FIRING OFF SOME LOOSE THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR RECENT WILDFIRES

As a resident of Stevenson Ranch (maybe you saw my house on TV lately?), I have now survived our second disastrous wildfire in our adjacent hills in four years. Troubling how many fires broke out at the exact moment we get strong, strong Santa Ana winds over So Cal...I would really like to think these fires were not man-made.

Now that they are over (translation..burned in a direction away from us, here are my loose thoughts on the situations...

Hope you faired as well as myself, and my family.

FEMA so far seems to have learned its lesson, and improved since a change of leadership at the top....they will need to be in top form, as the Daily News is estimating over 650,000 residents have been forced out of their homes during the recent fires.

How can you possibly look at these incredible displays of fires going on, refuse to obey the voluntary evacuations, in order to "save" your house....with a frickin GARDEN HOSE ??

Wake up folks, it's just not that easy...

How to know things are bad...McDonald's closed 16 of their restaurants

How to know things are really bad...Starbucks closed 120 of their locations due to the fires...

I had the water dropping airplanes fly directly over my house for two days (the yellow ones, not the mammoth DC-10's), and no exaggeration..they flew no more than 300 yards above the roof of my home (I live very close to the fires). These pilots are phenomenal......true unsung heroes!

I am not sure how my family can say thank you to our local fire station (just blocks from my home), but we are going to get with the neighbors and figure something out.

We drop off food baskets on holidays, but they need something special this time...

I cannot imagine the helpless feeling San Diegan's are feeling today with their families, knowing they lost all of their worldly possessions.........We need a Clinton / Bush Internet donation program similar to the one they so successfully ran for the tsunami victims years ago...

Things to do......

Check (up my $ coverage) my insurance coverage

Donate $ or goods to San Diego relief funds

Say thank you to our local fire and police departments

Hug my child a little tighter from now on (blog less, love more)

Be thankful

HOLBERT FROM THE BOSTON HERALD: AS GOOD AS IT GETS

See more of his work, and read a damn good newpaper as well...

CLICK HERE

BONFIRES OF THE INSANITY

Let's see.......last weekend a gazillion 18 wheelers come together on the freeway truck lane tunnel just south of my house, causing massive traffic jams (2 hours to get 5 miles).

This weekend, 500 acres of wooded mountain ranges go up in flames (we get these every two years or so) just north of my house, not to mention 95 mile an hour wind gusts...
HOW'S YOUR MONTH BEEN GOIN?

VALUES VOTING POLL SUBSTANTIATES MY EARLIER PREDICTION

My modesty prevents me from taking all of the credit, but while everyone else was touting stuffed shirts like Thompson, Guiliani, Mc Cain, and Romney, THE WORLD ACCORDING TO KIMBA was predicting a surge from Mike Huckabee, who will be the Republican candidate for President.
The values voting poll conducted this weekend indicates my earlier prognostication to be coming to fruition.
While the others self-implode, Huckabee will surge to a win in Iowa, come in second in Nevada to Romney, and run the table the rest of the way....
His VP running mate? Tough call...Huckabee will not do well in New York, or California, which makes Romney and Guiliani the favorites, although a Huckabee / Brownback will pull all of the conservative / Evangelical votes from across the country.

Which of the following candidates for President would you most likely to vote for?
Mitt Romney 1595 27.62%
Mike Huckabee 1565 27.15%
Ron Paul 865 14.98%
Fred Thompson 564 9.77%
Undecided 329 5.70%
Sam Brownback 297 5.14%
Duncan Hunter 140 2.42%
Tom Tancredo 133 2.30%
Rudy Giuliani 107 1.85%
John McCain 81 1.40%
Not Voting 67 1.16%

On site Straw Poll Results
Mike Huckabee 488 51.26%
Mitt Romney 99 10.40%
Fred Thompson 77 8.09%
Tom Tancredo 65 6.83%%
Rudy Giuliani 60 6.30%
Duncan Hunter 54 5.67%
John McCain 30 3.15%
Sam Brownback 26 2.73%
Ron Paul 25 2.63%
Undecided 11 1.16%
Not Voting 7 0.74%

TURKEY JERKY

Today, President Bush urged the Democratic-controlled Congress not to worsen tensions with Turkey by approving a resolution labeling as genocide the World War I-era killing of up to 1.5 million Armenians by Turks during the final years of the crumbling Ottoman Empire (1915). Noting the number of domestic bills pending before Congress, he said, "One thing Congress should not be doing is sorting out the historical record of the Ottoman Empire."
Turkey, which argues the deaths came during civil unrest and not from a planned campaign to eradicate Armenians, is furious over the measure and has threatened repercussions if it is adopted. Turkey is a key route for moving supplies to U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

COINCIDENCE?

Turkish Parliament today authorized the government to carry out a cross-border attack on Kurdish rebels in northern Iraq, approving an offensive that would put Turkey at odds with the U.S. There was no sign of an imminent invasion.

JUST IN CASE YOU DON'T THINK WE HAVE COMPLETELY PISSED OFF ENOUGH COUNTRIES.....

President Bush and the leaders of Congress put aside their differences Wednesday to bestow the nation's highest civilian honor upon the Dalai Lama, calling the exiled Tibetan religious leader a "warrior for peace."Bush also said he had personally spoken with Chinese President Hu Jintao to say he would be attending the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony for the Dalai Lama, and Bush said the Chinese would be better off having diplomatic relations with the Tibetan leader.
"I have consistently told the Chinese that religious freedom is in their nation's interest. I've also told them that I think it's in their interest to meet with the Dalai Lama and will say so at the ceremony today in Congress," Bush said.

