Libertarian Commentary on the News, 23-28 January 2006 -- Page 2

Stupid Guvmint Tricks
No question, when you want something done in a stupid way, turn to government for the most imaginative ways. This week, we see why it is so easy to find examples of stupidity in the world today.

Canada: Kubby to return to US, face killers
Globe and Mail [Canada]
"The Canada Border Services Agency has informed medical marijuana activist Steve Kubby and his family that they must leave the country by Thursday, or face a forcible removal. Mr. Kubby, his wife Michele and their two daughters were informed of the deadline yesterday in a fax sent to their home in Sun Peaks. Last Friday, Mr. Justice Yvon Pinard of the Federal Court of Canada turned down a request by the family for an emergency stay of the removal order. Mr. Kubby, 59, suffers from a rare form of adrenal cancer and has used marijuana for a number of years to control his condition. He faces a jail sentence of at least 120 days in northern California as a result of a 2001 [false] conviction for possessing a small amount of mescaline and psilocin." (01/24/06)

Sadly, we are seeing the last few scenes of the final act of a sick drama. I pray that the Kubby family can find a way out.

CA: Drug thugs kidnap Kubby on plane to avoid protesters
Sacramento Bee
"Having exhausted all appeals to remain in Canada, medical marijuana activist Steven Wynn Kubby returned to the United States on Thursday evening, only to be whisked away by police before a crowd of more than two dozen supporters could greet him. Kubby, 58, was removed from the Alaska Airlines jet by San Francisco police officers at the request of sheriff's officials in Placer County, where he faces a 120-day jail sentence for a [false] drug conviction in 2000. ... As San Francisco Police Sgt. Mike Hughes explained how Kubby was taken into custody on his plane, someone yelled, 'Welcome to the land of the free and the home of the dead.' ... While Hughes said his department was asked to arrest Kubby, Lt. George Malim of the Placer County Sheriff's Department had suggested earlier Thursday that the decision to arrest would be up to San Francisco." [Editor's note: Geez -- these goons haven't even finished murdering the guy yet, and already they're trying to line up ways to blame each other - TLK] (01/27/06)

Mama's Note: There are efforts underway to help Kubby, but we all fear his fate is death, as with so many other victims of this incredible witch hunt. God be with him - and God help his murderers.

Canada: Conservative Party wins elections
San Marcos Daily Record
"Stephen Harper and his Conservative Party won national elections Monday and ended 13 years of Liberal rule, a victory expected to move Canada rightward on social and economic issues and lead to improved ties with the United States. The Conservatives' winning margin was too narrow to avoid ruling with a minority government, a situation that will make it difficult to get legislation through a divided House of Commons. ... With nearly all votes counted in the race for the 308-seat House, officials results showed Conservatives with 123 seats; Liberals with 103; Bloc Quebecois with 50, New Democratic Party with 28; and one seat to an Independent. Three seats still haven't been determined." (01/24/06)

It would be nice to think that the new Conservative government would approach the Kubby situation with more understanding and compassion, especially with the power that comes from the Prairie Provinces. The split Commons will actually accelerate the breakup of Canada, as too many of the Liberal's stupidities will not be overturned.

Court Martial orders reprimand, no jail
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"A military jury [sic - military court martial board] recommended a simple reprimand Monday for an Army officer who killed an Iraqi general by stuffing him headfirst into a sleeping bag and sitting on his chest during an interrogation. As soldiers applauded in the courtroom, Chief Warrant Officer Lewis Welshofer Jr. hugged his wife after hearing the surprisingly light sentence, which will be reviewed by Fort Carson's commander, Maj. Gen. Robert W. Mixon. The commander cannot order a harsher sentence, defense attorney Frank Spinner said." (01/24/06)

This seems, to me, to be far too light a sentence, but second-guessing a court-martial board (or a jury) is a fruitless endeavor. But this sentence is in keeping with what too many judges in the civilian world are doing, I am sad to say.

Russia delays launch of next space station crew
Houston Chronicle
"NASA's first paid ride to the International Space Station will be delayed eight days due to problems preparing the Russian Soyuz spacecraft for launch, Russian and U.S. Officials said today. Launch of the 13th live-aboard space station crew was rescheduled from March 22 to March 30, said NASA spokesman James Hartsfield with the Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA is paying Russia to transport astronauts to the space station after the grounding of the shuttle fleet." (01/23/06)

Both the Americans and the Rus have problems with their government-run and -built space flight systems. We NEED private business!

FL: DNA exonerates man after 24 years
Cincinnati Enquirer
"Alan Crotzer stepped into the warm sunlight outside the courthouse Monday and raised his arms to the sky, celebrating his freedom after more than 24 years behind bars for crimes he didn't commit. A judge freed the 45-year-old Crotzer after DNA testing and other evidence convinced prosecutors he was not involved in the 1981 armed robbery and rapes that led to his 130-year prison sentence." (01/23/06)

How much is a man's freedom worth? After 24 years? I would like to see an organization (private, no government money) dedicated to doing DNA checks like this, to see if we can free some innocent people - even if we can't put any thugs in jail in return.

Uzbekistan: Fur lined knickers banned
Ananova [UK]
"Fur-lined underwear has been banned in Uzbekistan after authorities deemed it too sexy. Sales of the furry slips have rocketed in temperatures that have hit the region of below minus 20C. But the government has now banned the lingerie saying they want to protect citizens from 'unbridled fantasies' caused by wearing the soft fabric." (01/23/06)

Isn't it wonderful how the bums that run Uzbek (and the rest of the 'stans) are so concerned about protecting their citizens? So touching - especially when you're frozen. (BTW, -20C isn't very much; only about -5F, or average for MT, ND, and other places in North America.)

