BBC NEWS | Americas | US media foresee 'social battle'

BBC NEWS | Americas | US media foresee 'social battle': "FoxNews' Brit Hume predicted the clash between Mr Bush and his Democratic opponents would be a 'battle royale'.
And he commented on how unusual it was for Democrats to boo during the State of the Union address, as they did when Mr Bush said social security would be exhausted and bankrupt by 2042.
Mr Hume said: 'Bill Clinton got boos from newly Republican-controlled Congress when he made a very long speech in 1995. But I can't recall anything like that since.' "

Liberty and justice US '05 style: Teens Fined for Giving Cookies to Neighbor

US News Article Reuters.com: "DURANGO, Colo. (Reuters) - A Colorado judge ordered two teen-age girls to pay about $900 for the distress a neighbor said they caused by giving her home-made cookies adorned with paper hearts.

The pair were ordered to pay $871.70 plus $39 in court costs after neighbor Wanita Renea Young, 49, filed a lawsuit complaining that the unsolicited cookies, left at her house after the girls knocked on her door, had triggered an anxiety attack that sent her to the hospital the next day.

Taylor Ostergaard, then 17, and Lindsey Jo Zellitte, 18, paid the judgment on Thursday after a small claims court ruling by La Plata County Court Judge Doug Walker, a court clerk said on Friday.
The girls baked cookies as a surprise for several of their rural Colorado neighbors on July 31 and dropped off small batches on their porches, accompanied by red or pink paper hearts and the message: 'Have a great night.'

The Denver Post newspaper reported on Friday that the girls had decided to stay home and bake the cookies rather than go to a dance where there might be cursing and drinking. "


Denver Post / Shaun Stanley
Taylor Ostergaard, left, and Lindsey Jo Zellitti hold one of the plates of cookies they dropped on neighbors’ porches in July. One recipient sued, saying the gift spurred a trip to the emergency room

DenverPost Article - Cookie klatch lands girls in court

Stolen Election

Open Letter Regarding Election Reform
John Conyers

February 1, 2005

Dear Friend:

Dear Friend:
As 109th Congress convenes, I write to thank you for the energy and resources you continue to commit to the pursuit of a just electoral process. Once again, I am indebted especially to the internet activists and the members of the alternative media whose enduring efforts shed light on an issue that too few in the mainstream media have been willing to discuss. There is a new fight ahead, the fight for comprehensive election reform legislation, and I write to ask for your help.

To this end, I will be pushing a package of reforms to the electoral process and machinery.

First, I am proud to introduce on Wednesday (February 2,2005), the Voting Opportunity and Technology Enhancement Rights Act as a means to comprehensive election reform on a national level. Among other things, the VOTER Act mandates clear regulations for audit capacity and periodic audits, voter verification, and the use of paper records in recounts. The legislation requires every state to establish a same day registration process, permitting any eligible citizen to register and participate in a federal election on election day.

And it calls for increased protections of your civil rights, uniform standards for absentee and provisional voting, elimination of the disparity between machine allocations between urban and suburban areas, and early voting opportunities in all fifty states. I am proud that the Senate companion to this bill has been sponsored by Senator Chris Dodd on behalf of the Senate Democratic Leadership. There is no doubt in my mind the VOTER Act represents a renewed commitment to an electoral process that is both just and crystal clear.

Second, and of equal importance to me, I will also be vigorously supporting Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s proposal for a Constitutional amendment that would guarantee every citizen the right to vote. In the past, I have been hesitant to support new amendments to the Constitution, but I am now convinced this amendment is a worthy exception.

In the infamous case Bush v. Gore, a narrow majority of reactionary Supreme Court justices declared "the individual citizen has no federal constitutional right to vote for electors for the President of the United States" unless that right is conferred by that citizen’s state legislature. I do not believe that such a radical interpretation of the Constitution should stand, where our most basic rights are subject to the whims and vagaries of a state legislature or reactionary judges. I will, therefore, urge this Congress to protect the enfranchisement of every citizen with the strongest means at our disposal.

See More … Solar Bus Election Fraud and Reform Center.

