Porgie's News and Views

Bush Rapes America With Nuclear, Now Wants To Rape Alaskan Wilderness

2007-01-09T20:51:00.000-05:00

As the NRC, Entergy, NuStart, CASEnergy and others try to sell the American Public the propaganda that Nuclear is Green, George W. Bush, the mastermind of this fabricated untruth is working to further RAPE America's environment by opening up the fragile eco structure of Alaska to drilling. Despite Bristal Bay being home to endangered Whales, despite recent announcements of two species going EXTINCT, Bush just does not care. But then, any one caring about the environment, anyone concerned with the very real reality of Global Warming knows that Bush is the Anti Christ himself when it comes to smart, green, clean environmental policy.

Bush backs Alaskan oil drilling The Bastard!

The US argues the area would help its energy security
US President George W Bush has lifted a ban on oil and gas drilling in an Alaskan Bay known for its wildlife. Before any drilling, there will be scope for studies and public comment said the Interior Department, which stressed the need for energy security.

Home to endangered whales, the Bristol Bay is thought to contain some 200 million barrels of oil.

The news comes as a trans-Alaska pipeline was shut down after some 500 gallons of crude oil were spilled.

The spill came from a section above ground in the Brooks Range in northern Alaska, due to a faulty weld, and it remains unknown how long the shutdown will last.

Christmas NUKE NEWS....ENTERGY's INDIAN POINT Under The Microscope?

2006-12-25T18:09:00.000-05:00

Dust off the DANCING SHOES as the fight is on as a one time legend rejoins the fight as against failing Nuclear Reactors such as those located at Entergy's Indian Point. Ring the sirens...you know, the ones Indian Point has that do not work half the time, as the grassroots is about to mobilize in a massive effort to shut down this failing facility. This in from NUMEROUS BLOGS, and about to go Global, as in Global Nuclear Fuel who just had a major accident COVERED UP under a conveniently created Exclusionary Zone...they are important in all this, as it just so happens that ENTERGY recently signed a HUGE DEAL with these folks! Stay tuned folks, fasten the seat belts as this roller coaster ride is about to get FUN.

Monday, December 25, 2006
Entergy Watch Calls on John Hall, Maurice Hinchey To Hold Citizen Hearings On Entergy's Indian Point

Nothing like getting the word out and ready for consumption on Christmas...with Entergy trying to wrongly RELICENSE the decripidly antequated and failing Nuclear Reactors on their Indian Point site, Entergy Watch has officially challenged these two Congressman to hold CITIZEN HEARINGS on Indian Point...time for John Hall to start bringing his campaign promises home.

Monday, December 25, 2006
WOW....Christmas Day Video SLAMS Indian Point Relicensing

Just in from Washington Scandal, a new hard hitting video on the deploring and decaying Indian Point Reactors, and the Entergy wrong sighted plan to have the NRC relicense these nuclear accident time bombs. The time has come for concerned citizens, as well as all ANTI NUKE groups to unite under the common cause of SHUTTING DOWN INDIAN POINT...to that end, Entergy Watch invites ALL groups opposing Indian Point that would like a link on this site to email said link to roycepenstinger@aol.com so that we can get you listed on our side bar. Further, we call on John Hall, Maurice Hinchey and any other Congressman members with a heart, and with concern for human health and the environment to hold IMMEDIATE CITIZEN HEARINGS in the affected CIRCLE OF DEATH, or as it has now been dubbed, the Triangle of Death (representing the three reactors).

Monday, December 25, 2006 Entergy's Indian Point-A Christmas Day Video Present...SHUT THEM DOWN

With the recent accident involving a truck load of Fuel Grade Enriched Uranium Oxide from Kurihama Japan this past week, the time has come for America to wake up to the REALITY that we are one accident away from our own Nuclear Holocaust, a nuclear death zone of biblical proportions, far worse than Chernobyl or even Hiroshima. Indian Point's spent nuclear fuel rod storage facilities ARE LEAKING, and NRC records and Entergy's own documents admit to cracks in the reactor domes...yet, they want to relicense them. The time has come to just say no.

Minimum Wage Hike NOT ENOUGH-We Need 12-20 Million ILLEGAL WORKERS Deported

2006-12-23T12:09:00.000-05:00

Wetback Nation?

Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats are making a lot of hay out of a $2.00 per hour raise in the minimum wage rate...this is NOT ENOUGH. First, $7.25 per hour after taxes leaves millions of Americans lanquishing in POVERTY. Further, unless this raise in the minimum wage is coupled with a GET TOUGH POLICY on illegal aliens, and the companies who hire them, it is an very empty gesture. Cheap WAGES will remain a reality until we CULL THE HERD of those here illegally.

Wages and benefits raise and fall based on the simple law of supply and demand, and BIG BUSINESS and the National Chamber of Commerce know this...it is why they oppose a wage hike, and support Amnesty for illegals, and a liberal Guest Worker Program. The time has come for Americans to COME FIRST, time for us to TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN, and this means deporting those who illegally and wrongfully steal our jobs, and depress our wages. The battle cry of the business community is let the market drive wages...that would be fine if we DEPORTED 12-20 million illegal workers who are depressing our wage base by over $200 Billion a year. Congress and Pelosi need to make raising of the minimum wage worthwhile, by combining it with enforcement only comprehensive immigration reform that hands down harsh penalities for any one who hires illegals (eliminate the word knowingly), and eliminates access to all social services for illegals and their children including prenatal care, and education.

Dems eyeing $2 raise for minimum earners
POSTED: 6:09 p.m. EST, December 22, 2006
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/12/22/minimum.wage.ap/index.html
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Imagine what it would be like to work without a pay raise for nearly 10 years.

That's been the plight of some workers who for almost the past decade have been earning the federal minimum wage. Their last pay increase -- to $5.15 an hour -- came in 1997.

There could be some relief in sight.

When the Democrat-controlled 110th Congress convenes in early January, a top priority is boosting the federal minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. The increase is likely to be phased in, perhaps over 26 months. (Watch why some say a minimum wage hike is long overdue )

Alice Laguerre is among the millions of workers now earning less than $7.25 an hour.

She makes $6.55 an hour driving cars headed for the auction blocks in Orlando, Florida, and says a boost in the federal minimum wage would help her build a nest egg for emergencies.

"I would be able to save more," says Laguerre, a part-time worker. "I've always been thrifty with money. When I was young, I'd take a nickel and stretch it five ways."

That can be tough these days, acknowledges Laguerre, 53, after paying the monthly rent and utilities on her two-bedroom apartment and after recently buying a car -- a blue 1994 Buick Century.

Employers could feel squeeze
On the other side of the minimum wage debate is employer Wayne Reaves, president of Manna Enterprises Inc., in Anniston, Alabama, who says he may boost menu prices and cut workers' hours at his fast-food restaurants, which serve up hamburgers, fried chicken, gravy and biscuits and other fare, if the federal wage is lifted.

The average hourly rate for his workers is around $6.39. All of his workers are paid above the current $5.15 minimum, he says. The lowest hourly rate is around $5.50, while a recently hired biscuit maker fetched $8 an hour.

Global (GE) Nuclear Fuel...Almost a Disaster

2006-12-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

Update from Washington Scandal on last nights horrid situation in North Carolina when a truck hauling reactor grade nuclear fuel powder tipped over. Government's EXCLUSION ZONE kept a lid on the news and video getting out. Which explains why we never saw and update from Anderson Cooper.

Friday, December 22, 2006
Reactor Grade Uranium Fuel Accident...MORE BREAKING NEWS.
First, before I break what I have uncovered so far, find it interesting that the Pro-Nuke People RACED to this blog to put up a PROPAGANDA PIECE. Now, let's share what I have found out so far.

Did We Just Dodge A Nuclear BULLET?

What's wrong with the story that there is no story in the National News when a flat bed truck carrying a container of Fuel Grade Uranium Dioxide tips over coming down the exit ramp at the intersection of I-95 and I-40 in Johnson County, North Carolina? The story briefly broke on Anderson Cooper's 360 last night with a singular photo of the truck laying over on it's side, and Anderson Cooper telling us that a truck hauling uranium fuel had tipped over, more details to follow. Problem is, those details never came forward, the story is almost NON-Existent in the news loops. Speaking with an unidentified staffer in Congressman Hinchey's office, they said they could find nothing on the accident, and only had what I had sent them.

As a grassroots person opposed to the re licensing of Entergy's failing nuclear reactors at Indian Point here in New York, the story instantly caught my attention, and when no additional reporting was forthcoming, I started to tract the story down myself...what is being found out is very disturbing, and raises serious concerns about both the NRC, and our National Security Response in the case of a NUCLEAR INCIDENT. They (NRC) seem to have dropped the ball in their own response to the accident (there was NONE) and the people at Homeland Security apparently took DRASTIC STEPS to kill the story, keep it out of the news cycle.

Lee Cox with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Health provided much of the base details of the incident and it's aftermath to me over the phone today. According to Mr. Cox, the driver of the truck (Ken Brotsche who is 63) stated in his statement on the accident, that as he began coming down the ramp the brakes went out, and when he tried to shift gears to correct the problem he over compensated and the truck went over. In speaking with David Bennett and Donny Lester of Tri-State Border Transport (They said this was the first accident of its type in the 55 years they have been hauling radioactive materials for the nuclear industry and DOE) said this was the first they had heard of the drivers comments, and suggested that there was a terminology mix up in how the driver described things. Their contention is that the driver went to apply the Jake Brake while the driver was in neutral, and that a Jake Brake will not work if the truck is in neutral. They went on further to state their oldest trucks are 2003 Peterbilt's, and that Ken Brotsche was driving a 2004 Peterbilt at the time of the incident. The driver went on to say that his wife Nancy had been sleeping in the back bunk, and though removed to a local hospital she had only received minor injuries. So, did the brakes go out suggesting inadequate maintenance, or was this driver error...where is the truck, and who is examining it?

Lee Cox went on further to state, that the materials on said truck were high level powdered uranium and not within the jurisdictional control of North Carolina as an Agreement State with the NRC, but within the control of the NRC. However because the NRC had not dispatched any one to the scene, the North Carolina Environmental Health people had acted as lead agency for the safety of their citizens and the environment of North Carolina. In short, they COVERED NRC's ASS. This was/is interesting, as when NRC's emergency response people were contacted last night around 10:30, they, when pressed, admitted that the accident had indeed occurred, but that they were not investigating it as it was the responsibility of the state of North Carolina as a Agreement State to act as lead agency. Simply put, WRONG. Once uranium becomes ENRICHED, it is the NRC's duty and responsibility...which is why the NRC in a phone conversation with Lee Cox this morning said they would be taking over as the lead agency. What is disconcerting in this, is that the NRC had a MAJOR INCIDENT going on with one of their licensee's, and never put one boot on the ground in North Carolina. What is more alarming, is this was not just ANY Nuclear Fuel, but spent fuel from a Japanese reactor...more on that later.

Digging further, it was learned that the licensee charged with the safety for these materials was Global Nuclear Fuel (GE) out of Wilmington, North Carolina. The person handling DAMAGE CONTROL is one Alan Mabbry and I believe Tom Rumsy, who admitted the truck was carrying Reactor Grade Uranium Fuel in powdered form, but that the container was not breached. Or was it? Donnie Lester from the trucking company admitted this set of facts to be the case, stating that the container had been locked down onto the flat bed trailer, and though tipped over on it's side, it had never broke lose from the lock down mechanism...the trailer was hoisted right side up by not one, but two cranes, and eventually the container of high level fuel was placed onto another flatbed. Alan Bennett said that East Bound I-40 had been shut down for safety reasons, and that the response team for this incident involved several hundred emergency responders...any one at this point wondering where video at eleven is, or something in the way of video first thing this morning? This should be FRONT PAGE NEWS across the entire United States, so who is sitting on this story? More on this later in the article, as it would take all day for that answer to emerge.

Bennett was not overly forth coming with information, and suggested I contact the trucking company...they were very frank and honest, and as I spoke with them, more details came out about the incident, and the materials in question. The materials had been picked up in Portsmouth, Virginia, and we are talking some seriously LETHAL STUFF HERE. You see, what this truck was hauling, was SPENT FUEL being sent back to Global Nuclear Fuel for REPROCESSING...but wait a minute, we do not reprocess our fuel here in the United States...Donnie Lester explained that one for me...the spent fuel was from OVER SEAS, had been shipped into America on a cargo vessel for reprocessing from some foreign country. They would not, or could not identify the country of origin for these materials, so I called back Lee Cox who verified that the material was from a reactor in Kurihama, Japan...now, explain this one to me....Lee was adamant that it was not spent uranium from the reactor, yet agreed it was here for reprocessing. Seems you cannot have your cake and eat it too. Maybe someone from the NRC who so far has had no comment, though I left my number with three people could clarify this for us?

I was still confused (as I stated earlier) though on how such an accident could occur, that CNN could briefly break it, then have the whole thing POOF up into thin air...enter Homeland Security, one incident Commander, and Lt. E Mark Dalton of the North Carolina Highway State Patrol, first on the scene. This axis of security is a perfect example of the Bush Administration's desire to keep us in the general public STUPID. These three in some combination as yet unknown, though Lee said Lt. Dalton made the call, decided to throw up and implement and EXCLUSION ZONE...now, this is a scary thing in a free society...you see, the press was CUT OFF, denied access to the scene.

Lt. Dalton so far has refused to comment, refused to let me know if this Exclusion zone included aerial access to the area, though looking at the size of the on the ground force involved in the cover up (I mean clean up), one has to assume it included keeping aerial equipment away from the scene...otherwise, how does one explain no follow up on CNN? A spokesperson for the North Carolina Highway State Patrol verified that numerous members of the press were denied access to the area, were not allowed to get even close to it. Which is odd, since Lt. Dalton had also made the decision that there had been NO BREACH of the CONTAINER, decided there was no need to evacuate any one in the general area...if it was so SAFE, why was the press kept away, other than someone(s) trying to cover up the whole event, keep it from becoming MAJOR NEWS. Was this the ACCIDENT that the Nuclear Industry and NRC have tried to convince us for years could never happen...did we just miss a disaster of biblical proportions?

There is a SKUNK in the wood pile here, and this blogger does not have the tools or manpower to get to all of it, though have uncovered what I can. To that end, I am listing here all the contacts I have so far been able to dig up, in the hopes that someone out there can get this story the coverage it deserves.

Lt. E. M. Dalton 1 (800) 412-9532 I tried this number, but it is a limited area access number than cannot be reached from my area. (fax# 919 737 9528)

Alan Maybry (With Global Nuclear) 910 675-5601

Donnie Lester and David Bennett Tri-State Motor Transport Company (417) 621-2658

Lee Cox and Beverly Hall (North Carolina Division of Environmental Health 919 571-4141

North Carolina Emergency Response Hot Line (Verified the accident) 800 858 0368

Tom Rumsy 910 646-6004

Number to access North Carolina Public Relations Department 919 733 5027

UPDATE on Uranium ACCIDENT! NRC Trying To HIDE IT.

2006-12-22T01:04:00.000-05:00

WE ARE TALKING YELLOW CAKE/Uranium Powder here folks...in from Washington Scandal, it appears that the truck has CRASHED on the off ramp of I-95 and I-40 in Johnson County, North Carolina...the driver apparently made IMMEDIATE CONTACT with the Portsmouth Ohio Gaseous Diffusion Plant, owned by USEC after President Bush Senior privatized the former DOD/DOE site in the 1992 Energy Policy Act. The NRC is NOT GIVING OUT ANY INFO, refused to identify the location of the accident...this information came from Division of Environmental Health in North Carolina.

Friday, December 22, 2006
UPDATE ON Uranium ACCIDENT

BREAKING NEWS.....the truck that CRASHED in North Carolina was carrying uranium powder, which leads one to believe it was YELLOW CAKE, and on it's was to the Gaseous Diffusion Plant in either Portsmouth, Ohio or Paducah, Ohio. This is speculation, but Portsmouth was almost IMMEDIATELY contacted by the driver of the truck according to and unidentified phone operator at North Carolina's Division of Environmental Health.

The accident occurred at the off ramp of 1-95 and I 40. The truck is currently laying on it's side awaiting a tow truck...the NRC is trying to keep this quiet, and refused to give this blogger any useful information on the incident.

For reporters needing more information, you can call Beverly Hall at (919) 571-4141, though no one is there right now. You can call the Emergency Response people for the Division of Environmental Health in North Carolina at (800) 858-0368. My advice...if you want more on this story, you are going to have to put a reporter on the scene at I-95 and I-40 or you are NOT going to get the story, or the truth in this.

HOLY CHIT...Truck Hauling Uranium Tipped Over on ! 95!

2006-12-21T23:12:00.000-05:00

Safe NUCLEAR ENERGY....a truck hauling Uranium has TIPPED OVER ON I-95...was it heading to an ENTERGY PLANT? Have we just averted what could have been the BIG ONE we all have feared? DETAILS AS THEY DEVELOP! Indian Point Must be closed.

Civil Union is NOT Marriage...Grant Gays Equal Rights

2006-12-21T22:45:00.000-05:00

This just in from the Washington Scandal Blog...seems that Drew McKissicksee's gays wanting to be MARRIED, as in lawful marriage amounts to SUPER RIGHTS. In short, he thinks gays should still ride in the back of the bus, or preferably on a different bus than the one he is riding in. If Dick Cheney had balls, he'd step forward and tell Bush and the Republicans they are right...his daughter being a perfect example of a LOVING GAY COUPLE, and soon to be family.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Blogging Bigots...Civil Unions, Separate But Equal is NOT EQUAL

I was going to let the news on Civil Unions being signed into law in New Jersey today go until I read an article on Drew McKissick's blog on Gays wanting more than civil unions, and it is no accident this neanderthal has the work SICK found in his name. Seems he has his testosterone stained panties all in a knot about Gays wanting the right to Marriage, not just civil unions. By this intellectual lightweight' thinking, Gays wanting the title and right of Marriage is NOT EQUAL rights, but super rights. Give us a break there Mr. John Birch Antioch Baptist Church, Radical Right Christian.

Civil Unions in lieu of marriage are an insult to gays, it amounts to that proverbial separate but equal that was once reserved for blacks in our society. I applaud today's decision, but understand the gay community's angst...it's a step in the right direction, but it is not enough. The military's don't ask, don't tell policy is just as egregious as saying that civil unions are on par with Marriage...marriage is a CIVIL UNION, it is signified and has LEGAL STANDING because of the LICENSE issued by a governmental body. Now, if some bigoted half baked radical right wing church (Catholic) does not want to bless said marriage, that is FINE, but gays should be allowed to marry, and serve in the military without having to be closeted.

