Don't Stand In Front of the Fan

I have a feeling this is gonna get ugly.

Just in from the WaPo....

Afghan Election Commission Declares Karzai Winner

KABUL -- Afghan election officials canceled a presidential runoff scheduled for Saturday and declared President Hamid Karzai reelected on Monday, a day after Karzai's top challenger declared he would not take part in a second round of voting because of a persistent risk of fraud.

"The Independent Election Commission declares the esteemed Hamid Karzai as the president . . . because he was the winner of the first round and the only candidate in the second round," commission's chairman Azizullah Lodin told a news conference.

[...]

Lodin said the seven-member commission had decided by consensus to cancel the runoff and declare Karzai the winner of a second five-year term after consulting legal experts.

Peppered with questions about how the commission reached its conclusion, Lodin said, "It's like a wrestling match. If one wrestler refuses to wrestle, the referee raises the hand of the other and declares him the winner."

A national election is 'like a wresting match'? .......that's sure to win the hearts and minds of Americans at least.

Well, once again the 'esteemed Hamid Karzai' has stuck a knife in Obama's back. Let's see how he deals with this gem.

I Saw It Comin',
Brother Tim

Another One Bites The Dust

.......and it's doubtful there'll be another.

Since this was our first Halloween here at The Compound, we really didn't know what to expect. But our expectations were high as we made our preparations. Since our house sits a good ways back from the road, we decided to 'set up shop' outside the front gate by the road.

We made our preparations early, and at about 5:30 I went out to start a fire. I guess I've always had a tad of pyromania in me. There is a certain sense of calm satisfaction in burning something up. Whether it be in a fireplace, a bonfire, a campfire, or even in an old washtub, it brings a feeling of peace and serenity to me. So, I grabbed an old washtub that had outlived it's intended purpose in life, and helped it on it's journey into it's next phase of existence......... a Firetub! Since primitive times, man has always had a fascination with fire, and I proudly carry on with the tradition. The man who can build and maintain a nice fire, will always survive, just as in the primitive times. A man who controls fire is a valuable asset to his fellow-man. In the early days, you could not cook or stay warm without a good fire.

After spending the better part of an hour getting the fire 'just right' (these things take time), I set us up and called for Miss Hallie, the keeper of the candy.

She came out and we sat there all pleased with ourselves, drinking coffee (note the Thermos next to the table) and having conversation while we waited..... and waited..... and waited. Then two little ones showed up, and we serviced their 'loot bags', and waited some more. Twenty minutes later a lone gobblin came by, and we waited some more. Finally two more straggled by, and then it was 'business as usual'. I believe we ate more candy than we gave out. The five that did show up however, made off like bandits, as Miss Hallie was using both hands to scoop up a mound of treats for each one.

At 8:00, everything became eerily quiet and dark in the neighborhood. It was over. The bright side though, was we enjoyed ourselves. Time always passes so quickly when you're in the presence of good company!

So, I drug the Firetub inside the gate, and stood for a time, appreciating the beauty of the dying embers. I made up my mind, there and then, that I would NOT do this again. And then again, who knows? We did manage to spread joy to five little Trick-or-Treaters. We also had a good time sharing each other's company around a roaring redneck city-campfire.

Fired Up,
Brother Tim

Whistling In The Graveyard

Or hiking the ole Appalachian Trail
........South Carolina has something for everyone.

The South Carolina Tourist Commission must be simply overjoyed. It's the state that just keeps on giving. The stories are getting curiouser and curiouser. This story comes from The State, South Carolina's largest newspaper.

State official Roland Corning out of a job after incident

Columbia S.C. -- An assistant state attorney general was stopped in his car by a Columbia police officer Monday on suspicion of illegal activity, identified himself as an employee of the attorney general's office, and was not charged with a crime.

Roland Corning, an assistant attorney general, was pulled over by officer Michael D. Wines at 3:15 p.m. Monday, according to a Columbia Police Department report.

Wines is married to Megan Wines, who also works in the attorney general's office. Wines called his wife during the incident to verify Corning's identity.

Megan Wines then reported the incident to Deputy Attorney General John McIntosh, who relayed the information to Attorney General Henry McMaster, according to Trey Walker, spokesman for McMaster's office.

Less than two hours later, Corning was no longer employed with McMaster's office, Walker said Tuesday.

Wines wrote in his report that two people were in the car - Corning and an unnamed 18-year-old female, an "employee of Platinum Plus Gentlemen's Club."

Earlier, Wines had witnessed the Ford Explorer that Corning was driving pull into a secluded portion of Elmwood Cemetery that Wines had "received past complaints in ref. to illegal activity, i.e. sex acts and drug abuse," Wines wrote in the report.

[...]

