Apparently there are still some people in the DOJ who actucally care about the law.
The government's legal arguments justifying the detention of hundreds of people at the Guantanamo Bay naval base have been repudiated three times by the U.S. Supreme Court. But it's not just outsiders who take issue with the U.S. Justice Department strategy: Up to one fourth of the department's own civil appellate staff has recently opted out of handling the government's cases against detainee appeals, two sources familiar with the matter tell U.S. News.
These conscientious objectors-their exact number is not known-have decided not to take part in the government's litigation against the detainees because of disagreements with the legal approach, these sources say. They would not elaborate on the specific reasons for the objections, but critics have long objected to the government's failure to formally charge detainees and have pushed for closing Guantanamo because of allegations of torture and inhumane conditions. Defense lawyers also contend that the government has stymied their case by withholding documents and curbing client access.
The quiet rebellion has emerged in recent months among the approximately 56 attorneys in the appellate section of the Justice Department's civil division following a court ruling in February that placed the defense of the approximately 130 remaining Guantanamo cases under the responsibility of the appellate lawyers. More than 3oo men captured shortly after the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 are still being held at Guantanamo over alleged ties to terrorists, although all but a handful have never been formally charged with crimes. Oh, come now. If they were charged with anything-or, heaven forbid, identified as prisoners of war-that would entail they had rights. And we can't have that during wartime, right?
Friday, August 31, 2007
Runaway Prosecution
Kafka would have loved the War on Civil Liberties, er, the War on Terror. DETROIT (AP)-A Moroccan immigrant who was held for three years before his terrorism-related conviction was thrown out has riled a $9 million federal lawsuit against the prosecutor and two others involved in the case.
Karim Koubriti, 28, argues in the lawsuit that former federal prosecutor Richard Convertino violated his civil rights.
Convertino led the government's case in the nation's first major terrorism trial after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He was removed in 2003 after the Justice Department concluded he withheld evidence that could have proved the innocence of the four defendants accused of comprising a Detroit "sleeper" terror cell.
Three of the men's convictions were later thrown out after the Justice Department acknowledged its original prosecution was filled with a "pattern of mistakes and oversights." The fourth was acquitted.
Convertino was indicted last year on allegations that he conspired to obstruct justice and lied to a federal judge in connection with the case. Considering the fact that this guy was simply taking his cue from Team Bush when it came to civil rights, I'm surprised Bush didn't make him attorney general.
Karim Koubriti, 28, argues in the lawsuit that former federal prosecutor Richard Convertino violated his civil rights.
Convertino led the government's case in the nation's first major terrorism trial after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. He was removed in 2003 after the Justice Department concluded he withheld evidence that could have proved the innocence of the four defendants accused of comprising a Detroit "sleeper" terror cell.
Three of the men's convictions were later thrown out after the Justice Department acknowledged its original prosecution was filled with a "pattern of mistakes and oversights." The fourth was acquitted.
Convertino was indicted last year on allegations that he conspired to obstruct justice and lied to a federal judge in connection with the case. Considering the fact that this guy was simply taking his cue from Team Bush when it came to civil rights, I'm surprised Bush didn't make him attorney general.
Et Tu, Brando?
Now this is what I call method acting. ASPEN, Colo.-Julius Caesar lay dead and Brutus was talking to his co-conspirators about swords and blood when he paused and excused himself, saying "I seem to have stabbed myself."
Aspen actor/director Kent Hudson Reed accidently cut his leg open with the knife he was using in an outdoor performane of "Scenes from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar" on Wednesday.
He tried to carry on, "but my boot was filling up with blood and I was flubbing my lines, wondering if I was going to pass out, wondering the audience could see the blood."
Portia (Susan Mauntel) took Brutus to a hospital for stitches and play narrator Tyson Young announced the performance would be cancelled.
"That's what you get for trying to kill Caesar," he said. Hey, at least it wasn't a re-enactment of MacBeth...
Aspen actor/director Kent Hudson Reed accidently cut his leg open with the knife he was using in an outdoor performane of "Scenes from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar" on Wednesday.
He tried to carry on, "but my boot was filling up with blood and I was flubbing my lines, wondering if I was going to pass out, wondering the audience could see the blood."
Portia (Susan Mauntel) took Brutus to a hospital for stitches and play narrator Tyson Young announced the performance would be cancelled.
"That's what you get for trying to kill Caesar," he said. Hey, at least it wasn't a re-enactment of MacBeth...
Upsetting The Balance
Steve Clemens responds to a Bush defender's missive regarding "Grit" versus realism.
There are so many levels of failure during what has largely been an alliance of pugnacious Jesse Helms-revering nationalists like Dick Cheney and John Bolton and ideological neoconservatives like Scooter Libby, Douglas Feith, and Paul Wolfowitz that it is hard to run through it all here.
But to sum up the disaster, the Bush/Cheney neocon gamble of showing all the world our limits in taking on a classic thug like Saddam Hussein punctured the mystique of American power. Superpowers achieve their goals by leveraging mystique and the possibility of what they might do or not do. Shorn of that mystique, America has become far weaker. Allies are now not counting on America as much as they once were--and enemies are moving their agendas.
The global equilibrium has been thrown off, and to fill the voids left by the collapse of confidence in America's ability to achieve its objectives, other nations are rushing in to maximize their security or to try and restore balance. Whether its Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, or South Korea--all allies in one way or another--all are changing their behavior. And the neocons (or neocon-sympathizers)--who Jamie Kirchick thinks are somehow the ones who understand "grit" better than the rest of us--are responsible. The reason for this boils down to the fact that neocons are nation-builders. They feel it's America's moral duty to help other countries remake themselves in our image. Never mind that they don't understand the culture of those countries; it's all part of a global manifest destiny that borrows far more from Woodrow Wilson than from Ronald Reagan or George H.W. Bush, both of whom had a far better understanding of America's role in world affairs than Bush Jr. and his fellow neocons do. History should have shown them that grand visions of a Pax Americana can only work if you treat your allies with respect rather than with indifference, when you understand what you can't do as well as what you can. Unfortunately for our reputation and honor, they chose ideology over practicality.
There are so many levels of failure during what has largely been an alliance of pugnacious Jesse Helms-revering nationalists like Dick Cheney and John Bolton and ideological neoconservatives like Scooter Libby, Douglas Feith, and Paul Wolfowitz that it is hard to run through it all here.
But to sum up the disaster, the Bush/Cheney neocon gamble of showing all the world our limits in taking on a classic thug like Saddam Hussein punctured the mystique of American power. Superpowers achieve their goals by leveraging mystique and the possibility of what they might do or not do. Shorn of that mystique, America has become far weaker. Allies are now not counting on America as much as they once were--and enemies are moving their agendas.
The global equilibrium has been thrown off, and to fill the voids left by the collapse of confidence in America's ability to achieve its objectives, other nations are rushing in to maximize their security or to try and restore balance. Whether its Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, or South Korea--all allies in one way or another--all are changing their behavior. And the neocons (or neocon-sympathizers)--who Jamie Kirchick thinks are somehow the ones who understand "grit" better than the rest of us--are responsible. The reason for this boils down to the fact that neocons are nation-builders. They feel it's America's moral duty to help other countries remake themselves in our image. Never mind that they don't understand the culture of those countries; it's all part of a global manifest destiny that borrows far more from Woodrow Wilson than from Ronald Reagan or George H.W. Bush, both of whom had a far better understanding of America's role in world affairs than Bush Jr. and his fellow neocons do. History should have shown them that grand visions of a Pax Americana can only work if you treat your allies with respect rather than with indifference, when you understand what you can't do as well as what you can. Unfortunately for our reputation and honor, they chose ideology over practicality.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
When It Was Torture
He may not get the nomination, but this is one reason why he would have made a better President had he won in 2000. WASHINGTON (CNN)-The McCain campaign-in a new video unveiled exclusively to CNN on Wednesday-is aiming to showcase the Arizona Republican's service in the Vietnam War, including his time spent in a North Vietnamese prison.
Called "Courageous Leadership," the twelve-minute video begins with footage of McCain being interrogated by enemy soldiers.
The video then details McCain's experience as a prisoner of war, and includes interviews with the senator himself, as well as several others who served with him. Say what you will, the guy has been through the fire. Which is perhaps why he might be forgiven for being squeamish when it comes to the use of "Extralegal measures" that Team Bush was so fond of using. As I said, he might not get the nomination-but it would be great to see him use this video as an example of how he would be different from Bush: "As someone who experienced torture at the hands of our enemies, I will never condone it as your Commander-In-Chief. I'm John McCain, and I approved this message."
Called "Courageous Leadership," the twelve-minute video begins with footage of McCain being interrogated by enemy soldiers.
The video then details McCain's experience as a prisoner of war, and includes interviews with the senator himself, as well as several others who served with him. Say what you will, the guy has been through the fire. Which is perhaps why he might be forgiven for being squeamish when it comes to the use of "Extralegal measures" that Team Bush was so fond of using. As I said, he might not get the nomination-but it would be great to see him use this video as an example of how he would be different from Bush: "As someone who experienced torture at the hands of our enemies, I will never condone it as your Commander-In-Chief. I'm John McCain, and I approved this message."
No Hables Stupidity
Let me guess: a Tom Tancredo fan? BROOMFIELD-It started with a simple question and ended with at least one student chanting "white power" in a classroom.
It happened Tuesday in a classroom at Holy Family High School, the Catholic school that sits at the corner of 144th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in Broomfield.
The classroom discussion started with the question: Why do students need to learn Spanish?
According to the Archdiocese of Denver, the conversation soon became about immigration and it turned ugly.
"It became a heated discussion and some rhetoric was used that was inappropriate for the classroom," said Jeanette DeMelo, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Denver. Look at it this way-the kid has the potential for being a future Republican congressman from Colorado.
It happened Tuesday in a classroom at Holy Family High School, the Catholic school that sits at the corner of 144th Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard in Broomfield.
The classroom discussion started with the question: Why do students need to learn Spanish?
According to the Archdiocese of Denver, the conversation soon became about immigration and it turned ugly.
"It became a heated discussion and some rhetoric was used that was inappropriate for the classroom," said Jeanette DeMelo, spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Denver. Look at it this way-the kid has the potential for being a future Republican congressman from Colorado.
WWGD?
There's a reason why a guy like Romney is thriving in today's GOP, while Barry Goldwater wouldn't. As soon as the Craig story broke, the romney campaign restricted access to Craig's video endorsement on YouTube, in which the Idaho Senator praises Romney for his "very strong family values." Candidates treat endorsers-gone-bad the way Soviet leaders handled purged rivals: erase them from photos and never speak of them again. John McCain did this when the Florida co-chairman of his campaign was also arrested for soliciting sex in a bathroom (if Democrats do this, too, they're better at hiding it). So did Rudy Giuliani when his South Carolina chairman was indicted for distributing coke.* Romney's spokesman said they yanked the video because they didn't want Craig's troubles to become a "distraction." But when Romney later sermonized against Vraig to make a sweeping judgement about Washington, he was hardly avoiding the subject.
This may make sense politically. Romney has been working hard to court social conservatives, including running a television spot in Iowa promising to clean up the culture of "violence, indolence, sex and perversion." His call for a stricter public morality shows members of the religious right-particularly any who might have qualms about his Mormon faith-that he shares their values.
By taking this wide stance, Romney continues to stake his position in the larger debate over the Republican Party's identity. Some Republicans argue that the party should stop stressing family values so much. Lawmakers are himan, and ultimately they won't be able to live up to the standard that Romney has articulated. If the GOP candidates didn't go on at such length about morality, theur colleagues' invevitable lapses would not look so glaringly hypocritical.
There's also a case that the party needs to worry more about its libertarian wing.
Nick Gillespie, the editor of Reason, seized on the Craig affair to make a version of this argument in the Los Angeles Times, where he said that the GOP should get back to its fundamental principals as articulated by Barry Goldwater. Republicans should stop trying to tell people what to do in their bedrooms and bathrooms, either by stinging a Singing Senator or passing an amendment banning gay marriage. This drew criticism from the National Review's John Hood, who argued that Gillespie had misappropriated the memory of Barry Goldwater. "I'm going to go out on a not-very long limb here and suggest that if Sen. Goldwater was still around," wrote Hood, "he'd be urging Craig to take personal responsibility for the disrepute he has brought upon himself and the Senate."
We don't have to guess about what Goldwater would do. During the 1964 presidential campaign, he faced almost precisely the same issue. In October, the Goldwater campaign learned that Walter Jenkins, LBJ's closest aide, had been arrested on a "morals charge" in the YMCA bathroom. According to J. William Middendorf's account of that campaign, A Glorious Disaster, Goldwater's aides wanted to use the scandal against Johnson, who was well ahead in the polls. Jenkins was not only a security risk-open to blackmail-but long before he was arrested, there were allegations he'd used his influence with then-Vice President Johnson to get an Air Force general who had been busted on a morals charge reinstated. The Goldwater aides even tried out slogans: "Either way with LBJ." Goldwater insisted that they make no use of it. The story never came up during the campaign. Ah, but that was back in the days when Republicans actually stood for something other than being the Morality Police. It used to be the Democrats who had sex scandals. Now that the shoe is tapping on the other foot, is it any wonder the GOP has to resort to these spluttering, red-faced denouncements? It's all they've got left.
This may make sense politically. Romney has been working hard to court social conservatives, including running a television spot in Iowa promising to clean up the culture of "violence, indolence, sex and perversion." His call for a stricter public morality shows members of the religious right-particularly any who might have qualms about his Mormon faith-that he shares their values.
By taking this wide stance, Romney continues to stake his position in the larger debate over the Republican Party's identity. Some Republicans argue that the party should stop stressing family values so much. Lawmakers are himan, and ultimately they won't be able to live up to the standard that Romney has articulated. If the GOP candidates didn't go on at such length about morality, theur colleagues' invevitable lapses would not look so glaringly hypocritical.
There's also a case that the party needs to worry more about its libertarian wing.
Nick Gillespie, the editor of Reason, seized on the Craig affair to make a version of this argument in the Los Angeles Times, where he said that the GOP should get back to its fundamental principals as articulated by Barry Goldwater. Republicans should stop trying to tell people what to do in their bedrooms and bathrooms, either by stinging a Singing Senator or passing an amendment banning gay marriage. This drew criticism from the National Review's John Hood, who argued that Gillespie had misappropriated the memory of Barry Goldwater. "I'm going to go out on a not-very long limb here and suggest that if Sen. Goldwater was still around," wrote Hood, "he'd be urging Craig to take personal responsibility for the disrepute he has brought upon himself and the Senate."
We don't have to guess about what Goldwater would do. During the 1964 presidential campaign, he faced almost precisely the same issue. In October, the Goldwater campaign learned that Walter Jenkins, LBJ's closest aide, had been arrested on a "morals charge" in the YMCA bathroom. According to J. William Middendorf's account of that campaign, A Glorious Disaster, Goldwater's aides wanted to use the scandal against Johnson, who was well ahead in the polls. Jenkins was not only a security risk-open to blackmail-but long before he was arrested, there were allegations he'd used his influence with then-Vice President Johnson to get an Air Force general who had been busted on a morals charge reinstated. The Goldwater aides even tried out slogans: "Either way with LBJ." Goldwater insisted that they make no use of it. The story never came up during the campaign. Ah, but that was back in the days when Republicans actually stood for something other than being the Morality Police. It used to be the Democrats who had sex scandals. Now that the shoe is tapping on the other foot, is it any wonder the GOP has to resort to these spluttering, red-faced denouncements? It's all they've got left.
You're Not It
Oh, Jeeze. How paranoid are we getting as a society, anyway?
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)-An elementary school has banned tag on its playground after some children complained they were harassed or chased against their will.
"It causes a lot of conflict on the playground," said Cindy Fesgen, assistant principal of the Discovery Canyon Campus School.
Running games are still allowed as long as students don't chase each other, she said.
Fesgen said two parents complained to her about the ban but most parents and children don't object. Obviously we must ban childhood. Then we need to find a way to make sure that nothing ever upsets anyone. After all, it's for the children.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP)-An elementary school has banned tag on its playground after some children complained they were harassed or chased against their will.
"It causes a lot of conflict on the playground," said Cindy Fesgen, assistant principal of the Discovery Canyon Campus School.
Running games are still allowed as long as students don't chase each other, she said.
Fesgen said two parents complained to her about the ban but most parents and children don't object. Obviously we must ban childhood. Then we need to find a way to make sure that nothing ever upsets anyone. After all, it's for the children.
So That's Where They Went
Given their track record, I have to wonder if there's more where this came from.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters)-United Nations officials found vials of dangerous chemicals, which had been removed from Iraq a decade ago, in a U.N. building in New York, but U.N. officials said on Thursday there was no danger.
The FBI was called in to help remove the substances.
The material was phosgene, a chemical warfare agent, U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe told a news conference. I'm sure Chemical Kofi has a very good explanation.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters)-United Nations officials found vials of dangerous chemicals, which had been removed from Iraq a decade ago, in a U.N. building in New York, but U.N. officials said on Thursday there was no danger.
The FBI was called in to help remove the substances.
The material was phosgene, a chemical warfare agent, U.N. spokeswoman Marie Okabe told a news conference. I'm sure Chemical Kofi has a very good explanation.
A Protester And His Shadow
Well, this didn't last long. Even with the Iraq war lingering and plenty of trouble with guns and violence on the streets of Seattle, a planned demonstration was barely a protest at all Tuesday night-despite advance publicity garnered through an official-looking media release.
P-I reporter Amy Rolph went out to cover a planned protest Tuesday night at Green Lake, only to find just two demonstrators. Here's Amy's report:
The demonstration didn't take long at all. In fact, it might have been the shortest in recent local history.
It might have been the smallest, too.
Two activists showed up. They stretched out on the ground for 32 seconds. Then they rolled up their banner--www.protesteasyguns.com--and headed for the parking lot. Hey, for Seattle hippies, that's organized.
P-I reporter Amy Rolph went out to cover a planned protest Tuesday night at Green Lake, only to find just two demonstrators. Here's Amy's report:
The demonstration didn't take long at all. In fact, it might have been the shortest in recent local history.
It might have been the smallest, too.
Two activists showed up. They stretched out on the ground for 32 seconds. Then they rolled up their banner--www.protesteasyguns.com--and headed for the parking lot. Hey, for Seattle hippies, that's organized.
The Year The Elephant Would Rather Forget
I hope die-hard Repulbicans have strong constitutions. The way things have been going, they're going to need them. WASHINGTON (AP)-When it comes to scandal, Democrats could be forgiven for thinking they hit the political jackpot this summer. At Republican expense.
First came the disclosure that Louisana Sen. David Vitter's telephone number was listed in the records of an escort service.
Then Sen. Ted Stevens' home in Alaska was raided by federal agents as part of a corruption investigation.
Now Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho is recanting a guilty plea that grew out of a police undercover operation in an airport men's room, adding, "I am not gay" for emphasis.
"This is a serious matter," said the Senate Republican leadership, an understatement for the ages.
No doubt, none of this has been good for what some Republicans like to call "the brand."
Craig "represents the Republican Party," Rep. Pete Hoekstra said on Wednesday, a frank acknowledgement that the party may suffer, regardless of the Idaho senator's political fate. Sometimes it takes a great fall for someone to learn humility so they can rise again. Judging from what's been happening lately, the GOP is falling from the equivelent of the Empire State Building. I just hope that someday they can get up and walk again.
First came the disclosure that Louisana Sen. David Vitter's telephone number was listed in the records of an escort service.
Then Sen. Ted Stevens' home in Alaska was raided by federal agents as part of a corruption investigation.
Now Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho is recanting a guilty plea that grew out of a police undercover operation in an airport men's room, adding, "I am not gay" for emphasis.
"This is a serious matter," said the Senate Republican leadership, an understatement for the ages.
No doubt, none of this has been good for what some Republicans like to call "the brand."
Craig "represents the Republican Party," Rep. Pete Hoekstra said on Wednesday, a frank acknowledgement that the party may suffer, regardless of the Idaho senator's political fate. Sometimes it takes a great fall for someone to learn humility so they can rise again. Judging from what's been happening lately, the GOP is falling from the equivelent of the Empire State Building. I just hope that someday they can get up and walk again.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Sadr Stands Down
It must really suck trying to lead an insurgency that can't get along with itself. BAGHDAD-Iraq's most powerful Shiite militia chief ordered his gunmen today to halt all hostilities for six months to restore his Mahdi Army to credibility in the eyes of Iraqis shaken by a rash of Shiite-on-Shiite violence.
The stunning move, coupled with a vow by the anti-American cleric Muqtada Sadr to cease attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, may also have been aimed at elevating his standing with Iraqis and their neighbors by demonstrating that he has the power to make peace or destroy it.
Sadr's announcement through his offices in Najaf followed a deadly clash in the holy city of Karbala earlier this week that killed at least 52 people and injured 300 in fighting blamed on his Mahdi militiamen and their rivals within the Badr Brigade, the armed wing of the country's biggest Shiite political force, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. I understand. It's tough to be a would-be player when all of your gangbangers are getting rid of each other.
The stunning move, coupled with a vow by the anti-American cleric Muqtada Sadr to cease attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, may also have been aimed at elevating his standing with Iraqis and their neighbors by demonstrating that he has the power to make peace or destroy it.
Sadr's announcement through his offices in Najaf followed a deadly clash in the holy city of Karbala earlier this week that killed at least 52 people and injured 300 in fighting blamed on his Mahdi militiamen and their rivals within the Badr Brigade, the armed wing of the country's biggest Shiite political force, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council. I understand. It's tough to be a would-be player when all of your gangbangers are getting rid of each other.
Don't Talk About Abu Ghraib Club
This is Rummy's legacy, folks.
FORT MEADE, Md.-An Army officer's acquittal on charges of failing to control soldiers who abused Abu Ghraib prisoners cuts short a trail of accountability that could lead much higher, human rights groups say.
A military court on Tuesday acquitted Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan of three charges related to the mistreatment of detainees at the U.S.-run prison in Iraq in the fall of 2003.
The jury convicted Jordan of disobeying a general's order not to discuss the abuse investigation. The defense conceded that Jordan e-mailed a number of soldiers about the investigation after meeting with Maj. Gen. George Fay in the spring of 2004. Accountability became a dirty word in Team Bush, and that message was passed down to the officers at Abu Ghraib. But it was OK as long as the prisoners were terrists out to kill Amurkans on the battlefield, right?
FORT MEADE, Md.-An Army officer's acquittal on charges of failing to control soldiers who abused Abu Ghraib prisoners cuts short a trail of accountability that could lead much higher, human rights groups say.
A military court on Tuesday acquitted Lt. Col. Steven L. Jordan of three charges related to the mistreatment of detainees at the U.S.-run prison in Iraq in the fall of 2003.
The jury convicted Jordan of disobeying a general's order not to discuss the abuse investigation. The defense conceded that Jordan e-mailed a number of soldiers about the investigation after meeting with Maj. Gen. George Fay in the spring of 2004. Accountability became a dirty word in Team Bush, and that message was passed down to the officers at Abu Ghraib. But it was OK as long as the prisoners were terrists out to kill Amurkans on the battlefield, right?
An Innocent Man
America's most famous domestic non-terrorist has died. Richard Jewell, the Centennial Olympic Park security guard once suspected-but later cleared-in the bombing of the park during the 1996 Summer Games, was found dead Wednesday in his home in Meriwether County. He was 44.
County coronoer Johnny Worley said Jewell's wife discovered him dead in their Woodbury home at about 10:30 a.m., and he was pronounced dead by Worley about 45 minutes later.
Worley said an autopsy would be performed by the GBI to determine how Jewell died, but added there was "no suspicion of foul play.
"He had been having some pretty serious medical problems," Worley said.
He said Jewell had been diagnosed with diabetes in Februrary and had a couple of toes amputated.
"He had been going downhill ever since," Worley said. Before we worry too much about the Bush administration convicting somebody without charges or evidence (and I do) let us remember that the media has turned it into an art form. Rest in peace, Mr. Jewll. You, at least, were vindicated.
County coronoer Johnny Worley said Jewell's wife discovered him dead in their Woodbury home at about 10:30 a.m., and he was pronounced dead by Worley about 45 minutes later.
Worley said an autopsy would be performed by the GBI to determine how Jewell died, but added there was "no suspicion of foul play.
"He had been having some pretty serious medical problems," Worley said.
He said Jewell had been diagnosed with diabetes in Februrary and had a couple of toes amputated.
"He had been going downhill ever since," Worley said. Before we worry too much about the Bush administration convicting somebody without charges or evidence (and I do) let us remember that the media has turned it into an art form. Rest in peace, Mr. Jewll. You, at least, were vindicated.
Where Have Hsu Gone?
I'm sure Hillary won't let a little thing like his being a fugitive get in the way of their friendship.
A Democratic fundraiser who has raised $1 million for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says he has done nothing wrong and asked no favors in return, but Norman Hsu didn't mention that he's a wanted man.
A California prosecutor says Hsu pleaded no contest to grand theft, was sentenced to three years in prison and then disappeared, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
"He is a fugitive," Ronald Smetana, who handled the case for the state attorney general, said in an interview with the newspaper. "Do you know where he is?" I can't speak for Hillary, but Mr. Smetana is probably aware that the Clintons' "Friends" seem to have a habit of disappearing or turning up dead when they become too much trouble...
A Democratic fundraiser who has raised $1 million for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton says he has done nothing wrong and asked no favors in return, but Norman Hsu didn't mention that he's a wanted man.
A California prosecutor says Hsu pleaded no contest to grand theft, was sentenced to three years in prison and then disappeared, The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
"He is a fugitive," Ronald Smetana, who handled the case for the state attorney general, said in an interview with the newspaper. "Do you know where he is?" I can't speak for Hillary, but Mr. Smetana is probably aware that the Clintons' "Friends" seem to have a habit of disappearing or turning up dead when they become too much trouble...
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
We're Gonna Repopulate Again
The Tolerance Capital of America is turning everybody off these days. African-Americans are abandoning this famously progressive city at a rate that has alarmed San Francisco officials, who vow to stop the exodus and develop a strategy to win blacks back to the city. In June, Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed a task force to study how to reverse decades of policies-and neglect-that black leaders say have fueled the flight.
Black flight can alter a city's character. "It's important for a city's future that it be a diverse place, and San Francisco is drifting toward being an upper-middle-class city," says Ed Blakely, director of Katrina recovery for New Orleans.
According to Census estimates, the number of blacks here shrank from 13.4% of the population in 1970 to just 6.5% in 2005-the biggest percentage decline in any major American city. Call me crazy, but maybe they've figured out what the rest of those who left San Francisco have-that a city run by elitist white liberals is an equal opportunity discriminator.
Black flight can alter a city's character. "It's important for a city's future that it be a diverse place, and San Francisco is drifting toward being an upper-middle-class city," says Ed Blakely, director of Katrina recovery for New Orleans.
According to Census estimates, the number of blacks here shrank from 13.4% of the population in 1970 to just 6.5% in 2005-the biggest percentage decline in any major American city. Call me crazy, but maybe they've figured out what the rest of those who left San Francisco have-that a city run by elitist white liberals is an equal opportunity discriminator.
Iron Chef Dictator
He's a good cook, and if you don't believe him, he'll have you flogged. Better known for his defiance on Iran's nuclear programme, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Tuesday revealed he was a handy cook who prepares "delicious" food and regrets not spending more time at home.
In a television interview aimed at showing his personal side, Ahmadinejad made no mention of Iran's disputes with the West and instead portrayed himself as a hardworking husband who only leaves his job in the small hours.
"Before (I became president) I used to do the grocery shopping. Now sometimes I help in the kitchen and I know how to make all the Iranian food," Ahmadinejad said.
Pressed by the interviewer for more details, Ahmadinejad continued in typically defiant fashion.
"Of course what I make is delicious-ask everyone who has eaten it! I can make all the different kinds of soups and Iranian stews," said the president. Well, plotting domination of the Middle East and nuclear destruction of one's enemies does make a man hungry.
In a television interview aimed at showing his personal side, Ahmadinejad made no mention of Iran's disputes with the West and instead portrayed himself as a hardworking husband who only leaves his job in the small hours.
"Before (I became president) I used to do the grocery shopping. Now sometimes I help in the kitchen and I know how to make all the Iranian food," Ahmadinejad said.
Pressed by the interviewer for more details, Ahmadinejad continued in typically defiant fashion.
"Of course what I make is delicious-ask everyone who has eaten it! I can make all the different kinds of soups and Iranian stews," said the president. Well, plotting domination of the Middle East and nuclear destruction of one's enemies does make a man hungry.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Let's Not Get Physical
Along with being a useful idiot for the left, it turns out Jane Fonda was bad for your health. "These are the people who did the aerobics classes five or six days a week, the high-impact aerobics, the step aerobics with three tiered steps," said Dr. Solomon, a phyiatrist. "These are the people who thought they were doing the right thing and following the trend of the '80's."
Dr. Solomon says the repetitive nature of high impact aerobics has had an adverse affect on many of the once devoted Fonda fans like Wares.
"They have knee problems," she said. "They all have early arthritis, or have terrible arthritis where they can't go up and down stairs."
Today, Dr. Solomon said these high impact exercise techniques are basically defunct because we know how to exercise smarter. Judging from how fat we seem to be as a nation these days, it looks like we still haven't learned our lesson.
Dr. Solomon says the repetitive nature of high impact aerobics has had an adverse affect on many of the once devoted Fonda fans like Wares.
"They have knee problems," she said. "They all have early arthritis, or have terrible arthritis where they can't go up and down stairs."
Today, Dr. Solomon said these high impact exercise techniques are basically defunct because we know how to exercise smarter. Judging from how fat we seem to be as a nation these days, it looks like we still haven't learned our lesson.
The Senator Was Indisposed
If you're running to please the Fundamentalist crowd, keep your campaign staff out of men's restrooms.
US Senator Larry Craig resigned tonight as Senate co-chairman for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, within hours after news broke of Craig's guilty plea to disorderly conduct after an incident in a men's bathroom.
"Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision," Romney's campaign said in a statement.
The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reported today that Craig pleaded guilty earlier this month to a charge of disorderly conduct after he was arrested in June at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men's public bathroom.
Craig denied any "inappropriate conduct" and said his actions had been misconstrued. Craig just had "Restless foot syndrome." Yeah, I buy that...
US Senator Larry Craig resigned tonight as Senate co-chairman for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, within hours after news broke of Craig's guilty plea to disorderly conduct after an incident in a men's bathroom.
"Senator Craig has stepped down from his role with the campaign. He did not want to be a distraction and we accept his decision," Romney's campaign said in a statement.
The Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call reported today that Craig pleaded guilty earlier this month to a charge of disorderly conduct after he was arrested in June at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport by a plainclothes police officer investigating lewd conduct complaints in a men's public bathroom.
Craig denied any "inappropriate conduct" and said his actions had been misconstrued. Craig just had "Restless foot syndrome." Yeah, I buy that...
Pulling The Penguin
Was Opus a victim of political correctness?
A popular comic strip that poked fun at the Rev. Jerry Falwell without incident one week ago was deemed too controversial to run over the weekend because this time it took a humorous swipe at Muslim fundamentalists.
