Old Hippie Chic's Rants

NOW re-cap from last friday. If you missed it, or want it in print form, go to http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript326_full.html. This was an especially good show, covering a coupla topics which stand to affect many -- food and shelter.

Mercury Rising... and i'm not talking about the planets or astrology. Rather, the bad stuff in our tuna.

The food in your belly, the roof over your head... both are in jeapordy under bushie. In re: raising the roof, or at least interest on same, see more in NOW interview: Greenspan's hike in interest rates should be the first of many, aimed at keeping at bay something we haven't seen for a while, at least until this year… inflation. Under these new conditions, lots will change including the price of a mortgage.

New figures show sales of new homes surged to record highs in May, ahead of the rate hike, which could change that trend. This makes the time ripe for a conversation with Elizabeth Warren. She is a leading expert on bankruptcy and middle class debt. She teaches at Harvard and has co-authored 3 books. Her latest is THE TWO-INCOME TRAP: WHY MIDDLE-CLASS MOTHERS & FATHERS ARE GOING BROKE.

Not to be the bearer of bad noose, but fax is fax, and this is troubling: Since the year 2000, credit card defaults, that is people who are not making even the minimum monthly payment, up 55 percent. Home mortgage foreclosures — people who desperately want to keep up the payments on that one asset, because if you don't, it means you're out on the street — up 45 percent. And bankruptcies, the ultimate declaration of financial death that I can't make it anymore, up 33 percent.

Greenspan's plan to keep the economy rolling is poor advice -- like rolling the dice at Vegas: He says fancy things like, "Tap your home equity." Which sounds like some kind of dance, or, you know, some clever financial thing to do. But what it really was is borrow more money against your house. And bet your house that you can continue to make all those payments. Do all that just as a way to make it to the end of the month. To put groceries on the table. To make that house payment. To keep the lights on.

That's really scary financial advice for someone to be giving American families. And what is scarey me is millions of American families have taken that advice

Next week on PBS-NOW, while people around the country worry about making ends meet, one small group of Americans is enjoying better and better pay and pension benefits: the lawmakers we send to Congress. Most private sector pensions do not offer automatic yearly cost of living adjustments the way congressional pensions do. The congressional gravy train, next week on NOW.

Lastly, in considering the choices (sic) this November, keep this in mind: Bushie wants to put 90 billion $$ into a health care program over the next TEN years, mostly for 'low-income' fo'k. Kerry would rather see something like $650 Billion devoted to a health care plan for everyone in this country. Don't worry about breaking the bank, it's already been busted by bushie's blunder ~! If you're drowning, what's another few gallons of water on top of your head, anyway? Seriously, I could/can vote for kerry on this one issue alone -- he may not have the charm of a Clinton, but Kerry sounds like he has the interests of the people in mind -- we know from bushie's record the only people he gives a rip for are his well-heeled "base" -- the already richer than Cresus. When health insurance premiums on a disabled person can jump from $212.00 a month to over $4,000, something is stinky in dah country and bushman ain't gonna do a thing about THAT ~!

No time... to be online just now, so sharing from my bud, Jim Hightower ~! Called the gas man this morning and we found a leak in a "junction" or joint (where pipes screw together) and waiting for the plumber to make a "house call -- a 30 mile drive each way for HIM so keeping phone line open -- more manana from moi.

LIFESTYLES OF WHITE-COLLAR CRIMINALS
Martha Stewart has a plan. Of course she has a plan! The multimillion-dollar maven of how-to-live-the-affluent-lifestyle always has a plan. Whether it's a plan for gold-leafing walnut shells to use as individual caviar cups at your next dinner party, or a plan to dump her shares of ImClone Inc. just before the price crashed, Martha is always ready.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=42522

BUSH'S "RESPECT" FOR VETS
Does George W get up every morning and gargle with a big glass of political cynicism, or is he genetically cynical, and just can't help himself?
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=42523

PERCY WHAPS MONSANTO
Hoist a glass of cheer for Percy Schmeiser! An unlikely hero, Percy is a family farmer who raises grain in Saskatchewan, Canada. In the last several years, however, his main crop has been raising hell against the brutish tactics of Monsanto.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=42524

A CORPORATION THAT BREAKS THE GREED MOLD
Do big time CEOs - no matter how compassionate and cuddly they might be personally - have to be SOBs on the job?
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=42525

GIVE REAGAN HIS DUE
Whew! I'm suffering from Reagan exhaustion! Greek gods did not get the glorification that Ronald Reagan has been getting since his death. He's already gotten a king-like, seven-day funeral and a tsunami of worshipful media coverage. And now the full deification of The Gipper is proceeding apace with Republican politicos openly engaged in idolatry.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=42526

Our MONSOON season here in the desert ... seems a tad bit early, but not a minute too soon to suit me ~! This am, while it was cool and threatening more rain, my two neighbor boys and I set to hoeing the tumble weed that are threatening to overtake the fence line by the drive (did you know you CAN eat those tumbleweed, when small? sauteed up, they aren't half bad but i prefer swiss chard or lamb's quarter, also growing wild here as a 'weed'). Then they got to cleaning out the chicken yard or "run" so when i get chicks next spring, that area will be more clear ~! THEN, they got to digging the 3 ft. by 3 ft. deep holes i want to backfill w/ manure and other good stuff (to replace the very solid packed adobe) for more peach trees this winter. Man, can those boys WORK ~! I may never lift another shovel so long as I can borrow or rent them ~!

So, late again getting to blog, and still threatening rain -- perhaps the new 'cloudbuster' or chem trail buster I finished last nite really IS working ~! See http://educate-yourself.org/dc/orgonegenindex.shtml for all the info on CB's or go to http://www.cloud-busters.com for all the poop on these devices and much, much more.

I was going to recap last friday nite's NOW show on PBS, but will get 'round to it one of these daze. In the meantime, check out http://www.alternet.org/story/19058/. If anyone thinks "W" stands for women, OR that bushie is any friend of the fairer gender, I have a bridge out here in the desert i'd like to interest you in purchasing ~! This article addresses the insidious ad campaign that tries to dress Bush and his policies in female-friendly clothing. It's not pretty.

Pandering to anti-tax extremists and religious zealots at home, Bush's policies have left the most vulnerable Americans with more limited, not expanded choices. Bush's cabinet secretaries turned out to be media decoys. Each trailed a long conservative resume, betraying the very causes -- affirmative action, women's rights, civil rights -- which had helped them get ahead. The "flexibility" in the "Flexibility Act" turned out to be all the employers' -- to pay overtime, as has been required for over seventy years -- or, to "offer" time off instead (at the employer's convenience). W's "Leave no Child Behind" actually left millions of children behind when the law imposed new mandates on state school systems, but his budget failed to cover the cost. And the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, ostensibly created to protect innocents like Laci Peterson's unborn child, grants legal recognition to fetuses and embryoes as "persons" -- another chink in the ever-eroding wall protecting women's right to choice. Meanwhile, family planning and maternal and child health care programs have been cut further and further over the past four years.

