tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-191075352012-02-16T10:04:45.170-05:00A Progressive Independent Liberal Viewpalachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1158682178969567932006-09-19T12:07:00.000-04:002006-09-19T14:50:42.446-04:00

Countdown With Keith Olbermann is one of my favorite television shows. In a masterful commentary on the fifth anniversary of 9/11/2001 he summed it up my outlook quite beautifully.Sept. 11, 2006 | 8:32 p.m. ETThis hole in the groundHalf a lifetime ago, I worked in this now-empty space. And for 40 days after the attacks, I worked here again, trying to make sense of what happened, and was yet to

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1145981256738197162006-04-25T11:33:00.000-04:002006-04-25T18:09:23.006-04:00

PUNISHEDValerie PlameJudith MillerGeneral Janis KarpinskiMary O. McCarthy Valerie Plame lost her ability to perform her CIA job when the Administration blew her cover. Although the release of that information was in response to an article her husband had written, she was the one that lost her career. Judith Miller learned about the Valerie Plame outing. She went to jail rather than reveal Scooter

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1144337919008085632006-04-06T11:37:00.000-04:002006-04-07T20:52:43.343-04:00

We don’t live in a vacuum. The ways we respond to the world are affected by where we were born, and where we reside today. Are you an outsider, different from most of the people around you? Have you chosen where you now live? Are you there from accident of birth? Or demands of employment? I know that all sites occasionally have threads asking people to talk about themselves. This is different.

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1144036149765980332006-04-02T23:48:00.000-04:002006-04-05T00:51:51.133-04:00

The awesome variety of information available online can be overpowering. You can Google and Yahoo to find items, and then be overwhelmed by all the ads and sites to wade through. I have found four websites that I think are useful for quickly obtaining information. These don’t blast you with ads and popups, animations, flashing banners, and other distractions. The sites are:NEWS: NewsvineDATA

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1143694462780359452006-03-29T23:43:00.000-05:002006-04-05T00:26:36.700-04:00

You are at a family dinner. Your brother in law is spouting ideas and misinformation that you know he is parroting from the likes of Limbaugh and O’Reilly. What do you do? Your lunch date with the college roommate you haven’t seen in ten years has turned awkward. She has become rigid and inflexible with a harsh divisive intolerant worldview. Even worse, she is using half-baked truths and phony

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1142829237416874962006-03-19T23:27:00.000-05:002006-04-04T13:44:46.060-04:00

Since he introduced his censure resolution (see previous blog post) Russ Feingold has been uplifted by polls, dissed by pals, and insulted by prickly politicians. He also produced a petition and made things plain at a press conference. Russ FeingoldOn Monday, at an online site for several newspapers in Madison, Wisconsin, Casey Hoff composed an overview of the reaction of Feingold’s colleagues:

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1142479819839122382006-03-15T22:24:00.000-05:002006-03-16T12:34:02.110-05:00

From his garage door to the senate floor Russ Feingold is a man who honors his word, and stands up for what he believes. The media is buzzing about his bold move Monday morning, when he introduced a measure to censure President Bush.“Resolved that the United States Senate does hereby censure George W. Bush, president of the United States, and does condemn his unlawful authorization of wiretaps

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1141966496066914442006-03-09T23:53:00.000-05:002006-03-11T19:51:58.336-05:00

I was intrigued to learn that Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca wants to encourage parents to feed their children coca leaves for breakfast. In a 03/09/06 Washington Times article Choquehuanca is quoted as saying that “the coca leaf has more calcium than milk, and more phosphorous than fish.”Bolivian President Morales came into office with a platform supporting private coca farming.

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1141877061102827432006-03-08T22:56:00.000-05:002006-03-10T08:40:50.803-05:00

There is a good chance that you, or someone you know, have experienced abuse in a relationship.I did.My ex had me convinced that he deserved preferential treatment. He did a great job of blaming me or making me feel guilty about anything that went wrong in our lives. If I was concerned about a problem or an issue, he usually found a way to minimize its importance. I was over-reacting. Or his

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1141158255157695242006-02-28T15:16:00.000-05:002006-03-02T01:44:19.983-05:00

Senator Kay Hutchinson The President of the United States engaged in a pattern of conduct, performed acts of willful deception, and told and disseminated massive falsehoods, including lies told directly to the American people…, therefore, vote ``Guilty'' on Article II of the Articles of Impeachment of the President in this proceeding.SENATOR MCCAIN Whether the President, who swore an oath to

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1141008319873694082006-02-26T21:44:00.000-05:002006-02-28T12:11:22.786-05:00

I came across this fun site. Called ‘Anagram Genius’ there’s a free download for a trial version. It offers tons of ‘smart’ options and responds with thousands of choices. You can select among types of dictionaries used, serious and funny words, and so on. Here is the site. Below are a few that I found.http://www.anagramgenius.com/agfree.phpMy Name: Pamela A. LachApache llama. Ha! A pale clam.

