the rebellion

The Liberal Media

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 02:22:00 +0000

So taking into account the recent events in Iran, do Americans still see a strong bias in the media to be "liberal"?

In this case what is a liberal media? It is one that reports with due diligence in its stories? Is it one that brings the unfiltered truth no matter how gruesome?

Or is it a media that does not question a Democratic President's opinion on the American situation during an international time of crisis?

Or is it one that goes against that Democrat, to be truly liberal, and air the grievances of the opposition party?

Perhaps a liberal media is one that is truly out to undermine the powers of the federal government? (Or keep hammering home one ideological slant over another for their readers/viewing base?)

Or maybe just maybe, a real liberal media is one that just calls it down the middle, and sees that truth in reporting huge moral, political, and economic issues, isn't about who you know is reading your news....but how you want your news to be read.

All you need is love

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Thu, 28 May 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I stumbled across this article today in the NY Times, and my reaction went something like this:

Silly---Newsworthy?---Awww---Social evolution?

And then I realized this article is really about love. Its about how "hugging" has become the social acceptable greeting amongst the younger generation in a way it was never before. Indeed, as I would agree with the noted professor in the article, that we as a society have changed in our ways of greetings. Things have become less formal as we adapt more and more various cultural aspects of contact in each subsequent generation. Maybe we have come to realize that despite the social awkwardness of "touching" people in public, a little respectable human contact does more for us than putting on a show of superiority over your fellow man/woman.

In my opinion, I feel it is that we have have let just a little more compassion into our hectic lives. Perhaps all we need is love indeed.

An American Dictatorship

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 03:27:00 +0000

If you have not heard by now, word has been breaking in small circles that during the entire Bush Administration, we as a country we're most likely one terrorist attack away from "Jericho" like insanity.

Okay not nation wide destruction of infrastructure and loss of life. But loss of liberty, there is no doubt.

There is not much to harp on after I post these links and quotes, because it will only take a little imagination to see what I would have to say about it all.

It seems that the George W. Bush Administration had deep plans to extend the powers of the President into those only held by a select few republic leaders, like Senator Palpatine, until they descended into anarchic dictatorships.

"In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the secretly gave the green light for the to attack apartment buildings and office complexes inside the United States, deploy high-tech surveillance against U.S. citizens and potentially suspend First Amendment freedom-of-the-press rights in order to combat the terror threat, according to a memo released Monday."

"...the Oct. 23, 2001, memo suggested the president could even suspend press freedoms if he concluded it was necessary to wage the war on terror."

"This claim was viewed as so extreme that it was essentially (and secretly) revoked—but not until October of last year..."

-Newsweek

"“The law has recognized that force (including deadly force) may be legitimately used in self-defense,” Mr. Yoo and Mr. Delahunty wrote to Mr. Gonzales. Therefore any objections based on the Fourth Amendment’s ban on unreasonable searches are swept away, they said, since any possible privacy offense resulting from such a search is a lesser matter than any injury from deadly force."

"Mr. Yoo and Mr. Delahunty said that in addition, the Posse Comitatus Act, which generally bars the military from domestic law enforcement operations, would pose no obstacle to the use of troops in a domestic fight against terrorism suspects. They reasoned that the troops would be acting in a national security function, not as law enforcers."

"Mr. Yoo, now a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, is widely known as the principal author of a 2002 memorandum, separate from those made public Monday, that critics have characterized as authorizing torture."

-NY Times

To sum it all up, Mr. Scott Horton from Harper's Magazine:

"We may not have realized it at the time, but in the period from late 2001-January 19, 2009, this country was a dictatorship. The constitutional rights we learned about in high school civics were suspended. That was thanks to secret memos crafted deep inside the Justice Department that effectively trashed the Constitution. What we know now is likely the least of it."

While the rights were NOT suspended, it seems all it would have taken would have been one more terrorist attack.

And then we'd get to work on destroying our Republic, our democratic way of life, our liberties, and most importantly...ourselves.

This is how democracy dies...sitting on one person's desk.

Do not interfere

noreply@blogger.com (Cance) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 00:35:00 +0000

There are no words.

I'm totally blown away by what Secretary of State Clinton said the other day, regarding China. She essentially said that China's vast human rights violations will not interfere with America doing business with them.

Are you kidding?

Seriously?

We'll not bother trying to keep human dignity a priority any more? ESPECIALLY with the countries we have a priority to deal with?

And what's up with America getting itself so indebted to China anyway? Why are we allowing our government to borrow money from China (and not to mention, from our own future generations)? It's so not gonna work out well in the end.

I understand the need for a global effort nowadays. And with economies all over the globe faltering, I guess it's only right for other counties to lend a hand when they can. But the business between China and the US has been going on for a while. China keeps buying up American debt...government debt. All those bail outs. All these stimulus packages. It's not our money. We're going on faith that China's not gonna pull out the rug and call in our payment. What would happen then?

All news that focuses on the economy makes it seem like the world is going to implode at any second. No wonder consumers don't have any confidence. No wonder everyone is so worried.

It's a self fulfilling prophecy.

If we allow all this money doom and gloom to cloud our judgements...to be the only thing we focus on, we'll end up ignoring what's really important.

Other people. People that truly need others to stand up for them.

