the things you believe you're seeing...

...Democrats do what they do best and what they want the US military to do in Iraq, run away. Here she is explaining herself after she was able to collect herself enough to return to the hearing; "..... As many of us, there was only so much that you could take until we, in fact, had to leave the room for a while, and so I think I am back and maybe can articulate some things that after so much of the frustration of having to listen to what we listened to." "But let me just first say that the description of Iraq as if some way or another that it's a place that I might take the family for a vacation , things are going so well, those kinds of comments will in fact show up in the media and further divide this country instead of saying here’s the reality of the problem and people, we have to come together and deal with the reality of this issue." Now come on Congresswoman! Get a grip. The General, which all of you democrats have been imploring the presiden...

With the potential of a more positive report than expected coming from General Petraeus in September the Majority Whip in the house isn't jumping for joy, in fact it quite depresses him; House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Monday that a strongly positive report on progress on Iraq by Army Gen. David Petraeus likely would split Democrats in the House and impede his party's efforts to press for a timetable to end the war. Clyburn, in an interview with the washingtonpost.com video program PostTalk, said Democrats might be wise to wait for the Petraeus report, scheduled to be delivered in September, before charting next steps in their year-long struggle with President Bush over the direction of U.S. strategy. Clyburn noted that Petraeus carries significant weight among the 47 members of the Blue Dog caucus in the House, a group of moderate to conservative Democrats. Without their support, he said, Democratic leaders would find it virtually impossible to pass legislation...

From Wonkette : Chief Justice John Roberts has died in his summer home in Maine. No, not really, but we know you have your fingers crossed. Sounds like a hate crime to me! Powered by ScribeFire .

...they sorta forgot one thing. From The Guardian Before the Isfahan tour, a promotion film was screened showing the production of the first UF6 at the plant in 2004. The Iranian government also claims to have mastered the next step in the process, the engineering feat involved in spinning the UF6 in a high-speed centrifuge and separating out a variant, or isotope, of uranium, that is highly fissile - uranium-235. The work is being done at a centrifuge plant being built in Natanz, to the northeast of Isfahan. Spinning the UF6 gas until it is up to 5% rich in U-235 produces nuclear fuel. Keep spinning until it is 90% enriched and you have the makings of a bomb. That - combined with the fact that Iran omitted to tell the IAEA about Natanz until its existence was revealed by an opposition group in 2002 - lie at the roots of the global scepticism over Iran's programme. But there is another huge question mark hanging over Isfahan and Natanz: why is the government in such a rush to enri...

Thats if Congress butts the hell out and lets the military do its job! It seems the NY Times can no longer ignore the obvious that is happening in Iraq; A War We Just Might Win VIEWED from Iraq, where we just spent eight days meeting with American and Iraqi military and civilian personnel, the political debate in Washington is surreal. The Bush administration has over four years lost essentially all credibility. Yet now the administration’s critics, in part as a result, seem unaware of the significant changes taking place. Here is the most important thing Americans need to understand: We are finally getting somewhere in Iraq, at least in military terms. As two analysts who have harshly criticized the Bush administration’s miserable handling of Iraq, we were surprised by the gains we saw and the potential to produce not necessarily “victory” but a sustainable stability that both we and the Iraqis could live with. After the furnace-like heat, the first thing you notice when you land in...

...and the results come out the same. And they still can't believe it! THE war in Iraq is the single most important continuing news issue right now. Public opinion about the war is a critical part of that story . That’s why when a finding about the war in a New York Times poll could not be easily explained, the paper went back and did another poll on the very same subject. It turns out the poll had gotten it right. Support for the initial invasion of Iraq, as measured by a question The New York Times/CBS News Poll has asked since December 2003, increased modestly compared with two months ago. The NY Times admits in the first paragraph that they do polls to create a news story. But this poll was meant to further their anti-Iraq war agenda but for some strange reason they did not get the result they wanted so they did the poll over again. Surprise! Same result. Of course they describe the increase in support for the Iraq war from 35% to 42% a modest increase. A 7% increase ove...

