Mark's Random Thoughts

Reminder about your invitation from Mark Brailsford

2011-12-12T03:15:00.000-05:00

This is a reminder that on November 29, Mark Brailsford sent you an invitation to become part of their professional network at LinkedIn.

Accept Mark Brailsford's Invitation

On November 29, Mark Brailsford wrote:

> To: my blog [brailm.nxn999@blogger.com]

> From: Mark Brailsford [mark.brailsford@intelsat.com]

> Subject: Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

> my,
>
> I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
>
> - Mark

You are receiving Reminder emails for pending invitations. Unsubscribe.

Reminder about your invitation from Mark Brailsford

2011-12-05T05:19:00.001-05:00

This is a reminder that on November 29, Mark Brailsford sent you an invitation to become part of their professional network at LinkedIn.

Accept Mark Brailsford's Invitation

On November 29, Mark Brailsford wrote:

> To: my blog [brailm.nxn999@blogger.com]

> From: Mark Brailsford [mark.brailsford@intelsat.com]

> Subject: Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

> my,
>
> I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.
>
> - Mark

You are receiving Reminder emails for pending invitations. Unsubscribe.

Invitation to connect on LinkedIn

2011-11-29T10:04:00.001-05:00

From Mark Brailsford

Manager, Process, Data, and Tools, at Intelsat

Washington D.C. Metro Area

my,

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.

- Mark

Confirm that you know Mark

You are receiving Invitation to Connect emails. Unsubscribe

Hillary's got to go!

2008-05-08T13:09:00.000-05:00

Hillary's go to go. I never thought I'd see her stoop so low. If she is the nominee, she won't get my vote.

Clinton touts support from 'white Americans'

Loss of Andes glaciers threatens water supply - CNN.com

2007-11-26T18:11:00.000-05:00

Loss of Andes glaciers threatens water supply - CNN.com: "EL ALTO, Bolivia (AP) -- Twice a day, Elena Quispe draws water from a spigot on the dusty fringe of this city, fills three grimy plastic containers and pushes them in a rickety wheelbarrow to the adobe home she shares with her husband and eight children.
But the water supply is in peril. El Alto and its sister city of La Paz, the world's highest capital, depend on glaciers for at least a third of their water -- more than any other urban sprawl. And those glaciers are rapidly melting because of global warming.
Informed of the threat, Quispe, a 37-year-old Aymara Indian, shows alarm on her weathered face. 'Where are we going to get water? Without water how can we live?'"

I think we need to pay more attention to coping with the results of global warming. You can argue the cause, you can argue whether buying a Prius will save the earth, but this kind of change is happening no matter what.

Religious scholars mull Flying Spaghetti Monster - CNN.com

2007-11-16T14:21:00.000-05:00

Religious scholars mull Flying Spaghetti Monster - CNN.com:
"# American Academy of Religion to discuss Flying Spaghetti Monster
# The pseudo-deity was created to challenge intelligent design
# Supporters claim a Flying Spaghetti Monster created universe # Followers call themselves Pastafarians"

"It was the emergence of this community that attracted the attention of three young scholars at the University of Florida who study religion in popular culture. They got to talking, and eventually managed to get a panel on FSM-ism on the agenda at one of the field's most prestigious gatherings.

The title: "Evolutionary Controversy and a Side of Pasta: The Flying Spaghetti Monster and the Subversive Function of Religious Parody."'

Hurray! I sport the Pirate Fish on my car.

Wounded warriors face home-front battle with VA - CNN.com

2007-11-16T10:23:00.000-05:00

Wounded warriors face home-front battle with VA - CNN.com: "Ziegel, a 25-year-old Marine sergeant, knew the dangers of war when he was deployed for his second tour in Iraq. But he didn't expect a new battle when he returned home as a wounded warrior: a fight with the Department of Veterans Affairs. 'Sometimes, you get lost in the system,' he told CNN. 'I feel like a Social Security number. I don't feel like Tyler Ziegel.' His story is one example of how medical advances in the battlefield have outpaced the home front. Many wounded veterans return home feeling that the VA system, specifically its 62-year-old disability ratings system, has failed them."
This is a crying shame.

Official Google Blog: A clean energy update

2007-06-20T12:08:00.000-05:00

Official Google Blog: A clean energy update: "Today Google.org is launching an exciting project that offers a glimpse of a smarter energy future: cars that plug into an electric grid powered by solar energy. Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (“plug-in hybrids”) can achieve 70 -100 miles per gallon, quadrupling the fuel economy of the average car on the road today (~20 mpg). As we demonstrated at today’s event, plug-in hybrids can sell power back to the electric grid when it's needed most through vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology"

I had no idea Google was in this space, too.

Students attend school's first integrated prom - CNN.com

2007-04-23T14:08:00.000-05:00

Students attend school's first integrated prom - CNN.com: "• Students of Turner County High School voted to have school-sponsored prom
• In the past, parents have organized private, segregated dances
• Principal Chad Stone says the official prom will become a yearly event
• Senior Class President James Hall led the movement for the integrated prom"

I can't believe that this is America in 2007.

Things to do instead of kliiing yourself

2006-12-26T11:57:00.001-05:00

I hate OpenOffice on my Mac Mini

2006-12-17T15:01:00.000-05:00

I purchased a Mac Mini sometime last year to test a web site error. Initial startup was fabulous. Getting it on to our home network was easy. Installing Firefox was easy.

Now I am trying to install Open Office because it's free and is supposed to do almost everything MS Office can do.

This is turning into pure hell:

I went to the open office Web site to download the software.
It asked me questions I had to research and randomly referred to the OS version 10.4 or tiger.
Tried to install the software. It told me that X11 is not installed.
I go to Apple's site to find X11.
If find it and download it.
I try to install it, it says a newer version is on my computer.
I try to find it; it's not where they say it is.
I decide that it is not installed.
Finally I find it hidden on my OS X installation disk.
I install it.
Now I can install the application and everything works.

In the time it took me to install this application suite I could have earned the money it would have cost to purchase MS Office for the Mac.

Handy Excel Macros - 1

2006-12-11T20:41:00.000-05:00

Handy.


