mousemusings...multimedia, music, progressive politics, video, web design and general rants
Human beings will be happier - not when they cure cancer or get to Mars or eliminate racial prejudice or flush Lake Erie but when they find ways to inhabit primitive communities again. That's my utopia.
~Kurt Vonnegut
Friday, January 31, 2003

US is misquoting my Iraq report,

says Blix
"Dr Blix took issue with what he said were US Secretary of State Colin Powell's claims that the inspectors had found that Iraqi officials were hiding and moving illicit materials within and outside of Iraq to prevent their discovery. He said that the inspectors had reported no such incidents."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


'Guru of Ganja'

Found Guilty of Marijuana Cultivation
"The verdicts were a victory in the federal government's battle against California's 1996 voter-approved medical marijuana law. Rosenthal's arrest last year was among a string of Drug Enforcement Administration raids on medical marijuana suppliers in California.

Under strict orders from U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, Rosenthal was never able to tell the jury that he was growing marijuana as "an officer" for the city of Oakland's medical marijuana program."
More here: Rosenthal's Federal Drug Trial Turns Surreal
''This is the federal government at war with its own citizens and I like to think that years from now we will look back on this as a dark chapter in our nation's history,'' said California State Assemblymember Mark Leno. ''The thought of a man like Ed Rosenthal being threatened with twenty years of imprisonment is an outrage. The man is not a criminal.''
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The growing controversy over food irradiation

ENN News Story
"Scientists also have identified a new class of chemicals, called cyclobutanones, which only occur in irradiated foods. A German study suggests these compounds could accelerate the growth of cancer in humans. While Public Citizen believes the study has merit, other scientists -- including FDA investigators -- have not been able to replicate the results."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


CPAC

What? No Clear Channel??
It sure appears that a lot of media is represented here.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC)

TIA by a new name
"It's potentially a huge repository of information concerning American citizens," David Sobel, general counsel of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said of the TTIC. "There's nothing in what has been made publicly available that would contain a limitation on such collection. To what extent, if any, will this system collect and maintain information on U.S. citizens?"
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Dad of 4, 1,249 other drug prisoners see freedom

repeal of sentencing law will save Michigan $41M
"The law was a joke. It never detered drug trafficking, not in here. You can get any kind of drug in prison. If they can't control it in here then they can't do it on the outside," he said.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Anti-war poets force scrapping of White House symposium

The White House yesterday confirmed that it had cancelled a poetry symposium after a number of American poets threatened to turn the event into an anti-war protest. see
Poets Against War
Sigh....I suppose that even 'The Butter Battle Book' wouldn't pass muster.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Rice Protest

This has come to me via several avenues this morning. I hope it goes far and wide. Mine is on the way.
Update:A new updated web page version of the Rice Protest. Note that regular envelopes don't work well and padded envelopes or boxes are imperative. We don't want to cause any undue problems for postal workers or equipment.

There is a grassroots campaign underway to protest war in Iraq in a simple, but potentially powerful way.

Place 1/2 cup uncooked rice in a small plastic bag (a snack-size bag or sandwich bag work fine). Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Wrap it in a piece of paper on which you have written,

"If your enemies are hungry, feed them. -Romans 12:20.
Please send this rice to the people of Iraq; do not attack them."

Place the paper and bag of rice in an envelope (either a letter-sized or padded mailing envelope--both are the same cost to mail) and address them to:

President George Bush
White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20500

Attach $1.06 in postage. (Three 37-cent stamps equal $1.11.) [NOTE: MY 1/2 CUP RICE COST 4 OZ WORTH OF POSTAGE. NOT THREE.]

Drop this in the mail. It is important to act NOW so that President Bush gets the letters ASAP.

In order for this protest to be effective, there must be hundreds of thousands of such rice deliveries to the White House. We can do this if you each forward this message to your friends and family.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Only The Public Can Stop The White House Warriors

American public opinion seems to be the only force strong enough to stop the war machine and the only person listening in the Bush administration appears to be White House political strategist Karl Rove.
" The coming U.S. invasion of Iraq was not prompted by the events of Sept. 11. It is a 5-year-old plan, conceived by a cabal of officials running defense and security in the White House today, when they were out of power during the Clinton administration. "
"Calling themselves the "Project for the New American Century" (PNAC), the group drew up the plans for a second Iraq war."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Thursday, January 30, 2003

Fear In The Heart

My friend Mickey wrote this song because he had to. He said, "I wish we didn't
need songs like these...I'd rather sing about a loving, peaceful world."

Fear In The Heart
2003 Michael J. Richard
verse
All this talk of war by the 'president'.
He must not have love in his heart.
And talk of terror by the White House resident.
He must have fear in his heart.


chorus
Fear in the heart, disease of the soul.
It tears down anything that grows.
Fear in the heart, gone out of control.
Cuts off life's blood flow.
Cuts off life's blood flow.


instrumental
verse
All this talk of weapons, of mass destruction.
When will we get rid of ours?
And the talk that threatens, never does mention.
It's all about oil for our cars.


chorus
Fear in the heart, disease of the soul.
It tears down anything that grows.
Fear in the heart, gone out of control.
Cuts off life's blood flow.
Cuts off life's blood flow.


verse
How can it be justice, without evidence?
Aren't we just shooting in the dark?
I hope the rest of us, receive providence,
Hope it brings love to our hearts.


chorus
Fear in the heart, disease of the soul.
It tears down anything that grows.
Fear in the heart, gone out of control.
Cuts off life's blood flow.
Cuts off life's blood flow.


