Brandon Mayfield will be speaking in Kansas:
-Wednesday February 27th noon in room 102 at bottom level of Washburn Law, Topeka, KS.
-Thursday, February 28th noon at Washburn International House, Topeka, KS.
-Friday, February 29th at Bethel College Krehbiel Auditorium in North Newton, KS 11AM.
Our speaker, Brandon Mayfield, was investigated by the FBI after his
fingerprint
was falsely matched to plastic bag with detonators from the Madrid
bombing. Despite the fact he had not left the U.S. since 1994, the FBI
was "100% certain" (as one investigator told a judge) they were on the
trail of a terrorist based largely on the fact that Mayfield is Muslim.
His home was burglarized and wiretapped under a FISA warrant. Later, his
office, home and family farm in Kansas were raided for evidence of his
alleged terrorist connections. He was arrested, detained, abused and
interrogated. In 2004, his name was illegally leaked to the press as a
terrorist suspect.
It seems that the FBI messed with the wrong man. Mayfield is a
lawyer, and a Washburn Law graduate. Mayfield won a $2M settlement with
the FBI and an initial victory challenging the constitutionality of the
PATRIOT ACT.
www.nytimes.com/2006/11/30/us/30settle.html
www.washburn.edu/news/newswire.php?id=view_only&release_id=2460
February 23, 2008
January 19, 2008
Republican Caucus in Florida
It seems like Florida voters will be given another chance to really mess with a Presidential race. Polls reveal a four way tie there. Remember that Florida Republicans have decided the state with be a WINNER TAKE ALL CAUCUS! 57 delegates at stake.
McCain 22%
Giuliani 20%
Huckabee 19%
Romney 19%
Thompson 7%
No answer 7%
Paul 5%
Hunter 1%
McCain 22%
Giuliani 20%
Huckabee 19%
Romney 19%
Thompson 7%
No answer 7%
Paul 5%
Hunter 1%
July 12, 2007
Wondering about the United States Healthcare system?
I saw Sicko this week... twice. Moore's best movie. He really focuses in and doesn't stray from his point or show repetitive material.
Our healthcare system in the U.S. is just awful. There have been so many trips to specialists or MRI's or all sorts of preventative medicine that people I know and I have not gotten because these things costs hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
When I was younger I was able to get government health insurance for a short time because our family income was small enough (my mom has her master's and my dad his doctorate, but that doesn't meant shit in George Bush's economy). I was actually turned away from the doctor I had been going to my whole life at a nice clinic. They didn't accept the government insurance. Once they found out I had insurance I could not pay with cash. So here is a patient that is sick with an appointment to see a doctor and the doctor can not treat me. This story is just the simplest and most frustrating example of how our healthcare system is so controlled as to eliminate choice and freedom and make it so money is not even useful in the labyrinth.
These free-market ideologues talk about the market giving choices. It is such a cruel joke. Nobody here thinks that we should have to pay to call 911 or check with an insurance company before talking to the police, it is amazing that so many Americans view healthcare differently than other basic public services.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpKoN40K7mA&mode=user&search=
Our healthcare system in the U.S. is just awful. There have been so many trips to specialists or MRI's or all sorts of preventative medicine that people I know and I have not gotten because these things costs hundreds and even thousands of dollars.
When I was younger I was able to get government health insurance for a short time because our family income was small enough (my mom has her master's and my dad his doctorate, but that doesn't meant shit in George Bush's economy). I was actually turned away from the doctor I had been going to my whole life at a nice clinic. They didn't accept the government insurance. Once they found out I had insurance I could not pay with cash. So here is a patient that is sick with an appointment to see a doctor and the doctor can not treat me. This story is just the simplest and most frustrating example of how our healthcare system is so controlled as to eliminate choice and freedom and make it so money is not even useful in the labyrinth.
