Senate kills effort to strike Arctic drilling from bill - Oil and Gas - Energy - Commodities

"Access to Alaska oil, revenue closer
Senate votes to keep drilling language in budget bill
By Stephanie I. Cohen, MarketWatch
Last Update: 12:42 PM ET Nov. 3, 2005"

So, oil companies are making record profits, and now we want to open up even more oil for them in an guise to lower prices? Cmon, we're just extending the time they'll keep making record profits. There obviously isn't enough competition between the companies, or better yet there's a collusion between them.

I'm really sick of liar Bush's corruption and lack of real leadership. I'm really sick of Republicans in general now too. So much so, I'll probably vote a straight ticket next election for the first time ever. Sure, I live in Texas so it probably won't matter, but hopefully enough Texans will open their eyes and vote accordingly in such numbers that it will give our representatives a wake-up call. Doubtful, but I can hope.

Iran condemned over anti-Israel remark, regime unrepentant - Yahoo! News

He said the West "was right to be afraid, because two decades ago when the Imam (Khomeini) called for Israel to be wiped off the map they thought it was a slogan, but as time passes we are seeing signs of unity in the Islamic world."

"We have no doubts that at the end of the road, the victory of Muslims and the defeat of Israel is inevitable," Jazihiri told the Fars news agency.
---
Yeah... well umm... what's that saying about history? Me thinks those muslims that try to defeat Israel will know pain once again.

MLB, Astros Argue Over Opening of Roof

If the home team wants the roof closed, then get to closing that roof! It's the Astros' home field, not MLB's home field advantage. Some things should go without saying, this is one of them, but no, leave it to some freekin yankee to try and screw things up.

Go Astros!

---
By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer 1 hour, 6 minutes ago

HOUSTON - Major League Baseball must decide an open-or-shut case for Game 3 of the
World Series: whether the roof at Minute Maid Park will be open or closed. []

Guardian Unlimited | World Latest | Afghan Clerics Outraged at Desecration

Afghan Clerics Outraged at Desecration

Remember when muslims dragged dead U.S. soldiers around in Samolia? So... there ya go. War's a bitch.

The First Casualty of the DeLay Conspiracy - Todd Baxter

Is the Hammer Nailed?
BY AMY SMITH
Austin Chronicle

Monday's indictment of DeLay and associates John Colyandro and Jim Ellis charges the trio with conspiracy to launder money – a first-degree felony that carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. The three are accused of sending $190,000 in corporate money to the Republican National Committee, which then sent separate checks totaling $190,000 to GOP candidates in seven competitive legislative races, including those of Austin state Rep. Todd Baxter and former Reps. Jack Stick of Austin and Rick Green of Dripping Springs.
---
---
By Laylan Copelin
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, October 15, 2005

Lawyers for Jim Ellis and John Colyandro, indicted with DeLay on charges that they conspired to launder corporate money into political donations, complained that prosecutors had not provided the list of candidates' names that Ellis allegedly gave officials at the Republican National Committee.

The three are accused of giving $190,000 in corporate money to the RNC which, two weeks later, gave the same amount in political donations to seven Texas candidates during the 2002 election.

In court, prosecutors provided a list but declined to promise it was the same list cited in the conspiracy indictments. They suggested that the list, which included the names of 17 Texas candidates, might have been a precursor to the final list given to the committee.

Two Austin candidates, Jack Stick and Todd Baxter, received money from the committee, as did Rick Green of Dripping Springs.
---
---
Candidates Who Received Donations Believe They Were Legal
Money Came From DeLay's Political Action Committee
POSTED: 8:04 am CDT October 7, 2005
UPDATED: 8:20 am CDT October 7, 2005
The Associated Press

Rep. Todd Baxter, who received a check for $35,000 from the RNC, did not return calls from the AP, but issued a statement calling DeLay a "loyal public servant to the people of Texas."
---
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Baxter to resign House seat
10/20/2005 11:49 AM
By: News 8 Austin Staff

State Rep. Todd Baxter is stepping down. The two-term republican lawmaker narrowly won re-election last November against challenger Kelly White by 147 votes. His resignation becomes effective Nov. 1

How About Them ASTROS!

The Houston Astros have made it to the World Series! I want to go but my loan application to pay for the tickets would probably get disapproved. I'll pray that I'm somehow able to go see them play in the World Series, but even if I don't I sure hope they win it all. WOOT! God Bless the Astros!

NAEP Reading Mathematics 2005 - Reading: State Results: State Achievement Levels

NAEP Reading Mathematics 2005 - Reading: State Results: State Achievement Levels

Navigate around this a bit and check out how 4th and 8th graders are doing. Results are also segregated by gender, race, and economy (ability to afford lunch). I found Washington D.C. to be most dramatic/startling when looking at overall and then races. I'm still surprised at what was seen on the race charts... what's the matter? I mean, these are 4th and 8th graders, how can this be? I never knew things were so, apparently from these charts, lopsided.

I was taught in college that roughly 10% of any population was born genius. If "population" includes race, then they must not have done enough research, or these test results are flawed or otherwise not reflective of what's actually out there. One of the two is wrong. Either way, I'm really taken aback and wondering what's being done, been done, or anything to address why so many people at 4th and 8th grade have lower than basic understandings for reading and math.

I'm guessing because it's race related, people may not want to address it with candor. But if anything, because it looks so bad, maybe that's exactly what needs to happen. Let's figure out what's wrong and see what can be done to improve the apparent disparity.

Barry Bonds*

BALCO's Conte and Bonds' trainer Anderson sentenced to jail terms - Yahoo News

If Barry Bonds comes back after his "injury" this year and manages to break Babe Ruth's or Hank Aaron's records next year, then there better be a big, fat, conspicuous, make-no-mistake-about-it notation that the guy got it by cheating/doping. Maybe have the name italicized and in a smaller font so as further separate it from legitimate players.

Same goes for the other players who were pumped up on steroids and broke records, like McGwire. Maybe Bonds saw McGwire getting all that attention, knowing that everyone either knew or suspected that he was pumped full of steroids, and decided that if McGwire can do it, then why shouldn't he. So the old fart suddenly gets huge and goes on a little homerun sprint of his own. He probably felt justified in doing so... but just because someone else cheats does not make it acceptable, and the poisonous fruits of the cheating should be discarded.

Anyway, maybe it's just a matter of time before using steroids, chemicals and whatever else is found becomes just a part of the game. Where fetuses are bio-engineered to be athletes. Where athletes are no longer admired for being born/blessed with extraordinary athletic ability or skill. Was it Barry Bonds/Mark McGwire, or was it the steroids? What percentage of it was Bonds/McGwire or steroids? Who knows, who cares, they're losers.

America Unsatisfied

Summary of Findings: Plurality Now Sees Bush Presidency as Unsuccessful: "Plurality Now Sees Bush Presidency as Unsuccessful"

This month, October 2005, the percentage of people saying they are dissatisfied with the way things are going on in this country has shot up from 58% in July, to 65% now. That's HUGE! Why? Hmm... probably a combination of things. Like DeLay's grand jury indictment being pinned down as an extortionist, money-launderer; Rove's potential indictment looming in the air for exposing a spy; Frist's SEC investigation for dumping his stocks just before some bad news was made public; WMD's not being found in Iraq, nor the near-nuclear bomb capability; the failure to foresee resistance to America after defeating Saddam Hussein's Iraq; the lies upon lies upon more lies followed up with a "trust me" for Bush's nomination of Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court; the hiring of someone from a polo or horse association to be the head of F.E.M.A., a polluter as head of E.P.A., and a few other people that are the antithesis of what they lead; the lackluster performance of rendering aid to those affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita; the badgering and drawn out demise of the bad idea to privatize Social Security (private...social); the realization that this administration is not representing the public's interest, but rather corporate interests, and that they were duped by someone so dumb and ineffectual.

Pretty pathetic no matter how you look at it.

How ironic it is that this administration, Bush's, was put into office by those claiming moral superiority. Christians, fundamentalist or otherwise, were persuaded by their church leaders that voting for Bush was critical to keeping ungodliness from overtaking America. I'm a Christian, but I also believe like Paul did and choose not to be a mindless person, but one that thinks and has discernment. Bush is deceptive and has deceived many, but hey, to him it's all part of winning. It's a shame that so many Christians appear almost eager to be deceived. Probably no different than the radical Muslims who want to blow themselves up for jeehad, jihad, gee-hawd, whatever... or is it martyrdom? Anyway, same thing, different religion and way of doing it. If only fundamentalist Christians and radical Muslims knew how much they have in common, they'd probably rule the earth and nothing would happen for a thousand years. Boring.

Anyway, I'm so sick of Bush being in office that I can't wait until the next election. But if America votes in another thinking-challenged person, i.e. retarded in the head like Bush, then I'm going advocate that intelligence standards be implemented before allowing one to vote. =) And no, I'm not a Democrat, I'm an independent thinker and simply vote for who I believe to be most qualified, or has the better name... yeah, I voted for some local level candidates and had no idea what either stood for. But this next election coming up I'm going to know.

My cousin didn't even vote last election, so I tell him he can't gripe. Well, his counter to that is that he's a veteran and so that gives him the right to gripe. Being one myself, I'll go ahead and agree. But, interestingly, even though he would generally be better represented with Democrat representation, he shows distaste for them. Why? He doesn't know. I think he just likes the toughness exuberated by Republican commercials.

