Invented the iconic drug Valium, resulting in millions of dollars of Elizabeth Taylor-related tabloid sales. Link.
A Coalition of the Left?
[Hello Shakers. I'm the pseudonymous blogger known as Shamanic, and I'm thrilled to be keeping some content going here while Shakespeare's Sister witnesses a heterosexual mating ritual in Cincinnati. We all have our hobbies, right?]
There's an interesting cross-blog discussion happening right now, taken up today by Cernig. As I and others have noted, it appears that the Congressional Democrats are going to nap through the current round of massive scandal that is enveloping the GOP.
This is exactly the kind of determined leadership that brings me to Cernig's commentary. He draws from several posts (including Shaker contributor Rana's post from Tuesday) on the theme of
the (by now old) claim that the Democratic Party has ceased to be representative of a significantly large portion of the American Left and moreover, no longer have a "vision worth voting for". That the Democrats have become, by their own intent, Republican-Lite.Is it even a point worth debating anymore? If it is, Cernig presents a small mountain of evidentiary material to back up the claim that progressive ideals and the left in general have been abandoned.
I’m not someone who could easily be considered “anti-war”, but even I agree that a grieving Catholic mother named Cindy Sheehan speaks for a lot of people when she says that war is wrong and we should quit waging it. And that’s just the sexiest of the progressive topics out there right now.
We’re still haunted in this country by forty million permanently uninsured people and another forty million who are temporarily without insurance on any given day. It’s a safe bet that a lot of those people are working for close to minimum wage, handling cash and making change, and passing things like coffee cups whose lids they’ve just pressed closed across a counter to you. It’s a safe bet that a lot of those people can’t afford to take a day off of work when they get sick. It’s a safe bet that we’ll be confronted with a highly lethal influenza pandemic that is showing resistance to half of our arsenal of anti-viral drugs in the next fifteen months.
Is it really so hard to see how the lack of leadership on progressive ideals affects those of us lucky enough to plunk money into a 401k twice a month?
Perhaps I digress, or perhaps I add to the heap of reasons why we need new leadership in this country. As Cernig points out though
Its a safe bet that neither Greens, nor any kind of American Labor Party nor any socialist group nor Naderites will mount enough of a challenge in the near future to break the dual-party system, even with the massive potential electorate they have.So we are in a position where we have a sizeable and growing left with an increasingly clear platform of policy demands (less intrusive coalition-based foreign policy; roll back unwise tax cuts and spending to balance the budget; realistically address far-reaching domestic problems like health insurance affordability; and provide a comprehensive approach to offset the downsides of corporate globalization, to name a few) but no political leadership to mold these progressive ideals into national policy. Sadly, I don’t even see leadership materializing in time for 2008.
Cernig makes a timely suggestion: create structures modeled on Poland’s Solidarity movement.
So where to start? Well, what the Greens and the Unions and the Laborites should do is get together for talks about establishing exactly that kind of grassroots up structure for a coalition movement on the Left - a true American Solidarity.You remember Solidarity, right? Lech Waleska and shipyard workers, sitting down until an unaccountable dictatorial regime recognized its existence? Here’s how The Nation noted the 25th anniversary of the social movement that ultimately brought down communism in Europe:
For although Solidarity fought against the official Communist world, the left welcomed it more than the right. While bankers feared the movement might jeopardize the repayment of Poland's large debts, and conservatives feared mass democratic movements in general, radical activists from Brazil to South Africa sent their greetings and their representatives, trying to figure out what this unusual trade union/social movement, led by 37-year-old electrician Lech Walesa, was all about.Isn’t this really where we are now? Hasn’t politics in America devolved into a contest of which party can more slickly persuade the public that the other side is evil so that they can get back to handing out truckloads of taxpayer cash to corporate contributors? Didn’t the Senate just approve a movement conservative to the high court in the same week that the conservative movement was exposed as a gang of criminals who’ve taken over the country by breaking its laws?
As demonstrated over the next sixteen months, Solidarity's real innovation was its commitment to radical social transformation without bothering about the state. Partly because party dictatorship put the state off-limits and partly because Solidarity's key ideologues had themselves been 1960s radicals inspired by the anti-authority ethos of the time, Solidarity developed the groundbreaking concept of "antipolitics." The idea was not to "take" power but to get away from power and let society transform itself.
So to this cross-blogosphere conversation, which I think is timely and important, I add these concepts: “anti-politics” and “to get away from power and let society transform itself”.
I think it’s time that we seriously considered the possibility that American politics are irrevocably broken. How will we, the progressives, the lefties, the liberals, the activists, the anti-war radicals, and all the other energized souls of America reshape this country in order to advance the progressive agenda from outside the body politic?
(Cross-posted at my house of words, Simianbrain.)
Road Trip
My cousin is getting married this weekend—my little cousin who I remember being born and is now old enough to get married!—so Mr. Shakes and I are off to Cincinnati for the weekend, since my parents were nice enough to pay for our hotel.
The lovely Shamanic from SimianBrain will be keeping you company in my absence, along with the regular crew, so please make her feel welcome; I know you’ll enjoy her sassy simian stylings.
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and thank you again for the support these past two days. You’ve all made what could have been, in years from now, a dreadful memory instead a time which I will always think of very fondly indeed. My heart is full.
See you Sunday.
Friday Night Name That Movie
Okay, we haven’t done this in awhile, but it’s always fun when we do, and we all need a little fun tonight, right? I do, anyway. So, here goes (and there’s no theme this time, other than that they’re some of my favorite films—no cheating now!):
1. I don't want this guy taking you to some sketchy quarry in the middle of Newark to find crack whores huffing turpentine or pit bulls raping each other or whatever else is down here!
2. I'm nice, I really am, apart from my terrible taste in pie.
3. How the hell do I know why there were Nazis? I don't know how the can opener works!
4. Laugh it up, fuzzball.
5. I didn't ask for a shrink; that must've been somebody else. Also, that pudding isn't mine. Also, I'm wearing this suit today because I had a very important meeting this morning and I don't have a crying problem.
6. Vice, virtue…it's best not to be too moral. You cheat yourself out of too much life. Aim above morality.
7. How could I forget about you? You're the only person I know.
8. I spent like three hours doing the shading on the upper lip—it's probably the best drawing I've ever done.
9. You show me how to control a wild fucking gypsy and I'll show you how to control an unhinged, pig-feeding gangster.
10. We've got chicken tonight. Strangest damn things. They're man made. Little damn things. Smaller than my fist.
How Dumb is Tom DeLay?
First he makes the outrageous claim that he wasn’t given a chance to speak before the grand jury, an assertion so robustly stupid that his own lawyer had to refute it. And now all his bloviating about how this is a partisan attack by Travis County DA Ronnie Earle has prompted the grand jury foreman to consent to an interview with the local news and explain that he doesn’t appreciate being accused of collusion with the DA to unfairly indict DeLay.
Just keep yapping, you egotistical shit. Each word that falls from your lying maw removes another inch of soil from that grave you seem so intent on digging yourself.
Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This
Rejoice Eighties music fans! The Eurythmics have reunited (again) and have recorded a brand new song, “I’ve Got a Life,” in support of the upcoming release of a new box set of all 8 of their original albums (including the long out of print “In The Garden”). All have been completely remastered (something that, as owners of the original BMG discs know has needed to happen for a long time) and all will have bonus tracks. Alas, the big box set will only be released in the UK, so U.S. fans who want it are, unfortunately, going to have to pay import prices, but the albums will be sold individually stateside on Nov. 8, so if you can live without the custom packaging, you can still enjoy the music.
Oh, and they’ve shot a video for the new track, too. Go look at a production photo. Annie in a suit! All that vintage equipment! How fucking cool is that? It’s enough to make my techno-geek head explode...
—Hat tip to Gabriel at Modern Fabulousity.
Somebody Steal This Message
Via Political Wire:
Promoting his new book in Michigan, Newt Gingrich (R) "discussed a possible run for president in 2008, saying health care and government modernization are the pillars of his program," the AP reports.Dems, get on healthcare big time. It’s a liberal issue, and to get done right, it has to be.
Said the former Speaker: "If I'm potentially going to run, I have to get my message out, and if it works and five others pick it up, I won't run. If the message doesn't work, I won't run. But if the message works and nobody picks it up, I'll run."
