Another Black Eye For the Bush Administration

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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President Bush may have dodged an attack by incoming shoes during last weekend’s now infamous Iraq press conference, but it seems White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was somewhat less fortunate. According to reports (hers included) Perino sustained a black eye when a US Secret Service agent (code name ‘Keystone Cop’) toppled a microphone stand during the subsequent melee.


What, Me Worry?

As is customary with this president, George Bush just shrugged it all off. What’s another pair of shoes for a man who has cost so many innocent people their legs? What’s another black eye to this once great nation? Bush is without conscience. Why should he care if a stranger tosses their shoes in his direction? Bush did, after all, encourage ‘them’ to “bring it on”. I just don’t think he was anticipating a size 10 wingtip. Nonetheless, the old adage stands… if the shoe fits, wear it.

As for Perino, her physical wounds will heal soon enough. It is the black eye to her own legacy with which she should be most concerned. Her days as mouthpiece for the lamest of all ducks are quickly drawing to a close. When George W. Bush limps out of the Oval Office for the last time on January 20th, Dana Perino will find herself left to the wolves. Just ask Scott McClellan. He could write a book on the subject.

Of course, Perino’s own snide demeanor has undoubtedly left many with reason to envision black circles around her beady little eyes. Irony has not been lost on the fact that it came down to the Secret Service to accomplish the dirty deed. What a long, strange trip it has truly been. I suppose the truth does indeed hurt, or at least in this instance, it smarts a little. My advice to Dana? Just do what you always do… ignore it and it will go away.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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The War Prayer

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - blogment -
National News wire - The Infinite Echo

"O Lord our Father,
our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle –
be Thou near them! With them – in spirit – we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with hurricanes of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it – for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

Mark Twain
1905

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Happy Thanksgiving

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - blogment -
National News wire - The Infinite Echo

With Thanksgiving upon us, America is facing crisis on a number of fronts. The troubled economy is first and foremost in the minds of most, but our problems go well beyond our current economic woes. Much like the children’s story about a certain Mr. Dumpty, our nation is experiencing fractures from the impact of a great fall, and we’ll need more than a new king and his henchmen to piece this thing back together.

Of course, I mean no slight to the president elect. Obama has assembled an impressive team of respected minds to lead us out of this mire. Still, they will have many obstacles set before them in coming months. The situation is both dire, and ugly.

On a lighter note…
Here along the home front, the turkey is in the oven, and a fresh pot of coffee is on the way. Earlier this morning, the power was off for an hour or so, which wasn’t so bad, really. We all climbed out of bed, placed lit candles in strategic locations, and proceeded to heat water on our gas stove for the purpose of hot coco. As it turns out, hot coco by candlelight at six in the morning is a wonderful way to start thanksgiving day.

It has been raining for hours, but the sun is beginning to poke through the clouds from time to time. At sixty-eight degrees, we are not discussing global warming today. It’s just too nice out… it wouldn’t seem right. It’s for weather like this, after all, that people move to the valley in the first place.

I haven’t been posting as often as I would like, but hopefully I’ll get a few more posts up in the coming days. There has been much to write about, but my attention has been elsewhere. I just wanted to take a few moments of my time, (and perhaps a few minutes of yours) to count my blessing contemplate the future. Hopefully, I’ll see you there.

Until next time, happy Thanksgiving, and may your turkey (and your thoughts) be tasteful and tender.

Brad

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Tim Russert Dies at Age 58

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - blogment -
National News wire - The Infinite Echo

NBC News Washington Bureau Chief Tim Russert passed away suddenly, after suffering an apparent heart attack in Washington D.C. Mr. Russert, was indeed quite special. He will be greatly missed by many.

A journalist and a gentleman, the consummate professional, and an inspiration to his peers, Tim will be remembered most of all for being a family man. Tim was a venerable figure in the journalism profession. He loved his country, and he loved his job. His integrity can be matched by few.

Dr. Michael Neumann, an assistant to Mr. Russert reports that Russert collapsed while preparing for ‘Meet the Press’ which he moderated and has hosted since 1991. Resuscitation began immediately, but to no avail. Russert was taken to Sibley hospital, where he was pronounced dead. An autopsy later confirmed the cause of death.

Tim Russert had recently returned from vacationing in Italy with his family, following the graduation of his son Luke from Boston College. Russert, born in 1950, was raised in Buffalo, N.Y. where the flags were lowered to half mast in his honor. Russert had a unique gift for gleaning and retaining information, and clearly loved his work. He was driven by a yearning for the truth, a quest that set the tone throughout his life.