Back in the day, Clayton Williams probably put out the most hard-core, tough-minded, take-no-shit commercials a person could have had. He let it be known in the commercial that he would crack down on youth criminal activity by taking away their driver's licenses and putting them in a boot-camp like atmosphere where they'd be breaking rocks. He had other shocking things, but all that toughness exuberated on the TV made him a shoe-in for Governor of Texas. At least until he took off the shoe and stuck his foot in his mouth, a couple of times. Be that as it may, if you want to win in Texas, you need to be tougher than your opponent, natural selection at its finest.

Felonious Photography

CityBeat: Death of Innocence (2002-04-18)

In photography, you're lucky or highly skilled if the photo you take is "final" without doing any post processing... fooling with negatives, making adjustments, burning, dodging, using photoshop or other programs to manipulate colors, contrasts, sharpness... all sorts of things to help refine the image to what the artist desires. Sometimes, one mixes images or parts of images together to get a desired effect.

Unfortunately for one photographer, he never got a chance to make his art because of his local film developer. Film developers are not necessarily artists and need only know which chemicals go into which container, and can make certain adjustments when printing film to help push out something recognizable in the event of someone using bad camera settings. So this technician sees some photos she doesn't like and the next thing you know, a photographer, artist, is sent to jail for years on several counts of a felony, all for unfinished, unpublished work.

This is a travesty of justice. It's not justice at all, just a mock semblance that was similarily used in the past to hang witches.

This case needs to be appealed to the Supreme Court if needed. And if this backwoods trial court isn't reversed, then photographers still using film better heed this as a big "You've Been Warned."
___

Death of Innocence

Out of the darkroom, into the limelight: Thomas Condon breaks his silence

By Maria Rogers

The same haunting face stares out from most of the pieces of art in Thomas Condon's studio in Walnut Hills. It's the face of a baby inspired by a photo he took 10 years ago.

A teddy bear covered in plaster sits below a photo of another baby. The innocence of the toy, and the face above it, are captured forever in the art.

Condon feels that childhood, and the emotions and changes that come with it, are topics to be explored in his art. He says he's always wondered how we maintain the morality and honesty we had as children in our adult lives, when worries of credit cards and jobs consume most of our day.

"There's a dilemma in losing that innocence of childhood but also wanting to grow up," Condon says in his studio during his first media interview since being charged with crimes resulting from photographs he took at the Hamilton County Morgue.

Part of growing up also means realizing that death is an aspect of the experience of life, Condon says. He'd hoped to capture that aspect of life in his morgue photography.

Instead of hanging next to birth photos as he had intended, however, the morgue photos ended up in a courtroom, causing a heated battle about what art is and what death really means.

A question of permission
Condon was convicted in October 2001 on eight counts of gross abuse of a corpse for taking photos of corpses in the county morgue. On April 16, he was sentenced to serve two and a half years in prison.

Standing before Common Pleas Judge Norbert Nadel prior to sentencing, Condon turned to the families of the deceased who were photographed and asked for their forgiveness. He also told Nadel he had an understanding with the Hamilton County Coroner's office that he was allowed to work on his project.

"That is the truth as much as anything that was said here," Condon said.

Condon said he had shown some of the prints of the photos he took in the morgue to Dr. Gary Utz, a pathologist at the coroner's office. He said he gave a list of symbolic objects he wanted to use in the photos to Terry Daly, an administrative aide for the coroner.

According to Condon, he was allowed to work on his project in exchange for making a training video for the coroner's office.

Robert Folchi, father of Christina Folchi, whose body was photographed by Condon, told Nadel what he'd gone through. He said his daughter had been killed in a car accident.

"We donated our daughter's organs, and we signed a release form," Folchi said. "I'd like to know what a symbolic object would be taking a picture of my daughter's pubic hair."

Robert Martineck, Folchi's grandfather, said the morgue photograph controversy had touched the lives of more than 35 members of his family and that whenever the family gets together the subject of the photos comes up. He pointed out that Folchi left behind a young daughter when she died.

"She'll never know her mother," Martineck said, adding that the girl would certainly hear about the photos taken of her mother's body.

Before sentencing Condon, Nadel said that the blame for what was done in the morgue ended with the defendant.

"Mr. Condon can assume what he wants to assume, but there was no permission here," he said.

Nadel also turned art critic before passing sentence and discussed the merits of Condon's photography.

"They're not art," he said. "They're sick, they're disgusting, they're disrespectful and really the worst invasion of privacy."

Nadel called the photo project "idiotic" and pointed out that Hamilton County was being sued because of the situation, which could cost taxpayers money.

The brutal truth
A week before his sentencing, Condon sits in his studio reflecting on what he's learned from the experience of being charged with and convicted for a crime associated with his art.

"I think so many people in their lives have never done what they love to do and they're miserable," he says.

For Condon, being in the morgue was a spiritual experience, a chance to view death from a more positive point of view. Part of what he finds so refreshing about children is their honesty.

"I think in depicting death and using death as a subject matter, it's being brutally honest," he says.

During his time spent in the morgue, Condon says he began to experience the place in the same way the people who work there did. The morgue workers, he points out, treated the situation as what it was -- a job. On television, he says, morgue scenes are often shown in dimly lit rooms full of solitude, but in fact the morgue workers talked about their weekends, listened to the radio and left the lights on.

"I just kind of lived in their shoes for a while and experienced it that way," Condon says. "There were difficult days. It was never matter-of-fact for me."

Condon says that his hope in working with the morgue imagery was to make death something less negative for people.

He says it's hurt him immensely to know that the morgue project has caused people pain. This, he feels, was the opposite of his goals of helping people see death as part of the overall experience of life and of maybe making a positive impact on the way they regard death.

"I feel and felt very strongly I was capturing something that was going to happen regardless of my presence or not," he says. "In pursuing the project, I would and could put myself in the place of that person who was photographed and deceased."

Condon's attorney, Louis Sirkin, says Condon is pained by the controversy's affect on family members of those photographed in the morgue.

"I don't think that was ever Tom's intention on anything," Sirkin says. "He certainly feels it and is regretful and feels the remorse of that."

Sirkin says death is a difficult subject.

"It's a subject matter that none of us really wants to think about," he says. "I guess that's the conflict artists have to go through when they take on a very controversial subject matter. He's a religious young man, a believer in God. Tom is dealing with it all."

Sirkin points out that he brought in testimony during Condon's trial from an Art Academy of Cincinnati professor to explain that what Condon was doing was art and the testimony went unchallenged. During the prosecutor's closing arguments, however, the art was dismissed as "bullshit."

"To refer to this bullshit project as art is an insult to you, to the victims," Assistant Prosecutor Thomas Longano said at the end of the trial in October.

Sirkin believes that, during the trial, the prosecution made a mockery of what Condon felt in his mind.

"Where does our government or our prosecutor all of a sudden become an art critic?" Sirkin asks.

Condon says many people told him he'd been convicted before his trial ever began.

"Art never entered the courtroom," Condon says.

Who was reckless?
Condon says he took care to ensure that those photographed in the morgue would not be identifiable, even to the point of making sure that tattoos or unusual birthmarks wouldn't show. He says he told colleagues that he was working on the project out of state to keep the identities of those photographed from being revealed.

According to Condon, the way the photos were developed wasn't how he would have produced them. The photo lab that processed his negatives alerted police to the photos in January 2001, and charges were subsequently brought against Condon and Assistant Coroner Dr. Jonathan Tobias. (Tobias was sentenced April 16 to five months in the Hamilton County Justice Center.)

Condon says he was planning to crop and manipulate the photos before displaying them and wouldn't have shown faces or identifiable marks.

"When they printed the images, most of them were just printed from negatives," he says. "I hadn't even began to work with them yet. They just took the film and printed it full frame in shitty harsh contrasts, real hard black, real hard white."

Condon says there are many ways to crop a photograph and that features can be masked using different techniques and textures.

"If it hadn't been disseminated the way it was, if the media didn't completely take it as an opportunity -- they made it an opportunity for a very entertaining story for them," he says.

He questions why the photos were shown on television news and allowed to be released to the public in the first place.

"They didn't care," he says, refering to county prosecutors, the police and the media, "and they're calling me reckless."

Condon says he had "no immediate plans" for the photographs. They were a work in progress, he says, and could have eventually been used in a gallery exhibition or a book project.

Looking ahead
Before Condon was branded "the morgue photographer," he was Chris Jones' brother, the man who took pictures of her son's birth and captured his baby smiles in photographs displayed proudly in her living room.

Jones says the way her brother has been portrayed in the media is not how he really is.

Condon says he's received more than 60 letters from family, friends and colleagues offering their support, something he likes to think of as a sort of "living eulogy." Leafing through a stack of letters of support, Jones reads aloud some of the positive things they contain.

"I think every letter just about said the words 'gentle' and 'trusting,' " she says.

Condon's family says he would never intentionally hurt other people. In fact, they say that the purpose of the morgue photos was to try to make death less difficult for people to think about.

"Maybe it would help people value more their own lives and the people they love," says Kelly Blank, Condon's wife.

For more than a year, Condon's family has been waiting to see what would happen to him. First they experienced the shock of his indictment and then heard the guilty verdicts.

On April 15, they sit together and prepare for what would happen the next morning at his sentencing.

"Everything's just been hinging on this one day, it seems," says Kathy Condon, Thomas' mother.

Jones says her brother held a benefit event last September to help pay for his legal defense but instead decided to give all the money to the victims of the Sept. 11 attack.

"It bothers me that people have such a false impression of him," she says.

Kathy Condon says her son had permission to take the photographs in the morgue.

"No one should be allowed to say Thomas does not see this as art," she says. "They may not like it, but that doesn't mean it's wrong."

Jones says people often ask her how she would feel if it were her family member in the photos. She says she tells them that of course she'd be upset but that she would try to understand what the artist's intent was in taking the photo.

