Oh My, They're Really Outraged......Again...

On Friday, John McCain unveiled his first general election television ad. In it we were reminded that John McCain was a real American and proud to be an American in America running for the American Presidency. Perhaps it was a little redundant in its use of the word America, or perhaps a wee bit condescending to an electorate, but none the less, it manged to use the word American too many times in one sentence and of course, the Democratic National Committee offered a rather mild criticism of the ad.
Howard Dean called McCain "another out of touch Bush Republican who promises four more years of the same failed leadership."
The ad also included interrogation footage from the Vietnam era inprisonment by the North Vietnamese.. Dean commented, "While we honor McCain's military service, the fact is Americans wantt a leader who offers real solutions, not a blatant opportunist who doesn't understand the economy and is promising to keep our troops in Iraq for 100 years."
Deans criticisms seemed pretty tame and routine, but Frank Donatelli of the Republican National Committee was outraged! How dare a political opponent rebut and criticize St. John McCain, especially an expensive election ad!

Donatelli demanded, "Howard Dean owes John McCain an immediate apology and both Senators Clinton and Obama should unequivically denounce this disgraceful attack!"
The RNC added that Dean's remarks amounted to a "character smear".

They are outraged? They demand an apology? These are the lame tactics we can expect from the Republicans? Isn't conservative outrage becoming a rather pathetic over used concept already? They are going to stay in a constant indignant snit for the next eight excruciating months? Aren't they afraid it might get a little boring at the pity party?
C'mon, McCain is the most shameless "blatant opportunist" in American politics today! Haven't the conservative pundits and poobahs been pontificating endlessly about McCain's voluminous flip-flop list? If they are outraged now, what kind of emotional pinnical will they have to ascend to after McCain gets royally creamed in a debate?

Yeah, so conservatives are really outraged, what ever...Does anyone care any more?

-BQ

The official first Barbeque of the year took place here in La Sechere on Saturday night! We had a tiny window of opportunity, a beautiful warm spring day that appeared after a week of rain and wind, and as the coals died down in the darkness, the day before France officially switched to daylight savings time, a new storm was on the horizon.
I got out the barbeque and fired it up with charcoal briquets, using trimmings from the fig tree as kindling. We had a few guests and I had thawed out a few magret de canard we had bought during the foir au gras a few months earlier.
I don't know how available magret de canard is in the USA, so this might be a vicarious post if you want to try this. Here, we are in the land of ducks and the type of duck raised is the Barbary. They are as big as geese and raised commercially for foie gras and confit. The males have big muscular breasts and each side is like a small beef tenderloin with a layer of fat.
The meat is red like beef and many people, including myself swear that they would rather have a perfectly cooked magret than a beef steak.
It is one of the culinarty specialities of Southwest France. In a pan, it is seared and cooked very quickly over a hot fire. The meat should be rare and sliced thinly before serving.
The fat side of the breast is scored diagonally with a sharp knife.
I enjoy barbequed duck breast. I score the breasts, then when the fire is nice and even, I put the breasts, lean side on the hot grill and then move them after a few seconds to sear them with an X pattern from the gill.
Then I flip them and the fat renders. This can present a problem, but if you are a watchful griller and keep moving them, you can avoid incineration from fat flare ups. I usually find that over a hot grill they take about 12 minutes.
Let them rest on the cutting board for 5 minutes, then slice no more than 1/4 inch thick and serve! The slices should be pink inside!
We traditionally serve them with sauteed potatoes, cooked in duck fat with garlic and parsley and a fresh green salad.
I serve the magret with sweet accents also. On Saturday night, I had mirabelle plums from last year. I also like fig jam as a sweet accent. Duck goes well with fruit. The classic roast ducks are with cherries or a l'orange.
A very wonderful classic dish is the sauteed duck breast done in a hot pan. The pan is then deglazed with just a bit of white wine, then green pepper corns are added with a bit of cream. The duck is served the same way, carved thin and with the sauce on the side. I love green pepper corns. My wife brought back some fresh green pepper corns from a market in Thailand, which she froze and we have been enjoying them for a few weeks now! They seem to be impossible to find anywhere except of course for the bottled ones.........they are good too.
Well, if you can find nice thick Barbary Duck Breasts to Barbeque, try this!
Bon Apetit, bien sur!

