Tuesday, October 31, 2006
October's Terrible Toll In Iraq - Names by Date
As I write this, it is 6:20 PM in Baghdad. Iraq Coalition Casualties web site reports that 103 soldiers have died so far in October. The list below is incomplete (pending DOD confirmation). Four of them under 20 years of age; 73 in their twenties. Ask what did they die for? What has their deaths accomplished? The WMD never existed; the Iraqi freedom turned out to be a cruel joke. Currently, we are being told that the war is against global terrorism by radical Islamics. That,too, could change. "Stay the course" has now become flexible. The soldiers keep on dying.
Peter Slevin in Washington Post, When the War Comes Home
- "COLUMBUS, Ohio
- Alone and in clusters, collars up to block the rain, thousands of people lined the streets on a gray October day in 2005 to welcome their warriors home. For 13 miles, they rose to wave, a few to salute, as the buses rolled slowly past. More than one tough Marine, homeward bound after a brutal tour in Iraq, shed a tear.
Playing the terrorist threat card; the only hand they have got. CBS News/AP: "Vice President Dick Cheney said Monday the increase of violence in Iraq is linked with efforts to influence the outcome of next week's elections in which Republicans are struggling to keep control of Congress. "It's my belief that they're very sensitive of the fact that we've got an election scheduled and they can get on the websites like anybody else," Cheney said. Well, 17 months ago the same man said about the Iraqi insurgents: "......they are in their in their last throes" (May 31, 2005). Now his message is that the insurgents want Democrats to win ! Yes, go on spreading fear.
From NPR: "All Things Considered, October 30, 2006 · The U.S. military can't account for hundreds of thousands of weapons purchased to arm some 325,500 Iraqi security forces by December, according to a new report. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last week that the U.S. military would beef up Iraqi forces' training. But the new data reveals weaknesses in the arming of Iraqi security forces.Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction who provided the report to Sen. John Warner, says the Iraqi security forces lack the logistics personnel they need, including mechanics, supply clerks and medics."
*****
From NPR: "All Things Considered, October 30, 2006 · The U.S. military can't account for hundreds of thousands of weapons purchased to arm some 325,500 Iraqi security forces by December, according to a new report. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said last week that the U.S. military would beef up Iraqi forces' training. But the new data reveals weaknesses in the arming of Iraqi security forces.Stuart Bowen, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction who provided the report to Sen. John Warner, says the Iraqi security forces lack the logistics personnel they need, including mechanics, supply clerks and medics."
 Chase A. Haag, 22, Army Corporal, Oct 01, 2006 Mario Nelson, 26, Army Sergeant, Oct 01, 2006 Denise A. Lannaman, 46, Army National Guard Sergeant, Oct 01, 2006 Justin D. Peterson, 32, Marine Captain, Oct 01, 2006 Christopher B. Cosgrove III, 23, Marine Reserve Lance Corporal, Oct 01, 2006 Aaron L. Seal, 23, Marine Reserve Corporal, Oct 01, 2006 Raymond S. Armijo, 22, Army Specialist, Oct 02, 2006 James D. Ellis, 25, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 02, 2006 Satieon V. Greenlee, 24, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 02, 2006 Justin R. Jarrett, 21, Army Specialist, Oct 02, 2006 Joe A. Narvaez, 25, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 02, 2006 Michael K. Oremus, 21, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 02, 2006 Joseph W. Perry, 23, Army Sergeant, Oct 02, 2006 Kristofer C. Walker, 20, Army Specialist, Oct 02, 2006 Daniel Isshak, 25, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 03, 2006 Jonathan Rojas, 27, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 03, 2006 Dean Bright, 32, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 04, 2006 Timothy Burke, 24, Army Specialist, Oct 04, 2006 Christopher O. Moudry, 31, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 04, 2006 George R. Obourn Jr., 20, Army Specialist, Oct 04, 2006 Edward M. Garvin, 19, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 04, 2006 Benjamin S. Rosales, 20, Marine Corporal, Oct 04, 2006 Nicholas A. Arvanitis, 22, Army Corporal, Oct 06, 2006 John Edward Hale, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 06, 2006 Bradford H. Payne, 24, Marine Corporal, Oct 06, 2006 Brandon S. Asbury, 21, Army Sergeant, Oct 07, 2006 Carl W. Johnson II, 21, Army Corporal, Oct 07, 2006 Lawrence Parrish, 36, Army National Guard Sergeant, Oct 07, 2006 John Edward Wood, 37, Army National Guard Specialist, Oct 07, 2006 Shane R. Austin, 19, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 08, 2006 Timothy Fulkerson, 20, Army Specialist, Oct 08, 2006 Stephen F. Johnson, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 08, 2006 Derek W. Jones, 21, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 08, 2006 Jeremy Scott Sandvick Monroe, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 08, 2006 Robert M. Secher, 33, Marine Captain, Oct 08, 2006 Phillip B. Williams, 21, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 09, 2006 Julian M. Arechaga, 23, Marine Sergeant, Oct 09, 2006 Jon Eric Bowman, 21, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 09, 2006 Shelby J. Feniello, 25, Marine Private 1st Class, Oct 09, 2006 Shane T. Adcock, 27, Army Captain, Oct 11, 2006 Nicholas R. Sowinski, 25, Army Sergeant, Oct 11, 2006 Justin T. Walsh, 24, Marine Sergeant, Oct 11, 2006 Gene A. Hawkins, 24, Army Sergeant, Oct 12, 2006 Johnny K. Craver, 37, Army Lieutenant, Oct 13, 2006 Thomas J. Hewett, 22, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 13, 2006 Kenny F. Stanton Jr., 20, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 13, 2006 Leebenard E. Chavis, 21, Air Force Airman 1st Class, Oct 14, 2006 Joseph M. Kane, 35, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 14, 2006 Charles M. King, 48, Army 1st Sergeant, Oct 14, 2006 Timothy J. Lauer, 25, Army Specialist, Oct 14, 2006 Keith J. Moore, 28, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 14, 2006 Jonathan J. Simpson, 25, Marine Sergeant, Oct 14, 2006 Jr., Lester Domenico Baroncini, 33, Army Sergeant, Oct 15, 2006 Stephen Bicknell, 19, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 15, 2006 Joshua Deese, 25, Army 1st Lieutenant, Oct 15, 2006 Jonathan E. Lootens, 25, Army Sergeant, Oct 15, 2006 Mark C. Paine, 32, Army Captain, Oct 15, 2006 Brock A. Babb, 40, Marine Reserve Sergeant, Oct 15, 2006 Joshua M. Hines, 26, Marine Reserve Lance Corporal, Oct 15, 2006 Russell G. Culbertson III, 22, Army Corporal, Oct 17, 2006 Joseph C. Dumas Jr., 25, Army Specialist, Oct 17, 2006 Nathan J. Frigo, 23, Army Petty Officer 1st Class, Oct 17, 2006 Ryan E. Haupt, 24, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 17, 2006 Christopher E. Loudon, 23, Army 2nd Lieutenant, Oct 17, 2006 Garth D. Sizemore, 31, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 17, 2006 Norman R. Taylor III, 21, Army Sergeant, Oct 17, 2006 David M. Unger, 21, Army Corporal, Oct 17, 2006 Daniel W. Winegeart, 23, Army Specialist, Oct 17, 2006 Ronald L. Paulsen, 53, Army Reserve Staff Sergeant, Oct 17, 2006 Joshua L. Booth, 23, Marine 2nd Lieutenant, Oct 17, 2006 Patrick O. Barlow, 42, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 18, 2006 Jesus M. Montalvo, 46, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 18, 2006 Jose R. Perez, 21, Army Not reported yet, Oct 18, 2006 Daniel A. Brozovich, 42, Army National Guard Sergeant 1st Class, Oct 18, 2006 Edwardo Lopez Jr., 21, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 19, 2006 Kevin M. Witte, 27, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 20, 2006 Tony L. Knier, 31, Army Sergeant 1st Class, Oct 21, 2006 Clifford R. Collinsworth, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 21, 2006 Nathan R. Elrod, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 21, 2006 Eric W. Herzberg, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 21, 2006 Nicholas J. Manoukian, 22, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 21, 2006 Joshua C. Watkins, 25, Marine Corporal, Oct 21, 2006 Nathaniel A. Aguirre, 21, Army Specialist, Oct 22, 2006 Matthew W. Creed, 23, Army Specialist, Oct 22, 2006 Willsun M. Mock, 23, Army Sergeant, Oct 22, 2006 Nicholas K. Rogers, 27, Army Specialist, Oct 22, 2006 David G. Taylor, 37, Army Major, Oct 22, 2006 Amos C. R Bock, 24, Army 1st Lieutenant, Oct 23, 2006 Carl A. Eason, 29, Army Specialist, Oct 23, 2006 Richard A. Buerstetta, 20, Marine Reserve Lance Corporal, Oct 23, 2006 Tyler R. Overstreet, 22, Marine Reserve Lance Corporal, Oct 23, 2006 Charles O. Sare, 23, Navy Hospital Corpsman, Oct 23, 2006 Donald S. Brown, 19, Marine Private 1st Class, Oct 25, 2006 Daniel B. Chaires, 20, Marine Private 1st Class, Oct 25, 2006 Thomas M. Gilbert, 24, Marine Sergeant, Oct 25, 2006 Jonathan B. Thornsberry, 22, Marine Reserve Lance Corporal, Oct 25, 2006 Charles V. Komppa, 35, Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class, Oct 25, 2006 Ricky L. McGinnis, 42, Army 1st Sergeant, Oct 26, 2006 Luke J. Zimmerman, 24, Marine Sergeant, Oct 27, 2006 |
Monday, October 30, 2006
"Shut Up and Sing" - The Dixie Chicks Do Their Thing
You cannot keep them down. The Dixie Chicks received a lot of flak in March 2003, when Natalie Maines said before a performance in London (UK) "Just so you know, we're ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas." That caused a few cancellations and demonstrations against them but they remained defiant of the critics.
