When President Barack Obama spoke at the 2009 memorial for Fort Hood victims, he called the killing of American troops on our soil “incomprehensible”, which fairly described the thinking of most Americans toward the Texas massacre that killed 13 unarmed people and wounded 32 others.  

As information about Fort Hood began to leak out in the months that followed, however, Americans began to realize there was more to the story and that perhaps it could have been prevented.

Some Americans even began to wonder if the White House was hiding something. Senate Homeland Security Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and ranking Republican Susan Collins (R-Maine) even threatened to take the Obama Administration to court over its refusal to release information during a US Senate investigation of Fort Hood.

Today, the Senate panel led by Lieberman confirmed that the 2009 Fort Hood Massacre that killed 13 people and wounded 32 others could have been prevented. Its report blames the FBI and Department of Defense for failing to recognize or act on Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s radical Islamist views. The report faults both the DOD and the FBI for not disciplining or discharging him before the attack occurred.

From Wired.com comes this piece about one of my heroes.

Science writer Rachel Carson writes to The New Yorker editor E.B. White suggesting that he write an article about the danger of pesticides. White demurs, but suggests that Carson write the article. It’s the genesis of her pioneering book, Silent Spring .

<snip>

The New Yorker started serializing Silent Spring in June 1962, and it was published in book form later that year. It was a runaway best-seller, later serialized in newspapers across the country.

<snip>

The UK’s hate-spewing Muslim cleric Anjem Choudary has been in the news for about ten years. Choudary has no formal Islamic qualifications, but he calls himself a “Sharia judge”.

Choudary, a native-born Brit of Pakistani heritage, once lead the Islamic Fascist group Al-Muhajiroun that was banned by the UK in 2004. Al-Muhajiroun called the 9/11 bombers The Magnificent 19.

The organization was linked to Asif Hanif, the 2003 British suicide bomber who blew himself up outside a supermarket in Tel Aviv in 2003. It was also linked to what Brit authorities call the “fertilizer bomb plot.” The plotters of that terrorist scheme planned hits on a shopping center and a nightclub in the UK, but they were fortunately shutdown before that plan could be carried out.

The years haven’t softened Choudary and more than a few Brits (Muslim and non-Muslims alike) see the 42 year-old self-promoter as the “most hated man in Britain,” a description that he works to promote. He likes the attention his notoriety brings him.

Epic irony: Mideast moves forward while America moves backward - The contrast between events in the Middle East and the political reality here in America is striking: as the people of Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere rise by the millions to protest injustice, and as governments from Jordan to Syria see the writing on the wall, the United States gives power to a political movement bent on reversing generations of progress. [...] [Peter Daou]

note: I've been following Peter on Twitter for some time.  I don't always agree with him, he is a political type and purely a dem, but I consider him one of the brightest, well written people out there.  Peter was the Clinton campaign director of online media or some title like that.  Back during the primary I had a couple of phone calls with him as the slumping campaign tried to bolster ties to bloggers.

Dan Abrams of Mediaite has a new book coming out next month.  Man Down

Women Do It Better

What do they do better? A lot of things you might not expect!

Want to know more? Check out Man Down:Proof Beyond A Reasonable Doubt That Women Are Better Cops, Drivers, Gamblers, Spies, World Leaders, Beer Tasters, Hedge Fund Managers, and Just About Everything Else.

Ok, this looks to good to pass up.  I just pre-ordered my copy from Amazon.

Interesting that a respected man had to write it.

Read more about the book at it's website. http://mandownnews.com/

So sad.  In what some may view as state sanctioned discrimination, Vermont legislators are moving to deny personhood to corporations.  I do so love my neighbors to the left of New Hampshire..

http://www.alternet.org/news/149620/vermont_is_gearing_up_to_strike_a_ma...

On the anniversary of the Citizens United decision, Vermont politicians are moving to deny corporations the rights that humans enjoy.

 

A year ago today, the Supreme Court issued its bizarre Citizens United decision, allowing unlimited corporate spending in elections as a form of “free speech” for the corporate “person.” Justice John Paul Stevens, writing for the dissent, had the task of recalling the majority to planet earth and basic common sense.

