Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Freedom Tower glass "Made in China"

PRESS RELEASE:

The Skyscraper Safety Campaign
&
9/11 Parents & Families of Firefighters & WTC Victims


Port Authority Abandons American Manufacturers -
Awards Contract for Critically Important Portion
of Freedom Tower Glass to China !
WHAT: Press Conference to urge Port Authority to use American Manufacturers and
Workmanship to produce high security glass for the Freedom Tower
WHEN: Tomorrow - Wednesday April 1, 2009
TIME: 9:45 A.M.
WHERE: Across from #7 WTC on Greenwich Street ( in vicinity of new PATH station entrance)
The Skyscraper Safety Campaign (SSC) is shocked and appalled to learn that glass for the Freedom Tower - the number one terrorist terror target in the United Sates - will be made in China rather than in the USA using American labor! http://www.usgnn.com/newsHotNewsAlert20090331.htm
It is a well known fact that numerous Chinese products have inconsistent and questionable quality standards as seen in the major safety debacles & constant recalls involving lead in children's toys, contaminated toothpastes, tainted baby formula and pet foods, and most recently, contaminated drywall (gypsum board) used in home construction.
In addition to grave safety concerns, the use of Chinese glass in the Freedom Tower is a slap in the face to every hardworking American worker who has lost his or her job in this time of economic crisis. President Obama has called for jobs to remain in this country so that US citizens can remain gainfully employed. Was it a coincidence that the Beijing Vantone Real Estate Co. signed a lease for several floors in the Freedom Tower at the same time that their country received the multi million dollar contract to manufacture glass to be used in this building? Why were American glass companies - including one in Pennsylvania which has served this country's needs for over a century - denied this contract? Did the dropping of the name Freedom Tower have anything to do with these Chinese contracts?

It is undeniable that the Freedom Tower is an extremely sensitive building. The type and quality of glass is one of the most important considerations when designing a terrorism-resistant building. Glass shards have killed and maimed many people in previous terrorist blasts around the world. It is critical that the design and fabrication of the Freedom Tower glazing meet the highest possible quality standards. Does all of the glass for the Freedom Tower meet the standards of organizations such as the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the Department of Defense? Why were the Chinese selected for such a critical job at the expense of time-tested, high quality American manufacturing companies?

The SSC calls for the following immediate actions:

  • The SSC calls on our NY & NJ Congressional delegation to initiate a federal probe into the legality of the glass contract with China and to explore the relationship between the contract and the signing of the Freedom Tower lease with Beijing Vantone Co. Have any federal security laws been broken regarding sharing sensitive building specifications with foreign countries given the risks posed by the Freedom Tower's status as the nation's number one terrorist target?
  • The SSC calls on PANYNJ to explain why no American glass company received this contract, and to answer the question why American union workers have been overlooked.
  • The SSC calls on the PANYNJ to immediately void the Chinese glass contract & use USA products instead.
  • The SSC demands that the PANYNJ show the public exactly which standards were used to design the glass. The SSC further demands that the PANYNJ show the extent of blast-resistant glazing actually being proposed for the Freedom Tower - will the upper floors have blast-resistant glass or just the base of the building?
  • The SSC again calls on the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to give up its exemptions and immunities to New York City's building and fire codes. "Memoranda of understanding" with the city are useless pieces of paper which offer no legal means of code enforcement, including building permits, certificates of occupancy, and vacate orders.

    Quite apart from the concerns about American jobs, etc., surely I am not the only one who remembers how many goods "Made in China" have been proven hazardous to the health of our children and our pets, AND ourselves.

    The insanity continues.

What is love

A GREAT video! Watch for 3.14 mark.. Those kids are terrified! Enjoy!!!



Now doesn't that beat reading about JackAsses? I think so. I would dance with ANY of these dancers...errrrrr troops..

H/T Twinnie...

JackAss of the Day Award

That logo and the Award is the brainchild of my friend Claire over at Knee Deep in the Hooah!

The title of this award is self-explanatory, and her latest awardee is Bill Maher. I must admit I missed this, but others have taken note of the latest smear on our troops. Read on:

Bill Maher is a total jackass (but you knew that already)

Mar 30th, 2009 | By Claire | Category: Jackass of the Day Award Winners

This jackass made a really crappy comment about our troops who are stationed in Germany and Japan. He doesn’t know why we have troops still in Germany and Japan. A lot of people often wonder why we still have the number of troops we have in those locations. I don’t begrudge the question, but why does this moronic, ass-hat have to continue on to say something slanderous about the troops?

