White Noise Insanity

First off, this is a picture of Kern's Inn in Eustis, Maine. My cousin Mike and his wife used to own this place. It has a bar, restaurant (both take up the whole first floor...the 2nd floor has the inn rooms and the apartment where my cousin and his wife lived with their three children) and also includes the Chalet, which has additional rooms and is behind whoever took this picture of Kern's Inn that I found on the Internet. This place is so much fun! Even before my cousin bought it, we (cousins) all used to go there and to the other bar across the street and would tear up the town (which has only 600 people in it LOL) for a weekend. When we all get together, we have a wicked good time.

It was a New Year's Eve in the late 1990's and all the us cousins had planned to spend the evening in Eustis to celebrate in the new year. After dinner and showers in our rooms at the Chalet, we all met back at Kern's to get the night started. We took three tables and put them together and that's when the fun began. Those that know me know the first couple of drinks I have I don't get crazy. In fact, it's almost deceitful in a way, especially for my cousin Mike, since he's the one who has to babysit me after a certain point, because just when he thinks 'Cousin Kay' is going to be a good girl for the rest of the night because I'm being so quiet and sweet, that's about the same time the booze hits me and it's all over...he gets duped again. Well, that's exactly what happened...

With the booze running through our veins, we all decided to hit the dance floor. I can't remember what kind of band was playing that night (way too much alcohol!), but I do remember ripping the microphone out of the lead singer's hands in the middle of a song and finishing it with my cousins around me jumping, dancing, screaming, and singing with me! It was at that point the babysitting of me began. My cousin Mike, who for the most part has to stay behind the bar because he is the bartender, is now yelling for me to behave, so I return my answer to him by sticking my fingers in my mouth and belting out the loudest whistle ever in my lifetime (though, I think the microphone I was holding had a lot to do with how loud it was!!! Ouch... it was painful!). After this, I then see Mike in the corner of my eye throw his bartender towel over his shoulder in a moment of defeat. He now knows that he has lost control of his family and pretty much lets us get it out of our systems for the rest of the night.

The whole night is fun. We are dancing, whistling, singing, and as usual, I've become the other lead singer for most of the night. By the time last call is called, Mike is pretty much frazzled and we cousins are still wanting to party. When the bar finally closes, it doesn't matter how drunk you are, we all have to stay behind to help clean up the bar and bathrooms. As part of my punishment for the night, I was given the chore of cleaning the men's urinals. I have to say, years of owning a housecleaning business and seeing that men are much cleaner than women, I was back at the bar rather quickly! Woohoo! We all gather around the bar and continue drinking until we're kicked out by a very tired Mike.

It's now 3:00am and time to head back to our rooms. My cousin Karen and I leave together because I'm having trouble walking and she wants to make sure I find the Chalet, which is a straight shot from the door of the bar (LOL). When we come outside we find that it had snowed quite a bit and under the snow it was kind of icy, so her and I are walking slowly to avoid falling. My cousin Phil comes out of his room at the Chalet and is yelling something to us from his balcony. We try to stop momentarily to hear what he is saying when all of a sudden we lose our balance and fall straight down to the ground.

What happened next was absolutely pitiful.

Not only did we fall straight down, but somehow Karen, who is at least a hundred pounds heavier than I am, managed to fall directly on my head and is now sitting on it with her legs spread apart and talking to Phil like nothing has happened. I have no idea what she was saying to him but I bet she said, "Where's Kay?", because she has no idea she is sitting on my head, because she's so freaking drunk! So here I am. I'm trying to breathe and all I can hear is my own muffled voice pleading from under her ass fo her to get off my head. When she finally realizes what she is sitting on, she gets off me and the first thing I hear upon returning to the hearing world is everyone laughing their asses off (and their laughter was loud too, I may add, because my ears were devoid of sound for a few minutes there!!) I get up and not only do I have Karen's jean print on the right side of my face, but now the left side of my head is matted with snow and my hair is a wreck. OMG...freaking hysterical! Karen and I were laughing so hard that it took us 5 minutes to get across the parking lot because we kept falling while laughing! We get back to our room and collapse. I didn't even fix my hair, because quite frankly, I probably would have electrocuted myself! ;-)

(To this day, no one will tell me if Phil saw me under her or not. I think he did but was too busy laughing at what he was seeing!)

That's my story. This night is one of my most favorite New Year's Eve celebrations for sure. I've gone out many other times and have done this kind of craziness in Portland with my exes, but there's something about being with family on New Year's Eve and having a ball together that is so much more fun and memorable. I miss hanging out with my cousins, though. We are now scattered throughout Maine and my cousin Phil and his wife are in Florida. Most of us have kids and we don't get to see each other as much, but one thing is for sure, I will always treasure the days we did!

I hope my family and all my friends have a wonderful New Year's celebration tonight no matter where they are or what they are doing. Let's hope the New Year brings lots of peace, joy, and happiness to each and every one of you too. Love ya!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

From Juan Cole's site:

Sunday, December 31, 2006

What the Number 3000 Hides

Iraqi guerrillas killed 6 more GIs and AP put the total dead in combat at 2998. The dreadful milestone of 3000 is upon us.

Like all statistics, this one is deceptive. It does not include US troops killed in Afghanistan, that oddly forgotten war where the US still has a division engaging in active combat. Nor is it nice to ignore NATO dead in Afghanistan, including French and Canadians (yes).

The number does not include the Coalition troops killed in Iraq. The sacrifices of the British, Italians, and others should be included.

And why ignore the seriously wounded? These brave warriors have brain damage, or spinal damage, or have lost limbs or been burned and disfigured. There are probably 8000 of them. Their sacrifice should be foregrounded. Life is not going to be easy for them, and they are not goiing to get that much help from Bush.

Indeed, why not count all the wounded? The number must be near 25000 by now.

Then there are all the Iraq Vets with post traumatic stress disorder and a myriad of other combat related mental diseases. There is alcoholism, domestic violence, divorce.

The true number of Americans and US allies who are in some sense casualties of war is in the tens of thousands.

3000 is a horrible number. But it is not the only dreadful number. By concentrating on it, Washington politicians and the US press hide from us the true magnitude of the problems we face in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And guess what? George W. Bush will sleep well again tonight just like every night in the past 4 years since this illegal occupation of his started. Of course he will because even he hides from his own reality that he has created.

It's New Year's Eve, so who do you think he's talking to and what do you think he's saying? I think he's stoned out of his mind and isn't talking to anyone! He's just holding the phone and listening to the dial tone. LOL

Americans have just went through another Christmas season of festivities and gifts, laughter and love that can only be shared around a grand buffet of ham and turkey, dressing and yams, pies and fudge for all to enjoy.

Americans also shared in the joy of giving and receiving gifts that were wrapped so tightly and nestled under the glow of a brightly decorated Christmas tree.

As we enter the New Year one can assume that among the various football games and parties that will take place another buffet will be enjoyed by a very special family.

The Bush family will once again set down to a buffet that they have enjoyed for some five years now. This buffet gets larger and filled with more items that only the Bush family and their guests can appreciate.

The Bush New Years buffet will consist of the spilled blood of over 6000 Iraqis and at least 3000 American soldiers. The spilled blood of so many will pale in comparison to what lies ahead for the blood thirsty family who so arrogantly reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Just two days before the Bush family Buffet of Blood, 80 more Iraqis were killed, 6 more U.S soldiers died and hundreds of innocent civilians were severely injured.

In Baghdad, 12 bodies which had been tortured were discovered throughout the city. Two car bombs killed 37 and wounded 76 in yet another side dish for the Buffet of Blood.

On a minibus south of Baghdad, 38 were killed and 58 wounded in yet another bombing.

The Bush family can also rejoice over December being the deadliest month of 2006.

The Bush family will also celebrate the very fact that before New Years day, the U.S death toll in Iraq will hit at least 3000. Of course those are figures from the Bush government. They are very probably underreported by several thousand.

As Americans try and forget their never ending troubles by attending New Years Eve parties , the Bush family with the ever present "Buck-Tooth Condi" will celebrate another successful year of death and destruction.

As normal Americans hope the new year will bring peace and economic security, the Bush family will look forward to more deaths in Iraq, and the launching of yet another needless war in Iran.

As George W Bush looks to his right at his masterful "Buffet of Blood" he will see his blushing bride with the plastic smile and equally plastic personality sipping on yet another pitcher of martinis.

As King George looks to his left he will see the loving smile of the ever present Condi, with her empty smile, empty personality, and an even emptier portfolio of all her accomplishments this year.

As the Emperor in Chief looks around the table he will see his two demon seeds that represent the very worst of his sperm and the alocoholic genes of their constantly intoxicated mother.

As thousands of Iraqis mourn their dead and millions of Americans wonder will this nightmare ever end, we can all take comfort in knowing that life is most certaintly good at the 5th annual Bush family "Buffet of Blood."

