Israelis Beat and Torture Journalist

But he wasn't a member of the Zionist-controlled western media, so you probably never heard about it in an AmeriKan War Daily.

"ISRAELIS BEAT AND TORTURE RETURNING JOURNALIST, MOHAMMED OMER"

"My dear friend and brother Mohammed Omer returned to his native Gaza Strip on Thursday… literally unconscious and unable to speak after being beaten and tortured by Israeli troops. He is still unable to speak so I was not able to communicate with him, I will be posting updates on his condition in future posts.

Mohammed was in Britain, where he was the recipient of a prize for journalism. You can read about it HERE in a post I wrote earlier in the week. Mohammed’s ordeal is written about in an Action Alert issued by the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, a journal in which he appears regularly.

--MORE--"

Also see:

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ISRAELI TERROR AGAINST JOURNALISTS

THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE IF THERE IS LOVE

WHY IS ISRAEL SO AFRAID OF THE TRUTH?

The War on Pashtuns

Because, let's face it, that's an arbitrary British border that was carved out in the 19th century.

Oh, and the tone of the piece goes right with this booga-booga BS!!!!

"Success of Pakistani offensive in doubt" by Laura King, Los Angeles Times | June 30, 2008

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - When government troops pushed their way into a local warlord's stronghold just outside one of Pakistan's major cities over the weekend, what they found followed a familiar pattern.

With plenty of warning from officials that troops were coming, Islamic insurgents in the mountainous Bara district outside Peshawar, the provincial capital, melted away, disappearing into a remote valley to the north.

Pakistani authorities declared yesterday that the district had been restored to their control. But residents said they expected the militants to return whenever it suited them.

Moreover, almost no one in Bara's dusty, deprived main town had anything bad to say about the vanished warlord, Menghal Bagh, an illiterate bus driver-turned-cleric. Bagh maintained law and order, people said, and the shadow government he set up in recent months was more effective than the state-sanctioned one.

No wonder the people like him!!

The military operation to retake Bara and the rest of the Khyber tribal agency - home to the Khyber Pass, a key supply route for Western forces across the border in Afghanistan - was deemed a success by Pakistani authorities, who said yesterday that mop-up efforts might continue for some days.

That's what is behind the WHOLE THING!

NATO's SUPPLY LINES have been threatened -- although, NOT IN SO MANY WORDS in the AmeriKan MSM!!

God, are they terrible or what?

And don't you love how invaders win battles and wars so quickly, huh?

The operation involved hundreds of paramilitary Frontier Corps troops backed by tanks, artillery, and armored vehicles.

Pakistan's tribal northwest is predominantly Pashtun, the same ethnic stock as most of the local Taliban-linked groups. In this part of the country, the war against the militants, which began in 2001 when President Pervez Musharraf sided with the United States against the Taliban in Afghanistan, has never been popular.

--MORE--"

Oh, COME ON!!!!

Americans, if someone came over here and BOMBED YOUR HOUSES to the GROUND, KILLED FAMILY MEMBERS and DESTROYED your community, HOW WOULD YOU FEEL?

Would it make the invaders POPULAR with you, Americans?!?

I'm sorry, but AmeriKa's MSM SUCKS!!

And since it is ALL the SAME PLACE:

"As war intensifies, civilian deaths soar

KABUL - The number of civilians killed in fighting between insurgents and security forces in Afghanistan has soared by about 65 percent in the first half of this year, to almost 700 people, a senior UN official said yesterday. The figures reveal that civilians are bearing a heavy burden in the nearly seven-year war, particularly from increased militant attacks. John Holmes, the world body's humanitarian affairs chief, said the insecurity was making it increasingly difficult to deliver emergency aid to poor Afghans. "Most of those casualties are caused by the insurgents, who seem to have no regard for civilian life, but there are also still significant numbers caused by the international military forces," he said (AP June 30, 2008)."

Yeah, blame it on the "militants" -- meaning ANYONE who OPPOSES NATO OCCUPATION!!

Of course, Muslim deaths are a brief in the paper while I have two articles on nothing Israel!

Occupation Iraq: "Al-CIA-Duh" and Other Assorted Assassins

I don't put up "Al-CIA-Duh" crap in Iraq any more, readers, so all you get is the title.

"Iraq guards kill female suicide bomber, foiling blast; Attacks by women rise to more than 20" by Sebastian Abbot, Associated Press | June 30, 2008

BAGHDAD - A truck bomb detonated by remote control yesterday killed six policemen and an awakening council member in Duluiyah, about 45 miles north of Baghdad, said police Colonel Mohammed Khalid.

Please see Occupation Iraq: The Peace of the Surge (and links therein).

In other violence, gunmen killed the head of Basra's intelligence department Saturday in a drive-by shooting in eastern Baghdad, local police said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

Brigadier General Jabar Musaid, who played a leading role in the recent government crackdown against Shi'ite militias in Basra, was visiting relatives in a neighborhood controlled by militiamen loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.

Asked about the increased violence, US Ambassador Ryan Crocker said Iraqi militants remain "resilient and determined" despite an overall improvement in the security situation.

"They have a capacity to hit back and that's what we're seeing, both from Al Qaeda and its allies and from extremist Shia militias," Crocker told CNN yesterday.

Yup, so says CROCK of SHIT CROCKER!

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq has been stepping up pressure on extremists in recent months, launching operations against Sunni militants in Mosul and Shi'ite militiamen in Baghdad, Basra, and Amarah. Those operations are aimed at restoring government control to strategic areas of the country where armed groups have held sway for years.

And about limiting Sadr's political strength for October, as well as setting up the field for the attack on Iran.

But the ongoing crackdown backfired when a relative of the prime minister was killed early Friday in a raid on Hindiyah, about 12 miles east of Karbala, local officials said.

Ali Abdul-Hussein, reportedly a cousin of Maliki, was shot dead in a raid conducted by 60 US soldiers supported by four helicopters and a fighter jet, the provincial police chief, Raed Shakir, said.

Translation: DO WHAT WE WANT, Maliki (and sign that SOFA) -- OR ELSE!!!

Officials close to the prime minister said the killing enraged Maliki, who has been locked in negotiations in recent months over a long-term security agreement with the United States.

Maliki demanded an explanation from the Americans, who promised an investigation into the killing, the officials said, speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to talk to media.

--MORE--"

U.S. Backs African War Criminal

Wouldn't be the first time:

Memory Hole: Our Ally in Africa

Memory Hole: Our Man in Africa

Short-Term Memory Hole: Zimbabwe

Here's why we are backing the latest monster:

"[He] may play a role in a future UN mission in Somalia."

"US backs UN aide accused of war crimes" by Colum Lynch, Washington Post | June 30, 2008

UNITED NATIONS - The State Department has urged the United Nations to retain a Rwandan general as the second-highest-ranking UN peacekeeper in the Darfur region of Sudan, even though he has been indicted for allegedly committing war crimes in Rwanda during the mid-1990s, according to US and UN officials.

Rwandan Major General Emmanuel Karake Karenzi, the UN deputy force commander in Darfur, was charged by a Spanish magistrate in February with responsibility in the killings of thousands of ethnic Hutus during the mid-1990s.

