Kyogen: Wild Speech!

Henry Rollins in Israel... Ember of Rage

2007-04-17T22:33:00.001-05:00

glumbert.com - Henry Rollins' Ember of Rage

A brilliant article... "Iraq: Why the media failed"

2007-04-10T18:52:00.000-05:00

It's no secret that the period of time between 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq represents one of the greatest collapses in the history of the American media. Every branch of the media failed, from daily newspapers, magazines and Web sites to television networks, cable channels and radio. I'm not going to go into chapter and verse about the media's specific failures, its credulousness about aluminum tubes and mushroom clouds and failure to make clear that Saddam Hussein had nothing to do with 9/11 -- they're too well known to repeat. In any case, the real failing was not in any one area; it was across the board. Bush administration lies and distortions went unchallenged, or were actively promoted. Fundamental and problematic assumptions about terrorism and the "war on terror" were rarely debated or even discussed. Vital historical context was almost never provided. And it wasn't just a failure of analysis. With some honorable exceptions, good old-fashioned reporting was also absent.

Full and excellent article here: http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2007/04/10/media_failure

Enjoy. and spread the word. 8-)

Flaws found in firefighters' last line of defense

2007-02-05T10:45:00.000-06:00

U.S. waited 5 years to heed expert's warning on ‘man down’ alarms

Worn by a million firefighters in the U.S., the PASS device is a motion sensor that makes an awful racket if a firefighter stops moving for 30 seconds while battling a blaze. It flashes its lights and lets loose a series of ear-splitting beeps — an urgent call to help a fallen comrade.

It’s a call that hasn't always been heard. Tests by federal and independent labs show that some PASS alarms can fail to perform as intended if they get too hot or wet — a serious problem for people who rush into burning buildings with water hoses. And federal investigative reports reviewed by MSNBC.com show that 15 firefighters have died since 1998 in fires where a PASS, or Personal Alert Safety System, either didn't sound or was so quiet that rescuers weren't given a chance to find the firefighter quickly.

Documents made public under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that nine of those deaths came after the federal government blocked an investigation by its own expert into possible failures of PASS alarms and other firefighting equipment. A manager for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency that is charged by Congress with investigating firefighter deaths, ordered an agency fire safety engineer on Feb. 14, 2000, to "minimize your fact gathering during investigations" and to restrict his investigations to issues relevant "for the prevention of future similar events."
...
For Rob Morrison's widow, who comes from a firefighting family in St. Louis, the lack of accountability is baffling.

"I just couldn't figure that out," Laura Morrison said, "when firemen are giving their lives everyday to help the community and save people — and companies knew about this and never told anybody what the problem was, and let them, still today, go into a burning building not knowing if their PASS device is going to work or not."

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This is just crazy and unacceptable! Call or email your Senator or Representative now, and urge an investigation on this issue!

Democrats: Buying Mideast oil gives cash to dictators

2007-01-21T15:52:00.000-06:00

• Governor: Without energy independence, U.S. will fight wars in Mideast
• Montana's Gov. Schweitzer against embedding troops in Iraqi army
• Schweitzer: Energy independence would mean hundreds of thousands of jobs
• With it, "You'll never have to send children .. to war in the Middle East again"

HELENA, Montana (AP) -- Montana's Democratic governor says President Bush is wrong on Iraq and has failed to recognize the importance of energy independence.

Gov. Brian Schweitzer, who learned Arabic while building irrigation projects in the Middle East for six years, said political solutions are needed in the region.

"Mr. President, there are animosities between Sunni and Shiite people in the Middle East that have developed over centuries," Schweitzer said Saturday in the Democrats' weekly radio address. "Outsiders cannot resolve this conflict unless the Iraqi people want security and freedom at least as much as us."

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A great position... More of the Democratic leadership should use this messaging.

Bush's legacy: The president who cried wolf

2007-01-15T11:02:00.000-06:00

Bush's strategy fails because it depends on his credibility

By Keith Olbermann
Anchor, 'Countdown'
MSNBC

Only this president, only in this time, only with this dangerous, even messianic certitude, could answer a country demanding an exit strategy from Iraq, by offering an entrance strategy for Iran.

Only this president could look out over a vista of 3,008 dead and 22,834 wounded in Iraq, and finally say, “Where mistakes have been made, the responsibility rests with me” — only to follow that by proposing to repeat the identical mistake ... in Iran.

Only this president could extol the “thoughtful recommendations of the Iraq Study Group,” and then take its most far-sighted recommendation — “engage Syria and Iran” — and transform it into “threaten Syria and Iran” — when al-Qaida would like nothing better than for us to threaten Syria, and when Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would like nothing better than to be threatened by us.

This is diplomacy by skimming; it is internationalism by drawing pictures of Superman in the margins of the text books; it is a presidency of Cliff Notes.

And to Iran and Syria — and, yes, also to the insurgents in Iraq — we must look like a country run by the equivalent of the drunken pest who gets battered to the floor of the saloon by one punch, then staggers to his feet, and shouts at the other guy’s friends, “Ok, which one of you is next?”

Mr. Bush, the question is no longer “what are you thinking?,” but rather “are you thinking at all?”
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Great commentary by Olbermann. Read it all here.

Bush says feds can open mail without warrant

2007-01-04T14:18:00.000-06:00

WASHINGTON — President Bush quietly has claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans' mail without a judge's warrant.

Bush asserted the new authority Dec. 20 after signing legislation that overhauls some postal regulations. He then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open mail under emergency conditions, contrary to existing law and contradicting the bill he had just signed, according to experts who have reviewed it.

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Does this guy ever learn? He's still stepping all over the constitution... hopefully this new congress will slap him around some and restore the balance of power.

HOW OLD IS THE GRAND CANYON? PARK SERVICE WON’T SAY

2007-01-02T07:58:00.000-06:00

Orders to Cater to Creationists Makes National Park Agnostic on Geology

Washington, DC — Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood rather than by geologic forces, more than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on sale at the park, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).

Full Article here.
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Um, what? This is absolutely ludicrous! How can the government do this?

GAO chief warns economic disaster looms

2006-10-30T08:12:00.000-06:00

Basically, that makes Walker the nation's accountant-in-chief. And the accountant-in-chief's professional opinion is that the American public needs to tell Washington it's time to steer the nation off the path to financial ruin.

What they don't talk about is a dirty little secret everyone in Washington knows, or at least should. The vast majority of economists and budget analysts agree: The ship of state is on a disastrous course, and will founder on the reefs of economic disaster if nothing is done to correct it.

There's a good reason politicians don't like to talk about the nation's long-term fiscal prospects. The subject is short on political theatrics and long on complicated economics, scary graphs and very big numbers. It reveals serious problems and offers no easy solutions. Anybody who wanted to deal with it seriously would have to talk about raising taxes and cutting benefits, nasty nostrums that might doom any candidate who prescribed them.

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Ouch!

Waterboarding

2006-10-29T12:35:00.000-06:00

Fact: - The Army Field Manual printed by the US DoD does not list waterboarding as an approved technique for interrogation, and is therefore not permitted for detainees under DoD control.

Fact: - In 2005, the US Department of State recognized waterboarding as a form of torture in its examination of Tunisua's human rights record.

Fact: - in 1947, a Japanese officer, Yukio Asano was tried and convicted of war crimes when he waterboarded a civilian American victim.

Fact: - In their January 21, 1968 issue, the Washington post published a photograph of American GIs waterboarding an enemy suspect in Da Nang. The soldier depicted in the photograph was court martialed and drummed out of the army.

Tell me, why is it suddenly okay now, when it was never okay before? What happened to our soul? Our moral superiority? I believe we are doomed as a people as long as we blithely traipse through life, ignorant of the horrors our government exercises in our names.

Shame on you if you don't vote on Tuesday.

Thanks Fraize!!!

Cheney Still Doesn't Get It on Iraq

2006-10-29T12:15:00.000-06:00

A surreal and ultimately disgusting facet of the Iraq fiasco is the lag between when a fact becomes obvious and when the fiasco's architects acknowledge that fact.

...
A mordant joke told during the Cold War concerned asking an Italian, a Frenchman, an Englishman and a Russian to each describe his most cherished dream. The Italian said, "I want my country to produce the greatest artists." The Frenchman said, "I want my nation to produce the greatest philosophers." The Englishman said, "I want my country to produce the greatest parliamentarians." The Russian said, "I want my neighbor's cow to die."

The joke was no laughing matter because it turned on this truth: A history of brutalizing tyranny had stunted the Russians' aptitude for collective aspirations.

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Great article.

Bizarre Contradictions in Bush Policies: Flip-floping again

2006-10-17T08:04:00.000-05:00

General: Officer allowed detainee abuse

Fay said Jordan knew about some of the abuses and did not stop them. He said Jordan "told us a story that was deceptive and it was misleading, and he tried to avoid responsibility for his role at Abu Ghraib."

Jordan, 50, of Fredericksburg, Va., is charged with 12 offenses, including one count of cruelty and maltreatment for allegedly subjecting detainees to forced nudity and intimidation by dogs. He faces a maximum of 42 years in prison if convicted of all counts.

--- AND ---

Bush to sign law authorizing harsh interrogation

The Military Commissions Act of 2006 sets standards for interrogating suspects, but through a complex set of rules that human rights groups say could allow harsh techniques bordering on torture, such as sleep deprivation and induced hypothermia.

The new law means Bush can continue a secret CIA program for interrogating terrorism suspects whom he believes have vital information that could thwart a plot against America.

It establishes military tribunals that would allow some use of evidence obtained by coercion, but would give defendants access to classified evidence being used to convict them.

Seems to be quite fashionable to violate the Constitution these days.

2006-10-16T09:45:00.000-05:00

In a jail cell at an immigration detention center in Arizona sits a man who is not charged with a crime, not suspected of a crime, not considered a danger to society.

But he has been in custody for five years.

His name is Ali Partovi. And according to the Department of Homeland Security, he is the last to be held of about 1,200 Arab and Muslim men swept up by authorities in the United States after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks

There has been no full accounting of all of these individuals. Nor has a promised federal policy to protect against unrestricted sweeps been produced.

