Astroworld

I hear you, Cap'n Sally, I do hear you. We are all so weary of this perverse Wonderland in which we currently live and breathe. And on top of everything else to see Spitzer actively participate in his own downfall/comeuppance (depending on your point of view)! Thanks for all you do, Cap'n Sally. I'm still hoping and praying the Constitution and Rule of Law survives all this.

WHat makes you say DOn Seligman might not leave prison alive? That's pretty dire!
Meanwhile not even important enough to be listed on the CN website, but shown briefly.........on TV. Byron Dorgan displaying terry cloth towels EMBROIDERED WITH KBKs initials every bit as lovely as the ones my Mother recieved as wedding gifts back in '37 when Americans were starting their climb to middle class wealth parity!!!
These were provided for use with the unsanitary water,,,unsabnitary because they didn't want to spend the money for the necessary sanitizing chemicals!

I say that QOP because he has some very difficult aspects coming up for him. I don't think his conditions in prison are all that great now. His plight has stirred up quite a number of people and the judge he has is a nasty one and Alabama has some pretty strange laws. He is in a very precarious position right now and his health is likely to suffer.

Gawd yes, Sally. I feel the same damn way. I can't for the life of me figure out we derive at these moral imperatives all the while watching the absurd play out on the campaign stage, like the white rabbit hurrying to or from the "party."

In the meantime, to assuage my absolute disgust, i've been meditating on pink light swirling around the planet, chanting "heal, heal." and "help, help." :)

And here's a timely post!
Alabama Dem Party Questions Subpoena Deliveries, Public Displays by U.S. Marshals (GOP Intimidation)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3220501

Uggggghhhh Ohhhhhh,
Admiral Fallon RESIGNS!?

Yes, he disagreed with Bushco, ever so slightly. He's a gonner.

I think Spitzer should take his lumps and hang in there. This set-up was highly irregular, and with a little detective work, that can be proven. I'm sure that's why the NY GOP is in such a rush to get him out right away.

.......

NSA's Domestic Spying Grows as Agency Sweeps Up Data

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031108B.shtml

Siobhan Gorman, reporting for The Wall Street Journal, writes: "The central role the NSA has come to occupy in domestic intelligence gathering has never been publicly disclosed. But an inquiry reveals that its efforts have evolved to reach more broadly into data about people's communications, travel and finances in the US than the domestic surveillance programs brought to light since the 2001 terrorist attacks."

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/house_surveillance_bill_contai.php

Here's a link to the story from TPM Muckraker:

House Surveillance Bill Contains Provision to Aid Telecom Suits

As The New York Times reports this morning, the House leadership's draft proposal for a surveillance bill contains a provision that would reject giving retroactive immunity to the telecoms. Instead, it would give the courts authorization to hear the classified material at issue in the case -- in essence disposing with the administration's claim of the state secrets privilege. I had a senior House aide walk me through the proposal, which is sure to infuriate the administration.

snip

So here's how that telecom suit provision would work. The lawsuits against the telecoms for participation in the warrantless wiretapping program are currently tied up in court because the government has asserted the state secrets privilege. It's a state of affairs that the telecoms themselves are not happy with...

snip

The House bill seeks to solve this problem by giving the judges hearing these cases authorization to view the classified documents at issue in the case. Here, those would be the orders from the president claiming that the warrantless wiretaps were legal.

snip

So the judges would not simply be looking at the classified documents authorizing the warrantless wiretapping and then make a ruling as to whether it was kosher. The plaintiffs would make their arguments based as to the program's legality based on the judge's unclassified representations of the program.

It is a solution that the groups suing the telecoms will likely be happy with (and we'll get you their reaction as soon as we have it). An appeals court is currently weighing whether the government can protect details of the warrantless wiretapping program under the state secrets privilege.

More at the link....

More on Admiral Fallon

http://www.deepjournal.com/p/7/a/en/1310.htm

The article on the coming "Great Depression of 2008" that Shylurker posted in the previous thread

http://tinyurl.com/2z9phg

is the type of thing that gets my attention and makes other things pale by comparison. There are also videos on youtube about this, stretching from updates by Manoftruth, a Harvard business school grad who talks about what's coming down the pike and wants to sell you his DVD for $26, to media reports and personal reflections.

I'm not sure what the right things to do to prepare for this possibility are, but here are some thoughts, many of which have been mentioned over & over. I don't want to scare anyone, but I don't want to be in denial either. I just think that it's time to start taking this seriously and planning a little (which some of you are already doing, but I haven't done too much, other than stocking up on canned food a bit - we do have room for a garden & have some nice neighbors).

Apparently, it's a process and can take a few years to really set in, like it did in the 30s. Here are my thoughts:

- have plenty of canned food, bottled water, and a garden (you can always buy 2 extra canned items each time you shop).

- know where you can live if you, G-d forbid, lose your home or apartment. Do you know someone who has a home that's fully paid for who you can bunk with, or has an extra cabin or vacation home? If not, be prepared to live in tent cities, etc., but shelter is shelter.

- get to know your neighbors & community members, talk to the open-minded ones about these possibilities, plan strategies together (have regular meetings?). Maybe find them by advertising on Craig's list or the local health food store.

- if you don't live in a friendly community, think about moving to one.

- think about getting a gun as there will be looting.

- it's been mentioned quite a lot here over the years here at this site that it would be smart to buy Euros, gold, silver (in my opinion, coins that can be buried might be the best), but gold is pretty expensive right now. I'm not sure what the best recourse is in that respect.

- think positively, pray, be gentle, loving, draw the right people, places & circumstances to you.

Please let me know, y'all, if you have any thoughts about this. (I'm a transplated Northerner who lives in the South but I think y'all is such a friendly term, like "you guys"). I'm also going to be posting this on Starlight News.

Sally and Karen, here's the strategy on the Spitzer thing:

If JFK, RFK, and MLK were alive today they would have been dragged through the mud hogtied to the back of the MSM pickup (with sexual excuses) and had their careers destroyed BEFORE their assassinations roused love and sentiment for their kind and courageous humanitarian aims.
All KINDS of riots and political blowback moved against the republicsns (so how do the rethugs stay in power and avoid public outcry?)

You got it: Divide and conquer.

The LAST thing the rethugs want is public passion against them. In the old days they'd just assassinate political threats. Now they've learned the best tactic is to have guys like Spitzer shamed and run out of town on a rail, by the very people who elected them. That way, no progressive acts can take root, rouse love from the public or divert money/create prosecutions against corporate parasites, and make a state resist the Feds. No riots. No movements that gain traction.

FISA and the IRS at it's finest.

...and while we're on the subject, this just in from Jane Hamshir at firedoglake who believes our FISA fight is over and lost unless we:
Go here to cast your vote and chip in to the effort to hold Congress accountable:
http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/getevenforfisa

We're starting our effort to get even on several of the Blue Dog Democrats: John Barrow (GA-12), Leonard Boswell (IA-3), Chris Carney (PA-10), Brad Ellworth (IN-8), Zack Space (OH-18), and Heath Shuler (NC-11). This pack of conservatives may caucus the right way, but they actively work to undermine progressive values, including sending a letter to Speaker Pelosi last week encouraging her to grant the telecom companies retroactive immunity.

Since the final votes haven't been cast yet on FISA, hopefully we can shame some of them into righting their moral compass and voting against retroactive immunity. If not, we'll make sure that each one of their constituents knows about it.

Vote on your least favorite here:
http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/getevenforfisa

Hopefully when it comes down to the wire, things will go our way, and the House Democrats will stand up for the rule of law. In the meantime, however, we would be naive not to start taking action to hold them accountable if they don't.

Thank you for taking action,

(feels like drowning, doesn't it)

This is a much better encapsulation I just found at C&L re this quick 'n' dirty (I hope Spitzer pulls back from resigning and thinks this all the way through):

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/03/11/some-questions-on-spitzer/#comments

Guess I'm not getting any prozac in my well water....feels more like hyper ADHD!
Fallon quit, (resigned), Venezuela my be added to the axis of evil list, I am warm today bcause of Hugo Chavez! Eliot Spitzer spent 8 years of my income on prostitutes! The cat next door is hurling himself at my windows in 20o weather at 11PM.....2 of my 3 cats fight with him I can't let him in.................
The Lewis timeline for Jupiter in Capricorn posted on Nancy's blog was interesting.......It was consistantly a good time for me,running counter to the rest of the world? ( majority?)
Hope today is just a speed bump!
AH! I just got an idea for a New Yorker cover!!!!

http://ga3.org/campaign/fixfisa/search-zip?rk=&preview=f

mcjoan

FISA Fight: Leahy and Conyers on amnesty
Patrick Leahy has upped his efforts in his opposition to fellow chair Jay Rockefeller's insistence on blanket, retroactive amnesty for the telcos. It's a rare thing for a member of the commodious senate to so actively and publically oppost the actions of a fellow Senator and committee chair.

He's joined with House judiciary chair John Conyers in asking for your help...

Nolasharon, Me & my friends are stocking up on flour, rice, beans, barley..( you can store flour in the freezer to prevent the moths from taking over......
My daughter's chickens have started laying again.....I'm going to get some this spring!

qop, Spitzer has been paid by the state of NY as prosecutor and now as governor for the last 14 months.

Geraldine Ferro has shown what a nasty
racist bitch she is...as is Hillary for
not asking her to leave her campaign.

The Clintons are a disgrace to America.
Nasty, vicious people the both of them,
I don't want them anywhere the White House ever again.
Enough is enough!

Soooooooo, is it a coinkydink or is it something much darker? Funny how people in England involved in intrigue die while on walks in the countryside. Wasn't an earlier one David Kay?

http://tinyurl.com/2upbns

Thanks, Pat. I guess dried beans are easier to store than canned. Do you soak them overnight. I haven't cooked them. Also, I say let the cat in and lock it in the bathroom - it must be cold (I'm really a soft touch when it comes to animals, rarely kill insects, and remember every animal I've ever harmed...or communicated with).

Here you go shy.

http://www.atlargely.com/2008/03/many-dark-actor.html

You can boil the beans for a few minutes, then soak them for an hour, before cooking. I had never made baked beans before.but using yellow eye beans. I did that then precooked them for several hours,prior to baking them with the molassas & onion, etc.......... I had too many for the casserole dish so I made a bean soup from the rest with a packet of Goya, ham broth, and veggies. There must be a wealth of N O recipes, home of Zaterains!
My Cap. Farmer friend cooks her own broth & freezes it in ice cube trays.
Black beans cook faster.....This summer I will grow cannalloni & yellow eye beans. The 1/2 cup full I grew ( experimental) last summer were Way better than the canned ones I have been using. The Nescafe Instant coffee, glass jars are great for storing them all sorts of beans, rice, popping corn.
Like you I'ma softie for animals, went through a lot to befriend Cinnamon several years ago. But I think the firm touch is needed here. He can't be in the bath room, the other cats boxes are there, & Billy is VERY territorial about his...
Rocky doesn't come when Jill calls him, but after ( my) rejecting him for several days..he is now going home. He KNOWS how to get her attention to be let in for sure. He is not out there this morning!!!There is a fine line separating rescuing a stray cat and stealing your neighbors cat.! I always felt the the disappearance of my Spooky ( Siamese) was a misguided rescue!
Hope it is a quiet day...............

patb, exactly. You nailed it. Conquer and divide. I'm laughing, though i want to cry. The language used, the assumptions given to the weight of those words is hysterical to me. Makeup has clogged the pores of most "news" reporters so they unable to ask questions or dig for truths without a retinue of make-em-pretty aides. Thank goodness for all the alternative press out there! who do question. I wonder how many have been threatened or feel that their lives are in peril.

I have a feeling that Fallon is going to be appearing on every single newscast that asks him. Hopefully Amy Goodman or Juan Gonzalez will get an exclusive here. But again, that would be preaching to the choir, wouldn't it?

http://baltimorechronicle.com/2008/031108McGovern.shtml
March 11, 2008—You would not know it for the news blackout, but New Yorkers of Congressman Jerrold Nadler’s district held a Town Hall/Impeachment Forum on Sunday to encourage Nadler, chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, to begin impeachment proceedings against Vice President Dick Cheney.
Unfortunately Congressman Nadler DIDN"T SHOW! He happens to be my kids Congressman 8th Dist. NY!
His siteshows his concern for W's vetos & how he is working to overturn them!
I have just told him how to do that, IMPEACH!
Made my weekly call to Rep Allen with the same message!
http://baltimorechronicle.com/
It's the "Oh Shit!" Moment on Iran
Bush-Cheney are hoping--and they may be right--that war with Iran will be a boon for the candidacy of Republican John McCain and for embattled Republicans running for Congress. It's a kind of political Hail Mary.
by Dave Lindorff | 03.12.08

Some articles on Spitzer:

http://www.observer.com/2008/shame-eliot-spitzer

The Shame of Eliot Spitzer
BY JOE CONASON

and

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080311_the_real_shame_about_eliot_spitzer/

Spitzer’s Shame is Wall Street’s Gain
By Robert Scheer

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080307_dr_al_arians_third_strike/

Chris Hedges on Dr. Al-Arian and a World Without Empathy

"Dr. Al-Arian’s Third Strike" -- The Palestinian activist Dr. Sami Amin Al-Arian, imprisoned for five years despite a jury’s failure to return a single guilty verdict against him, has gone on a hunger strike in a Virginia jail.

Geraldine Ferraro adding insult to injury

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/geraldine-ferraros-ugly-_b_91075.html

Spitzer to announce resignation at 11:30 a.m. today. Carried live by ABC and others.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/03/12/house_democrats/index.html

Glenn Greenwald

Signs of life from House Democratic leaders
Fully recognizing it may not last any longer than a couple of weeks, it's actually necessary to give some credit where it's due -- to the House Democratic leadership. Nobody expected that they would ever allow the Protect America Act to expire, yet they did. And nobody expected, especially after the meek and incoherent appearance of Silvestre Reyes on CNN last weekend, that they would ignore the barrage of Terrorist-Lover accusations from the President and unveil yet another bill that is actually decent and refuses to bestow lawbreaking telecoms with amnesty, but they now have.

Add to that the fact that they actually seem serious about pursuing a court battle to force Josh Bolton and Harriet Miers to comply with their Subpoenas, and one detects a possible change in their approach. There is perhaps a stirring of recognition among House Democrats that there is no political cost to standing against this President on vital matters -- even ones involving the magic Terrorism word -- and there might even be real political benefit.

With regard to yesterday's FISA bill, more surprising than their defiance is their shrewdness. By including a provision that explicitly authorizes telecoms to submit to the court any exculpatory documents -- notwithstanding the assertion by the administration that those documents are subject to the "state secrets" privilege -- the House bill completely guts, in one fell swoop, the primary argument that, for months, has been made by telecoms and their allies as to why amnesty is necessary.

snip

By withstanding the attacks this long, and introducing that surprisingly good bill yesterday, the House Democratic leadership has at least preserved the possibility that there could be a good outcome here, has at least given a rational ground for believing that there's a reason to continue to work to affect what happens here. That's at least something.

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20080311_why_george_bush_loves_john_mccain/?ln

Why George Bush Loves John McCain

snip

American Ambassador Ryan Crocker and numerous officials from the White House, Pentagon and the State Department are set to begin talks between the U.S. and Iraq to establish plans for what the Pentagon has called “a long-term relationship” between the two nations. This will include, of course, the inevitable status-of-forces agreement, establishing the legal basis for the presence of American troops. Basically, such agreements give the U.S. extraterritorial control over its bases and personnel.

