Oh Shit! The truth comes out about what’s really happening in Afghanistan – now what?

The truth is we’ve been wasting our time in Afghanistan and now we’re faced with the reality of the situation.

We’ve been supporting a corrupt government and overlooking rigged elections in order to keep up the facade that we were making progress there.

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Asking Afghan President Karzai to go after his corrupt brother apparently was the last straw.

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All the propaganda that has been spoon-fed to Americans is exposed by the very flunky our military planners counted on. We never should have gone there. We poured countless billions into building their infrastructure and security because Pentagon war mongers said we should. Good men and women have died fighting an un-winnable war. Both Americans and Afghans.

How long do you think it’ll be before they kick our asses out of their country? That, or we end up going to war against the regime we supported? After driving them out what do we do? Put in another puppet government and tell the world we’re still committed to making Afghanistan a free country? What hypocrisy. It’s time that it ends.  

Our good buddy Karzai is threatening to quit the political process (that’s us folks) and join the Taliban if outsiders keep pressuring him to reform, according to members of parliament.  Full story

Excerpt:

“Karzai made the unusual statement at a closed-door meeting Saturday with selected lawmakers — just days after kicking up a diplomatic controversy with remarks alleging foreigners were behind fraud in last year's disputed elections.”

7 ways the mind and body change with age

Research is finding new details on our attitudes and appearances as we grow old.

Excerpt:

“The poster child of aging seems to be a wrinkly-faced, forgetful, grumpy old man. But science is painting another, more in-depth picture of aging Americans. The elderly tend to become more happy, liberal and in many cases remain pretty darn sharp. Here are 7 ways we change as we get older.”

OKAY…so when we get older this is one thing we can expect (and even dread):

Excerpt: 

“As a person gets older, their ability to ignore distractions gets worse, according to Karen Campbell, a doctoral student in psychology at the University of Toronto.”

BUT WAIT! There’s some good news:

Excerpt:

“But Campbell and her colleagues found a silver lining that might focus you: Seniors might have the unique ability to "hyper-bind" the irrelevant information, tying it to other information appearing at the same time. The ability could ultimately boost memory.”

Read the rest here.                                              Photo source

As It Stands: Easter Day reflections on the power of peace

Dave Stancliff/For the Times-Standard

Posted: 04/04/2010 01:27:23 AM PDT

Christians are observing Easter today. It's a day of peace. Many Christians will attend church to celebrate the occasion when the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, rose from the grave. Many non-believers (and Christians) encourage their children to search for Easter eggs hidden by a mythical Easter Bunny.

It's a day of peace. A day for families to be together. At least, it should be. I hope everyone in this country can find a measure of peace. Wouldn't it be nice to see the news dominated by something other than violence today?

Wouldn't it be great to see our warring political parties extend their palms and agree to disagree like civilized humans? Imagine what it would be like to go a whole day without extremists from both parties dominating the news? No talk of domestic terrorists. No incendiary words igniting violence. No lies. No anger. Just peace.

While I'm dreaming, why not imagine an outbreak of peace across the land? Partisan politics would no longer polarize our country. Instead, all Americans could turn away from the politics of fear and turn to the truth. There are many truths. Reality is a truth.

Go here to read the rest.

Top 10 Groucho Marx Quotes

There’s nothing like the fine art of sarcasm. Groucho Marx was the master of disaster in his day. Here’s the kinds of things he use to say:

10. From the moment I picked up your book until I laid it down, I was convulsed with laughter. Someday I intend reading it.

Read the rest here.

Fla. doc's sign warns off Obama supporters

A central Florida urologist has posted a sign on his office door warning supporters of President Barack Obama to find a different doctor.

So now we have so-called professional Republicans refusing services to Democrats. This is how ugly and stupid people are getting. The law says you can’t discriminate against gender, race, or religious beliefs. Nothing about political exclusion. This “doctor” is the most unprofessional one I’ve ever seen. I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come. The countries already divided enough.

A sign on the door of Dr. Jack Cassell's office in Mount Dora, Fla., tells patients "If you voted for Obama, seek urologic care elsewhere. Changes to your healthcare begin right now, not in four years."

Democrats should ‘seek urological care elsewhere,’ says notice on door

Extremist letters sent to governors, FBI alerted

This is the result of extremist rhetoric; action. The Republicans should have divorced themselves from the wing nuts like the Tea Party crowd, and other extremist groups, like these “Guardians of the Free Republic.”