"He's totally opposite of what's been reported," Jones says. "How do you undo the damage that's already been done?"

Blank says news crews used to surround Condon's home at all times. In order to leave the house, she'd have to drive around the block two or three times to distract them, and then Condon would make a run for his car.

Despite all that's happened, Blank is excited about the future. On April 13, the weekend before Condon's sentencing, Blank and Condon were married.

She sees good things to come.

"Sometimes the only way through something is through it," Blank says, pointing straight ahead. "We have a long road ahead, positive things. Everything's going to be OK, because we're strong." ©

E-mail Maria Rogers

Some conservatives not assuaged by Bush's defense of Supreme Court nominee

...because they know Bush and his tendency to not know what the hell he's talking about and/or lie.

Here's something. In a single press conference, Bush first declares that Miers will not change her view, that he knows her, trusts her, friends, etc., and then says in response to a question that he has never discussed abortion with her. Reminds me of someone saying they never had sexual relations with [Monica].

Taser, the deadly less-than-lethal force

East Austin is mainly occupied by minorities, and you could call it "economically challenged" in an attempt to be politically correct. If you live on the east side, when you make you enough money to get out of there, it has been shown that you will likely move north to Round Rock or Pflugerville (Flu-ger-vil). Anyway, it's an area where they're attempting to "revitalize" and such. So, probably not surprisingly, it also happens to be an area with lots of crime.

Now, maybe it's just me, but if someone is threatening a police officer, I'm thinking they're either extremely pissed off, crazy, doped up, trying to impress, or some combination thereof. But if one is acting a fool, they shouldn't be surprised if they're treated accordingly. BUT THAT IS NOT ENOUGH TO KILL SOMEONE!

What happened? Not enough police to wrestle this guy to the ground and handcuff him? The police that were present were female or not big enough to do so? Or... is it just faster and less physically demanding to simply taser a person into submission? Yeah, I think the laziness factor is in play here. It gets hot here in Texas, and if you have to wrestle someone down to the ground, you might break a sweat and then you might feel some discomfort for the remainder of your shift.

Maybe it's just me again, but I was under the impression that Tasers were supposed to be used in lieu of times when an officer would normally shoot a suspect in the leg... so instead of shooting them with a bullet to a less-lethal area of the body that the chest, they could use a Taser. Was that the case in this incident, who knows? What's the policy for when Taser use is authorized? That should be found somewhere on APD's website.

Thing is, the police probably didn't anticipate the guy would die, and I'm betting they thought simply using the Taser would quickly put an end to whatever the situation was. However, it's this trend to use a jolts of electricity instead of manually forcing a person down that's causing these deaths. Think of Rodney King, if those officers had Tasers back then, King would likely have died instead of receiving the beating. Sure, beatings can kill too... but when was the last time APD beat someone to death for resisting arrest?

Therefore, Austin needs to rethink its use of Tasers to make sure that its use isn't killing more people than it's saving.

___
DA to review Clark case; NAACP sponsors forum
10/5/2005 7:43 AM
By: News 8 Austin Staff

The Travis County district attorney's office is reviewing the case of Michael Clark. He died last Monday in police custody. Police used a Taser on Clark to subdue him. The DA's office says it will present the case to a Travis County grand jury.

East Austin community members also discussed the case. The NAACP held a town hall meeting Tuesday night where they talked about what they can do to stop what they believe is excessive violence toward minorities by police. 'We believe that when our community is properly educated, properly informed, and properly mobilized, we can solve this problem. The city of Austin, to us, is part of the problem,' Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder said.

A number of issues were discussed including asking the police department to put more veteran officers on patrol in East Austin. The city's assistant police monitor and members of the Texas Civil Rights Project also attended the meeting."

---

FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT WEBSITE:

At 1:09 p.m., Southeast Area Command patrol officers were dispatched to a nature
unknown call at 6400 East William Cannon Drive. Upon arrival officers located a
male and female who were engaged in a physical disturbance.

Officers made contact with the male who was displaying behavior that was violent
and irrational. The suspect threatened the officers and did not comply with officer
commands as the officers went to arrest him. Officers had to use less lethal force
to control the suspect. The suspect was taken into custody and went into medical
distress. He was transported to South Austin Hospital by EMS for medical
attention.

He was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. at the hospital. The cause of death is
pending the results of an autopsy by the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
This incident is under investigation by the APD Homicide Unit and Internal Affairs.

A History of Violence - Review

I did my research before seeing this movie. The impression I got was that this movie would start off peacefully slow, and then suddenly switch gears with lots of shocking action and violence.

WRONG!

This is a dull movie with just a few spurts of action. I would call it more of a character driven movie rather than an action flick. I was in the mood and ready for a action movie, and this movie simply doesn't fit the bill. I was decieved, and felt like my money was stolen.

There are some funny moments, in fact this movie could have been labled a comedy by the same critics that declared it an action film since there is probably more comedy in it than action.

The best scene is a toss up between a botched strangulation and the scene involving a cheerleading outfit. One was funny, one was pretty sexy and graphic.

Save this movie for the dollar theater or rent it.

Why Do These People Have Children

Court Grants New Trial to Convicted Killer

(AP) - KNOXVILLE, Tenn.-An appeals court has ordered a new trial for a woman convicted of killing her 4-month-old son by giving him a pacifier coated with the powerful narcotic OxyContin.

The state Court of Criminal Appeals said Friday that the trial judge improperly allowed testimony about three days of partying and drug use by Debra Elaine Kirk and her estranged husband before the 2002 death of her baby, Lacie.

"To say that (Kirk's) lifestyle was `unwholesome' or her parenting skills questionable would be excessively charitable," Appeals Judge Thomas Woodall wrote. "However, a jury cannot be allowed to convict a defendant for bad character."

Authorities said Kirk, 24, put the wet pacifier in some crushed OxyContin and stuck it in the baby's mouth to make him go back to sleep.

She was convicted of aggravated child abuse and criminally negligent homicide and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

Hurricane Aid

My cousin got the hell out of Beaumont after Rita. He's been worried sick because his job there is in limbo since they have no electricity, and his rented house received a lot of water damage as evidenced by a collapsed ceiling on most all of his posessions and lots of mold. So, no job, no home, he brought a handful of clothes with him and has been looking for work here in Austin. Yesterday was his 30th Bday, and he was pretty depressed.

But my oh my what a difference a day can make. He's been told that Dal Tile wants to hire him here, and he happened to check his bank account and found $2,000 deposited! Now he's looking forward to working and using that $2,000 to get him settled here in Austin. So the next time I or any family member of mine is looking to have some flooring done, I'm pointing them to Dal Tile and noone else*. And if anyone asks me about the relief effort, I'm telling them it made a HUGE difference.

*EDIT: Correction, Dal Tile is the suck. My cousin went in to interview with the boss of the boss, and he expressed some concern over the work history. But he was going to talk with a couple of people and let my cousin know something. After waiting a fews hours, my cousin leaves a message at noon asking for a call back, checking on the status. Then at 4 p.m., my cousin gets a hold of the guy, but he doesn't have an answer yet since he's still waiting to hear from my cousin's last boss. Yesterday, no call back at all. What an arse.

Good news is, looks like my cousin may get a job blowing things up at some limestone place, which pays even more than Dal Tile would've. Blessings in disguise. =)

Is Harriet Miers Lesbian

59, never married, no children... but a Republican. If she was a Democrat there wouldn't be hesitation in concluding that she MUST be a lesbo. But this gal hails from the inner circle of a very right wing president dependant on the hardcore Christian vote, thus the pause. If she's not lesbo, then is she "living in sin" with a man? Is she a Republican Feminist? Does it matter?

Probably not. She's likely a workaholic who has sacrificed having relationships for personal success. I read that she's one of the first people to arrive for work each morning and one of the last to leave. Such dedication with fewer emotional attachments to real world factors might make her the best damn Supreme Court Justice ever. Or it may make her the most bitter and despised, it's a toss up.

It's hard to tell what will happen once she no longer has to kiss any arse. I say that because any woman who goes out to help Bush do yardwork is obviously kissing arse above and beyond the call of mandatory presidential arse kissing for nice favors. And was any of it fake? Sure, but how much? We'll find out if she gets the lifetime appointment.

My prediction if she gets appointed (having never heard her voice or read anything she wrote) is that she's going to make some good decisions and some bad decisions, just like almost every Justice, every lawyer, every human being before her no matter what their political or sexual leanings. Hopefully she'll make more good decisions than bad... as determined by me of course!

___
Bush Nominates Harriet Miers for Supreme Court

By James Gerstenzang
Times Staff Writer

October 3, 2005, 7:24 AM PDT

President Bush today nominated Harriet Miers, his White House counsel and a long-time political supporter and personal friend, to be the 110th associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Evacuation Overload!

My dad and stepmom turned around and are going to ride the hurricane out because the roads are pretty much parking lots. Not just the highways, most all the roads. My cousin and his parents are going to ride it out in freaking Winnie! This is BS. The DPS and local law enforcement should be opening up lanes of traffic, shoulders, whatever it takes to get people moving! I'm sure thousands upon thousands are turning back because of this. Rick Perry needs to order this shit now! NOW!

Hurricane Rita Targets Texas

I have family over in Beaumont and Winnie. My close cousin, who's more like a brother, is in Beaumont and still hasn't made up his mind about whether to come stay with me here in Austin. The projected path of the storm keeps creeping up closer and closer to the Beaumont area, and right now it's pretty much assured that even if Rita's eye doesn't go directly over Beaumont, that Beaumont is definitely going to feel it. From Alvin, my dad and stepmom (more like a mother than my bio mother) are on there way up here but will be staying with my grandmother. My sister and her family, also from Alvin, left yesterday and is going to stay with my other grandmother in Arkansas. My best friend, blood brother, is leaving today and will be staying with me over the weekend, the rest of his family will be staying with some relatives near Temple.