More Peace!

These badges are the Chinese spelling for PEACE and are available from Reporters Without Borders. They have developed the badges and are promoting a campaign to get as many people as possible,who actually go to the Beijing Olympics to wear them.
Of couurse they are calling for a total boycott of the games and I support that as well!
Here is the pwerful official graphic they have been using to promote the boycott.


So far a few countries including Germany are going to boycott the opening ceremonies. The poignant reports from Tibet in the last few days which even the state sponsored controlled trip to Lhasa couldn't suppress have painted a picture of cultural and religious persecution that has gone on brutally for 50 years.
The Chinese government has tried to spin it as irresponsible thuggery. They paint the Tibetans who did riot as violent criminal dissidents and have denied and tried to change the actual history of the region. They ignore the fact that the Tibetans have been discriminated against in their own land and treated like second class citizens while other ethnic groups have been transplanted to the region in an attempt to eradicate Tibetan identity.
In the last week, the organization Avaaz, which works for human rights all over the world has collected over a million signatures. They have been working inside Tibet and China for years. Sign this petition now and take a little time to learn about Avaaz and what they have done and plan to accomplish. They would like to have 2 million signatures by the middle of the week. We are attempting to participate in a consumers boycott of Chinese goods. So far, there are a few thousand people participating. Maybe, somehow, we can persuade the Chinese Government to have realistic talks with the Dalai Lama and resolve this situation.

I have been asked how I can support the rights of religious group being in a sense anti-religious. I have never said that I oppose the right of any religion to exist or the right of anyone to believe what they like. I, myself, feel that organized religion is a stage of the development of human society and conciousness that was neccessary, but like all things that develop and grow, our collective conciousness has reached the point where we are able to see beyond the past. I feel that some religions have a more enlightened theology that enables them ot be a part of this on going evolution..
Some religions have been able to leap ahead in their development of the concious and unconcious mind.
I also feel that the growth of religions and their popular acceptance have more to do with political power and social movements. I see examples of this every day.
I try to promote with my stance towards religion, on this blog, the idea that organized religion is a stagnating force and we live in a time of great flux. In this very crucial part of our develoment as a specie, we can easily destroy ourselves by not making it through this dangerous bottle neck.
If you want to talk about religion on this blog, please do not try to use it as a tool to try to proslytize and convert. We can talk about concepts, respectfully, but I will not tolerate hysteria.

PEACE AT LAST!

Earlier this week, it was the "sleep deprived mis speaking" that led Hillary to give us her fantasy action figure version of her trip to Bosnia. Unfortunately, she had mis spoken 3 times earlier on this ame subject.
The above video is a production of the Jed Report and shows that she has mis spoke for months now regarding her role in the Irish Peace Process.
What next? A compilation of her mis spoken sleep deprived statements on NAFTA?

Realistically, it is one thing to mislead the public in the heat of the primaries. It is easily done. Hillary's campaign seems to believe that this kind of mis speaking is something that can be swept under the carpet after she gets the nomination.
In the real campaign, this is the stuff that will be used to destroy her by a armed and loaded Republican trash machine.

We can't afford to have a candidate who's record is built on mis speaking and exagerrations. A network of lies, so easy to expose, will become the very ammunition used by the Republicans and the Conservative Press.

The Earth Is Flat

A debate between an Iraqi "Researcher on Astronomy" and a physicist on Iraqi television. Apparently, this is an important question in the Fundamentalist Islamic world...as well in the Fundamentalist Christian World....
We now take you to Bagdhad, Kansas......

-From the transcript-

Interviewer: Lunar and solar eclipses, sunset and sunrise, and the changing of seasons -- how would you explain all these phenomena, if the Earth is not round, as you claim?