Sub WalkAndPause()
  ' run a series of URL that take a parameter
  ' Give them some time to complete
  ' before running more
  doMe

  alertTime = Now

  For myCount = 1 To 50

       alertTime = alertTime + TimeValue("00:00:45")
       Application.OnTime alertTime, "doMe"

  Next myCount

End Sub

Sub doMe()
  'Follow the links in the sheet - 3 at a time

  Selection.Hyperlinks(1).Follow NewWindow:=False, _
     AddHistory:=False
  ActiveCell.Offset(1).Select
  Selection.Hyperlinks(1).Follow NewWindow:=False, _
     AddHistory:=False
  ActiveCell.Offset(1).Select
  Selection.Hyperlinks(1).Follow NewWindow:=False, _
     AddHistory:=False
  ActiveCell.Offset(1).Select
End Sub

Sub fixLink()
  ' Run down a list of URLs in a sheet and
  ' turn them into recognizable URLs

   melink = ActiveCell.Value

   ActiveSheet.Hyperlinks.Add Anchor:=Selection, _
      Address:= melink _
       , TextToDisplay:=  melink

   ActiveCell.Offset(1).Select

   If ActiveCell.Value <> "" Then

      fixLink

   End If

End Sub

Eschatology Comparison

2006-10-13T22:14:00.000-05:00

Eschatology Comparison: "All three major monotheistic religions have teachings regarding the end-times. The following chart reveals some of the similarities and differences in the eschatological prophecies of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity."

George F. Will - A Fight To Define Equality - washingtonpost.com

2006-09-24T11:56:00.000-05:00

George F. Will - A Fight To Define Equality - washingtonpost.com: "So, the rancid residue of what once was the civil rights movement equates Jim Crow -- the system of enforced legal inferiority for blacks -- with opposition to treating blacks as wards of government, in need of infantilizing preferences, forever."

Interesting column. He has some points. We need an exit strategy from the "Great Society."

ABC News: Al Gore YouTube Spoof Not So Amateurish

2006-08-04T11:19:00.000-05:00

ABC News: Al Gore YouTube Spoof Not So Amateurish: "Aug. 4, 2006 — A tiny little movie making fun of Al Gore, supposedly made by an amateur filmmaker, recently appeared on the popular Web site YouTube.com.

At first blush, 'An Inconvenient Spoof' seemed like a scrappy little homemade film poking fun at Gore and his anti-global warming crusade.

In the movie, Gore is seen boring an army of penguins with his lecture and blaming global warming for everything, including Lindsay Lohan's thinness.

But when the Wall Street Journal tried to find the guy who posted this film — listed on YouTube as a 29-year-old — they found the movie didn't come from an amateur working out of his basement.

The film actually came from a slick Republican public relations firm called DCI, which just happens to have oil giant Exxon as a client."

Just how stupid do they think we are?

WTOP: Bush Curses Hezbollah During G-8 Luncheon

2006-07-17T15:53:00.000-05:00

I listened to this on the CNN site and it does NOT sound like frustration to me, it sounds like his normal speech. I wonder if the conservative christians are aware just how profane their president is.

WTOP: Bush Curses Hezbollah During G-8 Luncheon: "Bush expressed his frustration with the United Nations and his disgust with the militant Islamic group and its backers in Syria as he talked to British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the closing lunch at the Group of Eight summit.

'See the irony is that what they need to do is get Syria to get Hezbollah to stop doing this s--- and it's over,' Bush told Blair as he chewed on a buttered roll."

Apparently I am Geordi LaForge

2006-07-06T15:28:00.000-05:00

Your results:
You are Geordi LaForge

Geordi LaForge		75%
Will Riker		65%
James T. Kirk (Captain)		60%
Chekov		55%
Deanna Troi		55%
Jean-Luc Picard		55%
Mr. Scott		55%
Spock		52%
An Expendable Character (Redshirt)		40%
Leonard McCoy (Bones)		40%
Data		39%
Worf		35%
Beverly Crusher		35%
Uhura		30%
Mr. Sulu		10%

You work well with others and often
fix problems quickly. Your romantic
relationships are often bungled.

Click here to take the "Which Star Trek character are you?" quiz...

U.S. Troops Accused of Killing Iraq Family

2006-06-30T10:21:00.000-05:00

I think these incidents are an indication that our soldiers are burning out. We either need to get out or send more, but this is ridiculous.

Twin Lakes Times: "U.S. Troops Accused of Killing Iraq Family

By RYAN LENZ
Associated Press Writer

BEIJI, Iraq (AP) -- Five U.S. Army soldiers are being investigated for allegedly raping a young woman, then killing her and three members of her family in Iraq, a U.S. military official told The Associated Press on Friday."

The culture of ignorance and lies

2006-06-29T21:09:00.000-05:00

Human Life International -Warren Buffett Gives until it Hurts: "Warren Buffett's philanthropy aims at killing pre-born children not curing childhood disease, eliminating the poor not poverty, and destroying the developing world not aiding development."

I'm so tired of the believers in ridiculous myths blathering on. When will these guys study history and learn that the "good book" is the product of human beings and not the word of god (aka "imaginary invisible boogey man in the sky").

The Shadow War, In a Surprising New Light

2006-06-20T09:08:00.000-05:00

From a book review in the Washington Post today.

THE ONE PERCENT DOCTRINE
Deep Inside America's Pursuit of Its Enemies Since 9/11
By Ron Suskind

The Shadow War, In a Surprising New Light: "One example out of many comes in Ron Suskind's gripping narrative of what the White House has celebrated as one of the war's major victories: the capture of Abu Zubaydah in Pakistan in March 2002. Described as al-Qaeda's chief of operations even after U.S. and Pakistani forces kicked down his door in Faisalabad, the Saudi-born jihadist was the first al-Qaeda detainee to be shipped to a secret prison abroad. Suskind shatters the official story line here.

Abu Zubaydah, his captors discovered, turned out to be mentally ill and nothing like the pivotal figure they supposed him to be. CIA and FBI analysts, poring over a diary he kept for more than a decade, found entries 'in the voice of three people: Hani 1, Hani 2, and Hani 3' -- a boy, a young man and a middle-aged alter ego. All three recorded in numbing detail 'what people ate, or wore, or trifling things they said.' Dan Coleman, then the FBI's top al-Qaeda analyst, told a senior bureau official, 'This guy is insane, certifiable, split personality.'"
....