 

"Corporations have no consciences, no beliefs, no feelings, no thoughts, no desires," wrote Stevens. "Corporations help structure and facilitate the activities of human beings, to be sure, and their 'personhood' often serves as a useful legal fiction. But they are not themselves members of 'We the People' by whom and for whom our Constitution was established."

 

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Tweety thinks the Panama Canal is in Egypt

This is for those who enable the gun manufacturers to keep growing.  By using their well scripted arguments you support them in their sick belief that the jobs of people in the gun business are more important than a few lives.  Please read my thoughts and assumptions.

The husband works for the military in the middle east.  I've haven't followed all the details and don't know if he is a soldier or contractor, but here are my assumptions.  UPDATE;  He is an Army Officer.

1 - This man knows and respects his guns.

2 - He most likely has a gun safe.

3 - He trained his wife on safely maintaining a weapon

4 - He gave her a gun for her safety

His two children are now dead.  Shot at point blank range by their insane mother who thought they were mouthy teens.

My single argument has nothing at all to do with criminals.  Of course we will always have crooks and they will use guns and bombs and all sorts of nasty stuff.  My argument is that without handguns tragedies like this would not happen.  Handguns enable killing.

New Rule: With the Super Bowl only a week away, Americans must realize what makes NFL football so great: socialism. That's right, for all the F-15 flyovers and flag waving, football is our most successful sport because the NFL takes money from the rich teams and gives it to the poor teams...

Bill Maher really nails it.  The sport republicans love, is so great because they share the wealth.  Any NFL team has a dang good chance of winning it all so we all love to watch right to the end.

Yep.  Socialism sucks.

It's no surprise that some 100 million Americans will watch the Super Bowl next week - that's 40 million more than go to church on Christmas - suck on that, Jesus! It's also 85 million more than watched the last game of the World Series, and in that is an economic lesson for America. Because football is built on an economic model of fairness and opportunity, and baseball is built on a model where the rich almost always win and the poor usually have no chance. The World Series is like Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. You have to be a rich bitch just to play. The Super Bowl is like Tila Tequila. Anyone can get in.

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A loaded gun. 

Now he's just a little tyke of 5 years old so I doubt he had much in the way of malicious intent.  It fell out of his pocket during his pre-school class and he told the teacher he got it out of his step dad's car.

So, do we want to bet it was legally purchased?  Actually I don't give a rats ass if it was legal or not.  Without guns, a 5 year old wouldn't be able to pick one up that some ass leaves lying around.  Thing is most gun owners seem to be stupid asses, in my opinion.

Imagine the headline if the kid had fired by mistake. 

5 year old shoots classmates, gun innocent.

http://www.wftv.com/news/26614784/detail.html

h/t to Sharyn for this one.

The women of Egypt are protesting along with the men and it appears they are all focused on keeping this focused on democracy and only on democracy.

During Friday’s mass demonstrations, women also participated, vocally and visibly, in what became a brutal standoff with authorities. (Police reportedly used tear-gas, rubber-bullets and water-cannon against the protesters.)

 

“Men and women are standing side-by-side in calling for their rights,” said Ziada in a telephone interview, before the government cut all cell phone connections.

 

Esraa Abdel Fatah, who also protested in Cairo this week, and who is known as “Facebook Girl” after organizing a nation-wide strike through her page in 2008, had a similar take: “We’re all Egyptians.”

 

This air of inclusiveness has surrounded Egypt’s upheaval from the start, with protesters highlighting the movement’s “purity” and lack of religious or political agenda beyond democratic reform. Women, who in Cairo are often groped in the streets, report that other demonstrators have been remarkably respectful.

 

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The Progressives have had their way. As we watch the fall of Egypt and perhaps Jordan, many of us are having flashbacks to the toppling of Iran and Jimmy Carter's dhimmitude when dealing with all things marked Islamic Supremacy. It isn't a good memory, and it will be joined by others we are watching this week.

If the Middle East becomes lead by hardline Islamic Supremists tied to Iran, can an Islamic Caliphate be far behind? It's an Interesting question that should be on all our minds.

Remember his speech in Cairo? Turn on the tellie and see if you can catch some film on what is happening in Egypt today. Maybe we can all watch his "historic" Cairo speech together. Here it is for your viewing enjoyment, just in case you have forgotten the scope of his hubris:

 On second thought, scratch that; once was more than enough.

Let me preface this by telling folks something my real world friends understand.

I am weird.

