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Stillwater is a freelance writer who hates injustice and corruption in any form but especially injustice and corruption paid for by American taxpayers. She has recently published a book entitled, "Bring Your Own Flak Jacket: Helpful Tips For Touring Today's Middle East". According to Ms. Stillwater, "It's a fabulous and entertaining book. I loved writing it. And I hope that you will love reading it too." It's available at http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Your-Own-Flak-Jacket/dp/0978615719 or you can special order it at any independent bookstore.
Sunday, April 5, 2009 Taliban for Dummies: Learning from American & Soviet mistakes in Afghanistan (2 comments)
I wasn't sure what was going on in Afghanistan so I asked my friend Pietro Calogero to spell it all out. So here it is: "The Taliban for Dummies". Bottom line? Most of this mess was caused by the US in the first place but the USSR helped. What can we learn from both countries' mistakes? That the Taliban is not now in a position to take over Afghanistan but if things get worse for the average Afghan, they may have a shot.
Monday, March 30, 2009 Bazookas, flintlocks & concealibility: The handgun's role in the coming hard times (8 comments)
Were our Founding Fathers considering the concealability factor when they wrote the Second Amendment? Did they even have anything to conceal back then? How could Mae West have concealed a flintlock for instance? And what was Justice Scalia THINKING when he called a flintlock a concealed weapon? And are people buying guns because the dollar is tanking? And what about Oakland? And other gun-control questions...
Thursday, March 26, 2009 The Glen Park neighborhood: Small-town San Francisco at its best
When we drove over to San Francisco, we discovered the Glen Park area -- a small town within a big city. So I wrote a story about our day in Glen Park. I feel guilty about writing about a sweet sunny day in SF when the rest of the world is falling apart, but look at this article as one journalist's R-and-R.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 Note to self: Politico.com was at Obama's press conference and I wasn't.... (2 comments)
Obama had all kinds of right-wingers there -- he probably even thought about inviting Rush Limbaugh. But was OpEd News represented? Or supporters of single-payer healthcare? Or ME? "Get over it, Jane." No one is INTERESTED in inviting us -- even though we elected Obama.
Sunday, March 22, 2009 Israel's dilemma: How to calculate the risks of getting un-Chosen (26 comments)
How far can the "Chosen" government of Israel go before it starts pushing God's buttons? Home demolitions, white phosphorus bombs, genocide, land-grabs, a 1000% rise in hate crimes against Israeli Arabs? I -- and probably God too -- expect more of Israel than one would expect of, say, Somalia or Rwanda because Israel is a civilized country and Israelis should know better.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009 The special "Ugly Betty" issue of my housing co-op's newsletter
Willamena Slater isn't the only one getting a government bailout. The board members on my housing project appear to be getting one too. What would Ugly Betty do? And our long-overdue re-hab just got put off for the eighth year. We may be reduced to growing cash crops in order to survive. Hmmm. What IS the largest cash crop in California right now?
Monday, March 16, 2009 Tearing down historic Jerusalem: Urban removal hits the Holy Land too (4 comments)
When I was desperate and six months pregnant, Bill Tatum took me under his wing, and together him and a ragtag group of misfits saved the Lower East Side from certain destruction back in 1965 -- and are't you glad that we did. Now another Lower East Side is facing demolition -- East Jerusalem. Let's save this historic Arab-Christian-Palestinian area too -- where Christ once walked and taught. And we'll be glad that we did.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009 Springtime for Obama and Afghanistan
Bush had his "Springtime in Afghanistan" and it failed because of too many Congessional Dittoheads and too much pork. And now Obama is having his springtime too. But if Obama is determined to send more troops into that Afghan sinkhole, then here are some suggestions on how to make the best use of them. Put this in your BlackBerry, Mr. President!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 Drunks on horseback in Puerto Vallarta: One last fling before economic reality sets in?
Hard to describe a drunken horseback ride in PV if you are neither drunk or on a horse -- but I try. And is the recession hurting the PV hotels? I spent the night in one to find out. And is John McCain REALLY complaining about too much Obama pork? Where was McCain when the Bush Dittoheads in Congress were handing out pork by the barrel to contractors in Iraq?
Friday, March 6, 2009 Doors of Perception: My tour of a hallucinogenic plant nursery in Mexico
Because I'm an idealist and am always trying to save the world, I thought that taking some hallucinogenic plants here in Puerto Vallarta might help me get a jump on more ideas of how to do it -- and so I toured Rick's nursery showcase of datura, iboga, ayahuasca, etc. Rick said that it wasn't the right season to harvest the plants -- but I'm still trying to save the world! (It's always the right time for that.)
Tuesday, March 3, 2009 Time & money well spent: A Huichol healing ceremony & the beach at Yelapa (1 comments)
If you want to spend your money on something truly meaningful, I recommend use it to buy you time on the beach in Yelapa or to have a Huichol shaman do a spiritual cleansing ceremony on you. This is a MUCH better use of $$$ than spending 44 trillion dollars on stupid and useless weapons of war.