Instead, after the health care bill was passed Republicans incited rowdy crowds to “take their government back!” They waved flags that said “Don’t tread on me” which was basically a battle flag.

Now the results of letting extreme fear-mongerers have a voice in the Republican Party are sowing the seeds of hate and violence. This is where the “Reload” rhetoric by Sarah Palin and other right wing loons is bearing fruit. Sleep with the devil and expect to see him when you wake up in the morning.

When is the Republican Party going to wake up and disassociate themselves from these violent radicals? Maybe now that some of them are being targeted  (story below) things will change. 

More than 30 governors received letters demanding they step down

Excerpt:

“The FBI is warning police across the country that an anti-government group's call to remove governors from office could provoke violence by others.

A group that calls itself the Guardians of the free Republics wants to "restore America" by peacefully dismantling parts of the government, according to its Web site.

As of Wednesday, more than 30 governors had received letters saying if they don't leave office within three days they will be removed, according to an internal intelligence note by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The note was obtained by The Associated Press.”

ABOVE PHOTO: Governors whose offices reported receiving the letters included Democrats Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Chet Culver of Iowa, and Republicans Bobby Jindal of Louisiana (shown here), and Jim Gibbons of Nevada.

Read the whole story here.

Talking Points: Call for Senate Hearings on Pedophile Priest Crisis, 11 AM Good Friday L.A. Cathedral

“Congress had hearings for 9 11, for Waco, and for steroid abuse, are the tens of thousands of victims of sex abuse by clergy in the United States any less deserving?  I spoke with Jim Robertson, L.A. SNAP leader yesterday, and he told me this is what he plans to say at the event this morning, 11:00, at the Catholic Cathedral downtown L.A. at 555 Temple Street.” 

Go here for full story.

The Top 100 April Fool's Day Hoaxes of All Time

As judged by notoriety, creativity, and number of people duped…

#1: The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest

1957: The respected BBC news show Panorama announced that thanks to a very mild winter and the virtual elimination of the dreaded spaghetti weevil, Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. It accompanied this announcement with footage of Swiss peasants pulling strands of spaghetti down from trees. Huge numbers of viewers were taken in. Many called the BBC wanting to know how they could grow their own spaghetti tree. To this the BBC diplomatically replied, "place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best."

Related:
• The Swiss Spaghetti Harvest (full-length article)

Go here to read the rest.

 

A Thursday Morning Primer on America’s Militia Groups

“…people across the militia world, and people like Mark Potok, who tracks extremist groups at the Southern Poverty Law Center, who study it, agree that anxiety within that world is rising — from economic frustrations growing out of the recession, or fear of the Democratic Party leadership in Washington, or both — and that small, outlier groups like the Hutaree are probably the ones to keep on eye on.” Link below:

Militia Draws Distinctions Between Groups

U.S. Agent Infiltrated Militia, Lawyer Says (April 1, 2010)

9th Member of Militia Arrested (March 31, 2010)

Militia Charged With Plotting to Murder Officers (March 30, 2010)

(Video) Homeland terrorism threatens the country

(Video) Arrests reveal militia groups on the rise

(Video) Analyst: Militias are ideologically diverse

Vatican fights back against pedophile priest accusations

 Nothing is going to change in the Catholic Church. It’s continuing to protect pedophile priests, and the Vatican says the pope can’t be tried for their sins as he’s a “Head of State.”

If you’re a Catholic, this must be difficult to process. The man sitting in St.Peter’s throne, the head of the entire church, condones pedophilia. His actions are proving that. Read what he’s saying. So what you think. Here are some links that will help you understand what’s happening:

Best New Catholic Church Defense: It’s not pedophilia if the boys were post pubescent!

How much did the pope know about kiddie-touching priest?

Pope on the Ropes: Your 2010 Papal Scandal Primer

The pope’s lawyer prepares for a fight

Vatican: Pope has immunity in sex abuse trials

How powerful are extreme militia groups today?

                             Hutaree.com photo above shows trained militia.

Militias more connected than they claim

The common wisdom congealing around the Hutaree story is that the militia members are part of some off-shoot, unique, religious cult that has nothing to do with anything else.