Ruben Navarrette Jr. Needs A Clue On Illegal Immigration

2006-12-18T20:53:00.000-05:00

Ruben Navarrette is spewing forth his basically pro-illegal alien rants again, this time as a guest writer on the CNN website. Seems he has his panties in a knot over the Swift Raids...on one hand, he says if an illegal gets caught, they have no gripe, they took the chance...I can agree with that. However, with Navarrette, you always have to watch for the DAGGERS in the back as he stabs you in a close up embrace. He loves trying to paint those of us in favor of deporting illegals as RACIST, loves saying our fears are driven by xenophobia, and the unpinning of this article is no different.

You see, he wants us to see illegals using a BOGUS Social Security Card as just and immigration violation, something deserving of nothing more than a SLAP ON THE WRIST...curious their Ruben, if it is a felony fora LEGAL CITIZEN to go out and buy a forged ID, and use it, then why should it be a lessor offense for someone who is ALREADY A CRIMINAL in being in America as and illegal alien? Yes, I said criminal...every illegal working in America is guilty of no less than FOUR CRIMES, and securing a fake ID and using it is a VERY SERIOUS OFFENSE, not some new xenophobic enhanced charge to stir some falsely envisioned RACE HATRED among certain elements of American Society.

Curious here Rubin...are you familiar with the woman who had her ID (Social Security Number) stolen, and being used by over 200 illegals? Are you aware of how much that use of her number RUINED HER LIFE, made it impossible for her to get a job as her Social Security number when checked had felony charges attached to it? Based on that reality, could you explain to this writer why you see using someone else's Social Security number as such a trivial event? If someone with a STOLEN ID has a job that otherwise would have been filled by an American, how do you justify that?

On your saying it sounds so SINISTER...it is! If someone is using someone else's Social Security number to get a credit card, then ends up creating BAD CREDIT, guess who it is that has their credit rating RUINED? Not the slime sucking, vile, fetid illegal alien criminal. I'll give you credit for saying illegals should take the consequences when they are caught, however I disagree with your contention that the real criminals are the companies that hire illegals...they are both EQUALLY CULPABLE, BOTH AS CRIMINAL AS THE OTHER. I'd love to see the loophole you mention closed, but think you show your true ILLEGAL ALIEN friendly colors with the tenor of your article....we need our fence, we need 50,000 armed military soldiers on our southern border with Mexico, and we need both illegals and the employers who hire them imprisoned and then deported. As for Americans being serious about cracking down on ILLEGALS...we are very serious about it....problem is, the government is more interested in appeasing BIG BUSINESS than listening to us the people.

Commentary: Putting a sinister spin on immigration crackdown
POSTED: 1:55 p.m. EST, December 18, 2006

By Ruben Navarrette Jr.
Special to CNN

SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- The worry used to be that illegal immigrants were stealing welfare. Then it was jobs. Now, we're told, they're stealing people's identities.
For as long as anyone can remember, illegal immigrants have been working with the aid of bogus Social Security numbers. And this was seen for what it was -- a violation of U.S. immigration law.

But last week, when Immigration and Customs Enforcement rounded up 1,282 illegal immigrants by raiding meat processing plants in six states -- Colorado, Texas, Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Utah -- the operation was marketed as a crackdown on identity theft.

ICE chief Julie L. Myers told reporters that agents uncovered a scheme in which illegal immigrants and others had stolen or bought the Social Security numbers of U.S. citizens and lawful residents for the purpose of getting jobs with Colorado-based meat processor Swift & Co.

No! And ICE agents just figured this out? Dick Tracy, they're not.

Why spin this as a crackdown on identity theft? That has a sinister ring to it, as if illegal immigrants were using stolen credit cards and withdrawing money from ATMs. More than likely, the extent of it was that people were using Social Security numbers that didn't belong to them so they could work at dirty jobs that Americans wouldn't do -- just as they have for generations, before the phrase "identity theft" entered the national lexicon.

ICE shouldn't have to go to the trouble of bending the truth. If these workers were here illegally, and they got caught, then they should be deported. Period. The government has every right to do so, and those activists and union leaders who are complaining about families being separated and portraying ICE as the Grinch who stole Christmas don't have a leg to stand on.

People need to take responsibility for their actions, and that includes illegal immigrants. If they enter the country illegally, and secure employment illegally, they're taking their chances. If, one day, their luck runs out, and their children wind up stranded because mommy or daddy got nabbed in an immigration raid, the blame lies with mommy or daddy.

Of course, if this were presented as an immigration crackdown, people might ask: Why were no charges filed against the employer -- Swift & Co? The world's second-largest meat processing company has "never condoned the employment of unauthorized workers, nor ... knowingly hired such individuals," Swift & Co. President and CEO Sam Rovit said in a statement.

Note the word: knowingly. Rovit didn't just fall off the meat wagon. He's read the statute. The 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act made it a crime to "knowingly" hire illegal immigrants.

That's a monster loophole. Suddenly, whenever there is a raid, no one knows anything. Illegal workers? Who? What? Where?

It's cynical, and it's the sort of thing that makes it hard to believe that Americans are serious about combating illegal immigration. How can we be if we don't address the problem at its source?

Ruben Navarrette Jr. is a member of the editorial board of the San Diego Union-Tribune and a nationally syndicated columnist. Click here to read his column.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the writer.

Stop Terrorist, Legalize Pot In America

2006-12-18T16:45:00.000-05:00

This in from Almost The News...has the time come to LEGALIZE pot? Some good arguments are made for just that decision, and I'll add another to the list. Taxes...if we are talking a KNOWN crop of over 13 Billion, you can bet it is even larger...at say 20 percent taxation rate, that is additional federal revenue of over $3.3 BILLION DOLLARS...we could pay for a border fence with Mexico in three years, compliments of pot taxes. Further, if we were growing our own, we would see a HUGE decline in the drugs illegally coming in from Mexico. (Drugs into America from Mexico makes the top four list of contributors to the Mexican economy.)

Monday, December 18, 2006
Time To Legalize Pot? It's America's Number One Crop!

Unlike Bill Clinton, this blogger did inhale, and has for years believed that pot should be legalized for personal use, with it's sale and distribution controlled by the government, much in the same fashion as alcohol is, though minus all the sin taxes associated with it. Perhaps the time has come for the government to realize their JUST SAY NO war on drugs is never going to work, just as Prohibition did not work so many decades ago. Despite the attempts to eradicate it's usage, Pot has become America's number one crop, beating out such favorites as Corn, Soy Beans and wheat, with estimated sales TOPPING $13.8 Billion.

Now, before a lot of you go jumping all over me for suggesting we LEGALIZE pot, and perhaps other drugs, consider this...the LARGEST CASH COW FOR TERRORISTS is the movement and sale of ILLEGAL DRUGS. You are not going to stop them from growing, harvesting and selling these illegal drugs, but if our drugs were HOME GROWN, we could CUT THEM OUT OF THE MARKET, wipe out their major source of funds...a few hundred serious fields of poppies and herb plants, and the Taliban is in deep shit as their sources for cash go dry. You cannot deny this reality, as it has been discussed on the news, commercials have been made suggesting we are supporting terrorists when we get high...well, people are going to get high even if the moral majority hates that reality. However, given a choice, they'd buy their bud locally.

Cash value of pot crops is highlighted in report
By Eric Bailey, Times Staff Writer
6:21 PM PST, December 17, 2006

SACRAMENTO -- For years, activists in the marijuana legalization movement have claimed that cannabis is America's biggest cash crop. Now they're citing government statistics to prove it.

A report to be released Monday by a marijuana public policy analyst contends that the market value of pot produced in the United States exceeds $35 billion -- far more than the crop value of such heartland staples as corn, soybeans and hay.

California is responsible for more than one-third of the cannabis harvest, with an estimated production of $13.8 billion that exceeds the value of the state's grapes, vegetables and hay combined -- and marijuana is the top cash crop in a dozen states, the report states.

CNN and FOX...GET A CLUE, Enough on The Mountain Climbers

2006-12-17T22:44:00.000-05:00

Enough On Mt Hood Rescue!

No disrespect to the families of those three men lost on the mountain, but the News Media, such as CNN and FOX, seriously need a clue. Yes, the search and rescue mission and finding one of the three climbers is sad, even tragic for the families involved. However, let us put it in some perspective.

Almost NONSTOP both CNN and FOX have covered NOTHING BUT THE RESCUE MISSION for the entire day today. FULL COVERAGE, endless drivel, the reporters hanging on each and every word, and when there were not any, replaying the few they had. Meanwhile, we lost THREE more troops in Iraq yesterday...where is the news coverage for them, for their families? We have an insane president getting ready to commit another 20-50,000 troops to the Bush Folly, yet all we get all afternoon and evening is a sad tale of WOE about three Mountain Climbers that should not have been out there in the first place.

When you put the story of the mountain climbers in perspective, it does NOT deserve the coverage it is getting. Our troops DESERVE THAT COVERAGE, the three soldiers in died in a war yesterday deserve that coverage, their families deserve that coverage, not three mountain climbers. We deserve some serious reporting on the decision the president is about to make, we deserve some coverage of the tens of thousands dying in Africa from AIDS...what we do not deserve, is NON STOP 24/7 coverage of three men who risked death because they did not have enough sense to stay in out of the cold.

Obama About To Slide Out of Favor? Shady Land Deal EMERGES

2006-12-17T02:16:00.000-05:00

MY GAWD, what's next? Does Barack Obama have illegal aliens cutting his grass? Illegal Nanny? Illegal maid?

Well, well, well....seems that Barack Obama may not be the HONEST Golden Boy we all thought that he was...seems he is now caught up in a very COZY HOME/LAND deal with an indicted criminal in Chicago that has a history of ADOPTING politicians that can serve his needs. Is the Golden Boy really a BOUGHT MAN? Stay Tuned folks, think next week could get really interesting.

Sunday, December 17, 2006
Golden Boy Barack Obama Really Pig Iron?

Gee, turns out that Barack Obama is A) not exactly the common man, and B) is perhaps a bit on the dishonest side. For starters, how in touch with the common man and woman can someone be when they go out and purchase a $1.65 MILLION dollar home? That is some very SERIOUS chump change, and so out of balance with the public persona he has tried to craft for himself...he is one of the rich and elite, one could even say someone spoiled and pampered. Top that off with his Harvard education, and Barack has NOTHING IN COMMON with 95 percent of America.

Setting that aside though, seems there has been a serious CHINK put in his armor when we look at that VERY PRICEY HOUSE he purchased right next door to a very sleazy and questionable Antoin "Tony" Rezko, Chicago deal maker, and SIGNIFICANT financial contributor (directly and indirectly) of Obama meteoric rise to political stardom...seems that Rezko has a habit of adopting politicians, and that makes Rezko and Obama's purchase of adjoining houses very suspicious...they CLOSED ON THE SAME DAY. Then, in an even cozier arrangement, when Barack wanted a BIGGER YARD, his overly cooperative neighbors sold him just what he desired for a small fee of $104,500. Hmmm...how COZY.

Do we have here a bought and paid for potential Presidential Candidate? In reality, is Obama nothing more than a shooting star who is about to fast plummet back to earth? Come on Barack, we WANT THE REAL DIRT, not a "GOLLY GEE WHIZ, IT WAS A BONE HEAD MISTAKE, SHUCKS DARN" excuses...we are NOT STUPID, and having attended Harvard, neither are you. In short, you do not make STUPID BONE HEAD MISTAKES, but instead are a very careful and shrude person and politician....so, fess up with the truth.

Obama Says He Regrets Land Deal With Fundraiser

Senator Bought a Parcel From His Neighbor, a Now-Indicted Political Operative

By Peter Slevin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, December 17, 2006; Page A06

CHICAGO. Dec. 16 -- Antoin "Tony" Rezko is a political insider, an energetic Chicago deal maker and campaign fundraiser often in the headlines for being on the wrong side of good government. Indicted in October on influence-peddling charges, he also has a habit of befriending prospective political stars.

One of them was Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who was offered a job by Rezko in the early 1990s while a top student at Harvard Law School. Obama did not take it, but over the years, the two men stayed in touch, and Rezko backed Obama's successful 2004 U.S. Senate campaign, raising money and contributing his own.

In June 2005, in what Obama now describes as a "boneheaded" mistake, Obama and Rezko's wife bought adjacent properties on Chicago's South Side, closing the deals on the same day. Seven months later, wanting a bigger yard for his $1.65 million house, Obama bought a slice of the Rezko property for $104,500.

After news of the deal broke last month in the Chicago Tribune, Obama said he had erred by creating the appearance that Rezko had done him a favor by selling him a portion of the lot. For the first time since he entered the national spotlight, the 45-year-old freshman senator found himself on the defensive, discussing a personal decision he had come to regret.

Tired of Government Secrets and Lies? New Whistleblower Site Gets It Into Public Domain FAST

2006-12-14T10:18:00.000-05:00

We know how it works...unidentified sources, someone unknown leaked the document to the New York Times or the Washington Post. However, what about the documents we NEVER SEE, the stories we never know...if it were not for the efforts of a blogger, we never would have known about the Foley Situation, he would still be in Congress. A new site (blog) aims to end that problem.

Thursday, December 14, 2006
World Hot Docs-Stop The Secrecy Launched

Back in my days as an environmentalist in Ohio who dealt with NUKE ISSUES, we knew that hot docs had to be quickly and widely distributed before government or the NUKE Industry (Think Entergy) tried to silence us. We would quickly make copies and mail them on so that it was impossible to stop us from making the documents publicly known...the Midwest Compact was brought down as a result of just such efforts when we found a smoking document they did not want us to have...WHOOPS. Reading an article last night on the ACLU, and the Federal Governments attempts to silence/remove a document they have in their possession, the idea of a World Hot Docs Blog was born. Washington Scandal is pleased to announced that this site has been officially launched and you can link to it here.

The goal is simple...WE WILL PUBLISH ALL SECRETS, from illicit affairs, to illicit and/or treasonous acts, and deploy them fast, in some cases on up to 11 blogs in hours.

Thursday, December 14, 2006
World Hot Docs...Rapid Publication Network

Seems that Bush, and our government are taking secrecy to ever greater extremes, as are the corporations...perfect case in point, the Nuclear Industry (think Entergy), or any company hiring illegal aliens while swearing THEY HAD NO IDEA what they were doing. The time has come for a RAPID DEPLOYMENT Hot Doc Blog. The premise is simple...have a document you want out in the public domain? Email it to roycepenstinger@aol.com and they will be put out on this blog within six hours of their receipt. Corporate scandal, government coverup, political corruption, environmental disaster, or even tawdry photographs...does not matter, we'll put it out to the world wide web here at World Hot Docs-End The Secrecy. Think of this site as the counter punch to Bush's unlawful NSA spying on American Citizens...in this case, it is a blog dedicated to keeping government and big business honest.

IMPEACH BUSH NOW, UNFUND THE WAR

2006-12-13T22:41:00.000-05:00

The Time has come to UNFUND THE WAR, and push for Impeachment of President George Bush, Vice President Cheney, and Secretary of State Condi Rice. This in from Washington Scandal Blog.

Bush Destroying American Military, DRAFT ON WAY

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

For starters, all the signs are there...the DRAFT is on it's way back in. As it is, the military, even with its blood bonus money, and increasing the age limit of recruits cannot meet it's quota, and on top of that, both the Army and Marines are going to be asking incoming Secretary of Defense Gates for more TROOPS, wanting to push the total ready force to 512,000, which is up almost 30,000. Furthermore, our troop number are in danger of collapsing...otherwise, why would top GENERALS be prepared to ask Secretary Gates and Bush to wave the frequency and duration limits for both National and Army Guard units? The numbers are not working, Bush has managed to all but KILL our military ground forces readiness capabilities, and if parents have a lick of sense, they are encouraging their children NOT TO ENLIST in this man's Army in the current political situation...let Bush send his two cunt bitch daughters off to die, instead of banging cheap second class low life's down in Argentina....OH GEE GEORGE, did I offend you? Are you going to put the NSA on me now...would not surprise me, you have NO RESPECT for the rule of law, NOR OUR CIVIL RIGHTS HERE IN AMERICA...God forbid my blog might be disrespectful of you MR WAR PRESIDENT.

Want further proof the president is KILLING OUR MILITARY, and saddling our grand children with untold debt and misery...over 60 percent of our military units are NOT READY to go into war...not enough training, not enough equipment...in fact, it has gotten so bad, new troops still here in America do not have equipment to train with, let alone to take into battle. It is estimated that REBUILDING costs once the Bush Folly in Iraq is over will exceed TWO TRILLION DOLLARS. Saudi Arabia wants to back the Sunni...fine, let them. If these idiot Muslims want to run around car bombing and killing each other in the name of revenge, LET THEM...that's right Mr. Bush, FUCK THEM, let them DIE. Maybe after awhile they will get tired of it, and do something towards that reconciliation you keep shoving down our throats. We do not care about your DEMOCRACY BUILDING, nor your inane babble about spreading freedom. We want our troops home.

To the Congress...Bush wants $100 Billion more in emergency spending, and wants hundreds of billions more to rebuild Iran....JUST SAY NO...the time has come to UNFUND THIS GOD FORSAKEN MISTAKE, and impeach this asshole in the White House. If you needed any more reason or proof that he is a dictator in all but NAME, his absolute refusal to consider the ISG Report is all you should need. Impeach the bastard, and sentence him to death for treason to America.

Wheel's Falling Off Iraq Study Group Report

2006-12-10T16:58:00.000-05:00

My initial reading of the Iraq Study Group Report left a bad taste in my mouth as it was nothing more than "Stay The Course on Steroids" a means by which to give George Bush one last bite at the apple as he tries to shore up his position in the history books. As the week has unraveled, so too has the support for the report as one wheel after another falls off, and Baker's minions find themselves incapable of gaining forward momentum for their recommendations...in short, it seems the ISG Report is nothing more than a lot of wasted effort and trees.

The White House has already rejected much of the report, claiming it's to cumbersome and unworkable, even though said report embraces Bush's basic flawed tenants for fighting the war. Though the Democrats were quick to use the report as PROOF POSITIVE that Bush's policies were/are failing, they have not embrace the course called for in the report. McCain did not like the report from the start, his own time as a prisoner of war clouding his vision as he calls for more not fewer troops.

