Garofolo, Rob THomas, Rushdie, and Bill Maher

Here is a great video of the current state of the Iraq War, The failure of our local media outlets and news media in general, civilian American contractors in Iraq, and the Blackwater debacle.

Not for conservative eyes unless your ready to confront the lies.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Protests, Bush, Hypocrisy- A look into the mirror

I was happy when I heard Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran was going to Columbia University for the World Leaders forum. I personally do not know the guy, so I decline to call him the names that my fellow Americans believe so vehemently.

I watched the news with interest as to what our media was going to do to this event, and in true idiot fashion they did not let me down. We decided to start it off with a grilling on 60 minutes The interviewer asked him what he liked about GWB, the Iranian president promptly threw the question back to the reporter, who replied that he liked GWB's sense of religion and Christian belief.

Here was the Presidents reply:

“What religion, please tell me, tells you as a follower of that religion to occupy another country and kill its people, please tell me, does Christianity tell its followers to do that?” Ahmadinejad asked."

Most of the protest and uproar from our country was from those who are Jewish or who are sided with Israel in terms of the conflict in the Middle East. This article clearly outlines some of the discussion about the impact the visit may have on the state of Israel

As you may or may not know the president of Iran questions the truth behind 9/11 and the holocaust, although he does admit that both did in fact happen. We are heating up for war with Iran, as part of the neo-conservative PNAC, as our work in Iraq will be continuing until Americans rise up, or by happenstance we happen to elect someone who will get us the hell out of there.

What I really thought was funny was this coverage the whole weekend. I heard flaming radio idiot Micheal Savage, not deserving of a link, talk about how the visit was cancelled. Liar. Then the coverage of the protests began on Sunday night. However, when the cameras were outside the University, the protesters just "called it a night", but we were reassured by our friends the reporters that the protesters would be back in the morning, and they were.

What is interesting is how quick most Americans are to judge. People hate the middle east because of 9/11 and believe that our government is keeping us safe from terrorism. People who oppose this stupid war an Oil Policy not a terrorist hunt, Greenspan et al have confirmed that, are made to feel like fools by our fellow Americans and are spied on by our own intelligence officers If we protest the war we are idiots, but if we protest another countries president it is ok and encouraged. There are those who do not even think Iran is a global threat, but we [Americans] will go along with what we are told by our friends on the hill and in the media.

However the real kicker is that this is the second year in a row where Ahmadinejad has challenged our president to a world forum debate, and the second year he has refused. I for one would pay up to 75$ to watch the debate between the two presidents on pay-per-view. I am not joking. However, most people know that our president barely gets through the State of the Union Addresses' and press hearings looking credible; let alone an actual debate [not including our sissified presidential debates].

Anyway,

I know I am putting myself out there with this post, but that is my reaction to this news story. I will just sit back and see how this all pans out, as I am in no position to make a difference on this matter.

"Make a Difference" Donate Life Straw

I was watching the news this evening and I watched the story about the state of the drinking water in India. I did a little research and found two articles that talk about the growing water crisis and a discussion about water that should belong to the commons. During my research and witnessing of the news I remembered the LifeStraw, a device made by Vestergaard Frandsen that actually filters water as people use the device.

If you have some extra cash, you should look into contacting the Rotary Club of Menorca Spain in the title link.

One criticism of the news article and the problem of drinking water is that the Asia LifeStraw office is in New Dehli India! Why doesn't India embrace a product that has been proven effective to help with its water crisis?

Anyway, the LifeStraw seems like a good little gadget to help drinking water isssues in developing countries.

Robin Weirauch running for vacated seat in Congress

Robin Weirauch has made her announcement to run for the Congressional seat that was vacated by the passing of Paul Gillmor. Gillmor was a well respected leader but Robin made a heavy dent in her 2006 campaign where she garnered 43% of the vote. Here is a copy of her canidacy announcement for this special election.

