An even playing field? Racism and the Ballot box

Today I heard George “The man who stole Pres. Carter’s re-election game book” Will today on a TV show making a weird remark regarding people mourning the death of Michael Jackson all the while being mindful of remarks by Sen. Peter King also regarding Michael Jackson and then reading this enclosed “took a lot of work” diary by britobserver.

I often wonder what we Blacks in particular can do when we hear racist remarks and witness racist actions. Unless we can bring economic pressures to bare as does the Jewish communities, in my opinion the only sure-fire instrument we have is the ballot box. What a sad realization! One could wonder if ballot boxes are our only metaphorical lemons.

With absolutely no optimism whatsoever I believe the resolution of the Zionist and Arab conflict in Africa, where Israel is located, would go a long ways world-wide and I, in no ways consider myself naïve! I just wonder why it is all Jews appear to be afraid of the Zionist. How is that possible? Are Dick Cheney, John Bolton, Abraham Foxman and Rupert Murdock Zionist? We have a lot to learn about the cultural practices and education of the Zionist. I am sure since it may be common knowledge and since I am Black it may already be in a book somewhere. (Smile)
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB
P.S. I have noticed on many occasions it is the background speaker who sets the tone of the “news” segment. They have a lot of power hiding behind the curtain, so to speak.
P.P.S. Since Pres. Netanyahu called Rahm Emanuel and David Axel rod “self hating Jews” I guess they are not Zionist.

The end of racism in America?
by britobserver
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/12/737469/-The-end-of-racism-in-America
Excerpt:
Well we have seen Gun sales on the increase, in no little part fuelled by both Glen Beck and the NRA with false stories on gun rights being removed, a resurgence of right wing militia groups and an uptick of traffic on sites such as Stormfront, an increase in racial attacks as well as an increased level of racial slurs on right wing websites such as Free Republic which was pretty bad after just the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court but has now reached the event horizon with the racist attacks on Malia Obama as Kos diarists The Halfrican and CatM have brilliantly been monitoring.
Unfortunately it's about to get worse. Monday morning see the start of the hearings on Judge

And
Sonia Sotomayor (who Mike Huckabee called "Maria". Seen one, seen 'em all eh, mike?) and with the likes of Pat Buchanan (who never met a privileged old white male's viewpoint he didn't like to keep as the status quo) and Tom Tancredo (a man who is the child of immigrants himself, but is so dense to that fact that he actually deflects light) leading the charge in the media and led in the Senate by the Civil Rights hating reject for the Federal Bench Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) and the singular walking brain trust that is Sen. Jim Inhofe (R- Moran) things have the combusible elements included to get ugly. This was before the republicans decided that New Haven firefighter Frank Ricci should come in as their rookie draft pick choice to help sift through the last two decades of Judge Sotomayor's legal decisions and give his considerable legal opinions on them.

And
BREAKING: Valley Swim Club Caves...Invites Kids Back.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/12/752785/-BREAKING:-Valley-Swim-Club-Caves...Invites-Kids-Back.

And
More Racism from Free Republic
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/12/752801/-More-Racism-from-Free-Republic

To Sen. Roland Burris: “No help needed!”

Mission accomplished! The media has once again earned smiles and glee resulting in hanging out their banner reading “No Blacks allowed in the Senate!”

Mr. Burris is an old and wise man. I tip my hat to him for “..knowing when to hold’em, knowing when to fold’em” as Kenny Rogers sang. In my opinion, Mr. Burris knows better than anybody how the Black community in particular totally missed the brilliance of one Barack Obama only to begin anointing him for a Senate seat in Illinois after a salient episode exposing the sexual conduct of his opponent, Jack Ryan.

For Sen. Burris there is no *Richard Ayers nor **Rev. Wright in his political background and if he were to run for re-election for his Senate seat, he is not stupid enough to think there would be a Jack Ryan situation in his cards. He knows how “clean” he is and how hard he worked throughout the years to remain so and that fact has gotten him nothing in the Black community save the brilliant endorsement of Gov. Blagojevich.

