Friday, August 31, 2007

Prayers Needed

Via Misha comes this sad tale:

My cousins... Oh, dear G-d

Three of my cousins died today - Mom and two beautiful, lovely girls...

Oh, G-d, oh, G-d... What do I say...?!

Dear G-D IN HEAVEN... WHY?

Oh Father, receive their souls, I pray... Let them enter into Your presence! Be with their father and comfort him. Uphold him in Your arms and give him Your strength and Your peace...

Oh... G-D>>>!

News here and here.

(retracted the o in each G-d for personal reasons)

Go over to Cathouse Chat and say a prayer for this hurting family.

Changes

Been a lot of changing going on today. I've changed basically everything :)

All the old comments are now gone, I can get them via Haloscan, but they will not appear on this site (if you need to know something from a comment, email me and I'll look it up).

Walk around, kick the furniture, whatever and let me know what you think.
_____
New Beginning

Thursday, August 30, 2007

GCC Consensus

Remember the 'consensus' on man-made global warming? The study that found the consensus used search terms from papers published between '93 and '03. Since it was old, the study has been redone (using the same methodology):
CHANGING VIEWPOINTS
Michael Asher
August 29, 2007 11:07 AM
In 2004, history professor Naomi Oreskes performed a survey of research papers on climate change. Examining peer-reviewed papers published on the ISI Web of Science database from 1993 to 2003, she found a majority supported the "consensus view," defined as humans were having at least some effect on global climate change. Oreskes' work has been repeatedly cited, but as some of its data is now nearly 15 years old, its conclusions are becoming somewhat dated.

Medical researcher Dr. Klaus-Martin Schulte recently updated this research. Using the same database and search terms as Oreskes, he examined all papers published from 2004 to February 2007. The results have been submitted to the journal Energy and Environment, of which DailyTech has obtained a pre-publication copy. The figures are surprising.

Of 528 total papers on climate change, only 38 (7%) gave an explicit endorsement of the consensus. If one considers "implicit" endorsement (accepting the consensus without explicit statement), the figure rises to 45%. However, while only 32 papers (6%) reject the consensus outright, the largest category (48%) are neutral papers, refusing to either accept or reject the hypothesis. This is no "consensus."

The figures are even more shocking when one remembers the watered-down definition of consensus here. Not only does it not require supporting that man is the "primary" cause of warming, but it doesn't require any belief or support for "catastrophic" global warming. In fact of all papers published in this period (2004 to February 2007), only a single one makes any reference to climate change leading to catastrophic results.
As you can see, the papers being written don't seem to add up to a 'consensus' any longer. Not that this will make a difference to those already a part of the GCC church, but it is a start.

I don't expect the James' of the world to change their minds on it, but a little opening of the mind couldn't hurt.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

NEW YORK, NEW YORK!

Earlier this month, my wife and I went to visit my brother and his wife at their apartment in New Jersey. We got to spend 3 full days with them and visiting New York City. This is the first time that I had been to either place. New York City has been in the top 2 places in the U.S. that I wanted to visit in my life. So needless to say, I was excited to visit the Big Apple. It was awesome.

While we were there it just so happened (wink, wink) that the subscribers to Conservative radio host and CNN Headline TV host Glenn Beck's website were having a National Insider Convention. Basically it is a gathering of Glenn's fans just to meet each other and spend time together. There are several of these Insider Conventions held across the country. About 2 years ago several Insiders wanted to have a national meeting. Glenn was invited to attend. Long story short, New York City was the only place that Glenn's schedule allowed him to attend. The first National Insider Convention was held last year. This year was the second and I was able to attend. Beck and his staff organized several events and Glenn was there for each one. Maybe it's just me, but Glenn genuinely seemed like a real person. He was very down to earth and very polite.

