If you want it
We have the power to end the war in Iraq if we collectively decide to use it. Elect a Democrat in ‘08.
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/christmas.flv[/flv]
War is over (if you want it)
Merry Christmas.
See also:
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http://chud.com/nextraimages/ono_war.jpg
http://www.boingboing.net/images/361-1aserbialoarge.jpg
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/joepop.flv[/flv]
Better than VH-1
More Joe Biden
“The very word ’secrecy’ is repugnant in a free and open society”
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/jfkvsbush.flv[/flv]
JFK on secrecy
That’s leadership folks. Vote for someone who inspires your trust.
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See also: If the Founding Fathers Were Here Today
http://www.ospreydesign.com/foreword/archives/bush-3.jpg
http://onemansblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/jfk.jpg
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/americavotes/jfk-sticker.jpeg
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/beckdeath.flv[/flv]
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http://livinginthepast.us/wp-content/uploads/2006/04/glenn-2006.jpg
http://artem1s.altervista.org/_altervista_ht/Immagini_Blog/michael_moore.jpg
Groom, 40. Bride, 11, “forever denied a self-determined life”
From UNICEF:
The American photographer Stephanie Sinclair is the winner of the international photo competition “UNICEF Photo of the Year”. Her photo shows a wedding couple in Afghanistan who could not be more opposite. The groom, Mohammed, looks much older than his 40 years. The bride, Ghulam, is still a child; she just turned 11. “The UNICEF Photo of the Year 2007 raises awareness about a worldwide problem. Millions of girls are married while they are still under age. Most of these child brides are forever denied a self-determined life”, says UNICEF Patroness Eva Luise Köhler at the award ceremony in Berlin. According to UNICEF, there are about 60 million young women worldwide who were married before they came of age, half of them in South Asia.
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1st Prize for Stephanie Sinclair
Child brides
He’s forty, she’s eleven. And they are a couple – the Afghan man Mohammed F.* and the child Ghulam H.*. “We needed the money”, Ghulam’s parents said. Faiz claims he is going to send her to school. But the women of Damarda village in Afghanistan’s Ghor province know better: “Our men don’t want educated women.” They predict that Ghulam will be married within a few weeks after her engagement in 2006, so as to bear children for Faiz.
During her stay in Afghanistan, it consistently struck American photographer Stephanie Sinclair how many young girls are married to much older men. She decided to raise awareness about this topic with her pictures. Particularly as the official minimum age for brides in Afghanistan is sixteen and it is therefore illegal to marry children.
Early marriages are not only a problem in Afghanistan: worldwide there are about 51 million girls aged between 15 and 19 years who are forced into marriage. The youngest brides live in the Indian state of Rajasthan, where 15% of all wives are not even 10 years old when they are married. Child marriages are a reaction to extreme poverty and mainly take place in Asian and African regions where poor families see their daughters as a burden and as second-class citizens. Already in their younger years, girls are given into the “care” of a husband, a tradition that often leads to exploitation. Many girls become victims of domestic violence. In an Egyptian survey, about one-third of the interviewed child brides stated that they were beaten by their husbands. The young brides are under pressure to prove their fertility as soon as possible. But the risk for girls between the ages of 10 and 14 not to survive pregnancy is five times higher than for adult women. Every year, about 150,000 pregnant teenagers die due to complications – in particular due to a lack of medical care, let alone sex education.
Read the rest here.
Congratulations Stephanie Sinclair, and thank you for highlighting the issue of child marriage. ‘Child brides are forever denied a self-determined life’ indeed.
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R.I.P. Tancredo candidacy (but he got his message out)
Republican presidential candidate Rep. Tom Tancredo is preparing to drop out of the 2008 election race, and it’s not a moment too soon. Tancredo ran on a xenophobic anti-illegal immigration policy. He also threatened to bomb Muslim holy sites in retribution for any future terrorist attacks. The dude is nuts.
But as a long shot with almost zero chance of winning the Republican nomination, he did accomplish his mission of injecting his intolerant stances on issues into the 2008 election discourse.
Now we truly have something to celebrate this holiday season. Tancredo dropping out of the race will mean fewer days Americans have to listen to his ignorant, myopic, sophomoric, (add your own adjective here), hard-line, simplistic ramblings on complicated issues.
So spike the eggnog and hang the mistletoe, we’re down to seven angry men.
