaganda and political tool ONLY as long as it suits his photo op agenda, then switching to the most crass earth gutting and environmentally destructive example of a vehicle is probably the epitome of what the neo-cons are all about.

Someone should make a video called "Consumerism Gone Wild!". Republican leaders would be the starring protagonists.

If you can be that disgustingly cynical about the planet, global warming, and the people you are proclaiming yourself to serve then you have a shrivelled black piece of distilled excrement where you long gone soul used to be. These people don't lose their souls, their souls take off and leave them to rot.

http://www.hyfntrak.com/neilyoung2/AFF23130/

You can listen to the new Neil Young album Living With War, as streaming audio. Includes the soon-to-be-smash hit “Let’s Impeach the President.”

............

http://donkeyod.blogspot.com/2006/04/gis-beware-of-radioactive-showers.html#links

http://www.notinkansas.us./

GI’s Beware of Radioactive Showers!

by Irving Wesley Hall

Bush’s impending, insane nuclear attack on Iran has provoked an unprecedented rebellion within the top leadership of the United States military. At the same time, depleted uranium (DU) is steadily taking down our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s time for the soldiers to follow the lead of their commanders in order to end the war.

Was Army Sergeant Michael Lee Tosto the first American victim of the Bush Administration’s March 2003 “Shock and Awe” attack on Iraq? The 24-year old North Carolina tank operator died “mysteriously” in Baghdad on June 17, 2003.

The Iraqi capital was saturated with radioactive dust from the initial explosions of 1,500 American bombs and missiles, many of them made from solid depleted uranium. After the saturation bombing, the city was the scene of street battles with M-1 Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, A-10 Warthog attack jets and Apache helicopters, all firing DU munitions.

The army told Sergeant Tosto’s family that he died from pulmonary edema and pericardial effusion, or cardiac failure, after showing flu-like symptoms.

Young Michael Tosto believed George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, and Condoleezza Rice. He believed he had been deployed to Iraq to stop Saddam Hussein from nuking the United States. Michael died before we all learned that Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld are nuking the world.

Michael Tosto died, young and innocent, when they nuked him.

After Michael ’s funeral, a fellow soldier contacted Michael’s wife Stephanie and told her that his buddy started coughing up blood, his lips turned blue, and he was dead within 48 hours after the first symptoms.

According to Tom Flocco, upon whose story this account is based,

“. . . the Tostos say their GI was in excellent health—in his prime of life. And Stephanie Tosto told United Press International, ‘When my husband died, the casualty officer asked me, ‘Is it possible that Michael had heart problems?’ Michael did not have heart problems. One other time they asked me if he had asthma. He was never sick.”

Inhaling depleted uranium causes pulmonary edema. Symptoms include bleeding lungs, bronchial pneumonia, and vomited blood. Pericardial effusion is a common cause of death among leukemia patients. Michael’s mother, Janet Tosto, reported that military officials told her that her son Michael’s military autopsy exhibited elevated levels of white blood cells. Exposure to depleted uranium can cause Lymphocytic leukemia.

More….

Ok, what does everybody think about the Star Spangled (currently Mangled) Banner - our national anthem being sung in spanish?

My mom asked me today and I didn't know what she was talking about! Urk! She was hopping mad about it (chilean, what can I tell you - has been a US citizen for I guess 40 years - 20 of them in the US army as a spouse) ... don't go there!

Hey they're taking jobs, why not the anthem?? Corporate America is creating the situation, and they don't care which anthem is sung or in which language. It's all business fodder to them.

Kristol on Colbert - a must see.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/04/28.html#a8079

Marta, I haven't heard it in Spanish, I am not insulted or upset. So what ? I'm more upset about USA being sold out for cheap tawdry sex. This makes me angry.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/4/28/94455/5569

My ethnic mix? Euro invader from the 1500's and Apache.

Personally I think the Country of Mexico should just be another STATE of the US of A and let us all go freely hither and yon.

Pat C, right you are ... and it's another fabricated uproar right before the 2006 elections ... divide and conquer. Kind of like a "false flag" terrist attack. They sure are clever those rethugs. They stir the pot and then sit down and laugh about everybody going into a tizzy. In the end it all works for them.

Sally (I think) nailed it ... they've stolen so much money from our treasury that they can afford to hire the best and brightest to come up with a national anthem in spanish that is designed to create an uproar ... amongst all the other pots they're stirring. Don't worry, money will buy PLENTY of manpower ... Never underestimate them because they are remarkably effective and know exactly which buttons to push ... why they're the same buttons we're all taught to be careful of for fear of offending. They have a ready made menu - gay mariage, homosexuality, immigration, pick your flavor of the day.

How the heck are we suppose to deal with these thugs? Truth doesn't matter, laws don't matter, loyalty doesn't matter. It's all a big game to them.

I'm not all that sure Mexico would want to be absorbed into this country Morgana. On the other hand, they might be real happy to absorb the US. All the work has been done for them.

Marta, I send a hug to your mother. I can understand her frustration.

Hi Morgana, Euro invader and apache ... sounds like you're ready for anything! Yeah, I agree about the cheap, tawdry sex ... another item on a long list of terrible things. As far as Mexico being another state, I personally love Mexico. That's why I would hate to see them become another state with our trashy, commercial, ugly, terrible food, stupid regulations, and whatever anyone would care to add to the list. Mexico has the most amazing food, architecture, culture and feel. We've already ruined Cancun and Cozumel, not to say Puerto Vallarta, etc. But there are still many places you can travel to in Mexico that are incredibly wonderful. Why ruin a good thing? Nah! Same reason I don't want Canada to become a state. We'd quickly chop down all their forests, get rid of their organic food..... no, no, no! It won't do.

We really need to restrain our excessive need to contaminate other places with our crass commercialism.

Pat C, thanks ... I'll pass it on to my mom ... she sounded a bit rattled today!

