STP Speaks

Oscar Fabulous

2007-02-26T22:47:00.000-08:00

The Oscar's

I know this isn't technically political talk, but I love me some Oscar's!! My favorite gown of the evening was the one Penelope Cruz wore (Pic on the left) to the ceremony. She changed into the one on the right for the after parties (don't know why - cuz that dress isn't nearly as beautiful).

Loved Ellen as the Host - I thought she was very funny and down-to-earth. My favorite speeches of the evening were Forest Whittaker's and Jennifer Hudson. Loved them both and loved their performances that earned them the wins !!

URBAN ASSAULT VEHICLES

2007-02-19T17:56:00.000-08:00

Why do you need an Urban Assault Vehicle (aka: Hummer; Navigator; Expedition; fill in the blank with any over sized, boxy truck....) when you live in Leawood or Lee's Summit???

What is the point of it? I am more offended by seeing that then I would be watching people have sex in public. Seriously though....why do you folks need that vehicle? The chances of you being attacked by guns, missiles, grenades in the Town Center Parking lot are fairly minimal. I can understand why folks drive and need a truck. There are times you have to haul things. However, a Hummer or something like that is not practical for hauling anything but your botoxed, over accessorized, fur-coat wearin, soccer-mom self and your bratty, spoiled children. Now, I'm not sayin everyone should have to drive some sort of bio-waste fueled diesel conversion car.....but a Hummer? Seriously.............. Get a life, sell the Ego Wagon and buy yourself some sort of Toyota Hybrid, or even a Mercedes.........please!

Bloggin away

2007-02-17T22:09:00.000-08:00

Hey all,

I know I haven't posted in a while - but been a little busy defendin those murderers and rapists. Seriously though......I have had a little overload on work lately and the holidays and all.......

Anyway, I'm back and I am hoping to put in a lot more posts with a lot less preachy text.

Hope you all enjoy my new format.

What the F*ck??

2007-02-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

WOW

Don't even know what to say here......

Hard to believe there are people this stupid still in existence.

Here are the rest of his comments if you need more to scoff at:

"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known," Hardaway said. "I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States."
Hardaway was a guest of Miami Herald columnist Dan Le Batard on Miami sports radio station WAXY-AM and was asked how he would deal with a gay teammate. When asked if he would accept an active player's coming out, such as that of retired NBA center John Amaechi, Hardaway replied: "First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. "And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that's right. And you know I don't think he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that," he said.

Hopefully, something good will come of Hardaway's comments.............like.........oh, I don't know....maybe John Amaechi will sell more books:

Available from Amazon.com

Man in the Middle (Hardcover) by John Amaechi (Author)
List Price:
$24.95
Price:
$16.47 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save:
$8.48 (34%)
Availability: In Stock. Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

"Truthiness" and the Disappearance of Critical Thinking in America

2006-10-22T18:46:00.000-07:00

Truthiness (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Stephen Colbert announces that "The WØRD" of the night is "truthiness," during the premiere episode of The Colbert Report. Truthiness is a satirical term coined by Stephen Colbert in reference to the quality by which a person claims to know something intuitively, instinctively, or "from the gut" without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or actual facts (similar to the meaning of "bellyfeel", a Newspeak term from George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four). Colbert created this definition of the word during the first episode (October 17, 2005) of his satirical television program The Colbert Report, as the subject of a segment called "The WØRD". By using the term as part of his satirical routine, Colbert sought to critique the tendency to rely upon "truthiness" and its use as an appeal to emotion and tool of rhetoric in contemporary socio-political discourse. He particularly applied it to President Bush's modus operandi in nominating Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court and in deciding to invade Iraq.

I was watching the Oprah show the other day. Normally, it is lots of mindless fluff entertainment for me, but that day she had a show called "Truth in America". This fascinated me from its crazy title (you know - trying to find truth in America - it just sounded ridiculous) to its guests which were journalists talking about truth in America - again with the ridiculous. But, I listened and found it very enlightening. The major theme was about critical thinking and how that has been missing in the media and in our current culture. I couldn't have agreed more. With our current administration, critical thinking in the media and by the general public has been lacking and even discouraged as unpatriotic.

Are we getting the truth about major events such as September 11, the War in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina? According to the Poynter Institute's Dr. Roy Peter Clark, "The truth is being distorted from all corners, and Americans don't see it, or if they do, too many don't seem to care."The most powerful antidote to these distortions, Dr. Clark says, is critical literacy. Here are fifteen things Dr. Clark says you can do to recognize manipulation in government, media, business and advertising:

1. Support school programs that help young people analyze and criticize media messages. Students should learn the values of the First Amendment, and, through their reading, writing, and speaking, practice those values. Freedom of expression means nothing if you lack the means to express yourself.

2. Don't just consume the message of advertisers, especially political advertisers. Talk to your children and to other adults about the hidden messages they contain.

3. Find three political bloggers who represent the right, the left, and the middle. Consult them to help you sort through political issues and media messages.

