Jerri's Pad

Olbermann: Go to Iraq and fight, Mr. President - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com

Once again Keith Olbermann rises to the fore front of journalism.  A must read.  Jerri

Link: Olbermann: Go to Iraq and fight, Mr. President - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com.

Why Won't the Corporate Press Discuss Bush's Character Problem? | BuzzFlash

Link: Why Won't the Corporate Press Discuss Bush's Character Problem? | BuzzFlash.

The American public and the world suffer dearly as a result of the refusal of the corporate press to explore Bush’s character beyond praising him with simplistic adjectives such as "decisive and bold."

Bush's legacy: The president who cried wolf - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com

Another masterpiece from Keith Olbermann.  Jerri

Link: Bush's legacy: The president who cried wolf - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com.

This and That

Its been a long time since I have written.....too long.  Many things have been going on since October and my last post. 

Spent three wonderful weeks with my "significant other" in San Diego and then on a Mexican Riviera cruise with 16 neighbor couples, great fun was had by all.  Our favorite location was Cabo I had not been there before and it was beautiful.  The most fun was on the ship with so many friends and the formal nights and the dancing then there are the shows .... so many things to do.  I unfortunately got sick, therefore, we headed home the day we arrived back in San Diego instead of staying, like planned, for a couple more days but we will return.

Following right behind the cruise was Thanksgiving my friend P. was back in Illinois but returned for a week for a couple Christmas dinners here and a couple parties, then back to Illinois.  I flew to my daughters in Denver (three days late due to the snow storm) arriving Christmas Eve had a wonderful Christmas then left a couple days later for Chicago where I met up with P. and we spent two weeks together in Chicago, at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin; in his town, and back to Chicago for the final three days prior to my returning to Denver stayed a few days and then back home.  Great fun, great food, new sights, loved Chicago had not spent any time there before, we stayed at the Drake Hotel which reminded me of the Olympic Four Seasons in Seattle the venerable old lady.  Once again a wonderful time, am back home again but P. will be driving out here in one week for what we both consider for ever....that is as long as forever is.  Ah love is in the air 5 1/2 years after the death of my husband and 6 years after the death of his wife both to cancer.  I missed Christmas with my son and his family but perhaps this coming Christmas, I will be visiting with them this summer actually "we" will be visiting that is something I need to get used to it's "we" and not "I" seems like just yesterday I was adjusting to "I" and not "we".....things do have a way of changeing don't they? that is a retorical question.

The other really big news is WE WON IN NOVEMBER, can't even find the words to express how happy that makes me, but not to think our work is finished there are still two years left that Bush and Co. can screw us some more.  Currently it is the "surge" buildup in Iraq, however, being the cynic that I am it may be for some boots on the ground in Iran instead of Iraq.  I dont know, he is so impossible, so arragent, so vile.  It will take years to recover from his eight years.  So who do we replace him with, to be honest I do not know at this time but I know it shouldn't be Gore, Kerry, or any Republican beyond that??????? 

Olbermann: 'Beginning of the end of America' - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com

Once again Keith Olbermann is a shinning beacon in a sea of Republican terror.  I need say no more, read the article and God help us all if the Democrats to not take control in November.

Jerri

Link: Olbermann: 'Beginning of the end of America' - Countdown with Keith Olbermann - MSNBC.com.

We have a long and painful history of ignoring the prophecy attributed to Benjamin Franklin that “those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” But even within this history we have not before codified the poisoning of habeas corpus, that wellspring of protection from which all essential liberties flow. You, sir, have now befouled that spring. You, sir, have now given us chaos and called it order. You, sir, have now imposed subjugation and called it freedom. For the most vital, the most urgent, the most inescapable of reasons. And — again, Mr. Bush — all of them, wrong.

NEWSWEEK Poll: GOP in Meltdown - Newsweek Politics - MSNBC.com

I wonder how the Republicans will spin this when they "hack" the Diebold paperless voting machines and pull the rabbit out of the hat and retain control of our government.  Also wonder what main stream America, including myself, will do about it hopefully not roll over and play dead like in 2000 and 2004.  I expect the Democrats to take control of both houses on November 7 even if Karl Rove pulls an October surprise like invading Iran, in fact, that may be the final nail in the coffin of the Republicans in 2006.  Also out there in voter land watch the gas prices go back up after the elections and probably the stock market go down.

Jerri

Link: NEWSWEEK Poll: GOP in Meltdown - Newsweek Politics - MSNBC.com.

