Tuesday, January 31, 2006
The Dangers of Carjacking
OOPS! Picked wrong car. Too late now...
Reported in the Houston Chronicle:
"An off-duty Richmond police officer shot two men, killing one and wounding another, as they attempted to carjack..."
Promisgate
Spy vs. Spy - Computerized version...
And who will it be that writes the book: Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, John Le Carré, Jeffery Deaver, or a currently unknown insider?...
And who will it be that writes the book: Tom Clancy, Michael Crichton, John Le Carré, Jeffery Deaver, or a currently unknown insider?...
Read this article in the Canada Free Press to see what I'm talking about:
"Promisgate: World's longest spy scandal still glossed over."
Munich - equal time for Spielberg
I've posted two negative articles about Spielberg's "Munich"....
Here, in the UK's Sunday Times, Spielberg defends himself:
He says, "Disagree with me – that’s what I want."
A breath mint for smokestacks
Well, it's better than suggesting that we eat it...
Mark Clayton writing in the Christian Science Monitor:
"BOSTON – Isaac Berzin is a big fan of algae. The tiny, single-celled plant, he says, could transform the world's energy needs and cut global warming. Overshadowed by a multibillion-dollar push into other 'clean-coal' technologies, a handful of tiny companies are racing to create an even cleaner, greener process using the same slimy stuff that thrives in the world's oceans."
Monday, January 30, 2006
Senior Investment Advisor?
This last name seems to pop up everywhere...
This article in the New York Post talks about some pension money.
(Sorry; you probably have to register to read it)
"Yet, as the senior adviser to two investment funds managing public pension funds, Bill Clinton has himself promoted an investment fund that promises to put money into "lower-income urban and rural communities" — but instead devotes its cash to Al Gore's upstart cable channel and his wife's financial supporters."
"Meanwhile, the workers whose pensions have been invested in Yucaipa are getting a terrible deal. According to CALSTARS, California teachers have already committed $61.9 million of the $150 million that they promised Yucaipa. As of last March 31, three years after the venture started, they'd seen a grand total of $837 come back to them. Overall, the rate of return since the funds launched have been a loss of 12.1 percent."
Politicizing the Patriot Act
Sadly, once politics are involved, everything gets embellished or distorted. I suspect the Patriot Act is one of those cases...
In the Wall Street Opinion Journal:
"Furthermore, it was the impenetrable FISA guidelines and fear of provoking the FISA court's wrath if they were transgressed that discouraged risk-averse FBI supervisors from applying for a FISA search warrant in the Zacarias Moussaoui case. The search, finally conducted on the afternoon of 9/11, produced names and phone numbers of people in the thick of the 9/11 plot, so many fertile clues that investigators believe that at least one airplane, if not all four, could have been saved."
Ridiculous Lawsuits!
Lawyers sue. That's what they do. And maybe too often...
In this article (scroll down past their petition), the Institute for Legal Reform says:
"Check out some of these ridiculous lawsuits and you can see why lawsuit abuse costs the average family of four over $3300 per year!"
Hybrid Hoax - Could it be?
I bet no one wants to hear this...
According to this article, things are quite different than advertised:
"Hybrids, which typically claim to get 32 to 60 miles per gallon, ended up delivering an average of 19 miles per gallon less than their EPA ratings under real-world driving conditions (which reflect more stop-and-go traffic and Americans' penchant for heavy accelerating)...
HYBRIDS ARE ALSO failing to pay for themselves in gas savings. A study by the car-buying website Edmunds.com calculates gasoline would have to cost $5.60 a gallon over five years for a Ford Escape hybrid to break even with the costs of driving a non-hybrid vehicle. The break-even number was $9.60 a gallon for a Honda Civic hybrid."
A thought for this week
"A lie unchallenged becomes the truth."
Sunday, January 29, 2006
The Barrett Report
Apparently, people are talking.
Sooner or later we may hear something...
Sooner or later we may hear something...
From Pittsburgh-Live.com, an opinion on the Barrett Report:
"The term "made public" is a misnomer; 100-plus pages of the original 400-page report were "redacted" by court order."
"Those who claim familiarity with the redactions say many concern the work to squelch the special prosecutor's investigation by Margaret "Peggy" Milner Richardson, a former IRS commissioner and a Hillary friend."
Blogging with Video
Today's experiment in broadening my capabilities is videos.
This selection was readily available via Google Videos...
This selection was readily available via Google Videos...
Warning:
The producers of this movie trailer are no fans of Hillary Clinton.
USJF Indicting Hillary: One Man's Quest For Hillary AccountabilityClick the "Play" button
Is that your final answer?
And one more thing. Would you mind wearing this headband during the interview?...
Malcolm Ritter writes about science for the Associated Press:
"CHARLESTON, S.C. - Picture this: Your boss is threatening to fire you because he thinks you stole company property. He doesn't believe your denials. Your lawyer suggests you deny it one more time — in a brain scanner that will show you're telling the truth."
"Wacky? Science fiction? It might happen this summer."
Do terrorists learn too?
Is anyone really surprised by this?...
In the Associated Press via Yahoo. Joe Milicia writes:
"When Tammy Klein began investigating crime scenes eight years ago, it was virtually unheard of for a killer to use bleach to clean up a bloody mess.Today, the use of bleach, which destroys DNA, is not unusual in a planned homicide, said the senior criminalist from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department."
"Klein and other experts attribute such sophistication to television crime dramas like "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," which give criminals helpful tips on how to cover up evidence."
Some history of "Presidents at War"
Michael Barone at USNEWS.com presents a synopsis of what our presidents have dealt with during times of war.
He reports interesting historical data that makes it very clear that overseeing a war is by no means an easy task...
He reports interesting historical data that makes it very clear that overseeing a war is by no means an easy task...
Some of the circumstances Michael Barone describes are quite amazing:
"Typically, the field of battle was far from Washington, and until the telegraph allowed Abraham Lincoln to communicate in real time with his generals, presidents learned of the course of battle only weeks or months later."
