According to the Chicago Tribune:
On Nov. 20, the Tribune began an inquest: We set out to assess the Bush administration's arguments for war in Iraq. We have weighed each of those nine arguments against the findings of subsequent official investigations by the 9/11 Commission, the Senate Intelligence Committee and others. . . . After reassessing the administration's nine arguments for war, we do not see the conspiracy to mislead that many critics allege.
The fools will continue to act as fools, but at least someone in the press has stumbled into the truth.
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Bad Night On Laycock
Three people were killed inside a house in Newport early today, and a man was arrested and charged with three counts of murder.
Michael Richardson, 45, was arrested and taken to Newport police headquarters, where he was charged with murder about 10:30 a.m. after questioning by investigators, said Officer Tom Collins, spokesman for the Newport Police Department.
Events began unfolding at 6:10 a.m. when the Campbell County Central Dispatch received two emergency 911 calls, both reporting that a man in the house had killed his family and dog, Collins said. One call was from the employer of the man, the other from a person identifying himself as a son of the owners of the house.
Police set up a perimeter around the house at 15 Laycock Lane in the southern part of the city off Monmouth Street and attempted to make contact with the man, Collins said.
About 20 minutes later, the man called police dispatch, and he was patched through to police at the scene, Collins said.
"They talked for 10 to 15 minutes. He was very emotional and said he was having problems with his family," Collins said.
Richardson agreed to surrender and emerged from the house holding a semi-automatic handgun at 7:40 a.m., Collins said.
When police entered the house, they found an automatic weapon on a tripod trained on the front door, Collins said. They also found three bodies - an adult woman and a young woman and young man, who appeared to be in their late teens - and the body of a dog, Collins said. All had been shot, he said.
Police did not release the names of the victims.
After Richardson was taken into custody, police began processing the crime scene, Collins said.
The owners of the house are listed as Richardson and his wife, Joyce, according to the Campbell County Property Valuation Administrator's Office. Neighbors said Richardson, his wife and a teenage daughter lived in the house.
A neighbor who lives directly behind the Richardsons' house said he was alerted to loud noises outside by his wife.
"At 5:45, my wife came down from the bedroom and said, 'Did you hear those gunshots?' said Craig Rowekamp. "About two or three minutes later, I heard another boom. I just thought it was garbage cans rolling around. This is usually a pretty quite neighborhood."
A neighbor who lives across the street and asked not to be identified said the Richardsons were always very friendly and that she never heard of any problems at their home. The Richardsons have lived on Laycock for roughly 10 years, the neighbor said.
The neighbor said Joyce Richardson worked at McDonald's on Alexandria Pike with their daughter, who is apparently a senior in high school. Michael Richardson worked at a printing company in Boone County, police said.
Michael Richardson, 45, was arrested and taken to Newport police headquarters, where he was charged with murder about 10:30 a.m. after questioning by investigators, said Officer Tom Collins, spokesman for the Newport Police Department.
Events began unfolding at 6:10 a.m. when the Campbell County Central Dispatch received two emergency 911 calls, both reporting that a man in the house had killed his family and dog, Collins said. One call was from the employer of the man, the other from a person identifying himself as a son of the owners of the house.
Police set up a perimeter around the house at 15 Laycock Lane in the southern part of the city off Monmouth Street and attempted to make contact with the man, Collins said.
About 20 minutes later, the man called police dispatch, and he was patched through to police at the scene, Collins said.
"They talked for 10 to 15 minutes. He was very emotional and said he was having problems with his family," Collins said.
Richardson agreed to surrender and emerged from the house holding a semi-automatic handgun at 7:40 a.m., Collins said.
When police entered the house, they found an automatic weapon on a tripod trained on the front door, Collins said. They also found three bodies - an adult woman and a young woman and young man, who appeared to be in their late teens - and the body of a dog, Collins said. All had been shot, he said.
Police did not release the names of the victims.
After Richardson was taken into custody, police began processing the crime scene, Collins said.
The owners of the house are listed as Richardson and his wife, Joyce, according to the Campbell County Property Valuation Administrator's Office. Neighbors said Richardson, his wife and a teenage daughter lived in the house.
A neighbor who lives directly behind the Richardsons' house said he was alerted to loud noises outside by his wife.
"At 5:45, my wife came down from the bedroom and said, 'Did you hear those gunshots?' said Craig Rowekamp. "About two or three minutes later, I heard another boom. I just thought it was garbage cans rolling around. This is usually a pretty quite neighborhood."
A neighbor who lives across the street and asked not to be identified said the Richardsons were always very friendly and that she never heard of any problems at their home. The Richardsons have lived on Laycock for roughly 10 years, the neighbor said.
The neighbor said Joyce Richardson worked at McDonald's on Alexandria Pike with their daughter, who is apparently a senior in high school. Michael Richardson worked at a printing company in Boone County, police said.
At Least They're Competent
According to Mickey Kaus:
One reason the warrantless eavesdropping controversy may help, rather than hurt, Bush in the polls has more to do with the character of his administration than popular support for eavesdropping. . . . if the Bushies have really had the energy to secretly do all sorts of illegal spying against terrorists, it's almost reassuring. At least they've been on the case, doing their job as they see it. The more thorough and secret the eavesdropping, the more reassuring on this score.
One reason the warrantless eavesdropping controversy may help, rather than hurt, Bush in the polls has more to do with the character of his administration than popular support for eavesdropping. . . . if the Bushies have really had the energy to secretly do all sorts of illegal spying against terrorists, it's almost reassuring. At least they've been on the case, doing their job as they see it. The more thorough and secret the eavesdropping, the more reassuring on this score.
Quote of the Day
"Those who know do not talk. Those who talk do not know." -- Tao Te Ching (ancient Chinese Scripture)
Must Listen
The Journey Within, by Bernie Williams. Yes, the NY Yankees' Bernie Williams. The man can pick a guitar.
Saturday, December 24, 2005
An Un-Merry Christmas for the Bush Haters
Saturday December 24, 2005--Forty-nine percent (49%) of American adults approve of the way George W. Bush is performing his role as President. That's up five points since the President's speech on Sunday night.
Yesterday was the first time since July that the President's Job Approval has reached the 50% mark. He earns approval from 81% of Republicans, 24% of Democrats, and 39% of those not affiliated with either major political party.
And with the economy humming and the Dems in complete September 10, 2001 mode, the Bushies must be very pleased.
Yesterday was the first time since July that the President's Job Approval has reached the 50% mark. He earns approval from 81% of Republicans, 24% of Democrats, and 39% of those not affiliated with either major political party.
And with the economy humming and the Dems in complete September 10, 2001 mode, the Bushies must be very pleased.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
A Defense Only A Lawyer Could Devise
SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- A jury on Tuesday convicted a lawyer of attempted murder in a 2004 shooting that left a rival attorney in a nursing home, unable to speak.
Prosecutors said they would seek a stiffer sentence for William R. Joice, 51, beyond the standard-range term of 20 to 25 years because of aggravating factors.
Joice testified during the trial that although he shot Kevin Jung in the head outside Jung's Bellevue law office, he didn't intend to kill him.
Joice said he was just trying to injure Jung to buy time in a lawsuit which pitted the two lawyers against each other. Jung, a 45-year-old father of two, and Joice represented opposite sides in a contract dispute.
Prosecutors said they would seek a stiffer sentence for William R. Joice, 51, beyond the standard-range term of 20 to 25 years because of aggravating factors.
Joice testified during the trial that although he shot Kevin Jung in the head outside Jung's Bellevue law office, he didn't intend to kill him.
Joice said he was just trying to injure Jung to buy time in a lawsuit which pitted the two lawyers against each other. Jung, a 45-year-old father of two, and Joice represented opposite sides in a contract dispute.
It Only Took 6 Years
The Big Government Republicans have finally cut something:
WASHINGTON - The Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation to cut federal deficits by $39.7 billion on Wednesday by the narrowest of margins, 51-50, with Vice President Dick Cheney casting the deciding vote. The measure, the product of a year's labors by the White House and the GOP in Congress, imposes the first restraints in nearly a decade in federal benefit programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and student loans.
Alas, the Dems are outraged. Reason #1 why I never take their cries for deficit reduction seriously.
WASHINGTON - The Republican-controlled Senate passed legislation to cut federal deficits by $39.7 billion on Wednesday by the narrowest of margins, 51-50, with Vice President Dick Cheney casting the deciding vote. The measure, the product of a year's labors by the White House and the GOP in Congress, imposes the first restraints in nearly a decade in federal benefit programs such as Medicaid, Medicare and student loans.
Alas, the Dems are outraged. Reason #1 why I never take their cries for deficit reduction seriously.
NBC Still Doesn't Get It
Now why is NBC in last place? Oh, yeah.
According to this story from Beliefnet, NBC Television has a real treat in store for people interested in religion: their upcoming drama series, The Book of Daniel, is about a married Episcopal priest, Daniel Webster, who is addicted to Vicodin, who is married and has a gay Republican son and a drug-dealing 16-year-old daughter. The American Family Association notes that the priest's secretary is a lesbian who is sleeping with his sister-in-law. Did I mention he also has a 16-year-old adopted son who is sleeping with the bishop's daughter?
The writer for the series, Jack Kenny, who describes himself as a real "spiritual" person, is also a practicing homosexual "in recovery from Catholicism" and studying Buudhist beliefs.
His main character, Daniel Webster, talks to Jesus, who appears to him every now and then in times of great stress. Kenny does "believe in Jesus, but not necessarily "all the myth surrounding him."
NBC purportedly is launching the series in an effort to recover from a fourth-place finish in recent ratings. Since Episcopal parishes led by priests such as Daniel Webster are wildly successful, I think they have the making of a hit.
Speaking of "hits," I note that Kenny says: "Organized religion is, to me, almost the same organism as the Mafia."
Really? Well, after all, he says,
"It's got its internal politics, it's got rules that it follows, rules that it doesn't follow, who's allowed to do what to who. It's got skeletons in the closet and scandals and all those things. It skirts the law because it can. They do it legitimately, where the Mafia does it illegitimately. I always wanted to explore religion the way 'The Sopranos' explored the Mafia, through the focal lens of a family."
And who says the media is not paying enough attention to religion?
According to this story from Beliefnet, NBC Television has a real treat in store for people interested in religion: their upcoming drama series, The Book of Daniel, is about a married Episcopal priest, Daniel Webster, who is addicted to Vicodin, who is married and has a gay Republican son and a drug-dealing 16-year-old daughter. The American Family Association notes that the priest's secretary is a lesbian who is sleeping with his sister-in-law. Did I mention he also has a 16-year-old adopted son who is sleeping with the bishop's daughter?
The writer for the series, Jack Kenny, who describes himself as a real "spiritual" person, is also a practicing homosexual "in recovery from Catholicism" and studying Buudhist beliefs.
His main character, Daniel Webster, talks to Jesus, who appears to him every now and then in times of great stress. Kenny does "believe in Jesus, but not necessarily "all the myth surrounding him."
NBC purportedly is launching the series in an effort to recover from a fourth-place finish in recent ratings. Since Episcopal parishes led by priests such as Daniel Webster are wildly successful, I think they have the making of a hit.
Speaking of "hits," I note that Kenny says: "Organized religion is, to me, almost the same organism as the Mafia."
Really? Well, after all, he says,
"It's got its internal politics, it's got rules that it follows, rules that it doesn't follow, who's allowed to do what to who. It's got skeletons in the closet and scandals and all those things. It skirts the law because it can. They do it legitimately, where the Mafia does it illegitimately. I always wanted to explore religion the way 'The Sopranos' explored the Mafia, through the focal lens of a family."
And who says the media is not paying enough attention to religion?
Big Risk for Little Return
If this is accurate, I'd say the City of New York made a huuuuggeee mistake:
On the final day of intense negotiations, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, it turns out, greatly altered what it had called its final offer, to address many of the objections of the transit workers' union. The authority improved its earlier wage proposals, dropped its demand for concessions on health benefits and stopped calling for an increase in the retirement age, to 62 from 55.
But then, just hours before the strike deadline, the authority's chairman, Peter S. Kalikow, put forward a surprise demand that stunned the union. Seeking to rein in the authority's soaring pension costs, he asked that all new transit workers contribute 6 percent of their wages toward their pensions, up from the 2 percent that current workers pay. The union balked, and then shut down the nation's largest transit system for the first time in a quarter-century.
Yet for all the rage and bluster that followed, this war was declared over a pension proposal that would have saved the transit authority less than $20 million over the next three years.
It seemed a small figure, considering that the city says that every day of the strike will cost its businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues. But the authority contends that it must act now to prevent a ''tidal wave'' of pension outlays if costs are not brought under control.
Roger Toussaint, the president of the union, Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, said the pension proposal, made Monday night just before the 12:01 a.m. strike deadline, would effectively cut the wages of new workers by 4 percent.
''They're trying to beat down wages for our new workers,'' Mr. Toussaint said yesterday.
In the days immediately before the strike deadline, the union kept hammering the point that the authority's pension demands would save little over the life of a three-year contract.
Indeed, not just Mr. Toussaint but some other New Yorkers are questioning whether it was worthwhile for the authority to go to war over the issue when the authority's pension demands would apparently save less over the next three years than what the New York City Police Department will spend on extra overtime during the first two days of the strike.
''What they'd be saving on pensions is a pittance,'' Mr. Toussaint said.
Robert Linn, a former New York City labor commissioner, questioned the transportation authority's decision -- with the backing of the mayor and governor -- to go to the mat over pensions with a union that can exact huge pain on the city in a year when the authority was enjoying a $1 billion surplus.
''They might have picked a union that was more willing to consider the subject,'' Mr. Linn said. ''It not just the considerable economic power of this union, it's also the timing,'' just before Christmas. ''It's tremendously problematic.''
On the final day of intense negotiations, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, it turns out, greatly altered what it had called its final offer, to address many of the objections of the transit workers' union. The authority improved its earlier wage proposals, dropped its demand for concessions on health benefits and stopped calling for an increase in the retirement age, to 62 from 55.
But then, just hours before the strike deadline, the authority's chairman, Peter S. Kalikow, put forward a surprise demand that stunned the union. Seeking to rein in the authority's soaring pension costs, he asked that all new transit workers contribute 6 percent of their wages toward their pensions, up from the 2 percent that current workers pay. The union balked, and then shut down the nation's largest transit system for the first time in a quarter-century.
Yet for all the rage and bluster that followed, this war was declared over a pension proposal that would have saved the transit authority less than $20 million over the next three years.
It seemed a small figure, considering that the city says that every day of the strike will cost its businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenues. But the authority contends that it must act now to prevent a ''tidal wave'' of pension outlays if costs are not brought under control.
Roger Toussaint, the president of the union, Local 100 of the Transport Workers Union, said the pension proposal, made Monday night just before the 12:01 a.m. strike deadline, would effectively cut the wages of new workers by 4 percent.
''They're trying to beat down wages for our new workers,'' Mr. Toussaint said yesterday.
In the days immediately before the strike deadline, the union kept hammering the point that the authority's pension demands would save little over the life of a three-year contract.
Indeed, not just Mr. Toussaint but some other New Yorkers are questioning whether it was worthwhile for the authority to go to war over the issue when the authority's pension demands would apparently save less over the next three years than what the New York City Police Department will spend on extra overtime during the first two days of the strike.
''What they'd be saving on pensions is a pittance,'' Mr. Toussaint said.
Robert Linn, a former New York City labor commissioner, questioned the transportation authority's decision -- with the backing of the mayor and governor -- to go to the mat over pensions with a union that can exact huge pain on the city in a year when the authority was enjoying a $1 billion surplus.
''They might have picked a union that was more willing to consider the subject,'' Mr. Linn said. ''It not just the considerable economic power of this union, it's also the timing,'' just before Christmas. ''It's tremendously problematic.''
