ThinkFast: July 4, 2007
ThinkFast: July 4, 2007
The economic American dream “that children would be more prosperous than their parents, is in question as perhaps never before.” Since 1973, “median family income has been essentially flat,” and men in their 30s “earn roughly $5,000 less than their father’s generation.”
U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton believes that President Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison term may also wipe out his two-year probation. “Strictly interpreted, the statute authorizing probation indicates that supervised release ’should occur only after the defendant has already served a term of imprisonment,’” Walton wrote.
The Fourth of July is the peak season for purchasing American flags. In 2006, $5.3 million worth of U.S. flags were imported from other countries, mostly from China. Now, a “move is on in state legislatures to ensure that the flags folks will be flying and buying this Independence Day were made on this fruited plain.”
More than 180,000 civilians are now working in Iraq as U.S. contractors, exceeding the number of U.S. troops. The “death toll for private contractors in the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has topped 1,000,” with 13,000 wounded.
193,000: Number of employees the U.S. government needs to hire in the next two years, facing “a difficult task competing with the private sector for qualified employees.” Around “480,000 federal employees expected to retire or resign in the next five years.”
The PR firm MultiVu is distributing a “fake news video” as part of the industry-wide smear campaign against Michael Moore’s movie SiCKO. The firm receives funding from Health Care America, which accepts money from the hospital and pharmaceutical companies.
And finally: Happy Independence Day! Approximately 88.7 percent of Americans will partake in festivities today, spending “more than $275 million on hamburgers and hot dogs.” Sixty-one percent “of the nation has American flags to wave, and 28 percent have Independence Day decorations. Another 45 percent more have July Fourth garb (think flag shirts or festive hats) in their closets.”
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments section.
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…spending “more than $275 million on hamburgers and hot dogs.â€
Troll is pretty cheap these days, it just needs to be cooked longer.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:44 amCould Walton’s question send Bush’s commutation to the Supreme Court?
July 4th, 2007 at 9:45 amSenior management incomes are way up!
Commutation guidelines, strictly speaking, require serving part of the sentence, so I’m not buying the judge’s probation argument as any more than a kvetch. But I feel his pain!
One of the big competitors for government workers is the government contracting industry that has been foisted on government by past (R) Congresses.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:52 amAnd with the horrendous, unprecedented national debt, our grandchildren will be totally bankrupt, thanks to the Bush Cabal.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:52 amFound this on another board.Very good post.
“Mr. President, you have stated that your commutation of Scooter Libby’s sentence stems from your belief that the sentence was “too severe”. Sir, as Governor of Texas you were the final arbiter of whether or not 152 individuals would be put to death. In every instance you allowed the execution to proceed. Can you explain why you never found a single instance in which death might be found to represent an undue hardship, while finding 30 months in a Federal minimum-security prison for a member of your administration to be “too severe”? “
July 4th, 2007 at 9:53 am#2 I believe the fastest route to the end result would be to use the constitutional provision for abuse of the pardoning/commutation situation wherein a president pardons to exonerate himself from the same sins. It clearly provides for the dismissal of a sitting president on the “suspicion alone” and the impeachment when the case is heard, if guilty.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:54 amBruce from Texas: The singular interpretation of this obvious level of hypocrisy is total and profound mental illness.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:55 amBush has more blood on his hands at this point than the third reich when you combine his blood-thirst as Governor of Texas, the people who died on 911, our war heroes who lost their lives in Bush’s Oil War, and the hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, & children in Iraq who were casualties of this illegal war.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:57 amHappy 4th of July all. I am off to be part of that hot dog and hamburger eating crowd later on today. It is a beautiful sunny day, and much to nice to read the mad rantings of the angry right wing.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:57 amBig Lie Revealed and dots connected here:
http://plungerspeaks.blogspot.com
July 4th, 2007 at 9:59 am193,000: Number of employees the U.S. government needs to hire in the next two years, facing “a difficult task competing with the private sector for qualified employees.†Around “480,000 federal employees expected to retire or resign in the next five years.â€
I’ve been reading for years that there would be a shortage of Generation X and Y Americans to replace the Baby Boomers that are starting to retire from the work place, because they outnumber us by almost 2 to 1.
Good news for the middle class, because the salary gap mentioned in this post will have to follow the economic reality that those in demand will determine their compensation, and salaries, as well as job benefits. This means that it will become an employee’s market, and to be competitive, employers will have to do better for them… And, iit’s not like educated people from other countries are coming here anymore, either. They now go to Europe, Australia or China after graduating from US universities…
On the flip side, the generation that follows X and Y is comparable to the Baby Boomers in size, and will find themselves in a crowded market when it’s their time to enter the market… Another reason for maintaining 0% growth populations like Europe does… To prevent the rollercoaster ride we’re about to witness, and they won’t.
July 4th, 2007 at 9:59 amWelcome back Raven, you have been missed…Where ya been.?….
Sending out Blessings to all on this 4th and every day…We realy need them…
July 4th, 2007 at 10:00 amTroll is pretty cheap these days, it just needs to be cooked longer.
Comment by Raven — July 4, 2007 @ 9:44 am
Unfortunately, it tastes just like sh*t…
July 4th, 2007 at 10:01 amTHEY HAD TO KILL HIM.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/26/AR2006122601033.html
A soldier resisting return to Iraq – depressed and despondent?