4. Join with others in your community to analyze how you are being served or disserved by your local news media. As famed editor Gene Roberts said about one newspaper: "You can throw it up in the air and read it before it hits the ground." What does your community need in the form of coverage that it is not getting? Who owns the news companies in your community? Are they in the news business to serve the public or to maximize their profits?

5. Look for role models of candor and accountability, people in public life who have proven to be reliable over time. Look for folks within a movement or political party who have the courage to speak, on occasion, against the interests of their own party.

6. Recognize the power of framing as a communication device. People may be telling you the truth, but only a part of the truth. They may be framing events to focus on some themes, but not others. In the immigration debate, for example, the "safety of our borders" is a frame, but so is "America opens its arms to immigrants," and so is "there are jobs in America that Americans will not do."

7. Learn to recognize the manipulation of language and images. Read George Orwell's famous essay, "Politics and the English Language," which argues that language abuse leads to political abuse, and vice versa. Be skeptical of any speaker or writer who calls into question a critic's loyalty to the country.

8. Learn the differences between forms of political persuasion that appeal to your reason as opposed to those that appeal to your fears or passions. Beware of slogans. They are a substitute for critical thinking.

9. A key value of journalism is to make important things (like health care) interesting for the public. Beware of attempts to make interesting things, such as lurid crimes, seem important -- when they are not.

10. Pay attention to people who are willing to change their minds -- as long as they are not addicted to doing so.

11. Prefer people who want to have a vigorous conversation to those who want to shout at each other.

12. Be not seduced into thinking that every hot-button issue requires to you be on one side or the other. There may be a middle ground. Don't be afraid to be puzzled or uncertain about an issue. It's OK to be working to make up your mind.

13. Get off the couch. Join a club. Volunteer. Sing in the choir. One way not to be fooled by political or media manipulation is to learn from direct experience, from reality and not reality TV.

14. In an age of celebrity culture, pay more attention to people for what they do than for who they are.

15. Be a skeptic, but not a cynic. A skeptic doubts knowledge. A cynic doubts moral goodness. The cynic says, "All politicians are liars," or "All journalists have a hidden bias." The skeptic says, "That doesn't sound right to me. Show me the evidence."

The Chimp-O-Matic

2006-08-29T23:38:00.000-07:00

Must tell you all about this hilarious website called "The Chimp-O-Matic". I have it on my Google homepage and every time I sign on it gives me a different quote. I highly recommend it for some light entertainment. Whichever your political affiliation, you have to laugh.

SHE CRAZY

2006-08-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

What is it with these religious nuts who insist on calling for the violation of the constitutional amendment our Founding Fathers saw fit to write in as the FIRST??!! The latest is Katherine Harris from Florida (remember she was the Secretary of State during the first Presidential election.....you know the one with all the make-up)? Anyhoo, she told the Florida Baptist Witness (a Florida Baptist State Convention journal) that separating religion and politics is wrong because "God is the one who chooses our rulers". She also said, according to a CNN article, that electing non-Christians is essentially legislating sin. Scary stuff, for anyone who believes differently.

I know that Christians don't have a monopoly on highjacking governments - but they sure seem to be trying real hard to do it in this country. From President Bush on down to local legislators here in MO and KS there has been a real shift in politics. The question is, have they gone too far? In Kansas, the controlling members of the state school board recently lost power in the August election. Since 1998, the school board has changed hands twice, resulting in anti-evolution standards, then back to evolution friendly standards - coming and going with alarming frequency. This debate will seemingly go on and on. In Missouri, we have the stem cell initiative which will be voted on in the November elections.

Some folks are still calling for school prayer. A relative of mine insists that it would cure all the ills in society if we would just have kids pray in class. In 2005, a Gallup poll showed that a majority of Americans favor voluntary prayer in school, but only 25% favor a spoken prayer. The majority prefer a moment of silence. This is encouraging, but it seems like we need more education on constitutional issues in our public schools. I don't remember having much of this during my high school civics classes. A good working understanding of the Constitution along with some basic caselaw on hot topics like this could go a long way in helping to educate the general public why our laws are what they are. People may still disagree, but at least they would have access to the debate and why our courts have ruled the way they have on certain issues.

It seems we do have a chance for change if we liberals and moderate conservatives join to vote for that change. Hopefully, the pendulum will swing the other way by this November.

"OUTRAGE FATIGUE"

2006-08-27T19:38:00.000-07:00

I am so sick of being outraged at everything I see in the news. I don't think I can muster up any more outrage or anger at our government anymore. In my job as a public defender we call this kind of burn-out "compassion fatigue". I think I have the political version of this. I shall call it "outrage fatigue". For example, I used to get such a kick out of reading these godawful right wing freaky fake emails my Dad or my retired military uncle would send me. I would take delight in fact checking these and sending that back to them, forwarding it to all the people they had sent it to, and all the people that sent it to them. That was a fun sport for me that I used to love. Sadly, this week, I told my Dad to stop sending these stupid emails to me. I just can't muster up the outrage right now. I hope this is a temporary issue with me. I can't stand to watch the news, cause I don't want to talk about all the bad stuff I see on it with my other liberal friends. I am trying to care..... but I am just worn out by it all.