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1141007869370044502006-02-26T21:35:00.000-05:002006-02-28T15:13:11.730-05:00

Imagine if you could point to the exact spot where the Messiah will appear; or where Jesus Christ disappeared and is expected to return. For Shia Muslims, that spot is in Samarra. On February 22, 2006, someone blew it up. One thousand one hundred and seventy years ago a city was built on the Tigris. A well-known Iraqi blogger explains its name: “The name ‘Samarra’ is actually derived from the

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1140654366589851592006-02-22T19:08:00.000-05:002006-02-23T12:16:29.726-05:00

Shouldn’t We Bring Democracy To the UAE Before We Let Them Manage Our Ports?I didn’t know that our ports were administered by a British owned company. When the news about the sale of P & O Ports to DP World was announced I was surprised to learn that P & O, owned by the British, had a subsidiary that currently managed our port terminals. The new buyer, DP World is managed by the government of

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1140410890038949142006-02-19T23:44:00.000-05:002006-02-22T20:02:26.203-05:00

What do Minnie Driver and Drew Barrymore have in common? Has anyone ever told you that you look like a particular celebrity?Or have you just wondered who you might resemble? Now you can go to this site and find out for free.You can upload an online photo of yourself and run it throughthe celebrity database. The list is not just movie stars, but famous and notable people from the past hundred

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1140272805895759602006-02-18T09:25:00.000-05:002006-02-22T11:17:02.466-05:00

Hastert, Hyde, Boehner and six other long time Representatives have gone on record. They have vehemently and eloquently made a case for impeachment when we have a President who lies.I was very impressed at how outraged they were, how concerned they were about ensuring honor and integrity in the White House. They believe that if the President continues such behavior it would ultimately destroy the

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1139977619182045702006-02-14T23:26:00.000-05:002006-02-19T09:23:38.226-05:00

The news is filled with the story of Vice President Cheney’s shooting a man while hunting. It’s being described as an accident. The man is in intensive care.There was an amazing delay in reporting this incident. Apparently it happened sometime Saturday afternoon. However it wasn’t publicly announced until Sunday, I believe around noon. The big question of ‘why the delay’ is the media buzz, and

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1139415999328201052006-02-08T11:25:00.000-05:002006-02-13T10:56:14.756-05:00

Dear Congressperson:As I understand it, the White House, led by Karl Rove is squeezing hard. Using threats to withhold money and support if people keep investigating the Administration.As with any bully, you have to stand up to make them stand down. I know the stakes are higher than they were in the schoolyard, but the idea is the same. However, I believe R.W. Emerson when he said:“When a

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1139176488664451312006-02-05T16:54:00.000-05:002006-02-22T20:10:07.930-05:00

We live in a dizzy world of acronyms. Turn on the news and you might hear that the ‘AG told the NSA that the FISA wasn’t necessary. Not everyone in DOJ agreed and the CRC published a paper disagreeing. Meanwhile on Capitol Hill the SJC met to discuss the DOD budget plan. (See bottom of post for translation if necessary).Most of us can deduce the acronyms if we take the time. But instant

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1139024405598945162006-02-03T22:39:00.000-05:002006-02-13T17:25:32.850-05:00

The joke is on you. Information pours from the White House and News Media about all the things that are done to protect you from terrorism. They do an excellent job of overwhelming you with fine sounding words so that you feel you can sleep better at night. If you want to enter the United States, you can just cross the border. Not only is the border patrol under funded and under manned, it has

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1138768175140771512006-01-31T23:29:00.000-05:002006-02-15T11:58:17.216-05:00

Did you watch the State of the Union? Probably not. The media and the Administration tried to hype it as something that would be new and visionary. Well, there was a bit of the 'vision thing', but not really in the way that most expected. Here are excerpts from the speech, with my comments afterwards in red. I've also included some pithy quotes from others that offer additional insights into the

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1138768091844836992006-01-31T23:26:00.000-05:002006-02-13T09:38:28.866-05:00

Talk Is Not Always CheapFor some it was an issue of backbone. After allowing the Republicans to repeatedly maneuver and disarm them on issues for so long, there was a public outcry for the Democrats to filibuster the nomination. I recently wrote about this.For others, the threat of extensive executive power (that Alito supports) was unconstitutional. They called upon Senators to honor their oath

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1138560081154403562006-01-29T13:39:00.000-05:002006-02-03T23:34:38.010-05:00

