Where are the guns, Rummy?

Murphy’s Law meets BushCo’s brown* thumb

The Pentagon cannot account for 14,030 weapons — almost 4 percent of the semiautomatic pistols, assault rifles, machine guns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers and other weapons it began supplying to Iraq since the end of 2003, according to a report from the office of the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction.

The missing weapons will not be tracked easily: The Defense Department registered the serial numbers of only about 10,000 of the 370,251 weapons it provided — less than 3 percent.

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Fear not, unrelenting military-supporters, your unmanned drones will remain loyal to your Eye For An Eye Diplomacy March of Freedom War on Terra.

ABC News has learned the raid was launched after U.S. intelligence received tips and examined Predator reconnaissance indicating that al Qaeda’s No. 2 man may have been staying at the school, which is located in the Bajaur region near the village that is thought to be al Qaeda’s winter headquarters.

Despite earlier reports that the missiles had been launched by Pakistani military helicopters, Pakistani intelligence sources now tell ABC News that the missiles were fired from a U.S. Predator drone plane.

linkage (emphasis mine)

To quote a blogfriend of mine: “I guess they think nuclear annihilation would be preferable to Democratic control of the house?”

I dunno the answer to that question, but I do know that George Bush, John Boehner and the rest of the GOP leadership still heart Rummy despite the continuous missteps.

BOEHNER: I think Donald Rumsfeld is the best thing that’s happened to the Pentagon in 25 years. This Pentagon and our military needs a transformation and I think Donald Rumsfeld is the only man in America who knows where the bodies are buried at the Pentagon, has enough experience to help transform that institution. Let’s not take the problems in Iraq, the tough fight that we’re in there and blame it on anyone.

ThinkProgress has the video

Criminally Insane or Bald-Faced Liars? I’ll take ‘all of the above’ for $338 billion, please.

*everything turns to caca

 

Let The Election Shenanigans Begin!

Via Steven D at BooTrib, a tale horrific enough to satisfy any of your Halloween fright needs.

Several South Florida voters say the choices they touched on the electronic screens were not the ones that appeared on the review screen — the final voting step. […]

Debra A. Reed voted with her boss on Wednesday at African-American Research Library and Cultural Center near Fort Lauderdale. Her vote went smoothly, but boss Gary Rudolf called her over to look at what was happening on his machine. He touched the screen for gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis, a Democrat, but the review screen repeatedly registered the Republican, Charlie Crist.

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How come the voters never switch from Republican to Democrat? Just askin’…

Ahh the joys of living in a country where the corporate voter yanks our chains and lifts our assets. Perhaps Diebold will find it expedient to their bottom line this year and decide their little honeymoon with the GOP is over.

From the ‘You Can’t Make This Mierda Up’ Department: a federal investigation is being launched against a voting machine company. Think it’s Diebold? Har Har.

In order to redefine irony in the dictionary, this probe has the added bonus of deflecting attention away from the issue of verified voting and re-resurrecting the specter of the “Madman Liberal Latino From South America Who Dares Speak Ill of Dear Leader”.

A U.S. manufacturer of touch-screen voting machines confirmed Sunday it was being investigated by the federal government for alleged ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez but flatly denied any connection.

[snippity snip]

Sequoia Voting Systems, based in Oakland, Calif., said the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, was conducting the formal inquiry into it as well as its parent software company, the Smartmatic Corp., at the firms’ request after news articles suggested improper ties.

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Good Morning America – do you know who your Corporate Overlords are?

 

fotos, fotos everywhere sunday tour!

Okay well maybe not everywhere, but in lots of places! And what’s better on a lazy Sunday afte… what? You’re having a busy Sunday afternoon? Well, stop it right this minute! We have a tour to do!

First up, I might as well get this out of the way right away. It’s about Olivia. See… she’s admitted to holding out on us. Tis true! 😐 BUT… she says it’s for a good cause (isn’t that what people always say?)… she’s been toodling around doing fotofairs and such, as if that was a good excuse. See for yourself and you be the judge!

katiebird wants to know if you’re ready for New Years! Me, I”m not even ready for Halloween! Also, firming daily and I think one can still get committed too. And don’t forget to lounge around!

ILJ not only has Obama elected, he already has his Inauguration Speech written! Pretty cool, go read!

[UPDATE!] I (that would be me) finally have something to put on the tour too! And it has to do with fotos, although not the same ones. I did a “meme”, my first (and, no doubt, only) one, of 8 things you find amazing, in picture form. I forgot a couple, but still… go look! (Not thumbnails, so fairly graphics heavy).

