The Presidential debates (2 so far). The Vice Presidential debate. The gubernatorial (Governor of Washington) debate. Even one of the U.S. Representative debates. I’m debated out for now. I’m politicked out and there are still weeks to go till the election. Running a 2 year campaign cycle for President only to do it again say 2 years later is too much! And I’m a voter, not campaigning. I can only imagine how exhausted it might be for those running for President, and all the supporters who keep them going for two years. Wheww.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Summer Garden into Autumn garden
Summer ends. Autum leaves turn. The garden valiantly lives on…the carrots are growing, the beets, newly planted lettuce varieties. Parsnips planted (but I think the visiting dog dug that section up). I already know that parsnips, carrots and beets will be okay in the ground from my ‘accidental’ discoveries i previous years. I had given up on the garden and was surprised to find these root vegetables were quite content to be in the ground, and entirely still viable. Now I will more deliberately, not accidentally, have root crops growing this Fall and Winter.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Nixed - best plan to kill Bin Laden recalls Delta Force Commander; 60 Minutes Oct 2008
Tora Bora - you've heard of it, right? No! Well I have heard it, remember it when the media was reporting on the war in Aghanistan to get the leader of Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, believed to be the orchestrater of the attacks on the the twin towers of The World Trade Center in New York on September 11, 2001. I remember how it was more a 'blurb' in the media reporting and then media went onto report other things. I wanted to shout, wait, stop, back that up, what is that about our military being so near to capturing Bin Laden and being told not to proceed?
I would read articles, op-eds about Tora Bora in the years that followed (google Tora Bora). But it didn't quite ever come up again in the media as something in need of deeper investigation. Ah, but wasn't that true of so many things during that time period. A shaking, quaking media, either terrified or fooling themselves into believing the Bush Administration talking points they were fed was part of national security and oh - that whole 'patriotic'/not patriotic thing that went on in those early years.
'60 Minutes' segment, October 2008, titled 'Elite Officer Recalls Bin Laden Hunt, Delta Force Commander Says The Best Plan To Kill The Al Qaeda Leader Was Nixed'.
(hat tip for getting my attention to this story goes to jimstaro post at VetVoice)
Read more
I would read articles, op-eds about Tora Bora in the years that followed (google Tora Bora). But it didn't quite ever come up again in the media as something in need of deeper investigation. Ah, but wasn't that true of so many things during that time period. A shaking, quaking media, either terrified or fooling themselves into believing the Bush Administration talking points they were fed was part of national security and oh - that whole 'patriotic'/not patriotic thing that went on in those early years.
'60 Minutes' segment, October 2008, titled 'Elite Officer Recalls Bin Laden Hunt, Delta Force Commander Says The Best Plan To Kill The Al Qaeda Leader Was Nixed'.
Shortly after 9/11, the Pentagon ordered a top secret team of American commandos into Afghanistan with a single, simple order: kill Osama bin Laden. It was America's best chance to eliminate the leader of al Qaeda. The inside story of exactly what happened in that mission, and how close it came to its objective has never been told until now.
The man you are about to meet was the officer in command, leading a team from the U.S. Army's mysterious Delta Force - a unit so secret, it's often said Delta doesn't exist. But you are about to see Delta's operators in action.
Why would the mission commander break his silence after seven years? He told 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley that most everything he has read in the media about his mission is wrong and now he wants to set the record straight.
(hat tip for getting my attention to this story goes to jimstaro post at VetVoice)
Monday, October 6, 2008
Casulties may never be known, as is the case in every conflict, especially an Invasion by another Country.
Read the entire article by jimstaro at Docudharma
HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military KIA, Iraq/Afghanistan - September 2008
Iraq
There have been 4,491 coalition deaths -- 4,177 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 176 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of October 3, 2008, according to a CNN count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. The list below is the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen, sailors and Coast Guardsmen whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The list also includes seven employees of the U.S. Defense Department. At least 30,680 U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan.
HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military KIA, Iraq/Afghanistan - September 2008
Pfc. Christopher A. Bartkiewicz, 25, of Dunfermline, Ill., died Sept. 30 in Baghdad, Iraq, of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his dismounted patrol using small arms fire. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment
Pfc. Christopher T. Fox 21 1st Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Memphis, Tennessee Died of wounds suffered when he encountered small-arms fire while on patrol in Adhamiya, Iraq, on September 29, 2008
Pfc. Jamel A. Bryant 22 40th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division Belleville, Illinois Died in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a vehicle accident while on patrol in Wahida, Iraq, on September 27, 2008
Staff Sgt. Ronald Phillips Jr. 33 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Conway, South Carolina Died of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Bahbahani, Iraq, on September 25, 2008
Capt. Michael J. Medders 25 Ohio 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment Died of wounds suffered when a suicide bomber detonated a vest during operations in Jisr Naft, Iraq, on September 24, 2008
1st Lt. Thomas J. Brown 26 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division Burke, Virginia Died of wounds suffered when his patrol came under small-arms fire during dismounted operations in Salman Park, Iraq, on September 23, 2008
Staff Sgt. Matthew J. Taylor 25 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) Charleston, South Carolina Died of wounds suffered when he received small-arms fire during dismounted operations in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 21, 2008
Chief Warrant Officer Corry A. Edwards 38 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Texas Army National Guard Kennedale, Texas One of seven soldiers killed when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter they were in crashed near Tallil, Iraq, on September 18, 2008
Sgt. Daniel M. Eshbaugh 43 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Oklahoma National Guard Norman, Oklahoma One of seven soldiers killed when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter they were in crashed near Tallil, Iraq, on September 18, 2008
Sgt. Anthony L. Mason 37 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Texas Army National Guard Springtown, Texas One of seven soldiers killed when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter they were in crashed near Tallil, Iraq, on September 18, 2008