Annan "shocked" at report on UN's Iraq oil programme

News: "UNITED NATIONS (AFP) - UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was 'shocked' by an independent enquiry that found unethical behaviour by the official who ran the oil-for-food programme in Iraq, his chief of staff said.
The enquiry said the official, Benon Sevan, solicited allocations of Iraqi oil from the Baghdad regime of Saddam Hussein and had got questionable cash payments but stopped short of saying he had taken bribes.
Mark Malloch Brown, Annan's chief of staff, said disciplinary proceedings had been started against Sevan, although it was unclear what measures could be taken because Sevan has already resigned from the United Nations.
'The secretary general is shocked by what the report has to say about Mr Sevan, terribly dismayed that a colleague of so many years' standing is accused of breaching the UN code of conduct and staff rules in the way he did,' Malloch Brown told reporters. "

Iraq - In HD

For TV surfers that demand blood and guts to appear on their screens as life like as possible.

WorldNetDaily: Dramatic video of Iraqi ambush

WorldNetDaily: Dramatic video of Iraqi ambush: "WorldNetDaily has obtained dramatic video footage of an unsuccessful ambush on a U.S. convoy escorting undisclosed VIPs. [Note: Video contains profane and obscene language, turn off any ad blockers if video doesn't come up.]
The video clip shows grenades exploding in front of a private security vehicle and return gunfire is heard in response to the attack. A still photograph, taken after the attack, shows the damage to the vehicle, operated by Blackwater USA, the private security outfit hired by the State Department for such security detail missions. "


SUV damaged in Baghdad ambush.

CNN.com - State of the Union blog - No mention of bin Laden

CNN.com - State of the Union blog - Feb 2, 2005: From Robert Novak, 'Crossfire' co-host

In his comments about allowing for an up or down vote on judges is the first time in the speech that he has made a negative statement about Democrats in Congress -- even though he doesn't use the word Democrat. He then brushed off lightly his faith-based initiative program.
His discussion of special training for defense counsel in capital cases is sort of a response to the lingering criticism of having so many people executed while he was governor of Texas.
Now he finally arrives at the war on terror 33 minutes into the speech. The president makes no mention, as might have been expected, of Osama bin Laden."

Page Resources

Full transcript of President Bush's State of the Union address...
Video Clips from Speech

Bennett cartoon classics | The Christian Science Monitor | csmonitor.com

Bennett cartoon classics | The Christian Science Monitor | csmonitor.com: "Clay Bennett Cartoons
15 recent editions"

NBCSandiego.com - Marine General's Blunt Comments Draw Fire

NBCSandiego.com - Marine General's Blunt Comments Draw Fire: "SAN DIEGO -- At a panel discussion in San Diego Tuesday, a top Marine general tells an audience that, among other things, it is 'fun to shoot some people.'

The comment, made by Lt. Gen. James Mattis, came in reference to fighting insurgents in Iraq. He went on to say, "Actually, its a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. I like brawling."

"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for 5 years because they didn't wear a veil," Mattis continued. "You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them."

About 200 people gathered for the discussion, held at the San Diego Convention Center. While many military members laughed at the comments, a military expert interviewed by NBC 7/39 called the comments "flippant.""


Click title to see video.

More Evidence that Bush Is a "Dry Drunk"?

More Evidence that Bush Is a "Dry Drunk"? What September 11 did was provide the justification. “From the start,” said Paul O’Neill in his book interview, “we were building the case against Hussein and looking at how we could take him out and change Iraq into a new country…It was about finding a way to do it that was the tone of it…the president saying, ‘Fine. Go find me a way to do this.’ And how would O’Neill know? O’Neill, as Secretary of the Treasury also sat on the National Security Council.

Even though, under pressure, while O’Neill has tried to tone down his statements, the mass media have continued to highlight the revelations. Missing from all the recent analyses and editorials, however, is any attention to the reason why: Why did Bush have this thing about Saddam? Why the “detour into an unnecessary war in Iraq?” as the U.S.Army War College recently put it.

“He tried to kill my Dad,” the President once explained. But I believe there was more to this unnecessary war than that. I believe there was a method in Bush’s madness, a method that most likely had as little to do with oil as it did to terrorism. For the answer we need to look deeply in the psyche of the man (inferred from his biography).