Another genocide on BILL CLINTON'S WATCH!

Rwanda's insistence that Karenzi remain in the mission poses a dilemma for the United States as it seeks to ensure support for a faltering UN effort to prevent atrocities in Darfur. Rwanda contributes 3,000 troops to the mission in Darfur.

In a meeting last week, Jendayi Frazer, the US assistant secretary of state for Africa, argued that the UN cannot afford to alienate the Rwandans when they are needed in Darfur and may play a role in a future UN mission in Somalia.

But others in the administration believe Karenzi should go. "There are many in the US government who think we should dump the guy," said one American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. "But Assistant Secretary Jendayi Frazer has the final call."

Why dump him?

Is he NO LONGER USEFUL like Saddam (or Mugabe, or Charles Taylor) was?

"The message was, 'Listen to the Rwandans,' " the official said.

Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador to the United Nations, has indicated that the US position was not monolithic but that he lacked instructions from Washington on how to proceed.

The controversy surrounding Karenzi comes as the United States struggles to press countries to commit more troops to the UN force in Darfur. Fewer than 10,000 peacekeepers are serving in a mission that was originally expected to include 26,000 troops.

When the world doesn't rise to the occasion, why must I be browbeat by Hollywood actors for inaction on the crisis, hmmm?

In 1994, Rwanda's Hutu extremists killed more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus in a genocidal campaign that ended after the Tutsi rebel army, known as the Rwandan Patriotic Front, intervened and drove the Hutu-dominated government into eastern Congo. Karenzi, who played a key role in the rebel campaign, is considered a war hero in Rwanda for driving out the genocidal regime.

Then the west must have supported that crowd, no?

Strange how mass-murders become war heroes; does that happen everywhere, and not just in AmeriKa?

And the CONGO!

That is ONE HOLOCAUST you NEVER HEAR OF!!!!

A Spanish magistrate, D. Fernando Andreu Merelles, issued an indictment in February against 40 Rwandan officials, including Karenzi and Colonel Rugumya John Gacinya, Rwanda's military attache in Washington, for reprisal killings against Hutus in the years after the Patriotic Front seized power.

--MORE--"

The Travels of Robert Mugabe

Despite all the West's huffing and puffing (all a show?):

"Mugabe, Zimbabwe's leader since independence from Britain in 1980, was expected at an African Union summit that opens Monday in Egypt.

--MORE--"

Shooting Himself in the Head

I know he's well-meaning, etc, but now he is blaming America?

How about looking at YOUR OWN CRAP PAPER first, huh?

You know, the one that SOLD US all these LIES to begin with and now COVERS THEM UP!

And they STILL LIE every day!"

"A blind eye on soldiers' suicides" by James Carroll | June 30, 2008

James Carroll's column appears regulary in the Globe.

Also see: Blinded By the Hot Fart Mist

SUPPORT THE troops" is an American lie. This nation is grievously and knowingly failing the young men and women who wear the uniform of its military services, and nothing demonstrates that more powerfully than the suicides of soldiers.

As America has steadily averted its gaze from the actualities of its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, so, too, has the nation refused to look at what is happening to those it sends to fight.

Unbelievable!

SPEAK for YOURSELF, shitter!!!!

WTF do you think I'm DOING HERE, liberal stink shit?

Also see:

Occupation Iraq: Hiding a War

Surprise!: Boston Globe Discovers Anti-War Protests

Story Iraq: U.S. Lying About True American Death Toll

Yeah, THOSE of us who CARED have KNOWN FOR A LONG TIME!!

And SCREW that SHIT SHEET you work for, Carroll!!!!

The war in Iraq, in particular, is an exercise in the obliteration of meaning. The war's essence is its lack of essence. The war's catch-22 is that its stated goal is social order, while the American presence itself creates disorder. Our troops know this. They arrive in the war zone with every intention of protecting an innocent population from the enemy, only to discover that the enemy and the population are indistinguishable. "Insurgents" often turn out to be, not ideologues, much less "terrorists," but only cousins of those already killed. Victims and victimizers are alike.

And murderers and their victims, Jim?

Suspicion is ubiquitous. No one trusts Americans.

But, but, but, but... WE LIBERATED THEM!

Such contradictions make the war controversial in the United States, but in Iraq they make the soldiers' situation intolerable.

Then LET'S LEAVE NOW, huh?

Whatever ethnic fevers grip Iraqis, for example, American soldiers know, if only unconsciously, that the passion for nationhood on which 19th- and 20th-century wars depended is being undercut by the global citizenship of the 21st century.

Yeah, nothing like throwing in a little RACISM, huh?

Yup, good thing Amurkns never get ETHNIC, huh?

And look at the LEFTY toss in a GOOD WORD for GLOBALISM!

Gotcha, Jim! Nice AGENDA-PUSH, sir!!!

Not since Earth was seen whole from the moon is nationalism what it was. Even more transforming, faith in technological violence as an instrument of justice is being undercut by the catastrophic planetary outcome that can already be anticipated if technological violence is not curbed. The human naiveté that uses violence in the name of ending violence can no longer be sustained. For Americans plunged into the heart of this contradiction, the unbridled violence of their own nation points to the suicide of the very species.

So why does the paper you work for keep beating the war drums on Iran, man?!!!!!!

But for American soldiers, it is more personal even than that. For meaning's sake, their purpose has been defined around loyalty. Unit cohesion is the absolute virtue. Thus our soldiers prepare to die not for Iraq, nor even for America, but for one another. "I've got your back," they promise. In combat, such commitment is often heroically fulfilled, but, alas, once the bureaucracy replaces the buddy, loyalty, too, is found to be a lie. Harsh to say, but the American military cares nothing for the individuals who comprise it, only for the mission those individuals, in formation, can accomplish.

Well, the TRUTH is HARSH, isn't it?

Pffffftttt!

So WHERE YOU BEEN, Jim?

Hence the shameful exploitation of troops in disabling redeployments, and the resulting abuse of their families. Hence the nation's abandonment of those, who, upon discharge, find no unit, no cohesion, and their backs against the wall. Support the troops? On your bumper.

NOT on MY BUMPER!!

Because "Support the Troops" was ALWAYS JINGOISM for SUPPORT BUSH'S WARS!

Because HE and HIS GOVERNMENT DON'T Support the Troops -- not once they have come home!!!!!

--MORE--"

McCain Campaign Ignoring Voters

Makes you wonder what is coming this summer (false-flag nuclear attack), or whether McCain just wants to take an ass-whipping this November.

"In travels, McCain attempts to frame campaign issues; Itinerary at odds with his political needs, analysts say" by Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times | June 30, 2008

LOS ANGELES - Even more puzzling to observers is McCain's emphasis on national security and foreign affairs at a time when domestic matters have surged to the fore of voter concerns.

"You can't shoehorn in an issue the American people aren't focused on everyday at their kitchen table," said Matthew Dowd, who ran President Bush's 2004 reelection campaign, which centered on fighting terrorism at a time when Sept. 11, 2001, was far more resonant.

You GOT THAT, Americans?!

9/11 doesn't RESONATE with you anymore!

