Friday, September 5:

W. Christopher Epler (Bill): Serious question: Did McCain pick Palin because of creeping dementia? Sarah Palin is headed for a roller coaster of uncompromising public scrutiny. Will she get a free ride? In your dreams! She's now on the national fast lane, thanks to McCain's eccentricities (and lusts?), so let the buyer beware. Indeed, this decision was so astoundingly stupid, it raises the possibility of creeping dementia and/or the acting out of male menopause. God knows, McCain is CONSTANTLY talking about sex in public!

David Swanson: Why We're Planning to Prosecute Cheney and Bush (1 comments) Next weekend in Andover, Mass., a group of attorneys, academics, and activists will gather to plan the prosecution of Dick Cheney, George Bush, and the lawyers and advisors who, together with them, are responsible for war crimes. The conference is open to the public and expected to be well attended: http://war-crimes.info

American Friends Service Committee U.S.-Iraqi Agreement Leaked What will happen next year when the current U.N. mandate for a multinational military presence in Iraq expires? U.S. and Iraqi negotiators have tackled that subject and hammered out a draft agreement. You haven't heard much about it in the media. This is the first known public English translation of the document it's breaking news,

The Anti-Empire Report (5 September 2008) Everytime I read one of these monthly reports, I feel a chill - what are we going to do when people like William Blum and Stephen Lendman - or for that matter - Avram Noam Chomsky - with that unique combination of intellectual rigour and a passion for social justice are no longer with us ? Let us treasure them while we can !... Henri

Marta Steele: No, They Can't!! Random Thoughts on the RNC Random impressions as I forced myself to watch as much as I could of the RNC. It ends with a bang. Pow (not as in P.O.W.)!!!

Ronn Torossian: Media Bias: Fact & Fiction (2 comments) The article is about the political race and the position of the media. Upon close examination it is apparent that media is not objective but an actual partisan player.

Richard Mathis: Palin: conservative Christian or women's libber(al) Conservative Christians have come a long way, baby.

Sandy Sand: Hospitals Are Using Scare and Loss-leader Tactics This isn't one of my tongue planted firmly in cheek spoofs. It's what this radio commercial sounded like to me. I kid you, not. Well, just a little.

Mary MacElveen: Can the 'hockey mommn", Sarah Palin find Osama bin Laden? (1 comments) Cindy McCain, called Sarah Palin a "hockey-mommin' ... basketball shootin' ... moose huntin' ... fly-fishin' ... pistol-packing ... mother of five for vice president." Bin Laden where ever he is must be shaking in his shoes by now.

A CON-GAME IN PIN STRIPES (1 comments) These people are not your friends. They have already racked up half a trillion dollars in credit losses, wiped out five years of shareholders' profits and taken the wind out of the sails of the global economy.

Bob Burnett: Schizoid John Before he became the Republican presidential nominee, John McCain suffered through five and a half years as a POW and eight years of the Bush Administration. Sadly, these horrific experiences eroded his mental faculties and when the Arizona Senator finally took the stage at the St. Paul Republican Convention he flubbed his big chance. McCain's speech was like biting into a chocolate candy and inside finding a turd.

Dave Lindorff: The Things They Left Behind (or Didn't Remind You About) The GOP Convention was an excercist in hypocrisy, beginning with the obscene portrayal of John McCain as a family man, and ending with the portrayal of McCain and Palin as anti-corruption crusaders.

Jane Stillwater: The Admiral's child: One probable reason why McCain flip-flops so much When my father came home from WW II & ran our home like a ship, I learned how to survive by becoming wishy-washy -- to lie, back-pedal, manipulate, pass the buck, let other people take the fall, whine a lot and flip-flop. I learned how to do all this just from being a lieutenant commander's kid. Imagine what I would have been like if I had been an admiral's child!

KRUGMAN: The Resentment Strategy (3 comments) The G.O.P. is selling the politics of resentment; you’re supposed to vote Republican to stick it to an elite that thinks it’s better than you.

Adam Bessie: Coffee with Sarah Palin Palin is a symbol, sure. But what she represents is the popularity of pre-scientific thought which has plagued our nation the last 8 years.

How My 7-Year-Old Learned About Pre-Marital Sex from John McCain I wholly believe in educating my child about contraception. But given that he is 7, I could have waited a few years for that particular talk. "But how can she be pregnant if she isn't married?" and "Does a girl get pregnant every time she has sex with a boy?" Thus ensues the revelation that sex is possible before marriage, and how condoms and birth control pills can prevent pregnancy and HIV.

Amy Goodman: Why We Were Falsely Arrested (3 comments) Within seconds, they grabbed me, pulled me behind the police line and forcibly twisted my arms behind my back and handcuffed me, the rigid plastic cuffs digging into my wrists. I saw Sharif, his arm bloody, his credentials hanging from his neck. I repeated we were accredited journalists, whereupon a Secret Service agent came over and ripped my convention credential from my neck

steve young: JOHN McCAIN NAMED FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE "Y'GOTTA BE KIDDIN'" AWARD Hello, and welcome to the very first Y'Gotta Be Kiddin' Award Ceremony.

The Real John McCain Rather than remaking George W. Bush's Republican Party in his own image, Mr. McCain allowed the practitioners of the politics of fear and division to run the show. Thursday night, Americans mainly saw the old John McCain versus the 'new' John McCain who questioned the patriotism of his opponents and threw out a list of false claims about Barack Obama's record

Pundit Reactions to John McCain Speech I did not think that the substantive part of the speech worked very well. It was mostly a rerun, retread of a lot of old Republican ideas that have brought us to where we are now. I think the country is looking for fresh answers. It's hard to separate yourself out from President Bush when you essentially have the same economic policies as President Bush. I thought that the policy presentation was a little thin.

Michael Collins: Michael Collins: Not One Dime for Georgia (2 comments)

scholarsandrogues.com: *Truth, Justice, and the American Way The new American Way, from scholarsandrogues.com

NYT Editorial: Running Against Themselves The difficulty for the Republican ticket in talking about change and reform and acting like insurgents is that they have been running Washington — the White House and Congress — for most of the last eight years.

Robert McElvaine: Oops, The McCains Said It Again (2 comments) On Sunday, when Cindy McCain said that Sarah Palin's national security experience is that "Alaska is the closest part of our continent to Russia," we all assumed it was a gaffe. But more than three days later, all her husband could come up with in response to a question about whether Gov. Palin's has enough experience to be commander-in-chief was: "Alaska is right next to Russia. She understands that."

