It's been a long time since I've posted here.  Like a lot of people, I've drifted over to other places - Facebook, Second Life, Twitter, etc, etc, etc.  I intend to stop in here, but seldom find the time.  Imagine my surprise when I popped in here and saw 32 new friend requests when I haven't even been active.  Makes me wonder why people add people they don't know and have no connection with.  That led me to take a look at my friend list - which led to the Big Purge of 2009.  I cut over half of my friends list.  Congrats to those who made the cut.  Why?  Just seemed the right time to cleanse my virtual space.  Criteria used?

- If I know you in real life or from my various excoursions around the interweb toobs, you're safe.
- If you haven't logged in to MySpace in more than 6 months - buh-bye.
- If you've engaged me in intelligent conversation at some point, you're safe.
- If I have no idea who you are and your page shows little or nothing in common with me - buh-bye.
- If you are a band, local business, charity, or organization I support - you made the cut.
- If your main page is covered with pot leaves or glittery unicorns - see ya, and think about growing up soon.  Really.
- Conspiracy theorists, anarchists, or angry people shaking fists at the sky - don't have time.
- If you clog my inbox with dozens of bulletins a day - goodbye.  Not that you don't have some good information, but seriously, reposting the same bulletin that I just got from 5 other people and was based on some blogger's overreaction or misinterpretation in the first place??  Stop.  Please just stop.


I'm sure I purged a few people I shouldn't have.  I'm sorry if I did.  Feel free to rerequest if this has totally broken your virtual heart or something.  And people thinking of sending a friend request because we have a few common "friends"... please read the above before sending.

Now to look through those friend requests....

Does anyone one else want to punch the ShamWow guy in the throat?  I'm a non-violent person, but this ninny makes me want to slap the nearest human in hopes he feels it.. 


It sells itself!

Dude - obviously you honed your pitchman skill at county fairs and swap meets around the country, but you are in a tv commercial, not hawking miracle elixirs.  Take it down a notch. 

And seriously - that "I don't know, it sells itself" line?  Sweetjeebus on a cracker!!!  You aren't pitching the idea to an invester in hopes of getting money to fund your snake oil tour of the midwest, you're trying to get us to buy a damn crappy towel.  "Buy now ... we can't do this all day" - the damn commercials have run 24/7 for the last year.  Of course you can do it all day, dumbass. 

Lastly - we're going to spend $20 a month on paper towels?  Really?  I don't know anyone like that, and I know some damn wasteful people.  $20?  Seriously?  Maybe if I was supplying papertowels for the entire apartment complex.

If you see Mr. Vince ShamWow on the street - register my complaint for me.

Wow, I haven't put up a blog in a very long time.  Well, elections and all that... not much time. I saw that my friend Ham put up his list of things that he's thankful for and that jolted me into action.  Time for me to get off my butt and start posting again.  First, my list of things I'm thankful for. 

I have so much to be thankful for.  This has been a very tough year and a very exhilerating one at the same time.  How cool was that Obama win?  But still, no money and constant rejection has been tough.  Fortunately, I seem to have loads of people around me to help and encourage me.  I wouldn't have made it through without you all, so thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

However, there are a few things that I'm not thankful for.  I'm sure that I should be, as everything is a learming experience, right?  But I can't figure out what's so good about them.  If any of you  (both of you who will read this) can figure out why I should be grateful, I'd appreciate hearing about it.  Here's the list:
~ that weird shimmy my car just started doing.  I fear the Neon of Love is ill.
~ allergies
~ Muskrat Love
~ Ham's unemployment
~ another Christmas without Chilli Bears.  What is the point of the holidays without this tasty ice cream treat?
~ clutter, endless clutter
~ Bruce Willis
~ the Prop 8 fiasco
~ Clear Channel
~ having to sign my life away and check in with the FBI just to get Sudafed to help alleve my hay fever.  Thanks meth heads. 
~ slow computers
~ reality tv

