The Countdown Clock

Man, those seconds just can't run out fast enough for me. Or any other of my fine fellow bloggers. The remaining denizens of La Casa de Los Gatos don't seem to care as long as they get their 18 hours of shuteye per day, interspersed with fine kibble, treats, toys, pets, catnip, and the daily constitutional exploration of the hillside, but.


Me, I can't bear waking up to a headline such as this:

Bush 'very pleased' with Iraq war outcome: Report

Is there anything that bothers this pathetic, revolting little man? Does he think for even one minute of the nearly 5,000 coffins in which the remains of his fellow-citizens lie moldering? The tears of their parents? Their spouses and children? The suffering their families and friends endure, having lost a loved one? The estimated 50,000 or so lying in their own piss in military hospitals or suffering quietly at home? Missing a limb or an organ, struggling to get along on disability payments, homeless? Doomed to a lifetime of fighting the mental and emotional impact of what has been seen and lived through?


And what of the Iraqis who have died by the hundreds of thousands? Does he ever think about, see, respond to, the sight of a pool of blood blackening in the desert sun? Filled with the limbs, separated from their erstwhile owners, of children, housewives, cab-drivers, innocent bystanders, stallholders in the marketplace where the latest atrocity occurred? A little more than two years ago, a Lancet study estimated the number of Iraqi dead at 655,000. UNHCR estimates 4.7 million refugees, both inside and outside Iraq, most in dire need of food, shelter, medical aid.

Does the monster-in-chief ever contemplate the children who have seen their parents blown up before their eyes, the fathers who have no jobs but still must feed their children, the mother whose child burned and stuck to her body when our troops opened fire on her car?


Because, in addition to that first heart-wracking headline, in fact, almost immediately below it, I notice this:

Baghdad blasts kill 19

The Green Zone blast splashed blood and seared flesh across the grey concrete barriers at the entrance, according to an AFP correspondent.

Meanwhile, the rotten thing that wears the mantle of this country's leader announced today that he

believes the Iraq war was a success and is "very pleased" with what is happening there.

[He added] ..."remarkable" progress had been made in Iraq since the late dictator [Saddam Hussein] was toppled in 2003.

"People have been able to take their troops out of Iraq because Iraq is becoming successful. I'm very pleased with what is taking place there now," he said, adding there still is "a lot of work" to be done.

"We are bringing troops home because of the success in Iraq. But Iraq is not yet completely safe.

"So there will be a US presence for a while there at the request of the Iraqi government," he said.

"The United States is willing to continue to help. Most countries there within a very broad coalition have come home but we want to help this government," he said without further elaborating.

Of course, without further elaborating. Either he's lying through his teeth or he, as usual, doesn't have the first fucking clue what he's talking about. He doesn't elaborate on his statements because someone, some very malevolent wretch in the bowels of this misadministration, writes these deliberately disingenuous things for him to say, and he parrots them as his "handlers" tell him to. He has nothing to say about the armless, the legless, the blind and insane, those proud wounded heroes of his money-burning war that is crashing and burning our economy around our ears. Jesus, what a fucking blind, limited, self-satisfied pig he is. A thousand, no, a million curses on his empty head.

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Crime: Joseph Edward "JET" Duncan III

plans to represent himself at his trial.

Nothing would make us happier than to see this madman put away for life. But a defendant who represents himself has a fool for a client, and the court will do its utmost, as it must, to ensure that Mr. Duncan has adequate legal representation.

We've been following Mr. Duncan's case since it first hit the papers because it involves the mistreatment of children. If you've forgotten who Mr. Duncan is, a brief recap:

• Joseph E. Duncan claims to have committed his first sexual crime in 1975 when, as a child of 12 years' age, he attacked and brutally raped a 5-year-old boy, according to The Cellar, a blog that has detailed information about the life and criminal career of Joseph "Jet" Duncan.
  
  
• He subsequently sexually assaulted a 9-year-old boy at gunpoint when he was 15 years old (1978).
  