It's not surprising that Sen. Susan Collins of Maine is trying to get the word out there that she has a perfect voting record and is comparing herself with the late great Senator Margaret Chase Smith (Susan is no Margaret Chase Smith, but like Bush, Susan lives in LaLa Land). Of course she would do that because she knows damn well for a good part of her second term in the US Senate, she has voted along party lines, which means she was one of the cheerleaders of Bush's policies and his appointments. She doesn't want you to think about that, though. She wants you to walk away with the image that she has shown up for attendence over the years and is hoping that you'll vote her back in 2008 and give her a medal for being such a loyal senator to the people of Maine. Uh huh. Sorry Susan.

Remember in high school when there was one kid who would brag that he or she never missed a day of school but forgot to tell you despite this their grades stunk? Well, that's Susan Collins in a nutshell. Yes, she's shown up for work everyday, but her voting record clearly shows in the past few years that she wasn't studying hard enough and spent too much time looking in the mirror congratulating herself for being a good little girl who never missed a day!

Last week, she stood behind Bush as he signed into the law the new Postal Service Bill, which is an overhaul of the system. Of course, if you read the fine print, basically this bill will allow the robbing of it's fund to help pay up the US Treasury! Think Susan Collins would rather take money out of the hands of the top 5% of this country who don't need it to help out the US Treasury or maybe defund the Iraq occupation? Nope! She would rather rob poor-Peter to pay Paul.

Highlights of Senator Collins' postal reform bill are as follows:

*Replaces the current lengthy and litigious rate-setting process with a rate cap-based structure for market-dominant products such as First-Class Mail, periodicals and library mail. Price changes for market-dominant products would be subject to a 45-day prior review period by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC). Under the compromise agreement, after 10 years from enactment, the PRC would have the authority to modify or adopt an alternate system if found to be necessary.

*Grants the Postal Service Board of Governors the authority to set rates for competitive products like Express Mail and Priority Mail, as long as these prices do not result in cross subsidy from market-dominant products. Establishes a 30-day prior review period during which the proposed rate changes shall be reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission.

*Introduces new safeguards against unfair competition by the Postal Service in competitive markets. Subsidization of competitive products by market-dominant products would be expressly forbidden, and an appropriate allocation of institutional costs to competitive products would be required.

*Transforms the existing Postal Rate Commission into the Postal Regulatory Commission with greatly enhanced authority to ensure that the Postal Service management has greater latitude and stronger oversight. Among other things, the Postal Regulatory Commission will have the authority to regulate rates for non-competitive products and services; ensure financial transparency; establish limits on the accumulation of retained earnings by the Postal Service; obtain information from the Postal Service, if need be, through the use of new subpoena power; and review and act on complaints filed by those who believe the Postal Service has exceeded its authority.

*Requires the Postal Service to file with the Postal Regulatory Commission certain Securities and Exchange Commission financial disclosure forms, along with detailed annual reports on the status of the Postal Service's pension and postretirement health obligations in order to ensure increased financial transparency.

*Reaffirms USPS employees' right to collectively bargain. This bill only makes changes to the bargaining process that have been agreed to by both the Postal Service and the four major unions. It replaces the rarely used fact-finding process with mediation, and shortens statutory deadlines for certain phases of the bargaining process.

*Puts into place a three-day waiting period before an employee is eligible to receive 45 days of continuation of pay. This is consistent with every state's workers' compensation program that requires a three- to seven-day waiting period before benefits are paid.

*Repeals a provision of Public Law 108-18 that required money owed to the Postal Service due to an overpayment into the Civil Service Retirement System Fund to be held in an escrow account, which would essentially "free up" $78 billion over a period of 60 years. These savings would be used not only to pay off debt to the U.S. Treasury but also to fund health care liabilities, and mitigate rate increases.

*Returns to the Department of Treasury the responsibility for funding CSRS pension benefits relating to the military service of postal retirees. No other agency is required to make this payment.

Sounds wonderful, but does Sen. Susan Collins know that Bush has issued his own Executive Order basically saying he can construe anything he wants in this bill? [crickets chirping] Will Susan hold a press conference stating that she is not happy that the president is not recognizing her hard work on this bill for the past 3 years? [crickets chirping] She's a cheerleader for Bush, so I'm sure she's been using her time over vacation to come up with a new cheerleading routine to impress her 'coach'.

Sen. Susan Collins can toot her horn all she wants, but her record clearly shows that she is in lock step with the most vile presidency our nation has ever witnessed. She voted for the (un-Patriotic) Patriot Act, she threw Habaes Corpus down the drain for Americans, she says she is pro-choice but couldn't wait to show up that day to cast her vote for anti-Roe v. Wade, Judge Samuel Alito, and hasn't seen a tax cut bill to help out the top 1-5% of this country she didn't like! Oh yes....she's showing up for work, but it's what she is doing while she is there that needs to be looked at!!!!

At this point, Collins could literally save an old lady from being hit by a car, while feeding a homeless person while doing it and I still would not vote for Susan Collins in 2008. She will not get my vote no matter how hard she toots her horn!!!

Sweet Condi Rice wraps up two years as Secretary of State with nothing related to success for her to report.

In fact, Condi appears to enter her third year of failure by doing virtually the same things she has done the past two years. Nothing.

Condi did help in the removal of Colin Powell so she could havve greater access to the shopping malls of the world, but that accomplishment brought her gain, with nothing for America.

Condi has made 37 overseas trips with no accomplishments with little or no diplomatic victories and very little follow up.

Condi has done nothing to bring peace to the Mideast, much less to Iraq. Condi has done nothing to broker peace between Israel and its enemies.

Condi refuses to talk with Iran, North Korea and other potential enemies of the world. She has done nothing to bring diplomacy to America's most vocal enemies.

Condi does have a few accomplishments to boast of this holiday season.

Condi managed once again to spend another extended vacation with the apple of her eye King George on his run down plantation.

Condo has also managed to buy hundreds of hollow shaped outfits on her overseas jaunts, which always matches her equally hollow personality.

Condi hasn't brokered any peace deals to end the needless war in Iraq. Condo hasn't made any attempts to stifle China's extended grip on the American economy. Condi hasn't done anything to help bring our troops home.

Condi may have failed miserably at being the voice of reason and she may have failed miserably at bring peace to the Mideast, but Condi has one major accomplishment that no other can enjoy.

She has caught the withered and ruthless eye of her special Georgie and that is all that really matters to her.

(Hat tip to Smoke of AMERICAblog for posting this picture tonight! Freaking hysterical picture.)

According to the Bush Regime, he will be. Of course, the Regime scheduled this execution months ago around the same time they hurried up the ending of Saddam's trial in Iraq to get to his conviction and then on to better things.

There are no accidents or coincidences when dealing with the Bush Regime. They are schemers, but schemers and planners for the wrong reasons except to catapult their own hidden agenda to use as propaganda. The Iraqis are now saying that they will NOT be executing Saddam this weekend and will wait until the end of next month to do it. If this is true, then it's proof that the whole trial was nothing but a sham and was created in the image of the Bush Regime's fantasy they've had in their minds for over two decades. They're using Saddam's execution for their own political reasons instead of allowing the Iraqis to go by their own rules/laws of their country to show the world that they are in charge over there. The Bush Regime wants to make sure Saddam's death happens on their watch when the republicans in Congress still have control. They would much rather have this than for history to reflect that Saddam was hanged after the democrats took back control. It's all egotistical crap to them 24/7. It makes me angry that they use people like this for their own political gain!!

Saddam Hussein was a tyrannt. He was an Evil man. But....America never should have been taken into Iraq. The Bush Pigs lied to our country for their reasons to go in there. Their whole argument was based on lies, deceits, distortions, and fraudulent documents. Because this is an illegal and immoral occupation of a nation that was not threatening us, this execution is also illegal in my eyes. America would have been better off if Bush and his Cabal had decided to train a few people inside Iraq through our CIA to take Saddam down that way. They didn't of course, but that's because Bush wanted to anchor us in Iraq because of their oil. He and the rest of his Oil Maggots have wanted control of it, because by doing so, it gives them a central front (Bush uses this term a lot!) and a windshield view of the Middle East for future wars for oil to be fought from.

Executing Saddam is not going to make a difference in the Bush Regime's plans. They're doing it for the show and the glory, but in the end, Iraq will end up worse than when the first American boot hit the ground back in March of 2003. Bush and his Cabal won't care, though. They have our soldiers there and they are their anchor. This explains why they want to escalate the amount of troops on the ground, rather then start scaling back.

Spit. I hate them.

In the 1970's two different presidents issued two different pardons to attempt to help heal the deep differences within this nation.