Mick Youther: The Bu$hWorld Report The best lines from the Democratic National Convention...Highlights of Barack Obama's acceptance speech...Top Ten reasons John McCain picked Sara Palin to be his running mate.

Raphael Sidelman: Someone please prove me wrong! This a commentary on what became quite apparent to me after watching some of the republican convention yesterday

Dave Berman: Unemployment Rises, Media Act Surprised The word "unexpected" should not be used when referring to much anymore, but especially not an increase in unemployment numbers.

Dean Powers: Falujah Veteran is Attacked by McCain Republicans at Speech (1 comments)

Jay Janson: *So How Many Poor Vietnamese Did McCain's Bombs Kill in 23 Runs? Given all the praise heaped upon McCain, the bomber of Hanoi, this is a natural question - especially for millions of us who remember the inexpressible shamefulness of this genocidal war on the agrarian Asian population of a brutal French colony that suffered Japanese occupation and fought both the Japanese and Vichy French as a U.S. ally; painful question for a teacher who has 100 Hanoi students who lost family to Americans.

Allen L Roland: *THE GOP CONVENTION / DAY FOUR ~ McCAIN'S EMPTY HYPOCRISY AS STOCKS CRUMBLE The ultimate irony and hypocrisy of John McCain's acceptance speech last night was that it was given on the same day the stock market tumbled over 340 points after lower retail and higher unemployment figures added to a mountain of bad economic news thus revealing the one issue the Republican's continue to ignore ~ the economy is in a deepening Bush recession: Allen L: Roland

Thursday, September 4:

Rob Kall: Republican Reality vs. "The Show" and the GOP War Against the Press (8 comments)

Dave Lindorff: Meet the Truth-Challenged GOP Vice Presidential Candidate: Sure A. Pallin' (4 comments) Sarah Palin let fly with some zingers in her acceptance speech, but also with some whoppers.

Mary Lyon: Republicans Are Mean (14 comments) Sarah Palin jumps into the political pool - and immediately starts playing rough.

Jennifer Epps: THE IMPEACHMENT FILES: Isn't It Too Late? (5 comments) Preface to several pieces to come about Rep. Dennis Kucinich's Articles of Impeachment for President George W. Bush. Prepares the way for further pieces by extending the timeline; raises the notion that impeachment is valid even beyond Jan. 2009.

Greg Purcell "Wordmeister at Large": A Pit Bull With Lipstick Is Still A Dog (13 comments) Selling the same old crap with an attractive new salesperson

Bob Burnett: Three Elephants in the Room (3 comments) As the 2008 presidential campaign enters its final two months, there are several big issues being ignored. One is race; the fact some Americans won't vote for Barack Obama because of his skin color. Another is John McCain's health; the reality he's likely to become senile or die if elected President. The third is the truth that McCain and his running mate, Sarah Palin, represent the worst kind of family values.

Mary MacElveen: Note to Sarah Palin: This track mom is going with Obama/Biden (3 comments) In last night's convention coverage, what I saw is what I have witnessed during these past eight years and that is the use of fear, dividing Americans and not reaching across party lines or those who do not belong to any party. I have been a Republican and this is not the Republican Party I once knew. It is a party of drumbeats and not the party of Lincoln.

Gail Collins: Sarah Palin Speaks! “Here’s a little news flash for all those reporters and commentators: I’m not going to Washington to win their good opinion,” said the moose-gutting, polar bear-trashing, aerobics-class-networking vice presidential nominee.

The Bush Administration Checkmated in Georgia It is necessary to view the Caucasus conflict as but a minor skirmish in a far more significant geopolitical struggle between Moscow and Washington over the energy riches of the Caspian Sea basin -- with former Russian President (now Prime Minister) Vladimir Putin emerging as the reigning Grand Master of geostrategic chess and the Bush team turning out to be middling amateurs, at best.

John McCain's Bay of Pigs The neoconservative reign of GW Bush has been a gold mine for those who believe in the shoot-first-negotiate-later, (if ever) Bush/Cheney foreign policy. It has also been a gold mine for the companies, like Northrop, Boeing, Halliburton, etc. These are companies that only really profit once the talking stops and the shooting gets underway.

(More...)

Friday, September 5:

Bush Extends 9/11 National Emergency Yet Again As he did in 2007, President Bush has again, on August 28, 2008, continued for another year the national emergency first officially proclaimed on September 14, 2001, along with “the powers and authorities adopted to deal with that emergency.”

John McCain, Sarah Palin and the Politics of Distraction As moderate elements of the Republican Party melt away from supporting the Bush legacy and John McCain, more and more of the hardcore and extremist forces and voices in the Republican Party have eagerly stepped forward. Sarah Palin is one of those.

Ashin Mettacara: *Burma: Temple raided; Chief monk captured monks are being held under close surveillance by the military regime

Subpoenas to be issued for Troopergate probe ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The Alaska Legislature will work to complete its ethics investigation into Gov. Sarah Palin's firing of her public safety commissioner earlier than expected, weeks before the national election In July, a state oversight committee approved $100,000 for an investigation into whether Paylin fired public safety commissioner Walt Monegan because he would not dismiss a trooper who went through a messy divorce

Sarah Palin's Strange eBay Exaggeration Why would she lie when she knows she'll get caught. Habit?

Clinton To Obama on Palin: Goodluck (3 comments) Hillary Clinton privately hopes Democrats have buyer's remorse over Biden now that Palin's energizing the GOP. Word on the street is: Nobody's buying the Palin strategy. But Obama ought to remember Clinton's reluctance to help him when she thinks he's in trouble. Everyone ought to remember. Her supporters sacrificed everything to support her and bigger ideals, she won't give half the effort they gave to win this for Obama.

JERRY SEPER: BORDER DRUG WAR THREATENS U.S. (3 comments) Mexican Drug cartels threaten U.S. citizens, border agents and police.

Ellen Brown: Take a Load Off Fannie: Bailout or Nationalization for the Mortgage Giants? The Treasury just sought and was granted an unlimited credit line to the GSEs, along with the authority to buy their stock, effectively nationalizing them; but this could mean $5 trillion more in liabilities for the federal government, causing it to lose its own triple-A rating. What to do? There is a solution that would salvage the mortgage giants and cost the taxpayers nothing . . .