Which brings us back to the unbalanced Abu Zubaydah. "I said he was important," Bush reportedly told Tenet at one of their daily meetings. "You're not going to let me lose face on this, are you?" "No sir, Mr. President," Tenet replied. Bush "was fixated on how to get Zubaydah to tell us the truth," Suskind writes, and he asked one briefer, "Do some of these harsh methods really work?" Interrogators did their best to find out, Suskind reports. They strapped Abu Zubaydah to a water-board, which reproduces the agony of drowning. They threatened him with certain death. They withheld medication. They bombarded him with deafening noise and harsh lights, depriving him of sleep. Under that duress, he began to speak of plots of every variety -- against shopping malls, banks, supermarkets, water systems, nuclear plants, apartment buildings, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty. With each new tale, "thousands of uniformed men and women raced in a panic to each . . . target." And so, Suskind writes, "the United States would torture a mentally disturbed man and then leap, screaming, at every word he uttered."

When are we going to fire this guy?

Wordplay

2006-06-19T08:52:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we saw the movie Wordplay at Silverdocs, the documentary film festival. It was good and we all liked it, including my 18-year old son. After the screening there was a Q&A session with Will Shortz, the editor of the New York Times crossword puzzles, and the director, Patrick Creadon.

As an added bonus we were able to participate in a crossword puzzle contest. I was able to get more of the puzzle done than I thought I could. The winner was a local man who solved the puzzle in something like 4 minutes (I believe he has won the tournament 4 times).

One of the celebrity solvers featured in the movie was Bill Clinton. I really miss having an intelligent and educated president. I wonder if Dubya could finish a crossword puzzle given all the time in the world.

I think presidential candidates should have to participate in a crossword puzzle debate.

CNN.com - Backward switches doomed probe - Jun 14, 2006

2006-06-15T08:15:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Backward switches doomed probe - Jun 14, 2006: "LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- A report released Tuesday blamed a design flaw for the 2004 crash of a NASA space probe carrying solar wind atoms back to Earth and criticized engineers for failing to detect the error."

The 231-page document prepared by independent investigators found that gravity switches on the Genesis probe designed to trigger the deployment of its parachutes were installed backward.

They should have designed them as if they were going to be used by consumers where it would have been impossible to install them backwards.

Bush deserves a Phd.

2006-04-23T20:41:00.000-05:00

Piled Higher and Deeper that is.

CNN.com - Ex-CIA official: WMD evidence ignored - Apr 23, 2006: "A retired CIA official has accused the Bush administration of ignoring intelligence indicating that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and no active nuclear program before the United States-led coalition invaded it, CBS News said Sunday."

IB a little to intense?

2006-04-20T20:59:00.000-05:00

WTOP: MARC Line Reopens After Train Kills Person

This is the second IB student to commit suicide in the last two months. The first was after interims and this one right after report cards were issued.

This is not a good trend.

Rapture Letters

2006-04-20T11:32:00.000-05:00

We're in deep trouble. Mass insanity abounds.

Rapture Letters:

"We have written a computer program to do just that. It will send an Electronic Message (e-mail) to whomever you want after the rapture has taken place, and you and I have been taken to heaven.

How is this accomplished, you might ask. It's a dead man switch that will automatically send the emails when it is not reset."

The Theocratic Inclinations of the Republican Electorate

2006-04-19T17:25:00.000-05:00

The Theocratic Inclinations of the Republican Electorate:

Finally numbers to support my closely held opinion.

No Pants Day is coming!

2006-04-19T10:05:00.000-05:00

Yet another gem found while stumbling.

And the band plays on... Bush: Rumsfeld 'exactly what is needed' -

2006-04-14T15:17:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Bush: Rumsfeld 'exactly what is needed' - Apr 14, 2006:

"Apparently responding to their criticism, Bush's statement said, 'I have seen first-hand how Don relies upon our military commanders in the field and at the Pentagon to make decisions about how best to complete these missions.'"

Sounds strangely reminiscent of "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job" to me.

Omaha schools to be split by race - Nation/Politics - insider.washingtontimes.com

2006-04-14T11:15:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure how I feel about this. The purported reason is to give minority areas more control over the schools where they are the majority.

Omaha schools to be split by race - Nation/Politics - insider.washingtontimes.com:

"LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Nebraska Legislature voted yesterday to divide the Omaha school system into three districts -- one mostly black, one predominantly white and one largely Hispanic -- in a move decried as state-enforced segregation.
Supporters, including the bill's sponsor and the legislature's only black senator, said the plan would give minorities control over their own school board and ensure that their children are not 'shortchanged' in favor of white youngsters. "

This Washington Times site requires registration, but you can probably find the article elsewhere as the majority of their articles are straight from the AP.

Here's a link to CNN

White House Declines to Counter Leak Claim

2006-04-07T11:42:00.000-05:00

So the leak ultimately comes from the one person authorized to declassify anything. More abuse of executive power. Flaunt it while you've got.

WTOP: White House Declines to Counter Leak Claim:

"The White House on Friday declined to challenge assertions that President Bush authorized the leaks of intelligence information to counter administration critics on Iraq."

Texas Mom Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (or too much religion?)

2006-04-07T11:23:00.000-05:00

WTOP: Texas Mom Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity:

"The defense faulted Schlosser's husband for not getting her adequate mental health treatment and also blamed her preacher, Doyle Davidson, who believes only God can cure mental illness."

What's up with these teachers and young boys?

2006-04-05T11:09:00.000-05:00

6abc.com: Local Teacher Accused of Assaulting Student:

"New Castle County, DE April 4, 2006 - New Castle County Police have charged a Claymont Elementary School teacher for allegedly raping one of her students.

Police say 34-year-old Rachel Holt allegedly provided alcohol to the 13-year-old and let him drive her car. They say on another occasion she allegedly allowed the boy's 12-year-old friend to watch them having sex. Police say the investigation began after the boy's father reported he was suspicious of his son's relationship with Holt who was his science teacher.

Police charged Holt with having sex with the student 28 times during a seven-day period from March 24 to March 31.

Uptight Youth Minister

2006-04-05T10:53:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Youth minister smites dodgeball opponent - Mar 31, 2006:

"David M. Boudreaux, 27, was charged Wednesday with one count of third-degree assault. According to court documents, the incident happened in February at Crescent Lake Christian Academy.