These free-market ideologues talk about the market giving choices. It is such a cruel joke. Nobody here thinks that we should have to pay to call 911 or check with an insurance company before talking to the police, it is amazing that so many Americans view healthcare differently than other basic public services.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpKoN40K7mA&mode=user&search=
June 30, 2007
Diction Killers, Bad Sayings, and Commonly Mispronounced Words
1. "For Granted." Many people do not use this phrase correctly. This is a problem that can be corrected by simply thinking about what the words mean before we use it. 'For'... 'granted.' To take something for granted means you assume it is granted to you and always will be there. So to take your girlfriend for granted means you think she will be there no matter what.
2. "I could care less." Many people use this phrase which is meaningless. If you 'could care less' that means that you are not at the absolute bottom level of caring. People use this phrase when they mean to say "I couldN'T care less," indicating that their current level of caring about the subject is as low as possible.
3. "Often." This one just really irks me. Many of the commonly mispronounced words are often commonly misspelled as well. However, often is one of the few words in the English language in which knowing how to spell it correctly does not help us pronounce it. DO NOT pronounce the t! It is pronounced "ofen." The worst part about this is that inexperienced public speakers who are trying to be (over) articulate pronounce the t even harder and it is just painful for me to hear.
4. "You guys." The Wichita Eagle did a survey a number of years back and the #1 complaint at restaurants was not bad service or cold food, it was when servers use to the "you guys" to refer to a group of ladies or a mixed-sex party. Unless they are all guys, kapeesh?
--RW
2. "I could care less." Many people use this phrase which is meaningless. If you 'could care less' that means that you are not at the absolute bottom level of caring. People use this phrase when they mean to say "I couldN'T care less," indicating that their current level of caring about the subject is as low as possible.
3. "Often." This one just really irks me. Many of the commonly mispronounced words are often commonly misspelled as well. However, often is one of the few words in the English language in which knowing how to spell it correctly does not help us pronounce it. DO NOT pronounce the t! It is pronounced "ofen." The worst part about this is that inexperienced public speakers who are trying to be (over) articulate pronounce the t even harder and it is just painful for me to hear.
4. "You guys." The Wichita Eagle did a survey a number of years back and the #1 complaint at restaurants was not bad service or cold food, it was when servers use to the "you guys" to refer to a group of ladies or a mixed-sex party. Unless they are all guys, kapeesh?
--RW
October 09, 2006
Nationalism is stupid
This picture was inspired by Bill Hicks.
http://www.youtube.com/results?search=bill+hicks&search_type=search_videos&search=Search
January 16, 2006
Support for Vera Cruz Students Against War (SAW Vera Cruz)
My e-props, support and prayers go out to Students Against War in Verz Cruz.
Coverage here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/14/national/14santacruz.html
More proof of how war is really a domestic program used to justify increased executive government power and go after domestic leftists groups. At first I agreed that it was ok to investigate people who might be invovled in terrorists attacks, then I realized that Bush is investigating are The Catholic Workers, a peace group in
Florida, etc etc. There are 11 spy agencies investigation leftists right now, often illegally. This is what happen when you accept that fascist/Orweilian idea that "If you are not with us, you are against us."
Coverage here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/14/national/14santacruz.html
More proof of how war is really a domestic program used to justify increased executive government power and go after domestic leftists groups. At first I agreed that it was ok to investigate people who might be invovled in terrorists attacks, then I realized that Bush is investigating are The Catholic Workers, a peace group in
Florida, etc etc. There are 11 spy agencies investigation leftists right now, often illegally. This is what happen when you accept that fascist/Orweilian idea that "If you are not with us, you are against us."
December 20, 2005
American conservatism: the perfect combination of fascism and apathy.
Conservativsm is not a political position, it is a lack of a political position.
I've come to this conclusion after living in rural Kansas for three years and being in a community that has 50%+ Republicans, but they rarely debate or do any activism or anything. My area is seen my the conservatives to be completely dominated by leftists, because they are the only ones that do any activism and they run the important institutions.
Conservativsm certainly is not a lifesyle. When I browse Facebook I see many people with "conservative" listed under their political affiliation (often even conservative and Christianity/God listed under interests) with tons of pictures of them drinking and partying. A lot of these conservatives are ashamed of Bush, but really violently hate liberals. The difference between liberals and conservatives are that liberals are too pissed off to keep being silent, mainly based on being more informed about current events and how the world works.
