Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Bird Flu, Spreading in Africa, May Touch Off Pandemic

quote[Feathers littered on sandy soil and poultry coops filled with empty wire are the few remaining signs of the 28,000 chickens Abdullahi Saidu lost in a week to bird flu on his Nigerian farm last month.

``It spread very fast,'' said Saidu, 40, recalling the outbreak that claimed his entire flock at Sovet Farm, near Kano city in northern Nigeria. Initially, he blamed fowl cholera and treated his hens with antibiotics. The birds kept dying. Saidu moved healthy chickens to new coops to halt the spread. ``Before you knew it, they became sick and started dying with the same symptoms of diarrhea, respiratory problems and weakness.'']


I just wish this could go away.

Bush Ratings At All-Time Low

quote[The latest CBS News poll finds President Bush's approval rating has fallen to an all-time low of 34 percent, while pessimism about the Iraq war has risen to a new high.

Americans are also overwhelmingly opposed to the Bush-backed deal giving a Dubai-owned company operational control over six major U.S. ports. Seven in 10 Americans, including 58 percent of Republicans, say they're opposed to the agreement.]


This is the same 34% that didn't approve Clinton when he left office with a 66% approval rating.

Monday, February 27, 2006

Iraq's death squads: On the brink of civil war

quote[Hundreds of Iraqis are being tortured to death or summarily executed every month in Baghdad alone by death squads working from the Ministry of the Interior, the United Nations' outgoing human rights chief in Iraq has revealed.

John Pace, who left Baghdad two weeks ago, told The Independent on Sunday that up to three-quarters of the corpses stacked in the city's mortuary show evidence of gunshot wounds to the head or injuries caused by drill-bits or burning cigarettes. Much of the killing, he said, was carried out by Shia Muslim groups under the control of the Ministry of the Interior.]


It's not the brink of civil war, it is civil war.

Thanks for nothing, Bush.

Bush Policies Are Weakening National Guard, All 50 Governors Say

quote[Governors of both parties said Sunday that Bush administration policies were stripping the National Guard of equipment and personnel needed to respond to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, forest fires and other emergencies.

Tens of thousands of National Guard members have been sent to Iraq, along with much of the equipment needed to deal with natural disasters and terrorist threats in the United States, the governors said here at the winter meeting of the National Governors Association.]

Friday, February 24, 2006

The Best Way To Deal With Beastiality

quote[A Sudanese man has been forced to take a goat as his "wife", after he was caught having sex with the animal.

The goat's owner, Mr Alifi, said he surprised the man with his goat and took him to a council of elders.

They ordered the man, Mr Tombe, to pay a dowry of 15,000 Sudanese dinars ($50) to Mr Alifi.]


Sick, sick, sick...

New York Times, with same facts, changes Iraq conflict from 'civil war' to having 'endangered future'

quote[The New York Times declared on its website early Friday in a headline that the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad, had warned to U.S. was on the "precipice of full-scale civil war." Their headline? "U.S. Envoy in Baghdad Says Iraq Is on Brink of Civil War."

Within an hour and without explanation, the Times yanked the headline in favor of "U.S. Envoy Says Sectarian Violence Threatens Iraq's Future."]


Were they pressured to do this??

Thursday, February 23, 2006

US In Denial Over Reality

quote[The US military rejected the idea that a civil war is brewing in
Iraq, saying it had confirmed only seven major attacks on mosques across the country.

Major General Rick Lynch, spokesman for the coalition forces in Iraq, said the military had recorded attacks on seven Sunni mosques since the bombing of the revered Shiite shrine in Samarra on Wednesday.]

Roe Vs. Wade Is Officially Fucked

quote[A US state legislature has approved a bill to ban most abortions, in a move aimed to force the US Supreme Court to reconsider its key ruling on the issue.

The South Dakota draft law - which needs approval by the governor, known to be against abortion - seeks jail for doctors who perform terminations.]


Is this the America you want?

