Obama Wins In Iowa. In Other News, Hell Still Pretty Hot

Obama won the Iowa caucuses.

I don't know about you, but I think that change is pretty good.  But I refuse to handicap this in his favor yet.
But what a result.

Compare And Contrast, For Your Amusement

Two famous people.  Two audiences whose popularity are worldwide.  Two equally powerful American political parties.

 

Today, for your consideration, from NobelPrize.org:

"for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change"

 

Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr.

 

1/2 of the prize

USA

b. 1948

Now, from Editor and Publisher: Ann Coulter on "perfecting" the Jews:

 

DEUTSCH: "Let's wipe Israel off the earth." I mean, what, no Jews?

COULTER: No, we think -- we just want Jews to be perfected, as they say.

DEUTSCH: Wow, you didn't really say that, did you?

COULTER: Yes. That is what Christianity is. We believe the Old Testament, but ours is more like Federal Express. You have to obey laws. We know we're all sinners --

DEUTSCH: In my old days, I would have argued -- when you say something absurd like that, there's no --

COULTER: What's absurd?

DEUTSCH: Jews are going to be perfected. I'm going to go off and try to perfect myself --

COULTER: Well, that's what the New Testament says.

DEUTSCH: Ann Coulter, author of If Democrats Had Any Brains, They'd Be Republicans, and if Ann Coulter had any brains, she would not say Jews need to be perfected. I'm offended by that personally. And we'll have more Big Idea when we come back.

[...]

DEUTSCH: Welcome back to The Big Idea. During the break, Ann said she wanted to explain her last comment. So I'm going to give her a chance. So you don't think that was offensive?

COULTER: No. I'm sorry. It is not intended to be. I don't think you should take it that way, but that is what Christians consider themselves: perfected Jews. We believe the Old Testament. As you know from the Old Testament, God was constantly getting fed up with humans for not being able to, you know, live up to all the laws. What Christians believe -- this is just a statement of what the New Testament is -- is that that's why Christ came and died for our sins. Christians believe the Old Testament. You don't believe our testament.

DEUTSCH: You said -- your exact words were, "Jews need to be perfected." Those are the words out of your mouth.

COULTER: No, I'm saying that's what a Christian is.

DEUTSCH: But that's what you said -- don't you see how hateful, how anti-Semitic --

COULTER: No!

DEUTSCH: How do you not see? You're an educated woman. How do you not see that?

COULTER: That isn't hateful at all.

Sigh. 

I suppose you should read the whole transcript.

Ann Coulter.

 

 

 

...and that is probably the last time I will ever write your name, Ann.  May you soon be regulated to the political discourse dustbin that you so obviously deserve. 

9-11 - Six Years Later, The Wrong And The Right

Today is the anniversary of 9-11, which some Americans consider to be the most significant event in their lives .

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Six years after the September 11 attacks on the United States, most Americans view the plane hijackings that killed around 3,000 people as the most significant historical event of their lives, according to a poll released Monday.

Eighty-one percent of those surveyed said they see the attacks as the most significant historical even of their lifetimes, with more people on the east coast -- 90 percent -- choosing this view compared to 75 percent on the west coast.

The Zogby International telephone poll surveyed 938 people between September 6 and 9 and has a three-percentage point margin of error.

Thank Yahoo.

First, I'd like to say that 9-11 is most certainly NOT the most significant event of my life.  Number 1: Birth of my daughter.  Number 2:  Meeting my significant other.  3.  Birth of my nieces.  So.  To me, 9-11 is significant, it just pales in comparison to those events.

What I find notable about 9-11, however, is what events have happened since.  Here's my list.
- One completely justifiable war (against the Taliban)
- One completely un-justifiable war (against Iraq)
- The wasting of an enormous amount of pro-American sentiment
- The pillaging of Bill of Rights and the Constitution
- The utter decimation of the health care system
- Virtual destruction of the public school system nationwide
- The creation of the Homeland Security Agency

When I think about how much money has been spent on the war on Iraq, I think of how the Taliban could have been completely wiped off the face of the planet, or how Osama could have been found, or how schools could have been improved, or how a national health care system could have been created.

The saddest thing about 9-11 is what has occurred since then.  We have wasted a lot of time, money, and lives.  9-11 is one of America's greatest catastrophes... and the aftermath is one of our greatest disasters.  We should be ashamed.

No Relationship At All. Nope. None.

It's been a long time.  My home connection is still on the fritz.  I hope to have it fixed today, as it's now costing me money.

