Thursday, December 29, 2005

Courage to Resist the Bully Boy's Monster Cookie and war criminals

Good evening, we'll get started right off with Democracy Now! but before we start with headlines, remember that tomorrow is a their year review for 2005 so be sure to check that out.

NSA Website Capable of Tracking Web Activity of Visitors
In other news, the Associated Press is reporting the National Security Agency has been using files that can track the web surfing activity of visitors to its website. The NSA says the tracking files -- known as "cookies" -- were a mistake and have been removed. Under federal law, government agencies are forbidden from using "cookie" files unless a senior official authorizes them and their use is disclosed in the agency's written privacy policy. The news comes as the Bush administration continues to defend its authoritization of an NSA program to eavesdrop on Americans and foreign nationals without court-approved warrants.

Bully Boy as the Cookie Monster? Nah, I always liked the Cookie Monster. I remember in kindergarten or first grade, we were all taken to an auditorium and divided up into groups. Some people got Big Bird stickers to put on their shirts and some got other Sesame Street characters. Whatever you got was the group you stuck with and, it turned out, your class. I got Cookie Monster who wasn't my first choice. When they were passing out stickers, I was hoping for someone else. Don't even know who now. Maybe it was Elmo if he was around then.

But I got a Cookie Monster sticker. Which was pretty cool because I could go "Cookie!" just like Cookie Monster. Everyone in my class and my teacher thought that was cool. But I bet the teacher was just being nice. But I would do it all day and all the kids would laugh. I bet the teacher really hated it, come to think of it. :D

So Bully Boy isn't Cookie Monster, he's the Monster Cookie, spying on anything we do because he thinks it's entitled. He's a lot like other bullies. In fact, here's one.


Pinochet Photographed For First Mug Shot
And in Chile, after years of charges and investigations into human rights abuses under his rule, former dictator Augusto Pinochet has been fingerprinted and had his mug shot taken for the first time. Police are investigating his involvement in the deaths of hundreds of political opponents in the 1970s. Pinochet ruled the country until 1990 after seizing power in a US-backed coup in 1973. Over 3,000 people went missing and 28,000 were tortured under his regime. Pinochet, who is 90 years old, is currently living under house arrest over separate allegations of human rights abuses. His mug shot has not been released.

Augusto Pinochet got his mug shot yesterday. A little hard work and maybe we'll see the day when Bully Boy, Dick Cheney, Condi Rice, Alberto Gonzales and Donald Rumsfeld get their mug shots taken. Well, Bully Boy will get his taken again cause he's been arrested at least once already. But they are criminals who are out to destroy the country and they have allowed torture (and probably encouraged it) and bombed innocent civilians and all that blood is on their hands. It may not come until St. Peter's taking them over to God, but they will be judged and it won't be pretty. Hopefully though judgement day will come a lot sooner for them and it will come in a court of law.

Remember to check out Elaine's site for her commentary on the above at Like Maria Said Paz.

Now I want to note something C.I. wrote today:

Speaking of Wally, he, Elaine and Mike did note "Support GI Resister Katherine Jashinski Now!" (DC Indymedia) yesterday so be sure to check that out. Ken e-mailed saying he signed up at Courage to Resist but hasn't recieved an automated e-mail to reply to. (You can sign up there for monthly e-mail alerts.) I haven't gotten one either but if you signed up and are waiting, make sure you check your junk mail/bulk mail folders in case it heads there by accident.

I did get an e-mail and it took about seven hours after I'd put my e-mail in. C.I. said to check your junk mail and, for me, it did go into my bulk folder. So be sure to check that. Here's some information about Courage to Resist:

COURAGE TO RESIST is a new group of concerned community members, veterans, and military families organizing support for military objectors to illegalwar, occupation, and the underlying policies of empire. We have adopted a people power strategy to weaken the pillars that support the Iraq war and occupation by supporting GI resistance, which together with counter-recruitment and draft resistance work can remove the supply of obedient troops.
PEOPLE POWER is the strategy that has toppled dictators from Serbia to the Philippines so why not in the United States? People power strategies could not only stop the war in Iraq but also inspire our movements for change by helping us relearn to govern ourselves and be truly free.

And Wally's mother liked a thing Erika highlighted for The Common Ills. I liked it when I read it to. But I was checking out my bud's site this morning and he noted it and noted he was noting it for his mother. I know Wally would do the same for Ma, so let me show his mother the same respect.

This is from the president of NOW and NOW's a really strong group that's always there on important issues like Cedric's pointed out, so here's Kim Gandy's "Holiday Songs in the Key of 'F'" and she's explaining some of the events that NOW was there for this year:

I love this time of year. Although the ice and snow aren't doing my car any favors (or my hair, for that matter!), there is something special about having time to rest and reflect on the year -- take a step back, bask in the warmth of family and friends, and gather strength for the coming battles (which, I promise you, will be numerous).
So before treating you to our holiday songs "in the key of 'F'," I hope you'll join me in looking back over the year at some of the accomplishments that make me so proud to be your NOW President.
- The year started off with a bang with all the furor over Harvard President Larry Summers' ridiculous comments about women's "innate" inferiority in math and science! NOW was the first to call for his resignation, a call that was later seconded by the Harvard faculty. The end result of the public attention was that Harvard has now made a real financial investment in increasing the presence of women in hard sciences at that institution.
- In February we launched our Equal Marriage campaign, and the terrific response from activists across the country, and the ways they have put this campaign to work, has been spectacular to see!
- Through March and April we fought the FDA on risky silicone breast implants and then lobbied furiously on Emergency Contraception (EC) while also mobilizing our activists to save the Senate filibuster from the frightening "nuclear" option that would have threatened our liberties and made it nearly impossible to stop a bad Supreme Court nominee.
- In July came a real turning point. We were all gathered in Nashville for our National Conference when the news of Sandra Day O'Connor's resignation was announced. Never ones to shrink from a fight, we immediately declared a "State of Emergency for Women's Rights", were the first in the nation to hold a press conference, and organized a march and rally in a matter of hours, right there at the Tennessee State House in Bill Frist's "back yard."
- In September we marched with CodePink and hundreds of other groups to call for an end to the Iraq war and invasion. Hundreds of NOW members joined in to help remind the world that "peace is a feminist issue!" We also spoke out against Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina, and continue to demand fair treatment for the survivors, who are desperately seeking the aid that was allocated for them, but which hasn't been delivered by the Bush allies who received multi-million-dollar no-bid contracts, like Halliburton.

"Never one to shrink from a fight." Let's all try to catch that NOW spirit in 2006.

Travis wondered if I had a New Year's resolution? Let me think on that and get back to you tomorrow.












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