What works to combat this issue in my job is simple. I just go to some "Rah-rah-rah" Public Defender conference and get all motivated to help poor people charged with crimes again. Works every time. I think it is the combination of the group building each other back up again and seeing the new public defenders all eager and idealistic. Guess I need something like that to build me back up again before the 2008 elections. This is the danger we liberals face right now. We have a great opportunity to turn this country around, and I am afraid we may lose it if we don't keep up the appropriate amount of outrage. We need to get out there right now and join some group, or donate to a candidate, or work on someone's campaign. We can't let the right wingers defeat our wills to fight by sheer atrocity after atrocity.

So get out there and do what you do LIBERALS. It is time to take action and walk the walk. Let's fight for our rights, for our values, for our country, and for our right to partay !!!

Da Big One............you know...39 and Holding

2006-07-23T21:15:00.000-07:00

AT LEAST I'M STILL A VIRGIN

Haven't posted in a while cause I've been kind of busy dealing with the I can't believe I'm..................how old? I've actually been pretty good about the whole thing in a "I don't have many wrinkles, don't look as old as I am, feel pretty young, look pretty young, but not married yet and no kids yet, and crap my ovaries are 40 years old too, where did the time go" kind of way.

Anyway - at least I still have my virginity!!!

ANN COULTER IS A HEINOUS BITCH

2006-06-12T21:11:00.000-07:00

What happened to this woman to make her so nasty??

Ann Coulter is a heinous bitch. I must say I'm as close to "hating" her as I am to almost anyone else in this country (including Dubbya).

In her new book (which I loath to even mention here for fear it might sell a copy) she calls a group of 9/11 widows "broads" and then continues to spew the most fabulous garbage imaginable. "I've never seen people enjoy their husband's deaths so much" is one example of a smart and witty quote from this book. I want to say I have no problem with her criticizing this group of women (as much as I don't agree with her). What I do have a problem with is the disgusting way in which she disagreed. She shows no respect whatsoever for anyone's opinion if they disagree with her or this administration. This is a continuing theme of Ms. Coulter's. Check out some of her quotes from other books (which you can do online for free). Not only does she say these kind of outrageous things on a regular basis, but she flat out lies quite often for these hate filled books she writes. Check out fact checking sites like Spinsanity who do bipartisan fact checks on political candidates and pundits. My hope is that soon someone will sue her for libel and win.

Ms. Coulter is now on her book tour stooping to new lows to sell more copies. I wish she would just go away and we wouldn't have to hear any more of her ludicrous comments. The only way for that to happen is for every talk show, radio host, news organization, and reporter to tell Ms. Coulter when she comes promotin' to not let the door hit her where the good Lord split her.

DUBBYA HATES BLACK PEOPLE AND GAYS TOO!!

2006-06-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

I've had enough of this guy. I can't take his transparent political ploys, his spin, his shameless full of crap speeches, his mispronunciation of commonly used words and phrases, and that awful Beavis and Butthead cackle. Eeecchhk. The "Eeeuww" factor is at an all time high for me. What is wrong with this guy??!! He has absolutely no shame. What does he personally believe in anyway? I think he has no principles or beliefs of his own. Unless you count as a strongly held belief the way the wind blows when propelled by the latest approval ratings.

Now this renewed call for a ban on gay marriage. Give me a break. Are you telling me that in this time of what is basically now a civil war in Iraq that we can't seem to get out of, an investment of billions of dollars in this war (not to mention thousands of lives and the thousands that have been injured in the war), our national debt at an all time high, the "war on terror", more people incarcerated in the United States than ever before, oil and gas prices at an all time high, an increasing health care crisis....anycrap.....you all get the picture. Why in the world is this call for an amendment a top priority for this administration. Like I said before.......eechhkk!!

I say it is time for the Gay Mafia to move in and take over this country. It is time for them to implement their Master Plan. And when they do, heterosexual marriages will all be dissolved. Heterosexuals will not be allowed any public displays of affection for fear of prosecution or persecution. There will be no more NFL or NHL or certainly NBA (just kidding - gays like sports too or at least the guys in tight pants). There will be no more tax breaks for heterosexuals. Adoptions by heterosexuals will become illegal in most states although they may be allowed to be foster parents. Heterosexuals will not be allowed to make health care decisions for the ones they love without having a legal contract drawn up. Heterosexuals will walk down the streets in fear of being attacked or killed by intolerant homosexuals.

