Truth Surfer

First time I saw James Brown in person was at a show in Sacramento in 1970 at the old Memorial Auditorium. It was unforgetable...to this day I could re-enact the whole show...it was just that great. From the long red cape lined with white rabbit fur to the crown, the horn section, the backup singers and the loud crowd as much a member of the band as the band themselves...he earned his title of 'the godfather of soul' with his rich performances and unique vocals. Along the way James ran afoul with drugs, booze and violence...not surprising giving the life style, background and his talent... enough said...he paid a price with time served and then was given a pardon. A few months ago (summer) I had a dream where I went to South Carolina to meet with James Brown and do a book about him. It seemed so real... For days afterward I thought I should go just to see what would happen...a kind of dream quest. I didn't, and now more than ever, think I should have. At least I have his mu...

Yeah and if you believe that then you'll believe in Minnesota's Rep. John Kline's Magic recruitment wand ... It appears that the federal government is going to "test" the selective service system: "The agency is not gearing up for a draft, an agency official said Thursday. The test itself would not likely occur until 2009." Meanwhile, the Secretary for Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson said that ''society would benefit'' if the U.S. were to bring back the draft. He later issued a statement saying he does not support reinstituting a draft. Which sounds a lot like John Kline's saying he doesn't support reinstituting the draft but wants to increase active military personnel. ...Wonder how that's going to happen?...oh yeah...a 'test'... PS. Who is Uncle Sam and why does he want you?

75 already this month...

Keith Ellison: Enlightening the GOP - One idiot at a time! Minnesota's own Rep. Keith Ellison in replying to Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA) letter : I’m not an immigrant,” Mr. Ellison, who traces his American ancestors back to 1742. “I’m an African-American.” Ellison went on to say: “I’m looking forward to making friends with Representative Goode, or at least getting to know him. I want to let him know that there’s nothing to fear. The fact that there are many different faiths, many different colors and many different cultures in America is a great strength.” As if we didn't already know how bad it is...Bu$hCo even lied about the numbers ! Attacks in Iraq at record high: Pentagon . Want more...visit Carpetbaggers Report. Bu$h doesn't care about the Generals . He doesn't care about the Congress or the Constitution or the Laws. And get a clue, he certainly doesn't care about you, your family or friends. That would require something called empathy...and they don't hand t...

There are 12 or so million undocumented –or illegal aliens- living within the United States borders. That number doubled since a decade ago. Once found primarily in the fields of the Southwest, they now occupy the front lines of the service industry in almost every state. Minnesota is no exception to this. They are all lawbreakers, here only because they violated our borders and broke the laws governing legal immigration. A majority of Americans feel that these immigrants have no rights here and should be sent back to where they came from…. I have a friend, David. I’ve known him for over thirty years, and he’s an undocumented worker. He’s from Mexico, living here illegally. His mother came to the United States when he was eight years old. She came because there were jobs (housekeeping) that allowed her to feed her two sons. They lived with other undocumented workers in a series of rundown one bedroom apartments. Now in his fifties, David went to school here, works here, got married her...

I told the Minnesota's DFL Links organizer (Jason B) that I would post up the DFL Links icon on my blog(s)because: Jason asked me to and we're friends DFL Links is a great way for Democrats to meet one another and organize It links out to the group(s) at Zanby (another great tool built by and for Democrats) And lastly, because I can! If you haven't done so already...check out both DFL Links (attend a meeting in your local area) and check out Zanby. As a reminder I've posted the icon up with a link under archives on the right hand side.

Headed toward 50 degrees today, in Minnesota…yeah right, global warming is just a myth! Oh pleazze...On Saturday night, Al Gore with assistance from MOVEON, is organizing viewing parties for 'An Inconvenient Truth'. See it, just so you know all the details of 'the myth'. Along the same lines the Bush Administration feels they need to keep a closer track on US Geological Survey (you know, those folks who, amongst other things, study global warming). “New rules require screening of all facts and interpretations by agency scientists who study everything from caribou mating to global warming. The rules apply to all scientific papers and other public documents, even minor reports or prepared talks, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.” Naturally there will be victims besides science: The ‘ Goddess of the Yangtze’ dolphin is now extinct due to increased ship traffic with the use of sonar. Congratulations to us all on killing a nearly blind white dolphin s...

Surprise! Bush is still a Moron. Sure it's going badly but it can get worse: A new poll finding that 70 percent of Americans disapprove of the president's handling of Iraq. Still Bush says : HE 'WILL NOT BE RUSHED' INTO DECIDING ON A STRATEGY CHANGE ON IRAQ, AND SAYS HE'S HEARD SOME 'IDEAS THAT WOULD LEAD TO DEFEAT. Duh, I'm rendered speechless just like those now dead and wounded by his arrogance! Food for Thought? Bite Me! Elizabeth Schulte's article Hungry for the Holidays at Counter Punch cites: "The Average Food Stamp Application is 12 Pages, the Federal Firearm Application is Two Pages" It goes on to mention the wordsmithing being played by the USDA replacing the word 'hunger' with 'very low food security'.