The first was Gerald Ford who felt that by pardoning Richard Nixon he was helping the Unites States and it's people move forward from the nightmare of Watergate which had paralyzed the government and nation for the past two years. He felt it was time to move forward and deal with the energy and economic problems we faced in those days, and he might have been right. President Ford took a large amount of grief for this pardon. Some say he might have lost in 1976 partly as a result of this pardon, but he felt it was the right thing to do FOR the nation. So he ignored the political approach and followed his conscience which is what we ask of all of our politicians.

The second pardon was issued by Jimmy Carter in the very beginning of his term in office. It was much more far reaching, and very few can name anyone Jimmy Carter pardoned today. President Carter issued a pardon to each American Citizen who because of their conscience had forgone their American citizenship, and went to Canada or another country to refuse the forced draft into the military service which usually meant service in Vietnam and that war. This pardon was Jimmy Carter's attempt to heal the country from some of the deep divisions of that long war. President Carter wanted to allow people to return to families and friends who they had to leave as a matter of conscience. That pardon did play a role in some people's minds when they attacked Jimmy Carter, and decided to do what it took to defeat him. It was a small part of the reason he lost in 1980.

Both men in that office in the 1970's followed their conscience, and ignored the political consequences. They both put the good of the country ahead of their political future, and never looked back once they decided what was right for their time. They were fearless in the face of the political consequences, and put the good of this nation and it's people ahead of their own desires. Too bad we are lacking political people today who have the magnanimity to follow their example. We as a nation really do need men or women of their character and resolve to do what is right for the country and it's people no matter the political consequences.

May you rest in peace Gerald Ford.

May God continue to Bless you Jimmy Carter.

....she's a telephone pole in Cheney's side! Look what our favorite soldier's Mom did today:

(December 28, 2006)—McLennan County sheriff’s deputies and Department of Public Safety troopers arrested anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan and four other protesters Thursday as President Bush met with top advisers to discuss Iraq war strategy at his Central Texas ranch.

The arrests occurred at a barricade in the area of the president’s ranch.

The five were taken to the Crawford Police Department and a van was dispatched to transport them to the McLennan County Jail.

They were charged with obstructing a highway or other passageway, which is a Class B misdemeanor.

The protesters told a News Ten crew as they were led into the police department they didn’t know why they had been taken into custody.

Authorities say Sheehan and the others lay or sat in the road at a checkpoint for about 20 minutes and didn't heed requests to move.

Sheehan arrived earlier this week in Central Texas and said she was calling on supporters to join in what she called “an action” Thursday to coincide with the meeting at the president’s ranch.

Top officials including Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew into Central Texas for the meeting.

What noble cause are our soldiers fighting for in Iraq? Still no answer from Bush and the crickets are chirping as loud as ever!!! They know why we are over there. They just don't want to say it out loud. Why? Because we have no business being over there, it's an illegal occupation of a soveriegn nation based on lies and fraudulent documents, and because there's oil in dem dare deserts in Iraq!!!

I'm really starting to believe that George W. Bush the 43rd president of the United States is morphing into a reptile with fuzzy hair. Watching him today reminded me why I would never want to seek the office of the president and how lying, deceiving, and distorting for years on end takes it's toll on a person's body! Wow. And what was with all the blinking he was doing? I couldn't stand watching it and I found myself concentrating on his blinking rather than listening to his words!!! If he's not highly medicated, then there is something definately wrong with this man. The world 'delusional' always comes to mind, but today, he really looked like a fuzzy-haired, sociopathic, lizard. This is what happens apparently when you know you've lost your power and your days are numbered.

Not only did Georgie talk about Ford's death (which is kind of sad to me, but at the same time, I don't want a 5 day funeral to mourn him like Reagan's funeral! Jees. Come on. Have some humility for once GOPers!!), so didn't his Mom & Dad. Awwwww, it was a Bush Family Mourn Fest. Interestingly enough, I didn't tear up once when Bush Sr. was talking about Gerald Ford's passing. In fact, I didn't believe a goddamn word he said. Bush Sr. said that Ford was instrumental in his own career. Huh. I always thought Bush Sr. was instrumental in his own career and when he didn't get the VP nomination under Ford, he pushed himself in at the last minute when Ronald Reagan was about to pick Gerald Ford as his VP for the 1980 race. Wow! Bush Sr. is still acting like the victim all these years and trying to convince Americans that his career just naturally flowed. Spit.

Anyways, it was a sad day to hear about Gerald Ford's passing. No republican president has been my favorite president in modern times, so when I heard of his death I just hoped the right wingers in this country don't prop this man up as a symbol of "everything good" like they did Ronald Reagan. Our presidents are our presidents and they are important, yes, but treating them like they are an Imperial King (or Queen sometime in the future) is just plain disgusting to me. Ford did do some good for our country in the 1970's, because, quite frankly, he wasn't Richard Nixon and our nation needed anyone but him to be running the show. Ford came in at the right time, but that doesn't mean everything he did during his time was 'godly'. He made mistakes and the biggest one he made was pardoning Nixon. Americans don't like the 'good ole boy buddy system' and this decision is what made him lose to Jimmy Carter. Nonetheless, he's one of the few republicans that I can talk about that doesn't make my whole body react in a primal fashion. He doesn't make me bristle up.

My heart goes out to the Ford family, who have obviously lost their 'treasure', and I'm sure they're wanting some peace right now as they mourn their tremendous loss.

Gee, I wonder why the Bush Regime is having a change of heart by putting the polar bears on this list? You'd think with all the environmental policies they've rolled back over the years in favor of their corporate whore friends and their insistent debunking of global warming not existing, because their 'scientists' say it doesn't exist, that they would NOT want to ACKNOWLEDGE the fact that polar bears are FREAKING DROWNING and are an endangered species at this point. Yeah, yeah, you'd think they would rather issue a report that says polar bears are thriving during 'this natural warming of our planet'. Nope, the drowning and starving of polar bears is significant and the Bush Regime is being forced now, in my opinion, to accept their part in all of this.

"Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., the incoming head of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said the polar bear's plight reflects the health of the planet.

"Global warming is melting polar ice at an alarming rate and we are now beginning to realize the consequences of this," she said. "This news serves as a wake-up call to the U.S. Congress and the administration that we must quickly begin to address global warming through legislative action."

Environmentalists hope that invoking the Endangered Species Act protections eventually might provide impetus for the government to cut back on its emissions of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases blamed for warming the atmosphere.

The proposed listing also marks a potentially significant departure for the administration from its cautious rhetoric about the effects of global warming. Kempthorne cited the thinning sea ice brought about by global warming as the main culprit, although he said his department wasn't required by the endangered species law to study climate change.

President Bush's steadfast refusal to go along with United Nations-brokered mandatory controls on carbon dioxide, the chief global warming gas, has contributed to tensions between the United States and other nations."

I'm glad to see the polar bears getting the respect they deserve, but is it too late? This is really the question here. I believe that our planet does go through natural periods of warming and cooling, but what has happened in the last decade (and especially in the last 6 years!) is something that is happening too fast. There is a catalyst behind the scenes and I believe it's the rolling back of the environmental policies for the past 6 years that has really "lit the fire" under the icebergs. The ice is melting too fast for the polar bears to catch up. That is not a good sign. The polar bears starving and drowning at alarming rates and it is an indication that change is needed in Bush's policies, because these policies are effecting the planet.

He probably thinks it is still all about Him.

But in a way, TIME did make it as much about Bush or Cheney if they are looking into the cover as anybody else in the world.

They did NOT differentiate between those who created the Fiasco and illegal lies and spying, and those of us who FOUGHT back.

So Bush probably looked at the TIME person of the year and took it as verification of HIS deciding and charged forward once again.

Bush is so disconnected from reality he would accept anything as proof he was right and he can still "win" in Iraq. If there was ONE .. YOU .. on this planet that cover does not apply to it is...

George W Bush.................... the worst president ever.

Myself (KayInMaine), Joe Sudbay (AMERICAblog contributor), Sharon Sudbay (Joe's sister), Chris from Maine & MikeyInMaine (AMERICAblog regular commenters) met today and what a wonderful time we all had! We met at the Falmouth House of Pizza and spent two and a half hours there talking about Washington, politics in general, and shared our own stories with each other.

Here is the Master of the Left Blogistan, Joe in DC/Joe Sudbay of AMERICAblog (sorry John A....you weren't there so you don't get the title today!), and his sister Sharon Sudbay, who is heavily involved with women's issues here in Maine and who is business partners with Jim Mitchell, who is the nephew of Maine's great ex-Senator, George Mitchell. What a treat it was to be at the same table with these two! Being with them, you get that feeling you're in the midst of greatness (okay, that's my only suckup today Joe!! LOL):


















At 1:30pm we left the restaurant and Mikey, Chris, and I decided to go across the street to the Foreside Tavern to have a drink and to chat some more. This picture of Mikey and I was taken by Chris and I'm leaning forward (and looking ridiculous I may add) because I'm trying to help Chris with my camera. (It's the mother in me! Sorry!!!) By the way, Mikey is exactly the way he is on AMERICAblog. He doesn't beat around the bush and just jumps right in with his two cents on the topic at hand. He is very outgoing, cheerful, and smiled and joked the whole time we were all together today. He's a Patriot for sure!

