Oct. 7, 2006 - Come hell or high water-ran the conventional wisdom-Republicans could rely on two issues to win elections: the war on terror and values. Then came Mark Foley. The drip-drip-drip of scandal surrounding the former Congressman from Florida, which became a deluge this week, now threatens to sink Republican hopes of keeping control of Congress

Grief

One goes along and thinks all is better, all is well it is now over five years that my beloved Paul died (July 25,2001)...I was so pleased or should I say surprised or perhaps even astonished that I didn't cry on the anniversary of his death this year nor on his birthday July 16. But...(there always is a but isn't there) here comes today and the emotions are raw again it's really strange how after so many years the emotions can still be so raw.  To digress for a minute, my son Robert is a leukemia survivor 16 years on March 3rd of this year and one would think after all these years but no....I still can get that ache in my heart that pain in my stomach that god awful ache when I hear a song, read a news article, smell a remembering smell and it's like I am back there in the hospital.  However, this is about me today and my Paul. 

So I have been so tired this week so unusally tired for me and I think I have it figured out a number of things not just one that has triggered my pain, my sorrow, my tears...first those horrible murders of the Amish children the senseless deaths of the innocents and this coming Tuesday my friend Anne is flying in from Florida to hold a memorial service here for her husband, her Paul she is arriving on Tuesday October 10 and the service is October 17 she will be staying with me in my Casita.  Her Paul was a wonderful man he died this past July in Florida just a few weeks after I saw them in Denver ... I hate death and I hate funerals and memorial services but those are the things we adults have to do suck it up and just do it! So on to the last item that has me so upset this one may seem strange to people but not to me.  My best friend, the one who has been with me for nine years, the one who licks the tears off my face as I cry the one who is always there ....Mr. Nick aka Nick the Dog is hobbling around here on three legs after having surgery on his front left leg for a tumor (non-cancerous).  He looks at me with those sad brown eyes as if asking WHY, how come do I hurt why can't you fix it.  I think one of the measures of a human is how we take care of and how we love our four legged friends.

So all of this plus my neighbor who is dying of lung cancer (what killed my husband who never smoked in his life) has really got me down and tonight for the first time in a long time the tears are flowing actually did you know that tears are healing...this too shall pass and tomorrow will come and the sun will shine and I will laugh but tonight I am sad and that I have figured it out it is ok.

Jerri

The Progressive Daily Beacon: "Iraq Made Terrorism Worse and Republicans Don't Care"

As I sit here I cannot fathom the fact that there are still (what) 30 percent of the American people who would vote Republican and who believe Bush.  But then they listen to only the right wing pundits via Fox and Rush and Hannity and read Coulter....perhaps that is the modern day form of brain washing.....a brain washing of the masses repeat the same lies over and over and over and those that only read and hear and see those lies will belive them to be true.  Then "they" swagger out George W and he repeats the same lies so of course they are true.  Jerri

Link: The Progressive Daily Beacon: "Iraq Made Terrorism Worse and Republicans Don't Care".

The report couldn't have been clearer: The Iraq War is responsible for expanding the terror threat and for creating more terrorists than existed prior to 9/11.

Crooks and Liars » Olbermann’s Special Comment: Are YOURS the actions of a true American?

Once again Keith Olbermann has come to the forefront of journalistic excellence and has taken off the gloves when dealing with George W.  Hopefully this beacon of light will energize the others in the Fourth Estate to spring to action and stop giving GWB a free pass.  Jerri

Link: Crooks and Liars » Olbermann’s Special Comment: Are YOURS the actions of a true American?.

And finally tonight, a Special Comment about President Clinton’s interview. The headlines about them are, of course, entirely wrong. It is not essential that a past President, bullied and sandbagged by a monkey posing as a newscaster, finally lashed back. It is not important that the current President’s "portable public chorus" has described his predecessor’s tone as "crazed." Our tone should be crazed. The nation’s freedoms are under assault by an administration whose policies can do us as much damage as Al-Qaeda; the nation’s "marketplace of ideas" is being poisoned, by a propaganda company so blatant that Tokyo Rose would’ve quit. Nonetheless.

Rolling Stone :

And this may be the way the Republicans maintain power in these upcoming 2006 midterm elections and out of jail.....by cheating like they did in 2000, 2002, and 2004.  We need a paper trail, we need to be able to verify that our votes are being correctly counted.  My God what is becoming of this great nation of ours?

Jerri

Link: Rolling Stone :.