1st Sgt. Julio C. Ordonez 54 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Texas Army National Guard San Antonio, Texas One of seven soldiers killed when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter they were in crashed near Tallil, Iraq, on September 18, 2008
Chief Warrant Officer Brady J. Rudolf 37 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Oklahoma National Guard Oklahoma City, Oklahoma One of seven soldiers killed when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter they were in crashed near Tallil, Iraq, on September 18, 2008
Cpl. Michael E. Thompson 23 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Oklahoma National Guard Harrah, Oklahoma One of seven soldiers killed when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter they were in crashed near Tallil, Iraq, on September 18, 2008
1st Lt. Robert Vallejo II 28 2nd Battalion, 149th Aviation Regiment, 36th Combat Aviation Brigade, Texas Army National Guard Richland Hills, Texas One of seven soldiers killed when the CH-47 Chinook helicopter they were in crashed near Tallil, Iraq, on September 18, 2008
Pfc. Leonard J. Gulczynski I 19 610th Engineer Support Company, 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade Carol Stream, Illinois Died of injuries sustained when his vehicle was involved in an accident in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 17, 2008
Capt. Darrick D. Wright 37 926th Engineer Brigade Nashville, Tennessee Died of a non-combat related illness in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 17, 2008
Lt. Col. Ralph J. Marino 46 U.S. Army Central Command Houston, Pennsylvania Died of a non-combat related illness at Camp Buehring, Kuwait, on September 14, 2008
Staff Sgt. Darris J. Dawson 24 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Pensacola, Florida One of two soliders killed during a non-hostile incident in Tunnis, Iraq, on September 14, 2008
Sgt. Wesley R. Durbin 26 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Hurst, Texas One of two soliders killed during a non-hostile incident in Tunnis, Iraq, on September 14, 2008
Chaplain (Col.) Sidney J. Marceaux Jr. 69 Warrior Transition Brigade, Walter Reed Army Medical Center Beaumont, Texas Died of a non-combat related illness at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington D.C., on September 14, 2008
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel R. Sexton 53 164th Military Police Company Wentzville, Missouri Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, on September 10, 2008
Pvt. Jordan P. P. Thibeault 22 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division South Jordan, Utah Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, on September 5, 2008
Sgt. Kenneth W. Mayne 29 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Fort Benning, Georgia One of two soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 4, 2008
Pfc. Bryan R. Thomas 22 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Battle Creek, Michigan One of two soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 4, 2008
Pfc. Patrick W. May 22 Division Special Troops Battalion, 10th Mountain Division Jamestown, New York Died of injuries suffered from a non-combat related incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 2, 2008
Afghanistan - The Still Forgotten War - and The Third Front Pakistan
There have been 977 coalition deaths -- 605 Americans, 6 Australians, 120 Britons, 97 Canadians, 3 Czech, 16 Danes, 17 Dutch, 3 Estonians, 1 Finn, 22 French, 23 Germans, 2 Hungarian, 12 Italians, 1 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 1 NATO/ISAF, 3 Norwegians, 8 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 8 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 23 Spaniards, 2 Swedes -- in the war on terror as of October 3, 2008, according to a CNN count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 2,490 U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon.
September 2008
Capt. Richard G. Cliff, Jr.29 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group Mount Pleasant, South Carolina One of three soldiers killed when the vehicle they were in encountered a roadside bomb during mounted operations in Yakchal, Afghanistan on September 29, 2008
Sgt. 1st Class Jamie S. Nicholas 32 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group Maysel, West Virginia One of three soldiers killed when the vehicle they were in encountered a roadside bomb during mounted operations in Yakchal, Afghanistan on September 29, 2008
Sgt. 1st Class Gary J. Vasquez 33 1st Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group Round Lake, Illinois One of three soldiers killed when the vehicle they were in encountered a roadside bomb during mounted operations in Yakchal, Afghanistan on September 29, 2008
Sgt. William E. Hasenflu 38 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division Bradenton, Florida Died from wounds suffered when his unit was ambushed by enemy forces using small arms fire in the Jaji District of Paktia province, Afghanistan, on September 28, 2008
Cpl. Maj. Alessandro Caroppo 23 8th Reggimento Bersaglieri (8th Bersaglieri Regiment) San Pietro Vernotico, Italy Died of natural causes in Herat, Afghanistan, on September 21, 2008
Staff Sgt. Nathan M. Cox 32 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Walcott, Iowa One of two soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on September 20, 2008
Capt. Bruno Giancarlo de Solenni 32 Joint Forces Headquarters, Element Training Team, Oregon Army National Guard Crescent City, California Died of wounds sustained when a roadside bomb exploded near his vehicle in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on September 20, 2008
Pvt. Joseph F. Gonzales 18 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Tucson, Arizona One of two soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in the Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, on September 20, 2008
Cryptologic Technician Third Class Petty Officer Matthew J. O'Bryant 22 Navy Information Operations Command Maryland Duluth, Georgia Died in the bombing of the Mariott Hotel in Islamabad, Pakistan, on September 20, 2008
Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriguez 34 86th Construction & Training Squadron El Paso, Texas Died of wounds suffered from a homemade bomb in Islamabad, Pakistan, on September 20, 2008
Sgt. Jerome C. Bell Jr. 29 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force Auburn, New York Died while supporting combat operations in Farah province, Afghanistan, on September 19, 2008
Staff Sgt. Brandon W. Farley 30 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Grand Prairie, Texas Died of wounds sustained when his mounted patrol was attacked by enemy forces using small arms and rocket-propelled grenades in Able Monti, Afghanistan, on September 18, 2008
Sgt. Joshua W. Harris 21 2nd Battalion 122nd Field Artillery, Illinois Army National Guard Romeoville, Illinois One of four soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Gerdia Seria, Afghanistan, on September 17, 2008
Capt. Bruce E. Hays 42 Wyoming Joint Forces Headquarters, Wyoming Army National Guard Cheyenne, Wyoming One of four soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Gerdia Seria, Afghanistan, on September 17, 2008
1st Lt. Mohsin A. Naqvi 26 1st Battalion, 11th Infantry Newburgh, New York One of four soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Gerdia Seria, Afghanistan, on September 17, 2008
Staff Sgt. Jason A. Vazquez 24 2nd Battalion 122nd Field Artillery, Illinois Army National Guard Chicago, Illinois One of four soldiers killed when their vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Gerdia Seria, Afghanistan, on September 17, 2008
Lance Cpl. Nicky Mason 26 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment Aveley, Essex, England Died as a result of an explosion during a routine patrol near Kajaki in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 13, 2008