Obama: Surge Succeeded Beyond "˜Wildest Dreams' (2 comments) Obama sat down with O'Reilly in York, Pa., after holding a discussion on the economy with voters nearby. The Illinois senator has been campaigning in battleground states since accepting the Democratic presidential nomination last Thursday at his party's convention in Denver. The interview will air in three more parts, at 8 p.m. ET Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Appeals Court Stays Judge's Order on Subpoenas Further postponement in the Miers/Bolton House appearances. Current and former senior White House aides will not have to comply with congressional subpoenas while a federal appeals court considers whether their request for a longer stay of a lower court's order has merit, the court ruled Thursday.

Record Foreclosures, Delinquencies The rate of mortgages entering foreclosure hit another record high in the second quarter, as did the percentage of loans somewhere in the foreclosure process, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported on Friday. The delinquency rate, which measures mortgages that aren't in foreclosure but have at least one overdue payment, also was the highest ever recorded in the MBA's quarterly survey.

Hal Smith: Are you ready to stand up and take back this country??? (6 comments) Poll to see how many patriots there are actually out there.

Hundreds of Demonstrators Detained at RNC Police detained hundreds demonstrators on the final night of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul. Approximately 250 people were arrested shortly before John McCain took to the stage to accept the presidential nomination. That's in addition to the 422 people who had already been arrested earlier in the week.

Paul Kruger: Am I qualified to be the new FCC chairman? (3 comments) How to evaluate qualifications for government positions. What high position might YOU be qualified for under McCain's guidelines?

US warship carries aid to Georgian port of Poti - EarthLink - Main News The flagship of the U.S. Navy's Mediterranean fleet anchored outside the key Georgian port of Poti on Fri, bringing in tons of humanitarian aid to a port still partially occupied by hundreds of Russian troops. Although Russia has watched the arrival of the USS Mount Whitney and other U.S. ships in recent weeks with deep suspicion, a Foreign Ministry official said Russia does not plan any military action to Black Sea presence

Ashin Mettacara: *Aung San Suu Kyi wins the Freedom of Dundee (5 comments)

Tipping the scales: Cable news channels dedicate more coverage to RNC's scheduled programming during peak hours than to On September 2 and September 3, MSNBC, CNN, and Fox News each dedicated more on-air time -- significantly more in most cases -- to official Republican convention programming during the most-watched portions of their coverage than each channel dedicated to official convention programming during the same times on comparable nights of the Democratic National Convention.

Secret Service confiscates books & button from Ron Paul delegates Today at the Republican National Convention, as the Ron Paul Delegates were taking a picture in front of the model White House inside the Convention Center, they were surrounded by Secret Service which proceeded to search the bags of all the delegates. They took any and everything related to Ron Paul including signs, buttons, videos, slim jims, cards, even books. The police state has arrived.

Martha Rosenberg: Wanna Buy a Car Lot Full of SUVs? (1 comments) Thanks to US gas prices, SUVs have become the Thanks to US gas prices, SUVs have become the fur coats of the automotive industry: ostentatious, outdated, hard to defend and even harder to maintain.

N. Korea Warned of Reactor Work North Korea blew up the tower in June to demonstrate its commitment to nuclear disarmament. The North, however, suspended the disablement work Aug. 14, angry that the United States had not kept its word and removed it from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Last week, it threatened to reassemble the Yongbyon complex, which is believed to have produced enough plutonium for several atomic bombs.

Thursday, September 4:

Syria: Israeli Peace Talks Postponed President Bashar al-Assad of Syria said Thursday his country had made specific proposals for peace with Israel to Turkish mediators, but that the latest round of indirect negotiations between the two states had been postponed because of internal Israeli politics, and that the outcome would depend on who becomes Israel’s next prime minister in upcoming elections there.

Sarkozy Warns Iran It Risks Israeli Attack French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned Iran on Thursday it was taking a dangerous gamble in seeking to develop nuclear weapons because one day its arch-foe Israel could strike. Western powers accuse Iran of seeking the atom bomb under the cover of a civilian nuclear program but Tehran denies the charge, insisting it only wants to master atomic technology in order to generate electricity.

VP Cheney assures Azerbaijan of U.S 'interest' Cheney assured Azerbaijan on Wednesday of the USA's "abiding interest" in the region's stability. It was the first stop on a tour of three ex-Soviet republics that are wary of Russia's intentions after its war with Georgia last month. Azerbaijan has some of the largest oil and gas reserves in the former Soviet Union.

Mass arrests of protesters at Republican National Convention Over the last few days, nearly 300 people have been arrested near and around the Xcel Energy Center and downtown St. Paul, Minnesota has been transformed into a virtual armed camp to intimidate demonstrators and silence dissent. In many cases, the local media enthusiastically praised the police crackdown. The Minneapolis Star Tribune published a Sept 2 editorial, entitled, “An appropriate show of police force.”

Prosecution of High Level American War Criminals, September 13-14, 2008 (1 comments) We American lawyers must be inspired by the stunning example set by those heroic Pakistani lawyers who led the successful struggle against the brutal Bush-supported Musharraf military dictatorship in Pakistan. We American lawyers must now lead the fight against the Bush dictatorship and empire! This is our Nuremberg Moment!

Angolans Heading to Polls for First Vote in 16 Years Over 8 million people - nearly half of the population - have registered to vote in war-ravaged Angola, a country with an abundance of oil, diamonds and grinding poverty that is holding its first election in 16 years on Friday. "Democracy is a process, not a destination, and this is part of that process," an election official said.

Palin's Alaska National Guard aviation units among ˜the most poorly staffed in the nation.' In a interview yesterday with ABC News, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) said Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) "has been in charge [of the Alaska National Guard] and she has had national security as one of her primary responsibilities." But the Associated Press reports today that under Palin's leadership, the Alaska National Guard has experienced a "crisis level" personnel shortage...

Congressional Candidates in Battleground Contests Skip Conventions Who came to St. Paul and who didn't--and reasons. There's a short time before final election and those in tight races worked at home. Some came a day or two and left. It happened even in Denver, except some came because they could get enough exposure to help. "Tight races" is a theme which will be brought up on Congressional Quarterly's pages.

