The Military MEN that made it to the Presidency of the Executive Branch of the USA were all Generals. I should say that differently.

Dwight David (DD) Eisenhower on the eve of
D-Day. The General among his troops.

The military men that made it to the Exeuctive Branch of the USA that actually had good policies were all Generals. And even then other than Eisenhower the 'quality' of their presidencies are in question.

George Washington's service as a General doesn't really count. He lead a 'colonial' army in resistance to the British occupiers BEFORE there was a USA. So, his service as General is noted, but, it wasn't 'exactly' within the definitions of the USA in its entirety. He had to win the war before he became President. A little bit different than the generals below.


John McCain's highest rank was captain (click here) and there hasn't been a General in the Executive Branch of the government since Eisenhower.

Rutherford B. Hayes (elected in 1876) was a major general who served under Philip Sheridan in the Shenandoah campaign.

James A. Garfield (elected in 1880) was a major general who served under George Thomas at Chickamauga.

Chester A. Arthur, was a brigadier general who served as quartermaster general of the New York State Militia in the Civil War.

Benjamin Harrison (elected in 1888) was a brigadier general who served under Joseph Hooker in the Atlanta campaign.

I actually think this is a dead issue, except for the Christian Conservative voters for McCain. In recent history the 'ranks' of the presidency was as follows:

Walker Bush was a 1st Lieutenant. That didn't seem to teach him a darn thing about appropriate war time diplomacy, but, only 'desperate' tactics like water boarding and torture.

H. W. Bush was a Lieutenant. He threw Saddam out of Kuwait with the help of Powell, but, he didn't have any kind of a viable Homeland economy and was in office for ONLY four years. Bush, Jr. didn't have any kind of a 'real' economy. He had some wartime economics and then he 'blew smoke' up everyone's skirts to falsely inflate the 'idea' of a booming economy and then the housing 'bubble' burst.

Ronald Regan was a captain. He was stateside during the entire WW II episode and then in the Army Reserves until he was discharged. Let's face it, Ronald Reagan had no policies either EXCEPT deregulation. He was responsible for the Iran-Contra Affair. You know, Ollie Gate and all that mess.

Jimmy Carter was a Lieutenant, but, that didn't help with the Iran Hostage situation. I mean he tried to rescue the hostages, but, the desert operation was a disaster.

Gerald Ford was a Lt. Commander during WW II. His time in the Executive Branch saw the end of the Vietnam War. So it would seem his 'insight' from his war years was to 'end it' in the face of exploitive economics that were developed by Nixon and Bell Helicopter. McCain was a prisoner in Vietnam. I would think he would find the example set by Ford more than inspiring. "W"rong !

Nixon was a commander during WW II. Even the Dilantin he took to treat his psychosis didn't help. Do the soldiers returning from Iraq get their Dilantin without cost? Do they get treatment in time to save their lives? No? Why not?

Lyndon Johnson was a subordinant Lt. Commander during WW II in the navy reserves. We all know what happened there. He continued to be subordinate and succumbed to pressure to engage in a war in Vietnam. He was wrong to do so, but, here again we are looking at a Texan that simply wanted to make money. There was a lot of pressure on the Executive Branch to enter Vietnam. It was 'sorta' on the heels of the Eisenhower presidency whereby the nation thought generals were peachy-keen. But, Vietnam was a royal disaster and McCain can thank a Democrat for his bragging rights to his POW status.

And before we get to the ONLY General to become President that wasn't a joke, there was JFK. We lost him. He was a great man. He 'took on' the ESTABLISHMENT with his brother Bobby at his side. Barak in many ways walks in Jack's shadow. They are both historically looking like brothers of 'Traditional Democratic' values. The both distained the 'DC Insider' government that propagates corruption as on K Street. It is a little scary to realize Barak, now forty-five years after Jack was killed IS challenging a nation to move beyond its prejudices and reach to a day when the USA returns to its luster as in the Kennedy years.

JFK was a Lieutenant in the Navy. We all know about his injuries and how it plagued his life even in the Oval Office. His 'battles' during his Presidency weren't necessarily 'glorious' when one looks to The Bay of Pigs (click here), but, the Russians weren't successful in Cuba and he simply 'pissed off' Khrushchev (click here). I mean Khrushchev was in the United Nations banging his shoe on the table in frustration of Kennedy.

I'll tell you something and Vladimir won't like this, but, he could use a little reflection on the actions of the former SOVIET's leader. This isn't exactly a clear analogy and one has to be careful to bring up the name of al Qaeda these days. Or maybe not. I mean Osama bin Laden is still out there and wanted by the USA intelligence networks with a price on his head of $25 million. You know Halliburton should double that bounty, don't you think?

But, back to the Soviets under Nikita and Putin's much needed reflection that should 'inspire' image makers to work on Russia's 'likability' quotient.

Khrushchev was a bit 'al Qaeda like' but on a much larger and sophisticated scale. The Soviet Union was a Superpower after all. But, he looked at a young Jack Kennedy and the royal failure of the Bay of Pigs and decided 'he could get one over on him.' So, he tried to load nuclear weapon silos into Cuba. Those tactics by Nikita were completely an attempt to be 'sneaky' in HOPES that Kennedy was to naive to even detect the trouble. That says something about 'the idea' of naivety and the success of a President.

Barak is a Senator. He is not naive to any 'intelligence' in the community of the USA government. I am confident before he voted "NO" to the invasion into Iraq he read carefully the 'lack of intelligence' that existed to support such an invasion. The Iraq invasion was completely unjustified and we all know that. I do believe John McCain voted to invade Iraq, did he not? I am sure he read the SAME lack of evidence as Barak. Right? It would seem as though there is more naivety by McCain regarding Iraq than there could ever be of Barak. Hello?

And last but not least, is Dwight David Eisenhower. Dwight, sounds like one is studdering trying to say White. But, to not be glib. Eisenhower was no joke. He was THE General of the Army. He was Supreme Allied Commander in Europe and his career lasted just shy of forty years. He had seen it all and he never turned from the dedication of being a military man. Forty years of dedication is one of the most significant lives in USA history. He defeated Hitler. He was the man. What else do you say? Others helped, but, if Eisenhower hadn't gone into Europe, Churchill or DeGaulle would not have been sitting by his side, okay? Yes? Yes.

We all know that Bill Clinton never served in the military. As Barak hasn't. But, Clinton and the generation of Democrats POST Vietnam, turned away from 'glamorizing' the idea of 'the military.' As we all have witnessed with Bush's huge warring blunder, 'terrroists' can't be thwarted by 'Conventional' warfare. They can't be captured by a 'Surge in Iraq' when the enemy is in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

To prove even further the 'lack of success' conventional warfare plays in stopping and capturing terrorists that live in the most remote areas of the world, when Osama bin Laden was heard on 'walkie-talkies' in Tora Bora, he was nearly at arms length to capture and what did the military do? Well, you have to know that if bin Laden was captured, that the war would be over. We would then have 'The Terrorist' most responsible for the attacks of September 11th. There would be no excuse to move into Iraq. Right?

So, in regards to Tora Bora, it looks to me as though Don Rumsfeld intentionally 'blew it.' He had bin Laden in his sights. This was the terrorist that was the reason why we invaded Afghanistan. Yes? Yes. Definately yes. And while CIA was radioing to others their NEEDS for a successful military campaign in Tora Bora to capture or kill bin Laden; Rumsfeld was downplaying those demands and sent in woefully far less than was REQUIRED to stop The Terrorist Network of al Qaeda. Amazing. He sent in Daisy Cutters. Daisy Cutters. Do you think our 'ground military' could even maneuver in the region KNOWING that Daisy Cutter bombs were going to be dropped near their location? Heck no. What the HELL did Rumsfeld think he was doing, EXCEPT, loss the battle. Don't tell me that Rumsfeld 'misunderstood' or 'didn't have the experience.' I mean EXCUSE making for Bush's Blundering Wars is OVER, people ! Over !!!!!