Their latest political statement is the movie "Shut Up and Sing"
www.dixie-chicks.com
Filming some tough Chicks A documentary shows they won't 'Shut Up & Sing' By Damon Smith, Globe Correspondent | October 29, 2006 NEW YORK -- Just weeks after 9/11, Ari Fleischer, then White House press secretary, warned Americans to "watch what they say." Beyond alarming civil-rights advocates, who recoiled from the ominous tone of his words, Fleischer's admonition was a reminder that, in some quarters at least, any voice of dissent could be construed as anti patriotic, regardless of content or context. Just ask Bill Maher -- or the Dixie Chicks, the fiery subjects of Barbara Kopple and Cecilia Peck's rousing new behind-the-scenes portrait, "Shut Up & Sing," which premiered last month at the Toronto Film Festival and opens in Boston Nov. 10. In 2003, these massively talented Southern stars were the best-selling all-female group in North America, beloved by adoring fans and the image-conscious country-music establishment, which regarded them as their sunny, all-American ambassadors. During a concert at Shepherd's Bush Empire in London, however, on the eve of the Bush administration's shock-and-awe campaign in Iraq, lead vocalist Natalie Maines remarked that she was "against this war, this violence," then cheekily added she was "ashamed" that the president of the United States was from Texas, her home state. Within days her comment was circulated online, and a backlash was born. "I think they thought that they could set an example with the Dixie Chicks, that they would crumble," says Kopple, 60, a two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker, during a conversation in New York. "But I think they had no idea who they were dealing with." Fueled by the zeal of arch-conservative websites such as FreeRepublic.com , Maines's remark (made "on foreign soil," apoplectic fans and talking heads exclaimed, as if Great Britain were in cahoots with the Axis of Evil) quickly mushroomed into a major controversy, earning the group reams of hate mail, a nationwide radio boycott, CD burnings, even death threats. Willfully or not, the Dixie Chicks had stumbled into the ugly world of partisan politics. But instead of backing down, the makers of "Shut Up & Sing" discovered, the Chicks remained defiant. "That's why country music got so mad at them," Kopple says of Maines and sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison, her musical cohorts. "They didn't toe the line, in a sense. Country music probably thought of them as very conservative [people], and when they came out like this [against the war], I guess they felt betrayed." Cutting between then and now, "Shut Up & Sing" depicts the personal and artistic transformation this episode wreaked, for better and worse, on the lives of Maines, Maguire, and Robison. Instead of making nice with Nashville institutions like CMT and the Country Music Awards, the Chicks boldly pursued other avenues of self-expression. Working with famed producer Rick Rubin and songwriter Dan Wilson in 2005, the Dixie Chicks ventured away from the traditional country sound -- and its marketing apparatus -- to make "Taking the Long Way Home," a mature, even defiant album overshadowed by events of the previous year and a half. Kopple and Peck have collaborated on numerous film projects, including a doc about Peck's father, Gregory, star of "To Kill a Mockingbird." Both mention that they had wanted to profile the Dixie Chicks even before the anti war brouhaha. "We were always intrigued by them and how they had risen to that level of success," says Peck, 48, on the phone from Austin, "and the very fiery, independent spirit that had shown up way before London." After hearing about "the comment," Kopple recalls, they were even more keen to do a film, and immediately sent over a new proposal. A few months passed, and then Kopple and Peck met with the Chicks in Los Angeles and got the green light, beating out other interested parties, including Michael Moore and "Don't Look Back" helmer D.A. Pennebaker. "I think what we told them is that we were interested in their journey," says Peck. "We didn't have an agenda about how to portray it or a slant that we wanted to take [on the controversy]. We just wanted to experience and understand what they were going through, through their eyes." Glimpsed in early 2004, when filming began with a bare-bones, all-female crew, the Chicks reveal themselves to be savvy strategists and hard-driving businesswomen, negotiating with a rep from jittery world-tour sponsor Lipton, managing the stinging aftermath of the radio ban on ticket sales, and posing for a provocative cover of Entertainment Weekly, adorned with some of the more hateful nicknames ("Dixie Twits," "Saddam's Angels") they'd recently acquired. Maines, in particular, is a spitfire, never hesitating to say exactly what she's thinking. Simon Renshaw, their amiably effusive manager, is a sage adviser who makes things happen. But he's no Colonel Parker: He clearly takes orders from Maines, Maguire, and Robison. "They are women in control," emphasizes Kopple, who says she was surprised and "totally fascinated" not only by the Chicks' complete autonomy over their hard-won, often stressful careers and the richness of their family lives (all three are mothers to small children), but the intense bonds of friendship that unite them. "Sure, they argue and discuss, but when it comes down to it, they are there for each other." When Robison gives birth, for instance, her bandmates are there with her, jubilantly taking photos and making saucy jokes with her husband. And in their obligatory interview with Diane Sawyer in 2003, tough questions are asked. Yet rather than a teary-eyed confessional, the segment is an impressive show of group solidarity, and there are no apologies. "They don't flinch," says Peck, with obvious admiration. "And that's exactly how they feel and who they are. They don't look back, they don't have regrets." Like Peck, Kopple says she had no expectations at the outset -- "The magic of documentary is that you don't know. You go with life and what happens" -- and that her crew had, at best, a negligible impact on the Chicks' overall demeanor and decision-making process. "We tried to let them forget we were even there, because what they were doing in their lives and the things they were figuring out and the music they were writing and the relationships they were having with their families is what" they were focused on. "I don't think we mattered." Kopple has had a long, distinguished career as a socially conscious documentarian. She was a member of the collective that produced the harrowing 1972 anti war film "Winter Soldier," and in 1976, she won an Academy Award for "Harlan County, U.S.A.," an incisive, unabashedly militant doc about beleaguered Kentucky coal miners. She won another Oscar in 1991 for "American Dream," which trailed a group of Hormel meatpackers in their struggle for better working conditions. Other credits include "Fallen Champ: The Untold Story of Mike Tyson" and "Wild Man Blues," a popular film about Woody Allen's tour of Europe with his New Orleans-style jazz troupe. "The majority of the films that I do are about people who are fighting for social justice, people who are standing up for what they believe in, and people who won't be silenced," says Kopple, who in 1998 was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. "I'm sure many of the people who'll see this Dixie Chicks film would never have thought they would be so complex, so bright, such great businesswomen and so alive." Still, Kopple believes the cost-of-free-speech aspect may have a positive political -- and even personal -- effect on viewers of any persuasion. "I'm hoping the people who don't agree with the Dixie Chicks, or with what they said, will see this film so they can understand where they're coming from. Because it seems like in this country, there is a real cowboy mentality: 'You're either with us or against us.' Dialogue has been lost, so we need people like this more than ever." Damon Smith can be reached at damon.g.smith@earthlink.net. |
Sunday, October 29, 2006
A Walk in the Woods on an Autumn Afternoon
Rhus Ridge/Black Mountain Trail (Los Altos, CA)
At the top of the climb from Rhus Ridge Parking Lot
© Frank Crossman,www.openspace.orgFor those who enjoy outdoor activities the weather couldn't get any better. Soon the rains will come but even then the conditions rarely get bad enough to stop runners and hikers from taking advantage of what the Bay area has to offer. One can almost say "so many trails, so little time". It is also that time of the year when the wild mushrooms begin to appear. I look only for chanterelles -- delicious and easy to identify. The winter of 2005/6 was especially bountiful.