Like Rumsfeld said, maybe you NEED a "TERROR" attack, America!

Strategists for the Arizona senator believe a big asset is his image as a strong leader who will keep America safe. Even with a mortgage crisis, rising unemployment, and soaring gas prices, that attribute matters a good deal.

So when McCain sits down with foreign leaders to talk about terrorism, the thinking goes, it helps voters envision him as commander in chief. When he travels to Colombia and Mexico, it highlights his record as a free trader and his moderation on immigration and, perhaps, garners favorable publicity in the Hispanic community back home.

Nope!

But that strategy has drawn consternation from some fellow Republicans. There is, after all, the cautionary lesson of 1992, when President George H.W. Bush lost his reelection bid. One big reason was that voters believed Bush was less attuned to their economic pain than his more domestic-minded opponent, Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas.

Like it mattered and matters; they are ALL N.W.O candidates!

Surveys indicate that economic issues again top the political agenda, with many voters saying Obama would do a better job addressing healthcare, record gas prices, even taxes - usually a GOP strong suit - than McCain.

Part of Obama's advantage might be the image of Democrats as the more compassionate party.

Your kidding, right?

With the PRESIDENT of LIFE over here in George W. Bush?!

You know, the culture of life president who brings nothing but death and disaster with him?

The biggest part might be guilt by association. Many blame President Bush for the tough economic times and assume McCain will continue his policies, with the same results.

Won't he?

I'm so tired of the cock-suck press and its disinforming whoring!

Whatever the reason, analysts say, those underlying attitudes make it all the more important for McCain to shift the debate. "If people are voting on economics, they're going to vote Democratic," said Floyd Ciruli, a nonpartisan pollster in Colorado, a state both candidates are targeting. "To win, Republicans have to focus this election on national security."

And WHAT BETTER WAY to do that than let a little "Al-CIA-Duh" operation slip through, 'eh?

McCain's greatest political strength has always been his reputation as someone willing to go his own way when principle demands.

Look at them continue to promote the myth! Sickening!

He started running for president in 2008 as a conventional candidate and faltered. He reverted to a more freewheeling form and rallied to win the GOP nomination.

Talk about REWRITING HISTORY!

I guess the RIGGED ELECTIONS helped, too, huh?

For good or ill, McCain is clearly determined to wage a different sort of general election campaign, even if it leads him far from the well-trod path, or away from the issues voters say they care most about.

And even if it gets him BLOWN OUT in NOVEMBER!

The American people are going to look at this guy and think "He's OUT of TOUCH with ME and MINE!"

Unless....

--MORE--"

Powell is the Pick

Well, we knew it wasn't going to be Reed!

"Powell is favorite in online VP poll

Ever wonder what it would be like if the vice presidential sweepstakes was conducted like "Survivor"?

Or like, "American Idol?" Pffffftttt!

Now we know, because of Affinnova, a Massachusetts-based company that used "evolutionary optimization" to trim down a list of 100 possible vice presidents to the strongest candidate for each party.

Participants in the Internet sample, taken from June 12 to 17, were presented with three president-vice president combinations and asked to pick the one that most appealed to them. Over time, those tickets not picked dropped off, and the more commonly selected moved up the list.

There was just one winner: retired general Colin Powell. Powell, who has said countless times that he has no interest in running for office, wound up atop both the Democratic and Republican lists.

Despite LYING to the U.N. and SITTING IN on TORTURE TECHNIQUES?!

Nice going, dumbshit 'murka!!!

So where else is the war criminal going to be?

"Powell to give speech to student-athletes

Former secretary of state Colin L. Powell is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at the 2008 US Scholar-Athlete Games tomorrow. The games draw hundreds of high school students from around the world to Rhode Island. The group says Powell will speak about leadership and American patriotism in his speech at the Providence Performing Arts Center (AP)."

Here's what he could start with:

"As a loyal soldier following orders I came here today intending to deliver the Bush administration’s evidence against Saddam Hussein. Now that I am standing here before you, I find myself caught in conflict between following orders and doing the right thing. I should have resolved this conflict before I arrived. I do so now by delivering the speech to you in its written form – here it is – but I refuse to deliver it out of my mouth. I cannot participate in an act of deception against the United Nations Security Council, the international community, and the American people. I have no confidence in the evidence in the speech. Under the Nuremberg Standard established by the United States in the trials of Nazi war criminals, following orders is no excuse. I will not participate in the war crime of naked aggression against another state. I hereby resign as Secretary of State of the United States."

Oh, I'm sorry; TOO LATE for that one, 'eh?

The Growing Mental Health Screenings

As a companion piece, read Ron Paul Revolution Excerpts: Personal Freedom.

It couldn't have been more timely and relevant.

"Mind-altering drugs and the problem child" by Claudia Meininger Gold | June 30, 2008

Claudia Meininger Gold is a pediatrician in Great Barrington.

How much is big pharma funneling to you, Doc?

".... In our society, parents are often alone, without support from extended family or a spouse. However, the latest research integrating developmental psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral genetics into an approach called contemporary attachment theory is showing that if we can help this mother to join her child, to accept his low frustration tolerance as part of him, not a reflection of her own failure as a parent, she can help him regulate his frustration.

It makes you WONDER HOW HUMANS have gotten along ALL THESE YEARS, huh?

Where would the human race be without the PSYCHO-BABBLE CROWD?

Telling parents they are FAILING and making them INSECURE!

All part of the AGENDA-PUSH!!!

He will then learn to manage his feelings on his own. Most important, if she can do this, she may actually change the way his brain handles stress and strong emotions.

In my pediatric practice, I aim to support parents in just this way. My goal is to listen to this mother's experience of her child, her sense of shame and inadequacy. I have found that with this kind of support, parents are fortified in their efforts to accept their children for who they are.

Yeah, HOW ABOUT TRYING THAT instead of SHOVING DRUGS down their throats?

Once these difficult emotions have been addressed, parents are resourceful, and don't generally need me to tell them what to do.

I AGREE with that statement WHOLE-HEARTEDLY!

This simple intervention often results in significant improvement in the child's behavior.

The last decade has seen an explosion of psychiatric diagnoses in young children, and with them an exponential growth in the number of children on medications.

Yeah, and RON PAUL TELLS YOU WHY, readers!

This is due in large part to marketing by the pharmaceutical industry combined with our society's expectation of a quick fix.

Notice how this Dr. is always trying to BLAME PARENTS and US!?!?

Keep that POISON away from our kids!!!!

Prescribing psychoactive medication is a common endpoint of all of these trends. Our society is at risk of raising a significant proportion of the next generation on psychotropic medications. To change this, a paradigm shift is needed in how we think about children, behavior, and relationships. Contemporary attachment theory offers such a paradigm.

One wonders why the human species is still in existence, doesn't one, after reading this garbage!

In my pediatric practice I have many children on medication for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. These medications can be highly beneficial. I also have patients, including those who have suffered abuse and neglect, who are under the care of child psychiatrists and need several psychotropic medications. What is worrisome, however, is the increase in psychiatric diagnoses in very young children who might be only difficult, not disturbed - and the subsequent prescribing of medication.