American Conservatism is a not a political position, it is a culture. It is tied deeply to the dominant Christian views in America, which is a big part of this and can be viewed under this framework of a strange apathetic, reactionary, ignorant/apathetic, anti-modern, anti-liberal, hateful culture that produces right-wingers.
So many people I have talked to have said they are fed up with Bush, but we should just obey our government and we can not change anything. American Conservatism is largely based on apathy and nationalism, often justified by Christianity with a strong emphasis on Romans 13:1, rather than Acts 5:29 or other better verses more accurate to the early Christians who were radical and not obedient to temporal authorities. For example, Paul wrote many of his letters from jail and was executed by the Roman Empire. It really is a strange phenomenon, and certainly a recent, post-Vietnam phenomenon (Vietnam War, especially the Pentagon Papers caused widespread distrust and apathy toward government by people on the left and right.) Nonetheless, it is from this culture, which is very widespread, that our politicians must build a c onsensus base. There seems to be little base for anyone to build a campaign on then of hatred, rallying around the flag, idolatrous repetitive screaming of "God Bless America"(yeah, I do mean Kerry's concession speech, fuck you Kerry), militarism, and "staying the course" on every issue.
American conservatism: the perfect combination of fascism and apathy.
Evidence for this blend of unqualified nationalism and apathy is provided in an e-mail being forwarded around:
> WHAT\\'S ALL THE FUSS?
>
> "ARE WE FIGHTING A WAR ON TERROR OR AREN\\'T WE?
>
> WAS IT NOT STARTED BY ISLAMIC PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT IT TO OUR SHORES ON
>
> SEPTEMBER 11, 2001?
>
> AMERICANS, NOT BRUTALLY MURDERED THAT DAY, IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, ACROSS THE
> POTOMAC FROM OUR NATION\\'S CAPITOL AND IN A FIELD IN PENNSYLVANIA?
>
> DID NEARLY THREE THOUSAND MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN DIE A HORRIBLE,
>
> BURNING OR CRUSHING DEATH THAT DAY, OR DIDN\\'T THEY?
>
> I DON\\'T CARE AT ALL.
>
> I\\'LL START CARING WHEN OSAMA BIN LADEN TURNS HIMSELF IN AND REPENTS FOR
> INCINERATING ALL THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE ON 9/11.
>
> OF WHICH IS A CRIME IN SAUDI ARABIA.
>
> I\\'LL CARE WHEN ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI TELLS THE WORLD HE IS SORRY
> FOR HACKING
> OFF NICK BERG\\'S HEAD WHILE BERG SCREAMED
>
> THROUGH HIS GURGLING! , SLASHED THROAT.
>
> I\\'LL CARE WHEN THE COWARDLY SO-CALLED "INSURGENTS" IN IRAQ COME OUT AND
> FIGHT LIKE MEN INSTEAD OF DISRESPECTING THEIR OWN RELIGION BY HIDING IN
> MOSQUES.
>
> I\\'LL CARE WHEN THE MINDLESS ZEALOTS WHO BLOW THEMSELVES UP IN SEARCH OF
> NIRVANA CARE ABOUT THE INNOCENT CHILDREN WITHIN RANGE OF THEIR SUICIDE BOMBS.
>
> I\\'LL CARE WHEN THE AMERICAN MEDIA STOPS PRETENDING THAT THEIR FIRST
> AMENDMENT LIBERTIES ARE SOMEHOW DERIVED FROM INTERNATIONAL LAW INSTEAD OF THE
> UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION\\'S BILL OF RIGHTS.
>
> IN THE MEANTIME, WHEN I HEAR A STORY ABOUT A BRAVE MARINE ROUGHING
> UP AN IRAQI
> TERRORIST TO OBTAIN INFORMATION, KNOW THIS:
>
> I DON\\'T CARE.
>
> WHEN I SEE A FUZZY PHOTO OF APILE OF NAKED IRAQI PRISONERS WHO HAVE BEEN
> HUMILIATED IN WHAT AMOUNTS TO A COLLEGE HAZING INCIDENT, REST ASSURED THAT I
> DON\\'T CARE.