Here's a picture of Chris with Mikey. Chris is also like the persona he is on AMERICAblog! He is so funny, intelligent, and is a very focused individual. He drove over two hours to be with us today and this proves how much dedication he has when it comes to blogging and to being part of this extraordinary time in our lives. The only thing I was taken aback by was the deepness of Chris' voice. He could do voice-overs....his voice is that great!























Mikey & Chris having a drink at the Foreside Tavern. No further explanation needed. ;-)





It was so nice meeting all of you today and I think we pretty much solved the problems in Washington. Why? Because. We. Are. That. Good. ;-) And Joe, as always, it's so great to see you. You are our Master!!!!

Over at Lydia Cornell's Blog we have a gutless reichwingnut troll I have named Tiny.

This post is dedicated to HIS complete ignorance, and gutless spewing propaganda for these chicken hawks to murder hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and More Americans than we lost on 9-11

It's the day after Christmas and my house is 95% back in order with the exception of a few boxes I have to break down for recycling, but other than that...I'm back on track!

What makes this morning beautiful is the fact that I'm meeting up with Joe in DC of AMERICAblog this morning again. I invited 'Chris from Maine' and 'MikeyInMaine' to come and join us and both are coming! Woohoo! Chris is in Searsport, so he has a three hour drive ahead of him today, but he emailed me this morning to tell me he's hitting the road and is looking forward to our meeting. I've also invited 'Jeremy' who posted a response on my blog a couple of days ago. He's in Portland, so hopefully he got my email and will be joining us today.

I can't wait to see all of you this morning! Woohoo! Let's scheme together people...scheme I tell ya!!! We're very good at it I must say. ;-)

It is ironic, that today, the birth of the man called the prince of peace, a man who tried to teach us ALL to live peacefully with each other that the death toll from a war started by another man who claims to listen to the prince of peace, but how I do not know, the death toll of that war would eclipse the death toll of 9-11.

Sad

So very sad.

Maybe somehow God is trying to use the Karma of this day combined with that tragic news to wake us all up, so we can change how we treat each other.

But there are those who have ignored the message of he who we celebrate this day for far too long, so there is NO reason to think they would listen today either.

How can Bush allow this illegal and immoral occupation in Iraq to continue? What noble cause are we really fighting for, because if it was to give the Iraqis peace, justice, and freedom, well that should have been tackled at the beginning. Over 20,000 of our soldiers have been maimed during this occupation for nothing! Besides control of the oil, there is no reason for our soldiers being there. Had Iraq been the country who did attack us, I could see it, but knowing that 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabians and knowing that the Saudis & Osama bin Laden still roam free (or he's dead and is just being used as the Boogeyman to keep Americans under control by fear) while our soldiers are losing their faces, their legs, and their arms, it bothers me!

Meanwhile...

It gets worse. I read an article today about how Nancy Pelosi will not allow C-SPAN to pan the camera around the House or Senate when they're in session. She is continuing what the republicans have done since the mid-90's, which is to have the camera aimed only at the person speaking at the podium or a wide shot of where the Speaker is, everywhere else will be off limits. Pitiful and disgusting!

I want transparency, dammit. I want hearings, investigations, and outrageous speeches on the floor of the House & Senate demanding the Bush Administration and all levels of their government from the past 6 years be held accountable and I want to see C-SPAN's cameras capturing all of it!! Americans want to see these people red faced, embarrassed, ashamed, and caught in moments of smugness. Again, we want to see it all.

If Nancy can't do something as simple as allowing C-SPAN some freedom, then I think there is no way in hell the FREAKING IRAQIS ARE GOING TO FEEL ANY EITHER! And guess what? Our poor soldiers are in the middle of all of this. While our freedoms here at home continue to dwindle, they're over there losing their limbs and their lives for freedom that is not and never will be coming to the Iraqis. I WANT THEM HOME AND I WANT THEM HOME NOW. Maybe they could knock some sense into the members of Congress for us. Doubtful but you never know.

Yes, yes, I know. It's Christmas Day 2006 and I 'shouldn't' be posting anything other than happy Jesus stories, but after reading the above article about how Donald Trump is suing the city of Palm Beach, Florida, I just had to do it. So sue me...

Donald Trump is suing the city of Palm Beach to be able to continue to fly a 15' x 25' flag, which is on an 80 foot tall pole out front of his Mar-A-Lago retreat. He doesn't understand why he is being singled out and thinks that the flag represents the size of his patriotism and that's that.

"A smaller flag and pole on Mar-A-Lago's property would be lost given its massive size, look silly instead of make a statement, and most importantly would fail to appropriately express the magnitude of Donald J. Trump's and the Club's members' patriotism," the lawsuit says.

[...]

"The day you need a permit to put up the American flag, that will be a sad day for this country," Trump said in October.

Well, well, well now. Interesting. Ole Donald thinks he's the most patriotic and most American American out there, but yet, he thinks he doesn't have to honor and respect the city's ordinances (those are the laws Donald! Follow them or suck eggs or better yet...fight to have them changed if you think it's that important to you!). Isn't this the same attitude that Bush & Co. have had in the past six years? Yes it is and now I can add Donald Trump to my long list of anti-Americans and America-haters.

I can guarantee there is no law in the city of Palm Beach that says an American cannot fly a flag there. I bet they do have laws on the books that explicitly demand that all flags must be no larger than a certain size and cannot block the view of their neighbors. Well of course they have laws like that on the books! It's ordinances like this that make for good neighbors. The fact that ole Donald thinks he can ignore this fact disgusts me and shows along with his buddies in the White House....he thinks he's above the laws! Wrong.

Town officials said Trump violated zoning codes when the lavish club hoisted a 15-by-25-foot flag atop an 80-foot pole on Oct. 3. The citation was for having a flagpole taller than 42 feet, for not obtaining a building permit and for not getting permission from the landmarks board.

An 80 foot pole. The town is nice enough to allow a 42 foot pole, but Donald can't stop there can he? Nope, he has to double the size just to "prove" to the people of Palm Beach that he is way more patriotic than they are!

What an ass he is. I would mention the fact that Donald acted like a baby by calling Rosie O'Donnell a bunch of names after she pointed out the truth about him when he refused to fire the current Miss USA because of her non-Miss USA behavior, but I won't. He makes me want to vomit because of who he is and how he is and I'll just leave the impression in your mind of Donald Trump sucking eggs at the request of KayInMaine. To me, that's how I will see him everytime he appears on my television from now on. Sucking eggs like the good patriot he thinks he is. What he really needs to do is SUCK IT UP AND TAKE THE FLAG DOWN ALONG WITH THE GIGANTIC POLE AND PUT UP THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT POLE AND FLAG ALLOWED IN HIS CITY...LIKE ALL GOOD PATRIOTS WOULD DO!

2972

Bush's Christmas present to the country,

2972 souls no longer with us,

2972 The number of Mothers and fathers with out a son or daughter this year, LEAVING empty chairs at the Christmas dinner table.

2972 Sisters or brothers who have lost a sibling far before it should be.

2972 Children, who grow up with no mother of father there to comfort then, teach them about life and love, give them the hand of guidance and a hug each night.

2972 Empty places in the hearts of those who loved them.

2972 People whose friends have lost for ever,

2972 Children of God lost for greed and lies.

2972 Soldiers sacrificed on the Alter of corporate greed, neo-con world ambition, GOP lies and Hypocrisy, REPUGNANT COWARDNESS.

2972 REASONS FOR IMPEACHMENT.

2972

To many people it is just a statistic, number for the record books, but if you in those 2972
Families, or are friends with them, the number is a person who has been lost for all time, which makes this Christmas season seem empty and hollow, after all what does;

Peace on Earth mean right after a Government car pulls up to your house with two military officers and a priest?

What does Good Will to all men mean as you stand at the grave side with the last echoes of taps drifting off on the wind?

How happy are the HOLY-days when you’re putting the gold star in your window?

What if seasons greetings came with the requirement of planning the funeral of a loved one you lost because the president can not admit a mistake?

And is it a HAPPY New Year if it means entering it without a loved one lost on the battle field far from home for reasons that never have been explained, even as the lies are stripped bare?

2972 Christmas presents to this country we did not want.

What an awesome night I had with my son. Traditionally we have lobster, which we did, plus we had some shrimp to go along with it. We also like to have a special dessert, so we had rootbeer floats & banana splits. Yummy! A Christmas Story was on at 8pm (will be on for 24 hrs. straight on TBS Superstation channel) and we watched it twice in a row. So much fun. We were up at 6:00am this morning and Christmas was over by 7:30am. All that anticipation and it ends so quickly! Oh well. My son got a PS2 Guitar Hero II, an iPod Nano, and the Blue Man Group's keyboard drum set, so he is psyched!! He got lots of music cd's and clothes too.

