Why are you just standing around?

If you're a writer -- aspiring or actual -- you might find it useful to create a virtual representation of some of your characters. The one pictured above was generated on Meez,¹ but there are other great options too. Several are listed below the fold.

Watch this:

Voting for McCain isn't a vote for a third Bush term; it's a vote for a continuance of the worst of Bush's two-term disaster.

It's right there in the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution:

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Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

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Do not pass go, do not collect two hundred dollars, do not parse, do not fold, mutilate, spindle, tear, gut, burn or shred.

In keeping with policies and procedures consistent with gutting the foundational principles of our Constitution and democracy, the Bush Administration's Department of Homeland Security has proceeded to ignore the care and handling advice and has engaged in the very actions verboten by those instructions.

Hat-tip Dupa.

It appears that the natives -- us, the "unwashed masses" yearning to be free, who populate shores both foreign and domestic -- are getting restless in their hunger for justice to prevail:

Citizens’ Arrest of Karl Rove Attempted in Iowa

Student group seeks Rice citizen arrest

It looks like citizens of the world, regardles of whether they live in the US or not, are beginning to clamor for justice and deciding to start the process on their own out of fear and resignation that the legal processes of their home nations will fail to step up to hold these men and women accountable.

Make the flip for a collection of links and videos that explore the emerging facts that the George W. Bush Administration is guilty of War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity -- and whether or not they'll ever be tried for their crimes.

Update: I'd almost forgotten to include the recent attempt by George Monbiot to arrest John Bolton, too.

Sometimes, it behooves us to take a moment unto ourselves for quiet reflection and contemplation, where we can behold once again the beauty and wonder of a world teeming with brilliant life in the cold, empty void of space. Individually and collectively, it is easy to lose oneself in the day-to-day chaos that envelops us as social beings: the demands of one's life, complicated by the demands of living and participating in a community of social beings who each have their own individual desires and who, together, form organizational structures that run the gamut from basic family, friends and neighborhoods to cities, states and nations -- all competing for a varied, yet limited set of resources.

We develop patterns and follow them; if they were set to music, the beat and harmony would shift and change to reflect the ups and downs, ins and outs of life, and we would be the dancers -- our lives set to the music, trying to move in sync with it. Sometimes, those harmonies skip and stutter. Other times, they become harsh and repetitive, playing the tune over and over and faster and faster until the dancer, exhausted, can do nothing more than run in place or die, unable to break free.

Sometimes, comedy is so biting you can't help but wonder at the circumstances that create such a perfect opportunity to skewer reality.

Bush Tours America To Survey Damage Caused By His Disastrous Presidency

Hat-tip Red Prince.

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"You want to have some idea what it is like to be a care-provider for someone with Alzheimer’s or other age-related dementia? Watch it."

            -- Jim Downey
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Before reading the rest of this essay, watch the following piece.

My Name Is Lisa

I have a simple question for everyone. Please pass it around and ask everyone you meet, 'cuz it's kind of important:

Do war crimes count as "impeachable offenses"?

See, I always thought they were included as "high crimes and misdemeanors" along with dereliction of duty, negligence, sedition, lying to Congress and stuff like that -- in fact, they kinda qualified for "over and above" status.

So, I ask again:

Do war crimes count as "impeachable offenses"?

And a follow-up:

If not, Why Not?

Additionally,

If not, then What does?

I'm just wondering what I should be prepared to tell any future generations when they ask what the hell we were thinking by allowing this fiasco to go on for so long, unchecked and unchallenged.

It may be a moot point, of course -- future generations may not get past the "What the hell did you think would happen to the environment?" question as they paddle around, starving, trying to find dry land and potable water.

I just received an email from United Fan Con regarding an interesting and exciting development in the area of Science Fiction: a Science Fiction/Pop Culture event planned to take place July 18th-20th at the Sheraton Boston Hotel was cancelled. The folks at United Fan Con (UFC) stepped in, in response to fan outcry and determination to come to Boston anyway, and has funded an event running Friday through Sunday at the Hilton Back Bay at 40 Dalton Street -- directly across from the Sheraton Boston. Here's the mini-scoop:

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This Fan Con will be free to all attendees and include; games, videos, fan panels, auctions, vendors and more. The event will take place at the Hilton Back Bay, located at 40 Dalton Street, Boston MA (directly across the street from the Boston Sheraton). The event will run from 3pm – 10pm on Friday, 10am – 6pm on Saturday and 12pm – 6pm on Sunday.

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From Bloomberg:

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UBS, LGT Helped Hide Assets, Evade Taxes, Senate Says (Update1)
By David Voreacos and Carlyn Kolker

July 17 (Bloomberg) -- UBS AG and Liechtenstein bank LGT Group aided rich U.S. clients who wanted to disguise ownership of accounts and evade taxes on hidden assets, a Senate subcommittee said.

UBS, the world's largest wealth manager, hid as much as $17.9 billion for 19,000 Americans who didn't declare assets to the Internal Revenue Service, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations said in a report released in Washington late yesterday. LGT, owned by Liechtenstein's ruling family, fostered a ``culture of secrecy and deception'' while assigning code names to U.S. clients, the panel said.

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Isn't it nice that banks will bend over backwards for the money of rich Americans?

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Senate investigators got help from former UBS banker Bradley Birkenfeld, 43, who pleaded guilty June 19 to helping California billionaire Igor Olenicoff evade taxes. Birkenfeld said he conspired with Liechtenstein banker Mario Staggl, 43, who was indicted with him on April 10.

Staggl is a fugitive.

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Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Mr. Staggl should contact the Justice Department, post-haste -- it appears that they are actually taking this case seriously, as opposed to domestic ones that are looking into multiple instances of malfeasance and criminal conduct by the Bush Administration, and therefore might actually use the information wisely.

Check out the complete article on Bloomberg (linked at the top of the story). It's an eye-opener.