"In 1801, Thomas Jefferson sent the Navy and the Marines to take on the Barbary pirates, who were enslaving American merchants and demanding tribute. His ships set sail for the Barbary Coast in June 1801 but didn't complete their mission until September 1805."
"Madison's ability to prosecute the War of 1812 was so limited he was unable to prevent the burning of the White House and the Capitol."
Learning from Ireland
Ireland - A global economic champion...
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinal accompanied the Wisconsin Governor to Ireland. They observed:
"While riding down a rural Irish lane so narrow that two cars could barely pass - much less avoid the wandering sheep - Gov. Jim Doyle mused out loud last week about the contrast between the bumpy road and the growing technology center that lay at its end."
"Back in Wisconsin, Doyle said, most argue that the state must build expensive highways to lure factories and research facilities."
"But Ireland didn't put its money into roads, said fellow traveler Tim Sheehy, president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. "They put it into education," Sheehy said."
15 New Tech Concepts For 2006
I bet you just can't wait to see what the other 14 are...
From Popular Mechanics:
"Pedestrian Protection System (PPS)"
"Radar sensors and computer-controlled braking will keep drivers safer than ever, but what about pedestrians? In case your adaptive cruise control fails to spot someone darting into the road, TRW Automotive is introducing the PPS system: if you smack a pedestrian, the hood is automatically raised to cushion his landing on the engine block."
"The system is already being tested, part of a drive to meet new European and Japanese regulations on pedestrian safety which are being phased in, starting with 2006 models."
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Too much PC at the Pentagon?
This article seems to provide a reasonable analysis of what might be going on....
Paul Sperry writes:
"Today we are confronted with a stateless threat that does not have at the strategic level targetable entities: no capitals, no economic base, no military formations or installations," states a new Pentagon briefing paper I've obtained. "Yet political Islam wages an ideological battle against the non-Islamic world at the tactical, operational and strategic level. The West's response is focused at the tactical and operation level, leaving the strategic level -- Islam -- unaddressed."
Are School Boards Addicted to Money?
Did I miss the paragraphs devoted to cost-cutting or holding expenses down?
Do all school boards think like this one...
Do all school boards think like this one...
From the CountyPressOnline:
"School Directors Express Concern Over Taxpayer Veto"
Charleston, SC vs.Mexico
Here's an interesting idea...
From the Charleston, SC Post and Courier:
"...state Rep. John Graham Altman on Friday proposed fining Mexico $1 million in U.S. aid for every illegal alien from the country found here."
"'The Mexican government is disgraceful. America can not be the welfare system for Mexico,' said Altman, R-Charleston."
Rash Of Manhole-Cover Thefts Reported
From the "Only in America" notebook...
From TheIndyChannel.com:
"The Department of Public Works said more than 30 manhole lids and sewer grates have been taken. Authorities believe people stole the cast-iron coverings to sell them, citing a high worldwide demand for scrap metal."
"The public works department is having difficulty replacing the missing lids at a fast pace, especially because some grates are no longer made."
In the 1963 Congressional Record
I think I see some familiar items on this list.
And wait until you see what it is a list of...
And wait until you see what it is a list of...
3. "Develop the illusion that total disarmament [by] the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength."
11. "Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind..."
15. "Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States."
20. "Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions."
36. "Infiltrate and gain control of more unions."
40. "Discredit the family as an institution."
Just click here:
FEC Disclosure Report
There's sure is a lot of money floating around in politics...
If for no reason other than to get a picture of who makes political contributions, just take a look at this list from the Federal Elections Commission website.
And then, try to extrapolate that money to encompass all the local, city, state, and federal politicians.
You can draw your own conclusion.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Were Iraq's WMD moved to Syria?
Hmmmm. This certainly seems plausible...
In the NY Sun: Iraq's WMD Secreted in Syria:
"The man who served as the no. 2 official in Saddam Hussein's air force says Iraq moved weapons of mass destruction into Syria before the war by loading the weapons into civilian aircraft in which the passenger seats were removed."
"The Iraqi general, Georges Sada, makes the charges in a new book, "Saddam's Secrets," released this week. He detailed the transfers in an interview yesterday with The New York Sun."
"There are weapons of mass destruction gone out from Iraq to Syria, and they must be found and returned to safe hands," Mr. Sada said. "I am confident they were taken over."
Ford and Only Ford
You can decide for yourself; but, this seems wrong to me...
From CNNMoney.com:
"Employees at Ford's Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Mich., will have to drive Ford Motor Co. vehicles to work or park across the street, the plant manager announced earlier this week."
Recycling
Apparently, recycling is not as it appears to be...
From an article titled: Recycle This!
"But what about saving precious resources by recycling? Almost 90 percent of this country's paper comes from renewable forests, and to say we will someday run out of trees is the same as saying we will some day run out of corn. According to Jerry Taylor, we are growing 22 million acres of new forest each year, and we harvest 15 million acres, for a net annual gain of 7 million acres. The United States has almost four times more forested land today than it did 80 years ago."
The Beltway Party
Democrats plus Republicans equals the Beltway Party...
In the Wall Street Opinion Journal:
"But it gets worse. Congress legislated the system that now exists. Congress planted the seeds back in the '70s for what is revolting you now with two enactments--the Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 and the 1974 amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971. Both were marketed as reforms."
"The first law turned political Washington into a trillion-dollar industry camouflaged as the federal budget. The second ensured that sitting members of Congress and K Street lobbyists would become the entrenched management of that industry. Compared to this, Enron is a kindergarten game."
CNN.com - Nov. 19, 2002
Perhaps the old media should republish and reread their own news reports on this issue.
If the truth is their agenda, that might be helpful...
If the truth is their agenda, that might be helpful...