If we didn't have songs like these, I wonder if the human race would have survived as long as it has. I think it's been a sanity cry for as long as we've existed.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


US senators question Iraq evidence

At least they're thinking
"influential senators have asked for Secretary of State Colin Powell himself to appear before Congress before he reports to the United Nations on 5 February to explain what new evidence there is to link Saddam Hussein with terrorism.
Others expressed scepticism that Iraq presented a imminent danger that justified war, at least while the inspectors were present."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


edge of a humanitarian disaster

Iraq is on the brink of war and, as a result, teetering on the edge of a humanitarian disaster
Child mortality rates have rocketed since the United Nations imposed sanctions in 1990. Up to 16 million people - more than two thirds of the population - already rely on a fragile system of food aid for their survival.

What are we planning to do about this? Australia and the United States are gearing up for war.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Bush visits Grand Rapids to discuss health care

Reception chilling
"For the traditional journey outside Washington the morning after the State of the Union address, Bush chose the most conservative corner of political battleground Michigan, a state he lost in 2000.
Hundreds of demonstrators lined the street outside and chanted anti-war slogans. A smaller cluster stood on a nearby corner to show support. "Let's Roll -- never forget 9/11," one sign said."
Meanwhile...across town: For the first time in its history, Senior Meals on Wheels is cutting back services and placing new clients on a waiting list for home-delivered meals.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Paragraph Four: SOTU

"During the last two years we have seen what can be accomplished when we work together."
this link only lists first -year accomplishments..
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Wednesday, January 29, 2003

SOTU Pep Rally

I was never big on high school pep rallys, designed to get people riled up for the big game, always big talk, most of it useless and unfounded, with promises of candy for everyone once the game is played. If I recall correctly, even the big jocks came down from the fervor after a good night's sleep. Of course, it helped to have a teacher in the background reminding everyone that the term paper was due next week. Thankfully for us, the big game has no date yet. The teachers need to make themselves visible.
As it stands, we only see a psychotic principal in the only visible leadership position and a few kids on the sidelines, the kids with the history books, shaking their heads in sadness, waiting for everyone to sleep on it. A few of the jocks do recognize the pep rally for what it is, yet they can't help but get caught up in the madness and excitement of it all. They are the ones who value good sportmanship and remember not to wear the jock straps too tight.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Kurt Vonnegut vs. the !&#*!@

In Fine Form at 80
Joel Bleifuss asks:
My feeling from talking to readers and friends is that many people are beginning to despair. Do you think that we've lost reason to hope?
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Mary Jane for Pain

Pot project pulled
a middle school principal has refused to let a student display her project on the possible medical benefits of pot.
"I guess I've learned not only about medical pot, but how people will try to control what you say,'' Veronica said. "Now I'm even more determined to say what I have to say.'"
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Tuesday, January 28, 2003

America's Weapons of Mass Asphyxiation

Must we trek Into the Lake of Fire?
Please take some time and visit Mike Golby's disturbing finds, a compelling argument against an unnecessary war, complete with images that will smother your being.
For so many, the allure of our military toys are a validation of power, a testimony to glorious tax dollars spent in pursuit of safety, domination, and triumph.
The realities of war are horrid. A simple bulldozer becomes an Armored Combat Earth Mover. ..for burying bodies.. the 'armored burial brigade'.
We are all aware of the 'clean surgical strikes' that so dominated the previous Gulf War. What we were not aware of were the gruesome images of bodies buried alive, scooped up by the glorious Earth Movers and deposited seamlessly. leaving no trace of bodies or the smell of death.
Mike will lead you to What Bodies? written by Patrick J. Sloyan which exposes what mass media missed, or was steered away from, in 1991.
A vivid pictorial of war torn countries and inhumane acts need to be exposed. I think it is an extremely valid argument against war. A young child, seeing this, would not be expected to grow up bitter compelled to retaliate, and filled with hatred for the country that did this?


posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Gen. Schwarzkopf Is Skeptical About U.S. Action in Iraq

Just in case you have yet to see this: Schwarzkopf wants to give peace a chance.
"Candidly, I have gotten somewhat nervous at some of the pronouncements Rumsfeld has made," says Schwarzkopf.

He contrasts Cheney's low profile as defense secretary during the Gulf War with Rumsfeld's frequent television appearances since Sept. 11, 2001. "He almost sometimes seems to be enjoying it." That, Schwarzkopf admonishes, is a sensation to be avoided when engaged in war.
"It's scary, okay?" he says. "Let's face it: There are guys at the Pentagon who have been involved in operational planning for their entire lives, okay? . . . And for this wisdom, acquired during many operations, wars, schools, for that just to be ignored, and in its place have somebody who doesn't have any of that training, is of concern."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Rubber Soul Newsletter 1/28/2003


New! Rubber Soul Newsletter 1/28/2003
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The ReachM High Cowboy Network Noose

Cowboy Kahlil is thinkin' with his keyboard. He has a knack for lassoing thoughts in mid-air and pounding them into jerky for the mind. Saddle-up and visit his ranch.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Detroit News Poll

When do you think the U.S. should attack Iraq?
Of course they aren't scientific, but, because I have never been polled by a "real poll", I guess it feels better to voice something.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Monday, January 27, 2003

Archive

. Dark Side of Rev. Moon
When I was a young runaway, I spent a short time with the Moonies. Repressive. Terrifying. Moon's influence over American policy is possibly more terrifying than we realize.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Friday, January 24, 2003