So, to look at all the presidents of the USA. I mean all of them and their 'expertise' in office in leading the USA, there doesn't seem to be a correlation to their military service, now does there? Of the majority of presidents that served in the Oval Office that were involved in the military sometime as an American, there is little to NO correlation between their success in war as Commander and Chief. If anything, the USA is more a blunderer in regard to wars since Eisenhower, than any other descriptor one can find.

Hitler was defeated. He was defeated by Eisenhower. The world learned of the greatness of the USA due to the career dedication of ONE MAN. The world learned that despicable people with the ability to dominate global populations need to be watched. The world learned that putting such people 'on trial' according to the Geneva Conventions at The World Court was far better, even if not perfect, than allowing countries to be dominated by Mad Men and 'risking' war without end on a planet shrinking in its ability to sustain growing populations of humans.

The 'idea' that war is a necessity in the year 2008 is hideous. The efforts to end terrorism are far more intricate than anyone speaks of these days. In actuality, it is the sovereignty of nations that will defeat terrorist networks and NOT invading armies. Invading armies will INCREASE the likelihood and propagation of terrorist networks. War and impoverishment doesn't stop terrorists, it assists them.

The USA needs to 'get over' its 'idenity crisis' when it comes to choosing a President. The USA needs to stop defining 'that defining moment' in the Voting Booth as one that has to indicate a choice of a great military career to enhance the powers of the Executive Branch. I propose the idea that 'affilaitions' with military might only corrupts power. While a President has to make decisions in advise of his generals, we need a President/Commander and Chief that can also 'get along' with generals and keep them from retiring every six months. A President of the USA has to be willing to ACCEPT the advise of his generals and not demand them to ACT according to Executive Branch 'political agendas.'

WW II was NOT a political agenda. Iraq definately was and continues to be.

The issue regarding the military is whether or not we have a RETURN to Peace Time and that REQUIRES diplomacy and not strong arm military tactics. Wesley Clark is looking somewhat like the 'attention seeking' Reverend Jeremiah Wright long about now. Is Wes vying for Vice President? I don't believe he'll be Barak's first choice.

end

Plains storms kill 2, disrupt Olympic hopefuls

Damage to the exterior of the Qwest Center in Omaha, Neb., is visible after a severe storm with strong winds swept through Omaha on Friday, June 27, 2008, forcing swimmers at the Qwest Center, who were practicing for the U.S. Olympic trials, to evacuate pools. The storm canceled an outdoor concert and knocking out power to large parts of the city. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

By ANNA JO BRATTON – 13 hours ago
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Severe storms with strong winds swept through the Plains on Friday, forcing swimmers practicing for U.S. Olympic trials in Omaha to flee pools and run for cover, killing two teenagers in Iowa, and knocking out power to thousands....

The names of the dead were not reported. Perhaps because they were minors. They reported the names of the scouts killed in Iowa.

...A spokesman for the Omaha Public Power District said more than a third of its customers were without power. The district serves 330,000 customers. There were widespread power failures in Council Bluffs, and Bailey said the police department was on auxiliary power.
The Missouri River Wastewater Treatment Plant, which serves the Omaha area, lost power, said Bryan Cook, duty officer for Nebraska Emergency Management.
Untreated wastewater was being discharged into the Missouri River, said Joe Gudenrath, spokesman for Omaha Mayor Mike Fahey. City officials told people to avoid wading or swimming in the water in the stretch of the river that passes by Omaha, and several miles downstream.
Outside the Qwest Center, chunks of what appeared to be material from the building were scattered about....

Why do they come to the USA? This really should be a topic to explore further as it is rarely represented 'in context' with the media. Ad space, etc

I am assuming this is a picture of the Coral Gables, Florida resident by the name of Juan Carlos Serrano (click here). It took some looking to find this and come to understand 'an example' of the immigration of illegals in the USA. Unfortunately, Mr. Serrano's family is considered illegal even though he is a citizen. A legal citizen that evidently went through the process correctly.

It is stated in the Miami Herald that this gentlemen is 34 years old now and has been residing in the USA as a citizen for 3 years. It would be a reasonable assumption to believe this is he. The picture was taken at a Venezuela Workshop for professionals by Linux (click here). Probably not an everyday occurrence in Venezuela either, so it is easy to assume to qualify as someone who should attend this workship, such as Mr. Serrano, he was an accomplished professional in Venezuela. The workship took place in 2003 (click here - if one opens up the PDF the date 2003 is seen), which was five years ago, and would also be in line with Mr. Serrano's story line.

But, to prevent victimization, let's just say all this is fictious while keeping with these values. A 34 year old professional, trained in Venezuela after escaping Cuba comes to the USA and now wants to bring his family to the USA. I think that is an interesting set of circumstances, so I want to just 'go with it' and 'tease out' a reality rarely visited by Americans about their immigration policies.

The immigration polices of the USA are, in my opinion, fairly liberal especially where it brings high level talent to the American workforce. To say Mr. Serrano's family should be in the USA with him is a given. For any naturalized citizen that has come to the USA while enhancing the 'brain trust' and providing skills where needed to an employers needs is a valuable citizen to this country and should have their families processed to their citizenship in a way perscribed by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

To first realize the Miami Herald article (click at title to entry) states the policies 'at the border' need to be applied equitably to all those that cross it, is correct. There should be no favoritism or adverse discrimination. In a case like this, while the Immigration Laws are investigated to the best applied to the situation, whether humanitarian or Habeous corpus issues that require 'sanctuary' or 'political asylum', there was no reason for a family to be detained when the person involved is a naturalized citizen with a job, history of paying taxes and good citizenship.

All that is a given and I agree with the article's author in regard to that. However, these circumstances provide a different opportunity and why the USA runs into problems with struggling Latin American countries such as Venezula and Cuba.

References to this entry:
Amnesty International Reviews

Current Reviews of Venezuela (click here)

Venezuela Human Rights under Threat (2004) PDF (click here). This is a description of the 'danger' that existed to the populous of Venezula during the elections of 2004. Mind you, Venezuela while having its own military still has 'militias' which sometimes agree with the government and sometimes don't. So, when 'outbreaks' like this occur it is not entirely the fault of the government even though the government gets blamed for it. Venezuela's militias are also a reason why President Hugo knows intimately about that infrastruture throughout the region. These militias are fluid in structure and activity and do not have borders. The militias are also known to protect at times cultures within the country side that would not necessarily exist without them and they are also known to act inappropriately against authority. It is why they exist 'among the people' that might not otherwise have representation or survival. I have no doubt there are militia members within the Venezuelan military as well.
..............

US Department of State Review
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 (click here)
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and LaborMarch 8, 2006
Venezuela is a constitutional democracy with a population of approximately 25 million. In 2000 voters elected President Hugo Chavez of the Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) in generally free and fair elections. While civilian authorities generally maintained control of the security forces, there were instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of government authority.
Politicization of the judiciary, restrictions on the media, and harassment of the political opposition continued to characterize the human rights situation during the year. The government used the justice system selectively against the political opposition and implementation of a 2004 media law threatened to limit press freedom....

To return to my argument.

When people immigrate to the USA it is usually to enhance the need for their talents by the USA, the most common profession impacted by immigration is nursing. There is a shortage of American nurses in the USA and there is an opportunity for immigration that is continuous. The policies serve the purpose they need when hospitals recuit foreign nurses. Let's just say the same is true of computer specialists that come to the USA as Mr. Serrano has.

What did that do to Venezuela and the polices of that country?

