Mosquito Blog

Al Gore's Gone Crazy

2009-11-22T15:31:00.000-05:00

Great BeIng in the World

2009-11-22T10:33:00.001-05:00

Ditto Jon Stewart

2009-11-21T16:44:00.002-05:00

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

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Oh Obama!

2009-11-18T21:09:00.003-05:00

Mountain Music to help Star pack. :) :) :)

Buzz....Buzz....

Psalm 109.8; Trolling for Assassins

2009-11-18T20:45:00.004-05:00

When I was young I learned that yelling fire in a crowded theatre was not only irresponsible but illegal.

Criticism of a President is something I have no problem with. I am very critical of how Obama is NOT representing the progressive base who fought so hard to put him in office.

The current antics of the radical right wing and the Republican Party should not be tolerated. Americans need to stand up and speak out against violent, treasonous speech that encourages violence against our President.

Why does the corporate media NOT do fact checking. Why do they allow folks like Dick Cheney to come on TV repeatedly and spread misinformation and lies? I am sick of the extreme partisans who lied us into war and now want to lie us out of a President.

Thank you Frank Schaffer for standing up and speaking truth to the evangelical groups and FOX news for "trolling" for assassins. The Republican far right is displaying treasonous behavior and they need to be called out for this. Every Republican in Congress should be speaking out strongly against this paranoid, delusional and treasonous speech.

I will not support "trolling" for assassins.

Schaffer is right....these folks are the American equivalent of the Taliban.

Our country needs more truth tellers like Rachel Maddow on the tv.

(I am supposed to be on hiatus...but this lunatic fringe cannot continue to unravel what remains of democracy in these Corporate States of America.)

Buzz....Buzz...Buzz....

Getting a Move On

2009-11-18T10:43:00.003-05:00

I'm going on hiatus through Thanksgiving holidays. We are moving our household to Virginia's Blue Ridge mountains. I'm looking forward to living in a one stop light town that is filled with folks of differing beliefs who are able to create a community that is active, artistic and compassionate. What a combination.

I'm not sure what's in store for 2010 but it sure looks like it's not going to be boring, to say the least. I hope everyone is able to recharge their batteries and enjoy a great feast with great friends and family.

Take care folks. See you soon.

Caroline Herring: Music for the Writer's Soul

2009-11-18T08:40:00.010-05:00

Writers don’t exist in a vacuum, but sometimes we are forced to do so. I struggle with this on a daily basis as stories and press releases and pleas from Africa stream across my desk. In this day and age there is a melding of blogging and journalism that can be quite confusing for those of us raised in the rules of “old school” journalism. The bottom line is that when reporting about the sheer inhumanity of it all, no matter how much one tries to meditate or pray, a deep scar is left on the psyche and compassion can be lost if one does not allow the passion to surface. There is so little independent analysis coming out of Congo that writers end up creating one woman/man news bureaus, with no colleague nearby to deflect the horror of it all through gallows humor or a drink after work. Camaraderie and comfort are nowhere to be found.

Rediscovering a love of music has been my stress reducer and consolation during these past few years. I want to write about the great poet/writers who have become friends if only to share my joy of these new discoveries and friends made along the way. Perhaps I am creating my own conflict by worrying that if I happen to “know” someone who is a wonderful writer and happens to be a musician that I am crossing some sacred line of journalism. Am I? Journalists quote other writers and analysts on a regular basis when examining in-depth stories.

Music touches the soul, so is it wrong to write about a friend or acquaintance who creates wonderful art—art that heals the heart and helps one to put one foot in front of the other while grabbing that cup of coffee and limping over to the laptop to see what is happening to the poor, the beleaguered and the dispossessed? Music can be like a morning prayer, and if the composer happens to be someone with whom you are acquainted or simply admire, should it be off limits to write about it? I am asking you the question while trying to walk that tightrope.

I may never be able to write a music review again, but it feels honest and ethical to explain how someone’s music can give you the courage to face the day. The true artist will impart that universal sense of understanding and speak directly to the observer. Mississippi native Caroline Herring is one of those unique artists who can help this writer get centered in the morning, wipe the tears away, and approach the job that needs to be done. Perhaps by writing about her artistry here, in this simple space, it will encourage those of you who visit this arena to learn about her art and her music and use it as a personal prayer.

