tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56051262011-06-08T00:32:30.345-06:00THEY REPORT, WE DERIDE! Attacking Life's comforting illusions.The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comBlogger6941100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1170656681483043382007-02-04T23:13:00.000-07:002007-02-04T23:24:41.500-07:00

I've been off this blog for the past three months, on account of more pressing needs in family, life, career and direct political action. Needless to say, the Dem whitewashing of the Party That Has Lost Its Way was a much-needed ray of hope for the country. Now, if just the Dems would do something.McCain says about naysayers of the surge "I don't think it's appropriate to say that you

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1162283631134649212006-10-31T01:29:00.000-07:002006-10-31T01:33:51.160-07:00

Wondered why Thomas Friedman seemed so flat himself in touting globalization? Could it be because he owns a substantial portion of it? Hypocrite alert!Last week my column was a parody of how Thomas Friedman writes about the global economy. Since then, I've learned that I was in error on a matter that shines some light on the worldview of the syndicated New York Times columnist and best-selling

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1159686907161621932006-10-01T00:43:00.000-06:002006-10-01T01:15:07.180-06:00

As if it could get any worse for any American with a heart, soul or brain watching the country spin toward economic, political and spiritual ruin...Top House Republicans knew for months about e-mail traffic between Representative Mark Foley and a former teenage page, but kept the matter secret and allowed Mr. Foley to remain head of a Congressional caucus on children’s issues, Republican

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1157526235425999092006-09-06T00:50:00.000-06:002006-09-06T01:03:55.446-06:00

I have nothing to add...ABC's 9/11 "docudrama" a creepy shill for Bush and his crime family...http://www.alternet.org/story/41288/An excerpt:One astonishing sequence in "The Path to 9/11" shows the CIA and the Northern Alliance surrounding Bin Laden's house in Afghanistan. They're on the verge of capturing Bin Laden, but they need final approval from the Clinton administration in order to go

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1157524492067490602006-09-06T00:34:00.000-06:002006-09-06T00:50:48.630-06:00

1. "Collapse" by Jared Diamond. Excellent follow-on on his themes in "Guns, Germs and Steel" with the addition of excellent research and perspectives on why there is still hope and time. The most interesting chapter? Perhaps the comparison of the Greenland Norse, who perished en masse, to the Inuit, who survived. The difference? Willingness to adapt to the world around you, for one. Excellent

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1157520775993821402006-09-05T23:16:00.000-06:002006-09-05T23:32:56.026-06:00

Of course Iraq is in the grips of a Civil War. The problem being, like that in Russia in 1917, that there are currently so many combatants it's hard to even tell what the sides are. The shia and sunni control many of the mesopotamian provinces, the kurds the northeast, and apparently the "resistance" (whatever that means) the west. As CommonDreams.org reports, the west really couldn't be

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1157441432106014742006-09-05T01:24:00.000-06:002006-09-05T01:30:32.126-06:00

Hmmm, median income is down for the fifth straight year. Wonder what that correlates with?Check out the bleak (at least for the average--median--American, that is) economic data at:http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2006/09/02/another_year_another_wage_loss/The Census Bureau reported that median incomes for working-age families were down again, for the fifth

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1155874655526012782006-08-17T22:01:00.000-06:002006-08-18T23:52:03.173-06:00

The triumverate of evil?Cheney, Bush, Rove.The triumverate of evils dropped on the world?1. Afghanistan is out of control, the "war" lost and only a tiny portion of the country under US control...but no better off for it.2. The war on drugs? 90% of the world's heroine is coming from Afghanistan. The US has created the world'd hard drug factory...it has to be on purpose. You simply can't screw up

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1154673337450500032006-08-04T00:21:00.000-06:002006-08-04T00:44:17.280-06:00

Tucked way down in this article is a nasty little fact:Sectarian killings in Iraq have escalated since the February 22 bombing of the Shiite Askariya Mosque in Samarra. Nearly 6,000 people died in Iraqi violence in May and June alone, according to a recent U.N. report. This rate? 36,000 a year due to violence. Imagine the number dying of deprivation, cholera, miscarriage, etc. The 36,000 a year?

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1152917696182655422006-07-14T16:50:00.000-06:002006-07-14T16:54:56.196-06:00

This looks bad. Real bad.Ken Lay is instantly cremated after an autopsy? Note that autopsies do NOT identify the person, only the casue of death. As the DailyKOS article notes,Ken Lay was rich, very, very rich -- he had a pampered, luxurious, spoiled life and plenty of reason to live on -- if only he could escape his conviction somehow. It was clear that he could not do that legally, and it

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1152426555332727342006-07-09T00:02:00.000-06:002006-07-09T00:29:15.436-06:00

Notice how America continues to refer to itself as "the richest nation on earth"? In spite of Katrina; in spite of offshoring manufacturing, research & development, and ultimately all technological advancement; in spite of foreign ownership of 1/7 of its stock and much of its Treasury bonds. Methinks the US doth protest too much.Enron was famously at one time 7th on the Fortune list. The

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1149735477806649082006-06-07T20:50:00.000-06:002006-06-07T21:00:23.326-06:00

But I'm having a hard time finding a flaw in what Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown said about Rush Limbaugh and Fox News ruling Middle America's view of the U.N."Much of the public discourse that reaches the U.S. heartland has been largely abandoned to its loudest detractors such as Rush Limbaugh and Fox News," he said."The U.N.'s role is in effect a secret in Middle America even as it

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1149316681590832432006-06-03T00:32:00.000-06:002006-06-03T00:38:01.600-06:00