Human rights groups tried to track the detainees; members of Congress denounced the arrests. They all believed that all of those who had been arrested had been deported, released or processed through the criminal justice system.

Just this summer, it was reported that an Algerian man, Benemar "Ben" Benatta, was the last detainee, and that his transfer to Canada had closed the book on the post-9/11 sweeps.

But now The Associated Press has learned that at least one person — Partovi — is still being held. The Department of Homeland Security insists he really is the last one in custody.

What part of $2.41 TRILLION in DEBT is something to be proud of?

2006-10-13T00:19:00.000-05:00

Conrad added that the president also failed to note that he was tapping Social Security revenue to help cover the deficit through off-budget borrowing. Accounting for that, Conrad said, would have added $550 billion to the deficit last fiscal year, money that will have to be repaid as 78 million baby boomers become eligible for Social Security.

Other Democrats said Bush had overstated the strength of the economy and gave too much credit to tax cuts.

"Only a president with such a historically bad economic record would be this excited about a $248-billion deficit," said Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, ranking Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee. "The large budget deficits run up by President Bush have produced record-low national saving, record-high trade deficits and record-high foreign borrowing."

Though Bush took credit for "restraining spending," federal expenditures rose 7.4% compared with 2005, to a record $2.65 trillion. The biggest spending increases: education, up 28.1%; Medicare, up 12.5%; and interest on the public debt, up 15.2%. Tax revenue also reached an all-time high of $2.41 trillion.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts the deficit for fiscal 2007 will swell to $286 billion and total $1.76 trillion over the next decade.

The Congressional Budget Office also cast doubt on Bush's assertion that tax cuts would reduce the deficit. Its estimates show that extending the cuts, which are scheduled to expire in 2010, would add $2.2 trillion to the deficit through 2016.

What part of $2.41 TRILLION in DEBT is GOOD NEWS?

idiots.

This is good.

2006-10-12T16:41:00.000-05:00

If they can't win now...

2006-10-03T23:26:00.000-05:00

An Iraq war that has cost us nearly half trillion dollars – and the good will of the world – might not have done it. Runaway federal spending that allowed the national debt to reach $8.5 trillion might not have done it. George Bush’s low approval ratings, the lack of comprehensive immigration reform, the historical pattern of an anti-incumbent “six-year itch” in presidencies, the cascade of stories about administration ineptitude and dissembling and congressional financial and lobbying corruption — none of these issues seemed destined to end the Republicans’ 12 year reign in Congress.

Then came the Foley Scandal. If the Democrats can’t take the Hill now, they deserve to go the way of the Whigs.

Legislating Violations of the Constitution

2006-10-02T08:08:00.000-05:00

From the Washington Post:

With little public attention or even notice, the House of Representatives has passed a bill that undermines enforcement of the First Amendment's separation of church and state. The Public Expression of Religion Act - H.R. 2679 - provides that attorneys who successfully challenge government actions as violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment shall not be entitled to recover attorneys fees. The bill has only one purpose: to prevent suits challenging unconstitutional government actions advancing religion.

A federal statute, 42 United States Code section 1988, provides that attorneys are entitled to recover compensation for their fees if they successfully represent a plaintiff asserting a violation of his or her constitutional or civil rights. For example, a lawyer who successfully sues on behalf of a victim of racial discrimination or police abuse is entitled to recover attorney's fees from the defendant who acted wrongfully. Any plaintiff who successfully sues to remedy a violation of the Constitution or a federal civil rights statute is entitled to have his or her attorney's fees paid.

Congress adopted this statute for a simple reason: to encourage attorneys to bring cases on behalf of those whose rights have been violated. Congress was concerned that such individuals often cannot afford an attorney and vindicating constitutional rights rarely generates enough in damages to pay a lawyer on a contingency fee basis.

Without this statute, there is no way to compensate attorneys who successfully sue for injunctions to stop unconstitutional government behavior. Congress rightly recognized that attorneys who bring such actions are serving society's interests by stopping the government from violating the Constitution. Indeed, the potential for such suits deters government wrong-doing and increases the likelihood that the Constitution will be followed.
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This is disgusting!

Bush presidency: State of Denial

2006-10-01T19:54:00.000-05:00

Bob Woodward, of Watergate fame, has just completed his third book on the Bush presidency, “State of Denial.”

I've posted some excerpts from a Bob Woodward interview below:

"It is the oldest story in the coverage of government: the failure to tell the truth," Woodward charges.
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"Getting to the point now where there are eight, 900 attacks a week," he says. "That’s more than 100 a day—that is four an hour. Attacking our forces."

Woodward says the government had kept this trend secret for years before finally declassifying the graph just three weeks ago. And Woodward accuses President Bush and the Pentagon of making false claims of progress in Iraq – claims, contradicted by facts that are being kept secret.
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Woodward reports that a top general says Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has so emasculated the joint chiefs that the chairman of the chiefs has become “the parrot on Rumsfeld’s shoulder.”
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"John Murtha is in many ways the soul and the conscience of the military," Woodward replies. "And he came out and said, 'We need to get out of Iraq as soon as it’s practical' and that sent a 10,000 volt jolt through the White House."
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In his book, published by CBS sister company, Simon & Schuster, Woodward reports that the first President Bush confided to one of his closest friends how upset he is that his son invaded Iraq.

"The former President Bush is said to be in agony, anguished, tormented by the war in Iraq and its aftermath," Wallace says.
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"Late last year he had key Republicans up to the White House to talk about the war. And said, 'I will not withdraw even if Laura and Barney are the only ones supporting me.' Barney is his dog," Woodward says.

Why aren't Dems working this? - or - 5 Steps to Change in America!

2006-09-24T11:45:00.000-05:00

This is a great article on the next generation of Karl Roves.

My question is: why are there Dems, or anyone that's concerned about the state of the U.S., making quick little video ads/reminders about Bush's record? You don't even have to make that stuff up (like Rove's cronies do), Bush does all the stupid stuff for real!!!

5 Simple Steps to Help Get Bush's Cronies Voted Out of Office!!!

It's so simple to do, all you need is some basic video editing software...

1. Pick an issue, show how important it is with an emotional angle/music.

2. Show how Bush cut it, or didn't do anything about it, or appointed a political hack to run the agency responsible for it.

3. Post videos on YouTube, email to friends.
4. Customize for local/state canidates against Bush's neocons.

5. Wait for traffic, buzz and voter outrage. Then CHANGE!

It's not rocket science, like I said, Bush does all the damaging stuff for you! Just remind/show his true record, and if America isn't so wrapped up in "Dancing with the Stars" to pay attention and get outraged, we may just get this great country back on track!!!

Go, DO IT NOW!!!

Iraq war hurting terror fight, spy agencies say

2006-09-24T11:11:00.000-05:00

Jihadists using conflict as rallying cry, National Intelligence Estimate finds

The war in Iraq has become the primary recruitment vehicle for violent Islamic extremists, motivating a new generation of potential terrorists around the world whose numbers are increasing faster than the United States and its allies are eliminating the threat, U.S. intelligence analysts have concluded.

A 30-page National Intelligence Estimate completed in April cites the "centrality" of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and the insurgency that has followed, as the leading inspiration for new Islamic extremist networks and cells that are united by little more than an anti-Western agenda. Rather than contributing to eventual victory in the global counterterrorism struggle, it concludes that the situation in Iraq has worsened the U.S. position, according to officials familiar with the classified document.

"It's a very candid assessment," one intelligence official said yesterday of the estimate, the first formal examination of global terrorist trends written by the National Intelligence Council since the March 2003 invasion. "It's stating the obvious."
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GREAT job Bush, "golly, we didn't think of that..."

Donate $8 the the US National Slavery Museum

2006-09-23T15:37:00.000-05:00

The United States National Slavery Museum (USNSM) is asking Americans to contribute $8.00 or more to the construction of the only museum in our nation devoted exclusively to telling the story of American slavery

Why $8?
$8 8 is the shape both of shackles (the symbol of slavery) and, if turned on its side, of infinite freedom.
$8 is an amount that allows every American to be a part of this incredible project.
$8 buys recognition for millions of enslaved African Americans who helped build America.
$8 is rewarded with an advance ticket to the Museum’s exclusive opening preview (valued at $25).
$8 will help remove shackles that have divided our nation and replace them with a new symbol for a united America.

Donate here!

L'shana Tova!
Charlie

U.N.: Torture in Iraq Worse Now Than Under Saddam

2006-09-22T11:34:00.000-05:00

Torture in Iraq may be worse now than it was under the regime of Saddam Hussein, the United Nations' chief anti-torture expert said Thursday, describing a situation where militias, terrorist groups, government forces and others disregard rules on the humane treatment of prisoners.

"What most people tell you is that the situation as far as torture is concerned now in Iraq is totally out of hand," said Manfred Nowak, the global body's special investigator on torture. "The situation is so bad many people say it is worse than it has been in the times of Saddam Hussein."
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Nice, thanks for all that work and money spent bush.
Charlie

Signs of the times...

2006-09-19T07:58:00.000-05:00

Canadian intelligence officials passed false warnings and bad information to American agents about a Muslim Canadian citizen, after which U.S. authorities secretly whisked him to Syria, where he was tortured, a judicial report found Monday. Here.
--------

In the few short years since the first shackled Afghan shuffled off to Guantanamo, the U.S. military has created a global network of overseas prisons, its islands of high security keeping 14,000 detainees beyond the reach of established law.

Disclosures of torture and long-term arbitrary detentions have won rebuke from leading voices including the U.N. secretary-general and the U.S. Supreme Court. But the bitterest words come from inside the system, the size of several major U.S. penitentiaries.

"It was hard to believe I'd get out," Baghdad shopkeeper Amjad Qassim al-Aliyawi told The Associated Press after his release — without charge — last month. "I lived with the Americans for one year and eight months as if I was living in hell."

Captured on battlefields, pulled from beds at midnight, grabbed off streets as suspected insurgents, tens of thousands now have passed through U.S. detention, the vast majority in Iraq. Here.
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The Pentagon defended on Monday its months-long detention of an Associated Press photographer in Iraq, asserting that it has authority to imprison him indefinitely without charges because it believes he had improper ties to insurgents.