I’ve never understood why people want to put the Ten Commandments on public buildings. Especially their need to put them on courthouses. I mean, wouldn’t the Bill of Rights be a little more appropriate?Then one night I had a dream. I was in the Oval Office and I saw the Commandments posted on the wall. George W. Bush can post them because he is the President. Plus we are at war. That gives him an

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1138509461695971122006-01-28T23:36:00.000-05:002006-01-31T12:45:23.090-05:00

Some words to think about this weekend.Senators are jockeying for attention in the news over the upcoming vote on Supreme Court nominee Judge Samuel Alito. Many Liberals and Progressives feel that the Democrats have not done enough to stop Alito from being confirmed. Calls are flooding their offices to filibuster the vote. On every talk show and newscast, the words ‘cloture’ ‘filibuster’ and ‘

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1138118394333081382006-01-24T10:59:00.000-05:002006-01-31T16:32:33.863-05:00

I watched the Congressional hearings on Judge Samuel Alito’s nomination for the Supreme Court with great interest. To me, this was probably the most important nomination in the past twenty years. Not only because he was selected after Harriet Meirs wasn’t ‘conservative enough’ for the Republican base; but because word of his record was rather alarming. Alito had been coached at the White House

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1137818848417431022006-01-20T23:46:00.000-05:002006-12-30T20:01:54.907-05:00

Today we take the instantaneous transmission of details about everything in the world for granted. Back in the 1960’s, it was not considered possible. The U. S. Government owned the earliest computers. Their ability to process information was antiquated by today’s standards. However, their potential was frightening. Just the idea of anyone having access to so much data was alarming to most

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1137818424943543862006-01-20T23:39:00.000-05:002006-01-29T14:24:54.600-05:00

Clowntime is Over: The Last Stand of the American RepublicBy Chris Floyd Wednesday, 28 December 2005 This excellent essay comes from the above blogger, and was originally posted on his site: Empire Burlesque. Here is the link:http://www.chrisfloyd.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=369&Itemid=1 [Photos added are my additions to embellish the text.)So now, at last, the

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1137599595613202512006-01-18T10:50:00.000-05:002006-01-25T00:33:02.403-05:00

The reaction to Al Gore’s speech has sparked a debate... Some conservatives (to their consternation) find themselves agreeing. His electrifying delivery had many people admitting that even if alone while watching or listening they found themselves clapping and cheering. A few admitted to tears. Why such emotion and excitement?Most Americans are disillusioned with the the mainstream media.

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1137476445651433442006-01-17T00:40:00.000-05:002006-01-24T12:41:44.346-05:00

Yesterday, January 16, 2006 on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's Birthday, former Senator, former Vice President (and the man who was really elected President in 2000)Al Gore gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard.I don't say that lightly, I have studied and listened to many speeches. Although the text stands on its own, the incredible passion of his delivery is important too. The

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1137300690441513062006-01-14T23:50:00.000-05:002006-01-21T09:35:57.423-05:00

There has been a lot of concern lately about the threats to our Constitution and Bill of Rights. These are not threats from terrorists, but from tyrannists. James Madison played a critical role in developing the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Some scholars consider him the 'Father Of the Constitution'. Here are a few things he said about it, and their intentions when they wrote the

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1137191438969728262006-01-13T17:29:00.000-05:002006-01-18T09:29:46.276-05:00

This is a letter I am sending to every member of the House and Senate:Dear ___________,When you first decided to run for office were you idealistic? Were you hoping to make the world a better place? I hope that you started out that way.I worry that in making us 'secure' we are destroying our fundamental values. Terrorism may be more frightening because it's a less identifiable target than Russian

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1136503953074231912006-01-05T18:32:00.000-05:002006-01-17T18:17:08.806-05:00

To; President George Herbert Walker BushDear Mr. President,I am writing to you because our country needs your help, and you may be the only one who can resolve this particular issue. I hope I am not being naïve, but I do believe that you have a basic decency and patriotism. You are part of the ‘Greatest Generation’ and served well and honorably in WWII. You still have enough spirit of adventure

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1135842049186854522005-12-29T01:58:00.000-05:002005-12-29T13:50:21.476-05:00

The big news story continues to focus on Bush's approving NSA wiretaps on Americans while completely ignoring the judicial process. With the Congress and Senate adjourned for the holidays there is fear that the issue might be spun and buried by Republican leadership before they return.I hope that this does not happen. I do believe that further investigation is crucial--both to our national

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1135561549800260792005-12-25T20:27:00.000-05:002006-10-02T09:45:59.673-04:00

Merry Christmas To MeBy: Pamela Lach I have strong political opinions. I write letters and editorials, post on blogs, distribute materials, and work on elections. I call myself Independent. I once had a deep fundamental belief that despite party labels, political differences and personal greed, we were a good country, a decent people. The character that John Wayne played repeatedly matched a

