Somebody Explain This To Me

So the Pope is near death. And the news media reports stuff like this:Yahoo! News - Catholics Pray as Pope Slides Towards Death

And I have to ask: why? Why pray for the Pope? Are they praying for God to spare his life and let him live? When I was raised Catholic, we were taught that the Pope was basically God on Earth, or at least God's top representative here. If that's the case, what difference will Bob's prayer make when the Pope has The Man's ear already?

Or are they praying that God will accept the Pope into heaven? A lot of people pray that for their dying loved ones, that God will have mercy on their eternal souls and allow them to enter the pearly gates. Good Grief (almost said God there), if ANYBODY is "saved" it's the Pope, right?

So maybe they're praying that the Pope is comfortable and not feeling any pain. I would think that the Vatican's health care benefits would take care of that. I'm sure the Pope is getting the best treatment money can buy... it's not like he's poor or something. He has been sick for a long time now; he probably should have retired a decade ago, but Pope's really don't do that.

My suspicion is that all of those praying Catholics are secretly praying for themselves. They SAY they're praying for the Pontiff, but they're really trying to curry favor with God... "See how selfless I am? I'm praying for a guy who doesn't even need my prayers!"

More later...
Paul

Et Tu, Mercedes?

A few months ago here, I commented on a story about General Motors recalling a massive number of cars. Well, now I have to take one of my favorite automakers to task for the same failing: Yahoo! News - DaimlerChrysler recalls 1.3 million cars to check for power problems

Actually, the "failing" is not the same; the Benzes are being recalled for electrical problems. On older models, this wouldn't be such a problem, but today's cars, particularly Mercedes, feature mission-critical electrical systems. An sudden electrical problem on the highway could result in a life-threatening loss of brakes, steering or other very important functions.

So while I'm glad DaimlerChrysler is fixing the problems, I have to give them the stink-eye for releasing these cars to the public in the first place. And the fact that they charge so damn much for the cars in the first place makes this error particularly egregious. If it's not build quality that you're paying top dollar for, what are you paying for?

More later...
Paul

More Wonders From the 'Star Wars' Folks...

As part of the so-called Missile Defense system, the brains behind the boondoggle have come up with the ultimate radar dish. It's so big that they have to post it in the middle of the ocean:U.S. to Float Giant Missile-Defense Radar to Alaska


This X-band radar array is supposed to help the Missile Defense system track incoming missiles and distinguish between decoys and the real mccoy. Well, if it works, that's all well and good. But it seems to me that a radar dish of this size would be rather vulnerable, particularly since it's sitting the in middle of the ocean! According to the article, it's the size of two football fields. That's a big target! Any country capable of launching an ICBM attack against us certainly has submarine's capable of stealthy attacks on this thing. But I'm sure the Pentagon has thought of that.

I hope.

More later...
Paul

Another Failed Presidential Candidate Tilts At Windmills...

What's going on today? Now Al Sharpton is calling for governmental interference... but at least it's not involving Terri Schiavo: Yahoo! News - Sharpton Complains to FCC About Rap Music

Of course, AP's headline is misleading... what else is new?... and I actually applaud the Reverend for taking on this issue. But he's not complaining about the music. He's taking the stand that rap artists involved in violent acts should be denied airplay on "radio and television for 90 days."

And I have to admit I like this next statement: He also urged the agency to fine and review the licenses of radio stations "that encourage a pattern of this, including allowing employees to do on-the-air inciting of violence."

Of course, he's referring to the shooting that occurred outside a New York radio station involving two talent-less rappers that I refuse to mention by name.

My problem with Sharpton's approach is that I feel he's appealing to the wrong authority. He should be taking his grievances to the Justice Department. I do believe it's illegal to shoot someone; forget losing airplay, they should be losing their freedom! To jail, I say!

And jailtime should be mandatory for those on-air miscreants that are fueling these fires of stupidity. If we don't already have laws against this insipid behavior, maybe Congress can spend tonight drafting some? They seem to work better late at night.

More later...
Paul

Urgent Message to Congress: Get Back to Work!

Your tax dollars at work: Yahoo! News - Congress Suggests National Steroid Law

Not to put to light a spin on this, but WHO FREAKING CARES what "professional athletes" do to their bodies? And really, if a so-called "student athlete" wants to use dangerous performance-enhancing drugs, who are we to stop them? Isn't that the job of the parents? And if the kid AND their parents are so hung up on using steroids, despite the attendant risks, shouldn't we let them? After all, there's no law against a minor getting a boob job is there (with parental consent, of course)?

WHY IS THIS AN ISSUE? AND WHY IS CONGRESS WASTING OUR MONEY PURSUING IT? Aren't there more important issues facing us, like our record-breaking trade deficit?

And this IS the same Congress that approved drilling for oil in the Artic, right? They should all be kicked out on their keisters.

More later...
Paul

Go Wizards!

This one even I can't believe:Yahoo! Sports - NBA - Wizards 95, Lakers 81

As the article says, Washington has SWEPT the Lakers for the first time...ever!

I think the Wizards will go all the way! Yes, I'm crazy... I'm also picking my alma mater George Washington to go all the way in the NCAA tourney!

More later...
Paul

Is There Such a Thing as Criminal OverCharging?

This story, at first glance, simply boggles the mind: HoustonChronicle.com - KBR spent millions to deliver $82,100 of fuel to Iraq

KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton, charged America more than $27 million to ship $82,000 worth of liquified petroleum gas to Iraq.

But let's keep in mind that fact that shipping ANYTHING to Iraq is dangerous indeed, particularly that "last mile" segment, where truck convoys are routinely ambushed. According to the article, KBR has had at least 61 employees KILLED in Iraq and Kuwait, "many while delivering fuel." So the $27 million supposedly reflects the free market cost of doing business in a warzone, right?

If so, why are so many people being silent on the issue?

More later...
Paul

Truly Disturbing News

When I saw this article, I was nearly at a loss for words:Reuters AlertNet - Health care disparities kill 80,000 blacks-US study

Then I read this sentence: "In 2002, the Institute of Medicine, an independent group, reported that members of racial and ethnic minorities are given lower quality health care than whites even when they make as much money and carry the same insurance."

And it made me wonder, how can this be? Is this not the 21st Century? Is this not America, the greatest country in the world?

And am I myself getting lower quality health care, even though I am solidly middle class and have full health benefits? How does it happen? Does my doctor look at me and decide that he's not going to provide the same level of care that he does to his white patients?

I am finding all of this hard to believe. Then I read this: "Sociologist David Williams of the University of Michigan and colleagues reported in the same issue of Health Affairs that blacks had 30 percent higher death rates from cancer and heart disease than whites did in 2000. In 1950, blacks and whites were equally likely to die from heart disease and blacks had lower death rates from cancer."

This implies the disparity has GROWN WORSE since the '50's! I thought things were supposed to be "getting better"!

Something has to change. NOW.

More later...
Paul

Land of the Free... Free to Torture, That Is

Is it legal to use a Taser to force a criminal SUSPECT to submit to a urine test? WFTV.com - News - Police Accused Of Tasering Suspect To Get Urine Sample

What is this country coming to? This kid was only 18. He refused to give a urine sample (is this not a legal right?), and the staff tried to forcibly insert a catheter into his penis. When he refused to hold still, a police officer Taser'd him with 50,000 volts.

Who is the criminal in this scenario?

More later...
Paul

More Proof that America Hates Its Own Soldiers

I have a friend who has a brother in the Marines. She once told me that her family had to come out of pocket to purchase fatigues for him to wear in Iraq, because the Marine Corp was unable to supply him with more than a couple pair. Needless to say, I was shocked. It turns out that this is now standard operating procedure in today's armed forces. According to the attached article, "Soldiers serving in Iraq and their families have reported buying everything from higher-quality protective gear to armor for their Humvees, medical supplies and even global positioning devices."

After being pressured by Congress, the Defense Department agreed to reimburse the soldiers... but as the article notes, DoD has missed the deadline: Yahoo! News - U.S. Misses Soldier Reimbursement Deadline

My question is simply this: when are we going to get rid of the Keystone Kops that are (badly) running things at the Pentagon?

More later...
Paul

Why Isn't This Big News?

Remember the day Saddam Hussein was captured? The media and the government made a big deal about it. You couldn't turn on the TV without hearing about the "spider hole" they found the man in (notwithstanding the fact that no one ever defined the term "spider hole").

Well, it turns out that the story may not be true at all:Ex-Marine Says Public Version of Saddam Capture Fiction

I'm sure the White House will deny this story, IF they even choose to address it. They'll probably say the soldier is "disgruntled" or something like that. Which begs another question: why are our soldiers so "disgruntled" that they'll make up stories like this?

In any case, where is Hussein now? When will he ever get his day in court? Does it even matter?