Though copies of the report have been selling like hot cakes (even though you can get it for free on the web), the ink was barely dry before Israel voiced its own disdain...in short, they made it abundantly clear that the Israel/Palestinian situation had absolutely nothing to do with the problems in Iraq. Further, they had no intentions of letting Washington, or any one else force them into giving up the Golan Heights in efforts for a forced peace.

Going into the weekend, Iran spoke out stating they had NO INTEREST whatsoever in meeting with America until and if they announced their intentions to pull all troops out of Iraq. Seems they are only willing to work with America in the task of expediting the removal of our troops from Iraq, and out of the Middle East. Obviously, if Iran has no intentions of speaking with America, or cooperating with us where Iraq is concerned, we can assume also that Syria as well has not intentions of working with us, as that would require their distancing themselves from Iraq.

Now today, we have the President of Iraq Jalal Talabani rejecting the Baker Report as it is commonly known. Do the math, and it is obvious the report has already gone far beyond three strikes, and is all but DEAD ON ARRIVAL. Should be interesting waiting on the President's pre-Christmas speech on the plan forward for Iraq. Even more so if the death toll for American troops hits 3,000 before he comes before the American people...as they say, the natives are growing restless.

Iraq president rejects Baker-Hamilton report
POSTED: 10:25 a.m. EST, December 10, 2006
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani rejected the Iraq Study Group's report Sunday, calling it "very dangerous" to Iraq's sovereignty and constitution.

"We can smell in it the attitude of James Baker," Talabani said, referring to the report's co-chair who served as secretary of state under President George H. W. Bush during the 1991 Iraq war.

Talabani blamed Baker for leaving then-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein in power after that conflict, which ousted Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

He also criticized the report for recommending a law that would allow thousands of former officials from Hussein's ousted Baath party to serve in Iraqi government posts.

The report, released Wednesday, makes 79 recommendations. Among them: Most U.S. combat troops should be withdrawn by early 2008, Iraq's vast oil wealth should be more centralized and the U.S. should launch a diplomatic offensive that would include seeking help from Iran and Syria.

"As a whole, I reject this report," Talabani said.

"I think that Baker-Hamilton is not fair, is not just, and it contains some very dangerous articles which undermine the sovereignty of Iraq and the constitution," Talabani said.

Lee Hamilton, the report's other co-chair, also served as vice chairman of the 911 Commission, which concluded that the U.S. remains ill-prepared for another terrorist attack.

Saluting a Real American

2006-12-08T16:34:00.000-05:00

Some acts of kindness are worthy of special notice...I offer you up this photograph with the article below, and suggest Morrill Worcester his gift of Christmas wreaths are one such act that deserves special notice, and our thanks as a nation.

Made-in-Maine wreaths headed to Arlington for holidays

Honors Veterans

By CLARKE CANFIELD, The Associated Press
Dec 7, 2006 9:23 AM (17 hrs ago)

HARRINGTON, Maine - Money virtually grows on trees in eastern Maine, where balsam fir branches are transformed into hundreds of thousands of Christmas wreaths worth millions of dollars each holiday season.

For Morrill Worcester, owner of the state's largest wreath company, the season is more about heart than money. This month, for the 15th year, he'll send a truckload of 5,000 wreaths to be placed on gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery.

Worcester, 56, never served in the military. But he feels the need to show his appreciation to the nation's veterans.

Every day, people contact him to give thanks. Some call him a "great American."

"I'm not a great American. I'm a grateful American," Worcester said.

This year, Worcester is extending his gratitude nationwide. Besides sending wreaths to Arlington, he is spearheading wreath-laying ceremonies at nearly 230 veterans cemeteries and monuments in every state and Puerto Rico. He's donating about 8,000 wreaths.

The ceremonies are to be held simultaneously at noon EST on Dec. 14.

Australia Tips Bush's Hand...No TROOP WITHDRAW FROM IRAQ

2006-12-06T21:21:00.000-05:00

Want to know what Bush is planning in Iraq...look to our allies, or what is left of them in Iraq. We will not be seeing our troops brought home, Bush is planning to either ignore the Baker Recommendations, or to Cherry Pick from them. For proof, see Prime Minister Howard's words in the Australian Press.

Howard confident US not planning Iraq quick exit
http://www.abc.net.au/news/

Prime Minister John Howard says he expects the United States to change its tactics in Iraq, but insists that does not mean its planning a quick exit.

The Federal Opposition has seized on the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) report released overnight in America.

The Federal Opposition has seized on the Iraq Survey Group (ISG) report released overnight in America.

It was produced by a bipartisan panel, led by the Republican former secretary of state James Baker, which said the situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating and a new approach is needed.

Opposition defence spokesman Robert McClelland agrees.

"It is quite clear from the report that Australia is the only country not developing a strategy to remove their troops from Iraq," he said.

Mr Howard disputes that.

"I'm quite certain the Americans are going to reorganise their approach in different ways in Iraq but I'm quite certain the bottom line will still be they're not going to precipitately withdraw," he said.

Personal note-The Baker Recommendations are "Stay The Course on Steroids" and is a propaganda piece who's primary purpose is to fool America into giving Bush MORE TIME.

Deport The BItch....State Senator's Wife Set Free

2006-12-05T20:28:00.000-05:00

CAN WE SAY ILLEGAL BITCH?

That's right, deport the BITCH...further, get rid of Senator Curt Thompson....here is an elected official who has been ignoring the will of the people, openly lobbying for ILLEGAL ALIENS in Georgia, and it turns out he's MARRIED TO ONE who should be deported. Sadly, in a perfect example of its not what you know, but who you know, strings are being PULLED to let him keep his ILLEGAL HONEY POT. Let's be honest here...if this tart were not married to a MAJOR politician, if a deal were not made in the Judges chambers, Sascha Herrera would NOT BE HAVING HER CASE REOPENED, would not be given a FREE PASS to citizenship. The bitch needs to be deported, just like the woman hiding out in Chicago in a church...illegal is illegal, and I don't care if the woman had 20 kids. She can take her son with her back to Mexico, END OF STORY, and the Senator in this story can resign and take his illegal bridge back to whatever damn Latin country she is from, as we do not need nor want her hear. WAKE UP POLITICIANS, WE DO NOT WANT ILLEGALS IN AMERICA, WE DO NOT WANT AMNESTY FOR THESE CRIMINALS.
http://articles.news.aol.com/news/_a/lawmakers-wife-gets-deportation/20061205081709990011?ncid=NWS00010000000001
Lawmaker's Wife Gets Deportation Reprieve
By DANIEL YEE, AP
ATLANTA (Dec. 5) - The Colombia-born wife of a Georgia state senator emerged from hiding and turned herself in Tuesday to face a deportation order, but an immigration judge lifted the order and she was expected to be freed.

Sascha Herrera, 28, who had gone into hiding after the order was issued, arrived at the Martin Luther King Federal Building shortly before 8 a.m. and met with the judge and attorneys for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office.

Government lawyer Terry Bird said the judge lifted the order and agreed to reopen her case. He said she would likely be freed Tuesday pending a hearing on a petition filed by Herrera's husband, state Sen. Curt Thompson, to establish permanent residency for her. The hearing has yet to be scheduled.

Walmart Workers Need To Stage Nation Wide Christmas Eve WALK OUT

2006-12-04T22:08:00.000-05:00

Walmart, coming under close scrutiny, and trying to POLISH its image went public with a plan to SAY THANKS to their employees...it is obvious in reading the article on their plan to say thanks that they HAVE NO CLUE, nor any respect for their work force. As a show of respect for their work force, they are giving them each a coupon for TEN PERCENT OFF ONE ITEM that is purchased AT WALMART...OH BOY! None of the wage issues were addressed, no real discussion about their unfair practices of keeping almost all employees at a part time level.

I do not work at Walmart, have narrowed down to almost NEVER my time spent shopping there because of their ABUSE OF EMPLOYEES. I would suggest here, that the time has come for a MAJOR WILD CAT STRIKE at every single Walmart Store in America on Christmas Eve. To effect change, you have to hit a company where it will hurt, and having every store in America without staff on Christmas Eve would TEACH THEM A LESSON THEY WILL NOT SOON FORGET. Grow a backbone WORKERS, show Walmart their days of abusing you are over with, and will not be tolerated...give them a set of demands, and if they refuse to accept them, stay away from work the day after Christmas as well. A few employees in a few scattered stores will get you nothing, but a Nationwide WILD CAT STRIKE will hit them so hard they will need years to recover, and will have been put on notice that the employees if needs can put them out of business by simply refusing to work.

Wal-Mart Says Thank You to Workers
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/04/business/04walmart.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Wal-Mart has answered worker protests with an appreciation program.

By MICHAEL BARBARO and STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: December 4, 2006

Faced with public demonstrations of discontent by its employees, Wal-Mart Stores has developed a wide-ranging new program intended to show that it appreciates its 1.3 million workers in the United States and to encourage them to air their grievances.

As part of the effort, Wal-Mart managers at 4,000 stores will meet with 10 rank-and-file workers every week and extend an additional 10 percent discount on a single item during the holidays to all its employees, beyond the normal 10 percent employee discount.

The program, described in an internal company document, was created during a volatile six months period, starting when the company instituted a set of sweeping changes in how it managed its workers.

Over that time, Wal-Mart has sought to create a cheaper, more flexible labor force by capping wages, using more part-time employees, scheduling more workers at nights and weekends, and cracking down on unexcused days off.

The policies angered many long-time employees, who complained that the changes would reduce their pay and disrupt their families’ lives. Workers even staged small rallies in Nitro, W. Va., and Hialeah Gardens, Fla., the only such protests in recent memory.

Romey HIRES Illegals...Don't Even Think Of Running For President FOOL

2006-12-04T18:39:00.000-05:00

So, Mitt Romney has HIGH HOPES of running for President in 2008...FORGET IT YOU ILLEGAL ALIEN SCAB LABOR HIRING FORK TURD, we do NOT WANT YOU...what is it that you politicians do not get. We want these sleezy assed, crime breaking illegal bastards and bitches shipped back to Mexico or whatever other country they came from. We do not want them cutting your grass, do not want them working IN OUR JOBS. The fact that we now know you HIRED ILLEGALS makes you unworthy of ANYTHING BUT RESIGNATION. You even try to run for President, and we will BLOG YOU RIGHT OUT OF THE CAMPAIGN...any one who supports Amnesty, earned citizenship, or has HIRED AN ILLEGAL is officially a TARGET of our WRAITH.

Workers a thorny issue for Romney

RESIGN You Illegal Hiring ASS MUNCH
The Massachusetts governor's lawn crew included illegal immigrants, a newspaper reports.
By Elizabeth Mehren
Los Angeles Times, December 2, 2006
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-romney2dec02,1,378413.story?ctrack=1&cset=true
Boston -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a 2008 GOP presidential aspirant and an outspoken critic of illegal immigration, apparently employed undocumented landscape workers at his home near Boston.

Responding to a report in Friday's Boston Globe, the governor's communications director said Friday that Romney was unaware that several of the landscapers who kept up his suburban Belmont property were in this country illegally.

'Gov. Romney has no information or knowledge to corroborate the Globe's allegations,' Eric Fehrnstrom said Friday. 'He hired a legitimate lawn service company and he knows the owner as a decent, hardworking person who is a legal resident.'

As he explores a run for the presidency in 2008, Romney has made illegal immigration a priority issue, urging stiff penalties for employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers.

Just In on MSNBC....Six More American Troops Dead

2006-12-04T02:36:00.000-05:00

Just in from Iraq...another six American Troops were killed this weekend. Six on Saturday and another three on Sunday...at what cost do we continue Bush's Folly?

Are Bloggers Giving Away The Cow?

2006-12-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

Even a cursory glance at Christmas Sale reports show us that more and more people are using the Internet, letting their fingers to the shopping as sites are visited, credit cards are used, and consumers sit back to have a sip of wine before hunting for another site on which to spend their hard earned cash. There are companies who now make billions of dollars in revenues running ads for this new group of online customers, the biggest perhaps Google with it's adsense program where companies can get their products listed on our blogs. Ever hopeful, we sign up for these programs hoping to see enough funds rolling in for perhaps a bottle of wine, or perhaps a weekend away in some secluded bed and breakfast, but that dream for most never quite comes true. Yet look at GOOGLE...it's stock is now selling at the $500 a share mark, and a small handful of people have become BILLIONAIRES thanks to you and me.

How many of us have written flowing articles about this or that product, or a car that has captured our attention? A picture here, a link there, then a glowing report about the latest must have toy, a free advertisement that our own loyal readership consumes with glee, leaving us a comment or if there is a ranking system perhaps a TEN for a job well done. A few of us get lucky on occasion, companies tossing us a bone, perhaps free samples of their products in the hopes such will generate an article that will make its rounds. Some (very few) have scored a laptop, or perhaps a free mobile home...cheap compensation for advertising moving from home to home. If you write a product review that is read and passed around 500 times, what should it's value be, how much should you be paid? If some advertising firm is offering you $4 dollars to write an article recommending a particular item up for sale, posting on your blog a part of the deal, how much are they making, how much are they being paid?

I'm no different in my blogs, the various programs for clickers sitting in my side bar, myself watching statistics, hoping for a click...it's a ruse, something to keep us all distracted from the REAL VALUE of our blogs...it's not the side bars that the companies want, it's the blogs themselves that count. The real value added is those articles we do write, and all of them we post are put up absolutely FREE at least 90 percent of the time. Perhaps it is time that all of us take down posts and blogs that provide a service to companies that they are not having to spend a dime for...perhaps it is time that some of us group together, and offer up our services, but demanding payment for services rendered in writing up a glowing article about their products which they want to sell to you and me.

On one of my blogs, I've put up three glowing articles for products up for sale in the past week alone. I know from my statistics that the companies featured saw and read the piece, their foot prints found in the statistics that I compile...do you think any of them bothered to leave a comment offering up a thanks? Was there an email offering me up at least a coupon by which I could save ten cents the next time I went out to shop...of course not. Trust me bloggers, we are the grease between the cogs, the conduit that makes the Internet a viable place on which to shop...it is time that we figure out a way that we all share in the the revenue pie that is being shared.

On Advertising: Advertisers creating online buzz, blog to blog

By Doreen Carvajal / International Herald TribunePublished: December 3, 2006

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/12/01/business/ad04.php

PARIS: When the maker of Canderel, an artificial sweetener, cast about for strategies to reach a young, trendy female market, it relied on the breezy counsel of the Buzz Angels, bloggers variously known as Eklektic, Velvetine 2 and Miss Blablabla.

This digital match between fashion-conscious French bloggers and Merisant, the sweetener company based in Chicago, was forged by Buzz Paradise, a year-old advertising agency based in Luxembourg that specializes in word-of-mouth marketing campaigns painstakingly waged blog to blog.

Since Buzz, an arm of Vanksen Group, was started last year, executives have shepherded brands from Candarel to Nokia telephones through this loud and raucous universe in search of publicity and credibility. With a growing registration list of 5,000 bloggers in about 10 countries, it essentially enlists participants to sample products in the fervent hope that ultimately they will be inspired to write about it. No pressure though.

"Our role is very clear with brands," said Emmanuel Vivier, the managing director of Vanksen. "We give products, but we are not going to expect something always positive at the end."

The evolving corporate focus on "blog placement" is part of an intensifying trend, with elite bloggers receiving gifts like show tickets and bottles of Champagne.

Intel, the chip maker, doled out free laptops to six well-known bloggers who were invited to muse about blogging over a six-week period.

There is a video circulating online that pictures four German bloggers careening around a racetrack in a shiny red Opel Astra. All of them received free use of the Astra cars for four weeks plus allowances as part of blogging project for Opel.

In recent months, the gifts and invitations have multiplied, according to an Italian blogger, Luca Conti, who lists himself as a "conversational media consultant."

The Only News I have Heart To Report Today

2006-12-02T21:54:00.000-05:00

Dinero Boo...Boo to all who loved him crossed over the Rainbow Bridge today. He leaves behind seven feline brothers and sisters, a grieving human Mother and Father. He was a cats Cat, and will be so deeply missed.

Dinero Boo October 11th, 1995-December 2nd, 2006 We love you old man!

Protections From Enron Era To Be Rolled Back?

2006-11-30T14:46:00.000-05:00

We all remember the horrors of the Enron collapse five years ago, it was only a scant few months ago that some of the sage came to a close. Investors lost millions, many older Americans lost their retirement nest eggs, and in the aftermath Congress passed legislation to keep such a tragedy from happening again...or did they?

It seems that business lobbyist, special interest money from the investment world who represent the ULTRA rich are lining up to push for a change, that change being a roll back to the GOOD OLD DAYS. In short, they want much of the regulations eliminated, want those nettlesome (good word) private citizen lawsuits done away with. In short, they want the right to rape, screw and take advantage of small investors, a return to investment selling with no accountability and no protections for the small guy.

Middle America, be AFRAID...be very, very AFRAID, and write your elected Representatives.

Five Years After Enron, Firms Seek Weaker Rules

By Carrie Johnson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, November 29, 2006; Page A01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/28/AR2006112801686.html

Business interests, seizing on concerns that a law passed in the wake of the Enron scandal has overreached, are advancing a broad agenda to limit government oversight of private industry, including making it tougher for investors to sue companies and auditors for fraud.

A group that has drawn support from Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. plans to issue a report tomorrow that argues that the United States may be losing its preeminent position in global capital markets to foreign stock exchanges because of costly regulations and nettlesome private lawsuits.

Australia About to Be Raped?

2006-11-29T19:39:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Australia's Aboriginal Lands Being Forced To Play Host To World's Spent Nuclear Fuel?

As an American living within the ten mile circle of death associated with the faulty, problem plagued, dilapidated facility that is Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant, I am somewhat familiar with Nuclear Power and the dismal record of the regulatory agency (NRC) sworn to protect human health and the environment. When a licensee cannot meet a deadline, it is moved back, when they cannot meet a section of the 10CFR rules and regulations, the NRC grants them an exemption from the rules. In short, the nuclear industry is propped up by hidden financial support via our taxes, and laws that excuse the industry from the costs should and incident of enormous proportions ever occur...you could compare the Nuclear Industry to the War on Terror, in that the nuclear industry has to be right on important issues 100 percent of the time, and looking at the litany of violations Entergy is guilty of, it is only a matter of time, a proverbial ticking time bomb waiting to explode, raining down ruination and death on hundreds of thousands if not millions of innocent Americans.

It is this set of facts, coupled with my own knowledge regarding America's failed attempts at sighting a long term radioactive waste disposal facility that causes me to issue a call of warning to the citizens of Australia...it is my belief, that your nation, the Aboriginal lands are being set up to act as the Nuclear Waste Dump for the entire world's nuclear industry. A far fetched claim...hardly. Let's look at some disturbing facts regarding America's own attempts to site a storage facility.

