Bush Impersonator

After my post yesterday of Bill Richardson's funny campaign video, it reminded me of the only funny thing I have ever seen George Bush do, at least that was intentional, Here he is poking fun at him self and Cheny, I actually gained some respect for him when I saw this clip a few months back. Of course that didnt last for long, but, it is still hands down one of the funniest things I have ever seen come from a politician. Bush hired and impersonator to stand next to him during his White House Correspondent speech, its 11 minutes so its a little long, but worth every minute. Enjoy!!!

Conspiracy Theories!!!

I found it interesting that youtube had this labled under Rosie O'Donnel simply because she added it to her blog!! But this video reflects the thoughts of many out there who question not only the handling of, but also the events preceeding 9/11. I am not quite sure what I feel about 9/11, I do have to admit that my first thought when the towers were hit was that, what if the goverment was not necessarily behind the attacks, but maybe could have prevented them. I in no way endorse this video, just wanted to share it with everyone because I can not reiterate enough how important I believe it is that we have people who are constantly willing to question!!!

Long Shifts

I can not talk long today, I just got out of my first midterm and my brain feels like mush.. I know you guys know how that is. last quarter I did two all nighters in a row and then a three hour sleep night the next and wow, did I ever feel dumb. I could nt even function. Thinking about this made me think of two professions where all nighters and exorbenantly long shifts are requirements of the job. One of which is out soldiers, they are expected to do 12 hour shifts 6 days a week with only one day off. We wonder why sometimes things go wrong, soldiers are only human and require sleep and time for their bodies and minds to recoup in order to be able to function. Lately it has been in the news that many soldiers are coming home with serious brain function problems as well, maybe a study needs to be done on the effect of stress and lack of sleep as well. The other profesion that comes to mind doctors. They many times are required or expected to do insanely long shifts go home and be back in a few hours.... and they operate on us. Of course this is only usually the residents who do this, but still. you would think that someone who is in the medical feild, there superiors would want them to get adequate rest. Well talk to you tomorow!!!

Hero's

So i dont know if you guys all heard about the Jessica Lynch story, that what the government released was not true, and that she is now testifying to congress about what really occured. It amazes me the incongruencies between the story that is now emerging and the story that all of us heard at the time. As one blogger pointed out, it just goes to show what a hollywood like influence can have on the Pentagon's Media managers. i give her credit for now coming foward and telling the true story, because if you think about it, how hard would it be to say to every one, no its not true, I am not really a hero. They got it all wrong, I was not stabbed and shot, but rather was injured in a car accident. And when they did a rescue mission, they did not go in guns blazing to get her like people had previously said, but instead simply took her from a hospital where she was being cared for and no opposition was present. The thing is that it would take guts to come out and say to everyone that in fact you were not a hero but merely just there and that your gun was jamed with sand and you couldnt even shoot. For a long time when ever someone who was in the military would start talking about Jessica I would always hear them say negative things about her, and I really didnt get it until now. She became famous because she lived. but all of the men who died that day, no one even knows their names. And now on top of everything the Hollywood like rambo story that we all heard wasnt even the truth. Well none of us will ever know what really happened, especially now that she says she can not recall if she was raped or not. Again you never know, and i for one would never be the one to dispute something their is no evidence to prove one way or the other. (when it comes to a rape that is) Well its late and I have a midterm tomorow, but I was laying in bed and realized it had been a couple of days since my last post! I strongly urge you to watch this video, i think she deserves for her story to be told!!

The Patriot ACT

"The law allows our intelligence and law enforcement officials to continue to share information. It allows them to continue to use tools against terrorists that they used against -- that they use against drug dealers and other criminals. It will improve our nation's security while we safeguard the civil liberties of our people. The legislation strengthens the Justice Department so it can better detect and disrupt terrorist threats. And the bill gives law enforcement new tools to combat threats to our citizens from international terrorists to local drug dealers."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/03/images/20060309-4_d-0213-515h.html