Fadhel Al-Sa'd: The sun circles the Earth because it is smaller than the Earth, as is evident in Koranic verses.

Have you ever seen how the sun moves? I have seen the sun moving. The sun makes one move every 24 hours.

What I say is based on Koranic science. He bases his arguments on the kind of science that I reject categorically -- the modern science that they teach in schools. This science is a heretic innovation that has no confirmation in the Koran. No verse in the Koran indicates that the Earth is round or that it rotates. Anything that has no indication in the Koran is false.

Sad Ironic Question: Don't you feel that you could substitute the word, Bible for the word, Koran and the same debate could be aired in the United States and defended as freedom of religion?

AN OPEN WINDOW!

I would like to point you in the direction of a blog called
Islam&Muslims (the truth) by a young Egyptian man named Mohamed Fadly.
He is not trying to convert you to Islam, but his purpose is to give his perspective of what it means to be a Muslim and explain passionately, but rationally the real emotion, pain and frustration of the slow genocide in Palestine..
He wants to talk to you and he wants to know what you think. He has really only heard the viewpoints of a small group of conservative bloggers who are good at making a lot of noise. I can sense in his posts his openess and good nature slowly turning to cynical resignation as his passion is ridiculed and rebuffed. If you want a window into the feelings and ideas of a rational young man who truly wants peace and REAL justice in Palestine, he is ready to open it for you.

OBAMA/BLOOMBERG 08!

I haven't written much about the Democratic Party Nomination Battle. Lately, I have been more and more dismayed and appalled by Hillary and Bill.
I believe that if Hillary is the candidate, she will probably lose to McCain. I don't want that, but I already see how the Republicans are armed and ready to destroy her.
She has not helped herself lately and I think she is self destructing with her own miscalculated negativity and a sense that if she has to destroy Obama to win, she will.
What she hasn't calculated on is Barack Obama's resilincy and ability to grow in stature with every take down attempt.

There, I've said it! I support Barack Obama for President of the United States. So far, I like and admire him and I am not alone as a growing number of important endorsements are coming his way from the top and up from the bottom. I admire and respect the fact that while Hillary is scrambling for cash from the very rich donors, who are beginning to wonder if throwing more money into a black hole is worth it, Obama is getting allthe funding he needs from small donations from the people all over America who can believe in him!

There is just a little more than a hint of desparation when a group of her very wealthiest supporters try to blackmail Nancy Pelosi and threaten to stop donating to the Party if Hillary doesn't get the nomination. Interestingly, there is a list of the blackmailing donors available and you will be surprised at how many of them were guests in the Lincoln Bedroom in the Bill Clinton White House.

I won't even go into the Tusla "mis speak/sleep deprivation" debacle. Sheryl Crowe and the comedian Sinbad were on the same helicopter and have been telling their version for months, since Hillary mis spoke about this the first time last year... it's only now that any one is paying attention.

So, today, after a slight vacation and the polls showing that instead of destroying him, the Reverend Wright controversy only made it clear to a lot of folks in North Carolina that Barack Obama is a Christian, he is in New York to give an economic policy speech at The Cooper Union this evening.
This morning at a breakfast engagement hosted by Michael Bloomberg, Obama said of the mayor:

"I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for his extraordinary leadership. At a time when Washington is divided in old ideological battles, he shows us what can be achieved when we bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions. Not only has he been a remarkable leader for New York –he has established himself as a major voice in our national debate on issues like renewing our economy, educating our children, and seeking energy independence. Mr. Mayor, I share your determination to bring this country together to finally make progress for the American people."

The buzz in New York City is that Michael Bloomberg is on the verge of endorsing Barack Obama. The feeling is that there is more than a possibility that they are talking about a trans party ticket. Michael Bloomberg could be the vice presidential nominee. I'm for that! Talk about challenging expectations! What a unifying team it could be! Bloomberg, the Jewish mayor, self made billionaire and Obama, mixed race political genius. Both have the solid credentials to put together programs that will solve so many of the problems America faces..