Congress has no role in this. The American ambassador has said that the president alone will determine the agreements with Iraq. His successor will have little effect on them, short of outright repeal. Defense Secretary Robert Gates parted the curtain when he said, “I would anticipate that there would be some modest level of U.S. troops in Iraq at the invitation of a sovereign Iraqi government for some considerable period of time.” The Iraqi defense minister tosses out the date—2018.

snip

Bush has determined and is further implementing his vision of the future; McCain endorses it; he is on board. Bush has vetoed Congress’ limited strictures against torture, including a ban on waterboarding and other extreme interrogation tactics. McCain’s one-time opposition to torture is now a thing of the past. Furthermore, he has refused to join a bipartisan group of his Senate Armed Services colleagues in asking for an audit of how Iraq is spending its oil revenues.

The more things change, the more they remain the same. The only thing we learn from the past is to forget it. But not so long ago, Vietnam taught us invaluable lessons. No, they were not about dominoes that never fell; it was that the United States had to understand and recognize the limits of power. An arrogant giant, knowing no boundaries, no restraint, could be defeated by Lilliputians. George W. Bush hardly gave the Vietnam War a thought 40 years ago, and surely he does not now. And sadly, neither does John McCain, who, with all that experience, should know better.

...........

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/03/12/mccain/

John McCain runs for George Bush's third term

Based on his policies and the company he keeps, this year's Republican presidential candidate sounds a lot like the guy who ran in 2000 and 2004.

By Juan Cole

..........

http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/0308/Romney_says_hed_take_Veep_calls_McCain_Big_Dog.html

Romney says he'd take Veep, calls McCain "Big Dog"

Mitt Romney said in his first interview since departing the GOP race that he would accept the number two position on the ticket and that there is no lingering bitterness between him and John McCain.

“I think any Republican leader in this country would be honored to be asked to serve as the vice presidential nominee, myself included," Romney told FOX's Sean Hannity in a broadcast set to air tonight. "Of course this is a nation which needs strong leadership. And if the nominee of our party asked you to serve with him, anybody would be honored to receive that call … and to accept it, of course.”

"Elliot Spitzer, what's up?

http://www.vtcommons.org/blog/2008/03/11/eliot-spitzer-whats

This is waaaaaaaaaaay off subject, but i've a question for all of you. I listen to the radio most all of the day, and i've noticed an increase in the number of emergency "tests." You know, the bleed your ears tone? Has anyone else noticed this, or am i just being jumpy?

http://www.vtcommons.org/blog/2008/03/06/truth-power-guide-personal-survival-world-gone-mad-book-review

Sorry, I forgot to add a comment on the article I just posted. It's called Truth to Power and talks about what to do in the soon to come cataclysm. Very heartening to see someone actually acknowledge without fear what's coming and is actually looking forward to it.

Karen, guess somethin's coming up ..

Spitzer said "I will resign" at 11:45 am est, NY, NY.

He bagan his speech at 11:43 am.

Oops! That should have been edt.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-03-11-foreclosures_N.htm?csp=1

Foreclosure crisis has ripple effect

The mortgage foreclosure crisis has caused a drop in cities' revenues, a spike in crime, more homelessness and an increase in vacant properties, a survey of elected local officials out today shows.

About two-thirds of 211 officials surveyed by the National League of Cities reported an increase in foreclosures in their cities in the past year, according to the online and e-mail questionnaire. A third of them reported a drop in revenues and an increase in abandoned and vacant properties and urban blight.

"There's a reduction in revenues at the same time that more services are needed," says Cynthia McCollum, president of the National League of Cities and councilwoman in Madison, Ala., a suburb of Huntsville. "Because of foreclosures, people are stealing, crime is on the rise and we don't have more money for cops on the street."

More than a fifth of city officials responding said homelessness and the need for temporary and emergency housing increased in the past year.

The ills of foreclosures are dominating the agenda of the league's meeting with congressional lawmakers in Washington, D.C., this week to secure federal funding for local initiatives.

"The American dream for individuals has now become the nightmare for cities," says James Mitchell, a Charlotte councilman and head of the group's National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials.

Foreclosed homes are the target of vandalism, he says, and there's been an increase in police calls.

more...

karen,

I only listen to the radio when I'm driving in my car so I don't know about the frequency of the emergency tests but there was one last week while I was driving and I remember thinking it had been a very long time since I'd heard one. It's one of those things you don't think about until it happens. Are those tests done by local authorities or national ones?

karen, I've been thinking about you question about the frequency of emergency testing. I'm noticed it on both tv and raido off and on over the past few years. It seems to come in spurts, and I did find it alarming, as I suppose I was suppose to do. Eeeeesh.

.........

TPM Muckraker timeline. Interesting….. It started in July ‘07. That was a month before Rove left. A parting gift?

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/todays_must_read_294.php

Well bright news!
My Grandaughter has been invited to the Presidential Inaugural Ball!
I asked my daughter...what if it's McCain? We decided the outfit of the evening would be camaflage with a black armband,!

That is bright news qop! I like the choice in wardrobe!

.........

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/03/12/prostitution/index.html

Misadventures in logical reasoning -- and lessons learned from the Spitzer scandal

Things I learned over the last 48 hours

Because Eliot Spitzer is a wretched hypocrite who mercilessly and cruelly prosecuted others for the very acts in which he himself engaged, and because he's so very sleazy, there's no reason to question the vast, extraordinary law enforcement resources expended -- under highly unusual circumstances -- by the Bush DOJ and FBI to investigate a crime that the Federal Government almost never prosecutes. Therefore, here's what we should ignore in order to focus on the much more important matters of Spitzer' sex life and his relationship with his wife (which is very much our concern)...

snip

Governors who hire adult prostitutes must resign immediately lest the public trust be forever sullied. Presidents who break the law by spying on Americans with no warrants, who torture people in violation of multiple treaties and statutes, who start hideously destructive wars based on false pretenses, who repeatedly proclaim the power to ignore laws, and who imprison people -- including Americans -- with no charges of any kind, should remain in office for as long as they want. Anyone who suggests otherwise is an irresponsible, shrill, partisan radical.

More at the link....

Froomkin

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2005/04/11/LI2005041100879.html

Are We Closer to War?

The abrupt resignation yesterday of the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, Admiral William J. "Fox" Fallon, has sparked a new round of speculation that President Bush and Vice President Cheney have some sort of plan in the works to attack Iran before their time is up.

Fallon's resignation -- or firing -- was apparently precipitated in part by a recent Esquire profile that depicted him as brazenly pushing back against the White House hawks eager to launch another war.

More at the link....

Speechless again! They won't post on the internet their own report on the absence of WMDs in Eye-Rack, but you can order one through the U.S. Mail.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/183094.php

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/ferraro_resigns_from_the_clint.php

Dear Hillary –
I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign.

The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you.

I won't let that happen.

Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren.

You have my deep admiration and respect.

Gerry

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

Conservatives have been voting DUMB for at least 48 years. In '60 Nixon won the primary over Nelson Rockefeller; In '64, he wsa ahead of Goldwater ( campaigned for by H Rodman), but horror of horrors.....divorced his wife to marry his pregnant girlfriend Happy. Again 1968, Rocky the Liberal Repub, Reagan the conservative and Nixon the "MIDDLE ROAD".( and very well organized)......
Finally he was chosen as VP by Ford but his liberal leanings were not welconmed or utilized.
He was Governor of NY the entire time my parents lived there. He did a great job. WHat a legacy!

Richard Wolfe, on Olberman just said what I'm so worried about.

"All the best talking points are being fed to the GOP."

Thank God for Olbermann:

His essay on Hillary, her staff and their
dirty tricks, and Geraldine Ferrero was
priceless, and so true.

Why does anyone care who Spitzer has been
sleeping with. It is nobody's business.

There is so much going on I don't know where to begin. I didn't know the Geraldine Ferrero works for FOX. Jeez-that is so sickening. I voted for Hillary. what the hell?? I pray that Obama is not some Trojan horse. I have been afraid of the Neptune energy.
Spitzer bites the dust because he invoked hatred, real hatred and then was crazy enough to think he could act anonymously. and as someone else pointed out those who support torture, who have squandered our collective treasure, slaughtered women and children in an unjust war of occupation walk as free men tonight.
I think it is time for some basic courses in spiritual realization, some Jungian classes. Seriously there is madness afoot here. we are so crazy right now. I think if Jung were alive he would advise his friends and students to avoid us or if absolutely necessary to come here but touch in daily with him or another analyst just to avoid falling into the pit.
Anyway I saw Spitzers birth data. I am going to find it again and look at his planets. If asnyone has his time of birth I would love to have it.

So Keith O. went after Hillary's campaign because of Ferraro's so called 'racist' remarks but didn't go after Obama's so called foreign policy advisor Powers when she called Hillary a monster? ( I'd say this is a clear case of both sides as guilty.)

Give me a break.

Isn't Obama, by very definition, running as a black man when he is HALF black? What is that but taking advantage of his so called 'blackness' when in fact he is a white man as well? Only of course, in the south they say you are black if you have 1/8 'black' blood. In fact , genetically speaking, all of us are BLACK. go do your homework now children, and find out where the DNA we all share came from.

One of my best friends from art school was half and half, an Oreo, as he called himself. Black on the outside, white inside. (and of course today, I would be branded a racist for saying that nowin public) So what is Obama?

I'd say he is playing all of it pretty well to his advantage. Especially since it is white people (so lets see what the real conservatives say about it all) with all the guilt. With everyone buying into all the BS, it is just pretty downright disgusting.

More trouble!
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/11/fla.primary.woes/index.html
"I have some real concerns about the possibility of a mail-in ballot," Wasserman Schultz said. "It would be a risky experiment for us with an election that has stakes as high as a presidential election does. We've never done a mail-in ballot statewide."
AS it turns out, it is ILLEGAL for Fla. to have a mail in vote!!!!!

what Ferraro said and I totally agree, and this is not RACIST:
"In all honesty, do you think that if he were a white male, there would be a reason for the black community to get excited for a historic first?" Ferraro said. "Am I pointing out something that doesn't exist?"

Obama campaign manager David Axelrod called Ferraro's comments part of an "insidious pattern" of remarks from Clinton supporters that have drawn attention to Obama's race.

"When you wink and nod at offensive statements, you're really sending a signal to your supporters that anything goes," Axelrod said, according to ABC News.

Ferraro said the Clinton campaign cannot fire her because she is not an adviser.

"It's impossible to fire somebody who's not involved with it," she said.

She also said she is familiar with Axelrod from his work for minority candidates in New York.

"He knows damn well that the best thing to do in a situation like this is to come back and hit with race," Ferraro said, adding that the response is a sign that the Obama campaign is "worried" about the first-term senator's lack of experience.

Ferraro said she was not trying to diminish Obama's candidacy, and acknowledged up front that she would not have been the vice presidential nominee in 1984 if she had been a man.

But she also echoed remarks of feminist leaders like Gloria Steinem, who argued in the New York Times that Obama would not have succeeded if he were a woman because gender is "the most restricting force in American life."

"Sexism is a bigger problem," Ferraro argued. "It's OK to be sexist in some people's minds. It's not OK to be racist."

Hey Guys

With this furore about Ferraro - Saturn is on Virgo 4 right now - the Sabian Symbol? Black and White Children Playing Happily Together.

This degree has been around quite a lot over the last year or so, what with the south node being on it last year, along with Saturn.

Further, and I posted this at the bottom of a previous thread (so apologies, but can't resist!), the progressed full moon of the 4th July chart (the Sibly chart set for 5.10pm) happens in November and the degree? Virgo 4 - Black and White Children - well, technically, I think it's Virgo 3 - Two Guardian Angels Bringing Protection, but then I always look at the degrees around an event.

From Will, who, over the years has turned out to be such an excellent barometer and more insightful than almost anyone. He has refused to cowtow even when what he had to say was seemingly outrageous. He has a record of being right. Here's what he had to say about Keith's show and his "Special Comment".

..........

I am sure Spitz did make big enemies – what Mafiosa member or free-wheeling Repug Wall Streetonian would not see him as an enemy? He got the Kenn Starr treatment.

On another note, I think Keith Olbermann has gone way over the top in his recent diatribe on the Clinton/Ferraro/Obama racist kerfuffle. He seems to have become unglued. His assertions and accusations almost seem venomously shrill. Although I believe we are all, at some level, prejudiced and racist I hardly believe either Clinton or Ferraro have made implicit or overtly racist remarks. I believe Ferraro was being realistically frank and candid in stating the obvious. Don’t we all love the underdog once in a while and root for them simply on that basis. What I do believe is that sexism continues to be the most insidious, avoided yet agonizingly obvious pathology in this campaign. Unless I have a glaring blind spot in my thought processing and Hillary Clinton truly is the winged, cloven-hoofed spawn of Satan, I continue to see her as being subjected to overt and unapologetic sexist assaults by men and women alike. “How do we beat the bitch?” pretty much sums it up for me.

I like Obama allot and wish him well. Nonetheless, I think he is being treated with kid gloves more because of his gender. And his campaign is all-too-eager to play the racecard if there is even a mention of his race in passing.

This is what I believe.

Why can’t you see this, Mr. Olbermann? What has blinded you so, Sir?

...........

As if we are not torn apart enough by Rovian tactics and in so much peril from fascist, corporate manuvers, now we have this bulls*it. After days of tossing mud in the direction of the Clinton camp, Keith finally does this. Now it just looks like theatre, which is just churning up the mud, making it impossible to see through the swirling mayhem.

I think you've jumped the shark Mr. Olberman, and I'm not working for either campaign. I'm an Edwards supporter...watching.

http://www.tnr.com/politics/story.html?id=c5005f31-237e-4f9d-bca1-891c7aa2b7b2

Spitz Out

Was the investigation of Eliot Spitzer politically motivated?

On Monday a friend gave me a copy of a memorandum (pdf) that Attorney General Michael Mukasey had circulated inside the Justice Department admonishing staff about how to deal with politically sensitive cases. "They must be about to bag another big-time Democrat," my friend said, jokingly. Perhaps it wasn't a joke. Within hours the wires were burning with reports that New York Governor Eliot Spitzer had been linked to a prostitution ring.

In New York, the tabloid press and comedians are having a field day with the sudden, spectacular fall of Eliot Spitzer. He had been cast as a Democratic remake of Thomas E. Dewey, the state's legendary Republican prosecutor-governor. Under his leadership, Democrats were increasingly confident of breaking a logjam in Albany by wresting the state senate from the Republicans, who viewed Spitzer as a mortal threat. But Monday's disclosures linking Spitzer to a prostitution ring brought the state to a standstill, and he announced his resignation Wednesday morning.

More at the link...

Racism is a very insidious thing. Look what it is doing right here right now. Steinem's point is well taken. Ferraro's either isn't, or she doesn't know how to communicate without being offensive on this issue. Very emotional issue for me as I grew up in the Deep South where it was all around all the time and always destructive.

Ferarro is an old horse who has worked all her life for what she thinks is civil rights, and is pretty surprised to see herself being called a racist. But the real problem is we are just coming off of an administration that has gutted everything that had been built to strengthen the futures of people. Attacking someone like Ferarro is ridiculous, and way off the true point.

.........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7293663.stm

“Carlyle Capital Corp (CCC), a unit of the private equity firm Carlyle Group, has said it will not be able to meet lenders’ demands for money. The US mort-gage-backed bond fund will collapse if, as expected, its lenders seize its remaining assets.”

http://www.hereinreality.com/carlyle.html

“But since the start of the “war on terrorism”, the firm – unofficially valued at $13.5bn – has taken on an added significance. Carlyle has become the thread which indirectly links American military policy in Afghanistan to the personal financial fortunes of its celebrity employees, not least the current president’s father. And, until earlier this month, Carlyle provided another curious link to the Afghan crisis: among the firm’s multi-million-dollar investors were members of the family of Osama bin Laden.”

