Was that Obama I saw bottom left? (The lead dog.)
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
Obama Changes Definition of Change
Art credit: raphaelschild (free for use)Need a laugh...check out The Onion's article.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Shock Jock Sets Out to Prove Waterboarding Isn't Torture...Recants in 7 Seconds!
Photo credit: Washington PostChicago shock jock Erich "Mancow" Muller subjected himself to waterboarding on-air to prove his premise that the "enhanced interrogation technique" was, in fact, not accurately termed torture. After only 7 seconds of the experiment, his opinion changed dramatically.
The videos included in the article are revealing. Now if only Cheney, Bush and Pelosi had the balls to submit to the same experiment!
http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Mancow-Takes-on-Waterboarding-and-Loses.html
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Forget Bo the Dog--Obama's Cat is Tearing Its Way Out of the Bag!
“My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.” Barack Obama
Obama’s continuing vacillation on subjects of paramount importance to our nation’s well-being have hardly surprised me. My readers will recall that at a time when some of the most popular “left” and “progressive” blogs and even mainline news sources were singing the praises of the New Age in American Politics and its Coming Messiah, I chose to cast my vote for a dark-horse candidate because it was apparent to me that Obama was little better than his predecessor. His senate voting record, immediately prior to the elections, was proof enough for me that no matter how eloquently he spoke, he was little more than a shiny, new coat of paint over the rotting walls of our crumbling democracy.
Since the election, Obama has proven my premise time and again. He’s wavered on everything from governmental transparency (at the heart of the current furor over non-release of Abu Ghraib torture photos) to his original intention of adopting a “mutt like me” rather than the high-priced, well-pedigreed and rather rare Portuguese Water Dog which now claims the title of First Dog. (Appropriate, no?)
And then there was the promise of the closing of Guantanamo Bay Prison:
Obama to order Guantanamo Bay prison closed
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/12/obama.gitmo/
Obama on Torture, October 4, 2007"
The secret authorization of brutal interrogations is an outrageous betrayal of our core values, and a grave danger to our security. We must do whatever it takes to track down and capture or kill terrorists, but torture is not a part of the answer - it is a fundamental part of the problem with this administration's approach."
Consistent only in his inconsistency, of course, he’s more recently decided to continue military tribunals IN the aforementioned (and still quite open) prison. Is it any wonder why very few are taking his reform of the Bush-Cheney approved practices there seriously?
Oh, and by the way, if you are still sheepish enough to believe that the prisoners there might get a better deal than those before them, read this article regarding the “loopholes” in Obama’s no-torture policy. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12041
However, if you’ll forgive my brief digression above, let’s get to the original subject. Obama’s explanation for his about face regarding non-publication of the now infamous torture photos—no doubt seasoned liberally by Republicans and others with personal fears that they will be implicated in such misdeeds—are two fold. He has concluded that the photos, if released, will place our service men and woman at greater danger in the field from those who would seek revenge, and also that these photos would also give terrorist recruiting groups fuel for their fires. (As if we haven’t already given them enough!)
“Change.” “Hope.” Excuse me?? What HAS changed? And if, as it seems, the current president has realized that, thanks to his predecessor, he can damned well do whatever he wants without fear of reprisal, WHERE is the hope???
Consistent only in his inconsistency, of course, he’s more recently decided to continue military tribunals IN the aforementioned (and still quite open) prison. Is it any wonder why very few are taking his reform of the Bush-Cheney approved practices there seriously?
Oh, and by the way, if you are still sheepish enough to believe that the prisoners there might get a better deal than those before them, read this article regarding the “loopholes” in Obama’s no-torture policy. http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=12041
However, if you’ll forgive my brief digression above, let’s get to the original subject. Obama’s explanation for his about face regarding non-publication of the now infamous torture photos—no doubt seasoned liberally by Republicans and others with personal fears that they will be implicated in such misdeeds—are two fold. He has concluded that the photos, if released, will place our service men and woman at greater danger in the field from those who would seek revenge, and also that these photos would also give terrorist recruiting groups fuel for their fires. (As if we haven’t already given them enough!)