Earlier several other writers and I likened Bush’s personality characteristics to those of a person who, in AA parlance, is “dry” but whose thinking is not really sober. Grandiosity, rigidity, and intolerance of ambiguity, and a tendency to obsess about things are among the traits associated with the dry drunk. The dry drunk quits drinking, but his or her obsession with the bottle is often replaced with other obsessions. Twelve Step programs help their members modify their all-or-nothing thought patterns which associated with the disease alcoholism. “Easy does it” and “One day at a time” are among the slogans; the serenity prayer, similarly, helps persons with addictive tendencies to curb the tendency to excess.

In Bush’s irrational patterns of thought lie the clues to his single-minded obsession with Iraq. For the explanation for Bush’s vendetta against this one country, we have to look to his biography and to the meaning that Iraq held for his father.

CNN.com - Clinton named head of U.N. tsunami rebuilding

CNN.com - Clinton named head of U.N. tsunami rebuilding: "UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Former U.S. President Bill Clinton will serve as the U.N. envoy for tsunami reconstruction efforts in South Asia, the United Nations announced Tuesday.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan believes 'no one could possibly be better qualified for this task,' a spokesman for Annan said.
'The secretary-general is confident that President Clinton will bring energy, dynamism and focus to the task of sustaining world interest in the vital recovery and reconstruction phase,' the spokesman said in a written statement.
At President George W. Bush's request, Clinton and former President George H.W. Bush are helping to encourage private-sector financial support to help tsunami-struck areas.
When named to that position last month, Clinton said monetary donations to aid agencies were the best way to help."

Questions raised about Bush's mental and physical health

Questions raised about Bush's mental and physical health: "October 30, 2004 - Are there no decent Republicans in Washington who will publicly state, before next Tuesday's presidential election, what has been conveyed in late night phone calls, whispered about in the halls of power and hinted at to reporters: that George W. Bush is mentally unstable?

Say what you will about George W. Bush as occupant of the White House, but pity the man because he is a mental mess.
And it is from that standpoint that Justin A. Frank, a prominent Washington psychiatrist and the author of 'Bush on the Couch,' provides insight into what drives Bush.

Bush's problems, according to Frank, go beyond being an untreated alcoholic who has switched addictions from the bottle to a fundamentalist brand of religion, which now leads him to believe he is a direct instrument of God and, as such, is under divine orders to rid the world of 'evil.' Frank points out that the substitution of religion for alcohol is not uncommon among untreated alcoholics, also known as dry drunks."

By Bev Conover
Online Journal Editor & Publisher

BW Online | March 12, 2004 | "Analyzating" Bush's Grey Matter

BW Online | March 12, 2004 | "Analyzating" Bush's Grey Matter The President's tendency to mangle words and syntax may be due to an undiagnosed language and hearing disability, say some experts

Ever wonder why President Bush says "nuculer" when he means "nuclear" or "subliminate" when he means "subliminal?" Or why he mixes up perseverance and preservation? Why does he mangle the English language often enough for Slate Editor Jacob Weisberg to produce three books of Bushisms such as "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family."

Are you still puzzled that Bush:
• Was a "C" student and class clown, yet became President?
• Doles out odd nicknames with abandon?
• Has held only 12 Presidential news conferences, the lowest frequency for a President since Richard Nixon's scandal-plagued second term?
• Chose to go one-on-one with Meet the Press's Tim Russert, one of the roughest interviewers in the business during one of the toughest times in his Presidency?
• Stunned former Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill by barely responding in their first hour-long briefing at the White House?
• Doesn't "do nuance," as the President himself puts it?

"SUBTLE DISORDER." To some learning-disability experts, the signs are clear: Bush might want to pay them a visit. These experts haven't tested the President, so they caution that they can't be certain of the diagnosis. Yet, ample signs indicate that something unusual is going on in the left side of his brain, where language and hearing are processed.

By Stan Crock
businessweek

MoveOn.org: Help us air "Working Retirement" ad on Social Security

MoveOn.org: Help us air "Working Retirement" ad on Social Security: "George W. Bush is going to make Social Security privatization a key part of his State of the Union address this week. After his speech he is going on a cross-country tour to promote his agenda. That’s why, as Americans form their opinions about his plan, we need to make sure they know the facts – privatization means benefit cuts of up to 46%.