Rachel Maddow scratches the surface of the story with Crooks and Liar’s David Neiwert and finds that common wisdom falls apart.

Nine Michigan Militia members charged with terror plot

Nine members of a violent Michigan militia  have been accused of plotting a terrorist attack on law enforcement agents.

“Six Michigan residents, along with two residents of Ohio and a resident of Indiana, were indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit on charges of seditious conspiracy, attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials, and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade and FBI Special  Andrew Arena.

Despite doubt, Karzai brother retains power

President Obama recently visited Afghanistan and talked to to their president Karzai about corruption in their government. Karzai said he would work on ending it. His idea of “ending corruption” doesn’t jive with reality. Just look at how rotten his brother is: 

Key figure in southern Afghanistan is accused of links to drugs, corruption

What If Fox News Actually Wants Mob Violence?

How easily things get twisted and distorted when a political party has an agenda of “no cooperation.”

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Fox News talkers did their best to trivialize the illegal, terrorist threats made against elected officials, and implied they were deserved.

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Emails: it’s a good idea to question the truth of forwards

Below is an email that is going around right now. It’s one of those “forward this” if you agree with the message.

What I’m curious about is how many people think the information is true in the following email? How many think the writer is totally misinformed? 

So what do you think readers?

“For too long we have been too complacent about the workings of Congress. Many citizens had no idea that members of Congress could retire with the same pay after only one term, that they didn't pay into Social Security, that they specifically exempted themselves from many of the laws they have passed (such as being exempt from any fear of prosecution for sexual harassment) while ordinary citizens must live under those laws.

The latest is to exempt themselves from the Healthcare Reform that is being considered...in all of its forms. It came out today that the staff that help right this law is exempt as well. Somehow, that doesn't seem logical.  We do not have an elite that is above the law.  I truly don't care if they are Democrat, Republican, Independent or whatever.  The self-serving must stop.”

image source

An optical illusion for a rainy day…

 

 

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Do you find something unusual in this picture? 

If not just move away from the screen and try focusing on the center portion.

Now do you see it?

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Hot Health Care articles in the news today

Photo source- The White House

Insurers agree to fix gap in sick kids’ coverage

New law had been unclear on whether coverage would kick in before 2014

Obama signs health care ‘fixes,’ student aid bill

Measure cuts banks out of the student loan business, costing them billions

How do you get 30 million Americans to sign up for health insurance? With great difficulty.

How Will Health Care Reform Affect You?

A look at how different groups will fare under the new law

Tuesday morning news to you…

Good morning. As I sipped my coffee I accumulated six stories for your inspection. Here’s what happening:

RNC fires staffer over $1,946 topless club visit

The Republican National Committee has fired a staffer who helped organize a $1,946 visit last month to a sex-themed Hollywood club, and the GOP says it will recoup the money from a donor who also participated.

The episode is the latest in a string of questionable spending by the RNC as Republicans prepare for a costly election season in which they hope to take dozens of House and Senate seats from Democrats.

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Fake caviar? Fight against ‘food fraud’ grows

The expensive "sheep's milk" cheese in a Manhattan market was really made from cow's milk. And a jar of "Sturgeon caviar" was, in fact, Mississippi paddlefish.

Some honey makers dilute their honey with sugar beets or corn syrup, their competitors say, but still market it as 100 percent pure at a premium price.

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Study: Magnets can alter morality

Magnets can alter a person's sense of morality, according to a new report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Using a powerful magnetic field, scientists from MIT, Harvard University and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center are able to scramble the moral center of the brain, making it more difficult for people to separate innocent intentions from harmful outcomes. The research could have big implications for not only neuroscientists, but also for judges and juries.

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Man fleeing Ohio police jumps fence — into prison

Police say a motorist fleeing officers in Cleveland abandoned his car and jumped a fence — landing in what turned out to be a prison yard.

Garfield Heights police say the chase started in that suburb early Monday over a traffic violation and reached speeds of 90 mph

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DNA testing emerges as weapon against cancer

Francis Collins, who helped map the human genome, did not get around to having his own genes analyzed until last summer. And he was surprised by what he learned.

Collins has a predisposition for type-2 diabetes, something he had never suspected. The lanky, former director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) discovered this through tests offered by Navigenics, 23andMe and DecodeMe — companies that charge customers a few hundred dollars for a peek at their genetic makeup.

