TruthOut.OrgTruthout - All Articles
What Patriotism Is, and Is Not
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:31:24 -0400
At the beginning of the week, a friend sent me a scurrilous, anonymous e-mail
attacking Barack Obama that has been circulating around her elderly cousin's senior living community in New Jersey. Headlined "Something to Think
About," it lists 13 acts of assassination, kidnapping, war and terrorism,
all of which, it notes, were committed "by Muslim male extremists between
the ages of 17 and 40." After several other claims, including a bogus citation from the Book of Revelation,
read more 
Bush's Dollar Drop Maps Loss of US Clout at Final G-8 Summit
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:27:12 -0400
When President George W. Bush went to his first Group of Eight summit in 2001, a dominant issue was the dollar - the strong dollar, that is. The U.S. currency was on a record-setting streak, and the free-marketeering president wasn't going to stand in the way.
On the eve of Bush's last G-8 appearance, the dollar's gyrations are again in the crossfire. This time, it is a weak currency, upended by slumping growth, a housing recession and record gas prices, that is gnawing away at the world economy.
read more 
US, Poland Agree on Outlined Deal for Missile Bases
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:24:37 -0400
Washington - The United States and Poland have tentatively agreed to base American missiles in Poland for a future missile shield against Iran, U.S. and Polish officials said Wednesday.
The outline deal reached in Washington this week improves chances that President Bush will have the key elements of his missile defense plan in place by the time he leaves office, but there is no guarantee the shield will ever be built or would work as advertised.
read more 
Politicizing the Polar Bear
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:12:44 -0400
"I used to work with the dolphins at the Coney Island Aquarium," said Celia Ackerman, "but when I got here and saw the polar bears, I was immediately converted." Ackerman has been the bear keeper at the Central Park Zoo since about 1990, and because the only bears on exhibit are the polar bears Gus and Ida, she is, in fact, the polar bear keeper. read more 
Labor Must Battle Racism to Elect Obama
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:02:00 -0400
The United Steelworkers union is holding its annual convention this week. Union conventions in presidential election years invariably deal with presidential politics, and this one is no different.
Except, perhaps, for the quality of the oratory - and the depth and meaning of the message.
Barack Obama may well be the most eloquent presidential candidate the Democrats have run since William Jennings Bryan.
read more 
Single Moms' Poverty Spikes After Welfare Overhaul
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:57:36 -0400
The ranks of poor single mothers have grown since the 1996 welfare overhaul that weakened their safety net, and 30 percent now live with neither job income nor public assistance.
Milwaukee - In 2001, Lisa Craig snuck out of her home in Chicago and boarded a bus for Milwaukee with her three children, leaving behind an abusive husband, a stable job and most of her possessions.
read more 
Oncologists on Medicare Vote: Not in Our Name
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:54:31 -0400
Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) sent the American Medical Association into a tizzy Thursday night by switching his vote and blocking passage of a crucial Medicare bill. The flip came after the White House offered to work with him on getting more money for oncologists, so you'd think that at least the oncologists would be pleased.