...that the dems are easily fooled and just plain stupid. The question is when will the voters make them pay! U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts and Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito “duped” the U.S. Senate into confirming them, a top Democratic lawmaker charged on Friday, days after a key Republican questioned if they had lived up to their promises. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, a member of the Judiciary Committee that held hearings on the two, said they staked out moderate positions in congressional testimony but became part of a conservative bloc that issued restrictive rulings on issues from free speech to civil rights. Schumer, in a speech to the American Constitution Society, talked about the confirmation of Roberts and Alito in 2005 and 2006, respectively. “Were we duped?” he asked. “ Were we too easily impressed by the charm of nominee Roberts and the erudition of nominee Alito?” Schumer asked. “Did we mistakenly vote our hopes when our fears were more t...

It seems that we won't have to wait much longer for more fireworks from "The View" since Whoopi Goldberg has been hired to replace Rosie O'Donnell. But this quote from the LA Times blog Show Tracker really says it all; "She is exactly what the show needs,” said Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman. “She is a beloved brand name; she is outspoken; she has done this before, she is a person of color; she is as far left as Rosie; she lives in New York; and she can kick Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s ass. " Isn't that what is really all about? Lets hire someone as looney as Rosie and who can go on the air and kick the crap out of the only conservative and sane voice on the show. Maybe Whoopi will provide us with more deep thoughts like this from Whoopi's appearance at a Kerry/Edwards fundraiser in 2004; "That's why I'm here tonight. Because I love bush. But someone's giving bush a bad name. Someone has tarnished name of `bush.' Someone has w...

Sorry, I just watched "Scott Baio Is 45...and single" last night... This stuff just writes itself...If you haven't been following the "Scott Thomas Affair" check the links below ... Michelle Malkin Ace of Spades Allah @ HotAir Powered by ScribeFire .

Sheepish Harry Reid admits he was wrong...and will Barack Obama ever participate in another vote... Senators Compromise on Border Security By ANDREW TAYLOR 07.26.07, 11:44 AM ET WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats and Republicans came together Thursday to devote an additional $3 billion to gaining control over the U.S.-Mexico border, putting Congress on a path to override President Bush's promised veto of a $38 billion homeland security funding bill. The deal resurrects a GOP plan launched Wednesday to pass some of the most popular elements of Bush's failed immigration bill, including money for additional Border Patrol agents and fencing along the southern border. Democrats liked the money but objected to such GOP proposals as allowing law enforcement officers to question people about their immigration status and cracking down on those who overstay their visas. After some parliamentary fireworks Wednesday, efforts to advance a compromise containing only the border security money brok...

Maybe Congress should make this required viewing; Powered by ScribeFire .

Really, you can't... Movie creator charged By Jake Palmateer Staff Writer ONEONTA _ An Oneonta man who helped produce a 9/11 conspiracy documentary that became an Internet hit was arrested Monday for allegedly deserting the Army. Korey Rowe, 24, a veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, was picked up by deputies at about 10:45 p.m. Monday, Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin Jr. said. Rowe, along with Dylan Avery and Jason Bermas, are members of Louder Than Words, a production company that is working on a third edition of the movie "Loose Change," which contends the U.S. government was involved in the 9/11 terrorist attacks. That edition is intended to be a theatrical release. Powered by ScribeFire .

Because Elizabeth sure does most of the talking. From the Politico; No tangerines for you? The politics of global warming got very concrete, and oddly difficult, in a meeting with local environmentalists in the coastal town of McClellanville today, where Elizabeth Edwards raised in passing the importance of relying on locally-grown fruit. "We've been moving back to 'buy local,'" Mrs. Edwards said, outlining a trade policy that "acknowledges the carbon footprint" of transporting fruit. " I live in North Carolina. I'll probably never eat a tangerine again ," she said, speaking of a time when the fruit is reaches the price that it "needs" to be. Edwards had talked about "sacrifice," at the meeting, but Elizabeth's suggestion illustrated just how difficult it is to sell the specifics of sacrifice. Asked about her comment immediately after the event, John Edwards avoided the question twice, then said he isn't sure. ...

Always on top of everything.... Democrats Pushing to Avoid a ‘Do-Nothing’ Label By CARL HULSE WASHINGTON, July 24 — Congressional Democrats celebrated the first minimum wage increase in a decade on Tuesday with a festive labor rally across from the Capitol. But they know they will have to accomplish considerably more to avoid the sort of do-nothing labels they hung on Republicans not too long ago “It is not enough, but it is a great start,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi said as she told the cheering crowd that the wage increase that took effect Tuesday was just one element of a middle-class economic program that includes college tuition help, expanded health care coverage and other emerging proposals. Democrats hope to post more legislative victories in a few days, including enacting into law some of the remaining recommendations of the bipartisan Sept. 11 commission. They also want to pass a lobbying overhaul that was central to their campaign last year against the “culture of corruption” so t...