But journalism organizations said that covering all sides in the Iraq war sometimes requires contacts with insurgents. They called on the Pentagon to either bring charges against photographer Bilal Hussein so he can defend himself, or release him.

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Many of those chosen by O'Beirne's office to work for the Coalition Provisional Authority, which ran Iraq's government from April 2003 to June 2004, lacked vital skills and experience. A 24-year-old who had never worked in finance -- but had applied for a White House job -- was sent to reopen Baghdad's stock exchange. The daughter of a prominent neoconservative commentator and a recent graduate from an evangelical university for home-schooled children were tapped to manage Iraq's $13 billion budget, even though they didn't have a background in accounting.

One former CPA employee who had an office near O'Beirne's wrote an e-mail to a friend describing the recruitment process: "I watched résumés of immensely talented individuals who had sought out CPA to help the country thrown in the trash because their adherence to 'the President's vision for Iraq' (a frequently heard phrase at CPA) was 'uncertain.' I saw senior civil servants from agencies like Treasury, Energy . . . and Commerce denied advisory positions in Baghdad that were instead handed to prominent RNC (Republican National Committee) contributors." Here.

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Who could possibly think these things are good ideas for AMERICA?

Okay, let me get this straight...

2006-09-12T10:07:00.000-05:00

Here is Bush's proposal:

And here are some selected Articles from the U.S. Bill of Rights that Bush has SWORN to uphold:
Amendment VI
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.

Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
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Hmm... golly, what an interesting comparison eh?

Too bad we don't need anything like that here in the U.S. ... wait... um...

2006-09-01T08:35:00.000-05:00

These homes are built for climate change
Floods? No problem, they just float above the current

The 700-square-foot structures are on the “wrong” side of a dike in a beautiful flood plain of one of the country’s main waterways, the Maas River, overlooking lush marshland and a harbor.
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For more than 1,000 years the Dutch have been holding back the sea, and even reclaiming it. Landfills and windmill-driven pumps have created vast fields, called polders, for new cities, pastures and cropland. If it weren’t for its system of dikes and canals, as much as half of the Netherlands could be submerged.

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Hmm... now how could we use these brilliant ideas from a country that has been dealing with this for ... well, 1,000 years!?? If we didn't piss off Europe so much, maybe we could get some consultants and designers to help with the New Orleans area.

Everybody thank your president and republican politician leadership folks....

Rebuttal on Rumsfeld's bullshit speech

2006-08-31T17:06:00.000-05:00

EPA ENFORCEMENT THREATENED BY LIBRARY CLOSURES — Prosecutions at Risk from Loss of Timely Access to Key Documents

2006-08-31T10:52:00.000-05:00

News Releases
Print Email

For Immediate Release: August 28, 2006
Contact: Carol Goldberg (202) 265-7337

EPA ENFORCEMENT THREATENED BY LIBRARY CLOSURES — Prosecutions at Risk from Loss of Timely Access to Key Documents

Washington, DC — Prosecution of polluters by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency “will be compromised” due to the loss of “timely, correct and accessible” information from the agency’s closure of its network of technical libraries, according to an internal memo released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). EPA enforcement staff currently rely upon the libraries to obtain technical information to support pollution prosecutions and to track the business histories of regulated industries.

In a memo prepared last week by the enforcement arm of EPA, called the Office of Enforcement and Compliance (OECA), agency staff detailed concerns about the effects of EPA’s plans to close many of its libraries, box up the collections and eliminate or sharply reduce library services. Each year, EPA’s libraries handle more than 134,000 research requests from its own scientific and enforcement staff. The memo states:

“If OECA is involved in a civil or criminal litigation and the judge asks for documentation, we can currently rely upon a library to locate the information and have it produced to a court house in a timely manner. Under the cuts called for in the plan, timeliness for such services is not addressed.”

In addition, the memo raises negative side effects relating to –

* Forensics. “The NEIC (National Enforcement Investigations Center) Library is the only specialized environmental forensic library in the Agency. The NEIC library supports enforcement in the regions when there is a need for NEIC’s expertise or unique materials…Loss of support for enforcement within the regions may cause an overwhelming demand on the small NEIC library by requiring the NEIC library to provide not only unique materials, but also items that the regional libraries currently provide. There is no budget available to expand NEIC’s library capacity should this increased demand for NEIC library services occur.”
* Lost Collections. “OECA is seriously concerned that these documents may be distributed without adequate documentation and cataloging and may become virtually lost within the system.”
* Institutional Memory. “OECA is concerned that the loss of institutional memory as well as the loss of expertise from professional librarians in the regions will hamper OECA’s enforcement program.”

“Cutting $2 million in library services in an EPA budget totaling nearly $8 billion is the epitome of a penny wise-pound foolish economy,” stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. “From research to regulation to enforcement, EPA is an information-dependent operation which needs libraries and librarians to function properly.”

-- more here: EPA BEGINS CLOSING LIBRARIES BEFORE CONGRESS ACTS ON PLAN — End of Public Access to Technical Holdings as Original Collections Shuttered

A key tenet of the new plan is that all research requests will be centrally controlled. The plan calls for “discouraging establishment of divisional or branch mini-libraries” so that central staff can “have knowledge of [the] location” of all research materials. In a mass letter of protest signed this June by representatives for 10,000 EPA scientists and researchers, more than half the total agency workforce, employees contend that the library plan is designed to “suppress information on environmental and public health-related topics.”

“What is going on inside EPA is positively Orwellian,” concluded Ruch.
_____
Thank you Senior Arbusto. Jerk.

Excellent commenary by Bruce Schneier

2006-08-24T11:18:00.000-05:00

Refuse to be terrorized
I'd like everyone to take a deep breath and listen for a minute.

The point of terrorism is to cause terror, sometimes to further a political goal and sometimes out of sheer hatred. The people terrorists kill are not the targets; they are collateral damage. And blowing up planes, trains, markets or buses is not the goal; those are just tactics.

The real targets of terrorism are the rest of us: the billions of us who are not killed but are terrorized because of the killing. The real point of terrorism is not the act itself, but our reaction to the act.

And we're doing exactly what the terrorists want.
...
Imagine for a moment what would have happened if they had blown up 10 planes. There would be canceled flights, chaos at airports, bans on carry-on luggage, world leaders talking tough new security measures, political posturing and all sorts of false alarms as jittery people panicked. To a lesser degree, that's basically what's happening right now.

Our politicians help the terrorists every time they use fear as a campaign tactic. The press helps every time it writes scare stories about the plot and the threat. And if we're terrified, and we share that fear, we help. All of these actions intensify and repeat the terrorists' actions, and increase the effects of their terror.
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and this great cartoon.
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Charlie

Bush sought to cut $6M in screening technology

2006-08-14T07:50:00.000-05:00

Amid U.K. terror plot, administration targeted anti-terror technology funds

WASHINGTON - As the British terror plot was unfolding, the Bush administration quietly tried to take away $6 million that was supposed to be spent this year developing new explosives detection technology.

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Nice. Brilliant move Bush.
Charlie

Human Family Tree: Shallow Roots

2006-07-03T10:48:00.000-05:00

It also means that all of us have ancestors of every color and creed. Every Palestinian suicide bomber has Jews in his past. Every Sunni Muslim in Iraq is descended from at least one Shiite. And every Klansman's family has African roots.

How can this be?

It's simple math. Every person has two parents, four grandparents and eight great-grandparents. Keep doubling back through the generations -- 16, 32, 64, 128 -- and within a few hundred years you have thousands of ancestors.
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A great article! Shows we are all related much more recently than we may think... not back to "Adam and Eve" but maybe less that 2,000 years ago!

Charlie

This is awesome!

2006-07-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

A very guy-themed video... hilarious! I think I need something to blow up!

Ideas?

A backdoor plan to thwart the electoral college

2006-06-17T20:21:00.000-05:00

Some states try to ensure that the winner of popular vote becomes president.

By Randy Dotinga | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
SAN DIEGO – Picture it: On election day in some future year, a presidential candidate ends up with the most popular votes but not enough electoral votes to win.
It's a repeat of the 2000 election in which one contender, Democrat Al Gore, took the majority of the national popular vote, while the other, Republican George W. Bush, clinched the most electoral college votes and, hence, the presidency.

But this time there's a twist: A bunch of states team up and give all their electoral college votes to the nationwide popular-vote winner, regardless of who won the most votes in their state. Then, the candidate who garners the most citizen votes in the country moves into the White House.

Legislative houses in Colorado and California have recently approved this plan, known as the National Popular Vote proposal, taking it partway to passage. Other states, too, are exploring the idea of a binding compact among states that would oblige each of them to throw its electoral votes behind the national popular-vote winner.

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Interesting... I'm thinking that this is a much better plan... simplicity at the core of it, popular vote gets it. Thoughts?

Charlie

Argentina doesn’t just score goals, it crafts works of art.

2006-06-16T11:41:00.000-05:00

Argentina crushes Serbia-Montenegro 6-0
South Americans score second goal after string of 24 straight passes!!!!!!!!!!WOW!!!

You may guess that our house is a very happy place today!!! 8-)
Whoooooohoooooo!!! Dale! Dale! ARGENTINA!!!

Charlie and Marcela

Some fun stuff....

2006-06-11T22:51:00.000-05:00

Lack of teeth by state: I'm surprised Texas is so low on the list...
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Extreme baloon animals. I should learn to do that before I have kids... 8-) Okay, maybe I don't need to know how to build a motorcycle or a dress or a couch out of baloons, but it would be fun to do once!

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And some funny takes on the recent "666" date thing...
666i = BMW of the Beast
DSM-666 (revised) = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Beast
$665.95 = Retail price of the Beast

Charlie

Photoshopped "news" photo on MSNBC.com?

2006-06-03T11:06:00.001-05:00

I woke up to this photo on MSNBC.com's main "headline" image. (It may have changed now.)

I'm fairly good in photoshop and this looks to be a composite of two photos, one the auto and the guys on the left, and a different photo of the swat team guy in the forground. The light source angles are completely different for each!