The Hypocrisy in Washington is Astounding
The Clinton administration has repeatedly attempted to play down the significance of the warrant clause. In fact, President Clinton has asserted the power to conduct warrantless searches, warrantless drug testing of public school students, and warrantless wiretapping.
The Clinton administration claims that it can bypass the warrant clause for "national security" purposes. In July 1994 Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick told the House Select Committee on Intelligence that the president "has inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches for foreign intelligence purposes." [51] According to Gorelick, the president (or his attorney general) need only satisfy himself that an American is working in conjunction with a foreign power before a search can take place. . . .
It is unclear why the president made warrantless roving wiretaps a priority matter since judges routinely approve wiretap applications by federal prosecutors. According to a 1995 report by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, it had been years since a federal district court turned down a prosecutor's request for a wiretap order. [68] President Clinton is apparently seeking to free his administration from any potential judicial interference with its wiretapping plans. There is a problem, of course, with the power that the president desires: it is precisely the sort of unchecked power that the Fourth Amendment's warrant clause was designed to curb. As the Supreme Court noted in Katz v. United States (1967), the judicial procedure of antecedent justification before a neutral magistrate is a "constitutional precondition," not only to the search of a home, but also to eavesdropping on private conversations within the home. [69]
President Clinton also lobbied for and signed the Orwellian Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which is forcing every telephone company in America to retrofit its phone lines and networks so that they will be more accessible to police wiretaps.
UPDATE:
The allegation of Presidential law-breaking rests solely on the fact that Mr. Bush authorized wiretaps without first getting the approval of the court established under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. But no Administration then or since has ever conceded that that Act trumped a President's power to make exceptions to FISA if national security required it. FISA established a process by which certain wiretaps in the context of the Cold War could be approved, not a limit on what wiretaps could ever be allowed.
The courts have been explicit on this point, most recently in In Re: Sealed Case, the 2002 opinion by the special panel of appellate judges established to hear FISA appeals. In its per curiam opinion, the court noted that in a previous FISA case (U.S. v. Truong), a federal "court, as did all the other courts to have decided the issue [our emphasis], held that the President did have inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information." And further that, "We take for granted that the President does have that authority and, assuming that is so, FISA could not encroach on the President's constitutional power."
So why is this a story? Oh yeah, because Bush is president. I always forget that part.
The Clinton administration claims that it can bypass the warrant clause for "national security" purposes. In July 1994 Deputy Attorney General Jamie S. Gorelick told the House Select Committee on Intelligence that the president "has inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches for foreign intelligence purposes." [51] According to Gorelick, the president (or his attorney general) need only satisfy himself that an American is working in conjunction with a foreign power before a search can take place. . . .
It is unclear why the president made warrantless roving wiretaps a priority matter since judges routinely approve wiretap applications by federal prosecutors. According to a 1995 report by the Administrative Office of U.S. Courts, it had been years since a federal district court turned down a prosecutor's request for a wiretap order. [68] President Clinton is apparently seeking to free his administration from any potential judicial interference with its wiretapping plans. There is a problem, of course, with the power that the president desires: it is precisely the sort of unchecked power that the Fourth Amendment's warrant clause was designed to curb. As the Supreme Court noted in Katz v. United States (1967), the judicial procedure of antecedent justification before a neutral magistrate is a "constitutional precondition," not only to the search of a home, but also to eavesdropping on private conversations within the home. [69]
President Clinton also lobbied for and signed the Orwellian Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, which is forcing every telephone company in America to retrofit its phone lines and networks so that they will be more accessible to police wiretaps.
UPDATE:
The allegation of Presidential law-breaking rests solely on the fact that Mr. Bush authorized wiretaps without first getting the approval of the court established under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. But no Administration then or since has ever conceded that that Act trumped a President's power to make exceptions to FISA if national security required it. FISA established a process by which certain wiretaps in the context of the Cold War could be approved, not a limit on what wiretaps could ever be allowed.
The courts have been explicit on this point, most recently in In Re: Sealed Case, the 2002 opinion by the special panel of appellate judges established to hear FISA appeals. In its per curiam opinion, the court noted that in a previous FISA case (U.S. v. Truong), a federal "court, as did all the other courts to have decided the issue [our emphasis], held that the President did have inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information." And further that, "We take for granted that the President does have that authority and, assuming that is so, FISA could not encroach on the President's constitutional power."
So why is this a story? Oh yeah, because Bush is president. I always forget that part.
Update to the Non-Story Plame Story
This is interesting:
The Harvard Crimson is breaking news - Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein spoke at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics, and then had an on-the-record conversation at an invitation-only inner afterwards.
Woodward on Novak:
“His source was not in the White House, I don’t believe,” Woodward said of Novak over a private dinner at the Institute of Politics on Dec. 5. He did not indicate what information, if any, he had to corroborate the claim.
Woodward on the Administration conspiracy to out Valerie Plame:
Responding to Bernstein’s claim that the release of Plame’s identity was a “calculated leak” by the Bush administration, Woodward said flatly, “I know a lot about this, and you’re wrong.”
Although we all know you can't trust reporters from the WaPo.
The Harvard Crimson is breaking news - Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein spoke at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics, and then had an on-the-record conversation at an invitation-only inner afterwards.
Woodward on Novak:
“His source was not in the White House, I don’t believe,” Woodward said of Novak over a private dinner at the Institute of Politics on Dec. 5. He did not indicate what information, if any, he had to corroborate the claim.
Woodward on the Administration conspiracy to out Valerie Plame:
Responding to Bernstein’s claim that the release of Plame’s identity was a “calculated leak” by the Bush administration, Woodward said flatly, “I know a lot about this, and you’re wrong.”
Although we all know you can't trust reporters from the WaPo.
Monday, December 19, 2005
Who Dey?
Classic.
Hear that Bengal growlin' mean and angry
Here he comes a prowlin' lean and hungry
An offensive brute
Run, pass or boot
And defensively he's rough, tough
Cincinnati Bengals
That's the team we're going to cheer to victory
Touchdown Bengals get some points upon that board
And win a game for Cincinnati
Hear that Bengal growlin' mean and angry
Here he comes a prowlin' lean and hungry
An offensive brute
Run, pass or boot
And defensively he's rough, tough
Cincinnati Bengals
That's the team we're going to cheer to victory
Touchdown Bengals get some points upon that board
And win a game for Cincinnati
Head On Over There, Boys
In a strange way, this is good news.
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Spanish police early Monday arrested 15 people suspected of recruiting and indoctrinating others to be sent to fight against Western forces in Iraq, according to Spain's interior minister, Jose Antonio Alonso.
The arrests included an Iraqi man Spanish authorities said was linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.
An Interior Ministry press release said eight Moroccans, an Iraqi, an Egyptian, a Frenchman, a Ghanian, a Bellarussian, a Saudi, and a Spaniard were also among those arrested.
"The network of the people arrested aimed to recruit and indoctrinate mujahideen or holy warriors to be sent to fight in Iraq," Alonso said, adding that the group "had contact with the hard core of al Qaeda in Iraq."
Go on boys, saddle up for Iraq. Better there than here; and you're much more likely to get killed over there.
MADRID, Spain (CNN) -- Spanish police early Monday arrested 15 people suspected of recruiting and indoctrinating others to be sent to fight against Western forces in Iraq, according to Spain's interior minister, Jose Antonio Alonso.
The arrests included an Iraqi man Spanish authorities said was linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq.
An Interior Ministry press release said eight Moroccans, an Iraqi, an Egyptian, a Frenchman, a Ghanian, a Bellarussian, a Saudi, and a Spaniard were also among those arrested.
"The network of the people arrested aimed to recruit and indoctrinate mujahideen or holy warriors to be sent to fight in Iraq," Alonso said, adding that the group "had contact with the hard core of al Qaeda in Iraq."
Go on boys, saddle up for Iraq. Better there than here; and you're much more likely to get killed over there.
More Freedom All Around
According to Freedom House:
NEW YORK, December 19, 2005 -- The people of the Arab Middle East experienced a modest but potentially significant increase in political rights and civil liberties in 2005, Freedom House announced in a major survey of global freedom released today.
The global survey, "Freedom in the World," shows that although the Middle East continues to lag behind other regions, a measurable improvement can be seen in freedom in several key Arab countries, as well as the Palestinian Authority. In another key finding, the number of countries rated by Freedom House as Not Free declined from 49 in 2004 to 45 for the year 2005, the lowest number of Not Free societies identified by the survey in over a decade. In noteworthy country developments, Ukraine and Indonesia saw their status improve from Partly Free to Free; Afghanistan moved from Not Free to Partly Free; and the Philippines saw its status decline from Free to Partly Free.
According to Thomas O. Melia, acting executive director of Freedom House, "The modest but heartening advances in the Arab Middle East result from activism by citizen groups and reforms by governments in about equal measures. This emerging trend reminds us that men and women in this region share the universal desire to live in free societies."
"As we welcome the stirrings of change in the Middle East," said Mr. Melia, "it is equally important that we focus on the follow-through in other regions and appreciate the importance of the continuing consolidation of democracy in Indonesia, Ukraine, and other nations."
NEW YORK, December 19, 2005 -- The people of the Arab Middle East experienced a modest but potentially significant increase in political rights and civil liberties in 2005, Freedom House announced in a major survey of global freedom released today.
The global survey, "Freedom in the World," shows that although the Middle East continues to lag behind other regions, a measurable improvement can be seen in freedom in several key Arab countries, as well as the Palestinian Authority. In another key finding, the number of countries rated by Freedom House as Not Free declined from 49 in 2004 to 45 for the year 2005, the lowest number of Not Free societies identified by the survey in over a decade. In noteworthy country developments, Ukraine and Indonesia saw their status improve from Partly Free to Free; Afghanistan moved from Not Free to Partly Free; and the Philippines saw its status decline from Free to Partly Free.
According to Thomas O. Melia, acting executive director of Freedom House, "The modest but heartening advances in the Arab Middle East result from activism by citizen groups and reforms by governments in about equal measures. This emerging trend reminds us that men and women in this region share the universal desire to live in free societies."
"As we welcome the stirrings of change in the Middle East," said Mr. Melia, "it is equally important that we focus on the follow-through in other regions and appreciate the importance of the continuing consolidation of democracy in Indonesia, Ukraine, and other nations."
Oh, By The Way
KABUL (Reuters) - Former warlords, ex-communists, Taliban defectors and women activists were sworn in on Monday as members of the first Afghan parliament in more than 30 years amid hopes of national reconciliation after decades of bloodshed.
The inauguration was peaceful despite threats by Taliban guerrillas and was greeted with tears of emotion although there is disappointment that many in the parliament are accused of serious rights abuses and links to the drugs trade.
"This meeting is a sign of us regaining our honor," President Hamid Karzai said after swearing in the 351 lower and upper house members.
"This homeland will exist for ever!" he declared, prompting tears from many delegates.
But really, is this even newsworthy?
The inauguration was peaceful despite threats by Taliban guerrillas and was greeted with tears of emotion although there is disappointment that many in the parliament are accused of serious rights abuses and links to the drugs trade.
"This meeting is a sign of us regaining our honor," President Hamid Karzai said after swearing in the 351 lower and upper house members.
"This homeland will exist for ever!" he declared, prompting tears from many delegates.
But really, is this even newsworthy?
Kentucky High School Athletics...It's Fantastic!
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Shane Israel rushed for 90 yards and three touchdowns to lead the way for Lexington Catholic to win the 3A state championship 45-21 over Bowling Green Saturday.
How'd they do it?
Lexington Catholic lacks "institutional control" over its athletics program, according to documents released today by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
In a letter to the private school's principal, KHSAA Commissioner Brigid DeVries placed the school on two years' probation, fined it nearly $31,000, forced it to forfeit games and will limit its number of games in football and baseball.
The letter named at least nine students who may have been given what the KHSAA called inappropriate financial aid from 2001 to 2004. The names of the students were blacked out in the documents requested and received by the Herald-Leader.
Upon receiving the letter from the KHSAA in November, Lexington Catholic Principal Sally Stevens acknowledged that the school faced stiff penalties, but complete details of the sanctions were not released until today.
DeVries also verbally reprimanded the school for not coming forward with information during the KHSAA's initial investigation into the school, which ended in June.
She said in the letter, dated Nov. 15, that the initial investigation into the program and this one were "inextricably linked together."
Had Lexington Catholic provided accurate information during the first investigation, DeVries said her organization would have found violations and the current investigation "would have been unnecessary."
How'd they do it?
Lexington Catholic lacks "institutional control" over its athletics program, according to documents released today by the Kentucky High School Athletic Association.
In a letter to the private school's principal, KHSAA Commissioner Brigid DeVries placed the school on two years' probation, fined it nearly $31,000, forced it to forfeit games and will limit its number of games in football and baseball.
The letter named at least nine students who may have been given what the KHSAA called inappropriate financial aid from 2001 to 2004. The names of the students were blacked out in the documents requested and received by the Herald-Leader.
Upon receiving the letter from the KHSAA in November, Lexington Catholic Principal Sally Stevens acknowledged that the school faced stiff penalties, but complete details of the sanctions were not released until today.
DeVries also verbally reprimanded the school for not coming forward with information during the KHSAA's initial investigation into the school, which ended in June.
She said in the letter, dated Nov. 15, that the initial investigation into the program and this one were "inextricably linked together."
Had Lexington Catholic provided accurate information during the first investigation, DeVries said her organization would have found violations and the current investigation "would have been unnecessary."
The Doctrine of "Mental Reservation"?
PORTLAND, Ore. Attorneys for alleged victims of sex abuse are asking a federal judge to let them question a top-ranking Vatican official about a church doctrine that might permit him to lie under oath.
Archbishop William Levada (leh-VAY'-duh) has agreed to be questioned during a January ninth deposition about his tenure as archbishop of Portland from 1986 to 1995. The San Francisco prelate is the Vatican's guardian of doctrinal orthodoxy.
Attorneys for the victims want to ask Levada whether he would rely on the so-called doctrine of "mental reservation" when answering questions at the deposition in San Francisco. Although the Catholic church teaches it's a sin to lie, the doctrine allows for circumstances where avoiding the truth might serve a higher purpose.
A Vatican attorney says the archbishop's civil oath should be sufficient to ensure honest answers.
Archbishop William Levada (leh-VAY'-duh) has agreed to be questioned during a January ninth deposition about his tenure as archbishop of Portland from 1986 to 1995. The San Francisco prelate is the Vatican's guardian of doctrinal orthodoxy.
Attorneys for the victims want to ask Levada whether he would rely on the so-called doctrine of "mental reservation" when answering questions at the deposition in San Francisco. Although the Catholic church teaches it's a sin to lie, the doctrine allows for circumstances where avoiding the truth might serve a higher purpose.
A Vatican attorney says the archbishop's civil oath should be sufficient to ensure honest answers.
Friday, December 16, 2005
"If You Want to Hear God Laugh, Make A Plan"
Terry Teachout recounts his recent "near death" experience.
The Only Thing Saving the Big-Government Republicans Is...
...the cowardice and idiocy of the Dems.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said yesterday that Democrats should not seek a unified position on an exit strategy in Iraq, calling the war a matter of individual conscience and saying differing positions within the caucus are a source of strength for the party.
Pelosi said Democrats will produce an issue agenda for the 2006 elections but it will not include a position on Iraq. There is consensus within the party that President Bush has mismanaged the war and that a new course is needed, but House Democrats should be free to take individual positions, she sad.
"There is no one Democratic voice . . . and there is no one Democratic position," Pelosi said in an interview with Washington Post reporters and editors.
What a damn fool. Democrats disagree on all kinds of issues, not just Iraq, yet they issue "party" positions all of the time. I have never questioned the patriotism of any of the Democratic leaders, but foolishness like this makes it very hard not to.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said yesterday that Democrats should not seek a unified position on an exit strategy in Iraq, calling the war a matter of individual conscience and saying differing positions within the caucus are a source of strength for the party.