The DOD, DOE and the NRC at one point moved forward with the concept of dividing America into compacts....groups of states paired together to deal with their own nuclear waste streams, with each state in the compact taking turns building and hosting a storage facility for a set period of years. One of these compacts was call the Midwest Compact, that would have served several Midwestern states including Ohio, who had by decree, was to be the first host state for such a compact. It did not matter what facts, what proof the environmental movement put forward, the compact led by Mr. Larson was determined to site the disposal facility at all costs. The Midwest Compact was killed, the group disbanded only after certain embarrassing documents were made public that showed the governments TRUE PLAN....get between 1-3 sites approved and constructed, then through newly introduced legislation change them into permanent long term storage facilities for the entire nation...how do I know this? I was the one who found some of those documents, one of the ones who broke them to the news media. The FIX was in, and it would have worked had the dirty truth not come out into the public domain.

It's interesting that one Senator Bayl from Indiana supports a plan by which America would become the nuclear fuel rod supplier to the world, considering that his state was a member of this dishonest and deceitful action to site a storage facility, one has to wonder what if any involvements he has with USEC, and the gaseous diffusion plants in Portsmouth, Ohio and Paducah, Kentucky. I digress.

For decades now, the government has tried to push the concept of YUCCA Mountain being America's place of choice for the storage of Spent Fuel Rods, spent uranium, and other nuclear waste streams. President Bush tried to do and end around in his first term, has attempted to short circuit citizen involvement in the process. After the November Elections, it was announced by a key Democratic Senator that YUCCA Valley is DOA (Dead on Arrival), so we can only assume that a Democratically controlled House and Senate will derail this storage site, and rightfully so. This means some 50 plus years into America's nuclear age, and we have no place to put the hellish waste streams that are being created from the production of Nuclear Power. The fact is, there is NO VIABLE PLACE in the entire world available currently for these waste streams.

Enter Prime Minister Howard and the Australian Government...someone (BIG BUSINESS) has sold them on the concept of nuclear energy, and on building a storage facility for radioactive wastes. After all, who in Australia is going to cry over loud about a radioactive waste storage facility built on Aboriginal land? To add insult to injury, the legislation passed by Australia's federal House of Representatives would GIVE THE LAND BACK when Australia is done with it! HELLO YOU DIP CHITS, some of the HALF LIVES of materials in the decay chain are 14 MILLION YEARS.

I urge the people of Australia to wake up! First, there is the issue of doing right by the Aborigine people/tribes. Secondly, you as a nation need to ask yourselves this question...Are we prepared as a nation to play host to the nuclear waste of an entire world? That is what you are being set up for, that is the writing on the wall. A serious accident at such a facility could leave over half of Australia inhabitable, that is what is at stake as your own Prime Minister Howard tries to RUSH this whole Nuclear process right past you before you can react, and stop it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200611/s1800275.htm
The federal House of Representatives has passed legislation to allow Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory to be used for a radioactive waste dump.

The Government says the Bill will allow Indigenous groups to offer their land for use, but have it handed back when the land is no longer needed.

Several sites in the Territory are being considered for a radioactive waste facility.

Deputy Labor leader Jenny Macklin says the new Bill will mean Aboriginal land rights will be diminished.

"The Howard Government is intent on making sure that you have no rights, no legal review avenues, no right to express your view, no right to giving informed consent," she said.

"Absolutely no say in this Government's blind pursuit of dumping nuclear waste in the Northern Territory."

The Bill will be debated in the Senate tomorrow.

Open Letter To Andrew Spano On Indian Point Nuclear Plant

2006-11-29T17:22:00.000-05:00

Dear Andrew Spano:

In light of the 200,000 plus gallons of radioactively contaminated water rapidly finding its way into the Hudson River, coupled with spent fuel rod storage facilities leaking from the inside out (representative of a failing internal infrastructure), coupled with the cracked domes of the reactors, and you have a situation where Indian Point is much more on my mind as someone living within the ten mile circle of death. Watching the television one night, a commercial talked about the Emergency Evacuation Plan that had been mailed to us, I realized our house had NEVER received one, and I took it upon myself to remedy this egregious oversight on the part of Indian Point.

First, I made not one, but three phone calls to the Westchester Emergency Management offices and left messages...none of which were returned. Out of desperation, I escalated my efforts and made contact with the State Emergency Response folks in Albany, who with great arm twisting finally consented to send me one in the mail. Upon it's arrival at my house, I immediately began reading through the document, wanting to make sure that myself and my family WERE PREPARED for an incident should one occur. At first blush, I was amazed at how little real information was in the booklet, and secondly, spotted what I felt amounted to a serious, even FATAL FLAW in the plan.

In case of an incident (such a NICE WORD) at the plant, the booklet tells us that we would be A) evacuated, or B) sheltered in place. The booklet goes on to tell us, that sheltering in place in case of incident would be employed (one example) in such situations as inclement weather, such as a winter snow storm that made roads impassable, and travel unsafe. It goes on to instruct us to follow the SIMPLE LIST of instructions found in the booklet for sheltering in place should such and event occur...let's take a look at the first four items in that list.

1. Stay in doors. DUH...what, do you folks think we are going to run out on our front porches to watch the plume as it approaches? LOOK MA, here comes the PLUME!

2. Close all doors and windows. Middle of winter, a snow storm with a PLUME heading our way, do you really think we need to be told this?

3. Turn off your heater/furnace...according to Mr. Sweeney at the Westchester Emergency Management office, as well as spokespersons from Indian Point, this is necessary to keep from bringing potentially contaminated air into the home and/or structure where you are being sheltered.

4. Close all flues as dampers for fireplaces and/or wood stoves, again for the same reasons as outlined in number three above.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

Now, I am not the brightest bulb in the pack, but a thought immediately popped into my head, and I started making some calls to GET AND ANSWER to what I felt was a fairly simply question.

If we follow these instructions, and are sheltered in place with no heat source, how long do we have before the effects of hypothermia begin setting in.

Mr. Sweeney could not answer the question for me, and in fact got rather hostile when I pushed for and answer...he in fact stated there was no need for such in depth analysis in the Emergency Response Plan...so, Entergy, various public agencies, and finally you Andrew Spano are going to make a decision to SHELTER US IN PLACE in the middle of winter with NO CLUE as to how long we could be sheltered in place before suffering the negative effects of hypothermia, including DEATH?

I made this inquiry of your county Health Department, FEMA, Entergy and the NRC, and not one of them could answer the question, though each and every one of these government agencies admitted a brought up a LEGITAMITE point of concern, with the spokes woman from Entergy today even going so far as to suggest the booklet might need to be reviewed and reworded.

Another person from Indian Point went on to suggest that maybe I should make more adequate preparations for this possibility, such as securing a generator in case we have no power on the grid in the immediate area, the purchasing of secondary means of heating my home, so forth on so. Now, these would be items purchased for the possibility of a Nuclear Incident at the failing and antiquated Indian Point Nuclear Plant. To properly prepare my home for such a WINTER NUCLEAR INCIDENT, and being sheltered in place would cost myself and every other home owner in the area some $2,500-$3,000...if these are commodities that would be required and incorporated into the Emergency Plan for Indian Point, should these up front preparedness costs not be incurred by Indian Point? Is it fair to expect the citizens of the area to absorb what should be a Indian Point cost of doing business in our area, and making sure we are kept case should there be and incident. When I brought this up with a spokesperson from Indian Point they scoffed at such a preposterous idea, telling me if I want to be safe, I should take the steps necessary to do so...to which I posed the question, "and if I or another household cannot afford those costs?" That question was met with silence.

Moving on with my concerns about the plan, I pointedly asked Mr. Sweeney to tell me specifically how many people the various assorted reception centers could hold in the case of an incident at the plant that required FULL EVACUATION of the surrounding areas...first, he told me that was highly unlikely, but I pushed on by asking him, "Yes, but what if it is necessary, how many people can your reception centers hold...he REFUSED to answer the question. I would hazard a guess here, that in a serious incident at the plant, the surrounding areas do not have adequate space in this temporary holding facilities for the population, which I state to Mr. Sweeney...wherein, he fell back to Sheltering in place.

So, even if it is not the BEST OPTION, there is a chance that we as citizens at risk would be ordered to SHELTER IN PLACE in our homes because there simply was not enough space in the public shelters to handle all of us? I brought these concerns to the attention of Entergy, and the NRC, as well as the Westchester County Board of Health...so far, no one has been willing and/or able to answer these concerns.

On November 22nd, with the blessing of traitorous, financially self serving, former Mayor of New York Rudi Guilliani, Entergy announced its plans to seek a relicensing of fatally flawed Nuclear Plants and their leaking spent fuel rod storage facilities for a period of and additional 20 years. Couple this with Senator First's announcement that YUCCA valley is dead as a long term storage facility, and it becomes even more imperative that questions like mine be answered with honestly and openly.

Obviously, with these concerns about the inadequacies found in my copy of the Emergency Evacuation Plan, I began looking more closely at a few other issues that I would like addressed. In case of an incident, or for that matter, in the case of any MAJOR DISASTER, we are told to visit the FEMA sight for help in recovering from said disaster...well, I went to that sight, found the section titled, " Recovering from Disaster" and the sub-category right below titled, "Specific Disaster Recovery Information" to get and idea of the steps I would need to take in recovering from a NUCLEAR INCEDENT/ACCIDENT at the Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. What I found was/is very disturbing...floods, dam failure, landslides and a host of other disasters are listed, each with a list of steps one can take to recover, but there is NO LISTING, NO STEPS GIVEN TO RECOVER FROM A NUCLEAR INCIDENT.

Surely Indian Point with all of it's plume tracking maps, and FEMA could come up with a list of steps we citizens should take to recover from a Nuclear Incident? Surely it would be possible with some simplistic modeling based on those PLUME MAPS to provide some basic cost analysis of the clean up costs after such and incident? After all, when we look at A) the fact that Indian Point is held by a LLC, B) Price Waterhouse limits their liability, and C) insurances companies have been allowed to put and exclusion in our home owners policies indemnifying them from any costs related to a Nuclear Incident and it is us the citizens who will be left holding the bag...are we not entitled to know what those potential clean up costs would be? Should that not be a factor in deciding for or against any relicensing being sought by Entergy? If there is an incident, and we are SHELTERED IN PLACE, don't we need to know the steps to be taken after the incident to recover from said incident?

One last comment on concerns...today, Indian Point conducted a test of their Emergency Sirens...I live ONE BLOCK from one siren, about five blocks from another...I was home for the test, and never heard said alarms.

I would like answers to these questions, and have been told by Indian Point that it is you who makes the final decision on these matters, so I am turning to you to seek answers to these questions. Though you have no problems with invading my privacy with your ROBO CALLER for unimportant issues, you and your office have been negligent in responding to the citizens of Westchester County on important issues surrounding Indian Point. Because of this, and to hopefully push you into being forth coming in providing an HONEST AND OPEN ANSWER to my concerns, I am taking the liberty of posting this open letter to you on two open source blogs, the links to them provided below. I look forward to your swift response to my concerns, look forward to real dialogue and honest answers, rather than your usual ducking with the by now famous..."I'll get back to you on this" with the getting back NEVER OCCURING.

Respectfully, Concerned Citizen

omitted

PS...additional concerns to be discussed in future letters.

CC Posted to Indian Point at http://www.safesecurevital.org/contact/index.php

http://theporgietirebiter.blogspot.com/

http://washingtonscandal.blogspot.com/

Addresing Washingron Drivel From The Hill

2006-11-29T00:06:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Addressing Odds and Ends From Washington

First, so that the members of Congress discussed here have full disclosure, this post will also be shared on Porgie's News and Views...do a Google Search, sure you'll find it. Seems as the clock ticks down to the upcoming Democratically controlled 110th Congress, we are seeing LOTS of promises, while behind closed doors America's middle class is being sold down the river...IE, don't suppose Nancy Pelosi would care to come to this blog and explain in straight forward HONEST WORDS why she and her Democratic cohorts are planning on abandoning the 700 mile fence that has already been signed into law, and trying to find a way to quietly SNEAK Amnesty past American citizens.

First UP...Department of Justice

How convenient that the Department of Justice is suddenly opting for an investigation of the NSA spying situation...do they really think we are that stupid? This investigation should NOT STOP THE DEMOCRATS from conducting a Congressional Investigation of their own on this important breech of our civil rights. NY Democrat Rep. Maurice Hinchey had this to say on the issue:

Following requests from myself, Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and other House members, for an investigation of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) warrantless surveillance program, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Glenn A. Fine yesterday informed me that his office has opened a review of the agency’s involvement with the program.

and this:

I must say that after trying for nearly a year to get DOJ to conduct an investigation of the NSA’s warrantless spy program, I am very pleased to learn that the agency’s Inspector General is finally opening an investigation that we were made to believe would never happen. While I’m glad that the White House finally relented and granted additional clearances for DOJ officials to conduct an investigation, I can’t help but be skeptical about the timing. I wonder whether this reversal is only coming now after the election as an attempt to appease Democrats in Congress who have been critical of the NSA program and will soon be in control and armed with subpoena power.

Like Hinchey, the Washington Scandal finds the timing of this investigation more than a little suspect. As they say, "Let the investigations begin" and if in the process we bring down that snide little weasel who plays the part of the attorney general, so much the better. This grassrooter would love to see Bush's entire cabinet impeached for incompetence and stupidity, and lets not forget plain old fashion arrogance.

NEXT UP...Wyo. GOP Sen. Mike Enzi misleading and misquided remarks about the economy.
Though he may be somewhat on target about the opportunity awaiting college graduates, those opportunities are tempered with the reality that our government is cheapening thier earning power by granting far to many H21 visa's, which allow companies to hire foreign workers in high skill jobs for almost $14,000 less than their American counter parts. Seems odd to me that a Senator has the unmitigated gall to tout a great economy while at the same time screwing the American worker.

Further, his callous remarks fail to mention how bad the economy is for American Workers in the lower 1/3 of work force because of ILLEGAL ALIENS depressing wages, and stealing jobs. If Congress and the Senate really want to do something for the Middle Class, it is pretty simple...shut down the jobs magnet for illegals, build our fence, and begin deporting those working here illegally. We voted for change, NOT AMNESTY.

LAST ONE TONIGHT FOLKS...Over the weekend, House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer was blathering about the Democratic Pledge...lets TALK about that pledge, and the false promises we so far are being fed.

THE SUPPOSED PLEDGE, with my suggestions intersperced as an average Middle Class American.

1.) We will and must change the way things are done in Washington.

You want to effect change in Washington, then first and foremost END ALL FREE TRAVEL paid for by any one, and end CHEAP TRAVEL on corporate and private planes. We can see how special interest is trying to WATER DOWN this reform, don't let them do it. All those SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS amount to SPECIAL ACCESS to our elected officials, and our Congressmen/women were sent to Washington to work for OUR DISTRICTS, not far flung business interests trying to buy influence.

2.) We will work with the President and our Republican colleagues in Congress to forge a new direction in Iraq.

Curious...have you bothered to look at Press Secretary Snow's recent ramblings on the War in Iraq? If you think Bush is budging short of a threat to impeach the bastard, you are sadly mistaken. Your options, and the presidents options are limited. If we stay, we have to use overwhelming force, and that means at least 500,000 troops on the ground, and that reality means bringing back the draft. The other choice is bringing our troops home, and that means A) unfunding the war because its the only way Bush will give in, or B) impeach him. Don't give us any of this reaching across the isle bipartisan BULLCHIT....when it comes to Iraq, the President holds the cards, but you hold the purse strings...it is that simple.

3.) We will address the concerns and issues that affect the lives of working families.

Address the concerns of the WORKING FAMILY...which working family, the ILLEGAL ALIEN WORKING FAMILY, or the LEGAL AMERICAN WORKING FAMILY? Come on, the word is out on the street, and to win the Latino voting block, the Democrats want to ABANDON THE FENCE, and sneak through AMNESTY in the name of Earned Citizenship....let me give you a CLUE. Deport the law breakers, arrest those who hire illegals and put them in prison, and close the ANCHOR BABY LOOP HOLE if you really want to HELP America's working families. Anything short of that, and everyone of you in Washington are lying SCUM.

Has The Time Come For Americans To Defend Our Borders And Our Homes Ourselves?

2006-11-28T20:11:00.000-05:00

To understand some Americans and their anger where illegal aliens are concerned, you first have to go back in time, back to 1986, back to the great Reagan Era Illegal Alien Amnesty with all of its false and unkept promises. The old saying states that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Reagan and those in office promised Americans that we were seeing the last Amnesty, that after it went to in effect, our laws would be enforced, employers would be punished, and those here illegally would be deported back to their home country...we as Americans believed those promises, bought into the lie and Amnesty was signed into law over the skepticism of America, and with many angry it happened at all, who believed it would not work.

That amnesty did not work, and now some six years into the Bush Presidency, a full twenty years from that last failed presidency, we are faced with the same issues, the same problems, but this time they are bigger, more magnified that one could have ever pictured. Sadly, if the political winds blowing through this once fine land are any example, our government learned nothing from history, are not only doomed, but EAGER to repeat history again, prepared, with the help of traitorous help from a newly elected Democratic Majority, to force amnesty down the throats of America yet again, legalizing the stealing of our jobs, the depression of our wages, the ruination of many of our lower and middle class communities in the name of CHEAP WAGES, and in the hopes of winning the Latino voting block.

Two reports today should have Americans up in arms, show that Washington did not listen to us on November 7th, and have no intentions of bringing us change. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats want to beat their drums of bipartisanship, and speak of their GRAND AGENDA for the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress, the crowning jewel of that time frame a raise in the minimum wage to $7.25 (supposedly promised as a stand alone piece of legislation). First, if the average America looks at this promise, it's NOT ENOUGH, and even worse, if not coupled with serious border and immigration enforcement, and the deportation of millions of illegal aliens, may be a detriment to those LEGAL AMERICANS on the lowest rungs of our economic ladder. If low life, fetid, repugnant, law breaking companies and employers are already hiring illegals now because they work for less, isn't and increase in the minimum wage without dealing with this issue going to see even more companies following suit?