China has issued strong words against the United States for giving the Tibetan Buddhist monk such a high honor. The Dalai Lama, exiled from China after his homeland was annexed by China, has fought for political and religious autonomy from the Chinese government.

CHINA AND TURKEY NOT ENOUGH? HOW ABOUT A RUSSIA / IRAN ALLIANCE?

The diplomatic fireworks were few. But the sheer presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Iran Tuesday has hardened both Moscow's and Tehran's strategies of confronting the West, as he reinforced support for the Islamic Republic and its nuclear program (Putin reassured Iran that the Bushehr nuclear reactor, a $1 billion energy project being built by Russia and dogged by delays, would be completed). But he refused to say when Russia might supply the needed nuclear fuel. Mr. Putin told a summit of five Caspian Sea nations, "We should not even think of using force in this region" – a veiled warning to the US not to strike Iran.

OK, lets look on the bright side, we angered China today, we have already angered Russia and Iran, and Speaker Pelosi is now deciding if she has the votes to completely piss off Turkey.......BUT we picked up a strong ally in the Dalai Lama.

NOT A KNEE-JERK REACTION

IS THE PRESIDENCY THE REAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE?

A FULL BIRD ON THE STAND IS BETTER THAN ANYONE NAMED BUSH

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A "catastrophic failure" in the Bush administration's leadership of the Iraq war has mired the United States in a nightmarish conflict with no clear way out, the former top U.S. commander in Iraq said on Friday. The blistering assessment by retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez was one of the harshest yet by a top military leader involved in the war.
"There has been a glaring, unfortunate display of incompetent strategic leadership within our national leaders," Sanchez told a group of military reporters, according to a copy of his remarks. "America continues its desperate struggle in Iraq without any concerted effort to devise a strategy that will achieve 'victory' in that war-torn country or in the greater conflict against extremism," he said.
Without mentioning President George W. Bush by name, he called the president's troop-escalation "surge" strategy a "desperate attempt by an administration that has not accepted the political and economic realities of this war." "There is no question America is living a nightmare with no end in sight," he said.
Sanchez commanded the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq from June 2003 until July 2004 as the anti-U.S. insurgency took hold. He retired in 2006.

COULTER-GEIST

Jewish leaders condemned conservative commentator Ann Coulter on Friday for her comments this week that Jews need to be "perfected," denouncing her remarks as the rationale behind two millenniums of anti-Semitism.The assertion by the controversial pundit that Jews are inferior unless they convert to Christianity alarmed Jewish organizations and put the television networks that give Coulter a platform in an awkward position.
FULL STORY IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES: CLICK HERE

Thus, Coulter's phenomenal success at marketing distasteful, mean-spirited books -- poorly written and spottily researched -- that otherwise would go all but unremarked upon by everyone except the rhetorical ghouls who haunt the political fringes. Now, no Coulter promotional campaign would be complete without a calculated outrage -- a call for the forcible conversion of all Muslims, for example, or a demand for revocation of women's suffrage, an insult hurled at gays or the grieving widows of Sept. 11 victims. As more than one political consultant has remarked, the American far right is a carnivorous constituency, and it needs to be regularly thrown red meat. Coulter's singular genius has been to ignite tightly focused and timely controversies, thereby getting her ideological opponents to toss the scraps to her fans.

Earlier this week, Coulter went on "The Big Idea," a talk show aired on CNBC, the cable channel devoted to business news. Its host, Donny Deutsch, is a preternaturally affable businessman who invites successful people on to talk about how they turn their ideas into money. Coulter was there to describe how she had -- in our vulgar commercial argot --"branded" herself. At one point, Deutsch asked her what an ideal country would be like, and she replied that it would be one in which everyone was "a Christian." Deutsch, who happens to be Jewish, protested that Coulter was advocating his people's elimination. She responded that she simply hoped to see Jews "perfected" through conversion to Christianity.

What can you say about this stupid, hate filled bigoted remark

from someone who represents the Republican party?

TYPICAL

Let's take a look at some of her other remarks...

"I would comment on John Edwards but it turns out you have to go to rehab

for saying the word faggot"

"If we took away the women's right to vote, we would never have to worry about another Democratic president...It underscores how stupidly women vote, at least single women"

"The perfect world would look like New York during the Republican National Convention....

as a matter of fact, I think that is what heaven will look like....."

ITS BEEN UPGRADED TO A "NOBEL" CAUSE

GORE WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Former Vice President Al Gore said Friday he was "deeply honored" to be named a co-winner of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and hoped the award would help raise awareness of man-made climate change as a "planetary emergency."
Gore and the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change won the coveted prize on Friday for spreading awareness of climate change and for helping find ways to combat it.

Kimba: No editorial here. Can't do it. Can't do it to the right who are absolutely on the floor in pain over this. All I can say is it is nice to see Al's genius recognized, and his name now listed amongst his peers.

Menachem Begin

Dalai Lama

Albert Gore

Martin Luther King Jr.

Henry Kissinger

Nelson Mandela

George Marshall

Mother Teresa

Theodore Roosevelt

Albert Schweitzer

Desmond Tutu

Woodrow Wilson
Oh, and by the way, if you would like a glimpse into the conservatives response..click on a fellow blogger site right here.....

THEIR COMEBACK WILL BE THE COUNTRIES COMEBACK AS WELL

According to the latest edition of the Economist,

click here to see the full article....

The September 29th issue of the National Journal, an inside-the-Beltway magazine, contains a striking news item. Hillary Clinton has quietly signed a deal with the University of Illinois to house her presidential library. The university will put up $15m to help finance the construction and operation of the huge building on its Urbana-Champaign campus, close to where Hillary Rodham was born.