Pelosi said Democrats will produce an issue agenda for the 2006 elections but it will not include a position on Iraq. There is consensus within the party that President Bush has mismanaged the war and that a new course is needed, but House Democrats should be free to take individual positions, she sad.
"There is no one Democratic voice . . . and there is no one Democratic position," Pelosi said in an interview with Washington Post reporters and editors.
What a damn fool. Democrats disagree on all kinds of issues, not just Iraq, yet they issue "party" positions all of the time. I have never questioned the patriotism of any of the Democratic leaders, but foolishness like this makes it very hard not to.
Uh, Yeah
If you believe this, I've got swamp land in Florida to sell you:
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randolph Morris will be eligible to return to the University of Kentucky's basketball team this season after a suspension of 14 games, the NCAA announced yesterday.
The NCAA amended an earlier ruling that Morris must sit out the entire season because he violated rules during his flirtation with the NBA draft.
The NCAA said a three-sentence fax from Morris to UK coach Tubby Smith that had been missing for nearly seven months was a vital piece of evidence in Morris' favor. UK submitted the fax for NCAA consideration on Tuesday, along with other confidential information from the Morris family.
...In amending that ruling yesterday, the NCAA said its decision to reduce the penalty was based on "new information." Neither Morris nor UK would describe the new information, other than the fax, because it was said to be personal.
The fax, however, "indicated Morris' clear intent to retain his collegiate eligibility while declaring for the NBA draft," the NCAA's ruling said.
Morris' last sentence in the fax, which was dated May 9 and which officially informed Smith of his decision to enter the NBA draft, read, "My intent is not to obtain an agent so as to maintain my collegiate eligibility."
Smith said UK's compliance officials told him the fax could be an important piece of evidence, but the coach said he couldn't find it. The document had been missing since the summer, he said.
Several news outlets, including The Courier-Journal, had submitted open-records requests for it, but the school initially told them that student-privacy laws protected the fax. Later, UK officials said it had been discarded.
Smith explained yesterday that the fax had been stuffed in a folder and was lost on a flight in June or July. The folder eventually was returned to Smith, and he said he discovered the missing document last week.
"I had lost papers on a plane, and I have been looking for them for some time," Smith said. "If I would have known how important those papers were, I would have held onto them more tightly. Somebody must have realized what was in the papers and sent them back to us. If you travel as much as I do, you can sometimes lose papers when you travel. Thank God I found the papers and we were able to work things out."
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Randolph Morris will be eligible to return to the University of Kentucky's basketball team this season after a suspension of 14 games, the NCAA announced yesterday.
The NCAA amended an earlier ruling that Morris must sit out the entire season because he violated rules during his flirtation with the NBA draft.
The NCAA said a three-sentence fax from Morris to UK coach Tubby Smith that had been missing for nearly seven months was a vital piece of evidence in Morris' favor. UK submitted the fax for NCAA consideration on Tuesday, along with other confidential information from the Morris family.
...In amending that ruling yesterday, the NCAA said its decision to reduce the penalty was based on "new information." Neither Morris nor UK would describe the new information, other than the fax, because it was said to be personal.
The fax, however, "indicated Morris' clear intent to retain his collegiate eligibility while declaring for the NBA draft," the NCAA's ruling said.
Morris' last sentence in the fax, which was dated May 9 and which officially informed Smith of his decision to enter the NBA draft, read, "My intent is not to obtain an agent so as to maintain my collegiate eligibility."
Smith said UK's compliance officials told him the fax could be an important piece of evidence, but the coach said he couldn't find it. The document had been missing since the summer, he said.
Several news outlets, including The Courier-Journal, had submitted open-records requests for it, but the school initially told them that student-privacy laws protected the fax. Later, UK officials said it had been discarded.
Smith explained yesterday that the fax had been stuffed in a folder and was lost on a flight in June or July. The folder eventually was returned to Smith, and he said he discovered the missing document last week.
"I had lost papers on a plane, and I have been looking for them for some time," Smith said. "If I would have known how important those papers were, I would have held onto them more tightly. Somebody must have realized what was in the papers and sent them back to us. If you travel as much as I do, you can sometimes lose papers when you travel. Thank God I found the papers and we were able to work things out."
More Than You Ever Wanted to Know...
...about the sports hernia. This seems like the most common athletic injury these days, but I never recall hearing about this type of injury in the past.
Doh!
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Iraqi security forces caught the most wanted man in the country last year, but released him because they didn't know who he was, the Iraqi deputy minister of interior said Thursday.
Hussain Kamal confirmed that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- the al Qaeda in Iraq leader who has a $25 million bounty on his head -- was in custody at some point last year, but he wouldn't provide further details.
A U.S. official couldn't confirm the report, but said he wouldn't dismiss it.
"It is plausible," he said.
Hussain Kamal confirmed that Abu Musab al-Zarqawi -- the al Qaeda in Iraq leader who has a $25 million bounty on his head -- was in custody at some point last year, but he wouldn't provide further details.
A U.S. official couldn't confirm the report, but said he wouldn't dismiss it.
"It is plausible," he said.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
I Did Not Know This
Both forms of rugby and American football were noted at the time for serious injuries, as well as the deaths of a significant number of players. By the early 20th century in the USA, this had resulted in national controversy and American football was banned by a number of colleges. Consequently, a series of meetings was held by 19 colleges in 1905-06. This occurred reputedly at the behest of President Theodore Roosevelt, who was considered to be a fancier of the game but who had threatened to ban it, unless the rules were modified to reduce the numbers of deaths and disabilities. The report of the meetings introduced many restrictions on tackling and two more divergences from rugby: the banning of mass formation plays, and legalisation of the forward pass. These meetings are now considered to be the origin of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The changes did not immediately have the desired effect, and 33 American football players were killed during 1908 alone. However, the number of deaths and injuries did gradually decline.
Which Is Real and Which Is Scrappleface?
You decide:
Story 1
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry said last night that if Dems retake the House, there's a "solid case" to bring "articles of impeachment" against President Bush for allegedly misleading the country about pre-war intelligence, according to several Dems who attended.
Story 2
As the polls closed in Iraq’s national election today, the White House said President George Bush had not yet received the traditional concession phone call from his opponent.
Observers estimated more than 10 million Iraqis cast ballots to elect their first full-term representative government after decades of dictatorial oppression.
“I’m sure someone will get around to making that call,” said Mr. Bush. “This was a hard fought campaign, and it’s probably difficult to admit defeat.”
The president called the massive Iraqi turnout a “mandate for change in the U.S. Congress in 2006.”
Mr. Bush said that if he didn’t receive the concession call soon, “they’re going to have to leave me a voice mail, ’cause I don’t stay up late for nobody.”
Damn, this is tough.
Story 1
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry said last night that if Dems retake the House, there's a "solid case" to bring "articles of impeachment" against President Bush for allegedly misleading the country about pre-war intelligence, according to several Dems who attended.
Story 2
As the polls closed in Iraq’s national election today, the White House said President George Bush had not yet received the traditional concession phone call from his opponent.
Observers estimated more than 10 million Iraqis cast ballots to elect their first full-term representative government after decades of dictatorial oppression.
“I’m sure someone will get around to making that call,” said Mr. Bush. “This was a hard fought campaign, and it’s probably difficult to admit defeat.”
The president called the massive Iraqi turnout a “mandate for change in the U.S. Congress in 2006.”
Mr. Bush said that if he didn’t receive the concession call soon, “they’re going to have to leave me a voice mail, ’cause I don’t stay up late for nobody.”
Damn, this is tough.
Quote of the Day II
"I talk to a lot of people about lots of different things, and every time I ask someone who they think the next Cincinnati coach will be, the answer is always Skip Prosser. Not saying that means it will happen, but that's what everyone seems to think." -- Seth Davis on CNNSI.com
Great News!
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Kentucky center Randolph Morris' season-long suspension for his attempt to enter the NBA draft was reduced to 14 games Thursday by the NCAA.
The NCAA cited new information provided by the school for softening its punishment after Morris went undrafted. The information shed more light on Morris' "mindset during that process and his failure to avail himself of university resources," the NCAA said.
A fax that Morris sent to Kentucky coach Tubby Smith on May 9 indicated Morris' "clear intent to retain his collegiate eligibility while declaring for the NBA draft," the NCAA said in a statement.
Morris, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, also must repay expenses related to the tryouts - which amounted to more than $7,000 from nine NBA teams, the NCAA said.
Morris will regain his eligibility just when No. 23 Kentucky opens Southeastern Conference play.
The NCAA cited new information provided by the school for softening its punishment after Morris went undrafted. The information shed more light on Morris' "mindset during that process and his failure to avail himself of university resources," the NCAA said.
A fax that Morris sent to Kentucky coach Tubby Smith on May 9 indicated Morris' "clear intent to retain his collegiate eligibility while declaring for the NBA draft," the NCAA said in a statement.
Morris, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, also must repay expenses related to the tryouts - which amounted to more than $7,000 from nine NBA teams, the NCAA said.
Morris will regain his eligibility just when No. 23 Kentucky opens Southeastern Conference play.
Three of the Best Shows on TV Get Their Due
"My Name Is Earl" and "The Office" led nominations Wednesday among multiple television categories of this season's Writers Guild Awards, which have been expanded to recognize the writing teams behind the best drama, comedy and new series.
In terms of sheer numbers, "The Simpsons" dominated, taking all six of the nominations for animated series.
In terms of sheer numbers, "The Simpsons" dominated, taking all six of the nominations for animated series.
Quote of the Day
"I'm disgusted by it. For the first time in many years Republicans have control of Congress. But once in power, the spending limits were off, and it's disgraceful." -- Milton Friedman
The False Promise of Technology
I guess it's the Calvinist in me, but the whole modern idea of progress is an illusion. And it's no more evident than with technology. The promise of new technology is that it will make your life easier and more manageable, allowing us to spend more time on the things that really matter. That's just BS.
In the stress-management classes Debbie Mandel teaches, parents often tell her about their struggles to combine work and home. Ranking high on their list of challenges is the cellphone.
"Most of the complaints are about how it intrudes on their home life," says Ms. Mandel, of Lawrence, N.Y. "They get called in the middle of the night. The phone is always ringing about minute issues. They ask me, 'How do we deal with that?'"
It's a question on many people's minds these days. A study in the December issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family finds that cellphones and pagers interfere with family life by bringing job worries and problems home. Interviews with working couples - many with children - revealed that cellphone use tends to decrease family satisfaction and increase distress. "People felt they couldn't turn them off," says Noelle Chesley, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who conducted the study. "I couldn't find evidence of benefits."
Although cellphones give workers the illusion of staying connected with both employers and family members, Mandel often sees a different reality. One mother in her stress-management class boasted that her cellphone enabled her to attend all of her daughter's school activities. "I don't miss anything," she told the group. "Yes, you do," Mandel countered, explaining that when the woman went on a hay ride with her daughter and other children, she spent the whole time on the phone. "Her body was present, but she wasn't there emotionally," Mandel says. "That sends a very ambivalent statement to a child. Sometimes it's better not to be there. To be on the phone with business is ignoring the child."
In the stress-management classes Debbie Mandel teaches, parents often tell her about their struggles to combine work and home. Ranking high on their list of challenges is the cellphone.
"Most of the complaints are about how it intrudes on their home life," says Ms. Mandel, of Lawrence, N.Y. "They get called in the middle of the night. The phone is always ringing about minute issues. They ask me, 'How do we deal with that?'"
It's a question on many people's minds these days. A study in the December issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family finds that cellphones and pagers interfere with family life by bringing job worries and problems home. Interviews with working couples - many with children - revealed that cellphone use tends to decrease family satisfaction and increase distress. "People felt they couldn't turn them off," says Noelle Chesley, a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, who conducted the study. "I couldn't find evidence of benefits."
Although cellphones give workers the illusion of staying connected with both employers and family members, Mandel often sees a different reality. One mother in her stress-management class boasted that her cellphone enabled her to attend all of her daughter's school activities. "I don't miss anything," she told the group. "Yes, you do," Mandel countered, explaining that when the woman went on a hay ride with her daughter and other children, she spent the whole time on the phone. "Her body was present, but she wasn't there emotionally," Mandel says. "That sends a very ambivalent statement to a child. Sometimes it's better not to be there. To be on the phone with business is ignoring the child."
WMD in Syria?
With all due respect to the President, I find the "all of the intelligence was wrong" admission weak. It's pretty hard for me to believe that everyone - and I mean everyone - concluded one thing, and the exact opposite was the case.
And then I read this from the NY Sun:
Saddam Hussein moved his chemical weapons to Syria six weeks before the war started, Israel's top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom says. The assertion comes as President Bush said yesterday that much of the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was incorrect.
The Israeli officer, Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon, asserted that Saddam spirited his chemical weapons out of the country on the eve of the war.
"He transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria," General Yaalon told The New York Sun over dinner in New York on Tuesday night. "No one went to Syria to find it."
This seems much more plausible for a number of reasons: (1) The infrastructure was in place to develop these weapons, but no weapons were found; (2) We're only talking about several semis full of materials, so moving them would have been fairly easy; (3) We have satellite photos showing the makeup of weapons facilities changing dramatically overnight; and (4) The freakin' Mossad knows all.
And then I read this from the NY Sun:
Saddam Hussein moved his chemical weapons to Syria six weeks before the war started, Israel's top general during Operation Iraqi Freedom says. The assertion comes as President Bush said yesterday that much of the intelligence on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction was incorrect.
The Israeli officer, Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon, asserted that Saddam spirited his chemical weapons out of the country on the eve of the war.
"He transferred the chemical agents from Iraq to Syria," General Yaalon told The New York Sun over dinner in New York on Tuesday night. "No one went to Syria to find it."
This seems much more plausible for a number of reasons: (1) The infrastructure was in place to develop these weapons, but no weapons were found; (2) We're only talking about several semis full of materials, so moving them would have been fairly easy; (3) We have satellite photos showing the makeup of weapons facilities changing dramatically overnight; and (4) The freakin' Mossad knows all.
Obit of the Day
British obituaries are priceless. Here's the Telegraph obit for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, the tenth Earl of Shaftesbury:
The 10th Earl of Shaftesbury, whose death aged 66 was confirmed yesterday, demonstrated the dangers of the possession of inherited wealth coupled with a weakness for women and Champagne….
It was said, after his mysterious disappearance from a Cannes nightclub, that the 10th Earl, like Gladstone, had been devoting himself to helping vulnerable young girls working in nightspots on the French Riviera to start new lives. But as the mystery deepened, it seemed that his interest was more than merely philanthropic.
The 10th Earl of Shaftesbury, whose death aged 66 was confirmed yesterday, demonstrated the dangers of the possession of inherited wealth coupled with a weakness for women and Champagne….
It was said, after his mysterious disappearance from a Cannes nightclub, that the 10th Earl, like Gladstone, had been devoting himself to helping vulnerable young girls working in nightspots on the French Riviera to start new lives. But as the mystery deepened, it seemed that his interest was more than merely philanthropic.
Quantity v. Quality
Does the size of a family affect the quality of life for the children? In other words, does more kids mean a lower quality of life for those kids? The answer appears to be no.
Bottom line: Our results show no evidence of a quantity-quality trade-off, though some estimates suggest that first-born girls from large families marry sooner.
Bottom line: Our results show no evidence of a quantity-quality trade-off, though some estimates suggest that first-born girls from large families marry sooner.
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Maybe Those Whacky Religious Zealots Were Quite Reasonable
To go along with my last post, here's a fascinating article titled "How Christianity (and Capitalism) Led to Science" by Rodney Stark in the Chronicle of Higher Education. Stark, to my knowledge, is not a Christian.
Here's an excerpt:
. . . A series of developments, in which reason won the day, gave unique shape to Western culture and institutions. And the most important of those victories occurred within Christianity. While the other world religions emphasized mystery and intuition, Christianity alone embraced reason and logic as the primary guides to religious truth. Christian faith in reason was influenced by Greek philosophy.
