The Velvet Hammer

http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/overtheshoulder/archives/146170.asp?from=blog_last3

"According to an ARC executive, "Hollywood has picked on different groups in the past and they've fought back. Now they have picked on a group that is sensitive and can't always fight back."

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As a woman married to a doubly disabled (spinal botched surgery and a laundry list of stress disorders) transgendered female, I would say so! I am so disturbed by Ben Stiller's choice and the approach of Hollyweird in this film that it is hard to describe. I actually, in the past, enjoyed all three actors - Ben, Robert Downey, Jr. and Jack Black. But now I question their humanity.

We have a cop 2 houses away threatening my husband's life. This is no joke. It's not even good satire.

Things that hurt people are plain mean.

We have a HUGE vocabulary. Wake up and use it.

Retard.

How does that feel?

I am gratified that Lavena is finally getting some attention. As a murder victim labeled a suicide...she is now receiving national attention and the call for justice is going out. Thank goodness! I thought we were all asleep at the wheel for a second there....

I signed a letter through a wonderful advocacy service called Progressive Secretary which I have used for 12 years - and forwarded nearly 1,500 letters! I recommend it to you.

http://www.progsec.org/DynMenu/DynMenu.php

Here is a new Progressive Secretary Letter.

Note: This letter supports a campaign of Colorofchange.org, the Greens⁄Green Party USA and other civil rights groups.

This letter will be sent with the subject: LaVena Johnson and attacks on women in the Army.

From: Aileen

To: Senator Sherrod Brown http://capwiz.com/progressivesecretary/mail/?id=472
Senator George V. Voinovich http://voinovich.senate.gov
Representative Dennis J. Kucinich http://www.house.gov/kucinich

Dear _________________:

The death in Iraq of LaVena Johnson, described by the Army as a suicide, highlights the need for far greater openness, both on her case and on the many other attacks on female soldiers in the Army. The Army's actions appear secretive and suspicious.

Photos reluctantly released by the Army suggest murder rather than suicide of this talented, bright young soldier. If the Army will not perform a full and open investigation, Congress should demand it.

There must be a full, open investigation of LaVena Johnson's tragic death.

Sincerely,

Aileen Terra

Further information: http://www.greenparty.org/newsletter/Aug2008/Johnson.php

Here is a link to this letter that you might wish to send to your friends.
http://www.ProgSec.Org/l.aspx?a=m06LaVenaJohnson1______

Progressive Secretary increases the impact of your letters by sending them with a variety of subjects. This time the computer has selected "LaVena Johnson and attacks on women in the Army." You and I will continue to identify this letter by the subject of this letter which is "Army investigate LaVena Johnson death."

Not including this posting you have sent 1,491 letters, and Progressive Secretary has sent over 11 million letters!!Progressives send far fewer letters than conservatives. Please invite others to join and level this field.

If you would like to contribute towards Progressive Secretary's expenses, please send your contribution to:
Jim Harris
9153 Rundelay Way
Sacramento CA 95826

I am hoping that James has fixed the video of his toddlers because it is utterly hysterical. I am including the link and the imbed and hoping for the best. It worked tonight and I saw it before I put it on The Pubhouse roster...

Here's hoping....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyAAD_MlNtg

http://thecurvature.com/2008/07/15/still-no-justice-for-lavena-johnson/

This horrific rape happened 3 years ago in Iraq. Had she been white, something might have been done by now...

LaVena was a 19 year old, 5'2", 100 lb soldier. Our military called it suicide. Judge by the facts:

She was found in her burned out tent. Lots of suicide victims kill themselves and then set the house on fire.

She was beaten brutally with broken teeth knocked into her face, a concave eye socket, bruises, lacerations, teeth marks, shot in the wrong side of the head for a suicide (talented young soldier) She also had white military gloves glued to her burned hands and acid poured over her genitals. This girl was serious about her suicide.

I encourage anyone as outraged as I am, as a past rape victim, to write to their representatives and demand that justice be done for this young woman. I want the animals who did this to her to commit the same form of suicide. I will pull the switch myself given the opportunity.

This young woman speaks for our planet and for future generations better than any politician, any company personnel, and media type. Anyone.

I am a story teller. It is an ancient art. I have three stories about Cleveland. Because I am a woman, I tell three.

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Well, it looks like "Just Say No" has failed. I am flabbergasted. I really thought that no meant no. Looks like it was another don't ask, don't tell approach to life, a head in the sand behavior, an overwhelming boon to humankind.

