US Marines/Iraq Veterans Threatened by Police at DNC

So much for those rights they fought and were willing to die for.

read more | digg story

Poverty Facts and Stats

For starters, half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day.

read more | digg story

Halliburton sued for human trafficking

Thirteen Nepali men were recruited and held against their will for thirteen months in a human trafficking scheme engineered and perpetrated by Halliburton and its Jordanian contractor, according to a lawsuit filed yesterday in California federal court...

read more | digg story

It's not 'Show Art'... it's 'Show Business'

A group of filmmakers from Hollywood gamble and make a film about a group of students from MIT that learn the Art of card counting and both respectively walk away from the Box Office and Vegas with millions. “21” remains at #1 at $49,083,025 as it aces new comers “Nim’s Island”, “Leatherheads” and “The Ruins”. '21' producers cover the latest scene.

read more | digg story

Diebold comes clean, admits its e-voting machines are faulty

For years, Diebold has embarrassed itself by claiming that obvious faults were actually not faults at all, and during the past decade or so, it mastered the act of pointing the finger. Now that it has ironically renamed itself Premier Election Solutions, it's finally coming clean.

read more | digg story

Stanley Kubrick's Boxes

I just have to post this video so that I may include it in the 8-part series I did on Kubrick’s Napoleon. You may recall in Part 1 how obsessed Stanley was about every detail, about how he had 18,000 documents and books about Napoleon, a monster index file of the 50 principal characters in the movie, which were all written on 3x5 cards and...

read more | digg story

AP: Drinking Water of 41 Million Americans Contaminated

A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.

read more | digg story

Crowd Chants "F*ck FOX News!" live on FOX News!

Dumb reporter walks into protesters, and unsuccessfully tries to get them to talk to him. Too bad he was from FAUX News.

read more | digg story

The continued breakup of 2 of Greenland's largest glaciers

Researchers monitoring daily satellite images here of Greenland's glaciers have discovered break-ups at two of the largest glaciers in the last month. They expect that part of the Northern hemisphere's longest floating glacier will continue to disintegrate within the next year.

read more | digg story

McCain's CO River Gaff Might Cost Him Key Western States

John McCain has again said something to cause his fellow western-state Republicans to wince at its political inexpedience. And even though the Senator has now recanted and begun damage control, Democrats are hoping that this one will cost him. Some even argue that the gaff was so severe, he may have just lost Colorado.

read more | digg story

Fox News 'Accidentally' Airs Anti-Obama Right-Wing Ad

The right-wing American Issues Project has spent $2.8 million on an ad questioning Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-IL) relationship to William Ayers, a founder of the 1960s radical group Weather Underground. American Issues Project had hoped to air the controversial ad on Fox News, which did so accidentally.

read more | digg story

Oil Speculators Cost Consumers $31 Billion this Summer

As oil prices continued to rise steadily on world markets during the early part of 2008, it became clear to many energy and economic experts around the world that supply and demand were not the only forces pushing prices higher. Market speculators who had no intent of accepting delivery of crude oil

read more | digg story

Cheney linked to Stevens corruption trial.

war, antiwar, activism, afghanistan

read more | digg story

McClellan to Obama: Please Don't investigate us

Scott McClellan advises Obama not to investigate the Bush Administration because it could damage Obama's image. If Obama's elected it could blow up into a major issue in unexpected ways, as some foreign governments suggest they'd arrest top Bush administration officials on torture charges.

read more | digg story

YOU can Recover White House Email (and maybe put Bush away!)

The White House is missing as many as 225 days of e-mail dating back to 2003. The nine-page outline of the White House's e-mail problems invites companies to bid on a project to recover the missing electronic messages.

read more | digg story

Help build the Patch Adams Teaching Center and Health Clinic

The clinic will be operated by a ten person staff of committed doctors and nurses. This clinic will be free and not accept third party re-imbursement. Care will be based on the principles of compassion and friendship. The clinic will model desirable care interactions to a global audience.

read more | digg story

PETA Supporter Wants To Buy SeaWorld, Free The Animals

Forget about freeing just Willy. The supporter wants to buy one or more SeaWorlds (valued at $5-6 billion) so it can free all the animals. THEN he/she plans to replace them with virtual-reality or animatronic displays.