This was, of course, a joke—but it contains a serious point. The political establishment is betting heavily that Hillary Clinton will become America's next president. And it has reason. Mrs Clinton is way out in front of the Democratic field. The latest Washington Post/ABC News poll puts her 33 points ahead of Barack Obama and 40 points ahead of John Edwards. She raised $22m in the last quarter—more than Mr Obama at $19m and much more than Mr Edwards at $7m.

And this is odd, since she is one of the most hated figures in American politics. During the 1990s she embodied everything that conservatives hate about female professionals: a bossy harridan who disparaged stay-at-home mothers, tried to reorganise the health-care system that makes up one-seventh of the American economy, and stayed with her tom-catting husband to further her political ambitions.

And yet here she is, with her husband, looking likely to break all sorts of records. If she wins, Mrs Clinton will be the first female president of the United States—a banner headline in itself—and Mr Clinton will be the first male first spouse. She will be the first president married to a former president.

Mrs Clinton is clearly a formidable candidate for the presidency. She has the most powerful name in the business now that the Bush brand is tarnished. She has a smoothly working political machine. She has a wealth of experience in both the legislative and the executive branch. And she exudes competence. All told, she looks likely to translate this into both the Democratic nomination and a victory in November 2008.

IMPUNITY AND IMMUNITY

According to today's Los Angeles Times....

The State Department, which is facing growing criticism of its policy on private security contractors, overlooked repeated warnings from U.S. diplomats in the field that guards were endangering Iraqi civilians and undermining U.S. efforts to win support from the population, according to current and former U.S. officials.Ever since the contractors were granted immunity from Iraqi courts in June 2004 by the U.S.-led occupation authority, diplomats have cautioned that the decision to do so was "a bomb that could go off at any time," said one former U.S. official.

On Friday, in a tacit acknowledgment of the policy's shortcomings, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ordered drastic increases in supervision of the security contractors. Meanwhile, the House, flatly rejecting the current approach, on Thursday approved in a 389-30 vote legislation that would subject contractors to U.S. criminal law.

Athough appreciative of the new Bush administration outlook in regards to private contractors in Iraq, Congressional views of Blackwater and other security contractors are at odds with the descriptions in recent weeks from Rice and other top State Department officials, who have praised the guards as providing effective service under dangerous conditions.

What a shock. The Bush administration trying to put lipstick on what they knew was a pig from the start. Praising Blackwater guards for their effective service when they knew full well of the following incident...... "A Blackwater USA employee under investigation in the killing last December of an Iraqi bodyguard in an off-duty confrontation was so drunk after fleeing the shooting that another group of guards took away the loaded pistol he was fumbling with, a report to a House committee said Monday.

WE REFUSE TO HAVE OUR KIDS "BUSH WACKED"

What do you do when you are being run out of town?

You get in the front and call it a parade.

President Bush, sensing an overwhelming veto override on the SCHIP bill, has now indicated his willingness to compromise in his weekly radio address. "If putting poor children first takes a little more than the 20% increase I have proposed in my budget for SCHIP, I am willing to work with leaders in Congress to find the additional money," he said. Bush has hinted he is open to a compromise but still has not made clear what he is willing to accept. He continued to describe the measure that he vetoed as "deeply flawed," contending that the congressional plan is "an incremental step toward their goal of government-run health care for every American," which he believes is "the wrong direction for our country."

Bush also said that six states project that they will spend more SCHIP money on adults than they do on children in this fiscal year. However, those states got federal permission, in many instances during the time Bush has been in office, to cover adults. The president urged both parties to come together to support a bill "that moves adults off this children's program."

The current law, which remains in effect while the debate about reauthorizing it continues, covers children in families earning up to $40,000 a year, about twice the federal poverty level. But some states received permission to extend eligibility to families with higher incomes, and the bill would authorize states to allow households with an income of about $60,000 a year to enroll their children in SCHIP.

HOW TO KNOW WHEN A DEMOCRAT GOES WRONG

THE U.N. HAS 5 SEATS TO FILL

The United Nations security is composed of 4 permanent members (China, France, Russia, and the U.K.-also known as the "nuclear club"), and 10 nations who are voted in for two year terms, and are not subject to immediate reelection. The Belgium, Indonesia, Italy, South Africa and the Panama will serve until December 31st, 2008, which leaves the UN with the ultimate question of who to replace outgoing countries Qatar, Slovakia, Peru, Ghana and the Congo. Moreover, the U.N. has also been pressured for years to adopt additional permanent members, two of which are India and Japan.

Who cares, you might ask. Remember (present current events aside), the U.N. Security Council is the only body which can grant permission to violate a country's sovereignty against the will of that country. If the council votes to allow an invasion of country X, for whatever reason, there is no recourse, no court of appeals. Country X can do nothing but complain and prepare for the military attack. The council can also authorize other violations of sovereignty short of invasion: sanctions, no-fly zones, inspections, etc. This is an enormous amount of power.

Also keep in mind that just because the council is the only group with the treaty authority to do these things, it doesn't mean individual countries and groups of countries won't also do things like invade or impose sanctions. The recent incursion of Ethiopian troops into Somalia was not authorized by the Security Council. Sanctions on Iraq, the no-fly zones, and the inspection of suspected weapons facilities in Iraq were all blessed by the world through the Security Council. The U.S. invasion of Iraq, however, was not.

The trouble comes when attempting to get the 15 members to agree on any given action is quite difficult. Especially since the five permanent members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States) all have veto authority.

