The Italian Side of the Story

How sad, especially for me - I consider myself a real patriot - that upon hearing today that the US and Italians could not come to agreement over what happened during the rescue mission of Giuliana Sgrena I immediately sided with the Italians.

After years of being lied to about everything that goes on in Iraq, who could believe anything that BushCo says about it now?

The death of agent Nicola Calipari became a national tragedy in Italy. Sgrena became a heroine. The US won't even admit the possibility that our soldiers at that check point might have panicked. I don't buy into the conspiracy theories that say Sgrena's car was fired on because the US doesn't think that the Italians should have paid any kind of ransom for her. But it saddens me to think that I immediately discount any announcement from this administration.

How sad is that?

Friday... At Last

Is there anything better than to get to Friday knowing that you have nothing that has to be done over the weekend?

For one of the few times I can remember over the past year, there's nothing that I have to do this weekend. No where to go. Maybe we'll go out for dinner tomorrow. Perhaps we'll actually get to a movie.

Ahhh...

So what are you all doing this weekend?

Support the Goddamn Troops Already!

For all the yellow ribbons and stickers I see everywhere, it seems that Republicans - and BushCo., especially - still can't seem to grasp that "support" means more than just a bumper sticker.

Republicans seem to be more and more ignorant of history as time goes on. If they would only look to the examples set during World War II, they would find examples galore about what it really means to support our troops in combat. Far from retreating from their earlier entreaties to "keep shopping," BushCo. have continued to talk out of both sides of their mouths when it comes to getting the equipment our soldiers need to them. Despite congressional hearings and plenty of press - for as long as our press can pay attention to any one thing - about the need for more armored Humvees, soldiers are still dying in Iraq because of a lack of these sturdy vehicles.

Even the US Marine Corps has marines breaking ranks to complain about the lack of armored vehicles and what that has meant in terms of dead marines. The "brass" is not happy about this turn of events and some are paying the price - check out the details in this New York Times article. It seems that there is still only one, small, contractor up-armoring Humvees for the military. Imagine if the president were just to ask one of The Big-Three auto makers to produce armor kits for military vehicles. The press coverage alone would be worth a couple of points of market share for the winning contractor.

But like the rest of Bush's dirty little war, this is being run on the cheap - or at least being sold to the American people on the cheap. No sacrifices, no tax increases to pay for it, no pictures of the dead.

Dead that would still be alive but for a few pieces of armor.

Cornyn Bares Republicans' Fangs

John Cornyn (R - TX), perhaps intentionally, revealed the Republicans' real reason for wanting to "nuke" the nomination filibuster rule in the Senate. In an interview on NPR this afternoon, Cornyn said something to the effect that they wanted to get this "cleared up now" because there was a Supreme Court nomination "coming up."

Now, to my knowledge, there has been no definitive statement that any of the Supremes is stepping down and I'm pretty sure that Cornyn has no inside line to know which one of them might nod off permanently in the near future. But it's revealing that he would move so quickly to steer the discussion from BushCo's federal judge nominations to a seat on the Supreme Court.

Do democracy a favor. Call your Congress-critter, balance out the fundamentalist, right-wing whack-jobs that are doing the same. Tell them that then nuclear option is no option. Perhaps, just maybe, they'll do the right thing.

Mining a Previous Post

I was finally able to view the landmine video I mentioned in the last post.

Even knowing what was coming - in a general way - did not keep it from being shocking. It's not gory, but it is wrenching. And the tag line is a stroke of genius.

If there were landmines here, would you stand for them anywhere?

Visit StopLandMines.Org, watch the video and then tell someone about it.

Tell lots of people about it.

Two Minds About Mines

We all know that the mainstream media (MSM) are running scared from conservatives. They've been reduced to cowering, blithering idiots by the constant pounding of the "liberal media" meme. Hell, the media haven't been liberal since sometime in the 1980s.

Don't believe that? Go ahead, look up the real owners of your favorite network.

Their latest cowardly deed was this. Refusing to run a public service announcement about the threat of land mines. I haven't watched the video of the ad since my work computer won't let me download the latest Microsoft viewer and MSNBC doesn't support Macs. But the description in the accompanying article makes it clear that the ad was disturbing for good reason. The problem itself is disturbing and most people in the West are ignoring it.

