Searching for the Roots of 9/11

Looking for a good documentary? Next time you see "Thomas L. Friedman Reporting: Searching for the Roots of 9/11" on your television programming, make sure to catch it. It's a very insightful look at the average middle easterner's view of the United States and it's citizens. It also delves into why so many people in the Middle East actually cheered when they saw the two towers go down on 9/11. As most people interviewed expressed -- it was horrific, but it was the only way to get our point across.

What's so interesting is the love/hate sentiment that the youth of the middle east have for the United States. In a way, it's a glaring magnification of the love/hate sentiment that the underprivileged youth have for the more privileged within our own borders. It's sort of a story on how contempt is formed -- it's timeless and borderless.

Anyway, catch it if you can.

Mad Cow Disease in U.S.

The day after Memorial Day, after I fed my son a few barbecued hamburgers, with much guilt, I wrote my congressman and both my senators urging them to take a tougher stand against the beef industry and the USDA in regards to Mad Cow Disease/bovine spongiform encephalopathy ("BSE"). Well today, I bring up MSNBC News and see the following headline: Second case of mad cow disease confirmed in U.S.

Legislation needs to be passed that prohibits the use of animal parts in feed and also removes high risk material such as spinal chord, intestines and brain from the food and feed chains. We also need testing on ALL cattle for BSE.

These are the procedures now followed in Europe (those countries in the EU) and Japan to stop the spread of BSE in their respective countries.

It's ironic how our government is so concerned with terrorism and the possible poisoning of our food supply, when the government itself is kowtowing (no pun intended) to the beef industry [lobbyist]. The beef industry is putting the American public at risk by not voluntarily putting in place rules that the rest of the civilized world is following to ensure the health of its people. So it's the job of our elected officials to put those rules in place for them.

Please write your congressman and senators to let them know that you too are concerned about your family's consumption of beef in this country.

http://www.senate.gov

http://www.house.gov

Yah, yah... The Downing Street Memo

Still think Iraq actually had WMDs? Or still think our administration really believed Iraq had WMDs? Then you haven't been reading all the ballyhoo about the Downing Street Memo. Very interesting reading! Read Jay Rosen's June 20, 2005 blog at The Huffington Post for the low-down.

Then head on to http://www.usalone.com/ and email your senator and your house representative demanding an investigation! I'm happy to say that my signature was on the petition delivered by Congressman John Conyers. It's not too late to do your part!

$100 Million Missing in Iraq

About two weeks ago, I lost my son's sun hat. I think in total I must have spent five hours looking for it over the weekend. I was so mad at myself, after spending a whole $20. It was also just a really nice hat. In the end, I wound up ordering another one, which I still haven't received.

So, how does one "lose" almost 100 million American taxpayers' dollars over in Iraq? And why does it take an auditor to find this little accounting mishap?? And why isn't this on the news every day??? Read the full story below.

http://msnbc.msn.com/ID/7737306/