www.healthman.org

Great site.
Open the gate and get healthy.
Take care of yourself.
www.healthman.org

Dreamgirls

Congrats to the film Dreamgirls for the most Oscar nominations.
This is a really good movie. I know, I've seen it.
You ought to see it too.
Peace out.

today

always here.
moment to moment.
breath by breath.
peace will always win.
january 21, dr. mlk's birthday.

True

“Three things can not hide for long: the Moon, the Sun and the Truth” -- Siddhartha

Thank You Robert Redford

Redford demands apology over Iraq

Redford's Sundance Institute supports the festival

Hollywood legend Robert Redford has called on US leaders to apologise for the war in Iraq.

The actor was speaking at the start of the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, where the opening movie recalled protests over the Vietnam war in 1968.

Redford said he, like many others, had shown a "spirit of unity" with the US government after 11 September 2001.

"We put all our concerns on hold to let the leaders lead," he said. "I think we're owed a big, massive apology."

The actor, whose Sundance Institute for independent film runs the annual festival, usually steers clear of political messages in his opening speech.

Peace

It is the only way.

Just do it!

"Everybody's got what it takes and sooner or later somebody will take it."
Dean Martin, from the film, Shut Up and Kiss Me.

Babel

Go see this movie please.
Peace.

thank you Eddie

"The National Rifle Association says, 'Gun's don't kill people. People do'. But I think the gun helps."
- Eddie Izzard

Bring the troops home now please

I don't think we need to send more troops to Iraq. I think we need to admit a huge mistake was made. We've failed and we need to admit that too.
We must learn from our mistakes that have already been made so that we won't continue to make them over and over again. This is madness and insanity and ridiculous.
Please support our troops coming home now.
www.unitedforpeace.org
Promote Peace each and every day please.
Thank you.

two thumbs way up...

DON'T miss this film!
Children Of Men.
It is amazing.
A must see.
That is my opinion.
Peace out.

there's always an explanation...most of the time...

The US Army is to apologise to the families of officers killed or wounded in action who were sent letters urging them to return to active duty.

The letters were sent to more than 5,100 Army officers listed as recently having left the military.

But this figure included about 75 officers killed in action and about 200 wounded in action.

More than 3,000 members of the US military have died in Iraq since the war began.

Casualties have also been suffered in Afghanistan since the US invasion.

"Army personnel officials are contacting those officers' families now to personally apologise for erroneously sending the letters," the army said in a statement.

It said the database normally used for such correspondence with former officers had been "thoroughly reviewed" to remove the names of dead and wounded soldiers.

"But an earlier list was used inadvertently for the December mailings," it added.

interesting...

BY JAMES GORDON MEEK
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

President Bush added a "signing statement" in recently passed postal reform bill that may give him new powers to pry into your mail - without a warrant.
WASHINGTON - President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant, the Daily News has learned.

The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions.

That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, say experts who have reviewed it.

Bush's move came during the winter congressional recess and a year after his secret domestic electronic eavesdropping program was first revealed. It caught Capitol Hill by surprise.

"Despite the President's statement that he may be able to circumvent a basic privacy protection, the new postal law continues to prohibit the government from snooping into people's mail without a warrant," said Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.), the incoming House Government Reform Committee chairman, who co-sponsored the bill.

2007

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Let's make 2007 a year of peace, democracy, and accountability.
I also find listening to the John Lennon song, IMAGINE, daily is a great help.
War is most definitely not the answer.
Best of everything in 2007 and beyond.
Peace out.

2,983

To date, 2,983 American Troops have been killed in Iraq.
Thousands more wounded.
Fact is, that's more than had died in the Twin Towers on September 11. Makes one wonder.

Great article...

Check this out...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/27/AR2006122701558.html

Night At The Museum

Do not miss this movie.
It's great!
Two thumbs way up!
Saw it at the IMAX.
Awesome film.
Fun and with a happy ending.
Happy Holidays.
Peace.

OK

Good one.
Any clod can have the facts, but having opinions is an art.
- Charles McCabe

Blood Diamond

Don't miss this film.
It's great.
Don't buy diamonds.
This is an awesome movie.
That's my opinion.
Oscar, Oscar!
Peace.

FYI...

"LOS ANGELES - The nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese said Friday it will pay $60 million to settle 45 sex abuse lawsuits, the largest payout yet by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and among the biggest resulting from the molestation crisis that's plagued the church.

The cases were among more than 500 abuse claims pending against the Los Angeles Archdiocese.

"It's a day of healing and reconciliation as we move forward with these 45 cases," Cardinal Roger Mahony told The Associated Press. "This is very special for these victims in their moment of healing."

