Cartoon found at Red, Green and Blueenvironmental politics from across the spectrum
* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Monsanto, I presume........
Cartoon found at Red, Green and Blue* This post is part of North Coast Voices' effort to keep Monsanto's blog monitor (affectionately known as Mr. Monsanto) in long-term employment.
Change might be in the air, but America is also in a retrospective mood
Think Progress gives a run down on the outgoing Bush Administration in The Top 43 Appointees Who Helped Make Bush The Worst President Ever:
1. Dick Cheney — The worst Dick since Nixon. The man who shot his friend while in office. The “most powerful and controversial vice president.” Until he got the job, people used to actually think it was a bad thing that the vice presidency has historically been a do-nothing position. Asked by PBS’s Jim Lehrer about why people hate him, Cheney rejected the premise, saying, “I don’t buy that.” His top placement in our survey says otherwise.
2. Karl Rove — There wasn’t a scandal in the Bush administration that Rove didn’t have his fingerprints all over — see Plame, Iraq war deception, Gov. Don Siegelman, U.S. Attorney firings, missing e-mails, and more. As senior political adviser and later as deputy chief of staff, “The Architect” was responsible for politicizing nearly every agency of the federal government.
3. Alberto Gonzales — Fundamentally dishonest and woefully incompetent, Gonzales was involved in a series of scandals, first as White House counsel and then as Attorney General. Some of the most notable: pressuring a “feeble” and “barely articulate” Attorney General Ashcroft at his hospital bedside to sign off on Bush’s illegal wiretapping program; approving waterboarding and other torture techniques to be used against detainees; and leading the firing of U.S. Attorneys deemed not sufficiently loyal to Bush.
4. Donald Rumsfeld — After winning praise for leading the U.S. effort in ousting the Taliban from Afghanistan in 2001, the former Defense Secretary strongly advocated for the invasion of Iraq and then grossly misjudged and mishandled its aftermath. Rumsfeld is also responsible for authorizing the use of torture against terror detainees in U.S. custody; according to a bipartisan Senate report, Rumsfeld “conveyed the message that physical pressures and degradation were appropriate treatment for detainees.”
5. Michael Brown — This former commissioner of the International Arabian Horse Association was appointed by Bush to head FEMA in 2003. After Katrina made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane, Brownie promptly did a “heck of a job” bungling the government’s relief efforts, and was sent back to Washington a few days later. He was forced to resign shortly thereafter.
6. Paul Wolfowitz — As Deputy Secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2005, Wolfowitz was one of the primary architects of the Iraq war, arguing for the invasion as early as Sept. 15, 2001. Testifying before Congress in February 2003, Wolfowitz said that it was “hard to conceive that it would take more forces to provide stability in post-Saddam Iraq than it would take to conduct the war itself.” Wolfowitz eventually admitted that “for bureaucratic reasons, we settled on one issue, weapons of mass destruction,” as a justification for war, “because it was the one reason everyone [in the administration] could agree on.”
7. David Addington — “Cheney’s Cheney” was the “most powerful man you’ve never heard of.” As the leader of Bush’s legal team and Cheney’s chief of staff, Addington was the biggest proponent of some of Bush’s most notorious legal abuses, such as torture and warrantless surveillance, and is a loyal follower of the so-called unitary executive theory.
8. Stephen Johnson — The “Alberto Gonzales of the environment,” EPA Administrator Johnson subverted the agency’s mission at the behest of the White House and corporate interests, suppressing staff recommendations on pesticides, mercury, lead paint, smog, and global warming.
9. Douglas Feith — Undersecretary of Defense for Policy from 2001-2005, Feith headed up the notorious Office of Special Plans, an in-house Pentagon intelligence shop devised by Rumsfeld and Paul Wolfowitz to produce intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq. A subsequent investigation by the Pentagon’s Inspector General found the OSP’s work produced “conclusions that were not fully supported by the available intelligence.”
10. John Bolton — As Undersecretary of State, Bolton offered a strong voice in favor of invading Iraq and pushed for the U.S. to disengage from the International Criminal Court and key international arms control agreements. A recess appointment landed Bolton the job of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, despite his stringent animosity toward the world body. Today, he spends his time calling for war with Iran.
11. John Yoo — As a lawyer for the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, Yoo authored a series of legal memosdetainee to be buried alive.
