-
It's that time of year again - our ISP is asking for money. If you have some spare change, please click the Donate link... Thanks!
- About Us
- Search
- Need Help?
- Donate
- Login/Register
Latest Entries
Actions Menu
Blog Roll
- 4F Facebook Page
- Turn Up The Night with Kenny Pick
- Stephanie Miller Show
- The Tim Corrimal Show
- The Rachel Maddow Show
- Angry Americans with Paul Rieckhoff
- Thom Hartmann Program
- Turnips! Fans of Turn Up the Night Facebook Page
- Snopes.com
- Factcheck.org
- Official White House Page, if you must.
- The Brad Blog / Green News Report
- The Poorly Written Political Blog (Joe Santorsa)
Ten Years On.
Author: TriSec
Date: 03/19/2013 10:26:47
Good Morning.
It's been 3,653 days since we invaded Iraq on false pretenses. This morning, it's worth reviewing our losses in blood and treasure. As always, the numbers come to us courtesy of Antiwar.com:
American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4,488
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4,347
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3,627
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 256
Since Operation New Dawn: 66
Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 319
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448
We find this morning's cost of war in Iraq passing through:
$ 812, 049, 295, 000 .00
It's worth pondering that this war has taken us longer than the war to secure our own independence....or to defeat fascism....or things like inventing the atomic bomb or putting man on the moon.
But let's take a look at a couple of things. Do you remember what we were promised? Iraqi citizens would greet us as liberators. Our troops wouldn't have to fire a shot. Once free of tyranny, Iraqi society would flourish and rejoin the global community. Once we left, the news from Iraq virtually disappeared from our media. But we don't have to live with what we wrought on a daily basis. The story from Iraq is a different matter entirely.
But that's just one aspect of what we started a decade ago now. The other ramification is our long-term presence there. To step back slightly, take a look at the island of Okinawa. We're coming up on the 68th anniversary of that invasion. The Marines never left, and there's been a longtime chafing of the residents, not to mention years of criminal events perpetrated by our own soldiers. But that's a blog for another day. Nay, we are considering what might be going on in Iraq 58 years from now. America has once again become the elephant in the room.
But that is the legacy of one war in one region. We've been in another place even longer, and while it's all about Iraq today, I don't want to neglect our other conflict here, either.
Today is our 4,181st day in Afghanistan. While our costs in blood have been far less in this part of the world, it's still too expensive.
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 2,178
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,080
Nor is it cheap in treasure, as we find the cost of Afghanistan passing through:
$622, 217, 125, 000 .00
There's undoubtedly going to be much analysis, and perhaps some rending of garments and gnashing of teeth from certain pundits today, for whatever reason. As I ponder that "Ask A Vet" will soon be entering it's 9th year this April, I'll leave you with something Dr. Maddow said about the war long ago now.
"The Iraq War won't truly end until the last, tortured veteran dies screaming in his sleep perhaps 70 years from now."
It's been 3,653 days since we invaded Iraq on false pretenses. This morning, it's worth reviewing our losses in blood and treasure. As always, the numbers come to us courtesy of Antiwar.com:
American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4,488
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4,347
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3,627
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 256
Since Operation New Dawn: 66
Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 319
Contractor Employee Deaths - Iraq: 1,487
Journalists - Iraq : 348
Academics Killed - Iraq: 448
We find this morning's cost of war in Iraq passing through:
It's worth pondering that this war has taken us longer than the war to secure our own independence....or to defeat fascism....or things like inventing the atomic bomb or putting man on the moon.
But let's take a look at a couple of things. Do you remember what we were promised? Iraqi citizens would greet us as liberators. Our troops wouldn't have to fire a shot. Once free of tyranny, Iraqi society would flourish and rejoin the global community. Once we left, the news from Iraq virtually disappeared from our media. But we don't have to live with what we wrought on a daily basis. The story from Iraq is a different matter entirely.
BAGHDAD -- The Christian doctors and engineers who once populated Baghdad's Wehda neighborhood are long gone. Offices and shops have taken over the once-elegant district, and few members of the community who used to dominate the area remain.
The well-off professionals began to leave Wehda during the 1980s war against Iran, but the years of civil war, ethnic cleansing and rampant corruption that followed the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq sealed its decline.
"After 2003, the situation for Christians gravely deteriorated," says Sarmad Matta, a 38-year-old Christian shopkeeper in the district. "They became an easy target for the armed groups, and thousands were killed or injured or abducted."
