Kissing the 4th Amendment Goodbye

Nice post by billmon about exactly what the "patriot" act will do to this country and the constitution. I feel terrible about all the people that have fought and died for this country, seeing how it's being run.
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Check out Natalie Portman in the trailer for V for Vendetta. "fear became the ultimate tool of this government"... hmmm... where have I heard that before? 8-)
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A few silly jokes:
Q: What do you get when you cross a giraffe and a monkey?

A: I'm sorry, I can't think about that right now because I'm too busy wondering why Congress hasn't launched an official investigation into Bush lying to the American public about WMDs and leading us into a war under false pretenses. Tell you what—as soon as I solve that little riddle, I'll get to work on your little genetic experiment.
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Knock-knock.

Who's there?

Under the Patriot Act, we don't have to tell you that.

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Have a great day! Charlie

Nice...

Check out Google Maps of the moon... nice. Zooming is neat. 8-)

Hot or Not - dating by zip code... heh.

Shalom friday!
Charlie

News bits from Charlie

I have a few little personal updates, nothing big.

- John, Rich and I have been talking about doing a podcast about those things most dear to us... music, gadgets, movies, etc. no limits, tunes in the background and just riff'in on fun stuff. We'll see how it goes and let you know when we have something up... 8-) should be fun!

- Still haven't mowed the lawn at the new house, I have to go do the "borrow a neighbor's" lawnmower to do it... ek. no fun, but it'll be good to get the mowing done... maybe I can find a mower at a pawn shop?

- My Grandmother in wisconsin just got her pacemaker replaced... scary stuff. I guess she's doing relatively well, poor girl's body is just poopin' out. Prayers for her health.

- MSNBC is reporting that americans are having more doubts about the president's honesty and effectiveness. Rove probably has something to do with it... how about not having caught or even prioritized the person that blew up New York and Wash on 11 Sept 2001? bin Laden is the one we should have been after all this time...

- Okay, so aren't India and Packistan all up at each other fighting recently? So we are arming india (probably packistan too, as they are fighting our battles for us on the border of Afganistan)... nice. 2 guys fighting, give one a nuclear stick. beats me.

- Thinking about selling the BMW 325i Convertible... love the car, it's in great shape, but just had it for a while, want something new... not New, new, just new to me. Also been looking at Dual Sport BMW Motorcycles!!! they have a on/off road 650 that is tha shiznitz. Very kool, and surprisingly cheap, about $8k new, 4-6 used... so I may drop the convertible and pick up a moto.

Anyway, more later, and some pix of the house for some of you!
Shalom!
Charlie

Studies: Most foreign fighters didn't wage terror before Iraq war

WASHINGTON - New investigations by the Saudi Arabian government and an Israeli think tank — both of which painstakingly analyzed the backgrounds and motivations of hundreds of foreigners entering Iraq to fight the United States — have found that the vast majority of them are not former terrorists and became radicalized by the war.

The studies cast serious doubt on President Bush's claim that those responsible for some of the worst violence are terrorists who seized on the opportunity to make Iraq the "central front" in a battle against the United States.

"The terrorists know that the outcome in Iraq will leave them emboldened or defeated," Bush said in a nationally televised address last month. "So they are waging a campaign of murder and destruction."

However, interrogations of nearly 300 Saudis captured trying to sneak into Iraq and case studies of more than three dozen others who blew themselves up in suicide attacks show that most were heeding calls to drive infidels out of Arab land, according to a study by Saudi investigator Nawaf Obaid.

An analysis of 154 foreign fighters compiled by a leading terrorism researcher found that despite the presence of some senior al-Qaida operatives, "the vast majority of non-Iraqi Arabs killed in Iraq have never taken part in any terrorist activity prior to their arrival in Iraq."

The Israel study says: "Only a few were involved in past Islamic insurgencies in Afghanistan, Bosnia, or Chechnya."
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Interesting, I'm guessing the Saudi study and the Israeli study were done seperately... ? 8-)
Giving fundamentalists a cause to unite and fight us is a great way to win their hearts and minds... winning them for the other side that is.

Hey, a little update...

Hope you are all well. Marcela and I are making good headway on finishing unpacking and getting the house fixed up! It's pretty exciting, as it's really the first big "house" that we both have, w00t!

Trimmed up the hedges last week, wanted to cut the grass this week, but didn't get there. Garage is sorta organized and all my paintings are in there too. I think we are going to try a mediterainian color pallate/look in the house, as it fits well with the tile and the wood in the house. We'll share some pix when we can soon, and have folks over soon too.

Thanks!
Charlie & Marcela

Now this is a kool shirt

B.F.F. (Best Friends Forever)

Taliban still killing people... nice.

The decapitated bodies of six Afghan policemen were found in southern Afghanistan at the weekend, on the same day Taliban guerrillas claimed to have beheaded a missing U.S. commando, officials said on Sunday.
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The Taliban is still kickin' in Afganistan. Bin Laden is still on the loose. Would somebody please remind me who did the bombing on Sept 11, 2001? Who should be priority #1 in this war on terror?

Charlie

House Votes To Undercut High Court On Property

House Votes To Undercut High Court On Property -- Federal Funds Tied To Eminent Domain
House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said the ruling on the forced sale of property was "horrible."
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Finally something DeLay and I agree on... That Eminent Domain ruling was totally unacceptable.

and this guy is TOTALLY a hero... give it to him man!!! Rock!

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This is kool, Garry Trudeau, the man responsible for the “Doonesbury” comic strip, is doing his part to help wounded troops and their families.
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The (ugly) Rebirth of McCarthyism
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Charlie

'You've got to find what you love'

This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.
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A brilliant speech, very inspiring... check it.
Charlie