 

I will, however, make my return with this nugget of information on the looming terrorist threat:

 

WASHINGTON - A new threat assessment from U.S. counterterrorism analysts says that al-Qaida has used its safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border to restore its operating capabilities to a level unseen since the months before Sept. 11, 2001.

 

Via Yahoo News.

 

Aaaack!  Everybody panic!

 

Hey, what's this all about?

 

June 22, 2007

Two-thirds of Americans Disapprove of the Way
George W. Bush is Handling His Job as President

Over two out-of-three Americans say they disapprove of the way George W. Bush is handling his job as president according to the latest survey from the American Research Group.

Among all Americans, 27% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 67% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 29% approve and 64% disapprove.

 

Oh.

 

 

Terrorism: A Tale of Two Mayors

Compare:

Michael Bloomberg, present mayor of New York, after the thwarted attempt to blow up John F. Kennedy Airport on Monday on how ordinary citizens can relate to possibility of terrorist post 9-11 (from the New York Times via WCBS tv:

There are lots of threats to you in the world. There's the threat of a heart attack for genetic reasons. You can't sit there and worry about everything. Get a life.

Contrast (and yes, this is in part a opinion piece, so tread wisely) with this story on yesterday's incident at a Giuliani gathering in Prison Planet.com:

Matt Lepacek, the reporter who was kicked out of the CNN press room and arrested after asking Rudy Giuliani's staff a question, has now been released on bail. Criminal indictments are now being pursued against the police involved as well as Giuliani's staffers for their flagrant abuse of the First Amendment, assault and wrongful arrest.

<snip>

The female staffer was witnessed to be instrumental in alerting the police to the "crime" of Lepacek asking a question that the Giuliani camp weren't comfortable with.

Rudkowski was assaulted and questioned on who he was working for despite the fact that he hadn't even asked a question and was standing separately from Lepacek.

Lepacek was told that other eyewitnesses saw police stamp on one of the cameras as it lay on the floor.

Another eyewitness said that the entire arrest was clearly being directed by Secret Service, who were ordering the police to threaten anyone who asked questions about the incident with arrest.

I find the dichotomy interesting.

Surge and Accelerate?!

Well, according to The Today Show this morning (link does not go to the story), our President George W. Bush is about to unveil his new plan for Iraq.  And it is:

"Surge and Accelerate".

 

Surge and Accelerate?

Are you kidding?

 

Has anyone noticed that major plans that emerge from this Administration for the Iraq War tend to come in little sound bites?  Shock and Awe.  Surge and Accelerate.  Who's writing these soundbites?  A business graduate of NJ Jesuit High School?  President Bush needs to fire his marketing people and start again with someone that wants to do a bunch of proposals with puppies.  Everyone likes puppies.

 

Seriously, though, the idea of Surge and Accelerate is to actually send more troops and equipment to the area under the theory - and I do say theory - that presumably the U.S. can achieve a final victory in Iraq.  My bet is that the American people will not want a surge of more troops; in fact, it seems to me that the results on Election Day 2006 probably show that the American people are not interested in putting MORE bodies into Iraq; they are probably more interested in putting LESS bodies there.  No one wants to see more U.S. casualties.  Americans as a whole don't like to see body bags or Humvees blowing up on a daily basis in our supercharged national, cable, local, and Internet media. 

 

I wonder if Surge and Accelerate will actually happen.

Although I'm not sure that it can be stopped.

 

I Heard A Rumor

...that Fiji has gone and had a coup.

 

SUVA, Fiji - The military ruler who led a coup against Fiji's elected government forcibly dissolved the South Pacific island's parliament Wednesday, installed a new prime minister and warned that he could use force against dissenters.
Commodore Frank Bainimarama, leader of the country's fourth coup in 19 years, also dismissed the country's police chief, who had publicly opposed him.
Armed troops entered Parliament and demanded senators end budget deliberations that had resumed despite the government's ouster. Bainimarama said he had formally dissolved the legislature.

 

The Boston Herald.

 

Every time I read a story about this tension filled situation, when I see the name "Bainimarama", I always think of a successful 1980's new wave girl band  and wonder, "What the hell are they doing in Fiji?"  Is that wrong?  Should I not be doing that?

 

 

 

 

Of Course They Knew

Ah, the CIA.

 

Many EU member states were aware of secret CIA jails and transfers of terror suspects, a European Parliament draft report has said.

The report follows months of investigation by a special committee of MEPs led by an Italian, Claudio Fava.

"Many governments co-operated passively or actively (with the CIA)," said Mr Fava, quoted by the AFP news agency.

 

BBC does it again.

No one should think this is the slightest bit strange... except for that whole torturing prisoners in foriegn jails part.

