Song of the day.

Talking Heads - This Must Be the Place.

Main Street Barber.

Main Street Barber opened in Mechanicville today. Live around here? Get your hair cut by Mike or Micah. You’ll leave looking handsome!

Ring, Ring my local VA hospital.

No?

I just called my local VA Hospital to see if emergency contraception (Plan B) was available (no, I don't think I'm pregnant. Consider this my first attempt at investigative reporting) and I was told, “they could possibly have it but not sure...they could maybe get it.” And I was speaking with the gynecology department. They don’t even know?

I’m glad 17 year old girls can waltz into Rite Aide and buy Plan B. But a 25 year old Iraq war veteran can't get it? Well shit.

Zinn & Salinger.

These two incredible men have passed away. Zinn yesterday and Salinger today. RIP gentlemen.

Zinn.

Salinger.

Veterans: DC is ours.

VetVoice: Why Veterans Are Descending on DC to Close Gitmo.

Headed to DC.

Tomorrow I head to DC for a VoteVets event. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with my VetVoice friends. And then I start classes on Monday! I actually have to go to my German class tomorrow. I can't believe I have another semester of it. Hope you are all well.

Tonight: Wolff's Biergarten.

Memorial show in honor of Danny Keeler.

Danny Keeler, a friend to many and a teacher recently passed away. Albany is honoring him with a memorial show tomorrow night at Valentine's. All proceeds from the show will be donated to Teach For America. Danny was part of the program and taught in Vegas and New York City. Please come out if you can.

Someone worth listening to: Barbara Walker.

Barbara Walker has been doing missionary work in Haiti for over 20 years. She currently runs a health clinic outside of Port Au Prince, as well as an orphanage. She helps with the adoption of dozens of children every year. Walker was in Haiti during the earthquake and has no plans of leaving anytime soon.

Walker is a close family friend...well, she's like my aunt. My heart is with her and the people of Haiti.

Read more here.

Rev. Pat Robertson & Rush Limbaugh are worthless.

Why do some American's even listen to these two jackasses? When will people wake up and realize Rush Limbaugh and Robertson are complete trash and nothing that comes out of their mouth is of any value. Who blames the people of Haiti for their own misfortunes? Oh, that’s right the Holy Robertson does.

"And you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French, you know, Napoleon the Third and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you'll get us free from the French.' True story. And so the devil said, 'O.K., it's a deal.' "

The brilliant Robertson was referring to the theory that Haiti is a nation built on a pact with the devil. It’s a tale of “Haitian voodoo priests sacrificing a pig and drinking its blood in 1791 in order to secure Satan's aid in expelling the French occupation.” In turn, the priests promised Haiti to Satan for the next 200 years. So, this little pact with the devil caused the horrible earthquake in Haiti, right? It has punished the Haitians and is believed to have killed thousands. Give. Me. A. Break. Side note, this pact would have expired years ago (in 1991), so what the hell is Robertson talking about? Nothing. His words carry no weight and instead of showing some type of compassion for this tragedy he makes a mockery of it.

Of course, Limbaugh can never keep his mouth shut. “This will play right into Obama’s hands — humanitarian, compassionate,” Limbaugh argued. “They’ll use this to burnish their, shall we say, credibility with the black community — the both the light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country. It’s made to order for them.”

If it’s not one thing it’s another. Forget light-skinned, dark-skinned…focus on the actual situation at hand; a country that is now destroyed by a terrible earthquake. I guess being sensible in a time of need is out of the question for these two men. So while they chit chat on the comfort of their talk and radio shows, thousands will attempt to aide the devastated country. Well, maybe Robertson can donate some of his own money and Limbaugh can donate some of his pain pills to help out the citizens of Haiti.

TIME piece on Robertson.

Think Progress on Limbaugh.

Clearing your head.

How do you all do it? I was writing early and got stressed out. I had to get out of my house. So, I drove to the grocery store and walked around for awhile. I bought a ton of vegetables to make a veggie casserole for dinner and I decided to make red velvet cupcakes. I’ve never had a red velvet cupcake and I wanted to know why people were so obsessed with them…well, because they are delicious and bright! Anyways, moral of the story is writing is going to make me a fat fuck. Give me tips. And check out my cupcakes.



(iPhone camera kind of makes them look brown...I swear they are bright red)

Best Military Books of the Decade.

The Military Times rummaged through bookcases and pulled every book that has struck them. Then they compiled a list of the best military books of the decade! How exciting! So, who made the cut?

“The War I Always Wanted: The Illusion of Glory and the Reality of War” by Brandon Friedman, 2007. The story of a college “hawkish war junkie” who goes from Manhattan to Bagram to Hillah and discovers that being an Army officer is “not as easy as it looks on TV.” And after service in two battle zones, disenchantment displaces his desire. He writes he “wanted to believe in my work,” but “instead, I was watching as politicians with no military experience hijacked the Army.”

And…

“The Forever War” by Dexter Filkins, 2008. This award-winning collection of reports and impressions takes you into harm’s way with a journalist’s eye for details and a dramatist’s ear for dialogue. In Iran, Filkins finds Warhols and Picassos. In Iraq, he finds two conversations: “The one the Iraqis were having with the Americans and the one they were having among themselves.”

And…

“Just Another Soldier: A Year on the Ground in Iraq” by Jason Christopher Hartley, 2005. War with wit. “It’s no wonder so many homeless people are vets; they’ve all been trained to be professional bums. ... We lived in conditions that were part central booking, part homeless shelter with a twist of male brothel.” And this: “The average grunt is fairly in touch with his primary self and therefore wants generally only two things: To [have sex] and to fight, in that order.” Hoo-ah.”

I’m actually a little surprised by the list. Well, I guess I’m surprised a few books aren’t on the list. And where are the female authors? Just thought I’d ask.

Check out the complete list here.

Afghanistan.

Poll shows 7 in 10 Afghans support US forces. Surprised?

"Nationwide, 10 percent of Afghans support the Taliban, but the insurgents are backed by a higher percent of the population — 27 percent — in the country's southwest, the poll said."

Read the article here.

Mother Jones Chart of the Day: Afghanistan

"only 8% of Afghans now think that attacks on U.S. forces are justified. That's way down both from 2005 and from last year." Wonderful!

VetVoice: General McChrystal: The Surge Is Working.

Mayer Hawthorne videos!

Don't get too excited! But check them out!



And one of my favorite songs...



If you come across this record could you grab it for me? I'll pay you back. Thanks.

Ph.O.tos.

Writing and listening to...

You all gotta get Mayer Hawthorne's album A Strange Arrangement! It's perfect. Check it out!

Ten chapters outlined...GO!

(and some lovely artwork by Chris Stain)

Destruction, Sharing, and History Repeats Itself.

An explosion kills 4 children, and policemen. The children were gathered around U.S. troops visiting a U.S.-funded road project on Wednesday. One of the most heartbreaking things about war; attempting to do something positive only to see it destroyed along with human lives.

"The blast occurred at about 10 a.m., as children were heading home from school; many Afghan elementary schools work on three shifts a day, with the first beginning in the early morning. Children frequently cluster around troop contingents, excited by curiosity and the hopes of receiving small treats."

Build. Destroy. Kill. I'll never get it.

Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs is announcing that it will begin a program with Kaiser-Permanente for electronic health records sharing.

Read the article at VetVoice.

Matthew Alexander recently visited Cambodia and talks about his experience at the former Tuol Sleng Prison (which has been converted into a Genocide Museum).