A few days back JHL and went to hike at Rhus Ridge, off Moody Road, less than a mile past Foothill College.
Autumn leaves at Rancho San Antonio
© Karl Gohl,www.openspace.orgThe trail begins with a steep 0.9 mile climb to the top where there is a choice of heading south past the former Windmill Pasture site towards Rancho San Antonio or taking the Black Mountain Trail on the right. Ascending Black Mountain is arduous. The 4.9 mile trail from Rhus Ridge parking lot involves a climb of 2800 feet. We have done that but last Tuesday we hiked a shorter loop. From the Black Mountain Trail, just over a mile past the junction of trails at Windmill Pasture meadow we made a dogleg to the right towards Duveneck Hidden Valley Ranch. Immediately on the left is a grove of trees with a view to the west.
We sat down there for a picnic lunch. Chicken drumsticks baked in crushed tomatoes, artichoke hearts, seasoned with tarragon, salt and pepper; roasted sweet potatoes, washed down with a half bottle of merlot. Then we had coffee, apple and dark chocolate. All was right with the world.
On the hike back we went down to Pipeline Trail, followed the creek and turned right to climb up Ewing Hill. The switchback trail makes it easier. It took us back to Black Mountain Trail. We turned left, hiked back to the Windmill Pasture meadow and descended to the parking lot. The downhiill part can be hard on the knees; hiking poles help.
On the return leg we met Gayla Johnson, the ultra marathoner, who was on a run wearing knee braces. She stopped to talk for a few minutes. Gayla completed the Western States 100 mile endurance run in California from Squaw Valley to Auburn .....four times. Amazing feat. This 2000 photograph shows her leaving Foresthill (62 miles from Squaw Valley).
©www.run100s.com
On the return leg we met Gayla Johnson, the ultra marathoner, who was on a run wearing knee braces. She stopped to talk for a few minutes. Gayla completed the Western States 100 mile endurance run in California from Squaw Valley to Auburn .....four times. Amazing feat. This 2000 photograph shows her leaving Foresthill (62 miles from Squaw Valley).
©www.run100s.comOh, to be in Boratstan (Kazakhstan)
Campaign 2006
Reading Carole Cadwalladr's delightful account of her trip to Kazakhstan in The Guardian helped to lighten up this morning's surfing in cyberspace.
"Oh, Borat has got it all wrong. Everyone I meet is in agreement on this. Kazakhstan's president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, is not a totalitarian dictator; he is only moderately repressive: banning and intimidating opposition parties, jailing the odd journalist, etc. The country's national drink is not horse piss; it is fermented horse milk that merely tastes of piss. And Jew-baiting is not, actually, a national sport. It's more of a hobby, as in the phrase 'You're as tight as a Jew' or the practice of making 'a Jewish phone call' (when you get the other party to call you back on your landline).
Dilyara, a fresh-faced student of economics in the city of Karaganda, who's showing us around the place and has lived in the States, is quite clear on this. 'There's an image of Jewish people being mean and crafty and good with money but I don't think many people have actually met them. We have Jews but they tend not to announce themselves.'
And then she takes us - Steve, my travelling companion, and me - into a cafe where we have a bit of cake.
'What's it called?' I ask.
'The cake? It is known as "nigger in the foam".'
So, you see, wrong, wrong, wrong. Or, perhaps, just a little bit right. And although the sequences in Sacha Baron Cohen's new film, Borat: Cultural Learnings Of America For Make Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan, that purport to be in Kazakhstan were filmed in Romania, he didn't pick Romania, or Belarus, or Uzbekistan. He picked Kazakhstan.
Poor Kazakhstan. First Stalin, now Borat. It's almost enough to make you feel sorry for the government and its blundering attempts to first sue Cohen and then hire a Western PR firm and launch a debunking marketing offensive - although the fact that Nazarbayev is alleged to have stashed $80m in an offshore account goes some way to mitigating my feelings in this."
No pause even on Sunday. In fact the tempo is increasing. Not a tv watcher, I miss most of them -- the slanderous ads, messages full of innuendos and spin. Just reading about them makes me sick. Among the many items to be found about this very American practice, Bob Hill's column in The Courier Journal (Louisville, KY) stands out. This is what he wrote about the impressions of children in a grade school:
- Campaign ads are resonating out of the mud
- Memo To: Anne Northup, John Yarmuth, Mike Sodrel, Baron Hill, and, OK, since you're coming to town, President Bush.
- Subject: America's children.
- It's also so important in this era of declining family values that we teach our children to respect one another, to always tell the truth. That's why I carefully taped several of your political messages and took them to a local grade school to show the kids.
- You would have been pleased. Your messages are getting out. One of the children said the commercials made him sad because it reminded him of the way Mommy and Daddy behaved just before they got divorced.
- Another child said she wanted to work in politics when she grew up because people got to tell lots of lies and make fun of each other and didn't even have to go to their rooms.
- Thank you for being such role models to our future generations. I know that's just one reason why you devote so much time and money to achieve higher office.
- Commercial controversy
- I don't mean to give you full credit for helping America's children in these confused and troubled times. In fact, one of the more precocious children mentioned he had heard his Mommy talking about Rush Limbaugh criticizing Michael J. Fox for shaking so much during a commercial.
- Limbaugh had said Fox was either faking his Parkinson's disease symptoms or had not been taking his drugs. The child wondered why Mr. Limbaugh would want to make fun of a sick man -- even if he did apologize later.
- Maybe one of you could answer that? I couldn't. All I could say was maybe Mr. Limbaugh already knew quite a bit about drugs and was willing to share his expertise.
- What I do know for certain is that your thoughtful words and campaign strategies have finally united our bitterly divided country. It's hard to go anywhere and not find somebody wanting to borrow an old 7-iron.
- Some of our most angry citizens have even suggested that the best way to cure Iraqis of wanting democracy is to ship over a few hours of our political commercials.
- I won't go that far. I still believe in politics -- and the Tooth Fairy. I know when all the mud clears you'll go back to talking about honesty, integrity, the need for good role models, always doing the right thing.
- You'll be more than willing to go into schools to explain to children that sometimes you just have to tell lies and have your friends make fun of sick people to get to be a role model. They'll understand. Please don't forget your Bibles or other religious text for the swearing-in ceremonies.
- I'm Bob Hill, and I approve this memo.
Bob Hill's column appears on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Reach him at (502) 582-4646 or bhill@courier-journal.com. Comment on this column, and read his blog and previous columns, at www.courier-journal.com/bobhill.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
When We Wake Up On November 8, 2006
What would we find as we digest results of the midterm elections ? The map dominated by "red", Republican, states as in 2004? Although the headlines read "Republicans facing 'electoral hurricane' in face of centrist Democrat push", the report filed by Julian Borger from Knoxville,TN, in The Guardian mentions possible scenarios:
- What if ..? The Capitol Hill scenarios
- Democrats win the House of Representatives alone
- This would put a serious dent in the last two years of the Bush presidency. Democrats would be able to put forward their own legislation and control the federal budget. They would also take over the chairs of the powerful House committees, armed with power of subpoena, allowing them to launch investigations into the Iraq war and other presidential decisions taken in the first six Bush years.
- Democrats win both the House and Senate
- They would have total control of the legislative agenda, forcing the president to accept it or use his veto. The Senate can launch its own investigations, which are taken more seriously. It has the additional power of ratifying treaties and confirming judicial nominations and cabinet appointments. With control of both houses, the Democrats could bring the Bush presidency to a virtual halt. George Bush would be a lame duck.
- The Democrats fail to capture either chamber
- It would stun the party and plunge it into even deeper despair and defeatism, triggering an all-out fight between its competing power centres. The Bush White House would be given a new lease of life at home and abroad, and the president's influence over his party would be reasserted.
It is an uneasy time for us all -- Democrats and Republicans.
Return of the Mudslingers - Campaign 2006
They are back
And how! The faceless, nameless organizations that fund slanderous advertisements are back with a vengeance, spending money like there is no end to it. The same people who gave us the "Swift boat verterans" in 2004. The fact is that negative ads pay. As long as voters give more attention to such ads and salacious, inconsequential tidbits than to real issues they will be fed such drivel. Red herrings will be let loose to deceive the voters. Victory of some candidates will be based largely due to impact of such ads and they will go to Washington to give speeches about moral values and deal with the nation's problems. The total spending (by both parties) have already exceeded one billion dollars. By November 7th the figure is expected to be more than 1.5 billion as voters are deluged with ads in the remaining days.