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Arab Co., White House Had Secret Agreement

quote[The Bush administration secretly required a company in the United Arab Emirates to cooperate with future U.S. investigations before approving its takeover of operations at six American ports, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. It chose not to impose other, routine restrictions.]

Is there any way to repeat enough about the Bush regimes policies? Follow the Goddamn money! (See post below)

Another Way The Bush Administration Broke The Law...

quote[In ordinary cases of foreign direct investment the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) first conducts a 30-day “review” of the transaction. After the review, the committee makes a judgment as to whether a 45-day “investigation” is necessary to address national security concerns.

The law, however, was amended in 1993. That amendment makes the 45-day investigation mandatory in cases like the Dubai World Ports transfer. From the CFIUS website:

The Dubai World Ports purchase triggers the automatic investigation. First, the company is “controlled” by a foreign government. Second, it’s undeniable that port operations “could affect the national security of the United States.”

Yet, the investigation never happened. Bush administration officials “could not say why a 45-day investigation did not occur.”]


It's because all they care about is money.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

UAE Would Also Control Shipments of Military Equipment For The U.S. Army

quote[A major part of the story, however, has been mostly overlooked. The company, Dubai Ports World, would also control the movement of military equipment on behalf of the U.S. Army through two other ports. From today’s edition of the British paper Lloyd’s List:

[P&O] has just renewed a contract with the United States Surface Deployment and Distribution Command to provide stevedoring [loading and unloading] of military equipment at the Texan ports of Beaumont and Corpus Christi through 2010.

According to the journal Army Logistician “Almost 40 percent of the Army cargo deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom flows through these two ports.”]


Is there anything these criminals wouldn't do to sell out our country?

U.S. Still Planting Stories in Iraq Media

quote[Bryan Whitman, a senior spokesman, said Rumsfeld had been incorrect in saying during an TV interview Friday that the practice had been halted in the wake of negative publicity in the United States. Rumsfeld made a similar assertion during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations that same day.]

Well, why not? They're still doing it here too.

Follow The Money...

quote[The Dubai firm that won Bush administration backing to run six U.S. ports has at least two ties to the White House.

One is Treasury Secretary John Snow, whose agency heads the federal panel that signed off on the $6.8 billion sale of an English company to government-owned Dubai Ports World - giving it control of Manhattan's cruise ship terminal and Newark's container port.

Snow was chairman of the CSX rail firm that sold its own international port operations to DP World for $1.15 billion in 2004, the year after Snow left for President Bush's cabinet.

The other connection is David Sanborn, who runs DP World's European and Latin American operations and was tapped by Bush last month to head the U.S. Maritime Administration.]


Told you so...

'President's Gone Insane' – 9/11 Dad

quote[How, asks Gadiel, whose son James died in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, can a company owned by a terror-linked country get control of our nation's ports?

"I'm a lifelong Republican and I think the President's gone insane," said Gadiel, 58, who heads 9/11 Families for a Secure America.]


I think if you want to know why we're selling our port security to Dubai, you have to follow the money.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Google Rebuffs Bush Administration

quote[Google lashed out at the US Justice Department on Friday, saying that a high-profile request for a list of a week's worth of search terms must not be granted because it would disclose trade secrets and violate the privacy rights of its users.

In a strongly worded legal brief filed with a federal judge in San Jose, California, the search company accused prosecutors of a "cavalier attitude", saying they were "uninformed" about how search engines work and the importance of protecting Google's confidential information from disclosure.]


...Unlike Microsoft, AOL, and Yahoo!

Even Tom Ridge Is Criticizing Dubai Deal for Ports

quote[Legislators from both parties continued today to sharply criticize the Bush administration's approval of a recent sale that would give a Dubai company control over shipping facilities at six leading American ports, saying that it raised fundamental security issues.

Dubai Ports World, a state-owned company, is completing its $6.8 billion purchase of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which operates commercial operations at shipping terminals in New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans, Miami and Philadelphia.]


