The true face of War!

On July 26th, a two-part report was published on the Colorado Springs Gazette, about the true face of war.

Various Military commercials, Hollywood (war) movies, some written media and war related toys/video games, tend to glamorize the concept of “combat” to entice the public for a purpose. It is to attract the young hot-blooded kids who are usually from financially vulnerable backgrounds. These kids who sign up for the military are usually from families who have never left their state, let alone traveled abroad. They do not speak another language or understand what it means to leave their comfortably familiar surroundings. They tend to be high school dropouts or kids without a clear vision about their future. The hard truth is, in America for the most part; College education is for the rich and the powerful.

Here come the savvy military recruiters and attractive commercials, which target these young and vulnerable kids into signing up for the “glamorous” job of serving for the military. They make it sound like a holiday camp rather then what it really is!

Young recruits receive little training, guidance and support in cultural and religious nuances before they are shipped off to wars in different parts of the world. There is no clear-cut enemy, there are no clear-cut rules of engagement and there are no laws that can be enforced properly during a time of utter confusion and bloodshed.

These young, easily aroused, not very worldly, uneducated, economically deprived kids who can be easily manipulated are given extremely dangerous weapons to fight in countries with little knowledge about why they are there and what they are fighting for. On top of it all, on daily bases they experience truly horrible crimes committed either by their fellow soldiers or by the “enemy” right in front of their eyes. On daily bases they see their friends bodies blown up to pieces by the road side bombs, in return over a short period of time they become angry and frustrated which drives them to kill and commit horrible crimes themselves.

Once a person kills, rapes, or tortures another human being, there is no going back to being “normal” again. There can never be a true healthy adjustment to civilian life without many hours of physical and psychological support, both by the military and the people who surround these soldiers, such as family and friends.

“Casualties of War: The hell of war comes home”, is a must read. It chronicles and follows the lives of some of the soldiers who came home from Afghanistan and Iraq. The article details the lives of the few who either murdered, badly beaten their loved ones and/or abuse alcohol and drugs to the point of total self-destruction.

As a mother, I feel sad and sorry for these kids but as a political individual, I feel angry and frustrated with the co-operate media, military, parliament(s), American Congress, government(s) around the world and the general world public for letting these unnecessary wars take place against third world countries in the name of “Democratizing the Uncivilized”. There has to be more outrage, more anger, and stronger demand for the return of each and every single soldier in combat out there…. We have to demand LOUDER for our troops to come home NOW!

No matter how you slice it or dice it… no matter how you justify it… the true face of war is UGLY!

If you do not have the time to read the 2-part report, you can watch Democracy Now about the same topic.

PART 1

PART 2

Watch Democracy Now!

*Photo taken by me at the anti-war rally in Washington DC in 2007.

I baked my first fruit cake.... Don't ask me how!

I am addicted to "FOOD NETWORK". It's a channel dedicated to foodies here in the US. I do not watch much TV, but when I do, it's usually the Food Channel.

I love cooking! It's quite therapeutic and calming for me. All sense of time goes by quickly when I'm concocting something different. Usually I get my ideas either from various cook books, my mother or from the food channel. I tend to cook mostly either Mediterranean or Middle Eastern style foods. The base is lots of onions, garlic, extra virgin olive-oil, herbs and colorful spices.

I am not much of a pastry person, however, I attempted to bake my kids birthday cake for the first time the other day... Of course, I was not prepared to make something totally out of the box, so I took the safe road and prepared a fruit cake.

It turned out pretty colorful and fruity, if you don't mind me saying so!

On a funny note: When I was a little girl, my brother use to pretend to be the audience and I would talk to the pretend camera cooking away, making funny faces. He would get all excited about my (fantasy) food and just watch me in amazement. He was only 5 or so and I was around 8.... Nothing has changed, except now he is the one in the kitchen, cooking...!

Do you like cooking? If so, what type of dishes inspire you? Can you give me any interesting ideas or tips? I would love to learn something new...

Have a lovely weekend with wonderful and enjoyable food.

* The above photo is my fruit cake.

German forces are engaged in heavy fighting in Afghanistan

Heavy fighting in Afghanistan still continues between the Taliban forces and the Western powers. We know American and British troops are heavily invested with the number of soldiers and financial backing by their governments. But honestly, what are the Germans doing there? It’s bad enough that the Brits and Americans are there, now we have the heavy involvement by the Germans!

This is quickly turning into Iraq. Have the “Western Powers” not learned anything from the terrible blunder of Iraq? Have the politicians forgotten the toll of war on the public and the soldiers who are on the ground? Have the Co-operate Media turned a blind eye for the pain and the suffering of the people by the bombs, shootings and the general mess that is experienced during a time of tremendous pain caused by war. Well it seems “YES” to all these questions.


YES. Politicians do not care about the public and the soldiers on the ground.

YES. The Media have turned a blind eye to the human suffering caused by war.