Of course clear thinking Americans know this is ridiculous (the Gay Mafia would never have such a stupid plan) but can you imagine if the roles were reversed like this - heterosexuals would absolutely revolt at the discrimination. But, that will never happen because heterosexuals are the majority. And this is why we have safeguards like the judicial system to protect the minority from the majority stripping away their rights. Not just any rights, but the equal protection rights we have in the US Constitution. The Bill of Rights and the amendments are not just technicalities. The Founding Fathers made it so hard to pass a new constitutional amendment for a reason. So, you more moderate conservatives, take a stand. Protect the constitution from being highjacked by the far right. Protect our constitution from having discrimination written into it. Finally, protect the minority from this intolerant mob mentality. Tell your leaders to leave this issue alone and focus on what really should be a priority to this administration.

Do we really have the stomach for this???

2006-06-02T20:29:00.000-07:00

Wendy Ortiz is a 12 year old girl who was born in this country. Unfortunately for her - her parents were not. Wendy and her two siblings were traveling with their parents 200 miles north of the Mexico border when they were stopped by a U.S. border patrol operation called Operation Desert Denial. This operation was designed to stop drug smuggling into this country. When the border patrol stopped the Ortiz family they asked if everyone in the car was born in this country. I'm not sure what that has to do with whether or not the Ortiz family were potential drug smuggler's - but I'm sure the border patrol was doing a "Hey...while we're at it...". Wendy's parents answered them honestly and were promptly detained and later deported. An aunt from Los Angelos picked up the three children (citizens) later. Wendy hasn't seen her mother since. She has only been to Mexico once before and does not want to live there. She doesn't have to either. She is an American citizen, just like you and me. There are an estimated 3 million US born children living here with at least one parent living here illegally. Do we really have the stomach to split up families and abandon children?

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES IN KANSAS CITY

2006-04-23T22:18:00.000-07:00

LOCAL AND NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS NEED YOUR HELP !!

Just thought I'd post some links to local and national charities that need volunteers. Some I have personal experience with and some I've only heard about - but all have a good reputation.

This first one is a home in KC for abused children. They have opportunities for volunteers working directly with abused children and monetary donations:

http://www.spoffordhome.org/

Here is one teaching literacy to adults in the Kansas City area. Their website has volunteer information:

http://www.literacykc.org/

The Kansas City Free Health Clinic provides medical services to indigent folks in the community. They do a lot of work with AIDS patients specifically, but it is certainly not limited to that. They have volunteer opportunities for Dr.'s and Dentists but also for lay people handling various administrative tasks. Here is the link for volunteer info:

http://www.kcfree.org/pages/volunteers.shtml

Big Brothers and Sisters of Greater Kansas City - Mentoring for kids in one parent households:

http://www.bigbrothersbigsisterskc.org/

This next one is a link to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training. You raise money for the leukemia and lymphoma Society while training for a running/walking/cycling/triathlon event. They have informational meetings all the time where you could go and see if it would be something you'd be interested in. The coaching you receive throughout the training is particularly invaluable:

http://www.teamintraining.org/all_page.adp?item_id=7243

If you are interested in homeless issues - this is a really good one. It does have a religious bent - but has a great mission and does so much to help the homeless community in KC.

http://www.uplift.org/

Here is the link to the local United Way agency that could help you get involved in numerous volunteer projects in KC:

http://www.hauw.org/Default.htm

I found a cool website to help match volunteers with organizations in Kansas City. Here is the link:

http://www.volunteermatch.org/

I also have some links on this blog to a few other national organizations like:

ONE - which is an organization to help end world poverty:

http://www.one.org/

Million Voices for Darfur - this has an action plan for local groups which would be great if you are wanting to start your own type of group:

http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/
http://www.genocideintervention.net/index.php

Happy Volunteering !!!

FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION

2006-04-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

Murder Victims' Families for Reconciliation, Inc.

"Reconciliation means accepting you can't undo the murder but you can decide how you want to live afterwards."

This is an organization that is near and dear to my heart. I love the idea behind reconciliation. It is a wonderful combination of forgiveness and letting go of the anger and moving on. I respect the activism and the mission behind this organization. Plain and simple it is to abolish the death penalty.

Each of their members has lost a loved one to murder, through homicide or execution, and every one in it opposes the death penalty. You may also join the organization as a "friend" (one who has not experienced the loss of a loved one through murder) but who supports MVFR's work to abolish the death penalty. Their members are people who have come to believe that their own grief will not be lessened by causing pain to others.

For more info on this wonderful organization please check out the link to their website.

I've heard a few people from this organization speak and it has always been a very moving experience. One was a woman whose father was a minister. When she was a teenager she and her father were in the parrish house when a person came in to rob them. The perpetrator ultimately killed her father and left her for dead. She eventually recovered from her injuries and her anger and pain over what had happened. She later testified in the trial of her attacker - for his defense. She was threatened by the prosecuting attorney and by the Judge about what she might testify to. But, she had a mission, and that was to let the jury know she had forgiven her father's attacker and did not want him to receive the death penalty. Another member had a daughter killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. He spoke on behalf of Timothy McVeigh all over the country and did not want him to receive the death penalty. What amazing people with tremendous capacities to forgive and to change their lives forever.