Right, Secretary Clinton?

must read news articles:

Clinton's China Agenda Disturbs Rights Advocates on NPR

Clinton: Chinese human rights can't interfere with other crises on CNN

American debt and the Great Chinese Mind-Bender

In Yuan We Trust (from 2005!)

2008 Annual Report for China from Amnesty International

China and Human Rights

Burma you say?

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Looks like Sec of State Clinton is really enjoying her new role as America's face to the world on her Asian continent tour.

In a recent discussion with reporters about Burma, she has hinted at a possible sanction change coming down the pipe for this oppressed nation.

Obviously something has to be changed. Because at it stands our economic sanctions are not that effective any where (see Cuba, Iran).

And this comes on the heels of her recent trip to Japan where she started the tour (if I recall) which prompted strong rhetoric from North Korea on what they think they are going to do if we push them.

Do they not know Barack Obama is President!? He likes to play basketball for goodness sakes!!! Come on NK, lighten up!

4 GOP Votes Cuts Stimulus' Power to Help Economy

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 00:48:00 +0000

But that would be what Republicans want, is it not? To see the stimulus fail, no?

Only 5 years removed from accusing Democrats of being anti-American for former President Bush's $1.3 Trillion tax cuts, in order to get 4 GOP votes in the Senate, Democrats were willing to cut some of their values away.

Now while its not overwhelming much, I do worry that what they did cut is what mattered in creating some new skilled and professional jobs. Which, in effect, weaken the overall power of the stimulus President Obama has been touting since Day 1. While a liberal analyst proposes my sentiment it does not mean its moot. "It reduces a number of highly stimulative items like state fiscal relief ... and largely substitute for it some large tax cuts that are highly ineffective as stimulus," said Bob Greenstein, founder of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "So your net result is a bill that gets significantly less bang for the buck."

I currently cannot find any conservative sentiment, as this is breaking today, but I am sure Sunday morning will bring about a lot.

Here is what was cut, with bold expressed for my emphasis.

Partially cut:

• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)

• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)

• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)

• $100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million)

• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)

• $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million)

• $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million)

Fully eliminated

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $122 million for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters

• $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization

• $50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service

• $65 million for watershed rehabilitation

• $100 million for distance learning

• $98 million for school nutrition

• $50 million for aquaculture

• $2 billion for broadband

• $100 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology

• $50 million for detention trustee

• $25 million for Marshalls Construction

• $300 million for federal prisons

• $300 million for BYRNE Formula grant program

• $140 million for BYRNE Competitive grant program

• $10 million state and local law enforcement

• $50 million for NASA

• $50 million for aeronautics

• $50 million for exploration

• $50 million for Cross Agency Support

• $200 million for National Science Foundation

• $100 million for science

• $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees

• $4.5 billion for General Services Administration

• $89 million General Services Administration operations

• $50 million from Department of Homeland Security

• $200 million Transportation Security Administration

• $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use

• $25 million for Fish and Wildlife

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $20 million for working capital fund

• $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement

• $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management

• $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start

• $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity

• $2 billion for Health Information Technology Grants

• $600 million for Title I (No Child Left Behind)

• $16 billion for school construction

• $3.5 billion for higher education construction

• $1.25 billion for project based rental

• $2.25 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization

• $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing

• $40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants)

Also large text for more emphasis. If that was proper Old English.

Honestly, how much do Republicans hate public education? I get how you cannot throw money at the situation. Oh wait I can. I live in Mississippi.

(Side note-F*** A-Roids. No Hall of Fame for you sir. Now you get booed.)

How many jobs lost?

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:53:00 +0000

So while people are throwing around anti-stimulus and pro-stimulus arguments, have we even stopped to think about the sheer numbers of jobs lost in the past 2 months alone?

659,000 jobs lost in December
522,000 jobs lost in January

For a total of 1,181,000 jobs lost in a 2 month time span.

The chairman of the group that complied these numbers says that all a stimulus will do is limit unemployment to 8% this year, and allow only 3 million jobs to be lost.

Think we don't need a stimulus? Okay give me some other options than just "let the market handle it". Or is that all the Republicans are proposing?

And you know what, I am pretty sick of this b.s. found in the WaPo's The Fix this morning.

Sen. John McCain -- apparently not ready to become Obama's favorite Senator -- sent out an email via his Country First political action committee urging his supporters to sign a petition stating their opposition to the current stimulus plan. "The proposal on the table is big on the giveaways for the special interests and corporate high rollers, yet short on help for ordinary working Americans," McCain wrote.

Bipartisan for the lose. No offense on McCain, but his PAC doesn't even have a website yet, its just a email newsletter link. So what is the Maverick's plan for economic recovery then? Well its tax cuts. Repeated, redone, re-funded Reagan and Bush Jr. tax cuts. But then he says we need more military spending. And across the board spending cuts after 2 quarters of growth.

Is this all the minority party has to offer? They screamed at Democrats about obstuctism in the Bush 2nd term, but when they have the chance to offer meaningful moderate progressive ideas, they go back to their old standbys?

And Obama is the nailed for "special interest stimulus" in promoting those ideas?

Not to mention:

"If, on the other hand, Obama's plan is not perceived to move the economy in the right direction or is seen as yet another big spending bill with limited real-world effect, then Republicans will be well positioned heading into the 2010 midterm elections.

The not knowing is what makes politics so unpredictable -- and so great."