Saturday, February 28, 2009 "No on 8" goes south of the border: Gays in Puerto Vallarta (2 comments)
I'm down here in Puerto Vallarta in time for the "Miss Gay Puerto Vallarta" coronation. I would like to link this with California's "No of 8" campaign (gay unions are legal in some Mexican states) but CA is probably looking more for a June Cleaver marries June Cleaver image. And today I'm going to a Quinceañera too -- and eating lots of pie from Yelapa and buying lots of tacos from street vendors too. And it's WARM down here!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009 My day in court against the DoD: Everyone was wearing black suits but me.... (3 comments)
I finally got my day in court against the DoD. Speaking before the judge, I was a nervous wreck. But what were the results of the hearing? An order to mediate with the DoD. But at least the judge didn't throw my case out -- and I did refrain from running around the courtroom screaming "Attica! Attica!" That's a definite plus.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 Hate crimes in Galilee? Land-grabs in Bethlehem? Oy vey! (3 comments)
If you defaced a religious place in New York or Amsterdam, you would be in Big Trouble. But do it in Galilee and you are given a pass. And if you steal land in Bethlehem, the civilized world apparently considers that cute. "Boys will be boys". It may have been cute 62 years ago but Israel's getting too old for that. It's time for Israel to finally grow up! PS: Go see "Waltz with Bashir". It will haunt you -- but in a good way.
Sunday, February 22, 2009 $28.5 billion reasons to legalize drugs in America.... (6 comments)
I'm trying to justify going off to Puerto Vallarta. I know! I'll go write about drug cartels. There are none in PV but it sounds nice. Did you know that $28.5 billion per year go from Americans to Mexican drug dealers? If we legalized marijuana, that money could stay home -- plus growing it here might help to green up the place. But in the meantime me & my daughter Ashley are off to PV to do, er, research...
Thursday, February 19, 2009 Form 95: How Congress replaced "meaningful access to justice" with a form
Here's an update on my court case with the DoD. First they dragged me kicking & screaming into federal court & now they want me to fill out the notorious Form 95 instead. Will Form 95 work? I sent Nancy Drew down to New Orleans to investigate if it worked for Katrina victims. Probably not. Congress took away our right to gain "meaningful access" to the court system & gave us From 95 instead. Forget about Drew! We need Kafka.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 Nobody gets it: We don't NEED the economy to grow! (27 comments)
We're always being told that the health of America's economy depends on the rate of its growth. That's crazy. Like the hair and fingernails of a dead person, we still expect America's economy to keep on growing -- even in its coffin. And the same is true of our mega-banks, growing outside of FDIC rules governing the little banks. What we need is not a side-show-freak economy and banking system -- but s system that works.
Sunday, February 15, 2009 "Burma Days": My grand adventure in Myanmar
It took me FOREVER to type up this report on my trip to Burma -- but here it is. I want to encourage tourism to Burma by telling you what it is like there and hopefully making you want to get on the next jet plane out to Rangoon.
Friday, February 13, 2009 "Birth control kills babies!": My recent trip to Planned Parenthood....
I had sore breasts so I went off to PP for a checkup & ran into a spooky old dude picketing against abortions. "What about the number of people dead in the Middle East since Eisenhower first began the inept Republican policy of killing people there to make America 'safe'?" sez me. But then the SOD got sidetracked into the birth control issue. Apparently that involves killing babies too. Ladies, never give up The Pill!
Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Bunkbeds: How Generation X-Box prepares for the coming Depression (1 comments)
I just KNEW that Bush would sink the business of America like he did all his other business failures, so I spent 8 years trying to prepare for the coming Bush Great Depression. It hasn't hit me personally yet, but it is currently taking "Generation X-Box" down hard. How does our youngest generation cope with poverty and unemployment? In a word? "Bunkbeds!"
Saturday, February 7, 2009 Ambushed by Taliban in Afghanistan & by unemployment in America
David Pratt, a journalist for the Scotland Sunday Herald, recently wrote about getting ambushed by the Taliban -- which got me to thinking. Where do the Taliban get all their weapons? The five biggest weapons exporters are America, Russia, Germany, France and The Netherlands. No wonder the EU is so supportive of US wars! But does this mean that in order to keep unemployment down here, we gotta go out & declare more wars? No!
Thursday, February 5, 2009 Judge Judy alert!: There are NO federal small claims courts in America (4 comments)
I just found out the hard way that there is no such thing as a federal small claims court. But there should be. At my February 25 hearing against the DoD, I'm gonna ask my judge to set precedence & either remand me back to state small claims court where I belong or else move to start a federal small claims court himself. And if that doesn't work, I'm going to try to get Judge Judy (or the US Supreme Court) to take my case!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009 The special "Big Bang Theory" issue of my housing co-op newsletter (1 comments)
If my housing co-op's problem with its current off-the-wall board of directors was being solved by Sheldon, the nerd-genius type on TV's "Big Bang Theory" show, he's cite HUD statutes, Congressional bills, Eric Holder and receivership court case numbers -- but Penny would bring him back to Real Life. "Just fire the freaking board and get on with the re-hab!"