Over at the wild pink peace place, Janet let’s her feet do the talking! Or, at least, her shoes.

What’s a Sunday without a food for thought? Well, we don’t have to worry about that this week, cuz catnip has one! Also, hope.

Yay! Boran has started the new picture and I think it’s going to do very well! I remember the first one. Also, looks like the Earth may be running on empty. Uh oh! And Cheney looks in the mirror.

[UPDATE THE LAST!] All righty then, I need to get the rest of this in quickly before blogger disappears again. Zoom, zoom! Sigh.

Deano has an art piece up that I like… not that I don’t like all of them or anything. Okay, well I don’t but it’s art! Aren’t you supposed to not? Anyway, this one I do, and if you do, or don’t, you should go say why. Critique!

Nezua (whose permalinks I have finally found, yay!) has a whole bunch of stuff, but here are a couple of things – he’s starting a new category of posts called Road to the Fifth Sun series, and it sounds like it’s going to be very fun and interesting! Also, some big mistakes people who make their living by lying are making. And the crushing of young spirits.

Original James is highlighting the words of Maher Arar – powerful words they are, too! Also, GOP hypocrisy (doesn’t that seem a bit redundant?) And at Jazzy James, featured are the sounds of Joseph Jarman and Noah Howard!

All done! I think… some haven’t updated. Let me know if I’ve forgotten anyone, or if Blogger lost them along the way!

 

fOtofair2006 Today and Tomorrow

Come check it out via the master diary by clicking on the logo below

My offerings are here

 

Friday Bud Blogging

We went from this:

to this:

 

The Minutemen vs. The Minutemen

Too funny.

Since its inception in 2004, the Minuteman Project (MP), an immigration control operation, has recruited civilians to apprehend illegal immigrants along the Mexican border.

And while the organization—which drew nationwide coverage earlier this month when pro-immigrant students at Columbia University rushed the stage during a speech by founder Jim Gilchrist—expected to draw the ire of many, it may not have counted on the opposition of certain citizens of Massachusetts, who are vigilantly patrolling the use of the moniker “Minuteman.”

Those critics consider the title sacred to the state’s colonial heritage.

“It does offend me,” said Carla Fortmann, who works at the historic Buckman Tavern in Lexington—the same tavern where the original minutemen were stationed on the eve of the American Revolution. “I understand how they might pick [the name], but vigilante might seem more appropriate. Or self-appointed posse. Or even bounty hunters.”

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The vigilantes have deluded themselves into thinking they resemble something like this:

Although the terms militia and minutemen are sometimes used interchangeably today, in the 18th century there was a decided difference between the two. Militia were men in arms formed to protect their towns from foreign invasion and ravages of war. Minutemen were a small hand-picked elite force which were required to be highly mobile and able to assemble quickly. Minutemen were selected from militia muster rolls by their commanding officers. Typically 25 years of age or younger, they were chosen for their enthusiasm, reliability, and physical strength. Usually about one quarter of the militia served as Minutemen, performing additional duties as such. The Minutemen were the first armed militia to arrive or await a battle.

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Here’s the reality:

Not very elite. And certainly not under 25. Definitely armed.

Since it’s a mixed bag, I’ll just defer to their Commander-In-Chief’s characterization:

President Bush yesterday said he opposes a civilian project to monitor illegal aliens crossing the border, characterizing them as “vigilantes.”

Heh.

 

Border Fence Further Isolates the U.S.

At least George is consistent.

First the Kyoto Treaty pullout due to “economic concerns”, then the warmongering with Iraq that occurred without U.N. support or oversight, now the World Community™ is speaking out once again in opposition to the policies of the United States government.

On Thursday he [Bush] signed a law that approves partitioning 700 miles of the United States from its southern neighbor.

Mexico’s president-elect Felipe Calderon, who takes office Dec. 1, blasted the bill.

“The decision made by Congress and the U.S. government is deplorable,” Calderon said while on tour in Canada. “Humanity committed a grave error by constructing the Berlin Wall and I am sure that today the United States is committing a grave error in constructing a wall along our northern border.”

On Wednesday, Mexico received the support of 27 other countries in the Organization of American States showing their “profound concern” about the fence plan.

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Leaving aside Calderon’s obvious concerns with his own corporate elite structure in Mexico for a moment, stop to think about something:

We are not at war with Mexico.

In the conventional sense, at least. It could be argued however that economic war has been waged on the world from Washington, D.C. for as long as the U.S. decided it was a superpower. So what does the OAS have to say on the Great Wall™?