Pvt. Jason Lee Rawstron 23 Company C, 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment Lancashire, England Killed when his patrol were engaged in an exchange of fire near Forward Operating Base Gibraltar in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 12, 2008
Chief Petty Officer Jason Richard Freiwald 30 Naval Special Warfare Development Group Armada, Michigan Died on September 12, 2008, from injuries sustained during combat operations in Afghanistan on September 11, 2008
Senior Chief Petty Officer John Wayne Marcum 34 Naval Special Warfare Development Group Flushing, Michigan Died September 12, 2008, from injuries sustained during combat operations in Afghanistan on September 11, 2008
Pvt. Michael W. Murdock 22 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Chocowinity, North Carolina Died of wounds suffered when he was struck by enemy fire at Combat Outpost Lybert at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, on September 11, 2008
Chief Warrant Officer Michael Slebodnik 39 2nd Battalion, 17th Cavalry Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division Gibsonia, Pennsylvania Died of wounds suffered when the aircraft he was piloting received enemy fire near Forward Operating Base Nagil, Afghanistan, on September 11, 2008
Warrant Officer Class 2 Gary O'Donnell 40 11 Explosive Ordnance Disposal Regiment, Royal Logistic Corps Edinburgh, Scotland Killed when a roadside bomb detonated in Musa Qaleh in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 10, 2008
1st Lt. Nicholas A. Madrazo 25 Headquarters Battery, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force Bothell, Washington Died while supporting combat operations in Parwan province, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2008
Capt. Jesse Melton III 29 Headquarters Battery, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force Randallstown, Maryland Died while supporting combat operations in Parwan province, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2008
Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Eichmann A. Strickland 23 Combat Service Support Det. 36, Arlington, Washington Killed when the vehicle he was driving hit a roadside bomb in Afghnya Valley, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2008
Pfc. Jos ten Brinke 21 41 Pantsergeniebataljon (41st Armored Engineering Battalion) Rekken, Netherlands Killed when a roadside bomb detonated 12 miles (19 km) north of Tarin Kowt in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on September 7, 2008
Sgt. Prescott Shipway 35 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Saskatoon, Canada Killed when his armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb during a security patrol in the Panjwayii district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 7, 2008
Pvt. Michael R. Dinterman 18 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Littlestown, Pennsylvania Died of wounds suffered when he received enemy fire while on dismounted patrol at Oustpost Restrepo, Kunar Province, Afghanistan, on September 6, 2008
Spc. Marques I. Knight 24 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division San Juan Capistrano, California Died of wounds suffered when received small-arms fire while on dismounted patrol in Aliabad, Afghanistan, on September 6, 2008
Ranger Justin James Cupples 29 Company C, 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Regiment County Cavan, Ireland Killed when a roadside bomb detonated during a foot patrol in Sangin in northern Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 4, 2008
Pvt. Vincent C. Winston Jr. 22 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division St. Louis, Missouri Died of wounds suffered when his vehicle encountered a roadside bomb in Afghanistan on September 4, 2008
Cpl. Andrew Paul Grenon 23 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Windsor, Canada One of three Canadian soldiers killed after an insurgent attack on their armored vehicle during a security patrol in the Zharey district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 3, 2008
Pvt. Chadwick James Horn 21 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Calgary, Canada One of three Canadian soldiers killed after an insurgent attack on their armored vehicle during a security patrol in the Zharey district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 3, 2008
Cpl. Michael James Alexander Seggie 21 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Calgary, Canada One of three Canadian soldiers killed after an insurgent attack on their armored vehicle during a security patrol in the Zharey district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 3, 2008
Sgt. 1st Class Gregory A. Rodriguez 35 K-9 unit of the 527th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, 18th MP Brigade Weidman, Michigan Died of wounds suffered when his mounted patrol came under small-arms fire in Ana Kalay, Afghanistan, on September 2, 2008
Civilian Casulties - Iraq
Over a million {*1,273,378} Iraqis are estimated to have been killed as a result of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation. Learn More and Take Action»
*Estimate, click for explaination
*Estimate, click for explaination
John Hopkins School of Public Health { October 11, 2006 report } puts the count at 650,000, with a range from 400,000 to 900,000.
Exact Count of Civilian Casulties may never be known, as is the case in every conflict, especially an Invasion by another Country. For it is the Innocent Civilians and those Defending their Countries {of which All would be counted if this land were ever invaded} who suffer the most, during and long after!
Iraq Refugees UNHCR: UNHCR Global Appeal 2008-2009 - Iraq Situation
Filetype: PDF (116k)
All the Deaths, Maimings and Destruction are the Blood on All Our Hands, No One can escape the Guilt!
As Of October 5, 2008, There Are 89 Pages w/5 'Silent Honor Rolls' Each, Number Of Casulties Varies With Each 'Silent Honor Roll'; Many now have numbers in the teens and twenties, click on graphic.
A Nations Security Does Not Mean A Nation Sets An Example Of Creating More Hatreds And Enemies By
'Wars Of Choice'
, Nor By Installing And Supporting Dictators, It Leads By The Example Of Peace And Prevention, Especially As A Democracy, Gaining Friends And Supporters, And Defends With Force Only When All Other Options Are Exhausted
97 percent of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."
"Mission Accomplished!"
" What does it matter to the dead, the orphan, and the homeless whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?"
- Mohandas K. Gandhi
The Failed Policies will Haunt Us and the World for Decades!!
Bill would open military funerals to media
Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., said Friday that legislation he co-sponsored this week would highlight the sacrifices made by members of the military.
And To Think We, the United States, Need A Congressional Bill For The Above???
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Use of military in quelling domestic unrest a scary sign- Seattle PI reports
A little-noticed story surfaced a couple of weeks ago in the Army Times newspaper about the 3rd Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. "Beginning Oct. 1 for 12 months," reported Army Times staff writer Gina Cavallaro, "the 1st BCT will be under the day-to-day control of U.S. Army North, the Army service component of Northern Command, as an on-call federal response force for natural or manmade emergencies and disasters, including terrorist attacks." Disturbingly, she writes that "they may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control" as well.read article at Seattle PI.