The Democrats have not only to worry about slanderous ads but also the possibility of voter fraud. Diebold machines, for one. In the face of polls that show the Republicans to be in a very weak situation, President Bush and the vice president appear to be too sanguine about the result. Maybe they know something.
Michael Grunwald in the Post: "When the news is bad, the ads tend to be negative," said Shanto Iyengar, a Stanford professor who studies political advertising. "And the more negative the ad, the more likely it is to get free media coverage. So there's a big incentive to go to the extremes."
"The Year Of Playing Dirtier" - Excerpts:
Rep. Ron Kind pays for sex!
Well, that's what the Republican challenger for his Wisconsin congressional seat, Paul R. Nelson, claims in new ads, the ones with "XXX" stamped across Kind's face.
It turns out that Kind -- along with more than 200 of his fellow hedonists in the House -- opposed an unsuccessful effort to stop the National Institutes of Health from pursuing peer-reviewed sex studies. According to Nelson's ads, the Democrat also wants to "let illegal aliens burn the American flag" and "allow convicted child molesters to enter this country.
To Nelson, that doesn't even qualify as negative campaigning.
"Negative campaigning is vicious personal attacks," he said in an interview. "This isn't personal at all.
By 2006 standards, maybe it isn't.
On the brink of what could be a power-shifting election, it is kitchen-sink time: Desperate candidates are throwing everything. While negative campaigning is a tradition in American politics, this year's version in many races has an eccentric shade, filled with allegations of moral bankruptcy and sexual perversion.
At the same time, the growth of "independent expenditures" by national parties and other groups has allowed candidates to distance themselves from distasteful attacks on their opponents, while blogs and YouTube have provided free distribution networks for eye-catching hatchet jobs.
When the news is bad, the ads tend to be negative," said Shanto Iyengar, a Stanford professor who studies political advertising. "And the more negative the ad, the more likely it is to get free media coverage. So there's a big incentive to go to the extremes.
The result has been a carnival of ugly, especially on the GOP side, where operatives are trying to counter what polls show is a hostile political environment by casting opponents as fatally flawed characters. The National Republican Campaign Committee is spending more than 90 percent of its advertising budget on negative ads, according to GOP operatives, and the rest of the party seems to be following suit. A few examples of the "character issues" taking center stage two weeks before Election Day:
When the news is bad, the ads tend to be negative," said Shanto Iyengar, a Stanford professor who studies political advertising. "And the more negative the ad, the more likely it is to get free media coverage. So there's a big incentive to go to the extremes.
The result has been a carnival of ugly, especially on the GOP side, where operatives are trying to counter what polls show is a hostile political environment by casting opponents as fatally flawed characters. The National Republican Campaign Committee is spending more than 90 percent of its advertising budget on negative ads, according to GOP operatives, and the rest of the party seems to be following suit. A few examples of the "character issues" taking center stage two weeks before Election Day:
In New York, the NRCC ran an ad accusing Democratic House candidate Michael A. Arcuri, a district attorney, of using taxpayer dollars for phone sex. "Hi, sexy," a dancing woman purrs. "You've reached the live, one-on-one fantasy line." It turns out that one of Arcuri's aides had tried to call the state Division of Criminal Justice, which had a number that was almost identical to that of a porn line. The misdial cost taxpayers $1.25.
*****
Friday, October 27, 2006
Mad Dogs and Mullahs
A Disgusting Man
Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilali, is Mufti of Australia's largest mosque. "Mufti" means a Muslim scholar who interprets the shari'a (The code of law based on the Koran). Sheik al-Hilali made it clear that when it came to stupid, bigoted statements he was not going to let Rev. Pat Robertson take the front seat. Take a deep breath. Speaking at his Lakemba Mosque, this is what he said about women:
News.com But when it comes to adultery, it's 90 per cent the women's responsibility. Why? Because a woman possesses the weapon of seduction. It is she who takes off her clothes, shortens them, flirts, puts on make-up and powder and takes to the streets, God protect us, dallying. It's she who shortens, raises and lowers. Then it's a look, then a smile, then a conversation, a greeting, then a conversation, then a date, then a meeting, then a crime, then Long Bay jail. (laughs). "Then you get a judge, who has no mercy, and he gives you 65 years. "But when it comes to this disaster, who started it? In his literature, scholar al-Rafihi says: 'If I came across a rape crime – kidnap and violation of honour – I would discipline the man and order that the woman be arrested and jailed for life.' Why would you do this, Rafihi? He says because if she had not left the meat uncovered, the cat wouldn't have snatched it." "If you take a kilo of meat, and you don't put it in the fridge or in the pot or in the kitchen but you leave it on a plate in the backyard, and then you have a fight with the neighbour because his cats eat the meat, you're crazy. Isn't this true? "If you take uncovered meat and put it on the street, on the pavement, in a garden, in a park or in the backyard, without a cover and the cats eat it, is it the fault of the cat or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem. "If the meat was covered, the cats wouldn't roam around it. If the meat is inside the fridge, they won't get it. "If the meat was in the fridge and it (the cat) smelled it, it can bang its head as much as it wants, but it's no use. "If the woman is in her boudoir, in her house and if she's wearing the veil and if she shows modesty, disasters don't happen. |
On October 26th, the News.com reported: "AUSTRALIA'S senior Muslim cleric cannot be sacked or deported despite the outrage caused by him saying immodestly dressed women invite sexual attacks."
His supporters are no less disgusting. Where are the enlightened Muslims ? Why do they remain largely silent ? Pat Robertson and his ilk may have their supporters but here in America they face a lot of ridicule when they open their mouth to utter hateful, nonsensical opinions.
Washington Post: Australia's Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Pru Goward, accused al-Hilali of inciting rape and said the temporary ban on preaching was inadequate punishment.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Beat the Drum Slowly
Depressing to read that the number of dead soldiers this month in Iraq is nearing 100. Five more days to go before the end of October. As to Iraqi civilian casualties, the number -- even if you accept the minimum -- is staggering but deaths of Iraqi civilians do not seem to have much of an impact on Americans.
Women Against War
BEAT THE DRUM SLOWLY is a grass roots movement to record all women everywhere on the peace anthem, "She Came Riding Up Slowly". Music has the ability to reach across all lines quickly and communicate. This song seeks to reach beyond political and religious affiliations to the most powerful and influential group on the planet: MOTHERS. I, for one, have had enough: thousands of years of war and atrocity in the name of Power and God. Women are half the population of the world. We know children are born with no inherent hatred for race, religion or country. And yet we raise them to believe there are reasons to kill. What if none of us did that anymore? |
A darling of the right-wing talk shows, Rush Limbaugh, caused an uproar by his statement about the tv ad in which Michael J. Fox supported lifting restrictions on stem cell research. Typical. Fox suffers from Parkinson's disease.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Iraq - President's Secret Plan
The Bill Mitchell cartoon says it all.
Secret Plan
 |  |
Mitchell's cartoons used to appear in print. Then during a National Arts Journalism Fellowship, he was given a T-1 connection, a Mac and shown the Web. He's been AWOL from newspapers, living in the Northern Rockies and publishing online since '95. Comments? Yell at Mitchell
A Strategic Retreat or Strategy for Retreat
"Stay the course" ! Who said that ?
President Bush and his aides are annoyed that people keep misinterpreting his Iraq policy as "stay the course." A complete distortion, they say. "That is not a stay-the-course policy," White House press secretary Tony Snow declared yesterday. Where would anyone have gotten that idea? Well, maybe from Bush. |
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
14 Days Before Midterm Elections
It is "the Iraq war", stupid * Death Tolls - Johns Hopkins Study
Those who took the nation to war on deception and lies are dodging, weaving. and changing the message but nothing seems to be working. The tide has turned. The Democrats, who had meekly fallen in line behind them, are the beneficiaries of the backlash.
Washington Post: "Two weeks before the midterm elections, Republicans are losing the battle for independent voters, who now strongly favor Democrats on Iraq and other major issues facing the country and overwhelmingly prefer to see them take over the House in November, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll."
Soldiers continue to die. Latest casualty numbers: Month of October 88; total 2801. A recently released study by Johns Hopkins University caused an uproar because it mentioned civilian death toll in Iraq to be more than 650,000. Some critics went as far as to say that the release was deliberately timed before the midterm elections ! Well, what is an acceptable number to the critics of the study -- 300,000, 200,000 ? Still high, too high when you consider what lead to their death. Operation Iraqi Freedom -- give us a break. No wonder we are hated.