Hope you all enjoyed yourselves! (Smoke, I posted your Christmas present on Ablog this morning. You're going to love it!!! LOL)


CHECK OUT "IT'S A BLUNDERFUL LIFE" OVER AT JURASSICPORK'S BLOG TODAY FOR A HUGE LAUGH! FREAKING HYSTERICAL!

My son and I moved to Durham a few years ago and I always joke that all my friends in the town work at the variety store, so I stop in there this afternoon before heading out to go the grocery store to get our holiday treats and find my friend Janet dressed up behind the counter as Mrs. Santa Claus! Freaking hysterical. So here she is:



I said to her, "Give me a sexy pose!", after she went back behind the counter to wait on customers and here's her reaction:



She said, "A sexy pose here in the store?", and I said, "Yes, why don't you go over there and lick the fryer or the pizza oven or something!" [laughter in the store], so instead, she gave me this action:



Perfect!

She and I recently went out shopping to get her a nice dress for New Year's Eve, but she doesn't have a date. Dammit. Okay, if you're in Maine, don't drink and want to go out and have a good time, email me! When she tried on the long red strapless gown with the silver and diamond button between the breasts, I said, "That's the one!", so she will look terrific (she also bought a black one too). I'm going to warn you, however...she is ex-military (Marine, I believe), loves snowmobiles (a Polaris girl) and George Bush (I've tried to change this fact but it's not going to happen, so keep that in mind when you're on your date), and could probably drink you under the table....if she hadn't quit drinking a year or so ago. LOL Despite this, she is a wonderful egg. She needs someone to see her true beauty within and treat her right. ;-)

(They're going to kill me for posting these pictures. I told them last night I wouldn't but I couldn't resist! Hard to believe that we're all 38 years old! We've hardly aged but that could have a lot to do with our attitudes.)



This is my friend Jan. She's been in my life since @ 6th grade. She is such a freaking riot! She is the most sarcastic and funny person I've ever met. The evening started with a two hour dinner, drinks (Jan was drinking fishbowls of Margarita's as you can see), and laughter. The waitress we had was young and so much fun too. She was so happy to see us because the Mexican restaurant we went too was apparently dead all afternoon and she had hardly made any money. We made sure to give her a great tip, of course. ;-)




We went to Spencer's and Jan found a magnet that read, "Please Tell Me If I've Slept With You Already". Love it! Of course, a trip to Spencer's can't be complete without visiting the naughty toy aisle. While we were looking at the dildo's and laughing our asses off, a young guy (22 maybe?) came to the aisle and quickly grabbed a pink dildo without even looking at it because there was a group of old ladies (us!) standing there cracking up! Freaking riot.



Cyndie! This picture of her reflects who she is all the time. She is always smiling, is happy, and is so full of vitality! She's a new Mom too. Her little boy is 7 months old.



This is my friend Karen (not the best picture of her because she is stunningly beautiful! She's very, very French). Here and I were next door neighbors growing up and have known each other since before kindergarten. Her mother spoke fluent French and would scream at Karen and I in French and the only English we would understand was our names. So freaking funny! You would never know it, but Ms. Karen is the mother of five (yes...5 kids!). She's a super Mom (literally in all aspects) and has the kindest heart too.




My son snapped this picture of me before I left for the night and it's a good thing he did, because otherwise, there wouldn't be a picture of me from the evening! That's the way it always is too. A picture of me in the last 10 years is rare, so enjoy this blurry one of me for the time being. ;-)

What a wonderful night we had. I got my shopping done, but I was a little concerned for Jan who had a boatload to finish up on. She and Cyndie were heading for Target when we parted last night. I hope she finished!!

Love you all! You add so much to my life.

To a house in Crawford Texas no doubt.

And possibly one in Kennebunkport Maine for producing the Idiot.

Add the house to the list you think Santa needs to send a message to. One rule HOUSE not names, look them up.

Like;

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

or

St. Michaels, Md.

(hint they are Cheney and Dumsfeld's residences)

IN HIS OWN WORDS...

I want more cowboy outfits to get my message across to the American people

I want to bomb Iran when I feel like it

Give me some more power!

Santa, tell them libruls they're wrong about me

More crayons to circle the stuff I like on da global maps

I want peace for my family because they deserve it

I want victory in Iraq (hear that soldiers? Now do it! You're not listening right!)!

Make my egg nog extra specially good this year Santa

Give the gift of privacy to my girls for they do not reap what they sow

I want to hold hands with Prince Bandar again

Give war a chance...it's the only way to make peace on Earth

and finally Santa,

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I've changed in the world, give me the courage to continue to change things as I see fit because I am the Decider, and give the American people the wisdom to accept it all as soon as I say or do it for they do not understand that I am really...a peace president.

Thank you Santa!



(spit.)

Normally the top of my entertainment center is dusty (an ongoing battle with a dog and a computer in the house!), but with the decorations on it, it takes on a whole new serene appearance.

Hope you all are relaxing and enjoying the season. This is the third Christmas holiday since the war in Iraq began and I feel guilty enjoying this time of year knowing they're over there. Take a moment to think of our soldiers who are away from their families and think of their children and spouses who miss them and who are spending another year without them.

I know you will. :-)

If there ever was a political cartoon that captured the crassness of the gutless chicken hawk neo-cons and what they wanted the American families to offer up their sons and daughters for this is it.

Bush at this point is simply feeding a meat grinder with the lives and bodies of the soldiers of this country.

He is subjecting the Iraqi people to the same horrible fate with no end in sight. Somebody has to step up and stop him. Just as Bush has failed in Iraq, Baker it seems has failed in Washington.

The failure of Bush has doomed thousands of families to a terrible loss which will never be abated. They no longer have their loved ones, and it is apparent to anyone who looks at how disconnected from reality Bush and the neo-cons have become, that the geniuses who got the country into this Fiasco have any clue how to get us out of it.

In fact, instead of ending this illegal immoral war, they are trying to raise the number of US soldiers in Iraq. This upping the ante of a losing war will result in a battle for control of Baghdad, which means fighting against the Madhi Militia of Al Sadr. One report out of CSIS sets their strength at around 200,000 fighters, and hundreds of thousands more supporters. Attacking a guerrilla force of this size will enrage the Shiite majority in Iraq just as the attack on Fallugha enraged the Sunni and was one of the pivotal points in the insurgency. If Fred Kagan and the neo-cons get Bush to follow their flawed strategy, the deaths of US forces would rise dramatically and the response of the US forces to the attacks would plunge the Iraqis deeper into a cycle of killings by all sides.

No amount of force has ever made a people accept foreign oppression for long. In the end almost all indigenous people have forced the occupiers out. Just as the British found out in both Iraq and Afghanistan post WW1, the French in Algeria and Indochina, the Soviets in Afghanistan and the US in Vietnam, all superior militaries which were forced to accept defeat by the indigenous peoples. The battle for Iraq is following a similar path for the US military. Raising the levels of US forces by 30,000 is simply avoiding the inevitable, the redeployment of the US military out of Iraq. We can NOT force the Iraqis to accept our version of their country any more than the British could force the revolutionary Americans to accept the British idea of how America should be governed.

The war for American control of Iraq is lost. Sending more troops is simply feeding the meat grinder to keep Bush from having to admit he was wrong. It is time to STOP FEEDING THE MEAT GRINDER.

Bush won't ever read these words and even if he was shown this letter, he would just toss it aside. Our insane president has no idea how his illegal occupation is affecting the families of our soldiers or our soldiers themselves. It's so sad to me that as we approach Christmas there are young children out there who won't have their Daddy or their Mommy with them to celebrate or mothers of these soldiers killed won't have a voice loud enough for our ignorant president to hear.

Well, I personally think they should be heard!

From Buzzflash:

Amy Branham: Open Letter to Bush and Congress -- Bring our Troops Home!
Submitted by BuzzFlash on Wed, 12/20/2006 - 3:09pm.

by Amy Branham

President Bush and Members of Congress,

As you enjoy your holiday vacations with your families, I strongly urge you to also remember the sons and daughters of America whom you have sent to fight in a bloody war that has taken them so far away from their families, their lives and their homes. I urge you to remember the sons and daughters of America who will not be coming home -- ever.

In November We, the People of the United States of America voted for change. We voted for an end to the war in Iraq. We do not want to continue fighting a war that was never officially declared a war and we do not want our sons and daughters to continue to die in this ill-planned, immoral, misbegotten war without end. We want you to bring them home and to bring them home now.