Good points Marta.

AP story on nuestro himno, the new Spanish language version of the Star Spangled Banner: 'A remix to be released in June will contain several lines in English that condemn U.S. immigration laws. Among them: "These kids have no parents, cause all of these mean laws ... let's not start a war with all these hard workers, they can't help where they were born." ' http://tinyurl.com/q8349

Worth a day pass......http://www.salon.com/opinion/blumenthal/2006/04/27/rove_bush/index1.html

I'm with you Marta and Morgana,

The US ought to keep its bloody hands off other countries and start learning some of the cultural lessons they have to offer. It has the most unique human mixture in the world and the White Anglo Saxon Protestants (WASP) men who look just like Hastert, Trent Lott, and Santorum think they're the only Americans. That their hate filled 'Christian' values are something everyone should be forced to emulate.

Crap on them, and support your brown brothers and sisters on May 1 in their national boycott. They are us, just like the original Native Americans because that's who they are. They are us as much as the ensuing Europeans, the Asians, the Africans, the Vietnamese and South Easterners, the Filipinos, Japanese, Irish, Eastern Europeans, Germans, French, Indians from India, Koreans, Palestinians, Iranians, Russians, Jews, muslims, catholics, and atheists.

Our national anthem is just a war song, and our flag is just a piece of cloth that glorifies the blood spilled by wars. Maybe the day will come when we can rewrite our anthem to show our diversity, and maybe some day we can take those red stripes that symbolize blood that is spilled because of wars out of our flag.

This is just another wedge issue.

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060515/chester

!!House Panel Shoots Down Net Neutrality!!

The GOP House leadership rejected calls Wednesday to preserve the Internet's open and democratic nature in the United States. Phone and cable industry lobbyists breathed a sigh of relief as the House Energy and Commerce Committee defeated, 34 to 22, an amendment to a broadband communications bill (known as the Barton-Rush Act) that would require "network neutrality." Under the proposal, developed by Massacusetts Democrat Ed Markey and others, phone and cable companies would have been prohibited from transforming the Internet into a private, pay-as-you-post toll road.

Over the past week, there has been a remarkable outpouring of public and corporate support for network neutrality. SavetheInternet.com, organized by Free Press and representing dozens of nonprofit groups and leading Internet experts, helped generate 250,000 signatures in less than a week for an online petition calling on Congress to protect the Internet and pass the Markey bill.

This new group, a collection of unusual bedfellows that runs the political gamut from Common Cause, the Gun Owners of America and the Parents TV Council to Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, also spurred many bloggers to take a strong stand (ranging from the liberal Daily Kos to the libertarian Instapundit).

Meanwhile, Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Amazon, eBay and IAC, which make up the Network Neutrality Coalition, unveiled their "Don't Mess With the Net" campaign, running ads in Roll Call and The Hill targeting lawmakers. MoveOn.org's new Save the Internet campaign also generated many letters and e-mails to members of Congress.

More....

Morgana ... PS I said the Star Spangled (Mangled) banner not because someone translated it into spanish, but because it no longer represents anything that I grew up believing America stood for ... :) In case you was wondrin' ...

Barbara Handclow on the April 27th new moon in Taurus (towards the bottom of the page):

http://www.handclow2012.com/astroflash.htm

Been following the thread a couple of days, what a touchstone, Morgana, all sorts of comment coming out. Don't worry too much about the 'national anthem',people, the tune is an old english drinking song called "To Ancreon (Spelling might be wrong) in Heaven" I intend to learn the original lyrics and sing them loudly next time I am forced to in public. It took years for the Francis Scott Key peom to replace the original and people for years resisted the song for that reason. Chuck it in a can with that awful mindless fascist pledge. C'mon guys! Surf's up! They've chosen their view, safe in the old physics, let's evolve into the new view of the world. We don't have to lose everything this time and go back to square one and have these negative bastards ruin everything for the umteenth time just as we're starting to freaking WAKE UP! I know we're all low on energy, but keep giving, continue to organize yourselves, support local farms, support local buisness. Join barter and 'time dollar' societies! Don't give up,the bastards who would exploit you will be replaced...by you! In solidarity, Juno

The Great Bush Reclassification Project

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20060426_molly_ivins_bush_reclassification/

It’s nice to know that the investigative reporter Jack Anderson is still under investigation, although seriously dead.

Anderson died last year, and for 19 years before his death he suffered from Parkinson’s disease and was increasingly less active as a reporter. Now that he’s safely deceased, the Federal Bureau of Investigation wants to go through nearly 200 boxes of his files to see if there are any classified documents in there. If it’s classified, they want it back – even though Anderson was in the habit of printing anything he ever got that was of any interest.

This is apparently part of the Great Bush Reclassification Project, in which government information that has previously been declassified and offered for public consumption is now being reclassified as secret so nobody can find out about it. Those who saw government documents between declassification and reclassification are just going to have to forget what they saw. That, or some Man in Black will be sent around to zap your memory with a little thingamajig.

For some reason, the FBI thinks Jack Anderson, despite Parkinson’s disease, had some papers involving two employees of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) who have been criminally charged with receiving classified information. That case is a crock in itself, and to use it to dig through Anderson’s archived stuff is just ludicrous.

Among Anderson’s targets of old was the Federal Bureau of Investigation itself – gee, still worried he might have photos of J. Edgar Hoover in a dress after all these years?

More….

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/06/04/con06168.html

Some Thoughts on the 'Immigration Problem'

snip

The Republicans leading the charge against the Mexicans in particular blame all the domestic ills of our country on them: the failing health care system, the deficient educational system, increased traffic, crime, environmental issues, and etc. Of course, it is the only time they get near the laundry list of problems that are actually caused by the policies of their own party. How convenient to blame the illegal immigrants for their outcomes: privatization, export of capital and with them American jobs, the purposeful shrinkage of the tax base, the ever-widening gap between the ultra-rich and the rest of us, the rapidly widening Federal deficits, and the resultant limits being placed on the already minimal levels of national domestic spending.

