The Great American Scam

Massacre's whitewash - America's shame

2012-01-26T09:19:00.002-05:00

The military proceedings have been a sham from the get go. From the time the Marines initially lied about what happened, to this week's plea bargain, which means not one single participant will serve even a day for the horrific killings of 24 civilians at Haditha, Iraq, back in 2005. Women, unarmed men - one in a wheelchair - and children.

Including a two year old toddler.

What kind of cowardly country is this, anyway? The facts were never in doubt, and former congressman John Murtha summed them up as "cold blooded murder." But before I go any further, I want to commend movie producer Nick Broomfield for his meticulous efforts in documenting what happened, and for his candor regarding the mentality of America's armed forces: "Its a thought process that justifies wanton, crazed killing, that demands a high five when a soldier announces they've killed an innocent child." Nick's award winning movie, "Battle for Haditha," needed to be produced.

One aspect of all this struck an especially strong chord with me. The final coat of whitewash was applied after troops involved in the massacre began to make connections between the massacre and the kind of training they had received.

The kind of training? Really?

My mind flashed back to the case of Marine recruit Jason Tharp, and the fact that this trainee's drowning - and previous assault - took place in front of other recruits. An ill, teenage recruit forced into a pool, screams unheeded by Marine swim instructors as he went under possibly six times, finally bobbing to the surface unresponsive. At one point, a swim instructor had even shoved Jason's head deeper into the water. Training indeed. What else are America's Nazi style storm troopers indoctrinated with before they're turned loose to terrorize those hapless inhabitants of foreign lands? And another thing. Like the victims in Haditha, Jason was poor. Defenseless. Pathetic.

I won't belabor the bloodcurdling facts of Haditha, the fraudulent war in Iraq, or the military's shamful (sic) response to an obvious massacre. That said, I ponder the notion that America has "gone too far" and is beyond redemption. Beyond reason.

Beyond sanity.

Military rapes prompt censorship

2011-10-20T11:50:00.003-04:00

Women serving in the U.S. military are now more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed in combat.

Censorship is alive and well at Facebook. I first encountered their devotion to free speech when I criticized Toyota, and starting with a recent post targeting obscene living conditions in the military, Facebook's censorship has ratcheted up considerably.

Facebook doesn't necessarily block postings outright, so you need to be informed and vigilant to determine if you're in the crosshairs. Just because a post appears on Profile and Home pages doesn't mean the post appears publicly in real-time. To see what I'm talking about, after you've posted something (assuming you've set your submissions to appear publicly), search a keyword, click Public Posts, and see if your post appears. Unless Facebook is censoring, your post should be there by the time you navigate or else appear within seconds. The bigger picture is that these postings can also be searched in other venues, such as Openbook and Bing. If you're being censored from Facebook's real-time Public Posts, you're really being censored.

Facebook's latest round of censorship started with my 9/21/2011 post, "Soulja Boy's Army style language." Addressing the verbal garbage young people are exposed to in the military and pondering its relevance to instances of rape must have set off a five star alarm. Blam. The post was blocked from real-time Public Posts, and subsequent posts, regardless of the topic, have also been blocked.

The Soulja Boy post was more explosive than I realized. A Google search revealed that it was embarrassingly relevant to the military's continuing epidemic of rape cases, involving both male and female victims. The situation was headlined in one article as the Army's "dirty secret."

So hey, Uncle Sam: I understand. The government's gotta be careful 'bout the truth gettin' out. Might make it difficult findin' fodder to fuel those imperialistic wars. After all, keepin' stuff quiet is how the land of the free managed to murder 58,000 of its own in the jungles of Vietnam.

Update 10/20/2011 - Facebook has blocked this post from appearing in real-time Public Posts.