The claims settled Friday involve 22 priests and include allegations from two periods when the archdiocese had limited or no insurance against sexual abuse claims - prior to the mid-1950s and after 1987."

Happy December.

Got your holiday shopping done yet?
I do.
Gotta go. Tamale Festival Day!
Peace.

Bobby

I just saw the motion picture Bobby.
Everybody must see this film.
It is very good.
I predict at least one Oscar.
Peace.

Enough is too many!

U.S. MILITARY DEATHS IN IRAQ: 2859
U.S. MILITARY WOUNDED IN IRAQ: 21077
We lost it all the day George W. Bush and gang hijacked our freedom and White House. We must stop this nonsense now. Peace.

Flags Of Our Fathers

Good movie.
Go see it.
Take tissue.
Very good film.
Peace.
Course changed.

COURSE CHANGED!

COURSE CHANGED!
C O U R S E C H A N G E D !
And now on to 2008!
Main street has spoken. America voted. The People have mandated. Peace.

Flushed Away!

Good movie.
Don't miss it.
Thumbs way up from me.
Peace.
Change the world. Please VOTE this Tuesday.

BOO!

For the first time in 18 years there were trick or treaters at my door last night. It was fun. The costumes were very inventive, creative, AND SPOOKY! Children didn't trick or treat in my old neighborhood. In my new neighborhood, they do. I like my new neighborhood better. It's warmer for one. It's much better in many other ways too. Giving candy will become an annual tradition here. We might even broil and eat some juicy children! Happy Halloween!
Peace.

i also recommend...

The Prestige. Don't miss this one. Good film. Fine acting.
Could win an Oscar or two.
Peace.

Film Review

The Illusionist is a must see. Please don't miss it!
I predict Oscar.
Peace.

Oh yes...

When you look at yourself from a universal standpoint, something inside always reminds or informs you that there are bigger and better things to worry about.
- Albert Einstein

Two Films

Here are two movies I recommend.
Thumbs up.
Go see them.
1 = The Departed
2 = Man Of The Year
Both films are well worth seeing.
Peace.
Don't forget to vote.

go see this documentary please

The U.S. vs John Lennon is a great film.
Please don't miss it. I give it my highest rating.
All we truly need is love, and all we really are saying is give peace a chance.
We can change the world.

so true

indeed

Most people are bothered by those passages of Scripture they do not understand, but the passages that bother me are those I do understand.
- Mark Twain

from time to time

one moves.
sometimes on,
other times off.
but it is always best to keep moving i think,
although there is much to be said for stillness.
happy new year.
shalom

Well said

"The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices, to be found only in the minds of men.

"For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy, and a thoughtless, frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all its own -- for the children, and the children yet unborn."

Rod Serling, from 1960-something

Exactly

Open minds have a front door and a back door.

The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.
- Terry Pratchett

This says it all.

I couldn't agree more.

We do not write because we want to; we write because we have to.
- W. Somerset Maugham

Indeed

So true...

A bore is a man who deprives you of solitude without providing you with company.
- Gian Vincenzo Gravina

Exactly

Me too.

"My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind."
- Albert Einstein

Solid

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.
- Dr. Seuss

Lovely thought...

...and true...

Money can't buy happiness, but neither can poverty.
- Leo Rosten

Hey...

Maybe I can get me a Presidential Pardon too?
Oh, wait, I've never been convicted of anything.
Never mind.
Peace.

"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- By granting absolution to a convicted moonshiner, George W. Bush also earned the unique distinction of becoming the first president to pardon a cast member of the 1972 Academy Award-nominated movie "Deliverance."

Randall Leece Deal of Clayton, Georgia, had a small role in the film about four Atlanta businessmen who have unpleasant encounters with locals during a north Georgia canoe trip.

For the last 16 years, Deal, 66, has worked at the Rabun County Sheriff's Department, a far cry from his life in the early 1960s when he was convicted on two counts of violating liquor laws and one count of conspiring to violate liquor laws.

The crimes are commonly known as moonshining and Deal still disputes the conspiracy charge."

Great Movie!

A must see!
I have just seen, "Wal-Mart, the high cost of low price".
I urge everybody to see this film.
I will never shop at Wal-Mart!
www.walmartmovie.com
Peace.

This is right on!

This is from the New York Times.

Americans are frightened by the growing chaos in the Mideast, and the last thing they needed to hear this week was Mr. Rumsfeld laying blame for sectarian violence on a few Al Qaeda schemers. What they want is some assurance that the administration has a firm grasp on reality and has sensible, achievable goals that could lead to an end to the American involvement in Iraq with as little long-term damage as possible. Instead, Mr. Rumsfeld offered the same old exhortation to stay the course, without the slightest hint of what the course is, other than the rather obvious point that the Iraqis have to learn to run their own country.