“If you could pass the Tim Russert test, you could do something in this field,” opined Howard Fineman, senior Washington correspondent for Newsweek magazine. Brian Williams, managing editor and anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” called Russert’s death a “staggering, overpowering and sudden loss.”

“Tim Russert was a friend to millions, respected, admired and loved” said an obviously shaken Barbara Walters, who stuttered as she struggled to rise above her grief. Russert was a tireless champion of journalism, and indeed, there are those who believe it was his ceaseless work ethic that brought about his early demise. He died in his element.

During ‘Meet the Press’ this last Sunday, an empty chair was placed at the moderators table. It was a sad, defining moment for the program that won’t be soon forgotten.

Tim’s love for politics has been described as infectious. He excelled at life and at his work. My heartfelt sympathy goes to his family and loved one’s. God bless you, Tim Russert, and Godspeed. May you look down upon us and be as pleased with us as we are with all the gifts you have left behind for others to enjoy.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - Sound Foundation - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Impeachment Now! - Skate the Razor -
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An Era of Steel and Steam

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound and Recording - blogment -
National News wire - The Infinite Echo

It was an age of steel and steam. It was a time of great power and wealth. Soon the world would be forever changed by this new mechanical marvel, the steam locomotive, the driving force behind the industrial revolution.

For centuries, man had understood the potential of steam as an energy source, but it took until 1803 before Samuel Homfray was able to successfully harness that energy with his invention of the steam engine. The first successful railway followed soon after, when on March 25th, 1807, England began passenger service between Swansea and Mumbles.

Across the pond, America was developing it’s own railway, and by 1869, eighteen hundred miles of track connected Omaha, Nebraska with Sacramento, California. The resulting improvement of trade routes was felt throughout the world. Within a decade, the industrial revolution was on a roll.



By 1893, the U.S. had completed five transcontinental trunk lines and no less than 260,000 miles of track. Monopolies flourished. A brilliant engineer named Theodore Judah successfully persuaded Washington to pony up ten to twenty square miles of land and at least $48,000 for every mile of track completed. The track was laid by armies of imported Chinese ’coolies’, laborers who toiled relentlessly while rail barons were popping champagne corks and charging glasses in celebration.

Enter, Andrew Carnegie, philosopher and opportunist, and in later years, philanthropist. At age 18, Carnegie caught the eye of Pennsylvania rail baron Tom Scott, becoming his personal secretary and telegraph operator. Carnegie however, had great plans for the future. The unbreakable grip of the iron industry was about to give way to steel.

By the turn of the century, William McKinley was president, and in 1903, New York State enacted legislation prohibiting the operation of steam locomotives south of the Harlem river, thus ushering in the era electrified tracks. The first use of internal combustion engines began in 1913, and was quickly superseded by the invention of the diesel locomotive, which proved more effective. The times, they were a changing.

During the great depression, the railroad became symbolic of the American struggle. Today we look back on these amazing machines as products of a bygone era. The mighty iron horse has been put to pasture. Or has it?

The steam engine may be a thing of the past, but today, light rail tracks and monorails are springing up in greater numbers. Perhaps these are not the romantic machines made famous by daring engineers like Casey Jones, but they provide safer, if not more efficient service. Meanwhile, thousands of miles of railway still grace the countryside, as modern locomotives pull seemingly endless processions of freight cars, hauling lumber, cattle, and virtually everything in between.

Away in the distance, a lonesome whistle blows. Tonight, perhaps further in the distance than in recent memory. The age of steel and steam has passed, but the dreams of those who dared make it happen, remain. An era, vanishes in a puff of smoke. A new era begins.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Could NASA Have Faked the Moon Landings?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National News wire - The Infinite Echo

Could NASA have faked the moon landings? Might what we have witnessed over a quarter century ago actually been nothing more than an elaborate hoax? Preposterous, you quip. After all, why would the US government propagate such lies? Moreover, what could be the possible motive?

Well comrades, if you're old enough to read this article, you're undoubtedly aware of the boundless conspiracy theories rolling around the ether. Some have merit, others border on the ridiculous. Predictably, for every conspiracy there are countless theorists, each expounding upon a variation of a theme.

The moon landings are a prime example, having become the stuff of modern folklore. As is clearly highlighted by the growing interest in the subject, many are now willing to risk their reputation in pursuit of the truth. At the very least, it makes for an entertaining read.

So then, my friends, what is this elusive truth? We really don't know, do we.

We know for certain however, that the US government is plenty capable of gross acts of deception. Yep folks, round these parts, we propagate lies the way some folks grow corn… by the bushel. And it goes way back. We here in the states are long accustomed to the concept of accepting preposterous lies.

