Wednesday, March 10, 2010

US military announces 2 deaths

Yesterday the US military announced: "CONTINGENCY OPERATING STATION KALSU, Iraq – Two U.S. Soldiers died yesterday of non-combat related injuries resulting from a vehicle accident. Two other Soldiers were injured in the same accident that is currently being investigated. The names of the deceased are being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.The names of service members are announced through the U.S. Department of Defense official website at http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/. The announcements are made on the Web site no earlier than 24 hours after notification of the service member’s primary next of kin.The incident is under investigation." The announcement brings ICCC's count of the number of US service members killed in the Iraq War to 4382.

Last night, Mike observed, "And you realize that if all US troops had been pulled out of Iraq, those two would be alive, right? So those are the first two for this month. And two more reasons why the Iraq War needs to end now. Two more reasons why you need to participate in the March 20th demonstrations calling for an end to the wars."


A.N.S.W.E.R.

A wide range of groups will be participating. A number of the faux 'peace' groups will not be participating. You know the ones, Leslie Cagan and Tom Hayden's groups that pretended to give a damn about the war but were really just "ELECT DEMOCRATS!" groups. They won't be participating, most of them stopped attempting to hold the US accountable the day after the 2008 election. The Party for Socialism and Liberation will be participating and they announce:

March 20 is the seventh anniversary of the invasion and continuing criminal occupation of Iraq. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is escalating its war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. More than a million lives have been lost and countless more destroyed through the U.S. aggression. While we’re told that there’s no money for education, health-care and jobs, next year’s real military budget will exceed $1.4 trillion.

On that day massive demonstrations will take place in Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and San Francisco to demand:

  • No colonial-type wars and occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine, Haiti and more.
  • Money for jobs, education, health-care, housing; not for wars and bank bailouts.

Join us for analysis and discussion on:

  • The wars and the war budget.
  • The plan of action on March 20 in San Francisco and around the country.
  • A report-back from the March 4 day of action against education cuts and the protests across California and other states.
2489 Mission St. Rm. 28, San Francisco
$3 - $5 donation requested, no one turned away for lack of funds.
(Refreshments served. Cross street 21st. Near 24th St. BART. MUNI #14, 49, 26. Parking garage located one block west on 21st. St. btwn. Mission & Valencia, parking cost $2/hr.)

For more info, or to reserve free childcare (please call at least one day in advance if you would like childcare) contact PSL at 415-821-6171.

Check out our website: http://www.pslweb.org/

Supporters of the Iraq War have not forgotten it continues. Not only have they not forgotten, they're in the midst of one of their most serious attempts of revisionary history, revolving around Karl Rove's bad book. But where are the ones who were opposed to the war? We The People are accounted for. We see the numbers opposed continue to grow, especially when we speak on campuses, so We The People are accounted for. It's only They The Gas Bags, the Katty-van-vans of The Nation magazine, for example, who set themsleves up as leaders and as voices that should and must be listened to, they're the ones who appear to have lost their voice. Can't call out an ongoing, illegal war when your fellow's in the White House, eh?

And it is in their silence that they allow the revisionary tactics of Rove, et al to take hold. It is in their silence, with the War Hawks still fighting the argument, that history begins to be rewritten. It's not a surprise. We saw the same thing with Vietnam. So in ten or twenty years, when another bad actor stars in another bad movie that rewrites history (Bambo?), don't be surprised. The battle never ends for the right. Whatever else they may be, they have a sense of purpose and dedication. On the left? We've got way too many people who can't focus on a single topic for more than three seconds. Way too many people who think, for example, a hurricane or a rain storm and the damages that arise are the equivalent of an illegal war. They don't understand the concepts of misfortune and injustice or how the two differ.

Allison Kilkenny (True/Slant) calls out the latest attempts at revisionary history, "I know liberals like to think Dubya and his crew were so evil no one will ever, ever forget the lessons learned during the Bush years, but this kind of revisionist bulls**t has a way of slowly seeping into the populace’s subconscious. After enough hours of hearing Liz Cheney talk about how rad her dad is, and reading enough of Friedo's disgusting columns, people will start to believe this crap."

The Iraq War has not ended. Matt Lakin (Knoxville News Sentinel) reports, "Nearly 200 East Tennessee soldiers leave home later this month on their way to Iraq. Members of the 253rd Military Police Company, based in Lenoir City with a detachment in Bristol, will head out March 28 for training at Fort Dix, N.J., the Tennessee National Guard said Tuesday" and quotes Capt Dallas Clements stating they were given notice 18 months ago, "But even with that much notice, it's not easy. My wife's still having trouble." WBIR notes that service members from Bristol and Lenoir City have a send-off scheduled for Saturday, March 27th (two p.m.) at the First Baptist Church of Lenoir City.