This news story was from CNN:
"CNN.com - Appeals panel rejects secret court's limits on terrorist wiretaps - Nov. 19, 2002":And if you have a lifetime of time, you can learn all about the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
"In a 56-page opinion overturning a May decision by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, the three-judge panel said the expanded wiretap guidelines sought by Attorney General John Ashcroft under the new USA Patriot Act law do not violate the Constitution."
Boeing Receives Aircraft for Laser Gunship Program
Yesterdays Sci-Fi is fast becoming today's high-tech...
A news release from Boeing contains the following:
"ATL can produce both lethal and non-lethal effects, supporting missions on the battlefield and in urban operations. It can destroy, damage or disable targets with little to no collateral damage."
"As a directed energy weapon, the Advanced Tactical Laser is complementary to the Airborne Laser (ABL), which Boeing is developing for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to destroy ballistic missiles in their boost phase of flight."
Eco-terrorists
Like we don't have enough to be concerned about...
A story from the Seattle Times:
"According to the FBI in Sacramento, Jenson, McDavid and Weiner were arrested Friday in the parking lot of a Kmart store in Auburn, Calif., as they were returning to the informant's car with shopping bags containing bleach, glass cleaner, rubber gloves and masks — items apparently needed to construct a homemade bomb, the affidavit says."
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Links Reminder
Occasionally, I add "Links" on the right of the page. The most recently added is on top. Today's addition is RefDesk.com. It could keep you busy forever.
Google This
Doesn't this seem somewhat hypocritical?...
In the San Francisco Chronicle, Debra J. Saunders writes:
"Google painted itself as heroic in refusing to help the U.S. Department of Justice's efforts to reinstate a 1998 federal law on online child pornography, then revealed that it was going to help the Chinese government suppress free speech."
Dark Ages in the Information Age
I find this hard to believe.
It seems pretty apparent who controls what in Washington State...
It seems pretty apparent who controls what in Washington State...
The Evergreen Freedom Foundation reports:
"The unions that represent Washington’s state and local employees have no legal obligation to disclose financial information to the employees they represent."
All-Time High!
Hmmm. Is this the "Bush" economy?...
The Associated Press is reporting:
"WASHINGTON - Orders to American factories for big-ticket manufactured goods posted a third consecutive increase in December, closing out a record year for the nation's factories.
The Commerce Department reported that orders for durable goods rose by 1.3 percent in December to $228.1 billion as demand for military aircraft, machinery and autos all posted strong gains.
For all of 2005, orders increased by 8.2 percent to an all-time high of $2.51 trillion. Orders for durable goods had risen by 10 percent in 2004 and 4.2 percent in 2003 after posting declines in 2002 and 2001, the year the country was in recession.
In other economic news, the Labor Department reported that the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits rose to 283,000. That was up by 11,000 from the previous week. However, the four-week moving average for claims dropped to 288,750, the lowest level since July 2000."
Catch and Release?
Obviously, there's a big difference between a plan on paper, and implementing that plan in real life.
It's beginning to look like a fence IS the best solution...
It's beginning to look like a fence IS the best solution...
In the NY Times:
"In the 2003 fiscal year, 49,545 illegal immigrants from countries other than Mexico were seized crossing the Southwestern border.
By the 2005 fiscal year, which ended last September, the figure had jumped to 155,000. In addition, concerns have been growing about the possibility of gang members and terrorists crossing the border."
We need a law for this?
Whatever happened to "rest in peace"?...
In the Wichita Eagle:
"TOPEKA - Prompted by protests at military funerals by the Rev. Fred Phelps' anti-gay church, a Wichita senator introduced a bill Monday setting specific distances and times where people can demonstrate at such services."
"People have the right to bury their family members in peace," said Sen. Jean Schodorf. "I find it repugnant that anybody would protest the funeral of a soldier.""
Better than expected?
Is it possible they are doing it to themselves?...
Excerpts from a New York Times Investor Relations press release:
"Fourth-quarter net income was $64.8 million compared with $110.2 million in the same period of 2004."
"'Our revenues in the fourth quarter came in better than expected, primarily because of very strong performance at The New York Times Media Group,' said Janet L. Robinson, president and chief executive officer. 'The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune and NYTimes.com all showed strong advertising gains, resulting in the Group's advertising revenues growing by nearly 8 percent. New products and enhancements were instrumental in achieving this growth.'"
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Men in Apparent Mexican Army Uniforms Confront Texas Lawmen
Patrolling the border must be pretty crazy at times...
From WOAI in San Antonio, TX:
"'When you see a Humvee vehicle with a fifty caliber machine gun on it, this leads you to believe this is not a vehicle being used by the drug lords, but in fact is part of the Mexican military. I think of course the Mexican government knows about this.'"
Oil! Who needs it?
This guy says we should stop having old ideas, and demonstrates what happens when we allow new ones...
Discover Magazine calls him the Energizer:
"AMORY LOVINS is a physicist, economist, inventor, automobile designer, consultant to 18 heads of state, author of 29 books, and cofounder of Rocky Mountain Institute, an environmental think tank."
"The electricity bill at his 4,000-square-foot home in Old Snowmass, Colorado, is five dollars a month, and he's convinced he can do the same for all of us. his book winning the oil endgame shows how the United States can save as much oil as it gets from the Persian Gulf by 2015 and how all oil imports can be eliminated by 2040. And that's just for starters."
First of 'St. Patrick's Four' Sentenced
I guess this was a peaceful protest; but I think they went too far. And they must have been aware of the consequences...
The Cornell Sun reports:
"First of 'St. Patrick's Four' Sentenced to Six Months - News"
"According to Ithaca writer and St. Patrick's Four supporter Katie Quinn-Jacobs, who posted a story on www.stpatricksfour.org last night, Judge McAvoy 'commented that he didn't understand how people could think that by breaking the law they would change the laws in the country.'"
ABC & Nightline's Integrity
This looks to be bad for "ABC's Nightline". Read this and then try to tell me ABC has no agenda...