Were I Mr. Burris, I would also say, “F*em! I’ve got my retirement now and I am going fishing! Let those colored folks (Sp) have their other white Senator! That‘s what they wanted all along! They didn’t want Barack at first and I know damn well they don’t want me. Free at last, free at last………”
As always,
BB

Burris Won't Run For Senate Seat In 2010
Excerpt:
WASHINGTON — Sen. Roland Burris, whose deep ties to former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich seemed to doom his Senate tenure from the start, will not run for a full Senate term in 2010. The move increases Democrats' chances of holding on to the former Senate seat of President Barack Obama.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/09/burris-wont-run-for-senat_n_229033.html

*Richard Ayers
http://www.npr.org/blogs/visibleman/2008/04/weathering_the_latest_obama_co.html

**Rev. Jeremiah Wright
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/DemocraticDebate/story?id=4443788&page=1

A letter to cousin John Boehner

John, I know it maybe too early to talk about the Christmas Season but I just have to tell you that Ann and I would not be able to invite you and Deborah to the house this season for either our Hanukah or Christmas celebrations. We’re broke.

As you may remember visiting me in the hospital this Spring I already had concerns how I was going to pay the bills. Surgery has never been cheap and since I was laid off, I had no better sense than to need by-pass surgery. Me, getting by-pass surgery with no more health insurance than my keyboard and the hospital also claims my condition was pre-existing which makes the situation more complicated.

I remember Dad talking about your medical discharge from the Navy after serving for only eight weeks. I wasn’t even born then but Dad talked about that for years and I often wondered if he and your Mom ever discussed it. That gives you a pre-existing medical condition but I guess your insurance company from the Senate makes all that disappear.

I am not asking you for money to help pay my bills. I hear you and some of your friends are not trying to make things easier for people like me when we get sick and need medical treatment and have all these bills. We are not Senators like you and your friends who can get preferential treatment. It’s very hard so I beg you and your friends to help us anyway you can with your votes. It is kind of complicated for me but I do hear things every now and then and see you talking on television.

Also I want to tell you we had to cancel little Josh’s Bar Mitzvah and Sarah has to wait until better times to go to Columbia. She had her heart set on going there but things happen. Medical bills happened. We are beyond being embarrassed about our situation now. Ann sends her love.
Yours truly,
Cousin Josh
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB

If You Don't Want the Public Option, Get the Hell Out of the Way
Excerpt:
Please explain, conservatives and wingnuts, why you wouldn't seriously consider switching to the public option if it turned out to be more affordable and portable from job to job -- not to mention the fact that you wouldn't be turned down for a preexisting condition; you wouldn't be randomly booted from the plan as soon as you needed it most; and you would never have to worry about health insurance coverage ever again. Employed or unemployed. Sick or healthy.

And
The fact remains that the only downside to the public option is that it's just too awesome. We don't deserve anything that good. Simply put: it's Medicare, but for anyone who wants it. And this is somehow a nightmare scenario -- one that we must never be allowed to experience even though it would cost much less than our current system, it would cover everyone who wants it, and it would be accountable to the American people. This is somehow a terrible idea. Terrible to the private health insurance mafia, that is. They simply can't allow you to have an affordable public option because they need your financial support. Face it, $1.4 million a day to lobby members of Congress isn't cheap.

And
However people are, in fact, dropping dead here due to a lack of affordable, reliable healthcare. They're being abandoned on the street. They're being denied coverage and care. They're going bankrupt and losing everything just because they had the bad luck of losing their job and then getting sick. And the Republicans are telling us that this is the best system ever, even though our infant mortality rate ranks 29th, our life expectancy ranks 42nd (so much for "pro life") and our healthcare spending is the highest among industrialized nations.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/if-you-dont-want-the-publ_b_228324.html

The Health Care Crisis: Letters from Vermont and America
Excerpt:
A woman in Eagle, Idaho, wrote of "a beautiful, intelligent, hard working small business owner who died because she couldn't afford to buy health insurance for her family nor her employees. She was 53 and I will never forgive my county for allowing the greed of the insurance companies to limit her opportunity for preventable health care. A colonoscopy at 50 would have saved her life."
Because every American needs to hear what's going on with health care in this country, I intend to read some of these letters on the floor of the Senate and send a copy of the booklet to every member of Congress.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-bernie-sanders/the-health-care-crisis-le_b_227822.html


John Boehner
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Boehner

Harry Reid: The mule that roared?

The story goes the farmer had to use a 2x4 producing some serious whacks on the ass of his mule every time he wanted it to do some work in the fields.