9-12 should be remembered as the day that we started losing the War On Terror.

And yippie, hopefully Blogger will post this perfect.  Please?

We Are Becoming Just As Bad As Them

Ah, the CIA.

 

Many EU member states were aware of secret CIA jails and transfers of terror suspects, a European Parliament draft report has said.

The report follows months of investigation by a special committee of MEPs led by an Italian, Claudio Fava.

"Many governments co-operated passively or actively (with the CIA)," said Mr Fava, quoted by the AFP news agency.

BBC does it again.

No one should think this is the slightest bit strange... except for that whole torturing prisoners in foriegn jails part.

9-12 should be remembered as the day that we started losing the War On Terror.

 

The Cosmic Irony of the MLK Memorial

I find this interesting.

 

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Presidents, civil rights icons, celebrities and ordinary citizens gathered Monday on the National Mall, where construction is getting under way for a monument honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

 

Via CNN.

 

Why do I find this interesting?

 

Construction of the $100 million monument is scheduled to be completed in 2008, 40 years after King was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

Backers have raised more than $65 million, according to The Associated Press. Most of the funding has come from corporate donors including Tommy Hilfiger and General Motors.

While I support the monument, I find it interesting that $100 million dollars is being spent on a monument for a man that probably would have wanted that $100 million dollars to help the poor instead on being spent on a monument for him.

 

Ponder that.

 

The Sendero Luminoso

Today's genocidal maniac of the day is... Abimael Guzman, leader of The Shining Path. 

 

The Communist Party of Peru ( Spanish: El Partido Comunista del Perú), more commonly known as the Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso), is a Maoist guerrilla organization in Peru. The more familiar name distinguishes the group from several other Peruvian communist parties with similar names (see Communism in Peru). It originates from a maxim of José Carlos Mariátegui, founder of the original Peruvian Communist Party: "El Marxismo-Leninismo abrirá el sendero luminoso hacia la revolución" ("Marxism-Leninism will open the shining path to revolution").^[1]

 

Cite from Wikipedia.

Here's more, if you care not to read all of the nastiness.

Theodore Dalrymple in an article published September 6, 2006, stated that "The worst brutality I ever saw was that committed by Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path) in Peru, in the days when it seemed possible that it might come to power. If it had, I think its massacres would have dwarfed those of the Khmer Rouge. As a doctor, I am accustomed to unpleasant sights, but nothing prepared me for what I saw in Ayacucho, where Sendero first developed under the sway of a professor of philosophy, Abimael Guzman." ^[27]

That's right.  "...I think that it's massacres would have dwarfed those of the Khmer Rouge."

Mercy, mercy me.

 

So why is Guzman our special little guy today? Let's show him what he's won!

 

A verdict is expected in the retrial of the founder of Peru's bloody guerrilla movement, the Shining Path.

Former philosophy professor Abimael Guzman faces a possible life sentence for his role in a 12-year rebellion in which around 70,000 people died.

Ah, those Brits.  BBC does it again.

 

So for crimes against humanity, you, Abimael Guzman, win a life long stay at a Peruvian prison.  Enjoy! 

 

I hope that he doesn't find it a rich recruiting environment.  God, I really hope so.

 

 

 

The Aristoc... er, Diplomats

Disagreements over what to do about North Korea have begun, as expected.

 

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 10 — After a unanimous condemnation of North Korea's apparent nuclear test, signs of disagreement appeared among its neighbors today, as Japanese officials pushed for tough sanctions and raised the possibility of military action, which China called unthinkable.

In Tokyo today, Finance Minister Koji Omi said that Japan would consider imposing more financial sanctions on North Korea, while two other cabinet members said Japan might consider imposing a trade embargo.

And Japan's chief cabinet secretary, Yasuhisa Shiozaki, declared today that his government was considering "all possibilities," while officials in China and South Korea were saying that they would oppose any use of force.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Jianchao, said at a briefing today that "taking military action against North Korea would be unimaginable."

From the New York Times.

 

Duh.

 

Let's get real for a second.  I have a friend who is from Korea who has given me a little insight into the whole goofy madman problem that North Korea has.  Based on this, China and South Korea aren't NEARLY as worried about North Korea having nukes as they might let on.  Why?  Because North Korea would probably never use missiles on the peninsula.  Certainly, China has only a little to worry about.  They could overrun North Korea in a heartbeat.

 

Who should be worried? 

Japan.

I thought this was common knowledge.  Does anyone read a Korean or Japanese newspaper in the White House?  Does anyone in the State Department speak Korean?  How about the CIA?  Come on, now.  Naturally Japan's freak out would be a heck of a lot bigger than anyone else's freak out.