Take Santa, for example. Curse the rotten scoundrel who dares tell my grand-daughter the truth. We happen to be quite comfortable propagating that lie, so if you please, could I bother you for some grape Kool-aid? I hear there's plenty to go around.

Of course, the entire Alamo story was contrived by liars. We just prefer happy endings, which the real story was lacking. And then there's the whopper we tell our children to impress upon them the importance of telling the truth. I'm sure you know the one to which I refer. It involves a young future president owning up to chopping down a Cherry tree, which in fact, is not indigenous to the region, having been brought into the country by the Chinese over a hundred years after George Washington crossed the Potomac. It's a lie, and a rather dumb one at that. Teach your children well.

In retrospect we all know now that George W. Bush and his cronies lied to us about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but over ninety percent of us eagerly bought into those lies. Another Kool-aid, if you please. And then there's the ridiculous single bullet theory' which quite frankly, one would have to be unusually stupid to believe. No chance, no way, do not pass go. Talk about implausible explanations, this has got to be the granddaddy of them all. It relates to the assassination of US president John Kennedy. I'll leave it to you to read the report and do the math. One needn't use a calculator to realize it doesn't add up. Never did, never will.

So could the moon shots have been a lie as well? The accepted legal dictum refers to the establishment of reasonable doubt'. Having personally conducted a dauntingly thorough investigation into the matter, I can honestly say I have reasonable doubt. There are far too many questions and far too few plausible explanations to discount the possibility out of hand. If this were a trial, I could not in good conscience conclude the US had indeed landed on the moon. The evidence supporting such claims are becoming increasingly suspect, and NASA has done little to answer the tough questions.

Of course, the government stands by their story, but is it in fact, nothing more? How could NASA have orchestrated such an outlandish hoax? Perhaps only a handful of people know what actually did or did not happen. Perhaps the rest of us will never know. It has long been standard operational procedure for the US government to ridicule or marginalize dissenting opinion. Challenge the status quo and rest assured, you'll soon find yourself relegated to the ranks of the lunatic fringe.

So then, the answer my comrades, is simple. Just quietly drink your Kool-aid like good little boys and girls. All the world needs now is yet another crazed conspiracy nut. Oh, pardon me. I resemble that fella.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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The Fall of the Aztec Empire

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National News wire - The Infinite Echo

The fall of Aztec civilization has long been the subject of much debate. However, this much is clear, the Aztec were an extraordinary people, steeped in myth and mayhem. Their impact is still felt throughout Mexico.

The Aztec Empire collapsed quickly, lasting no more than a century. Some have blamed the collapse on Cortes, and the invading Spaniards, but in fact, disease and regional discord also played major roles.

In the year 1427, the Aztecs, under the rule of Itzcoatl, and with the assistance of surrounding communities successfully conquered the Tepanecs, thus gaining control of the Valley of Mexico'. However, unlike other warring nations, the Aztec were primarily interested in occupation of new territory, seeking offerings, human and otherwise, for sacrifice to their unusual Gods.

Existing community temples were burned or destroyed, replaced with Aztec alters. Residents were instructed to worship their new God, Huitzilopochtli.
Aztec religion was represented through numerous deities, most which appear on the Aztec calendar. These deities were believed responsible for blessing or cursing Aztec life. Such practices were unacceptable to many regional communities, who often found themselves or their neighbors victims of Aztec atrocities.

Around 1521, the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan became infected with the small-pox virus. The subsequent epidemic wiped out nearly half the population of the city, leaving it vulnerable to attack from outside forces. Soon after, Cortes mobilized nine thousand of his own troops and nearly a hundred-fifty thousand regional troops, bringing down the Aztec Empire forever. By August of 1521, the Aztec were all but decimated, and in their wake, began the era of Spanish rule throughout Mexico.

Descendants of the Aztec continue to live throughout Mexico, and much about Aztec culture remains. Previously unknown ruins have recently been documented and excavated, leading to much new information about these amazing people. Still, like their relatives, the Mayan and the Toltec, the Aztec left behind a curious and troubling legacy, some mysteries of which we shall never fully understand.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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CIA Torture Probe to Continue

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National News wire - The Infinite Echo

Peter Hoekstra, ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, has expressed dismay with the Justice Department, insisting his panel will indeed probe into the destruction of CIA videotapes of secret interrogations, contrary to a request by the Justice Department to suspend any pending congressional inquiries.

"It's important for Congress to hold this community accountable," Hoekstra is quoted as saying. "The CIA did not tell us about the existence of these tapes. They did not tell us that they were going to be destroyed."