One in four sexually active teens has a sexually transmitted disease. Over 70% of reported chlamydia infections and nearly 60% of gonorrhea cases are in young people from ages 15 to 24. A steady number of these infections happen to preteens, with some as young as 10. Every year 3 million teens get a Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD).

Girls represent a majority of the cases and black youth have the highest infection rates. Although the infections are easily treated with antibiotics, they are usually not tested nor treated. STDs leave youth more susceptible to more serious diseases like HIV/AIDS. In fact the cases of HIV/AIDS in youth from 15 to 24 has more than doubled.

25% of teen girls between the ages of 14 and 19 have at least one sexually transmitted disease, usually Chlamydia or Gonorrhea.

Chlamydia is caused by a bacteria which can be treated with $10 worth of antibiotics. (Unless pharma monopolies have jacked up the prices.) Often there are no symptoms at all. Chalamydia can lead to pelvic inflammatory disease and infertility. Untreated mothers can pass it on to infants, causing complications. Chlamydia is more common among teens than older men and women.

Gonorrhea is caused by a bacteria and can be treated with antibiotics. Boys may have a painful discharge and swollen testicles. Often girls show no symptoms while others have painful urination and discharge. Many infected mothers pass it on to infants, who can go blind or suffer other complications. Teens have higher rates of gonorrhea than sexually active men and women 20-44.

Some studies show that 15% of sexually active teenage girls are infected with the human papillomavirus (HPV), many with the type of HPV that is linked to cervical cancer.

Young Americans ages of 13 to 24 are still contracting HIV at the rate of two per hour.

Let's talk about sex. Here's a winning video to start with:

http://www.dogooder.tv/freshfocusvideocontest/isisMovies.aspx

Sometimes, reading the bad news, you can toughen up until you are nearly a Droid. Self protection. I am a flip-flop Gemini entity. I am hard as nails and soft as butter. Sometimes I scream. Sometimes I rant. Sometimes I threaten. Sometimes I cry.

It is the ability of the heart to open... It is the ability of the eye to cry salt water - like the oceans - and wash the feelings clean again. I once was a "magical" leader. I found it, like nearly every other religion, to be too egocentric to feed my feelings...my deep, deep feelings. And that lead me to atheism. I cling now to needing to do the right thing here and now. There is no heaven nor hell to reward nor punish me. Only my own thoughts and feelings and deeds. I live better in my own skin for this.

Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I am a snot-nosed weeping thing and it is only at those moments - among perhaps other pure love events - that I feel human again.

I don't ever want to stop crying.

Here in Cleveland they just love their fireworks. This does not mean the displays put on by professionals with safety factors. This means quarter sticks of dynamite blown up in the streets openly and in any back yard. Tonight it is going to sound like Iraq. We have our own homegrown terrorists. Living with these people in the abandoned inner city of Cleveland is just like being the magician's assistant on a spinning wheel blindfolded while the knives go whizzing by. The only difference is all these people are drunk or drugged up amateurs. Lots of people are going to get hurt and a few will die. We've had an average of 3-5 murders every day lately. Why can't we just get along? So it only makes sense to celebrate this fucked up country with more explosives, weapons and violence. That's how we came in.

We had our mail box (metal) blown to smithereens. I still have it in our basement as part of our 4th of July history. The kid/man who did it 10 years ago still walks around every day.

His parents are big pot dealers. The police know it. They know all the drug houses. They would rather harrass gay people and people who are transgendered like my husband. One 2nd District policeman threatened my husband's life publicly. That happens to be a felony. That is the caliber of our protection. We've had one of our cats shot.

So this 4th we are hiding behind mirrored film on every window with metal mesh protecting the windows (which have been shot at many times and broken.) The cats never go out.

We try never to go out. We've got ear plugs and a sawed off metal baseball bat right by the front door. That's how you live in Cleveland unless you are a criminal (and, sadly, that includes the politicians, police and some firefighters.) This year we are seasoned. We are ready. Bombs bursting in air - just like in our horrid war-packed national anthem - all over the hood.

What I would really like for this Independence Day is Impeachment. Impeach Bush for Independence Day! Give me Liberty or Give me Death!

Here is a Youtube video by one of the handful of politicians who remember why they are on the Hill.

Dennis Kucinich: Independence Day: Let Us Remember Who We Are

http://russellmeansfreedom.com/

In December of 2007, the Lakotah people, under Article 6 of the Constitution, unilaterally withdrew from all Treaties in a Plebecite/Referendum for Sovereignty and Freedom. Russell Mean is running for President of the Pine Ridge Sioux Indian Reservation on November 4, 2008.

According to White Man's law, the Lakotah People are required to elect a new President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. Note that "Sioux" is a word that is not in the Lakotah language. It also happens to translate as "enemy." There will be a petition among non-voters will follow to determine the total number of People who want Freedom.