Make a Difference-- Buddy Walk for a cause!!

You don't always have to give money to make a difference, in fact volunteering and actively working give a much better immediate "return on investment" than sending an organization a check. The National Down Syndrome Society is havings its annual Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome Awareness. Northwest ohio will have its Buddy Walk on October 7th at the Lucas County Rec. Center at 11a.m.

As an advocate for persons with developmental disabilities, I am aware of the struggle to stop hurtful language and limit stigma for these individuals. The link has contact information and more info about the Buddy Walk.

Bush setting up to invade Iran, Cheney wants war, Condi wants diplomacy.

This is a great article from the telegraph.uk from Philip Sherwell and Tim Shipman. It outlines CIA intelligence that is looking like a set up for a War with Iran. Condoleezza Rice sufficient capital hill support for military efforts and Cheney justs think we should invade them now. Here are two great passages from the article:

The source said: "When you go down there and see the body language, you can see that Cheney is still The Man. Condi pushed for diplomacy but she is no dove. If it becomes necessary she will be on board." LOL, Who was the source? A soap opera writer? Cheney is the ringmaster theorists win this round.

"The Sunday Telegraph has been told that Mr Bush has privately promised her that he would consult "meaningfully" with Congressional leaders of both parties before any military action against Iran on the understanding that Miss Rice would resign if this did not happen." So Condi is telling that that "this time" you need to make sure you have the support of the house and congress or she'll walk, you wouldn't be the first to walk out on this administration honey, you should have done it a while ago.


I wonder, even when presented with this scenario why people believe that this is still a reaction to the 9/11 attacks rather than an administration that has a larger strategy? President Bush already said in his address that the war will last into the next administration. They seem to want to control the oil in the Middle East(just trying to keep our prices down, man), not fight terrorism. As some people know just this morning, American troops arrested an Iranian Agent in Iraq this morning.


I will continue to watch this story, I hope you do to. I think that it is time to stop responding to 9/11 in Iraq, this is an outright strategy to control the Middle East. By our silence, we are allowing our government elect take us into yet another war. But is it a war? How will we know when we are done? Iran is next, then who?

G1NTOL Live Blogging at Artomatic 419 This weekend.

We are going to be blogging live on the g1ntol blog this weekend at Artomatic 419 Lite!

Feel free to come by or e-mail me interesting comments about art and personal expression. I will try to include everything I can, including pictures, videos, and posts.


Funny Pic!

Project for an Old American Century -- "Liberal News from Unbiased Sources"

Not to be confused with PNAC-Project for a New American Century http://www.newamericancentury.org/iraqclintonletter.htm; Who outline an actual plan to improve America by rebuilding our Defenses and act as World Police Officershttp://www.newamericancentury.org/RebuildingAmericasDefenses.pdf; POAC uses multiple sources to cover hot topics.

read more | digg story

Alberto Gonzales Resigns!!

The NY Times has reported that embattled AG, head Bush Law guy, and all around liar, Alberto Gonzales, has resigned.

Bye!!

John Stewart vs. Steven Hayes (Author of Cheney)-- Debate the Iraq War, the Drum-Up and Patriotism

Here is a video clip from Comedy Central with John Stewart and Steven Hayes discussing pleasantries regarding oil baron, vice president, person poacher, and Iraq War Protagonist (2001) and Antagonist (1994).

A Web Comic -- xkcd

I sorted through a couple of his comics and had to link him up. Good Site. Click on the pic to enlarge.

New Study Reveals-- Antioxidants don't do $h!T.

Found this article on Web MD discussing the most comprehensive study yet, looking into the potential benefits of diet supplements and antioxidants. The study was for women, but this study is another in a line of research that cannot find a positive correlation between these supplements and heart-healthiness.

As mentioned in the article and every other Health site known to man, the best food combos are a mix of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Plus exercise.