Here a young professional that immigrated to Venezuela from Cuba, was trained outside the USA with the monies of a 'socialized' system of government and wealth. He left Venezuela and with no cost to the USA he is now a citizen here. That means he came as a qualified individual, trained by monies outside the USA, to work a job vacancy in a country, namely the USA, whose educational loans and grants have been cut to the bone by Neocons.

That is not depriving in a real way the American workers unable to achieve financial loans and grants to move into that profession?

That is not depriving Venezuela of it's brain trust?

You betcha.

The current policies of the Immigration and Naturalization Service allows and almost encourages people to immigrate here that are professionals with substantial incomes, before and after arriving, to 'fill in' gaps in the USA workforce while depriving citizens of THE OPPORTUNITY to improve their lives. Not only that, but, the No Child Left Behind changes to the American educational system is an abject failure, placing more American citizens 'at risk' for failure in school, leading to far higher 'drop out' rates, increasing 'teen pregnancy,' increasing 'substance abuse,' increasing 'crime rates,' diminishing 'university enrollment' and basically impoverishing the USA of 'naturally-born citizens' to continue to supply 'talent' to the country's brain trust and work force.

The really 'funny' thing about it is this. Even Mr. Serrano's employment here, while bringing his family here, is not going to get him what he came for. As he might, in his own personal capacity, be able to 'do well' in the USA, but, he is now exposing his family and children to an educational system already 'broken.' In other words, the very 'lack of financial opportunity' Mr. Serrano left behind in Cuba and Venezuela; he is now exposing the 'next' generation that he is raising as children, to the same, if not worse lack of oppourtunity afforded HIM by the socialized system and government he obtained his abilities. I don't buy the argument that 'any education' in the USA is better than elsewhere. That is a hideous argument that propagates failure domestically and abroad.

Now, about Venezuela.

Venezuela's socialized government made an investment. They educated people like Mr. Serrano to 'compliment' the brain trust of Venezuela. There is not the financial opportunity for his talents in Venezuela because it is not a First World country. When professionals like this receive training/education from Multi-national companies that are supposed to be acting in humanitarian capacity by 'sharing the wealth' in places like Venezuela to 'bring them up to speed' and encourage upward movement of that society toward First World status, but then also provide emmigration issues, then what has Venezuela achieved and why do the governments like Venezuela have adverse policies toward the USA?

If Hugo Chavez cannot achieve in a generation or so movement in his country a better economic status for his people, the country of Venezuela is put on a 'perverbial WAIT LIST' while people that immigrate to the USA economy are 'cherry picked' to benefit American economic structure. How many generations of Venezuelans have to suffer through these type of hideous fluctuations in their socieites before there is improvement in THEIR economic status while supplying the USA with their oil? Even with their brain trust?

What does that do to the militias and their belief systems that the Venezuelian government will never be able to address the needs and survival of the people?

Basically.

When will the policies of the USA government STOP treating the rest of the world as it's oyster and start benefiting its own citizens while ACTUALLY improving the conditions of the people of Venezuela by improving the quality of life of professionals within that society and expanding THEIR universities and training centers without degradation of THEIR work force?

Chavez threatens to stop oil exports over new EU immigration laws (click here)
Jun 19, 2008
CARACAS (AFP) — President Hugo Chavez threatened Thursday to shut off oil exports to European countries that enforce tough new EU rules on illegal immigrants.
"Our petroleum should not go to these European countries" that apply the new laws, Chavez said at a press conference here.
Just as European nations could return undocumented immigrants to their country of origin, Latin American countries could also decide "the return of European investments," Chavez said.
"At least in Venezuela," he said. "We don't need them here."
Chavez said that his government would "review the investments that they (the Europeans) have here to see if we can also apply a 'return directive'."
The European Union adopted tough new rules Wednesday on illegal immigrants, allowing detention for up to 18 months prior to expulsion, and angering human rights groups....

Chavez is stating he opposes the 'detention' for the sake of humanitarian efforts. The EU is stating 'we don't need them either.' Yet, due to lack of fiscal growth in Venezuela there is no place for these people, AT ALL. To literally dump the impoverished illegals on other countries relieves the issues of Venezuela of dependancy of people unable to 'produce' for their societies.

The same exact relationship has existed between Mexico and the USA for centuries and now with a diminished and out sourced economy, rising costs of government to handle illegal immigration issues, the problem in the USA has to be solved. I have stated on many an occassion, the issue is NOT illegal immigration, it is the ILLEGAL EMMIGRATION that is allowed by these fiscally poor countries as a 'state approved' welfare system that is the issue.

It is true of Mexico and it is true of countries like Venezuela. There are dynamics at work that undermine the American workforce while improving corporate profits AT THE COST of people on both sides of immigration. When Venezuela can become attractive enough for professionals to stay in their native countries, the USA will be forced to 'invest' in its work force again providing student loans and grants returning 'The American Dream' to all.

There is a reason the 'recession' in the USA is still growing and it isn't completely about housing either. It is about the cost of 'the loss' of American expertise throughout the nation and quiet possibly the world.

Tropical Depression 02E - Pacific Storm

June 26, 2008
Akron, Colorado
Photographer states :: This is one of the two tornadoes south east of Akron, colorado.

Storms spawn tornadoes on Eastern Plains (click here)

KUSA - While only isolated non-severe thunderstorms occurred along the Front Range on Thursday, at least four tornadoes touched down on the Eastern Plains.

The first confirmed tornado occurred around 3:45 p.m. near Platner in Washington County. The second occurred an hour later near Eckley in Yuma. No damage or injures were reported with any of the tornadoes.
Thursday's storms followed Wednesday night's thunderstorms that brought widespread lightning to the metro area. That lightning started a couple of fires.
A house was struck by lightning in Centennial on Wednesday. The home is in the 16000 block of East Hialeah Drive, near Smoky Hill Road and Buckley. The fire was put out quickly and no one was injured.
Authorities also say lightning may have started a brush fire on the east side of the Aurora Reservoir near Powhaton Road and Quincy Avenue around 10 p.m. The fire was between 50 and 100 acres and that it took about two hours to extinguish it.

While any tropical storms remain in the lower latitudes there continues to be tornadoes in Coloroado.


June 27, 2008
1230z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES West Satellite

June 27, 2008

1230z

UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite West and North Hemisphere (12 hour loop - click here)

The Neocon Court returns Violence to the Mean Streets of Washington, DC. 32 years? Like what?

The graphic above is self explanatory. The graphic below comes from a California site (click here) that discusses juvenile crime. Guns are status. Guns are status among those that participate in crime. Juveniles are no different. Guns are a status symbol with gangs and California has a problem in their major cities with gangs that have resulted from illegal immigrants as well. This decision was a huge mistake and takes away the power of Mayors to 'target' effectiveness within their cities.


Washington, DC has 6th highest umemployment rate in the nation (click here). The graph at the bottom of the site has been 'toyed' with, so it is safe to say Washington,DC has maintained a consistently high unemployment rate. Apply the statistics as 'per capita' and DC has the highest unemployment rate in the nation. It has a far small population compared to higher rates of Michigan, Alaska, Rhode Island, Mississippi and California. Crime and drug economies are always a substitute for viable economies that supply jobs including those of teens.

Washington, DC is also 18th in the nation in violent crimes. Four of the other 17 cities are in states that also have high umemployment rates, California and Michigan. That means a majority of the most violent cities in the USA are accompanied by high unemployment rates.

Interestingly, Florida, which has liberal hand gun laws, has three of the remaining 12 cities with high violent crime rates. There is no correlation that says a nation, state or city is safer when citizens carry guns for protection. The correlation for gun control is far higher while addressing the underlying problems that spawn violent crime.