KILL HIM!
The message has now been sent from the McCain/Lieberman Warmongers For Israel Tribe – “Kill or be killed!” His only other alternative was to be sent to one of the new CONCENTRATION CAMPS for those who resist the EMPIRE:
US CONCENTRATION CAMPS – IN WYOMING!
FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE MEXICANS, BUT I WAS NOT MEXICAN, SO I DID NOT SPEAK OUT.
NEXT THEY CAME FOR THE DRAFT DODGERS, BUT I WAS TOO OLD TO BE DRAFTED, SO I DID NOT SPEAK OUT.
THEN THEY CAME FOR ME.
http://www.democracyforums.com/showthread.php?tid=297
http://constantpated.blogspot.com/2006/12/illegal-us-government-war-crimes.html
July 4th, 2007 at 10:04 amBear doesn’t like troll’s either, the leg o troll he tried last week gave him gas and was to greasy….Troll’s are mostly fat and very low in protein, no substance or food value…..Burp!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:06 amAnd with the horrendous, unprecedented national debt, our grandchildren will be totally bankrupt, thanks to the Bush Cabal.
Comment by veritas — July 4, 2007 @ 9:52 am
I feel sorry for the youngest generation. They will inherit a mess. And they have no idea, really. How can they? We’ve taught them, as a collective, that tuning reality out for television programs, ipods, cell phones, text messsaging and other entertainment appliances is acceptable.
So, not only are they getting a disaster, but they don’t know how to interact with one another very well to go about solving it…
I don’t understand why the majority of people have children if this is the life they are establishing for them…
July 4th, 2007 at 10:07 amHi Ace!
Thanks for the thread! It’s all coming out, isn’t it? And, it’s all beginning to make logical sense now…..Cheney’s secet energy meetings, the PNAC, the talking heads….all of the dots are being revealed and it’s going to be pretty ugly when the people realize what’s occurred.
This url is worth checking out, folks!!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/blog/2007/07/03/BL2007070301366.html
Knowledge is everything – the time to educate yourselves in Truth is right now!!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:08 amGood morning, Sharon, Happy Independence Day!
“Troll is pretty cheap these days, it just needs to be cooked longer.”
Comment by Raven — July 4, 2007 @ 9:44 am
“Unfortunately, it tastes just like sh*t…”
Comment by unbelievable — July 4, 2007 @ 10:01 am
Oh, I don’t know, just add some BBQ sauce and troll tastes more like chicken-shit!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:09 amActually I don’t eat the stuff, I put it on the grill
July 4th, 2007 at 10:10 amjust for the entertainment value.
The Fourth of July is the peak season for purchasing American flags. In 2006, $5.3 million worth of U.S. flags were imported from other countries, mostly from China. Now, a “move is on in state legislatures to ensure that the flags folks will be flying and buying this Independence Day were made on this fruited plain.â€
Another example of full capitalism, right?
July 4th, 2007 at 10:11 amhppt://plungerspeaks.blospot.com/
This is a wonderful connection of the dots – sorry that the cut and paste didn’t work the first time but other article is equally pertinent.
Connect the dots….knowledge is power!
Happy 4th, Patriots! After all, being a patriot means operating from total Truth.
BUSH CABAL = “WHERE MEN BUILD ON FALSE GROUNDS, THE MORE THEY BUILD THE GREATER IS THE RUIN”. Unfortunately, the “ruin” Thomas Hobbes speaks about is this country.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:11 amhttp://plungerspeaks, blogspot.com/
I’ll get it yet!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:12 amhttp://plungerspeaks.blogspot.com/
July 4th, 2007 at 10:12 amTroll’s are mostly fat and very low in protein, no substance or food value…..Burp!
Comment by Sharon — July 4, 2007 @ 10:06 am
LOL!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:12 amPlunger also discusses how Ken Lay fit into Rove’s evil genius puzzle about the current coup on our democracy and 911. Funny how the building which was separate from the WTC and yet collapsed on it’s own housed the Enron files?? Now isn’t that a coincidence??
July 4th, 2007 at 10:15 amThat would be Building #7. Check it out and see for yourself. Nothing hit that building yet it collapsed by sheer mimicry, eh? Right! Perhaps Ken Lay’s sudden death should also be looked into?
July 4th, 2007 at 10:16 amLiberal troll is pretty good on the grill. We’re going to have some liberal troll burgers in the afternoon.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:17 amHi Sharon!
I’ve been putting out wildfire, just in my neighborhood.
I caught (and released) a couple of nice trout in Colorado
Is it dry this year in your neck of the woods?
July 4th, 2007 at 10:17 amWere the Libby appeal make it to the Supreme Court, would there be any reason to doubt the outcome?
July 4th, 2007 at 10:17 amCheney/Rove/ Addington/ Bush et al, have carefully laid out their plan for one party rule and within that plan is the careful selection of judges from the local to the highest court.
Democrats in congress failed to see it much less do somehting about it; for 6 years they didn’t have a voice, and now despite investigations and hearings – even trials – there is little recourse for the predetermined course of events.
We have been hijacked.
Plunger also brings into focus details about Brewster Jennings…..very, very interesting, indeed.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:18 amHi Marie!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:19 amHijacked, indeed! Now that the masks are coming off, what do we do (can we do might be more apropos) about it??