The Federalist Society is NOT happy with ABC's "Nightline". Following are a few selected paragraphs from the article:
"Leo also said the hotel where the conference was held had denied ABC News’ request to videotape, but despite this, the network used undercover cameras in some cases. Leo called it illegal and an invasion of privacy for the hotel’s guests."
"2. Justice Scalia did not attend Chief Justice Roberts’s swearing-in ceremony at the White House on September 29 because he chose to respect a longstanding commitment to teach a course to over 100 lawyers who had traveled from at least 38 states. This was not, as Nightline suggested, missing an important Washington function so as not to miss a tennis outing."
• "There was virtually no advance notice that John Roberts would be confirmed and sworn-in on September 29. It was not absolutely clear until the day before."
• "Justice Scalia had accepted the invitation to teach on October 10, 2004—nearly a year before the course dates. Almost all participants had registered and paid for the course by August 2005, nearly two months in advance.4. ABC Nightline was fully aware that its piece was misleading and inaccurate, and the way in which it prepared the story bespeaks hypocrisy.""
How soon we forget
This 1999 Senate speech, reflects what was going on at the time. You may even recognize some of the names...
China's theft of nuclear secrets
by Sen. James Inhofe:
"Mr. President, I want you to listen. I am going to tell you a story of espionage, conspiracy, deception and cover-up -- a story with life and death implications for millions of Americans -- a story about national security and a President and an administration that deliberately chose to put national security at risk, while telling the people everything was fine."
4500 Rounds per Minute
So, where do they store (and how do they load) the ammo?...
From the FAS Military Analysis Network (the what?):
"The gun subsystem employs a gatling gun consisting of a rotating cluster of six barrels. The gatling gun fires a 20mm subcaliber sabot projectile using a heavy-metal (either tungsten or depleted uranium) 15mm penetrator surrounded by a plastic sabot and a light-weight metal pusher. The gatling gun fires 20mm ammunition at either 3,000 or 4,500 rounds-per-minute with a burst length of continuous, 60, or 100 rounds."
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
He doesn't support the troops
Some columnists don't seem to do much thinking about the words they use. After reading this transcript, you can decide if this Joel Stein is one of them...
Here is the audio and transcript of Hugh Hewitt's interview with Joel Stein, the LA Times columnist.
"Los Angeles Times columnist Joel Stein today saying he doesn't support the troops."
"It's another glaring example of why the Times is the worst newspaper in America:"
جريدة الصباح - ست مجاميع مسلحة تلتحق بخلايا الشعب لمقاتلة القاعدة
(Smile) There is nothing wrong with your computer...
Just click the LINK, and then click on English:
"
بغداد- الصباح
اعلنت ست مجاميع مسلحة براءتها من الزرقاوي وتنظيم القاعدة والالتحاق بخلايا الشعب التي تم تنظيمها في مدن الانبار بحسب مصدر وثيق عن اهالي الفلوجة. وذكر المصدر لـ”الصباح "
Algorithm detects "spin"
So it's a "BS" detector, right?.
I like high-tech, but do we really need a computer to tell us what we already know?...
I like high-tech, but do we really need a computer to tell us what we already know?...
In the New Scientist breaking news:
"The computer algorithm is based on a psychological model constructed by James Pennebaker at the University of Texas, Austin, US.
While studying the lying and truth-telling of hundreds of test subjects, he uncovered patterns linked to deception, such as the decreased use of personal pronouns – such as I, we, me, us –..."
All Venom, All the Time
But they always say. "the gentleman from..." , "my good friend..." , or "my esteemed colleague..."
It wouldn't be sarcasm, would it?...
It wouldn't be sarcasm, would it?...
Charlie Cook laments on "the degeneration of our political debate":
"The most recent episode to deeply offend me occurred after Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito’s wife left the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in tears. An Alito opponent soon asked on a popular liberal Web site, “Do we want a judge who would marry such a weak-willed bitch?"
No cell phone cameras here
Considering that this area is well off the beaten track and any news coverage just might be limited, it follows that there's more to this story than we're ever going to know...
According to The American Thinker:
"There have been a lot of conflicting statements and a fake photo designed to suggest that that the Damadola strike was clumsy and ineffective in getting the target and that anger in Pakistan and innocent victims were the principal result of the effort. But the fog is clearing. It appears that this was a well- conceived joint US-Pakistani intelligence operation which was very effective."
30 years of lobbying
And somehow, I'm sure this is improving education in America...
John Berthoud calls attention to political activities and lobbying by teacher's and other unions:
"Over these past three decades, the NEA has carpet-bombed the political landscape with money. In just the one-year period from September 2004 through August 2005, the NEA spent $25 million on political activities and lobbying, and another $65.5 million on contributions, gifts and grants.
From 1990 through 2002, the NEA was the nation’s second biggest political giver. (Unions comprised six of the 10 top political contributors.)"
Criticism & the NY Times Editor
It appears that the NY Times doesn't exactly welcome criticism...
Thomas Lifson shares his email exchange with the NY Times editor, and wonders:
"Where’s the outrage?
Bill Keller’s lack of protest over being had, his lack of evident resolve to get to the bottom of the situation, and his unwillingness to confront the actual criticism I made suggest some pretty ugly conclusions. He has been duped and he is content to pretend it is all just a little thing, not his fault, and that doesn’t matter very much, anyway. Or so it seems.
Is this really the extent of his regard for publishing the truth?
The executive editor of the New York Times is the most powerful figure in the American media. I don’t see a leader effectively confronting his organization’s problems. The consequences extend throughout our media structure, whose members too often follow the pilot fish at the New York Times."
Monday, January 23, 2006
About that excellent Iraqi adventure
Did news reporting come up short again?...
Something fishy is being questioned at NewsBusters.com.
Perhaps you will agree.
"Even the most basic research found that Farris Hassan was NOT enrolled in any journalism class at Pine Crest, which should automatically cast doubt on the true nature of his journey. ..."
Pakistan Times reports
I wonder how the Pakistanis spell torture...