So, all that I have to worry about is my cousin and his mother and father (my aunt and uncle) now, and it's looking more and more like he's in an area that will suffer the most... and he's actually considering trying to ride it out! I've bugged him over and over... he's pretty hard-headed. He actually told me that maybe if it gets bad that he'll go to Winnie and ride it out there... HELLO... Winnie is in an even worse spot since it's closer to the water than where he's at already. He mentioned the house being really tough... so I sarcastically asked him if he saw what Katrina did, levelling whole towns. Not sure what more I can do aside from driving down to him, hog tie him, and take him away.

I really don't want to tell people that my cousin died in a hurricane... that's just stupid these days with as much advance warning and calls for evacuation that we have. But perhaps this is just natural selection at work. Unlike some in New Orleans, my cousin has a vehicle, he can buy gas for it, and he has a place to go. He has every opportunity to avoid this huge force, and he's twiddling his thumbs. There's still time right now, and all I can do is hope and pray that he opens his eyes to this situation before it's too late.

Renee Zellweger: Chesney's Distaste For Children Reason For Split

Sexy Renee Zellweger. What makes her sexy, in my opinion, is the way she talks. I saw her on the Tonight Show (Jay Leno) and that really impressed the hell outa me. I had never really been a fan or anything, well I thought she looked really good in Jerry Maguire, but that was about it. But you can tell she's probably a really cool person "in real life."

Be that as it may... marrying someone before knowing how they feel about children, raising them, having a family etc., is pretty stupid. I'm sure that's at least one reason why she's being tight lipped about this, because she knows how dumb it appears. However, she did claim fraud, so maybe the guy lied to her, or otherwise wasn't very forthright about his feelings on establishing a family. Since Renee doesn't seem that stupid, I'm leaning on believing that Chesney was a bit deceptive. But who knows, maybe all this is a ruse for Chesney's erectile dysfunction. haha

Grandmother Fired for Katrina Absences

Positronic Industries, where people with compassion and ability to think outside the box need not apply. Positronic makes electrical connections, not human ones.

______________________
Grandmother Fired for Katrina Absences

By BILL DRAPER Associated Press Writer

(AP) - KANSAS CITY, Mo.-When forced to decide between caring for her 18-month-old granddaughter while her parents were stranded in New Orleans or showing up for her job, Barbara Roberts chose to be a grandma. And for that, she was fired.

Roberts, 54, had driven 200 miles from her home in Mount Vernon to Columbia on Aug. 27, the Saturday before Hurricane Katrina came ashore, to care for granddaughter Trisana for a couple of days. Her daughter, Tina Roberts, and son-in-law, Chris Hardin, were in New Orleans.
Click here to find out more!

It was supposed to be a weekend business trip for the couple, and Roberts, who had used up her allotted time off in her assembly line job at Positronic Industries, had planned to be back to work on Monday. Her daughter had even arranged for another baby sitter to spend Sunday night with Trisana so Roberts could get home in time.

But when her son-in-law tried to schedule the flight home on the afternoon of Aug. 27, he was told all flights had been canceled because of the approaching hurricane.

"There was a Category 5 hurricane with a bull's-eye on our butts, so we called Barb and said we didn't know when we would be coming home," said Hardin, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. "We truly didn't know what would happen down there."

With no other relatives in the area to take care of the child, Roberts said she had no choice but to call work on Aug. 29, the day the hurricane hit, and tell her boss that she would be missing a few days.

"There was no decision to make - it was already made," Roberts said. "My daughter could have died down there. This was family. You don't walk out on a child - especially my grandbaby."

Hardin and his wife spent several days locked down in a hotel - safe from the chaos that befell most of New Orleans after the levees broke - and finally made it back to Columbia on Thursday, Sept. 1. Shaken up, they asked Roberts to stay one more day.

She says she was told on the phone that she was going to be fired. And on Sept. 6, she was.

"All I know for sure is that I had missed so many hours, and then this came up," Roberts said. "Usually you have a certain amount of vacation time, and I had used it up. You're also allowed so many unpaid days off, and I'd used them up, too. Fact is, I missed the allotted time and I got fired."

In response to questions about Roberts' termination, Positronic Industries President John Gentry said the company had made cash donations to relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims, but he declined to talk about Roberts. The company manufactures electrical connectors.

Hardin said his mother-in-law's firing was "absolutely unethical."

"People speak of family values, and I don't see what's a more central family value than a grandmother stepping up in this sort of situation," he said.

"I sit here trying to imagine what kind of world it would be if grandmothers didn't make that decision."

US grants Iranian president visa for U.N

Maybe heads of state who are known terrorists ought to be an exception to any practices or obligations regarding visits to the USA. Giving the guy permission to come here is really stupid.
__________
US grants Iranian president visa for U.N

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States said on Wednesday it had granted a visa to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to attend U.N. meetings in New York but was still looking into his role in the 1979 U.S. Embassy storming in Tehran.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the United States had issued a U.S. travel visa to Ahmadinejad on Tuesday in Bern, Switzerland, which would allow him to attend U.N. meetings along with other heads of state next week.

'The decision to allow President Ahmadinejad, as Iranian head of government, to travel to the U.N., is in keeping with past practice and in accordance with our obligations under the U.N. headquarters agreement,' said McCormack.

However, he stressed the issuing of the visa in no way indicated a change of U.S. policy toward
Iran's government. In addition, the United States was still looking into the Iranian president's alleged involvement in the 1979 hostage crisis that lasted 444 days.

The United States says Ahmadinejad was a leader in the student movement behind the embassy takeover and is trying to determine whether he was a hostage-taker, which he and those who took part deny.

'There are still unresolved questions concerning his activities surrounding the taking of the American embassy in Tehran and his activities in that subsequent period in which American citizens were held for 444 days. We have not forgotten that.'"

THANKS!

I would like to recognize the following countries for helping in the ongoing relief effort from the damage caused by hurricane Katrina:

...uhh ...well umm ...maybe they didn't hear about it?

Evacuation Halted As Order Breaks Down

People shooting at helicopters that are trying to help in the relief effort. Sounds like a ghetto is still ghetto even when flooded. Let them rot.

Bush Says Leaving Iraq Now Would Be Wrong - New York Times

As a part of a larger article, the below portion indicates Mrs. Sheehan has already talked to the President in 2004. I guess once wasn't enough for her. And now she's part of an anti-war group... not surprising, but pretty pathetic. Why or how we got to Iraq no longer matters unless you just want to point a finger at someone. But sure, you're free to protest the occupation of Iraq, no matter how stupid it makes you look or how disrespecting it is to others, unless obscene.

If it was me, right now I'd be protesting the war not because of how "immoral" war is, but because we're not taking a healthy portion of the oil. I mean, everyone expected us to take it, so why not? Yeah I know. But in other news, some Generals expect the occupation to continue for at least another 4 years, so that Halliburton stock should be looking good.

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Gold Star Families for Peace, an antiwar group co-founded by Ms. Sheehan, began running a television ad in Boise on Tuesday that featured her directly addressing Mr. Bush.

In it, she says: 'You were wrong about the weapons of mass destruction. You were wrong about the link between Iraq and Al Qaeda. You lied to us, and because of your lies, my son died.'

In his remarks to reporters, Mr. Bush reiterated his support for Ms. Sheehan's right to protest. He noted that he had met with her in June 2004, and that he had sent his national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, and his deputy chief of staff, Joe Hagin, to meet with her this month in Crawford.

Ms. Sheehan has said that Mr. Bush was disrespectful to her in their 2004 meeting because he called her 'Mom' throughout the session.

U.S. senator calling for Iraq pullout by end of 2006

U.S. senator calling for Iraq pullout by end of 2006

"Setting a clear time frame could also undercut the insurgents, he said.

'Most importantly, it provides an answer to the terrorists' very effective argument when they say, `Come to Iraq and fight the American occupation',' Feingold said."
----

You sir, U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, are an idiot. And if you aspire to be elected President, look elsewhere. I seriously hope this guy isn't considered to be a frontrunner for Democrats... yes, based on this lone quote. Republicans and Democrats should unite against this guy's proposal, and then tar and feather the guy so that he might think before he speaks next time.

DeLay and the Mob

It's official: Congressman, lobbyist have parted ways, DeLay's spokesman says


Let's break this down a little...

DeLay had a relationship with Abramoff, DeLay called him his dearest friend at one time. Abramoff appears to have paid for some of DeLay's travel expenses (aka vacations). Abramoff is associated with organized crime. Abramoff and his partner in crime, Adam Kidan, were charged with defrauding Boulis of $60 million. Boulis got gunned down in an ambush afterwards.

DeLay claims that he did not know that his dearest friend paid for some of those vacations. BS. Oh yeah, he also says to blame the democrats... pathetic. It wreaks of a cover-up. I mean, even Rader, the BTK killer, fooled his family, so it's not impossible that DeLay just didn't know this side of Abramoff. So why not just say that... unless he did know and possibly some proof of it.

It's one thing to not know your friend is a murderer, it's another to not know he paid for your vacation. If I paid for a friend's vacation, I'd be sure to let them know I did it. And for a lobbyist to pay for something of DeLay's, expecting favortism, they'd want to make sure they were properly credited.