On Malkin’s site:

That Great American Patriot Bill Maher smears our troops serving in Japan and Germany: “At some point these people are going to have to learn to rape themselves.”

Is it a disorder? Can he not help that when his mouth opens, stupid falls out? Why does he go over the top to the side of being outright obscene? Probably because his ratings are worse than his lame attempt at being funny or intelligent.

My apologies to jackasses every where....


Go read more here of what Claire has to say about this ignorant ******

Then, head on over to Bouhammer's Afghan Blog:

Bill Maher, nothing more than an oxygen thief

Posted By Bouhammer on March 30, 2009

I used to like Bill Maher when I thought his satire was really funny. However over the last year or two I have been less and less impressed with this Oxygen Thief... (here)


I really don't need to add anything to what others have said about Maher, except:

NEXT!!!

Expanded support for Disabled Veterans' Families

Durbin and Bipartisan Group of Senators Introduce Legislation to Provide Support to Families of Severly Disabled Veterans

Friday, March 6, 2009

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today led a bipartisan group of Senators in introducing legislation to provide essential support services to family caregivers of severely disabled veterans. The Veteran and Servicemember Family Caregiver Support Act of 2009 establishes a program to provide technical, financial and practical support to family caregivers of veterans or members of the Armed Forces seriously injured in the line of duty since September 11, 2001. Durbin introduced today’s legislation with Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Mark Begich (D-AK) and Tom Udall (D-NM).

"Families across America are caring each day for the 6,800 men and women who have come home from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars unable to perform daily functions or live independently," said Durbin. "Many of these families are making enormous sacrifices to care for their loved ones. They are often forced to give up their full-time jobs, bear the cost of home care and even move across the country in search of treatment. It is time for our nation to step forward and provide support to the families of our brave men and women."

Since September 11, 2001, at least 6,800 veterans and members of the Armed Forces have been injured and are living with disabilities severe enough to require near around the clock care. Many family members stop working outside the home to become primary caregivers. They often do so at great financial and personal sacrifice, while the government is relieved of providing nursing home care, or otherwise paying for care it is obligated to provide.

"Many veterans treated with home-based care require less use of emergency care, institutionalization and veterans health system services," said Durbin. "If we invest in quality care at home, we not only enhance the quality of life for our veterans, but we can delay or forgo their need for more expensive institutional care."

The Veteran and Servicemember Family Caregiver Support Act of 2009 would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a two-year pilot program in six locations available to a veteran or member of the Armed Forces who was disabled in the line of duty after September 11, 2001, if the disability requires institutional care or home-based services. If the pilot programs are successful, the legislation provides authority to expand the program nationwide. The legislation would:...


To see details of what this legislation would do, go here.


H/T Jane

Lawmakers Offer Troop Tax Cut Bill

Bilirakis & Carney Introduce Bipartisan Tax Cut for U.S. Troops PDF Print E-mail

WASHINGTON (23 March) - U.S. Rep. Gus M. Bilirakis (R-Fla.), representing Florida’s 9th Congressional District, has introduced bipartisan legislation, H.R. 1624: the Military Personnel Income Tax Exclusion Act, to improve active duty military pay and help military families during tough economic times. The legislation recognizes the superb commitment of service members and their families to our nation by providing a much needed reduction of their federal income tax. Congressman Chris Carney (D-Pa.), Chairman of the Homeland Security's Subcommittee Management, Investigations, and Oversight, joined Bilirakis in sponsoring the bill.

H.R. 1624 would exempt all active duty military personnel from paying federal income tax on his or her annual pay up to the first $16,800. If enacted, the legislation would provide an across the board tax cut for all service members and result in a one-hundred percent tax cut for 66,000 of our force’s lowest paid troops.

“In its first 50 days, Congress spent $1 billion an hour. I believe we should take a couple of hours and cut taxes for our service members,” said Bilirakis. “While the debt we owe our troops for their sacrifices can never be fully repaid, this tax cut would be a step in the right direction to show our appreciation for their enduring valor.”

“Supporting and protecting our troops is not a partisan issue and that is why I am honored to be working across the aisle with Representative Bilirakis to co-sponsor the Military Personnel Income Tax Exclusion Act. This bipartisan bill cuts taxes across the board for our men and women in uniform and provides a powerful incentive for our best and brightest to continue serving in the armed forces,” said Carney.

In addition to being an economic stimulant, the legislation would serve as an excellent recruitment and retention incentive for members of our Armed Services.