The force will be called the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive Consequence Management Response Force. Its acronym, CCMRF, is pronounced "sea-smurf." These "sea-smurfs," Cavallaro reports, have "spent 35 of the last 60 months in Iraq patrolling in full battle rattle," in a combat zone, and now will spend their 20-month "dwell time" -- time troops are required to spend to "reset and regenerate after a deployment" -- armed and ready to hit the U.S. streets.
I posted a story at Washblog, on Sept 24, 2008 titled 'Brigade begins Homeland deployments Oct 1; Army has Ray Gun for riot/crowd control'
which had me concerned, having read of these 2 separate items that morning in my internet news reads. At about the same time, the overriding news was of the impending financial collapse on Wall Street and the critical effects it would have on Main Street. It is not easy to get a shout out of concern to rise to the din level the economic crisis has raised for Americans. I didn't expect the Washblog story to get any attention, and it didn't. Thought I'd repost the story here - I'm still concerned.
U.S. Army battalion troops deploy to - well U.S.A.! And U.S. Army has a Ray Gun. Reading these two items together and one could wonder why U.S. active Army battalion needs to deploy to non-combat zones on America homeland soil, while state level National Guard troops need to deploy to combat zones in Iraq. And one could wonder about this scenario as well. U.S. Army being aware of and urgently requesting the non-lethal Ray Gun for use in Iraq and Afghanistan was denied permission. Weapon shown to be effective in riot and crowd control via practice demonstrations using people acting as 'peace protesters'.
at Army Times; Brigade homeland tours start Oct. 1, 2008.
at CBS 60 Minutes Will Army's Ray Gun See Action?A non-lethan military weapon effective in riot and crowd control, huh? Where? Here or 'over there'? Both actually. And why hasn't it been used 'over there' (Iraq, Afghanistan) and when will it be used here? Already peaceful protesters are set apart in cages and monitored by police in full riot gear, is it just a matter of when the Ray Gun will be brought to bear on protest demonstrations?
Could have been less killing in Iraq and Afghanistan?! See the August 2007 MSNBC story 'Energy Beam Could Be Used in Iraq' - officials refuse.
Meanwhile the plan to deploy U.S. Army battalion here at home;
excerpts from the Army Times article
3rd Infantry's 1st BCT trains for a new dwell-time mission. Helping `people at home' may become a permanent part of the active Army. After 1st BCT finishes its dwell-time mission, expectations are that another, as yet unnamed, active-duty brigade will take over and that the mission will be a permanent one.
Don't look for any extra time off, though. The at-home mission does not take the place of scheduled combat-zone deployments and will take place during the so-called dwell time a unit gets to reset and regenerate after a deployment.
More than 20,000 Army National Guard Soldiers were notified by the Army to prepare for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these are second deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Washington. The "Ravens" of Washington's 81st Heavy Brigade Combat Team are based in Seattle, Washington, and includes units from Washington and California. It mobilized in August 2008 and will to Iraq in autumn 2008. 2nd deployment - the brigade last deployed to Iraq from March 2004 through March 2005.
New Jersey. The "Jersey Blues" - the 50th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the New Jersey Army National Guard, based at Fort Dix - includes units from across the state. The brigade mobilized in May 2008 and will deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008. This will be the brigade's first deployment.
Hawaii and Arizona. The 29th Infantry Brigade Combat Team headquartered at Fort Ruger, Hawaii, includes units from across Hawaii and Arizona. The brigade mobilized in June 2008 and will deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008. 2nd deployment for the "Lava Brigade" which served in Iraq from January through December of 2005.
Texas .The 56th Brigade Combat Team of the 36th Infantry Division includes units from across Texas. The "Thunderbolt Brigade" mobilized in July 2008 and will deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008. 2nd deployment - the brigade last deployed to Iraq from December 2004 through December 2005.
Pennsylvania. "The Associators" of the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 28th Infantry Division, are headquartered in Philadelphia. They are expected to mobilize in November 2008 and deploy to Iraq in early 2009. The brigade, which includes units from across Pennsylvania, is the only Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the Army National Guard, and one of just seven in the Army. This will be the brigade's first deployment as a unit, although small units from the brigade have previously deployed (2nd deployments) in support of operation Iraqi Freedom.
North Carolina and West Virginia. The 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team of the North Carolina Army National Guard, based in Clinton, includes units from North Carolina and West Virginia. "Old Hickory" will mobilize in January 2009 and deploy to Iraq in spring 2009. 2nd deployment - the brigade last deployed to Iraq from February 2004 through February 2005.
Illinois. The 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, headquartered in Decatur, Illinois, mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in August 2008. The "Prairie" Brigade is expected to deploy in autumn 2008 to Afghanistan, where it will train the Afghan National Army. In January 2002, one of the brigade's battalions mobilized in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and deployed to Germany to provide force protection at U.S. facilities across Europe.
Oklahoma and Utah Oklahoma's 45th Fires Brigade, based in Enid, is also scheduled to deploy to Iraq. It includes units from Oklahoma and Utah. "Red Thunder" is expected to mobilize in June 2008 and deploy to Iraq in autumn 2008 where it will augment the 29th IBCT in its assigned mission. 2nd deployments the 45th Fires Brigade deployed two battalions to Iraq in 2003.
(per info at Texas Army National Guard website)
[updates]
[Update #1] article at Baltimore Chronicle;'WARNING: U.S. Army Troops To Serve As U.S. Policemen?' Oct 1, 2008
an article republished with permission to the Baltimore Chronicle describes author, Chuck Baldwin as a minister who holds two doctorates of divinity, hosts a radio program called "Chuck Baldwin Live,' whose broadcast area includes the Florida Panhandle and Southern Alabama. The program is described on its website as "conservative, Christian, pro-life, pro-family, and patriotic. We support constitutional government and the Bill of Rights. We hold fast to the principles and values expressed by the Founding Fathers and the Declaration of Independence."