And now to a few of the many things I'm thankful for:
~ Obama
~ Tivo
~ Mountain Dew
~ hope
~ Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow
~ being more ok with myself than I was last year
~ A Charlie Brown Christmas
~ George Clooney and Simon Baker  - brings a smile to my face just thinking about them
~ the generosity of Ranchers
~ Second Life, with all of my friends, an outlet for my occasional bursts of creativity, and the shoes.  All those lovely shoes.
~ Stevekitty and Beverlykitty
~ Obama
~ my Eddie Izzard keychain.  It's the coolest thing ever.
~ Brillig's DK diaries
~ finally finding the remote for the DVD player
~ growing up without much money, for preparing me for this era of no money.
~ my Dean Martin Christmas cd.  Seriously.  It's the bestest.
~ hot cocoa
~ OtherJill and OtherOtherJill, for their friendship and artistry.
~ Obama
~ I'm very thankful that Ham and Rachel have each other.  Rachel - Ham is like a perverted little brother to me, so I'm glad he has you to take care of him.  Ham - Rachel is a goddess, so no stapling her to trees and shit.
~ home made carmel popcorn
~ Skalmusic
~ my CVPW and MESJ friends, for teaching me that I just might make a mark on this world, even if it's a tiny one.
~ cold milk
~ MUFON.com  How much fun is that website?!?
~ "I know it's been tough for you, but never regret quitting.  You're a better person since walking out of that place."
~ Don, for helping without a second thought
~ bbq ribs
~ My sister, for always backing me up
~ Sarah Palin.  What a gift to the Democratic ticket! 
~ naps
~ Finding long forgotten treasures
~ "If your life leaves you with questions, seek advice from under the sea. Dear Aquaman, Dear Aquaman. Please give your advice to me.  Aquaman."
~ seeing an Obama-shaped light at the end of a very dark eight years
~ beef jerky
~ Gary Granger and Becky Martin-Granger's salute to the first Thanksgiving
~ the return of old friends
~ sunshine

Avast ye filthy bolge rats!  Ye better be talkin like a pirate today, as it is Talk Like a Pirate Day. 

C'mon, lad, shiver me timbers!

Oh shit.

Afterdowningstreet.org

Massive US Naval Armada Heads for Iran

Submitted by Chip on Mon, 2008-08-11 00:00.

• Iran

Massive US Naval Armada Heads for Iran
By Lord Stirling

Operation Brimstone ended only one week ago. This was the joint US/UK/French naval war games in the Atlantic Ocean preparing for a naval blockade of Iran and the likely resulting war in the Persian Gulf area. The massive war games included a US Navy supercarrier battle group, an US Navy expeditionary carrier battle group, a Royal Navy carrier battle group, a French nuclear hunter-killer submarine plus a large number of US Navy cruisers, destroyers and frigates playing the "enemy force".

The lead American ship in these war games, the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71) and its Carrier Strike Group Two (CCSG-2) are now headed towards Iran along with the USS Ronald Reagon (CVN76) and its Carrier Strike Group Seven (CCSG-7) coming from Japan.

They are joining two existing USN battle groups in the Gulf area: the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) with its Carrier Strike Group Nine (CCSG-9); and the USS Peleliu (LHA-5) with its expeditionary strike group.

Likely also under way towards the Persian Gulf is the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) and its expeditionary strike group, the UK Royal Navy HMS Ark Royal (R07) carrier battle group, assorted French naval assets including the nuclear hunter-killer submarine Amethyste and French Naval Rafale fighter jets on-board the USS Theodore Roosevelt. These ships took part in the just completed Operation Brimstone.

The build up of naval forces in the Gulf will be one of the largest multi-national naval armadas since the First and Second Gulf Wars. The intent is to create a US/EU naval blockade (which is an Act of War under international law) around Iran (with supporting air and land elements) to prevent the shipment of benzene and certain other refined oil products headed to Iranian ports. Iran has limited domestic oil refining capacity and imports 40% of its benzene. Cutting off benzene and other key products would cripple the Iranian economy. The neo-cons are counting on such a blockade launching a war with Iran.