Finally, this is news big enough to post on Buzzflash:But the shoplifting of those votes in Ohio was just the tip of the theft-berg. November 2, 2004 was a national ballot-box bonfire. In total, over three million votes (3,600,380 to be exact) were cast -- marked, punched, pulled -- YET NEVER COUNTED. I'm not talking about the Ukraine or Uganda. I'm talking about the United States of America "

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1148170426663689392006-05-20T17:39:00.000-06:002006-05-20T18:13:46.753-06:00

Thanks to Faolin for checking this book out from the local library for us!:Of all the anti-intellectual, anti-reality and asinine rubbish produced by the far right, "Help! Mom! There are Liberals under my bed!" has scratched its way to the bottom of the dung heap.Not because the content of the book--oversimplified vilification of Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton & co., especially for taxes (

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1147326357653180342006-05-10T23:33:00.000-06:002006-05-10T23:45:57.676-06:00

Brazil, like the United States, is a New World country rich in natural resources and home to more than 150 million people. The difference? Brazil is energy independent...Brazil's sugarcane industry produces about 160,000 barrels of oil-equivalent a day, assisting the country in achieving self-sufficiency in oil sometime this year, notes PESD program director David G. Victor in February 2, 2006

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1147238349760246492006-05-09T22:54:00.000-06:002006-05-09T23:19:09.836-06:00

Bush's ratings have now plummeted to a new low...31%...according to a NY Times/CBS poll.Americans have a bleaker view of the country's direction than at any time in more than two decades, and sharp disapproval of President Bush's handling of gasoline prices has combined with intensified unhappiness about Iraq to create a grim political environment for the White House and Congressional Republicans

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1145081998756413372006-04-15T00:19:00.000-06:002006-04-15T00:19:58.773-06:00

With more than 2370 Americans dead in Iraq (another 280+ in Afghanistan), we get closer and closer to the 2740 Americans killed in the 9-11 attacks. 2650 dead Americans in Afghanistan and Iraq. A grim statistic will be reached in the next month or two, and W will have killed more Americans than the 9-11 hijackers. And for what? Creating two economically-devastated, ungoverned and ungovernable

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1143963333191884742006-04-02T00:30:00.000-07:002006-04-02T00:35:33.203-07:00

Katherine Harris' senate bid is blowing up like Marlon Brando on androstenedione...and it couldn't happen to a meaner person.http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-harris0106apr01,0,1888059.story?coll=orl-home-headlinesThe last of U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris' key staffers appear ready to abandon her campaign for the U.S. Senate in a wave of resignations expected to start this weekend.

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1143962863273778392006-04-02T00:16:00.000-07:002006-04-02T00:27:43.286-07:00

Now Jill Carroll recants on some of her statements, especially while a hostage (those had limited credibility), and even those right after her release...http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060402/ap_on_re_eu/carrollBasically, she has her eyes open (the US policy in Iraq is rubbish), but still rightly chastises anyone who kidnaps...In her statement Saturday, she condemned her captors, although she did

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1143791405971456182006-03-31T00:29:00.000-07:002006-03-31T00:55:20.893-07:00

Thanks to Faolin for pointing out this sad but spot-on article.Forget 2006. This is the single Featured View I've seen this Century. Robert Freeman is a man who got it right. How sad for our country.http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0329-22.htmAfter summarizing the traitorous activity of the illegally elected and criminal administration that has taken over the US by coup d'etat, Robert states

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1143788288555185522006-03-30T23:46:00.000-07:002006-03-30T23:58:08.566-07:00

I mused before on The Bite that Jill Carroll's story was starting to sound a lot like Patty Hearst's, and predicted that her kidnappers had no intent of killing her. Well, since I'm often wrong, I'd like to say I told you so on this instance.Shortly afterward, Carroll told Baghdad Television -- which the Sunni party owns -- that she was "treated very well" while being held captive."They never

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1143483764334747922006-03-27T10:55:00.000-07:002006-03-27T23:38:21.693-07:00

The US President can rightfully claim "fission accomplished", since he has effectively split non-Kurdish Iraq into two parts flying from the center with high energy. When goon squads are beheading dozens daily, and the civilian government is asking for the US military to leave, it really can't get much worse...even mainstream new sources like Reuters admit as much:Scores of such corpses turn up

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1142668218305121292006-03-18T00:37:00.000-07:002006-03-18T00:51:54.970-07:00

[Thanks to my Catalon catalyst for this URL]...You think your neighbors can't save money? You noted that last year was the first year since the Great Depression that net savings was zero? Well, people are just following the "lead" of the US government, whose financial exposure has more than doubled since, you guessed it, 2000.The federal government’s gross debt in the consolidated financial

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1142322734109942192006-03-14T00:35:00.000-07:002006-03-14T00:56:49.203-07:00

We all know the answer on the current president, but this article makes a poignant--though perhaps too accusative--commentary on Bill Clinton and colleagues being guilty of war crimes in the Balkans, particularly during the controversial (and NATO- but not UN-backed) bombing of Serbia in 1999 [a bold move that many Republicans seem to have forgotten about the most recent Dem President, who was

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1141287391673337522006-03-02T00:32:00.000-07:002006-03-02T09:31:45.566-07:00

As you read the following, ask yourself: "If this is how well we rebuild part of the US, how can we hope to rebuild Iraq?"With the release of the Katrina Tapes today, it becomes clear that the reflexive lies of the Cheney administration extend to its figurehead:Some of the footage and transcripts from briefings Aug. 25-31 conflicts with the defenses that federal, state and local officials have