Occupy Wall Street wins round one

2011-10-10T13:41:00.007-04:00

In the midst of millions unemployed, unpopular wars, and plunging house prices, America's power structure - 'bout 1% of the population - is on edge. Nowhere has this been better evidenced than by the systematic oppression directed against folks from all walks of life who came together in New York City on 9/17/2011, declaring a dug-in-for-the-long-haul protest under the banner "Occupy Wall Street." A mainstream media blackout was thrown at 'em from the get go, and peaceful protesters were arrested, pepper sprayed, and thrown to the ground. But in this age of the Internet, social media exploded. News of the blackout, videos documenting the size of the protest, and shots of police misconduct spread like wildfire. One video even documented a cop attacking a protester for simply carrying a camera. Beaten at it own game, mainstream media limped in, conspicuously late to cover the event.

Fast forward a few weeks, and Occupy Wall Street has now elbowed its way into the international spotlight. With 99% of the planet facing ruin - financial and otherwise - at the hands of governments beholden to wealthy power brokers, the "occupy" theme is ushering in protests from New York to London. The hottest hashtags on Twitter are #OccupyWallStreet and #ows.

So round one - a battle for recognition - goes to the occupiers. The government's heavyhandedness backfired, further inflaming passions against bailed out banksters, imperialistic wars, and the corporate sponsored politicians of America's two headed one party electoral system. This past weekend there were sizeable protests in U.S. cities coast to coast, with New York drawing the biggest crowd yet.

Not bad for a freewheelin', off the cuff effort.

I'm especially pleased that so many of the occupiers have caught on to the fact that Demagogues and Repukes are equally beholden to "Wall Street," and anti-voting sentiment is makin' headlines. I quit voting years ago. Wouldn't it be great if this corrupt, warmongerin' government and its corporate cronies gave an election and nobody came?

Update 10/10/2011 - Facebook has blocked this post from appearing in real-time Public Posts.

Soulja Boy's Army style language

2011-09-21T14:19:00.007-04:00

Soulja Boy sure got the military up in arms when he utterd "f" the Army, and then dared advise troops to "be your own man." Somewhat curious though, was the absence of any indignation over Soulja Boy's trademark four letter filth. In fact, as the military rushed to ban Soulja Boy recordings, the language thing seemed to be virtually off limits. And I think I know why.

Make no mistake. The Army was the absolute filthiest environment I ever had the misfortune to be in the midst of. Granted, I was no doubt a bit naive when I enlisted, but in all fairness, I was also a teenager. Like Marine recruit Jason Tharp.

That ol' Army recruiter really had me suckered. Slick literature, warm handshakes, and cordial, seemingly earnest conversations sorta like you might expect from a Sunday school teacher. Never ever not once did he utter so much as even the mildest slang.

Right. And talk about a rude awakening. When I started basic training at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, four letter filth spouted by those in charge was constant ad nauseum. And the "f" word reigned supreme. From sergeants to officers, there seemed to be a deliberate attempt to keep young minds in the gutter. On one occasion, a major was directing a march, and our group was to repeat after him an obscene scenario as we marched in cadence to the words. It depicted an encounter with a girl named Mary, concluding with "and there I f'd her on the ground."

Over the years, and especially considering the Army's pornographic torture of prisoners at Abu Graib, I've come to wonder if the constant barrage of verbal garbage has an even more sinister intent than one might think. Is it aimed, perhaps, at densensitizing "the troops" to such things as contrived sexual degradation? The programming, perhaps, of a subconscious willingness to rape, literally and figuratively, those hapless inhabitants of distant lands? I've had similar thoughts regarding the gang style savagery dished out - in front of other trainees - to Marine recruit Jason Tharp.

Soulja Boy's filthy, Army style language is most certainly repulsive. Nonetheless, he apparently suffered a few rational thoughts regarding the hired guns that carry out America's imperialistic wars, dared to exercise a bit of free speech, and got waylaid by a country that can stand most anything except the truth.

Update 10/6/2011 - Facebook blocked this post from appearing in real-time Public Posts, and immediately started blocking all of my subsequent posts from appearing in that venue, regardless of the topic. This latest bout of censorship remains in effect.

Where was the outrage over Jason Tharp?

2011-07-14T13:00:00.013-04:00

Oops. Just when the land of liberty and justice for all had its heart set on another sadistic spectacle of the death penalty, a jury ruins everything by declaring Casey Anthony not guilty.