As an ex-military officer, I have to say I'm of two minds about land mines. I know that leftover mines extract an horrible price from the civilian population after a war. But I also know the utility of mines whether placed by hand or scattered by bombs, artillery or rockets. They protect flanks and areas that are too nasty to cover with soldiers or that can't be observed directly. And if somebody has intent to do me or my soldiers harm, I want every tool in the arsenal to keep us safe.

There you have it. I'm of two minds when it comes to land mines. But I'm of one mind when it comes to wanting to do something to mitigate the effects; and cowardly network executives do nothing but piss me off.

The Power of Prayer

Considering the world's population, the portion of that population that's Catholic (estimated at around 6 billion) and the widespread knowledge of the former Pope's failing health, he must have been the most prayed-for person in all of history.

If you consider that there were probably millions, perhaps billions of non-Catholics praying for his recovery from the illness that eventually claimed his life, I would conservatively estimate that some 7 billion people prayed - at one time or another - for his health.

And yet... he's dead.

Think that changed anyone's mind?

Me neither.

The Readers' Digest Version

Before I begin, thank you to everyone who expressed their kind wishes via the comments or via e-mail. You can't begin to know how much they meant.

I have started this post many times over the past week or so. I've been trying to figure out how to tell the story of what's gone on for the past weeks and months and years that has brought me and my wife to near the point of exhaustion; physically and mentally. But rather than go through the whole story - and it would take several posts - I thought I'd give you the short version and let the details flesh themselves out in your minds.

So... how to do this...

A list:

An eating disorder. The longest-lasting problem. One that nearly killed my daughter. At least twice. She is doing wonderfully now. At times I "walk on egg-shells" fearing a relapse. But she is nearly her old, wonderful, silly, incredibly smart self.

Liver cancer. My father-in-law was diagnosed about a year and half ago. I posted about his decline and death just after Christmas.

Breast cancer. My mother was diagnosed last year. The resulting operation has left her with permanent lymph-edema. Fortunately, it seems that will be the worst of it.

Uterine Fibroid Cysts. My sister was diagnosed last year. She is currently undergoing a new procedure that seems to be working well. If only she were working as hard to take care of herself...

Breast cancer. Again. A wonderful friend at work was diagnosed last year and appears to - thankfully - be fully recovered.

Alcoholism. My mother-in-law has had a long-standing problem which her husband was lovingly and tragically enabling until the very end. This has nearly driven my wonderfully sensitive wife over the edge. Which has nearly done the same to me. This past weekend we were able to get her checked into a resident rehabilitation program. We're keeping our fingers crossed...

Work Problems. All of the above has, I think inevitably, caused me to have some problems doing my work well. Now I'm under extra scrutiny at work. I'm making my way through their archaic and somewhat punitive process pretty well. But of course, there are things in that list above that still weigh heavily on my head and my heart.

Hard to believe that's the short version, isn't it? But there you have it. The whole list of things that have occupied me over the past couple of years and in the past several months have occupied me to the point of distraction. I'm glad that there are still those of you out there that come by to read what little I can get posted. I hope, perhaps soon, that things will begin to settle down and I can get back to a more normal life.

Perhaps soon.

Thank you again for all your kind wishes. I'm still here, still interested in all the things that go on in our wonderful, horrible world. I'm just a little distracted.

Just When You Think it Can't Get Any Worse

It does.

Never, ever, ever say "it can't get any worse." Never.

The universe has a very wicked sense of humor; as soon as you say something like that the feces will impact the air motivating device in a totally unexpected way.

Take my word for it.

Tie a Green Ribbon Around...

Tie one around just about anything. If you're tired of the mindless "support the troops" yellow ribbons, maybe this campaign will be more to your liking.

The Wilderness Society, in an effort to remind people about the plight of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), have started the Green Ribbon Campaign. Tell Congress and the public that you support keeping ANWR pristine and a true Refuge by sporting a green ribbon.

Check out the campaign's web site here.

Give them a little support. Save ANWR for your children or grandchildren or somebody else's children. Help keep BushCo.'s and the oil companies' greedy mitts off of ANWR.