Meanwhile, 29-year-old Amy Seyboth Tirador died serving in Iraq last November, she was on her second tour of duty in Iraq. The 1998 Colonie Central High School graduate joined the military soon after high school and served for ten years. Yesterday's news included that the military had ruled Amy had taken her own life . . . because most who do shoot themselves in the back of the head, right? Jessica M. Pasko (Troy Record) reports:

Murphy has openly refuted the possibility that Amy killed herself on numerous occasions. At a press conference last month, Murphy said she felt the Army was trying to build up potential domestic problems and work issues in Amy's life to make a suicide ruling seem more plausible. Amy’s husband, Michael Tirador, was living at the Caldwell Forward Operating Base where Amy was stationed at the time of her death.
Murphy has also denied any history of depression or substance abuse in her daughter’s past.
Jeffrey Castro, spokesman for the U.S. Army's Criminal Investigation Department, said Tuesday that the department hasn't finished the investigation and no final ruling has been issued. He said that Murphy and her ex-husband were likely referring to the Army's pathology ruling.
When told by a reporter of Castro's statement, Murphy said it exemplified the type of miscommunication she has come to expect from the Army.
"I was told the case was closed," she said. "It's not just the autopsy report. It's definitely officially closed."

It's really amazing how many women serving in Iraq 'decide' to 'kill themselves.' It's so amazing, in fact, that's it's past time for Congress to launch an investigation. It's so amazing that the words: Beyond belief.

In veterans news, Lauren Collins (NECN) reports on Iraq War veteran Aaron Lee Marshall who returned to the US with a Purple Heart and difficulties re-adjusting to civilian life. With the support and encouragement of his mother, Aaron Lee Marshall focused on music and recorded Now Maybe leading him to state, "I feel like I'm coming out of a fog." Collins notes, "Aaron's album Now Maybe is available at Bull Moose Record stores in Maine and New Hampshire, and on iTunes. His concert at the Rochester Opera House is June 10th." Click here for Aaron Lee Marshall on iTunes. Click here for his MySpace page which does allow you to stream some songs from the album.

The following community sites updated last night:

The Democratic Policy Committee offers daily videos and one of the latest is Senator Blanche Lincoln speaking on the need for rules being enforced equally -- especially when it comes to Wall St.




Zach notes Information Clearing House has posted a video of Dahlia Wasf speaking about Iraq.

We'll close with this announcement of an event at Baylor University where Lee Woodruff will speak, "Wife of Journalist Injured in Iraq Will Speak of Nurses' Role in Healing:"

March 5, 2010

Follow us on Twitter:@BaylorUMediaCom

DALLAS -- When Lee Woodruff received the horrifying phone call that her husband, ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff, had suffered a nearly fatal brain injury in an explosion in Iraq, she panicked and began weeping.

But then, she says, a "steely calm" set in -- a side of her that she refers to as "the General" in the book In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing, which she co-wrote with her husband.

"The General" helped her stay strong as she broke the news to her four young children and traveled to a hospital in Landstuhl, Germany, to be at the side of her husband, who had been embedded in the military when a roadside bomb went off near the tank in which he was riding.

But standing alongside "the General" and keeping her strong were nurses and doctors, she said.

Woodruff will talk about her experience -- and nurses' role in aiding families in crisis -- at a March 29 gala luncheon marking the centennial of Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing, which is on the campus of Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas.

The event, to be attended by Baylor President-elect Ken Starr and his wife, Alice Starr, will include recognition of Centennial Champions who have led Baylor University Medical Center and Baylor Health Care System over the years: the late Boone Powell Sr., Boone Powell Jr. and Joel T. Allison.

"Baylor nurses have played important roles in health care and society over the past 100 years, guided by highest ethical standards and a focus on missions and serving others across the globe," said Dr. Judith Wright Lott, dean of the Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing and professor of nursing.

During the Woodruff family's crisis, "nurses provided hope with reality," Woodruff said in a telephone interview. "More than the doctors, the nurses knew the family."

The family spoke to and touched Bob Woodruff, although he was unresponsive for weeks. But one day, when the Woodruffs' daughter Cathryn gave her father a kiss, Lee Woodruff watched with wonder as a tear rolled down her husband's face.