Mama's Note: I can't imagine wanting something like this, since fur works best as an outer layer to trap body heat and this kind of thing would itch and probably stink in short order. But the idea that government would regulate such a thing at all is mind bending. Who the hell cares what someone's underwear is made of? The issue isn't morals, its power as always.

Patriot Act fix wedged among many priorities
Fox News
"The Feb. 3 deadline to renew the Patriot Act is looming, and with congressional members preoccupied by other issues, some say not enough time is left to hammer out differences in the federal anti-terror bill before it expires. 'I would not be at all surprised if we end up with another extension,' said former Georgia Republican Rep. Bob Barr, who has been actively petitioning for changes in the Patriot Act, particularly tighter rules on allowing so-called 'sneak-and-peek' property searches and digging into individuals' personal records without warrants. 'We would like to see the conference report agreed to, but we understand there are certain concerns and changes that might be added, and we're still looking for an agreement on that,' said one Senate Republican aide who did not want to be named, but acknowledged that time was short and another extension may be the only option if negotiators can't get it together." (01/23/06)

It really does appear to be stalled, with just days left. Bet I know what Bush is gonna talk about on his normal Saturday show! Too bad if this gets delayed again, eh? Oh, my, then the terrorists can have a field day! Right.

UK: Speed camera clocks 85mph tractor
Ananova [UK]
"Speed camera bosses have apologised to a farmer after they tried to fine him for doing 85mph in a tractor. Steve Crossman, who farms in Wiltshire, was puzzled when he received a ticket saying he had been snapped by a camera in Wales. But he was even more surprised when he realised that he was being fined for speeding in his tractor. With a top speed of 26mph, it would take Mr. Crossman's tractor more than four hours just to cover the distance from his farm in Horningsham to Abergarwed where the offence took place. ... The Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership quickly admitted that they had misread one letter in the registration plate on the film and apologised. Mr. Crossman told BBC Wales: 'It's a good tractor, but not that good. It can just about get up to 26mph, but that's downhill, with a following wind and with no trailer on the back.'" (01/22/06)

So how many other people are being illegally ticketed because their license plate (registration plate in Queen's English) was misread?

Private security guards play key roles post-9/11
Arizona Republic
"Forget the image of the potbellied security guard, asleep with a newspaper in his lap and doughnut crumbs on his chin. Post-Sept. 11, the old rental cop in many cases has been replaced by security officers who are screened, licensed, trained and equipped better than their quaint predecessors. Homeland defense experts, such as former FBI Deputy Director Weldon Kennedy, say the enhanced professionalism is critical because the private-security industry defends more than three-fourths of the nation's most likely terrorism targets. ... Private officers are ... responsible for millions of lives and billions of dollars in assets. And they are most likely to be first on the scene in major disasters." (01/22/06)

So, if they defend ¾, why can't private security defend the remaining ¼? At a level of professionalism and a lower cost than "public" (government) cops and security? Is it time to get rid of city and state and federal police forces and let private enterprise provide such critical services? Only if we want them done right.

Russia: Concern over hate crimes grows
Christian Science Monitor
"A recent attack by a knife-wielding attacker shouting, 'I will kill Jews,' is prompting an anxious debate over the rising tide of xenophobic violence in Russia and what to do about it. The assault in Moscow's downtown Chabad Synagogue, which wounded eight people, was carried out by an alienated young loner, Alexander Koptsev, who police said was heavily under the influence of neo-Nazi books and Internet sites. Russian press reports suggest he had recently played a violent computer game in which a postman goes berserk and attacks everyone in sight. Mr. Koptsev has been charged with attempted murder aimed at 'humiliating national or religious groups,' a serious crime under Russian law." (01/22/06)

A Russian hardly needs to be under the influence of neo-Nazi books to develop a hatred of Jews: it is a theme that permeates Russian history and society for centuries. Nor does he need computer games to give him ideas: Russian history is full of berserkers and other bloody madness.

South Korea: US firms ordered to pay Agent Orange damages
Forbes
"A South Korean court has ordered two US firms that manufactured Agent Orange to compensate thousands of South Korean Vietnam War veterans and their families. Dow Chemical and Monsanto were ordered to pay compensation to around 6,800 people in the first ruling in favor of sufferers from the effects of the defoliant used by US forces during the war, court officials said. ... Three separate damages suits were filed against the two US firms on behalf of some 20,615 South Korean war veterans and their families. Two were upheld by the court while one case was dismissed. South Korea sent some 300,000 troops to fight alongside the United States and southern Vietnamese forces during the 1965-1973 war." (01/26/06)

It will be interesting to see if the FedGov intervenes to protect these firms, which after all, were just contractors to US forces during the war.

Mama's Note: It will be much more interesting to see if the government then begins to compensate US veterans who have suffered so long from this insanity - and often can't even get decent medical care at all! This one is well worth watching.