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1141196932094471662006-02-28T23:54:00.000-07:002006-03-01T00:09:55.396-07:00

Zogby does a nice job of normalizing their data, and they are consistently within 1-2% on their polls. And this Zogby poll, taken BEFORE THE RECENT MOSQUE BOMBING and CIVIL-WAR LIKE CONDITIONS, shows that 72% of US troops think the US needs to leave Iraq this year.Oh yeah, and Bush's approval rating is now an anemic 34%, steadily eroding within minor ups and downs since 2003.I can't even imagine

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1141022053982685222006-02-26T23:06:00.000-07:002006-02-27T15:52:56.953-07:00

Do you wonder why one scandal after another is ignored by the American people? The latest: voting anomalies (including the familiar "200% of registered voters in a district voted Republican" anomaly) with, of course, Diebold, in Alaska are not investigated because their release poses a "security risk":In late January, we reported that the state had refused to release the Election Data Files on

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1140853231966644102006-02-25T00:31:00.000-07:002006-02-25T00:50:30.476-07:00

A good summary of the facts and fiction around the 9/11 skepticism, and how whoever put the attack together also apparently intended to discredit skeptics through a variety of techniques:http://911review.com/errors/index.htmlVery interesting, especially on the apparently intentional misleading on the "false" Pentagon attack (it ostensibly really was hit by a commercial jetliner, but the "clue in

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1140812162179291632006-02-24T13:15:00.000-07:002006-02-25T00:01:16.850-07:00

Now this really does show the wisdom of Solomon:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4748292.stm-Vulf(Thanks to J. for this article)

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1140641910143492302006-02-22T13:48:00.000-07:002006-02-22T13:58:30.166-07:00

Domo arigato to the Major Dojo for this one:Secret Service Agents confirm the Dick's inebriation during his now-infamous drunting incident...A written report from Secret Service agents guarding Vice President Dick Cheney when he shot Texas lawyer Harry Whittington on a hunting outing two weeks ago says Cheney was "clearly inebriated" at the time of the shooting. Agents observed several members of

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1140215214481422592006-02-17T14:59:00.000-07:002006-02-28T23:46:35.006-07:00

Now Cheney's drunting (that's drunken-hunting) victim has apologized to Dick for what he and his family have had to go through? I imagine he has also sent him a get-well soon card:Dear DickI am so sorry that, being 78 years old, I was unable to dodge the bullet--well, literally, the buckshot--when your gun went off. I know for certain that it was an accident, and in fact fully believe you when

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1140155489332937672006-02-16T22:33:00.000-07:002006-02-16T22:51:29.353-07:00

This is 2006's version of Chappaquiddick...ChappaquiDICK. As in Dick Cheney, drunker than an Irishman at Closing Time on 17 March, killing (or nearly killing, let's see what happens) through neglect and hiding long enough to get sober.Was Cheney drunk when he shot Harry Whittington? Hell, yes. This is a "hunting club" where the birds have had their wings pre-clipped, and the "hunters" step up

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1140042492621691542006-02-15T15:22:00.000-07:002006-02-15T15:36:25.783-07:00

This from my good friend D.A., unbelievable...I am in shock!"Google is resisting the government's request for records about internet searches. But Yahoo has complied. And on Yahoo's site there is a poll asking what method you've used to cheat on income tax (if you have cheated). Guess where that data is going?http://finance.yahoo.comScroll down and on the right will be "Today's Poll""Since this

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1139960882846588532006-02-14T16:41:00.000-07:002006-02-14T16:50:22.266-07:00

This about says it all...the Dems at this point are sort of like the Washington Generals to the Republicans' Harlem Globetrotters. They're just giving the game away...Iraq war veteran Paul Hackett, a Bush administration critic who had been recruited by top Democrats to run for U.S. Senate, said Tuesday he was dropping his campaign and declared his political career over. Hackett said he was

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1139945657020418552006-02-14T12:33:00.000-07:002006-02-14T16:51:03.683-07:00

Just hope you're not on Cheney's list. Instead of a candy heart, you'll get a heart attack. Looks like they'll kill this guy so he can't talk...heart attack, indeed. Try poison.-Vulf

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1139725331893732112006-02-11T23:08:00.000-07:002006-02-11T23:22:11.906-07:00

The average US familty of four is paying nearly $8000 into the military next year. But is is far worse for the trade deficit...$725 BILLION last year.The U.S. trade deficit with the world has reached an all-time high, setting new record levels with China, Japan, Europe and oil-exporting nations, the U.S. the Commerce Department's said Friday, even as some U.S. senators slammed China as the

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1139693285490482272006-02-11T14:26:00.000-07:002006-02-11T14:28:05.503-07:00

This is funny...from The OnionAfter serving the area for more than four decades, Parking Lot 2A lowered its moveable-arm gates for the last time Friday. The much-loved municipal parking lot is only the most recent casualty of Wal-Mart parking lots.A Wal-Mart Supercenter opened across from Lot 2A in October 2001.Comprising 80 public and 45 rental stalls, the city-owned lot charged $3 a day during

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1139606477932743122006-02-10T14:18:00.000-07:002006-02-10T14:21:17.943-07:00

The headdress and the increased composure? Is this a case of the Stockholm Syndrome at work, or is Jill Carroll to be this generation's Patty Hearst?Just a thought, or more accurately a musing. Not that this lessens any of the trauma involved for her family and friends...but the deadline has passed, and the question will be asked by others soon enough...-Vulf