Peace Denied

I've not blogged about the Terri Schiavo case in the past. Others have done so much more eloquently than I ever could. But today, as she is finally allowed her wish to die with a little dignity - whatever dignity might remain after being used as a political and religious football for a decade - I thought it appropriate to weigh in. Briefly.

This case touches on two things very important to me, and I think to many people: dignity in death and the autonomy of an adult. Terri was no child when she collapsed and died in all but body. Not only was she fully an adult, but she had entered into an adult "contract" called marriage. In such a case only Terri's wishes and her husband's matter. The apron strings had been completely severed. They could offer their sympathy and their help - and surely they could make their wishes known to her husband - but that's it.

As for the dignity aspect, while it may be too late to restore the dignity she lost during the many circuses cum court battles in the interim, she and her husband, Michael surely showed more dignity and quiet strength - each in their own way - than all the politicians and so-called religious leaders who interfered. Republicans' attempts to subpoena the brain-dead woman herself this week were particularly reprehensible.

But enough of that - it's all been said before.

Rest in peace, Terri; in the peace you could not find at the end of your short life.

R.I.P. A.N.W.R.?

The optimist in me thinks it's too early to mourn the demise of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The realist in me - who knows the power Republicans hold to ramrod legislation through Congress - is starting to come to grips with the fact that the time to mourn may not be too far off.

Perhaps it's just a matter of something so simple as a definition; perhaps Republicans, who despise public education and disdain anything that smacks of intellectualism, are ignorant of the definition of "refuge." Maybe this will help:

1. An area set aside for the purpose of conserving species and their habitat.

2. A place that offers protection or shelter. (This from the Fish & Wildlife Service)

More likely, this is just another Republican sop to their sugar-daddies in the oil industry. The paltry amount of oil available in ANWR (6 billion barrels - or less than 21 months at January's consumption rate), and the amount of time it would take to get commercial quantities flowing (I've seen estimates from 2 years to 10 years) can in no way compensate for the amount of damage this pristine wilderness area will suffer.

In other words, like much else that Republicans have done or would like to do, they are doing this because they can, for spite, for plain meanness.

Farewell, Scooter...

If you've never read Scooter's Freakin' Wicked Weblog, you've missed some great writing - along with a heaping helping of wicked sharp humor. And now, it's too late. Scooter's shutting down his blog for good.

Before it disappears forever and before he stops reading his comments, go tell him goodbye.

The blogosphere is a bit poorer now.

Who's Arming Terrorists Now?

Just when you think that you expect only the worst from BushCo., they do something that makes you think that perhaps, before, they were just pikers. Even after more than four years of hypocrisy, this still amazes me. Sort of.

More than 40 terror suspects were able to buy firearms in the United States last year because background checks showed they had no felony convictions and weren't illegal immigrants, according to a government report released Tuesday.

Okay, you're thinking, just close the loophole and keep these nutjobs from buying a gun, right? If it were anyone but this administration, you'd probably be correct. But for the Bushies, who's a more powerful lobbying group than even the anti-choice folks? C'mon, I know you know the answer to that one...

FBI Director Robert Mueller told a House subcommittee Tuesday that perhaps the law could be altered.

[snip]

But the National Rifle Association says the law is protecting Americans from terrorists while allowing citizens the freedom to own guns. Wayne LaPierre, the NRA's chief executive, said under current law, if the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System gets a hit that someone applying for a gun permit is on a terror watch list, the government official who put that person on the list - along with other counterterrorism personnel - is notified.

All of you out there who guessed the NRA before reading the above, raise your hands... yeah... I thought so.

Honestly, I give up. There is no low these guys won't stoop to.

You Want the Truth?!?

Seems MSNBC thinks we "can't handle the truth..."

The last link in my post below now goes to the MSNBC "we can't find that link" page. It was a story about how the Afghans are faced with growing violence from resurgent warlords and how Afghanistan now provides something on the order of 80% of the worlds opium. Which is exactly, I'm sure, what BushCo. had in mind.

But then again... they've got religion pushing it's way more and more into the public sphere and if religion is the opiate of the masses, why not push the real thing as well?

I wasn't able to find that article anywhere on MSNBC's site.

Thanks to CmdrSue for pointing out that the link was broken. Thanks to MSNBC for pointing out that we're just not ready for the truth.

