The War On Terror

Navy Seals: 3 - Somali Pirates: 0

A horribly uninformed person on social media decided to wreck my mojo this past week.  


He made no bones about the fact that he is behind Ron "fraud" Paul 100%  and accused President Obama of executing an American citizen. He doubled-down by saying that the President was weak on defense and foreign policy.  


Seriously? could any two thoughts in the same sentence be more contradictory?


Okay, for the last time: 


Anwar al-Awlaki was an American citizen, but tea party, evangelicals and GOP affiliates have NO business complaining about a MUSLIM terrorist killed by the United States government.


Since 9/11 Americans have been subjected to a specifically vile and repulsive series of attacks by simply being Muslim.  The haters railed against building mosques, they threaten Muslim CITIZENS in their own homes and places of employment and the so-called "real Americans" did not bat an eyelash when these Muslim citizens were specifically singled out at airports and publicly humiliated. The undeniable fact is that these Muslims are honest and law-abiding AMERICANS but are treated like terrorists in their own country by the above mentioned mobs.


These facts never enters their collective noggin.  Why? Because they are not perceived to be as American? However, without missing a beat, they turn against "Muslim President Obama" (Kenyan born and all... ya know?) for killing an American (the fact that he was a terrorist on the most wanted list is not worthy of consideration)  


... But Rick Perry who has murdered 234 American citizens gets applause? ... 


These people are nuts! - It is impossible to reach a common sense agreement with emotionally disturbed individuals who compound their inability to separate fact from fiction by remaining as uninformed as possible.


Food For Thought

• It is the responsibility, and sworn oath of office, of elected officials to protect the Constitution of the United States against "Foreign and Domestic enemies" ... blah, blah.... Why would anyone get a free pass based on where they were born?  

• Timothy McVeigh was a home grown terrorist who devastated us by cowardly massacring civilians in the Oklahoma Federal Building - The images of dead children will live for ever in our collective memories. - Well, Guess what? We killed that bastard! If he had made a mad rush to the Pakistani border, there is no doubt our current "Kenyan born, Muslim worshipping", president would have ensured he met with the same fate as Anwar al-Awlaki.

• A terrorist has no borders, no loyalty to country, and no respect for other people's lives - whether they are young or old is irrelevant because their only loyalty is to IDEOLOGY - They left their nationality behind when they signed up for terrorist boot camp and they don't get a free pass, even if they were born in the USA.

• Contrary to popular paranoia fed to the uninformed masses via corporations masquerading as news organizations, terrorist don't lose sleep over killing Americans, they are busy plotting against other countries as well - in short, we are not that special, just one of their many targets. (Madrid, London, France, the Netherlands... the list goes on)

It was not wrong or unfair to dispose of a terrorist - it prevented horrors from happening in the USA and in other countries as well.  


The appropriate response to keeping us safe from foreign and domestic enemies is: Thank you Mr. President. Period.


I ask you: Can we please slap the next person that hints at President Obama not being tough, decisive or capable of protecting our country? Can we? - Because it should be obvious to everyone by now that he is quite capable of chewing gum and answering that 2:00 a.m. call without missing a step.


The Terrorist Notches on Obama's Belt placed in chronological order:  


- 2009 -


Somali Pirates Killed & hostages freed - APRIL
Baitullah Mahsud - (killed - Taliban leader) AUGUST
Noordin Muhammad Top - (Killed - Operational Planner) SEPTEMBER
Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan  - (Killed - Operational Planner) SEPTEMBER
Saleh al-Somali - (Killed - Commander) - DECEMBER
Abdallah Sa'id - (Killed - Commander) - DECEMBER