Let's look at some possible solutions. One quick way of dealing with the illegal immigration problem would be to enforce the law against employing undocumented workers. If the jobs dried up, the illegals would stop coming. They may be desperate for work, but they are not dumb. If the word were to get back to Mexico that there are no jobs, the inflow would stop straightaway. Another way is the Sensenbrenner fence. Very expensive. It would take a long time to build. It would definitely change routes of entry and might even cut down on the numbers somewhat. A major question to ask about it, however, is: Would the illegal immigrants hired by Halliburton to build the fence at the lowest possible cost and highest possible profit then be provided with some form of “amnesty?”

There is one real solution that could work. I discussed it briefly in my column on Mexico published on TPJ on Jan. 12, 2206. As I said then: “In an article written by a senior Mexican economist with a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, Dr. Ricardo Pasco (The [Miami] Herald Mexico, 12/28/05) I was surprised to learn that only a minority of illegal immigrants from Mexico are unemployed farmers. The majority are people who have jobs and at least some education but, as Dr. Pascoe told us, simply cannot make enough to support their families as the NAFTA-driven ever-widening income gap in Mexico continues on its un-merry way. As Dr. Pascoe said: 'The problem is that wages are very low in Mexico.' Building a wall is one way, theoretically, to solve the problem for the U.S. But criminalizing illegal immigration would likely not act as a deterrent (since the vast majority of illegal immigrants don't get caught and likely wouldn't even with a wall) and accomplish nothing more than expanding the United States' already vast prison system, at taxpayer expense.

The best long-term solution for both countries? Repeal NAFTA so that manufacturing jobs would stay here and profits that the Mexican ruling class does make in Mexico could not so easily be exported and they might have to re-invest in income- and job-producing enterprises at home.” But of course it was none other than Bill Clinton, whose first big money-men in politics were the Waltons of Wal-Mart, who was the engine behind the passage of NAFTA. And his DLC still controls the Democratic Party. So I don't have a solution that could really be adopted, unless any regime change here were really drastic.

Thus at this point all progressives can do about the illegal immigration problem is tell the truth, expose the lies, propose some reasonable, cost-effective, humane long-term solutions, and most importantly, in my view, use the fact that the issue is being put out there by the Republicans to achieve the “Three D's:” Distract, Defer, and Diminish the focus of the public's attention from the truly most critical issues of the day.

This would so work for me!

Gore Redux

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12535070/site/newsweek/from/RSS/

And me.

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/lou.dobbs.tonight/

Do you believe the Bush administration, by approving the Dubai Doncasters deal, has once again put commerce and trade ahead of national security?

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3828028.html

Limbaugh Arrested in Fla. on Drug Charges

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Rush Limbaugh was arrested Friday on prescription drug charges, law enforcement officials said.

Limbaugh turned himself in to authorities on a warrant issued by the state attorney's office, said agency spokeswoman Teri Barbera.

The conservative radio commentator came into the jail at about 4 p.m. with his attorney Roy Black and was released an hour later on $3,000 bail, Barbera said.

The warrant was for fraud to conceal information to obtain prescription, Barbera said.

I have difficulty with unsourced information... the comments upthread re the gasoline shortage in the 1970s...

Personally, I lived through that time... sat in line for gasoline... I checked google and came up with Jimmy Carter's book... and some comments...

"... The taunting of Americans by a fanatical mob in the streets of Tehran added to the sense of loss of national prestige that had been building in the minds of voters since the ignominious escape by helicopter of the last Americans out of Vietnam. In addition to the hurt to the American psyche, there were more practical consequences of the Iranian crisis that tested the temper of the public; perhaps the most visible were a gasoline shortage and long lines of cars at gas stations caused by the cutoff of Iranian oil. Stuart Eizenstat, assistant to the president for domestic policy, remembers the tension of those days: "The cut-off of almost 6 million barrels of oil per day of Iranian production created gasoline lines throughout the nation. I personally felt the aggravation they caused motorists because I sat in several gasoline lines near my house for up to an hour so I could get to the White House to plan how to end them!"[3]

http://uncpress.unc.edu/chapters/biven_jimmy.html

The Iranians were angry... they cut back on our flow of oil... it was pretty dang real...

Same thing will happen if we bomb Iran any time soon... the will cut back on their oil production...

The gas shortage that took place while Carter was in Office was also a fake. The company I worked with during that time was being courted by a large refining company, which was trying to buy the patent on a renewable fuel system our company had developed. When we met with them (in a smokey hotel room) they told the president of our company they were cash short because they were paying to store so much refined gasoline that was not being shipped to gas stations. This man was not shy about saying this at all. My guess is that many many people knew there was no gas shortage back then either. It was fraud then......

Posted by: Pat C on April 27, 2006 01:15 PM

Do you have a source for that Pat C?

Yuppers I do remember the Iranian Oil embargo, but thirty something years later they have another buyer who is very thirsty and has not squandered its resources playing in sandbox's. We've bought bicycles as gas prices sky rocket, cheapest we found was Costco.

Yes Morgana, bicycles, and access to a train or bus is certainly going to come in handy...

From what I can glean from all the chatter is that oil prices are based on Futures. So speculation as to what will happen to the supplies determines the price.

There are a lot of possibilities. links to sources often can't be trusted but can sound awfully convincing.

One poss is that the Iranian crisis is fabricated to raise prices in anticipation of loss of supply. There are many players in the oil cartels and we don't know who's allied with whom. This info is probably purposefully skewed. I'm sure there is a constant jockeying for position. Or the crisis could be real, although it looks suspicious and gamey.
There is a specific geopolitical reason behind this.
The price jump here could be related to the elections. If they crash right before, then we will know something. If they dip down but jump up again right before, we will also know. Don't these events occur often around election time?