read more | digg story

McCain Hints at Support for a Military Draft in America

Today at a town hall meeting, an audience member praised Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) for his vow to “follow bin Laden to the gates of hell.” After a long question about veterans’ care, the questioner said she believed we needed to reinstate the draft, to which McCain seemed to readily agree.

read more | digg story

A Glossary of Incompetence - TIME (1969)

Thank you for shopping at Radio Shack, Best Buy, Kmart, Target, etc

read more | digg story

Spacey To Stage Sculpture Show At Old Vic

Replicas of a Jeff Koons "Rabbit," an angst-ridden Alberto Giacometti "Walking Man," and an Andy Warhol "Brillo Box" will be among six figures moving by remote control, with voices provided by Mr. Spacey and others in an "intellectual slapstick comedy" devised by Scandinavian conceptual artists Elmgreen & Dragset.

read more | digg story

Mukasey Refuses To Prosecute Corrupt DOJ Officials

In a speech today before the American Bar Association (ABA), Mukasey was more explicit in his rejection of any sort of review or prosecution, saying that the “negative publicity” the people who politicizing the Justice Department’s internship and Honors programs faced was enough

read more | digg story

Did I Win Yet?

American Idol shopping for people to make fun of while 99% of 'the real' talent gets denied. See the: "Honest Mr. Seacrest... I'd do anything to win pic in the comments"

read more | digg story

"Attorney purge scandal!" - Libertarian Bob Barr on CNN

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr discusses President Bush's assertion of "executive privilege" in refusing to allow administration officials to testify to Congress in regards to ongoing scandals within the Department of Justice.

read more | digg story

Is Alexa Penalizing Digg Traffic?

During the last month Alexa has introduced filtering or penalties, reducing or wiping out the effect of traffic from Social Media and Social News sites such as Digg and Stumbleupon, but potentially other sites such as Twitter or popular feed readers.

read more | digg story

Ron Paul Affirms: Iran Attack Plan Has ‘Green Light’

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) has warned millions of radio listeners that the United States is heading into an illegal attack on Iran, stating his amazement at members of Congress who have openly voiced support for a criminal nuclear strike.

read more | digg story

Fanboys Shoot it Out

In this clip from Sunday's show, Dana and Kevin discuss the tremendous support for the heart and soul of the film from the grassroots level--and how Harvey Weinstein eventually came back from the dark side of the Force.

read more | digg story

Waterboarding an attraction at amusement park

A man with a black hood pours water on the face of a prisoner in an orange jumpsuit strapped to a table: no, it's not Guantanamo Bay naval base, but New York's Coney Island amusement park.

read more | digg story

Fox News Busted

Evil-doers

read more | digg story

TriggerStreet Charges into Comic Con

"With his mutant gene enhanced mental telepathy (i.e. iPhone), Producer Dana Brunetti opened the Arctic fortress based TriggerStreet.com servers to submissions from the Comic book community. By the time MTV News had wrapped its interview with Kevin Spacey and Dana, the first comic submission had already hit the street.

read more | digg story

Terror Blob Strikes Venezuela! [pic]

The roads are deathly quiet. Antonio Perez’s shabby old taxi carefully makes its way along the main highway into Caracas. Yet terror is only yards ahead…

read more | digg story

US National Debt - anyone else nervous???

We lose over $1.25 BILLION - EVERYDAY?!?!?!

read more | digg story

One-Third of Uninsured Are Chronically Ill

One out of every three working-age, uninsured Americans suffers from a chronic illness and isn't getting the medical care they need, a new report shows. Another expert agreed that a lack of insurance along with chronic illness can be a potentially lethal combination.

read more | digg story

Matthew Bumpus just died for a Government that abandoned him

Please share this outrage! He served in the US Army for 8 years and 9 months. Staff Sergeant, Command Section Sergeant and Stryker Vehicle Commander; and was in Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment. He was exposed to radiation in Iraq. The V.A. repeatedly denied him. Please read his story. He leaves behind his wife and two sons.

read more | digg story

Excerpt from: http://iraqradiation.com/

http://iraqradiation.com/Matthew.html


Matthew Bumpus (original inspiration for this site) was initially diagnosed with Acute Myleogenous Leukemia (AML)in August 2006. The following is excerpts from a letter Matt has sent to some Congress & Senate members in an attempt to get assistance. Hearing Matt's story in his own words is very powerful.


