50,000 people, many of them from Michigan, held a rally at the Supreme Court, protesting the Bush administration's support for tearing down the Affirmative Action policies at the University of Michigan.

Al Jazeera wonders about what happened to the Republican Guard? A fighting force that was supposed to be centered around Baghdad and 70,000 men in size has basically been unheard of in recent days while the US troops roll their tanks into Baghdad. It could be a good sign, or it could be a sign that Iraq has called them back into the city and they are preparing for urban warfare.

Welcome to Al Jazeera in english with a report from their site saying that Iraq has lifted the ban on Al Jazeera reporters.

Would you like some Chalabi with that?
Salon's Joe Conason writes about a man named Ahmed Chalabi, who formerly headed up the thrid largest bank in Jordan until it crashed and he found himself with, "31 charges of embezzlement, theft, misuse of depositor funds and speculation with the Jordanian dinar." Jordan's government sentenced Chalabi to 22 years hard labor, but he fled the country to live in London, and become a frequent visitor to America.

Articles telling the truth about this man are going to become especially important once we have toppled Saddam's government in Iraq, because Chalabi's name will soon be all over the place, because he is the man slated to run Iraq once we have removed Saddam from power, and/or killed him. Chalabi is the head of the Iraqi National Congress (INC), an organization which is supported by the Project for a New American Century (PNAC), a group that was founded in 1997, and amongst its membership ranks were Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, and Paul Wolfowitz.

Straight from the PNAC website, we find this neat, well known factoid:

"Whatever his regrets, Wolfowitz, like others on the campaign team, has defended the elder Bush's overall conduct of the war while faulting the Clinton administration for permitting the Iraqi leader to grow stronger than he was when Bush left office in January 1993. In a Feb. 25, 1998, open letter to Clinton, Wolfowitz joined fellow Bush campaign advisers Richard Armitage, Dov S. Zakheim and Richard Perle--as well as other conservatives--in urging the administration to recognize a provisional government of Iraq headed by the INC." (source)

What this tells us is that the Bush administration, currently taking Saddam out of power, supports putting the INC in power. The head of the INC is Ahmed Chalabi, so if you draw the views of the PNAC and this situation to its logical conclusion, Chalabi is the man who will be the next President of Iraq.

So, to recap, the PNAC, whose members are now heading up the Bush administration, want to install a known criminal as President of Iraq, who has been sentenced to 22 years hard labor in a country that borders Iraq. Sit back and grab some popcorn, kids, because this war ain't gonna be over for another quarter century.

There have been a lack of updates today because I've had to deal with the nitwits at Dell because of the corporate contract the company that employs me has with them. Dealing with these idiots all day has fried my brain. So, there will be more updates when I'm feeling better. For now, you may enjoy looking at the goofy picture of Geraldo below and realize the mystical powers of his mustache. Check out that haircut, too. Nothing says hairpiece like that picture...

Yesterday, I overheard a conversation amongst my coworkers and superboy wonderboy mustached reporter Geraldo Rivera came up as a topic. One coworker said that he had finally been shown the door to Kuwait, and another coworker, who I presume is a little less informed than the rest of the group, said that he was still in Iraq. That, of course, is untrue, and he was told this. He then brushed it off, and basically said that what Geraldo did was nothing that we need to worry about.

One coworker, a veteran from the Royal Canadian Air Force, reminded my other coworker that what Geraldo did was point out the future plans for the movements of our troops to a national audience, live. Don't you think he has stepped over the bounds there? My other coworker said no, because it was only a map drawn in the sand and it didn't mean anything.

Sigh.

I'm against the war, but let's place my views aside for a second. I think the best way to support our troops is to send them home, but, they are over there now and I still want them to be safe. What Geraldo did is compromise their security by telling a national audience, and, in effect, an Iraqi government audience, where the troops are heading. So, the Pentagon gave him the boot. Geraldo, the mustached avenger (I will make fun of this man to no end because he looks like an idiot with that mustache, it's not even a cool, third world dictators 'stache, either, just a dorky one), denied that he was leaving Iraq, said he was deeper into Iraq then he ever had been before, and also said that this story must have been spread by the "rats" at MSNBC, and that "quality journalism" has won it once again.

I'm not sure if "quality" and TRUTHFUL journalism are the same thing, though, since a couple of days after, we found out that he was given the boot. Yes, the reports say that it was his own decision to leave, but we all know that that's a bunch of bullshit.