By contrast, the generals flanking him were pillars of candor and practicality. Gen. John Abizaid, the U.S. commander in the Middle East, said “Iraq could move toward civil war” if the sectarian violence — which he said “is probably as bad as I’ve seen it” — is not contained. The generals tried to be optimistic about the state of the Iraqi security forces, but it was hard. They had to acknowledge that a militia controls Basra, that powerful Iraqi government officials run armed bands that the Pentagon considers terrorist organizations financed by Iran, and that about a third of the Iraqi police force can’t be trusted to fight on the right side.

Monster House

Monster House the movie
is
AWESOME!
Don't miss it. I give it a ten out of ten.
Peace.

Oh my.

Hm...
Very interesting...

WASHINGTON (AP) - A powerful Republican committee chairman who has led the fight against President Bush's signing statements said Monday he would have a bill ready by the end of the week allowing Congress to sue him in federal court.

"We will submit legislation to the United States Senate which will...authorize the Congress to undertake judicial review of those signing statements with the view to having the president's acts declared unconstitutional," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on the Senate floor.

Specter's announcement came the same day that an American Bar Association task force concluded that by attaching conditions to legislation, the president has sidestepped his constitutional duty to either sign a bill, veto it, or take no action.

Bush has issued at least 750 signing statements during his presidency, reserving the right to revise, interpret or disregard laws on national security and constitutional grounds.

"That non-veto hamstrings Congress because Congress cannot respond to a signing statement," said ABA president Michael Greco. The practice, he added "is harming the separation of powers."

Bush has challenged about 750 statutes passed by Congress, according to numbers compiled by Specter's committee. The ABA estimated Bush has issued signing statements on more than 800 statutes, more than all other presidents combined.

Signing statements have been used by presidents, typically for such purposes as instructing agencies how to execute new laws.

But many of Bush's signing statements serve notice that he believes parts of bills he is signing are unconstitutional or might violate national security.

Still, the White House said signing statements are not intended to allow the administration to ignore the law.

"A great many of those signing statements may have little statements about questions about constitutionality," said White House spokesman Tony Snow. "It never says, 'We're not going to enact the law.'"

Specter's announcement intensifies his challenge of the administration's use of executive power on a number of policy matters. Of particular interest to him are two signing statements challenging the provisions of the USA Patriot Act renewal, which he wrote, and legislation banning the use of torture on detainees.

Bush is not without congressional allies on the matter. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, a former judge, has said that signing statements are nothing more than expressions of presidential opinion that carry no legal weight because federal courts are unlikely to consider them when deciding cases that challenge the same laws.

Two for One Day

One:
PLEASE go see the documentary film An Inconveniet Truth. It is great! Thank you Al Gore! We MUST save our planet.

Two: History is being made. George W. Bush is speaking at the NAACP annual convention. This is interesting! Stay tuned. Solid.

Peace.

IT'S JULY!

IT'S JULY!
HAVE FUN!
BE NICE TO EVERYONE.
PEACE.

Father's Day

There are a lot of fathers in our world.
They have quite a lot in common even tho they don't know it.
The most important part about being a father is being there.
Today we honor fathers. I think we should honor each other every day.
Peace.

Today Is Our Anniversary

Today
is our one year anniversary.
I love you honey.
Peace.

One Day At A Time

When you get knocked down,
simply get up again and again and again.
One day at a time.
Peace.

The Da Vinci Code

DO NOT MISS THIS FILM!
A lot of people on planet Earth saw The Da Vinci Code when it opened last weekend. The film earned about $224 million dollars worldwide in approximately two days.
Apparently people are going to movie theatres to see this film. I know I did, and I highly recommend it. It is a great movie!
Thumbs up! Thank you Ron Howard and everybody who worked on it. Peace.

Will you listen and watch?

George W. Bush speaks to the world tonight. Will you listen and watch?
The Peace Sign Project is in full swing. Simply put, we want everybody to put a Peace sign on their car.
Take care.
Peace.

VERY GOOD NEWS!

ALBANY, May 1 — Ten states, including California and New York, plan to file suit this week to force the Bush administration to toughen mileage regulations for sport utility vehicles and other trucks.

The suit, which the states are to announce on Tuesday, contends that the administration did not do a rigorous enough analysis of the environmental benefits of fuel economy regulations, as required by law, before issuing new rules last month for S.U.V.'s, pickup trucks and minivans. The suit will also claim that the government did not consider the impact of gasoline consumption on climate change when devising the new rules.

While the states have initiated a number of suits over Washington's environmental policies, the new suit is the first to take aim at federal fuel economy regulations. With gasoline reaching $3 a gallon in many parts of the country, there has been a broad outcry for action but little consensus on what to do.