Shy, you grew up in the south? Might i ask where? Like NOLA Sharon i'm a transplanted yankee to Tennessee. However, i grew up in a racist environment (rural Michigan).

Racism and sexism is one of those tiptoe through the cesspool issues, isn't it. How tricksy those in power are. They have groomed the population to accept tyranical ideas that divide and separate. I might add that class-ism is another one of arcane and utterly ridiculous notions. It's time these structures were dismantled here and now.

We need to begin a new way of seeing one another -- are we human beings or not? Are we respectful of one another? Do we see our intimate connection with the earth and one another? Do we understand that we are integral to the universal structures? Do we understand that these are critical connections? If we do not begin to act as human beings and soon, then all of the ISMS will continue to fuel wars and dissonance.

The puppet show being staged shows just how much we need to take back the power we've given away.

Put her out to pasture, she has had her day.

Ferarro is an old horse who has worked all her life for what she thinks is civil rights, and is pretty surprised to see herself being called a racist. But the real problem is we are just coming off of an administration that has gutted everything that had been built to strengthen the futures of people. Attacking someone like Ferarro is ridiculous, and way off the true point.

.........

As for KO and Hill's campaign, good on Keith, someone needed to get in Hill's face about her Rovian campaign. Before Hillary went negative I would have voted for her, not now. I've taken to muting her and her surrogates, can't stand their negative talk.

I heard Gravel has gone to the Green Party, good for him.

Ferraro sounded racist just like O'Reilly, they have no clue they are racist, and are so amazed anyone of color has any possibility of succeeding and are shocked, shocked I say that a person of color is an articulate educated individual.

I'm just about slackjawed with exhaustion as the never-refreshed sea of peripheral distraction has normally good hearted and sound thinking people nibbling at each other like starving fish in an untended aquarium.

I don't want to take any single issue since all of them are effectively dissolving the ground of core goodness and straightforward truth that comes from that. We are dumpster diving over what we have left. We are being psychologically pounded into putty for a reason.

Meanwhile the rethugs just take anything they want 8 years and counting.

Meanwhile, the road to low sleaze has been greased and the here and now is just a whiff, a taste of the awfulness that is to come:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/183228.php

Shy, that's exactly what I mean. Little goes into commonsensical context anymore. Ferrikan could been seen for what he was in the late 60s early 70s. Fringe, end of story. Now what has this to do with Obama's agenda..well, nothing. Any more than Spitzer's sex life has anything to do with his jugular accuracy in disempowering corporate fascism.
We don't even know up from down. I call that doomed.

You know, i'm going to continue my train of thought from above and suggest we invent the Human Being Litmus Test.

Dirty-dog insinuations, and as patb so eloquently stated any whiff of being being "psychologically pounded into putty for a reason" sends up red flags regarding the true identity of the perpetrators.

We must assume, then, that they are "aliens" and must be deported. Sally? Morgana? What planet would these aliens belong to?

They don't need NASA anymore (Private contractors Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. have created a joint venture named United Launch Alliance - see the last paragraph)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/13/rocket-lifts-off-with-sec_n_91311.html

Rocket Lifts Off With Secret Satellite

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — An Atlas 5 rocket carrying a secret U.S. satellite lifted off before dawn Thursday, officials said.

The 191-foot-tall booster blasted off from the southern end of the Central Coast air base at 3:02 a.m.

"It went great," said Mike Rein, a spokesman for United Launch Alliance, which made the rocket.

But Rein said he couldn't confirm whether the satellite had successfully reached orbit, "because of the nature of the launch."

The Atlas 5 carried a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office, the agency that oversees the nation's constellation of spy satellites. No details of the mission were released.

The launch was delayed for two weeks as a precaution against possible space debris from a failed U.S. spy satellite that was blown up by a missile launched from a Navy ship.

The Atlas 5 is made by the United Launch Alliance, a joint venture by Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. The rocket is designed to reduce costs and provide reliable access to space for heavier military payloads.

(this is the whole article)

Here's a 2005 article explaining who they are.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=16790

You know, when they say 'secret satellite' everyone and their dumb dog knows exactly what the satellite is all about. If they just lie and say something like state of the art enhanced weather tracking satellite for the study of global warming they could at least appear to be doing something positive.

Dumbasses!

This whole satellites being shot down by China and the US and now this has made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle.

Keith O sure did jump the shark....a really good phrase which applies to everything going on right now, Pat C. I'd also think the DOJ jumped the shark, but we don't know all of it yet.

I find it somewhat amusing that I have heard, on my street alone, which is one block long and a court at that, two HUGE fights (there was also one on campus at the local community campus involving 20 people about two weeks ago)...both were about sex, males/females and lots of shouting about same. One was on the street where a screaming and crying woman was telling her relationship to go ...well, you know....and the other was the woman upstairs over me telling her college aged 18 year old daughter she couldn't go out to see her boyfriend at 11 pm at night. Little does this woman know what said daughter does with boyfriend most nights when this woman is working the graveyard shift. I can imagine what happened between Eliot S. and wife. I just mention this to support all the previous posting about Mars/Pluto. Personal observation, part deux.

In addition to the Hillary and Obama characterizations (sexism, racism) now we have Spitzer's replacement, David Patterson, a black man with disabilities...he is blind! So can racisim now be put to bed soon? Cause a new kid is in town....disability-ism... we haven't even begun to approach that one. (Remember FDR having polio? they were scared to death, the family and his supporters, for the public to find that out.)

I see this, actually, as a really good example of what is right with the country...we have a woman, a (half) black man and possibly in the future, a blind black man (everyone speaks highly of him, and I hope NY takes him to their hearts) of the future presidential races perhaps, running for president.

But really, go check out the lyrics to this Dylan anthem (Only a Pawn in the game) to see how far we've come since 1965 and how little we've come since then....because we are all still just pawns in the game.
http://www.lyricstime.com/bob-dylan-only-a-pawn-in-their-game-lyrics.html

I rest my case.

http://www.alternet.org/sex/79363/

If Eliot Spitzer (and everyone else) was injected with truth serum.

Karen, they're just hell beings. Right here on earth.

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Editorial/219479/

From Gene Lyons...

Democrats Gear Up For A Seven Game Series

People who tire of sports metaphors have my understanding, if not always my sympathy. Even so, watching overwrought Democrats carry on about the extended presidential primary season, it was my wife, a baseball and basketball coach’s daughter, who wondered, “Haven’t any of these people ever seen a seven-game series ?” Exactly. Take my favorite ever, the 2004 American League Championship Series. Baseball fans already know where I’m going with this. With the Boston Red Sox down three games to none, I was determined to ride Game 4 out to the bitter end. It wasn’t like I’d never seen a Yankees victory celebration before. Bill Mueller was coming up in the ninth. He figured to get on base. Anything could still happen. Anything did. Mueller drove in the tying run, Big Papi hit a walk-off shot in the 12th, and the Red Sox ended up winning the ALCS and sweeping the World Series. That was the year Curt Schilling, my kind of Republican, pitched Game 6 with an ankle tendon sutured in place and his shoe filling with blood.

See, here’s the thing about sports fans: We know the rules, we know how the game’s scored, and we know it ain’t over until it’s over. We have little patience for dilettantes who don’t.
...
A lead’s only a lead, sports fans, until the final out.
...
So yeah, Pennsylvania, a must-win swing state for Democrats, is far more important—this year and every year. It’s also more important than a bunch of states that Obama has won — South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, North Dakota, etc. — so when the candidate himself, a Harvard Law graduate, talks about how he’s won more states than Clinton, he knows he’s blowing smoke. Giving you the old “Okie-Doke,” as he likes to tell black audiences.

I’m sure Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson knows it, too.

“To paraphrase Orwell,” he wrote recently, “some states are more equal than others.” He and Keith Olbermann had a wonderful time pretending amazement at this bewilderingly complex “Clintonian” argument on “Countdown.” “Could it be,” Bob Somerby asks at The Daily Howler, “because two million Democrats voted in Ohio last week—and roughly ten thousand did so in Wyoming ?” (Wyoming voted 70-30 Republican in 2004. )

Thanks for those lyrics Judi!

Pat C...Last night I caught the elderly man who had filmed Dylan at Newport music festival in 64-65, just tuned in when he mentioned Only a Pawn in the Game and I thought...that's IT!

42 years later we still are working on that.

Judi here's something nice for a change...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7291501.stm

NZ dolphin rescues beached whales

A dolphin has come to the rescue of two whales which had become stranded on a beach in New Zealand.

Conservation officer Malcolm Smith told the BBC that he and a group of other people had tried in vain for an hour and a half to get the whales to sea.

The pygmy sperm whales had repeatedly beached, and both they and the humans were tired and set to give up, he said.

But then the dolphin appeared, communicated with the whales, and led them to safety.

More at the link...

Back to the good old cold war days.

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20080312/101160375.html

Russia must use nuclear deterrent to protect

MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti) - Russia must reserve the right to use nuclear weapons to protect Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) members in case of an imminent threat, a Russian political analyst said on Wednesday.

The CSTO is a post-Soviet security group comprising Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

"It is necessary to extend part of Russia's nuclear doctrine, which covers the use of tactical nuclear weapons, to all members of the CSTO treaty as a deterrence guarantee," said Leonid Ivashov, the head of the Moscow-based Academy of Geopolitical Sciences.

He said the existing treaty was too vague about the assistance, including military, which each CSTO country must provide to an ally in case of a clear and imminent threat of military aggression.

"Article 4 of the treaty must be revised and contain a concrete definition of such assistance, clearly described in military-strategic terms," Ivashov said during a round-table meeting in Moscow.

The Treaty on Collective Security was signed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on 15 May 1992. The CSTO was established on 18 September 2003 in accordance with a decision of the heads of member states on transforming the treaty into an international regional organization.

Article 4 of the current treaty stipulates that: "If an act of aggression is committed against any of the member states, all other member states will render it necessary assistance, including military, and provide support with the means at their disposal by exercising the right to collective defense in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter".

The Russian leadership has already reaffirmed its commitment to building and maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent, while strongly criticizing the proposed deployment of the U.S. missile shield in Central Europe, and further eastward expansion of NATO.

That didn't pass me by, Judi Gem! They can't refer to David Patterson the NY Gov. to be, without TAGGING him as 1st. black NY Gov, first blind Gov anywhere!
I got an eagles eye view of America, today flipping through old magazines for picture reference.
The oldest featured that pic. of Hillary & Tipper both in blue in their campaign bus in 1992!
( So young and happy!)
I found an article in Nov.19 2000, in US News GET THIS! by Roger Simon: "Why was this the closest election in modern history? Not because the candidates were so different, but because they were so similar....
If anything this is a testament to the stability of the US as it enters the 21st century. I don't see a great social divide ripping this country apart,; it also signifies the growing irrelevance of politics to the lives of many people! WHatabuncha hogwash! Pitching the propaganda? Hell beings is right!

"Put her out to pasture, she has had her day."

Morgana, my thoughts exactly on Ferraro, and I am appalled at those who are trying to excuse or lessen the impact of her words. What is worse, it's not the first time that she is on record as having taken the low road in politics.

Worried for Olbermann’s credibility using the same tone for HC as he uses for Bush.
He just did for his career the equivalent of eating a bad clam.

Re Ferraro, clearly we've been hearing the same tape she's been playing only to herself since 1984 as to why she lost the race. We've taken so seriously the worn out slogans of an aging brain.

Interesting overview of conquerors of the Mid-East since "when". Depressing, too.

http://www.mapsofwar.com/images/EMPIRE17.swf

The Monstrous Monsanto Universe

http://www.truthout.org/issues_06/031308EA.shtml

snip

The case is conducted as a personal investigation, and the director has herself filmed as she plays her computer keys to research, most often through Google, the information accessible to everyone, as long as one is willing to try to separate the wheat from the chaff in the mass of available documents. And there's an abundance of chaff, given how the company has proliferated effective advertising (intended for farmers in every country and in every language) and dubious scientific studies over the years. "On its Internet site, Monsanto presents itself as an agricultural company the mission of which is to help small farmers produce healthier food, while reducing agriculture's impact on the environment," the director explains. Neither assertion is true. Some of these foodstuffs are dangerous and their effect on nature is catastrophic in the long term. Founded in 1901 in Saint Louis (Missouri), the firm is a dangerous recidivist. It began as an industrial company manufacturing chemical products.

It has, notably, concocted impressive quantities of dioxin, the hyper-concentrated poison contained in the Agent Orange American airplanes dispersed over forests to destroy vegetation during the Vietnam War. Its consequences are still being felt today, with the births of deformed children and after-effects on a goodly number of American war veterans exposed to this frightening product. Is that nightmare in the process of resuming under a new form right under our eyes? There's this hormone injected into milk cows to increase their yield that invariably transforms them into Frankenstein animals.

We are now very familiar with - because José Bové has so often "prematurely" reaped it - the surprising corn that yields a bigger ear than the others. At the moment, no one knows whether it also has death-dealing properties. But we are certain that it is in the process of eliminating, little by little, all other corn species, even from the plant's original birthplace, Mexico.

I really like that Geraldine Ferraro is UNAPOLOGETIC.. She should be.

The Chinese gubmint continues its ruthless, inhumane efforts to destroy Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23609436/

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/13/7669/
Published on Thursday, March 13, 2008 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
There’s a Homegrown Way to Address Climate Change
by Anna Lappé

Seattle Tilth has a lot of things to celebrate this year. Thirty years of nurturing the region’s communities and environment through organic gardening is certainly one. The organization can also celebrate its place in the ranks of climate change heroes.

Now, you might ask, what does Seattle Tilth’s work promoting organic gardening and local foods have to do with global warming?

After all, when most of us think about food and farming, we tend not to think of climate change. Mention global warming and most conjure up images of industrial smokestacks or oil-thirsty planes, trains and automobiles.

Asked to name climate-change bad guys, most would tag Shell and ExxonMobile before Sara Lee or General Mills.

That the food industry has avoided the hot seat is no surprise when you consider the mainstream media’s lack of coverage of the food system’s role in the crisis. Even major environmental NGOs and films such as “An Inconvenient Truth” have mostly ignored the connection.

We’ve been missing a huge part of the story.
http://www.kitchengardeners.org/2008/03/peak_oil_peak_soil.html
What few people grasp is the connection between oil and the food supply. Put simply, the food and farm economies of industrialized countries run on the stuff. Oil and its derivatives are used to power farm equipment, to create synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, to run food processing equipment, and to transport food from field to fork, a journey of 1500 miles for the average forkful.

It has been estimated that our highly-industrialized food system in the US requires 10 calories of fossil fuel energy to create 1 calorie of food energy. Needless to say, that equation just doesn't compute in the long run.

and this........................
http://www.kitchengardeners.org/

Judi

Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld are UNAPOLOGETIC too. Birds of a feather...

Should Keith Olberman apologize for attacking Hillary? Obama supporters insist Keith is only telling it like it is, so why should he take back the truth?

Ferraro and Keith have made it all about them whether it hurts the Democrats or not. They've poisoned the party even though no one named them as official spokespeople for their favorite candidate.

Secret satellite launched, secret Session meeting, secret rendition sites, secrets, secrets, secrets and all in our name and on our dime.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/3/14/house_hold_rare_secret_session_on

House Holds Rare Secret Session on Spy Bill

[snip]
If you were watching the House of Representatives on CSPAN last night , you’re probably wondering why you’re TV screen suddenly went dark for more than an hour. Don’t worry, your television set isn’t broken. CSPAN was ordered to shutter its cameras and all reporters and members of the public were cleared from the chamber for an extremely rare secret session on the House floor.