More later...
Paul

Taking Technology to a New Low

Unless you've been living in the woods the past year or so, you have no doubt become familiar with the new trend of "ring tones", the practice of programming one's cellular telephone to ring with a customized sound. Currently, the most popular ring tones are snippets of popular songs. Now this from an adult film company: Sexy Moans for Mobile Phones


Can you imagine if one of these went off in a church?

Now that the pornography industry is involved, I am sure that it will be only a short time before ring tones are banned entirely. Who wants to make a bet?

More later...
Paul

American POWs Being Abused... by America!

This story makes very little sense, and makes the Bush Administration appear about as cold-hearted as Saddam Hussein: Los Angeles Times: White House Turns Tables on Former American POWs

The gist: American soldiers that were captured and tortured by Iraq during Desert Storm now CANNOT sue Iraq, because "we've freed Iraq".

"It seems so strange to have our own country fighting us on this," said retired Air Force Col. David W. Eberly, the senior officer among the former POWs. I am sure he uses stronger language when he's among friends.

"No amount of money can truly compensate these brave men and women for the suffering that they went through at the hands of this very brutal regime and at the hands of Saddam Hussein," White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan told reporters when asked about the case in November 2003. So I guess Bush is taking that statement literally, and making sure our soldiers receive "no amount of money".

How can they sleep at night?

More later...
Paul

This Is A Shame

The cost of motor vehicles has never been higher, and yet, according to this article, the vehicles made by General Motors are released to the market before all of the defects have been addressed:GM Recalling Over 193,000 Vehicles

The article goes on to say that in 2004, GM recalled more than 10 million vehicles! That is a remarkably sorry figure. But did you hear anything about it in the news? I read both Car and Driver and Road & Track magazines on a regular basis, and I don't recall ever hearing about such an astounding fact about America's largest automaker. 10 million defective vehicles in one year alone? How do they stay in business?

The defects described in the article are not minor ones. Pickup trucks, vans and SUVs may develop leaks in the braking systems! Top of the line Cadillacs have problems with the accelerator pedals! Some top end SUVs have the windshields installed improperly. It just doesn't make sense that a company can get away with marketing products that are severely defective.

And it makes one wonder: what defects are they NOT reporting?

More later...
Paul

The History of Black History Month

Here we are again, another February, another Black History Month, another few moments spent wondering if I’m going to see the same old stories and advertisements trotted out by the media “in honor of Black History Month”. Here we go again.

This time, though, I started to think about the whole deal. Who is Black History month for, anyway? Who benefits? I used to think the idea was to recognize the contributions that certain high-achieving Black people made to our great country, in an effort to neutralize the lingering effects of racial prejudice. The concept that maybe if people are exposed to the stories of folks like George Washington Carver and his numerous peanut-related inventions, then those same people will not think so badly of black people, or at least not lump them all in the gangsta-rap, ho’s and bitches stereotype.

Whether this has worked or not is certainly up for discussion.

Then there are those that believe that Black History month is for the benefit of Black people, Black Americans in particular. They say this is a time to celebrate our “blackness” and revel in the stories of folks like Granville Woods, who invented a telegraph that allowed moving trains to communicate with other trains. Some say we should use these stories to motivate our children, and remind them that they, too, can do great things. Part of this argument also includes the accusation that the nation’s schools give short shrift to Black History during the course of the normal school year, so Black History Month is a way of forcing the curriculum to include these stories.

Well, instead of my continuing to make up stuff off the top of my head, I turned to Google, which returned this History of Black History by Elissa Haney. I was quite surprised to find that this tradition started not in the turbulent era of Civil Rights, but way back in 1926! Back then, it was called Negro History Week, and it was set in February because the month marks the birthdays “of two men who greatly influenced the black American population, Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.”

The truth of the matter is this: there are a large number of Americans that have accomplished great things, and we would all do well to learn more about them. In this way, perhaps, we can learn more about ourselves. But American History has historically (sorry) ignored the achievements, accomplishments and contributions of its people of color, and Black History Month has, in its own small way, worked to bring light to some of them. I just wish the people who REALLY need the lessons… those folks in the so-called flyover states, those people who live in non-diverse regions… it is my fervent hope that they benefit from the lessons of Black History Month.

Call me an optimist.

More later...
Paul

Voodoo Economics, Pt. 2

So, the Presidents submitted his budget request and INTENTIONALLY LEFT OUT the anticipated expenses for the War in Iraq and Afghanistan AND his projected costs for privatizing Social Security: Boston.com / News / Nation / Washington / Key expenses are omitted, analysts say

Talk about hiding a rabbit up your sleeve.

"Daddy, can I have some money?"
"What do you need it for, son?"
"Well, I wanna see a movie and buy some ice cream and maybe get a present for Mommy."
"Okay, how much do you need?"
"Um, $2.7 trillion oughta cover it."
"*cough* Er, are you sure that's enough?"
"Yeah, that'll do it."

Three months later, in a televised address to the country...

"In order to keep the terrorists from killing Daddy and raping Mommy, I will ask Daddy for an additional $81 billion..."

Yeah, THAT won't have any effect on the deficit. And they call the DEMOCRATS tax-and-spend...

More later...
Paul

Our Modern Roman Empire

Yesterday was Sunday, February 6th, 2005. An unremarkable date for most, except for the fact that it was Superbowl Sunday, a date important mainly to Americans. Or to be more precise, American football fans. Like many of my fellow citizens, I settled down in front of my television to watch this sporting spectacle, to join in on alarmingly large “television audience”, and to share the “experience” of collectively consuming whatever the Fox network, the National Football League and the best of Madison avenue deigned to throw at us.

I turned on my tv set just before game time, just in time to catch the playing of the National Anthem. I have recently begun to wonder when and why it has become an American tradition to play and/or sing the “Star Spangled Banner” prior to the start of any major sporting event. I admit that I haven’t begun to do any research on the matter; my curiosity is still at the nascent, “just wondering” stage. But it seems to me that if the song is so important to our national identity, why don’t we perform it prior to undertaking more serious matters than entertainment? For example, Congress should sing it everyday before beginning their work. Judges should lead the courtroom in song before the start of every trial. Certainly the military should begin each day with each soldier standing at attention while someone belts out our proud anthem.

Why sporting events?

And why “honor” the military before the beginning of the Superbowl? What is that all about? To me, the parallels are clear. The professional football athlete is indeed the modern day equivalent of the Roman gladiator, sent to do battle in a large coliseum, solely for the amusement of his owners and those who pay to see him sacrifice his body for “sport”. Why not recognize those professional soldiers who do the same thing, but in a different type of arena, the theater of War? At yesterday’s pre-game show, the Fox network made a big deal about presenting images of past and current soldiers… and the National Anthem was sung not by a current music superstar, but by the combined “choruses” of the armed forces, backed up by an Army band.

“We are a warrior nation, and we are proud of our soldiers and our propensity for battle”, that was the message sent loud and clear to the television audience. This message reminds me of a quote by Albert Einstein: “You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.” If it was not clear before, it is crystal clear now: America is in no way trying to prevent war.

We are currently in the Season for Nonviolence, which runs from January 30th to April 4th every year. Of course, there was no mention of this during the Superbowl broadcast. Everything about football is violent; the game itself is a metaphor for empirical warfare. The object is to advance upon your opponent and take his land; to plant your flag in his “end zone.” After the appropriately-named New England Patriots won the game, news reports from Boston seemed genuinely surprised that there were no riots in the streets. The violence, thankfully, remained on the tv screen and did not spill out into the city. For now.

Our values are askew. We need to set another course before we find our Empire burning.

More later…
Paul

Rest In Peace, Ossie

A great actor, Ossie Davis, died today: Actor Ossie Davis dies

Ossie, I never met you so I can't claim to know you, other than through your work, but let me take this opportunity to publicly thank you for your memorable performances.

I especially want to thank you for your moving performance in Spike Lee's "Jungle Fever", when you played a father dealing with the tragedy of a son addicted to drugs. That unsung role was one of your best, in my opinion.

Thank you also for having the guts and sense of humor to play the role of JFK in "Bubba Hotep". That was one of the funniest movies I've seen!

I hope your transition was peaceful and I look forward to seeing you again.

Peace.

Is He Really Sick, Or Just Sick Of Kobe?

So the new coach of the L.A. Lakers has just quit the job, less than 7 months after taking over for Phil Jackson: Sports News Article | Reuters.com

According to the article, the coach said stress had reduced his resistance to infections.

Stress? Whatever could he be talking about?

Here's hoping the poor guy rebounds quickly (no pun intended).

More later...
Paul

Not Feeling Well, Senator?

I don't mean to be harsh, but what's up with Senator Hillary Clinton? Yahoo! News - Sen. Clinton Collapses During Appearance

Seems to me that if you're not feeling well, you don't make public appearances. But that's not very newsworthy, is it? Yes, I know it's extremely cynical of me to suggest that the Senator faked her illness so she would get some network news time, but hey... she confirmed Rice, so she deserves no sympathy.