I'm not up on the latest in news reporting ethics, but I thought photoshop like this was generally NOT accepted as accurate journalism. Anyone have an opinion here?

Charlie

Willie Nelson and My Grandma in '04

2006-05-27T19:22:00.000-05:00

Willie Nelson just came out with a book: The Tao of Willie : A Guide to the Happiness in Your Heart I'm going to pick it up!

In '04, my mom had the chance to help out Willie Nelson on tour, she got some passes to the show and to meet him back stage. We got some great pictures of the family with him, especially great ones with he and my Grandmother!

with my mom:

and with my auntie Bridget!

I have to pick up the book, you should too.

A Comedy 3,000 years in the making...

2006-05-21T15:10:00.000-05:00

Another Brilliant video mashup... I so gotta do something like this...

Great video "mashup"

2006-05-16T17:06:00.000-05:00

No new footage, just totally 733t (elite) video editing and effects. Very well done! Neo vs. Robocop GO!!!

GWIGLE: Guess What I Google Literally Everyday A fun game with google results... enjoy! I got stumped on the year of summer Olympics was held in Greece. How about you?

Black Sigatoka, leave my Cavendish alone!!!

2006-05-15T19:20:00.000-05:00

Get thee to a bannanery!

and this... oh, this is great! "if Gore was president..."

Domino Movie

2006-05-14T21:22:00.000-05:00

I watched the movie "Domino" on saturday... seemed like an interesting movie when it came out a few months ago... Model turns away from the NY/LA/London/Paris scenes and becomes a bounty hunter. Yes, way before that idiot with the combover "Dog" on bravo... 8-)

It was a good movie, some very exciting moments and some great performances. Lucy Liu is only seen sitting down, for once a non-action role for her, but I did keep expecting her to get up and kick some ass. 8-)

Mikey Rourke is in exactly the kind of role that's perfect for him... dirty, tough, not really bright, but a real gritty ass-kicker. Good stuff.

Kiera Knightly was great in this... she has the model look, but didn't look afraid to get grimy and tough. It looked like the actress felt comfortable in the dirty, bloody, trash subculture.

Interesting thing is, the movie is based on the real life of Domino Harvey, daughter of a actor from back in the day... the original Manchurian Canidate movie I guess. It's a loose interpretation, fictionalized story, but with the real characters. Good stuff.

Overall, it's a good action movie... enjoy. The Movie's Site - IMDB listing

Charlie

This is BRILLIANT!

2006-05-14T02:20:00.000-05:00

Some people think this is about religion... could be... 8-)

Thoughts? I think it's spot on for some organized religions, but I do believe in the main man upstairs... humans however, are the problem.
Charlie

What's wrong with this picture?!

2006-04-07T08:19:00.000-05:00

I screen capp'd this from the front page of MSNBC.com yesterday... what's the deal here?

8-)

Charlie

Study: Bush tax cuts making rich richer

2006-04-05T07:33:00.000-05:00

Report: The wealthiest Americans are reaping huge gains from reduced taxes on investment income.

President Bush's tax cuts for investment income have significantly lowered the tax burden on the richest Americans, reducing taxes on incomes of more than $10 million by an average of about $500,000, according to a report Wednesday.
...
These taxpayers, whose average income was $26 million, paid about the same share of their income in income taxes as those making $200,000 to $500,000 because of the lowered rates on investment income.
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Nice. Thanks Mr. President.

Charlie

What a day of news... If you aren't appaled, you haven't been paying attention!

2006-03-28T08:14:00.000-06:00

Eric Haney, a retired command sergeant major of the U.S. Army, was a founding member of Delta Force, the military's elite covert counter-terrorist unit.
ince he has devoted his life to protecting his country in some of the world's most dangerous hot spots, you might assume Haney is sympathetic to the Bush administration's current plight in Iraq (the laudatory cover blurb on his book comes from none other than Fox's News' Bill O'Reilly). But he's also someone with close ties to the Pentagon, so he's privy to information denied the rest of us.

Q: What's your assessment of the war in Iraq?

A: Utter debacle. But it had to be from the very first. The reasons were wrong. The reasons of this administration for taking this nation to war were not what they stated. (Army Gen.) Tommy Franks was brow-beaten and ... pursued warfare that he knew strategically was wrong in the long term. That's why he retired immediately afterward. His own staff could tell him what was going to happen afterward.

We have fomented civil war in Iraq. We have probably fomented internecine war in the Muslim world between the Shias and the Sunnis, and I think Bush may well have started the third world war, all for their own personal policies.

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The financial cost we are paying because of Bush and Cheney's no bid contracts, cronyism and incompetence: "US debt clock running out of time, space".

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And what are we paying for? Two teams of government investigators using fake documents were able to enter the United States with enough radioactive sources to make two dirty bombs... Not much apparently.

Charlie

More fun Bush/Blair memos

2006-03-27T10:26:00.000-06:00

"The US would put its full weight behind efforts to get another resolution and would twist arms and even threaten," Mr Bush is paraphrased as saying.

"But he had to say that if we ultimately failed, military action would follow anyway."

Interesting: The Planet of Unreality

2006-03-21T11:17:00.000-06:00

Interesting article... Do they believe? Will history see this differently than most of us do now? Likely so. But I don't think history will be kind to Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their cronies.

Thoughts?
Charlie

States and Countries I've been to

2006-03-19T22:59:00.000-06:00

create your own visited states map
or check out these Google Hacks.

create your own visited countries map
or vertaling Duits Nederlands
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Heh! FUN stuff, golly it makes me want to travel more... I can't believe I typed "golly". I'm a dork.

Charlie

Bayesan probability theory

2006-03-09T14:54:00.000-06:00

Despite the esoteric symbols, the idea--roughly speaking--is simple: The likelihood that something will happen can be plausibly estimated by how often it occurred in the past. Researchers are applying the idea to everything from gene studies to filtering e-mail.
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Interesting stuff with a good explaination. I do love that tv show Numbers, with a math professor being the lead character, using math to solve crimes. Heh, not exactly a traditional plot point. 8-)

After reading this article, it occurs to me that usability of something, be it a website, software app, car, vcr or any interface is greatly based on Bayesian theories. i.e. because users understand this popular (frequently used) interface convention, they are more likely to be successful on further use.
Wow, I'm a freakin' scientist! heh! 8-)

Charlie

Proof that people don't always die because they are being punished by G-d

2006-03-07T09:09:00.000-06:00

Dana Reeve dies at 44 of lung cancer

Widow of actor Christopher Reeve fought for paralysis cure

Pretty sad stuff. Some may think/ask why G-d would do something like this... kill a very young mother/wife that supported her husband through paralysis and his passing. Is G-d punishing her and her family? What could she/they have done to see so much tragedy in their lives?

I think it's a (another) sign that G-d isn't punishing people when they die, it just happens as a natural part of life. That may not make it easier, but I think it's true. How else would so many evil-doers survive for so long?
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A month or so ago, they husband of my wife's best friend died... he was 31. He was a cardiologist that had a minor issue with his heart. He was running and collapsed on the street in Buenos Aires.

We didn't get along spectacularly well, just hung out while our wives had a great time together. It's still a stark reminder that you can go at any time. I think it's a clear reminder to live your life to the fullest, don't push off the wonderful times you can have with your loved ones. Enjoy all you can now.

Shalom.

Charlie

Soldier pays for armor

2006-02-08T07:47:00.000-06:00

Soldier pays for armor

Army demanded $700 from city man who was wounded

The last time 1st Lt. William “Eddie” Rebrook IV saw his body armor, he was lying on a stretcher in Iraq, his arm shattered and covered in blood.

A field medic tied a tourniquet around Rebrook’s right arm to stanch the bleeding from shrapnel wounds. Soldiers yanked off his blood-soaked body armor. He never saw it again.

But last week, Rebrook was forced to pay $700 for that body armor, blown up by a roadside bomb more than a year ago.

-- um WHAT?

Charlie

14 Defining Characteristics of Fascism

2006-02-07T11:50:00.000-06:00

How many do you see?

Some here are a bit of a stretch, but most are spot on.

Shalom.
Charlie

Some interesting links...

2006-01-27T07:55:00.000-06:00

Legislative watchdog groups wage war on earmarks and p--k
Although Republicans claim to be the party of small government and fiscal restraint, Schatz's group found that total earmarks rose to 13,997 in 2005, a huge increase from the 1995 total of 1,349.

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Washington’s new ways spawn more pork
As barriers between lobbyists and lawmakers fall, ‘earmarks’ grow

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Broadcaster says serious news at risk
Many Americans on the left and the right aren't interested in the truth, but simply want news that confirms their viewpoints, he said. "You'd think that it's no more complex than good vs. evil," he said.

Journalists have fallen short in presenting important news in ways that allow viewers to see how it matters in their lives. But viewers must take up the battle as well, he said. "It's not enough to say you want serious news. You have to watch it. It isn't enough to say you want serious debate. You have to engage in it."

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A majority of Americans are more likely to vote for a candidate in November's congressional elections who opposes President Bush, and 58 percent consider his second term a failure so far, according to a poll released Thursday.

Fewer people consider Bush to be honest and trustworthy now than did a year ago, and 53 percent said they believe his administration deliberately misled the public about Iraq's purported weapons program before the U.S. invasion in 2003, the CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found.

Enjoy... and Shalom!
Charlie

Very kool, access to Stanford lectures via iTunes

2006-01-26T08:00:00.000-06:00

In an unprecedented move, Stanford University is collaborating with Apple Computer to allow public access a wide range of lectures, speeches, debates and other university content through iTunes.
No need to pay the $31,200 tuition. No need to live on campus. No need even to be a student. The nearly 500 tracks that constitute “Stanford on iTunes” are available to anyone willing to spend the few minutes it takes to download them from the Internet.
Link to Standford iTunes here.
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Also, Bono has launched a new global brand, Product Red, with a share of profits to go to the fight against Aids in Africa. Article here.
This seems pretty interesting, making it even more fashionable to support these causes... Amex is only doing 1% of each pound spent via their "red" cards, but if generally 40% of profits go to this cause, that could be a good chunk of change. I like the concept.