Others on the committee agree. "Congress and the Justice Department have conducted parallel inquiries many times in the past," stated California Rep. Jane Harman, the former ranking Democrat on the committee. "So I am worried. It smells like the cover-up of the cover-up."
Harman says she sent the CIA a letter in 2003 warning them not to destroy the tapes.

In a joint statement Friday, Hoekstra and committee Chairman Silvestre Reyes said they were "stunned that the Justice Department would move to block our investigation."

"The executive branch can't be trusted to oversee itself. There's a constitutional responsibility for them to keep Congress informed, and they have not."

"You've got a systemic problem here," Hoekstra said on "Fox News Sunday."
The leadership of U.S. intelligence agencies "is incompetent, it is arrogant" and has "become political,"

"I think that we're going to hold Mike Hayden accountable, because some of these misleading statements to Congress occurred on his watch," Hoekstra stated.

The videotapes, destroyed by the CIA in 2006, purport to have shown agents interrogating terror suspects using a banned torture technique known as ‘Waterboarding’ which simulates drowning, causing panic, brain damage and sometimes even death. In the past, the US has successfully prosecuted individuals accused of ‘Waterboarding’. The Bush administration however, has been less than forthright, denouncing ‘Waterboarding’ in one breath, and embracing it with the next. Bush’s behavior on this issue doesn’t really qualify as flip-flopping, however. It’s been more akin to the kid with his fingers crossed behind his back.

Ultimately, ‘Waterboarding’ is torture, and those who have been subjected to ‘Waterboarding’ have been done so in clear violation of US and international law. Once again, George W. Bush and his administration have gone to unparalleled lengths to circumvent justice and the law. This latest revelation and the prerequisite cover-up is business as usual, for an administration that knows no boundaries.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Black Friday, it's All About the Green!

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Black Friday, it’s All About the Green!

The holiday shopping season officially begins in earnest today, as millions of anxious shoppers spend their day jostling for parking spaces among throngs of irritable, but willing participants in this annual ritual. Black Friday, yes, it’s tradition now. Up goes the brilliantly illuminated but obviously artificial Christmas trees, standing testament to what’s really behind this seasonal cash-letting frenzy. It’s all about the cash, my friends. Black Friday is all about the green!

Ah, tis the season. Our new plasma, wide-screen televisions are just jumping with adorable digital images of ice-skating bears, and beer bottles going for the field goal. None of it’s real of course. Not even the fat, jolly guy who get’s all the credit for what many of us will still be paying for next year at this time. The fat guy did it! I’m a victim of identity theft.

And you really feel alright about letting your three year old site on this guys lap? I’d swear, without the hat and beard, he looks like that sex offender who just moved in across the street from the comic book store. You don’t suppose?

And should Santa care who’s been naughty? Isn’t the holiday supposed to be about sharing? If we didn’t share with those who have been naughty, we would have the whole world to ourselves. Correction, you would.

List or no list, I would undoubtedly fall into the ‘naughty’ category, primarily, because I am categorically naughty. You know the bit. Sometimes, when I am angry or impatient, I speak in tongues. I go into fits, slurring and flailing about like some madman, spewing vindictive even the Bible wouldn’t repeat.

In fact I suspect a lot more people can relate than care to admit. Furthermore, I would be willing to be all the money that changes hands this holiday season, thousands, if not millions are speaking in similar tongues at this very moment, shouting, and slurring, as they drive endless circles through endless parking lots in search for a lone space, any space, in a sea of cars and humanity, all in quest of black nirvana. Black Friday, if you prefer.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Pardon Me, Mr. President?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

As is customary around the White House this time of year, president George W. Bush proved once again he is not one to be meddled with. This is a man who as governor of Texas executed more humans than all other forty-nine states combined during the same time period, but pardons the Thanksgiving turkey as a demonstration of his compassion. Only in America!

So in honor of the turkey that got away, let’s all celebrate with a little levity, and a few quotes by perhaps our most quotable president, none other than that decorated bush pilot, out fearless decider… our commander, oh to hell with it! Let’s bring it on!