"I called for the nurse, not the doctor, because they were the ones who were there all through their shifts and would say when they saw a difference," she said.

In the book, Lee Woodruff wrote about her husband's incredible physical strength as he recovered. He became agitated as he tried to sit upright, even throwing some punches in his confusion as others tried to move him. Sometimes nurses had to use wrist restraints because of the possible danger if he fell and hurt his head.

"I didn't blame them," Lee Woodruff said in her book. "Caring for Bob when he was agitated was exhausting. It was like minding a toddler."

Weeks after extensive surgeries, as Bob Woodruff awakened and began his lengthy journey of recovery, a nurse's act of kindness held particular meaning for Lee Woodruff.

"When he was in rehab, Bob was OK and moving forward, but with a brain injury, progress is so slow," she said. "I walked into rehab one day and looked at the nurses and said, 'I wish somebody could tell me where this is going.'

"One of the nurses said to me, 'Has anybody asked how you are doing?' That caused me to burst into tears," Lee Woodruff said. "It was the nurse knowing we have to remember the families. That was all it took. I thought I was being so strong. I remember thinking, 'Oh, you angel.'"

At Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing, "the centennial celebrations have allowed us to honor those teachers, students and supporters who have helped make our school what it is today," Lott said. "The injury suffered by Mr. Woodruff has given Lee Woodruff first-hand experience with all aspects of healthcare, including the importance of excellent nurses."

CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF SERVICE

WHAT: Celebrating a Century of Service, a Gala Luncheon hosted by Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing..

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, March 29, 2010

WHERE: Atrium Entrance of Hilton Anatole's Stemmons Ballroom, 2201 Stemmons Freeway in Dallas.

COST: $100. Table sponsorships also are available, with tables seating 10. Sponsors will be invited to the VIP reception, will receive priority seating and will be listed as Centennial Partners on the Wall of Honor. Sponsorships are $10,000, platinum; $5,000, gold; and $2,500, silver.

RESERVATIONS: Monday, March 15, 2010. Space is limited. For online reservation, visit www.baylor.edu/nursing

PARKING: Valet, $16; self-parking, $7.

PROCEEDS: Net proceeds benefit the Louise Herrington School of Nursing Excellence Fund for student and program initiatives.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION: In addition to the three Centennial Champions, other honorees will be "Legends in the Line," including individuals, families, organizations, and businesses that have made a significant impact on the school's legacy through their leadership and commitment in educating nurses for service. The event will feature special greetings by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF AYLOR UNIVERSITY LOUISE HERRINGTON SCHOOL OF NURSING

In the 100 years since the Louise Herrington School of Nursing opened, more than 5,300 graduates have gone on to pursue successful nursing careers around the world, with at least 500 graduates serving on the mission field.

Baylor's nursing school was established in 1909 as a diploma program within Texas Baptist Memorial Sanitarium in Dallas, which eventually became Baylor University Medical Center. The first classes of nursing students in Baylor's program worked in the sanitarium (that era's word for hospital), providing primary care for patients during their 12-hour shifts and attending classes during non-work hours.

In 1950, the School of Nursing became one of Baylor University's six degree-granting schools, with the first bachelor of science nursing degrees awarded in 1954. In November 1999, the School was renamed the Louise Herrington School of Nursing after Louise Herrington Ornelas, a 1992 Baylor University Alumna Honoris Causa, made a $13 million endowment gift to the school.

About Lee Woodruff:

Lee Woodruff and Bob Woodruff have appeared on national television and radio since the February 2007 publication of their book. They have helped call attention to the issue of traumatic brain injury among returning war veterans, as well as the millions of Americans who live with this often invisible, but life-changing affliction. They have founded the Bob Woodruff Foundation (ReMind.org) to assist wounded service members and their families receive the long-term care that they need and help them successfully reintegrate into their communities.

Lee Woodruff is a contributing editor for ABC's Good Morning America, reporting on a variety of home and family related topics. She recently published her second book, Perfectly Imperfect - A Life in Progress.

A freelance writer, Woodruff has penned numerous personal articles about her family and parenting that have run in such high-profile magazines as Health, Redbook, Country Living, Parade and Family Fun.

In addition to freelance writing, Woodruff ran her own public relations and marketing consulting business for 16 years. Before that, she was senior vice president of the public relations firm Porter Novelli.

The Woodruffs live in Westchester County, New York, with their four children.

Contact: Terry Goodrich, Assistant Director of Media Communications, (254) 710-3321


The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
















thomas friedman is a great man






oh boy it never ends



























Posted by at