-- President George W. Bush
March 9, 2006

I was on WhiteHouse.gov today reading about a new executive order that the president initiated today, when I noticed a link to the Patriot Act. I thought the verbiage that the president used was quite interesting, lets read between the lines and take a closer look. First, he says we will continue "sharing information" one can only assume that this refers to the reading of Americans emails and the way that this law allows violations of privacy that were previously protected. I don’t want to get too deep into to that, because with Sept 11 I would rather have my emails read and avoid another disaster, those who have nothing to hide should not be worried any way, and the program carnivore is meant to catch key words and phrases associated with terrorism! They are not looking for much else, because although they have the capability they lack the man power. Second, "allows them to continue to use the tools against terrorist that they now use against drug dealers and other criminals", hmmmm I am pretty sure that Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay do not hold illegally and torture drug dealers and terrorist. Although who really knows for sure. Third to "safeguard the civil liberties of OUR people", I guess that the president feels that in order to safeguard OUR civil liberties, he must ignore those civil liberties that out constitution sets forth and the international civil liberties established by numerous UN treaties, to do so. Even though these people are not Americans it is the American government doing it. Im not saying whether some of them deserve it or not, because that is not for me to judge, but I will say, that as the leading power, we are not setting a good example for the rest of the world. And simultaneously loosing the respect of our allies and increasing the hatred from our enemies!!!

Comments

So we had class a few days ago and a pro blogger came in and discussed the ups and downs of blogging, he said that comments can be a blessing but also a curse, I guess I wouldnt know about that since I have not had any comments yet!!! Sad!!! I have told many people about it hoping that some kind soul would come read about what I have to say.... but oh well!! I dont know how well I would do with the critisism any way. for one thing I am a horrible speller and their is no spell check on this thing, well I havent actually looked but I am assuming there is not!! I should talk about something political...... hold on im going to go check the news......................

Bad Endings

SO I guess I will start off with reguard to an update of my last blog in which I talked aobut the situation that was progressing in Houston, there was not much information at the time, however we now know that the gunman killed one other and him self. I dont know much else about what happened yesterday but when I have an update I'm sure i will come and talk about it. I dont know what is going on in this world, but I am really ready for some good news, so if any of you have some good news I would love to hear it!!! Hope every one is having a good weekend.

Today in the News -- Houston---VT--- and Bush

So going on in the world, there is a potentental situation in Houston at NASA where there may be a gunman inside the control room, but they are not saying much at this point. I guess we will find out later. They are not making a very big deal about it but if you ask me any one with a weapon inside a NASA control room could potentially be a big deal!!!!!!Depending on what missions we have going at this time and what control it has to satelite as well as their ability to shut down systems in case of an emergency such as this one. The other big thing in the news besides Bush probably getting the funding he will need for Iraq. The shooters family spoke out today. I can not even imagine their pain, knowing that their son or brother caused this much pain... I can not imagine their anguish and pain that they will live with for the rest of their life. They will always be stigmatized, people will always blame them, even though no matter what a family does you can never fully control the way a child turns out. You can do every thing right and things can still go wrong. I feel for all of the families, and I was touched that when they placed the rocks today in memory of all the lives that were taken.. they also placed one for Cho the shooter. because something had to be seriosly wrong in his life to allow such feelings of anger and violence. I guess we will never really know!!! Well I have to go to work so I guess that is all I have for today.

Impact of Blogging

Last night I was watching MTV and they were at Virginia Tech talking to some of the students and discussing not only the impact of the tragedies that occured on monday, but also the way that blogging and websites like facebook and myspace have changed the way that we as a public get and recieve information. Some of the first information that came was from students who blogged the things that they had witnessed. Technology plays a huge roll in the way that we now get out news. One of the first images was from a cell phone camera of the shootings, back even five years ago, that would not have been possible. One of the students who was among the first to blog about what he had witnessed, said something very moving. He said that he was afraid that the shootings was all any one would ever remember about VIrginia Tech. That later down the road when someone asked him who is alma mater was, they would say ooooh sorry, bet that was hard. But they dont want to be remembered that way! They want to be remembered as surviors, not victims. Are Hearts go out to the school and the families!

P.S. Its funny, you know when you never really paid attention to a word, like blog, and then for some reason you either learn what it is or in this case start your own, and all of a sudden its every where? Well that is how it has been with this whole blogging thing for me! Blogging has evolved the way news is done and hopefully for the better!!

From the Grave

This was released today, it gives me the chills just to look at him. This video is proof of the power of the internet, this boy was able to send his video to NBC and instead of being played a few hundred times in the first few days, it will forever be available on the internet, for every one to see, to appall most and saddly inspire some. To those shapefull minds I sincerly hope you recongnize this person for what he is, and that is a mentally disturbed person, who was in desperate need of help, but unfortunately was unable to recieve it.