I hastily tried to see if the referenced diary by *budydharma was snark and it wasn’t. I was sure it was but reading further I was convinced it was not and the question comes up what got Harry Reid’s Pampers untwisted?

He wants to be as revered as Michael Jackson? He knows how much money has already been collected from Michael Jackson’s fans calling for, and will most likely get, Sen. Peter King’s head? He has read diaries and post calling for his own head now that he can no longer hide behind his “I need 60 votes!” partition? It has finally settled on him he is in serious do-do and broke with his primaries coming up? There is talk of his replacement? Low contributions to the party with money for down tickets? He has become a born again Christian?

This is the second political mystery within a two week period; the first being Sarah Palin’s self immolation a la., Madame Butterfly and now little dirty Pamper Harry Reid trying to pretend he’s a grown up! What's next...Nancy Pelosi thinking she's Madame DeFarge? Will wonders never cease.
As always,
BB
* In Praise of Harry Reid
by buhdydharma
Excerpt:
With 60 caucus members, Senate Democratic leaders are now under increased pressure to deliver big legislative wins on health care and climate change, largely because Republicans theoretically can no longer use the filibuster rules to prevent Democrats from passing major pieces of the agenda.

And
When was the last time a CongDem Leader even came close to actually doing the no brainer, incredibly obvious right thing to do???
My memory doesn't go back that far!
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/7/8/751289/-In-Praise-of-Harry-Reid

Always dirty dishes in my little kitchen sink #3

1. Peter king and Michael Jackson

Fans of Michael Jackson and his legacy stand united against Peter King's hateful words. Please donate here to show Peter King that true MJ fans won't stand for the smearing of a pop sensation!
UPDATE: Michael Jackson Fans AGAINST Peter King featured in Huffington Post, Politco, CNN.com:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/06/michael-jackson-fans-rais_n_226532.html
http://www.politico.com/blogs/anneschroeder/0709/Now_Pete_King_has_really_done_it.html?showall
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/06/jackson-fans-rally-against-peter-king/
Nassau County Legislator (Peter King's County) tweets: @DianeYatauro: I will mourn the loss of MJ, Rep King, don't be a "hater" its the music stupid!
http://twitter.com/DianeYatauro/status/2508890132
Help spread the word and build on this momentum!
http://www.actblue.com/page/jacksonfansagainstking

Sending Check today for $xx.01 to: ActBlue | 14 Arrow Street, Suite 11 | Cambridge, MA 02138 | P.O. Box 382110 Hat tip to diarist LaurenMonica

And
I hope it is true Peter King is up for re-election in 2010 as follows:
“Clinton's Democratic replacement, newly minted Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, must run in 2010 to win the remainder of the former First Lady's term.
She is likely to face a challenge from Rep. Peter King, a popular Long Island Republican who - as a candidate with a shot at winning - will likely attract the GOP's smart money.”
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2009/01/31/2009-01-31_sen_chuck_schumer_unlikely_to_see_compet.html#ixzz0KdPd59NS&D

2. Fareed Zakaria RUDE TO GUEST
On his show Sunday, Fareed had two quest; Dambisa Moyo “Dead Aid” and Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO, Acumen Fund. He let Ms. Novogratz talk endlessly, and I do mean endlessly, while constantly interrupting Ms. Moyo. I have never seen him do that before. In any case, Ms. Moyo got her point across saying government sponsored free items like giving mosquito nets to the citizens of Africa in efforts to control malaria put the local mosquito net makers out of business thereby making the populace depend more and more on government hand-outs. If I understand Ms. Moyo correctly, she is saying this procedure is usurping the citizens need to help themselves and to control their own destinies.

I have noted Mr. Zakaria to be one of the few host, like Larry King, Oprah and Rachel Maddow, who ask good questions and get out of the way of the answers with few if any interruptions.
Watch Video http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2009/07/05/gps.africaaid.debate.cnn?iref=videosearch

3. Pres. Bush and Signing Statements
In my opinion, this is how the White House was able to trash our Constitution and reign in all the forces of the government. Mr. Bush made a believer out of me that trashing the Constitution was not illegal and as the late Michael Jackson would say, “Easy as ABC!”