The Washington Post says because of its distinctive styling it makes it a status symbol for people who want to advertise that they are saving the planet. The Civic just looks like, well, a Civic. This helps explain why the Prius so outsells the rival Honda Civic Hybrid. Both have similar base prices, about $22,000, and fuel economy (Prius, 60 miles per gallon city/51 highway; Civic, 49 mpg city/51 highway). But Prius sales in the first half of 2007 totaled 94,503, nearly equal to all of 2006. Civic sales were only 17,141, up 7.4 percent from 2006. The Prius's advantage is its distinct design, which announces its owners as environmentally virtuous. It's a fashion statement. Meanwhile, the Civic hybrid can't be distinguished by appearance from the polluting, gas-guzzling mob. How about this, the Prius is the ugliest thing on four wheels currently on the road... Powered by ScribeFire .

Thank goodness...sanity (or relection fear) prevails. Michelle Malkin notes that we should remember what the roll call was for this amendment... Powered by ScribeFire .

The CNN/YouTube debate was suppose to be the greatest thing since sliced bread...Not really. Comparing the ratings for the CNN/YouTube Debate with the ratings for the CNN New Hampshire Democratic Debate, CNN was down a bit across the board; down by 6% in Total Viewers and down by 21% in Demo Viewers (25-54)… YouTube Debate - 2,552,000 Total Viewers/831,000 Demo Viewers New Hampshire Debate - 2,714,000 Total Viewers/1,050 Demo Viewers So the CNN/YouTube debate actually drew less viewers than the previous debate. But I thought that this was going to be the wave of the future? The way to draw in the "yutes" of the country? Well, thats what the experts said. And that is probably they problem right there. When was the last time the experts were right? Powered by ScribeFire .

When will the MSM give in and start to report what is really happening in Baghdad? Here is Michael Totten on patrol with the troops ; Everyone was friendly. No one shot at us or even looked at us funny. Infrastructure problems, not security, were the biggest concerns at the moment. I felt like I was in Iraqi Kurdistan – where the war is already over – not in Baghdad. . . . “This is not what I expected in Baghdad,” I said. “Most of what we’re doing doesn’t get reported in the media,” he said. “We’re not fighting a war here anymore, not in this area. We’ve moved way beyond that stage. We built a soccer field for the kids, bought all kinds of equipment, bought them school books and even chalk. Soon we’re installing 1,500 solar street lamps so they have light at night and can take some of the load off the power grid. The media only covers the gruesome stuff. We go to the sheiks and say hey man, what kind of projects do you want in this area? They give us a list and we submit t...

Is Esquire trying to tell us something?

From the Washington Times: The Illinois Democrat said the recent Senate immigration debate "was both ugly and racist in a way we haven't see since the struggle for civil rights." So I suppose that all of the people opposed to the immigration reform bill, 67% by the last poll, were racists? Powered by ScribeFire .

But Obama seems to be ok with mass killing if we leave... SUNAPEE, N.H. (AP) - Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Thursday the United States cannot use its military to solve humanitarian problems and that preventing a potential genocide in Iraq isn't a good enough reason to keep U.S. forces there. "Well, look, if that's the criteria by which we are making decisions on the deployment of U.S. forces, then by that argument you would have 300,000 troops in the Congo right now—where millions have been slaughtered as a consequence of ethnic strife—which we haven't done," Obama said in an interview with The Associated Press. "We would be deploying unilaterally and occupying the Sudan, which we haven't done. Those of us who care about Darfur don't think it would be a good idea," he said. Obama, a first-term senator from Illinois, said it's likely there would be increased bloodshed if U.S. forces left Iraq. Only one problem with his log...

John Kerry said the following yesterday on C-SPAN ; Sen. John Kerry said during a C-SPAN appearance that fears of a bloodbath after the US withdrawal from Vietnam never materialized. He says he's met survivors of the "reeducation camps" who are thriving in modern Vietnam. An award-winning investigation by the Orange County Register concludes that at least 165,000 people perished in the camps. Watch the whole clip...its scary to think this guy was one state from being president. Powered by ScribeFire .