read more 
Vendor Misinformation in the E-Voting World
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:50:14 -0400
Last week, I testified before the Texas House Committee on Elections (you can read my testimony). I've done this many times before, but I figured this time would be different. This time, I was armed with the research from the California "Top to Bottom" reports and the Ohio EVEREST reports. read more 
A Devil's Bargain
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:21:52 -0400
With the president's signature now affixed to the bill, the clever deal is
done. In exchange for another "blank check" for a year of war, the
Democrats have wrested from their Republican colleagues and the White House
a host of domestic benefits - tens of billions of dollars in educational funding
for returning GIs, a thirteen-week extension of unemployment insurance, millions
for Midwest flood relief and other laudable projects. "This shows that
even in an election year, Republicans and Democrats can come together,"
read more 
Employment Rate Drops as Economy Sheds 62,000
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:20:02 -0400
Private sector job gains in the Bush years may fall below
3 million by November. read more 
Political WavesPolitical Waves Google Group
TW3 ... and breathing underwater
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 19:57:33 UT
*T*hat *W*as *T*he *W*eek *T*hat *W*as ... pretty dismal. I was hoping for a laugh this week, but ... well, so it goes. The deformed veggie's should be a heads-up for us all, by the way. I'm being held cyber-prisoner in the Pea Patch, kids ... I can't keep a connection, so it's slow going blog-wise. Weather is the usual culprit, and
Down the rabbit hole with morons and idiots
Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:28:15 UT
In years past, I've used the rabbit hole metaphor [and very early on] -- I've used the word 'surreal' to define our experience -- I've made reference to any number of fantasy plots, including *The Matrix* and *The Wizard of Oz *. That's because reality is like an onion, it takes a lifetime to peel away
Another star for the General
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 20:41:30 UT
The General [and Rhodes Scholar who was first in his class at West Point] addressed McRib's [ranked 894 out of 899 in his class at the Naval Academy] war record on *Face The Nation* and now the Republicans have their panties in a bunch. Wes Clark's comments are being called "controversial" but ... *common,
Monkeys and weekend reads
Fri, 27 Jun 2008 19:20:12 UT
Well, "Mission Accomplished" in North Korea, kids ... L'il Kim handed China a laundry list of nuclear bits and pieces so the Dubby has declared him, and his brutal dictatorship, no longer evil< [link]>. *Pffft! Tell it to the political prisoners.* Oh, *but wait* -- none of that
TW3 ... and trash talk
Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:42:52 UT
*T*hat *W*as *T*he *W*eek *T*hat *W*as ... discouraging; I especially hated the polar bear story. As bonus today, we'll take a look at some examples of verbal explosion -- a kind of Tourett Syndrome that has infected some of us. People are saying the damnedest things, lately ... they just can't seem to help themselves. We're
The American Way
Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:33:11 UT
There has been a good deal of public yelping about Obama's refusal to belly up to campaign finance< [link]>funds -- a flip-flop, we hear, even though McCain is breaking the law with his funding. Some of this is response< [link]>to
"Fuck. George Carlin dead at 71."
Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:51:26 UT
That's the headline at Common Dreams. *My sentiments exactly.* I know there are serious things afoot, pull and tug on the Congressional scene, rifts and splits in the Progressive base and more change, change, change that doesn't fit the picture we had in our mind ... but more on that later. Today a little tribute to a curmudgeon and genius, an old street fighter and
When good people do nothing ...
Thu, 19 Jun 2008 18:11:13 UT
I don't know how to reconcile this torture thing -- it's just frikken anti-American. Apologies to the world won't get it. Restoration of the Geneva Convention and *habeas* helps, but this is one of those things me mum referenced when she lectured me on fibbing: when you break trust, it takes a long *loooong* time to regain it.
TW3 -- and don't let the door hit ya ...
Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:18:24 UT
*T*hat *W*as *T*he *W*eek *T*hat *W*as ... productive, I'd suppose, what with the Supreme decision; but odd, as usual. I'm scratching my head over R. Kelly -- I guess I'll have to do some research to satisfy myself. The bonus reads are cool -- farewell pieces to Dubby and the Pub's I've had in my files, and poll numbers from today that will lift your spirits.
Patriot Dreams
Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:36:06 UT
Last Saturday, a dear one began a phone conversation with, "I heard about Russert. Are you alright?" He assumed, wonk that I am, that I revered Tim as so many others did, the man at the top of the pundit food chain. I didn't. Al Hunt, a political voice I admire and a close friend of Russert's, said that Friday [the 13th, oh dear] would be one of those dates when you'd
Pea Soup: Exorcising the Demon
Mon, 16 Jun 2008 21:45:20 UT
I got another of those repugnant e-mails about Obama the other day from a relative; I have tried oh-so-many times to make clear why I don't want to see them, making it obvious that character assassination and dark innuendo offends me and that an intelligent conversation can't survive in the emotional climate such hatefulness establishes ... but no, they'll continue
Honor and Country -- and a shocker!
Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:34:39 UT
*Tim Russert< [link]> ,* Meet the Press moderator, has died from a heart attack at 58; Tom Brokow confirmed< [link]>it. Hunting through the news today, I was already having difficulty
When Mama ain't happy ...
Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:59:25 UT
The Supremes came down on the side of Gitmo detainees today in a decision that undercuts the years of Bush babble and has Scalia in a tantrum. This is *gleeful news* -- restoration of *habeas corpus*; the last article below gives the details. We'll look at weather today -- although most of us only have to look out the
TW3 -- the Dub and the O's
Wed, 11 Jun 2008 20:21:10 UT
*T*hat *W*as *T*he *W*eek *T*hat *W*as ... reflective of our changes; nothing on the wars, but plenty on the culture wars. I'm intrigued by the Pringles can -- my son commented that he wouldn't want to be the guy who invented the septic tank. In other news -- seven years later, a dim little bulb is forming over George
The House Is In Order
Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:14:22 UT
Some of you dearhearts sent me the Kucinich impeachment< [link]>stuff as it was breaking; when I went to cable news to find it, there was nothing there. Media is doing it again, exactly what they've been accused of
CommonDreams.Org
Common Dreams | News & Views
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:05 -0500
National Security Experts Grim on Terror War
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
National Security Experts Grim on Terror War
Study: Prison Population on the Rise
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Study: Prison Population on the Rise
Lebanon Slides Towards Civil War as Anniversary of Hariri's Murder Looms
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Lebanon Slides Towards Civil War as Anniversary of Hariri's Murder Looms
Britain and US: Worst of Wealthy Nations for Children
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Britain and US: Worst of Wealthy Nations for Children
US Briefing on Iran Discredits the Official Line
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
US Briefing on Iran Discredits the Official Line
Doubts Raised on Linking of Iran to US Deaths in Iraq
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Doubts Raised on Linking of Iran to US Deaths in Iraq
Korea Deal Marks Big Victory for Realists
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Korea Deal Marks Big Victory for Realists
Greenpeace Try Eating Whale to Stop Whaling
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
Greenpeace Try Eating Whale to Stop Whaling
After a Decade, Booker Winner Roy Plans New Novel
Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:51:04 -0500
After a Decade, Booker Winner Roy Plans New Novel
The OnionThe Onion
Nameless Hurricane That Much More Terrifying
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0400
MIAMI—Thousands have already fled the popularly dubbed "Hurricane That Shall Not Be Named," to escape its destructive winds and chilling impersonality.  Bush Acknowledges Existence Of Carbon Dioxide
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 02:00:00 -0400
"We can no longer ignore the facts — carbon dioxide is real," Bush said.  Stuffed-Animal Biodiversity Rising
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 03:00:00 -0400
WASHINGTON, DC–According to a World Wildlife Fund study released Monday, stuffed-animal biodiversity is rapidly rising, with the number of species available in plush form up nearly 800 percent since 1990.  Bush Urges Expanded Drilling Of Alaskan Wildlife
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0400
WASHINGTON, DC—The president reminded Congress Tuesday of the estimated 9.3 billion barrels of drillable bear, elk, and musk ox "right here on American soil."  Report: 98 Percent Of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation For Others
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0400
WASHINGTON, DC–A study released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association reveals that 98 percent of Americans support the use of mass transit by others.  Green-Conscious GE Develops Hybrid Lightbulb
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:00:00 -0400
FAIRFIELD, CT—The bulb's four-cylinder engine could produce up to 80 percent less global-warming pollution than conventional gas-powered bulbs.  EPA To Drop 'E,' 'P' From Name
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 07:00:00 -0400
WASHINGTON, DC—Days after unveiling new power-plant pollution regulations that rely on an industry-favored market-trading approach to cutting mercury emissions, EPA Acting Administrator Stephen Johnson announced that the agency will remove the "E" and "P" from its name. "We're not really 'environmental' anymore, and we certainly aren't 'protecting' anything," Johnson said. "'The Agency' is a name that reflects our current agenda and encapsulates our new function as a government-funded body devoted to handling documents, scheduling meetings, and fielding phone calls." The change comes on the heels of the Department of Health and Human Services' January decision to shorten its name to the Department of Services.  Student Snaps Awake Upon Hearing Word 'Hydroponics'