The Freshman Class positions on immigration reform are out, and they are at best very disappointing. The first thing noticeable, is what is missing...any mention of how to deal with the 12-20 million illegal aliens, and their 4 million anchor babies...a very disturbing and telling absence, proof that Pelosi has Democrats GOOSESTEPPING TOWARDS AMNESTY. Secondly, though many Democratic Freshman CLAIM they want enforcement first, they lay out no plan for such enforcement, while at the same time saying they do not embrace the building of the fence that we Americans had already been promised, had already seen signed into law. In short, a move is afoot to eliminate any fence, to backtrack from a bill already signed into law. If this is the message coming out of the Freshman Class, you already know what the Democratic Party's position is....sell out the middle class they promised to protect in the Fall Election to get elected. Sell out American workers to BIG BUSINESS and the racist La Raza/Latino Agenda, and begin the implementation of Bush's One World Order call to create a North American Union by the year 2010.

Much like the Jews at the beginning of the Holocaust, America's lower and middle classes have remained quiet, even meek, hoping against hope that if we behaved ourselves, kept quiet and went along, that our government would come to its senses, would protect us, our jobs, our homes, our communities.

Sadly, it has not worked, and Americans are the victims of a Job Holocaust that is threatening to steal away our way of life, all in the name of Cheap Wages, all in the name of La Raza (the one race). We are being boxed in, slowly forced into submission and eventual slavery at the hands of the rich and elite who wish to be our masters, us their surfs. If you doubt this, ask yourself this simple question, "Do you think your children will be better off than your generation has been?" There are no gas chambers, no furnaces, but leave no doubt...the middle class here in America is being deliberately, systematically eradicated, we are both witnessing and the victims of a massive extermination like none ever before witnessed in the history of the world, a Class Holocaust whose numbers dwarf even those of Nazi Germany's extermination of the Jews.

Pick up your phones and call to report illegals living in the home right next to yours, packed in like sardines and they laugh at you, could care less. Report a company or individual hiring illegals, same response. We have SS like public officials like Michael Bloomberg of New York who openly DEFY federal laws, go on TV to openly state that his city, his big companies need ILLEGALS, and the cheap labor they represent. Like some sinister agent of the AMNESTY Gestapo he openly stomps on any one who speaks out against illegals, or tries to have our laws enforced when it comes to cracking down on illegals and those who hire them...Mayor's like him in a sense are the gate keepers of the modern day Concentration Camps meant to keep American Workers out, instead of being locked in.

Leave no doubt, we have been targeted for extermination, the weapon of choice financial strangulation. So the question becomes, what to do if our own government, those sworn to protect us refuse to do their jobs? If our government is bent on granting Amnesty to illegals, and providing even more avenues for them to invade our towns and cities, give them a means by which to steal even more of our jobs, what options have we left? If our government refuse to close our border, do we have any choice but to close it ourselves, using our legal rights to bear arms, our legal right to protect our properties and way of life as justification for the actions that we take? Harsh questions, but it was only last month we heard about the story of a Mexican Drug Dealer being given immunity from prosecution while to Border Patrol Agents were WRONGFULLY sentenced to long prison terms for doing their jobs. Perhaps the time has sadly come for a citizens militia, a group of true Americas who will willingly stand up to do the work our government refuses to do.

How many armed American Heroes from the middle class would it take to secure our Southern Border with Mexico? Ten per mile, or should it be 20? Let's have a nice round number of say 50,000 Armed citizens, each of them being paid by a citizens enforcement fund, a privatized border protection service run for and by the middle class. At a salary of $50,000 a year, we need $2,500,000,000 (2.5 Billion) dollars. That sounds like a lot until you divide by say 150,000,000 lower and middle class citizens. Ask yourselves....if you could secure our Southern Border, stop the flow of illegal aliens into America, end the depression of your wages, would you be willing to contribute $25.00 for each person in your house to such a cause? With that small donation, we could easily hire, arm and outfit a citizens army to our Southern Border, buy vehicles, begin building infrastructure, such as our own fences. What if we double that $25 to $50.00 so that we could hire our own work force enforcement officers, retain attorneys to bring civil claims against any one targeted as hiring, aiding or abetting an illegal.

We the middle class are under attack. Our government has not, and is not heeding our call. Our wages are depressed, our jobs are being stolen, and many of us are losing the value of our homes as illegals move in and take over our neighborhoods. The time has come to take action, rather than wasting our time sending faxes and making calls to and electorate who will not listen, will not heed our calls for change. So, the question I ask of all Americans in the Lower and Middle Class...would you support such a private mobilization of our citizens to deal with this issue head on? If you have four people in your home, is it worth $200 per year to you knowing that the illegal alien problem is being dealt with instead of being ignored? Would you support a Minuteman type organization on steroids if they accomplished the work your government refuses to even begin? Corporations already have their own private armies, already have tens of thousands of well trained Corporate Mercenaries ready to do their bidding for a price...isn't it time that America's lower and middle class incorporates itself and lays claim to these self same protections of our own?

Ecobabes From "Almost The News"

2006-11-26T16:06:00.000-05:00

This next story is compliments of Almost The News and Ecobabes Calendar seems like a Green project we should all get behind. These Environmental Saving Women have gotten together and put out a racy calendar to raise funds for reducing greenhouse gases out in Sonoma County. Would love to see a group here in New York create a similiar calendar to take on the environmental ills as the aging and fetid Indian Point Nuclear Plant...in fact, if there's any one out there interested in such a project, drop me a note.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Christmas Shopping Green Style...ECOBABES Calendar
http://almostthenews.blogspot.com/

Being and Eco-Friendly kind of a guy here, decided when I read the article below that I had to give the ecobabes a plug. You can help the efforts of green people everywhere...well, not every where, but out in Sonoma County in their efforts to reduce greenhouse emissions. This Green Friendly Bootylicious offering can be found at http://www.ecobabes.org/

Environmental climate heats up over pinups Raising funds and blood pressure with 'Ecobabes' calendar

Peter Fimrite, Chronicle Staff Writer

Sunday, November 26, 2006

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/26/MNG8HMK6G81.DTL

Greenhouse gas may not be very sexy, but a group of self-proclaimed "ecobabes" in Sonoma County found a unique way to bring out global warming's naughty side -- posing for a pinup calendar.

The 12 female environmentalists were photographed -- fully clothed, for the most part -- in an effort to raise money for the Climate Protection Campaign of Sonoma County and seduce the public into reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This Was Not A College Option When I Went To School

2006-11-26T15:59:00.000-05:00

Oh, the times they are a changing...those lyrics rang so true when I stumbled upon a small news piece today. Seems a college freshman studied strippers, and came up with the finding that they make better tips when ovulating. Wondering if this student had to go deep undercover to do the research?

New Mexico Freshman Studies Strippers
Women who work at Albuquerque's TD's Showclub make the most money in tips when they're ovulating, a University of New Mexico freshman has concluded. The finding supports psychology student Brent Jordan's hypothesis that fertility makes women more attractive, says the Daily Lobo.

Join The Cannondale War Boycott

2006-11-24T16:53:00.000-05:00

This just in: Seems Bush was GIFTED a very EXPENSIVE Cannondale Mountain Bike...if you oppose "Stay The Course" can you really ride a Cannondale in good faith?

Muqtada al-Sadr and His Militia Need Taken Out

2006-11-24T11:29:00.000-05:00

Think it was two years ago now that we had al-Sadr surrounded, the Mosque he and his minions were using surrounded. We should have leveled the Mosque if that's what was required to have gotten al-Sadr, have broken the back of his militia, forced a full and unconditional surrender. We instead allowed Muqtada al-Sadr and his militia to walk away unscathed, and in that gave him a huge victory in the eyes of his people...he had stood up to America, and survived to tell the tale. George Bush Senior made the same mistake in the first Desert Storm when our troops had the Red Army surrounded...instead of tightening the noose, it was opened, Saddam's troops allowed to scatter back to Baghdad.

When historians write the story of this war, when they pinpoint the defining moments that shaped the events, steered them towards particular outcomes, the show down at the Mosque with al-Sadr will be one of those moments. The Bush administration's, even America's need to be politically correct saw our troops held back...GOD FORBID footage of our troops taking down a Sacred Mosque be flashed around the world on the six o'clock news. What a tactical blunder, a mistake of monumental proportions. On the one hand we have George W. Bush thumping his chest, talking tough, and telling the terrorist, we will hunt you down, we will find you, and we will deal with you, yet when it came down to it, the war on terror took a second seat to appearing politically correct on the six o'clock news! We should have blown that Mosque sky wide and handsome, but instead we allowed al-Sadr to walk away, and that act made him a folk hero of monumental proportions.

Now, America is faced with another one of those DEFINING MOMENTS, and not surprisingly it involves the exact same thug we let live two years ago...he is not happy with Bush's planned meeting with al-Maliki, wants the meeting canceled, worse wants to attend. He has gone on television over in the Middle East, his words racing around the world demanding that the meeting be canceled, or he pulls his people out of the government...now, it is no surprise that al-Sadr is backed financially and militarily (on some level) by Iran. We are seeing here a chess game, and the very nation of Iraq rides in the outcome. If Bush backs down, if this meeting is canceled, Muqtada al-Sadr and by proxy Iran wins. For all intents, al-Sadr will have shown the entire world that it is he, and he alone who is the power behind the puppet, it is he who is the true leadership of Iraq, he becomes the MONEY PLAYER, and by proxy, America cedes Iraq to Iran and their brand of government by theocracy.

We are at another defining moment...do we finally draw that proverbial line in the sand, or do we yet again pull back in the name of political correctness, in the name of not creating waves? My decision...take the gloves off, send Bush to the meeting, and make an announcement that al-Sadr is now a wanted man, and that his militia has 48 hours to lay down their arms. We either fight our way through an unavoidable blood bath to the other side and perhaps victory, or we pack up our troops and bring them home.

Radical cleric threatens walkout over Bush visit (click for story)

In a test of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's rule, a representative of anti-U.S. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's bloc Friday threatened to suspend participation the government if al-Maliki meets with President Bush next week. Meanwhile, police reported a U.S. raid on al-Sadr's office in Baquba.

Breaking News (BBC) At Least 132 Dead In Bomb

2006-11-23T10:31:00.000-05:00

Details still coming in, but in breaking news just in on the BBC, a bomb blast in Sadr city has killed at least 132. On this special day where we are all home safe and preparing for our feasts, lets remember our troops in harms way, and say a prayer for the people of Iraq.

Baghdad blasts 'kill 132 people'

At least 132 people have been killed in a series of blasts in the Shia Sadr City area of the Iraqi capital, police and medical sources say. Details are still sketchy, but a further 200 people were reportedly wounded in three car bombs and at least one mortar blast.

In one attack a car exploded at a food market which is a regular target of mainly Sunni Muslim insurgents.

Elsewhere, gunmen attacked the health ministry, sparking battles with guards.

In Sadr City, a car exploded in the Jamila food market, where eyewitnesses told reporters burned bodies and human flesh littered the ground.

UPDATE Just In From New York Times...Death Toll Rising in Thanksgiving Day Attack

At Least 144 Killed in Attacks in Baghdad

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 23, 2006
Filed at 10:16 a.m. ET

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- Police report that suicide bombings and mortar attacks on Sadr City, Baghdad's Shiite slum, killed 144 and wounded 236.

The bombs and mortar shells struck at 15 minute intervals beginning about 3 p.m., with the first suicide bombing killing about 10 people in a vegetable market.

Angry residents and armed militiamen flooded the streets hurling curses at Sunni Muslims.

Heavy clashes broke out Thursday afternoon between gunmen and guards at the Shiite-controlled Health Ministry building in north Baghdad, security officials said.

A Shared Story, A Shared Hope

2006-11-22T21:01:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and we give you a shared story from the Washington Scandal Blog, and with it, a shared hope. Enjoy your own day of thanks, but as you give thanks and enjoy the bounty of this special day, please remember those less fortunate than yourselves. God Bless, and may your Thanksgiving be a day of wonder for you, and your family. From my family, from my family of blogs to yours, have a great Thanksgiving, and if you are traveling, STAY SAFE, drive carefully.

A Worthy Charity Event for Thanksgiving

Tommorow, we give thanks, then we FEAST, gorging ourselves on treats, meats and deserts fit for kings...some are not so fortunate, some here in the land of plenty will go hungry. There are a lot of charities that work to feed and shelter our nation's homeless. The "Almost The News" blog hopes you will support one of these, give up a part of your day to lend them a helping hand in helping the less fortunate. In this spirit of giving and thanks, we share with you a brief story from "The Washington Scandal Blog" on one such charity, and one event in Washington, DC.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
http://washingtonscandal.blogspot.com/

Live in Washington, DC? Get Out Tomorrow and HELP THE HOMELESS
I'll be up early tomorrow baking our Thanksgiving pumpkin and pecan pies, preparing fresh cranberries, and doing up my own world famous deviled eggs. This early morning descent to the kitchen is a part of my family tradition, a part of the greater traditions that are Thanksgiving in the United States of America. Tomorrow is a time to give thanks, and also a time to share the bounty each of us has been blessed with. In Washington, there is just such an opportunity with the 5th Annual Thanksgiving Day Trot for Hunger in Washington, D.C.

If you live in Washington, it is not to late to be a part of this GREAT EVENT, and I would encourage you to show up and walk, run or crawl the 5K which supports SOME (So Others Might Eat), and interfaith group started in 1970 soup kitchen dedicated to the most basic needs of the homeless. Can't make it? Then how about sending them a small donation, or getting involved in their efforts by visiting their website? http://www.some.org/ Some things in life should ALWAYS be bipartisan, and feeding the hungry, compassion for those less fortunate is one of them.

US Muslims Upset...WHO CARES?

2006-11-21T18:00:00.000-05:00

Seems that US Muslims are all in a tither over six Imams tossed off a plane...my response...TOO BAD, get used to it. Like it or not, based on the very real FACT that most terrorists are are Muslim/Islamic, we have every right not to trust, have every right to feel uncomfortable with you individually and as a group being on a plane with us. If other passengers on a plane feel uncomfortable, even fearful by your presense, you SHOULD BE REMOVED.

The Imams were attending a conference on building bridges with westerns...a simple enough task if they are serious. Stop supporting terrorists, stop believing your religion gives you the right to wage jihad, stop thinking the rest of the world has no choice but to accept and embrace your religious beliefs...we don't, so get over it, leave us alone, stop killing our innocents. Until you do those things, until terrorist attacks at the hands of Muslims stop, you are NOT TRUSTED. Want to call that PROFILING...I'm fine with that, and would hazzard a guess that most Americans are. If I were on a plane, and six Imams walked onto the plane, I would IMMEDIATELY raise concerns to the aircraft staff, and encourage other passengers to do the same.

It's simple...as humans, we have to mitigate our risks...being on a plane right now with six Imams is not a risk most of us feel we should have to take. As for those Imams having trouble finding a flight home...let them drive.

U.S. Muslims outraged after imams kicked off plane
Tue Nov 21, 2006 12:33pm ET
By Michael Conlon

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Muslim leaders expressed outrage on Tuesday after six imams were removed from a commercial airline flight in Minnesota for what they said was nothing more than trying to say evening prayers. (Say your prayers when you GET OFF PLANE...especially if they are not spoken in ENGLISH.)

"They were treated like terrorists ... humiliated," said Abu Hannoud, civil rights director for the Arizona chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who said the men were taken off the US Airways flight in handcuffs. (Standard procedure for suspicious people...again, get over it.)

He said the men were still trying to find a flight back to Phoenix where most are affiliated with a major mosque after the carrier refused them passage following the incident on Monday evening.

(Who cares what they are affliated with? They need to stop their whining...our safety takes precedent.)

"We are concerned that crew members, passengers and security personnel may have succumbed to fear and prejudice based on stereotyping of Muslims and Islam," added Nihad Awad, executive director of the council, in a statement from the group's Washington headquarters. (Again...get over it! What is some passengers WERE CONCERNED...who was it that flew planes into our Twin Towers? If the terrorists had been from Sweden, we would be leery of six buxom blondes getting onto a plane and speaking funny.)

"We call on relevant authorities to investigate whether proper procedures were followed by security personnel and members of the US Airways flight crew," he said. (They looked suspicious, made folks uncomfortable...end of story.)

The group said the men told it they were accused of "suspicious activity," which they believed was only their attempt to pray. (Do these Imam's know what COMMONSENSE is?)

Hannoud said in an interview that the men had been attending a three-day meeting of the North American Imams Federation in the Minneapolis area "discussing how to build bridges" between Muslims and American society, and that the FBI and local police had been informed in advance about the meeting.

The Draft...Would you Serve?

2006-11-21T17:44:00.000-05:00

One of the BIG STORIES is the potential of the draft being reinstated here in America, doing away with, or supplementing the all volunteer military with conscripts...Americans FORCED into serving America. It's easy in the theoretical to say you would do what was right, or that you would serve your country. However, with the death toll rising in Bush's wrong war, and some experts seeing American troops in Iraq ten years from now, would you serve if drafted?

I volunteered shortly after Vietnam, went in for the benefits if honest about it. If I were a young man in the prime of my life, with every thing to live for, I would not serve if drafted today. Bush lied to take us into war, the Pentagon seems at best clueless, and our foreign policy under Condi Rice is a joke. Further, if I had children of my own, I would not let them enlist, even as a volunteer at this point in our history. I support our troops in harms way, but would not let my own relatives risk dying for the farce that is Iraq. So, what about my readers...be honest with yourself and answer the question: If you are drafted, would you serve? For that matter, for some of us older folks that could get called up...if you suddenly got a notice calling you to active duty, would you go?

Selective Service: Ready for a draft
POSTED: 10:04 p.m. EST, November 20, 2006
http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/11/20/selective.service/index.html

By Thom Patterson
CNN

(CNN) -- Although Congress is unlikely to follow calls from a top Democrat to bring back the military draft, the United States does have a plan, if necessary, aimed at inducting millions of young men for service. The Selective Service System, an agency independent of the Defense Department, says it's ready to respond quickly to any crisis that would threaten to overwhelm the current all-volunteer military.

"We're the fire department," said spokesman Pat Schuback at the service headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.

"We're prepared to do the mission with whatever time period we're asked to do it in. Our current plan is 193 days and that was based on manpower analysis."

With an active list of more than 15 million names, Schuback said an estimated 93 percent of all men in the United States between 18 and 26 have registered for the Selective Service, as required by law.

Chris Baker, 20, of Decatur, Georgia, said he wouldn't support a draft under any circumstances.

"I don't believe it's right to send people who don't really want to go fight for the country," Baker said. "I probably wouldn't go, but I know that'd I have to go to jail for that. That's probably what I would do -- sit in jail."

But 25-year-old Donnie Deerman of West Blocton, Alabama, said he would feel obligated to participate in a military draft.