Does Bush actually want to encourage a terrorist attack??

Democrats May Unite On Plan To Pull Troops

quote[ After months of trying unsuccessfully to develop a common message on the war in Iraq, Democratic Party leaders are beginning to coalesce around a broad plan to begin a quick withdrawal of US troops and install them elsewhere in the region, where they could respond to emergencies in Iraq and help fight terrorism in other countries.

The concept, dubbed ''strategic redeployment," is outlined in a slim, nine-page report coauthored by a former Reagan administration assistant Defense secretary, Lawrence J. Korb, in the fall. It sets a goal of a phased troop withdrawal that would take nearly all US troops out of Iraq by the end of 2007, although many Democrats disagree on whether troop draw-downs should be tied to a timeline.]


Yet the righties will continue to say we don't have a plan.

Friday, February 17, 2006

CT-Sen: Lieberman under 50 against Lamont

quote[More useful, in the crosstabs of this poll we see that amongst Democrats, the breakdown is as follows:

Lieberman 47
Lamont 36

So Lieberman is under 50 amongst Democrats, just 11 points ahead, against a candidate no one has ever heard of. That's absolutely insane.]


If you live in CT, I strongly urge you sign up and volunteer here.

Malicious worm aims to bite Apple

quote[Mac users are being warned about what has been described as one of the first viruses for Apple's OS X software.

The malicious program, known as Leap-A, tries to spread via Apple's iChat instant messaging program.]


I'm sorry, but you'd have to be a total idiot to become infected with this. Seeing as how you have 1) Extract the program. 2) Click to install it. 3) Type in your administrator password to allow the install to go forth.

If you get this virus, you probably deserved it.

Blair: Guantánamo is an anomaly

quote["I have always said it is an anomaly, and sooner or later has to be dealt with," the prime minister told a news conference, repeating a comment he made to MPs last November.]

It's more than just an "anomally."

Bush Sr. speechwriter wants Cheney out

quote[The Dick Cheney shooting incident will, in a way, go away. And, in a way, not--ever. Some things stick. Gerry Ford had physically stumbled only once or twice in public when he became, officially, The Stumbler. Mr. Ford's stumbles seemed to underscore a certain lack of sure-footedness in his early policies and other decisions. The same with Jimmy Carter and the Killer Rabbit. At the time Mr. Carter told the story of a wild rabbit attacking his boat he had already come to be seen by half the country as weak and unlucky. Even bunnies took him on.

Same with Dick Cheney. He's been painted as the dark force of the administration, and now there's a mental picture to go with the reputation. Pull! Sorry, Harry! Pull!

Can media bias be detected in the endless coverage? Sure, always. But it's also a great story. A vice president of the United States shot a guy in a hunting accident, and no one on his staff told the press. That's a story.]


If you want a really juicy bit of conspiracy, listen here to the first caller of yesterday's Charles Goyette show. (It's about 2-3 minutes in).

This caller also happens to be a regular poster over at the ESS Message Board.

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Al Qaeda Caller I.D.

This is a short animation that's pretty funny.

Cheers!

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Cheney's Chappaquiddick II: The Real Story Emerges

quote[The real story is already emerging, if you're willing to do a little digging. Cheney and Whittington went hunting with two women (not their wives), there was some drinking, and Whittington wound up shot. Armstrong didn't see the incident but claimed she had, Cheney refused to be questioned by the Sheriff until the next morning, and a born-again evangelical physician has been downplaying Whittington's injuries since they occurrred. Neither the press nor law enforcement seems inclined to investigate.]

Maybe we can send him to Gitmo too?

Ballot botch: Coulter votes in wrong precinct

quote[She may be smart enough to earn millions from her acidic political barbs, but when it comes to something as simple as voting in her tiny hometown, hard-core conservative pundit Ann Coulter is a tad confused.

Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections records show Coulter voted last week in Palm Beach's council election. Problem is: She cast her ballot in a precinct 4 miles north of the precinct where she owns a home — and that could be a big no-no.]