Will The Next Election Be Hacked? Fresh disasters at the polls -- and new evidence from an industry insider -- prove that electronic voting machines can't be trusted

Brent Budowsky: The American Crisis: If Thomas Paine Were With Us, Part 3.

A must read.....we truly are America in a Crisis....the Democrats must win in November we need to put our money into this fight and also invest our time.  I donate both money and time, tomorrow, Saturday September 23 I will spend most of the afternoon phone banking and writing post cards to Democrats and Democratic leaning Independents, then Oct 6 I will host another house party for some of our Democratic candidates running for election in November.  Arizona has been a Republican state in the past but we are working very hard to gain seats for the Democrats. It is so important to get out the vote, we must endure the lines caused by not enough voting equipment we must use our vote to oust the Republicans, we must vote in such numbers that it will be almost (note I said almost) impossible for another election to be stolen. 

Jerri

Link: Brent Budowsky: The American Crisis: If Thomas Paine Were With Us, Part 3..

The source of the American Crisis is clear; tragedy and failure are inevitable when power is concentrated in one branch of government, controlled by one party, without the checks and balances designed to prevent abuse, without the decent respect for each other that is the hallmark and guarantor of our diverse society and democratic system of government.

Bloggermann: Bush owes us an apology - Bloggermann - MSNBC.com

With increasing rage, he and his administration have begun to tell us, we are not permitted to disagree with them, that we cannot be right, that Colin Powell cannot be right. And then there was that one, most awful phrase. In four simple words last Friday, the President brought into sharp focus what has been only vaguely clear these past five-and-a-half years - the way the terrain at night is perceptible only during an angry flash of lightning, and then, a second later, all again is dark. “It's unacceptable to think," he said.

Link: Bloggermann: Bush owes us an apology - Bloggermann - MSNBC.com.

For anyone who missed Olbermann last night be sure to read this.  Bush has finally said what he has thought all these years...."It's unacceptable to think" it is unacceptable to think any way that differs from histhink we, Americans, are supposed to drink the koolaide and march in lock step with histhink, not questioning, not wondering, not disagreeing, NOT THINKING.  God help us all if the Democrats do not take control this November.

Jerri

Brent Budowsky: George Washington, George III, George Bush: If Thomas Paine Were Here, Part 1 | BuzzFlash

Never before in the history of the Republic have the politics of fear been used so ignobly to put our freedoms under basic attack. Never before in the history of the Republic have those freedoms been surrendered so casually, so fearfully, so timidly. and so meekly by a society that so easily forgets about the rivers of blood of American heroes who died to give us what we so casually, so fearfully, so timidly and so meekly surrender today.

Link: Brent Budowsky: George Washington, George III, George Bush: If Thomas Paine Were Here, Part 1 | BuzzFlash.

A long read but a good one.  I really like the writings of Brent Budowsky and will post more as he continues to write.  Jerri

Fall in Arizona

We are now moving into the best time of year in Tucson still warm days but cooling into the 60's at night...makes for wonderful dinners on the patio.  Gone is the heat of June (to me the hottest month), the no breeze but above 100 degree days of June.  Gone are the summer rains, the monsoons coming up out of Mexico these storms are incredible to watch and to hear what with thunder and lightening. When a storm rolls through it can drop the temperature 2o to 30 degrees in a matter of minutes then the storm is finished and back comes the sunshine.  We have had above normal rainfall in this summer rainy season, in fact, the last week of July where I live we had 5 inches.  The plants love it!  The flowers are glorious and it all grows so fast.  I have to laugh at some friends of mine...the summer after they moved here from Seattle they left for 3 months in their motor home, they hired my gardener and when they returned were convinced he didn't come to their house at all since the yard looked just like it did when they left.  So the next summer they left for 3 months with no gardener .... they came home to a jungle with some plants over 6 feet tall, needless to say they make sure to have a gardener for the summer months when they are away.

I can have the doors open at night but still need the AC during the day in another few weeks that will change too then all that fresh air comes in.  However, I still miss some of the pleasures of living in a cold winter climate like coats and sweaters and all the beautiful winter clothes, snow and fires in the fireplace.  Don't get me totally wrong it does get cold here in the winter, we have frost delays on the golf course and freeze warnings for the plants.  My plants just have to deal with the cold I do not run out there and cover them with a sheet and they do just fine.  It doesn't stay that cold for very long and not always multiple nights in a row. 

All in all where ever we live has its advantages and disadvantages and each place has its own special beauty. 

Jerri

Chalk Drawings at PuzzleFactory.com

These chalk drawings are amazing...when viewed at an angle they have a 3-D illusion.