- 2010 -


Abdul Ghani Berada (Captured) - FEBRUARY
Muhammad Haqqani (Killed - Commander) - FEBRUARY
Qari Zafar (Killed - Leader) - FEBRUARY
Hussein al-Yemeni (Killed - Operative) - MARCH
Dulmatin  (Killed -mastermind of Bali bombings)
Abu Ayyub al-Masri (Killed - al Qaeda leader) - APRIL
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi (Killed - al Qaeda leader) - APRIL
Sheik Saeed al-Masri (Killed - al Qaeda #3 commander) - MAY
Hamza al-Jawfi (Killed - al Qaeda commander) - JUNE

- 2011-

Osama bin Laden (Claimed responsibility for 9/11 terrorist attacks on American soil) - MAY

Abu Hafs al-Shahri (al Qaeda chief of Operations - Pakistan branch) - SEPTEMBER

Anwar al-Awlaki (American born terrorist) - SEPTEMBER

Atiya 'Abd al-Rahman (al Qaeda) - AUGUST

Ilyas Kshmiri - (Commander) - JUNE

Ammar al-Wa"ili - (Senior operative)  - JUNE 

Abu Ali al-Harithi - (Senior operative) - JUNE

Ali Saleh Farhan - (Senior operative)  - JUNE

Younis al-Mauritani (Arrested)

Full disclosure: I am against the death penalty in most cases and I am torn about being against it in all cases - I am still working my way through this area -The one thing I know for sure: I am all in favor of taking out terrorist by whatever means necessary. No apologies needed.  Thank you Mr. President.

Photo Illustration: Daily News

Common Sense is Not Common

Occupy Wall Street

As my mom likes to remind me: "Honey, common sense is not as common as you think." Below is what's been on my mind after, sadistically, watching Meet the Press and Cristianne Amanpour's shows this morning.  


Never again! - *Employing that common sense mom keeps talking about*


What's on my mind?

Ron "fraud" Paul is crazy like a fox.  He'll never win the presidency and he knows it, but the base has been bamboozled enough to continue to send him money. His base is unable to connect the dots between a racist, woman hater, who rails against government but has not had any other job in decades - he is the welfare queen they despise so much.


John McCain is not part of this GOP race, but he tries to be upfront and center whenever possible and only when war is involved.  He is a bitter old man who sullies everything our brave citizens in uniform stand for.  His "expertise" is as irrelevant as an 8-track tape in modern days but that won't stop the GOP hopefuls from invoking this morning's opinions opinions on the next debate.  McCain's over-blown image as a war hero is just as indelible in republicans minds as the inaccurate version of President Ronald Reagan. 


Newt Gingrich can't keep a wife or staff members and he is winging the debates in the hope of selling more of his irrelevant diatribe in hard cover.  As a former, and failed, house speaker he should have the common sense of retiring with his millions and his next ex-wife to another country.  This one is obviously not to his liking.


Bachmann is a disgrace to women-kind - Enough said about this parasite of society who has lived off the people's tax money for decades - Her family farm is subsidized by tax payers - Received ample funds from tax payers to have a string of foster kids go through the revolving doors of her house - She and Marcus are making a killing from Medicare payments on her "cure the gay" clinic. - Okay, maybe now I  have said enough. She makes no sense at all.


Herman Cain is an opportunistic moron who follows in the path of Sarah 'Alaska disaster' Palin and whose sole intent is to unload as many books as possible before his flame fizzles out. (that and get speaking engagements and a steady contract with Faux "news") - His 9-9-9 proposal has been discredited by everyone with a calculator, but he is doubling down today! - When confronted with the fact that this plan will place poor people in greater hardship, he stated that "I have a way to fix that, I just have not divulged it yet" - Good Herman, good! just keep it to yourself because nothing you say, makes any sense anyway.


Willard Mittens Romney is afraid of not pandering to enough people, so he changes his tune daily which is no longer funny or marginally interesting. This guy definitely has no common sense, and yet, he is the most likely of the bunch to become the GOP nominee.


