LAuren has a
lot to say and a lot of questions so this page
will always be Under Construction………
July,2006
FORZA
ITALIA!!!
When I lived there I always knew what was
going on in the world. Since I’ve been
stateside
it’s been all
so confusing. Since no Weapons of Mass
Destruction were found in Iraq,
what is
the U.S. still doing there? What am I
missing?
August 19, 2006
The recording of my CD, Hideout Is A Crook’s Best Friend has been
a labor of love & was recorded
because of my grand passion for
singing and performing.
I chose songs that I loved.
Then I had this flash the other
day …..all the songs are either about spirituality, sex, or law enforcement.
I never thought about it that way
before…..
October 17, 2006
I was saddened to hear that
Congress passed the Military Commissions Act of 2006 in September.
Goodbye Habeas Corpus, Americans
are truly going to miss you.
See my Links page to find out
which members of Congress voted to pass it.
October 21, 2006
“The man who trades freedom for
security does not deserve nor will he ever receive either”
Benjamin Franklin
October 24, 2006
Seriously, I thought the U.S. sent
out the military to hunt for Osama Bin Laden since 911. If he’s somewhere along the Pakistan border
like the U.S. government says, what is the U.S. doing in Iraq?
I am definitely missing
something. Can someone fill me in
please?
October 28, 2006
I saw some re-runs of that T.V.
show The Beverly Hillbillies.
There’s a line in the song that
keeps running through my head
“Black Gold, Texas Tea”. Except somehow “Black Gold,
Arab Tea” keeps popping in there.
Michigan Congressman John Conyers
filed a lawsuit in a Michigan Federal District Court
Conyers vs Bush
It seems that some laws that
congress actually passed isn’t what the President
actually signed into law, among
other things.
I’m thinking Keystone Cops are looking pretty good.
October 31, 2006
Well, the November 7th
elections are coming up. All that comes
to mind when I think about it are some lyrics written by John Lennon & Paul
McCartney
“For the Benefit of Mr. Kite there
will be a show tonight on trampoline”
November 1, 2006
I heard a really cool song with
a great hook written by Peter Kaukonen called
“The War On Terror (Between Iraq and A Hard Place)” it’s on his CD
called Beyond Help. His site is on my Links page.
November 3, 2006
I’m not really a political
activist or anything like that, not involved in politics……I just always thought
I had common sense. It’s all being
tested right now; Between the War
Commissions Act of 2006 and the following maybe there’s no such thing as common
sense???
I received the following from a former Delegate to the Democratic Presidential Conventions
President
Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy
(D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial
law (1). It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits
the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States. The
Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse
Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military
involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen,
Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions.
Public Law 109-364, or the "John Warner
Defense Authorization Act of 2007" (H.R.5122) (2), which was signed by the
commander in chief on October 17th, 2006, in a private Oval Office ceremony,
allows the President to declare a "public emergency" and station
troops anywhere in America and take control of state-based National Guard units
without the consent of the governor or local authorities, in order to
"suppress public disorder."
All
I know is it used to be illegal to call out the military against the civilian
population.
A California voter in his 20’s told me he’s
voting no on all the propositions on November 7th. Said there’s already enough
laws that don’t work, why add more to the mess. Unless of course it’s a proposition to legalize marijuana.
November 5, 2006
I happened to read
in the L.A. Times (Nov. 4th) that in July, 2005 Michael Timothy Arnold
came back to the U.S. via L.A. International Airport, was arrested, jailed,
held without bail until this week.
Seems Special Agents with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
didn’t like photos they saw on his laptop computer. Nothing to do with terrorism.
A Federal Court Judge in Los Angeles threw out the Lap Top Computer Evidence
and set bail. I guess the ending of
Habeas Corpus in September, 2006 just made what’s already been going on
official. And so much for the 4th
Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
November 9, 2006
One nice result of the Nov. 7th elections is that
Congressman John Conyers will be heading up the House Judiciary Committee in
the U.S.A.
Other than the above, unless the new Democratic controlled
Congress Repeals “The War Commissions Act of 2006” and the "John Warner Defense Authorization Act of 2007", is there really going to be a difference?”
