McCain is fit, qualified, tested and ready to be President and Commander in Chief. Obama is fit, qualified, tested and ready for bu tone job: Poseur in Chief.

---Media Lizzy

ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, McCain 2008 Senior Foreign Policy Advisor Randy Scheunemann issued the following statement:

"The difference between John McCain and Barack Obama is that Barack Obama advocates an unconditional withdrawal that ignores the facts on the ground and the advice of our top military commanders. John McCain believes withdrawal must be based on conditions on the ground. Prime Minister Maliki has repeatedly affirmed the same view, and did so again today. Timing is not as important as whether we leave with victory and honor, which is of no apparent concern to Barack Obama. The fundamental truth remains that Senator McCain was right about the surge and Senator Obama was wrong. We would not be in the position to discuss a responsible withdrawal today if Senator Obama's views had prevailed."

###

click on the pictures below for a bumper sticker or pin. if you don't see your candidate below, you're probably at the wrong blog, bubba.

Originally carrying a hefty price tag at $6.1 billion, the fleet of 28 helicopters being built to fly the next president is now projected to cost $11.2 billion.

This bloated endeavor is symptomatic of the state of defense spending in the US. Eager to avoid being labeled as "weak on defense," legislators form both parties almost never reduce the budget of any defense project, even if they know it's wasteful, unnecessary or not even requested by military leaders. In many cases, Congressmen will add billions in additional funds to defense appropriations for no reason whatsoever, just for the purposes of election posturing.

And this madness doesn't even guarantee a better functioning military; rather, it removes any sense of accountability from contractors or military producers. Other First World militaries, who actually have to make the case to their governments how any proposal would actually be useful, have been transforming into streamlined forces more capable of dealing with 21st century challenges; meanwhile, we're pumping more and more money into a bloated Cold War behemoth with modern elements being stacked on top, not replacing the outdated elements. And they're even doing it on the cheap. In the case of these helicopters:

At $400 million apiece, the helicopters far exceed a prime example McCain uses on the campaign trail to rail against congressional pork-barrel spending, a $230 million "bridge to nowhere" in Alaska. The British have bought the same base model helicopter for $57 million each.

We spend more money on our military than entire continents, often without concrete benefits to its effectiveness. Any politician who really wants to talk about government accountability needs to stop stabbing at our now-pitiful social welfare programs and turn their attention to the trillion-dollar elephant in the room.

So the Bush Administration wants to redefine contraception in such a way as to make taking a pill or using an IUD a legal abortion.  I can say I am not surprised. This is the man who three days into his first term tried to redefine what a human being is. And cut all overseas programs for women's health in countries with high birth population and astronomical child mortality rates. I can only assume that since he has no uterus, women's health issues, like good forgien policy, are beyond his grasp.

Why does the government insist on treating women like chattel when it comes to their health?  This is the Admin that made it okay for a pharmacist not only to refuse contraception to women with a legal script but also allowed them to berate and humiliate them for trying to be responsible about their bodies and their health.

I will say this, no man, however high up in the Government structure should be allowed to tell a woman what she may do with her own body. I don't see the Government cracking down on men who by condoms or Viagra. In fact while Viagra is covered by insurance many birth control devices for woman are not.

And are these not the same people who regularly trot out the welfare rolls for public derision?

As I have said before, they cannot have it both ways. Either the government should promote healthy sexual attitudes through good information and availability of contraception to everyone or the should just admit that they are a bunch of  redneck asshats who think women should be fully oppressed.

I am thinking that if George had a uterus there would be contraception carnivals all over the country. Birth control pills and sponges would rain from the very skies via jet fighters. That every twenty eight days chocolate and corn chips would be free and crying jags would be the norm.

Until he grows one we're stuck with his backwoods sexual censorship.

Zipperhead.

Dogwoman

From wikipedia: John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) is the senior United States Senator from Arizona and presumptive Republican Party nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 election.

Both McCain's grandfather and father were admirals in the United States Navy. McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958 and became a naval aviator, flying ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. During the Vietnam War, he nearly lost his life in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. Later that year while on a bombing mission over North Vietnam, he was shot down, badly injured, and captured as a prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese. He was held from 1967 to 1973, experiencing episodes of torture and refusing an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer; his war wounds would leave him with lifelong physical limitations.

“The question for John McCain isn’t whether Phil Gramm will continue as chairman of his campaign, but whether he will continue to keep the economic plan that Gramm authored and that represents a continuation of the polices that have failed American families for the last eight years,” said Hari Sevugan, a spokesman for the campaign of Senator Barack Obama.

