Thursday, August 30, 2007
IMAO: Dog Quizzing Ring Broken Up
IMAO: Dog Quizzing Ring Broken Up: "Yesterday, the police came to my house to break up a dog quizzing ring I've been running, alleging I've been cruelly pitting dogs against each other in categories such as math, science, history, and pop culture."
Jews for Obama: Show your support in style with "Obama-kahs" -- Obama Yarmulkes
Jews for Obama: Show your support in style with "Obama-kahs" -- Obama Yarmulkes: "Be sure to order by September 6 if you want to guarantee that you will receive your yarmulkes before Rosh Hashanah. Thanks!"
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Why I watch FOX News
You'd never see "the rest of the story" on any of the liberal MSM outlets.
--8/28/2007-- Media Research Center:
"5. Saunders Discredits Media-Hyped Slam on Conservative Intellect
FNC's Brit Hume on Monday night picked up on a column by the San Francisco Chronicle's Debra Saunders which discredited the media spin on an AP/Ipsos poll that found liberals read one more book a year than conservatives, a finding Pat Schroeder, President of the American Association of Publishers claimed illustrated how conservatives can't think beyond slogans. The AP and CNN's Jack Cafferty both jumped on Schroeder's slam. Hume noted that Saunders 'says Ipsos told her the one book difference between liberals and conservatives is within the poll's margin of error and not statistically significant. The company also said that since the poll did not ask respondents if they read newspapers or magazines, it does not, therefore, say anything about their general level of knowledge or information.'
6. AccuWeather's Bastardi: Intense Hurricanes Part of Natural Cycle
On the Tuesday, August 21 The O'Reilly Factor on FNC, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Joe Bastardi poured cold water on claims that a global warming trend has been the cause of hurricanes of increased intensity as he contended that the Northern Hemisphere similarly saw periods of increased hurricane activity in past decades, going back to the 1890s: 'We're back in the '30's, '40's and 50's. This back and forth cycle that occurs, we saw it in the 1890s to 1910....And people are just getting carried away and fascinated when, if they go back and look at what happened before, you can see the similarities.' "
--8/28/2007-- Media Research Center:
"5. Saunders Discredits Media-Hyped Slam on Conservative Intellect
FNC's Brit Hume on Monday night picked up on a column by the San Francisco Chronicle's Debra Saunders which discredited the media spin on an AP/Ipsos poll that found liberals read one more book a year than conservatives, a finding Pat Schroeder, President of the American Association of Publishers claimed illustrated how conservatives can't think beyond slogans. The AP and CNN's Jack Cafferty both jumped on Schroeder's slam. Hume noted that Saunders 'says Ipsos told her the one book difference between liberals and conservatives is within the poll's margin of error and not statistically significant. The company also said that since the poll did not ask respondents if they read newspapers or magazines, it does not, therefore, say anything about their general level of knowledge or information.'
6. AccuWeather's Bastardi: Intense Hurricanes Part of Natural Cycle
On the Tuesday, August 21 The O'Reilly Factor on FNC, AccuWeather senior meteorologist Joe Bastardi poured cold water on claims that a global warming trend has been the cause of hurricanes of increased intensity as he contended that the Northern Hemisphere similarly saw periods of increased hurricane activity in past decades, going back to the 1890s: 'We're back in the '30's, '40's and 50's. This back and forth cycle that occurs, we saw it in the 1890s to 1910....And people are just getting carried away and fascinated when, if they go back and look at what happened before, you can see the similarities.' "
The Bush economic boom!
Economics Blog: "Within the overall data, however, some interesting trends emerge: those at the top and bottom of the income scale both made bigger gains than those in the middle. The income of the family at the 95th percentile — that is, higher than 95% of all families — rose 1.5% to $174,012, in constant 2006 dollars, while the income of the family at the 10th percentile rose 2.9%, to $12,000"
Monday, August 27, 2007
Weed-eating bug fights invasive purple loosestrife on Mona Lake
Weed-eating bug fights invasive purple loosestrife on Mona Lake: " A weed-eating beetle is showing success in rolling back the spread of an attractive but destructive invasive weed that has been driving out native species across North America, local officials say."
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Rest in peace, mates....
BillingsGazette.com :: Lost WWII submarine found in Bering Sea: "An expedition financed and organized by the sons of USS Grunion skipper Lt. Cdr. Mannert 'Jim' Abele lowered an ROV - remotely operated vehicle, equipped with cameras and video equipment - into an area where an object thought to be the missing sub had been spotted by sonar in an August 2006 expedition."
more here:
http://www.999info.net/Jim.pdf
more here:
http://www.999info.net/Jim.pdf
The Horror! The Horror!
The Horror! The Horror!: "The fascists are coming! Or rather, they're already here, installed in the White House, planning like mad to subvert the Constitution and extend their reign in perpetuity, having first suppressed and eviscerated all opposition and put all of their critics in jail. Thus goes the rant of America's increasingly unhinged left. "
TorontoSun.com - Salim Mansur - Barbarians kill as West drifts
TorontoSun.com - Salim Mansur - Barbarians kill as West drifts: "An evidence of this comes from Scotland. Theodore Dalrymple, a retired physician and prolific writer, in New York's City Journal reports:
'In an effort to ensure that no Muslim doctors ever again try to bomb Glasgow Airport, bureaucrats at Glasgow's public hospitals have decreed that henceforth no staff may eat lunch at their desks or in their offices during the holy month of Ramadan, so that fasting Muslims shall not be offended by the sight or smell of their food. Vending machines will also disappear from the premises during that period.' "
'In an effort to ensure that no Muslim doctors ever again try to bomb Glasgow Airport, bureaucrats at Glasgow's public hospitals have decreed that henceforth no staff may eat lunch at their desks or in their offices during the holy month of Ramadan, so that fasting Muslims shall not be offended by the sight or smell of their food. Vending machines will also disappear from the premises during that period.' "
Friday, August 24, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
OpinionJournal - Featured Article
OpinionJournal - Featured Article: "For example, the new law does not offer explicit liability protection for telecom companies that cooperate with the wiretap program. Instead, the most Democrats would accept is language to 'compel' the cooperation of these companies going forward. The Administration hope is that this 'I had no choice' claim will be an adequate defense against future lawsuits, but in the U.S. tort lottery that is no sure thing.
Meantime, Democrats blocked any retroactive liability protection for companies that thought they were doing their patriotic duty by cooperating with the National Security Agency after 9/11. The goal here isn't merely to open another rich target for the tort bar. It is to use lawsuits to raise the costs for private actors of cooperating with the executive branch. Even if they lose at the ballot box or in Congress, these antiwar activists still might be able to hamstring the executive via the courts."
Meantime, Democrats blocked any retroactive liability protection for companies that thought they were doing their patriotic duty by cooperating with the National Security Agency after 9/11. The goal here isn't merely to open another rich target for the tort bar. It is to use lawsuits to raise the costs for private actors of cooperating with the executive branch. Even if they lose at the ballot box or in Congress, these antiwar activists still might be able to hamstring the executive via the courts."
Six Myths About Child Care
Six Myths About Child Care: "Despite the dramatic increase in child care funding over the past six years, activists and some Members of Congress are still lamenting an alleged 'child care crisis.' However, many of the arguments concerning welfare and child care are outdated or misleading. This paper debunks six persistent myths about child care in America."