Enter street protests, threats, a $100,000 lawsuit filed against the exonerated for lying, blabberings on social media websites, heated debates on talk shows, articles by the zillion, petitions for yet another law, and politicians introducing bills. Behavior ushered in by the televised theatrics of Nancy Grace and a mainstream media that followed her lead as soon as they saw her ratings skyrocket. ABC even jumped in with a $200,000 payment to Casey's parents for licensing rights.

Okay...

So where was the high profile media attention and public outcry over the whitewashed case of Marine recruit Jason Tharp? He was the teenager - known to be a poor swimmer and ill with a respiratory infection - who wanted out of the Marines and then drowned. Ordered to get in the water or be thrown in, Jason was surrounded by Marine swim instructors as he went under up to six times, screamed repeatedly to be let out of the pool, finally succumbed to exhaustion and coughed, gagged, or vomitted before bobbing to the surface unresponsive. At one point, a swim instructor shoved Jason's head deeper into the water. And talk about lying. The Marines initially claimed that Jason entered the water "voluntarily."

Where was mainstream media's blaring of these bloodcurdling facts? Where were the play-by-play howls from someone like Nancy Grace? And where, oh where, was the torn-to-tears, infuriated, obsessed-with-justice American public? I'm not sure which was more abhorrent: the way Jason died, or the cowardly silence after the investigative report was released.

I'm far from convinced that the jury got it right regarding Casey Anthony and the death of Caylee. Folks have been convicted on less evidence, and the whimsical nature of juries is one of many reasons I oppose the death penalty. But I won't be joining the national outrage. Considering a country willing to turn a deaf ear to the screams of Marine recruit Jason Tharp, there's way too much wrong with the picture.

Tharp case still makes me cry

2009-06-05T17:53:00.014-04:00

I initially blogged about this case as it unfolded, then retitled the blog and condensed my comments.

As far as I know, nothing has ever shut mainstream media up like the gang style savagery dished out to Marine recruit Jason Tharp, the teenager who wanted out of the military, then drowned during "training." Forced to tread water, Jason was surrounded by Marine swim instructors as he went under possibly six times, screamed repeatedly to be let out of the pool, finally succumbed to exhaustion and coughed, gagged, or vomitted before bobbing to the surface unresponsive. At one point, a swim instructor shoved Jason's head deeper into the water.

Facts came to light only because NBC affiliate WIS-TV (a Columbia, S.C. station producing a series about the military) happened to videotape an instructor assaulting Jason approximately 24 hours before the drowning, and turned their evidence over to authorities. The video prompted a brief spate of national media attention, but when the investigative report came out, it was hush up time in the land of the free. The Associated Press release - headlining Jason's death as "preventable," was an exercise in deceit, omitting the bloodcurdling facts and even getting it wrong regarding the videotaped assault. Jason was not merely "hit on his arm." In fact, the video is heartwrenching, showing an emaciated teenager being yanked around and then knocked backward as he walks toward the WIS-TV camera crew - probably in a desperate attempt to get help. The tape does not include audio, and it was later revealed that Jason - a poor swimmer who had been diagnosed with a respiratory infection - was also being threatened with jail for refusing to get in the water. He had written home complaining of being singled out for harassment, and the day the drowning occured, Jason was told to shut up and get in the water or be thrown in (the Marines initially claimed Jason entered the water "voluntarily"). Jason's parents and his sister had been trying to persuade the Marines to discharge Jason, and when the Marines arrived at their home with news of Jason's death, the family thought they were going to be told that Jason would soon be back home.

The investigative report is almost beyond belief. Yet South Carolina's largest newspaper, the State, only found room for a tiny filler item giving trial testimony from the instructor in charge of the pool. He "heard screams but thought everything was normal."