Today, we’re releasing a new ad – Working Retirement – which builds off our famous Child’s Pay ad to explain why privatization is a bad idea. The ad footage was shot by Charlie Fisher, who also did Child’s Pay. We’re working to raise $500,000 to run it in key Congressional districts where members of Congress are considering supporting Bush’s plan.


click title to watch video

Dyslexic Bush can't read but he punishes children who can't with "No Child Left Behind"

Dyslexic Bush can: "George W. Bush doesn’t read. “I know he doesn’t read,” one White House staffer told columnist Sidney Blumenthal, who wrote it in The Guardian on April 15th of this year. In fact, in an interview with Brit Hume, Bush admitted that he does not read the newspapers, nor does he read documents prepared for him daily called “President’s Daily Briefs.” Instead, he prefers to have them interpreted and encapsulated for him by his staff, usually Condoleezza Rice or Andrew Card.

Bush himself told Hume, “I glance at the headlines just to kind of [get] a flavor for what’s moving. I rarely read the stories.”

The president related to Hume, “I get briefed by people who have probably read the news themselves.” The president further stated that Andrew Card and Condoleezza Rice, on the other hand, get the news “directly from the participants on the world stage.”

Bush continued to Hume, “I appreciate people’s opinions, but I’m more interested in news. And the best way to get the news is from objective sources. And the most objective sources I have are people on my staff who tell me what’s happening in the world.”

Of course Democrats would argue that Rice and Card are not necessarily “objective sources.” But why doesn’t the president read? Some have speculated that he has dyslexia. Certainly, it would fit. People with dyslexia generally dislike reading because it is hard work for them. Dyslexia tends to run in families, and the Bush family has been open about George’s brother Neil having it. Further, people with dyslexia often have language processing problems of the type President Bush displays. Making up words, confusing first and last syllables, using malapropisms and similar sounding words, like “preservation” for “perseverance,” are all common in people with dyslexia."

By Elaine Kitchel, an educator and research scientist. She holds a Master’s degree in Special Education and has taught special students, including dyslexics, for nearly thirty years. Reprinted from Intervention Magazine. Posted Monday, June 21, 2004

Daily Kos :: Plame Leaked by Fake News Source? Part VI

Daily Kos :: Political Analysis and other daily rants on the state of the nation.: "White House-credentialed fake news reporter 'Jeff Gannon' from fake news agency 'Talon News' was cited by the Washington Post as having the only access to an internal CIA memo that named Joseph Wilson's wife, Valerie Plame, as a covert CIA agent. Gannon, in a question posed to Wilson in an October 2003 interview, referred to the memo (to which no other news outlet had access, according to the Post). Gannon subsequently has been subpoenaed by the federal grand jury looking into the Plame outing.

These facts have led the Kos community to research the following questions:

1. Who/what is Talon News?
2. Who/what is Jeff Gannon and how did he get credentialed for the White House?
3. How is this 'reporter' and 'news agency' being used to disseminate information?
4. What exactly is the relationship between all the various outlets/GOP groups/individuals?
5. What does all this information have to do with the Plame leak?


Diaries :: SusanG's diary ::
For a more in-depth overview/summary, go to the Part IV thread here

Senators to Introduce 'Stop Government Propaganda Act'

Senators to Introduce 'Stop Government Propaganda Act': "NEW YORK In response to continued revelations of government-funded 'journalism' -- ranging from the purported video news releases put out by the drug czar's office and the Department of Health and Human Services to the recently uncovered payments to columnists Armstrong Williams and Maggie Gallagher,who flacked administration programs -- Sens. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) will introduce a bill, The Stop Government Propaganda Act, in the Senate next week.

'It's just not enough to say, 'Please don't do it anymore,'' Alex Formuzis, Lautenberg's spokesman, told E&P. 'Legislation sometimes is required and we believe it is in this case.'

The Stop Government Propaganda Act states, 'Funds appropriated to an Executive branch agency may not be used for publicity or propaganda purposes within the United States unless authorized by law.'"