4. Palin for President
It is so cruel some individuals and the media panders to Ms. Palin’s delusions she can become President of the United States of America and even ahead of Hilary Clinton, mind you. Hasn’t enough been done to dis-orientate the poor lady or are they going for even more public and unquestionable madness? Can’t they see the lady is already very unstable? I suspect this is fun for them.

5. Froomkin hired by Huffington Post
by byteb
“One giant step for mankind.” Compassion still lives! Long live Arianna!
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB

“Bravo!” Roland Martin (Update)

Washington Watch With Roland Martin: New Sunday Show Aimed At Blacks
NEW YORK — Roland Martin will anchor a new Sunday public affairs show aimed at a black audience that will debut in September on the TV One network.
The "Washington Watch" program aims to tap into a new interest in politics and government due to the election of President Barack Obama, said Johnathan Rodgers, TV One's president and CEO. It debuts Sept. 27 at 11 a.m. EDT, and the show will be repeated each week at 5 p.m.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/07/04/washington-watch-with-rol_n_225782.html

I wish Roland Martin well. He has earned such a position in the media. Like any Black individual in the media Mr. Martin has gotten caustic and oftentimes blistering criticisms from both sides of the racial divide and yet he survives which is no small feat. If you carefully listen to foes of Blacks, including some Blacks ourselves, there will never be the right time for a Black to have his own media show addressing our issues. In my opinion, critics conclude all of America’s issues should be authenticated with constant references and analogies to the Hitler regime, Hitler himself, Anti-Semiticism, the Neo-Nazi Party and other Jewish hate groups dragging us Blacks along for color. As I have noted before when the Nazi party headquarters are raided you will not find “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” or “The Mis-Education of the Negro” on their bookshelves and neither will you find the “Black Liberation Flag” hanging on their walls in mockery.

The critics who feel this way feel this is the only way to authenticate troubling issues here in America and perhaps it does but not our home grown Black issues. Surely this is learned behavior on the part of our critics. Could this be the reason some issues of our society will never move forward by making such absurd analogies? Is American history really destined to keep repeating itself by constantly, I say constantly, making such ridiculous comparisons? Most of America’s issues are born and festered here and should be resolved thusly. Speaking of absurdities, *I saw one the other day comparing Pres. Obama to Hitler. I can not understand this Hitler obsession. We Blacks have our own American history to draw upon with our Bull Connors and Jesse Helmes’ and do not need to visit 1930 Germany for nuffin!

I look forward to watching Mr. Martin’s new show. He is considered by many an “arrogant” Black man which means in translation he, like myself and many other Blacks, are living the American taboo by being Black, educated and having the audacity to be comfortable within ourselves in this environment.

Finally, and in my opinion, Mr. Martin can become a wealthy man with his new show as well as bringing great prestige to the TV One Network by having on-line Salons as was attempted by the Washington Post. (Busted!) Personally, I like the idea. (Smile) I like it very much. There is an old saying, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!” The time has long past when a Black man in public has to address the whole spectrum of the Black community. There are people working hard doing their damnest addressing various individual segments of the Black community and I hope Mr. Martin and his producers have the good sense to know even then you can not win’em all. Let Mr. Martin address his segment of our society and I thank God almighty in the heavens above it was not Tavis Smiley! Here’s wishing Mr. Martin well and the best of luck. Color me ranting!
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB
(UPDATE)
* Republicans Claim Free Speech Re: Hitler/Obama Comparisons at Tea Party
Excerpt:

According to JaxPoliticsOnline.com:
numerous signs that were prominently displayed at the gathering, including two that featured Barack Obama in Nazi garb. One sign, in fact, had altered Obama's appearance to resemble Hitler. Other signs compared ACORN, the community organizing group accused of voter registration irregularities, with the SS-the Nazi organization responsible for enacting the Holocaust and the group responsible for most of the crimes against humanity committed by the Third Reich.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-derrick/republicans-claim-free-sp_b_225998.html

Michael Jackson and Needle Marks

In my opinion, if Michael had taken the drug Diprivan there would be needle marks on his arm. It is my understanding the drug has to be taken intravenously. If any needle marks were found by the coroner, he/she would have told it and if not, yet another Michael Jackson news cycle hoax.
As always,
BB
P.S. Why haven't we learned the story and name of the fourteen year old survivor of the plane crash wherein all 152 passengers died? Curious.