Monday, August 06, 2007
"Possum is the new mink"
Features : Radar Online : Eco Indulgence : Green luxury products for the trust fund tree-hugger: "POSSUM IS THE NEW MINK
Apart from perhaps Iggy Pop, it's hard to imagine anyone, let alone international fashionistas, sporting pest pelt. Yet imported 'eco-fur' from New Zealand is becoming standard issue for left-leaning fur fetishists everywhere"
Apart from perhaps Iggy Pop, it's hard to imagine anyone, let alone international fashionistas, sporting pest pelt. Yet imported 'eco-fur' from New Zealand is becoming standard issue for left-leaning fur fetishists everywhere"
Green Fakers: Why eco-hypocrisy matters
Green Fakers: Why eco-hypocrisy matters: "A few weeks ago, I wrote an item about Barbra Streisand, who was on tour in England. Though she's a big backer of environmental causes, and even offers tips for low-carbon living on her personal website, she was busted by the British press for touring in a private jet with a massive entourage that required 13 trucks and vast amounts of laundry—in other words, for sponsoring a traveling CO2 extravaganza. "
What? No TP jihad?
Climate Cate's dirty hair The Daily Telegraph: "EVEN Oscar-award winner Cate Blanchett is doing her bit to help combat climate change, which includes not washing her hair"
Govmn't "healthcare"
Arrogance, dogma and why science - not faith - is the new enemy of reason the Daily Mail: "What previously belonged to the province of the quack and the charlatan has become mainstream. The NHS provides funding for shamans, while the NHS Directory For Alternative And Complementary Medicine promotes 'dowsers', 'flower therapists' and 'crystal healers'."
Remember Worries About Global Cooling? - Newsweek Technology - MSNBC.com
Remember Worries About Global Cooling? - Newsweek Technology - MSNBC.com: "Citing 'ominous signs that the earth's weather patterns have begun to change dramatically,' the magazine warned of an impending 'drastic decline in food production.' Political disruptions stemming from food shortages could affect 'just about every nation on earth.' Scientists urged governments to consider emergency action to head off the terrible threat of . . . well, if you had been following the climate-change debates at the time, you'd have known that the threat was: global cooling."..... In fact, the story wasn't "wrong" in the journalistic sense of "inaccurate."
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Liberals Going After Fox Advertisers
Liberals Going After Fox Advertisers: "MoveOn.org is campaigning against Fox because it says the network characterizes itself as a fair news network when it consistently favors a conservative point of view, said Adam Green, the organization's spokesman.
'We're not trying to silence anybody,' Green said. 'Rush Limbaugh has a right to be on the air—he admits his point of view. Fox doesn't.' "
'We're not trying to silence anybody,' Green said. 'Rush Limbaugh has a right to be on the air—he admits his point of view. Fox doesn't.' "
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Serious Security Questions at Sky Harbor Airport - ABC15.com: Phoenix, Arizona News, Weather, Radar, Breaking News, Traffic and Web Cams
Serious Security Questions at Sky Harbor Airport - ABC15.com: Phoenix, Arizona News, Weather, Radar, Breaking News, Traffic and Web Cams: "Larry Wansley is widely regarded as one of the nation's top airline security experts. 'It's a frightening situation, I've just simply never seen anything like it,' he said. 'I really honestly have not.' "
FT.com / World - Backlash in rich nations against globalisation
FT.com / World - Backlash in rich nations against globalisation: "Large majorities of people in the US and in Europe want higher taxation for the rich and even pay caps for corporate executives to counter what they believe are unjustified rewards and the negative effects of globalisation. "
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Doh!
Maybe we need a "fairness doctrine" for home sellers?
The Volokh Conspiracy - -: " 'Orlando is becoming one of the most difficult cities in America to sell a home for fair-market value."
The Volokh Conspiracy - -: " 'Orlando is becoming one of the most difficult cities in America to sell a home for fair-market value."
Fred just got a bit o leverage with NBC
"Hey guys. I'm thinking of NOT running for President. Ya got any inducements?"
The Volokh Conspiracy : "Must NBC Stop Running Law & Order Episodes With Fred Thompson if He Announces His Candidacy, or else face the obligation to give rival candidates equal time? The answer is yes, under 47 U.S.C. § 315(a):"
This explains alot!
edmontonsun.com - Lyn Cockburn - Canada goes to pot: "The UN report stated that Canadians use marijuana four times more than people in any other developed country. Some 16.8 per cent of Canadians between 15 and 64 used pot in 2006.
.......To put it all in perspective, people in Jamaica evidently smoke 6.1-per-cent less pot than do Canadians.
.......To put it all in perspective, people in Jamaica evidently smoke 6.1-per-cent less pot than do Canadians.
Democrat dimwits hurt Muskegon.... again!
Harris-Darnell is black. Imagine if the GOPers had rejected the only black candidate for the position.......no cries of "racism"? Naa......
Politics leaves jury panel short-handed - mlive.com: "The Muskegon County Jury Commission is supposed to consist of three dedicated individuals who do a lot of important but monotonous work for little money.
But the commission has been short one member for about seven months, creating extra work and frustration for the two remaining members.
Part of the frustration comes from the fact that two replacement candidates were nominated by the county's circuit court judges, but both were rejected by Muskegon County commissioners. "
...The judges eventually nominated Marianne Harris-Darnell of Muskegon Heights to fill the post. In recent years, Harris-Darnell left the Democratic Party, became a Republican and was the unsuccessful GOP candidate last year for state representative in the 92nd state House district.
Politics leaves jury panel short-handed - mlive.com: "The Muskegon County Jury Commission is supposed to consist of three dedicated individuals who do a lot of important but monotonous work for little money.
But the commission has been short one member for about seven months, creating extra work and frustration for the two remaining members.
Part of the frustration comes from the fact that two replacement candidates were nominated by the county's circuit court judges, but both were rejected by Muskegon County commissioners. "
...The judges eventually nominated Marianne Harris-Darnell of Muskegon Heights to fill the post. In recent years, Harris-Darnell left the Democratic Party, became a Republican and was the unsuccessful GOP candidate last year for state representative in the 92nd state House district.
Follow the money?
Typical worthless Chronicle article. Meebee ya might be interested in who the "founding board members" are and was the rent paid in line with similar rents? Something smells here.....
Charter school's rent cut in half to $260,483 - mlive.com: "After enduring a one-third drop in students, officials with Tri-Valley Charter Academy decided they could no longer afford to pay nearly a half-million dollars a year in rent.
So they negotiated to nearly cut in half the amount of rent being paid to an organization affiliated with one of the school's founding board members."
Charter school's rent cut in half to $260,483 - mlive.com: "After enduring a one-third drop in students, officials with Tri-Valley Charter Academy decided they could no longer afford to pay nearly a half-million dollars a year in rent.
So they negotiated to nearly cut in half the amount of rent being paid to an organization affiliated with one of the school's founding board members."
Batty!
Second rabid bat found in Lakeside - mlive.com: "Muskegon County health officials are urging area residents to bat-proof their homes after a second rabid bat was found this week in a house in Muskegon's Lakeside neighborhood.
The homeowner who found the bat called county officials, who removed the animal and tested it. The bat tested positive for rabies, according to county health officials. "
The homeowner who found the bat called county officials, who removed the animal and tested it. The bat tested positive for rabies, according to county health officials. "
My bat story!
A hundred years ago, or so it seems, I was a little kid visiting relatives in South Salem NY, near Bill&Hill's Chappaqua. The parents were partying and us kids were wandering in the woods. I happened upon a nifty little critter on the ground, picked it up and the bugger bit me. It was a bat. I tried to drop it but the sombich had a quality chomp on my finger. I poped 'em in the gut with my other hand and he let go. The bite drew a small amount of blood, so I did what any pre-macho 5th grader would do, I sucked on my finger til it stopped bleeding and went to play with my cousins. Later that evening, at dinner I casually told my Mom about my little event. Thinking I'd get an "ataboy" for facing a wild animal and showing who was "boss". Apparently rabid bats were plentiful that year in NY and Mom and Dad went ....ballistic!Anyway, I was told to "go get that bat!". Yeah right. The cops were called and I moseyed back into the woods and, amazingly found my biting buddy on the ground. Right where I'd bopped 'em. So I picked him up again. Smart kid! Though I still wonder why my parents didn't come with me......