In the race, McCain will only misread teleprompters and have to change his Depends during debates. Barack Obama and Michael Bloomberg have the goods to cut across race and political boundaries.
If this becomes reality they won't just win, they will conquer!

Spy In The House Of Love

Here's a piece of music from early 90's by a band I can't help loving, Was/Notwas.
Yes, they are slick as hell, with the incredible Sir Harry Bowens and Sweetpea Atkinson on vocals. Sir Harry was with the O'Jays for years and Sweetpea was on the Ford assembly line. Don Was on Bass and David Was on sax and flute.
I heard today that they are releasing a record next month after a hiatus of over 10 years working apart on other projects. Don went on to produce Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Cheb Khaled among others, David worked with Rickie Lee Jones and Wayne Kramer.
The record to be released next month is called BOO!

If you are interested, David Was has a blog and it looks like he is reporting on the progress of the revitalized Was/notWas...check it out from time to time!

FREE MONEY!

Last night on the ARTE Network, here in France, the Patti Smith Documentary, Dream Of Life was shown. A very amazing film that was made over a 10 year period. It went back and forth through time, with archival footage from the 70's up until some of the recent performances of the last few years. In it, you saw her children grow over a 10 year period, she introduced her parents and spoke about her companion of the 70's, Rober Mapplethorpe and her marriage to Fred Sonic Smith.
Patti Smith was one of the artists that re awakened my interest and passion for rock and roll in the mid 70's. She is one of the people who inspired me to write and play music. I met her in the 70's in Detroit with a friend who was a rock writer, after that I saw her every chance I could. I had known her husband, Fred when he was the other lead guitarist of the MC5 in Detroit and loved his work with The Sonic Rendezvous Band. I have profiled the Sonic Rendezvous on this blog and mentioned the career of Scott Morgan of the Rationals who was the lead singer. Wayne Kramer put out a very good tribute record after Fred died called Dodge and Main...I highly recommend it!
Check out this video of The Sonic Rendezvous.
This is a video of Free Money from 1976 performed in Stockholm. This is a woman who trancends the lable Female Rock Artist. She is a great poet and a powerful passionate performer. What a life, small town punk poet who worshipped Arthur Rimbaud, New York Artist who learned to weld her poetry to rock and was one of the inspirations to a generation of punk rockers! While touring and visiting Detroit, she became friends with the members of the MC5, who were considered the prototype, and still are one of the most powerful political/rock musical units of all time. At that time, Wayne Kramer was still in prison and her Detroit performances would always end with various mewmbers of the MC5 on stage yelling FREE WAYNE KRAMER.
Wayne was released from prison and became reborn as a great solo musician in the 90's.
Meanwhile, Patti fell in love with Fred Sonic Smith, married him, stopped making recordes and lived as a mother and house wife in East Detroit for 10 years. She and Fred made one Record together, People Have The Power.
Fred died of heart failure, and she moved on and was encouraged to go back on stage.
She has only gained stature as a great American artist, a powerful voice, an icon...

CUFI

"the United States must join Israel in a pre-emptive military strike against Iran to fulfill God's plan for both Israel and the West... a biblically prophesied end-time confrontation with Iran, which will lead to the Rapture, Tribulation, and Second Coming of Christ.".

This is a quote from Reverened James Hagee, the Evangelical Minister whose support and endorsement was so sought after by John McCain.
Hagee is one of the leaders of CUFI, Christians United For Israel, an organization which promotes the cause of Israel in America because they purport to believe in Israel's role in the scriptural fulfillment relating to the Rapture, Armageddon, The destruction of our world and
The end of time.
Soon after Hagee met with McCain, he released this email to his followers.

Pastor Hagee's email to members of CUFI:

CHRISTIANS UNITED FOR ISRAEL

Membership Update

January 29, 2007

Newsflash!

This morning I had an extended breakfast with Senator John McCain of Arizona. Our topic of discussion was Israel and his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States of America.