The US Naval forces being assembled include the following:

Carrier Strike Group Nine
USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN72) nuclear powered supercarrier
with its Carrier Air Wing Two
Destroyer Squadron Nine:
USS Mobile Bay (CG53) guided missile cruiser
USS Russell (DDG59) guided missile destroyer
USS Momsen (DDG92) guided missile destroyer
USS Shoup (DDG86) guided missile destroyer
USS Ford (FFG54) guided missile frigate
USS Ingraham (FFG61) guided missile frigate
USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG60) guided missile frigate
USS Curts (FFG38) guided missile frigate
Plus one or more nuclear hunter-killer submarines

Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Group
USS Peleliu (LHA-5) a Tarawa-class amphibious assault carrier
USS Pearl Harbor (LSD52) assult ship
USS Dubuque (LPD8) assult ship/landing dock
USS Cape St. George (CG71) guided missile cruiser
USS Halsey (DDG97) guided missile destroyer
USS Benfold (DDG65) guided missile destroyer

Carrier Strike Group Two
USS Theodore Roosevelt (DVN71) nuclear powered supercarrier
with its Carrier Air Wing Eight
Destroyer Squadron 22
USS Monterey (CG61) guided missile cruiser
USS Mason (DDG87) guided missile destroyer
USS Nitze (DDG94) guided missile destroyer
USS Sullivans (DDG68) guided missile destroyer

USS Springfield (SSN761) nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine

IWO ESG ~ Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group
USS Iwo Jima (LHD7) amphibious assault carrier
with its Amphibious Squadron Four
and with its 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit
USS San Antonio (LPD17) assault ship
USS Velia Gulf (CG72) guided missile cruiser
USS Ramage (DDG61) guided missile destroyer
USS Carter Hall (LSD50) assault ship
USS Roosevelt (DDG80) guided missile destroyer

USS Hartfore (SSN768) nuclear powered hunter-killer submarine

Carrier Strike Group Seven
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN76) nuclear powered supercarrier
with its Carrier Air Wing 14
Destroyer Squadron 7
USS Chancellorsville (CG62) guided missile cruiser
USS Howard (DDG83) guided missile destroyer
USS Gridley (DDG101) guided missile destroyer
USS Decatur (DDG73) guided missile destroyer
USS Thach (FFG43) guided missile frigate
USNS Rainier (T-AOE-7) fast combat support ship

Also likely to join the battle armada:

UK Royal Navy HMS Ark Royal Carrier Strike Group with assorted guided missile destroyers and frigates, nuclear hunter-killer submarines and support ships

French Navy nuclear powered hunter-killer submarines (likely the Amethyste and perhaps others), plus French Naval Rafale fighter jets operating off of the USS Theodore Roosevelt as the French Carrier Charles de Gaulle is in dry dock, and assorted surface warships

Various other US Navy warships and submarines and support ships. The following USN ships took part (as the "enemy" forces) in Operation Brimstone and several may join in:

USS San Jacinto (CG56) guided missile cruiser
USS Anzio (CG68) guided missile cruiser
USS Normandy (CG60) guided missile cruiser
USS Carney (DDG64) guided missile destroyer
USS Oscar Austin (DDG79) guided missile destroyer
USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG81) guided missile destroyer
USS Carr (FFG52) guided missile frigate

The USS Iwo Jima and USS Peleliu Expeditionary Strike Groups have USMC Harrier jump jets and an assortment of assault and attack helicopters. The Expeditionary Strike Groups have powerful USMC Expeditionary Units with amphibious armor and ground forces trained for operating in shallow waters and in seizures of land assets, such as Qeshm Island (a 50 mile long island off of Bandar Abbas in the Gulf of Hormuz and headquarters of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps).