Now, I don’t know if “government modernization” is some code phrase for an evil scheme, since I don’t speak Republicanese, but whatever the hell it means, someone, anyone, just steal it, so this douche doesn’t run.
Seriously, I cannot take it if this bozo’s ugly mug and idiotic name is all over the airwaves again.
I Dig the Jesuits
Even a decade ago, the Jesuits I knew were supporting women’s and gay rights in the church.
A top Jesuit official has been contacting leaders of the Roman Catholic Church to protest a soon-to-be-released Vatican document that is expected to reinforce the teaching that gays are not welcome in the priesthood.Good for you, Rev. Chojnacki. Some clergy are discussing a possible strike, too.
The Rev. Gerald Chojnacki, head of the New York Province of the Society of Jesus, said in a letter to his priests that he was asking bishops to tell Vatican officials who are drafting the policy "of the great harm this will cause many good priests and the Catholic faithful."
Because my only real experience with the Catholicism was with the Jesuits I knew at university, I tend to associate my feelings about the church with them, and so it makes me very happy to see that they are continuing the traditions of thoughtfulness, tolerance, and inclusion that made me fond of them in the first place.
Can the Homobigots Please Get Their Stories Straight?
Per Paul's post below...
"This bill simply adds confusion to a constitutional issue," the Republican governor said in a veto message.
Leave it up to judges? But I thought... Oh, right. You're all disingenuous plonkers.
Dear California,
You’d probably have been better off with Gary Coleman. But at least you’re not stuck with Mitch Daniels.
Love,
Shakespeare’s Sister
Nohbodee Lookink?
Distractions are fun. Like judges and wildfires and hurricanes. They let you veto stuff on the sly.
SACRAMENTO, Calif, - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger followed through Thursday on his promise to veto a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, leaving the issue up to voters or judges who will likely face the volatile issue in the next year.
"This bill simply adds confusion to a constitutional issue," the Republican governor said in a veto message.
Schwarzenegger had announced his intention on Sept. 7, a day after the Legislature became the first in the country to approve a bill allowing gays and lesbians to wed.
-snip-
"He cannot claim to support fair and equal legal protection for same-sex couples and veto the very bill that would have provided it to them," Leno said. "Words are cheap. We're looking for action. We're looking for leadership."
In his veto message, Schwarzenegger said he supports the state's domestic partner laws, which give same-sex couples most of the rights and obligations of married couples, and would oppose efforts to overturn or weaken those statutes.
Thanks for nothing, Gropenator. You took the coward's way out, like a true Republican "leader." Bravo. Well, I suppose I should thank you for the money you'll save me... now that I won't waste a dime of my money on any "creative output" you "work" on in the future.
But, Paul! I'm all wet and soapy!
And don't try and seduce me, Mrs. Robinson. I look forward to the day when you're out of office and finding ways to stay busy.
UPDATE: More on Arnie gettin' swishy at Alternate Brain. (Thanks, Gordon!)
(Energy dome tip to August. Roll out the cross-posts, we'll have a barrel of fun...)
Free Bird
Judy’s out of jail.
Have to admit, I don’t care all that much about old Judy, but I do find this rather intriguing:
Miller agreed to break her silence and testify after receiving what she described as a voluntary and personal waiver of confidentiality from her source, identified as Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, Lewis Libby.Clearly, I don’t know whether any laws were violated or not (although I must say it certainly seems that way), but I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to suggest that no matter whether indictments are brought or not, there were some obvious ethical violations, which no one needs a special prosecutor to sort out.
Lawyers close to the case said Miller's testimony appeared to clear the way for prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald to wrap up his 2-year-old inquiry into who in the Bush administration leaked CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity and whether any laws were violated.
Ethics problems (at best) in the White House, the GOP Senate leader in possible trouble with the SEC, the GOP (former) House leader under indictment in Texas…at what point, exactly, do we collectively decide this is the dirtiest, crookedest, contemptible administration in history and throw these slimy fuckers out on their fatcat asses?
Honestly, we’d be better off if the country was being run by the Sopranos. At least they’d be competent.
Friday Blogrollin'
Newshog, the best kept secret in the liberal blogosphere, and authored by a lovely Scotsman and friend.
No Blood for Hubris, the name of which alone warrants space on the old blogroll, but trust me, there’s more than just an excellent name there.
Thou Shall Not Suck, for which I am a guest blogger today as part of a series of guests, while its author, Mark, who just had back surgery. (Get well soon, Mark!)
Prairie Angel, because I can’t resist a gal who will title a post Well, Fuck.
Emphasis Added, because Salkowitz has got it going on all over the place.
Days, because I dig Jed’s stuff and the “More” feature.
Dictionopolis in Digitopolis, for muppet blogging, among other things.
As always, leave me pointers to your blog in comments. And if there’s someone I’ve promised to blogroll and haven’t, just remind me again. The noggin isn’t fully functional today, I’m afraid.
The Stink of Desperation
I tell you one thing... it don't smell like victory.
Army in Worst Recruiting Slump in Decades
WASHINGTON - The Army is closing the books on one of the leanest recruiting years since it became an all-volunteer service three decades ago, missing its enlistment target by the largest margin since 1979 and raising questions about its plans for growth.
Many in Congress believe the Army needs to get bigger — perhaps by 50,000 soldiers over its current 1 million — in order to meet its many overseas commitments, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army already is on a path to add 30,000 soldiers, but even that will be hard to achieve if recruiters cannot persuade more to join the service.
Officials insist the slump is not a crisis.
Although it was hard to hear their words while they had their heads stuck in the sand.
Well boys, we're fucked. It's become increasingly obvious to even the most knuckleheaded American that the president lied us into an unwinnable war, we're closing in on 2,000 U.S. troops being buried, the soldiers that have managed to avoid being killed thus far have no armor on their vehicles or bodies to protect them, and support for the war has all but vanished. So how, how, how do we get kids to put their asses on the line for this Big Lie? What do we use?
Why, the rock and roll music that the kids seem to like.
Yes, now you too can sign up to be
Wow! What a deal! So come on! Fill up that new iPod Nano.... we know you've all got one... after all, you're all dripping with disposable income, right?
The factors working against the Army, Hilferty said, are a strong national economy that offers young people other choices, and "continued negative news from the Middle East." To offset that the Army has vastly increased the number of recruiters on the street, offered bigger signup bonuses and boosted advertising.
See? So come on! Be all that you can be! After all, with all the sub-par corporate-created "music" being churned out these days, we're sure you'll find something you like! And aren't three shitty songs worth dying for?
Just don't get that desert sand in your iPod. Fucks with the hard drive.
(Tip 'o the Energy Dome to Crooks & Liars. You might think I'm cross-posting, All I want is you!)
Friday Blogwhoring
Okay, back to what I like doing around this pool hall—blogging, as opposed to begging. I’ll have Friday Blogrollin’ and some new posts up soon. In the meantime…
What are you writing about today?
Attention, D.C. Shakers!
You are about to be visited by the spirit of Shakespeare's Sister!
In hamburger form.
Billy Goat Tavern to Open in D.C.
CHICAGO - The Billy Goat Tavern, a local institution made famous by the "Cheezborger, Cheezborger" sketch on "Saturday Night Live," is setting up shop in the nation's capital.
And talk about learning a lesson:
Sam Sianis said there won't be any "No Republicans Allowed" signs like the one "Billy Goat" Sianis put up in 1944 when the Republican National Convention was held in town.
"We might put a sign to allow both sides," Sam said, noting that when his uncle put up the sign, the next thing he knew the place was wall to wall with Republicans.
Gah! Horrors! I love the sign, though... have I mentioned I love my city?
And I happen to know for a fact that Billy Goat Cheeseburgers are the official cheesburgers of Fuck Mountain, as decreed by the Queen.
Go and grab one when they open, and remember:
No coke, pepsi.
No fries, chips.
Thank You
I don't even know how to properly express my gratitude to everyone who has shown such an outpouring of kindness toward me today. I really don't feel as though I can say thank you enough, or convey how deeply appreciative and genuinely moved I am.
Your support has been absolutely overwhelming, and I feel extremely humbled and very lucky, on a day when luck seemed far away.