I have posted several pictures of a couple of the events. (I am the tall fat dufus with the loud shirt and goofy beard.) The first set were taken before and after a private screening (for the Insiders) of the taping of Glenn's TV show. Before the taping he described a little of what to expect and what he does. Afterward he came back to talk a little longer and even answered a few questions from us. The second set were taken the next day during a Meet & Greet session. Glenn and his staff answered questions for about 90 minutes. Then he met (albeit briefly) with each and every Insider. Posing for pictures and giving autographs. I was really impressed with the intimacy of the whole thing. Plus, he seemed genuinely thankful for those of us that are willing to pay a little extra every month to subscribe to his site. That or he was really laying it on thick. :D

The New York City photos (all 554 of them) are ones that the wife and I took on our trip around Manhattan, Ellis Island and Liberty Island. There is a lot of boring stuff in there. Believe it or not, I weeded out a lot of the really boring stuff. (I started with about 600+ pics)

Some of my favorites are from our trip to the World Trade Center site, FDNY Ten House & the memorial wall, St. Paul's Chapel (next to WTC where many of FDNY & NYPD took refuge during rescue & recovery operations) Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty. There is also a short visit (near the end) to the infamous FDNY Hook & Ladder #8. The last few pictures are of the Deutsche Bank Building. Sadly two of New York's Bravest died in that building fighting a fire on the upper floors. Those pictures were taken a couple of days after that fatal fire. God bless the FDNY and their fallen brothers.

Sorry for being so long winded. I hope you all enjoy the pics. If nothing else, maybe they'll help cure that insomnia that has been nagging you for the last several years. :)

Birthday



From MVRWC a story about a 21st birthday that no one would want to have.

I can remember exactly what I was doing and where I was at on my 21st. It was a very nice, happy evening (playing and watching great pool players) and at the stroke of midnight (my 'actual' birthday) the lady behind the bar symbolically carded me (she knew why we were there) and after assessing I was 21, she lined up 21 shots of Jack on the bar and told me 'on the house'.

Yes I got plastered. Sadly Gilad might not even be alive on his birthday. Goto the MVRWC site and read the whole thing please.

Monday, August 27, 2007

'Neighborhood' Watch

TexasFred needs your help in watching for one sick individual:
Blogs track man who calls self a pedophile - News - MSNBC.com
August 27th, 2007

Ruling forces him to flee California, he says

By ROBERT McCLURE
P-I REPORTER

After a self-proclaimed pedophile was hounded out of Southern California over the weekend, bloggers sent up a nationwide call Sunday for help tracking his movements.

Jack McClellan, previously from the Snohomish County town of Arlington, in recent months had been living out of his car in Southern California. A judge there on Friday permanently barred him from going within 30 feet of places where children gather.

“I have to leave the state, really. I can’t live here under this Orwellian protocol,” Jack McClellan told television station KABC for a report that aired Sunday. “It’s nightmarish.”
Click through to read all of it (and his links to other posts about it). This is one way we ALL can help to keep children safe.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Life on Mars? and Upset in Mexico

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From Drudge (developing, no link yet):
Martian soil may contain life
Thu Aug 23 2007 11:30:10 ET

The soil on Mars may contain microbial life!

Joop Houtkooper of the University of Giessen, Germany, will declare on Friday the Viking spacecraft may have found signs of a weird life form based on hydrogen peroxide on the subfreezing, arid Martian surface.

His analysis of one of the experiments carried out by the Viking spacecraft suggests that 0.1 percent of the Martian soil could be of biological origin.

That is roughly comparable to biomass levels found in some Antarctic permafrost, home to a range of hardy bacteria and lichen.

Developing....

This (imo) would be a big deal, the first actual signs of life outside the Earth (even if it would be 'non-substantial' lifeforms).


Mexican lawmakers think that the US should be friendlier to illegals:
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A Mexican Senate committee passed a measure Wednesday urging President Felipe Calderon to send a diplomatic note to the United States protesting the deportation of an illegal migrant who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year.

The committee also approved a scholarship to help her 8-year-old U.S.-born son, Saul, who is an American citizen and stayed in the United States.