Audit: Iraq infrastructure funds diverted
MSNBC
"Billions of dollars in projects to improve water, sewer and electrical systems in Iraq could not be completed because the money had to be used to increase security, according to a government audit released Thursday. Nearly one-third -- or a total of $5.6 billion -- of the $18.4 billion that Congress appropriated for Iraq relief and reconstruction in 2003 was shifted to address the new priorities and heightened security as of last Sept. 30, the audit said." (01/26/06)

Mama's Note: Your tax dollars at work...

Stupid People Tricks
Of course, not just governments do stupid things - in part because governments are made up of people. Sometimes stupid tricks by people are funny (well, usually, they are) but they can be dangerous to themselves and others - and when you get right down to it, almost all of the Self-Defense articles this week are the result of stupid people tricks.

Oklahoma City moves past its infamous bombing
Christian Science Monitor
"It's hard for many in Oklahoma City to remember a time when they didn't know the names Tim and Terry, the two angry men who killed 168 people -- and changed the city's collective consciousness -- by parking a two-ton bomb of farm fertilizer and fuel oil in front of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in 1995. But as time goes on, wounds heal, memories fade, and hearts soften. At some point in the past decade, Oklahoma City began to look forward instead of back. That may be the reason why Michael Fortier's release from prison Friday after serving more than a decade for his role in the bombing sent relatively few ripples through the community." (01/23/06)

The very opening of this story flies in the face of thousands of pages of testimony and common sense.

Mama's Note: For a good overview of that testimony that defies the official version, click here.

Passengers threaten mutiny on crippled Queen Mary 2
Independent [UK]
"Passengers on board the world's largest and most luxurious cruise ship have threatened a mutiny after it set sail with a damaged propeller. Cunard Lines' Queen Mary 2 has missed three ports of call because it is running at a reduced speed. Passengers have said they will stage a 'sit-in' when it reaches Rio de Janeiro next week, to prevent it continuing its voyage. People on board are furious to have missed out on visiting exotic ports of call, where many had arranged to meet relatives and friends. But Cunard, which has offered compensation, says the ship is two days behind schedule and has no time to stop. ... 'Many guests are on once-in-a-lifetime holidays and I have seen several in tears. The mood among passengers is extremely angry and becoming more so. One passenger has described the situation as being held hostage by Cunard.'" (01/23/06)

They are taking legal action, which is just about as strange as a passenger mutiny on a cruise liner. I suggest that they look at their contracts (which of course, they were forced at gunpoint to sign), and see if they have grounds for any action except sadness for missed opportunities.

Hitler's gun to be auctioned
Fox News
"A gun that may have belonged to Adolf Hitler is expected to fetch thousands of dollars when it's auctioned off. The bidding on the German-made shotgun with the initials 'A.H.' begins Jan. 30 in an online auction hosted by a pawn shop in Bloomington, Illinois. Shop owner Wes Lane says he didn't believe it when he was first told the weapon once belonged to Hitler. But he changed his mind after hearing the story about how it was taken from one of Hitler's secret hideaways in May 1945. Now he's 'totally convinced.' The gun found its way into the hands of a soldier who settled in central Illinois and kept it under his bed. The man died more than a decade ago and his family no longer wants the gun. Net proceeds from the auction will go to the Anti-Defamation League." (01/22/06)

The fascination with "All Things Hitler" is bizarre, but here we have another example.

NH: Activists seek to evict Souter
Yahoo! News
"Angered by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that sided with a Connecticut city that wanted to seize homes for economic development, a group of activists is trying to get one of the justices who voted for the decision evicted from his own home. The group, led by a California man, wants Justice David Souter's home seized for the purpose of building an inn called 'Lost Liberty Hotel.' They submitted enough petition signatures -- only 25 were needed -- to bring the matter before voters in March. This weekend, they're descending on Souter's hometown, the central New Hampshire town of Weare, population 8,500, to rally for support. 'This is in the tradition of the Boston Tea Party and the Pine Tree Riot,' organizer Logan Darrow Clements said, referring to the riot that took place during the winter of 1771-1772, when colonists in Weare beat up officials appointed by King George III who fined them for logging white pines without approval. 'All we're trying to do is put an end to eminent domain abuse,' Clements said, by having those who advocate or facilitate it 'live under it, so they understand why it needs to end.'" (01/21/06)

This actually made it on several front pages, finally.

Mama's Note: Two wrongs don't make a right. The "Boston Tea Party" was an act of aggression against merchants, not the British government. It was like trashing a supermarket because they are forced to collect sales tax. These people need to spend their time and money working for real changes that will benefit everyone.

MA: New curbs urged on doctor perks
Boston Globe
"Physicians from leading medical schools, including Harvard, are calling for teaching hospitals to sharply limit the gifts and money they accept from pharmaceutical and medical device makers, saying even small gifts can influence doctors to use products that may not be the most effective and cheapest. Many of the practices the group wants to ban or restrict are common in hospitals around the country and in Massachusetts' renowned academic medical centers, including Harvard's teaching hospitals, guaranteeing that the recommendations will prompt heated debate. For example, the doctors want to prohibit payments for time to travel to and attend medical conferences, and free meals. Drug companies routinely supply free lunches for medical residents at hospitals, which department heads use to attract the physicians-in-training to noontime lectures and meetings without depleting department funds." (01/25/06)

See the article about Congruskritters in "2006 campaign section." It seems that doctors should have a bit higher moral standards than those folks in DC.

