Wednesday, May 21:

Robert C. Koehler, Tribune Media Services: The Politics of Peace So we blink, take a breath, stare once more at the vote total: 149 nay, 141 yea. War funding request denied!

Hologram Man: The Sad, Weird Twilight of George Bush It must be a soul-crushing gig, pretending to care; of constantly being forced, simply for official reasons of state, to pantomime concern about human life, about the death of innocent people, about the education of children, about the hunger of the poor- to even act like you're paying attention to other people at all -when in your heart you know that you're only the designated front-man for a criminal business-syndicate.

Robert Parry and Consortium News/Sunday 18 May 2008: The Bushes and Hitler's Appeasement An outstanding analysis of the hypocrisy in Bush's comments to Israel's Knesset implying Democrats were "appeasing" America's "enemies," given his family's history and involvement very early on with National Socialists in Germany; let us be thankful for one important fact: there are only a few months left in his stained and tawdry tenure in the White House!

SDrobny: My Letter To Obama (4 comments) Now that you are moving into the next phase of your campaign, I strongly advise you to use the same strategy in the national election. There is no reason for you to move to any arbitrary perception of the so-called "center."

William Cormier: Bias Against Bush Is Clouding Our Judgment And Posing Its Own Security Risks (3 comments) The lies and propaganda of the Bush administration has undermined the public trust in the MSM and the government. There ARE real security risks posed by Iran and other countries, and it's essential that we understand it! No, I do not condone an attack on Iran, however, we can't bury our heads in the sand either! It's time that we receive straight-foward news from the MSM and White House instead of lies and propaganda.

Nicola Nasser: Chief Palestinian Negotiator to Israel: Acknowledge 'Right of Return' Agreeing to the Israeli neo-historian Ilan Pappé's interpretation of the term "Nakba," Palestinian chief negotiator Ahmad Qurei urged Israel to reach a solution for the Palestinian refugee problem "based on the principle of acknowledging the Right of Return, and compensation for the sufferings of the Palestinian people"

Babette Hogan: Kat Swift, Green Party Presidential Candidate, Crusades for Ballot Access (1 comments) Kat Swift, Green Party Presidential Candidate, crusades as Wonder Woman in a Texas fiesta to gather signatures for ballot access. Her effort is a little like panning for Gold in the desert, but she does it with character.

Daniel Pourkesali: 'In search of truth' It should come as no surprise that any reputable and unbiased media organization looking for expert Iran analysis would pay more than just lip service to vetting its sources and actually check the credentials of their pundits. But a cursory search for the truth behind Mr. Daioleslam's background in form of a simple Google search seems to challenge any notion of such scholarly prowess or dexterity.

JAcosta: The Crumbling of the Fifth Column: A Commentary on the Sad State of the News Media (3 comments) Commentary on the media

Muhammad Khurshid: Unconditional Surrender Of Militants Is The Only Anwser Rulers of Pakistan, the most obedient servants of their master US President George W. Bush want to stage another drama. They have received a huge amount from the United States and other countries for curtailing terrorism. They have started the war for the moeny. Now they have been trying to bring peace. But they have been doing all these things for the money. But they know nothing. Just stop the dramas.

A great debate about Obama and Appalachia Here's a letter, thanks to Joan Walsh's blog, which tells how Appalachian question looks from a woman who writes she's blue in her home area which is red (political terms here). But don't count them out.

Government Is Passing Secret Laws | Rights and Liberties The old saw -- "loose lips sinks ships" -- has been replaced by another now familiar brain-dead mantra: "if you're doing nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about." But the metastasizing growth of secret law pulls the rug out from underneath that flimsy argument. And for obvious reason: you can't know what you don't know. Above quote hilites reason for passing new legislation. We've been had!

What the Campaign Has Taught Us About Gender In this woman's opinion, not much. If she runs on womanhood, don't also run on her husband's record, and let him stand behind her. (Well not like Cindy to John.) What to run on is a vision, which all candidates must fashion. To trade a Great White Father for a black one or a Mother is not politics but spectacle.

David Swanson: Clinton Needs 181% of Remaining Delegates Pledged delegates are awarded by voters and caucus goers. Super-delegates are antidemocratic Party control freaks who have no business deciding anything. Of pledged delegates, now that Oregon and Kentucky have had their say, Senator Obama has 1,648 and Senator Clinton 1,493. There are 86 pledged delegates remaining to be awarded in Puerto Rico, Montana, and South Dakota. This means that Clinton can still pull it out if...

Bush's Conspiracy to Create an American Police State Part VIII: Atrocities are justified with lies, myths or propaganda (4 comments) Bush is a rotten, transparent bald-faced liar and anyone still believing him is either stupid or complicit. Bush said: "We do not torture!" And all the while, his administration was working to 'legalize' the capital crimes that Bush himself had clearly ordered. What followed was an organized campaign of lies to justify torture.

Bernard Weiner: Dumpster-Diving for GOP Quotes (And Their Hidden Meanings) (1 comments) Quotations from the Bush&Co. playbook contain many subtextual truths hidden from public view. That's why paying close attention to the remarks made by Republican leaders is so important, and can help us deflect the propaganda as we get closer to November 2008.

Allen L Roland: *HILLARY'S BASE Determined to win at any cost, the The Clinton's have not only stooped to playing the race card but have, in the process,hurt themselves far worse than Obama: Allen L Roland

Michael Wilson: Disaster recovery and War -who responds? This article is about the heart of disaster response and recovery. The aftermath in China is catastrophic and the Myanmar situation is dismal. The current disasters at home and abroad recall fears, emotions and feelings from Hurricane Katrina. The next President must lead by example and take the leadership as the Commander and Chief during natural and manmade disasters here at home and abroad.

Tuesday, May 20:

Georgianne Nienaber: Missing New Orleans: Nagin, Drag Queens, Obama, and "the old white guy" (6 comments)

William Fisher: GITMO FOREVER! Whether there will ever be any trials at Guantanamo Bay remains unclear. So does the future of America's Caribbean paradise.

by Bill Hansman: President Bush the "War President" and the Next Generation of Young Republicans (8 comments) The Young Republicans are backing the war in Iraq. If they are as patriotic as they want others to believe, why aren't they in uniform?

Ray McGovern: Attack Iran -- Trash the Constitution (3 comments) Dear Admiral Fallon. . .While you are acutely aware of the dangers of attacking Iran, you seem to be allowing an inbred reluctance to challenge the commander in chief to trump that oath, and to prevent you from letting the American people know of the catastrophe about to befall us if, as seems likely, our country attacks Iran.

The Conservative Case for Barack Obama For conservatives to hope the election of yet another Republican will set things right is surely in vain. To believe that President John McCain will reduce the scope and intrusiveness of federal authority, cut the imperial presidency down to size, and put the government on a pay-as-you-go basis is to succumb to a great delusion. The Republican establishment may maintain the pretense of opposing Big Government, but pretense it

With Friends Like These- Uri Avnery (1 comments) Lately we are flooded with friends. The Great of the Earth, past and present, come here to flatter us, to fawn on us, to grovel at our feet. Not one of them had a word of criticism. No occupation. No settlements. No Gaza blockade. No daily killings. Just a wonderful, peace-loving state that the bad, bad terrorists want to throw into the sea. Not one of the guests stood up to warn us against going on with the present policy.

Bev Harris: Oregon & Kentucky: Scribbled sigs & moonshine math (2 comments) In this article you will find tools to help you analyze the numbers as they come in from Kentucky and Oregon's May 20 primary elections. Kentucky is a big problem, Oregon is just plain strange. In Oregon, 100 percent of votes are absentee, or mail-in. In Kentucky, one firm programs 96 of the 120 counties, and the state has a spectacularly bad history of election fraud.

Bruce K. Gagnon: HUNGER STRIKE MUST SPREAD TO U.S. Time for people in U.S. to join Czech Republic activists in their hunger strike opposing U.S. Star Wars deployments in their country.

Bob Gates' Hope to Reform the Pentagon Is Barking at the Moon Not only are our masters in DC fighting unnecessary wars, they're fighting them the wrong way. Our tax Dollars in action!

Let's be Serious Bob Herbert, OpEd writer for the New York Times, lays out what he finds to be a most important issue as the election develops -- the misplaced emphasis placed on the trivial, while failing to focus on the important.

To Replace Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House of Representatives for the Purposes of Pursuing Impeachment Petition (5 comments) Now that the BAE executives have been arrested, it is TIME FOR NANCY PELOSI TO GO. Appointment of a Special Prosecutor cannot be far away ..

Mike Malloy: War Pigs (3 comments) Bush calls the President of Iran, the wacky, pretend leader (the real power in Iran rests with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei; hence the title "Supreme." Duh . . .) a disease? A disease??? Bush says that? Bush, the man who has infected the world, poisoned the earth, with hatred, fear, suspicion, war, economic meltdowns, contempt and arrogance? That guy, that freak, says someone else is a disease??

Mike Ghouse: With Friends like Bush, Israel doesn't need enemies. The Neocon gang talks peace, but doesn't mean it. Their plans have failed badly, and they still don't get it. They are no good for Israel, Palestine or America, their actions and words are the root cause of terror and turmoil in the world. The more they talk about terrorizing the little nations, the more dangerous they make it for Israel. With Friends like Bush, Israel doesn't need enemies.

steve young: Conservative Blogs Slam Ill Kennedy: Guess O'Reilly Will Be Skewering Despicable, Hate-filled, Right Wing Sites (1 comments) Within minutes of the announcement of Ted Kennedy's dire condition, right wing web sites allowed demeaning comments to flourish. The ones below come from Townhall.com, whose Mary Katherine Ham is Bill O'Reilly's chief denigrator of left-wing sites and their despicable bloggers and comments.

Froomkin: The President vs. the Peacock Bush typically sits down with interviewers from Fox News -- or, more recently, Politico-- where he can count on more than his share of ingratiating softballs. But Engel, a fluent Arabic speaker who has logged more time in Iraq than any other television correspondent, assertively confronted Bush with the ramifications of his actions in the Middle East.

earl ofari hutchinson: The Inexperience Knock may be a Bigger Hazard than Race to Obama (5 comments) The obsessive talk still is that race might wreck close-to-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's slog to the White House. Race is a hazard to Obama. But the even greater hazard is the knock that Obama simply is to green, too untested, and too soft to be a firm, and resolute commander in chief.

Chris Lugo: Now Is the Time to Stop Funding the War (1 comments) The Senate is considering legislation that would add an additional $168 billion dollars to the US federal debt to fund an additional year of bombers, tanks, military bases, cluster bombs, hummers, and blackhawk helicopters for the military in Iraq. What we need to do in the US Senate is stop funding for the war in Iraq right now.

Endgame: Bush/Cheney's desperate measures Mark Crispin Miller Vlog: There's no doubt that the GOP is in big trouble, facing catastrophic losses in the House and Senate this November. But if you believe that Bush and Cheney will observe the law and honor the traditions of American democracy, and therefore let themselves be forced from power, you're living in a world of happy dreams.

Obama & America's Innate Goodness in Order to Win A good rundown on the importance of images in campaigning. Advice on the Human Values subject. In short, forget the policy platforms and look like a mixed-race, globe-trotting all-American boy next door!

Political Economy: Wall Street Cred Obama's Backup Good editorializing of why former SEC chairmen have come out for Obama. Definitely a criticism of McCain's economics blindspot. But also this analyzes the character of former big business overseers.

McCain Hits Obama's Ex-Terrorist Ties - Craig Crawford (2 comments) When Bill Ayers was with the Weathermen, John McCain was in Viet Nam and Barack Obama was in short pants. Now the GOP is making an issue out of protesting in a former war. A new war and more protests. Where does history invade current issues?

Karl Rove's sly deal with Fox (2 comments) Karl Rove as analyst/pundit with Fox News is a given. This article predicts "conflict of interest" may loom in general election because Rove is maxed out for McCain already. Question: how much precious time should progressives spend on old issues: MSM & Bush's brain.

Why don't those hillbillies like Obama? (1 comments) Dee Davis, who lives in Kentucky and is in Obama's "Appalachian problem" zone of concern. I'm probably closer to the author's address than I am to any other's, except John Edwards' childhood in NC. Great discussion on how Mountain people (in PA, WV, KY,OH)react to hardship. In 2008 usual poverty is enhanced by gas prices. It's largely a rural America challenge. White, undereducated, yes, but Democrat (if they vote).

Matt Taibbi: If Cheney & Co. Had Really Plotted the 9/11 Attacks ... (3 comments) HILARIOUS! Whereas the real conspiracy of power in America is right out in the open and always has been, only nobody cares, so long as Fear Factor and Baseball Tonight come on a the right times. A conspiracy like the one described by 9/11 Truth would only be necessary in a country where the people are a threat to actually govern themselves effectively.

DOWN THE MEMORY HOLE As recently as two years ago, any Republican document with the word "families" in it would have been crammed full of proposals for parental notification laws, constitutional bans on gay marriage, prayer in public schools, promotion of two-parent families, abstinence-only sex ed, and internet porn crackdowns. But this year? Nada.

Low-Income Renters to Pay for Housing Bailout Congress has shown little interest in ensuring the new guarantee prices reflect fundamentals, making it likely many of the people "helped" under the program will end up facing foreclosure a second time. However, to make matters worse, they came up with the idea of financing the plan by taking away a stream of funding that had been dedicated to help low-income renters.

New Mexico State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino: Restoring Democracy Should Top Our Agenda; Deny Bush his Requested $11 Billion Helicopters! (3 comments) Insightful and incisive analysis of the overall foreign policies and the disasters inherent in the present defense-contractor military-glutted Kleptocracy at the heart of the Bush Administration, by New Mexico State Senator Jerry Ortiz y Pino

Mike Gracia: Is Torture Ever Justified? (2 comments) Torture is defined by the Oxford Online Dictionary as (• noun 1) The infliction of severe pain as a punishment or a forcible means of persuasion. 2 great suffering or anxiety.

Ed Tubbs: KISS, or Courage, which will YOU choose? Nonetheless, I find that oh so many members of the electorate feel compelled to reduce them to the trivial and even to the profane.

Ed Martin: Obama's perceived inexperience is his best qualification. (2 comments) Obama isn't any more inexperienced at being president than anyone who has ever been president. Since no one who has been president had ever been president before, Obama's experience at being president is exactly the same as theirs. He's never been president, either.

David Glenn Cox: The Sucker Rally Great news! Discover Card has come out with a new kind of credit card. Not a credit card to help eliminate the need for carrying cash, or writing clumsy checks when you are out of town. In fact, this card isn't for buying things at all; it is for helping you to pay off the balances on all your other credit cards. The credit game is how we operate.

Al Francis: Why I still question 911 (7 comments) A brief summary of my motivatiuon for writing Death at Angel Bay

Curt Day: A 60th Anniversary that Resembled America On the 60th anniversary of an important Middle East event, a commemoration was held outside the UN in New York City. The event resembled what America stands for by the "melting pot" of speakers who spoke, the openness of the event, and the calls for peace and justice.

Allen L Roland: *FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY IS HOLOCRACY What will be the future of democracy? One day in the not too distant future, the old political polarity of the 'few vs the many' will collapse as a result of the general acceptance of a new foundational paradigm called 'scientific holism' : Theodore Dana Hall

(More...)

Wednesday, May 21:

Portland elects its first openly gay mayor Sam Adams easily won Portland's mayoral race yesterday, becoming the first openly gay mayor of any major US city. With a population of more than 500K, Portland is the largest city in a state that in 2004 voted to amend its constitution to declare that marriage is only legal when it's between a man and a woman. Asked if it was odd that he can be mayor -- but not married -- in Oregon, Adams said it was "surreal."

38 whales die after stranding on Senegal coast Sonar-deafening may be the cause of whale beaching that occurred today. Over 60 whales swam in close to the shore after 3 dozen whales beached themselves. Pregnant calf gave birth on beach and both were safely towed back into the water. Also see http://snipurl.com/2a00y

Budget Hero - setting federal budget priorities (video) If you ever wanted to control where your tax dollars go, here's your chance to decide.

Somalia violence flares in the wake of U.S. airstrike First President Bush handed Somalia unrest to Clinton who handed it back to Second President Bush. Currently, US takes out "terrorists" and things flare up. The author "Blackhawk Down" is cited as one source by the Monitor.

Feds offer help to student loan industry - not students Are you seeing a pattern here?

DoJ Torture Report: Paints a picture of ghastly treatment of detainees by US As you dig down into the 370-page report (.pdf), it's most revealing for what it shows the U.S. government was actually doing to detainees. Because of the limited jurisdiction of the DOJ inspector general, the report was focused on the FBI. But in establishing the environment in which the FBI was operating, the report paints a picture of ghastly treatment of detainees by the United States on a consistent long-term basis.

Dave Lindorff: For His Treatment of Children in the 'War on Terror' Bush is a War Criminal Bush, as commander in chief, has presided over the war crime of imprisoning over 2500 children as "enemy combatants," some of them at Guantanamo.

Homeland Security's Emerging Immigration Police State This article is the 1st of 2. There is also a link for newsletter on Immigration coverage. Details in this report are gruesome. Be brave! See if subscribing is important. Among info: Through private correction facilities, we may be facing something akin to Blackwater, in my opinion.

Did George Bush Break the Clean Air Act? The law is very clear that EPA may not consider costs in setting a national air quality standard to protect the environment. The Supreme Court specifically addressed the issue in 2001, the court wrote that if EPA established a standard by 'secretly considering the costs without telling anyone' it would be grounds for throwing out the standard, because the administrator did not follow the law...

McCain adviser: Sometimes it's "˜accurate' to describe a woman as a "˜bitch.' "What's amusing about this is that Castellanos actually argued that it's sometimes accurate to call a woman a "bitch" as a way of making the claim that Hillary was wrong to argue that there's sexism in our political coverage. Pretty twisted stuff."

Govt. May Have Massive Surveillance Program For Use In "˜National Emergency,' 8 Million "˜Potential Suspects' According to a senior government official..."There exists a database of Americans, who, often for the slightest and most trivial reason, are considered unfriendly, and who, in a time of panic, might be incarcerated. The database can identify and locate perceived 'enemies of the state' almost instantaneously." ... One knowledgeable source claims that 8 million Americans are now listed in Main Core as potentially suspect.

Mary Ann Gould: "The Paradox of Fair Elections: Private Votes, Public Counting" Tonight 5/21, 8-9pm ET Tonight Ellen Theisen of VotersUnite and Susan Pynchon of Florida Fair Elections Coalition offer a compelling analysis of the critical components/issues surrounding our election process in ensuring (or limiting) a Vibrant Democracy.Call in with your questions and comments.Call in with your questions and comments.

Tuesday, May 20:

Egyptian leader walks out after Bush misses his keynote (2 comments) Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak inaugurated the meeting with a keynote speech, attended by some 14 heads of state and government, but not U.S. President George W. Bush. As Mubarak spoke, the seats of the American delegation remained empty. Laura Bush's seat, next to that of Mubarak's wife, also remained unoccupied.

Top Military officer: Iran jeopardizing peace in Iraq Mullen can't seem to make up his mind about Iran...ed. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that "irresponsible actions" by Iran's Revolutionary Guard "directly jeopardize" peace in Iraq.

House passes bill to sue OPEC over oil prices (1 comments) The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation on Tuesday allowing the Justice Department to sue OPEC members for limiting oil supplies and working together to set crude prices, but the White House threatened to veto the measure.

Why 'Vote-by-Mail' Elections are a Terrible Idea for Democracy Voters believe such systems offer a "paper trail" not available to voters using touch-screen systems at the polling place.Many are unaware that their mailed-in ballots will be scanned by the same error-prone, easily manipulated optical-scan machines which handle paper ballots for precinct-based voting.But even worse, ballots mailed in,if they arrive safely,and are counted at all, are usually counted "in the dark" or

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For May 20, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

Kansas Citians Are Angry: The Kansas City Star Outsources to India If this weren't enough of a blow: the employees will retain their employment until after their replacements-who are being flown in, and put up here in Kansas City-have been trained by the displaced employees. And furthermore, according to a blog comment from the best friend of one of those laid off, The Kansas City Star is not giving letters of recommendation to those being let go! Talk about serious insult to injury.

BAE scandal and 9/11 truth coming to a crunch NOW can we please replace Nancy Pelosi? She's known all along about Cheney's plans to slip out with the BAE scandal being squashed and pardons given to ONE AND ALL.

Justice Department Report Reveals Senior Government Officials Knew Early On Of Interrogation Abuse But Did Not Stop It NEW YORK - The results of an internal Justice Department investigation released today reveal that officials at the highest level of government - including the White House - received reports on the abuse of prisoners in U.S. military custody overseas as early as 2002.

PhillyIMC: Philadelphia-area Mid East Peace Activists cast a Shadow of Mourning over "Israel at 60" Celebration As supporters of how Israel was created were celebrating down the Ben Franklin Parkway, Palestinians and solidarity activists sent a cloud of 1000 black balloons into the sky to mark the 60th anniversary of Palestinian dispossession, when the Israeli military uprooted and killed Palestine's indigenous population to make way for the Israeli state.

Vanunu: Almost Free and at Home in Norway The Norwegian Lawyer's Petition of May 15, 2008, calls on the Norwegian government to urgently implement the following three-point action plan within the framework of international and Norwegian law to grant Vanunu permission to work and stay in Norway, based on his need for protection (on humanitarian grounds), with the intention to offer Vanunu asylum upon his entry into Norway.

Cuba fights homophobia (1 comments) On Saturday May 17, Cuba celebrated International Day Against Homophobia by holding a conference featuring shows, lectures, discussions and books. Mariela Castro, Director of Center for Sexual Education, defended "equal rights for all Cubans, of all sexual orientations... The freedom of sexual choice and gender identity are exercises in equality and social justice." Related article on proposed Bill in comments below.

Colombian rebel's surrender weakens FARC after 24 yrs Nelly Avila Moreno's call for dialogue comes as the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez accuses the US of stirring tension. Ms. Moreno asked FARC to give in to Columbian authorities (backed by US). Disputes are far from settled with Chavez accusing the US of invading Venezuela's air space. Drugs and petroleum replace bananas in diplomacy.

the web: Gas ripoff? See if this story sounds familiar. If so, what can we do about it?

Lawrence Velvel: Eric Lichtblau's Defense Of The Times' Disastrous Failure To Print The NSA Spying Story in October 2004 In his book, Eric Lichtblau defends the Times failure to publish his story on the NSA spying in late October or early November 2004, when the story would have resulted in Bush not being reelected. Lichtblau's effort fails because the failure to publish was due to terrible judgment, lack of knowledge of history, and fear of right wing criticism.

Dana Gabriel: Oklahoma Recalls Bill That Would Have Facilitated NAFTA Superhighway The Oklahoma State Senate voted to recall a bill that would have further facilitated plans for a superhighway to run through the state. The NAFTA Superhighway is to run from the Mexican border to Canada and is the necessary infrastructure needed for the creation of a North American Union.

Sen. Edward Kennedy has malignant brain tumor Senator Kennedy has the kind of brain tumor where radiology and chemotherapy treatment is generally used. He is walking around in the hospital with no new seizures. Tests will continue for a few days.

Kennedy Diagnosed With Malignant Brain Tumor Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), who was hospitalized in Boston Saturday after suffering a seizure, has a malignant brain tumor, according to a preliminary diagnosis released today by physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital.

House Conservatives to Offer Ideas for G.O.P. Message Some of the ideas from the conservatives have been circulating for months, including an immediate moratorium on seeking money for the pet home-state projects known as earmarks. But other Republicans have rejected that idea, arguing it is a chief responsibility of representatives to win federal aid for local initiatives.

White House denies Iran attack report The White House flatly denied an Army Radio report claiming Bush intends to attack Iran before the end of his term. A senior member in Bush's entourage said in a closed meeting in Israel that Bush and Cheney thought military action against Iran was called for. The official reportedly went on to say that "the hesitancy of Robert Gates and Condoleezza Rice" was preventing the attack for the time being.

Press Release: Landmark election recount bill becomes law in Minnesota

CIA death squads killing with “impunity” in Afghanistan (1 comments) A United Nations investigator released a preliminary report last week citing widespread civilian deaths in Afghanistan, often at the hands of unaccountable units led by the CIA or other foreign intelligence agencies.

YouTube refuses Lieberman request John Morris, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy and Technology, said Lieberman’s letter was a practical impossibility and having sites such as YouTube pre-screen content would radically change how the Internet is used. Morris said such a policy would likely face stiff opposition from advocates of First Amendment rights.

Vets Testify to War Atrocities, Vow to Fight and Resist Bush (2 comments) Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) members testified before House committee. Discuss need for scholarships, cutting off funds for war, and demonstrating. Official hearing contrasts to Winter-Soldier meet. But not much, since hearing was shoved to small room as the funds bill was proceeding.

Kennedy's Absence Stalls Numerous Bills (3 comments) There is today and 3 more days before Senate recess. Return on June 2 leaves a break on bills in Kennedy's committee. How well passage on education and labor bills can be handled is problematic. Good description of what's at stake--and how other Senators can help as Kennedy convalesces.

Pelosi: More must be done to stop Iran (5 comments) Washington must assert to the rest of the world that if they want to be friends with America, they need to do more to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, visiting US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Sunday in an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post. "The alternative is one that has a tremendous downside - and that would be to use military force."

Gore wins $1 million prize from Israeli group Al Gore received a $1 million prize on Monday for his environmental work from an Israeli fund. Gore said 10 percent of the prize would go to young researchers and the rest to the Alliance for Climate Protection, an advocacy group he confounded and which works to change public opinion worldwide about the urgency of the climate crisis.

Key architect of Iraq war defends case for US-led invasion Douglas Feith, former undersecretary of defense for policy from 2001 to 2005, said Saddam Hussein posed a serious threat to the United States due to his links to terrorist groups and his regime's potential to produce biological and chemical weapons.

Lieberman Calls on Google to Take Down Terrorist Content “Islamist terrorist organizations use YouTube to disseminate their propaganda, enlist followers, and provide weapons training,” the Senator said in his letter. “YouTube also, unwittingly, permits Islamist terrorist groups to maintain an active, pervasive, and amplified voice, despite military setbacks or successful operations by the law enforcement and intelligence communities…

White House takes swipe at NBC News The White House on Monday sent a scathing letter to NBC News, accusing the news network of “deceptively” editing an interview with President Bush on the issue of appeasement and Iran. At issue were remarks Bush made in front of Israel's parliament earlier this week.

Keeping Secrets: In Presidential Memo, a New Designation for Classifying Information Meanwhile--back on page A15... if a memorandum signed by Bush this month ever goes into effect, one government official talking to another about information on terrorists will have to begin by saying: "What I am about to tell you is controlled unclassified information enhanced with specified dissemination." Bush said the purpose of the classification is "to standardize practices and thereby improve the sharing of information.

Former Clinton aide, Obama strategist in talks Patti Solis Doyle, replaced by M Williams, in Clinton's campaign is talking with Obama's Axelrod about cooperation in the general election. She has Chicago political connections.

Q&A With Don Siegelman: "I Think This Will Make Watergate Look Like Child's Play" (1 comments) The Star: Why do you believe Rove hasn't agreed to testify under oath? Siegelman: He doesn't want to run the risk of lying under oath and being prosecuted for perjury.

Monday, May 19:

Gen. Odom: Military Analysts Can't Defend Relationship With Pentagon "˜Because Of Its Conspiratorial Nature' My own sense of my obligations and my officer's honor in the past would make me think that's not a proper thing to do... But I don't think they'll be able to defend that position publicly very well, particularly because of its sort of conspiratorial nature. I think it's quite legitimate for military officers to talk to a number of people in the Pentagon, but to be part of a recurring meeting that is designed to shape public.

Top general encourages blogging, despite military policy blocking blogs. "It's a position that appears to run counter to stated Pentagon policy. YouTube is officially banned on military networks. Personal blogs cannot be maintained during duty hours. Many influential blogs are blocked. Stringent regulations, read literally, require commanding officers to review each and every item one of his soldiers puts online."