Wines then interviewed Corning and the woman, and said they gave "conflicting statements as to why they were at the location, and to their relationship." Because of that, Wines wrote, he asked Corning some more questions, which is when Corning identified himself as an attorney and showed Wines his "state attorney general's badge."

"At that point I asked if there was anything illegal in the vehicle, which he stated no and gave consent to search," Wines wrote.

The search revealed a sex enhancement drug and some sex toys. According to the report, Corning told Wines he had a prescription for the medication and the other items were always in the car "just in case."

[...]

Corning is an assistant deputy attorney general and deputy securities commissioner with the S.C. Attorney General's Office.

He is a former state lawmaker from northeast Richland County and has been active in the state's Republican Party.

I thought things were strange when I lived in Louisiana and Florida, but South Carolina takes the cake, hands down.

A few questions that cross my mind are: Why would a police officer, in the midst of an investigation, phone his wife for verification? And why was no arrest made?

The police report was obtained by the Associated Press on a FOIA request. If you read the second page of the report, you will see that the 'sex enhancement drug' was Viagra, and the 'sex toys' were two vibrating penis rings. Corning stated he keeps them in his car 'just in case'.

I would venture to say that everyone in South Carolina keeps an Emergency Kit in their car. Let's see:

Spare Tire --- Check
Jack --- Check
Road Flares --- Check
Viagra --- Check
2 Vibrating Penis Rings (1 for back-up) --- Check

I wonder if he had the forethought to stock extra batteries?

Cum Visit South Carolina,
Brother Tim

American as Baseball and Apple Pie

Well, Apple Pie at least.

With the World Series just beginning, I thought it apropos to write about this. This is not something new, but it is something I find few people are actually aware of.

Those hand-stitched, cowhide spheres used in the Great American Pastime, like most everything else nowadays, are not even made in the good ole U.S.A.. The company that is exclusively licensed since 1977 to supply all Major League, Minor League, and NCAA baseballs is Rawlings Sporting Goods. The company was founded here in St Louis, Missouri by brothers, George and Alfred Rawlings in 1887. The company now does business under the name Rawlings of Costa Rica, S.A., and manufactures all of it's baseballs, as well as apparel and other equipment, in Turrialba, Costa Rica.

Workers inspecting baseballs at the Rawlings plant.

I should have titled this piece 'American as Third-World Slave Labor and Apple Pie'. The wages and working conditions are horrid to say the least.

The approximately 600 workers at the baseball factory in Turrialba are either sewers, who stitch the cowhide covers onto the baseball’s sphere, or they are assemblers and winders who are responsible for assembling the core’s parts, made of two kinds of rubber and cork, and the winding of the ball’s four different grades of yarn. Those who stitch are required to complete 108 stitches into the cowhide leather of each ball by hand.

Each sewer must complete one ball every 15 minutes. They are required to reach a minimum quota of 156 balls a week in a factory without air conditioning, in temperatures exceeding 90°, requiring permission to use bathrooms, and denying speaking between workers on the factory floor. The hours that workers put in average 11 per day and they must always reserve their Saturdays for the factory in the event an “emergency order” comes through. If not available on Saturday, they are terminated.

They work piecemeal for about .30/ball. Rawlings' total manufacturing and shipping cost is about .88/ball, and they sell them at retail for $14.95.

In 2005, the average salary for a Major League Baseball player was $2,632,655, according to Baseball Almanac. The workers at the plant earn about $2,750 per year, about a penny/hr above the local minimum wage.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig, when interviewed at the 2006 All Star Game, stated that, “I really believe this is the Golden Era of baseball.” Many have scratched their heads since that remark but he followed up to say, “Do you know we will have $5.2 billion in revenue this year? I feel good about where we are." It is quite clear about what he means by the Golden Era. Sadly, however, some of that gold has come at the cost of others’ basic rights and human decency.

It doesn't take an economist to see what's wrong with THAT picture.

On top of that, in 2005, the United States government entered into the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), allowing for further tax breaks for U.S. corporations doing business in Central America and without providing for genuine policing of unfair labor practices in offshore U.S. manufacturing.

Rawlings was awarded a 54,000-square-foot free-trade zone by Costa Rica. It pays no taxes. It imports, duty-free the makings of millions of baseballs — cores from the Muscle Shoals Rubber Company in Batesville, Miss.; yarn from D&T Spinning in Ludlow, Vt.; and cowhide from Tennessee Tanning in Tullahoma, Tenn.

The company manufactures 2.2 million balls per year, with MLB accounting for 1.8 million of them.

Warny Goméz, 33, worked for four years at Rawlings, put himself through college and became a primary school teacher. "People here have no choice but to work there," he said. "There are almost no other jobs."

"There's tremendous pressure to produce," he added. "The balls have to be exactly alike, totally perfect, and for this work people are paid $50 or $60 a week. A machine can't make them — it has to be done by hand. But they demand the precision and speed of a machine."