GREAT!? This is GREAT!?

I am beyond sick of this partisan bickering coming from Fox News and Republicans.

And then Arrinna Huffington was on MSNBC this morning saying the stimulus is not progressive enough. More needs to be done in teacher merit pay standards, environmental jobs, and is "not bold enough".

So progressive liberals want more. Conservatives want nothing.

All this while atleast 3 million more jobs will be lost before 2010.

Vote No to $3 Billion for Mississippi?

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:59:00 +0000

I often tell people, all Mississippi needs is the monetary capital to promote new progress to achieve a new business revolution to revitalize this state. However the almighty Governor Haley Barbour is considering NOT accepting the $3 billion from the stimulus package based on...ideological lines? Strings attached?

"Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a former member of the House, said he would accept the stimulus money but would have voted against the bill if he were still in Congress. Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said he wasn't sure whether he would accept the approximately $3 billion his state would be in line for.

"Yes, we need some help and we appreciate the help," Barbour said in an interview. "But I don't know about the details and the strings attached to tell you if I'll take all of it or not."

Here is a link to the article http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090201/ap_on_go_co/stimulus_gop_governors

This is why I hate politics. Because people would rather stand around and do nothing just to see the other party fail. Obviously by Mississippi's awesome high school graduation rates and the thousands of new catfish farming jobs being created, Mississippi does not need any financial help. Meanwhile they could potentially file for bankruptcy if they were a business.

I can see the Republican reasoning behind voting no. Of course its a government bailout of all of society. Sure it smacks against your conservative fiscal beliefs.

But these are arbitrary beliefs in the grand scheme of things. Look at the MILLIONS of jobs America is losing. And you want to just let the body die in order to stop from bleeding from the lost of a proverbial leg just to PROVE A IDEOLOGICAL POINT?!

The fact that both Governors from MS and LA both would potentially say No to receiving money their states more than desperately need is tantamount to a dereliction of duty. Instead the states will stop giving money to non-profits, limit health care access, or close a university. Because that makes all the sense. As long as the Governors stand by principle while others suffer, we find them heroes.

Or if only Republicans had power and proposed this. Then it would have been the best thing since sliced bread. See: Bush tax rebates.

Sportsmanship Imitates Life

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:46:00 +0000

Recently there was a high school women's basketball game that ended in a lopsided 100-0 score. It was that even after The Covenant School had the Dallas Academy dead to rights by half time, they only stopped putting full court pressure when they went up 100-0 with four minutes left in the game.

The head coach of the Covenant School is now looking for ways to get their win forfeit, because they did not win "with honor". And the head coach of the Dallas Academy hopes that his ladies "learned a lesson in sportsmanship that will last them a lifetime."

I told this to a close person of mine and they replied "They shouldn't try to forfeit. That's unfair just because they won against a bad team who could not play, they should dumb down their game?"

Of course why would anyone forfeit games when they win? Its survival of the fittest right?

And then it hit me. Right there in middle Christian America, even the righteous can be damned by our personal quest for glory. We forget that we are all in this together, this game of life. It should come as no surprise that a girls' basketball team runs up the score against a far inferior team, since that is what we have conditioned ourselves to be.

Look at the exploitation of worker's in China or Jamaica. Look at how we whisper about people paying top dollar for fair trade food. Listen to the talk radio hosts mock minimum wage increases as an "afront to capitalism".

It should come as no shock that little girls can fall prey to the tempations of near sighted glory. For that is what most of us have been subconsiously acting on for the better part of our collective history. While it is not the best way, nor the only way, to conduct ourselves, we choose to lead by it.

Maybe these young ladies gave us a small wake up call in the middle of a basketball game. I know it did me.

**Update**

Apparently the Coach of the winning team refuses to apologize for his team's win and "for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity."

My man. You won 100-0. You continued to have your team go on a full court press even after being up 59-0 at halftime. You issued orders to continue to shoot 3 pointers and score until you hit 100. The game was over when it was 88-0 at the end of 3 quarters, yet you still played as if the game was close.

You're right. You shouldn't apologize for your team, nor should they.

You should apologize for yourself as a coach. Sure I'm damning you, casting the stone, etc. But I can not imagine continuing to run the game like it was close up 59-0. Have you never seen the outrage by teams that have done this before? Do you NOT watch SportsCenter!?

Sigh. Ah well. At least it wasn't an European soccer match. Hi oh!

Dissent or Sore Losers?

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:51:00 +0000

Obviously my blogs are all about freedom of speech, dissenting opinions, and general rabble rousing against the injustices of the world.

However, as the internet makes us closer, it also allows people to show their true agendas.

As I peruse the Facebook statuses, I see a lot of powerful loving comments, excited people, and genuine hopeful acts of faith. Yet still, months later, there are underlining tones of bitterness. These people know who they are. They are the ones first in line to call liberals anti-Americans for questioning George W. Bush the last 8 years, the first to believe now President Barack Hussein Obama was a closet terrorist, and to ignore the blatant historical significance of having a black President.

To these my friends and colleagues, I have this to say:

Your historical apathy and tongue in cheek hope for political failure, not success, is how we ended up losing our way towards accomplishing the dreams of a species. While you will have your day to say "Ah ha!" because every man/woman is human, and mistakes will be made, enjoy this day. For today we are all jubilant Americans, and do not let our petty differences divide us on a day our Founders died for.

