Here's my niece Paige (front left) showing her Purple pride.
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.
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