Any one of them can single-handily stop any given action.

And that is the power of being a permanent member.

So reform of the existing council is clearly seen as important to the world and to America. But plans for doing so have come and gone for years. The most realistic ones include expanding the number of total seats, creating some permanent seats without veto power, and imposing various limits on the existing veto. Critics argue that each continent should be represented. Among the countries vehemently campaigning for a spot on the security council are France, Japan, India, Mexico, among others. Next year the security council will include 4 from Europe alone, and Panama will stay another year as its sole Latin country.

Obviously Mexico is almost a shoo-in for a spot (and made a very strong case for election on Wednesday). But who to replace Qatar from the Middle East (Arab League)? Egypt, Brazil, Germany, Vietnam, and the Saudis are all candidates who would achieve a number of votes among the general assembly for admission.

Think the U.N. Security Council is a powerless body? Remember, they were making real progress with their inspections of Iraq (Blix) before we invaded. Hussein was finally cooperating, and the inspection report was no proof of weapons of mass destruction, a finding disputed by the Bush administration, although the test of time has proven Mr. Blix absolutely correct (for the most part). One has to wonder what the course of history would have been if the Bush administration had stayed the course and let the U.N. inspectors complete their assignment.

The results would be one less war, a continuation of our anti-terrorism work in Afghanistan (which was working), and around 4,000 soldiers who would be happily alive today.

ANOTHER SHANGHAI SURPRIZE

The latest piece of crap made in China designed to kill....Cub Scout badges. Somehow those crafty Chinese found a way to put lead based paint on damn near everything they export into our country. They are being recalled, along with toys, etc. that have been found to have lead based paint on them. The joke on them is that technology into paint systems have made water based materials cheaper to manufacture, easier to use, and much, much less toxic. They knew this. They are no fools. They just don't give a shit. Or they know we are fools. Fools willing to buy based on price alone, and are willing to sacrifice quality (and country) in doing so.

Don't be an idiot. Look to see where the products you are buying are made.

And whenever possible, buy American.

The life you save may be your childrens.

2 NON ISSUES FOR THE DAY

Senator Obama quits wearing an American flag lapel pin.

Senator Craig decides not to quit his job,

despite the judge refusing to discount his guilty plea.

BUSH LEAGUE

Today, the President in his typical stunningly ignorant fashion, used only his 3rd veto against a bill which would provide health insurance to 10 million children who could not otherwise afford it. The Bill, known as the SCHIP bill, is for families who make too much money to receive Medicaid, but still cannot afford health insurance. This program would mean a family of 4 earning less than $60,000.00 would qualify.

Despite overwhelming support of both sides of the congressional aisle, the March of Dimes, the American Cancer Society, the American Association of Pediatrics, and a majority of all state Governors, Democrats and Republicans, King George II somehow found his way to veto a very popular (and much needed) bill to help our children. Apparently, this is an extension of his "No Child Left behind" program, which has by the way.

Stating that the SCHIP bill was a first step towards socialized medicine, Bush actually misstates the very nature of the bill. Apparently, "the Decider" would do well to become "the Reader." Participants in the program would be able to pick from different competing private health insurance providers, certainly not anywhere near socialized medicine as being bandied about by the Democrats.

In the past two years alone, one million more children have joined the ranks of the uninsured, up to a present day total of nearly 9 million children, and that does not count the children trying to stay healthy under a dismal Medicaid system for the truly indigent families.

How much would this cost? Seven billion a year for the next 5 years. A pittance compared to the money he is squandering in Iraq. Hell, I bet they have lost that much in money Iraq through poor accounting and leadership, not to mention how much we have been over billed for in Iraq by his "no bid" buddies.

Veto one was for stem cell research (which promises to save lives through medical research), and veto two was against a timetable for withdrawal of troops in Iraq (which would save lives), and now veto three is against a children's health care insurance program, which (again) would potential save lives.

It seems our leader, our "decider" can't pony up any funds when it comes to saving lives....maybe we should have told him it was money allocated towards the elimination of children, something he could get up for.

Mr. President, on October 18th, you are going to be bitch slapped with a veto override from both sides of the aisle. You are about to find out that even the mindless sheep of the conservative party can't stomach this outrage. On October 18th, you are going to see just how many friends you have in Washington. You lost the American people along time ago. Now you are going to see how many members of your party you have lost.

If only we could pass a Hate Crimes Bill so we could charge you under it. You have obviously started waging a war against your own people, sir. You are waging a war against our countries children, an action all the spin doctors in the world cannot justify.

And that is the world...according to Kimba

Thanks for reading

THE DECIDER

DECLARE WAR ON IRAN? FOX NEWS HAS ALREADY STARTED

A BILL OF (VERY) PARTICULARS

Ever wonder what gets attached to a bill in Congress?

Here is what is (so far) attached to H.R. 1585, the

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008.

An Amendment authorizes free mailing privileges for family members of servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

An Amendment sought to prohibit funds authorized in the bill from being obligated or expended to plan a contingency operation in Iran.

An Amendment sought to add language to clarify that no previous authorization constitutes an authorization to use force against Iran; and make certain that no funds would be used to take military action against Iran in the absence of specific congressional authority or a direct attack.

An Amendment, as modified, requires the Department of Defense to transport the remains of service members by air to the military or civilian airport nearest to the place selected by the family.

An amendment sought to reduce Missile Defense Agency funding by $1.084 billion.
An amendment sought to increase funding for ballistic missile defense by $764 million.

An amendment to clarify that nothing in this legislation would prevent the United States' missile defense capabilities from being placed on operational alert to respond to an immediate, threat posed by ballistic missiles.