Authorities said the teen missed Boudreaux with one throw but then knocked the youth minister's glasses off with the next.

The boy apologized, authorities said, but Boudreaux pushed him backward, and when the teen got up again Boudreaux kicked him in the groin and left."

CNN.com - AP: Former DeLay aide pleads guilty to fraud charges - Mar 31, 2006

2006-03-31T13:22:00.000-05:00

I have to wonder: Is DeLay that naive or is he in on it? Somehow it's hard to believe a man whose nickname is "The Hammer" is naive.

CNN.com - AP: Former DeLay aide pleads guilty to fraud charges - Mar 31, 2006:

"Rudy was referred to in earlier court papers released in connection with Abramoff's plea. The documents referred to Rudy as Staffer A, and said that Abramoff, on behalf of clients who wanted to stop Internet gambling and postal rate legislation, paid $50,000 in 10 equal monthly payments beginning in June 2000 to Rudy's wife while Rudy was a top aide to DeLay.

The Abramoff court papers allege no wrongdoing by DeLay, and his attorney, Richard Cullen, said the former House Majority Leader 'expects his current staffers and expected his former staffers to adhere to the highest ethical standards.'"

Bush Was Set on Path to War, British Memo Says - New York Times

2006-03-28T16:37:00.000-05:00

Why am I not surprised that there is no denial?

Bush Was Set on Path to War, British Memo Says - New York Times:

"The memo indicates the two leaders envisioned a quick victory and a transition to a new Iraqi government that would be complicated, but manageable. Mr. Bush predicted that it was 'unlikely there would be internecine warfare between the different religious and ethnic groups.' Mr. Blair agreed with that assessment.

The memo also shows that the president and the prime minister acknowledged that no unconventional weapons had been found inside Iraq. Faced with the possibility of not finding any before the planned invasion, Mr. Bush talked about several ways to provoke a confrontation, including a proposal to paint a United States surveillance plane in the colors of the United Nations in hopes of drawing fire, or assassinating Mr. Hussein."

Boy, was he wrong about "internecine warfare between the different religious and ethnic groups" being unlikely. I'm glad I'm not a U.S. Senator (of either party).

A book I think I'll read.

2006-03-27T13:59:00.000-05:00

A Case of Deficit Thinking: "'Impostor' is not a bad book. It's a fairly devastating indictment of the current administration's economic policies from a conservative-to-libertarian perspective, and although there's little in it that will surprise anyone who follows politics relatively closely, Bartlett does add interest by quoting almost exclusively from conservative journalists and pundits to make his case. A syndicated columnist who worked in the White House under Ronald Reagan and in the Treasury Department during George H.W. Bush's term, Bartlett knows this territory well. (Too well, in the eyes of the National Center for Policy Analysis, a Dallas-based conservative think tank that fired him for writing 'Impostor.')"

FSM word is still spreading!

2006-03-27T11:00:00.000-05:00

USATODAY.com - 'Spaghetti Monster' is noodling around with faith: "Will its revelations — that pirates control global warming, that there's a beer volcano in heaven, and that superstition trumps science every time — overwhelm religious belief for all mankind?"

A Website for MP

2006-03-26T18:13:00.000-05:00

The Grouchy Grammarian: Thomas Parrish: "# Do you commit apostrophe atrocities?
# Are you tormented by the lie/lay conundrum?
# Do you find yourself stuck between floaters and danglers?
# Do your subjects and your verbs refuse to agree?"

More incomepetence and misplaced priorities

2006-03-26T12:47:00.000-05:00

Miscue enables 15 illegals to go free - Nation/Politics - insider.washingtontimes.com: "DENVER -- When a Colorado state trooper pulled over a van crammed with 15 illegal aliens headed for Iowa City, it looked like their plans to visit the Hawkeye State had come to a screeching halt.
Instead, Trooper John Lopez released the van and its occupants after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent told the Colorado State Patrol that he didn't have the staff to detain the admitted illegal aliens. "

Another reason not to live in Florida

2006-03-25T17:36:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - The alligator who came to call - Mar 24, 2006: "French said it's not unusual to find male alligators in some pretty interesting places this time of year.

'You're starting into what's called the crawl season, the breeding season,' he said. 'We get them out of front porches, out of garages, out of swimming pools.'"

Can these guys do anything right?

2006-03-20T15:04:00.000-05:00

They try to control the propaganda, but:

From CNN
Has the Bush administration been effective in handling public relations on efforts in Iraq?


Yes:   9%     9,430 votes
No:    91%   96,851 votes
-------------------------
Total:      106,281 votes

This QuickVote is not scientific and reflects the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general, nor the public as a whole.

Rumsfeld: This is the best person in the U.S. to run the Pentagon?

2006-03-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Rumsfeld's Iraq-Germany analogy disputed - Mar 19, 2006:

"'That is really absolutely crazy to anyone who knows history,' he said. 'There was no alternative to our presence. The Germans were totally crushed. For Secretary Rumsfeld to be talking this way suggests either he doesn't know history or he's simply demagoguing.'"

This is so sad. This is the best person in the U.S. to run the Pentagon?

CNN.com - 'How William Shatner Changed the World' - Mar 16, 2006

2006-03-16T17:58:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - 'How William Shatner Changed the World' - Mar 16, 2006

Bush popularity must really be low - Jessica Simpson snubs Bush - Mar 15, 2006

2006-03-16T10:03:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Jessica Simpson snubs Bush - Mar 15, 2006

"LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Concerned about politicizing her favorite charity, singer-actress Jessica Simpson Wednesday turned down a invitation to meet with President Bush, a snub that left Republicans dismayed."

Missing White Women Syndrome

2006-03-14T13:59:00.000-05:00

I'm amazed it has taken this long for me to see an article on this subject in the mainstream media. What a shame.

CNN.com - Anderson Cooper 360° Blog: "When pretty, young women -- especially white ones -- are killed or disappear, media storms often follow. There is no polite way to say it, and it is a fact of television news. Media and social critics call the wall-to-wall coverage that seems to swirl around these events, 'Missing White Woman Syndrome.'"