Elvira Arellano, 32, became an activist and a national symbol for illegal immigrant parents by defying her deportation order and speaking out from her sanctuary in the Adalberto United Methodist Church. She announced last week that she was leaving to try to lobby U.S. lawmakers for immigration reform.

On Sunday, shortly after she spoke at a rally in a Los Angeles church, she was arrested and deported to Tijuana, across the border from San Diego.

"We cannot remain quiet in view of this injustice and must ask for firm action from our authorities," Mexican Sen. Humberto Zazue said.

[snip]

"For me it is very important that our government take a strong stand to defend all of us who decide to migrate to another country," she said. (link)

I wonder if she or any Geraldo-ite will ever be able to understand just exactly what that last quote says.

Six Meat Buffet has more on the story here.

Monday, August 20, 2007

GUILTY!

ESPN (TV) reports that Michael Vick will accept a plea deal and be guilty of Federal Dog Fighting charges (not sure if this will get him out of the racketeering charges). I'm sure there's information on the net about this but I'm watching TV.

They say he has verbally agreed, but not signed anything yet. Looking at 12-18 months.

ILLEGAL Immigrant

From the "it's about time" department comes this little gem:
LOS ANGELES — An immigration activist who took refuge in a Chicago church for a year to avoid being separated from her son has been deported to Mexico, the church's pastor said.

Elvira Arellano was arrested Sunday afternoon outside Our Lady Queen of Angels church in Los Angeles. She was deported several hours later, said the Rev. Walter Coleman, pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church in Chicago, where Arellano had taken refuge.

"She has been deported. She is free and in Tijuana," said Coleman, who said he spoke to her on the phone. "She is in good spirits. She is ready to continue the struggle against the separation of families from the other side of the border."(link)

If she was really worried about 'separation' of families then she would have kept her family in their legal country. I feel sorrow and pity for people that will do anything to get here and make life better for their kids, but people like this make it that much harder. I WANT my border SECURE and I WANT people to follow the law, if that's too much to ask, then I don't really know what to do.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Terrorist gets his Virgins©

Via Jammie:
Apparently this was in Iraq.

H/T Killgore Trout, who graciously also points out the slowed down version, in the event the above detonation happened too quickly. Now you can savor it a bit more.
(link to videos here)

(follow the link to see the 2 videos [no actual violence seen, but you can pretty much guess what happens)

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Worries for Illegals ...

The Census bureau is worried about the Feds doing raids during the census upcoming in 2010. They think that because of raids, ILLEGALS might hide and not be counted.

Really? Can I ask you something? WHO CARES? The Census Bureau should inform the Feds of every ILLEGAL they count on their census so they can round them up that much easier.

It's a sad day when CRIMINALS have more rights in this country than the citizens do.
WASHINGTON - Immigration officials sharpened their message a day after being coy about whether they would agree to halt enforcement raids during the 2010 census. "We won't entertain any request to scale back our efforts," Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Kelly Nantel said Friday.

Census officials had planned to speak with immigration agents about curbing enforcement during the population count, the Census Bureau's second-ranking official said in an interview earlier this week.

Raids during the population count would make an already distrustful group even less likely to cooperate with government workers who are supposed to include them in the headcount, Deputy Director Preston Jay Waite had said.

When asked Thursday if the immigration enforcement agency would consider suspending raids during the census, spokeswoman Pat Reilly said, "If we were, we wouldn't talk about it." (link)

Notice the wiggle quote at the end. We won't know if they will do it until after it is done.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Patriotic poem/rap by a U.S. Marine

I found this posted on a forum that I frequent. Then I selfishly posted it on Digg and now I am shamelessly promoting that post. :)

http://digg.com/videos/people/Patriotic_poem_rap_by_a_BadAss_Marine

It's good to see a right leaning story on the Digg.com front page every now and then. (hint hint)

For those of you that would prefer the direct URL: http://www.badassmarine.com/story.php?title=YouTube_-_BadAss_Marine-1

Either way, it's really moving.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

RIP

Merv, a household name for many in the world (especially the US) for the past few decades:
LOS ANGELES — Merv Griffin, who went from big-band era crooner to fabulously successful TV talk show host before making a fortune as the creator of two of television's most popular game shows and then parlaying that into a billion-dollar hotel empire, died Sunday. He was 82.