Highly qualified doctors, engineers, and university lecturers have been among the hundreds of thousands fleeing Iraq since 2003.
Shiite and Sunni Muslims have also left the country, while others sought refuge in different parts of Iraq. They feared violence at the hands of al-Qaeda and the militias linked to the new political forces.
Thousands were killed, giving bloody proof that those who fled had well-founded fears.
"We lived through hard days, and we lost brothers and family in shootings, bombings and kidnappings. Now we fear that things will stay this way in Iraq," Sarmad says.
Not all Iraqis lost out in the aftermath of the war.
For some, such as one former trader, who asks to be known only as Abu Sajad, the changes opened many doors.
"Before 2003 I had a small business as a trader in Baghdad," he confides, "but after Saddam fell things changed, and people close to me got into power, so I have been able to get various government positions. I was also able to return to university and get a doctorate, which was something I had never dreamed of before."
The father-of-five now lives in an upper-class neighbourhood that was once the preserve of high-ranking army officers under toppled leader Saddam Hussein, who was eventually hanged by the new Iraqi government.
Abu Sajad owns several SUVs, and his house is surrounded by tight security.
Over the last decade, Iraqis have seen the emergence of a parliamentary democracy, but also the spread of violence and extremism.
A decade after the fall of Saddam's regime, building a modern civil state is still an aspiration for many Iraqi politicians.
"We were expecting our dream of change to come true and to build a stable Iraqi state based on law and thought and institutions and constitutional organs," says former interior minister Jawad al-Bolany.
"Some of those hopes have been realized, but many of them need a new, open-minded vision."
The current political model was hurriedly thrown together in dangerous political and security conditions.
Most political forces draw their backing from one sectarian or ethnic bloc -- either the Shiite Arab majority or the Sunni Arab and Kurdish minorities.
"We need to move away from the sectarian discourse," al-Bolany argues. "It opened up the political field to party and religious quotas and has facilitated extremist groups in committing crimes under many different names."
One of the causes of anger among the Sunni Arabs -- the group to whom Saddam Hussein belonged -- is the de-Baathification law.
The Accountability and Justice Law, as it is officially known, bans many officials of Saddam's former ruling party from a huge range of public offices.
"After all these years, we need an honest and courageous reappraisal," argues Abdel-Khadr Taher, a parliamentarian of the secular-leaning Iraqiya political bloc.
"We need national reconciliation, and we need to spread a culture of tolerance and openness and to put the past behind us. We can benefit from similar experiences in Romania and South Africa."
But that's just one aspect of what we started a decade ago now. The other ramification is our long-term presence there. To step back slightly, take a look at the island of Okinawa. We're coming up on the 68th anniversary of that invasion. The Marines never left, and there's been a longtime chafing of the residents, not to mention years of criminal events perpetrated by our own soldiers. But that's a blog for another day. Nay, we are considering what might be going on in Iraq 58 years from now. America has once again become the elephant in the room.
AMMAN -- From the streets of Cairo to the battlefields in Syria, the legacy of the 2003 invasion of Iraq still looms large in the Arab world, as regional power balances continue to shift 10 years on, according to analysts.
The decision by U.S.-led powers to oust Iraqi strongman Saddam Hussein has had a direct impact on the so-called Arab Spring uprisings that have swept across the region in the past two years.
"The greatest lesson the Iraq war taught the Arab street was 'don't count on the West' to solve your problems," said Oraib Rintawi of the Amman-based al-Quds Centre of Political Studies.
Suspicions over U.S. intentions in the region, sparked by the aftermath of the Iraq invasion, have prompted political movements in the Arab world to distance themselves from the West and project themselves as home grown.
Opposition movements in post-Arab Spring countries such as Tunisia and Egypt have begun to label ruling Islamists as "agents of the West."
"Once seen as enemies of the West, Islamists are being accused of carrying out Western agendas and the status quo," Rintawi told dpa. "After the Iraq war, being associated with the US is as good as political suicide."
US Secretary of State John Kerry's recent Cairo visit his snubbed by opposition figures, even as he encouraged them to reconsider boycotting upcoming parliamentary elections.
One of the biggest legacies of the invasion is a struggle between Sunni and Shiite powers seeking influence.
By ousting Saddam's Sunni-dominated regime, Western powers removed the sole counterbalance to Shiite Iran, sparking Tehran's battle for regional dominance with Saudi Arabia -- a Sunni heavyweight.