Mama's Note: The problem goes much deeper than a few gifts or lunches. Far too many doctors now make little or no effort to find the cause of a problem, treating only symptoms with one drug after another - with more thrown in to treat the side effects of the first drugs! Most people take far too much medicine, especially children and the elderly. Doctors are not even being educated to find the source of problems these days, with more and more emphasis being placed on the wide array of drugs and surgeries available.

As I've said so many times before: only YOU can truly safeguard your health. Take personal responsibility for your life and health and don't take the easy way out when the doctor whips out his script pad. Insist that he/she help you find the cause of your problem and work on natural ways to overcome it. Some drugs are necessary to treat things until the cause can be found and taken care of, and some are necessary ongoing when that cause can't be reversed - but discover as much as you can and take as little medication as possible. You'll live longer and healthier, not to mention saving a lot of money.

White House steps up defense of Bush spy ring
CNN
"President Bush and other officials Monday intensified their defense of a domestic surveillance program that supporters say protects against terrorism and critics say threatens civil liberties. The president told an audience at Kansas State University in Manhattan that the congressional resolution passed in the wake of the September 11 attacks that authorized the invasion of Afghanistan and other counterterrorism measures gave him the legal authority to initiate the program." (01/23/06)

Bush is really pushing the idea that Congress gave him the approval to do this, even if some congruskritturs don't want to agree with him, four years after the fact. Maybe, just maybe, they are all lying?

Mama's Note: It doesn't matter if they are all lying. Congress can't give anyone permission to violate our rights this way - for any reason, any more than they can morally or legally give their permission for the murder of unborn babies. Some things are simply not theirs to give or take away.

Bush accused of spying on dissidents
Bradenton Sun-Herald
"While the White House defended domestic surveillance as a safeguard against terrorism, a Florida peace activist and several Democrats in Congress accused the Bush administration on Friday of spying on Americans who disagree with President Bush's policies. Richard Hersh, of Boca Raton, Fla., director of Truth Project Inc. of Palm Beach County, told an ad hoc panel of House Democrats that his group and others in South Florida have been infiltrated and spied upon despite having no connections to terrorists. 'Agents rummaged through the trash, snooped into e-mails, packed Web sites and listened in on phone conversations,' Hersh charged. 'We know that address books and activist meeting lists have disappeared.' The Truth Project gained national attention when NBC News reported last month that it was described as a 'credible threat' in a database of suspicious activity compiled by the Pentagon's Talon program. The listing cited the group's gathering a year ago at a Quaker meeting house in Lake Worth, Fla., to talk about ways to counter military recruitment at high schools." (01/20/06)

Let us see some evidence of all these things, and then take action. Anyone (especially Congressional Democrats) can make claims like these, but where is the evidence? I lose addresses and lists all the time, and don't try to blame secret agents for it (or even my cats).

Political opposites aligned against Bush wiretaps
San Francisco Chronicle
"Larry Diamond, a Democrat and a Hoover Institution senior fellow, went to Baghdad in 2004 as a consultant for the U.S.-run Coalition Provisional Authority, believing strongly in the Bush administration's goal of building a democracy there. While critical of many aspects of the Iraq war, he has, he says, wholeheartedly supported President Bush's aggressive approach to the war on terror. Grover Norquist is one of the most influential conservative Republicans in Washington. ... Despite coming from opposite ends of the political spectrum, they agree on one other major issue: that the Bush administration's program of domestic eavesdropping by the National Security Agency without obtaining court warrants has less to do with the war on terror than with threats to the nation's civil liberties." [FND Editor's note: Two broken clocks, judging from their other respective positions. - SAT] (01/26/06)

Of course, the same thing is taking place on the side SUPPORTING the President on this issue. I take no credence in either Norquist's nor Diamond's opposition, in large part because they will not push hard enough to do anything.

Clinton: Bush alibi "far-fetched"
The Age [Australia]
"The controversy over President George Bush's authorisation of a secret domestic eavesdropping program has escalated with Hillary Clinton labeling the President's justification for by-passing a special court set up to oversee domestic wiretaps as 'strange' and 'far-fetched.' At the same time, four senior Democratic senators, including Senate leader Harry Reid, wrote to Mr. Bush saying they supported efforts to combat terrorism, but eavesdropping by the National Security Agency without court approval was 'an apparent violation of the law.' ... Arlen Specter, the Republican chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has made it clear that he has serious doubts about the legality of the eavesdropping program .... Senator Specter has conceded that if Congress was to decide that Mr. Bush had broken the law, 'impeachment was one remedy available.' But Senator Specter quickly added that he saw no grounds for such action because the President had 'evidently acted in good faith.'" (01/26/06)

If so many Kongruskritters believe the Prez is breaking the law, then why don't they do something other than jaw-jaw? It would be a matter of hours to introduce a bill in both houses to outlaw the practice and revoke the authority Bush claims was granted by the Congressional action to launch the "Global War on Terrorism" - in essence, to undeclare war or amend the ground rules. But don't hold your breath!

Theft by Government
As things heat up in NH, where there will be vote by local people over whether to exercise "eminent domain" on Mr. Justice Souter's house, we still see that a lot of people just don't get it, and a few that DO! In many states, various legislative bills are being considered to end some types of eminent domain; constitutional amendments are being circulated, and more people are organizing. But remember - your property could be next!