Perry is like "W" but dumber and meaner.  He doubles-down on the sanctity of life and never makes the connection between what he spouts and the fact that he has murdered American citizens on a regular basis.  The most offensive thing about him, is that after executing 234 people, he has the audacity to stay that he "does not lose sleep over executing possibly innocent people" - This is what we aspire to be when we grow up? This is the type of person we want representing us? Does this man make any sense?


The GOP selection pool has become nothing more than an opportunistic way to strike while the iron is hot and part people from their hard-earned money quickly.  We have never seen such a blatant display of "buy my book" and "attend my $$$ dinner" as we have in this election cycle.  Yes, it was done before, but not with this lack of grace or class, or without having some real credentials in leadership and common sense. 


Not a single one in this bunch is fit to be president. As mom would say: "I told you before... I'll tell you again... common sense is not as common as you think."


PEACE to all (and patience, lots of patience)


Image: Occupy Wall Street by David Shankbone CC-BY-3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

War is Money

Do you remember when President Obama took a handful of Navy Seals and with one single shot disposed of Somali pirates and rescue the hostages? - If this action had been taken by a militia guy he would be hailed as a hero by the GOP, but instead we got silence.

Do you remember when President Obama announced that Osama Bin Laden had been taken out by a group of Navy Seals with no loss of life to American troops? - We heard some minor rumbles of discomfort from the GOP - Why? because President Obama is doing it wrong - This is not war, this  is not war the way the GOP likes it.  We have rules created by the corporations they represent and President Obama is doing everything the wrong way.  A really good president would ensure that private corporations are involved at a huge profit.  The more bloodshed, the better. 

What about President Obama's "treasonous" behavior of empowering the people of Libya by offering support once we were asked in a coalition of efforts with European nations? - Once again, a dictator is gone, we are not perceived as bullies around the world and once it is all said and done, instead of shouting "death to America" on the streets, all we heard is "Thank you America" - The GOP insists, despite the evidence, that this is bad for America - We look weak around the world and once again, President Obama is wrong.

We know these people hear the voices on American streets but they are more of an annoyance than anything else, the real listening goes on at the golf course and in the board rooms and the message is clear, President Obama is pissing them off.

The final straw was the announcement that after losing 5,000 soldiers and spending over $700 Billion dollars achieving nothing, we were pulling out of Iraq.  The corporations reached out to their elected representatives and all of them repeated the same talking points in varying degrees.

Robert Kagan on Amanpour stated that our leaving Iraq will be viewed as a retreat.  Obviously they don't want to say "cut and run" just yet, and the only way to declare "Mission Accomplish" is if we continue to commit American troops into a war that should have never happened to begin with


Why is this happening? because military contractors are not going to be getting their millions this upcoming year and mercenaries need wars to stay afloat (Remember Black Water, now going by Xe?) -  The same thing can be said by corporations that rape and pillage other people's countries, like Halliburton and GE among the many who's business is to create parts and equipment or pillage the other country's natural resources.

McCain is back at it as the only super-glorified prisoner of war the GOP finds specially useful to drone on about foreign policy - The GOP way.


On This week with Christiane Amanpour McCain verbally assaulted President Obama's decision to keep his promise to bring our troops home.


The Talking points:

"It is the wrong policy"
"It is a win for Iran" (See what he did here?) **
"It is a serious mistake" 


** Watch next week when they all ramp up the rhetoric to "Bomb, Bomb, Iran"


Adding to that he said that embassy personnel will be a target once the troops leave.  He is in the region and according to him, that is the word on the street.  It is just too bad that word on American Streets is ignored by these tone deaf ears.

In case you missed it this morning, I leave you with what is the most telling and blatant desperate attempts to continue to maintain the only thing the GOP values: War and Money.  


Click on this link to watch the round table discussion: This Week With Christiane Amanpour


Thankfully, the 99% is listening to the words on OUR streets.