The rivalry has spawned proxy wars and political standoffs stretching from Iraq to Lebanon.
"There is no question that the Iraq war not only bolstered Iran but regionalized tensions between Sunni and Shiite powers," said Mustafa al-Sayyed, political science professor at Cairo University.
The Saudi and Iranian post-Iraq war sparring for regional supremacy has given rise to a host of political realignments. Tehran and Riyadh bankroll and support proxy Sunni and Shiite militant groups in Lebanon, Iraq and currently in Syria.
"If Saddam had still been in power, many of these conflicts would never have occurred," al-Sayyed told dpa.
One of the greatest impacts of the war continues to be felt in the halls of power in Washington, London and Brussels, where decision-makers have been deterred from additional military interventions in the Arab world.
Analysts claim that the Iraq invasion and subsequent years of deadly sectarian unrest in the country have discouraged the West from military intervention in Syria, a move they say has unnecessarily extended the country's two-year conflict.
"Fears of a second Iraq have led to weak Western positions on Syria, and the Syrian regime has taken advantage of these fears," said Nadim Shehadi, a fellow at the London-based Chattham House think-tank.
Growing influence of jihadist rebels in Syria and the sectarian nature of President Bashar al-Assad's regime has led many Western leaders to draw the "wrong parallels" with Iraq, according to Shehadi, discouraging the US and Europe from arming rebel forces.
"Many Western leaders look at Syria and believe they are looking at another Iraq waiting to unravel," Shehadi said. "Rather than learning the right lessons from the invasion and supporting home-grown opposition movements, they are allowing the conflict to spiral into chaos."
But that is the legacy of one war in one region. We've been in another place even longer, and while it's all about Iraq today, I don't want to neglect our other conflict here, either.
Today is our 4,181st day in Afghanistan. While our costs in blood have been far less in this part of the world, it's still too expensive.
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 2,178
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 1,080
Nor is it cheap in treasure, as we find the cost of Afghanistan passing through:
There's undoubtedly going to be much analysis, and perhaps some rending of garments and gnashing of teeth from certain pundits today, for whatever reason. As I ponder that "Ask A Vet" will soon be entering it's 9th year this April, I'll leave you with something Dr. Maddow said about the war long ago now.
"The Iraq War won't truly end until the last, tortured veteran dies screaming in his sleep perhaps 70 years from now."
Comments:
Order comments Newest to Oldest Refresh Comments
Comment by 
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 12:58:38
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 12:58:38
Found out last night that Mark Burnett isn't:
A fundie.
Supports Obama.
A fundie.
Supports Obama.
Comment by 
wickedpam on 03/19/2013 13:13:24
wickedpam on 03/19/2013 13:13:24
Morning 
Comment by wickedpam on 03/19/2013 13:14:27
that's good to hear, I don't want to have to cut out watching Survivor (yes I still watch after 26 seasons I can't help myself)
wickedpam on 03/19/2013 13:14:27
Quote by Mondobubba:
Found out last night that Mark Burnett isn't:
A fundie.
Supports Obama.
that's good to hear, I don't want to have to cut out watching Survivor (yes I still watch after 26 seasons I can't help myself)
Comment by 
BobR on 03/19/2013 13:24:25
BobR on 03/19/2013 13:24:25
I fully expected a good Ask-A-Vet segment today, and was not disappointed. Happy fucking anniversary. Can we put the Bush administration in jail now please?
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 13:26:25
Mala, there is hope. I am a recovering reality TV fan. The first step is admitting you have a problem.
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 13:26:25
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
Found out last night that Mark Burnett isn't:
A fundie.
Supports Obama.
that's good to hear, I don't want to have to cut out watching Survivor (yes I still watch after 26 seasons I can't help myself)
Mala, there is hope. I am a recovering reality TV fan. The first step is admitting you have a problem.
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 13:26:49
Yes please!
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 13:26:49
Quote by BobR:
I fully expected a good Ask-A-Vet segment today, and was not disappointed. Happy fucking anniversary. Can we put the Bush administration in jail now please?
Yes please!
Comment by wickedpam on 03/19/2013 13:29:36
Problem? I don't have a problem *stuffs copies of Duck Dynasty, Jersylicious and Amazing Race into blog closet*
wickedpam on 03/19/2013 13:29:36
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
Found out last night that Mark Burnett isn't:
A fundie.