Senate Republicans have proposed a $100 rebate to help taxpayers pay gas bills, a proposal that has been met with criticism even from the right, while President Bush has asked for Congressional authority to revise mileage regulations for passenger cars. He already has the authority to do so for S.U.V.'s and other trucks.

California will be lead plaintiff in the suit, which also includes Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont, as well as New York City and the District of Columbia.

I would like to know, would you?

How much money is Bush and his friends making off these high gas prices?
Wouldn't you love to know?
www.stillfree.com

Today

Yesterday was Earth Day.
Today is Rob's birthday.
Yesterday George W. Bush came to Indian Wells, California for a republican fundraiser.
How is any of this connected?
Everything is connected. I went to see George W. Bush yesterday, but he declined to see me. I was there with about 200 other people. (www.thedesertsun.com) People of all kinds. None of us liked Bush much. We don't believe he's made Mother Earth a better place. There were five people there who did. Hence the 33% approval rating. It's been quite a wild ride since 2000. Today is Rob's birthday, and Mother Earth keeps on revolving and evolving. I keep trying to speak with Mr. Bush. You should too. Peace. www.stillfree.com
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROB.

The Truth is coming out.

Papers: Cheney Aide Says Bush OK'd Leak

AP - 1 hour, 37 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Vice President Dick Cheney's former top aide told prosecutors President Bush authorized the leak of sensitive intelligence information about Iraq, according to court papers filed by prosecutors in the CIA leak case. Before his indictment, I. Lewis Libby testified to the grand jury investigating the CIA leak that Cheney told him to pass on information and that it was Bush who authorized the disclosure, the court papers say. According to the documents, the authorization led to the July 8, 2003, conversation between Libby and New York Times reporter Judith Miller.

VERY INTERESTING! HMMMM...............
STAY TUNED.
THIS MAY ONLY BE THE TIP OF THE ICEBERG.

B-Bye Tom Delay

B-Bye Tom Delay, have a nice day.
I hope Tom meets some really nice, new, diverse friends in prison who will teach him new tricks. I wonder if Tom will follow in the footsteps of Jimmy Carter after he serves his prison sentence? The world needs more people like Jimmy Carter! I wish Mr. Delay all the best.
B-Bye!

V For Vendetta

ONE OF THE BEST FILMS I'VE EVER SEEN!

This movie is extremely relevant not only today, but for all time. The acting performances are wonderful. The story is great. The cinematography is amazing. It is neither too long nor too short. It is just right and very satisfying. We really care about these characters. This motion picture is truly a wakeup call.
This movie is relevant not only for our current struggle for truth in government, but for all the battles fought in the past. The performances are powerful, the story timely, the cinematography is stunning.
Please DO NOT miss V For Vendetta.
The message is one we all must embrace.

Thank You George Clooney

I am a liberal. And I make no apologies for it. Hell, I'm proud of it.

Too many people run away from the label. They whisper it like you'd whisper "I'm a Nazi." Like it's a dirty word. But turn away from saying "I'm a liberal" and it's like you're turning away from saying that blacks should be allowed to sit in the front of the bus, that women should be able to vote and get paid the same as a man, that McCarthy was wrong, that Vietnam was a mistake, and that Saddam Hussein had no ties to al-Qaeda and had nothing to do with 9/11.

This is an incredibly polarized time (wonder how that happened?). But I find that, more and more, people are trying to find things we can agree on. And, for me, one of the things we absolutely need to agree on is the idea that we're all allowed to question authority. We have to agree that it's not unpatriotic to hold our leaders accountable and to speak out.

That's one of the things that drew me to making a film about Murrow. When you hear Murrow say, "We mustn't confuse dissent with disloyalty" and "We can't defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home," it's like he's commenting on today's headlines.

The fear of being criticized can be paralyzing. Just look at the way so many Democrats caved in the run up to the war. In 2003, a lot of us were saying, where is the link between Saddam and bin Laden? What does Iraq have to do with 9/11? We knew it was bullshit. Which is why it drives me crazy to hear all these Democrats saying, "We were misled." It makes me want to shout, "Fuck you, you weren't misled. You were afraid of being called unpatriotic."

Bottom line: it's not merely our right to question our government, it's our duty. Whatever the consequences. We can't demand freedom of speech then turn around and say, But please don't say bad things about us. You gotta be a grown up and take your hits.

I am a liberal. Fire away.

I'm a liberal too, George. Thank you for all you do. Peace.

Please don't shop at Wal-Mart

I will not shop at Wal-Mart.
I cannot shop at Wal-Mart. I urge you not to shop at Wal-Mart either. Please do not support what they do. It is shameful.
Peace.