The state trooper car was in the driveway, lights blaring and they wisked my bite-bat-buddy away. Next day we were told he wasn't rabid.
Only later did I find that if I hadn't found the bat, the nifty stomach needles were my last hope at survival.
That's my bat story!
The state trooper car was in the driveway, lights blaring and they wisked my bite-bat-buddy away. Next day we were told he wasn't rabid.
Only later did I find that if I hadn't found the bat, the nifty stomach needles were my last hope at survival.
That's my bat story!
"Crusherama"?
Harsh....The Aquarama is towed from Detroit to Buffalo: "'Crusherama' Buffalo-bound
Some said it was a piece of history.
Some said it was an eyesore.
Tuesday, they said goodbye."
Some said it was a piece of history.
Some said it was an eyesore.
Tuesday, they said goodbye."
SS Aquarama
Very nifty site.Western New York Heritage Press: "Born in 1945 in Chester, Pennsylvania, as a World War Two troop ship, the future Aquarama was named the Marine Star.
She made one Atlantic crossing before war ended and with it her usefulness to the U.S. Maritme Commission. The ship
was mothballed until 1952 when it was purchased by the Sand Products Company of Muskegon, Michigan. "
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
contentions » archive
contentions » archive: "You don’t hear much about Anbar Province anymore. That’s because this area, once the scene of the heaviest fighting in Iraq, has turned remarkably quiet of late. Attacks are down 80 percent since last year. If there is any cause for optimism in Iraq this is it: If an area as troubled as Anbar could be turned around so quickly, then no part of Iraq can truly be said to be hopeless. "
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
No media coverage for our successes...
contentions » archive: "You don’t hear much about Anbar Province anymore. That’s because this area, once the scene of the heaviest fighting in Iraq, has turned remarkably quiet of late. Attacks are down 80 percent since last year. If there is any cause for optimism in Iraq this is it: If an area as troubled as Anbar could be turned around so quickly, then no part of Iraq can truly be said to be hopeless. "
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sick Propaganda - WSJ.com
Sick Propaganda - WSJ.com: "At the end of a pre-licensure study that took four years to complete, included 70,000 children and cost about $350 million, Dr. Heaton called together 200 people at her company. (As a co-inventor of the vaccine, I was present at this meeting.) She started with a series of slides. 'This is what the world looks like now,' she said, pointing to a map that contained hundreds of small black dots concentrated in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. 'Each of these dots represents 1,000 deaths a year from rotavirus.' Then Dr. Heaton showed a map without any black dots. 'Now,' she said, pointing to the clean map, 'we have the technology in hand to eliminate deaths from this disease.'
Then she wept. She stood in front of 200 people with her head down and her shoulders shaking. This isn't an image that anyone has of a pharmaceutical executive. "
Then she wept. She stood in front of 200 people with her head down and her shoulders shaking. This isn't an image that anyone has of a pharmaceutical executive. "
Powell's Books - PowellsBooks.Blog
Powell's Books - PowellsBooks.Blog: "Those who call the King James Version of the Bible the unerring word of God have a slight problem. The New Testament of the KJV (as the King James Version is usually referred) was translated into English from a version of the Greek New Testament that had been collected from twelfth-century copies by Erasmus. Where Erasmus couldn't find Greek manuscripts, he translated to Greek from the Latin Vulgate (which itself had been translated from Greek back in the fourth century). "
Friday, July 13, 2007
Fear of a global 'coldening' | The Daily Telegraph
Fear of a global 'coldening' The Daily Telegraph: "LAST month Australians endured our coldest June since 1950. Imagine that; all those trillions of tonnes of evil carbon we've horked up into the atmosphere over six decades of rampant industrialisation, and we're still getting the same icy weather we got during the Cold War."
wcbstv.com - First Class Glass: Bottle Of Water $55 In N.Y.
wcbstv.com - First Class Glass: Bottle Of Water $55 In N.Y.: "Via Genova, a water bar in Chappaqua, N.Y. (home of Bill and Hillary Clinton), is cashing in on the craze, stocking water bottles that look more like collectors items. "
Thursday, July 12, 2007
TigerHawk
TigerHawk: "Regarding American climate policy, an American prince detects 'treason':
'Get rid of all these rotten politicians that we have in Washington, who are nothing more than corporate toadies,' said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the environmentalist author, president of Waterkeeper Alliance and Robert F. Kennedy's son, who grew hoarse from shouting. 'This is treason. And we need to start treating them as traitors.' (emphasis added)"
'Get rid of all these rotten politicians that we have in Washington, who are nothing more than corporate toadies,' said Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the environmentalist author, president of Waterkeeper Alliance and Robert F. Kennedy's son, who grew hoarse from shouting. 'This is treason. And we need to start treating them as traitors.' (emphasis added)"
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Hypocrisy on the Libby decision - Examiner.com
Hypocrisy on the Libby decision - Examiner.com: "Pelosi had a much different understanding of fairness, justice and the importance of upholding the law back in 1999, when Clinton commuted the sentences of 16 imprisoned members of the Puerto Rican terrorist group FALN. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a resolution of disapproval, but Pelosi said she would have voted no had she been present for the tally. Pelosi was thus defending Clinton’s commutations of sentences received for seditious conspiracy, conspiracy to make bombs, bank robbery and illegal possession of stolen firearms, among other things. Between 1974 and 1983, FALN mounted numerous attacks against this nation’s police and military, killing six people and maiming many others."
Guard passes goal for recruits - USATODAY.com
Guard passes goal for recruits - USATODAY.com: "New recruiting techniques and appeals to patriotism have helped the National Guard achieve its highest level of troops since 2001."
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'Scepticism' over climate claims
BBC NEWS Science/Nature 'Scepticism' over climate claims: "The public believes the effects of global warming on the climate are not as bad as politicians and scientists claim, a poll has suggested. "
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Friday, June 29, 2007
Three Quarters Believe Global Warming A 'Natural Occurrence' - UK News Headlines
Three Quarters Believe Global Warming A 'Natural Occurrence' - UK News Headlines: "ALMOST three quarters of people believe global warming is a 'natural occurrence' and not a result of carbon emissions, a survey claimed today."
Thursday, June 28, 2007
How Farm Odors Contribute to Global Warming: New Research Happening in NYS - WETM 18 Online
How Farm Odors Contribute to Global Warming: New Research Happening in NYS - WETM 18 Online: "Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Mark Rey, was in Corning Wednesday morning at the Big Flats Plant Materials Center to annouce the award of nearly $20 million in Conservation Innovation Grants to fund 51 research projects across the country designed to refine new technologies helping dairy and other agricultural producers cut back on their greenhouse emissions and cash in on governmental incentives for the research. "
Monday, June 25, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
The Preferences Are Coming – Twelve Million of Them
The Preferences Are Coming – Twelve Million of Them: "The 12 million or more who entered the United States illegally, and would gain United States citizenship under the current immigration proposal, Senate Bill 1348, will qualify for race preferences and privileges for which the majority of Americans are not eligible. This is not fair. "
The democrats on Iraq and WMD...before...