Griffin died of prostate cancer, according to a statement from his the family that was released by Marcia Newberger, spokeswoman for The Griffin Group/Merv Griffin Entertainment. Griffin was recently hospitalized for a recurrence of the disease, which had been treated successfully more than 10 years ago. (link)

He was an icon and one of the great entertainers of his time. Prayers go out to the family and friends that he's leaving behind.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Climate Porn

This link is for James; I don't have time to really comment as my daughter is here and we're playing :)

Y2K Bug Drastically Changes US Climate Data

Fri, Aug 10, 2007 at 10:38:56 am PST

According to the DailyTech blog, the NASA temperature data used to estimate the advance of global warming has been shown to be way off the mark, due to a Y2K bug in the graphing software—and the corrected charts tell a very different story: Blogger Finds Y2K Bug in NASA Climate Data.

NASA has now silently released corrected figures, and the changes are truly astounding. The warmest year on record is now 1934. 1998 (long trumpeted by the media as record-breaking) moves to second place. 1921 takes third. In fact, 5 of the 10 warmest years on record now all occur before World War II. Anthony Watts has put the new data in chart form, along with a more detailed summary of the events.

The effect of the correction on global temperatures is minor (some 1-2% less warming than originally thought), but the effect on the U.S. global warming propaganda machine could be huge.


Sorry to LGF for quoting the whole piece, but you guys can click-thru to read all of the quoted and the links.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Charges dropped

In a case that will have the left crying foul; charges were dropped against a marine today in the Haditha case. It was the second person that has had the charges dropped.
Murder charges against a US Marine accused of killing three Iraqi civilians during an alleged massacre in Haditha two years ago have been dropped, the military said on Thursday.

A statement released by the Marines at their Camp Pendleton base in southern California revealed that three charges of unpremeditated murder against Lance Corporal Justin Sharratt had been withdrawn.

The decision was announced in a written ruling from the commander Lieutenant General James Mattis and followed a recommendation from an investigator last month that the charges should be dropped.

"An independent Article 32 investigating officer has considered all the facts and determined that the evidence does not support a referral to court-martial for Lance Corporal Sharratt," Mattis wrote.

"Based on my review of all the evidence in this case and considering the recommendation of the Article 32 officer, I have dismissed the charges." (link)

Investigators basically said that there was no independent confirmation of the charges and they couldn't go through with the case. The government's case was weak to begin with and fell through not long ago.

Justice seems to have been served for the marine, thankfully for him, his family and his comrades.


Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Football News

Update: Story per ESPN reports substance abuse, but no details - [here]

Not a good word out of Tennessee for football:
Tennessee RB Coker Suspended Indefinitely for Unspecified Reason
Aug 7, 8:20 PM (ET) Email this Story

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -Tennessee tailback LaMarcus Coker, the team's leading rusher last season, has been suspended indefinitely.

Coach Phillip Fulmer did not specify Tuesday what Coker had done to earn the penalty.

"He must fulfill some obligations to the program and to me before he can return," Fulmer read from a prepared statement after practice. "I have tried, as has the administration, to work with him, but at this time he must help himself."

The sophomore led the Vols with 696 rushing yards his freshman year, even though he was sidelined for two games by an injured knee. He was competing for time with junior Arian Foster and sophomore Montario Hardesty.

Coker, who had a pair of touchdown runs for more than 80 yards each last season, was suspended for several practices last December for undisclosed reasons. (link)

With the way Hardesty runs, Coker didn't need to do anything to jeopardize his starting role. Of course we don't know what he did, but if it's significant enough for this, I hope he gets help to work it out.