Dr. Carlos Guerrero, who worked at the Rawlings plant as a company doctor in 1998, and at the national health insurance clinic in Turrialba from 1991 to 1997, said a third of Rawlings workers developed carpal tunnel syndrome in those years. (The syndrome, which causes pain and numbness in the hands, is common among assembly-line workers, typists and computer operators worldwide.) He said perhaps 90 percent of Rawlings workers experienced pain from their exacting work, from minor cuts to disabling aches.

I can't help but think, that there is a special place in Hell reserved for those that would abuse their fellow-man to such a degree.

So, with this in mind, enjoy the World Series ................. if you can.

Play Ball,
Brother Tim

The United States of Amnesia

More random thoughts from the ole rabbit hole.

Americans are, by and large, stricken with invincible ignorance. We refuse to acknowledge mistakes, and fight tooth and nail to perpetuate the status quo.

This applies to virtually every aspect of our sorry state of affairs. We've learned absolutely nothing from past wars of aggression for profit. We are all to quick to eat up the propaganda that is spoon-fed to us about our 'National Security Interests'. We are like little school kids, peeing our pants, every time we hear the word 'terrorist'. We have bought 'hook, line, and sinker', the mantra of 'We must fight them there to avoid fighting them here'. The sad reality is, we have lost more lives in two un-Godly, immoral, illegal wars of aggression, than the 'terrorists' could have accomplished in decades. Why are we obsessed with doing their work for them? Have the death merchants of the Military/Industrial Complex, along with their political lackeys we call our 'Representatives', not plundered and pillaged enough of our resources?

The same can be said about Health Care, Big Insurance, and the Pharmaceutical Industries. Why are we stuck on stupid when it comes to changing the status quo? Are the invincibly ignorant happy with what is being done to this nation? Why is it we are afraid to stand up for our rights? Why do we continue to coddle the elite corporatists? Are we living in fear that they may may decide to cut off our 'crumb supply'? I, for one, would rather suffer starvation, than live off the crumbs given me for a meager existence. My purpose in life, is not to make sure that the already obscenely wealthy are well taken care of. I live by the words of the New Testament, and THAT is not in there.

We provide trillions of dollars to the banking and corporate industries because they are too big to fail, yet fail to regulate or reign in the practices that caused the need for the bail-outs to begin with. Apparently, 'too big to fail' grants them license for 'too big to change'.

We are duped into believing that we live in a Democratic Republic. Bwahahahahahaha. We live in an Oligarchy, Aristocracy, or Plutocracy. There is not a whole lot of difference between them, identify it as you see fit.

We soothe ourselves with illusions like, 'Home of the free and the brave'. We are a nation of sissies, cowering with fear at the mere mention of the word 'terrorist', which has led us to give up our liberties and freedoms in the name of 'safety'. We would do good to remember the words of Benjamin Franklin: Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.

We refuse to fight fair, like real men, in hand-to-hand combat. Ever wonder why? Instead, we like to reign death and destruction from 30,000 feet, or hundreds of miles away with cruise missiles and unmanned drones; caring little about the innocents, many woman and children, whom we slush off as 'collateral damage'. Yet, at the same time, decry and denounce the other side's use of IEDs and suicide bombers. The reason for this is glaringly apparent, but never mentioned. We call them cowards, when in fact, we are just projecting our own lack of courage and commitment. We like to laud our service personnel as 'heroes', putting their lives on the line. When one is involved with going into another country and killing innocent people, they are far from heroic; they are murderers. 'Just following orders' is no excuse. Where are these people's souls?

We like to proclaim ourselves a 'Nation of Christians', but the truth of the matter is, we are a nation of sadists, heathens, barbarians, and atheists. Those who insist on calling themselves Christian and perpetrating these atrocities will have one rude awakening come Judgement Day.

What say y'all?

Praying For Justice,
Brother Tim

Moose Tracks

Tracking the news that others won't.

President Comes Clean On Moon Bombing


Washington D.C. ~ President Barack Obama, at a press conference on the South Lawn, Friday, gave clarity to the latest NASA mission.

"I had planned this briefing for the Rose Garden last Friday", he started, "But I was awoke early in the morning with news that I had won the Nobel Peace Prize. As you can surely understand, I felt uneasy making this announcement along with the Nobel thingy."

"The official NASA story of trying to find oil and water, and determining if the moon is really made of cheese, was, for security reasons, a cover story. This was a national security matter propagated by religious zealots"

Pausing to draw a deep breath, and wiping his brow with a kerchief clutched in his left hand, he continued, "I'm here to do some testifying today."

"Americans have been led by satan to believe that the Muslims are their biggest threat. Can I get an Amen on that? But I know Islam, and I'm here to tell you, Muslims are NOT our biggest threat. Ya wanna know who we should be fearing? Ya wanna know who would destroy everything America stands for? Well, I'll tell ya who ..............................the Moonies!"