Supports Obama.
that's good to hear, I don't want to have to cut out watching Survivor (yes I still watch after 26 seasons I can't help myself)
Mala, there is hope. I am a recovering reality TV fan. The first step is admitting you have a problem.
Problem? I don't have a problem *stuffs copies of Duck Dynasty, Jersylicious and Amazing Race into blog closet*
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 13:31:03
On, honey! Denial is such a horrible thing. :grouphug:
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 13:31:03
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
Found out last night that Mark Burnett isn't:
A fundie.
Supports Obama.
that's good to hear, I don't want to have to cut out watching Survivor (yes I still watch after 26 seasons I can't help myself)
Mala, there is hope. I am a recovering reality TV fan. The first step is admitting you have a problem.
Problem? I don't have a problem *stuffs copies of Duck Dynasty, Jersylicious and Amazing Race into blog closet*
On, honey! Denial is such a horrible thing. :grouphug:
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 13:35:42
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 13:35:42
Dear Republican, if you are trying to change your image, don't call POTUS a "socialist." Mmmmkay?
Pretty scrambly on your clarification there Henry! :eyeroll: :mutters: Mook.
Pretty scrambly on your clarification there Henry! :eyeroll: :mutters: Mook.
Comment by wickedpam on 03/19/2013 13:36:27
I deny that I'm denying anything, I can quite anytime
Haven't watched Storage Wars in weeks, see I can stop. 
wickedpam on 03/19/2013 13:36:27
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
Found out last night that Mark Burnett isn't:
A fundie.
Supports Obama.
that's good to hear, I don't want to have to cut out watching Survivor (yes I still watch after 26 seasons I can't help myself)
Mala, there is hope. I am a recovering reality TV fan. The first step is admitting you have a problem.
Problem? I don't have a problem *stuffs copies of Duck Dynasty, Jersylicious and Amazing Race into blog closet*
I deny that I'm denying anything, I can quite anytime
Haven't watched Storage Wars in weeks, see I can stop.
Comment by 
Raine on 03/19/2013 13:50:07
Good Morning...
Raine on 03/19/2013 13:50:07
Good Morning...
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:13:06
Mala we care about you, we want you to be the master of your own recovery. Come, take that first step. You are in a safe place.
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:13:06
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Mondobubba:
Found out last night that Mark Burnett isn't:
A fundie.
Supports Obama.
that's good to hear, I don't want to have to cut out watching Survivor (yes I still watch after 26 seasons I can't help myself)
Mala, there is hope. I am a recovering reality TV fan. The first step is admitting you have a problem.
Problem? I don't have a problem *stuffs copies of Duck Dynasty, Jersylicious and Amazing Race into blog closet*
I deny that I'm denying anything, I can quite anytime
Mala we care about you, we want you to be the master of your own recovery. Come, take that first step. You are in a safe place.
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 14:15:33
Raine on 03/19/2013 14:15:33
Bad news out of Nevada...
Seven Marines were killed and seven people injured during a training exercise at a military ammunition storage facility in western Nevada, military officials said Tuesday.
(snip)
Hawthorne Army Depot is a 147,000-acre site used for the storage and destruction of demilitarized ammunition.
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:15:48
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:15:48
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:24:02
"Vascular Injuries" I think that is rather vague euphemism for limb blown off.
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:24:02
Quote by Raine:
Bad news out of Nevada...Seven Marines were killed and seven people injured during a training exercise at a military ammunition storage facility in western Nevada, military officials said Tuesday.
(snip)
Hawthorne Army Depot is a 147,000-acre site used for the storage and destruction of demilitarized ammunition.
"Vascular Injuries" I think that is rather vague euphemism for limb blown off.
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 14:27:55
Raine on 03/19/2013 14:27:55
Quote by Mondobubba:These Marines have been ripped to shreds.Quote by Raine:
Bad news out of Nevada...Seven Marines were killed and seven people injured during a training exercise at a military ammunition storage facility in western Nevada, military officials said Tuesday.
(snip)
Hawthorne Army Depot is a 147,000-acre site used for the storage and destruction of demilitarized ammunition.
"Vascular Injuries" I think that is rather vague euphemism for limb blown off.
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:29:23
Yep.
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:29:23
Quote by Raine:Quote by Mondobubba:These Marines have been ripped to shreds.Quote by Raine:
Bad news out of Nevada...Seven Marines were killed and seven people injured during a training exercise at a military ammunition storage facility in western Nevada, military officials said Tuesday.