 

Something substantial needs to be done on the Korean Peninsula, and fast.  I was thinking about buying my daughter a Japanese video game this Christmas, but Japan still needs to be there for that to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quote of the Day

Yeah, I know.  Someone set us up the bomb.

 

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9 — North Korea came under international condemnation today after boasting that it had tested a nuclear weapon, with strong criticism even from its allies, but there were doubts in the intelligence community about the strength of the device.

 

The United Nations Security Council today began working on a resolution condemning North Korea's action, shortly after President Bush denounced the announcement of the test as a "provocative act," one that requires an "immediate response."

 

Mr. Bush said he had spoken this morning to the leaders of China, South Korea, Russia and Japan, and that they were all agreed that North Korea's actions "are unacceptable and deserve an immediate response."

 

From the NYT.

 

Yippie.  Things were going so well from an international perspective anyway.  Yay.  Hooray.  Hug your kids and enjoy life now, boys and girls.  The real fun is just about to begin.  You thought that the War On Terror ^TM has been exciting?  Just wait.

 

Which leads to my verbatim quote in the comments from Fark on this wonderful development (reprinted with attribution):

 

"rka: Jesus Christ, if India and Pakistan can both explode nukes and not use them on each other despite *their* history I think this situation can be handled without Seoul be leveled or thousands of US soldiers invading or millions of Koreans dieing."

2006-10-09 01:42:56 AM

thejoyofpi

"Crucial difference: Neither India nor Pakistan are ruled by batshiat insane Bond-villain wannabes."

 

Yes, you read that right.

 

Where's Superman when you need him?

 

 

 

Does Politics Remove The Memory Portions of the Brain?

Apparently, it does.

 

A memo received by United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice shortly after becoming National Security Advisor in 2001 directly contradicts statements she made to reporters yesterday, RAW STORY has learned.

"We were not left a comprehensive strategy to fight al Qaeda," Rice told a reporter for the New York Post on Monday. "Big pieces were missing," Rice added, "like an approach to Pakistan that might work, because without Pakistan you weren't going to get Afghanistan."

Wait!  There's more.

However, RAW STORY has found that just five days after President George W. Bush was sworn into office, a memo from counter-terrorism expert Richard A. Clarke to Rice included the 2000 document, " Strategy for Eliminating the Threat from the Jihadist Networks of al-Qida: Status and Prospects." This document devotes over 2 of its 13 pages of material to specifically addressing strategies for securing Pakistan's cooperation in airstrikes against al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Kudos to the Raw Story.

 

Seth Brundle : You have to leave now, and never come back here. Have you ever heard of insect politics? Neither have I. insect People don't have politics. They're very... brutal. No compassion, no compromise. We can't trust the insect human.

 

There.  Quote from Jeffery Goldblum.

 

Now fixed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I Get My Coups Above The Waistline, Sunshine

Uh-oh.

 

Tanks have taken up position around the Thai government headquarters in Bangkok blocking traffic, eyewitnesses have told Reuters news agency.

An army-owned TV station has altered its programming to broadcast images of the royal family and songs associated in the past with military coups.

BBC!  BBC!

More to come, no doubt.  This news makes a hard man humble.

 

 

Well Dunn

Only vaguely interesting is that Patricia Dunn, one of the most powerful women in corporate America, has quit.

 

HP Chairwoman Dunn to Step Down in January, to Be Succeeded by CEO Mark Hurd; Shares Up

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Hewlett-Packard Co. said Tuesday that Patricia Dunn will step down as chairwoman of the computer and printer maker in January amid a widening scandal involving a possibly illegal probe into media leaks. She will be succeeded by CEO Mark Hurd.

 

Via Yahoo News.

 

Much more interesting?  The analysis in the comments from Fark.

grunge

14.92 for 5ml of ink
14.92 / 5 = 2.98
2.98 for 1ml

1 US gallon = 3785.4118 ml

2.98 x 3785.4118 = $11298.668

Printer ink costs $11298.67 per gallon.

 

Sweet Mother of GOD.  $11,298.67 A GALLON?!

Now THAT'S expensive paint.

 

 

 

 

 

Totally Uncorraborated, But YIKES

Haifa?

 

At least one rocket has struck the northern Israeli port city of Haifa, hours after a threat by the militant Lebanese group Hezbollah.

 

BBC News.

 

Now, I'm not saying that this is true, although with the escalation that's happening in the Middle East right now, I wouldn't be particularly surprised.  I can't find any other information, even on the Internet.