Pentagon eyes mass graves

Pentagon eyes mass graves
"The bulldozers were all lined up and ready to go," to deposit contaminated bodies in "mass graves," Pagonis said.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


REPEAL AUTHORIZATION OF FORCE

Lisa English of RuminateThis has pointed me to Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's (D-TX) office.
"Congresswoman Jackson Lee's legislation, H. Con. Res.2, seeks to repeal Public Law 107-243 in order to ensure that Congress is afforded the opportunity to re-examine the threat posed by Iraq, which would include taking the time to review fully and accurately the findings of the international weapons inspectors prior to the engagement of military forces. Passage of H. Con. Res. 2 would also provide Congress the time to consider any exit strategy that must be developed prior to deploying troops, as well as the serious domestic impact that a possible war with Iraq would involve."
"Making a truly informed decision with respect to the threats we may face today demands that we reconsider the decision we made months ago when our world was a different place," said Congresswoman Jackson Lee.

Lisa always finds something to give me a little hope. This, of course, would be the ideal resolution, but is it going anywhere? We've given away so much power...
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


A Warrior Against War

"This is an incredibly 'take the ground from under me' article. I've held out hope that somehow, somewhere, there was something to prevent the
power display of stupidity and tyranny. If we don't have hope we have nothing. I have nothing.

A Must Read
"When war gets as close as this one is, I don't go looking for a dove.

Ramsey Clark, the Rev. Daniel Berrigan, the Quakers and college professors and European diplomats - I already know where they all stand. I want to do my war talking with a warrior.

A real American military man who fought for his country time and again, a soldier who stood in harm's way as the bullets and bombs flew in, as wars of grave national interest were lost and won.

Get me Hack."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The Guilt-Free Soldier

Are we ready for the infamous Nuremberg plea -"I was just following orders" - to be made easier with pharmaceuticals? Though the research so far has been limited to animals and the most preliminary of human trials, the question is worth debating now.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Thursday, January 23, 2003

Easy Come, Easy Go for Gay-Hating Appointee

dont come back now, hear?
via morons.org
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Low Carb munchies

Sheila Lennon has compiled a list of
Low Carb Super Bowl munchies!
Yum! I won't watch the Super Bowl but maybe I'll eat until my belly looks like one.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Sick and Tired

Watching the news the other evening, I happened to hear Bush's 'sick and tired' rant. What struck me even harder was the sheer bitterness, hatred and loss of control in his facial expression. It is consuming him. It reminded me of my mother going off into a tirade of insanity, the same loss of control that fuels a child's need to run away. None of us on earth can run from this.

'sick and tired' said he
through ferocious smug teeth
the parent
who dictates
and has no ears
his own orphaned children
forced to live in his fears
no money for healthcare
never knew how to feel
big-money-pockets
approved by his seal

star wars, the father
avenged by the son
bully of the schoolyard
everyone run!
the war he is fighting
contrived in his head
no smoking gun
to sleep in his bed

the madness of power
fuels limited reign
'sick and tired' said he
and who is insane?
no condom protection
for an oil whore's well
the choices are clear
comply or rebel
~Cyndy Roy January 2003
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Wednesday, January 22, 2003

Zander's Peace /War school project poll

via Rittenhouse I learned of this poll
Zander "designed the two polls that you see in the left column and right column. The LEFT poll asks opinions of people that believe Peaceful solutions are the way to solve the problems in Iraq, or are generally against military means being used. The poll on the RIGHT is for people who believe that a military solution IS the answer to the problems. Please help me out...."
He's getting a good response from the blogging community. I'd like to see him get an overwhelming response.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


God bless America

In a poem written for the Guardian, the distinguished playwright Harold Pinter takes the US to task for its seemingly inexorable march towards war on Iraq


The Guardian


Here they go again,
The Yanks in their armoured parade
Chanting their ballads of joy
As they gallop across the big world
Praising America's God.
The gutters are clogged with the dead
The ones who couldn't join in
The others refusing to sing
The ones who are losing their voice
The ones who've forgotten the tune.

The riders have whips which cut.
Your head rolls onto the sand
Your head is a pool in the dirt
Your head is a stain in the dust
Your eyes have gone out and your nose
Sniffs only the pong of the dead
And all the dead air is alive
With the smell of America's God.

© Harold Pinter, January 2003
found via talkleft
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


10 ways to tell if your co-worker is an extraterrestrial

Given to me by a co-worker who said he found me out. I wonder if extraterrestrials know who they are?
-- Many top scientists believe that aliens live secretly among us. The sneaky intergalactic travelers often pose as our friends, neighbors and co-workers while they learn the ways of Earth. But how can you tell invading aliens from real humans?
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Union of Concerned Scientists Action Letter

Take Action
Let the UN Security Council do its job in Iraq
Tell President Bush to respect all UN decisions on Iraq, to give the inspectors time to do their work, and not to use military force against Iraq without the explicit approval of the UN Security Council.
all we can do is flood Bush with as many letters from as many groups as possible..the majority of people feel this way, and if the wishes of the people aren't respected in this matter, then what does that say about our democracy?
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Tuesday, January 21, 2003

Song From The Stars

Lyrics and Link to a new song written by Craig. (mp3)
To hear the song click on the image of the view from the Gila Cliff Dwellings. Lots of Songs and Stars in them thar' mountains. This song just appeared in the course of two days.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Photos January 18 2003, Washington DC

No War On Iraq
Rally in Washington D.C.
Here are some photos to give an idea of the event and the crowd that gathered on this Saturday in Washington.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Database of Herbs, Botanicals & Other Products

Information Resource
from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Monday, January 20, 2003

Speech Excerpts/Video

Martin Luther King, Jr.
Timeline, speech excerpts, video. Nicely done website from clickondetroit.com. Unfortunately the sound file for his 'Beyond Vietnam' speech is not here, however, the text of that speech can be found here.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Defend Affirmative Action!