The young man's life and well-being are more important than just what he can do on the field; but you're off-the-field actions will jump up and bite you (see Pacman Jones).

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

For the BDS'er in you

This is mainly for fake accountant since he seems to have a tinge of BDS* going on:

“[W]e urge you, after consulting with Congress, and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions (including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites) to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq’s refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs.” — From a letter signed by Joe Lieberman, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara A. Milulski, Tom Daschle, & John Kerry among others on October 9, 1998

“This December will mark three years since United Nations inspectors last visited Iraq. There is no doubt that since that time, Saddam Hussein has reinvigorated his weapons programs. Reports indicate that biological, chemical and nuclear programs continue apace and may be back to pre-Gulf War status. In addition, Saddam continues to refine delivery systems and is doubtless using the cover of a licit missile program to develop longer- range missiles that will threaten the United States and our allies.” — From a December 6, 2001 letter signed by Bob Graham, Joe Lieberman, Harold Ford, & Tom Lantos among others

“Whereas Iraq has consistently breached its cease-fire agreement between Iraq and the United States, entered into on March 3, 1991, by failing to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction program, and refusing to permit monitoring and verification by United Nations inspections; Whereas Iraq has developed weapons of mass destruction, including chemical and biological capabilities, and has made positive progress toward developing nuclear weapons capabilities” — From a joint resolution submitted by Tom Harkin and Arlen Specter on July 18, 2002

“Saddam’s goal … is to achieve the lifting of U.N. sanctions while retaining and enhancing Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction programs. We cannot, we must not and we will not let him succeed.” — Madeline Albright, 1998

“(Saddam) will rebuild his arsenal of weapons of mass destruction and some day, some way, I am certain he will use that arsenal again, as he has 10 times since 1983″ — National Security Adviser Sandy Berger, Feb 18, 1998

“Iraq made commitments after the Gulf War to completely dismantle all weapons of mass destruction, and unfortunately, Iraq has not lived up to its agreement.” — Barbara Boxer, November 8, 2002

“The last UN weapons inspectors left Iraq in October of 1998. We are confident that Saddam Hussein retained some stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons, and that he has since embarked on a crash course to build up his chemical and biological warfare capability. Intelligence reports also indicate that he is seeking nuclear weapons, but has not yet achieved nuclear capability.” — Robert Byrd, October 2002

“There’s no question that Saddam Hussein is a threat… Yes, he has chemical and biological weapons. He’s had those for a long time. But the United States right now is on a very much different defensive posture than we were before September 11th of 2001… He is, as far as we know, actively pursuing nuclear capabilities, though he doesn’t have nuclear warheads yet. If he were to acquire nuclear weapons, I think our friends in the region would face greatly increased risks as would we.” — Wesley Clark on September 26, 2002

“What is at stake is how to answer the potential threat Iraq represents with the risk of proliferation of WMD. Baghdad’s regime did use such weapons in the past. Today, a number of evidences may lead to think that, over the past four years, in the absence of international inspectors, this country has continued armament programs.” — Jacques Chirac, October 16, 2002

“The community of nations may see more and more of the very kind of threat Iraq poses now: a rogue state with weapons of mass destruction, ready to use them or provide them to terrorists. If we fail to respond today, Saddam and all those who would follow in his footsteps will be emboldened tomorrow.” — Bill Clinton in 1998

“In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001. It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well affects American security.” — Hillary Clinton, October 10, 2002

“I am absolutely convinced that there are weapons…I saw evidence back in 1998 when we would see the inspectors being barred from gaining entry into a warehouse for three hours with trucks rolling up and then moving those trucks out.” — Clinton’s Secretary of Defense William Cohen in April of 2003

“Iraq is not the only nation in the world to possess weapons of mass destruction, but it is the only nation with a leader who has used them against his own people.” — Tom Daschle in 1998