New York Post: PRO-U.S. MAYOR HAS TARGET ON HIS BACK

New York Post: PRO-U.S. MAYOR HAS TARGET ON HIS BACK January 30, 2005 -- BAGHDAD — The man replacing the mayor of Baghdad — who was assassinated for his pro-American loyalties — says he is not worried about his ties to Washington.
In fact, he'd like to erect a monument to honor President Bush in the middle of the city.

"We will build a statue for Bush," said Ali Fadel, the former provincial council chairman. "He is the symbol of freedom."

Fadel's predecessor, Ali al-Haidari, was gunned down Jan. 4 when militants opened fire on his armor-covered BMW as it traveled with a three-car convoy.

Fadel said he received numerous threats on his life as the council chairman, and expects to get many more in his new post.

"My life is cheap," Fadel said. "Everything is cheap for my country."

By JOSH WILLIAMS

Hard News: Some Just Voted for Food

Hard News: Some Just Voted for Food: "BAGHDAD, Jan 31 (IPS) - Voting in Baghdad was linked with receipt of food rations, several voters said after the Sunday poll.

Many Iraqis said Monday that their names were marked on a list provided by the government agency that provides monthly food rations before they were allowed to vote.

”I went to the voting centre and gave my name and district where I lived to a man,” said Wassif Hamsa, a 32-year-old journalist who lives in the predominantly Shia area Janila in Baghdad. ”This man then sent me to the person who distributed my monthly food ration.”

Mohammed Ra'ad, an engineering student who lives in the Baya'a district of the capital city reported a similar experience.

Ra'ad, 23, said he saw the man who distributed monthly food rations in his district at his polling station. ”The food dealer, who I know personally of course, took my name and those of my family who were voting,” he said. ”Only then did I get my ballot and was allowed to vote.”

”Two of the food dealers I know told me personally that our food rations would be withheld if we did not vote,” said Saeed Jodhet, a 21-year-old engineering student who voted in the Hay al-Jihad district of Baghdad.

There has been no official indication that Iraqis who did not vote would not receive their monthly food rations.

Many Iraqis had expressed fears before the election that their monthly food rations would be cut if they did not vote. They said they had to sign voter registration forms in order to pick up their food supplies.

Their experiences on the day of polling have underscored many of their concerns about questionable methods used by the U.S.-backed Iraqi interim government to increase voter turnout."

Inter Press Service
Dahr Jamail

THE ACCIDENTAL CANDIDATE by Gail Sheehy

THE ACCIDENTAL CANDIDATE: "If Bush does indeed carry dyslexic traits, why would this be important?

It shapes one's whole life. According to professionals in the field, the brain structure related to dyslexia is laid down within the first few weeks of gestation. 'The wiring is so deep, you can alter it, but you can't change the root structure,' says West. A lot of dyslexics develop rigidity, needing the comfort of following a known path. Bush for many years followed his father's path. He is at pains to be punctual. His latter-day embrace of the evangelical Christian men's movement provided him further structure and a spiritual discipline. And now, as he runs for political office, strategists and speechwriters can provide him with almost foolproof verbal structure."

CNN.com - Bush denies magazine's suggestion of dyslexia - September 12, 2000

CNN.com - Bush denies magazine's suggestion of dyslexia - September 12, 2000: "WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush on Tuesday denied suggestions in a Vanity Fair article that he has dyslexia.
'No, I'm not dyslexic,' Bush said on ABC's 'Good Morning America.' 'That's all I can tell you.'
Bush said he hadn't read the article and referred to his spokeswoman Karen Hughes' characterization: 'In the case of this story, fiction is stranger than truth,' she said.
The article in the magazine's October issue quotes language experts who say Bush's tendency to mix up words while speaking is consistent with dyslexia, a neurological disorder impairing the ability to read and write.
Bush's presidential campaign said the author, Gail Sheehy, may have confused the Texas governor with his brother, Neil, who has dyslexia. "

george bush dyslexia: Accidental Wit and Wisdom

Bushspeak - George Bush Accidental Wit and Wisdom: "'One of the great things about books is sometimes there are some fantastic pictures.' -George W. Bush"

The Web: Downloading music gets easier

The Web: Downloading music gets easier: "Chicago, IL, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Downloading music from the Internet is getting easier -- and cheaper. Apple Computer earlier this month introduced a $99 version of its famed iPod MP3 music player, and other developers are debuting similar low-priced products for the mass market.
'Services are being launched that will allow people to purchase, download and listen to music on their cell phones,' said Ephraim Cohen, a spokesman for Musiwave, a company in New York City that makes Internet music-download technologies, for Europe and, soon, the United States. 'The services allow them to skip the step of having to transfer music from the PC to a music device. Their music device is built into the phone -- Nokia's 6630 and Siemens' SX1 are two examples -- and they can simply purchase and download the music directly.'