12. Ari Fleischer — Bush’s first press secretary helped redefine the role as that of liar-in-chief rather than informer of the public, earning a reputation as “the world’s most dishonest flack.” Whereas his successors sometimes looked uncomfortable lying, Fleischer was having fun, spinning a cowed and gullible press corps through two massive tax cuts and the initiation of a war undertaken on false pretenses.
13. John Ashcroft — In 2003, as Bush’s first Attorney General, Ashcroft approved waterboarding and other torture techniques on detainees. Ashcroft’s nomination was controversial, as he had a history of opposing school desegregation. The chief architect of the invasive Patriot Act, Ashcroft maintains to this day that Bush is “among the most respectful of all leaders ever” of civil liberties.
14. Henry Paulson — Even as the financial system was crashing down around him, Treasury Secretary Paulson insisted for months that the banking system was “safe and sound.” Once he decided that the economy needed saving, Paulson requested nearly unfettered authority to send billions of taxpayer dollars to banks with no oversight.
15. L. Paul Bremer — This Presidential Medal of Freedom winner took over the Coalition Provisional Authority in May 2003. Under his mismanagement, the insurgency exploded in Iraq. Bremer claimed he had all the troops he needed to secure the country, overestimated the strength of the new U.S.-trained Iraqi army, disbanded the Iraqi army leaving thousands of Iraqi soldiers with no income and no occupation, and enacted a de-Baathification law that barred many experienced Iraqis from government positions.
Numbers 16 to 43 here.
This urge to evaluate the Bush presidency will not last long however - President-elect Obama is already placing such a heavy gloss on those years that it almost amounts to an initial re-write.
I mean, I think personally he is a good man who loves his family and loves his country," Obama said in an exclusive interview with CNN's John King....
Obama also said he thought Bush made "the best decisions that he could at times under some very difficult circumstances."
Monday, 19 January 2009
Google signs amicus brief in support of gay rights
Google Inc is determined to give off-again, on-again gay rights supporter Governor Arnold The Terminator Schwarzenegger a run for his money and pro-actively support both its own diverse workforce and the gay citizens of California.
It is doing this by aligning itself with a constitutional challenge to Proposition 8 (voted into being in November 2008) which legally restricts the definition of marriage and therefore makes unlawful same-sex marriage in that state.
Well done, Google!
1/15/2009 05:00:00 PM
In September of last year, Google announced its opposition to California's Proposition 8. While the campaign was emotionally charged and difficult for both sides, in the wake of the election many were concerned with the impact Proposition 8 could have on the personal lives of people they work with every day, and on California's ability to attract and retain a diverse mix of employees from around the world.
That's why we've signed an amicus brief (PDF file) in support of several cases currently challenging Proposition 8 in the California Supreme Court. Denying employees basic rights isn't right, and it isn't good for businesses. We are committed to preserving fundamental rights for every one of the people who work hard to make Google a success.
Please join us in continuing to fight for equality for all Californians.
Indonesia refuses to assist Japan's whaling fleet
Indonesia did not receive any formal objections from Japan after the government rejected a Japanese whaling vessel's request to dock for repairs at a shipyard in Surabaya, East Java Province, the Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
"I can't comment on the details, but our position on the conservation of endangered species, including whales, is clear," said Teuku Faizasyah, a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry.
The Yushin Maru 2, a registered Japanese harpoon whaling ship, was forced to leave Indonesian waters this week after failing to get approval from Indonesian authorities to dock at the state-owned PT PAL shipyard to repair a damaged propeller.
The Japanese Consulate General in Surabaya had guaranteed the vessel would not illegally fish in Indonesian waters.
Sumarto Suharno, head of the East Java Natural Resources Conservation Office, or KSDA, asked that the vessel be ordered to leave because the ship was used to hunt an endangered species......
A 1999 government regulation on endangered plants and animals formally protects blue whales, humpback whales and fin whales. The Japanese vessel was fishing for these species.
But Faizasyah said Indonesia welcomed cooperation with other countries on the whaling issue.
"It appears that our policies are similar to Australia's," he said.
Pramudya Harzani, an official with the Jakarta Animal Aid Network, said that the whaling vessel left the shipyard on Friday.