"We've gathered intelligence from the U.K., France, the Vatican, and other sources in the Solar System, that the Moonies are an imminent threat. So, for the sake of national security interests, I used the AUMF, enacted on September 18, 2001, to preemptively 'shoot for the moon'".

The Blog of Revelation contacted National Security Advisor, Gen James L Jones, for comment. Referring to the President's 'solar system' remark, we asked, "Does that mean some of the intelligence came from Uranus?"

He laconically replied, "Affirmative".

When pressed further, he expounded, "I know this might smell a little bad to some people, but this is some serious sh*t. We're not just shooting moons like a bunch of boozed-up frat boys."

Senators Richard Shelby and Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), members of the Senate Lunatic Intelligence Committee, issued a joint statement.

"We have reliable intelligence that the Moonies are manufacturing WMDs (Wicked Moon Drugs), and have a viable program for Moon Dust Enrichment, which will power a TMZ (Tidal Modification Zapper). They could literally wreak havoc on our planet. Our intelligence indicates they could have enough enriched moon dust to power three zappers within a year. Time was of an essence. For once, we stand behind the President 100%. The Republicans got this started by ridding the airports of them, and now the President, a Democrat, has courageously and valiantly carried the ball forward."

"This is a win-win-win situation. It hits all the bases; the War on Terror; the War on Drugs; and most importantly, the War on Sanity."

"We have bombed the snot out of just about every country on Earth, it is time to expand our horizons on a more Galactic plane. Our Crater-buster bomb had pin-point accuracy, and burrowed deep into the moon's South Pole to completely destroy their enrichment facilities. Let this be a warning to the Martians and Venusians, and anyone else out there, that this is OUR universe."

Michelle Bachmann (R-Minnesota), who is head of the House Kool-Aid Caucus, told reporters, "I'm sure gonna miss those Moon Pies, even though they went straight to my thighs."

Not to be outdone, Vice Presidential hopeful, Sarah 'Mooselini' Palin opined on The View, "I can see the Moon from my front porch."


In other news: John Boehner (R-Ohio) was trapped for 12 hrs in his tanning bed.


Keepin' Track,
The Moose

Random Thoughts from the Rabbit Hole

One of my favorite books, is Lewis Carrol's, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. It is chock-full of life's truisms and philosophies. There are several quotes I like, but I will use just three. The first two are:

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"
~Alice

"It would be so nice if something made sense for a change."
~Alice

Although they seem at first to be contradictory, a closer look manifests the harmony.

I read about current affairs, both domestic and global, from literally dozens of sources daily. Everything from the economy to health care to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to our destruction of the environment we live in and depend on. I try to bring forth the truth of what I see to be happening.

I find myself, at times, to feel like I'm in a no-win situation. Signing petitions; letter writing; e-mails; phone calls; blogging; and even voting, has an almost zero effect. Call it what you will, fascism; police state; oligarchy; faux aristocracy; plutocracy; whatever. One thing it's not, is a democratic republic; not anymore, if it ever truly was one.

Being the old hippie I am, I thought I'd let y'all listen to Grace Slick while you finish reading this.



Now, an explanation for my absence in the blogosphere this past week. I was feeling somewhat burnt out, and didn't fully realize it until good friend, Betmo, got me interested in a couple of games on Facebook. Two farm games and a cyber cafe game

I found extreme relaxation playing with these. I would equate the strategies required, as being similar to a computer chess game. It is interesting to see the personal tastes of other players, as they go about setting up and managing their farms and cafes.

I also took care of many neglected chores. I groomed the pack (except for Miss Hallie) and took them to the Vet for their annuals (shots, check-ups, etc). I always like to have them smelling and looking good when they visit the Doc.

I also bought lumber and built some much-needed shelving for the basement. We need a lot of shelving. It's the curse of a pack rat, trying to store and organize a lifetime's of collections and future projects. Some of these projects I've hauled all over the country for the last 35 years or so. Although I do try and reduce the inventory, it seems that the 'in dept' always overwhelms the 'out dept'.

Changing my normal fanaticism for current events to a minimal amount of time has been a balm for my spirit. I apologize for being slack on making my rounds, but have found this time to be a blessing. I will come back, hopefully stronger than I was when I left. I will, however, be aware that I am powerless to change the status quo. It's no fun to watch human suffering and think, 'I told you so'.

It boggles my mind how our elected representatives in Congress, and the rest of government, can be so callous to the needs of the populace. They harp on the sanctity of life, yet refuse to address the suffering and deaths of tens of thousands of their fellow citizens. They are addicted to war, any war, killing hundreds of thousands more. Can this, by any stretch of the imagination, be a moral and upright way to live? How can these people look at themselves in the mirror every morning? How much is a human life worth to them? I guess the mathematical formula would be: Lobbying and Campaign Contributions + Corporate Profits divided by the number of deaths = the worth of a human life. I have never seen a statistical compilation, but I would venture to suggest it is next to nothing.