More later,
Paul

Classic Example of Backspin

The following article is a classic example of media backspin, which is used to simultaneously refute a controversial position and call into question the sanity/integrity of the person/people taking the position: Dr. Koop - AIDS Conspiracy Theory Belief Linked to Less Condom Use

A survey was conducted by the Rand Corporation (not surprising) and Oregon State University. It was a telephone survey of 500 "black Americans" aged 15 to 44, and it took place from 2002 to 2003. Apparently, researcher found that some of the participants believed that AIDS is a virus created by the U.S. government to control the black population. Some even felt the disease is a form of genocide waged against black Americans.

That's rather startling, but note that those beliefs were held by a minority of the respondents. Still, that's news. So why does the article above link such beliefs with low rates of condom use? The author, Randy Dotinga says in his/her opening paragraph that "the men most likely to believe such a conspiracy theory are the least likely to use condoms."

An implied qualifier, "least likely to use condoms". There is no further enlightenment on WHY they are least likely to use condoms. Perhaps they are married and monogamous? Perhaps they are celibate? Perhaps they are elderly? None of this information is provided in the article, so since the context is missing, how is the information useful?

It is useful because it call into question the intelligence of those men. It takes focus off of the disturbing discovery that there are those who believe their own government is trying to kill them, by indirectly questioning the decision-making skill of those same people. Classic backspin. And this is how the story will be played by the networks, should they choose to run it.

Our media has failed us.

More later...
Paul

It's Official: Hate Groups Heart Roads

First it was the KKK; now it's the American Nazi Party that has "adopted" a road, this time in Oregon: News - StatesmanJournal.com

County officials listed "constitutional right to free speech" as the reason they allowed the group to give them money, er, join the program.

Is this a new trend in America? Hate groups adopting roads as a means of self-promotion? The article says it has been going on since the '90's. If this is true, and it's continuing, then either it's working for the groups, or they don't care about the effectiveness of the program.

Either way, it's gotta be disturbing to drive down a lonely country road and coming across a sign for the Nazis. It would make me think twice about stopping for gas, that's for sure.

More later...
Paul

Backdoor Reparations?

Holy Toledo. A major U.S. Bank is not only admitting it's role in the U.S. Slave trade, but APOLOGIZING for said role AND starting a $5million dollar scholarship fund in Lousiana, the state where the events took place: BBC NEWS | Business | JP Morgan admits US slavery links

This, not surprisingly, comes on the heels of news of a $60 BILLION merger agreement that JP Morgan has signed with Bank One, which if approved, will form the second largest bank in the land.

So was it a grand jesture on their part to correct a wrong from the past, or just good business sense? Guess they're doing their due diligence and cleaning a few skeletons from their closet.

$60 billion. $5 million. I wonder how they came up with the $5 million dollar figure? I suspect it's the amount of pocket change the board members had lying around when they made their decision.

More later...
Paul

The Norwegians Know What's Going On

Here's my only stab at covering the damn Inauguration, a story from AP that Bush was throwing satanic gang signs: Yahoo! News - Norwegians Confused by Bush Salute

"Hook 'em, 'horns". Sure, whatever you say. I say the entire University of Texas is satanic for allowing such a symbol to be continually used... ;)

More later...
Paul

This is Truly Fantastic

We have landed a probe on another planet's moon! And we got pictures of it! RedNova News - Huygens Landed with a 'Splat'

When I watched the flash animation of the still photos shot during the landing sequence, a smile lit up my face. Titan, Saturn's largest moon, has long been considered one of the few planets in the solar system that might have conditions that MIGHT support life as we know it... or a reasonable facsimile. It was fascinating to watch the terrain of Titan in the photos; you could see coastlines! It looked a lot like Earth!

I gotta hand it to the scientists involved on this project: Good Job!

More later...
Paul

Did Hell Freeze Over Too?

What kind of world is it when the Washington Wizards have a better record than the L.A. Lakers AND they beat the best team in the NBA? Yahoo! Sports

I think it's a fluke. But if Washington makes the NBA Finals this year, I'll apologize right here.

More later...
Paul

Another Story for the "WTF?" File...

While our wonderful Military Industry has come up with some very wonderful ways of killing people who we deem to be enemies, our government has also decided to pursue what are kalled "less-than-lethal" weapons. One of the strangest I have ever heard of is briefly described in the following story:Yahoo! News - Pentagon Spurned Plan to Initiate Enemy Homosexuality

I had to check the date... it's not April yet.

Some at Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio wanted $7.5 million to research developing a chemical weapon that is actuality a "strong aphrodisiac" that could cause homosexual behavior. The idea being that such behavior would have an adverse effect on enemy troop morale.

Either that or make them all lovers.

Whoever dreamed that one up and had the nerve to actually request government funds must have some really brassy balls. Send 'em to Gitmo, I say...

More later...
Paul

U.S. Supreme Court: Klan Sympathizers?

So what does THIS mean? High Court Sides with Klan in Adopted Highway Program

It's okay for the Ku Klux Klan to clean Missouri's highways? It's okay for the Ku Klux Klan to advertise? That Missouri is pro-Klan? That the U.S. Supreme Court is pro-Klan? What does this mean?

And what will it mean to the millions of out-of-state motorists traveling down the highways in Missouri, when they see a sign that reads "thanks to the Ku Klux Klan, this highway is Klean" (or words to that effect)?

More proof that something is seriously wrong with the values of certain folks in this great Nation.

More later...
Paul

Will It Be a Pretend Fine?

So the NFL is considering fining Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss for his antics after scoring a touchdown last Sunday. What was his damnable offense? He pretended to moon the Green Bay fans: Yahoo! Sports

So since he may be penalized for something he "pretended" to do, will it be okay with the NFL if he "pretends" to pay the fine as well?

Here we are, the world still coming to grips with the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami, war still well underway in the Middle East... and the American sporting world is up in arms because a football player pantomined the act of showing his ass to the crowd. This ranks right up there with the misplaced indignation that occurred after Janet Jackson flashed the Superbowl viewing audience. Our European allies must take great delight in our national silliness.

Earth to NFL and U.S. sports journalists: stop reporting non-news. It makes you all seem so, well, childish.

More later...
Paul

I Guess Used Armor is Better Than No Armor

A month after the infamous Rumsfeld encounter with the troops in Iraq, where the Defense Secretary was questioned about the lack of armor for troop vehicles, it appears the State of New Jersey will be donating their "used" body armor to the Military: Used Body Armor Is Sought for U.S. Vehicles in Iraq

Several questions come to mind on this news:

1) What do they mean by "used" body armor? Does Kevlar have a freshness date? Does it go "bad"? Or do they mean that the armor has been shot at and penetrated? Mitchell Sklar, executive director of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police maintains that even as the vests reach the end of their useful life for people(my emphasis), they can still help reinforce vehicles. He said, "There are hundreds and hundreds of vests that we have no use for and, rather than dumping them, we feel that we are doing our bit."

What the heck does that mean?

2) If the vests are donated, does that mean New Jersey gets a tax write-off?

3) If the New Jersey police no longer want them, why would our soldiers want them?

4) Is there more to this story than we're being told?

5) And finally, of the hundreds of BILLIONS of dollars we've committed to spending in Iraq, are we ABSOLUTELY SURE we can't add armor to the budget? Who's minding the store?

More later...
Paul

Sending A Rather Harsh Message

This guy might get 25 years in prison for pointing a laser pointer at an airplane: My Way News

According to the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act, "interfering with the operator of a mass transit vehicle" is a federal offense. Hmmm. The guy says he was using a $100 green laser pointer to point out stars to his daughter. He also admitted to shining it on a helicopter and an airplane. The "mass transit vehicle" in question was a corporate jet, a Cessna Citation carrying six people.

I wonder how the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act defines "mass transit vehicle"? It seems that private jets wouldn't qualify, since they normally carry less than 20 passengers.

But in any case, does this man deserve to be raped in jail for 25 years for this "crime"? Does his daughter deserve to grow up only seeing her father during jailhouse visits because they aimed a laser pointer into the nighttime sky? Have we totally lost our moral compass?

More later...
Paul

These Guys Are Asking For A Lot

After more than a week of horrifying imagery, and over a hundred thousand dead, some of the countries that suffered the most due to the massive underwater earthquake and resulting tidal wave are now asking... for the tourist to return: Yahoo! News - Tsunami-Hit Region Reaches Out to Tourists

You know, I really feel for them, but I don't know if I'll be using my frequent flier miles to head to a discount trip to Thailand anytime soon. Something about the thought of being in a country were they have yet to bury thousands of decomposed corpses sort of gives me the willies. Call me inconsiderate, or a scaredy-cat, whatever... it's going to take some time before I feel comfortable about visiting that area.

They say the weather is good there this time of year. Yeah, I remember those sunny-day videos when the sea reached out and destroyed the land. None for me, thanks.