Thank you for your help and support and encouragement and suggestions and kind words, from the bottom of my heart.
Sacked and Begging
(This post will stay at the top for awhile; new posts below.)
Well, all the joy I felt yesterday has evaporated in record time. Last night, Mr. Shakes and I got a notice that our property tax had been increased 100% on our matchbox of a house, and effectively immediately, our monthly payments would be increased by 20%. Then this morning, I got laid off. Wish we didn’t have to, feel terrible, no money and all that.
So, I’m pretty desperate at the moment, and although I hate to do this, I’m asking for donations. If you like Shakespeare’s Sister and if you can afford to, I’d appreciate it if you could help out, because now this is the only job I’ve got.
There are links to PayPal and Amazon in the lefthand sidebar.
And if you’re in Chicago and know of any openings, I’m available!
UPDATE: A couple of people have asked to see my résumé to get a feel for what I do, so I've put it online, with contact information and company names blacked out.
Word
Those who have asked me to email it, I'll email the unedited version. Thank you all so much for your support. It really means more than I can say.
'DeLay Court Appearance Scheduled for Late October' Caption-this-Photo
Okay, me and Bill are goin as the guys from Clockwork Orange, so none a you fuckers better show up in the same costume as us. Got it?
Fuck Bush!
Well, since my canned ass isn't doing any writing except my résumé this afternoon, here's an open thread for discussion about how the idiot Bush administration has totally fucked you or someone you know. As for me, I guess I'd have to say aside from trying to criminalize the relationships of GLBTs I love (and all those I don't know personally, come to that), taking the country to war resulting in the deaths of thousands of soldiers and countless Iraqi civilians, letting perhaps thousands of people die in hurricanes, encroaching on our civil rights, and all that other shit, having the starving beast come to my door for his next two meals is ranking right up at the top of my list.
It hits the fan again
We can't have nice things.
Judge orders release of Abu Ghraib photos
NEW YORK - Pictures of detainee abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison must be released despite government claims that they could damage America's image, a judge ruled Thursday.
Well, gee, "government." Maybe you shouldn't have sanctioned the torture in the first place.
The American Civil Liberties Union sought the release of 87 photographs and four videotapes as part of an October 2003 lawsuit demanding information on the treatment of detainees in U.S. custody and the transfer of prisoners to countries known to use torture. The ACLU contends that prisoner abuse is systemic.
"Our nation does not surrender to blackmail, and fear of blackmail is not a legally sufficient argument to prevent us from performing a statutory command," the judge wrote in his 50-page decision. "Indeed, the freedoms that we champion are as important to our success in Iraq and Afghanistan as the guns and missiles with which our troops are armed."
It's about to get really ugly.
(A picture is worth a thousand cross-posts.)
Read-Ems
Margaret Cho on Barbara Bush (just read the truly awesome last paragraph, if nothing else). (Via The One True Tami blogging at Brilliant at Breakfast.)
The Heretik on Outrage Fatigue. (Oh, Mr. Earle—you’ve cured a lot of ills!)
Jeff at Bearcastle Blog makes a great point “to some extent.”
Kathy at Birmingham Blues suggests that perhaps Brownie can get a job with Carnival Cruise Lines.
Blue Meme starts a list.
The amazing Diane at DED Space reports that FEMA arrived in St. John the Baptist Parish Tuesday for the first time.
Brad Plumer enters the unchartered territory of single-sex bathrooms. (I fully support the notion—and always have, heh; I’ve ducked into a men’s room on more than one occasion when the line for the women’s was, as usual, too long.)
Brother Kenya thinks about porn.
SF Mike at Civic Center attends the LoveParade.
Blue Girl in a Red State (with help from her hubby) on the Republican Congress.
Gordon at Alternate Brain takes a look at Waxman and Pelosi’s Anti-Cronyism and Public Safety Act.
Retardo at Elementropy critiques the Galloway-Hitchens debate (and, more interestingly, Hitchens himself, who’s so seriously overdue for a takedown) in rather amusing style. (Via Are You Effin’ Kidding Me?)
Mustang Bobby at Bark Bark Woof Woof asks Why Not Dreier?
CN Todd at Freiheit und Wissen on Truths That Transform.
Norbizness goes random.
Res at Republic of Dogs takes on P.B. Slices. (It needed to be done.)
And finally, speaking of reading good stuff, Lindsay wants to know “How many of the American Library Association's top 100 most frequently challenged books have you read?” I’ve read 41 of them, which I won’t bother listing, because who cares?
Blogwhore away, my friends.
Here We Go Again
Second Verse, same as the First! (Bolds mine)
Gen: Al-Qaida Seeks to use WMD in the Mideast
WASHINGTON - Al-Qaida is the main enemy to peace and stability in the Middle East and the terrorist group is seeking to acquire — and use — weapons of mass destruction there, a top U.S. commander in Iraq told Congress.
"The enemy that brought us 9/11 continues to represent one of the greatest dangers to this nation," warned Gen. John Abizaid, the commander of U.S. Central Command.
Oh, so now that it's convenient, you can admit that it it's Al-Qaida, not Iraq, that is responsible for attacking us on 9/11. Nice.
President Bush sent the group to Capitol Hill to try to convince lawmakers — and their skeptical constituents — that the United States is making progress in the war. The back-to-back hearings in the House and Senate are part of a White House effort to bolster slipping public support for the war.
After weeks of being criticized for his hurricane response, Bush also is trying to put the focus back on issues considered his strengths — the fight against terrorism and Iraq.
Funny, that. The Bush Presidency was finally pushed, stumbling and blinking, into the light of day so that every American saw it as it really is- a sham and a failure. Bush's popularity is at an all-time low, and there appears to be no way to repair the damage done.
Time to pull out the WMD Boogeyman!
The president plans to address the nation Oct. 6, following speeches on Iraq by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Vice President Dick Cheney over the next few days.
Be on the lookout for a new "mushroom cloud" metaphor. I'm sure little Karl has been up all night thinking up a new one.
Before the Senate panel, Abizaid stressed the difficulty the U.S. and coalition forces face in the region against an enemy driven by their religious beliefs, and said the Al-Qaida threat "should not be underestimated."
He said Americans should be assured that people in the Middle East "don't buy this perverted view of Islam."
"They do not want the extremists to win," Abizaid said.
Uh, okay... need I mention that if we had gone after Al-Qaida in the first place... oh, fuck it... it's been said a thousand times already and I'm sick of it. But what about these supposed WMDs? Do you have statements? Photos? Proof of any kind?
*crickets chirping*
There is nothing else in the article, other than the title and first paragraph, that would give me any reason to believe this statement. If you're going to sell America on the WMD bugaboo again, you'd better have some pretty rock-solid proof that Al-Qaida is actually trying to obtain WMDs, other than boo-scary statements, especially when the whole reason you are testifying is to lie once again that progress is being made in Iraq.
This is so pathetic. I'm sick and tired of Bush's 9/11-WMD security blanket that he begins clutching every time he fails. And I'm sick of a government that would rather use scare tactics to keep Americans cowed than work to actually protect Americans.
(Great Green Gobs of Greasy Grimy cross-posts...)
Good Read
David Michael Green at Common Dreams:
That scraping noise you hear? It's the sound of sheepish voters creeping out to the garage late at night, furtively removing "Bush-Cheney 2004" bumperstickers from the back of their SUVs when no one is looking…Via The Green Knight.
Just How Incompetent Was Brownie?
Uh, very. And well before Katrina hit our shores.
Former FEMA director Michael Brown was warned weeks before Hurricane Katrina hit that his agency's backlogged computer systems could delay supplies and put personnel at risk during an emergency, according to an audit released Wednesday.You’ve got to love that reasoning. The report is misleading because FEMA’s system was never designed to track supplies, even though FEMA’s mission during disasters is rapid response and coordinating efforts among federal, state, and local authorities. How do you coordinate efforts—efforts which by any stretch of the imagination would include getting much-needed supplies to the people who needed them—if you have no supply-tracking mechanism in place? The report isn’t misleading; not having such a mechanism is exactly what a phrase like “operational inefficiencies” means.
