George Michael and Elton John
Great tune. I think that this was just before George Michael went off the deep end soliciting men in public restrooms. Maybe he is a closet Republican. Oops, that was wrong of me. I’ll take that back. 
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NFL suspends Vick
The NFL did the only thing that they could do.
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From CNN.com:
The National Football League has indefinitely suspended Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick without pay, officials with the league said Friday.
Earlier, Vick admitted to participating in a dogfighting ring as part of a plea agreement with federal prosecutors in Virginia.
“Your admitted conduct was not only illegal, but also cruel and reprehensible. Your team, the NFL, and NFL fans have all been hurt by your actions,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter to Vick. (more…)
INXS
What happened to them? They had what, 2 or 3 hits then they were gone. Their lead singer died in 1997, Michael Hutchence, but by 1997 they hadn’t had a major hit in the US for 7 or 8 years.
For many groups it is like lightning struck them. They are red hot for a short time then gone.
The Errington Thompson Show 8/18/07
This is our intern’s (Jennifer) last show. She has to go back to school. No time for my show. I wish her success. She has been great. We chat with Bill Scher from Liberal Oasis. We discuss how the neocons are spinning Bush’s promised veto of SCHIP. Why does our president hate children? We also discuss the legacy of Karl Rove. This and more on the Errington Thompson Show.
Marciano V. Louis In The Mess Hall
A few days ago I saw two restaurant workers shadow boxing in Downtown Houston. This reminded me of a story my father once told me about his time in the army.
My father was in one of the early desegregated army units. President Harry Truman desegregated the army in 1948. What my father related took place around 1950.
My father said he used to shadow box with a black solider in the mess hall. Dad, an Italian, would pretend he was Rocky Marciano and the other guy would imagine himself as Joe Louis.
( The photo is of Louis in the army. It comes from the National Archives. Louis got a raw deal from the army. He was forced to pay taxes on money he had donated to the troops from some of his fights.)
My father had seen Marciano fight in Providence, Rhode Island in the 1940’s.
My father said the other soldiers did not know what to make of the play-fighting. He said they were sometimes concerned that the fighting was real. I guess I can infer that not much mixing between the races took place at the time.
Recent stories have discussed a decline in black enlistment in the army since the Iraq War. Black Americans don’t want to die for nothing in George Bush’s war in Iraq.
I’m not sure what blacks had to fight for in Korea back in 1950—Though at least Harry Truman had done something for them. To this day my father does not know why he was in Korea.
Louis and Marciano fought each other once. In 1951, Marciano knocked out Louis. This would be the last fight for Louis.
Retired General John Batiste, a conservative, speaks out
I don’t usually re-post what other bloggers have posted but this is something special. It is a note from General Batiste. He has been outspoken against the tactics of the Bush Administration. He called for Rumsfeld to be fired. He submitted this to the WSJ and the Washington Times. They didn’t publish it. This was posted by our friends at Think Progress, one of the greatest blogs on the planet.
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For my first post here at ThinkProgress, I thought I would share something a little different from what you usually read here — something from a conservative perspective. I think this is especially fitting, given the new poll of foreign policy experts by Foreign Policy Magazine and the Center for American Progress, which shows 64 percent of conservative analysts feel the so-called “surge” in Iraq is having no impact, or a negative effect.
The following is an op-ed I wrote two weeks ago, which neither the Wall Street Journal or Washington Times wanted to consider, so I’m posting it here…
Over a year and a half ago, I made a gut-wrenching decision to leave the Army in order to speak out about the war in Iraq. I turned my back on over 31 years of service and what by all accounts would have been a great career. I realized that I was in a unique position to speak out on behalf of Soldiers and their families. I had a moral obligation and duty to do so. My family and I left the only life we knew and entered the political debate. As a two-time combat veteran, I understand the value of thorough planning and deliberate execution. I understand what it takes to win. As a life-long Republican, I am prepared to carry on with the debate for as long as necessary. I have been speaking out for the past 17 months and there is no turning back.