Just a quickie... it's a lazy, summer, COOL afternoon around here -- more clouds gathering and even in mid-afternoon, more tempting to lay out in the hammock and read (The Loss that is Forever -- the lifelong impact of the early death of a mother or father) than be online. At age six, I lost my own father -- witnessing a massive heart attack -- and that event colored much of the rest of my life. It certainly colored relationships ~! Should have more new, fresh stuff manana but for now, I thought the below is a good read.

We keep seeing the question asked, "Who would do a better job of fighting terrorism: Bush or Kerry?" As of this week (pre-Fahrenheit 9/11) Kerry won by 48% to Bush's 44%. This writer believes another similar question deserves to be asked.

Consider for a moment that one of the world's leading authorities on Foreign Policy and the Environment, a man who played a vital role in ending the Cold War, won the Nobel Peace Prize, the man who brought us "detente" (defined by Webster's as "the relaxation of strained relations or tensions, as between nations") and "glasnost" ("a policy permitting open discussion of political and social issues and freer dissemination of news and information"), former President of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, has named the following as the root causes of terrorism:

1) Extremism
2) Religious Fundamentalism
3) Poverty
4) Backwardness
5) Environmental Degradation
6) Humiliation

What are some examples?

1) Extremism? Tax cuts during time of war, support for constitutional amendment to deny states the right to allow gays to marry, nominating radical right-wing court appointees, and blocking support for international population program measures because of pressure from the right to life movement.

2) Religious Fundamentalism? You decide.

3) Poverty? Full-time workers not earning a living wage.

4) Backwardness? Placing ideology above sound science. Blocking stem-cell research. Stripping contraceptive coverage for federal employees. Legislative efforts to block ergonomic safeguards in the workplace. Efforts to allow employers to avoid paying overtime.

5) Environmental Degradation? Renege on a campaign promise to cap CO2 emissions. Backing out of the Kyoto Protocol to reduce man's contribution to global climate change. Opposing multinational efforts to reach goals on renewable energy development at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

6) Humiliation? Preemptive war, torture and denial of rights.

Extend any domestic policies mentioned to an attitude on foreign policy. Now ask this question, "Who would do a better job of discouraging terrorism (such that there would be less terrorism to fight)?" Bush, or Kerry?

Late, again... i really did get up before 5 am today (sat) but spent time online reading the bankruptcy petition for Pegasus Satellite TV, Inc. -- then got playing in the dirt at dawn. On 6-5-2000, i got a sat dish, paying around $30.00 a month for a 'basic' programming package PLUS extras such as CBS and NBC (west and east) and PBS, and paid the bill promptly, each and every month, save the 4 or 5 months we lived in New mexico last year. When we returned here to the house where the dish is mounted, I naturally wanted to resume "service" from Pegasus. Well, seems i can no longer get CBS or NBC from them, and at last count, they want $48.00 a month -- more money for less programming.

Also, they've routinely refused my repeated requests to bill me so that it can be paid on or about the 3rd of each month (when we have money) and come DUE, say the l5th. I pay ALL my bills the first of the month. Even so, we'd have been in good shape, except they seemed to have skipped billing me one month, and got to tagging a $5.00 late charge on each bill. By the time i got around to trying to straighten the thing out AGAIN, they were wanting $91.67 or $96.57 or $98.00 something -- their invoices NEVER reflect a constant amount and i have a helluva time figuring out just WHAT they ARE charging for ~!

One person i spoke with said i could send them $45.63 june lst and $45.63 july lst and be current -- THEN i started getting letters saying we'd be cut off july 2nd with a $90-some-odd balance owing -- go figure ~! Maybe they charge late fees on top of billing two months in advance ??? But, with assets of something like $1,762,883,000, they are in bankruptcy ~!

And, they owe almost a million dollars in back taxes to the state of Texas, plus tax collectors in nearly a dozen other states (indiana, minn., NM, iowa, south crolina, tenn, utah, west va, nc, neb and ark). I don't owe ANY back taxes to anyone, anywhere ~!

Supposedly part of their reason for going chapter 11 is to maintain a monopoly on rural satellite service -- so much for a free country and competition ~! But unless a letter, similar to this posting but with all the reasons why i'm not pleased with their 'service' (especially having to reprogram the sat receiver 2-5 times a WEEK) gets their bookkeeping problemos straightened ou, they can stuff their satellite where the sun doesn't shine.

I'll simply bid my time until DISH can compete with them out here at a reasonable cost (AND keep their billing straight) and spend that $48 a month on all the books i can readand CD's/tapes i want for music til hell hosts the ice capades ~!

Friday phunnie 4 u:
One sunny day in 2005 an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue, where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine looked at the man and said, "Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The old man said, "Okay" and walked away.

The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine again told the man, "Sir, as I said yesterday, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here." The man thanked him and, again, just walked away.

The third day, the same man approached the White House and spoke to the very same U.S. Marine, saying "I would like to go in and meet with President Bush." The Marine, understandably agitated at this point, looked at the man and said, "Sir, this is the third day in a row you have been here asking to speak to Mr. Bush. I've told you already that Mr. Bush is no longer the
president and no longer resides here. Don't you understand?" The old man looked at the Marine and said, "Oh, I understand. I just love hearing it."

The Marine snapped to attention, saluted, and said, "Yes Sir. See you tomorrow, Sir."

Pork barrel exposed... tonite at l0 pm est on scarborough country -- seems this right-wing nit-wit is finally doing something worth seeing/listening to on msnbc (cable or sat dish) -- where our tax dollars are being squandered.

WHAT THA'.... since i missed this one, a lotta others prolly did, too -- seems the Rev. Moon was corronated as "Tha Messiah" back in March in a SENATE OFFICE BUILDING at tax payer expense ????

I really don't know what to say about this (aside from the obvious fact that it's absolutely insane), but apparently the Rev. Moon was crowned Messiah last March, 23rd when a bipartisan group of Congressmen attended a coronation at which a billionaire, pro-theocracy newspaper owner was declared to be the Messiah – with royal robes, a crown, the works? Or that this imperial ceremony took place not in a makeshift basement church or a backwoods campsite, but in a Senate office building?

Cut to the ritual. Eyes downcast, a man identified as Congressman Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) is bringing a crown, atop a velvety purple cushion, to a figure who stands waiting austerely with his wife. Now Moon is wearing robes that Louis XIV would have appreciated.

But Section 9 of the Constitution forbids giving out titles of nobility, setting a certain tone that might have made the Congressional hosts shy about celebrating the coronation on their websites. They included conservatives, the traditional fans of Moon's newspaper: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Rep. Curt Weldon (R-PA.), Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah), Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) and Republican strategy god Charlie Black, whose PR firm represents Ahmed Chalabi’s Iraqi National Congress. But there were also liberal House Democrats like Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) and Davis. Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) later told the Memphis Flyer that he'd been erroneously listed on the program, but had never heard of the event, which was sponsored by the Washington Times Foundation.

Rep. Curt Weldon's office tenaciously denied that the Congressman was there, before being provided by The Gadflyer with a photo depicting Weldon at the event, found on Moon's website. "Apparently he was there, but we really had nothing to do with it," press secretary Angela Sowa finally conceded.