Oh, and that third quote:

"Oh, how I wish I could shut up like a telescope! I think I could, if I only knew how to begin."
~Alice

Chasin' Rabbits,
Brother Tim

Update-- Musical credit: White Rabbit (1967), Jefferson Airplane. But y'all knew that, huh?

We Just Don't Know When To Stop

Will we ever, ever, ever learn?

"Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead"
~David Glasgow Farragut

As we supposedly try to bring peace to the world (haha), we have this escalation.

From the Telegraph.....

Asif Ali Zardari was given an ultimatum by America Photo: EPA

US threatens to escalate operations inside Pakistan

By Ben Farmer in Kabul and Javed Siddiq in Islamabad
Published: 5:42PM BST 27 Sep 2009

Washington has long been frustrated at Islamabad's reluctance to target the Afghan Taliban's ruling council, the Quetta Shura, which is accused of directing large parts of the insurgency across the border in Afghanistan.

State department and intelligence officials delivered the ultimatum to Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's president, last week as he visited the US for the United Nations' security council sessions and the G20 economic summit.

[...]

An official at the Pakistani interior ministry told the Daily Telegraph: "The Americans said we have been raising this issue with you time and again. These elements are attacking Nato forces in southern Afghanistan, especially in Helmand. The Americans said 'If you don't take action, we will.'"

Rehman Malik, Pakistan's interior minister, said the US had so far been unable to provide detailed intelligence to target the Quetta Shura. He said: "We need real-time intelligence. The Americans have never told us any location."

US unmanned drone strikes have so far been confined to Pakistan's federally administrated tribal border regions where Islamabad holds little sway. But attacks in or around Quetta, in Baluchistan, would strike deep into the Pakistan government's territory and are likely to cause a huge outcry in the country.

Playing video games with remote-controlled drones armed with hell-fire missiles is sure to endear us to the Pakistani people. How else can we get rid of all those pesky wedding parties.


Now along with escalating the war in Afghanistan, we plan on expanding it to include Pakistan as well. When will the hegemonic insanity stop?

Praying For Peace,
Brother Tim

The Iranian Situation

Put yourself in their givehs.

Persian Givehs worn by Iranians

Iran, and by extension, most of the world, now finds itself in a most precarious situation. If this situation is not brought into check quickly, it could well lead to disaster for everyone involved. It is indeed a possibly horrifying scenario with no pleasant outcome. It's a sad and unnecessary equation.

American hegemonic hubris + Iranian defiance = Mexican standoff

The new American mantra of, "My way, or you die way", must be changed. All the blathering propaganda of, "The world community will be with us this time", is just that; blathering propaganda. Sadly, it all boils down to two things. 1) We want to control the world (except for Israel) and 2) We want to protect Israel. We are wrong on both counts. I find it ludicrous, absurd, and down-right farcical, that we keep insisting that Israel is our friend and ally. Israel doesn't give a rat's ass about what we think, or there would be a Palestinian State and an end to their planned genocide of the Palestinian people. We should bear in mind, that Israel is NOT our 51st State, and should be treated accordingly. Israel is now 60 years old and should be forced to take care of itself. Maybe if that responsibility were to be laid on them, they would learn to start playing civilly with others.

As it is, the Americans are engaging in chest-pounding, only to have the Iranians nose-thumbing in response. How, and when, will this come to resolution? I will offer some food for thought, with some statistics and a graphic.

As I have said many times, "I don't know if Iran has a nuclear weapons plan or not. But I DO know this: They'd be fools if they didn't". Take a good look at the map. They are surrounded by nuclear-armed states. Pakistan; India; Israel; the United States (Iraq/Afghanistan); China; and Russia. In addition to that, the U.S. Military footprint covers just about the entire area, including, but not limited to, Uzbekistan; Turkmenistan; Kyrgyzstan; Oman; Saudi Arabia; et al. How should Iran feel? How would we feel if the Chinese were to establish bases in Canada; Mexico; and Central American nations?

Next, I would like to address Iran's size and population. Again, look at the map. Iraq has 167,618 sq mi, with a population of just over 28 million. Afghanistan has 249,347 sq mi, with a population of almost 32 million. Iran has 636,374 sq mi, with a population of around 72 million. This shows that Iran is 50% larger than both Iraq and Afghanistan combined, with about 12 million more in population. Since we are doing such a fabulous job in those two theaters, what do you suppose the outcome will be should we go off half-cocked, and attack Iran? Can you spell D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R?

Our Treasury has been pillaged while we live off of credit, and our Military is on the verge of depletion, what will we do? Will we abandon Iraq and Afghanistan? Will we re-institute the draft? Will we re-visit WWII rationing of gas, food, metals, etc, etc?