“Change.” “Hope.” Excuse me?? What HAS changed? And if, as it seems, the current president has realized that, thanks to his predecessor, he can damned well do whatever he wants without fear of reprisal, WHERE is the hope???
Today, my Kudos go out to Australian channel SBS for publishing a group of pictures believed to be among those Obama has chosen to keep hidden from polite company. Please see the rest of the photos at the SMH website: http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/2006/02/15/1139890768970.html?page=3
I sincerely hope that the enterprising insider who leaked these photos will continue to do so. Hopefully, when Obama can no longer hide behind the aforementioned excuses, and the proverbial cat is out of the bag whether he approves it or not, he will have no choice but to pursue legal prosecution of those involved in the torture of so many men, women and children. ( Many of whom were innocent civilians captured and delivered for profit by military contractors at the price of $600 per head.)
Finally, I appeal to other bloggers and legitimate news outlets to republish or link directly to the Aussie website to insure that EVERYONE has a peek at what our government continues to sanction by their refusal to atone for and rectify their crimes.
Check out the following text and video links for fuller understanding of the practices at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib and other facilities like them. If you’ve the courage to think for yourself, you will learn just how far we, as a nation, have sinned against our fellow men, woman and children for the sake of financial and megalomaniacal gains and you will refuse to allow it to continue.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2004/7/14/38300/-Kids-sodomized-at-Abu-Ghraib,-Pentagon-has-the-videosHersh
Little Known Military Thug Squad Still Brutalizing Prisoners at Gitmo Under Obama http://www.alternet.org/rights/140022/little_known_military_thug_squad_still_brutalizing_prisoners_at_gitmo_under_obama/
INSIDE ABU GHRAIB: Part 1
Watch parts 2-4 here:
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksnDuQImCyo
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnsC1Lt9H9E
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4EfL3_etuI
Particularly disturbing video of US soldiers celebrating over tortured prisoner bodies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOiDISopOBM
God Bless America?? Ha!
May God save our damned souls!
Monday, April 27, 2009
The BEST Swine Flu Tracking Information on the Net
Once again, I've been absent for some time due to matters beyond my control. While I fully plan to continue Ovine Detox (albiet in a slightly different fashion) and will begin posting more regularly soon, I wanted to give you all a bit of a hand in doing your swine flu research.
All you need to do is Google "swine flu" and you'll come up with more information than you can possibly digest. (If you want real information overload, set yourself up on Google's automatic updates on the subject!)
Thus, I'm not even going to attempt to do what so many others are already doing so well in keeping us informed on the subject. (Or, quite possibly, what so many are trying NOT to do as well. But we'll leave the conspiracy theories until there's more information.)
I will say that if you search Donald Rumsfeld and Tamiflu you might come up with some interesting CT fodder. ;-)
Anyway, after having researched non-stop for the last 5 days, and being alerted to at least a thousand different websites and news articles thanks to Google, I'd like to offer the following as what I feel is the very best, realistic and up-to-date website on the current flu scenario. Do yourself a favor and read through the recent archives as well....you'll find that this particular flu bug likely began at least several weeks before the governments and presses are currently admitting. (This guy--a scientist with ties to the CDC-- was and is WAY ahead of all the presses and even our own government.)
Biosurveillance
Operational topics in biosurveillance
Operational topics in biosurveillance
Meantime, stay safe and healthy!
Rev. Jesse
Thursday, April 2, 2009
The Right Thing for the Wrong Reason?
I write now to apologize to those who have previously read my writings—specifically those writings that, to them, maligned THEIR God or THEIR belief system. Somewhere along the line I’d read that (was it the Kabbalists or the Buddhists?) refrained from criticizing others’ religious beliefs. That it was tantamount to spiritual violence to do so. That each of us is in the time and place we are for a reason and that it is not another’s place to attempt to push them to somewhere new if they are not yet prepared to go there.