Let’em eat some more cake!

Community Colleges See Demand Spike, Funding Slip
by: Valerie Strauss
Excerpt:
Hundreds of thousands of students are likely to be turned away from low-cost community colleges across the country over the next year because of funding cuts at the very time that record numbers of students are flocking to the open-admission schools, according to education officials.

Comment:
Wed, 07/01/2009 - 23:20 — David (not verified)
Of course they're cutting funding just as the need is increasing! Like school vouchers, public subsidy of private education, higher student-teacher ratios, elimination of arts ed, and all the rest, this is just another piece of the systematic conversion of the middle class into an undereducated, underinsured, and underpaid working class that will have no choice but to support the tiny upper class, as we fight among ourselves for whatever crumbs are cast before us. God bless America.
http://www.truthout.org/070109EDA

To support the above comment, I remember when Sen. John McCain strenuously opposed a new Education Bill for members of the military. He wanted them to stay in the armed services and remain without college degrees. I do not know what happened to the bill but as I recall, there was some strange logic involved in his reasoning.
As always,
BB

Racism? (Yawn) (UPDATE X2)

14-year-old survives Airbus ocean crash
By Daniel Howden, Africa Correspondent
Excerpt:
According to rescuers, the sole survivor was a young girl called Bahia, who was making a good recovery in hospital on the largest of the Comoros Islands. The girl, 14, who was said to have been travelling with her mother, was plucked from the sea near the crash site and then confirmed her identity to local officials. “She is well now,” said a spokesman. “She was able to talk to the authorities.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/14yearold-survives-airbus-ocean-crash-1724727.html

I note the second day after the tragic death of *Neda of Iran, she was declared a martyr. Additionally, I note she was martyred before anyone even knew her last name.

Further, I note within days of the safe landing of US Airways A320 in the Hudson Bay in New York, the pilot, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger III, was considered a hero with all manner of accolades and exposure. And now “..a young girl called Bahia” who was the sole survivor of a flight killing all 152 passengers off the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean is a mere nobody of importance. A mere meaningless aside issue to the story; an accompany, if you will; a girl "plucked" from the water. Sad.
As always,
BB
*Nada Agha-Soltan
(Update)
"Miracle" Plane Crash Survivor: Six Questions and Answers About Your Next Flight
Excerpt:
The sole survivor of Yemenia Flight 626 could barely swim and didn't have a life jacket. When Bahia Bakari's airplane crashed into the stormy Indian Ocean this week, killing 152 other passengers and crew, the 12-year-old girl suddenly found herself in the watery darkness. She could hear the voices of other passengers, but couldn't see anyone, including her mother who perished. For 13 hours, Bahia clung to debris until she was rescued.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ben-sherwood/teen-survivor-six-questio_b_225367.html

(Update x2)
Author: This article bought down the tears. I was emotional since first reading about Bahia’s survival and since I use to teach children her age, I could imagine her fears and how she felt and the decisions she had to make to survive in the water for 13 hours. Bless her!

Excerpt:
In a handwritten report, obtained Saturday by The Associated Press, Cyrille writes that the crew saw a girl "trying to get on to a piece of wood or plastic." French officials have said she was afloat for 13 hours.
A member of the rescue team threw a life preserver to the girl, but the waters were too rough for her to catch it.
One of the sailors, Libouna Maturaffe Soulemane -- who had completed a rescue course six months earlier -- jumped into the sea with a flotation device and reached out to Bahia
http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/world/2009/07/04/D997LSD00_af_comoros_girl_s_rescue/index.html

Are collection agencies being duped?

She insisted I owed the cell phone company over $300 and I had broken the two year contract. “No, no, no!” I said, “That’s not true. When the rep called me offering me another contract I told him ‘No thanks’ and to discontinue my services. The rep did not accurately record the details.”

I further insisted if the phone calls continued I was going to go to court and sue for harassment due to the fact I was retired and had nothing else to do but read and write. I went to court and registered my complaint. We settled out of court and I recently received and accepted a check for the agreed upon settlement amount.

Now here’s the rub! No sooner had I cashed the settlement check, yet another collection agency called me regarding the $300 bogus bill I had with the cell phone company. At this point, I blame the cell phone company for dumping all of its “no pay” accounts on the un-suspecting, and perhaps gullible, collection agencies.