A link to Thurber's Thoughts

Here is a link to Maggie Thurber's blogsite. She is a former Lucas County commissioner and a voice for conservatism in Toledo. Although we disagree on national politics, her insight into the innerworking of Toledo are spot on.

This link discusses the issue of the mayor shutting down a rally/ protest at a North Toledo park.

Yet another example of government telling people where and what they can protest. Check out her post and some of the other links to local blogs like Glass City Jungle, History Mike, Hooda Thunkit, Jay Ott and Toledo Talk.

The Super Highway, North American Union, An Average American Patriot, Its not a conspiracy if there are already plans in place.

I apologize for the infrequent posts lately, I am starting to ramp it back up and welcome all of you to continue to comment or send me e-mail feedback. I also urge you to check out my newest Toledo blog for our IP/TV venture known as SGE Media Group/ G1NBC Toledo.

Here is a post from our last newsletter, we have not put out a newsletter in a while as we have been blogging frequently and working on other projects (G1NBC!). This has some of my initial research into the North American Union debate It outlines some fo the current research and old articles that outline definite beginnings of an Economic pact between Mexico, Canada and the United States, with one of the outcomes being a highway spanning from Texas to Detroit.

Well last week I was checking out some of my American Bloggers for Inclusive Debates websites and I came across a post from the Average Americam Patriot that outlines an article from the progressive/left The Nation concerning the current political state of the supposed North American Union and the NAFTA Superhighway.

I would suggest reading all of the links thoroughly to look at this interesting strategy. To me it is not a conspiracy as these are American Organizations and it seems to be a part of an overall strategy. As this is a sovereignty issue, it affects all of us, no matter what side of the political aisle we might fall.

Cheney, Rove, 9/11-- Does the word shady come to mind.

Hello everyone,

First I wanted to share a video from 1994 that shows Dick Cheney in 1994 talking to the American Enterprise Institute about Iraq. He is talking about what a quagmire would develop if we tried to invade Iraq. He references loss of life and discusses his recommendations to avoid military conflict. Funny how things change:



Next, as you may or may not know Karl Rove is resigning by the end of the month. Probably because he does not want to testify to congress. Here is a list of other Administration officials that have resigned since November, taken from a Terrence Hunt AP article:

"White House counselor Dan Bartlett, budget director Rob Portman, chief White House attorney Harriet Miers, political director Sara Taylor, deputy national security adviser J.D. Crouch and Meghan O'Sullivan, another deputy national security adviser who worked on Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was forced out immediately after the election as the unpopular war in Iraq dragged on."

Finally,

I traced back the Cheney video as coming from a very new website cataloging the 9/11 inequities in a new site called Grand Theft Country. Now, I am not certain I believe the 9/11 truth movement, but I know I do not believe the Administration nor the Mainstream Media portrayal of the events. This site has some good links, videos, and information covering the ongoing saga of the 9/11 attacks.

Making a Difference- The Parable of the Starfish

So I saw this on a new site I stumbled upon today called madhukarshukla's blog, entitled Social Entrepreneurship and some perspective on making a difference.

The Animal Rescue Klub is not sure who wrote it. This is the one reference to the story in wikipedia.

And our friends at Pitts Aldrich and Associates who advocate for the Make a Difference parable with all of their clients.


The title link has the parable on a scenic background of the beach. It is a good perspective on making a difference.

Rove refuses to testify on role in prosecutor firings

"White House senior adviser Karl Rove has rebuked a Senate Judiciary Committee subpoena and will not appear Thursday to testify about his role in the firing of nine US Attorneys, Sen. Patrick Leahy said late Wednesday."Humm. Never saw that one coming... I wonder what all this means. Why would he refuse?

read more | digg story

Digg for Today-- Ohio's 2004 Presidential Election Records Are Destroyed or Missing

"In Violation Of Federal Law..."I saw this link on Digg.com today. This is an interesting article from the progressive alternet.org. I like to read people's comments, and this one is no different. Check out the article for a quick read and look at the comments for more perspectives.

read more | digg story

The Simpson's Movie-MMMMMM-Simpsons

Here is a picture of my television showing the "Pie Man" episode. I somehow caught the show just as the Dalai Lama finished speaking and right before the Pie Man (aka Homer J) socks him with a big tasty pie. TV.com gets the link for episode information, yahoo gets the title link for the movie. Why does FOX have to own the rights?

