Very Sad Tragic Milestone Date to Note: Americans are Frustrated and Extremely Angry about This !!!

Its now been 2000 days since the attack on September 11, 2001 on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon by al-Qaida terrorists in four hijacked airplanes which murdered over 3000 Americans. The actual 2000 day mark occurred on March 4th. So, after all this time, a period longer than World War II or the War between the State took, why has not the leader of this evil organization, Osama bin-Laden, not been captured?

So to George Bush, Richard Cheney, and Karl Rove, like millions of Americans, I ask: Where's Osama?

Today's Observations and Opinions

A. Global Warming and Sports and Their Venues

This weeks Sports Illustrated has a feature article on the effect global warming and climate change will have on sports with particular emphasis on the venues where these contests are held. The main context is that the facilities these clubs play in will have to undergo enormous changes and modernization. The buildings will have to be energy self-sufficient and have safeguards against the changing environment. Horror of horrors, can this article be the genesis of a new wave of buildings, arenas, ballparks, and stadiums that ownerships will want built within the next generation once again paid for almost exclusively by taxpayers that will enable these owners and corporations to branch out as energy companies? That thought is enough to send shivers and shudders throughout the continent! Not that there are far more important problems to concern ourselves with in light of climate change. The story by Alexander Wolff is at:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/more/03/06/eco0312/

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B. Libby Conviction and Pardon

The Lewis "Scooter" Libby conviction announced on Tuesday was not a surprise. What will be worth watching for is if George Bush at some point pardons him and gives him legal protection from having to rat out higher officials, particularly Karl Rove and Richard Cheney. I believe if a pardon is forthcoming it will not be issued until after Election Day 2008. The likelihood of a pardon being issued after the election is a virtual certainty. Remember all the pardons passed out by George Bush the Elder and Bill Clinton as their administrations drew near a conclusion?

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C. Gates Insanity about Immigration

And what is Bill Gates thinking? Increase immigration!? There are already large numbers of trained professionals ready and able to work at Microsoft and other computer- oriented firms throughout the country (including me!) and there are a vast number of bright Americans who just need training and education to participate in this industry, and Microsoft and other computer and software firms have more than enough money and financial resources to do just that and have it paid for by the taxpayers through tax credits and deductions. There is absolute no reason to have to bring in foreign labor, except for the fact it is cheaper and more easily intimidated...?

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D. Brookings Institute and Federal Budget Deficits


The Economics Studies Program of the Brookings Institute, an enlightened progressive public policy organization, has issued a report discussing approaches for addressing the federal budget deficit and balancing the budget. Basically we have two choices: raise federal revenues or cut federal spending. I believe we have to do both. Taxes must be raised on the wealthy elite, particularly on incomes above $2.5 million. A new set of corporate income and progressive revenue taxes must be initiated on the businesses themselves and their management and executives. Excise taxes or import tariffs must be levied on manufactured goods coming in from nations such as Communist China. And special taxes must be levied on corporations whose top paid and compensated officials are more than seventeen times that of its lowest paid workers. Spending cuts are much harder but bureaucracies can be reduced and we all know what an enormous drain on the federal budget the defense department is with the seemingly endless Iraq war is. The root of the problem is all the hard US currency flowing out of the country like numerous raging rivers for energy resources in the Middle East, manufactured goods from Communist China, and cash transfer outlays by illegal aliens back to their home countries like Mexico. This all must be stopped or its over for America. You can read the report by the Brookings Institute at:

http://www.brookings.edu/views/papers/200701frenzel.htm

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E. Captain America


Nightline this evening had a troubling story about Marvel Comics killing off their Captain America comic character. Hopefully this storyline was not pursued because the character was not politically correct in today's America. Lets hope the character re-emerges in the comic series or in the movies real soon. We can still use a symbol like Captain America in the world we live in today, one that is very similar with plenty of evil and greedy men much like it was when the character was created in 1941.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=2932366

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F. More Secrecy and Subterfuge in Iraq