The large and very advanced nature of the US Naval warships is not only directed at Iran. There is a great fear that Russia and China may oppose the naval and air/land blockade of Iran. If Russian and perhaps Chinese naval warships escort commercial tankers to Iran in violation of the blockade it could be the most dangerous at-sea confrontation since the Cuban Missile Crisis. The US and allied Navies, by front loading a Naval blockade force with very powerful guided missile warships and strike carriers is attempting to have a force so powerful that Russia and China will not be tempted to mess with. This is a most serious game of military brinkmanship with major nuclear armed powers that have profound objections to the neo-con grand strategy and to western control of all of the Middle East's oil supply.

The Russian Navy this spring sent a major battle fleet into the Mediterranean headed by the modern aircraft carrier the Admiral Kuznetsov and the flagship of its Black Sea Fleet, the Guided Missile Heavy Cruiser Moskva. This powerful fleet has at least 11 surface ships and unknown numbers of subs and can use the Russian naval facility at Syria's Tartous port for resupply. The Admiral Kuznetsov carries approximately 47 warplanes and 10 helicopters. The warplanes are mostly the powerful Su-33, a naval version (with mid-air refueling capability) of the Su-27 family. While the Su-33 is a very powerful warplane it lacks the power of the stealth USAF F-22. However, the Russians insist that they have developed a plasma based system that allows them to stealth any aircraft and a recent incident where Russian fighters were able to appear unannounced over a US Navy carrier battle group tends to confirm their claims. The Su-33 can be armed with the 3M82 Moskit sea-skimming missile (NATO code name SS-N-22 Sunburn) and the even more powerful P-800 Oniks (also named Yakhonts; NATO code name SS-N-26 Onyx). Both missiles are designed to kill US Navy supercarriers by getting past the cruiser/destroyer screen and the USN point-defense Phalanx system by using high supersonic speeds and violent end maneuvers. Russian subs currently use the underwater rocket VA-111 Shkval (Squall), which is fired from standard 533mm torpedo tubes and reaches a speed of 360kph (230mph) underwater. There is no effective countermeasures to this system and no western counterpart.

A strategic diversion has been created for Russia. The Republic of Georgia, with US backing, is actively preparing for war on South Ossetia. The South Ossetia capital has been shelled and a large Georgian tank force has been heading towards the border. Russia has stated that it will not sit by and allow the Georgians to attack South Ossetia. The Russians are great chess players and this game may not turn out so well for the neo-cons. UPDATE 8 August 2008 ~ War has broken out between Georgia and South Ossetia. At least 10 Russian troops have been killed and 30 wounded and 2 Russian fighter jets downed. American Marines, a thousand of them, have recently been in Georgia training the Georgian military forces. Several European nations stopped Bush and others from allowing Georgia into NATO. Russia is moving a large military force with armor towards the area. This could get bad, and remember it is just a strategic diversion....but one that could have horrific effects. Link to story "Russia sends forces into Georgia rebel conflict". FURTHER UPDATE ~ Russian military forces in active combat; now total of four Russian fighter jets reported downed. ADDITIONAL UPDATE ~ Georgia calls for US help; Russian Air Force bombs Georgian air bases. DEBKA, the Israeli strategy and military site, states that Israeli military officers are advising the Georgian armed forces in combat operations and that 1,000 Israelis are in-combat on the side of Georgia at this time.

Kuwait has activated its "Emergency War Plan" as it and other Gulf nations prepare for the likelihood of a major regional war in the Middle East involving weapons of mass destruction.

The two-ton elephant in the living room of the neo-con strategy is the advanced biowar (ABW) that Iran, and to a lessor extent Syria, has. This places the motherlands of the major neo-con nations (America, France, the United Kingdom), as well as Israel, in grave danger. When the Soviet Union fell the Iranians hired as many out-of-work former Soviet advanced biowar experts as possible. In the last 15 or so years they have helped to develop a truly world class ABW program utilizing recombination DNA genetic engineering technology to create a large number of man made killer viruses. This form of weapon system does not require high tech military delivery systems. The viruses are sub-microscopic and once seeded in a population use the population itself as vectors. Seeding can be done without notice in shopping malls, churches, and other public places. The only real defense to an advanced global strategic biowar attack is to lock down the population as rapidly as possible and let those infected die off.