Kind of an "inconvient memory" the dems now deny. Liars!
http://www.bercasio.com/movies/dems-wmd-before-iraq.wmv
http://www.bercasio.com/movies/dems-wmd-before-iraq.wmv
Aborigines banned from booze, porn - CNN.com
Aborigines banned from booze, porn - CNN.com: "Australia's leader has announced plans to ban pornography and alcohol for Aborigines in some areas, and to tighten control over their welfare benefits to fight what he called a child sex abuse crisis among them."
Thursday, June 21, 2007
strange maps
strange maps: "The creator of this map has had the interesting idea to break down that gigantic US GDP into the GDPs of individual states, and compare those to other countries’ GDP. What follows, is this slightly misleading map – misleading, because the economies both of the US states and of the countries they are compared with are not weighted for their respective populations."
Read the sunspots
Read the sunspots: "Solar scientists predict that, by 2020, the sun will be starting into its weakest Schwabe solar cycle of the past two centuries, likely leading to unusually cool conditions on Earth. Beginning to plan for adaptation to such a cool period, one which may continue well beyond one 11-year cycle, as did the Little Ice Age, should be a priority for governments. It is global cooling, not warming, that is the major climate threat to the world,"
Journalists give campaign cash - Politics - MSNBC.com
Journalists give campaign cash - Politics - MSNBC.com: "144 journalists who made political contributions from 2004 through the start of the 2008 campaign, according to the public records of the Federal Election Commission. Most of the newsroom checkbooks leaned to the left: 125 journalists gave to Democrats and liberal causes. Only 17 gave to Republicans."
Monday, June 11, 2007
Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Local
Rocky Mountain News - Denver and Colorado's reliable source for breaking news, sports and entertainment: Local: "Denver is gearing up to fight global warming, and residents may soon be asked to make personal sacrifices to help save the planet. "
Worm attacked voter database in notorious Florida district
Worm attacked voter database in notorious Florida district: "The computer database infrastructure of Sarasota County, Fla., was attacked by a notorious Internet worm on the first day of early voting during the 2006 election, which featured the now-contested U.S. House race between Democrat Christine Jennings and Republican Vern Buchanan in Florida's 13th Congressional district.
In the early afternoon hours on Monday, Oct. 23, 2006, an Internet worm slammed into the county's database system, breaching its firewall and overwriting the system's administrative password. The havoc brought the county's network -- and the electronic voting system which relies on it -- to its knees as Internet access was all but lost at voting locations for two hours that afternoon. Voters in one of the nation's most hotly contested Congressional elections were unable to cast ballots during the outage, since officials were unable to verify registration data."
In the early afternoon hours on Monday, Oct. 23, 2006, an Internet worm slammed into the county's database system, breaching its firewall and overwriting the system's administrative password. The havoc brought the county's network -- and the electronic voting system which relies on it -- to its knees as Internet access was all but lost at voting locations for two hours that afternoon. Voters in one of the nation's most hotly contested Congressional elections were unable to cast ballots during the outage, since officials were unable to verify registration data."
Half of S&P 500 CEOs Topped $8.3 Million
Half of S&P 500 CEOs Topped $8.3 Million: "A new Associated Press calculation shows that compensation for America's top CEOs has skyrocketed into the stratospheric heights of pro athletes and movie stars: Half make more than $8.3 million a year, and some make much, much more. "
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Townhall.com::Why Liberals Spread Poverty::By Kevin McCullough
Townhall.com::Why Liberals Spread Poverty::By Kevin McCullough: "Liberals would prefer more people to experience poverty. Their actions demonstrate their massive desire to see more people unemployed, and under paid. One of their chief political goals is to cripple the chance for the impoverished from improving their lot in life and thus become even more dependent upon entitlements that only they (liberals) will dole out. Thus the greatest con in elective politics begins again.
It's called a 'surcharge.' "
It's called a 'surcharge.' "
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Zoom!
South Bend Tribune: "A 21-year-old man was taken on a wild ride Wednesday afternoon when the wheelchair he was in became attached to the grille of a semi-truck and was taken four miles down a highway at about 50 mph."
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
"babelicious"?
The Hill’s got eyes: Medical marvel or makeup, new look turning heads - Herald Columnists - BostonHerald.com: " “Absolutely the first thing that struck me was her jawline,” says politico/fashionista No. 1. “She was bordering on babelicious. I’d call this a nip and tuck worth five points in the polls, a reverse of the Mike Dukakis tank ride.” "
Monday, June 04, 2007
The New Criterion — Why the art world is a disaster
The New Criterion — Why the art world is a disaster: "It sounded, my friend said, spectacularly awful. She’d just had a call from her husband, a Bard alum, who had zipped through the exhibition while doing some work at the college. Huge images of body parts—yes, those body parts—floating on the walls of a darkened room, minatory videos of men doing things—yes, those things—to each other, or to themselves, all of it presented in the most pretentious fashion possible."
Help wanted in the fields: Migrant shortage hurts farmers, crops - mlive.com
Help wanted in the fields: Migrant shortage hurts farmers, crops - mlive.com: "'The impact cuts across a number of areas,' said Rosenbaum. 'Without farmworkers, crops are not being harvested, schools receive less funding, and health clinics and other human service (agencies) lose funding.
'Communities receive an estimated $18,000 per worker each year,' said Rosenbaum, 'Fifty percent of their wages are spent locally.' "
'Communities receive an estimated $18,000 per worker each year,' said Rosenbaum, 'Fifty percent of their wages are spent locally.' "
Friday, June 01, 2007
Democrat pork vs troop safety
Wildly ignorant editorial rant by The Chronicle that serves to reconfirm our fears of liberals in charge of our military.
Why is vital equipment to troops delayed? - mlive.com: "The argument that our troops are being put at risk by debate between the president and Congress over extending supplemental funding bill is wildly inaccurate. Our fighting forces have been at risk since the start of the conflict back in 2003, and remain very much at risk today because they don't have what they need in the field. "
Why is vital equipment to troops delayed? - mlive.com: "The argument that our troops are being put at risk by debate between the president and Congress over extending supplemental funding bill is wildly inaccurate. Our fighting forces have been at risk since the start of the conflict back in 2003, and remain very much at risk today because they don't have what they need in the field. "
Why do they pay her extra to do her job?
Fire her now!
- mlive.com: "Quirky clerk case better off in court
Fruitland Township politics can be as interesting as any local government in our area. The quirky case involving its clerk's pay issue is a case in point. It's also a case that is probably best decided in a courtroom.
This is not the first time township Clerk Janell Beard has been embroiled in controversy. Earlier this year, Trustee Mary Eley raised questions about the propriety of Beard's mileage reimbursement requests -- one of a number of township issues Eley addresses in her web site. The complaint was investigated and dismissed by Muskegon Prosecutor Tony Tague.
Now Beard's request for reinstatement of a $1,500 payment she was earlier denied to conduct 'nontraditional elections' -- those conducted in off years in addition to general and primary elections -- is the focus of more controversy. Beard contends the $1,500 was illegally stripped from her, since she considers it part of her $31,314 base salary. Just recently, a divided board, on its attorney's advice, reinstated the clerk's pay, but the issue still remains before Circuit Court Judge James M. Graves Jr.
Several townships in Muskegon and Ottawa counties -- notably Muskegon, Spring Lake and Fruitport -- have experienced acrimonious and rocky times as officials and board members go their different ways.
We hope when the dust clears, Fruitland's troubles will simmer down to a slow boil again. "
- mlive.com: "Quirky clerk case better off in court
Fruitland Township politics can be as interesting as any local government in our area. The quirky case involving its clerk's pay issue is a case in point. It's also a case that is probably best decided in a courtroom.