  
• In 1979, at the age of 16, he claimed to have sexually assaulted six other boys. He also claimed that he had raped a total of 13 young boys by that time.
  
  
• In 1980, the then nearly-17-year-old Duncan broke into a neighbour's house, stole a gun, and used it to kidnap a 14-year-old boy. He sexually assaulted the boy, beat him, and burned him with a cigarette. Subsequently, he let the boy go. He was arrested and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
  
  
• In 1994, despite many indications that Duncan was a high-risk offender at risk to re-offend, he was released on parole.
  
  Although he was rearrested and jailed several times, it appears this was for minor parole violations, and he was ultimately re-paroled. However, he did have "unauthorized contact" with minor children during the years of his parole, and several crimes committed against various children might still be linked to him. His parole was revoked in 1997, and he was re-incarcerated. Even though the Washington Department of Corrections, which had custody of him, considered keeping him incarcerated for life, they were overruled by the Parole Board, and Joseph Duncan was released from prison without probation or parole in 2000. He was 37 years old.
  
  
• In July of 2004, Duncan molested one young boy and apparently tried to molest another.
  
  In the period between his release from prison and his next offense in 2004, he appears to be implicated in the disappearance of one or more children.
  
  
• In March of 2005, Duncan was charged with the offenses committed in 2004, and a court date was set for the following month.
  
  In April of 2005, Duncan rented a vehicle and dropped out of sight. He wrote in his blog, Blogging the Fifth Nail, that he was under pressure. His blog posts seem to indicate that the stress was causing mental health problems. However, his actions seem to indicate the planning activities of a classic psychopath. During the period after his release from prison, Duncan managed to find employment and his various employers seemed impressed with his intelligence and skills. He also enrolled at university and made the Dean's List, choosing to major in Computer Science.
  
  
• On 16 May 2005, Joseph Edward "Jet" Duncan III broke into the home of Brenda Matthews Groene in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, where she lived with her fiance Mark McKenzie and her children by a previous marriage &mdash 13-year-old Slade, 9-year-old Dylan, and 8-year-old Shasta.
  
  He held Brenda, Slade, and McKenzie at gunpoint, tied them up, and ordered Brenda to call Dylan and Shasta. When the children arrived, he took them to his rented vehicle, then returned to the house and bludgeoned the inhabitants to death with a framing hammer. He took off with the two children. The bodies were found the same day and an Amber Alert was issued for the children the next day.
  
  Meanwhile, although the authorities had not yet connected Duncan to the murder and abduction of the Groene children, he failed to appear for a court hearing set for May 16, so a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.
  
  
• On June 1, a federal warrant was issued for Duncan's arrest. The FBI also obtained a warrant against Duncan.
  
  Meanwhile, Duncan had the children with him and was occupied with torturing and sexually abusing them, and videotaping the abuse. Approximately three weeks later, he murdered Dylan Groene.
  
  
• On July 2, Joseph Duncan took Shasta Groene to a convenience store and then to a fast-food restaurant in Coeur d'Alene, where she was recognized by a sharp-eyed waitress. He was arrested shortly after.
  
  
• On July 4, police investigators found human remains at a campsite Duncan had occupied. They were positively identified as Duncan Groene's on July 10th.
  
  Duncan has pled guilty to ten criminal counts in the kidnapping and murder of the Groene children. He also pled guilty in Idaho state court to the murders of Brenda and Slade Groene and Mark McKenzie. The kidnapped children saw their older brother emerge from the family home staggering, incoherent, and bloody. Shasta Groene also witnessed the murder of her brother Dylan.

After kidnapping the Groene children, Duncan transported them across state lines to Montana, where he held them for nearly a month. Thus, he is being charged with federal crimes regarding the two children, and state crimes regarding their older brother, their mother, and her fiance. The State of Idaho has sentenced Duncan to life in prison for the kidnappings of Brenda and Slade Groene and Mark McKenzie. It has not yet sentenced him on the murder charges. It is not clear whether Duncan is serving a single life sentence, or a life sentence for each crime, to be served consecutively. If he does not receive the death penalty for the 10 Federal counts to which he pled guilty, the State of Idaho will then move to request the death penalty for Duncan in the Groene/McKenzie murders.