Sunday, February 1, 2009 Madam Jane predicts: Social Security pensioners will be the new upper class
With the economy sinking, Rush Limbaugh trying to be the voice of America & the IDF shooting Hamas-infiltrated zoo animals in Gaza, the future certainly looks dim. What does Madame Jane have to say about it? "You'll be okay. Everyone else will be so poor that S.S. recipients will be the new upper class." That bad, huh? "And Bush succeeded where Hitler & Stalin failed -- bringing America to its knees." Got any GOOD news, MJ?
Friday, January 30, 2009 How to win a Supreme Court appeal & other helpful advice on how to become wise...
When that PBS special suggested that mature adults also get a brain growth-spurt, I went to the Berkeley-Albany Bar Association lunch to try to stimulate my "wisdom bump" too. Myron Moskovitz gave a lecture on how to win supreme court appeals. First you put yourself in the shoes of the judge -- not the opposing attorney's shoes. And then you.... We also ate salmon. Is that gonna help me get wise too?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 Pulling out of Iraq: The Camp Ramadi hand-over (3 comments)
The press releases I receive from American forces in Iraq have been talking a lot about hand-overs and pull-outs lately. I've been noticing a definite trend. Could this be the behind-the-scenes beginning of an orderly pull-out from Iraq? Might President Obama actually be keeping his campaign promises? And what about the fine print in the latest press release, indicating America's "tenant" status in Camp Ramadi until 2011?
Wednesday, January 28, 2009 9-11, Iraq & Gaza: How many "conspiracy theories" are enough? (7 comments)
Remember when we were under pressure to shut up about 9-11, to shut up about stolen elections, to shut up about Bush's lies regarding Iraq, to shut up about the coming economic disasters? And now we are also being pressured to deny that Gaza was a massacre. "It didn't happen". But then dead children tell no tales.
Monday, January 26, 2009 60 Minutes: Is Israel's free ride almost over? (11 comments)
Whoa! "60 Minutes" just showed a settler lady out in the middle of nowhere with a pickax? Yeah right. She's obviously from central casting. Most settlers live in luxury condos paid for by US taxpayers! And what about showing footage of IDF soldiers shooting children point-blank in Gaza or having their dogs feast on corpses? Where is that segment of the show? But at least 60 Minutes tried.
Friday, January 23, 2009 Revolt of the sheep: What if NOBODY signs up for digital TV? (3 comments)
I can't believe that media corporations are getting away with this scam to have US buy our own digital black bloxes instead of them buying the boxes for us. They are getting big bucks for more commercials, thousands of new uncontrolled free channels -- and now they're ordering us to pay for this like we were sheep instead of free American patriots. But they need us more than we need them. Kill your TV. Go read a book.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009 Obama to Olmert about Gaza: "Stop stealing my show!" (6 comments)
I bet you anything that Obama was pissed off at Olmert and Bush for stealing the spotlight away from his inauguration. Who was thinking of Michelle's new dress when children were dying in Gaza? No one. I bet Obama called Olmert up and gave him an earful. And did you SEE the way that Bush tried to hog the spotlight from Obama even on Inaugeration Day itself? How embarrassing for Bush.
Sunday, January 18, 2009 Israel & Palestine: Their 61-year-long war comes home to America (4 comments)
Israel and Palestine need to go back to where they were in 1967 -- behind the Green Line. Why? So I can get my friends back again! I'm tired of fighting with them about who is right in this matter. Can't Americans just go back to fighting about abortion, gay rights and Britney Spears? Think Green Line -- please. Before I have no friends left!
Saturday, January 17, 2009 Appeasement: Yet another comparison between Gaza & Nazi Germany? (9 comments)
Neville Chamberlain tried to appease Nazi Germany by sacrificing Czechoslovakia. Will Obama follow Bush's example and try to appease the Israeli neo-cons by continuing to sacrifice the poor slobs in Gaza to the Israeli neo-con power-grab? Is there an analogy here? But at least Chamberlain, unlike Bush, didn't fork over billions in tax dollars to the aggressers -- so perhaps my comparison is flawed after all.
Thursday, January 15, 2009 Fashion statement: Wearing an Israeli flag in NYC is FIERCE this season! (5 comments)
Watching Max Blumenthal's video of a pro-Israeli rally in NYC, I started to get an insight into how Germans might have felt during Nazi times -- chauvinism, group-think and the justification of the unjustifiable at its finest hour. And speaking of chauvinism, why are patriotic Americans waving Israeli flags? Exactly where do their alliegences lie?
Thursday, January 15, 2009 Dating-age women beware: War is killing off all the eligible guys! (7 comments)
At the rate things are going in Gaza, Iraq, etc. the world's men are getting all killed off by war. If you wanna find an eligible guy, ladies, just try the cemetery! So. What will stop wars? I got a plan. As women get older and their chances of having babies get slimmer, many of these women tend to become, er, rather desperate. Well. Just how desperate ARE you, ladies? Are you desperate enough to stop wars?