Jerri

Link: Chalk Drawings at PuzzleFactory.com.

Brent Budowsky: Congress Must Save Geneva Convention, Democrats Should Name Sam Nunn As Shadow Defense Secretary. | BuzzFlash

And more on Bush and his desire to strip the Geneva Convention of the protections afford detainees.

Jerri

If President Bush succeeds and ends the American commitment to the Geneva Convention the rules of war will be rendered meaningless. If one President destroys one provision, every nation will feel free to destroy any provision, and a world with far too much war already, will degenerate into acceptance of war without rules. This is not just another debate. Every American President from George Washington to Bill Clinton has stood against torture. When Washington was asked to approve acts of torture against the soldiers of the Crown, he said absolutely not, this great new land of freedom will not do these things. Every other President has agreed. Without one exception. Until now.

Link: Brent Budowsky: Congress Must Save Geneva Convention, Democrats Should Name Sam Nunn As Shadow Defense Secretary. | BuzzFlash.

Bush is Blackmailing the National Security of Every American | BuzzFlash

Another link regarding Bush wanting to change the international rules of interregation adopted by all civilized nations.  If he doesn't get his way he pouts and stomps his feet and raises his voice.....maybe he should have been told more as he was growing up (I mean aging not maturing). 

Jerri

Link: Bush is Blackmailing the National Security of Every American | BuzzFlash.

The President of the United States is holding the security of every American as a hostage in a game of chicken. For more years than we can remember, the Geneva Convention has guided the conduct of civilized nations in matters of war. America has abided by the treaty without dissent or difficulty. In fact, we prided ourselves on implementing the standards spelled out by the Geneva Convention for the treatment of prisoners of war. But Bush is now saying, that suddenly for him, the Geneva Conventions do not provide "clarity." This, of course, is the Rovia/Luntz use of framing to make a betrayal of the American people by the Bush Administration look like a reasonable act. The Geneva Conventions have provided uncontested "clarity" through multiple Republican and Democratic administrations, but all of a sudden they have become "vague" to Bush, even though not a word in them has been change.

GOP Infighting on Detainees Intensifies - washingtonpost.com

Link: GOP Infighting on Detainees Intensifies - washingtonpost.com.

President Bush warned defiant Republican senators yesterday that he will close down a CIA interrogation program that he credited with thwarting terrorist attacks if they pass a proposal regulating detention of enemy combatants, escalating a politically charged battle that has exposed divisions within his party.

An irritated Bush, raising his voice and gesturing sharply at a Rose Garden news conference, excoriated legislation passed by a Senate panel Thursday that is intended to conform U.S. detainee practices with the Geneva Conventions. Bush insisted on legislation more specifically defining what is banned so intelligence officers would not worry about being charged with war crimes. (emphasis mine)

This is indeed a slippery slope that Bush wants to take us down.  Could it be if our intelligence officers were not (or have not) violated the Geneva Conventions Bush wouldn't need to consider retroactively changing them to cover his ASS.  He is opening Pandora's Box if this change is adopted and any of our service men and women are captured in this or future wars and those countries redefine the Conventions as well to suit their needs then our military personnel will be the ones to suffer.  But then Bush doesn't really care about our military or he would have provided the body armor they need and enough boots on the ground to the job right.  They are cannon fodder for his wet dreams.

Jerri

CNN.com - Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. mobs - Sep 12, 2006

Is this guy for real?  Unbelievable?  And George W. also wants control of our National Guard....the Democrats better win in November.  Jerri

Link: CNN.com - Air Force chief: Test weapons on testy U.S. mobs - Sep 12, 2006.

Nonlethal weapons such as high-power microwave devices should be used on American citizens in crowd-control situations before being used on the battlefield, the Air Force secretary said Tuesday.

Brent Budowsky: Battle Cry For Billionaires, Broadcasters, and Bloggers | BuzzFlash

Link: Brent Budowsky: Battle Cry For Billionaires, Broadcasters, and Bloggers | BuzzFlash.

For the first time in the history of our Republic, the coming election in November is nothing less than a national referendum, in which the American people will be voting whether to pursue, or prevent, the next dark and unalterable road to tragic and unwise war. For the first time in the history of our Republic, a Congressional election is nothing less than a national referendum on whether America will, or will not, be governed as a vibrant two party nation, with three effective branches of government, as envisioned by our Founding Fathers

We all must work to defeat any and all Republicans in the fall elections, trust no one with an "R" by their name.  Jerri