"In a Sea of Uncertainty, We All Have an Anchor" by Shankar Vedantam in the Post makes interesting reading.
Although the debate over the study has been largely driven by the political implications of the number of Iraqi casualties, psychologists say the fact that many people find the new number hard to digest is a perfect example of anchoring. Previous estimates had put the number of Iraqi casualties at 30,000 to 50,000. Once that number was anchored in people's minds, it was a foregone conclusion that most people would find it very difficult to accept a much larger number. "It could be malicious and deliberate or innocent and just wrong, but the fact that the administration had set an anchor is what makes the new number seem implausible," said Max Bazerman, who studies human decision-making at Harvard Business School. It is important to remember that the psychological phenomenon does not tell you what the correct number of casualties in Iraq really is. But it does say that even if the 650,000 number is accurate, we are likely not to believe it. |
Is the Veil (Hijab) Mandated In the Koran
Dr. Ibrahim B. Syed * Contraceptive Coverage - Court Rules Against Catholic Employers
Dr. Syed is Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Louisville School of Medicine and a writer on Islamic affairs. His 1998 article (see below) isn't likley to make him popular in the Muslim community but could very well bring the wrath of the mullahs upon him. Wearing of veil by Muslim women has become a polarizing issue. He wrote "As a matter of fact, modesty in dress is also required on the part of Muslim men." How is that going to fly with Muslim men, especially those who live in the West ?
Washington Post: "While the veil issue has exacerbated tensions between non-Muslims and Muslims, it has also sparked passionate reactions within Muslim communities. Some Muslim leaders have accused Straw, Blair -- who called veils a "mark of separation" -- and others of demonizing Muslims, but others have said they have raised an important issue that has no clear consensus among Muslims."
Washington Post: "While the veil issue has exacerbated tensions between non-Muslims and Muslims, it has also sparked passionate reactions within Muslim communities. Some Muslim leaders have accused Straw, Blair -- who called veils a "mark of separation" -- and others of demonizing Muslims, but others have said they have raised an important issue that has no clear consensus among Muslims."
Is Head Cover For Women Mandatory In Islam ? by Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph.D - Islamic Research Foundation International,Inc.(IFRI) Hijab (head cover) for Muslim women is not mandated in the Qur’an. If it is, it is only the subjective interpretation of an ayah (verse) on the part of the reader. Hence, many Islamic scholars say that according to hadith, a woman should cover her whole body, except her face and hands. The majority of Muslims do not know in which hadith this is mentioned. A very limited number of Muslims know that this is in Sunan Abu Dawud. The English translation of Sunan Abu Dawud is in three volumes. Again, nobody ever mentions that it is in Volume Three. Actually, it is in Volume 3, Book XXVII, Chapter 1535, and Hadith number 4092, titled: "How Much Beauty Can A Woman Display?" For the benefit of the readers, the exact hadith is reproduced below: (Go to the IFRI link for the complete text.) This article was printed in the April 1998 issue, Volume 19, No. 3 of "The New Trend" publication. |
Asra Nomani's article in the Washington Post: Clothes Are'nt the Issue is a shocker. She cites justification for wife beating in the Koran! Makes you wonder why Muslim women remain subservient and accept such conditions. Even if the practice is not widespread it has no place in today's world.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. When dealing with a "disobedient wife," a Muslim man has a number of options. First, he should remind her of "the importance of following the instructions of the husband in Islam." If that doesn't work, he can "leave the wife's bed." Finally, he may "beat" her, though it must be without "hurting, breaking a bone, leaving blue or black marks on the body and avoiding hitting the face, at any cost." Such appalling recommendations, drawn from the book "Woman in the Shade of Islam" by Saudi scholar Abdul Rahman al-Sheha, are inspired by as authoritative a source as any Muslim could hope to find: a literal reading of the 34th verse of the fourth chapter of the Koran, An-Nisa , or Women. "[A]nd (as to) those on whose part you fear desertion, admonish them and leave them alone in the sleeping-places and beat them," reads one widely accepted translation. |
A Defeat For Catholic Employers in New York State
Good news. Although the plaintiffs in this case plan to pursue an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the chances of the justices taking this up are slim.
New York Law Journal: Health Law Requiring Plans To Offer Birth Control Upheld John Caher 10-20-2006 "ALBANY - The Court of Appeals yesterday upheld the constitutionality of a women's health act that pressures some religious-affiliated employers to either offer their employees a prescription plan that includes contraceptive coverage or deny their workers any drug coverage at all. In Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Albany v. Serio, 110, the Court rejected the claims of 10 faith-based organizations and refused to exempt them from a key provision in the Women's Health and Wellness Act. The ruling makes it difficult, but not impossible, for an individual or group to avoid on religious grounds a neutral law of general application. - John Caher can be reached at jcaher@alm.com. |
Monday, October 23, 2006
One Soldier Plans a Road Trip Around America
Colonel Tom Vail * Iraq * Casualties * Garry Trudeau
The bluster has become muted, almost gone, but the same old refrain continues to be heard. And every day soldiers, most of them in their 20's -- some even younger -- die in the slaughterhouse that Iraq has turned into. We who opposed the war before the first pair of boots hit the ground feel vindicated but there is no joy. The cost in human terms is numbing; there is only sorrow. Tom Vail's mission is a worthy one. He will face anger, sadness, and questions about the wasted lives. Nevertheless, his personal meetings with bereaved families could provide much-needed closure for some.
From The Observer (Guardian). October 22, 2006 How Iraq Came to Haunt America Colonel Tom Vail is planning a road trip around the United States. It is his last, sad duty before returning to his family from eastern Baghdad. For when the commander of the 4th Brigade of the 101st Airborne arrives back in the States, it will be with videos of the memorial services held in Baghdad for each of his fallen soldiers to give to the families of the dead men. He knows that some of the families will not want to see him, and he understands. Grief works in different ways, he says. For others, however, it will be an opportunity to talk, to learn something, he hopes, of the inexplicable nature of their children's deaths. So, when he has a moment, when he is not driving round the battlefield that is eastern Baghdad, Vail examines the map and plans his flights and his car hire. And he wonders at the reception he will receive - a messenger of death, bringing the war back from Iraq to the home front. For when Vail and his soldiers return, it will be in the knowledge that the United States that they are going home to is not the one that they left. That in their year-long absence a seismic shift has occurred in support for the war in Iraq. And that the deaths that Colonel Vail must carry back with him to grieving families - deaths that once seemed to Americans to be a necessary cost - now seem to the majority a dreadful and pointless waste. |
See Doonesbury's War for Garry Trudeau and stories about injured veterans.
"Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take
Till he knows that too many people have died."
--Bob Dylan
Till he knows that too many people have died."
--Bob Dylan
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Sunday, A Gary Snyder Kind of Sunday
A few days back my friend JHL forwarded an item that appeared in The Writers' Almanac of October 19th. It took me to a poem by Gary Snyder, one of my favorite poets in America. It was timely, fitted my mood as she thought it would.
The web site includes an audio link. Give it a try.
Map
A hill, a farm,
A forest, and a valley.
Half a hill plowed, half woods.
A forest valley and a valley field.
Sun passes over;
Two solstices a year
Cow in the pasture
Sometimes deer
A farmhouse built of wood.
A forest built on bones.
The high field, hawks
The low field, crows
Wren in the brambles
Frogs in the creek
Hot in summer
Cold in snow
The woods fade and pass.
The farm goes on.
The farm quits and fails
The woods creep down
Stocks fall you can't sell corn
Big frost and tree-mice starve
Who wins who cares?
The woods have time.
The farmer has heirs.
--Gary Snyder
Here is another that I like. Now 76, Gary Snyder lives in the Sierra foothills.
A Walk--Gary Snyder
Sunday the only day we don't work:
Mules farting around the meadow,
Murphy fishing,
The tent flaps in the warm
Early sun: I've eaten breakfast and I'll
Take a walk
To Benson Lake. Packed a lunch,
Goodbye. Hopping on creekbed boulders
Up the rock throat three miles
Puite Creek --
In steep gorge glacier-slick rattlesnake country
Jump, land by a pool, trout skitter,
The clear sky. Deer tracks.
Bad place by a falls, boulders big as houses,
Lunch tied to belt,
I stemmed up a crack and almost fell
But rolled out safe on a ledge
and ambled on.
Quail chicks freeze underfoot, color of stone
Then run cheep! away, hen quail fussing.
Craggy west end of Benson Lake -- after edging
Past dark creek pools on a long white slope --
Lookt down in the ice-black lake
lined with cliff
From far above: deep shimmering trout.
