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Truth To Power

the strong do as they wish, and the weak suffer as they must

Archive for November, 2009

I bet we’re concerned

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

US concerned about definition of aggression as international crime

THE HAGUE — A United States ambassador said Thursday that Washington was concerned about how aggression will be defined as an international crime.

“I would be remiss not to share with you my country’s concerns about an issue … to which we attach particular importance: the definition of the crime of aggression,” US war crimes ambassador Stephen Rapp told a gathering in The Hague of the International Criminal Court’s Assembly of State Parties (ASP).

The United States is taking part in a meeting of the ASP, as an observer, for the first time since the world’s only permanent court for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity started operating in 2002.

As an observer…how cute. So if they don’t like the movie, they can get up and leave. How handy for the country most guilty of wars of aggression in this century.

Detroit too broke to bury their dead

Monday, November 23rd, 2009

Unburied bodies tell the tale of Detroit — a city in despair

The abandoned corpses, in white body bags with number tags tied to each toe, lie one above the other on steel racks inside a giant freezer in Detroit’s central mortuary, like discarded shoes in the back of a wardrobe.

Some have lain here for years, but in recent months the number of unclaimed bodies has reached a record high. For in this city that once symbolised the American Dream many cannot even afford to bury their dead.

After years of gross mismanagement by the city’s leaders and the big three car manufacturers of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, who continued to make vehicles that Americans no longer wanted to buy, Detroit today has an unemployment rate of 28 per cent, higher even than the worst years of the Great Depression.

Today in GOP stupid: Acorn stole the election!

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Poll: Majority Of Republicans Think Obama Didn’t Actually Win 2008 Election — ACORN Stole It!

The new national poll from Public Policy Polling (D) has an astonishing number about paranoia among the GOP base: Republicans do not think President Obama actually won the 2008 election — instead, ACORN stole it.

This number goes a long way towards explaining the anger of the Tea Party crowd. They not only think Obama’s agenda is against America, but they don’t think he was actually the choice of the American people at all! Interestingly, NY-23 Conservative candidate Doug Hoffman is now accusing ACORN of stealing his race, and Fox News personalities have often speculated about ACORN stealing the 2008 Minnesota Senate race for Al Franken.

The poll asked this question: “Do you think that Barack Obama legitimately won the Presidential election last year, or do you think that ACORN stole it for him?” The overall top-line is legitimately won 62%, ACORN stole it 26%.

Among Republicans, however, only 27% say Obama actually won the race, with 52% — an outright majority — saying that ACORN stole it, and 21% are undecided. Among McCain voters, the breakdown is 31%-49%-20%. By comparison, independents weigh in at 72%-18%-10%, and Democrats are 86%-9%-4%.

Now, the obvious comparison would be that many Democrats felt that George W. Bush didn’t legitimately win the 2000 election. But there are some clear differences.

First of all, Al Gore empirically won the national popular vote in 2000, and lost in a disputed recount process in Florida. By comparison, John McCain lost the national popular vote by a 53%-46% margin.

In order to believe that Obama wasn’t the true winner of the 2008 election, one would have to think that ACORN (and perhaps other groups) stuffed ballots to the tune of over 9.5 million votes, Obama’s national margin.

PPP communications director Tom Jensen says: “Belief in the ACORN conspiracy theory is even higher among GOP partisans than the birther one, which only 42% of Republicans expressed agreement with on our national survey in September.”

If you’re interested in an election that actually was subject to tampering, read about Ohio 2004.

Oprah to finally hush in 2011?

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Oprah Winfrey to end her talk show in 2011

The Oprah Winfrey Show is to end in September 2011 after more than two decades on air, the production company behind the programme has said.

Billionaire Ms Winfrey, 55, one of the most influential women in the US, has hosted the show since 1986.

A spokesman for the star’s Harpo production company would not say why Winfrey had decided to quit, but said she would discuss it on Friday’s show.

Excellent!