“It is critical for the continued growth and morale of our Armed Forces that we work toward improving military compensation,” Bilirakis added. “This legislation will help our Armed Forces continue to attract the quality men and women who work so tirelessly to defend our freedom.”

(source)


H/T Jane

Post-Deployment Assistance Web Site

TRICARE Updates Post-Deployment Assistance Web Site


TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) on March 9 announced upgrades to its post-deployment Web site designed to help servicemembers and their families readjust to life after a return home from a combat zone. Launched last year, the site, www.afterdeployment.org, was designed to provide strategies and educational materials that address a range of post-deployment issues, including combat stress; conflict at work; reconnecting with family and friends; living with physical injuries; and health and wellness. The updated Web site features workshops in its “Improving Relationships” program, as well self-help workshops and activities in its “Helping Kids Deal with Deployment,” “Seeking Spiritual Fitness,” and “Controlling Drugs and Alcohol” sections. “Users report very positive feelings about the usefulness and quality of information available on Afterdeployment.org,” said Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, TMA deputy director. “It’s a free resource that can be very helpful for veterans transitioning back from their deployment.”

To see more, go to: www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=512.


H/T Jane (do I have the best readers or what?)

Monday, March 30, 2009

Wounded Combat Warriors Need YOU!

[gview_002.PNG]

That is the official flyer of an incredible weekend in May that the Combat Warrior Crisis Network and The Independence Fund are hosting. Happening 14 - 17 May, this Independence Ride is CWCN's way of giving back to some of our bravest warriors.

Some information (since I can't figure out how to improve the quality on that flyer):

The Independence Fund and Combat Warrior Crisis Network are working together to bring about 250 wounded soldiers from all over the country to Pensacola. We have DOD and VA support.

Take a look at this video and see some of the great work these groups do for our wounded warriors:



I don't need to tell any of you that these events, this work on behalf of our wounded warriors, takes money - LOTS of $ for plane fares, lodging, food, etc etc.

This is where you come in. PLEASE, for the price of just one day's worth of lattes or whatever you can afford, you can help these guys. They need YOUR donation to make this year's Independence Ride happen.

Go to the Combat Warriors Crisis Network's site here, and check out their programmes such as Take A Soldier Fishing. Then donate. They have PayPal to make it really easy for you to get involved and tell our warriors that you care. The PayPal link is on this page here.

The founder of the Combat Warriors Crisis Network is Mike Nashif. Active duty soldier, he is also on FaceBook. If you have any questions, you can either go to their website, or find Mike on FaceBook.(hint: he is on a certain brat's "friends" list...lol)

The Combat Warriors Crisis Network is a 501c(3) registered group, so every dime you give them goes to their programmes.
Their site says:

Who is Combat Warrior Crisis Network?
CWCN is a Faith Based 501 (c) 3, non- profit public charity and Ministry, an Affiliate Subordinate Ministry of Chaplain Fellowship Ministries Inc. Intl. Our focus is to provide the Armed Forces with an alternate view or means to assist the healing process after a combat related injury.

Our Mission Statement:
We strive to show that there are people out there that care, and want to help. There are resources in both the public and military communities, many armed forces members are not aware that exist. One of the programs we offer is Take a Soldier Fishing.


Our organization focuses on the ever growing need to support the service members AND their spouses before, during, and after deployments. Fishing and the outdoors are our main focus for support and assisting our participants in learning positive tools to assist with stress. (here)


Check out Take A Soldier Fishing here, too.

Another way you can help financially? By buying an event t-shirt from The Independence Fund. The t-shirt picture is at the top of this post. And where do you buy these great t-shirts for this event? Right here, of course, on The Independence Fund's site! When you have donated, be sure and read all about this event, and The Independence Fund while you are there!

We all know heroes that we see on a daily basis. Now, we have an opportunity to make sure that "The Heroes are coming" to Pensacola for an unforgettable weekend.

I have given you a few options for ways to donate whatever you can afford. Let's get 'er done!

Thank you.

*THIS just in: I hear that Michael Darwin's Theory is booked to play on the Friday night...Yeeehaaa! You do remember their "I Believe in America" track, don't you? Good times!!!*

Fort Worth, Texas Tax Day Tea Party

*cross-posted from Faultline USA*

Monday, March 30, 2009

Fort Worth, Texas Tax Day Tea Party

Fort Worth, Texas Tax Day Tea Party

April 15, 2009

6:00pm - 8:00pm

La Grave Field

301 NE 6th Street

Fort Worth, TX

Parking is a $5

This is on the northern outskirts of downtown Ft. Worth. It is the stadium where the Fort Worth Cats play baseball.