You have so far ignored our pleas and our cries to end this war. It does not touch your lives and it does not affect you on an hourly basis. But, while you sit in your comfortable homes and offices, safe from harm, there are hundreds of thousands of American citizens who are not comfortable and who are affected. They are either fighting in this war or worrying about their loved ones who are fighting for their lives every day. There are families who are living in dreadful fear of that knock on the door. They watch the news shows and wonder, with every announcement of yet another death of American military members, whether theirs is still alive or one of the dead.

This month alone there have been 61 of America's sons and daughters killed. That's 61 families whose holidays are ruined, who will forever have their Christmas tainted by the death of someone they love in this horrendous war. Thousands upon thousands of Iraqis are also dead.

While you sit in your homes, waiting to make up your minds what to do, lives are being forever changed. This war may not affect you or your family, but it does affect hundreds of thousands of people across this country and in Iraq. Every second, every minute, every day and every week that you take to "think" about the war, lives are changed or forever ended.

Last weekend, I put up my Christmas tree and was rocked with the memories of the last Christmas I spent with my only son, who died a month and a half later, in February 2004. He was home on an unexpected leave. My husband and I had no money as he had been laid off from work and I was the only one keeping us afloat then. We had barely enough to make ends meet. But Jeremy was coming home and we were determined to make the holiday a good one for him, knowing that this could very well be his last Christmas ever.

I got a PayDay Loan. Then, because all of our holiday decorations were in storage in another city, I went out and bought a small silk tree and decorated it. I bought small, inexpensive gifts and food for our traditional Christmas Eve feast. And when my son came home, I hugged on him, kissed him and spent as much time as I possibly could with him. In the end, it was a good Christmas.

Now, I put that little tree up every year in remembrance of my only son, my beloved boy whose voice I will never hear again, the young man I will never again hug or kiss. And I cry tears of sorrow for the senseless end of his life.

Please, I beg of you, do not hesitate one more hour, one more week to end this war. Do not send more troops to Iraq, do not extend tours of duty, and do not continue in this war. The Iraqi's do not want us in their country and the American people want their sons and daughters to come home. Please, listen to us and bring them home.

We cannot afford to waste another day while you are enjoying your holidays. Today the death toll is 2,950. How many more will die before you make up your minds to end this war?

Sincerely,

Amy Branham
Houston, TX
Mother of Sgt. Jeremy R. Smith
Nov. 1981 - Feb. 2004

The white house and Pentagon are finally talking about raising the numbers of people in uniform which would alleviate the burden on those who are serving now. But it is NOT just raw numbers they need.

Growing the Army if NOT done with some forethought will create as big a Fiasco as going into Iraq without a plan already has. We need to ask ourselves what we need in a 21st military before the Pentagon goes to congress for an authorization to increase end strength. The size of US forces is set by congress based on advice of the Pentagon and requests by the Commander in Chief. Since the end of the first gulf war, the military has been downsized, first because of the collapse of the Soviet Union, which meant we no longer needed large mechanized Infantry and Armor Units to fight the Soviet Union on the plains of Germany and Eastern Europe.

Desert Storm was that type of war, as was the Invasion of Iraq in 2003, we have enough troops to fight that style of war. There is NO foreign military which could stand toe to toe with the US in that style of combat EVEN today.

But since the Victory of 1991, the US has been embroiled in a number of military excursions which requires a new approach. Somolia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and both the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq since April 2003 shows the extreme limits on the military structure we have.

We do NOT have any where near enough Military Police units. That is what is severely lacking in Iraq. Units trained in the art of policing captured territory, providing security for both the US supply routes and civilians who have become the wards of US troops after we occupied their homeland. Soldiers who know how to man a check point, have training in the arts of policing civilians and can run security operations as their primary purpose, infantry units are NOT trained for this mission and should NOT be.

Secondly we need more Engineer troops in the forces, if we are going to continue with operations like Bosnia and Iraq post invasion. Engineers are the construction forces of the Military. They would have been very advantageous in the early days of the occupation because they could have repaired the broken infrastructure, which would have provided electricity and water to the people, which would have provided some good will on their part. This could have been used to create a much friendlier environment with many Iraqi civilians, then the hard handed arrest them all and sort it out months later approach Dumsfeld used.

Third we need a large increase in civil affairs units. These are the units which go into the civilian areas and ask ther local population what THEY need, and then work with Military Police units for security and Engineer units for repair and reconstruction to provide it. The Civil Affairs also coordinate medical units to provide medical services until Hospitals can be repaired and re-established, and is who the Military turns to to repair schools and get the children back into the classrooms.

Another Thing that is required is a new type of command for any occupation force. The military needs a professional command structure which does what the CPA incompetently tried to do. It would be the General which had control over the MP's Engineers and Civil Affairs, and other units which would be required to restore the civilian social structure to something which a civilian government could take the reigns of power and allow the US forces to re-deploy back to the US. But something like a Military CPA would have to leave the political cronyism and hackery in DC and allow professional people who trained for the job to take the reigns and preform the mission.

Structuring the Military growth in this manner would be adding units which are staffed to win the hearts and minds of the people once the "War Fighters" have won the battle. They are built to operate in a manner which has the possibility to provide for the improvement of the lives if civilians right after the cessation of major combat operations, and stand up the civilian authorities to take back civilian control. However Halliburton would not be employed if the military had these units available, because the military would be doing the same job which Dumsfeld contracted Halliburton to do, but at a MUCH lower cost, and they would nave the ability to hold the commanders accountable. This is a good thing, both to the taxpayers who would have to shell out less money, and to the civilians in the theater of operations which would actually see the job done.

As an aside this restructuring of the Military in this manner would also provide the civilians of the US some direct benefits. If the Military had these units available pre-katrina, the outcome of that disaster might have been completely different. There would have been units ready to go on Day one NOT day five, and a brigade of Engineers could have cleared and repairs roads much sooner. The MPs would have been available for rescue and recovery operations much sooner, and been able to move into the Superdome and convention center both to restore order, and aid in the evacuation days before Gen Honore was sent in.

Will this be what Bush and Gates settles on, probably NOT. It does not provide for large new contracts for the defense industries. It is NOT what the neo-cons want because the missions are not attack attack attack, but provide services to people which dearly need them. It goes against the grain of the reicht wingnut mantra of blame those the are suffering because of policies enacted by the incompetent president and repugnant party. Policies which enrich a few, and cause death destruction and suffering on a massive scale in both this country and around the world.

When Bush and Gates set out to grow the military, they probably will work to add "war fighters" not peace winners. Because they are all about fighting a war, not winning the peace. The units I suggest to add are what the military relies on to win the peace after the initial battle has been won, but the war is far from settled, just as has happened in Iraq. The M-1 tanks can take the ground but do little for the people once they do. Right now the US needs more units that can assist the people of this planet and less that are formed to kill them.

Remember during the Connecticut primary election day when Joe Lieberman was running around like a two year old holding his crotch like he had to pee and saying, "Ned Lamont is so mean! His campaign hacked my website and it's down! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"? Well, it's official now that Ned Lamont's campaign did not do what they lying sack of crap said and what did happen was Lieberman's site crashed from too many people going to it:

From the Stanford Advocate:

Lamont camp cleared in hacking of Lieberman Web site

By Brian Lockhart
Staff Writer

Published December 20 2006

The U.S. attorney's office and state attorney general have cleared former U.S. Senate candidate Ned Lamont and his supporters of any role in the crash of U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman's campaign Web site hours before last summer's Democratic primary.

"The investigation has revealed no evidence the problems the Web site experienced were the result of criminal conduct," said Tom Carson, spokesman for U.S. Attorney Kevin O'Connor.

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal confirmed the joint investigation "found no evidence of tampering or sabotage warranting civil action by my office." Both men declined to provide additional information, such as what might have happened to the site.

Calls to Lieberman went unanswered yesterday.

Lieberman's site, www.joe2006.com, failed the afternoon before the Aug. 8 primary, which he lost to Lamont. Lieberman won a fourth term in November's general election as a petition candidate.

Dan Geary, who developed Lieberman's site, had classified the problem as a denial-of-service attack, which is characterized by attempts to prevent access to a site by overwhelming it.

The Web site crash received media scrutiny, fueled by comments from Lieberman and his staff who implied it had been hacked by Lamont's supporters.

A Lieberman campaign spokeswoman, Marion Steinfels, had called it a "coordinated effort to wreck our Web site and make us incapable of communicating with each other and our voters."

Visitors who tried to access Lieberman's site received a message calling on Lamont to "make an unqualified statement denouncing this kind of dirty campaign trick and to demand whoever is responsible to cease and desist immediately."

Lamont's campaign denied any involvement, and staff posted a link to a duplicate or "cache" version of Lieberman's site on Lamont's blog.

Tom Swan, Lamont's campaign manager, and George Jepsen, his campaign chairman, were not surprised by the findings of the probe.