An internal review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency's information-sharing system shows it was overwhelmed during the 2004 hurricane season. The audit was released a day after Brown vehemently defended FEMA for the government's dismal response to Katrina, instead blaming state and local officials for poor planning and chaos during the Aug. 29 storm and subsequent flooding.
The review by Homeland Security Department acting Inspector General Richard L. Skinner examined FEMA's response to four major hurricanes and a tropical storm that hit Florida and the Gulf Coast in August and September 2004. It noted FEMA's mission during disasters as rapid response and coordinating efforts among federal, state and local authorities.
"However, FEMA's systems do not support effective or efficient coordination of deployment operations because there is no sharing of information," the audit found. "Consequently, this created operational inefficiencies and hindered the delivery of essential disaster response and recovery services," it said.
Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said parts of the report were misleading because FEMA's system was never designed to track supplies — although it is now testing a Global Positioning System program, used during Katrina, to do just that.
In an Aug. 3 response, Brown and one of his deputies rejected the audit, calling it unacceptable, erroneous and negative.Re: ice, a report on NPR this morning included a statement from Brownie, in which he said he didn’t believe providing ice so that people’s “hamburger” wouldn’t spoil was the responsibility of the federal government. Whether he was being deliberately flippant or simply doesn’t know why ice is important, I don’t know—but providing (or coordinating provisions of) lots of ice very quickly has historically been a primary FEMA objective, because in any disaster it has been needed to keep medicines (like insulin) cool and to prevent dead bodies from rotting. It’s not generally regarded as an item offered to average civilians to keep their milk from going off.
"The overall tone of the report is negative," wrote FEMA chief information officer Barry C. West in an Aug. 3 letter that Brown initialed.
"We believe this characterization is inaccurate and does not acknowledge the highly performing, well managed and staffed (informational technology) systems supporting FEMA incident response and recovery."
Among the problems the audit identified:
_FEMA's system could not track and coordinate delivery of ice and water to Florida, resulting in millions of dollars worth of ice left unused at response centers, and $1.6 million in leftover water returned to storage.
_An estimated 200,000 victims had to wait for temporary housing aid from disaster assistance employees because of backlogged computers.
_Emergency personnel were potentially put at risk because the system did not provide real-time disaster warnings and other information.
Another tidbit about the disarray FEMA was in even before the disaster hit is that FEMA procurement was understaffed and many of people doing procurement hadn’t met the requirements for doing the job. Additionally, contracts that should have been in place for some things were simply nonexistent, causing FEMA employees to scramble to buy things like bodybags at full price in the aftermath of the disaster, because there wasn’t time to negotiate. From Brownie’s congressional testimony:
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE STEPHEN BUYER (R-IN): Because my next question is, if you had open staffs with regard to procurement, my next question is then: Did FEMA have in place contracts for disaster-related supplies such as tarps, ice, generators, temporary shelters, so that these items would be available without having to scramble for them and award them on contracts on the fly based on who you have on the ground at that moment?Now, mind you, “yes” means they had contracts in place for some of the things that were needed, but not all, and “no” means that even the contracts they had in place were insufficient. If the same thing had already happened in Florida, the lesson should have been learned at that point to have secondary procurement contracts in place and ready to be activated in case of shortages. It’s called having a back-up plan, and I need to have that kind of forethought at my job to be considered competent, and people’s lives don’t even depend on it.
BROWN: Yes and no. We have some of those contracts in place for provision of the meals ready to eat, of the water, of the ice. We do for some of the temporary housing, some of the trailers. But because of the scope of this disaster, we had to go out and start -- kind of like we did in Florida, too. We had to go out and literally start buying off the street to meet the demand.
(Additional reading: Think Progress corrects the record on Brownie’s claim that Louisiana Gov. Blanco’s August 27th request to the President for a federal emergency declaration excluded Orleans, Jefferson, and Plaquerines parishes.)
Blunted!
Skeevy McShiteatinggrin Roy Blunt of Missouri has been chosen to replace Dickhead DeLay as “temporary” House Majority Leader. Today, Blunt, who has participated in past golf tournaments with DeLay to raise money for the DeLay Foundation for Kids, was quoted as saying, "It's not easy to fill the gap left by our leader, Tom DeLay, who's done a tremendous job, but all of our team is going to come together like we haven't ever come together before.” CREW recently named good ol’ boy Roy as one of the thirteen most corrupt members of Congress. Way to go, GOP. Stellar choice, as always.
[UPDATE: Waveflux has more on the fast friendship between Blunt and DeLay. Btw, am I the only one who's noticed the coincidence that "blunt and delay" also seems to be the Bush administration's primary political strategy? Blunt us with a constant barrage of insanity and incompetence and then delay any investigations or accountability. Odd that.]
Sleep In Anderson Cooper’s Bedroom
Ok, now that I’ve got your attention, back off, ya perverts! I’ve already claimed him and I’m not into sharing, if you know what I mean. You can, however, if you have some spare pocket change, put in a bid to buy his swanky midtown New York loft apartment, including his bedroom, for the right nice price of only $1,795,000. Gabriel over at Modern Fabulousity says, however, that so far there have been no takers, and notes — quite correctly — that the realtors would have better luck unloading the dump if the list of featured amenities included Mr. Cooper as well. Alas, it does not.
(Completely pointless, punch-drunk post inspired by the glee of seeing the odious Tom DeLay actually indicted.)
How Sweet It Is
Great post from Patrick at Yelladog:
I think I am going to go buy a lottery ticket tonightIt’s not over yet, of course, and I never let my guard down with these lunatics, but I have high hopes for the remainder of the day, too. Tomorrow we can go back to dealing with the usual nonsense.
Let's review this remarkable day, shall we?
1. Tom Delay indicted. (Follow that link to the best caption ever.)
2. Frist is facing a serious SEC audit of his personal finances.
3. Bill Bennett: "[Y]ou could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down" Hello, new face of republicanism!
4. Rumors are flying about an October Rove indictment.
5. Someone finally snapped a picture of a giant squid. (sweet.)
And none of my homies died today. Today was a good day.
And So It Begins...
Right on cue:
"I have done nothing wrong," Mr. DeLay said, adding that he had violated "no law, no regulation, no rule of the House."Takes one to know one, eh Tom? Keep right on squirming you miserable bastard.
Mr. DeLay, speaking on Capitol Hill, described Mr. Earle, a longtime antagonist, as "a partisan fanatic" and a "rogue district attorney" and said the prosecutor had shamelessly courted journalists on "the only days he actually comes to the office."
Mr. DeLay said the charge lodged against him today was "one of the weakest, most baseless indictments in American history," one that is "a sham, and Mr. Earle knows it."
Fun with Photoshop
In case you hadn’t heard, Jeff “Mouthpiece of the Administration” Gannon was spotted at the 400-strong pro-war rally. He seems to pop up in the oddest places, eh?
Anyway, Pam’s having a Make Your Own Jeffy Lube Pro-War Rally Poster party, so hop on over and see what the Blenders have already submitted—and submit your own, if you get the creative urge. Here’s my contribution:
A Stroll Down Memory Lane…
…back to April:
White House aides underscored Bush's backing for DeLay -- who has denied wrongdoing -- as he joined the president at a Social Security event in their home state of Texas. Bush and DeLay flew back to Washington together aboard Air Force One.Memmm-orieeeees…of the times we left behiiiiiiiiiiind. Misty, watercolor memmm-orieeeees…of the way we were….
Bush made no mention of the ethics controversy but he praised DeLay's efforts on important legislation. "I appreciate the leadership of Congressman Tom DeLay in working on important issues that matter to the country," he said. White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters Bush supports DeLay "as strongly as he ever has, which is strongly."
Texas Takedown
DeLay indicted!
Come on, Shakers—you know the words! I’ve been singing it since last year…
Oh, how I look forward to the beautiful day,
That marks the end of his powerful sway,
When he’s found guilty as charged and taken away,
And the House can commence without further DeLay…
Second verse, same as the first!!!
Oh, how I look forward to the beautiful day,
That marks the end of his powerful sway,
When he’s found guilty as charged and taken away,
And the House can commence without further DeLay…
One more time!!!
Oh, how I look forward to the beautiful day,
That marks the end of his powerful sway,
When he’s found guilty as charged and taken away,
And the House can commence without further DeLay…
Mwah ha ha ha! You crooked asshole! You’re going down!