Take Action/Info
Civil Rights March to the Supreme Court on the day the University of Michigan affirmative action cases are heard by the US Supreme Court:
April 1 or April 2.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


UM MLK Symposium 2003

Reverand Dr. Martin Luther King Symposium 2003
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


U. S. National Debt Clock

Ouch!
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Sunday, January 19, 2003

Bush, Reverend Moon and North Korea

Moon Shadow
"Now, at a time when Moon may be influencing United States foreign policy vis a vis North Korea, a known nuclear power, and risking a nuclear war in northeast Asia and hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of deaths, it may be time for Congress to once again launch an investigation of a man whose sole purpose is to unify the world under his direction. It has been over 60 years since the world heard a man talk like that."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Saturday, January 18, 2003

Military voices of dissent

Voices
"This week thousands of US soldiers are deploying to Kuwait to fight a war on our behalf. They go because it is their job, and their mission to protect us. It is now our mission to protect them."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Protestors Brave the Cold in Ann Arbor Michigan



Elliott Yush, left, 54, and Dr. Joann Love, MD., 52, march during a rally Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003, outside the Federal Building in Ann Arbor, Mich. About 500 protesters in Ann Arbor, and others all over the country, marched in a passionate show of dissent against war with Iraq. Love and Yush, both of Ann Arbor, marched in an anti-Vietnam war protest in the 60s. (AP Photo/Paul Warner)
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Worldwide Protests to Oppose War on Iraq

"Bush has said that he intends to launch a pre-emptive war and now he's facing the most formidable obstacle, which is a pre-emptive anti-war movement," Mara Verheyden-Hilliard, from Partnership for Civil Justice, said Friday.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


In Europe and America, Peace Gets a Chance

Peace, a Chance?
Earlier this week, it even won the support of an influential group of Republican Party donors, who said in an advert in The Wall Street Journal, no less: "Let's be clear. We supported the Gulf War. We supported our intervention in Afghanistan. We accept the logic of a just war. But Mr President, your war on Iraq does not pass the test."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Friday, January 17, 2003

SCAM!!

Domain Support Group
I had just finished reading eatonweb's discovery of this scam when I got an identical phone call.
"yesterday i got a phone call from the Domain Support Group telling me they'd like to send a fax about important domain changes that have recently happened. When asked *what* changes, the woman couldn't answer, trying to say that the fax would explain everything...."
I normally don't get telephone solicitations because I have taken precautions and ask to be removed from any lists when I do get calls. The woman knew my name and my domain name. My caller ID said 'unavailable' which I would not normally answer had I been at that particular phone. Is this a new form of harvesting phone numbers and a new era of annoyimg sales calls?
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Atrios says:

It amazes me that the media has largely ignored the explicit symbolism of two things Bush has done this week. First he declared a Sanctity of Life day on the anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. Second, he came out in opposition of affirmative action, playing the dishonest race-baiting"quota" game, on the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

The timing of both of these things was of course deliberate.
~Atrios
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Thursday, January 16, 2003

Vonnegut at 80

I'm mad about being old and I'm mad about being American
Vonnegut continues to be a cultural presence, speaking out against war with Iraq to 10,000 protestors at a rally in New York's Central Park and making a spoken-word contribution to the new multimedia world music production One Giant Leap.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Statement by University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman


University of Michigan Response to White House
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Antiwar Movement Gears Up

With major demonstrations this Saturday, lobbying campaigns in full swing throughout the country, petition drives mushrooming, with even the mainstream media interested, the anti-Iraq War movement is becoming a genuine political force.
"With national polls showing a steep decline in support for the Bush Administration’s war-with-or-without-UN-support policy, along with a significant drop in the overall approval ratings for Bush’s policies, even national news media that had previously ignored citizen protests against Bush’s march to war have taken notice. The New York Times and the Washington Post, for example, have written page-one stories about the mushrooming anti-war movement."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


United Press International: Outside view: Kerry can clobber Bush

Kerry can clobber Bush
"Kerry, for three very important reasons, should be the Bush administration's worst nightmare. First, and most importantly, he did not share Vice President Dick Cheney's "other priorities" during Vietnam, nor log time with Bush in the Texas Air National Guard. No, Kerry, a man born of privilege who could have easily avoided a potential one-way sojourn to Southeast Asia, volunteered to serve his country, earning a variety of honors in the process."
" They still will attack him for the fact that he protested the Vietnam War when he returned home, and for his liberal positions on social issues, having a similar voting record to his fellow Massachusetts Democrat, Sen. Ted Kennedy. But that brings us to his second strength. Unlike so many Democrats today who seem satisfied to be defined in the most negative terms by Republican operatives, elected officials and an increasingly caustic conservative media machine, Kerry has proven since election 2000 that he relishes the fight like no other Democrat since somebody named Clinton."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Was there a whiff of cannabis about Jesus?