Golden Apples of the Sun is Caroline Herring's fourth release and with this stunning compilation Caroline will certainly claim the mantel held by icons such as Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Buffy St. Marie. In their own way each of them was a freedom fighter for truth and justice in this sorry world—women who inspired me to make my own way.

Caroline’s "Tales of the Islander" is part homage to Mississippi Gulf Coast artist Walter Anderson and part celebration of the wondrous sense of place and nature that inhabits the Deep South. At once highly literate and completely accessible, Herring's original compositions as well as her takes on old favorites like "Long Black Veil" and "True Colors" prove once and for all that folk music is an art form. "The Dozens" is simply amazing and I will not do anything to "explain" it except quote this incredible line, which speaks volumes: "I'm just a white girl, from a segregated town, and I'm looking for some answers that I haven't found."

Herring does not manipulate with words, she simply asks the universal questions, tells the truth, and truth is in short supply these days. Before I had the opportunity to meet her and work through the serendipity of developing a friendship, I wrote several reviews of her work. The line we joke about is one in which I said she had ridden through the southland like Joan of Arc and firmly planted her flag in the red dirt of the Mississippi Delta. The review was about her album Lantana, and I can tell you that with Golden Apples of the Sun Caroline has cemented that flag so firmly into the red delta dirt that there will be nothing, not even a hurricane, which will dislodge it.

As a writer who leans heavily upon finding the correct words to describe the connections between soul, heart and place, I find Caroline to be an inspiration. But more than that, it is the way her music reaches deep into the soul, without effort and without artifice, that is so compelling. Only truth can provide protection and healing, and isn’t that what music is all about?

--

International Court Acquits Suspect in Murder of Dian Fossey

2009-11-17T21:58:00.002-05:00

By Georgianne Nienaber

In a very sad day for Rwanda, The International Crimes Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) announced it has overturned a 20-year sentence and acquitted Protais Zigiranyirazo, accused genocidaire and suspected murderer of American primatologist Dian Fossey. Citing "serious errors" during the 2008 trial, ICTR Chamber Judge Theodore Meron ordered the immediate release of Zigiranyirazo, known as Mr. Z. This news came at the same time that international prosecutors were meeting in Kigali, Rwanda to discuss the future of international criminal justice.

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, composed of Judges Theodor Meron, presiding, Mehmet Güney, Fausto Pocar, Liu Daqun, and Carmel Agius, today reversed Protais Zigiranyirazo's convictions for genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity and entered a verdict of acquittal. It then ordered his immediate release from the United Nations Detention Facility in Arusha, Tanzania.

On 18 December 2008, Trial Chamber III found Zigiranyirazo guilty of committing genocide and extermination as a crime against humanity by participating in a joint criminal enterprise to kill Tutsis at Kesho Hill in Gisenyi Prefecture on 8 April 1994 and sentenced him to two terms of 20 years of imprisonment. He was also found guilty of aiding and abetting genocide in relation to the killing of Tutsis at a roadblock in the Kiyovu area of Kigali and sentenced to one term of 15 years of imprisonment. The Trial Chamber ordered that these sentences be served concurrently.

Image: Genocide Memorial

It appears that Zigiranyirazo got off on technicalities. Judge Meron cited misstatements of law regarding the burden of proof with respect to Zigiranyirazo's alibi, and errors in the handling of evidence as rationale for his order of acquittal. The murder of Dian Fossey never entered into the equation, since it was considered a lesser crime as compared to the murder of 800,000 in Rwanda in 1994. The evidence remains overwhelming that Zigiranyirazo instituted the roadblocks in and around the city of Gisenyi and ordered the immediate execution of anyone carrying a Tutsi ID card. One can only imagine the angst the people of the province are feeling today. The survivors are mainly young people who witnessed the execution of their parents and grandparents.

Protais Zigiranyirazo was governor of Ruhengeri Province in Rwanda when Fossey worked there. Zigiranyirazo was also the brother-in-law of the Hutu President of Rwanda, Juvenal Habyarimana, whose death in an as yet unsolved plane crash ignited the Rwandan genocide of 1994. In a recent controversial ruling, a French tribunal also implicated the current President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, in the plane crash.