Good luck stopping that train, doc.

It has LEFT the STATION!

Did you read the Ron Paul excerpts?

A paradigm shift allows us to see the same story in a different way. If we can listen differently to parents of young children who have "behavior problems," we can intervene early, before there is even a question of medication, and may be able to change these developing brains.

Like the drugs aren't doing that already?

Studies have shown that a parent's capacity to think about and understand a child's experience from the child's perspective is associated with a child's increased cognitive resourcefulness, greater social skills, and better capacity to regulate emotions. Healthcare policy, and the education of pediatricians and mental health professionals, must move toward giving our full support to parents of young children in this way. Only then can we hope to improve the mental health of the next generation.

--MORE--"

You know what? It is the SOCIETY that is SICK, not the kids!!!!

The SICKNESS is OUT THERE!!!

And if you think the mental health screening is going to be limited to kids, think again.

"Panel to study effects of military service

A new Massachusetts commission will study the mental health effects of military service and make recommendations about how the state can help returning veterans. The "Wounds of War" commission will look at whether the state should create a mandatory mental health treatment program for National Guard members who engage in combat.

Yeah, what is ONE MORE COST to GEORGE W. BUSH'S LIES, huh?

WHO do you think is going to PAY for this, readers?

TAXPAYERS AGAIN?

Of course, the government is TURNING AWAY and SHORTCHANGING VETS as it is, so WTF?!

The commission will also look at the potential benefits of a military family leave policy for caregivers and a statewide education training program to assist police, corrections officers, and first responders about the early warning signs of post traumatic stress disorder. The report from the 19-member commission is due Sept. 15 (AP)."

Next thing you know they will be trying to take your guns away, vets!

Soon it will be all of us that have to get an "evaluation."

First question: Whom do you believe was behind the 9/11 attacks?!

Better give them the right answer, 'murkn, or else you are crazy!!!!

No, I'll Pass on the Tomatoes, Thank You!

Anybody check the irrigation water?

"The problem is that a single box of tomatoes may contain fruit from many farms in different parts of the country or the world."

Well then, to HELL with GLOBALIZATION, 'eh?

Also see: FDA Can't Find the Bad Food

"Should I eat that tomato?

June 30, 2008

At least 17 Massachusetts residents have been sickened by salmonella from raw tomatoes - part of a nationwide outbreak that has struck more than 750 people since April. Salmonella, which comes from animal waste and causes flu-like symptoms, is particularly dangerous for people whose immune systems have already been weakened by age or illness. The Globe's Neil Munshi spoke with Ken Lee, director of the Ohio State University Food Safety Center, about the possible causes of the outbreak, and what consumers should know to eat safely.

Q: What kinds of tomatoes are safe to eat?

A: Red roma, red plum, and round red tomatoes are on the contaminated list, but cherry, grape, and vine-on tomatoes are safe.

To be extra cautious, cook all tomatoes. But most grocers have been very responsible in only selling tomatoes that aren't implicated in the outbreak, Lee said. Canned goods and salsa - which is pasteurized - are also safe. The government has narrowed its search for the source of the outbreak to farms in Mexico and Florida, so you're safe if you avoid tomatoes from those areas. The problem is that a single box of tomatoes may contain fruit from many farms in different parts of the country or the world. The US Food and Drug administration, which regulates farms, may consider more clearly marking tomatoes with point-of-origin labels in light of this outbreak, Lee said.

Q: Is washing a tomato enough to kill the bacteria?

A: Always wash all fresh produce. But because the salmonella bacteria are on the inside of the tomato, simple washing won't do the trick on contaminated produce.

Q: How did the tomatoes become tainted?

A: Tomatoes are warm when they come off the vine, having been heated by the sun, and are cooled once they are picked, causing them to contract. This contraction, Lee said, may effectively suck all the bacteria and dirt on the surface of the tomato inside, through the stem and button areas. Scarred or bruised tomatoes should be avoided, as those are extra access points for the bacteria. Lee said studies have dismissed the idea that the bacteria could have traveled up into the plant through the roots.

It's not clear why the outbreak occurred now.

I'm sorry, but I'M NOT BUYING IT!!!

Wouldn't tomatoes have been INFECTED FOREVER?

This is the FIRST I'VE HEARD of salmonella in the tomatoes!!

And it goes INTO the tomato because of CONTRACTION!

Puh-leeze!

Talk about a BULLSHIT COVER UP!

Somebody, please, CHECK that IRRIGATION WATER, will ya?

Q: What are the symptoms of salmonella and how can they be distinguished from other illnesses?

A: The symptoms are similar to the flu, and can last four to seven days, just like the flu. Abdominal cramping, fever, and diarrhea will develop between 12 and 72 hours after eating contaminated tomatoes.

Lee said the outbreak is probably underreported, because people often can't remember what they ate yesterday, let alone three days ago, and so may simply think they have the flu.

Gotta love shit-headed AmeriKans, don't you?

So damn brain dead they CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER what they ate!!!!

I'll spell it out for you, 'murkns: S-H-I-T!!!

Q: What are the best measures consumers can adopt to reduce their risk of getting sick from any tainted produce?

A: Grow produce at home. If that's impractical - and it often is - consumers should buy locally and be selective in their purchases. The final fallback, Lee said, is to cook all produce.

That's the way we ALL USED TO DO IT -- before the GREAT GLOBALISTS and THEIR PLANS came along!!!!

--MORE--"

Long Island Bridge is Falling Down, Falling Down...

Where do you think ALL the $$$ is going, readers?!

"Rusted bridge prompts concerns; Overhaul too pricey, say Boston, state officials" by Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff | June 30, 2008

The Long Island Bridge is safe, thanks to recent repairs and the weight restrictions, Boston officials say. But they have no designs - or money - to give the bridge the $60 million overhaul it needs. The state had included the bridge project in plans for a bond issue in 2002 but cut the funding the following year.

But the officials say its safe, so go right over!

Ladder trucks and other fire vehicles are banned from using the bridge and MBTA buses can only cross it at half-capacity. Though school buses are only half the weight of many MBTA buses and are permitted over the span, the campers will ride in smaller-scale buses as a precaution.

Engineering consultants hired by the city noted in a recent report that the bridge might be even worse than it looks because loose rust often conceals actual holes.

Naw, its safe; city told me so!

Last spring, chunks of concrete fell off the bridge, which was inspected by consultants for the city and found to be in serious condition. This rating typically means the bridge is structurally deficient by federal standards - indicating the bridge is in need of repairs or replacement parts and nearing the end of its useful life.

Since then, the bridge has undergone a series of repairs aimed at replacing worn components to ensure its integrity and maintain it until a full rehabilitation can be done.

Yeah, so just HALF-ASS it instead!

"Absolutely it's safe the way we have it now," said Rob Rottenbucher, a former bridge inspector who was newly hired as the city's chief structural engineer to bring some expertise in-house. "I am very confident and if I was not very confident I would not let the bridge open."

But the steep cost of a complete renovation has some politicians asking: Is this bridge worth saving? State Senator Michael Morrissey, a Quincy Democrat who has called for dismantling the bridge rather than using state funds to replace it, argues against it, saying that, even if the state had $50 million to $60 million to offer the city to renovate the bridge, he would oppose the funding.