The move came after Democrats agreed to a request from Republicans to postpone a vote on a spy bill Thursday and hold the closed-door session to discuss what they termed classified security matters. It marked the first time a secret session was held in a quarter of a century and only the sixth time in the House’s history. House members are not allowed to divulge any information from the session, and the staff must sign secrecy oaths. And, unless the House votes otherwise, a transcript won’t be available for thirty years.

At issue is a new proposal from House Democrats who oppose giving amnesty to telecoms that helped President Bush’s warrantless, domestic wiretapping program. House Republican Whip Roy Blunt said he wanted to privately inform colleagues how the Democratic measure could disrupt anti-terrorism efforts.

Yeah, but we don't get to have no secrets. Not from them.

Let's see. . .

I give you x-dollars to provide a service, but i can't know about, and i can't decide whether or not i want this specific service or not. In the meantime, you can spy on me and distort any detail of life you would like in order to force me to continue paying for your service that i don't want or need.

Don't they call this extortion?

There's more spying oversight Bush is wiping away.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/03/14/president_weakens_espionage_oversight/

President weakens espionage oversight
Board created by Ford loses most of its power

By Charlie Savage
Globe Staff / March 14, 2008

WASHINGTON - Almost 32 years to the day after President Ford created an independent Intelligence Oversight Board made up of private citizens with top-level clearances to ferret out illegal spying activities, President Bush issued an executive order that stripped the board of much of its authority.
more stories like this

The White House did not say why it was necessary to change the rules governing the board when it issued Bush's order late last month. But critics say Bush's order is consistent with a pattern of steps by the administration that have systematically scaled back Watergate-era intelligence reforms.

"It's quite clear that the Bush administration officials who were around in the 1970s are settling old scores now," said Tim Sparapani, senior legislative counsel to the American Civil Liberties Union. "Here they are even preventing oversight within the executive branch. They have closed the books on the post-Watergate era."

more...

Roundup

Won’t someone please stop the madness: “Two more Democratic presidential debates were announced on Thursday, the first to take place in Philadelphia on April 16, and the second in North Carolina on April 19. ABC News will host the first debate, to take place in advance of the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. The North Carolina debate will be hosted by CBS News and moderated by Katie Couric and Bob Schieffer. Both Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama immediately released statements saying that they would accept the invitations to appear in Philadelphia. Senator Obama also accepted CBS’s invitation.”

Close to a deal on a Michigan re-vote? “The Obama campaign’s Michigan co-chair says that all the momentum right now in private negotiations between Michigan Dems is behind the option of having a redo primary in the state, suggesting that an agreement on a redo is likely.” Word may come later today; I’ll let you know what happens.

The Obama campaign seems anxious to make disclosure and transparency an important part of the debate, and released a list of every earmark request he’s made since becoming a U.S. senator. “Bringing real change requires changing the way we do business in Washington,” Obama Communications Director Robert Gibbs said. “If Senator Clinton will not agree to join Senator Obama in releasing her earmark requests, voters should ask why she doesn’t believe they have the right to know she wants to spend their tax dollars.” The Clinton campaign, which has also not released the candidate’s tax returns, did not respond to the earmark challenge.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to throw water on an Obama-Clinton (or Clinton-Obama) ticket: “I do think we will have a dream team, it just won’t be those two names,” She said. “Whoever our nominee is and whoever he or she is and whoever he or she chooses, will be a dream team as the Democrats go forward.”

At least he won’t be surprised: “A resigned National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman John Ensign (Nev.) said this week that goal [of reclaiming the majority] is a ‘very long stretch’ at this point, and he conceded that recruitment failures and an unhelpful Senate GOP conference have hindered his efforts in what was already a perilous cycle.”

MoveOn has a new video contest: “Who needs Samantha Power when you’ve got Eddie Vedder, Ben Affleck and Moby? Those three are just a few of the cast of celebrities the liberal advocacy group MoveOn.org assembled as a panel of judges for their new ‘Obama in 30 Seconds’ competition. The contest, reminiscent of MoveOn’s 2004 anti-Bush ad contest, asks amateur and professional filmmakers to submit pro-Barack Obama campaign advertisements in the hopes of receiving a $20,000 gift certificate and having their ad aired nationally. MoveOn endorsed Obama in February.”

Obama was asked about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s “God Damn America” comment by the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. He responded, “Obviously, I disagree with that. Here is what happens when you just cherry-pick statements from a guy who had a 40-year career as a pastor. There are times when people say things that are just wrong. But I think it’s important to judge me on what I’ve said in the past and what I believe.”

We may have Mitt Romney to kick around some more. Even if he doesn’t make the GOP ticket (I’d bet he doesn’t), Romney “intends to establish a new political action committee to help elect Republican candidates.” Eric Fehnrstrom, Romney’s long-time aide, said, “We’re thinking about what new entity can be created to allow Governor Romney to remain politically active so he can raise money and campaign for Republicans, and advocate for the issues he cares about.” In other words, Romney’s thinking about 2012.

AP: “Representative Robert E. Cramer, a nine-term Democrat from Alabama, said he would not run for re-election in November. The announcement leaves little time for campaigning before the state’s June 3 party primaries and opens up a competitive district that Republicans have long eyed. Mr. Cramer, 60, of Huntsville, said he believed this was ‘a good time for me to step aside.’”

And finally, former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (I) is apparently mulling over a possible independent presidential campaign this year. In the opening of his upcoming book, the former wrestler writes, “As I begin to write this book, I’m facing probably the most monumental decision of my 56 years on this planet. Will I run for president of the United States, as an independent, in 2008? Or will I stay as far away from the fray as possible, in a place with no electricity, on a remote beach in Mexico?”

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/14894.html

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2008/03/14/ferraro_clinton/

Geraldine Ferraro still needs to apologize

To fully grasp why her remarks about Obama were so outrageous, take another look at her record in Congress.

By Joe Conason

Glenn Greenwald

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/03/14/fisa/index.html

House Democrats reject telecom amnesty, warrantless surveillance
The House just now approved a new FISA bill that denies retroactive immunity to lawbreaking telecoms and which refuses to grant most of the new powers for the President to spy on Americans without warrants. It passed comfortably, by a 213-197 margin.

Notably, many of the 21 "Blue Dogs" who previously signed a letter indicating their support for telecom immunity and the Rockefeller bill -- including several of the six whom our highly successful fund-raising campaign earlier this week targeted -- voted (and spoke) in support of the House bill (only 10 Democrats voted against the bill, including at least a couple of progressives who think the bill doesn't go far enough). Many of those Blue Dogs were persuaded to support the bill by the protections which the bill offers to telecoms (i.e., authorizing them to introduce even classified evidence in the lawsuits to prove they complied with the law, if they actually did).

As impressive as the House vote itself was, more impressive still was the floor debate which preceded it. I can't recall ever watching a debate on the floor of either House of Congress that I found even remotely impressive -- until today. One Democrat after the next -- of all stripes -- delivered impassioned, defiant speeches in defense of the rule of law, oversight on presidential eavesdropping, and safeguards on government spying. They swatted away the GOP's fear-mongering claims with the dismissive contempt such tactics deserve, rejecting the principle that has predominated political debate in this country since 9/11: that the threat of the Terrorists means we must live under the rule of an omnipotent President and a dismantled constitutional framework.

It is possible that the House will ultimately end up capitulating to the President, but I have real doubts about whether that will happen. They have defied the standard GOP Terrorism-exploitation attacks for weeks, allowed the Protect America Act to expire (once the President refused to extend it), and now passed a very good bill even in the midst of intense GOP/media attacks. They did so as a result of a shrewd strategy and a willingness to frame and engage the debate aggressively.

More at the link....

Applause!!!

http://www.pacdv.com/sounds/people_sound_effects/c-c-2.mp3

Here is one reason they stung Spitzer. Wish he'd been smart enough to get therapy.

ttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/13/AR2008021302783_pf.html

Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime
How the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers

By Eliot Spitzer
Thursday, February 14, 2008; A25

emptywheel (among others) has published a list of the "Blue Dogs" who originally had no intention of voting against retroactive immunity, but who came through like champs on the House bill today, voting in support of the 4th Amendment and Rule of Law. They are:

"Rep. Leonard L. Boswell, D-Iowa -- Phone: (202) 225-3806, Fax: (202) 225-5608
Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark. -- Phone: (202) 225-4076, Fax: (202) 225-5602
Rep. Mike Ross, D-Ark. -- Phone: (202) 225-3772, Fax: (202) 225-1314
Rep. Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D. -- Phone: (202) 225-2611, Fax: (202) 226-0893
Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Ill. -- Phone: (202) 225-3711, Fax: (202) 225-7830
Rep. John Barrow, D-Ga. -- Phone: (202) 225-2823, Fax: (202) 225-3377
Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla. -- Phone: (202) 225-5235, Fax: (202) 225-5615
Rep. Joe Baca, D-Calif. -- Phone: (202) 225-6161, Fax: (202) 225-8671
Rep. John Tanner, D-Tenn. -- Phone: (202) 225-4714, Fax: (202) 225-1765
Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah -- Phone: (202) 225-3011, Fax: (202) 225-5638
Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind. -- Phone: (202) 225-4636, Fax: (202) 225-3284
Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-La. -- Phone: (202) 225-4031, Fax: (202) 226-3944
Rep. Dennis Moore, D-Kan. -- Phone: (202) 225-2865, Fax: (202) 225-2807
Rep. Zack Space, D-Ohio -- Phone: (202) 225-6265, Fax: (202) 225-3394"

http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/03/14/more-blue-dogs-come-home/

You might want to call and thank and congratulate the one who's from your district, or nearby. I just did and they seemed pleased.

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=1125&thisview=item

Winter Soldier Testimony : Hart Viges: US military tactics upside down

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=1122&thisview=item

Winter Soldier testimonials
Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) hold press conference in Washington, DC

...........

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080314/ap_on_go_pr_wh/dirty_air;_ylt=Ak1oNuUK29W5knNvfFMqfsKs0NUE

AP, confirning what we all assumed:

White House played role in smog rule
The head of the Environmental Protection Agency rejected suggestions on Friday that the White House forced him to weaken a key part of its new smog requirement after intervention by President Bush.

"I made the decision," EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson declared, saying he wanted to "set the record straight" on the issue.

Documents and e-mails that EPA provided as part of the record on the smog regulation, issued on Wednesday, showed that Bush became personally involved in settling differences between the EPA and the White House Office of Management and Budget over a part of the smog rule.

Thanks to the stars for the great essays and posts here.

Just was on Daily Kos and saw a diary I think might interest many here. A college student has started a blog called

Black and Missing but Not Forgetten

to draw attention to missing young women who are NOT covered, even ignored, in the MSM.

Here is the link

>http://www.dailykos/storyonly/2008/3/14/14422/6439/631/476344

Well, of course, that blog is really called

Black and Missing but Not Forgotten

WV...please read what Ferraro actually said. I am glad, and I will say it again, that she has not apologized. And I will not apologize for saying it, either.

To put Ferraro in the same category as Bush, Rumsfield, Cheney is outrageous.

The election is just a "sham/distraction"........

http://www.gregpalast.com/elliot-spitzer-gets-nailed/

The $200 billion bail-out for predator banks and Spitzer charges are intimately linked

By Greg Palast
While New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was paying an ‘escort’ $4,300 in a hotel room in Washington, just down the road, George Bush’s new Federal Reserve Board Chairman, Ben Bernanke, was secretly handing over $200 billion in a tryst with mortgage bank industry speculators.

Both acts were wanton, wicked and lewd. But there’s a BIG difference. The Governor was using his own checkbook. Bush’s man Bernanke was using ours.

In alphabetical order:

http://karmicknowledge.com/2008/02/05/will-the-real-hillary-clinton-please-run-for-president/

Will the Real Hillary Clinton Please Run For President?

http://karmicknowledge.com/2007/03/06/al-gore-that-was-then-this-is-now/

Al Gore: That Was Then, This Is Now

http://karmicknowledge.com/2007/01/18/john-mccains-instant-karma/

John McCain’s Instant Karma

http://karmicknowledge.com/2006/10/21/barack-obama-on-center-stage/

Barack Obama on Center Stage

DLC leadership is now taking aim at Dr. Dean of the DNC. Specifically, Terry McAwfully and Hillary Clinton.

http://tinyurl.com/3dwqen

Disgusting.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/291524/hypocritical_ties_between_lobbyist.html?all=1

Hypocritical Ties Between Lobbyist Groups and John McCain Exposed

...........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oGTSX66V_8

Juan Mccain EXPOSED NEO CON shill

Winter Slodiers

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=1141&thisview=item

Adam Kokesh

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=1139&thisview=item

Steve Mortillo

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=1138&thisview=item

Clifton Hicks and Steven Casey

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

McCain says al Qaeda might try to tip US election

By Steve Holland

SPRINGFIELD, Pa., March 14 (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate John McCain said on Friday he fears that anti-American extremists might attempt spectacular attacks in Iraq to try to tilt the U.S. election against him.

More...

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14417731.htm

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/mccain_raises_money_off_35th_a.php

McCain Raises Money Off 35th Anniversary Of Release From Hanoi Hilton

By Eric Kleefeld - March 14, 2008, 2:18PM

You really do need to watch this new video that the McCain campaign has just put out — it's a neat preview of the sort of appeals we can expect in a general election.

The video is part of a fundraising appeal — the campaign is raising money off of tomorrow being the 35th anniversary of his release from the Hanoi Hilton. That and his POW experience are the subject of the vid:......

Shy, the DLC, Billary, McAwfully aren't they just pieces of work! Stinky, the smell rises from their dirty tricks, ahh the aroma of Bush.

I can just see the Indpendent Clinton party arising if Hillary doesn't get the nomination. Maybe she'll put Lieberliar as VP.

I read somewhere that Hillary attends the prayer meetin's with Santorum and his ilk. So is she a fundie along with her drinking buddy McInsane? Great another Bush. I wonder if God has talked to her too ?

HAhaha, my Brother always with the sense of humor: on discussing the Spitzer case thinks we should start a spay neuter program for politicians!
That would take care of the "dynasty" problem too!

How came there to be so much hatred?

http://tinyurl.com/2rrps2

I realize the Chinese gubmint would not want any dissident voices on the internet (or anywhere else for that matter), but this virulent hatred reminds me of the Ku Klux Klan, et al.

KPFA (KPFA.ORG) is running the stream/radio of the Winter Soldier conference. John Kerry declined to attend and so did everyone else except of course Barbara Lee.
Listening to these young people tell their stories of vicious cruelty, of hideous acts against the people of Iraq puts me in a mood of wondering if Obama will be able to stand up to the death culture in this society. also wondering if this society cares enough to change. I don't know but most people I know and love won't listen to this stuff bet not too many in Iowa, Oklahoma, Utah, etc are interested.

Beijing sends in tanks as Tibet erupts (March 16 2008)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/16/tibet.china

Protesters claim more than 100 killed as violence spreads amidst mounting international protests

......

In pictures: Tibet protests

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/gallery/2008/mar/14/1?picture=332974845

.......

Eyewitness account of Lhasa violence (March 14, 2008)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/14/tibet.china4

A western tourist in Tibet describes the moment violence erupted in Lhasa

.......

Whatever China does, Tibet will still demand its freedom

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/mar/16/tibet.china

Beijing can be benevolent or brutal, but it will find that national identity lies at the heart of Tibetan demands for self-determination

.......

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/14/tibet.china2

Background - Q&A: Tibet and China

.......

China: Darfur-Olympic link 'unfair'

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D7B8BB0F-B5D3-40DA-8123-C7A7AA6A3FDC.htm

The Chinese government has condemned efforts to link the Beijing Olympics with the violence in Darfur as "irresponsible and unfair".

......

