How Will You Spend Your $600?

Syndicated columnist Molly Ivins said of progressive journalist David Sirota, "Sirota is a new-generation populist who instinctively understands that the only real questions are 'Who's getting screwed?' and 'Who's doing the screwing?'"

It shouldn't come as any surprise to anyone who has been paying attention that the Bush/Cheney administration is doing the screwing and once again it is the American people who are getting screwed. The much touted "Stimulus Package" (don't you dare criticize the size of the president's package =) has been unveiled - although a quick Google search for "Economic Stimulus Package 2008" (the Plan) while listing numerous links to stories, commentaries, and criticisms of the Plan, revealed not one link to the Plan itself. Perhaps that is because Congress is not finished tinkering with the Plan, nothing is yet written in stone. The Senate still has an opportunity to add much needed relief for workers who have been unemployed for more than six months and to add food security for the neediest among us who may be going to bed hungry. However it is highly unlikely given the lack of fight or backbone shown by the Democratically-led Congress thus far. But if the Plan goes through as Bush has insisted that it must, it will represent another huge gift to big business at a time when all the previous gifts to business have gotten us where we are today. Where we are today is deep into a recession that is beginning to look like a bonafide depression to those of us who actually buy groceries, fill our cars up with gas, and try valiently to pay our bills on time.

Here's what two bloggers at Huffington Post had to say about Bush/Cheney's gift to big business:
"For seven years, the Bush administration has pandered to corporate interests, and we've seen the results: soaring profits with stagnant wages and rising income inequality. Now that the nation is facing serious economic reversals, it's time for Democrats to challenge the reasoning that every time average people get boost, businesses need one too." Nancy Cleeland and Lawrence Mishel, It's a Bad Deal! (January 24, 2008)

One of my favorite bloggers over the last year has been David Sirota, whose weekly newspaper column is syndicated by Creators.com. Sirota is the author of the book Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government--and How We Take It Back. Sirota blogs daily at Credo action. He is also a senior fellow at the Campaign for America's Future and board member of the Progressive States Network (both 501(c)(3) organizations), and he had a few choice words for the Stimulus Package that was crafted by the White House and the now traitorous Nancy Pelosi and the spineless wonder Harry Reid:
"There's nothing inherently bad about Washington interacting with Big Business, and nothing conceptually wrong with 'stimulus' as a concept. But as this recession intensifies, there's a big problem with politicians catering exclusively to Big Business and an even bigger problem with converting "stimulus" into yet another code word for 'swindle.'" David Sirota, The Stimulus Swindle (January 25, 2008)

I don't know about you all, but if there's anything left over from my (not tax-free) rebate from a government that hasn't demonstrated the financial acuity that god gave a raisin, then I will send it to the ACLU or Planned Parenthood or the Native American Rights Fund or some other organization that really might help the people of this country. I hope that if you are not hungry or homeless tonight that you will consider doing the same.

Here's the most complete run-down of the Economic Stimulus Plan that I have been able to locate to date: Rebates could be in your hands by May

935 Lies and Counting...

935 Lies and Counting...

The question is "Who's counting?" and the answer is the Center for Public Integrity was and the number of lies told by members of the current administration in just under two years (2001 - 2003) was 935 lies, falsehoods, fibs, untruths, outright, blatant, boldface, prefabricated LIES, that led us into the unnecessary, illegal, immoral, catastrophic, tragic war in Iraq.

And it turns out that these lies are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to crimes committed in furtherance of the occupation of Iraq. Those are just the tally of the lies that got us into Iraq, never mind the lies that keep us there, and the lies that are being told right now that will keep the U.S. in Iraq far into the next administration. Although I would recommend that the next president's first order of business would be to cancel all previous executive orders, signing statements, and any other non-congressionally-approved arrangements that were made by Bush/Cheney - not unlike the reneging frenzy of all things Clinton that Bush/Cheney engaged in as soon as they got into office - but unlike the Bush/Cheney's reversal of course, the reversal of Bush/Cheney policy would have a positive impact on the country and the world. Just a suggestion. I hate to think that future administrations' hands will be tied by the egregious policy blunders made by the Bush/Cheney administration.

BTB, I thought that the NYTimes endorsing Hillary Clinton was a ho-hum moment, much more interesting to me was the lukewarm endorsement of John McCain, and the accurate, scathing remarks that the editorial board of the NYTimes had to say about the other Republican contenders - complete and total losers, every one. Which brings me back to a point that I've made before and I'm sure I'll make again before the Democrats hold their convention in Denver in July and that is the DEMOCRATS MUST WIN the WHITE HOUSE in November! And to that end, I am worried sick that if the Dems give the nomination to Hillary Clinton, we will be signing away our chance to take back the presidency in 2008. May I remind readers that the Clinton/McCain polls show that the race is too close to call? I don't know about you, but I don't think I can stand another nail biter of an election that may very well end up in a Supreme Court that has turned further to the right than it was eight years ago. Just my two cents, but it's change worth mentioning...