But the more important fact is that Greek philosophy had little impact on Greek religions. Those remained typical mystery cults, in which ambiguity and logical contradictions were taken as hallmarks of sacred origins. Similar assumptions concerning the fundamental inexplicability of the gods and the intellectual superiority of introspection dominated all of the other major world religions.
But, from early days, the church fathers taught that reason was the supreme gift from God and the means to progressively increase understanding of Scripture and revelation. Consequently Christianity was oriented to the future, while the other major religions asserted the superiority of the past. At least in principle, if not always in fact, Christian doctrines could always be modified in the name of progress, as demonstrated by reason.
Encouraged by the scholastics and embodied in the great medieval universities founded by the church, faith in the power of reason infused Western culture, stimulating the pursuit of science and the evolution of democratic theory and practice. The rise of capitalism also was a victory for church-inspired reason, since capitalism is, in essence, the systematic and sustained application of reason to commerce — something that first took place within the great monastic estates.
Here's an excerpt:
. . . A series of developments, in which reason won the day, gave unique shape to Western culture and institutions. And the most important of those victories occurred within Christianity. While the other world religions emphasized mystery and intuition, Christianity alone embraced reason and logic as the primary guides to religious truth. Christian faith in reason was influenced by Greek philosophy.
But the more important fact is that Greek philosophy had little impact on Greek religions. Those remained typical mystery cults, in which ambiguity and logical contradictions were taken as hallmarks of sacred origins. Similar assumptions concerning the fundamental inexplicability of the gods and the intellectual superiority of introspection dominated all of the other major world religions.
But, from early days, the church fathers taught that reason was the supreme gift from God and the means to progressively increase understanding of Scripture and revelation. Consequently Christianity was oriented to the future, while the other major religions asserted the superiority of the past. At least in principle, if not always in fact, Christian doctrines could always be modified in the name of progress, as demonstrated by reason.
Encouraged by the scholastics and embodied in the great medieval universities founded by the church, faith in the power of reason infused Western culture, stimulating the pursuit of science and the evolution of democratic theory and practice. The rise of capitalism also was a victory for church-inspired reason, since capitalism is, in essence, the systematic and sustained application of reason to commerce — something that first took place within the great monastic estates.
More Support For Real Science
Real science, at least historically, must be observable. In other words, you can't just make crap up or theorize crap out of thin air. Sadly, most of modern "science" is crap. Here's just the latest case:
The belief that a high-fibre diet will keep your colon healthy and cancer-free -- a popular medical theory since the 1960s -- does not appear to be correct, according to a new study.
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, who analyzed a number of long-term studies on the issue, said they "could not find support" for the notion that the risk of colorectal cancer is reduced by regular consumption of fibre.
The bottom line: Don't believe anything these fools tell you...it may be detrimental to your health.
The belief that a high-fibre diet will keep your colon healthy and cancer-free -- a popular medical theory since the 1960s -- does not appear to be correct, according to a new study.
Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, who analyzed a number of long-term studies on the issue, said they "could not find support" for the notion that the risk of colorectal cancer is reduced by regular consumption of fibre.
The bottom line: Don't believe anything these fools tell you...it may be detrimental to your health.
Huh?
While most movie stars at Clooney's level are protecting the brand and validating themselves with $20 million paydays, Clooney has taken another route.
He isn't afraid to alienate his fan base by making movies with a decidedly liberal political bent, like Stephen Gaghan's "Syriana," which wouldn't have gotten made without Clooney's backing. And he's begun writing and directing his own movies like "Good Night."
Now who in Hollywood is afraid to make a movie with a liberal political bent? Is there anyone? Hell, the reason "Good Night" and "Syriana" are receiving all of these damn awards is precisely because they have a liberal political bent.
Go sell crazy somewhere else, George.
He isn't afraid to alienate his fan base by making movies with a decidedly liberal political bent, like Stephen Gaghan's "Syriana," which wouldn't have gotten made without Clooney's backing. And he's begun writing and directing his own movies like "Good Night."
Now who in Hollywood is afraid to make a movie with a liberal political bent? Is there anyone? Hell, the reason "Good Night" and "Syriana" are receiving all of these damn awards is precisely because they have a liberal political bent.
Go sell crazy somewhere else, George.
Bush's New Communications Director
Betty on FOX News last night: "I thank America and President Bush, everyone that doesn't like what America and President Bush has done for Iraq can all go to HELL."
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Correction of the Year
From the Columbus Dispatch:
Linda Schellkopf, daughter of the late Hal Schellkopf, lives in Clintonville. Because of a reporter’s error, a story on Page B4 of yesterday’s Metro & State section indicated otherwise.
That's no big deal, right? Well, take a look at the obit that spawned it:
‘Dispatch’ editor loved accuracy
Harold B. "Hal" Schellkopf, a former Dispatch editor in several departments over 38 years, died yesterday.…Schellkopf was a stickler for accuracy when he retired as assistant managing editor in 1989. And he often looked to impart that love for the written word in younger journalists, even long after his retirement."Hal was a by-the-book journalist who insisted on the highest standards of journalism," said Michael F. Curtin, vice chairman and associate publisher of The Dispatch, who worked with Schellkopf in the newsroom. "Hal wanted to do it right, and he wanted the whole newsroom to do it right..."
Linda Schellkopf, daughter of the late Hal Schellkopf, lives in Clintonville. Because of a reporter’s error, a story on Page B4 of yesterday’s Metro & State section indicated otherwise.
That's no big deal, right? Well, take a look at the obit that spawned it:
‘Dispatch’ editor loved accuracy
Harold B. "Hal" Schellkopf, a former Dispatch editor in several departments over 38 years, died yesterday.…Schellkopf was a stickler for accuracy when he retired as assistant managing editor in 1989. And he often looked to impart that love for the written word in younger journalists, even long after his retirement."Hal was a by-the-book journalist who insisted on the highest standards of journalism," said Michael F. Curtin, vice chairman and associate publisher of The Dispatch, who worked with Schellkopf in the newsroom. "Hal wanted to do it right, and he wanted the whole newsroom to do it right..."
This Is A Shock
The price of a D.C. baseball stadium complex along the Anacostia River has risen to $667 million, $78 million more than the city's budget of $589 million, according to a new official study released yesterday that could mean city leaders will be forced to seek the additional funding from the federal government and private developers.
Quote of the Day
"Do you know how many Republican Senators and Representatives have said privately that it [the Medicare drug benefit] is the worst, most regrettable vote of their careers? The drug benefit will add trillions to the national debt over time; because of its complexity, it is overwhelmingly disliked by the very seniors it is designed to help; and like most government programs, it is guaranteed to become massively more unwieldy and costly in the future, as new provisions and baubles are added on. Eliminate it, or at the very least, cut it way back by limiting it to the poor. Your gigantic, additional Medicare entitlement underlines the Bush Administration's reckless overspending. The ocean of red ink you have created will be an enormous black, er, red mark on your legacy in the history books. Why not do something about it while you still can? All at once, you can please your party, make better policy, and change your image by confessing a big goof. People will be amazed at your display of humility. Sometimes, the best politics is counterintuitive." -- University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato's "Urgent Memo to the President"
This Ain't Rocket Science
From the Bush/Brian Williams interview:
Q: Since the inception of the Iraqi war, I'd like to know the approximate total of Iraqis who have been killed. And by Iraqis I include civilians, military, police, insurgents, translators.
THE PRESIDENT: How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war? I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis. We've lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq.
Clear enough, right. Wrong. Here's the SF Chronicle's headline:
Bush says 30,000 Iraqi civilians dead in war He says 'terrorists, Saddamists will continue violence'
And, of course, Reuters:
Voting started on a day that U.S. President George W. Bush gave a rare estimate of the number of civilians killed since U.S. troops invaded in 2003, acknowledging that 30,000 civilians had died in the violence.
Q: Since the inception of the Iraqi war, I'd like to know the approximate total of Iraqis who have been killed. And by Iraqis I include civilians, military, police, insurgents, translators.
THE PRESIDENT: How many Iraqi citizens have died in this war? I would say 30,000, more or less, have died as a result of the initial incursion and the ongoing violence against Iraqis. We've lost about 2,140 of our own troops in Iraq.
Clear enough, right. Wrong. Here's the SF Chronicle's headline:
Bush says 30,000 Iraqi civilians dead in war He says 'terrorists, Saddamists will continue violence'
And, of course, Reuters:
Voting started on a day that U.S. President George W. Bush gave a rare estimate of the number of civilians killed since U.S. troops invaded in 2003, acknowledging that 30,000 civilians had died in the violence.
Tubby's Test
We'll find out something interesting about Smith the coach this winter.
If it turns out that the best chance this team has to win games is to go small. To trap, press, get in passing lanes defensively. To compensate for a lack of low-post scoring offensively by pushing tempo and getting shots before other teams can set their half-court defenses.
If all that's the case, we'll see if Tubby is flexible enough to adjust his preferred playing style.
Tubby must adjust. He must.
If it turns out that the best chance this team has to win games is to go small. To trap, press, get in passing lanes defensively. To compensate for a lack of low-post scoring offensively by pushing tempo and getting shots before other teams can set their half-court defenses.
If all that's the case, we'll see if Tubby is flexible enough to adjust his preferred playing style.
Tubby must adjust. He must.
The Story of a House...and Its History
From Touchstone magazine:
The stories also have a bit of mystery in them. Mystery exists in the very design of my house—unexpected stairways and odd angles meet you at every turn. Traces of the families who lived here before me add to the mystery—battered children’s toys buried in the backyard and letters of the alphabet scrawled inside closet walls. I don’t really believe in ghosts, but something lingers in the rooms where others once walked. The Church teaches that we are never alone, that the angels and saints are always present to us. Somehow, my house bears witness to that.
But the most vivid story these old houses tell is a story of a world where homes were not designed around television sets, where children and parents gathered around the dinner table each night for food and conversation, and where neighbors spent summer evenings on each other’s front porches, chatting and gossiping while their children ran through the streets. Family prayers, not the latest episode of Survivor, ended the day. Bigger was not always better. Love meant something more than quality time.
In my house, the kitchen is small, with no room for industrial-size appliances. The bedroom closets are miniscule. There is one full bath, no Great Room, and no Master Suite. But for ninety years, large families filled this house. One had five children, another eight. Despite the lack of counter space, the mothers managed to cook three meals a day. Even without jetted tubs and designer faucets, their families presented themselves respectably and on time at school and office. The closets held what was needed, nothing more.
The stories also have a bit of mystery in them. Mystery exists in the very design of my house—unexpected stairways and odd angles meet you at every turn. Traces of the families who lived here before me add to the mystery—battered children’s toys buried in the backyard and letters of the alphabet scrawled inside closet walls. I don’t really believe in ghosts, but something lingers in the rooms where others once walked. The Church teaches that we are never alone, that the angels and saints are always present to us. Somehow, my house bears witness to that.
But the most vivid story these old houses tell is a story of a world where homes were not designed around television sets, where children and parents gathered around the dinner table each night for food and conversation, and where neighbors spent summer evenings on each other’s front porches, chatting and gossiping while their children ran through the streets. Family prayers, not the latest episode of Survivor, ended the day. Bigger was not always better. Love meant something more than quality time.
In my house, the kitchen is small, with no room for industrial-size appliances. The bedroom closets are miniscule. There is one full bath, no Great Room, and no Master Suite. But for ninety years, large families filled this house. One had five children, another eight. Despite the lack of counter space, the mothers managed to cook three meals a day. Even without jetted tubs and designer faucets, their families presented themselves respectably and on time at school and office. The closets held what was needed, nothing more.
Classic CNN
From CNN.com:
MORE NEWS
• Poll: Most say Bush has no Iraq victory plan Bush victory plan
So you can either link to the poll where people say Bush has no victory plan. Or, you can link directly to Bush's victory plan, assuming it exists.
MORE NEWS
• Poll: Most say Bush has no Iraq victory plan Bush victory plan
So you can either link to the poll where people say Bush has no victory plan. Or, you can link directly to Bush's victory plan, assuming it exists.
Monday, December 12, 2005
Surprising to Whom?
Dec. 12, 2005 — - Surprising levels of optimism prevail in Iraq with living conditions improved, security more a national worry than a local one, and expectations for the future high. But views of the country's situation overall are far less positive, and there are vast differences in views among Iraqi groups -- a study in contrasts between increasingly disaffected Sunni areas and vastly more positive Shiite and Kurdish provinces.
An ABC News poll in Iraq, conducted with Time magazine and other media partners, includes some remarkable results: Despite the daily violence there, most living conditions are rated positively, seven in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going well, and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve in the year ahead.
Surprisingly, given the insurgents' attacks on Iraqi civilians, more than six in 10 Iraqis feel very safe in their own neighborhoods, up sharply from just 40 percent in a poll in June 2004. And 61 percent say local security is good -- up from 49 percent in the first ABC News poll in Iraq in February 2004.
The only people surprised by these findings are the fools refusing to report on what's truly happening.
An ABC News poll in Iraq, conducted with Time magazine and other media partners, includes some remarkable results: Despite the daily violence there, most living conditions are rated positively, seven in 10 Iraqis say their own lives are going well, and nearly two-thirds expect things to improve in the year ahead.
Surprisingly, given the insurgents' attacks on Iraqi civilians, more than six in 10 Iraqis feel very safe in their own neighborhoods, up sharply from just 40 percent in a poll in June 2004. And 61 percent say local security is good -- up from 49 percent in the first ABC News poll in Iraq in February 2004.
The only people surprised by these findings are the fools refusing to report on what's truly happening.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
What A Dope
"This is about our children and grandchildren," he said. "We have to get the word out - 'Buy American.' This is a matter of our allegiance to our own communities, our belief in each other, our commitment to each other."
While Ohio has about 16,000 workers building Honda automobiles, engines and transmissions, Kucinich later said he defined "American" as being made by a union. The UAW has failed in its effort to organize the Honda plants.
While Ohio has about 16,000 workers building Honda automobiles, engines and transmissions, Kucinich later said he defined "American" as being made by a union. The UAW has failed in its effort to organize the Honda plants.
A Stat Even New York Should Be Ashamed Of
In 1970, New York passed the most permissive abortion law in America, one that defined the state as the country’s abortion refuge. Overnight, a new industry materialized in New York City, promoting itself to women across the country. The pitches were often blunt. A newspaper ad from the time inquired, “Want to be un-pregnant?”
Thirty-five years later, New York has the highest abortion rate in America. In 2000, the last year for which good data are available, 39 out of every 1,000 women in the state ended a pregnancy, for a total of 164,000 abortions that year. In America, one of every ten abortions occurs in New York, and in New York, seven of every ten abortions are performed in New York City. In absolute terms, there are more abortions performed on minors, more repeat abortions, and more late abortions (over 21 weeks) in New York City than anywhere else in the country. In parts of the city, the ratio of abortions to births is one to one.
Thirty-five years later, New York has the highest abortion rate in America. In 2000, the last year for which good data are available, 39 out of every 1,000 women in the state ended a pregnancy, for a total of 164,000 abortions that year. In America, one of every ten abortions occurs in New York, and in New York, seven of every ten abortions are performed in New York City. In absolute terms, there are more abortions performed on minors, more repeat abortions, and more late abortions (over 21 weeks) in New York City than anywhere else in the country. In parts of the city, the ratio of abortions to births is one to one.
This Is Sad, Bizarre, and Infuriating
22 year old dies...sad. Shot himself in the head with a pen gun...bizarre. Mom now wants pen guns banned because son was foolish enough to put up to head and pull trigger...infuriating.
ST. PARIS, Ohio - Steven Zorn had put the pen gun to his head and clicked before, apparently thinking it was jammed and would not work. But on the third try, the tiny silver pistol went off as the 22-year- old budding rap artist was drinking to celebrate an impending record deal. He died at a hospital.