>
> WHEN I SEE A WOUNDED TERRORIST GET SHOT IN THE HEAD WHEN HE IS TOLD NOT TO
> MOVE BECAUSE HE MIGHT BE BOOBY-TRAPPED, YOU CAN TAKE IT TO THE BANK THAT I
> DON\\'T CARE.
>
> WHEN I HEAR THAT A PRISONER, WHO WAS ISSUED A KORAN AND A PRAYER
> MAT, AND FED
> "SPECIAL" FOOD THAT IS PAID FOR BY MY TAX DOLLARS, IS COMPLAINING
> THAT HIS HOLY
> BOOK IS BEING "MISHANDLED," YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART
> OF HEARTS
> THAT I DON\\'T CARE.
>
> AND OH, BY THE WAY, I\\'VE NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES IT\\'S SPELLED "KORAN" AND
> OTHER TIMES "QURAN." WELL, JIMMY CRACK CORN AND ---- YOU GUESSED IT, I COULD
> NOT HAVE SAID THIS ANY BETTER MYSELF!
>
> IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS VIEW POINT, PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR E-MAIL FRIENDS.
> SOONER OR LATER, IT\\'LL GET TO THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FR THIS RIDICULOUS
> BEHAVIOR! IF YOU DON\\'T AGREE, THEN BY ALL MEANS HIT THE DELETE BUTTON.
>
> SHOULD YOU CHOOSE THE LATTER, THEN PLEASE DON\\'T COMPLAIN WHEN MORE
> ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY RADICAL MUSLIMS HAPPEN HERE IN OUR GREAT COUNTRY.
I've come to this conclusion after living in rural Kansas for three years and being in a community that has 50%+ Republicans, but they rarely debate or do any activism or anything. My area is seen my the conservatives to be completely dominated by leftists, because they are the only ones that do any activism and they run the important institutions.
Conservativsm certainly is not a lifesyle. When I browse Facebook I see many people with "conservative" listed under their political affiliation (often even conservative and Christianity/God listed under interests) with tons of pictures of them drinking and partying. A lot of these conservatives are ashamed of Bush, but really violently hate liberals. The difference between liberals and conservatives are that liberals are too pissed off to keep being silent, mainly based on being more informed about current events and how the world works.
American Conservatism is a not a political position, it is a culture. It is tied deeply to the dominant Christian views in America, which is a big part of this and can be viewed under this framework of a strange apathetic, reactionary, ignorant/apathetic, anti-modern, anti-liberal, hateful culture that produces right-wingers.
So many people I have talked to have said they are fed up with Bush, but we should just obey our government and we can not change anything. American Conservatism is largely based on apathy and nationalism, often justified by Christianity with a strong emphasis on Romans 13:1, rather than Acts 5:29 or other better verses more accurate to the early Christians who were radical and not obedient to temporal authorities. For example, Paul wrote many of his letters from jail and was executed by the Roman Empire. It really is a strange phenomenon, and certainly a recent, post-Vietnam phenomenon (Vietnam War, especially the Pentagon Papers caused widespread distrust and apathy toward government by people on the left and right.) Nonetheless, it is from this culture, which is very widespread, that our politicians must build a c onsensus base. There seems to be little base for anyone to build a campaign on then of hatred, rallying around the flag, idolatrous repetitive screaming of "God Bless America"(yeah, I do mean Kerry's concession speech, fuck you Kerry), militarism, and "staying the course" on every issue.
American conservatism: the perfect combination of fascism and apathy.
Evidence for this blend of unqualified nationalism and apathy is provided in an e-mail being forwarded around:
> WHAT\\'S ALL THE FUSS?
>
> "ARE WE FIGHTING A WAR ON TERROR OR AREN\\'T WE?
>
> WAS IT NOT STARTED BY ISLAMIC PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT IT TO OUR SHORES ON
>
> SEPTEMBER 11, 2001?