Last night we had two votes in the Senate that crystalize the mindset of the Democrat party. First the Senate voted 39-57 against the "John Doe Amendment" that would protect citizens from being sued after reporting suspicious behavior to authorities causing its removal from an unrelated education bill. Of note, not a single Republican voted against it but not enough Democrats voted for it to reach the 60 votes needed since it was attached to an unrelated education bill by Sen. Susan Collins in an attempt to rescue the legislation after the Democrats successfully stripped it from the Homeland Security bill. Also particularly troubling is that two presidential candidates, Sam Brownback and Barack Obama, decided not to cast a vote at all even though they were present in the Senate at the time of the vote. If you are running for the presidency don't you think that its important that you cast a vote for important legislation like this? This shows no backbone or leadership...

Like they ever intended to anyway... The U.S. ambassador to Iraq and a top military commander there said today that U.S. forces are making progress against al-Qaeda, with successes in the western province of Anbar now being replicated in other volatile parts of the country. Ryan C. Crocker, who took over as ambassador in Baghdad four months ago, cautioned the Senate Foreign Relations Committee via a balky video hookup that a "non-conditioned withdrawal" of U.S. forces from Iraq -- such as a redeployment mandated by Congress -- could undo recent successes and give al-Qaeda "further room to operate." Earlier, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, commander of the Multi-National Corps - Iraq, told a Pentagon news briefing by teleconference that while the U.S. command in Baghdad plans to deliver a progress report on the Bush administration's troop-surge strategy by a September deadline, the military needs at least until November to see whether trends are holding and to make ...

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed former CIA operative Valerie Plame’s lawsuit against members of the Bush administration in the CIA leak scandal. U.S. District Judge John D. Bates dismissed the case on jurisdictional grounds and said he would not express an opinion on the constitutional arguments. Bates dismissed the case against all defendants: Cheney, White House political adviser Karl Rove and former White House aide I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby. Powered by ScribeFire .

It seems the Islamic State of Iraq is a fraud, a front setup by AQ. But don't tell the AP or Reuters that... Read Don Surber and Jules Crittenden for the facts that you won't get from the usual suspects. Powered by ScribeFire .

"Democrats are trying to pull a provision from a homeland security bill that will protect the public from being sued for reporting suspicious behavior that may lead to a terrorist attack, according to House Republican leadership aide Now if they would fight for Americans rights as hard we'd all be a lot better off. Powered by ScribeFire .

US: Top al-Qaida in Iraq Figure Captured The U.S. command said Wednesday the highest-ranking Iraqi in the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq has been arrested, adding that information from him indicates the group's foreign-based leadership wields considerable influence over the Iraqi chapter. Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4, said Brig. Gen. Kevin Bergner, a military spokesman. "Al-Mashhadani is believed to be the most senior Iraqi in the al-Qaida in Iraq network," Bergner said. He said al-Mashhadani was a close associate of Abu Ayub al-Masri, the Egyptian-born head of al-Qaida in Iraq. Bergner said al-Mashhadani served as an intermediary between al-Masri and Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri. "In fact, communication between the senior al-Qaida leadership and al-Masri frequently went through al-Mashhadani," Bergner said. "Along with al-Masri, al-Mashhadani co-founded a ...

When the Republicans were in the majority the Dems would routinely use the 60 votes needed to block votes, on judges especially. Now in the majority the Dems are suddenly upset about this pesky 60 vote requirement; Republicans complained that the whole episode was a charade because the Democrats who were complaining about having to come up with 60 votes on contentious issues used the same tactics themselves when they were the minority party. Reid's hypocrisy in action when discussing the reason for this publicity stunt; “Because it will focus attention on the obstructionism of the Republicans.” That pesky 60 vote requirement again... Powered by ScribeFire .

Harry Reid's "No Snooze Until We Lose" marathon is still going and it appears he has been out maneuvered by minority leader Mitch McConnell yet again! What a complete buffoon! The Captain explains it all... Powered by ScribeFire .

The 'new' Osama video is not so new after all, but yet.... Someone should let the AP know.

I like Barack Obaman, I think he is a decent guy. I don't agree with him on anything but he seems like a decent guy. But he has got to stop churning out the clichés like in this article; Obama Bemoans ' Epidemic of Violence' Jul 15, 4:30 PM (ET) By NATHANIEL HERNANDEZ CHICAGO (AP) - Standing before a church congregation that has witnessed inner-city violence firsthand, Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama said Sunday that more must be done to end a social ill that is "sickening the soul of this nation." Obama told churchgoers at the Vernon Park Church of God on Chicago's South Side that too many young lives are being claimed by violence and more must be done to combat the problem.