Amendment sought to add language to clarify that the prohibition on establishing permanent military bases in Iraq will not prevent the United States and Iraq from entering into military basing rights agreements for the establishment of temporary bases in Iraq.

Amendment requires the Secretary of Defense to submit to the congressional defense committees a report that contains a plan for the transfer of each individual presently detained at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, under the control of the Joint Task Force Guantanamo, who is or has ever been classified as an "enemy combatant".

Amendment sought to require the video recording of interrogations and other pertinent interactions between U.S. military personnel, or contractors, and detainees arrested and held.

To restore habeas corpus for those detained by the United States.

To limit the length of deployment of members of the Armed Forced for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

To strike section 1023, relating to the granting of civil rights to terror suspects.

To provide for a reduction and transition of United States forces in Iraq.

To express the sense of the Senate that it is in the national security interest of the United States that Iraq not become a failed state and a safe haven for terrorists.

To require a report on the planning and implementation of the policy of the United States toward Darfur.

AND numerous place holders for Senators to come back and add amendments to the bill.

Mind numbing isn't it?

No wonder each Senator has a staff to actually read these things.

WAR SPENDING? LET'S PLAY HARDBALL

King George is asking for more billions (230 at last estimate) to continue the war in Iraq. And, although the liberals are being admonished by their constituents to deny the money, insiders know the painful truth...if we do, the President will not bring our troops home, he will continue what he did at first, namely fight the war on the cheap. Not enough Kevlar vests, practically open air Humvee offering no protection...well, against anything, etc.

So, what do we do? Vote against it and be called traitors or enemies of the troops, or pass it, and suffer increasingly plummeting poll numbers from our voting base? Clearly, we have to give the $$$. We cannot turn our backs on the unfortunates over in the Middle east fighting this war. To do otherwise would further jeopardize the troops (whether "phony" or not, as Rush "Vicodin" Gasbag has clearly identified them).

So, we vote for the bill, BUT NOT UNTIL WE ATTACH WHAT WE WANT. Hate crimes legislation, increases in the minimum wage, recension to the rich mans tax cut, etc. We get what we want, or you can shove your war spending act up your filibuster. Go ahead and veto it, smart guy. Spin it anyway you would like.

Yes, I have heard the criticism of the Hate Crimes Bill...you cannot change the penalties for what people think, it is the thought police, Orwellian nightmare, etc. I have even heard the actual hate crimes are all trumped up to make it look like there is a problem that just plain old does not exist (I love that one). But can you look at these instances and tell me an extra penalty shouldn't be levied against the people who committed these crimes (there are many, many more, folks)?

On October 6, 1998, 21-year-old college student Matthew Shepard was tied to a fence in Laramie, Wyoming, pistol-whipped, then left for dead in the freezing night. He died six days later.

Born Teena Brandon and raised as a girl, he was living as a man known as Brandon Teena in Falls City, Nebraska, when he was murdered at age 21. In December of 1993, two men who discovered his gender raped him. His attackers later shot and killed him after learning Brandon had reported the rape and was to help police in the investigation.

On September 22, 2000, a man looking to "waste some faggots" entered a gay bar in Roanoke, Virginia and opened fire, killing Danny Overstreet, and injuring 6 others.

On the fourth of July, 2000, JR Warren, 26, who was black and gay, was beaten to death by three men in West Virginia, then run over by a car to make it look like a hit and run

Pfc. Barry Winchell, 21, was beaten to death by fellow service members while sleeping in his cot on July 5, 1999 at Fort Campbell, Ky. His Army colleagues thought (correctly) that he was gay, so they killed him.

Billy Jack Gaither, 39, of Sylacauga, Alabama was bludgeoned to death by two men on Feb. 19, 1999, then set on fire with automobile tires because he was gay.

On May 8, 1995, Bill Clayton, 17, committed suicide after having been brutally assaulted for being bisexual.

On August 7, 1995, Tyra Hunter died after DC fire department emergency medical technicians called her epithets, backed away, and refused to render treatment on discovering that she was a transgendered woman.

Yes, things have gotten better. Social acceptance is evolving. But, as long as there is one instance of a bigoted, depraved hate crime killer out there, then this legislation if necessary. Will it be used often? Probably not. Will it deter crimes of this nature? Probably not, these people do not care about anything but their own hate. But we need to lock these people up for life when proven in a court of law. When the motive is hate, then extra penalties must be judiciously applied. And all of our citizens must be protected. I leave you with some quotes from a woman who knows the environment, and realities of being a minority in this culture and suffering for it.....

Make Room At The Table for Lesbian and Gay People
Coretta Scott King, speaking four days before the 30th anniversary of her husband's assassination, said Tuesday the civil rights leader's memory demanded a strong stand for gay and lesbian rights. "I still hear people say that I should not be talking about the rights of lesbian and gay people and I should stick to the issue of racial justice," she said. "But I hasten to remind them that Martin Luther King Jr. said, 'Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'" "I appeal to everyone who believes in Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream to make room at the table of brother- and sisterhood for lesbian and gay people," she said.

Homophobia is Like Racism and Anti-Semitism
Coretta Scott King, the wife of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called on the civil rights community to join in the struggle against homophobia and anti-gay bias. "Homophobia is like racism and anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry in that it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity and person hood," King stated. "This sets the stage for further repression and violence that spread all too easily to victimize the next minority group."