Senator McCain's comments concerning Israel are on target! He gets it! While I do not want to put the specifics of our conversation in this update I am glad to report to our leadership and supporters that John McCain is solidly pro-Israel.

We discussed his positions on other matters that I will share with you when I speak with you in person. This newsflash goes to the ends of the earth and I don't want to read it in the media tomorrow.

You did see, a few days later, McCain and Hagee appearing together and McCain gratefully accepting his endorsement.
Questions: Does McCain actually believe this interpretation of biblical scripture?
Who is using who here?
How involved is Israel with CUFI?

I personally believe that the abuse of the mindless belief of the masses to promote this insane doctrine is one of the gravest threats we face today...

A heaping helping of handy advice for politicians...
via crooksandliars.com

Flight of the Bumblebee!

This post was inspired by a fellow blogger, Village Green in Akron, Ohio.
She recently commented on my posting of Iggy Pop performing at Madonna's induction iinto the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Iggy performed Ray of Light by Madonna and turned it into a Stooges Piece. I remarked that I would like to see Madonna try to perform something of Iggy's...Now I Wanna Be Your Dog, not that I don't believe she couldn't, I just can't imagine it. Well, maybe I can...
Village Green recently featured some news about legendary Detroit Rocker, Suzi Quatro and I began to think, maybe Rock has always had a macho swagger about it, but there have been a lot of major woman rock artists who are not honored or really taken seriously because of their gender. A lot of times they are thought of as Novelty acts, but I would like to at least here, on thebrainpolice, try to jog our collective memories and feature some of the great artists, you forgot.
I would appreciate any suggestions for my WOMEN IN ROCK series. I will try to find videos and bio material.
To kick this off, I am posting a video of Jeniffer Batten. She is a major innovator in the world of guitar technique. She played on Michael Jackson's albums and in his touring band and recorded extensively on her own. She has been the second guitar in Jeff Becks touring band and a co writer on much of the work that has propelled Beck into his 5th decade as an innovative and visionary master of Rock guitar.
This is Jennifer performing Flight Of The Bumblebee with a symphony orchestra and shredding as no normal non super human on this planet is capable of!

PISENLIT

Ahhh, the first dandelions of spring. They are always the hardiest, lushest of the spring growth, ready to put out a tentative blossom at the first hint of sun and warmth.
To some, they are a curse, impossible to eradicate from an otherwise perfect lawn, to me, they are just a another plant that is good to eat!
The common French name is Pisenlit, literally pis=piss, en lit=in bed...piss in bed!
Why such a rude name? Because they are a gentle diuretic, the leaves and roots stimulate the kidneys to cleanse the blood and recycle nutrients. Unlike pharmeceutical diuretics, dandelions don't leach potassium from the body. Clear skin and improved general health are a reason why dandelions are eaten as a spring tonic by the people in the country. In markets, you can buy big dandelions all season.

In the spring, though, the plants are best before they flower. The dandelion is related to chicory, endives, batavias, salsify and lettuces. They have a mild bitter flavor.
A classic salad is the leaves with a mild mustard vinagrette with toasted croutons.

The basic vinagrette is 3 parts oil to one of wine vinegar and a little dijon or stone ground mustard. Salt and pepper to taste.

A more substantial salad is made with sauteed lardons, vinagrette and dandelion greens. A substitute for lardons would be chopped pieces of smoked bacon.

Today for lunch, we had a salad of mache, which is like baby spinach, dandelions, a dressing of a little mustard, cream and vinegar with walnuts. Yesterday a salad of endives, apple slices and dandelions...
At this rate, I won't have to mow the lawn!

Merci Jean McCain!

John McCain was in France today for a campaign photo op paid for by your tax dollars.
Now a grateful nation would like to thank John McCain!