PEACE

 
Image: Iraqui boys by Christiaan Briggs  CC-BY-SA-3.0   via Wikimedia Commons

Banks Are Government Victims

Make no mistake, according to Herman Cain, we have too much government interference when it comes to the banking industry and the government should just stay out of attempting to regulate or have anything to do with the banking industry.  He has also stated that banks have no obligation towards mortgage holders.  Unfortunately, he does not seem to be aware that there was a massive bailout of the banking industry in the trillions of dollars and because he does not know that (insert all the dripping sarcasm you can find here) he can't complain about the government interfering in keeping the banks afloat. 


He blames the FDIC for regulations and "the things" banks can and cannot do. Sound bytes: Barriers, restrictions, free market, threat of government regulations prevent banks negotiating with homeowners and my favorite, "The banks cannot get as creative as they could be" Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the "creative" part what brought Wall Street and the international economy to its kness? For more of Herman Cain's "Blah, blah, blah... " Watch the video below with credit to Think Progress.  


 


The banks, Mr. Herman Cain don't negotiate with homeowners because there is no money in it. Period.  If there was a buck to be made they'd be all over it.  According to the most recent Federal Reserve Bank of Boston study, banks recover more of their money through foreclosures than by adjusting rates or reducing principal so homeowners can stay in and maintain their homes.  So Mr. Herman Cain should get some valid information before he starts spouting the dangerous nonsense about eliminating banking regulations, because what he is essentially saying is that we should trust the thieves to guard the bank volt.


The Banking industry won't find an ally in what would be a much better representative for the GOP in this upcoming election than John Huntsman.  He fully understands the concept of monopolies and warns of the dangers of having institutions considered "Too big to fail"


If it weren't for regulations, Mr. Cain, Citi Group would have gotten Scott-free for perpetrating fraud against consumers.  Thankfully, they are subject to some rules and are subjected to law suits for FRAUD, yes, Mr. Cain, this is what happens when those with all the money take advantage of those who don't have the kind of clout or power the giant conglomerates have.  A settlement of $285 Millions dollars is a drop in the bucket for the Saudi owned corporation who can recoup that kind of cash in a few minutes and then write the entire amount as a tax deduction through the myriad of loopholes in the tax code that was designed to benefit these institutions exclusively.  - Go ahead and tell them you are replacing all this with a 9-9-9 plan and see how far that gets you - But knowing how slick you are and how responsible you are about not biting the hand that feeds you, you will likely keep those loopholes in place and further the greedy agenda of your party to screw only the minions, peons, poor and elderly.  


We fully understand why the 99% of the population is targeted by your party - We can always make more of those pesky people who are causing trouble by Occupying Wall Street and Occupying ... well, everything world-wide because, unfortunately for the majority of us,  we have a segment of the population that is rabid about aiding and abetting in controlling their neighbors and their lifestyle.  These people support any and all types of government intrusion into women's uterus, denying the right to have an abortion and making it impossible to obtain contraceptives.  


It is all these unintended pregnancies that will continue to replenish the pool of desperate people willing to work below minimum wage and keep them looping into a cycle of poverty and unintended ignorance.


It is this cycle of perpetuated ignorance that allows Herman Cain to blame "the little people" for their own miserable failure to become wealthy because he, Herman Cain is a perfect example of how anyone can be become extraordinarily rich by pulling himself by his own bootstraps.  The cycle of ignorance is what allows Cain to double-down on his rhetoric and have an audience of people who make under $50,000 a year cheering widely.


What is appalling is that the cheering took place in my state of Nevada where the unemployment rate is estimated to be close to 25% when we take into account the people who are no longer eligible to receive unemployment insurance, have not worked long enough to qualify for filing claims and have not been able to find work for the past two years.  It is also disturbing that in the state where upper middle-class neighborhoods are eerily silent due to the banking industry schemes and the rush into foreclosures, the members of this audience found it so appealing to blame the victims rather than the perpetrators. 