A lone duck in a gunsightpass
steep side hill
Through slide-aspen and talus, to the east end,
Down to grass, wading a wide smooth stream
Into camp. At last.
By the rusty three-year-
Ago left-behind cookstove
Of the old trail crew,
Stoppt and swam and ate my lunch.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Democrats Closing "The God Gap"
Faith as Political Weapon * An Evening with Amanpour
Political expediency, taking a page out of the Republicans' work book or the Democrats have seen the light and taking their faith public ? Daniel Burke in the Post: "Gone are the days when "faith outreach" meant visiting African-American churches two weeks before an election, party leaders say. Instead, Democrats are seeking -- and getting -- regular meetings with megachurch pastors T.D. Jakes, Joel Osteen and Rick Warren."
Excerpts: Some at Democratic Party headquarters are taking an under-the-radar approach to religious outreach and are reluctant to divulge all the party's plans and advisers. "Our focus is not in putting someone behind a pulpit," said Leslie Brown, the DNC's "faith in action" coordinator. But after conducting polls, meeting with state party chairs and undertaking an "internal education," Democrats are building a "message-driven machine," Brown said. "We want to talk about things in ways we can relate to the faith community," said Rep. Clyburn, who heads the Faith Working Group. "I don't talk about the environment just as keeping things green, I talk about it in terms of stewardship." But while recent polls suggest evangelicals may be growing disillusioned with Republicans, many are still reluctant to pull the lever for Democratic candidates, said the Rev. Richard Cizik, vice president of the National Association of Evangelicals. "Simply using 'faith language' won't redound to the benefit of any candidate, Republican or Democrat, without some authenticity there," Cizik said. "When evangelicals think about the reputation of the Republican Party, which isn't too good right now, at least it does have a record of reaching out to those voters and it does have a record on Capitol Hill of at least trying to carry water for their issues," Cizik said. |
Christiane Amanpour
Viewers of CNN are familiar with its star international correspondent. Last evening she spoke at Flint Center, DeAnza College, Cupertino.
She stayed out of taking sides in the current conflict in Iraq but mentioned the out of control situation; talked about the grand mothers of Africa who are taking care of millions of babies whose parents have died of AIDS; and expressed her concern about the dwindling role of international reporting as media organizations reduce their coverage of world events. She feels that today, more than ever, it is important for people to be aware of what is happening in different corners of the globe.
Over the years Amanpour had one-on-one interviews with leaders in many countries. When asked who she would like to meet most, Amanpour said "Osama bin Laden and Kim Jong II". If a reporter succeeds in meeting them it could very well be Christiane Amanpour. She is bright, dedicated, passionate.....and she has moxie.
She stayed out of taking sides in the current conflict in Iraq but mentioned the out of control situation; talked about the grand mothers of Africa who are taking care of millions of babies whose parents have died of AIDS; and expressed her concern about the dwindling role of international reporting as media organizations reduce their coverage of world events. She feels that today, more than ever, it is important for people to be aware of what is happening in different corners of the globe.
Over the years Amanpour had one-on-one interviews with leaders in many countries. When asked who she would like to meet most, Amanpour said "Osama bin Laden and Kim Jong II". If a reporter succeeds in meeting them it could very well be Christiane Amanpour. She is bright, dedicated, passionate.....and she has moxie.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Misogynistic Muslims
Soon after President Pervez Musharraf's failed attempt to amend Pakistan's rape laws (under Hudood Ordinances) in the face of opposition from Muslim religious groups, comes news from India about a woman who was raped by her father-in-law and is now considered by some Muslim clerics and scholars to be unfit to live with her husband. Amazing that such cave-age customs are still alive and well. What is it about Islam that condones grossly repressive practices against women -- hatred or fear ?
The heinous custom of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) is still prevalent among Muslim communities in Sudan and other African countries. It is said to be a "cultural practice, not a religious practice".
This is from Times of India:
- LUCKNOW: Muslim scholars and clerics in Uttar Pradesh have expressed diverse opinions over the court verdict on Imrana that sentenced her father-in-law Ali Mohammed to 10 years in jail for raping and attempting to murder her last year.
- While some clerics including those representing the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have welcomed Thursday's order of the Muzaffarnagar district court, there were others who feel that young Imrana, mother of five children, was still not entitled to live with her husband Noor Ilahi.
- "After being raped by her father-in-law, Imrana ceased to remain Noor Ilahi's wife. Instead she acquired the status of Ilahi's mother. So irrespective of the court order, the Shariat would not permit her to cohabit with Ilahi," Maulana Imrana, who heads the Shariat court in Muzaffarnagar, told reporters.
- "The court verdict could not override the view of the Shariat and according to that Ilahi must leave Imrana."
- Said AIMPLB member and head of the Lucknow-based Firangi Mahal Islamic seminary Maulana Khalid Rashid: "I welcome the court verdict and it must be followed in true letter and spirit."
- While declaring Islam favours capital punishment for rapists for whom it prescribes stoning to death, he, however, did not elaborate on the key question of letting Imrana stay on with her husband.
- "That is a question which I am not empowered to decide, it can be dealt with only by a Darul-Qaza, which is the highest Islamic court."
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Dirge of October - Names By Date
What did they die for and how many more must die ?
Source: Iraq Coalition Casualties Chase A. Haag, 22, Army Corporal, Oct 01, 2006 Mario Nelson, 26, Army Sergeant, Oct 01, 2006 Denise A. Lannaman, 46, Army National Guard Sergeant, Oct 01, 2006 Justin D. Peterson, 32, Marine Captain, Oct 01, 2006 Christopher B. Cosgrove III, 23, Marine Reserve Lance Corporal, Oct 01, 2006 Aaron L. Seal, 23, Marine Reserve Corporal, Oct 01, 2006 Raymond S. Armijo, 22, Army Specialist, Oct 02, 2006 James D. Ellis, 25, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 02, 2006 Satieon V. Greenlee, 24, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 02, 2006 Justin R. Jarrett, 21, Army Specialist, Oct 02, 2006 Joe A. Narvaez, 25, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 02, 2006 Michael K. Oremus, 21, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 02, 2006 Joseph W. Perry, 23, Army Sergeant, Oct 02, 2006 Kristofer C. Walker, 20, Army Specialist, Oct 02, 2006 Daniel Isshak, 25, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 03, 2006 Jonathan Rojas, 27, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 03, 2006 Dean Bright, 32, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 04, 2006 Timothy Burke, 24, Army Specialist, Oct 04, 2006 Christopher O. Moudry, 31, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 04, 2006 George R. Obourn Jr., 20, Army Specialist, Oct 04, 2006 Edward M. Garvin, 19, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 04, 2006 Benjamin S. Rosales, 20, Marine Corporal, Oct 04, 2006 Nicholas A. Arvanitis, 22, Army Corporal, Oct 06, 2006 John Edward Hale, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 06, 2006 Bradford H. Payne, 24, Marine Corporal, Oct 06, 2006 Brandon S. Asbury, 21, Army Sergeant, Oct 07, 2006 Carl W. Johnson II, 21, Army Corporal, Oct 07, 2006 Lawrence Parrish, 36, Army National Guard Sergeant, Oct 07, 2006 John Edward Wood, 37, Army National Guard Specialist, Oct 07, 2006 Shane R. Austin, 19, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 08, 2006 Timothy Fulkerson, 20, Army Specialist, Oct 08, 2006 Stephen F. Johnson, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 08, 2006 Derek W. Jones, 21, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 08, 2006 Jeremy Scott Sandvick Monroe, 20, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 08, 2006 Robert M. Secher, 33, Marine Captain, Oct 08, 2006 Phillip B. Williams, 21, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 09, 2006 Julian M. Arechaga, 23, Marine Sergeant, Oct 09, 2006 Jon Eric Bowman, 21, Marine Lance Corporal, Oct 09, 2006 Shelby J. Feniello, 25, Marine Private 1st Class, Oct 09, 2006 Shane T. Adcock, 27, Army Captain, Oct 11, 2006 Nicholas R. Sowinski, 25, Army Sergeant, Oct 11, 2006 Justin T. Walsh, 24, Marine Sergeant, Oct 11, 2006 Gene A. Hawkins, 24, Army Sergeant, Oct 12, 2006 Johnny K. Craver, 37, Army Lieutenant, Oct 13, 2006 Thomas J. Hewett, 22, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 13, 2006 Kenny F. Stanton Jr., 20, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 13, 2006 Leebenard E. Chavis, 21, Air Force Airman 1st Class, Oct 14, 2006 Joseph M. Kane, 35, Army Staff Sergeant, Oct 14, 2006 Charles M. King, 48, Army 1st Sergeant, Oct 14, 2006 Timothy J. Lauer, 25, Army Specialist, Oct 14, 2006 Keith J. Moore, 28, Army Private 1st Class, Oct 14, 2006 Jonathan J. Simpson, 25, Marine Sergeant, Oct 14, 2006 Jr., Lester Domenico Baroncini, 33, Army Sergeant, Oct 15, 2006 Stephen Bicknell, 19, Army Private, Oct 15, 2006 Joshua Deese, 25, Army 1st Lieutenant, Oct 15, 2006 Jonathan E. Lootens, 25, Army Sergeant, Oct 15, 2006 Mark C. Paine, 32, Army Captain, Oct 15, 2006 Brock A. Babb, 40, Marine Reserve Sergeant, Oct 15, 2006 Joshua M. Hines, 26, Marine Reserve Lance Corporal, Oct 15, 2006 Christopher E. Loudon, 23, Army 2nd Lieutenant, Oct 17, 2006Note: The total todate for October is reported to be 74. The list represents deaths confirmed by the D.O.D. Total since beginning of the war: 2785 |
President admits comparison with Vietnam
Reality check...for the president Vietnam is no longer taboo in talking about the situation in Iraq. At the same time the president threw in a bit of campaigning -- mentioned the upcoming elections here in the United States. "Bush has strongly resisted comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam, but with U.S. casualties continuing to mount, he agreed to an interviewer's analogy and said he detected a spike in attacks timed to the congressional elections in three weeks with the goal of forcing the United States to lose its will." Ah, the bogey of Democrats being weak on terrorism and the insurgents would like to see them win!
