Boooooooo !!!!

Posted on November 7, 2006 by RagBlog

Isn’t this akin to taking teddy bears away from babies? It’s a disheartening follow-up to our earlier post.

Chinese police don’t embrace free hugs
Monday, November 6, 2006. 6:44pm (AEDT)

Chinese police have rounded up a group of people who tried to offer free hugs to passers-by on a busy street in downtown Shanghai.

Organisers say they began the campaign after seeing an Internet video of a man in Australia offering free hugs on a street. They say they wanted to melt coldness in people’s hearts with their hugs.

Police detained 11 ‘huggers’ and confiscated their signs. The group was released after about an hour in police custody. Authorities say their actions were deemed illegal because they did not have a permit.

Plans for other hugging sessions over the next fortnight have been put on hold.

– AFP

Source

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The Truth, At Last

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog

Many thanks to our Friends at Earth Family Alpha for finding it first. Been down so long, feels like up to us.

Bush Says U.S. Pullout Would Let Iraq Radicals Use Oil as a Weapon
By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 5, 2006; Page A06

GREELEY, Colo., Nov. 4 — During the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, President Bush and his aides sternly dismissed suggestions that the war was all about oil. “Nonsense,” Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld declared. “This is not about that,” said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.

Now, more than 3 1/2 years later, someone else is asserting that the war is about oil — President Bush.

As he barnstorms across the country campaigning for Republican candidates in Tuesday’s elections, Bush has been citing oil as a reason to stay in Iraq. If the United States pulled its troops out prematurely and surrendered the country to insurgents, he warns audiences, it would effectively hand over Iraq’s considerable petroleum reserves to terrorists who would use it as a weapon against other countries.

“You can imagine a world in which these extremists and radicals got control of energy resources,” he said at a rally here Saturday for Rep. Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.). “And then you can imagine them saying, ‘We’re going to pull a bunch of oil off the market to run your price of oil up unless you do the following. And the following would be along the lines of, well, ‘Retreat and let us continue to expand our dark vision.’ “

Read the entire, remarkable story here.

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I’ll Be Back …

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog

Ortega Makes a Comeback in Nicaragua
By TRACI CARL, AP

MANAGUA, Nicaragua (Nov. 6) – Former Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega appeared headed for victory Monday in his longtime quest to regain power, 16 years after a U.S.-backed rebellion helped drive the former Marxist revolutionary from office.

Early results from Sunday’s presidential election gave the Sandinista leader a strong lead over his four rivals. His victory, if confirmed by final results, would expand the club of leftist Latin rulers led by Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez, who has tried to help his ally by shipping cheap oil to the energy-starved nation.

Read it here.

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Stay Outta South Dakota Tomorrow

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog

Cheney Going Hunting on Election Day

WASHINGTON (Nov. 5) – U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney will spend Election Day Tuesday on his first hunting trip since he accidentally shot a companion last February while aiming at a covey of quail on a private Texas ranch.

The vice president, after working at the White House on Monday morning, will head to South Dakota to spend several days at a private hunting lodge near Pierre. Lea Anne McBride, his press secretary, said it was an annual hunting outing and said Cheney spent Election Day in 2002 at the same lodge.

He will be accompanied by his daughter, Mary, and his political director, Mel Raines, who will help him keep track of the election returns, McBride said.

Read it here.

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Someone’s Watching You

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog

Since the other video is so short, I figured we’d do a double feature. This one is about ChoicePoint, a company you might want to know about if you do not already. This calls for some punchy popcorn – I’d mix up a little habañero spice mix (using habañero chile powder, salt and pepper, garlic powder, and maybe a little cumin) to mix into the hot popcorn. And I bet some finely-grated queso cotija would make it really tasty.

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"Those Weapons of Mass Destruction Have Gotta Be Somewhere"

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog

Monday Movie time, and this one requires a little toy bow and arrow, or a little spring-loaded gun that shoots those things with a suction cup on the end. A point for each time ya nail ‘im. Actually, the short video is a pretty sad statement, but it may get your blood boiling.

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Aren’t You Glad You’re Not Ted Haggard?

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog

h/t hairy fish nuts

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Cold, Hard Facts, Episode V

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog

I knew there was a reason that I headlined this recent post as I did.

“The problems in Iraq are ahead of us, but we’re doing better than people think. And a year from now, I’ll be very surprised if there is not some grand square in Baghdad that is named after President Bush. There is no doubt that, with the exception of a very small number of people close to a vicious regime, the people of Iraq have been liberated and they understand that they’ve been liberated. And it is getting easier every day for Iraqis to express that sense of liberation.” Richard Perle, 22 September 2003, address to the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research

If you need the source for the quote, I’ve saved you the trouble.

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Congressman, Call Me …

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog
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A Different Take On Ted Haggard, W, Et Al

Posted on November 6, 2006 by RagBlog

White Bread, Cinammon Toast

Josh Marshall asks: What’s Bob Corker’s deal with Harold Ford’s sex life?”

I believe I can answer that, having seen a few Douglas Sirk movies in my time.

