Heartening to hear of Brown’s courage. Lets see how long it lasts. But the deeper and more important question is, will it make a difference?

Unlike Orwell, I only measure outcomes. The rest is irrelevant.

I did question Medea early on about the costumes etc. She said it was a method to draw in the MSM and indeed it does. I have disagreed with some of their methods, especially when some whack shit stood behind Valerie Plame Wilson during her testimony for the Senate. This distracted and undermined her testimony.

But I do not question Medea’s intentions. I think they should start wearing dark suits into the hearings. When they stand up when something outrageous, or absurd takes place during the hearing, if they had their street clothes without all of the pink hullabaloo I think it would be far more effective.

I think their willingness to show OUTRAGE is completely acceptable. If only more Americans were willing to show some outrage about the death and destruction in Iraq the situation might change. The warmongers bank on a certain level of complacency and apathy.

Time was … I have to ask Other Lisa for a copy of the photo … but, about 2002-2003, Code Pink did a brilliant protest on the beach in Santa Monica/Venice … they used people to create one of Picasso’s great paintings of a DOVE (for peace), and then took aerial photographs of what they’d created. It was so clever and so beautiful and so uplifting. I miss that Code Pink.

Sarkozy is a johhny come lately to the “professional electoral candidate” style of politics of Berlesconi, Bush, and Blair. though i liked when he helped out in the hostage crisis thing

Hayden observed that the Code Pink ladies won’t make a dent protesting at Congressional hearings. The best way to effect change is to vote the assholes out, or threaten them with heavy losses at the polls. He also said he was amazed that none of the anti-war groups have planned for a protest in case Bush attacks Iran. The anti-war groups better get on it!

Craig Unger observed about the Niger docs what he described as the “elephant in the room:” The documents were forged! They were forged and they were passed along to various intelligence agencies more than once.

So absurd that Cheney gave a speech on Veterans Day at Arlington Cemetary. A man who ran from serving in Vietnam. Would have been far more appropriate to have Republican Senator Hagel and Dem Senator Webb have addressed the crowd. A bi-partisan speech by two men who put their own asses on the line.

Anyway my deepest appreciation to all those who have served our nation with the most sincere intentions.

Just like before the invasion of Iraq there are
plenty of other military and policy analyst questioning the zealots claims about Iran. Gordon Brown is in good company

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-op-brzezinski23apr23,0,3700317.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

Been there, done that
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Talk of a U.S. strike on Iran is eerily reminiscent of the run-up to the Iraq war.
By Zbigniew Brzezinski, Zbigniew Brzezinski was national security advisor to President Carter from 1977 to 1981.
April 23, 2006
IRAN’S ANNOUNCEMENT that it has enriched a minute amount of uranium has unleashed urgent calls for a preventive U.S. airstrike from the same sources that earlier urged war on Iraq. If there is another terrorist attack in the United States, you can bet your bottom dollar that there also will be immediate charges that Iran was responsible in order to generate public hysteria in favor of military action.

Flynt Leverett
http://www.cfr.org/publication/10326/

General Wesley Clark
http://www.stopiranwar.com/?page_id=16

Scott Ritter
http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0620-31.htm
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/16/144204

LA Times Photog Offers Heartbreaking Update On Marlboro Marine.

here is something i found over at dailykos. it is, quite simply, one of the most powerful and beautiful things i’ve read and heard in 4+ years on the war.

a diary entry. about the young marine that was the subject in one of the iconic photos of the war. he was smoking. the marlboro marine. outside of fallujah. he’s now out of the marines courtesy of ptsd. marine is home in kentucky. photographer stays in touch occassionally. marine struggling. they drive together from kentucky to west haven, connecticut and a va center with the best ptsd program in the country. and so on.

i think this deserves it’s own separate post. (hint susan and larry.) and distribution far and wide. (hint the rest of y’all, and susan and larry.)

it is a photo essay — 3 parts — on the marine by the l.a. times photo dog who took the origional photo. the marine now has ptsd. the first 2 parts are in his words; part 3 is the photo dog’s words.

i and the netroots give the msm media a ton of grief. it richly deserved imho; had they done their job this war would have never happened. but i give kudos to the la times and their photographer for the story presented here.

dailykos diary link: (for background purposes if wanted.)
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/11/12/23650/893

la times 3 parter: (about 18 minutes of audio and photos.)
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/marlboromarine/

It used to be, on my DISH schedule that I can scan on my TV, that BookTV’s program desriptions weren’t listed, which was frustrating — I’d have to go to their Web site and look up each show. But for the past three-four months, DISH’s TV schedule displays the name of the author and the author’s book — so I can set my DVR to record shows that are on in the middle of the night. Hopefully, whatever cable/satellite system you have gives you a programming schedule with details.

I’m a BooKTV nerd. I love it. I even watch the rightwingers often — it’s clear that they stand on their heads to try to give all sides a chance to promote their books.

It’s only on on the weekends, except during holidays, when it runs extra days … e.g., on Thanksgiving weekend, it’s on for four days, and I’m in heaven! :)

The video for the Orwell panel today probably isn’t up yet, but it will be. I checked, and I don’t think it airs again before tomorrow morning. But I’m sure that BooKTV will reair it in the future — you just need to check their schedule.

I signed up for their weekly newsletter, and it tells me all the shows that will be on.