*****
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Bloody October In Iraq
The Baker Mission * Surprise Around the Corner ?
Ann Telnaes - Slate Magazine"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi insurgents killed 10 U.S. soldiers in a single day, the U.S. military said on Wednesday, in the latest of a surge of attacks on American forces battling soaring sectarian violence and a Sunni Arab revolt."
No secret that former secretary of state, and a friend of the Bush family, James Baker is involved in backchannel negotiations to resolve the crisis in Iraq -- pull chestnuts out of fire for Junior. The Guardian reports that leaks about the Baker Mission were timed for the midterm elections. This could be the October surprise that was expected to be sprung or an attempt to allow the president a face-saving exit from the mess he created. Can it save the Republicans ? By now American voters know enough about the Bush Administration not to be duped by this ploy but one can never tell.
The Guardian
October 18,2006
- A radical change in US policy over Iraq after the November elections appeared increasingly likely yesterday after reports that a bipartisan commission headed by a Bush family confidant will recommend an approach to Iran and Syria for help or a withdrawal to bases outside Iraq.
- The Iraq Study Group is chaired by James Baker, who was the first President Bush's secretary of state. It is not due to deliver its findings until after the congressional elections on November 7 because of their potentially explosive political impact, but the panel's proceedings have been leaked to the press.
- In recent interviews, Mr Baker said the group has taken no firm decisions but made it clear that the current US strategy was no longer an option. "There'll probably be some things in our report that the administration might not like," Mr Baker predicted in a TV interview. He said: "Our commission believes there are alternatives between the stated alternatives, the ones that are out there in the political debate of 'stay the course' and 'cut and run'."
- He made it clear he believed there should be approaches to Iraq's neighbours, including those the White House has accused of fomenting the insurgency. "I believe in talking to your enemies," he said. "Neither the Syrians nor the Iranians want a chaotic Iraq ... so maybe there is some potential for getting something other than opposition from those countries."
- In a BBC interview yesterday, the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, expressed support for such a move, saying it would "be the beginning of the end of terrorism".
- Mr Baker has also suggested that the US might have to give up its long-term war aim of democracy across the Middle East. Instead he suggested that the US define success as achieving "representative government, not necessarily democracy".
- According to leaks published first in the New York Sun and then in the Los Angeles Times, the Iraq Study Group, which has consulted 150 outside experts including Syrian and Iranian representatives, is focusing on two broad options.
- One is entitled "Stability First" and it would involve focusing the military effort on pacifying Baghdad while attempting to draw some insurgent groups into the political process and opening talks with Syria and Iran.
- The second has been called "Redeploy and Contain", pulling US troops back to bases outside Iraq and conducting military operations from there in support of Iraqi government forces.
- However they were spun, both would represent a measure of defeat for President Bush, but with a American death toll fast approaching 3,000, the new report may reflect a realisation he has no choice.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Nightmares at Pennsylvania Avenue
Bob Woodward's "State of Denial" * India's Dubious Honor * Google/YouTube
In a lead article titled Cross Eyed and Clueless, The Economist commented about Bob Woodward's "State of Denial". "Mr Woodward's critics on both left and right have complained that this is all old hat. 'We've read this book before,' says Tony Snow, Mr Bush's press secretary. But it matters, because Mr Woodward can hardly be classified as a Bush-hater. 'Bush at War' painted such a flattering portrait of the great leader that the Republican National Committee sold it on its website. And it matters because the Woodward publicity machine is a mighty engine. 'State of Denial' has already sold out its first printing of 750,000 copies, and Mr Woodward is omnipresent on cable TV." Iraq continues to plague the president. Attacks against U.S. soldiers have increased; 56 more died between October 1-15.
Three weeks before midterm elections, if they are having nightmares at Pennsylvania Avenue there is more than Woodward's book to account for them. Putting it mildly, the projections don't look encouraging. No less a source than the Congressional Quarterly's Weekly Report (for the period Oct.9-13) presents a bleak landscape for the G.O.P. However, Democrats have reason to be wary. The backlash against Republicans does not mean approval for Democrats; currently they are being seen as lesser of two evils and that is not something to bank on.
BPI is the acronym for Transparency International's Bribe Payer's Index ! In a report datelined 5 October, Times of India/India Times reported "India World Leader In Greasing Palms"
- " LONDON/NEW DELHI: India doesn't just have loads of corruption at home, it is also the world leader in exporting graft.
- Months after Transparency International ranked India as among the more corrupt societies in the world, the NGO's Bribe Payer's Index 2006 shows that Indian exporters are more willing than their counterparts from other countries to pay overseas bribes to secure business, clinch contracts, do deals and generally get on in the world.
- Of the 30 countries surveyed by the index, India was the worst ' or most willing to give' followed by China and Russia.
- The BPI ranked Swiss companies as least likely to use brown envelopes and backhanders to get the job done. No Asian country figures in the list of the ten cleanest countries. Japan figures eleventh followed by Singapore.
Swiss companies might not pay bribe to get contracts today but they were certainly involved in the Bofors scandal in India in the 80's (the investigation is still continuing). The Swiss banking system is known to promote and encourage stashing of money from illegal transactions, whether bribes or narcotic traffic. Switzerland has been a haven for dirty money for years.
*
"Down the tube"?
"Down the tube"?
From across the Atlantic, The Scotsman had this to say about Google's acquisition:
"What if Google deal is '£880m down the tube'?
BUSINESS FOCUS
GRAHAM STEWART
IT SOUNDS like a tale from the dotcom boom and bust era. Technology giant buys a website that's never made a penny of profit for an eyewatering sum which it is never likely to recoup. After Google paid $1.65bn (£883m) for the video sharing site YouTube last week, analysts have been wondering whether history is about to repeat itself.
While the California-based YouTube offers nothing unique in technology terms, it has one commodity which all online media companies covet: a mass audience."
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Sunday Morning - Time, Distance and Lament for a Friend
Saturday, October 14, 2006
".....Bush's rising frustration...." And "Republican,Ut"
Ogden Nash's Senator Smoot
The inimitable Ogden Nash wrote about uptight Republicans 75 years ago. Watching them in action today makes it apparent that they haven't changed much. If anything, they have gotten worse as they strut around blathering about moral values.
"Senator Smoot (Republican, Ut.)-- Ogden Nash, "Invocation," 1931
Is planning a ban on smut
Oh rooti-ti-toot for Smoot of Ut.
And his reverent occiput.
Smite. Smoot, smite for Ut.,
Grit your molars and do your dut.,
Gird up your l--ns,
Smite h-p and th-gh,
We'll all be Kansas
By and By."
Foaming at the Mouth
Remember the late Spiro Agnew's "Nattering nabobs of negativism" ? Spiro Agnew was Richard Nixon's vice president until he resigned after pleading "no contest" to charges of tax fraud. He will be remembered for his attack of the administration's critics in a speech on September 11, 1970, at Republican State Convention in San Diego, California. The journalist William Saffire is reported to be the author of the phrase. "In the United States today, we have more than our share of the nattering nabobs of negativism. They have formed their own 4-H Club -- the 'hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history'."