The Washington Post and several other newspapers around the country did not run Sunday's installment of Berkley Breathed's "Opus," in which the spiritual fad-seeking character Lola Granola appears in a headscarf and explains to her boyfriend, Steve, why she wants to become a radical Islamist.
The installment did not appear in the Post's print version, but it ran on WashingtonPost.com and Salon.com. The same will hold true for the upcoming Sept. 2 strip, which is a continuation of the plotline. Apparently one man's humor is another man's cause for jihad. I can see the rioters now: "The infidel Penguin must die!"
A popular comic strip that poked fun at the Rev. Jerry Falwell without incident one week ago was deemed too controversial to run over the weekend because this time it took a humorous swipe at Muslim fundamentalists.
The Washington Post and several other newspapers around the country did not run Sunday's installment of Berkley Breathed's "Opus," in which the spiritual fad-seeking character Lola Granola appears in a headscarf and explains to her boyfriend, Steve, why she wants to become a radical Islamist.
The installment did not appear in the Post's print version, but it ran on WashingtonPost.com and Salon.com. The same will hold true for the upcoming Sept. 2 strip, which is a continuation of the plotline. Apparently one man's humor is another man's cause for jihad. I can see the rioters now: "The infidel Penguin must die!"
Gonzales Goes Bye Bye
Alberto has taken his ball and gone home.
WASHINGTON-President Bush on Monday faulted Democratic bloodlust on Capitol Hill for forcing the resignation of his longtime friend and ally, Alberto Gonzales, as attorney general.
Speaking Monday before traveling to New Mexico, Bush expressed profound disappointment that his protege is leaving his job as top law enforcement officer in the U.S. after two and a half years.
"After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position and I accepted his dcision," Bush said, reeling off a long list of policy Gonzales helped form as Bush's senior counsel at the White House and at the Justice Department.
"It is sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons." Right. I'm sure that taking advantage of another attorney general on his sickbed had nothing to do with it. And there's this little tidbit to consider: As late as Sunday afternoon, Mr. Gonzales himself was denying through his spokesman that he was quitting. The spokesman, Brian Roehrkasse, said Sunday that he telephoned the attorney general about the reports of his imminent resignation "and he said it wasn't true-so I don't know what more I can say." That seems to be about par the course for anyone who works for this administration. First, deny there's a problem. Then, have Bush deny that you're the one causing the problem. Then, deny you're quitting. Finally, have Bush deny the reasons why you quit. The only thing what's left of Team Bush these days seems to deny more than somebody is quitting is reality.
WASHINGTON-President Bush on Monday faulted Democratic bloodlust on Capitol Hill for forcing the resignation of his longtime friend and ally, Alberto Gonzales, as attorney general.
Speaking Monday before traveling to New Mexico, Bush expressed profound disappointment that his protege is leaving his job as top law enforcement officer in the U.S. after two and a half years.
"After months of unfair treatment that has created a harmful distraction at the Justice Department, Judge Gonzales decided to resign his position and I accepted his dcision," Bush said, reeling off a long list of policy Gonzales helped form as Bush's senior counsel at the White House and at the Justice Department.
"It is sad that we live in a time when a talented and honorable person like Alberto Gonzales is impeded from doing important work because his good name was dragged through the mud for political reasons." Right. I'm sure that taking advantage of another attorney general on his sickbed had nothing to do with it. And there's this little tidbit to consider: As late as Sunday afternoon, Mr. Gonzales himself was denying through his spokesman that he was quitting. The spokesman, Brian Roehrkasse, said Sunday that he telephoned the attorney general about the reports of his imminent resignation "and he said it wasn't true-so I don't know what more I can say." That seems to be about par the course for anyone who works for this administration. First, deny there's a problem. Then, have Bush deny that you're the one causing the problem. Then, deny you're quitting. Finally, have Bush deny the reasons why you quit. The only thing what's left of Team Bush these days seems to deny more than somebody is quitting is reality.
Agreeing To Agree, For Now
Hmm, didn't we hear something like this earlier?
Iraq's top Shi'ite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political leaders announced on Sunday they had reached consensus on some key measures seen as vital to fostering national reconciliation.
The agreement by the five leaders was one of the kost significant political developments in Iraq for months and was quickly welcomed by the United States, which hopes such moves will ease sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands.
But skeptics will be watching for action amid growing frustration in Washington over the political paralysis that has gripped the government of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Maybe this is a breakthrough-Maliki got them all to agree that he sucks.
Iraq's top Shi'ite, Sunni Arab and Kurdish political leaders announced on Sunday they had reached consensus on some key measures seen as vital to fostering national reconciliation.
The agreement by the five leaders was one of the kost significant political developments in Iraq for months and was quickly welcomed by the United States, which hopes such moves will ease sectarian violence that has killed tens of thousands.
But skeptics will be watching for action amid growing frustration in Washington over the political paralysis that has gripped the government of Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Maybe this is a breakthrough-Maliki got them all to agree that he sucks.
Don't Fence Me In, Dear Leader
Mini-Me just wants company as his regime slowly crumbles. SEOUL, South Korea-North Korea has started building a fence along parts of its border with China in an apparent move to prevent people from fleeing the impoverished communist country, a news report said Sunday.
The North has put posts on a six-mile stretch along a narrow tribituary of the Yalu River, which marks the border between North Korea and China. It has also built a road to guard the area, Yonhap news agency reported. The North has yet to string barbed wire fencing between the posts, the report said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment on the report. Well, maybe Mini-Me is just afraid of getting some of those tainted Chinese products...
The North has put posts on a six-mile stretch along a narrow tribituary of the Yalu River, which marks the border between North Korea and China. It has also built a road to guard the area, Yonhap news agency reported. The North has yet to string barbed wire fencing between the posts, the report said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry had no immediate comment on the report. Well, maybe Mini-Me is just afraid of getting some of those tainted Chinese products...
Sunday, August 26, 2007
No Votes For You
Let's hear somebody scream "Count all the votes!" now. The Democratic Party has taken a swipe at the nation's fourth biggest state, stripping Florida of all of its '08 delegates as punishment for jumping the gun with its Jan. 29 primary. Florida's early date could force other states to move up and up to stay at the front of the pack.
Under a nearly unanimous vote taken moments ago by a poerful committee of the Democratic National Committee, if things don't change, Florida's primary will be a "beauty contest"-the delegates won't count toward the pparty's presidential nomination.
Florida officials complained that the DNC was going to "disenfranchise voters," as it says on the state party's home page. The DNC pushed back strongly against that contention, since it has rules that Florida decided not to follow. Don't worry, guys. I'm sure the Party will let you find some creative way to steal votes.
Under a nearly unanimous vote taken moments ago by a poerful committee of the Democratic National Committee, if things don't change, Florida's primary will be a "beauty contest"-the delegates won't count toward the pparty's presidential nomination.
Florida officials complained that the DNC was going to "disenfranchise voters," as it says on the state party's home page. The DNC pushed back strongly against that contention, since it has rules that Florida decided not to follow. Don't worry, guys. I'm sure the Party will let you find some creative way to steal votes.
Good Times, Bad Times
Darn that good economy! HELENA, Mont. (AP)-The owner of a fast food joint in Montana's booming oil patch found himself outsourcing the drive-through window to a Texas telemarketing firm, not because it's cheaper but because he can't find workers.
Record low unemployment actoss parts of the West has created tough working conditions for business owners, who in places are being forced to boost wages or be creative to fill their jobs.
John Francis, who owns the McDonald's in Sidney, Mont., said he tried advertising in the local newspaper and even offered up to $10 an hour to compete with higher-paying oil field jobs. Yet the only calls were from other business owners upset they would have to raise wages, too. Of course, Francis' current employees also wanted a pay hike.
"I don't know what the answer is," Francis said. "There's just nobody around that wants to work." Well, there's nobody around that wants to flip burgers. You don't suppose that trying to compete with the local oil fields has something to do with it, do you?
Record low unemployment actoss parts of the West has created tough working conditions for business owners, who in places are being forced to boost wages or be creative to fill their jobs.
John Francis, who owns the McDonald's in Sidney, Mont., said he tried advertising in the local newspaper and even offered up to $10 an hour to compete with higher-paying oil field jobs. Yet the only calls were from other business owners upset they would have to raise wages, too. Of course, Francis' current employees also wanted a pay hike.
"I don't know what the answer is," Francis said. "There's just nobody around that wants to work." Well, there's nobody around that wants to flip burgers. You don't suppose that trying to compete with the local oil fields has something to do with it, do you?
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Hairbrained
It's "Barbershop," Islamofascist style. Iran has shut down barber shops offering unconventional Western hair styles amid a police crackdown on dress deemed un-Islamic, reports said.
"Over the past 15 days, 13 barbers' shops that had not respected the union's directives have been closed down," police commander Mohammad Ali Najafi said.
He told the Etemud dauly that the barbers' union had banned eyebrow-plucking for men as well as "deviant Western styles."
"Eleven women's beauty saloons were also shut down for not having a licence or for violations such as tattooing, which is banned by a health ministry directive," he added. At this rate, pretty much the only thing that won't be banned will be eating and drinking, and even then only on certain days and occasions as ordained in the Koran.
"Over the past 15 days, 13 barbers' shops that had not respected the union's directives have been closed down," police commander Mohammad Ali Najafi said.
He told the Etemud dauly that the barbers' union had banned eyebrow-plucking for men as well as "deviant Western styles."
"Eleven women's beauty saloons were also shut down for not having a licence or for violations such as tattooing, which is banned by a health ministry directive," he added. At this rate, pretty much the only thing that won't be banned will be eating and drinking, and even then only on certain days and occasions as ordained in the Koran.
Stealing From The Snowman?
It sure sounds like a creative way to rob someone.
ALBEQUERQUE, N.M.-A trucker has sued the Druge Enforcement Administration, seeking to get back nearly $24,000 seized by DEA agents earlier this month at a weigh station on U.S. 54 in New Mexico north of El Paso, Texas.
Anastasio Prieto of El Paso gave a state police officer at the weigh station permission to search the truck to see if it contained "needles or cash in excess of $10,000," according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the federal lawsuit Thursday.
Priesto told the officer he didn't have any needles but did have $23,700.
Officers took the money and turned it over to the DEA. DEA agents photographed and fingerprinted Priesto over his objections, then released him without charging him with anything.
Border Patrol agents searched his truck with drug-sniffing dogs, but found no evidence of illegal substances, the ACLU said. Now, just keep telling yourself that what happened to Joseph Padilla could never happen to you...
ALBEQUERQUE, N.M.-A trucker has sued the Druge Enforcement Administration, seeking to get back nearly $24,000 seized by DEA agents earlier this month at a weigh station on U.S. 54 in New Mexico north of El Paso, Texas.
Anastasio Prieto of El Paso gave a state police officer at the weigh station permission to search the truck to see if it contained "needles or cash in excess of $10,000," according to the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the federal lawsuit Thursday.
Priesto told the officer he didn't have any needles but did have $23,700.
Officers took the money and turned it over to the DEA. DEA agents photographed and fingerprinted Priesto over his objections, then released him without charging him with anything.
Border Patrol agents searched his truck with drug-sniffing dogs, but found no evidence of illegal substances, the ACLU said. Now, just keep telling yourself that what happened to Joseph Padilla could never happen to you...
The See-Through Candidates
Well, here's at least three guys who have gained some newfound respect from me.
Presidential aspirants Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) don't agree on much.
When it comes to immigration, stem-cell research, abortion, health care, trade-you name it, basically-these three get along about as well as Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, and George Steinbrenner did during the Yankees' legendarily fractious 1977 season.
But they alone among would-be White House occupants have signed a trans-partisan initiative that has the potential to radically transform not just the presidency but the way the federal government does business. Obama, Brownback, and Paul have all signed The Oath of Presidential Transparency, a pledge to follow through on two actions.
First, signatories agree to conduct "THE most transparent Administration in American history- a lofty, laudable, far-reaching goal. This oath signals that whether it's for earmarks, directives, or ongoing management of taspayer expenditures, the goal of transparency will be evident throughout all policy making aspects of your Administration."
Second, signatories commit their presidential administrations "to full and robust implementation of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFAT Act) of 2006." The heart of that legislation, co-sponsored by Obama and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) in the Senate and signed into law last year by President Bush, is the creation of a free, searchable website that will list every recipient of every federal award.
Regardless of ideology or partisan affiliation, this is something that every American-with the possible exception of lawmakers who prefer to shroud their activities out of guilt, shame, fear, or some combination of the same-can get behind. Estimated to cost a relatively measly $15 million between now and 2011, the searchable database will give watchdog groups, government reformers, and regular citizens unprecedented amojnts of information about where taxpayer dollars are going and how their elected representatives are behaving. Politicians accountable to the people? What a concept!
Presidential aspirants Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) don't agree on much.
When it comes to immigration, stem-cell research, abortion, health care, trade-you name it, basically-these three get along about as well as Reggie Jackson, Billy Martin, and George Steinbrenner did during the Yankees' legendarily fractious 1977 season.
But they alone among would-be White House occupants have signed a trans-partisan initiative that has the potential to radically transform not just the presidency but the way the federal government does business. Obama, Brownback, and Paul have all signed The Oath of Presidential Transparency, a pledge to follow through on two actions.
First, signatories agree to conduct "THE most transparent Administration in American history- a lofty, laudable, far-reaching goal. This oath signals that whether it's for earmarks, directives, or ongoing management of taspayer expenditures, the goal of transparency will be evident throughout all policy making aspects of your Administration."
Second, signatories commit their presidential administrations "to full and robust implementation of the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFAT Act) of 2006." The heart of that legislation, co-sponsored by Obama and Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) in the Senate and signed into law last year by President Bush, is the creation of a free, searchable website that will list every recipient of every federal award.
Regardless of ideology or partisan affiliation, this is something that every American-with the possible exception of lawmakers who prefer to shroud their activities out of guilt, shame, fear, or some combination of the same-can get behind. Estimated to cost a relatively measly $15 million between now and 2011, the searchable database will give watchdog groups, government reformers, and regular citizens unprecedented amojnts of information about where taxpayer dollars are going and how their elected representatives are behaving. Politicians accountable to the people? What a concept!
The Conspiracy That Isn't
Let the ranting from the Tinfoil Hat crowd begin! Leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico on Tuesday downplayed fears that their trilateral Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP) is setting the foundation for a "North American Union." But they did not promise more openness to quell such fears.
"I'm amused by the difference between what actually takes place in the meetings and what some are trying to say takes place," President Bush said at a news conference in Montebello, Quebec. He is in Canada with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon for the fourth SPP meeting since its creation in 2005.
As Cybercast News Service has previously reported, opponents on boths sides of the political aisle have been out in force in Montebello and the nearby Canadian capital of Ottawa, protesting the meetings and the lack of transparency from government officials in attendance.
Liberals worry the meetings are an opportunity for U.S. corporations to exert control over Mexican and Canadian resources. Conservatives charge the meetings are a step toward creation of a North American Union similar to the European Union, where American soverignity would be forfeited to super-national bureaucracies. I for one would welcome out new Illuminati overlords. (End spooky music).
"I'm amused by the difference between what actually takes place in the meetings and what some are trying to say takes place," President Bush said at a news conference in Montebello, Quebec. He is in Canada with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon for the fourth SPP meeting since its creation in 2005.
As Cybercast News Service has previously reported, opponents on boths sides of the political aisle have been out in force in Montebello and the nearby Canadian capital of Ottawa, protesting the meetings and the lack of transparency from government officials in attendance.
Liberals worry the meetings are an opportunity for U.S. corporations to exert control over Mexican and Canadian resources. Conservatives charge the meetings are a step toward creation of a North American Union similar to the European Union, where American soverignity would be forfeited to super-national bureaucracies. I for one would welcome out new Illuminati overlords. (End spooky music).
Seven Whines In May
Hoo boy. This is whack, as the kids say, even for Ariana Huffingpaint. (Hat tip: Captain's Quarters). General Pace-you have the power to fulfull your responsibility to protect the troops under your command. Indeed you have an obligation to do so.
You can relieve the President of his command.
Not of his Presidentcy. But of as his military role as Commander-In-Chief. ...
In addition to relieving him of his command as Commander-In-Chief, you also have authority to place the President under MILITARY arrest. So she's basically advocating a coup. What does she think we are, a socialist country? Oh, wait...
You can relieve the President of his command.
Not of his Presidentcy. But of as his military role as Commander-In-Chief. ...
In addition to relieving him of his command as Commander-In-Chief, you also have authority to place the President under MILITARY arrest. So she's basically advocating a coup. What does she think we are, a socialist country? Oh, wait...
Friday, August 24, 2007
Dead Dictator In Waiting
To paraphrase Don Henley, "Is the Head Commie dead yet?"
MIAMI (AP)--The official word in Cuba is that Fidel Castro is still very much alive-but you'd never know that on the streets of Miami.
Premature rumors of Castro's death are a staple in this heavily Cuban-exile city. But their frequency has intensified in recent days after his 81st birthday came and went Aug. 13 with neither pictures, letters nor recordings from him.
Friday, the rumors were pushed into overdrive by a meeting of local officials to go over their plans for when Castro really dies and a road closure in the Florida Keys that was actually due to a police standoff.
A circular game ensued with radio stations reporting the rumors, citing TV stations, which cited the rumors on the street. Well, his good buddy Hugo Chavez swears Fidel is practically getting ready to perform on Broadway. So, you see, everything's just fine!
MIAMI (AP)--The official word in Cuba is that Fidel Castro is still very much alive-but you'd never know that on the streets of Miami.
Premature rumors of Castro's death are a staple in this heavily Cuban-exile city. But their frequency has intensified in recent days after his 81st birthday came and went Aug. 13 with neither pictures, letters nor recordings from him.
Friday, the rumors were pushed into overdrive by a meeting of local officials to go over their plans for when Castro really dies and a road closure in the Florida Keys that was actually due to a police standoff.
A circular game ensued with radio stations reporting the rumors, citing TV stations, which cited the rumors on the street. Well, his good buddy Hugo Chavez swears Fidel is practically getting ready to perform on Broadway. So, you see, everything's just fine!
Fiegert About It
I can't believe this guy was associated with John Edwards. Attorney Geoffrey Feiger and one of his law partners have been indicted by the U.S. government, which accused the pair of making $127,000 in illegal campaign contributions to the 2004 presidential campaign of John Edwards.
The indictment was unsealed today at the U.S. District Court in Detroit and accuses Fieger and Vernon Johnson of violating the $2,000 per election federal limit on individual contributions to presidential candidates.
The indictment accuses them of soliticiting 60 "straw donors" to also contribute the $2,000 maximum to Edwards and then reimbursing them for their contributions through funds from their Southfield-based Fieger, Fieger, Kenney and Johnson PC firm.
Fieger, the area's most famous and flamboyant attorney, and Johnson are accused of conspiracy, making and causing conduit campaign contributions, causing false statements and obstruction of justice. Hey, it's expensive for Johnny E to maintain his haircut.
The indictment was unsealed today at the U.S. District Court in Detroit and accuses Fieger and Vernon Johnson of violating the $2,000 per election federal limit on individual contributions to presidential candidates.
The indictment accuses them of soliticiting 60 "straw donors" to also contribute the $2,000 maximum to Edwards and then reimbursing them for their contributions through funds from their Southfield-based Fieger, Fieger, Kenney and Johnson PC firm.
Fieger, the area's most famous and flamboyant attorney, and Johnson are accused of conspiracy, making and causing conduit campaign contributions, causing false statements and obstruction of justice. Hey, it's expensive for Johnny E to maintain his haircut.
Grannies Good, Daddies Bad
Political correctness even affects lost kids these days. When children get lost in a mall, they're supposed to find a "low-risk adult" to help them. Guidelines issued by police departments and child-safety groups often encourage them to look for "a pregnant woman," "a mother pushing a stroller" or "a grnadmother."
The implied message: Men, even dads pushing strollers, are "high-risk."
Are we teaching children that men are out to hurt them? The answer, on many fronts, is yes. Child advocate John Walsh advises parents to never hire a male babysitter. Airlines are placing unaccompanied minors with female passengers rather than male passengers. Soccer leagues are telling male coaches not to touch players.
Child-welfare groups say these are necessary precautions, given that most predators are male. But father's rights activists and educators now argue that an inflated predator panic is damaging men's relationships with kids. Some men are opting not to get involved with children at all, which partly explains why many youth groups can't find male leaders, and why just 9% of elementary-school teachers are male, down from 18% in 1981.
People assume that all men "have the potential for violence and sexual aggresiveness," says Peter Stearns, a George Mason University professor who studies fear and anxiety. Kids end up viewing every male stranger "as a potential evildoer," he says, and as a byproduct, "there's an overconfidence in female virtues." Because we all know women are never violent or unstable, right, guys?
The implied message: Men, even dads pushing strollers, are "high-risk."
Are we teaching children that men are out to hurt them? The answer, on many fronts, is yes. Child advocate John Walsh advises parents to never hire a male babysitter. Airlines are placing unaccompanied minors with female passengers rather than male passengers. Soccer leagues are telling male coaches not to touch players.
Child-welfare groups say these are necessary precautions, given that most predators are male. But father's rights activists and educators now argue that an inflated predator panic is damaging men's relationships with kids. Some men are opting not to get involved with children at all, which partly explains why many youth groups can't find male leaders, and why just 9% of elementary-school teachers are male, down from 18% in 1981.
People assume that all men "have the potential for violence and sexual aggresiveness," says Peter Stearns, a George Mason University professor who studies fear and anxiety. Kids end up viewing every male stranger "as a potential evildoer," he says, and as a byproduct, "there's an overconfidence in female virtues." Because we all know women are never violent or unstable, right, guys?
The Few, The Priveleged
Forget about celebrities. Politicians have them beat in the "We're not accountable" department. So I guess once you're elected to Congress, you're immune from drunk driving laws; you can stash the evidence that you've committed a crime in your office, because investigators aren't allowed to search it; if you kill someone because you've got a lead foot and blew a stop sign, the taxpayers will cover your financial liability; and, we learn today, you can commit whatever Internet-related crimes you please, because the police aren't allowed to search your computer.
Meanwhile, the same Congress that has ummunized itself from much of the law is also responsible for the ever-expanding feeral criminal code, which we can thank for our shamefully enormous and still-soaring prison population, which is by far and away the largest in the world.
You have lawmakers who feel they're above the law. And who at the same time are criminalizing anything and everything they find tacky, regugnant, or immoral. Rome fell partly because of the corruption and indifference of its politicians. Ours don't seem to be much better; plus it doesn't help to have a President who seems to share the same attitude about the law that they do.
Meanwhile, the same Congress that has ummunized itself from much of the law is also responsible for the ever-expanding feeral criminal code, which we can thank for our shamefully enormous and still-soaring prison population, which is by far and away the largest in the world.
You have lawmakers who feel they're above the law. And who at the same time are criminalizing anything and everything they find tacky, regugnant, or immoral. Rome fell partly because of the corruption and indifference of its politicians. Ours don't seem to be much better; plus it doesn't help to have a President who seems to share the same attitude about the law that they do.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
"Over My Dead Body"
Denial, thy name is George W. Bush. President George Bush sought to buy more time for his Iraq "surge" strategy yesterday by making a risky comparison for the first time with the bloodshed and chaos that followed the US pullout from Vietnam.
Making it clear he will resist congressional pressure next month for an early withdrawal, he signalled that US troops, whom he had hailed as "the greatest force for human liberation the world has ever known", will be in Iraq as long as he is president. He also said the consequences of leaving "without getting the job done would be devestating", and "the enemy would follow us home."
Mr Bush's speech came on the day that the US suffered one of its highest daily death tolls since the 2003 invasion, with 14 troops killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed. There's sticking to your guns-something I actually admired about Bush during his first term-and then there's this. It's called delusional behavior and doesn't look well in a president with a little more than a year left in office.
Making it clear he will resist congressional pressure next month for an early withdrawal, he signalled that US troops, whom he had hailed as "the greatest force for human liberation the world has ever known", will be in Iraq as long as he is president. He also said the consequences of leaving "without getting the job done would be devestating", and "the enemy would follow us home."
Mr Bush's speech came on the day that the US suffered one of its highest daily death tolls since the 2003 invasion, with 14 troops killed when a Black Hawk helicopter crashed. There's sticking to your guns-something I actually admired about Bush during his first term-and then there's this. It's called delusional behavior and doesn't look well in a president with a little more than a year left in office.
Diamonds Are A Trilobite's Best Friend
OK, all you folks who believe the Earth is only 6,000 years old, explain this one. Scientists have discovered what they believe are the world's oldest diamonds beneath the Australian outback in a surprise find that could force a rethink about how the Earth formed.
The diamonds are believed to date back more than four billion years, making them almost as old as the 4.5 billion year old planet, according to a report from Australian and German researchers in the scientific journal Nature.
"We're still stunned, it was the last thing we expected to find," geologist Alexander Nemchin from Western Australia's Curtin University of Technology told AFP. I'd say the folks at the Creationist Museum down in Kentucky would be stunned too, if their pointed little heads didn't explode first.
The diamonds are believed to date back more than four billion years, making them almost as old as the 4.5 billion year old planet, according to a report from Australian and German researchers in the scientific journal Nature.
"We're still stunned, it was the last thing we expected to find," geologist Alexander Nemchin from Western Australia's Curtin University of Technology told AFP. I'd say the folks at the Creationist Museum down in Kentucky would be stunned too, if their pointed little heads didn't explode first.
The Cut-And Runners Just Keep Coming
Another one'a them durn libruls says it's time for us to start packing it in. The influential former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has called on President Bush to start bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq by Christmas.
Sen. John Warner, a virginia Republican, said Thursday that a pullout was needed to spur Iraqi leaders to action.
He has recommended that Bush announce the beginning of a U.S. withdrawal in mid-September, after a report is released from the top U.S. officials in Iraq, and that those troops should be back in the U.S. by Christmas.
"In my humble judgement, that would get everyone's attention that is not being paid at this time.
Warner opposed Bush's January decision to send nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq. But he has so far also opposed Democratic efforts to force Bush to start bringing U.S. troops home. Well, darn. Guess he won't be invited to the White House Christmas Party then.
Sen. John Warner, a virginia Republican, said Thursday that a pullout was needed to spur Iraqi leaders to action.
He has recommended that Bush announce the beginning of a U.S. withdrawal in mid-September, after a report is released from the top U.S. officials in Iraq, and that those troops should be back in the U.S. by Christmas.
"In my humble judgement, that would get everyone's attention that is not being paid at this time.
Warner opposed Bush's January decision to send nearly 30,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq. But he has so far also opposed Democratic efforts to force Bush to start bringing U.S. troops home. Well, darn. Guess he won't be invited to the White House Christmas Party then.
Her Man In Baghdad?
Andrew Sullivan makes an interesting point about what the impact of the second coming of the Clintons might mean on the world stage: It is a fact, I think, that Bill Clinton is a huge asset to the Clinton candidacy. To deny that is to deny reality. He brings to the Middle East, especially, real star power. For some reason, they love the guy, probably because they are as addicted to lying and bullshit as he is. But, hey, he nearly got an agreement at Taba. Maybe the burbling, beaming bubba is what Iraq needs.
I had another illicit thought about Hillary the other night. Yes, I was the worse for wear, so take this for what it's worth. I was thinking: however awful it would be to have Hillary as president, wouldn't the fact of a woman running the most powerful country on earth piss off the Islamists in all the right ways? Her appointing her own husband-an ex-president no less-to a lesser position would also tick the mullahs off. How better to tell those sexist pigs what we stand for? That's what my thoughts were. Maybe I should have left them where I found them. But what else is a blog for? This, IMO, is what's missing in the Great Debate over Hillary-how would the Muslim world react? And here's another thought-in an age in which we seem to be increasingly immature as a society, maybe what we're really looking for as a nation are super-parents to take care of us. Maybe the thought of Hillary being our national mother is actually a comforting thought to some people. Maybe not to me, but it's another reason why she could win, with Big Daddy at her side.
I had another illicit thought about Hillary the other night. Yes, I was the worse for wear, so take this for what it's worth. I was thinking: however awful it would be to have Hillary as president, wouldn't the fact of a woman running the most powerful country on earth piss off the Islamists in all the right ways? Her appointing her own husband-an ex-president no less-to a lesser position would also tick the mullahs off. How better to tell those sexist pigs what we stand for? That's what my thoughts were. Maybe I should have left them where I found them. But what else is a blog for? This, IMO, is what's missing in the Great Debate over Hillary-how would the Muslim world react? And here's another thought-in an age in which we seem to be increasingly immature as a society, maybe what we're really looking for as a nation are super-parents to take care of us. Maybe the thought of Hillary being our national mother is actually a comforting thought to some people. Maybe not to me, but it's another reason why she could win, with Big Daddy at her side.
Old Love
Old people do it with experience. An unprecedented study of sex and seniors finds that many older people are surprisingly frisky-willing to do, and talk about, intimate acts that would make their grandchildren blush. That may be too much informatuon for some folks, but it comes from the most comprehensive sex survey ever done among 57-to-85-year-olds in the United States.
Sex and interest in it do fall off when people are in their 70s, but more than a quarter of those up to age 85 reported having sex in the previous year. And the drop-off has a lot to do with the health or lack of a partner, especially for women, the survey found.
The federally funded study, done by respected scientists and published in thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, overturns some stereotypical notions that physical pleasure is just a young person's game.
"Most people assume that people stop doing it after some vague age," said sex researcher Edward Laumann of the University of Chicago.
However, more than half of those aged 57 to 75 said they gave or received oral sex, as did about a third of 75-to-85-year-olds. This must be why you don't see old people in those Viagra commercials. That stuff's for kids...
Sex and interest in it do fall off when people are in their 70s, but more than a quarter of those up to age 85 reported having sex in the previous year. And the drop-off has a lot to do with the health or lack of a partner, especially for women, the survey found.
The federally funded study, done by respected scientists and published in thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, overturns some stereotypical notions that physical pleasure is just a young person's game.
"Most people assume that people stop doing it after some vague age," said sex researcher Edward Laumann of the University of Chicago.
However, more than half of those aged 57 to 75 said they gave or received oral sex, as did about a third of 75-to-85-year-olds. This must be why you don't see old people in those Viagra commercials. That stuff's for kids...
One Good Time, 100 Lashes
Iran shows it really knows how to crack down on imaginary crimes.
His face covered by a balaclava, an official brandishing a cane repeatedly lashes the back of a man found guilty of breaking Iran's morality laws.
Two police officers hold the legs of 25-year-old Saeed Ghanbari and another his arms to ensure there is no escape from the punishment of 80 lashes handed down by a religious court.
Traffic was brought to a halt in Qazvin, 90 miles west of the capital Tehran, as more than 1,000 men gathered behind barricades to watch the public flogging. Hey, in only a few hundred years they'll have advanced to the giullotine. Give 'em time.
His face covered by a balaclava, an official brandishing a cane repeatedly lashes the back of a man found guilty of breaking Iran's morality laws.
Two police officers hold the legs of 25-year-old Saeed Ghanbari and another his arms to ensure there is no escape from the punishment of 80 lashes handed down by a religious court.