Wow, Our Money Sure is Gay
Coming soon to a bank near you:
$10 Bill Gets a Colorful Makevoer
WASHINGTON - The color of money is getting more varied. A newly designed $10 bill was unveiled Wednesday featuring splashes of orange, yellow and red to go with the traditional green.
The $10 bill note became the third bill denomination to be jazzed up with colors as part of the government's effort to thwart counterfeiters and the ever-more sophisticated devices at their disposal.
"Thanks to the changes we've made in currency design, thanks to aggressive law enforcement led by the U.S. Secret Service and thanks to an informed public, we've been able to stay ahead of the counterfeiters," Treasury Secretary John Snow said during the unveiling ceremony on Ellis Island in New York harbor.
Coming sometime next week everywhere: The new counterfit $10 bill.
(Come on, what did it take after the new twenty? A month?)
(The best cross-posts in life are free...)
Sea Monster!
Okay, so I'm a massive nerd. I don't care. This is really exciting:
Giant Squid Photographed for First Time
TOKYO - The giant squid can be found in books and in myths, but for the first time, a team of Japanese scientists has captured on film one of the most mysterious creatures of the deep sea in its natural habitat.
The team led by Tsunemi Kubodera, from the National Science Museum in Tokyo, tracked the 26-foot long Architeuthis as it attacked prey nearly 3,000 feet deep off the coast of Japan's Bonin islands.
"We believe this is the first time a grown giant squid has been captured on camera in its natural habitat," said Kyoichi Mori, a marine researcher who co-authored a piece in Wednesday's issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.
Twenty-six feet long. Mama mia. And it's probably not even full grown. And if that's not enough to give you the creeping horrors:
Mori said the giant squid, purplish red like its smaller brethren, attacked its quarry aggressively, calling into question the image of the animal as lethargic and slow moving.
"Contrary to belief that the giant squid is relatively inactive, the squid we captured on film actively used its enormous tentacles to go after prey," Mori said.
Gotta love the hyperbole. But this is really interesting. Scientists have thought for a long time that giant squid just kind of hang there in the ocean, waiting for prey to get too close, then grab. Now we know that they're active hunters.
Who's up for scuba diving?
"It's the holy grail of deep sea animals," he said. "It's one that we have never seen alive, and now someone has video of one."
While part of me wistfully realizes that some of the mystery of the giant squid is now gone, I'm still really excited by this news. I'm eagerly awaiting the first Discovery channel documentary on the giant squid. In Imax! I'm just not holding my breath.
"Our reaction is one of tremendous relief that the so-called ... race (to film the giant squid) is over ... because the animal has consumed the last eight or nine years of my life," O'Shea said of the film.
Nine years for a little scrap of video. Wow. I guess that hour long special is a while away!
Update: Someone had better call Falwell; he's something new to condemn. "God created Squid Adam and Squid Eve, not Squid Adam and Squid Steve!"
(I'd like to be under the sea, in an octopus' cross-post in the shade...)
Say, knave: darest thou to speak of cultural relativism? A plague upon thee!
For just one sweet moment in time, Karen Hughes actually looked like the animatronic propaganda-catapult she is, and I'm pleased to say that her desperate attempts to cover up her lack of originality with extra blush and mascara were, in the end, futile. *Rimshot!* During a speech to Saudi university students about the admin's plans for further US cultural influence in the region, Hughes was challenged by students who reminded her that she would be wise to consider the opinions of the Saudi people, taking into consideration the fact that the American ice-cream-dream of worldwide jukeboxes and roller-skating waitresses may in fact be pompous and narcissistic, not to mention unfounded in reality.
"There is more male chauvinism in my profession in Europe and America than in my country," said Dr. Siddiqa Kamal, an obstetrician and gynecologist who runs her own hospital.
"I don't want to drive a car," she said. "I worked hard for my medical degree. Why do I need a driver's license?"
Like some of her friends, Ms. Sabbagh said Westerners failed to appreciate the advantages of wearing the traditional black head-to-foot covering known as an abaya.
"I love my abaya," she explained. "It's convenient and it can be very fashionable."
A woman in the audience then charged that under President Bush the United States had become "a right-wing country" and that criticism by the press was "not allowed."
"I have to say I sometimes wish that were the case, but it's not," Ms. Hughes said with a laugh.
Oh, tee-hee!
Poor, misguided Karen. Come here, Karen. Listen to me: changing the driver's license laws in Saudi Arabia is not an act of benevolence on our part, just as ignoring the 1-in-18 death rate of Nigerian women in childbirth is not an act of malevolence. It all has roots in the same sludge pit of jingoism and ignorance. At the heart of it all is this truth: we really just wonder why they won't stop praying so much and go have some fun. I mean, that has to hurt their backs, all the hunching over.
Give ’Em Hell, Harry!
Okay, this is hilarious, but actually quite cool. Harry Reid has “unveiled a new online campaign headquarters – GiveEmHellHarry.com – to provide Americans with the tools to make an impact on the fight for control of the U.S. Senate.” From the press release:
GiveEmHellHarry.com’s formal launch will be supported by paid advertising including billboards in three key western states – Albuquerque, New Mexico; Phoenix, Arizona; and Helena, Montana – reaffirming his commitment to winning in the American west.Check it out.
The name of the site was inspired by an event that occurred during Harry Truman’s successful 1948 presidential campaign. While delivering a speech on a whistle stop tour in Seattle, a supporter yelled to Truman, “Give ‘em hell, Harry!” Truman responded, “I don’t give them hell, I just tell the truth and they think it’s hell.”
I think the Agenda bit is pretty darn dull (I know; I’m a broken record), but it’s got a few pretty nifty features, too. Have a poke around the site and let me know what you think. I’m interested to hear other reactions.
Mulch Me When I Die
I’ve been following this story for awhile, to see if the proposal actually came to fruition, and so it has. Next year, Jonkoping, Sweden will turn its crematorium into what’s known as a promatorium—in which bodies will be freeze-dried, treated with liquid nitrogen, and gently vibrated for about a minute until they shatter into a powder. A vacuum removes the water, a metal separator picks out metals such as artificial hips and dental fillings, and the remaining powder is then put into a biodegradable box and placed in a shallow grave where it disintegrates in a year or less. I want to be promated!
People are to be encouraged to plant a tree on the grave. It would feed off the compost formed from the body, to emphasise the organic cycle of life.Come on—how cool is that?! It’s like the ultimate recycling project; give all my usable bits to people who need them (eyes, kidneys, liver, whatever) and then bury me in a potato box and plant a tree. Make it an apple tree, so you can have a glass of delicious cider and toast my tasty death every autumn.
The national burial law is currently being updated to accommodate a practice that is expected to spread across the country over the next few years.
The technique was conceived by a Swedish biologist, Susanne Wiigh-Masak, 49, who said: "Mulching was nature's original plan for us, and that's what used to happen to us at the start of humanity - we went back into the soil.
"But we need to tell people in this day and age that this can once again be a dignified and comfortable option." …
Jonkoping's motivation for converting its crematorium into a promatorium is mainly practical. According to European environmental laws, it faced a multi-million pound bill for the installation at its 50-year-old crematorium of a new gas-cleaning system and furnace.
The alternative was the much cheaper conversion and a more environmentally friendly procedure.
Spin Debunkin’
First, head over to Blogenlust, where John takes a look at how many “top aides” of Zarqawi’s we’ve captured or killed in the last two and a half years.
Then, check out this article in The Independent, which examines the exaggerated tales of Katrina chaos. (Thanks to Grumpy Old Man for the pointer.)
A Tale of Two Headlines
One: Grand Jury to Wrap Up DeLay Investigation
The Texas grand jury investigating House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's state political organization was completing its term Wednesday after demonstrating a recent interest in conspiracy charges that could bring more indictments.Two: Bush close to second Supreme Court pick
McClellan did not say whom Bush was considering or when he would formally announce his choice, but political observers predict it will happen hot on the heels of what is expected to be Roberts' easy confirmation.I’m going to go out on a wacky limb and predict that if there are newsworthy indictments in Texas today, we’ll find out pretty darn quickly who Bush’s next SCOTUS nominee is.