“Saddam Hussein’s regime represents a grave threat to America and our allies, including our vital ally, Israel. For more than two decades, Saddam Hussein has sought weapons of mass destruction through every available means. We know that he has chemical and biological weapons. He has already used them against his neighbors and his own people, and is trying to build more. We know that he is doing everything he can to build nuclear weapons, and we know that each day he gets closer to achieving that goal.” — John Edwards, Oct 10, 2002

“The debate over Iraq is not about politics. It is about national security. It should be clear that our national security requires Congress to send a clear message to Iraq and the world: America is united in its determination to eliminate forever the threat of Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.” — John Edwards, Oct 10, 2002

“I share the administration’s goals in dealing with Iraq and its weapons of mass destruction.” — Dick Gephardt in September of 2002

“Iraq does pose a serious threat to the stability of the Persian Gulf and we should organize an international coalition to eliminate his access to weapons of mass destruction. Iraq’s search for weapons of mass destruction has proven impossible to completely deter and we should assume that it will continue for as long as Saddam is in power.” — Al Gore, 2002

“We are in possession of what I think to be compelling evidence that Saddam Hussein has, and has had for a number of years, a developing capacity for the production and storage of weapons of mass destruction.” — Bob Graham, December 2002

“Saddam Hussein is not the only deranged dictator who is willing to deprive his people in order to acquire weapons of mass destruction.” — Jim Jeffords, October 8, 2002

“We have known for many years that Saddam Hussein is seeking and developing weapons of mass destruction.” — Ted Kennedy, September 27, 2002

“There is no doubt that Saddam Hussein’s regime is a serious danger, that he is a tyrant, and that his pursuit of lethal weapons of mass destruction cannot be tolerated. He must be disarmed.” — Ted Kennedy, Sept 27, 2002
“I will be voting to give the president of the United States the authority to use force - if necessary - to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security.” — John F. Kerry, Oct 2002

“The threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real, but as I said, it is not new. It has been with us since the end of that war, and particularly in the last 4 years we know after Operation Desert Fox failed to force him to reaccept them, that he has continued to build those weapons. He has had a free hand for 4 years to reconstitute these weapons, allowing the world, during the interval, to lose the focus we had on weapons of mass destruction and the issue of proliferation.” — John Kerry, October 9, 2002

“(W)e need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime. We all know the litany of his offenses. He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. …And now he is miscalculating America’s response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction. That is why the world, through the United Nations Security Council, has spoken with one voice, demanding that Iraq disclose its weapons programs and disarm. So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real, but it is not new. It has been with us since the end of the Persian Gulf War.” — John Kerry, Jan 23, 2003

“We begin with the common belief that Saddam Hussein is a tyrant and a threat to the peace and stability of the region. He has ignored the mandates of the United Nations and is building weapons of mass destruction and the means of delivering them.” — Carl Levin, Sept 19, 2002

“Every day Saddam remains in power with chemical weapons, biological weapons, and the development of nuclear weapons is a day of danger for the United States.” — Joe Lieberman, August, 2002

“Over the years, Iraq has worked to develop nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. During 1991 - 1994, despite Iraq’s denials, U.N. inspectors discovered and dismantled a large network of nuclear facilities that Iraq was using to develop nuclear weapons. Various reports indicate that Iraq is still actively pursuing nuclear weapons capability. There is no reason to think otherwise. Beyond nuclear weapons, Iraq has actively pursued biological and chemical weapons.U.N. inspectors have said that Iraq’s claims about biological weapons is neither credible nor verifiable. In 1986, Iraq used chemical weapons against Iran, and later, against its own Kurdish population. While weapons inspections have been successful in the past, there have been no inspections since the end of 1998. There can be no doubt that Iraq has continued to pursue its goal of obtaining weapons of mass destruction.” — Patty Murray, October 9, 2002

“As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I am keenly aware that the proliferation of chemical and biological weapons is an issue of grave importance to all nations. Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology which is a threat to countries in the region and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.” — Nancy Pelosi, December 16, 1998