Traffic was brought to a halt in Qazvin, 90 miles west of the capital Tehran, as more than 1,000 men gathered behind barricades to watch the public flogging. Hey, in only a few hundred years they'll have advanced to the giullotine. Give 'em time.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Changing Their Tune?
Remember these guys? A group of Muslim imams today dropped all charges in a federal lawsuit levied against "John Doe" airline passengers for reporting the men's suspicious behavior that led to their removal from a U.S. Airways flight last year.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Minnesota, still targets U.S. Airways and Minneapolis airport workers.
President Bush recently signed into law a provision that protects airline passengers who report suspicious behavior that may foreshadow terrorist attacks. Now, it may turn out that they were innocent all along. Or they may have seen the writing on the wall and realized that hey, maybe seating themselves the way they did might actually look funny to some people, and are realizing they may not be able to win this case.
The lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Minnesota, still targets U.S. Airways and Minneapolis airport workers.
President Bush recently signed into law a provision that protects airline passengers who report suspicious behavior that may foreshadow terrorist attacks. Now, it may turn out that they were innocent all along. Or they may have seen the writing on the wall and realized that hey, maybe seating themselves the way they did might actually look funny to some people, and are realizing they may not be able to win this case.
Lower The Strawbridge
The rich are different from the rest of us-they can be even bigger sleazebags.
PHILADELPHIA-A member of a famed department store family faces about five years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to a federal child pornography charge.
Stephen L. Strawbridge Sr., 63, admitted his guilt as his wife and two adult children looked on in a courtroom just blocks from the family's flagship Strawbridge & Clothier store in downtown Philadelphia.
FBI agents say Strawbridge-tipped off by a son-was deleting his AOL e-mail account and dozens of pornographic images from his computer when they arrived at his house in the old-money suburb of Gladwyne. As the saying goes, you can never be too rich-or apparently too sleazy.
PHILADELPHIA-A member of a famed department store family faces about five years in prison after pleading guilty Wednesday to a federal child pornography charge.
Stephen L. Strawbridge Sr., 63, admitted his guilt as his wife and two adult children looked on in a courtroom just blocks from the family's flagship Strawbridge & Clothier store in downtown Philadelphia.
FBI agents say Strawbridge-tipped off by a son-was deleting his AOL e-mail account and dozens of pornographic images from his computer when they arrived at his house in the old-money suburb of Gladwyne. As the saying goes, you can never be too rich-or apparently too sleazy.
Raking It In At The Yard
When their professors preach against the evils of capitalism, is their employer part of that sermon? Harvard University's endowment earned a 23.o percent return during the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007. With FY07 being one of the best performance years since the inception of Harvard Management Company in 1974, the overall value of the University's endowment grew to $34.9 billion.
The continued strong returns reinforce the endowment's critical support for Harvard's academic programs and mission. In the 2007 fiscal year, distributions from the endowment financed almost one-third of Harvard's operating budget, or over $1.1 billion.
Harvard's reliance on support from its endowment has increased in recent years. In fiscal 1997, endowment income provided 21 percent of Harvard's total income; in the 2007 fiscal year, that figure was 32 percent. In dollar terms, the distributions from the endowment have tripled in this 10-year period. Money make the world go 'round. Even that of ivory tower inhabitants.
The continued strong returns reinforce the endowment's critical support for Harvard's academic programs and mission. In the 2007 fiscal year, distributions from the endowment financed almost one-third of Harvard's operating budget, or over $1.1 billion.
Harvard's reliance on support from its endowment has increased in recent years. In fiscal 1997, endowment income provided 21 percent of Harvard's total income; in the 2007 fiscal year, that figure was 32 percent. In dollar terms, the distributions from the endowment have tripled in this 10-year period. Money make the world go 'round. Even that of ivory tower inhabitants.
Jihad It Like Beckham
If they're scared of Justin Timberlake, they've got serious issues.
David Beckham and Justin Timberlake are the targets of an alleged Al-Qaeda murder plot.
A chilling internet video, which has been posted on YouTube, brands Becks, 32, and JT, 26, as criminal influences on young Muslims.
Fellow footballers Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry, as well as rapper P. Diddy, are also mentioned.
The warning footage was posted by a Glasgow-based website named after Al-Qaeda that encourages attacks on Westerners. They don't like P. Diddy. Finally, something we have in common.
David Beckham and Justin Timberlake are the targets of an alleged Al-Qaeda murder plot.
A chilling internet video, which has been posted on YouTube, brands Becks, 32, and JT, 26, as criminal influences on young Muslims.
Fellow footballers Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry, as well as rapper P. Diddy, are also mentioned.
The warning footage was posted by a Glasgow-based website named after Al-Qaeda that encourages attacks on Westerners. They don't like P. Diddy. Finally, something we have in common.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
The German Answer
What does Germany understand that our government doesn't? MUNICH, Germany, Aug. 21 (UPI)-A German woman with multiple sclerosis is the first person in her country to be allowed to legally buy pharmaceutical-grade cannabis to ease her symptoms.
Deutsche Welle said Tuesday the newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices' decision to permit the 51-year-old woman to legally buy the cannabis from a pharmacy was unprecedented.
Doctors, so far, are only allowed to prescribe a synthetic form of cannabis called Dronabinol, which is not covered by health insurance. Patients who acquire it without a doctor's prescription risk prosectution.
Under the institute's ruling, the woman, identified as Claudia H., will be allowed to buy a "standardized extract' from the cannabis plant at a pharmacy for a one-year period. A doctor has to monitor the medicinal marijuana therapy and the drug must be kept in a safe to prevent theft. I wonder if the DEA will be calling for another invasion of Germany.
Deutsche Welle said Tuesday the newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung reported that the German Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices' decision to permit the 51-year-old woman to legally buy the cannabis from a pharmacy was unprecedented.
Doctors, so far, are only allowed to prescribe a synthetic form of cannabis called Dronabinol, which is not covered by health insurance. Patients who acquire it without a doctor's prescription risk prosectution.
Under the institute's ruling, the woman, identified as Claudia H., will be allowed to buy a "standardized extract' from the cannabis plant at a pharmacy for a one-year period. A doctor has to monitor the medicinal marijuana therapy and the drug must be kept in a safe to prevent theft. I wonder if the DEA will be calling for another invasion of Germany.
Train Kept A Textin'
Sometimes stupidity just speaks for itself. A young Ohio man was so caught up in text messaging as he walked across a railroad track he failed to notice a train bearing down on him.
Zachariah Smith, 18, walked until a southbound CSX train passed, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. He did not notice the northbound Norfolk Southern Train passing by immediately afterward.
Smith was struck by the second train and was seriously injured.
Elmwood Place Mayor Richard Ellison said he arrived at the scene immediately after the accident and talked to three of the five people who saw it. They said the engineer was "blowing his horn like mad" when he saw the young man. Maybe if the kid had seen "BEEP BEEP MOVE YOU LITTLE DUMBASS" on his screen he might have payed attention...
Zachariah Smith, 18, walked until a southbound CSX train passed, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. He did not notice the northbound Norfolk Southern Train passing by immediately afterward.
Smith was struck by the second train and was seriously injured.
Elmwood Place Mayor Richard Ellison said he arrived at the scene immediately after the accident and talked to three of the five people who saw it. They said the engineer was "blowing his horn like mad" when he saw the young man. Maybe if the kid had seen "BEEP BEEP MOVE YOU LITTLE DUMBASS" on his screen he might have payed attention...
The Tenet Of Their Faith
Wow, even the National Review, normally the biggest Bush administration water carriers around, thinks that the CIA has got some 'splaining to do. The review team's analysis, which concludes that a review board should assess the apparent performance failings of some employees, seems temperate and fair. They appear to have avoided 20/20 hindsight and disagree with some previous fault-finding given instances when employees, for example, faced a "difficult operating environment and limited cooperation the part of [redacted]." Even with a fair number of "[redacteds]," the summary is eye-opening. It is very tough on tenet who utterly failed to follow through on his December 1998 "We are at war" pronouncement about the terrorist threat-no comprehensive strategic plan, no new resources, no additional personnel, no leadership on crippling inter-agency disputes. A National Intelligence Estimate on the terrorist threat to the U.S. was produced in 1995 and updated in 1997. An updated version was finally being edited on 9/11.
As General Hayden points out, the summary finds "no single point of failure" that would have prevented the 9/11 attacks, but the recounting of the CIA's inexcusable failure to report to the FBI that two known al Qaeda associates (who were 9/11 hijackers) had traveled to the U.S. comes awfully close. The summary concludes: "Informing the FBI and good operational followthrough by the CIA and FBI might have resulted in surveillance of [the "UBL associates"]. Surveillance, in turn, would have had the potential to yield information on flight training, financing, and links to others who were complicit in the 9/11 attacks." The review team recommends assessing the performance of two chiefs of the counterterrorism unit with respect to their management of the watchlist program and of three managers for failure to ensure prompt action on the known al Qaeda members in the U.S.
General Hayden objects to the creation of any Accountability Board to consider disciplinary actions. He insists his refusal "is NOT about avoiding responsibility." But that's exactly what it looks like. These are the folks who invented plausible deniability. Why should they have to accept responsibility now?
As General Hayden points out, the summary finds "no single point of failure" that would have prevented the 9/11 attacks, but the recounting of the CIA's inexcusable failure to report to the FBI that two known al Qaeda associates (who were 9/11 hijackers) had traveled to the U.S. comes awfully close. The summary concludes: "Informing the FBI and good operational followthrough by the CIA and FBI might have resulted in surveillance of [the "UBL associates"]. Surveillance, in turn, would have had the potential to yield information on flight training, financing, and links to others who were complicit in the 9/11 attacks." The review team recommends assessing the performance of two chiefs of the counterterrorism unit with respect to their management of the watchlist program and of three managers for failure to ensure prompt action on the known al Qaeda members in the U.S.
General Hayden objects to the creation of any Accountability Board to consider disciplinary actions. He insists his refusal "is NOT about avoiding responsibility." But that's exactly what it looks like. These are the folks who invented plausible deniability. Why should they have to accept responsibility now?
Hurt So Bad
Apparently we're in a lot of pain these days.
More than 200,000 pounds of codeine morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and mepredine were purchased at retail stores during the most recent year represented in the data. That total is enough to give more than 300 milligrams of painkillers to every person in the country.
Oxycodone, the chemical used in OxyContin, is responsible for most of the increase. Oxycodone use jumped nearly six-fold between 1997 and 2005. The drug gained notoriety as "hillbilly heroin," often bought and sold illegally in Appalachia. But its highest rates of sale now occur in places such as suburban St. Louis, Columbus, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The world of pain extends beond big cities and involves more than oxycodone.
In Appalachis, retail sales of hydrocodone-sold mostly as Vicodin-are the highest in the nation. Nine of the 10 areas with the highest per-capita sales are in mostly rural parts of West Virginia, Kentucky or Tennessee. So let me get this straight-people can get away with using thi stuff because it counts as a prescription drug, but medical marijuana use can land you (and your provider) in prison. Does anyone else think there's something wrong here?
More than 200,000 pounds of codeine morphine, oxycodone, hydrocodone and mepredine were purchased at retail stores during the most recent year represented in the data. That total is enough to give more than 300 milligrams of painkillers to every person in the country.
Oxycodone, the chemical used in OxyContin, is responsible for most of the increase. Oxycodone use jumped nearly six-fold between 1997 and 2005. The drug gained notoriety as "hillbilly heroin," often bought and sold illegally in Appalachia. But its highest rates of sale now occur in places such as suburban St. Louis, Columbus, Ohio, and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
The world of pain extends beond big cities and involves more than oxycodone.
In Appalachis, retail sales of hydrocodone-sold mostly as Vicodin-are the highest in the nation. Nine of the 10 areas with the highest per-capita sales are in mostly rural parts of West Virginia, Kentucky or Tennessee. So let me get this straight-people can get away with using thi stuff because it counts as a prescription drug, but medical marijuana use can land you (and your provider) in prison. Does anyone else think there's something wrong here?
Shutting Down The Snoopers
Team Bush will have to find another way to keep the paranoia going.
WASHINGTON-The Pentagon said Tuesday that it will shut down an anti-terror database that has been criticized for improperly storing information on peace activists and others whose actions posed no threat.
It will be closed on Sept. 17 and information collected subsequently on potential terror or security threats to Defense Department facilities or personnel will be sent by Pentagon officials to an FBI database known as Guardian, according to Army Col. Gary Keck, a Pentagon spokesman.
Keck said the Pentagon database is being shut down because "the analytical value had declined," but not because of public criticism of how it was used. Eventually the Pentagon hopes to create a new system-not necessarily a database-to "streamline such threat reporting" according to a brief statement issued Tuesday. But this is America. Such a database would never, ever be misused by a government as trustworthy as ours, right? They musta caved to pressure from them durn libruls.
WASHINGTON-The Pentagon said Tuesday that it will shut down an anti-terror database that has been criticized for improperly storing information on peace activists and others whose actions posed no threat.
It will be closed on Sept. 17 and information collected subsequently on potential terror or security threats to Defense Department facilities or personnel will be sent by Pentagon officials to an FBI database known as Guardian, according to Army Col. Gary Keck, a Pentagon spokesman.
Keck said the Pentagon database is being shut down because "the analytical value had declined," but not because of public criticism of how it was used. Eventually the Pentagon hopes to create a new system-not necessarily a database-to "streamline such threat reporting" according to a brief statement issued Tuesday. But this is America. Such a database would never, ever be misused by a government as trustworthy as ours, right? They musta caved to pressure from them durn libruls.
Halt The Countdown
"24", a show that I used to enjoy tremendously, has officially jumped the shark. The political left and the political right are going to meet on Fox's "24" this coming season.
Actress-comedian Janeane Garofalo, an outspoken liberal, is set to co-star on the conservative-leaning real-time drama, whose co-creator/executive producer Joel Surnow jokingly describes himself as a "right-wing nut job."
On the Imagine TV/20th Century Fox TV series, Garofalo will play a government agent who is part of the team investigating the crisis befalling Jack Bauer (Kiefer Southerland) and company in the upcoming season.
Garofalo is the second major cast addition to the action drama, which is going through a major revamping coming off a lackluster sixth season. Cherry Jones was tapped last month to play the new president (HR 7/21). Why don't they just bring in Martin Sheen as Jack's new boss and Michael Moore as his new partner and get it over with? Slow deaths are always painful to watch.
Actress-comedian Janeane Garofalo, an outspoken liberal, is set to co-star on the conservative-leaning real-time drama, whose co-creator/executive producer Joel Surnow jokingly describes himself as a "right-wing nut job."
On the Imagine TV/20th Century Fox TV series, Garofalo will play a government agent who is part of the team investigating the crisis befalling Jack Bauer (Kiefer Southerland) and company in the upcoming season.
Garofalo is the second major cast addition to the action drama, which is going through a major revamping coming off a lackluster sixth season. Cherry Jones was tapped last month to play the new president (HR 7/21). Why don't they just bring in Martin Sheen as Jack's new boss and Michael Moore as his new partner and get it over with? Slow deaths are always painful to watch.
Science Versus Trannies
Academic free speech, gender bender style. Many sex researcher who have worked with Dr. Bailey say that he is a solid scientist and collaborator, who by his own admission enjoys violating sexual taboos.
In his book, he argued that some people born male who want to cross genders are driven primarily by an erotic fascination with themselves as women. This idea runs counter to the belief, held by many men who decide to live as women, that they are the victims of a biological mistake-in essence, women trapped in men's bodies. Dr. Bailey described the alternate theory, which is based on Canadian studies done in the 1980s and 1990s, in part by telling the stories of several transgender women he met through a mutual acquaintance. In the book, he gave them pseudonyms, like "Alma" and "Juanita."
Other scientists praised the book as a compelling explanation of the science. The Labda Literary Foundation, an organization that promotes gay, bisexual and transgender literature, nominated the book for an award.
But days after the book appeared, Lynn Conway, a prominent computer scientist at the University of Michigan, sent out an e-mail message comparing Dr. Bailey's views to Nazi propaganda. She and other transgender women found the tone of the book abusive, and the theory of motivation it presented to be a recipe for further discrimination. Until they find a transgender gene, I say let the good doctor have his say. If you think you're a woman, is it too unreasonable to wonder if it's all in your head?
In his book, he argued that some people born male who want to cross genders are driven primarily by an erotic fascination with themselves as women. This idea runs counter to the belief, held by many men who decide to live as women, that they are the victims of a biological mistake-in essence, women trapped in men's bodies. Dr. Bailey described the alternate theory, which is based on Canadian studies done in the 1980s and 1990s, in part by telling the stories of several transgender women he met through a mutual acquaintance. In the book, he gave them pseudonyms, like "Alma" and "Juanita."
Other scientists praised the book as a compelling explanation of the science. The Labda Literary Foundation, an organization that promotes gay, bisexual and transgender literature, nominated the book for an award.
But days after the book appeared, Lynn Conway, a prominent computer scientist at the University of Michigan, sent out an e-mail message comparing Dr. Bailey's views to Nazi propaganda. She and other transgender women found the tone of the book abusive, and the theory of motivation it presented to be a recipe for further discrimination. Until they find a transgender gene, I say let the good doctor have his say. If you think you're a woman, is it too unreasonable to wonder if it's all in your head?
I Is Dumb?
Remember the Saturday Night Live skit where Julian Bond tells Louis Gossett, Jr. that light-skinned blacks were smarter than dark-skinned blacks? Well, meet the publishing world's version. WASHINGTON (AP)-Liberals read more books than conservatives. the head of the book publishing industry's trade group says she knows why-and there's little flattering about conservative readers in her explanation.
"The Karl Roves of the world have built a generation that just wants a couple slogans: 'No, don't raise my taxes, no new taxes,'" Pat Schroeder, president of the American Association of Publishers, said in a recent interview. "It's pretty hard to write a book saying, 'No new taxes, no new taxes, no new taxes' on every page.
Schroeder, who as a Colorado Democrat was once one of Congress' most liberal members, was responding to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll that found people who consider themselves liberals are more prodigious book readers than conservatives. Well, I don't know. Do fairy tale books count?
"The Karl Roves of the world have built a generation that just wants a couple slogans: 'No, don't raise my taxes, no new taxes,'" Pat Schroeder, president of the American Association of Publishers, said in a recent interview. "It's pretty hard to write a book saying, 'No new taxes, no new taxes, no new taxes' on every page.
Schroeder, who as a Colorado Democrat was once one of Congress' most liberal members, was responding to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll that found people who consider themselves liberals are more prodigious book readers than conservatives. Well, I don't know. Do fairy tale books count?
Monday, August 20, 2007
The Other Mayor
Well, at least he's honest. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said_again_that he's not running for president, adding in a television interview that he wouldn't win anyway.
"Nobody's going to elect me president of the United States," he told Dan Rather for a program that will air Tuesday on cable's HDNet channel. "What I'd like to do is to be able to influence the dialogue. I'm a citizen."
The billionaire left the Republican Party recently to become an independent, throwing into overdrive the speculation that he will make a run for the White House. Well, if Mr. Bloomberg keeps his word, he may find that it's not just lonely at the top-it's lonely at the political bottom, too.
"Nobody's going to elect me president of the United States," he told Dan Rather for a program that will air Tuesday on cable's HDNet channel. "What I'd like to do is to be able to influence the dialogue. I'm a citizen."
The billionaire left the Republican Party recently to become an independent, throwing into overdrive the speculation that he will make a run for the White House. Well, if Mr. Bloomberg keeps his word, he may find that it's not just lonely at the top-it's lonely at the political bottom, too.
Motor City Madman
Is the country ready for this? For all of his wild-man antics, the politically conservative Nugent is talking about following in the footsteps of celebrities such as actor Arnold Schwarzenegger or wrestler Jesse Ventura, who won gubernatorial races.
"That would be beautiful," Nugent said when asked if he would run for governor of Michigan in 2010. "I have threatened to do so and I was sincere."
Some of Nugent's antics make even Schwarzenegger's past outspokenness appear measured by comparision.
"Michigan was once a great state. Michigan was a state that rewarded the entrepreneur and the most productive, work-ethic families of the state. Now the pimps and the whores and the welfare brats are basically the state's babies."
Nugent refuses to mince words and often uses a racial epithet to describe blacks that normally would mean political suicide. He says his embrace of the word reflects his respect for the black contribution to rock and roll and has another expletive for anyone who disagree with him. Well, one thing's for sure-he'd be able to defend himself if he ever went into Detroit after dark.
"That would be beautiful," Nugent said when asked if he would run for governor of Michigan in 2010. "I have threatened to do so and I was sincere."
Some of Nugent's antics make even Schwarzenegger's past outspokenness appear measured by comparision.
"Michigan was once a great state. Michigan was a state that rewarded the entrepreneur and the most productive, work-ethic families of the state. Now the pimps and the whores and the welfare brats are basically the state's babies."
Nugent refuses to mince words and often uses a racial epithet to describe blacks that normally would mean political suicide. He says his embrace of the word reflects his respect for the black contribution to rock and roll and has another expletive for anyone who disagree with him. Well, one thing's for sure-he'd be able to defend himself if he ever went into Detroit after dark.
The Case Of The Poisoned PJ's
Now it's the little horsies. The safety problems affecting Chinese goods spread from toys to textiles on Monday as New Zealand said it would investigate allegations that imported children's clothes contained dangerous levels of formaldehyde.
The government ordered the probe after scientists hired by a consumer watchdog programme discovered formaldehyde in Chinese clothes at levels of up to 900 times regarded as safe. Manufacturers sometimes apply formaldeyde to clothes to prevent mildew. It can cause skin rashes, irritation to the eyes and throat and allergic reactions.
the Warehouse, a New Zealand retailer, issued a recall at the weekend for children's pajamas made in China after two chuldren were burned when their flannelette nightclothes caught fire.
The New Zealand investigation is the first time that the safety of Chinese clothes has been called into question; concerns have been raised over a series of Chinese products in recent months, including toys, food and toothpaste. Last wee, Mattel said it was recalling 18.2m toys globally because of hazards such as the use of lead paint. China wanted to be the supplier of the world's department stores. Too bad a lot of their customers may wind up dead, but hey, they're a growing power, right?
The government ordered the probe after scientists hired by a consumer watchdog programme discovered formaldehyde in Chinese clothes at levels of up to 900 times regarded as safe. Manufacturers sometimes apply formaldeyde to clothes to prevent mildew. It can cause skin rashes, irritation to the eyes and throat and allergic reactions.
the Warehouse, a New Zealand retailer, issued a recall at the weekend for children's pajamas made in China after two chuldren were burned when their flannelette nightclothes caught fire.
The New Zealand investigation is the first time that the safety of Chinese clothes has been called into question; concerns have been raised over a series of Chinese products in recent months, including toys, food and toothpaste. Last wee, Mattel said it was recalling 18.2m toys globally because of hazards such as the use of lead paint. China wanted to be the supplier of the world's department stores. Too bad a lot of their customers may wind up dead, but hey, they're a growing power, right?
Walking In The Sand
Here's another slap of reality in the face of creationism. CAIRO (Reuters)-Egyptian archaelogists have found what they said could be the oldest human footprint in history in the country's western desert, the Arab antiquities' chief said on Monday.
"This could go back about two million years," said Zahi Hawass, the secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. "It could be the most important discovery in Egypt," he gold Reuters.
Archaeologists found the footprint, imprinted on mud and then hardened into rock, while exploring a prehistoric site in Siwa, a desert oasis.
Scientists are using carbon tests on plants found in the rock to determine its exact age, Hawass said. Well, the folks that run the Creationist Scam, er, Museum down in Kentucky will be the first to tell him they know for a fact that it's only 6,000 years old, or a fraud because there aren't any dinosaur prints next to it.
"This could go back about two million years," said Zahi Hawass, the secretary general of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. "It could be the most important discovery in Egypt," he gold Reuters.
Archaeologists found the footprint, imprinted on mud and then hardened into rock, while exploring a prehistoric site in Siwa, a desert oasis.
Scientists are using carbon tests on plants found in the rock to determine its exact age, Hawass said. Well, the folks that run the Creationist Scam, er, Museum down in Kentucky will be the first to tell him they know for a fact that it's only 6,000 years old, or a fraud because there aren't any dinosaur prints next to it.
The Witch Is Dead
No, not Hillary Clinton-the other one. NEW YORK (AP)-Leona Helmsley, the hotelier who went to prison as a tax cheat and was reviled as the "queen of mean," died Monday at age 87.
Hemsley died of heart failure at her summer home in Greenwich, Conn., said her publicist, Howard Rubenstein.
Already experienced in real estate before her marriage, Helmsely helped her husband run a $5 billion empire that included managing the Empire State Building. She became a household name in 1989 when she was tried for tax evasion. The sensational trial included testimony from disgruntled employees who said she terrorized both the menial and the executive help at her homes and hotels.
That image of Helmsley as the "queen of mean" was sealed when a former housekeeper testified that she heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes."
She denied having said it, but the words followed her for the rest of her life. I can hear her now: "This is crazy! We don't go to Hell! Only little people go to Hell!"
Hemsley died of heart failure at her summer home in Greenwich, Conn., said her publicist, Howard Rubenstein.
Already experienced in real estate before her marriage, Helmsely helped her husband run a $5 billion empire that included managing the Empire State Building. She became a household name in 1989 when she was tried for tax evasion. The sensational trial included testimony from disgruntled employees who said she terrorized both the menial and the executive help at her homes and hotels.
That image of Helmsley as the "queen of mean" was sealed when a former housekeeper testified that she heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes."
She denied having said it, but the words followed her for the rest of her life. I can hear her now: "This is crazy! We don't go to Hell! Only little people go to Hell!"
Fat Flu
So, it's not the fault of those evil fast food companies after all? A common virus that causes colds can be a factor in obesity, according to a study released Monday offering further evidence that a weight problem may be contagious.
The adenovirus-36 (Ad 36) has already been implicated as the cause of weight gain in animals, but with this study researcher showed for the first time that it can also cause humans to pile on the pounds.
The findings could accelerate the development of a vaccine or an antiviral medication to help fight the battle of the bulge alongside diet and exercise. Michael Moore, come on down! Your cure awaits!
The adenovirus-36 (Ad 36) has already been implicated as the cause of weight gain in animals, but with this study researcher showed for the first time that it can also cause humans to pile on the pounds.
The findings could accelerate the development of a vaccine or an antiviral medication to help fight the battle of the bulge alongside diet and exercise. Michael Moore, come on down! Your cure awaits!
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Pining For The Fjords
Fidel Jr. insists Big Daddy is just fine.
CARACAS (Reuters)-Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday Fidel Castro is "writing, and producing," denying rumors circulating on the Internet that the Cuban leader has died.
Chavez, a close ally of Castro, has frequently provided information about the health of the ailing Communist leader who temporarily stepped aside after undergoing emergency abdominal surgery a year ago.
"On the Internet rumors are circulating that Fidel Castro has died," Chavez said during his weekly Sunday broadcast. "Fidel is producing, he is writing." Hey, just because you're deader than Sean Penn's career doesn't mean you can't still be creative.
CARACAS (Reuters)-Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday Fidel Castro is "writing, and producing," denying rumors circulating on the Internet that the Cuban leader has died.
Chavez, a close ally of Castro, has frequently provided information about the health of the ailing Communist leader who temporarily stepped aside after undergoing emergency abdominal surgery a year ago.
"On the Internet rumors are circulating that Fidel Castro has died," Chavez said during his weekly Sunday broadcast. "Fidel is producing, he is writing." Hey, just because you're deader than Sean Penn's career doesn't mean you can't still be creative.
"You Can Take That To The Bank"
Sure, Karl. Whatever you say. White House political adviser Karl Rove said Sunday he sees encouraging signs for the GOP in the public's strong negative opnions of Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Democratic-run Congress.
"I do think the Republican Party is more in keeping with the attitudes and values of the American people," said President Bush's departing chief political strategist. Congress' approval in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll this month stood at 25 percent, compared with 35 percent for Bush.
Rove has a vested interest in the outcome of the 2008 election, after predicting he could build a long-term Republican majority, only to watch as Democrats swept Republicans from power in Congress in voting last year. And here's this little gem: Rove disputed any suggestion that the president is a lame duck.
"He is a bold leader who's going to be milking every single moment that he's got in this office," Rove said. "He came here to do things, and he's going to keep doing things right up to the moment that he leaves on January 20th, 2009." The Bushbots might call this optimism. There's another word for it, however-Delusional.
"I do think the Republican Party is more in keeping with the attitudes and values of the American people," said President Bush's departing chief political strategist. Congress' approval in an Associated Press-Ipsos poll this month stood at 25 percent, compared with 35 percent for Bush.
Rove has a vested interest in the outcome of the 2008 election, after predicting he could build a long-term Republican majority, only to watch as Democrats swept Republicans from power in Congress in voting last year. And here's this little gem: Rove disputed any suggestion that the president is a lame duck.
"He is a bold leader who's going to be milking every single moment that he's got in this office," Rove said. "He came here to do things, and he's going to keep doing things right up to the moment that he leaves on January 20th, 2009." The Bushbots might call this optimism. There's another word for it, however-Delusional.
Driving With The Devil
Somebody needs to have their eyes checked. There are tens of thousands of these plates on the streets. But before it gets onto your car, it has to pass the screeners here at the DMV. It can't be offensive or indecent. But there are some mistakes that hit the streets and they get about one hundred calls a year on that.
"I had the plate for about five years now," said Keith Wagner, owner of some controversial vanity plates.
The plate hate debate hit just this month and Keith Wagner can't figure out why.
"It says 'go to 11," said Wagner.
Someone else's interpretation had the DMV putting the brakes on this bumper billboard.
Keith got a letter telling him to turn in his tags because, "someone said it says 'go to hell' and I said 'no it doesn't'," said Wagner.
"Someone saus it says 'go to hell.' It says go to 11," said Keith, referring to a scene in the movie "This Is Spinal Tap." Well, at least it didn't say "S3X FRM."
"I had the plate for about five years now," said Keith Wagner, owner of some controversial vanity plates.
The plate hate debate hit just this month and Keith Wagner can't figure out why.
"It says 'go to 11," said Wagner.
Someone else's interpretation had the DMV putting the brakes on this bumper billboard.
Keith got a letter telling him to turn in his tags because, "someone said it says 'go to hell' and I said 'no it doesn't'," said Wagner.
"Someone saus it says 'go to hell.' It says go to 11," said Keith, referring to a scene in the movie "This Is Spinal Tap." Well, at least it didn't say "S3X FRM."
Make Room, Make Room
Let's hear it for Canadian health care! Lange said local physicians had been closely monitoring Jepp's pregnancy and were anticipating her newborns would require care at Foothills' neonatal intensive care unit.
But when Jepp began experiencing labour symptoms last Friday, the unit at Foothills was over capacity with several unexpected pre-term births.
There was no room at any other Canadian neonatal intensive care unit, forcing CHR officials to look south of the border.
Jepp was transported to Benefits hospital in Great Falls last Friday-making her the fifth Alberta woman to be transferred south of the border this year because of neonatal shortages in Canada. I'm sure Michael Moore will get right on this.
But when Jepp began experiencing labour symptoms last Friday, the unit at Foothills was over capacity with several unexpected pre-term births.
There was no room at any other Canadian neonatal intensive care unit, forcing CHR officials to look south of the border.