Quoting an excerpt from Chuck Baldwin article at Baltimore Chronicle;
One of America's most sacred principles has always been that the U.S. military was never to be used for domestic law enforcement. The fear of standing armies ran very deep in the hearts and minds of America's founders. The tyranny and misery inflicted upon the colonies by British troops weighed heavily upon those who drafted our Constitution and Bill of Rights. In their minds, the American people would never again be subjected to the heavy weight of army boots. Furthermore, they insisted that America would have a civilian--not military--government.
And after the fiasco of the abuse of federal troops in the South following the War Between the States, the doctrine of Posse Comitatus was enacted into law. The Wikipedia online encyclopedia says this about Posse Comitatus:
of note (or perhaps bias): Chuck Baldwin (the author) was the Constitution Party's 2004 vice-presidential candidate on a ticket headed by Michael Peroutka of Millersville, Md., a graduate of Loyola College in Maryland and the University of Baltimore School of Law.
[Update #2] article at Salon 'Why is a U.S. Army brigade being assigned to the "Homeland"?' Sept 24, 2008 by Glenn Greenwald.
His article indicates bloggers who were blogging about it; the lack of any media mention or coverage and discusses The Posse Comitatus Act.
excerpts from his article at Salon
As is typical, very few members of the media even mentioned any of this, let alone discussed it (and I failed to give this the attention it deserved at the time), but Congressional Quarterly's Jeff Stein wrote an excellent article at the time detailing the process and noted that "despite such a radical turn, the new law garnered little dissent, or even attention, on the Hill." Stein also noted that while "the blogosphere, of course, was all over it . . . a search of The Washington Post and New York Times archives, using the terms 'Insurrection Act,' 'martial law' and 'Congress,' came up empty."
excerpt - his second update to his article
There's no need to start manufacturing all sorts of scare scenarios about Bush canceling elections or the imminent declaration of martial law or anything of that sort. None of that is going to happen with a single brigade and it's unlikely in the extreme that they'd be announcing these deployments if they had activated any such plans. The point is that the deployment is a very dangerous precedent, quite possibly illegal, and a radical abandonment of an important democratic safeguard. As always with first steps of this sort, the danger lies in how the power can be abused in the future.
my thought; Oh, don't I shudder to think what John McCain, eager for war on any front would do if he is elected and assumes the expanded powers of the Presidency.
[Update #3] Martial Law threatened to some in Congress if Financial Bailout not passed, per Rep. Brad Sherman at his speech to U.S. House of Representatives. Video of the youtube excerpt of the C-Span coverage.
No, I don't want it to be true, and yes, I'm a bit of a nervous nellie these days, still holding my breath till the November election. Again, a series of coincidences, and in stringing coincidences together raising my own anxiety level, my intent is not so much to pass anxiety on to others, as much as get this recorded in one place at WB.
In November perhaps I can look back at this diary and feel foolish and that's okay with me. I've become wary of this Administration for good reason; and an extension of that is being wary of the Republican machine at work as it marches on seemingly easily exploitable by small extremist factions intent on an agenda not widely understood or grasped within or amongst the larger party.
here is link to video segment from C-Span of Rep. Brad Sherman's statement to the House of Representatives and quoted excerpt:
'many of us were told in private conversations that if we voted against this bill on Monday, that the sky would fall, that the market would drop 2 or 3 thousand points the first day, another couple thousand the second day, and a few members were even told that there would be 'martial law in America' if we voted no. That's what I call fear-mongering', unjustified, proven wrong. We've got a week, we've got two weeks to write a good bill. The only way to pass a bad bill -- keep the panic on'
Friday, September 26, 2008
Bush Speech Invade Iraq 2003; his same speech for Financial Bailout 2008
Bush 2003 Scares U.S. into Iraq invasion; Bush 2008 Scares U.S. into Financial Bailout -- Jon Stewart, The Daily Show shows the side by side almost exact speech of President Bush on Iraq 2003, President Bush on Financial Bailout 2008.
Read more
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Rachel Maddow: Bush Admin wants Iraq war continued additional year - just because......
Because why? 'due to political circumstances related to the U.S. domestic situation'
Iraq Prime Minister Maliki suggested troop withdrawal by end of 2010 would work for them; Bush Admin comes back asking for troop withdrawal by end of 2011 'due to political circumstances related to the U.S. domestic situation'. In other words, it is good for U.S. politically -- why? You tell me!
Read more
Iraq Prime Minister Maliki suggested troop withdrawal by end of 2010 would work for them; Bush Admin comes back asking for troop withdrawal by end of 2011 'due to political circumstances related to the U.S. domestic situation'. In other words, it is good for U.S. politically -- why? You tell me!
Monday, September 22, 2008
McCain and the POW Cover-up
McCain and the POW Cover-up
The "war hero" candidate buried information about POWs left behind in Vietnam
Research support provided by the Investigative Fund of The Nation Institute. This is an expanded version, with primary documents attached, of a story that appears in the October 6, 2008 issue of The Nation.
By Sydney H. Schanberg
September 18, 2008
Entire article can be read at The Nation Institute
[Excerpts]
John McCain, who has risen to political prominence on his image as a Vietnam POW war hero, has, inexplicably, worked very hard to hide from the public stunning information about American prisoners in Vietnam who, unlike him, didn't return home. Throughout his Senate career, McCain has quietly sponsored and pushed into federal law a set of prohibitions that keep the most revealing information about these men buried as classified documents.
Thus the war hero who people would logically imagine as a determined crusader for the interests of POWs and their families became instead the strange champion of hiding the evidence and closing the books. The sum of the secrets McCain has sought to hide is not small. There exists a telling mass of official documents, radio intercepts, witness depositions, satellite photos of rescue symbols that pilots were trained to use, electronic messages from the ground containing the individual code numbers given to airmen, a rescue mission by a special forces unit that was aborted twice by Washington—and even sworn testimony by two Defense secretaries that "men were left behind."
One of the sharpest critics of the Pentagon's performance was an insider, Air Force Lieut. Gen. Eugene Tighe, who headed the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) during the 1970s. He openly challenged the Pentagon's position that no live prisoners existed, saying that the evidence proved otherwise. McCain was a bitter opponent of Tighe, who was eventually pushed into retirement.