This is not the first time township Clerk Janell Beard has been embroiled in controversy. Earlier this year, Trustee Mary Eley raised questions about the propriety of Beard's mileage reimbursement requests -- one of a number of township issues Eley addresses in her web site. The complaint was investigated and dismissed by Muskegon Prosecutor Tony Tague.
Now Beard's request for reinstatement of a $1,500 payment she was earlier denied to conduct 'nontraditional elections' -- those conducted in off years in addition to general and primary elections -- is the focus of more controversy. Beard contends the $1,500 was illegally stripped from her, since she considers it part of her $31,314 base salary. Just recently, a divided board, on its attorney's advice, reinstated the clerk's pay, but the issue still remains before Circuit Court Judge James M. Graves Jr.
Several townships in Muskegon and Ottawa counties -- notably Muskegon, Spring Lake and Fruitport -- have experienced acrimonious and rocky times as officials and board members go their different ways.
We hope when the dust clears, Fruitland's troubles will simmer down to a slow boil again. "
This sounds good.
Good news for GM in its battle with Toyota: "General Motors Corp., once the symbol of big, slow corporate America, virtually matched Toyota Motor Corp., the icon of lean manufacturing, in North American assembly plant productivity last year for the first time since it has been measured, industry research group Harbour Consulting reported Thursday."
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Laptops are crippling millions with back problems | the Daily Mail
Laptops are crippling millions with back problems the Daily Mail: "Booming sales of laptops have led to a surge in the number of computer users with back and muscle problems, experts have warned. "
Monday, May 28, 2007
Boing Boing: BBC shredded on bad science in WiFi scare report
Boing Boing: BBC shredded on bad science in WiFi scare report: "the report relied on measurements taken by a lobbyist who also sells tinfoil hats and measurement devices to those afraid of wireless signals. The report also seemed to systematically avoid using the scientific method, "
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Lorie Byrd: Al Qaeda mastered media manipulation in Iraq - Examiner.com
Lorie Byrd: Al Qaeda mastered media manipulation in Iraq - Examiner.com: "Roggio recently told the Christian Science Monitor that most mainstream media reporters “display a lack of knowledge of counterinsurgency and the role the media plays in an insurgency’s information campaign.” He says al Qaeda and insurgent groups frequently choose their targets to get specific media coverage they desire."
BLACKFIVE: Mememorial Day - "Remember..."
BLACKFIVE: Mememorial Day - "Remember...": "Remember Windy 25 - this video was sent to me from 12th AVN BDE and is about all of the Fallen Soldiers of the 12th which includes Windy 25. It was made by Chris Koth and I put it on YouTube for you to see:"
Another moving tribute via Blackfive.
Remember......
Another moving tribute via Blackfive.
Remember......
Origin of "Taps"
Arlington National Cemetery:: Ceremonies: "Origin of 'Taps'
During the Civil War, in July 1862 when the Army of the Potomac was in camp, Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield summoned Pvt. Oliver Wilcox Norton, his brigade bugler, to his tent. Butterfield, who disliked the colorless 'extinguish lights' call then in use, whistled a new tune and asked the bugler to sound it for him. After repeated trials and changing the time of some notes which were scribbled on the back of an envelope, the call was finally arranged to suit Gen. Butterfield and used for the first time that night. Pvt. Norton, who on several occasions, had sounded numerous new calls composed by his commander, recalled his experience of the origin of 'Taps' years later: "
During the Civil War, in July 1862 when the Army of the Potomac was in camp, Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield summoned Pvt. Oliver Wilcox Norton, his brigade bugler, to his tent. Butterfield, who disliked the colorless 'extinguish lights' call then in use, whistled a new tune and asked the bugler to sound it for him. After repeated trials and changing the time of some notes which were scribbled on the back of an envelope, the call was finally arranged to suit Gen. Butterfield and used for the first time that night. Pvt. Norton, who on several occasions, had sounded numerous new calls composed by his commander, recalled his experience of the origin of 'Taps' years later: "
cats candles wine and chocolate: Memorial Day - Read
cats candles wine and chocolate: Memorial Day - Read: "I then started to cry myself with the realization of what that really meant . All those old sailors, my dad included, standing on the deck of an old submarine holding the flag with such pride and sadness."
Beccy Cole - "Poster Girl" on the Wrong Side of the World
Another song to help us remember those who have given their all. From an Aussie lass who really gets it.
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Lost Boat Ceremony - USS Silversides
Lost Boat Ceremony -
Sunday May 27, 2007
11:00 AM
At the USS Silversides dock, on the Muskegon channel.
Sunday May 27, 2007
11:00 AM
At the USS Silversides dock, on the Muskegon channel.
A very moving and worthwhile remembrance. Worth your time.
Bagpipes Cryin'
BLACKFIVE: Bagpipes Cryin' - Navy SEAL Poem to Country Music Video: "'I had three of the four guys on the ground that died that day. I was so heartbroken after I passed out all the flags at the memorial service. I was just thinking about the bagpiper, who is also a retired SEAL captain, standing there literally crying the song out of the bagpipes. We were all so sad. When I came home my wife said I should write down some words. Tim called me and asked how I was doing. I told him I wrote this poem and he said well let me have it. We went back and forth on the phone and decided to make it a tribute to everyone from World War II to the present.'
Navy SEAL Commander Mark Waddell
Navy SEAL Commander Mark Waddell
click the link for a wonderful video....
BLACKFIVE: Bagpipes Cryin' - Navy SEAL poem to Tribute Song: "'I had three of the four guys on the ground that died that day. I was so heartbroken after I passed out all the flags at the memorial service. I was just thinking about the bagpiper, who is also a retired SEAL captain, standing there literally crying the song out of the bagpipes. We were all so sad. When I came home my wife said I should write down some words. Tim called me and asked how I was doing. I told him I wrote this poem and he said well let me have it. We went back and forth on the phone and decided to make it a tribute to everyone from World War II to the present.' Navy SEAL Commander Mark Waddell"
Memorial Day memories
Daily Pundit » Weekend Cooking Thread - Memorial Day Weekend Edition: "I remember one rainy morning as a kid. I had just joined the Boy Scouts, and I was walking through a cemetary with a large, cloth sack of American flags. I had a section to cover, a list in my hand, and I spent all morning placing those small flags in front of the tombstones of dead warriors. After placing the flag, I would stand at attention in my dripping poncho, snap a three fingered Scout salute, and moved on. I remember placing a flag on the tomb of a Colonel of militia who fallen in the Revolution, and another on the fresh grave of an Army Corporal who had fallen in Vietnam. It being a Southern cemetery, small Confederate flags already marked many graves. American flags were placed with them.
When we were finished later that morning, Dad picked me up at the cemetary gate, gave me a smile and took me to the local High’s for an ice cream cone. I might have been wet, but I wasn’t one to turn down ice cream. It cleared up that afternoon and that evening, Dad fired up the grill. Hamburgers and hot dogs. Potato salad and cole slaw. As much Coke as I could drink and more ice cream, besides. Relatives and friends dropped by. It was a long, wonderful day."
When we were finished later that morning, Dad picked me up at the cemetary gate, gave me a smile and took me to the local High’s for an ice cream cone. I might have been wet, but I wasn’t one to turn down ice cream. It cleared up that afternoon and that evening, Dad fired up the grill. Hamburgers and hot dogs. Potato salad and cole slaw. As much Coke as I could drink and more ice cream, besides. Relatives and friends dropped by. It was a long, wonderful day."
