Army Bans Use of Privately Bought Armor

quote[Soldiers will no longer be allowed to wear body armor other than the protective gear issued by the military, Army officials said Thursday, the latest twist in a running battle over the equipment the Pentagon gives its troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Army officials told The Associated Press that the order was prompted by concerns that soldiers or their families were buying inadequate or untested commercial armor from private companies — including the popular Dragon Skin gear made by California-based Pinnacle Armor.]

Then the Army should be FUCKING supplying it!!!

Church fires photog over Scalia picture: Freelancer pays for ‘right thing’

quote[A freelance photographer has been fired by the Archdiocese of Boston’s newspaper for releasing a picture of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia making a controversial gesture in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross on Sunday.
Peter Smith, who had freelanced for The Pilot newspaper for a decade, lost the job yesterday after the Herald ran his photo on its front page. Smith said he has no regrets about releasing it.
“I did the right thing. I did the ethical thing,” said Smith, 51, an assistant photojournalism professor at Boston University.]

This is freakin' ridiculous!

Surprising Expiration Dates

quote[Certain items in your house practically scream “toss me” when their prime has passed. That mysterious extra white layer on the Cheddar? A sure sign it needs to be put out of its misery. Chunky milk? Down the drain it goes.

But what about that jar of olives or Maraschino cherries that has resided in your refrigerator since before the birth of your kindergartner? Or the innumerable nonedibles lurking deep within your cabinets and closets: stockpiled shampoo and toothpaste, seldom-used silver polish? How do you know when their primes have passed?

With help from experts and product manufacturers, Real Simple has compiled a guide to expiration dates. These dates are offered as a rough guideline. The shelf lives of most products depend upon how you treat them. Edibles, unless otherwise indicated, should be stored in a cool, dry place. (With any food, of course, use common sense.) Household cleaners also do best in a dry place with a stable temperature. After the dates shown, beauty and cleaning products are probably still safe but may be less effective.]

I thought this was fun and informative.

U.S. To Test 700-Ton Explosive

quote[The U.S. military plans to detonate a 700 ton explosive charge in a test called “Divine Strake” that will send a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas, a senior defense official said March 30.
”I don’t want to sound glib here but it is the first time in Nevada that you’ll see a mushroom cloud over Las Vegas since we stopped testing nuclear weapons,” said James Tegnelia, head of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.]

Bigger weapons, always a good idea.

Father of man beheaded in Iraq runs for Congress

quote[Almost two years after the videotaped beheading of U.S. contractor Nick Berg in Iraq, his father is running a third-party race for the U.S. Congress on a platform seeking a complete withdrawal of American troops.

Michael Berg, a veteran anti-war activist and retired schoolteacher who campaigns in jeans and a T-shirt, is the Green Party candidate for the Delaware seat of seven-term Republican Rep. Michael Castle.

Berg, 61, acknowledges that his late entry into politics is a result of his son's grisly death at the hands of hooded captors in May 2004. The event brought the elder Berg worldwide media attention, especially after he publicly blamed U.S. President George W. Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.]

Good for him. I don't think he stands a chance but I hope he wins.

Drone aircraft may prowl U.S. skies

quote[Unmanned aerial vehicles have soared the skies of Afghanistan and Iraq for years, spotting enemy encampments, protecting military bases, and even launching missile attacks against suspected terrorists.

Now UAVs may be landing in the United States.

A House of Representatives panel on Wednesday heard testimony from police agencies that envision using UAVs for everything from border security to domestic surveillance high above American cities. Private companies also hope to use UAVs for tasks such as aerial photography and pipeline monitoring.]

I don't like this one bit.

Fitzgerald Will Seek New White House Indictments

quote[It may seem as though it's been moving along at a snail's pace, but the second part of the federal investigation into the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson is nearly complete, with attorneys and government officials who have remained close to the probe saying that a grand jury will likely return an indictment against one or two senior Bush administration officials.

These sources work or worked at the State Department, the CIA and the National Security Council. Some of these sources are attorneys close to the case. They requested anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly about the details of the investigation.