More and more, its becoming apparent the US military's secondary missions in Iraq are being conducted by a private mercenary force under the corporate ownership of Blackwater USA. This growing trend is troubling for a number of reasons, most notably for the fact that there is no accountability for decisions and expenditures by this shadowy corporation. A basic amount of information can be found here and I plan to research this further:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackwater_USA

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G. Roger Ailes' Silly and Inane "News"

And finally, for those who think Fox News is the cat's meow, this "fair and balanced news service" proved themselves to be a complete national embarrassment and joke by virtually focusing exclusively on the Anna Nicole Smith story to the exclusion of the disgraceful treatment of our soldiers and veterans at VA Hospitals, particularly at The Palace, Walter Reed Hospital in Washington DC. For example, on Friday 2 March, Fox News Channel (FNC) referred to Smith stories 121 times as compared to Walter Reed just 10 times ! MSNBC did better - it was only 96 t0 84 for Smith. CNN stood out as compared to the others, with Smith stories get referred to only 40 times with Walter Reed stories being cited 53 times. It just goes to show that FNC is hardly more than a GOP spin propaganda tool and given the chance will focus on fluff and blather to distract their viewers from the enormous incompetence, ineptitude, untruthfulness, and possible criminality coming out of the Bush Administration. Do yourself and your nation a favor and get your news and information from as many sources as possible--but make sure FNC is not one of them !

Academy of Country Music Awards Nominees

The 42nd Annual Academy of Country Music Awards announced the nominees for this years awards which will be presented in Las Vegas, NV, on 15 May, and will be broadcast by CBS.
My favorites to win the awards are in bold italics:

Entertainer of the Year: Brooks & Dunn, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts, George Strait.

Top Male Vocalist: Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Keith Urban.

Top Female Vocalist: Sara Evans, Faith Hill, Miranda Lambert, Martina McBride, Carrie Underwood.

Top Vocal Group: Diamond Rio, Emerson Drive, Little Big Town, Lonestar, Rascal Flatts.

Top Vocal Duo: Big & Rich, Brooks & Dunn, Montgomery Gentry, Sugarland, the Wreckers.

Top New Male Vocalist: Rodney Atkins, Craig Morgan, Chris Young.

Top New Female Vocalist: Miranda Lambert, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift.

Top New Duo or Vocal Group: Heartland, Little Big Town, the Wreckers

Album of the Year: Hillbilly Deluxe, Brooks & Dunn; It Just Comes Natural, George Strait; Me and My Gang, Rascal Flatts; Some Hearts, Carrie Underwood; These Days, Vince Gill.

Single Record of the Year: Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood; Give It Away, George Strait; I Loved Her First, Heartland; What Hurts the Most, Rascal Flatts; Would You Go with Me, Josh Turner.

Song of the Year: Amarillo Sky, Jason Aldean; Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood; Give It Away, George Strait; If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows), Rodney Atkins; Would You Go With Me, Josh Turner.

Video of the Year: 8th of November, Big & Rich; Amarillo Sky, Jason Aldean; Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood; Hillbilly Deluxe, Brooks & Dunn; Seashores of Old Mexico, George Strait.

Vocal Event of the Year: Building Bridges, Brooks & Dunn with Vince Gill & Sheryl Crow; I Don't Want to, Ashley Monroe & Ronnie Dunn; Me and God, Josh Turner featuring Dr. Ralph Stanley; Politically Uncorrect, Gretchen Wilson featuring Merle Haggard; That's How They Do It in Dixie, Hank Williams Jr. with Gretchen Wilson, Big & Rich and Van Zant.

The Final End to My Nearly Year Long Crisis

Today, I finally got my permanent physical copy of my identification after such a long arduous tormenting ordeal. It is nice to be a person again and now I can get on with my life. Many, many months of delaying actions and objectives because of this overwhelming handicap have come and gone and it is has left me virtually financially in ruins.

Only because of the goodwill and charity of family and friends did I make it through this. A big thank you goes out to Kelly, Hank, Deb, Todd, Tascha, and, especially, Brant and Sarah, and their children for helping me out during this time as well as any others that I failed to mention.

Anyone who can further assist me financially for the coming month until I start to get back on my feet again would be greatly appreciated by me.