Throughout the Paris negotiations, the North Vietnamese tied the prisoner issue tightly to the issue of reparations. They were adamant in refusing to deal with them separately. ... Hanoi thus appears to have held back prisoners—just as it had done when the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and withdrew their forces from Vietnam. In that case, France paid ransoms for prisoners and brought them home.
But a few months later, a new measure, known as "the McCain Bill," suddenly appeared. By creating a bureaucratic maze from which only a fraction of the documents could emerge—only records that revealed no POW secrets—it turned the Truth Bill on its head. (See one example, at left, when the Pentagon cited McCain's bill in rejecting a FOIA request.) The McCain bill became law in 1991 and remains so today. So crushing to transparency are its provisions that it actually spells out for the Pentagon and other agencies several rationales, scenarios and justifications for not releasing any information at all—even about prisoners discovered alive in captivity. Later that year, the Senate Select Committee was created, where Kerry and McCain ultimately worked together to bury evidence.
McCain has insisted again and again that all the evidence—documents, witnesses, satellite photos, two Pentagon chiefs' sworn testimony, aborted rescue missions, ransom offers apparently scorned—has been woven together by unscrupulous deceivers to create an insidious and unpatriotic myth. He calls it the "bizarre rantings of the MIA hobbyists."
He has regularly vilified those who keep trying to pry out classified documents as "hoaxers," charlatans," "conspiracy theorists" and "dime-store Rambos."
Some of McCain's fellow captives at Hoa Lo prison in Hanoi didn't share his views about prisoners left behind. Before he died of leukemia in 1999, retired Col. Ted Guy, a highly admired POW and one of the most dogged resisters in the camps, wrote an angry open letter to the senator in an MIA newsletter—a response to McCain's stream of insults hurled at MIA activists. Guy wrote:
"John, does this [the insults] include Senator Bob Smith [a New Hampshire Republican and activist on POW issues] and other concerned elected officials? Does this include the families of the missing where there is overwhelming evidence that their loved ones were 'last known alive'? Does this include some of your fellow POWs?"
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Tuesday, September 16, 2008
It Begins; Announced - Intentions to Prosecute President Bush
Announcing Plans to Prosecute Bush in Vermont
Renowned Criminal Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi Joins Vermont Attorney Charlotte Dennett To Announce Intentions To Bring Legal Proceedings Against President Bush
Vincent Bugliosi, the legendary criminal prosecutor and bestselling author of 'The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder', will appear in Burlington with Charlotte Dennett, a Cambridge-based attorney and Progressive Party candidate for Attorney General, on Thursday, September 17 at Burlington City Hall at 10 a.m. The two attorneys will announce their intention to commence criminal proceedings against George W. Bush in the event that Dennett succeeds in her bid to become the next Attorney General of Vermont.
As a Los Angeles District Attorney, Bugliosi successfully prosecuted 105 out of 106 felony jury trials, including 21 murder convictions without a single loss. He is best known for prosecuting Charles Manson, an experience he memorialized in his book Helter Skelter. His most recent book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, has become a sensation since its publication this summer. "I have never received such a passionate response as I have to this book," says Bugliosi. "Most Americans are deeply offended that George W. Bush has not been held accountable for his many crimes while in office, the most egregious of which is the murder of over 4,000 American soldiers and over 100,000 Iraqi civilians. My book lays out the framework of how he can be brought to justice in any state in this country; a framework which I hope will serve notice to future occupants in the White House."
Dennett has been practicing law in Vermont since 1997 and has been an investigative journalist for more than 30 years. "When I read Mr. Bugliosi’s meticulously-argued case," says Dennett, "it struck a chord with me as a Vermonter and an American citizen. Tragically, our state has the highest per capita loss of soldiers. 36 towns have voted to impeach President Bush. We Vermonters fiercely cherish our democracy and our country's Constitution. We're up for this fight."
from posts by David Swanson at Afterdowningstreet.org
Read more
Renowned Criminal Prosecutor Vincent Bugliosi Joins Vermont Attorney Charlotte Dennett To Announce Intentions To Bring Legal Proceedings Against President Bush
Press conference to be held at:
Burlington City Hall. Contois Auditorium on September 18, 2008 at 10:30 a.m.
Vincent Bugliosi, the legendary criminal prosecutor and bestselling author of 'The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder', will appear in Burlington with Charlotte Dennett, a Cambridge-based attorney and Progressive Party candidate for Attorney General, on Thursday, September 17 at Burlington City Hall at 10 a.m. The two attorneys will announce their intention to commence criminal proceedings against George W. Bush in the event that Dennett succeeds in her bid to become the next Attorney General of Vermont.
As a Los Angeles District Attorney, Bugliosi successfully prosecuted 105 out of 106 felony jury trials, including 21 murder convictions without a single loss. He is best known for prosecuting Charles Manson, an experience he memorialized in his book Helter Skelter. His most recent book, The Prosecution of George W. Bush for Murder, has become a sensation since its publication this summer. "I have never received such a passionate response as I have to this book," says Bugliosi. "Most Americans are deeply offended that George W. Bush has not been held accountable for his many crimes while in office, the most egregious of which is the murder of over 4,000 American soldiers and over 100,000 Iraqi civilians. My book lays out the framework of how he can be brought to justice in any state in this country; a framework which I hope will serve notice to future occupants in the White House."
Dennett has been practicing law in Vermont since 1997 and has been an investigative journalist for more than 30 years. "When I read Mr. Bugliosi’s meticulously-argued case," says Dennett, "it struck a chord with me as a Vermonter and an American citizen. Tragically, our state has the highest per capita loss of soldiers. 36 towns have voted to impeach President Bush. We Vermonters fiercely cherish our democracy and our country's Constitution. We're up for this fight."
from posts by David Swanson at Afterdowningstreet.org
Friday, August 29, 2008
Three Iraq Veterans were Speakers at the DNC in support of Barack Obama; Maj. Tammy Duckworth, U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, medic Michael Wilson
Capt. Tammy Duckworth, returning Iraq Vet OIF, Illinois Veterans Affairs Dept. Director - addressing 2008 Dems Convention - video
(see transcript of her speech at Docudhama blog.)
2nd Lt. Patrick Murphy,returning Iraq Veteran - OIF, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 8th District - addressing 2008 Dems Convention - video
(see transcript of her speech at Docudhama blog.)