The sudden jumps and dips are proof of the geoplitical game, since supply and demand remain somewhat constant. So the trick is to use our imaginations and toss around ideas as to what the real reasoning is.

I read an interesting article that explained a long battle that's been going on between the military industrial complex and the oil cartels. The military was against being dragged into Iraq, and now, if this is so, the battle might be heating up, evidenced by the revolt of the military brass.

Whatever is happening, there seems to be a lot of disruption in the seat of power, and we will have to ride it out and see what unfolds.

From a larger perspective, this is in the cards as we ultimately will have to face our energy problem. Now is a good time to practice.

What I am addressing is the charge that the gasoline shortage of the 1970s... the decrease in production of Iranian oil... was a fraud... as quoted upthread.

As for what we face now...

the price of gasoline has gone up... I have to deal with that. I suppose you do also.

Well, Jo. I started to deal with that when gas went to $1.50. That's the upper limit on my budget. Even though I drive a subcompact economy car and I weigh about as much as a hummingbird, I cut my driving back to a fraction of what it was. My joy rides ceased and I turned to blogosphere conversation for recreation. The driver's seat can be anywhere.

I've been thinking about getting a Vespa for a long time, and I might do that. Even though it might take many lifetimes for people to realize they can cut off the life support of corporations (and soon they will be on ventilators), they've done it before, and one person's effort is highly valuable. It's a learning process and it's best to do it in increments. Deleting things and then getting used to it. Like a diver coming up so he doesn't get the bends. The trick is to stick to it even if things change back.

jm,

Today I filled up my Honda Accord. What used to cost me $25 dollars today cost me $51.49.

There aren't words....

I hear ya, Goldensilence.

But watch for some very interesting developments and innovations.
People are sheep up to a point. They can also be clever, resourceful, and creative. Right now, people are experimenting with all kinds of wacky vehicles, some with small motors, others with batteries, and some with bicycle wheels.
The squeeze always brings invention and I think in the coming years we will be surprised and even amused.

I realize how this hurts people who need to drive, but they also will figure something out.
One thing I do now is to plan diligently, so the errands I need to run are consolidated and I do as much in one area as I can, close to home. I'm even starting some no drive days, if possible.

The hard thing for us to do is pooling. As I mentioned we like to have our own enclosed spaces in our cars and it's a hard thing to give up.
Also, for urban dwellers. Probably most gas is consumed idling. So alternative routes and off hour times to do things, helps a lot.

Also, a relationship with the gas gauge. A full tank of gas is one of my greatest pleasures. But I have a psycholgical thing going with the needle. One quarter of the way down, my feelings shift from pure joy, to measured happiness. Below the quarter, I start to worry. Halfway down, I start to despair. And below that, I don't like to drive any more. So the longer it takes to get to the halfway mark, the happier I am. It's quite an affair. But I do love my little car.

And keep your tires inflated. It's a pain, I know, and often overlooked, but it makes a difference and it's cost free. I put a can of some stuff called K44 through my engine(in the gas tank) and it works like a $22 tune-up. It takes energy to save energy!

Info posted by Jo: "The taunting of Americans by a fanatical mob in the streets of Tehran added to the sense of loss of natl prestige that had been building in the minds of voters since the ignominious escape by helicopter of the last Americans out of Vietnam. In addition to the hurt to the American psyche..."

That shld've read "ameriCO EGO" eh Jo... almost the most childish & immature on the planet.

A Vespa, jm... I've been thinking about same... with a nice big basket for toting. It would be just the thing around here except in the rainy months, cheap & a lot of fun. My little car is a 3-cylinder & I drive it rarely preferring to walk, "do the MAX", or hitch a ride with someone else. I would LOVE to see driving vehicles cut way down in our streets... if nothing else, for the lowering of noise. I'm just really looking forward to rising gas prices. If that seems mean, so be it.

Right after ray-gun's gas crisis, bidnesses started--en mass--inviting people into their "drive-thru" lines so folks could REALLY waste the stuff... not to mention (but will mention) the stop/go traffic on the "freeways." Banks & fast-fooders were major culprits.

I don't understand this reaction, especially the pResident's, to the Hispanic version of the Star Spangled Banner. For someone who espouses freedom every day, it sounds pretty narrow minded to say that everyone needs to learn to speak English. Why? If they can get by the way they are - whose business is it? As far as the cost of gasoline going up, my husband, an energy consultant, is thrilled, as the more it goes up, the more it will force people out of their complacency and passivity and get them to do something else.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12842.htm

The Corporate Control Of Society and Human Life

.................

Jason Leopold: Fitzgerald to Seek Indictment of Rove

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042806Y.shtml

Despite vehement denials by his attorney who said this week that Karl Rove is neither a "target" nor in danger of being indicted in the CIA leak case, the special counsel leading the investigation has already written up charges against Rove, and a grand jury is expected to vote on whether to indict the Deputy White House Chief of Staff sometime next week, sources knowledgeable about the probe said Friday afternoon.

Also, you can make sure you're idling at a good rate. I don't know if it varies, but my car is best at 750 rpms. There's a gauge. 0 to 1 and on. So you should idle three fourths beyond 0 to 1. It's simple for your mechanic to adjust if need be.

It's all a big game we're stuck in and things will calm down in between bouts, as we get our bearings and adjust. This Cancer country can easily emotionally over-react, and Mars now is having his fun transiting Cancer. There is method to the madness somewhere. It's amazing we find any balance at all what with whirling on our axis, circling endlessly around the sun, and trying to maneuver around the trillions of creatures trying to survive on earth. An ant just bit my foot, for example.