Explanation Please

Happy March.
Will somebody PLEASE explain to me how anybody can ever vote for a republican ever again?!
I just don't get it!
Good night and good luck.
Peace.

CRASH

CRASH is a great film.
I give it two thumbs way up. Don't miss this movie. Peace.

Good Night, and Good Luck

Good Night, and Good Luck.
This is a film you must not miss. I give it my highest rating.
It is a very important movie. Don't miss it!
Peace.

Guns!

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, spraying the fellow hunter in the face and chest with shotgun pellets.

Harry Whittington, a millionaire attorney from Austin, was ''alert and doing fine'' in a Corpus Christi hospital Sunday after he was shot by Cheney on a ranch in south Texas, said Katharine Armstrong, the property's owner.

He was in stable condition Sunday, said Yvonne Wheeler, spokeswoman for the Christus Spohn Health System in Corpus Christi.

Armstrong in an interview with The Associated Press said Whittington, 78, was mostly injured on his right side, with the pellets hitting his cheek, neck and chest during the incident which occurred late afternoon on Saturday."

This is just one reason why I am anti-gun!

Oscar

Eight (8!) Oscar nominations for Brokeback Mountain.
I am proud to live in a time when such a fine film is recognized and honored.
Have you seen it? A lot of people have. It is one of the best movies I have ever seen.
I wonder if this is some kind of direct message to the Bush Administration? Is Oscar simply acknowledging a very fine movie, or are they saying something else as well?
In a time when our government is taking away our freedoms and rights, Oscar may be saying; "Enough is enough."
I wonder if George W. Bush will ever see and understand this movie?
I always hope for the best.
In the meantime, we can all continue to live for equal rights.

Coretta Scott King Dies at 78

Coretta Scott King Dies at 78

Mrs. King will be missed. Her work will continue, and none of us will be truly free until we all are. We who work in civil rights, human rights, and equal rights honor Mrs. King, and thank her very very much. Rest in Peace Coretta. You have made a huge difference on Planet Earth.
Thank you.
Peace.

Brokeback Mountain

One of the best films ever!
Do not miss this brilliant movie.
It is a wonderfully tender love story.
I predict it will win at least two Oscars and probably more!
Thank you Ang Lee.

For the record

I will also be voting against Alito.
He is not fit to sit on the Supreme Court.
Or for that matter, any court!
"Good luck and good night."

um, OK

"With help from the Pentagon's chief laughter instructor, families of National Guard members are learning to walk like a penguin, laugh like a lion and blurt "ha, ha, hee, hee and ho, ho."

No joke.

"I laugh every chance I get," says the instructor, retired Army colonel James "Scotty" Scott. "That's why I'm blessed to be at the Pentagon, where we definitely need a lot of laughter in our lives."

Scott, 57, is certified as a laughter training specialist by the Ohio-based World Laughter Tour, a group that promotes mirth as medicine. It touts scientific research that suggests chuckling can boost the body's immune system and decrease stress hormones."

YOUR TAX DOLLARS AT WORK!
I don't know whether to cry or laugh!

Sad

Another week has come and gone and Alito is closer to the Supreme Court. This is truly sad. This will set us all back in time. Equal rights will suffer. Personal rights, personal freedom, and personal privacy will erode. The DarkSide is upon us.
Good luck and goodfellas.

One man's opinion...

CARACAS, Venezuela -

The American singer and activist Harry Belafonte called

President Bush

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News | News Photos | Images | Web

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President Bush "the greatest terrorist in the world" on Sunday and said millions of Americans support the socialist revolution of Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.

All right...

It is sometimes necessary to do the right thing.
One may always choose to do the right thing.
Somebody always does the right thing.
Do you ever do the right thing?
The right thing is really left.
Just blogging here.
Peace.

What would Jesus do?

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An executive committee member of the Southern Baptist Convention was arrested on a lewdness charge for propositioning a plainclothes policeman outside a hotel, police said. Lonnie Latham, senior pastor at South Tulsa Baptist Church, was booked into Oklahoma County Jail Tuesday night on a misdemeanor charge of offering to engage in an act of lewdness, police Capt. Jeffrey Becker said. Latham was released on $500 bail Wednesday afternoon. Latham, who has spoken out against homosexuality, asked the officer to join him in his hotel room for oral sex. Latham was arrested and his 2005 Mercedes automobile was impounded, Becker said. Calls to Latham at his church were not immediately returned Wednesday.

Just For The Record

I have NEVER met Jack Abramoff. I have NEVER received any gifts or invitations from Jack Abramoff. Jack Abramoff has NEVER telephoned me.
I don't know Jack!

MUNICH

I just saw the film Munich and I give it two thumbs WAY UP!
Please don't miss this movie!

Things you can do every day!