Duncan is currently being prosecuted by the federal attorney in Kootenai County, Idaho. Extensive ongoing coverage about the Groene/McKenzie murders and kidnappings is available at the Idaho SpokesmanReview.

Why are we blogging about this now? Because although Duncan agreed to plead guilty in 2007 with the understanding that Shasta Groene would not have to testify against him in court, we're afraid that, now that Duncan is attempting to represent himself, he might be permitted to cross-examine her. She is the only witness to the murders of Dylan, Slade, and Brenda Groene, and Mark McKenzie. She is also the only person who can testify to her own sexual abuse and the sexual abuse of her brother Dylan.

Why he didn't kill the child is beyond us. Surely he realized that she could send him to the chair or death chamber. And he certainly showed no mercy at all to the other members of her family.

Shasta Groene is now eleven years old. She has lost her mother and both her brothers. She has lost the comfort and security with which every child faces the world. It was brutally torn from her by Joseph E. Duncan. Shasta's father, Steven Groene, has throat cancer and is unable to work. As a result, he and his daughter have suffered through a period of homelessness.

Their community has responded by banding together to build them a house, which will be held in trust for the child when she reaches the age of 25 years. At that time, she will also have access to donated funds that have been set aside for her.

But right now, we're too busy worrying if Joseph Duncan planned to represent himself with the intention of ripping open the half-healed wounds he inflicted on this little girl. Perhaps even he is not that cruel. We fear for her fragile mental health.

Torture. It's bad, no matter who is on the receiving end.

To help Shasta and Steven Groene, send your shekels to:

Windermere/Coeur d'Alene Realty
Attn: Midge Smock
1000 Northwest Blvd
Coeur d'Alene, ID 83814

208-664-9221

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Economy: Whodunit of Predatory Lending

Eliot Spitzer &mdash a man for whom La Casa de Los Gatos has a deep and abiding respect based on his efforts to fight corruption and stand up for the average citizen &mdash pens a piece in today's WaPoo that should make anybody's blood boil.

If yours doesn't, please repair to the nearest emergency room. You may be dead and just not know it yet.

The gist of the article is that the Bush administration actively intervened to prevent states from protecting their consumers from predatory lending practices. It's bad enough that they just ignored all the warning signs. But to actively worsen the situation? WHAT?

Back when La Casa de Los Gatos had an ARM (Adjustable Rate Mortgage), we were already suspicious of the whole banking/mortgage hype. Lenders and realtors kept telling us our Casa was worth so much more than we thought it was, and offering us all kinds of fancy instruments and inducements; even offering to overvalue La Casa so that we could get a loan for a larger amount and have a "wraparound" home equity line of credit.

ThePoliticalCat wanted a house for only three reasons, really.

1. Landlords are reluctant to rent to tenants who have pets, especially pets in the plural;
2. We were getting really tired of the whole "pack and move" scenario;
3. We just wanted a place to call our own, where we could hang our art on the walls and let the gatos come in and out as they pleased without worrying about traffic, nasty hoomans, landlords, pet deposits, et cetera ad infinitum ad nauseam.

ARMs, at the time, offered the lowest rates. We refused the interest-only, balloon-payment thingumajigs and opted for something we felt we could afford. It was iffy for a while, but we scrimped and saved and managed despite the rough spots. Thanks to all our dear friends who helped us through them.

Shortly after Chimperor McFuckface got "elected" &mdash no, wait, the asshole was appointed by his daddy's friends, wasn't he? &mdash we got very very nervous. Especially after we noticed that every time the pigball opened his mouth, the Dow dropped a few points. So we set about converting our ARM into a fixed-rate instrument. We agreed to the line of credit the bank offered, but it made us so nervous, we paid it back as soon as we could (we needed it to replace the roof and fix a floor).