What a Day

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:18:00 +0000

These are all the words I can muster right now for this historic event in our nation's, and the world's, history.

So many dreams have come to pass. So much hope can be inspired.

Let us all cherish the fortunes we have to live to see such a day.

America the beautiful indeed.

Random news occurances of note

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 15:11:00 +0000

I am not impassioned this morning as I normally am when writing previous blog posts, but I have to get into a routine again.

Earlier this morning CNN reports that the United States had rejected 3 attempts by Israel to engage in attacking nuclear facilities in Iran. President Bush deflected the first two requests for military supplies by acknowledging U.S. sabotage efforts under the radar, hoping to get Israel to back down from the brink. He flat out said no to the 3rd request.

However, despite Bush's best attempts to cage the beast that seems to be Israel (recently), the Israelites have taken to attacking the Palestinians in Gaza with a ferocity perhaps bottled up from a year of digression against Iran and Hamas. Am I making a ridiculous assertion? Maybe. But I think people should not forget that when new "wars" begin in the Middle East, Israel can be found defending herself in the largest way possible.

Israel has this opportunity thanks to our American prowess. No nation outisde of religious nut job groups such as Hamas in Palestine or Hellzbolah in Lebanon has ever opened major actions since prior to the Oslo Peace accords. It seems to grow tiresome to us Americans, because nothing "new" ever happens. Its always Israel attacking. Israel defending.

But these wars are always news to those we tend to forget are in the middle - Haaretz & AlJazeera.

New Year, Old Commitments

nddicola@gmail.com (Nick D) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:19:00 +0000

It seems even though the world may indeed looked to be saved on Nov. 4th 2008, the battle for our futures are far from over.

Its been 1 year 1 month and 1 week since I last publicly blogged.

Its time to start the rebellion for our futures again. Hopefully this won't be the last step for me.

I thank you all who read and follow me down this rabbit hole called life. I entrust in myself the highest level of responsibility to bring you only honesty and fair opinions.

Here's to us. Mankind. May we all be the people our ancestors dreamed we can be.

If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers, it shows he is a citizen of the world, and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands, but a continent that joins to them.
- Francis Bacon: "Essays, Of Goodness and Goodness of Nature"

I approve of this analogy

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 20:25:00 +0000

And that in a nutshell is was blogging is really all about.

Love it or hate it!

E-Voting in Mississippi

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 16:54:00 +0000

There's more to come, but first let me rant to anyone who's reading.

So apparently in Mississippi, and in the county of Oktibbeha, you can only vote electronically if you show up on Election Day.

You do not have a "right" to a paper ballot.

You do not have a "right" to a paper receipt.

Each county makes its own rules up regarding how to handle Mississippi's new e-voting technology. So thats how local rights are upheld in a state wide mandate.

Oh and did I mention these rules we're put into effect this year? An election year.

I personally feel like I just sold my soul and my liberties just to do one of the most patriotic things Americans can do.

Surprise!

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 23:03:00 +0000

By a surprise visit, does the President mean " good " surprise or " bad " surprise?

There is a difference. For example, a good surprise is when your underrated NFL team, lets say the New York Jets, win the Super Bowl.

A bad surprise would be your ex-girlfriend saying she's pregnant. And you've only been broken up 2 months.

Okay now that we're clear, here's what I made of the news today. President Bush made a "surprise" trip to Al Asad Airbase in Anbar province of Iraq today.

There he recieved updates on Iraq's progress from General Petraeus and US Ambassador Crocker. Also that when President Bush asked how morale was he recieved an answer that it was "very high, sir" from Capt. Lee Hemming a Marine Cobra pilot.

After this and other encouraging remarks from the "front" the President gave a small speech on what he thought.

"Gen. [David] Petraeus and Ambassador [Ryan] Crocker tell me if the kind of success we're now seeing continues, it will be possible to maintain the same level of security with fewer American forces."

The President then went on to warn his Democratic ( and some GOP) critics in Congress back home. Bush wants everyone to know that they shouldn't believe the report coming next week from the General will mean to start pulling troops home now.

They should now that the US will " draw down troops from Iraq, it will be from a position of strength and success, not from the position of fear and failure."

Okay great!

So here's the rub. Why was this trip a "surprise" if Iraq seems to be now ( and not the other 40 times before) a gleaming beacon of democracy?

Why should US forces wait to pull out militarily, if militarily the country is safe?
And how can we do the same job we are now security wise, with less troops in the future? Are Super stormtroopers involved somehow?

Well here's the answers.
Bush hopes the next President "stays longer" in Iraq.

Militarily, all may be fine except the surge has done anything but stop the ethnic cleansing in Iraq. Iraq civilian death tolls rise throughout the country, even as cities such as Baghdad see it fall.

"The Los Angeles Times did as well — citing Iraqi Health Ministry numbers. In June, it was 1,227 civilian deaths in Iraq. In July, it went up to 1,753 civilian deaths in Iraq. And in August, the month that just ended, 1,773 civilian deaths in Iraq."

And not to mention the continuing debate over whether Iraq is making any political progress at all. You can't leave a military to run itself you know.
I mean if are going to why the hell did we remove Saddam? The next dictator will be even worse.