But then, you can't expect DeLay to admit that he knew the mobster paid for the travelling, because that would make it too easy for the ethics investigation. And if the ethics investigation reveals a close relationship, then they could potentially investigate the extent of DeLay's contacts with the mob.

So, this ethics investigation regarding travel expense payments could potentially open up a very large can of worms for DeLay and maybe other members of Congress. After all, if the mob had influence with DeLay, surely there are others in their pocket for unsavory purposes.
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"It's official: Congressman, lobbyist have parted ways, DeLay's spokesman says

By WILLIAM C. MANN Associated Press Writer

(AP) - WASHINGTON-As a legal morass deepens for one-time superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, Rep. Tom DeLay, one of the most powerful men in Congress, is doing some damage control to distance himself from a man he once placed among his 'dearest friends.'

DeLay's spokesman says their relationship no longer exists.

Abramoff is free under $2.5 million (�‚�2 million) bond on six federal charges of conspiracy and wire fraud in the purchase of a casino boats. He is spending a few days at his home in Washington's Maryland suburbs before he is to return to Florida on Aug. 29 to file a plea.

Until last year, Abramoff was among Washington's premier lobbyists, a man whose telephone calls always would be answered. Now he is at least a sidelines figure in an investigation of a street shooting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that police said had the trappings of an organized crime murder. His lawyer said Tuesday that Abramoff would be glad to be interviewed by police investigating the killing.

The victim was Konstantinos 'Gus' Boulis, whom Abramoff and a colleague are charged with defrauding in the $147.5 million (�‚�119.8 million) sale of SunCruz Casinos in 2000. Abramoff and Adam Kidan, his business partner are accused of pocketing $60 million (�‚�48.73 million) from the deal. Boulis was gunned down in an ambush some months later.

Abramoff also is a major figure in a House of Representatives ethics investigation of DeLay, which the Texas congressman requested, to determine the truth of allegations that Abramoff or his clients paid some of DeLay's overseas travel expenses in contravention of House rules.

DeLay has said he did not know that the expenses were paid by Abramoff, whom he once described as 'one of my closest and dearest friends.'

Not any more.

'There is no relationship between Mr. Delay and Mr. Abramoff,' DeLay spokesman Ben Porritt said Tuesday. 'Any mention would be in the past tense.'

Porritt blamed politics for the continuing connection in the news media between the two.

'We feel this is an ongoing effort by the political left,' he said. 'Those on the political left target Mr. DeLay because he is capable and effective in delivering the conservative message.'

DeLay, second in power only to Speaker Dennis Hastert in the House, often has used the charge that he was under political attack to divert stories about his relationship with Abramoff since the disgraced lobbyist began to become a liability several months ago.

Last March, as allegations of misconduct began to be aired both in Texas and in the Congress, DeLay said he had not been found to be breaking the rules but that anyway, the Democrats were responsible.

'All they can do is try to tear down the House and burn it down in order to gain power,' DeLay said."

Sen. Biden Says Bush Should Fire Rumsfeld

Sen. Biden Says Bush Should Fire Rumsfeld

"Sen. Biden Says Bush Should Fire Rumsfeld

By RANDALL CHASE Associated Press Writer

(AP) - DOVER, Del.-President Bush needs to fire Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and level with the American people about the situation in Iraq, said U.S. Sen. Joseph Biden, who is testing the political waters for a possible White House run in 2008.

Following up on remarks he made Sunday, Biden said the Bush administration is downplaying expectations in Iraq, and that he wouldn't be surprised if a partial withdrawal of U.S. troops is announced before parliamentary elections scheduled for December.

But the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said a premature withdrawal of U.S. troops would be unwise, given that the biggest problem in Iraq, as he sees it, is 'the lack of order.'

Biden disputed administration claims that more than 175,000 Iraqis have been trained to take over security duties from U.S. troops."
______
The article continues with more anti-this and anti-that stuff. In short, as much as I'd like to see a reasonable democrat in the white house, if they're just going to spew anti-stuff... then no thanks, because that's brainless. For crying out loud, take a stand on something and push ideas forward! Stop sitting back and being an armchair quarterback, do something or offer an alternative. Is this so difficult to learn?

I mean come on... Kerry puts up his Vietnam experience at the forefront... that was stupid/needless. I mean, everyone already knew about it, and if not, it would have mentioned anyway. Not making it an issue and leaving it and its medals uncontested would have been more powerful. But, at least that part of the campaign wasn't anti. And how about the flip flopping record and its feeble defense. Yeah, sure, there were good points, and despite all the negatives, it was a close race.

Ok, there are some lessons that should have been learned. Like, figure out where you stand on issues, passionately believe that view, and stick with it. And probably more importantly, promote your own ideas on how something should, or should have, been handled. Don't nominate someone who can't readily admit to believing in God, who doesn't appear to conceal it or acts like he's worried about the atheist vote (Kerry fumbled along a question regarding religious beliefs, I began to wonder if he actually believed in God for a bit before he finally said otherwise). Leave negative campaign to commercials and press, but when you speak, rise above that and project your views.

There's more lessons than this, but if Biden is testing the waters, then I'm cold. I'm getting sick of hearing what's wrong with the US and everything else. It's time for a positive voice. A Democrat Reagan would be great because he inspired hope and gave us strength, that, more than anything, is why so many loved him. If a Republican comes along first who can inspire, and the Democrats continue the anti campaign, then I'll probably vote Republican. Democrats need to get their crap together, it's getting pathetic and shameful. Yeah, even though I'm more in line with Dems than Repubs, I'll go Repub if they can deliver.

Officer cleared in Rocha shooting

News 8 Austin | Officer cleared in Rocha shooting

I'm sorry, but this is such BS. Since when does fighting with someone who is resisting arrest equate to a justifiable murder? Does a reasonable police officer in similar circumstances do the same? I should hope not. And if she's going to get away with murder, then at least take her off the streets, make her a pencil pusher so she doesn't overreact again and kill another person.
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Wednesday August 17, 2005

Officer cleared in Rocha shooting
Updated: 8/16/2005 10:21 PM
By: James Keith

A Travis County grand jury has issued a no bill in the investigation of Austin Police Officer Julie Schroeder. That means she will not face criminal charges from local government for shooting and killing 18-year-old Daniel Rocha in June.

Frustrated protesters expressed their disappointment in the decision outside the Travis County Justice Complex Tuesday evening.

Rocha's mother, Daniela Rocha, says Tuesday's news doesn't soften the pain her family has encountered the past two months.

'My world is shattered right now. I don't know how to handle myself right now, it's very sad. Every day that goes by it's day by day. My daughter, my son, all three of us are going through a difficult time,' Rocha said.

Tuesday, the Travis County District Attorney's office released stacks of documents related to the Rocha investigation.

In it was a statement from Schroeder describing what happened. She said, 'Rocha and I are on the ground and we are fully engaged in a fight, I would describe it as a fight and wrestling match. His arms are on the inside of me and I could feel him grabbing at my vest and waist.' Schroeder added, 'I was scared for my life and my boss' life. I was worried about Rocha using my Taser and using it on my boss and taking his gun. I have been in a number of fights before and never have I felt this scared and afraid. Instinctively, I grabbed for my gun and shot him once. Self-preservation took over.'

The documents don't give insight into only Officer Schroeder's point of view. There are also several statements from witnesses.

One witness said, 'Detective Walker asked me if I saw a fight or struggle. No, I saw the officer holding the man with one hand, the left, and she had her gun with her right. All I could see was his shoulder that she had him by. Then her gun fired once. She was standing up, kind of hunched over and he was already on the ground.'

One of Rocha's former teachers offered a character description of the teenager.

'Rocha would always say, 'No cop is going to take anything from me or take me down. I ain't going to jail.' I started to think he was serious about his big money business and was worried that he may put up a good fight should someone try to stop him. I tried to counsel Rocha and he didn't care about what I had to say or even about himself,' she said.

Austin Police Chief Stan Knee says while some people might be upset by the reports and the grand jury's decision, they should trust that his department is acting properly.

'It has been difficult for the department being scrutinized every which way, is in fact at times very difficult, but the character of this department is that we expect to continue to work hard to make the city safe,' Knee said.

The Austin Police Department's internal affairs investigation into the Rocha shooting is ongoing. Knee expects it to be wrapped up in four to six weeks.

The Department of Justice is also continuing its investigation"

Al-Zawahri: what a rip-off merchant

spiked-politics | Article | Al-Zawahri: what a rip-off merchant

I was just telling a coworker the other day that maybe the reason terrorists saw an opening for an attack in the USA, was because we had all these "experts" telling everyone that we were and to expect one. So the terrorists heard that we were ripe an attack inside the states and so they went ahead and gave us our prophecy.

A win-win situation for the schemers (security experts and terrorists), a big fat loss for the rest of us. The only thing I'm not sure about is if the anti-terror security experts who were publicly saying the USA is a big fat unsecure target, did so with the hope that they would get more money or prestige after terrorists followed through with the open invitation.
------
August 2005

Al-Zawahri: what a rip-off merchant
The al-Qaeda deputy is only parroting what’s been said on a thousand lefty blogs since 7/7.
by Brendan O'Neill

Someone should have Ayman al-Zawahri, lieutenant to Osama bin Laden, done for plagiarism. There's nothing remotely original in his statement about the London attacks. Instead he has ripped off sentiments already expressed by scaremongering politicians and in handwringing newspaper editorials here in Britain since the 7/7 attacks. He 's only doing what al-Qaeda bosses have consistently done since 9/11: taking the West's own fear and loathing and throwing it back at us in a supposedly scary, finger-wagging statement to camera.