Claims of drug use by biblical figures surprisingly have substance,
says Professor Carl Ruck

The word Christ does mean "the anointed one" and Bennett contends that Christ was anointed with chrism, a cannabis-based oil, that caused his spiritual visions. The ancient recipe for this oil, recorded in Exodus, included over 9lb of flowering cannabis tops (known as kaneh-bosem in Hebrew), extracted into a hin (about 11? pints) of olive oil, with a variety of other herbs and spices. The mixture was used in anointing and fumigations that, significantly, allowed the priests and prophets to see and speak with Yahweh.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Modified Anthrax Toxin Eradicates Cancer

Anthrax Toxin Eradicates Cancer
The data show that a simple change of protease activation specificity converts anthrax toxin from a highly lethal to a potent tumoricidal agent.
see also: The Urokinase Plasminogen Activation System:
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Wednesday, January 15, 2003

Humor Break

from the ever-evolving reverse cowgirl's blog

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Emma Goldman

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


University of Michigan

Information on Admissions Lawsuits
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The Michigan Daily

Know the ANSWER "The burgeoning anti-war movement is gaining steam. It is necessary to recognize, however, that even though radical ANSWER is taking the initiative this time, the anti-war movement is not inherently radical. Many moderates are against President Bush's Iraq agenda, but do not have the financial support to spur a mass rally alone. In this case, it would be wise for moderate groups to stand up against war along with ANSWER and share the fiscal responsibilities of organizing protests."
I have one word..inclusive..
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The United States of America has gone mad

"Can I watch it on television?"
"America has entered one of its periods of historical madness, but this is the worst I can remember: worse than McCarthyism, worse than the Bay of Pigs and in the long term potentially more disastrous than the Vietnam War." by John Le Carre
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Mad Kane's stripcreator

Mad Kane is raising her own bar. I love it! her newest is a comic strip..stripcreator
She also points us here, where we can make our own comics.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


GOP senators on the warpath

Insert smiley here
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


"Stronger than the tread of armies, is an idea whose time has come."

Peace Quotations
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Neal Pollack's The Maelstrom

"the first copies of Beneath the Axis Of Evil: One Man's Journey Into the Horrors Of War, came back from the printer today, and it looks great.
Also, Ben and I are throwing a party in Austin, Texas on Friday, January 24, to celebrate the book's publication. Bookhouse Rock will be hosted by The Escapist Bookstore, 2209 S. First Street. I'll read and perform a rock n roll show with The Neal Pollack Invasion. Other musical acts include Jim Roll of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Austin's own The Yuppie Pricks."
It's good to see (I knew him when) Jim Roll gettin' around; in good company no less!
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Esophageal Cancer Information Links

Esophageal Cancer Awareness Assn and Cathy's EC Cafe are invaluable resources for any type of cancer. Research and experience is growing and I just want to remind people that if they suffer from GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) to inquire about further testing such as endoscopy. Many physicians are unaware of the link to this type of cancer.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Tuesday, January 14, 2003

RFID tags: Big Brother in small packages

Could we be constantly tracked through our clothes, shoes or even our cash in the future?
...in the future, we could be tracked because we'll be wearing, eating and carrying objects that are carefully designed to do so.
radio frequency identification...
...if retailers wish to use them on consumer goods, they should follow four voluntary guidelines.

First, consumers should be notified--a notice on a checkout receipt would work--when RFID tags are present in what they're buying. Second, RFID tags should be disabled by default at the checkout counter. Third, RFID tags should be placed on the product's packaging instead of on the product when possible. Fourth, RFID tags should be readily visible and easily removable.

Given RFID's potential for tracking your every move, is that too much to ask?
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Friends of Rubber Soul 1/14



New RubberSoul Newsletter
Click on the pic to visit their webpage.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Monday, January 13, 2003

Take the ReachM High Cowboy Network Noose Survey

Cowboy_Kahlil (who was able to make some sense of my recent entries and pulled thoughts together beautifully here) resident of The ReachM High Cowboy Network Noose has questions, possibly we all do, regarding the whys of blogging. He asks: Has the culture of the Web, and blogging in particular, become the sort of 'passive egoism' Huxley mentions, reducing us to a giant game of Trivial Pursuit? I'm reposting his survey here. My answers are in red. He will tabulate and blog the results. I'm curious. I'm not really sure why I blog, are you?
On to the survey..
[1] The best description of most political commentary bloggers is:

a) a chorus of voices from left, right or elsewhere, trying to drown out the opposition with the sheer weight of its sparkling analysis and objective reason.

b) a chorus of voices from left, right or elsewhere, trying to drown out the opposition with the same news analysis article passed through elebenty-seven other blogs in a giant circle jerk, adding original comments that amount to little more than a buncha spittin', cussin', whoopin' and hollerin'.

c) a good exercise in participatory democracy that bypasses the mass media and will influence elected decisionmakers.

d) a passing fad that will ultimately be exploited by shrewd political operatives like all other media has been, limiting its longterm impact.

e) a potential media force, particularly for those who create successful aggregations of talented researchers and writers, set fact-checking and ethical standards and build functional income streams, just like offline periodicals do to survive.

f) a chaotic creative anarchy from which some excellent writers will advance professionally, with a lot of temporary 'shooting stars' from others too inconsistent to advance, yet able to demonstrate random moments of brilliance.