“Even today, Iraq is not nearly disarmed. Based on highly credible intelligence, UNSCOM [the U.N. weapons inspectors] suspects that Iraq still has biological agents like anthrax, botulinum toxin, and clostridium perfringens in sufficient quantity to fill several dozen bombs and ballistic missile warheads, as well as the means to continue manufacturing these deadly agents. Iraq probably retains several tons of the highly toxic VX substance, as well as sarin nerve gas and mustard gas. This agent is stored in artillery shells, bombs, and ballistic missile warheads. And Iraq retains significant dual-use industrial infrastructure that can be used to rapidly reconstitute large-scale chemical weapons production.” — Ex-Un Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter in 1998

“There is unmistakable evidence that Saddam Hussein is working aggressively to develop nuclear weapons and will likely have nuclear weapons within the next five years. And that may happen sooner if he can obtain access to enriched uranium from foreign sources — something that is not that difficult in the current world. We also should remember we have always underestimated the progress Saddam has made in development of weapons of mass destruction.” — John Rockefeller, Oct 10, 2002

“Saddam’s existing biological and chemical weapons capabilities pose a very real threat to America, now. Saddam has used chemical weapons before, both against Iraq’s enemies and against his own people. He is working to develop delivery systems like missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles that could bring these deadly weapons against U.S. forces and U.S. facilities in the Middle East.” — John Rockefeller, Oct 10, 2002

Those are just some quotes from famous RepublicansDemocrats that were stated before the evil Bush took us into this illegal war!@#!!

It is nice to know that you guys think all these people are the biggest idiots in the world to be fooled by W time and time again.
(* Bush-derangement-syndrome)

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Network and Fishing

Apologies to all the people that I haven't visited this weekend, I attempted to play in the bar scene :)

Friday night I went to a bar/club near my home, never been there before so I immediately went into 'network' mode. There was only 15-25 people present so I followed the basic rules to the bar/club scene in locations that you may become a regular at. I made friends with the owner, owner's son, bartenders, waittresses, bouncers, band, etc. These connections are the most important, as they will ultimately get you out of trouble before you get into it (as well as special invites, etc.). It was a decent night, nothing to write home about and I accomplished my goal. (note: I am a very friendly person [in person] and make friends very easily)

Saturday night I went back, the place was much better. Couple hundred people, better atmosphere and still free pool :) I surveyed the situation and decided to test my luck. I spotted a nice little school of fish and threw in my line, suprisingly taking a bite on the first cast. I reeled it in and noticed that I got the middle fish in a 5 fish school (2 better fish out there, 2 worse) and decided that was a good cast and set my hook.

At this point I noticed that, while this fish was a keeper in all aspects, there was already another hook in it. Back in the day, possesion would have been the determining factor, but as I've moved off of sport fishing and into keepers, I knew I would have to put this one back (catch and release if you will).

My hook was much deeper than I thought on my initial inspection and it took a good long while to remove it; during this time others had netted the remaining fish and I was left to go home with no supper or even a trophy to show for it.

I hope all your weekends were good ones and I'll try again later :)

Friday, August 3, 2007

Slain boy's father arrested on an unrelated charge

A new twist on the story I posted on July 18 about the mother of a slain 4 year old facing deportation.

Now we have the father of that same boy getting arrested in Lexington, KY on charges not related to the murder. But they are related to his status as an immigrant.

Louisville Courier-Journal

Slain boy's father arrested on an unrelated charge

César Aguilar, the father of the 4-year-old boy whose body was found in a garbage truck last month, was arrested yesterday in Lexington on charges unrelated to his son's death.

Aguilar is being held at the Lexington-Fayette County Detention Center on possession of a forged instrument, a class D felony, and several traffic violations.


Federal immigration authorities also placed a hold on Aguilar at the jail, according to jail records.

The story then mentions funeral arrangements and how this poor man may not be able to attend. *sniffle* Please excuse me while I get a tissue.