Tragedy on Campus

As I am sure every blogger is doing today what I am dling now, I want to discuss VT. As a college student and a human being, I am saddend by what occured today. Although not inherently political, the messages that the shooter left behind were. He feels him self a marter and that we as society pushed him to do what he did. I do not understand !! I do not understand what in this country could possibly be soooo bad that someone who came from a good family and was attending a great school, probably on their way to a wonderful job and a fullfilling life, what reason could he have for choosing to take so many lives with him. There are so many other countries that live with destitution, poverty, genocide, or being forced from their homes. We are fortunate to live where we do, although this goverment has its problems we are fortunate. And my heart goes out to the victims of the atrocites that occured today, and their families.

Liar Liar

Kyle Sampson was called to testify today in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding the firing of eight U.S. Attorneys. Kyle Sampson who was the former chief of staff to Alberto Gonzalez, finnaly gave his long awaited testimony, which incriminated Gonzalez. It is now believed that Sampson lied under oath and registered a whopping 127 "I dont knows". It also has recently been discovered that emails that were suppose to be routed through the White House's email server, so as to be monitored and made record, were routed through alternative email site. The White House estimates it has lost some 5 million emails that have been sent recently, many of which contained content pertaining to the firings. If you want to read more about what this means for the case, you can view this blog at http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2007/04/08-week/index.html I found it very insightfull. It is hard to say at this point in the trial, what the real reason for the firings of the US attorneys were, however like all scandals, time will unfold the truth. So I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Should We Stay or Should We Go.......

You know I recently had to write a paper for my Iraq Reconstruction class on how the United States should leave Iraq. We were told the paper prompt the first week of school, so I had 10 weeks to think about what I wanted to write about. My problem was that the title was the United States Exit Strategy. I found my self stuck on the title. How should we exit Iraq, when, where, how many should leave. For weeks I could not come up with any responsible exit strategy. When it finally came down to the wire and I had two days left before my ten page paper was do, I called my father and told him this strategy I had come up. He asked why I was so stuck on the fact that we had to leave. And my answer was that I did not believe that we should leave but obviously that was what my professor wanted to hear because the title was a responsible exit strategy. My Father said this to me, an exit strategy does not need to be in terms of days, or weeks, or even months. Sometimes the things that are right take the longest, and after I came to the realization that I was so focused on trying to find a way that we should leave now, it came to me. We shouldn’t!!! The country is not ready!! Someday we will leave, someday our troops will be home safe. I as much as the next person want all of our loved ones home safely, but the reality of the situation that the security of this country relies that we do not mess this up. Unfortunately there is a lot of hate in this world. We have always know that, and acts of terrorism go back for hundreds of years. However it has only been in the past few decades that the stakes have risen so high. We are no longer dealing with people who merely wish to drive a bomb into an embassy. We live in a world that has created weapons that can destroy thousands at once. some if placed properly millions! It is our duty to make sure that people who wish to do this to our country and to our fellow allies are not given a free reign to acquire what they desire. And here is the weird thing to my realization. I do not think I am Republican, I am certainly not conservative, I do not like president Bush's Policies. I hate the way he has handled almost everything he has touched, but we are in too deep now. We cannot just turn and run and hope for the best. Sorry we thought you had WMD so we came in took out your government, now you don’t have running water, power, any of the necessities that you need, over 60 percent of you are unemployed and cant provide for your family, but you go ahead and figure that out for yourself! See ya. It just can not work like that. In the end the only RESPONSIBLE exit strategy I could come up with, was this, the United States of American can not pull out of Iraq until a viable security apparatus has been established.

Women and Politics

I stumbled across this while looking through youtube today, and I know that most people want to critize this clip and condem Rosie O'Donnel, but in all honesty I saw two things that I found very refreshing. 1.) Four WOMEN discussing politics and really seeming to know what they are talking about. The norm for media is that men do the heavy lifting, most talk show that deal with politics are men, women on the other hand tend to have shows like Martha Stewert, or cooking show, or a show like the view which tends to steer away from politics, so If I can give Rosie O'Donnel one thing, it would be that she has managed to put politics in the spot light!!! 2.) In high school, or at least for me, I had that great rare teacher that taught us to always question what we are told. That you can not always believe what is spoon fed to you, and since I have been to college and a political science major, this is something that almost all of my professors have tried to impress upon us. So if nothing else the fact that she questions athority and tries to get others to do the same, is refreshing, because she is taking a risk to do so on live national TV and that takes guts. Here is a clip of her and the ladies on the view.