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0400
COLLEGE STATION, TX–Texas A&M sophomore Bryan Datillo was jolted from a light sleep during a Botany 101 lecture Monday, when his professor, discussing the various methods by which experimental hybrid crops are developed, uttered the word "hydroponics." "I was kind of dozing off, but then I heard Professor Guyer say 'hydroponics,'" Datillo said. "I was like, 'Whoa! Now we're finally getting somewhere.' Unfortunately, he just said some boring shit about tomatoes, so I went back to sleep."  Temperature Of Coffee Expected To Rise Nine Degrees By End Of 21st Century
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 09:00:00 -0400
WASHINGTON, DC—A report released by the Union of Concerned Dietitians stated that not only will the temperature of coffee increase by nearly...  [audio] Arizona Burned To Stop California Wildfire
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:00:00 -0400
Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland  [audio] New Alternative Fuel SUV Will Deplete World's Hydrogen By 2070
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 11:00:00 -0400
Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland  [audio] Solar-Power Technology Still Largely Confined To Calculators
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400
Onion Radio News - with Doyle Redland  Bald Eagles Thriving
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:00:00 -0400
A recent survey indicated that bald eagles would soon be taken off the endangered-species list. What do you think?  Polluting Nations Endorse Greenhouse-Gas Plan
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:00:00 -0400
Six of the nations that produce the highest volume of greenhouse gases have endorsed a voluntary plan that will reduce emissions 30 percent by 2050....  Honeybees Dying Mysteriously
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 15:00:00 -0400
American honeybees are being wiped out in record numbers by a mysterious illness. What do you think?  Having A Gardener Is A Wonderful Hobby
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:00:00 -0400
If you had asked me three years ago if I was ever going to have a gardener, I probably would have thought you were out of your tree. Sure, I loved...  I Refuse To Let Some Beached Whale Ruin Our Family Outing
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 17:00:00 -0400
Joshua! Kylie! Help your father and me unload the minivan. You can take care of the lighter things, like the mini-cooler and the badminton net. Daddy will carry the poles. Take your beach towels, too, and don't forget that Ziploc bag with the sunscreen. I don't want you kids getting sunburns. They say the worst skin damage occurs when you're young. Joshua? Kylie? Why are you still in the van? You haven't even unbuckled your seatbelts. Let's go!  Fantasy Baseball Owner Rips Team In Media
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:00:00 -0400
BROOKLYN, NY—Mark Mendicus, 26-year-old Staples employee and principal owner of the fantasy baseball team Beat With Uggla Stick, blasted his underperforming team in the media Monday, going so far as to single out individual players,...  Health & Healing
homeopathy OR naturopathy OR herbal OR meditation OR healing OR "alternative medicine" OR "complementary medicine" -"(press release)" - Google News
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 06:10:09 GMT
Let the Seattle-OKC Healing Begin, Part 1SportingNews.com - 14 hours agoWhat's done is done, and now, let the healing begin. So for those of you in one of these two cities, kindly open up the phone book of your rival city, ... |
Game helps with healing processMLive.com, MI - 16 hours agoby Lon Horwedel, The Ann Arbor News Golf has been a part of Mike Robson's life for as long as he can remember. The 49-year-old from Howell practically grew ... |
Parents also need healingThe Union Leader, NH - 1 hour agoIn the 21 months since, she has only just begun to understand the wrenching, baffling, liberating process of healing. "It changed my whole life -- it ... |
First, the Thunderstorm, then the Healing RainSeattle Post Intelligencer - Jul 2, 2008Once the thunder and lightning subsided, the healing rain came and took the humidity away. It felt SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good to breathe in fresh air that ... |
Martyrs' DAY. Healing the nationAccra Daily Mail, Ghana - 19 hours agoBy Isaac Ato Mensah, on 03-07-2008 10:40 June 30, the 26th anniversary of the murder of three judges and a retired military officer has come and gone. ... |
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