"I just think it would be a giant mistake to prioritize a project like this over much-needed repairs in the city of Boston - and for that matter at the expense of other communities in the Commonwealth," Morrissey said. "Fifty million dollars would go a long, long way."

The island is not accessible to the public and is used mostly by the city of Boston.

Oh my God! Here is the taxpayer being RIPPED OFF AGAIN!

A gatehouse on Moon Island - which precedes the bridge to Long Island - is staffed by police.

About 1,500 people will be on the island on summer days when camp is open, and many of them - such as the campers - come and go over the bridge each day by van or small bus.

The island is also home to about 15 social service programs - including emergency healthcare for patients with AIDS, substance abuse treatment, a homeless shelter, and even an organic farm run by the homeless people for their consumption and for use by a few city restaurants.

Yeah, bit WHO CARES if they take a DROP into the HARBOR, right?

State officials, who face a backlog of billions of dollars worth of bridge repairs, say the Long Island Bridge is not on their list of priorities because it is not widely used.

Seriously, WHERE has all the $$$$ gone?!

To a DESERT FAR AWAY for WAR PROFITS?

"Because we have very limited funding opportunities for bridges throughout the Commonwealth, and because the Long Island Bridge is not widely used by the public, we have no plans to fund repairs to that bridge at this time," said Adam Hurtubise, a spokesman for the state Executive Office of Transportation.

Hope it doesn't COLLAPSE anytime soon -- especially with a GROUP of CHILDREN on it!!!!

The city's capital budget calls for spending $13.5 million in the next four years on maintenance of the bridge. "We can keep doing this for years. There is no imminent cutoff date," said Dennis Royer, the city's chief of public works and transportation.

--MORE--"

Yeah, like fixing an old car; eventually the REPAIRS cost MORE than a NEW ONE!!!

But it is all right to toss money at rich Hollywood folk or corporate and lottery favorites, as well as Wall Street, while we have SCHOOLS SHUTTING DOWN and BRIDGES COLLAPSING!

How's that butt hole feeling, taxpayer?

Also see: All For the Kids

The Gangs Are Back in Town

As a companion piece, read Ron Paul Revolution Excerpts: Personal Freedom.

It couldn't have been more timely and relevant.

And WHERE do YOU THINK all the $ went, readers?

"The shift was in many ways forced upon them... by the decline in federal funding that helped pay for the jobs and the programs that ministers offered gang members."

Somewhere far away with sand?

"Report describes missteps on gangs; Police, ministers missed signs of brewing violence" by Maria Cramer, Globe Staff | June 30, 2008

Boston police largely missed brewing gang conflicts and paid scant attention to the steady increase in gang killings between 2000 and 2006, failures that damaged law enforcement's ability to deal with the violence that erupted earlier this decade and contributed to the crumbling of the so-called Boston Miracle, according to a recent study by researchers at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Infighting in the department, police cuts, and fallout from scandals - such as the accidental killing by police of college student Victoria Snelgrove in 2004 - also hampered the ability of police officials to respond to the rising gang violence, says the 24-page report, which was finished last month and is expected to be published in the Ohio State Journal of Criminal Law.

The Police Department was not the only institution that missed the signs of rising violence. The report describes missteps and shifting priorities by the Boston TenPoint Coalition, a group of ministers whose cooperation with law enforcement in the mid-1990s was crucial to a dramatic reduction in homicides later that decade.

The study delves into the causes behind the stunning disintegration of an urban success story that was known across the country as the Boston Miracle.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Boston suffered huge spikes in the number of homicides, especially among people 24 years and younger. In 1990, 73 people in that age group were slain in the city, according to the study.

In 1996, police started Operation Ceasefire, which focused on identifying members of gangs, offering them ways out, and threatening them with federal sentences in prisons far away from their families if they continued to be violent.

BILL CLINTON'S POLICE STATE!!!!

So how come our "law enforcement" authorities not offer the same threat to BUSH, huh?

Clergy from the Boston TenPoint Coalition helped by offering services to gang members, such as job and education opportunities, to steer them from trouble.

By 1999, the number of homicides had plummeted to 31 - from a record of 152 in 1990 - and the city received national praise for the decrease. By 2000, Operation Ceasefire had begun to fade away as key police officials were transferred to other units and as the department began to focus on other problems, such as the large number of ex-convicts returning to the city, according to the report.

The Rev. Ray Hammond, cofounder of the TenPoint Coalition, said that he agrees with much of the study, but rejected the notion that his organization and the department changed their priorities because they believed the problem was solved. The shift was in many ways forced upon them, he said, by the decline in federal funding that helped pay for the jobs and the programs that ministers offered gang members. Law enforcement, meanwhile, was under pressure to dedicate more resources to homeland security, he said.

"What I don't think any of us thought a lot about was, how do we make this continue if the economy trends down?" Hammond said. "That's not something any of us really planned for or planned on."

The study praises recent changes by both organizations. It notes that the department began implementing Operation Ceasefire again in the spring of 2006 in a small number of neighborhoods and TenPoint clergy members began helping police negotiate truces between gangs.

Under Commissioner Edward F. Davis, who was sworn in during December 2006, Ceasefire has expanded citywide and once again become a crucial strategy for breaking up gangs, according to the study.

--MORE--"

New England's Only Road to Prosperity

Cough! Cough! Cough!

That give you a clue?

Of course, it is all right to toss money at rich Hollywood folk or corporate and lottery favorites, as well as Wall Street, while we have SCHOOLS SHUTTING DOWN and BRIDGES COLLAPSING!

"Lawmakers work to finalize 2009 budget

As the fiscal year winds down, Massachusetts lawmakers are scrambling to wrap up debate on a new state budget. The budget will not be in place by tomorrow, the start of the new fiscal year, but lawmakers hope to get the spending plan to Governor Deval Patrick's desk this week. House and Senate budget negotiators were working over the weekend to try to come up with final compromise version of the fiscal 2009 budget. Lawmakers are also trying to agree on a plan to raise as much as $500 million in taxes, including a dollar-per-pack increase in the state cigarette tax (AP June 30, 2008)."

And what are we going to do when the smokers quit (either willingly or...)?

And look at this; Massachusetts isn't the only one with the "great" idea:

"N.H., Vt. raising cigarette taxes; Rates are a boon to state revenues" by Associated Press | June 30, 2008

WEST LEBANON, N.H. - Cigarette taxes are on the rise in Vermont and may be in New Hampshire, too, though the Granite State will remain a relative bargain compared with states around it.

Vermont's cigarette tax rate climbs by 20 cents to $1.99 per pack effective tomorrow, a jump that follows a 60-cents-per-pack increase in 2006. Both of the increases were pegged to pay for the state's new Catamount Health insurance program.

Maybe Ron Paul is right about national health care after all.

New Hampshire's cigarette tax, now $1.08 per pack, is slated to jump to $1.33 in October if it doesn't generate at least $48 million in revenues between July and October. While both states like the revenue, both also are encouraging and welcoming the gradual decline in the numbers of people lighting up.