Al-Zawahri 'blames Blair for bombs', says a BBC headline. 'Blair has brought you destruction in central London', said al-Zawahri. Where could he have got an idea like that? He might have seen it on the front cover of the New Statesman (or on the NS website if he's having trouble getting hold of the paper copy), which recently said 'BLAIR'S BOMBS': 'Blair brought home to this country his and Bush's illegal, unprovoked and blood-soaked adventure in the Middle East.'

Or if al-Zawahri prefers a right-wing read, he might have seen Thatcher's old friend Max Hastings say in the Daily Mail that the bombs were Blair's fault - they were 'the price for being America's foremost ally, for joining President Bush's Iraq adventure', a price which 'was always likely to be paid in London, in innocent blood'. Labour politicians and prestigious think-tanks have also said it, and have made headlines around the world. It has been said that al-Qaeda types like to surf the net (in the absence of having much else to do), in which case al-Zawahri might have got his 'Blair is to blame' line from any number of anti-war blogs or websites.

Al-Zawahri also says that the war in Iraq is a war for oil, and demands that the West stop this 'robbing of our oil and resources'. Since when has al-Qaeda been interested in economics? This argument is taken verbatim from the anti-war movement in the West, which has been chanting the mantra 'It's all about oil!' for the past two years as a quick, easy (and some might say lazy) way of denouncing the war. Now al-Zawahri is milking this simplistic but wildly popular slogan for all its worth.

And what's this all about, the bit where al-Zawahri talks about Americans having to watch the 'losses you are having in Afghanistan and Iraq, in spite of all the media blackout'? This echoes an obsession of various anti-war websites recently, which have argued that the US military is 'blacking out' information about the true number of injuries and fatalities suffered by coalition forces in postwar Iraq.

Al-Zawahri also warns of more attacks against Britain. Perhaps he has heard of the 6,000 police officers that have been deployed to protect 'nervous London' (as one report described it) every Thursday since 7/7. Or he may have seen reports such as this one from two weeks ago: 'EXPERTS FEAR MORE ATTACKS IN LONDON.' 'I hate to be a pessimist', said one counterterrorism expert, 'but my expectation is that the two London attacks are an overture and worse is coming.' Al-Zawahri's warning of 'more destruction' in London is not evidence that he or any of his cronies are directly planning something, but rather suggests that they are tapping into our self-confessed 'pessimism' and 'nervousness' and winding us up some more.

This doesn't only suggest that al-Zawahri has not got an original thought in his head - it also reveals an essential truth about al-Qaeda. They feed off our fears. Far from being the terrible enemy we have been led to believe - who are planning a 'holocaust' against the West, as one particularly overexcited author has put it - al-Qaeda is a ragbag of deluded nihilists and opportunists who thrive on tapping into our doubt and uncertainty. We are scaring ourselves, and al-Qaeda bosses merely cheer along from the sidelines.

We pretty much wrote that script for al-Zawahri and he just read it back to us in a scary, shouty Middle Eastern voice, like a James Bond villain circa 1980. Come on, people, are we really scared of that?"

26 Years!

26 Years Later, DNA Clears Man of Rapes

This guy was wrongly convicted of being the, "Bird Road Rapist." What I'm wondering though, is what happened to the real rapist. Why did he stop, if he did (I haven't researched this), once this guy was on trial? Did he feel so guilty that he put an innocent behind bars that he changed his life, or just thought it was an opportune time to quit and get away with his crimes? Or maybe he continued, but decided to rape on another road... or maybe he was convicted on another rape. And lastly, will the police reopen the investigation, or did the case hinge on the faulty eyewittnesses?
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By JOHN PAIN Associated Press Writer

(AP) - MIAMI-A man who spent 26 years behind bars as Florida's 'Bird Road Rapist' was released from prison Wednesday after DNA evidence cleared him in two of the attacks and cast doubt on whether he was responsible for any of the crimes.

'Victory,' 67-year-old Luis Diaz said as he walked out of the courthouse a free man. He said he planned to spend time with his family, was not bitter about the time he lost and didn't blame prosecutors.

'They did their job. You have to respect that,' he said later at a news conference. Payment for his years in prison also wasn't on his or his family's mind - for now.

'He is our compensation right now,' said son Jose Diaz, 40, who was flanked by his brother and sister.

Circuit Judge Cristina Pereya-Shuminer threw out his five rape convictions at the request of both Miami-Dade County's chief prosecutor and lawyers for the Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization that works to get inmates exonerated via DNA.

About 30 relatives and friends in the courtroom stood and applauded after the judge said he was free to go. A handcuffed Diaz, dressed in a red jail jumpsuit, waved to his family and wiped his eyes with tissues.

Prosecutors stopped short of declaring Diaz innocent in all the rapes, instead citing the difficulty of retrying him after a quarter-century.

'It is impossible to ignore the difficulties inherent in retrying five very old cases even under the best of circumstances. Police investigators retire, memories fade, and victims move on with their lives,' the dismissal request said.

Diaz was convicted in 1980 and sentenced to life in prison for seven of 25 sexual assaults that occurred between 1977 and 1979 in the Bird Road area of Coral Gables, south of downtown Miami.

The Bird Road Rapist would attack young women drivers, signaling them to pull over by flashing his headlights and then forcing them to have sex at gunpoint.

Diaz was arrested after a victim who worked as a gas station attendant spotted a driver she said looked like her attacker. She gave police the license plate number, which led them to Diaz.

The convictions were based on identifications made by eight victims in all, even though some of them initially described a much heavier and taller Hispanic who spoke English. Diaz, a Cuban-American, spoke little English and, because of his work as a fry cook, smelled of onions - something no victim mentioned.

In 1993, two victims recanted their identification of Diaz, and those two convictions were thrown out. But five other convictions remained, until lawyers asked for DNA testing.

Evidence gathered from the two of the rape victims was discovered, and DNA testing of the semen conclusively excluded Diaz as the attacker in both cases. That, in turn, cast doubt on his other convictions.

Former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, who was the county prosecutor when Diaz was convicted, did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

Defense attorney Roy Black, who represented Diaz at his trial, said he was thrilled.

'That Luis' innocence has finally been admitted is cause for celebration, but nothing can erase the 26 years he spent in prison, in horrible condition, separated from his family,' Black said in statement.

Barry Scheck, executive director of the Innocence Project, said the Diaz case demonstrates anew the need for police to improve the accuracy of eyewitness identifications.

He said three-quarters of the 160 prisoners who have been exonerated by post-conviction DNA in the United States had been convicted based on mistaken identification.

'This should be a landmark case in the history of eyewitness reform,' Scheck said. 'There are reforms police and prosecutors are using across the country that reduce error, protect the innocent and help apprehend the guilty.'"

Watchdog Group Attacks School Bible Study

Watchdog Group Attacks School Bible Study:

The only thing more askew than the below article is the textbook used in the bible study class.

The Texas Freedom Network (www.tfn.org) has the report posted. Apparently, the people who published the text were seriously stupid or maybe just plain inept for the task.

One of things I found pretty amusing, that displays the ignorance and lack of scholorly ability of the author, is a passage that asks students to consider the use of single syllable (english) words as being typical for the Hebrews. Of course the original text wasn't monosyllabic, but it goes to show how focussed they are on the King-James version (interpretation) of the original texts. That's just one of far too many bumbles, like the big P of any written work... Plagiarism.

There's so many flaws with the text that people need to read this report before they defend its use. I mean, I'm a Christian, attended Christian schools, and would certainly hate to see Christianity disrespected. The textbook is a debacle, and its use makes Christians, especially conservative Protestants, look as ignorant as the text.

Now, this article puts an interesting spin on the situation. It glosses over the report by just stating some key items the author of the report listed in the introduction a part showing how the curriculum presents Christian faith claims as history. And even then the reporter can't even get that correct.

In short, the class concept is fine, but the text and its leanings are inappropriate for public schools. Here's the article, which needs some work itself:
------
"Monday, Aug. 1, 2005

Watchdog Group Attacks School Bible Study

By JIM VERTUNO Associated Press Writer

(AP) - AUSTIN, Texas-A religious watchdog group complained Monday that a Bible study course taught in hundreds of public schools in Texas and across the country promotes a fundamentalist Christian view and violates religious freedom.

The Texas Freedom Network, which includes clergy of several faiths, also said the course offered by the Greensboro, N.C.-based National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools is full of errors and dubious research.

The producers of the Bible class dismissed the Texas Freedom Network as a 'far left' organization trying to suppress study of a historical text.

The National Council on Bible Curriculum Web site says its elective course is offered in high schools and junior highs by more than 300 school districts in 37 states.

Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller said her group looked at the course after the Odessa school board voted in April to offer the class. It asked Southern Methodist University biblical scholar Mark A. Chancey to review the curriculum.

Chancey's review found that the course characterizes the Bible as inspired by God, that discussions of science are based on the biblical account of creation, that Jesus is referred to as fulfilling Old Testament prophecy, and that archaeological findings are erroneously used to support claims of the Bible's historical accuracy.

He said the course also suggests the Bible, instead of the Constitution, be considered the nation's founding document.

'No public school student should have to have a particular religious belief forced upon them,' the Rev. Ragan Courtney, pastor of The Sanctuary, a Baptist congregation in Austin, said at a news conference held by Texas Freedom Network.

Elizabeth Ridenour, president of the Bible class group, accused the Texas Freedom Network of censorship.

'They are actually quite fearful of academic freedom, and of local schools deciding for themselves what elective courses to offer their citizens,' she said in a statement.

According to the Texas Freedom Network, 52 Texas school districts offer the class. In Odessa, more than 6,000 people signed a petition in support before it was approved in April.