But in the world of the mainstream media Iranian rockets found in Iraq aimed at US bases is just not newsworthy. From the AP and The Jerusalem Post ; The report followed two claims by the US army over the weekend implicating Iran in attacks against US forces in Iraq. According to an announcement on Saturday night, US troops in Iraq uncovered a field containing 50 Iranian-made rocket launchers, all aimed at a US army base.

What a disgusting and pathetic individual...When aggressively confronted she cries that it wasn't a fair fight, so what does she do? The comedian, 45, laid into Elisabeth Hasselbeck — her former friend and cohost — in front of a 1,500-person audience on her cruise (from NYC to a private island in the Bahamas) for gay and lesbian families. A witness tells Us that O’Donnell trotted out a giant photo of Hasselbeck doctored up as the devil, made a “crazy” gesture at the poster and said, “Her only f—king credit was Survivor. Come on!” And O’Donnell implied that the pair’s famous last battle wasn’t held on an even playing field. “I can’t fight with pregnant people. Just go have your baby and have a nice life.” Powered by ScribeFire .

AFP and Yahoo are running this photo of an elderly woman who claims that the bullet she is holding hit hit her bed during a raid, there just one problem. Click here for more. Powered by ScribeFire .

Yeah, right. When monkeys fly out of his ass.... Marine Investigator Recommends Dropping Charges in Haditha Killings Wednesday, July 11, 2007 SAN DIEGO — An investigating officer has recommended dismissing murder charges against a U.S. Marine accused in the slayings of three Iraqi men in a squad action that killed 24 civilians in the town of Haditha, according to a report. The government's theory that Lance Cpl. Justin L. Sharratt had executed the three men was "incredible" and relied on contradictory statements by Iraqis, Lt. Col. Paul Ware said in the report, released Tuesday by Sharratt's defense attorneys. "To believe the government version of facts is to disregard clear and convincing evidence to the contrary, and sets a dangerous precedent that, in my opinion, may encourage others to bear false witness against Marines as a tactic to erode public support of the Marine Corps and mission in Iraq," Ware wrote. Defense attorneys James Culp and Gary Myers ...

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Muscular young men are likely to have more sex partners than their less-chiseled peers, researchers at the University of California Los Angeles said on Monday. Their study, published in the Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, suggests muscles in men are akin to elaborate tail feathers in male peacocks: They attract females looking for a virile mate. "Women are predisposed to prefer muscularity in men," said study author David Frederick of UCLA. Powered by ScribeFire .

Apparently the AP would rather report on bogus, made up, completely false massacre stories like this one rather than report on a real massacre that took place in a village outside of Barquba where 10-14 men, women and children were found dead , beware there are very graphic photos found at that link. For more on this disgraceful behavior by the AP see this report by Bob Owens. Powered by ScribeFire . Powered by ScribeFire .

Apparently the AP would rather report on bogus, made up, completely false massacre stories like this one rather than report on a real massacre like took place in a village outside of Barquba where 10-14 men, women and children were found dead , beware there are very graphic photos found at that link. For more on this disgraceful behavior by the AP see this report by Bob Owens. Powered by ScribeFire .

The Associated Depressed: Thompson's secret role in Watergate Tapes reveal bonds with Nixon defense By Joan Lowy Associated Press Published July 9, 2007 WASHINGTON -- Fred Thompson gained an image as a tough-minded investigative counsel for the Senate Watergate committee. Yet President Nixon and his top aides viewed the fellow Republican as a willing, if not too bright, ally, according to White House tapes. Thompson, now preparing a bid for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, won fame in 1973 for asking a witness, former White House aide Alexander Butterfield, the bombshell question that revealed Nixon had installed hidden listening devices and taping equipment in the Oval Office. Those tapes show Thompson had a behind-the-scenes role very different from his public image three decades ago. He comes across as a partisan willing to cooperate with the Nixon White House to discredit the committee's star witness. It was Thompson who tipped off the White House that the Senate commi...

This ought to scare President Pelosi; CRAWFORD, Texas — Six weeks after announcing her departure from the peace movement, Cindy Sheehan said Sunday that she plans to run against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unless she introduces articles of impeachment against President Bush in the next two weeks . Boy would that be fun to watch...