Charlie

This would be funny, if it weren't so sad.

2006-01-25T08:22:00.000-06:00

Political bias affects brain activity, study finds

Democrats and Republicans both adept at ignoring facts, brain scans show

More fancy "postin'" soon. 8-)
Charlie

An Austin "Get Your War On" show...

2006-01-18T13:40:00.001-06:00

Hey Friends!
One of my favorite political cartoon sites, "GET YOUR WAR ON" at http://www.mnftiu.cc has an Austin theatre company doing an stage adaptation:
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Austin's premiere theatre company, The Rude Mechanicals, staged an adaptation of Get Your War On last year. The run ended with standing-room-only shows, so they are staging it again.

The show runs until February 4. More info here:
http://www.rudemechs.com
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Hope to see you there! Let me know if you go, and what you think.
Charlie

An interesting legal perspective of the Pres' warrantless domestic surveillance

2006-01-02T16:36:00.000-06:00

Why Get A Warrant?: The President's Admission that He Authorized Warrantless Domestic Surveillance
By Sherry F. Colb, a FindLaw columnist, is Professor and Frederick B. Lacey Scholar at Rutgers Law School.

An well put together argument from a legal perspective. Enjoy!

I especially liked the part where she discusses: "the problem on September 11th was not the failure to have gathered intelligence. It was the failure to read the intelligence we already had (about flight schools and planned airplane attacks on the World Trade Center towers), to which the administration had ready access. The problem, in other words, was too much -- and poorly organized -- information, rather than not enough. The continuing broad surveillance of U.S. citizens, without oversight, thus promises only to aggravate matters.

Everyone have a great new years? What kinda resolutions do ya got? I've got several, none too interesting nor unique... 8-)
Charlie

Fear destroys what bin Laden could not

2005-12-27T10:56:00.000-06:00

AFTER 9/11

ROBERT STEINBACK
rsteinback@MiamiHerald.com

One wonders if Osama bin Laden didn't win after all. He ruined the America that existed on 9/11. But he had help.

If, back in 2001, anyone had told me that four years after bin Laden's attack our president would admit that he broke U.S. law against domestic spying and ignored the Constitution -- and then expect the American people to congratulate him for it -- I would have presumed the girders of our very Republic had crumbled.

Had anyone said our president would invade a country and kill 30,000 of its people claiming a threat that never, in fact, existed, then admit he would have invaded even if he had known there was no threat -- and expect America to be pleased by this -- I would have thought our nation's sensibilities and honor had been eviscerated.

If I had been informed that our nation's leaders would embrace torture as a legitimate tool of warfare, hold prisoners for years without charges and operate secret prisons overseas -- and call such procedures necessary for the nation's security -- I would have laughed at the folly of protecting human rights by destroying them.

If someone had predicted the president's staff would out a CIA agent as revenge against a critic, defy a law against domestic propaganda by bankrolling supposedly independent journalists and commentators, and ridicule a 37-year Marie Corps veteran for questioning U.S. military policy -- and that the populace would be more interested in whether Angelina is about to make Brad a daddy -- I would have called the prediction an absurd fantasy.

That's no America I know, I would have argued. We're too strong, and we've been through too much, to be led down such a twisted path.

What is there to say now?

All of these things have happened. And yet a large portion of this country appears more concerned that saying ''Happy Holidays'' could be a disguised attack on Christianity.

I evidently have a lot poorer insight regarding America's character than I once believed, because I would have expected such actions to provoke -- speaking metaphorically now -- mobs with pitchforks and torches at the White House gate. I would have expected proud defiance of anyone who would suggest that a mere terrorist threat could send this country into spasms of despair and fright so profound that we'd follow a leader who considers the law a nuisance and perfidy a privilege.

Never would I have expected this nation -- which emerged stronger from a civil war and a civil rights movement, won two world wars, endured the Depression, recovered from a disastrous campaign in Southeast Asia and still managed to lead the world in the principles of liberty -- would cower behind anyone just for promising to ``protect us.''

President Bush recently confirmed that he has authorized wiretaps against U.S. citizens on at least 30 occasions and said he'll continue doing it. His justification? He, as president -- or is that king? -- has a right to disregard any law, constitutional tenet or congressional mandate to protect the American people.

Is that America's highest goal -- preventing another terrorist attack? Are there no principles of law and liberty more important than this? Who would have remembered Patrick Henry had he written, ``What's wrong with giving up a little liberty if it protects me from death?''

Bush would have us excuse his administration's excesses in deference to the ''war on terror'' -- a war, it should be pointed out, that can never end. Terrorism is a tactic, an eventuality, not an opposition army or rogue nation. If we caught every person guilty of a terrorist act, we still wouldn't know where tomorrow's first-time terrorist will strike. Fighting terrorism is a bit like fighting infection -- even when it's beaten, you must continue the fight or it will strike again.

Are we agreeing, then, to give the king unfettered privilege to defy the law forever? It's time for every member of Congress to weigh in: Do they believe the president is above the law, or bound by it?

Bush stokes our fears, implying that the only alternative to doing things his extralegal way is to sit by fitfully waiting for terrorists to harm us. We are neither weak nor helpless. A proud, confident republic can hunt down its enemies without trampling legitimate human and constitutional rights.

Ultimately, our best defense against attack -- any attack, of any sort -- is holding fast and fearlessly to the ideals upon which this nation was built. Bush clearly doesn't understand or respect that. Do we?
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Well said Mr. Steinback.

Study: There’s more than H2O in tap water - Austin?

2005-12-20T14:56:00.000-06:00

A survey by the Environmental Working Group released on Tuesday found 141 unregulated chemicals and an additional 119 for which the Environmental Protection Agency has set health-based limits. Most common among the chemicals found were disinfection byproducts, nitrates, chloroform, barium, arsenic and copper.

The top 10 states, listed in order of the most contaminants in their drinking water, were: California, Wisconsin, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Illinois, according to EWG, which listed the biggest sources as agriculture, industry and urban and sprawl developments.
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Anyone know where to find out information on Austin?

Buenos Aires Cafe in Austin!

2005-12-17T17:38:00.000-06:00

Hey, My wife is the manager of a newly opened cafe in Austin focused on the cuisine of Argentina and the atmosphere of Buenos Aires, it's largest city.

I encourage you all to take a breakfast, lunch or dinner here, it's a great experience. From fresh-baked pastries to Argentine-style empanadas and other specialties, the cafe is a small taste of Buenos Aires... I spent 3 months there this year, and it's a great little reflection of that amazing city. Yes, I am a little biased, but when you taste a fresh dulce de leche crossiant, or a spicy empanada, you'll know I was right... 8-)

It's owned and managed by some wonderful Argentine women, so it's authentic and not some McDonald's-owned chain restraunt... you'll get personal service and get to explore Argentine newspapers and pictures of the famous tango bars in Buenos Aires...
Ask for a Mate Cocido, and relax in a small slice of an amazing European-flavored South American City!

I'll see you there!

The Buenos Aires Cafe
info@BuenosAiresCafe.com -- 512-441-9000
2414 South 1st Street at Oltorf, Austin, TX
Open Monday to Saturday from 8:00 am to 9:30 pm.

WOW!!!

2005-12-16T16:54:00.000-06:00

Guaranteed to make you feel lazy.
An amazing "urban gymnastics" video... you know the guys running on rooftops, bouncing off walls... literally! There are a few boring moments as the video starts, but stay thru them, as it's worth it. It's like those moves Jackie Chan does in his movies, but just down the street... amazing stuff.

Those russians take the capoeira gymnastics like those I taped in Buenos Aires to the next level.
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Election Results "Cartogram" Maps
Now this is facinating, 1. from a political perspective, 2. from an information design perspective... (my field).

The common US red vs blue election map gives the superficial impression that the "red states" dominate the country, since they cover far more area than the blue ones. However, as pointed out by many others, this is misleading because it fails to take into account the fact that most of the red states have small populations, whereas most of the blue states have large ones. The blue may be small in area, but they are large in terms of numbers of people, which is what matters in an election.

We can correct for this by making use of a cartogram, a map in which the sizes of states have been rescaled according to their population.

A few links...

2005-12-15T15:05:00.000-06:00

An amusing look at the smiley icons 8-) that Japanese use...

And an amusing article from Scott Adams...from the Dilbert Blog:

Intelligence is Overrated

With all the debate about Intelligent Design, I started to wonder if intelligence is overrated. In particular, are intelligent people happier than unintelligent people?

If you were to rank the following two hypothetical individuals by happiness, what order would you put them in?

1. Bob the dentist

2. Snowflake the dog

Dentists are generally pretty smart and they have the highest suicide rate of any profession. In stark contrast, dogs are goofy and they always look happy. You almost never hear about a dog trying to shoot himself.

I know you want me to make a joke along the lines of “Dentists would be happy too if they could lick themselves.” But this is a serious discussion and I won’t have it. Plus that’s why dentists have office assistants.
(*^_^*) heheh!

Why is this on the BBC Site, not most US ones?

2005-11-15T08:02:00.000-06:00

US 'failing to stem terror risk'
"The most striking thing to us is that the size of the problem still totally dwarfs the policy response."
Thomas Kean - Chairman of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project

The group also criticised the Bush administration's efforts to improve its global image, tarnished by reports of the mistreatment of terror suspects.
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And here is a commentary listing "Five questions non-Muslims would like answered". It's a little raw, but the points he makes are valid... Where is the rightous Muslim's voice in all this terror nonsense, and "Why is only one of the 47 Muslim-majority countries a free country?"

I think there is a real opportunity for someone to stand up and share that Islam is not completely a mess.

Thoughts?

Have a Peaceful Veteran's Day. Shalom.

2005-11-11T11:24:00.000-06:00

The Links Between the Dalai Lama and Neuroscience
The Dalai Lama will present a lecture to the world's largest group of brain scientists this weekend.
Some small studies have suggested that meditating on compassion can affect parts of the brain associated with positive thoughts. The Dalai Lama's talk will discuss meditation as a way to promote well-being and compassion.
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Also, this weird situation:
"Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, took a rare swipe at the United States, saying he was puzzled why residents in the capital of the world's oldest democracy have no Congressional voting rights."