This is the kind of simple, easily grasped frame that wins elections. You can envision eighty million Americans walking into polling booths in November thinking "I'm afraid McCain will be just like more Bush." President Bush is so spectacularly toxic at this point that to run on any other frame seems foolhardy. What other issue unites the heartfelt views of 70% of Americans around an issue your opponent can't take advantage of? The Obama campaign has been through a lackluster few weeks, but the past few days have been very good for him, and my sense increasingly is that he's a long-range campaigner: he's picked the right territory to fight on and is now watching McCain begin to slide and scrabble. I'm still betting he wins by more than 5%, most likely by something like 8%.

The White House, State Department and Pentagon do not announce senior officials' visits to Iraq in advance.

McCain was being an asshole about this earlier in the week for calling Obama's trip a "stunt" (after running a campaign commercial bitching about Obama not to going to Iraq), but this is heinous. It's one thing to be a contradictory and hypocritical dick to your opponent, but it's a whole other realm when you're actually compromising his security, especially given the assassination fears we've already seen exploited in regards to Obama. Even Nixon never put his opponent's life in danger with all of his election-rigging; this is straight out of Zimbabwe.

This is carelessness (and maybe a sign of him being 108 years old) at best and Third World style political malice at worst, but either way it's scary enough that McCain actually holds any political office at all, let alone that he has a remote chance of being president.

EDIT: To further the hypocrisy of this, McCain got super pissed when someone did the exact same fucking thing to his son a few years ago.

2.  EVERYONE talking about flippin gas prices!

3.  EVERYONE talking about our CRAPPY (use your imagination what word I'd rather use) canidates for the presidency.

4.  Acid reflux

5.  The dead hot grimey muggy heat in AZ.

6.  Nick stick prices

7.  The co-worker that walks around and says "what a day" and I can see him from my office window standing and talking to another guy, and has been standing there now for 11 minutes.

8.  Customers not receiving product and/or equipment I have sent them.

9.  The stink that's hanging out in my $180 pair of leather heels steming from the heat making my feet sweat.

10.  My sunroof cover (er, uh.. the thing that closes that keeps the sun out, what's the word...?!) not closing anymore.  What the hell?  How do you fix that?!

The ULSU has a brand new look. Fresh paint does wonders for an office.

Come on down and have a look.

Adam Vossepoel

President

Last night my buddy Kyle from Retread and I went to see Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw on their "Jesus for President" book tour.  It was a very unique experience.  I really enjoyed it.  They have unique political ideas that are refreshing to me.  I bought their book and started reading it when I got home.  Can't wait to really get into it.  Here is a more complete review by my friend.

The evening was definitely something different than I have ever experienced before.  Two guys basically standing up together going through the entire human story.  All throughout, there were musical interludes by the Psalters, a very unique musical talent which is very hard for me to describe - kind of celtic or chanty and middle eastern or indian.  It was pretty special.

Check out www.jesusforpresident.org/tour to see if you can catch these guys coming to your town.

CNN Gore story here.

Note to pollsters: You gotta question those Q-tips before the Early Bird tapioca dessert! Once Granny takes out her teeth it's lights out in 20!!

Also, I'm kind of jealous I wasn't there. Kenny Chesney performed. And the president led the little ones in the recitation of the Little League Oath. That's just adorable.

Bless Jesus' name for through Christs' will and ability this is revealed!!