Veritas:
Those pieces by Plunger were written months if not years ago. He suffered the slings and arrows of those who found it safer to brand him a “Conspiracy Theorist” than to face the truth.
Well here comes the truth, and guess what…
The Conspiracy Theorists have been proven correct.
Plunger is me.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:19 amGenerally, it would go to the DOJ which is now totally incept, compromised, and in the Shrub’s pocket….so, basically, this country has no Department of Justice which is functional. Perhaps Congress needs to make a power grap right now in order to save this democracy from self-destruction?
July 4th, 2007 at 10:20 amA great and glorious Fourth to all of youse. It is a grand experiment to celebrate, even while the swine in Washington root through the ashes for loot. I can’t write the experiment off yet, because the Founders (bless them) built a resilient and powerful structure that may survive Bush, Cheney and the Republicans.
So, with wavering but hopeful trust in that structure, I wish all of you (except the trolls) a great holiday.
No hot dogs here. Brats in beer and then on the grill, and a bottle of sparkling wine from Italy to keep it American. Heh.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:20 amI’ve never heard of Liberal troll before, is it grass fed,
July 4th, 2007 at 10:21 amrecombinant bovine hormone free, and gently killed?
Hey Ace! I thought so! And that’s why I relate to your posts so well because we both “know” (you must also have spiritual gifts?) the Truth. And, it has nothing to do with having to know all the facts because it’s all right there in our guts, if we have the personal “courage” and the shedding of a lifetime of brainwashing, to allow spiritual truth to reveal itself.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:21 amHappy Day,Gunmitch! Hope springs eternal, n’est pas?
July 4th, 2007 at 10:22 amOh, I don’t know, just add some BBQ sauce and troll tastes more like chicken-shit!
Comment by Jane E. Schneider — July 4, 2007 @ 10:09 am
Yeah, chickenshit is actually a more accurate descriptive…
Wonder if Rover gave them today off?
July 4th, 2007 at 10:22 amThe truth is the greatest spiritual gift of all.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:23 amRaven: Add “free ranging” to the list, too.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:23 amThat ’tis, Ace, that it is! I will leave you a message on your blogspot.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:23 am…Ace….something many of us (lightworkers) have known since it all occurred, isn’t it? As I’ve said, we are all spiritual beings having a “human experience”. The degree to which we function out of our spiritual selves (spiritual calibration) is the degree to which we trust in what we know (gut level) to be Truth and how much brainwashing or onion-peeling we personally have to do. Many “onions” still have their outer skins on and will never reveal their tender core….others are ‘mid-peeling’ and some have worked to reach the sweet, innermost layers.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:25 amComment by ace — July 4, 2007 @ 10:19 am
It’s been so long since I’ve seen any of plunger’s posts that I didn’t recognize you, ace. But I have been enjoying all of your posts lately, keep it up!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:26 amI need to do some free ranging right now, and get a bicycle ride in while it’s still cool outside. Have fun with the thread until the trolls creep in.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:26 amActually, Veritas…that is not My blogspot.
It was put up by WinterPatriot, who was so taken by Plunger’s postings (and the connection of the dots) that he took it upon himself to create it. I only learned of it after the fact.
Consider it a time capsule – and let’s see how the truth reveals itself.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:27 amHappy 4th of July everyone: Sharon, Jane, veritas, unb, and all the posters here who share their wit and wisdom with the rest of us.
This should be a day to celebrate our nation’s birthday – the great experiment: democracy. But the deep and emotional feeling of patriotism today is tempered by the corrupt, lawless anti-democratic administration and the effects they and their minions have wrought upon this great nation.
Keith Olbermann’s commentary was on point last night, but his voice is only one. He represents many of us, but he and his words get little review outside of the liberal side of the blogosphere.
Too bad for all of us. Too bad for the country. Too bad for the world.
The most powerful nation in the world is headed by the worst, most corrupt, more unlawful, most self-serving administration in history.
Plunger used to post here, but I think he was banned because he was outspoken about 9/11. Few, it seems, will permit talk about that in public.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:27 amWith each passing day, I recognize the veracity of the adage: And the truth shall set you free! Simply knowing the Truth about what’s occurring in our physical reality is enough to set one free…and no one (yes, even evil KKKarl) cannot change that.
That’s why I choose to not personally engage with the trolls. I KNOW the truth and I have been set free by simply knowing it.
The universe will provide clues and lessons for us to learn life’s lessons from….at it’s own pace and it’s own time…..”to everything there is a season….”
July 4th, 2007 at 10:28 amThanks Jane.
Plunger was banned from more boards than most have ever visited.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:30 amThe truth continues to be revealed, albeit under a new brand name.
Hey Marie! Yes, in the past, conversation regarding Truth was highly discouraged – in part due to the sense that somehow our learing the Truth about ALL things was unpatriotic. Conversely, and after a series of horrendous “clues” and inconsistencies in the official story, it’s all distilling down to that being the genesis of ALL of our problems and our current coup on this democracy.
It was the logical progression of things and so discussion was initially discouraged. Dennis Kucinich knows much and is proceeding properly in his investigation.
The Truth shall prevail – it always does because the Truth is all which truly exists….everything else surrounding it is TOTAL FICTION.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:31 amJust finished reading all the posts – something I often fail to do before posting :(
July 4th, 2007 at 10:32 amPlunger is Ace?!