Analysts predict the entry-level version of the iPod, which is about the size of a pack of chewing gum, may sell as many as 22.5 million units this year, and sales of the other devices may be somewhat comparable.

Some have taken to using the technology very creatively, which may in the future spawn imitation. For example, liberal activist David Rovics performed a protest song last week during the inauguration of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney in Washington, D.C., at the so-called Counter-Inaugural event. Rovics made his protest song, "Election," available for free at soundclick.com/davidrovics, apparently hoping to become the post-modern Woody Gutherie. The song was produced with iPod Shuffle users in mind."

The Daily Star - War dominates the 2005 Sundance Film Festival winners

The Daily Star - War dominates the 2005 Sundance Film Festival winners: "PARK CITY, Utah: The war in Iraq and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict came off winners in the world movie section at the Sundance Film Festival awards ceremony this weekend.
The war theme flowed through the entire presentation, with the world-cinema special-jury prizes for documentaries going to 'The Liberace of Baghdad,' by British director Sean McAllister, and to the French-Israeli production 'Wall.'
'Liberace' is the story of pianist Samir Peter, Iraq's most famous pianist holed up in a hotel in ravaged Baghdad as war rages around him, while 'Wall' tells of Israel's controversial separation wall cutting it off from the Palestinian territories.
'This (award) is also dedicated to the Iraqis and Americans who died during the making of this film,' McAllister said, referring to the eight 'difficult and dangerous' months he spent making the film amid strife and chaos in Iraq."

ABC News: Judge Backs Guantanamo Detainee Challenges

ABC News: Judge Backs Guantanamo Detainee Challenges: "WASHINGTON Jan 31, 2005 - A federal judge ruled Monday that foreign terror suspects held in Cuba can challenge their confinement in U.S. courts and she criticized the Bush administration for holding hundreds of people without legal rights.

Judge Joyce Hens Green, handling claims filed by about 50 detainees at the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, said the Supreme Court made clear last year that they have constitutional rights that lower courts should enforce.

'Although this nation unquestionably must take strong action under the leadership of the commander in chief to protect itself against enormous and unprecedented threats,' she wrote, 'that necessity cannot negate the existence of the most basic fundamental rights for which the people of this country have fought and died for well over 200 years.' "

VOA News - Report: US Occupation Authority in Iraq Lost Track of Nearly $9B

VOA News - Report: US Occupation Authority in Iraq Lost Track of Nearly $9B: "An audit by a U.S. inspector says the U.S.-led authority that governed Iraq after the 2003 invasion failed to keep track of nearly $9 billion it transferred to Iraqi ministries.
The audit released Sunday by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction says the Coalition Provisional Authority failed to establish control systems to verify how the money was spent, which opened it to corruption.
In some instances, money was used to pay what the report calls 'ghost' employees, explaining that out of 8,206 guards on the payroll at one ministry, only 602 could be accounted for.
Former CPA chief Paul Bremer rejected the findings, saying the report assumes western-style accounting procedures could have been quickly set up during wartime.
Mr. Bremer says delaying payment to Iraqi public servants could have created additional security threats."

The Rising Nepal: Dyslexia Dossier - The George Bush Condition

The Rising Nepal: "AROUND ten to fifteen per cent of the global population is dyslexic – people with reading and spelling disabilities. Etymologically, the term, composed to two Greek words – dys meaning ill or difficult and lexis meaning word – literally means poor reading. That is the exact narration of dyslexia. It is normally used to refer to people, children and / or adults, who experience difficulties with reading, spelling or writing. Dyslexia may also affect short-term memory, mathematical ability, concentration, personal organization or sequencing.

