"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." Abraham Lincoln

Now I understood for the first time that all these problems are caused by a race asleep and thrashing about in its panicked nightmares. There will be wars and holocausts and genocides as long as God is portrayed and thought of as a tight-minded legislator, a feudal lord, an offended King, a hypersensitive Artisan &endash; even if church managers condescendingly tack onto that ridiculous list the not-very-convincing footnote that He is also loving. As long as people dream that they are insecure and needy in some sort of eternal jeopardy, there will be atrocities. But as the human race grows up spiritually, and as individuals gain a personal experience of the God they have been worshipping in fear, they will recognize that much of their theology and philosophy is built on nightmares. That will be the day of peace. I suddenly found myself unwilling to sit it out in the mountains of Utah. I wanted to play an active role in the process of the world's awakening. &endash; George Fowler, "Dance of a Fallen Monk"

"The Irish do not lend themselves to psychoanalysis." S. Freud

Be honorable yourself if you wish to associate with honorable people. -- Welsh Proverb

"Is there any man, is there any woman, let me say any child here, that does not know that the seed of war in the modern world is industrial and commercial rivalry?" --Woodrow Wilson, 1919

And, in honor of his life, these quotations from Martin Luther King:

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

"I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word."

"The time is always right to do what is right.

Be sure to look at: http://words-of-power.blogspot.com/

Have a Laugh 1) Here is a site with loads of humorous animations. They have great fun lampooning "Team Bush" 2) How Republicans have changed: Garrison Keeler gives them the yuck-yuck factor, big time. (083004b), 3) This Modern World: Tom Tomorrow This cartoon appears in 150 papers, 4) Get your daily Doonesbury and And if you can stand my strains: Sing Along with "Songs of Bush" And as for those quotes I've included in this newsletter? Here's where you can find them.

Special note: the links

The reference number indicates one of the following; the date that I received the original link, the date of the story, or the date I filed it. My methodology for making the reference numbers has changed over time. Most usually the reference is within a few days of the original story.

If a link does not work and you want a story I can email you the web page, if you include the reference number. Thanks so much...read on!

Are the hawks "getting their groove together"? Some evidence points just that way, but, of course, only time will tell. (042808e)

So, does all this privatization of the military, such as Blackwater, really save money? Do you think that after some five years we'd have some solid evidence one way or another? Do you think that we'd have some way of comparing public versus private funding? The answer is no we do not. So, do we go back to the drawing board? No. (042808b)

"Muddle East" Central Theater: Gaza &endash; Israel - Jordan &endash; Lebanon &endash; Palestine &endash; Syria

Syria:

One wonders when this story will finally clarify itself, the Bombing in Syria what was the building. This story talks about the pictures and how they "don't add up" (050108c)

You know outside of the fact that the structure destroyed by Israel was/is unknown it is amazing that so much "detail" is available, even pictures which seem to be shot from inside. So here is the take I've taken. They say that the reactor was a year away from really producing any fissile material and it was bombed into dust. Now Iran is also at that very same stage, so is it OK to bomb its reactor into dust? No matter that the basic logic is that if Israel can have nukes why can't its neighbors? (042808a)

Greater Islamic Region: Eastern Theater: - Afghanistan - Iraq - Iran - Kurdistan - Pakistan - Saudi Arabia

Cheney dances to the beat of a different drummer, war drums that is and he is all over the tom &endash; toms like a fat evangelical on a stack of porno rags. (042908a)

Afghanistan:

The Taliban suffer setbacks but are still contenders &endash; is the end near? (050308g)

A "nationwide trend of rising violence" as the insurgency moves northward and strikes in Kabul itself making a try for Karzai (042908c)

Iraq:

Walling is big business in and around the country … can you spell success? (042908g)

Forgive me but this does not SEEM like the capital is pacified very well, does it? (042908b)

It seems that the attacks on the Green Zone continue when conditions are favorable for example when a sandstorm occludes (042708a)

Are we seeing the long slow end to the "surge effect"? (050108f)

Iran:

What is the view from an Iranian perspective? Are they under the gun? Do the act like it? (050308e)

Our CIA director makes direct accusations regarding Iranian involvement in Iraq saying that the Iranian government is fully aware and approving of their surrogates attacks on US forces (050108c)

Well, the Iranians don't think they'll be attacked anytime soon. I wonder if they are right. (042808c)

And while it seems Iran does send stuff over the border, what is being sent, how much is sent and to whom are something of open questions. (042808d)

The Greater Islamic Theater: - India - Russia - China - South East Asia

Azerbaijan:

Seems like supplies for Iran's reactor being shipped from Russia have run into a road block. One wonders just how that came to be (042708b)

Korea:

So what is up with the Korea problem? It seems like they feel they can go tit to tat with us, if not quite toe to toe, and, it seems, the US under Bush has made matters measurably worse. (050308f)

The closing of west coast salmon fisheries because of a decline in stocks. This is at least partly due to climate change researchers say. (040308b)

Poles apart the arctic and Antarctic react to the human induced planetary climate change in nearly opposite fashions. (050308a)

The greedy bastards play pinochle while poisons percolate. The EPA offs one its own because DOW was having a hard time keeping everyone's head buried in the stinking sand or whatever. (050208b)

Frabjous Day Calloo Kallay, but do we chortle in our joy? No. A new strain of stem rust is making its debut in the breadbaskets of Asia &endash; it can only worsen an already difficult situation with food supplies (042908e)

In this follow up story the salient is that the fungus is evolving, of course, and the recent strain is more virulent. Not good news, eh? (050108a)

So even Texas realizes that ethanol fueled increases in the price of corn is "bad" in more ways than one. (042708c)

Stealth foods? That's right additives that do not add flavor, rather they turn your tongue off! (050108a)

Part one, the nature of what is called a food crisis is misleading, there is no shortage of food, what there is, is mismanagement, corruption, ethanol production, global warming and fakery. Not that the deprivation or starvation is not real, it is. (042708d) Wall Street has a role. Part two, how the price inflation is felt in a few selected sites around the world. (042708e) And Part three, the article wraps up with a discussion of the role ethanol and that of governments. (042708f)

This assessment has it that the oceans are stressed out, over fished &endash; but it is the "wild west" out on the open sea (042808g)

Even a place that tries harder than most still has to face the effects of global warming. (042808h)

Can you live off debt if the debt is not redeemable? That has been the experiment now coming to call on the US and the financial structure of the world. (050308h)

And the debt keeps going up and on and on and on (050308i)

The spike in food prices world wide is alarming as are the number of nations experiencing food crises and placing restrictions on exports (042808d)

In an unguarded moment McStain, touting HIS energy plan, says something to the effect that his plan will prevent our soldiers from fighting for oil again. Which means we ARE fighting for oil? (050308d)

While Obama has to answer questions the Bushes don't have to say a work about their connections to Moon and his "moonies" or millions (050208a)

Already one million people who wanted to vote couldn't. The primaries seems to be skewed. Maybe the one thing the royal jackass and his minions learned from 2006 was that all their "fixes" were still not enough, so more are in the making. (042908i)

Voter ID laws are controversial, not that I disagree with the idealized intent: that only voters should vote (042908d) More on that decision and its effect on the upcoming primaries and the November election as well. (042908g)

And then there are the humorous ideas here and the serious ones as well, if voter fraud is the problem why focus on whether or not individual voters have their ID? Where there is little evidence of danger when you COULD focus on the voting machines where there is lots and lots of evidence of fraud, corruption or manipulation. Where is the law suit for that? (042908h)

Broad trends show that as money tightens up so do people's spending but it's not that they are not spending, but they ARE changing how they spend and their priorities. (042708g) Maybe all these job losses can be a contributing factor? (050308c)

Empty houses are more and more common and so they become a law enforcement concern when criminals use them for various purposes. (042708h) Why doesn't someone start a house sitter service and send teams around to mow lawns, clean up appearances and inspect the inside of the empties every once in a while? Part two, the empty houses correlate with a rise in crime (042708i)

Is 12 to one fair? I ask you, is it? But what if big papers say that it is! What then? (050108e)

As long ago as 1958 the battle for keeping real, award winning, "in your face" news on the air was being fought. Legendary Edward R. Murrow, when cast off, spoke of it in words as relevant today as they were back when he spoke them. (042708j)

There is always hope. Increasingly it may not seem that way. However, I believe, despite appearances, that the truth will out, justice will prevail, and that we are on the way to a better world. I have faith that this will be a good year. I choose to harbor hope.

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Find out what the cost of the war is, what it could buy if it was spend in your community, on housing, medicine, schools and so on. Yes, its in dollars, sense, and programs. (http://costofwar.com/) And this article shows who set it up and how it works.

For a range of current stories go to Cursor.org. or look at Slate Msn.com for: Today's Paper For a more radical view go to Project Censored covers the uncovered but discovered stories that inquiring minds would want to know about. Then, if you want to get your "Bush" rush, check out the Daily Mislead for Bushisms and what is "goin' on" And finally, If you're not happy and you know it, Impeach Bush

A review of relevant media stories regarding 9/11 each listing has a brief synopsis and a link to the original story, see, wanttoknow.info

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