I call the collection agency gullible because they apparently did not get enough information from the cell phone company. For example, the cell phone company may have been notified I had died or asked for the phone to be disconnected before renewing a contract etc., information not passed onto the collection agency.

At this time, I am contemplating either taking the second collection agency to court or going straight for the cell phone company for what I consider disgraceful attempts to establish yet another American “Stick’em up!” cottage industry. I will use money from the settlement check as a retainer if the lawyer does not want to do a “pro bono” or whatever it is called. I may even ask the first and second collection agencies if they want to join me in a class suite against the cell phone company. I don’t know how I will handle this situation at this time. As I said, I have nothing to do but read and write.

I am still appalled reading a few months ago a diary a mother wrote about a collection agency garnishing her son’s check during the time he was going through a divorce. Most people going through a divorce know how broke you can be and most recently reading how some collection agencies intimidate the older community with threats of taking them to court.
As always,
BB
P.S. Somewhere along the way a person in a position to know told me the biggest complaint regarding cell phone bills was the one about the cell phone companies saying the customer broke the contract.

WHY JOHNNY CAN’T READ and also has no health plan

Haiti
nanjemoy I'm a Fan of nanjemoy I'm a fan of this user permalink
A very similar thing happened just a few years ago in Haiti. But that time it was an outside force, led by the U.S. I will be interested to see what becomes of this as news leaks out who staged it.


Venezuela
mtracy9 I'm a Fan of mtracy9 I'm a fan of this user permalink
2002
Venezuela - The CIA attempts to overthrow the democratically elected government of Venezuela. According to intelligence analyst Wayne Madsen, "the CIA provided Special Operations Group personnel, headed by a lieutenant colonel on loan from the U.S. Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to help organize the coup." Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has irritated the U.S. with his 2001 Hydrocarbon Law, which doubles royalties on foreign oil companies and requires a majority government stake in future joint ventures. Soldiers supporting the coup take control of the presidential palace, arrest Chavez and fly him to the Venezuelan island of La Orchil, where he is imprisoned. Businessman Pedro Carmona claims power and, in his first move as president, dissolves the democratically elected National Assembly, the Supreme Court and other key institutions, while arresting Chavez supporters. The U.S. immediately recognizes the Carmona government. However, the coup soon unravels when thousands of anti-coup protesters surround the presidential palace demanding Hugo Chavez's reinstatement. Two days later, Hugo Chavez triumphantly returns to office.

CIA
mtracy9 I'm a Fan of mtracy9 I'm a fan of this user permalink
"For some time I have been disturbed by the way the CIA has been diverted from its original assignment. It has become an operational and at times a policy-making arm of the government.... I never had any thought that when I set up the CIA that it would be injected into peacetime cloak and dagger operations." --former President Harry Truman, in a letter to the Washington Post, one month after the JFK assassination, December 21, 1963

Iran
KT2468 I'm a Fan of KT2468 I'm a fan of this user permalink
Military coups in Latin America, Africa, Asia, it did not matter. It was a US sponsored coup that installed the Shah as dictator in Iran, and Mugabe in Zimbabwe.
Before the US, it was the UK toppling unfriendly democracies to impose friendly dictators. But I do hope US hands are clean on this one.

Honduras
Granillusion I'm a Fan of Granillusion I'm a fan of this user permalink
this was an obama-ClA coup! period !
the sch00l of the Americas trained Honduran military thvgs would have never dared this had they not had an OK from "higher up". are we gonna demand accountability? most of your are complete !d!ots. you were right to be so against bush but you're wrong to support 0re0bam he may be black on the outside but total ne0c0n on the inside. We've been had.
This is no change at all'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/28/manuel-zelaya-arrested-ho_n_221961.html

And
IRAQ…..AFGANISTAN……PAKISTAN…..
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB
P.S. Is it coincidental many countries lacking a “CIA” equivalence out-perform the US in academics and have health insurance for all its citizens? Exactly what do we have to show for our CIA conduct throughout the years? We’re all treated like “niggers!” Just some more than others.
P.P.S. Dem. Senators are cranky because they're being called out for screwing up health care reform
by Joe Sudbay (DC) on 6/28/2009 04:33:00 PM
Stern said his organization issued a release chastising Feinstein last week, because she should "put her foot on the gas, not the brake" on health reform.
"The gas pedal to go where?" Feinstein replied, explaining she has questions about how a broad expansion of health coverage will be paid for.
"I do not think this is helpful. It doesn't move me one whit," she said. "They are spending a lot of money on something that is not productive."
http://www.americablog.com/2009/06/dem-senators-are-cranky-because-theyre.html

MIA: Gloria Allred, Nancy Grace and Prosecutor Tom Sneedon

As a matter of good literary taste and respect, the initials MIA mean “Missing In Action”.