YES. Afghanistan is quickly turning into Iraq. An unwinnable war! This whole mess is a painful experience for the Afghanis as well as for the Western Soldiers on the ground.

YES. The reason why the Western powers are there is not to save the Afghani women from the clutches of the Taliban as portrayed in the media, but rather to control the oil pipe-lines and to keep a close eye on Russia and China.

Instead of worrying and obsessing about various wars around the world that our governments are involved in. We obsess over the death of Michael Jackson, who was a very sad soul while he was alive anyway. We obsess with the idiot blonde, Paris Hilton, who has no talent or beauty apart from having a very rich father. We obsess over useless people who have very little importance to add to humanity at large. Let’s face it, our co-operate media is broken, our governments do not listen to us any longer, our politicians are corrupt and greedy.

And as for the Germans…. Get the hell out of Afghanistan… followed by all the other greedy morons who are currently blinded by the smell of blood and power!

PLEASE READ THE ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY DW

One of my favorite blogs Renegade Eye have posted a great article about the war in Afghanistan. I highly recommend for everyone to read it.

*Photo taken by me in the Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston

OJALA by: Silvio Rodriguez

It's been raining all day. My husband is away in London for a business trip, kids are at home playing with their friends upstairs and I have been listening to music, feeling a little under the weather.... I think this song reflects my mood very well right now.

Silvio Rodriguez is a Cuban Musician and a Poet.

I thought you might enjoy Ojala with me!

Happy 10th Birthday Alp and Lara!

Today (19th of July) is Alp and Lara's 10th birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIDS!

Mom and Dad love you very much and wishes you all the best for the rest of your life. Many many more double digit numbers to come. Enjoy life to the fullest, see the beauty in everything, be happy and make sure your lives have a meaning.

Life is too short and goes by very quickly. May every corner of your life be filled with excitement, kindness, and sweetness. May you both enjoy a life of health & contentment…

Happy Birthday our sweet little twins….

Mom and Dad

Wise Latina looks to be confirmed to the Supreme Court!

President Obama’s Supreme Court pick Sonia Sotomayor, is expected to be confirmed for the powerful position of being the next Supreme Court Judge within the next few days. I have been following the Senate hearings on WBAI, a New York City based radio station, for the last few days. It has been quite interesting following the comical and somewhat hypocritical line of questioning that she had to endure since the beginning of the week. Now, I am all for hard and difficult questions but when it becomes hypocritical behavior by the “White Boys”, that is when I have a problem.

Let me clarify: Sotomajor was born into a working class Latino family in one of the housing projects in New York City. Her father died when she was about 9 years old, leaving her fairly uneducated mother to take care of the family. Sotomajor worked very hard to get to where she is right now. She is the first College Educated person in her family; she will be the first Latina woman in the Supreme Court if confirmed.

A few years ago, she said: “wise Latina’s might be a better judge than a white man”. Now I am not defending what she said as it blatantly wrong. Ones color, religion or ethnicity cannot make a person to be a better judge, however, once personal experience in life can make a better and wiser person. White Boys have been controlling the political arena for centuries. Now that we have, not only, a Latina but a WOMAN, scares the pans of the boys club. They have been drilling her and asking the most absurd questions in the last few days. I have to say, I admired her stance, I admired her composure and most of all, I admired her honesty.

It seems she will be confirmed and it seems we will not only have another Woman but a Latina in the Supreme Court. I am a happy camper. Diversity both ethnically and gender wise is a great thing, not only for the court system but also for the sake of fairness and balance when making important decisions that can effect all of us who live in the US.

Here are 2 good articles that you can bite into for further info.

Truthout.org

Truthdig.org

*Photo taken by me.

The United States of America 1776 – 2018

I came across an article that made me laugh in a black comedy kind of way. It’s about Sara Palin’s presidential election in 2012, written by: K.M. Breay. Please read it with a grain of salt. If Sara Palin becomes the next president, I might consider moving to Madagascar.
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The United States of America 1776 – 2018 written by: K.M. Breay

The United States of America, who dominated the world’s commerce, culture and foreign affairs for nearly two and a half centuries, died Sunday evening at the age of 242. The official cause of death was apathy, although in recent years she had suffered from a variety of serious ailments.

Historians are already focusing on the election of President Sarah Palin in 2012 as the beginning of the end for the United States. The election proved to be a pivotal one and political strategists consider Palin’s campaign against then-President Barack Obama as one of the most effective in American history. Her signature slogan, “94 IQ Just Like You” burnished her regular gal credentials while shrewdly exposing President Obama’s erudition and intelligence. Polls taken throughout the campaign showed that voters considered Mr. Obama’s intelligence as the issue that concerned them most, with well over 90 percent of Americans stating that his intellect made him “totally weird.”