"Certainly, raising taxes on cigarettes is good public policy if you are trying to curb smoking," said Dennis Delay, deputy director of the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies.

But not if you are trying to find revenue, huh?

"But I think the state is stuck between wanting to discourage smoking in public places and still relying on cigarettes as a revenue source, and I think that source will become perhaps not as stable as it has been going forward," Delay added.

Jim Reardon, commissioner of Vermont's Department of Finance and Management, is more in the business of managing revenues than protecting public health, but he says he does not mind if higher taxes lead to fewer smokers.

"If there is a revenue decline in tobacco, that has a correlation with less people consuming tobacco products. That is certainly a revenue problem I'd like to have, because that's a positive outcome," Reardon said.

Even with Vermont's increase, Reardon said merchants along the state's border with New York may see an increase in cross-border traffic. That's because the Empire State recently raised its cigarette tax to $2.75 per pack, the highest in the country.

The federal government takes a tax bite, too, at 39 cents a pack.

And then turns around and SHIPS it off to Iraq into some war contractors pocket!!!!

In New Hampshire, a rate of $1.33 per pack would leave that state's tax easily the lowest in the region. Massachusetts charges a cigarette tax of $1.51 a pack and is considering raising it. Maine's tax rate is $2 per pack.

The result is a boon to New Hampshire state revenues, but any increase may be dampened a bit by the high cost of driving to save money on smoking.

"We sell a lot more cigarettes than we smoke, and the question is how far we've gone down on that curve because of the price of fuel," said Representative Susan Almy, Democrat of Lebanon and chairwoman of the House Ways and Means Committee."

Excuse me, readers, I gotta go light up!

And I DON'T EVEN SMOKE!!!!

The Boston Globe's Pink Fetish

Also see: Leading With Style

"She's seeing red" June 30, 2008

WITH ALL the problems going on in this country, it's ludicrous that such a fuss is being made about pink Red Sox hats.

It's bad enough that this region is overly obsessed with the Red Sox. So what if there are pink hats?

Get over it, and grow up.

JOANN BREAULT
Nashua

I know how you feel, lady!

But that doesn't stop the Globe from wasting more space with it:

"Sox fans' true colors take many forms"

"Stop and think what that cap may stand for"

And the SPORTS don't stop on the letters page (don't they have their own section?)!!

Oh, no, we gotta get an OP, too!

"Take us out of the old brawl game" by Padraig Shea | June 30, 2008

Padraig Shea, a student at Emerson College, was formerly an assistant in the Globe editorial department.

Oh, I see.

Work in the newsroom, get an op piece published.

Can they scream rank elitism any louder?

So what would he do to prevent future brawls? Bring interrupters into the clubhouse. Designate a veteran player or coach on each team (someone with gravitas among ballplayers) to cool off steamed centerfielders and prevent saber-rattling like Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon's "comes around goes around" threat after the Rays had left town.

--MORE--"

Ummm, how about an op on how to PREVENT MORE WARS instead?!

Pfffffttt!

Oh, that's right!

The "newspaper" is in the business of PROMOTING WARS!!!

And why would the Globe completely remove this story from its website, especially when there is a top-of-the-page photograph of them?!

Caption:

From left: Lucieene Sanchez of Weston, Alicia Winn of Chestnut Hill, Sukey Forbes Bigham of Weston, and Kristina Lyons of Brookline.

With this accompanying article:

"Kicking back at the Bigham fund-raiser.... As fund-raisers go, yesterday's benefit for the Charlotte Saltonstall Bigham Memorial Fund was a good time. Not only was there a mechanical bull set up at host Nancy Adams's Chestnut Hill home, but a troupe of self-described "yummy mummies" did a humorous dance to "Baby Got Back."

A rap video featuring big butts shaking in the screen all over the place.

Kicking it old school were Arthur Winn's wife, Alicia; nightclub king Patrick Lyon's wife, Kristina; and Sukey Forbes Brigham. (The women, all wearing pink tank tops with "Yummy Mummy" written across the front, were later joined on the dance floor by their children.) Charlotte Saltenstall Bigham died in 2004 at the age of 6 from an episode of malignant hyperthermia triggered by a fever."

Look, I know it is for charity and a good cause, so WTF is with the censorship?

Being a sex object is just fine, isn't it -- as long as you aren't a pregnant teen in Gloucester, huh?

My Short Fuse With the Boston Globe's Editorial Staff

Keep reading and you will see why:

"Short Fuse" June 30, 2008

AIDS: Short-sighted pols need a push

Several Republican senators are holding up action on a major expansion of President Bush's program to help combat AIDS in developing countries. Ideally, lawmakers would vote before Bush attends the G-8 meeting of industrialized nations in Japan July 7, since this would give him a powerful talking point to urge other nations to make commitments. While the bill, which would increase the five-year spending to $50 billion from the $15 billion in the past five years, enjoys broad bipartisan support, a few senators object to the amount and other provisions. An attempt to bring the bill to a vote Friday failed. The Senate should act quickly on the bill and not force Bush to go to Japan empty-handed.

What gets me is how this government has nothing for us (except rip offs), but is all for taking care of other people's health.

Especially after WE CREATED the PROBLEM!

Of course, we have TRILLIONS for OCCUPATIONS and BILLIONS for BANKS and ISRAEL, but that somehow is not a problem for the Globe staff.

Taxes: Only for people who can't afford them

The alternative minimum tax was meant to keep rich people from avoiding taxes. But it now pinches the middle class, while a loophole allows zillionaire hedge fund managers to pay lower tax rates than their secretaries. So the US House passed a bill last week to close the loophole to raise money for AMT relief. Predictably, most Republicans balked. Representative Jim McCrery complained that "Congress should not raise taxes on one group of taxpayers in order to prevent a tax increase on another set of taxpayers." But big tax cuts for rich taxpayers that raise the burden on posterity? Apparently, those are just fine.

Look at them blaming Republicans for everything.

Not that they don't share the blame, but I get tired of shit fooleys from the MSM.

The Globe here doesn't seem to care too much about the war looting, etc.

Words in an editorial are cheap, Globe -- and you don't even have to mean them!

Supreme Court: Good decision, bad politics

When the Supreme Court banned the execution of child rapists last week, Barack Obama criticized the verdict, saying that giving a state the death-penalty option could be constitutional. John McCain went further, calling the decision an "assault" on law enforcement. While no candidate wants to be seen as helping sexual predators, the court's opinion was sound. In it, Justice Anthony Kennedy notes that the death penalty for crimes short of murder is a throwback to an earlier era and could end up making it harder to prosecute child rapists. But when confronted with a sensitive but sensible verdict, Obama resorted to odd states'-rights rhetoric, and McCain pounded the table."

Look at this!

So the Globe is AGAINST the DEATH PENALTY for CHILD RAPISTS!

See: Supreme Court Sickies

Enough said there!

Not a surprise coming from the HYPOCRITICAL GLOBALISTS at the Globe:

"Loophole after loophole June 30, 2008

AS LEGISLATORS have been working to wrap up the state budget, they have also been seeking agreement on changes in corporate taxes that should bring in more money. Unfortunately, one House-backed proposal could provide the tax avoidance lawyers of multinational corporations a new way to reduce their obligations to the state.