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Being Honest About Ignorance — AMERICAN.COM: A Magazine of Ideas, Online
Being Honest About Ignorance — AMERICAN.COM: A Magazine of Ideas, Online: "Ignorance is a word we don't like to use today. It feels too much like a value judgment. But perhaps we should consider reclaiming it. We need to name this tendency, which seems to be ever more common in recent years, of ignoring facts we do not like. Call it willful ignorance. In this case, the value judgment is intended. By reclaiming the word ignorance, we reclaim also the 19th century sense that there is something inherently dangerous in not knowing."
Monday, May 21, 2007
Friday, May 18, 2007
Disparate But Not Serious - WSJ.com
Disparate But Not Serious - WSJ.com: "But why are employers able to get away with requiring a degree without running afoul of Griggs? Because colleges and universities -- again, especially elite ones -- go out of their way to discriminate in favor of minorities. By admitting blacks and Hispanics with much lower SAT scores than their white and Asian classmates, purportedly in order to promote 'diversity,' these institutions launder the exam of its disparity."
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The Volokh Conspiracy - -#1179259134#1179259134#1179259134#1179259134
The Volokh Conspiracy - -#1179259134#1179259134#1179259134#1179259134: "a 2002 decision in which the California Fair Employment & Housing Commission penalized Melissa DeSantis $500 for inflicting 'emotional distress' on a would-be roommate by allegedly telling him that 'I don't really like black guys. I try to be fair and all, but they scare me.' The decision also required her to pay the would-be roommate $240 in expenses — and take 'four hours of training on housing discrimination.' (See Department of Fair Employment & Housing v. DeSantis, 2002 WL 1313078, Case Nos. H 9900 Q-0328-00-h, C 00-01-180, 02-12 (Cal. FEHC May 7, 2002).) "
Will "reinvention" of IRS include Scientology tax deal probe?
Will "reinvention" of IRS include Scientology tax deal probe?: "But if this commitment to change the IRS is genuine, the agency should consider remedying what may be one of its largest blunders ever: its secret 1993 tax settlement with Scientology in which the IRS granted Scientology tax-exempt status and cut its estimated billion-dollar tax debt to about 1% of that amount. Not only was this deal a reversal of the IRS' 25-year policy regarding the cult's improper, illegal tax procedures, but it also cost taxpayers almost a billion dollars in unpaid taxes and gave Scientology private/religious education tax exemptions not given to any religion.
This 1993 tax deal was secret until recently exposed by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and has since captured the interest of tens of millions of US taxpayers, major worldwide corporations with US tax liabilities, and diverse special interest groups with concerns ranging from taxation to religion to separation of church and state.
After repeatedly and justifiably denying Scientology's tax-exempt status, the IRS suddenly reversed its position in 1993 with the secret settlement which granted Scientology religious status and canceled most of the organization's huge tax debt. The mysterious and shocking reversal for the U.S. tax agency came after 25 years of steadfastly refused to provide Scientology with the tax exemption given to normal bona fide churches. Many believe that the scope of what was given away by the IRS to the multi-billion dollar Scientology organization, in financial benefit and other special considerations, is far beyond anything that has been given to any other religious group, corporation, or normal taxpayer."
This 1993 tax deal was secret until recently exposed by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, and has since captured the interest of tens of millions of US taxpayers, major worldwide corporations with US tax liabilities, and diverse special interest groups with concerns ranging from taxation to religion to separation of church and state.
After repeatedly and justifiably denying Scientology's tax-exempt status, the IRS suddenly reversed its position in 1993 with the secret settlement which granted Scientology religious status and canceled most of the organization's huge tax debt. The mysterious and shocking reversal for the U.S. tax agency came after 25 years of steadfastly refused to provide Scientology with the tax exemption given to normal bona fide churches. Many believe that the scope of what was given away by the IRS to the multi-billion dollar Scientology organization, in financial benefit and other special considerations, is far beyond anything that has been given to any other religious group, corporation, or normal taxpayer."
obama
In Your Heart, You Know He's TriteThe Chicago Tribune has an amusing report on Barack Obama, who appeared over the weekend on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos":
Obama's criticism of [President] Bush for his combative rhetoric came in answer to a question about whether the senator had the capacity to act ruthlessly when necessary if elected president.
"It's not just talking tough, because the truth is nobody's talked tougher than George Bush over the last six years. Being tough means, first of all, not having to talk about it all the time," Obama said. . . .
Without going into any specifics, Obama cited his testing in Chicago politics as a sign that he had an inner toughness. "Somebody who has arrived where I am out of Chicago politics has to have a little bit of steel in them," he said. "I have the capacity, I think, to make strong decisions even if they're unpopular, even if they're uncomfortable, even if sometimes I lose some friends."
So Obama says the first test of toughness is "not having to talk about it"--and he then proceeds to talk about how tough he is. By his own standard, he is a a jellyfish.
National Journal's Hotline transcribes another bit of the interview:
Stephanopoulos: You've also said that with Social Security, everything should be on the table.
Obama: Yes.
Stephanopoulos: Raising the retirement age?
Obama: Everything should be on the table.
Stephanopoulos: Raising payroll taxes?
Obama: Everything should be on the table. I think we should approach it the same way Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan did back in 1983. They came together. I don't want to lay out my preferences beforehand, but what I know is that Social Security is solvable. It is not as difficult a problem as we're going to have with Medicaid and Medicare.
Stephanopoulos: Partial privatization?
Obama: Privatization is not something that I would consider . . .
So when Obama says that "everything should be on the table," what he means is, "Not everything should be on the table." Of course the real problem isn't privatization, it's cynicism.
Obama's criticism of [President] Bush for his combative rhetoric came in answer to a question about whether the senator had the capacity to act ruthlessly when necessary if elected president.
"It's not just talking tough, because the truth is nobody's talked tougher than George Bush over the last six years. Being tough means, first of all, not having to talk about it all the time," Obama said. . . .
Without going into any specifics, Obama cited his testing in Chicago politics as a sign that he had an inner toughness. "Somebody who has arrived where I am out of Chicago politics has to have a little bit of steel in them," he said. "I have the capacity, I think, to make strong decisions even if they're unpopular, even if they're uncomfortable, even if sometimes I lose some friends."
So Obama says the first test of toughness is "not having to talk about it"--and he then proceeds to talk about how tough he is. By his own standard, he is a a jellyfish.
National Journal's Hotline transcribes another bit of the interview:
Stephanopoulos: You've also said that with Social Security, everything should be on the table.
Obama: Yes.
Stephanopoulos: Raising the retirement age?
Obama: Everything should be on the table.
Stephanopoulos: Raising payroll taxes?
Obama: Everything should be on the table. I think we should approach it the same way Tip O'Neill and Ronald Reagan did back in 1983. They came together. I don't want to lay out my preferences beforehand, but what I know is that Social Security is solvable. It is not as difficult a problem as we're going to have with Medicaid and Medicare.
Stephanopoulos: Partial privatization?
Obama: Privatization is not something that I would consider . . .
So when Obama says that "everything should be on the table," what he means is, "Not everything should be on the table." Of course the real problem isn't privatization, it's cynicism.