"America better beware of a candidate who is willing to stretch reality in order to win points." —George W. Bush, aboard his campaign plane, Sept. 18, 2000

"We'll let our friends be the peacekeepers and the great country called America will be the pacemakers." —George W. Bush, Houston, Texas, Sept. 6, 2000

"I'm gonna talk about the ideal world, Chris. I've read — I understand reality. If you're asking me as the president, would I understand reality, I do." —George W. Bush on abortion, MSNBC's "Hardball," May 31, 2000

"Will the highways on the Internet become more few?" —George W. Bush, Concord, N.H., Jan. 29, 2000

"I am mindful of the difference between the executive branch and the legislative branch. I assured all four of these leaders that I know the difference, and that difference is they pass the laws and I execute them." —George W. Bush, Washington, D.C., Dec. 20, 2000

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." —Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2000

"If you don't stand for anything, you don't stand for anything! If you don't stand for something, you don't stand for anything!" —George W. Bush, Bellevue Community College, Nov. 2, 2000

"I'm not really the type to wander off and sit down and go through deep wrestling with my soul." —George W. Bush, as quoted in Vanity Fair, October 2000

"Never again in the halls of Washington, D.C., do I want to have to make explanations that I can't explain." —George W. Bush, Portland, Oregon, Oct. 31, 2000

"They said, 'You know, this issue doesn't seem to resignate with the people.' And I said, you know something? Whether it resignates or not doesn't matter to me, because I stand for doing what's the right thing, and what the right thing is hearing the voices of people who work." —George W. Bush, Portland, Ore., Oct. 31, 2000

Now then, wasn’t that fun?
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

Sound Foundation Entertainment - blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo - Sound & Recording - Impeachment Now! - Skate the Razor - Skate the Razor Blog

If I Were President and Other Bad Ideas

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

If I were president…
A question pondered by many, but one that can only be answered by a select few. What would I do, you ask? Well for starters…

As president of the United States, I’d probably spend much of my time in the White House rose garden, hanging with the gardener. I would undoubtedly seek his advice on a variety of subjects, starting with perennials. I might even appoint him (or her) to the Supreme Court should the opportunity arise. (After all, it almost worked with Harriet Miers).



If I were president, I would use my executive powers to insist upon the completion of the Mount Rushmore busts, which have been left unfinished for over a half a century. (Let’s see the Taliban try to destroy these busts).

I would hire an architect to install some corners in the Oval Office. I would fire Richard Cheney, and replace him with a lawn sprinkler. Actually, I don’t think it really matters what I replace Cheney with, just as long as I replace him.

I would take cooking lessons from the White House chef, and demonstrate my exquisite taste to foreign dignitaries. I would have a Taco Bell installed next to the Lincoln Bedroom. I would stay up late at night watching Conan, and fall asleep on the couch with a mouthful of pretzels.

Come to think of it, I probably wouldn’t make the best president. Then again, who would? Some of us were simply never cut out for the roll of President of the United States, and frankly, the current administration is going to be a tough act to follow.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

An Era of Steel and Steam

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

It was an age of steel and steam. It was a time of great power and wealth. Soon the world would be forever changed by this new mechanical marvel, the steam locomotive, the driving force behind the industrial revolution.

For centuries, man had understood the potential of steam as an energy source, but it took until 1803 before Samuel Homfray was able to successfully harness that energy with his invention of the steam engine. The first successful railway followed soon after, when on March 25th, 1807, England began passenger service between Swansea and Mumbles.

Across the pond, America was developing it’s own railway, and by 1869, eighteen hundred miles of track connected Omaha, Nebraska with Sacramento, California. The resulting improvement of trade routes was felt throughout the world. Within a decade, the industrial revolution was on a roll.



By 1893, the U.S. had completed five transcontinental trunk lines and no less than 260,000 miles of track. Monopolies flourished. A brilliant engineer named Theodore Judah successfully persuaded Washington to pony up ten to twenty square miles of land and at least $48,000 for every mile of track completed. The track was laid by armies of imported Chinese ’coolies’, laborers who toiled relentlessly while rail barons were popping champagne corks and charging glasses in celebration.

Enter, Andrew Carnegie, philosopher and opportunist, and in later years, philanthropist. At age 18, Carnegie caught the eye of Pennsylvania rail baron Tom Scott, becoming his personal secretary and telegraph operator. Carnegie however, had great plans for the future. The unbreakable grip of the iron industry was about to give way to steel.

By the turn of the century, William McKinley was president, and in 1903, New York State enacted legislation prohibiting the operation of steam locomotives south of the Harlem river, thus ushering in the era electrified tracks. The first use of internal combustion engines began in 1913, and was quickly superseded by the invention of the diesel locomotive, which proved more effective. The times, they were a changing.

During the great depression, the railroad became symbolic of the American struggle. Today we look back on these amazing machines as products of a bygone era. The mighty iron horse has been put to pasture. Or has it?

The steam engine may be a thing of the past, but today, light rail tracks and monorails are springing up in greater numbers. Perhaps these are not the romantic machines made famous by daring engineers like Casey Jones, but they provide safer, if not more efficient service. Meanwhile, thousands of miles of railway still grace the countryside, as modern locomotives pull seemingly endless processions of freight cars, hauling lumber, cattle, and virtually everything in between.