The plan from Governor Patrick and legislative leaders is to close corporate tax loopholes while at the same time lowering the 9.5 percent corporate tax rate.

Yeah, but the RICH aren't paying their fair share, the Globe says above!

Tired of the HYPOCRITICAL SHIT FOOLEYS and AGENDA-PUSHING yet?

Meanwhile, the legislature is set to RAISE TAXES on CIGARETTES (see other post from today)!

The House would lower the rate to 7.5 percent; the Senate to 8 percent. Both chambers are targeting a loophole that allows firms to duck Massachusetts taxes by shifting profits to subsidiaries in other states without corporate taxes.

Yeah, but it is all right to toss money at rich Hollywood folk or corporate and lottery favorites, as well as Wall Street!

In one example, Wal-Mart has established a small real estate office in Italy, with responsibility for billions of dollars worth of Wal-Mart property in the United States. The state of Illinois saw this as a tax dodge and fought the big retailer in court.

Yeah, close that up and they GO TO ANOTHER STATE!

That's how GLOBALIZATION WORKS!

And why the hell should taxpayers have to GO TO COURT?

Just MORE COSTS ACCRUED trying to track down looting corporations, huh?

At a time when Massachusetts is trying to keep firms from using other states as safe havens for their profits, it would be self-defeating to open the door to the use of overseas shelters.

The whole system is self-defeating for the American people.

It benefits ONLY ONE CLASS -- and the Globe just happens to be in it!

Lowering the corporate tax rate is a sensible way to encourage all companies, large and small, to locate and expand in Massachusetts. Closing the loopholes carved out by big corporations' tax attorneys can offset the revenue loss from a lower rate and generate additional funds to cover the rising cost of healthcare, education, and infrastructure maintenance.

Gee, the Globe sounds like STRAIGHT-OUT SUPPLY-SIDERS there!

Promises, promises!

IF the companies stay, that is!

Plus it is the fair thing to do.

Yeah, the FAIRNESS of it makes it as an AFTERTHOUGHT!!!

But the Globe is looking out for YOU and YOUR INTERESTS, average citizen!

Pffffffffttttt!!!

It makes no sense at all to negate the benefit of closing some loopholes by creating an entirely new and potentially very costly one.

But THAT IS WHAT GOVERNMENT DOES!!!!

Didn't you read my RON PAUL POST?

If the conference committee approves the overseas operations provision, Patrick should veto it.

--MORE--"

And see if you can find any concern for taxpayers in this one:

"Immigration oasis June 30, 2008

IMMIGRATION POLICY stirs up angry debate, but among the islands of calm are English language classrooms where immigrants can learn the skills they need to engage in American life and be more effective workers. If only there were more of these islands.

To tap the power of communication, a group of civic, business, union, and nonprofit leaders gathered last week to launch the English Works Campaign. It's a promising statewide effort to make English classes more available to immigrants.

Too bad they don't care about the AMERICAN PEOPLE as much, huh?

The need is great. There are some 14,000 names on a waiting list for state-funded English classes. A 2005 report from the nonprofit think tank MassINC called the ability to speak English the "new fault line," separating "those who succeed from those who struggle in the labor market." The report estimated that in 2000, 137,000 of the state's adult immigrants had poor English skills. They're part of a group of more than 467,000 immigrants who lack other knowledge-based economy skills. That's a challenge for cities such as Boston, Chelsea, and Lynn, where many immigrants live. And it's a problem for hospitals, hotels, restaurants, and other industries that hire immigrants.

Fortunately, solutions are at hand. Mayor Menino is broadcasting taped workplace English classes on Boston City TV and posting them on the city's website. State Secretary of Labor Suzanne Bump is marketing the existing Workforce Training Fund as a way to help pay for a range of training needs, including English and basic skills. The state should also increase the $30 million that flows through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for English and adult basic education classes.

This as they SHUT DOWN SCHOOLS and send them into STATE RECEIVERSHIP!

How about TAKING CARE of the BORDERS for a change?!

Notice how the words "ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS" haven't crossed the Globe's ed?

So HOW MANY of these immigrants that need language training ILLEGALS, Globe?

I'm sick of the agenda-pushing, folks!

The English Works Campaign is calling for more investments from businesses, and it wants to help organizations market their English classes to businesses.

With better English skills, immigrants could contribute even more to the state.

--MORE--"

Or the North American Union, 'eh, Globe?!

We KNOW WHERE YOU ARE GOING with this, and we are NO LONGER FOOLED!!!

California's Wildfires

Of course, nothing on the floods today.

"California wildfires could take months to control; More storms, dry lightning strikes predicted" by Marcus Wohlsen, Associated Press | June 30, 2008

SAN FRANCISCO - Firefighters were battling more than a thousand wildfires across California yesterday, and forecasters said dangerous conditions would not relent anytime soon.

Forecasters yesterday predicted more thunderstorms and dry lightning strikes, similar to the ones that ignited hundreds of fires a week ago. Meanwhile, a US Forest Service report said the weather would get even drier and hotter as fire season headed toward its typical peak in late July and August.

Lower-than-average rainfall and record levels of parched vegetation will probably mean a long, fiery summer throughout Northern California, according to the state fire outlook released last week by the Forest Service.

The fires burning now could take weeks or months to bring under full control, the report said. Those blazes were mostly sparked by lightning storms that were unusually intense for so early in the season.

See: Healing With HAARP

President Bush issued an emergency declaration Saturday.

Also see: Bush Activates Dictatorship in Korean Finding

California emergency officials said state and local governments would also need federal financing to cover the costs of fighting so many fires this early in the year.

Sorry, no $$$ except for WARS and WAR PROFITEERS!!!!

Federal aid now includes four Marine Corps helicopters, remote sensing of the fires by NASA, federal firefighters, and the activation of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

--MORE--"

I'm kind of angry that the Globe's web site cut the LAST TWO PARAGRAPHS!

In Guffey, Colo., about 40 miles west of Colorado springs, most of the 100 residents who fled a wildfire were allowed back home yesterday.

In Arizona, firefighters southwest of Phoenix allowed residents who fled a fire in the dry Gila River bed to return home Saturday. The fire was not contained but was no longer advancing.

Oh, so it isn't just California, is it?

Sounds like the West is PARCHED, doesn't it?

A RIVER BED on FIRE?

Of course, here is the ONE WILDFIRE the divisive, agenda-pushing press just CAN'T IGNORE!

"Money pours into Calif. gay marriage campaigns; Ballot initiative could see $30m" by Dan Morain, Los Angeles Times | June 30, 2008

SACRAMENTO - Although the measure affects only Californians, the battle will extend far beyond the state's borders. Both sides intend to use the Internet to raise money, and are already receiving donations from across the country.

Opponents have raised 44 percent of their money from groups and individuals with addresses outside California. Backers have raised 34 percent of their funds from outside the state.

The measure is attracting outside interest in part because of its national implications. Out-of-state couples are going to California to marry, and could then sue their home states for not recognizing California marriages.