Now that we see the pickle half the country is in, we're really really relieved that we did what we did. At the time, everyone thought we were idiots (and told us so regularly) for refusing all that "free money." But ThePoliticaCat knows quite well that nothing in life is free. Any time someone tells you they're about to give you a freebie, check your mouth for a hook and their hand for the line, because they're about to reel you in like the sucker they think you are.

And then to find out that not only did our government ignore the dangerous, foolish, and "oughta-be-illegal" practices of the banking industry, it actually crippled those who would protect the average consumer from being tricked and cheated. Gads, what bastards.

If you bought a house and are facing any kind of woes as a result of predatory lending, for mercy's sake, call your legislators, write them, fax them, and insist that they investigate this further. Here's how to find the worthless Federal Senate whores. Project VoteSmart helps you find the worthless Federal Congress whores. Juan Cabanela helps out Spanish-speaking (and reading) voters. Contact your State legiswhores here:

• Alabama;
• Alaska;
• Arizona;
• Arkansas;
• California;
• Colorado;
• Connecticut;
• Delaware;
• Florida;
• Georgia;
• Hawaii;
• Idaho;
• Illinois;
• Indiana;
• Iowa;
• Kansas;
• Kentucky;
• Louisiana;
• Maine;
• Maryland;
• Massachusetts;
• Michigan;
• Minnesota;
• Missouri;
• Montana;
• Nebraska;
• Nevada;
• New Hampshire;
• New Jersey;
• New Mexico;
• New York;
• North Carolina;
• North Dakota;
• Ohio;
• Oklahoma;
• Oregon;
• Pennsylvania;
• Rhode Island;
• South Carolina;
• South Dakota;
• Tennessee;
• Texas;
• Utah;
• Vermont;
• Washington (State);
• West Virginia;
• Wisconsin

That's all we could find. If anyone knows how to contact legislators from those states not included in the preceding list, please feel free to leave the information and we will update this post accordingly.

Please call your state legislators and ask them about this story. If it's true, then it's really really big and we can't help wondering why it wasn't brought to the public consciousness before this.

Another thing: You might want to contact Rep. Henry Waxman and ask if his committee plans to investigate this ... this ... unbelievable breach of the public trust.


moar humorous pics

And for the love of all that's holy DO NOT vote for Senator John McInsane, as he is bound to continue this fraudulent policy. At least Hickabee, no matter how much I despise his loutishness, is a populist at heart, and would never support such an egregiously bad act.

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Animal Rescue: Mortgage Crisis And Pets

Sometime ago, we blogged about how the subprime meltdown which is causing families to lose their homes (and yes, two adults of any gender or sexual orientation are just as much of a family as any adult(s) with multiple sproggen) was also resulting in homeless pets. Very sad.


moar funny pictures

Today, a ray of light shone our way, and we thought we'd like to share it with you. The New Hampshire Eagle-Tribune reports that the Salem Animal Rescue League (SARL) is taking in animals whose people are losing their homes. They will keep the animal either at the shelter or in foster care for a reasonable period of time and the owner can reclaim the pet as soon as they find alternative housing.

That's just wonderful! We here at Casa de Los Gatos, twofoot and fourfoot alike, always worry about what would happen if we - temporarily or permanently - lost our comfy home. During the last major wildfire in this area, we were temporarily homeless, and back in those days we had only two gatos to deal with. Now we have five. It's not easy decamping en menagerie on someone else's doorstep; especially if they have gatos or perros themselves.

Our previous adventure was marked by a great deal of animosity between Ramon Rivera Shadowdancer and our temporary hostess' Siamese (whose name I confess I've forgotten). In addition, there was a very interested if somewhat foolish dog who really really really wanted to be friends with Ramon (who didn't mind dogs too much except that he and the Siamese were trying to rip each others' innards out, and the dog was, so to speak, in the way) and Ms. Faridah Peeples, who always did despise dogs with a feverish passion, and was often caught in the act of punching the poor fellow's nose full of holes.