Terminator wants to terminate shelter inmates.. to save a few bucks. Dogs and cats today, two-leggeds tomorrow. Seems the Calif. Guv has a dandy idear to save a few million bucks by limiting the stay at animal shelters to only 72 hours and then it's on to 4-legged heaven. How long before he decides that's a dandy way to clear our California's largest prison population in the country? Why not mandatory spay/neuter program at reduced fee vet clinics???

I started my day... RIGHT at first light of dawn with a big push broom, sweeping water off the roof ~! Before i'd even had that FIRST cuppa java (essential elixer of black, life-giving fluid) i was getting into jeans (usually wear shorts in summer but NOT for climbing up on a wet roof) to remove the pools on the flat roof, gathered from our l/8-inch shower last night ~! Whoopie -- won't have to water today, but the ONE place in the house where i did NOT have plastic, old towels and dishpans on the floor -- in the kitchen, on my new $l9.00 area rug, was where it leaked ~! Oh well, small price to pay to live here ~! The old, flat (too little pitch) roof does leak in 3 or 4 places, depending on directionality of rainfall (scant, around 6-8 inches a year), but there are tradeoffs to everything.

A good two years ago, i applied for and was approved for a "Rural Home Improvement Grant" via U.S.D.A., but the green frogbacks are VERY slow in coming -- it's for low income families living in the boonies, but if anyone inside the beltway has discovered this blog, i may NEVER see my mun ~! The roof needs repairing and the house needs to be re-plumbed -- in meantime, we just live like white trash ~! But very vocal, enlightened white trash ~!

Not a minute too soon ~! Seems the latest book to 'out' bubba is by Anonymouse -- Imperial Hubris which tells the tale of how come we're losing our behinds in the 'war on terror' -- prolly much good, REAL reading/info there, but the author seems to want to kill a lotta people, mostly Muslims, and i have a parting of the ways with him, there. But i DO agree with him and laud him for finally putting it out there, how come they 'hate us so' -- he names six simple reasons why 'they hate us' and none have a danged thing to do with freedom, mixed campuses or OUR religion/way of life -- rahter they hate our loathesome policies. Imaging that ~! More on the book, which will be featured, for sale, on my new, anti-Bush Bookstore just as soon as i get it up (coming soon):

Though U.S. leaders try to convince the world of their success in fighting al Qaeda, one anonymous member of the U.S. intelligence community would like to inform the public that we are, in fact, losing the war on terror. Further, until U.S. leaders recognize the errant path they have irresponsibly chosen, he says, our enemies will only grow stronger.

According to the author, the greatest danger for Americans confronting the Islamist threat is to believe—at the urging of U.S. leaders—that Muslims attack us for what we are and what we think rather than for what we do. Blustering political rhetoric “informs” the public that the Islamists are offended by the Western world’s democratic freedoms, civil liberties, inter-mingling of genders, and separation of church and state. However, although aspects of the modern world may offend conservative Muslims, no Islamist leader has fomented jihad to destroy participatory democracy, for example, the national association of credit unions, or coed universities.

Instead, a growing segment of the Islamic world strenuously disapproves of specific U.S. policies and their attendant military, political, and economic implications. Capitalizing on growing anti-U.S. animosity, Osama bin Laden’s genius lies not simply in calling for jihad, but in articulating a consistent and convincing case that Islam is under attack by America. Al Qaeda’s public statements condemn America’s protection of corrupt Muslim regimes, unqualified support for Israel, the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan, and a further litany of real-world grievances. Bin Laden’s supporters thus identify their problem and believe their solution lies in war. Anonymous contends they will go to any length, not to destroy our secular, democratic way of life, but to deter what they view as specific attacks on their lands, their communities, and their religion. Unless U.S. leaders recognize this fact and adjust their policies abroad accordingly, even moderate Muslims will join the bin Laden camp.

FindhornWest update... and weather report -- come July 4th, if it doesn't rain, we'll have been THREE whole months with nothing but spider webs in the rain guage ~! Woke up again this a.m. to a sky full of huge, DRY, gray clouds -- so hope springs eternal, here ~! In the meantime, the pumpkins, tomatoes (the latter under shade) and squashes continue to flourish on regular hose waterings.

We got the first real donation of coin of the real for papercrete workshop and first dome-raising this fall ~! Now all we need is another two grand to go with it, and we'll be really doin' something, HERE ~! See http://findhornwest.topcities.com for all the scoop -- will soon add new stuff to the site, e.g. an "anti-bush BOOKSTORE (via Amazon), a page on the budding artists' co-op forming here, examples of my art and a link to "Leatherworks". Two gal pals want to relocate here, one is disabled but an experienced (30 years or so) and expert leather worker. I'm building a site for her, http://leatherworks.topcities.com, NOT live yet, but will be in a few days.

And, the dream continues to grow -- 18 months from now, we will, hopefully, have four living here, and a series of 'dome homes' constructed -- one, with two bedrooms for the two gals coming, and another which can house up to six people with a "studio/gallery" in the center for visiting artists to rent by the month to come to the peace and quiet of the desert, write their great American novel, paint, sculpt or whatever to their heart's content. And, we may hold a couple of "fasting retreat weekends" twice a year for supervised fasting/healing/retreat workshops.

Nuf of my stuff -- here's some good stuff from Jim Hightower in case you missed his e-newsletter:

Jim Hightower Common-Sense Commentaries-- June 22, 2004

LET'S PUT THE CORRUPTION ON TV
The big-money corruption of American politics will be on display at the national conventions of the Republican and Democratic parties this summer...but you can't see it without a ticket. A very pricey ticket.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=41610

HOW DO YOU SAY "OFFSHORING"?
Excellent news, Americans! U.S. Corporations say that they are no longer "offshoring" our middle-class jobs. It seems that they have grown afraid of the rising public anger at this self-serving fattening of their already ample bottom lines at the expense of working families. They fear that there will be a political backlash from workers, customers, congress - and plain ol' American patriots.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=41611

THE GRAND LARCENY OF PINSTRIPE THIEVES
If a thief broke into your home and stole a couple of thousand dollars that you'd carefully saved from your paychecks and stashed away over the last three years, you could call the cops and try to get your money back.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=41612

THE ROYAL TREATMENT IN MIAMI
It's time for another peek into the "Lifestyles of the Rich... and Cranky." No doubt this story will make you cry about the way Homeland Security agents treat airline passengers these days. I'm not talking about the way us commoners are subjected to long and slow-moving lines, forced to strip down and take our shoes off, and treated gruffly by overworked screeners - I'm talking about the alarming fact that a member of the royalty has been subjected to passenger screening! Gasp - what is this world coming to?
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=41613

WHOSE TOWN IS IT?
I'm biased. I'm biased for small, independent, homegrown business, as opposed to spending my money at some cookie-cutter outlet of GreatBigGlobalChainStore, Incorporated.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=41614

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NOW AT JIMHIGHTOWER.COM -- LET'S STOP BEATING AROUND THE BUSH

It's here! LET'S STOP BEATING AROUND THE BUSH, which hits the stores on Monday, July 19, is now posted at www.jimhightower.com with information making advance purchases.