Jepp was transported to Benefits hospital in Great Falls last Friday-making her the fifth Alberta woman to be transferred south of the border this year because of neonatal shortages in Canada. I'm sure Michael Moore will get right on this.
Snoozapalooza V
In case you missed it, there was another Democratic debate today. Reason mag has the details. As expected, Hillary was deemed the winner with Richardson a close second, which supports my conclusion that it will be Clinton/Richardson for the Democratic nomination.
Smokin'
Reason # 132,654,987 why I love Western technology.
A MIRACLE material for the 21st century could protect your home against bomb blasts, mop up oil spillages and even help man fly to Mars.
Aerogel, one of the world's lightest solids, can withstand a direct blast of 1kg of dynamite and protect against heat from a blowtorch at more than 1,300C.
Scientists are working to dosciver new applications for the substance, ranging from the next generation of tennis rackets to super-insulated space suits for a manned mission to Mars. Once again, this is why Western civilization will ultimately prevail against Islamofascism in the long run. People who want to live in the dark ages just can't compete against modern innovation.
A MIRACLE material for the 21st century could protect your home against bomb blasts, mop up oil spillages and even help man fly to Mars.
Aerogel, one of the world's lightest solids, can withstand a direct blast of 1kg of dynamite and protect against heat from a blowtorch at more than 1,300C.
Scientists are working to dosciver new applications for the substance, ranging from the next generation of tennis rackets to super-insulated space suits for a manned mission to Mars. Once again, this is why Western civilization will ultimately prevail against Islamofascism in the long run. People who want to live in the dark ages just can't compete against modern innovation.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Busted-For Doing His Job
The cops must be really bored up there in Vermont. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Rutland, stems from an incident last June in which Trooper Eric Vitali and Bellows Falls police Officer Christopher Brooks-who were undercover-went to the bar to check for underage drinkers.
Ryan, who was checking IDs at the door, wouldn't let Vitali in because he didn't show any; Brooks, who did, was admitted.
Brooks called his superior, Sgt. John Dunfee, who went to the bar and told Ryan that if he didn't admit both officers, Dunfee would close the bar. Ryan relented, but five days later, Vitali and other troopers arrested Ryan for impeding a public officer, according to the suit.
"The decision to arrest, rather than to issue a citation to appear in court, was made to intimidate and cause fear," according to the suit.
Ryan, whose arrest was thrown out by Judge Kathering Hayes in May, says he was retaliated against in response to critical comments of the police department before a budget vote. He also says police officers failed to accomodate his two disabilities-he is deaf and has a prosthetic leg-during the arrest and booking process.
Clark and Dunfee declined comment. Hmm, can you say "Shakedown?" I guess they don't have any real gangsters in Vermont, so the cops have to pick up the slack.
Ryan, who was checking IDs at the door, wouldn't let Vitali in because he didn't show any; Brooks, who did, was admitted.
Brooks called his superior, Sgt. John Dunfee, who went to the bar and told Ryan that if he didn't admit both officers, Dunfee would close the bar. Ryan relented, but five days later, Vitali and other troopers arrested Ryan for impeding a public officer, according to the suit.
"The decision to arrest, rather than to issue a citation to appear in court, was made to intimidate and cause fear," according to the suit.
Ryan, whose arrest was thrown out by Judge Kathering Hayes in May, says he was retaliated against in response to critical comments of the police department before a budget vote. He also says police officers failed to accomodate his two disabilities-he is deaf and has a prosthetic leg-during the arrest and booking process.
Clark and Dunfee declined comment. Hmm, can you say "Shakedown?" I guess they don't have any real gangsters in Vermont, so the cops have to pick up the slack.
Where Fred Fails
Andrew Sullivan (boo, hiss, yeah, whatever) gets it. Fred Thompson will do what he can to resurrect a DOMA-style constitutional amendment. He has clarified that he doesn't want an amendment to ban marriage rights in every state, as FMA would have done. He seems, alas, unaware that the full Faith and Credit clause of the constitution has never applied and will not apply to civil marriage. Don't you think it would have happened by now if it did? Federalism can work without needlessly tinkering with the Constitution. And that's the conservative position. Unfortunately, today's faux conservatives seem to have forgotten that pesky document. I don't give a whit about gay marriage, and that was the message the voters sent to the Republicans in 2006. If they try to bring it back again, they'll have nobody to blame but themselves if we get a President Hillary or Obama.
Friday, August 17, 2007
I Now Pronounce Thee Toddler And Wife
"Hicks? Who, us?"
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-A law passed this year allows Arkansans of any age-even infants-to marry if their parents agree, and the governor may have to call a special session to fix the mistake, lawmakers said Friday.
The legislation was intended to establish 18 as the minimum age to marry but also allow pregnant teenagers to marry with parental consent, bill sponsor Rep. Will Bond said. An extraneous "not" in the bill, however, allows anyone who is not pregnant to marry at any age if the parents allow it.
"It's clearly not the intent to allow 10-year-olds or 11-year-olds to get married," Bond said. "The legislation is screwed up." I understand that brothers, sisters and farm animals will still be covered as under the original law, however.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.-A law passed this year allows Arkansans of any age-even infants-to marry if their parents agree, and the governor may have to call a special session to fix the mistake, lawmakers said Friday.
The legislation was intended to establish 18 as the minimum age to marry but also allow pregnant teenagers to marry with parental consent, bill sponsor Rep. Will Bond said. An extraneous "not" in the bill, however, allows anyone who is not pregnant to marry at any age if the parents allow it.
"It's clearly not the intent to allow 10-year-olds or 11-year-olds to get married," Bond said. "The legislation is screwed up." I understand that brothers, sisters and farm animals will still be covered as under the original law, however.
Terrorism For Dummies
Now they have an instruction manual.
The Taliban has published its first military field manual detailing how to spring ambushes, run spies and conduct an insurgency against coalition forces in Afghanistan.
At 144 pages, Military Teachings-for the Preparation of Mujahideen, is a minutely detailed "how to" book on subjects ranging from tactics and weapons to building training camps and spycraft.
The guide, which is similar in its aims to British and American military field manuals, was obtained by The Daily Telegraph from a source in Pakistan who claimed to be close to the Taliban. Its cover bears the image of two crossed swords and the Koran, the arms of the Taliban's ousted government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The book, written in the Pashto language, "will soon be made available to the commanders in Afghanistan as well as its adjacent tribal areas in Pakistan", the source said. He added that copues of the manual had been circulated to the Pakistani tribal area of Bajaur. Its publication highlights the extent of the Taliban's revival six years after it was deposed by a US-led invasion.
"This is the first of its kind and shows a significant level of organisation," said Brigadier Mahmood Shah, a retired military intelligence officer who was in charge of security in the tribal areas.
Brig Shah said "soft" Pakistani government policy towards the pro-Taliban militants had allowed them to flourish in the lawless ethnic Pashtun tribal areas that straddle the Afghan-Pakistani border. Huh. Barack Obama may be onto something here after all...
The Taliban has published its first military field manual detailing how to spring ambushes, run spies and conduct an insurgency against coalition forces in Afghanistan.
At 144 pages, Military Teachings-for the Preparation of Mujahideen, is a minutely detailed "how to" book on subjects ranging from tactics and weapons to building training camps and spycraft.
The guide, which is similar in its aims to British and American military field manuals, was obtained by The Daily Telegraph from a source in Pakistan who claimed to be close to the Taliban. Its cover bears the image of two crossed swords and the Koran, the arms of the Taliban's ousted government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The book, written in the Pashto language, "will soon be made available to the commanders in Afghanistan as well as its adjacent tribal areas in Pakistan", the source said. He added that copues of the manual had been circulated to the Pakistani tribal area of Bajaur. Its publication highlights the extent of the Taliban's revival six years after it was deposed by a US-led invasion.
"This is the first of its kind and shows a significant level of organisation," said Brigadier Mahmood Shah, a retired military intelligence officer who was in charge of security in the tribal areas.
Brig Shah said "soft" Pakistani government policy towards the pro-Taliban militants had allowed them to flourish in the lawless ethnic Pashtun tribal areas that straddle the Afghan-Pakistani border. Huh. Barack Obama may be onto something here after all...
Gonzo's Bedside Manner
Now remember-there was nothing underhanded going on, right?
Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft was "feeble," "barely articulate" and "stressed" moments after a hospital room confrontation in March 2004 with Alberto r. Gonzales, who wanted Ashcroft to approve a warrantless wiretapping program over Justice Department objections, according to notes from FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III that were released today.
One of Mueller's entries in five pages of a daily log pertaining to the dispute also indicated that Ashcroft's deputy was so concerned about undue pressure by Gonzales and other White House aides for the attorney general to back the wiretapping program that the deputy asked Mueller to bar anyone other than relatives from later entering Ashcroft's room.
Mueller's description of Ashcroft's physical condition that night contrasts with testimony last month from Gonzales, who told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Ashcroft was "lucid" and "did most of the talking" during the brief visit. It also confirms an account of the episode by former deputy attorney general James B. Comey, who said Ashcroft told the two men he was not well enough to make decisions at the hospital. Let's see you try and weasle your way out of this one, Gonzo.
Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft was "feeble," "barely articulate" and "stressed" moments after a hospital room confrontation in March 2004 with Alberto r. Gonzales, who wanted Ashcroft to approve a warrantless wiretapping program over Justice Department objections, according to notes from FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III that were released today.
One of Mueller's entries in five pages of a daily log pertaining to the dispute also indicated that Ashcroft's deputy was so concerned about undue pressure by Gonzales and other White House aides for the attorney general to back the wiretapping program that the deputy asked Mueller to bar anyone other than relatives from later entering Ashcroft's room.
Mueller's description of Ashcroft's physical condition that night contrasts with testimony last month from Gonzales, who told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Ashcroft was "lucid" and "did most of the talking" during the brief visit. It also confirms an account of the episode by former deputy attorney general James B. Comey, who said Ashcroft told the two men he was not well enough to make decisions at the hospital. Let's see you try and weasle your way out of this one, Gonzo.
The Bear And The Dragon
Remember when these two hated each other? How times change...
President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, will attend an unprecedented show of joint military force today amid fears that the Russian leader is trying to turn an increasingly powerful central Asian alliance into a second Warsaw Pact.
The United States will be anxiously watching the military manoeuvres-held under the auspices of the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)-from afar after its request to send observers was rejected.
Washington has plenty of reasons to be uneasy. Founded in 2001, the SCO, which includes the four central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Krgyztan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as China and Russia, is rapidly gaining a reputation as an anti-Washington organisation.
That image seems to be one that Mr Putin is happy to cultivate. Analysts say that the Russian president belives the organisation is emerging as a bloc that is rapidly becoming powerful enough to stand up to the West.
Russia's most pro-government newspapers, often used by the Kremlin as propaganda vehicles, yesterday proclaimed the arrival of an "anti-Nato" alliance and a "Warsaw Pact 2". At the annual SCO summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishek yesterday, Mr Putin praised the alliance's growing strength. "Year aftere year the SCO becomes a more significant factor in strengthening security and stability in the central Asian region," he said. And Cold War: The Sequel continues.
President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, will attend an unprecedented show of joint military force today amid fears that the Russian leader is trying to turn an increasingly powerful central Asian alliance into a second Warsaw Pact.
The United States will be anxiously watching the military manoeuvres-held under the auspices of the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)-from afar after its request to send observers was rejected.
Washington has plenty of reasons to be uneasy. Founded in 2001, the SCO, which includes the four central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Krgyztan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan as well as China and Russia, is rapidly gaining a reputation as an anti-Washington organisation.
That image seems to be one that Mr Putin is happy to cultivate. Analysts say that the Russian president belives the organisation is emerging as a bloc that is rapidly becoming powerful enough to stand up to the West.
Russia's most pro-government newspapers, often used by the Kremlin as propaganda vehicles, yesterday proclaimed the arrival of an "anti-Nato" alliance and a "Warsaw Pact 2". At the annual SCO summit in the Kyrgyz capital Bishek yesterday, Mr Putin praised the alliance's growing strength. "Year aftere year the SCO becomes a more significant factor in strengthening security and stability in the central Asian region," he said. And Cold War: The Sequel continues.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Listen To The Donne
In light of the Padilla verdict, it may be prudent to reach back in time, before the Era of George Bush (trust me, there really was one) when the methods for getting the evidence for that conviction were considered (gasp!) wrong. Over a series of centuries, the genius of the English law had been steadily to restrict and limit the use of torture, until at this point, under King James, it was controlled by the king's judges and limited in practice through a series of special writs. Which is to say, legally it was far more constrained than it is today under an Executive Order issued by King James's understudy in allegedly Divine Right governance, George W. Bush.
Donne delivered a direct blow against this system, the use to which it was put, and the suffering it caused. He makes no equivications. And n the end he delivers his blows against even the king's judges who administer the system. No one viewed Donne as a "political figure." Indeed, owing to his Catholic background and sympathies, he eschewed court politics. Nor in the end was there anything "political" about the question of torture-it was an issue of ethics and of faith.
Donne's resolve is strong. He cites and relies on two classical authorities. And whereas they muddle and equivocate, he does not. St. Augustine, writing in book nineteen of the City of God said that "torture is indeed a thing to be lamented, and, if that were possible, to be watered with a fountain of tears." But what follows is arguably the darkest and most ethically dubious moment in the entire work. Augustine pulls back from a condemnation of torture, accepting it as a part of man's barbarity, and accepting even that a person might be forced to torture, and should not be held to have done wrong for it. Many centuries would pass before the Roman Church recongnized the error in Augustine's reasoning. Donne also cites Ulpian, the famous author of the civil law commentaries from the third century, who described the use of torture in great detail, and its evolution in the Roman legal system. Ulpian reminds us that torture began as a process authorized for use only against slaves, then it was applied to non-Roman citizens, and finally it applied to citizens as well. (How the past echoes even in today's newspapers, in which we learn of the use of torture against Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen). In the end, Ulpian rejected torture, though his argument is morally indifferent. "Torture is a difficult and deceptive thing for the strong will resist and the weak will say anything to end the pain." The law, Ulpian argued, must be a pursuit of the truth. Torture always leads into a cul de sac. Yet you would not think from hearing Donne that either of these authors had even a second's hesistation in condemning torture. Certainly Donne does not.
Donne points to the ultimate irony of the use of torture, not to punish the guilty, but as a tool to extract information-when it is well established that doesn't serve that end. He notes the immorality of this practice. John Donne was the most important clerical voice in England in his day. His opinion carried weight. Only three years after this sermon, following the assassination of the Duke of Buckingham, the laywers and judges of England assembled in the Inns of Court in London to consider a special question put to them by the king. Was the practice of torture to be permitted by the common law?
And the judges met, deliberated and declared "upon their sacred honour, and the honour of England" that the answer was "no." That marked the end of legalized torture in the English-speaking world...until the arrival of George W. Bush. And what hand did John Donne and his sermon have in this important moment in history? The answer is plain enough. And John Donne can stand as a solid model for men and women of faith today-to have courage, stand for their convictions, and not be cowed by the hollow charge of "politics." Cheer the Padilla verdict while you can, Bushbots. let me know how you feel when a Democratic president starts thinking like Augustine and Bush. Where will the John Donnes of the world come from when that happens?
Donne delivered a direct blow against this system, the use to which it was put, and the suffering it caused. He makes no equivications. And n the end he delivers his blows against even the king's judges who administer the system. No one viewed Donne as a "political figure." Indeed, owing to his Catholic background and sympathies, he eschewed court politics. Nor in the end was there anything "political" about the question of torture-it was an issue of ethics and of faith.
Donne's resolve is strong. He cites and relies on two classical authorities. And whereas they muddle and equivocate, he does not. St. Augustine, writing in book nineteen of the City of God said that "torture is indeed a thing to be lamented, and, if that were possible, to be watered with a fountain of tears." But what follows is arguably the darkest and most ethically dubious moment in the entire work. Augustine pulls back from a condemnation of torture, accepting it as a part of man's barbarity, and accepting even that a person might be forced to torture, and should not be held to have done wrong for it. Many centuries would pass before the Roman Church recongnized the error in Augustine's reasoning. Donne also cites Ulpian, the famous author of the civil law commentaries from the third century, who described the use of torture in great detail, and its evolution in the Roman legal system. Ulpian reminds us that torture began as a process authorized for use only against slaves, then it was applied to non-Roman citizens, and finally it applied to citizens as well. (How the past echoes even in today's newspapers, in which we learn of the use of torture against Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen). In the end, Ulpian rejected torture, though his argument is morally indifferent. "Torture is a difficult and deceptive thing for the strong will resist and the weak will say anything to end the pain." The law, Ulpian argued, must be a pursuit of the truth. Torture always leads into a cul de sac. Yet you would not think from hearing Donne that either of these authors had even a second's hesistation in condemning torture. Certainly Donne does not.
Donne points to the ultimate irony of the use of torture, not to punish the guilty, but as a tool to extract information-when it is well established that doesn't serve that end. He notes the immorality of this practice. John Donne was the most important clerical voice in England in his day. His opinion carried weight. Only three years after this sermon, following the assassination of the Duke of Buckingham, the laywers and judges of England assembled in the Inns of Court in London to consider a special question put to them by the king. Was the practice of torture to be permitted by the common law?
And the judges met, deliberated and declared "upon their sacred honour, and the honour of England" that the answer was "no." That marked the end of legalized torture in the English-speaking world...until the arrival of George W. Bush. And what hand did John Donne and his sermon have in this important moment in history? The answer is plain enough. And John Donne can stand as a solid model for men and women of faith today-to have courage, stand for their convictions, and not be cowed by the hollow charge of "politics." Cheer the Padilla verdict while you can, Bushbots. let me know how you feel when a Democratic president starts thinking like Augustine and Bush. Where will the John Donnes of the world come from when that happens?
The Once And Future King
All hail the King, baby. MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Aug. 15 (AP)-(Kyodo)-The king is gone but he's not forgotten. Thousands of Elvis Presley fans from all over the world flocked to Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, amid scorching heat and thick humidity to attend the memorial events for Elvis Week 2007 starting Thursday, the 30th anniversary of his death.
Kenji Nishimura, a 60-year-old Japanese fan from Osaka, has been longing to visit Graceland for 45 years. He retired this March and finally fulfilled his dream this week by taking his first trip to the United States.
"I just wanted to breathe the same air he breathed, and touch the same things he touched. I am pretty sure that all Elvis fans visiting this place think the same," Nishimura said. Regardless of how he died, Elvis's talent speaks for itself. R.I.P. to The King.
Kenji Nishimura, a 60-year-old Japanese fan from Osaka, has been longing to visit Graceland for 45 years. He retired this March and finally fulfilled his dream this week by taking his first trip to the United States.
"I just wanted to breathe the same air he breathed, and touch the same things he touched. I am pretty sure that all Elvis fans visiting this place think the same," Nishimura said. Regardless of how he died, Elvis's talent speaks for itself. R.I.P. to The King.
Warp Speed, Mr. Sulu
If this is true it could be very cool. A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light-an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time.
According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second.
However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of that theory.
The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons-energetic particles of light-travelled "instantaneously" between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart. Transporters, anyone?
According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second.
However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of that theory.
The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons-energetic particles of light-travelled "instantaneously" between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart. Transporters, anyone?
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Looking To The East
Quite frankly, I'd have them as an ally rather than Pakistan any day. The US offer to supply American nuclear technology to India has not been universally acclaimed. India's opposition parties have attacked the deal out of claims that it leaves foreign policy hostage to Washington's influence, and there is no absolute guarantee that the deal will get approval by legislators in Washington, some of whom will claim that it weakens the nuclear non-proliferation regime. The Nuclear Supplier's Group (a group of countries which seeks to apply non-proliferation guidelines to the supply of nuclear materials) also needs to give its approval. Safeguards in the form of the subjection of India's civilian nuclear program to International Atomic Energy Agency scrutiny may reassure a few doubters, but many will hold on to the vew that the aims of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which India assuredly will still not sign, have suffered a further setback.
But that's not the point. The deal transcends domestic politics. Nor is it really about the international legal basis of what the Indian and US governments agreed to at the end of July. The Indian nuclear deal is really about political symbolism. India now has the big tick in the box that it was seeking. India has effectively been welcomed by the United States as an approved member of the international nuclear club. The signal has been given. Whatver happens now can't really change that.
The deal is part of Washington's welcoming of India as the next big thing in international politics. As the world's largest democeary and the second most prominent rising power in Asia (after China), India is part of the unofficial Asian quad (alongside the US, Japan and Australia), which some political leaders in Washington and Tokyo are selling as a democratic concert but which looks a lot like a containment plan for China. If there's a new Cold War brewing in Asia over the next few years, the next President will need allies they can count on in the region. India sounds like a good bet for that.
But that's not the point. The deal transcends domestic politics. Nor is it really about the international legal basis of what the Indian and US governments agreed to at the end of July. The Indian nuclear deal is really about political symbolism. India now has the big tick in the box that it was seeking. India has effectively been welcomed by the United States as an approved member of the international nuclear club. The signal has been given. Whatver happens now can't really change that.
The deal is part of Washington's welcoming of India as the next big thing in international politics. As the world's largest democeary and the second most prominent rising power in Asia (after China), India is part of the unofficial Asian quad (alongside the US, Japan and Australia), which some political leaders in Washington and Tokyo are selling as a democratic concert but which looks a lot like a containment plan for China. If there's a new Cold War brewing in Asia over the next few years, the next President will need allies they can count on in the region. India sounds like a good bet for that.
Killer Bee Bugout
Holy crap, I can't believe I'm on the same side as these people. International animal rights group PETA on Wednesday condemned a "shocking and sickening" video clip produced by a Hamas-run TV station and posted on the YouTube Web site that showed the abuse of animals.
PETA said it would protest to the TV station over the program that showed animals being abused as part of a program aimed at teaching children not to hurt animals.
The clip prompted scores of complaints from viewers worldwide.
"It's shocking and sickening," said Martin Merserau, manager of the domestic animal abuse division of U.S.-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Aminals (PETA). One could also say the same thing about the child abuse disguised as education that this Hamas station is inflicting on its studio audience.
PETA said it would protest to the TV station over the program that showed animals being abused as part of a program aimed at teaching children not to hurt animals.
The clip prompted scores of complaints from viewers worldwide.
"It's shocking and sickening," said Martin Merserau, manager of the domestic animal abuse division of U.S.-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Aminals (PETA). One could also say the same thing about the child abuse disguised as education that this Hamas station is inflicting on its studio audience.
Happiness Is...
Amazingly, most of the country is feeling pretty good. Guess which part isn't?
A surprising 94 percent of Americans say they are satisfied with their lives-although far fewer in New York and other Eastern states think they're better off than they were five years ago, according to a new survey.
The Harris Poll of more than 1,000 people reported the over all "satisfaction" level, defined as people who said they were either very or somewhat satisfied with their lot, was up 4 percentage points, from 90 percent two years ago.
But only 42 percent of people in the Eastern U.S. said things had improved since 2002. By contrast, 60 percent of Southerners and 62 percent of Westerners said their lives had improved. What does this mean? Bad news for Hillary or whomever the Democratic nominee is, for starters. If too many people are happy, liberals can't convince people that everyone else should be as miserable as they are.
A surprising 94 percent of Americans say they are satisfied with their lives-although far fewer in New York and other Eastern states think they're better off than they were five years ago, according to a new survey.
The Harris Poll of more than 1,000 people reported the over all "satisfaction" level, defined as people who said they were either very or somewhat satisfied with their lot, was up 4 percentage points, from 90 percent two years ago.
But only 42 percent of people in the Eastern U.S. said things had improved since 2002. By contrast, 60 percent of Southerners and 62 percent of Westerners said their lives had improved. What does this mean? Bad news for Hillary or whomever the Democratic nominee is, for starters. If too many people are happy, liberals can't convince people that everyone else should be as miserable as they are.
Dictator For Life
Fidel Jr. loves his country so much, he says he should be in charge forever.
CARACAS, Venezuela-President Hugo Chavez was presenting his blueprint Wednesday for sweeping constitutional changes to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely.
Chavez, who is seeking to transform Venezuelan society along socialist lines, announced late Tuesday that he would unveil his project before crowds of supporters at the National Assembly. He predicted it would bring renewed political upheaval to Venezuela.
Chavez's political allies firmly control the National Assembly, which is expected to approve the plan within several months. It then would have to be approved by citizens in a national referendum.
Critics accuse Chavez of seeking to become a lifelong leader, like his close friend Fidel Castro. Chavez denies allegations that he poses a threat to democracy, noting that he has repeatedly won elections by large margins. People get the kind of government they deserve. If they want to turn Venezuela into their own version of George Orwell's Animal Farm, should they really be surprised that Fidel Jr. wants to be its Napoleon?
CARACAS, Venezuela-President Hugo Chavez was presenting his blueprint Wednesday for sweeping constitutional changes to allow him to be re-elected indefinitely.
Chavez, who is seeking to transform Venezuelan society along socialist lines, announced late Tuesday that he would unveil his project before crowds of supporters at the National Assembly. He predicted it would bring renewed political upheaval to Venezuela.
Chavez's political allies firmly control the National Assembly, which is expected to approve the plan within several months. It then would have to be approved by citizens in a national referendum.
Critics accuse Chavez of seeking to become a lifelong leader, like his close friend Fidel Castro. Chavez denies allegations that he poses a threat to democracy, noting that he has repeatedly won elections by large margins. People get the kind of government they deserve. If they want to turn Venezuela into their own version of George Orwell's Animal Farm, should they really be surprised that Fidel Jr. wants to be its Napoleon?
What's In A Name?
I may be agnostic, but even I think this is stupid.
A proposal by a Roman Catholic bishop in the Netherlands that people of all faiths refer to God as "Allah" is not sitting well with the Catholic community.
Tiny Muskens, an outgoing bishop who is retiring in a few weeks from the southern diocese of Breda, said God doesn't care what he is called.
"Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah?...What does God care what we call him? It is our problem," Muskens told Dutch television.
"I'm sure his intentions are good but his theology needs a little fine-tuning," said Father Jonathan Morris, a Roman Catholic priest based in Rome. Morris, a news analyst for FOX News Channel, also called the idea impractical.
"Words and names mean things," Morris said. "Referring to God as Allah means something." Yes, it means that enroaching senility in a priest is not fun to watch.
A proposal by a Roman Catholic bishop in the Netherlands that people of all faiths refer to God as "Allah" is not sitting well with the Catholic community.
Tiny Muskens, an outgoing bishop who is retiring in a few weeks from the southern diocese of Breda, said God doesn't care what he is called.
"Allah is a very beautiful word for God. Shouldn't we all say that from now on we will name God Allah?...What does God care what we call him? It is our problem," Muskens told Dutch television.
"I'm sure his intentions are good but his theology needs a little fine-tuning," said Father Jonathan Morris, a Roman Catholic priest based in Rome. Morris, a news analyst for FOX News Channel, also called the idea impractical.
"Words and names mean things," Morris said. "Referring to God as Allah means something." Yes, it means that enroaching senility in a priest is not fun to watch.
He Wanted Out
To paraphrase Michael Corleone, "Everytime I wanted out, Bush kept me back in."
WASHINGTON (Reuters)-Donald Rumsfeld, architect of the unpopular Iraq war, resigned as defense secretary before last year's November election but his decision was not announced until after the voting, according to his resignation letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
The letter was dated November 6, the day before voters, angered by Iraq, went to the polls and swept President George W. Bush's Republicans from power in Congress. According to a stamp on the letter, Bush saw it on election day.
The president, however, did not announce that Rumsfeld would leave until the day after the election.
That infuriated some republicans, who said their party might have kept more seats in Congress and perhaps kept control of the Senate if Rumsfeld had left before the election. Another short-sighted move on Bush's part. If Rumsefeld had quit (or been canned) in the Summer, the GOP might have kept its majority and they might not be facing the downward spiral they are now. As it is, Bush chose to live in denial and the GOP paid the price as a result.
WASHINGTON (Reuters)-Donald Rumsfeld, architect of the unpopular Iraq war, resigned as defense secretary before last year's November election but his decision was not announced until after the voting, according to his resignation letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
The letter was dated November 6, the day before voters, angered by Iraq, went to the polls and swept President George W. Bush's Republicans from power in Congress. According to a stamp on the letter, Bush saw it on election day.
The president, however, did not announce that Rumsfeld would leave until the day after the election.
That infuriated some republicans, who said their party might have kept more seats in Congress and perhaps kept control of the Senate if Rumsfeld had left before the election. Another short-sighted move on Bush's part. If Rumsefeld had quit (or been canned) in the Summer, the GOP might have kept its majority and they might not be facing the downward spiral they are now. As it is, Bush chose to live in denial and the GOP paid the price as a result.
Channeling Spiro Agnew
Did Karl have a flashback or something? Rove told radio host Rush Limbaugh that he is often "amused" by references to Bush as "brain dead" or "frat boy."
In his Wednesday interview he told Rush: "This is one of the best-read people I've ever met. This is a Harvard MBA. A Yale undergraduate whose major was history and whose passion is history."
Those "elite, effete snobs" who criticize him-the "people on the Upper East Side who are putting their noses in the air about him-can't hold a candle to him." With all due respect, Karl, there must be a lot of "Effete snobs" these days. And for a guy whose passion is history, Bush can't seem to learn from it.
In his Wednesday interview he told Rush: "This is one of the best-read people I've ever met. This is a Harvard MBA. A Yale undergraduate whose major was history and whose passion is history."
Those "elite, effete snobs" who criticize him-the "people on the Upper East Side who are putting their noses in the air about him-can't hold a candle to him." With all due respect, Karl, there must be a lot of "Effete snobs" these days. And for a guy whose passion is history, Bush can't seem to learn from it.
Bush Does Kafka
It's "The Trial," King George style. In the court of public opinion, Padilla stands convicted. His name is almost synonymous with dirty bomber. Yet, when it came time to put Padilla on trial, the government's case in Miami included no memtion of a dirty bomb.
In his trial, Padilla is accused of providing material support to a terror group by attending an Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Federal prosecutors are using a broad conspiracy charge to allege that Padilla was a willing participant in a global terror campaign to wage violent jihad by murdering, kidnapping, and maiming people. Padilla denies it.
Although they seek a life sentence, prosecutors introduced no evidence of personal involvement by Padilla in planning or carrying out any specific terrorist plot or violent act.
There is a reason the government's case is so thin, legal analysts say.
If prosecutors brought the dirty-bomb plot or other alleged illegal actions by Padilla into the Miami case, it would open the door for courtroom scrutiny of the government's use of coercive interrogation techniques against Al Qaeda suspects, inlcuding Padilla. And that would have taken jurors deep into the shadowy underside of America's war on terror-a journey in Padilla's case that wends its way from his cell on an isolated wing of the US Navy Consolidated Brig in Charleston, S.C., through covert CIA interrogation sites overseas to an alleged torture chamber in Morocco.
This is a part of the war on terror the Bush administration would rather keep quiet. But details are emerging.