Monday, January 12, 2009 Our dual-citizenship Congress: Lotsa pork for Israelis, no pork for California? (5 comments)
California is about to go bankrupt but billions of US taxpayers' dollars are still pouring into Israel. How can California get some of that money? What do we need to do to get our Congress's attention? Fire Qassam rockets at Washington?
Monday, January 12, 2009 Berkeley Blogger's Suit Against Defense Department in Limbo (1 comments)
Here's an update on my small-claims court case against the Department of Defense. Things are not looking too good for me at this point. Does anyone know a San Francisco Bay Area attorney or law school who would be willing to advise me on how to file a "Motion to Remand" myself back into small claims court?
Saturday, January 10, 2009 Gaza Iraq Afghanistan Congo Oakland: Is the killing EVER going to stop? (11 comments)
All this killing and killing and killing -- I really can't stand it any more. Why is it still happening? This is the 21st century, damn it, and we are still acting like cavemen. Why would ANYONE want to kill another living human being? How can the human race even think about continuing to kill and kill and kill each other? What drives a man to take the life of another man? And will ANY of it ever have been worth it? No.
Saturday, January 10, 2009 The special "Everybody Hates Jane" issue of my housing co-op newsletter (5 comments)
The board of directors at my housing co-op have screwed up again, firing their 14th management company. HUD is disgusted with us, the residents do nothing, things go from worse to worse. But who do you think is gonna get blamed for all these disasters? ME! "Everybody Hates Jane".
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 Bush's two biggest con games: Iraq's Shock & Awe and Gaza's Shock & Awe
Bush conned us about Iraq's Shock & Awe. What makes you think he's not conning us about Gaza's Shock & Awe too? And five years from now will we also hear the NYT moan and groan about how they had been MISLED about Gaza too? But I don't have time for this now. I gotta get ready for my trial with the DoD on Friday. That will be my own personal Shock & Awe -- as they try to con me into paying for THEIR legal costs!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, 2009-style: Another little girl in a red coat.... (21 comments)
Being sick at heart over the slaughter in Gaza, I went to the United States Holocaust Museum's website to see if there was any similarities between the Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943 and what is happening in Gaza right now. What I found was sickening. Never again? Yeah right. What Gaza needs right now is a new Schindler's list.
Sunday, January 4, 2009 Suing the DoD: How my small claim just became a Federal Case.... (9 comments)
I sued the DoD in small claims court -- and now the US Attorney General's office is trying to move the trial to Federal court, already running up at least 25 billable hours in the process. By the time my case is over, $100,000 in attorneys fees will probably be charged to the taxpayer. One is not allowed to sue the Feds in small claims court. Why? To make it harder for We the people to make the government accountable.
Sunday, January 4, 2009 European Union wannabe: We need a Middle East Union too (3 comments)
Instead of allowing themselves to be picked off one by one, Middle Eastern countries should seriously consider doing what Europe has done. Then their major question wouldn't be which country the current U.S. Secretary of State will pick off next but rather what to name their coins. The Mido?
Monday, December 29, 2008 Gaza's 9-11: When fighting back isn't an option (24 comments)
After the WTC was destroyed, New York got sympathy and protection. Spain, Britain, even Kosevo and Darfur got sympathy when they were attacked. But the Palestinians? After 60 years of attack after attack after attack? They are told to not even fight back.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 Holiday greetings from Burma.... (2 comments)
Well, after much trepedation about going there it turns out that Burma is the ultimate tourist paradise -- think Thailand forty years ago. and the Junta seem to have settled out in the jungle.
Saturday, December 6, 2008 Peace Pilgrim II: Driving across America in a wheelchair? (3 comments)
I always wanted to walk across America like Peace Pilgrim did back in the 1950s but I got screwed up by SynVisc injections into my knees. Time for Plan B -- crossing America for peace by wheelchair? And the "Jello Shot" injections I got cost $1819.99 per series. 40 series per patient? That's $72,2799.60, mostly profit. No wonder SynVisc is pushed so hard. But I leave for Burma tomorrow if I have to crawl to the airport!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008 Mumbai: First shot of the war on globalization?
The octopus of globalization has taken over so much of the world that nation-states' methods of defending themselves no longer work when the enemy is within. But even though Mumbai was apparently an example of a new war on globalization, the truth still remains -- no matter who fights who, war is still a bad thing. PS: What if corporations started declaring war on each other? "AT&T bombs IBM!" a headline might scream. Weird.
Sunday, November 30, 2008 Our troops: Still slogging through the "Long War" in Iraq....
Every single day I get at least five to ten press releases from MNFI ( Multi-National Forces-Iraq) regarding the hard work that our troops are doing in Iraq. Every single day for years now, I have received these releases. I am including the text of some of them. Our troops have been working their hearts out to do their jobs well over there. So. Job well done! Now isn't it time that we brought them all home?
