Prevent a Major Disaster!! ACT NOW

There they go again….It’s an instant replay of the same plan of action that got us all stuck in the Iraq quagmire.

Bush, Cheney and their “pundits” in the corporate media and in the ultra conservative think tanks have taken to dominating the airwaves with their “cherry picked” intelligence to pave the way for invading Iran.

Once again it’s nothing but LIES heaped upon LIES.

Fact—the MAJORITY of middle east foreign experts state that it would be a huge mistake for the United States to launch an illegal invasion on Iraq. You can find some of these experts here.

Up till now it’s been the neocons and their supporters are the ones with blood soaked hands. They have been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi’s and thousands of American troops on their hands. If this Iran attack is launched there will be many more deaths piled on top of this and the terrorist attacks against the U.S. will increase not decrease.

However, IF the American public allows an illegal Iran invasion to take place the rest of the world will not make a distinction between the Bush Cabal and the American public. We no longer have the excuse that we did not know. Bush, Cheney, and the corporate media pundits fooled us to support an illegal invasion of Iraq….but if we are fooled “twice” by the exact same tactics then the rest of the world will see Americans as responsible for the actions of our government.

If you think America has problems now....an illegal invasion of Iran will make the Iraq invasion pale by comparison. (It would be like say, invading Rhode Island.) America will face more serious consequences if the madmen in the White House are allowed to continue this disastrous course to invade Iran. The Bush Cheney plan to invade Iran is a disaster. Fury will be unleashed on our poor troops in Iraq AND terrorist attacks against the U.S. will increase. There is no way that invading Iran will make a single American safer. (Though it will make the war profiteers and oil companies richer...once again at the expense of the American taxpayer.)

You have the power to prevent a major disaster like this country has never known before. Don’t be complicit in the war crimes of Bush and Cheney…. Do it for your family, your friends, your community....Take a stand and speak out loudly, firmly, and clearly.

It will take only a few minutes of your time to contact your senator and representative and DEMAND that Congress insure that Bush and Cheney cannot invade Iran without Congressional approval. Ask them to support Senator Jim Webb’s legislation forcing the White House to get Congressional approval before they launch another illegal attack on another nation. (Note: Webb's legislation does not prevent Bush from acting in “self-defense.” But a war or an illegal invasion should not occur unless Congress is willing to support it.)

Why you need to act to prevent an Iran invasion...

Read this

Contact your Senator and Representative and DEMAND that Congress stand up and state that Iran CAN NOT be invaded without Congressional approval.

FACT IS that Iran will not have a nuclear bomb in the foreseeable future. There is no immediate threat. There may not even be a threat in the next few decades. IF we leave Iran alone it will give the secular citizens more time to change their government....If we attack we will guarantee an Islamic dominated Iran for a very long time to come.

It's another corporate media scandal...spreading the Bush propaganda so that Bush and Cheney can invade Iran.... An invasion that holds no benefits for America or her citizens. It is madness and will only result in weakening American democracy, enrichening the corporations at the expense of American citizens. It's OUR pockets that are being robbed. Stand up and contact your elected officials and demand that they support the WEBB Amendment which only authorizes an invasion with Congressional approval. (Note: The ability of the President to act in Self Defense with Iran is not affected by this legislation)

Reflections on Hurricane Season 2005, Part Two

Here is my second article generated by my recent tour of the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and Louisiana to inspect 2005 hurricane damage and what has been done in the aftermath. On Wednesday, August 29, 2007, two years after Katrina hit, President Bush toured New Orleans and Bay St. Louis to commemorate the occasion, but also to play up progress in rebuilding the Gulf Coast through the aegis of the federal government. This left me rather cold and cynical, because, having written these articles only several months ago, I know that the Feds, more often than not, have subverted and perverted progress, whether through privatization ideologies and cynical demographic calculations touted by Neocon/Neoliberal think-tanks, or through racism, corruption, cronyism and just pure ineptitude. As you read this entire series, you will understand better what I mean. Here, then, is the second article, originally written in late April:

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Hidden in the Bayous


















Katrina damaged or destroyed thousands of trees, including in Ocean Springs

As I continue my series about the Gulf Coast, we take a look at lingering hurricane destruction in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, a typical Gulf Coast city where much of the damage is really hidden from the casual tourist. You have to go off the beaten path, so to speak.

Last Friday morning, April 13, I started driving west through Gautier, Mississippi with the planned itinerary of hitting Ocean Springs, then Biloxi, and on into Louisiana and New Orleans as I continued to survey the state of reconstruction along the Gulf Coast after the horrific 2005 hurricane season. After reaching the city limits of Ocean Springs, I found myself slowly meandering south, stopping to take shots along Beachview Drive as I headed toward the nearby Gulf of Mexico, then wandering southwest along Lake Mars Avenue and Seacliff Boulevard, roughly paralleling the coastline as I went. Looking at my watch, it became obvious to me that, if I was going to do justice to New Orleans, which I definitely had to reach this same day, I would not have time to explore Biloxi too, so Biloxi, scene of the hurled-like-toothpicks floating casinos, is on the list for my next trip.

