This is an outdoor event- Tentative rain date is April 18th. Updates will be published on the Facebook event page.

Mapquest link:

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&address=301+NE+6th+Street&city=Fort+Worth&state=TX&country=US

Facebook Event link http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=56178096157&ref=ts

For more information: fortworthteaparty (at) gmail (dot) com

Sunday, March 29, 2009

What's In a name?: Freedom Towers

There has long been debate on all aspects of the rebuilding the towers on ground zero in New York, site of the 9/11 terrorist attack that killed thousands. Part of the debate still going on, all these years later, is what to name the new structure. The most recent?:
Critics call WTC tower name change unpatriotic
March 28th, 2009 . by TexasFred

Critics call WTC tower name change unpatriotic

NEW YORK (AP) - Even without the name, the symbolism of the Freedom Tower as an American response to the Sept. 11 terror attacks was hard to miss.

The original architect designed a twisting form he wanted to imitate the Statue of Liberty, with a spire that rose to the deliberate height of 1,776 feet to recognize the year of American independence. Politicians called the tower proof of the country’s triumph over terrorism.

Former Gov. George Pataki said visitors to the iconic skyscraper “will know our determination to overcome evil” in a 2003 speech that first gave the Freedom Tower its name.

The tower - still under construction with a projected completion date of 2013 - no longer has the same architect, design or footprint on the 16-acre site. And this week, the owners of ground zero publicly parted ways with the Freedom Tower name, saying it would be more practical to market the tallest building in New York as the former north tower’s name, One World Trade Center.

Critics called the name drop an unpatriotic shedding of symbolism by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Some newspaper editorials blasted the agency for years of missed deadlines and changing plans for the site.


That's from TexasFred's. Read the rest here. (A must read!)

Then today comes this:

CHANCE FOR 'FREEDOM'

By GINGER ADAMS OTIS

Freedom may be returning to One World Trade Center.

A bill to be submitted this week in Albany seeks a permanent name change for the tower at Ground Zero, officially declaring it the Freedom Tower.

Brooklyn Sen. Marty Golden is submitting the legislation in defiance of the Port Authority, which owns the site.

The agency last week announced it was dropping the patriotic moniker.

Golden is canvassing fellow Republicans as well as Democrats in the Legislature for support for his bill. (source: New York Post here)


The debate continues. Stay tuned.

Every Day Heroes
























All the women veterans, past and present, who attended a Women's History Month ceremony at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pose for a group photo. DoD photo by Samantha L. Quigley


Artist Nancy E. Rhodes, center, stands in front of her painting "Women in the Military," which she presented to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on March 26, 2009, during a Women's History Month ceremony. Alyce Dixon, left, is a World War II veteran who served in the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, and Deb Joiner, a Vietnam veteran, is featured in Rhodes painting. DoD photo by Samantha L. Quigley


More great military women who prove that they ARE Every Day Heroes:

Veterans Affairs Honors Military Women of Past, Present

By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 27, 2009 – The women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion were honored for their morale-boosting efforts during World War II in a ceremony at the Department of Veterans Affairs here yesterday.

Alyce Dixon and Mary Ragland, two former members of the battalion, were on hand to accept the accolades and to set the record straight.

“What a monumental challenge [you’d] taken on. That’s the kind of can-do spirit that is the hallmark of the American soldier,” said John Gingrich, Veterans Affairs’ chief of staff. “You cleared out two years [worth] -- 7 million pieces -- of backlogged mail in just three months.”

“It was 90,000 pieces of mail,” Dixon quipped from the front row, correcting the number of letters she and the other members of her unit cleared through a temporary post office in Birmingham, England.

Working three shifts, seven days a week, the women of the first all-woman, all African-American battalion, cleared the backlog in just three months before they were moved to France to start the same task all over again. They were given six months to complete the job. Again, they did it in three months.

“The women of the 6888 made tremendous sacrifices and endured many injustices,” Lucretia McClenney, director of the Center for Minority Veterans, said. “However, they not only prevailed, but they succeeded in their mission, and they created a positive impact on racial integration in the military.

“Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and especially the women veterans, are honored to salute you, the women veterans of the 6888 Central Postal Directory Battalion, and say thanks for answering our nation’s call to serve,” she said.

The battalion included 832 enlisted members and 31 officers. It was commanded by Army Maj. Charity Adams Earley who, by the end of the war, was the highest-ranking African-American woman in the military.

The ceremony also included the presentation of a painting honoring women veterans to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Though Gingrich said it captures the “heart and spirit of the woman veteran,” its creator, Nancy E. Rhodes, is, ironically, a civilian.