Why? Not only because it'll put you first in line to get your copies, but IF YOU BUY THE BOOK EARLY, you'll be a part of our guerilla marketing campaign to make the power establishment sit up and take notice.

If Lowdowners don't act and act early, these gatekeepers will be able to ignore the unvarnished truth that this book brings to light. But by making early purchases of the book, Lowdowners alone will provide an enormous amount of pre-publication sales that will create an industry buzz and put LET'S STOP BEATING AROUND THE BUSH atop the national bestseller lists.

For more details, visit http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=41615 and scroll down to the heading titled "the latest."
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JIM HIGHTOWER'S TRAVEL SCHEDULE:

Seattle, WA Saturday, July 31, 2004
Come see Jim and other great speakers and musicians at the Rolling Thunder Democracy Festival in Magnuson Park in Seattle on Saturday, July 31st. The festival is from noon to 8:00, and a $10 donation is requested (but not required) at the door. For more information contact Mike Smith at seattlethunder@seattlethunder.net or check out http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=41623 for updates.

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BUSH'D? TAKE TIME FOR A LAUGH--AND SIGN UP FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL VICTORY PROJECT

While Bush'd is a funny parody, what President Bush is doing to our environment is no laughing matter. Bush has consistently put corporate interests over those of the general public.

Make a difference today! Sign up for the Environmental Victory Project and watch the trailer for the next episode of Bush'd.
http://updates.jimhightower.com/ctt.asp?u=1833291&l=41616 -- this is an excellent expose of "W" -- just give the video time to load ~!

'Nuther animal story... we've been a good two months and 2 weeks with NO rain in MY part of Texas -- well, there was that one 4-incher -- 4 drops, 4 inches apart, lasting 4 seconds. But today, a cold front (for real) descended upon us with a sky full of low, gray, pot-boiling clouds -- and threats of rain all over these parts, so i won't be on long 'nuf to grub out more political 'humor'. But if you have house pets (that includes small two-legged humanoids), read the below and be safe ~! I'm glad i never invested in one of these 'things' -- plain ole soap and water seems to still work best (with plenty of elbow grease). Hope it's not another one of those 'urban legends', but better safe than sorry.

I received an email from a friend with an alarming story that we think you as a bird lover ought to be aware of. We think it is better to error on the side of caution rather than let this pass by without giving it some thought. Here is Kathy and Debbie's email in its entirety:

     Count as blessings your friends - who become the air beneath your wings.   A FRIEND FORWARDED THIS STORY TO ME -- it's a wee bit of good nooze to start the week with:

     Where we live, on the Eastern shore of Maryland, the gentle waters run in And out like fingers slimming at the tips. They curl into the smaller creeks and coves like tender palms.
     The Canada geese know this place, as do the white swans and the ducks who Ride an inch above the waves of Chesapeake Bay as they skim their way into harbor In the autumn, by the thousands, they come home for the winter. The swans move toward the shores in a stately glide, their tall heads proud and unafraid.
     They lower their long necks deep into the water, where their strong beaks dig Through the river bottoms for food. And there is, between the arrogant swans and the prolific geese, an indifference, almost a disdain.
     Once or twice each year, snow and sleet move into the area. When this happens, if the river is at its narrowest, or the creek shallow, there is a freeze which hardens the water to ice.
     It was on such a morning, near Osford, Maryland, that a friend of mine set the breakfast table beside the huge window, which overlooked the Tred Avon River. Across the river, beyond the dock, the snow laced the rim of the shore in white. For a moment she stood quietly, looking at what the night's storm had painted.
     Suddenly she leaned forward and peered close to the frosted window.
     "It really is," she cried out loud, "there is a goose out there." She reached to the bookcase and pulled out a pair of binoculars. Into their sights came the figure of a large Canada goose, very still, its wings folded tight to its sides, its feet frozen to the ice.
     Then from the dark skies, she saw a line of swans. They moved in their own singular formation, graceful, intrepid, and free. They crossed from the west of the broad creek high above the house, moving steadily to the east. As my friend watched, the leader swung to the right, then the white string of birds became a white circle. It floated from the top of the sky
downward.
     At last, as easy as feathers coming to earth, the circle landed on the ice.  My friend was on her feet now, with one unbelieving hand against her mouth.
     As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, she feared what life he still had might be pecked out by those great swan bills.
     Instead, amazingly instead, those bills began to work on the ice. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again, it went on for a long time. At last, the goose was rimmed by a narrow margin of ice instead of the entire creek. The swans rose again, following the leader, and hovered in that circle, awaiting the results of their labors.
     The goose's head lifted. Its body pulled. Then the goose was free and standing on the ice. He was moving his big webbed feet slowly. And the swans stood in the air watching. Then, as if he had cried, "I cannot fly, four of the swans came down around him. Their powerful beaks scraped the goose's wings from top to bottom, scuttled under its wings and rode up its body, chipping off and melting the ice held in the feathers.
     Slowly, as if testing, the goose spread its wings as far as they would go, brought them together, accordion-like, and spread again.
     When at last the wings reached their fullest, the four swans took of and joined the hovering group. They resumed their eastward journey, in perfect formation, to their secret destination.
     Behind them, rising with incredible speed and joy, the goose moved into the sky. He followed them, flapping double time, until he caught up, until he joined the last end of the line, like a small child at the end of a crack-the-whip of older boys.
     My friend watched them until they disappeared over the tips of the farthest trees. Only then, in the dusk, which was suddenly deep, did she realize that tears were running down her cheeks and had been for how long she didn't know.
     This is a true story. It happened. I do not try to interpret it. I just think of it in the bad moments, and from it comes only one hopeful question:  "If so for birds, why not for man?"

A wee bit of good stuff from Rabbi Berg to start your week off on a positive note ~!

The Truth About Angels

“He must have a guardian angel” is a remark we often hear when a near-tragedy results in a happy ending. We see these wonderful winged creatures in movies, on television, in books and magazines, saving some poor character that has strayed down the wrong path. This is a false idea of what angels are. The truth is, we are directly responsible for the angels in our lives. And yes, they are real, as real as the air we breathe, the water we drink - and just as essential.

So, what exactly is an angel?

First off, you can forget those images of cherubs. The truth is, an angel is a particle of spiritual energy, acting similar to a subatomic particle. According to quantum physics, countless subatomic particles are constantly coming in and out of existence in all parts of the universe at every moment. At this microscopic level, these so-called virtual particles can pop into existence for brief moments before returning to nothingness, causing up and down energy fluctuations.

The great Kabbalist Rav Isaac Luria known as The Ari (the Lion), explains that angels - both good and bad - are formed by our personal words and deeds. Acts and speech that embody sharing, tolerance, compassion, and self-control over our ego and its constant stream of judgments ignite positive forces. They also end the existence of negative angels. Behavior that exemplifies selfishness and intolerance creates negative forces.

They serve as spiritual advocates and prosecutors for us, and are constantly at battle with one another – good versus bad. Imagine armies of angels at war - with your personal fulfillment at stake. When we are connected with the Light (going the extra mile, practicing restriction, feeling another’s pain), we create positive angels which tilt the scales in our favor. But when we are in a negative consciousness, well…

Did you ever:
• Accidentally slip and fall for no apparent reason?
• Hit your thumb (instead of the nail) with a hammer?
• Make a really, really stupid decision?
• Experience a losing streak that never seemed to end?