What they reveal is the aggress9ve-and at times, ruthless-pursuit of intelligence information, and the selective public release of some of that intelligence when it serves the administration's goals. Do you see what's going on here? Team Bush decided this guy was a terrorist, but-whatever the real case against him may be-they presented almost no evidence as such at his trial, because that would have meant revealing that we were using KGB-style tactics, along with sending people overseas to countries with less than stellar reputations for human rights, to be interrogated with "Coercive techniques." If a prosecutor had tried to get a jury to convict a murderer on little or no evidence, you know what a jury would do. So why should Padilla's case be any different, just because it's Team Bush calling the shots?
In his trial, Padilla is accused of providing material support to a terror group by attending an Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan. Federal prosecutors are using a broad conspiracy charge to allege that Padilla was a willing participant in a global terror campaign to wage violent jihad by murdering, kidnapping, and maiming people. Padilla denies it.
Although they seek a life sentence, prosecutors introduced no evidence of personal involvement by Padilla in planning or carrying out any specific terrorist plot or violent act.
There is a reason the government's case is so thin, legal analysts say.
If prosecutors brought the dirty-bomb plot or other alleged illegal actions by Padilla into the Miami case, it would open the door for courtroom scrutiny of the government's use of coercive interrogation techniques against Al Qaeda suspects, inlcuding Padilla. And that would have taken jurors deep into the shadowy underside of America's war on terror-a journey in Padilla's case that wends its way from his cell on an isolated wing of the US Navy Consolidated Brig in Charleston, S.C., through covert CIA interrogation sites overseas to an alleged torture chamber in Morocco.
This is a part of the war on terror the Bush administration would rather keep quiet. But details are emerging.
What they reveal is the aggress9ve-and at times, ruthless-pursuit of intelligence information, and the selective public release of some of that intelligence when it serves the administration's goals. Do you see what's going on here? Team Bush decided this guy was a terrorist, but-whatever the real case against him may be-they presented almost no evidence as such at his trial, because that would have meant revealing that we were using KGB-style tactics, along with sending people overseas to countries with less than stellar reputations for human rights, to be interrogated with "Coercive techniques." If a prosecutor had tried to get a jury to convict a murderer on little or no evidence, you know what a jury would do. So why should Padilla's case be any different, just because it's Team Bush calling the shots?
Goodbye To You
Guess who's joined that there anti-Amurkan cut and run crowd?
Intent on demonstrating progress in Iraq, the top U.S. general there is expected by Bush administration officials to recommend removing American troops soon from several areas where commanders believe security has improved, possibly including Al Anbar province.
According to the officials, Gen. David H. Petraeus is expected to propose the partial pullback in his September status report for Congress, when both the war's critics and supporters plan to reassess its course. Administration officials who support the current troop levels hope Petraeus' recommendations will persuade Congress to reject pressure for a major U.S. withdrawal.
The expected recommendation would authorize U.S. commanders to withdraw troops from places that have become less violent and turn over security responsibilities to Iraqi forces. Well, it's a start-and Petraeus wants it done the right way. We'll see.
Intent on demonstrating progress in Iraq, the top U.S. general there is expected by Bush administration officials to recommend removing American troops soon from several areas where commanders believe security has improved, possibly including Al Anbar province.
According to the officials, Gen. David H. Petraeus is expected to propose the partial pullback in his September status report for Congress, when both the war's critics and supporters plan to reassess its course. Administration officials who support the current troop levels hope Petraeus' recommendations will persuade Congress to reject pressure for a major U.S. withdrawal.
The expected recommendation would authorize U.S. commanders to withdraw troops from places that have become less violent and turn over security responsibilities to Iraqi forces. Well, it's a start-and Petraeus wants it done the right way. We'll see.
A Question Of Temperature
"We're doomed!" At least that's what they were saying eighty years ago.
A Washington, D.C., resident recently came across a 1922 article that revealed early signs of climate change.
John Lockwood found a 1922 article in The Washington Post when he was conducting research at the Library of Congress. The article's headline read: "Arctic Ocean Getting Warm, Seals Vanish and Icebergs Melt," according to a report in the Washington Times.
The article reports "great masses of ice have now been replaced by moraines of earth and stones," and "at many points well-known glaciers have entirely disappeared."
Lockwood said he's discovered other articles from the 1920s and 1930s on the same subject.
"I had read of the just-released NASA estimates, that four of the 10 hottest years in the U.S. were actually in the 1930's with 1934 the hottest of all," Lockwood said. Maybe Al Gore should build a time machine and go back and blame Franklin D. Roosevelt for it. I'm pretty sure he would be taken about as seriously as he is today.
A Washington, D.C., resident recently came across a 1922 article that revealed early signs of climate change.
John Lockwood found a 1922 article in The Washington Post when he was conducting research at the Library of Congress. The article's headline read: "Arctic Ocean Getting Warm, Seals Vanish and Icebergs Melt," according to a report in the Washington Times.
The article reports "great masses of ice have now been replaced by moraines of earth and stones," and "at many points well-known glaciers have entirely disappeared."
Lockwood said he's discovered other articles from the 1920s and 1930s on the same subject.
"I had read of the just-released NASA estimates, that four of the 10 hottest years in the U.S. were actually in the 1930's with 1934 the hottest of all," Lockwood said. Maybe Al Gore should build a time machine and go back and blame Franklin D. Roosevelt for it. I'm pretty sure he would be taken about as seriously as he is today.
Turning Up The Heat
Ima Dinnerjacket should start feeling the pressure soon. The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's business operations and finances.
The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran, as well as U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program, officials said.
The designation of the Revolutionary Guard will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It authorizes the United States to identifiy individuals, businesses, charities and extreminst groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guard would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said--a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization. If you think Ima Dinnerjacket's got problems now, wait until his soldiers can't get paid. This could get very interesting...
The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran, as well as U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program, officials said.
The designation of the Revolutionary Guard will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It authorizes the United States to identifiy individuals, businesses, charities and extreminst groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guard would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said--a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization. If you think Ima Dinnerjacket's got problems now, wait until his soldiers can't get paid. This could get very interesting...
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Michael Al-Vick
He may be a scumbag, but is he also a terrorist?
Embattled NFL quartereback Michael Vick, facing federal charges related to his alleged participation in dogfighting, has been hit with a $63,000,000,000 billion dollar" lawsuit filed by a South Carolina inmate who alleges the Atlanta Falcons star stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy "missiles from Iran," FOX News has learned.
Jonathan Lee Riches filed the handwritten complaint over "theft and abuse of my animals" on July 23 in the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va.
Riches alleges that Vick stole two white mixed pit bulls from his home in Holday, Fla., and used them for dogfighting operations in Richmond, Va. The complaint goes on to allege that Vick sold the dogs on ebay and "used the proceeds to purchase missiles from the Iran government."
The complaint also alleges that Vick would need those missiles because he pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda in February of this year. Eh, I'm not buying this. Vick may be stupid, but not that stupid.
Embattled NFL quartereback Michael Vick, facing federal charges related to his alleged participation in dogfighting, has been hit with a $63,000,000,000 billion dollar" lawsuit filed by a South Carolina inmate who alleges the Atlanta Falcons star stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy "missiles from Iran," FOX News has learned.
Jonathan Lee Riches filed the handwritten complaint over "theft and abuse of my animals" on July 23 in the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va.
Riches alleges that Vick stole two white mixed pit bulls from his home in Holday, Fla., and used them for dogfighting operations in Richmond, Va. The complaint goes on to allege that Vick sold the dogs on ebay and "used the proceeds to purchase missiles from the Iran government."
The complaint also alleges that Vick would need those missiles because he pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda in February of this year. Eh, I'm not buying this. Vick may be stupid, but not that stupid.
No Fun Allowed
It's official: England has gone off the deep end into utter irrelevancy. A British clown has had the smile wiped off his face after being told he couldn't use balloons in his act because children might be allergic to latex.
Barney Baloney said he was told by bosses at a supermarket where he was booked to appear that he should leave his balloons at home because of the potential for allergic reactions.
The 47-year-old entertainer, also known as Tony Turner, has previously had to ditch his bubble-making machine because he could not get public liability insurance as companies assessed that youngsters might slip and hurt themselves.
He said he was also told by one venue he could not twist balloons into the shape of guns for fear of encouraging youngsters to commit violence, although swords were deemed acceptable.
"At this rate I will have no act left. Things are going from crazy to ridiculous," Baloney, from Sheffield, northern England, was quoted as saying by the Yorkshire Post regional newspaper.
"This country is going crazy with its political correctness and health and safety issues and it's making us a laughing stock." Maybe Mr. Turner should run for public office. That seems to be where most of the clowns in the UK are these days.
Barney Baloney said he was told by bosses at a supermarket where he was booked to appear that he should leave his balloons at home because of the potential for allergic reactions.
The 47-year-old entertainer, also known as Tony Turner, has previously had to ditch his bubble-making machine because he could not get public liability insurance as companies assessed that youngsters might slip and hurt themselves.
He said he was also told by one venue he could not twist balloons into the shape of guns for fear of encouraging youngsters to commit violence, although swords were deemed acceptable.
"At this rate I will have no act left. Things are going from crazy to ridiculous," Baloney, from Sheffield, northern England, was quoted as saying by the Yorkshire Post regional newspaper.
"This country is going crazy with its political correctness and health and safety issues and it's making us a laughing stock." Maybe Mr. Turner should run for public office. That seems to be where most of the clowns in the UK are these days.
Rove's Legacy
You know why the Republicans are such idiots these days? They force me to agree with this guy. If we concluded our analysis in 2007 and confined our judgement merely to Mr Rove's immediate electoral record, we should have no choice but to judge him a spectacular success. There is no doubt that Mr Rove won elections. He has perhaps one of the most remarkable win-percentages in modern American politics.
If only things were so neat and simple. The evidence is now pretty conclusive that Mr Rove may have lost more than just an election in 2006. He has lost an entire generation for the Republican party.
A late July poll for Democracy Corps, a non-profit polling company, shows that a generic Democratic presidential candidate now wins voters under 30 years old by 32 percentage points. The Republican lead among younger white non-college-educated men, who supported President George W. Bush by a margin of 19 percentage points three years ago, has shrunk to 2 percentage points. Ideological divisions between the Republican party and youngere voters are growing. Young voters generally favour larger government providing more services, 68 per cent to 28 per cent. On every issue, from the budget to national security, young voters responded overwhelmingly that Democrats would do a better job in government.
It is not just Democracy Corps that has found this. A host of new polls and surveys over the course of the past few months has served as a harbinger of a rocky 2008 election for Republicans.
(snip) Mr Rove's famous electoral strategy-focusing on the Republican base first-is also largely responsible for a shift in international public opinion against the US. It would not be fair to blame Mr Rove for the iraq war. But it is clearly fair to blame his strategy for the Terry Schiavo fiasco and the Republicans' adherence to the policies and doctrines of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson. The world and now most of the US are contemptuous of the theocratic underpinnings of the policy Mr Rove ushered into government. There you go. So I hope some will forgive me if I'm not exactly shedding tears that the Architect is gone. If the GOP wants to rebuild the trust that it once had with the majority of Americans, it would do well to jettison the rest of the ideological deadweight. "The base" alone doesn't win Presidential elections. Better ideas and policies do.
If only things were so neat and simple. The evidence is now pretty conclusive that Mr Rove may have lost more than just an election in 2006. He has lost an entire generation for the Republican party.
A late July poll for Democracy Corps, a non-profit polling company, shows that a generic Democratic presidential candidate now wins voters under 30 years old by 32 percentage points. The Republican lead among younger white non-college-educated men, who supported President George W. Bush by a margin of 19 percentage points three years ago, has shrunk to 2 percentage points. Ideological divisions between the Republican party and youngere voters are growing. Young voters generally favour larger government providing more services, 68 per cent to 28 per cent. On every issue, from the budget to national security, young voters responded overwhelmingly that Democrats would do a better job in government.
It is not just Democracy Corps that has found this. A host of new polls and surveys over the course of the past few months has served as a harbinger of a rocky 2008 election for Republicans.
(snip) Mr Rove's famous electoral strategy-focusing on the Republican base first-is also largely responsible for a shift in international public opinion against the US. It would not be fair to blame Mr Rove for the iraq war. But it is clearly fair to blame his strategy for the Terry Schiavo fiasco and the Republicans' adherence to the policies and doctrines of Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and James Dobson. The world and now most of the US are contemptuous of the theocratic underpinnings of the policy Mr Rove ushered into government. There you go. So I hope some will forgive me if I'm not exactly shedding tears that the Architect is gone. If the GOP wants to rebuild the trust that it once had with the majority of Americans, it would do well to jettison the rest of the ideological deadweight. "The base" alone doesn't win Presidential elections. Better ideas and policies do.
The Glory That Was America?
Are we at the beginning of the end?
The US government is on a 'burning platform' of unsistainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon, the country's top government inspector has warned.
David Walker, comptroller general of the US, issued the unusually downbeat assessment of his country's future in a report that lays out what he called "chilling long-term simulations."
These include "dramatic" tax rises, slashed government services and the large-scale dumping by foreign governments of holdings of US debt.
Drawing parallels with the end of the Roman empire, Mr Walker warned there were "striking similarities" between America's current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including "declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government." Well, certain people wanted Bush to be Emperor. Be careful what you wish for...
The US government is on a 'burning platform' of unsistainable policies and practices with fiscal deficits, chronic healthcare underfunding, immigration and overseas military commitments threatening a crisis if action is not taken soon, the country's top government inspector has warned.
David Walker, comptroller general of the US, issued the unusually downbeat assessment of his country's future in a report that lays out what he called "chilling long-term simulations."
These include "dramatic" tax rises, slashed government services and the large-scale dumping by foreign governments of holdings of US debt.
Drawing parallels with the end of the Roman empire, Mr Walker warned there were "striking similarities" between America's current situation and the factors that brought down Rome, including "declining moral values and political civility at home, an over-confident and over-extended military in foreign lands and fiscal irresponsibility by the central government." Well, certain people wanted Bush to be Emperor. Be careful what you wish for...
Monday, August 13, 2007
Invisible Woman
Even though I can't stand her, I have to admit this is the kind of "I care about the little guy" message that could resonate with voters who are sick of the GOP's antics.
Exit The Architect
"The Brain" is stepping aside. Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, announced Monday he will leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 18 months of the administration.
On board with Mr. Bush since the beginning of his political career in Texas, Rove was nicknamed "the architect" and "boy genius" by the president for designing the strategy that twice won him the White House. Critics call Rove "Bush's brain."
"We've been friends for a long time and we're still going to be friends," Mr. Bush said, standing with Rove on the South Lawn. The guy may be a master political operator, but he was also the source for a lot of this administration's ills. Maybe Bush should have relied on his own brain more often instead of the extra one.
On board with Mr. Bush since the beginning of his political career in Texas, Rove was nicknamed "the architect" and "boy genius" by the president for designing the strategy that twice won him the White House. Critics call Rove "Bush's brain."
"We've been friends for a long time and we're still going to be friends," Mr. Bush said, standing with Rove on the South Lawn. The guy may be a master political operator, but he was also the source for a lot of this administration's ills. Maybe Bush should have relied on his own brain more often instead of the extra one.
A Gathering Of The Tribes
Well, we'll see how well this works out. AFGHANISTAN and Pakistan must work together to "defeat the forces of extremism and terrorism" that have held them back economically, General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president, told more than 600 tribal leaders from the two countries yesterday.
He was speaking at the closing session of a four-day "peace council" aimed at finding ways to stem the rising bloodshed in the border region between the two states.
He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were confronted with a "particularly dark form" of terrorism and he had "no doubt" that Taleban militants were finding support in Pakistan and crossing over into Afghanistan.
But he said the two countries, as "true Muslims", must isolate the diehard militants and "win the hears and minds" of the people. Well, good luck with that. I'm sure that Osama, if he's still hanging in there, will really start to feel the pressure now, yes sir!
He was speaking at the closing session of a four-day "peace council" aimed at finding ways to stem the rising bloodshed in the border region between the two states.
He said Pakistan and Afghanistan were confronted with a "particularly dark form" of terrorism and he had "no doubt" that Taleban militants were finding support in Pakistan and crossing over into Afghanistan.
But he said the two countries, as "true Muslims", must isolate the diehard militants and "win the hears and minds" of the people. Well, good luck with that. I'm sure that Osama, if he's still hanging in there, will really start to feel the pressure now, yes sir!
Yellowcake And Croissants
Guess who else wants to join the nuclear Jihad club? Nuclear experts claim that Libya is sitting on a stockpile of almost 200 barrels of uranium despite agreeing in 2003 to dismantle its nuclear programme, The Daily Telegraph has learned.
The revelation that Libya allegedly has not yet complied with the international agreement to get rid of its supply of uranium will be a particular blow to the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, after his recent move to deepen ties with the regime of Col Muammar Gaddafi.
It will also be an embarrassment to France's first lady, Cecilia Sarkozy, who travelled to Libya last month to help negotiate the release of the six Bulgarian and Palestinian medics accused of infecting children with HIV. Hmmm. I thought the whole point of getting rid of Saddam was to send a message to other countries that they couldn't get away with this kind of stuff. I guess that, as with Iran, the message didn't take.
The revelation that Libya allegedly has not yet complied with the international agreement to get rid of its supply of uranium will be a particular blow to the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, after his recent move to deepen ties with the regime of Col Muammar Gaddafi.
It will also be an embarrassment to France's first lady, Cecilia Sarkozy, who travelled to Libya last month to help negotiate the release of the six Bulgarian and Palestinian medics accused of infecting children with HIV. Hmmm. I thought the whole point of getting rid of Saddam was to send a message to other countries that they couldn't get away with this kind of stuff. I guess that, as with Iran, the message didn't take.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
"I've Had It With These Motherf***g Smugglers On These Motherf***g Planes!"
Samuel L. Jackson, please pick up the white courtesy phone.
CAIRO, Egypt-It was very nearly a real-life version of "Snakes on a Plane."
A man was stopped at Cairo's airport just moments before he boarded a Saudi Arabia-bound plane with carry-on bags filled with live snakes, as well as a few baby crocodiles and chameleons.
Security officials became suspicious of the 22-year-old Saudi man's bags when the X-ray machine at the departure gate gave odd readings. Police said they opened the bags and found a large number of reptiles, including at least one cobra, squirming to escape.
The animals were confiscated and turned over to the Cairo Zoo and the man was allowed to board his flight home. I understand the zoo is keeping the crocodiles, however the snakes are going to America to run for Congress as Democrats.
CAIRO, Egypt-It was very nearly a real-life version of "Snakes on a Plane."
A man was stopped at Cairo's airport just moments before he boarded a Saudi Arabia-bound plane with carry-on bags filled with live snakes, as well as a few baby crocodiles and chameleons.
Security officials became suspicious of the 22-year-old Saudi man's bags when the X-ray machine at the departure gate gave odd readings. Police said they opened the bags and found a large number of reptiles, including at least one cobra, squirming to escape.
The animals were confiscated and turned over to the Cairo Zoo and the man was allowed to board his flight home. I understand the zoo is keeping the crocodiles, however the snakes are going to America to run for Congress as Democrats.
Mr. Romney Goes To Washington?
Well, we'll see. The challenge Romney faces this year, separating himself from an unpopular incumbent and an unpopular party, without explicitly reudiating either, is a familiar one for him. He did much the same in winning the governorship of Massachusetts in 2002.
Now, as then, Romney is hoping to promote himself less as a Republican than as a reformer and outsider, capable of cleaning up a squalid political system. "Frankly, the only thing I'd be worried about having behind my name is 'United States Senator," Romney said. "Somebody who's been in Washington, that's the challenge."
Romney's positioning comes at a time when an overwhelming majority of Americans tell pollsters that they would prefer a Democrat to succeed President Bush and when the only things lower than the incumbent's approval ratings are those of Congress. Romney talks a good game, and he would probably make a good President, but people should remember that Bush Junior ran as a reformer, too, and look what happened.
Now, as then, Romney is hoping to promote himself less as a Republican than as a reformer and outsider, capable of cleaning up a squalid political system. "Frankly, the only thing I'd be worried about having behind my name is 'United States Senator," Romney said. "Somebody who's been in Washington, that's the challenge."
Romney's positioning comes at a time when an overwhelming majority of Americans tell pollsters that they would prefer a Democrat to succeed President Bush and when the only things lower than the incumbent's approval ratings are those of Congress. Romney talks a good game, and he would probably make a good President, but people should remember that Bush Junior ran as a reformer, too, and look what happened.
With A Little Help From His "Friends"
See what happens when you go on vacation and leave the doors unlocked?
Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, has called for a summit of the nation's main political factions in an attempt to break Iraq's political paralysis.
In recent weeks almost all Sunni members of the cabinet have quit. Others are boycotting meetings, leaving at least 17 cabinet seats empty.
Many of them have accused Mr Maliki, a Shia Muslim, of ignoring their demands.
A BBC correspondent says the crisis is worrying for the US, which wants to see progress before withdrawing troops.
"I have called the political leaders for a meeting to discuss the main issues in the political process. The first meeting may happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," Mr Maliki announced on Sunday. The Sunnis are boycotting, and the Shias are claiming they can't get anything done as a result. Who says they haven't learned anything from American-style democracy?
Iraq's Prime Minister, Nouri Maliki, has called for a summit of the nation's main political factions in an attempt to break Iraq's political paralysis.
In recent weeks almost all Sunni members of the cabinet have quit. Others are boycotting meetings, leaving at least 17 cabinet seats empty.
Many of them have accused Mr Maliki, a Shia Muslim, of ignoring their demands.
A BBC correspondent says the crisis is worrying for the US, which wants to see progress before withdrawing troops.
"I have called the political leaders for a meeting to discuss the main issues in the political process. The first meeting may happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow," Mr Maliki announced on Sunday. The Sunnis are boycotting, and the Shias are claiming they can't get anything done as a result. Who says they haven't learned anything from American-style democracy?
Missing Merv
Another icon has left the stage.
LOS ANGELES (AP)-Merv Griffin, the entertainer turned impresario who parlayed his "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" game shows into a multimillion-dollar empire, has died. He was 82.
Griffin died of prostrate cancer, according to a statement from his family that was released by Marcia Newberger, spokeswoman for the Griffin Group/Merv Griffin Entertainment.
From his beginning as a $100-a-week San Fransisco radio singer, Griffin moved on as vocalist for Freddy Martin's band, sometime film actor in films and TV game and talk show host. His "The Merv Griffin Show" lasted more than 20 years, and Griffin said his capacity to listen contributed to his success.
"If the host is sitting there thinking about his next joke, he isn't listening," Griffin reasoned in a recent interview.
But his biggest break financially came from inventing and producing "Jeopardy" in the 1960s and "Wheel of Fortune" in the 1970s. After they had become the hottest game shows in television, Griffin sold the rights to Coca-Cola for $250 million in 1986, retaining a share of the profits. Merv Griffin was the Johnny Carson of daytime TV. May he rest in peace.
LOS ANGELES (AP)-Merv Griffin, the entertainer turned impresario who parlayed his "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" game shows into a multimillion-dollar empire, has died. He was 82.
Griffin died of prostrate cancer, according to a statement from his family that was released by Marcia Newberger, spokeswoman for the Griffin Group/Merv Griffin Entertainment.
From his beginning as a $100-a-week San Fransisco radio singer, Griffin moved on as vocalist for Freddy Martin's band, sometime film actor in films and TV game and talk show host. His "The Merv Griffin Show" lasted more than 20 years, and Griffin said his capacity to listen contributed to his success.
"If the host is sitting there thinking about his next joke, he isn't listening," Griffin reasoned in a recent interview.
But his biggest break financially came from inventing and producing "Jeopardy" in the 1960s and "Wheel of Fortune" in the 1970s. After they had become the hottest game shows in television, Griffin sold the rights to Coca-Cola for $250 million in 1986, retaining a share of the profits. Merv Griffin was the Johnny Carson of daytime TV. May he rest in peace.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Romney/Huckabee '08?
Regardless of how I feel about Iowa (see below), this might actually make things interesting going into the primaries next Spring. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney scored the first big voting victory in the battle for the GOP nomination at the non-binding Iowa Republican Party straw poll in Ames, Iowa, on Saturday.
Romney scored 31.5 percent of the vote, with former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., coming in second with 18.1 percent, and Sen. San Brownback, R-Kan., placing a close third with 15.3 percent.
Romney's victory was never in serious doubt. His campaign has invested millions of dollars in television advertising and organization in Iowa, and his top-tier competitors for the nomination-Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and the yet undeclared Fred Thompson-didn't compete in the straw poll. It's still very early in this stage of the game, of course, and a lot could still happen between now and February. But for now, Romney's got the momentum.
Romney scored 31.5 percent of the vote, with former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., coming in second with 18.1 percent, and Sen. San Brownback, R-Kan., placing a close third with 15.3 percent.
Romney's victory was never in serious doubt. His campaign has invested millions of dollars in television advertising and organization in Iowa, and his top-tier competitors for the nomination-Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and the yet undeclared Fred Thompson-didn't compete in the straw poll. It's still very early in this stage of the game, of course, and a lot could still happen between now and February. But for now, Romney's got the momentum.
The Last Intelligent Virgin
They may be lonely, but at least they've got their brains.
As if the normal perception that 'geeks and the stupid don't get any' wasn't bad enough, there is now scientific evidence which validates this stereotype. Recent studies in the US on sexual activity among adolescents and young adults show that being an 'average Joe' may have benefits outside of the classroom.
The studies show that female and male adolescents with an IQ score either below 70 or above 110 are more likely to be virgins.
Adloescents with IQ scores ranging from 70 to 110 had the lowest probability of birginity, according to two researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The average IQ score is 90 to 110. Well, the stupid ones may get lucky, but the smart ones wind up making big bucks so they can get the stuff that ladies want. Try doing that when you're flipping burgers in your 30's.
As if the normal perception that 'geeks and the stupid don't get any' wasn't bad enough, there is now scientific evidence which validates this stereotype. Recent studies in the US on sexual activity among adolescents and young adults show that being an 'average Joe' may have benefits outside of the classroom.
The studies show that female and male adolescents with an IQ score either below 70 or above 110 are more likely to be virgins.
Adloescents with IQ scores ranging from 70 to 110 had the lowest probability of birginity, according to two researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The average IQ score is 90 to 110. Well, the stupid ones may get lucky, but the smart ones wind up making big bucks so they can get the stuff that ladies want. Try doing that when you're flipping burgers in your 30's.
Fowl Language
To paraphrase The Trashmen, the bird is a dirty word.
ALBION, Ind.-A foul-mouthed cockatoo has workers at an animal sanctuary on notice to watch what they say.
Staffers at Black Pine Animal Park say Peaches, an 8-year-old Moluccan cockatoo, spent the first several years of her life as a house pet, where she picked up a vocabulary that can be as colorful as her feathers.
That was on display recently when a volunteer construction worker pouring concrete outside a chimpanzee enclosure yelled out began cussing after the chimp threw some feces at him, said Jessica Price, senior zookeeper at the sanctuary about 30 miles north of Fort Wayne.
The commotion caught the attention of Peaches in a nearby cage.
"She started laughing and carrying on," Price said.
Peaches then strayed from her normal vocabulary of "Hi, Peaches" and "Hi, pretty girl," reverting to a few of her old favorites.
"Go away, shut up, shut your blankety-blank mouth," Price said. "She says a lot of very bad words."
It is difficult to get birds to stop using words they have learned, she says. Well, look on the bright side. The bird could do standup on HBO.
ALBION, Ind.-A foul-mouthed cockatoo has workers at an animal sanctuary on notice to watch what they say.
Staffers at Black Pine Animal Park say Peaches, an 8-year-old Moluccan cockatoo, spent the first several years of her life as a house pet, where she picked up a vocabulary that can be as colorful as her feathers.
That was on display recently when a volunteer construction worker pouring concrete outside a chimpanzee enclosure yelled out began cussing after the chimp threw some feces at him, said Jessica Price, senior zookeeper at the sanctuary about 30 miles north of Fort Wayne.
The commotion caught the attention of Peaches in a nearby cage.
"She started laughing and carrying on," Price said.
Peaches then strayed from her normal vocabulary of "Hi, Peaches" and "Hi, pretty girl," reverting to a few of her old favorites.
"Go away, shut up, shut your blankety-blank mouth," Price said. "She says a lot of very bad words."
It is difficult to get birds to stop using words they have learned, she says. Well, look on the bright side. The bird could do standup on HBO.
The Danish Are Coming
Uncle Putin's got competition. OSLO, Norway (AP)-Danish scientists head for the Arctic ice pack on Sunday seeing evidence to position Denmark in a race to claim the potentially vast oil and other resources of the North Pole region.
Russia sent two small submarines to plant a tiny national flag under the North Pole last week. Canada, the United States and Norway also have competing claims in the vast Arctic region, where a U.S. study suggests as much as 25 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas could be hidden.
The monthlong Danish expedition will seek evidence that the Lomonosov Ridge, a 1,240-mile underwater mountain range, is attached to the Danish territory of Greenland, making it a geological extension of the Arctic island.
That might allow the Nordic nation to stake a claim under a U.N. treaty that could stretch all the way to the North Pole, although Canada and Russia also claim the ridge. Why can't Uncle Putin just learn to play nice with everybody?
Russia sent two small submarines to plant a tiny national flag under the North Pole last week. Canada, the United States and Norway also have competing claims in the vast Arctic region, where a U.S. study suggests as much as 25 percent of the world's undiscovered oil and gas could be hidden.
The monthlong Danish expedition will seek evidence that the Lomonosov Ridge, a 1,240-mile underwater mountain range, is attached to the Danish territory of Greenland, making it a geological extension of the Arctic island.
That might allow the Nordic nation to stake a claim under a U.N. treaty that could stretch all the way to the North Pole, although Canada and Russia also claim the ridge. Why can't Uncle Putin just learn to play nice with everybody?
The Draft Decider
Oh, yeah. Creating that war czar was a great idea, wasn't it?
WASHINGTON (AP)-Frequent tours for U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan have stressed the all-volunteer force and made it worth considering a return to a military draft, President Bush's new war adviser said Friday.
"I think it makes sense to certainly consider it," Army Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute said in an interview with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered."
"And I can tell you, this has always been an option on the table. But ultimately, this is a policy matter between meeting the demands for the nation's security by one means or another," Lute added in his first interview since he was confirmed by the Senate in June.
Yeah, a draft would work real well for an unpopular President's party in an election year, wouldn't it?No Funeral For You
The stupidity of the religious right in this country continues.
ARLINGTON, Texas-A megachurch canceled a memorial service for a Navy veteran 24 hours before it was to start because the deceased was gay.
Officials at the nondenominational High Point Church knew that Cecil Howard Sinclair was gay when they offered to host his service, said his sister, Kathleen Wright. But after his obituary listed his life partner as one of his survivors, she said, it was called off.
"It's a slap in the face. It's like, 'Oh, we're sorry he died, but he's gay so we can't help you," she said Friday.
Wright said High Point offered to hold the service for Sinclair because their brother is a janitor there. Sinclair, who served in the first Gulf War, died Monday at age 46 from an infection after surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant.
The church's pastor, the Rev. Gary Simons, said no one knew Sinclair, who was not a church member, was gay until the day before the Thursday service, when staff members putting putting together his video tribute saw pictures of men "engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing."
Simons said the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there. It sounds like the deceased wasn't the only one in need of a heart.