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1135402498491392632005-12-24T00:19:00.000-05:002005-12-24T00:38:05.483-05:00

In the finest tradition of taking a well known tune and using it for satire, I found this at Daily Kos (link above), posted by: dsquared.It's sung to the tune of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"GOD DAMN YE FELL REPUBLICANSGod damn ye fell RepublicansYe ne'er fail to dismay,By saying Christ our SaviourThinks what you do's okay.You've been seduced by your own powerAnd wandered far astray,O lying, and

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1135140565377069222005-12-20T23:38:00.000-05:002005-12-24T00:50:52.930-05:00

Impeachable Offense! We keep hearing it and finally the words are being said publicly on Capitol Hill. And not just by Democrats.This time he has hit the Senate and Congress below the belt. He contemptuously ignored the outlets they gave him (FISA courts). His actions spoke loudly that he no longer considered the Legislative Branch an independent entity. Maybe that will wake even the Republicans

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1134951553680423882005-12-18T18:49:00.000-05:002005-12-26T11:53:56.520-05:00

Until now I have been ignoring the “War on Christmas”. It seemed to be based on senseless pandering for listeners or readers of arch-conservative morons like Bill O’Reilly. Then I stumbled across Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA) resolution #H.Res.579 to "protect the symbols and traditions of Christmas." Ms. Davis explained her reasoning for the bill: "There has been an ongoing effort by retailers and

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1135222994141760182005-12-15T22:29:00.000-05:002005-12-21T22:55:45.916-05:00

How ironic, (or fitting for these times) that the post following Pinter's powerful rhetoric should be this one.Bush, Cheney and Co. have shown contempt for U. S. laws so many times and in so many ways I didn't think that they could shock me any more. They did. This from Counterpunch:December 14, 2005Bush and the Constitution"Just a Goddamned Piece of Paper" By GARY LEUPP"Doug Thompson, publisher

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1134066630665068012005-12-08T11:44:00.000-05:002005-12-08T14:30:41.713-05:00

Although this blog is primarily meant as an outlet for my words, sometimes someone else states something so well that I want to make sure that my readers don't miss it. Also note: Mr. Pinter is British, Thus what may seem spelling, punctuation or grammatical errors in American English are merely the author's native English.Yesterday Harold Pinter (the 2005 Nobel Prize winner for Literature) gave

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1133940782096128492005-12-07T02:23:00.000-05:002005-12-07T02:39:01.490-05:00

I loathe telemarketers. The interruption of my time is irritating. The idea that I would be interested in whatever they have to say is presumptuous.When I read the recent Gallup Poll regarding “Honesty/Ethics in Professions” it hardly surprised me to see telemarketers at the bottom of the list. The poll asked the question:“Please tell me how you would rate the honest and ethical standards of

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1133474261311845232005-12-01T16:56:00.000-05:002005-12-01T17:14:49.530-05:00

Congressman Murtha spoke out and said that the Military and its equipment are being worn down. The neocons on the Right are all over the media blathering about how he is wrong. How can anyone doubt what Murtha is saying?Unlike previous wars, where there was some sort of downtime between engagements, these men and women have to be ready against attack from any direction all the time. It has to be

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1132697595853501102005-11-22T17:05:00.000-05:002005-12-01T01:30:07.896-05:00

So many of the issues that seem to polarize this country are from opposite ends of the spectrum, all black or all white. I'm not talking about race. I'm talking about the realm of ongoing debate.Our national arguments focus on the bedroom:Pro-choice vs. NotGay rights vs. Fix Yourself We can't seem to agree how to relate to the rest of the planet:American the Exceptional vs. We Are the WorldWe

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1132352380991256852005-11-18T17:18:00.000-05:002005-12-01T01:45:45.076-05:00

Okay, we know that most of us, including our heroes in the sixties and seventies, sold out to the establishment eventually. Look at the 'Chicago Seven'. The defiant defenders on trial for inciting a riot actually started by police at the '68 Democratic Convention. Years later you would find Jerry Rubin on Wall Street, Rennie Davis a venture capitalist and John Froines at OSHA.We Thought He Helped

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19107535.post-1132353681318421262005-11-15T17:40:00.000-05:002005-12-01T11:09:00.350-05:00

You have to be a certain age to remember what it was like. After Viet Nam, after the upheaval of the sixties, after the scandal of Nixon resigning--we as a country had lost faith in ourselves. Our Teflon President, Trouble Just Slid Right Away From HimWhen Reagan was elected so many people thought that it was a disaster. That WWIII was almost inevitable. That didn't happen. In the hubris of

palachhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954559062056190459noreply@blogger.com0