To their ultimate discredit, WIS-TV declined to reveal the gruesome facts on their regular, televised newscasts, choosing instead to air an interview that attempted to discuss this sordid affair in terms of a lapse in safety procedures. The interview - which omitted any reference to Jason's screams, etc. - was absolutely appalling. Are we really expected to believe that Marine swim instructors need underwater cameras to determine if a screaming recruit needs help?

Such barbarism perpetrated by a gang of civilian thugs would have been dutifully detailed and held up for public scrutiny. When investigators find - among other things - that Marine swim instructors need "guidance regarding first-aid for drowning victims," taxpayers have a right to know. Regarding media efforts to keep things quiet, I guess you could say this is one of those cases where a deafening silence spoke volumes.

But then again, Jason was just a poor kid. Had dreams of going to art school and enlisted hoping to help his parents with the expenses. Why should anyone in this good Christian country care anything at all about someone like Jason Tharp?

I'm sick and tired of America's damnable lies and deceit. If it isn't a full-fledged war based on false claims regarding weapons of mass destruction, its one of our own - and his family - being treated worse than a dog, and a media-manipulated public too downright cowardly to say anything about it. Want national outrage? Burn a flag. Hurl a nonsensical remark at a basketball team, or give a celebrity a break on a misdemeanor rap.

The Tharp case makes a mockery of a free press and an informed electorate. The entire affair - including such niceties as America's "economic" draft - is a national disgrace so profound it should make anyone with normal sensibilities ashamed to be an American.

God bless the Tharps. When their son's case received its final coat of whitewash, Jason's mother tearfully told the military judge, "I hope you see Jason every time you turn around, and hear him screaming."

After I found out what happened to Jason, I sobbed. And this is one case that still makes me cry.

Only one media outlet gave a complete account of Jason's death:
http://wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=3529920&ClientType=Printable

I gave WIS-TV, the Associated Press, and the State newspaper an opportunity to reply to this post, but they declined.

ADA: the Amalgam Dental Association

2009-06-03T12:13:00.006-04:00

Two quick notes re mercury amalgam dental fillings:

1. When faced with a lawsuit, the American Dental Association defended itself by stating that "The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists." Reference at http://www.afibbers.org/amalgams.html section "Amalgam fillings are a health hazard," second paragraph.

2. Since November of 2000, all dental offices in California display a sign that discretely reads "WARNING - Amalgam fillings contain a chemical element known to the state of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm." Reference same as above, third paragraph.

The more I know about the ADA, the less I like 'em. Ganged up, they did, on a dentist named Hal Huggins because he dared to exercise a little free speech (see "Open letter to the ADA," at http://www.apneasleep-snoringtreatments.com/Newsletter2.html ), and I was shocked to learn that dental amalgam is approximately 50% mercury. The good ol' ADA had me thinkin' it was just a trace amount.

Having researched this issue at some length, it seems - in addition to mounting scientific evidence - a matter of common sense. The most toxic non-radioactive substance on earth simply doesn't belong in people's mouths.

The best overview I've found is at http://www.newlifejournal.com/10-02/everett_10_02.htm including the link to Ask the Expert.

U.S. imperialism and economic chaos

2009-04-04T11:36:00.007-04:00

Obomba Afghanistan, pop bang ka-blam
'Tis the tear-jerkin' story of ol' Uncle Scam
A world-class BULLY
A MEDDLER
A THUG
Done in by derivatives (!)
Now not so smug

Why I don't vote

2008-10-23T17:11:00.025-04:00

To begin with, voting simply isn't worth the effort for a country cowardly enough to tolerate the gang-style savagery dished out to Marine recruit Jason Tharp, the teenager who wanted out of the military, then drowned during "training." Forced to tread water, Jason was surrounded by Marine swim instructors as he went under possibly six times, screamed repeatedly to be let out of the pool, finally succumbed to exhaustion and coughed, gagged, or vomitted before bobbing to the surface unresponsive.

Only one mainstream media outlet revealed these bloodcurdling facts. Democracy depends on an informed electorate, and an informed electorate depends on a free press. The Tharp case epitomizes the fact that America has neither.