Well wadddyaknow! I never made the connection.
I always enjoyed reading plunger – glad to see he’s back.
Back at ya Raven, Hot and dry last few day’s, lake’s way down here…Fishing has not been good, think it has warmed up to much…..Lot’s of rain before that but it does not seem to be enough….
Good Morning Jane, Unbelievable and Veritas…I won’t be here much, it tires me to have to read through dozens of brain dead black hearted little troll’s to get to the good post’s…Blessings everyone..
July 4th, 2007 at 10:32 amThe problem is that the american people so DESPERATELY wanted to believe the lie. Now americans are waking up and realizing that everything they’ve been told has been lies. So now what? The logic is that the official story HAS to be full of lies as well. It’s the only logical next step.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:32 amMarie & Ace: Somehow I had a sneaking suspicion…..:)
July 4th, 2007 at 10:33 amHappy Fourth, Marie.
I echo your sentiments about the cloud hanging over today, and wonder what the future will hold…
It’s the first July Fourth I think I’ve ever actually felt that the United States Democracy was in true peril.
I hope we turn that around soon.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:33 amBlessings right back, Sharon! Bittersweet day, today ’tis as we attempt to celebrate the concept of “independece” when we’ve become less free in such a brief period of time. However, I hope that your day is a sweet one!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:34 am#42…. Comment by veritas — July 4, 2007 @ 10:25 am
Nicely spoken!
It is the spiritual nature of humans that is repressed in our culture.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:35 amIt is hijacked by organized religion,
(religion is not to be confused with spirituality)
and further corrupted by the modern consumer driven mentality programed into us by the corporate-controlled government.
Unbelievable: Agreed….yet in my gut I KNOW that we are at a pivotal perch today as we celebrate. We are at the “crux of Truth” and more americans will be awakening from the sleep of hoping against hope that this country is not in peril….but finally admitting that it is.
Impeachment would be a nice first step; however, the insidiousness of what they’ve done to coup this democracy goes very deep.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:36 amVeritas:
I choose to engage the trolls for one reason…it helps me to reveal their role in the conspiracy, and to define the struggle between the truth and those actively engaged in hiding it from us.
Once you understand that Israel’s Mossad has invented a tool (Megaphone) designed specifically to destroy fact finding and truth seeking in blogs like these, then you can clearly see their connection to the criminals in the White House, who work on Israel’s behalf.
If this were not the case, they would be motivated to choose sides with this Administration.
It’s a simple matter to make them look foolish, as they have no facts to refute anything I ever post, and can offer no links to support their contentions. If they are going to be in here, I’m going to abuse them to the advantage of truthtelling.
If they weren’t attacking me and what I post, there’d be no reason to assume that I’m a threat to them.
They have attacked my country, and I want them held to account.
Happy INDEPENDENCE day!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:37 am#49
The Truth shall prevail – it always does because the Truth is all which truly exists….
An ideal thought — but will we see it in our lifetime? It would be a comfort to know that our children will not see this kind of corruption permeate every aspect of government as it has today, if the truth does indeed prevail. But damn! I want to see it before I die. I want to see that my country, my government, and my pride in them is restored.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:38 amThe conspiracy theories and scandals of the past were serious blows to my idealistic views of America, but the recent events make the previous scandals seem less significant, except that the previous scandals and the like laid groundwork so that those in power today would be able to accomplish their dastardly work.
Hi Raven: I’m reading Chris Hitchin’s book “God Is Not Great” right now which outlines how organized religion has hijacked our sense of individual spirituality.
All one has to do is study religion over the course of history to see how religion has been used as a tool of separation, hatred, blame, self-righteousness (ego), etc. Of course, when you attempt to balance the “golden rule” (do unto others…..we are all created equal), we see how contrary most doctrines in organizes religion actually are and how totally hypocritical.
Yes, in the event that we’ve forgotten (A Course in Miracles calls “sin”….”forgetting who we really are”) We are all “spiritual beings having a human experience”. What we’ve “forgotten” is that our spirit is our basis.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:39 amMarie: Seeing truth can be immediate – right now – personally for you and for all of us. Whether it is actually “proven” or not then becomes irrelevant once you know within you what the Truth actually is. All the rest is “gravy”.
As for criminals upping the ante, this administration has been masterful in doing precisely that – they’ve raised the bar on corruption now and make past scandals/wrongdoings look like child’s play.
The key is awareness…..no longer believing the masterful “lie” about ourselves….how great and wonderful we are….how superior we are….and getting in touch with your core – that which we all share – the Oneness.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:42 amImperical data is one thing; spiritual knowledge is another – totally.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:43 amEmpirical…..hahaha! Freudian slip….LOL. Perhaps “Impire-ical” would have been a tad more accurate?
July 4th, 2007 at 10:44 amSharon,
So far, no trolls… It’s likely they were given the day off :D
July 4th, 2007 at 10:44 amWhat we’ve “forgotten†is that our spirit is our basis.