Yet it seems that Foxnews will not even admit that he has been given the boot. If you look at foxnews.com/geraldo, his disgrace isn't even mentioned on that page. It proudly states that Geraldo has been all over the world to bring you the story, and still says that you can get updates from him about the war.

And then people like my coworker continue to believe the bullshit they are being fed. Foxnews says that Geraldo hasn't done anything wrong, well, by golly, they must be correct! They report, they DECIDE! Geraldo is a repectable reporter, despite compromising the secuirty of US troops and then LYING TO THE NATION about being kicked out of Iraq, that's "quality journalism!"

What kills me is that this is the second time in less than a year that Geraldo has been caught lying. Remember the story he lied about in Afghanistan? This man is a proven liar who will say and do anything to collect a paycheck, but yet Foxnews will not fire him, and people still defend him, saying that he is a good journalist.

Does his mustache have magical powers or something? I just don't get it. The truth is a lie, and a lie is the truth, and the American propaganda machine keeps on rolling, unhindered.

Either I'm living under a rock or it has been a slow news day today. There's an equal chance of either situation being possible...

Daily Kos, one of the blogs that I get a few links from, has a guest blogger in the house, and his name's Steve Gillard. I read the blog entry where he introduced himself, and not only do I have 5-10 new links that sound really interesting to pursue, but he seems very level headed, intelligent, and taught me something about open source intelligence. His discussion on open source intelligence (wherein the intelligence gather obtains their information from public libraries, websites, etc.; as opposed to organizations like the CIA gathering their intelligence from classified sources) spreads into how the histories of Iraq that he read, which were readily available in the public domain, led him to his predictiona about how the war would go. I's rather place money on him than the Pentagon.

Michael Moore has posted an op-ed piece he wrote for the Los Angeles Times on the front page of his website, an explaination of his speech at the Oscars. Before and after this speech, I have heard of Moore being insulted by Democrats and Republicans for being stupid, a hypocrite, fudging facts, writing at a 7th grade level, and, of course, being fat. But this op-ed piece is not only very truthful and intelligent, but also eloquent.

"My book 'Stupid White Men' still sits at No. 1 on the bestseller list (it's been on that list now for 53 weeks and is the largest-selling nonfiction book of the year). 'Bowling for Columbine' has broken all box-office records for a documentary. My Web site is now getting up to 20 million hits a day (more than the White House's site). My opinions about the state of the nation are neither unknown nor on the fringe, but rather they exist with mainstream majority opinion. The majority of Americans, according to polls, want stronger environmental laws, support Roe vs. Wade and did not want to go into this war without the backing of the United Nations and all of our allies."

Agree or disagree, but you can't deny that the man has a point. When the biggest selling nonfiction book of the past 53 weeks is so critical of the sitting president, you can't say that Moore's views are not part of the views of mainstream America and that many in mainstream America stand against Bush and against his bullshit war. To say otherwise is fiction. More from Moore's op-ed piece:

"On the way back home to Flint, Mich., the day after the Oscars, two flight attendants told me how they had gotten stuck overnight in Flint with no flight -- and wound up earning only $30 for the day because they are paid by the hour.

They said they were telling me this in the hope that I would tell others. Because they, and the millions like them, have no voice. They don't get to be commentators on cable news like the bevy of retired generals we've been watching all week. (Can we please demand that the U.S. military remove its troops from ABC/CBS/NBC/ CNN/MSNBC/Fox?) They don't get to make movies or talk to a billion people on Oscar night. They are the American majority who are being asked to send their sons and daughters over to Iraq to possibly die so Bush's buddies can have the oil."

This is a must read.

Al-Jazeera pulls their journalists out of Iraq and wait for an official explaination from the Iraqi governemtn about why they expelled one of their journalists from the country and banned another one from reporting there. Al-Jazeera thinks that the Iraqi government took these actions because their journalists tried getting interviews without an official from the Iraqi government present. For all the people who thought that al-Jazeera was just a mouthpiece for Iraqi propaganda, you are officially incorrect.

I received an email today with the subject, '"Pacifists" protect tyrants and incite wars'. The letter, and my reply to it, are too long to post to the blog, so I have made it a topic in the forum. Feel free to comment on it: loadedmouth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=67

To comment on one of the bigger stories from last night, the rescue of POW Jessca Lynch, which we are all happy for, I will say what is on the mind of every man America: she's a hottie, eh? :)

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the Iraqi government is kicking foreign journalists out of the country for doing things like going alone to the site of a bombing, like Australian journalist Ian McPhedran. He was caught alone by the director-general of information in Iraq while surveying the damage done to the Information Ministry building after a bombing raid, his media passes satellite phone were taken away, and he was expelled to Jordan. And here I thought that going out and getting the story was supposed to be a jounralists job. Some journalists have been arrested and had their hotel rooms searched by Iraqi police, and two journalists are still missing.