This is the influence of negative angelic forces at work. Good fortune – getting the job, finding the perfect mate - is the result of the influence of positive angels. More information at http://www.kabbalah.com

Saturday spate of offerings... nifty new site i found for news is: http://www.newsgateway.ca/. A lot there about peak oil, but other stuff, too. For a good 3 or 4 years, we've had great T.V. reception out here in the midst of nowhere -- via a satellite dish. But, over the years, the price of this 'service' has been creeping upwards, from an initial $35.00/month to now over $48.00 -- no change in 'service', though. If anything, i'm paying more and getting less.

I won't sit still long enough to watch most movies (and, they put me to sleep) so i'm down to the talking heads repeating themselves ad naseum at the top of their lungs, watching re-runs of re-runs of M*A*S*H or fussing at the kid to watch something OTHER than cartoons ~! So at the end of this month, it gets a whole lot quieter and more peaceful around here -- and I'll have an extra $50 a month in MY pocket ~! News will come off the web or someone can tell me if Dan Blather doesn't tip me off ~!

What's With Our 15 Intel Agencies? The CIA, we know. But what are the other 14? The White House, the 9/11 commission, and Congress are all considering recommending the appointment of a new intelligence czar, who would head up the government's 15 intelligence agencies and offices. What are the 14 other intel agencies, and what does each one do?

Justice DeLayed
    Wednesday, June 16 * Long overdue, Tom DeLay's day of reckoning draws nearer.
    http://ga3.org/ct/xd1NfK114jHB/

    Orwell Meets Kafka, by Tom Engelhardt
    Monday, June 14 * The U.S. runs a global system of injustice, purposely mounted in the legal and moral dark.
    http://ga3.org/ct/sp1NfK114jHd/

More goodies from Uncle Ernie's http://issuesandalibis.org

Greg Palast remembers, "While Reagan Napped."
Uri Avnery reports, "The Nightmare Comes True."
Robert Scheer explains, "Tout Torture, Get Promoted."
Norman Solomon explores, "Media: Mourning In America."
Jim Hightower with a great idea, "Let's Put The Corruption On TV."
and comments by Molly Ivins and A. Huffington as well

Primary Sources: Voices That Know
by the 9/11 Commission
Read the harsh statement released this week by a group of 27 former diplomats, mission chiefs and retired four-star generals calling for change in U.S. foreign policy.
http://www.tompaine.com/action/#000561

New In News Worthy

Overlooked but important headlines of the day.

Bush Campaign Focuses On Southern Baptists

UN Chief Rebukes U.S. For Seeking War Crimes Immunity

Eight Couples Challenge Massachusetts Marriage Limits

Senate Votes To Expand Army By 20,000

Patriot Act Provision Invoked By FBI

Martial Law Threatened For Iraq

http://www.tompaine.com/newsworthy

With all this to keep up with, who needs a talking head, anyway? The Hopi had a ritual, 'Soyal' (sp) celebrated around January each year, when you kept silent, did not dig in the Earth, talked only when you had to -- no loud anything -- it was a time of reflection, going within, getting in touch with the spirits and your inner guidance. I think it was practiced only for a few weeks, maybe 12 days, ending with a feast. My daughter and I did this one year, much to her annoyance -- NO T.V., radio or music. But I found it to be one of the most blessed periods of my life ~! And with almost NO traffic noise where we live -- most of the 'racket' is from the birds singing -- it's easy to sink into the silence and hear your OWN head do the talking ~!

Don't miss M. Moore tonight... for your friday funnies, he'll be on the "Late Show with David Letterman" on Friday night. It's on CBS at 11:35 PM Eastern and Pacific. More from the Mooresman: "on Monday morning (June 21) I will be on "The Today Show" on NBC. Next week, Jon Stewart and Conan. I'd go on O'Reilly but, like a coward, he walked out on a screening we invited him to (with Al Franken just a few rows away!). I personally caught him sneaking out. Embarrassed, he tried to change the subject. He said, "When are you coming on my show?" and I said, "Turn around and watch the rest of the movie and I will come on your show." He walked out. Fair and balanced."

What a leader we have in G.W.... BUSH ALLIES VOTE FOR CONTRACT TO CORPORATE EX-PAT

As reported in an earlier Daily Mislead,[1] the Bush administration awarded a $10 billion Department of Homeland Security contract to Accenture, a company that based its headquarters in Bermuda to avoid paying U.S. taxes. The move defied the President's promise to make sure everyone is "paying their fair share."[2] As if the Administration's actions weren't enough,
yesterday the White House's Congressional allies defeated legislation that would have stopped the contract.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Congress "bowed to Republican leaders" and rejected legislation sponsored by Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) that would have prevented the contract from moving forward.[3] Despite proponents
of the bill noting that Accenture "has shrunk its tax bill by moving its headquarters to Bermuda,"[4] the White House's allies defeated the legislation on a party line vote.

The General Accounting Office has cited Accenture for using offshore tax havens.[5] Because of the GAO's report, at least one state has had the courage to do what Congress and the White House refuse to do. In May, Illinois held up a $2 million state contract[6] to the company because of its tax behavior. In its defense, the company denies getting serious benefits from moving offshore. But, according to a June 1 Bloomberg News report, Accenture's tax liability decreased[7] while its U.S. earnings increased in 2002 and 2003. references at: http://daily.misleader.org

Didja know... a LOT of local 'first responders', law enforcement depts., et al are skrimping by UNDERfunded to do their jobs, protecting the 'omland' while a LOT of PRIVATE companies are lining up at the guv-mint trough to get tax dollars for 'homeland security' measures -- seems like more mis-placed priorities to me. Wish i had the figures at hand, but pitched my notes on this while cleaning off one of the pig piles on my desk ~!

Liar, liar, pants on-fire ~! Several months ago, i got all steamed about bushie and his inability to truth-tell (in ANY known language) -- he's NEITHER 'compassionate' NOR 'conservative' -- and i was gonna make a little list of all his lies, attach said flier to voter registration cards and start beating the pavement to sign up new voters. Well, like most good intentions, this one went into pavement for the road to no-where...

BUT, others, who get paid more than moi' for writing stuff down, DID list bushie's lies, and are making hay with it. One very notable is Ben, the ice-cream man, Cohen, with his 12 ft. statue he hauls around on a trailer behind his car, of bushie with his bloomers a-blaze (see

more at: http://www.pantsonfire.net/)

btw, the statue is faintly remniscent of the one we toppled of Sadamm, is it not? Back to bidiness, you just gotta see Ben's newest site, listing both bushie's lies about everything from WMD to the environment -- at: http://www.pantsonfire.net/lies.htm

"Mr. Republican" is NO Mr. Nice-Guy... Louisianna had their Huey Long, Alabama had Geo. Wallace, and the Mafia has their dons -- but NONE of them can hold a candle to Texas' Tom de Lay -- his surname is so appropos -- he goes all out to "delay" anything smacking of social progress, kindness or consideration of those less fortunate ~! If i weren't a native Texan, i wouldn't bother with this, but 'politics' in MY state just reek ~! And i used to BE a republican ~! But since they have an 'income level' you must meet for membership, THAT went by the by decades ago ~! Where's Barry Goldwater when we need him?