Registered Republican, medic Mike Wilson, returning Iraq veteran, nominated Obama at Demcoratic National Convention - video
from McClatchey - Washington
Read more
(see transcript of her speech at Docudhama blog.)
Four years ago, I was co-piloting a Blackhawk helicopter north of Baghdad when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the cockpit. My buddies carried my body out not knowing if I was dead or alive. They knew the soldier's creed: never leave a fallen comrade behind. They lived up to it. They risked their own lives to save mine.
Because of them, I am here today, an Iraq war veteran, a female helicopter pilot and a wounded warrior-living in a country where people with disabilities have rights. Because of them, I am here today, an Asian American, a Daughter of the American Revolution as well as a daughter of an immigrant.
Acts of courage like theirs happen everywhere American troops serve. They are happening right now. I know that-so does my family. My father served in Vietnam, my brother served in the Coast Guard, my husband just returned from Operation Iraqi Freedom. We served because we believe in this great nation and the opportunities it has given us. And because our service members support us, we must always keep the faith with them.
The administration of George Bush-supported by John McCain every step of the way-has let our warriors down. Our troops are courageous, strong and fierce. This administration has re-deployed them until they are overstretched, stressed and strained.
Our warriors should fight in Afghanistan where al-Qaida and the Taliban are on the offensive.
But instead of destroying the enemies who attacked us on 9/11, we have diverted our military might to Iraq, which had nothing to do with 9/11. When our warriors come home they deserve the best VA medical care, but too often they get bureaucracy, not benefits. They find inadequate access, inferior facilities and infuriating paperwork.
And now, John McCain wants to ration care. Under his plan, the VA will serve combat injuries, but everyone else gets an insurance card. Barack Obama and the Democrats have a different idea. Barack Obama will live up to their tradition of honor and sacrifice. Barack Obama will use war not as a first choice, but a last resort. Barack Obama understands that for a commander-in- chief to support the military, he needs more than a "Mission Accomplished" banner, more than wearing a borrowed flight suit, and definitely more than four more years of the same failed foreign policy.
President Obama will restore the might of the military, invest in our troops and only send our sons and daughters to war if they have a clearly defined mission and the tools they need to succeed.
I speak from more than a gut feeling on this. I know Barack Obama. I met him when he visited me and other wounded troops at Walter Reed. He came without reporters. He wasn't looking for credit. He just cared about how we were doing. He knew that wherever you stand on the war, you must love the warrior, and he does.
I testified before his committee; I listened to him talk, but then I watched what he did and how he voted. As a Senator, Barack Obama worked to improve the lives of all our veterans. He fought to fix our rundown hospitals. He fought to cut through the red tape. Unlike John McCain, Barack Obama fought for a new GI bill-and won-so that every veteran has the same opportunity to pursue their American dream just like his grandfather had after World War II. So I know what he'll do as president.
An America with President Obama will have a 21st century VA. He'll improve access to health care. He'll speed up disability claims. He'll increase services for nationwide post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries as we have already done in Illinois under Governor Blagojevich's leadership.
And Barack Obama will have a simple principle for homeless veterans: zero tolerance, because we are all dishonored when those who've worn the uniform sleep on our streets. But here's what he won't do: President Obama will reject John McCain's plan to privatize the VA system. We won't force veterans to search for medical care with nothing but a plastic card and the promise of payment. We won't have means testing for access to the VA. Why? Because Barack Obama knows this: no one asked us where we lived or how much money we had when we enlisted, and no one should ask us that after we've bled for our country.
Fellow Democrats, fellow Americans: I believe in this nation that I love more than my own life.
Today we have an opportunity to honor our military men and women by living up to that soldier's creed. Today we have an opportunity to give our veterans the benefits they rightfully earned. Today we have the opportunity to change our relations with the world.
I believe that America will elect the leader who has always fought to keep our nation's promise to our veterans. I believe America will elect the leader who can best keep this nation strong.
Barack Obama is right for our military. Barack Obama is right for our veterans. Barack Obama is right for our country. And that's why Barack Obama will be our next commander-in-chief.
God bless you, and always, God bless America.
2nd Lt. Patrick Murphy,returning Iraq Veteran - OIF, U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania, 8th District - addressing 2008 Dems Convention - video
(see transcript of her speech at Docudhama blog.)
We called it fire month. It was 138 degrees inBaghdad in August of 2003and my fellow paratroopers and I were running convoys up and down Ambush Alley. We were scouting for roadside bombs and rooftop snipers while riding in a humvee without any doors.
One day, my gunner said to me, "Sir, what are we doing here?"Baghdad was a stop on a journey that began for me 15 years ago when I first put on the uniform of the United States Army. My journey took me from ROTC cadet to West Point professor to captain in the 82nd Airborne Division and eventually to the United States Congress. For me, a blue-collar kid from a row house in northeastPhiladelphia, this was the chance to not only serve the country I love, but to live the American dream.
When I returned fromIraq, I realized we didn't just need change over there, we also needed to change how we treat our veterans here at home. For eight long years, we've had a president who rushed to stand with soldiers at political rallies but abandoned them at Walter Reed. We've had a president who spent billions on private contractors but not on body armor for our troops. We've had a president who was there for the photo ops, but AWOL when it came to doing right by our veterans. It is time for a change.
In the Army, we have a saying: "Lead, follow or get out of the way." It is time for a president who leads. And it's time for a commander-in-chief who knows that leadership means serving our troops as well as they serve our country.
Barack Obama will be that commander-in-chief. With a grandfather who marched in General Patton's army, Senator Obama understands the needs of our nation and our military. That's why he led the fight to end the injustice at Walter Reed and end homelessness among our veterans. That's why he led the fight to make sure that returning veterans get the mental health care they deserve. And that's why I am proud to stand with him as he leads the fight for a smarter and tougher foreign policy, so that we can finally end the war in Iraq, go after the terrorists who attacked us on 9/11 and defeat them where they are strongest, inAfghanistan.
Our brave men and women in uniform and our great country cannot afford more of the same. It is time for the change our troops, our veterans and our country need. It is time for Barack Obama.