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1139555520777482502006-02-10T00:07:00.000-07:002006-02-10T00:12:00.790-07:00

In a budget that can only be called evil (reduce support of the already decrepit safety net for the poor and middle class; reduce taxes on the mega-rich; and hide $70 billion targeted for Iraq from the budget process altogether; the largest deficit in history), the most evil part is the total military budget--$509 billion ($439 billion on the books, the $70 billion as described above hidden from

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1139299903734513702006-02-07T01:00:00.000-07:002006-02-07T01:11:43.746-07:00

Iran is developing nuclear weapons, brazenly and openly. They have WMDs, and may well use them. But the US cannot go into Iran, because they would lose. The news from Afghanistan is so shocking as to not be believed...70% unemployment, and a 173 (out of 178) ranking in development. This means that at least half of the following set of ten nations is DOING BETTER than Afghanistan, 4 years after

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1138690131876876702006-01-30T23:37:00.000-07:002006-02-01T00:22:40.583-07:00

Not.Exxon posted $36 Billion in profits this year. Yes, that's Billion. That's $120 for every single person in the country. That's an extra $480 for a family of four, or about $40/month. Strangely, that's exactly how much more a month's power would cost if I used it at the same rate as last year (my gas is 37% higher than last year at this time).I know, Exxon didn't just make money from Americans

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1138431639339030502006-01-27T23:41:00.000-07:002006-01-28T00:11:31.646-07:00

When Bush says Hillary Clinton is formidable, I doubt he is using the French sense of formidable, as in way cool. So, let me translate from English to Phony-Poser-Cowboy-Who-Cheerled-In-College (he always did like to watch other people take the risk):"I hope Hillary runs, because she'll lose. We'll smear her like roadkill."As for the rest of his so-called "interview", the most disingenuous moment

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1138172613676281622006-01-24T23:58:00.000-07:002006-01-25T00:03:33.690-07:00

"They hate us for our freedom!" sez the Prez.Now he has taken the Constitution into his hands, and justifies spying because it's to fight terrorism. Well, he may be right. He has defeated the terrorists, after all. They hate us for our freedom and now we have lost it. So, now they must love us. They won't attack us, because the reason they hate us is gone.Now we can all sleep well.-Vulf

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1136357398026284022006-01-03T23:18:00.000-07:002006-01-05T17:22:06.370-07:00

Regular readers of The Bite will hardly be surprised by the top 2 books of 2005, but the order of them might be a little surprising. I will do a short review here, as much more was posted on these two great books earlier on The Bite.#2 (96 points) What's the Matter with Kansas?#1 (97 points) The End of OilThe End of Oil is not as funny as What's the Matter with Kansas, nor as well-written (it's

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135804780142371832005-12-28T13:37:00.000-07:002005-12-28T14:19:40.236-07:00

#3 Jim Crow's Children (95 points)[The hardcover version of this book was published in late 2002...the paperback reached wide popularity in 2004, but is included with this year's books since I did not do a review last year, and because I read it in 2005]At #3, we take a huge step up (6 points higher than #4) to a book of wide societal, historical and cultural significance. Peter Irons has done a

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135750266980818592005-12-27T22:37:00.000-07:002005-12-28T13:37:31.653-07:00

#4 Guantanamo, What the World Should Know (89 points)Technically a 2004 book, Guantanamo (What the World Should Know) by Michael Ratner as interviewed by Ellen Ray was the first book to hit public consciousness (in early 2005--there are several worthwhile books recently out on the topic) on the systematic torture of (non-terrorist) prisoners by the US military and intelligence agents. The style

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135533027015854292005-12-25T10:50:00.000-07:002005-12-25T11:23:43.706-07:00

According to the Statistical Abstract,Nearly 78 million Americans read a book in the last year.Yes, that's *a* book. Not the Top 10 books, not the top 5, not even the Top 2. But *a* single book.One can take this negatively, with unimaginative yet amusing side comments on functional illiteracy. Or one can take it positively, and assume many Americans are relying on The Bite to provide them with

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135496468065846972005-12-25T00:17:00.000-07:002005-12-25T00:41:08.076-07:00

This report on the economy is simply too important to be ignored, and summarizes a number of threads discussed here on The Bite in 2005. My comments in non-italicized font:1. Profits are up, but the wages and the incomes of average Americans are down. Inflation-adjusted hourly and weekly wages are still below where they were at the start of the recovery in November 2001. Yet, productivity—the

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135392731772657202005-12-23T14:49:00.000-07:002006-01-05T17:30:42.003-07:00

2005 was a good year for books (or the paperback release & subsequent popularization thereof of these books). The bottom 5 of the top 10 attest for how deep the pool was:#10. Master Mind, the Rise and Fall of Fritz Haber (68 points)This Faustian biography of the life of Fritz Haber, the brilliant--but uneven--chemist who brought nitrogen fixation to the world, is both interesting and horrifying.