Zigiranyirazo remains a likely suspect in Fossey's murder. He was involved in illegal trading in endangered species and gold smuggling out of Congo, and there is much additional evidence in the historical record that Fossey was about to expose him when she was murdered. He was also the brother-in-law of then Rwandan president Habyarimana and member of the "Akazu", a term literally meaning "a small house," the inner circle of President Habyarimana.

Shortly before Fossey's murder on December 26, 1985, the acting chargé d' affaires of the U.S. embassy in Kigali, Helen Weinland, returned to the States for some routine medical exams that took longer than necessary. It was this turn of events that left Emerson Melaven as her temporary replacement after the Christmas holiday. In early interviews with the international media, Melaven stated that he and his colleagues were impressed by the Rwandan government's response to the murder.

Helen Weinland's memoirs of those days paint a different picture. She indicates that she followed initial events surrounding the murder with some frustration that she was not back at her post in Kigali. By the time she returned very little progress had been made in the murder investigation. Weinland states unequivocally that "...it is difficult to believe that the trial to find Dian's killer was a rigorous search for the truth."

Perhaps this turn of events will propel Rwanda to institute a rigorous investigation of Fossey's murder. It may be that the murder of one will end up to be the undoing of the man who got off on a technicality for the murder of thousands.

This news might also serve as a caveat for the United States as we wrestle with the problems of the trail of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. There is no doubt regarding the numbers of people who died on September 11, just as there is no doubt as to the carnage of 1994 in Rwanda, which has since spilled over into Congo. As Coleen Rowley indicates, there are many legal pitfalls, and if we are not careful, what we consider to be "obvious" could very well result in an acquittal.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's trial will undoubtedly be even more challenging for prosecutors than Moussaoui's was given the fact that Sheikh Mohammed was waterboarded 183 times and that none of his statements elicited as a result of torture will be admissible. The purely voluntary statements that Sheikh Mohammed made, however, before his capture, in April 2002, to Al Jazeera-London reporter Yosri Fouda may be used against him in court. Sheikh Mohammed's admissions which came almost a year before he was captured and tortured, are documented in Fouda's and Nick Fielding's book: Masterminds of Terror and they counterdict Dick Cheney's statements that waterboarding was essential to getting information from Sheikh Mohammed. (I happen to have met Al Jazeera reporter Yosri Fouda once in the course of an interview in November 2004 but I didn't get much of a chance to question him about his experience.)

On the day I visited the grave of Dian Fossey, raindrops covered the surface of a marker that was written in Kinyarwandan. The raindrops looked like tears.

"You Nyiramacyibili, that loved Rwanda-you gave your life to the gorillas in Virunga. This Karisoke you created has reserved for you peace and love that cannot be threatened by a spear."

As for the ongoing conflicts in the Great Lakes Region of Africa, perhaps it is the ghost of Dian Fossey that will generate interest in a rigorous search for the truth. Perhaps outrage at the death of one will put the deaths of 3000 at the Twin Towers, 800,000 in Rwanda and six million in Congo into perspective.

Another Reason to NOT Shop Wal Mart

2009-11-12T07:41:00.002-05:00

Wal-Mart bans gay couple for NOT shoplifting. Hopefully these folks are suing Wal Mart for their outrageous behavior.

Don't Ask Don't Give

2009-11-11T19:20:00.001-05:00

Finally the LGBGT community is insisting on an end to all talk no action. The Dems will have to start to actually do something fror the folks who vote to put them in office. Wow....remembering your base....what a novel concept.

Aericablog are the instigators of this movement for political self respect for the LGBT community. It's about time.

Spend the money on educating people and stop throwing it away on empty promises from professional politicians. When the Dems show they are worthy of our money and our trust...and only after actions displaying they will walk their talk...then maybe Obama and the Dems will see a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Kudos to Americablog!

Carry me back to ole Virginia....

2009-11-09T05:39:00.005-05:00

"Some Virginians advocate letting the corporations control our essential needs and resources. Are these folks yearning for the good old days when corporations used to lock workers in the factories for the day (who needs stuff like unlocked exit doors with fire signs on them)? While we're at it let's get rid of those laws that prevent children from working in those factories. We can lower our taxes by not providing education to the children. In these economic times let's put those children to work in factories or farm fields. Oh no, the corporations have moved the factories overseas....go figure.