Clayton Cramer's BLOG
Clayton Cramer's BLOG
Down the Memory HoleRemember in 1984, where Winston's job was to revise newspapers of the past to keep up with the ever changing present? This is very interesting. A couple years ago, during the Katrina disaster, I linked to a CNN report and quoted it:
Overnight, police snipers were stationed on the roof of their precinct, trying to protect it from gunmen roaming through the city, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported.One New Orleans police sergeant compared the situation to Somalia and said officers were outnumbered and outgunned by gangs in trucks."It's a war zone, and they're not treating it like one," he said, referring to the federal government. ...One of my readers ran into that posting of mine--and noticed that the CNN report at that link no longer said anything like that. It was much, much more upbeat. Nothing about the police snipers on the roof. Did I copy the wrong link? Did I have a brief attack of delusion, and make something up?Nope. Lots of other people linked to that same CNN page, and quoted the same text. Like http://paulsplanet.blogspot.com/2005/09/fall-of-new-orleans_02.html and http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/002476.html .There were bloggers who quoted CNN exactly as I did, although with no link to the story: http://knemeyer.com/dk.cfm?a=cms,c,318,1 and http://www.flaregun.org/?feed=rss2&p=51 and http://gutternickle.net/blog/index.php/2005/09/02/something_i_don_t_want_to_forget_about_kDid something go down the memory hole? If that story was inaccurate, they should have identified it as inaccurate, and updated it. This dramatic transformation of a story that played a big part in creating bad press for President Bush really smacks of something very Orwellian."We have always been at war with Eastasia."
Down the Memory HoleRemember in 1984, where Winston's job was to revise newspapers of the past to keep up with the ever changing present? This is very interesting. A couple years ago, during the Katrina disaster, I linked to a CNN report and quoted it:
Overnight, police snipers were stationed on the roof of their precinct, trying to protect it from gunmen roaming through the city, CNN's Chris Lawrence reported.One New Orleans police sergeant compared the situation to Somalia and said officers were outnumbered and outgunned by gangs in trucks."It's a war zone, and they're not treating it like one," he said, referring to the federal government. ...One of my readers ran into that posting of mine--and noticed that the CNN report at that link no longer said anything like that. It was much, much more upbeat. Nothing about the police snipers on the roof. Did I copy the wrong link? Did I have a brief attack of delusion, and make something up?Nope. Lots of other people linked to that same CNN page, and quoted the same text. Like http://paulsplanet.blogspot.com/2005/09/fall-of-new-orleans_02.html and http://www.warandpiece.com/blogdirs/002476.html .There were bloggers who quoted CNN exactly as I did, although with no link to the story: http://knemeyer.com/dk.cfm?a=cms,c,318,1 and http://www.flaregun.org/?feed=rss2&p=51 and http://gutternickle.net/blog/index.php/2005/09/02/something_i_don_t_want_to_forget_about_kDid something go down the memory hole? If that story was inaccurate, they should have identified it as inaccurate, and updated it. This dramatic transformation of a story that played a big part in creating bad press for President Bush really smacks of something very Orwellian."We have always been at war with Eastasia."
gethuman 500 database
Another nifty site from Kim Komando
gethuman 500 database
Hello, operator?
Few things annoy me as much as automated telephone systems.
I know they save companies money. But I think it is bad customer service to make callers jump through hoops to speak to someone.
That’s why I’m such a big fan of Gethuman. This site lists telephone numbers for a wide variety of companies. The companies are divided into categories for ease of use.
You’ll find the customer service number for the company. Then, you’ll find out how to get through to an operator. No more voice prompts!
gethuman 500 database
Hello, operator?
Few things annoy me as much as automated telephone systems.
I know they save companies money. But I think it is bad customer service to make callers jump through hoops to speak to someone.
That’s why I’m such a big fan of Gethuman. This site lists telephone numbers for a wide variety of companies. The companies are divided into categories for ease of use.
You’ll find the customer service number for the company. Then, you’ll find out how to get through to an operator. No more voice prompts!
Environmental 'Intelligence'? - WSJ.com
Environmental 'Intelligence'? - WSJ.com
May 10, 2007
COMMENTARY
Environmental 'Intelligence'?
By PETER HOEKSTRAMay 10, 2007;
Here we go again. The 2008 intelligence authorization bill, which the House may vote on this week, diverts CIA and other intelligence resources away from critical terrorism-related missions to study global climate change. If it becomes law, the legislation will force agencies to complete a National Intelligence Estimate with a 30-year assessment on the effects of environmental change within nine months.
We've been down this road before. In the mid-1990s, Bill Clinton's first Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, declared that environmental concerns and national security would share equal status in U.S. foreign policy. Immediately following that announcement, CIA Director John Deutch said in July 1996 that the U.S. was diverting spy satellites to photograph "ecologically sensitive" sites.
This was in the heady days that followed the Cold War, when our beleaguered intelligence community -- considered passé, downsized and suffering under the strain of budget cuts -- was searching for a politically popular mission.
Instead of focusing on looming national security threats -- the first World Trade Center bombing came in 1993 and in August of 1996 Osama bin Laden issued his fatwa, "Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places" -- Mr. Deutch was currying favor with then-Vice President Al Gore.
George Tenet, Mr. Deutch's successor at the CIA, notes in his new book "At the Center of the Storm," Mr. Gore's interest in "wonkish" issues that he refers to as "bugs and bunnies." What Mr. Tenet fails to mention is that he kept open the ultimate expression of the politically correct "Deutch doctrine," the Director of Central Intelligence Environmental Center.
The Center had ordered intelligence analysts and collectors to write about volcano eruptions, fish schools and air pollution. And it also produced an annual Earth Day edition of the highly classified President's Daily Brief.
At the direction of the Center, spy satellites were tasked to conduct what some in the press dubbed "environmental peeking." The diversion meant fewer overhead images of vital national security concerns, such as Iran, North Korea and al Qaeda. It's impossible to know, but I wonder what intelligence clues in the run up to 9/11 were missed because our spy satellites were focused on the polar ice caps and schools of fish instead of Afghanistan and bin Laden.
Now House Democrats want to return to the days when the CIA wasted valuable resources on "bugs and bunnies." My objection is not about the validity of global climate change. I am concerned about whether it is an intelligence issue. Does it require analysts to make assessments using classified information that can only be acquired from sensitive human sources and billion-dollar spy satellites? Does it take holding a high-level security clearance and reviewing information in high-security, classified offices to write assessments about the environment?
The answer to these questions is no, at least according to one Democratic House Intelligence Committee staff member. The aide, who did not want to be named, told the Associated Press that, "a vast majority of the information used by intelligence analysts could come from unclassified, openly available sources and data in the government's possession." Why then divert intelligence assets to collect it?
The Democrats' 2008 intelligence authorization bill is a throwback to the mistakes of the 1990s when scarce resources were diverted to issues that clearly were not related to the businesses of intelligence. There was a mistaken belief then that serious threats to U.S. national security diminished or disappeared with the end of the Cold War. Intelligence spending was slashed in what was called then a post-Cold War "peace dividend."
I fear the intelligence authorization being voted on by Congress demonstrates some of the same short-sightedness of the 1990s. While Democrats call for U.S. intelligence agencies to study global climate change, they continue to grossly underestimate the terrorist threat. They willfully ignore or play down world-wide activity by radical jihadists, including this week's arrest in New Jersey of six men -- who may have been influenced by al Qaeda terrorist training tapes -- for allegedly planning to kill hundreds of soldiers at Fort Dix and other military installations in the Northeast. This past weekend, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, in a videotape message, mocked Democratic legislation to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq as a sign of American weakness and mentioned using Afghanistan and Iraq as bases to launch attacks.
The world remains a dangerous place. We need to spend our limited intelligence dollars wisely. We need our intelligence analysts focused on threats that require clandestine effort and classified information, such as rogue state weapons of mass destruction programs, al Qaeda and threats to American lives.
Let other federal agencies, as more than a dozen already do, cover the "bugs and bunnies." But let our spies be spies.
Mr. Hoekstra is a Republican congressman from Michigan and a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
May 10, 2007
COMMENTARY
Environmental 'Intelligence'?
By PETER HOEKSTRAMay 10, 2007;
Here we go again. The 2008 intelligence authorization bill, which the House may vote on this week, diverts CIA and other intelligence resources away from critical terrorism-related missions to study global climate change. If it becomes law, the legislation will force agencies to complete a National Intelligence Estimate with a 30-year assessment on the effects of environmental change within nine months.