TN: Businesses worry software tax plan
Tennessean
"Businesses of every size and nature would be affected by a proposed change in state tax rules that would make software subject to property tax in Tennessee -- a move that critics say could backfire and end up costing Tennessee new jobs. The change is part of a package designed to clarify property tax assessment rules last updated in 1988. It is scheduled be debated by the state's tax equalization board today. Business organizations have come out in force against the plan, saying it would cost many companies tens of thousands of dollars and weaken the state's economic development efforts. 'It would have a significant detrimental effect on any of the big-headquarters companies here that have sophisticated custom software associated with running their business,' said James Weaver, an attorney and vice chairman of government relations and community improvement for the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce." (01/23/06)

Arrggh! How to approach this? The entire idea of property tax is immoral, whether we are talking real property or unreal property like software, computers, cars, machinery, furniture, etc. It is based, as near as I can tell, on the idea that people must have permission of the king to own things (well, certain things). While there are tremendous negative impacts on business and society from such taxes, it is their immorality that makes them deserve to be made illegal.

Mama's Note: If these morons go through with this "tax," there will be a vast exodus of business from TN and probably from other states nearby. There's lots of room in this country, folks. Come on west and find a climate of relative peace and freedom. You'll never look back.

DC: Bank opposes eminent domain
Washington Times
"BB&T Corp., the second-biggest bank in the Washington area, said yesterday that it will not lend money to developers who plan to build commercial projects on land taken from private citizens through the power of eminent domain. 'The idea that a citizen's property can be taken by the government solely for private use is extremely misguided; in fact, it's just plain wrong,' said John Allison, the bank's chairman and chief executive officer. BB&T Chief Credit Officer Ken Chalk said the North Carolina bank expects to lose only a tiny amount of business, but thinks it is obligated to take a stand on the issue. 'It's not even a fraction of a percent,' he said. 'The dollar amount is insignificant.' But, he added, 'We do business with a large number of consumers and small businesses in our footprint. We are hearing from clients that this is an important philosophical issue.' Mr. Chalk said he knows of no other large U.S. bank with a similar policy." [Editor's note: Bravo for a bank paying at least lip service to ... principle! - SAT] (01/26/06)

This shows a really SMART business trip. Recognizing that their potential investors and customers are not going to stand for business-government coziness (fascism?) on this issue, and is taking a stand. It is indeed a form of "gulching" - of refusing to play the government's game and forcing the issue. In fact, this gives me an idea that the June 23rd Movement, Castle Coalition, and other groups fighting eminent domain can use: a pledge (similar to what Marshal Fritz uses in the Alliance for Separation of School and State: "My business, convinced that the power of eminent domain is tyrannical and should be taken away from government, hereby pledges to NOT have any involvement in projects which involve the theft of private property by government through the power of eminent domain."

Tech and Medical News Items
Tech news is kind of down this week, as is medical news, but I still offer a few items. Technology used for evil purposes should be countered with technology first, and then other means; prohibition will fail with nuclear weapons just as it did with liquor.

Wonder Bread goes whole grain
Arizona Republic
"Will kids still be able to wad it up into sticky, glutinous balls and throw it across the cafeteria? Wonder Bread, that icon of squishy, oh-so-American white bread, turns a nutritional corner today with the launch of two whole-wheat versions intended to look, taste and feel just like the spongy original. It's part of a plan to resuscitate Wonder Bread's baker, bankrupt Interstate Bakeries Corp. (also the maker of Hostess Twinkies), which has struggled as consumers went from rejecting carbs outright to demanding they be whole grain. The launch comes as concerns about skyrocketing obesity rates and the preponderance of highly processed foods in the American diet, such as white bread, have fueled campaigns by government and health officials to get consumers to eat more whole grains." (01/23/06)

Uggh. Who wants whole grain if it tastes like Wonder Bread? Gag.

Mama's Note: I forgot to look at the package today when I was in the store, but I have a hard time believing there is any "whole grain" in something that looks and tastes like library paste - no matter what they say. They don't claim to have removed all the chemicals and junk that create that "sticky, glutinous ball," so I don't see how the addition of a little oatmeal would help anyway. Forget about it. Teach your kids to eat real bread, and bake it yourself. There is no excuse since the bread machine came along.

Soy not much help in health of hearts
Washington Times
"Veggie burgers and tofu might not be so great at warding off heart disease after all. An American Heart Association committee reviewed a decade of studies on soy's benefits and came up with results that are casting doubt on the health claim that soy-based foods and supplements significantly lower cholesterol. The findings could lead the Food and Drug Administration to reevaluate rules that allow companies to tout a cholesterol-lowering benefit on the labels of soy-based food. The panel also found that neither soy nor the soy component isoflavone reduced symptoms of menopause, such as 'hot flashes,' and that isoflavones don't help prevent breast, uterine or prostate cancer. Results were mixed on whether soy prevented postmenopausal bone loss." (01/23/06)

As with many "miracle" claims for certain foods, these are being debunked by supposedly "neutral" FDA and association studies - which we need to take with the same grain of salt as the original claims. And (since I know Mama Liberty will say it, too) we need to look at our overall diet and liquid intake, and not get roped in by fads for some "miracle food."

Mama's Note: Soy is a very dangerous thing to eat, more so for some than for others. Do a "Google" on soy problems and see what I mean. Whatever you do, DON'T feed soy of any kind to babies!!

One thing few of these sites mention is how toxic soy is for dogs, especially puppies. Take a look at the ingredients of your dog food - and cat food - then don't buy anything with soy again. You'll see the difference and you will be able to feed a great deal LESS of a non-soy product. Dogs and cats can't digest that protein, so it's wasted as well as being toxic. Kal Kan brand is non-soy and reasonably priced. (No commercial connection, just personal experience.)