Sometimes I think that the collective situation is always dire and threatening, but this might serve to help us find personal joy within it. Even some calm. It would be a shame to waste the pleasurable Taurus energy as the spring comes in. It's so brief.

Anon,
We in Washington County, Maine are already scraping the bottom! One neighbor is quiting his well paid job at Jackson Labs ( Bar5 Harbor, cancer research) because it costs him $15 per day to commute. Bus? train? what are they? We have one small market in town..( its costs me an extra $25. to shop there rather than drive to the BIG market 32 miles away. ) ( sure can't ride my bike there!) no socks underwear, printer ink cartridges, paper, kitchen utensils, replacement technology like phones answering machines which are designed to fail in 6 months! The nearest place to shop is 30 miles either direction.
Please get over your complacency soon so we can stop suffering!
I have driven a diesel rabbit for 25 years ( 50 mi. per gal) I will switch to biodioesel soon although I have to drive 65 miles round trip to get it. ( thats 1 gallon )
I have also ( for the past 8 years or so) been approaching and lecturing strangers who leave their SUV's running while they do errands here. Run into the library here & leave the car running so the dog can enjoy air conditioning while you do your e-mail!!!!!!!!!
My hair has been on fire for the last 5 years...............I will be glad when the rest of the crowd catches up with me!
PQ
The good news is we're ahead of the curve when it comes to survival..................many already farm with horse drawn wagons.

I LOVE the personal stories on coping... they're so heartening & funny. Pat Sharp... your "hair has been on fire for the last 5 years?!!??!" ;O)

Yup... this daily "pink boyz trash video game of the rulers" into which we've been herded, to pass as our "daily existence," is just like the nasty video games upon which the young have been raised I 'spose. It's like eating nothing but candy day in & day out... everything is rotted out, blood pressure is way up d/t the overload of processed sugar, & the collective is feeling awful. But that's not the end of the story... it never is. We find other ways out of the maze as the energetic field intensifies. There're always options... always. ;O)

Advances have always been made in this country for labor, human rights, equal rights etc in chaos, with that in mind perhaps the May 1st boycott will serve to get us out from under NAFTA, and force the rest of the country to look at the disparity between the haves and have nots.

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=33063

I find it interesting however that it's the illegals who are forcing this issue. Why would Mexicans be called to demonstrate in the United States when their own country is in desperate need of their voices to focus attention on Mexico's labor and equal rights problems? Why, when a spotlight has needed to fall on the corruption and graft and inequality in their own country for decades would they be organized to fight for rights in this country when they have been denied rights in their own? Why would they turn their frustrations and anger on being poor here and not try to change or create opportunities there, demand changes there? It doesn't make sense to demand the US pay for their poverty or to help them create opportunities here when they won't demand the right to create opportunities for themselves there.

Mexico has centuries ago been taken over by the elites, ever since the Spanish landed there and they enslaved their people, now the elites in this country are trying to enslave them here. Mexico's poor aren't taking our jobs or our rights, the multi-nationals are and they are organizing the enslavement of this country just as they did in Mexico centuries ago. Now if a leader would come along to organize all of us against the multi-nationals and our corrupt governments we might really accomplish a great deal.

Exactly Sally

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12842.htm

The Corporate Control Of Society and Human Life

.................

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12535460/site/newsweek/

Al Gore on why America—and even George Bush—is close to a tipping point
on global warming

...................

http://www.firedoglake.com/2006/04/23/al-gores-evolution-on-same-sex-marriage/

Al Gore’s Evolution on Same-Sex Marriage

snip

It is that love, after all, that is at the heart of why everybody is here. That is what must be honored and respected. Your right to fall in love with who you fall in love with. And your right to expect that that will be recognized with the same dignity and honor that love is recognized for other couples. Love is transcendent and fulfilling and powerful and any force on earth that endeavors to make you feel that you should be ashamed for feeling genuine, deep love for another of your choosing is a form of oppression.

…Much has been made of the second simple truth — the first being that love … that transcendent feeling is at the center of all the debates. The second simple fact is that — it’s been mentioned here — is that when your fellow Americans come to know you for who you are, everything changes. But the so-called Catch 22 that discrimination and oppression put you in, is that the law requires gays and lesbians in the military or in job settings where they have no protection or in other settings where discrimination is rampant — if the law and the culture of society requires you to be closed and secret and inauthentic and to pretend that you are not who you are, then you are not allowed to use your basic humanity to change the minds and hearts of those around you. You must have the right to be who you are, just as I have the right to be who I am.

As I was on the way here, I reflected on why is there so much controversy about the question of equality for gays and lesbians. Why? This fight has been so long and so hard for something that is so simple and so right.

More...

Michael A. Fox | Bodies for Barrels: Betrayal and Energy Dependence

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042906Y.shtml

Ohio Republican and longtime conservative Michael A. Fox has come to the realization that America's energy problems are not, as President Bush recently declared, because Americans have an "addiction to oil." Our energy problems stem from the failed leadership of two political parties - Democrats and Republicans.

There is a deliberately manipulated MISPERCEPTION that the immigration boycotts and marches are done by illegal immigrants. That is simply not so. As a group those who are here illegally don't speak English and they're way too busy working for starvation wages and under the worst circumstances for employers who demand they work long and exhaustive hours. Everyone knows about the migrant field workers, but few know that Los Angeles has a vast subculture of factory laborers who are treated every bit as badly as they are treated in third world countries. After all, who can they go to in order to get fair treatment, or get paid the minimum wage or have any rights whatsoever? Slavery and forced labor are alive and well in this country. These people aren't out there marching. They would lose their jobs immediately and probably much worse with the kind of bosses they have. They're totally replaceable in the proverbial hot second.

Common sense should tell anyone that if you have immigrants who speak English, who own businesses and who's children speak without accents and are in high school, that they are at the very least working Americans who contribute taxes. Common sense should tell anyone that if May 1 is going to be used as the start of a massive voter registration drive that the people in these marches are legal. Illegal immigrants don't vote, as everyone who uses even a modicum of practical sense knows.