When it comes to the top office in the land, the Electoral College makes a mockery of majority rule. In a real democracy, the winner is the candidate who gets the most votes. One man, one vote. And if its not the Electoral College, its multi-billion dollar corporations deciding who gets elected and what kind of legislation gets passed. Corporations are not people. America's two-party system is a sham.

So go get 'em, boys and girls. Cast those ballots, support those inperialistic wars, and by all means, flap those flags. As for me, I'll make a deal. I'll vote for the first candidate who screams bloody murder about the Tharp case. Fair enough?

McCain v. Obama. And the Empress' new clothes.

2008-10-23T12:05:00.014-04:00

One thing's for sure. McCain's got the best dressed running mate, hands down. I'll bet Biden's wardrobe doesn't cost half as much as Sarah's. But the real embarassment turns out to be John Edwards. Talk about cheap. Edwards was skimping by on those $400 haircuts...

Pardon the pun, but when it comes to warmongering, McCain doesn't beat around the Bush. And if McCain gets the nod, it might be kinda fun to see folks get exactly what they asked for.

Change you can believe in? I wish Obama was a non-smoker, at least. Yessir, he sure doesn't have any of that "baggage" from back when my generation put an end to one of America's filthy wars. Obama - like McCain - is shootin' for a bigger war in Afghanistan while he makes any withdrawal from Iraq contingent on conditions on the ground. Barack even threw a tantrum when MoveOn.org dared to run the Betray Us ad questioning the integrity of America's scandal-soaked military.

Too bad our last chance for world peace, racial harmony, etc. can't even get along with his minister. If only he would direct some of that hostility toward impeaching Bush and Cheney for war crimes. With Obama and his corporate lapdog Democrat party kissin' up to the Republicans and budgeting billions for America's latest wars, a small pocketful of coins left over after taxes will be the "change you can believe in" regardless of who gets elected.

Thank goodness I no longer bother to vote. This election has been better than an afternoon soap opera, and I can set back and enjoy the show.

Bailout Blues

2008-10-19T16:28:00.012-04:00

Let's face it. Neither Obama nor McCain have enough courage to address the cause of America's current financial woes. The chickens of "livin' beyond one's means" have come home to roost, and the response from both parties has been a rush to spend even more. 'Course, it would be politically risky to assert that Americans - borrowers, lenders, and even Joe the Plumbers - need to exercise a little good old-fashioned self-discipline and common sense.

Sadly - as the parties of Obama and McCain budget trillions for America's latest imperialistic wars - our economy is built on suckerdom. Keepin' up with the Joneses keeps the credit flowin' and everyone's fat and happy. Throw in a few fancy Wall Street shenanigans, get the rest of the world involved, and when the entire house of cards comes crashin' down, bail out the culprits with taxpayer dollars from folks who lived responsibly. Folks who didn't buy the lie. Folks who made profits before they made "payroll."

For a number of reasons, I no longer vote. But it should be obvious by now that "Change You Can Believe In" won't start with Obama or McCain. They're afraid to say so, but what we need is less lendin' and spendin' - more savin' and behavin'.

Obomba (sic) sure ain't no Gene McCarthy

2008-09-10T11:25:00.009-04:00

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that depicted the "O" in Obama as a peace sign. Did a double-take on that one.

Given Barack's promise to send more troops to Afghanistan, let me suggest turning the "O" into a depiction of a bomb. Or just change the name to Obomba. Whatever. I guess some folks think because Obomba has offered to withdraw troops from Iraq contingent on conditions on the ground, that makes him some sort of a peace candidate. Maybe they weren't around when we had real peace candidates like Gene McCarthy and George McGovern. At least my generation knew the difference between a peace candidate and a warmonger. Oh for the 60's again.

Vote... for the warmonger of your choice

2008-07-17T08:00:00.014-04:00

Amidst rumblings of war with Iran - and even an invasion of Pakistan (just to get Bin Laden, of course) - Obomba and McSame have both pledged their allegiance to a troop buildup in Afghanistan. Gotta change the focus of the "War on Terror" now that Iraq has become so unpopular.