Insulza said he had doubts about the effectiveness of an initiative which, in his view, could create diplomatic frictions and deteriorate relations among friendly nations and which will not hinder migration driven by socioeconomic conditions which will remain unresolved. He argued that such a measure that is presumably based on national security considerations, rather than yielding positive results will damage hemispheric relations, without doing anything to reconcile the realities of receiver countries and those countries from which migration originates.

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Imagine that – thoughtful analysis. God forbid it be given a chance north of the line.

 

Peace vs. Smarter Warfare

Rumor has it, temperatures are starting to drop around the country in preparation for the winter. It’s still t-shirt and jeans weather here in the Sonoran Desert, so I can’t know for sure, but in case you need to warm up from the cold – here’s a tidbit of info that’s sure to raise your blood temp

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist says if Republican candidates want to succeed on Election Day, they should turn their focus away from the Iraq war.

“The challenge is to get Americans to focus on pocketbook issues, and not on the Iraq and terror issue,” Frist said in an interview with the Concord Monitor on Tuesday.

Frist suggested that Republicans remind voters of subjects like tax cuts and lower gas prices, the result, he said, of the energy bill passed by Congress last year.

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Hear that military families and supporters of the troops? There’s no spin there – lawmakers could give two shits about the effects of their policies on the lives of military personnel, let alone the scores of human lives being erradicated each day in whatever battlefield the suits and pearls in Washington have callously failed in diplomacy and peace-building to protect from the latest barrage of Shocking and Awful.

So, ex-Dr. Frist wants to remind voters of pocketbook issues, eh? Is that some type of dog whistle message to his greedy friends in the oil business? I think so.

Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc, the world’s two biggest oil companies, posted higher third-quarter earnings than analysts expected after crude prices soared to a record and production increased.

At Irving, Texas-based Exxon Mobil, net income rose 5.7 percent from a year earlier to $10.5 billion, or $1.77 a share, the company said today in a statement. Shell’s net income dropped 34 percent to $5.94 billion. Profit excluding a year- earlier divestiture and changes in inventory values rose to $7.03 billion from $5.8 billion.

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Think about that the next time your child’s school has to have a bake sale in order to raise money for classroom supplies; or the next time you have to figure out whether food or medication is the priority this month; or a lawmaker votes con gusto to provide funding for more militarization of your neighborhood to stem the invasion of brown people instead of staunchly supporting economic policy overhauls and union movements.

Congressional elections are just over a week away and while the winds of change are in the air, the trap that the U.S. constantly finds itself no matter which political party is in power has been set and it’s salivating for the opportunity to capture its next victim

A Pew Research Center poll this month found that 50 percent of independents listed Iraq among their top two national concerns, compared with 36 percent of Republicans and 68 percent of Democrats. Overall, 58 percent of respondents said the war is not going well and only 38 percent said the battle for Iraq is helping the war on terrorism.

[snip]

“I’m getting less and less happy with way Bush is handling things,” fifth-grade teacher Denise Hall said in Doylestown on a crystalline autumn morning. Iraq is “definitely a factor” as she considers backing Democrats this year after twice voting for Bush. “Things seem to keep getting worse.”

Hall said she is troubled not only by the war deaths — 93 Americans killed this month, the highest total in a year — but also by what the Bush administration’s approach to Iraq tells her about its ability to manage other crises. “My real concern is North Korea,” she said. “That scares the heck out of me. Would we go in somewhere else and think we could straighten it out?”

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“With the way Bush is handling things.”

The million dollar question is whether the public in the U.S. has finally had enough of its warmongering government or if they’re just sick of its warmongering goverment failing on the battlefield and within diplomatic circles. The answer, to recall the [gag] Secretary of State’s words, could come in the form of a mushroom cloud someday.

 

Prop 103 Is An Insult to Arizona’s Roots

I’ve had about all I can take from the U.S. Exceptionalist Brigade. Courtesy of their festering hate for all things un-American (read: white, European-based Americanism), Arizona voters will be met with several ballot initiatives on November 7th targeting a specific group of people. The jewel of their Burger King cardboard crown is Proposition 103

Proposition 103 would replace the existing provision of the Constitution of Arizona with a new provision establishing English as the official language of this state. Representatives of the state or a local government would be required to preserve, protect and enhance the role of English as the official language. Proposition 103 would require that all official actions of the government be conducted in English. Official actions include actions on behalf of the government that appear to present the position of the government or that bind the government. The proposition specifies situations in which state or local government could act in a language other than English, including:

1. When required by federal law or when necessary to preserve the right to petition the government.
2. In teaching languages other than English, or in using or preserving Native American languages.
3. In actions to protect the public health and safety, including law enforcement and emergency services, or to protect the rights of crime victims and criminal defendants.
4. Providing assistance to hearing impaired or illiterate persons.
5. In informal or nonbinding communications or translations among or between government officials and the public.
6. For actions necessary for tourism, commerce or international trade.
Proposition 103 would prohibit discrimination against a person because the person uses English in any public or private communication.