On that note, I was moved today by hearing the various victim's family members from 9/11 - The World Trade Center - testifying on behalf of Zacarious Moussaoui. "Testifying in Moussaoui's defense at his sentencing trial, the 9/11 witnesses spoke of coping and of honoring the memory of loved ones through scholarships and good deeds."

Phil Hirschkorn from CNN wrote:

"The witnesses, like others that came before them, were not permitted to offer opinions about whether or not Moussaoui should be executed. Not one even uttered the defendant's name in court.

Their sense of loss was just as great as that of prosecution witnesses, but their testimony struck a muted contrast to the heart-wrenching stories of those other 9/11 families. Anthony Aversano grew up estranged from his father, Lou, a Manhattan executive, after his parents' divorce. He reconciled with his father in a phone call on September 11, 1999.
"We had a lifetime of relationship in a couple of years," Aversano testified.

After the September 11 attacks, Aversano said he learned to overcome his negative feelings.
"How I fight the terror in me is to live my life well," he told the jury. "If I let myself succumb to the fear, that will lead to fear and anger and hatred," he said. "Not only were planes hijacked that day, but my life was gonna be added to the list of casualties."

Celebrating a life
Donald Bane, an Episcopal priest, lost his son, Michael, 33, who was working for insurer Marsh and McLennan, on the north tower's 100th floor, when the first plane struck on 9/11. Bane said it took him a while to sort out his feelings of rage and revenge. He has initiated dialogues between Christian and Muslim groups and plans to name a colt after his son. The family has also endowed a scholarship, Keep The Music Going, at Michael's alma mater, SUNY-Stoneybrook.

"Every day we miss him," he said. "To do things that promote a celebration of life, whether a colt, or Keep The Music Going, or people talking to each other and trying to solve their problems without killing each other, that's what I think our lives ought to be about," Bane said.
Marilynn Rosenthal lost her son, Josh, 44, a financial analyst for Fiduciary Trust, in the Trade Center's south tower. She said her family also refuses to succumb to the pain.
"We're not going to get caught up in a whirlpool of frustration and sadness and anger," she said.
Rosenthal, an adjunct professor at the University of Michigan's medical school, told jurors her family has endowed a public policy lecture series named after her son at the school. She also is writing a book about coming to terms with the attacks. "We feel something good has to come out of it," Rosenthal said.

Officer's last day
Patricia Perry's son, John, 38, was a police officer who was quitting the force on the morning of September 11, 2001. A cop who was a proud member of the American Civil Liberties Union, he wanted to put his law degree to work.
Perry had had the acting bug and was often an extra in uniform on the soap opera "One Live To Live." He was literally handing in his badge at NYPD headquarters in Lower Manhattan when the twin towers were hit.

"He said, give me back my badge, I'll return, and we'll finish this," his mother testified.
Perry was among the 23 NYPD officers killed trying to rescue others. NYU Law School now gives an award in his name to the student who shows the most dedication to civil liberties.
Robin Theurkauf, whose husband, Thomas, 44, was a financial analyst for Keefe, Bruette and Woods in the Trade Center, said she and her three sons were heartbroken at his death.
"It's a hard thing to come to accept and to come to manage," she said. "We did as many fun things that we could to keep ourselves together." His boys were 9, 11 and 12 when he died. "I am glad they were old enough to remember their father," she said.

More families to testify
Orlando Rodriguez's son, Greg, 31, was among the 658 employees killed working for Cantor Fitzgerald brokerage firm on five floors atop the Trade Center's north tower.
"He was a person who could talk to anybody under any circumstances," Rogriguez said. "He had a talent for looking at people as human beings regardless of their faults."
More September 11 families are expected to appear on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, jurors heard from mental health and cult experts.

Moussaoui is the only person tried in this country in connection with the September 11 attacks. The 37-year-old French citizen pleaded guilty to terrorism conspiracy a year ago.
Jurors, who already have held Moussaoui responsible for at least some of the nearly 3,000 deaths on 9/11, will decide whether he should be executed or spend the rest of his life in prison.
Some 9/11 families have said publicly that they don't want Moussaoui to receive the death penalty because it would make him a martyr."

We should take the concept of forgiveness and reconciliation and apply it to our state justice system here in Missouri. A program where "offenders" (that is what they call people in the Department of Corrections) meet the victims of their crimes. Everyone has to be ready and willing to participate. All parties must submit to some counseling first and everyone has to be stable and have the right mind set before the first meeting. But, what a wonderful concept and I strongly believe the result would be a much lower recidivism rate for these "offenders". Now that would really be something......

But of Course He Does.......

2006-04-19T21:49:00.000-07:00

"I DECIDE WHAT IS BEST"

Today in a speech, President Bush stated "I decide what is best" when it comes to Donald Rumsfeld.