Isn't it amazing how the two "opposition" parties can always agree on more war? How the Democrats - ushered in on anti-war sentiment - always wind up joining the Republicans for war funding? Talk about a two-party "system." It lapdogs for the military-industrial complex, promotes U.S. imperialism, and refuses to impeach Bush and Cheney for war crimes. Still wanna vote? I don't. And won't. But if you still do, save youself some time and just flip a coin. And use a dime to remind yourself that it won't make a dime's worth of difference which candidate or which party gets elected.

You can say the War on Terror is all about oil. Real oil for corrupt corporate interests, and snake oil for the rest of us. Hup, two, three, four, and The Great American War Machine is on the move....

Toyota stays quiet about design defects

2008-07-04T13:00:00.042-04:00

Toyota's MR2 Spyders have an alarming number of engine and exhaust failures requiring replacement. Spyderchat.com (USA) features a multitude of postings from MR2 owners. My post is number 128. There's also a detailed documentation of pre-cat removal. For an in-depth technical discussion of these engine failures, visit the British MR2 Roadster Owners Club's official information thread. British Spyder owners have started a number of forums addressing this problem. CarSurvey.com features an especially interesting personal account.

Talk about financial schemes and rip-offs. This one puts Wall Street to shame. Its another one of those deals where an automobile manufacturer stays quiet about a known defect, buys time and then claims they aren't liable because the warranty has expired. No regard whatsoever for folks who suddenly find themselves with ruined engines and exhaust systems costing about $8,000 to replace. Adding insult to injury, owners can't be assured the problem has been corrected when their engines are rebuilt. Numerous engine failures have occured within low mileages, prompting some owners to sell their cars rather than chance another failure. Of course, this puts the next buyer at risk while Toyota basks in the sunshine of getting paid enormous sums of money to correct their own error. And insofar as a class action lawsuit is concerned, forget it. Not many Spyders were produced, and with a relatively small number of owners, lawyers aren't interested. Furthermore, industry lobbyists have made it extremely expensive to file class actions. So I guess Toyota has played it pretty smart. In a crooked sort of way...

I now have a separate blog, "Beware of Toyota: Their next victim may be YOU..." at http://www.uc2.blogspot.com/

Like Tharp, Tillman case is troubling

2008-05-06T19:00:00.019-04:00

The State newspaper refused to publish the comments I submitted regarding the death of Pat Tillman.

First it was Jason Tharp, the teenager who wanted out of the military and then drowned during "training." Forced to tread water, Jason was surrounded by Marine swim instructors as he went under possibly six times, screamed repeatedly to be let out of the pool, finally succumbed to exhaustion and coughed, gagged, or vomitted before bobbing to the surface unresponsive. Facts came to light only because NBC affiliate WIS-TV happened to catch an instructor assaulting Jason 24 hours before the drowning occured.

Next it was former NFL superstar Pat Tillman. He spoke out against the Iraq war and then got killed by "friendly fire." Mainstream media has a tendency not to mention Pat's opposition to the war. Instead, they simply refer to Pat's "notoriety." Come to think of it, I guess you could say notoriety is something Pat Tillman had in common with Jason Tharp.

Witnessed to have yelled out his identity, evidence suggests that Tillman was shot at close range according to investigators who claim their findings were ignored. They say he was shot from about ten yards instead of 90 as claimed by the Army. The military has given outrageously false accounts of how Tillman died, including at least one falsified document.

Appearing last Sunday on 60 Minutes, Tillman's mother emphasized that the public had been victimized by false information. At least the Tillmans - with resources sharply contrasting those of the Tharps - are managing to get the facts in front of the public, complete with a congressional inquiry.

Notoriety is beginning to look like a health issue...

If anything ever warranted a congressional inquiry, it was the case of Marine recruit Jason Tharp. Only one media outlet revealed the horrifying details of how Jason died:
http://wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=3529920&ClientType=Printable

Toys for Tots? How about "Guns for Gangs"?