Two For The Price Of One
In the lively discussion thread to Shaker Rana’s provocative post below, commentator Cernig brought up a point I’ve been thinking about for a long time, namely the need for a new graphic for either a re-invigorated Democratic Party or a new, grassroots party altogether. And while the graphic Cernig linked to would most likely scare more timid Americans off, the point is still valid. It is time we on the left stopped being represented by a party whose symbol is that of an ass. (This isn’t a slam on donkeys, just that perhaps that particular animal is not quite the right image in the here and now).
So, if you could pick a new icon for either the Dems, or, if they can’t get their lousy act together, for a new, grassroots party to represent the Left, what might it be? Feel free to throw in a new name, too, if you want!
And while we’re on the subject of asses, don’t forget to toss in your nominations for this week’s IAGO Awards!
Godlessness and Goodness
Britain’s Times Online reports on a study published today that has found secularism tracks with societal functionality and refutes the contention of many advocates of religion that a belief in a higher power and/or religious practice is integral to maintaining a safe and healthy society. In fact, the opposite appears to be true:
In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy and abortion in the prosperous democracies.The study focused solely on first world nations. Abstract:
Large-scale surveys show dramatic declines in religiosity in favor of secularization in the developed democracies. Popular acceptance of evolutionary science correlates negatively with levels of religiosity, and the United States is the only prosperous nation where the majority absolutely believes in a creator and evolutionary science is unpopular. Abundant data is available on rates of societal dysfunction and health in the first world. Cross-national comparisons of highly differing rates of religiosity and societal conditions form a mass epidemiological experiment that can be used to test whether high rates of belief in and worship of a creator are necessary for high levels of social health. Data correlations show that in almost all regards the highly secular democracies consistently enjoy low rates of societal dysfunction, while pro-religious and anti-evolution America performs poorly.I’ve only had time to skim the full article (here), so I can’t vouch for it, although it appears to be confirming data from similar studies comparing US social issues with other western democracies, independent of the additional layer of religious correlations. Anyway, I pass it on for your consideration without much comment, because I thought it was interesting.
On a side note: From a philosophical perspective, I think the type and tenor of religion that tends to be favored in the US has a lot to do with both why it lingers and why it correlates with higher rates of murder, suicide, promiscuity, and abortion. And snake bites, if you get my drift.
It’s no coincidence religious liberals in America tend not to be of third-generation protestant splinter denominations.
UPDATE: Lively discussion about this going on over at Pharyngula. Thanks to Coturnix for the pointer.
Thinking Green
Hi, folks! I'm Rana, of Frogs and Ravens. Shakespeare's Sister has been kind enough to let me blogwhore here and hopefully get some useful discussion rolling. So here goes.
Last week in my post Where's the Pie? I argued that I'm tired of being given only negative arguments why I, a lefty progressive, should vote Democratic. I also noted that arguments that begin by assuming that my allegiance to the Democratic Party is an obvious given are (a) mistaken (I'm a Green) and (b) arrogant and presumptuous.
If you want to earn my vote, I said, you need to come up with a better reason than Republicans Are Evil (shades of "At least we're not as bad as Saddam Hussein") or Democrats Are Electable (remember Kerry as the "electable" candidate?).
Moreover, while tactics and short-term strategies are important -- whether we're talking the 2006 election or improving voting accuracy and oversight -- if we focus only (or even primarily) on those, we're sunk.
What we need, I argued, is a vision of the world we want to live in, a vision to inspire us to do the right thing, a vision that will guide our representatives and encourage them to keep fighting the good fight, even when the polls slide and the corporations mutter.
I, and others on the left, were making this complaint in 2004, and in 2000. What do the Democrats stand for, we asked? What is the vision that keeps them going, that nurtures them in times of crises, that is worth sacrificing for?
It is telling that we as yet have no answer to this. And this despite this lack of vision being cited again and again as a cause of voter disaffection from the Democratic Party.
Perhaps this is because the Democratic Party does not have a vision. Perhaps it is because they are merely opportunists who drift in the winds seeking popular and comfortable positions. Or perhaps it is because the party leadership does have a vision, but it is a selfish one of defending the status quo and access to the corporate trough, a vision supported by a passive and apathetic citizenry who has been encouraged to think of politics as a periodic event like the Olympics rather than a way of life.
We need a new vision. I found mine in the Green Party. I'd like to hear yours.
(To be continued.)
Cross-posted at Frogs and Ravens.
The Edge
Mannion has written an excellent post about Lincoln’s Melancholy, which is a well-known attribute of the man in question as well as a new book. I haven’t read the book, though I intend to, so I won’t comment much on Lincoln, but instead note that I have a friend just like the friend of his that Mannion describes, a friend who carries with him his own melancholy, which is, in reality, clinical depression.
My friend knows he’s depressed, and he knows I know it, too, but we don’t talk about it. Instead, I make an absolute arse out of myself trying to make him laugh, and revealing my deepest happinesses, such a strangely difficult thing for me to do, in an effort to make him want to feel such happiness down to his bones, too, instead of experiencing things in the detached, worried way he usually does. He worries too much about his children, who are fiercely resilient as most children are, and about whether he will disappoint his friends, especially those who cannot be disappointed—because they know his secret, in spite of the happy-go-lucky guy he pretends to be. He sometimes gets into spirals, where a worry about one thing turns into a worry about the next, and it all muddles up into a ball of frustration that makes him feel he can’t solve any of it, even though most of it will solve itself, if he could ever just give it time.
The thing is, he’s a writer, and there is, of course, a rich tradition of thought (as alluded to with the reference to Styron in Mannion’s post) that depression, and indeed other afflictions and the addictions appropriated to mask them, are the very things that drive an artist’s artistry, and that seriously addressing something like depression may stifle the muse. Would I be as interesting, as thoughtful, as creative, if I weren’t afflicted? It’s a terrible thing to be scared of one’s potential cure, to worry that the cure might be worse than the disease.
I know what it feels like.
My friend’s fear of fixing his depression is recognizable to me, I once hummed the same melody in a different key, stuck as I was for a very long time at a very young age in a place of dangerous darkness. When I stumbled back into the sunlight, all I could think about was wanting to go back into the dark, which was, if nothing else, familiar, and offered circumstances that made being a basketcase acceptable. All I knew how to do was be troubled and tormented, and I wrote very well from that place. I knew myself in that place, because I became an adult there. At 19, I didn’t know if I could ever be happy and healthy and still be interesting.
As it turns out, I could still be interesting (at least to myself, if no one else). It was the happy and healthy part that was tough; there was no pill to help me.
I don’t know that my friend and I will ever talk about these things. I think he knows I’ll listen if he volunteers, and I hope he does, sometime. I would like to tell him that even when the cure has been offered and accepted, the scars of affliction linger. It is a warning, yes—be prepared—and an assurance: You will always be brilliant. The man who inspires me now, even while on the edge of tears, will inspire me still, even if he gets the help he needs, and I find him instead on the edge of a smile.
Anti-War: Where are the Dems?
The Green Knight gets it exactly right.
Just as the GOP, in its continual angry whining about victimization, refuses to admit that it is in fact the governing party, so the Democrats, with their complacent bland spinelessness, refuse to admit that they are the opposition party…Really excellent post. Go read the whole thing.
The anti-war mainstream is at a critical moment right now. It could really use the help of one of the big parties in Washington. But if the Democrats won't be a part of the anti-war mainstream, then they have no right to complain about what the anti-war mainstream becomes. Lead, follow, or get out of the way, guys.
Brownie Speaks
As has been widely reported, erstwhile FEMA chief Bad Bad Brownie Brown has been put back on the federal payroll as a consultant to (I shit you not) help evaluate how FEMA responded to the disaster. Today, he's testifying before the kangaroo congressional committee put together by the House GOP to do what will surely be a thorough and unbiased investigation of the government’s handling of the Katrina disaster. Brownie, as you'll no doubt recall, did a heckuva job according to the man whose boozing he allegedly revealed to The Enquirer in a fit of pique as payback for the scapegoating he got, but this morning has told the committee he made "specific mistakes,” such as not persuading Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin to better coordinate their efforts.