 

However, if it is:

1.  Scratch one country.

2.  Hello, Iran.

3.  EVERYBODY PANIC!!!

 

Go find out, people.

Families and Today

Yep, that's right.  It's Memorial Day.

 

Continuing a tradition that I started last year, I believe that I'll post this link to last year's Memorial Day tribute. 

But I'm not going to leave you with just that.  No way.  In fact, let me post to this little Memorial Day nugget from the Huffington Post .

 

For veterans, Memorial Day has a very different meaning than it does for most Americans. As a veteran of the wars in Kosovo and Iraq, it is a day of reflection and remembrance like every day since I have returned. While many will enjoy the nice weather, have barbeques, and dip into a pool for the first time this year, we Iraq veterans will spend the day thinking about more than our friends we lost in battle, but also about those who survived them.

Hey, kids, remember: Memorial Day is not just for the veterans!

 

Memorial Day is not just about the veterans that died and were injured or returned (healthy) from various wars, but for the families that sacrificed so much to make sure that your happy behind had or has a chance to walk around.  Memorial Day started as a tribute to the Union survivors of the Civil War; since then, it has expanded as a holiday to to honor all of the dead of various wars.  Perhaps you could take just a moment to honor the living and dead soldiers of your country today.  Not that you should emulate me, but I will be doing my best to keep the word out.  Thus this is, for today, my humble offering for both the living and the dead.

 

The Gift

Dear Mom:

 

This comes a bit late, because I spent most of my day with you yesterday.  However, I'm pretty confident that you'll read this soon.

 

I wanted to thank you for being such a great mom.  Sure, we've had disagreements.  I believe that every family does.  But the truth is that you are one of the best, most intellegent, most thoughtful, and best people that I know, period.  Without you, I wouldn't be... me.  I'd be someone else.  I'd probably be a lot darker, a lot more confused, and a little bit scarier. 

 

All of my friends think that you are one of the best people that they know. 

People like to hang out with my family largely because of you. 

 

I know that you're not perfect, and no one is, but I can definitely see the sacrifices that you made to make me who I am.  This was your gift to my brother and I, and we know it.  In fact, we know it more than we will ever tell you.

 

I love you, Mom, and will always appreciate you.  I can't say that enough.  You are my sister, my mother, my daughter's grandmother, and my friend, and I can't wait to see you again.

 

Thank you.  Happy Mother's Day.

 

I couldn't possibly be more sincere.

 

 

 

Welcome To Colorado!

Let's all give a warm welcome to terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui, whose jury (wisely) decided NOT to put to death today!  Congratulations, Zacarias! (props, FoxNews, via Fark).

Rod, let's tell him what he's won!  Is it Supermax?

 

ADX Florence is generally home to between 400 and 500 male prisoners. About 22 percent of inmates have killed fellow prisoners in other correctional facilities; 35 percent have attempted to attack other prisoners or guards. As a result, most individuals are kept for at least 23 hours each day in solitary confinement. They are housed in a 7-by-12 foot ( 3.5-by-2 meter) soundproofed room, built behind a steel door and grate. The remaining free hour is spent exercising alone in a separate concrete chamber. Prisoners rarely see each other, and inmates' only human interaction is limited to that of the prison guards. Religious services are broadcasted in from a small chapel.

Most cells' furniture is made almost entirely out of poured concrete, including a desk, stool, and bed covered by a thin mattress. Each chamber contains a toilet that shuts off if plugged, a shower that runs on a timer to prevent flooding, and a sink missing a potentially dangerous tap. Rooms may also be fitted with polished steel mirrors bolted to the wall, an electric light, a 13-inch black and white television , and a cigarette lighter. Windows in rooms are small, set high up in the wall, and point towards the sky, confusing the prisoner as to his specific location within the complex.

The prison as a whole contains countless motion detectors and cameras , 1,400 remote-controlled steel doors, and 12 foot high razor wire fences. Laser beams , pressure pads, and attack dogs guard the area between the prison walls and razor wire. Built into the side of a mountain, visitors and prisoners enter through a heavily-guarded tunnel.

Uh....

Many have argued that the psychological effects of long-term solitary confinement can be devastating. Prisoners may suffer from hallucinations, anxiety, problems with impulse control, and self-mutilation. In addition, confinement may encourage anger and rage, resulting in further violence. Depression may set in, with prisoners becoming extremely lethargic, losing memory, and refusing to exercise.

 

(hello, Wikipedia.)

...and he wins...a fate worse than death.

 

Goodnight, funnyman.  Say hi to Ted, Matt, and the...oh, wait.  Guess you can't.