"It's a shame that they chose to waste public investigation resources for what they knew was a bogus charge," Swan said.

Jepsen said he did not believe the Lieberman campaign's attempts to link Lamont to the crashed Web site had an effect on the general election.

"I think it was just a tiny blip on a very large radar screen," Jepsen said. "It just shows when people get in the middle of a campaign, anything that goes wrong they assume is deliberate sabotage by the other side."

Copyright © 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.

We already knew that Ned Lamont's staff did not do this to Lieberman and it still urks me that Lieberman resorted to right wing election garbage during this very important race. He lost it in the end, though. The democrats of his state and Lamont supporters voted his ass off the ticket. Of course, we all know the rest. Lieberman continued to be the republican he is and decided to run as an independent thus winning the actual election in November in the end. It's too bad too that he won. He's not very trustworthy and watching him the day of the primary in Connecticut and the tricks he was trying to play was disgusting. Shame on the people of Connecticut for electing this man anyways!!!

(click on image to enlarge and read)

She's really trying to change the mood of the nation. Just this week when her husband's approval ratings were plummetting and after she said that the media is making the Iraq occupation bad when it's going really good (delusional!), she slapped a bandaid on her shin. The nation did not go into mourning and give Bush a 'yes' vote when asked if he's a good president. Nope, his approval rating went down one percentage point after the story of Laura having skin cancer. Now she's shitting blood...

Next week I fully expect her to come down with the flu just in time for Jesus' fake birthday celebration day.

/snark

From Tom Paine's site:

W. Patrick Lang is a retired Army colonel who served with Special Forces in Vietnam, as an instructor at West Point, and as Defense Intelligence Officer for the Middle East. Ray McGovern was also an Army infantry/intelligence officer before his 27-year career as a CIA analyst. Both are with Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).

As Robert Gates takes the helm at the Pentagon today, he is probably already aware that Vice President Dick Cheney and President George W. Bush are resolute in their decision to stay the course in Iraq (without using those words) for the next two years. What he probably does not realize is that the U.S. military is about to commit hara-kiri.

The media are abuzz with trial balloons with official leaks that President George W. Bush is about to approve a “surge” in U.S. troop strength in Iraq by tens of thousands. At the same time, surge advocate Sen. Lindsay Graham, R-S.C., just back from a brief visit to the Green Zone with fellow surgers John McCain, R-Ariz., and Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., has warned that “the amount of troops will make no difference” if Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki avoids taking “bold” moves. The three pretend to be unaware that the most important move for which they pressed—breaking with radical Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr—would amount to political suicide for Maliki.

Meanwhile, back at the Sunday talk shows, incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who owes his position to the popular revolt in November against the war, said he can “go along” with a surge, but only for two to three months and only as part of a broader strategy to bring combat forces home by early 2008. Meanwhile, says Reid, Democrats will “give the military anything they want.”

Can Reid be oblivious to the reality that this has to do with the next two years—not the next two months? Former Army vice chief of staff Gen. Jack Keane, one of the anointed retired generals who have Bush’s ear, is urging him to send 30,000 to 40,000 more troops and has already dismissed the possibility of a time-frame shorter than one and a half years. What seems clear is that the president is determined that the war not be lost while he is in office. But events are moving too fast for that. It was not quite the way he meant it, but Bush has gotten one thing right; there will indeed be no “graceful exit.” That goes in spades, if he sends still more troops.

Oxymoron

A generation from now, our grandchildren will have difficulty writing history papers on this oxymoronic debate on how to surge/withdraw our troops into/from the quagmire in Iraq. Historians will have just as much trouble, especially those given to Tolstoy’s theory that history is ruled by an inexorable determinism in which the free choice of major historical figures plays a minimal role. Tolstoy died before events put into perspective the legacy of Tsar Nicholas II, Emperor and Autocrat [Decider] Of All The Russias, and his Vice President/éminence grise, Rasputin.

Judging from President Bush’s behavior in recent weeks, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that he may be no more stable than Nicholas II. And if retired Col. Larry Wilkerson, Colin Powell’s top aide at the State Department, is right in saying that Bush still has the “vice president whispering in his ear every moment,” we have an unhappy but apt historical analogy.

But, you protest, the generals most intimately involved in Iraq, John Abizaid and George Casey, and Army Chief of Staff Peter Schoomaker have made no secret of their strong reservations about sending large numbers of additional troops. That is correct, but also irrelevant. Because, as was the case in the Vietnam War, our top generals have long since morphed into careerists and politicians. They have become accustomed to looking up for the next reward—and not down at the troops who bear the brunt of their acquiescence in political/military decisions that make no sense.

But what about Senators Joe Biden and Ted Kennedy—and Colin Powell, and even Donald Rumsfeld, all of whom spoke out yesterday against a sizable surge in troop strength in Iraq? No problem. Cheney/Bush is the sole “decider.”

This does not mean that Defense Secretary Robert Gates should renege on his promise to visit the troops in Iraq and hear the generals out. It does mean that by the time he gets there, the generals can be expected to be already “on board with the program,” as they say. And taking issue with “deciders” has never been Gates’ strong suit.

What Gates may not realize, but the generals should, is that once an “all or nothing” offensive like the “surge” contemplated has begun, there is no turning back. It will be “victory” over the insurgents and the Shia militias or palpable defeat, recognizable by all in Iraq and across the world.


Stalingrad on the Tigris

A “surge” of the size possible under current constraints on U.S. forces will not turn the tide in the guerrilla war. Reinforcement of Bagdad several thousand U.S. troops last summer simply brought on more violence. Those who believe still more troops will bring “victory” are living in a dangerous dream world and need to wake up.

Moreover, major reinforcement would commit the US Army and Marine Corps to decisive combat in which there are no more strategic reserves to be sent to the front. It will be a matter of win or die in the attempt. In that situation, everyone in uniform on the ground will commit every ounce of their being to a hope of “victory,” and few measures will be shrunk from.

Analogies come to mind: the Bulge, Stalingrad, the Battle of Algiers. It will be total war with all the likelihood of excesses and mass casualties that come with total war.

To take up such a strategy and force our armed forces into it would be an immoral course of action, both for our troops and for the thousands more Iraqis bound to die.

Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore., spoke for many of us last Thursday on the Senate floor:

“I, for one, am at the end of my rope when it comes to supporting a policy that has our soldiers patrolling the same streets in the same way, being blown up by the same bombs day after day. That is absurd. It may even be criminal. I cannot support that anymore.”

Yesterday, when George Stephanopoulos asked Smith what he meant by “criminal,” he replied:

“I said it. You can use any adjective you want, George. But I have long believed in a military context, when you do the same thing over and over again, without a clear strategy for victory, at the expense of your young people in arms, that is dereliction. That is deeply immoral.”

If adopted, the “surge” strategy will be even worse than that. It will be something we will spend a generation living down.

These two Patriots and Life long Military Men who understand what would happen if Bush follows this disastrous course in Iraq have said it very well. 30-50,000 troops would not change much on the ground, but allow the insurgent and radical militias MORE targets to attack, and in TWO years time we would be almost exactly where we are NOW but with around 2500 more deaths of young American soldiers, 2500 more military funerals and 2500 families who suffered a loss so Bush ET Al does not have to admit their mistakes.
This would be combined with about 15,000 more wounded soldiers, some permanently. Soldiers who would have to carry the burdens of their wounds so the neo-cons can say they gave it the old college try before Bush left office. So the reichwing can FEEL like big bad Americans for a little while longer before the diplomatic talks begin or worse, the US forces are fighting to escape Iraq, and losing large numbers of lives , larger numbers of wounded and billions in lost and destroyed equipment is the fight to get out of Iraq. If the Shiite cut the southern supply routes, the fuel the army and marines run their operations on could become scarce, and the troops would have to fight their way out through the southern main supply routes (MSR) the very same routes they fought their way in on.

People like Bush, Cheney and Fred Kagan who is proposing this plan have never served on active duty, never served in a hostile environment and ran from combat when they had the option, and now they want to play military genius with other peoples lives, since they have done so good so far.

F*ck em, bring the troops HOME NOW and send the college repukes and neo-cons who hawk for this war if they want to try it for another two years. Other wise the gutless chicken hawks like these a$$holes should Shut The F*ck UP, they have done enough damage this century.

As another American Patriot who went to war learned the harsh lessons of war on the battle field and came home to question the legitimacy of that war once asked;

How do you ask a man to be the last man to DIE for a mistake?

Today Bush ET Al are trying to repeat history, and ask 30-50,000 men and women to do just that. Just so they do not have to admit Iraq was a mistake any more than Nixon wanted to admit Vietnam was a mistake from 1954 when the US got involved and HE was Vice President, to the time he was running illegal operations inside Cambodia. It was criminal back then, it is criminal NOW, and the legacy of the Bush Administration will be judged as more corrupt and worse than even Nixon. No surge of troops can save Bush from his legacy. However he will not stop trying to save it, but in the end kill thousands of more troops which will condemn him worse in the end. Nixon never was compared to Hitler's insane demand they hold Stalingrad at all costs. However Bush is starting to approach that in Iraq, and history will be no kinder to Bush than it has Hitler.