JGideon: 'Daily Voting News' For September 04, 2008 a collection of local, state, national and international articles on electronic voting and election issue

John R Moffett: Poll: The "Free Vote" Movement: Is now the time? (6 comments) What is the Free Vote Movement? It is a political movement to help a 3rd party ascend to national prominence by urging voters who live in pure Red or pure Blue states to vote for a 3rd party candidate, since their vote doesn't really matter in the general election. Is this the right time for you to consider voting for Paul, Barr, Nader or McKinney to help build a third political party?

VP hopeful Palin attended 5 colleges in 6 years - EarthLink - Main News From the fall of 82 to sometime in 87, Sarah Louise Heath Palin attended 5 colleges. Only one professor was tracked down & he didn't remember her. Note quote which much like PBS ad using Gwen Ifill: "I was always asking everyone the questions, and I still am today," Palin told the magazine. Finally majored in journalism but never worked on college paper.

Free Press: FRIDAY: Delivery of 50,000 Letters Demanding St. Paul Drop Charges Against Journalists On Friday morning, local advocates and independent journalists will deliver more that 50,000 petitions to St. Paul City Hall calling on Mayor Chris Coleman and local law enforcement officials to drop all charges against journalists arrested while covering protests outside the Republican National Convention.

Specter: Lieberman is ˜practically' voting as a Republican already. "Well I would like to see him move a little closer to being a Republican. I'd like to see him vote with the Republicans when we go back in September. He's practically there. That would have the consequence of giving us a Republican senator . We could confirm a lot of judges. We could do a lot of things." OH JOE. Can you spell R E C A L L?

Douglas Valentine: *John McCain, fortunate son or collaborator with N. Vietnamese captors? (2 comments) McCain's Career-busting collaboration with the enemy

Rob Kall: Update from the Streets of Minneapolis (21 comments) OEN reporter Kevin Gosztola reports on actions a

Air Romney Romney is a lying sack of hypocritical shat.

Romney mocks Gore for non-existent private jet. (2 comments) Last night, at the Republican National Convention, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R) called for "the immediate drilling for more oil off of our shores" and followed with a personal attack on Vice President Al Gore that received thunderous applause: And I have one more recommendation for energy conservation - let's keep Al Gore's private jet on the ground! Problem. Gore doesn't own private jet!

Constance Lavender: What does McCain-Palin have in common with the average working mom? Kellyanne Conway, Republican activist and professional pollster, belittled and mocked ordinary working Americans this morning while addressing New Jersey's Republican State Delegation at a breakfast meeting. Conway said that voters supporting Barack Obama and Joe Biden "who tell pollsters they want change 'order the number three at McDonald's every day'."

Jason Leopold: Palin's Reformer Image Tainted by History of Ethical Lapses (1 comments) A closer look at Sarah Palin's short political career reveals that she committed some of the same ethical lapses that she has attacked, especially during her unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor in 2002. She also has shown herself to be a thin-skinned politician quick to see herself as the target of conspiracies.

American Friends Service Committee Works in Burma Since 2005, the AFSC has worked quietly with local partners in Myanmar (Burma) and Burmese migrants in neighboring Thailand. After the devastating 2004 tsunami, AFSC provided aid to Burmese migrant workers, who were shunned in the local relief efforts relief efforts. Some of the Burmese monks and social workers who aided tsunami victims in Thailand returned to Myanmar to share their knowledge after the cyclone hit

John McCain Cancels Habitat For Humanity Event How anti-press is the McCain campaign? They just canceled a Habitat for Humanity PHOTO OP. Because it has to do with "houses"? Go figure! Indeed. How could McCain maintain his sense of press victimization against the backdrop of people building homes for people who look forward to being able to one day say, "I know exactly how many homes I own! One! Just the one!" Also Palin bashed community organizers last night...

Edwin Rutsch: Should progressives confront Sara Palin and failed conservatives values? (2 comments) Should progressives, liberals and democrats confront conservatives at the values level and say that conservative values have failed?

Guaranteed Medical Care for Vets a "Burden," Says John McCain John McCain is pushing the idea of privatizing veterans' health care. He advanced the idea in recent stump speeches, even after media and congressional investigations in 2007 uncovered how underfunding and privatization of services at some of the country's top military hospitals caused poor care, neglect, and other dangerous conditions for wounded veterans.

Obama Sued in Philadelphia Federal Court on Grounds Aug 23 article Attys, read! A prominent Philadelphia attorney and Hillary Clinton supporter filed suit this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania against Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the Democratic National Committee and the Federal Election Commission. The action seeks an injunction preventing the senator from continuing his candidacy and a court order enjoining the DNC from nominating him next week,

Mikhail Lyubansky: The one thing that matters to me most (1 comments) This poll measures what independents, moderates, and undecideds consider to be the primary factor in their decision-making process.

Raphael Sidelman: Is it just my imagination, or are many eligible voters living a warped reality? (7 comments) This is an attempt to see how many other conscious citizens are appalled by the outright pandering that is being passed off as legitimate political leadership by the speakers at the republican national convention

More Fact-Checking on Palin's Speech Talk about chutzpah!

Palin vs. The Facts Palin fact check

Rage in the Streets: Concert-goers peaceful, 102 arrested Hundreds of police (and dozens of media personnel) greeted concert-goers as they left the Rage Against the Machine concert at the Target Center in Minneapolis. No violence or property damage was observed, but 102 people were arrested for "blocking traffic."

Thompson, Lieberman Draw Fewer Viewers Than Dem's Day 2 Tuesday night's speeches by Former Senator Fred Thompson and Senator Joe Lieberman drew many more women (11.2 million) than men (9.5 million), as was also the case on day two of the Democratic convention, when Hillary Clinton delivered her endorsement of Barack Obama.

Ashin Mettacara: *What is Aung San Suu Kyi refusing? Suu Kyi's refusals

Edwin Rutsch: Sarah Palin and the Same Failed Conservative Values (19 comments)

US confirms raid inside Pakistan during Ramadan cease-fire A senior U.S. military official has acknowledged that American forces conducted a raid inside Pakistan, in the first known foreign ground assault in the country against a suspected Taliban haven. The raid was conducted during Ramadan cease-fire.

Wednesday, September 3:

Rob Kall: Did Sarah Palin Hit a Home Run and Is She a Formidable Candidate? (34 comments) Use this poll as jumping off point to discuss your reaction to Sarah Palin's talk.

Rady Ananda: St. Paul is a police state - Take Action Now (25 comments)

Truthdig: *Palin Cut Funds for Teen Moms (2 comments) Palin cut funds for Covenant House.