Although representatives of the Bible council have attended school board meetings in Odessa, superintendent Wendell Sollis said course materials have not yet been selected.

Miller said the Texas Freedom Network supports study of the Bible as a significant historical text, but not in a way that amounts to religious indoctrination.
2005-08-02T01:06:42Z

Copyright 2005
The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed."

Lawyers spar over whether death row inmate is retarded

Lawyers spar over whether death row inmate is retarded; case led to Supreme Court decision:

"Atkins was 18 when he and William Jones killed Airman 1st Class Eric Nesbitt, 21, for beer money. Nesbitt was abducted outside a convenience store, forced to withdraw money from an automated teller machine and driven to a desolate road, where he was shot eight times.

Prosecutors said Atkins was the triggerman. A plea agreement was reached with Jones, who testified against Atkins and received a life sentence.

Three years ago, Supreme Court justices sided with Atkins' lawyers in ruling that execution of the mentally retarded is unconstitutionally cruel, but did not decide whether Atkins has the disability."
----

Yes, killing someone is stupid. Yes, this guy is very stupid. But basing retardedness on IQ is pretty stupid too. Why not apply insanity to the same test, after all stupid people do things that those of normal or higher intelligence consider insane... like killing someone.

Isn't Hawking retarded? But isn't he also like the smartest person on Earth right now? Oh, 'mentally' retarded... hmm, little bit different. Oh it makes sense now, I see the light. Mentally retarded is the same thing as "stupid." So the law of the land as determined by the Supreme Court is that it is cruel to execute someone very stupid. Why? In this case, the guy was smart enough to robbing someone is wrong, smart enough to know that shooting someone would kill them, smart enough to wait until in a desolate place to start shooting the victim.

You know, the only way this guy should be applicable to the law (not be executed) is if he was just doing what his partner was telling him to do. So that if he was an active participant, not just a tool, then he is smart enough to be executed without the execution being cruel.

Forget this bright line IQ test, take the time to look at each case individually and have a jury make the determination whether the guy is in fact an active participant or if he was under a false impression or other manipulation.

News 8 Austin | 24 Hour Local News | TOP STORIES | M.E. now says Rocha had drugs in his system

News 8 Austin | 24 Hour Local News | TOP STORIES | M.E. now says Rocha had drugs in his system: "M.E. now says Rocha had drugs in his system
Updated: 7/19/2005 8:14 AM
By: News 8 Austin Staff


The Travis County Medical Examiner's office reversed their previous position Monday on the investigation into the police shooting of Daniel Rocha.

The ME now says Rocha did have drugs in his system when he was killed by an Austin police officer on June 16. Original toxicology reports showed no traces of drugs in his system.

'We feel very bad that this happened, but this is a very special case and it could have happened in any other office,' Travis County Medical Examiner Dr. Roberto Bayardo said.

Rocha, 18, was shot in the back and killed after police say he struggled with Officer Julie Schroeder after a traffic stop in Southeast Austin.

The Travis County Medical Examiner's office said APD detectives 'strongly believed' Rocha had smoked marijuana before the incident, and pushed for a different, more specific test.

The medical examiner reported Daniel Rocha had marijuana in his system, which contradicts a previous report.

Austin Police Chief Stan Knee said his department 'is disturbed by the inconsistent findings.'

'Immediately upon being notified of the results, I contacted the District Attorney's office and urged them to seize the blood and urine evidence and send it to a third party laboratory for analysis,' Knee said.

'We are very disturbed, too. Exceptionally disturbed, and we are very glad that we are going to submit the specimens to another laboratory to confirm our findings,' Bayardo said.

The shooting death upset many in his neighborhood. One week after the event, police and city leaders hosted a community forum. For many, it was a night to vent frustrated emotions. The forum is available on News 8 on Demand, channel 1458 on Time Warner Cable.

The Hispanic Advocates and Business Leadership of Austin hosted another panel Monday to try and rebuild that trust.

Police chief Stan Knee and Austin City Manager Tobey Futrell attended the meeting and talked with neighbors.

City leaders say the timing of the forum with the announcement of Rocha's new toxicology report was just a coincidence.

6/23/05 Rocha investigation turned over to DA
6/17/05 APD, city to address community concerns raised in forum
6/17/05 APD answers questions in Rocha's death
6/16/05 FBI will investigate Rocha shooting
6/14/05 Knee speaks out on officer-related shooting
6/13/05 Protestors angry over police shooting of drug suspect
6/12/05 Community groups call for investigation into Rocha shooting
6/10/05 Officer shoots suspect dead"

------------

Rocha... probably wasn't the nicest guy in town... probably smoked pot. Fine, does that deserve the death penalty? Hell no.

Here's a fact not mentioned in the article nor by the police... Rocha had TRACE amounts of pot in his system. Someone who had recently smoked pot would have about 10 times the amount he had. Maybe if he had been high when he got pulled over, he would be alive today because pot makes one mellow, not violent.

Here's probably the short version of what happened. Rocha, who's had many prior dealings with the police and this particular officer for a while, gets pulled over. The cop suspects that there is probably something else going on, like someone having some weed on them, so she fabricates this "suspicion of marijuana" to validate a search of the vehicle. Rocha correctly sees this as a fishing expedition/harassment, and knows only rich people can really fight the system. So he tries to run away.

Policewoman isn't strong enough to keep Rocha at the scene, and as she is being overpowered, and not wanting to have to chase after Rocha, she shoots him in the back. Maybe she didn't mean to kill him... but she did.

But in order for all this to be on the up and up, this suspected marijuana use which gave rise to the search and altercation, must be supported. Unfortunately for Austin PD and Policewoman/murderer, TRACE amounts of pot means he had smoked some earlier but wasn't under the effects, and would not be noticeable to the keenest of eyes, police or otherwise.

Policewoman needs to be charged for the murder, and waving a report that basically proves Rocha wasn't drug-free, is only fodder for the naive or police-biassed.

Sure, I believe the chief should stand behind his officers and have faith in their abilities... but he shouldn't do so when the evidence clearly indicates the officer is not only in the wrong, but criminally negligent at the least. Policewoman needs to be brought to justice and held accountable, just like everyone else.

'Not In the Name of Islam'

'Not In the Name of Islam' - Yahoo! News: "'Not In the Name of Islam'

By Ibrahim Hooper Fri Jul 15, 7:38 AM ET

The question I am asked most often in media interviews and on radio call-in programs is: 'Why don't Muslim leaders condemn terrorism?'

As a person who writes frequent statements condemning terrorism in all its forms, it is frustrating to hear that question come up in interview after interview.

After all, it was a broad coalition of American Muslim groups that issued what was perhaps the first condemnation of the 9/11 attacks. My own organization, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), published a full-page advertisement condemning those attacks and offering condolences to the victims.

Muslim organizations and leaders in this country and around the world have consistently condemned violence against civilians, whether it is suicide bombs in the Middle East, attacks on Christian churches in Pakistan or the bombing of London's transportation system. Those condemning terrorism ranged from the Grand Shaykh of Al-Azhar University in Egypt to ayatollahs in
Iran.

Following the latest terrorist outrage in Britain on Thursday, CAIR echoed a call by British Muslim groups urging all Islamic prayer leaders, or imams, to condemn terrorism in their Friday sermons.

Ordinary Muslims contacted British diplomatic offices to offer condolences. A delegation of Muslim leaders also met with the British ambassador to show solidarity with the people of the United Kingdom.

In 2004, CAIR launched a petition drive, called 'Not in the Name of Islam,' designed to disassociate Islam from the violent acts of a few Muslims. The petition, signed by some 700,000 Muslims, states in part: 'We refuse to allow our faith to be held hostage by the criminal actions of a tiny minority acting outside the teachings of both the Quran and the Prophet Muhammad.'

This week, we turned that petition into a television public service announcement that is being distributed nationwide. Arabic and Urdu subtitled versions will also be made available to television stations in Muslim countries. (To read the petition or to view the PSA, go to www.cair.com)

Mutual misunderstanding is the fuel that propels the twin phenomena of anti-Americanism and Islamophobia. Muslims have a religious duty to speak out against terrorism. People of other faiths have a similar duty to hear mainstream Muslim voices and to help avoid a downward spiral of mutual mistrust and hostility. The best way to break that cycle of mistrust is to know each other as individuals. Prejudice decreases as one-on-one interaction between ordinary people of different faiths increases.

Are Muslims doing all they can to condemn terrorism and repudiate those who commit acts of violence in the name of Islam? We ask ourselves that question every day. And every day, we try to give our fellow Americans a reason to answer in the affirmative.

Ibrahim Hooper is national communications director for the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations; CAIR is the nation's largest Muslim civil liberties group."

------

What's that? Hmm, I don't think I've ever heard this before. Maybe I did and forgot? Maybe... maybe I'm thinking of an interview with an "ordinary muslim" on some street who said muslims felt good about 9/11 because of their resentment towards the U.S. Maybe I'm not seeing muslims actively trying to disuade the terrorists. Maybe I'm seeing muslim regimes support and/or turn a blind eye to terrorists. To make a statement that these muslim terrorists/extremists are a "tiny minority" is bold, because the 700k muslims that object to it is a tiny minority of muslims itself.

Let's get real... most muslims hate the U.S., as hypocritical as it is since many live here and enjoy the freedoms and/or technology produced here, they continue to hate the U.S. for whatever reason. From this nonsensical animosity, most allow extremism/terrorism to happen or take no stance against it.

Thus, I label this article as being... deceitful bullshit. Or, if the author really believes what he's saying, just bullshit.