Then we have those mythical allies of Russia and China. As they see our military footprint growing closer and closer to their borders, how logical would it be for them to assist us?

Also thrown into the stew, is the fact that China imports 15 to 20% of it's crude oil from Iran. Who would replace that?

And understand that Iran is also a huge customer of both Russian and Chinese arms sales.

It's time for American bravado to cease. It's time for America to view the situation as the rest of the world sees it. It's another no-win situation for us.

It's time to practise tough-love and cut Israel loose, lest we all go down together.

It's Time For Justice,
Brother Tim

I Am The Voice

......of one crying in the wilderness.
~John 1:23a

I can truly empathize with John the Baptist. I too, feel like the lone voice trying to bear witness to the truth.

I read scores of articles and news reports daily. When they are concerning Iran, there is one common thread: Macho Hubris. There are virtually no rational voices in the United States. With the latest news of Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, all I've heard, non-stop, is sabre-rattling, chest pounding, and the renewed beating of the war drums.

President Obama has now threatened Iran with military force. It was not an overt threat, by any means, but a threat nonetheless. He said, in effect, his 'preferred way was diplomacy, but military force would not be taken 'off the table'. It is up to Iran to make the next move. They will either comply with what we want or .........................' .

This is an almost verbatim recitation of what Geo W Bush said to Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Basically, what he is asking them to do, is the same thing Bush demanded from Iraq: Prove a negative. And just as with Iraq, nothing Iran says, or does, will convince him otherwise.

He makes grandiose claims of 'intelligence gathering' from the U.S., Britain, and France. Remember, these are the same intelligence sources that swore on a stack of Bibles that Saddam had WMDs and imminent plans and capabilities for using them against us. We all know how that turned out.

The Congress has been complaining for months that we can't afford $900 billion for Health Care Reform in this country. Watch how fast they will be ready to cough up $1 trillion or more to attack Iran. We haven't even clawed our way out of the Iraq/Afghanistan hole we've dug for ourselves.

We're hearing the chicken-hawks heralding the good news that Russia and China will be with us. Don't believe it.

We have deceived ourselves into believing that we, and our 'allies', have the only intelligence gathering capabilities on the planet. We've heard how Russia was 'surprised' and 'upset' with this latest disclosure on Iran. Don't believe that either. Both Russia and China have very good intelligence gathering abilities. They are fully aware of what Iran is doing. In fact, they probably know more about Iran than we do. China has remained curiously silent on this. What does THAT tell you?

America has a knee-jerk personality with a need for instant gratification. We seem to be oblivious to the fact that Iranians and Russians are Masters at the game of chess. They have patience and think many moves in advance, something our checker-playing mentality can't seem to comprehend.

I don't know if Iran has nuclear weapons ambitions or not; but I do know this: They'd be damn fools if they didn't. Their biggest enemy, and threat, is Zionist Israel, which HAS nuclear weapons. They are surrounded by nuclear-armed States. India; Pakistan; U.S. (Iraq/Afghanistan); Israel; Russia; and China. How would you like to be the only one in your neighborhood without a gun?

Rather than bullying and coercion, we would do better at realizing WHY Iran would want nuclear weapons, and solving the problem from that perspective. Double-standards simply do not work. Put yourselves in the Iranian's sandals. THEY signed the NPT, while Israel; Pakistan; and India refused, and continue to refuse, signing on. Yet the U.S. not only allowed THEM to arm, but actually helped them (one of many Articles of the NPT we have breached). The irony is, Iran received much of it's uranium enrichment knowledge from Pakistan. Had we stopped Pakistan in it's tracks, it would have set Iran back decades. Had we stopped Israel, in all probability, Iran would not be so hell-bent on arming themselves.

Nuclear weapons are deterrent weapons. Notice how we no longer sabre-rattle and threaten North Korea. THAT is the sole reason America is against Iran being nuclear armed; we could no longer threaten and bully them. Iranians are human beings, just like all the rest of us. The Iranians are a highly intelligent people. They will not commit suicide and have their people and country laid to waste by using a pre-emptive nuclear strike on another. Iran has not attacked, nor invaded, any country in modern history; and it would be my guess, that they would not do so in the future.

My advice to America: Stop with all the arrogant hubris and bravado. Live and let live.

My advice to Iran: Be careful. You're dealing with some greedy folks who are only interested in your natural resources.

~~Cross-posted at Stop the Second Holocaust.~~

Give Peace a Chance,
Brother Tim

Moose Tracks

Tracking the stories that are much too hot for the American MSM.

Glenn Beck: "It's all over, but the crying"

The Latest Setbacks for Fox News and Glenn Beck

New York - That snowball, known as, 'advertisers jumping ship', is now as big as the State of Alaska. In a phone interview to Rupert Murdoch, with much wailing and moaning in the background, Murdoch angerly growled, "Aaaaaarrrrrrgggghhhh, I'll get rid of Beck when hell freezes over, aaaaarrrrrrggghhhh". Well, with the size of that snowball, that time may be soon approaching.