Chinese 'arming Darfur conflict'

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/7D6E98C8-B082-47E7-A52A-4C3A66857D8A.htm

Chinese sales of assault rifles and other weapons to Sudan have grown rapidly during the conflict in the western Darfur region despite a UN arms embargo, according to a US-based rights group.

ANd closer to home!
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/3/14/193537/030/154/476829
Something that has not been reported is that they have been physically beating Don. I don’t know the extent of his injuries or exactly how many times it has happened – but it has been multiple times.

There are no words for the fury I feel. This is an outrage. And it is the most un-American thing I have ever heard. I cry bitter tears of frustration and rage.

OMG qop. That's all I can think of to say.....

.......

I'm bringing a couple of "Wobblies" here from Salon's message board. I think they are excellent.

By Macdaffy on Bush's speech to the soldiers in Afghanistan.

When I read this, I thought of that wonderful Lorenz & Hart tune Isn't It Romantic?:

Isn't it romantic?
Bullets in the night, a scream that can be heard.
Isn't it romantic?
Moving shadows! Are they Taliban or Kurd?
I hear the bombers flying in the skies above
While tribesmen search for pieces of the ones they love
Isn't it romantic
Merely to be young in such a fight as this?
Isn't it romantic?
Every night a new ass that George Bush can kiss.
Those sirens in the moonlight,
Do they mean that someone just got killed perchance?
Isn't it romance?

[Instrumental]

I hear the mortars whistling through the trees above
While the Afghanis scream we've killed the ones they love.
Isn't it romantic
Merely to be young in such a fight as this?
Isn't it romantic?
Every night a new ass that George Bush can kiss.
Those whispers in the moonlight,
Do they mean that maybe I'll get killed perchance?
Isn't it romantic?
Isn't it romance?

..........

....and this one by David Lettvin on our Dem candidates:

....

It seems to me that the internal snipings amongst the Democrats do little to advance the cause. So here's some advice:

(clears throat, dons top hat, brushes frock coat into a semblance of neatness and enters stage left singing in a lusty baritone.)

If they could talk without animus, just imagine it
Chatting to Barak and Hillary
Imagine talking about issues, debating economics
What a neat achievement that would be.

If they could talk without animus, act with dignity
Maybe learn some etiquettery.
They could learn to cooperate, maybe cogitate,
It'd be a goddam miracle to see.

They would converse about jobs and education,
And repealing that damned trade agreement too.
If people ask them, "Do you have a strategy?"
They'd say, "What's the matter ... gee! Don't you?"

If they could talk without animus, those two Democrats
Think of all the things they could discuss
If they'd campaign without animus, use their brains without animus,
Once they think and speak and act without animus,
Then they can talk to us.

The Winter Soldier hearings bring full view the agony of the original Plan for the New American Century. Our weakening dollar only strengthens the pursuit of those who would see us fully engaged in the middle east. It's more than the oil, it's dominance and it's the dollar.

When the Iranian oil bourse is fully legitimized http://www.meed.com/iran/news/2008/03/tehran_in_talks_over_dubai_bourse_listing.html
then we just witness the full collapse of the dollar. So, where has DickDick been? Well, obviously Bush didn't do the job right, so DickDick trotted off to the ME to deliver the full dead horse. (Not the horse's head ala Corlione style.)

I see the bruhaha with the candidates -- and their complicity in it -- as a very nasty convenient way to distract.

In the meantime, we continue to wipe millions from the face of the earth, and r*pe the earth herself to assure our dominance. Can someone tell me why we would even want to claim that we're the GREATEST country on earth? the most POWERFUL country on earth? I've said this before, but this verbage/mantra/hypnotic session has got to go if we are to achieve a higher state of consciousness.

I keep meaning to ask -- how are twins and family, Sally?

karen, PatC,QOP, my sentiments agree with yours. Yes China is vicious in its race to be stronger than the US but I am shattered by what we have done in Iraq and Haiti and South America. I too don't give much of a flying f--k about the Democratic contenders. I am sorry but I know in my heart that these two only want power to fulfill the concerns of their hidden puppet masters. If I were not correct one of them would begin speaking about what is really going on but they won't even talk about the rape and assault of Iraq much less the destruction and starvation of the tiny island Haiti.
I have listened to the Winter Soldier conference as much as possible. I am not a soldier hater-I work with a beautiful soldier, a mother of three, who spent a year and a half in Iraq doing human work that she cannot talk about to this day. I love her she is truely beautiful,strong and kind' we walk together at work. she ended up with something like a nervous breakdown and I do know that she told her commanders "this old man knows nothing","this young boy knows nothing". I pray though that my grandson never joins the military as so many working class kids do just for the work and benfits such as college money later.
My point-the Democrats are so careful to waffle on this military action so careful NOT to explain to Americans that we have been lied to, ripped off, destroyed by the blood thirsty lying neocons and their so called Christiansupporters.

clymela, Thank you for your insights. The Winter Soldiers remind us that obviously we didn't learn from the misery of Vietnam. I remember it took us ten years to even begin to come to terms with it. All that time our veterans were suffering from PTSD which wasn't even diagnosed as a disorder for years after the war. It's all been repeated again and it won't get easier the second time around. If anything it'll be even harder because even though the Vietnam Vets weren't treated for psychological backlash because the syndrome hadn't been diagnosed yet, now they aren't being treated deliberately. That makes our government willfully and patently criminal against it's own citizens. So what can we expect from them when it comes to the citizens of other countries?

Well Clymela, i have a feeling that your very friendship has meant a great deal to this woman who is obviously suffering the ravages of war. Thank you for that.

I just had a thought that twisted my own knickers.

Since we know this push into the ME is purposeful, could it be that the crash of the dollar is as purposeful? This would allow the creation of the north american union, the establishment of a new currency and a unheard of military might.

After the crash, people throughout the united states would accept the hubris of the imperialistic corporatacracy and scramble to trade with the new currency, dumping the dollar faster than Spitzer crashed and burned.

Any additional thoughts on this?

My take,

There will be no "New American Century" nor will there be anything at all that the NeoCons, the Disaster Capitalistas, the Bushistas or the Illuminati can do to stop the impending end of the era of US Empire, and with it their fortunes and their power. This is because the rest of the world, led by China, Russia and India, and with the support of Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, is rising up economically and politically and will unite against a United States thoroughly weakened by corruption of the sort that is inherent in the desire for total domination.

This will come to a head in 2014-15, when Uranus squares the US natal sun and Pluto Opposes it. Incidentally, George W. Bush and the Republican Party's natal Suns closely follow the US Sun. What is coming in the next seven years is a total repudiation of the US, as it has been, and I would argue a decisive end to the Conservative-Capitalistic meme and themes that have dominated this country and the world for so very long.

It will either be we, the people who step up and say "enough" or the world itself who steps in and says "enough" or perhaps both, but one way or another, the regime of the GOP, the Bushes, Reagan, Rupert Murdoch, Wall Street, Cheney, Rumsfeld, the NeoCons, Rove and all will come to and end, facing fierce, revolutionary dislocation and a sweeping off into history.

And maybe after that, we can have another Nuremberg Trials, pick up the pieces of our country and begin anew.

Karen, re the dollar crashing and burning, IMO our economic disaster is not so much purposeful as the natural outcome of insane greed. Of course, the insane greed is purposeful. Great link over at firedoglake

>http://firedoglake.com/2008/03/15/the-bernanke-bind/#more-19640

Speaking of how fast Spitzer crashed and burned, isn't it just an amazing mystery how the DC Madam story has disappeared? And after all that gossip about Cheney being on her client list, too.

Can I believe my eyes? MY EARS?
Amy Goodman & Greg Palast with 2 black gentlemen I don't recognize; (one owns a newspaper,) discussing the lack of media reporting on the news................................ discussing the KIDKNAPPING OF ARISTIDE!!!!
THIS IS NOT LINK TV! "THIS IS LIKE IT IS" ON ABC! Because I had a phone call, I didn't switch channels after Stephanopolos, talked through the local NY ABC news featuring David PAtterson today....
Finishing with Palast advising young students to DROP OUT OF JOURNALISM SCHOOL before they are taught the wrong thing!
Now back to sorts!

Now back to sorts! ( sports) ESPN!

NEOBuckeye, I hope it is we, Americans, who bring Empire to an end. You sent me to look at Bush's transits in 2014 and he does have difficult ones. I'm not a good astrologer but I wonder if others here could comment on Bush's transits around that time. Being held accountable for such vast sweeping crimes has to be a necessary step in bringing Empire to an end.

Neo and Mayfly. . .in all great hope, and with my heart fastened to the breakthrough of another dimension of reality. . .i do hope you're right on target. My predication is based upon the years of malfeasance perpetuated by this self-appointed aristocracy, especially the capitalization of hubris made mindset that infiltrates our very thought processes.

A small percentage of humans will respond to the challenges and opportunities inherent in the Uranus square Sun. Many, however, will grab onto anything that remotely hints of "salvation" including a new currency that will perpetuate old business. Granted, that old business will HAVE TO BE more earth friendly, but it will be expensive. And someone will have to administer the very resources we need, esepcially WATER!

And Amy and Gregg get national exposure!!!!!!! Well, i'll be jiggered!

Karen, I have been reading for years now literally years that Greenspan was running up the credit thing to bring about a collapse that would lead to our accepting a right wing takeover ala Germany in the 20's and 30's. Remember Hitler started out as a Christian hero to save other Christians. Our recent history has been so similar to germany's in the early 20th century that I have been tempted to start reading Rense newsservice and the Globe (that's a joke) but seriously I do believe that there is an element of planning here. and god knows a society that wants video in the car,etc is so out of touch with the earth that we are very vulneralbe to the wolves who will eat us and our children.
QOP-I haven't had the TV on because I am listening to Winter Soldier but I am so sorry I missed that-amazing. Hope returns with Spring!!!

Yes I hope it is hope. "Like It Is" is a news program for 'blacks"! Interrrreeeeesting! It's been there all along!
The Federal Communications Commissions' Nicholas Johnson strongly endorsed the idea. This, along with the social upheavals following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., lent further urgency for such remedy. As a result, most every local TV station in the New York area began hiring African-Americans...on-air and off, also, black public affairs programs began airing. "Like It Is" was WABC-TV's contribution...with the mandate to address issues of relevance and concern to black communities.
I haven't figured out how to update it to today's program.....but I will start watching it on SUndays. Is this why the Congressional Black Caucus is so knowledgable? THey count on whites not tuning it in????????
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news&id=3381006

clymela, shy, karen, lunaoscura and NEO, at last uninterrupted lack of b.s. about how things really are. Not a single neural misfire!

ALL of it has to go. There also has to be worldwide full page ads about boycotting the Chinese Olympics 8-8-08. China's chart 10-01-1949 also has imminent structural changes. Money is the only thing they understand. Their retorts about poisoned goods and human rights are absolutely Childish. Although their post-olympic solar return has them looking gratified, they too will experience the cardinal grand cross and have an interesting saturn return that includes pluto oppose natal uranus, uranus oppose saturn. I recall Noel Tyl saying that in a battle between these two planets, "Uranus wins". Oppressive a**h***s. Ironical the Tibetans are rising up at this time in their own behalf, Trillions upon trillions of prayers and mantras later, ACTION is the only effective response to relieve suffering. We could all take heed. Patience indeed, after 49 years of chinese sitting on their chests. Any more than we can afford the "inconveniences"
after the fact of allowing fascists all the way in to our country.

Thanks for asking Karen, the new set of family twins are doing great. Their Mom and Dad are struggling along while the boys set about teaching them how to be parents and what all that means. My daughter-in-law and son said something that I sincerely hope their sons or the gods did not hear, they said "this is boring just watching them eat and sleep" Such a dangerous statement to throw out to the universe.

Our illusionary leader falls into bad times before 2011 Neo, but they do continue and escalate during the 2011/2015 time period. Would not want to be him. By Fall he will be in a Sade Sati (Saturn in the sign before, of, and following the Moon) Its impact begins slowly and then builds in intensity. Things in your life start to go wrong, respect is limited, finances fail, let's just say the world turns cold. Most people have at least two sade sati's in their lifetime, some have three. When Saturn turns direct in Virgo and hits 15 degrees Virgo, it will be 30 degrees from his Moon and that will be the beginning of his dramatic fall. In two years it will be in Libra squaring Pluto and coming to a conjunction to the Moon. His pre-natal chart clearly shows his descent beginning this year. It will be his opportunity to make changes and see the wholeness of humanity, not just his little piece, I have some doubts as to whether he will be able to do that. I expect increased meanness will be the result. Saturn will conj. his Mars this summer, and that is frustrated anger toward others.

Neo is right, his probability of fading into history is high. In fact he easily could become a footnote, kind of like McKinley, the President who brought America into the 20th Century and then was killed in 1901. Neo is also correct regarding the fall of the illusion of America being an empire and their corporations running the world. That will fall during the 13/14 years Pluto resides in Capricorn. By 2023 America will be on a whole new path and I hope we the people make sure it's a better one.

This hatefulness and bickering between the Democrats are doing more harm to that party than the years of hatefulness have done to the GOP, I hope it ends soon. While most of us are consciously aware of what racism and gender prejudices look like, we are not aware of the subliminal impact these issues, including religion have had on us. There are millions of people out there looking for a reason not to vote for a black man or a woman and waiting for any and all imagined or perceived slips, while the one white man who is also thought of as not tightly wrapped is given the real pass. No such luck for Obama or Clinton. Everyone is beginning to look a little dotty and desperate to me right now. The culture of football seems to have taken us over. Watching people slam each other senseless over a ball so they can reach the goal post and win without a thought to their pain or the pain they've inflicted makes me think we have not gone too far from Rome's games of death in the coliseum every week. Have some popcorn and hot dogs folks and let's watch the Democrats pull each other apart, there are no rules. Lord there are more rules in cock fighting than in politics.

The Democratic Party's chart (May 21, 1832, 12:pm, Baltimore Maryland) is experiencing their 6th Saturn return this year (8 degrees Virgo) Their Saturn also happens to square Uranus in the US Chart. The first Saturn return was in 1861 and amid great bickering and being a third choice the Republicans elected Abraham Lincoln.

2nd Saturn Return 1890, Cleveland lost to Benjamin Harrison. Cleveland won the popular vote but lost the electoral votes. Harrison was a Republican.

3rd Saturn Return 1919 Woodrow Wilson the Democrat who sneaked in the Federal Reserve Act in 1913 was already in office. His failures shifted the balance of Congress in 1918/1919 to the Republicans, he had a stroke and it was rumored that his wife actually finished out his term, speaking for him until he died in 1924.

4th Saturn Return 1949, a very unpopular Truman who had inherited the job by the death of FDR and was in constant turmoil with Congress started the "Police Action" in Korea, his presidency too gave way to a Republican in 1952.

5th Saturn Return, 1978/79, I am sure we remember the hostage crisis in the last year of Carter's presidency and we all know what came after him.

Now we are in the 6th Saturn Return for the Democratic Party and not only does Saturn square the US volatile Uranus in Gemini, on election day this year transiting Saturn and Uranus are in opposition. Here we are again, right on cue for the Democrats getting ready to "snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory."

Our one hope here is transiting Saturn will also square the GOP Party's natal Saturn and the Saturn/Uranus opposition falls kind of close to the GOP Neptune. Not a big aspect for them, but an aspect. In the meantime, if Democrats really want to win, and really believe theirs is the better party, the bickering should stop. Who knows we the people may have battered and bruised the Dem candidates so badly (not to mention what they are doing to themselves) that by the time they get to the convention there could be a third delegate vote and an Edwards or a Gore or someone like them ends up being the candidate. There are, after all plenty of Saturn/Uranus transits around to shock us all out of our "Roman Fall" stupor.