Is there any competence? Judge Unexpectedly Halts Moussaoui Trial

2006-03-13T11:56:00.000-05:00

WTOP: Judge Unexpectedly Halts Moussaoui Trial: "ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) - An angry federal judge unexpectedly recessed the sentencing trial of confessed al-Qaida conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui on Monday to consider whether government violations of her rules against coaching witnesses should remove the death penalty as an option."

So we're supposed to believe this guy now?

2006-03-09T23:34:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Chertoff: Bird flu possible in U.S. within months - Mar 9, 2006

Bird Flu moving into mamals faster than I thought it would

2006-03-09T13:30:00.000-05:00

WTOP: Bird Flu Found in Weasel-Like Mammal: "Bird Flu"

Automatic Flush Toilets

2006-03-07T15:59:00.000-05:00

I had not thought of this before, but Nick has a point. I still like the automatic flush urinals, though

The Crappiest Invention of All Time - Why the auto-flushing toilet must die. By Nick Schulz

Thanks to Mark Brice for this one.

Iraqi Tribes Strike Back at Insurgents

2006-03-07T14:34:00.000-05:00

Good news in Iraq. Stange that only the Washington Post has this story.

Iraqi Tribes Strike Back at Insurgents: "Tribal chiefs in Iraq's western Anbar province and in an area near the northern city of Kirkuk, two regions teeming with insurgents, are vowing to strike back at al-Qaeda in Iraq, a Sunni Arab-led group that is waging war against Sunni tribal leaders who are cooperating with the Iraqi government and the U.S. military. Anbar tribes have formed a militia that has killed 20 insurgents from al-Qaeda in Iraq, leaders said."

Resgistration required to access the full article.

WTOP: Video Shows Bush Warned Before Katrina Hit

2006-03-02T11:25:00.000-05:00

This is somehow more disturbing than my early assumption that Bush was ignorant of the situation. Ignorance can be forgiven, but stupidity cannot.

"My gut tells me ... this is a bad one and a big one," then-federal disaster chief Michael Brown told the final government-wide briefing the day before Katrina struck the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29.

The president didn't ask a single question during the briefing but assured soon-to-be-battered state officials: "We are fully prepared."

WTOP: Video Shows Bush Warned Before Katrina Hit

Americans and Jews villains in blockbuster

2006-03-01T15:53:00.000-05:00

Kenan Kolat, the head of Germany's Turkish community insisted that a ban on the film would make matters worse. "If it is withdrawn, it will raise levels of identification with the film," he said. "A democracy must be able to endure films that it doesn't approve of." Alin Sahin, the film's distributor in Germany argued: "When a cartoonist insults two billion Muslims, it is considered freedom of opinion, but when an action film takes on the Americans, it is considered demagoguery. Something is wrong."

Americans and Jews villains in blockbuster�-�World�-�insider.washingtontimes.com

The police are always right?

2006-02-27T09:58:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Driving tip: Don't honk at the cops - Feb 24, 2006

I've seen this behavior myself. I think the student should not have been reprimanded.

Their Own Version of a Big Bang - Los Angeles Times

2006-02-11T23:20:00.000-05:00

This disturbs me to no end.

Darwin Award Candidate

2006-02-07T11:06:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Balloon in car creates XL explosion - Feb 7, 2006

Another idea I sat on for too long

2006-02-07T11:03:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - 'Car-chase capital' deploys new weapon -- GPS gum balls - Feb 7, 2006

Why am I not surprised? Audit Describes Misuse of Funds in Iraq Projects - New York Times

2006-01-26T22:47:00.000-05:00

Audit Describes Misuse of Funds in Iraq Projects - New York Times:

"Audit Describes Misuse of Funds in Iraq Projects

By JAMES GLANZ
Published: January 25, 2006

A new audit of American financial practices in Iraq has uncovered irregularities including millions of reconstruction dollars stuffed casually into footlockers and filing cabinets, an American soldier in the Philippines who gambled away cash belonging to Iraq, and three Iraqis who plunged to their deaths in a rebuilt hospital elevator that had been improperly certified as safe."

More help from dogs

2006-01-18T17:47:00.000-05:00

In addition to the recent news stories about dogs and other pets saving their owners we have this today: USATODAY.com - Study shows dogs able to smell cancer

Robertson back on his meds.

2006-01-12T18:16:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Robertson apologizes to Sharon's son - Jan 12, 2006

Be careful what you eat in Indonesia

2006-01-11T11:20:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - 'Ratball' soup report sparks protest - Jan 11, 2006

CNN.com - Mummified body found in front of TV - Jan 10, 2006

2006-01-10T19:17:00.000-05:00

I wonder if retirement/SS payments continued...

CNN.com - Mummified body found in front of TV - Jan 10, 2006

Animal Revenge!

2006-01-10T19:16:00.000-05:00

Chicago Tribune | Mouse Thrown Into Fire Sets Home Ablaze

Pat Robertson's at it again.

2006-01-06T09:35:00.000-05:00

Simply amazing. I'm reading Isaac Asimov's guide to the Bible. I'm through with old testament and have started the new testament. So far I have not found much to get excited about.

Freedom marches on!

2006-01-04T16:51:00.000-05:00

WTOP: Mooning Not Illegal; Man Acquitted of Indecent Exposure

Stupid Human Tricks

2006-01-03T15:45:00.000-05:00

It takes allkinds.

-- Animals know stupid when they see it - Yahoo! News

Dowd: Kevin, not Maureen.

2005-12-24T11:49:00.000-05:00

I find that I agree with some of what Maureen Dowd's brother, Kevin, has to say in his annual takeover of her column.

"To the P.C. Elites: The founding fathers guaranteed Freedom OF Religion, not Freedom FROM Religion. Please go away, you are making my hair hurt."

-- I tend to agree except for the fact that Religionists the world over seem bent on forcing those of us who differ in opinion to conform to their world view.

Later in the article he reminisces about some time in the hallowed 50's when his mother (not "mom," which is now suddenly "liberal") took him to see a Catholic nativity scene.

"We stood and admired that display with our Jewish and Protestant neighbors. No one seemed offended. Across the top was an angel, holding a sign that said, 'Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.' Let's save that."

I'm hoping that the several points-of-view contradictions in the article reflect that he is not a professional writer. Otherwise, I can see why his hair hurts. The undertone suggests that as long as you agree with him it's OK to be diverse.

There is much more to the article that I did not address.