The artwork, titled “Women in the Military,” holds the distinction of being the nation’s first large-scale painting solely dedicated to all women in the military, past, present and future, to be permanently installed in a federal building.

The painting serves to honor the sacrifices generations of women have made for their country.

“Before I started this important work, and especially because I wasn’t a veteran, I felt it was essential to interview many veterans, both active and retired,” Rhodes said. “After listening to the accounts of veterans spanning World War II up until the Gulf War, I realized that while many women had positive experiences in the military, there were far too many others who were not treated with the dignity and respect they deserved.

“Even sadder, many of these women, especially some of our older veterans, didn’t think that they deserved recognition either,” she added. “It was astonishing to me that these veterans didn’t even know that they could apply for veterans benefits. They didn’t consider themselves to be real veterans like the men, even after enlisting and giving up four years of their lives to serve.”

Rhodes, born in Philadelphia, has earned degrees from both the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York and Temple University in her hometown. She and her family are currently living in East Lansing, Mich., where she is on the faculty at Lansing Community College.

Congress passed a resolution declaring March Women’s History Month in 1981 as an outgrowth of the celebration of Women’s History Week, which included International Woman’s Day. (source)

Nachshon Waxman: Iran Must pay













Nachson's father Mordechai watches Hamas tape
Nachson's father Mordechai watches Hamas tape
Israel News Photo: Flash 90

US Court Orders Iran to Pay Waxman Family $25 Million

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

(IsraelNN.com) A United States federal court issued a verdict on Friday ordering Iran to pay $25 million to the family of Nachshon Waxman, the IDF soldier who Hamas terrorists kidnapped and executed while the entire country of Israel united to say Psalms for his rescue.

Waxman, a U.S. citizen who was born in Jerusalem, was 19 years old when terrorists kidnapped him. The terrorists disguised themselves as orthodox Jews in order to lure the soldier into their vehicle while he was hitchhiking near Ben Gurion Airport.

The Waxman family charged that Iran was an accessory to the murder because of its funding of the terrorist organization. The judgment against Tehran was issued after the country refused to respond to the lawsuit.

"The financial support, tactical training and political direction that Iran provided to Hamas proximately caused the abduction and execution of Nachshon," U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina concluded.

Read the rest of that news here.

Nachshon Waxman was off duty when Hamas operatives kidnapped him in October 1994. In the aftermath, 50,000 Israelis gathered at the Western Wall along with Waxman's parents, Esther and Yehuda, for a prayer vigil, countless others prayed at home. Sadly, Waxman was killed, three days after his abduction, when an IDF rescue attempt went awry. In the many terrorist attacks on Israel in the years since, Waxman's murder has become almost forgotten.


A dual citizen of Israel and the United States, Wachsman was raised in Jerusalem. He is the third of seven sons born to an Israeli father and a mother who was born in a German displaced persons camp and immigrated to Israel from Brooklyn.[1] Wachsman volunteered for an elite commando unit of the Golani Brigade, serving in the Orev Golani. Kidnapping At home on a leave, Wachman was instructed by the military to attend a one-day training course in northern Israel. He left Saturday night after the Sabbath and told his parents he would return Sunday night, October 9. He was last seen by a friend who reported that, after completing the training, Wachsman had been dropped off at the Bnai Atarot junction, a highly populated area in central Israel, where he could either catch a bus or hitchhike, a common practice by Israeli soldiers, to Jerusalem....


On Tuesday 11 October a videotape was broadcast showing Wachsman, with hands and feet bound, before a keffiyeh-covered militant, displaying the soldier's identity card. After the militant recited the hostage's home address and identity number, Wachsman spoke with the armed militant behind him: "The group from Hamas kidnapped me. They are demanding the release of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin and another 200 from Israeli prison. If their demands are not met, they will execute me on Friday at 8 P.M." Nachshon's parents personally appealed to world leaders, including then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, American President Bill Clinton, and Muslim religious leaders, who urged Hamas to release the soldier. On Thursday night, with 24 hours until the ultimatum, prayer vigils were held in many places. Over 100,000 people representing all religious, political, and social segments of the Israeli population gathered at the Western Wall. Responding to a request by Esther Wachsman, Nachshon’s mother, many women lit an extra Sabbath candle for her son. (read more background here.)


As we all wait for the safe release of Gilad Shalit, an American court lays the blame for Nachson's fate squarely with the Iranians. I am on record as believing that no amount of money can ever compensate a mother for the loss of a child. Do I think Iran will ever pay this family? Hardly, but with this symbolic, significant ruling, Iran IS - yet again - called to account.