IN LIVING COLOR

In the mid 80's, the FOX Network began broadcasting and became the innovator in offering programming that pushed the limits. They tried to position themselves in a Youth Oriented marjet with such programs as Arsenio Hall, The Simpsons, Married With Children and the ground breaking predominantly black cast of In Living Color by the Wayans Brothers.
Their marketing has shifted and as far as entertainment programming goes, they have the market, but FOX News has become the propaganda arm of the Bush Administration and there is a network of personal friends and Bush family members working for the Network. It was FOX News that announced that Bush had beaten Gore in the 2000 election while it was in the early stages of being contested.. A fact confirmed in in quite a few places, has Bush being called at his family home and okaying the strategic announcement that in effect was "making it so by saying it."
FOX News has been the main source of disinformation, smoke screens and down right false reporting attempting to sway public opinion and I have documented instances on this blog and any responsible media monitoring organization keeps a daily running tab of the propaganda flowing from it's tap.
In the wake of Barack Obamas Historic Speech on race this week, I was prepared to hear the usual distortions, misquotes and slanted analysis which I expect from them..
But, I was horrified with the continued non stop flow of utter racist fear and hate coming from their commentators.

On his Fox News radio show, Tom Sullivan predicted that African-Americans would be rioting in the streets similar to what happened after the O.J. trial in the 1990s.

"Let me put it to you a different way. What if Barack Obama is not -- does not win the Democratic nomination, or he does win it, and loses in the presidentiial race against John McCain? Is black America going to throw their hands up and say 'Man, you know, I thought we were getting somewhere in this country, but this is just a bunch of racial bigots in this country and they still hate blacks and, I mean, if Barack Obama can't get elected, then we're never gonna have anybody that's a black that's gonna be elected president.' And will there be rioting in the streets? I think the answer to that is yes and yes."

It will be interesting to see if the media takes Sullivan to task for his racist rhetoric.

Sullivan has also compared Obama to Hitler in the past by saying that they both had similar speech patterns.

Last weeks criticsm by Bill O'Reilly of comments on Ariana Huffingtons blog was a little bizarre because he compared Ariana to Hitler (again, the all too common invocation of Hitler by a conservative to smear an opponent).
He compared Ariana to Hitler because he didn't like the tone of comments made on her blog.
I went to FOX News' website today and the unleashed racist fury, one comment stoking and encouraging the next was over whelming. Here are two of hundreds!

"I am sooo tired of hearing how the black man has been mistreated since he was shipped over here to help build America! All I hear is them groveling over being victims.

They are the ones making themselves the victims with their attitude that whites owe them something for bringing their ancestors to the best country that has ever existed. All my life I have only witnessed the blacks with their hands out to the government expecting it to give them everything they want and shouting racist if they don’t get it! No wonder most whites have the opinion that blacks are worthless, lazy sloths who know only how to make more babies and steal everything not nailed down. Barak Lenin Obama, the big eared Muslim, is only fostering this “wo is me” attitude with his obvious prejudices. I, for one, like my white race over that of any other, so does that make me a racist? I don’t thing so. The black man will not break free from his self-imposed shackles until he picks himself up, dusts himself off and begins to provide for himself just like every other race has done who came to this country. Before the blacks can do this, however, they have to rid themselves of the likes of Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Farakan, and the good reverend Wright.

Here is another:

"Wow! Jan L. nailed it right on the head! Reparations? I’m waiting for my thank you! You blacks would be naked and eating bugs if it weren’t for white people. Name ONE successful society started by blacks. Any sign of civilization in Africa was started by Europeans. Any city in America with predominately black leaders is a cesspool. Look at New Orleans, Philadelphia, D.C., Detroit…"

Where is Mr. O'Reilly and his blog indignation now? Listen to the stuff that FOX spews out daily. It is almost as if they are trying to start a race war to boost ratings.

Is this how white Americans think? Was Barack Obama mistaken in trying to treat race hatred in a mature manner? Perhaps Republican Jesus can explain it for us:

Thanks to Patriot Boy for Republican Jesus. Check out his manly blog, Jesus General, today! It's in the side bar!

New Improved Protection!