Remember last year when the DNC website mistook a Canadian soldier for a US soldier on their official website? They took the picture down after being rightfully chastised for it. Well they couldn't possibly make that mistake again, could they? Yes they could. On Nancy Pelosi's official website a picture of a Canadian soldier was again proudly displayed and trumpeted as a US soldier. Of course its already been taken down. It helps to know what US troop looks like before you proclaim to support them. Unbelievable! Well...not really. See Michelle Malkin's site for a screen capture and more info.

This thing is unwatchable... I turned it on in time to see Genesis being introduced for their set. I thought ok this could be good, I like Genesis. So after their first two songs, which were quite good, Phil Collins sounds great, so what's next? Fade to "A Live Earth short film". Huh? They only did two songs? That can't be. So after the 5 minute film it goes to a commercial for an Toshiba HD DVD Player, made as green as possible no doubt. When Live Earth comes back Genesis is back on going into their next song. Did they wait for the film and commercials to end? No, it must be a tape delay. So now Genesis finishes up and then another short film. Then a commercial. Then Genesis, then another short film. Oh forget it...I've lost interest... And these short films are so depressing, dark, haunting music is used. I can't watch this stuff. And Wembley seems empty to me, most people are on the grounds with not many in the stadium seats. And now Al Gore is speaking in ...

A federal appeals court on Friday ordered the dismissal of an ACLU lawsuit challenging President Bush's warrantless surveillance program. In a 2-1 decision, two Republican appointees on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against allowing the lawsuit. A Clinton-appointed judge disagreed.... Powered by ScribeFire .

Questions for Al Gore from an Australian reader of Michelle Malkin ; 1.) What will be the true source of the power that will power all the lighting, the amplifiers and speakers, the concessions stands? Will it be massive arrays of solar cells?, Hydrogen fusion cells?, Wind Turbines? Ethanol Bio-Fueled generators? 2.) If the latter, who (which company / manufacturer) will supply them and what model No. engine / generators will be used? 3.) Will the food (for the concessions) be cooked on wood fires? Or perhaps they will use dried out cow & horse manure pellets for fuel? 4.) Will they re-use “used toilet paper” in the restrooms (in following what a “Green” labeled performing artist has recently suggested in the media. 5.) How will the performers arrive at the concert areas as well as their Jacuzzi-equipped hotels? Will it be the normal gas-guzzling plush stretch limousines or will they opt for hybrid or Electric vehicles? Maybe they will go all out and pedal a bic...

The AP can barely contain it self; Payrolls Growth Significant in June By JEANNINE AVERSA The Associated Press Friday, July 6, 2007; 8:43 AM WASHINGTON -- Employers boosted payrolls by a better-than-expected 132,000 jobs in June, enough to keep the unemployment rate at a relatively low 4.5 percent . It was another sign that the economy is snapping out of a nearly yearlong sluggish spell. News flash: 4.5% unemployment rate is generally considered full-employment. Powered by ScribeFire .

Will Live Earth hurt the planet more than help? HEIDI SOPINKA July 6, 2007 Tomorrow, when the calendar flips to 7/7/7, more than 100 musicians will perform in a series of events worldwide for a 24-hour concert to be broadcast around the planet in the name of "triggering a global movement to solve the climate crisis." Led by Al Gore, the former U.S. vice-president who is now chairman of the Alliance for Climate Protection, Live Earth: The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis was co-founded by Kevin Wall, producer of Live 8, an event that cobbled together one of the largest audiences in history to combat poverty. Not everyone is thrilled about the overlap. "I'm getting lots of responses from people who think I am organizing it," the famously acrimonious Irish musician Sir Bob Geldof groused to Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant back in May. "I hope they're a success. But why is Gore actually organizing them? To make us aware of the greenhouse effect? Everybody...

There's a joke in there somewhere; Madonna 'least green' at Live Earth PA Entertainment Madonna is perceived to be the least green artist on the bill at Live Earth, according to a survey. And James Blunt, the Beastie Boys, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the Black Eyed Peas don't strike the public as particularly environmentally friendly either. The concert at Wembley is one of several taking place around the world on July 7 to highlight the need to stop global warming. David Kuo, head of personal finance at fool.co.uk, which carried out the survey of 674 people, said: "Although none of us really know for sure how green celebrities really are, public perception plays an important part. "Live Earth will go some way to help, but caring for the environment goes beyond exercising vocal chords, rapping and crooning. Wouldn't it be refreshing if all the artists turned up to Live Earth on their bicycles?" Powered by ScribeFire .