More later...
Paul

Good Lord

So...after hearing about a supposed "Man of the Cloth" thanking God for the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean because it killed over 2,000 Swedish tourists because some of them may have been gay, I followed the story's link to this website (warning - righteous hate ahead):Manifesto of Westboro Baptist Church

I know there's much worse to be found on the Web, but I am still shocked at the level of pure hate found on just one page of this crazy website. How people can equate God with hate I'll never know...

More later...
Paul

What is he saying?

Unbelievably, during his "suprise" trip to Iraq on Christmas Eve, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld CONTRADICTED the official 9/11 story about the plane that went down in Pennsylvania: WorldNetDaily: Rumsfeld says 9-11 plane 'shot down' in Pennsylvania

Read the story. Then ask yourself, what the heck is going on? How many "versions" of this story exist? The "official" version is apparently different from the "Rumsfeld '04" version. Which one is the truth, or is that ANOTHER version?

More later...
Paul

US bankruptcy law has worldwide jurisdiction

I didn't know that; did you? Actually the full quote, taken from this amazing story (BBC NEWS | Business | Q&A: The battle for Yukos) is this: "US bankruptcy law has worldwide jurisdiction in terms of safeguarding the assets of companies in financial difficulties. "

Oh, by the way, Yukos is merely the largest oil-producing company in Russia. And it was auctioned off today and purchased by a mysterious company no one knows much about. And the Bush Administration is upset about this turn of events and has registered their unhappiness with the Russian government.

"We had hoped for a solution that would allow for the legitimate enforcement of tax laws but avoid harming investors, especially American investors," White House spokesperson Scott McClellan said today.

I'm just curious as to who those American investors might be.

More later...
Paul

This Isn't News

Once again, the mainstream media take common knowledge and tout it as "news": Poll: Most Americans Think Iraq War Not Worth Fighting (washingtonpost.com)

This is old, OLD news. It may not be the result of an old poll, but most Americans were against going to war in Iraq BEFORE the damn thing started...and then the President and his boys lied about the WMD's and imminent danger and all of that claptrap.

So here we are. American people dying for nothing. When will we bring them home?

More later...
Paul

They Still Let Him Speak In Public?

Fresh off his election win, with his "mandate" tucked securely in his breast pocket, it's still unfortunate that President Bush has the public speaking skills of a fourth grader: Yahoo! News - Bush won't "negotiate with himself"

What the heck is he talking about? Did he mean to say "negate" himself? Or is he just using amusing language to cover up the fact that he HAS no facts to state?

That lil' electric earpiece thingy isn't working...

More later...
Paul

RIP Gary Webb

Suicide? Right, and beginner pilots hijacked modern jetliners and flew them into buildings...we'll believe ANYTHING.

More later...
Paul

Oh Yeah, I Feel Safer Now

I spent a good part of 2004 in airport "security" screening lines...you know, the ones where they make you take off your shoes "just in case". I have also opened my luggage to find inside a letter stating that my bags were searched after they were checked in by airline personnel. Well, according to this story, these screening people aren't doing such a good job: Yahoo! News - N.J. Airport Security Spot & Lose Fake Bomb

So they planted a fake bomb on a flight to Amsterdam, and the "security" personnel couldn't find it. The fake bomb made it all the way to Amsterdam, where I suppose airport officials were notified that the bomb was fake. This was a test...and the Transporation Security Administration (TSA) failed miserably. The spokeswoman says the result of the test "really underscores the importance of TSA's ongoing training". Well, duh. Great spin.

In the meantime, millions of passengers are standing in line as I write this, many of them barefoot, waiting to be "screened" and allowed to proceed to their flights. And while they wait, someone could be secreting a not-so-fake bomb into the luggage compartment.

Look, if the system is not working, FIX IT. Or get someone who CAN fix it.

More later...
Paul

"Serious Setback"

Hey, these were THEIR words, not mine: Yahoo! News - U.S. Missile Defense Test Fails

Read the story. In this $85 million test (!), the interceptor missile failed to fly. It didn't even take off. My concerns about the viability of this program didn't include basic rocketry problems. I'm still unconvinced that, in the case of a multiple missile attack, we would not be able to successfully intercept enough missiles to avoid lasting damage to our country.

There are those that insist that intercepting "some" nuclear warheads is better than "none", but Wednesday's test puts even THAT theory to question.

More later...
Paul

What Does This Mean To You?

Another big merger deal in the business world, this time in the technology sector: Yahoo! News - Oracle Buys PeopleSoft for $10.3 Billion

Now, how will this affect you? Most people are dimly aware of the Oracle databases that make their electronic world turn smoothly. And many have no idea exactly what type of software PeopleSoft produces. No matter. By teaming the two up, the owners have created either a juggernaut or a monster; time will tell. It's hard to bet against Oracle head honco Larry Ellison, though.

More later...
Paul

More about Rumsfeld

Jon Stewart is officially my hero, at least in my personal Pantheon of media dragon-slayers. As I mentioned in yesterday's post, the media jumped all over the "news" that a specialist in the Army dared to ask Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld some tough questions at an all-too-rare gripe session in Iraq. Well, Jon Stewart's "The Daily Show" nailed that story to the wall in this must-see clip.

Enjoy. I wish more television were like this.

More later...
Paul

15 Minutes of Unwanted Fame

So the day after the Secretary of Defense holds a tense question-and-answer session with the U.S. troops in Iraq, the story spins out of control: Yahoo! News - Bush, Rumsfeld Try to Soothe Angry U.S. Troops

What's most interesting about this story is how the press has focused on one particular exchange, in which a lowly enlisted man dared to complain to Rumsfeld that they the soldiers have been reduced to digging in scrap heaps to find armor for their vehicles. Rumsfeld's initial response? "Can you repeat the question?"

Well, that was enough for the press. They have identified the soldier as Specialist Thomas Wilson, and ABC's "Good Morning America" show went so far as to look up the poor man's wife, Regina, and put her on the show this morning, only to grill her about the nerve of her husband. Or something like that, I didn't really watch the show...

Which really begs the question: which part of all this hoopla is NEWS? We already knew the troops were underprotected...that story came out months ago. We pretty much knew Rumsfeld would hem and haw about the reason the Pentagon sends unprepared troops to do battle ("You go to war with the Army you have"), so that's not news.

I guess the newsworthy element was watching a private question a superior officer...the Secretary of Defense! I wonder if he'll face a court martial for insubordination? Check out Rummy's quote about how he was going to handle the soldier's temerity: "I don't know what the facts are but somebody's certainly going to sit down with him and find out what he knows that they may not know, and make sure he knows what they know that he may not know, and that's a good thing."

Good for who?

More later...
Paul

I think the Senators are Speed Readers

Well, now the U.S. Senate has tossed it's collective hat in the ring, voting 89-2 to pass the so-called "Intelligence Overhaul" bill: Yahoo! News - Congress Passes Historic Spy Agencies Bill

Already I'm hearing nightmare stories about this boondoggle. One story says this bill clears the way for a national identity card. Now, why the hell do we need something like that? I KNOW who I am. I don't need no steenkin' card to identify ME...oh! The authorities want it so THEY can identify me...what, my California driver's license is no good? What about my overused VISA card?

Seriously, what could possibly go wrong with a national identity card program? Well, I'm willing to bet it includes a fingerprint component as well, just in case some of those blue-state liberals decides to turn felon all of a sudden. Oh sure, we can joke about it NOW, but just wait...this bill has got more surprises than, uh, [insert metaphor here].

Sorry about that. Ran out of brainpower...must be something going around, because the same ailment apparently affected 89 U.S. Senators today, too.

More later...
Paul

Did They Read The Damn Thing This Time?

Here we go again. Yahoo! News - House Approves U.S. Intelligence Overhaul

Our wonderful elected Congress is giving the okay to this so-called "Intelligence Overhaul" bill. I took a look at parts of it yesterday and, of course, it was so complex and confusing that I would need a week to get a handle on it. I just hope our elected representatives did their jobs and READ the thing BEFORE they approved it...especially those wishy-washy Democrats (yes, that means YOU, Senator Kerry).

75 Congressmen voted no. Check out this comment: "I believe creating a national intelligence director is a huge mistake," said Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill). "It's another bureaucracy, it's another layer of government. It would not have prevented 9/11 and it will not prevent another 9/11." Spoken like a true Republican, not a neo-conservative imperialist.

More later...
Paul

Welcome to the New Cold War

It makes sense that the first deployment of our missile defense system be on the West Coast. After all, big bad China has had nuclear-tipped Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles for a while now. In fact, the Natural Resources Defense Council estimates that China's current nuclear stockpile includes about 450 nuclear weapons (info from the Nuclear Threat Initiative website: www.nti.org). Not all of these are missiles...some are merely bombs...but you get the point. But are we worried about China lobbing nukes during this era of unprecedented business partnership with the West? Or is it some other Pacific Rim country? North Korea, perhaps?

Do you have any idea of N. Korea's nuclear capability? Well, NTI does. They say that N. Korea has been developing ballistic missiles and "it could deliver a small payload to the western part of the continental United States, although with low confidence in its accuracy."