There are many things you can do in 2006 to make the world a much better place. Here are just a few of them...
Vote Democrat.
Uncover the truth and tell as many people as you can about it.
Get involved and have an opinion.
Don't remain dumb, blind, and deaf.
Smile more.
Feel the love of Peace in your soul.
Make a positive difference every day.
Use less gas and maybe the price will dramatically lower.
Take a closer look at the Vatican's policies on equal rights and human rights.
Eat more vegetables.
Drink more water.
AND PLEASE VOTE DEMOCRAT!

Happy New Year?!

It may be the eve of the beginning of a new year, but as far as I'm concerned, it's just another day. We must continue to work for peace, justice, freedom, accountability, and on and on. The age-old problems remain. We still have poverty, hunger, etc. The rich get even richer, while the poor get poorer and die. Far too many people are without health care. Our elected officials feel free to lie, cheat, steal, and murder. And we continue to accept war as an answer.
For me, this transition from 2005 to 2006 represents just one more day. Life is taken one day at a time, and we must never forget all the work to be done.
There really is no new year, only new opportunities, solutions, and worlds.
Which world will you support in 2006?
Happy New Day.
Peace.

My Christmas Eve Gift To You!

BERKELEY, United States (AFP) - From cards to action figures to doggy chew toys, gifts mocking US President George W. Bush are a hit in famously liberal northern California this Christmas.
Bobble-head Jesus dolls and glow-in-the-dark Virgins de Guadalupe were available at Oddball novelty store in Berkeley as Christmas Eve neared, but the last Saddam Hussein and Bush action figures set was gone from the window.
"It sells well at the San Francisco store, but it flies off the shelves here," said Shellina Visram, who, along with a sister, owns Oddball in Berkeley and Cheap Thrills toy shop in the Haight district.
"People seem to be grooving on it. They love to make fun of Bush. They love to hate him."
Bush is fashioned with cowboy boots, a leather jacket, jeans and a denim shirt. The doll comes with a toy Bible and bucket of oil.
Hussein is adorned with green military fatigues and comes with a container labeled weapons of mass destruction and a book titled "World Domination for Dummies."
"They are really cool," a store worker, who gave her name only as "Gina," said of the action figures. "It is funny, when you think about it, because both of them are so (screwed) up."
The dolls created by a fledgling company called Mulberry Pi were referred to as "Puppetics" and were "born" in the end of November, according to the Pi website. They were made available in stores in the San Francisco Bay area.
The 25-dollar price tag for the set did not hamper sales of the figurines, which seemed particularly popular with customers in their 30s, Visram said.
Oddball also sold out of "National Embarrassments" breath mints featuring Bush on the packaging.
Other hot selling Oddball items included Bush "Dum Gum" with idiot-proof pieces and playing cards featuring Bush's face superimposed on pictures ranging from dogs and chimps to bathing suit models and children.
Among the slogans on the gum package was "Don't debate, manipulate."
"Those have been very fast," Visram said of the cards, gum and mints.
Also popular was a refrigerator magnet set featuring a nude Bush, a star of Texas keeping him modest, and a papal wardrobe.
It came with sparkling platform boots and magnetic phrases "Who would Jesus bomb" and "Armageddon outta here".
Hanging from a display rack near the door were Bush-head chew toys bearing the message: "You can't get even, but your pet can."
And, for masking odors in cars, Oddball sold hanging air fresheners bearing Bush's face and the words "dumbass head on a string".
"Everybody from around here gets a laugh out of them," Visram said of the Bush-bashing merchandise. "The only complaints I've gotten have been from tourists from places like Kansas or Texas. They tend to get upset."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS!
PEACE EVERYBODY!
HERE COMES 2006!
"The times they are a changin'."

Thank You Harold Pinter!

STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Nobel literature laureate Harold Pinter has slammed U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in a harsh award lecture, saying they should be prosecuted for the invasion of Iraq.

In a prerecorded lecture presented at the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Wednesday, the British playwright said Bush and Blair should be arraigned before the International Criminal Court.

"The invasion of Iraq was a bandit act, an act of blatant state terrorism, demonstrating absolute contempt for the concept of international law," said Pinter, known for his outspoken criticism of U.S. foreign policy.

Thank You Michael Moore

December 17th, 2005 2:15 pm
THE MAVERICKS OF '05

By Michael Moore / Rolling Stone

They were the seven words you can't say on television:

"George Bush doesn't care about black people."

"2005 will be remembered for many things, from a rising body count in an endless war to the first criminal charges against a sitting White House official in 130 years to something as simple as the weather and a storm that revealed, with one levee break, an administration re-elected on the promise of keeping everyone safe had no clue at all what to do.