The Nov. 18 shooting at Zorn's home in this rural village of 2,000, about 50 miles northeast of Dayton, is believed to have been accidental, according to family, friends and law enforcement officials.
"Steven had a career and his dreams all ahead of him," said Zorn's mother, Lisa McCoy-Horn. She said she wants lawmakers to outlaw pen guns, which are small-caliber, single-shot weapons that resemble pens.
Zorn had taught himself to play the keyboard and record tracts using inexpensive software on his home computer. He tracked down rap artist Miracle in Georgia and urged the crunk artist to listen to a CD of his original recordings.
"The lyrical content was awesome," Miracle said. "He had a lot of skill. I took a liking to him, took him under my wing."
ST. PARIS, Ohio - Steven Zorn had put the pen gun to his head and clicked before, apparently thinking it was jammed and would not work. But on the third try, the tiny silver pistol went off as the 22-year- old budding rap artist was drinking to celebrate an impending record deal. He died at a hospital.
The Nov. 18 shooting at Zorn's home in this rural village of 2,000, about 50 miles northeast of Dayton, is believed to have been accidental, according to family, friends and law enforcement officials.
"Steven had a career and his dreams all ahead of him," said Zorn's mother, Lisa McCoy-Horn. She said she wants lawmakers to outlaw pen guns, which are small-caliber, single-shot weapons that resemble pens.
Zorn had taught himself to play the keyboard and record tracts using inexpensive software on his home computer. He tracked down rap artist Miracle in Georgia and urged the crunk artist to listen to a CD of his original recordings.
"The lyrical content was awesome," Miracle said. "He had a lot of skill. I took a liking to him, took him under my wing."
The Almost Short-Lived Charlie Brown Christmas
When CBS bigwigs saw a rough cut of A Charlie Brown Christmas in November 1965, they hated it.
"They said it was slow," executive producer Lee Mendelson remembers with a laugh. There were concerns that the show was almost defiantly different: There was no laugh track, real children provided the voices, and there was a swinging score by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi.
Mendelson and animator Bill Melendez fretted about the insistence by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz that his first-ever TV spinoff end with a reading of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke by a lisping little boy named Linus.
"We told Schulz, 'Look, you can't read from the Bible on network television,' " Mendelson says. "When we finished the show and watched it, Melendez and I looked at each other and I said, 'We've ruined Charlie Brown.' "
Good grief, were they wrong. The first broadcast was watched by almost 50% of the nation's viewers. "When I started reading the reviews, I was absolutely shocked," says Melendez, 89. "They actually liked it!"
"They said it was slow," executive producer Lee Mendelson remembers with a laugh. There were concerns that the show was almost defiantly different: There was no laugh track, real children provided the voices, and there was a swinging score by jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi.
Mendelson and animator Bill Melendez fretted about the insistence by Peanuts creator Charles Schulz that his first-ever TV spinoff end with a reading of the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke by a lisping little boy named Linus.
"We told Schulz, 'Look, you can't read from the Bible on network television,' " Mendelson says. "When we finished the show and watched it, Melendez and I looked at each other and I said, 'We've ruined Charlie Brown.' "
Good grief, were they wrong. The first broadcast was watched by almost 50% of the nation's viewers. "When I started reading the reviews, I was absolutely shocked," says Melendez, 89. "They actually liked it!"
The End of Satire
Satire is impossible with people like this running around:
Montreal (CNSNews.com) - The debate over climate change evolved into a battle of the sexes Monday at the 11th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal. The spokesman for a feminist-based environmental group accused men of being the biggest contributors to human-caused "global warming" and lamented that women are bearing the brunt of the negative climate consequences created by men.
"Women and men are differently affected by climate change and they contribute differently to climate change," said Ulrike Rohr, director of the German-based group called "Genanet-Focal point gender, Environment, Sustainability."
Rohr, who is demanding "climate gender justice," left no doubt as to which gender she believes was the chief culprit in emitting greenhouse gasses.
"To give you an example from Germany, it is mostly men who are going by car. Women are going by public transport mostly," Rohr told Cybercast News Service. Rohr was standing in front of her booth, which featured a banner calling for "creative gender strategies" from "rural households to global scientific bodies."
"In most parts of the world, women are contributing less [to greenhouse gasses]," Rohr continued. But it is the women of the world who will feel the most heat from catastrophic global warming, she said.
"At least in the developing countries, it is women who are more affected because they are more vulnerable, so they don't have access to money to go outside the country or go somewhere else to earn money and they have to care for their families," she said. "What we are calling for is to take into account more of the social aspects of climate change," Rohr added.
Montreal (CNSNews.com) - The debate over climate change evolved into a battle of the sexes Monday at the 11th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference in Montreal. The spokesman for a feminist-based environmental group accused men of being the biggest contributors to human-caused "global warming" and lamented that women are bearing the brunt of the negative climate consequences created by men.
"Women and men are differently affected by climate change and they contribute differently to climate change," said Ulrike Rohr, director of the German-based group called "Genanet-Focal point gender, Environment, Sustainability."
Rohr, who is demanding "climate gender justice," left no doubt as to which gender she believes was the chief culprit in emitting greenhouse gasses.
"To give you an example from Germany, it is mostly men who are going by car. Women are going by public transport mostly," Rohr told Cybercast News Service. Rohr was standing in front of her booth, which featured a banner calling for "creative gender strategies" from "rural households to global scientific bodies."
"In most parts of the world, women are contributing less [to greenhouse gasses]," Rohr continued. But it is the women of the world who will feel the most heat from catastrophic global warming, she said.
"At least in the developing countries, it is women who are more affected because they are more vulnerable, so they don't have access to money to go outside the country or go somewhere else to earn money and they have to care for their families," she said. "What we are calling for is to take into account more of the social aspects of climate change," Rohr added.
Deja Vu All Over Again
Howard Dean in words: Howard Dean in pictures.
Recent events make it clear that a pitched battle for control of the Democratic Party is now underway between the far-left "peacenik" contingent symbolized by Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi, and the DLC or "Clinton wing" of the party which sees only electoral defeat in the rabid antiwar sloganeering of the increasingly leftist DNC. Those of us who were around to see the rise of George McGovern have seen this movie before. It ends with a wildly cheering base nominating a candidate who proceeds to lose 49 states, and in the process tars the Democrats for a generation as a party of left wing moonbats.
Recent events make it clear that a pitched battle for control of the Democratic Party is now underway between the far-left "peacenik" contingent symbolized by Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi, and the DLC or "Clinton wing" of the party which sees only electoral defeat in the rabid antiwar sloganeering of the increasingly leftist DNC. Those of us who were around to see the rise of George McGovern have seen this movie before. It ends with a wildly cheering base nominating a candidate who proceeds to lose 49 states, and in the process tars the Democrats for a generation as a party of left wing moonbats.
PBS Is A Waste
Here's an interesting tidbit about a PBS documentary titled "Breaking the Silence: Children's Stories" which first aired on October 20:
According to PBS statistics, the program has been aired by 235 stations, about 69% of all PBS stations, some 387 times between its Oct. 20 debut and Nov. 20. That group of stations is available to 77% of all U.S. TV households, but the number of people having viewed that actual program would be only a tiny fraction of those households, perhaps less than 1%, according to fragmentary data.
Now that's a considerable bang for the buck...and all at taxpayer's expense. PBS occassionaly hits the mark with worthwhile programming, but for the most part it's a playground for the wealthy and elitist to view programs covering their pet issues. Enough is enough.
According to PBS statistics, the program has been aired by 235 stations, about 69% of all PBS stations, some 387 times between its Oct. 20 debut and Nov. 20. That group of stations is available to 77% of all U.S. TV households, but the number of people having viewed that actual program would be only a tiny fraction of those households, perhaps less than 1%, according to fragmentary data.
Now that's a considerable bang for the buck...and all at taxpayer's expense. PBS occassionaly hits the mark with worthwhile programming, but for the most part it's a playground for the wealthy and elitist to view programs covering their pet issues. Enough is enough.
Blitzing When The Score's 70-3
Coach Gary Barnett and several Colorado players were asked if they thought Texas should have been blitzing with the game well in hand. Quarterback Joel Klatt was hospitalized with a concussion following a hit by Texas linebacker Drew Kelson on a blitz with the Longhorns leading 70-3 late in the third quarter. Barnett seemed particularly upset." That's hard question for me right now," Barnett said. "I would just as soon go on to another question." -- Denver Post
Monday, December 05, 2005
Was This Study Really Necessary?
For three weeks, researchers at Cornell University and the University of Illinois-Champaign gave 40 women several dozen chocolate Hershey Kisses in clear or opaque candy jars either on their desks or six feet away. They refilled the candy jars each day and tracked how much the women ate.
They found that women ate nearly twice as many Hershey Kisses when the candy was in clear containers on their office desks (7.7 pieces per day) than when the candy was in opaque jars (4.6 pieces per day).
Distance also played a role. On average, women ate 5.6 Kisses a day when the candy was visible in clear containers placed six feet away from their desks compared with 3.1 chocolates a day when the candy was in a non-translucent jar.
They found that women ate nearly twice as many Hershey Kisses when the candy was in clear containers on their office desks (7.7 pieces per day) than when the candy was in opaque jars (4.6 pieces per day).
Distance also played a role. On average, women ate 5.6 Kisses a day when the candy was visible in clear containers placed six feet away from their desks compared with 3.1 chocolates a day when the candy was in a non-translucent jar.
Friday, December 02, 2005
Sexsomnia?
TORONTO, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- A Toronto man has been acquitted of sexual assault charges, as medical officials said he was asleep at the time, with a disorder known as "sexsomnia."
Jan Luedecke, 33, met his victim at a party on July 6, 2003, and both had been drinking, the Toronto Sun reported.
The woman, who can't be named, fell asleep on a couch and said she awoke to find him having sex with her. She pushed him off, then called the police.
Luedecke claimed he fell asleep on the same couch and woke up when he was thrown to the floor.
Sleep expert Dr. Colin Shapiro testified Luedecke had sexsomnia, which is sexual behavior during sleep, brought on by alcohol, sleep deprivation and genetics.
The judgment outraged women's groups, the newspaper said.
"This is infuriating. It's another case of the courts not taking a woman seriously, adding yet another list to the list of excuses which men use for sexual assault," said Suzanne Jay, of the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centers.
Jan Luedecke, 33, met his victim at a party on July 6, 2003, and both had been drinking, the Toronto Sun reported.
The woman, who can't be named, fell asleep on a couch and said she awoke to find him having sex with her. She pushed him off, then called the police.
Luedecke claimed he fell asleep on the same couch and woke up when he was thrown to the floor.
Sleep expert Dr. Colin Shapiro testified Luedecke had sexsomnia, which is sexual behavior during sleep, brought on by alcohol, sleep deprivation and genetics.
The judgment outraged women's groups, the newspaper said.
"This is infuriating. It's another case of the courts not taking a woman seriously, adding yet another list to the list of excuses which men use for sexual assault," said Suzanne Jay, of the Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centers.
The Pat Morita Funeral
Very interesting. But do you get the felling that Pat and Ralph Macchio were a bit too close for comfort?
I've Got Two Words for the Newport City Commission
Ed Hall.
More than a month after Newport fired its city manager, the City Commission hasn't started a search for a replacement.
And commissioners and the mayor have different opinions on whether they should restrict the search for a new city manager to the regional level or look nationally.
The commission in October voted to dismiss Phil Ciafardini after almost seven years on the job. Ciafardini took the commission up on a subsequent offer to retire.
Commissioner Beth Fennell said she would've liked to have started the search process by now, although she said she is satisfied with the way Police Chief and acting City Manager Tom Fromme has handled the job.
The commission has yet to decide what type of search to conduct - or whether to conduct one at all.
More than a month after Newport fired its city manager, the City Commission hasn't started a search for a replacement.
And commissioners and the mayor have different opinions on whether they should restrict the search for a new city manager to the regional level or look nationally.
The commission in October voted to dismiss Phil Ciafardini after almost seven years on the job. Ciafardini took the commission up on a subsequent offer to retire.
Commissioner Beth Fennell said she would've liked to have started the search process by now, although she said she is satisfied with the way Police Chief and acting City Manager Tom Fromme has handled the job.
The commission has yet to decide what type of search to conduct - or whether to conduct one at all.
This Is What Push Back Gets You
Forty-eight percent (48%) [of] Americans now believe the U.S. and its Allies are winning. That's up nine points from 39% a month ago and represents the highest level of confidence measured in 2005.
Just 28% now believe the terrorists are winning, down six points from 34% a month ago.
Much work still needs to be done, but W must keep the pressure on those clowns in the media.
Just 28% now believe the terrorists are winning, down six points from 34% a month ago.
Much work still needs to be done, but W must keep the pressure on those clowns in the media.
This is Amazing
United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan announced on Thursday that the oil-rich Gulf state is to hold its first elections, in a move towards reforms.
"We have decided to boost the role of the consultative council by electing half of its members through councils in each emirate," Sheikh Khalifa said in an address marking the national day of the seven-member federation.
He said the process of choosing the new council would start early next year and there would be no restrictions on the participation of women. Candidates will be able to campaign on radio and television and put up billboards.
The women of UAE should thank themselves - and W - for this momentous event.
"We have decided to boost the role of the consultative council by electing half of its members through councils in each emirate," Sheikh Khalifa said in an address marking the national day of the seven-member federation.
He said the process of choosing the new council would start early next year and there would be no restrictions on the participation of women. Candidates will be able to campaign on radio and television and put up billboards.
The women of UAE should thank themselves - and W - for this momentous event.
What's A Crunchy Conservative?
I am. This upcoming book from Dallas Morning News editor Rod Dreher will explain. So what do Crunchy Cons believe?
1. We are conservatives who stand outside the conservative mainstream; therefore, we can see things that matter more clearly.
2. Modern conservatism has become too focused on money, power, and the accumulation of stuff, and insufficiently concerned with the content of our individual and social character.
3. Big business deserves as much skepticism as big government.
4. Culture is more important than politics and economics.
5. A conservatism that does not practice restraint, humility, and good stewardship—especially of the natural world—is not fundamentally conservative.
6. Small, Local, Old, and Particular are almost always better than Big, Global, New, and Abstract.
7. Beauty is more important than efficiency.
8. The relentlessness of media-driven pop culture deadens our senses to authentic truth, beauty, and wisdom.
9. We share Russell Kirk’s conviction that “the institution most essential to conserve is the family.”
1. We are conservatives who stand outside the conservative mainstream; therefore, we can see things that matter more clearly.
2. Modern conservatism has become too focused on money, power, and the accumulation of stuff, and insufficiently concerned with the content of our individual and social character.
3. Big business deserves as much skepticism as big government.
4. Culture is more important than politics and economics.
5. A conservatism that does not practice restraint, humility, and good stewardship—especially of the natural world—is not fundamentally conservative.
6. Small, Local, Old, and Particular are almost always better than Big, Global, New, and Abstract.
7. Beauty is more important than efficiency.
8. The relentlessness of media-driven pop culture deadens our senses to authentic truth, beauty, and wisdom.
9. We share Russell Kirk’s conviction that “the institution most essential to conserve is the family.”
Do Private Schools Have An Unfair Athletic Advantage?
You decide:
The three public teams in this year's football finals -- Bowling Green, Russell and Mayfield -- represent just 0.01 percent of Kentucky's 209 football-playing public high schools. Meanwhile, nearly one-third of the state's 16 private schools that sponsor football remain alive.
The three public teams in this year's football finals -- Bowling Green, Russell and Mayfield -- represent just 0.01 percent of Kentucky's 209 football-playing public high schools. Meanwhile, nearly one-third of the state's 16 private schools that sponsor football remain alive.
Yikes!
FBI agents and Homeland Security officials spent the weekend investigating the report of a possible missile fired at an American Airlines plane taking off from Los Angeles International Airport.