"Freedom from discrimination based on sexual orientation is surely a fundamental human right in any great democracy, as much as freedom from racial, religious, gender, or ethnic discrimination." - Coretta Scott King

OBAMA LINES IT OUT FOR US

OBAMA-ble has done it again folks. Runnin' his mouth off and stepping in it. Obama, an admitted former cocaine user himself in his published books is recommending a change in the criminal sentences in regards to crack and powdered cocaine.

"If you're convicted of a crime involving drugs, of course you should be punished," Obama said at Howard University's opening convocation. "But let's not make the punishment for crack cocaine that much more severe than the punishment for powder cocaine when the real difference is where the people are using them or who is using them."

Well, let see...does he want to increase the penalty for powdered cocaine, the white man's choice of the drug, or does he want to decrease the penalties on crack cocaine, the economical choice of his own people? Hint: He was speaking at Howard University.

Folks, I know the judicial inequities in the law, and how it is racially slanted towards the whites. I also know we continue to live in an unfortunately biased and bigoted world.

But, why even bring this up except to pander to get minority votes? For a man still wet behind the senatorial ears, he is learning fast, isn't he? Of course, he is being programmed by the best money can buy, and he has plenty of that. On call to Oprah, and he is bathing in money. One estimate is he has received donations from 75,000 donors in the past 3 months, out shadowing all candidates on either side.

Trouble is, if this man gets elected, he will be the most inexperienced president ever, in arguably the most difficult time to run this country ever. I hate to say it, but this man has all the potential to be a black Jimmy Carter style President. Woefully inexperienced and lacking the political savvy to run a country, let alone deal with a critical time in foreign relations, he could spell disaster.

Eight years of stupidity and four years of inexperience could definitely set us on an irreversible course. Elected out of spite amid glaring differences with the previous administration, they will settle for the worst option we have, a romantic, racially progressive choice, yes. But if you are looking for romance, vote for Bush again. He's been screwing you for seven years now.

Wise up America....this is no time for rookies.

This job is not posted as "President wanted...no experience necessary."

HUCKABEE FINDING HIS STRIDE-TELLS IT LIKE IT IS

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee leveled some of the harshest criticisms of the Bush administration’s foreign policy yet from the GOP presidential field, saying it has mismanaged relations with Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Huckabee said the U.S. is ignoring options besides armed conflict with Iran, has trusted the Saudis too much and has allowed Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to go back on his commitment to allow American forces to root out terrorism within his borders.

“Just like Musharraf, since 9/11, the Bush administration has played both ends and the middle, assuring the American people that it’s doing everything it can to protect them, while tiptoeing around our supposed ally,” Huckabee said. “It’s been afraid of upsetting the apple cart, even though the cart contains poisoned apples destined for export to the United States.”

Huckabee said the United States (BUSH) has trusted the Saudis and made them rich, only to see the funds used as “seed money for terrorism,” and that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan will ultimately back whoever can win.

He said the U.S. is headed down one track with Iran and ignoring options besides war — a result he said would greatly please Osama bin Laden.

ANOTHER ATTEMPT FROM THE RIGHT TO ALIANATE THE LEFT

Stolen cartoon from a friendly adversaries blog.

Just another stupid attempt from the right to make the left look like traitors, like enablers of dictators, like the best friends of all terrorists. They said Iran's number 2 man (pictured above), could / should run for the Democratic ticket. Now they are saying we are in bed together.

Nice try. We are going to miss you.

HOW ABOUT ANOTHER LEGISLATIVE ACTION, NOW?

Quoted from the latest edition of The American Conservative.......

"David Petraeus is a political general. Yet in presenting his recent assessment of the Iraq War and in describing the “way forward,” Petraeus demonstrated that he is a political general of the worst kind—one who indulges in the politics of accommodation that is Washington’s bread and butter......."
"Critics have questioned the data that Petraeus offered to substantiate his case. They charge him with relying on dubious statistics, with ignoring facts that he finds inconvenient, and with discovering trends where none exist. They question whether to credit the much-touted progress in Anbar province to American shrewdness or to the vagaries of Iraqi sectarian and tribal politics. They cite the pathetic performance of the corrupt and dysfunctional Iraqi government. They note the disparity between the Petraeus assessment and those offered by the intelligence community, by the Government Accountability Office, and by congressionally appointed blue-ribbon commissions. They point out that other highly qualified and well-informed senior military officers—notably, Gen. George Casey, the army chief of staff, and Adm. William Fallon, commander of United States Central Command—have publicly expressed views notably at odds with those of General Petraeus.

The critics make a good case."

Now do not get me wrong, or good Lord forbid, take these excerpts as the general thesis behind the article. The article (available on line) , or on your newstand, is devoted to the thesis that if the general truly believes he has put the U.S. on the right course (or "roadmap", as they so eliquently have put it), then it makes absolutely no sense to draw back military forces, yet any reasonable person would conclude that the General should have declared the progress, and taken advantage of the situation, the willingness of the administration to comply, and the impending doomed political climate for the copnservatives, and request, nay, demand more troops to finish what he has so successfully started. Although on the subject of Iraq I have flip-flopped more than the best of the presidential hopefuls (seeing the futilityand the wrongful way we were duped into going into this mess vs. our ultinmate responsibility now to the Iraqi people), I will return the favor to this thoughful, albeit politically and diametrically opposing publication to me...

The author makes a good case.

So do I...Congress must vote to declare this article a disgrace, and as unamerican much in the same way it responded to the ad by Move On.org (another organization I do not wholeheartedly agree with either), or be shown as the weak kneed hypocrites they will have proven themselves to be. Fair is fair.