2008-04-23T13:42:00.026-04:00

News has it (click title) that Marines from Parris Island have been coming to South Carolina's capitol city offering assistance to local gang members. You know. Teach 'em tactical manuevers. That sort of thing. In fact, the relationship between the military and gangs has gotten so bad that military police are warning cities all across America to be on the lookout. Not to be an alarmist, but I think this says something about our society.

Come Christmastime, maybe the Marines should start a new program to go along with Toys for Tots. They could call it "Guns for Gangs." Might not have quite as good a recruiting angle as Toys for Tots, but apparently it would be a bit more honest. Tots, incidentally, didn't do too well in Iraq.

Speakin' as a four year Army veteran, I'm reminded of the kinda folks you can get thrown in with when you sign up for the military. Like the night - 'round 2 a.m. actually - when someone came in drunk, picked a fight, and slashed a guy's face - in the dark - multiple times with one of those little razor-sharp knives ('bout the size of fingernail clippers) that fit on key chains.

Ah, the marvels of Uncle Sam's communal living arrangements. Its another one of those things recruiters somehow forget to mention. I could recount more "war stories," but if you haven't gotten the picture by now, it probably wouldn't do any good.

This thing about gangs in the military also reminds me of the gang-style savagery dished out to Marine recruit Jason Tharp, the teenager who wanted out of the military and then drowned during "training." Forced to tread water, Jason was surrounded by Marine swim instructors as he went under possibly six times, screamed repeatedly to be let out of the pool, finally succumbed to exhaustion and coughed, gagged, or vomitted before bobbing to the surface unresponsive.

Gee. Come to think of it, havin' recruiters on school grounds may not be such a good idea after all.

Only one media outlet gave the horrifying details of Jason's death:
http://wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=3529920&ClientType=Printable

Now I get it. Tharp was the victim of an enhanced training technique.

2007-12-17T10:50:00.044-05:00

The CIA has given us to understand that forced simulation of drowning - along with a number of other practices - isn't torture. Its "waterboarding." Or better yet, its an "enhanced interrogation technique." I'm glad to know that.

Perhaps this also sheds some light on what happened to Jason Tharp, the teenager who wanted out of the military, then drowned during "training." Forced to tread water, Jason was surrounded by Marine swim instructors as he went under possibly six times, screamed repeatedly to be let out of the pool, finally succumbed to exhaustion and coughed, gagged, or vomitted before bobbing to the surface unresponsive.

Initially, I thought what happened to Jason was a study in sadism. Gang-style savagery, to be exact. Especially that part about the instructor shoving Jason's head deeper into the water. I'll bet some folks even thought it was cold-blooded murder. But after all this talk about enhanced interrogation techniques, I guess Jason was simply the victim of an enhanced training technique. Maybe this explains why the Associated Press and other mainstream media merely summarized Jason's death as "preventable," without bothering to mention all those horrifying details revealed in the investigative report.

America seems rather taken with the semantics - or antics - of euphemistical skullduggery. And I've given a lot of thought lately to George Orwell's 1984, especially the convoluted terminology known as "Newspeak." Frankly, that's been a bit unnerving. 'Cause the next thing you know, I'll be gettin' the sweet land of liberty confused with some kind of Orwellian nightmare...

Only one media outlet revealed the horrifying details contained in the investigative report:
http://wistv.com/global/story.asp?s=3529920&ClientType=Printable

Resort rates no longer published?

2007-05-21T11:34:00.009-04:00

Granted, this is a bit more mundane that the topics I'll usually be addressing. Just couldn't resist.

I noticed the trend some time back: Myrtle Beach resorts mailing advertisements that give price ranges for various - and arbitrary - times of the year instead of disclosing seasonal room rates like they used to do. Pretty ridiculous.

I brought this matter to a resort's attention and was curtly told to give the dates I would be coming and then I would be given the cost of the room. Of course, I asked how I was supposed to select the dates if I didn't know the cost.

This seems to be an attempt to prevent consumers from planning trips based on a knowledge of when lower seasonal rates become effective. You can do fairly well by searching a resort's website, but its a shame its come to this. What next?