Mexico - Call for "exemplary punishment" for police hounding of the media

MONTREAL, July 17 - Reporters Without Borders today
condemned the aggressive posture of some police officers, particularly at the
federal level, after assaults on journalists on the same day both in the
Federal District (Mexico City) and in the state of Sinaloa in the north-west.
Around 30 police officers with the Federal Preventative Police (PPP)
threatened Rafael Leyva Mexia and Luis Vasquez Vega, photographers
respectively on the regional dailies El Diario de Los Mochis and Noroeste in
Los Mochis in Sinaloa state on 15 July, after they took shots of a police
convoy just after it left the scene of a demonstration.
They pointed guns at the journalists whom they accused of being from the
"gutter press" before photographing them while heaping insults on them. Other
journalists who arrived later where also aggressively questioned and had to
take flight.
Leyva Mexia and Vasquez Vega both made complaints to the Sinaloa state
human rights commission. One of the two photographers told Reporters Without
Borders that, in the light of a similar case involving journalists from the
regional daily El Debate in May, they might also take the case before the
federal justice ministry.
In the second case, judicial police travelling in five vehicles
intercepted Jacobo Velasquez Gordillo, journalist on the privately-owned
national channel TV Azteca and technical staff in the capital at 2am on the
same day as they were returning to their studios. They were forced at gunpoint
to produce their identify papers. Police then seized their mobile phones and
their camera battery on the pretext that they had tried to interfere with an
investigation. Police officers rained blows onto Velasquez Gordillo as they
tried to force him into the boot of his car.
The journalists made a complaint for "abuse of authority" at the special
prosecutor's office responsible for civil servants. The Federal District Human
Rights Commission has also made a complaint which it is waiting for the
journalists to sign.
"This abusive behaviour leaves the press even more vulnerable at a time
when it is already exposed to threats from organised crime, particularly in
the states like Sinaloa which are in thrall to the drug cartels", the
worldwide press freedom organization said.
"The safety of Mexican journalists is more under threat than ever and
this situation can only worsen still further if the authorities decide for
reasons of state to close the cases lodged by the victims. There should be
exemplary punishment", the organization added.

Reporters Without Borders
I did this one night for a dear friend in Christ, and their family.

The corruption of the  Federal Preventive Police (Policía Federal Preventiva or PFP in Mexico and no Human Rights in Mexico makes it very difficult for any citizen to reside there.  According to what I am made aware of you deported two Mexicans to the state and they have pictures and names of CORRUPT PFP People involved in unloading a military vehicle with the PFP person there?!

Time right now TAKE ACTION!.  I see your article regarding Human Rights....
http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/research/ndp/ref/index_e.htm?docid=268&cid=0&sec=CH04

And Amenesty International's statement.......
http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR410272006?open&of=ENG-325

I now will enquire of your office and ask do you think it is right to send these people to a state that is corrupt and these people are known by the PFP?  Regardless of where they relocate themselves it is quite evident they can be found easily by the PFP.  see this........
http://fmso.leavenworth.army.mil/documents/multimission/multimission.htm

The above site states this.... Well if what this says below is it any wonder these people will be seen as expendable?  these are our brothers and sisters!

PFP Corruption

The past years have amply demonstrated that endemic corruption plagues every Mexican police establishment. From all outside appearances, the PFP is making a serious effort to ensure that new recruits have the requisite levels of honesty and is rooting out corrupt serving officers. This extraordinarily difficult undertaking is reflected in the current status of internal PFP investigations. Notably, by February 2000 PFP agents in multiple states were being investigated for "crimes related to drug trafficking, illegal alien smuggling and stealing from transport vehicles."⁴³ Of these, the illegal alien smuggling case seemed to be the most extensive, potentially involving a national-level undertaking with participants from the PFP and other police agencies. Reducing corruption clearly contributes to the 15-year time table for the PFP to reach its maximum capability, a more realistic estimate than some previous Mexican anticorruption campaigns that projected short-term results.

Mexico is placing exceptional trust and weight on the performance and effectiveness of the PFP. It is no exaggeration to say that the law enforcement and internal security dimensions of Mexico's future stability are tied to the PFP's ability to perform critically important policing and security missions. At the same time, the PFP must be effective enough to free the military from highly visible public safety duties that erode its public confidence. Amid the challenges posed by a spectrum of criminal and subversive threats to Mexico, the PFP—like the military—will have to struggle successfully against the drug corruption that has crippled other federal, state and local police establishments in Mexico. In addition, the nature of PFP duties raises the specter of human rights violations in areas like Chiapas, Oaxac and Guerrero, an issue that the Mexican Government acknowledges but has yet to fully address.

Just at the wrong place involving a powerful force who could go above officials easily because of the powers they have been given.  I ask you please to research this fully.

I ask for your response, as an immigration office why did you send them to their former country?

Undermining the Rule of Law: Democratization and the Dark Side of Police Reform in Mexico
From:    Latin American Politics and Society
Date:    April 1, 2006
Author:    Davis, Diane E

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/21464.html SAYS..........

At 10 a.m., several hundred fully equipped riot and special operations officers from the Federal Preventative Police (PFP) supported by armored riot tanks and military helicopters flying overhead stood face-to-face with a small crowd of university students and local residents with nothing in their hands.But from this disparity grew a pitched battle that lasted over six hours, left dozens injured, and ended with the PFP in retreat and the streets filled with thousands of protesters.