CNN wrote:
"Recently, six retired generals, including former commanders of two Army divisions that saw combat in Iraq, have called for Rumsfeld to resign. They accuse him of ignoring advice from senior officers about how to fight the war and sending too few troops into Iraq to manage the occupation after the March 2003 invasion.
Those calling for Rumsfeld's resignation are retired Maj. Gen. Charles Swannack, who led the 82nd Airborne Division during its mission in Iraq; former U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Anthony Zinni; retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste, who led the 1st Infantry Division in northern Iraq in 2004-2005; retired Army Maj. Gen. Paul Eaton; retired Army Maj. Gen. John Riggs; and retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gregory Newbold."

This is more of the same Bush Administration....Vintage Bush one might even say. He refuses to ever admit a mistake. The recent changes in the White House, for example the announcement of the resignation of Press Secretary Scott McClellan, also speak to Bush's lack of humility. There is no mistake ever admitted - no admission of even a shake-up. Just a resignation with some sort of statement pretending like it has been planned for a long time. Then, there are his choices of people to "sacrifice" in this supposed big shake up. Okay, the Trade Ambassador, the Press Secretary, the Treasury Secretary. What is next - the Secretary of Agriculture? These are the changes the American people are really calling for !!!????

What President Bush really needs is a large slice of humble pie served with a generous scoop of "smart" so when HE DECIDES it will at least be a decision we can all live with including our soldiers in Iraq.

WHO GETS IN ?

2006-04-11T00:25:00.000-07:00

The New Colossus, written in 1883 by Emma Lazarus, appears on the pedestal

of the Statue of Liberty:

"Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name, Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. "Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

SHOULD THE IMAGE OF AMERICA

BE A BEACON OF FREEDOM AND WELCOME

OR A "GO AWAY" WALL BETWEEN OURSELVES AND MEXICO?

As Americans - what is our image to the world? Immigration is one way we present our image. The recent debate on this issue is heating up and Congress is trying to put a new system in place. This is one of the most divisive issues we have today involving so many other issues like race, class, power, wealth, security. I fear the conservatives will win this debate and our image worldwide will suffer more than it has already under the current administration.

At least President Moron's plan allows for Guest Workers. Some of the hard line Republicans are calling for felony charges to be filed against every person caught over here illegally. Our jails and courthouses are overflowing now - can you imagine the clusterf**k it would be if we had millions of new felony offenses added to the docket and our prison systems? Unrealistic and impossible. Time magazine recently did a poll and a large number of Americans support tougher penalties on illegal aliens. It saddens me to hear the rhetoric of the far right on this issue. And frankly, it saddens me to hear some of my fellow American's opinions on this issue. Barely concealed racism and nationalistic behavior. This is how Hitler began turning the tide of public opinion prior to WWII in Germany. It started slowly with a nationalistic viewpoint and spread unchallenged until it was too late to change it.

This brings me to the so called Minutemen project in some of the border states. To read about these border guard groups - check out my the link to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Southern Poverty Law Center was started by a couple of really dedicated folks including famed civil rights attorney, Morris Dees. They are a nationally recognized clearinghouse for information on hate groups. They report that individuals and groups with white supremicist ties are using the border guard projects to promote their racist messages.

I live in the Kansas City Metro area. These issues don't have a day to day effect on me or others in the midwest. Not really..........the worst thing people here can say is that they have to listen to a Spanish speaking option on the phone when they are trying to pay their Sprint bill, or they have to select the "English" option on the ATM machine. Believe it or not, I hear people bitching about that. Well, I have something to say to these people and if you don't want to hear it - leave my blog now !!

GROW UP AND GET OVER IT !!! If the biggest bitch you have in your life is how you have to waste a precious millisecond of your Plaza Shopping time having to hit the button to pick English before you get $200 out of your account to have lunch at The Cheesecake Factory before you go buy your Ann Taylor Loft outfit - then you need a real job. And most of all you need some human compassion and empathy for those less fortunate than you that are just trying to provide a little food and hope for their own families. And not in the form of a slice of Turtle Cheesecake and a size four pink cardigan twin set.

Fox News - They Lie...You Decide

2006-03-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

DON'T DRINK
THE KOOL-AID

I'm so sick of everyone that watches Fox news having that holier than thou attitude.......that they watch the "fair and accurate" news. They are under some delusion that their news is less liberal and therefore less biased and more accurate. Well............they are wrong according to World Public Opinion.org which is a publication of the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA).

PIPA says that people who get their news from Fox have more misperceptions than those who get their news from any other source they looked at. Check out the article and the full report for more details. Even this left wing nut was surprised at the correlation between the particular news a person watches/read/listens to and the number of misperceptions they have.

There have been other studies done concerning the factual accuracy and sensationalism of the news. Fox is typically dead last in accuracy reporting the news. In addition, Fox news supporters say that the network is not biased toward the right. They always accuse other national news organizations of being left leaning and that the public is so used to that - we somehow can't recognize when the news is truly unbiased. I say that is bullsh**. Those of you who say the authors of these studies are biased - check it out for yourselves.

Another media watch group I looked at while writing this story is FAIR. They seem to criticize every mainstream media outlet, including Fox. Can't be more unbiased than that. Check out Fair's article on Fox News.

