If you’re wondering..

Firstly, what is torture? Well, how about a bit of historical perspective?

“In 1947, the U.S. sentenced a Japanese military officer, Yukio Asano, to 15 years of hard labor for using a form of water-boarding,” Maureen Byrnes, Executive Director of Human Rights First, said.

60 years ago water-boarding was considered torture and a punishable offense as a war crime. That’s a fact.

So what do we say to the people who say that “it was a different time”, and that we are now living under different circumstances. Is that to say that sometimes it’s OKAY to torture someone? Are we to consider the offense first, before determining that water-boarding is acceptable? Or are we to assume the position that the end, in this case, justifies the means?

I say no. I say water-boarding is wrong and will always be wrong.

Today it was found online — The torture memo (PDF) that George W. Bush himself signed. I believe this is the infamous torture memo that John Woo authored. The National Lawyers guild wants Woo fired from his post at the Berkeley Law School because of this memo.

ABC News aired a segment on their daily news show that after a five month investigation, they could say that Bush’s most senior officials not only knew about the torture they were inflicting on suspected terrorists, but decided down to the last detail exactly how much torture to inflict.

Some say republicans are turning back the clock on human rights by 60 years. I say this is partly true. I think many democrats are also complicit in this.

We private citizens haven’t done enough to try to stop this bullshit from happening. Why aren’t we in the streets. Why aren’t we on the white house lawn with signs crying foul? Why has apathy taken over as if it were a disease?

You may remember when I started this blog I mentioned wanting a harley. Well, The dream is alive again. I’ve decided I don’t want an 883 though. I want the 1200 Custom model.

I’m currently saving up for it. You’ll notice the meter over to the right of the blog. That’ll show you how close I am. As soon as it gets to $7,000 I’ll be buying it! If you want to help me get to my goal, I would be very appreciative. If you donate, be sure to provide a name and a link and I’ll update this post with that information.

Here’s what the bike I want looks like:

Just days after it was determined that the video showing US was threatened in waters near Iran was FAKED (yes, our government has admitted it as well), Bush is out yet again warning of a threat from Iran. The rhetoric and the FUD from the George “Warmonger” Bush never stops.

CNN’s article on the front page said “Bush: Iran threatens World Security”. I have it another way…

full size here

Update: To clarify, The US government hasn’t admitted that the video was faked. The official position is that some unknown person came over the military radio waves and transmitted the “I am coming for you” message, or whatever the message was. Our government now believes that it WAS NOT Iran who transmitted the message.

This past week, one of the most amazing productions could have been heard on Sirius Satellite Radio. “A History of Howard Stern” is one of the most ambitious radio documentaries I’ve ever heard. I liken it to the “Planet Earth” documentary in that SO much time went into creating it.

In this history of Howard Stern, you’ll hear radio clips from hartford, Connecticut, from DC101, and from his time at WNBC. It’s all ordered chronologically and between each segment there are interviews from those involved explaining how things went down and giving insight into what happened. It’s truly amazing.

If they ever sell this series, you should buy and listen to this. If you know where to look, you can already find it online.

I don’t mean to mince words. Willful ignorance = stupidity. That’s exactly what Sherri has in spades.
I offer two recent videos up for proof on this.

#1. Sherri thinks the Earth is Flat. - During a discussion of evolution, Whoopie tried to make a point about how scientists have proven things that some christians in history have challenged. This led the discussion to the world being round. Sherri apparently thought the Earth was flat.

#2. Sherri thinks Nothing came before Christians. Apparently Sherri has narcolepsy and slept through every history class she ever had. How can someone on a Nationally televised show not know what “B.C” means when it applies to the timeline of history? Maybe they have her on the show for laughs? (read: to make fun of her).
I can see her being the butt of all the office jokes. Chicken of the sea anyone?

I haven’t posted in a while so I’ve decided to talk about some of the things I’ve been focusing on, and link to some items of interest.

A white guy recently rapped about being an every day normal guy. The lyrics are surprisingly good, and the camera work is commendable.

I found a really fun game to teach you geography. A friend of mine said that anything that can be taught, can be taught better with a game. I agree. Check it out, It’s completely addictive.

Stephen King was interviewed by TIME magazine, wherein he suggests Jenna Bush should be waterboarded and quizzed about its torturous effects. I see his point, but I’m not sure that was the best way to make his point. Still a great interview though.

Evan spent only $30 on food for a month. He blogs about it and it’s a fairly cool register of events. Go check it out.

Ever wonder what foods go together? worry no longer. This is a great food pairing guide. Almost too extensive.

Intelligent Guess published a report showing the US Debt historically, as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product starting from the Great Depression. You might be surprised to see that our debt has more recently gone up during republican administrations. Another cool graph from Yale Economist Robert Shiller shows a history of home values adjusted with inflation adjusted to today’s dollars, going back to 1890.

On a heavier note, AP President Tom Curley writes an article about one of his own employees being charged as a terrorist, and talks about the totally amazing lack of rights shown him by our government. Most notable: “We believe Bilal’s crime was taking photographs the U.S. government did not want its citizens to see. That he was part of a team of AP photographers who had just won a Pulitzer Prize for work in Iraq may have made Bilal even more of a marked man.” Bilal’s lawyer has so far been given no information about what his client is charged with, or even WHEN he is scheduled to appear before a judge. Fair? Democratic? I think not. Who’s ready for a revolution? If this doesn’t piss you off, you should think about what it means to call yourself living in a free society.