As of this morning, several more advertisers have pulled their ads, bringing the total to around 70. The latest 'jumpers' include the American Nazi Party, the Ku Klux Klan, and Pedophiles for Sexual Equality; all of which stated their reason as, 'Beck is too damaging to our image'.

KKK Imperial Wizard, Bubba White told the Blog of Revelation, "We have revoked his membership and have demanded that he return his sheet to us. Real men, especially in a fine organization such as ours, don't cry like titty-babies".

A spokesperson for the American Nazi Party said, "Beck's continual comparisons of Obama to Hitler give a bad name to the Fueher, and his interchanging of the terms 'Socialist' and 'Fascist' show his ignorance. We cannot tolerate this any longer. We have withdrawn his membership card, and denounce any further affiliation with him".

Also on the list of bailed-out sponsors, is the American Psychiatric Association, which issued a press release stating, "It is counter-productive to our organization to advertise on a show that proves the study of psychiatric medicine is a sham".

Can Glenn 'Lonesome Rhodes' Beck survive the onslaught? Too bad he's not as charismatic as Andy Griffith.




In other news, the National Pest Management Association, Inc has announced a revolutionary discovery, that having Fox News tuned on your TV, actually increases vermin infestation. Home is where the heart is.

No Bugs Here,
The Moose

Us or Them in Afghanistan?

Don't bet your last shekel on either one.

"Look there, friend Sancho Panza, where thirty or more monstrous giants rise up, all of whom I mean to engage in battle and slay, and with whose spoils we shall begin to make our fortunes."
~from "Don Quixote" by Miguel de Cervantes

We keep hearing about this phantom Afghan Army that supposedly numbers 90,000, yet no one has actually seen it.

TomDispatch has a riveting article by the ever articulate Ann Jones. It's an eye-opening account by someone who is 'on the ground' over there. Do yourselves the favor of reading the whole article.

Meet the Afghan Army

Is It a Figment of Washington's Imagination?
By Ann Jones

The big Afghanistan debate in Washington is not over whether more troops are needed, but just who they should be: Americans or Afghans -- Us or Them. Having just spent time in Afghanistan seeing how things stand, I wouldn't bet on Them.

Frankly, I wouldn't bet on Us either. In eight years, American troops have worn out their welcome. Their very presence now incites opposition, but that's another story. It's Them -- the Afghans -- I want to talk about.

Afghans are Afghans. They have their own history, their own culture, their own habitual ways of thinking and behaving, all complicated by a modern experience of decades of war, displacement, abject poverty, and incessant meddling by foreign governments near and far -- of which the United States has been the most powerful and persistent. Afghans do not think or act like Americans. Yet Americans in power refuse to grasp that inconvenient point.

[...]

Their American trainers spoke of "upper body strength deficiency" and prescribed pushups because their trainees buckle under the backpacks filled with 50 pounds of equipment and ammo they are expected to carry. All this material must seem absurd to men whose fathers and brothers, wearing only the old cotton shirts and baggy pants of everyday life and carrying battered Russian Kalashnikov rifles, defeated the Red Army two decades ago. American trainers marvel that, freed from heavy equipment and uniforms, Afghan soldiers can run through the mountains all day -- as the Taliban guerrillas in fact do with great effect -- but the U.S. military is determined to train them for another style of war.

[...]

American military planners and policymakers already proceed as if, with sufficient training, Afghans can be transformed into scale-model, wind up American Marines. That is not going to happen. Not now. Not ever. No matter how many of our leaders concur that it must happen -- and ever faster.

It's really not that long of an article; please take the time to read it. It explains, quite simply, how we are emulating Don Quixote, tilting at windmills.


Chasing The Wind,
Brother Tim

PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

This is probably the most glaring oxymoron since the words, Senate Intelligence Committee, were combined. It is just another exercise in psycho-babble. It should be called out for exactly what it is: State Induced Trauma. I will spell it out in large, bold, blood-red letters.

Anyone who is forced to witness, or ordered to commit, such heinous atrocities, and WERE NOT traumatized, would have a disorder.

This is the product and aftermath of mental and emotional abuse. This abuse was perpetrated by those that fomented illegal, unnecessary, immoral, un-Godly, wars of aggression based upon lies, including the military officers who made and carried out the orders for the atrocities. The chain extends from the lowly Lieutenants, up through the Generals, all the way to the military and civilian overseers in the Pentagon; and yes, ending with the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the United States of America.

The cowardly fomenters, who lacked the courage themselves to fight on the battlefield, played on the rawest, and the most obscene, of all human emotions: Vengeance. However, vengeance had little to do with their agenda; it was pure avarice, a greed so powerful, it overtook all common human decency.