...........................................

"Since the authorities have routinely tortured our supporters when detained, we now declare that there are no longer conditions to continue entertaining dialogue with the federal government," he said.

Oh a Bit More.....
Video and Lawyer says

"The government is throwing gasoline on the fire and fanning the flames of social conflict," says Jose Sanchez, a lawyer for six prisoners from Guerrero state who claim PFP officers tortured them.
http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Latin_America/MexicoThoughtPolice.html

US Terror central Gov Library adds this

TITLE:
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Mexico 2001 SOURCE:
U.S. Department of State

TEXT:

Mexico

The police forces, which include federal and state judicial police, the Federal Preventive Police (PFP), municipal police, and various police auxiliary forces, have primary responsibility for law enforcement and maintenance of order within the country. However, the military plays a large role in some law enforcement functions, primarily counternarcotics. Elected civilian officials maintain effective control over the police and the military; however, corruption is widespread within police ranks and also is a problem in the military. The military maintains a strong presence in the state of Chiapas and a lesser, but still significant, deployment in Guerrero. Military personnel and police officers committed serious human rights abuses.

These articles where there just the other day, sorry I have limited time to find them now, if anyone has a link to the article please tell me below... THX

http://i.today.reuters.com/pictures/galleries/newspictures/2006-11-06T012704Z_01_HNR20_RTRIDSP_2_OAXACA-PROTESTERS.jpg
REUTERS/Henry Romero
A poster is seen over a burnt car as Federal police (PFP) stand guard in Oaxaca's main plaza, Mexico November 5, 2006, Thousands of students and protesters from the Popular Assembly (APPO) march against the Governor of Oaxaca Ulises Ruiz in Oaxaca City on Sunday. The poster reads 'Go Ulises, Go PFP of Oaxaca'. Ulises refers to the Governor Ulises Ruiz and PFP to Federal Police officers.'
http://i.today.reuters.com/pictures/galleries/newspictures/2006-11-05T233207Z_01_DAR10D_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-OAXACA.jpg
REUTERS/Daniel Aguilar
Federal police officers stand guard in downtown Oaxaca city November 5, 2006. Tens of thousands of protesters trying to oust a state governor marched on Sunday in the Mexican tourist city of Oaxaca where demonstrators clashed with police last week in a deepening conflict.
http://i.today.reuters.com/pictures/galleries/newspictures/2006-11-05T233330Z_01_DAR12D_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-OAXACA.jpg
REUTERS/Daniel Aguilar
A Federal police officer stands guard on a building roof in downtown Oaxaca city November 5, 2006. Tens of thousands of protesters trying to oust a state governor marched on Sunday in the Mexican tourist city of Oaxaca where demonstrators clashed with police last week in a deepening conflict.
http://i.today.reuters.com/pictures/galleries/newspictures/2006-11-05T234742Z_01_DAR14D_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-OAXACA.jpg
REUTERS/Daniel Aguilar
Federal police officers stand guard in downtown Oaxaca City November 5, 2006. Tens of thousands of protesters trying to oust a state governor marched on Sunday in the Mexican tourist city of Oaxaca where demonstrators clashed with police last week in a deepening conflict.
http://i.today.reuters.com/pictures/galleries/newspictures/2006-11-05T235253Z_01_DAR17D-_RTRIDSP_2_MEXICO-OAXACA.jpg
REUTERS/Daniel Aguilar
Federal police officers stand guard in downtown Oaxaca City November 5, 2006. Tens of thousands of protesters trying to oust a state governor marched on Sunday in the Mexican tourist city of Oaxaca where demonstrators clashed with police last week in a deepening conflict.

For a true soldier must be vigilant, alert, and aware of, how, why,
where from & by whom & what anything is and it's intentions

One other thing,  WHY??  and who did this?  It is not right!!

TORONTO, July 18 /CNW/ - Please be advised that the Ontario Court of
Appeal has this afternoon issued an order, which has the effect of temporarily
reinstating the publication ban that was lifted earlier today in relation to
the preliminary inquiry held in the case of R. v. Shawn Brant. As a result of
this order the media should immediately cease reporting on evidence heard at
the preliminary inquiry and remove all related reports from websites.
    This afternoon's Court of Appeal order temporarily stays a ruling made
earlier today in Napanee until Wednesday afternoon, July 23rd, at 4:00 p.m. so
that a full stay application can be heard by the Court of Appeal on this
matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7PCHp1fWoI

-Jack

Jag har tyvärr inte hunnit med att kommentera Al Gores utspel idag, men känner att jag åtminstone bör länka det du kan läsa mer om det på DN: Al Gore utmanar om förnybar energi.