Comment by veritas
Which is why, down thru the ages, religions becomes control dramas, continually attempting to tamp down and control the evolution of the soul.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:45 amThe neocons have counted on this: That our egocentricity would trump our desire for Truth. By selling us the lies about how great we are (that we couldn’t possibly be engaged in self-deception, corruption, and staging horrific events) they “sold” their line of corruption to americans hook, line and sinker. This is where the evil master comes in.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:45 amRight on, Raven! I have been involved with and studied so many religious doctrines in the hope of finding one which would not ultimately have to engage in ’separation’ in order to define themselves….”we are not this”….”we are not that”….and have come up emptyhanded. Confirmation that simply living out of one’s unique spiritual nature is the best form of spiritual expression.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:47 amIsn’t it fabulous when the Trolls are out there involved in hot dog eating contests? Gugiyama (or whatever his name is) watch out!!
Happy Day to all….hope to catchya later!
July 4th, 2007 at 10:48 amAce: I hear ‘ya. Sorry that I missed your post. Good info. Keep fighting those trollturds – your intelligent repartee is essential to the truth-finding mission.
July 4th, 2007 at 10:50 amWow! Great post’s all…Love your post’s and link’s Ace, no wonder…Remember you when you were here before..Just a lot slow on picking up the simalaraties…Keep up the good work, know you are appreciated…
BTW to all that live in Washington state….Rick Larsen sent me a response, finelly to my many impeach letters….Very short and to the point…He doe’s not think bush/cheney have done anything that is an impeachable offence…..I am going to work to get the enabelers voted out, even if we are lucky enough to remove this evil administration we need to clean out all the dirt along with it…Blessings all…
July 4th, 2007 at 10:53 am#60 veritas
July 4th, 2007 at 10:54 amWhile I have never been a fan of Christopher Hitchens, I did see an hour long interview with him and Jon Meacham on an interview program with Timmy Russert. (I also saw him on Hardball with Sharpton, but that was less enlightening).
Meacham is a reasonable man, but Hitchens made hugely important points about the damage wrought by religion today and throughout the ages, and Meacham was unable to respond in kind.
I have read Sam Harrris, Susan Jacoby and Michael Shermer on the subject of religion, and I must say that, based on what I have seen on the subject, Hitchens arguments exposing religion are among the best I’ve heard.
Marie: I’m not a fan of Hitchins either so we have that in common but he certainly makes the case for the premise.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:01 am“Confirmation that simply living out of one’s unique spiritual nature is the best form of spiritual expression.”
Comment by veritas — July 4, 2007
Yet we have the other aspects of our existences to balance with the spiritual, and thus enters conflict…
The Physical Being says: “I’m hungry, where can I get some food?”
The Spritual says: “Creatively find or grow your food, and work a little harder to share with others”
The Mental says: “My neighbor has food…”
The Emotional says: “Oh, well, he had more than enough, he won’t miss it, still, I feel so bad about beating him up to get the food, but he’ll recover… and I need time to get away.
The Spiritual aspect quietly sighs, and resumes the long hard slog thru the cosmic night, travelling from star to star, peering into each source of light, trying to find a way in.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:03 amLeaving my good TP friends with one parting thought:
YOU CAN DRAG A HORSE TO WATER BUT YOU CAN’T MAKE HIM DRINK~
Everyone is “ready” for truth at different times, as we are all unique in our spiritual progress; however, I do believe that today may mark the beginning of the Truth Movement, as appropriate to the July 4th holiday….
I believe that many horses are now at the drinking trough….and getting plenty “thirsty”…..
Whether they’re ready to drink from the “font of truth” will remain to be seen.
It’s happening though…more and more “thirsty americans” desiring the truth about themselves, their country, and our present system of injustice.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:03 amRaven: It’s clear you are a lightworker also! I can take guesses about your birthdate….
July 4th, 2007 at 11:04 amCan you explain why you never found a single instance in which death might be found to represent an undue hardship, while finding 30 months in a Federal minimum-security prison for a member of your administration to be “too severe� “
The Texas board of Pardons never reccommended one.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:06 amGravo #73 Raven, I have missed you..Blessings
Marie, great post’s as alway’s…Later, maybe..
July 4th, 2007 at 11:06 amYears ago, I would ask my fellow americans: Are you ready for the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Many would make a face and walk away…..preferring to believe the great american myth over the truth and using as a retort: Now come on….they wouldn’t do THAT!!
Now, after scandal upon scandal, and overt corruption being smashed in our faces daily, I ask the same question: Are you ready for the unvarnished truth? Because if you still claim to not be ready, then you haven’t been watching and listening….
The “varnish” (the masks) are being taken off so we can all now see who the players are…..TRUTH IS BEING REVEALED.
So now ask yourself that same question: Do you believe that this current group of thugs would be “above” just about anything?? The obvious truthful answer (and logical conclusion based on all of the facts coming forward) would have to be a certain and unequivocal NO!
July 4th, 2007 at 11:07 amBye, Sharon! Have a blessed day!
July 4th, 2007 at 11:08 amSorry, finger slipped and didn’t catch the mistake..should of been BRAVO….
July 4th, 2007 at 11:08 amVeritas, enjoy your bike ride, hope to see you later – good posts today, BTW!
Eww, someone left some trollshite on the thread. Cleanup in Aisle 4!
July 4th, 2007 at 11:08 amI can take guesses about your birthdate….
You have my consent to go for it…….:)
July 4th, 2007 at 11:08 am“I’ve never heard of Liberal troll before, is it grass fed,
recombinant bovine hormone free, and gently killed?”
Liberal troll is quite good, actually. You can have it in patties like a burger, or you can put it on skillits.