“Well yes,” I reasoned, “but surely SOMEONE has to show them the error of their ways before they destroy the earth.”
As if we could do so against the will of the Creator.
I was given a gift….an amazing gift from the very hand of God. The gift of understanding a few higher truths. A gift given to soothe my grief over that which I could not comprehend and thus, a gift given in love.
But rather than be grateful and find a way to share that gift as lovingly—as graciously-- as it had been given, I used it to bludgeon those to whom it had not (yet) been given.”
Arrogant that I, among millions, was “bright” or “smart” enough to have “figured it out for myself,” I looked down upon those who were, as of yet, not able to grasp such truth. I did so even knowing that this wisdom had not been of my own will or work or brilliance, but a rare grace in response to my ardent cries to God for understanding. More arrogant still, I believed myself to be above those to whom this understanding had yet to be given because I had been given it before them. And foolishly I allowed such arrogance to stoke itself further by maligning and thus, hurting and deeply offending those “sheep” I crowed about so arrogantly.
When the reality of my hauteur hit me full in the face, I was stopped in my tracks, mortified at my behavior. At once I understood how I had abused the gift given me, and for awhile, I remained stupefied by my actions. Finally convicted of my wrongs, I prayed,
May the God that Creates, Sustains and (miraculously) refrains from destroying us—or at least me—forgive me my sin of arrogance, anger and emotional and spiritual violence toward so many.”
May those many also forgive me, showing me more mercy than I’ve previously shown them, though I deserve neither mercy or forgiveness for reviling their most closely held, precious spiritual beliefs.
“Other sheep I have not of this flock. They too shall listen to my voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
John 10:16
I hereby give up my self-appointed responsibility to herd those other sheep toward the sheep pen I believe they should already reside in. Surely The Shepherd is able to bring them to his pens in His own time and in His own way.
May God forgive me and bless you greatly.
Namaste! (Truly)
Reverend Jesse
“Well yes,” I reasoned, “but surely SOMEONE has to show them the error of their ways before they destroy the earth.”
As if we could do so against the will of the Creator.
I was given a gift….an amazing gift from the very hand of God. The gift of understanding a few higher truths. A gift given to soothe my grief over that which I could not comprehend and thus, a gift given in love.
But rather than be grateful and find a way to share that gift as lovingly—as graciously-- as it had been given, I used it to bludgeon those to whom it had not (yet) been given.”
Arrogant that I, among millions, was “bright” or “smart” enough to have “figured it out for myself,” I looked down upon those who were, as of yet, not able to grasp such truth. I did so even knowing that this wisdom had not been of my own will or work or brilliance, but a rare grace in response to my ardent cries to God for understanding. More arrogant still, I believed myself to be above those to whom this understanding had yet to be given because I had been given it before them. And foolishly I allowed such arrogance to stoke itself further by maligning and thus, hurting and deeply offending those “sheep” I crowed about so arrogantly.
When the reality of my hauteur hit me full in the face, I was stopped in my tracks, mortified at my behavior. At once I understood how I had abused the gift given me, and for awhile, I remained stupefied by my actions. Finally convicted of my wrongs, I prayed,
May the God that Creates, Sustains and (miraculously) refrains from destroying us—or at least me—forgive me my sin of arrogance, anger and emotional and spiritual violence toward so many.”
May those many also forgive me, showing me more mercy than I’ve previously shown them, though I deserve neither mercy or forgiveness for reviling their most closely held, precious spiritual beliefs.
“Other sheep I have not of this flock. They too shall listen to my voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
John 10:16
I hereby give up my self-appointed responsibility to herd those other sheep toward the sheep pen I believe they should already reside in. Surely The Shepherd is able to bring them to his pens in His own time and in His own way.