Exactly how accurate does a nuclear missile have to be? And what do they mean by "small" payload? On this vital detail, the NTI is suspiciously silent.

One would like to hope that the bally-hooed "Intelligence Reform" bill will result in more answers to questions like these. Yeah, right.

More later...
Paul

What? No 'Orgy of Self-Congratulation'?

Quietly, with very little fanfare, the first installment of the so-called "Star Wars" missile defense system (formerly known as SDI - Strategice Defense Initiative) will be unveiled at Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc Valley, California: The First missile interceptor to be installed at VAFB

The "interceptor" missiles will become operational at a "later date", according to the Missile Defense Agency.

My question about this questionable program has always been a simple one: what are the ramifications of filling the heavens with exploded bits of nuclear warheads? Hopefully, we'll never find out.

More later...
Paul

Just In Time For Christmas

For those of us old enough to remember browsing the old "Big Book" catalog, this story comes as quite a surprise: Yahoo! News - Kmart Buying Sears in $11 Billion Deal

This would have been completely unheard of 30 to 35 years ago, when Sears Roebuck was the undisputed KING of department stores. Sears practically invented "catalog shopping" with their famous "Big Book", whereas Kmart is known for inventing the deep discount store.

What's even more interesting is that Kmart was seeking bankruptcy protection in 2002. Quite a turnaround.

Now, let's see how Wal-Mart and Target respond.

More later...
Paul

The Story Got Bigger

It looks like yesterday's story about the human torch has legs:My Way News

According to the Washington Post, the poor guy was a federal informant on terrorism, and he was so upset by how the FBI mismanaged his case that he decided to burn himself to death in protest. Turns out he believed the FBI reneged on a deal to pay him over $100,000 and grant him permanent residency for his information.

I guess the normal course of legal action was closed to him.

Well, it looks like the story is getting out. Let's see how far it goes.

More later...
Paul

This Story Will Disappear Quickly

Check this story out: Yahoo! News - Man Sets Himself on Fire Near White House

Certainly a rather extreme way of protesting, but note how the only videotape of the even was confiscated by the Secret Service. Why? Seems like they're depriving not only the tourists that did the taping from earning a fat monetary reward from the news services, but they also keep the protester from reaching his intended "audience".

Interesting how the Associated Press was able to obtain still photos...why did the SS fail to confiscate these?

So, the SS doused the flames with a fire extinguisher and sent the man to the hospital. Wonder what crime he'll be charged with...and will he do time in a regular jail or a mental institution? Your tax dollars are work...

More later...
Paul

Let the Battle Begin

CBS News, once known for its uncompromising journalism, is now reduced to taking potshots at bloggers: CBS News | Blogging As Typing, Not Journalism | November 8, 2004

This is not surprising...the old line will always denigrate the "new kids on the block" until the very last minute, at which point they will act like they were down with it all along. It was just a couple of years ago that the old media giants were dismissing Matt Drudge's "Drudge Report" as some type of worthless scandal ezine...now it's just as mainstream as Fox News (and just as sensational).

What the old guys don't get is that the "blogosphere" is much more than a few bloggers writing about the news. This is a very difficult concept for them to wrap their minds around. The attached article uses very derogatory language, comparing bloggers to "parasites" and blogs to high school newspapers. Well, the truth is that many bloggers ARE high school age...what of it? I've yet to come across a blog that claims to be a site of journalistic integrity (not that they don't exist), but that has never been the point of "blogging". These are, at base, personal journals, FULL of unapologetic subjectivity. If we didn't provide our point of view, there would be no point at all.

More later...
Paul

The War in My Bathroom.

The semi-annual invasion of my bathroom by ants has begun, and I was absent-mindedly squashing them with my thumb while shaving this morning and musing over the fact that many people feel that the solution to violence is more violence…and here I was killing ants!

I started to think about my battle with the ants. They seem to show up in the middle of the summer, and then again sometime in the winter. In the summer, they seem to be thirsty, as they make a beeline for a leaky faucet. But my faucets were recently replaced, so I’m not quite sure what they’re after now.

I have learned that they always send out scouts, and they tend to travel in pairs. If I kill one, the other will appear out of nowhere, frantically looking for his partner. If I kill both of them, another pair of scouts will show up almost immediately. So far, they’ve only arrived in small numbers. If they find whatever it is they’re looking for, then they’ll bring in the inf-ant-ry to carry away the loot. And that’s usually when I escalate from “conventional” weaponry (squishing them) to chemical warfare (RAID!).

I also have an ally in the insect world…spiders…and me and the spiders have a spoken agreement that as long as they stay out of sight, I won’t kill them too. And they can have all the ants and other insects they can catch. This deal usually works out well, and my place at least appears to be insect-free. But occasionally the spiders get lazy and we’ll surprise each other…I’ll pull back the curtain for my morning spider and catch one napping in the tub, and it will surprise ME by how disgustingly big it is. They must get pretty fat on ants.

I killed a spider in my bathroom a couple of weeks ago, a damn big one. Before I delivered the death blow (conventional weapon), I reminded the scoundrel that it violated the terms of our deal. Now, I know that I’m making a big assumption in assuming that the spiders have agreed to our truce. For all I know, they may be ignoring me completely, just like the ants do (when I talk to the ants, they don’t even act like they hear me…obviously we have a language difficulty). But the spiders do a pretty good job of staying out of sight, so as far as I’m concerned, the treaty is working.

But what to do about the ants? If I see many more than I saw this morning, I will be moved to unleash the chemicals. But what really puzzles me is why they are there in the first place. Granted, my bathroom could be cleaner, but it’s not like I’m leaving food crumbs in my bathtub. What is attracting them? I feel like if I can understand their motivation, I can be more successful in keeping them out of my house…without resorting to killing them all.

By now, dear reader, I am quite sure you see the similarities between my bathroom battle and that of the current “War on Terror”. The Western world is justifiably annoyed and concerned by the ant-like extremists that periodically make grand nuisances of themselves by way of suicide bombings and the like. We (the West) can continue to use our arsenals to kill more and more of the extremists (even though they have shown great propensity to kill THEMSELVES), but at some point in the very near future, we will HAVE to identify the motivating force that is animating these vermin. Maybe it’s as simple as cleaning the tub with bleach….or something like that.

In my case, if the entire ant colony were to attack my bathroom, it would be a horrible sight…millions of ants pouring out of the wall, converging on…what? Whatever, I would be forced to bring in the heavy artillery: commercial pest control. Chemical warfare on a large scale. We might even have to tent the house and literally soak it in poison…which, of course, means death to the spiders and other non-combatants…”collateral damage” so to speak. This will be costly, but it won’t require that I “understand” the ants and work to remove their motivation.

Can’t we all just get along?

More later…
Paul

Sure, NOW he takes credit...

So here's the latest news on the War on Terror, just in time for the presidential election: Yahoo! News - Bin Laden Says He Ordered 9/11 Attacks

Isn't this, like, November 2004? So it took Osama THREE YEARS to make up his mind and say "Yeah, I did it?" Doesn't he read the newspapers or watch Fox News? We blamed this on ya a long time ago, babe, pay attention!

Is it me, or does this actually make it seem even more unlikely that he was behind the attack? And is it me, or does it seem strange that this videotape would surface at this time?

I encourage all Americans to ignore this particular videotape. It's clearly a sham, whether it's perpetrated by the actual Bin Laden or not. It's certainly meant to play head games with the American voting public. Forget it. It means nothing.

More later...
Paul

What Would You Do?

Say you were a major American television news network, and you somehow obtained EXCLUSIVE footage of a terrorist threatening to implement a viscious act of violence that would make 9/11 seem like a minor event. But on the tape the terrorist claims that the cause of the violence is the actions of the current American President...and you received the tape just days before a hotly contested presidential election. What would you do? Would you air the tape?

According to Matt Drudge, ABC News is in this very same predicament at this very moment:DRUDGE REPORT 2004? What will they do? What SHOULD they do? Should the safety of the American people override the concern that it might influence the election?

I think so. If the threat is legitimate, I think it would be a CRIMINAL ACT to withhold the information for political expediency. But that's just me.

More later...
Paul

This is just Unfair

It's 2004 and abortion is legal...unless you're in the military. Our man in the White House, George Bush, reinstated a ban on abortions in military hospitals: Abortion Becomes Issue for Military Now, if a young female soldier were to be raped (um, that wouldn't happen in the U.S. military, would it?) and impregnated, she could get a legal abortion...BUT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT HERSELF. Similarly, if the pregnancy were life-threatening, a pay-for-service abortion would be available. But that's it.

Now, tell me how that's fair. A soldier NEVER stops being an American citizen, and American citizen's have the right to abortions. So it must be the issue of who pays for it, eh? So a citizen volunteers to serve their country, is sent to a war overseas and is raped and impregnated...what type of society would not pay for her abortion? How cheap and cheesy can we be?

This election is about a lot of things, and how we treat our young men and women in uniform is definitely one of the issues. Don't let them down by continuing the madness.

More later...
Paul

I Support Jon Stewart

In this poor election year, the mainstream media has finally come to grips with a shocking truth: more people trust Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" for their news than they trust "real" news outlets. And now this:DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2004?

I applaud Stewart for doing what most of us would do if given the opportunity...to tell these overblown stuffed shirts that they've been sitting down on the job and that they need to get their respective asses in gear! I really wish I could have seen the show, but I stopped watching the crap on CNN a long time ago...

More later...
Paul

Not Good News

Alongside mysterious black helicopters and Area 57, implantable identity chips are commonly mentioned by "conspiracy" buffs as proof of the Apocalypse. Well, here they come: FDA approves use of implantable chip in patients to pass medical information to doctors

According to the article, "It's the first time the FDA has approved medical use of the device, though in Mexico, more than 1,000 scannable chips have been implanted in patients. The chip's serial number pulls up the patients' blood type and other medical information." Soooo, what OTHER types of uses have been approved?

Well, how about shopping? Even NEWSWEEK picked up on this: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5093197/site/newsweek/. And there's more like that to come.

Many will undoubtedly say "So what? The government tracks my every movement with my ATM/Debit card anyway. And I don't have anything to hide." Well, bully for you. But keep this one little thing in mind: once we give in to implanted id chips, we open the door for other implantables, some of which will serve to control us in a more proactive manner. Just watch.

More later...
Paul

WTF?

Okay, now what the hell is going on in the Nation's Capital NOW? A democratic senator, of all things, is now fearing for the lives of his staff: CBS News | Terror-Fearing Sen. Shuts Office | October 12, 2004?18:17:13

What's really interesting (and aggravating for those of us with loved ones in the city) is that NO ONE AT HOMELAND SECURITY is saying anything about it. Sure, the senator is referring to a top-secret report, but the Homeland Security people aren't even admitting a threat exists. So who's lying?

And what should my parents do? They live only a few miles away from the Capitol.

More later (I hope)...
Paul

A Brave Statement from a Peace Prize Winner

This remarkable article was just brought to my attention. The very first African woman to ever win a Nobel Peace Prize has used her "bully pulpit" to declare her belief that the AIDS virus was deliberately created by man:HIV virus deliberately created: Wangari Maathai - The Times of India

It takes a very courageous person to stand up before the world a make such a claim. She goes as far as to say the virus was created "for the purpose of mass extermination." Already people are lining up to ridicule her.

I happen to share her belief. I have always found it very difficult to believe the concept of a deadly virus that just sprung up from out of nowhere to devastate certain populations. The article notes that of the 38 million worldwide that are afflicted with the virus, 25 million are African.

Long known as a land with tremendous natural resources, the continent of Africa has been a target for centuries. Conquered and colonized, exploited for financial gain, it's no wonder that depopulation would eventually become an accepted business tactic. Is it a surprise that the "cure" for HIV is too expensive to widely distribute in Africa?

More later...
Paul

Fear This

This election cycle is based on sustaining a climate of fear, specifically, fear of dying at the hands of a terrorist. This is a total unknown, of course, yet it is still a palpable fear in the minds of too many Americans. Yet we already know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that over 500,000 Americans will die next year because of cancer: Salon.com Technology | Ignoring the big C

Maybe we should focus our attention on preventing these senseless deaths?

More later...
Paul

Will Wonders Never Cease?

I reported on the first phase of this story about a year ago, when Boeing announced the award of this multi-billion dollar contract...that was negotiated by a former employee of theirs. Now, some sense has apparently been found in our government: Yahoo! News - Conferees Ban Lease of Boeing Tankers

It's hard to believe, but it looks like the guilty party, Darleen Druyun, is actually going to jail over her conduct! Wow!

Now if we could only get some indictments against those fools responsible for the mortally slow air defense response on 9/11/01.

More later...
Paul

How long will we let them lie?

Do a lot of traveling and the USA Today newspaper attaches itself to your life. Given away free by most hotel chains, the often reviled “News McNuggets” is a surprisingly bi-partisan publication. Go figure. I have a new found respect for this paper because they seem to be solidly middle of the road.

USA Today’s coverage of the Vice Presidential Debate seemed fairly solid. They were willing to call the debate a basic draw, as did many other credible news organizations. But they went a bit further with an analysis of the many lies told by the Vice President. That’s right, lies. Intentional fallacies used in an attempt to both discredit his opponent and cover up his administration’s shameful record.

Once such lie was the bit about Edward’s Senate attendance record. Cheney puffed himself up about how he spends most Tuesday’s in the Senate Chamber in his role as president of the Senate…and then claimed that the debate was the first time that he has actually ever met John Edwards…clearly implying that Edwards never shows up for work. Cheney even went so far as to say that Edwards’ hometown newspaper had taken to calling him “Senator Gone”.

All untrue. All lies, according to USA Today. Yet Cheney delivered these untruths with such unwavering conviction that even John Edwards was stunned. I thought “geez, those were some pretty solid body shots” and I’m sure that Cheney’s supporters were beside themselves with glee. But USA Today checked the Congressional Record. They checked the “hometown” paper, they checked the facts. And the facts show that Cheney flat-out lied.

But the facts didn’t stop certain idiot/asshole TV talking heads from harping on it (http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/archive.html?blog=/politics/war_room/2004/10/07/hardball/index.html), just as they won’t stop a grip of blind Bush supporters from doing their best to re-elect the fool. But as some point, the American people are going to have to demand full accountability from their elected officials, especially from the Executive Branch. As it stands now, we can’t believe a word they say. How shameful is that?

More later…
Paul

On this bogus ‘War on Terror’

Last night during the Vice Presidential Posturing Session (aka the Vice Presidential Debate), flyweight contender John Edwards continued the Democratic strategy of playing into the Republicans’ hands by asserting that he and Kerry intended to win the War on Terror by tracking down terrorists and killing them before they have the opportunity to harm us. Lil’ John spoke with such conviction one could get the impression that he actually believed what he was saying. Vice President Cheney just sat there stone-faced.

Why are the Democrats playing the Republican war-mongering game? Surely they know that this so-called ‘War’ is a total neo-conservative fabrication? Terrorists did NOT declare ‘war’ on the U.S. on 9/11; they did not declare ‘war’ on us when they bombed the U.S.S. Cole, the Beirut barracks, those African embassies or at any other time in the recent or distant past. Historically, ‘terrorist’ actions have been REACTIVE events, undertaken by people who feel their backs are against the wall and that extreme retributive violence is their only remaining option. I mean, how desperate does one have to be to actually plan and execute a SUICIDE mission?

And how blind does one have to be to miss the fact that the current administration is using their so-called ‘War on Terror’ to conduct neo-imperialist military actions in the Middle East? In the same vein, does anyone believe that the Democrats are blissfully unaware of what’s really going on? Kerry and Edwards totally support the ‘War’ because they totally support the aims of the neo-imperialist movement: controlling the oil supply of the Middle East through U.S. installed puppet regimes. Folks, this is no conspiracy theory, it’s straight up historical fact. For those that have trouble believing, I have three words: Shah of Iran.

More later…
Paul

YIKES

Ted Rall has quickly become one of my favorite editorial cartoonists, mostly because he has a hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners sense of humor. But even I had to wince at his latest: Ted Rall online

I mean, he's talking about reality, but it is VERY UNCOMFORTABLE...but why should we be comfortable with sending American men and women to their deaths in questionable military actions?

More later...
Paul

Freedom Reigns...just not in the Nation's Capital

Here's an interesting story, but not for the obvious reasons: Yahoo! News - House Votes to Repeal D.C. Gun Limits

And here's the quiz: For what other U.S. city can the U.S. House of Representatives enact local legislation? Answer: none.

Here's the second part of the quiz: How many voting representatives from the District of Columbia sit in the U.S. Congress? Answer: same as above - none.

So if D.C. has NO congressional representation, how does the House have jurisdiction? Answer: slavery. Or something like that. As a former resident of the District, I STILL think it's an international travesty that the residents of that city live in what is basically a dictatorship, run not by their mayor or city council, but by people who don't even live there.

'The D.C. handgun ban . . . has failed miserably. This bill is demanded by the people of the United States,' the key sponsor of the bill said.

Of course, no one asked the people of the District of Columbia what THEIR demands were...

More later...
Paul

I support THESE troops...

Check this story out:A strident minority: anti-Bush US troops in Iraq | csmonitor.com Apparently, they've been able to show "Fahrenheit 911" to our men and women in uniform over in Iraq. I've got to give the DoD credit for having the balls to do that. Unsurprisingly, it's not making a whole lot of soldiers feel better about George Bush.

From the article: "We shouldn't be here," said one Marine infantryman bluntly. "There was no reason for invading this country in the first place. We just came here and [angered people] and killed a lot of innocent people," said the marine, who has seen regular combat in Ramadi. "I don't enjoy killing women and children, it's not my thing."