Away in the distance, a lonesome whistle blows. Tonight, perhaps further in the distance than in recent memory. The age of steel and steam has passed, but the dreams of those who dared make it happen, remain. An era, vanishes in a puff of smoke. A new era begins.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

Is the Party Over for the GOP?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

The Republican party has taken a headlong dive into the bowels of bombast.

No longer representative of American conservatism, the republicans have betrayed their core beliefs, running the US federal deficit into untold territory.
There is no looking back, no slow recovery. It is not to be.


John McCain Breaks Out

Nor has the party been faithful to religious conservatives, without whom the cause would have been lost. Many voters went to the polls expecting the Bush administration to reverse Roe Vs. Wade, a promise made, but never kept. With so little time remaining on the clock, it is little wonder so many voters feel betrayed. They were.

Of course, the Republican party has long reveled in it’s lust for war, as conflict stokes the economy. There is nothing Republicans enjoy more than killing an innocent stranger in the name of commerce. It’s a party immersed in contradictions, a party on the wane.

Indeed, when elections roll around, we can expect more posturing and more absurd spending in the name of the conservative agenda. Some republicans will return to Washington, others will return from the swamp from whence they came. For others, both. Nothing outside of business as usual.

Forget weapons of mass destruction. Forget being greeted as liberators. Forget promises of war on the cheap. Blood is never cheap. Liberation does not come at the point of a gun.

On the other hand, words are often cheap, and promises worth even less.
What voters believe the GOP stands for, and the Republican Party’s real agenda are miles, if not light years apart. Another republican in the White House certainly will not bring about real change.

So as the Bush administration winds down, the Grand Old Party has very little to celebrate. The party is over, blood has spilt like wine, and somebody
has pilfered the pockets of the weary. It is time to clean up and carry the trash to the curb.

Will the last out the door please turn off the lights as you leave?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

George W. Bush, Piltdown Man of La Mancha

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite Echo

George W. Bush would like us to believe history will remember him as a man who stood by his convictions. Much like Don Quixote, who rose up against a perceived evil, only to find he was chasing the unobtainable, Bush sees his cause as a noble one, even if it was all based in pure fantasy.


Left: George W. Bush. Right: Piltdown Man

In doing so, Bush the younger drew his sword and spilt the blood of thousands. His little game of shoot ‘em up has escalated into a full scale mash-up of Hell meets high-water. I don’t care for the word “quagmire”. The definition falls way short of describing how bad the situation in Iraq really is.

In truth, I doubt George W. Bush has ever ventured near La Mancha. Had he done so, he would have soon learned it was not inhabited by dragons. Still, I digress.

Lets move on to “Piltdown Man.” The reference may seem somewhat left field for those not familiar with the story, so here’s the set-up.

Until the invasion of Iraq, Piltdown Man represented perhaps the most extraordinary hoax in modern history. As the story goes, a pair of archaeologists claimed to find a human skull in a gravel pit near the town of Piltdown, purported to be the five hundred thousand year old missing link between man and monkey. The skull was in fact constructed from parts of several different skulls, including the jaw of an orangutan. Varnish was then applied to give the finished product a look of consistency. Amazingly, it took the scientific establishment forty years to catch on.

Does this scenario sound at all familiar? Indeed it does!

George W, Bush wants us to believe that in forty years or so, history will recall his presidency as strong and steadfast. He sees himself riding off into the sunset mounted upon his trusty steed, the White Knight, the enemy of evil.

I, however don’t see it happening that way. I suspect history will be far more accurate, and much less flattering. At best, George W. Bush will be regarded as the Don Quixote of presidents. Mission accomplished, the windmill is dead, Jim.

More likely, George W. Bush will be remembered as the reigning Piltdown Man, an unmitigated fraud that has pushed America back into the stone age.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Secret Torture Memo Bloodies Bush Administration

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Have you ever considered the source of the phrase ‘caught red handed’?

It’s no cryptic secret, of course. It means precisely what is implied…to be caught with blood on ones hands… caught in the act, so to speak.

That having been said, it is rather obvious the Bush administration has been caught red handed. Unfortunately, it doesn’t involve a cookie jar… it involves the degradation of humane principles upon which this once great nation of ours was founded. Contrary to law, and anything Dana Perino might have said otherwise, the Bush administration has gone to unimaginable lengths to circumvent laws prohibiting torture.

We have learned that in 2005, under the leadership of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, the US Justice Department secretly authorized the “use of painful physical and psychological tactics against terror suspects, including simulated drownings and freezing temperatures“, according to Thursdays New York Times.