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More on 2008 Election, Tom Tancredo
http://eyjan.is/freedomfries/wp-content/uploads/magnus/tancredo.jpg
Clinton wins the holiday ad contest (with presents of change instead of platitudes)
The holiday ads have rolled out and here is the current crop. Need the presidential aspirants to sprinkle your computer with Yuletide warmth? Here you go:
Obama family Christmas ad[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/clintonchristmas.flv[/flv]
‘Presents’ Clinton holiday ad (no Christmas tree in background)
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/edwardschristmas.flv[/flv]
Edwards Christmas ad
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/rudychristmas.flv[/flv]
Giuliani Christmas ad. Bonus points for including Santa Claus.
Other Giuliani ad here.[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/paulchristmas.flv[/flv]
Paul family Christmas ad
Long shot candidate Mike Gravel tried something a little different.[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/christmasgravel.flv[/flv]
Red State Update w/ Mike Gravel
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/thompsonchristmas.flv[/flv]
Fred Thompson’s military Christmas ad
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/mccainchristmas.flv[/flv]
McCain’s torturous Christmas ad
Honestly, who the hell combines torture and Christmas? (oh wait, he’s a Republican)
We end the holiday cheer with a Huckabee Christmas ad that has caused quite a stir; including my own small commentary.[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/huckabeecross.flv[/flv]
Huckabee Christmas ad
Give yourself a holiday present: Convince a friend to vote Democratic.
Season’s Greetings.
More on 2008 Election, Politics
Also #1 on Buzzfeed: Bizarre New Republican Logo
Spotlight on Ron Paul
Libertarian Republican presidential aspirant Ron Paul is in the spotlight again, and this time it is not about a blimp. The congressman’s campaign racked in just under $6 million in online donations in a single day, shattering the record raised by a presidential candidate in a 24 hour period, and possibly surpassing the fourth quarter fund raising of all the presidential candidates.
How did this and earlier money bombs happen? Here is the man behind the magic, Trevor Lyman.
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/paulbomb.flv[/flv]
Trevor Lyman in Manchester, New Hampshire discussing Ron Paul money bombs
Now with a $6 million haul, the $6 Million Dollar Man comparisons are unstoppable. Below is the nuttiest.
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/paulsix.flv[/flv]
The Six Million Dollar Man
Oh, and in case you were wondering about the blimp…
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/paulblimp2.flv[/flv]
http://ronpaulblimp.com/
And what of the grass root support of the Republican front runner? I’m a bit skeptical if being in the spotlight would help the sinking campaign of Rudolph Giuliani, the double lights just seem to cast him in a different light.
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More on Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani, 2008 Election, Politics
http://www.infowars.net/pictures/oct07/121007Paul.jpg
http://thisdayindisneyhistory.homestead.com/files/MickeyMouseB_W.jpg
www.reuters.com
Condolence to the Kucinich family
Reported by Donna J. Miller for the Cleveland Metro blog,
Perry Kucinich, 52, was found dead in his home in the 4100 block of East 71st Street.
His brother Larry found him about 9 a.m. There were no signs of violence, officials said. The Cuyahoga County Coroner is performing an autopsy this hour.
Their brother, Dennis Kucinich, is a U.S. Representative from Ohio’s 10th District. He is running for president.
More on Dennis Kucinich, 2008 Election, Politics
http://www.qdeansloan.com/images/Dennis%20Kucinich.jpg
“If you interfere with Hillary Clinton’s destiny you will tear apart the very fabric of time and space, crushing all life and causing the entire universe to implode upon itself. And that’s something no American wants.”
Three campaign videos caught my eye yesterday, all for different reasons. The first was a faux-trailer for the John Edwards movie, and I’m thinking this is about as goofy as he can get (save his ‘Hair’ campaign style video for the CNN/YouTube debate).
But like a movie theater, first we have previews of a bad movie and a good movie (isn’t that always the case?). We begin with the nerdiest , unofficial ad for Hillary Clinton to date, er, unofficial ad for Barack Obama to date, er, well, you decide.
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/badclinton.flv[/flv]
I have no idea what to title this
Next we have a great video from the Romney family that plays perfectly into the ’softer side’ image all the candidates are striving for so close to the Iowa caucuses. The video exclaims: ‘See! The plastic robot politician is actually a family man.’
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/romneysledding.flv[/flv]
Sledding with the Romneys
Finally we have the sleeper film just before the holidays, still in time to catch the coveted Academy Award (and perhaps Iowa’s vote).
[flv]http://garlinggauge.com/videos/edwardsmovie.flv[/flv]
John Edwards: The Movie Trailer
As the days lessen before the first vote on January 3rd, expect softer candidates, sillier ads, and perhaps more Earth explosions. The next time a presidential candidate goes sledding I’ll be sure to let you know.
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More on 2008 Election, Politics, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama