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For May 18 and 19, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issues

The GOP War on (Democrats) Voting Two years ago TX' Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott declared war on what he claimed was rampant vote fraud in TX.He set up a special vote fraud unit and got a $1.4 million grant from the feds for the work.Now,two years on,courtesy of the Dallas Morning News,we have a run-down of what Abbot came up with -- 26 cases.The details tell the story: All 26 cases involved Democrats, and almost all were either blacks or Hispanics.

Thousands killed by US's Korean ally Grave by mass grave, South Korea is unearthing the skeletons and buried truths of a cold-blooded slaughter from early in the Korean War, when this nation's U.S.-backed regime killed untold thousands of leftists and hapless peasants in a summer of terror in 1950. With U.S. military officers sometimes present, the southern army and police emptied South Korean prisons, lined up detainees and shot them in the head

Blacklisted by the Bush government Salon.com commissioned an investigation of NSA warrantless wiretapping as it impacts persons and groups within the US. The cases become difficult to follow & resolve.Impetus for the study started after NYTimes exposed the issue. "You can be designated without an evidentiary finding that you ever actively engaged in or supported terrorism," says(Prof David of GW Univ) Cole. "This is a guilt-by-association process."

PHILADELPHIA: Brewerytown Organizers Threaten to Boycott Rita's Water Ice On May 15, 2008, community members in Brewerytown, held a meeting to create a preliminary plan for how to address the imminent opening of a Rita's Water Ice franchise at 2829 W. Girard Avenue. The attendees were responding to eight years of frustration over the way Rita's handled the rape of an 11-year old African-American girl by two white Rita's employees at Veteran's Stadium in 2000.

Linguist gives students lesson in free thinking (1 comments) Via speakerphone from his office at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, linguistics professor Noam Chomsky told Dundee-Crown High School students that a two-tiered educational system exists: While the elite attend schools that promote critical, independent thought, the masses attend schools that train students to pass tests and follow orders.

Melinda Pillsbury-Foster: America's Courts, City Hall, Child Protective Services, and more. Threats in ways you never imagined. Courts, the IRS, CPS, you name it. You think it is government. It is the system that harvests your money and assets as profits. It is also used on people who present problems to make sure they stop doing that. You need to know.

Better Secrecy for Open Source Intel Collectors Urged U.S. intelligence employees who are collecting open source intelligence online should do more to ensure that they are not identified as intelligence personnel, the House Armed Services Committee said in its new report on the 2009 Defense Authorization Act. Failure to conceal the identity of open source intelligence collectors could conceivably lead to spoofing, disinformation or other forms of compromise.

Tuesday, May 13:

Gene Cappa: What Really Happened to WTC 7? (12 comments) WTC 7 was not hit by an aircraft on 9-11 but the 47 story tall concrete and steel skyscraper "buckled" at the top, penthouse first, then came straight down into it's own footprints at free fall in a mere 6.5 seconds. This buidling was never even mentioned in the 9-11 Commission Report, and neither NIST nor FIMA have officially explained the collapse itself. So what really happened to WTC 7?

Sunday, May 11:

ALONE: Concepts of Sovereignty in 2008 and questioning how to aid the Burmese "France has suggested invoking a U.N. 'responsibility to protect' clause and delivering aid directly to cyclone-hit Myanmar without waiting for approval from the [Myanmar] military." Do you agree with France on its call that the UN bypass the traditional constraints of sovereignty in order to protect millions of Burmese?

Rob Kall: UFO and Exterrestrial Articles on OpEdNews? (84 comments) The original vision for OpEdNews was to create an online site that covered the wide range of topics daily newspapers and weekly newsmagazines cover. Lately, we've had some of our members comment on our publishing articles on UFOs and extraterrestrials, suggesting they diminish our credibility. OTOH, some of the articles have brought thousands of readers to the site. What do you think? Please leave your comments on this.

Saturday, May 10:

Richard McGinn: White House Fire in Dick Cheney's Office (1 comments) Poll question: Why has there been no investigative reports, or even news items, discussing what was destroyed in the Dec. 20, 2007 fire in Dick Cheney's White House Office?

Wednesday, May 7:

Gene Cappa: What Really Happened on 9-11? (37 comments) Lacking an official scientific investigation of 9-11, serious doubts remain about the official story stating that the planes, fires, and hijackers caused all 3 world trade center buildings to collapse straight down at free fall.

Frank J. Ranelli: Should Hillary drop out of the race? (19 comments) Hillary Clinton took a drubbing in North Carolina's primary – losing by virtually 15 points – and escaped with a disappointing win of less than two-percent in Indiana. Barack Obama erased any momentum Hillary gained from Pennsylvania and Barack is now considered by some to be the presumptive nominee. Now, with no plausible path to the nomination, should Hillary drop out of the race and help unite a fractured Democratic Party?

Monday, May 5:

Michael McCoy: Bush/Cheney Impeachment Charges (17 comments) Were impeachment proceedings to be initiated against George Bush and Richard Cheney, which central charge would you endorse?

Sunday, May 4:

Mark E. Smith: Will you continue to vote in rigged elections? (9 comments) Knowing that the last two presidential elections were stolen, that more than 80% of U.S. votes, whether cast on voting machines or on paper ballots, are counted secretly by central tabulating computers, that even if it is possible to prove that an election was stolen, the unelected president cannot be removed from office, and that only corporate candidates can "win," -- will you still vote in elections you know are rigged?

Thursday, May 1:

Gene Cappa: IF Attacked Iran Would (6 comments) Never surrender, close the Straits of Hormutz, fight back with gusto and seek military help from Russia, China, and the Iraqi Shites, pull their oil off the US market, dump the dollar and attack Israel?

Kevin Gosztola: Who Would You Like to Vote for in November? (8 comments) Ballot access obstructionism, closed debates, and corporate media will essentially mean that the people's choice for president may not win. But before all that goes down and before the national conventions begin and end only to be followed by polarizing conversation, let's pretend November is here now. And let's pretend you can vote for any party and not just the two corporate war parties that reign over America.

Mystic Wizard: Will Electing a Democrat President Get the Country Back On the Right Track? Will the election of either Barack Obabma or Hillary Clinton as President of the United States result in a restoration of the rule of law, consumer and employee rights, environmental protections, corporate & media resposibility, election reform, our standing in the world, and a general resurgence of cultural vitality in this country?

ALONE: Supreme Court's future in the USA (5 comments) Do you think that if a progressive president is elected in 2008, he should (do as President FDR did 7 1/2 decades ago) threaten the Supreme Court with expansion of appointments as of 2009?

ALONE: Using the phrase "pigeons coming home to roost" Is using the phrase "pigeons coming home to roost" ever acceptable when referring to events such as those on 9-11 or in the death of John F. Kennedy?

ALONE: Media Access for Americans of all classes and groups Do you believe that the state, local and federal governments need to ensure more access time for you and your community than it currently does currently? This goes for all U.S. based radio, TV, Cable, Sattelite and internet.

ALONE: Making it easier for alternative candidates and alternative parties to get on a ballot #1 (1 comments) Do you believe that your state needs to make it significantly easier for alternative parties and alternative candidates?