In lengthy interviews over the weekend and on Monday, they said that Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has started to prepare the paperwork to present to the grand jury seeking an indictment against White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove or National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley.]

Sweet! Merry Fitzmas II!

RIP, A greater Man Than Most

quote[Desmond T. Doss, Sr., the only conscientious objector to win the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II, has died. He was 87 years old.

Mr. Doss never liked being called a conscientious objector. He preferred the term conscientious cooperator. Raised a Seventh-day Adventist, Mr. Doss did not believe in using a gun or killing because of the sixth commandment which states, “Thou shalt not kill” (Exodus 20:13). Doss was a patriot, however, and believed in serving his country.

During World War II, instead of accepting a deferment, Mr. Doss voluntarily joined the Army as a conscientious objector. Assigned to the 307th Infantry Division as a company medic he was harassed and ridiculed for his beliefs, yet he served with distinction and ultimately received the Congressional Medal of Honor on Oct. 12, 1945 for his fearless acts of bravery...]

I hope his family is proud of him, and his service.

I'd like to think I would do similar things under similar situations. Unfortunatley (for others, not me), I'm too much of a coward.

White House Tests Sewage Water For Cocaine

quote[ Wastewater from communities throughout the Potomac River Basin is being tested for the urinary byproducts of cocaine.

"Apparently, they're able to ascertain how many people may be using illicit drugs, in this case cocaine, with such studies," Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerry Connolly tells WTOP.

Earlier this month, county workers collected five days worth of water samples at the pollution control plant in Lorton. The samples were sent to a lab in Rockville, Md., to be analyzed for the traces of the main urinary byproduct of cocaine.

"It does not indicate that we have an unusual drug problem in Fairfax County," Connolly says. "I'll be interested, obviously, in the results. It's kind of an unusual study and an unusual request. Obviously, we're prepared to cooperate with any endeavor to try to make sure the use of illicit drugs is discouraged in our community."

White House officials believe the wastewater testing will lead to a more accurate index of how many people use drugs than traditional survey research.]

What a collossal fucking waste of money!!!

Gilead AIDS Drugs Show Prevention Promise

quote[Some uninfected gay men already are getting the drugs from friends with AIDS or doctors willing to prescribe them to patients who admit not using condoms. This kind of use could lead to drug resistance and is one reason officials are rushing to expand studies.]

This could be a Godsend. But could it also be a nightmare?

Rays Accuse Tavarez Of 'Sucker Punch'

quote[A week away from Opening Day, Red Sox pitcher Julian Tavarez faces the likelihood of disciplinary action from Major League Baseball after punching Devil Rays outfielder Joey Gathright in the chin after a tag play at home plate Monday afternoon in City of Palms Park.]

Oh, it's going to be a fun season! Why do the Sox and the Rays always fight each other?

This is for Karen (and anyone else interested). I'll post any updates in the comments tomorrow.

Photo shows Justice Scalia's obscenity at church

quote[Amid a growing national controversy about the gesture U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia made Sunday at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, the freelance photographer who captured the moment has come forward with the picture.
“It’s inaccurate and deceptive of him to say there was no vulgarity in the moment,” said Peter Smith, the Boston University assistant photojournalism professor who made the shot.
Despite Scalia’s insistence that the Sicilian gesture was not offensive and had been incorrectly characterized by the Herald as obscene, the photographer said the newspaper “got the story right.”
Smith said the jurist “immediately knew he’d made a mistake, and said, ‘You’re not going to print that, are you?’ ” ]

More neocon class!

Colin McEnroe Responds To Lieberman's On Air Joust

quote[Joe Lieberman was a guest on our show today, and he was very, very angry at me. In particular, he was offended and insulted that I took the following quote "out of context" in a column about him:

It is time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that he will be Commander-in-Chief for three more critical years, and that in matters of war we undermine Presidential credibility at our nation’s peril.

The quote, he said, came from a speech. Read the whole speech, he said angrily, several times on the air. Several times, also, he urged me to notice that he encouraged the Republicans to adopt a similar sense of forgiveness in the very next line.

