May 18 2011
Our regular featured content-
Wednesday is mishima‘s much deserved day of rest
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This is an Open Thread
May 18 2011
Cross-posted at DailyKos and Progressive Blue.
With the House of Representatives at recess it can’t happen this week but Sec. 1034 of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was marked up by members of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) last Wednesday is very disturbing. The Bill has the potential to set up Army on American street scenes from the movie “The Siege” and, with a little massaged intelligence, U.S. Armed Forces suppressing nurses planning to protest for single payer health care.
Last week at the ACLU blog there was Unchecked Executive War Power Could Slip Through the House
Tucked inside the National Defense Authorization Act, being marked up by the House Armed Services Committee this week, is a hugely important provision that hasn’t been getting a lot of attention – a brand new authorization for a worldwide war.
This week there is House Gets Ready to Vote on New Worldwide War
A couple of minutes past midnight, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) offered an amendment to strike Sec. 1034 – the new authorization for worldwide war provision – from the NDAA. Visibly angry that such a large sweeping provision had not yet had any public hearing whatsoever, he vigorously characterized it as a very broad declaration of war.
That amendment debate ended quickly (about ten minutes) and Rep. Garamendi’s plans to introduce it again on the House floor where he expects more results. But this bill has the potential for the Chief Executive to use military force anywhere in the world (including your back yard) in search of terrorists.
Though it is a very troubling expansion of war authority, it has been lingering for more than three years as a “sleeper provision,” and it is finally getting the attention of some members of Congress. We hope that further debate in Congress in the weeks ahead will allow for a more in-depth examination of unchecked authority to wage worldwide war, and what the outcomes of such a provision will yield.
We Hope? Feel like contacting your Congressperson to express your thought on Posse Comitatus before it slips through?
May 18 2011
Welcome to the Health and Fitness weekly diary which is cross-posted from The Stars Hollow Gazette. It is open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.
Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.
You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.
This was green garlic, freshly harvested. By now it should be available at most farmers’ markets. At some stands, the bulbs look a lot like spring onions, or even leeks, because they haven’t set cloves yet. Once the cloves appear, the garlic looks more familiar; still, the green stems will be attached, and you must remove several layers of moist skin to get to the cloves.
Inspired by a classic pasta dish, this recipe includes chicory, a bitter green much loved in southern Italy.
Serve this skillet dish with grains, pasta or eggs.
A very pale green springtime cousin of vichyssoise, this purée is comforting when served hot, refreshing when cold.
Use any kind of barley, brown rice or arborio rice in this Provençal gratin.
This easy skillet dish is filled with sweet spring vegetables.
May 18 2011
 Muse in the Morning |
Time for a break from poetry…in order to create some art.
| To rid ourselves of our shadows-who we are-we must step into either total light or total darkness.
–Jeremy Preston Johnson |
 Ornament 8 |
May 18 2011
Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley has called for more to be done to provide for greater protections for transpeople in his state. This comes in the wake of the brutal attack of Crissy Lee Polis by Teonna Monae Brown and a juvenile accomplice and the subsequent filing of hate crimes charges.
As some have noted, out of this awful beating has come a moment to foster a deeper understanding and respect for the dignity of all persons. We should not allow the moment to pass without greater action.
–Martin O’Malley
Brown’s attorney claims her actions were in self-defense and that she is really a “nice young woman”.
As some have noted, out of this awful beating has come a moment to foster a deeper understanding and respect for the dignity of all persons,” O’Malley said. “We should not allow the moment to pass without greater action.
There is an accompanying video reporting on the hate crime charges but embedding has been disabled. The video features Lynne Bowman of Equality Maryland.