These three names are closely associated with the 2005 child molestation trial of Jordan Chandler Vs. Michael Jackson. The thrust of the trial was Michael had many young boys in his bed and had molested all of them and this boy, Jordan chandler, was one of two who were brave enough to come forth and make accusations. As I recall the incident with Boy #1 surfaced when Michael was getting ready to go on tour and since there were so many contracts already signed and so many people depending on getting money from the tour, he just settled out of court which many interpreted as a verdict of guilt. The out of court settlement was far less than what he would have made on the tour. Passport and visa had been obtained, baby-sitters in place, money borrowed for the trip had come through, etc.

I heard a commentator today say that Michel had hundreds of boys in his bed. I posit the fact if Michael Jackson had even a few, not hundreds of boys in his bed, by now one of them would have come back and killed him. He would not have died from a drug over-dose. There are some boys that do not ever forgive you for taking advantage of their youth and they can not wait to get old enough to get back at you. Boys are different than girls. Boys will talk about the experience and fester their hated for you with very unpleasant culminations of their feelings. Boys talk about “faggots!” they know and if one of them did something to them when they were young, defenseless and did not know any better, Lord have mercy! He is going to tell it! Michael was 50 years old which was long enough for some of those boys to have matured.

Prosecutor Sneedon thought he had such a boy with Jordan chandler above all the other boys Michael was supposed to have molested and bought charges against Michael. Enter Gloria Allred, Nancy Grace and Tom Sneedon. With those two ugly women and a viper alone is enough to drive you to take drugs while pulling your hair out. Witches and vipers would be insulted and perhaps sue you and win in a court of law if you were to make such an analogy.
As always,
BB
P.S. (Random thoughts) Like any child, Michael only wanted to please people he thought of as being adults. ~I often think about the lady in the parking lot releasing the doves after the “Not guilty” verdict in 2005. ~Ironically, that same mentality of Grace, Allred and Sneedon is after our Pres. Obama in the persons of Rush Limbaugh, Dick Cheney and John McCain. They go after the more brilliant. They already managed to get Ahmandenijad angry at him. Watch how that flows and I note no public statement regarding the death of Michael Jackson from the President.

Michael Jackson, his doctor and drugs

After the release of the 911 tapes requesting an ambulance to come to Michael Jackson’s home, there is a need, as procedure, to talk to the doctor who was in attendance at the time and who was mentioned on the tapes.

Many years ago when I was young and had all my teeth, a friend told me what was considered a drug over-dose. I will paraphrase what he told me.

Most people think a drug over-dose is due to the escalation of the dosage. Not true. You can over-dose using the same amount of dosage you normally use and the difference is whether or not your body can turn over the drug. If you have been taking the same dosage day in and day out and have not gotten much sleep and you are tired and haven’t eaten, your body is not going to be up to snuff. You are physically exhausted. So when you take that same dosage of drugs under those conditions, your body simply can not handle it. That is when your body goes into shock and you die. You die having used the same dosage you always used.

It would be impolite for me to say anymore and besides, I wouldn’t know what I was talking about.
As always,
BB

Thoughts on the “Do or Die(ers)”

What I am learning about the “Do or Die” personality is how much the “die” part effects me.
Whether the issue is political or personal, many people are effected by persons embracing the negative or positives of a “Do or die” mind set i.e., Dr. Martin Luther King Vs. Gov. Mark Sanford Vs. Sen. Max Baucus Vs. Mr. Mousavi of Iran.