The Right Wing is already trying to 'tie in' any Republicans to their camp to voters that see this as an issue. There is a lot more to 'gun control' than simply saying, as the NRA does, "If people are armed they can better protect themselves." That's nonsense. That is anarchy. The USA needs to set the example of law enforcement and reformation of criminals. It can begin by returning the country to a viable economy with good paying jobs, a health care system that actually works for everyone and replacing the energy infrastruture with one that is reasonable and stops exploiting consumers for every dollar they earn.

Crime will occur even with jobs in a society, if those jobs can't address the needs of the employed as well. I am sure the nation's police force are now getting complaints on a regular basis about theft of gasoline. I am curious if insurance companies are receiving claims for same. If a consumer fills up their SUV with $100 of gas only to drive home 5 miles away and have their tank empty the next morning that is a claim that can be submitted. Most deductibles are higher than that, but, it is interesting to realize that the cost of a tank of gas is approaching the level of an insurance claim issue.

This decision is just "W"rong, but, what do you expect with extremists on the court ?

Vote the Republicans OUT of Office. They have the "W"rong priorities for the nation. Energy independance isn't spelled with an O.

...but, I was still faced with; "How do you tell whether people are against Barak or his skin color?"

Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images. Michelle and Barack Obama at the Iowa State Fair on August 16, 2007.

So, I decided there were some 'sincere traits' of bigots when it came to an election within the USA that could be tainted by racism.

The OBVIOUS one is that they 'reason' about the Black Candidate rather than the issues.

Statements like, "I just don't like the man," "He is just a loud mouth," "I can't respect him."

Judgements rather than reasons. If anyone, regardless of their status in this election, makes judgements about him or any aspect of his life, then that is bigotry in its truest form.

This election. Any election is about the issues and what separates the standing of each candidate on any issue. The 'diverse' opinion of each of the Presidential candidates is enormous, so choices should not be that difficult at all. There are clear dividing lines.

I think that is an excellant way of measuring a voters ability to express their preference in voting. If they haven't got a good reason for their vote and they are simply judgemental of the candidate, then it is bigotry. Has to be. Skin color has no basis in dictating a President's performance and therefore is completely irrelevant to any decision making.

So, I decided there had to be some 'out of bounds' issues with racism and Barak.

Wright Says His Words Were Twisted (click here)

And I believe him when he states his words were twisted. I sincerely do. I do not consider Reverend Wright a 'bad man.' Not at all.

Like bringing up the topic of the Reverand Wright especially after Barak, along with his family, has become so disgusted with Wright's grandstanding.


That to me is bigoted.


I find the entire mess bigoted, but, then I've already addressed that issue. I think every American, especially those disaffected by historical hardship has a right to be angry with the country where it is allowed in Freedom of Speech.

Historians seem to like him. Well, except for one of them and 'see' he is a white guy. You understanding my dilemma.

Thug Life on the Campaign Trail (click here)

November 27, 2007
Historians for Obama (click here)
Historians love Barack Obama. Some of them, anyway. Yesterday a group of 26 top-tier scholars in the field publicly endorsed the Illinois Democratic senator for president.
In a posting on the History News Network, the group, Historians for Obama, invoked Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and John F. Kennedy as examples of leaders who altered “the mood of the nation.” Mr. Obama, it continued, “has the potential to be that kind of president.”
The historians praised his “ambitious, yet sensible” platform and his “global citizen” background: “Not since John F. Kennedy has a Democrat candidate for president showed the same combination of charisma and thoughtfulness—or provided Americans with a symbolic opportunity to break with a tradition of bigotry older than the nation itself,” the group said in its statement.
Historians for Obama does not speak for the profession as a whole—the American Historical Association, for instance, has issued no endorsement, and none is expected. But the 26 scholars do include leading lights like Joyce Appleby, Michael Kazin, Ralph E. Luker, and James McPherson.

...and then there is this black guy running for President of the USA. The latest poll showed him with something like a 15 point lead over his rival.

I began to wonder, how do you tell if someone is voting against him or his skin color.

...and don't get me started about Anti-semitism. This is over 60 years from the Holocaust.

Can we ever leave Israel alone? Will there ever be a time when they aren't the enemy? It seems to me that Palestine needs to place priority on education, community development and seeking peace through cooperation. Will Hamas ever stop defining their identities with violence? All those 'ideals' actually sound comical given the 'political climate' of the Middle East.




Battling anti-semitism in 2008 (click here)
By John Mann MP - Thursday 3rd 2008f January 2008
2008 holds great promise our Parliamentary campaign to fight the oldest hatred and support the Jewish community. There will be a German “Bundestag” Inquiry, a government year-on report to Parliament and a global offensive to ensure world leaders are acting at home and abroad.
Due to this years effort, pressure is also building for an agreement over the precise delivery of enhanced security costs in Jewish schools paid by local authorities, a successful prosecution in the UK of an individual spreading of race hate using foreign internet based sites, amd the expulsion of the Latvian People’s Party from all European political organisations following the publication of the third overtly antisemitic book by the Party’s co –founder....


Denominations and Double Standards (click here)
...I'm unsure, in general, of what the standards we're supposed to apply to the political views of politicians' favored clergy. I have no idea what the rabbis at Temple Rodef Shalom (where I've gone to synagogue the past few High Holy Days) or at The Village Temple (where I had my bar mitzvah) think about political issues, but I assume I don't agree with them about everything, and certainly it'd be odd to drag up old statements made by any of the relevant rabbis about this or that and then ask me to either endorse the statement or repudiate the entire congregation....


Pope prays for Middle East peace (click here)
6 days ago
VATICAN CITY (AFP) — Pope Benedict XVI called Thursday on leaders across the Middle East to work for peace, saying that he is praying "ardently" for the ability to visit the Holy Land in person.
In a clear reference to the fragile truce in the Gaza Strip, which began at 0300 GMT, the pope was speaking after meeting with international Roman and Eastern Catholic leaders, including representatives from the region.
"I am launching an appeal to national leaders so that the Middle East, and in particular the Land of Jesus, Lebanon and Iraq, can offer themselves peace and social stability, respecting fundamental human rights, including that of a genuine religious freedom," he said.
"I am praying ardently that I will be able to visit them in person, just as I am praying that certain signs of peace, which I welcome with great confidence, will come to full fruition," he added....


What happened to Tony Blair ?


Sarkozy offers himself as peace-broker for Middle East (click here)
By Francois Murphy
Tuesday June 24 2008
French President Nicolas Sarkozy stepped forward yesterday as a possible Middle East peace-broker, offering in a speech to Israel's parliament to help reach agreement and mobilise his troops if necessary.
"I ask you to trust us because we want to help you," said Mr Sarkozy, the first French president to address the Knesset since 1982.
Since taking office a year ago, Mr Sarkozy has broken rank with his predecessors by repeatedly describing himself as a "friend of Israel", fostering closer ties with the Jewish state and reiterating that there can be no compromise on its security.
"France is ready to provide its guarantee, ready to mobilise its diplomatic service, its resources, its soldiers," he said....

...and what is all this mess about adoptions? Sperm banks? Do heterosexuals have the corner on loving a child ?

Church loses opt-out fight over gay adoptions (click here)
By George Jones, Political Editor
Last Updated: 1:07AM GMT 31/01/2007
Roman Catholic adoptions agencies yesterday lost their battle to opt out of new laws banning discrimination against homosexual couples when Tony Blair announced that there would be "no exemptions" for faith-based groups.
The Prime Minister said in a statement that the new rules would not come into force until the end of 2008. Until then there would be a "statutory duty" for religious agencies to refer gay couples to other agencies....