Image: Herman via Wikipedia Commons public domain

Pass the American Jobs Act

Occupy Wall Street - Occupy The Nation #OWS

CALL your senator and Congressmen Offices - both in DC and Local state offices to pass the American Jobs Act - Pass this bill! 

99% of us are marching and peacefully demonstrating on the streets - We need reform, we need to Occupy Wall Street #OWS and Occupy The Nation, but most importantly, we need living wages, respect and a government that works for the people, not the corporations.

From a Twitter doing her part and links at the bottom to find your Senators and Congress members.

If you can't march, call.  It is truly, the least we can do short of sitting on the couch and doing nothing.

mgrossi1 Renata C Grossi 

Call DC to pass Jobs Bill! This Senator is a No vote. Senator Joe Lieberman CT 202 224-4041

@Occupy_Congress Call DC to pass Jobs Bill! This Senator is a No vote. Senator Joe Lieberman CT 202 224-4041

mgrossi1 Renata C Grossi 

@ 

@Occupy_Congress Call DC to pass Jobs Bill! This Senator is a No vote. Senator Ben Nelson NE 202 224-6551

@Occupy_Congress Call DC to pass Jobs Bill! This Senator is a No vote. Senator Tester MT 202 224-2644


@Occupy_Congress Call DC to pass Jobs Bill! This Senator is a No vote. Senator Manchin 202 224-3954


Senator Joe Manchin WV DC office 202 224-3954 Call him to pass American Jobs Bill

mgrossi1 Renata C Grossi 

Senator Ben Nelson NE DC office 202 224-6551. Call him to pass American Jobs Bill

Senator Jon Tester MT DC Office 202 224-2644 Call him to pass American Jobs Bill


Senator Manchin WV 304 342-5855 Call him to pass American Jobs Bill


All Senators for 112 Congress link here:  http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm 


Need a map? Here you go:


http://www.contactingthecongress.org/  


Call, fax, email or send your demands via snail mail, but do your part to get America back to work.


Thank you and PEACE to all.

Women Used as Guinea Pigs

Every woman that has had a difficult vaginal delivery, or several, is bound to find that her bladder does not behave the same way it did prior to the pregnancy and delivery.  Kegel exercises are helpful to strengthen the abdominal muscles and over time, the expectation is that bladder control is ...well... under control.  A surgical procedure involving the permanent suturing of a mesh to the vaginal walls was designed to prevent bladder incontinence and other issues (Pelvic Organ Prolapse or POP). 


What the Heck is this thing?
The transvaginal mesh procedure is a technique that allows surgeons to stitch a mesh into a woman's vagina to help with incontinence that is typical of difficult deliveries or just something that happens as women age.  It is not uncommon to experience loss of muscle control and unpredictable incontinence after a difficult delivery or as we age and women find they need relief in order to continue living their lives to the fullest and not be subjected to constant embarrassment.  For some women, this is not just and inconvenience, but a smelly issue that precludes them from joining in activities and outings with the people they love.  For some, going out to dinner requires more preparation and vigilance than the outing is worth, and visiting relatives across the country is out of the question.


Besides medication, exercises and less invasive methods, there is the aforementioned surgical procedure in which a mesh is mesh is adhered to the vaginal walls to provide support.  The intent is to reinforce the lining and walls to prevent further collapse and hold in place everything that is collapsing, tilting or protruding.  Problem solved, right?


Who does this procedure?
One would think a surgeon with vast experience would, but according to the reports we have been reading, anyone with a medical degree can easily perform the procedure.  A General Practitioner could do it if so inclined. There is no law against him doing so, all he needs is patient consent.


What?
Yes, well, as far as the manufacturer was concerned, getting this thing to market was the only priority.  They clearly stated to the FDA that any doctor could do the procedure and that it was a very easy process.  Also, the manufacturers never conducted any trials to determine benefit, side effects or long-term damage.


Say What?
Seriously, the FDA approved this thing without trials.