The Bush administration has adamantly denied allegations of torture in the past, but then, Bush and company are experienced liars. What’s a little nose-bleed among these bloody bastards? What’s that you say? They are all innocent human beings until proved otherwise in a court of law? You don’t say?

Well, Bush certainly doesn’t. He has repeatedly demonstrated a disregard for the sanctity of human life. George often speaks of his closeness to God, but he has never gone to any real lengths to describe to us precisely who that God might be. A Christian god that authorizes torture? Clean up… isle nine!

I could go on and on, but I’m afraid that would be torture in and of itself. Who wants to be reminded of all the dirty little secrets that keep popping up in this administration? Don’t worry though, it will all be over soon enough. Just lie back, close your eyes, and endure each and every unspeakable act committed upon you in the name of justice. After all… isn’t that what America is all about?

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Conservatives Gone Wild

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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It has been the season of conservatives behaving badly. Indeed, a long season at that. Every week, another outlandish story is breaking.

It all began with a cock-sure Washington lobbyist named Jack Abramson. Or was it Enron? At any rate, something set off a chain reaction within the republican community. Without any real warning, skeletons began emerging from closet after closet, until Sodom and Gomorrah began to resemble monks.

Scandals come and go. This current cycle of scandal, however, apparently attempted to outrun a freight train, and has been dragged beyond comprehension. Although devastated by repeated disasters, the carnage continues. Political suicide seems all the rage, with crazed republicans, like rats, leaping from a burning barge.

So should Larry Craig, latest poster child for Conservatives Gone Wild' resign? I would like to believe gays in Idaho deserve representation too! Unfortunately, I don't they can expect fair representation from Larry Craig.
Obviously, Craig has been less than forthcoming with America. I don't care about his particular sexual activities, but he has lost the confidence of his constituents. His words don't match his deeds.

Do you recall those silly playing cards the Bush administration passed around, featuring the faces of various bad guys? Well, the Bush administration has accumulated enough cards of their own to start a whole new deck... all jokers.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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The Dog Days of Michael Vick

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Say it ain’t so, Michael, just say it ain’t so.
On the other hand, perhaps you should simply fess up to your crimes, apologize to the NFL and your fans, and go do your time like a man. I know it won’t be easy, but it isn’t supposed to be. You’re being incarcerated because your crimes were as despicable as they were illegal.



We sports fans have a bad habit of believing our stars can do no wrong. We assume if one is a great quarterback, one is presumably a great neighbor as well. What a farce! I believed in you Michael, and this whole time you were nothing more than a lowly dog killer.

Soon people will starting asking questions. Different questions than they’re asking now. Questions like, do you think you are rehabilitated, and are you remorseful for your crimes? What will you tell them, Vick? What will you tell yourself?

Personally, I would rather you never return to pro football, as I can’t imagine watching you play without harboring ill intent. It just wouldn’t feel right.

You know what, Michael? I hope they put you someplace with guard dogs. Really mean ones with sharp teeth and strong jaws. And you know what else, Michael? I wish those dogs could understand what you’ve done. I really do.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Karl Kalls it Kwitz

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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So Karl Rove has announced he is stepping aside, come September 1st.
Gosh, Karl, so soon? I guess it’s reasonable to assume a lame duck and a beached “whale” have little chance of a future together. So be it, and good riddance. Rove has pottied in the pool too often already. It’s time for the little “turd blossom” to pack his bags and get out of Dodge.

Karl Rove has been called the most powerful presidential sidekick since Harry Truman dropped the bomb. He has also been referred as Bush’s brain, although that is hardly a compliment. Karl Rove played a major roll in disseminating the lies leading up to the invasion of Iraq. He is also believed by many to have been instrumental in the outing of former CIA agent Valerie Plame. He will certainly not be missed by Americans with even the slightest ethical fabric.

I must admit, find his expiration date more than just a tad curious. How odd that Bush would insist those still with his administration on the first of September are somehow obligated to stick around the rest of his term. Unless of course, George Bush is expecting the entire busload of bozos to take a turn for the worse shortly thereafter. Understandably, I am becoming increasingly anxious about the up-coming Iraq progress report, and I suspect Bush and Rove are, as well.

Meanwhile, the New York Times reports, "On Tuesday, several White House officials acknowledged with unusual candor that with just 17 months remaining in Mr. Bush's final term, there is little time for new ideas. Nor is there much time to realize the long list of unaccomplished presidential proposals."

Yes, Karl is kalling it Kwitz, and as the ‘Turd Blossom’ special waddles into the sunset, it’s hard to imagine a Bush White-House without him.
Lord knows, I’m trying.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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An Age of Steel and Steam

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Editors Note:
This article was originally prepared for Helium.com.
Enjoy.