Sources tell ABC News the pilot of American Airlines Flight 621, en route to Chicago, radioed air traffic controllers after takeoff from LAX. He told them a missile had been fired at the aircraft and missed.
The plane was over water when the pilot said he saw a smoke trail pass by the cockpit.
FBI agents believe it was a flare or a bottle rocket, but say they may never know if that's what it actually was.
Sources tell ABC News the pilot of American Airlines Flight 621, en route to Chicago, radioed air traffic controllers after takeoff from LAX. He told them a missile had been fired at the aircraft and missed.
The plane was over water when the pilot said he saw a smoke trail pass by the cockpit.
FBI agents believe it was a flare or a bottle rocket, but say they may never know if that's what it actually was.
It's About Time
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- Since the U.S. Supreme Court banned the promotion of religion in public schools in 1963, the Bible has virtually disappeared from most American classrooms.
But in recent years, as evangelical Christians have grown in numbers and gained political clout in the United States, Bible studies have been creeping back into schools.
Now, a new textbook for high school students aims to fill a gap by teaching the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, in a non-sectarian, nonreligious way as a central document of Western civilization with a vast influence on its literature, art, culture and politics.
It's so obvious that the Old and New Testament should be taught it's almost not even worth noting. But there are fools out there who are against it. You can't teach science, history, social studies, literature, or any other subject for that matter, without teaching Holy Scripture. The Bible is THE founding document of this country and of much of Western civilization. Finally someone has seen the light.
But in recent years, as evangelical Christians have grown in numbers and gained political clout in the United States, Bible studies have been creeping back into schools.
Now, a new textbook for high school students aims to fill a gap by teaching the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, in a non-sectarian, nonreligious way as a central document of Western civilization with a vast influence on its literature, art, culture and politics.
It's so obvious that the Old and New Testament should be taught it's almost not even worth noting. But there are fools out there who are against it. You can't teach science, history, social studies, literature, or any other subject for that matter, without teaching Holy Scripture. The Bible is THE founding document of this country and of much of Western civilization. Finally someone has seen the light.
The NY Times is Pathetic
From yesterday:
Gasoline is cheaper than it was before Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans. Consumer confidence jumped last month and new- home sales hit a record. The stock market has been rising. Even the nation's beleaguered factories seem headed for a happy holiday season.
By most measures, the economy appears to be doing fine. No, scratch that, it appears to be booming.
But as always with the United States economy, it is not quite that simple.
Uh, no, it is that simple. At a time when the Pentagon is being criticized for "planting" accurate, but pro-American, stories in the Iraqi press, this garbage is being published by the paper of record. Hysterical.
I think maybe they just forgot to include the rest of that last sentence: But as always with the United States economy, it is not quite that simple when a Republican is in the White House.
Gasoline is cheaper than it was before Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans. Consumer confidence jumped last month and new- home sales hit a record. The stock market has been rising. Even the nation's beleaguered factories seem headed for a happy holiday season.
By most measures, the economy appears to be doing fine. No, scratch that, it appears to be booming.
But as always with the United States economy, it is not quite that simple.
Uh, no, it is that simple. At a time when the Pentagon is being criticized for "planting" accurate, but pro-American, stories in the Iraqi press, this garbage is being published by the paper of record. Hysterical.
I think maybe they just forgot to include the rest of that last sentence: But as always with the United States economy, it is not quite that simple when a Republican is in the White House.
The Biggest Story You Will Not Hear About
La ASUNTA · The coca farmers on these steep mountain slopes have long felt their livelihood and Indian identity threatened by U.S.-backed efforts to uproot the crop that makes cocaine. Now they are pinning their hopes on one of their own: an Indian coca farmer who is the front-runner for Bolivia's presidency.
Evo Morales promises that if elected Dec. 4, he will decriminalize all coca farming. That would mean an end to a decade-old crop eradication program that has led to clashes between farmers and soldiers in which dozens have died.
Hmmm, what would this mean for the war on drugs? Game over.
Evo Morales promises that if elected Dec. 4, he will decriminalize all coca farming. That would mean an end to a decade-old crop eradication program that has led to clashes between farmers and soldiers in which dozens have died.
Hmmm, what would this mean for the war on drugs? Game over.
Yeah, But It's Still Bush's Fault
The floodwall on the 17th Street Canal levee was destined to fail long before it reached its maximum design load of 14 feet of water because the Army Corps of Engineers underestimated the weak soil layers 10 to 25 feet below the levee, the state's forensic levee investigation team concluded in a report to be released this week.
That miscalculation was so obvious and fundamental, investigators said, they "could not fathom" how the design team of engineers from the corps, local firm Eustis Engineering and the national firm Modjeski and Masters could have missed what is being termed the costliest engineering mistake in American history. . . .
"It's simply beyond me," said Billy Prochaska, a consulting engineer in the forensic group known as Team Louisiana. "This wasn't a complicated problem. This is something the corps, Eustis, and Modjeski and Masters do all the time. Yet everyone missed it -- everyone from the local offices all the way up to Washington."
That miscalculation was so obvious and fundamental, investigators said, they "could not fathom" how the design team of engineers from the corps, local firm Eustis Engineering and the national firm Modjeski and Masters could have missed what is being termed the costliest engineering mistake in American history. . . .
"It's simply beyond me," said Billy Prochaska, a consulting engineer in the forensic group known as Team Louisiana. "This wasn't a complicated problem. This is something the corps, Eustis, and Modjeski and Masters do all the time. Yet everyone missed it -- everyone from the local offices all the way up to Washington."
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Stupid Is As Stupid Does
The suits at CBS could not be this stupid:
NEW YORK — NBC's "Today" show co-anchor Katie Couric is being actively wooed by CBS to be its next evening news anchor — a move she is seriously considering, according to sources at both networks.
In recent weeks, CBS News President Sean McManus has been doggedly courting Couric to switch networks and assume the anchor seat of the "CBS Evening News," according to three senior editorial employees at CBS and NBC.
NEW YORK — NBC's "Today" show co-anchor Katie Couric is being actively wooed by CBS to be its next evening news anchor — a move she is seriously considering, according to sources at both networks.
In recent weeks, CBS News President Sean McManus has been doggedly courting Couric to switch networks and assume the anchor seat of the "CBS Evening News," according to three senior editorial employees at CBS and NBC.
Limbo Must Go
Look, Roman Catholicism has some "suspect" doctrines, but I think we all can agree that the idea of Limbo needs to go:
Limbo -- the place where the Catholic Church teaches that babies go if they die before being baptized -- may have its days numbered.
According to Italian media reports on Tuesday, an international theological commission will advise Pope Benedict to eliminate the teaching about limbo from the Catholic catechism.
The Catholic Church teaches that babies who die before they can be baptized go to limbo, whose name comes from the Latin for "border" or "edge," because they deserve neither heaven nor hell.
Last October, seven months before he died, Pope John Paul asked the commission to come up with "a more coherent and enlightened way" of describing the fate of such innocents.
It was then headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected Pope in April. It is now headed by his successor at the Vatican's doctrinal department, Archbishop William Levada, an American from San Francisco.
The commission, which has been meeting behind closed doors, may make its recommendation soon.
I do love this line, though: The Catholic Church teaches that babies who die before they can be baptized go to limbo, whose name comes from the Latin for "border" or "edge," because they deserve neither heaven nor hell.
Has the Catholic Church never heard of Original Sin? Apparently not.
Limbo -- the place where the Catholic Church teaches that babies go if they die before being baptized -- may have its days numbered.
According to Italian media reports on Tuesday, an international theological commission will advise Pope Benedict to eliminate the teaching about limbo from the Catholic catechism.
The Catholic Church teaches that babies who die before they can be baptized go to limbo, whose name comes from the Latin for "border" or "edge," because they deserve neither heaven nor hell.
Last October, seven months before he died, Pope John Paul asked the commission to come up with "a more coherent and enlightened way" of describing the fate of such innocents.
It was then headed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who was elected Pope in April. It is now headed by his successor at the Vatican's doctrinal department, Archbishop William Levada, an American from San Francisco.
The commission, which has been meeting behind closed doors, may make its recommendation soon.
I do love this line, though: The Catholic Church teaches that babies who die before they can be baptized go to limbo, whose name comes from the Latin for "border" or "edge," because they deserve neither heaven nor hell.
Has the Catholic Church never heard of Original Sin? Apparently not.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Quote of the Day
"You can always turn the television off and, of course, block the channels you don't want... but why should you have to?" -- FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. Big government Republicanism is running wild.
This Is News
From today's LA Times:
As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an effort to burnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq.
The articles, written by U.S. military “information operations” troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers with the help of a defense contractor, according to U.S. military officials and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Many of the articles are presented in the Iraqi press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists. The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country.
Though the articles are basically factual, they present only one side of events and omit information that might reflect poorly on the U.S. or Iraqi governments, officials said.
Isn't this what the LA Times - and most other news organizations in this country - do every day? The difference is our propoganda in Iraq is to help win a war; the propoganda here is to help lose it.
As part of an information offensive in Iraq, the U.S. military is secretly paying Iraqi newspapers to publish stories written by American troops in an effort to burnish the image of the U.S. mission in Iraq.
The articles, written by U.S. military “information operations” troops, are translated into Arabic and placed in Baghdad newspapers with the help of a defense contractor, according to U.S. military officials and documents obtained by the Los Angeles Times.
Many of the articles are presented in the Iraqi press as unbiased news accounts written and reported by independent journalists. The stories trumpet the work of U.S. and Iraqi troops, denounce insurgents and tout U.S.-led efforts to rebuild the country.
Though the articles are basically factual, they present only one side of events and omit information that might reflect poorly on the U.S. or Iraqi governments, officials said.
Isn't this what the LA Times - and most other news organizations in this country - do every day? The difference is our propoganda in Iraq is to help win a war; the propoganda here is to help lose it.
At Least There Are Some Adults In This World Willing to Hunt Down These Thugs
A SUSPECTED terrorist plot to stage a Christmas murder blitz in Britain was smashed yesterday by police and MI5. A 28-year-old Asian man was snared as he allegedly tried to buy a rocket launcher near the M25 South Mimms services.
It is feared he planned to blast a holiday flight at a major UK airport.
The British-born Muslim was kept under surveillance for weeks by Met chief Sir Ian Blair’s anti-terror cops and MI5 agents.
It is feared he planned to blast a holiday flight at a major UK airport.
The British-born Muslim was kept under surveillance for weeks by Met chief Sir Ian Blair’s anti-terror cops and MI5 agents.
The Economy Is Humming Along
Despite an ongoing war and two severe hurricanes, things look pretty good...for now.
The economy grew at a lively 4.3 percent pace in the third quarter, the best showing in more than a year. The performance offered fresh testimony that the country's overall economic health managed to improve despite the destructive force of Gulf Coast hurricanes.
The new snapshot of economic activity, released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday, showed the growth at an even faster pace than the 3.8 percent annual rate first reported for the July-to-September quarter a month ago.
The upgraded performance reflects more brisk spending by consumers and businesses as well as more robust investment on residential projects than initial estimates revealed.
"In anybody's book this is an outstanding performance for the economy," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics.
The third-quarter's showing marked a sizable pickup from the 3.3 percent increase in gross domestic product registered in the second quarter of this year.
GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced within the United States and is the best barometer of the nation's economic standing.
The 4.3 percent growth rate matched the performance posted in the first quarter of 2004. The last time economic activity was higher was in the third quarter of 2003, when the GDP soared at a blistering 7.2 percent pace.
The upwardly revised reading for GDP in the third quarter also exceeded the expectations of business analysts. Before the report was released, they were forecasting the economy to clock in at a 4 percent pace.
Consumers and businesses did their part to keep the economy rolling _ even as they coped with elevated energy prices during the third quarter.
The lifeblood of the economy, consumer spending, grew at a sprightly 4.2 percent pace in the third quarter, stronger than the 3.9 percent growth rate previously estimated. The new figure marked the fastest pace in consumer spending since the final quarter of 2004.
Businesses boosted spending on equipment and software at a 10.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter. That was better than the 8.9 percent growth rate first estimated for the period and close to the 10.9 percent growth rate seen in the second quarter.
Investment in housing construction and other residential projects grew at a brisk 8.4 percent pace in the third quarter. That was up considerably from the 4.8 percent growth rate initially estimated but was down from the 10.8 percent pace registered in the second quarter.
An inflation gauge tied to the GDP report showed prices rising at a 3.6 percent rate in the third quarter, slightly less than initially estimated for the period.
When food and energy prices are excluded, "core" inflation_ which the Federal Reserve watches closely _ actually moderated. Core inflation rose at a rate of 1.2 percent in the third quarter, a tad less than first estimated and down from a 1.7 percent pace in the second quarter.
The economy grew at a lively 4.3 percent pace in the third quarter, the best showing in more than a year. The performance offered fresh testimony that the country's overall economic health managed to improve despite the destructive force of Gulf Coast hurricanes.
The new snapshot of economic activity, released by the Commerce Department on Wednesday, showed the growth at an even faster pace than the 3.8 percent annual rate first reported for the July-to-September quarter a month ago.
The upgraded performance reflects more brisk spending by consumers and businesses as well as more robust investment on residential projects than initial estimates revealed.
"In anybody's book this is an outstanding performance for the economy," said Ken Mayland, president of ClearView Economics.
The third-quarter's showing marked a sizable pickup from the 3.3 percent increase in gross domestic product registered in the second quarter of this year.
GDP measures the value of all goods and services produced within the United States and is the best barometer of the nation's economic standing.
The 4.3 percent growth rate matched the performance posted in the first quarter of 2004. The last time economic activity was higher was in the third quarter of 2003, when the GDP soared at a blistering 7.2 percent pace.
The upwardly revised reading for GDP in the third quarter also exceeded the expectations of business analysts. Before the report was released, they were forecasting the economy to clock in at a 4 percent pace.
Consumers and businesses did their part to keep the economy rolling _ even as they coped with elevated energy prices during the third quarter.
The lifeblood of the economy, consumer spending, grew at a sprightly 4.2 percent pace in the third quarter, stronger than the 3.9 percent growth rate previously estimated. The new figure marked the fastest pace in consumer spending since the final quarter of 2004.
Businesses boosted spending on equipment and software at a 10.8 percent annual rate in the third quarter. That was better than the 8.9 percent growth rate first estimated for the period and close to the 10.9 percent growth rate seen in the second quarter.
Investment in housing construction and other residential projects grew at a brisk 8.4 percent pace in the third quarter. That was up considerably from the 4.8 percent growth rate initially estimated but was down from the 10.8 percent pace registered in the second quarter.
An inflation gauge tied to the GDP report showed prices rising at a 3.6 percent rate in the third quarter, slightly less than initially estimated for the period.
When food and energy prices are excluded, "core" inflation_ which the Federal Reserve watches closely _ actually moderated. Core inflation rose at a rate of 1.2 percent in the third quarter, a tad less than first estimated and down from a 1.7 percent pace in the second quarter.
Now This Is Out Of Character
Pro wrestler Ric Flair faces assault charges after a road rage incident on Interstate 485 in Charlotte. Another driver said Flair attacked him and his car.
The driver said he was on I-485 on Wednesday,trying to get out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday and traffic was slow.
The driver said he noticed someone behind him flashing their headlights, so he hit his brakes.
The driver said the car then pulled along side him, police said. The victim said he immediately recognized the driver as Ric Flair.
The driver told police that Flair got out of his car, walked over to the vehicle, grabbed him by the neck and damaged his car.
The driver said he was on I-485 on Wednesday,trying to get out of town for the Thanksgiving holiday and traffic was slow.
The driver said he noticed someone behind him flashing their headlights, so he hit his brakes.
The driver said the car then pulled along side him, police said. The victim said he immediately recognized the driver as Ric Flair.