So says PETA; Wembley Urged To Take Meat Off Live Earth Menu Thursday, 5th July 2007, 00:35 Organisers of the Live Earth concerts should not sell burgers or hot dogs at the high profile gigs, an animal rights group claimed today. Peta said that selling meat at a concert for the environment would be like selling cigarettes at an anti-cancer fundraiser because of the amount of greenhouse gas emitted by the meat farming industry. And Peta activists said that Wembley should take meat off the menu after a recent UN report found that the meat industry creates more greenhouse gases than all the cars, trucks, ships and planes in the world combined. Powered by ScribeFire .

Heh! Oldest DNA ever recovered shows warmer planet: report Jul 5 03:14 PM US/Eastern Scientists who probed two kilometers (1.2 miles) through a Greenland glacier to recover the oldest plant DNA on record said Thursday the planet was far warmer hundreds of thousands of years ago than is generally believed. DNA of trees, plants and insects including butterflies and spiders from beneath the southern Greenland glacier was estimated to date to 450,000 to 900,000 years ago, according to the remnants retrieved from this long-vanished boreal forest. Powered by ScribeFire .

Oh brother! Gordon Brown’s ban on the word “Muslim” in relation to terrorism can be blamed on the EU. The prime minister has told Cabinet members not to mention “Muslim” and “terrorism” in the same breath. It comes after the European Commission issued a guide for government spokesmen to avoid offence by ruling out the words such as “jihad”, “Islamic” or “fundamentalist” in statements about terrorist attacks. It has been working with governments to make sure “non-offensive” phrases are used when announcing anti-terrorist operations or dealing with terrorist attacks. It is not the first time the EU has tackled the issue of language - last year its guidelines suggested that the phrase “terrorists who abusively invoke Islam” should be used rather than “Islamic terrorism”. You know because anyone can park two Mercedes Benz cars outside a club sponsoring "ladies night" rigged to explode with gas canisters and packed with nails to kill as many people, mostly wome...

Live Earth show in Rio to go on after ban revoked Thu Jul 5, 2007 2:42PM EDT By Andrei Khalip RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A Brazilian judge revoked on Thursday her own injunction blocking the Rio de Janeiro leg of the Live Earth global series of concerts after organizers secured approval from the police and met security concerns. "The show is on again. The prosecutor's office asked the judge to reconsider and she revoked the suspension," said a spokeswoman for the Rio Justice Tribunal. The prosecutor's office, which requested the initial injunction, had argued there were not enough police to safeguard Saturday's climate change awareness concert on Copacabana beach. It said police officers would be busy with the Pan American Games that start on July 13 in the crime-plagued city. Powered by ScribeFire .

Arctic Monkeys shiver at Live Earth 'hypocrisy' Jul 4 10:57 PM US/Eastern Rock group Arctic Monkeys have become the latest music industry stars to question whether the performers taking part in Live Earth on Saturday are suitable climate change activists. "It's a bit patronising for us 21 year olds to try to start to change the world," said Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders, explaining why the group is not on the bill at any of Al Gore's charity concerts. "Especially when we're using enough power for 10 houses just for (stage) lighting. It'd be a bit hypocritical," he told AFP in an interview before a concert in Paris. Bass player Nick O'Malley chimes in: "And we're always jetting off on aeroplanes!" Large parts of the band's hometown of Sheffield were flooded at the end of last month after a deluge of mid-summer rain that some blamed on global warming. Two people were killed. But the band wonder why anyone would ...

From John Lennon's Playboy interview: PLAYBOY: Just to finish your favorite subject, what about the suggestion that the four of you put aside your personal feelings and regroup to give a mammoth concert for charity, some sort of giant benefit? LENNON: I don’t want to have anything to do with benefits. I have been benefited to death. PLAYBOY: Why? LENNON: Because they’re always rip-offs. I haven’t performed for personal gain since 1966, when the Beatles last performed. Every concert since then, Yoko and I did for specific charities, except for a Toronto thing that was a rock-’n'-roll revival. Every one of them was a mess or a rip-off. So now we give money to who we want. You’ve heard of tithing? PLAYBOY: That’s when you give away a fixed percentage of your income. LENNON: Right. I am just going to do it privately. I am not going to get locked into that business of saving the world on stage. The show is always a mess and the artist always comes off badly. PLAYBOY: What about the ...