So I did read the speech. And what did I find?]

Excellent column!

Support Ned Lamont.

Another Reason To Impeach...

quote[When President Bush signed the reauthorization of the USA Patriot Act this month, he included an addendum saying that he did not feel obliged to obey requirements that he inform Congress about how the FBI was using the act's expanded police powers.]

Why does this son of a bitch think he is above the law? And why do we keep letting him get away with it?

Lieberman Blames Bloggers/Audio

quote[Sen. Lieberman flipped out on the air with WTIC radio host Colin McEnroe this afternoon (audio on the right side of the page). McEnroe had written a column in the Hartford Courant's magazine this weekend critical of Lieberman.]

Squirm, baby, squirm...

Support Ned Lamont.

Posted this letter behind my front door, on my fridge and by the computer.

Dear Federal Agent:

I do not know if you are here because I have checked out subversive material from the library (books by M. Moore, J. Carter, B. Clinton, K. Vonnegut, etc.) or because I participated in the peace rally on March 18. Or it could be because I’ve sent letters to Washington letting my representatives (and the pretender on the throne) know how much I disapprove of their actions. Or maybe it’s the letters to the editor in which I railed against Republican incompetence and criminality. I am a vegetarian and I do donate money to liberal causes that promote peace, human rights and nuclear non-proliferation, so perhaps that's why.

But it really doesn't matter since all of those actions are still perfectly legal. Whatever the reason, you’ve agreed to violate my rights as outlined in the U.S. Constitution so you might as well put yourself to good use while you’re trampling on American liberty.

Be sure to check the washing machine. That is where I hide my protest t-shirts. If the stuff in there is wet I encourage you to move it to the dryer and dry it. The words "No Blood for Oil" are clearer when clean and dry. Make sure you move all of it. You don't want to miss anything.

The boys' rooms are such a total mess you're going to have to wade pretty deep to find my old copies of Mother Jones and The Vegetarian Times. The legos go in the small green bins and the blocks go in the big red ones. Do what you can with the action figures, just be careful not to break any when you invariably step on one.

I'm so embarrassed about the state of my bedroom but we could only redecorate one part of the house a year. It's our last project. Look at the paint chips on the wall and let me know which shade you prefer. I'm looking for opinions at all times of the day because, you know, light changes in a room throughout the day. By now the laundry in the dryer should be done. When you sort through it, just toss it on my bed. Be sure to make the bed so there will be plenty of room to spread the laundry while you fold it. Oh, and roll the socks, don't tie them.

There is a special treat for federal agents who search bathrooms. Hint: I keep a notebook by the scrub brush in case I have any inspiration for an editorial while I'm, well, you know. Since you're in there, the Windex for the mirrors is in the cabinet over the dryer. The one you just emptied. I write secret messages to other dangerous liberals that can only be read when the mirrors are freshly cleaned.

No point in rifling through the DVDs and CDs in the drawers under the futon sofa. It's all kid stuff. The really subversive ones are on the plant ledges in the family room. You'll need a ladder and a feather duster. Can you get the ceiling fans while you're up there?

It's a crapshoot whether my kitchen will be amenable to an unwarranted search or not. Usually I try to keep up with the dishes before leaving the house but it's possible there could be a stray one on the counter or in the sink. You'll want to scrub anything you find really well to make sure there are no biological toxins. Oh, that stuff in the crockpot is not explosive material, it's just chili. It doesn't become explosive until ingested. Help yourself just don't call me when your spouse kicks you out of bed tonight.

Now get the fuck out of my house.

Baby-Face Gets The Boot

quote[The “American Idol” sing-off is down to 10 after a Long Island contestant was voted off.
Kevin Covais, a 16-year-old from Levittown, N.Y., was cast out Wednesday night in voting by viewers. His earnest rendition of “When I Fall in Love” on Tuesday’s program had pulled at the heartstrings of judge Paula Abdul, who said he had “more moxy than most people I’ve met in my entire life.”]

FINALLY!