Rob Kall: Will Cheney or Bush face impeachment hearings? (14 comments) In the face of massive criminal actions, constitutional violations and war crimes, the Democrats in congress are taking the position that impeachment hearing swill take up too much time and distract from elections.

Wednesday, April 30:

Gary Skubal: Texas FLDS Polygamy Raid What do you think about the FLDS, the allegations of child/sexual abuse, and how Texas is handling the situation?

Sherwin Steffin: Impeachment - probability and consequences (3 comments) This poll asks whether Impeachment is a viable possibility and asks about the consequences were it to be undertaken.

Tuesday, April 29:

http://RoboEco.com/opednews: When will the ROBOTIC WAGELESS ECONOMY kick in 100% The masses have been working for the Elite for 1000's of years, and the degree of control over the masses is close to 100% reducing them to scripted robotic lives... Ironically, @ the same time, ROBOTS & Computers together are close to 100% capable of doing all labor for the 1rst time in history, freeing ALL HUMANS to join the elite ranks, where like them, all "income" will be passive and "money" and wages will disappear.

Monday, April 28:

Michael McCoy: The 911 attacks on the US (3 comments) Do you, or do you not believe, that key elements in the US government knew that the 911 attacks were imminent, and were able to circumvent either an intelligence or military response to prevent them?

Rob Kall: Has Reverend Wright Helped or Hurt Obama with Talks and Interviews (18 comments) Has Reverend Jeremiah Wright Helped or Hurt Barrack Obama with Talks in the last few days with his latest appearances, talks and his interview with Bill Moyers?

Friday, April 25:

Rob Kall: Will Hillary Give Up When Barack Reaches the 50% Plus 1 Number of Delegates Needed? (15 comments) When Barack Obama reaches the number of delegate votes needed to have the majority, will Hillary Clinton accept that accomplishment as a loss and withdraw from the primary race or will she continue to insist that this be decided in Denver, at the convention, even though party leaders pressure her to pull out?

Saturday, March 15:

Sponsored by www.worldproutassembly.org: "Building a New World" Conference The deep longing for positive, lasting change is the bedrock upon which this conference is based. How do we fix our country and our world? And how can we form one mass movement to address the crisis? (Event Date: May 22, 2008)

Sponsored by ourfuture.org: Take Back America a meeting of progressives (Event Date: Mar 17, 2008)

Wednesday, December 31:

Sponsored by Freedom Ambassadors: Walk for Human Dignity A national coalition of over 50 local, state and national organizations are participating in walk from Tucson to Phoenix beginning May 2 to call for an end to racially fomented hate crimes. The ten-day peaceful walk will end with a rally in downtown Phoenix on Mother's Day, May 11, honoring mothers for teaching children to treat all human beings with equal dignity. (Event Date: May 1, 2008)

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Wednesday, May 21:

Reuters/Zogby Poll: Obama Opens Double-digit Lead Over McCain in National Test Obama does well among his Democratic base, winning 79% support – an indication that the party faithful may be coming together behind his campaign as a bruising nomination campaign nears the end. He also does well among non-aligned voters, as independents favor him over McCain by a 48% to 32% margin.

FM 21-76 US Army Survival Manual - Download (3 comments) Print this PDF file of the US Army Survival Manual and pack it with your bug-out gear. It gives extremely valuable information for anyone interested in survival.

International menopause experts at odds over HRT Women want to know: Is HRT an unnecessary risk or a maligned therapy?

New Mexico Governor William Blaine Richardson III: Governor Richardson Gives University of Pennsylvania Law School Commencement Address (2 comments) Urges Public Service, Lays out Initial Steps for Renewing US Relations, Calls for "Responsibility to Protect"----I believe Governor Richardson will make a superb next USA Secretary of State, based on his proven record in solving deep, serious, and persistent international problems. This speech would clarify this idea to even the most casual reader and political observer....

Tuesday, May 20:

Earthquake clouds (2 comments) Several great pix and a video showing “earthquake clouds” that preceded the China quake. In 2004, geophysicists noticed a gap in the clouds and higher thermal readings in satellite images of a location in Iran where 69 days later, a 6.4 earthquake hit. Historical records indicate a possible correlation between clouds and earthquakes in the ancient civillizations of Rome, India, and China.

mikel paul: Hedge Love. Beware (5 comments) If someone wants something for it, it ain't the McCoy.

john de herrera: Hamlet 3:2 This is a big scene, and I've taken a small liberty with it. Hope you enjoy.

Little girls gone wild (4 comments) Now companies sell padded bras to 6-year-olds. Isn't it time to stop marketing grown-up sexuality to little kids? Some clothes project sexual symbols. And we know what they are: fishnet hose and stilettos and corsets. They're almost clichés of sexuality. But when you see them on a very young child, there's that sexual overtone- the kinds of clothing that they're being encouraged to wear are really associated with sex work

"It was like found money." "It was like found money," so said the attorney negotiating a carbon offset credits deal between a business entity and Calfornia-based forestry administrators. Meanwhile, who's going to guarentee that the money is actually used in the manner specified? Certainly not the attornies because they've made their money and are now looking for the next "carbon dupe".

Thanks For The Support by Roy Zimmerman "Got that yellow ribbon stuck on your H2, thanks for the support." Once you listen to Roy Zimmerman, you'll keep listening. Most of his stuff is satire and very humorous, but "Thanks For The Support" is a bit different.

Wolfie: We're All Made of Heaven (6 comments) Life will toss and turn us on our ear. Floppy or not.

gabby hayes: Why I Am a Liberal (for Eric Alterman) It's difficult to think of another way to be, if one is religious or if one is rational. I've enumerated these endlessly in chatrooms, but never in paragraph form.

John Basel: Being At Peace In a Just or Unjust World (5 comments) What is inner peace and how can we find it in an unjust world?

the web: What to do if you have a heart attack while alone (1 comments) Johnson City Medical Center staff actually discovered this and did an in-depth study on it in our ICU The two individuals that discovered this then did an article on it.Had it published & have even had it incorporated into ACLS & CPR classes.It is very true & does work.It is called cough CPR.A cardiologist says it's the truth..For your info If everyone who gets this sends it to 10 more,you can bet it'll save one life or more

Monday, May 19:

Military culture, pragmatism shape McCain Monitor reporter profiles John McCain as political personage. Shows his experience in military executive work after returning from prison, then his move to Senate when Barry Goldwater retired. Describes his top-down military style of governance, but also his ability to work across party lines. Some personal baggage and some public recognition is also reiterated.

Michael Bonanno: Peace (4 comments) All he was saying was "Give peace a chance!"

PEAK EVERYTHING: Was Malthus just off a few decades? (7 comments) EXCERPT: "If we want peace, democracy and human rights, we must work to create the ecological conditions for these things to exist: i.e., a stable human population at - or below - the environment's long term carrying capacity."

Sunday, May 18:

Michael Bonanno: bushmen of the tidal basin (4 comments) summon me a lad and force his feet to feel the coals

Jason Greywolf Leigh: We are all Liars and Cheats (12 comments) What this 'New Age' of the Internet has made of us: lairs and cheats. Morals be damned when 'file sharing' is like some token to an everlasting friendship. Who and what have we become? Why have we become what we hated most about the world, not so long ago.