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135363110980040362005-12-23T11:28:00.000-07:002005-12-23T11:38:30.996-07:00

Diebold jokes? Sorry, too easy...Many Iraqis outside the religious Shiite coalition allege that the elections were unfair to smaller Sunni Arab and secular Shiite groups. "We refuse the cheating and forgery in the elections," read one banner among many decrying the elections. Sheik Mahmoud al-Sumaidaei of the Association of Muslim Scholars, a major Sunni clerical group, told followers during

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135315960171086482005-12-22T22:13:00.000-07:002005-12-22T22:32:40.186-07:00

As Bush heads out for another multi-week break from leading the free world (a sinecure to Bush, a bloody 100-hour/week job to former Presidents), a Reuters article suggests he is heading to Egypt...since he is clearly in DeNile...By most accounts, it was a tough year for President George W. Bush, marked by a drop in public support for the Iraq war, legislative setbacks on Social Security and

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135153320952910592005-12-21T01:15:00.000-07:002005-12-21T01:22:00.953-07:00

The "bundling" of the vote to drill in ANWR with the defense budget is the latest cynical rider to a bill wrapped in the flag. But it may backfire on the Republicans. If the ANWR drilling passes, then the government will need to vote to raise CAFE (mean new car mileage) standards as their "one" eco-vote for the year...they'll no longer be able to use the ANWR vote to appease the Greens in their

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135152905575679322005-12-21T00:08:00.000-07:002005-12-21T01:15:05.643-07:00

Since our Prez mentioned it 8 times again in his latest diatribe, let's review the lessons of 9/11.It is now 4 years, 3 months, and 10 days after 9/11. Rumsfield today suggested that Bin Laden is spending much of his time on the run, and isn't effectively running his organization. What insensitivity! Since Rummy and his cohorts claim the Al Qaeda is largely responsible for killing our troops in

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1135046304236400362005-12-19T19:28:00.000-07:002005-12-19T19:38:24.246-07:00

Funny how Bush says he pays no attention to polls. Seems this Yahoo! article has exposed this for yet another lie. He clearly pays attention to polls, but only where he can select something from them to try to distort the facts...[H]e was more specific in his televised address when he declared, "Seven in 10 Iraqis say their lives are going well — and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1134888470058605182005-12-17T23:27:00.000-07:002005-12-17T23:47:50.073-07:00

The Washington Post is finally starting to run articles that address the egregious complacency with which Congress has treated Bush' antics for the past five years...Democrats on the committee said the panel issued 1,052 subpoenas to probe alleged misconduct by the Clinton administration and the Democratic Party between 1997 and 2002, at a cost of more than $35 million. By contrast, the committee

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1134716867021863022005-12-16T00:03:00.000-07:002005-12-16T00:08:46.586-07:00

We have to start somewhere. And though a lot of kudos will come out of today's torture ban (which is nothing more than an affirmation that International Law, to which the US has signed up, will be upheld), it is just a starting point. Still, it's the right place to start.Where to end? Balkanize Iraq, get NATO and the U.N. involved, vote Democrat in 2006 (even if you were a lifelong Independent,

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1134080927401656442005-12-08T14:42:00.000-07:002005-12-08T15:28:47.490-07:00

As argued here on The Bite for many months, the path forward in Iraq involves Balkanization:The Atlantic Monthly December 2005With Permission from The Atlantic Monthly Group. Copyright 2005.If America Left Iraq by Nir RosenThis is a great article, and feel free to read its entirety elsewhere...the first paragraph (here) sets the tone:At some point—whether sooner or later—U.S. troops will leave

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1133156232850875652005-11-27T22:29:00.000-07:002005-11-27T22:37:12.853-07:00

With a little break in travel and the satisfying but also saturating work schedule, I have turned the first half of the pages in Paul Roberts' masterwork, "The End of Oil". This is not an alarmist book at all...let alone "just another" alarmist book. It is, rather, an excellent compendium of history, politics, economics and a realistic look at the future of the energy business, which as Roberts

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1133155670905153852005-11-27T22:23:00.000-07:002005-11-27T22:27:50.916-07:00

I am thankful for my family (Faolin and the cubs) and friends, thankful for living in an exciting time, a time when technology and science is providing solutions that were undreamed of when I was a cub myself.I am thankful that, in spite of the ready-to-go 2 days post 9/11 Patriot Act (which is about as effective as the eponymous Patriot missiles were in Bush vs. Iraq, Act I), there is still the

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1132639287747961212005-11-21T22:46:00.000-07:002005-11-21T23:01:27.846-07:00

Imagine a place that is run entirely by US troops, but the US president claims is under Cuban jurisdiction. The Cubans, meanwhile, are not allowed access to the place, and refuse payment on the "loan-in-perpetuity" that leases the place to the US. Meanwhile, 500 men, without trial or charge, have been held prisoner--and most of them tortured psychologically, if not overtly physically--for four

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1132551092170269832005-11-20T22:29:00.000-07:002005-11-20T22:31:32.183-07:00

As discussed before on The Byte, the WMDs in Iraq are American made. As in depleted uranium.Matthew, 31, decided that since he’d spent much of his time in Iraq lugging around DU-damaged equipment, he’d better get tested too. It turned out he was the most contaminated of them all.Matthew immediately urged his wife to get an ultrasound check of their unborn baby. They discovered the fetus had a

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1132291818263624532005-11-17T22:10:00.000-07:002005-11-17T22:30:18.333-07:00

The lack of WMDs is an atrocious fact. It means the US in essence fabricated a war that has led to the deaths of close to 200,000 people, the displacement of many times more, and the terrorization of orders of magnitude more.But torture, whether perpetrated by the US military or by the Iraqi army "trained" by the US military, undermines EVERYTHING the US stands for, and everything the US would

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1132290146296450542005-11-17T21:56:00.000-07:002005-11-17T22:02:26.310-07:00

CNN reported yesterday that the search for bodies was given up on 3 October, but 104 bodies have been found since then.You warned us October 3. When the state stopped house- to-house searching for -- for -- for the deceased, you said, it was a bad idea, that there were more people out there. Now the death toll, it turns out, has jumped by 104. And -- and families are returning to find the bodies