24 and the War in Iraq

Ok..... So this is my first blog on my little politcal blogger so I guess I better say something politcal!!!! Hmmmmm so much to choose from. Here some food for thought, the show 24 although completely fiction....... What if?......... I think we all need to keep in mind that the horrible situation fictionalized in that telivision program is not so far fetched. When I watch the show and I think of the consequences of what could happen if terrorist really did smuggle in nuclear bombs and were planning on detonating them in California, that scares the hell out of me!!! But I think what scares me the most about the scenario is this. If we launched a counter attack and engaged in Nuclear warfare. We are not talking about WW3 we are talking about the end of the world. We are talking about Nuclear Winter!!!! We are talking about the distruction of the Earth in such a short period of time, and our generation would be the one to do it!! When we think about out troops and why they are in Iraq its hard right now to justify them being there in the first place. there were no WMD and we had no right to be there!!! But the point is not why or how we go there, but that we are there now, and whether or not you like Bush, those men on the ground in Iraq are the only thing preventing Iraq from being a free for all to any and all Terrorist organizations who want to set up shop so to say. There operations would go unchecked and unempeded!! Just some food for thought for all of you who want us to simply pull out of Iraq and not look back! We are in too deep now. You break it You bought it. Well ladies and Gentleman, until we can find a way to glue that bleeding country back together, we bought the damn thing!!!!!

Bloggers Amaze me!!!

So people who get on the internet and post a blog daily and consistently are able to talk about interesting topics impress me. I have to sit here and think...... What knew thing do I want to tell people about. Today the only interesting thing that happened was I went to my Illegal drug trade class and a US Marshal came and talked. Well also I dont know how many of you are farmiluar with the Humberto Alvarez Machain Case, but he was a Mexican doctor who was kidnapped and illegaly extradited to the US to stand trial for aid to the Torture and Murder of a DEA agent in Mexico. Well tonight in class my professor Justice O'Carter read us parts of the interigation that the DEA Agent was put through. Including the cries of agony as he is beaten, and tortured!! It was crazy to be witnessing the actual conversation of a man right before he died. It was pretty hard to listen to, but this brave DEA agent gave up nothing, and he died with all of the DEA's secrets in tact. Now, Machain was the doctor that is accused of keeping him alive so they could torture him longer and longer! The conversation was hard to follow but the pauses for the screams were very easy to dicipher! I guess this might be how blogger always come up with things to talk about, they just start talking about their day and there you go!! Next week for class we will sift through random peoples trash and try to figure out their life, and who they are. Last quarter he did it and the class found a fifth grade teacher who was into child pornography. We also learned about an algorithim program that sifts through peoples email and pulls out key words or phrases that might be a threat to national security, that program is called Carnivore, and I guess they have the technology but not the man power to acheive the type of survelance that they would really like to have!! Well thats it for me today... Be back tomorrow!!

Video - DVD

Today six men were caputured before they were able to carry out planes of attacking an army base in New Jersey with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. The men, aged 22 to 28, included three brothers born in the former Yugoslavia who ran a roofing business. One Jordanian-born suspect was a Philadelphia taxi driver and a Turkish-born man worked as a convenience store clerk. The suspects conducted surveillance of Fort Dix and other U.S. military installations in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania, plotting attacks inspired by an international call for holy war against the West, officials said. The investigation began in January 2006 when a retailer alerted police about a customer who had asked to copy a video onto a DVD.
The footage depicted young men shooting assault weapons at a firing range while calling for "jihad" and shouting "Allah-o-Akbar", "God is Greatest" in Arabic, prosecutors said in a criminal complaint. By March 2006, the group was infiltrated by the first of two FBI informants, who obtained computer files. One of these, a file named "19", appears to be the wills of at least two of the 19 hijackers who carried out the Sept. 11 attacks. This story is desturbing many, because these are people that live, work, and go to school in this country, yet they are planning attacks on it. Many times we only here of the failures of the FBI and CIA and not about the things that they prevent. this could have potentially meant a huge loss of lives of some of our men and women who protect this country. Thankfully this attack was prevented and many lives spared.