More Middle Instability...Murder in Lebanon

2006-11-21T10:12:00.000-05:00

Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, one of the leading anti Syrian politicians
has been killed. The timing could not be worse, coming after pro Syrian members of the Cabinet resigned. He was shot in the streets of a Christian area...here is the beginning of the story from BBC.

Lebanese Christian leader killed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6169606.stm

Gemayel's death is the latest in a series of assassinations in Lebanon
Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel, a Maronite Christian leader, has been killed in the capital, Beirut.
Mr Gemayel, a leading anti-Syrian politician, was reportedly shot in the street in a Christian suburb and rushed to hospital, where he died.

His death comes amid a political crisis in Lebanon, following the resignation of six pro-Syrian cabinet members.

Mr Gemayel was a member of the Phalange Party and the son of former President Gemayel Amin.

Gunmen opened fire on Mr Gemayel's convoy as it travelled through Sin el-Fil neighbourhood, Reuters news agency quoted security sources as saying.

Pelosi...You Want To Help Middle Class? DEPORT ILLEGALS

2006-11-20T20:09:00.000-05:00

The battle cry of the newly elected Democratic Majority says they want to HELP those of us in the middleclass...OK, let's say we believe them. A hint of the best place to start...strong immigration enforce, border security, and harsh fines for any one hiring illegals, coupled with strong enforcement at local, state and federal level. It's simple...over abundance of workers at low end of the labor force stagnates, even lowers wages. Shrink the labor force, and law of supply and demand will see wages and benefits go up.

Increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 is like putting a bandaid on a bleeding artery. The time has come to send those here illegally home, and that means the Democrats growing a spine and doing what is right for AMERICAN CITIZENS, rather than catering to ILLEGAL ALIENS in the hopes of winning a voting block at some future date and time.

Pelosi: Relieving middle class tops list
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061120/ap_on_go_co/congress_democrats
By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer Mon Nov 20, 12:42 PM ET

WASHINGTON - House Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi said Monday her new Democratic majority will extend a hand to Republicans in moving the agenda of relieving the "middle-class squeeze." She said restoring the military draft will not be part of that agenda when Democrats take over the House in January.

Pelosi, following a strategy meeting with the next House majority leader, Steny Hoyer, D-Md., said she will meet with incoming House Minority Leader John Boehner and "we'll find our common ground for the American people."

"The principle of civility and respect for minority participation in this House is something we promised the American people. It's the right thing to do," she said.

Stop Entergy Relicensing (Indian Point Groups Get On Board)

2006-11-20T14:53:00.000-05:00

In the Federal Registry is a Petition For Rule Making that all those opposed to the re-licensing of Indian Point Need to get involved in...the time to submit comments is ON RIGHT NOW. Also, concerned citizens need to file their own Petitions For Rule Making in regards to our concerns with the decaying and decrepid Indian Point facility. The Public Notice pasted below is comliments of www.evacuation.org where I stumbled upon it.

Federal Register: November 20, 2006
FR Doc E6-19568, Volume 71, Number 223
Sally Shaw; Receipt of Petition for Rulemaking
SUMMARY: The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is publishing for public comment a notice of receipt of a petition for rulemaking, dated June 23, 2006, which was filed with the Commission by Sally Shaw. The petition was docketed by the NRC on November 1, 2006, and has been assigned Docket No. PRM-51-11. The petitioner requests that the NRC prepare a rulemaking that will require that the NRC reconcile its generic environmental impact statement for nuclear power plant operating license renewal applications with the National Academy of Sciences Health Risks From Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation: Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation (BEIR) VII Phase 2 Report.

Background

Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. (Entergy) submitted an application for renewal of Operating License No. DPR-28 for an additional 20 years of operation at the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station (VYNPS). The VYNPS is located in the town of Vernon, Vermont, in Windham County on the west shore of the Connecticut River immediately upstream of the Vernon Hydroelectric Station. The operating license for VYNPS expires on March 21, 2012. A notice of receipt and availability of the application, which included the environmental report, was published in the Federal Register on February 6, 2006 (71 FR 6102). Subsequently, the NRC published a ``Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Conduct Scoping Process'' on April 21, 2006 (71 FR 20733). The NRC will prepare an EIS related to the review of the license renewal application. The applicable NRC regulation, 10 CFR 51.95(c), required that the NRC, in determining whether to grant a renewal of a nuclear power plant operating license, prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS). The regulation provides that this EIS supplement the NRC's baseline, generic EIS issued in 1996, NUREG-1437, ``Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants'' (May 1996)(GEIS).

Petitioner's Request

The petitioner requests that the NRC prepare a rulemaking that would require that the NRC reconcile its GEIS for nuclear power plant operating license renewal applications with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Health Risks From Exposure to Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation: BEIR VII, Phase 2 which was released in 2005. The petitioner asserts that the GEIS relies upon an earlier NAS report, the BEIR V, with was released in 1990. According to the NAS Web site, the BEIR VII updates the information contained in the BEIR V and draws upon new data in both epidemiologic and experimental research. The petitioner requests that NRC consider the NAS BEIR VII report as new and significant information and recalculate certain conclusions set forth in the GEIS, including early fatalities, latent fatalities and any injury projections based on this information.

To see Federal Registry Notice:

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/E6-19568.htm

Al Jazeera English Says West Needs Ahmadinejad

2006-11-20T10:01:00.000-05:00

The newly launched Al Jazeera English version has posted up an article on their website that claims the west needs Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Iran, not the other way around. I think that position rises or falls on one crucial question...does America want to continue being Politically Correct, or do we want to take the gloves off, and do whatever it takes to seize victory from defeat in Iraq, and to once and for all end Iran's march towards having nuclear weapons. If America, our leaders, our military generals shrug off the cloak of restraint that is Political Correctness, and instead fight to win at all costs, settling for nothing less than full and complete surrender, then Iran is nothing if but a nuisance.

We here in America are now hearing a call to re implement the draft...now, the facts are simple. We are in a police action similar to Vietnam over in Iraq. Short of doubling, even tripling the number of troops in theatre in Iraq, and going back into a war footing, that war cannot be won. The militias of Iraq have to be defeated, there must be a full surrender, renegade want to be leaders like Sadr either killed or captured. Short of a draft, where does the Pentagon propose finding the troops necessary for such an action? In World War II we had a Marshall plan, and even today we still have troops on the ground in Japan and Germany. We were victorious because we really did use overwhelming force, including the dropping of THE BOMB. We either bring our troops home in Iraq, or we take the gloves off, stop worrying about world opinion, and do whatever it takes to be Victorious...there is no middle ground.

Iran...SANCTIONS WILL NOT WORK, and it is that simple, we have seen it time and again. What will work? Our nukes. OH MY GAWD, that's politically incorrect! Oh, and the devastation visited upon civilized society by various assorted terrorist groups funded by Iran, what is that? If strategic pin point bombing took out the city of Tehran, how long do you think the people would want to fight? They would not fight, they would have poked the tiger once to often and paid the price...you see, having the greatest military in the world only means something if you use it, and you use it well. Once the fear of that force is gone, you have lost your advantage. Bush has pushed us dangerously close to having NOTHING.

So, do we need Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? If we stay the course of Political Correctness, yes we do. However, if we are going to stop worrying about what others think, and instead play to win, he becomes nothing, a bug waiting to be stomped on. So Bush, what's it going to be?

Why the West needs Ahmadinejad
By Rageh Omaar in Tehran
http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/257DD78A-63A7-4427-A444-262D0FD9F6C7.htm

A year is a long time in Iranian politics. Twelve months ago, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, was branded a hardliner by Washington - a religious zealot, and a direct threat to Israel.

Now he is seen as essential to helping George Bush and Tony Blair out of the policy disaster in Iraq.

What is it about him and his government that the American president and British prime minister got so wrong?

Austere leader

Ahmedinejad lectured at a prestigious university in Tehran, teaching civil engineering.

He is still technically a member of the faculty. His office remains untouched, should he wish to return.

You would know that it was Dr Ahmadinejad's office only by its austerity and religious symbols.

Students and colleagues, even those who do not agree with his politics, say they respect him.

Ahmadinejad represents a crucial break in Iranian politics – he is the first post-revolutionary who is not a cleric, he fought in the Iran-Iraq war, and crucially he is seen as not being corrupt.

If the West has underestimated his government's influence in Iraq and the region, they have also exaggerated his vulnerability here in Iran.

So it is hardly surprising that most ordinary Iranians are not hugely interested in Tony Blair's comments on Iraq, especially as he has said Iran would have to give up its nuclear enrichment programme before any talks – something every Iranian leader has said will not happen.

People here feel that when it comes to Iraq and even Lebanon and Afghanistan, Britain and the US need them, not the other way round.

What they want to know is what benefits does Iran get for such assistance?

Illegal is Illegal, Even for Relatives of 9/11 Victims

2006-11-19T12:46:00.000-05:00

There is a move afoot to introduce legislation to grant citizenship to illegal aliens whose relatives died in the tragedy that is 9/11. That event was tragic, and my heart goes out to any one who lost a loved one that day. However, feeling compassion for one's loss does not mean we excuse their own criminal activities. Passing legislation to reward illegal aliens citizenship for ANY REASON is wrong.

So far 25 illegal aliens have been identified as losing loved ones on 9/11...our hearts go out to them, and our government has compensated them for their horrible loss. That being said, we should be implementing deportation of these illegals, returning them to their country of origin. It is not our fault that an illegal cannot get a license, drive a car, or look for work...they of their own free will BROKE OUR LAWS. They, and their family members put themselves in harms way because of their own decisions...we are a nation of laws, and those laws have to be enforced equally and fairly for EVERYONE. If you are here illegally, you should be deported, and if our government has identified these 25 illegals, it is their duty to uphold the law by deporting them back to their home country.

It sounds harsh...yet, would we suggest AMNESTY for illegal aliens who had lost a family member in a car accident, or in a gang shooting? Of course not...it would be, and is a tragic loss for the family, but that does not mitigate the fact they BROKE OUR LAWS, and must be held criminally liable for their wrongful actions.

Immigrants in limbo 5 years after 9/11
Posted 11/18/2006 10:39 PM ET

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-11-18-sept-11-immigrants_x.htm
By Cristian Salazar, Associated Press
NEW YORK — In a small meeting room with a view of ground zero, 40 stories below, the woman from Ecuador sat with her attorney, holding a crumpled white napkin that she used to dab her eyes.
She is a Sept. 11 widow. Her husband worked at the Windows on the World restaurant and died that day.

As an illegal immigrant — one of about 25 identified as having lost a family member when the World Trade Center came crashing down — she could face deportation at any time. So could her 17-year-old son, whom she implores to carry around his father's death certificate, in case someone asks him why he is in the U.S.

"I can't get a driver's license. I can't go to apply for a job. I can't work. I can't study. I can't fly. I can't do anything," the 38-year-old woman said in accented English this week as she described how her life in the U.S. is constrained by her illegal status. She spoke on condition that her name not be used, for fear she might be deported.

Study Calls for More Rights For Birth Mothers.

2006-11-19T12:01:00.000-05:00

Feeling somewhat like an attorney, I agree in part, and disagree in part with a newly released study that calls for more rights for Birth Mothers who give up their children for adoption. Giving birth mothers all the counseling they need to make the right decision for themselves and the child is imperative. Giving them adequate time to make the decision is also a worthy goal that should be supported, though such additional time allowances could in some fashion diminish some couples interest in the adoption process, which is a bad thing. Where I strongly disagree, is in suggesting Birth Mothers should be given more rights in keeping track of their children after giving them up for adoption...their rights should all be front loaded in nature, and giving them rights of tracking their children after giving them up is not fair to the adoptive family.

Nov 19, 7:37 AM EST

More Rights Urged for Birth Mothers

By DAVID CRARY
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Mothers deciding to place their infants for adoption deserve better counseling, more time to change their minds, and more support in trying to keep track of the children they relinquish, a leading adoption institute recommends in a sweeping new report.

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute said its report, being issued Sunday, is the most comprehensive ever devoted to birth mothers, whom it described as "the least understood and most stigmatized participants" in the adoption process.

Snow and Bush, GET A CLUE...Pardon Border Patrol Agents, Deport 12-15 Million Illegals

2006-11-18T22:36:00.000-05:00

http://washingtonscandal.blogspot.com/
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Amnesty For Border Patrol Agents

Am assuming here, that any one not living under a rock is familiar with this story...two border patrol agents sentenced to HARSH prison sentences for doing their job, while our court system gave IMMUNITY to a drug dealer/smuggler. There is a moment afoot to see these twoheroes granted Amnesty...a moment I support, which is why I am posting the groups message to all of my blogs. I hope you will support this cause, and support these two border agents.

URGENT APPEAL TO PARDON THE BORDER PATROL AGENTS

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11/17/2006

Dear Friend:

North Carolina Congressman Walter Jones is leading a campaign to pardon two Border Patrol agents whose only "crime" was doing their jobs ... and he has asked for our help.

On October 19th, United States Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Alonso Compean were convicted and sentenced to 11 and 12 years in federal prison respectively for firing shots at a Mexican drug smuggler who brought 743 pounds of marijuana across the U.S. border!

And if we don't act immediately to prevent this outrage, Agents Ramos and Compean must surrender themselves to Federal authorities -- and will be sent to prison!

If you are already familiar with the story, please click here to send an email to the President, expressing your outrage over this blatant miscarriage of justice

Agent Ramos served the Border Patrol for 9 years and was a former nominee for Border Patrol Agent of the Year. Agent Compean had 5 years of experience as a border agent.

The two agents were vigorously prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office, but the smuggler was granted full immunity to testify against the agents!

Rep. Jones sent a letter to the White House to express his outrage over the President's indifference toward the plight of these two agents. "Despite my repeated requests for an investigation of this case, and a request by a dozen Members of Congress for the President to pardon these agents, this administration has ignored the concerns of countless citizens who have decried the unjust prosecution of these two heroes."

White House Press Secretary Tony Snow dismissed the idea of a Presidential pardon for these agents as ‘‘nonsensical.’’

Nonsense? What makes no sense at all is for the president to direct his U.S. Attorney's office to go after two dedicated BP agents while allowing a major drug smuggler to go free!

The drug smuggler, who was wounded while trying to escape, received full medical care (at taxpayer's expense); was permitted to return to Mexico; and is now suing the Border Patrol for $5 million for violating his civil rights!

What message does this kind of treatment send to all those other BP agents who risk their lives daily to stop the flow of drugs, illegal aliens and even terrorists across our 2500-mile-long Mexican border? No wonder the President's rating has plunged to below 30%

Please send your email today and then be sure to tell all of your friends and neighbors to visit our website so they can send their own messages to the President!

Thank you for your help and continued support for our work.

Best Regards,
Edward I. Nelson, Chairman
703-356-6567
ednelson@usbc.org
www.usbc.org

P.S. Please accept my apologies if you had asked to be removed from our files. We experienced a computer problem that corrupted our most recent datafile and I was forced to go back to an archived file that is held for emergency purposes. If you do not wish to receive our email alerts and eNewsletters, please click here to send an email to us so that we may remove your name from our database. Please be sure to put the word REMOVE on the subject line. Thank you.

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email: rrt@usbc.org
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The i is DOTTED....Go Bucks

2006-11-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

Ohio State has just done the Script Ohio, the i has been dotted, the game about to begin...GO BUCKS.

I pick Ohio State in a close one! (less than 7)

Citizen Challenges Senator Bayd on Gather!

2006-11-16T23:26:00.000-05:00

The FIGHT IS ON! Citizen and netroots activist calls out Senator Bayd

The disccussion site www.gather.com sent out an email to their faithful announcing a series of discussions with KEY Washington insiders. First one on the list was/is Senator Evan Bayd to be followed next week by Newt Gingrich. Senator Bayd has walked into a BUZZ SAW, and is being called out. This blogger is DEMANDING REAL ANSWERS, and giving Senator Bayd some real truth from the middle class perspective, unwrapped and hard hitting.

http://gatherdemocrats.blogspot.com/

http://washingtonscandal.blogspot.com/

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976840488

http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976839283

Majority Leader Fight Was a Nice Side Bar, Now Let's Get Down To Business

2006-11-16T20:22:00.000-05:00

Many of the pundits, especially Republican ones would have us the voting public believe that this weeks race for Majority Leader was/is in some way a defining moment for the Democrats, that Murtha's loss in some fashion has ruined Nancy Pelosi's reign as Speaker of the House before it ever began. Poppycock! It was the typcial infighting and positioning for political clout and power than makes Politics in Washington such a great spectator sport, but in the big picture of the new Democratically controlled Washington, it was a side show, something to keep us amused with while waiting for January when the Democrats take off.

Within a few days, the news media will be onto other stories that are already unfolding, such as George Bush's bold attempt to push through a large list of radical right wing judges in the Lame Duck session of Congress now in process. My suggestion on those judge's....the Democrats in the Senate need to close ranks and stall on them, on Bolton, on the NSA spying on Americans without a warrant debacle until the new 110th Congress. Concentrate on finishing off budget issues so that valuable time is not wasted in Janaury.

Pelosi won...a BIG CONGRATULATIONS is in order. Hoyer won, and again a big congratulations is in order. Murtha lost...I supported him, I'll get over it and move on, the sky has not fallen. The Democrats have bigger fish to fry, and the Republicans know this...they will do anything they can to paint a picture of discord where none exists. Murtha, Pelosi and Hoyer are all adults and will set aside this contest and begin working together as a TEAM to do what is right for America...something the Republicans were incapable of doing for 12 years.

Hoyer Beats Pelosi’s Pick in Race for No. 2 House Post

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 — House Democrats chose Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland as their majority leader today after a bruising fight that cast a cloud over the party’s post-election celebration.

The election of Mr. Hoyer over Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania, by a vote of 149 to 86, was an embarrassing setback for Representative Nancy J. Pelosi of California, who will be Speaker of the House in the new Congress and who had backed Mr. Murtha.

Get Out Butter, Whacko Jacko Is Toast

2006-11-16T01:28:00.000-05:00

This in from LONDON...Whacko Jacko, Mr. Jackson to some was a dismal FAILURE in his come back appearence, getting STAGE FRIGHT, and hiding out in his dressing room...I know, not my usual political stuff, but this guy needs to HANG IT UP already. Pity really, as at one time he was a musical genius.

The Times November 16, 2006

Jackson’s comeback wrecked by stage fright
By Adam Sherwin

THE king of pop made a faltering return to the public stage last night.

Mired in debt and tarnished by scandal, Michael Jackson, 48, chose the World Music awards at Earls Court in London to make his first public performance in nine years.