That’s a great answer, isn’t it? It’s like he’s already on a job interview, figuring out how to answer that “What’s your greatest weakness?” question with something that sounds like a covert strength, except here, it’s answering a question about his own failures by pointing to the greater failures of others. It’s total bullshit, and everyone knows it’s bullshit, but the people who have the ability to do something about it just don’t care.
In any case, he’ll no doubt hold Bush and any other higher-ups, like Skeletor Chertoff, unaccountable, which is for what that fat consultancy fee is really paying. That and keeping the president’s nightly tumbler swims out of the papers.
We Have A Scapegoat
Look! We're finally punishing that bad apple!
England to be Sentenced for Detainee Abuse
FORT HOOD, Texas - Lynndie England's case moves to the sentencing phase today. She was convicted yesterday of taking part in abusing detainees at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. She faces up to nine years in prison.
Army Pfc. England, the 22-year-old reservist who appeared in photos smirking amid naked prisoners at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison, stood at attention as she learned of her conviction.
-snip-
England became the most recognizable of the nine Abu Ghraib soldiers charged in the prison scandal after photos showing her with a naked detainee on a leash and pointing to detainees in other demeaning poses became public.
Her trial was the last in the scandal; two other soldiers were convicted in trials and six made plea deals. Several of those soldiers testified at England's trial.
Prosecutors used graphic photos of England to support their contention that she was a key figure in the abuse conspiracy, a scandal that badly damaged the United States' image in the Muslim world despite quick condemnation of the abuse by
President Bush.
So, she was the most recognizable soldier, and somehow became a "key figure." I don't deny that England deserves to be punished for what she did, but doesn't this stink of scapegoat-ism? Punish the person that most Americans will recongnize from a photo, and suddenly everything is taken care of.
Meanwhile, the most recognizable face from the whole mess is getting off scott free.
How long will it be before we start having real investigations into the activities of the very tippy-top of the Bush administration? They're obviously guilty as sin, and yet remain untouchable. No wonder blogging is starting to give me migraines.
(Cross-post, you've got the cutest little baby face...)
Interesting
Remember Paul Hackett, the Iraq Veteran who ran for and nearly won a special election for a congressional seat in Ohio earlier this year? Well…
Ohio may be in for its liveliest U.S. Senate race in a long time.Damn straight. Go get ’em, soldier.
Though many Democrats were dis appointed when established elected officials like Reps. Sherrod Brown, Ted Strickland and Tim Ryan decided to forgo a Senate run next year, an even more interesting prospect ap pears to be gearing up to challenge Republican Sen. Mike DeWine's bid for a third term.
Paul Hackett…has all but decided to take on DeWine, sources in Washington and Ohio say.
[…]
In his congressional race, Hackett's ferocious criticism of Bush made him a darling of liberal bloggers, who inspired donors nationwide to pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into his campaign. Hackett at various points called Bush a "chicken hawk" and a "son of a bitch."
It’s Not Penance Unless You’re Sorry, Though
This is just outrageous. After utterly failing to do its job in the aftermath of Katrina, necessitating private organizations and citizens to help those in crisis, FEMA has announced it will “use taxpayer money to reimburse churches and other religious organizations that have opened their doors to provide shelter, food and supplies to survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.” Notice that any nonreligious organizations who may have helped (which includes groups having provided much-needed emergency medical care) are shit outta luck, not to mention, say, a small restaurateur who fed and sheltered people on his own dime. And while I feel for small churches who took in survivors and have, as a result, experienced huge electric and water bills, the federal government ought to be negotiating with the utility companies to waive the bills, for anyone who provided refuge, sustenance, and/or medical care for survivors, rather than handing out money to churches. But I guess that wouldn’t really serve to further ingratiate President Überpatriot Christian Cowboy to his faith-based devotees.
"I believe it's appropriate for the federal government to assist the faith community because of the scale and scope of the effort and how long it's lasting," said Joe Becker, senior vice president for preparedness and response with the Red Cross.Even the plonking Salvation Army is lobbying for reimbursement.
Civil liberties groups called the decision a violation of the traditional boundary between church and state, accusing FEMA of trying to restore its battered reputation by playing to religious conservatives.
"What really frosts me about all this is, here is an administration that didn't do its job and now is trying to dig itself out by making right-wing groups happy," said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State…
For churches, synagogues and mosques that have taken in hurricane survivors, FEMA's decision presents a quandary. Some said they were eager to get the money and had begun tallying their costs, from electric bills to worn carpets. Others said they probably would not apply for the funds, fearing donations
"Volunteer labor is just that: volunteer," said the Rev. Robert E. Reccord, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's North American Mission Board. "We would never ask the government to pay for it."
[…]
Becker said he and his staff at the Red Cross also urged FEMA to allow reimbursement of religious groups. Ordinarily, Becker said, churches provide shelter for the first days after a disaster, then the Red Cross takes over. But in a storm season that has stretched every Red Cross shelter to the breaking point, church buildings must for the first time house evacuees indefinitely.
Even so, Lynn, of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said that federal reimbursement is inappropriate.
"The good news is that this work is being done now, but I don't think a lot of people realize that a lot of these organizations are actively working to obtain federal funds. That's a strange definition of charity," he said.
Lynn added that he accepts the need for the government to coordinate with religious groups in a major disaster, but not to "pay for their good works."
"We've never complained about using a religious organization as a distribution point for food or clothing or anything else," Lynn said. But "direct cash reimbursements would be unprecedented."
Even more than the annoyance that my tax dollars are going to churches, or the annoyance that solutions which would not blur the line separating church and state are ignored for the political positioning of a deservedly unpopular president, is my blind fury at the fact that this is further evidence that privatization does not work. Over and over we hear from conservatives how liberals want to turn the entire country into a nanny-state and make government responsible for things that private individuals, charities, and corporations could (and should) do. Over and over we hear the underfunding of social programs to pay for the tax breaks which favor the wealthy, the tax breaks for corporations, and the increasingly frustrating tax exemption for churches, synagogues, mosques, and religious organizations, justified by the conservative mantra that private individuals, charities, and corporations will step up, given the money to do so, and fill the role liberals would have the government play. Well it isn’t bloody happening! Conservatism doesn’t fucking work. End of story.
How I look forward to the day when I can again pay my fair share of taxes to a government that uses it to keep buying civilization, rather than trying to destroy it.
FristWatch
Or, “I am not a crook.”
See the Amazing Fristini squirm here. And another interesting little tidbit, SEC Chairman and political crony Christopher Cox has recused himself from the investigation, since his campaign committee donated to Frist’s 2000 reelection campaign. What a guy.
Strip Tease
Via Pandagon, a fun little comic strip generator. Here’s my submission:
Click here to enlarge. (If you make your own, be sure to leave a link in comments.)
Water and Wine
When oil prices rise, people react. Some blame Bush. Some shake angry fists in the general direction of Saudi Arabia. Some pat their Hondas affectionately and ride their bikes to work. I find none of this surprising. But the people who truly mystify me are the ones who attempt to justify paying sixty dollars to fill up a midsize Japanese sedan by comparing the price of gas to the price of other liquids, thereby "reasoning" that five dollars a gallon is no big deal, because really, gas is vastly cheaper than Ocean Spray Cran-Raspberry. This has to be, bar none, the stupidest thing I have ever heard. It's one of those things that's so stupid that I don't even get why it's so stupid, and I have to call up my brother and ask him to explain to me why it pisses me off.
And no, these people didn't come up with this lil' token o' convenient glibness on their own. It seems that some time ago, some doofus complied a list of products with their corresponding prices per gallon, adding astutely that "Evian spelled backwards is naive". You'll notice that every conservative talk-show host and morning radio nitwit makes this same lame joke, proving both the power of the Clear Channel chain email and my old point that most deejays should be kicked decisively in the face by me and whoever else wants to help. Here is the list:
| Product | Unit Cost | Price per Gallon |
| Lipton Ice Tea | $1.19/16 oz | $9.52 per gallon |
| Ocean Spray | $1.25/16 oz | $10.00 per gallon |
| Gatorade | $1.59 /20 oz | $10.17 per gallon |
| Diet Snapple | $1.29/16 oz | $10.32 per gallon |
| Evian water | $1.49 /9 oz | $21.19 per gallon |
| Whiteout | $1.39 /7 oz | $25.42 per gallon |
| Brake Fluid | $3.15/12 oz | $33.60 per gallon |
| Scope | $0.99/1.5 oz | $84.48 per gallon |
| Vick's Nyquil | $8.35/6 oz | $178.13 per gallon |
| Pepto Bismol | $3.85/4 oz | $123.20 per gallon |
I hate to be Captain Obvious here, but doesn't this line of reasoning work only if we can assume that Pepto-Bismol is a viable fuel alternative? And couldn't you make a similar list of cheaper products that, by comparison, make gasoline look ridiculously expensive? Just checking. I got a C in Logic. By the way, nobody has sent me this chain letter yet, but if they do, I can't be held responsible for my actions.