Things were not helped in the least by Ramon's putting dents in a metal door in an attempt to acquaint his fearsome claws with the Siamese's intimate anatomy. Not that the Siamese was in the least reticent about his feelings: he had a yowl that could wake the dead, and used it well. In all, a terrible time was had by everyone except the two cats (Ramon and the Siamese), who managed to keep their juices flowing as the rest of us lay in bed taking pills to kill the headaches. Oy, gevalt, oy vey is mir!

So knowing that SARL is helping people through the most wrenching emotional part of this housing crisis is a real relief to us at Casa de Los Gatos. Ramon and Faridah are long gone, but the worry lives on.

FWIW, SARL has done some very innovative things to assist pets and their people: taking in animals when their owners escape domestic violence by going to a shelter; delivering pet food to seniors who were noted to be sharing their meals with their pets; and the like. So if you'd like to help the innocent beasts who suffer as a result of the invisible hand that is giving American homeowners the finger right now, you can. Here's how:

How to Help

Donations can be made online at www.sarl-nh.org. Click on the Donate tab. Or by check mailed to the Salem Animal Rescue League, 4 SARL Way, Salem, NH 03879.

It's good to know these things. The gatos at La Casa are resting easier already.

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Animal Stories: Abandoned Pets

Lois at Best Friends

Foreclosures are, apparently, causing people to dump their pets, says Raw Story.

We here at Casa de Los Gatos would need a much better reason to dump our four-legged friends, but we understand how bad it is out there. Mostly, we feel sorry for the poor furries who are left to starve and die. Folks, if you need to get out, that's OK, we understand, but won't you please, please, please, contact your local shelter and see if they know of some no-kill shelter that will help to place your faithful friends?

They stuck by you through thick and thin for as long as you let them. Don't just leave them to die, people. The least you can do is pass them on to people who care.

And for those of you who, like us, care but can't possibly take one more, please send your dollars to Best Friends, who are famed for taking care of all kinds of furfoots and never let a single one be killed for lack of a home.

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Feed the canaries

Homeless people are the canaries in the mines. I don't know if anyone has said that before. But it just came to me as I was folding my laundry.

Yes, homeless people will survive better than us. We will get hysterical and not know what to do when the oil runs out and there's no electricity to clean anything. Although the floor in my house hasn't been vacuumed in a while so it is a bit like camping out. Not that being homeless is like camping.

I'm tired. I'm tired of worrying about surviving. Good night.

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Louisiana Purchase: Trump Builds in New Orleans

No doubt many people are very happy that Trump has bought prime property in New Orleans and is planning to build the tallest building in New Orleans filled with luxury condo units for hotel guests and more luxury condo units for folks to buy.
Here’s a quote from a real estate firm representing Trump:

“Trump International Hotel & Tower New Orleans will reflect the ultimate in luxury living and provide views never before available in the Crescent City. This residential tower will be in a class of its own, with no close second,” said Cliff Mowe, Trump’s development partner.

Plans call for 1.6 million square feet, rising 716 feet high topped with an additional 126 foot spire. The seventy story tower will contain 435 luxury condominium hotel units, beginning on the 18th floor, and 299 luxury condominium units starting on the 33rd floor. The condo-hotel unit owners will have the opportunity to place their units in a rental program. The first two floors will be reserved for retail space and floors 3-15 will provide parking for over 700 vehicles.

Trump International Hotel & Tower is the first major downtown development in 25 years and the tower, when complete, will be the tallest residential structure along the entire Gulf Coast.

I think it’s obscene when poor people are still struggling to return and, those who have returned are struggling to survive in New Orleans. The All Headlines web site (http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7008497105) has this report:

New U.S. Census Shows New Orleans' Black Population Smaller, But Still In The Majority

September 12, 2007 4:33 p.m. EST

Jessica Pupovac - AHN Writer

New Orleans, LA (AHN) - Fewer black people displaced from their homes in New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina have been able, or willing, to return to their homes than their white counterparts, according to a report released Wednesday, just ahead of the 2006 U.S. Census.

While much has been said by community leaders and politicians about the disproportionate toll the disaster took on the black community, the new analysis bills itself as the "first full picture" to give hard data on the subject.