Monday, September 1:

Rob Kall: Should The Media, Including OEN, Cover the Question Who is the Mother of Trig Palin? (97 comments) Critics say this is tawdry, tabloid journalism that makes an innocent teenager and single mother a victim. Supporters say that if it's true that Sarah Palin is lying about who gave birth then her lies are key to defining her character and lack of integrity.

Sunday, August 31:

Mike Kimball: Is the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment (Right to Bear Arms) Still Relevant (70 comments) A poll on views on today's relevancy of the Second Amendment.

Saturday, August 30:

Gene Cappa: Katrina Disaster-Myths or Fact? (2 comments) FIVE MYTHS were spun about the Katrina disaster. Are they myths or facts?

Richard McGinn: When Rove speaks, be very afraid - Poll (12 comments) Karl Rove said today that the outcome of the election is so unpredictable that "events" will probably be the deciding factor.

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: POLL: SHOULD OBAMA DUMP HIS STAFF AND HIRE UNKNOWNS FOR THE ELECTION? (8 comments) At the start of the Primary seasons, despite the negative showing of the Democratic Congress, Obama had a substantial advantage. After the primary it was frittered away and McCain took the lead in most polls. Now, with the presumptive Vice Presidency of Sarah Palin, the Catholic vote which went to Bush twice but to the Dems in 2006, may have flown North to Alaska, to Palin/McCain. What to do, oh what to do? Oh, I know...

Friday, August 29:

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: Will Sarah Palin Boost McCain's Chances for Victory? (41 comments) Sarah Palin, 44 year old former beauty queen, just two years into her governorship of Alaska. is more than ruffling the feathers of Neo-cons and the corrupt among Alaska's political circles already crippled by investigations, but has been yanking the chains of oil companies, stringently closing loop-holes once the hallmark of weak negotiator's in the past, and more. She plucked $1200 rebates for Alaskans from Big Oil.

Wednesday, August 27:

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: Are The Missiles in Poland a Plot to Upstage Obama and Give the White House to McCain? (41 comments) I say the missiles of October II is a lame attempt, ala Nixon vs Kennedy and the steel strike fraud and the WMD's, to scare Americans. I don't know maybe the Poles blind or scared, but this looks like a plan to show that a war hero is better prepared to settle the problem than Obama. I think the FIX is in to have McCain settle the Missiles issue and win the White House. What do you think?

Monday, August 25:

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: Poll: A New Political System in Satire (2 comments) SATIRE: A new political system which replaces the 2 party system which is really 1 PARTY SYSTEM. My system though it appears to be a 3 Party System, But acknowledging that 2 of the 3 are 1, is really back to a 2 party system in which the lies of 2 the 1 party system lie a lot, what you have remaining is either a ZERO party system, a 1 Party System opposed by 2 of 1 half of 1 Parties, so three equals=1=0, I think...???

Sunday, August 24:

Robert N Smith: Personhood of corporations. (24 comments) What status does a corporation have?

John Olsen: The conventions and escort services. (8 comments) A question as to which of the conventions will benefit escort services the most.

Friday, August 22:

Kris Malmquist: Poll: Anthrax Attacks Solved? (9 comments) Do you agree with the government's conclusion that Mr. Bruce Ivins was solely responsible for the anthrax attacks of mid-September 2001?

Gene Cappa: WTC 7 Brought Down By Fire NIST Concludes - Do You Agree? (52 comments) NIST Report on WTC 7 indicates "fire" alone collapsed the skyscraper building in a mere 6.5 seconds.

PeterJ: We're Having An Election! We're Off To See The Wizard, We're Out Of The Woods......Bull! (6 comments) Something must be done. I don't believe that we can accomplish it from the outside in but I do believe that there's someone in our government who's well aware of our plight (as I believe Nancy Pelosi is but is very afraid) who is not afraid but needs our numbers in order to accomplish their goals. We need to let them know we're here and not afraid to stand up. Do you Agree that petitions and rally's will accomplish nothing?

Tony Forest: Johnny Got His Gun (42 comments) Bear Arms or lose the right to vs. Nutcakes arm armed to the hilt

Hal Smith: US Missle shield (20 comments) What are your thoughts on the missile shield? What is it really for?

Thursday, August 21:

Rob Kall: Should The Dems Strip Joe Lieberman of His Committee Appointments? (23 comments) has Lieberman gone too far?

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: POLL: Is The Two party System Dead in The Water? Lets Use This System Instead! (14 comments) This may be a satire, but am I deadly serious or what? Who the Hell knows. All I do know is that I doubt that three parties are enough, or two many, or too few. So, I bring a few seriously silly points up to prove my own points. No, not the ones on the top of my head, the ones on the top of yours. Hey get over your serious side and have some fun. well, maybe and maybe not. At least have a good day... or not-maybe.

Wednesday, August 20:

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: Shall We Indict The Oil Profiteers And Nationalize All Necessities? (24 comments) record oil prices again? I say never again. I say cap oil, retroactively.Bush likes retroactive guarantees. I say Give him one, rebate retroactively all profits in a lump sum check to each citizen based on their use of fuel for the last seven years, and then indict the oil profiteers and their enablers!

Sunday, August 17:

alan17b0: Streaming Ad at Top of Main Page (11 comments) What do you think of the streaming ad at the top of the OEN main page?

Saturday, August 16:

Edwin Rutsch: Will the progressive movement eventually implode and 'eat their young'? (22 comments) In my interview with Gavin Newsom, calls for inculsivity and warns against the progressive movement 'eatting it's young'.

Thursday, August 14:

DrTruth: How will you defend America and your freedoms? (13 comments) Are we only a nation of sheeple, or are we sick of the games and crimes, and willing to do something to stop this madness?

Darren Wolfe: Who Do You Believe? (14 comments) The question is, do you believe the government's figures that show growth and no recession or the private economist's figure's that show contraction and recession?

Sherwin Steffin: Do articles have an effect on your vote? (9 comments) This poll seeks to determine the effect, if any, that posted articles will have on your vote in this Presidential Election. What do you plan to do?

PeterJ: Do We Really Have Any Control Over Our Current State (27 comments) Can we control our own destiny or is it "In God's Hands"? Is this a problem created by man that can be fixed by man or are we powerless, at the mercy of greedy, evil people who have attained so much power we can have no affect on them? Should we boycott, should we revolt or should we just pray until our knees are bloody? How you feel is going to affect the final outcome. Will you bring us to Armageddon?