But it was the bigger levee of apathy and silence which was broken by the utterance of those seven words, live and unexpected, on national TV. Spoken with simple sincerity by Kanye West on the NBC telethon to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina, it shot out of the nation's flat screens like a laser beam of truth. Stunned viewers simply could not believe that someone had said what many had been thinking -- but no one was saying. An obviously nervous director cut away from West as soon as he could, and by the time the telethon aired three hours later on the West Coast, NBC had exorcised those seven dirty words.

In a time of carefully managed information dissemination and a media afraid to veer from the Official Story, it was, perhaps, the pivotal moment of the year, the instant where culture and politics collided and the apple cart of a president who once had a 90% approval rating was turned upside down. NBC's censoring of Kanye West's remarks, I'm sure, made sense to the brass at General Electric. After all, we now live in a time where dissent must be marginalized, ignored, punished and, most importantly, seen as something that gives aid and comfort to America's enemies.

What NBC didn't understand was that the American public was already way ahead of them. Thanks to a number of individuals who, in 2005, dared to step out of line and say something real, the public had begun a seismic shift away from the chokehold of uniform and uninformed thought. It was the year the Stones got political and showed no sympathy for the devil. You could turn on Jay Leno and see Bright Eyes singing "When the President Talks to God." George Clooney seemed like he was churning out a film a month that spoke to the dark path the country had taken – and people were lining up to buy tickets. It was a year when the most popular music video (Green Day's "Wake Me When September Ends") was one that dared to show an authentic depiction of how the Iraq war costs young soldiers their limbs and their lives.

But not all of 2005's truth-tellers and troublemakers were well-known artists – some were just average citizens who had simply seen enough. A student in Ohio decided he'd take on the army recruiters swarming his campus in search of fresh bodies. A guy in Texas made it his mission to uncover the dirty deals of the Republican House majority leader. A lone mother of a deceased soldier went to Crawford one day, and the American people listened and wondered what they would do if their son had died for a pack of lies. It never got better for Mr. Bush from that day forward.

As a rule, we are instructed from childhood that serious consequences shall arise if we dare to rock the boat. We learn instinctually that it is always better to go along so that we get along. To slip off the assembly line of groupthink means to risk ridicule, rejection, banishment. Being alone sucks, but being alone while you are attacked, smeared, and scorned is about the same as picking up a hot poker and jamming it in your eye. Who in their right mind would want to do that? Especially when conformity to the community offers as its reward acceptance, support, love and the chance to be comfortably numb.

This month we celebrated the 50th anniversary of a moment that shook the world on December 1, 1955. A black seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to give up her seat to a white man when she was ordered by the law to do just that. This unknown woman endured every imaginable abuse from the authorities, the press, and even from some of the old guard in her own black community. None of that mattered. A single, simple act by a lone woman ignited a revolution. When Rosa Parks died in October of this year, the president-who-doesn't-care-about-black-people couldn't even bring himself to make it to her funeral. December 1st should be a national holiday, to honor all individuals who rebel and cause trouble for the common good. Without these people there would never had been a United States of America and without them it won't continue.

Far from becoming Public Enemy #1, Kanye West was not only roundly applauded across the country, he was asked to come back and appear live on the following week's telethon, one that aired on all the major networks. The country had come a long way from a certain Oscar night two years prior when a guy I know was booed off the stage for his anti-Bush remarks.

I asked Kanye what prompted him to speak out and he told me he hadn't planned on doing so. "I was just standing there, looking at the teleprompter with the words they had written for me to say and I just thought, ‘How can I read these words when the truth needs to be said?'"

And that's the good news about 2005. This year's mavericks and rabble rousers stuck their necks out -- and they didn't get them chopped off. They helped the nation make a turn toward the truth, and average Americans began to speak their minds freely in the diners and the churches and the bars, little words of discontent and dissent and growing outrage. You can argue that it was five years and 2,100 dead soldiers too late. Or you can say that Americans may be slow learners, but when we finally figure something out… well, watch out. A new majority forms and there can be no stopping it. Stands taken by this year's troublemakers had become, by years' end, the mainstream position of the American people. Every poll shows the same thing: The majority now oppose the war, the majority no longer trust the president when he speaks, and the majority would rather vote for a Democrat next year. The time is ripe to get this country back in the hands of the majority. Will we seize the moment? Or will we need a whole new crop of rebels next year to keep us honest and doing the right thing? Thank God we will still have artists and writers and everyday citizens willing to sign up for the call. Those who dare to be different are the closest thing we have to a national treasure."

Some GOOD News!

WASHINGTON - In a stinging defeat for
President Bush, Senate Democrats blocked passage Friday of a new Patriot Act to combat terrorism at home, depicting the measure as a threat to the constitutional liberties of innocent Americans.
OOPS! SORRY GEORGE! YOUR GIG IS UP!

