CNN television covered the Veteran Pentacle Quest today and asks the
public to share their views on this issue.

ON AMERICAN MORNING

This morning, a news story on the quest to get the Pentacle on the VA
emblem of beliefs list for markers for deceased veterans was broadcast
worldwide on CNN television on the program, "American Morning."

This story by CNN National Correspondent Bob Franken began with a scene of
Sgt. Patrick Stewart's coffin being carried by soldiers at his
funeral. The story reported that Sgt. Stewart does not have his
memorial plaque because his Wiccan religion and its emblem, the
Pentacle, are not yet recognized by the US Department of Veterans
Affairs. This news story also included photos of Sgt. Stewart and remarks
by his widow Roberta and Rev. Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary. Bob
Franken, standing across the street from the VA headquarters,
concluded his coverage by stating several times that the Wiccan
Pentacle has been pending for 9 years.

VIEW ON-LINE:

http://www.cnn.com/video/partners/clickability/index.html?url=/video/us/2006/07/10/franken.wiccan.veteran.affl

ON HEADLINE NEWS:

Later in the day, the story aired on CNN Headline News, along with several
emails from viewers, including a supporitve one from Sgt.
Stewart's friend Jeremy who was his roommate when they served in
Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

The news anchors asked viewers to share their views about whether or not
the Pentacle should be added to the VA list. Some have already done this,
but more are needed to counter some of the bigoted and
anti-Wiccan emails CNN has gotten.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR VIEWS:

Please speak out in favor of the Pentacle being added to the VA list.
Here's how:

(1) As soon as possible, go to CNN's FEEDBACK

http://www.cnn.com/feedback/cnntv/

(2) Scroll down the page and select AMERICAN MORNING.

Specify news story by its title: WICCAN SOLDIER'S WIDOW FIGHTS VA

(4) Specify date of airing: JULY 10, 2006

(5) Share words of support for the VA adding the Pentacle to its
memorial markers emblems of belief list, and check "positive."

(6) Thank CNN for covering this issue and ask for more
coverage.

SPREAD THE WORD:

Let others know about this latest media coverage and the need to send
comments to CNN about this issue. Post to lists and forward this email to
others you know who might be able to help. Thanks!

Circle Times: Monday, July 10, 2006

CNN video - Wiccan Soldier - Help Gain National SUPPORT!

I totally agree. (and I think I had this on my memestream too.) This is absolutely **unAmerican** - and even Christians SHOULD fight for this basic right - the right to freedom of religion and the right to be RECOGNIZED for giving your LIFE for this country. UG - This is beyond CRAP.

Fallen Soldier Gets a Bronze Star but No Pagan Star

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court agreed Monday to consider whether the Bush administration must regulate carbon dioxide to combat global warming, setting up what could be one of the court's most important decisions on the environment.

The decision means the court will address whether the administration's decision to rely on voluntary measures to combat climate change are legal under federal clean air laws.

"This is the whole ball of wax. This will determine whether the Environmental Protection Agency is to regulate greenhouse gases from cars and whether EPA can regulate carbon dioxide from power plants," said David Bookbinder, an attorney for the Sierra Club.

Bookbinder said if the court upholds the administration's argument it also could jeopardize plans by California and 10 other states, including most of the Northeast, to require reductions in carbon dioxide emissions from motor vehicles.

There was no immediate comment from either the EPA or White House on the court's action.

"Fundamentally, we don't think carbon dioxide is a pollutant, and so we don't think these attempts are a good idea," said John Felmy, chief economist of the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group representing oil and gas producers.

If the Supreme Court agrees with the plantiffs, I will simultaneously have a stroke and heart attack. Bush has two stooges on the Court -- how can we possibly expect them to rule against him? Moreover, who in their right mind would expect him to rule against the oil and gas lobbyists? This is a simple mathematical identity with environmentalists (and anyone with a brain) on the losing side.