See: Long-Term Pact with Iraq Raises Questions

See: U.S. to Insist Iraq Grant It Wide Mandate in Operations

A Blogging Fool

I'm really, truly not trying to set some kind of record for new posts in a day, but damn, I guess I've just got a lot to say or show or post or something. If you don't find something that you like among the pieces that I've posted this week (from the Library of Congress's new venture with Flickr to a piece on the West Memphis Three to an announcement about a new Steph Fan Site and a new film about the punk poet extraordinaire, Patti Smith) then you and I, well we just don't live in the same world, and you probably won't be visiting this blog again, and that's okay with me.

Anyway, to cap off a busy day in the blogosphere - I end today with another MF collage. This one features my dear sweet devilish doggie Dylan (Dillie-doo-doo) who whispered into my ear a few weeks ago that he was planning on throwing his 70 pounds behind the presidential ticket of Goldwater/Miller 2008. Being an active little scallywag, he rushed out and formed a group that he calls "Hound Dogs for Goldwater/Miller 2008" and no, Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly are not welcome - Dillie sez, "It ain't that kinda hound dog - dawg." Anyway, he wanted me to post the collage that features his Goldwater/Miller 2008 Club House, and he also wanted me to call in this morning and ask CC and Steph what's the deal with their candidacy.

Dillie's older brother Tulsey has been parading around the house all full of himself 'cause he's for Obama. You see, Tulsey is a Momma's boy and is easily confused and when he heard "Momma's for Obama" he immediately thought that it referred to his Momma (me), and so he wasted no time jumping on the Obama bandwagon. Tulsey was insufferable after the Iowa caucus, but he has toned down his snootiness since Hillary took New Hampshire and Nevada (although Tulse is quick to point out that Obama got more delegates than Clinton did in Nevada). Our household is on pins and needles waiting to see what happens in South Carolina on Saturday. "Vamos a ver" as we say at Chez Faye... (mixing our languages as we are want to do =)

Another Shout Out to Patti

Loyal and long-time readers of this blog know that I love me some Patti Smith (see an earlier highly censored post about Patti - if you'd like to read the original post before it was gutted, feel free to e-mail me at mfh913@gmail.com and I'd be glad to share it with you =). Anyway, Patti Smith is back in the news. Patti has been at Sundance (the Film Festival) where a new documentary Patti Smith: Dream of Life is debutting. Patti also got a shout out in an exceedingly enjoyable film Juno that stars, and I do mean stars, Ellen Page as the title character (and I do mean character). Patti thanked Juno for the shout out. So I just wanted to add my own little SHOUT OUT to Patti, and say keep on rockin' grrrl - your voice gives power to the people and damn do we need that power now.

See The Carpetbagger's blog post High on Rebellion (NYTimes, January 22, 2008)

See also Reuters article Patti Smith at Sundance: “It ain’t drugs” (January 22, 2008)

New Fun Stephanie Fan Site

Here's news about a fun Stephanie Miller Fan web site designed and managed by Tim from Dallas, who is not affiliated with The Stephanie Miller Show and who apparently has too much free time. Here's the link to the site: Stephanie Miller's Future Husbands Club. Check it out and admire his photoshop skills - they rock!

Barack Obama Speaking at Ebenezer Baptist Church

Here's a link to an excellent MLK Jr. post by one of my favorite bloggers - David Sirota: Are We Ready to Rise Up Again?

John T. Vance (Oct. 12, 1921 - Jan. 15, 2008)

For the Indians: A Remembrance of John T. Vance

Mildred Pierce, John T. Vance, Jerome Kuykendall, Brantley Blue, Richard W. Yarborough

On May 20, 2001 I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of John T. Vance, the former Chairman of the Indian Claims Commission (ICC) and a Commissioner of the same Commission for over ten years. John Vance was named to the Commission as Chairman on March 19, 1968 by President Johnson, was removed from the role of Chairman of the Commission by President Nixon, but continued to serve nobly on the ICC as a Commissioner until it ceased to exist in 1978. That simple meeting on that spring day on the University of Tulsa campus would lead to a friendship that lasted for several happy years – until John moved north, first to Montana and finally to Portland, Oregon. During the last several years I was friends with John, I witnessed him struggle to articulate a vision that I believe he brought with him to his work at the ICC and has carried with him throughout his life – a vision in which Native people of this country receive the respect and are repaid the huge debt that we as a nation owe them, not only for the very land that we walk on every day, but for the spirit of this place that we now call the United States of America. John Vance and I share a very deep regard for Native people and for their contributions to this country – from the Great Law of the Longhouse of the Iroquois that was so influential in the writing of our own Constitution to the treaties that have been systematically broken by our own government to the casinos that today provide a spark of economic possibility to those who have been left out of the “American Dream.” John’s vision of the goal of the ICC is best reflected in the words of President Harry S. Truman when he signed into law the act that established the Indian Claims Commission in 1946:

“...that this bill will mark the beginning of a new era for our
Indian Citizens. They have valiantly served on every battlefront.
They have proved by their loyalty the wisdom of a national
policy built upon fair dealing. With the final settlement of all
outstanding claims which this measure insures, Indians can take
their place without special handicap or special advantage in the
economic life of our nation and share fully in its progress.”1

Unfortunately, the Indian Claims Commission did not achieve its goal, but that was not due to the untiring efforts of John Vance. If it had been left up to John Vance, the Native people of this country would have been paid in-full every cent that they are owed, and I do believe that John Vance would have found a way to return the sacred Black Hills to the Sioux Nation. But one man acting alone can only do so much. That is why I write this memorial with such a heavy heart – not only for the Native people who will likely never receive what they are owed, but for the efforts of one man who wanted so desperately to change the manner in which this government dealt with the Native nations of this country. As I watched John Vance’s powers diminish from the ravages of Alzheimer's – I thought that with John went a great story, a story that we may never know or understand, a story of how, in spite of great odds to the contrary, a small group of individuals tried to do the right thing. I wish that John Vance was still the vibrant, healthy man he once was, but nevertheless, his legacy of hope and “doing the right thing” lives on in the lives of those he has touched. I share his hope that someday this world will realize that the land that we call home was stolen generations ago from a group of people who have never received what they were promised for this taking. To this end, we still must fight in an effort to “do the right thing.” I thank John Vance for his efforts yesterday and his influence today to continue this struggle, and I wish those who knew and loved John the strength, hope and heart to carry on his dream.

1August 3, 1946, Public Papers of the President, Harry S. Truman, 1946, 414 (1962).

Free the West Memphis Three

A few years ago, after reading Margaret Cho's excellent screed I Have Chosen to Stay and Fight, I was prompted by a mention in Cho's book to rent the video, Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills (1996). I was intrigued by the documentary that told the story of three young men (teenagers at the time they were accused) who were arrested, tried and convicted of the horrific murders of three eight year old boys in the woods near a working class neighborhood known as Robin Hood Hills in West Memphis, Arkansas. The initial documentary was followed up four years later by a sequel entitled Paradise Lost 2: Revelations (2000).

After watching both of these films and doing a bit or research on my own, it became clear to me that these three young men had been falsely accused and convicted on little more than bias against the dark clothes they wore, the dark side of life that fascinated them (as it does so many teenagers), the music that they listened to, and the general perception in a very narrow-minded community that they were outsiders. Although this crime occured back in 1993, there is reason to reconsider this case anew, as DNA analysis of evidence, not available at the time of the trial, has shown conclusively that no DNA from any of the three accused was found on the bodies or at the scene of the crime.

Attorneys for Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin have filed a motion for a new hearing. The judge should rule on this motion by February 15, 2008 and is expected to set a date for a new hearing sometime this spring. I recommend that anyone with an interest in justice, rent and watch both of the films mentioned above and read Damien Echols book, Almost Home My Life Story vol. 1. And if you feel so moved, you might want to send a contribution to the Damien Echols Defense Fund. (Damien Echols is on Death Row in Arkansas for this crime that he did not commit, while both of his co-defendants are incarcerated, also in Arkansas - Jason Baldwin is serving life without parole and Jessie Misskelley is serving life plus 40 years).

Larry King interviews Damien Echols, (December 19, 2007) CNN, with a link to the transcripts of the interview.

Free the West Memphis Three.

Library of Congress Photos on Flickr

These are a few of my favorite photos from the Library of Congress Flickr Collection - click on the headline above to see the photos in a slideshow.

Excuse me for reverting to my other (professional) life for this one post. I am, after all, a radical militant LIBRARIAN, and yesterday as I was sitting at the reference desk - yes, the reference desk is staffed on Saturday afternoons - I discovered a fabulous web site launched by the Library of Congress in conjunction with the photo-sharing site "Flickr" that makes available online over 3000 photos mostly from the 1940s and black & white photos from the 1910s, all copyright free!!! Check them out here.

The photos from the 1940s feature many shots of real life "Rosie-the-Riveters" along with many pictures of plane, trains, smoke stacks, lovely photos of the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and countless images of Americana. From Pie Town, NM to the rural south, the photos show a wide range of life and scenery that captures a country at war.

The black and white photos from the 1910s feature many early ball players (mostly baseball, but a few football), boxers, politicians, strikes, crowds scenes, many shots of NYC and many photos that merely depict life as it was being lived in the decade that included World War I.

This nicest thing about all of the photos is that they may be borrowed, used, reproduced, or downloaded without attribution or worry about copyright violations.