Driving down Beachview Drive in Ocean Springs

















Driving past a boat pier with its Katrina-damaged fuel pumps

It also became apparent to me, as I drove, that in a lot of these towns and cities along the Gulf Coast, the casual observer or tourist is actually not going to see a lot of the hurricane damage simply because it is hidden from view. The layout of Ocean Springs itself interweaves between the coastline and the bayous, with much of the lingering damage obscured by treelines, swamps and winding roads. So you have to take the time to look, which I did in my own small way in. If I had spent the whole day exploring Ocean Springs and interviewing people, who knows what else I would have come across.

















Once off the beaten path, you begin to see the hidden damage.



















You can barely see the remaining foundation slab where a house used to sit amongst the vegetation growth and the trees.

















Stairs leading to nowhere.

















And you see a lot of this.

Lots of families in the Bayou are living in FEMA trailers parked next to their destroyed homes, as they try to rebuild, those lucky enough, that is, to find the resources to rebuild. Others have simply had to abandon everything and move on.

So I cordially invite you to take a look at my second photo album in this series under "Mac's Slide Show". Just click here and then just click on Mac's Slide Show. It is not a lengthy one. And you don't have to sign in unless you want to. With my next photo-essay, I will move on to New Orleans itself, starting on Orleans Avenue itself, not too far from the French Quarter. This is where everything gets much heavier.

Preview of Petraeus September Progress Report

The media has been reporting that the White House itself will write the Iraqi Progress Report that General Westmoreland, whoops, scratch that, General Petraeus is supposed to give. How much our brave and noble consul, oops, general, will get to input the report is irrelevant, since all of the higher officer corps of the Legions, excuse me again, Army, have undergone a Vulcan mind-meld with commander-in-chief Bush (the Roman god Vulcan, Spock's uncle, did know how to weld tin and wood together). Fortunately, I have been secretly sent the 1st Draft of this report by an unnamed White House staffer, housekeeper, gardener, cook, visitor or bartender (figure that out Secret Service!) which I am eager now to share with the public.

*********SPECIAL REPORT*********

I have been able to secretly obtain the first White House draft of General Petraeus's September report on progress in Iraq, which I feel is my patriotic duty to reveal to the public. Here it is, in raw, uncensored form:








Official Glyph of the Petraeus Report







OFFICIAL UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT REPORT ON PROGRESS IN IRAQ (1ST DRAFT)

Current Situation In-Country:

IN IRAQ, EVERYTHING IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY. Iran sucks. EVERYTHING IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY. Iran beats dogs. EVERYTHING IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY. Iran blew up the Maine. EVERYTHING IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY. Iran is Al Qaeda. EVERYTHING IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY. Iran will rape your daughter. EVERYTHING IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY. Iran will Nuke us. EVERYTHING IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY. Iran will castrate all American males. IN IRAQ, EVERYTHING IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY. Satan rhymes with Iran (sort of).


Studied Conclusion:

WE ARE WINNING! WE ARE WINNING! WE ARE WINNING IN IRAQ! Iran is bad. WE ARE WINNING! WE ARE WINNING! WE ARE WINNING IN IRAQ! Iran will nuke Europe. WE ARE WINNING! WE ARE WINNING! WE ARE WINNING IN IRAQ! Iran eats human flesh. WE ARE WINNING! WE ARE WINNING! WE ARE WINNING IN IRAQ! Slay the Iranian 7-headed Hydra.


Future Action:

THE SURGE THAT REFRESHES! THE SURGE THAT REFRESHES! HAVE ANOTHER DRINK! Iran worships Hitler. THE SURGE THAT REFRESHES! THE SURGE THAT REFRESHES! WHAT A KICK! Stalin was Iranian. THE SURGE THAT REFRESHES! THE SURGE THAT REFRESHES! GREAT TASTE ALL THE WAY! Iran, font of all evil. THE SURGE, THE URGE, THE DRINK THAT QUENCHES IRAQ'S THIRST! Nuke Iran.

The Corporate Media is NOT going to show you this....

Here's the REALITY about a presidential candidate the media loves to present as a lightweight.
Looks like he's someone who really will stand up for his constituents best interests...even if his life is on the line.

Is the Propaganda going to work?

Fool me once...shame on you....but fool me twice?

Let the corporate media know you aren't buying it!!!