So, you Fox watchers go on and live in ignorant, hyped up, sensationalized and inaccurate bliss. I just report - you decide.

Help Send Bill O'Reilly to Darfur

2006-03-12T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've been reading up on the genocide taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan. It is a tragic and overlooked situation that has been going on far too long with virtually no intervention by the U.S. I must claim my own ignorance of the situation. But I am learning, and I hope others take the time to see where they can help. The conflict in Darfur began in February 2003, when rebel groups attacked government positions, accusing leaders of ignoring their region. The Sudan government struck back with a fury, enlisting local militias, called the janjaweed, to massacre civilians and destroy entire villages. Over three years of conflict with a death toll of nearly 400,000 not to mention displacing 3 million. Thousands starving in refugee camps where virtually no international aid organizations can go because of the high risk. These people have little hope. The Sudanese government is paying the janjaweed to attack its own people. The international community is doing little to stop the massacres. Although there are demands to the Sudanese government to end the violence, there are no penalties or costs for them to end the genocide.

Most of us have heard about the conflict in Rwanda, but Darfur has been virtually ignored by our media with the exception of New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof. He has been writing about Darfur in his column and trying to raise awareness. In a recent article, he stated:

"According to the Tyndall Report, which analyzes the content of the evening newscasts of the broadcast networks, their coverage of Darfur actually declined last year. The total for all three networks was 26 minutes in 2004. That wasn't much -- but it dropped to just 18 minutes during all of 2005.
ABC's evening news program had 11 minutes about Darfur over the year, NBC's had 5 minutes, and CBS's found genocide worth only 2 minutes of airtime during the course of 2005.
In contrast, the networks gave the Michael Jackson trial in 2005 a total of 84 minutes of coverage. There aren't comparable figures for cable networks like Fox, but Mr. O'Reilly and other cable newscasters pretty much ignored the Darfur catastrophe."

Apparently, cable show host Bill O'Reilly recently called Mr. Kristof a "left-wing idealogue". In response, Mr. Kristof wrote an op-ed piece in the Times asking for readers to "help Bill O'Reilly" go with him to Darfur to use his talents for an important cause. Mr. O'Reilly responded that he could not possibly go to Africa because he must do three hours of news analysis for television and radio every day. Mr. Kristof is asking for pledges to send Bill O'Reilly to Darfur with a satellite phone so he could still do his various shows from Africa. The additional money raised would be to fund the trip...in case money was the concern. Kristof said the objective of sending Bill O'Reilly to Darfur would be so he could "use his television savvy to thunder against something actually meriting his blustery rage". He asks for pledges to be sent to him by e-mail to sponsorbill@gmail.com. On a recent Real Time with Bill Maher show, Kristof said that people could not specifically request their pledge fund only a one-way trip to Darfur for O'Reilly, much to the dismay of some. But he argued that the people of Darfur have suffered enough.

The violence is now spreading to neighboring Chad. Nicholas Kristof recently went to Africa again to a village called Koloy in Chad along the Sudan border. All the villages east of Koloy had been destroyed and the people fled or murdered. The village was waiting to be attacked and was expecting it the day Kristof was there. Kristof wrote:

"This entire area gets no visits from diplomats and no help from the U.N. or aid groups, because it is too risky. Only one organization, Doctors Without Borders, sticks it out, sending in a convoy of intrepid doctors three days a week to pull bullets out of victims.
It was nerve-racking to be in Koloy, and my local interpreter kept insisting that we rush away. But I've never felt more helpless than the moment I pulled away in my Toyota Land Cruiser, waving goodbye to people convinced that they would soon be murdered.
In the end, there was no janjaweed attack that day. Perhaps that's because the janjaweed have found that it is inconvenient to drive away absolutely all Africans; now the janjaweed sometimes leave market towns alone so that their own families can still have places to shop.
The people of Koloy are still waiting to be massacred. Think for a moment what it would be like to huddle with your family every day, paralyzed by fear, waiting for the end."

Kristof also called for action:

"And remember all this can be stopped. You can go to http://www.millionvoicesfordarfur.org/ and send a postcard to President Bush, encouraging him to do more. At http://www.genocideintervention.net/ you can find a list of "10 things you can do right now."
Maybe it seems that you have no real power to change anything in Koloy, but, frankly, right now you're the only hope that the people in Koloy have."

The ONE Campaign

2006-02-28T21:20:00.000-08:00

SIGN AND HELP END WORLD POVERTY

I wanted to use this blog to raise awareness about certain issues near and dear to my heart (not just to bitch about the current administration). Especially the issue of poverty. On that note - I'd like to tell everyone to check out this site to see how you can make a difference in combating world poverty and AIDS. This is a non-political venture with many types of people of all political affiliations involved. Check it out.....it is a great cause to support no matter what your beliefs are.