Friday, November 28, 2008 News flash: Obama's top priority is NOT to get consumers to go shopping! (5 comments)
GWB told us to go shopping after his 9-11 mess & that didn't work -- even when he himself went shopping for a new war. So what SHOULD Obama's top priority be? To go back to Ohio & demand a recount of the 2004 election -- & in FL in 2000 too! Then he wouldn't have to worry about all the moles and Executive Orders GWB is now busy placing -- plus Bush would be wiped out of US history books forever as the 43rd pres! Works for me.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008 "Jello Shots": From healthy Woman Warrior to old lady crip in just one day.... (2 comments)
Since I had gel injections in my knees, got a side-effects reaction, now live in pain and haven't been able to walk, I've developed a whole new respect for old people. Those people are BRAVE -- way braver than me, even when I went off to Iraq and Afghanistan. Plus people treat me differently now, like I no longer exist. My father endured a whole world of pain without complaining before he died. Now he is truly my hero.
Sunday, November 23, 2008 The special "Ghost Whisperer" issue of my housing co-op's newsletter (3 comments)
HUD has finally come down hard on my co-op's wayward board of directors --and perhaps Jennifer Love Hewitt can also whisper to some of Savo's ghosts and put them to rest too, including some Ilone Indians, a murdered resident, a veteran of Port Chicago, our re-hab plans for this year and Jimi Hendrix too!
Friday, November 21, 2008 Thanksgiving: Non-combat-related deaths in Iraq, MRAPs & turkeys
I don't want to cook for Thanksgiving this year but if I do, here's a recipe for stuffing, a description of just how dumb Broad-Breasted White turkeys can be and a few questions about all the "non-combat-related" deaths in Iraq I've been getting press releases on lately. Could it be because of the MRAPs that these soldiers' families will be spending a very sad Thanksgiving day?
Thursday, November 20, 2008 Advice to Obama: "The New Adventures of the Old New Deal"
The bailout is a loser & betting on it is like betting on a losing horse in a race. Let's bet on a proven winner instead. President-elect Obama, please become the next FDR. Who knows? You may get your face on a dime. PS: The Red states are always complaining about government interference, except when it comes to marriage, bailouts or anythng else that involves scary TV ads or PACs -- but the New Deal is GOOD interference.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 Google Earth: Gaza has now gone dark too.... (5 comments)
By an executive order of the neo-con junta that currently runs Israel, the electricity in Gaza has just been turned off -- linking it to other countries that Google Earth shows with no lights; countries like Somalia, Burma, the DRC, Zimbabwe and Darfur, countries where governments prey on their own people.
Saturday, November 15, 2008 Dangerous weapons: Why airport security is a joke (8 comments)
In the past 8 years, Bush, Cheney & them have dreamed up so many ways to ruin America that it is a solid tribute to my country that we still have any dignity, economy or infrastructure left at all. But Americans have wised up -- yet am I the only one who sees through the big airport security scam? Even Senate Homeland Security chief Joe Lieberman has been too busy riding around on the Straight Talk Express to notice this one.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 No proof of service: Taking the DoD to small claims court, continued....
I was finally going to get my day in court & get my money back from the DoD after they rescinded my embed -- except that the court was supposed to serve the DoD and didn't, but they forgot to tell me. "Continued to January 9, 2009." So now I've got to get all dressed up & go to court AGAIN. But first I gotta serve the DoD. Where? In Iraq? No in Monterrey, next to Carmel, Big Sur, the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.... "Road trip!"
Saturday, November 8, 2008 A road trip through the Caspian & Iran's English countryside: My Report on Iran # 6
Traveling to northern Iran is like going from Arizona to San Francisco. And I saw people who have lived in caves since Mongol times plus the ongoing British influence, a Swiss-Alps type region & the RAGING Caspian Sea -- more like NOLA during a hurricane than the home of the infamous pipeline that probably started the war on Afghanistan. "Iran never disappoints" -- except for the dry, stringy chicken kabobs. What's with that?
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 You be the judge: I will be taking the DoD to small claims court this Friday.... (4 comments)
The Department of Defense has embedded me in Iraq four-and-a-half times so far and I SHOULD be grateful. So why am I suing them? Because they rescinded one of my embeds, cost me $1,780 and left me stuck at the Kuwait airport Starbucks for days. But, worse, the Army told me I didn't have enough readership. That's the worst insult a reporter can get! Please come to my trial this Friday in Berkeley and see justice done. Maybe.
Monday, November 3, 2008 Politics, religion, economics & geeks: My report from Iran # 5
Did you know that there are not only a whole bunch of Persian antiquities and ornate 17th-century mosques in Esfahan but also some churches and synagogues? I toured them all! From the rabbi's daughter's Hamsa hand blessing to the Armenian church with the paintings of martyrs getting boiled alive, I saw it all. And I also came to the conclusion that mixing bad politics with bad religion is NOT a good idea.