(snip)
Hawthorne Army Depot is a 147,000-acre site used for the storage and destruction of demilitarized ammunition.
"Vascular Injuries" I think that is rather vague euphemism for limb blown off.
Yep.
Comment by 
TriSec on 03/19/2013 14:30:59
TriSec on 03/19/2013 14:30:59
Morning, comrades.
Back from Painful Torture and Other Torture this morning, then just spent 45 minutes digging out my parking space because our faillord hasn't sent a plow 'round yet.
Curious driving in other cities this morning. Waltham still looks like mounds of white shit, but Belmont, Watertown, and Cambridge were all down to bare pavement by 8:30 am.
FCHP got it right today - they delayed until noon right out of the gate. So I will be working from home for the rest of the day, and I probably get to have a Guinness with lunch, too!
Back from Painful Torture and Other Torture this morning, then just spent 45 minutes digging out my parking space because our faillord hasn't sent a plow 'round yet.
Curious driving in other cities this morning. Waltham still looks like mounds of white shit, but Belmont, Watertown, and Cambridge were all down to bare pavement by 8:30 am.
FCHP got it right today - they delayed until noon right out of the gate. So I will be working from home for the rest of the day, and I probably get to have a Guinness with lunch, too!
Comment by BobR on 03/19/2013 14:31:07
BobR on 03/19/2013 14:31:07
OT: This quote came across my desk this morning, and I think it shows just how long renewable energy has been marginalized:
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (1847-1931)
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (1847-1931)
Comment by TriSec on 03/19/2013 14:32:41
Oh yes, 'tis been dominating the local news for 2 days now. After at, it is BOSTON here!
* ducks brick *
(Footnote: at the time of the robbery, I worked just 2 blocks away from this museum. Curiously, I've never been.)
TriSec on 03/19/2013 14:32:41
Quote by Mondobubba:
Hey Tri, new leads in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Robbery
Oh yes, 'tis been dominating the local news for 2 days now. After at, it is BOSTON here!
* ducks brick *
(Footnote: at the time of the robbery, I worked just 2 blocks away from this museum. Curiously, I've never been.)
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 14:45:26
It's amazing to me -- Just amazing that we had such an opportunity with Edison and Ford and renewable energy.
Raine on 03/19/2013 14:45:26
Quote by BobR:
OT: This quote came across my desk this morning, and I think it shows just how long renewable energy has been marginalized:
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (1847-1931)
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 14:49:07
Raine on 03/19/2013 14:49:07
And now, something to make a smile come upon your face.....
The House Across From Westboro Baptist Is Getting a Rainbow Pride Paint Job Right Now
The House Across From Westboro Baptist Is Getting a Rainbow Pride Paint Job Right Now
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:58:37
I wonder when Edison said that. I mean Nikola Freakin' Tesla was a big believer in renewable energy as well. The Oatmeal on Tesla!
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 14:58:37
Quote by Raine:It's amazing to me -- Just amazing that we had such an opportunity with Edison and Ford and renewable energy.Quote by BobR:
OT: This quote came across my desk this morning, and I think it shows just how long renewable energy has been marginalized:
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (1847-1931)
I wonder when Edison said that. I mean Nikola Freakin' Tesla was a big believer in renewable energy as well. The Oatmeal on Tesla!
Comment by wickedpam on 03/19/2013 15:00:07
I wish I was a brave as people who do these kinds of things.
wickedpam on 03/19/2013 15:00:07
Quote by Raine:
And now, something to make a smile come upon your face.....
The House Across From Westboro Baptist Is Getting a Rainbow Pride Paint Job Right Now
I wish I was a brave as people who do these kinds of things.
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 15:03:13
best of the comments: "When he's done, can I buy this house? It's always been my dream to live in a rainbow-colored house. Maybe with some unicorn statues on the front lawn."
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 15:03:13
Quote by Raine:
And now, something to make a smile come upon your face.....
The House Across From Westboro Baptist Is Getting a Rainbow Pride Paint Job Right Now
best of the comments: "When he's done, can I buy this house? It's always been my dream to live in a rainbow-colored house. Maybe with some unicorn statues on the front lawn."
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 15:09:24
I forgot to mention Firestone:
Raine on 03/19/2013 15:09:24
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:It's amazing to me -- Just amazing that we had such an opportunity with Edison and Ford and renewable energy.Quote by BobR:
OT: This quote came across my desk this morning, and I think it shows just how long renewable energy has been marginalized:
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (1847-1931)
I wonder when Edison said that. I mean Nikola Freakin' Tesla was a big believer in renewable energy as well. The Oatmeal on Tesla!
In conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone (1931); as quoted in Uncommon Friends : Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel & Charles Lindbergh (1987) by James Newton, p. 31
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 15:28:13
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 15:28:13
The Top 10 Craziest Things at CPAC
My personal favorite is number 3. I saw a clip of the Geller Taitz crazy off on Tweety's show last night when I was at the gym.
My personal favorite is number 3. I saw a clip of the Geller Taitz crazy off on Tweety's show last night when I was at the gym.
Comment by 
Will in Chicago on 03/19/2013 15:33:09
Will in Chicago on 03/19/2013 15:33:09
Good morning, bloggers!!
TriSec, thanks for a great blog. As I reflect on this anniversary of the Iraq War, I must ask how we came to it. Bush had a great sales person in Colin Powell, a man who gave him credibility. We have seen thousands of American dead, estimates of over 100,000 Iraqi dead and many shattered lives.
War should not be the means that a politician uses to gain political power and influence. So, my hope is that we will see the perpetrators of this needless war brought to the bar of justice. (If any other country had gone to war on these pretenses, we would have objected.)
I am not sure if people saw this late on yesterday's blog, but my great niece Emily Rose did not need esophagus surgery. The x-ray that indicated that there was an obstruction was wrong. As I think about her, I also reflect on how many innocents have died or been harmed in a needless war. May they be in our thoughts and prayers this day.
TriSec, thanks for a great blog. As I reflect on this anniversary of the Iraq War, I must ask how we came to it. Bush had a great sales person in Colin Powell, a man who gave him credibility. We have seen thousands of American dead, estimates of over 100,000 Iraqi dead and many shattered lives.
War should not be the means that a politician uses to gain political power and influence. So, my hope is that we will see the perpetrators of this needless war brought to the bar of justice. (If any other country had gone to war on these pretenses, we would have objected.)
I am not sure if people saw this late on yesterday's blog, but my great niece Emily Rose did not need esophagus surgery. The x-ray that indicated that there was an obstruction was wrong. As I think about her, I also reflect on how many innocents have died or been harmed in a needless war. May they be in our thoughts and prayers this day.
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 16:19:52
Raine on 03/19/2013 16:19:52
This is f*cking sick.
Two girls ages 15 and 16 were arraigned in the Jefferson County Ohio courthouse this morning after being charged with threatening (via the internet) the Steubenville teen rape victim known as Jane Doe.
These threats came on the heels of the conviction of Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays for the rape of Jane Doe in August 2012. Trent Mays was also found to be guilty of distributing a nude image of a minor.
The teen girls who made the threats are facing a felony-three intimidation of a witness, a misdemeanor-one of aggravated menacing, and misdemeanor-one of telecommunication harassment.
Comment by wickedpam on 03/19/2013 16:23:45
are these girls from her area or did they find her because Fox put her name out there?
wickedpam on 03/19/2013 16:23:45
Quote by Raine:
This is f*cking sick.Two girls ages 15 and 16 were arraigned in the Jefferson County Ohio courthouse this morning after being charged with threatening (via the internet) the Steubenville teen rape victim known as Jane Doe.
These threats came on the heels of the conviction of Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays for the rape of Jane Doe in August 2012. Trent Mays was also found to be guilty of distributing a nude image of a minor.
The teen girls who made the threats are facing a felony-three intimidation of a witness, a misdemeanor-one of aggravated menacing, and misdemeanor-one of telecommunication harassment.
are these girls from her area or did they find her because Fox put her name out there?
Comment by 
livingonli on 03/19/2013 16:31:55
livingonli on 03/19/2013 16:31:55
Good day, folks. I just wish that the Iraq War's Pentagon Papers could get leaked out and especially the Cheney energy hearings where allegedly Cheney and the oil companies were plotting to carve up Iraq's oil reserves after the US invaded since there is more than enough evidence that Bush planned to invade Iraq even before he took office.
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 16:36:11
People of Stubenville, stop blaming the GD victim. I'm sorry if the jock rape culture of your high school heroes has been uncovered. It is not this young woman's fault. It is the fault of these assholes you worshiped.
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 16:36:11
Quote by Raine:
This is f*cking sick.Two girls ages 15 and 16 were arraigned in the Jefferson County Ohio courthouse this morning after being charged with threatening (via the internet) the Steubenville teen rape victim known as Jane Doe.