They played the citizens and their leadership like a cheap fiddle, and the resultant music has been horrendous. Worse yet, is it has produced a deaf ear on compassion, honesty, and righteousness. It has wounded our national soul, possibly mortally.

The vengeance was stoked by calls such as, 'We'll make them pay' and 'They hate us for our freedoms' and 'The Islamists want to kill us all'. They couldn't reveal the true game plan: 'We want their natural resources; and be able to establish military bases in the region, so as to have an innate capacity to control or steal their neighbor's resources as well'. Americans, by and large, would not have stood still for that. Hence, the lying manipulations. We were duped and played like 'Marks' at a Carnival. But responsibility also lays with those that were duped, yet to this day, refuse to admit that they were beguiled and betrayed by their fellow-citizens and leadership. Many simply refuse to acknowledge the fact that their leadership could be so nefarious, evil, and black-hearted.

I'm reminded of a line Harold Hill said to Mr Dunlap in The Music Man. "Either you are closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge, or you are not aware of the calibre of disaster.......".

September 11, 2001 brought the perfect scenario for the money-grubbing power elite to open the Gates of Hell. We suffered losses of around 3,000 people, three aircraft, and the Twin Towers. "Vengeance.", they screamed, "We need to take vengeance. We shall get even, and Justice will prevail."

Well since that tragic day, eight years ago, we have lost over 6,000 additional American lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have suffered almost 50,000 severe, life-long injuries such as traumatic head injuries and loss of limbs. The Rand Corporation estimates there are over 300,000 cases of PTSD already, while a recent study by Stanford University estimates the number will eventually top 700,000. Others have estimated the number at over 1 million.

Add to that, over one trillion dollars of borrowed cash spent. Excuse me for being a slow-thinker, but it seems like, rather than 'getting even', we are going deeper in the hole. With that much financial outlay, we could have purchased a fleet of commercial aircraft, and built an Octo Towers. More importantly, we would still have over 6,000 Fathers; Husbands; Sons and Daughters; Brothers and Sisters alive, and almost 50,000 healthy and whole fellow Americans in our society.

The irony is, while we will have close to a million people grappling with their inner selves in this SIT (State Induced Trauma), the real victims are the ones we wrought havoc on. We don't hear of studies about Iraqis, Afghans, or Pakistanis suffering from PTSD. Ever wonder why?

They are not plagued with the internal spiritual battle of 'right vs wrong'. They were invaded, and are only defending their soil from the infidel invaders. Their Scriptures give them both solace and justification. There are literally dozens of Verses in the Qur'an such as this one:

God does not prohibit you, regarding those who do not fight you or drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them. Indeed, God loves those who are just.
~Surah al-Mumtahinah 60:8

History does not refer to Afghanistan as 'The Graveyard of Empires' without due cause. Time is of the essence. We must cut our losses, repent (turn 180 degrees), and withdraw ALL of our people. Troops; Advisers; Logistics; et al.

To put it on a level closer to home; if you are fighting with your family, the last thing you need or want, is a foreign third party joining the fray. You, or your Brothers, may accept the weapons and money the stranger gives; but when sufficient strength is obtained, you will again join forces with your family to eliminate the intruder. We are already seeing evidence of this from Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and others. WE are the infidels, and eventually the Muslim 'Brothers' will re-unite.

Our arrogance, once again, has us acting counter to our own self-interests.

Bring 'Em Home Now,
Brother Tim

The Solution

To Friday's Re-Gifting Puzzle.

I must admit, that Friday's Post had me going for about 20 minutes. I get these different puzzles and mind-benders in my in-box on a regular basis. Normally, I can see through them and solve them in short order. This one however, had me stumped for awhile.

The solution (once figured out) is really pretty simple.

The directions state: First, pick any 2 digit number. (example: 25)
Next, subtract both the first and second digits from your number. (example: 25 -2 -5 = 18)

Any number picked between 10 and 99 will always result in only one of 9 different numbers: 9, 18, 27, 36, 45, 54, 63, 72, or 81. When you go to the next screen (numbers and gifts), you will notice that the preceding 9 numbers all have the same gift assigned to them. Each time you play the game, the gifts on the numbers/gifts screen change, i.e., box of chocolates, bath salts, neck tie, etc, etc., but the 9 numbers mentioned will always be assigned the same gift.

At first, it seems really amazing, but in fact is very simple.

It was a good mental exercise though, and I tip my hat to the person who thought it up.

Now, if I could only solve the Health Care riddle.

The Power of Cognition,
Brother Tim

"You Lie"

Well, it looks like we finally found out really caused Joe Wilson's outburst.

For those that missed it, SNL has the scoop.



Cross-posted at And, yes, I DO Take It Personally


So Help Me God,
Brother Tim