Reflections on Hurricane Season 2005

A shattered pier in Pascagoula, Mississippi


As we move into the heart of the 2007 hurricane season, what with monster Hurricane Dean making its way through the Caribbean and possibly headed for Texas, it would be instructive to know some of the lesser known facts about the last really traumatic season, 2005, so that we can learn from them before we get suckered by government agencies, private swindlers and media spin once again.

It just so happens that I was on the Gulf Coast twice recently, once for two weeks in April, and once for two weeks in May. I was working in Pascagoula, Mississipi, and used that as my base to explore the Gulf Coast from, all the way to New Orleans. I started taking a lot of pictures of Hurricane Katrina's massive damage and then decided to write a series of articles for OpEdNews.com, which morphed into five photo-essays. I also create five photo albums at Kodak's online photo gallery, creating an album to correlate with each photo essay. I figure I will now share all of this on Mosquito Blog now. I am going to start quietly with Pascagoula itself.

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Along the Gulf coast, Post-Katrina, Part 1: Pascagoula
April 21, 2007,


I've just returned from the Gulf Coast with several hundred photos of Pascagoula and Ocean Springs, Mississippi, as well as of New Orleans, particularly in the Lower Ninth Ward. If you think the Bush Administration is paying anything more than lip service to revitalizing the Gulf States, then think again. The only true priority in their minds is colonizing the Middle East. That is where all the badly needed funds for reconstruction are going, into the Pentagon cesspool, despite what officials say. Carpetbaggers, crooks, and inefficient bureaucrats are sucking up the rest of the available funds.

To let you see what's going on along the coast, I am going to invite you to view several photo albums of the reality down there, starting with Pascagoula's still rather scenic waterfront in this first article. Pascagoula wasn't hit anywhere near as hard as New Orleans, but it was still hammered. Ingalls shipyard, for example, was devastated. Much of the city is back on its feet, but there are still miles and miles to go, as you will see in this first photo album. And I think it's important that we know what the situation is from as many sources as possible, including my own.

















All but the foundation of this house was wiped away.

















Another house stripped to the slab

















Only the briars and birds are left to inhabit this chaise lounge and the empty slab and lot it overlooks.

What you see in just these four photos is a glimpse at the slow progress, when there is any at all, in rebuilding the Pascagoula waterfront. Rich and poor alike got hammered in this district, although only the rich are able to bring their wealth to bear to get some results. Most egregious are the shattered piers all along the several miles of waterfront, some 20 months after Katrina hit. and then there are scores of citizens living in oft toxic FEMA trailers, that is if they haven't been evicted yet.

There are more of these photos under "Mac's Slide Show" at the Kodak Gallery, so if you are interested, check them out at: (click here). Then just click on Mac's Slide Show. You don't have to sign in unless you want to. With my next photo-essay, I will move on to Ocean Springs, Mississippi and into the Bayou.

Bush's vision of the American Way....

Bush's vision encompasses slave labor and no freedom for workers in Baghdad...it includes America at war with Iran enriching a few Cheney elitist types while stripping the freedom and civil liberties from American citizens.....meanwhile the elitist are going to cower behind their gated communities so they won't have to deal with the "average" American citizen....

Recent History...Cheney on Iraq in 1994

PEW News IQ Score

The renowned Pew Research Center has an online News IQ test. If you beat a 91 my hat's off to you.

It's interesting to take and compare to the national average

Is Senator Harry Reid doing his job?

As Senate Majority leader, Senator Harry Reid has the ability to prevent President Bush from continuing to abuse his power during Senate recesses. Senator Reid can keep the Senate open by having a Senator show up at the Congress one day every one (or two weeks). Senator Reid did this during the last two week recess of Congress. Bush cannot do things like appoint John Bolton to the United Nations or appoint a new acting attorney general that will not have to have Senate approval.

We called Senator Webb's office this week and Senator Harry Reid's office this morning. We discovered that Senator Reid had not taken the necessary precautions to prevent Bush from once again using the vacation recess to do something like, appoint a new Attorney General that the Senate would not have to approve.

Trust me folks....you don't want Alberto Gonzalaz replaced by another "in" White House Counsel such as Cheney's notorious David Addington.

We fought for a democratic Congress so that the checks and balances would be restored.
Please don't fall down on the job Senator Harry Reid.

What the Bush Regime isn't telling you about Iraq...

There's an old saying....If you can't beat them join them. So Bush's new general has decided to stop fighting the insurgents and instead to become their partners. Bush is now having the US "joining the insurgents" in order to "switch" to the winning side in Iraq. But they are selling out the very Iraqi government they created and supported.

Some folks have no morals and no ethics and will do "anything" to come off as a winner. Who is ever going to want to ally with criminals like Bush and Cheney?

Here's the report....