One Thousand Five Hundred

With barely a notice from the White House the continuing misadventure in Iraq has passed yet another grim milestone. The deaths of three American soldiers on Thursday, pushed the total deaths over 1,500.

With no end in sight.

Remember all of the big events that were supposed to presage a decrease in violence and deaths? Remember how they've all gone by with no decrease - in fact - remember how they've all gone by accompanied by only an increase in violence? You remember if you've kept track of it yourself; you certainly won't remember if you're depending on either the White House, Department of Defense or the mainstream media to keep you up-to-date. According to them, everything's just fine.

Oh, and if you thought the deafening silence about Afghanistan means everything is going great there, well... not so much.

Pot, Meet Kettle...

It's official - if it were ever true, it is no longer - irony is not dead.

The State Department on Monday detailed an array of human rights abuses last year by the Iraqi government, including torture, rape and illegal detentions by police officers and functionaries of the interim administration that took power in June.

In the Bush administration's bluntest description of human rights transgressions by the American-supported government, the report said the Iraqis "generally respected human rights, but serious problems remained" as the government and American-led foreign forces fought a violent insurgency. It cited "reports of arbitrary deprivation of life, torture, impunity, poor prison conditions - particularly in pretrial detention facilities - and arbitrary arrest and detention."

If this were any administration but the second coming of BushCo., nobody would have the gonads to release this report. For our friends at State, now lead by Miss Dominatrix Rice, it's just another bogus report.

Seems that the press' description of Condi's attire in Germany as "Matrix-like" were spot on. Either she's living in a computer generated world where reality is whatever they say it is or the rest of us are.

Either way, it scares the hell out of me.

They Just Look Better Than Hobnails

This week the press was all atwitter over Condi's so-called "Matrix-style" dress in Germany. Her black, cassock style long coat, over a black dress and nearly knee-high black stiletto-heeled boots gave her the look of a demure dominatrix. I can only imagine the drooling of right-wing journalists and bloggers feverishly typing with one hand...

I thought it rather ironic that Condi chose Germany to strut her sartorial stuff. To me her outfit looked more military than sexy; with the high, closed collar and the multiple buttons and loops. There is very little feminine about our new Secretary of State and her stride is not among those few traits. She marched out in her boots with a purposeful, domineering step. If you listened closely, you could almost hear the sharp crack of hobnails on cobble.

Can there be any doubt that somewhere in the right side of the blogosphere somebody put together - in the most horrible of juxtapositions - Condi and "fuck-me-shoes?" Knowing her slavish devotion to her "husband," W and his disdain for the rest of the world (and most of their own country) they should more accurately be called "fuck you" shoes.

Slick

After one of the largest fuel oil spills in recent history in Alaska, comes word that oil lobbyists and their paid-for friends in Congress just haven't learned their lesson. From the Wilderness Society comes word that the oil cabal are going to attach authorization to drill in ANWR to the federal budget bill:

Right now, the oil industry's allies in Congress are plotting a sneak attack on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In the next two weeks, oil industry allies in the House and Senate will try a backdoor trick to pass the controversial proposal to drill for oil in the Arctic Refuge by inserting it into the federal budget bill.

The Wilderness Society needs your help to stop this sneaky maneuver and save the Arctic Refuge! Click here send a free message to your members of Congress urging them to do everything they can to stop drilling in the Arctic!

The more noise we can make, the better our chances of thwarting the sneak attack and saving the Arctic Refuge from oil drilling will be.

Click through the link above to give the Wilderness Society a hand.

Bush Blows Off Northern Nukes

While to most realists the news that North Korea has nuclear weapons was no surprise, even less of a surprise was the Bush Administration reaction:

"Nukes, huh? 'Magine that... Did you see Condi in Europe?"

If imaginary nukes could trigger a real war, why can't real nukes trigger an imaginary war? Can anyone really accuse BushCo. of being consistent on any issue? Why start now?

Of course the fact that Kim's secretive country is entirely capable and sociopathic enough to actually launch a nuclear weapon just to make a point seems to have had little effect on Bush's plans. Or lack thereof.

Meanwhile, administration flunkies continue to make scary faces at Iran.

I'm glad 51% of us feel safer with this loose cannon in the White House. Me? I think I'll start digging a small shelter in my back yard...