I'm one of those who just naturally sees and understands both sides of issues. I can pretty well argue either side of an issue, what I can't do is argue or support an opinion which is illogical.  I can't help it and I can't turn it off.  It is really frustrating for me, my family and those I work with.

This affliction is not the same as a politician who has been trained to debate both sides and step into the role required by events of the day.  Unlike politicians, I do get emotionally involved with the side I support even though I fully comprehend the other side.  We all know the Clinton staffers who as professionals, moved on to Obama or the next campaign because that is what they do.  It's their job.

So.  I thought Ronald Reagan's policies were horrible and his administration the most regressive in our history until that point.  But I was in awe of his speaking, his manipulation of all of us.  He made great speeches.  I liked the guy because if you were a little bit human you had to like him.  Get it?  I am what he would call a lefty pinko, yet I can totally appreciate his skill and worse, I could easily argue his position.

President Obama's State of The Union was brilliant!

He played a one hour game with the GOP.  He gave the Republicans many choices but gave them no choice at all.  He was brilliant.  The way he played with Speaker Boehner.  It was masterful and if he really wanted he could have gotten Boehner to cry.  And we knew it.  We were listening to Obama and watching Boehner go between sleep and cheering,  We were watching the puppet master pull the strings just close enough and we were hoping for some tears.

Of course Obama used Tucson.  He had no choice either. 

He had to use this opportunity to make it so clear to the American people what the true distinction is between the parties.  Yeah, he may be full of it, but I'm not critiquing the truth here, I'm talking about his speech and his use of the position.  He has finally got it.  He finally understands that he can use that voice to lead. 

If Obama can lead this country away from the precipice of the right wing machine state, then I may have to support him in the effort.

Ya gotta love it.  It is so American - just check out any inning in America's own sport, baseball.  Spitting has always been  right up there with chewing gum and tobacco. 

Published January 24, 2011
| Associated Press

PHOENIX -- An attorney for an Iraqi immigrant accused of killing his daughter because he believed she was tooWesternized said the death was an accident caused when he tried to spit on a woman who had helped hisdaughter.

 

But a prosecutor said during opening statements Monday in the case of Faleh Almaleki that he intentionallyslammed his Jeep into his 20-year-old daughter, Noor Almaleki, and her boyfriend's mother.

 

The mother lived, but Noor was in a coma for two weeks before she died from her injuries.

 

The prosecutor told jurors in Phoenix that Almaleki had become increasingly angry over his daughter's failure tofollow his orders, and their relationship had become more strained in the two years before her October 2009death.

 

A defense attorney says Faleh Almaleki only wanted to show his disgust with the older woman but swerved and ended up running down both women.

 

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No group has taken responsibility as yet for the suicide bombing at Domodedovo airport, but dozens of Internet surfers, writing in Russian, have praised the suicide bomber on the unofficial Islamist site called kavkazcenter.com.  

What’s wrong with this White House?  Why is it that Americans have to be embarrassed by our efforts at diplomacy?  

Today Drudge posted an article written by someone with a doctorate that discusses the impact of Obama's submissive bow to Wu, and the Progressives were over there this morning trying to whitewash the episode.  

Suffice to say, we will never get over Obama’s bowing to dictators and Communists, but that is old news. Most of us have made peace with his sycophantic head bobs. We know he knows we hate it, but he has decided to thumb his nose at us and bow anyway, any chance he gets.

We’ve learned to smile at his arrogant disregard of our feelings on the matter. We’ve mentally marked the first Tuesday of November in 2012.  She/he, who laughs last, laughs best, and payback is a gender-neutral bitch.  

Some events recently happened in Canada that should be a wakeup call to all democratic societies and their citizens. The events revolve around democratic principles like access to information and freedom of speech.  

When our enemies are able to curtail the Western way of life and force changes that suit their theocratic mindset, it doesn’t matter where it’s happening; we need to seriously consider the ramifications. If our enemies are successful in one place with a particular course of action, they will repeat their efforts elsewhere. Forewarned is forearmed.

What happened in Ottawa, Canada?