"Who knows we the people may have battered and bruised the Dem candidates so badly (not to mention what they are doing to themselves) that by the time they get to the convention there could be a third delegate vote and an Edwards or a Gore or someone like them ends up being the candidate. There are, after all plenty of Saturn/Uranus transits around to shock us all out of our "Roman Fall" stupor."

Word Sally.

Sally, great trip through the dem party's saturn returns. Such a victim mentality, who would hire them to babysit.
Let's not forget the words of Jon Stewart on Crossfire last year commenting to the MSM talking heads.
He simply said,:
"Stop hurting us".

Not only are these candidates pre-packaged, but so are the controversies. This is deliberate from start to finish.
Depending on who is chosen as their VP will decide the race since this was engineered to be distilled into the superficiality of black man vs woman. We were denied our viable candidates at the beginning. The stuffing has long since been ragged out of this meaningless race. Deliberately.

Thank you, Cap'n for your extraordinary and thoughtful reply to the volatile events of this day and the coming ones.

THank you too for the explanation of Sade Sati. I've been under that cloud.

SADE SATI: HATEFUL! I've already had 2 and another coming up 2011! Since my moon is almost opposite my N saturn I've already endured 2 of them as well, alternating with Sade sati!
ANd I haven't even murdered 1 person!
WHat's UP with that???

Sally, I only got as far as your first paragraph when I busted out laughing! I haven't read any more yet but I just had to comment on it. I bet they'll be awake a night too many and remind each other between yawns and with heavy bags under their eyes of when they were 'bored' and how lucky they were!

OK, back to reading the rest of your post...

"Our illusionary leader"

Hahahahah! OK. This time I'm going to read it all the way through without commenting!

Wonderful and sobering comments Sally. I believe Obama today gave a speech about working together. I'll go look for it.

Divisiveness needs to be talked about. I'm an Edwards supporter so I'm not posting this as an Obama supporter, but because it needs to be addressed. Obama said this today

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OBAMA?SITE=NVLAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Obama Decries Racial Rhetoric

PLAINFIELD, Ind. (AP) -- Sen. Barack Obama on Saturday decried "the forces of division" over race that he said are intruding into the Democratic presidential nomination contest.

"We have to come together," he told a town-hall meeting at a high school.

He cited videos of inflammatory sermons given by his pastor that are now being used as political ammunition against him - remarks that Obama has denounced.

"If all I knew were those statements I saw on television, I would be shocked," Obama said.

Obama suggested that more and more is being made of racial divisions as his contest with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton heats up.

"I noticed over the last several weeks that the forces of division have started to raise their ugly heads again. And I'm not here to cast blame or point fingers because everybody, you know, senses that there's been this shift," Obama said.

"It reminds me: We've got a tragic history when it comes to race in this country. We've got a lot of pent-up anger and bitterness and misunderstanding. ... This country wants to move beyond these kinds of things."

The Illinois senator's comments came a day after he denounced statements in videos appearing on television and on the Internet of sermons by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, pastor of the Chicago church Obama joined nearly 20 years ago.

"Most recently, you heard some statements from my former pastor that were incendiary and that I completely reject, although I knew him and know him as somebody in my church who talked to me about Jesus and family and friendships."

Obama said that pointing out racial differences only makes it harder to "deliver on the big issues we face in this country," which he said include health care, the slumping economy, terrorism and caring better for veterans.

Obama, whose mother's family was from Kansas and his father from Kenya, said he was speaking "as someone who has little pieces of America all in me."

He said schools should do a better job of teaching all students African-American history "because that's part of American history," as well as women's struggle for equality, the history of unions, the role of Hispanics in U.S. and other matters that he suggested aren't given enough attention.

"I want us to have a broad-based history" taught in schools, he said, even including more on "the Holocaust as well as other issues of oppression" around the world.

Obama spoke in the gymnasium of Plainfield High School, near Indianapolis, as he directed his political attention at states beyond the critical April 22 Pennsylvania primary.

"We are going to be campaigning actively in Indiana," Obama said to cheers. Indiana and North Carolina have primaries on May 6, two weeks after Pennsylvania.

For about 22 years I had a 'hunter's moon' which has been separating out of that a few years. When the Sade sati was upon me it seemed NO different, but when sat transited my moon I was more focused and didn't have the reputed experience when saturn went through the next sign after my moon at all. Who knows, maybe I was just used to getting hammered by then. Maybe if your moon is well aspected it's not as bad?
Then there's the saturn dhasa which just ended in my chart after 19 years 3 years ago. It might have a bearing on that (?) cuz gwpinhead is in his saturn dhasa.

All I know about that vedic stuff is that they sure seem to enjoy scaring the bejeezus out of people, and I've noticed "some" westerners who practice it do so sometimes to erase aspects in their own chart that make them feel badly about themselves. (Please note "seem" "some" "sometimes" disclaimers).

Oh, from what I recall the first opening square of saturn to my moon and the opposition was most memorably painful (the latter featured chiron conj moon), the square coming up in virgo next year repeating is one I'm dreading, tho of course other aspects to it this time are different than then.

Bush still clueless. Maureen Dowd's usual sharp wit shines through.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/opinion/16dowd.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

Oh, thanks so much, Cap'n Sally, for checking in with us and sharing your words of wisdom. Sade sati couldn't happen to a more deserving person and I wish it had happened back in, oh, 2000.

And now, folks, here comes the Big Train Wreck:
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/03/16/credit-crises/

Be sure to read the "Comments", too.

FWIW

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/obamas-church-responds/index.html?hp

Asian markets are open and they are diving downward. Bear Stearns isn't the only one to come. But not to worry, Hank Paulson said today the US Economy is just "going through a little bump." I thought "I hope your teeth and eyes don't fall out on that little bump Hank." Bad day for Wall Street tomorrow.

Paulson: Arrogant jerk, "save the markets and not the dollar."

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Treasury_Secretary_refuses_actions_to_strengthen_0316.html

Holy Cow!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/opinion/29cohen.html?th&emc=th
Obama’s Brother in China

By ROGER COHEN
Published: March 17, 2008

BRUSSELS

So there I was, a couple of weeks back, sitting under a mango tree in western Kenya, when Senator Barack Obama’s half-sister Auma says to me:

“My daughter’s father is British. My mom’s brother is married to a Russian. I have a brother in China engaged to a Chinese woman.”

My understanding is that this half brother living in China is Mark. He’s the son of Obama’s father and an American woman named Ruth, whom Obama Sr. met while at Harvard in the 1960s and brought back to Kenya.
........................

Sorry, i'm just laughing myself silly. How in the world are taxpayers going to bail out the banks when the dollar is crashing? It makes no sense whatsoever. Yet, in the feds' twisted minds, i'm sure it makes great sense -- and that's the part that stands all the very short hair on my neck straight up.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/the-golden-age-of-mixed-metaphors/

The golden age (of mixed metaphors)

Tanta at Calculated Risk, keeper of the MMI (muddled metaphor index), has a lot of work to do. As of this morning, I’ve learned that Ben Bernanke is playing whack-a-mole as he tries to put his finger in the dike while sailing in uncharted waters. Sounds painful.

Har-har Karen, how else are we going to pay for the tax refund the Hollow-Cranium is sending out in May, that includes the notices every mother's child in the country just received to that effect (paper&postage).

The "It" in the oval office doesn't have his parasitic saturn in the eigth house of the u.s. for nothing..or should he be called the Great Siphon Hose. Hey, don't forget to take ALL the little crumbs (jobs) from the mice before going back up the chimney!

Harpers confirms the suspicion that the Spitzer sex sting is
just another diversion by Bush & Co to avoid any hard looks at the real corruption:

The Case of the Amazing Vanishing Corruption Investigation

While the Bush Administration’s public integrity lawyers are busy staking out a Democratic governor’s rendez-vous with an expensive call-girl, and attempting to shut down the work of a state legislature in order to probe the teaching plans of Alabama legislators who moonlight in junior colleges, the largest corruption scandal in American history has all but disappeared. It’s worth taking a second to ask: Why did the Public Integrity Section completely lose interest in the most important public corruption scandal in the nation’s history?

Back in the administration of Warren G. Harding, of course, there was the Teapot Dome Scandal. It was the biggest political corruption affair until the arrival of Team Bush. But when Bush and Rove occupied the White House, their top retainers started remaking the world of Washington lobbying. “Mr. Republican” from this period was Jack Abramoff, and his sidekick was former Bob Riley legislative assistant Michael Scanlon. Abramoff’s operations entailed extensive dealings with Rove and Bush and with a very large chunk of the Congressional G.O.P. leadership. Indeed, much of it seems to have flowed right out of the office of Tom DeLay.

In 2005, Thomas Mann and Norm Ornstein, two of the most astute observers on the Washington scene, called the game for Abramoff and his crew. They had developed the biggest political scam operation in America’s history. In fact it exceeded Teapot Dome by an order of several magnitudes. So now that we’re some five years into the Abramoff investigation, what has happened, exactly? It mysteriously dead-ended. Most of the major branches of the investigation went absolutely nowhere. And it seems that the Justice Department just couldn’t come up with the resources to explore most the leads that turned up.

More at the link....

Ooooh, the link...

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/03/hbc-90002657

and this one from Firedoglake.

http://firedoglake.com/2008/03/17/bush-is-becoming-hoover-where-is-fdr/

Gosh PatC, which scandal in the s***storm of scandals per week from DC are they attempting to cover? Sensory adaptation (with the help of the chloroform-saturated MSM rag) has taken over the country to dull the horrors of this collective psychological and actual rape of every basic reference point that defined common decency for the last 232-and a half years.

MSM, owned and operated by the same men and women who brought you Teapot Dome....so to speak, patb. :-/

.......

Watch the whole thing.

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisdataswitch=0&thisid=1144&thisview=item

Clinton vs Obama on Blackwater

Wowee PatC..Jeremy Scahill is Gold. What we suspected is true..the Clinton v Obama needs a new name. How about the Ambiguously Same Duo.

Anyone know what Jeremy Scahill's date of birth is? Tough to find! I worry that he worries too much that we need him too much (which we do). Wish we could take care of him in some way.

more of Jeremy Scahill's priceless contribution (interview with Bill Maher):

http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/67106/

A picture is worth a thousand words... Look at photos 2 though 6 to see photos (taken today) of Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Treasury Undersecretary for Domestic Finance Robert Steel, and Council of Economic Advisers chairman Eddie Lazear trying bravely to sing "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and tell us the gubmint is on top of the this little bump in our 'strong' economy.

http://tinyurl.com/2g9ctb

See, nothing to worry about! Keep shopping!

Garbage, grass clippings, anything biodegradable might be used to make fuel using bacteria that normally break it down. Sorry you have to watch a short ad before the clip

http://www.livescience.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=080207-hydrogenfuel

Hydrogen Fuel Breakthrough

The numbers on the photos I linked of Bush and his economic advisers has changed, probably because they've added more, but the link takes you to the right first photo I want you guys to see. Just click next a few times to get the whole spread of glum mugs.

lunaoscura, perhaps bush's face reflects the unsummoned result of all those hundreds of thousands of people he's murdered, compounded by a pre-compositing of what his future lifetimes have in store for him.

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_frenchie_080316_political_distractio.htm

Political Distraction by way of Personal Destruction - How the Left was Won

In 1996, Bill Clinton, signed the Tel-e-c-ommun-i-c-a-tions Act.

This was a dream b-ill conjured up by a special inte-rest group made up of large me-dia entities who wanted to get larger. The Int-e-r-n-et and br-oadb-and me-dia had been born a decade before, and were waiting to explode onto the scene. The argument for this A-ct, according to its proponents, was that vi-ew-ers had a lot of choices now, and that a little co-nso-lida-tion wouldn’t hurt, and in fact, would help independent media get its foot into the door via ca-ble br-oadb-and sta-tio-ns. The me-dia lobbyists pushing for the a-ct pointed to C-N-N, founded in 1980 by a brazen ent-erpr-ising Ted Turner, and made their case based on his success and CN-N’s fierce independence, that this a-ct would better encourage superior news reporting, by giving the old Network some real com-pet-ition.

There was a lot of opposition to this bi-ll, by those who understood that competition usually ends up with the larger ones eating up the smaller ones, but so it was enacted. What Bill Clinton didn’t figure, on that fateful day in 1996, while penning his John Hancock to the A-ct, was that he was also signing away his own legacy, as well as the health of the Democratic Party to the me-dia giants for years to come.

Just two short years and one O.J. Trial later, Bill Clinton would be relentlessly attacked and pursued by the same mega me-dia who had gotten larger through ac-quis-ition. Ca-ble rating shares had increased to an unprecedented level over expectation. Business was good, people were bu-yi-ng dish and subscribing to Ca-ble, and Political Distraction by way of Personal Destruction was to become par for the course in the world of politics.

More at the link....

patb, I prolly reflects his mental picture of his haves and have mores getting pissed off at him for their losses. He can't put them all on welfare! They obviously didn't think that they'd get screwed like the rest of us or they wouldn't have supported him.

My apologies for the dashes in my above post. Those are words that can't make it through the filter on another site I posted that article on. I forgot to take them out. Ooops!

Fed Taking Orders From Wall Street

While mainstream media called the Bear Stearns bailout the first brokerage bailout since the Great Depression, in truth it was the second in seven months.

The first brokerage bailout came without all the media fanfare because it arrived not on the wings of a public announcement but in five pages of indecipherable Fed jargon addressed to the General Counsel of Citigroup.

Here is the effective message sent by the Federal Reserve to Citigroup in its letter of August 20, 2007: now that we have allowed you to become both too big to fail and too big to bail by repealing the depression era investor-protection law known as the Glass-Steagall Act at your mere beckoning, we have to bend more rules to keep you afloat. So, for example, the rule that says the Federal Reserve is not allowed to lend to brokerages, just banks, from its discount window can be tweaked for you by lending up to $25 billion to you and then we'll let you lend it to your brokerage arm. The Federal Reserve Act rule that says a bank can't loan more than 10% of its capital stock and surplus to its brokerage affiliate, we'll let you go as high as about 30% and say it's in the public interest.

By giving Citigroup an exemption from Rule 23A of the Federal Reserve Act, by allowing it to funnel up to $25 Billion from the Fed's discount window to its brokerage clients who were getting hit with margin calls, the Federal Reserve and Chairman Ben Bernanke telegraphed an incredibly dangerous message to global markets: we're just as unaccountable as Wall Street. The Federal Reserve as enabler under Alan Greenspan created today's problem and today's Crony Fed under Ben Bernanke is killing off what's left of U.S. financial credibility. (I had barely finished typing these words on Monday, March 17, 2008, when a news alert came across my screen advising that the Federal Reserve was taking the breathtaking step of making direct loans to all brokerage firms which are primary dealers for Treasury securities.)

The Federal Reserve is stumbling around in the dark and regularly bumping into the next bailout because it stopped being an independent monetary force and started taking its marching orders from Wall Street quite some time ago.

http://www.counterpunch.org/

China "Holds Tibetan Dissidents"

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/031708A.shtml

BBC News reports, "Security forces in the Tibetan city of Lhasa are rounding up dissidents, exiled Tibetans say, as a deadline approaches for protesters to surrender."

A little off subject but this is something to help the UN food program and stretch your brain at the same time. It is addicting....

http://www.freerice.com/index.php

Thinking of visiting Chinese Vacationland?
I saw this and thought how easily this could be what our gov't has planned for us in the good 'ol usofa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgGCQ0nVcyU&NR=1

lunaoscura, just followed the link you posted a few comments back and saw the photos, including the one of Bush, Laura, and Bertie Aherne. Thanks.

Noticed that when questioned about our financial/economic debacle, Bush was quoted as saying, "We're on top of it."

Ha! He should have said, "We're behind it."

Chinese troops are shooting Tibetan protestors "down like dogs." How could anyone attend the Olympics after this demonstration of the will and "wisdom" of the Chinese gubmint?

http://tinyurl.com/2ubmwe

That freerice vocabulary game was fun! It's nice to know that my obsolete talent can be helpful in the world!I used to make lists of celtic words like "fen" when I was in Jr High, because they sounded nice ( familiar?)

Shy, what worries me about this is the short attention span. Recall Burma? They're back fending for themselves...Again. The awful truth is, we get our emotional charge, beat our chests over the injustice, then toss them back into their plight. That was only six-seven months ago! Do we ever stop and think about what they're now enduring as a backlash after that uprising?

Yes. Boycott the Olympics, spread the word and keep spreading it now thru 8-8-08. They don't deserve it and because they're so attached to the prospect this is the perfect time to expose them to the entire world and not relent. But I worry it is 4 1/2 months away. Do we have the attention span? Do we have the drive to continue? Do we REALLY give a rat's behind about what happens to the Tibetans after 49 years?

Not to diffuse the message, but here is a powerful news doc about how the chinese carry out "industrial strength" executions on their own people, who are apparently living in hell:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=zAoIx18nGwA

Oh, while you're at youtube.com don't forget to see all the other things they do. Harvesting the organs of the executed and imprisoned to sell to foreigners...like us.

There's gall, and then there's unmitigated gall.

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/BradBlog/431

PatB let me help answer the question "do we have the attention span to keep the pressure up on China?" the answer is NO, we do not. American's should not be too hard on themselves, no generation, or culture of people does have the attention span to carry out real reform and certainly not the fast food generation.

We just bump along raging over this or that until something new comes along. We've just been had economically and we can't even focus on that long enough to force answers.

Well, all that aside, thought you all would like to know that both Obama and Hillary are sliping into a difficult period of time until the end of April, Obama's is a bit worse, not much but it is worse. He has a series of difficult mid-point hits. Unfortunately the reality is we don't have a certain birth time for either of them so this could be a bit off, but they go into a down time.

I think a person can see it in them both. Hillary's is projecting a really fake image, hard to watch her; and where there is "Hil" there is "Bil" and both of them are way off their mark. Obama however acts like he's going to drop any second and is stumbling around in response to questions, he really has a hard if not impossible time coming back at his accusers or attacking them himself. His performance is looking not new but a bit old and tired. Anyway, both of them have a difficult time ahead it looks as if Obama has a slightly harder time of it. Things improve for him moving into the Convention in August.

By the way, it looks astrologically that the GOP has a fairly tame period of time during their convention, while the Dems and Denver can expect a riot.

Senator's Supporters Are Invited to Lunch With a Lord

Saturday, March 15, 2008; A06

Sen. John McCain plans at least one campaign event on his week-long congressional trip to Europe and the Middle East: a March 20 fundraiser in London. An invitation sent out by the campaign says the luncheon will be held at Spencer House, St. James's Place, "by kind permission of Lord Rothschild OM GBE and the Hon Nathaniel Rothschild." Tickets to the invitation-only event cost $1,000 to $2,300. Attire is listed as "lounge suits."

Why all this crap about Obama's preacher?
He was right.

Barack Obama began speaking at 10:53 am. I don't know the location, but we can get that pretty easily.

http://www.thecosmicpath.com/

Hasn't it always been thus? The aristrocracy re-emerging to enslave the masses -- even though we are certainly at critical mass? Those who are born to the cabal of privilege see governing as their birth right, that those masses are incapable of governing themselves.

I remain steadfast in my belief that the currency will soon change, that the coming presidential nominee is being groomed to transition the masses. That the same aristocracy will remain in power, and maintain their wealth. For instance, the ceo of Bear Stearns was out playing golf during the crash of the company. I don't really believe he was clueless, rather he just didn't HAVE to care.

Pluto's upheaval will be fully centered on the masses, for i am quite certain that those VERY SELECT FEW who govern are well aware of the coming shift and making changes to accomodate it. Such things as remote viewing is part of the CIA and NSA's arsenal. Certainly Mossad, and most assuredly Russian's secret service employ these arts.

I'm not being cynical, rather i believe that each of us must learn that this cycle is just that. The difficulty has always remained in how we meet the challenges and find balance, understanding, joy and love despite the horror of this terribly dense dimension.

Spectacular and oh so moving speech. Barack Obama really is a great man.

PatC, he was in Philadelphia, across the street from Constitution Hall.

Oh my gosh Morgana. There couldn't have been a more perfect location. Just beautiful and fierce, and loving.

.........

http://harpers.org/archive/2008/03/hbc-90002635

The gathering storm at the Justice Department

OMG! I got goosebumps!

After more than a decade of dumbed down, divisive, hate filled rhetoric I had forgotten how it feels to hear someone speak who can make you soar with hope and belief in our better nature!

Oh I missed it!
You said March would be intense, Sally........ YUP! Hope they rerun it on cspan. They finally got to the antiwar protests yesterday!

I'm sure it will also be available on line qop.

qop, it's just as powerful when you read it. Maybe even more.

http://tinyurl.com/ypg2bo

That was the most beautiful and moving political speech I have ever heard. I am just amazed that he stood there and took it all on with grace and yes, fierceness. a man for our times.
Karen I agree with you-sadly. Are we entering another Dark Age such as when Rome fell? Perhaps that is too romantic and I don't think america is the center of Western civilization but something is definately going on here.

Here is the video of the speech.

http://tinyurl.com/2ebn7m

Great little article to have on hand for those who are still parading around the Rev. Wright thing.

http://tinyurl.com/2wcmte

Or, rightwing nutty preachers are, well, even nuttier.

Randi Rhodes- A America

http://www.airamerica.com/listen/

Discussing Obama's classic American speech

I didn't hear all of the speech and will make time later to listen to the whole thing. I did however hear about 10 minutes of the speech and I knew this was going to be a stunner for those who had ears to hear. I'm not black, nor lived in abject poverty, or was the product of a single mother, but I felt included in his "hope" and "better way." I felt as if he were talking to all of us without judgement or accusations. He was authentic, sincere, and I believe he spoke the truth. It was not the truth of politicians or the truth of what we let pass as "issues" (sex, drugs and alcohol) but the truth of what is deep inside all of us.

As astrologers we keep looking at Obama's natal chart for his rise and falls (including me) but I've said several times this is not about the candidate, this is about a movement and it's his Presidential Announcement chart that tracks that movement (Feb. 10, 2007, 10:13am, Springfield, Illinois) This is an attempt for America to transcend, and Obama is the transcendent candidate, or trying to be. The "announcement' chart has Mars in the 9th house at 18 Capricorn, today Jupiter conjuncted that Mars and Uranus sextiled it. This was a "transcendent" speech, given out of a political need but did not turn out to be a "politics as usual" speech. I was dumbfounded, because I expected the normal politician speech, but that's not what I heard.

Can he make it from here? There will be powerful forces aligned against from him from this point on, but at least today we had a politician that addressed America exactly where we all live and he did it from his heart.

Cap'n Sally, apparently he's giving another major speech tomorrow at Fayetteville on the Iraq War and National Security.

Oops! Forgot the source:

http://www.fayobserver.com/article?id=288905

As usual, Obama rose to the occasion with his Philadelphia speech, and did not disappoint. I have always thought of Obama as being honest and sincere, and this speech, straight from the heart, will go down in history as one of the best(if not the best), about facing race relations, and other problems in America. Sadly though, this is not the first, and won't be the last time that he will have to fend off such attacks from his opponents, and some of his detractors will still be critical of him even after listening to his speech. It's impossible to please all of the people all of the time.

I can't believe I actually turned him off! I had the volumn down and was discussing inportant family matters with my daughter. I had a cynical thought about yawn politics, & clicked the TV off!
There's the danger.if a political junkie like me, reacyts that way, will enough hear it?
( I have read the transcript, it IS historic! I will watch the video tonight.)
McCaine just BLEW IT BIG TIME! SPREAD THE WORD, because dummies won't notice!
In Iraq he said AlQUida ( in Iraq)is sending men to Iran for training in bombing.............
Lieberman had to correct him..that Al Quida are Sunni And Iran is SHia........DUHHHHH!

Obama has the message right. I hope his more radical supporters listen and realize that the politics of attacking his opponents runs contrary to his obvious ideology and only muddies his ideals. He talks about inclusiveness, and he's obviously against the divisions which are so entrenched into our society. He understands the evil of hatred and how it has poisoned us.

A president's legacy

9/11 brought international terrorism directly into our midst, and George Bush used the occasion to propel the United States into a war in which we are still deeply engaged, five years later. We have become intimately familiar with WMDs, the horrors of Abu Ghraib, the rise of the insurgency and the strategy of the surge. Frontline assembles six years of diligent reportage, along with new material, to create the defining documentary on Bush's War airing Monday, March 24, and Tuesday, March 25.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/

Maybe this is a rallying point for us all, a gathering of unifying energy before the oh, so necessary revolution we're heading for. Blurring lines of difference is what we need if we're to form a cohesive effort in the coming years. (aside from that would love to see blacks way more than pasty old white men in really strong positions because of their humanizing influence.) Still, the election transits hold that creepy mars/nep square....

After viewing the chinese way of dealing with their society it was EASY to imagine that could be us now that every law has been jiggered to allow exactly the same fate to our population.

Like everyone else I'm sort of perched, unable to abandon a certain dread for what's coming.

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/news/20080318/index.htm

Court orders White House to show cause why it should not create forensic copies of all electronic media; court seeks means to protect missing e-mails in response to Archive lawsuit

I posted this link here once before,but I find this woman(I think it's a woman)fascinating in the way she writes, and interprets astrological aspects. She has reprinted Obama's entire speech, but if you already read it, or don't want to read it, scroll down to the planetary commentary underneath it. It's very interesting.

http://raginguniverse.blogspot.com/

Maybe it's because nothing adds up. Nothing.

Clinton's First Lady Papers to go public:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080319/ap_on_el_pr/clinton_papers_7;_ylt=An8Z1CcMs32DXUIyh0FJEiqpg9IF

"for those who had ears to hear".

Sally, I was thinking the same thing about Obama's speech, because you can be sure that not everyone who was listening actually heard what was being said.

Yes I have a friend who heard him lying ( contradicting what he said last week).
We had a pretty heated arguement. I was feeling pretty positive until then!
I just think she's being an old white woman! ( My age)Unconscious prejudice!
So tired of the entire thing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZlUekuQBgM

Bush/McCain: Lockstep

Interesting article on Barack Obama from a darn good astrologer:

http://astrotabletalk.blogspot.com/2008/03/will-real-barack-obama-please-stand-up.html

Well, at least he's not biased towards any one candidate.

http://astrotabletalk.blogspot.com/2008/03/chillary-and-zang.html

He's not Crystal. That's a good thing.

Well I've just been told by a really great astrologer that last post is wrong, and the the aspects are incorrect. Whew!!

This is going to be an interesting five or six weeks and an exhausting one for the Dem candidates and their staff. I cannot imagine that they are not ready to drop, I'm ready to drop just watching and listening to them. I keep thinking about the historic meaning of this campaign. No matter whether it's Hillary or Obama who wins, they will have to prove themselves over and over again because they aren't the traditional "white man" candidate.

We've been so caught up in this campaign and the candidates that we lose sight of what's in store for the US no matter who is President or who is in Congress. This administration is not going to be able to hold up the economy until Jan. 20,2008 like they want, this fall looks like as far as they can run. They have already built in disaster and to weed our way out will take a lot of time, more than 4 years.

I for one want to know what the Dems, Hillary, Obama have in mind to get us out. How are they going to provide more jobs, what are they going to do with NAFTA, how are they going to increase better education in our schools, where will they get the money for shore up the infrastructure and what is their plan to get out of Iraq? We've heard solid plans they have for health care, but those are the only solid plans I've heard, everything else is vague. Are they waiting for the convention? Lots of questions still need to be answered and the first is where will they get the money?

I am also curious as to why no one else seems to be running this year. Where are the representatives, the senators up for re-election? Does that not start until after August? I am beginning to wonder if there will be an election or will this administration find a "disaster" that gives them permission to pull the plug on 2008? These are all still questions up in the air.

Oh dear, Sally. I feel that we all really know, but pray for it to be otherwise.

My thought returns frequently to my earlier years, and the feeling of both excitement and dread at being alive at the turn of the century. The sci-fi writers (for which i had an immense fondness) presented a vision that was far grimmer than my naive imaginings, and unfortunately far truer.

NY Times Editorial

March 19, 2008

Mr. Obama’s Profile in Courage

There are moments — increasingly rare in risk-abhorrent modern campaigns — when politicians are called upon to bare their fundamental beliefs. In the best of these moments, the speaker does not just salve the current political wound, but also illuminates larger, troubling issues that the nation is wrestling with.

Inaugural addresses by Abraham Lincoln and Franklin D. Roosevelt come to mind, as does John F. Kennedy’s 1960 speech on religion, with its enduring vision of the separation between church and state. Senator Barack Obama, who has not faced such tests of character this year, faced one on Tuesday. It is hard to imagine how he could have handled it better.

Mr. Obama had to address race and religion, the two most toxic subjects in politics. He was as powerful and frank as Mitt Romney was weak and calculating earlier this year in his attempt to persuade the religious right that his Mormonism is Christian enough for them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/19/opinion/19wed1.html?ref=opinion

March 17, 2008
Op-Ed Columnist

Obama’s Brother in China

By ROGER COHEN
BRUSSELS

So there I was, a couple of weeks back, sitting under a mango tree in western Kenya, when Senator Barack Obama’s half-sister Auma says to me:

“My daughter’s father is British. My mom’s brother is married to a Russian. I have a brother in China engaged to a Chinese woman.”

My understanding is that this half brother living in China is Mark. He’s the son of Obama’s father and an American woman named Ruth, whom Obama Sr. met while at Harvard in the 1960s and brought back to Kenya.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/17/opinion/29cohen.html?ei=5087&em=&en=cf032b994ca31727&ex=1206072000&pagewanted=print

http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/what-obama-said/index.html

On the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq war

George Bush is responsible for the deaths
of

A MILLION + Iraquis

FOUR THOUSAND + Americans, Brits, Canadians, etc. (some sources say 7,000 +

Thousands of injured, many for life.

Destroyed families from many nations.

All to get Saddam Hussein, a dictator who
was not a danger to the US.

Who is the war criminal?

sally, I have the same concerns about the election in November and for the Democratic convention. bush, et al certainly seem very smug and John McCain's complete craven acceptance of torture, etc. gives me the willies. we are almost on the floor now economically and I have understood that the big crash is part of coup d'tat of the Neocon takeover.
Saturn in Virgo squaring my sun/mercury Mercury ruler of my sixth-heart problems coming up again. i have problems accepting this but astrologer enough to realize that there is more for me to learn and accept

Brilliant little concept and study. Should prove to be highly useful in terms of appreciation and conservation of water.

http://tinyurl.com/3422co

Ten years ago, I doubt it would have received this much attention--though it should have.

Ohh and I believe that Elliot Spencer was being stalked by the government-he needed some therapy and spiritual counsel. He tortured those he hunted and so that energy came back from people who spend all their life, like him, beating adversaries

Did you read the blog posts from wv's 3;08 post?
Scarey how many people JUST DON"T GET IT!

For one thing, Sally, behind this madness there is a method soon to become apparent to us all. All of these loose ends lying everywhere are there for a reason.
The economy is siphoned dry for a reason.
Florida & Iowa are corraling into an 11th hour split for a reason.
The two candidates we now have were engineered as long as 3 years ago for a reason.
We know all the rest.