Judging from the positions of Pres. Obama, it appears to me he neither believes in “Do or die” rhetoric nor conduct. He is of the school of thought that says, “Look, you don’t have to go that far. Let’s sit down and talk about it. I’m sure we can find some common ground.”
What has gotten my strongest attention of late is the past “Do or die” rhetoric of Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina that came home to roost. I am mindful of his strong stance regarding the stimulus money to his state wherein his peers not only voted against his stance on the issue but additionally giving him a swift kick in the butt by over turning many of his recent vetoes. In my opinion, that was akin to being tarred and feathered and he himself spared them the glee of running him out of town by doing so himself.

It is my understanding by making efforts to refuse the stimulus money, Gov. Sanford was messing with the educational system in his state. If he were successful we all know the impact would have been greatest in the poorer, predominately Black communities.

It was during Gov. Sanford’s press conference yesterday I took particular note of two African-American females in the background who were, in my opinion, wearing the historically enigmatic Mona Lisa smile; Gov. Mark Sanford, along with his “Do or die” approach to the stimulus package, had died. There are those who would believe it was fate that sealed his doom.
Fighting for the dignity of my Ancestors,
God bless Bill Gates, WPFW, C-Span and the spirits of the unborn for the help,
BB

P.S. Governor Sanford Sees Loss in Stimulus Fight
Excerpt:
Mr. Sanford, the only governor to take his opposition to the bailout funding to court, said his best hope had been before a federal judge "because it's federal money and the federal prerogative, we believe, was given to the governor" to decide whether to accept the funds.
The state's legislature says the money is vital to avoid mass layoffs of teachers and other cutbacks. The U.S. Dept. of Education recently set a July 1 deadline for governors to apply for the so-called fiscal stabilization funds, which are slated to be used for education and public safety, among other things.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124387719899872757.html

And
Keith and Rachel, please apologize regarding Sanford emails.
by Jack Dublin
Excerpt:
I cringed last night while Keith Olbermann mocked the contents of emails sent by South Carolina Governor Sanford (R) to his lover. I couldn't understand why Keith felt so compelled to read the elove letters word for word. I could not find one bit of newsworthy information in his routine. I was sickened by the glint of joy I saw in Keith's eyes as he pounded away at the contents of the love letters.
Then came Rachel Maddow, the political commentator that I trust most. And she seemed to be making fun of Sanford's emails. My heart sank. I was ashamed to be a liberal if being a liberal meant that we cheered the unnecessary fire bombing of a person's love life.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/6/25/746648/-Keith-and-Rachel,-please-apologize-regarding-Sanford-emails.

Double-dipping in Educational Funds?

This article caught my attention:

Court Says Public Must Pay for Private Special Ed
Excerpt:
Washington - The Supreme Court has made it easier for parents of special education students to be reimbursed for the cost of private schooling for their children.
http://www.truthout.org/062309EDA

During my thirty-seventh year of teaching, I was transferred into a very affluent area of my school district to teach music and one class in particular stands out for me even to this day; the Special Education Class. There were the boys with their orange or blue dyed hair, some with Mohawk cuts and girls in their long paisley sun-back dresses with ribbons in their hair. The man sang, “Ah, I remember it well.”

The class was especially large and as the students came into the classroom for the very first time on the very first day of school, I noted to myself, “These are not Special Ed. Students. No way!” They were polite, courteous, charming, had book-bags, were well groomed and ready for learning to take place. After taking the role I started out with my first unit, “What is music?” wherein I end up with the students having to distinguish the difference between music and noise with me giving musical examples of each on the piano and having a student record their answers in two columns on the chalk board. My example for music was the first part of “Mary had a little lamb..” and for noise I would slam open and close the piano lid, bang on the side and top of the piano with my fist and intone non-sensible words. They tore that lesson up! “No, no, no!” I said to myself once again. “These are NOT Special Ed. Students.”

In the class there was only one student, one mind you, who would literally stand up on the desks, could not work in groups and constantly disturbed the learning environment. He was conspicuously lost in the class and the only one in the class demonstrating true Special Ed. experiences.

A few days later I was able to engage a teacher in conversation regarding my impression about the class who told me in order for parents to qualify for state-paid private tutoring for their child, the child had to be registered in a Special Ed. Class. Bingo!
As always,
BB
P.S. Also during the year, an outside independent music teacher came asking me to help her teach a Bar Mitzvah song to her student who was also in my class. (Gasp!) I did not think to ask the good Madame how about us both teaching the boy a good Negro Spiritual.
BTW, music is organized sounds. Have fun! (Smile)