Music to my ears. Usually Vice President Cheney plays the attack-dog role but our commander-in-chief has been going a bit shrill against his critics. R. Jeffrey Smith in the Washington Post: "But a survey of transcripts from Bush's public remarks over the past seven years shows the president's worsening political predicament has actually stoked, rather than diminished, his desire to proclaim what he cannot abide. Some presidential scholars and psychologists describe the trend as a signpost of Bush's rising frustration with his declining influence. Watch the bloodpressure.
In the first nine months of this year, Bush declared more than twice as many events or outcomes "unacceptable" or "not acceptable" as he did in all of 2005, and nearly four times as many as he did in 2004. He is, in fact, at a presidential career high in denouncing events he considers intolerable. They number 37 so far this year, as opposed to five in 2003, 18 in 2002 and 14 in 2001. Through a spokesman and then in a televised statement, he declared North Korea's claimed nuclear test "unacceptable" before and after it occurred Oct. 9. But he could also be heard on Jan. 9 lecturing students at an elementary school in Glen Burnie, Md., that their recent scores on math and reading proficiency tests were "unacceptable." Having a president call something "unacceptable" is not the same as having him order U.S. troops into action. But foreign policy experts say the word is one of the strongest any leader can deploy, since it both broadcasts a national position and conveys an implicit threat to take action if his warnings are disregarded. Bush's use of the term "reflects in some ways his frustration with a world that doesn't seem as amenable to his policies as he would like them to be," said Stanley A. Renshon, a political scientist at the City University of New York. Bush "has strong views; he believes in doing what is right. All of those things give an emotional force to his response" to events he often sees and describes without nuance. |
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Britannia Wavering - Is this the End of the "Coalition" ?
Iraq - The Bombshell from Britain * The Gorilla On Bush's Back
If British forces pull out of Iraq that would be much more than the proverbial 'straw' that breaks the camel's back. It is no secret that the much-vaunted "coalition" in the war against Iraq consisted mainly of British and American forces. Australia still has a presence -- a somewhat insignificant presence -- total of under 2000 armed personnel. Poland and Italy have announced withdrawal from Iraq by the end of 2006.
Therefore, British army chief Sir Richard Dannatt's blunt statement for withdrawal from Iraq must have sent shockwaves all the way across the Atlantic. Stretched, as the American soldiers now are, without support of the British army their situation would be untenable.
"Dannat's comments are certain to infuriate Prime Minister Tony Blair who is President Bush's key ally in the war in Iraq. He described Blair's policy toward Iraq as "naive." No doubt Downing Street will issue clarifications and assurances. But Sir Richard's statement is on record. No amount of dancing around it will lessen its impact.
U.K. Troops in Iraq Said Hurt Situation The Associated Press/Washington Post Thursday, October 12, 2006; 5:59 PM LONDON -- The head of the British Army said British troops in Iraq are making the situation worse and must leave the country soon, according to a newspaper interview published Thursday. The British military should "get ourselves out sometime soon because our presence exacerbates the security problems," Gen. Sir Richard Dannatt told the Daily Mail in the interview released on the tabloid's Web site. "We are in a Muslim country and Muslims' views of foreigners in their country are quite clear," he added. "As a foreigner, you can be welcomed by being invited in a country, but we weren't invited certainly by those in Iraq at the time. "Dannat's comments are certain to infuriate Prime Minister Tony Blair who is President Bush's key ally in the war in Iraq. He described Blair's policy toward Iraq as "naive." It is highly unusual for a sitting military commander to publicly criticize the government's foreign policy."Whatever consent we may have had in the first place" from the Iraqi people "has largely turned to intolerance," he said. |
"In a blistering attack on Tony Blair's foreign policy, Gen Dannatt said the continuing military presence in Iraq was jeopardising British security and interests around the world."
See detailed report in The Guardian.
Voice of the People
Midterm Elections * The Unaware (of Guns in Schools) President
The message is loud and clear. The voters have had enough of the party in power and its arrogance; its unhealthy relationship with the lobbyists of 'K' Street; and its "bridge to nowhere" pork-barrel legislations. Twentysix days before mid-term elections there can be no doubt about the Republicans' fall from grace. They are vulnerable and they know it. The fear is palpable. Even the God-factor is not doing them much good. Now,as David Broder commented in his column in the Post, all that remains is for the voters to 'pull the trigger'. "The old theater adage demands that if you show a pistol in Act 1, you'd better fire the gun in Act 3. That same wisdom applies to politics. The voters have been pointing a symbolic gun at the Republican regime in Washington for many months now. All that remains is for them to pull the trigger on Election Day."
When you examine the latest round of preelection polls, what is striking is the stability of public attitudes over the preceding months. In this week's Post-ABC News poll, for example, President Bush has a job approval score of 39 percent, with 60 percent disapproving. Eleven months earlier, in November 2005, the scores were identical. In between, Bush got up as high as 47 percent and fell as low as 33 percent. But at no time did more Americans approve of his job performance than disapprove. The public has shown similar consistency with party support for Congress. In the latest poll, Democrats lead Republicans, 54 percent to 41 percent, among registered voters. In November 2005 the Democrats led 52 percent to 37 percent. The margins are almost identical. To take one more example, look at the broad question of the overall direction of the nation -- right path or wrong track. In this latest poll, by a margin of 66 percent to 32 percent, people said "wrong track." Last November the comparable numbers were 68 and 30 percent. What all this suggests is a settled judgment on the part of the majority of Americans that the current leadership of the nation is not doing the job that people expect. This is the government the people chose in 2004, but now they are showing clear signs of buyer's remorse. The disillusionment is not the product of the Foley scandal, which is shifting few votes, as far as I can judge. And it also reflects more than the continuing bad news from Iraq, though that has had a large effect on public opinion. What is driving public opinion is an overall impression that those in office -- meaning mainly Republicans -- have let things slide out of control and need to be relieved. |
Knock me down with a feather ! President Bush presided over a discussion about school shootings without once mentioning guns. Neither did First Lady Laura Bush. In the cuckooland where they live, guns don't kill kids. Dana Milbank, Washington Post: "President Bush has always been a disciplined man, but yesterday he set a new standard for self-control: He moderated an hour-long discussion about the rash of school shootings in the past week without once mentioning the word 'guns'.
First lady Laura Bush was nearly as good, giving a seven-minute speech at yesterday's White House Conference on School Safety without mentioning guns. Two longtime aides, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, deftly led hours of panels at the National 4-H building in Chevy Chase with only a few glancing references to weapons."
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
October 2006
Thirty Days Before Midterm Elections
A typical October in the San Francisco Bay area. A few showers followed by warm, sunny days. The leaves,however, make it clear that it is fall. You don't see piles of them under the trees yet but the colors have started to turn. A friend who recently returned from a trip to Eastern Sierra and Nevada said that the fall colors were "spectacular". Here in the Silicon Valley we rarely see that kind of foliage but there are pockets of blazing colors along Skyline that can surprise hikers and drivers.
Well, it's a marvelous night for a Moondance
With the stars up above in your eyes
A fantabulous night to make romance
'Neath the cover of October skies
And all the leaves on the trees are falling
To the sound of the breezes that blow
And I'm trying to please to the calling
Of your heart-strings that play soft and low
And all the night's magic seems to whisper and hush
And all the soft moonlight seems to shine in your blush
-- Van Morrison, Moondance
Last year there was a bumper crop of chanterelles. It will take more rainy days before they begin to emerge. The mushrooms are unpredictable but the pleasures of walking through the woods are rewarding enough....good for the body and soul.
Good news is the battering taken by the Republicans over the Foley scandal. It ripped away their sanctimonious facade. Fall of hubris is cause for celebration. Too early to tell if the disgust for Republican politicians and their hypocrisy will mean victory for Democrats. All 435 House seats and 34 Senate seats are to be contested on November 7th. Based on current polls the Republicans risk losing between 7 to 30 seats in the House. Democrats need to win 15 to retake control of Congress. They are unlikely to win six seats needed for majority in the Senate. David Broder and Dan Balz in the Post: "Approval of Congress has plunged to its lowest level in more than a decade (32 percent), and Americans, by a margin of 54 percent to 35 percent, say they trust Democrats more than Republicans to deal with the biggest problems the nation is confronting. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed said congressional Democrats deserve to be reelected next month, but just 39 percent said Republicans deserve to return to office."