-janelane, CO2 pessimist

CNN.com - Supreme Court takes on global warming - Jun 26, 2006

Now, "the real battle lies between" Negroponte and Rumsfeld, said retired Army Lt. Gen. Donald Kerrick, a former deputy national security adviser and once a senior official at the Defense Intelligence Agency.

"Rumsfeld rules the roost now."

If they are smart, Negroponte will take over.

The Fix-It Man Leaves, but The Agency's Cracks Remain

President Bush on Tuesday ordered a temporary suspension of environmental rules for gasoline, making it easier for refiners to meet demand and possibly dampen prices at the pump.

Great, so the price stays the same and Exxon makes MORE??? George, you're insane.

He's NOT insane; he's an OIL MAN.

Bush Eases Environmental Rules on Gasoline - Yahoo! News

Acidus wrote:
According to Wikipedia:

-85% enriched is considered "weapons grade" and is the minimum purity of the uranium in the US's arsenal.
-20% will create a usable bomb
-3% to 5% is what a light weight nuclear reactor will use. This is most common reactor and what Iran claims it wants to build.
-While the uranium could be placed in a dirty bomb, this would not be the best use. Since dirty bombs simply spread radioactive material, isotopes like Strontium-90 are more effective than Uranium-235

Some useful perspective you won't get from the press...

RE: Iran enriched Uranium to 3.5%

Brian J. Doyle, 55, is charged with seven counts of use of a computer to seduce a child and 16 counts of transmission of harmful material to a minor, according to a sheriff's office statement.

On March 12, according to a police statement, Doyle contacted a Polk County computer crimes detective posing online as a 14-year-old girl "and initiated a sexually explicit conversation with her ... Doyle knew that the 'girl' was 14 years old, and he told her who he was and that he worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

"Judd said that Doyle, in the first conversation, told the detective his position with DHS and "started immediately into pretty vulgar language. He explained in graphic detail the sexual acts he wanted to perform with this 14-year-old."

As the two continued chatting online, police said, Doyle gave her his home and office phone numbers, and the number to his government-issue cell phone. He also had explicit telephone conversations with a detective posing as the girl, authorities said.

In addition, he used the Internet to send "hard-core pornographic movie clips" to her, and also used an America Online instant-messaging service to have explicit online conversations with her.

Doyle also sent photos of himself that were not sexually explicit, but said he would send nude photos if the "girl" would buy a Web camera and send him nude photos of herself. In one photo, Judd said, Doyle's DHS security tag is clearly visible.

"I read the transcripts," Judd said. "I wanted to see if this was just as outrageous as the detectives depicted it ... It shocked all of us who have worked vice, narcotics, organized crime, homicides."

This is sure to be all over the news today...

While not directly related to this, I've asked this question around lately: "what the hell is DHS doing?" Answers have varied. No one seems to know exactly. Mostly stuff about establishing little fiefdoms and sharing email servers. My favorite comment so far has been "creating new ways to fuck up." Their press center is simply the "Remarks from Michael Chertoff" page. DHS appears to be a black hole.

CNN.com - DHS spokesman arrested in child sex sting - Apr 4, 2006

From the Sun Online, reporting that a first-run human trial of an new anti-inflammatory drug made by a company called Parexel nearly kills it's testers.

Two of the poor sods were lucky. They were given a placebo.

This sounds like a horror novel come to life. ICK.

Drug test turns nightmare!

All kids this age are brain damaged and they never get enough sex.

If these guys had been getting laid more, they wouldn't be burning down churches.

RE: Chron.com | Drinking May Have Fueled Ala. Church Fires

In approving the $6.8 billion purchase, the administration chose not to require state-owned Dubai Ports World to keep copies of its business records on U.S. soil, where they would be subject to orders by American courts. It also did not require the company to designate an American citizen to accommodate requests by the government.

And it comes out... Someone at the White House cut an under the table deal on this.

And the more you find out about 'the deal' the weirder and weirder it gets.

Arab Company, White House Had Secret Deal - Yahoo! News