Man arrested for threatening to kill Cantor

House Republican had accused Democrats of publicizing threats for political gain

 This proves that extremists on the Left have anger issues too. People like the guy who threatened Cantor seem to believe that violence is the only answer. Make no mistake. There are extremists on both sides of the political spectrum. They’re also getting more dangerous – and bold - every day.

 Rhetoric is wreaking havoc in America. Never before has the opposition to our government been so bold. There’s too many people in this country whose idea of “taking the country back” means violence. This isn’t really about political parties. It’s about a growing divide in this nation that may result in the break-up of the union. There’s no doubt that’s what the Neo Confederacy, the Neo Nazis, the Christian Cults that wear Camouflage, the Aryan Nation, the KKK, and the rest of these fringe groups want.

Try to imagine how much these extremists are enjoying watching our two main political parties batter each others with lies and rhetoric. The problem is, they’re no longer sitting on the side waiting. They’re getting motivated by national hate speech’s by both parties. Ever hear the expression: “Waving a red flag in front of a bull?” (BTW-Bulls are color blind. It’s the waving part that angers them!)

Excerpt from the Reuters article. 

“WASHINGTON - U.S. authorities have arrested and charged a man with threatening to kill the No. 2 Republican in the House of Representatives, Eric Cantor, and his family, according to court documents filed on Monday.”

ABOVE PHOTO: House Republican Eric Cantor

Feds: Militia members sought to spark uprising

The Faces of Domestic Terrorists - This is the result of inflammatory rhetoric. People start believing that our President is the Anti-Christ, and that all police and government bodies in America are working for the devil. This group is the tip of the iceberg. Don’t be surprised to see more of this kind of thing happen as Tea Baggers call for revolution and other extreme Conservative groups ramp up the hate meter.This is the kind of extremist scum that believes in the destruction of democracy to achieve their own selfish violent ends. Take a good look at them. One day it’s going to be your neighbor if things don’t change. They wanted war, but got caught before they could attack.

They also do it in the name of religion, which is really sick. When people like Sarah Palin call for the rightwing nuts to “Reload” and to “take their country back” this is the result. Mainstream Conservatives are swimming in the same pool as the militias and other radical anti-government groups these days. Unless the rhetoric is toned down, expect to see more of this kind of thing.

Eight arrested, one on the run; they allegedly plotted to attack police

Toxic Chemicals found at military bases and aboard ships poses a serious health threat

From Jim Davis (Veterans-For-Change):

“As most are aware, seen on TV, in the newspapers, and from veteran sites across the country, TCE/PCE is a major issue.

TCE a chemical degreaser used on all bases and board ships is a carcinogenic chemical, and on the many military bases nationwide was disposed of into the ground behind buildings eventually contaminating the ground water and getting into the drinking wells.

Same thing with PCE which is a dry cleaning chemical used both on bases and off base nationwide, also being disposed of into the ground and eventually contaminating the ground water and getting into the drinking wells.

Most recently CNN did a broadcast show highlighting the male breast cancer cluster surrounding Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.

Personally I feel the anchor didn’t bother to do his homework very well, didn’t bring to light all the other medical issues or the families harmed by these chemicals.

There is also currently a bill in committee to award benefits, but in my humble opinion is limited in scope and restrictive to those who served at Camp LeJeune and doesn’t mention any of the 130+ bases nationwide listed on the EPA Superfund list.

Veterans-For-Change has a bill which was drafted back in February 2009 along with a petition to which we’re trying to collect at least 40,000 signatures in order to get either a Senator or Congressman to sign off and present the bill to the floor which will not only address TCE but PCE as well, and opens it up to all military, veterans and family members who served at any base where these chemicals were used and disposed of improperly thereby contaminating all who drank the water or who used the chemicals in their daily jobs.

Veterans-For-Change needs your support desperately to meet the number of signers on the petition. This is NOT an electronic petition, but a hard copy petition. We ask that everyone please go to www.veterans-for-change.com, and if you’re not a member to please subscribe, go to the documents section, then to the TCE/PCE and other Chemicals section and download the petition.

Sign and try to obtain at least 10 more signatures and mail the complete form into our California office ASAP.

Should you have any questions, please click HERE and send us an E-Mail and we’ll be more than happy to reply!