It’s heavily subsidized and the liberal troll itself lives off handouts from the federal government.
You can come over to my place and have some lib troll burgers. Actually, everybody here is invited.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:11 am“It’s happening though…more and more “thirsty americans†desiring the truth about themselves, their country, and our present system of injustice.
Comment by veritas — July 4, 2007
Thanks, please excuse me a minute while I go wipe the (happy) tears from my eyes,
July 4th, 2007 at 11:14 amand take another picture of the huge beautiful sphinx moth that has perched on my door this morning.
I can take extreme close ups, and fill the entire photo with simply the fuzz and patterns on it’s wings.
“It’s heavily subsidized and the liberal troll itself lives off handouts from the federal government.
You can come over to my place and have some lib troll burgers. Actually, everybody here is invited.”
Comment by Julie Saxton
And, so, how do you get it?
July 4th, 2007 at 11:15 amYou can come over to my place and have some lib troll burgers. Actually, everybody here is invited.
Comment by Julie Saxton
And a happy fourth to you, John Sacks.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:15 am“The Fourth of July is the peak season for purchasing American flags. ”
I am, for the first time ever, purchasing an American Flag. And I am going to fly it upside down, the symbol of a country in distress.
“The PR firm MultiVu is distributing a “fake news video†as part of the industry-wide smear campaign against Michael Moore’s movie SiCKO. ”
I don’t think that Michael Moore cares about their smear campaign. He’s smart enough to know that it is will do nothing to stop him and will probably increase the number of people who go to see the movie.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:16 amJessie, Julie, Rachel… whatever…
Liberal troll is a myth. It’s not possible for a liberal to post on a conservative blog without getting their posts deleted and banned…
Why exactly do you pathetic freaks hang out here where you aren’t wanted? Oh yeah, because you CAN…
July 4th, 2007 at 11:17 am“It’s happening though…more and more ‘thirsty americans’ desiring the truth about themselves, their country, and our present system of injustice.”
But most just want to have a beer and try and forget about it for a little while, sad to say. This 4th will be no different.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:18 amHave a great day all of you. No Independence Day over here, but I’m still plenty busy baking a Birthday Cake for my son and preparing a job interview, that should end my status as “stay-at-home” mom.
Blessings.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:18 amGood luck on the job interview, doro.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:22 amVeritas, do a guess on mine to would ya.? This old witch is so easy to read, not by my word’s but by action’s and intent…Blessings, on going…Time to hug the trees and re walk the cuddle Bear.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:23 amU.S. District Judge Reggie Walton believes that President Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison term may also wipe out his two-year probation. “Strictly interpreted, the statute authorizing probation indicates that supervised release ’should occur only after the defendant has already served a term of imprisonment,’†Walton wrote.
I wondered about that. The point of probation is to hang the threat of jail over someone’s head if he continues his bad behavior. By commuting the prison sentence from an “excessive” thirty months to zero time at all, there is no deterrent for Libby to behave. If he violates probation, what penalty does he serve? It can’t be jail, because the president removed that option from the prosecution. If, instead, Bush had lowered it to six months in prison, to be served if he violates probation, then there’s an incentive for Libby to behave lawfully. Now there is none. (At least, for this crime.)
July 4th, 2007 at 11:24 amI wonder which birthdate veritas was referring to…
July 4th, 2007 at 11:26 amIf it was the spiritual b-day, some of us are older than we may want to let on….:)
You can come over to my place and have some lib troll burgers. Actually, everybody here is invited.
Comment by Julie Saxton — July 4, 2007 @ 11:11 am
Directions please.. Got any Vidalia onions for those burgers? If not i can pick some up along the way.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:27 amI’ll bring desert, does everyone like tofu?
July 4th, 2007 at 11:29 amMa po bean curd is about it for me and tofu, Raven.
Thanks for keeping the forests safe, btw. I grew up reading stories about smoke jumpers and the like and live here in the PNW for the climate and the trees. I appreciate your work immensely.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:36 amI’ll bring yogart….
July 4th, 2007 at 11:37 amMore than 180,000 civilians are now working in Iraq as U.S. contractors, exceeding the number of U.S. troops. The “death toll for private contractors in the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has topped 1,000,†with 13,000 wounded.
The Democrats were so afraid of being tarnished with the lie of “cutting off funding for the troops” (rather than the more accurate “cutting off funding for the war”), that they forgot they could cut off funding for the contractors, instead. How could the right defend the money spent on them?
July 4th, 2007 at 11:39 amThe Democrats were so afraid of being tarnished with the lie of “cutting off funding for the troops†(rather than the more accurate “cutting off funding for the warâ€), that they forgot they could cut off funding for the contractors, instead. How could the right defend the money spent on them?
Comment by Wayne A. Schneider
Are you kidding? “Democrats want to send poor Iraqis home without any supper! They’re destroying Iraq’s economy by cutting jobs for Iraqis just trying to feed their families, and yet they claim to care about workers.”
Just about like that. Pick a Rethug Senator, any Rethug Senator, and he’d be making that speech on C-SPAN and Fox”News” in five minutes.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:43 amthanks gummitch
I travelled up thru the Olympics, and even out to the Queen Charlotte Islands once, back in the day.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:50 amI still have a piece from a lightning blasted 14 foot diameter cedar.