Looks like this story isn't over yet:
"The man arrested was a relative of Faqir Mohammed, the pro-Taliban cleric intelligence officials believe is responsible for removing and concealing the bodies of the extremists following the airstrike, the official said. "
Low Jobless Numbers Ignored
Let's be fair. Good news deserves equal time...
No surprise here: Major Newspapers Ignore Low Jobless Numbers:
"Jobless claims hit a five-year low in mid-January according to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on January 19. But while Bloomberg and Reuters reported the news in full articles, The New York Times buried the item at the bottom of a Business Day report on housing starts. The Washington Post relegated the news to one sentence in an Associated Press business brief, and USA Today ignored the story altogether – although the day before, those same papers hyped a five-year high in the overall inflation rate."
Don't expect real reform
In my opinion, Steve Forbes gets a lot of things right.
Unfortunately (also my opinion), he can't seem to get anyone's attention...
Unfortunately (also my opinion), he can't seem to get anyone's attention...
Here, in a Forbes Magazine article, are his opinions on some things:
"Beltway Banditry: Don't Expect Real Reform"
"The Constitution Didn't Force Bush to Stumble"
"Liberals' Limitless Hypocrisy"
Eminent Domain
This story continues to amuse me...
Even if this is not successful, it will at least call attention to the issue:
"Activists Seek to Evict Souter From Home - Yahoo! News"
Putting your money where your mouth is
Some people take the national debt very seriously.
I can't say that I would go this far...
I can't say that I would go this far...
Perhaps you already read this. If not, you can read it in the Cincinnati Post:
"Taylor, of Findlay, was a staunch Democrat who believed the national debt should be paid off and she wanted to do her part, Drake said."
The Logging Dilemma
Hmmm. And there is no peer-reviewed supporting science...
Jim Petersen writes in the Opinion Journal:
"EUREKA, Mont.--My friend Jim Hurst auctioned his sawmill in August."
Sunday, January 22, 2006
The Democrats new tactic
Doesn't this stuff ever stop?...
In the New York Daily News, Michael Goodwin writes:
"Dems' wacky puppeteers pull the strings"
Big Brother on Steroids
Took the long way home, did you? Yikes...
From The Register in the U.K.:
"The control centre is intended to go live in April of next year, and is intended to be processing 50 million number plates a day by year end. ACPO national ANPR co-ordinator John Dean told the Sunday Times that fixed ANPR cameras already exist 'at strategic points' on every motorway in the UK, and that the intention was to have 'good nationwide coverage within the next 12 months.'"
"According to ACPO roads policing head Meredydd Hughes, ANPR systems are planned every 400 yards along motorways, and a trial on the M42 near Birmingham will first be used to enforce variable speed limits, then to 'tackle more serious crime.'"
Saturday, January 21, 2006
On the high seas
The U.S. Navy is on the job...
From Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs:
"MANAMA, Bahrain (NNS) -- At approximately 3 p.m. local time Jan. 21, the U.S. 5th Fleet captured a group of suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, approximately 54 miles off the central eastern coast of Somalia."
Know wuddumsayin?
Another columnist thinks it is race-baiting...
Kathleen Parker discusses Mrs. Clinton:
"If Clinton calculated her comment in advance, then she's got supremely bad instincts. If she spoke off the cuff, then her free-associative mind raises another kind of question: How does a white person gaze upon a church filled with African-American faces and come up with the plantation simile?"
"Up North, they might call that a Freudian slip; down South, they call it racist."
"Know wuddumsayin?"
Antebellum Democrats
This writer understands the "language" very well...
In his latest article, Herman Caine discusses Mrs. Clinton:
"Clinton’s use of the word 'house' was torn straight from the chapter in the Democrats’ political handbook titled 'Race-bait when speaking before African-American audiences.'"
"President Bush’s support in 2004 among African-Americans indicates that when voters hear the truth, versus distortion and lies, they are willing to support conservative candidates. Some of us are thinking for ourselves. Mrs. Clinton and the Congressional Democrats will discover in 2006 and 2008 that many of us have already left their plantation."
"You know what I’m talking about."
$Poor hostage$
Another hostage story with questionable veracity...
From Reuters - Report says ransom money found on Osthoff:
"BERLIN (Reuters) - Part of the ransom money alleged to have been paid by the German government to win the freedom of Iraq hostage Susanne Osthoff last month was found on Osthoff after her release, the German magazine Focus said on Saturday.
Without citing its sources, Focus said officials at the German embassy in Baghdad had found several thousand U.S. dollars in the 43-year-old German archaeologist's clothes when she took a shower at the embassy shortly after being freed.
The serial numbers on the bills matched those used by the government to pay off Osthoff's kidnappers, the magazine said."
Tap or Not
Pat Boone just keeps writing what he's thinking...
In his latest article, Pat Boone asks:
"To tap or not to tap: That is the question.
"Can the media just have missed it, or were there other, bigger and more relevant stories? Or could it be they didn't want to report the story because of the way the plot was foiled – through phone surveillance?
WIRE TAPPING! Yes, Al Gore ... WIRE TAPPING!"
Mexican Army invades U.S.
Does the border situation seem like a fiasco, or what?...
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff responds...
After you read this article, you might just agree:
"Indeed, Mr. Seper went on to report the views of Mr. T.J. Bonner, 27-year veteran Border Patrol agent and head of the 10,000 person National Border Patrol Council, that "intrusions by the Mexican military to protect drug loads happen all the time and represent a significant threat to the agents." He went on to say the incursions were not accidents, as the Mexican military has global positioning systems."
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff responds...
San Diego (AP): Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said Wednesday that reports of Mexican soldiers frequently crossing onto U.S. soil were overblown, calling many of those incursions innocent mistakes.
Suitcase Nukes
Only "in the realm of James Bond movies" , but urban legends don't die easily...