He acknowledged that Indonesia has its own whaling tradition, particularly on Lembata Island in East Nusa Tenggara Province. Villagers there have been known to hunt blue whales and sperm whales.
"It has never been a commercial operation, however," he said.
Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research has had little to say on the subject of this docking ban.
And then I woke up screaming...............
Gawd struth!
Because John Winston Howard did not have the good grace to go quietly into retirement, is constantly touting for international testimonials to his political acumen, is always popping up in the media to offer gratuitous advice and let it be known that he still feels like Teh Leader - I have this recurring nightmare.
I dream that il grande fascista has a long discussion with Hyacinth and the kids and calls a press conference where (flanked by Tony Abbott) he announces he is going to stand for parliament again.
AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Because John Winston Howard did not have the good grace to go quietly into retirement, is constantly touting for international testimonials to his political acumen, is always popping up in the media to offer gratuitous advice and let it be known that he still feels like Teh Leader - I have this recurring nightmare.
I dream that il grande fascista has a long discussion with Hyacinth and the kids and calls a press conference where (flanked by Tony Abbott) he announces he is going to stand for parliament again.
AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sunday, 18 January 2009
Stephen Conroy's all a-Twitter
Screenshot from PerthNorg
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, has an alter-ego on Twitter.
His profile reads like a strange phantasy.
Bio I'm a 45 year old politician who'll do anything to please you, baby. Don't worry girl, I gots "protection", and it'll degrade my performance all night long...
This other 'Stephen' was having a little fun at the Senator's expense this last week:
Today I received an I-Phone. The IT people tell me that it is biometrically activated, but no matter how much I lick it, it won't turn on. about 11 hours ago from web
stephenconroy Working on a form letter to send in response to the form letter Mark Newton and his seditionist allies have been sending.
stephenconroy Talking to a Nigerian ISV about IP filtering. Apparently _they'll_ pay _us_ to use it, all they need is the Federal Reserve's account number
2009 is the International Year of Astronomy
Milky Way and Southern Cross from Google ImagesThe New Scotsman reminds us all that:
A FIFTH of the world's population can no longer see the Milky Way with the naked eye due to artificial lights blocking out the view of the stars.
This year, which is International Year of Astronomy, a new project is taking place to try to improve the visibility of the stars.
Campaigners at the Dark Skies Awareness project will be lobbying local authorities and members of the public to turn off lights in built-up areas at night.
Malcolm Smith, an astronomer at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, wrote about the importance of the project in the journal Nature.
He said: "Over the past six decades, professional and amateur astronomers have been pioneering efforts to curb light pollution to protect the viability of their observatories.
"During the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, particularly through the Dark Skies Awareness project, astronomers can find allies in a common cause to convince authorities and the public that a dark sky is a valuable resource for everyone." Mr Tololo explains that turning lights off at night has benefits beyond improving the view of the stars.
"Reducing the number of lights on at night could help conserve energy, protect wildlife and benefit human health," he said.
"The most persuasive arguments for lighting control are economic ones. Estimates by the International Dark-Sky Association, based on work from satellite images, show that cities needlessly shine billions of pounds worth of light directly into the sky each year.
"As education on these issues improves, some cities are now realising the benefits of controlling such energy waste through better-quality lighting, thereby reducing dangerous glare and confusing lighting clutter."
Campaigners at the Dark Skies Awareness project will be lobbying local authorities and members of the public to turn off lights in built-up areas at night.
Malcolm Smith, an astronomer at the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, wrote about the importance of the project in the journal Nature.
He said: "Over the past six decades, professional and amateur astronomers have been pioneering efforts to curb light pollution to protect the viability of their observatories.
"During the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, particularly through the Dark Skies Awareness project, astronomers can find allies in a common cause to convince authorities and the public that a dark sky is a valuable resource for everyone." Mr Tololo explains that turning lights off at night has benefits beyond improving the view of the stars.
"Reducing the number of lights on at night could help conserve energy, protect wildlife and benefit human health," he said.
"The most persuasive arguments for lighting control are economic ones. Estimates by the International Dark-Sky Association, based on work from satellite images, show that cities needlessly shine billions of pounds worth of light directly into the sky each year.
"As education on these issues improves, some cities are now realising the benefits of controlling such energy waste through better-quality lighting, thereby reducing dangerous glare and confusing lighting clutter."
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