And the Spanish Star Spangled Banner song is written and sung by American citizens who are of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Nicaraguan, Bolivian, Chilean and every other country south of the border's ancestry. It's also NOT A SONG OF PROTEST! It's a song of love for this country and of pride to be here and desire to be included. And to boot, the Spanish version is beautifully poetic. I will post it's translation in my next post to keep from making this post too long.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5369517

Album to Showcase Spanish 'Star-Spangled Banner'

'Nuestro Himno'

All Things Considered, April 28, 2006 · An all-star lineup of Latin performers will sing a new, Spanish version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" on a new album to be released in May, Somos Americanos ("We Are Americans").

Supporters hope the song, "Nuestro Himno" ("Our Anthem"), will show their desire to become part of the United States. Critics say the U.S. national anthem is a strictly English-language tradition.

more if you're interested....

Lyrics to 'Nuestro Himno' ('Our Anthem')

English translation:

By the light of the dawn, do you see arising,

what we proudly hailed at twilight's last fall?

Its stars, its stripes

yesterday streamed

above fierce combat

a gleaming emblem of victory

and the struggle toward liberty.

Throughout the night, they proclaimed:

"We will defend it!"

Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave

above the land of the free,

the sacred flag?

Its stars, its stripes,

liberty, we are the same.

We are brothers in our anthem.

In fierce combat, a gleaming emblem of victory

and the struggle toward liberty.

My people fight on.

The time has come to break the chains.

Throughout the night they proclaimed, "We will defend it!"

Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave

above the land of the free,

the sacred flag?

****

Spanish version:

Amanece, lo veis?, a la luz de la aurora?

lo que tanto aclamamos la noche caer?

sus estrellas sus franjas

flotaban ayer

en el fiero combate

en señal de victoria,

fulgor de lucha, al paso de la libertada.

Por la noche decían:

"Se va defendiendo!"

Oh decid! Despliega aún

Voz a su hermosura estrellada,

sobre tierra de libres,

la bandera sagrada?

Sus estrellas, sus franjas,

la libertad, somos iguales.

Somos hermanos, en nuestro himno.

En el fiero combate en señal de victoria,

Fulgor de lucha, al paso de la libertada.

Mi gente sigue luchando.

Ya es tiempo de romper las cadenas.

Por la noche decían: "!Se va defendiendo!"

Oh decid! Despliega aún su hermosura estrellada

sobre tierra de libres,

la bandera sagrada?

Well... with well-meaning taken, ain't no trance inductor or idol, esp a flag, that's sacred. It's a piece of material, most likely made in China, upon which the idol worshiper projects its own divinity. Lotta children are killed over that nonsense.

Joanna,

Whenever the idiotic 'lets ammend the constitution so that burning the american flag is a crime' argument comes up my retort is that in that case since the american flag is found on just about everything including bikinis, baby diapers, men and women's underwear, sex toys, etc. that it should follow that putting poop or other bodily excretions on it ought to be a crime too.

Plus, Goldensilence, the proper & official way to dispose of a flag when it's all worn out is to burn it.

It's all so tiring... the nonsense...

Joanna, to quote from a judge on Boston Legal, "jibber jabber" it's all "jibber jabber."

Getting them registered to vote is a fantastic idea. Shades of the Civil Rights Movement. It shows a massive wave against the Republican voter suppression and intimidation, and they can't stop this. They're ahead of the game this time. Excellent. Very practical.

It's fist in the velvet glove. Laws of physics. As people show their determination to have their votes count and make a relentless effort, the candidates to vote for will also materialize. Labor is organizing once again, and traditionally, it has been behind contenders. The desperation shown by the corps for cheap labor reveals the trouble they're in. It's not what it once was. People are hip to it a little more. As Pluto(merging) transits Cap the effects of merging and monopolizing will come to the fore. They're trying to feed monsters and they don't have enough self-control to stay successful. Massive popular action terrifies them. Rather than be so petrified of them, think of how afraid they are of survival in their own competetive game.
Many of them will disintegrate and that's why grassroots action, support of small businesses, voter responsibility, and all those things need to be built now to take up the slack. The fear can be used as motivation.
I doubt that they are as in control as they'd have you believe. They have always counted on people being suckers.
Inherent in the capitalist competetive setup is eventual failure as the new ones come up with adapted mutations.

And here is something fascinating. You really have to read between the lines.

"The FBI secretly sought information last year on 3,501 U.S. citizens and legal residents from their banks and credit card, telephone and Internet companies without a court’s approval, the Justice Department said Friday.

It was the first time the Bush administration has publicly disclosed how often it uses the administrative subpoena known as a national security letter, which allows the executive branch of government to obtain records about people in terrorism and espionage investigations without court approval.

Friday’s disclosure was mandated as part of the renewal of the Patriot Act, the administration’s sweeping anti-terror law.

DISCLOSURE WAS MANDATED. So that's probably part of why the Dems voted for it. Secretly sought information? It's not a secret anymore. They've always done this, but this might be the first time they're publically scrutinized. Big Brother is watching, for sure. Watching EVERYBODY. Better mind your p's and q's.

People take things out of context. They'll pick the secretly sought information, pass it around, build up hysteria, shriek about the numbers, assume a monolithic dictator is thundering in, and lose the good sense to really know where one stands.

"Throughout the spiraling conflict - slathered in tough talk on all sides - Iran had said it would not bow to international pressure, apparently banking on the deep split in the Security Council over the "or else" portion of the United Nations' demand.

Russia and China did not budge from their opposition to U.N. sanctions as punishment, leaving the United States, Britain and France hamstrung and facing a possible Security Council veto by the Kremlin and Beijing.