Richard McGinn: Would President Washington continue to warn against party faction and foreign influence? (6 comments) Washington's 1796 Farewell Address to the nation emphasized the need for a unified federal government and warned against party faction and foreign influence. If he were alive today, what is the likelihood that our first President would change his mind about those two things?

Donald Rankin III: When Might You Vote For a Political "Outsider"? (19 comments) When do the potential benefits outweigh the risks of voting for Nader, McKinney, Barr etc.?

Wednesday, August 13:

Rob Kall: Which rating system will you be more likely to USE on OpEdNEws (29 comments) in the spirit of bottom-up participation OpEdNews encourages, please voice your opinion on the two possible rating systems we're considering.

Rob Kall: Should McCain or Obama Be Speaking to the Georgian President? (22 comments) SHould either candidate be talking to Georgian President Shakashvilli

Hal Smith: Is the conflict in Georgia a pretext to WWIII (32 comments) Do you know the truth?

Gene Cappa: Did Bush Comply With "Authorization to Use Military Force"? (9 comments) Did Bush comply with the "Authorization to Use Military Force" Resolution when he attacked Iraq without UN Security Council approval?

Rob Kall: Do You Support Equal Rights for Third Party Candidates? (20 comments) Do you support a federal law requiring equal treatment for all political parties, in terms of rules for registering candidates and getting them on the ballot, including petition requirements and participation in debates?

Monday, August 11:

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: Poll: Why Isn't Obama Closing McCain Out? Putting Him away? (22 comments) In the wake of the most unpopular Presidents in history who leaves an economy on shambles, millions in foreclosure, almost as many out of work or under-employed, the clone of Bush-McCain with the same platform as Bush is not going away and is persistently, though slowly, closing the deficit between them. WHY? IS THAT?

Sunday, August 10:

John Wood Sr: Poll: Follow up to "Should Obama Use Bush's Powers to Restore America?" (2 comments) If this was our last, best chance, would you support doing these things?

Rob Kall: Should Iraq Start Paying for it's own reconstruction? (36 comments) Iraq is projected to see over $75 million in revenues. Should they start paying their own way.

Friday, August 8:

Rob Kall: Should OpEdNews Have Posted News of John Edwards Affair? (40 comments) Now that the news about John Edwards affair is out, now that he's admitted it and told ABC news, now that the major news shows are saturated with reporting on it, did OpEdNews make the right decision posting a link to an article reporting on Edwards scandal?

Richard McGinn: Congressional Apology to Muslims imminent in the anthrax terrorism case? (2 comments) Although few of the details are known, it is already patently clear that the 2001 anthrax mailings were an inside job and a false flag operation intended to lay the blame on uncooperative Arabs, and to frighten the rest of the world into waging war against "the enemies of civilization" in the Middle East.

Gene Cappa: Should Congress Go Into Special Session For Impeachment Hearings? (20 comments) Should Congress be called into Special Session for Impeachment Hearings?

john de herrera: The Article V Convention? (14 comments) In regards to change, America's Supreme Law offers each and every citizen one of two choices: Congress or Convention.

Mark E. Smith: How Many Votes Does Obama Need? Does the popular vote have any impact on a candidate's decision whether or not to concede?

Thursday, August 7:

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: Poll: Would you vote for Nancy Pelosi? (26 comments) Nancy Pelosi has steadfastly refused to consider impeachment of the war criminals in the White House. Will, or should, the democrats re-elect her? If you lived in San Francisco's 8th District, would you vote for her again?

Wednesday, August 6:

John Wood Sr: Should Obama Use Bush's Powers to Restore America? (19 comments) Would you support a president Obama if he were to use the Executive powers Bush grabbed and abused to enable America to realize its constitutional ideals? WHY, OR WHY NOT?

Tuesday, August 5:

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: POLL: FOR WHICH WOULD YOU VOTE IF AT ALL? (29 comments) My Poll Litmus Test: A)-WOULD YOU VOTE FOR MCCAIN IF HE WAS A DEMOCRAT, SAYING THE SAME THINGS HE NOW IS SAYING? YES, NO B)-WOULD YOU VOTE AGAINST OBAMA IF HE WAS A REPUBLICAN, SAYING THE SAME THINGS HE NOW IS SAYING? YES, NO

Monday, August 4:

Ben Kall: Do you support racists and propagandists, I mean big media? (15 comments) do you still subscribe to cable TV

Professor Emeritus Peter Bagnolo: Poll: Should The USA Ban Private Contractor Armies? (24 comments) Private armies in America? Blackwater says it wants to rent the largest private armies in the world to American Corporations. To do what hunt down people who return toxic goods they buy at department stores or slaughter private citizens in Banana Republic Nations which protest land grabs? Vote now!

Rob Kall: Votingwise, Are you Sane or Psychotic? (35 comments) voting to end Eight Years of Shock Doctrine Presidency or Deludedly Supporting McCain, by voting for Him or any Third Party Candidate?

Sunday, August 3:

Mary Neal: Treatment or Prison for Mental Patients? (20 comments) Poll to determine if Americans favor prison or treatment for the mentally ill.

Saturday, August 2:

Gene Cappa: Is Bush Guilty of Nuremberg War Crimes? (40 comments) Could Bush be guilty of the very same war crimes that got the Nazi war criminals convicted on in 1946?

Robert N Smith: Petition the Government (15 comments) Would a mass petition of the government instead of a demonstration work better?

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)

(More...)

Friday, September 5:

KarmaTube: Carrotmob Makes it Rain Everyone needs to buy things. But we tend not to spend our money in a socially organized way. So Carrotmob, a new environmental advocacy group, had an idea: what if those seeking the same kind of product got together, pooled their dollars, and used them to collectively support local companies that were also doing the most for the environment? Watch what happened when Carrotmob pulled a big crowd together to spend a lot...

Jim Scherrer: Puerto Vallarta & Lake Tahoe--The Best of Both Worlds Puerto Vallarta during the winter months and Lake Tahoe during the summer months represents the very best of both worlds.

GLloyd Rowsey: The Miner's Canary: Enlisting Race, Resisting Power, Transforming Democracy, by Lani Guinier and Gerald Torres This book recalls Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, because it's the best book about race relations in America since Ellison's masterpiece of fifty years ago.