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1131946092010649742005-11-13T22:24:00.000-07:002005-11-13T22:28:12.026-07:00

Back from two weeks in western, central and eastern Europe, I'll keep the first return blog short. I will simply quote from a presenter at a Vienna conference, who said: "The [US] president has said he is worried about counterfeit parts being used on Air Force One. Unfortunately, we've had no crash of it yet." I cite this not to Bush-bash (too easy, and been there, done that, it's not funny

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1130743300147775372005-10-31T00:12:00.000-07:002005-10-31T00:21:43.383-07:00

The Pentagon released a report that insurgents have killed nearly 26,000 Iraqi citizens since Jan. 1, or 42 each day. That is nearly the number killed in the London bombings, each day, for 625 days. That is nearly 10 times the number of people killed on 9/11, in a country that did not provide any of the terrorists for 9/11, and has no links to 9/11. In effect, this means the US has brought

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1130306393553773872005-10-25T23:52:00.000-06:002005-10-25T23:59:53.560-06:00

Growing up in the USA, did you ever want to be a part of a country that tortures people to death in the "name of freedom"?The documents show that detainees were hooded, gagged, strangled, beaten with blunt objects, subjected to sleep deprivation and to hot and cold environmental conditionsEight of the homicides appear to have resulted from abusive techniques used on detainees, in some instances,

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1130044621763491622005-10-22T22:45:00.000-06:002005-10-22T23:23:36.673-06:00

Being a Colorado wolf, it is important to have a good perspective on the history of the Rocky Mountain west. And no group, perhaps, adds so much flavor as the LDS. Along with Faolin, I am working my way through a trilogy of books that explain the origin, the consequences and the continuing difficulties of what is often labeled as the largest Cult in the US: the Mormons, the church of JC of the

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1129603068034944582005-10-17T20:33:00.000-06:002005-10-17T20:37:48.040-06:00

Thanks to J for this update:The Human Security Report found a decline in every form of political violence except terrorism since 1992. It found the number of armed conflicts had fallen by more than 40% in the past 13 years, while the number of very deadly wars had fallen by 80%. This is good news (Darfur [not included in their data for want of accurate information] notwithstanding), and actually-

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1129271643016971582005-10-14T00:05:00.000-06:002005-10-14T00:34:03.223-06:00

Well, "media" as in "mediaeval", as in "media-crity". What a shame, and what a sham.Article text in italics, my comments in plain text:It was billed as a conversation with U.S. troops, but the questions President Bush asked on a teleconference call Thursday were choreographed to match his goals for the war in Iraq and Saturday's vote on a new Iraqi constitution. His goals are to give Halliburton

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1128749846733722732005-10-07T23:31:00.000-06:002005-10-07T23:37:26.736-06:00

This story proves right at least a dozen Biteblogs in the past two years...Bush will veto a law against torture?The Bush administration pledged yesterday to veto legislation banning the torture of prisoners by US troops after an overwhelming and almost unprecedented revolt by loyalist congressmen.Luckily, they've pinned him in a little, as well:The amendment was attached to the $440 billion (£247

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1128749448236974262005-10-07T23:09:00.000-06:002005-10-07T23:30:48.253-06:00

We all know what "red states" and "blue states" are now.Or do we? Check out these maps!Anecdotally, Republicans fare well in regions where voter incomes are similar (all poor or all rich, related to the previous blog). They do poorly in regions where there is massive disparity in wealth.And yet, the policies of the Republicans encourage--nay, manufacture--disparity of wealth, allowing the

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1128491553130573582005-10-04T23:25:00.000-06:002005-10-05T23:44:44.486-06:00

The book, What's the Matter with Kansas, is definitely an example of getting the answer right. Its author, Thomas Frank, creates an interesting, personal, eminently readable tale of how the state on the leading edge of Populism a century ago has become a moribund, absurd supporter of the Republicans who systematically destroy the way of life of most of its residents. (One compelling example of

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1128147589994261872005-10-01T00:10:00.000-06:002005-10-01T00:19:50.003-06:00

I think the first paragraph of this Reuters article says it all:The White House on Friday threatened to veto a $440.2 billion defense spending bill in the Senate because it wasn't enough money for the Pentagon and also warned lawmakers not to add any amendments to regulate the treatment of detainees or set up a commission to probe abuse.$440.2 billion--that's $1500 for every man, woman and child

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1128033696033771742005-09-29T16:18:00.000-06:002005-09-29T16:41:36.093-06:00

In 1994, the Republicans made a "contract with America". Little did we know that they were actually putting out a contract on America.Let's revisit, and see how well they've done, with control of the legislative branch for 11 years, the executive branch for 5 years, and the judicial branch for the same (why haven't Cheney and Rove been on trial? Because Bush has put all the Federal Judges on

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1127625962531042792005-09-24T22:56:00.000-06:002005-09-24T23:30:54.266-06:00

Stevie Wonder's tune was never meant to be this...Call up, ring once, hang up the phoneTo let you rot in schools aloneDon’t want nothing to be wrong, Apartheid lover...Because when you consider the message in "Jim Crow's Children" and the message in serious studies of school segregation...including Harvard University...you realize that from Brown vs. Board of Education (1954, more or less

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1126998163221922302005-09-17T16:42:00.000-06:002005-09-17T17:04:18.846-06:00