ARLINGTON, Texas-A megachurch canceled a memorial service for a Navy veteran 24 hours before it was to start because the deceased was gay.
Officials at the nondenominational High Point Church knew that Cecil Howard Sinclair was gay when they offered to host his service, said his sister, Kathleen Wright. But after his obituary listed his life partner as one of his survivors, she said, it was called off.
"It's a slap in the face. It's like, 'Oh, we're sorry he died, but he's gay so we can't help you," she said Friday.
Wright said High Point offered to hold the service for Sinclair because their brother is a janitor there. Sinclair, who served in the first Gulf War, died Monday at age 46 from an infection after surgery to prepare him for a heart transplant.
The church's pastor, the Rev. Gary Simons, said no one knew Sinclair, who was not a church member, was gay until the day before the Thursday service, when staff members putting putting together his video tribute saw pictures of men "engaging in clear affection, kissing and embracing."
Simons said the church believes homosexuality is a sin, and it would have appeared to endorse that lifestyle if the service had been held there. It sounds like the deceased wasn't the only one in need of a heart.
Does Iowa Really Matter?
Over at Andrew Sullivan, guest writer Eric asks a valid question. A source at the DNC reminded me of an intersting piece of history: the Iowa caucus is a great predictor of who won't become president. The caucus has only been the country's first nominating event since 1972, and its record is pretty awful: George H.W. Bush in 1980, Bob Dole and Dick Gephardt in 1988, favorite son Tom Harkin in 1992, Bob Dole again in 1996, and John Kerry in 2004.
In fact, the 2000 election was the only time since 1972 that the non-incumbent victor in Iowa managed to win the presidency-and in that year, both parties' nominees were Iowa winners.
So why exactly does the Iowa caucus have this exalted status in the primary/caucus system? How did it worm its way into our political traditions, and why does it deserve to keep its position? For my own part, Iowa is where the party activists come out, and the candidates do their best to win their favor. Everybody knows that Super Tuesday is where the real winners will come out on top, but Iowa is the last stand for those who would at least gain second-place status (as Bush Senior did in 1980). At best, it helps weed out the wannabes.
In fact, the 2000 election was the only time since 1972 that the non-incumbent victor in Iowa managed to win the presidency-and in that year, both parties' nominees were Iowa winners.
So why exactly does the Iowa caucus have this exalted status in the primary/caucus system? How did it worm its way into our political traditions, and why does it deserve to keep its position? For my own part, Iowa is where the party activists come out, and the candidates do their best to win their favor. Everybody knows that Super Tuesday is where the real winners will come out on top, but Iowa is the last stand for those who would at least gain second-place status (as Bush Senior did in 1980). At best, it helps weed out the wannabes.
They're In Love With Obama
Surprise, surprise. Barack Obama appears to be winning the faculty lounge straw poll--his presidential campaign is cultivating academics and pacing the field in collecting cash from them.
Obama, whose website features an "Academics for Obama" page, raised nearly $1.5 million in the first half of the year from people who work for colleges and universities, according to an analysis of campaign finance data by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. And that's 55 percent more than the $939,000 brought in by the next biggest professor's pet, fellow democratic senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
The next two biggest recipients were Republicans Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, ($48,000) and Rudy Giuiani, the former mayor of New York ($366,000). Sorry, guys-Barack's already married. But I'm sure he appreciates the support.
Obama, whose website features an "Academics for Obama" page, raised nearly $1.5 million in the first half of the year from people who work for colleges and universities, according to an analysis of campaign finance data by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. And that's 55 percent more than the $939,000 brought in by the next biggest professor's pet, fellow democratic senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.
The next two biggest recipients were Republicans Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, ($48,000) and Rudy Giuiani, the former mayor of New York ($366,000). Sorry, guys-Barack's already married. But I'm sure he appreciates the support.
The Next Ground Zero?
Hopefully this is just a scare. NEW YORK (Reuters)-Police manned checkpoints and set up radiological monitoring equipment in Manhattan and the city's other boroughs over the weekend in response to unverified threats by al Qaeda on the Internet of dirty bomb attacks.
The moves stemmed from an "unverified radiological threat," a police department statement said, adding that the city's alert status remained at "orange" and stressing the increased security was precautionary.
The checkpoints went up Friday night and continued on Saturday at transit points into and out of Manhattan including the Holland tunnel, which connects lower Manhattan with New Jersey. Lately it seems that many New Yorkers have forgotten that there are real bad guys out there. Here's hoping this isn't the real thing.
The moves stemmed from an "unverified radiological threat," a police department statement said, adding that the city's alert status remained at "orange" and stressing the increased security was precautionary.
The checkpoints went up Friday night and continued on Saturday at transit points into and out of Manhattan including the Holland tunnel, which connects lower Manhattan with New Jersey. Lately it seems that many New Yorkers have forgotten that there are real bad guys out there. Here's hoping this isn't the real thing.
They Love Only Gold
First the Blue Helmets get booty, then they get more booty.
The BBC has obtained an internal UN report examining allegations of gold smuggling by Pakistani peacekeepets in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It concluded that Pakistani officers provided armed escorts, hospitality and food to gold smugglers in east Congo.
The confidential report recommended the case be referred to Islamabad for appropriate action against the troops. Hey, all that bribe money's gotta come from somewhere...
The BBC has obtained an internal UN report examining allegations of gold smuggling by Pakistani peacekeepets in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
It concluded that Pakistani officers provided armed escorts, hospitality and food to gold smugglers in east Congo.
The confidential report recommended the case be referred to Islamabad for appropriate action against the troops. Hey, all that bribe money's gotta come from somewhere...
Friday, August 10, 2007
Pocketful Of Change
One man's hypocrite is another man's Governor. WASHINGTON-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer was elected last year as a reformer and proclaimed soon after winning that he would "unilaterally disarm" from big money contributions, but a look at state board of election data reveals a very different story.
The latest financial disclosure reports by Spitzer 2010, the governor's re-election campaign, to the New York State Board of Elections reveals that Spitzer has received at least 226 donations of $10,000 or more from a variety of influential New Uork individuals, law firms, corporate partnerships and political action committees and labor unions.
These donations were made even though Spitzer is still in only the first year of his first term as the Empire State's chief executive. Well, I'm sure he would be the first to claim that it's not really his money; he's just holding it for the people. Kind of like how Michael Moore doesn't own any stock, just his foundation does.
The latest financial disclosure reports by Spitzer 2010, the governor's re-election campaign, to the New York State Board of Elections reveals that Spitzer has received at least 226 donations of $10,000 or more from a variety of influential New Uork individuals, law firms, corporate partnerships and political action committees and labor unions.
These donations were made even though Spitzer is still in only the first year of his first term as the Empire State's chief executive. Well, I'm sure he would be the first to claim that it's not really his money; he's just holding it for the people. Kind of like how Michael Moore doesn't own any stock, just his foundation does.
They Set Him Up The Bomb
Once again, we have an example of how "Tolerant" the animal-rights movement is. THE HOME OF DR. ARTHUR ROSENBAUM isn't hard to find. He lives a few blocks south of Sunset Boulevard, near the UCLA campus, in a white two-story house with a front yard jammed with aspen trees. There is a short driveway on the side of the home, and during the evening, a bright, white light illuminates the carport. If someone wants to sabotage the doctor's car under the cover of night, a flashlight isn't needed.
On Sunday, June 24, just that kind of person struck. Rosenbaum, a highly regarded pediatric ophthalmologist who had been regularly harassed by animal-rights activists for his research work with cats and rhesus monkeys at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, noticed a device underneath his luxury sedan. The bomb squad was dispatched to the scene and hauled away a makeshift-but deadly-explosive. A faulty fuse was the only reason it didn't go off.
Three days later, the so-called Animal Liberation Brigade sent a typo-riddled "communique" to the North American Animal Liberation Press Office in Los Angeles. It was posted on the NAALPO Web site:
"130am on the twenty forth of june: 1 gallon of fuel was placed and set a light under the right front corner of Arthur Rosenbaums large white shiny BMW.
"He and his wife..., living at... in la, are the target of rebellion for the vile and evil things he does to primates at UCLA. We have seen by our own eyes the torture on fully concious primates in his lab. We have heard their whimpers and screeches of pain. Seeing this drove one of us to rush out and vomit. We have seen hell and its in Rosenbaums lab.
"Rosenbaum, you need to watch your back because next time you are in the operating room or walking to your office you just might be facing injections into your eyes like the primates, you sick twisted fuck.
"Demonstrators need to realize that just demonstrating won't stop this kind of evil. Look up Arthur Rosenbaum to find out about his experiment from two thousand four threw two thousand seven. 'animal liberation brigade"
Rosenbaum wouldn't comment. In an e-mail, he wrote, "I have been asked by law enforcement to not discuss any events surrounding the incident at this time. I look forward to doing so in the future." According to a Bel-Air Patrol guard, though, the doctor's neighbors are "jumpy." Sick and twisted? These Animal Liberation nutbars should take a good look in the mirror.
On Sunday, June 24, just that kind of person struck. Rosenbaum, a highly regarded pediatric ophthalmologist who had been regularly harassed by animal-rights activists for his research work with cats and rhesus monkeys at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA, noticed a device underneath his luxury sedan. The bomb squad was dispatched to the scene and hauled away a makeshift-but deadly-explosive. A faulty fuse was the only reason it didn't go off.
Three days later, the so-called Animal Liberation Brigade sent a typo-riddled "communique" to the North American Animal Liberation Press Office in Los Angeles. It was posted on the NAALPO Web site:
"130am on the twenty forth of june: 1 gallon of fuel was placed and set a light under the right front corner of Arthur Rosenbaums large white shiny BMW.
"He and his wife..., living at... in la, are the target of rebellion for the vile and evil things he does to primates at UCLA. We have seen by our own eyes the torture on fully concious primates in his lab. We have heard their whimpers and screeches of pain. Seeing this drove one of us to rush out and vomit. We have seen hell and its in Rosenbaums lab.
"Rosenbaum, you need to watch your back because next time you are in the operating room or walking to your office you just might be facing injections into your eyes like the primates, you sick twisted fuck.
"Demonstrators need to realize that just demonstrating won't stop this kind of evil. Look up Arthur Rosenbaum to find out about his experiment from two thousand four threw two thousand seven. 'animal liberation brigade"
Rosenbaum wouldn't comment. In an e-mail, he wrote, "I have been asked by law enforcement to not discuss any events surrounding the incident at this time. I look forward to doing so in the future." According to a Bel-Air Patrol guard, though, the doctor's neighbors are "jumpy." Sick and twisted? These Animal Liberation nutbars should take a good look in the mirror.
What Border? Oh, That Border
Now he pays attention.
The Bush administration on Friday will anounce plans to enlist state and local law enforcement in cracking down on illegal immigrants, which previously was largely a federal function, according to congressional sources.
The administration is unveiling a series of tough border control and employer enforcement measures designed to make up for security provisions that failed when Congress rejected a broad rewrite of the nation's immigration laws in June. The plans are scheduled to be announced at 10:30 a.m. by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez.
Details were provided to Capitol Hill on thursday. As part of the new measures, the secretary of Homeland Security will deliver regular "State of the Border" reports beginning this fall.
As often seems to be the case with Team Bush, they're a day late and a dollar short. I wonder if those reports will come with extra "Gut feelings?"Faking Fred
Somebody apparently really doesn't like the guy from Law And Order. (Hat tip: Newsbusters.). This is still developing apparently, but Ed Morrissey of Captain's Quarters is all over what appears to be a hare-brained smear of presumptive GOP presidential candidate and former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson. Here's an excerpt:
It doesn't take long for provocateurs to crawl out of the woodwork to attack candidates, especially stealth attacks. With Fred Thompson, they've apparently stated before he officially enters the race-and in one case, race is the operative word. Apparently hoping to confuse web surfers looking for Fred's website at www.imwithfred.com, a new site has appeared at www.imwithfred2008.com-only this site welcomes people to the Ku Klux Klan, "Bringing a Message of Hope and Deliverance to White Christian America!" It includes links to a variety of disgusting racist sites.
Who would post something like this as a smear on Fred Thompson? Someone a little too stupid to cover his tracks, possibly? A DNS search gives us an answer. The comain name, registered through GoDaddy (no great shock there), belongs to:
Henry Reynolds
500 California Ave. #5
Santa Monica, California 90403
United States
The phone number listed on the domain record, which I won't post here, goes to an answering machine for the "law offices of Henry Reynolds." I left a message asking for comment on this website, and then decided to take a look through OpenSecrets and the FEC to see if Mr. Reynolds has a history of supporting Fred Thompson, or even the KKK. Actually, it turns out that a Mr. Henry Reynolds in the same zip code working as an attorney has a small record of political donations-but in another direction:
4/6/2005-$500, MoveOn.org
9/22/2004-$500, DNC Services
4/5/2004-$250, John Kerry
FEC receipts for these donations can be found here, here, and here. They have the same address as the domain registration.
End excerpt. Well, nobody ever accused bigots of being too smart. Kudos to the Captain for catching this weirdo.
It doesn't take long for provocateurs to crawl out of the woodwork to attack candidates, especially stealth attacks. With Fred Thompson, they've apparently stated before he officially enters the race-and in one case, race is the operative word. Apparently hoping to confuse web surfers looking for Fred's website at www.imwithfred.com, a new site has appeared at www.imwithfred2008.com-only this site welcomes people to the Ku Klux Klan, "Bringing a Message of Hope and Deliverance to White Christian America!" It includes links to a variety of disgusting racist sites.
Who would post something like this as a smear on Fred Thompson? Someone a little too stupid to cover his tracks, possibly? A DNS search gives us an answer. The comain name, registered through GoDaddy (no great shock there), belongs to:
Henry Reynolds
500 California Ave. #5
Santa Monica, California 90403
United States
The phone number listed on the domain record, which I won't post here, goes to an answering machine for the "law offices of Henry Reynolds." I left a message asking for comment on this website, and then decided to take a look through OpenSecrets and the FEC to see if Mr. Reynolds has a history of supporting Fred Thompson, or even the KKK. Actually, it turns out that a Mr. Henry Reynolds in the same zip code working as an attorney has a small record of political donations-but in another direction:
4/6/2005-$500, MoveOn.org
9/22/2004-$500, DNC Services
4/5/2004-$250, John Kerry
FEC receipts for these donations can be found here, here, and here. They have the same address as the domain registration.
End excerpt. Well, nobody ever accused bigots of being too smart. Kudos to the Captain for catching this weirdo.
Murder By Numbers
Well, they do say "Write what you know." THE media call it the "Murder, He Wrote" trial and it is captivating Polish society in a long hot summer. The case concerns an esteemed author on trial for a murder which provided the plot for one of his novels.
Prosecutors claim Krystian Bala killed a friend of his ex-wife and then used details of the crime for his best-seller, Amok. They say descriptions of the ropes used to bind his victim, the torture he suffered before death and the manner in which his life ended were retold in a thriller.
Compounding his guilt, claim the prosecution, was the fat that Bala even sent a copy of the novel to the attorney general in Warsaw, as if he was taunting the authorities to arrest him. Ultimately, they did and now he could face up to 25 years in jail if found guilty of murdering Darius Jerzesky. Wow. I wonder if OJ gave him pointers as part of his "Research?"
Prosecutors claim Krystian Bala killed a friend of his ex-wife and then used details of the crime for his best-seller, Amok. They say descriptions of the ropes used to bind his victim, the torture he suffered before death and the manner in which his life ended were retold in a thriller.
Compounding his guilt, claim the prosecution, was the fat that Bala even sent a copy of the novel to the attorney general in Warsaw, as if he was taunting the authorities to arrest him. Ultimately, they did and now he could face up to 25 years in jail if found guilty of murdering Darius Jerzesky. Wow. I wonder if OJ gave him pointers as part of his "Research?"
Super Genius
If this is an example of intelligence, I'm glad I'm just a dumb Flyover Country person.
Sydney, Australia (AHN)-In Australia to promote the latest of the Bourne films, Matt Damon-star of "The Bourne Ultimatum" said Hollywood is just getting better.
The Hollywood star told Sydney Morning Herald, "I think films have gotten better since everything started to go off the rails a few years ago. Suddenly all these people are coming out with things to say."
Damon said filmmakers were making smarter movies that grappled with contemporary political issues, including two he had acted in-"Syriana" and "The Good Shepherd."
In the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, Damon is supporting the Democrat contender Barack Obama. "[George] Clooney called him and said, 'Senator, I'd like to support you in any way I can, including staying home-because you never know how the Right in our country is going to characterize [one's] participation." Ah yes, those evil conservatives taking everything out of context again. Hey, George and Damon-we're not the ones shooting our mouths off to get some free publicity.
Sydney, Australia (AHN)-In Australia to promote the latest of the Bourne films, Matt Damon-star of "The Bourne Ultimatum" said Hollywood is just getting better.
The Hollywood star told Sydney Morning Herald, "I think films have gotten better since everything started to go off the rails a few years ago. Suddenly all these people are coming out with things to say."
Damon said filmmakers were making smarter movies that grappled with contemporary political issues, including two he had acted in-"Syriana" and "The Good Shepherd."
In the upcoming U.S. presidential elections, Damon is supporting the Democrat contender Barack Obama. "[George] Clooney called him and said, 'Senator, I'd like to support you in any way I can, including staying home-because you never know how the Right in our country is going to characterize [one's] participation." Ah yes, those evil conservatives taking everything out of context again. Hey, George and Damon-we're not the ones shooting our mouths off to get some free publicity.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Ricky's Playhouse
First it was Madonna shopping for kids. Now it's this guy.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico-Ricky Martin wants kids-perhaps adpoting "one from each continent" if possible.
"it's something we want to begin to create this year, a family of many colors," the 35-year-old pop star told reporters Wednesday in Puerto Rico, where he is scheduled to perform this weekend.
Martin, who isn't married, said he doesn't expect special treatment in the adoption process.
"I want to do it right," he said. "I don't want any problems or misunderstandings...Some think as celebrities we can manipulate the system to have a quicker adoption." Gee, why would anybody think that?
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico-Ricky Martin wants kids-perhaps adpoting "one from each continent" if possible.
"it's something we want to begin to create this year, a family of many colors," the 35-year-old pop star told reporters Wednesday in Puerto Rico, where he is scheduled to perform this weekend.
Martin, who isn't married, said he doesn't expect special treatment in the adoption process.
"I want to do it right," he said. "I don't want any problems or misunderstandings...Some think as celebrities we can manipulate the system to have a quicker adoption." Gee, why would anybody think that?
Change Of Heart?
Somebody check the temperature in Hell. I think it's suddenly gotten a lot colder there.
WASHINGTON (AP)-One senator said U.S. troops are routing out al-Qaida in parts of Iraq. Another insisted President Bish's plan to increase troops has caused tactical momentum.
One even went so far on Wednesday as to say the argument could be made that U.S. troops are winning.
These are not Bush-backing GOP die-hards, but Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin, Bob Casey and Jack Reed. Even Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, said progress was being made by soldiers.
The suggestions by them and other Democrats in recent days that at least a portion of Bush's strategy in Iraq is working is somewhat surprising, considering the bitter exchanges on Capitol Hill between the Democratic majority and Republicans and Bush. Democrats have long said Bush's policies have been nothing more than a complete failure. Well, not just Democrats. But if these guys are sincere, then that's good news. On the other hand, they may simply be trying to shore up their pro-troop credentials if a Democrat becomes President and decides, as he/she most likely will, to keep US troops in Iraq "for now." Still, it sounds like the surge may indeed be working if these guys are saying so.
WASHINGTON (AP)-One senator said U.S. troops are routing out al-Qaida in parts of Iraq. Another insisted President Bish's plan to increase troops has caused tactical momentum.
One even went so far on Wednesday as to say the argument could be made that U.S. troops are winning.
These are not Bush-backing GOP die-hards, but Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin, Bob Casey and Jack Reed. Even Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, said progress was being made by soldiers.
The suggestions by them and other Democrats in recent days that at least a portion of Bush's strategy in Iraq is working is somewhat surprising, considering the bitter exchanges on Capitol Hill between the Democratic majority and Republicans and Bush. Democrats have long said Bush's policies have been nothing more than a complete failure. Well, not just Democrats. But if these guys are sincere, then that's good news. On the other hand, they may simply be trying to shore up their pro-troop credentials if a Democrat becomes President and decides, as he/she most likely will, to keep US troops in Iraq "for now." Still, it sounds like the surge may indeed be working if these guys are saying so.
All The News That's Fit To Be Slanted
Here's one poll that won't get much attention from the MSM.
More than half of Americans say US news organizations are politically biased, inaccurate, and don't care about the people they report on, a poll published Thursday showed.
And poll respondents who use the Internet as their main source of news-roughly one quarter of all Americans-were even harsher with their criticism, the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center said.
More than two-thirds of the Internet users said they felt that news organizations don't care about the people they report on; 59 percent said their reporting was inaccurate; and 64 percent they were politically biased. The MSM dinosaurs would never admit they were biased, of course. They'll just keep ignoring those furry little mammals that keep getting underfoot until it's too late.
More than half of Americans say US news organizations are politically biased, inaccurate, and don't care about the people they report on, a poll published Thursday showed.
And poll respondents who use the Internet as their main source of news-roughly one quarter of all Americans-were even harsher with their criticism, the poll conducted by the Pew Research Center said.
More than two-thirds of the Internet users said they felt that news organizations don't care about the people they report on; 59 percent said their reporting was inaccurate; and 64 percent they were politically biased. The MSM dinosaurs would never admit they were biased, of course. They'll just keep ignoring those furry little mammals that keep getting underfoot until it's too late.
Slip Slidin' Away
This is what you get when you can't pay your bills. NEW YORK (AP)-Wall Street's deepening fears about a spreading credit crunch sent stocks plunging again Thursday, with the Dow Jones industrials extending their series of triple-digit swings and falling more than 380 points. The catalyst for the market's latest skid: a French bank's announcement that it was freezing three funds that invested in U.S. subprime markets.
The announcement by BNP Paribas raised the specter of a widening impact of U.S. credit market problems. The idea that anyone-institutions, investors, companies, individuals-can't get money when they need it unnerved a stock market that has suffered through weeks of volatility triggered by concerns about tight credit and bad subprime mortgages.
A move by the European Central Bank to provide more cash to money markets intensified Wall Street's angst. Although the bank's loan of more than $130 billion in overnight funds to banks at a low rate of 4 percent was intended to calm investors, Wall Street saw it as confirmation of the credit markets' problems. It was the ECB'S biggest injection ever.
The Federal Reserve added a larger-than-normal $24 billion in temporary reserves to the U.S. banking system. I smell a recession next year if this keeps up. Fasten your seat belts, we're in for a bumpy ride.
The announcement by BNP Paribas raised the specter of a widening impact of U.S. credit market problems. The idea that anyone-institutions, investors, companies, individuals-can't get money when they need it unnerved a stock market that has suffered through weeks of volatility triggered by concerns about tight credit and bad subprime mortgages.
A move by the European Central Bank to provide more cash to money markets intensified Wall Street's angst. Although the bank's loan of more than $130 billion in overnight funds to banks at a low rate of 4 percent was intended to calm investors, Wall Street saw it as confirmation of the credit markets' problems. It was the ECB'S biggest injection ever.
The Federal Reserve added a larger-than-normal $24 billion in temporary reserves to the U.S. banking system. I smell a recession next year if this keeps up. Fasten your seat belts, we're in for a bumpy ride.
One Bullet And Change
I don't like panhandlers either, but come on.
QUEENSGATE-He took a bullet over 25 cents.
Donald Francis, who police believe was homeless, stood outside the Marathon station at Eighth and Linn streets late Monday night, asking people for money.
That annoyed Geraldine Beasley so much, Chief Tom Streicher said, that she shot and killed Francis when he approached her.
"He asked her for a quarter," the chief said Tuesday.
Beasley, 62, of Walnut Hills, complained to someone else at the scene about the panhandling, Streigher said. Then, he said, when Francis asked her for money, she pulled out a gun and fired.
"That's apparently all there was to it," the chief said.
Beasley was charged with murder after police collected evidence at the scene and spoke to witnesses and Beasley, court documents said.
Beasley was in court today and ordered held on a $500,000 bond. Her attorney, Mass Ionna, told Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Fanon Rucker that his client has mental issues. Wow...what was his first clue?
QUEENSGATE-He took a bullet over 25 cents.
Donald Francis, who police believe was homeless, stood outside the Marathon station at Eighth and Linn streets late Monday night, asking people for money.
That annoyed Geraldine Beasley so much, Chief Tom Streicher said, that she shot and killed Francis when he approached her.
"He asked her for a quarter," the chief said Tuesday.
Beasley, 62, of Walnut Hills, complained to someone else at the scene about the panhandling, Streigher said. Then, he said, when Francis asked her for money, she pulled out a gun and fired.
"That's apparently all there was to it," the chief said.
Beasley was charged with murder after police collected evidence at the scene and spoke to witnesses and Beasley, court documents said.
Beasley was in court today and ordered held on a $500,000 bond. Her attorney, Mass Ionna, told Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge Fanon Rucker that his client has mental issues. Wow...what was his first clue?
Under The Bridge
Let's see how long it takes for Bush to get blamed for this one. Freeway workers don't know what made a bridge under construction in Mesa collapse Thursday, sending 52-ton concrete girders tumbling onto the dirt and into a canal below.
No one was injured in the accident that occured about 8:30 a.m. on the Loop 202 near Power Road in northeast Mesa.
The contractor, Pulice Construction, Inc., will lead an investigation how nine of 11 beams laying horizontally atop the 25-foot bridge rolled off after three weeks of sitting atop pier caps awaiting a diaphragm to link them together. Just ask Harry Ried. I'm sure he'll tell you whose fault it was...
No one was injured in the accident that occured about 8:30 a.m. on the Loop 202 near Power Road in northeast Mesa.
The contractor, Pulice Construction, Inc., will lead an investigation how nine of 11 beams laying horizontally atop the 25-foot bridge rolled off after three weeks of sitting atop pier caps awaiting a diaphragm to link them together. Just ask Harry Ried. I'm sure he'll tell you whose fault it was...
It's The Movement, Stupid
This pretty much sums up all that is wrong with the Right these days.
Republicans have also whipped up a storm of opposition among middle-of-the-road voters on social issues. The religious right's opposittion to abortion has always been an electoral liability; only 30% of voters favour overturning Roe v. Wade. But in the past few years social conservatives have tested peoples' patience still further over a federal marriage amendment and Terri Schiavo. Fully 72% of Republican voters opposed the Republicans' attempt to use the might of the federal government to keep the brain-dead woman alive. The voters got their revenge in the 2006 mid-term elections-"bloody Tuesday" in the words of Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group. Rick Santorum, once the religious right's most prominent champion in the Senate, barely scraped 41% of the vote in Pennsylvania. Ken Blackwell, social conservatism's most prominent black champion, went down to a humiliating defeat in the race for the Ohio governorship. Social conservatives lost ballot initiatives on everything from abortion to gay marriage.
Why the conservative crack-up? The obvious cause of the right's implosion is the implosion of the Bush presidency. Mr Bush has the worst approval ratings since Jimmy Carter-29% according to Newsweek and 31% according to NBC News. Only 19% of Americans think that America is headed in the right direction under Mr Bush. An astonishing 45% of Americans, including 13% of Republicans, support impeaching Mr Bush, according to the American Research Group.
The most obvious cause of the implosion of the Bush presidency is the disaster in Iraq. The Republican Party's biggest advantage over the Democrats has long been on foreign and defence policy. You voted Democratic if you cared about schools and hospitals. But you voted republican if you cared more about keeping America safe in a dangerous world. September 11th 2001 turbo-charged that advantage. The Republicans used the "war on terror" to roll over the Democrats in elections in 2002 and again in 2004.
But the war in Iraq has buried this vital advantage under a mound of discredited hype ("mission accomplished") and mind-boggling incompetence. A CBS News/New York Times poll found that only 25% of people approved of Mr Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq. An ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 63% of respondents did not trust the Bush administration to report honestly about possible threats from other countries. The damage is not limited to the Bush administration: a Rasmussen poll on July 25th-26th found that Mrs Clinton outscores Mr Giuliani as the candidate voters trust most on national security.
Mr Bush has also presided over the biggest expansion in government spending since his fellow Texan, Lyndon Johnson, provoking fury on the right. His prescription-drug benefit was the largest expansion of government entitlements in 40 years. He has increased federal education spedning by about 60% and added some 7,000 pages of new federal regulations. Pat Toomey, the head of the Club for Growth, says the conservative base feels "disgust with what appears to be a complete abandonment of limited government."
(snip) This desire to pander to the conservative movement is partly to blame for the administration's practical incompetence. Mr Bush outdid previous Republican presidents in recruting his personnel from the conservative counter-extablishment. But this often meant choosing people for their ideological purity rather than their competence or intelligence. Some 150 Bush administration officials were graduates of Pat Robertson's Regent University, including Monica goldberg, who put on such a lamentable performance before a House inquiry into the firing of nine US attorneys. A more pragmatic president would surely have sacked many of the neoconservative ideologues who have made a hash of American foreign policy. Ideology over intelligence, and pandering over pragmatism. That's the Bush legacy, ladies and gentlebeings.
Republicans have also whipped up a storm of opposition among middle-of-the-road voters on social issues. The religious right's opposittion to abortion has always been an electoral liability; only 30% of voters favour overturning Roe v. Wade. But in the past few years social conservatives have tested peoples' patience still further over a federal marriage amendment and Terri Schiavo. Fully 72% of Republican voters opposed the Republicans' attempt to use the might of the federal government to keep the brain-dead woman alive. The voters got their revenge in the 2006 mid-term elections-"bloody Tuesday" in the words of Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescue, an anti-abortion group. Rick Santorum, once the religious right's most prominent champion in the Senate, barely scraped 41% of the vote in Pennsylvania. Ken Blackwell, social conservatism's most prominent black champion, went down to a humiliating defeat in the race for the Ohio governorship. Social conservatives lost ballot initiatives on everything from abortion to gay marriage.
Why the conservative crack-up? The obvious cause of the right's implosion is the implosion of the Bush presidency. Mr Bush has the worst approval ratings since Jimmy Carter-29% according to Newsweek and 31% according to NBC News. Only 19% of Americans think that America is headed in the right direction under Mr Bush. An astonishing 45% of Americans, including 13% of Republicans, support impeaching Mr Bush, according to the American Research Group.
The most obvious cause of the implosion of the Bush presidency is the disaster in Iraq. The Republican Party's biggest advantage over the Democrats has long been on foreign and defence policy. You voted Democratic if you cared about schools and hospitals. But you voted republican if you cared more about keeping America safe in a dangerous world. September 11th 2001 turbo-charged that advantage. The Republicans used the "war on terror" to roll over the Democrats in elections in 2002 and again in 2004.
But the war in Iraq has buried this vital advantage under a mound of discredited hype ("mission accomplished") and mind-boggling incompetence. A CBS News/New York Times poll found that only 25% of people approved of Mr Bush's handling of the situation in Iraq. An ABC News/Washington Post poll found that 63% of respondents did not trust the Bush administration to report honestly about possible threats from other countries. The damage is not limited to the Bush administration: a Rasmussen poll on July 25th-26th found that Mrs Clinton outscores Mr Giuliani as the candidate voters trust most on national security.