Read more at select.nytimes.com/2005... Unfortunately, you'll have to pay to see the article.

Pastafarians take one on the chin

2005-12-20T13:50:00.000-05:00

While some might deny that his Noodly Holiness was the one on trial, the enlightened know that "ID" was but a stand-in for Pastafrian teachings, that have now been all-but banned in science class by this ignorant decision:

The King Kong Movie was great!

2005-12-19T14:56:00.000-05:00

I thought King Kong was great. I was worried that a 3-hour movie would be hard to sit through, but the time flew by. It's an intense visual and audio experience. Definitely to intense for little kids. I plan to go again and purchase the DVD when it comes out.

They made Kong come alive.

The Wizard of Oil

2005-12-19T09:13:00.000-05:00

This is just too funny.

I love my Google home page

2005-12-19T00:03:00.000-05:00

My Google home page rocks. I like the way I'm able to add content meaningful to me. Keep up the good work Google.

Jack Anderson, Investigative Journalist Who Angered the Powerful, Dies at 83 - New York Times

2005-12-18T18:29:00.000-05:00

Jack Anderson, Investigative Journalist Who Angered the Powerful, Dies at 83 - New York Times

I was 15 when Watergate started heating up. Jack Anderson's column started me reading the rest of the Washington Post. Thanks Jack.

Wal-Mart

2005-12-18T18:21:00.000-05:00

Maya, is Wal-Mart still your favorite store?

More Christmas rage

2005-12-18T01:40:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Drunken Santas run riot in Auckland - Dec 17, 2005

Carlton Pearson

2005-12-18T00:45:00.000-05:00

Today I listened to a show on NPR called "This American Life" that discussed the ministry of Bishop Carlton Pearson who has been branded a heretic by most evangelical Christian groups.

Tonight, I sent him the following email:

Bishop Pearson,

I heard about you on "This American Life" today. I am not, and never have been, a christian. I was "graduated" out of Sunday school at the age of eight for asking questions like "If God created Adam and Eve and they had two sons, who did they marry?"

I hope that your ministry grows to encompass the herds of intolerant Christians who seem to be attempting to take over our country. To me it seems as if they don't want me to live in this country. I was delighted to hear the main tenets of your gospel of inclusion. It seems to me to be a thoughtful interpretation of the the teachings of Jesus.

I encourage you to keep up the good work. You are a force for good in what I see to be an increasingly intolerant world (I find it hard to distinguish between the fundamentalist Islamists and Christians).

More Christmas Fury

2005-12-14T14:08:00.000-05:00

WTOP: Department Store Santa Beat Up at Train Station

Department Store Santa Beat Up at Train Station
Dec 13th - 5:25pm

(Undated) -- Apparently, Santa Claus is the one who needs to watch out.
Ananova.com reports a German man who works as a department store Santa was assaulted recently.

Thirty-one-year-old Stefan Stettler had finished his shift and was heading home when the attack happened. Police say Stettler, who was still in costume and in character, was talking to passengers while waiting for his train home.

He was asking people what they wanted for Christmas when two men grabbed his bag of presents and began to beat him with it.
Stettler's fingers were broken in the attack, and the suspects got away.
Police say the men were allegedly on edge after a full day of Christmas shopping when they attacked Stettler.

The victim admitted that people can be explosive at this time of the year, but added, quote, "come on, who beats up Santa Claus?"
(Copyright 2005 by MetroSource News. All Rights Reserved.)

More on Commercial Christmas

2005-12-14T12:43:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Murderous Santa display draws stares - Dec 14, 2005: "Murderous Santa display draws stares"

Joel Krupnik and Mildred Castellanos decked the front of their Manhattan mansion this year with a scene that includes a knife-wielding 5-foot-tall St. Nick and a tree full of decapitated Barbie dolls. Hidden partly behind a tree, the merry old elf grasps a disembodied doll's head with fake blood streaming from its eye sockets.

Way cool Syncopated Christmas Light Show

2005-12-14T10:56:00.000-05:00

You've got to check this out.

Defending Christmas

2005-12-14T09:57:00.000-05:00

'Soldiers' gear up to defend Christmas - Nation/Politics - insider.washingtontimes.com

Christmas, for me, has never been a religious holiday. If I were a Christian, I would be dismayed by the wanton commercialism of the holiday.

I don't care if people say "Merry Christmas" to each other. I sometimes say it myself, but only because I'm expected to.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Christmas, but not for religious reasons.

Apparently it's OK if large numbers of people die a few at a time

2005-12-14T09:38:00.000-05:00

An AP article found here discusses middle eastern traffic fatalities.

"We have adopted a transportation system that is killing people," said Abdul Rahman al-Janahi. "Is this sustainable? It's a transport system with no mercy."

Australian Race Relations

2005-12-13T00:14:00.000-05:00

I've always been interested in traveling to Autstralia, but I've always harbored a feeling that I would not be welcome there as a visitor. Recent events are convincing me that I my feeling is valid.
I'm sure it's a beautiful country and that many, if not most, of the people there are not racist, but it only takes one slight to devalue an otherwise great vacation.

Something I did not know

2005-11-16T18:20:00.000-05:00

Berkeley, A City in History Chapter 8: "The suburban boom was also influenced by the policies of government housing agencies. Middle class families found it easier to get low-interest FHA, VA, or Cal-Vet loans for suburban homes than for buying or upgrading housing in racially mixed urban neighborhoods. Until they were declared unconstitutional in 1948, the FHA actually encouraged the imposition of restrictive covenants, and it was not until the Kennedy presidency in the 1960s, that racial discrimination was outlawed in FHA loan programs. The overwhelmingly white post-war suburbs may have been the product of 'free market' forces, but they were heavily subsidized and supported by public funds and policies."

Brawny Innocent Escapes

2005-11-13T10:12:00.000-05:00

This is just too much! I have no idea how this guy keeps a straight face; there should be an Oscar for web video, he deserves to win.

Go here and send a greeting to your sweetie.

Weapons of mass attraction

2005-11-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

Interesting commentary by Arnaud de Borchgrave in the Washington Times today. He comments on memoirs written by Chris Patten, the former "foreign minister" of the European Union, last British governor in Hong Kong and former Cabinet minister for overseas development.