May God forgive me and bless you greatly.
Namaste! (Truly)
Reverend Jesse
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Halleluja! The Sheep Have Rejected the Shepherd!
The dust has begun to settle. (For the moment anyway.) Alas, Richard L. Decker III http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008/03/latecomer-announces-run-for-white-house.html has lost his run for the presidency. ;-) Instead, Barack Hussein Obama, overcoming odds probably greater than any other presidential contender, has been chosen by the American people as the 44th American President.
Although I am about as FAR from being a supporter of the Bush/McCain regime as any human can be, I have personally, on this blog, criticized Obama’s voting record in the past. http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008_07_06_archive.html He voted FOR the war appropriations funding, (despite promises to the contrary) FOR the FISA bill and FOR the fiscal bailout which even now, despite democratic reassurances of new checks and balances, is finding its way to the pockets of the ultra-rich powerbrokers of our nation.
Initially a vigorous Obama supporter, I later vowed to withhold my vote for what appeared, to me, to be yet another double-speaking politician. I kept that vow and did NOT cast my vote for Obama. I did so on principle. I did it to affirm my commitment to NEVER support yet another politician who promises one thing and delivers another. Although willing to admit that my neophyte understanding of politics might have lead me to some misunderstanding of the issues our now-president-elect based his voting decisions upon, I refused to cast my vote for ANYONE who’s record shows a distinct opposition between his words and his deeds. Doing so, to my mind, only propagates the seemingly inherent dishonesty of our government, though sadly I suspect it is impossible to find a candidate who actually is capable of complete honesty.
And yet....on election day, when the announcement of a newly elected president was finally announced, I admit I cheered.
I cheered because the Bush/McCain GOP's extraordinarily dishonest and thus self-damaging campaign had been defeated despite the frighteningly sheepish thinking of so many of those who’d supported him to the bitter end. I cheered because such an enormous number of our youth had shrugged off their attitude of apathy, hopelessness and despair and cast their vote in record and breathtaking numbers. And I cheered because our nation, as a whole, has finally repented of one of its most grievous sins—the sin of racial prejudice—and elected a black man to the highest office in the nation. (Yes, yes, I know…and NO it’s not about race. But race IS an issue we’ve battled since the very beginnings of our nation and FINALLY the majority of voting Americans have overcome their bigotry. And that, my friends, is HUGE!)
Whether or not our new president-elect will keep his promises and perform as well as his supporters believe he will isn’t really the issue at hand at the moment. (Though I pray he will because much of our nation’s immediate well-being hinges, in large measure, on his performance over the next four years.) What IS important—the most significant point of it all—is the fact that he HAS already been an agent of change. And that IS an accomplishment worthy of celebration!
WE THE PEOPLE, thanks in part to the Obama clarion call, HAVE changed. We have finally thrown down the gauntlet and REFUSED to allow our nation to become yet another theocratic ogliarchy. We have INSISTED on a new approach to politics which refocuses its belief, once again, on something much closer to the founding fathers’ ideal of democracy. We have stood, in record numbers, and DEMANDED that our voices—all of them—be heard. We have reclaimed our voice, our ideals and our POWER as Americans. Our war cry is no longer “yes we can.” It is now YES WE DID!
I humbly thank you, America. You’ve given this and many other lowly writers like myself HOPE that all is not lost—that one day, our nation may once again rise as a concerned, just and respected leader and advocate of the world. Record numbers of the sheep of our nation have begun to THINK for themselves rather than continue the mindless following of the flock which brought us to the very precipice of the collapse of our nation as we know it. They—you--have rejected the carelessness, greed and avarice of the shepherds which care little for your own well-being except for the money and power they gain by controlling you. You have stood firm and refused to be lead complacently to slaughter. You have REALIZED and then CLAIMED your own power! That, surely, is cause for celebration, irregardless of what the next four years bring because once you’ve come to understand your own strength, intelligence and power, you will NEVER allow yourself to be blindly led again.