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - A Brazilian judge has canceled Saturday's Live Earth concert in Rio because police said they do not have enough officers to guarantee crowd safety. Organizers of the free show on Rio's Copacabana Beach said Wednesday they were trying to overturn the order to prevent Latin America from being left out of the worldwide music fest aimed at stopping global warming. Promoted by former Vice President Al Gore, Live Earth concerts are scheduled for London; Tokyo; Johannesburg, South Africa; Shanghai, China; Sydney, Australia; and Hamburg, Germany; and East Rutherford, New Jersey. A band of scientists also will perform in Antarctica, to bring the festival to seven continents. Brazilian prosecutor Denise Tarin requested a suspension of the concert, saying there were not enough officers to police a crowd that could top 700,000. Powered by ScribeFire .

Not the media coverage Al Gore was looking for leading up to his Live Earth concerts and presidential run announcement; Al Gore's Son Arrested on Drug Suspicion Jul 4 12:27 PM US/Eastern LAGUNA NIGUEL, California (AP) - Al Gore's son was pulled over for speeding on a California freeway early Wednesday and arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana and prescription drugs, authorities said. Al Gore III, 24, was driving a blue Toyota Prius about 100 mph south on the San Diego Freeway when he was pulled over by sheriff's deputies who said they smelled marijuana, said Sheriff's Department spokesman Jim Amormino. The deputies searched the car and found less than an ounce of marijuana along with Xanax, Valium, Vicodin and Adderall, which is used for attention deficit disorder, Amormino said. "He does not have a prescription for any of those drugs," Amormino said. Gore was being held in the men's central jail in Santa Ana on $20,000 bail. I didn'...

The #1 answer....nothing. No kidding. Nothing got 28%. For more illuminating answers click here. Powered by ScribeFire .

”Since the president has intervened in this process, it is now the Congress’ obligation and responsibility to intervene in the executive process and begin an inquiry into these very serious crimes against the constitution of the United States,” said Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Chicago). Maybe Jesse Jr. should read the Constitution first...he may learn something. Powered by ScribeFire .

"The president said he would hold accountable anyone involved in the Valerie Plame leak case. By his action today, the president shows his word is not to be believed." - House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. No, he actually said this; "If there's a leak out of my administration, I want to know who it is," Bush told reporters at an impromptu news conference during a fund-raising stop in Chicago, Illinois. "If the person has violated law, that person will be taken care of. So Libby did not leak Plame's name, Armitage did. Libby was convicted of lying to then grand jury about a crime that did not happen. Powered by ScribeFire .

So John Edwards is again channeling for us... "Only a president clinically incapable of understanding that mistakes have consequences could take the action he did today. President Bush has just sent exactly the wrong signal to the country and the world." - former Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C Clinically incapable? Oh. My. Goodness. Powered by ScribeFire .

"This decision to commute the sentence of a man who compromised our national security cements the legacy of an Administration characterized by a politics of cynicism and division, one that has consistently placed itself and its ideology above the law. This is exactly the kind of politics we must change so we can begin restoring the American people's faith in a government that puts the country's progress ahead of the bitter partisanship of recent years." Oh Barack, Libby did no such thing. He was not convicted of outing a covert CIA agent. He was convicted of lying to a grand jury about a crime that did not happen. And if Plame was a covert agent, which has not been established definitively, the person who outed her was Richard Armitage and Spec. Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald knew this 3 months into his investigation. So far Armitage has not been charged with any crime and is free as a bird. And why did this tid-bit of info never make into the likes of the NY Tim...

Human greed takes lion's share of solar energy July 3, 2007 HUMANS are just one of the millions of species on Earth, but we use up almost a quarter of the sun's energy captured by plants - the most of any species. The human dominance of this natural resource is affecting other species, reducing the amount of energy available to them by almost 10 per cent, scientists report. Researchers said the findings showed humans were using "a remarkable share" of the earth's plant productivity "to meet the needs and wants of one species". They also warned that the increased use of biofuels - such as ethanol and canola - should be viewed cautiously, given the potential for further pressure on ecosystems. The scientists, from Austria and Germany, who publish their results today in the journal of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, analysed data on land use, agriculture and forestry from 161 countries, representing 97 per cent of the world's land m...