ONE LAPTOP PER CHILD--A GREAT IDEA

Our mission is to provide a means for learning, self-expression and exploration to the nearly two billion children of the developing world with little or no access to education. While children are by nature eager for knowledge, many countries have insufficient resources to devote to education—sometimes less than $20 a year per child. Imagine the potential that could be unlocked by giving every child in the world the tools they need to learn, no matter who they are, no matter where they live, no matter how little they may have.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS....FOR $400.00 YOU GET ONE, AND A NEEDY CHILD GETS ONE.

HERE'S THE LINKAGE.

OF COURSE SHE ISN'T....SHE'S HAPPILY MARRIED

On newstands now.....The Advocate, the only magazine with the balls enough to get in Senator Clinton's pie hole and ask her what some people have privately questioned for some time now...

"Senator, are you a lesbian?" And here is her reply...

“People say a lot of things about me, so I really don’t pay any attention to it,” Hillary tells him blithely. “It’s not true, but it is something that I have no control over. People will say what they want to say.”

Although a stong critic of gay marriage, her responses to questions such as these lead gay voters to believe deep down inside she may think otherwise.

COOKING THE BOOKS, OR STIRRING UP THE POT OF PUBLIC DEBATE?

By now, you probably have seen, or at least heard of this advertisement by the liberal group Move On.org. The President saw it, and called it yellow and cowardly, and used the opportunity to call the left his usual bowl full of shit...the latest version of "you are either with ME or against me", or "you are the terrorists best friend", "you are against the troops" or "Al Quida votes Democratic."

He even went so far as to have the conservative sheep of congress draft a meaningless, time consuming piece of fluff in order to condemn Move On.org. Give them credit, they even got 22 liberals to vote for it.

The question bares repeating...did the General betray us? I say NO. Just because he gave up his military command just long enough to be the President's PR man in congress? NO. He didn't betray us by mis-communicating the amount of casualties in Iraq, he didn't betray us by trying to sell the American people on the mistaken notion that the surge is working all over Iraq; he betrayed his soldiers. He betrayed himself. Because by allowing himself to be the Presidents lap dog, he crossed the line between being military and being political; something his predecessors never would.

Can you imagine Patton, Eisenhower, et al being used as a propaganda tool? Hell no. They would rather quit the military than appear weak. The truth? The Pentagon has come up with fuzzy statistics to attempt to justify troop surge, and paint a rosy picture in Iraq. The truth is, the daily number of civilian deaths is almost twice the average pace from last year. The truth is, the good and brave General is known for misstating the truth...such as when he said just before the 2004 election, "The Iraqi leaders are stepping forward," "Iraqi security elements are being rebuilt" or when he said in 2005, "Enormous progress is being made with the Iraqi security forces." The only thing I have heard the good General say which even remotely resembles the truth is when he stated recently

"The U.S. will be in Iraq in some way for the next 9 or 10 years."

LIKE IT..... OR NOT, BELIEVE IT ....OR NOT, AGREE WITH IT .....OR NOT,

FREEDOM OF OPINION AND THE PRESS STILL FLORISHES IN THIS COUNTRY.

AND THERE ISN'T A DAMN THING KING GEORGE II CAN DO ABOUT IT.

I BET THAT'S ENOUGH TO KEEP HIM UP NIGHTS.

GREENSPAN DEVALUES HIS OWN GOP PRESIDENTS

On last nights 60 Minutes episode, there was an interview by Leslie Stahl of the ex-Federal Reserve Board head / Economics guru and stout supporter of the GOP, Alan Greenspan; a person who holds the unique position of having the inside knowledge to adequately and fairly efvaluating the past Presidents he had worked extremely closely with, and here is the scorecard....

Nixon: "A very profane man"...held many bigoted views towards Jews, Italians, etc.

Ford: "not the smartest, but a very normal, ethical man"

Reagan: "possessed an odd form of intelligence"

King George I: utilized improper attempts at publically pressuring specific actions by the Fed

King George II: "never specifically endorsed the tax cuts""used massive overspending eliminating vast surplusses" Cheney stated "surpluses don't matter"

Bill Clinton: "highly intelligent" "an extraordinarily effective President"

Hillary Clinton: "very smart" "unquestionably capable of assuming the role of President"

The official conservative response to the Greenspan interview should be forthcoming, although they will struggle, as their usual tactic of criticizing the interviewee and throwing them under the bus will be extremely difficult as Greenspan was the GOP darling, thus his continued employment under 5 Republican Presidents.

Guess they will just have to read it, and let the truth sink in.

I suppose they will be calling their travel agents for a lengthy (and typical) trip to "DeNile."

And that is "The World According to Kimba"

Thanks for reading

SMELL THE COFFEE, JOHN

AM I IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE?

What do you do when you realize that combat unit terms are about to espire in April, you have no combat units to replace them, and deploying additional reservists would threaten national security?

You go in front of the American people, insult their intelligence and try to snowball them into thinking that they will be going home in July...first, because it is my (Bush's) idea, and

THE REDUCTION IS BASED SOLELY on the "recent success acheived in Iraq."

Then you have Gates leak to the media that not only will we be at pre-surge levels by July next year, but we could go from 169,000 troops down to 69,000 by the end of next year.

As if this wasn't enough, you then include in your speech exaggerations on how many countries are in Iraq helping us, and distort many other facts and current conditions there in order to paint a rosier picture, despite two of your Generals appearing in front of congress denying almost everything you claim.

IN THE ABSENCE OF TRUE LEADERSHIP, PEOPLE WILL LISTEN TO DAMN NEAR ANYBODY

And this article in pravda english proves my point......

http://english.pravda.ru/world/americas/11-09-2007/96976-bush_terror_act-0

A former Reagan official has issued a public warning that the Bush administration is preparing to orchestrate a staged terrorist attack in the United States, transform the country into a dictatorship and launch a war with Iran within a year.