Opens tomorrow.

Please post all comments on my life of nerdiness below. I can take it.

AIDS activists dissed at N.C. State, Homophobic comments fuel campus debate over tolerance

Posting Notes:

At the beginning of this month, I had the opportunity to work with the Youth Action Institute, a training for youth that are leading and advocating in the HIV Community. What an inspiring group of individuals they were! During my attendance at the conference, I seen many of the aspects of intolerance and flat out disgusting misunderstandings of HIV & AIDS that is mentioned in the article I have reposted below. Though I believe that many times, intolerance can be a two-way street, not one time did I see any participant take such an intolerant role with members of the NC State student body. I feel the article captured the situation well, and wanted to share it with our readers.

Article Repost:

Printed from the Independent Weekly website: www.indyweek.com

POSTED ON JULY 25, 2007:

AIDS activists dissed at N.C. State

Homophobic comments fuel campus debate over tolerance

By Mike Alberti

Twenty young people from around the nation gathered on the N.C. State University campus earlier this month for the Campaign to End AIDS Youth Action Institute.

They came to learn the ins and outs of AIDS advocacy, but in addition to lessons in attracting media attention and lobbying politicians, some NCSU students gave them an education in intolerance.

Institute participant Brett Calka was sitting outside the dorm where his group was staying for the week, smoking a cigarette with a friend and minding his own business on the third day of the conference.

"We began to hear someone yelling from another building in front of us," said Calka, a 23-year-old from Chicago. "At first, I couldn't hear what they were saying, but then I heard the words 'faggot' and 'sissy.'" Calka could not identify who was yelling because the blinds were drawn over the windows.

Some of the participants, ages 13-26, are openly gay. Others are not, but believe the abuse stemmed from an ongoing stigma that AIDS is just a "gay disease."

NCSU was chosen to host the third annual youth conference because the South has a rapidly growing number of new HIV infections and a general lack of support organizations, says organizer Charles Long.

Quintana Lane, a 20-year-old from Miami who has been infected with HIV since birth, ran into resistance trying to explain the group's presence and educate two students with whom she had a negative encounter.

"I wanted to let them know why we were there," said Lane. "After I told them, they said they didn't want us bringing HIV and AIDS into their community. Then one of them said, 'And I don't like gay people, either.'"

Lane told the young men that for at least 10 years, the infection rate has been dropping among gay men while rising among African Americans and Hispanics. Lane says as a colleague hailed her to rejoin the group, the men said, "I guess you have to go. Your faggot is calling you."

"I think they saw the AIDS posters we had up and just associated it with homosexuality," says Lane. "It shows how much work needs to be done."

Long said that he was not surprised to encounter homophobia while working on HIV/AIDS related issues.

"However, it was surprising to encounter so much of it on a college campus," Long says. "People are there to expand their minds, and you'd tend to believe that when they don't know about something they'd want to learn about it instead of just dealing with it in an ignorant way."

The participants say hateful remarks were directed at them in the dining hall and the gym as well as in the dorm.

"Almost everywhere we went, we were made to feel uncomfortable," said Calka. "I have never experienced so many people being so negative. It was shocking to see homophobia to that extent, especially from people who go to school and are educated enough to know that being gay is not a disease."

The incidents around the July 4-8 conference reflect N.C. State's struggle to establish a culture of tolerance regarding LGBT issues. The school recently ranked 17th in the Princeton Review in the category of "Alternative Lifestyles Not An Alternative." And although Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill both have campus LGBT centers, NCSU has been slow to establish one. Advocates working to do so last year confronted strong and hateful reactions from students and staff.

At a meeting of the LGBT subcommittee of the University Diversity Advisory Committee last year, the need for a center was identified, and a proposal was drafted for submission to the student and faculty senates, as well as campus officials.

The center would serve as both a haven for the LGBT community and an organizational headquarters for programming and events to educate the campus at large about LGBT issues.

The proposal was unanimously approved by the faculty senate, but the student senate was not as easily persuaded, though the plan was eventually approved over the objections of 14 dissenters. After a story about the vote ran in NCSU's newspaper, The Technician, there was such an outrage among the student body that the student senate held a town hall meeting to discuss the issue.

"The meeting was one of the most hateful events I've ever been to," says Celeste Richie, assistant director of diversity for the College of Natural Resources. "There were a lot of students there from the LGBT community, and other students were saying such hateful things. Some people quoted from the Bible. Some had prepared statements about why they were ashamed of the university."

Some of the dissenting students were so adamant that they started a Facebook group, "Students Against NCSU LGBT Center," which has more than 1,000 members. (An opposing Facebook group, "Students For NCSU LGBT Center," has 568 members.)

Members posted opinions online, and a heated debate continued throughout the school year. Much of the disagreement was about the center's funding, which could be taken in part from student fees.

Sophomore Justin Stewart posted: "I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it's pretty disgusting and sad that N.C. State wants to take money out of my pocket to fund something that I strongly oppose and am against both biblically and morally. If such a thing does happen, I'll be bound for another school that will not do such a thing. I mean, I haven't seen a straight center."

Other students also cited religious reasons. Junior Ishma Pinckney wrote: "We as Christians have a obligation to be soldiers for Christ and fight against anything ungodly.... If we stand by and say nothing just to get along instead of being evangelists for Christ our faith will be the same as all sinners not just the LGBT."

Some students didn't have a concrete reason. Sophomore Eric Dobbins wrote: "I think the real purpose of this fag house is to pass out anal lube. I'm mad that N.C. State was the 17th most unappealing to homos, I believe we should strive to be first."

In spite of this reaction, Vice Provost for Diversity and African-American Affairs Jose Picart says that the majority supports diversity.

"There are a lot of people, for religious and other reasons, who have negative feelings, but that is not the norm on our campus," Picart says.

Deb Luckadoo, activities director for Talley Student Center, where the LGBT center would be located, believes that the homophobia on campus mirrors a conservative society.

"This is the South," says Luckadoo. "This is the heart of Southern Baptist country. It's hard for students to disengage from their backgrounds. That's exactly why we need an LGBT center here. We need to change the overall climate of our university."

Vice Chancellor Tom Stafford agrees. "The center is very much needed," he says. "It's something I've personally been working on for 20 years." Stafford says that, although the center has been approved by the senate and the provost, funding has not been decided.

Although key members of the administration support the center and LGBT issues in general, Richie is still dissatisfied with the university's response to the blatant discrimination that surfaced during the debate.

"You can't just want to support a group," she says. "You have to take action. It's great that we're getting support from the university, but I'm still waiting to see results. We still don't have a center. NCSU is still a hateful climate for queer and transgender people."

Richie says the problem lies in the fact that many of the people who are making the decisions have never experienced the discrimination that LGBT students face at NCSU. Jeremy Hall, executive coordinator of Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Allies, says he regularly experiences homophobia.

"There's apathy everywhere at N.C. State," says Hall. "You walk around and you hear the traditional 'that's gay' or people calling other people fags. I feel much safer walking around downtown Raleigh than I do on campus."

For the Youth Action Institute participants, the conference brought lessons that were unexpected, but useful.

"It didn't detract from the Institute because it fueled a conversation," said Long. "It gave them more courage to go back into their communities and do something proactive."