...already being protested and it's not even in the works yet! Boy, wouldn't it be a beautiful thing after Bush is gone that no state in America will want his Presidential Library in it? That would be so incredible. I get tingles down my spine just thinking about it!

From the BurkaBlog:

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Protest at SMU Targets Bush Library

The likelihood that the George W. Bush presidential library will be located at SMU has not been welcome news for at least one segment of the university community. A letter, dated December 16, from "Faculty, Administrators, & Staff" of the Perkins School of Theology to R. Gerald Turner, president of the Board of Trustees, is now circulating not only on the SMU campus but also among a wider academic community, urging the board to "reconsider and to rescind SMU's pursuit of the presidential library."

Texas Monthly has obtained a copy of this letter, which, as you might expect, focuses heavily on objections to Bush's policies: "We count ourselves among those who would regret to see SMU enshrine attitudes and actions widely deemed as ethically egregious: degradation of habeas corpus, outright denial of global warming, flagrant disregard for international treaties, alienation of long-term U.S. allies, environmental predation, shameful disrespect for gay persons and their rights, a pre-emptive war based on false and misleading premises, and a host of other erosions of respect for the global human community and for this good Earth on which our flourishing depends."

"[T]hese violations are antithetical to the teaching, scholarship, and ethical thinking that best represents Southern Methodist University."

"Another matter that warrants our attention is that whether it aims to or not SMU will, in the long run, financially profit on the backs of hard-working Americans who feel squashed by policies they've now rejected at the polls. Surely it's not the case that SMU will allow itself to benefit financially from a name and legacy that globally is associated with suffering, death, and political 'bad faith.' Taken together, all these issues set decision-making about the Library in a framework of inescapable ethical questions, and remind us of a key imperative adopted by many leading universities around the globe: 'to be critic and conscience of society.'"

In addition to opposing Bush's policies, the letter writers raise their voices against the purported mission of the library itself. Their concerns are based on a New York Daily News story of November 27, which describes the future library as a $500 million center (the costliest presidential library ever), the purpose of which would be "to spread the gospel of a presidency that for now gets poor marks from many scholars and a majority of Americans."

And here's a couple of my favorite comments after Paul Burka's post:

Bill said...
SMU is the perfect place for the Bush Library. Bush and Cheney were both residents of Highland Park, as is SMU. SMU is known as a school for snobs and social climbers, like Bush and Cheney, that care more about money and status than the well being of the people. Let the horrible remains of the Bush legacy sully the reputation of a great city that would allow that kind of trash.

******

If we're looking for a presidential library for G.W. Bush, why not make Yale house it? They were so happy to accept him and his dad as students, so maybe they should take some of the blame for where he is today.

Beth
California

It will be interesting to see how big Bush's library will end up being after they've scrapped everything they've done over the past 6 years to protect themselves from facing war crimes and other charges. The wealthy individuals who will be giving money to this "library" are to remain anonymous and I know why. Because the bin Ladens, the Saudi Royals, and Bush's family has benefitted greatly from Bush's illegal occupation of Iraq. They have enough spare money to give it to ole George to make ole George feel better, because as you know, he's a criminal, so what better way to give him a hug then money to start his Memory Hole Library from the very money that was laundered away from the American people!

I hope he never gets to build his atrocious untruthful library. I hope he ends up building it in Dubai, UAE, because it will fit perfectly amongst the terrorist's money stolen from all over the planet and hidden there by Bush's family and friends!

Spit.

What is wrong with this woman? Her actions lately have been so head-scratching that after reading this article on the Huffington Post, I felt compelled to let the First Retard know my feelings!

Laura Bush lives in a bubble. It's not a very big bubble, but big enough to include her husband, her kids, and the whackos she calls family. I'm thinking she spends way too much inside this bubble with these inhumane vultures, but then again, I believe ole Laura does manage to think for herself and when she does....plug your ears! We already know that she doesn't understand why her husband is so despised by the American people because everywhere she goes she's greeted with sweets and flowers. Of course, no one in her bubble wants to point out to her that the reason for this is her and her husband's 'supporters' are hand picked by their Secret Service, which makes their job a hell of a lot easier! When you're as despised as much as these two, I can see why the SS does that.

Okay, back to the article...

It appears that Laura Bush doesn't think Condi Rice would make a good president (I don't think she would either but not for the same reason as Ms. Delusional thinks). Why? Because Condi is single! According to the First Retard, single people are alone and have no one to talk to. According to her, single people are bad people, don't have the ability to make decisions because 'they have no one to bounce their ideas off from', and Ms. Dumb Dumb can't relate to their kind of ways. Uh huh. If I'm not mistaken, this is the same attitude of her Bubble Family and her political party against the gays and the women in this country who would like to make choices for their own bodies! I wonder if Condi read this part of the People Magazine article, because if she did, she must be scratching her head and saying, "I've been friends with this family since the 1980's and now I'm being told I have no one?". Wow!

Here's the quote from the People article:

"Dr. Rice, who I think would be a really good candidate (for President), is not interested. Probably because she is single, her parents are no longer living, she's an only child. You need a very supportive family and supportive friends to have this job."

All I'm going to say to the Ms. Laura is she needs to get out more. She needs to pop the bubble she lives in and head out into the real world or better yet...maybe talk to Condi in a mature, rational fashion about how upset she is at Condi's choices in life instead of being two-faced and then stabbing her in the back! Of course, no one dares mention to the Delusional One that her marriage to George has produced the two worst children in the history of the presidency, has produced more blood and death in an illegal occupation of a nation who didn't attack our country, and has deleted any credibility or good reputation our nation had prior to her husband being selected by the US Supreme Court in 2000!

Hey Laura! Sometimes marriages produce more Evil and your marriage is proof of that. Being single allows one to view the world in a more neutral way and allows more time to think about what it is you want in life, rather than, being told what you will become or what decisions you will make! Condi has people around her Laura, but unfortunately, these people are your people and you just proved to me that you don't really care about anyone who doesn't reflect you. She has 'no one' and that 'no one' is you! Loser.

I hate her.

...of my mother and I (you may want to click on it to see it better)!

It was taken in one of those photo booths in K-Mart back in 1971 when I was 3 years old. I have it over my sink in the kitchen, because it's one of those moments that makes me feel good (yes....on the other side is a picture of my son, so don't worry) and I like having it near me. My mother tells me when the camera started flashing inside the booth I stared straight ahead just like this picture shows and all five pictures are exactly the same of me, except for my mother's expression, which is different in each phrame. LOL I think that is so funny and this explains why my eyes are wide open and the size of saucers!!!

By the way, I collect snowmen. My house is full of them. The more whimsy the snowman the more I love it! Have a great night. ;-)

What the hell....

From MSNBC:

US Army might break Goodyear Strike
By Bernard Simon in Toronto

Updated: 10:12 p.m. ET Dec 15, 2006

The US Army is considering measures to force striking workers back to their jobs at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber plant in Kansas in the face of a looming shortage of tyres for Humvee trucks and other military equipment used in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A strike involving 17,000 members of the United Steelworkers union has crippled 16 Goodyear plants in the US and Canada since October 5.

The main issues in dispute are the company's plans to close a unionised plant in Texas, and a proposal for workers to shoulder future increases in healthcare costs.

An army spokeswoman said on Friday that "there's not a shortage right now but there possibly will be one in the future".

According to Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House of Representatives armed services committee, the strike has cut output of Humvee tyres by about 35 per cent.

Mr Hunter said that the army had stopped supplying tyres to units not related to the Central Command, which is responsible for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tyres were also not being provided to army repair depots.

While concern has centred on the Humvees, tyres are also critical to aircraft and other military equipment.

Goodyear brushed off concerns of looming shortages, saying that production at the Kansas plant, where the Humvee tyres are made, "is near normal levels and will be back to 100 per cent in the near future."

It added that "we're in daily contact with the military to ensure delivery of the required Humvee tyres".

The company said it was using salaried and temporary workers to keep the Kansas plant running. It has taken similar measures at other plants, as well as stepping up imports from overseas factories to maintain supplies to the car and truck industry.

The union claims that the strikebound plants are running at about 20 per cent of capacity. Goodyear has said that North American output is at about half normal levels, including non-union plants.

According to Mr Hunter, the army is exploring a possible injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act to force the 200 Kansas workers back to their jobs.

He proposed that they return under their current terms of employment, on the understanding that any settlement would be extended to them.

Copyright The Financial Times Ltd. All rights reserved.

No matter which side is right on this, using the military to break it up is not the correct way to approach it.