Good Morning.

Today is our 2,204th day in Iraq.

We'll start this morning as we always do, with the latest casualty figures from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, courtesy of antiwar.com:

American Deaths
Since war began (3/19/03): 4261
Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03): 4122
Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3799
Since Handover (6/29/04): 3403
Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 32

Other Coalition Troops - Iraq: 318
US Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 671
Other Military Deaths - Afghanistan: 449
Journalists - Iraq: 139
Contractor Deaths - Iraq: 1264

We find this morning's cost of war passing through:

$ 609, 424, 500, 000 .00

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66 comments (Latest Comment: 04/01/2009 03:52:09 by livingonli)

It has 10's of 1000's of uses as a product, its easy to grow, it can create jobs, it doesn't harm the soil like tobacco does, and you can't get high from it. So why is it illegal?

I speak of course, of Hemp. The question that should have been asked of President Obama last week in his open question appearance instead of "Hey duuuuude, what about ganja man, weed, you know..... pot'.

With 25,000 known applications from paper, clothing and food products -- which, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal back in January, is the fastest growing new food category in North America -- to construction and automotive materials, hemp could be just the crop to jump-start America's green economy. Especially here in the south with its vacant tobacco farms and fields.

But growing it still remains illegal due to the (very low) THC found in the plant. The U.S. just refuses to distinguish between the two plants, as do most people who still confuse it with the other Cannibas, Marijuana. Despite the FDA's ban on letting us grow it, we can import it - lots of it - where it is legal to grow, in Canada. We also import it from China (where it may or may not also contain Lead. Well, no.... that's just speculation and paranoia on my part. Sorry).
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17 comments (Latest Comment: 03/30/2009 02:23:24 by trojanrabbit)

flimsy (flĭm'zç) adj.
Light, thin, and insubstantial

The press conference held yesterday by Republicans illustrated in a perfect moment of lucidity how truly insubstantial they are. Performing yet another in a series of poorly staged press stunts, they held up what they said was their answer to Obama's request for an alternative budget. What they actually held up was a pretty package containing no details and no numbers. It was a shameless attempt to divert the spotlight from a live appearance by Obama. Unfortunately for Boehner and the rest, the press was actually paying attention to the details (or - more accurately - the lack thereof) and called them on it.
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39 comments (Latest Comment: 03/28/2009 00:32:59 by livingonli)

There is an anecdote (possibly apocryphal) from the the 1992 election campaign involving then president George H. W. Bush and a grocery store scanner. It painted him as elitist and out of touch with the regular people. There is evidence to suggest it may have cost him the election.

Contrast that with the 2008 election. By any measure Barack Obama was a "regular" person. Only the previous year had he finally paid off his student loans. He was raised by a single parent and grandparents that worked regular jobs. He married a woman raised in a middle-class family. By contrast, McCain had 7 houses (or was it nine?), had been in DC forever, married a rich heiress and - in spite of all attempts to paint him as looking out for the Regular Joes (especially of the plumbing variety) - was perceived by the electorate as being out of touch. Despite attempts to paint Obama as "elitist", again the public saw through the ruse.
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32 comments (Latest Comment: 03/26/2009 03:09:15 by Mondobubba)

I keep hearing people on the TV mosheen say things like let the companies fail, or we can't let them fail -- it depends on the pundit. The money amounts keep getting bigger and bigger whether it the bonus, the amount given or the amount going into the machine. I am overwhelmed.

I am starting to think that Geithner should go, not because he can't handle it, but because I simply don't trust him anymore. Then I remind myself that so far, our president has come thru, even in the face of incredible odds. So here I am trying to convince myself not to worry.

But I am worried. I am concerned. And so is AIG's competition: The thing that has me most bothered about this situation is that AIG is not a part of TARP, we [the American People] were not told about this, and it was rushed thru right before the elections.

As I try to not look back and place blame, I can't help but wonder how we got here. Not just financially, but how AIG became Godzilla to Obama's Gamera. This was something that the president adopted and short of just saying fuck it all and walking away, he must deal with it. I just hope that the very people he has to do this job are acting at THIS point in the interest of the American people. I am not so sure Geithner was doing that when he was working for the NY federal reserve.

For myself... it is not about the Bonus Money-- it's about the principle of the bonus money. American's by and large are understanding people, but they don't like being lied to. Actually, they don't like KNOWING they are being lied to. So when people on the left AND the right talk of fake outrage and populism, be happy that for the first time in a long time America is fighting back about something besides the war. I wish we didn't have to be angry, but the fact that people are actually questioning what is happening is wonderful.

Happy Monday!

:peace: and
Raine


 
39 comments (Latest Comment: 03/24/2009 01:51:49 by livingonli)