Saturday, May 17:

Jeremy Scahill | John Cusack's War Movie Review Scahill starts by decrying how Cusack' earlier movie "Grace is Gone" was never given serious viewership. "The War" premiers May 23, and has carefully saved footage over these long years. This time he hopes the movie will get the attention it deserves.

Jane Stillwater: Dust bowl: Like Okies in the 1930s, Iraqi farmers must move on or dig in While stranded in a dust storm in Anbar province I started wishing I could interview an Iraqi farmer about the current famine and resulting dust bowl here. But over tea and Froot Loops for breakfast in the airbase dining facility, I got to interview one of the world's leading experts on Iraqi dirt instead. Pulitzer Prize, here I come!

Allen L Roland: *COMPUTER WIZARDRY / ALAN BECKER Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.": Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1729-1781) German Dramatist

Friday, May 16:

Bruce Allen Morris: A Poem To Feel The War (13 comments) Because our government censors the reality of war from us, we must rely on our own imagination to understand the true suffering in Iraq and Gaza and Afghanistan and . . . . If we do not face and try to feel the pain we cause, we can never generate the empathy needed to stop this and all other and future wars.

Jan Baumgartner: Passing Through (17 comments) The reaffirmation of life in a Mexican village.

Bill Moyers -- Christopher Edley and Maria Echaveste Interesting conversation between Moyers and a couple on different sides of the Obama/Clinton electability question. More interesting because they are each working for their candidate, and have in the past worked for Bill Clinton. They are connected with University of California, Berkley.

Sex Hormones and City Life No. California is in the grip of a horrific aerial spray program designed to eradicate an insect pest, the light brown apple moth (LBAM). A report from a Task Force set up by the city of Albany, CA states that, "Following the spraying in Monterey and Santa Cruz in 2007, there were more than 600 reports of health problems, including asthma-like attacks and difficulty breathing, chest pains, headaches, blurred vision, swollen

America's Frightening Alzheimer's Epidemic | Health &Wellness The statistics could scare you to death. But maybe you won't care. Take this discussion seriously. Written by a woman who investigates Alzheimer's and lives with her mother's condition. She mentions the polar bear sitting on a lone chunk of ice. Please read this well-written article because someone you meet will be talking about the future problems of the nation.

Misogyny I Will Not Miss | Reproductive Justice and Gender Images. Advertising. TV commentators. Smutty jokes best left in the barnyard. WaPo Women's Writer member writes some of the woman-hating will stop when they don't have Hillary to kick around any more. Submitted with one eyebrow raised. Wanna bet?

The Triple Threat: Our Food, Water and Climate Challenges Why are food and water shortages are feeding the climate crisis.

Tours of Hanford nuclear waste site draw interest In Washington State near the Columbia River remains World War II's legacy of vast areas of contaminated waste, some already buried and some being encased in glass. Hanford, where the bomb produced to level Nagasaki was made, is the country's largest cleanup site. And to dramatize the history since the 1940's, safe areas are allowed for visitors. Oak Ridge gets its paragraphs. Weapon of Mass Destruction, big time!

Martin Luther King's Speech Against the Vietnam War - by David Bromwich One of the greatest speeches by Martin Luther King, Jr., "A Time to Break Silence," was delivered at Riverside Church, New York City, on April 4, 1967. It is a statement against war in principle, in the same sense in which King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," published four years earlier, had been a statement against social injustice in principle.

Rebecca Sato: Scientists Discover Plants Can Control Weather (3 comments) When the tide is out, kelp prefer clouds.

Ernest Steadman: A Counterfeit World (2 comments) The War, the Religions involved, all counterfeit.

Thursday, May 15:

ALONE: AMERICAN & BRITISH COLLAGE dating from 1978 to 2008: MEET THE CLASH, LISTEN TO THE VIDEO AND READ THE FACTS, JACK (1 comments) A lot of nostalgic Americans etc are called to attention by usage of phrases and metaphors form oldy music memories, like in the title of the recent OP-Ed article, MY, MY, IT'S AMERICAN PIE: A Mother's Day Celebration. I think, as an educator, that it is important to introduce other connections to music,video and memory in a way that reaches out to more and more Americans of many ages. Here is a musical and video collage.

Build a Homemade Hydroponics Garden Cheaply and Easily (Video) Live in an apartment, or just want to grow herbs and veggies in a limited indoor space? Here are detailed instructions to make your own portable hydroponics system for around $50.00.

Michael Bonanno: New World Order (1 comments) Doesn't it sometimes appear that our loss is their main reason for wanting to perpetually win?

Vi Ransel: Ghost in the Machine (or Being Nothingness) Can you really say that your life is your own?

Allen L Roland: *IMPEACHMENT PLAY OPENS ON MAY 17TH / SAN FRANCISCO Dick Cheney and George W Bush will be impeached in San Francisco on May 17th at the beautiful 500 seat International Studies Academy theater. It will be a world premiere of an inspirational work, written by Bruce Fein and Richard A Lasser, that will have you on your feet clapping and cheering : Allen L Roland

Ed Martin: Was the God of the ancients a computer? (5 comments) If you look at the way the people of a few thousand years ago interacted with their God, the similarity to interacting with a computer is inescabable.

Wednesday, May 14:

Michael Bonanno: A Welcome Home (4 comments) They call 'em heroes, but they keep their return from our eyes.

A meta-theoretical analysis on combining particle physics with real world phenomena A meta-theoretical analysis on combining particle physics with real world phenomena; The first science communication about and the introduction to "the theory of everything" as proposed by software engineer and award-winning trouble-shooter Mark Fiorentino. Super Relativity includes several differences with and advances to old aether theory, with means of measuring and predicting universal 'constants'.

ALONE: A LONG-TERM APPROACH TO BEING A COUNTER-CULTURAL WITNESS, i.e. NOT CONSTANTLY IN A CULTURE WAR (2 comments) In her article, "Loving the Storm-Drenched", Mathewes-Green writes to a largely Christian audience who is not enamored with the era of culture warring that we witness around today. has to do with good common sense for progressive audiences of all shapes and backgrounds, too. She states that the tone which "we adopt from the culture: sarcastic, smart-alecky, jabbing, and self-righteous."

john de herrera: Hamlet 3:1 (2 comments) This is the scene with the "To be or not to be,..." soliloquy. It was painful to adapt it, and I will probably just leave it alone in the finished work.

Using Fruit To Aid The Sun's Work Currently, commercially available solar cells are efficient and robust but expensive, according to the team. "To develop efficient-and most importantly inexpensive-solar cells, scientists are following the design of photosynthetic systems," the professor said. "Research on so-called 'third-generation' solar cells is being carried out at Rowan University."

Have we fallen behind our parents? (10 comments) "Nan Mooney, a 38-year-old journalist, wonders why so many people like her -- college-educated professionals, members of the storied American middle class -- still struggle" is a quote from this article. "(Not) Keeping up with our Parents" is Mooney's book, which is reviewed here by interviewing Mooney. Healthcare, childcare, & stagnate wages leaves middle class on the road to brinkmanship.

Tuesday, May 13:

Jim Miles: Book Review - Common Wealth - Jeffery Sachs A great topic, but without any consideration of the Washington consensus institutes (WTO, IMF, World Bank) and the U.S. military, it fails in its arguments.