Leon Neihouse: A New Perspective on Sustainable Living Introduces a truncated, terraced, tetrahedron shaped housing development that is self sufficient with respect to food and energy.

Thursday, September 4:

What Lies Beneath When you work in computer forensics, you hold someone's life in your hands. People use computers without realising that their computers are constantly taking snapshots of their lives. Most people think the delete key gets rid of those files, but it doesn't. The file often is still all there, waiting to compromise its former owner.

VIDEO: Sarah Palin Speaks To Wasilla Assembly of God (1 comments) "Oh Lord won't you buy me a big ole pipeline"

CARTOON: Verifiable results of Palin's policy outcomes while Governor of Alaska (1 comments) Great Cartoon!! "The issue here is Palin's opposition to birth control and sex education in schools, and her "abstinence only" stance. Social conservatives like to make the point that "abstinence" as birth control "always works," but realists can see that "abstinence-only" sex education works only as well as it did with Palin's daughter."

Walter Williams: Phew that was close!!! (1 comments) New Orleans almost destroyed.

kamala sarup: Teej celebrated in Nepal In Nepal, women celebrated the Teej festival, Tuesday, with sumptuous feasts, rigid fasts and prayers.

Allen L Roland: *GOP CONVENTION / DAY THREE ~ SARAH'S FLEETING MOMENT OF FAME Governor Sarah Palin had her brief moment of fame last night at the half empty Republican Convention but it was a bittersweet moment for the Republican party ~ which has insured itself of a resounding defeat in November by aligning themselves with the Christian far right at the expense of Independents, Republican moderates and particularly women : Allen L Roland

Wednesday, September 3:

johnneale: Sidney and Louise - This Fall on Fox (News) This Fall - Sidney and Louise!

Peggy Noonan Detained by FOX Security Humor

Stephen Fox: Stephen Fox, Anti-Aspartame Legislation Author, will be guest on world's largest radio program COAST TO COAST, TONITE! At 2 A.M., I was in rare form decrying the lies and corporate manipulation, as well as the sordid chapter in the US FDA's history, attached to the artificial sweetener, aspartame, and what infernal forces have forced it to continue to be on the market....google and read: RUMSFELD'S BIOWEAPON LEGACY, to learn more, if you are not up at that hour!

Karen Griffin: Are People That Ignorant or Do They Not Want to See? Poetry regarding the chemicals people put in the air and ground and seem unaware of what they are doing.

Ed Martin: God says that Palin thinks He's George Bush (1 comments) God stops by for coffee, occasionally, on His way to work. This morning we got to talking about the claims of Sarah Palin and Ed Kalnins, the pastor of her long time church. God said He'd never heard of any of these people.

GOP Vetting Emporium Get ready to LOL

GLloyd Rowsey: Greek Cities in Italy and Sicily by David Randall-MacIver (1931) (3 comments) The major key of Greek Cities is a description of Greek architectural sites in southern Italy and Sicily in 1931, with narratives about the cities where the sites are found including the cities' mythologies and most famous citizens, visitors and political figures. The book's history, then, spans the period from about the eighth century B.C. to about the third century B.C.

Allen L Roland: *GOP CONVENTION / DAY TWO ~ THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD George W Bush and also John McCain's response to Hurricane Katrina is the most accurate symbol and soiled legacy of this inept, criminal and uncaring administration and their co-conspirators . It started with the appointment of, believe it or not, Karl Rove as Reconstruction Czar and went downhill from there: Allen L Roland

Tuesday, September 2:

Walter Williams: Evacuation insurance New Orleanians need help to evacuate

Eileen Fleming: IMAGINE: Lennon's Response to McCartney's 'Friendship First' Concert in Israel (3 comments) On September 25, 2008, Sir Paul McCartney will perform his 'Friendship First' concert in Tel Aviv for $4.3 million in celebration of Israel's 60th. Four decades ago, Israel banned The Beatles fearing their revolutionary message of love and peace would corrupt their youth.

Allen L Roland: *McCAIN TAKES HELM OF A BROKEN REPUBLICAN PARTY A doddering John McCain and his untested first mate, Sarah Palin, are now taking the helm of a broken Republican party which long ago sold its proud birthright to the religious far right and will soon be hiding its moral disintegration behind a curtain of American flags, false patriotism and 9/11 at the GOP national convention which is literally under martial law: Allen L Roland

Monday, September 1:

Rady Ananda: First Open Access Day To Be Held Oct. 14, 2008 (2 comments)

Where Carp Feed, and Ducks Walk Across Their Backs (2 comments) A 70-year-old practice of throwing bread to feed the carp in Pymatuning Lake, Penn., may soon come to an end.

Sunday, August 31:

Ron Jacobs: Sweat and Sacrifice Make History: A Review of Dave Zirin's A People's History of Sports in the United States (2 comments) A review of Dave Zirin's latest book A People's History of Sports in the United States

Jill Jackson: It'd be smashing to have Palin in the White House! Why Palin in the White House might be a good thing for America.

Robert Arend: New Jersey Women Could Vote In 1776. Why Was That Right Taken From Them (2 comments) Did you know women could vote in New Jersey as far back as 1776? My, my, my, it appears some dastardly politician did them in for voti

Suzana Megles: A Passion for Loggerheads (3 comments) Two intrepid women find gratifying purpose in helping the loggerheads and so the environment. Their inspiring story may help us also to learn to appreciate the earth more fully as real and true stewards of it.

Villains, Victims and Heroes: Melodrama, Media, and September 11 (1 comments) Melodrama is not merely a type of film or literary genre, but a pervasive cultural mode that structures the presentation of political discourse and national identity in contemporary America. This article examines the media coverage of September 11, 2001, and how it produced a specific American collective identity through a melodramatic plotline. The article concludes by probing the dangerous ramifications...

Larry Craig bathroom now a tourist attraction The most trivializing of trivia. A bathroom at the Mpls/St Paul airport became a tourist attraction after the Larry Craig incident. A reporter bothered to find out if it would be cordoned off during the RNC convention to prevent traffic problems. It isn't. Craig will not attend the convention, article says. Opinion: any Republican who doesn't make it to the Party's party can blame Gustave's unfriendly skies.