[2] The best description of most technology bloggers is:

a) geeks talking to geeks.

b) advancing programs and apps of temporary appeal for which there's little consumer demand and will never be sufficient consumer demand.

c) advancing programs and apps of temporary appeal that are necessary stepping stones to future technologies that will prove highly marketable.

d) badly in need of translators capable of stripping away sufficient layers of proprietary geek vocabulary to let non-geeks into the conversations, so the geeks can have more data input into the consumer's concerns. In our outmoded language, that "data input" is called 'conversation' and folks who take time to review its content and hear it (as opposed to passive listening and head nodding) often find it quite a lucrative avocation.


[3] In general, poetry blogs:

a) are reasonably well done.
b) should be curable with psychiatric help.
c) don't rhyme good, like poetry should.
d) will be the Next Big Thing.
e) offer a previously too cheap commodity, free.
f) demonstrate there's hope for humanity.
g) still aren't likely to get you laid enough or laid well enough.
h) my personalized answer, Can I do that? are a great way to play with html whether anyone bothers to read them. So what if it's cheesy design?

[4] In general, fiction writer blogs:

a) are reasonably well done.
b) should be curable with psychiatric help.
c) don't need to bother with rhyme, the lucky bastards.
d) will be the Next Big Thing.
e) offer a previously too cheap commodity, free.
f) demonstrate there's hope for humanity.
g) probably will get you laid often and divinely, by more and kinkier librarians than you ever suspected existed on the planet.


[5] The type of blogs there aren't enough of:

a) warbloggers ... heh heh heh, jest kiddin'.
b) anti-everything Bush says and does ... heh heh heh, jest kiddin'.
c) media critiquers exposing political bias elsewhere, as well as their own ... heh heh heh, jest kiddin'.
d) professional journalists, seeking a little extra mad money with begging jars ... heh heh heh, jest kiddin'.
e) manifestos, for the easily amused.
f) design oriented color abusers to make the eyes of readers bleed sufficiently.
g) those assembled on stable software and servers, with acceptable levels of fully explained and easy-to-use features, solid 'Help' documentation, and acceptable levels of tech support. (And for the ones that can achieve this, people will pay a little, for the relief of a little aggravation).
h) business and market oriented info and opinion.
i) ordinary people in other countries broadcasting the thoughts of their main streets.
j) (your thoughts here)


[6] The best two blogging programs are ( A and B) because (C and D), but they'd be perfect if they offered (as many as you wish to describe):I've only used blogger, blogger pro, and guest blogged with movable type. I'll take what's offered as long as I can figure it out.


[7] Why do you blog (or do you want to blog)?

a) the sense of community with other bloggers.
b) the Muse insists.
c) it's my job, man.
d) somebody's bound to discover me.
e) everybody offline's already heard what I have to say and nobody visits anymore, so will you be my besty-best friend?
f) saving the free world and making it safe for puppies depends on me and Ozzy in the next episode of MTV's 'Reel Whirled.'
g) my life is technology-deficient and too perfect; aggravation beats boring old utopia.
h) to find my voice and express it in the belief others may find some use for it.
i) it's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to, CRY if I want to; you would cry too, if it happened to you. (gee I hope the Alzheimer's didn't make me forget the real lyrics).
j) there's just gotta be a way to make money from it.


[8] Gratuitous self-interest bonus question (but you win 50,000 mugwump minutes from Dial-a-Mugwump for answering): What's hot or not about this ReachM blog?

a) the design? hot
b) the visual clarity of the text? hot
c) the content? hot, good writing, I might add
d) the use of hyperlinks in the content? hot
e) the choices of links in the sidebars? hot
f) the lack of a comment/feedback feature (other than email)?not, especially for surveys
g) there's no 'About' section? hot
h) the smarmy, self-referential stuff? hot
i) the lack of a decent RSS feed? you'll get it if the demand is there
j) the not-so-secret secret that Cowboy Kahlil satisfies all the base urges of more powerful women of achievement and their submissive sisters than any guy in the blogosphere? Oh?
k) that, for a fat old guy, I don't sweat much? drink more water
l) that I'm a nekkid, pimply-faced 13 year old boy, just like every other blogger, and you? heh, I'm 14

[9] The one thing you haven't considered:

a) is this survey actually has the serious purpose of surveying the audience to provide clues all bloggers can use to improve our offerings.
b) the meat's not as important as the emotion.
c) is returning to this site, ever.
d) that Cowboy Kahlil might be a pseudonym.
e) that Cowboy Kahlil might be Atrios of Eschaton.
f) that Cowboy Kahlil once offered an inappropriate birthday tribute to Strom Thurmond that displayed his long-held bias towards Southern hookers and great microbrews.
g) that Ringo Starr keeps looking better and better than Yassir Arafat does.
h) that defending all that America is and can be, is a task some young men will put their lives on the line for in 2003, we owe them bigtime for that, but it also requires our hopes, our dreams, our vision of a just world, and our actions in pursuit of kindness and beauty to make the country and planet move in the right direction, in spite of the limited aims and ulterior motives of politicians in every country in the world.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Sunday, January 12, 2003

'Why'd you shoot my dog?

Killing of family dog
A felony stop is ordered when the occupants of a car are thought to have been involved in a crime.
"According to Womack, the incident began when a woman traveling east on I-40 called the Nashville THP dispatcher at 4:52 p.m. She reported that she had been passed by a green station wagon traveling at a high rate of speed. The woman said an amount of money had been thrown out the window.

As all involved later found out, Smoak had left his wallet on top of his car when he bought gas on Old Hickory Boulevard in Hermitage. Apparently, the wallet stayed on the car until it passed the Mt. Juliet exit, at which point it fell, scattering more than $400 in small bills over the interstate median. Troopers recovered the cash and returned it to Smoak."