Mark my words, if we believe this "war" will be solved in Iraq by the end of the decade you're wrong. We are stuck between no good choices or options. But we are there. And we have to fix what we broke. Smart leadership, thats not all smiles and handshakes. Solutions that require everyone to equally sacrifice, not just one end. And leaders themselves who will level with the American people, and do what must be done if it produces a better future. But those who will lead US men and women out of harms way if the cause is lost.

Otherwise in a few years, Iraq will be calling Uncle Sam...

" Hey, yeah, I thought you should know, you have a son.

About 3 million of them."

JFK Plot....Exaggerated?

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 16:48:00 +0000

Submitted for well, just for sake of discussion, is this piece by the NY Newsday Paper today online debating whether or not the details of the JFK Plot were a bit over-blown.

The piece does bring up a good point in my mind. What if this was a legitimate threat, however was so severely over-the-top in the level of the threat to the American people, just to add more weight to it in the press and in the American psyche?

I'm not arguing that we do LESS to combat terror plots. As a matter of fact if anyone believe dissents of public opinion want that, you are an idiot. A complete and udder dolt. Go join Voldemort's army with that kind of thinking.

However what needs to be debated is this: Are these plots being told for the true threat they present? Are they honestly on the scope and mangintude of a "unthinkable" disaster?

Or, for the sake of media and political effectiveness, being over-blown in the threat level Americans are under by them?

It may seem like a silly question to ask. But lots are gained and lost by perception alone.

Almost Half time

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 13:26:00 +0000

A run down of some things worth paying attention to during the second half of 2007:

Russia is concerned, well more like pissed, over continued advancements of Bush's Missle Defense Shield. China has joined President of Russia Vladmir Putin, in "criticizing the U.S. plan, saying the anti-missile system could set off an arms race. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the proposal “is not conducive to mutual trust of major nations and regional security.”

Bush however has asked Russia to "work co-operatively" with the U.S. to develop a missle shield. The creation of such a shield is not to start an arms race, but to protect the U.S. and its allies from Rogue Nations, such as North Korea...or Trinidad.

Presidential candidate John McCain agrees with the White House's recent statement that "would like to see a lengthy U.S. troop presence in Iraq like the one in South Korea," which if you haven't noticed it going on its 60th year of existence.

McCain echoed this idea in a speech at a Nationwide Insurance office calling "We have had troops in South Korea for 60 years and nobody minds,” McCain said. “If you stay a long, long time, but have the Iraqis doing the fighting, and your people are back in the bases and away from the firing line, I think Americans would be satisfied.”

Ooookay....
McCain has stated that even if Americans don't want to be in Iraq forever, it doesn't matter. Whats right for the security of the country does, even if its unpopular.

Great.

And at the Democratic Debate last Sunday night, Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson said something that hit me as genuine.

Boycott the Bejing 2008 Summer Olympics.

"`This is what I would do,'' Richardson said when asked about how he would try to bring peace to the region. ``Number one, more U.N. peacekeepers. The government is refusing to make this happen. Secondly, economic sanctions. We've imposed them, but they're weak. We need European countries to make them happen. Third, we need China, to lean on China, which has enormous leverage over Darfur. And if the Chinese don't want to do this, we say to them, maybe we won't go to the Olympics.''

(China's Sudanese connection)

Now his idea to have Bill Clinton Secertary General of the U.N. is more than a little crazy. But why not use all the tools, moral ones espicially, to help bring an end to the genocide in Darfur?

SaveDarfur.Org

Remember Darfur?

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Thu, 03 May 2007 13:59:00 +0000

Well do we?

Looks like the world has once again forgot about the 3rd world that is Africa. I for one took a blow to the self awareness yesterday when listening to Don Cheadle on NPR about the continued fight just to get people to recognize that genocide is occurring over there. Currently 400,000 people, men, women and children, have been sought out and killed. 2.5 million people reside in displaced camps waiting to die.

But to spare ourselves any further embarrassment of playing dumb when it comes to the largest act of crimes against humanity since RWANDA, here's the latest:

It may take up to 3 months to finally get peace talks started between the Darfur rebel groups (fighting for their people's survival) & the Khartoum government. Why the delay? "..the secretary of the “task force” Achier Deng Akol said his commission has yet to contact any group, adding it may take until July to bring them all together."

Only one rebel group has signed on the peace accord. The rest are still in hiding for fear of annihilation upon recognition. And yet no governmental violence has stopped.

The ICC, International Criminal Court, or "The Hague" has sought our 2 arrest warrants for the Sudanese human affairs minister and a government sponsored militia leader.

However Sudan had this to say to the Hague. F* off.

"Our position is very, very clear: The ICC cannot assume any jurisdiction to judge any Sudanese outside the country," al-Mardi said in Khartoum. "Whatever the ICC does is totally unrealistic, illegal and repugnant to any form of international law."

Sudan was not part of the ICC founding or signed off on its rule of law. Much like the United States.

And finally a all out protest & strike against global companies who do business in Sudan has shown rewards. A global Divestment Campaign has successfully gotten Rolls-Royce, Land Rover, 10 US States, and 40 US universities have now divested their interests in Sudan.

The Sudan Divestment Task Force was started in the US in 2005, with the sole purpose of choking off revenue and assets to the Sudanese government by shutting down their business connections.

It seems to be working. Multinational Corps all around Europe are feeling the heat, and more and more US entities are taking notice.