"My name is Matt Bumpus and I am 31 years old. I live in Roseville, CA with my wife and two sons. I had the honor of serving my country in the US Army for 8 years and 9 months. I was a Staff Sergeant, Command Section Sergeant and Stryker Vehicle Commander; and was in Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment. I served in Iraq for a year and was primarily in heavy combat zones in and around Ballad and Al Mosul. When I returned, my wife and I decided to go home to California and start setting down roots near our extended family and continue growing our family.

In July of 2006, I was home, had a job with a bright future, we were expecting our second child, we had just moved into a house, and life was good! At that time I was receiving a 10% disability for a wrist and shoulder injury.  I had included a claim for hearing loss suffered while enlisted, but it was denied and therefore not included in the disability.

On July 31st I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital with acute appendicitis. The next thing I remember is hearing that I had been diagnosed with the life threatening disease; Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).  I was told that there was ‘chromosome damage due to radiation exposure.’ The following months of chemo, drugs, increased ringing in my ears, and various procedures, were at times unbearable. This is an extremely aggressive form of leukemia so the treatment is aggressive as well. But by the grace of God I went into
remission at the end of 2006. I returned to work and an almost normal life. I was alive, in remission, and very thankful.

As I mentioned earlier, I returned from Iraq with a hearing loss. While going through the first treatment for Leukemia, I also suffered increased hearing loss and a constant loud ringing in my ears. It is so loud at times that it could be maddening. I included this as part of the AML claim in October 2006 since it was linked to the treatment of the AML. The VA rejected the loss of hearing as part of the claim because they said that they couldn’t ‘see enough physical damage’ but then sent me to a saleswoman for a hearing aid costing thousands of dollars. She told me that not only would this help me hear, it would also help eliminate the ringing. At this
point I had been out of work for months, with a family to support, and my wife due to have our second son any day, how could I pay thousands of dollars for a hearing aid that the VA said I didn’t really need?

Sadly, after almost 2 years of remission, I find myself battling a relapse of Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML).

It has been medically established that AML can be caused by chemical exposures as well as radiation. Daily job responsibilities throughout my time in the Army included training and operation of combat vehicles like Bradleys and Strykers. When I served in Iraq, I guarded some chemical spills/sites and was exposed to Depleted Uranium (from weapons use). In one specific incident, our company was called in to guard what seemed to be an old sealed bunker. We were wearing our normal protective gear. It was very dark inside but when we found ‘unknown’ chemicals, a Nuclear Biological Chemical Specialist was called in for testing. When he recognized one of the chemicals he quickly left the site and returned in full protective gear. We immediately put on our masks and worked our way out of the building. When the testing was done, a higher echelon of testers was brought in, while we continued to guard at the door of the bunker. Based on the seriousness of the results, we were told to leave the bunker and stay approximately a mile away.

My disability claim for AML was made in October of 2006 when I was hospitalized for an emergency appendectomy. I had been through chemo, bone marrow biopsies, a lengthy hospital stay, and was recovering at home. Unfortunately, the V.A. denied the connection or disability benefits for the illness. In my ‘rejection letter’ from the VA, it states that “We denied your claim for pension benefits. The evidence of record fails to demonstrate you are unable to secure or follow a substantial gainful occupation as a result of this disability.” It also states “Service connection for Acute Myeloid Leukemia is denied.” (See enclosure #1)

And now the chemo, antibiotics, and AML have taken the majority of my hearing, and made the ringing worse.  

I can now only hear most people when they shout, and some people I can not hear at all. I can not hear doctors or nurses when they are discussing treatment or asking questions. Someone else must be there to make sure I get all of the information or summarize later. On a personal note, can you imagine not being able to hear your 18 month old son ask for a drink, or tell you he loves you? Would you protect your country if you knew you might not be able to hear your 11 year old son talk about his newest interest or ask a question about his faith? 