The driver told police that Flair got out of his car, walked over to the vehicle, grabbed him by the neck and damaged his car.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
This Is Impressive
With her latest single “Hung Up,” Madonna ties Elvis Presley for the most top-10 hits at 36. It took the King 16 and a half years to set the record, and Madonna’s latest comes almost 21 years after her first radio hit “Borderline”.
Now Those Are Kickbacks
Well, if you're going to ruin your career - and your life - you might as well do it in style.
Will Brian Williams Read This Tonight?
I say no.
A growing number of Iraqi troop battalions -- nearly four dozen as of this week -- are playing lead roles in the fight against the insurgency, and American commanders have turned over more than two dozen U.S.-established bases to government control, officials said yesterday.
Lt. Col. Fred Wellman, a spokesman in Baghdad for the U.S. command that is responsible for the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces, said approximately 130 Iraqi army and special police battalions are fighting the insurgency, of which about 45 are rated as "in the lead," with varying degrees of reliance on U.S. support. The exact numbers are classified as secret, but the 45 figure is about five higher than the number given on Nov. 7 at a briefing by Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, who previously led the training mission. It is about 10 higher than the figure Gen. Petraeus offered at a Pentagon briefing on Oct. 5. An Iraqi battalion usually numbers between 700 and 800 soldiers.
As another measure of progress, Col. Wellman said about 33 Iraqi security battalions are now in charge of their own "battle space," including parts of Baghdad. That figure was at 24 in late October. Col. Wellman said it stood at three in March.
Also, American forces have pulled out of 30 "forward operating bases" inside Iraq, of which 16 have been transferred to Iraqi security forces. The most recent and widely publicized was a large base near Tikrit, which U.S. forces had used as a division headquarters since shortly after the fall of Baghdad in April 2003.
A growing number of Iraqi troop battalions -- nearly four dozen as of this week -- are playing lead roles in the fight against the insurgency, and American commanders have turned over more than two dozen U.S.-established bases to government control, officials said yesterday.
Lt. Col. Fred Wellman, a spokesman in Baghdad for the U.S. command that is responsible for the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces, said approximately 130 Iraqi army and special police battalions are fighting the insurgency, of which about 45 are rated as "in the lead," with varying degrees of reliance on U.S. support. The exact numbers are classified as secret, but the 45 figure is about five higher than the number given on Nov. 7 at a briefing by Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, who previously led the training mission. It is about 10 higher than the figure Gen. Petraeus offered at a Pentagon briefing on Oct. 5. An Iraqi battalion usually numbers between 700 and 800 soldiers.
As another measure of progress, Col. Wellman said about 33 Iraqi security battalions are now in charge of their own "battle space," including parts of Baghdad. That figure was at 24 in late October. Col. Wellman said it stood at three in March.
Also, American forces have pulled out of 30 "forward operating bases" inside Iraq, of which 16 have been transferred to Iraqi security forces. The most recent and widely publicized was a large base near Tikrit, which U.S. forces had used as a division headquarters since shortly after the fall of Baghdad in April 2003.
I Don't Fear Linebackers Trying To Kill Me, But...
Living in Buffalo may be a bigger transition for Bills rookie wide receiver Roscoe Parrish than the adjustment from the University of Miami to the NFL.
Bills free safety Troy Vincent shared a story about how Parrish responded when 18 inches of snow recently fell in Buffalo.
"I'm outside cleaning off my minivan and there is this truck that pulls up right beside me to pick up Roscoe," Vincent said. "I'm looking over and this truck has been sitting there for about 15, 20 minutes. I'm wondering if Roscoe is coming out, so I go over and see some eyes looking through the blinds. I'm wondering what's wrong and they say he won't come outside ... that he's scared of the snow. Then it dawned on me that he's from Miami and it was the first time he'd ever seen snow.
"You wouldn't think that a person would respond that way, but he wouldn't come outside."
Parrish, who was raised in Miami, acknowledged on the Bills' Web site that he is still trying to adjust to a much colder climate.
"I really don't have a choice," Parrish said. "I just put on the right clothes that I need to stay warm."
Bills free safety Troy Vincent shared a story about how Parrish responded when 18 inches of snow recently fell in Buffalo.
"I'm outside cleaning off my minivan and there is this truck that pulls up right beside me to pick up Roscoe," Vincent said. "I'm looking over and this truck has been sitting there for about 15, 20 minutes. I'm wondering if Roscoe is coming out, so I go over and see some eyes looking through the blinds. I'm wondering what's wrong and they say he won't come outside ... that he's scared of the snow. Then it dawned on me that he's from Miami and it was the first time he'd ever seen snow.
"You wouldn't think that a person would respond that way, but he wouldn't come outside."
Parrish, who was raised in Miami, acknowledged on the Bills' Web site that he is still trying to adjust to a much colder climate.
"I really don't have a choice," Parrish said. "I just put on the right clothes that I need to stay warm."
This Is Wonderful
Steve Koleszar slipped out of his second-period class on a recent morning, pulled a blue blazer from his locker and buttoned his collar tight around his tie.
Thirty minutes later, the 17-year-old stood behind a hearse outside Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Cleveland, next to a casket that held a woman he had never met.
The widow Evelyn Klepac died at age 78, having outlived most of her friends and family.
Koleszar, with five of his St. Ignatius High School classmates, carried her casket into the funeral service and later bore it across a cemetery lawn to her grave, where they bowed their heads in prayer.
Then he went back to school, a bit changed by the experience.
"It's a little strange at first," said Koleszar, a member of a student group called the Pallbearer Society.
But the surviving family members are grateful, he said, and the simple act of service seems so right.
"I just feel almost, like, an obligation," he said. "I'm here. I can do this."
And so he and his classmates do. They attend funerals - one after the other. In the last two years, the volunteer student group - the only one of its kind in the region, according to local funeral directors - has helped to bury 42 men and women, most of whom died poor or alone or with few surviving relatives.
Thirty minutes later, the 17-year-old stood behind a hearse outside Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Cleveland, next to a casket that held a woman he had never met.
The widow Evelyn Klepac died at age 78, having outlived most of her friends and family.
Koleszar, with five of his St. Ignatius High School classmates, carried her casket into the funeral service and later bore it across a cemetery lawn to her grave, where they bowed their heads in prayer.
Then he went back to school, a bit changed by the experience.
"It's a little strange at first," said Koleszar, a member of a student group called the Pallbearer Society.
But the surviving family members are grateful, he said, and the simple act of service seems so right.
"I just feel almost, like, an obligation," he said. "I'm here. I can do this."
And so he and his classmates do. They attend funerals - one after the other. In the last two years, the volunteer student group - the only one of its kind in the region, according to local funeral directors - has helped to bury 42 men and women, most of whom died poor or alone or with few surviving relatives.
Where is the Xbox 360?
From the NY Times:
In fact, those looking to buy an Xbox 360 may be out of luck. It is largely unavailable now, and the few that can be had are fetching double and triple the $400 retail price from online stores and eBay.
Now, either Microsoft woefully underestimated the demand for the new Xbox 360 (although I very much doubt it), or they're up to something. But what?
In fact, those looking to buy an Xbox 360 may be out of luck. It is largely unavailable now, and the few that can be had are fetching double and triple the $400 retail price from online stores and eBay.
Now, either Microsoft woefully underestimated the demand for the new Xbox 360 (although I very much doubt it), or they're up to something. But what?
Holiday Tree?
The Speaker of the House corrects a very foolish decision:
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has told federal officials that the lighted, decorated tree on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol -- known in recent years as the "Holiday Tree" -- should be renamed the "Capitol Christmas Tree," as it was called until the late 1990s.
House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert has told federal officials that the lighted, decorated tree on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol -- known in recent years as the "Holiday Tree" -- should be renamed the "Capitol Christmas Tree," as it was called until the late 1990s.
Huge Pickup For The Cats
The Kentucky football team didn't get a landmark win over Tennessee last weekend, but that didn't stop the Wildcats from picking up a landmark recruit days later.
Fort Campbell star Micah Johnson orally committed to play for UK yesterday, according to his mother, Vicki.
Johnson is the highest-profile recruit of the Rich Brooks era and would rival Tim Couch and Dennis Johnson as the most significant Wildcat recruits of the past two decades. A 6-foot-2, 267-pounder who can play middle linebacker, defensive end and fullback, Johnson is a consensus Top 50 player nationally. Rivals.com lists him as the nation's No. 2 defensive end and 43rd-best player overall.
He selected Kentucky over Georgia, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame.
Johnson's brother, Christian, is a freshman offensive lineman at UK. The Johnson family was at Commonwealth Stadium for the Wildcats' 27-8 season-ending loss to Tennessee, and Johnson's mother said her son had his mind made up then.
"Micah knew where his heart was," the player's mother said. "He's had a lot of people tell him, 'Don't go to Kentucky; they're losing. You should be at a USC or a Miami.' But Micah has always accepted a challenge, and he wants to be a part of building something special at Kentucky."
Fort Campbell star Micah Johnson orally committed to play for UK yesterday, according to his mother, Vicki.
Johnson is the highest-profile recruit of the Rich Brooks era and would rival Tim Couch and Dennis Johnson as the most significant Wildcat recruits of the past two decades. A 6-foot-2, 267-pounder who can play middle linebacker, defensive end and fullback, Johnson is a consensus Top 50 player nationally. Rivals.com lists him as the nation's No. 2 defensive end and 43rd-best player overall.
He selected Kentucky over Georgia, Virginia Tech and Notre Dame.
Johnson's brother, Christian, is a freshman offensive lineman at UK. The Johnson family was at Commonwealth Stadium for the Wildcats' 27-8 season-ending loss to Tennessee, and Johnson's mother said her son had his mind made up then.
"Micah knew where his heart was," the player's mother said. "He's had a lot of people tell him, 'Don't go to Kentucky; they're losing. You should be at a USC or a Miami.' But Micah has always accepted a challenge, and he wants to be a part of building something special at Kentucky."
This Is Just Sad
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Fatter rear ends are causing many drug injections to miss their mark, requiring longer needles to reach buttock muscle, researchers said on Monday.
Standard-sized needles failed to reach the buttock muscle in 23 out of 25 women whose rears were examined after what was supposed to be an intramuscular injection of a drug.
Two-thirds of the 50 patients in the study did not receive the full dosage of the drug, which instead lodged in the fat tissue of their buttocks, researchers from The Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Dublin said in a presentation to the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Besides patients receiving less than the correct drug dosage, medications that remain lodged in fat can cause infection or irritation, researchers Victoria Chan said.
Standard-sized needles failed to reach the buttock muscle in 23 out of 25 women whose rears were examined after what was supposed to be an intramuscular injection of a drug.
Two-thirds of the 50 patients in the study did not receive the full dosage of the drug, which instead lodged in the fat tissue of their buttocks, researchers from The Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Dublin said in a presentation to the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
Besides patients receiving less than the correct drug dosage, medications that remain lodged in fat can cause infection or irritation, researchers Victoria Chan said.
Huh?
Sen. Arlen Specter accused the National Football League and the Philadelphia Eagles of treating Terrell Owens unfairly and said he might refer the matter to the antitrust subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs.
Specter said at a news conference Monday in Harrisburg it was "vindictive and inappropriate" for the league and the Eagles to forbid the all-pro wide receiver from playing and prevent other teams from talking to him.
"It's a restraint of trade for them to do that, and the thought crosses my mind, it might be a violation of antitrust laws," Specter said, though some other legal experts disagreed.
Specter said at a news conference Monday in Harrisburg it was "vindictive and inappropriate" for the league and the Eagles to forbid the all-pro wide receiver from playing and prevent other teams from talking to him.
"It's a restraint of trade for them to do that, and the thought crosses my mind, it might be a violation of antitrust laws," Specter said, though some other legal experts disagreed.
Good News
The FCC is finally moving on this:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission is expected to suggest that cable companies could best serve their customers by allowing them to subscribe to individual channels instead of packages of several stations, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The newspaper said that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is expected to announce Tuesday that the commission will soon revise the conclusion it reached in the report it issued last year on "a la carte" pricing in the cable industry.
Citing an FCC official familiar with the revised report, the Journal said the report will conclude that buying individual channels could be cheaper for consumers than bundles and that themed tiers of channels could be economically feasible.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Federal Communications Commission is expected to suggest that cable companies could best serve their customers by allowing them to subscribe to individual channels instead of packages of several stations, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
The newspaper said that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is expected to announce Tuesday that the commission will soon revise the conclusion it reached in the report it issued last year on "a la carte" pricing in the cable industry.
Citing an FCC official familiar with the revised report, the Journal said the report will conclude that buying individual channels could be cheaper for consumers than bundles and that themed tiers of channels could be economically feasible.
Another Liberal Is Out
First Schroeder in Germany, now Martin in Canada. Chirac is likely next.
TORONTO -- A corruption scandal forced a vote of no-confidence Monday that toppled Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government, triggering an unusual election campaign during the holidays.
Canada's three opposition parties, which control a majority in Parliament, voted against Martin's government, claiming his Liberal Party no longer has the moral authority to lead the nation.
And while Bush and Blair are weakened, their future prospects - along with John Howard in Australia - are considerably brighter than their liberal counterparts.
TORONTO -- A corruption scandal forced a vote of no-confidence Monday that toppled Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government, triggering an unusual election campaign during the holidays.
Canada's three opposition parties, which control a majority in Parliament, voted against Martin's government, claiming his Liberal Party no longer has the moral authority to lead the nation.
And while Bush and Blair are weakened, their future prospects - along with John Howard in Australia - are considerably brighter than their liberal counterparts.
Care to Reconsider, Ted
Ted Turner says:
Media mogul Ted Turner said Monday that Iraq is "no better off" following the U.S.-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Apparently, the Iraqi people disagree (per Senator Joe Lieberman):
I have just returned from my fourth trip to Iraq in the past 17 months and can report real progress there. More work needs to be done, of course, but the Iraqi people are in reach of a watershed transformation from the primitive, killing tyranny of Saddam to modern, self-governing, self-securing nationhood--unless the great American military that has given them and us this unexpected opportunity is prematurely withdrawn. . . .
Here is an ironic finding I brought back from Iraq. While U.S. public opinion polls show serious declines in support for the war and increasing pessimism about how it will end, polls conducted by Iraqis for Iraqi universities show increasing optimism. Two-thirds say they are better off than they were under Saddam, and a resounding 82% are confident their lives in Iraq will be better a year from now than they are today. What a colossal mistake it would be for America's bipartisan political leadership to choose this moment in history to lose its will and, in the famous phrase, to seize defeat from the jaws of the coming victory.
But what do the Iraqi people know. This isn't really about them, is it.
Media mogul Ted Turner said Monday that Iraq is "no better off" following the U.S.-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.
Apparently, the Iraqi people disagree (per Senator Joe Lieberman):
I have just returned from my fourth trip to Iraq in the past 17 months and can report real progress there. More work needs to be done, of course, but the Iraqi people are in reach of a watershed transformation from the primitive, killing tyranny of Saddam to modern, self-governing, self-securing nationhood--unless the great American military that has given them and us this unexpected opportunity is prematurely withdrawn. . . .
Here is an ironic finding I brought back from Iraq. While U.S. public opinion polls show serious declines in support for the war and increasing pessimism about how it will end, polls conducted by Iraqis for Iraqi universities show increasing optimism. Two-thirds say they are better off than they were under Saddam, and a resounding 82% are confident their lives in Iraq will be better a year from now than they are today. What a colossal mistake it would be for America's bipartisan political leadership to choose this moment in history to lose its will and, in the famous phrase, to seize defeat from the jaws of the coming victory.
But what do the Iraqi people know. This isn't really about them, is it.
Monday, November 28, 2005
50 Cent and W
From Hugh Hewitt:
50 Cent wants to meet George W.:
"He’s is incredible… A gangster. I wanna meet George Bush, just shake his hand and tell him how much of me I see in him."