Indymedia points out that millions around the world are still against the war. The largest protests have taken place in countries with a large Muslim population, but thousands are still in the streets in Europe, Australia, and America. Also, two British soliders were sent home from Kuwait after questioning whether or not this war is legal. They may face a trial. The US Military got its first conscientious objector today.

There is now little to no doubt that the missile which hit a market in Baghdad friday night, killing 62 peeople, was an American missile. A foot long shred of sharpnel from the missile, as seen by Robert Fisk of The Independent/UK, had a serial number on it. This serial number has been traced to prove that the missile was made at a Raytheon plant in Texas. The US military has also confirmed that this type of bomb was also armed and fired from at least one US jet the night of the market bombing. The Pentagon retorts that Iraq could have planted it, but. sorry boys, I think you have been caught red handed.

The anti-war movement breaks rank with the Vietnam War protests. Anti-war protests against Iraq have seen a mixture of people attending, from the usual suspects like students and left-wing groups to middle aged professionals who have never protested anything in their lives. Make sure you mention this the next time some jerk dismisses the protesters with a comment about hippies.

In my quest to dig for tems to post to the blog on a slow news day, I have uncovered something that it not newsworthy, but just too disturbing to dismiss: The George Foreman USB iGrill.

Quoting the product description directly: "The low-fat, high-bandwidth solution to your networked cooking needs is finally here. The George Foreman USB iGrill conveniently connects to your home or office PC using USB 2.0 technology, and provides a sophisticated web-based cooking interface.

Download recipes, enter in the type of food, weight and desired degree of doneness, and the iGrill handles the rest. Did you know that a medium rare 1/4 lb. hamburger made from 80% lean beef takes 1 minute and 45 seconds less cook time than an identical patty made from 95% lean prime Black Angus? The iGrill does. As your meal cooks, the subtle glow from under the unit increases brightness and pulses faster until your meal is perfectly done."

I'm just not sure what to think of this. "Pathetic" crosses my mind, but knowing me, I'll be getting this and an extra long USB cord when I get some money. I think I scare myself.

i ownz j00!
Funny comic from userfriendly.org:

userfriendly.org/cartoons/archives/03mar/uf005343.gif

Read. Laugh. Be happy.

AFP reports that the bombing from yesterday killed 48 people and injured 310. These numbers come from the director of an Iraqi hospital. Since Monday, 73 civilians have died from our bombings.

This appeared on the Times of India today:

"US using information as weapon of war
NEW DELHI: Two weeks into the Iraq war, the US and the UK seem to be adding information to their arsenal, especially in the lack of any credible reasoning that might have justified the offensive." (Emphasis mine.)

Too bad the link was broken.

Too much lolligagging before work this morning hasn't allowed me to complete this article from the Observer, but it's proved interesting thus far. It's a good critique of the US war effort, pointing out what Iraqi officials have divulged about their war plan before the first bomb was dropped, and how their version of how the war would shape up is proving to be accurate, and the US military basically ignored what Iraq said and that has left them unprepared. I would have more if it read by now, but, work has been nuts. I apologize for the lack of updates right now, it's just been one of those days.

Media Watch
Pakistan has been helping North Koera with its nuclear program in exchange for North Korean "No Dong" missiles that have a range of 900 miles, they are able to carry nuclear warheads. These missiles are capable of hitting any city in India. What does the US do about it? The US slaps sanctions on the Pakistani nuclear lab that helped the North Koreans. These sanctions say that the lab, KRL, is not able to do business with the US government for two years. KRL is not dependent on foreign business, period, so it's not going to hurt them. Pakistan transported the missiles from North Korea on a plane that the US gave to them. The US, which gave Pakistan $920 million in foreign aid last year, will not reprimand the Pakistani government.

Let me get this straight: Pakistan can arm North Korea, a country that has missiles capable of reaching mainland US, with nukes. North Korea can arm Pakistan with missiles capable of delivering a nuclear payload to any city in India. India and Pakistan have gone to three wars over Kashmir, a number that could be changed to four if we aren't careful. Yet in this country, it's front page news when Syria gives night vision goggles to Iraq, and all I hear the hate radio hosts talk about is how France helped arm Iraq, the same country that now cannot fire a missile properly. Does anybody else feel that sinking feeling right now?