Pacifism is the New Black
The Dalai Lama, 
who was recently declared Cutest Guy on Earth by me, said during a speech at Rutgers Stadium in New Jersey to an audience of 36,000 that the concept of war could be on its way out if we will it so. He described the mindset of the average United Statesian as "America, America, America" and advised his audience to strive toward a more holistic attitude, which means acknowledging the existence of countries that don't contain nukes or liquids that make our cars move, and possibly even learning the names of those countries. And certainly, we can assume, that would mean ix-nay on the lowingthingsup-bay. This, he said, could be the beginning of global peace.
But what are we gonna do with all these weapons, you ask. These tanks were expensive, and don't these uniforms make our butts look perky? This reporter agrees, but advises that we should consider the possibility of exo-exospheric enemies. This reporter believes that global peace could result in the development of a Global Army, with all nations pooling resources in preparation for the Intergalactic War on Terror. This reporter thinks Mars has been looking at us funny. Did you see that? It just winked at us. Oh, it's on, bitches.
Cringe-Inducing
This sounds just so, so, so horrible; I can’t even imagine how painful it would be to watch. Something tells me that twenty minutes in, I’d be begging for a sharp object I could use to gouge out my eyes. (Emphasis mine.)
Lloyd Grove says Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) loyalists "are kicking themselves for cooperating last year with filmmaker Steve Rosenbaum on Inside the Bubble, a potentially devastating behind-the-scenes look at the Massachusetts senator's failed presidential campaign."Reason #1,336,892 why Bob Shrum needs to be exiled to Loserville, Nerdovia, pronto, never to have his name even distantly associated with another Democratic presidential contender for the remainder of his useless days.
"I'm also told that Hillary Clinton partisans are licking their chops to see the film, which 'could end up being the silver bullet that kills Kerry's presidential chances for 2008."
The film won't be seen publicly until Thursday, but a press release claims the movie "turns a harsh but deeply revealing mirror on the campaign ... a disorganized, contentious, self-absorbed team that thought they could win by 'not making mistakes,' and keeping their candidate in the public eye without clarifying a position on anything."
Key highlights from those who've seen it privately: "Clinton scowling and rolling her eyes over an apparent Kerry gaffe during a presidential debate; Kerry pretending to interview himself and babbling in Italian while waiting for a real interview to begin; Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) cursing at reporters during a campaign stop, and Kerry message guru Robert Shrum confidently declaring a few days before the 2004 election: 'Zogby just announced who's gonna win. Us!'"
And while I admit that “babbling in Italian” is probably not as empirically idiotic as flipping off the camera while one waits to go live, as our current president is wont to do, or giving one’s do a saliva slickdown, a habit of Wolfie’s made famous by Michael Moore, it still sounds pretty damn dopey. Nothing I’d personally hold against a fella running for president, but, then again, I’m pretty damn dopey myself.
Cindy Sheehan Arrested
Cindy Sheehan and perhaps as many as several dozen other anti-war protesters have been arrested while protesting outside the White House. After marching along the pedestrian walkway on Pennsylvania Avenue, they sat down on the sidewalk, at which point they were warned by police several times that they were in violation of the law and would be arrested if they did not move. When they refused, police began making arrests, taking Sheehan into custody first as protesters chanted, “The whole world is watching.”
This follows on the heels of the march and rally which took place this weekend in DC, more information about which can be found here and here.
Keep Arguing Choice
LeMew has written a great post on the inescapable logical conclusion of the conservative argument against abortion rights: fetuses are rights-bearing subjects; adult women are not. Superb bit of arguing there; check it out.
One of his (presumably conservative) commenters attacks the premise, with the protestation: “Like it or not, abortion involves a clash of rights. Right to live vs. right to control one's body. Believing that the first should trump in this particular situation does not mean believing that ‘adult women’ have no rights at all. That is just silly.”
(Bemused aside: note the phrase adult women having been put into quotes; I’m not even sure what that’s meant to convey, although there’s clearly no need for them to make his point, such as it is.)
Such a comment (disingenuous though it is, rejecting the implied premise that the rights of fetuses would trump women’s in this situation, as opposed to, say, taking away their right to vote) is indicative of why we need well-argued posts like LeMew’s countering both the inherent flaws and shocking sexism of conservative arguments against abortion rights. We must continue to produce and absorb the passionate, thoughtful posts from feminist bloggers (women and men) who explain why securing abortion rights cannot be flippantly reduced to the “right to control one’s body,” as though the only difference between aborting an unwanted pregnancy and carrying a fetus to term is who makes the decision, rather than two entirely different sets of possible consequences for the person surrounding the womb. Keep arguing choice. Pro-choice is pro-women’s rights.
Monday Blogwhoring
My kingdom for a blogwhore...
Your chance to promote your blog, other blogs, and various things of interest. What's going on?
Introducing The IAGO Awards!!
Well, Shakers, the big night is here! The red carpet’s rolled out, the statuettes are being polished, the glamourous stars are...
Oh, wait. Wrong awards show.
Without further ado, I unfurl the newest interactive feature of Shakespeare’s Sister, the decidedly less-than-glamourous—but just as fun to pick the recipients of—IAGO Awards! Named by our other resident goddess of snark, Tart, after the Bard’s villainous character in “Othello”, and inspired in no small part by Keith Olbermann’s “Worst Person in the World” feature on his show, the goal of the IAGOs is to spotlight, every week, the most despicable figures in government and the media. Eligible recipients can be Democrats or Republicans, from the President all the way down to the lowliest Congressional aide. It can be one of the major anchors, Sunday morning bobbleheads, think-tank mutants, all the way down to local reporters. Now, some of you may—rightly—be saying “How the hell could you choose; they all suck!” Which is true, but each week there’s always a few whose brazen hypocrisy, total abandonment of principles, utter lack of ethics and complete disdain for the collective good of the citizens they ostensibly represent stands out among the crowd. It is these people who deserve mention in this particular hall of shame. And the best part is: you get to help pick them!
Each week I’ll open a couple threads on the subject, and you can submit the names of nominees, and Thursday I’ll pull them together into a list of five names that will appear on Friday mornings (or, at the very least, mid-morning). You can also submit names by emailing them directly to me (click on “D.” on the “Contributors” list on the left). Be sure to include a description of the heinous act or loathsome quote they’re responsible for, and links if possible.
Since this is new, the format may eventually evolve, and the list may grow or get shorter, depending on the antics of those for whom these awards are for. So now, consider this a nominee thread, and, since he so richly deserved it, I bestowed the very first IAGO on Friday. And the winner is:
Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska)
Taking the Republican motto of “Pork Over People” to wretched new heights, Rep. Young has consistently been a reliable glutton at the federal trough, bringing home more bacon for his home state than a Jimmy Dean factory. His latest fleecing of the nation’s taxpayers, though, merits special mention. This year’s grotesque, lumbering piece of legislation laughably known as the Transportation Equity Act contained a record 6,371 “earmarks”, or pork barrel projects. Young’s cut of these amounts to $941 million, including $231 million for a bridge, to be named “Don Young’s Way” (a.k.a. the “bridge to nowhere”), that connects Anchorage with an area called Port MacKenzie, whose population is a booming megopolis of one person. But what elevates this nonsense above the usual irresponsibility at a time when the government is running record deficits is not the project itself, which has been featured in the news before. It’s Young’s petulant reaction this week when asked to give up, for now, his pet projects by fellow Republicans looking to make “tough” spending cuts to help pay for relief for the victims of Katrina. His reaction: “They can kiss my ear! That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.” Don Young. Humanitarian.