Music and Me

Music for the soul

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Another soldier, another Haditha!!!

Yes, it IS true, and I am so angry. I would probably be inarticulate right now on this issue, but Snooper HAS written about it:

Another Soldier Has Been Given the Haditha Treatment!

I can hardly wait when all of the libtards in the military are "removed from service".

GOVERNMENT WITHHOLDS EVIDENCE; SOLDIER GOES TO PRISON FOR 25 YEARS FOR SHOOTING AL QAEDA OPERATIVE

Sound familiar? Murtha must be proud.

The Story ...

On March 20th, 2009, 1st Lieutenant Michael Behenna was sentenced to 25 years in prison for killing a known Al Qaeda operative while serving in Iraq. The “victim”, Ali Mansur, was known to be a member of an Al Qaeda cell operating in the lieutenant’s area of operation, and was suspected to have organized an attack on Lt. Behenna’s platoon in April 2008 which killed two U.S. soldiers and injured two more. Army intelligence ordered the release of Mansur and Lt. Behenna was ordered to return the terrorist to his home.



During the return of Mansur, Lt. Behenna again questioned
the Al Qaeda member for information about other members of the terrorist cell, and financial supporters. During this interrogation, Mansur attacked Lt. Behenna, who killed the terrorist in self-defense. The government subsequently prosecuted Lt. Behenna for premeditated murder.


Snooper has more, with links, and a call to arms. PLEASE, go here and read the rest and see what YOU can do. We cannot let this happen again! We just can't.

VA and unsterile instruments (update)

The other day I brought you word that some VA hospitals have been found to use unsterile instruments on our vets, especially in the colonoscopy procedures.

TexasFred's has an update, and it is not getting any better, folks:

VA says 10 colonoscopy patients have hepatitis

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - The Veterans Affairs department says 10 people have tested positive for infectious liver disease since they were exposed to contaminated colonoscopy equipment.

The 10 are among thousands of patients who have been warned to get blood tests since being treated at VA facilities in Murfreesboro, Tenn., Miami and Augusta, Ga. All three sites failed to properly sterilize equipment between treatments...

He has more, with even higher numbers now updated, here. THIS is only the beginning, folks! Stay tuned.

Media Bias? You decide

From the Media Research Council:

You don’t need to be Catholic to be outraged by the following example of horrendous liberal media bias by omission.

We all watched the media remain shamefully silent as the TEA Parties (Taxed Enough Already) - some attended by thousands of Americans - spontaneously erupted all over America to protest the Obama Administration’s taxing and spending policies.

Well, the liberal media are at it again – refusing to report the news they don’t like. Notre Dame University has invited President Barack Obama – the most pro-abortion President in our nation’s history - to be the school's commencement speaker and to award him an honorary doctoral degree in law.

Bill Donahue, President of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights, told our CNSNews.com “This has done more to divide Catholics than just about anything I’ve seen in recent time.”

He is just one of many, many Americans of all stripes outraged by this decision. But the liberal media would rather report on Obama’s NCAA Tournament bracket than the fact that in less than seventy-two hours more than 50,000 people have signed a petition urging the president of Notre Dame to rescind his invitation to speak.

To read the full story click here. And for all the latest breaking news - free from the liberal spin of the “Lamestream Media” - bookmark CNSNews.com today. ...


Go read it all. THEN there is this:

+ + Katie Couric Positively Bubbly About the Flat Economy

Here we have a glaring example of bias by selection – the media report or don’t report whatever helps advance their liberal agenda.

One day does not a rally make
. After weeks of downplaying the tumbling Dow, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric jumped on news of yesterday’s one-day uptick, gleefully declaring “the stock market soars as the Treasury rolls out a new plan to rescue America’s banks.”

Compare that to her February 10th broadcast. Then, Couric deftly spun away from the Dow’s precipitous 382 drop - failing to mention it in her tease, choosing instead to giddily hype the Obama Administration’s efforts to fix the economy. “Tonight, attacking the economic crisis from every angle: The Treasury Secretary rolls out a new bailout plan, the Senate passes the stimulus package and the President gets a little help selling it.”

Pathetic.

Read the full NewsBusters.org story, click here.

And the story about Couric? Here:
Stocks Soar and Plunge, But Couric Always Upbeat About Obama's Efforts
Photo of Brent Baker.