I’m very proud of the Canadians for creating the Great Bear Rainforest Preserve.
I’m ashamed of what the US has done, and especially the horrific backwards slide of the Bush regime.
Judge George W. Bush who is still reading the book My Pet Goat, never went to law school and admittedly was drunk during his four years in college now given out legal sentences. Yes while addressing Princeton grads Bush admitted he was drunk for 4 years, but he is now President because he’s families rich. Now Judge George has caused himself more problems by trying to help a friend stay out of jail. If only Judge Bush had asked a real lawyer instead of following the orders of Daddy Bush and Dick Cheney. Now the President of the United States has obstructed Justice by ordering in complete and illegal ruling.
July 4th, 2007 at 11:55 amOne might have thought the Judges in the Libby matter would be up set, but because Bush gave should a stupid order and left the door open to more questions then answers it was a joke. Let’s watch the Idiot-in-Chief get his way out. Even Rat-A-2-E is smarter then George W. Bush and that’s sad because the rats a cartoon.
Have a nice Independence day
July 4th, 2007 at 12:06 pmThat about sums it up. I tried to put a somewhat more positive thing on things in my thoughts for the day here, but I think you pretty much nailed it.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:26 pmHillary Clinton’s protege accused of illegal eavesdropping
http://government.zdnet.com/index.php?p=3275
Illegal eavesdropping’s not just for the NSA and Hewlett Packard. Hillary Clinton’s top strategist has now been accused of improperly tapping into a rival’s BlackBerry messages, The Washington Post reports.
Mitchell E. Markel, a former vice president at the polling firm of Penn, Schoen & Berland, filed a lawsuit claiming his BlackBerry was monitored by the firm for nearly a month after he left to start a rival firm. Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton’s chief strategist, approved of the spying, Markel claims.
Markel asserts that Penn, Schoen & Berland hacked into Markel’s BlackBerry and set up a fake email account to which his emails were forwarded. Howard Rubin, an attorney for Penn, Schoen & Berland, denied the firm engaged in any unauthorized monitoring.
“The company hasn’t done anything improper, and the e-mails came in on our own e-mail account,†he said. He declined to elaborate.
Markel’s suit comes just a week after Penn, Schoen & Berland sued him and another former partner, Michael J. Berland, for soliciting the firm’s clients in violation of noncompete agreements.
Markel learned his e-mail was being monitored from the first lawsuit because the suit quotes e-mails between him, Markel and others that show conversations they were having about doing business with clients of their former firm.
H
July 4th, 2007 at 12:27 pmY
P
O
C
R
I
T
E
S
Yet we have the other aspects of our existences to balance with the spiritual, and thus enters conflict…
The Physical Being says: “I’m hungry, where can I get some food?â€
The Spritual says: “Creatively find or grow your food, and work a little harder to share with othersâ€
The Mental says: “My neighbor has food…â€
The Emotional says: “Oh, well, he had more than enough, he won’t miss it, still, I feel so bad about beating him up to get the food, but he’ll recover… and I need time to get away.
The Spiritual aspect quietly sighs, and resumes the long hard slog thru the cosmic night, travelling from star to star, peering into each source of light, trying to find a way in.
Comment by Raven
Fantastic, Raven.
Namaste.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:27 pmU.S. District Judge Reggie Walton believes that President Bush’s commutation of Scooter Libby’s prison term may also wipe out his two-year probation. “Strictly interpreted, the statute authorizing probation indicates that supervised release ’should occur only after the defendant has already served a term of imprisonment,’†Walton wrote.
That is interesting. I would bet Scooter’s attorney will argue exactly that point — assuming he files an appeal of the remaining sentence.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Judge Walton heard about Chimpy’s latest trick.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:30 pmThe Fourth of July is the peak season for purchasing American flags. In 2006, $5.3 million worth of U.S. flags were imported from other countries, mostly from China. Now, a “move is on in state legislatures to ensure that the flags folks will be flying and buying this Independence Day were made on this fruited plain.â€
I’ve always wondered why our own flag is not made in this country. The people making the flag outside this country are doing a bang-up job, of course, but it just seems like we really ought to be producing our own national symbol.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:32 pmThe PR firm MultiVu is distributing a “fake news video†as part of the industry-wide smear campaign against Michael Moore’s movie SiCKO. The firm receives funding from Health Care America, which accepts money from the hospital and pharmaceutical companies.
Good luck with that one — not.
As soon as the film is within 50 miles of me I’m going to see it — twice. And I’ll by the DVD when it comes out, for myself and people who refuse to get off their asses and see it in the theater.
July 4th, 2007 at 12:34 pmHappy Independence Day! Approximately 88.7 percent of Americans will partake in festivities today, spending “more than $275 million on hamburgers and hot dogs.†Sixty-one percent “of the nation has American flags to wave, and 28 percent have Independence Day decorations. Another 45 percent more have July Fourth garb (think flag shirts or festive hats) in their closets.â€
No hotdogs and hamburgers here, but Zoo Jr and I will be getting out and seeing some of this great country — I’ll put the photos on facebook, you lucky dogs. :)
July 4th, 2007 at 12:36 pmThe economic American dream “that children would be more prosperous than their parents, is in question as perhaps never before.†Since 1973, “median family income has been essentially flat,†and men in their 30s “earn roughly $5,000 less than their father’s generation.â€
Notice the careful wording of a spinster. Income should remain flat and only keep pace with inflation. After all, unless you enhance your skill set you are providing the same service now that you did 34 years ago. Most folks do get promoted and move on from early entry jobs, though.