Interesting eh?
Charlie

Ratbikes and Topix

2005-11-10T16:38:00.000-06:00

A few things today...

"RatBikes?" what the hell? Actually a fairly kool concept, keep yer moto full-on grunge. "Ratbikes are the ultimate distilled evolution of motorcycling: No Bullsh*t involved. Just do the minimum to keep them healthy and Ride. Let your bike wear it's visual history with pride. No time consuming cleaning, washing, polishing, adding shiny parts that do nothing. None of that, forget about it! Embrace The Pure and Essential Essence of Riding - Ride A Ratbike!"
A Preeeety wild gallery of RatBikes. Not sure one of these is right for me, but they sure look funny. 8-)
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We were curious how the breakdown of posts by topic from blogs would differ from mainstream media, and were blown away by the contrasts.

Hope you are well!
Charlie

10 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

2005-11-05T18:41:00.000-06:00

Awesome post from the Best of CraigsList. I guess Texas is voting on this now/soon? Rock on!

10 Reasons Why Gay Marriage is Wrong

1. Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

2. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4. Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britany Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6. Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7. Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

9. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

a few links to kool stuff...

2005-11-01T12:12:00.000-06:00

"What the fuck is in the box?!" This is bloody hilarious! I love Shatner.

WOW. This is nasty... "Why haven't we seen this?" So do you think Bush's actions help this situation or stoke the fires?

"We have a strategy drawn up for the destruction of Anglo-Saxon civilization... we must make use of everything we have at hand to strike at this front by means of our suicide operations or by means of our missiles. There are 29 sensitive sites in the U.S. and in the West. We have already spied on these sites and we know how we are going to attack them."
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We're packaging together some of the world's coolest and funniest cartoons and sending them straight to your iPod each week. - NICE!
http://www.channelfrederator.com
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Nice... Info on new developments in Absinthe.
Absinthe was first distilled in 1792 in Switzerland, where it was marketed as a medicinal elixir, a cure for stomach ailments. High concentrations of chlorophyll gave it a rich olive color. In the 19th century, people began turning to the minty drink less for pains of the stomach than for pains of the soul. Absinthe came to be associated with artists and Moulin Rouge bohemians. Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Van Gogh, and Picasso were devotees. Toulouse-Lautrec carried some in a hollowed-out cane. Oscar Wilde wrote, "What difference is there between a glass of absinthe and a sunset?" Soon absinthe was the social lubricant of choice for a broad swath of Europeans - artists and otherwise. In 1874, the French sipped 700,000 liters of the stuff; by the turn of the century, consumption had shot up to 36 million liters, driven in part by a phylloxera infestation that had devastated the wine-grape harvest.

By the early 20th century, absinthe was becoming popular in America. It found a natural reception in New Orleans, where the bon temps were already rolling. Breaux's own great-grandparents were known to enjoy an occasional glass. But the drink was drawing fire for its thujone content. "It is truly madness in a bottle, and no habitual drinker can claim that he will not become a criminal," declared one politician. The anti-absinthe fervor climaxed in 1905, when Swiss farmer Jean Lanfray shot his pregnant wife and two daughters after downing two glasses. (Overlooked was what else Lanfray consumed that day: crème de menthe, cognac, seven glasses of wine, coffee with brandy, and another liter of wine.) By the end of World War I, the "green menace" was made illegal everywhere in western Europe except Spain. No reputable distillery still made it.

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Ah, what a life...

2005-10-22T21:58:00.000-05:00

2 days, boy gets 2 toys.

Friday my new work gives me a blackberry 7100t to keep connected with the team and clients. I've wanted a email/calendar phone for a while... I was thinking a Palm 650 like most of my pals, but a free blackberry? No prob... 8-)

When we were in Argentina in September, my lovely wife Marcela gave her iPod mini to her sister... she's been without Shakira, Shania Twain, Cheyenne and Luis Miguel for a few weeks... ouch. 8-) So she's had it in her mind to pick up a new ipod... the new Nano was calling her name.... Today I took her to the Apple store, in looking them over, [DAMN they are small and sexy] I decided that I wanted a flash based player [my excuse was to get my lazy ass running/biking more, really they are just too sweet to not play with] so I wouldn't have to worry about my hard drive based 3rd generation 40 gig iPod. Plus they are soooo kool I found them difficult to resist.... I decided that I'd sell my 40gig iPod and pick up a new black 4 gig Nano, just like my woman. So we are both now owners of new black beauties. I've loaded Argentina trip pictures and tons of music on mine already... and we got one of those kool lanyard things that are headphones, and go around your neck to hold the nano... clever.

Casualties of the Bush Administration

2005-10-15T17:37:00.000-05:00

Do your job, get busted down or fired. Ouch.
How's things with you all? We are busy, house stuff, job stuff etc. Marcela will be helping to manage a new rest/cafe downtown called the "Buenos Aires Cafe"!!! whoohoo. A friend of hers from Argentina is opening it... this lady also helped us with food and desserts for our wedding... good stuff. Argentina beer, empanadas, pastries, tea/mate, and more... It's opening in a few weeks. I'll keep you informed!

Charlie y Marcela

Wow. I really just can't believe it.

2005-10-03T10:02:00.000-05:00

Okay I'm trying to be a little more generous with Pres. Bush and his policies, mainly because I'm SO tired of bitching about him and his actions. I'm just bloody worn out by all of it. sigh.

Then I take a look at CNN and MSNBC today... he's nomitating a person that has never even been a judge to the supreme court! Her main qualification is that she thinks Bush is "the most brilliant man I've ever met" and is unfailingly loyal to him. I just can't believe that he just has NO FREAKIN' SHAME. Wow. I'm just wondering if they'll be a bigger backlash or will she sail on to confirmation? Will democratic and republican politicians with a backbone actually say something? Will the press (that's finally asking some of the hard questions that it should have been doing all along) actually challenge the logic of this? We shall see.

On another amuzing note, you may have seen some bumper stickers in the last few months that say "How many lives per gallon?" I admit, I bought a few. To me, they represent that this Iraq thing is really about preferential treatment for Iraq's oil production (you'll see why I need to explain what it represents to me) and that it's costing american lives to drive big suv's and trucks with poor gas milage. So I drive by a gas station to get some soda yesterday, and I see this Ford Excursion with that sticker on it..... I'm a little puzzled why a huge gas guzzling suv has a sticker (to me) criticizing itself. Ideas on what the guy is thinking? 8-)

Anyway, the job hunt is on, and like the allied invasion of europe during WW2, i'm attacking it on multiple fronts: consulting for online marketing and search SEO and PPC as well as looking for a new full time marketing management job... all the while working on a few business ideas/plans. I'll let ya know how it goes. 8-)

Charlie

Hey Pals!

2005-09-28T08:47:00.000-05:00

Not a lot of big news lately, but here is a summary of what's new with Charlie and Marcela.

- We got back from Buenos Aires last week okay. Long flight, but now we are almost unpacked and getting settled back into the house.
- We've both got about a MILLION things to do, from budgets to painting bathrooms, organizing boxes we just moved in, to hanging new closet racks... wow. busy stuff.
- Marcela is starting to think about what she'd like to do, from event managemet to helping out spanish speakers with legal or other troubles... ideas for her?
- As many of you know, my workplace is downsizing, (more or less closing for new business) and I'm now starting to look for other opportunities... I have a 3 pronged attack plan, so I think things will work out okay!
1. Pursue freelance Search Engine and Marketing Consulting. "Have a site, but don't see it on Google? I can fix that."
2. Catch up with old friends and co-workers, network for a new full time gig.
3. Work on the business plan for my personal identity theft product/company idea... I'm sure you'll hear more on this soon. If you have been a victim of any type of identity theft, please drop me a note, I'd like to hear about it.

Anyway, that's the main focus of our days... 8-)

Have a great week!
Charlie

Your wife/accountant does NOT want you to see this

2005-09-19T17:54:00.000-05:00

Wow, Amazing monitors... here's to us all winning the lottery!
--

A BRILLIANT article you SHOULD READ!

Bravo to Ms. Henneberger! I've been thinking on exactly this subject for a while... my ire has been directed at all the gold and art in the vatican, but the same point with us lazy americans. Between this great article, and several by Fareed Zakariah, I think I'll be subscribing to Newsweek soon.
Any Comments?
--

Overturning the Gospels

Katrina has reminded us that Christian morality should be about responding to the wretched and loving the unlovable—not about other people’s sex lives.

By Melinda Henneberger
...
We as a nation—a proudly, increasingly loudly Christian nation—have somehow convinced ourselves that the selfish choice is usually the moral one, too. (What a deal!) You know how this works: It's wrong to help poor people because "handouts'' reward dependency and thus hurt more than they help. So, do the right thing—that is, walk right on by—and by all means hang on to your hard-earned cash.

Thus do we deny the working poor a living wage, resent welfare recipients expected to live on a few hundred dollars a month, object to the whopping .16 percent of our GNP that goes to foreign aid—and still manage to feel virtuous about all of the above.

Which is how "Christian'' morality got to be all about other people's sex lives—and incredibly easy lifting compared to what Jesus actually asks of us. Defending traditional marriage? A breeze. Living in one? Less so. Telling gay people what they can't do? Piece o' cake. But responding to the wretched? Loving the unlovable? Forgiving the ever-so-occasionally annoying people you actually know? Hard work, as our president would say, and rather more of a stretch.

... more after the link...

--
Hope you are all well. We are back in Buenos Aires after a week of traveling by car to the northwest area of Argentina! It was great, and very different from the rest of the country that we've seen before. We saw spectacular desserts and mountains with amazing colors in the dirt and rocks. We also learned about many of the indiginous peoples that still survive there and their history. Inca invastions as well as Spanish invasions and liberation of the country after that... good stuff.

We'll be back in Austin this weekend, looking forward to being back in our house! w00t! Anyone buying a new ipod? I'll also be on a new job hunt after 2.5 years! ouch. 8-)

Shalom!
Charlie

BA Update: Back in Bs. As. Argentina!

2005-09-08T13:25:00.000-05:00

Hey all!