Sam Seder Interviews Ned Lamont

quote[Joe Lieberman is a Republican. He may call himself a Democrat—he can call himself anything he wants—but really he’s a Republican. And, in fact, he’s actually sometimes worse than those who admit to being Republicans. Bill Frist and Karl Rove only wish they had the power to undermine the Democrats the way Lieberman can.

When Democrats came out against the Dubai port deal and Joe Lieberman, in his best Droopy Dog voice, said “Hey, the President deserves the benefit of the doubt,” the chatterheads in the mainstream press had all the fodder they needed to say “well, some Democrats are for it! So obviously, there’s no partisan difference here, folks.”

According to Joe Lieberman, we need to stay the course in Iraq, the Bankruptcy Bill was a good thing, and gosh-darn it, our Commander in Chief needs us now more than ever.

Thankfully, we have a choice—and a great one at that. Ned Lamont is running against Joe Lieberman in Connecticut’s Democratic primary. He’s progressive, smart, and a wildly successful businessman. And that’s not all—he’s also a Democrat. Which is a nice option to have in a Democratic primary.

Lamont announced his campaign on Monday, March 13th, but dropped by “The Randi Rhodes Show” a few days before that when I guest-hosted to give us a little preview of the big news:]

Click the link to read the transcript.

If you are from CT, it's time to throw out Lieberman!

Oh, She's So Compassionate...Isn't That Sweet?

quote[Former first lady Barbara Bush donated an undisclosed amount of money to the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund with specific instructions that the money be spent with an educational software company owned by her son Neil.]

Jesus Christ! You can't make this shit up.

US turns attention to al-Qaeda in Iran

quote[AMERICAN intelligence officials, already focused on Iran's potential for building nuclear weapons, are struggling to solve a more immediate mystery: the relationship between the Tehran leadership and a contingent of al-Qaeda leaders living in the country.

Some officials, citing highly classified electronic eavesdropping, believe Iran is hosting much of al-Qaeda's remaining brains trust and allowing the senior operatives freedom to communicate and help plan the terrorist network's operations.]

Oy, vey! Here we go again.

You Have Got To Be Fucking Kidding Me...

AOL thinks we are making progress in Iraq.

Talk about being deceptive!

North Korea Touts First-Strike Capability

quote[North Korea suggested Tuesday it had the ability to launch a pre-emptive attack on the United States, according to the North's official news agency. A Foreign Ministry spokesman said the North had built atomic weapons to counter the U.S. nuclear threat.

"As we declared, our strong revolutionary might put in place all measures to counter possible U.S. pre-emptive strike," the spokesman said, according to the Korean Central News Agency. "Pre-emptive strike is not the monopoly of the United States."]

The scary thing is that they're probably not bluffing.

How Do You Define Civil War?

quote[nsurgents returned to old tactics today and stormed a jail in the Sunni heartland at daybreak, killing 18 police officers and freeing all the prisoners inside.

More than 100 masked fighters surrounded the jail in Muqdadiya, 60 miles north of Baghdad, and blasted government forces with mortars, grenades and machine guns. The police returned fire and killed one insurgent, Interior Ministry officials said.

The attackers destroyed about 20 police vehicles and set fire to the police station and a nearby courthouse before escaping, the Iraqi officials said. An Iraqi army unit that tried to reach the scene to support the police during the attack was disabled by a roadside bomb as the convoy passed through a city gate.]

Study finds two separate bird flu strains

quote[The H5N1 strain of bird flu in humans has evolved into two separate strains, U.S. researchers reported on Monday, which could complicate developing a vaccine and preventing a pandemic.

One strain, or clade, made people sick in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in 2003 and 2004 and a second, a cousin of the first, caused the disease in people in Indonesia in 2004.

Two clades may share the same ancestor but are distinct — as are different clades, or strains, of the AIDS virus, the team from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.]

Is it on its' way?

Study confirms: Whiny kids grow up to be conservatives

quote[Remember the whiny, insecure kid in nursery school, the one who always thought everyone was out to get him, and was always running to the teacher with complaints? Chances are he grew up to be a conservative.