Friday, October 31, 2008 Irony: Europeans trusted Bush and he spit in their soup (5 comments)
On the Iraq issue, on the Palestine issue, on economic issues, etc., Europe has been continually loyal to GWB. Not only Europe, but Russia, China, the American people -- and even Iceland -- could have gotten together and reigned in Cowboy George at any point between 2000 and now. But they didn't. And what have they gotten for their loyalty? Bush has spit in their soup.
Thursday, October 30, 2008 Ouch, that hurts: A rise in pediatric kidney stones is NOT connected with an increase in infant vaccines...or is it? (1 comments)
I shouldn't be writing this story because I wouldn't want to be hurting Big Pharma's feelings--and I certainly wouldn't want to embarrass my wonderful six-year-old neighbor who now has to undergo kidney stone surgery. She'd like to be secretly famous like Hannah Montana is--but NOT for having kidney stones. And I have no proof that giving babies as many as five vaccine shots in one day might possibly mess up their kidneys....
Tuesday, October 21, 2008 It's easier to tour Iran than to tour the White House: My report from Iran # 5
It only took me two months to get my visa to Iran, three weeks to get a visa to Iraq. But I've been waiting since MARCH for permission to tour the White House. What's with that? And if Obama wins, will he finally open the WH up to the people who pay for it -- US! And if the GOP tries to steal the presidential election a third time, well, they'd just better not -- for their own good. Americans will be truly pissed off!
Monday, October 20, 2008 From Afghanistan to Ethiopia, Xerxes over-extended his empire: My report from Iran # 4
I went to Shiraz, in Iran, and everyone there is into picnicing. They would love my son Joe's band "123 Picnic". Then I went to Persepolis and to Xerxes' necropolis, which logically led me to thoughts of George W. Bush, who over-extended his empire too. I'd love to see GWB end up in a cave as well -- but preferably alive, so that all us tourists can come and gape at him too.
Sunday, October 19, 2008 Zoroastrians, carpets & reading Ann Tyler in Yazd: My report from Iran # 3.5 (3 comments)
Over here in Iran, they are selling georgous carpets, teaching me how to handle traffic accidents the old-fashioned way, feeling that Ahmadinejad let them down and denying me access to Smirking Chimp, the Huffington Post and TruthOut. But I can still get OpEd News!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Fast food and Coca-Cola: Two main staples of Iranian cuisine (4 comments)
People need to get over their concepts of Tehran as being just short of the caves of Tora Bora. It is an entirely westernized city that, just like America, runs on fast food!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 Industrial self-sufficiency & Gucci: My report from Iran # 2 (2 comments)
Iran has learned the hard way to prefer Gucci instead of war. America should have learned that lesson in Vietnam -- but we didn't. Also if AMERICA ever gets sanctioned too, we also had better be industrially self-suffiecint if we want to survive. And boy you should see some of the Tehran malls! Very Rodeo Drive.
Saturday, October 11, 2008 Report from Iran: Gaining a dress-size in Tehran & other stories...
I've been in Tehran for a day and have seen lots of museums so far and ate a whole bunch of food, but haven't yet met any terrorists or war mongers. So far everyone has been really really nice. And I have the photos to prove it!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008 John's Anatomy: What would Dr. McDreamy say about the state of McCain's health? (3 comments)
"I've observed McCain on television on several occasions & have come up with some tentative diagnoses," Dr. McDreamy might reply. "For instance, I've noted that he has trouble going up and down the stairs of planes. He doesn't seem to have much functional control over his legs and knees." Interesting. "And during the debates I noticed that his body movements are stiff." McCain needs a Dr. McDreamy exam. And I want one too!
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 Good luck, America -- but if luck fails you, there's always St Louis!
A soothsayer once told me that I brought people luck so I've been traveling the world trying to spread luck around but one down-on-its-luck country seems to need it more than anyone these days -- America. But if my scheme doesn't work, we can always take lessons from St Louis, an early victim of corporate greed & the perfect place to hold a pre-apocalyptic boot camp. It has abandoned buildings, even its own bridge to nowhere.
Monday, October 6, 2008 The special "Law and Order" issue of my housing co-op's newsletter
Now my housing co-op is in deep dog dookie. We just failed the national HUD REAC inspection. What would Sam Waterston do in my position? Stop whining, gather evidence and develop a theory of the case. Here's my theory: "I don't want to lose my home!!!!"
Saturday, October 4, 2008 Joe Lieberman wears makeup & other things I learned at the Biden-Palin debate (4 comments)
You watched the debate yourself of course but here are some of the off-camera highlights too -- such as being held up at the St Louis airport while Bush uses Air Force One to fund-raise on the taxpayers' dime, Palin's base's rally & their feelings of being sold out on abortion & gay issues and Palin's faux (?) Manolo Blahnik high-heels. Who did she remind me of? Bree on Desperate Housewives? No, a Miss America contestant....
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 See ya at the Fair: I get to go to the Palin-Biden debate too!
I wanted to stay home from the Palin-Biden debate in St Louis and pack for my trip to Iran in October but my friend Patrick tempted me. "St Louis is the murder capital of America," he told me. I can't miss that! And also, will Palin actually show up? Or plead a family emergency.