Data hidden in Microsoft Word documents
Montgomery Advertiser
"You probably e-mail business letters, resumes and personal documents as Word documents. But you may be telling people things that would make your hair curl. Unless you take extra steps, recipients of Word documents can easily see items deleted or modified. For example, how about that letter you sent to Joe Jones? You first referred to him as a 'sniveling creep.' You changed that to 'great guy.' But Joe may know what you really think. Hidden within that letter was your original wording. Microsoft Word dutifully saved it all. And Joe doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to find it. Anybody who uses Word risks exposing sensitive information. ... Some of this data is easily seen in Word. And some can be viewed only by opening the document in a specialized program. Regardless, the data is there." (01/22/06)

One reason I am using Adobe Acrobat more and more. Beware.

Mama's Note: Just print it out and mail it. That works best for me.

Healthcare investors look for other options
Tennessean
"Hospital systems may be putting money into new and improved facilities, but some venture capitalists say they're looking to put their investment dollars some place other than hospitals. That's because there's a lot of potential for companies that can hold prices in check amid rising demand for medical care or find new ways to provide care to the aging U.S. population in more efficient ways, industry observers say. 'There's a lot going on with the aging population,' said Matt Gallivan, president of the Nashville Health Care Council. 'You have the cost pressures that create opportunities for companies that can generate efficiencies.' For many years, Nashville's healthcare industry has been built in large part on companies that build, buy or sell hospitals. But some venture capitalists say they generally are avoiding such companies at the moment." (01/22/06)

"Holding prices" is a joke. The prices are rising faster than ever, and profits are keeping up with the prices. As an example, an elderly (73 year old) woman was in hospital for six days in a medium-size city in the Rocky Mountain West recently for pneumonia, nothing exotic, no surgery, but the bill was $16,000+, more than $2600 PER DAY.

Mama's Note: The costs keep going up, but don't bet on the hospital making any profit. Most are skating very near the red and many are closing or sucking up tax money beyond Medicare, etc. A big part of that is the fact that hospitals (and medicine in general outside the drug companies) are not allowed to operate as real businesses. They are forced by law to do many things that produce no benefit to anyone, but cost a fortune. For example, the universal law that forbids an emergency room to turn anyone away - for any reason! Those with non-life threatening problems must be seen, no matter if they can pay or not. Laws in many states now dictate hospital staffing, no matter what the acuity - or financial reality is. Many hospitals have to pay exorbitant wages for registry nurses or close down whole wings, even though they have patients who need those beds. The list goes on and on. This id a very good theme for a whole article on this subject. Far too many people just do not understand what is really going on.

CDC Chief: Bird flu 'not media hype'
Fox News/Web MD
"The bird flu news isn't encouraging, the head of the CDC said today. The comments by CDC Director Julie M. Gerberding, MD, MPH, came at the opening of the 2006 National Influenza Vaccine Summit meeting of public health officials and vaccine manufacturers. Preparation for a flu pandemic is only a small part of the meeting. But in her opening remarks, Gerberding stressed how seriously the CDC is taking the threat of a bird flu pandemic. 'This is not media hype. This is a real situation,' Gerberding said. 'And at CDC we are very focused on the possibility of pandemic with this virus or some unexpected virus.'" [Editor's note: Once again, consider the source, and then consider how the only virus mutations so far happening anywhere in the world seem to be lessening the effect of the disease ... on birds as well as on humans. - SAT] (01/25/06)

If the CDC weren't busy spending millions to build fancy visitors centers and park-like campus settings (and kissing up to Senators and such), they might be more believable when they do this Chicken Little routine. But I have my doubts.

CA: Authorities find "massive" border tunnel fulla pot
Fox News
"Authorities were removing an estimated 2 tons of marijuana from a 'massive' cross-border tunnel that began near the Tijuana airport and ended near an apparently vacant industrial building on the U.S. side, officials said. Authorities on Wednesday located the U.S. exit to the tunnel, which began inside a warehouse near the airport with a cement shaft about 10 feet wide and 7 feet long. The shaft dropped about 75 feet to the tunnel, which was armslength wide and high enough for an adult to stand inside. The tunnel floor was cement, and lights ran down the side of one of the hard soil walls." (01/26/06)

As I pointed out in a recent article, technology is always available to whomever wants to (and has the imagination) to use it. How many more are there like this? In this case, I dare say that they got caught in part because of lack of imagination: they should have had both ends leased and in some business like import/export of vegetables or wicker furniture to allow for substantial traffic to and from both.

Studies link psychosis, teenage marijuana use
Boston Globe
"Evidence is mounting that for some adolescents whose genes put them at added risk, heavy marijuana use could increase the chances of developing severe mental illness -- psychosis or schizophrenia. This week, two major medical journals reviewed the research to date and concluded that it was persuasive. In PLOS Medicine, an Australian public health policy specialist wrote that genetically vulnerable teens who smoke marijuana more than once a week 'appear at greater risk of psychosis' ... The new research has little hint of 'Reefer Madness' alarmism. Rather, a half-dozen long, careful studies published in the last several years have tried to determine whether marijuana-smoking is a cause rather than an effect of mental illness. And groundbreaking research has begun to try to pinpoint which genes and brain chemicals could do the damage." [RRND Editor's note: One more egregious example of a misleading headline. Read the text! - SAT] (01/26/06)

In other words, it is psychotic people that are more attracted to recreational drugs - not necessarily that drugs CAUSE insanity. The same thing applies to ethanol addicts, and very likely to carbo addicts as well.