>
> AMERICANS, NOT BRUTALLY MURDERED THAT DAY, IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN, ACROSS THE
> POTOMAC FROM OUR NATION\\'S CAPITOL AND IN A FIELD IN PENNSYLVANIA?
>
> DID NEARLY THREE THOUSAND MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN DIE A HORRIBLE,
>
> BURNING OR CRUSHING DEATH THAT DAY, OR DIDN\\'T THEY?
>
> I DON\\'T CARE AT ALL.
>
> I\\'LL START CARING WHEN OSAMA BIN LADEN TURNS HIMSELF IN AND REPENTS FOR
> INCINERATING ALL THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE ON 9/11.
>
> OF WHICH IS A CRIME IN SAUDI ARABIA.
>
> I\\'LL CARE WHEN ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI TELLS THE WORLD HE IS SORRY
> FOR HACKING
> OFF NICK BERG\\'S HEAD WHILE BERG SCREAMED
>
> THROUGH HIS GURGLING! , SLASHED THROAT.
>
> I\\'LL CARE WHEN THE COWARDLY SO-CALLED "INSURGENTS" IN IRAQ COME OUT AND
> FIGHT LIKE MEN INSTEAD OF DISRESPECTING THEIR OWN RELIGION BY HIDING IN
> MOSQUES.
>
> I\\'LL CARE WHEN THE MINDLESS ZEALOTS WHO BLOW THEMSELVES UP IN SEARCH OF
> NIRVANA CARE ABOUT THE INNOCENT CHILDREN WITHIN RANGE OF THEIR SUICIDE BOMBS.
>
> I\\'LL CARE WHEN THE AMERICAN MEDIA STOPS PRETENDING THAT THEIR FIRST
> AMENDMENT LIBERTIES ARE SOMEHOW DERIVED FROM INTERNATIONAL LAW INSTEAD OF THE
> UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION\\'S BILL OF RIGHTS.
>
> IN THE MEANTIME, WHEN I HEAR A STORY ABOUT A BRAVE MARINE ROUGHING
> UP AN IRAQI
> TERRORIST TO OBTAIN INFORMATION, KNOW THIS:
>
> I DON\\'T CARE.
>
> WHEN I SEE A FUZZY PHOTO OF APILE OF NAKED IRAQI PRISONERS WHO HAVE BEEN
> HUMILIATED IN WHAT AMOUNTS TO A COLLEGE HAZING INCIDENT, REST ASSURED THAT I
> DON\\'T CARE.
>
> WHEN I SEE A WOUNDED TERRORIST GET SHOT IN THE HEAD WHEN HE IS TOLD NOT TO
> MOVE BECAUSE HE MIGHT BE BOOBY-TRAPPED, YOU CAN TAKE IT TO THE BANK THAT I
> DON\\'T CARE.
>
> WHEN I HEAR THAT A PRISONER, WHO WAS ISSUED A KORAN AND A PRAYER
> MAT, AND FED
> "SPECIAL" FOOD THAT IS PAID FOR BY MY TAX DOLLARS, IS COMPLAINING
> THAT HIS HOLY
> BOOK IS BEING "MISHANDLED," YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART
> OF HEARTS
> THAT I DON\\'T CARE.
>
> AND OH, BY THE WAY, I\\'VE NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES IT\\'S SPELLED "KORAN" AND
> OTHER TIMES "QURAN." WELL, JIMMY CRACK CORN AND ---- YOU GUESSED IT, I COULD
> NOT HAVE SAID THIS ANY BETTER MYSELF!
>
> IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS VIEW POINT, PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR E-MAIL FRIENDS.
> SOONER OR LATER, IT\\'LL GET TO THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FR THIS RIDICULOUS
> BEHAVIOR! IF YOU DON\\'T AGREE, THEN BY ALL MEANS HIT THE DELETE BUTTON.
>
> SHOULD YOU CHOOSE THE LATTER, THEN PLEASE DON\\'T COMPLAIN WHEN MORE
> ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY RADICAL MUSLIMS HAPPEN HERE IN OUR GREAT COUNTRY.
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