Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Flag Burning - Again!

So, the GOP has failed in its latest attempt to codify its extreme ideology with yet another attempt to mess with our freedoms with an attempt at banning flag burning. Aren't there more serious issues facing the country without them messing with freedom of speech, as they have tried with the blurring of the Evangelical Church with the State.

What separates us free Americans from the Iranians, North Koreans, Cubans and Mainland Chinese is the fact that we CAN criticize our leaders and their bullheaded, misguided policies. In a free, democratic society, the citizens of said society should let off steam by showing their displeasure by protesting - gathering in front of their leader's offices, homes with speeches as well as flag-burning if they are that angry. What would the GOP have the frustrated do - fly planes into buildings? Shoot up a mall?

What boggles my mind is that there are far more serious issues facing the nation - such as North Korean missles, the Iranian nuke problem, growing gaps between the rich and poor, an exploding deficit and national debt, increased crime, illegal immigration, good jobs leaving the country, etc. etc.

But just look what this hapless bunch of Republicans think is important - tax cuts for the wealthy, another attempt at marginalizing gays and now limiting freedom of speech. This, coming on the heels of illegal wiretapping and now dubious legalities about government spying on your bank accounts. A total waste of taxpayer time and money. But hey, it looks good on GOP brochures - "THEY (the Democrats) are against the country because they DIDN'T vote for an anti-flag burning amendment." "THEY support terrorism because they won't let us look through your underwear drawer in the middle of the night." And on and on.

And what is so amazing - they KNOW they don't have the votes and they pursue it ANYWAY!

The argument they use is that the flag represents the blood lost on the battlefield in defending our freedom, but they refuse to see that not all military adventurism is to defend our shores and freedoms, but in fact, its just the opposite - an attempt at keeping the dissenters in line. Just some examples - was the Viet Nam war a war about defending our freedom or interfering in another country's civil war? We heard the argumetn before - if you don't fight them OVER THERE, will be fighting them OVER HERE. A half million soldiers sent to a country the size of Kansas and now we have 160,000 in Iraq, which is the size of California. Make sense to you? And although Vietnam 'fell' to the Communists, Hawaii did not. And today, the Vietnamese people want nothing more than friendship with the American People. We call what happened during the 60s the Vietnam War, they call it the American War.

During the 1980s we 'rescued' Grenada, (no threat to us), overthrew Noriega in Panama, because he was a 'drug lord' and a threat to 'our children'. Noriega's in prison (Mission Accomplished) but there is still very much a drug problem in the US. Why is it the US' responsibility to repeatedly interefere in the mess that is Haiti and to this day, no one can figure out why we sent troops into Somalia (by George Bush I) only to have them pulled out by Bill Clinton (weak on defense).

Now the Administration is on the attack again by going after the New York Times for daring to report about the info mining of people's bank accounts. The NRA always uses the 'slippery slope' argument and I'll use it here - what more will Bush and Cheney snoop around our private lives next, in its 'blank check' philosophy of power.

And of course, the New York Times was singled out for special mention, not the LA Times, Wall Street Journal or Washington Post, primarily because it is views as a 'liberal' bastion. Yup, that's the ticket - what we do is not wrong, just the media reporting on us - is. Ahh, the 'Swift Boating' of the New York Times. Gotta love it.

The best way to show your patriotism and love of this country would to return the government to the hands of the people and common sense by overthrowing Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Snow (both of them) and Rove.

Vote Libertarian - the Republicans are cluseless and a sham.

On other thing - on last night's 'Countdown with Keith Olberman', Bush is on record that 'global warming is a serious threat' and he was 'always' a big supporter of fixing the problem. Yeah right - and if you believe that - here let me sell you some Iraqi WMD.

I think he is jealous of Al Gore. Al is more popular than he is.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Thou Shall Not Disagree

Now that Karl Rove has been cleared of an impending indictment in the Valerie Plame affair, Bush's brain is busy at work attacking all those who disagree with Bush's Iraq Policy. It seems he is now attacking John Kerry, John Murtha and Wesley Clark (all Democrats) as 'cut and run' Democrats.

I have a friend who tells me that I shouldn't criticize the Commander in Chief unless you served at some time in the military. I haven't. Hmmm, if non-Veterans cannot criticize the Commander in Chief, but a whiz kid nerd can attack the patriotism and the logic of an ex-Marine like Murtha, a combat veteran like Kerry and the former Supreme Commander of Nato, Wesley Clark, when he Rove, had better things to do when it was HIS time to serve in the military. Most conservatives don't see a problem in having Don Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney, two men who had their opportunities to serve their country, but 'had better things to do', then serve their country when they had the chance, but its okay for them to be architects of the neocon 'American Century' or Bush's 'Operation Avenge Daddy' in Iraq.

Even when currently serving members of the Armed Forces criticize the size of the deployment or the quality of the armor are not immune from GOP vindictiveness. Think of the former head of the Army, (I think his name was White) or the General who criticized the size of the 160K man attack force. Both summarily dismissed.

This is standard faire for the Bush White House. The 'Swift Boating' of John Kerry, the personal attacks on John McCain during the South Carolina primary during the 2000 campaign. And yet, just a few weeks ago, the ethically challenged Tom DeLay whined about the 'politics of personal destruction'. Nothing new there. They used it against both Bill and Hillary Clinton during Bill's eight years in the White House.