In San Francisco yesterday, tens of thousands of revelers in the city's 38th annual gay pride parade celebrated the newfound freedom of same-sex couples to marry.

I'm waiting for the same coverage or reference to antiwar protesters.

Mayor Gavin Newsom received ovations along the parade route for his role in working to overturn the state's ban.

The county clerk's office was busy Friday handing out marriage licenses and handling wedding ceremonies.

In an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger called the effort to ban same-sex marriage "a waste of time."

He said he believes marriage should be between a man and a woman but does not think that view should be forced on anyone else.

--MORE--"

How frikkin' backwards is that, Arnie?

WTF?

Makes it sound like GAY MARRIAGE is the TRADITION!

By the way, what BUSINESS is it of the STATES anyway?

Please, AmeriKa, WAKE UP to the DESTRUCTION of your SOCIAL FABRIC!!!!

Please see: The Role of Feminism in the New World Order

Why I Don't Take the Global-Warming Agenda Push Seriously

Never mind all the jetting and the limoing by the elites as they tell us to suck s***.

It is what I find in my agenda-pushing War Daily every day that tells me it is a scam.

Oh, the tremendously cold winter and chilly spring has convinced me, too!

But don't believe your lying senses, America -- believe the lying, agenda-pushing MSM!

"Solar panels go to college

You may not remember this, but in 1979, President Jimmy Carter (below) installed solar panels on the roof of the White House West Wing.

Actually, no, I do. Reagan took 'em down.

The panels, which were used to heat water for the staff eating area, were a symbol of a new solar strategy, but in 1986, when the White House roof was being repaired, the panels were taken down. In 1990, the panels were retrieved from storage and brought to the environmentally minded Unity College in Maine. There, with help from Academy Award winning actress Glenn Close, the panels were refurbished and used to heat water in the cafeteria until they stopped working in 2005.

Now, a documentary film has been made about the panels, using them as a backdrop to explore American oil dependency and the political lack of will to pursue alternative energy. Swiss directors Christina Hemaner and Roman Keller follow the route of the panels in the hour-long film "A Road Not Taken." We've lost all that time, too.

Of course, solar was never meant to go anywhere because the energy corps can't charge you for natural light.

That's why we are fed diets of oil stories!

Otherwise, explain this:

"US government delays solar projects"

"DENVER, June 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has declared a moratorium on development of new solar power projects on government land in six western states.

The agency said the huge increase in the number of plans for solar power plants has caused worries about their environmental impact, The New York Times reported. Officials expect an impact study to take two years.

But the environmental impact of oil drilling off the costs is no problem!

PFFFTTTT!

The moratorium affects millions of acres in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah. Officials said 130 applications to lease public land for solar projects have been filed since 2005.

The high price of oil makes solar power an attractive alternative, energy analysts say. Advocates say sun-drenched public lands in the Western deserts are a resource that should be used.

"It doesn't make any sense," said Holly Gordon, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for Ausra, a solar thermal energy company in Palo Alto, Calif. "The Bureau of Land Management land has some of the best solar resources in the world. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry."

Isn't that the POINT? So OIL COMPANIES can get EVEN FATTER?

So you will forgive me if I pffffft in the direction of our local heroes, er, politicians, right?

"Delegates go green

Massachusetts delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Colorado - billed as trying to be the most environmentally sustainable convention in history - are being asked to offset the pollution created by their travel, hotel, and food by replacing incandescent light bulbs in local low-income homes with far more efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. The program cuts down on carbon dioxide, the key global warming gas - and saves families money.

Yeah, except FLUORESCENT LIGHT is NOT GOOD FOR YOU!

And that is like a drop of piss in the environmental ocean, lawmakers.

How far you flying across the country?

And WHO is picking up the (taxpayers) tab?

The program, announced last week, allows delegates to buy offsets from the local nonprofit company LiveCooler which then will team up with nonprofits in the delegate's community that work with low-income families in Worcester, Lowell, and Boston.

Each ton of offsets purchased for $15 allows the nonprofits to then buy about five long-lasting compact fluorescent lights to distribute to low-income families."

Considering the following items, you'll have to excuse me: pffffffftttttt!

"Emissions rules still stalled"

"U.S. Advised Iraqi Ministry on Oil Deals"

"A group of American advisers led by a small State Department team played an integral part in drawing up contracts between the Iraqi government and five major Western oil companies to develop some of the largest fields in Iraq, American officials say.

The disclosure, coming on the eve of the contracts’ announcement, is the first confirmation of direct involvement by the Bush administration in deals to open Iraq’s oil to commercial development.

At a time of spiraling oil prices, the no-bid contracts, in a country with some of the world’s largest untapped fields and potential for vast profits, are a rare prize to the industry. The contracts are expected to be awarded Monday to Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, Total and Chevron, as well as to several smaller oil companies.

Though enriched by high prices, the companies are starved for new oil fields. The United States government, too, has eagerly encouraged investment anywhere in the world that could provide new oil to alleviate the exceptionally tight global supply, which is a cause of high prices.

Iraq is particularly attractive in that light, because in addition to its vast reserves, it has the potential to bring new sources of oil onto the market relatively cheaply.

Weren't we told this FIVE YEARS AGO?

New York frikkin' Times, hey!

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, speaking on Fox News this month, said: “The United States government has stayed out of the matter of awarding the Iraq oil contracts. It’s a private sector matter.”

So she LIED AGAIN, huh?

Every time someone in this administration opens their mouth it's a lie, isn't it?

Hey, pretty soon you won't be paying for oil anyway.

"Start at any age; Demand rises for bike riding lessons for adults" by Emma Brown, Globe Correspondent | June 30, 2008

SOMERVILLE - Michael Lamb is a 44-year-old history teacher with a quiet smile and unusual courage. He's learning, finally, how to ride a bicycle - despite being nearly four decades older than the usual beginner.

Lamb is hardly alone. Gas prices hovering above $4 per gallon have led to the busiest season so far for the woman known as Boston's Bike Whisperer, Susan McLucas, a 59-year-old chronic smiler with a reputation for teaching even the most fearful and frustrated adults to balance on two wheels. Enrollment in Bicycle Riding for Beginners, offered through the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, has nearly doubled since 2006. And demand for one-on-one lessons is on the rise as well.

I biked for TEN YEARS during the 1990s and early 2000s.

That was EVERY DAY to either work, school, or errands.

And let me tell you, IT SUCKED!!

I PAID my CARBON DUES and I don't want to do that again.

I won't get into how many problems it has caused; however, WTF is this crap?

Make 60-year-olds ride the bike? More accidents then?

So as CHINA MOVES TOWARD CARS we are going to be getting out of them?

How do you like that drop of living standards, Americans?

Especially since the wealthy (like the oil companies, etc) are doin' just fine?

McLucas is an activist who has protested more than one war and who 11 years ago started the nonprofit Healthy Tomorrow to end the mutilation of women's genitals in Mali. Teaching people to cycle is a sort of activism, too: "It's part of getting rid of cars," she said, "and making bikes rule the world.

--MORE--"

A nice lady, but a little misguided.

So you gonna help me with my problem?