Richard Miniter exposes the myth of "suitcase nukes":
"Let's start by noting that "nuclear suitcase" is a term coined by journalists. Journalistic parlance, if you wish. The matter concerns special compact nuclear devices of knapsack type. Igor Valynkin, commander of the 12th Main Directorate of the Defense Ministry responsible for nuclear ordnance storage, was absolutely honest when he was saying in an interview with Nezavisimaya Gazeta in 1997 that "there have never been any nuclear suitcases, grips, handbags or other carryalls."
Tough Times in Edina
What's the country coming to?
You can't even get arrested when you want to...
You can't even get arrested when you want to...
In the Minneapolis, Minnesota Star-Tribune :
"It's impossible to get into jail," fumed protester David Harris, a 71-year-old surgeon from Red Wing, who fulfilled his court-ordered penalty from a previous trespassing conviction by publicly holding a sign that said simply, "Community Service."
Friday, January 20, 2006
It's the 25th Anniversary
Yep! I'm a Ronald Reagan fan...
I remember his 1st inauguration very well.
And I remember how (after 444 days) those hostages were released.
And we all know it was no coincidence...
I remember his 1st inauguration very well.
And I remember how (after 444 days) those hostages were released.
And we all know it was no coincidence...
Here are two articles that remember that inauguration day...
Frank Donatelli remembers:
"Indeed, at precisely the time Reagan was taking the oath of office, the hostages’ plane had cleared Iranian air space and were finally on their way home, yet another symbol that a new era had indeed dawned."
And Steven F. Hayward writes in "The Fog Lifts"; his impression of that day.
"We have every right to dream heroic dreams," Reagan said."
Fiction should be labeled as such
I think Oprah got snookered a bit by James Frey. Don't you?...
The Wall Street Journal's Editorial Page opines:
"Oprah Winfrey has thrown her support behind memoirist James Frey, whose Number One bestseller, "A Million Little Pieces"--a vivid recollection of his drug and alcohol addictions, crimes against humanity and recovery--turns out on a sliding scale to run from false to faulty. Mr. Frey's literally incredible life was exposed recently by a Web site, the Smoking Gun. Respondeth Oprah, and legions of Mr. Frey's readers: Who cares?
Ms. Winfrey said, "The underlying message of redemption in James Frey's memoir still resonates with me." Many of the some 1,900 Frey messengers to Oprah's Web site also voted for redemption over factual accuracy.
In an age when controversies are a dime a dozen, this one is worth thinking about."
Reaganomics
Could the old media be in denial of the facts?...
The Wall Street Journal says history shows that tax cuts work:
"The Gipper's critics have written an economic history of the 1990s that they portray as a repudiation of Reaganomics. In this telling--known as Rubinomics--the Clinton tax hikes of 1993 ended the budget deficit, which caused interest rates to fall, which produced the boom of the mid- to late-1990s. In fact, the budget deficit hardly fell at all in the immediate aftermath of the tax hike, and while long-term interest rates fell in 1993, they shot back up again in 1994 almost precisely through Election Day (rising by some 230 basis points from October 1993 to November 1994).
On that day, voters repudiated the Clinton tax hikes and the specter of HillaryCare and gave Republicans control of Capitol Hill to govern on the Reaganite agenda of lowering taxes and shrinking runaway government. Both the stock and bond markets turned upward precisely on Election Day in 1994, beginning a whirlwind six-year rally."
The future oil supply
Our increasing dependency on oil is clearly not a good thing...
Famed oil & gas guru T. Boone Pickens tells supply/demand story:
"Pickens concluded by saying that eventually mankind will see this period as the hydrocarbon era. The period started roughly 100 years ago with the invention of the automobile, and could be half over."
“If half the oil has been found and produced, we have about another 100 years,” he said."
A creepy story
Supplemental income: Anything to make a buck...
Mary P. Gallagher of the New Jersey Law Journal writes:
"In suits filed this month, plaintiffs charge that bone pieces implanted in them during surgery at Shore Memorial Hospital are of unknown origin -- that they were pilfered from cadavers and sold without the consent of the deceaseds' families or the protective screening required by law, leaving recipients exposed to risk of infection with HIV, hepatitis and syphilis."
Thursday, January 19, 2006
The Barrett Report released
It sounds like we may never really know...
David M. Barrett, the independent counsel is quoted in this article:
"Said Barrett in a press release: "This has been a long and difficult investigation. It is my hope that people will read the entire report and draw their own conclusions. An accurate title for the report could be, 'WHAT WE WERE PREVENTED FROM INVESTIGATING.'"
Continued the independent counsel: "After a thorough reading of the report it would not be unreasonable to conclude, as I have, that there was a cover-up at high levels of our government, and it appears to have been substantial and coordinated. The question is why? And that question regrettably will go unanswered. Unlike some other cover ups, this one succeeded."
A Thought for Today
"To believe some things, you must choose blindness."
Save Kevin Cooper?
Another death row case...
OpinionJournal - Extra:
""Cooper's case is one in which it's hard to imagine anyone jumping on his bandwagon. He was an inmate at the California Institution for Men in Chino, serving time for burglary, when he escaped on June 2, 1983. Two days later he broke into the Chino Hills home of the Ryen family as they were sleeping and killed the parents, Douglas and Peggy, along with 10-year-old Jessica Ryen and 11-year-old Christopher Hughes, a friend of Joshua Ryen, who was the only family member to survive. 'The first time I met Kevin Cooper I was 8 years old and he slit my throat,' Joshua Ryen testified at an April 22 hearing in U.S. District Court in San Diego. 'He hit me with a hatchet and put a hole in my skull. . . . I laid there 11 hours looking at my mother who was right beside me.'
But Cooper does not lack supporters: the likes of Jesse Jackson, Mike Farrell, Richard Dreyfuss, Sean Penn and Denzel Washington have come to his defense. One would think that appropriate monikers for Cooper would have career-sensitive celebrities running for the hills: Ax murderer. Child killer. Mass murderer.
It's apparently lost on them that the people they're dealing with are master manipulators."