"The government of Khartoum has never felt under sufficient pressure," said Nick Donovan, head of policy and research at the U.K.-based Aegis Trust, whose independent organization campaigns against genocide.

Well looks like some people have remembered Darfur after all.

Dark Days

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 13:25:00 +0000

A moment of silence does not do justice to the chaos and senseless deaths the state of Virginia and University of Virginia Tech are reeling with today. Prayers, thoughts, sympathy, and even empathy go out to those touched by this tragic story. However silence will not be found here. Nor will mindless rehashing of the days events, at the sole cost to the mental well being of the survivors. All of which I promise you, you will see 24/7 on any national media outlet.

Around the world the criticism has already begun. The US culture of violence and guns are solely to blame for this "expected" tragedy. "In Italy, the Leftist Il Manifesto newspaper said the shooting was "as American as apple pie." Apple pie?

France's Le Monde newspaper has this to say, "...slaughter forces American society to once again examine itself, its violence, the obsession with guns of part of its population, the troubles of its youth, subjected to the double tyranny of abundance and competition. "

Yes there is sadness and grief expressed by the world over, much like through any high profile tragedy in another country. And these expressions should not be looked at cynically, but thankfully and welcomed to those that need it.

"In London, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Monday saying, "The Queen was shocked and saddened to hear of the news of the shooting in Virginia."

However some countries mix sympathy with a dose of condemnation. As with Australia once again ( you might remember there harsh words for the Iraq War, yet offering only 100+ troops to their legitimate cause) you get "hey that sucks, but you'll never see that here because we are superior in our society to America".

But that leads us to the point of this old blog's entry today. Many people will call out the gun lobby for this. Many people will say we need stricter gun control laws all across the Union. Many will want all guns banned forever.

And they are only partially right in this assessment and outrage. If this act of urban terrorism has shown us one thing, is that gun control IS a serious issue not regulated to only the Gun Lobbyists and Gun Control advocates. It is a NATIONAL MORAL discussion that has been killed by the moral "dilemmas" of gay marriage and boobies on TV. I am in favor of the right to bear arms. I am also in favor of smart gun regulation, and intelligent gun laws that prohibit tragedies like this. Who doesn't?

But what we need in complement to this gun control discussion is one about the American psyche. The American student's state of mind and the American worker's place in our world. In what society do we run that has a 20 something American Engineering student snap and kill 30 of his classmates? In what world do we live in when office shootings become a monthly occurrence in blue collar America?

Sadly, but we work our youth and our busy selves to death all in order to accomplish an ascendancy to a status portrayed by media and old America as the height of success. Money, power, vast quantities of crap, and instant gratification. I remember college, as a great place for liberal arts majors. Relaxed. Your own time table.
But for those with real science degrees, those with the our future resting in their hands every day, the vibes were intense. Constant pressure for deadlines. Massive papers. And a overbearing sense that the workplace will be no different in their 40 years of service. How can we expect good, rounded, community thinking people to come out of schools, and thus into the workplace, when we've put them in positions to fail 24/7 since the age of 18? Thats life? No thats the American life we believe has to exist.

That might not make any sense to you. And then maybe thats part of the problem.

Dark days lie ahead for this great nation. Unless we figure out what truly matters the most to us, and do so fast.

5 Minutes till Midnight

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 14:26:00 +0000

Oddly enough today's non-headline grabber comes atop of a week long depression I've been fighting off due to the multiple "end of days" scenerios.

On Sunday I viewed the new movie, Children of Men, with my younger, yet mature, brother. If you have not seen this movie, you owe it to yourself to do so. Sure it will send you into a spiral of "oh fuck we're all screwed" depression for a month, but it is worth it. The movie is based on the book, which revolves around a world set in 2027 that has seen mankind infertile. Women can no longer bear children.

Its a doomsday prohecy, and the world has gone to shit accordingly. However what grabbed me was the real-ness of the whole pretense of a world full of men knowing the end has come. Would we band together to see a solution? Would we destroy ourselves for what resources are left?

The movie is the best cautionary tale this year, or this century I've seen. And V for Vendetta was damn good. The movie should be looked as a warning to us all.

But today's non-headline comes from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. I might have mentioned this before, since I only found this organization months ago after surfing the web for "Heroes" conspiracy theories and fun tidbits. How right I was too on episode 8!

The Bulletin was founded in 1945 by former Mahattan Project scientists in order to right the wrongs they created. The publish a magazine that explains to the world the gravest threats the face the world today, and how close they are to bringing about the days of our doom.

They invented the clock. The Doomsday Clock. And it is set at a time towards Midnight in which the theorists, scientists, and members believe how close the end of the world is. The closest its been was in 1953 at 2 Minutes till Midnight when both US and USSR forces tested hydrogen bombs. The furthest in 1991 when the collaspe of the Soviet Union, at 17 minutes till Midnight.

As of yesterday it was set at 5 minutes. Why? "Increasing concern about Iran's nuclear ambitions and a nuclear test by North Korea. Experts assessing the dangers posed to civilization have added climate change to the prospect of nuclear annihilation as the greatest threats to humankind."

Ever since the fall of the USSR, when the world was supposed to be that much safer, we've managed to get 12 minutes closer to our own annihilation.

In the end, when that day comes, how will history, if there are any left, look at us and see how we reacted when our backs where against the wall?