On Monday night, Katie Couric teased the CBS Evening News by trumpeting how “the stock market soars as the Treasury rolls out a new plan to rescue America's banks,” and then leading: “The Treasury put out the details today of a plan to rescue America's banks and Wall Street responded with two thumbs up and a triple-digit rally.” Six weeks ago, however, when the Dow plunged 382 points in reaction to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner's vague plan for banks, Couric didn't mention the stock market in her tease as she instead giddily announced:
COURIC: Tonight, attacking the economic crisis from every angle: The Treasury Secretary rolls out a new bailout plan, the Senate passes the stimulus package and the President gets a little help selling it.

MAN AT FT. MYERS EVENT WITH OBAMA: Oh, it's such a blessing to see you Mr. President! Thank you for taking time out of your day!

In setting up the lead story, on the Tuesday, February 10 newscast, Couric did get to Wall Street's negative reaction to Geithner's plan, but she played it as less important than the Obama administration's efforts to fix the economy:

Good evening, everyone. From President Obama on down, the U.S. government took on this country's growing financial crisis today. The President hit the road again to sell his stimulus package as the Senate was approving a version that cost $19 billion more than what the House passed last week. And the Treasury announced a new financial rescue plan; this one would spend as much as $2 trillion to get lenders lending again. But it got a vote of no confidence on Wall Street, where the Dow plunged nearly 400 points.... [Go read the rest of this one here]


Pretty sad state of affairs when the media that can't seem to report the facts, becomes the story. Media bias? Not so much, riiiiiiiiight?

Just the facts?











It is said that in times of war, the first casualty is truth. I think my readers already know that the msm rarely, if ever, sticks to "just the facts, ma'am." Obviously, we all have our own biases, but all too often, so-called 'reporters', and msm groups, let their own biases shine bright and clear. Reporters biases, editors' agenda, usually get in the way of the facts. This is not just a north American problem. It IS international. Nowhere is this more stark than the news coming out of Israel. Read on:

"War Crimes" and Shoddy Journalism

Ha'aretz and The Guardian's war crimes allegations debunked.

Browsing the Israeli press can provide a broader and more informed picture of events in Israel than the narrower and sometimes slanted international media coverage. Indeed, Israel's press is hardly monolithic with a variety of competing political narratives and a penchant for self-criticism, so much so that many of the most negative stories appearing in the international press are first broken by the Israeli newspapers.

Unfortunately, Israeli journalists, like their Western counterparts, also have their own biases and journalistic lapses. Such is the case of a recent Ha'aretz story alleging "war crimes" and serious ethical failures on the part of the IDF in Gaza. Predictably, many international media outlets, including the New York Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Australian, and Globe & Mail to name but a few, repeated the allegations without bothering to do any rudimentary checks.

Separately from Ha'aretz but only a few days later, The Guardian published its own claims of evidence of alleged Israeli "war crimes" (repeated in Australia's The Age). Online videos and accompanying articles accused Israeli forces of using human shields, deliberately firing on Palestinian medical staff and indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians with unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as claims that Israel had used a variety of weapons in "illegal ways." (See section below for more on The Guardian.)

Both Ha'aretz and The Guardian are guilty of shoddy journalism. But the international press is hardly any better. Instead of checking the facts on such a highly contentious issue, publications simply repeated the allegations. Had they done a modicum of research, they would have uncovered numerous flaws. Melanie Phillips, for example, examines Ha'aretz's pieces:

There are precisely two charges of gratuitous killing of Palestinian civilians under allegedly explicit orders to do so. One is what even Ha'aretz made clear was an accidental killing, when two women misunderstood the evacuation route the Israeli soldiers had given them and walked into a sniper's gunsights as a result. Moreover, the soldier who said this has subsequently admitted he didn’t see this incident - he wasn’t even in Gaza at the time - and had merely reported rumour and hearsay.

The second charge is based on a supposedly real incident in which, when an elderly woman came close to an IDF unit, an officer ordered that they shoot her because she was approaching the line and might have been a suicide bomber. The soldier relating this story did not say whether or not the woman in this story actually was shot. Indeed, since he says 'from the description of what happened' it would appear this was merely hearsay once again.

Writing in The Jerusalem Post, Herb Keinon points out:

It is important to note that none of the testimony was about what the soldiers did themselves, but rather of what they heard or saw other soldiers do. It is also important that what was reported seems to fall within the realm of aberrations by individuals during war against a cruel enemy hiding behind civilians, not a systematic loss by the army of its moral compass.