A formal charge of corruption has just been filed in Washington against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. The complaint alleges that DeLay:

* Illegally solicited a $25,000.- campaign contribution from Westar Energy Corporation, in exchange for supporting legislation that would benefit the company.

* Funneled illegal corporate contributions to GOP candidates for the Texas legislature, through a group called the Texans for a Republican Majority Political Action Committee (TRMPAC) and through the Republican National Committee.

* Improperly involved a federal agency in a partisan matter, by asking the Federal Aviation Administration to track a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers who fled the state in 2003, while trying to prevent passage of DeLay's plan to gerrymander Texas' congressional districts.

The complaint was filed today with the House Ethics Committee, which must now decide whether to investigate DeLay.
Please click here to sign an important new petition from our friends at Drive Democracy, calling for a full investigation:
http://www.drivedemocracy.org/z/5/6/petition/ethicsdelay/ ... then there's:

Ethics Committee Now Must Consider Year-Old Public Citizen Complaint
Statement of Joan Claybrook, President, Public Citizen

Public Citizen applauds Rep. Chris Bell (D-Texas) for breaking the unspoken agreement among all members of the House of Representatives not to file complaints against each other on ethics violations, regardless how egregious. By acting, Rep. Bell becomes the first House member to tear down the wall of silence on ethics complaints that for years has shielded representatives from being held accountable for serious lapses in ethical behavior. It is all the more courageous given that the
complaint was filed against House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas).
See the rest at: http://www.citizen.org/congress/govt_reform/ethics/congethics/articles.cfm?ID=11187

THE WAL-MART EFFECT * David Moberg, In These Times. They destroy community character; they create urban sprawl; and they leave behind ugly, unused hulks as business strategies shift. But the central fight with Wal-Mart is over its economic effects on workers and communities. http://www.alternet.org/stories/18926/

THE REAL REAGAN REVOLUTION * Earl Ofari Hutchinson, AlterNet. The Reagan revolution rolled back the clock to the pre-civil rights days when blacks, minorities and women knew their place.
http://www.alternet.org/stories/18894/

HOW GREEN WAS THE GIPPER? * Amanda Griscom, Grist Magazine. Reagan infamously declared that 'trees cause more pollution than automobiles do.' Unlike Bush, his administration told you exactly what they were up to.
http://www.alternet.org/stories/18924/

And i found this tasty tidbit at rense.com, a "diagnosis" by a Washington, D.C. shrink: The President suffers from "character pathology," including "grandiosity" and "megalomania" -- viewing himself, America and God as interchangeable. Dr. Frank has been a psychiatrist for 35 years and is director of psychiatry at George Washington University. A Democrat, he once headed the Washington Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility. http://www.rense.com/general53/megl.htm

STILL at high risk in the HOmeland... remember that ole saw about 'better living through chemistry'? Well, three years after 9/11 we still have 15,000 chemical plants in the U.S. without adequate 'security' -- a blow-up in any one of them could take out from one to twelve million U.S. citizens. We went to Iraq looking for WMD and couldn't find them because we were looking in the wrong place -- they are RIGHT HERE ~!

60 minutes did a re-run/update last nite, on the risks at home of literally unguarded chemical plants -- open gates, low fences, no guards with easy access to stuff such as anhydrous ammonia, chlorine, etc., all in tanker-truck size quantities. In Pittsburg, PA, an investigative reporter, who visited 60 such facilities, "trespassed" and filmed his wanderings, only to find his penalty would be a $25.00 fine plus court costs.

We search and detain grannies with suspicious tennis shoes in airports, but Tom Ridge couldn't get the Senate to pass stiffer regulations over a year ago for chemical plants -- so still no mandatory 'security' or criminal enforcement if a plant refuses to comply because the $450 Billion chem industry doesn't want to shell out for security -- they want US to pay for it.

On a brighter note... just as the 72 names of God site is one i use often and recommend, you're invited to visit their sister site, http://www.kabbalah.com -- here's an uplifting sampling: It has always been a principle of Kabbalah that love and hate, like energy in the physical world, are never lost. Positive and negative energies have always accumulated at a level of being outside the material dimension, and the effect has always manifested itself, just as a rain cloud eventually causes a deluge.

What we need to understand is the acceleration of this phenomenon. We need to realize that today even a small negative act or intention can bring about the cloudburst -- not at some point in the indefinite future, but closer and closer in time. And we never know who will be the channel for this phenomenon. We never know what small act of malice will cause a person -- someone already on the edge -- to express negativity that has congealed in the metaphysical realm. But let me also make it very clear that our positive actions can activate the same process: by doing good in the world. Especially at this time of foreshortened cause and effect, we can bring forth Light on a vast scale by controlling our negative reactions, by sharing and behaving with greater tolerance and compassion. And we can realize that positive result all but instantaneously.
http://www.kabbalah.com/english/index.php/p=life/sep11

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* WILDALERT -- Sunday, June 13, 2004 * Brought to you by The Wilderness Society
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We've just learned that the U.S. House of Representatives has scheduled votes next week on two very important issues that
affect America's wildlands. The first is a vote on the terrible energy bill. That could occur as early as Tuesday, June 15. The
second involves appropriations for land management agencies and that vote could come up by Wednesday, June 16.

We will need your calls and letter on both measures very soon. This WildAlert covers the energy bill; we'll send you a second
WildAlert early next week on the appropriations measure. We appreciate your patience during this frantic legislative time
and, as always, your help is invaluable!

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'ENERGY WEEK': WASTING TIME, AND ENERGY, ON DEAD-END SCHEMES

"Bad ideas never die." That's a famous Washington, D.C., adage whose sorry truth is on display again. The House of
Representatives is using rising gasoline prices as an excuse to dredge up its dirty, destructive energy bill for another series
of votes, including a renewed effort attempt to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.

The package of legislation that's on the schedule for next week, H.R. 6, would pave the way for drilling and mining on our most special public lands, from the Arctic to the Otero Mesa of New Mexico and the Red Desert of Wyoming. At the same time, it would roll back environmental safeguards that protect our air, water, land and health. And it won't do a thing to bring gas prices down.

PLEASE CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE BEFORE TUESDAY

The bankrupt energy bill could be before the House of Representatives as early as THIS TUESDAY, JUNE 15. Please call
your congressional representative with this simple message: vote against the dirty, dangerous energy bill and against any attempt to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Please use the talking points below in your phone call.

If you absolutely can't call your Representative, please click here to send him/her a fax immediately:
http://ga1.org/campaign/EnergyJune/78858324innn8

TALKING POINTS
Calling your representative's office is painless, quick and easy and our message here is a very simple one. Just ask for the
staff person handling energy issues. After identifying yourself, ask that your representative to vote against the energy bill
when it comes to the floor, and to vote against any attempt to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling. If the
staff person seems amenable to a longer call, you can also make these additional points:

- Drilling in the Arctic will do nothing to reduce gasoline prices, but will ruin a wild and pristine place for a few
months' worth of oil consumers won't see for a decade or more.