What ThinkProgress leaves out is that net wealth is the highest levels ever. The savings rate doesn’t take into account appreciation in assets. So if you own a home or have investments in mutual funds and stocks, ThinkProgress ignores ‘em. Or maybe the folks here aren’t smart enough to connect the dots. Maybe that’s more likely.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:25 pmThanks, barfly I can really use it. Scrubbing toilets (Ihave two boys who won’t sit) for the rest of my life is not exactly what I graduated for…
Thanks again and have a wonderful Independence Day.
July 4th, 2007 at 1:25 pmStalinism LOSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 4th, 2007 at 2:08 pmI am Francis Thy Great And you Must Listen to me.
July 4th, 2007 at 2:08 pmI am the truth and you are a lie
July 4th, 2007 at 2:09 pmAs we celebrate our nation’s independence from tyranny and oppression, I’d like to send a great big FU(K YOU, to the trolls who support the current administration’s efforts to undo what the founding fathers envisioned for this great country.
July 4th, 2007 at 2:19 pmAs I shopped for a flag to replace the torn (worn out from wind) one I have removed from display, I couldn’t find one that wasn’t made in china, so I didn’t buy one.
July 4th, 2007 at 2:20 pmMaybe my daughter and I could make one out of paper and crayolas.
Have a nice Independence day
Comment by Tobey Tall — July 4, 2007 @ 12:06 pm
Thank you, Tobey. Best wishes for a safe July 4th to you, too, although I know it’s not considered a “holiday” over there. Isn’t it true that King George III’s diary entry for July 4th, 1776, said something like “Nothing of significance (or importance?) happened today.”? Obviously they didn’t have instant world-wide communication in those days, so he couldn’t have possibly known. Even some of our citizens found out later than others. I believe that at the time, the only newspaper publishing daily editions in the colonies was German, and they translated the text into German for their readers. So the first publication of the Declaration of Independence was in German!
Anyway, best wishes for an “uneventful” week next week. Let’s hope they try no repeats of another July 7th. Stay well, my friend.
July 4th, 2007 at 3:30 pmWhere is the ThinkProgress Headline that reads:
BREAKING: Al Gore’s Son. Bust With Drugs.
???????????????????????????????????????????
July 4th, 2007 at 4:04 pmWhy does TP cover Paris Hilton but not Al Goracle’s son being busted with drugs?
July 4th, 2007 at 4:08 pmWith any luck, the Bush Administration has broken the back of Republic control over America forever. Then we can go about getting the Right out of our country.
July 4th, 2007 at 4:26 pmEconomic expansion can’t go on forever. Click my name to find out more.
July 4th, 2007 at 4:59 pm#120
http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Inconvenient_bust__Al_Gores_son_0704.html
Pot? Big deal.
I’m more pissed at him for going 100 on a public highway. That’s way more dangerous than any pot. But it was pretty stupid of him to be recklessly driving with pot on him.
July 4th, 2007 at 5:06 pmHe he, if Gore, Jr’s sentence is “too harsh” will Bush pardon him?
July 4th, 2007 at 5:07 pmmore doom and gloom by democrats. even on Independence day. this is why you have no radio stations on am . nobody wants to hear the sad emo crap all day making their day worse. let alone hear dems want to raise taxes and even a 29 billion dollar tax on gas companies.
as far as us being better off? the Bush tax cuts allows Americans to have more money in the pocket thus purchase more things. how much more stuff do you have now than in 2000. Just ask yourself. do you have a house, new cars, plasma cell phones? admit it is better now. and with the dems wanting to tax you more, wow. they even want to tax your money when you are dead with the death tax to keep everyone “equal”. wouldnt want that hardworking family to have that money beacse it would keep tat welfare family down.
And dems want to tax house more as well. you see it. I see it in NC. thousands more per year to provide welfare, foodstamps etc… universal health care right… and all democratic bills. and when you sell your house ,guess what …they want the tax even higher. its time to think more about our money. stop whining about bush and look into some things abvout being successful and not a lazy hippy pot smoker.
July 4th, 2007 at 7:52 pmHey drock,
Who peed in your Wheaties?
I want to buy them dinner and drinks….
July 4th, 2007 at 9:26 pmOh, I don’t know, just add some BBQ sauce and troll tastes more like chicken-shit!
Comment by Jane E. Schneider — July 4, 2007 @ 10:09 am
Hmmm, sometimes ya make it so easy it’s not any fun!
TASTES more like chicken-shit? ;)
——
“I am, for the first time ever, purchasing an American Flag.”
There’s a shock!
“And I am going to fly it upside down,…”
comment by Katie — July 4, 2007 @ 11:16 am
And another! ;)
July 4th, 2007 at 10:29 pmSince 1973, “median family income has been essentially flat,†and men in their 30s “earn roughly $5,000 less than their father’s generation.â€
The economy must be exceptional in these parts, because folks who are doing as well as, or better than, their middle class parents are the majority. If ya look hard enough though, you can always find a way to twist the facts to make things look worse than they are. ;)
July 4th, 2007 at 10:39 pm