Real Courage

Viggo Mortensen isn’t backing off his stinging critique of George Bush.

The “Lord of the Rings” hottie took some heat for criticizing the president’s policies lately, and in a recent interview, Mortensen is unrepentant.

“I’m not anti-Bush; I’m anti-Bush behavior,” Mortensen told Progressive magazine. “In other words, I’m against cheating, greed, cruelty, racism, imperialism, religious fundamentalism, treason, and the seemingly limitless capacity for hypocrisy shown by Bush and his administration.”

THANK YOU Viggo Mortensen!

Good Luck Howard!

Good luck to Howard Stern on his move to Sirius. He is the true Pioneer!
Best wishes. We'll be listening!
F the FCC!

The Termination Of Tookie

The Terminator has done it again, only this time it was a real live person. I cannot figure out the benefits to humanity of the death penalty. I wonder if Arnold lives his life completely in a movie. Did Arnold take pleasure in this execution?
What does killing people teach our children? What would Jesus do? Tookie will live forever, and the good and positive things he's done will have far greater impact than anything Arnold will ever do. I do know one thing for sure; Arnold will pay dearly for his wrong decision. And I will never again go see a film that he is in. Rest in Peace Tookie. You will be missed.

Rest In Peace, Mom

On Saturday, December 3, 2005, my Mom transformed from this life to the next.
She will be missed by many. She made a very positive difference.
We will always celebrate your life.

Great news today for human rights!

JOHANNESBURG, Dec. 1, 2005 - South Africa's highest court ruled today that same-sex marriages enjoy the same legal status as those between men and women, effectively making the nation one of just five worldwide that have removed legal barriers to gay and lesbian unions.

Question...

President Bush pardoned two Thanksgiving turkeys today.
My question is this:
Is this the very first time in his life that Bush has ever pardoned another living creature?
Stay tuned while I do the research and check the facts.
The truth will be revealed.

Talk about getting it WRONG!

People Magazine has named Matthew McConaughey the "sexiest man alive".
PA-SLEEZE!? I think it's all said in three letters of his name. CON!
I respect the opinion of People Magazine at least as much as I'm certain they respect mine. I'm also sure that next year they'll name ME "sexiest man alive"...again!

California Special Election?!

It was special alright. All the propositions went down in flames! The people said "NO WAY" to the Arnold and Company power grab. Sometimes Democracy really does work. Imagine!
Prop. 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, and 80 = NO!
Perhaps there is some comfort in that old saying after all:
"That's the way the cookie crumbles."

You really can make a difference!

Here is our position on the Special California Election.

Please vote NO on propositions 73, 74, 75, 76, 77 and 78!

Please vote YES on propositions 79 and 80!

Please vote so "The Man" won't steal more power away from We The People!

Thank you.

Peace.

Rosa Parks

Let us never forget what she did, and that each and every one of us can also make a huge difference. We can do so every day of our lives. It's not just an opportunity, it is our responsibility.

Capote

DON'T MISS THIS FILM! It's terrific! I give it two thumbs way up!
Go see Capote!

www.worldcantwait.org

People must really get involved. www.worldcantwait.org is one place where you can.
I saw a great film. Wallace and Gromit made me laugh. I give it two thumbs way up! DON'T MISS IT!

OK, I admit it...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4317498.stm

I talk with God too. Unfortunately, I'm not the President of The United States of America. If I were, there'd be some changes around here, believe me.
I am NOT going to sit here and write anything negative about anybody who talks with God. I just want some of the same shit they're smoking. God talking with George W. Bush is a lot like you and I talking with Tom Cruise.
What's the use?!

Odor-Eaters...

I'm thinking Tom Delay could use a brand new pair of Odor-Eaters in his shoes about now, but I'm not checking them! These indictments are the Court's responsibility now.

ROLL BOUNCE

I saw a great film today. Don't miss it! It's ROLL BOUNCE! IT'S WONDERFUL!

Hurricane Katrina Victims

The victims of Hurricane Katrina need just about everything. If you'd like to send them something, there's an address on www.michaelmoore.com. Please send whatever you can. It all helps. If we all do just a little, we can have a monumental effect. Thank you. Peace.

EVERYBODY CAN DO SOMETHING

this september 24th, 2005 weekend, millions of people on Planet Earth will be standing up and speaking out. you can too. don't just sit and be silent thinking YOU can't make a difference. YOU CAN!

meetwithcindy.org

here are a few great websites i think we all need to read on a daily basis.
meetwithcindy.org
michaelmoore.com
huffingtonpost.com
also, i give the film, "MARCH OF THE PENGUINS" two thumbs way up. don't miss this one!