Iran, however, appeared to have understood it may have pushed the international community as hard as it could for the time being.

On Saturday, the Islamic republic issued a concessionary proposal that might offer a way out of the dangerous stalemate, which U.S. President George W. Bush has said caused the United States to leave the military option on the table"

Gas prices??? ++++ ---- >>>>/<<<<< $$$$*&%$#@????????

So, I should get this straight. Iran is being picked on (as next in line of the unfortunates with OIL under their sand) because they don't have WMD but want some in the future to protect themselves against killer bullies who DO have WMD... & what's more, have USED them. Iran is, therefore, the BAD guy & US/UK are the GOOD guys for this boyzish acting-out. Sounds like Bolton's having a darned good time there at the UNic OK Corral.

These boyz have all been demoted in my mind... from 10-11 y/o infant terribles in grown male bodies to 7-8 y/o infant terribles. Untold thousands of years of "evolution" has produced.... this. (POW-POW POW POW-POW-POW EEEOOOWWW CRASH POW-POW)

I'm still looking out my window to the busy street below... nope, higher gas prices have not had too much affect yet. AmeriCOs--at least a sub-segment of them--may whine & complain but they continue on as always.

I was having lunch with some wonderful women friends... they discussed how they could do alternate transportation awa cut down on their driving. Then they all sighed in unison... be much better if they could continue the way they've been doing. These are the sensitive folk, but still supremacist... & still mind-bogglingly selfish & self-centered.

A maddening tale. Yesterday when I told the cashier at the check out at the market about how much I had to pay for gas her response was a sadly resigned, "Oh well, we can't do anything about it."

In my last job I was forever defending the rights of my coworker who is a naturalized immigrant from Yugoslavia. Because of me my boss ended up giving her a raise, and I was the one who made it impossible for them to keep dumping more and more work on her (simply because I know a great deal about labor laws and union contracts). In the end she was too afraid to even ask for respect and she offered herself up as a doormat so they wouldn't punish her. It didn't matter that she had the legal right to expect decent treatment. She functioned in a perpetual state of terrified fear for her job and she was never willing to do anything about fighting that fear.

Now that the Latino immigrants are rising up to fight for their rights it is magnificent to behold. They have a right to be respected and heard and treated with dignity. The two examples I gave above are examples of the kind of people who keep the abuse going for the rest of us and it's impossible to get them to understand that. They cower in fear and shoo their defenders away in their panic while they rush to embrace their tormenters.

Hi guys,

My sister-in-law (and possibly myself & husband) are looking to lease some land + house + barn this summer, preferably during hurricane season, from june or july 1 through sept. 30. Let me know if you know of anything or have any ideas. I have been doing internet searches and emailing realtors. My sister-in-law has a horse, thus the need for the barn. Our preferred states are KY, TN, MO & AR but we are somewhat open. Don't want to go too far north, though.

Thanks much!

Who is the last poster? There is no name

I think it is Sharon in LA. ( above)

WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THIS!
( from GWar) the 5th comment down after the article)
So - death squads, torture, secret wars - it was no surprise when Bush appointed Negroponte as Chief Spook, foreign and domestic, for U.S. intelligence, an appointment that sent shivers down my back. Read his bio at Wikipedia and see that this guy is very hard core Bushism and creep.

But as I read this article I became fascinated by Negroponte's very arresting transformation into a loose canon, hiring ex-CIA employees who advised against the Iraq war, who are in touch with reality and who spoke truthfully to Bush and Cheney about Iraqi WMD - and wound up out of work.
Negroponte & Iran'

Posted on Saturday, April 29 @ 09:08:31 EDT
This article has been read 462 times.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Parry, Consortium News
In a replay of the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction charade, neoconservative supporters of George W. Bush are pushing the U.S. intelligence community to take a more alarmist view about Iran's nuclear program - only this time, the nation's top spy John Negroponte is resisting the pressure unlike former CIA chief George Tenet.
read more.....................
http://www.smirkingchimp.com/article.php?sid=25876&mode=&order=0
PQ

Hi, thanks Pat, that WAS me. I've posted a few times this week and forgot to add my name (don't know why it wasn't there as I always use this computer). Anyway, if anyone knows of any land to lease with a house & barn on it, I'd appreciate it (or ideas on how to how to find it besides a classic web search -- so far everyone I've contacted has wanted to sell or I have found vacation cabins without barns at high rates).

I have been lurking and reading with both relish and regret, being especially impressed with Morgana's latest. It's time I gave something back. Hopefully this will be new to many and a source of additional insight.

The Universal Festival Calendar, operated by Dan Furst, is something I look forward to reading every month for insights. April's essay left my mouth hanging open. I can hardly wait for his May essay.

http://www.hermes3.net/apr106.htm

Hey, I just watched the last part of the Washington Press Correspondents' dinner LIVE and the satire was slanted VERY pointedly towards the president and the Republicans...calling Washington the Chocolate marshmellow city with a layer of corruption in between, spoofing the Valerie Plame leak ("Valerie Plame," Oh! I mean Joseph Wilson's wife"), showing Karl Rove doodling during a meeting making a heart with his name joined with "Stephen's" inside the heart, asking John McCain about joining up with Jim Jones University (or whatever that Christian college is called), many more pointed references, with a split screen of the president juxtaposed with the shot of the MC towards the end looking mighty tight lipped, shaking his head in disapproval, and seeming very upset. I couldn't believe it. The final spoof was a video made by the MC (don't know who he is) auditioning as WH Chief of Press (that went to Tony Snow Job, as he called him) and presiding over a WH press conference. After a bit, Helen Thomas chased him into the parking garage asking him over & over what the real reason was that the president invaded Iraq. At first, my husband & I thought it was Sat. Night Live, but, no, it was for real. Afterwards, MSNBC talked about it and observed that not too many people in the audience were laughing, that the trend is usually to poke fun at both parties but tonight only one party was the focus of the barbs!