- These bills have nothing to do with helping consumers at the pump; they have everything to do with political and electoral
posturing.

- This cynical, pointless game only wastes time on dead-end schemes when legislators should be insisting on solutions that
would actually make a difference and set us on course to a sustainable new energy future.

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TELL ME MORE ABOUT THE ENERGY BILL

Although the precise language of the bills to be voted on this week could change at any time, House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX) has indicated he plans to bring up the conference report from H.R. 6, last year's disastrous Energy Bill. Since that report (thanks to your help) didn't include drilling in the Arctic refuge, House leaders plan to put that to a separate vote
next week, too.

We also expect to see two other bills, including one that would radically redefine "renewable energy" to include such
destructive and polluting categories as garbage incinerators and hydroelectric dams, then waive environmental protection
requirements for them. Another would also roll back pollution rules to expedite construction of oil refineries in
"economically disadvantaged" areas. All in all, these provisions will enrich an already wildly profitable energy industry through
subsidies that would run into the billions, put public health at risk and advance a sound natural energy policy not at all.

Several reports from the Energy Information Agency (the Department of Energy's research arm) confirm that nothing in the
House's energy proposals would bring gas prices down. Among other things, this version of H.R. 6 would:

- Make oil and gas development the top priority on our Western public lands, threatening wildlife, communities, air and water
resources, and historic and cultural values;

- Exempt the oil and gas companies from provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act, thus increasing
water pollution from drill sites and saddling communities and residents with clean-up costs; and,

- "Fast track" drilling permits by giving land managers only 30 days to approve detailed and complicated applications while
allowing oil and gas companies up to two years to comply with the rules.

These are just a few of the many destructive provisions crammed into H.R. 6. None of these industry-written provisions will do anything to lower pump prices for gasoline. But they will lower to the vanishing point sensible standards for protecting
America's public lands.

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PLEASE TAKE ACTION NOW!

There is very little time: this dreadful bill could be before the House as early as Tuesday, June 15. Please call or fax
today. You can send a fax to your representative immediately from http://ga1.org/campaign/EnergyJune/78858324innn8

If you'd like to write your own fax, we've included below a sample letter you can draw from. You can find fax numbers and
other congressional contact information at http://ga1.org/wilderness/leg-lookup/search.tcl?domain=wilderness&preview_p=1

SAMPLE LETTER

Dear Representative ___________:

I write to urge you to oppose the energy bills scheduled for consideration on the House floor this week. These bills fail to
meet America's energy needs, but carry countless provisions that endanger this country's wildest, most important natural places. By putting drilling first on America's public lands, these bills promise lasting harm without offering lasting energy solutions.

The Energy Information Agency has confirmed that these bills would do nothing to bring down gas prices. But it is clear that
they would weaken environmental protections on millions of acres of land that belongs to all Americans.

They would hand over billions in taxpayer subsidies and tax breaks to corporate special interests. And they would open the
pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to industrial energy activity that would surely destroy it, all for what at best would be a few months' energy supply for this nation and even that is a decade away from consumers.

Please vote to oppose this ill-conceived energy legislation and to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
(Your name and address)

*****************************************
Visit the web address below to tell your friends about this.
http://ga1.org/wilderness/join-forward.html?domain=wilderness&r=571CYR4111Y3

If you received this message from a friend, you can sign up for the The Wilderness Society Center at:
http://ga1.org/wilderness/join.html?r=571CYR4111Y3E

TO SUBSCRIBE: If you have been forwarded this message and would like to subscribe to this list, you can sign up here:
http://ga1.org/wilderness/join.tcl
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Would you like that in small bills or $l00's???? Or maybe the question is, where would you like YOUR half a billion dollars sent? I have a nifty, little counter on my website, http://findhornwest.topcities.com, showing the cost of the war in Iraq. At last check, just now, it's up to $ll7,630,590,000 with the last six digits increasing in increments too rapid for the eye to keep up with, so let's just round it off to $ll8 BIL and counting.

According to a CIA site (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/us.html) the population of the U.S., as of July, 2003, was 290,342,554, so i figure each of us could have been 'awarded' a HALF A BILLION DOLLARS with a good $60 Bil left over and that's quite enough to run the military for a coupla years, in my estimation and opinion.

If this had been bushie's plan for wealth re-distribution, rather than declaring war by himself and without Congressional mandate, he could have done us all a big favor, we could have sent Unitarians to help restore services in Iraq after Sadaam fell of his own weight (or old age) and the people there might not have gotten to p-o'd at us, our economy would have been in much better shape and bushie might have been installed as premier for life here ~!

The Progressive magazine (see http://www.progressive.org) online, had a great article in the Feb. '04 issue, by U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders, Independent and democratic socialist from Vermont, "We Are the Majority". He asks, "how do we build a political movement in this country that represents all of the people and not a handful of millionaires? The middle class is collapsing, the people on top are making out like bandits, and the poorest poeple are struggling just to keep their heads above water."

Further, he notes that it is not acceptable that the wealthiest 1 percent of the population owns more wealth than the bottom 95 percent -- That's not America. It's not acceptable that the 13,000 wealthiest families in this country earn (sic) more income than the bottom twenty million families.

The largest employer in the U.S. today is not General Motors, but Wal-Mart, paying subsistence wages, minimal benefits and putting small businesses OUT of business -- and being sued in 28 states by workers because the company won't pay overtime due them. In the last three years (bushie's term, btw) we've lost over 2.5 MILLION manufacturing jobs that were paying people decent, middle class wages. Those jobs went to countries where people can't form a union or stand up for their rights. This is not patriotism.

Patriotism would be investing in America and expanding the middle class, rather than corporate amerika saying to hell with our workers and do anything we want for more profits. It's time for the peasants (that would be the former middle-class, now unemployed) to grab their pitchforks and arise -- or at least demand an end to tax breaks for the wealthiest 1% who don't need them, and getting priorities back in right order for the rest of us ~!

It is very tough to be a Republican in 2004, because somehow, you have to believe concurrently that:

1. Jesus loves you, but shares your deep hatred of homosexuals and Hillary Clinton; the "God" you worship distains those who don't know his 'real' name and try to worship someone called "Allah"..

2. The United States should get out of the United Nations, but our highest national priority is enforcing U. N. resolutions against Iraq.

3."Standing Tall for America" means firing your workers and moving their jobs to India.

4. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multinational corporations can make decisions affecting all humankind without regulation.

5. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

6. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

7. Group sex and drug use are degenerate sins, unless you someday run for governor of California as a Republican.

8. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

9. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our longtime allies, but then demand their cooperation and money.

10. HMOs and insurance companies make profits and have the interest of the public at heart.

11. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy. Providing health care to all Americans is socialism.

12. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

13. It is okay that the Bush family's "Carlisle Group" has done millions of business with the Bin Laden family.

14. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him and Rumsfeld reassured him he was our buddy, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, but then a bad guy again when Bush junior needed a prop for his reelection campaign as the "war president"

15. A president lying about an extramarital affair is an impeachable offense. A president lying about WMD existence, to enlist support for an unprovoked, undeclared war and occupation, in which thousands of soldiers and civilians die, is, somehow, solid "defense" policy in a "War against Terrorism".

16. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which should include "banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet".

17. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's Harken Oil stock trade should be sealed in his Daddy's library, and is none of our business.

18. What Bill Clinton or John Kerry did in the 1960s was of vital national interest but what Bush did in the '80s is irrelevant.

19. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a "spirit of international harmony".

20. Affirmative Action is wrong, but it is OK for your Daddy and his friends (here and in Saudi Arabia) to get you to graduate from Yale without studying much; to dodge the draft in the Texas Air National Guard; to bail out your company Harken Oil and the Texas Rangers; to get the Governorship of Texas and then to have the Supreme Court appoint you President of the USA.

21. You are a conservative, but it is OK to spend like there is no tomorrow and run up deficits that your grandchildren will have to pay, while at the same refunding as much tax money as possible to rich people who do not need it.

This illogical behavior can take a toll on a healthy mind. So if a friend of yours has been acting a bit dazed and confused lately, be nice: he or she may be a Republican! (I think the clinical diagnosis for this type of thinking is.... SHITZOPHRENIA ~!)

For your long weekend's reading enjoyment... AlterNet is just chock full of good stuff, this go-round: (I especially enjoyed the interview with Gore Vidal who stated: I spent three years in World War II. I never heard President Roosevelt say – "I'm going to send troops to China. And I will then send them to Southeast Asia." President Roosevelt never said "I." We. We are the United States. We will do this. All together with our allies. We will do this. So, it's "I." I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. How a fool like this can be tolerated in a country whose median I.Q. cannot be much lower than that of
Inner Slovenia, that they allow him to say ridiculous things and get away with it. I have never felt the country is so naked as it is now. There is no official voice. There is no representative government. Congress doesn't represent anybody. And the Supreme Court, I must say, why some of them are not in jail, I don't know. http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18888

RONALD REAGAN, HEDGEHOGS AND THE NOVEMBER ELECTION
Arianna Huffington, AlterNet. Once all the eulogizing for Reagan is over, some powerful lessons will remain for the November election. http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18913

PERSONAL VOICES: AT REAGAN'S SIDE
Roberto Lovato, AlterNet. Having prayed and proselytized for his election in 1984 as a born-again 21-year-old homeboy seeking redemption, the author ponders whether America's 40th president will be among God's Elect in 2004.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18922

RECLAIM THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY
Julian Bond, TomPaine.com. To mainstream politicians, a visit to a black church is about the most outreach to "the black community" they ever make. Because polling data shows race still trumps all other divisions in American electoral politics, this is a mistake for Democrats. *In Rights & Liberties: http://www.alternet.org/rights/

THE LAST NOBLE DEFENDER OF THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC
Juan Gonzalez and Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! Gore Vidal reflects on Imperial America, a place where the president can march through a dry forest starting fires. http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18888

SLUDGE FUNDS
Frank O'Donnell, AlterNet. How the Bush camp is using the EPA to keep its polluting friends happy and its campaign coffers filled. http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18910

PUTTING CORPORATIONS ON THE COUCH
Ted Nace, Dragonfly Review. Like the classic psychopath, corporations are singularly self-interested, manipulative and shallow. A new book applies psychological tests to today's superhuman corporate behemoths.
http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18923

NOT SO KEENE
Thomas Schaller, Gadflyer. What if Bush keeps his conservative base together and still loses?
*In Election 2004: http://www.alternet.org/election04/

CHICKENS INTO OIL
John Gartner, AlterNet. In the quest for renewable energy sources, anything is fair game -- even fowl. Are chickens the fuel of the future? http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18871

Remembering... When the funeral cortege for JFK was aired, live on T.V., I was a freshman in college, still living at home with my widowed mom. We didn't have a television set, so on that national day of mourning, we gathered with five cousins in their den to watch the small, black and white set, in 'real time'. It was a quite a somber event -- almost numbing. Whether it was the after-shock of the murder in Dallas, the sight of little John-John saluting his father's casket, or the sight of the lovely Jackie Kenney, hidden behind a short, black veil, there was a shared, national period of grief and mourning. We all felt the loss and it was our funeral.

Nothing like this was supposed to happen in a 'free' country -- not mine, anyway. November, 1963, was warm, bright and sunny in West Texas -- but life FELT gray -- very, very gray, right down to the grainy, black and white pictures of the riderless horse on T.V.

Juxtopose that to the hype and hollywood-type production aired last evening for Reagan -- full color, but no where near the intensity the nation felt 31 years ago (imho). But gawd knows they tried -- over-tried if you ask me. It seemed a lot less "stately" and a great deal more like a tedious, over-budgeted, made-for-TV-movie, almost resembling the Rose Bowl parade, what with all the bands. Ronnie would have been proud (since he scripted it that way).

Now, for some poop on the real war heroes returning home... has anyone noticed the body-count seems to be declining, despite the ongoing killing of our troops in Iraq? More republicrat revisionist math, this time. The civilians don't seem to matter, but one site purportedly keeps a tally: civilian body count, killed by bushie in iraq -- around l0,000 plus or minus. http://www.iraqbodycount.net/bodycount.htm

"There are no public ceremonies for the dead coming back through the military receiving center in Dover, Del.
The flights of wounded personnel heading for Walter Reed often arrive at night at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
The wounded are brought back after midnight, making sure the press does not see the planes coming in," U.S. Sen.
Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said recently on the Senate floor. "These are not a broken wrist or scratched leg.
These are terrible wounds: lost limbs, lost eyesight, lifetime disabilities." ~ Denver Post

As the list of fatalities from Iraq grows, Dover has quietly become busier than ever, taxed with a pace not seen since
Vietnam. A new facility opened late last month and is already staffed round-the-clock, seven days a week. ~ Hampton Roads

U.S. Soldiers Named Dead: *834 June 2nd 2004 (one report i got said only 600 killed, since they are no longer counting those who died 'later', not in direct combat or suicided). 69 Teenage soldiers killed - Majority of dead in early 20's - 20 females killed - Youngest 18 yrs, oldest 59yrs

Am i living in a parallel universe OR WHAT ???

Remembering the Dead: Reagan Foreign Policy From the Target End

We continue our week-long series "Remembering the Dead" focusing on the policies of Reagan's administration. The history of his 8 years in power represented one of the most bloody eras in the history of the Western hemisphere as Washington funneled money, weapons and other supplies to right wing death squads. We look at Reagan's foreign policy in Central America from the target end with former Nicaraguan foreign minister Fr. Miguel D'Escoto, congressional medal of honor winner Charlie Litkey and veteran investigate journalist Allan Nairn.

I mean, gimme a break -- Reaganomics was voo-doo then, and it's doo-doo now. I'm still WAITING for MY 'trickle' to trickle down. And I don't want no Ronnie Reagan staring back at me from any ten or twenty dollar bill, or even one thin dime -- I'd rather have a government that works FOR the people who pay the taxes ~! NOT homage to some "nice man" who finally breathed his last ten years after his brain died but managed to institute the biggest tax cu