You Read This, Didn't You?
So, I guess we better read foreign newspapers to get the news that affects the U.S. ...
From Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff:
"The mainstream U.S. media outlets have failed to report a major terrorist plot against the U.S. - because it would tend to support President Bush's use of NSA domestic surveillance, according to media watchdog groups.
News of a planned attack masterminded by three Algerians operating out of Italy was widely reported outside the U.S., but went virtually unreported in the American media.
Italian authorities recently announced that they had used wiretaps to uncover the conspiracy to conduct a series of major attacks inside the U.S."
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Habitual Deceptions
There's a connection between thieves and government? Not quite sure?...
After you read this article: The Habitual Deceptions of the Political Class, you just might find it hard to disagree.
Try this quote for starters:
"A politician cannot help one person without first stealing from someone else. This forced redistribution is anti-free market because the redistribution is not voluntary. People have already voted for their desires on redistribution and charity through their own bank accounts. The charitable offerings voluntarily approved show true desires."
"This theft by the government is necessary to achieve the most power and influence. Theft is dishonest. Hence, being a "good" politician must also always be dishonest and involve theft."
Not in my backyard
The "system" at work.
I hope there aren't weekend passes.
I hope there aren't weekend passes.
A story from the Boston Herald:
"A U.S. senator is vowing to find out why a diabolical child molester is doing soft time in a Devens prison hospital and Central Massachusetts residents are wondering why they weren’t told 459 federal sex offenders had been moved to their back yard for treatment."
Bridge for Sale?
There's no Santa Claus?
Try telling that to a politician...
Try telling that to a politician...
Walter E. Williams writes about lobbying reform:
"Let's start this analysis with a question. Why do corporations, unions and other interest groups fork over millions of dollars to the campaign coffers of politicians? Is it because these groups are extraordinarily civic-minded Americans who have a deep interest in congressmen doing their jobs of upholding and defending the U.S. Constitution? Might it be that these groups and their Washington-based lobby arms, numbering in the thousands, just love participating in the political process? Anyone answering in the affirmative to either question probably also believes that storks deliver babies and there really is an Easter Bunny and Santa Claus."
Gotcha!
I wonder who gets the $5,000,000?...
ABC News has learned that al Qaeda's master bomb maker and chemical weapons expert was one of the men killed in last week's U.S. missile attack in eastern Pakistan.
Does this Senator gamble with ethics?
And I thought gambling profits benefitted senior citizens...
Amanda B. Carpenter writes for the conservative website HumanEvents Online.
"The day after Reid sent the letter, according to the Associated Press, Louisiana’s Coushatta tribe, which already operated a casino, and which was a client of lobbyist Jack Abramoff, but which did not want competition from the Jena tribe, sent a $5,000 contribution to Reid’s tax-exempt Searchlight Leadership Fund. A second tribe represented by Abramoff, the AP reported, also sent Reid’s group a $5,000 contribution. Ultimately, according to the AP, Reid collected more than $66,000 in Abramoff-related contributions."
Eminent Domain
This just seems very wrong...
And it's certainly NOT a good Christmas story!...
And it's certainly NOT a good Christmas story!...
Melanie Kirkpatrick writes in the Opinion Journal:
"NEW LONDON, Conn.--It's the week before Christmas, and as my train from Manhattan nears this old New England seaport, I can't help but hum a few bars of that seasonal favorite, "There's No Place Like Home for the Holidays."
"I'm here to meet with New London's most famous resident since Nathan Hale, the schoolteacher-spy who was hanged by the British in 1776. Susette Kelo's life isn't in jeopardy, but her home is--and her fight to keep it has taken her all the way to the Supreme Court, making her a national celebrity along the way and igniting a nationwide movement to protect private property rights. If June's ruling in Kelo v. City of New London is carried out, this could be Ms. Kelo's last Christmas in the home she loves."
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
I wouldn't roll these dice again
Don't they say, "it's better to be lucky than good"?...
I found this story in the San Francisco Chronicle:
"At around 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Eve, Sands heard the roar of helicopters somewhere outside the dark room where he was being held. Then he heard people running through the house, then a loud bang on the locked door of the room that had been his prison cell for five days.
The door blew open, and two U.S. soldiers burst in,..."
A public service announcement
Links...
You may have noticed the links area along the right side of this page. It's where I can share links that I find useful or informative.
For starters, there is a link (Heavens-Above) for those who have an interest in watching the sky. There are several links for checking out hoaxes. There is a link (Shields UP!) to test your computer's security. And a link where you can opt out of pre-screened offers for credit or insurance.
I expect to add more links as time goes on.
Canada turning conservative?
The Canadian election is getting pretty interesting...
With 6 days to go PoliPundit has links to polls that seem to indicate the entire country is about to flip:
"At this time next week the votes from the ridings will be nearly counted. If the poll projections continue, the Conservatives will take over the government of Canada with Steve Harper as the new Prime Minister."
Spy vs. Spy?
The granddaughter of the Rosenbergs?
Would this be a case of "the usual suspects"?...
Would this be a case of "the usual suspects"?...
I found this posted on Sweetness-Light.com.
"Federal lawsuits were filed Tuesday seeking to halt President Bush’s domestic eavesdropping program, calling it an "illegal and unconstitutional program" of electronic eavesdropping on American citizens.
The lawsuits accusing Bush of exceeding his constitutional powers were filed in federal court in New York by the Center for Constitutional Rights and in Detroit by the American Civil Liberties Union."
Chemical Weapons being used now
Don't worry. I'm sure the U.N. is "discussing" this daily...
An article by Michael Ireland. He is an international British freelance journalist.