It's LONG past time to get out...

More later...
Paul

Out of Control?

Yesterday in the Nation's Capital, a pregnant woman was arrested by a transit officer for "socially unacceptable behavior" - talking too loudly on her cellphone:Between Metro and Cell User, a Disconnect (washingtonpost.com)

Now, if all you read was my first sentence, then you might be inclined to agree with the actions of the subway cop. We've all witnessed rude cellphone users and were forced to endure their bothersome conversations. But according to the story, the Metro transit police officer arrested the woman AFTER her phone conversation...and AFTER he pushed her to the ground.

Say what? A police officer pushed a pregnant woman to the ground? Sometimes when I read the news I forget which country this is...but then I remember, this happened in the same city that CONTINUES to re-elect a proven criminal politician, Marion Barry.

Police Officer: "You have to lower your voice, ma'am"
Pregnant woman: "You can't tell me how loud I can talk."
Police Officer: "I can arrest you"
And a scuffle ensues. The officer forced her to the ground, called for backup, and detained the woman for three hours. I guess the officer was in fear for his life. NOT...

All of this happened, mind you, NOT on a subway car and NOT in a subway station, but OUTSIDE a subway station. And according to the article, the 23-year-old woman was charged with two misdemeanors: "disorderly manner that disturbed the public peace" and resisting arrest.

Response from Metro officials: "We need better enforcement to allow people to know we are serious and want to maintain the high-quality level of the system," said Robert J. Smith, chairman of the Metro board, adding that "ranting youth" have become a plague on the subway.

A plague of "ranting youth"? That's a mass transit problem? Sounds like a social problem to me.

Police state, here we come.

More later...
Paul

Poll Dancing

Read this article and then tell me if your faith in American politics has been restored...or destroyed: Yahoo! News - Campaign Puts Polling Methods Under Microscope

The very sad truth of the matter is that political opinion polls are almost never used to gauge opinion, but to INFLUENCE opinion. If you were able to audit the two major parties' campaign budgets, you'd find that an almost obscene amount of money is spent on polling. And the number of polling "styles" and methods is about as varied as the number of polling organizations. Truth be told, each organization makes up its own rules...and to a very troubling extent, the American media reports those results as the gospel truth, without EVER questioning the accuracy.

From a hard number standpoint, most polls are wildly inaccurate. To explain what I mean by this, I'll use the Presidential approval poll, the poll used to judge whether the American people feel the current President is doing a good job. Setting aside the subjective nature of the question (what, exactly, is a 'good job'?), there is NO WAY for any polling organization to question enough Americans to get an accurate read on this. Statistical experts, of course, beg to differ. And that's their job, so they have to protect their turf. But how can a poll of 20,000 people accurately reflect the thoughts of 250 million?

It cannot.

That's why I choose NOT to pay any attention to these wild-assed pre-election polls about who's "leading" who....they have no way of knowing or predicting what's actually going to happen at the REAL polls in November. And as we all learned last election, even THOSE polls can be compromised.

More later...
Paul

Would You?

Virgin's head madman Richard Branson is at it again, as always, in a big way:Telegraph | News | Branson promises to send tourists into space by 2007

The funny thing is, he sort of has the credibility to pull this off, even though the three-year timetable seems awfully short. Branson has proven to be the kind of man that does what he says he's going to do. And if anyone has the pulse of the ultra-rich adventurer market, it would be Sir Branson. I can't wait to see if he can make this happen. In the meantime, I'll just settle for one of those posh Virgin Atlantic flights...

More later...
Paul

The TSA is Idiotic

Hot on the heels of the Yusef Islam (formerly known as "Cat Stevens") story is this sober news about airline security...or the lack thereof: USATODAY.com - Airport screeners missed weapons

As someone who flies on a weekly basis, and has to endure the whole "empty your pockets, take out your laptop, remove your shoes, is that a belt?" ordeal at least twice a week, it finally hits me that this is all an elaborate ruse to coddle the American public. The entire TSA sham has nothing to do with actually improving airline safety...it's all about giving the APPEARANCE of improved safety...that's all.

Think about it. What is needed to hijack a plane? A bomb? A gun? A box cutter? A nail file? I have to put my nail file in my checked luggage, because they will definitely confiscate it (six inches of stainless, nail-filing steel!) should I be so bold as to carry it in my carry-on. The point is, the only thing that's needed to hijack a plane is INTENT...and a good poker face. One could crumple up a airline-supplied coffee cup with a couple bags of airline-supplied peanuts, stuff it into an airline-supplied vomit bag, then hold it up and yell "I'VE GOT A BOMB! EVERYBODY DO AS I SAY!" and successfully bluff a hijack. You don't need to have real explosives or weapons with you to do that.

The alleged 9/11 hijackers didn't have guns or explosives (so we're told), and look how much damage they did. Why on earth would you bring explosives on board what is already a flying bomb full of explosive jet fuel? That's like bringing sand to the beach.

The truth of the matter is this: if someone is determined to commandeer an airliner, NO amount of luggage pre-screening will stop them. The TSA already knows this, and they will even admit it if you back them into a rhetorical corner. No, the TSA is in existence for two very specific reasons: 1) to project a veneer of increased security and 2) to make someone a lot of money. Guess who?

More later...
Paul

And it just keeps getting worse

Our borders are like sieves, and we let all types of nasty people in this country. But every once in a while, we prevent REALLY dangerous people from entering: Yahoo! News - Ex-Pop Star Cat Stevens Deported from U.S.

Of course, I'm being facetious. There are a lot of strange and unsettling things about this story, not the least of which is the fact that the U.S. news media continue to identify Mr. Islam by a name he left behind DECADES ago...

But even worse is the fact that because he was simply on the airplane, U.S. authorities diverted the flight from it's original destination of Northern Virginia and forced it to land in MAINE. Why Maine? Ostensibly to protect the Northeast corridor, but when did Maine stop being in the Northeast?

Then after being illegally held and questioned - oops, my bad: under the P.A.T.R.I.O.T. Act they can detain and question at will WITHOUT proof - U.S. authorities transported Mr. Islam to Boston, where he was put on a plane back to London (from whence he originally came).

Isn't Boston in the Northeast, too? So much for "protecting" the Northeast...

As to the issue of WHY the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens was treated like a terrorist, well, read the article. But also note this quote that I pulled out of said article: "United Airlines spokesman Jeff Green said airline staff in London had cross-checked all the information on Islam and found nothing to stop him getting on the U.S.-bound flight. 'All I can say is that we followed all of our procedures and we came up with nothing. To suggest that the blame lies on a United employee is incorrect and unfair,' said Green. "

Well hell, if the airline didn't find anything objectionable about the presence of Mr. Islam, what did U.S. authorities find? Well, they're not saying exactly, but just mumbling something about something that might be something that has something to do with possible terrorist activities.

It's a slippery slope we traverse...

More later...
Paul

What Year is This Again?

I read this article and had to re-read the dates involved: Yahoo! News - Millions Blocked from Voting in U.S. Election. I have trouble believing that these types of activities are still occurring in the United States of America.

What's next, the return of Jim Crow?

More later...
Paul

You Tell 'Em, Ralph

Ralph Nader called the Democrats "gutless, spineless, clueless and hapless" today. Get down, Ralph! Ain't it a pity that neither of the Johns has the courage to speak out as strongly as Ralph Nader does. And it's a REAL pity that the DNC chooses to subvert our democracy out of fear of losing votes to a viable, third party candidate: Yahoo! News - Nader Blames Kerry for Ballot Access Fight.

The "Anybody but Bush" strategy was ill-advised in the first place. For me, it's getting to be "Anybody but Kerry"...

More later...
Paul

The Brown Bunny.

So I was falling asleep in the middle of Vincent Gallo’s new movie “The Brown Bunny”, when all of a sudden Cheryl Tiegs appeared on the screen. It was actually kind of a shock, because just as my mind began to recognize her famous features, her damaged goods, alcoholic, highway rest-stop whore character became visible as well. Wearing cheesy clothes and little to no makeup, Tiegs bravely tossed away her glamour girl past in order to wordlessly make out on a picnic table with Gallo. This is a woman who sold more pinup posters than Farrah Fawcett. She once had her own signature clothing line at Sears! Of course, the big question is why did she agree to it? That’s an even bigger mystery than the rationale behind Chloe Sevigny’s fateful decision to participate in this production.

This movie is kind of like a Jackson Pollack splatter painting: at first glance it just looks like a random mess, but then real art starts to peek out at you, leaving you to wonder if the artist deliberately arranged the aesthetic, or just got lucky. To be sure, there are moments in “Bunny” when most people would give serious consideration to walking out, but most people are sexual voyeurs, and so we sit and impatiently endure the questionable parts of the film in order to see what we all came for: Chloe Sevigny giving head to Gallo.