The Coming Fall of Europe and the United Kingdom
People have pointed out that I need to keep Great Britain and Europe separated, which is fine with me. So I've changed the title of this section. Sadly, the people that need to be convinced to keep the UK out of Europe are in Whitehall, not in the US West. No question, the decay is accelerating!

UK: Peers reject ID-card database plans
Independent[UK]
"Angry peers last night invoked the memory of fascist regimes which forced citizens to carry their papers as they tore the heart out of the Government's planned legislation for identity cards. The House of Lords overturned proposals to place everyone who applies for a new passport or driving license on the database that will underpin the controversial scheme. In a second reverse for ministers, they demanded a complete set of fresh legislation before ID cards could become compulsory at any future date." (01/24/06)

As I've commented before, since the Labourites have gutted the House of Lords, this is nothing but a symbolic slow-down of legislation. Assuming the Labour remains in power, the ID bill WILL go through, eventually.

Growth of Scottish public sector is costing jobs
The Scotsman
SCOTLAND's private sector has entered outright decline in the face of the relentless expansion of the public sector, according to official data obtained by The Scotsman. Businesses have shed 17,000 jobs over a period where the government and its various agencies have hired 24,000 more staff - the exact reverse of the trend promised by Jack McConnell, the First Minister. An unpublished survey of Scotland's labour market by the Office for National Statistics has found 707,000 people are now employed by the government - almost one in three jobs in Scotland. Such a ratio is rarely seen outside Scandinavia.

Worse, the First Minister's government is lying about it, claiming there are only 550,000 people working for the government. Forget devolution - what Scotland needs is revolution: assuming that pay is roughly equal (a bad assumption, I realize), that means that ½ of the salary or wages of every Scotsman working in the private sector is being sucked away to pay for a parasite. Take a pack and load it with iron until it weighs half of your body weight and then try lugging it around for a while and see how well you do.

Ladette life has Scottish girls 'among most violent in the world'
The Scotsman
ONE in three Scottish girls have been in a fight in the last year, making them among the most violent in the world, according to a new study. Almost a third of Scottish girls had been involved in a fight in the last year compared to 13 per cent in Finland, 21 per cent in Russia and a quarter in the United States. Experts blamed the "ladette culture" of binge drinking and drug use. The study also revealed that about 60 per cent of British boys had been in a fight over the previous year, compared with 48 per cent in the US, 40 per cent in Germany and 37 per cent in Finland. Boys in Scotland, England and Wales came 10th, 13th and 26th in the league table respectively.

Well, I've always been told that my Celtic heritage is a violent one, but I thought that all the "rabble" had emigrated to Texas and the Appalachians - it seems I was wrong. But I also wonder about Heinlein's Law: "An armed society is a polite society." - the UK has been effectively disarmed for decades.

Mama's Note: I'd like to know what they mean by "fight." There are a hundred or more possible levels of conflict that can bear that title, and not all of them are truly "violent." I'm a Scot myself, and was always a fighter - but I don't consider myself violent at all. My two sons are half German and they fought like two pit bull dogs all of their childhood. They were the violent ones, but grew up to be strong, dependable and peaceful citizens. This story sounds like a bunch of crap to me. You can "prove" anything you like with statistics.

The World Wars on Various Things
Just as we have a Home Front, the World War extends beyond the Middle East Theatre (see "Mideast Tarbabies") and involves a lot of things that can affect us without warning. Hopefully, if we are aware of what is going on, we can keep at least somewhat prepared for these things.

Probe into CIA to focus on secret flights
MSNBC
"The CIA conducted illegal activities when it detained and transported terrorist suspects in Europe, according to a report to be released Tuesday by the head of a European investigation into alleged CIA secret prisons. The investigator, Dick Marty, told The Associated Press that his interim report will focus on reported cases of the U.S. sending suspected terrorists to countries where they would be likely to face torture." (01/123/06)

This smells more like a PR campaign than a legitimate investigation.

Georgia accuses Russia in pipeline sabotage
Caucaz [Georgia]
"Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has accused Moscow of sabotage after explosions knocked out the main pipeline in southern Russia that supplies gas to Georgia and Armenia. Russian officials blamed the blasts on anti-Moscow insurgents in its southern region of North Ossetia. But Saakashvili, who has irritated the Kremlin by pushing his ex-Soviet state closer to the West, said he did not believe the Russian explanation. He also accused Moscow of cutting gas supplies and triggering an energy crisis just as subzero temperatures hit his tiny Caucasus state." (01/23/06)

I suspect that neither of these nations are telling the truth about this.

UK: Diplomats accused of spying on Russia
Independent [UK]
"Russia's state security service, the FSB, has accused British diplomats in Moscow of spying, it was reported today. BBC reports said the FSB had confirmed claims broadcast last night on Russian TV that British agents hid sophisticated spying equipment inside a fake rock and secretly passed money to non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The Foreign Office declined to say this morning whether any official complaint had been received from the authorities in Moscow. But a spokesman said Britain was 'concerned and surprised' by the TV allegations and denied any improper links with Russian NGOs." (01/23/06)

Is this supposed to be a surprise? Even allies spy on each other and it is impossible to consider the UK and Russia "allies" in virtually anything.