The press is really getting braver and the Emperor looked particularly naked tonight.

Pat C,
If musical satire cheers you, here is a site recommended by Thom Hartmann's blog.
http://www.bluecanyonproductions.com/satire.html

If you missed Colbert speaking at the Press Corp dinner, you must see it. It was painful, so painful and it was really truth to power. He really did it and he deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for doing what no one else has had the courage to do.

Please do see it.

http://www.c-span.org/watch/index.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS&ShowVidDays=30&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=30

Jill G, thank you!

check out http://www.waynemadsenreport.com (the latest 4/29 posting)---he gives the "real" reasons why the FBI is trying to get Jack Anderson's papers..and surprise, surprise, it involves GHWB, aka 41......

Thanks Joe. Cool.

I think I'll keep my ticket. The show seems to be improving. The last act might save it.

From the press party tonite:
"As he walked from the podium, the president and First Lady gave Colbert quick nods, unsmiling, and left immediately. E&P’s Joe Strupp, in the crowd, observed that quite a few sitting near him felt the material was, perhaps, uncomfortably biting."

Isn’t this the same event where Laura did her fabulous sexually perverted comedy routine last year? Her husband making it with a donkey or something?
What a year will do.

A comment from the blogosphere:

"I love that expression on Bush’s face. He looked like he was having a Maalox moment."

I guess that describes Mars in Cancer in his 12th.

Pat C: I would love to see Colbert. Your link takes me to the C-SPAN homepage. Where do I go from there? Thanks for any help.

GOP sex scandals? Well, so much for the party of "moral values". And I'm sure that a good number of those involved are the gay-hating, racist, misogynistic types who think that Jesus is still going to rapture them up into Heaven just because they believe so. The extent of the hypocrisy of these people is astounding. If this scandal blows open, they will be utterly decimated at the polls this Fall, maybe (and I would hope) never to recover.

George H. W. Bush MURDERED John F. Kennedy? Even if not directly so, Bush being implicated in Kennedy's assassination and coverup would deal a horrific (but needed) shock realization to the American Public and turn all eyes and attention upon the kingpin slithering about in the shadows. Poppy might finally receive the scrutiny he has so artfully dodged, for one of the worst of his black-as-coal, heartless criminal dealings over the years. At the very least, his whole narcissistic lot and line will be brought down to utter disgrace and revealed for the rotten bunch of integrity-deficient thugs they are.

I won't gloat or wish any ill-will upon these people beyond what's coming to them in spades.

They're re4running the press house co4rrespondants dinner right now. It is 6:55 Am is it over? or starting?
PQ

It was ending but they willlo rerun it at 12:30 pm today!
Guess I'll have "popcorn" for lunch!
Veeeeerrrrry interesting WAYNE MADSEN Report!
PQ

Mark, if you click on this link: http://www.c-span.org/watch/index.aspCat=TV&Code=CS&ShowVidDays=30&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=30

you should see a page with a small tv screen in the upper center. Over to the right you'll see:

C-SPAN
• RealPlayer: Watch | Listen
Stand-Alone Player

• Windows Media: Watch | Listen
Stand-Alone Player

Just click on the appropriate player for your computer.

I'll also bet that Media Matters and Crooks and Liars will have clips of it up today as well.

Oops, use this link.

http://www.c-span.org/watch/index.asp?Cat=TV&Code=CS&ShowVidDays=30&ShowVidDesc=&ArchiveDays=30

I got this link from Buzzflash.

http://www.newshounds.us/2006/04/29/stephen_colbert_you_are_my_hero.php

Some fun Sunday reading:

http://www.wanttoknow.info/050324ufotestimony
An Admiral, an Astronaut, and
A CIA Chief Talk About UFOs

http://www.wanttoknow.info/electionsinformation
Elections Information Center

http://www.wanttoknow.info/coverupnews#mindcontrol
Mind Control News Articles

April 29, 2006, 12:55AM

BOSTON - Julia Thorne, the former wife of Sen. John Kerry who turned her experience with depression into a best-selling book, has died of cancer. She was 61.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/3828351.html
PQ

This [patriarchal] nation is like all the others that have been spewed upon the earth--ready to shout for any cause that will tickle its vanity or fill its pocket. What a hell of a heaven it will be when they get all these hypocrites assembled there!
- Letter to JH Twichell, 1/29/1901 - MARK TWAIN

* Mystery of the planets: It's in the stars. Really

A study of 15,000 people claims there is no scientific basis for astrology. The faith of horoscope fans, tho, is unshakeable. Terry Kirby explains why they may just be right, after all

There is one very simple answer that those who accept the principles of astrology give to sceptics who condemn it as a load of mumbo-jumbo: don't look at the stars for an explanation, go to the coast & look at the sea. The massive power of waves & the tides that cause them are, it is universally accepted, a direct consequence of the gravitational influences of the Moon & the Sun upon Earth. We also know that the Moon sometimes determines animal behaviour & has long been linked with aspects of our lives as diverse as a women's menstrual cycle & mental disturbance, hence the word lunatic.

Is it, astrologists argue, therefore completely impossible that the other planets also exert influences on our lives & personalities, to greater or lesser degrees & in varying combinations? And that, having been around in various forms since the ancient Babylonians first began to describe celestial omens 4,000 years ago, astrology deserves more respect than the derision commonly accorded it by the rational scientists & the established churches. ... http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article360644.ece

I happened to tune in in the middle of the twin act...which is all, apparently, any of the cable shows are showing (MSNBC cut off Colbert in the middle of it)....and I had to stop watching when Colbert started 'rolling' because I got really really scared.....that man has some amazing cojones....and he does deserve a Nobel prize for truth in journalsim....

Bravo Golden Silence...Bravo....