ACLU Applauds Defeat of Anti-Gay Adoption and Foster Care Bill; Calls Defeat a Tremendous Victory for Arkansas Children (click here)

(3/27/2007)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: media@aclu.org
LITTLE ROCK, AR - The American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas cheered the decision of the Arkansas House Judiciary Committee today to reject SB 959, a bill that would have banned gay people and most unmarried heterosexual couples who live together from adopting or serving as foster parents.
"Child welfare research and scientific evidence have shattered the myth that gay people are not suitable foster parents, and legislators hearing real stories from families who would have been hurt by this bill really brought it home," said Rita Sklar, Executive Director of the ACLU of Arkansas. "The Arkansas legislature realized this is bad policy as well as bad law."
Scores of people crowded into the House Judiciary Committee meeting at the Arkansas State Capitol to observe this morning's hearing. Among those who testified against the bill were:...

Can a Gay Couple ask for a genetically Pre-Deposed Gay Donor? Hm? Would heterosexual couples actually seek sperm donations from 'known' genetically proven heterosexual men? What does that say about them? Would they reject a naturally born gay child?

Sperm donor bill 'institutionalises bigotry' (click here)

Posted Wed Nov 28, 2007 9:19am AEDT

Updated Wed Nov 28, 2007 11:46am AEDT
Artificial insemination: Donors in New South Wales could ban their sperm from going to lesbian couples under a new law expected to pass today (Reuters: Alessandro Bianchi)
The Greens have criticised moves to allow sperm and egg donors in New South Wales to nominate the type of people they want as potential recipients.
Under the new laws, expected to pass the Upper House today, donors can veto certain religious and ethnic groups, single women and lesbians.
The Bill is primarily aimed at allowing donor-conceived children to access information about their donor when they turn 18.
But Greens MP John Kaye says discrimination is not in the best interests of the child.
"By allowing sperm donors to choose the class of people they don't want their gametes to go to, this Bill institutionalises bigotry and prejudice," he said.
"It sends an appalling message that it's okay to discriminate on grounds that are completely irrelevant."...

Some folks want a National Rosa Parks Day. Maybe? If it would stop hatred, then definately !

Civil Rights Pioneer Rosa Parks, 92, Dies (click here)




Campus bigotry continues despite efforts (click here)
Sara Amato and Chelsea Merta IDS Date: 11/26/2007
Editor's Note: This is part one in a two-part series about continuing intolerance on campus. Tuesday’s story will examine Indiana’s unusual hate crime laws.Despite recent University efforts to prevent racially and religiously charged incidents on campus, the IU Office of Student Ethics and Anti-Harassment Programs received the same amount of complaints in the 2006-07 school year as in previous years, and officials claim many incidents go unreported.Within the last year, 45 complaints were reported on campus to IU Student Ethics. Although no increase in incidents is considered a step in the right direction, Pamela Freeman, director of the IU Office of Student Ethics and assistant dean of students, said incidents on campus are extremely under-reported....

...but racism is entrenched in USA jurisprudence. I can't imagine arguing a case emphasising 'I am a White Man.' Like? This is the USA? Really?

Thurgood Marshall (center) with George E.C. Hayes and James Nabri congratulate each other for winning an important case against segregation in 1954

7. United States v. Thind (1923)An Indian-American U.S. Army veteran named Bhagat Singh Thind attempted the same strategy as Takeo Ozawa, but his attempt at naturalization was rejected in a ruling establishing that Indians, too, are not white. Well, the ruling technically referred to "Hindus" (ironic considering that Thind was actually a Sikh, not a Hindu), but the terms were used interchangeably at the time. Three years later he was quietly granted citizenship in New York; he went on to earn a Ph.D. and teach at the University of California at Berkeley.



8. Lum v. Rice (1927)In 1924, Congress passed the Oriental Exclusion Act to dramatically reduce immigration from Asia--but Asian Americans born in the United States were still citizens, and one of these citizens, a nine-year-old girl named Martha Lum, faced a catch-22. Under compulsory attendance laws, she had to attend school--but she was Chinese and she lived in Mississippi, which had racially segregated schools and not enough Chinese students to warrant funding a separate Chinese school. Lum's family sued to try to allow her to attend the well-funded local white school, but the Court would have none of it.


Judge stresses legal responsibility (click here)
Katie Perry
Issue date: 1/25/06 Section: News
Lawyers and judges should be responsible for their work, William Pryor Jr., U.S. Circuit Judge of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, said in an address to the Federalist Society at the Notre Dame Law School Tuesday.Pryor spoke about specific historical instances of racial and religious bigotry and emphasized the dire need for lawyers to exert morality in their profession in the first of his two speeches delivered at the University Tuesday.To illustrate his argument, Pryor employed the 1921 Birmingham, Ala. court case of State vs. Stephenson. The trial followed the alleged murder of Catholic priest Father James Coyle by Methodist preacher and Ku Klux Klan member E.R. Stephenson.Pryor said Stephenson became so enraged when he discovered his daughter Ruth had converted to Catholicism - thus becoming a member of Coyle's St. Paul's Church - and wed a Puerto Rican that he shot the priest three times on the steps of his rectory. A fervent member of the Birmingham Ku Klux Klan, Stephenson had a deep-seated animosity for Catholics, as the Klan's discrimination extended beyond racial lines and into the religious realm, Pryor said...


Racism seen in Wal-Mart Web site lists (click here)
YLAN Q. MUI; The Washington PostPublished: January 6th, 2006 02:30 AM
WASHINGTON – Wal-Mart apologized Thursday after its retail Web site directed potential buyers of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Planet of the Apes” DVDs to also consider purchasing items with African American themes.
The world’s largest retailer said in a statement that it was “heartsick” over the racially offensive grouping and that the site was linking “seemingly random combinations of titles.”
“It’s just simply not working correctly,” said Mona Williams, vice president of corporate communications for Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
The company said it was alerted to the problem early Thursday afternoon after word began spreading among bloggers.
When visitors to Walmart.com requested “Planet of the Apes: The Complete TV Series” on DVD, four other movies were recommended under the heading “Similar Items.” Those films included “Martin Luther King: I Have A Dream/Assassination of MLK” and “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson.”
Williams said similar titles were called up when the DVD of the movie “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” was requested. There were three such combinations involving those two movies and African American films, she said.
Bentonville, Ark.-based Wal-Mart said it planned to shut down its entire cross-selling system overnight.
Like most other major retail sites, such as Amazon.com, Wal-Mart’s site directs users searching for movies to other titles that might interest them. Wal-Mart said Thursday that the system was malfunctioning but did not explain why or how.
Williams said “we have absolutely no evidence” that the problem was intentional. She said news of the problem was first posted on a blog. The company then learned about the offensive combinations when a reporter called to ask about it.
The blog Firedoglake, run by Jane Hamsher in Oregon, posted news of the combination Thursday afternoon under the heading “So Wrong.”


Retired Justice Ortique dies after suffering stroke (click here)
06:55 AM CDT on Monday, June 23, 2008
WWL-TV
Louisiana’s first African-American justice on the state’s Supreme Court died Sunday from complications of a stroke....

Bigotry has many faces and it would seem many solutions.

Fashion is being used to fight sectarianism among fans (click here)

12:00AM Sunday July 31, 2005


By Kerre Woodham (click title to entry)
During World War I, a chap called Howard Elliott toured the length and breadth of New Zealand, attempting to gather support for his fledgling group, the Protestant Political Association. The group had no policies as such. What its members sought to do was whip up the fear and uncertainty that existed during wartime into prejudice against Catholics which the group would then translate into political power. Elliott's speeches seldom varied. At each meeting the crowd was told Catholics were pro-German, the Pope was in league with the Kaiser, Catholic teaching clergy were getting preferential treatment while state-school teachers were being sent to the front, and that all Irish immigrants were Fenians and anti-British who simply couldn't be trusted. Spice up the speech with some near-pornographic tales of the goings-on in convents, and you can see why the Reverend Elliott drew a crowd....