Mr Bush has also presided over the biggest expansion in government spending since his fellow Texan, Lyndon Johnson, provoking fury on the right. His prescription-drug benefit was the largest expansion of government entitlements in 40 years. He has increased federal education spedning by about 60% and added some 7,000 pages of new federal regulations. Pat Toomey, the head of the Club for Growth, says the conservative base feels "disgust with what appears to be a complete abandonment of limited government."
(snip) This desire to pander to the conservative movement is partly to blame for the administration's practical incompetence. Mr Bush outdid previous Republican presidents in recruting his personnel from the conservative counter-extablishment. But this often meant choosing people for their ideological purity rather than their competence or intelligence. Some 150 Bush administration officials were graduates of Pat Robertson's Regent University, including Monica goldberg, who put on such a lamentable performance before a House inquiry into the firing of nine US attorneys. A more pragmatic president would surely have sacked many of the neoconservative ideologues who have made a hash of American foreign policy. Ideology over intelligence, and pandering over pragmatism. That's the Bush legacy, ladies and gentlebeings.
Let Us Spray
Well whaddya know. Our grandparents were right after all. WASHINGTON (Reuters)-Mosquitos that carry malaria, dengue fever and yellow fever avoid homes that have been sprayed with DDT, researchers reported yesterday.
The chemical not only repels the disease-carrying insects physically, but its irritant and toxic properties helps keep them away, the researchers reported in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE.
They estimate that DDT spray reduced the risk of disease transmission by nearly three-quarters. Yes, but DDT helps people, who are bad for the environment. And every good environmentalist knows anything that helps protect people has to be banned.
The chemical not only repels the disease-carrying insects physically, but its irritant and toxic properties helps keep them away, the researchers reported in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS ONE.
They estimate that DDT spray reduced the risk of disease transmission by nearly three-quarters. Yes, but DDT helps people, who are bad for the environment. And every good environmentalist knows anything that helps protect people has to be banned.
Home On The Subprime Range
Homeowners are discovering that real estate and social engineering don't mix. In short, government has been the principal factor preventing the "affordable housing" that politicians talk about so much.
Politicians have also been a key factor behind pushing lenders to lend to borrowers with lower prospects of being able to repay their loans.
The Community Reinvestment Act lets politicians pressure lenders to make loans to people they might not lend to otherwise-and the same politicians are quick to cry "exploitation" when the interest charged to high-risk borrowers reflects that risk.
The huge losses of subprime lenders, some of whom have gone bankrupt, demonstrate again the consequences of letting politicians try to micro-manage the economy. Well, lefties have a solution to that problem-ban private property! Of course you'll have to live in a drab apartment complex and share community toilet paper, but at least everybody would be "Equal," right?
Politicians have also been a key factor behind pushing lenders to lend to borrowers with lower prospects of being able to repay their loans.
The Community Reinvestment Act lets politicians pressure lenders to make loans to people they might not lend to otherwise-and the same politicians are quick to cry "exploitation" when the interest charged to high-risk borrowers reflects that risk.
The huge losses of subprime lenders, some of whom have gone bankrupt, demonstrate again the consequences of letting politicians try to micro-manage the economy. Well, lefties have a solution to that problem-ban private property! Of course you'll have to live in a drab apartment complex and share community toilet paper, but at least everybody would be "Equal," right?
Der Fuhrer's Playlist
You will be shocked to learn that old Shicklegruber was a hypocrite when it came to his favorite tunes.
BERLIN-Adolf Hitler, the most notorious champion of Richard Wagner and "racially pure" German music, banished Jewish and Russian musicians from the condert halls of the Third Reich-but apparently listened secretly to their work.
New light has been shed on the Nazi leader's musical tastes by the discovery of what are said to be a hundred of his gramophone records found in the attic of a former Soviet intelligence officer, Lev Besymenski.
"There were classical recordings, performed by the best orchestras of Europe and Germany with the best soloists of the age, " Mr Besymenski said in a document explaining how the records came into his possession. I'm sure that today's lefties, who share many of Mein Fuhrer's traits (he was a vegan, too) will be glad to know that they're carrying on his tradition of do as I say, not as I do.
BERLIN-Adolf Hitler, the most notorious champion of Richard Wagner and "racially pure" German music, banished Jewish and Russian musicians from the condert halls of the Third Reich-but apparently listened secretly to their work.
New light has been shed on the Nazi leader's musical tastes by the discovery of what are said to be a hundred of his gramophone records found in the attic of a former Soviet intelligence officer, Lev Besymenski.
"There were classical recordings, performed by the best orchestras of Europe and Germany with the best soloists of the age, " Mr Besymenski said in a document explaining how the records came into his possession. I'm sure that today's lefties, who share many of Mein Fuhrer's traits (he was a vegan, too) will be glad to know that they're carrying on his tradition of do as I say, not as I do.
Will The Real Cowards Please Shut Up
I don't agree with Hugh Hewitt on some things, but here he nails left-wing hypocrisy in all its phoniness. Steamed over the congressional voting regarding the much-needed FISA reforms, Markos Moulitsas published a characteristically intemperate blog post where he called all the Democrats who voted with the Republican minority on the issue "cowards." Wrote Markos,
For a bunch of people who want to strut around acting "tough", this crowd sure ran around like a whipped puppy once Big Bad Mr. 25% said "boo!" Scary!
Of course this is shameful and ridiculous, but it's also a helpful reminder that our efforts to transform out Democratic Party continue to be a long-term project.
Among the shameful company of solons who "strut around acting tough" but are closet cowards in Markos' view is James Webb. Yes, you read that right. Markos Moulitsas called war-hero and authentic tough guy Jim Webb a coward because they disagree on FISA. Well, I don't much care for Bush's version of FISA either, but it just goes to show how off the beam the Kos crew are. In their minds, anyone who's not to the left of Fidel Castro is a closet conservative and a "Coward."
For a bunch of people who want to strut around acting "tough", this crowd sure ran around like a whipped puppy once Big Bad Mr. 25% said "boo!" Scary!
Of course this is shameful and ridiculous, but it's also a helpful reminder that our efforts to transform out Democratic Party continue to be a long-term project.
Among the shameful company of solons who "strut around acting tough" but are closet cowards in Markos' view is James Webb. Yes, you read that right. Markos Moulitsas called war-hero and authentic tough guy Jim Webb a coward because they disagree on FISA. Well, I don't much care for Bush's version of FISA either, but it just goes to show how off the beam the Kos crew are. In their minds, anyone who's not to the left of Fidel Castro is a closet conservative and a "Coward."
God Help Us All
For the sake of Western civilization, I pray that this never sees the light of day. The strange series of events doesn't appear to end there.
Barr has posted another message on RoseanneWorld.com, claiming that the former intern has stolen a "private sex tape" from her.
"I am offering $25,000 for it's return (unless someone would like to distribute it-then I am willing to deal). The rumor says that Perez Hilton knows who took it," Barr said in the most recent post on the site.
"While Barr is denying the "drunken" posts on her MySpace page, on her Aug. 5 post on her RoseanneWorld site, titled, "In English," Barr describes herself as "drunk as a f--ing skunk." Please, for the love of God, don't let the tape show up on YouTube!
Barr has posted another message on RoseanneWorld.com, claiming that the former intern has stolen a "private sex tape" from her.
"I am offering $25,000 for it's return (unless someone would like to distribute it-then I am willing to deal). The rumor says that Perez Hilton knows who took it," Barr said in the most recent post on the site.
"While Barr is denying the "drunken" posts on her MySpace page, on her Aug. 5 post on her RoseanneWorld site, titled, "In English," Barr describes herself as "drunk as a f--ing skunk." Please, for the love of God, don't let the tape show up on YouTube!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
The Streak
Now this is what I call "Baring" your soul. FREDERICK, Colo.-A Catholic priest faces an indecent exposure charge after police said he went jogging in the nude about an hour before sunrise.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey told officers he had been running naked at a high school track and didn't think anyone would be around at that time of day, a police report said.
He told officers he sweats profusely if he wears clothing while jogging. "I know what I did was wrong," he said in the report. Well, they say Man was created in God's image. I don't think even God would have wanted to see that much of His image.
The Rev. Robert Whipkey told officers he had been running naked at a high school track and didn't think anyone would be around at that time of day, a police report said.
He told officers he sweats profusely if he wears clothing while jogging. "I know what I did was wrong," he said in the report. Well, they say Man was created in God's image. I don't think even God would have wanted to see that much of His image.
Missing The Monkey
Well, this could have happened to anybody.
NEW YORK-A man smuggled a monkey onto an airplane Tuesday, stashing the furry fist-sized primate under his hat until passengers spotted it perched on his ponytail, an airline official said.
The monkey escapade began in Lima, Peru, late Monday, when the man boarded a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said Spirit Airlines spokeswoman Alison Russell. After landing Tuesday morning, the man waited several hours before catching a connecting flight to LaGuarid Airport.
During the flight, people around the man noticed that the marmoset, which normally lives in forests and eats fruit and insects, had emerged from underneath his hat, Russell said.
"Other passengers asked the man if he knew he had a monkey on him," she said. The monkey later apologized for trying to wear a hat on its rear end. It eventually went to business school and is now the president of the Fox network.
NEW YORK-A man smuggled a monkey onto an airplane Tuesday, stashing the furry fist-sized primate under his hat until passengers spotted it perched on his ponytail, an airline official said.
The monkey escapade began in Lima, Peru, late Monday, when the man boarded a flight to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., said Spirit Airlines spokeswoman Alison Russell. After landing Tuesday morning, the man waited several hours before catching a connecting flight to LaGuarid Airport.
During the flight, people around the man noticed that the marmoset, which normally lives in forests and eats fruit and insects, had emerged from underneath his hat, Russell said.
"Other passengers asked the man if he knew he had a monkey on him," she said. The monkey later apologized for trying to wear a hat on its rear end. It eventually went to business school and is now the president of the Fox network.
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Tit For Tat
See what happens when you alienate your allies? US business travellers and tourists flying to the European Union are facing the threat of the same laborious registration requirements that Washington has demanded of Europeans in the latest US security crackdown.
In its first reaction to the new US visa law, the European Commission said it was "considering" a so-called electronic traveller authorisation scheme-similar to the American plan-that would require foreigners heading to the EU to give notice of their travel plans before departure.
The threat has been conveyed to senior US officials and lawmakers, with one letter sent last month stressing that a European system would "of course operate on a reciprocal basis." Now, I can't stand the EU and normally I would tell them to go stuff themselves, but this is symptomatic of everything that'w wrong with Team Bush. You don't win a War On Terror by deciding that nobody else but you is allowed to play.
In its first reaction to the new US visa law, the European Commission said it was "considering" a so-called electronic traveller authorisation scheme-similar to the American plan-that would require foreigners heading to the EU to give notice of their travel plans before departure.
The threat has been conveyed to senior US officials and lawmakers, with one letter sent last month stressing that a European system would "of course operate on a reciprocal basis." Now, I can't stand the EU and normally I would tell them to go stuff themselves, but this is symptomatic of everything that'w wrong with Team Bush. You don't win a War On Terror by deciding that nobody else but you is allowed to play.
Her Life As A Dog
I guess there's not enough real crime in the Big Apple these days. The New York City Council, which drew national headlines when it passed a symbolic citywide ban earlier this year on the use of the so-called n-word, has turned its linguistic (and legislative) lance toward a different slur: bitch.
The term is hateful and deeply sexist, said Councilwoman Darlene Mealy of Brooklyn, who has introduced a measure against the word, saying it creates "a paradigm of shame and indignity" for all women.
But conversations over the last week indicate that the "b-word" (as it is referred to in the legislation) enjoys a surprisingly strong currency-and even some defenders-among many New Yorkers.
And Ms. Mealy admitted that the city's political ruling class can be guilty of its use. As she circulated her proposal, she said, "even council members are saying that they use it to their wives."
The measure, which 19 of the 51 council members have signed onto, was prompted in part by the frequent use of the word in hip-hop music. Ten rappers were cited in the legislation, along with an excerpt from an 1811 dictionary that defined the word as "A she dog, or doggess; the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman." I suppose next they'll want to ban the words "Ass" and "Hole," even though by themselves they're fairly innocuous. So how are New Yorkers supposed to say anything to rude cab drivers these days?
The term is hateful and deeply sexist, said Councilwoman Darlene Mealy of Brooklyn, who has introduced a measure against the word, saying it creates "a paradigm of shame and indignity" for all women.
But conversations over the last week indicate that the "b-word" (as it is referred to in the legislation) enjoys a surprisingly strong currency-and even some defenders-among many New Yorkers.
And Ms. Mealy admitted that the city's political ruling class can be guilty of its use. As she circulated her proposal, she said, "even council members are saying that they use it to their wives."
The measure, which 19 of the 51 council members have signed onto, was prompted in part by the frequent use of the word in hip-hop music. Ten rappers were cited in the legislation, along with an excerpt from an 1811 dictionary that defined the word as "A she dog, or doggess; the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman." I suppose next they'll want to ban the words "Ass" and "Hole," even though by themselves they're fairly innocuous. So how are New Yorkers supposed to say anything to rude cab drivers these days?
Keyes To The Kingdom (Or The Looney Bin)
Oh, joy. The "Real Conservative's" followers are coming to town. AMES-Supporters of Alan Keyes plan to attend the Iowa Straw Poll Aug. 11, to get Keyes' name before the public as a possible Republican presidential candidate.
"We Need Alan Keyes for President," an organization of grassroots volunteers conducting a petition drive to draft Keyes, will hand out literature, donation forms, and sign-up sheets and show video clips of the former Reagan administration diplomat.
Keyes-who in 2000 drew 14 percent in the Iowa Caucus and averaged 16 percent in his best ten states during the presidential primaries-says he is open to the possibility of running, if enough support exists at the grassroots for his candidacy. I'm sorry, Mr. Keyes, but I don't think a neighbor's basement really qualifies as a grassroots campaign headquarters-just ask Pat Buchanan.
"We Need Alan Keyes for President," an organization of grassroots volunteers conducting a petition drive to draft Keyes, will hand out literature, donation forms, and sign-up sheets and show video clips of the former Reagan administration diplomat.
Keyes-who in 2000 drew 14 percent in the Iowa Caucus and averaged 16 percent in his best ten states during the presidential primaries-says he is open to the possibility of running, if enough support exists at the grassroots for his candidacy. I'm sorry, Mr. Keyes, but I don't think a neighbor's basement really qualifies as a grassroots campaign headquarters-just ask Pat Buchanan.
The Lord Of War
Well, isn't this a nice development. THE Pentagon cannot account for 190,000 AK-47 rifles and pistols given to Iraqi security forces in 2004 and 2005, or about half the weapons earmarked for soldiers and police, according to a government report.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of the United States Congress, said in a report to House members that the defence department also cannot account for 135,000 items of body armour and 115,000 helmets reported to be issued to Iraqi forces as of 22 September, 2005.
This is despite the fact that even some US soldiers lacked this lfe-saving equipment, particularly in the early stages of the war.
The GAO said the Pentagon concurred with its findings and has begun a review to ensure full accountability for the programme to train and equip Iraqi forces. "However, our review of the 2007 of the 2007 property books found continuing problems with missing and incomplete records," the GAO report said.
The report raised concerns that weapons provided by the US could be falling into the hands of Iraqi insurgents, just as politicians in Washington await a report next month on the success of President George W. Bush's surge strategy for stabilising Baghdad. The old adage about the fox guarding the henhouse comes to mind. Of course, it's possible other Iraqis are just "borrowing" them and will return them in due time. And maybe monkeys will fly out of my behind.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the investigative arm of the United States Congress, said in a report to House members that the defence department also cannot account for 135,000 items of body armour and 115,000 helmets reported to be issued to Iraqi forces as of 22 September, 2005.
This is despite the fact that even some US soldiers lacked this lfe-saving equipment, particularly in the early stages of the war.
The GAO said the Pentagon concurred with its findings and has begun a review to ensure full accountability for the programme to train and equip Iraqi forces. "However, our review of the 2007 of the 2007 property books found continuing problems with missing and incomplete records," the GAO report said.
The report raised concerns that weapons provided by the US could be falling into the hands of Iraqi insurgents, just as politicians in Washington await a report next month on the success of President George W. Bush's surge strategy for stabilising Baghdad. The old adage about the fox guarding the henhouse comes to mind. Of course, it's possible other Iraqis are just "borrowing" them and will return them in due time. And maybe monkeys will fly out of my behind.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Sick Light
It's like the flashy thingy, but for stomachs.
It looks like a big flashlight-but it's really a nonlethal weapon designed to make you sick.
Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc., of Torrance, Calif., has been granted a contract by the Department of Homeland Security to develop what it calls the 'LED Incapacitator," according to a DHS online newsletter.
The handheld device using light-emitting diodes to emit super-bright pulses of light at rapidly changing wavelengths, causing disorientation, nausea and even vomiting in whomever it's pointed at.
"There's one wavelength that gets everybody," says IOS President Bob Lieberman. "Vlad [IOS top scientist Vladimir Rubstov] calls it 'the evil color.'" These could be very useful in prisons, for crowd control, etc...just be sure to have a truckload of emisis basins on hand afterwards.
It looks like a big flashlight-but it's really a nonlethal weapon designed to make you sick.
Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc., of Torrance, Calif., has been granted a contract by the Department of Homeland Security to develop what it calls the 'LED Incapacitator," according to a DHS online newsletter.
The handheld device using light-emitting diodes to emit super-bright pulses of light at rapidly changing wavelengths, causing disorientation, nausea and even vomiting in whomever it's pointed at.
"There's one wavelength that gets everybody," says IOS President Bob Lieberman. "Vlad [IOS top scientist Vladimir Rubstov] calls it 'the evil color.'" These could be very useful in prisons, for crowd control, etc...just be sure to have a truckload of emisis basins on hand afterwards.
Kid Savior
Ah, those sophisticated French.
SAINT-CENIS DE LA REUNION, La Reunion-Sixteen members of a religious cult-including a leading fugitive-were in custody on an Indian Ocean island Monday after French commandos stormed their compound and rescued a boy they allegedly kidnapped.
Police say the cult considered 12-year-old Alexandre Thelahine a "new messiah" and abductors seized him from his parents' residence in Saint-Denis de la Reunion on Friday. They escaped by car before abandoning it and switching to another vehicle.
The child was kept in a house rented by the cult, called Mary's Painful and Immaculate Heart, in the southern part of La Reunion, a popular vacation destination for tourists from the French mainland. Well, now the cult members will get to experience a Painful attempt at Immaculate Conception in a French prison. Au Revoir!
SAINT-CENIS DE LA REUNION, La Reunion-Sixteen members of a religious cult-including a leading fugitive-were in custody on an Indian Ocean island Monday after French commandos stormed their compound and rescued a boy they allegedly kidnapped.
Police say the cult considered 12-year-old Alexandre Thelahine a "new messiah" and abductors seized him from his parents' residence in Saint-Denis de la Reunion on Friday. They escaped by car before abandoning it and switching to another vehicle.
The child was kept in a house rented by the cult, called Mary's Painful and Immaculate Heart, in the southern part of La Reunion, a popular vacation destination for tourists from the French mainland. Well, now the cult members will get to experience a Painful attempt at Immaculate Conception in a French prison. Au Revoir!
No Gays Here
American fundamentalists, take note: Ima Dinnerjacket is way ahead of you when it comes to them durn queers.
Iran has shut down a leading moderate daily for the second time in less than a year after it published an interview with a woman accused of being a homosexual activist, staff members said on Monday.
The ban on Shargh (East), the favourite newspaper of Iranian liberals, comes amid growing pressure on the press in Iran and follows the closure of fellow moderate daily Ham Mihan last month.
"I have been told that the press watchdog has ordered the ban. We have not been officially notified yet," Mehdi Rahmanian, Shargh's licence holder and managing director, told AFP. The way he's taking his country even further back into the Dark Ages, I'm surprised their newspapers aren't published as illuminated manuscripts.
Iran has shut down a leading moderate daily for the second time in less than a year after it published an interview with a woman accused of being a homosexual activist, staff members said on Monday.
The ban on Shargh (East), the favourite newspaper of Iranian liberals, comes amid growing pressure on the press in Iran and follows the closure of fellow moderate daily Ham Mihan last month.
"I have been told that the press watchdog has ordered the ban. We have not been officially notified yet," Mehdi Rahmanian, Shargh's licence holder and managing director, told AFP. The way he's taking his country even further back into the Dark Ages, I'm surprised their newspapers aren't published as illuminated manuscripts.
The Man Who Would Be King
Is he crazy? Maybe crazy like a fox: Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama is taking heat from liberals and conservatives alike for his comment that he wouldn't hesitate to send U.S. troops into Pakistan to capture or kill al Qaeda leaders. Actually, it's the best thing we've heard yet from the junior U.S. Senator from Illinois.
(snip) As a candidate recently pilloried by fellow Democrats as a foreign policy naif, Mr. Obama's remarks may be no more than an effort to don a Mike dukakis helmet. And given the Senator's consistent opposition to the war in Iraq, it may seem peculiar that he should now propose invading a nuclear-armed Muslim country--all the more so since Mr. Obama let slip Thursday in an interview that as President he would rule out the use of nuclear weapons "in any circumstance."
But in a primary contest where Democrats seem to vie with one another for the title of who will pull out of Iraq the fastest, Mr. Obama's speech is at least a recognition that he'd be willing to use military force somewhere. It's also a reminder to antiwar Democratic voters that the terror threat won't vanish when the Bush Administration does, and that U.S. soldiers will have to be put in harm's way again. The mere fact that he actually suggested this has already provoked the expected reaction. Now, I would probably still never vote for the guy, but again I have to ask-would things be really all that different under a Democratic administration?
(snip) As a candidate recently pilloried by fellow Democrats as a foreign policy naif, Mr. Obama's remarks may be no more than an effort to don a Mike dukakis helmet. And given the Senator's consistent opposition to the war in Iraq, it may seem peculiar that he should now propose invading a nuclear-armed Muslim country--all the more so since Mr. Obama let slip Thursday in an interview that as President he would rule out the use of nuclear weapons "in any circumstance."
But in a primary contest where Democrats seem to vie with one another for the title of who will pull out of Iraq the fastest, Mr. Obama's speech is at least a recognition that he'd be willing to use military force somewhere. It's also a reminder to antiwar Democratic voters that the terror threat won't vanish when the Bush Administration does, and that U.S. soldiers will have to be put in harm's way again. The mere fact that he actually suggested this has already provoked the expected reaction. Now, I would probably still never vote for the guy, but again I have to ask-would things be really all that different under a Democratic administration?
Working Class Hero
If this is poverty, then give me a sign that says, "Will work for stock options."
Silicon Valley is thick with those who might be called working-class millionaires-nose-to-the grindstone people like Mr. Steiger who, much to their surprise, are still working as hard as ever even as they find themselves among the fortunate few. Their lives are rich with opportunity; they generally enjoy their jobs. They are amply cushioned against the anxieties and jolts that worry most people living paycheck to paycheck.
But many such accomplished and ambitious members of the digital elite still do not think of themselves as particularly fortunate, in part because they are syrrounded by people with more wealth-often a lot more.
When chief executives are routinely paid tens of millions of dollars a year and a hedge fund manager can collect $1 billion annually, those with a few million dollars often see their accumulated wealth as puny, a reflection of their modest status in the new Gilded Age, when hundreds of thousands of people have accumulated much vaster fortunes. Oh, to be poor in the Bush Era. What a life...
Silicon Valley is thick with those who might be called working-class millionaires-nose-to-the grindstone people like Mr. Steiger who, much to their surprise, are still working as hard as ever even as they find themselves among the fortunate few. Their lives are rich with opportunity; they generally enjoy their jobs. They are amply cushioned against the anxieties and jolts that worry most people living paycheck to paycheck.
But many such accomplished and ambitious members of the digital elite still do not think of themselves as particularly fortunate, in part because they are syrrounded by people with more wealth-often a lot more.
When chief executives are routinely paid tens of millions of dollars a year and a hedge fund manager can collect $1 billion annually, those with a few million dollars often see their accumulated wealth as puny, a reflection of their modest status in the new Gilded Age, when hundreds of thousands of people have accumulated much vaster fortunes. Oh, to be poor in the Bush Era. What a life...
Don't Talk About Congress Club
Maybe the Iraqi parliament has the right idea-what these guys need is a long vacation. The House of Representatives almost turned into the Fight Club Thursday night, when democrats ruled that a GOP motion had failed even though, when the gavel fell, the electronic score board showed it winning 215-213 along with the word FINAL. The presiding officer, Rep. Mike McNulty (D-N.Y.), actually spoke over the clerk who was trying to announce the result.
In the ensuing confusion several members changed their votes and the GOP measure to deny illegal aliens benefits such as food stamps then trailed 212-216. Boiling-mad Republicans stormed off the floor. The next day, their fury increased when they learned electronic records of the vote had disappeared from the House's voting system.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi made matters worse when she told reporters, "There was no mistake made last night." Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had to rescue her by acknowledging that, while he thought no wrongdoing had occurred, the minority party was "understandably angry." Under pressure, the House unanimously agreed to create a select committee, with subpoena powers, to investigate Republican charges the vote had been "stolen."
Congress appears to be gripped by a partisanship that borders on tribal warfare. In a forthcoming book, Los Angeles Times columnist Ron Brownstein compares it to a "second Civil War" that has led to "the virtual collapse of meaningful collaboration" between the two parties. Public disenchantment with Washington is such that now boty New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Democratic former senator San Nunn of Georgia are musing openly about an independent run for president. But Congress itself has to act if it doesn't want to degenerate into one of those fist-weilding European or Asian parliaments we occasionally see on TV. Well, lefties always say how we should strive to be more like those superior Europeans. Be careful what you wish for...
In the ensuing confusion several members changed their votes and the GOP measure to deny illegal aliens benefits such as food stamps then trailed 212-216. Boiling-mad Republicans stormed off the floor. The next day, their fury increased when they learned electronic records of the vote had disappeared from the House's voting system.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi made matters worse when she told reporters, "There was no mistake made last night." Majority Leader Steny Hoyer had to rescue her by acknowledging that, while he thought no wrongdoing had occurred, the minority party was "understandably angry." Under pressure, the House unanimously agreed to create a select committee, with subpoena powers, to investigate Republican charges the vote had been "stolen."
Congress appears to be gripped by a partisanship that borders on tribal warfare. In a forthcoming book, Los Angeles Times columnist Ron Brownstein compares it to a "second Civil War" that has led to "the virtual collapse of meaningful collaboration" between the two parties. Public disenchantment with Washington is such that now boty New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Democratic former senator San Nunn of Georgia are musing openly about an independent run for president. But Congress itself has to act if it doesn't want to degenerate into one of those fist-weilding European or Asian parliaments we occasionally see on TV. Well, lefties always say how we should strive to be more like those superior Europeans. Be careful what you wish for...
Scream For Me, Tehran
Hey, Ima Dinnerjacket-leave those kids alone! TEHRAN (Reuters)-Iranian police detained more than 200 people and seized alchohol and drugs in a raid on a "satanic" underground rock condert, media in the conservative Islamic state reported on Saturday.
Iran, which has launched an annual summer crackdown on "immoral behavior", bans alchohol, narcotics and parties with unrelated men and women dancing, drinking and mixing. Western popular music is frowned upon.
The police operation took place on Wednesday night in the town of Karaj near the capital Tehran, at an event with local disc jockeys, rock and rap groups performing, the media said. There are people who want to do the same thing in this country. They send money to Pat Robertson, try to make every issue about creationism and gay marriage, and are generally ignored by the rest of us.
Iran, which has launched an annual summer crackdown on "immoral behavior", bans alchohol, narcotics and parties with unrelated men and women dancing, drinking and mixing. Western popular music is frowned upon.
The police operation took place on Wednesday night in the town of Karaj near the capital Tehran, at an event with local disc jockeys, rock and rap groups performing, the media said. There are people who want to do the same thing in this country. They send money to Pat Robertson, try to make every issue about creationism and gay marriage, and are generally ignored by the rest of us.
We Don't Need No Stinkin' Warrants
Oh, won't this be fun. WASHINGTON, Aug. 5-President Bush signed into law on Sunday legislation that broadly expanded the government's authority to eavesdrop on the international telephone calls and e-mail messages of American citizens without warrants.
Congressional aides and others familiar with the details of the law said that its impact went far beyond the small fixes that administration officials had said were needed to gather information about foreign terrorists. They said seemingly subtle changes in legislative language would sharply alter the legal limits on the government's ability to monitor millions of phone calls and e-mail messages going in and out of the United States.
They also said that the new law for the first time provided a legal framework for much of the surveillance without warrants that was being conducted in secret by the National Security Agency and outside the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the 1978 law that is supposed to regulate the way the government can listen to the private communications of American citizens.
"This more or less legalizes the N.S.A. program," said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies in Washington, who has studied the new legislation. Note that this was approved by the Democratic majority. So, once again, would somebody please explain how a Hillary administration would be any different than what we've got now?
Congressional aides and others familiar with the details of the law said that its impact went far beyond the small fixes that administration officials had said were needed to gather information about foreign terrorists. They said seemingly subtle changes in legislative language would sharply alter the legal limits on the government's ability to monitor millions of phone calls and e-mail messages going in and out of the United States.
They also said that the new law for the first time provided a legal framework for much of the surveillance without warrants that was being conducted in secret by the National Security Agency and outside the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the 1978 law that is supposed to regulate the way the government can listen to the private communications of American citizens.
"This more or less legalizes the N.S.A. program," said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies in Washington, who has studied the new legislation. Note that this was approved by the Democratic majority. So, once again, would somebody please explain how a Hillary administration would be any different than what we've got now?
Sunday, August 05, 2007
The Smaller They Are
And the MSM's downward spiral continues. NEW YORK Over the years, The New York Times has tended to think big, but tomorrow it will have to adapt to a new smaller-is-beautiful era.
In a front page note to readers this morning, the paper stated that the print edition they will hold tomorrow will be decidedly more compact.
Beginning Monday, the Times "will reduce the width of its pages by an inch and a half," to a 12-inch standard, the paper declared.
"The move will cut newsprint expenses and, in some printing press locations, will make special configurations unnecessary. Slight moditications in design will preserve the look and texture of The Times, with all existing features and sections, and"-it admitted at the end-"somewhat fewer words per page." Now, if only they could lose some of their editorial writers and shed some excess weight that way...
In a front page note to readers this morning, the paper stated that the print edition they will hold tomorrow will be decidedly more compact.
Beginning Monday, the Times "will reduce the width of its pages by an inch and a half," to a 12-inch standard, the paper declared.
"The move will cut newsprint expenses and, in some printing press locations, will make special configurations unnecessary. Slight moditications in design will preserve the look and texture of The Times, with all existing features and sections, and"-it admitted at the end-"somewhat fewer words per page." Now, if only they could lose some of their editorial writers and shed some excess weight that way...
Grand Old Principles
Over at The Daily Dish, guest writer Stephen sums up why Team Bush has been a disaster for conservatism and the Republican Party's once-sterling reputation: A lot of bloggers put party before principle. It's true on both sides, although it might be a bit more common among high profile right bloggers. (Not that I'm going to name names, mind you, but you know who they are.)