OMG, Can we send her to Gitmo? Please?? Pretty please???

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

DON'T EVER USE PRO-FLOWERS!!!

The following is the letter I sent to them. I think it contains most of the story.
(Note: their email address is wecare@proflowers.com; I found that slightly ironic).

Dear "We Care,"

I am extremely irate. Last week I ordered flowers and a balloon for my wife on Valentines, under the assurance that they would arrive by the 13th or the 14th (today). Obviously, I could have easily taken my business elsewhere, and would have had I known my order would not arrive on time. Unfortunately, I was duped by your radio advertising into thinking you are a quality company.

I now know I was wrong.

At the time of the order, I was told that I would receive an e-mail confirmation the day they were to be delivered with the tracking information. However, this has not occurred as of yet. I have tracked the order through your website and UPS and I only receive this message:

"UPS has received shipper's billing information electronically. Billing information received does not indicate shipment pickup or drop-off. Please contact the shipper for more details."

I was patient most of the day until I learned that a friend (on the other side of the country, mind you) also failed to receive an order that was placed WEEKS AGO. That was when I decided to enter the phone hell you call automated customer service.

After twenty-five minutes, I finally got through to a live human who, for some reason, has not been equipped with the modern telephony equipment that allows the other party to actually hear what they are saying.

From what little I could gather from this woman (who understandably has a thankless job, manning your phone lines on Valentines day) I would not be billed the shipping, since that was the guarantee. However, I could not cancel the order even though it is now useless to me and it hasn't even been shipped yet, simply because of some quirky deadline that your company arbitrarily imposes. What I really find ironic is that you have this deadline, but STILL GUARANTEE DELIVERY for orders placed after it.

So, let me ask, what do I do with the flowers tomorrow? I honestly could have easily spent less and made sure I had them TODAY.

I am seriously considering refusing the delivery and contesting the charge on my credit card bill.

At this point, I don't even know if there is anything you can do to rectify the situation, but you've most likely lost me as a customer (and I probably won't be kind when asked about you by friends).

Sincerely,

XXXX



If they send a response, I'll post it here.

Another Reason To Avoid McDonald's

quote[McDonald's had said until recently that its fries were free of gluten and milk or wheat allergens and safe to eat for those with dietary issues related to the consumption of dairy items. But the fast-food company quietly added "Contains wheat and milk ingredients" this month to the french fries listing on its Web site.]

First, the fries were vegetarian safe (until it was discovered they were cooked in animal fat), now this.

What next???

Abramoff Said to Claim Close Ties to Rove

quote[Three former associates of Jack Abramoff say the now-convicted lobbyist frequently told them he had strong ties to the White House through presidential confidant Karl Rove.

The White House said Monday night that Rove remembers meeting Abramoff at a 1990s political meeting and considered the lobbyist a "casual acquaintance" since
President Bush took office in 2001.]


Of course Bush knew him...

Monday, February 13, 2006

Netflix sends frequent renters to the back of line

quote[The same Netflix formula also shoves Villanueva to the back of the line for the most-wanted DVDs, so the service can send those popular flicks to new subscribers and infrequent renters.

The little-known practice, called "throttling" by critics, means Netflix customers who pay the same price for the same service are often treated differently, depending on their rental patterns.]


After only about a month, I realized they were doing this to me (and I fail to see how roughly two movies a week qualifies me as a "heavy renter").

Unlimited, my ass.

I'm glad baseball is almost here, because I plan on canceling my account.

Outed CIA officer was working on Iran, intelligence sources say

quote[According to current and former intelligence officials, Plame Wilson, who worked on the clandestine side of the CIA in the Directorate of Operations as a non-official cover (NOC) officer, was part of an operation tracking distribution and acquisition of weapons of mass destruction technology to and from Iran.]

Outing her was an act of treason.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Rove Exerting His Power

quote[The White House has been twisting arms to ensure that no Republican member votes against President Bush in the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigation of the administration's unauthorized wiretapping.