But, Don Imus is an easy call ... and then there is that 'dividing line' of racism vs bigotry. Do anti-racists also condemn bigotry? Hm?

Alleged KKK member trying to overturn conviction (click here)
Associated Press - June 2, 2008 10:53 PM ET
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A lawyer for a reputed Ku Klux Klan member has argued that James Seale's conviction for his role in the abduction and deaths of 2 black Mississippi teenagers should be thrown out.
A public defender has told a New Orleans federal appeals court that there is a 5-year statute of limitations on kidnapping, under a 1972 congressional act that also abolished the death penalty for kidnapping. The two teenagers died in 1964, and Seale was convicted of kidnapping and conspiracy just a year ago.
The Justice Department is arguing that the statute of limitations was not changed retrospectively. A lawyer has told the court that a crime that is capital when committed, remains capital -- even if the death penalty can not be imposed.
The bodies of the two teenagers were pulled from the Mississippi River in July 1964.

Imus defends 'color' comment as sarcastic

And anyone knows this character. He is always 'explaining away' his racist comments as humor. Got that one? Humor. Now, racist remarks in the year 2008 are simply humor. Right. A little humor here. A little humor there. What's a little humor between folks anyway?

...and some of the most heinous acts against another human being ever witnessed. These people are 'posing' for this picture, by the way.

The Omaha Courthouse Lynching of 1919

"Pretty little Agnes Loebeck ... was assaulted ... by an unidentified negro at twelve O'clock last night, while she was returning to her home in company with Millard [sic] Hoffman, a cripple."

It's Wednesday Night

Just to continue the 'link' to some of the most primitive treatment of our Black Community and those that keep it alive, the songs from Leadbelly and as revered by some of the most prestigious rock groups in the world.

The Gallows Pole by Led Zepplin as interpreted from Leadbelly

Hangman hangman hold it a little while
Think I see my friends coming
Riding a many mile.
Friends did you get some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me my dear friends
To keep me from the Gallows Pole?
What did you bring me to keep me from the Gallows Pole?
I couldn't get no silver I couldn't get no gold
You know that we're too damn poor
To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while,
I think I see my brother coming,
Riding a many mile.
Brother, did you get me some silver?
Did you get a little gold?
What did you bring me, my brother,
To keep me from the Gallows Pole?
Brother, I brought you some silver,
I brought a little gold,
I brought a little of ev'ry thing
To keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Yes, I brought you to keep you from the Gallows Pole.
Hangman, hangman, turn your head awhile,
I think I see my sister coming,
Riding a many mile, mile, mile.
Sister, I implore you, take him by the hand,
Take him to some shady bower,
Save me from the wrath of this man,
Please take him,
Save me from the wrath of this man, man.
Hangman, hangman, upon your face a smile,
Pray tell me that I'm free to ride,
Ride for many mile, mile, mile.
Oh, yes, you got a fine sister,
She warmed my blood from cold,
Brought my blood to boiling hot
To keep you from the Gallows Pole,
Your brother brought me silver,
Your sister warmed my soul,
But now I laugh and pull so hard
And see you swinging on the Gallows Pole
Keep-a-swingin'!
Swingin' on the gallows pole

There is a "White Out" in Boston. Traffic at a stand still. I can't stay on line. Lightning, thunder, hail. Holy Smokes.

June 24, 2008
Newport, RI


June 24, 2008
Newport, RI


June 24, 2008
Newport, Rhode Island


June 24, 2008
Newport, RI


June 26, 2008

Newport, Rhode Island


June 24, 2008
Newport Rhode, Island


June 24, 2008
Newport, Rhode Island


June 24, 2008
Newport Rhode, Island

This is 'Day After Tomorrow' stuff folks. The high rise did a major 'creak' shift when the winds hit. Holy Shit !!

Later !

5:59 PM EST - It is a Meso-Tornadic storm that rolled through. Quite unexpected. The winds were substantial and came from the north. There was circulation in the cloud that was just above the building. Staniford Street, opposite the Court House. The view from the balcony went 'white.' I could not see anything and it wasn't a cloud. It was the rainfall/hail.
The traffic outside came to a standstill and only a few cars were 'on their horns.' It was primarily quite because drivers simply couldn't see. I could see the tail lights up and down the streets below. I am 19 floors up.
I have a breath taking view of Boston normally. I know I am fortunate while in Boston. I had an unobstructed veiw of the fireworks last night and with good weather same will be true for the Fouth of July.
Boston is a magnificent city. The mass transit primarily runs on time and the city does everything it can to keep things well maintained. I love it here. The 'Celtics' are a couple blocks away. The parade a couple days ago went right past my building. It was very exciting for everyone. Boston has become the City of Champions. The people are great here and the police, fire departments and emergency workers don't get any better.
That said, the storm was significant. It is only moving off the harbor completely now at 6:13 pm. It was heat induced. There was lightning from cloud to ground without thunder. Very unusal storm. The winds were significant. I have been here since December 18, 2007 and there have been some substantial storms that have rolled through and over the city, but, this time the winds were sudden and violent. I can't stay on line, even with the storm moving off the city there is significant ionization of the area and there has been a huge blast of lightning and thunder that followed this time.
6:47 PM EST The long and short of it all, is that Human Induced Global Warming is more than real and is a danger to people. If there were any fatalities that occurred during this storm then it was related to Human Induced Global Warming. Don't know if the Logan Airport slowed during the event, but, I would not be surprised if it did. These storms are intense, but, there duration is short. So, although they seem insignificant except for 'short lived' inconvenience, these are strong, power storms resulting from a very dry, hot troposphere.


June 24, 2008
2031z
UNISYS Enhanced Infrared Satellite of New England and MidAtlantic States of the USA

New Age Bigotry...

'The most difficult thing a person can do inside or outside the military is to think. Lieutenant Watada is causing Americans to think. His stand has forced Americans to think about this war. All Americas have a responsibility to think and to act.' Zoltan Grossman, Evergreen State College faculty member, speaking at the Citizen's Hearing on the Legality of US Actions in Iraq (click here).


Retired Army Colonel Ann Wright - "...We must ensure that members of the US military are not put in the position of being ordered to carry out crimes against humanity and illegal war. "

...the topic of tomorrow night's "It's Wednesday Night" is New Age Bigotry, a completely different discussion than entered here.

And for your 'casual' reading in the meantime, June 15, 2008 / Volume 42 / Issue 12 (click title to entry).

Thank you.

This JOURNAL is by the editors of Chemical Abstracts. It is the same JOURNAL that foretold the potential lack of Biologicals in Iraq in the year 2002. Nearly an entire year before the illegal and immoral invasion into Iraq. You might ask how Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld 'missed' that one? They didn't. The monies for the research were garnered from the USA Defense Department.

The article is immediately below. It looks fairly benign to any criticism of the Iraq invasion actually. It speaks to the issue of 'good news' in regard to the quick degradation of VX Gas/Liquid.

The 'other' message within the context of that scientific article is that 'Chemical/Biological Warfare Agents' EASILY degrade when in contact with concrete. Concrete is a carbon based mixture. Humans are carbon based. How does this 'relate' to the reality of Iraq and its possession of Chemical and Biological Weapons before the invasion?


Put on your 'critical thinking' hat/cap, whichever is your pleasure.

Ready?

This is a tribute to the USA "Brain Trust" and its future among young Americans.

The ludicrous nature of the Iraq Invasion is probably obvious to most anyone reading this right now, but, for those Ultra Conservatives that only see the world through Republican Colored Glasses, it has to be spelled out. So here we go.

A is for Apple, I suppose.

B is for Bargain Basement Government.

