Civil libertarians have long objected to the continuation (and in some cases the expansion) of Bush policies in the national security areas by President Barack Obama. Obama has blocked the investigation and prosecution of Bush officials for torture, renewed the military tribunal system, extinguished dozens of public interest lawsuits against telecommunication companies and agencies as well as other controversial moves. Now, two former Bush officials are considered leading contenders to take over the FBI despite their involvement in some of the worst abuses during the Bush Administration. They are James Comey and Kenneth Wainstein. As discussed below, they are a case of the coronation of the one-eyed man as King of the land of the blind.
FDA advisory group called the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee has asked the Administration to bar the sale of menthol cigarettes as a danger to human health. The reason? They are too popular. I do not smoke and I do not like smoking. However, I find it increasingly bizarre to ban products because people like them too much. If the Administration wants to seek a prohibition of tobacco, there are good faith reasons to do so. However, most Americans continue to believe that adults have a right to choose to smoke. If tobacco is legal, I do not see why citizens should be barred from buying the type of tobacco that they prefer.
Continue reading “Too Popular To Sell? FDA Committee Calls For Ban on Menthol-Flavored Cigarettes”
This is the second mugshot we have seen this month which will also be evidence submitted at trial. Johnathan Washburn’s interesting hair style caught the eye of a man taking pictures of interesting things on the street. Washburn, 23, became irate at being photographed and his friend, Timothy Beard, 19, demanded that the man delete the photo. When he didn’t, they allegedly stole his sunglasses and beat him with a skateboard. By the way, that is called a triple Mohawk.
Continue reading “Mohawk Leads To Brawl in Texas”
There has long been an ironic relationship between states and tobacco. While insisting that they are raising taxes on tobacco to combat smoking, states have long been addicted to the revenue. Now, some states are lowering taxes to encourage more smoking to generate more revenue to deal with budget shortfalls.
Continue reading “Revenue Addiction: New Hampshire and Other States Move to Cut Tobacco Taxes to Increase Sales”
Now this sounds familiar. The United States has again launched a military campaign in an Arab nation to help the inhabitants and has unleashed growing criticism from other Arab countries. In the meantime, the United States and its allies have been denounced as crusaders and Nazis by those fighting with Gaddafi.
Continue reading “Arab League Denounces Military Strikes By U.S. and Allies on Libya”
This fuel truck is not ground support for the C-130, but cargo as part of the Japanese relief effort at Yokota Airbase .
Continue reading “Now This Is Cargo Space . . .”
Submitted By Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw), Guest Blogger
I know what you may be thinking. What is that crazy title all about? It wasn’t discussed much in the Corporate Mass Media, but this past week was dubbed, Sunshine Week. Sunshine Week was supposed to celebrate “open Government practices”. I for one, wasn’t convinced that our government had any “open” practices. The Freedom of Information Act was passed in 1966 and it was designed to allow individuals the right to find out exactly what government was doing on our behalf. The Act has been amended on several occasions and it has aged with mixed results. Continue reading “Just How Sunny is Sunshine Week?”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
Here’s a picture of my older brother Jack Murphy. It was taken on Saint Patrick’s Day.
Jack is a real party animal. He especially likes to party hearty on the day in March when we commemorate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle. My older sibling likes to dress in green, don his shamrock shades, and go wild! And I mean—WILD!
Continue reading “A Jack & Rudy Post: Dog Gone Wild on Saint Patty’s Day!”
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
If Republicans get their way that’s a distinct possibility. Under a GOP-backed bill the Internal Revenue Service would be required to police how Americans pay for abortions. Under the Republicans’ “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act”, known as H.R. 3, IRS agents would also have to determine if the terminated pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.
-Submitted by David Drumm (Nal), Guest Blogger
It’s 13-year old Rebecca Black’s video that has gone viral with 25,000,000 views.
Submitted By Mark Esposito, Guest Blogger
Greetings from Dublin Ireland, the home of the most famous dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral and author of Gulliver’s Travels, Jonathan Swift. Suzanne and I have embraced the Irish and the hug seems mutual. Dublin is caught up in the frenzy of the five-day Saint Patrick’s Day Festival and, even more so, with the spectacle of European Rugby’s version of the Super Bowl played yesterday at Aviva Stadium. The city is teaming with rugby fans from five other nations. We’ve met so many wonderful people here from our ever helpful doorman at the Brooks Hotel, Connor, to our favorite barkeeper, Pawel, to scores of others, all anxious to help two hopelessly lost American travelers. We’ve even met a Turley or two.
Continue reading “Gullet’s Travels: How “Mark of Ireland” Got His Name”
At a time when the American people overwhelmingly oppose our continued military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, President Obama has responded by committing the United States to another war. Today, the U.S. attacked Libyan forces with over a hundred cruise missiles hitting the capitol and surrounding areas. With the two wars already draining the United States of billions a day, these cruise missile attacks alone will cost hundreds of millions in both the equipment and commitment of forces.
Continue reading “Missiles Away! Obama Commits U.S. To Third Military Campaign”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
William Dudley, the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, recen
tly visited Queens where he got a “street-corner” education on the cost of living. Evidently, the Federal Reserve has been trying to sell its monetary policy to average folks—who aren’t exactly buying into to its talking points.
Dudley, a former chief economist for Goldman Sachs, gave a speech in Queens in which he spoke about the economy’s progress and the Fed’s successes. When the question and answer period rolled around, people in the audience wanted to know why the prices for food and gas were rising. As noted in a Wall Street Journal article—“the Fed doesn’t think food and gas prices matter to its policy calculations because they aren’t part of “core” inflation.”
Continue reading “Let Them Eat…iPads!: William Dudley Antoinette Visits Queens”
Submitted by Lawrence Rafferty, (rafflaw) Guest Blogger
Over the past few weeks and months, we have read repeatedly about how politicians are upset that the government is doing nothing about jobs. We hear it from the Right and we hear it from the Left, but the unemployment rate is still around 9.0% with many out of work Americans no longer looking for work. With this background, I was incensed when I read about a Minnesota legislative proposal to bar citizens on public aid from having more than $20.00 cash in their pocket at any time! Continue reading “Is This The America That We Want?”
Submitted by Elaine Magliaro, Guest Blogger
In recent days, Rush Limbaugh was heard making fun of Japanese 
earthquake and tsunami victims living in a refugee camp on his radio program. Rush seemed to think it was funny that the refugees had already organized a recycling effort at the camp.
RUSH: Did I really hear this? Did I really hear — Diane Sawyer is in a refugee camp in Japan. Play this again. This is almost like a kindergarten teacher talking to the 4 year olds. That is how old you are in kindergarten, right? Five? Five? Four? All right. This is — some of these people here for days, and look, look, it’s recycling — organized for recycling.
You can read more excerpts from Rush’s disturbing conversation with a caller at the Media Matters post Limbaugh Laughs in the Face of Human Suffering.
Limbaugh wasn’t the only American who made inappropriate comments about the Japanese in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that have devastated the island nation of Japan.