I say again, will you fight? Will you love? Will whimper and give up? Will your neighbors come to your aid? Or will they be the first to pillage your house?

You may ask what has this got to do with me today? What can I do to worry about the future that looks so bleak? Why care?

The answers are all around you. The simplistic ways you can take to help are abudant thanks to the internet and mass communications. The hope, passion, and responbility to protect this world for the next, whether our children or those of South America, Africa, and others, lies inside us all.

Its our future, our legacy, our lives that matter today and tomorrow.

We don't have long. Its 5 minutes till Midnight; and we've got a helluva lot work to do.

What would you buy with $357 Billion?

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 15:23:00 +0000

Well you could buy a war if you like. A very controverosial one, but a war none the less. The Iraq conflict, war, civil disobeindence; whatever you may want to call it, is costing the United States $357,000,000,000.

Who says we don't know how to throw a party!

The President spoke yesterday and gave us his New Way Forward Plan to help finish stablizing Iraq and the region.

Here's the quick nuts and bolts:

-President Bush told Americans Wednesday that he is dispatching 21,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq.
-President Bush said he would put greater pressure on Iraqis to restore order in Baghdad and used blunt language to warn Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that “America’s commitment is not open-ended.” A sign that he is understanding to Americans lack of patience in this war now.
-President Bush said his new strategy, in which Iraqis will try to take responsibility for security in all 18 provinces by November...
-He also said American troops will have a "clearly defined mission" to help Iraqis clear and secure neighborhoods, assist in the protection of the local population and “to help ensure that the Iraqi forces left behind are capable of providing the security that Baghdad needs.”
- And Iran is on notice.

"In some of his sharpest words of warning to Iran, Mr. Bush accused the Iranian government of “providing material support for attacks on American troops” and vowed to “seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies.”He left deliberately vague the question of whether those operations would be limited to Iraq or conducted elsewhere, and said he had ordered the deployment of a new aircraft carrier strike group to the region, where it is in easy reach of Iranian territory."

Kudos to NY Times and MSNBC.

And here's the quick rebuttal/ flaws in the ideas. Now I hope these don't become true, but with mounting civil war violence, a penchant for killing Americans, and a government refusing to go after the worst Shiite death squads, Iraq is not our #1 vacation hot spot.

- Apparently, the military will be setting up "gated communities". In which we will place border protections up, flush out insurgents from the community, then keep US troops there to the clear mission of protecting Iraqi lives.

Sounds good. But so did "strategic hamlets" in Vietnam and they were "a spectacular failure". However they can work, as counterinsurgancy experts state as long as we follow up with keeping the vermin out. Here's to hoping they really work this time.

- "The thousands of troops that President Bush is expected to order to Iraq will join the fight largely without the protection of the latest armored vehicles that withstand bomb blasts far better than the Humvees in wide use." This is stated by military officers in a Balitmore Sun article.

Well thats all for today, as I have to run to a Raleigh Meeting.

To sum up what I think tho of our "new way forward" is this;
Mr President, I am all behind this country, our values, and our troops. This new course could work or it can just delay the inveitable. Civil War has engulfed Iraq, as it has many nations. But our stake in it is clear...we created it.

I believe our time in Iraq is coming to a final close, we gift wrapped Iran Saddam's execution, we burned all the bridges with our allies for no-bid contracts and war profitterres. Our troops are staring down the barrels of people who want to kill them without any sort of idea what to do next after we kill them first.

And then I dont know if we, as a nation of leadership, can leave Iraq without accepting the consquences of mass chaos and death. Because there is a good chance that will happen.
Then again, maybe just our presence is the only thing fueling this civil war over rebellion.
If we leave, then Iraq stablizies.

Its time to make a choice, and perhaps if that choice is wrong, be ready and WILLING to accept that and FIX it 10 years from now.

Or sooner.

This is the hell you have put your country in Mr. President. I hope you are right about it. All of us do.

Sex isn't for you, unless your the 95% of people who've had pre-marital sex

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 17:28:00 +0000

Now let me first start of with saying, i am neither promoting sex or decrying it as a sarced cow, saying its okay to me promiscuious with 800 people OR wait till you've found "The One" at age 85.
Sex is sex. Its natural. Its biological. And without it, we'd be extinct.

So let's begin.

A recent study done by the Guttmacher Institute has found that ever since people born in the 1940's, 95% of Americans have had pre-martial sex.

What does that mean? Well that "The study, examining how sexual behavior before marriage has changed over time, was based on interviews conducted with more than 38,000 people -- about 33,000 of them women -- in 1982, 1988, 1995 and 2002 for the federal National Survey of Family Growth. According to Finer's analysis, 99 percent of the respondents had had sex by age 44, and 95 percent had done so before marriage."

Over 20 years the study at the NSFG of over 38,000 Americans has found that almost everyone has sex. Duh.

More importantly, for governmental and societial reasons, it found that 95% of people have sex before marriage. Something looked down upon by anyone who tries to be holier than thou. You know preachers, presidents, pot bellied zealots...

So I have no problem with the data or with the other 5% who abstain till marriage. None at all.

Here's my beef.

Currently our US Education system and policy is an abstience only approach till marriage for all people aged 12-29. Every year parents fight over whether real sex education should be taught in schools. Some want to protect the children from "the evils of sexual activity." Some want to have it both ways, say don't do what I do, but here's some info just in case. And then we have some who would like the children to know everything, since they're going to find out anyway, it better be through them.