The figures were compiled by sorting through information collected in the U.S. Census Bureau's 2000 and 2006 American Community Surveys, as well as tax filings and other federal documents.

The report, compiled by demographers at the Brookings Institution, found that one year after the hurricane, the black population had declined 57%, from 302,580 people to 129,192, compared to a 36% drop for whites, from 119,620 to 76,422. "Compared with 'stayers' in the city of New Orleans," the study says, "out-migrants were younger, poorer, more likely to be black, and more likely to have children."

The analysis also found that most blacks moved to Houston and other cities, while the whites tended to relocate to the city's suburbs.

The analysis showed post-Katrina New Orleans to be notably whiter, older and less populous than it had been during the 2000 census, with fewer children, fewer renters and a more educated citizenry.

One surprising finding was that the Latino population actually declined by 37 percent during the year following Katrina, despite the influx of Hispanic laborers working on reconstruction efforts. To account for this, the study's authors say it is highly possible that "the transitory nature of temporary working conditions of primarily Hispanic construction and service workers has eluded traditional estimation and survey techniques."

New Orleans continues to be a "majority minority" city, however, with African Americans still making up roughly 58% of the population. "The black loss," they conclude, "was not sufficient to shift the racial composition of the city."

If you’d like to hear a very interesting interview conducted by host, Davey D, with New Orleans Hip-Hop artist, activist, organizer and entrepreneur Sess 4-5 that was broadcast today on KPFA’s Hard Knock Radio program, go here.

One of the things they discuss is that there has been very little charitable response to survivors of Katrina ... in comparison to the tsunami survivors (December 2005). Why is that? Very specific racism towards poor African Americans? Or ... anybody have an explanation?

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This Is Not A Good Trend

Photo from AP

Attacks on homeless people are going up. Don't click this if you're a sensitive sort. It's a link to a description of several attacks, and a list of some nasty abuses.
What kind of people do this? Probably the same kind who abuse children and animals. It takes a special degree of moral degradation to want to injure the powerless. And with the large number of homeless veterans, and homelessness increasing as a result of the collapse of the housing market, we're in for some bad times, folks.

Incidentally, the title of the story is interesting: "Unprovoked beatings of homeless men." It seems to imply that a provoked beating would've been acceptable. How do you provoke a beating?

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Blogging the Iraq War

I've been so numb about this cesspit of horrors in which the U.S. has found itself mired for the past four years, thanks to Awol McStupidSon. The Walter Reed article broke a dam for me, I think. I knew this Assministration, despite its shameless use of wounded veterans as photo ops, was treating the vets disgracefully, but the extent of the horror that underlies their treacly platitudes is only now becoming apparent.

Eric Massa, who ran for Congress in the 29th district of NY, blogs about the war and the VA at DailyKos. Did you know, according to Eric, that

Veterans receive a pittance upon death that barely allows them to purchase a headstone?

It's bad enough that we expect them to live like vermin, but apparently we let them go to their death like vermin too. What an outrage!

If you can stomach it, the site Iraq Coalition Casualties has all kinds of statistics on this putrescent little war. My hat's off to those people. How can they do this every day?

Jason LeMieux at Iraq Veterans Against the War blogs about the futility of Chimpy McFlightSuit's "surge." It's all been done before and failed before, and throwing more bodies into the meatgrinder at this point to do the same damned stupid thing yet another time can benefit only the bloated egos and wallets of some very, very stupid, evil moral midgets.

The Christian Science Monitor carries a story about vets facing homelessness. What a shame. Thirty out of 100 facing homelessness? We're looking at a crisis down the line.

In a related CSM story, echoes of the Eric Massa post about health care for veterans.

And two years ago, USA Today discussed the enormous number of troops (one-quarter) who are expected to require medical services. No surprise that Bush has been slashing the VA budget ever since this war started. No surprise that the VA is completely unequipped to deal with the problems of these people that Bush sent over there.

Finally, some veterans speak out against the war, in their own words. Read it. And weep.

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