Monday, September 29, 2008 Secret Service guy: "Hospital or jail?" Me: "Jail!"
When the guy at the checkpoint at the Mississippi McCain-Obama debate saw my official media credential badge photo with me wearing a Muslim headscarf, the spit hit the fan! And then a Secret Service agent stole my badge and threatened me with jail. However, in the tradition of James Meridith, I too stood up for justice -- but ended up in the hospital instead.
Sunday, September 28, 2008 Who won the Mississippi debate? Obama -- but for different reasons than you think (3 comments)
Obama strode presidentially into the venue while reporters cheered, but McCain snuck in under cover. Obama talked to the swing voters but McCain stuck to pumping up his base. Obama spoke directly to those of us worried about the economy while McCain spoke to his Goldwater Girls. Then the Secret Service threatened me with jailtime -- but that's a different story.
Friday, September 26, 2008 Report from Mississippi: Oxford in a tizzy, Obama on his way (1 comments)
The good folks of Oxford appear to be really pissed off at McCain -- and now he is waffling, trying to think up a good excuse to back down. And I'm sleeping on a park bench here and waiting for Obama.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 Stuck in Memphis again: McCain cancels the debate!
I have a ticket to Memphis in my hand and 3,000 other journalists are all set to go to the debate as well -- but McCain's poll figures fall 10% so he cancels the debate in order to run off to DC and help his cronies on Wall Street! "I need to look Presidential" he cries. Moose dookie! Congress isn't in session at 9 pm on Friday night. Will Palin cancel too? Because the Russians are invading Alaska? Yeah right.
Monday, September 22, 2008 Hoovervilles & camping out at the Memphis airport: My trip to Mississippi so far....
I'm off to MS for the Obama/McCain debate -- and flying back with a lay-over in Vegas where I plan to win a million dollars & buy gold from a company that will store it in Canada for me. And Bush is obviously still scheming how to get the last DROP of money out of the treasury before he goes. "I got an idea! Get me Henry Paulson on the line!" he cries. But let's give money to homeowners instead of Bush -- & call it Section 8!
Friday, September 19, 2008 The Mississippi presidential debates: Does Jackson have a public transportation system? (1 comments)
I'm off to cover the presidential debates in Mississippi. "I'm going to Jackson...." just like June Carter Cash -- and I'm doing it on a shoestring budget. So. Does anyone know of any homeless shelters there? Social safety nets? Also, we're ALL going to need social safety nets if McCain the Shadow Maverick gets elected so best to start preparing now!
Thursday, September 11, 2008 Would North Korea ban my book -- or just Sarah Palin?
Well, I'm here in China, having just gotten back from North Korea -- the next hot new tourist destination! They gots golf courss and fancy hotels and everythng. Strange isn't it? Asian countries are getting more democratic while America slips into dictatorship. And I toured NK with the author of 2 banned childrens' books, a lovely woman who won 3 Newberry honor awards. Sarah, please ban my book too! I could use the publicity.
Friday, September 5, 2008 The Admiral's child: One probable reason why McCain flip-flops so much (1 comments)
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!
Friday, September 5, 2008 Jock-Shock: Has Rush Limbaugh just become the RNC's new speech-writer? (3 comments)
Judging from last week's speeches at the Republican convention, all I can assume is that Rush Limbaugh wrote most of the material. The speeches were filled with such folksy half-truths, slurs & inuendoes that it appears Rush is becoming the RNC's new speech-writer. Wait a minute. Did I just say HALF-lies?
Monday, September 1, 2008 Exponential happiness: McCain, Obama, Chekhov & my 93-year-old aunt
My aunt would never vote for Obama. In fact, she won't vote at all. "Why should I? I'm 93 years old. What do I care about what happens next? Our generation lived through the hell of the Great Depression and World War II -- and we survived. The next generation will figure out some way to deal with it. We did." Plus I found a new way to reduce fear of flying and also how, like Jesus, to organize locally. Anton Chekhov did too.
Saturday, August 30, 2008 Horny old man: Could Sarah Palin actually be THAT desperate? (1 comments)
My friend Joe thinks that McCain is only after Palin for her body, and is luring her with promises of being VP. Hey, Joe! I thought making nasty innuendos was Rove's job! Plus can you imagine lusting after John McCain? Only if you're about 80 years old and living in a Florida rest home with no other prospects. Even Cindy isn't THAT desperate I bet!
Saturday, August 30, 2008 The $2,685 sweater: When did it become cool in America to pay $2,685 for a SWEATER? (3 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.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 Ah the life of a Reporter: McCain tried to kill me & Obama doesn't want me backstage!
It's hard being a reporter. You always have to come up with hot stories. Maybe the Republican convention has some? About McCain's face-lift? Or the 150+ private jets that flew into Aspen to greet him last week? Or maybe I could write about all those bank runs -- or the coming up wars? But maybe America doesn't need any more hot stories. Maybe all we need these days is honest government.