Ah...the good ole days are coming back. The mindset of let's kill the government and let the corporations take over. "Some would say" that "some" Virginians are watching too much Fox News. We can depend on Fox News to scare the government right out of you.

Republican Runs When Truth is Spoken

2009-11-06T19:17:00.004-05:00

We need more truthtelling (especially on the boob tube.) If someone can't take it let them walk off the set. At least they don't get to spin their tales without the truth of historical context.

To Big To Fail.....

2009-11-06T13:15:00.002-05:00

If you are to big too fail then you are to big to exist....In order to prevent another tax payer bail out for the Big Boys Bernie Sanders is introducing a no nonsense bill to put a stop to government bail outs. Tell the US Congress they need to support the To Big To Fail Bill.

STOP THE PLUNDER

2009-11-05T03:08:00.002-05:00

STOP THE DIRTY LIES ABOUT COAL....and remember it has nothing to do with jobs or healthy communities. It's all about the greed of a few ruining the health and community life of many.

Bully Base

2009-11-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

It couldn't be anymore clearer that the base of the Republican Party has no intentions on compromising. They're bullies who want it their way or no way, and why politicians continue to listen to them is beyond me.

The bullies have bullied Republican Party candidate Scozzafava right out of the race. They make it perfectly clear they have no respect for the Republican black leader Michael Steele, nor any Republican member of the House or Senate who believes in bi-partisanship, of course who that member is, is also beyond me.
It should be more than clear by now that the Republican Party base of racist bullies will stop at nothing to catapult the Republican Party back to the 1950s.
However, it is one thing for the Republican Party to kowtow to these white, backward-thinking, uneducated party members, but it appears Democrats are listening and responding to them as well, and THAT is certainly beyond my comprehension.

These right-wing loons do one thing, and that is listen to and respond to FOX (so-called) News. It should be clear by now that BOTH parties should ignore this lunatic (so-called) media outlet.

A few others that should ignore this lunatic fringe is MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBS. To respond to FOX means you legitimize them. Ignore FOX, ignore their fringe and they're less likely to make an impact.

The bully base of the Republican Party may be voters, but they ARE NOT the majority, and keeping them in the limelight only propagates their lunatic logic.

Joe Lieberman is an ultimate Republicrat

2009-10-27T17:19:00.002-04:00

Lieberman will do what what's best for Joe Lieberman...

The Empty Wheel has it right....Lieberman is either stupid or lying when it comes to his reasoning to support a filibuster on health care.

I betcha this is Joe Lieberman's last term in congress...betcha he's going to make lots of money for this one.

Why vote for any Republicrat anywhere?

2009-10-26T15:07:00.004-04:00

Okay Republican Party....You can count me out as far as voting for any Republican anywhere. In my lifetime this party has NEVER given me a reason to vote for them. The covers have come off and the lunatic fringe is out in full force. As long as your candidates view women as a separate species and want us to stay out of the workforce...I don't see any self respecting women voting for McDonnell or any other wacky Republican.

Democrats....Well so far you have shown that you are not just spineless but you are sell outs....you are following the Republican's example of a party that is in control....it's called "take the money and run." I don't hear any professional politicians (from either of our "two parties") advocating for public elections so that our elected officials would actually be attentive to the votes who vote them into office.

Why should I waste my time voting for any Democrat anywhere when I see the Democrats with a 60 seat majority selling out single payer (no debate no nothing....b/c a debate would have shown everyone everywhere that this was the cheapest, simplest, easiest and best way to go....so no serious looking at the best option). So the people compromised for a strong public option and the Democrats can't seem to pass even this modest proposal.

So do the Democrats want folks taking their valuable time to go to the polls on November 4th and vote for them? IF so the Washington Democrats better show us that they can deliver. Unless a strong public option and a decent health insurance reform bill passed and signed into law quickly LOTS of people (including myself) will be sitting out this election.

Unlike our elected officials...when we the people say they are going to do something we do it.

Enough talk...we need action now. IF we don't get the action we are demanding you will see McDonnell become the next gov of Virginia due to his strong extremist minority following. But keep a look out...if this does happen the next step will be more parties springing up and the two party system will end up being challenged by parties of the people. It could get very interesting indeed.