Hope you are all well. Marcela and I are back in Argentina for a few weeks. We are in Buenos Aires for a week, then up to the north west of the country, in the mountainous dessert area. I understand there are more native/indigenous people in that area, as most of the rest of the country has few native peoples. I'm really looking forward to seeing and learning more about them.

We'll fly in, then rent a car to drive around to Salta, Tucuman and the JuyJuy areas. It's up near the border with Bolivia to the north, and Chile to the west. If I'm lucky, we'll get to go to one of those countries too, just a step over the border, like when we spent a day in Brazil.

Hope you are all well!
See you soon!
Charlie & Marcela

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 50's

2005-08-30T13:13:00.000-05:00

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 50's, 60's and 70's!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms...WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL.

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.

And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were. Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn't it?!
---
This I love!

How to Escape the Oil Trap

2005-08-25T00:04:00.000-05:00

If I could change one thing about American foreign policy, what would it be? The answer is easy, but it's not something most of us think of as foreign policy. I would adopt a serious national program geared toward energy efficiency and independence. Reducing our dependence on oil would be the single greatest multiplier of American power in the world. I leave it to economists to sort out what expensive oil does to America's growth and inflation prospects. What is less often noticed is how crippling this situation is for American foreign policy. "Everything we're trying to do in the world is made much more difficult in the current environment of rising oil prices," says Michael Mandelbaum, author of "The Ideas That Conquered the World." Consider:

Terror. Over the last three decades, Islamic extremism and violence have been funded from two countries, Saudi Arabia and Iran, not coincidentally the world's first and second largest oil exporters. Both countries are now awash in money and, no matter what the controls, some of this cash is surely getting to unsavory groups and individuals.
...
But America remains the 800-pound gorilla of petroleum demand. In 2004, China consumed 6.5 million barrels of oil per day. The United States consumed 20.4 million barrels, and demand is rising. That is because of strong growth, but also because American cars—which guzzle the bulk of oil imports—are much less efficient than they used to be. This is the only area of the American economy in which we have become less energy-efficient than we were 20 years ago, and we are the only industrialized country to have slid backward in this way. There's one reason: SUVs. They made up 5 percent of the American fleet in 1990. They make up almost 54 percent today.

It's true that there is no silver bullet that will entirely solve America's energy problem, but there is one that goes a long way: more-efficient cars. If American cars averaged 40 miles per gallon, we would soon reduce consumption by 2 million to 3 million barrels of oil a day. That could translate into a sustained price drop of more than $20 a barrel. And getting cars to be that efficient is easy. For the most powerful study that explains how, read "Winning the Oil Endgame" by energy expert Amory Lovins (or go to oilendgame.com). I would start by raising fuel-efficiency standards, providing incentives for hybrids and making gasoline somewhat more expensive (yes, that means raising taxes). Of course, the energy bill recently passed by Congress does none of these things.

We don't need a Manhattan Project to find our way out of our current energy trap. The technologies already exist. But what we're searching for is perhaps even harder—political leadership and vision.
--
Good article by Fareed Zakaria. Spot on man! I hope you don't get mesothelioma!

Hope you are all well! I'm off to Buenos Aires again next week. Anyone want anything?

Charlie

So who wants to do this with me?!!!

2005-08-11T14:25:00.000-05:00

... the new canopy tour eco-adventure near Lake Travis that allows visitors to soar from tree to tree on zip lines 40 feet high.
-
Oh this has got to be a blast!!! And it's in AUSTIN! Who is up for going while my wife is in Buenos Aires?! 8-)
-------

New to Peak Oil?

If this is the first time hearing about Peak Oil, you are among 98% of the population. Peak Oil means not 'running out of oil', but 'running out of cheap oil'. Cheap Oil supports our very way of life as we know it. It is crucial for our transportation, food production, economy and basically everything that we use on a daily basis. You owe it to yourself and future generations to learn more.

Within ten years there will not be enough crude oil to meet the World's needs even though half the World's original supply of crude oil will still be in the ground. Every year the World's demand for crude oil has been increasing along with the population that is only sustainable through our dependency on cheap oil. Once World production reaches it's peak, that demand can no longer be met and the price of crude oil will begin to increase rapidly. Since oil plays such a vital role in our very existence the problem is much deeper than the price of gas that we pay at the pump. Crude oil is the source of gasoline, plastics, fertilizer, pesticides and many other products we use and depend on every day.

-------
You probably never heard of Don Young. But Don Young is mighty thankful for your tax dollars. He just took hundreds of millions of them home to Alaska.

He’ll build two bridges derided by critics as “bridges to nowhere.” One will be named, by law, “Don Young’s Way.” Plus, the state ranked 47th in population will get miles and miles of new roads.

Oh, by the way, the law itself is named after Young’s wife, Lu.

So: Who is Don Young, and how does he get away with it?
-
Fuck Don Young and fuck us for letting him get away with it.
-------
In the world as Bunnatine Greenhouse sees it, people do the right thing. They stand up for the greater good and they speak up when things go wrong. She believes God has a purpose for each life and she prays every day for that purpose to be made evident. These days she is praying her heart out, because she is in a great deal of trouble.
-
Bless Mrs. Greenhouse and more power to her. Anybody know of a defense fund for her?

-------
Have a brilliant day!

Interesting bits...

2005-08-03T10:21:00.000-05:00

World turning its back on Brand America
"The US is still recognised as a leading place to do business, the home of desirable brands and popular culture," said Simon Anholt, author of the survey. "But its governance, its cultural heritage and its people are no longer widely respected or admired by the world."
---
Men whose masculinity is challenged become more inclined to support war or buy an SUV, a new study finds.

Their attitudes against gays change, too.

Cornell University researcher Robb Willer used a survey to sample undergraduates. Participants were randomly assigned feedback that indicated their responses were either masculine of feminine.

The women had no discernable reaction to either type of feedback in a follow-up survey.

But the guys' reactions were "strongly affected," Willer said today.

"I found that if you made men more insecure about their masculinity, they displayed more homophobic attitudes, tended to support the Iraq war more and would be more willing to purchase an SUV over another type of vehicle," said Willer said. "There were no increases [in desire] for other types of cars."

Those who had their masculinity threatened also said they felt more ashamed, guilty, upset and hostile than those whose masculinity was confirmed, he said.
--
So now we know, all you big truck/SUV owners out there... sorry to make you feel challenged. 8-)

Has anyone seen Murderball? Not the best name, but looks like a good movie...
--

Misc Amusing Links

2005-08-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

Very interesting examples of color perception... pretty amazing.

Okay, this doesn't sound like real math, but I guess it is.

Other stuff:
Finally got a lawn mower this weekend, and cut my grass with my own mower... sorta felt good. The first business I started was a lawn mowing biz, "All Star Lawn Care" down in Crystal River, Florida. I'm not even sure how old I was, but I did get a good amount of business, at $10 per lawn for mowing and edging. I'm such an entrepreneur! Heh.

Got a bbq'er too, a nice 2 sided charcoal thing with temp sensors on each side... nice! Marcela, our family's Master Chef, grilled some ribs, corn, potatoes and THE BEST Garlic Ribeye steak EVER! She sliced up some fresh garlic, put little slices in the meat and put the garlic in the slices... so it cooked with the garlic pieces inside, a little pepper, etc. Damn, it was good. Just one of the many reasons I'm glad I married that woman... 8-)

Marcela will be heading down to Buenos Aires in the next month, so if anyone wants something from there, let me know! Good deals on clothes and leather jackets, etc.

More soon...

Kissing the 4th Amendment Goodbye

2005-07-26T15:25:00.000-05:00

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.
--
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-)
--
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.
--
Knock-knock.

Who's there?

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

--
Have a great day! Charlie

Nice...

2005-07-22T14:30:00.000-05:00

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

2005-07-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

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

2005-07-18T10:46:00.000-05:00

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."
--
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...

2005-07-18T08:53:00.000-05:00

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

2005-07-11T11:17:00.000-05:00

B.F.F. (Best Friends Forever)

Taliban still killing people... nice.

2005-07-11T08:43:00.000-05:00

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.
--
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

2005-07-01T10:26:00.000-05:00

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."
--
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!

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

Charlie

'You've got to find what you love'

2005-07-01T10:15:00.000-05:00

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.
--
A brilliant speech, very inspiring... check it.
Charlie

So we got our house...!!!

2005-06-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

Marcela and I closed on our house on Monday, and moved in on Tuesday!!! Whhoohoooo! Our first house!!! Obviously, we are very excited. It's a great place, built in '85, 2 story, 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage.

The previous owners were super nice and did tons of landscaping outside. Plants everywhere, a great lawn, even lighting and an in-ground sprinkler system, which I've never had. Great stone porches on the front and back, even all around the house. I'll try to post some pix soon.

Have a great day!
Charlie y Marcela

Little room for real news

2005-06-30T10:04:00.000-05:00

"I knew the exact time Terri Schiavo collapsed 15 years ago, and I could tell you that the runaway bride got a half-million-dollar advance to tell her story.

But I had lost track of how many U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq."
--
Nice. Exactly what I'm talking about in the below post.

Charlie

Why is this national news?

2005-06-22T17:54:00.000-05:00

Are all the senior editors at news media outlets going crazy? Or are we?

Why is Oprah not being allowed in a store news? Why does ANYONE fecking care?

Why is a boy that gets lost national news even after he gets found? There are thousands of children dying every day because of starvation, aids, child abuse and drunk drivers... why don't they make the headlines?

We should really get a clue on what is really important in the world, and the management of media outlets should be paying attention.

Charlie

New 'Downing Street Memo' says Bush, Blair agreed on 'regime change' in 2002

2005-06-15T11:19:00.000-05:00

New 'Downing Street Memo' says Bush, Blair agreed on 'regime change' in 2002; Iraq seen to 'slide into civil war'; and more.