The second piece of context is Dani Zamir, the head of the program, who had the soldiers' words transcribed and published. A story in Haaretz on Thursday said that in 1990 Zamir, then a parachute company commander in the reserves, was tried and sentenced to prison for refusing to guard a ceremony where "right-wingers" brought Torah scrolls to Joseph's tomb in Nablus.

The allegations were rebutted by other IDF soldiers interviewed by YNet News:...

Yet again, someone has taken the time to set it all out in black and white. Go here to Honest Reporting to read the rest.

"Just the facts"??????????? Not so much.

Friday, March 27, 2009

B*N*S*N for the kids!

‘Operation Purple’ Offers Summer Fun to Military Kids

By Sharon Foster
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2009 – The National Military Family Association will host more than 9,000 military children at “Operation Purple” youth camps across America this year.

These free, weeklong, overnight camps are meant to bring children of deployed servicemembers, ages 7 to 17, together for an exciting and memorable experience. Camps will be held in 62 locations and 37 states and territories across the United States.

“We understand these are trying times for our youngest heroes,” Michelle Joyner, NMFA’s director of communications, said. “Operation Purple Camps bring together kids in similar situations and teach them coping skills to better deal with their feelings. At the same time, the camp helps build their confidence by introducing new experiences like learning to be stewards of the environment.”

Military children experience a wide range of activities at the camps from horseback riding and canoeing to rock climbing and swimming. Each camp creates a “Wall of Honor” in which campers are asked to bring a photo of their parent to be posted. Campers also are given an opportunity to talk about their parent during this event. A military-themed activity day allows campers to work with their local military community on a joint project.

A military guest speaker also is invited to speak with campers.

“Outside of the traditional outdoor activities, campers are given the chance to learn more about what the deployment is really like,” Joyner said.

The Operation Purple program was created by NMFA, headquartered in Alexandria, Va., in 2004 as a way to help military children struggling with the stresses of war. The program includes traditional summer camps, teen camps, teen leadership camps, family retreat camps and day clinics in overseas locations.

“This year, we're excited to offer three Operation Purple Teen Leadership Camps for military teens who are role models and leaders in their community,” Joyner said. “These leadership camps last a bit longer, 10 days, and include travel expenses to and from camp. After camp, teens return home armed to make a difference in their community.”

Registration for this year’s camps will be open until midnight EST on April 20. Priority will be given to military children with a parent deployed or deploying anytime between September 2008 and December 2009 and who have not had the opportunity to attend an Operation Purple camp in the past.

Thanks to the support of the Sierra Club, a grassroots environmental organization, camps are free to all participants.

“Sierra Club is proud to be working with the National Military Family Association to connect our nation’s youngest heroes with the healing benefits of the outdoors,” Brittany McKee, Sierra Club’s national military representative, said. “Operation Purple camps empower military children and provide a much-needed respite from worries about their deployed parent.”

Since Operation Purple Camp’s inception, NMFA has sent more than 20,000 military kids to camp for free.(here)

B*N*S*N1

Gail H. McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans; Marine Corps Maj. Denise Garcia; and Sharie Bourbeau, assistant deputy chief of naval operations, manpower, personnel, training and education, attend the 2009 Women's History Month Observation and Awards Program at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Arlington, Va., March 19, 2009. Garcia was honored in part for her leadership in securing Anbar prvince, Iraq. U.S. Army photo by C. Todd Lopez


In keeping with Womens History Month, another GREAT story to share with you!

Servicemembers, Civilians Honored at Women’s History Month Event

By C. Todd Lopez
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2009 – Ten servicemembers and civilians were honored last week as part of the Defense Department’s Women's History Month Observance and Awards Program.

The recipients were awarded the 2009 Foreign Language and Science, Engineering and Math Role Model Award on March 19 at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at the gates of Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Va.

"For generations, women across our great land have helped make our country stronger and better," Gail H. McGinn, deputy undersecretary of defense for plans, said. "They have improved our communities and played a vital role in achieving justice and equal rights for all our citizens.

“The [Defense Department] joins our nation to recognize the many contributions women make to our society and ensure that the history of American women is recognized."

Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Rhonda Cornum, director of the Army’s comprehensive soldier fitness program, gave the keynote address.

The general said during her years as a junior officer, she was largely unaware of the challenges women had faced in military service prior to her arrival. She said it was those who came before her who carved the path.

"We really need to recognize and celebrate those ladies who just kind of went through uncharted territory with machetes," Cornum said. "People like me who come after that think that path has always been there -- and it just has not been. I really did not appreciate that until somewhat recently."

This story really IS B*N*S*N. You won't find it in the msm, but you can - and should - read the rest here.