Congressional sources said Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove has threatened to blacklist any Republican who votes against the president. The sources said the blacklist would mean a halt in any White House political or financial support of senators running for re-election in November.

"It's hardball all the way," a senior GOP congressional aide said.

The sources said the administration has been alarmed over the damage that could result from the Senate hearings, which began on Monday, Feb. 6. They said the defection of even a handful of Republican committee members could result in a determination that the president violated the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Such a determination could lead to impeachment proceedings.]


They're scared. And they should be.

Cheney 'Authorized' Libby to Leak Classified Information

quote[Vice President Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby, testified to a federal grand jury that he had been "authorized" by Cheney and other White House "superiors" in the summer of 2003 to disclose classified information to journalists to defend the Bush administration's use of prewar intelligence in making the case to go to war with Iraq, according to attorneys familiar with the matter, and to court records.]

So when does Bush make good on his promise and make Cheney resign?

Some Doubt Seriousness Of Terror Scheme Described By Bush

quote[The reported West Coast plot has been disclosed before but never in as much detail. The president's speech came on the same day as a Senate hearing into the Bush-ordered warrantless surveillance of telephone calls and e-mail by Americans and their contacts overseas. Aides said his comments were not related to the dispute over the program, but the intelligence officials attributed to timing to politics.]

Yeah, because nobody would have noticed a bunch of men leaving their shoes by the cockpit door...Sheesh!

Anyone else find the timing of this Bush speech suspicious too?

Boo! Now let me take away more of your rights!

Thursday, February 09, 2006

One Of World's Last Stone Age Tribes Murders Drunken Fishermen

quote[One of the world's last Stone Age tribes has murdered two fishermen whose boat drifted on to a desert island in the Indian Ocean.

The Sentinelese, thought to number between 50 and 200, have rebuffed all contact with the modern world, firing a shower of arrows at anyone who comes within range.

They are believed to be the last pre-Neolithic tribe in the world to remain isolated and appear to have survived the 2004 Asian tsunami.]


I found this to be very interesting.

This Is REALLY Scary!!!

quote[Audio Link...]

First-grader suspended for sex harassment

quote[The boy's mother called the January 30 suspension from Downey Elementary School outrageous. She said she can't even explain to her son what he did wrong because he's too young to understand.

"He doesn't know those things," she told The Enterprise of Brockton. "He's only 6 years old."]


This is completely ridiculous!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

A Cure For AIDS??

quote[Researchers, including a BYU scientist, believe they have found a new compound that could finally kill the HIV/AIDS virus, not just slow it down as current treatments do.
And, unlike the expensive, drug cocktails 25 years of research have produced for those with the deadly virus, the compound invented by Paul D. Savage of Brigham Young University appears to hunt down and kill HIV...

... In addition to being a potential checkmate to HIV, the compounds show indications of being just as effective against other diseases plaguing humankind - among them influenza, possibly even the dread bird flu, along with smallpox and herpes.]


Interesting. Anyone else know anything about this?

Another "Brownie" Gone...

quote["George C. Deutsch, who tried to muzzle top NASA climate scientist James Hansen and ordered NASA web designers to add the word 'theory' to every mention of the Big Bang, has resigned. The New York Times reports that NASA declines to discuss the reasons for his resignation, but that it came the same day that Texas A&M University, from which Deutsch claimed on his resume to have graduated, revealed that he had attended the university but did not complete his degree."]

Good riddance!

No Such Thing As Global Warming...

quote[Recording the warmest January on record allowed Americans to save on their heating, but like all good things, last month's mildness seems to have been too good to last.

The country's average temperature for the month was 39.5 degrees Fahrenheit, 8.5 degrees above average for January, the National Climatic Data Center said Tuesday. The old record for January warmth was 37.3 degrees set in 1953.]


Nah...