C is for Chemical Weapon Syndrome.

D is for Down Right Stupid.

The article came out in the November 15, 2002 edition of the American Chemical Society's journal, Environmental Science and Technology. That is just to begin with. It also appeared in December 2002 in the journal Nature, which reviews significant research and publishes it according to topic and subscriber interest.


The 'topic' is about detecting the traces 'on concrete' of the very toxic chemical agent called VX. The researchers utilized 'VX Liquid' and not VX Gas as they wanted to be able to place VX in a controlled situation and find the residual as it degraded to test their Ion Mass Spectometer.


The spectrometer worked without a hitch, what the researchers didn't expect was for the VX to degrade within hours of exposure to concrete. They were anticipating far longer degradation timelines, more like days and perhaps a week and why their 'recordings' were to take place every 12 hours rather than every hour, every minute or every second.

The slow degradation of VX Liquid didn't occur. What did occur was a complete breakdown of this chemical agent as soon as it was exposed to concrete. Concrete is a carbon based substance. Concrete is made of sand. Sand is found EVERYWHERE in Iraq. Sand and concrete are especially found in the area where the United Nations had authorized 'seals' to store all the weapons agents of the Saddam Hussein government.


At this point in the reasoning is where it is difficult for Republicans to move past their own political prejudices as they have so many. Those political prejudices are more like a religion than the actual Christianity they claim to cling to, but, for a Republican to actually 'critically think,' is like sacrilege.

Republicans like to ridicule Democrats by stating when people actually critique Republican reasoning it is simply "Magical Thinking (click here)." Magical thinking has its place, but, mostly in novels like J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit (click here) or the policies that lead the USA into war in Iraq by screaming about WMD (click here), hence this response. Most if not ALL of the Bush/Cheney policies are indeed Magical Thinking empowered by enforced Propaganda of the FCC. The Bush/Cheney/Rove FCC isn't interested in 'Quality Control' so much as 'Control' over the media. But to contextualize the Republican Magical Thinking, the Neocon War Chant is similar to that of the Captain of the Star Ship Enterprise, "Make it so."

But, to move past that as it is another discussion, and back to the article below, at the time of the publication of this article there was hot debate at the United Nations regarding Bush's assertion about WMD and the Iraq Inventories and Saddam's inability to produce accurate records.

To begin, Iraq is a third world nation. It was in March of 2003 and it continues to be. There is going to be inaccurate record keeping and the 'idea' that any WMD inventories were accurate at all by the government there was indeed Magical Thinking.

The United Nations had been involved in Iraq for more than a decade then and it was they that had the correct inventories and NOT Saddam's dictatorial government. Sending UN Inspectors back to Iraq was a huge step for the United Nations and it was for the purpose to dispel Bush's Magical Thinking and provide complete inventories of any violation of UN Resolutions. Well, that in Republican mandates, was never supposed to 'end the discussion' regarding an invasion into Iraq, is was supposed to be a catalyst to it when the Republican Spin Machine went to work on it, hence the Rove Dynasty of Nasty Image Making. Political Gossip if you will.

The article below evidenced the 'doubt' that most people opposing the invasion believed. It wasn't Magical Thinking that lead to the making of Fahrenheit 911, it was sound and solid speculation based in facts that manifested from evidence like this.

The article clearly indicates a 'surprise' finding by the scientists involved. It occurred long before the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld invasion into Iraq and the results of scientific investigation like this was known to the USA Defense Department long before its publication and in excess of this one article. If this article was published there is much more in the 'classified' section of the military that was never published and still yet to be known to the public.

The article clearly indicates as soon as VX Liquid was exposed to a 'carbon surface' such as concrete it literally disintegrated in a matter of hours. Realizing that brings to the surface of any argument regarding WMD, the viability of it as a weapon at all, as well the 'stability' of these substances outside the laboratory to even exist. We know these biologicals are stable enough for the time needed in any attack evidenced by use during WW I and II and returning GIs with issues such as noted with Mustard Gas exposure and domestic terrorist attacks such as the Subway Sarin Incident (click here), but, to actually claim a war should be started on 'doubtful' inventories of a third world nation is hideous and down right stupid.

But, the Republican Political Gossip Machine to support vast government spending to favor cronies that support these 'enablers' of Magical Thinking, was working and exerting irrational fears about a country already disarmed.

The attacks of September 11, 2001 allowed a lot of irrational fears among the American people. Included in those fears were that of WMD as a weapon to kill those that were least able to defend themselves.

Where this mess began was the spread of anthrax in the daily delivaries of the US Mail Service and successful contamination of Postal Workers (click here). I might point out the investigation into those 'exposures' never provided any results to 'solve the crime' so much as to prevent it from happening again. The perpetrators, even today, are in question, while quite possibly 'classified,' considering the last of the anthrax samples resulted to be a very sophisticated form of 'weapon grade' anthrax. That reality leads to a lot of questions regarding 'protection' of research stocks of the USA government and whom indeed might have access under this administration. But, that is still another discussion.

Where the Republican Political Gossip Machine is successful is in a 'Cult-ure of Fear' where people seek to do silly things, like wrapping their homes in plastic to prevent attacks of WMD by unknown terrorists. To illustrate the use of Magical Thinking by the Bush/Cheney administration, their Homeland Security Secretary, Tom Ridge, was RECOMMENDING to the American Public to 'Duct Tape' their homes.

Talk about stupid and the chance these same people could be back in the same capacity under a 'repeat' Republican administration is out of the question.

The 'real' potentials of Homeland Security, by the way, has yet to be realized. The only Secretaries that have existed are Republican cronies to spending, ather than people actually able to make a difference in the nation's internal defense structures. THE EXAMPLE illustrating same is the denial of monies to major cities of budget funds, instead, 'spreading the wealth' among cronies in distant and small cities where most of the recruits for the Iraq War are obtained. By spending Homeland Security monies in these towns it bolstered the reason to send more recruits regardless of the lack of reason to do so. It continued to validate the reasons for people of those towns to remain patriotic in the face of evidence elsewhere. Nationalism at its worse. When it comes to spending Homeland Security monies for the purpose of National Defense it is best done through a 'legislated formula' based in sound LOGIC so those funds can no longer be politically spent.

But, this article was touted by me at the time of its publication as a reason to cause 'pause' to the irrational language and provisions of the Bush/Cheney/Powell rants to war. It provided a solid reason for Saddam to say there were no more inventories of chemical or biological weapons even if his 'administrative' records didn't indicate it. This article provided PROOF that indeed in a third world country, where storage of such weapons would be primiative, there was plenty of reason for the United Nations Security Council to reject Bush's demands for invasion. And indeed the UN Security Council never got a chance to make their votes in rejection of Bush's War. George Walker Bush moved his military against the established Saddam government a full day before the final vote of the UN Security Council which would have recommended the UN Inspectors continue their work. There was approximately three more weeks needed by the WMD weapons inspectors at that time and about six more months needed by the nuclear weapons experts. Bush and Cheney had their own 'timeline for cronies' and the UN wasn't cooperating so they decided to autonomously and against 'US Rule of Law' to launch the destabilizing, illegal and immoral event of The Iraq Invasion.

So, to simply end this venture into 'rationality' and why this article is recognized for evidence to dispute the Bush/Cheney/Rove Culture of Fear to the lead up of the invasion, there is a lot remaining to be 'known' to the American people within the disasterous administration of the past eight years. That is still another prime reason to stop the Republican domination of the USA government which has existed now for over three decades. We need a change in DC and one with enough 'guts' to take on the task of revealing the unthinkable, re-establishing trust in government without the fear of believing we are safe as a nation and among friends again internationally.