The Islamic Human Rights Commission has a report, issued this January, entitled "UZBEKISTAN - TORTURE, THE LANGUAGE OF REPRESSION". If that title seems blunt, then it's a good description of the contents of the report, discussing the repression, imprisonment, and torture of muslims in a country when 90% of the population is muslim, yet we are not threatening to goto war with that country. Why? Because, as this report points out, they are our good buddies in the OIL business, that's why! Since Uzbekistan is run by a dictator who is friendly to oil interests and the Bush Administration, not only will we not lift a finger to stop the man, but we will also send Uzbekistan $100 million in foreign aid, as part of an agreement between the US and Uzbekistan which the details to are secret. How can this NOT piss you off?

And in Iraq, the country is run by a dictator who does not agree with the US. Look at what happens. Economic colonialism: coming to a repressed land near you!

One gas station I passed during todays commute was charging $1.63 a gallon. Yowwzuhs! Another one still still charging $1.39 a gallon, and I hope that price sticks in time for my commute home tonight. Does anybody have the postal address for Donald Rumsfeld? I have a bill to send him...

Yahoo News in America is now serving the english wire for the AFP, Agence France Presse. Yahoo previously made the AFP available through their site in Singapore, but now it's on main news page for their American site. I enjoy reading AFP news, I'm just wondering how long this link will last if the rabid maniacs on the right see this and say that amoutns to support for France and boycott Yahoo, too.

If you have not been reading Warblogging on a regular basis, you should. The features from the past couple of days have been great, discussing how this war in Iraq and the small amount of troops we have there could be a test run for waging quick war with minimal troops in other countries, like Iran and Syria. They provide good evidence that Rumsfeld and his buddies have been gunning for these Middle Eastern states for quite a while now, and that could explain why the war games that the US Army staged with the blue side being them, and the red side representing Iraq, was exactly that -- staged. The retired Marine Corps general who they had playing Saddam Hussein for the red team kept on kicking the US Army's ass, so the military would stop the game and tell the red side that they cannot do that. So, after our military used the tactics they are using in Iraq now that got their asses handed to them in the war games, the blue side still "won" the war games, so that's the justification for sending a small force of troops into Iraq. Who knows how many people will die because of this.

more yawning...
I just tried posting my World Series prediction: Red Sox. But it crashed m browser and never posted. Is that a sign? A bad sign?

I lied in my last post, I have been paying some attention to the war. It should piss you off to know that some members of the military have been asking to pray for Bush. So, you know, fuck all those innocent Iraqis. I would post something else, but ever since I mentioned the Red Sox were going to win the World Series this year, my browser keeps on crashing.

yawn...
I stayed out until 4:30 last night, and then after waking up today I had to attend to the much neglected chores that pile up with you are a bachelor living alone. So, as the clock strikes 9:00pm on a sunday night, it is time to update the blog. I was going to take a drive around Cincinnati and see how lost I could get again, but I sweat for you. You can feel my pain when I start an emo band.

I haven't paid too much attention to the war this weekend. I've listened to the news and all, nothing has really changed. Sigh.

During my bar hopping travels last night, I met a someone who works for Clear Channel in Cincinnati. In case anybody important reads the blog, I will not mention their name or position, they shall remain anonymous. I said to them that I was in a band, so they mentioned that Clear Channel employed them and we started to talk about the music business. They discussed how you can now drive coast to coast across America and the play list for the different kinda of stations will never change. It's just the same crap all the time, no local music, and the DJ does not have any say into what goes on the air. In fact, t hey told me that the job of a DJ now is to press a button that plays some already recorded programming for 15-25 minutes, say something, then press the button again and it goes back to the programming. This is how Clear Channel music radio stations across the country are run, with the same playlists. Does anything sound more sterile than that? This was allowed to happen when the FCC knocked out regulations that limited how many radio stations could be owned by one company. These are the same regulations that the FCC now wants to remove for companies in the television industry in June. So, if you thought TV sucked now, just wait.

At least this is one good, independently owned rock station in the country, and I'm lucky enough to be able to listen to it on my way to work: WOXY, Cincinnati

Visit the most neglected site on the web.

Belgium will legalize small amounts of marijuana for personal use. You may not sell it, but I'm assuming this means that you can grow it and smoke it. Cool.