He had told organisers that he would re-create his Thriller video after being presented with the Diamond Award for selling more than 100 million albums. But the celebrities and public, who had paid up to £70 for a ticket, were left waiting for 30 minutes as Jackson suffered stage fright in his dressing room. Beyoncé, who was being honoured in the show, comforted Jackson and persuaded him to sing.

Thriller was hastily performed as a “tribute” to Jackson by an American singer, Chris Brown. Jackson eventually shuffled on stage to a backing tape playing We Are the World. Accompanied by a group of London schoolchildren, Jackson completed one verse and one chorus.

The eccentric megastar thanked one of his children, whom he called “Blanket”.

What's Up at You Tube?

2006-11-15T13:56:00.000-05:00

What is Google up to over at You Tube? They went down last night for some scheduled work on the site...usually the down time there is a few hours, worse case over night, and up and running again the next morning. Well, almost 2 in the afternoon, and the site is still down for tinkering. One has to wonder what vile gadgets and widgets Google is incorporating into the site with such a long upgrade time. Has the MARCH to Corporate Vanilla begun at our beloved You Tube? Has the time come to look for a new darling site on which to post our video creations and silliness?

Al Jazeera's American Launch

2006-11-15T12:27:00.000-05:00

Political Pundits are falling all over themselves as they race to the airwaves to shout down the English Launch of Al Jazeera's, the English version. First big complaint or outrage to be expressed is the PROPAGANDA that would be spewed forth to the American viewers...now, I am no fan of Al Jazeera, but let's be fair and balanced here. Have we all forgotten about Christian Bailey, the Lincoln Group's metioric rise to the top Pentagon Venders list, and the Iraqi Press Gate? It's fine and dandy for the Pentagon to dish out 3 $100 Million dollar contracts to spread Pentagon Propaganda to the masses in the Middle East, but let's not give Americans access to Al Jazeera? Just a bit hypocritical isn't it?

The next big arguement for throwing every road block in the world up against Al Jazeera getting a audience here in America, is their reporting style...if you listen to the rhetoric, it seems we Americans should not witness an insurgent sniper killing our troops up close and personal. Now, if you remember, Rumsfeld and the Pentagon have also banned the release of flagged draped coffins. Which raises an ugly question...could the REAL PROBLEM with letting Al Jazeera get a foot hold in the American market place have more to do with NOT LETTING US HAVE A REAL IMAGE OF THE HORRORS OF WAR? Just a thought on the subject.

The Washington Agenda...The People's Agenda

2006-11-14T16:48:00.000-05:00

Speaking Out, this citizen speaks to the elected officials on BOTH sides of the Isle.

A video response:

A Open Letter To All Members of Congress:

This email is being sent out to members of Congress on BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE. We the American People voted for change on November 7th, spoke loud and clear that we are tired of business as usual, tired of STAY THE COURSE, in Iraq, and in our Federal Government. It is time to return to a government run BY AND FOR THE PEOPLE, not a government run for and by the rich and elite.

One week into the new Washington, and it is already starting to SMELL like the old one did. So, since none of you seem to have a clue about what most Americans (which means the lower and middle class) want, we'll give you a clue. The peoples AGENDA.

1. Iraq War-Stop stalling, bring out Baker's report, and let's change the course. Changing the course does not mean changing the slogan, and letting Bush maintain the Status Quo there. There is a civil war raging, and our troops are caught in the middle. Regardless of what some think, Murtha had it right...it's time for a NEW PLAN.

2. Illegal Aliens...yes, ILLEGAL ALIENS. We do not care how hard working they are, they are stealing our jobs, depressing our wages, and in many cases they are ruining our neighborhoods and lowering our property values...maybe some of you should get out into your districts and SEE what it is like to live next to a house with 30-40 illegal aliens living in it. We want our fence, we want ARMED troops on the border, we want ANYONE hiring illegals severely punished...no exceptions. We do not want Catholic Charities using OUR TAX money to run job centers, and we OPPOSE amnesty by any label including Earned Citizenship or a liberal Guest Worker program. It's TIME WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN. Immigration Reform should not be about winning over the Latino Vote, it should be about what is best FOR MOST AMERICANS.

3. Tax Cuts...we oppose of of them that have benefited the rich and elite, which is almost ALL OF THEM. Trickle down economics did not work under Reagan, and it is not working now. Stop saddling our children and their children with an out of control national debt.

4. Social Security...first, repay ALL THE IOU's! We want it SAVED, not privatized. Do not tell someone who has paid into the system for 34 of their 50 years of life that they ARE OUT OF LUCK.

5. Medical Coverage...it should be available for all LEGAL AMERICAN CITIZENS.

6. Prescription Drugs for our seniors...we want competitive bidding.

7. Minimum Wage...raising it to $7.25 and hour should be just the start. Ireland now has a minimum wage of $9.50 and hour and is thriving! The concept of a living wage has arrived, and Congress needs to make it happen.

8. Estate Tax....KEEP IT. Stop trying to throw millionaires and billionaires a bone.

9. Earmarks...get rid of them COMPLETELY.

10. Term Limits...we want them, and you people need to ENACT THEM.

There is more, but like Letterman, we'll start with the top ten. The Republican Dynasty collapsed in this election, and the Democrats are now on probation. If both sides of the aisle stop their infighting, and learn to work together FOR THE PEOPLE, there is a good chance that most if not all of you will be re-elected in 2008. However, stay the course inside the beltway, and we will toss ALL INCUMBENTS OUT, regardless of the party they claim as theirs.

Respectfully,

Porgie Tirebiter

Clamp Down on Illegals Continues

2006-11-14T01:18:00.000-05:00

In breaking news, communities in both Texas and Maryland have passed local ordinances cracking down on the Illegal Alien problem. The new ordinances will crack down on landlords and employers that CATER to the illegal population by hiring them, or providing them housing. Further, the new laws make English the official language, and allow police officers to question apprehended suspects about thier LEGAL STATUS. This should be a SERIOUS WARNING to Democrats even considering Amnesty, Earned Citizenship or a Guest Worker program leading to citizenship. WAKE UP WASHINGTON, we want deportations, and criminal prosecutions of all those who hire illegals, provide housing to illegals, or aide and abet them in remaining in America illegally...can we say CATHOLIC CHARITIES?

Deport The Woman, End the Story

2006-11-13T12:03:00.000-05:00

There is no doubt that I am not overly friendly towards the 12-20 million illegal alien criminals that have invaded America...paint it any way you want, the reality is simple...they are here illegally, are stealing our jobs, are depressing our wages, and are using our Social Service system while we pay for it. Everyone talks about immigration reform, and I wonder why we do not talk about ENFORCING laws already on the books? How about ending the shell game, and punishing employers, landlords and churches who are breaking our immigration laws. How about getting ALL LEVELS of law enforcement into the game, and see them begin actually enforcing immigration laws, rather than ignoring them, and providing safe harbor for the illegals in America?

A perfect case in point is the illegal alien who locked herself up in a Church in the city of Chicago...the story has made the headlines yet again as her seven year old son (who has become a pawn in the debate, a poster child if you will) trots off to Mexico to plead for their involvement in the case. Hello, his MOM broke our laws, needs to be deported. Enough of the kid gloves, get a group of ICE agents and go get this woman from the church and deport her...end of the story, no further need for it to garner news ink.

It's not that I am cold blooded, I donate to charity, would give people a shirt off my back...but, I have no toleration for law breakers, and do not buy into illegals claims that they only want to better themselves...funny, drug dealers make that very same claim.

Boy in Deportation Flap Heads to Mexico
7 year-old Son of Immigration Activist Holed Up in Chicago Church Heads to Mexico
By SOPHIA TAREEN
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2647342

CHICAGO Nov 12, 2006 (AP)— The 7-year-old son of an immigration activist who has taken refuge in a church to avoid deportation left for Mexico on Sunday in search of support for his mother from legislators and President Vincente Fox.

Saul Arellano, who is an American citizen, will meet with members of the Mexican House of Representatives and Senate on Tuesday in an effort to get a resolution supporting Elvira Arellano's bid to stay in the United States.

Elvira Arellano was supposed to surrender to federal authorities for deportation to Mexico in August. Instead, she took refuge at the Adalberto United Methodist Church.

"It's just another added pressure," said Emma Lozano, executive director of immigration-rights group Centro Sin Fronteras, who will accompany the boy. "We really believe Mexico could use its influence more in supporting people like Elvira."

Unions and Others Demanding Large Piece of Pie

2006-11-12T18:27:00.000-05:00

In the now banished Republican Reich, special interest lobbyist and the K-Street gang seemed to be running the nation, doling out dollars to own votes, Congressman and, I am sure, a few Senators not yet named in various ongoing investigations. On November 7th voters spoke up very loud and clear...we are tired of special interest, lobbyist and BIG MONEY owning the electorial process, and we want meaningful change in Washington politics. No more shrinking middleclass, no Amnesty, no foreigners stealing our jobs and lowering our wages. We want an increase in minimum wage, we want our troops home from Iraq, and a way to clear off the federal deficit. So, have they listened to us, are the individual Americans who cast their votes going to have the voice they deserve?

Probably not...if you go visit "The Hill" blog, you'll find that the AFL/CIO is claiming to have WON the election for the Democrats, and in short demanding they be granted a LARGE VOICE in the 110th Congress. Now, I'd be the first to admit that the AFL/CIO helped in delivering the Democratic majority in both the House and the Senate, but was their help any more important than mine, or yours? I can count over 30,000 views of my blogs and video's railing against Sue Kelly here in New York's 19th district...a small number till you realize that John Hall won the election by well under 5,000 votes!

Sure, I'd love to have a voice, want the grassroots to have a seat at the negotiation table in Washington, but do not see this happening...there is already movement afoot to downplay the importance played by grassroots, bloggers and You Tuber folks. It's business as usual, and the big players are pushing and shoving us out of the way, pushing us back into the shadows. Sure, we'll see some sway given to Move On.Org and be told they are our voice, but they are not. Perhaps it is time to change the game, eliminate the majority party by creating a third, and even a fourth party, so there has to be negotiation and compromise to find consensus. Let the Independent Party grow and prosper, maybe give space to the Green's Party as well. Could a four party system, even a five party system be any worse than what we have right now? Would such a scenerio eliminate a lot of the lobbying and special interest money owning Washington? It's a thought worth thinking on as we look to the 2008 Presidential Election.

Union Voters Deliver on Election Day
November 12th, 2006

You know the “thumping” President Bush acknowledged Wednesday? Union voters delivered it.

A close look at exit polling shows the rest of the country split evenly, 49-49 percent, between votes for Democrats and Republicans. But Democrats won the union vote by huge margins–by 30 percentage points among union household voters and by 50 percentage points among AFL-CIO union members.

Our election-night survey by Peter D. Hart Research Associates shows members of AFL-CIO unions supported Democratic candidates by a 74-percent to 26-percent margin in House races and by 73 percent to 27 percent in battleground Senate races.

Unions are not an arm of the Democratic Party, and we base our endorsements not on party affiliation but on individual candidates’ records on working family issues. This year’s election, however, pitted Democratic candidates against a congressional majority that has a record of downright hostility to regular working people, rubber-stamping the anti-worker policies of the Bush administration.

On This Day...Remember and Honor Their Sacrifice

2006-11-11T19:09:00.000-05:00

Today is Veteran's Day...on this day, let's all set aside our differences and honor the sacrifices of those who proudly serve in our United States Armed Forces. Everyone, anyone who serves, or has served deserves our respect, and our support for the selfless sacrifice they show in serving the Red, White and Blue, here, and all around the world. Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, conservative, liberal, straight or gay, religious, agnostic...it does not matter from what walk of life, way of life, religious or political affliation they came from, people from every walk of life have sacrificed and shed their blood for the United States of America, and on this one day of the year, let us all set aside our differences for 24 hours and honor their service. For one say, may we all unite behind the simple task of honoring those who serve.

Pentagon Breaks Promise

2006-11-11T18:46:00.000-05:00

We have an ALL VOLUNTEER military force here in the United States of America...or at least we had one before the Iraq War. The Pentagon has announced plans to send back to Iraq entire Brigades of our National Guard, breaking a promise made to them, and breaking what most would consider contractual promises to the troops.

How can we expect our spectacular young fighting men and women to uphold their promise to our nation when Bush and the Pentagon break promises made to them? If a soldier's enlistment is over, it is wrong to extend it through force, and how many troops have died after their agreed upon enlistment was actually over? How many Guard families are facing unfair burdens because they are being used in a fashion never envisioned by the men and women who volunteered. What about those in the inactive reserves that have found themselves called back to duty, in some cases over the age of 50.

We owe it to our troops to demand accountability from our elected officials. We owe it to a troops to demand from government officials, and the Pentagon that they keep their promises to said troops...don't let brigades be sent back to Iraq if it will break the 24 month deployment rule. If it takes state Governors stepping in and intervening, then so be it...our troops deserve better than they are getting.

National Guard May Extend Iraq Stays

Under New Pentagon Plans, Stateside Troops May Return To Iraq Warfront Or Remain Beyond 24-Month Limit

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/11/11/national/main2174340.shtml

(AP) The nation's citizen soldiers, already strained by long tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, could be tapped again under new plans being developed by the Pentagon.

National Guard combat brigades that have already served in Iraq may be called for a second tour, likely breaking the 24-month deployment limit initially set by the Pentagon, the Guard's top general said.

While active-duty soldiers and smaller Guard units and members have returned to Iraq for multiple tours, the new plans would, for the first time, send entire Guard combat brigades back to the battlefront. Brigades generally have about 3,500 troops.

The move — which could include brigades from Arkansas, Florida, Indiana and North Carolina — would force the Pentagon to make the first large-scale departure from its previous decision not to deploy reserves for more than a cumulative 24 months in Iraq.

FOX...Drop Republican SLANT, or FAIL

2006-11-11T00:50:00.000-05:00

If any one has been following show rankings, one thing is crystal clear. Show's such as The O'Reilly (Unfair and Unbalanced) Factor, and Hannity and Colmes are rapidly losing market share as they continue to rail away at the Democrats, showing thier own special brand of bigoted hatred of the so called Liberal Dems. As their ratings continue to slide into the toilet, with them go lucrative commercial revenues. So, move it (to the center) or lose it.

Nor more can FOX News Channel afford to be the MOUTH PIECE of George Walker Bush and the Republican Third Reich. Gone are the days when Hannity can invite rabid Republican shrews such as Michelle Malkin and Ann Coulter on to their shows to spend five minutes poking sticks at the Democrats. To the victors go the spoils, and it looks like CNN is making major headway in taking FOX's lost base of viewers.

We Want Our Fence...Calderon Mind Your Own Business

2006-11-10T19:45:00.000-05:00

The elections are over, Rumsfeld is gone, and it seems Washington (with pressure from Mexico's incoming president Calderon) is trying to renege on it's promise to the American people to build a 700 mile fence, and crack down on illegal aliens. Well, here's a WAKE UP CALL TO THE DEMS who are about to take office...I voted for you, because I am tired of the lies and corruption in Washington, BUT I WANT THE FENCE, and will vote against every one of you at a local, state and federal level in 2008 if you do not follow through on the building of this much needed deterent to illegal immigration.

Washington needs to get a SERIOUS CLUE. If they are here illegally, WE WANT THEM TO BE DEPORTED. If they are hiring illegals, we want them imprisoned and harshly fined. If they are helping them (Catholic Charities) in remaining in America illegally, we want them imprisoned. The law is the law, and it is time we as lower and middle class citizens stop paying the price for Corporations love affair with CHEAP SLAVE LABOR. It's time Mexico deal with it's own problems, and stop lowering our citizens standard of living by sending their citizens here to steal our jobs. In short, if you cannot come here LEGALLY, we DO NOT WANT YOU HERE.

WASHINGTON — Divided over a border fence, President Bush and Mexico's
president-elect pledged on Thursday to work together on stopping illegal
immigration.
Felipe Calderon, who takes office on Dec. 1, has called the U.S. plan to build a 700-mile fence along the border "deplorable" and compared it to the construction of the Berlin Wall. After a meeting in the Oval Office, the leaders struck a tone of cooperation.

"I expressed to President Bush my concern regarding the issue of migration," Calderon said through an interpreter. "President Bush was very open to all the arguments that I presented to him. We both stressed the need to have a comprehensive vision with which we can move forward."

Bush signed the law authorizing the fence on Oct. 26. He wants more — temporary
worker permits for foreigners willing to take low-wage jobs and a path for illegal immigrants working in the United States for some time to become citizens. But Congress has not agreed. Bush said Thursday that Mexico is a priority for his administration. He said he stands by his push for a comprehensive immigration overhaul.

Immigration Debate Back On Front Burner

2006-11-09T21:30:00.000-05:00

Illegal Immigration is a hot button issue in America, and two days after decisive wins that saw Democrats taking back both the House and the Senate, it is rapidly moving back onto the front burner of HOT political issues after Mexican President Elect Calderon met with President Bush at the White House. Again, the White House is hinting at comprehensive immigration reform, which, in its current format, means AMNESTY under the guise of such labels as Guest Worker programs, and earned citizenship. It's Amnesty, and it's UNFAIR to every American Worker in the lower 30 percent of our economy.

First, lets be honest...the Democrats can very easily fall into a trap which will see them lose the 2008 elections if they approach immigration reform from the perspective of granting Amnesty for 12-20 million illegal aliens, and enacting into law licensed depression of American Wages through a liberal guest worker program. Almost every poll showed the House Bill was what most working Americans favored, while the Senate Amnesty Bill was opposed. In short, it is time to deport illegals, and severely punish anyone hiring or aiding and abetting illegals in being here in America.

Simply put, illegal aliens are criminals who are guilty of no less than FOUR CRIMES, and in most cases more. We need laws and rules enacted and enforced that will see MOST illegal aliens self deport themselves. We need the laws and funding to fence in our Southern Border with Mexico, and put armed military personnel on said border to provide us with adequate National Security, and to protect the wage base of America's hard working lower and middle class LEGAL CITIZENS.

Compromise...sadly, it does not exist, as Big Business and those supporting illegal aliens have a all or nothing mentality. Chose any segment of the argument, and you'll find illegal aliens and their supporters (such as La Raza) have shown a steadfast refusal to settle for anything less than everything they are asking for. Amnesty itself. There were efforts afoot to discuss some limited Amnesty, such as allowing those here longer than five years a pathway to citizenship. This proposal would have provided a pathway to citizenship for some seven million illegal aliens now living here in America illegally, while those here less than five years would have been deported. That middle ground was instantly rejected as racist and unfair by La Raza and other groups supporting illegal aliens.