There are timed and projected setups for incremental moves longterm too.
BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'll SUCCEED.
It is extremely important that we remember this now and down the line and not be distracted by all these um, distractions.

I'm counting on resistance from the states on a number of levels.

Last night we watched "Downfall" from Netflix released in 2004 about the intimate events surrounding Hitler's final defeat right there in the bunker, includes the entire takedown of his entourage in those last days. Beautifully portrayed in a perspective we've not seen ever. 50million deathtoll at the end of the reich although not one death camp was featured in this film. How they think and feel. Fascinating!
2hrs.36mins. Oscar nominated director Oliver Hirschbiegel.

Very insightful, cogent article on Rev. Wright's "controversy":
http://tinyurl.com/3xt4ud

Medicaid "Reform" is stripping funding from teaching hospitals and medical education programs:

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_8620814

It's becoming increasingly obvious why Gore won't limit himself to being President of the US. And it's a good thing for the world too. He's become a riveting world leader with a message which isn't about power, but about empowerment.

http://itsgettinghotinhere.org/2008/03/19/al-gore-launches-the-climate-project-india/

Al Gore launches The Climate Project-India

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/03/19/the-cafferty-file-how-is-the-shaky-economy-affecting-you/

Scroll down to the video of Jim Rogers.

Sally,

FYI, when I tried to post the article about Gore in India I got a 409 error message which said the filter had rejected my post and then listed various reasons. Anywhere from one word it might have found offensive to me misbehaving with language. I tried posting just the opening paragraph, but it still wouldn't accept it. Finally it accepted what I posted above.

A 15-month-old piece from the Opinion Mill pointing out the Soprano-like quality of the current administration.

"Insane tax cuts for the wealthy. Delusional military ventures abroad. From the minute the Bushies took power, their biggest concern has been to break open the cash registers, empty the shelves and open the bank vaults. Stewardship is a joke to them. What we are witnessing may very well be the biggest bust-out in human history."

http://theopinionmill.wordpress.com/2006/12/26/united-scatinos-of-america-8205/

I think they may be mopping up now.

http://www.alternet.org/story/80024/

Veterans Administration Won't Help Soldiers Register to Vote

For at least four years, since the 2004 presidential election when a veteran, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., was the Democratic Party nominee, the Department of Veterans Affairs has blocked efforts to help U.S. soldiers register to vote at its facilities in all 50 states.

"This is politically motivated voter suppression," said Scott Rafferty, an attorney based in Washington, D.C., who has fought the Veterans Administration (VA) in federal courts since 2004 over the right to assist veterans, including homeless vets, to register to vote at the VA campus in Menlo Park, California. "The VA is making its open campuses, even those where hundreds of homeless and aging veterans live, First Amendment-free zones."

The issue has resurfaced, not merely on the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and in the midst of a heated presidential campaign, but because the VA -- whose public affairs office did not answer telephone calls nor return requests to comment Monday -- apparently has also stonewalled requests by U.S. senators for an explanation.

"We write today to once again highlight our concerns about voter registration in VA facilities," began a March 6, 2008, letter from Sen. Diane Feinstein, D-Calif., chair of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and Sen. Kerry, to James B. Peake, secretary of Veterans Affairs. "Nearly one year ago, your predecessor, Secretary Nicholson, was questioned about the lack of access to nonpartisan voter registration services for our nation's veterans. A response to this inquiry was never received."

More at the link....

http://empireburlesquenow.blogspot.com/2008/03/no-country-for-old-men-reality-of-iran.html

No Country for Old Men: The Reality of Iran in the Shadow of War

When it comes, it will come quickly. No big build-up, no new "roll-out of the product." The groundwork has already been laid, the specious casus belli already embraced, enthusiastically, by Congress. Proposed legislation to "compel" Bush to seek Congressional approval for an attack will be ignored, just as Bush blatantly ignores any Congressional stricture he dislikes. If he decides to launch an attack on Iran, no institutional or legal fetter will stop him. That's the stark truth of the matter.

The attack will probably be a limited one at first, with the immediate "reasons" being offered up afterwards or in media res. After all, who is going to seriously question the Commander-in-Chief when our brave boys are in the air over enemy territory in Iran?

They had parliamentary elections in Iran last week. It was not good news for the cause of peace. Why? Because reform candidates did unexpectedly well, while hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad saw a deep split in the conservative majority, with many in his own faction rejecting his Bush-like belligerence and incompetence. This might sound like glad tidings at first glance – but it actually makes an attack more likely. It undermines the carefully crafted cartoon image of Iran as a monolithic, maniacal horde of barbarians intent on senseless destruction. If a truer picture of Iranian society is allowed to take hold, it would pose a serious threat to the agenda of the Crawford Caligula and his militarist handlers.

After all, they fought long and hard to get rid of the moderate government of former president Mohammed Khatami – spurning Tehran's extraordinary offer in 2003 of complete cooperation on nuclear safeguards, helping establish security in Iraq, ending armed support for Palestinian militias, cooperating against terrorism, and recognizing Israel. Instead, the Bushists hoped for a more demonizable figure whom they could use to "justify" their goal of establishing a pliable client state in the oil-rich, strategically located land. And just as with their openly stated wish in 2000 for a "new Pearl Harbor" that would "catalyze" the American public into supporting their radical imperialist program, they got lucky again with the election of Ahmadinejad – a sinister clown made to order for scaremongering propaganda, even though his actual powers are quite limited. Any development that complicates the cartoon, such as the recent elections, is bad for business.

And make no mistake, the Bush faction's predatory designs on Iran are business – big business. The entire "War on Terror" is an engine for crony profiteering on a monstrous scale – and the greatest transfer of public wealth into private hands the world has ever seen. Those who believe that the Bushists would hold back from striking Iran because it is too "risky" don't understand the stakes these warmongers are playing for. As they will never suffer personally or financially from even the worst outcome of their policies, the game is well worth the candle for them. Others will do the dying. Others will face the ruin. Others will weep with pain and grief.

more...

Very deep into his speech today Obama summed up what we must do to move ahead. Five steps:

Here are just five ways in which a shift in strategy away from Iraq will help us address the critical challenges of the 21st century.

First, in addressing global terror and violent extremism, we need the kind of comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy I called for last August. We need to strengthen security partnerships to take out terrorist networks, while investing in education and opportunity. We need to give our national security agencies the tools they need, while restoring the adherence to rule of law that helps us win the battle for hearts and minds. This means closing Guantanamo, restoring habeas corpus, and respecting civil liberties. And we need to support the forces of moderation in the Islamic world, so that alliances of convenience mature into friendships of conviction.

Second, the threat of nuclear proliferation must serve as a call to action. I have worked across the aisle with Richard Lugar and Chuck Hagel in the Senate to secure dangerous weapons and loose nuclear materials. And as President, I will secure all loose nuclear materials around the world in my first term, seek deep cuts in global nuclear arsenals, strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and once more seek a world without nuclear weapons.

Third, the danger of weak and failed states risks spreading poverty and refugees; genocide and disease. Now is the time to meet the goal of cutting extreme poverty in half, in part by doubling our foreign assistance while demanding more from those who receive it. And now is the time to build the capacity of regional partners in conflict prevention, peacekeeping, and the reconstruction of ravaged societies.

Fourth, the catastrophic consequences of the global climate crisis are matched by the promise of collective action. Now is the time for America to lead, because if we take action, others will act as well. Through our own cap and trade system and investments in new sources of energy, we can end our dependence on foreign oil and gas, and free ourselves from the tyranny of oil-rich states from Saudi Arabia to Russia to Venezuela. We can create millions of new jobs here in America. And we can secure our planet for our children and grandchildren.

And fifth, America's sluggish economy risks ceding our economic prominence to a rising China. Competition has always been a catalyst for American innovation, and now should be no different. We must invest in the education of our children, renew our leadership in science, and advance trade that is not just free, but fair for our workers. We must ensure that America is the economic engine in the 21st century just as we were in the 20th.

more...

For the full speech scroll down a bit...

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/19/114032/682/108/479934

Obama Takes It to McCain on Iraq War

The McCain camp's response to Obama's speech was to say it flunks National Security 101

Is that a substantive rebuttal or what!!!

So lets hear it for our wonderfully aware and informed citizenry....latest poll shows that:

56% support McCain's stand on 100 years more in Iraq.
but:
56% support Obama's stand on withdrawing troops from Iraq.

Hillary's position is at 3% less.

So, you see, McCain sure could win if 56% of voters support this stand. What I can't figure out is how 106% of people support both sides of the issue....am I missing something? Or is this just a bad reporting day for KCBS???.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/19/africa/ME-GEN-Mideast-US-Cheney.php
Before dining with Oman's Sultan Qaboos bin Said, Cheney borrowed his 60-foot royal yacht and went fishing.

In an interview with MArtha Raditz, he was asked about the high percentage of Americans who think the war should end. Cheney said " Sooo?" with a nasty smirk!
Can be seen on KO. MSNBC now playing again at 10 PM as well as online!

Anti-war protests in over 85 schools throughout the U.S.

http://www.newsds.org/march20/

Glad anti war protests are going on. It is a relief from the following:

Just finished watching the uniformed (except for one democratic woman) 'citizenry' on PBS Lehr news hour....unbelieveable!!!! how stupid are the citizens of this country? ALL of them except for the dem woman, are talking about this war in Iraq in all the spin terms visited upon the population by the endless blaring of the MSM. The worst part....they all seem to believe that Saddam H. actually was behind 9/11. Only the dem woman said...we went in there for the oil. I couldn't believe it, it is so disheartening. PBS ...really, what a public service, to put together a panel of catatonic people (except for the really angry dem woman) who all seem to think that bush's version of reality IS reality. GAG!!!!

AHA...I just remembered....its the 'POD' people....

Good grief! How it's Hillary's pastorgate:

http://tinyurl.com/2w87s2

It's probably way too much to hope for, but is it possible that all this controversy over religious leaders may just be showing up the flaws of putting blind faith above men's laws in our government? That maybe separating government and religion was all about separating power out of the hands of any sect of people, especially holier than thou preachers? And putting that power in passing and enacting laws which are not written as dogma to be made an alter on which we sacrifice our humanity, justice and even God's commandments?

Thou shalt not kill. If only they meant it.

Full Moon in Libra
Friday, March 21, 2008
11:40am PST
1º 31’

©2008 Lisa Dale Miller
All rights reserved

When the Moon is full in Libra, it is reflecting the light from the Sun in Aries. The polarity of these two opposing signs represents knowing self in an effort to know others; thereby allowing others to truly know us. The Libra Moon reflects the light of Arian individuality and uses it as the fuel for greater understanding of others.

Know thyself and the true nature of all things will be revealed.

http://www.astrowisdom.com/thisfullmoon.htm

Hey........NAFTA isn't ALL bad!
I just discovered I can buy a uesed diesel VW in Canada, and if it was assembled in the Mexico plant I can bring it home duty free! Assembled in Germany forgetaboutit!
SInce the Canadians kept on driving them throughout our SUV lapse of a decade & 1/2, there are more available up there!

Luna, anyone who read their American (and European) History of the colonies knows WHY we have the separation of church and state....specifically because the original Boston colonists (MA Bay Colony) were business men who used religion to control the entire colony economically, religiously and civilly. Not to mention the religious persecutions and hangings of the Quakers, and specifically, one woman Quaker, Mary Barrett Dyer. That was something that was not forgotten by the framers of the Constitution. That and why they came to the Colonies in the first place - religious persecution in Europe. Seems like we are still living out that battle.

Sorry about that Luna and I do not have a clue why you couldn't get your article up. Wonder if webmasters are trying out a trial run of closing down information like several other countries.

Al Gore, the one man, who really is ready on day one; who really does know what to do when the phone rings at three in the morning; who opposed the war from the beginning; who stepped up with aid when Katirina hit his people; who not only believes in science, but understands it; and brings real experience to the Office.

Al Gore, you can trust him to believe in you. He's no corporate thug, no smooth talker, no religious freak. He's a wonk with judgement and spine. He's the real deal. Gore on the second ballot! Repair the past! Heal the present! Build the future!

Draft him!

John Edwards for Attorney General!

http://sabiansymbols.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/03/good-vibrations.html

Good Vibrations - Ascension and Easter and the Libran Full moon and the Equinox; it's the Whole Box and Dice

What a big Easter! We have the Spring Equinox in the northern hemisphere (the Autumn Equinox in the southern), a big full moon on the weekend and International Astrology Day on the 21st as well.

This full moon is a real doozy, with Pluto forming a very tight grand cross with the Sun and the Moon and Mars, this promises to be a very dynamic Easter and one certainly pregnant with meaning and intensity, and very likely, change. The Sun is on Aries 2, the Moon on Libra 2, Mars is on Cancer 7 and Pluto is on Capricorn 2. This adds a real punch to emotions and events this weekend. Indeed, as with any full moon, it indicates elevated feelings being felt for some time to come. This time appears to be a particularly momentous time, with all that's going on globally - Tibet, Iraq, Sudan, the United States, all over the world, we are seeing major changes and it seems that we have to change with these changes.

The Sabian Symbol for this full moon is one of ascension and transmutation. It's at Libra 2: The Light of the Sixth Race Transmuted to the Seventh.

More at the link...

This morning the Today Show (Jack Welch...GE) started the show with just a couple of seconds of a song by Chicago. Very loud..."What goes up...Must come down!". Meredith Vieria, feigned surprise, and Matt Lauer, said, oh just a little something for our fans in Chicago. It was followed shortly thereafter with a segment on the Obama/church story, and interviews with people who said the speech didn't do the repair for them.

http://www.salon.com/news/primary_sources/2008/03/19/byrd/print.html

"Today, I weep for my country"

The speech given by Sen. Robert Byrd on the Senate floor on March 19, 2003, just prior to the U.S. invasion of Iraq -- and John McCain's response.

My apologies for so many posts in a row.

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/03/18/7738/

Dinner With Ahmed - by Scott Ritter

Thoughts for the day, in light of tomorrow's full moon occuring at 1 33'Libra, squaring Pluto. I took these quotes from the Cosmic Path website:

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. Charles Darwin

Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and the world will be as one. John Lennon

http://www.time-blog.com/tuned_in/2008/03/youtube_dumbing_us_down_or_sma.html

YouTube: Dumbing Us Down or Smartening Us Up?
Posted by James Poniewozik

As of 9 this morning, the number-one most-watched video of the day on YouTube has been Barack Obama's speech on race, which at that point had generated just about a million views in less than 24 hours. Let me rephrase that. Nearly a million views for a 37-minute political speech not involving a woman singing in hot pants:

Ah, such excellent links and posts all. Thank you.

Here's one to tickle your fancy regarding the federal reserve -- this oh-so undistinguished body of users.

http://tvnewslies.org:80/tvnl/index.php/editorial/jesse-richards-commentary/19-jesses-thoughts/665-dear-lou-dobbs-who-owns-the-federal-reserve

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036677/
BREAKING NEWS: Breach of Obama's passport file leads to firings at State Dept., officials tell NBC
On Olberman now!

3 separate incidents over 2 months..............
TWO different people in Jan., both fired.........last incident last Fri.!!!!
Obama's campaign was NOT notified until today and it was his Senate office that got the call!
We could use a good hearty Watergate!

AND...................
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5179322
So Wright was Invited to the White House in the 90s? ( picture of Wright with Bill CLinton!)

Happy SPring Equinox! Mother Nature is "dancing" today!

Do you suppose an astrologer, with a day job at the DC passport office is trying to find out his birth time?

Barack is LEFT HANDED! DId we know that?

John Edwards on the Tonight Show this evening.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/edwards-to-appear-on-tonight-show/

Obama's passport was viewed three times!