Environ. Sci. Technol., 36 (22), 4790 -4794, 2002. 10.1021/es025754n S0013-936X(02)05754-1 Web Release Date: September 27, 2002 Copyright © 2002 American Chemical Society
Hydrolysis of VX on Concrete: Rate of Degradation by Direct Surface Interrogation Using an Ion Trap Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (click here)
Gary S. Groenewold,* John M. Williams, Anthony D. Appelhans, Garold L. Gresham, John E. Olson, Mark T. Jeffery, and Brad Rowland
Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415-2208, Battelle Dugway Operations, West Desert Test Center, Dugway Proving Ground, Dugway, Utah 84022, and West Desert Test Center, Dugway Proving Ground, Dugway, Utah 84022
Received for review April 26, 2002
Revised manuscript received July 29, 2002
Accepted August 28, 2002
Abstract:
The nerve agent VX (O-ethyl S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothiolate) is lethal at very low levels of exposure, which can occur by dermal contact with contaminated surfaces. Hence, behavior of VX in contact with common urban or industrial surfaces is a subject of acute interest. In the present study, VX was found to undergo complete degradation when in contact with concrete surfaces. The degradation was directly interrogated at submonolayer concentrations by periodically performing secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) analyses after exposure of the concrete to VX. The abundance of the [VX + H]+ ion in the SIMS spectra was observed to decrease in an exponential fashion, consistent with first-order or pseudo-first-order behavior. This phenomenon enabled the rate constant to be determined at 0.005 min-1 at 25 C, which corresponds to a half-life of about 3 h on the concrete surface. The decrease in [VX + H]+ was accompanied by an increase in the abundance of the principal degradation product diisopropylaminoethanethiol (DESH), which arises by cleavage of the P-S bond. Degradation to form DESH is accompanied by the formation of ethyl methylphosphonic acid, which is observable only in the negative ion spectrum. A second degradation product was also implicated, which corresponded to a diisopropylvinylamine isomer (perhaps N,N-diisopropyl aziridinium) that arose via cleavage of the S-C bond. No evidence was observed for the formation of the toxic S-2-diisopropylaminoethyl methylphosphonothioic acid. The degradation rate constants were measured at four different temperatures (24-50 C), which resulted in a linear Arrhenius relationship and an activation energy of 52 kJ mol-1. This value agrees with previous values observed for VX hydrolysis in alkaline solutions, which suggests that the degradation of submonolayer VX is dominated by alkaline hydrolysis within the adventitious water film on the concrete surface.

Hello?



Environ. Sci. Technol., 36 (10), 2122 -2129, 2002. 10.1021/es010963d S0013-936X(01)00963-4 Web Release Date: April 9, 2002 Copyright © 2002 American Chemical Society
High-Value Renewable Energy from Prairie Grasses (click here)
S. B. McLaughlin,* D. G. de la Torre Ugarte, C. T. Garten, Jr., L. R. Lynd, M. A. Sanderson, V. R. Tolbert, and D. D. Wolf
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831, Agricultural Policy Analysis Center, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, USDA-ARS, Curtin Road, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061
Received for review May 9, 2001
Revised manuscript received February 18, 2002
Accepted February 26, 2002
Abstract:
Projected economic benefits of renewable energy derived from a native prairie grass, switchgrass, include nonmarket values that can reduce net fuel costs to near zero. At a farm gate price of $44.00/dry Mg, an agricultural sector model predicts higher profits for switchgrass than conventional crops on 16.9 million hectares (ha). Benefits would include an annual increase of $6 billion in net farm returns, a $1.86 billion reduction in government subsidies, and displacement of 44-159 Tg/year (1 Tg = 1012 g) of greenhouse gas emissions. Incorporating these values into the pricing structure for switchgrass bioenergy could accelerate commercialization and provide net benefits to the U.S. economy.


Environ. Sci. Technol., 36 (10), 2130 -2137, 2002. 10.1021/es011272k S0013-936X(01)01272-X Web Release Date: April 5, 2002 Copyright © 2002 American Chemical Society
Promoting Pollution Prevention through Community-Industry Dialogues: The Good Neighbor Model in Minnesota (click here)
Barbara Scott Murdock and Ken Sexton*
Center for Environment and Health Policy, Division of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, MMC 807 UMHC, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
Received for review September 10, 2001
Revised manuscript received February 19, 2002
Accepted February 21, 2002
Abstract:
This article examines five attempts by communities to promote pollution prevention through direct negotiations with local manufacturing plants. These projects were Good Neighbor Dialogues spearheaded by Citizens for a Better Environment-Minnesota, an environmental advocacy organization. Three community-company partnerships (a container plant, a foundry, and a cabinet manufacturer) were successful and two (a munitions plant and a petroleum refinery) were not. Successful dialogues all shared certain characteristics: the company was open to negotiating with the community; there was an effective "champion" within the company; a skilled, independent facilitator served as moderator; community participants received independent technical assistance; and both the company and community understood the value of cooperative environmental decision making. Results suggest that Good Neighbor Dialogues can, under the right settings and circumstances, be an effective mechanism for building social capital by fostering greater understanding and trust between companies and communities. They offer the prospect of community-company partnerships that promote pollution prevention and other environmental improvements, while at the same time reinforcing and amplifying traditional pollution control strategies.

The article below shows a comprehensive look at the impacts of oil extraction of Alaska North Shore crude. Extraction, run off and spills don't occur in a vacuum, they occur in full appreciation of sunlight and UV exposure. This article exposes the lethal effects on the ocean environments where fisheries exist, of the combination of sunlight (UV) and oil. Each element ALONE shows little impact, however, together they are fatal to the very bottom of the food chain in Alaskan waters.

It is easy for the oil industry to 'hide their tracks' in relation to oil extraction and the environmental contamination and degradation that occurs, especially with high deterioration rates in 'extreme climates' of oil infrastructure, IF allowed to only provide proof of oil contamination in a 'vacuum' rather than the 'reality' of its impacts in the presence of sunlight. No one can stop the sun from rising and setting, nor would that be a good idea.

Environ. Sci. Technol., 36 (18), 3953 -3959, 2002. 10.1021/es020685y S0013-936X(02)00685-5 Web Release Date: August 17, 2002 Copyright © 2002 American Chemical Society
Photoenhanced Toxicity of Weathered Alaska North Slope Crude Oil to the Calanoid Copepods Calanus marshallae and Metridia okhotensis (click here)
Switgard Duesterloh
Juneau Center, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 11120 Glacier Highway, Juneau, Alaska 99801
Jeffrey W. Short*
National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratory, 11305 Glacier Highway, Juneau, Alaska 99801-8626
Mace G. Barron
P.E.A.K. Research, 1134 Avon Lane, Longmont, Colorado 80501
Received for review April 10, 2002
Revised manuscript received July 10, 2002
Accepted July 11, 2002
Abstract:
This study investigated the synergistic toxicity of aqueous polyaromatic compounds (PAC) dissolved from crude oil and ultraviolet radiation (UV) in natural sunlight to the calanoid copepods Calanus marshallae and Metridia okhotensis. These copepods were first exposed to low doses (~2 g of total PAC/L) of the water-soluble fraction of weathered Alaska North Slope crude oil for 24 h and subsequently to low or high levels of natural sunlight. Responses included mortality, impairment of swimming ability, and discoloration of lipid sacs. There was 80-100% mortality and morbidity of C. marshallae exposed to UV and oil as compared to less than 10% effect in oil-only or UV-only treatments. In M. okhotensis, 100% mortality occurred in the UV and oil treatment, 43% mortality and 27% morbidity in the UV-only treatment, and less than 5% effect in the oil-only treatment. Bioaccumulation factors were ~8000 for C. marshallae and ~2000 for M. okhotensis. The interaction of the effect of PAC and UV radiation was highly significant (P <>.