Aguilar was booked into the jail under the name Carlos Contreras-Salazar. Family members say his birth name was César Aguilar, said Christopher 2X, a community activist and spokesman for the family.

Aguilar is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges at 12:30 p.m. today.

Lexington Police pulled him over about noon yesterday at New Circle and Leestown roads. Police found he was driving without a license, insurance or current registration plates, according to jail records.

His vehicle also had no windshield wipers, which carries a charge of driving with obstructed vision.

Under his picture the caption reads: "César Aguilar was being held on possession of a forged instrument." I am purely speculating here but I assume that means he had false identification. So chances are that this guy is in the country illegally. Driving without a driver's license. No insurance. Expired tags. False I.D. Great. Just great. This family is turning out to be a bunch of fine upstanding citizens.

Hopefully both the mother and father will face consequences for their actions. In my opinion, the mother should be deported as soon as the police are able to get enough information to convict her son's murder. The father should spend time in jail for all of the charges he is currently facing. Then, as soon as he is done with that, boot his ass out of the country.

If you want to come here and be a part of the greatest country in the world, do it the right way. Follow the rules and wait your turn like millions have before you. If you choose to break the law and come to, or remain in, this country illegally I will have no sympathy for you. Hasta la vista. Don't let the door hit you where the good Lord split you.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Humor

Read on a paper at work (from Miller Genuine High Life):


She told him that there wasn't enough money for beer and he'd have to quit.

So he did.

Then he caught her paying $65 on make-up, and asked if he had to give up things
why didn't she?

She said the make-up was to make her look better for him.


He said that was what the beer was for.

He doesn't think she's coming back ...

Prayers

Thoughts and prayers go out to the loved ones of the killed in Minneapolis yesterday. Also with those injured.
MINNEAPOLIS - An interstate bridge jammed with rush-hour traffic suddenly broke into huge sections and collapsed into the Mississippi River Wednesday, pitching dozens of cars 60 feet into the water and killing at least seven people.

The eight-lane Interstate 35W bridge, a major Minneapolis artery, was in the midst of being repaired and two lanes in each direction were closed when the bridge buckled. About 20 families gathered at an information center, looking for information on loved ones they couldn't locate.

"There were two lanes of traffic, bumper to bumper, at the point of the collapse. Those cars did go into the river," said Minneapolis Police Lt. Amelia Huffman. "At this point there is nothing to suggest that this was anything other than a structural collapse." (link)

I hope everyone that Ruthie knows is ok.

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Democratic 'Redeployment'

With actual good news on the Iraqi war slipping through the MSM lockjaw, the Democrats in Congress are tabling legislation they think will allow Republicans to vote against the President but also against a surrenderretreatwithdrawal from MesepotamiaIraq:

Dems Want to Keep GOP From Votes on
Iraq
Email this Story

Jul 31, 9:12 PM (ET)

By DAVID ESPO


WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democratic leaders are intent on
sidetracking bipartisan attempts to change course in Iraq at least until fall,
officials said Tuesday, rather than allow nervous Republicans to vote for
legislation that lacks a troop withdrawal deadline.
Several lawmakers and
aides said the goal was to deny members of the GOP rank and file a chance to
proclaim their independence from President Bush by voting for a limited measure
- after months of backing his policy in an increasingly unpopular war.
Polls
have long shown the war to be unpopular, and a survey released during the day by
the Democracy Corps, which advises Democrats, reported that 61 percent of those
polled want their lawmaker to begin requiring a reduction of troops. (link)

Legisltation by poll. It's a remarkable conceitconcept. Maybe one day we'll get some politcians that will legislate for the good of the people and not for the votes of the people (D or R). Maybe I'm being a little cynical, but you'd think that one day someone in Washington would stand up against poll-watching and get to actually doing their job.

We really need a true conservative party in this country. Something the Republicans used to know a little about.

Warzone

 Recently played a few games on Caldera (warzone) and then... Lots of luck in this one, but satisfying