As a conservative, I am all for a strong military and setting the conditions for success. America goes to war to win. I am not anti-war and am committed to winning the struggle against world-wide Islamic extremism. But, I am outraged that elected officials of my own party do not comprehend the predicament we are in with a strategy in the Middle East that lacks focus and is all but relying on the military to solve the diplomatic, political, and economic Rubik’s Cube that defines Iraq. Our dysfunctional interagency process in Washington DC lacks leadership and direction. Many conservatives in Congress have allowed the charade to go on for too long. [Read more →]
Warner - time to start bring troops home
Well, it is a start but I’M NOT buying it. We have seen over the past 18 - 24 months Republicans have come out and said the most thoughtful things only to back pedal when the voting starts. Let’s see John Warner has to say when the rubber meets the road. He has talked tough before. We have been down this road.
A new National Intelligence Estimate has come out. It doesn’t say anything that thoughtful progressives haven’t been saying for years. The Republicans want us to believe that we aren’t getting the straight scoop from Iraq. It is hard to know what’s going on. Everything is so confusing. As Tucker said the other day, this is the most difficult war to cover as a journalist in history. Horse-Hockey. The bottom-line is - are Iraqis returning to their country by the thousands? That’s the bottom-line. If Iraqis are still leaving their country by the thousands for whatever reason then problems in Iraq aren’t fixed. It is that simple. They have the real scoop. They know it isn’t safe.
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From NYT:
A stark assessment released Thursday by the nation’s intelligence agencies depicts a paralyzed Iraqi government unable to take advantage of the security gains achieved by the thousands of extra American troops dispatched to the country this year.
The assessment, known as a National Intelligence Estimate, casts strong doubts on the viability of the Bush administration strategy in Iraq. It gives a dim prognosis on the likelihood that Iraqi politicians can heal deep sectarian rifts before next spring, when American military commanders have said that a crunch on available troops will require reducing the United States’ presence in Iraq.
But the report also implicitly criticizes proposals offered by Democrats, including several presidential candidates, who have called for a withdrawal of American combat troops from Iraq by next year and for a major shift in the American approach, from manpower-intensive counterinsurgency operations to lower-profile efforts aimed at supporting Iraqi troops and carrying out quick-strike counterterrorism raids. (more…)
Remember Lebanon
Remember when the Bush Administration convinced Israel to invade Lebanon and root out Hezbollah? Remember the destruction? Well, even though Israel is still reassessing the battle, Hezbollah still stands and the Lebanese government is still barely hanging on. Fighting continues.
Update: This post was somewhat confusing because the fighting in Lebanon is confusing. Eliedh posted a comment and straighten me out. Yes, Hezbollah is still there but the fighting is now between some terrorist group (Fatah affiliated fighters) and the Lebanese government.
From NYT:
Families of Islamic fighters left a besieged Palestinian refugee camp on Friday after the militants and the Lebanese army agreed to the evacuation, according to a Muslim clergyman mediating between the two sides.
The evacuation of the 25 women and 38 children — mostly relatives of Fatah Islam fighters caught inside the Nahr el-Bared camp for three months — clears the way for a possible final military assault to eradicate the remaining militants inside.
Only fighters, now estimated at about 70, remain in a small area deep inside the camp near the coast. (more…)
Bob Murray and the Crandall Mine
I saw a stat the other day. During the Clinton administration that there were no mine accidents and during the Bush administration there have been 7. I don’t know if that’s true. What I do know is governmental oversight is needed to keep big business honest. We have learned this time and time again in the US. We know that at the turn of the last century we had sweat shops. We know we had child labor. We had garment workers working in a building with only one exit and it was barred. We know that for the most part business owners do not treat their workers that well. This we know. We also know that the Bush Administration isn’t a fan of regulation. So, it would not surprise me if those numbers were/are correct.
Bob Murray has been as interesting guy in the middle of this disaster. He has been trying to pump up the family and the media with hope. He has been out there everyday “showing us that he cares”. Now, it turns out that his “better than average” safety record was made up in his mind. The problems at this Crandall mine were not because of sloppy regard for safety but because of that “evil mountain.” Watch the video on Murray’s mining record.
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Errington C. Thompson, MD, is a surgeon, scholar, fulltime sports fan and part-time political activist. He is active in a number of community projects and initiatives. Through medicine, he strives to improve the physical health of all he treats...