Paul Craig Roberts, a former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, blasted Thursday a new Executive Order, released July 17, allowing the White House to seize the assets of anyone who interferes with its Iraq policies and giving the government expanded police powers to exercise control in the country. Roberts, who spoke on the Thom Hartmann radio program, said: "When Bush exercises this authority [under the new Executive Order], there's no check to it. So it really is a form of total, absolute, one-man rule."
"The American people don't really understand the danger that they face," Roberts said, adding that the so-called neoconservatives intended to use a renewal of the fight against terrorism to rally the American people around the fading Republican Party. Old-line Republicans like Roberts have become increasingly disenchanted with the neoconservative politics of the Bush administration, which they see as a betrayal of fundamental conservative values.

The administration figures themselves and prominent Republican propagandists ... are preparing us for another 9/11 event or series of events," he said. "You have to count on the fact that if al Qaeda is not going to do it, it is going to be orchestrated." Roberts suggested that in the absence of a massive popular outcry, only the federal bureaucracy and perhaps the military could put constraints on Bush's current drive for a fully-fledged dictatorship. "They may have had enough. They may not go along with it," he said. The radio interview was a follow-up to Robert's latest column, in which he warned that "unless Congress immediately impeaches Bush and Cheney, a year from now the U.S. could be a dictatorial police state at war with Iran." Roberts, who has been dubbed the "Father of Reaganomics" and has recently gained popularity for his strong opposition to the Bush administration and the Iraq War.

PLEASE REMEMBER

"Never forget" was the call to arms.But many of us have.

Patriot Day, I love the concept.

Yes, Oprah and the news media remembered,

but for the most part, it was just another day.

No flags, no t-shirts, no water cooler conversations at work, nothing.

They forgot.

As I began to poll the crowd today,

I realized that almost everyone forgot.

"Do you know what today is?"

Ahhh, a Jewish holiday?

Close, but no.

I haven't forgotten.

I remember the day like it was yesterday.

The TV was on the news like always for my customers,

and the coffee pot was on.

We stood frozen when the first plane hit.

We stood shocked in disbelief when the second one hit.

This was no accident...we are at war.

God love them,

many of my customers hung out with us watching TV all morning.

I sent someone out for continental breakfast on me that morning.

And the conversations were lively; about all world events,

not just 911, but mostly on the WTC.

They promised they would never forget,

but I am sad to say they have.

I remember.

My flag is flying on my house (the only one out on my block),

and the horrible memories washed over me all day today.

I guess it is only human

to want to block out the memories of that day,

but I can't (and we shouldn't).

Just as the Jews must answer the call to arms to remember the Holocaust,

our responsibility as Americans is to remember this day...

And never, ever forget.

Need a reminder?

Visit my friends blog for a remarkable account from a survivor.

He hasn't forgotten, and I hope you remember 9/11 as well.

You can find it here.

If you are like me,

the survivors account will send chills down your spine,

and waves of partiotism (back?) into your heart.

God bless you, and God bless America.

And that is the (liberal) "World According to Kimba."

But no matter which side of the aisle your beliefs lie,

we can all join together in our rememberances,

and a shared grief for the lives that were lost by a cowardly enemy.

An enemy that better know, this country will never, ever forget.

"SOMETIMES THE TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION"

DEAD CERTAIN BY ROBERT DRAPER

Two compelling quotes from a runaway best seller on bookshelves now....

"I made the decision to lead. And therefore there will be times when you make the decision-one, it makes you unpopular; two, it makes people accuse you of unilateral arrogance, and it may be true"

"I've got God's shoulder to cry on. And I cry a lot. I do a lot of crying in this job. I bet I have shed more tears than you can count as President. I'll shed some more tomorrow."

So will we Mr. President....so will we.

Dead Certain, by Robert Draper

How one man's arrogance and errors in judgement have permanently, and negatively

changed the greatest and most powerful nation on earth.

Of this, we can all be "Dead Certain."

And that is "The World According to Kimba."

Thanks for reading.

FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH

In my humble opinion, these are the best snacking chips on the market today. The mango chips are crispy and chocked full of flavor. They say they are healthy but you really wouldn't know it to taste them.

You would be a bona fide two-faced hypocritical right wing moron not to try these today. See the website and get a dollar off coupon. From us left wing commie pinkos to a store near you. Just a tip to all of you right wingers...they are loaded with fiber to cure the obvious blockages you have developed which prevent you from ridding your systems of the built up crap that plagues you. Papa...buy two bags, please!!!

STARBUCKS: OPPRESSOR OF THE COMMON MAN WITH A DREAM

MY NAME IS KIMBA AND I HAVE APPROVED THIS AD

BEFORE YOU ENTER THIS........
REMEMBER THIS.
Family values?
Corruption, prostitution and lude and lascivious conduct.
Do you really want to vote for the party of Craig, Stevens and Vidder?
If you do, don't forget to flush.

Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) continues to maintain his position on the Appropriations Committee, and has avoided a Senate investigation, despite being the subject of a major criminal investigation, including an FBI raid on his Alaska home. Second, Senator David Vitter (R-LA), who has not been charged, has admitted to the crime of soliciting for prostitution. Senator Vitter remains not only unscathed by his actions, but was greeted with a standing ovation at a Republican conference luncheon shortly after his scandal hit the airwaves.
Both Senators Stevens and Vitter have committed crimes that reflect poorly upon the Senate and should be subject to the same scrutiny as Sen. Craig.