These threats came on the heels of the conviction of Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays for the rape of Jane Doe in August 2012. Trent Mays was also found to be guilty of distributing a nude image of a minor.
The teen girls who made the threats are facing a felony-three intimidation of a witness, a misdemeanor-one of aggravated menacing, and misdemeanor-one of telecommunication harassment.
People of Stubenville, stop blaming the GD victim. I'm sorry if the jock rape culture of your high school heroes has been uncovered. It is not this young woman's fault. It is the fault of these assholes you worshiped.
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 16:49:41
They are from the area. They are Stuebenville.
Raine on 03/19/2013 16:49:41
Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
This is f*cking sick.Two girls ages 15 and 16 were arraigned in the Jefferson County Ohio courthouse this morning after being charged with threatening (via the internet) the Steubenville teen rape victim known as Jane Doe.
These threats came on the heels of the conviction of Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays for the rape of Jane Doe in August 2012. Trent Mays was also found to be guilty of distributing a nude image of a minor.
The teen girls who made the threats are facing a felony-three intimidation of a witness, a misdemeanor-one of aggravated menacing, and misdemeanor-one of telecommunication harassment.
are these girls from her area or did they find her because Fox put her name out there?
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 16:50:19
Not a big fan of Ford or Lindburgh. Both of them very antisemitic. Ford was also a control freak who used his right hand man, Harry Bennett to block the UAW from organizing Ford. See Battle of the Overpass.
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 16:50:19
Quote by Raine:I forgot to mention Firestone:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:It's amazing to me -- Just amazing that we had such an opportunity with Edison and Ford and renewable energy.Quote by BobR:
OT: This quote came across my desk this morning, and I think it shows just how long renewable energy has been marginalized:
We are like tenant farmers chopping down the fence around our house for fuel when we should be using Nature's inexhaustible sources of energy -- sun, wind and tide. ... I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy. What a source of power! I hope we don't have to wait until oil and coal run out before we tackle that. -Thomas Edison, inventor (1847-1931)
I wonder when Edison said that. I mean Nikola Freakin' Tesla was a big believer in renewable energy as well. The Oatmeal on Tesla!In conversation with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone (1931); as quoted in Uncommon Friends : Life with Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone, Alexis Carrel & Charles Lindbergh (1987) by James Newton, p. 31
Not a big fan of Ford or Lindburgh. Both of them very antisemitic. Ford was also a control freak who used his right hand man, Harry Bennett to block the UAW from organizing Ford. See Battle of the Overpass.
Comment by wickedpam on 03/19/2013 17:07:18
I swear are parents actually teaching kids morals and ethics anymore? Teens are mean in general but this current generation just seems absolutely awful!
wickedpam on 03/19/2013 17:07:18
Quote by Raine:They are from the area. They are Stuebenville.Quote by wickedpam:Quote by Raine:
This is f*cking sick.Two girls ages 15 and 16 were arraigned in the Jefferson County Ohio courthouse this morning after being charged with threatening (via the internet) the Steubenville teen rape victim known as Jane Doe.
These threats came on the heels of the conviction of Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays for the rape of Jane Doe in August 2012. Trent Mays was also found to be guilty of distributing a nude image of a minor.
The teen girls who made the threats are facing a felony-three intimidation of a witness, a misdemeanor-one of aggravated menacing, and misdemeanor-one of telecommunication harassment.
are these girls from her area or did they find her because Fox put her name out there?
I swear are parents actually teaching kids morals and ethics anymore? Teens are mean in general but this current generation just seems absolutely awful!
Comment by BobR on 03/19/2013 19:16:24
BobR on 03/19/2013 19:16:24
I posted this on the facebook page, but here is why we were down:
The problem is a job I have that parses the keywords. It apparently eats up a lot of CPU, and others on the shared server were complaining about slowness, so we got booted.
I already pay over $100/yr out of my own pocket, and I am not going to pay more for a dedicated DB server. So - I've deactivated the job that creates the keywords for searches.
Since searches aren't something that anyone uses very much, I will likely disable to the keywords entirely, and use a standard search query that isn't quire as "smart". It will take longer when running searches, but it will keep us from getting booted again.
The problem is a job I have that parses the keywords. It apparently eats up a lot of CPU, and others on the shared server were complaining about slowness, so we got booted.
I already pay over $100/yr out of my own pocket, and I am not going to pay more for a dedicated DB server. So - I've deactivated the job that creates the keywords for searches.