Registered Republican, medic Mike Wilson, returning Iraq veteran, nominated Obama at Demcoratic National Convention - video
from McClatchey - Washington
DENVER — Mike Wilson, an Iraq War veteran from Melbourne, Fla., had no idea when he contributed $5 to Barack Obama's campaign last September it would lead to a speaking part at the Democratic National Convention.
On Wednesday, Wilson, a registered Republican, learned that he'd been tapped to officially nominate Obama as the Democratic nominee for president.
Wilson knew he was getting three minutes on stage, but the national party didn't announce until Wednesday that he would make the official nomination.
The $5 campaign contribution — and an essay explaining why the registered Republican was supporting Obama — won him dinner with the Illinois senator last September -- and now, a 3-minute gig at the convention.
"I got an e-mail from his national campaign manager, he said Senator Obama remembered me from dinner and wanted me to do the honor of speaking for him," Wilson said. "I was totally blown away.''
He and Janet Lynn Monaco, a Melbourne pet store owner, took the stage Wednesday to, as the campaign says, "celebrate how everyday Americans are coming together to change the course of a nation."
"Just your average beer drinking guy down the street, that's me," Wilson said.
"Even though I'm a registered Republican I would hope people would vote across party lines for the candidate who would do the best job," Wilson said. "The Republicans don't really have a candidate who reflects the path America should take."
Friday, August 22, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
How civically hep are we?
Survey Report Excerpts from The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
A sizable minority of Americans find themselves at the intersection of these two long-standing trends in news consumption. Integrators, who get the news from both traditional sources and the internet, are a more engaged, sophisticated and demographically sought-after audience segment than those who mostly rely on traditional news sources. Integrators share some characteristics with a smaller, younger, more internet savvy audience segment - Net-Newsers - who principally turn to the web for news, and largely eschew traditional sources.
Like web-oriented news consumers, Integrators are affluent and highly educated. However, they are older, on averagIntegrators also are heavier consumers of national news - especially news about politics and Washington - and are avid sports news consumers. Television is their main news source, but more than a third cite the internet as their primary source of news during the day. This reflects the fact that a relatively large proportion of Integrators log on to the internet from work (45%).e, than those who Net-Newsers are the youngest of the news user segments (median age: 35). They are affluent and even better educated than the News Integrators: More than eight-in-ten have at least attended college. Net-Newsers not only rely primarily on the internet for news, they are leading the way in using new web features and other technologies. Nearly twice as many regularly watch news clips on the internet as regularly watch nightly network news broadcasts (30% vs. 18%).
This web-oriented news segment, perhaps more than the others, underscores the challenges facing traditional news outlets. Fewer than half (47%) watch television news on a typical day. Twice as many read an online newspaper than a printed newspaper on a typical day (17% vs. 8%), while 10% read both.
Television dominates as the favored news source among Traditionalists. And at each time of the day - whether morning, daytime, dinner hour, or late at night - overwhelming majorities who get news at these times cite television as their main source. Unlike the news Integrators, or those who mostly get news from the web, most Traditionalists say that seeing pictures and video, rather than reading or hearing the facts, gives them the best understanding of events.
Most Americans fall into the three core news audiences - Integrators, Traditionalists, or Net-Newsers. The fourth group - the Disengaged - are very much bystanders when it comes to news consumption. They are less educated on average than even the Traditionalists and exhibit extremely low interest in - and knowledge of - current events. Just 55% of the Disengaged get any news on a typical day, and just 20% know that the Democrats have a majority in the House of Representatives.consider the internet their main source of news. Overall, Integrators spend more time with the news on a typical day than do those who rely more on either traditional or internet sources; far more enjoy keeping up with the news a lot than in any other news segment.
Saturday, August 16, 2008
How about using more trains to save fuel?
I hear occasionally that we are going to see more usage of trains, particularly for freight hauling. Read the excerpt below and check out that map.
On Willapa Bay the trains are gone and the remaining tracks are rusted. Nearest active rail lines are 30 miles north, 50 miles east and south across the Columbia in Oregon.
[Excerpt}
BruceMcF at Docudharma.comMidnight Thought on Living Energy Independence (Asleep on a Train)
Over the past two years, I've looked at several levels of rail in the nation's transportation system
- "True" or "Very" High Speed Rail (HSR)
- "Express" HSR
- Rail/Air integration
- Rail/Bus Integration
- Rail/Bike Integration
- Long Distance / Local Rail Integration ...
... but not as much on the coast to coast rail network. However,
when on occasion one of my diaries struck a chord, the coast to coast
rail network always came up. So with a Friday off, I'll take a crack at
it today.
For reference, this is the network proposed by the National Association of Railroad Passengers
Me and the Little Woman blogging together on Saturday morning
No employment duties today, just gardening, house cleaning, no rush no hassle, just me and the little woman.
Quiet and side by side reading and writing Internet stuff.
"hey, look what I found!"
"Look Honey, what you can get on Firefox."
"Does it upload pictures?"
" I have too many blogs."
"Now this one is a catchall for whining, it's titled THE WAILING.
"If that cat tries to sharpen its claws on the carpet one more time ....."
"Look, you washed all the windows two weeks ago and there's that white bird poop smear already. They must dive bomb a clean window by instinct."
"Did my grandson download that thing to my computer?"
"It's going to get hot and humid today. Glad I'm not working."
"We/ll keep the miniblinds partially closed and aim the fan our way and stay calm and quiet all day."
"That means it's too hot to mow the lawn."
It doesn't get any better than this.
Quiet and side by side reading and writing Internet stuff.
"hey, look what I found!"
"Look Honey, what you can get on Firefox."
"Does it upload pictures?"
" I have too many blogs."
"Now this one is a catchall for whining, it's titled THE WAILING.
"If that cat tries to sharpen its claws on the carpet one more time ....."
"Look, you washed all the windows two weeks ago and there's that white bird poop smear already. They must dive bomb a clean window by instinct."
"Did my grandson download that thing to my computer?"
"It's going to get hot and humid today. Glad I'm not working."
"We/ll keep the miniblinds partially closed and aim the fan our way and stay calm and quiet all day."
"That means it's too hot to mow the lawn."
It doesn't get any better than this.
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