At least, he did if he was one of 95 kids from the Berkeley area that social scientists have been tracking for the last 20 years. The confident, resilient, self-reliant kids mostly grew up to be liberals.]

LOL! We already knew this, right??

Bush Jokes

quote[ALTHOUGH
I LIKE A GOOD
GEORGE W. BUSH JOKE
AS MUCH AS THE NEXT GUY, SOME OF THEM SEEM GRATUITOUS AND
MEAN-SPIRITED.
BY MATT ALEXANDER ]

Some good stuff there!

Enjoy.

How to get Joe Lieberman back for being a DINO, and Selling out our country!

quote[Call his office, at (202) 224-4041, and tell them:

"If Lieberman doesn't sign on to the Censure resolution I am going to send Ned Lamont $100".

Then please do us all a favor and send Lamont what you can afford. The message must be sent.]

In CT, you can call this number toll free: (800) 225-5605.

Thanks Kenny!

Finally...

quote[A new poll finds that a slim majority of Americans favor plans to censure President George W. Bush, while a surprising 42% favor moves to actually impeach the President.

A poll taken March 15, 2006 by American Research Group found that among all adults, 46% favor Senator Russ Feingold's (D-WI) plan to censure President George W. Bush, while just 44% are opposed. Approval of the plan grows slightly when the sample is narrowed to voters, up to 46% in favor of the Senate censuring the sitting president.]

Call/write your senators and make sure they know where you stand.

Mission NOT Accomplished

quote[The United States on Thursday launched what was termed the largest air assault since the U.S.-led invasion, targeting insurgent strongholds north of the capital, the military said.

The U.S. military said Iraqi troops also were involved in the operation aimed at clearing a "suspected insurgent operating area northeast of Samarra."

"More than 1,500 Iraqi and Coalition troops, over 200 tactical vehicles, and more than 50 aircraft participated in the operation," the military statement said.

Samarra is 60 miles north of Baghdad.

The military said the operation was expected to continue over several days against insurgent targets in Salahuddin province.]

O'Reilly: Blowing Iran "off the face of the earth ... would be the sane thing to do"

quote[On his radio program, Bill O'Reilly stated: "You know in a sane world, every country would unite against Iran and blow it off the face of the Earth. That would be the sane thing to do."]

I wish he'd just stick to falafels.

ACLU Releases First Concrete Evidence of FBI Spying Based Solely on Groups’ Anti-War Views

quote[The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Pennsylvania today released new evidence that the Federal Bureau of Investigation is conducting investigations into a political organizations based solely on its anti-war views.]

But, I thought we only spied on Tarra'ists?

Did Bush knowingly sign law that didn't pass?

quote[Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) has alleged in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card that President Bush signed a version of the Budget Reconciliation Act that, in effect, did not pass the House of Representatives.

Further, Waxman says there is reason to believe that the Speaker of the House called President Bush before he signed the law, and alerted him that the version he was about to sign differed from the one that actually passed the House. If true, this would put the President in willful violation of the U.S. Constitution.]

But...the president is above the law, isn't he???

Band Of Brothers

quote[Veterans for a secure America...Video Link]

Let's hope that the tide is finally turning.

Woman Gets Beer From Her Kitchen Faucet

quote[It almost seemed like a miracle to Haldis Gundersen when she turned on her kitchen faucet this weekend and found the water had turned into beer.
ADVERTISEMENT

Two flights down, employees and customers at the Big Tower Bar were horrified when water poured out of the beer taps.]

LOL! A dream come true?

Iraqis find 87 bodies within 24 hours

quote[-Police in the past 24 hours have found the bodies of at least 87 men killed by execution style shootings in a gruesome wave of apparent sectarian killing, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday. They include at least 29 bodies stacked in a mass grave in an eastern Shiite neighborhood.

Much of the bloodshed -- the second wave of mass killings in Iraq since bombers destroyed an important Shiite shrine last month -- followed deadly weekend explosions in a teeming Shiite slum in which 58 people died and more than 200 were wounded.]

Nah, it's not a civil war.

The accelerator has jammed, the brakes have burned out and I'm trapped in my BMW doing 130mph

quote[A motorist was trapped in his car driving at almost 130mph for 60 miles after the accelerator jammed.