Dispatcher Shannon Pickard of the Nashville office told investigators the woman believed the out-of-state car had ''been up to something.''

Operation TIPS in action? Knee jerk reactions to a perceived wrong. Maybe the woman still thinks she's a hero.

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


**BBC: UK 'rejects' lone action against Iraq

The UK would not join American unilateral military action against Iraq, according to International Development Secretary Clare Short.
"The role of the UK in this historic and dangerous time ... is to try to keep the US with the UN process, back up the authority of the UN and not depart from the UN process," she said.
Ms Short also argued the US failure to do more to restart the Middle East peace process had bred distrust and anger in the region.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Transdermal Nutrient Delivery System (TDNDS)

No time to eat?
Yummy! Although I think a self-replicating calorie is more exciting.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The Secret War on Condoms

Ny Times (sign-in) abstinence education extreme
"A report by Human Rights Watch quotes a Texas school official as saying: "We don't discuss condom use, except to say that condoms don't work."
"But young people have been busily fornicating ever since sex was invented, in 1963 (as the poet Philip Larkin calculated), and disparaging condoms is far more likely to discourage their use than to discourage sex. The upshot will be more gonorrhea and AIDS among young Americans — and, abroad, many more people dying young. "
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


The War Against Women

Ny Times (sign in) Rescinding reproductive resources/rights
"President Bush's assault on reproductive rights is part of a larger ongoing cultural battle. If abortion were the only target, the administration would not be attempting to block women's access to contraceptives, which drive down the number of abortions. His administration would not be declaring war on any sex education that discusses ways, beyond abstinence, to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Scientifically accurate information about contraceptives and abortion would not have begun disappearing from federal government Web sites."
"What is important is the actual impact of the presidential assault: women's constitutional liberty has been threatened, essential reproductive health care has been denied or delayed, and some women will needlessly die."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Friday, January 10, 2003

Green Party "Terrorists"

Green no-fly list
At one point during his interrogation, Stuber asked if they really believed the Greens were equal to al Qaeda. Then they showed him a Justice Department document that actually shows the Greens as likely terrorists - just as likely as al Qaeda members.

Questions about how one gets on a no-fly list creates questions about how to get off it. This is a classic Catch-22 situation. The Transportation Security Agency says it compiles the list from names provided by other agencies, but it has no procedure for correcting a problem. Aggrieved parties would have to go to the agency that first reported their names. But for security reasons, the TSA won't disclose which agency put someone on the no-fly list.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


More on Kaneh Bosem

Cannabis Hemp in History
Sweet cane is in the ancient Hebrew/Chaldee rendered as, "qaneh bosem, kaneh bosm (the "m" designating the plural, thus the singular, "kaneh-bos", "kanah is fem.), kannabos, & kannabus".
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Precious Balance

by John Nichols
"If not us, who shall speak for the flowers? If not now, when?"
And yes, as I struggle to extricate myself from yet another pessimistic binge, I inevitably grow eager to speak for the flowers.
"But how to defend the flowers," I asked myself recently, "when I have gotten so out of kilter with all this getting and spending and laying waste of power that I find it almost impossible, even, to speak for yours truly?"

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Thursday, January 09, 2003



Nondual Perspective and Depression
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


God and Ganja

Ganja in Jamaica
according to references such as Smith's Bible Dictionary, the Hebrew words "Kaneh" and"Bosem" meaning aromatic reed, are found in Exodus 30:23, and refer to the recipe for the Holy Anointing Oil of Israel. Kaneh Bosem is the Semitic root origin of the word "Kannabus" ( Greek ) and "Cannabis" ( Latin ).
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Wednesday, January 08, 2003

Earthship

dream home made of 800 old tires and dirt
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Hear That? The Fridge Is Chilling

The U.S.Navy and Ben & Jerry's have joined together to develop a sonic refrigerator that relies on sound waves, rather than toxins, to take the temperature down.
" Thermoacoustics' roots are almost two centuries old. In 1816, the Reverend Robert Sterling patented an engine that used pressure to heat a gas, which would then drive pistons. "
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


National cybersecurity plan omits industry mandates

A small improvement, for now..
Internet service providers (ISPs) will not be required to build a centralized system to enable broad monitoring of the Internet; rather, they will be encouraged to develop a national network operations center (NOC) that could complement a federal cybersecurity response team that is to be developed in the Homeland Security Department,
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Tuesday, January 07, 2003

Critics worry about privacy in cybersecurity plan

posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Critical Infrastructure Protection Board

Bush's Master Plan for the Internet by Kurt Nimmo
"Critical Infrastructure Protection Board (CIPB)....CIPB is working on a report, "The National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace," which it will release early next year. It is billed as a strategy for the Ministry of Homeland Security...
essentially authorize a Department of Approved Internet Use within the Ministry of Homeland Security. This new department will create and demand implementation of new network protocols, take over the task of verifying IT vendors (so much for the conservative idea of getting rid of big government), and issue security assessment and policy tools...
consider what an official with a major data services company who has was briefed on several aspects of the government's plans told John Markoff of the New York Times the other day, "Part of monitoring the Internet and doing real-time analysis is to be able to track incidents while they are occurring...
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Mending smokers' artery damage

Amino acid, gout drug mend smokers' artery damage
researchers in Ireland examined what effect vitamin C and taurine--an amino acid found in many types of fish--had on blood vessel function.
In the second study, US researchers found that a drug called allopurinol restored normal vessel function in smokers.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Without protest, Americans are giving up freedom