Be proud, America! You have finally turned an all-important corner in national and even world history. May God continue to bless you by compelling you to continue the journey up the long road ahead toward liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all.
Although I am about as FAR from being a supporter of the Bush/McCain regime as any human can be, I have personally, on this blog, criticized Obama’s voting record in the past. http://sheeplerecovery.blogspot.com/2008_07_06_archive.html He voted FOR the war appropriations funding, (despite promises to the contrary) FOR the FISA bill and FOR the fiscal bailout which even now, despite democratic reassurances of new checks and balances, is finding its way to the pockets of the ultra-rich powerbrokers of our nation.
Initially a vigorous Obama supporter, I later vowed to withhold my vote for what appeared, to me, to be yet another double-speaking politician. I kept that vow and did NOT cast my vote for Obama. I did so on principle. I did it to affirm my commitment to NEVER support yet another politician who promises one thing and delivers another. Although willing to admit that my neophyte understanding of politics might have lead me to some misunderstanding of the issues our now-president-elect based his voting decisions upon, I refused to cast my vote for ANYONE who’s record shows a distinct opposition between his words and his deeds. Doing so, to my mind, only propagates the seemingly inherent dishonesty of our government, though sadly I suspect it is impossible to find a candidate who actually is capable of complete honesty.
And yet....on election day, when the announcement of a newly elected president was finally announced, I admit I cheered.
I cheered because the Bush/McCain GOP's extraordinarily dishonest and thus self-damaging campaign had been defeated despite the frighteningly sheepish thinking of so many of those who’d supported him to the bitter end. I cheered because such an enormous number of our youth had shrugged off their attitude of apathy, hopelessness and despair and cast their vote in record and breathtaking numbers. And I cheered because our nation, as a whole, has finally repented of one of its most grievous sins—the sin of racial prejudice—and elected a black man to the highest office in the nation. (Yes, yes, I know…and NO it’s not about race. But race IS an issue we’ve battled since the very beginnings of our nation and FINALLY the majority of voting Americans have overcome their bigotry. And that, my friends, is HUGE!)
Whether or not our new president-elect will keep his promises and perform as well as his supporters believe he will isn’t really the issue at hand at the moment. (Though I pray he will because much of our nation’s immediate well-being hinges, in large measure, on his performance over the next four years.) What IS important—the most significant point of it all—is the fact that he HAS already been an agent of change. And that IS an accomplishment worthy of celebration!
WE THE PEOPLE, thanks in part to the Obama clarion call, HAVE changed. We have finally thrown down the gauntlet and REFUSED to allow our nation to become yet another theocratic ogliarchy. We have INSISTED on a new approach to politics which refocuses its belief, once again, on something much closer to the founding fathers’ ideal of democracy. We have stood, in record numbers, and DEMANDED that our voices—all of them—be heard. We have reclaimed our voice, our ideals and our POWER as Americans. Our war cry is no longer “yes we can.” It is now YES WE DID!
I humbly thank you, America. You’ve given this and many other lowly writers like myself HOPE that all is not lost—that one day, our nation may once again rise as a concerned, just and respected leader and advocate of the world. Record numbers of the sheep of our nation have begun to THINK for themselves rather than continue the mindless following of the flock which brought us to the very precipice of the collapse of our nation as we know it. They—you--have rejected the carelessness, greed and avarice of the shepherds which care little for your own well-being except for the money and power they gain by controlling you. You have stood firm and refused to be lead complacently to slaughter. You have REALIZED and then CLAIMED your own power! That, surely, is cause for celebration, irregardless of what the next four years bring because once you’ve come to understand your own strength, intelligence and power, you will NEVER allow yourself to be blindly led again.
Be proud, America! You have finally turned an all-important corner in national and even world history. May God continue to bless you by compelling you to continue the journey up the long road ahead toward liberty, freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all.
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