Unless the public gets it act together and forces the neo-cons to stop the march to yet another war in the Middle East we are apt to see a truly horrific nightmare unfold in OUR COUNTRIES.

Stirling

Dear Speaker Pelosi,

When you took office in Congress, you took an oath of office.  Just to refresh your memory, it states "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.".  

It is very obvious to all but the most inattentive that the current administration has disregarded and defied the Constitution.  Their illegal actions, well documented in Rep. Kucinich's bills calling for Impeachment of both President Bush (H.RES.1258) and Vice President Cheney (H.RES.333),  have been blatant and with total disregard for the rule of law.  Your refusal to do anything about the domestic enemies of the Constitution (Bush, Cheney, Rove, etc.) has gone past passively ignoring the obvious and moved straight to collusion.  Now it is being reported that not only has Karl Rove refused a House Judiciary Committee subpoena, but that "Pelosi is urging the Judiciary committee NOT to go forward with contempt against Rove." (afterdowningstreet.org 7/10/08)

I used to question why you said "impeachment is off the table" (New York Times, 11/8/06) in regard to President Bush; now I wonder, is there any reason we shouldn't impeach you, Speaker Pelosi?

Sincerely,

Jill

Netroots Nation, the yearly convention of DailyKos, is coming to the virtual world of Second Life! 

If you're interested in Netroots Nation but can't make it to Austin, if you're a fan of DailyKos or progressive blogs in general, or if you just want to see what all the fuss is about - come join us in Second Life! Netroots Nation in Second Life will feature live streaming video of the conference in Austin, SL only events and panels, and lots of great people.

We also have an exhibit hall with booth space available for any organization interested in renting.  Exhibitors will be given booth space in our Exhibit Hall, which will be the hub of activity for the virtual conference, and are welcome to schedule presentations, cocktail parties, or other events.  I'll put the contact information below. Send me an email and I'll send out an exhibitor packet.

*For more information on Netroots Nation, visit the Netroots website. 

*For more information about Second Life, visit the Second Life website.

*For more information about attending or renting booth space at Netroots Nation in Second Life, contact me at NetrootsSecondLife@gmail.com
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Some of you may know that I'm the manager of Netroots Nation in Second Life this year.  It's going to be informative and lots of fun!  It also means I'm going to be really busy for the next few weeks and may not stop by much.  My apologies for that, but I'll be back!  Send me an email or something - or better yet, stop in and see me in Second Life!  ~~ Jill

Definitely not safe for work....
Hat tip to Chad

*sigh*

So much to do - managing Netroots Nation SL, building websites for work, campaigning for the dems, Cache Valley Peace Works, Peace Works! film series, anti Bush rally on Wednesday, Obama's voter registration drives, MESJ-CV, looking for full time work, misc. activist stuff like writing letters, cleaning house, family, friends...

AND I FREAKIN GET SICK!!!!

I don't have time for this.

*sigh*

Alright, alright - I get it, stress can kill, I'm sick because I'm too busy and stressed, I need to say "no" more often ...   

I'm going to bed.  Someone else save the world while I'm sleeping.

..............................................
Speaking of saving the world.....
Peace and Human Right Rally



Please join us if you're in the area.  If you can't make it, please listen to the simulcast on KRCL  If you've never heard any of these people speak, you're in for a treat.  No, "a treat" doesn't come close.  I've never heard Mr. Ellsberg speak, but Marshall, Kathy, and Rocky are all fantastic!  Every one of them will knock your socks off.  This is not just a Utah thing, this is about human rights around the world and standing up to the Bush administration's abuse of power.

Keith Olbermann said it better than I did.

Watch it now!