Mea culpa. I used to be a yellow dog Republican. These days, however, I think of myself as a disgruntled right-of-center independent.
I didn't leave the GOP, however, so much as it left me. Yesterday, I posted a poll on conservative principles. How many of them does the GOP stand for today?
It's time for conservatives to face facts. George W. Bush has set back the conservative movement for years, if not decades, by betraying conservative principles. We controlled the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and (more-or-less) the judiciary between 2002 and 2004, but what was accomplished? Did government get smaller? Did we hack away at the nanny state? Were the unborn any more protected? Did we really set the stage for a durable conservative majority? No on all counts. Go read the whole thing, along with the quoted essay by Russell Kirk. "Movement" conservatives need to stop living in denial and actually work with other conservatives if they want conservatism to be taken seriously again.
Mea culpa. I used to be a yellow dog Republican. These days, however, I think of myself as a disgruntled right-of-center independent.
I didn't leave the GOP, however, so much as it left me. Yesterday, I posted a poll on conservative principles. How many of them does the GOP stand for today?
It's time for conservatives to face facts. George W. Bush has set back the conservative movement for years, if not decades, by betraying conservative principles. We controlled the White House, the Senate, the House of Representatives, and (more-or-less) the judiciary between 2002 and 2004, but what was accomplished? Did government get smaller? Did we hack away at the nanny state? Were the unborn any more protected? Did we really set the stage for a durable conservative majority? No on all counts. Go read the whole thing, along with the quoted essay by Russell Kirk. "Movement" conservatives need to stop living in denial and actually work with other conservatives if they want conservatism to be taken seriously again.
Saturday, August 04, 2007
The One Reincarnation Rule
Leave it to communists to regulate the hereafter.
Tibet's living Bhuddas have been banned from reincarnation without permission from China's atheist leaders. The ban is included in new rules intended to assert Beijing's authority over Tibet's restive and deeply Buddhist people.
"The so-called reincarnated living Bhudda without government approval is illegal and invalid," according to the order, which comes into effect on September 1.
The 14-part regulation issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs is aimed at limiting the influence of Tibet's exiled god-king, the Dalai Lama, and at preventing the re-incarnation of the 72-year-old monk without approval from Beijing. I don't know if reincarnation is real or not, but if it is, I can think of a few bureaucrats in Beijing who are probably going to wind up as cooked rats in somebody's dinner.
Tibet's living Bhuddas have been banned from reincarnation without permission from China's atheist leaders. The ban is included in new rules intended to assert Beijing's authority over Tibet's restive and deeply Buddhist people.
"The so-called reincarnated living Bhudda without government approval is illegal and invalid," according to the order, which comes into effect on September 1.
The 14-part regulation issued by the State Administration for Religious Affairs is aimed at limiting the influence of Tibet's exiled god-king, the Dalai Lama, and at preventing the re-incarnation of the 72-year-old monk without approval from Beijing. I don't know if reincarnation is real or not, but if it is, I can think of a few bureaucrats in Beijing who are probably going to wind up as cooked rats in somebody's dinner.
We'll Sing In The Sunshine
It turns out that the fears of getting burned to a crisp by deadly UV rays might be a tad overblown. Women who stay out of the sun are increasing their risk of developing breast cancere, a new study suggests.
The safe-tanning messages that are drummed into women each year may help to reduce their risk of skin cancer-but at the cost of increasing their risk of breast cancer.
The majority of vitamin D comes from exposure of the skin to sunlight but many women-exposed less in winter and reluctant to bare themselves in summer because of the dangers-are deficient. Deficient is certainly the word I'd use to describe the mentality of those who resort to worst-case scenarios and scare tactics. Make up your own minds, ladies. Personally, I'd like to see some more of you out in the open.
The safe-tanning messages that are drummed into women each year may help to reduce their risk of skin cancer-but at the cost of increasing their risk of breast cancer.
The majority of vitamin D comes from exposure of the skin to sunlight but many women-exposed less in winter and reluctant to bare themselves in summer because of the dangers-are deficient. Deficient is certainly the word I'd use to describe the mentality of those who resort to worst-case scenarios and scare tactics. Make up your own minds, ladies. Personally, I'd like to see some more of you out in the open.
A Soldier's Story
More crushing of dissent from the Left: Via Barnett, this comes from one of the left's own, Ezra Klein:
AN ODD CLOSE: As the Military and Progressives panel came to an end, a young man in uniform stood up to argue that the surge was working, and cutting down on Iraqi casualties. The moderator largely freaked out. When other members of the panel tried to answer his question, he demanded they "stand down." He demanded the questioner give his name, the name of his commander, and the name of his unit. And then he closed the panel, no answer offered or allowed, and stalked off the stage.
Wes Clark took the mic and tried to explain what had just occured: The argument appears to be that you're not allowed to participate in politics while wearing a uniform, or at least that you shouldn't, and that the questioner was engaging in a sort of moral blackmail, not to mention a violation of the rules, by doing so. Knowing fairly little about the army, I can't speak to any of that. But it was an uncomfortable few moments, and seemed fairly contrary to the spirit of the panel to roar down the member of the military who tried to speak with a contrary voice. Considering the rabid mentality of the antiwar crowd, I don't consider it contrary at all. It's just the way things are done in Liberaland. Free speech for me, not for thee.
AN ODD CLOSE: As the Military and Progressives panel came to an end, a young man in uniform stood up to argue that the surge was working, and cutting down on Iraqi casualties. The moderator largely freaked out. When other members of the panel tried to answer his question, he demanded they "stand down." He demanded the questioner give his name, the name of his commander, and the name of his unit. And then he closed the panel, no answer offered or allowed, and stalked off the stage.
Wes Clark took the mic and tried to explain what had just occured: The argument appears to be that you're not allowed to participate in politics while wearing a uniform, or at least that you shouldn't, and that the questioner was engaging in a sort of moral blackmail, not to mention a violation of the rules, by doing so. Knowing fairly little about the army, I can't speak to any of that. But it was an uncomfortable few moments, and seemed fairly contrary to the spirit of the panel to roar down the member of the military who tried to speak with a contrary voice. Considering the rabid mentality of the antiwar crowd, I don't consider it contrary at all. It's just the way things are done in Liberaland. Free speech for me, not for thee.
Killing the Messenger
It will be very interesting to see how this turns out.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)-Police are testing guns recovered from raids in which authorities arrested seven members of an Oakland Black Muslim splinter group who investigators suspect were involved in the killing of a journalist and two others.
Police Lt. Ersie Joyner said one of the guns found during the raids is thought to be the weapon that a masked attacker used Thursday morning to slay Chauncey Bailey, a journalist who was walking to work.
Bailey, 57, was the editor of the Oakland Post, and had been working on a story about Your Black Muslim Bakery before he was ambushed and slain, his colleagues said. Let's see CAIR try and explain this as a case of police misconduct and prejudice towards Muslims.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)-Police are testing guns recovered from raids in which authorities arrested seven members of an Oakland Black Muslim splinter group who investigators suspect were involved in the killing of a journalist and two others.
Police Lt. Ersie Joyner said one of the guns found during the raids is thought to be the weapon that a masked attacker used Thursday morning to slay Chauncey Bailey, a journalist who was walking to work.
Bailey, 57, was the editor of the Oakland Post, and had been working on a story about Your Black Muslim Bakery before he was ambushed and slain, his colleagues said. Let's see CAIR try and explain this as a case of police misconduct and prejudice towards Muslims.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Buy American
Iraqis have discovered what the rest of the world has long known but won't admit: They like the stuff those evil imperialist Americans make. BAGHDAD-When Steve Yelda, a 17-year-old Iraqi high school student, visits the Al-Ameer market, he heads straight for the Pringles display case.
"The taste," he says, "Is incredible."
Many Iraqis are developing a taste for American-brand products, which were banned under Saddam Hussein and are becoming increasingly popular.
Rice, salt and canned goods are among the most popular American products at the Al-Ameer market, owner Mohammad Abbas said. "American items have a great reputation and quality," he said. "And people want them in our markets because they got bored of Syrian, Jordanian and Iranian items." Once again, capitalism and freedom of choice 1, terrorism and Islamofascism 0.
"The taste," he says, "Is incredible."
Many Iraqis are developing a taste for American-brand products, which were banned under Saddam Hussein and are becoming increasingly popular.
Rice, salt and canned goods are among the most popular American products at the Al-Ameer market, owner Mohammad Abbas said. "American items have a great reputation and quality," he said. "And people want them in our markets because they got bored of Syrian, Jordanian and Iranian items." Once again, capitalism and freedom of choice 1, terrorism and Islamofascism 0.
Barack The Warrior
Via Eunomia, why Obama sounds scarier than Hillary. Obama waves a sabre in Pakistan's direction, which is hardly the first time that he has sought to portray himself as more belligerent than the warmongers, further proving that he isn't fit to sit in on National Security Council meetins, much less be the President. I think Obama is pushing exactly the wrong line here, threatening to effectively destabilise the existing regine without having any idea of what would come next. This is a combination of soundbite foreign policy and a "pour oil on fire to see what happens" approach to international relations. Obama's foreign policy position is beginning to give me an eerie feeling of deja vu. Who was the last presidential candidate with no real foreign policy experience who set his policies according to whatever was perceived to be the opposite of the sitting President? Who was it who framed his foreign policy pitch as that of someone who would provide leadership and measured action where his predecessor had dithered and wasted opportunities? Oh, yes, it was Mr. Bush. Within the last century, Democratic presidents have historically overcompensated when it came to foreign policy to prove how tough they were. We saw this with Truman, LBJ and Bill Clinton. They did it because they knew that traditionally the voters trusted Republicans more when it came to foreign policy issues. Since Bush has pretty much shot that to pieces, we now see Obama the would-be fighter against Hillary as the voice of the experienced diplomat. Meanwhile the Republican candidates are all mostly vowing to continue with Bush's policies. What scares me more than a continuation of Bush is the thought that Hillary is now looking like the most mainstream and capable on the Other Side.
Springtime For Osama
I have to wonder-who are the people protesting this? LONDON (AFP)-A satirical musical about Islamist terrorism and Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has sparked protests in Britain, with critics blasting it as tasteless.
"Jihad: The Musical," which features songs including "I wanna be like Osama" and is described as "a madcap gallop through the wacky world of international terrorism," is on at the Edinburgh Fringe festival this month.
But a petition has been launched on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street website.
"We the undersigned petition the prime minister to condemn the tasteless portrayal of terrorism and its victims in 'Jihad The Musical,' says the online protest. Um, it's called satire. Some people get it. Obviously, others don't.
"Jihad: The Musical," which features songs including "I wanna be like Osama" and is described as "a madcap gallop through the wacky world of international terrorism," is on at the Edinburgh Fringe festival this month.
But a petition has been launched on Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Downing Street website.
"We the undersigned petition the prime minister to condemn the tasteless portrayal of terrorism and its victims in 'Jihad The Musical,' says the online protest. Um, it's called satire. Some people get it. Obviously, others don't.
Son Of Skynet
Don't worry. These terminators are on our side.
Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began. Now, for the first time-the first time in any warzone-the machines are carrying guns.
After years of development, three "special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system" (SWORDS) robots have deployed to Iraq, armed with M249 machine guns. The 'bots "haven't fired their weapons yet," Michael Zecca, the SWORDS program manager, tells DANGER ROOM. "But that'll be happening soon."
The SWORDS-modified versions of bomb-disposal robots used throughout Iraq-were first declared ready for duty back in 2004. But concerns about safety kept the robots from being sent over to the battlefield. The machines had a tendency to spin out of control from time to time. That was an annoyance during ordnance-handling missions; no one wanted to contemplate the consequences during a firefight.
So the radio-controlled robots were retolled, for greater safety. In the past, weak signals would keep the robots from getting orders for as much as eight seconds-a significant lag during combat. Now, the SWORDS won't act on a command, unless it's received right away. A three-part arming process-whith both physical and electronic safeties-is required before firing. Most importantly, the machines now come with kill switches, in case there's any odd behavior. "So now we can kill the unit if it goes crazy," Zecca says. Now, if they could just build one that can hook nerdy guys up with hot chicks...
Robots have been roaming the streets of Iraq, since shortly after the war began. Now, for the first time-the first time in any warzone-the machines are carrying guns.
After years of development, three "special weapons observation remote reconnaissance direct action system" (SWORDS) robots have deployed to Iraq, armed with M249 machine guns. The 'bots "haven't fired their weapons yet," Michael Zecca, the SWORDS program manager, tells DANGER ROOM. "But that'll be happening soon."
The SWORDS-modified versions of bomb-disposal robots used throughout Iraq-were first declared ready for duty back in 2004. But concerns about safety kept the robots from being sent over to the battlefield. The machines had a tendency to spin out of control from time to time. That was an annoyance during ordnance-handling missions; no one wanted to contemplate the consequences during a firefight.
So the radio-controlled robots were retolled, for greater safety. In the past, weak signals would keep the robots from getting orders for as much as eight seconds-a significant lag during combat. Now, the SWORDS won't act on a command, unless it's received right away. A three-part arming process-whith both physical and electronic safeties-is required before firing. Most importantly, the machines now come with kill switches, in case there's any odd behavior. "So now we can kill the unit if it goes crazy," Zecca says. Now, if they could just build one that can hook nerdy guys up with hot chicks...
Breakdown
Even when they're in the majority, it seems the Dummycrats can't help cheating. The rancor erupted shortly before 11 p.m. as Rep. Michael R. McNulty (D-N.Y.) gaveled close the vote on a standard procedural measure with the outcome still in doubt.
Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance. Democrats, however, argued the measure was deadlocked at 214-214 and failed, members and aides on both sides of the aisle said afterward.
One GOP aide saw McNulty gavel the vote to a close after receiving a signal from his leaders, but before reaching the official tally. And votes contined to shift even after he closed the roll call-a strange development in itself.
Whatever the final tally, acrimony quickly exploded between lawmakers on either side of the aisle as Democratic leaders tried to plot a solution, while parliamentarians on either side argued over protocol. Whatever their excuses, this time I applaud the Democrats. They actually prevented the House from getting anything done, which IMO is usually a good thing.
Details remain fuzzy, but numerous Republicans argued afterward that they had secured a 215-213 win on their motion to bar undocumented immigrants from receiving any federal funds apportioned in the agricultural spending bill for employment or rental assistance. Democrats, however, argued the measure was deadlocked at 214-214 and failed, members and aides on both sides of the aisle said afterward.
One GOP aide saw McNulty gavel the vote to a close after receiving a signal from his leaders, but before reaching the official tally. And votes contined to shift even after he closed the roll call-a strange development in itself.
Whatever the final tally, acrimony quickly exploded between lawmakers on either side of the aisle as Democratic leaders tried to plot a solution, while parliamentarians on either side argued over protocol. Whatever their excuses, this time I applaud the Democrats. They actually prevented the House from getting anything done, which IMO is usually a good thing.
Three Terrorists In A Tub? Update: No, Just Artistic Goofballs
I'm guessing these guys were up to no good. New York authorities were questioning three men found in a bizzare submersible vessel floating just off Manhattan on Friday, according to local reports.
The men were discovered early Friday near the cruise terminal in Brooklyn where the massive ocean liner The Queen Mary II is moored, ABC television reported on its website.
When asked about the incident, a police spokeswoman declined to confirm the report or provide any further information, saying only that officers were at the scene.
What the three men were doing in the vessel-which appeared to be spherical with a circular hatch on top-was not immediately clear. I'm sure they were just "Sightseeing..."
UPDATE: OK, so they weren't terrorists: NEW YORK-In a bizzare case of "marine mischief," a Brooklyn artist manning a replica Revolutionary War submarine caused a scare Fricay morning after police found the strange-looking vessel foundering in a security zone near the docked Queen Mary 2, authorities said.
The handmade wood and fiberglass vessel, at the end of a tow rope tied to an inflatable boat, was spotted by police near the luxury ocean liner docked at the cruise ship terminal in the Buttermilk Channel off Red Hook in Brooklyn.
"It was a strange sight," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Angelia Rorison.
Police held the artist, Philip "Duke" Riley, and two other men, both from Rhode Island, for questioning. But there was no indication the trio meant any harm with the replica of the 1776 "Turtle submarine." Well, at least they won't have to sing, "We all live in an eight-by-ten cell..."
The men were discovered early Friday near the cruise terminal in Brooklyn where the massive ocean liner The Queen Mary II is moored, ABC television reported on its website.
When asked about the incident, a police spokeswoman declined to confirm the report or provide any further information, saying only that officers were at the scene.
What the three men were doing in the vessel-which appeared to be spherical with a circular hatch on top-was not immediately clear. I'm sure they were just "Sightseeing..."
UPDATE: OK, so they weren't terrorists:
The handmade wood and fiberglass vessel, at the end of a tow rope tied to an inflatable boat, was spotted by police near the luxury ocean liner docked at the cruise ship terminal in the Buttermilk Channel off Red Hook in Brooklyn.
"It was a strange sight," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Angelia Rorison.
Police held the artist, Philip "Duke" Riley, and two other men, both from Rhode Island, for questioning. But there was no indication the trio meant any harm with the replica of the 1776 "Turtle submarine." Well, at least they won't have to sing, "We all live in an eight-by-ten cell..."
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Watch The Skies
I have to admit, this would be a pretty cool toy. A flying saucer that glides three metres off the ground and carries two passengers has gone into commercial production.
US company Moller International has begun to manufacture parts for its Jetsons-like personal flying pod, the M200G Volantor.
The M200G is the size of a small car and is designed to take off and land vertically.
Company founder Dr. Moller calls the craft "the ultimate off-road vehicle" as it is able to travel over any surface. "Jane! Jane! Stop this crazy thing!"
US company Moller International has begun to manufacture parts for its Jetsons-like personal flying pod, the M200G Volantor.
The M200G is the size of a small car and is designed to take off and land vertically.
Company founder Dr. Moller calls the craft "the ultimate off-road vehicle" as it is able to travel over any surface. "Jane! Jane! Stop this crazy thing!"
Three Blind Fanatics
See, this is how free societies handle their nutbars. Three Burleson men accused of attempting to ignite an explosive device outside a church under construction were indicted Wednesday by a federal grand jury on one count of possession of an unregistered firearm/destructive device.
If convicted, Dayton Lee Calaway, 19, Michael Philip Plaisted Jr., 18, and Jered Michael Ragon, 18, could face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $10,000 fine.
They appeared Thursday before a U.S. magistrate judge in Dallas and afterward were released to home confinement. The defendents were ordered to wear electronic monitors, said Kathy Colvin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office.
(snip) The men told police that they were part of a loosely organized, radical Christian group that believes that society is focused on self-gratification and self-improvement and has lost its focus on the glory of God. In a country like Iran the government would be calling them warriors of the faith.
If convicted, Dayton Lee Calaway, 19, Michael Philip Plaisted Jr., 18, and Jered Michael Ragon, 18, could face a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a $10,000 fine.
They appeared Thursday before a U.S. magistrate judge in Dallas and afterward were released to home confinement. The defendents were ordered to wear electronic monitors, said Kathy Colvin, a spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney's office.
(snip) The men told police that they were part of a loosely organized, radical Christian group that believes that society is focused on self-gratification and self-improvement and has lost its focus on the glory of God. In a country like Iran the government would be calling them warriors of the faith.
The Bear In The Arctic
All I can say is I hope Santa's elves like caviar. MOSCOW (Reuters)-Russian explorers dived deep below the North Pole in a submersible on Thursday and planted a national flag on the seabed to stake a symbolic claim to the energy riches of the Arctic.
A mechanical arm dropped a specially made rust-proof titanium flag onto the Arctic seabed at a depth of 4,261 meters (13,980 ft), Itar-Tass news agency quoted expedition officials as saying.
Russia wants to extend right up to the North Pole the territory it controls in the Arctic, believed to hold vast reserves of untapped oil and natural gas. I can see it now-Santa being wooed by the Russkies for the rights to build airstrips in his Village; the elves being promised a new state-run factory...
A mechanical arm dropped a specially made rust-proof titanium flag onto the Arctic seabed at a depth of 4,261 meters (13,980 ft), Itar-Tass news agency quoted expedition officials as saying.
Russia wants to extend right up to the North Pole the territory it controls in the Arctic, believed to hold vast reserves of untapped oil and natural gas. I can see it now-Santa being wooed by the Russkies for the rights to build airstrips in his Village; the elves being promised a new state-run factory...
The Burning Man
Well this is just too darn bad.
A terror suspect being treated for severe burns following a car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport has died in hospital.
Kafeel Ahmed, 27, was being cared for at a specialist unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
After being doused with a fire extinquisher by an off-duty policeman, Ahmed was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley.
Ahmed, who is also known as Khalid, suffered 90% burns. Well, at least he got a taste of what eternity will be like for him.
A terror suspect being treated for severe burns following a car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport has died in hospital.
Kafeel Ahmed, 27, was being cared for at a specialist unit at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
After being doused with a fire extinquisher by an off-duty policeman, Ahmed was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley.
Ahmed, who is also known as Khalid, suffered 90% burns. Well, at least he got a taste of what eternity will be like for him.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
When Dictatorships Whine
Ima Dinnerjacket doesn't like being reminded that his country is run by your basic Islamist thugs. UNITED NATIONS (AP)-Iran denounced what it called Israel's "horrific human rights record" in a letter to the U.N. secretary-general while denying recent Israeli accusations of widespread rights abuses in the Islamic republic.
In the Iranian letter, obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, the country's U.N. ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said his government would not respond to "baseless allegations and distortions about the situation of human rights" in Iran.
Israel's "futile" attempt "to raise allegations against other's human rights is nothing but a preposterous, and indeed tired, practice to distract the international community's attention from its shameful human rights record," he said. Yeah, I'm sure Israel has executed far more homosexuals and adulterers than any other Middle Eastern country.
In the Iranian letter, obtained by The Associated Press on Wednesday, the country's U.N. ambassador Mohammad Khazaee said his government would not respond to "baseless allegations and distortions about the situation of human rights" in Iran.
Israel's "futile" attempt "to raise allegations against other's human rights is nothing but a preposterous, and indeed tired, practice to distract the international community's attention from its shameful human rights record," he said. Yeah, I'm sure Israel has executed far more homosexuals and adulterers than any other Middle Eastern country.
Racket Man
The Bitch is Back. POP legend Sir Elton John wants the internet CLOSED DOWN.
Never one to keep his opinions to himself, the Rocket Man has waded into cyberspace with all guns blazing.
He claims it is destroying good music, saying: "The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff.
"Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn't bode well for long-term artistic vision.
"It's just a means to an end.
"We're talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music and that's not going to happen with people blogging on the internet. I'm sure he's the first one to blame Al Gore for creating the Internet. Now who does he blame for the fact that he hasn't made a decent album since about 1984 or so?
Never one to keep his opinions to himself, the Rocket Man has waded into cyberspace with all guns blazing.
He claims it is destroying good music, saying: "The internet has stopped people from going out and being with each other, creating stuff.
"Instead they sit at home and make their own records, which is sometimes OK but it doesn't bode well for long-term artistic vision.
"It's just a means to an end.
"We're talking about things that are going to change the world and change the way people listen to music and that's not going to happen with people blogging on the internet. I'm sure he's the first one to blame Al Gore for creating the Internet. Now who does he blame for the fact that he hasn't made a decent album since about 1984 or so?
Light Up Or Leave Them Alone
They can't get anything done on border or airport security, but they'll make darn sure that cancer patients won't turn into potheads.
According to Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, seven of the eight declared candidates for the Democratic nomination have promised to call off the DEA's medical marijuana raids if elected. The eighth, Barack Obama, has said such raids "probably shouldn't be a high priority."
Three of the nine remaining Republican candidates-Ron Paul Tom Tancredo, and Tommy Thompson-oppose the DEA raids. But the rest of the Republicans, including the leading contenders, either have taken no position (Mitt Romney) or have said they would continue the current policy (which, it's worth remebering, has roots in the Clinton administration).
(snip) The Republicans also look worse than the Democrats in congressional votes on this issue. It's true that a conservative Republican congressman, Dana Rohrabacher of California, repeatedly has joined Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) in cosponsoring an appropriations bill amendement that would prohibit the DEA from spending money on busting medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. But Democrats have been ar more likely than Republicans to back the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which last week was supported by 66 percent of the Democrats who voted but opposed by 92 percent of the Republicans.
These partisan tendencies do not mean Democrats have greate respect for the division of powers between the federal government and the states. When it suits them, they're happy to support federal involvement in policy areas the Constitution leaves to the states. It's just that Democrats are, by and large, more comfortable with the therapeutic use of cannabis than Republicans are.
It's hard to find a logical explanation for this split. Republicans, conservatives especially, are traditionally critical of overly cautious regulators who prevent people from using drugs that could relieve their suffering safely and effectively. They have a record of supporting the freedom to use herbal home remedies without unreasonable bureaucratic interference. Ah, but these are Bush-era Republicans, not the libertarian, small-government conservatives of the Reagan/Goldwater variety. And there's nothing that a Bush Republican loves more to do than to tell somebody else how to live, or die.
According to Granite Staters for Medical Marijuana, seven of the eight declared candidates for the Democratic nomination have promised to call off the DEA's medical marijuana raids if elected. The eighth, Barack Obama, has said such raids "probably shouldn't be a high priority."
Three of the nine remaining Republican candidates-Ron Paul Tom Tancredo, and Tommy Thompson-oppose the DEA raids. But the rest of the Republicans, including the leading contenders, either have taken no position (Mitt Romney) or have said they would continue the current policy (which, it's worth remebering, has roots in the Clinton administration).
(snip) The Republicans also look worse than the Democrats in congressional votes on this issue. It's true that a conservative Republican congressman, Dana Rohrabacher of California, repeatedly has joined Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) in cosponsoring an appropriations bill amendement that would prohibit the DEA from spending money on busting medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. But Democrats have been ar more likely than Republicans to back the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which last week was supported by 66 percent of the Democrats who voted but opposed by 92 percent of the Republicans.
These partisan tendencies do not mean Democrats have greate respect for the division of powers between the federal government and the states. When it suits them, they're happy to support federal involvement in policy areas the Constitution leaves to the states. It's just that Democrats are, by and large, more comfortable with the therapeutic use of cannabis than Republicans are.
It's hard to find a logical explanation for this split. Republicans, conservatives especially, are traditionally critical of overly cautious regulators who prevent people from using drugs that could relieve their suffering safely and effectively. They have a record of supporting the freedom to use herbal home remedies without unreasonable bureaucratic interference. Ah, but these are Bush-era Republicans, not the libertarian, small-government conservatives of the Reagan/Goldwater variety. And there's nothing that a Bush Republican loves more to do than to tell somebody else how to live, or die.
Throwing In The Towel?
It seems that the GOP is preparing to wimp out, again. Hat tip: Porkbusters.
Asked whether Republicans could muster the votes to block cloture on the lobby bill, Lott seemed to suggest Minority Leader McConnell would not take a strong stance leading Republican opposition to the bill.
"After the exhibition I saw on immigration, I don't suspect there's going to be a lot of strength and dynamic leadership here [to oppose the lobbying reform legislation], but we'll see," he said, referring to GOP criticisms of McConnell's lack of visibility during the final days of the unsuccessful immigration debate in June.
Republican aides privately criticized McConnell for putting his re-election concerns before the leadership needs of his party; the proposed immigration reform was deeply unpopular in McConnell's home state of Kentucky, where he has said his Senate seat is targeted by Democrats. How sad is it that the supposed leader of congressional Republicans is even more of a wuss than his Democratic counterpart? And they want us to take them seriously in '08? I don't think so.
Asked whether Republicans could muster the votes to block cloture on the lobby bill, Lott seemed to suggest Minority Leader McConnell would not take a strong stance leading Republican opposition to the bill.
"After the exhibition I saw on immigration, I don't suspect there's going to be a lot of strength and dynamic leadership here [to oppose the lobbying reform legislation], but we'll see," he said, referring to GOP criticisms of McConnell's lack of visibility during the final days of the unsuccessful immigration debate in June.
Republican aides privately criticized McConnell for putting his re-election concerns before the leadership needs of his party; the proposed immigration reform was deeply unpopular in McConnell's home state of Kentucky, where he has said his Senate seat is targeted by Democrats. How sad is it that the supposed leader of congressional Republicans is even more of a wuss than his Democratic counterpart? And they want us to take them seriously in '08? I don't think so.
For The Good Of The Nation
Team Bush is calling on opposition nannystaters to support their own nannystating. Congressional Democrats, under pressure from the Bush administration, today proposed a six-month compromise that would expand the government's authority to conduct electronic surveillance of overseas communications in search of terrorists.
The proposal, according to House and Senate Democrats, would permit a secret court to issue a single broad order approving eavesdropping of communications involving suspects overseas and other people, who may be in the United States. That order "need not be individualized," according to a Democratic aide.
But granting the government authority to intercept calls with a broad warrant, some civil liberties advocates charge, could allow a large number of phone calls and e-mails of U.S. persons and companies to be intercepted as well. Hillary must be salivating at the prospect of all this power that King George is bequeathing to his successor.
The proposal, according to House and Senate Democrats, would permit a secret court to issue a single broad order approving eavesdropping of communications involving suspects overseas and other people, who may be in the United States. That order "need not be individualized," according to a Democratic aide.
But granting the government authority to intercept calls with a broad warrant, some civil liberties advocates charge, could allow a large number of phone calls and e-mails of U.S. persons and companies to be intercepted as well. Hillary must be salivating at the prospect of all this power that King George is bequeathing to his successor.
We Broke It, We Buy It
I'm guessing this guy wouldn't be too popular with Team Bush.
The Navy admiral nominated to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that American military efforts in Iraq would fail unless Iraqi leaders did more to bridge sectarian divides. But he also warned that a rapid exit of American troops could turn Iraq into a "cauldron" for broader Middle East strife.
The failure of the Iraqis to make progress toward political unity imperils Iraq, said the nominee, Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who said that unless things changed, "no amount of troops in no amount of time will make much of a difference."
He said he believed that the American troop increase this year in Iraq had helped tamp down violence, saying security was "not great, but getting better." But he also said that the United States risked breaking the Army if the Pentagon decided to maintain escalated troop levels in Iraq beyond next spring. This seems to be a recurring assessment among those who are willing to use their heads and not just follow the Team Bush party line. Must be another one of them durn libruls what wants us to lose.
The Navy admiral nominated to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday that American military efforts in Iraq would fail unless Iraqi leaders did more to bridge sectarian divides. But he also warned that a rapid exit of American troops could turn Iraq into a "cauldron" for broader Middle East strife.
The failure of the Iraqis to make progress toward political unity imperils Iraq, said the nominee, Adm. Michael G. Mullen, who said that unless things changed, "no amount of troops in no amount of time will make much of a difference."
He said he believed that the American troop increase this year in Iraq had helped tamp down violence, saying security was "not great, but getting better." But he also said that the United States risked breaking the Army if the Pentagon decided to maintain escalated troop levels in Iraq beyond next spring. This seems to be a recurring assessment among those who are willing to use their heads and not just follow the Team Bush party line. Must be another one of them durn libruls what wants us to lose.
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