Sedan är det väl alltid positivt att nämna kritik också: Lord Monckton och IPCC (video).

There is something that's just a shame though... Joke and Jeff haven't gotten in one of the podcasts yet. But they will. Oh yes. They will.

On a much happier and joyful note, our total online views of our videos has surpassed 2,500 views. That says something right there. Not a lot, but good nonetheless. Whoa... that's a long word. Nonetheless. None-the-less. Nonetheless. Ok, done.

iTunes -> Locust Podcast. Enjoy.

"I keep thinking we should include something in the Constitution in case the people elect a f**king moron"
Picture and Comment Source is Unknown

Check him out as he throws his hat in the ring.

Don't forget that he needs to be qualified. Find out why below.

Do you think he might pick me as his running mate?

Find out more about him at his own blog faithandthought.net.

By the way, Shane, I think you should buy me lunch at the Canton for this.

ELC

It seems that no matter how far mankind advances, and regardless of the will of the majority, the plague known as war will forever haunt mankind. Our known history is filled with accounts and stories of war after war after war. And always unnecessarily, be it because of greed, jealousy, pride and a host other things. But I've never read of a war that was justified or necessary.

You see, I believe in the theory a lot of folks call the "Christian Just War Theory". My belief in this theory is simple, war can only be justifed in self-defense. Not pre-emptive war, not for profits, not for land, not for any reason other than self-defense. I like to consider that a "Universal Just War Theory", not merely a Christian theory (a theory itself that most Christians probably don't hold, and I'm assuming there based on the ones I know and their views).

Well, if you believe war can only be justified when it is in self-defense, you pretty much believe no war should ever be fought. After all, if nations only went to war in instances of self-defense, then there would never be need for war. If that were the case, we'd all be living relatively peacefully and wouldn't build powerful and destructive weapons to use against our fellow man.

But no matter the advancement, be it man walking on the moon or instaneous communication with folks all around the world, mankind continues to seek out new and deadlier weapons and continues to engage in the age-old plague of war.

If that's not strange enough, how about those who fight the wars? All throughout history, war has been raged because of "leaders". Chiefs, Kings, Emperors, Pharoahs, Presidents, Prime Ministers and any other title "leaders" have, have all continsouly brought about war. A "leader" says "we're going to invade this nation, ready the army" and suddenly thousands upon thousands of men are marching across the land to fight a war. Why?

Who is a King, or Emperor, or President to send men and women to foreign lands to die and to kill others? Better yet, why do the people always go do the bidding of their "leader"? The Kings and leaders back in the day use to like to spout off about being chosen by a God or being God-like or child of God to control the population. But man is man, and thus all are equal. No man should/could truthfully lead or own another man. Thus the concept of a leader is false.

I know in the course of history, freedom is a relatively new concept, but I don't understand why. Even today, freedoms seems lost on a great many. A King or President wants a war, and he sends others to fight it... which they do?

Why do people choose to be followers? People chose to follow Hitler, people have chose to follow every evil "leader" throughout time. It's ridicolous. And its not limited to war and nations, but other groups as well. Watch any old Western movie, and you'll see a group of bad guys. In this group, there is always a "leader" who is eventually killed by the good guy. Usually though, the "leader" of the bad group will kill or slap around other members of his group, to which no one else in the group does anything about. Why is that?

What makes people think they are somehow better than other people, above them somehow, and thus should rule over them and expect others to obey them? And why do people willingly submit themselves to this rule of others?

Mahatma Gandhi said two things I agree with, well a lot more than that but for the purpose of this piece just the two, he said:

• I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one even at the cost of your life.

And...

• I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.

^ Yeah, what he said. If everyone viewed war as only necessary in self-defense and ended the notion of quasi servants to so-called "leaders", war would effectively be eliminated and the world would be a much better place.

Just in case you missed it, what follows is a complete video of Al Gore's speech. Please watch and feel free to comment, whether you believe in global warming or not, and let the viewing public know where you stand.

Here is a picture I took when I was one of the chosen few (well, chosen 9,000), who got to see the Pope from the South Lawn of the White House when the Pope came to America a few months ago. It was an amazing event.

[caption id="attachment_43" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The Pope, President Bush, and First Lady Laura Bush"][/caption]