The Times' news story, written by defense reporter Michael Smith, about the newly discovered, secret briefing paper noted that it had confirmed that Blair "had already agreed to back military action to get rid of Saddam Hussein at a summit at the Texas ranch of President George W. Bush three months earlier." In his news article, Smith explained that fabricating conditions for going to war "was required because, even if ministers decided Britain should not take part in an invasion, the American military would be using British bases. This would automatically make Britain complicit in any illegal U.S. action."
===
Can't we hold these clods accountable? Write, call or email your congressional rep today!!! House, Find your Senator

=====================
Bin Laden, Taliban chief 'alive and well'
Taliban leader Mullah Omar and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden are both alive and in good health, a senior Taliban military commander has told Pakistan television.

Revealed: how oil giant influenced Bush

2005-06-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

White House sought advice from Exxon on Kyoto stance

President's George Bush's decision not to sign the United States up to the Kyoto global warming treaty was partly a result of pressure from ExxonMobil, the world's most powerful oil company, and other industries, according to US State Department papers seen by the Guardian.

The documents, which emerged as Tony Blair visited the White House for discussions on climate change before next month's G8 meeting, reinforce widely-held suspicions of how close the company is to the administration and its role in helping to formulate US policy.
--
So now the "conspiracy theorists" are right about corporations running the world.
Pretty pathetic I think.

Sign the "Downing Street Memo" Investigation Letter

2005-06-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

The Downing Street "Memo" is actually a document containing meeting minutes transcribed during the British Prime Minister's meeting on July 23, 2002—a full eight months PRIOR to the invasion of Iraq on March 20, 2003.

The contents of the memo are shocking. The minutes detail how our government did not believe Iraq was a greater threat than other nations; how intelligence was "fixed" to sell the case for war to the American public; and how the Bush Administration’s public assurances of "war as a last resort" were at odds with their privately stated intentions.

When asked, British officials "did not dispute the document's authenticity." and a senior American official has described it as "absolutely accurate." Yet the Bush administration continues to simultaneously sidestep the issue while attempting to cast doubt on the memo’s authenticity.

Nobody wants to go to war. We trust our leaders to shed blood in our name only when absolutely necessary. But the facts revealed by the Downing Street Memo force us to ask ourselves: Was I misled? Did President Bush tell me the truth when he said he would not take us to war unless absolutely necessary?

--
Crikey, what a mess. Why isn't the American Media picking this up?

--- SIGN THIS!!! ---

We at least need to have it investigated!

Kinky Friedman for Texas Governor!

2005-06-08T13:28:00.000-05:00

He has a lot of good things to say, among them:

Texas is #1 in drop out rates and #48 in education spending. Our children deserve so much more. Texas is also 48th in per capita child protection expenditures, as well as 49th in general, 46th in mental health, 45th in public health, 49th in state arts agency, 44th in highway, and 49th in water quality expenditures. The Austin American-Statesman is correct: "It’s Texas vs. Mississippi in a race to the bottom."

Teachers are Kinky’s heroes, along with police, soldiers, firefighters, and cowboys. Each of us remembers a teacher who made an impact on and changed our lives for the better. Kinky intends to identify these special people and seek their advice in creating a vibrant, responsive and forward-looking education system for Texas. "Politicans appear to be more interested in French cuffs than solving our problems." - Kinky Friedman

2005-06-08T08:53:00.000-05:00

Poll finds dimmer view of Iraq war
52 percent say United States is no safer than before conflict

For the first time since the war in Iraq began, more than half of the American public believes the fight there has not made the United States safer, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll.

Overall, more than half -- 52 percent -- disapprove of how Bush is handling his job, the highest of his presidency. A somewhat larger majority -- 56 percent -- disapproved of Republicans in Congress, and an identical proportion disapproved of Democrats.
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I have to say.... well, DUH! Finally the "pr buzz" is wearing off and people are starting to see parts of the MESS that we are in. Now will they start looking at the HUGE, HUGE debt Bush has put us in?

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Man With Chain Saw Allowed to Enter U.S.
On April 25, Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Maine, carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood. U.S. customs agents confiscated the weapons and fingerprinted Despres. Then they let him into the United States.

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This is completely consistent with the posts I've made below regarding police and TSA screeners going by the "letter" of the law, but not using their freaking brains! This guy has blood on weapons in his possession and they let him into the country? Hindsight is 20-20, but don't these guys have ANY ability to question and THINK? It's obvious that they should deny entry and have Canadian police hold and question this guy... geeze.

Charlie

oh dear, this is fun!

2005-06-01T18:34:00.000-05:00

Where is the outrage in the military's outright lying in the coverup of the death of former NFL star Pat Tillman?

2005-06-01T18:26:00.000-05:00

Where, in the week after the Great Newsweek Error, is the comparable outrage in the press, in the blogosphere, and at the White House over the military's outright lying in the coverup of the death of former NFL star Pat Tillman? Where are the calls for apologies to the public and the firing of those responsible? Who is demanding that the Pentagon's word should never be trusted unless backed up by numerous named and credible sources?

Where is a Scott McClellan lecture on ethics and credibility?

The Post's Josh White reported this week that Tillman's parents are now ripping the Army, saying that the military's investigations into their son's 2004 "friendly fire" death in Afghanistan was a sham based on "lies" and that the Army cover-up made it harder for them to deal with their loss. They are speaking out now because they have finally had a chance to look at the full records of the military probe.

"Tillman's mother and father said in interviews that they believe the military and the government created a heroic tale about how their son died to foster a patriotic response across the country," White reported.

While military officials' lying to the parents have gained wide publicity in the past two days, hardly anyone has mentioned that they also lied to the public and to the press, which dutifully carried one report after another based on the Pentagon's spin. It had happened many times before, as in the Jessica Lynch incident.

Nice...

2005-05-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

Way to Go American... we are number 1! (crikey bush sucks)

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Also: A good rant on the priorities of mainstream media from Wil Wheaton's Blog. Good stuff man.

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High oil prices? Bush says it's India's fault.

President George Bush said India must develop an alternative to oil for its energy needs, saying surging demand for fuel in China and India contributed to the price increase. "It's in our economic interest and our national interest to help countries like India and China become more efficient users of oil," Bush said at a Virginia processing plant that makes "biodiesel" fuel out of soybeans. "That would help take the pressure off global oil supply, take the pressure off prices here at home," he said.

FYI:
American consumption: 21 million barrels per day
China consumption: 7.4 million barrels per day
Indian consumption: 2.8 million barrels per day

Lowering a tiny % of our oil consumption would help everybody considerably. But Bush thinks it's everybody else's fault. Jeeze, no wonder the world thinks we are idiots!!!

Homeland Security - not exactly effective in this case

2005-05-24T17:45:00.000-05:00

So we went down to a federal building in a major city today... (I'll save the exact building the embarrassment, and save me from an FBI visit) Of course like most fed buildings it has a security staff, screening for dangerous items, etc.

The baggage/purse xray checker was broken (not uncommon I hear). Not a big issue, I thought, they'll just hand screen everyone. I had a messenger bag with paperwork and my wife had a large purse with paperwork for our business there.

The screener/officers took our keys, shoes, belt buckles, etc into the little pans for metal items, we walked through the "walking" scanner. They asked several times about camera phones. They didn't check my bag, but made me go back to my car with my camera phone. THEY DIDN'T CHECK EITHER OF OUR BAGS, the bags didn't go through metal detectors, they didn't go thru the x-ray machine, but they asked several times about CAMERA PHONES.

I can't figure out why a camera phone would be a bigger security issue than some other dangerous item??? Anything could have been in my bag. Presumably, a camera phone could be used to capture photos that could help plan some sort of attack on the facility... but I could have had a freakin' Nikon with a flash and foldable tripod in my bag... they didn't check. Much less something more dangerous.

These guys really need to get their priorities straight. Security isn't just a word, it's not just a bunch of rules to follow, it's strict procedures, it's thinking on your feet, it's combing through anything that could be a danger. These guys really need to think about how important their job is and focus on helping people not just following rules.

Am I the only concerned American with a freakin' brain seeing this? Any similar experiences?

sad... PR Spin at it's worst.

2005-05-23T12:57:00.000-05:00

"Pat had high ideals about the country; that's why he did what he did," Mary Tillman said in her first lengthy interview since her son's death. "The military let him down. The administration let him down. It was a sign of disrespect. The fact that he was the ultimate team player and he watched his own men kill him is absolutely heartbreaking and tragic. The fact that they lied about it afterward is disgusting."

"If this is what happens when someone high profile dies, I can only imagine what happens with everyone else."
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So all the troops on the ground and the commanders and politicians know it was friendly fire, they changed the story, used the PR, then quietly told the family weeks later. A pretty pathetic showing, dishonoring this man's memory and dishonoring this country.

Almost Unnoticed, Bipartisan Budget Anxiety

2005-05-19T23:50:00.000-05:00

The timing could not have been more apt. On the eve of a titanic partisan clash in the Senate, eggheads of the left and right got together yesterday to warn both parties that they are ignoring the country's most pressing problem: that the United States is turning into Argentina.

(Conservative economists, left-leaning economists and the US Comptroller gathered recently to agree and...) to bemoan what they jointly called the budget "nightmare." ...what the three spoke about will have greater consequences than the current fuss over filibusters and Tom DeLay's travel.

Walker put U.S. debt and obligations at $45 trillion in current dollars -- almost as much as the total net worth of all Americans, or $150,000 per person. Balancing the budget in 2040, he said, could require cutting total federal spending as much as 60 percent or raising taxes to 2 1/2 times today's levels.

But such haggling seems premature when both parties still deny the problem. "I don't think we're there yet," Walker said. "The American people have to understand where we are and where we're headed."

And where is that? "No republic in the history of the world lasted more than 300 years," Walker said. "Eventually, the crunch comes."

He wasn't talking about filibusters.

What a mess... Ask your congressman what he/she will do about it... Let's spread this word, don't bankrupt our country. I'll be in my early-seventies in 2040, and my children will be in the prime of their life... what will they have? What will the world be like? What about you and your children?

Charlie

Top 10 Filibuster Falsehoods

2005-05-19T16:05:00.000-05:00

This article by Media Matters for America is a must-read by anybody who argues with their neocon friends over the judicial nominee fracas. It argues, point for point, against every right-wing conservative talking point available.
Nothing like backing up rhetoric with fact, I tell you.