Allen L Roland: *SARAH PALIN / McCAIN'S GRIZZLY ERROR (2 comments) In a classic example of self-sabotage ~ John McCain has just disqualified himself from serious consideration for the Presidency with his irresponsible choice of Sarah Palin as his running mate to the extent that this Republican ticket is not only being laughed at but openly ridiculed ~ especially by women : Allen L Roland

Rady Ananda: Election Fraud Bibliography (6 comments) Here's a list of books I've compiled - mostly focused on software driven elections, but with some choice books covering paper ballot fraud. I strongly recommend the history books, tho - something all American voters should be required to read if they want to involve themselves in honest election administration.

YouTube and The New Classroom (2 comments) Since it was virtually impossible to ignore, I have decided to allow yet another unconventional entity into my classroom. You guessed it YOUTUBE. (this kid has lungs from his heart- check out the other videos from the main article)

Saturday, August 30:

ALONE: The 3 Mistakes of My Life by ChetanBhagat (1 comments) The article reviews why Chetan Bhagat's recent book represents yearnings of younger Indians who feel held hostage to politics of historical India--even as many do their best to move on and build their own dreams. In this story of love, cricket and business, Bhagat ties the tales of popular culture to the horrific riots of Gujarat and the great earthquake of the early part of this decade.

Randy Abel: "Generation Kill" Commands Iraq War Genre to "Stay Frosty" "Observe everything, admire nothing," Lt Nate Fick advises his platoon Marines as they're on the move in hostile territory during the invasion of Iraq. Rolling toward Baghdad in lightly-armored humvees, Fick's warriors have every reason to be wary, or "stay frosty," as Sgt Brad Colbert similarly counsels. Fortunately for viewers, such heads-up guidance also appears to have motivated the creators of HBO's Generation Kill.

Bill Moyers Journal: Former US Army Colonel Andrew J. Bacevich (1 comments) Is an imperial presidency destroying what America stands for? Bill Moyers sits down with history and international relations expert and former US Army Colonel Andrew J. Bacevich who identifies three major problems facing our democracy: the crises of economy, government and militarism, and calls for a redefinition of the American way of life. Bacevich will be on the Rob Kall Radio Show Wednesday night at 9 PM EST

Jane Stillwater: The $2,685 sweater: When did it become cool in America to pay $2,685 for a SWEATER? (2 comments) I have bad knees and spent a year fighting my health insurance company to get them treated -- but finally won. And in my physical therapist's waiting room, I was shocked by the high prices of mere clothing listed in "Town & Country" magazine. For the price of a single sweater, for instance, I could make a down payment on a whole new set of knees.

Kenneth Briggs: MENTAL HEALTH AMERICAS' RESOURCE CENTER When Alicia's son Troy needed treatment for bipolar diorder she turned to MHA's resource center.

J. Nayer Hardin: Barack Obama - America's 6th Black President? (8 comments) With the nomination of Senator Barack Obama to the position of Democratic candidate for President of the United States, he is positioned to become America's 6th Black president, in the tradition of Presidents Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln, Harding and Coolidge who were at least 5% Black according to Dr. Leroy Vaughn, MD, MBA, Historian in his book BLACK PEOPLE AND THEIR PLACE IN WORLD HISTORY.

Michael Salla: UFOs, Sovereignty and Politics (12 comments) "UFO ignorance is political rather than scientific"- that's the conclusion of two prominent university professors who had the results of their research on UFOs published in the August 2008 edition of Political Theory.

John Little: Warning Against Searching for Monsters to Destroy (6 comments) A short review of one of the more elegant speeches given by a former US president

Jennifer O'Conner: State and country fairs: Unfair to animals (3 comments) The state- and county-fair circuit is rife with exploitative animal displays-from elephant rides to photo sessions with tiger cubs. But life for these animals is anything but fun and games.

Jim Bush: The Loneliness of God, and the Meaning and Purpose of Love (3 comments) A Creation Story

Allen L Roland: *McCAIN'S BLATANT ACT OF TOKENISM / SARAH PALIN John McCain has not only become a clone of George W Bush but he has just selected a VP who is a clone of Dick Cheney's ideology. Incredibly, the Bush/Cheney administration has replicated itself with a McCain / Palin ticket who will attempt to fully utilize the politics of fear to win in November ~ if Americans and particularly women are stupid enough to be bamboozled by this blatant act of tokenism: Allen L Roland

Friday, August 29:

Dubai's Eco-wonder: Pyramid City to House a Million Residents (1 comments) A proposed pyramid city for the Dubai desert will stand 1.2 kilometres in height. The solar-powered pyramid was announced this week by Timelinks, an eco-design firm that plans to unveil the engineering wonder at Cityscape Dubai later this year. "The pyramid will be more than a kilometre tall and will house one million people inside," a source close to the project told XPRESS. "It will be completely self-sustainable."

Jim Miles: Racing the Enemy - Book Review The race is still on for geopolitical control of territory - Hasagawa's work describes the critical period of the summer of 1945 that started our current world order.

John Olsen: News from Afterlife A snapshot of some 20th century politicians, pundits and their pals in Afterlife.

Kenneth Briggs: Mental Healh Etcetera and Notes (4 comments) Hope therapy may fight depression

New giant clam species discovered The species, found in the Red Sea, may now be critically endangered, researchers report. Any guesses how many gastronomes this news will lead to buying the clams for eating, in spite of their being endangered?

Vi Ransel: The Doors, Part One (3 comments) Who's really running America, how did they seize control, and is there anything we can do about it?

Allen L Roland: *DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION / DAY FOUR ~ GORE ROARS AND OBAMA SOARS 45 years to the day Martin Luther King Jr gave his ' I have a Dream speech ' Barack Obama soared on King's mighty wings as he accepted the Democratic nomination for President before 84,000 people at Denver's mile high stadium. His speech was eloquent, impassioned, pointed and riveting harkening back to John F Kennedy's 1960 Democratic acceptance speech at the outdoor Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles: Allen l Roland

Thursday, August 28:

martinweiss: *the imperative of universal healthcare (4 comments) the brief but compelling argument for universal health care-- indisputable facts mandate that everybody must be in the pool.

AMERICAN GULAG: Slavery Haunts America's Plantation Prisons (1 comments) This scene is not a glimpse of plantation days long gone by. It's the present-day reality of thousands of prisoners at the maximum security Louisiana State Pen, otherwise known as Angola. At the country's largest prison, 80% of its prisoners are African-American and critics say, "It's not even really a metaphor for slavery. Slavery is what's going on."