"Asked how he knew they were chemical weapons, he said that the sergeant showed them all around the arsenal where weapons were stored at the army base camp and pointed out these poisonous weapons. Each box had the emblem of a skull and cross bones on it, and he proceeded to draw one for us. He said that whenever these chemical shells were fired soldiers had to wear full head masks and gloves. They were usually launched from a mortar launcher but said there were a number of ways in which they were delivered. But he had only seen the mortar launch, and said that during an artillery attack on Karenni positions they worked on one shell in four being a chemical shell. Sometimes he went with a truck to the front line when a large number of artillery shells were shifted at a time. In the truck on one occasion he counted five boxes of chemical devices, out of a total load of about 30, on another occasion he counted seven boxes, all with the skull and cross bones emblem."
Ben Franklin vs. Ted Kennedy
I'm often impressed by Pete DuPont's opinions.
In this case, he discusses some interesting history...
In this case, he discusses some interesting history...
Pete DuPont writes today in the Wall Street Opinion Journal:
"Benjamin Franklin (whose 300th birthday is today) would not have thought so. In 1776 he and his four colleagues on the Continental Congress's foreign affairs committee (called the Committee of Secret Correspondence) unanimously agreed that they could not tell the Congress about the covert assistance France was giving the American Revolution, because it would be harmful to America if the information leaked, and 'we find by fatal experience that Congress consists of too many members to keep secrets.' "
Tigers won't eat beef?
50,000 deer-vehicle collisions a year equals 137 per day. Yikes...
And tigers won't eat beef.
Wonder what that's telling us?...
And tigers won't eat beef.
Wonder what that's telling us?...
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
"Unable to hunt for wild game on their own, the 46 big cats at the Valley of the Kings Sanctuary & Retreat in rural Walworth County have come to rely on four-wheeled predators for their favorite meal.
Between September and mid-December the lions, tiger, leopards and cougars eat nearly 2,000 pounds of deer each day."
Mass. Exodus
I stole the author's title. I hope he doesn't mind...
Jeff Jacoby is an Op-Ed writer for the Boston Globe, a radio political commentator, and a contributing columnist for Townhall.com.:
"This is a state in which a tax cut can be decisively approved by the voters yet never go into effect. In which grocers can be prosecuted for pricing milk too low. In which archaic blue laws decree when shops may and may not open for business. In which local officials have been known to heatedly object to opening town meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance. In which a $2 billion Big Dig ends up costing $14 billion. In which Ted Kennedy keeps getting reelected."
Monday, January 16, 2006
A Thought for Today
"When many cures are offered for a disease, it means the disease is not curable" -Anton Chekhov
The Barrett Report
Hopefully, someone leaks this entire report...
Michelle Malkin has info on the now infamous "Barrett Report":
Michelle cautions, "For $23 million, there better be something there. But with the Democrats having successfully fought to redact one-fourth of it, I'd recommend managing your expectations."
Update... The New York Sun reports here :
More on that NY Times photo
Another update to my previous post on Saturday, 01-14-06...
Hugh Hewitt has more on the NY Times phony picture:
"Shell Fails To Explode; Detonates Later, Destroying What's Left of New York Times' Reputation"
Representative "A"
It looks like a bad time to be this guys "former employer"...
Ana Radelat writes for USA Today:
"WASHINGTON — A former aide to Rep. William Jefferson pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal bribery charges and said a former employer demanded kickbacks and other bribes from an American company that wanted a multimillion-dollar deal with the Nigerian government."
"Political analyst Charles Cook called the 'Representative A' scandal 'Bob Ney times five.'
"If a high-ranking former staff member is willing to testify to all that, 'Representative A' is in very deep trouble," Cook said."
A NY Times correction
An update to a previous post on Saturday, 01-14-06...
The American Thinker has the latest on the NY Times picture error:
"It appears that the Times, once-upon-a-time regarded as the last word in reliability when it comes to checking before publishing (which makes them so much better than blogs, of course), has run a fake photo on the home page of its website. The photo has since been removed from the home page, but still can be seen here with corrected caption.
John Murtha was involved in Abscam
This Murtha guy looks more and more like the typical miscreant political hack. I'm becoming more and more inclined to advocate term limits...
This website is reporting what the "Old Media" will not:
"According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 'Murtha was one of eight members of Congress lured to a Washington, D.C., townhouse by a team of FBI agents posing as representatives of a fictitious Arab sheik. They handed out briefcases filled with $50,000 in return for helping the sheik gain residency in the United States.' "
"Munich" criticized again
Could it be that $pielberg is well aware that "controversy $ells", and has deliberately produced that controversy?...
Charles Krauthammer comments on Steven Spielberg's "Munich":
"Instead, he decided to call this fiction "Munich" and root it in a historical event: the 1972 massacre by Palestinian terrorists of 11 Israeli athletes at the Olympic Games. Once you've done that -- evoked the killing of innocents who, but for Palestinian murderers, would today be not much older than Spielberg himself -- you have an obligation to get the story right and not to use the victims as props for any political agenda, let alone for the political agenda of those who killed them."
Is a good education being rationed?
This is an article describing how politics and unions stand in the way of an improved and competitive education system...
John Fund writes in the Wall Street Opinion Journal:
"Milwaukee's innovative school choice program has become a beacon of hope for reformers everywhere. But the educational establishment has never accepted its success and is now striking back. A cap on the number of students that can attend the city's private choice schools has been reached, and starting Feb. 1, education officials will implement a rationing plan to allocate the program's available seats. That could disrupt up to 4,000 families and create such chaos among the participating schools that several could be threatened with closure."
The Pelican is in jail
Some names of interest are in this story...
This story is taking place on the West Coast:
"At the center of this blossoming investigation is Anthony Pellicano. Until the time the police raided his Hollywood offices in 2002, he was hailed as one of the most successful private detectives in the city, with a roster of clients that included A-list actors and some of the industry's most important lawyers who represent Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Michael Jackson and many other showbiz bigwigs."
"The Pelican was also suspected of being retained by the Clintons as part of their network of goons who harassed women who were considered a political liability for Bill Clinton while he was president. The well-paid private eye may have been involved in the Clintons' clandestine activities such as digging up dirt on those they deemed a threat."