Bob Corker is gay. He may not know it yet, he may never know it, he may go to his sarcophagus wrapped in denial, but his fascination with Ford’s prowess and good looks gives him away, as does his political affiliation. All Republican political figures are gay, especially the men. When President Bush insists on kissing one bald head after another, the psychosexual symbolism speaks for itself. He’s planting his lips on big uncircumcised Kojak peckers. When Rush Limbaugh packs his Viagra and jets off on a tropical jaunt with the guys, it’s assumed there are saucy wenches awaiting him under the sultry palms, but I wonder — I wonder if it’s cabana boys making the hammock sway under the moonlight. Republican women — those masochistic saints — are more like Joan Allen playing Pat Nixon under layers of frosting, their rigid smiles forged by years of living a lie with a man infatuated with other men and too timid to take out a subscription to Details magazine, lest he be exposed. The closet in which he dwells doubles as a panic room with a convenient minibar, so that if he ever stumbles or strays, he can blame it on the creme de menthe, not the burning yearning of his heart. Perhaps Corker has a special thing for black men, and can’t get enough of that smooth and creamy Blair Underwood. There’s no shame in that. Many a significant look has been exchanged in the locker room at half-time.

The only shame is that Harold Ford can’t run for office without his Republican opponent, Karl Rove, and Ken Mehlman leching on him and taking turns at the keyhole. The South has made such progress, yet in affairs of the groin, it still has so far to go.

Read more of James Wolcott’s sacrilege here.

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I Do NOT Support the Troops

Posted on November 5, 2006 by RagBlog

Charlie Loving sent me this bit about the number of casualties in the Middle East since the beginning of hostilities following the events of September 11th. I’ve decided to put my answer to him here, because I want it known.

Casualties per Month

2001
Oct. 3, Nov. 4, Dec. 4,

2002
Jan. 10, Feb. 12, March 9, April 4 (END OF OEF)
May 1, June 3, July 0, Aug. 1, Sept. 1, Oct. 3, Nov. 1, Dec. 1,

2003
Jan. 4, Feb 6, March 76 (OIF Begins March 20), April 76, May 38, June 33, July 47, Aug. 40, Sept 33, Oct. 47, Nov. 88, Dec. 41,

2004
Jan. 55, Feb 23, March 53, April 138, May 88, June 47, July 56, Aug. 68, Sept 84, Oct. 68, Nov. 144, Dec. 73,

2005
Jan. 108, Feb 59, March 42 , April 70, May 83, June 105, July 56, Aug. 100, Sept 87, Oct. 102, Nov. 87, Dec. 71,

2006
Jan. 62, Feb 71, March 38, April 77, May 80, June 79, July 52, Aug. 75, Sept 79, Oct. 102 , Nov. **, Dec. **,

Family left behind
CHILDREN: 1,739
WIDOWS/WIDOWERS: 1,182

OIF= Operation Iraqi Freedon
OEF= Operation Enduring Freedom

Charlie:

I’m going to say something that I’ve had in my mind a long time. I talked with Mom about it once, but no one else.

I don’t have any sympathy for our troops, nor do I support them. This is a volunteer military; all these folks have a choice. For me there is only one choice, and that choice is to decline to fight, to decline to kill “to bring democracy to the Middle East,” or any other nonsensical crap that people such as Dick Cheney and the rest of PNAC and the neocons trot out. If our troops really had guts, they’d throw those guns on the ground and tell their commanders to fuck off.

If you’re going to send me a list of how many soldiers have died, why don’t you also send me a list of how many innocent Iraqis died. The latter had no choices about their deaths; our troops do. It’s just plain hypocritical to believe that American soldiers lives have more meaning than Iraqi lives. And what about the children? What about the dead children, Charlie?

It’s time for Humanity to stand for peace. Fighting amongst ourselves is killing not only our species, but endangering all the species because we fight each other and ignore the things we must do to enhance our planet and give it a chance to survive. Humans are fucking idiots both for what we fail to do, and for what we choose to do.

Rant, rant, rant …

Stop warring. Stop killing humans.

Richard Jehn

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Cannon Fodder Call-Up Coming

Posted on November 5, 2006 by RagBlog

Possible Iraq Deployments Would Stretch Reserve Force
Leaders Express Concern Over Troop Rotation Plans
By Ann Scott Tyson
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, November 5, 2006; Page A01

The Army’s National Guard and Reserve are bracing for possible new and accelerated call-ups, spurred by high demand for U.S. troops in Iraq, that leaders caution could undermine the citizen-soldier force as it struggles to rebuild.

Two Army National Guard combat brigades with about 7,000 troops have been identified recently in classified rotational plans for possible special deployment to Iraq, according to senior Army and Pentagon officials, who asked that the specific units not be named. One brigade could be diverted to Iraq next year from another assignment, and the other could be sent there in 2008, a year ahead of schedule.

Next year, the number of Army Guard soldiers providing security in Iraq will surge to more than 6,000 in about 50 companies, compared with 20 companies two years ago, Guard officials said. “We thought we’d see a downturn in operational tempo, but that hasn’t happened,” said one official.

Read the rest here.

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