Proposition 103 also would allow a person who resides or does business in Arizona to enforce this new constitutional requirement in court. However, a person shall not file an action under this section unless the person has notified the attorney general of the alleged violation and the attorney general or other appropriate representative of government has not provided appropriate relief within a reasonable time under the circumstances. If the person is successful, they may be awarded costs and reasonable attorney fees.

(emphasis mine)

I highlighted #2 of the list provided by the Secretary of State because it occurred to me that it’s bizarre that Mexicanos are not seen as Native Americans, even though we were here long before Manifest Destiny rode is trek of destruction and pestilence from sea to shining sea.

Why is that?

Proposition 103 is an unneeded form of idiocy that smacks of elitism and whispered racism. It comes from the U.S.-born citizen or lawmaker who refuses to see beyond February 14, 1912.

My tío who died a week ago today after suffering for months from cancer never lost his ability to speak both English and Spanish. He was able to code-switch until his last moments here despite the tumors that were growing in his brain.

For many of us, our very being is woven with the threads of different languages. Why are there efforts to stamp out that legacy? It makes no sense, unless you subscribe to the Sheriff Joe Arpaio method of tough love.

 

Changes, Or Not.

They’re building a freeway not far from my house.

There used to be an empty field there, that I would pass by on my way to the neighborhood grocery store. A small patch of city “nature” which, when unmowed, would be covered with knee-high tall grass, thick green plants with huge white flowers, discarded papers, empty bottles, and squirrels. Being a great lover of nature… from afar, I had a habit of shaking my keys to make noise as I walked past, so that the squirrels would hear and scurry away before I passed them. Sometimes, though, I would pause at the edge of the field and just watch them run from place to place, popping in and out of their little holes in the ground, and being very busy in general doing little squirrel things that I don’t know the purpose of.

At least, I think they were squirrels. They looked like them, only they didn’t have the fluffy tails and they didn’t live in trees. I’d prefer to think that they were not rats. Not that it matters now, anyway. They are gone.

There were no sidewalks for that one block, so the walk was sometimes an adventure. If we were having one of our (formerly rare) California rains, then you’d have to guess which puddle was just a layer of water over the surface, and which ones would swallow your foot up to the ankle. On dry days, it seemed a wind would blow up just as you got to the middle of the dirt block, ensuring that when you got wherever you were going, you’d arrive there with a suitably dusty, well-travelled look, as befits those who have just hiked through the wilds.

Now that the dreadful, really dreadful, chaos of the initial construction is over (Secure walkways for pedestrians? What are those?), however, one can now walk the entire way in the comfort of concrete and fences (protecting the overpassers from falling onto the freeway, and protecting the underpassers from the overpassers).

There is a sprawling elemetary school across the street from the new freeway; single level buildings dotted here and there around the scruffy playground grass, trees and flowers. I was a bit concerned at first, as the freeway offramp points right at the school parking lot, and should just one person fail to make the turn… well, it just doesn’t bear thinking about. Not to worry though, I have found out what that long, three-story boxy structure they are building on a small lot a couple of blocks away is for. They are moving the school.

There are no cars on the freeway yet, as it’s not been completed. When you stand in the middle of the overpass you can’t see where the beginning of the road is on the one side, or the ending is on the other. I don’t know when I decided that this side was the beginning and that side the ending, by the way. Others probably see it exactly the opposite. Regardless, both directions stretch out and then turn a corner, hiding the rest from view.

There is something so seductive about empty, untravelled roads. I find them compelling, at least… in imagination, if not always in fact. There is time to wonder what lies around the corners that you can’t see, and if you should go look. Not much time, though.

Soon the first car will appear around the bend, pass under my observation point and then disappear around the next bend, to be followed by thousands of other cars, day by day. People in ones and twos and tens travelling on my little stretch of road (which only exists from there to there, if you don’t go look). As I pass by on my walk to the store, the wind kicking up when I am in the middle of the overpass block to blow exhaust fumes at me, I’m sure I’ll sometimes pause and look down at them, hurrying from place to place, going somewhere for some reason and being very busy in general doing many things that I don’t know the purpose of.

Not unlike the squirrels they’ve displaced, really.

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(I have nothing new, so this is from the archives. Last year sometime.)