Since searches aren't something that anyone uses very much, I will likely disable to the keywords entirely, and use a standard search query that isn't quire as "smart". It will take longer when running searches, but it will keep us from getting booted again.
Scoopster
Comment by TriSec on 03/19/2013 20:39:03
TriSec on 03/19/2013 20:39:03
I have just described an egg as "meat Force". It penetrates the meat, surrounds it, and binds the cheeseburger together.
I must be cautious though, as overheating, inattention, and distraction lead to the dark side [of the burger.]
I must be cautious though, as overheating, inattention, and distraction lead to the dark side [of the burger.]
Comment by Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 21:04:06
I likee!
Mondobubba on 03/19/2013 21:04:06
Quote by TriSec:
I have just described an egg as "meat Force". It penetrates the meat, surrounds it, and binds the cheeseburger together.
I must be cautious though, as overheating, inattention, and distraction lead to the dark side [of the burger.]
I likee!
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 22:04:13
I don't mind having a longer search. Lately I have found tht doing a search with Fourfreedomsblog and the term I am seeking to be helpful.
Plus, I like seeing our site up there in the google search.
Raine on 03/19/2013 22:04:13
Quote by BobR:
I posted this on the facebook page, but here is why we were down:
The problem is a job I have that parses the keywords. It apparently eats up a lot of CPU, and others on the shared server were complaining about slowness, so we got booted.
I already pay over $100/yr out of my own pocket, and I am not going to pay more for a dedicated DB server. So - I've deactivated the job that creates the keywords for searches.
Since searches aren't something that anyone uses very much, I will likely disable to the keywords entirely, and use a standard search query that isn't quire as "smart". It will take longer when running searches, but it will keep us from getting booted again.
Plus, I like seeing our site up there in the google search.
Comment by Raine on 03/19/2013 22:09:44
Sadly -- these neocon POS's have basically said these things in the past 10 years.
Where is Cheney today? Is he slowly stroking his taxpayer funded heart?
Raine on 03/19/2013 22:09:44
Quote by Scoopster:
Oh Onion.. why do you mirror reality so well?
Sadly -- these neocon POS's have basically said these things in the past 10 years.
Where is Cheney today? Is he slowly stroking his taxpayer funded heart?
Comment by Will in Chicago on 03/20/2013 02:13:14
Will in Chicago on 03/20/2013 02:13:14
A veteran of the Iraq War, who sadly will die soon, has penned his last letter to former President George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney. It is a very powerful letter that expresses a vetran's anger and frustration over a war that took so much from him and others. This originally ran in Truthdig.
The Last Letter
A Message to George W. Bush and Dick Cheney From a Dying Veteran
To: George W. Bush and Dick Cheney
From: Tomas Young
I write this letter on the 10th anniversary of the Iraq War on behalf of my fellow Iraq War veterans. I write this letter on behalf of the 4,488 soldiers and Marines who died in Iraq. I write this letter on behalf of the hundreds of thousands of veterans who have been wounded and on behalf of those whose wounds, physical and psychological, have destroyed their lives. I am one of those gravely wounded. I was paralyzed in an insurgent ambush in 2004 in Sadr City. My life is coming to an end. I am living under hospice care.
I write this letter on behalf of husbands and wives who have lost spouses, on behalf of children who have lost a parent, on behalf of the fathers and mothers who have lost sons and daughters and on behalf of those who care for the many thousands of my fellow veterans who have brain injuries. I write this letter on behalf of those veterans whose trauma and self-revulsion for what they have witnessed, endured and done in Iraq have led to suicide and on behalf of the active-duty soldiers and Marines who commit, on average, a suicide a day. I write this letter on behalf of the some 1 million Iraqi dead and on behalf of the countless Iraqi wounded. I write this letter on behalf of us all—the human detritus your war has left behind, those who will spend their lives in unending pain and grief.
I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney. I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole.
Your positions of authority, your millions of dollars of personal wealth, your public relations consultants, your privilege and your power cannot mask the hollowness of your character. You sent us to fight and die in Iraq after you, Mr. Cheney, dodged the draft in Vietnam, and you, Mr. Bush, went AWOL from your National Guard unit. Your cowardice and selfishness were established decades ago. You were not willing to risk yourselves for our nation but you sent hundreds of thousands of young men and women to be sacrificed in a senseless war with no more thought than it takes to put out the garbage.