Let’s face it - censorship sucks. The suppression of thought, ideas and knowledge by religions, countries, school districts need to be stopped. These books were at one time, or are now, banned by a school district, country, or religion. You should read every one of these books

I created this list on amazon.com so if you want to send me a book, you’ll help me complete my library

Recently, I was directed to an article about an event that happened in Jena, Louisiana where a black student asked Jena High School administration if he could sit under “the white tree”. Here are the details:

In September 2006, a black student at Jena high school asked permission from school administrators to sit under the “white tree.” School officials advised them to sit wherever they wanted. They did.
The next day, three nooses, in the school colors, were hanging from the “white tree.” The message was clear. “Those nooses meant the KKK, they meant ‘Niggers, we’re going to kill you, we’re going to hang you till you die,’” Casteptla Bailey, mom of one of the students, told the London Observer.

School spirit or racism? I think it’s pretty clear. The principal expelled the boys who put the nooses up, but the superintendent of schools over-ruled the principal and gave the students a three day suspension saying that the nooses were just a youthful stunt. “Adolescents play pranks,” the superintendent told the Chicago Tribune, “I don’t think it was a threat against anybody.”

Youthful stunt? What the hell? How very 1860 of the Jena superintendent.

On Monday, December 4, at Jena High, a white student – who allegedly had been making racial taunts, including calling African American students “niggers” while supporting the students who hung the nooses and who beat up the black student at the off-campus party – was knocked down, punched and kicked by black students. The white victim was taken to the hospital treated and released. He attended a social function that evening.

Six black Jena students were arrested and charged with attempted second degree murder. All six were expelled from school.

Black students decided to resist and organized a sit-in under the “white tree” at the school to protest the light suspensions given to the noose-hanging white students.

The white District Attorney then came to Jena High with law enforcement officers to address a school assembly. According to testimony in a later motion in court, the DA reportedly threatened the black protesting students saying that if they didn’t stop making a fuss about this “innocent prank… I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen.” The school was put on lockdown for the rest of the week.

Worst enemy eh? Sounds like blacks aren’t allowed the freedoms provided under the 1st amendment of the constitution, but that’s just my opinion. Call me crazy, but I like black people. Guess what - they’re people - I’m not kidding. Someone tell Jena.
This is the question: Had white students protested and sat under the tree on behalf of the blacks or even sat with the blacks, would the DA have come and threatened the students? I’m guessing not. And I’m a damn good guesser.

On the morning of the trial, the DA reduced the charges from attempted second degree murder to second degree aggravated battery and conspiracy. Aggravated battery in Louisiana law demands the attack be with a dangerous weapon. The dangerous weapon? The prosecutor was allowed to argue to the jury that the tennis shoes worn by Bell could be considered a dangerous weapon used by “the gang of black boys” who beat the white victim.

Most shocking of all, when the pool of potential jurors was summoned, fifty people appeared – every single one white.

Seems here like we have an opportunity to appeal on the grounds that the part of the law that says “Jury of your peers” was pretty much ignored. I’m wondering if you have to qualify for a certain level of racism to be allowed to be a juror in Jena? Couldn’t they have at least moved the trial to a different parish?

How about moving it to Lincoln parish? Oh wait, even there the blacks have their own town (Grambling) apart from the white folks. I’m going to get major grief from my relatives and friends in Ruston (where I was raised - which is the “white town” in Lincoln parish). But I don’t care. I think Louisiana has to be one of the most racist states in the USA. Anyone remember David Duke? He was the former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, and later became to represent the people of Louisiana by becoming a member of the house of representatives in the state of Louisiana (at different times, for both republican and democratic parties). You can’t tell me or anyone else that politics in Louisiana aren’t messed up.

If you want to read the full article: http://freethejenasix.com/

Update: The “white tree” at the high school has been cut down! Yay.

as an act of civil disobedience, I updated the wikipedia entry for Jena high school. I changed the school motto from “student learning is our top priority” to “student racism is our top priority”. In case they wise up, I’ve included an image for proof.

Update: CNN has posted a story about this situation today. Maybe now it will get appropriate coverage.

Here’s a little background info: R.L. White is the president (for now) of the Atlanta chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He feels Michael Vick should be given a chance to redeem himself. Here’s one of my favorite quotes from White ():

“In some instances, I believe Michael Vick has received more negative press than if he would’ve killed a human being,” White said. “The way he is being persecuted, he wouldn’t have been persecuted that much had he killed somebody.”

Really? persecuted? Guess what - HE COMMITTED A HEINOUS F***ING CRIME! Does White really think Vick has been persecuted more than O.J. Simpson who (was accused of killing) killed someone. OK, OK, so they found him not guilty.

White also said he didn’t understand the uproar over dogfighting, when hunting deer and other animals is perfectly acceptable. That’s when my idiot alarm went to “hyperactive”. This guy has clearly never hunted. If he had, he’d understand that hunting game isn’t a game at all. Every single hunter I know does it for food. I’m pretty sure Vick didn’t fight dogs so he could cook him up some dead dog viddles. Unless that’s a big thing in Atlanta? I didn’t think so.

How does The National Association for the ADVANCEMENT of Colored people benefit from supporting a black athlete who seems to have done nothing but the opposite of advancement for his race?

At the core, this issue isn’t about being black, about dogs, about black dogs, or even about black dogs that were electrocuted and drowned by Vick. This is about a morality clause in his contract with the NFL. He broke the rules, and not just by a tad. He gambled with animals’ lives on the line. He tortured animals. He shouldn’t be in the NFL anymore — it’s that simple.

That the NAACP allows its leaders to support such sorry examples of black men, shows that they have lost focus and shows that they care more about blindly supporting black people, and not just the advancement of colored people.

Hearing this news about the NAACP is almost as bad as when they blindly supported Tawana Bradley. I hope the NAACP remembers two of their lawyers were disbarred because of that debacle. Those two didn’ even show up for their disbarment trial.