Remember, dyslexia has nothing to do with intelligence levels. What dyslexic people require, most of all, is a faith in their abilities, and the right learning environment. This list of those who have excelled despite dyslexia is extremely long: Tom cruise, Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford, Richard Branson, Henry Ford Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, Walt Disney, Beethoven, Mozart, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, George Bush, Alexander Graham Bell, Galileo and, of course, Steven Hawkins. Among writers and poets you have W. B. Yeats, Agatha Christie, John Irving, among athletes, Carl Lewis and Nolan Ryan etc. They have all scripted history."

click title to read more

Bushisms on DVD

Bushisms on DVDBushisms: The DVD
You’ve Read The Book, Now Watch The Real Thing on DVD

You thought it couldn’t get any better than reading the President’s words and finding new ways
to decipher what he was trying to say, but failed to communicate. Well now imagine hearing and
seeing what you are reading. That’s right, Bushisms is now on DVD.

Watch over 60 minutes of George W. Bush’s accidental wit and wisdom. See for yourself the
serious determination in which W repeats the same wrong word time after time until he actually
gives his made-up word a real meaning. And so goes the development of “The George W. Bush
Dictionary” of words and phrases added to the American vocabulary by our speech-challenged,
43rd President. Words like “misunderestimate” and “subliminable.”

Your host on this journey to destroy the English language is Brian Unger with special
commentary and grammatical interpretation by Slate Magazine’s Jacob Weisberg, Al Franken,
and Gary Trudeau’s “Doonesbury.” Bushisms includes actual footage from the President’s
public speeches, photos ops, interviews, and random encounters to produce the funniest
collection of misstatements ever on video. Animated shorts by Chris “Sketchboy” Routly and
music videos by The George W. Bush Singers add to the entertainment by interpreting the
President’s greatest oratory moments.

“What’s it like when you can’t find your WMDs or your ABCs,” asks Brian Unger in the
opening scenes of the show. “What’s it like when what you meant to say is exactly what you
said?” Join Brian for an hour of exploration to see how easy words become so hard for President
Bush.

The direct-to-DVD project Bushisms is based on the popular series of books of the same name
featuring the accidental wit and wisdom of President George W. Bush. This program is not
rated, but suitable for all audiences and includes W’s commentary and segments on “Families
and Children,” “Mr. Bush’s Neighborhood,” and the “Top 10 Bushisms.”

This is a true collection of classic comments taken from public speeches and remarks given to
Americans around the country with Mr. Bush’s thoughts on the economy, the war in Iraq, our
relationship with other nations and his presidency. Bush’s observations and advice include such
memorable soundbites as:

 “It’s clearly a budget. It’s got a lot of numbers in it.”
 “Rarely is the questions asked, is our children learning.”
 “Families is where our nation finds hope, where wings take dream.”
 “I know how hard it for you to put food on your family.”

In a season of one million speeches, don’t miss your chance to bring the real George W. Bush
into your home. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the actual video speaks millions
of them.

About The Cast and Producers:
BRIAN UNGER is the host of Bushisms. Previously, Unger was a correspondent for the Emmy
award winning “The Daily Show” from 1996 to 1999. Unger is currently a national
correspondent for NPR’s “Day to Day” and his pilot television show “The Hollywood Show,” a
satire of programs like “Extra” and “Entertainment Tonight” is currently in development for
Comedy Central. Unger lives in Los Angeles.

JACOB WEISBERG is the Bushisms book editor and commentator. After years pof being the
main political correspondent for Slate, Weisberg has now moved into the editor’s suite. Under
his direction, the online magazine has doubled readership and signed deals with Doonesbury and
NPR. He is also the author of over a half-dozen books on political issues, including the three
New York Times best-selling Bushisms books. Weisberg lives in New York City.

ELIZABETH REEDER is the Bushisms director and producer. Prior to Bushisms, Reeder was
a senior executive with “The McLaughlin Group”, “McLaughlin One-On-One” and “Think Tank
with Ben Wattenberg.” A practicing attorney and artist manager, Reeder is the co-producer of
“Bush’s Brain,” now in theaters. Reeder lives in Austin.

The Bushisms DVD can be purchased at www.bushism.net from
Ingrinable Productions for $12.95 plus shipping and handling.

Sundance honours new anti-war film

RTE.ie Entertainment - Sundance honours new anti-war film: "The anti-war documentary 'Why We Fight' was among the winners at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah on Sunday night.

