Just Say 'NO!' to More War Funding

Read the news today, oh boy...

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert Gates will ask Congress Wednesday to approve nearly $190 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008, increasing initial projections by more than a third.

I think I'm gonna be sick...

Congress should approve the request as quickly as possible "and without excessive and counterproductive restrictions," Gates will tell the Senate, according to his testimony. Doing so, he added, helps the Pentagon to better manage its resources and avoid shifting money around, which often requires additional cash.

C'mon everybody, call, email, reach out to your congressmen and women... Tell them to stop this war. Now!

The most important blogger on the Internet

I am extremely new to posting to blogs, but have been a blog reader for several years now.

I am anything but an expert.

But I feel compelled to direct everyone who reads this to start reading (if you don't already) Glenn Greenwald at Salon... (If you subscribe to Salon, you undoubtedly know about Glenn and get straight to his articles. If you don't subscribe, donn't worry, you simply have to allow a cookie and watch a brief ad before gaining access to Salon content.)

Glenn's posts are often long, long-winded, repetitive and argumentative. But the points he makes are indisputable. And his command of the subjects he writes about (politics, military affairs, corporate governance, mainstream media, etc.) is remarkable; not to mention so well researched and documented -- with an astounding array of links and quoted passages -- he will make your head spin.

I hope to post links to various blogs I've found, compiled by typical subject matter and importance of subject matter. Glenn's Political Blog is THE most important voice out there.

Wherever your personal politics land on the spectrum, or if you only have a passing interest in politics, you owe it to yourself to absorb what it is that Glenn is writing about. AND to do so regularly.

Scaife exposed - dirty divorce details escape the seal

Dennis Roddy deserves kudos for the highly professional approach used in his report on the messy "Tabloid-style" divorce proceedings of billionaire publisher Richard Mellon Scaife. It seems the "sealed documents" were easily accessible on the Allegheny County government website. And Dennis found them (apparently) first.

This past Sunday's Post Gazette cover story is truly an amazing story of wealth, greed and petulance.

Scaife, heir to the Mellon and Scaife family fortunes, owns the P-G's rival newspaper, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (it is part of a broader publishing company based in nearby Greensburg, PA). He was a major funding source for investigators behind l'affaire's Clinton/Whitewater and Monica Lewinski... in fact, many give "Richie Cougar Mellon-Scaife"* lots of credit for keeping the whole investigation alive when many had dismissed it as much ado about, well, you know... not much!

Scaife's millions got Clinton impeached... and now we are learning more about those millions, and how the man behind the VRWC** is being exposed for the truly scary person he is.

* credit Johnny McIntire (aka MacYapper)
** Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Obligatory Welcome Post

Thanks for stopping by...

I'm not sure how often I'll post here, or how seriously I will try to delve into any particular subject or topic. I just know that I need an outlet for the thoughts and ideas swimming around in my mind. I also hope to list tidbits and links to other interesting sites I find as I circle the vastness of the internet. No topic is off limits, so I do hope to keep it interesting.

I chose "The Shark Pitt" as this blog's title because I have adopted the identity of "thewordshark" for my professional persona and Pittsburgh is the most important city in my life. This blog is dedicated to success for both.