My Friends, John McCain here. You might remember me from the 2008
Presidential Elections. I'm not a real candidate, but I play one on TV.
Running for President can really put the pressure on, if you know what I mean!
All this talk about the surge! Sometimes it gets a little too real.
Trust Depends to help you lead a normal happy active life.
When things get a little to tense, and pesky reporters ask questions that need facts,
Sunni, Shiite? Al Qaeda?
I'm ready for Wars, Wars and more Wars!
I know that I will always be able to Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran in total comfort.
I always feel secure when I'm wearing Depends
with New Improved Protection!

OLYMPIC BOYCOTT!

There is a world wide out cry getting louder by the minute as China brutally represses the protests in Tibet and several Chinese cities supporting cultural and political autonomy for Tibet.
The news is being controlled, internet access is being cut off and YouTube is being flooded with propaganda videos and people aggressively posting to support the Chinese hard line.
The video posted above was put on YouTube today and was clandestinely shot. If you go to YouTube there are many videos on line now and more every hour exposing the real brutality China is using to repress the protests.

Tibetan Culture has been systematically destroyed by the Chinese since the 1950's when the Dalai Lama was forced to flee to Nepal as a teenager. The Chinese try to show historically that Tibet was always a part of China, but Tibet has always had a unique cultural history. Tibetan Budhism is a direct link to a much older religion called Bon.
Budhism has had the unique ability to conform to the various cultures wher ever it spread. The very unique character of Tibetan Bon is very much a part of Tibetan Budhism.
Hundreds of temples have been destroyed with artifacts dating back to medieval times and before as well. Thousands of monks have been slaughtered and disappeared into prisons. The Chinese have been destroying Tibetan culture and identity by moving different groups into Tibet for 50 years to support the claim that Tibet is not made of a single ethnic group.
In spite of all of this, the Tibetan spirit and identity remains strong and intact.

We have seen a very deliberate and brutal disinformation campaign coming out of Beijing. We are told that this is plot that is being directed by the Dalai Lama and even that the Dalai Lama is a CIA operative. We are shown only Chinese victims of the violence and the numbers of Tibetans killed is denied and changes depending on which news release you hear.
If the nations of the world do not speak up, this brutal repression will continue and a virtual genocidial event will occur beyond the reach of television and the internet.

Here is a organization which has worked with other groups for Tibetan Liberation, they have an on line petition to sign.

I believe it is time to press for a general boycott of China's 2008 Olympics and the time to act is now. It is too bad that the United States has destroyed its moral high ground by its ongoing violations of human rights because any protest by Washington is being tossed off by the Chinese as hypocritical.

BOYCOTT THE 2008 CHINESE OLYMPICS! GRANT TIBET POLITICAL AND CULTURAL AUTONOMY NOW!

Tilting At Windmills

Last year, when Nicolas Sarkozy narrowly defeated Segolene Royal in the French presidential elections, the American conservative press was crowing about a new era in European politics and the death of the Left. In France, in the aftermath, it looked pretty grim; A very fractured Left that had spent more time in the campaign sniping at each other than giving united support against Sarkozy and his American style political tactics.
In fact, Segolene's own party was at war with itself as generations clashed.

But, this is the world of French politics and the American pundits have very little grasp or understanding of what is really taking place. Much faster than anyone would have dared to predict, the charm of Sarkozy wore thin and his plot began to unravel. He tried to run a government with the same technique of backstabbing and continual flow of substanceless ideas. He has surrounded himself with a coterie of ministers who cannot act on their own and are in continual fear of losing his favor and hence their position.

Most of all, the cult of his narcissiscm has become a tired litany of his name being constantly mentioned in each news cast. In the exit poll from the Munincipal elections 2nd tour yesterday, 65% of the voters said he should just shut up.

His slogan, Travaillez plus, gagnez plus (work more, earn more) has become a tired joke as his policies favoring business management and crushing unions has not stopped the flow of French Companies laying off workers for cheaper Eastern European Labor and prices have continued to skyrocket for the basic neccessities, of course, his Prime Minister, Francois Fillon will be happy to explain that the cost of imported cheap electronic goods from China has to be factored in, so in reality, no matter what you are paying at the supermarket and gas pump, things aren't that bad.

Last night in the 2nd tour, the results were evident. The Socialists were reborn and the Communists took cities. The Socialists now control 59 Departments in France and the majority of French Mayors are Socialists. The only big cities that retained UMP Mayors were Bordeaux, Agen, Biarritz and Marseille. Marseille by a thread!
2 of the ministers in Sarkozy's government lost their cities, including the hotly contested race in Perigueux, lost by Xavier Darcos.

One of the casualties of the election last night was Francois Bayrou's MODEM Party.
If you remember the American Press in the last election, Bayrou was touted as the "third man", the dark horse of French politics, as if he had risen out of obscurity.
Bayrou tries to represent a moderate position, he sees himself as the heir to his hero from his region,The French King, Henry IV, or Henry of Navarre. Henry IV is always referred to as France's best king, a Protestant who assumed the Regency after the death throes of the Valois. He was able to unite the country and bring an era of stability and economic prosperity after the devastating Wars of Religion.

In reality, Bayrou more resembles Don Qixote, the fumbling knight errant, never quite in touch with reality. Last night he lost his last platform of elected office which he had held for years. The new Mayor of Pau is a Socialist.

A smart slap was delivered to Nicolas Sarkozy yesterday. Last week, we saw the re election by a handy margin of The Socialist Government of Zapatero in Spain.
The golden age of a Thatcherist Conservative Paradise which was fantasized by the American Conservative press a few months ago turns out to be just that, an elusive dream of a fading empire tilting at windmills.

OP ED/PROPAGANDA?

Today, March 13, 2008 Ny Times Op Ed column by William Kristol contains a major prejudicial error. The premise of Mr. Kristol'c column is that Barack Obama was in the pews of his church on July 22 when the pastor of his church delivered the sermon which the Conservatives and the Clinton campaigned have pounced on as evidence of the anti American sentiment of his religious affiliation. It makes no matter that Mr. Obama refuted his pators remarks. It makes even less of an impression that many Americans agree with The Reverened Jeremiah Wright and the message is quite like what they hear from their pulpits each Sunday.
But, let's get back to Mr. Kristol and his attempt to imflame the Conservative penchance for "outrage" with him condemnation of Mr. Obama for not getting up and refuting his Pastors Sermon from the pews.

How could he if he simply was not there? The facts are, Mr. Obama was on his way to Miami, Florida when the sermon was delivered. Here is video evidence.

This is not the first time Mr. Kristol has played with reality to sway opinion in his Times column.
.......AMAZINGLY ENOUGH! I was going to provide links to comtact Mr. Kristol and the Times to if you wanted to inform thm of their error. I did just that when I heard about it. I just checked the link to the article and Mr. Kristol amended it in the on line version, apologizing for his error and not checking facts. I think a lot of people wrote emails!

So, to illustrate this piece, I have a YouTube video of Mr.Kristol getting royally pied at a speaking engagement last year. Here's a link to the noble organization,
The Biotic Baking Brigade, who have been serving up their tasty pies to obnoxious blowhards for a few years now. I think they have some recipes posted as well as gallery of their greatest "hits"!

OH GREAT SWAMI!

Oh Great Swami, who knows all and sees all, what glimpse of the unknowable future can your mysterious wisdom allow us mere mortals?

The Swami sees Wars and more Wars! Swami sees a war in Iraq that could last
100 years.
The Swami sees Al Qaeda trying to influence American Elections!
The Swami is singing Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran!
This mantra seems to calm him and induce his visions. We must all chant with him!
Can he tell us anything about the economy?
Hmm, things are hazy, try again later.....
What is the source of your great knowlege and ancient wisdom?

The Swami gazes dreamily, in his trance state at the sacred picture of
Dick Cheney's rather large and glowing buttocks.

All together now: Bomb, Bomb, Bomb, Bomb Iran!