Teen Allegedly Confesses to Creating Worm

Teen Allegedly Confesses to Creating Worm - Yahoo! News:

"VERDEN, Germany - A German teenager reiterated his confession to creating last year's 'Sasser' computer worm as he went on trial Tuesday on computer sabotage and related charges, a court official said."

Seems like most of the crackers that make headlines are from either Europe or Asia. Are American crackers too good to get caught, or are they lagging behind?

Of course, right beside this article was this one...

"More Computer Classes Urged for Kids
"
"By BEN FELLER, AP Education Writer Mon Jul 4, 1:47 PM ET

"LOS ANGELES - Even in a nation where most every school has Internet access and computer use often starts by nursery school, teachers of technology see a warning message flashing.

"For students in elementary and secondary schools, states have few developed standards or required courses in computer science — a field that goes beyond basic literacy to encompass hardware and software design, real-world applications and computers' effect on society."

So there ya go.

President Terrorist

Top News Article | Reuters.com:

"'As soon as I saw his picture in the paper, I knew that was the bastard,' said Scott, of Jonesboro, Georgia. 'The new president of Iran is a terrorist.'"

I knew he looked familiar, but I figured maybe I was just stereotyping or something. He's definitely the guy in the photos that show him walking beside hostages with an unfriendly look on his face. 25 years and he still has the same hairstyle, beard, everything. I think the people of Tehran and probably most of Iran had to know who he is, I'm sure he kept his "look" for the recognition factor that always plays a part in elections.

So... what's next? Does this just put him along the lines of Kim Jong Mentally Ill, or is he something different because he took a leading part of one of America's darkest hours? I say he's obviously different, and I think he makes Iran a prime target for the USA to... oh, how should I say... spread democracy. Yeah, this guy brings back old wounds, and it would be great to get revenge on him. Paybacks are a bitch. =)

Ozone Advisory - Your Lungs Are Burning

I finally read something that tells why ozone on the ground is bad aside from it being "pollution."
---
Editorial: No Breathing Easy: Heed ozone danger;
your lungs will thank you
Dallas Morning News
Tuesday, June 28, 2005

"Picture the worst sunburn you ever saw. Now picture it inside your lungs.

"That's the picture you get from a couple of photos the EPA uses to illustrate the way breathing ground-level ozone sears lung tissue. The healthy tissue is the color of a white peach: creamy with tinges of pink. The ozone-inflamed tissue is the color of a ripe tomato.

"That's why it's important to pay attention and curtail outdoor activity – especially for children – when the ozone alert level climbs to orange or red. That's why anyone who believes that North Texas' air isn't a serious health hazard needs to come back from Washington and spend a couple of days in the emergency room at Children's Hospital.

"This summer may or may not turn out to be especially bad for our lungs. But it got an early start on the ozone season, with the first orange alert May 6 and the first red alert last Tuesday. If the bad days do continue to stack up, it may be tempting to ignore the warnings. Kids – and even adults – do not like being cooped up indoors. But before you blow off the cautions, consider these facts, taken directly from the EPA's Web site:

•Even at very low levels, ground-level ozone triggers a variety of health problems including aggravated asthma, reduced lung capacity and increased susceptibility to respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis.
•Repeated exposure to ozone pollution for several months may cause permanent lung damage.
•Damage to children's developing lungs may lead to reduced lung function in adulthood. In adults, ozone exposure may accelerate the natural decline in lung function that occurs as part of normal aging.
•Ozone damage can occur without any noticeable signs. People who live in areaswhere ozone levels are frequently high may find that their initial symptoms goaway over time – particularly when exposure to high ozone levels continues forseveral days. Ozone continues to cause lung damage even when the symptoms have disappeared.

"For an hour-by-hour animated map of current ozone conditions, go towww.epa.gov/airnow/aqimaps.html. And enjoy your summer."

Lying Liars & the Presidents Who Employ Them

Lying Liars & the Presidents Who Employ Them - Yahoo! News:

"As Karl Rove's comments later demonstrated, however, Durbin's cave was pointless. Speaking to New York's Conservative Party, Rove all but termed Durbin--and every liberal--a traitor:

Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. In the wake of 9/11, conservatives believed it was time to unleash the might and power of the United States military against the Taliban; in the wake of 9/11, liberals believed it was time to submit a petition. I am not joking. Submitting a petition is precisely what MoveOn.org did. It was a petition imploring the powers that be to 'use moderation and restraint in responding to the...terrorist attacks against the United States.'...Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said: We will defeat our enemies. Liberals saw what happened to us and said: We must understand our enemies. Conservatives see the United States as a great nation engaged in a noble cause; liberals see the United States and they see Nazi concentration camps, Soviet gulags and the killing fields of Cambodia. Has there been a more revealing moment this year than when Democratic Senator Richard Durbin, speaking on the Senate floor, compared what Americans had done to prisoners in our control at Guantanamo Bay with what was done by Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot--three of the most brutal and malevolent figures in the twentieth century? Let me put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts to the region the words of Senator Durbin, certainly putting America's men and women in uniform in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."

I saw a documentary regarding Karl Rove. In it, he is depicted as someone who is fairly smart and detailed. That he is a liar is a given. That's nothing new for anyone in politics, and it certainly is within the current track record for Republicans. This article ends pointing out that the times have changed in politics. There is no more working together like we had even in the 80s where then-democrat Phil Gramm worked on Reagan's budget or some sort of economic package. Yeah, those days are dead right now, and if there isn't compromise to achieve an American agenda, as opposed to a strictly Republican agenda, I predict that there will either be a major backlash, or there is going to be some vietnam-style protests to get back lost rights, freedoms, and fairness, and other signs of social strife by non-baby-boomer Americans.

Iraqis Split Over Bush Pledge on Troops

Iraqis Split Over Bush Pledge on Troops - Yahoo! News

The Iraqi people should be hoping that their security/armed forces can get trained or be able to control the terrorists faster, instead of hoping for the coalition forces to leave. If the coalition forces suddenly left today, Iraqies would be whining even more. Whine whine whine, that's all you ever hear over there, bunch of whiners. Too lazy to do things for themselves, have to hold their hands for everything, try to be nice to them and they still keep whining. The only people over there that you don't hear whining are the terrorists, but that's probably because they don't have as much access to the media.

As Iranians head to polls, a lesson emerges for U.S.

Yahoo! News:

"In Iraq, the USA is already facing some unintended consequences. Iraq wasn't a central battleground in the war on terror when the United States invaded, but it is now. Long-term uncertainties include the possibility of an Islamic, anti-U.S. government.

If so, one lasting hope for a successful democratic model in the Muslim world might be Iran. Not because the United States can hammer it into its own image, but because Iran's people, looking westward, might demand what they do not have."

So very optimistic this one is (in a yoda voice). Optimistic, but unrealistic. The middle east folks appear to need a very strong and "hands on" government. I think the political systems over there reflect that, because a stable government over there needs to be able to handle the unstable/wild population, and the only way to do that, apparently, is to be controlling/brutal/totalitarian. Although they could give democracy or republicanism (not the GOP) a try, I predict it will ultimately fail due to the instability. Hopefully I'm wrong, hopefully the Iraq experiment will be a success, hopefully democracy will take root and bear fruit... I doubt it, but there's hope.

Perhaps I'm thinking that democracy in any form will probably only be a real option for civilized nations. When one thinks of civilized nations, I do not believe any middle-east country comes to mind. Instead, the monicker of "Arabic country" comes in. I mean, come on, they're stuck in time... they still dress like people 2,000 freekin years ago, and sadly, that's not a joke. Either their religion set the clothing of its time upon them forever, or they're not creative enough to progress even clothing! Either way, it's pathetic.

And then of course comes the contradictions. The biggest one people hear about is how they abhore the "West" for its technology. Well here's a technology they should get rid of if they really believe that, electricity. Here's another one that they need to scrap, plumbing. And how about medical and surgical technologies, are they doing without those at all? No, of course not. They want technology as much as anyone else, so it's not really a belief, but an excuse, and not a very good one at that.

Anyway, even though Persia was once a model of civilization, for its time, that's not longer the case. They have something holding them back in a big way. It's not their religion though, that'd just be another excuse. It's fear. Fear of what? Well, a lot. Trying, success, individualism, accountability, expression, and change, to name a few. But maybe I'm wrong. /shrug

Award Limit in Tobacco Case Sets Off a Strenuous Protest - New York Times

Award Limit in Tobacco Case Sets Off a Strenuous Protest - New York Times

So, the whiners here are those who have the power to make tobacco illegal. So if they were really concerned about the health issues, then they could do something more productive than whine about the money that they were expecting to get from tobacco companies.

The original figure was based on testimony from Dr. Michael C. Fiore, an expert on tobacco addiction, who said an effective nationwide program that included a telephone help-line, access to medical treatment and counseling and a budget for advertising and promotion would cost $5.2 billion a year for 25 years

I don't think I like the idea of the government relying on one person's testimony/research in seeking billions of dollars. Me thinks other experts' figures were probably less than this guy's.

Democrats Unlikely to Stop Bolton

Biden: Democrats Unlikely to Stop Bolton - Yahoo! News

It's funny because I think Bush would look better getting rid of Bolton rather than forcing his approval. Bolton is nut and is an indicator of the current administration.

49ers' PR Director Apologizes for Video

49ers' PR Director Apologizes for Video - Yahoo! News

A guy makes a video of what not to do or what to be careful of doing. It sounds like he did exactly that. But now, of course, instead of looking at it for it what it is, let's take a moral highground and condemn it as though it was an actual reflection of someone's, or the 49er's, values. Gimme a break, much ado about something so stupid.