Now, along comes the GOP's Blonde Bimbo, Ann Coulter who claims that the widows of 911 are glad that they lost their husbands during the attacks because it made them millionaires. How crude. How trashy. How slutty. As slutty as her outfit on the Today Show. Coulter wouldn't give a shit had not some of those widows not supported John Kerry in 2004. Had they been all Bush supporters, she would have called these women 'victims'.

Coulter also claims that these women use their 'celebrity' to make a political statement, as if that was somehow wrong. Had these women made statements in favor of the Administration, there would be no problem. Their husbands would have been considered 'heroes' for being at the wrong place at the wrong time, but even those women whose sons are killed in battle, like Cindy Sheehan, and criticize the regime are condemned.

Where would George Bush and Ann Coulter be today had it not been for September 11? The attacks gave Bush what he wanted the most and what he has been dreaming about all his life -- a virtual blank check and nearly limitless power. He got his Daddy's Revenge by going abter pop's nemesis in Iraq, as we all wait for the Iraqis to welcome us with open arms. Unlike, Daddy, he was deprived of a 100 hour war. He got a blank check to finance it, as we wait for Iraqi oil to finance the war, and not the American taxpayer. Fifty billion, 100 billion, 200 billion, now 400 billion dollars later. And he made sure that the Donald Trumps of the coumtry don't pay much for the war or anything else for that matter.

And where would Ann Coulter be without 911? The attacks gave her a blank check to attack any critic of the far right and she certainly profited handsomely from all her anti-moderate and anti-left bilge that she publishes and gets free publicity thanks to the likes of Fox News and Bill O'reilly. With book titles such as "How To Talk To A Liberal. (If You Must)" go along way to explain why political discourse in this country has sunk to new levels. Even while the far right whines about the 'liberal' media and a lack of attention to conservatives, they conveniently forget that 'liberal' Time Magazine had put Bimbo Coulter on its cover a few months ago.

It has been said that with the death of Abu Al Zarqawi that Al Qeida in Iraq will resort to more violence to show that and that the insurgency is really on its last legs. Like the insurgency and Al Qeida, the Far Right seems to be acting more and more desperate as time goes on, the crude and insulting comments of Coulter, the revisionist history that O'Reilly is pushing and the rush to push for the right wing's last gasp agenda like more Wealthfare tax cuts and the divisive (doomed, but lets play it up for the cameras) Constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage show how desperate the right (er, wrong0 wing is getting. But Congress gave itself a raise. They also tucked a raise in the minimum wage as a rider for another bill, but it is all but certain not to get voted on.

But the biggest insult of all to the troops serving in Iraq is the fact that the new Prime Minister there is talking about granting amnesty to insurgents who kill American troops, (now over 2,500) and Bush is okay with that. The same Republican Party would be loathe to grant amnesty to an illegal alien in this country, but Bush is okay with the ltaking of the life of an Ameican soldier.

I am disgusted. And if your not, you haven't been paying attention.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

New Scorched Pig Logo

Thanks to Bruce's artistic talent and the snout of an actual, authentic Pig, the Scorched Pig now has an 'official' logo and registered with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and at some time later, perhaps a Federal Copyright as well. You may see this logo on products sold by Scorched Pig Productions, or Scorched Pig Enterprises. Coming to a product near you. More to follow.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

O'Reilly interview with Wesley Clark

http://mediamatters.org/items/200606030002

The latest from Ted Baxter.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Two Worlds of Justice

Two more questions to ponder:
Why is Congress so upset over the FBI search of Congressman Jefferson's office? They got a warrant. The Constitution protects them while at work in the Capitol, not their offices. Both parties are up in arms over this. Is this the same Congress that says its okay to tap into MY phone records without a warrant and without cause?

Michael Reagan agrees with me on this one.
If YOU get convicted of a crime, YOU get to sit in jail pending appeal. Why does Ken Lay and other corporate crooks get to run free while their cases are being appealed? Kenny Boy is restricted to one area of Colorado and southern Texas. All he has to do is 'go fishing' off Brownsville and he'll soon be in Mexican waters and he is home free. Nobody is stopping illegal immigrants INTO Mexico.

Clinton pardoned Mark Rich, a major contributor and financial wheeler dealer at the 11th hour.
Will Bush do the same for Kenny Boy considering how much he raised for the GOP?

I will probably join the Libertarian Party before the next election, although I disagree with their stand on immigration, but I have to review that again

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Its June 1st, the beginning of the 2006 Hurricane Season - who will get hit this year. Some are saying the East Coast (upper) is due. On June 10, this blog will be semi-officially be one year old. It began on April 26, 2005, but I didn't install the counter until June 10.

Where they came from: CA (Costa Mesa, LA, Sacramento, Sunnyvale and Walnut Creek).
FL,GA, IL,ME, MD,MA (Arlington, Boston. Palmer, West Roxbury),NH, NJ, NV, NY, Ri, PA

UK (multiple), Korea and Japan.


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In the Garden: Lithops is apparently a failure, probably due to covering the seeds inadvertebtly, but I have ordered from the Cactus and Succulent Society Seed Depot

Lithops Aucampiae
Lithops Dinteri
Lithops Fulviceps
Lithops Karasmontana
Echinopsis Pachanoi (San Pedro)

Stetsonia Coryne

Meanwhile, the Cactus seed that was backordered from Seed Rack has been sent, mixed variety, 200 seeds. I will use the same container that I sprouted the first ones and the San Pedros will be on the left, the Stetsonia on the right and the mexed bag in the middle. Can you say Cactus Forest?


I have two week Dawn Redwood, a possile sprout of tea and SEVERAL sprouts of Colorado Blue Spruce. Quite tiny, but they do look like conifers.