Sorry for the time out. Faolin, the cubs and I are looking into property in Canada and Europe as the most vile presidency in US history (yes, even that of Useless Grant pales in comparison) continues despite the aftermath of an illegal war and the ignominy of the Katrina debacle.In Genoa, Italy, I saw more "Yankee go home" and "F*@& Bush" signs than I even saw in Bolivia. The difference between

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1126329236817533242005-09-09T23:07:00.000-06:002005-09-09T23:13:56.826-06:00

As in letting others whitewash for him...Katrina death toll may not hit 10,000? This is great news?Actually, it's disturbing as hell:Ebbert said the search for the dead will be done systematically, block-by-block, with dignity and with no news media allowed to follow along. "You can imagine sitting in Houston and watching somebody removed from your parents' property. We don't think that's proper

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1125901814813635942005-09-04T23:57:00.000-06:002005-09-05T00:35:35.530-06:00

As more and more of the "Escape from New York"/"Mad Max" like horror in the Crescent City comes to light, notice how all the other issues that will really affect American life in the next decades are being ignored--two Supreme Court openings, Plamegate, etc. This is the last stand of the American Republic, and when people look back years from now and point at when the tyranny started, rest

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1125734127849800852005-09-03T00:51:00.000-06:002005-09-03T01:58:28.780-06:00

Norman Solomon's CommonDreams article is full of pathos, unlike the speech of our President.Here's an excerpt:The policies are matters of priorities. And the priorities of the Bush White House are clear. For killing in Iraq, they spare no expense. For protecting and sustaining life, the cupboards go bare. The problem is not incompetence. It's inhumanity, cruelty and greed. Media outlets have

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1125636543596880162005-09-01T22:40:00.000-06:002005-09-01T22:49:03.606-06:00

If it keeps on rainin', levee's goin' to break, When The Levee Breaks I'll have no place to stay.When the levee breaks, mama you got to move...as in away from the coastline forever. However, it didn't have to be so bad...if Bush hadn't cut funding by 44% in the past four years.Going down, going down now, going down, down, down, down...Reprinted here in its entirety...http://www.salon.com/opinion

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1125556025132075192005-09-01T00:02:00.000-06:002005-09-01T00:27:05.140-06:00

Our hearts go out to the latest victims of global climate change...in New Orleans.Sadly, this is not a once in a lifetime event. There will be three or four like this every year from now on...fortunately, not all will hit a major metropolitan area, but some will. Remember last year's four-pack in Florida...in September alone? Which will be next? Mobile? Miami? Houston? Roll the dice...But they

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1125465150276769242005-08-30T23:05:00.000-06:002005-08-30T23:12:30.286-06:00

The Bite reported an increased poverty rate every year since W took office, and predicted 2004 would be a continuation of the trend in spite of the Administration's claims 2004 would be a recovery from 2001-2003.Guess who was right?The percentage of the U.S. population living in poverty rose to 12.7 percent from 12.5 percent in 2003, the Census Bureau said in its annual poverty report. The ranks

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1125438156913922082005-08-30T15:41:00.000-06:002005-08-30T15:42:36.920-06:00

See:http://thinkprogress.org/2005/08/30/bush-blames/posting # 207-VulfLet’s leave politics aside for a second. “W” went to war on cooked “evidence”, which is a war crime. That is a fact. Regardless, it is now 4 years after 9/11. Four years after WWII, Germany and Japan were occupied and trials and rebuilding underway. Where is Osama? Every time Bush brings up 9/11, let’s remember that he is

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1125426040966131682005-08-30T12:17:00.000-06:002005-08-30T12:20:40.976-06:00

Quick, how many of you have heard of Abu Islam?Didn't think so.Yet, he was the reason for 47 deaths today...by the US military (again, a number very close to the number killed in the London Underground bombing, just to keep your perspective)...U.S. forces said they had killed a known al Qaeda militant in western Iraq on Tuesday in air strikes which a hospital official said had killed 47

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1125119945395095632005-08-26T23:12:00.000-06:002005-08-26T23:19:05.403-06:00

You just can't make this stuff up....http://www.christianexodus.com/ChristianExodus.org offers the opportunity to try a strategy not yet employed by Bible-believing Christians. Rather than spend resources in continued efforts to redirect the entire nation, we will redeem States one at a time. Millions of Christian conservatives are geographically spread out and diluted at the national level.

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1124837998089764522005-08-23T16:54:00.000-06:002005-08-23T16:59:58.103-06:00

Now, I don't care if you love the man or hate the man.But, this is clearly over the top:Detractors aside, the Fed chief did help engineer the longest peacetime boom in U.S. history -- 10 straight years from the end of the 1990-91 recession in March 1991 to a second, mild slump in 2001. That alone would have guaranteed his spot as a successful manager.Over his tenure, U.S. gross domestic product

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1124773699347397752005-08-22T22:44:00.000-06:002005-08-22T23:25:37.620-06:00

Hello, W:Need to avoid confronting the Sheehan crowd in Crawford? Then you need to escape to two of the only three states that overwhelmingly support Bush...Utah and Idaho.Anyone who thinks Bush is going to Utah for the Veterans or Idaho for a vacation, look again. Bush is the first president in US history who adamantly does not represent the people. He has NEVER been to San Francisco since he

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1123998026791549882005-08-13T23:35:00.000-06:002005-08-13T23:48:23.196-06:00

How can a tropical storm--quite possibly soon to be a hurricane--be given the name Irene?Irene poised to become hurricaneCheck it out on dictionary.com:irenic:Promoting peace; conciliatoryEnjoy your peaceful hurricane, folks. I guess in these times of global climate change, the term "peaceful hurricane" may make sense.By the way, don't be too quick to throw out "global warming" for "global