Director Eugene Jarecki's film, which looks at the 'economic, political, and ideological forces that drive American militarism', was named the winner of the American Documentary Grand Jury Prize.

Accepting the award at the festival, Jarecki said: 'It was a humbling experience to see the films I saw here and the extraordinary voices communicating a vision of this country as it leads the world... it's terribly crucial for the rest of the world to see.' (Watch Sundance Interview)

Jarecki won the same prize in 2003 for "The Trials of Henry Kissinger""

Resources
Blogging Sundance
Cyndi Greening's Radio Blog


Amazon($26.96): The Trials of Henry Kissinger (2002)

TIME.com: Bremer's Next Insurgency: Auditors

TIME.com: Bremer's Next Insurgency: Auditors: "Less than than two months after former Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) administrator L. Paul Bremer received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a scathing audit by a longtime confidante of George W. Bush is bashing Bremer's agency for failing to establish 'adequate financial controls,' leaving some fiscal reporting systems 'either weak or non-existent.' The audit charges that the CPA left large portions of the $8.8 billion Iraqi treasury 'open to fraud, kickbacks, and misappropriation of funds,' according to a draft obtained by TIME. The report was written by Stuart Bowen, a lawyer from Texas who became special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction. His audit cites Bremer for lax accounting (on one payroll, for instance, only 602 of the 8,206 names could be confirmed, with no paper trail for the rest of the cash) and inadequate disclosure (the CPA allowed Iraqi officials to delay reporting the $2.5 billion the interim government received in oil-for-food money last spring). "

Cat Stevens is still a threat to the US!

Cat Stevens is still a threat to the US!But months later, US authorities stand by their decision.

"The intelligence is the same. The reasons we rejected him several months ago still exist in my mind," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge, was quoted by ratethemusic, as saying.

Yahoo! News - Voting held in Iraq's 1st free election in a half-century; 44 killed in attacks

Yahoo! News - Voting held in Iraq's 1st free election in a half-century; 44 killed in attacks: "BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraqis embraced democracy in large numbers Sunday, standing in long lines to vote in defiance of mortar attacks, suicide bombers and boycott calls. Pushed in wheelchairs or carts if they couldn't walk, the elderly, the young and women in veils cast ballots in Iraq (news - web sites)'s first free election in a half-century.


Canadian Press Photo (See Slide Show)

'We broke a barrier of fear,' Mijm Towirish, an election official said.
Uncertain Sunni turnout, a string of insurgent attacks that killed 44 and the crash of a British military plane underline the fact that chaos in Iraq isn't over yet.

Yet the mere fact the vote went off seemed to ricochet instantly around a world hoping for Arab democracy and fearing Islamic extremism.
'I am doing this because I love my country, and I love the sons of my nation,' said Shamal Hekeib, 53, who walked with his wife 20 minutes to a polling station near his Baghdad home.

'We are Arabs, we are not scared and we are not cowards,' Hekeib said. "

Bush Watch: Headlines

Bush Watch: Headlines: "BUSH AND DYSLEXIA
below...
Bush Team Stonewalls
Mo Paul's Dyslexia and Bush
Bush's Dyslexic Denial
Bush Stiffs Dyslexics
The Larry King Show
Diognosticians Comment
Kill the Messenger
Sheehy Fights Back
'I've got confidence in the Palestinians, when they understand fully what we're saying, that they'll make the right decisions,' said Bush. But he warned: 'I can assure you, we won't be putting money into a society which is not transparent and corrupt, and I suspect other countries won't either.' --Reuters, 06.26.02
'During his recent weeklong European tour, President Bush chose France of all places to become testy and defensive about Europeans' general chilliness toward him. He pounced on an American reporter whose double faux pas was to ask him why 'there are such strong sentiments in Europe against you and your administration' and to invite, in French, President Jacques Chirac to comment. 'I'm impressed,' Mr. Bush deadpanned. 'Que bueno. Now I'm literate in two languages.' Mr. Bush's bad reaction probably was due largely to jet lag. ' --Dallas Morning News, 06.04.02
DO WE REALLY WANT A PART-TIME PRESIDENT?"