Ho Ho HO Santa came early for the voters in SD38 this year by electing new Rep. Sandra Masin and Senator Jim Carlson. Couple that with the narrow defeat (160 votes!) of Democratic candidate Mike Obermueller , and it’s easy to see the times are a changing in Pawlenty’s backyard. MnpACT blogger Chris Truscott had some interesting insight into the lone Eagan GOP Rep. Lynn Wardlow, and his pending demise: "As Eagan grows, new residents are starting to cancel out those who know Wardlow as "my kid's old teacher/coach." These new District 38B voters expect answers on real issues and aren't interested in perpetuating Wardlow's taxpayer-funded retirement job in the Legislature." And naturally the very cheap (but true!) dig at Wardlow’s inability to do anything except as directed by the GOP rank and file… "He [Chris] thinks if new District 38A State Rep. Sandy Masin is smart, she'll stand where Wilkin used to sit and flash Wardlow a thumbs up or thumbs d...

Okay, it's a little over a month after the midterm elections and while some of the ramifications of the Democratic landslide are still open to debate, two facts are crystal clear: Keith Ellison is the first Muslim to be elected to Congress, and that fact is driving the right-wingnuts batshit insane. Two examples of right-wing pundits racing at top speed to see who can be the stupidest have been pretty well publicized: Dennis Prager, in an opinion column about Ellison's desire to be sworn in not with a bible, but the Koran: "...Forgive me, but America should not give a hoot what Keith Ellison’s favorite book is. Insofar as a member of Congress taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned, America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don’t serve in Congress... "CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck, ...""Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies." The only thing ...

Bob's boat load of lawyers might sue me for mentioning his 'New Domino Theory©' but he stated the obvious and it deserves to be repeated: "As I pointed out in that diary, there will be no successful training of a competent Iraqi force that is not sectarian, and, short of adding an additional 300,000 to 400,000 American troops, there will be no quelling the insurgency. So we should get out. " Amen brother, let's do it now because we sure as sh*t are going to have to do it and the results minus more dead will be the same!

You've got to watch this especially you're like me and fed up with all the self indulgent religious idiots trying to promote 'their' importances due to 'their' personal pipeline to the 'only true g*d' verse anything or anyone else...especially at the risk of all of us and... ...science and technology and common sense and humanity, heck...even the life of earth! Get a clue people! God is real. And he's unbelievable!

The Pearl Harbor Naval Station on the Hawaiian island of Oahu is the hub of United States Pacific naval power. Most of the Navy's major commands have headquarters there. Yet even after sixty-five years, its name is still synonymous with the surprise Japanese attack of "December 7, 1941". I've lived in both locations being a military brat (and naval)...as always with war, there are two sides with stories. I think we tend to see black and white but in reality the world has a lot of grays. And just like 911 and the slogans of 'never forget', time has a way of making us all into fools. Admiral Yamamoto : "A brilliant man will find a way not to fight a war." "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve." President Franklin D. Roosevelt : "Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy. The United States Of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Naval and Air Forces o...

"Abu Clause is coming to town." From News Corpse : Please visit my entry in the Huffington Post Contagious Festival. Then put the link above on your blog, MySpace/Facebook page, and any place else you can. Email it to your friends, family, strangers. Watch it!

What's up on Mars? NASA Schedules Briefing to Announce Significant Find on Mars "NASA hosts a news briefing at 1 p.m. EST, Wednesday, Dec. 6, to present new science results from the Mars Global Surveyor. The briefing will take place in the NASA Headquarters auditorium located at 300 E Street, S.W. in Washington and carried live on NASA Television: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv ." "The agency last week announced the spacecraft's mission may be at its end. Mars Global Surveyor has served the longest and been the most productive of any spacecraft ever sent to the red planet. " Could it be....they've discovered more regarding the 'Cydonia face' ?! It is generally understood to be an optical illusion , an example of pareidolia . A few, most notably Richard C. Hoagland , believe it to be evidence of a long-lost Martian civilization along with other features they believe are present, such as apparent pyramids , which they argue are part of a ruined city . Or...

Don’t let the door hit you on the way out… Sabo is still whining that the DFL didn’t do as he wanted…and he’s right. Instead the DFL elected Keith Ellison as Minnesota’s first Black Muslim to Congress. That’s a win:win:win! “Endorsements play a role, but they are an optional thing for a party. They are not something they have to do. There are times when no endorsement makes sense.” Now that’s something I would push for if Sabo ever runs for office again. Fortunately the day of the dino is in the past.... ancient history... the end.

John Lennon - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) If you want it to be... The xmas spirit is about caring, family, helping, loving, understanding, sharing, and peace... Maybe it shouldn't include sadness but it does and we need to stop looking away. 2,899 , and that’s not all. This administration policy on the war has spent any credibility it had left. It’s time to shut down the war machine. It’s time for xmas. John had it right, the war is over if you want it to be...and I want it to be. When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup." - Sam Lefkowitz