Kevin Nicolle, 25, was unable to stop the automatic BMW going at top speed after the malfunction on the A1.

His terrifying journey, which was followed by four police cars and a helicopter, ended when he smashed the car into a roundabout, flipping it on its roof.

Amazingly, the former lorry driver walked away from the accident uninjured.

"The whole thing was just a blur," he said. "I can't get it out of my head. I was terrified, hysterical and crying.

"Every time I close my eyes I remember it.]

Man, that must have been one hell of a ride.

30 Reps. Sign Impeachment Resolution

quote[The current 30 total co-sponsors are:


Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI)
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)
Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-MO)
Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
Rep. Sam Farr (D-CA)
Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY)
Rep. Mike Honda (D-CA)
Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)
Rep. James Oberstar (D-MN)
Rep. John Olver (D-MA)
Rep. Major Owens (D-NY)
Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ)
Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY)
Rep. Martin Sabo (D-MN)
Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
Rep. Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA)
Rep. John Tierney (D-MA)
Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)]

Unfortunately, this'll go nowhere.

A furious George

quote[George Clooney has a message for Democratic office-holders who voted for the war in Iraq, only to claim later that they'd been misled by President Bush:

"F— you!"

The movie star's argument — directed at the likes of presidential wannabes Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, John Kerry and John Edwards — is actually more nuanced than that.

But not by much.

"The fear of being criticized can be paralyzing," Clooney writes today on Huffingtonpost.com — pumping up the volume after banging the drum of Hollywood liberalism in his Oscar acceptance speech.]

I have to say that I agree with him.

Interior Secretary to resign; Ties to Abramoff Indian deals

quote[Interior Secretary Gale Norton will resign today, the Associated Press has confirmed. Norton, photographed at left with fallen conservative lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was fingered in deals with Native American tribes that Abramoff represented. The photograph at left was released in response to a Freedom of Information Act request.]

Breraking: Abramoff Tells All, Implicates Bush, Reagan, DeLay, Gingrich, Reed

quote[Vanity Fair is set to publish a tell-all interview with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, noting that his plea-bargain sentence can be "substantially reduced" by co-operating with investigators.

The piece makes much of many prominent Republican's denials of having worked with Abramoff. Abramoff reminisces about jokes President Bush, who now claims not to remember him, made about his weight training program. Abramoff also recalls discussing the Bible, opera, and golf with Tom DeLay.]

An advance of the Vanity Fair article can be found here (PDF format).

Democrat for Senate: Death penalty for practicing 'gays'

quote[Merrill Keiser Jr. is a trucker with no political experience, but he hopes to beat fellow Democrat Rep. Sherrod Brown in the May primary. The winner will try to unseat Republican incumbent Sen. Mike DeWine, assuming he wins the GOP primary.

"Just like we have laws against murder, we have laws against stealing, we have laws against taking drugs – we should have laws against immoral conduct," Keiser told WTOL-TV in Toledo.

Keiser, 61, says he's running as a Democrat because that's how he was registered the last time he voted.]

LOL! This guy is nuts if he thinks he can trump the guy that forced Paul Hackett out of the race.

Down With Dildos!

quote[To wit: Senate Bill 3794 (House Bill 3798), legislation that would make it illegal to sell, advertise, publish or exhibit to another person “any three-dimensional device designed or marketed as useful primarily for the stimulation of human genital organs….” For that matter, if you offer to show someone your dildo collection—or possess a vibrator with the intent to show it to someone—you’d be violating this proposed state law. And don’t even think about wholesaling those three-dimensional sex toys.]

Sheesh! Don't these politicians have something better to do?

Bolton hints at strike to stop Iran

quote[The US ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, has told British MPs that military action could bring Iran's nuclear programme to a halt if all diplomatic efforts fail. The warning came ahead of a meeting today of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) which will forward a report on Iran's nuclear activities to the UN security council.

The council will have to decide whether to impose sanctions, an issue that could split the international community as policy towards Iraq did before the invasion.]

Here we go again...