The future independent Lakotah Nation:

Do the Oglala Lakotah want to continue living under Colonial Apartheid rule and in worse than third world conditions? Or do the Oglala Lakotah want to control their destiny by choosing freedom, responsibility and prosperity?

Russell Means working with all Governments; Tribal, City, County, State, and Federal!
Russell Means no Confrontations!
Russell Means the return of the Black Hills National Forest to Lakotah!
Russell Means the return National Grasslands to Lakotah!
RUSSELL MEANS FREEDOM!!!

Russell Means Freedom is his slogan. When Columbus invaded this land and began the genocide which has never stopped of the Indigenous People, he thought he had landed in India. Thus the term Indians for these people. Sheer stupidity. The genocide continued during the time of the "Wild West" with the massacre at Wounded Knee. It was also at Wounded Knee that Annie Mae Aquash was murdered by a sold-out "Indian" and Leonard Peltier was falsely imprisoned (for more than 30 years now) as a Sacrifice for the death of two FBI agents who attacked an Elder's homestead. It has been far too long since a First People have had their Freedom. This is not the land of the free and the brave. That is a lie.

Mitaku Oyasin...
(We are all related)

I am only a small part Lakotah, several generations past, but I feel the beauty of my people and I am one with them.

A Lakotah Lullaby

Let my People go.

I actually married my first husband because he reminded me of John Lennon. He was 5' 10 and I was 5' 2. We were both thin and long haired. At his best he was moustached and bearded and I was an Earth Mama with long long hair....our love and sex was out of this world! And I am part NDN so I love the feather in her hair and the dance!

From our local Cleveland news:

http://www.wkyc.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=92197

I've marked this as local since it happened locally. But honeys this is not the only place this crap is going on.

Cleveland Police search for teen suspects in beating death of homeless man

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Police have been ordered by the mayor to do "whatever it takes" to arrest three suspected teenage killers.

The three, who are thought to be about 15 to 17 years old, are wanted for the beating death of Anthony Waters.

....

"The pack mentality going on in the city of Cleveland must end," Williams announced. "The mayor told us to take the gloves off."

....

Cleveland Police Lt. Thomas Stacho said a number of cars traveling on East 55th slowed down to watch the attack, but none of them stopped. He urged anyone with information to call Cleveland Police.

....

Waters initially told EMS he did not need medical assistance but his condition deteriorated and he was rushed to MetroHealth Medical Center where he later died. The coroner says Waters' spleen was ruptured and several ribs were broken. He also suffered a blow to the head.

My hot as Hades comments follow the cut. (Been reading a hoot of a book by an English author called "Gods Behaving Badly" and as an atheist that just cracks me up!)

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I know I frequently post just a splurt or a video or so...I have very little personal time.

This is about my father and my second father. Both of them worked for NASA. Both were scientists and mathematicians. They were best friends. My father was my second father's boss. They called my Dad "Doc". My second father was named Al and he was buried last Sunday. My father died in January of 1979. My three children also died in January - 1980, 1981 and 1990. I just hate January! Now that my second father died near my birthday (and my mother who shared my birthday is dead) I just hate my birthday!

This is my tribute and sharing of these men. Flaws and all.

http://www.nasa.gov/

My father was a brilliant yet distant man. He was wonderful with friends and cold and absent to his family. I have a thousand stories to represent this. His name was Lynn and he was a genius. I was his favorite child. He was part of the moon shot. He dragged us out of bed continually to see comets (small) and the aurora borealis (once) and he took us in pjs to look through a telescope to see the moons around other planets. It is mostly his fault that I am as I am. (Again with the thousand stories...) But as an oldster I can now see he had a lot of flaws. The last picture of him scares the crap out of me.

Read more! »

If I have any religion, it is Music and Nature.

One of my very favorite musicians is David Byrne. He has written a wonderful song, perfect for this time of elections between two ugly men.

Empire
by David Byrne

http://www.lyricsdownload.com/david-byrne-empire-lyrics.html

In national elections
In songs raised on high
With stirring emotions
As tears fill your eyes

In democratic fever
For national defense
I am a mountain [3x]
Like birds upon a fence [2x]

Young artists and writers
Please heed the call
What's good for business
Is good for us all

And as it is in Nature
So it is in life
The weak among us with perish [3x]
The strong alone will survive [2x]

Voices like thunder
Decisions like steel
The past and the future
They belong to us all

From every mountain
The water and the air
The world that we've created [3x]
By working hand in hand [2x]

It's available as a ringtone...