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1123952755045381192005-08-13T11:02:00.000-06:002005-08-13T11:05:55.053-06:00

When the German Chancellor makes more sense than the US president, it's a sorry state of affairs...Bush threatens Iran with:"all options are on the table"Schroeder notes:" ... let's take the military option off the table. We have seen it doesn't work."Bush's full comment is almost insane:"As I say, all options are on the table. The use of force is the last option for any president and you know,

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1123921893523455092005-08-13T02:26:00.000-06:002005-08-13T02:31:33.590-06:00

Look at the numbers for the morgues in Baghdad alone...In June, the Interior Ministry said 12,000 Iraqis had been killed nationwide by insurgents in the previous 18 months, but that figure excluded insurgents killed in military operations and civilians killed by American troops or Iraqi security forces.The morgue's figures apply only to Baghdad, and there is no reason to believe that other cities

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1123920556553724072005-08-13T01:58:00.000-06:002005-08-13T02:09:16.610-06:00

Just back from a week off with Faolin and the cubsBack to the same old crap.Flagging numbers in the approval rating, a Vietnam-like "insurgency": let's release a bunch of 9/11 tapes to see if we can get people mad again.Not gonna work...trade deficit is up 6.1% in June. Nation heading for bankruptcy.The United States imported a record amount of oil in June, and shipments of Chinese clothing and

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1123308931804215762005-08-06T00:00:00.000-06:002005-08-06T00:15:31.813-06:00

As if the Conyers report on Bush's second straight stolen Presidential election weren't bad enough, now it looks like the Republicans--faced with the embarrassing loss of their gerrymandered "lock" district--may have prevented an honest outcome again. This sounds bad...really bad:As of 1 am this past Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, Hackett was within 3600 votes---about four percent---of

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1122684437105368352005-07-29T18:37:00.000-06:002005-07-29T18:47:17.116-06:00

Ethanol plants...think they're built by Halliburton?Why else would we switch to a fuel that burns 30% energy more in making it than it provides in its use?A cynical attempt to court the rural vote? Of course, and it continues--with the normal proportions--the sending of $1.30 to the red states for every $1.00 they produce.They say ethanol increases the cost of corn, which in turn means livestock

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1122442344995247622005-07-26T23:26:00.000-06:002005-07-26T23:36:15.646-06:00

The Detroit News puts the tab on the Afghanistan+Iraq conflicts at as much as $700 billion.http://www.detnews.com/2005/nation/0507/25/A05-257768.htmNot million. Billion. That's $2400 for every person in the US, almost $10,000 for a family of four. Just think of getting $2000/year extra in Bush's tax breaks for five years.Just don't count on it. You, as a family of four, have just thrown away a

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1121662887428892182005-07-17T22:43:00.000-06:002005-07-17T23:01:27.436-06:00

Here on The Bite, we are quick to point out when we are wrong. A few weeks back, I predicted that the fiasco in Iraq would erupt into Civil War by the end of August.By all accounts, I was wrong.It appears it may happen sooner.http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,7374-1698308,00.html“What is truly happening, and what shall happen, is clear: a war against the Shias,” Sheikh Jalal al-Din

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1121457914588011562005-07-15T13:54:00.000-06:002005-07-15T14:06:33.483-06:00

Today's coordinated suicide bombings in Baghdad emphasize a point seemingly missed by mainstream US press. Look at the report:Ten suicide car bombers exploded in a series of apparently coordinated attacks across the Iraqi capital on Friday, killing at least 25 people and wounding more than 100, police sources said. All appeared to target U.S. or Iraqi security forces, police said. Reuters

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1121408256460954372005-07-15T00:10:00.000-06:002005-07-15T00:26:09.813-06:00

In the Orwellian world of USA 2005, another little lie isn't going to shock anyone.What about some big, BIG, *BIG* lies?Like, 10,000 US troop deaths (using the same counting methods as in Vietnam)? Like, 100,000 Iraqi civilian deaths?How are they doing this? Take a peek:U.S. Military Personnel who died in German hospitals or en route to German hospitals have not previously been counted. They

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1121067863724366452005-07-11T01:34:00.000-06:002005-07-11T01:45:37.793-06:00

Ironic that Doonesbury's Sunday cartoon juxtaposed Bush worried for the stem cells while the War he started (illegally) kills tens of thousands.Even more ironic when he was the Texecutioner and his party continues to push for reduced protection against mistakes in capital punishment:It gets worse. The bill, pushed by Rep. Daniel E. Lungren (R-Calif.) in the House and Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) in the

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1121041066393199722005-07-10T18:06:00.000-06:002005-07-10T18:17:46.403-06:00

Bring out the hammer of the Gods. "The Rover" strikes again...Bush aide Rove was Time reporter's source-NewsweekThe magazine said Rove's lawyer, Robert Luskin, confirmed that Rove talked to Time magazine about former ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, CIA agent Valerie Plame.Sure, you can call him a "leaker", but that's just for starters. Where did he get this information? From Bush? From

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5605126.post-1120889458180688342005-07-08T23:53:00.000-06:002005-07-09T00:10:58.186-06:00

As a follow-on to the earlier blog today, this time from the self-proclaimed "Econoclast", James K. Galbraith:http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/columns/2005/07/fair_not_balanced.htmlThis is a reasonable article, with some nice (though certainly not novel) points made--for example,"Reagan’s deficits were a success, delivering a stable recovery and his landslide in 1984. This time it was the

The Packhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14200694311101101350noreply@blogger.com