S.D. Governor Signs Abortion Ban Into Law

quote[Gov. Mike Rounds on Monday signed legislation banning almost all abortions in South Dakota.

The Legislature passed the ban late last month, focusing nationwide interest on the state as the governor decided what to do about the measure.

The law, designed to raise a direct challenge to
Roe v. Wade, the 1973
U.S. Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion, is scheduled to take effect July 1.]

Goodbye Roe v Wade.

Delay's Trip to Golf Resort Paid for by Abramoff

quote[The paper trail seems so obvious, it makes you wonder whether anyone ever worried about getting caught. When Congressman Tom Delay and his wife flew from Houston to a golf resort in Scotland, in June, 2000, the first class air fare cost $14,001. A big ticket item for a public servant. But someone else was paying.

The American Express bills of convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff show he footed the bill for the tickets, in an apparent violation of House ethics rules.]

It just goes to show that these crooks could care less about the rule of law.

Bush Reduced Safety Penalties for Mine Flaws

quote[In its drive to foster a more cooperative relationship with mining companies, the Bush administration has decreased major fines for safety violations since 2001, and in nearly half the cases, it has not collected the fines, according to a data analysis by The New York Times.

Federal records also show that in the last two years the federal mine safety agency has failed to hand over any delinquent cases to the Treasury Department for further collection efforts, as is supposed to occur after 180 days.]

How much longer will we put up with the corruption and incompetence?

Here's One Way To Support The Troops!

quote[A Gulf War veteran undergoing medical treatment said he was given placebos -- or sugar pills -- instead of real medicine.

Like thousands of other soldiers, Army veteran Mike Woods said he developed bizarre symptoms after serving in the first Gulf War -- blackouts, chest pain and numbness in the extremities.

Woods looked to the Veterans Administration for help. He said his VA doctor prescribed him a drug called Obecalp.

"She told me there was this new drug out that would really help me with all of my physical conditions, and my pain. She really wanted me to try it," said Woods.

But when the pill provided no relief, Woods did some research and learned that Obecalp isn't a medicine at all, but a sugar pill. He was shocked to learn the word "obecalp" is placebo spelled backward.]

WTF???

Fast Food Ice Dirtier Than Toilet Water!

quote[In four of the five restaurants, the ice that came from the self-service machines had more bacteria than the toilet water, reports Tampa Bay Online. Three of the five cups of ice from the drive-through windows had more bacteria than the toilet water. The bacteria in the ice included fecal coliform or E. coli, which can only come from the feces of warm-blooded animals.]

Eww gross!!

I heard this last week, but finally found a link.

FOX Ratings In Free Fall - O'Reilly Leads The Way Down

quote[This may come as some surprise to Bill O'Reilly who, in a moment of empathy for his competition at MSNBC, started a petition to replace Keith Olbermann with former MSNBC host, Phil Donahue. O'Reilly felt sorry for what he said was the net's poor performance. Never mind that Olbermann's show drew more viewers than MSNBC's conservative hosted shows. And I certainly doubt that Bill was just being indignant because Keith was being mean to him on a nightly basis. Now Bill has to swallow the difficult truth that Keith's viewership is growing while his own is shrinking. In the key demographic group of viewers aged 25-54, the Total Day ratings for MSNBC rose 47% while Fox declined -13%.]

This is getting funny.

Feingold reads constitution on Senate floor

quote[Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) has read the text of the U.S. constitution to the U.S. Senate after the body voted 95-4 approving 3 amendments to 16 controversial provisions of the USA PATRIOT Act, set for renewal.

Feingold spent 34 minutes sharing the document with his fellow Senators, stopping to repeat the Fourth Amendment, which he feels the law violates.

The Fourth Amendment reads:

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The Senate has yet to decide the fate of the overall extension of the Act, and is set to consider more Amendments designed to protect civil liberties.

Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) followed Feingold's reading by heralding the recent Hall of Fame election of Negro National League baseball players, attributing the faster pace of modern ball playing to professional sports integration.]

95-4??? What a bunch of traitors!

I hope they all get kicked out of office.