I got a really cool review on my CD from Holding Together
Magazine in the U.K. Makes me happy to know people are diggin’ on the music.
November 22, 2006
It’s
almost Thanksgiving in the United States.
Americans can give thanks that they still have their passports, for now.
November 25,2006
Hanoi
George in a blue dress, sorry, a blue robe.?
What a
concept !
December 2, 2006
………………excerpt via Associated Press of
November, 2006 Rumsfeld Report:
"Taking a leaf out of Mr. Hussein's book, Mr. Rumsfeld
seemed to see some merit in the former dictator's practice of paying Iraqi
leaders. "Provide money to key political and religious leaders (as Saddam
Hussein did), to get them to help us get through this difficult period,"
one option reads."
“seemed to see some merit” in this practice?
All
this time to figure out that’s how the Iraqi people were able to subsist in spite
of years of sanctions?
The
rest speaks for itself.
December 10, 2006
I
read an AP article the other day that Al- Qaeda is active in Iraq. The Rumsfeld Report said there are now 55
American Military Bases set up in Iraq. I guess it’s better to have land bases
then a bunch of Aircraft carriers,… but how did Al- Qaeda get into Iraq and
become “active”? They weren’t there
before the U.S. Invasion. All these
reports and the latest one commissioned by the President and comments by the
President share one theme…..whatever course The U.S. decides to take in
Iraq “protecting U.S. interests” is at
the forefront. Gee, I wonder what
those interests are?
Time
for more Lennon and McCartney: “It’s
getting better all the time”
December 19, 2006
I
wonder why everyone seems to think “U.S. interests” are the same as the
“American people’s interests”.
December 20, 2006
Thanks
to all of you who’ve been ordering my CD “Hideout Is A Crook’s Best Friend” and
for all your great emails. I love the
songs and I’m really happy you all love them too!
And
very special thanks to all of you in the U.K.
December 21, 2006
I
had planned on talking about how quiet and peaceful things have been as the
holidays near, until I received the following:
As
a public service I’m posting a quote from an email from
Michigan State Senator Kathleen Calati,
December 19, 2006
”With the November
elections, the voters gave a clear mandate for the new Democratic Congress to
end the war in Iraq. We hoped our newly elected officials would listen to the
people, but they're already backsliding. We were appalled to hear Senate
Democratic Leader Harry Reid, on Sunday's ABC show "This Week," say
he would support a "short-term" increase of U.S. troops in Iraq. AN
INCREASE IN TROOPS? What is Harry thinking? The voters didn't put his party in
power to escalate this war, but the end it!
Harry's website may be named GiveEmHellHarry.com, but now it's time for us to
give him hell for buckling so quickly to Bush's war machine.
Please take a moment out of your busy holiday schedule to call, email or FAX
Harry Reid and tell him this just isn't acceptable.
Call: 202-224-2158 -- Democratic Leadership Office in DC
(If that doesn't work call his scheduler: 202-224-7003)
Email: Susan_McCue@reid.senate.gov (chief of staff)
Fax: 202-224-7327 -- DC Office
Let Harry Reid know that he must honor
the peace sentiment of the American people and bring our troops home! ”
I thought the U.S. was supposed to occupy
Iraq for a “short term” when it first invaded it.
December 23, 2006
Happy
Christmas everyone!
& in
memory of the Roman Holiday observed December 25th
Happy Rebirthing of the Sun
Day!
December 29, 2006
2007 is
almost here. . I heard a comedian a few
nights ago saying it was time for the Democrats and
Republicans to just give it up. Time to start over with all new political
parties in the U.S. Now that’s common
sense! Reminded me about how New Years
is celebrated in Rome. At midnight you
throw out the old to make room for the new.
Not a good idea to be out on the streets of Rome at that time because
things start getting tossed out the windows.
But what a great custom! And, as
it seems like the Nov. 7th elections aren’t going to make any
difference in the U.S., “throwing out the old to make room for the new “ is
sounding really really really good to me.
HAPPY NEW
YEAR EVERYONE!!!!
LAuren