Currently I am waiting and praying for a lifesaving bone marrow match to be found. I will continue to have chemotherapy once a month until then and will not be released to go back to work for at least one year, and that is if a bone marrow match can be found. Another point to make is that if/when a match is found it costs $1,000 dollars per potential match to complete the final screening. Currently insurance doesn’t cover it and I am on a partial income while not working.

And there are others returning with this type of Leukemia as a well as other cancers. 

One such person was Andy Rounds. He joined the Army right out of high school. Andy served with Army 1/62 (Tropic Lightening out of Hawaii, Schofield Barracks) and he was stationed in Kirkuk, Iraq at a forward operating base. Two years after his release from the Army, Andy was diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Andy died in October of 2007 at age 22. His mother could not even get his funeral paid for. 

There is another man in Alabama, Joshua Barber, who served as a civilian Trainer to Iraqi police, jailers, and prison guards at the same location (Mosul) and he has recently been diagnosed with the same form of Leukemia.

And finally, one of the keys to the VA not taking responsibility for this is that it was not diagnosed within 12 months of separation of service. Research shows this disease, like other cancers, can take years to manifest. An irony here is that there is a ‘Gulf War exam’ that is offered to any service member returning from the Middle East I was not informed of it until after I was diagnosed.

In closing, I was willing to give my life for this country. I went to Iraq with the pride and conviction that I was protecting my America, my beliefs, and my family. Now I am asking for the same support. I believe that I am entitled to a full disability. I believe that the VA should take the obvious responsibility and do everything in its power to save my life and the lives of others, and prevent this from happening in the future. Returning veterans must be informed about the Gulf War Exam that they are entitled to. I risked my life to defend my country and I
would like to think that in return, this United States government would accept its responsibility and do the right thing.

I appreciate your time and attention to this matter and I would like to thank you in advance for anything you
might do to help.

Sincerely,

Matthew Bumpus

Editor's Note: Matt has been going on and off for chemotherapy & other treatments at Sutter General Hospital
in Sacramento, while he waits for a bone marrow transplant.

At this time the family is requesting blood donations an account has been set up in his name, "Matthew
Bumpus" and/or "P560". We are also encouraging everyone to register with the Bone Marrow Registry (all it
requires is a simple swab to the cheek and a little paperwork)

Media Blackout On Cheney Iran False Flag Story

The mainstream American corporate press has once again proven itself to be no better than the state controlled media in places like Communist China or Zimbabwe, by steadfastly refusing to print even a mention of the huge story concerning veteran journalist Seymour Hersh's recent comments that the vice president wanted to carry out a false flag..

read more | digg story

Greatest Engineering Achievements of the 20th Century

"How many of the 20th century's greatest engineering achievements will you use today? A car? Computer? Telephone? Explore our list of the top 20 achievements and learn how engineering shaped a century and changed the world."

read more | digg story

iPhone apps pirated, shared -- but not GPL'd

Seeing as Apple's FairPlay DRM has already been cracked for music and movies, it's not at all surprising that people are starting to poke holes in the FairPlay-based iPhone App Store.

read more | digg story

Don't support drilling Arctic National Wildlife Refuge!

Didn't the Exxon Valdez teach us anything? Here are some reasons why we shouldn't trust the government to do anything with drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR).

read more | digg story

The Interrogation of Leo and Lisa

IWC: A THEATRICAL PERFORMANCE BY KEVIN SPACEY

read more | digg story

TriggerStreet Comic Page Count Max raised to 22

The uploading rules in the Comics section have been changed, expanding the submission maximum from 6 to 10 pages to 6 to 22 pages of content. The original guideline for the burgeoning section was an experimental limit, which has been changed to reflect the community's desire to upload longer pieces.

read more | digg story

pickle phobia

Brutal phobia... don't relish the thought... pickles are destroying her life... thank Jebus Maury is there to exploit her.... er... I mean save her

read more | digg story

This is how fucked we are [PIC]

a picture is worth $200 billion dollars borrowed by banks to cover demand deposits because their assets have less value than their liabilities.

read more | digg story