Independent Senator Speaks Out on Healthcare

2009-10-24T10:17:00.002-04:00

Independent Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont. We need more Senators who REPRESENT PEOPLE NOT CORPORATE INTERESTS!

Blowing Senator Warner's Cover

2009-10-23T14:43:00.003-04:00

The Huffington Post has reported that Senator Mark Warner is working behind the scenes to "tinker" with a public option. I believe Senator Warner is trying to stop or weaken the public option. I contacted Warner's office and one of his aides tried to give me the line that I shouldn't believe Arianna Huffington. I replied why shouldn't I? Senator Mark Warner consistently has REFUSED to publicly state his position on the public option. I did NOT get the aides name because he hung up on me before I could finish my one sentence statement. (This would NEVER happen to a constituent of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. I have always found his staff incredibly respectful even though I am not a constituent.) BTW, Senator Bernie Sanders is NOT a Republicrat; he is an INDEPENDENT. (I cannot tell the difference between the Democratic party that I supported with my money and my vote in this election and the Republicans who used to run our Congress. Most of the Republicrats cater to the lobbyists to pocket the cash......so....

I repeat. I have NO REASON to trust Senator Mark Warner's support for Health Care Reform that benefits me. It appears that Senator Mark Warner is more interested in collecting money and working behind the scenes for the health insurance companies.

Well Senator Warner I would love to see you prove this post wrong. I challenge you to come out of the shadows and publicly make an honest stand on health insurance reform so your constituents will see who you are representing on this issue.

Posting this twice due to request for labels and the huffington post source so I did a bit of editing) The challenge to Senator Warner stands....Please please prove me wrong...

Blowing Senator Warner's Cover

2009-10-23T13:24:00.003-04:00

The Huffington Post has reported that Senator Mark Warner is working behind the scenes to STOP a public option. I contacted Senator Warner's office and one of Warner's aides tried to give me the line that I shouldn't believe Arianna Huffington. I replied why shouldn't I since Senator Mark Warner has REFUSED to publicly state his position on the public option. I did NOT get the aides name because he hung up on me before I could finish my one sentence statement. (This would NEVER happen to a constituent of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. I have always found his staff incredibly respectful even though I am not a constituent of Senator Bernie Sanders who is an INDEPENDENT Senator and not a "Republicrat." ( cannot tell the difference between the Democratic party that I supported with my money and my vote in this election.....so....

I repeat. I have NO REASON to trust Senator Mark Warner's support for Health Care Reform that benefits me. It appears that Senator Mark Warner is more interested in collecting money and working behind the scenes for the health insurance companies.

Well Senator Warner I would love to see you prove this post wrong. I challenge you to come out of the shadows and publicly make an honest stand on health insurance reform so your constituents will see who you are representing on this issue.

Freedom in the Americas but NOT in the USA

2009-10-22T11:41:00.004-04:00

Mexico, Argentina, and Columbia have legalized personal drug use. Their citizens can now choose between alcohol, pot, and other drugs without fear of the state locking them up in prison for their personal choice.

The Global Post reports:

Almost two months after Mexico decriminalized the possession of small amounts all major narcotics — including marijuana, cocaine and heroin — the most notable thing is how little has changed.

One thing has changed. The government is saving money by not imprisoning people for exercising their freedom to choose. I betcha they don't have privatized prison systems legally bribing, "lobbying," their elected officials for mandatory sentencing. BUZZ....BUZZ....BUZZ....

The Middle Class is Disappearing

2009-10-21T11:24:00.001-04:00

SNL On Obama's Record

2009-10-04T12:27:00.001-04:00

Shame on the Republicrats!!

2009-10-03T12:26:00.004-04:00

heal

ALL of our elected officials need to be taken to task if they are selling out to Big Pharma and the Health Insurance Industry. 45,000 Americans die every year due to no health insurance coverage. SHAME on Webb and Warner for not coming out for a strong public option. They should both be ON THE RECORD supporting a strong public option and the right for us to choose for ourselves whether we want public or private health insurance.

Obama's Pharma Deal

2009-10-01T12:03:00.002-04:00

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