As we speak the current Bush Adminstration spends millions of tax dollars on Abstience only programs all around the US.

My question is, if this notion is repudited by hard data supplied by the US Government, than why have we not changed policy course to better protect our future and children?

So if you think I'm nuts or a happy sex addict promoting immorality, then I feel for you. You've missed my point entirely.

The data exists, the problem of AIDS and other STDs are still rampant and killing loved ones, and our method of attack is out dated and wrong.

Tomorrow we need to revamp every single districts sexual education classes in light of this data. We need to stop treating talking to our kids about sex like we have the courage and morals of a 5 year old. Start acting like adults and let us address the issue of real sexual education like adults would.

Perhaps if we started acting like mature grown ups, those horny teenagers might just follow our example.

Peace

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 19:57:00 +0000

Peace!

Now that word has two meanings today in regards to our recent national election.

First it means PEACE out!

Peace Mark Foley. Peace out Donald Rumsfield. thanks for just about nothing. Peace Charles Taylor from NC. Peace Rick Santorum of PA. Peace George Allen. Peace Conrad Burns. Peace Stay the Course.

Peace out incompentance. Peace out blind sheep. Peace out wrapping yourself in the American Flag.

Peace out religious zealots. Peace out dividing a nation. Peace out "you're either with us or you're against us."

The balance of power has changed.

And Secondly it means let there be PEACE.

Soon to be the first woman Speaker of the House in United States history, Nancy Pelosi, has an ambitious agenda for her newly minted Democratic Congress.

"Day One: Put new rules in place to "break the link between lobbyists and legislation."

Day Two: Enact all the recommendations made by the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Time remaining until 100 hours: Raise the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour, maybe in one step. Cut the interest rate on student loans in half. Allow the government to negotiate directly with the pharmaceutical companies for lower drug prices for Medicare patients.

Broaden the types of stem cell research allowed with federal funds _ "I hope with a veto-proof majority," she added in an Associated Press interview Thursday.

All the days after that: "Pay as you go," meaning no increasing the deficit, whether the issue is middle class tax relief, health care or some other priority.

To do that, she said, Bush-era tax cuts would have to be rolled back for those above "a certain level." She mentioned annual incomes of $250,000 or $300,000 a year and higher, and said tax rates for those individuals might revert to those of the Clinton era. Details will have to be worked out, she emphasized."

Now thats a very American agenda. But she has to prove it to us all, that the Democrats are for real and mean REAL change. How about America's 1st Muslim Congressman!

Real fiscal, moral, competance, and leadership change. People that Americans will glady support and believe they are doing a stand up job.

Otherwise the Democrats are just as useless as Republicans in office.
They must and will show up to work ready for meaningful reform.

How about something on a streamlined national election process? Wouldn't that just make sense?

Or meaningful legislation to help the nation's schools meet high standards? Wouldn't a federally required mandate for teacher pay and school support only make sense? Or how about state level requirements each unique to that state?

Immigration anyone? The LAW is broken, not the border. We need real reform that helps everyone and protects our own American workers.

Needless to say, I am elated Democrats have shown they can win. Now they show why they must win. Only be laying partisan differences aside and working with Republicans and conservatives will we become a better nation. People. World.

There is plenty of work to be done. I look forward to torching the Left for a long time.

300,000,000 and All Out of Wedlock!

noreply@blogger.com (Nick D) — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:29:00 +0000

A few morsels of food for thought this rainy southern day in October.

The United States has officially reached 300,000,000 people. While the news is not breaking, it is highly significant. It is said that we add a new member to the population every 11 seconds, either through birth or immigration. That puts us 3rd behind China and India as the largest nation states in the world. Those two have over 1 billion people. Now thats a crowded interstate.

Looking into the future, what does this mean for Americans? Well we need to start thinking longterm in regards to our energy policy, can we produce enough at a modest price?; our environmental quailty of life, do you really think all this air is going to be mroe breathable in 30 years?; social security and retirement for future generations, will it even be there?

There are a lot of questions to go around.

Of these 300 million wonderful Americans, apparently over 50% of them are living in unmarried households! Thats right marriage rights activists, for all your ban this and ban that rhetoric, over half the country is either single or co-habitating. 55.8 million adults total a percentage of 50.2% of the adult population. While the number of "traditional" households come in at a modest 55.2 million, or 49.8 percent of the total, this is the first time in the history of our nation, unmarried couples out weigh the married.

Now this is not to poop on marriage. But to poop on the "Holier than Thou" attitude anti-gay marriage activists have concerning protecting their "sacred institution". How can something be so popular and sacred, if a majority of the people said to hold those values...don't?

Perhaps marriage is not what it is said to be, you know not all its cracked up to be.
Or maybe it is.

And maybe we shouldn't be so judgemental on those that want to be a part of that sacred institution that aren't "exactly" like us.

On a lighter note, well not really, check out www.joinred.com
It is a new alliance by our favorite companies with ONE.org and other AIDS groups to raise money to bring AIDS drugs to people around the world.
Companies like GAP, Apple, Converse, and others are giving you a choice when you purchase their products. Go Gap (Red) and a portion of your purchase will do its part to help stop AIDS.

I've gone (Red) (with this awesome t,thanks Val!), so why don't you?