He already publicly disagreed with Kanye West's "Bush is racist" comment in early November. I don't know what to make of it, but there it is. I wonder when Fiddy will next be praised as a "powerful political voice" now that he's taking these kinds of positions.
50 Cent wants to meet George W.:
"He’s is incredible… A gangster. I wanna meet George Bush, just shake his hand and tell him how much of me I see in him."
He already publicly disagreed with Kanye West's "Bush is racist" comment in early November. I don't know what to make of it, but there it is. I wonder when Fiddy will next be praised as a "powerful political voice" now that he's taking these kinds of positions.
Wal-Mart The Good
There's a comic side to the anti-Wal-Mart campaign brewing in Maryland and across the country. Only by summoning up the most naive view of corporate behavior can the critics be shocked -- shocked! -- by the giant retailer's machinations. Wal-Mart is plotting to contain health costs! But isn't that what every company does in the face of medical inflation? Wal-Mart has a war room to defend its image! Well, yeah, it's up against a hostile campaign featuring billboards, newspaper ads and a critical documentary movie. Wal-Mart aims to enrich shareholders and put rivals out of business! Hello? What business doesn't do that?
Wal-Mart's critics allege that the retailer is bad for poor Americans. This claim is backward: As Jason Furman of New York University puts it, Wal-Mart is "a progressive success story." Furman advised John "Benedict Arnold" Kerry in the 2004 campaign and has never received any payment from Wal-Mart; he is no corporate apologist. But he points out that Wal-Mart's discounting on food alone boosts the welfare of American shoppers by at least $50 billion a year. The savings are possibly five times that much if you count all of Wal-Mart's products.
These gains are especially important to poor and moderate-income families. The average Wal-Mart customer earns $35,000 a year, compared with $50,000 at Target and $74,000 at Costco. Moreover, Wal-Mart's "every day low prices" make the biggest difference to the poor, since they spend a higher proportion of income on food and other basics. As a force for poverty relief, Wal-Mart's $200 billion-plus assistance to consumers may rival many federal programs. Those programs are better targeted at the needy, but they are dramatically smaller. Food stamps were worth $33 billion in 2005, and the earned-income tax credit was worth $40 billion.
I've never quite understood the hatred of Wal-Mart. I'm not a big fan...I don't particularly like the big box stores. It's a bit overwhelming to me. But it seems to me that Wal-Mart produces just as many benefits as it does negatives.
Wal-Mart's critics allege that the retailer is bad for poor Americans. This claim is backward: As Jason Furman of New York University puts it, Wal-Mart is "a progressive success story." Furman advised John "Benedict Arnold" Kerry in the 2004 campaign and has never received any payment from Wal-Mart; he is no corporate apologist. But he points out that Wal-Mart's discounting on food alone boosts the welfare of American shoppers by at least $50 billion a year. The savings are possibly five times that much if you count all of Wal-Mart's products.
These gains are especially important to poor and moderate-income families. The average Wal-Mart customer earns $35,000 a year, compared with $50,000 at Target and $74,000 at Costco. Moreover, Wal-Mart's "every day low prices" make the biggest difference to the poor, since they spend a higher proportion of income on food and other basics. As a force for poverty relief, Wal-Mart's $200 billion-plus assistance to consumers may rival many federal programs. Those programs are better targeted at the needy, but they are dramatically smaller. Food stamps were worth $33 billion in 2005, and the earned-income tax credit was worth $40 billion.
I've never quite understood the hatred of Wal-Mart. I'm not a big fan...I don't particularly like the big box stores. It's a bit overwhelming to me. But it seems to me that Wal-Mart produces just as many benefits as it does negatives.
Must See Musical
They call him the Godfather of Metal, the Prince of Darkness and the Blizzard of Oz. Until recently, though, few considered Ozzy Osbourne the next Andrew Lloyd Webber. That may be about to change: for the past few years Osbourne, the former frontman of Black Sabbath and reality TV hero, has been writing a musical. It is based on the life of a historical figure who could be considered Osbourne's spiritual ancestor: Grigory Yefimovich Rasputin, the Russian mystic and favourite of Tsar Nicholas II's court.
The Dems Are Finally On Board
So, after 2 years of debating Iraq policy, the Democrats have decided that training Iraqi security forces to take over and reducing US deployments as they do—"as Iraq stands up, we will stand down"—is the best course in Iraq? And this epiphany, Richard Cohen writes, may have "pointed the administration and the country toward a realistic and modestly hopeful course on Iraq." . . .
This was the strategy Bush enunciated in August of 2003, September of 2003, May of 2004, and many other times. It was the strategy outlined in this May 2004 "Fact Sheet: The Transition to Iraqi Self-Government".
The Democrats have not come up with a new Iraq Policy. They've jumped onboard the Bush administration's existing policy, with the novel new suggestion that we stay the course...but try harder.
This was the strategy Bush enunciated in August of 2003, September of 2003, May of 2004, and many other times. It was the strategy outlined in this May 2004 "Fact Sheet: The Transition to Iraqi Self-Government".
The Democrats have not come up with a new Iraq Policy. They've jumped onboard the Bush administration's existing policy, with the novel new suggestion that we stay the course...but try harder.
He's Got A Sleep Disorder
NEWPORT, Ky. -- An assistant basketball coach at the University of Cincinnati is facing drunken driving charges again, News 5 reported.
John Keith Legree was arrested in Northern Kentucky early Saturday morning.
A news release from the university's athletics department said Legree resigned his coaching position on Monday.
Officers said Legree was found sleeping behind the steering wheel at a red light, with his foot on the brake and his vehicle in drive.
When police woke him up, he allegedly started driving away, and officers said they then stopped him a few blocks away
Police said Legree smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes.
He had a plastic container of liquor in the center console and also had open container of Hennessy cognac in his vehicle, according to police.
Legree's blood-alcohol level was 0.143 percent, according to the arrest report.
He was also accused of drunken driving in Cincinnati last March on Central Parkway, but Legree was later acquitted by a jury and reinstated at UC.
In May, UC athletic director Bob Goin instituted a zero-tolerance policy that brings immediate termination to employees who engage in conduct detrimental to the athletic department and university, the news release said.
John Keith Legree was arrested in Northern Kentucky early Saturday morning.
A news release from the university's athletics department said Legree resigned his coaching position on Monday.
Officers said Legree was found sleeping behind the steering wheel at a red light, with his foot on the brake and his vehicle in drive.
When police woke him up, he allegedly started driving away, and officers said they then stopped him a few blocks away
Police said Legree smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes.
He had a plastic container of liquor in the center console and also had open container of Hennessy cognac in his vehicle, according to police.
Legree's blood-alcohol level was 0.143 percent, according to the arrest report.
He was also accused of drunken driving in Cincinnati last March on Central Parkway, but Legree was later acquitted by a jury and reinstated at UC.
In May, UC athletic director Bob Goin instituted a zero-tolerance policy that brings immediate termination to employees who engage in conduct detrimental to the athletic department and university, the news release said.
Madonna and Fatherhood
From Touchstone Magazine:
The December 1st issue of Rolling Stone features a cover story on the singer Madonna. Most of the article is typical celebrity boilerplate, including Madonna's latest thoughts on Kabbalah "spirituality." There is, however, one moment of interesting self-disclosure. The article mentions Madonna's father, Tony Ciccone, a Republican and practicing Catholic from Long Island, who sent his daughter an email following her latest movie that said "In spite of our differences, I don't agree with everything that you say, I'm very proud of you."
Madonna tells the interviewer of her surprise at this admission: "That's the only time my father has ever said that. I mean, he's only liked certain things I've done: my last tour, Evita, Dick Tracy and a couple of ballads. That's about it."
Neil Strauss, the Rolling Stone reporter, notes that Madonna "shakes her head and flutters the fake lashes her makeup artist has put on her," as she comments:
"It's terrible. All my life I've been going out of my way to get my father's approval. And he's never been impressed."
This is certainly not to say that Mr. Ciccone is to blame for his daughter's transgressions. He probably did the best he could as a father, and is to be commended for maintaining a relationship with his celebrity shockster daughter. But, still, it is telling that Madonna, who has spent her entire life, parading through various identities, all of them designed to sexually titillate men, has been craving through it all a father's approval.
The December 1st issue of Rolling Stone features a cover story on the singer Madonna. Most of the article is typical celebrity boilerplate, including Madonna's latest thoughts on Kabbalah "spirituality." There is, however, one moment of interesting self-disclosure. The article mentions Madonna's father, Tony Ciccone, a Republican and practicing Catholic from Long Island, who sent his daughter an email following her latest movie that said "In spite of our differences, I don't agree with everything that you say, I'm very proud of you."
Madonna tells the interviewer of her surprise at this admission: "That's the only time my father has ever said that. I mean, he's only liked certain things I've done: my last tour, Evita, Dick Tracy and a couple of ballads. That's about it."
Neil Strauss, the Rolling Stone reporter, notes that Madonna "shakes her head and flutters the fake lashes her makeup artist has put on her," as she comments:
"It's terrible. All my life I've been going out of my way to get my father's approval. And he's never been impressed."
This is certainly not to say that Mr. Ciccone is to blame for his daughter's transgressions. He probably did the best he could as a father, and is to be commended for maintaining a relationship with his celebrity shockster daughter. But, still, it is telling that Madonna, who has spent her entire life, parading through various identities, all of them designed to sexually titillate men, has been craving through it all a father's approval.
Not An Easy Fib To Conceal
I missed this one last week:
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is coming clean on his draft record -- the baseball draft, that is -- acknowledging that his claim to have been a pick of the Kansas City Athletics in 1966 is untrue.
For nearly four decades, Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted by the team.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is coming clean on his draft record -- the baseball draft, that is -- acknowledging that his claim to have been a pick of the Kansas City Athletics in 1966 is untrue.
For nearly four decades, Richardson, often mentioned as a possible Democratic presidential candidate, has maintained he was drafted by the team.
Man Of The Year
NEW YORK (AP) -- Two sisters who were injured because of an unwieldy giant balloon in Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade are "doing just fine," and the family doesn't plan to sue over the incident, their father said.
City and Macy's officials said they are investigating Thursday's events, which echoed a 1997 balloon accident that prompted new parade safety standards.
The sisters, 11-year-old Sarah Chamberlain and 26-year-old Mary Chamberlain, left their Albany home around 3 a.m. to see the nationally televised parade in person.
The accident happened in Times Square near the end of the parade when the tethers on the "M&M's Chocolate Candies" balloon became tangled in the head of the streetlamp and it broke off. Authorities said the sisters were hit by debris.
Sarah needed nine stitches on her head, her father, Stephen Chamberlain, said Thursday night. Her older sister, who uses a wheelchair, got a bump on her forehead, he said.
"We just count our blessings that they weren't seriously injured," the father said.
The family won't sue because it was "a freak accident," and "accidents just happen," he said.
City and Macy's officials said they are investigating Thursday's events, which echoed a 1997 balloon accident that prompted new parade safety standards.
The sisters, 11-year-old Sarah Chamberlain and 26-year-old Mary Chamberlain, left their Albany home around 3 a.m. to see the nationally televised parade in person.
The accident happened in Times Square near the end of the parade when the tethers on the "M&M's Chocolate Candies" balloon became tangled in the head of the streetlamp and it broke off. Authorities said the sisters were hit by debris.
Sarah needed nine stitches on her head, her father, Stephen Chamberlain, said Thursday night. Her older sister, who uses a wheelchair, got a bump on her forehead, he said.
"We just count our blessings that they weren't seriously injured," the father said.
The family won't sue because it was "a freak accident," and "accidents just happen," he said.
Savages
GOVERNMENT agency is launching an inquiry into doctors’ reports that up to 50 babies a year are born alive after botched National Health Service abortions.
The investigation, by the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH), comes amid growing unease among clinicians over a legal ambiguity that could see them being charged with infanticide.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which regulates methods of abortion, has also mounted its own investigation.
Its guidelines say that babies aborted after more than 21 weeks and six days of gestation should have their hearts stopped by an injection of potassium chloride before being delivered. In practice, few doctors are willing or able to perform the delicate procedure.
For the abortion of younger foetuses, labour is induced by drugs in the expectation that the infant will not survive the birth process. Guidelines say that doctors should ensure that the drugs they use prevent such babies being alive at birth.
The investigation, by the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH), comes amid growing unease among clinicians over a legal ambiguity that could see them being charged with infanticide.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, which regulates methods of abortion, has also mounted its own investigation.
Its guidelines say that babies aborted after more than 21 weeks and six days of gestation should have their hearts stopped by an injection of potassium chloride before being delivered. In practice, few doctors are willing or able to perform the delicate procedure.
For the abortion of younger foetuses, labour is induced by drugs in the expectation that the infant will not survive the birth process. Guidelines say that doctors should ensure that the drugs they use prevent such babies being alive at birth.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Best TV Show
With all due respect to Lost, the best TV show going is The Office. The writing is superb, the characters are right on, and the humor is top notch.
Here's my top 5:
How ER and The Simpsons continue to crank out great episodes is beyond me. I've never considered myself an ER fan, but I caught an episode a few weeks back starring Ray Liotta. The episode was a real-time 50 minutes with Liotta playing a guy dying from liver failure...and anguishing over a lifetime of regrets. It was the best television I've ever seen.
Here's my top 5:
- The Office
- Lost
- Amazing Race
- ER
- The Simpsons
How ER and The Simpsons continue to crank out great episodes is beyond me. I've never considered myself an ER fan, but I caught an episode a few weeks back starring Ray Liotta. The episode was a real-time 50 minutes with Liotta playing a guy dying from liver failure...and anguishing over a lifetime of regrets. It was the best television I've ever seen.
Not All Bearcats Are Thugs
San Antonio Spurs guard Nick Van Exel came to San Antonio with some baggage, having been suspended for some games in the past resulting from an altercation with an NBA referee.
Now Van Exel is contributing to the team concept on the court in a Spurs uniform, and providing a helping hand to some of San Antonio's less fortunate away from SBC Center.
On Sunday, Van Exel delivered a tractor trailer full of turkeys to the San Antonio Food Bank and other area nonprofits, including the Baptist Children's Home and Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
Spurs officials say Van Exel came up with the idea on his own and the team worked with San Antonio-based H-E-B Grocery Stores to facilitate the effort.
"This is indicative of the real kind of person Nick is," Spurs spokesman Cliff Puchalski says.
"He's been painted with a bad brush. But he did this on his own. He came to us with the idea because it was something he really wanted to do."
Puchalski says Van Exel purchased 300 of the holiday birds and H-E-B provided the rest.
Area charities like the Food Bank have had their supplies depleted after providing assistance to tens of thousands of evacuees from the Gulf South and parts of the Texas Gulf Coast who found shelter in San Antonio after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit.
Puchalski says Van Exel, who began his collegiate basketball career at Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, said he wanted to find a way to help.
Now Van Exel is contributing to the team concept on the court in a Spurs uniform, and providing a helping hand to some of San Antonio's less fortunate away from SBC Center.
On Sunday, Van Exel delivered a tractor trailer full of turkeys to the San Antonio Food Bank and other area nonprofits, including the Baptist Children's Home and Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
Spurs officials say Van Exel came up with the idea on his own and the team worked with San Antonio-based H-E-B Grocery Stores to facilitate the effort.
"This is indicative of the real kind of person Nick is," Spurs spokesman Cliff Puchalski says.
"He's been painted with a bad brush. But he did this on his own. He came to us with the idea because it was something he really wanted to do."
Puchalski says Van Exel purchased 300 of the holiday birds and H-E-B provided the rest.
Area charities like the Food Bank have had their supplies depleted after providing assistance to tens of thousands of evacuees from the Gulf South and parts of the Texas Gulf Coast who found shelter in San Antonio after hurricanes Katrina and Rita hit.
Puchalski says Van Exel, who began his collegiate basketball career at Trinity Valley Community College in Texas, said he wanted to find a way to help.
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