In his memoirs, "Not Quite the Diplomat: Home Truths About World Affairs," Mr. Patten sadly sees the lack of U.S. global leadership leading to a new world disorder. Pre-emptive wars do not address the major problems of our era, from the challenge to the status quo by China and India, to failed and failing states, to terrorism, poverty and the environment.

Evolution Slate Outpolls Rivals - New York Times

2005-11-09T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Dover school board that was pushing ID has been turfed out. Article here.

The Winner Is... Fake Dog Testicle Creator - WTOP Radio

2005-10-07T12:28:00.000-05:00

The Winner Is... Fake Dog Testicle Creator - WTOP Radio: "The Winner Is... Fake Dog Testicle Creator
Updated: Friday, Oct. 7, 2005 - 9:04 AM

By MICHAEL KUNZELMAN
Associated Press Writer

BOSTON (AP) - Gregg Miller mortgaged his home and maxed out his credit cards to mass produce his invention _ prosthetic testicles for neutered dogs.

What started 10 years ago with an experiment on an unwitting Rottweiler named Max has turned into a thriving mail-order business. And on Thursday night Miller's efforts earned him a dubious yet strangely coveted honor: the Ig Nobel Prize for medicine.

'Considering my parents thought I was an idiot when I was a kid, this is a great honor,' he said. 'I wish they were alive to see it.'

The Ig Nobels, given at Harvard University by Annals of Improbable Research magazine, celebrate the humorous, creative and odd side of science.

Miller has sold more than 150,000 of his Neuticles, more than doubling his $500,000 investment. The silicone implants come in different sizes, shapes, weights and degrees of firmness.

The product's Web site says Neuticles allow a pet 'to retain his natural look' and 'self esteem.'

Viagra dough to help hurricane victims

2005-10-07T11:47:00.000-05:00

Good.

Sex Drug Subsidies to Pay Hurricane Aid - WTOP Radio: "Sex Drug Subsidies to Pay Hurricane Aid
Updated: Friday, Oct. 7, 2005 - 9:09 AM

By JIM ABRAMS
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Buying your own Viagra will become an act of altruism under a House-passed bill that pays for hurricane relief with federal funds now devoted to Medicare and Medicaid coverage for erectile dysfunction drugs.

Rep. Nathan Deal, R-Ga., sponsor of the bill, said the government would save $690 million over five years by prohibiting the two government health care programs from subsidizing prescriptions for sexual performance drugs.

The money will be used to provide $500 million in federal unemployment funds to hurricane-affected states to help them pay benefits to out-of-work people: $400 million to Louisiana, $85 million to Mississippi and $15 million to Alabama.

The bill, passed by voice vote Thursday, also extends several health programs that assist low-income families nationwide.

Deal has previously backed legislation to end federal aid for impotence drugs, saying taxpayers should not be required to pay for a drug that does not determine life or death and is often used for recreational purposes.

Under Medicaid, the state-federal program for the poor, states are allowed to determine which drugs are medically necessary, and Deal said most states now consider Viagra and other erectile dysfunction drugs in that category.

A survey by The Associated Press earlier this year showed nearly 800 convicted sex offenders in 14 states _ including Georgia _ got erectile dysfunction drugs filled by Medicaid.

The Senate has also approved legislation to end federal funding for such drugs and the House earlier this year approved a similar amendment to a spending bill covering health programs. But no bill banning federal payments for the drugs has cleared Congress.

___

The bill is H.R. 3971.

On the Net:

Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/

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

I'm thankful for my great kids...

2005-10-07T11:44:00.000-05:00

Nighttime Moonshine Operation Gets Howard Teenager Arrested: "Nighttime Moonshine Operation Gets Howard Teenager Arrested

By Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 7, 2005; Page B01

In a midnight stakeout, government agents seized a Howard County teenager and the illicit moonshine distillery he allegedly built from a bucket, a trash can and some copper pipe in the woods near his home.

The boy, arrested early Tuesday at the Rocky Gorge Reservoir in the Fulton area, told investigators he'd learned the essentials of bootlegging in high-school science class and on the Internet. Agents withheld his identity because he is a minor. They would not give his age.

'It's amazing what you can learn on the Internet,' said Kevin P. Kane, spokesman for Comptroller William Donald Schaefer, whose agency regulates the production of spirits.

It was the first illicit distillery seized in Maryland since 2000, something of a curiosity for the agents involved. Moonshining is a misdemeanor offense in Maryland, potentially punishable with a $10,000 fine and five years in prison.

'After 28 years, I can honestly say it's the first one I've run into,' said George Hubbard of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, which joined the comptroller's office on the case.

A woman walking her dogs at the reservoir spotted the fermentation equipment and reported it to authorities, Kane said. Agents staked out the site until the owner arrived, just after midnight. Agents closed in.

The boy was attempting to distill whiskey from corn, Kane said, in a trash can heated by propane. Agents believe he was just getting started and hadn't yet sampled the brew.

'What he was making, it wasn't really consumable at all,' Kane said. "It was actually very toxic."

Kane said the juvenile court system will handle the case. The boy also faces the wrath of his parents, who knew nothing of his nocturnal activities.

What he does not say is he created the vacuum

2005-10-06T14:28:00.000-05:00

From CNN.com

Amid declining public support for the Iraq war, President Bush said today the fight against terrorism must continue there because it is the center of a terrorist movement to "intimidate the whole world." Bush said if U.S. forces withdraw from Iraq, insurgents would "use the vacuum created by an American retreat to gain control of a country, a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against nonradical Muslim governments."

A Chat With Gateway Customer Support

2005-10-06T14:23:00.000-05:00

Otto_GWPR023 joined the incident.

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Welcome to Gateway Remote Assistance. I am looking at your account and the information you submitted. I will begin troubleshooting with you in just a moment.

Mark Brailsford says:
OK

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Hello Mark

Otto_GWPR023 says:
How are you today?

Mark Brailsford says:
fine

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Your system is a Gateway 7422GX Notebook with Serial Number: N3051F1039470 right?

Mark Brailsford says:
yes

Mark Brailsford says:
here's the issue: I purchased an additional battery and power supply for my laptop that I purchased at Best Buy. The battery fits but the power supply does not

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Okay, Mark, how may I help you?

