INSANE!

Bill Pushed to Stop Drivers From Smoking
JEFF LINKOUS, Associated Press Writer
Mon Jul 25, 3:41 AM ET

TRENTON, N.J. - Ashtrays have been disappearing in cars like fins on Cadillacs, and so could smoking while driving in New Jersey, under a measure introduced in the Legislature.

“The day a politician wants to tell me I can’t smoke in my car, that’s the day he takes over my lease payments,” said John Cito, a financial planner from Hackensack with a taste for $20 cigars.

From my new favorite album, Porcupine Tree’s “In Absentia“, this is a great set of lyrics:

The Sound Of Muzak

Hear the sound of music
Drifting in the aisles
Elevator prozac
Stretching on for miles

The music of the future
Will not entertain
It’s only meant to repress
And neutralise your brain

Soul gets squeezed out
Edges get blunt
Demographic
Gives what you want

Now the sound of music
Comes in silver pills
Engineered to suit you
Building cheaper thrills

The music of rebellion
Makes you wanna rage
But it’s made by millionaires
Who are nearly twice your age

One of the wonders of the world is going down
It’s going down I know
It’s one of the blunders of the world that no-one cares
No-one cares enough

Lt. gov. crashed Marine’s funeral, kin say
Saturday, July 23, 2005

By Tom Barnes, Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

The family of a Marine who was killed in Iraq is furious with Lt. Gov. Catherine Baker Knoll for showing up uninvited at his funeral this week, handing out her business card and then saying “our government” is against the war.

Just in case anyone thinks I only feature items that make Republicans look bad, this jackass is a Democrat. Who, for the record, I think are just as bad as the Rethugs, but they ain’t in power. And with idiots such as this representing them, they aren’t gonna be anytime soon…

So says Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker, on the latest batch of images and videos from Abu Ghraib.

Bush Administration Files 11th Hour Papers Blocking the Release of Darby CD Photos and Video Of Abu Ghraib Torture

On July 22, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) denounced the latest efforts of the Bush Administration to block the release of the Darby photos and videos depicting torture at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison facility. On June 2, 2004, CCR, along with the ACLU, Physicians for Human Rights, Veterans for Common Sense, and Veterans for Peace filed papers with the U.S. District Court, charging the Department of Defense and other government agencies with illegally withholding records concerning the abuse of detainees in American military custody. Since then, the organizations have been repeatedly rebuffed in their efforts to investigate what happened at the prison.

In June, the government requested and received an extension from the judge stating that they needed time in order to redact the faces of the men, women and children believed to be shown in the photographs and videos. They were given until today to produce the images, but at the eleventh hour filed a motion to oppose the release of the photos and videos, based on an entirely new argument: they are now requesting a 7(F) exemption from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act to withhold law enforcement-related information in order to protect the physical safety of individuals. Today’s move is the latest in a series of attempts by the government to keep the images from being made public and to cover up the torture of detainees in U.S. custody around the world.

Next time you get into a debate with a war supporter, ask them how effective sodomizing children with lightsticks is in our War On Terror (TM).

Bush Aide Learned Early of Leaks Probe

By Dafna Linzer
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, July 25, 2005; Page A02

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales said yesterday that he spoke with White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr. immediately after learning that the Justice Department had launched a criminal investigation into the leak of a CIA operative’s identity. But Gonzales, who was White House counsel at the time, waited 12 hours before officially notifying the rest of the staff of the inquiry.

So our “AG In Charge of Okaying Torture” Gonzales waited 12 hours before notifying the rest of the White House that an investigation was underway? Hmm. Sure can shread a bunch of papers in 12 hours…

Treaty gives CIA powers over Irish citizens

By Dan Buckley

07/21/05 “Irish Examiner” - - US INVESTIGATORS, including CIA agents, will be allowed interrogate Irish citizens on Irish soil in total secrecy, under an agreement signed between Ireland and the US last week.

Under ‘instruments of agreement’ signed last week by Justice Minister Michael McDowell, Ireland and the US pledged mutual co-operation in the investigation of criminal activity. It is primarily designed to assist America’s so-called ‘war on terror’ in the wake of the September 11 atrocities.

To the readers of TTP who are parents, doesn’t the behavior of our government remind you of your children when they were young? The behavior that sees that they can get away THIS, so they should try THAT, and if that doesn’t draw a response, then attempt this other thing, until mom screams and they stop.

It’s way past time to scream. Somebody needs to stop these people before America becomes a third world police state.

Rove, Libby Accounts in CIA Case Differ With Those of Reporters

July 22 (Bloomberg) — Two top White House aides have given accounts to a special prosecutor about how reporters first told them the identity of a CIA agent that are at odds with what the reporters have said, according to people familiar with the case.

Even I, who truly feel that Bush and crew are virtually untouchable- hell, they’ve skated on everything up to now- I’m starting to think that by the end of this Grand Jury session (in October), several high-ranking administration officials will be indicted. All it takes is for one to sing, and then the dam will break.

Like Watergate, which began because of a botched, unnecessary robbery, wouldn’t it be something that a simple act of political “screw you” is what begins to unravel the Bush presidency.

Which brings us to a different point.
(more…)

The Stones Attack Bush On New Record
Paul Cashmere

19 July 2005

The Rolling Stones will deliver a musical attack on George W. Bush with their new album.

One track ‘Neo-Con’ is reported to question the political ambitions of Bush’s war ethics.

Good to see the spirit that launched “Street Fighting Man” and others hasn’t completely left the group. Article also notes that Ron Wood only played on a few songs on the new record. Hmm…

Sudanese Guards Rough Up Rice Delegation
ANNE GEARAN

KHARTOUM, Sudan - Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice held a congratulatory round of meetings with officials of the new unified Sudanese government Thursday, but expressed outrage after security forces manhandled aides and reporters accompanying her.

“It makes me very angry to be sitting there with their president and have this happen,” she said. “They have no right to push and shove.”

Thus sayth the mouthpiece for a government that has killed 1,000’s of innocent civilians. Shut up, kindasleezy.

Chertoff did not change the rule because some open evidentiary process required him to but because he felt like it. As an immensely powerful official in an increasingly authoritarian age, he did it as a regal act of noblesse oblige: In my majesty/ I now decree/ the people are free/ to go and pee.

Continue reading “Orwell meets Kafka” by Robert Kuttner