The United States of America, known to many simply as “America,” cemented her reputation as a fighter early in life, waging the first of what would become many wars with her own mother, The United Kingdom, from which she emerged fully emancipated at the tender age of 8.

But it was America’s final war, The War for Families, which many historians view as her most serious military blunder. Despite the advice of nearly all her military advisors, President Palin invaded the city of San Francisco after arguing that the west coast port was in fact a foreign country in possession of dangerous stockpiles of WGIs (Weapons of Gay Influence). Before the pre-emptive invasion, the Palin White House waged an aggressive public relations campaign to gain support for The War for Families, repeatedly telling skeptics that "we can't wait for the smoking gun, which might come in the form of a Brokeback Mountain sequel." By October of 2014 a Gallup poll found that 93 percent of the American public believed that San Francisco was a foreign country amassing dangerous stockpiles of WGIs and that an attack upon America was imminent.

The war lasted less than 48 hours and in the days that followed, The Apostles, an elite special forces unit from the Family Research Council, publicly presented what they called “significant stockpiles of WGIs,” including two Celine Dion bobbleheads, the filmmaker Gus Van Sant and a fuscia ascot which they said smelled of Drakkar Noir.

The United States of America had difficulty living within her means, especially in her later years, borrowing billions of dollars from friends to support her lavish lifestyle. By 2015, she was 75 trillion dollars in debt and reduced to auctioning off many of her most prized possessions, including the Lincoln Memorial, which became the Lincoln Mutual Life and Casualty Insurance Memorial. Other treasured items that were sold and renamed included the Cutlass Supreme Court, the Samsung Korean Memorial and the International White House of Pancakes. The Sotheby’s auction raised nearly 200 million dollars, which the United States said would be used to pay off her debt, but the money was instead given back to the companies who participated in the auction in the form of a bailout.

The Literature Purification Act of 2013 granted President Palin sweeping powers to burn books that she deemed “not with the morals of us.” Thus began an aggressive burning campaign in which thousands of grass-roots activists were enlisted to participate. When it was all over, the only books that remained were the King James Holy Bible, the works of Judith Krantz and President Palin's bestselling autobiography, "Lipsick Pit Bull."

Critics contend that the United States lost focus in recent years, due in large part to a powerful prescription pill addiction, rumored to include Ativan, Valium, Vicodin, Cialis, Lunesta, Effexor, Lexapro, Trazodone, Zoloft, Paxil, Viagra, Klonopin, Xanax, Halcion, Ambien, Levitra, Adderall, Ritalin and Celexa. Although a previous addiction to Prozac was successfully overcome in the late 90's.

In her will, The United States of America bequeathed her national parks to Exxon Mobil, her lakes to a Chinese sovereign wealth fund and what is left of her soul to Goldman Sachs. Wall Street insiders say Goldman Sachs plans to split America’s soul into thousands of credit default swaps, hold a closed auction and then buy back the swaps and turn them into mortgage backed securities, which will then be re-packaged and sold to the American people as adjustable-rate, interest-only, negative amortization, home equity mortgage loans.

A spokesman for Goldman Sachs declined to comment.

The United States of America is survived by her husband, the state of Israel, whom she married in 1948. The couple’s only child, former Congressman Rham Emmanuel, told the Associated Press his widowed father will be moved over the weekend to a retirement home in Boca.

*Photo taken by me, on Ellis Island.

I am back...

We are finally on line and connected! Quite honestly, didn’t realize how addicted I was to the Internet. Didn’t miss TV one bit, as I do not watch it all that much but not being online was frustrating me more then I could ever imagine….

We moved 2 days ago. Boxes, boxes, boxes everywhere. I do not know where anything is? In general, my personality finds it very hard to live in chaos. I need order and focus to function comfortably. Maybe because I am a “Virgo”, or maybe because I am just uptight, I have always been happier knowing where everything is.

This will all be over in a few weeks and I will be back to my normal routine. Of course, once the dust settles, then I have to come to the realization that I have moved to the “BURBS”! It’s so awfully quite here. There are no sirens, no cars or human noises. There is no hustle or the bustle of the city; there is no friendly corner shop, no pedestrians and there isn’t our usual Irish pub that we drop by regularly. BUT, there is a different kind of energy, the kind I will need to get use to.

There is the energy of the ocean, trees, squirrels, ducks, birds, grass, wild turkeys and even deer! Yes! you heard it, wild turkey and deer…. The ocean is beautiful. Something about the water that makes us humans calmer in general, don’t you think? That part I will get use to very quickly…

My blogging will be far and in between for the next few weeks. I will try to follow the world news, now that I am online, however, I am not sure how often I will be able to write my thoughts down. Although, I have a feeling I will desire it more often then not.

One thing I can tell you is, our system is truly f#$% up! Our media obsesses more about Michael Jackson’s death then Cynthia McKinney’s imprisonment or the military coupe in Honduras… Talk about empty heads and hearts!

*Photo taken by me