Monday, February 06, 2006

Official: President can order killings

quote[In the latest twist in the debate over presidential powers, a Justice Department official suggested that in certain circumstances, the president might have the power to order the killing of terrorist suspects inside the United States. Steven Bradbury, acting head of the department's Office of Legal Counsel, went to a closed-door Senate intelligence committee meeting last week to defend President George W. Bush's surveillance program. During the briefing, said administration and Capitol Hill officials (who declined to be identified because the session was private), California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein asked Bradbury questions about the extent of presidential powers to fight Al Qaeda; could Bush, for instance, order the killing of a Qaeda suspect known to be on U.S. soil? Bradbury replied that he believed Bush could indeed do this, at least in certain circumstances.]

When are Americans going to wake up and realize what is happening in this country?? This administration truly thinks they are above the law.

Saturday, February 04, 2006

The Problem Is Obvious


Click picture or link for larger image.

Friday, February 03, 2006

House Rpublicans Demonstrate Voter Fraud

quote[There were supposed to be 230 eligible GOP voters in the room Thursday - all of the voting House Republicans except Rep. Gary Miller of California, who did not attend.

But when the first round of voting ended, the counters found they had 231 votes: 110 for acting Majority Leader Roy Blunt of Missouri, 79 for Boehner, 40 for John Shadegg of Arizona and two for Jim Ryun of Kansas.]


Sheesh!

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Memo: Bush Plotted To Bait Saddam Into War

quote[President Bush said: "The US was thinking of flying U2 reconnaissance aircraft with fighter cover over Iraq, painted in UN colours. If Saddam fired on them, he would be in breach."

He went on: "It was also possible that a defector could be brought out who would give a public presentation about Saddam's WMD, and there was also a small possibility that Saddam would be assassinated."

Speaking to Channel 4 News, Mr Sands said:

"I think no one would be surprised at the idea that the use of spy-planes to review what is going on would be considered. What is surprising is the idea that they would be used painted in the colours of the United Nations in order to provoke an attack which could then be used to justify material breach. Now that plainly looks as if it is deception, and it raises some fundamental questions of legality, both in terms of domestic law and international law."]


Is anyone actually surprised???

Cheney, Libby Knew Niger Story To Be False Before Going After Wilson

quote[Vice President Cheney and his then-Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby were personally informed in June 2003 that the CIA no longer considered credible the allegations that Saddam Hussein had attempted to procure uranium from the African nation of Niger, according to government records and interviews with current and former officials. The new CIA assessment came just as Libby and other senior administration officials were embarking on an effort to discredit an administration critic who had also been saying that the allegations were untrue.]

Why? Because they're jerks.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Ned Lamont Is Going To Run!!

quote[What's the next step? Ned has stated that he will not move beyond the exploratory phase of a campaign until at least 1,000 people in Connecticut have signed up to volunteer. So no matter where you live, this is a chance to make history. Please sign up today!]

Please offer to volunteer. He's our only hope to unseat Bush-Kisser.

Another T-Shirt Story...

quote[Marie Prescott's Solidarity and Activism newsletter links the following story about a man named Stephens Downs who was in a mall in Guilderland, NY with his son. While there, he purchased a Tee-shirt that said "Give peace a chance", and put it on. Later, he was approached by two security guards and told to remove his shirt, he refused and the police were called. Is there a policy at this mall that people can not wear what they buy, there in the mall, in the common areas, even if it is an item of clothing commonly worn in public?]

This is even more ridiculous!

Did President Bush persuade you that he has the right plan for the country?

I can't believe he still gets that much support.

Debunking The Myths In The State Of The Union Address

quote[In his State of the Union address last night, President Bush waded right in the middle of the debate over his warrantless domestic eavesdropping program, making a number of assertions that have been subject to intense debate.

For instance, Bush strongly suggested that the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks could have been prevented if the phone calls of two hijackers had been monitored under the program. This echoes an assertion made earlier this year by Vice President Cheney.}


I'm sure, if you watched, you saw these as well.

I think this was the weakest SOTU address I've ever seen.