January 20, 2011 Dan Denvir:

Dr. Kermit Gosnell has been charged with murdering one woman and seven newborn babies at his rogue clinic, called the Women’s Medical Society, in West Philadelphia. Though it’s too early to predict this case’s full political impact, it’s certain that anti-abortion groups will use it to push for further restrictions on women’s reproductive rights. But the legislation pushed by these anti-abortion conservatives is what has forced women into such life-threatening situations. Poor women throughout the United States cannot afford safe abortions and in consequence sometimes make extremely dangerous choices.

Read Denvir's article at Alternet

The old open thread routine for when I'm too busy to post.  And also becasue I thought Twandx would get a kick out of this link

http://www.vermontyankee4sale.com/

The photo to the left is of Alya; she is a British Muslim girl, who has decided not to wear the hijib (head scarf). She thought about the matter long and hard for more than two years, before finally removing it. Her immediate family supported her decision.

Unfortunately, for Alya, her extended family has a different take on the matter. The photo on the right is of her cousin, Mohamad; he delivered their ultimatum, which is basically wear the hijib or die.  

Who says female corpses aren’t sexy? Kanye West’s new Monster video.

 

Two dead women in lingerie swing back and forth from the ceiling from a chain around their necks.

 

Two young women are slumped on a silk-sheeted bed, like corseted lifeless mannequins. A man advances on them. His intentions are clear.

 

Another woman in fetishized clothing lies spread-eagled on a table in front of a man eating a huge plate of raw meat.

Have I been exploring the far reaches of on-line torture pornography and snuff movies? Was I checking out necrophilia genre?

 

No. I was watching rapper Kanye West’s new video teaser for the single ‘Monster’, from his new chart-topping album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

 

[snip]

 

Also on the table, a dead woman, in underwear, her stockinged legs spread-eagled on either side of the plate. Perfect viewing for the royal Ross as he tucks into the meat and wine (her flesh and blood?).

 

In another scene, Ross reclines on a long couch, nonchalantly smoking a cigar while women hang dead and slightly swaying, from chains around their neck.

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A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others

.....

As for you, my galvanized friend, you want a heart. You don't know how lucky you are not to have one. Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable.

.....

Now I know I've got a heart, 'cause it's breaking...

That is all the heart Dick Cheney should get.

Up on a roof in Prince Edward Island, a couple of Foxes have made a nooky nook.

Two foxes have taken up residence in Charlottetown — on the roof of a home.

The house in Lewis Point Park is now one of the most photographed spots in Charlottetown, as the foxes nap on the snow-covered roof.

Tony Kelly said he snapped a series of pictures after his friend told him about the animals.

"I didn't really know what he was talking about, so I come over, and he was at the door, and he told me to look over here on the roof," Kelly said. "I looked over, and here there was a couple of foxes curled up in the snowbank in the V of the roof."

The foxes didn't seem to care about the number of people they were attracting, Kelly said. In fact, the pair was so comfortable that at one point, they decided to mate.

"Oh, it was quite the sight. Never seen anything like that in my life! I think they must have been trying to join the mile high club," Kelly said with a laugh.

The foxes are known to secure their spot here on the roof in the morning. They often leave at lunchtime for a little break, and come back midafternoon.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2011/01/17/pei-foxes...

They kill out of wedlock babies in Pakistan; for some reason when they find the little corpses, most of them are girls.

They drown some of the tiny babies in the sewers; some others are abandoned in garbage dumps, where it usually takes a couple of days for the innocents − alone and unattended with no food or water− to pass.

An Iman actually issued a fatwa against one tiny newborn recently. He said the baby had to be stoned; and of course, since Islam is basically a cult of brainwashed /persecuted followers, it was the final experience the tiny infant encountered during its short life.  

There is lots of news now about violent speech - in Congress, on the Net and in everyday human relations.  But one constant, ongoing cause appears to be overlooked.  How does this get to be a learned behavior in the first place? 

How does violent talk get perpetuated?  One way certainly is through sports, the same agent that teaches boys of all ages that girls and women are lesser beings and someTHING so hateFUL, that to be told in front of the team by the revered coach that "you throw like a little girl" is the epitome of criticism.

At the same time girls of all ages are encouraged to be cheerleaders for these "heroes" on the playing fields.  And just like the boys, they get to wear a uniform.  Of course, for girls, it is more of a tutu than anything else.  Grind it into her psyche that it makes her special, that these heroes and other males deserve the pleasure they get from looking at her body, making her just another prop in the game, like the balls and bases.