Sunday, August 24, 2008 The new Spartans: Dealing with the results of a militarized America (6 comments)
Let's do the math. Our military is now stretched very thin -- covering Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, Latin America, Georgia -- plus those missile thingies in Poland. And that's just for starters. But can we afford this? No. At this rate, McCain will soon be forced to go back in the Navy and Obama will have to go off to Boot Camp! And look what happened to Sparta in the same situation -- they had no Plan B!
Friday, August 22, 2008 Leaving with honor: My 12th and final report from Iraq (1 comments)
Now might be a good time for our troops in Iraq to "Leave with honor", before those [leaders] in Washington cause the dollar to collapse even further and we can no longer afford to stay there whether we want to or not. And what about me? Will I be able to "Leave with honor" too? Without getting any more bug bites or getting lost?
Tuesday, August 19, 2008 Report from Iraq # 11: Wherein 25 Iraqi journalists invade my bedroom & I meet an admiral
In the Green Zone, I interviewed an Iraqi journalist (he said Maliki must do what the Americans tell him to do), met an Iraqi admiral & a Brit captain -- who I think said the British navy is responsible for protecting oil interests. I also had to ride the Rhino again & got bug-bite advice from a conservative journalist -- who I then gave advice about the dangers of corporate welfare. Then we argued about Georgia and the Surge
Sunday, August 17, 2008 The scariest thing that I've seen in Iraq so far? CNN! (Report from Iraq, Pt. 10) (1 comments)
After going without sleep for days, I started to get very pessimistic -- but not about Iraq. Iraq is going well. "But what good," I asked myself, "is all this hopefulness here going to do us if CNN, Bush/McCain and even Obama all keep promoting endless war?" And if America falls off the cliff again into more Iraqs, Vietnams, Mogadishus, failed states, Cold Wars?
Thursday, August 14, 2008 Ready & Forward: Going on patrol with 10 Cav and getting lost again (My report from Iraq, Pt 9) (3 comments)
"The main test of our soldiers' idealism, character & honor will be whether or not our military once again blindly follows the corporatists' orders without doing their research. If Bush, Cheney or McCain orders our military to attack Iran...or Venezuela...or Russia...or San Francisco, where will these honorable men and women draw the line?" I asked myself while out on patrol of the streets of Baghdad. With photos to prove it.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Jane Stillwater, Cache Raider? (My embed report from Iraq, Pt 8)
I went out with the troops to visit the neighborhoods again yesterday. A young mother wanted her husband released from jail, we saw an abandoned home, tracked possible AQI members and planned a night raid. Can I come too? I like our troops. They do a good job. But will they be ready, willing or even able to clean up after GWB if he makes another mess like this in Iran?
Sunday, August 10, 2008 Dear Abby: I'm over here in Iraq.... (Part 7 of my Iraq embed report)
I have lots of questions about Iraq. Will Dear Abby answer them? What really happened with the Camp Falcon explosion? Do I really have to drink all that water? Are MRAPS really safe? If soldiers yell at their sweethearts over the phone, will they stop being unfaithful? Are Cheney and them trying to start another Cold War? Dear Abby....
Saturday, August 9, 2008 Stuck in Baghdad freeway rush-hour traffic -- in a Bradley tank: My Iraq embed, Part 6 (1 comments)
What's it like to ride in a Bradley tank through the streets of Baghdad? You're about to find out. And did you know that the UN distributes food in Baghdad? That everyone at her work is trying to marry my daughter Ashley off? And that the Beagle Boys in Washington hardly ever come to Iraq -- they're too busy hounding John Edwards and Paris Hilton.
Friday, August 8, 2008 Report from Iraq: If the Iraq Army wants to buy $10.6 billion in weapons, then let's have a fire sale! (1 comments)
Juan Cole says there's talk about getting out of Iraq by 2010. The Iraq Slogger says the Iraq Army is looking to buy $10.9 bn in weaponry. So. Let's have a yard sale & sell Iraq all our tanks, etc -- before we end up giving them to Iraq for free. And the Shia Govt needs to have an election before its base gets pissed off that no Big Oil money is trickling down to them. And those dogs at my COP are still trying to bite me.
Thursday, August 7, 2008 Survivor Baghdad: I've finally made it to the Big City! (2 comments)
I left my new Ian Rankin novel back on the C-130, got driven across Baghdad in an MRAP and ended up at Camp Falcon. My new roommate there is a war correspondent. "I have PTSD and I think that McCain has it too. Victims of PTSD tend to spin out of control occasionally. But what if he gets elected and goes out of control while he has his finger on the red button?" Obviously, she is not voting for McCain.
Thursday, August 7, 2008 Children reflect their parents: Patrolling the streets of Baghdad's Al Rasheed district
Today we patrolled Al Rasheed, met real Iraqis who were very poor & gave small business owners some mini-grants. We should also give mini-grants to small businesses back in the States! And the children were very friendly, not throwing stones -- which seems to reflect their parents' thinking. I miss my granddaughter & the soldiers here miss their families too. And young Ashley just e-mailed me about a new flavor of gelato!