The Guest Worker Program...illegal aliens rejected it, found it inadequate to their desires. For example, a Guest Worker Program for Agricultural Workers was labeled as unfair, as it kept illegals from freely moving into other sectors of our job market. Further, any number put on the board as far as the number of workers allowed to enter America Legally as Guest Workers was also deemed inadequate...we were told there could be NO LIMITS on the number of Mexican Workers, that if they wanted to work and/or live here, they should be allowed, end of the discussion. It's been a perfect example of giving someone an inch and them trying to take a mile, and cannot be tolerated any longer.

We need to shut off the magnets that draw illegal aliens to America. First and foremost, we need strong work place enforcement laws, and the funding and staff to enforce them at all levels of government. You begin convicting employers of crimes and sending them to prison, and illegal employees will be terminated, and it is that simple. Landlords who are renting to illegal aliens need to be held to the same standards. Once beautiful neighborhoods are being ruined. Single family homes have become flop houses for 20,30 even 40 illegals and with that over crowding, come problems and crimes for communities. Meanwhile, most local police departments have a hands off policy where illegals are concerned, and local governmental agencies such as city building departments find hundreds of reasons NOT to enforce building codes meant to protect homeowners and our property values.

For those of us living under these unfortunate situations, we find ourselves caught in the middle of tense situations...our complaints to city governments and local law enforcement fall on deaf ears, yet when our tempers and anger begin to escalate, we are warned to SETTLE DOWN, told we cannot take the law into our own hands. So, illegal aliens, landlords, employers and even the Catholic Church can break laws, but we cannot? What happened to our constitutional right to take whatever steps are necessary to protect our private property? If 30 people are living in a house, and that action is destroying the equity of our home, should be not be allowed to use force if necessary to correct the problem, especially if the police are unwilling to get involved? If illegal aliens, churches, employers and landlords can pick and choose which laws they wish to abide by, then why shouldn't we have the same rights of selection?

Radical thoughts I know, but hopefully posed in such a way as to make people think. Equal rights UNDER THE LAW has to apply to everyone, and further means all people must be held to the exact same standards when it comes to enforcement of our laws if we are to remain a civilized law abiding society. It's a crime to be in America illegally. It's a crime to remain in American illegally. It's a crime to purchase or attain an illegal ID, and it is a crime to work in America as an illegal. It's a crime to avoid paying your taxes in America. It's a crime to drive without a license, or without adequate insurance. All fo the above examples are crimes now being committed by illegals, yet nothing is being done and we have a government actually considering an Amnesty that would absolve them of their crimes. What kind of signal is that sending to the rest of America? Should we grant Amnesty to every drug dealer now sitting in prison? How about murderers or rapist? If someone is selling drugs to feed their family, are they any different than an illegal sneaking into our country unlawfully?

I am an American citizen, born and raised here. I have suffered in numerous ways because of our governments refusal to deal adequately with these criminals. Don't tell me illegals are not hurting us, as I know from first hand experience it is not true. There are two houses on my own block that I know for sure house illegal aliens. One of these houses (a duplex) has 14 cars associated with it. We have parking problems where none existed before. We've witnessed things that we should not have to witness here in America, such as people thinking nothing of urinating in the front yard of these houses because the bathrooms are occupied, or not working. We have experienced and uptick in crime, and a depreciation of our property value as a result of this situation. I've lost landscaping work, because I cannot compete as a tax paying American with the wage scales being brought to the industry by workers being paid under the table at a cheaper rate...commonsense tells you, that someone working under the table can afford to work for a lower daily wage rate than someone who is having taxes taken out of their pay....does the Federal Government suggest I and millions of Americans stop paying our taxes so that we can financially compete with Illegal Aliens?

The other sides will tell you that illegal aliens are not bad people, that they are not criminals, that they just want a better life for themselves and their families. Some of that might be true, but is is fair for them to STEAL that better life from a legalized American Citizen? Should they be allowed to break certain of our laws because they are inconvenient? Should companies be allowed to hire illegals because they can get away with it? Should a landlord be allowed to rent to illegals because he can put more of them into a house than is legal, simply because he can get away with it, and in doing so make a large profit at the expense of surrounding property owners?

The issue of immigration reform is a hot button issue...the problem is, both the Congress and the Senate have not given most Stakeholders in this a voice. The Chamber of Commerce claims they need these workers, that these workers keep wage costs down, thus improving bottom line profits. The Ag industry makes the same basic claim, and tells us that illegal aliens keep our grocery prices down. Mexico tells us they need those remittances, and that it would be criminal for America to secure its border. Yet, where is the voice of people such as myself in the mix? Do we not count? Is it fair to ask those of us who can afford it the least to absorb the costs of absorbing a never ending flood of illegal aliens into our work force, and into our middle class communities?

Give Bloggers/You Tubers Their Due

2006-11-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

The elections are over, and everyone seems to be fighting over who should get credit for the Democratic Victory at the polls. In short, it's the proverbial POWER GRAB as everyone decides who should have special access to our elected officials inside the beltway. One thing is apparent as this dance unfolds...THE OLD GUARD wants to minimize the effect that Bloggers and You Tubers had on this election, want to deny credit where credit is due. In short, they want to keep us from wielding power within the House and Senate, want to keep us lined up against the wall watching the dance, instead of being a part of it.

Politicians do so at their own peril, and no matter example of this can be found than New York's 19th Congressional District where John Hall scored a STUNNING upset win over incumbent Sue Kelly. The National Democratic Party sat on their hands, threw little money into this race until the closing moments when it became apparent that WE COULD WIN. We were in a position to win to a great degree because of grassroots activist who used the Internet and its resources to relentlessly attack Sue Kelly and her record. The charge was led by the folks over at Take 19 who weighed into this election 18 months ago, and NEVER LET UP. Sue Kelly's flanks were attacked at every turn by people like Porgie Tirebiter who never stopping putting up posts and video's attacking Sue Kelly and the Republican Party.

John Hall's win happened because a whole lot of people worked hard to make it happened. John Hall's friends from the music industry such as Bonnie Raitt and Pete Seager were there when it was most needed. The unions were instrumental as well a army of grassroots volunteers who worked tirelessly clear up to the end for John Hall, and BLOGGERS. We all played a part, we all deserve a chance to be a part of the dance.

In handing out credit for this huge Democratic Win, don't be stingy with handing out slices of the pie. On liners played their part and we deserve credit along with everyone else, and it is time we be given our chance to play, our chance to have access to those within the halls of Congress.

People and Family Trump Big Business?

2006-11-09T13:29:00.000-05:00

Pelosi just had lunch with the President...talk about changing times! As the dust settles from the 2006 Elections, Big Business seems to be waiting with baited breath for the Democratic Agenda to come out.Their fear...people and families will come first in the 110th Congress for the first time in over a decade. Some areas to keep close watch over?

I'm guessing we'll see the drug industry getting some serious scrutiny, and look for competive bidding to become a reality where prescription drugs are concerned. The minimum wage will be raised to $7.25 and hour, and it is doubtful the President can veto such a bill, though I find the raise woefully inadequate after ten years of STAGNANT wages. If you look at the cost of living here in America, it is unrealistic to expect most urban workers to survice financially on $7.25 and hour, and 25 percent of our population lives within such a reality. So far, there is almost no news on how Illegal Immigration will be handled, but Mexico's incoming President Calderon is making a whole lot of noise, and the National Chamber of Commerse (as usual) is quietly supporting his prattle. End ILLEGAL MIGRATION into America from Mexico, and we put and end to CHEAP WAGES, and it is that simple.

My own suggestion...eliminate many of the penalties and constraints for the middle class in being able to access their 401 retirement accounts. As a personal example, with real estate in the dumper right now, I could earn a much better return on my money pulling it out of the Mutual Funds it is stuck in, and purchasing half a dozen rental properties at bargain basement prices, but Federal Laws and restrictions preclude me from making such a financial decision.

What the New Congress Will Mean for Business
By Lori Montgomery and Steven Mufson

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/08/AR2006110801976.html

Washington Post Staff WritersThursday, November 9, 2006; Page D01
Democrats wasted no time yesterday proclaiming a new era in Washington, pledging to put middle-class economic issues at the top of their agenda. They promised fresh scrutiny of drug prices, corporate profits, international trade and more.

Ed Bradley Gone...He'll Be Missed

2006-11-09T13:24:00.000-05:00

Reports like this always bring home the reality that I am getting older. I can go back in time to the Vietnam War, and remember the reporting of Ed Bradley. He's been a part of my life, my consumption of news for most of my adult life, and now he is gone. He'll be missed by many of us, and I wish him a great ride into eternity.

Ed Bradley of '60 Minutes' Dies at 65

By Howard Kurtz
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/09/AR2006110900820.html
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 9, 2006; 12:26 PM

Ed Bradley, the veteran "60 Minutes" correspondent and one of the pioneering black journalists of his generation, died today of leukemia. He was 65.

Bradley, who had won 19 Emmy awards, covered an incredible array of stories after joining the CBS newsmagazine in 1981, from brain cancer to sexual abuse in the Catholic Church to the high school shootings at Columbine.

Release of the Spiders

2006-11-09T01:50:00.000-05:00

It's BLOG CLAIMING TIME! For those of you who have not listed your blogs with the folks at Technorati, I highly recommend it to you.

Technorati Profile

The New Washington...Three Top Stories in News

2006-11-08T22:22:00.000-05:00

As the old say goes, it's all over as the Fat Lady is singing, and the GOP is weeping
as it becomes clear that the Democrats took both the House and the Senate in Election
2006! Webb has been crowned by the Associated Press, and Cooper Anderson just announced that Allen is expected to resign some time tomorrow. What a difference a day makes, and you can feel the Tsunami descending on the corridors of Congress, and rushing towards the White House in today's news cycle.

There is a GOD! The same problems are facing America's military today as were on the table yesterday, but Rumsfeld is GONE. I guess even Laura and George's dog had given up on him, as they are still there, but the Bull in the Pentagon is gone, and none to soon by most people's thinking. Many of the defeated moderate Republican are none to happy at the timing, believing his firing last week could have perhaps saved their seats.

In Bush's statements to the press, after admitting that his party took a THUMPING, he said he and Rumsfeld had agreed that the timing for his departure was RIGHT...who are we kidding, he was fired, and Bush really had no choice. The winds of change are blowing through Washington, and the first dead branch has been ripped from the tree of evil.

Rumsfeld Steps Down As Secretary Of Defense
NY1 - 6 hours ago
Many congressional races around the nation were won Tuesday by candidates who said that the president's war policy needs to change and now, less than a day after a bruising midterm election where Republicans lost control of Congress, Defense Secretary ...
Rumsfeld quits after Republicans' Iraq-driven loss Reuters
Robert M. Gates Profile Washington Post
GCN.com - Guardian Unlimited - Monsters and Critics.com - Boston Herald
all 1,569 news articles »

As mentioned above, this is all but reality, all of us waiting for the dawn of day two of the Democratic juggernaut to have it announced officially. From presidential hopeful to defeated Senator, Allen must be smarting. Maybe he can find a home on the same block with Tom DeLay and they can do whine and cheese together.

Democrats close to taking Senate
The Australian - 4 hours ago
DEMOCRATS closed overnight on adding the US Senate to their stunning election triumph in the House of Representatives but faced a long wait to see whether they would get the final seat needed for victory.
Rumsfeld quits as Democrats sweep US election Reuters.uk
How recounts would happen in Virginia and Montana KVOA.com
Guardian Unlimited - Irish Examiner - Free Market News Network - San Jose Mercury News
all 1,038 news articles »

This last article is perhaps the BIGGEST of them all. Nancy Pelosi is the new Speaker of the House, all but a heartbeat away from being President of the United States. It's big for several reasons, including hearing the SHATTERING of that glass ceiling. Further, this could bode well for Hilliary's run for President in 2008, as the Democrats now have two years to get America used to seeing a woman in a position of Governmental Power. I'd say the Democratic wins last night, and Nancy Pelosi being elevated to Speaker of the House just increased Hilliary's stock values by around 10 on a scale of 1-100. So, who do you think would make the best running mate for Hilliary, and give the Democratic Party the best shot of winning the White House in 2008?

Pelosi: first woman Speaker of the House
The Herald, UK - 1 hour ago
NANCY Pelosi is only two heartbeats away from the US presidency itself. As the first woman to become Speaker of the House of Representatives ...
Pelosi Expecting to Get call From President Bush KNX1070
Pelosi slated for speaker Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Woman stands to become US speaker for first time in history Siberian News Online

Changing times.

2006-11-08T18:11:00.000-05:00

Greetings:

Sure as this and my other blogs blossom, that some of you will come to know me, others will rediscover someone they have read and enjoyed in other renditions as I've searched to find my voice. As this election shows, we live in changing times, and with those variances in the warp and weave of our National fabric, I seem to have moved in a new direction myself. I'll be condensing and recreating my web presence here on Blogger with various, yet targeted blogs that I hope many of you will become vibrant parts of, either as readers, contributors, or behind the scenes by joining in a collaborative effort to brand this new project aimed at effecting change throughout American, and perhaps the world.

Perhaps the first change of significant mention, is the fact that I am looking for, even begging for collaborators, no longer content with striking off on my own. If you are a blogger, photographer, artist, web/Internet genius, layout zen master a website dabbler, or just want to join into something bigger than self, please contact me at my email address of roycepenstinger@aol.com so that we can chat and discuss where you would like to go, what you would like to bring to this new venture in blogging to effect political and social change in A) the United States, B) the World, and perhaps even C) the Universe. I, and my idea also need benefactors, people who don't have the time to take on yet another fledgling idea on the world wide web, but who would be willing to donate to the cause, either in a financial way, or through the donation of equipment and supplies. Yes, I am thinking BIG here, and BIG requires people with deeper pockets who are willing to donate to the cause.

It might be time here to provide some background...I'm an angry American, and I have been angry for quite some time for various reasons. It's not news to me, that our political system is out of sync with America's citizens. Yet, let's not blame this all on politics, nor on the politicians themselves. Too often I've fought the good fight on various social issues of importance, and seen most of the affected citizens stay home. I've watched elections (2000 and 2004 as examples) where most of us did not vote, though no one seemed quiet in their complaining about the statusquo that gripped our nation's capital. In short, America for too long seems to have suffered from/is suffering from a National Apathy, the majority base of our citizens on both sides of the aisle doing nothing because they have bought into the belief that they were but ONE PERSON who's voice did not matter.

One person believed he COULD make a difference, and decided to take a chance. A few of his friends believed he could make a difference, and backed him in his dream. That dream was to run for the position of United States Congressman here in New York's 19th District. There were others who heard his message, were convinced of his sincerity and his message, and they joined this small group, and a cause was born against all odds. Being angry, and unhappy with who represented us, I myself was looking for change, was willing to back ANY ONE but the person currently in office, but wise enough to know I did not want more of the same. I made phone calls, sent out emails (angry ones) and researched a field of FIVE Democratic candidates who were vying for the Democratic nod to take on the incumbent.

One morning I called the office of John Hall, and perhaps the cosmos intervened in the process, as it was the man himself who picked up the phone. We ended up speaking for around two hours on the issues, and on my concerns...HE LISTENED! We argued, we disagreed, we found common ground, and I joined his team. Last night, November 7th, 2006 against all odds he defeated a six term incumbent to become our Congressman. It was a true GRASSROOTS victory, many joining together in a common cause to effect change an send and outsider to Washington, DC. Albeit a small one, I played a part, did my own little thing to contribute to the whole, and with literally thousands of us each doing our thing, contributing our small part to the bigger whole, we WERE SUCCESSFUL, and in that is the beauty of our democracy.

The journey to last night has changed me. I for the past six-eight months have been a small part of something far bigger than I could ever hope to be as one person. I've seen that little people working together as a team can and perhaps should effect change. We may not all agree on every issue, but we can find common ground on which to build a new future for ourselves, our children and their children, and the United States of America. A dream is born.

Creating a vehicle for change...a group of blogs, and bloggers all tied together for a common cause under a unified theme/brand. Enter Blogger, where numerous blogs can all be created under one name, each blog capable of having numerous writers contributing to the whole. So, just a few days before the election was over, I created Gather Democrats, the blog. Realizing that change requires reaching across the aisle, I also created Gather Republicans here on Blogger under the same unifying umbrella account. (looking for someone to manage and grow that blog.) Today, John Hall elected, I decided we need accountability, the proverbial trust but verify blog that would chart and blueprint this new Congressman's career in Washington. I created the Congressman John Hall Blog. This latest blog you are reading, "Porgie's News and Views" represents my own need to share and speak on the news of the day, life and whatever else catches the attention of those that choose to be a part of this area.

During the election, I put up numerous videos on YouTube, and want to grow a group of dedicated and committed videographers, so that we can use that media to spread the word, and get the truth out. Again, see these video's being branded under our larger umbrella of Gather Democrats and Republicans working together for change as we move towards the 2008 election and beyond. In short, I see this collaborative effort the beginnings of returning our nation, and our democracy to the people, and hope as days turn into weeks, and weeks into months and years that our community of concerned bloggers grows as our message spreads across the world wide web.

A long post, and hope a few of you have read it all the way through, and that I find emails from new friends (and old) gracing my email box as this dream evolves into a new reality.

Porgie Tirebiter
roycepenstinger@aol.com

CURRENT WISH LIST

1. Video and Digital camera(s) as well as edit ting and creation software programs.

2. Creative souls of every kind.

3. Lap tops so that we can create an army of MOBILE REPORTERS stretching across America, and perhaps the world...can you imagine an embedded BLOGGER over in Iraq, or perhaps having the ability to send and independent blogger over to report back unabridged on the conditions found on the ground there? Imagine interviewing some of our troops UNEDITED!

4. Links...success on the Internet is all about getting others to believe in your cause enough to toss you a link, help in creating traffic to your message. So, if you are reading this, or some of our other blogs, please LINK TO US.

5. MONEY...I know, I hate this, but bringing dreams into reality takes not only vision, but cash. I've never been good at asking for money, there is no nice way to request a hand out, especially when you are not promising anything in return, but lets be honest...in today's society, building anything requires an investment, and too often those with dreams do not have the necessary financial capital to see them become reality...I am no different. So, like what you are reading, think it is the beginning of something worthwhile? Then skip your morning Starbucks, go without that third Friday night glass of wine at your favorite little bistro and send us a small token gift. You can email me for where to send it, and with luck, will have a Pay Pal account operational shortly.