It was an age of steel and steam. It was a time of great power and wealth. Soon the world would be forever changed by this new mechanical marvel, the steam locomotive, the driving force behind the industrial revolution.

For centuries, man had understood the potential of steam as an energy source, but it took until 1803 before Samuel Homfray was able to successfully harness that energy with his invention of the steam engine. The first successful railway followed soon after, when on March 25th, 1807, England began passenger service between Swansea and Mumbles.

Across the pond, America was developing it’s own railway, and by 1869, eighteen hundred miles of track connected Omaha, Nebraska with Sacramento, California. The resulting improvement of trade routes was felt throughout the world. Within a decade, the industrial revolution was on a roll.



By 1893, the U.S. had completed five transcontinental trunk lines and no less than 260,000 miles of track. Monopolies flourished. A brilliant engineer named Theodore Judah successfully persuaded Washington to pony up ten to twenty square miles of land and at least $48,000 for every mile of track completed. The track was laid by armies of imported Chinese ’coolies’, laborers who toiled relentlessly while rail barons were popping champagne corks and charging glasses in celebration.

Enter, Andrew Carnegie, philosopher and opportunist, and in later years, philanthropist. At age 18, Carnegie caught the eye of Pennsylvania rail baron Tom Scott, becoming his personal secretary and telegraph operator. Carnegie however, had great plans for the future. The unbreakable grip of the iron industry was about to give way to steel.

By the turn of the century, William McKinley was president, and in 1903, New York State enacted legislation prohibiting the operation of steam locomotives south of the Harlem river, thus ushering in the era electrified tracks. The first use of internal combustion engines began in 1913, and was quickly superseded by the invention of the diesel locomotive, which proved more effective. The times, they were a changing.

During the great depression, the railroad became symbolic of the American struggle. Today we look back on these amazing machines as products of a bygone era. The mighty iron horse has been put to pasture. Or has it?

The steam engine may be a thing of the past, but today, light rail tracks and monorails are springing up in greater numbers. Perhaps these are not the romantic machines made famous by daring engineers like Casey Jones, but they provide safer, if not more efficient service. Meanwhile, thousands of miles of railway still grace the countryside, as modern locomotives pull seemingly endless processions of freight cars, hauling lumber, cattle, and virtually everything in between.

Away in the distance, a lonesome whistle blows. Tonight, perhaps further in the distance than in recent memory. The age of steel and steam has passed, but the dreams of those who dared make it happen, remain. An era, vanishes in a puff of smoke. A new era begins.

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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Hang 'Em High

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

blogment - National Newswire - The Infinite
Echo

Wake up America!

It is time to take your lumps. You voted for the corrupt son of a bitch, and he sold you down the river. Now it’s time to pull your cowardly heads out of your big fat ignorant asses and hold George W. Bush accountable.

Of course, I know you won’t do it, because you are indeed, cowards. You clearly understand your support equates to murder by proxy. Pride trumps pragmatism, I suppose. Shamefully, that pride has led to the deaths of thousands of innocent people. You are not among them, of course. Nor are you among the innocent.

I certainly don't expect honesty from you. Admitting it was all a lie only illuminates your complicity. The Bush administration could not have committed these crimes without your participation. His crimes are your crimes.

Yes America, you have blood on your hands. That is not ketchup from your 'freedom fries'. Blame it on me, blame it on Saddam, whatever. By all means, though, deflect the blame. That’s what cowards do.

Now George Bush is asking the United Nations for help stabilizing Iraq. Since when did George and his cronies need help from the United Nations? What happened to the coalition of the remaining? Why would the US need help from an organization Bush has openly and repeatedly disparaged?

Unless of course, the war is lost. Unless of course, Bush is desperate.

So hang ‘em high, cowboys. I know shit when I smell it, and it’s coming from your direction. You can run, but you can’t hide. Denial changes nothing.

It’s high noon in Washington, and the body politic lies rotting in the street, gunned down by men in black hats. Our economy is trashed. The US constitution… trashed. The environment… trashed. Our civil rights…trashed. Infrastructure… ditto. You're just another notch.

Yep, you bought it, it’s yours. You broke it, you fix it! You paid the piper, you picked the tune, so dance clown, dance. Stupid is as stupid does.

Do your grandchildren a big favor. Grab that handgun you love so much out from under your pillow, place the business end against the roof of your mouth, and tell me again why you’re above contrition. I dare you.

Oh, and then pull the trigger, and get the hell out of my country!

B. Thomas Cooper - Editor

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