Backyard Composting (Video) Compost is one of nature's best fertilizers, and you can use it instead of the commercial stuff. Best of all, you can make it without spending a cent.

Running on Empty: Cars That Never Need Gas Darrell Dickey regularly commutes to work 24 miles, one way, by bike. But when it's too cold or wet for the bike, or when he and his family travel long distances from their home in Davis, California, he drives a battery-powered electric vehicle that he charges with photovoltaic (PV) panels mounted on his garage roof. "Five years ago, I spent about $45,000 and got a brand new car (the RAv4EV) and the solar system," he says.

New 'Indiana Jones' tells a 'true' story of skull worship :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Movies Mayan priests worship 13 legendary crystal skulls, and their true story stretches over continents and hundreds of years - and may be even more extraordinary than the tale portrayed in this fourth installment of the Harrison Ford franchise. It's unclear what version of the tale will appear in "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

Moore making 'Fahrenheit 9/11' sequel. Variety reports that Michael Moore is making a sequel to "Fahrenheit 9/11," which was a "scathing indictment of George W. Bush's war on terrorism and a hit at the worldwide box office." The new film will reportedly pick up where "Fahrenheit" left off: "In the time since, President Bush's popularity has plummeted, while the Iraq war continues and the economy falters."

Jon Stewart Interviews Douglas Feith (6 comments) I watched this interview last night. Jon is so sharp and uses his 10 minutes wisely. Feith should be forced to wear a 'dunce cap' for all interviews.

Bill Moyers On Olbermann: "I Was Greatly Encouraged...That People Saw Through [Hillary's] Flimsy Rationale For The Gas T Bill Moyers appeared on Monday night's "Countdown" with Keith Olbermann and discussed the state of the media as well as Jeremiah Wright (and the intersection of the two). Moyers decried the way the media oversimplifies stories, saying, "you won't be heard unless you learn to speak in the way of bumper stickers."

Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity Today American Progress launched Half in Ten: From Poverty to Prosperity, a new campaign to cut poverty by 50 percent over the next 10 years. We are pleased that Senator John Edwards has taken the role of National Chair of this ambitious new project. The multi-year campaign will focus on the issues facing the poor and middle class in America, building an effective constituency to advocate for specific policy changes.

Book Review: You Don't Have To Be Famous: How to Write Your Life Story (2 comments) Writing an autobiography (or an autobiographical essay) can be daunting. But writing your story can lend pattern to the formless chronicle of everyday life, share clinical or personal lessons learned, put painful events into perspective, and even bring back purpose and direction to a life set adrift by illness.

Allen L Roland: *THE SEVEN STAGES OF LOVE Relationship is a means to an end versus an end in itself ~ the true purpose of relationship is the full flowering of each partner: Allen L Roland

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Wednesday, May 21:

Jane Schiff: Bankruptcies and Foreclosures and Provisional Voting

George Washington: They Torture Children, Don't They? (1 comments)

E. Nelson: The Ever Important Vice Presidential Pick?? (3 comments)

J. Edward Tremlett: In fairness to Robert Spencer...

William Cormier: The Economy Has Finally Taken Its Toll - Justanothercoverup Is For Sale (1 comments)

Tuesday, May 20:

Jan Baumgartner: OEN Readers: Temporary Site Problems (3 comments)

Mac McKinney: KATRINA SURVIVORS SPEAK OUT-Pepe Escobar Interviews (1 comments)

J. Edward Tremlett: Robert Spencer's "Accidental" Apologia for Qu'ran Shooting (2 comments)

Ruth: *Is being a Christian the litmus test for a presidential candidate? (4 comments)

Monday, May 19:

Jan Baumgartner: Effective Immediately: Ban on All Humor/Satire on OEN (37 comments)

Frederick Meekins: Schaeffer Progeny Kneels At The Feet Of Afrosupremacist Pastor

George Washington: New Rules: Don't Talk About 9/11 Until You Learn Some BASIC History (16 comments)

Mark C. Eades: Symbolic Endorsement for Obama from WV Sen. Byrd

Sunday, May 18:

Mac McKinney: Winter Soldier on the Hill-Iraqi Veterans Against the War Testify in Washington

GM Solaiman: Justice must be served in Bangladesh for two Ex-PM

Fred Flanagan: Bush's Fear Tactics (1 comments)

Sandy Sand: Daily Top 10 News Stories Scanned and Why We Get the Election Results We Do (3 comments)

Cathy Garger: Hey, GI, Is That Throat Cancer All In Your Head, Too? (7 comments)

Amy Fried: Huckabee Equates His Joke About Obama Being Shot at with McCain's "Bomb, bomb, Iran"

Mark Sashine: Comments. What are we up to? (12 comments)

Sandy Sand: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. Pirates Hijack Relief Ship

Kevin Norte: *Proposed California Limit On Marriage Inititive may Be Unconstitutional

Stanimal: The USA is not a democracy (9 comments)

Muhammad Khurshid: Why Not We Become Terrorists? (5 comments)

Saturday, May 17:

George Washington: Separating the Warlord From His Allies (2 comments)

Margaret Bassett: Help Requested! (3 comments)

jaine benson: weapons in iraq not from iran

John Wood Sr: HOW CAN YOU CHANGE A MIND? (6 comments)

Friday, May 16:

George Washington: Is the U.S. the World's Largest State Sponsor of Terrorism? (12 comments)

Joel S. Hirschhorn: Don't buy health oriented books until you check Amazon

Andreas Umland: Will Medvedev (Be Allowed to) Initiate a Second "Perestroika"? (1 comments)

Moin Ansari: 10 years of 35% growth/yr of Pakistan stock market propels Pakistan into the Big Leagues

Eileen Fleming: Boom Boom Benny: Looking for a woman to Learn His Russian Mystery Trick

Andrew Johnson: 9/11 Truth Seekers and Campaigners... "It's Your Lucky Day!" (32 comments)

William Helbig: BUSH: Policies of Insanity.

Dale Hill: Dry Drunk Foreign Policy

Bill Knell: DNA Collection: Is It All About Solving Crimes or Something Else?

Moin Ansari: Pakistan's America problem: How to do an amicable divorce?

chris rice: Want To Stay Ignorant? Don't Read This Article!! (2 comments)

Mark Sashine: Appeasement of Hitler (4 comments)

Marta Steele: The State of the Vote

Amy Fried: Exploiting an Atrocity for Political Gain

Sandy Sand: Talk and Negotiate Do Not Equate to Appeasement (3 comments)

Darren Wolfe: Calls For Action Against Venezuela Intensify (1 comments)

Muhammad Khurshid: Terrorists Make Access To Nuclear Weapons?

Richard Volaar: Somebody Ought To (2 comments)

Richard Volaar: Forgiveness, Alone, Is Not Enough (3 comments)

Sandy Sand: Goat Cheese Proves Obama is a Muslim (13 comments)

jaine benson: Iowa, again a National Leader

Mike Gracia: Theatre Breaks – Magical weekend away anyone?

Thursday, May 15:

Mark E. Smith: The Fable of Lanova Messiah

Stanimal: Who Appeased the Terrorist's First

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