Editorial
Do we have the courage and integrity to speak out now, before it is too late? Or will we continue to freely shop in our large department stores for gifts for family and friends - as they did in Nazi Germany.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


kaneh-bosem

Jesus 'healed using cannabis'
The anointing oil used by Jesus and his disciples contained an ingredient called kaneh-bosem which has since been identified as cannabis extract,
"If cannabis was one of the main ingredients of the ancient anointing oil... and receiving this oil is what made Jesus the Christ and his followers Christians, then persecuting those who use cannabis could be considered anti-Christ,"
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Foreword: Amusing Ourselves to Death

Speaking of Orwell
Orwell warns that we will be overcome by an externally imposed oppression. But in Huxley's vision, no Big Brother is required to deprive people of their autonomy, maturity and history. As he saw it, people will come to love their oppression, to adore the technologies that undo their capacities to think.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Monday, January 06, 2003

More on the Draft

Draft didn't work then, Won't work now
"The congressman hopes that today's draft would work differently - in an era of self-indulgence and under a leadership totally dedicated to compassion for the rich and comfortable only. Where on earth might come the spark to make a draft be fairer than it was before?"
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Sex Makes Your Brain Grow

Mating triggers the development of new neurons in the smell center of the brain..
"prolactin — production of which surges after sex and during pregnancy — prompts stem cells in the brain to produce new neurons in the brain's olfactory bulb. "
" It is well established that the sense of smell is crucial to mating and to rearing offspring, allowing both animals and insects to recognize their mates and progeny."
what does this mean for someone who lost their sense of smell during pregnancy and still hasn't gotten it back? ...yes, that would be me...
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Sunday, January 05, 2003

Media Whores Online

Whore of the Year
"New policies are not required for Democrats to win. The modern Democratic Party's moderate economic policies, responsible and effective foreign policies, and moderate to left social policies represent the true beliefs of the vast majority of Americans. But they have been disguised to the point of being unrecognizable or indistinguishable from the insane and immoral policies of conservative Republicans, and advocated by cowardly Democratic politicians afraid of Bush's poll numbers and Chickenhawk Cheney's charges of deficient patriotism."
"But to the degree Democrats like the tentative Tom Daschle, the droning Joe Lieberman, and the less-electable-than-Dukakis Dick Gephardt persist and/or succeed in their presidential nomination aspirations, it will spell utter disaster for the party - far less because these Democrats are wrong on the issues than because they have proven themselves to be far too weak and cowardly to fight to win, and have contributed to a diminished public image for Democrats."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Saturday, January 04, 2003

Who decides?

"You said we're headed to war in Iraq. I don't know why you say that. I'm the person who gets to decide, not you."
George W. Bush (to a reporter)
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


On Lisa Rein's Radar: John Perry Barlow

Welcome To The Uh-Oh's
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


War and Protest: Revisited

War and Protest - the US in Vietnam (1969 - 1970) A BBC Series, April 2002; comprehensive and very informative. I found this link at talk left while trying to understand Rangel's draft proposal. I can't begin to agree with any draft proposal for any reason. The fight to end the draft was fought with the intention that the door, once closed, remained closed. Too many closet nightmares have reopened already.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Friday, January 03, 2003

Pot Charge Rejected

Canada: Pot Charge Rejected in Potential Landmark Case
Justice Douglas Phillips dropped the charge after lawyer Brian McAllister argued in court that there is effectively no law in Canada prohibiting the possession of 30 grams of marijuana or less.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Is the EPA Gutting Clean Air?

"The Bush administration has taken an action that will bring more acid rain, more smog, more asthma and more respiratory disease
"I find it incredible that we would have to resort to a lawsuit to prevent the Bush administration from gutting the Clean Air Act," said G. Steven Rowe, Maine's attorney general."
"Our argument is ultimately going to be that these are illegal changes to the Clean Air Act and the EPA has gone beyond its authority in granting loopholes to smokestack industries," said Frank O'Donnell, executive director of the Clean Air Trust, an environmental advocacy group."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Lesson for Bush

Michigan's lesson for Bush "the vast majority of Americans -- 70 percent-plus in most polls -- want their air and water to keep getting cleaner, their forests to remain standing, and their communities to be orderly, safe and unpolluted.
Judging from Engler's experience in Michigan, the political cost to the president and his party could be higher than Bush ever imagined."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Centuries of cyclones honed islanders' survival skills

But this was BIG
"He hopes the residents ran fast when the storm came. And he hopes they called on centuries of experience their ancestors had built up by living in the severe cyclone region."
"That island is right on the cyclone belt, they have been pounded since time began. Their culture is one of cyclone survival, their huts are built low to the ground with small doorways that you have to crawl through and the idea of that is so that wind can't get under and lift the door up," he said."
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |


Area 51 Exempt from Environmental Laws

Bush Exempts Secret Base From Environmental Laws
That super-secret Air Force base near Groom Lake, Nevada -- purported site of everything from captured aliens to the highest of high-tech aircraft -- has been exempted by President Bush from environmental laws that would disclose classified information regarding base operations.
Bush judged that "it is in the paramount interest of the United States" to prevent disclosure of information about Groom Lake.
President Bush's decision about Groom Lake was made last September and published December 24 in the Federal Register.
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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Wednesday, January 01, 2003



But power and greed and corruptible seed
Seem to be all that there is

Bob Dylan Blind Wille McTell
posted by Cyndy | link |   | |

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