What Happened?
The stupid thing melds/bonds/meshes with the lining of the vagina.  Causes - get this...- persistent urinary track infections that are painful and other organs to protrude, which is exactly what this thing is suppose to prevent.  In addition, it causes painful intercourse and, as reported by the patients, chronic painful urination.  The last thing we heard was that in many cases, this mesh has melded so well with the interior walls that it becomes impossible to remove.  Permanent scarring and cramping are common.


What Else?
If that is not enough, many of the women have to take sedatives in order to bear the painful urination and chronic pain.  The lining of the vagina becomes thin and degrades and there is no repair method.  This is a permanent situation rife for additional health issues to come in the near future.   There are other complications that are inherent during the surgical attachment and should not be minimized: The possibility of hitting the bladder and perforating anything on the other side of the lining is huge.  This includes the bladder. Pelvic hemorrhaging is also common.

From the FDA Website:

From 2008 – 2010, the most frequent complications reported to the FDA for surgical mesh devices for POP repair include mesh erosion through the vagina (also called exposure, extrusion or protrusion), pain, infection, bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse (dyspareunia), organ perforation, and urinary problems. There were also reports of recurrent prolapse, neuro-muscular problems, vaginal scarring/shrinkage, and emotional problems. Many of these complications require additional intervention, including medical or surgical treatment and hospitalization.

Are These Meshes Still on the Market?
Yes. Even though the FDA allowed this product to market without medical trials, they have allowed it to stay on the market with a warning that there have been complications and that doctors should take a course/class/training prior to performing the surgical procedure.  For more information I am directing you to WebMD and urge you to read the comments at the bottom of their article.  They are from real women who have had this surgical implant.


There are lawsuits and a possible reclassification by the FDA for the products, but it is obvious that the companies involved are not eager to see the classification changed to high-risk, or the FDA willing to admit openly that approving these procedures without clinical trials was a huge mistake.  They may not have a choice since this subject is out in the open and many more outlets will begin talking about it in the upcoming days.


Why Are We Talking About this?
Because you need to know. We all do.  In addition, we need to be aware of the intrinsic connection between the FDA and former executives from the pharmaceutical companies.  There have been times that this agency is nothing more than a revolving door between the private sector and the government and this is not necessarily a good thing for patients.  


You, me and the guy down the street, need to do our due diligence and examine results of  procedures and drugs as reported by other patients and the results of medical trials. If none are done, you may want to consider not being the guinea pig, or if there are trials asking for women only, you may want to consider being a pioneer.  Of course, it all depends on your situation and level of comfort.


Personal Opinion
What bothers me the most is reading comments from young, and previously healthy, women who have been dismissed as being lunatics.  As women, mothers, daughters and just plain, ole human beings, don't we deserve to have clinical trials and medications done exclusively for women? - Heart, and many other,  medications are given to women routinely but they have only been tested on men in clinical trials.  It should not be surprising that women don't respond to these drugs in the same manner as men do and many have the opposite intended effect.  In short, what is effective for a man, may or may not work for a more complex and understudied system as a woman's body.


What Can Women Do? 
Women, and the men who love them, need to become proactive in understanding what is being prescribed, why it is being prescribed and if there have been clinical trials involving women and understand those results.  If the trials involved both genders with a success rate of 80 percent, find out how much of that percentage were women, because if 70 percent success rate was only for the men, this may not be for you or the woman you love.

Get a second and third opinion and don't get them from the same place.  Furthermore, outweigh the current situation and perceived benefits before considering any type of procedure.  Many of us can lead normal lives through pain management that can be a combination of lifestyle changes, holistic approaches and tried and true pharmaceuticals.   For those of us who require more invasive procedures, jumping into it should only be done if there is no time to spare.  Most of us can, and should, take a few steps back and examine the situation from all angles before we decide to permanently insert foreign objects into our bodies.

I wish you health and PEACE 

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Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net