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Okay, and then,,

Mark Brailsford says:
I was sent replacements that were the exact same as the first set

Mark Brailsford says:
The power supply I need's model number is 0220A1890

Mark Brailsford says:
it's output is 18.5 V, not 19V like I was sent.

Mark Brailsford says:
I now have two extra batteries and two extra (incorrect) power supplies

Mark Brailsford says:
I want the correct power supply

Mark Brailsford says:
They also charged me an extra $40+ for the second shipment

Mark Brailsford says:
I want to return one battery and two incorrect power supplies and get back one correct power supply

Mark Brailsford says:
can you help with this?

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Mark, where did you purchase the battery and the power supply?

Mark Brailsford says:
From gateway.com

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Okay Mark. please hold and I will check for your options.

Mark Brailsford says:
thanks

Mark Brailsford says:
While you are at it my display has recently begun to flicker as if it was having power issues.

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Mark, is this the power supply of your system?

Otto_GWPR023 says:
http://accessories.gateway.com/AccessoryStore/PC+Accessories_316441/Notebook+Accessories_316800/Power+Adapters_316801/1533244_ProdDetail

Mark Brailsford says:
yes

Mark Brailsford says:
no

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Your system can be powered up by 90 watts and a 120 watt power adapter.

Mark Brailsford says:
the plug does not fit. My computer does not accept the M520 power supply plug.

Mark Brailsford says:
my girlfriend has that system and the new PS fits hers, but not mine.

Mark Brailsford says:
I'm extremely frustrated.

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Mark, can you check on the link if this is the power cord that you have right now.

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Gateway/M320/8008707/8008707mv.shtml

Mark Brailsford says:
No. Mine has three wires

Mark Brailsford says:
I'm getting the feeling like you guys dumped a design you did not want in the retail channel

Mark Brailsford says:
Was I a chump?

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Mark I am really sorry for the inconvenience, I will be sending you a link where in you can purchase gateway accessories if they are not available at gateway.com. www.mundocorp.com

Mark Brailsford says:
This is ridiculous.

Otto_GWPR023 says:
I could relate to how inconvenient situations like this can be and I know how you must feel. However, the power adapter for your system is not available at gateway.com that is why I suggested to try another site where in you can purchase gateway accessories.

Mark Brailsford says:
Which wattage do I need? 90 or 120?

Otto_GWPR023 says:
90wattage

Otto_GWPR023 says:
that is the one that came with the system.

Mark Brailsford says:
OK.

Mark Brailsford says:
yes it is

Mark Brailsford says:
Mine has a Gateway label on it.

Mark Brailsford says:
Now I need an RMA for 1 battery and two power supplies.

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Mark about the return of the item, you will need to contact our email customer service to process it, we cannot process a perm return here on chat, Here is the direct link where you can contact our customer service.

Otto_GWPR023 says:
Your inquiries would best be addressed by one of our Customer Service representatives at this time. Please use the following site to contact Gateway Customer Service. Thank you.
http://support.gateway.com/support/contact/email_cs.shtml

Mark Brailsford says:
When I tried to login there it rejected my serial number. What do I do?

Mark Brailsford says:
Is there a phone number I can call?

Mark Brailsford says:
BTW the phone number on the back of my computer is disconnected.

'Honour killing' inspires reflection among Pakistanis

2005-09-29T09:31:00.000-05:00

This is disgusting.

2005-09-26T09:33:00.000-05:00

I took the test on OKcupid. Here's the result.

You are a
Social Liberal
(70% permissive)

and an...
Economic Conservative
(70% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Libertarian

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid

CNN.com - Authorities: Marine shot by cousin to avoid Iraq - Jul 15, 2005

2005-07-16T09:46:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Authorities: Marine shot by cousin to avoid Iraq - Jul 15, 2005

Wow! I guess I'm not surprised. This is not a good sign, but I guess it's happened before.

CNN.com - Christian adoption agency snubs Catholics - Jul 15, 2005

2005-07-16T09:42:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Christian adoption agency snubs Catholics - Jul 15, 2005

Is this what we can expect from faith-based initiatives?

The Power of Hatred

2005-06-28T08:38:00.000-05:00

TCS: Tech Central Station - The Power of Hatred

Interesting article: punchline

"Somehow we must make it clear - to our troops, to our lawmakers, to our president - that we have the mettle and the patience for this; that we are prepared to sacrifice and fight, not merely "for democracy," but against implacable hatred - a hatred impervious to council, to appeal, even to weariness; an exterminating hatred that must itself be exterminated."

GOP defends Rove's 9/11 criticism of liberals

2005-06-25T06:40:00.000-05:00

GOP defends Rove's 9/11 criticism of liberals - Nation/Politics - insider.washingtontimes.com

Mr. Rove, speaking to the New York State Conservative Party on Wednesday, said:
"Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war;
liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments
and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers."

Yeah, but it helps if you fight the right war. Dubya was so hot for Saddam that he's distracting us from the real source of global terror, Saudi Wahabists and the Saudi Royals who finance them. Now we're helping to train the terrorists [more here].

Religious Tolerance

2005-06-23T10:13:00.000-05:00

Air Force Academy Staff Found Promoting Religion - New York Times

Despite words to the contrary, I'm finding it harder to be non-christian in america. Too many people are wearing their christianinty like a badge of admission.

I get it, we plan to outsource our scientists. too.

2005-06-21T12:03:00.000-05:00

CNN.com - Bill would allow 'intelligent design' in Pennsylvania schools - Jun 21, 2005

Clearly we don't intend top train them in here. We'd better stop plowing farms under subdivisions. We'll need the arable land for when all we do here is grown crops again.

The draft will come #2

2005-06-20T11:55:00.000-05:00

Someone Else's Child - New York Times.

No doubt about it. Maybe this is where Bush will have to spend the little bit of "Political Capital" he has left. He's running out of young men and women for whom the military is the next best option.

Failure of the market system.

2005-06-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

Shortage of teachers forces global search�-�Metropolitan�-�insider.washingtontimes.com

Consumers of education fail to pay sufficient wages to attract enough local people into the industry. That's why we have to import teachers from other countries who will work for lower wages.

Are we to export our students, too?

Latest list of Republican pro-lynching Senators

2005-06-15T14:56:00.000-05:00

AMERICAblog: Because a great nation deserves the truth

No shame have they.