Now, blow jobs in the cinema are not all that remarkable. If you have watched ANY porn at all, you’ve seen at least one workable dick-sucking. Way back in the less-obvious ‘70’s, Marilyn Chambers became notorious for the movie “Deep Throat”. Imagine that: a whole movie devoted to head. So the early buzz around “The Brown Bunny” was that a semi-famous actress allows herself to be filmed sucking off the lead character (who also happens to be the writer/producer/director/DP). As a way to sell tickets, apparently fellatio has few peers.

But what’s truly interesting is what happens AFTER the act. That’s when the movie shifts into another gear and in fact, makes the whole thing worthwhile. Gallo almost comes off as some sort of low-end M. Night Shyamalan, with a little Gaspar Noe tossed in for flavor. He certainly gives you something to talk about when the lights come up.

There are a few things to like in this movie besides the end. Gallo’s character Bud is the motorcycle racer as cowboy, and he even treats his race bike like a mechanical steed. You never see him working on it or preparing for his next big race, not even to fill it with fuel, but he does take it out of his black van to exercise it. Even when he finally arrives at his mechanic’s shop in L.A., instead of performing any type of maintenance or prep, they just strap the machine to a stationary roller (actually, a dynamometer), and ride the bike on THAT for a few minutes. Then they herd it back into the van. I guess all his bike needs is a little attention.

And there are moments of, perhaps not exactly cinematic beauty, but interesting mixes of sound and picture as the road winds ever westward. But it really is the ending that makes the whole exercise worthwhile, and leads to further thought. At least for me. Don’t just go for the sex scene, go for the surprise. You’ll feel better about yourself when it’s over.

More later…
Paul

I Don't Care

I'm still voting for Nader, even though this story pretty much seals the deal against him:Yahoo! News - Democrats Score Win in Fight Over Nader in Florida.

Call me a fool; many have already. But I am still not satisfied with the words and so-called "ideas" that have been issuing forth from the Democratic camp. At this late date, the Dems are still acting as if the election is all about Bush losing, instead of their team WINNING. If the Democrats were serious about winning this damn thing, they would have never picked the two incredibly unexciting men that are John Kerry and John Edwards.

I mean, it's mid-September already: when are the debates going to start? When are the issues going to be discussed? Kerry's bullshit about providing "incentives" for health care is weak. I'd really like to see him debate Ralph on health care. Hell, Al Sharpton could smoke John Kerry in a debate on health care! Because Kerry is in the industry's pocket already, just like lil' Bush.

More later...
Paul

They must do a lot of drugs there...

Once again, the residents of Washington, D.C. have spoken...and once again, they have chosen the notorious B.A.R.R.Y., also known as "Mayor for Life" Marion Berry, for City Council: Yahoo! News - Barry In, 3 D.C. Council Incumbents Out.

Running and winning a council seat for the city's poorest (and blackest) Ward, Barry, at the grand old age of 68 (!) is once again on the City Payroll. Which prompts me to ask:

Where are all of the young leaders? It's the city council of the Nation's Capital, but it's also probably the most impotent city government in the Nation. Where are the men and women of the future? Who will answer the call to defeat the dinosaurs and take back the city? And who the heck is voting for Barry?

More later...
Paul

You Go, Girl!

Okay, I gotta give Oprah MAD PROPS for pulling off the television stunt of all time yesterday (PONTIAC | WILDEST DREAMS). Pontiac deserves kudos for going along with it, too, but wow! What a GREAT IDEA! Giving brand new cars to every single person in the studio audience!

Now, the cynic in me immediately thought about the fact that all of those winners will have to pay sales tax and registration and insurance and all of that other stuff, so the cars are not entirely free. But the rest of me has to yell SO WHAT!? Not only did Oprah make a TON of people (276, to be exact) ecstatically happy, but she virtually guaranteed her show will remain atop the daytime ratings for at least another season. And if you thought it was hard to get Oprah tickets BEFORE...

Seriously, this was not only an extremely cunning promotional move, it was also the kind of thing that only a big-hearted person would even think about doing. Just when you think she can't get any more impressive, Oprah knocks it outta the park. I am very, very impressed.

More later...
Paul

Terror takes on a New Face: White

This is truly a sad day in Russia, and the rest of the world: Yahoo! News - Russians Storm School; 100 Bodies Found.

Sad because innocent people have died, once again for political reasons. Yesterday, the media labeled the instigators "rebels"; today, they are called "terrorists". In any case, they were willing to kidnap and kill supposedly for their nation's independence. Should we call them freedom fighters? Or murderers?

More later...
Paul

Is that with a capital "T"?

Remember those two Russian airliners that crashed the other day, almost simultaneously? According to this article (NEWS.com.au Plane crash a terror attack: authorities (August 27, 2004), Russian "authorities" are saying that at least one of the tragedies "came as the result of a terror attack".

Now, this might seem like I'm making light of a horrific accident that killed nearly 100 people, but the wording of this article begs the question: terror attack? Is that like a panic attack? Was it a case of the heebie jeebies that brought the plane down? Was the pilot startled by something?

Okay, it might seem like I'm just playing around, but seriously, WHEN are we (the Western world) going to stop using this overused boondoggle of a word "terrorism" and start saying what we actually mean: "murderous acts by fanatical Muslims"? Because that's what we mean over here in the United States.

Face it, everytime you hear the word "Terrorist" in the American media, a picture of someone who looks a lot like Osama bin laden automatically pops up in your mind's eye. You can't help it, we've all been programmed to believe that a terrorist is a suicide bomber from a Middle-Eastern country. Sure, there are one or two people in Great Britain who have a different mental image of a terrorist, but their minds are changing with every minute they watch another show on one of Rupert Murdoch's many satellite channels.

When President Bush declared the "War on Terror", EVERYONE knew he meant we were gonna start bombing in the Middle East. Even the Middle Easterners knew it. Our so-called "War" is a blatant attempt to rid the world of Muslims. Not all of them, of course, but enough so that the rest step in line and stop complaining about Israel. It's that simple.

More later...
Paul

My problems with John Kerry.

Direct from the John Kerry for President website, his position on National Security:
“Today, we face three great challenges above all others - First, to win the global war against terror; Second, to stop the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons; Third, to promote democracy, freedom, and opportunity around the world, starting by winning the peace in Iraq.”

First off, this “war on terror” is Bush’s made-up war, not a real war. Why take it on? Why not tell the truth: we have to address the fact that there are people out there that hate us, and killing them all is not an option.

Second, stopping n/b/c weapons begins at home, where they were invented for the most part, and then sold to other nations by our fantastically profitable military industries. Is he promoting a shutdown of the weapons manufacturers? Of course not, he is promoting pre-emptive military strikes against non-aligned countries that have these weapons. World police, just like Bush. JUST LIKE BUSH.

Third, what the heck is he talking about? “Winning the peace” in Iraq? And that will promote “democracy and freedom” around the world? This is Republican jingoism, but it was found on Kerry’s website! And notice the namby-pamby words used: “promote”…what, is he gonna put up posters? Maybe do some radio ads? Or…is he gonna use the military…JUST LIKE BUSH?? I could be wrong, but it seems to me the best way to promote a form of governance is to actually EXERCISE IT….yet we continue to be a republic and not an actual democracy. Do as we say, not as we do…

Again, from his website, his position on healthcare: “Kerry and Edwards will allow reimportation (sic) of safe, FDA-approved prescription drugs to give Americans access to the substantial discounts for prescription drugs in Canada…” And again, what the heck?
Why not just attack the problem where it lives, here at home….and get those greedy pharms to drop their U.S. prices to more reasonable levels. That old “price of R&D” argument is getting stale and moldy, and they know it.

Or how about this statement on energy: “The Kerry-Edwards plan will increase energy conservation and create clean, renewable sources of energy that no terrorist can sabotage and no foreign government can seize. Their plan will also save billions by cutting waste and pork-barrel spending in Washington.” Again with the terrorist line. The DNC is getting really good at this fear-monger business. Please explain what type of clean, renewable source of energy hasn’t already been created, and cannot be sabotaged. Why is he reluctant to spell things out? Are we talking legalizing hemp or what? If so, excellent! Just say so and you have my vote.

But what does clean, renewable energy have to do with waste and “pork-barrel spending in Washington”? Once again, WHAT THE HECK IS HE TALKING ABOUT?? Digging deeper in the website, I found this: “They will create an “Energy Security Trust Fund,” which will encourage the development of new clean fuels and technologies of the future, and their plan will promote the diversification of energy sources like natural gas, coal, renewable and nuclear energy.” Oh, I see now…it’s all so clear to me….NOT.

You’ve got a website; why not use it to tell people WHY THEY SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU? Instead, we get the usual vapor-policies that will go up in smoke as soon as the pledge is finished at the inauguration. Kerry represents politics as usual, and I for one am not going to accept it any longer. Either put up or shut up, Mr. Kerry.

More later…
Paul