We've been down this road before. In the mid-1990s, Bill Clinton's first Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, declared that environmental concerns and national security would share equal status in U.S. foreign policy. Immediately following that announcement, CIA Director John Deutch said in July 1996 that the U.S. was diverting spy satellites to photograph "ecologically sensitive" sites.
This was in the heady days that followed the Cold War, when our beleaguered intelligence community -- considered passé, downsized and suffering under the strain of budget cuts -- was searching for a politically popular mission.
Instead of focusing on looming national security threats -- the first World Trade Center bombing came in 1993 and in August of 1996 Osama bin Laden issued his fatwa, "Declaration of War against the Americans Occupying the Land of the Two Holy Places" -- Mr. Deutch was currying favor with then-Vice President Al Gore.
George Tenet, Mr. Deutch's successor at the CIA, notes in his new book "At the Center of the Storm," Mr. Gore's interest in "wonkish" issues that he refers to as "bugs and bunnies." What Mr. Tenet fails to mention is that he kept open the ultimate expression of the politically correct "Deutch doctrine," the Director of Central Intelligence Environmental Center.
The Center had ordered intelligence analysts and collectors to write about volcano eruptions, fish schools and air pollution. And it also produced an annual Earth Day edition of the highly classified President's Daily Brief.
At the direction of the Center, spy satellites were tasked to conduct what some in the press dubbed "environmental peeking." The diversion meant fewer overhead images of vital national security concerns, such as Iran, North Korea and al Qaeda. It's impossible to know, but I wonder what intelligence clues in the run up to 9/11 were missed because our spy satellites were focused on the polar ice caps and schools of fish instead of Afghanistan and bin Laden.
Now House Democrats want to return to the days when the CIA wasted valuable resources on "bugs and bunnies." My objection is not about the validity of global climate change. I am concerned about whether it is an intelligence issue. Does it require analysts to make assessments using classified information that can only be acquired from sensitive human sources and billion-dollar spy satellites? Does it take holding a high-level security clearance and reviewing information in high-security, classified offices to write assessments about the environment?
The answer to these questions is no, at least according to one Democratic House Intelligence Committee staff member. The aide, who did not want to be named, told the Associated Press that, "a vast majority of the information used by intelligence analysts could come from unclassified, openly available sources and data in the government's possession." Why then divert intelligence assets to collect it?
The Democrats' 2008 intelligence authorization bill is a throwback to the mistakes of the 1990s when scarce resources were diverted to issues that clearly were not related to the businesses of intelligence. There was a mistaken belief then that serious threats to U.S. national security diminished or disappeared with the end of the Cold War. Intelligence spending was slashed in what was called then a post-Cold War "peace dividend."
I fear the intelligence authorization being voted on by Congress demonstrates some of the same short-sightedness of the 1990s. While Democrats call for U.S. intelligence agencies to study global climate change, they continue to grossly underestimate the terrorist threat. They willfully ignore or play down world-wide activity by radical jihadists, including this week's arrest in New Jersey of six men -- who may have been influenced by al Qaeda terrorist training tapes -- for allegedly planning to kill hundreds of soldiers at Fort Dix and other military installations in the Northeast. This past weekend, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda's No. 2 leader, in a videotape message, mocked Democratic legislation to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq as a sign of American weakness and mentioned using Afghanistan and Iraq as bases to launch attacks.
The world remains a dangerous place. We need to spend our limited intelligence dollars wisely. We need our intelligence analysts focused on threats that require clandestine effort and classified information, such as rogue state weapons of mass destruction programs, al Qaeda and threats to American lives.
Let other federal agencies, as more than a dozen already do, cover the "bugs and bunnies." But let our spies be spies.
Mr. Hoekstra is a Republican congressman from Michigan and a former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
Democrat madness!
The US owes Carthage reparations for the Punic Wars Redstate: "House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and his eight compatriots, all of whom have co-sponsored a bill that would require that America pay reparations to the people of Guam for - get this - the actions of the Japanese in World War II."
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and his eight compatriots, all of whom have co-sponsored a bill that would require that America pay reparations to the people of Guam for - get this - the actions of the Japanese in World War II.
According to the bill (HR.1595, the "Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act"), the people of Guam:
suffered unspeakable harm as a result of the occupation of Guam by Imperial Japanese military forces during World War II , by being subjected to death, rape, severe personal injury, personal injury, forced labor, forced march, or internment.
For this reason (?), "the Secretary of the Treasury shall make payments" to WWII survivors and their descendants on Guam for the brutal actions of a third party.
Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? After all, the US is the largest aid donor on the planet; it's only logical that we should rebuild, repatriate, and reparate every country that has been hurt by every war that we can find. Let's not stop with Guam - let's include everybody from Carthage on up to the present. Should we pay reparations to the Koreans for the Mongol invasions of the 14th century, and to the Spanish for the loss of their Armada in 1588? Why not?
And while this bill holds up $126,000,000.00 for the repayment of the people of Guam for what the Japanese did (as well as $5,000,000.00 for "the Secretary of the Interior [to] establish a grants program [to]...award grants for research, educational, and media activities that memorialize the events surrounding the occupation of Guam during World War II, honor the loyalty of the people of Guam during such occupation, or both, for purposes of appropriately illuminating and interpreting the causes and circumstances of such occupation and other similar occupations during a war"), our soldiers can't even get a dime in supplemental appropriations.
Way to go, Democrats. Your "blame America first" (even for things we have nothing to do with), anti-US soldier attitudes, actions, and mindsets have just been taken to a new level.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) and his eight compatriots, all of whom have co-sponsored a bill that would require that America pay reparations to the people of Guam for - get this - the actions of the Japanese in World War II.
According to the bill (HR.1595, the "Guam World War II Loyalty Recognition Act"), the people of Guam:
suffered unspeakable harm as a result of the occupation of Guam by Imperial Japanese military forces during World War II , by being subjected to death, rape, severe personal injury, personal injury, forced labor, forced march, or internment.
For this reason (?), "the Secretary of the Treasury shall make payments" to WWII survivors and their descendants on Guam for the brutal actions of a third party.
Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? After all, the US is the largest aid donor on the planet; it's only logical that we should rebuild, repatriate, and reparate every country that has been hurt by every war that we can find. Let's not stop with Guam - let's include everybody from Carthage on up to the present. Should we pay reparations to the Koreans for the Mongol invasions of the 14th century, and to the Spanish for the loss of their Armada in 1588? Why not?
And while this bill holds up $126,000,000.00 for the repayment of the people of Guam for what the Japanese did (as well as $5,000,000.00 for "the Secretary of the Interior [to] establish a grants program [to]...award grants for research, educational, and media activities that memorialize the events surrounding the occupation of Guam during World War II, honor the loyalty of the people of Guam during such occupation, or both, for purposes of appropriately illuminating and interpreting the causes and circumstances of such occupation and other similar occupations during a war"), our soldiers can't even get a dime in supplemental appropriations.
Way to go, Democrats. Your "blame America first" (even for things we have nothing to do with), anti-US soldier attitudes, actions, and mindsets have just been taken to a new level.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Didn't they try this in the 1980's?
Simply saying your product is "engineered beautifully" won't cut it when consumers have a real choice. It didn't work in the 80s, it won't work until they make a car that isn't junk. And that time hasn't arrived yet.
New Chrysler ad campaign focuses on engineering, quality: "The new spots, with the tag line of 'Engineered Beautifully,' will debut on prime-time television shows starting Tuesday night. The company also plans to carry the theme into print and Internet advertising."
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