Winfrey is expected to focus instead on the launch of her own TV channel.

Oh hell.

Bummer: No bongs for Christmas

Friday, November 20th, 2009

316,000 Bongs Land Someone on Customs’ Naughty List

Custom officials unwrapped a surprise Tuesday at the Port of LA/Long Beach — 316,000 glass bongs disguised as Christmas ornaments.

The shipment’s value was estimated at more than $2.6 million. The fake ornaments were hidden inside 860 boxes that arrived from China in a shipping container.

Agents said the items were decorated like Christmas ornaments.

Customs spokeswoman Cristina Gamez says the importer remains under investigation and there have been no arrests.

Wow, no arrests for shipping molded pieces of painted glass? Imagine. Our nation trembles in fear until this evil, evil deed has been dealt with. Think of the children!

Leonid meteor shower clouds

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

cloud

going to work witnessed this cloud. it was BLUE!!!

David Lynch…coffee?

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

What the….

dl coffee

Texas homophobes: The stupid, it burns…

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Texas gay marriage ban may have outlawed all marriages in Texas

In 2005, the state of Texas adopted an amendment to its Constitution that said marriage in the state could only be between one man and one woman. The amendment also declared: “This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.” Now, Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, is saying that the second section effectively “eliminates marriage in Texas”:

She calls it a “massive mistake” and blames the current attorney general, Republican Greg Abbott, for allowing the language to become part of the Texas Constitution. Radnofsky called on Abbott to acknowledge the wording as an error and consider an apology. She also said that another constitutional amendment may be necessary to reverse the problem.

“You do not have to have a fancy law degree to read this and understand what it plainly says,” said Radnofsky, who will be at Texas Christian University today as part of a five-city tour to kick off her campaign.

Abbott’s spokesman Jerry Strickland replied to Radnofsky’s charge by saying, “The Texas Constitution and the marriage statute are entirely constitutional.” This isn’t the first time the reach of the second section has been questioned. Before the amendment passed, a group called Save Texas Marriage warned that a judge could potentially void all marriages in the state if the language became part of the Texas Constitution.

doh

Tasering 10 year olds. Ain’t ya proud?

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Arkansas cop uses Taser on 10-year-old girl

It was an encounter one Ozark 10-year-old will likely never forget.

Called to a home to help control an allegedly “unruly child,” an Ozark police officer was reportedly told by the girl’s mother that he could use the electric weapon to subdue her, according to 40/29 News Arkansas.

However, the girl supposedly kicked the officer in the groin when he approached. “He had no other choice [but to Taser her],” Ozark Police Choief Jim Noggle reportedly said. “He had to get the child under control.”

According to the Associated Press, the officer’s name is Dustin Bradshaw. His aggressive approach to dealing with a child has the girl’s father enraged.

“If you can’t pick the kid up and take her to your car, handcuff her, then I don’t think you need to be an officer,” Anthony Medlock reportedly said.

And a jewel of a mother as well.

Loony toon Bachmann’s in trouble now

Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Watchdog demands probe of Rep. Bachmann’s anti-health bill care rally

Poor Michelle Bachmann can’t seem to catch a break lately.

Less than a week after Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart, of all people, poked holes in a Fox report on her November 5th tea party healthcare protest which utilized falsified footage to inflate the attendance, a Washington D.C. based watchdog is calling for a House probe of the Republican congresswoman from Minnesota.

“CREW contends that Rep. Bachmann misused her official congressional website by urging people to come to the Capitol to protest the legislation despite House rules restricting members from using their websites to engage in ‘grassroots lobbying or solicit support for a Member’s position,” states a press release on the website for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. “Rep. Bachmann’s website urged people to come to the Capitol rally ‘and tell their Representatives to vote no’ on the health care reform bill.”

CREW excutive director Melanie Sloan adds, “Taxpayers fund members’ websites and because of that those sites may not be used to organize a public rally for or against any particular legislation.”

Couldn’t happen to a more suitable dingbat.