All Time Low for the Wastrel and his Best Pal

2006-02-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

BUSH AND CHENEY HIT AN ALL TIME LOW

All right - they've done it. They've hit an all time low.....in the approval ratings that is. What a couple of great guys. Guess the rest of the nation is finally figuring out what we on the far left have known for six years. This administration doesn't care about the American people. They don't care about our safety: See all environmental policies as well as recent Homeland Security decisions. They don't care about the poor: See the proposed budget for this year and see all of the Gulf Coast. They don't care about women's issues: See the current Supreme Court. The list goes on and on......
Wish the election was tomorrow. I'm guessing "any unnamed Democrat" could win.

Oliver the Cat

2006-02-26T15:43:00.000-08:00

Oliver the Cat

Oliver is my baby. I've had him all his life...was there when he was born. I love him, but he has a few challenges. He has FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), a heart condition, a thyroid condition, chronic uveitis, and other various health issues. He is on a lot of medication and sees the vet (3-4 of them) a lot. However, he is a great cat and seems to always be in great spirits and feeling well.

I want to use my blog to raise awareness of FIV and the benefits of keeping your cat indoors. I have some links on my blog to info on FIV and how cats contract the disease. If you keep your cat indoors (or under strict human supervision in a restricted outdoor setting and away from all other animals) you can prevent this terrible disease. Please think about your cat's health and consider leaving them indoors only!

World's Worst Wastrel "W"

2006-02-26T00:30:00.000-08:00

"W"
The unmitigated gall of this man. He acts as if he owns the place. No really......as if he and all his rich friends own the place and he is damn well going to do whatever he wants whenever he wants and no one can stop him. He doesn't think he has to answer to anyone at all including his cronies in Congress. He will wiretap without a warrant. He will tell the American People the lie that he has a right to do it and damn anyone that may question that. He will decide to have the UAE guard our ports, even though this is a country that two of the 911 terrorists came from. He will attempt to appoint cronies to the most important court in the land.....a lifetime appointment. Anyone who dares to question he or his administration will face his wrath. In fact, anyone who dares to question him on anything is considered at the least "unpatriotic" or "supporting terrorism". Excuse me Mr. President, but someone really ought to tell you that you are not a Monarch.......you are our employeee....and a Temp. at that !

Some of My Favorite Links

2006-02-16T23:20:00.000-08:00

Here are some links to my favorite websites:
****Just added more links to the front page of my blog (see right column)

DNA Innocence Project
http://www.innocenceproject.org/about/index.php

Watchdogs for Hate Groups
http://www.splcenter.org/

Protecting Our Democracy
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/

Political Action for the Left
http://www.moveon.org/

Social Justice Issues - The "War" on Drugs

2006-02-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

I wanted to start this blog to talk about issues of social justice. For this month's topic - I'd like to see what some of you have to say about drug addiction and how our society is set up to handle or not handle it.

Working as a Public Defender I can tell you I'm on the front lines of the so called "War on Drugs" and we are losing this war in a big way. We as a society have criminalized the addiction of drugs to such a point I believe we are creating more criminals instead of good citizens. We swoop them up and charge them with a felony for any type of drug possession (other than >35 grams of marijuana). So, what that means is that you can have one little grain of an illegal substance in your purse or pocket and be charged with a felony offense. So, you get arrested and then charged with a crime where you are facing up to 7 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Chances are you may get a felony conviction first time out - but likely with some kind of probation.

In this probation you will be supervised by very cynical people who hate their jobs and hate the people they supervise. The one goal they have will be to get you off their caseload which means getting you sent off to the Department of Corrections. You will have to get a job as a condition of your probation. Because you have a felony conviction, it will be very difficult to find any job. Not even Wal-Mart will hire a person with a felony conviction now - so good luck on that. You cannot enter a bar or drink alcohol while on probation supervision. You must waive basically all your rights. You are poor and with no insurance, so you can't afford any drug treatment program. The state has cut almost all funding for them - so you can't go to a free one anymore. If you do manage to find one who will take you - it is only for 21 - 28 days - not nearly enough time to kick an addiction to a serious drug much less deal with relapse prevention issues. You will have to meet with your probation officer anytime they demand it - and it is usually during working hours - so if you have managed somehow to find someone who will hire you - they probably won't want to put up with these many absences from work. Then you've got the wonderful probation officer breathing down your neck for that. You probably have to move from location to location because you can't afford to get a place of your own. If you don't report any (and I mean any) change of address within 48 hours - that is a violation of your probation. Because of your probation officer's diligence in reporting your every little infraction, you will likely be revoked and serve some time in prison. You will then get out and try to get a job after being in prison.....good luck on that too.

It doesn't work !!! My solution is to set up a diversion program in every city and county where a person undergoes a very intensive 1-2 year long treatment program with school and/or job training. If you successfully complete all this - your criminal charge will be dropped. They have this in a very few jurisdictions in Missouri. It is called Drug Court. Sadly, it is too few and the treatment options in some that do exist are very limited. If we spend as much money on treatment as we do to house drug addicts in prison - we would have the best and longest treatment available for everyone who needs it.