Turkey drops charges against novelist
Guardian [UK]
"The Turkish authorities have dropped charges against the celebrated novelist Orhan Pamuk, according to reports last night from Istanbul, thus avoiding the international opprobrium which would have mounted if he had been convicted of a crime for expressing his opinion. ... Pamuk, 53, was put in the dock last month in Istanbul amid ugly scenes, charged with a criminal offence and facing a potential three years in jail for saying to a Swiss magazine that 30,000 people had died in the conflict between Kurdish nationalists and Turkish security forces, and that a million Armenians had died in Turkey during the first world war -- 'and nobody but me dares to talk about it.' If the writer's observations may seem commonplace outside Turkey, they were met with protests in the country, which is sensitive to any charge of genocide, which it rejects, in relation to Armenia, and has struggled with armed Kurdish separatism." (01/23/06)

So, Turkey would avoid "international opprobrium" if they'd convicted this guy of a crime, while Denmark and Norway are condemned by the UN and various other organizations and nations because they WON'T punish the magazines for publishing cartoons of an evil pedophile named Mohammed.

Bush: Bin Laden should be taken seriously
Las Vegas Review-Journal
"President Bush, defending the government's secret surveillance program, said Wednesday that Americans should take Osama bin Laden seriously when he says he's going to attack again. 'When he says he's going to hurt the American people again, or try to, he means it,' Bush told reporters after visiting the top-secret National Security Agency where the surveillance program is based. 'I take it seriously, and the people of NSA take it seriously.'" (01/25/06)

No foolin' Which raises the natural question, why didn't the alert status go up?

Mama's Note: If they took him seriously at all - for anything but an excuse to grab ever more power over us - they would quit trying to rule the whole world and clean up their act. But we all know that's never going to happen, at least not willingly.

Iraq And Afghanistan Puts US Military Under Critical Strain
SpaceWar.com
Washington (AFP) Jan 25, 2006 - The US military has become perilously overstretched by the strain of repeated military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, two reports warned Thursday.

These reports each were generated by people that have their own ax to grind, and the responses are already flooding in, as the next story states.

Rumsfeld says military not overextended
Indianapolis Star
"Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on Wednesday disputed reports suggesting that the U.S. Military is stretched thin and close to a snapping point from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, asserting 'the force is not broken.' ... 'This armed force is enormously capable,' Rumsfeld told reporters at a Pentagon briefing. 'In addition, it's battle hardened. It's not a peacetime force that has been in barracks or garrisons.' Rumsfeld spoke a day after The Associated Press reported that an unreleased study conducted for the Pentagon said the Army is being overextended, thanks to the two wars, and may not be able to retain and recruit enough troops to defeat the insurgency in Iraq." (01/25/06)

He could hardly respond any other way, and I am sure that most of the troops agree with him, and not just through pride in themselves, their comrades, and their units. But the question is actually hiding a much bigger one - is the nation's support of the services going to be adequate? It is taking nearly 2 million troops total and probably twice that number of DoD civilians and contractors to keep about 150,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, out of a population of 300 million.

Mama's Note: The real question is: how long can we keep paying for all this? Our economy is very close to collapse and all those people will have to come home when it does. I, for one, pray for that day - even though I know it will be the cause of untold suffering and death all over the world. I just don't see any other way we can turn this around.

US backs off envoy's threat to India
MSNBC
"The U.S. ambassador to India said Wednesday that a nuclear deal between India and the United States could 'die' if New Delhi supports Iran during a U.N. atomic watchdog agency meeting. The State Department said the envoy was speaking for himself. A week before the International Atomic Energy Agency meets to discuss Iran's nuclear program, U.S. Ambassador David Mulford said that if India does not vote to refer Tehran to the U.N. Security Council, it would be 'devastating' to the deal currently before the U.S. Congress." (01/25/06)

Why on earth should the US back away from tying two items so directly related to each other together? Probably because they know it wouldn't work to keep India from doing what it wants to - including tweaking the Superpower.

Pinochet's daughter seeks asylum in US
Cincinnati Enquirer
"The elder daughter of former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet requested asylum in the United States on Wednesday after being taken into custody at Dulles International Airport, Chilean and U.S. Officials said. Lucia Pinochet was taken into custody by customs officials because of an outstanding arrest warrant in Chile, officials said. Chilean Interior Minister Francisco Vidal said U.S. Ambassador Craig Kelly had informed his government of the asylum request." (01/25/06)

It is amazing how "democracies," even more than dictatorships and monarchies, tend to punish the sins of the fathers by punishing the children.

TN: Lawyer billed state $500 an hour to aid poor, disabled
Tennessean
"An attorney for poor and disabled TennCare patients billed the state as much as $500 an hour, but state officials declined yesterday to say how his total pay was calculated. George Barrett and his firm were paid $1.35 million to represent at least five plaintiffs seeking to stay on the state's public health program, which Gov. Phil Bredesen downsized last year. The state negotiated with Barrett to decide what he would be paid for his efforts. 'The settlement . is a product of negotiation,' said a written statement from the attorney general's office. 'The $1.35 million payment is not tied to any particular hourly rate and is a compromise agreement. As a lump sum compromise, it cannot be said that any particular item . was or was not paid for.'" [Editor's note: Remember, this payoff is in addition to the several million they paid about 100 attorneys to sit and wait for the phone to ring, at $5000 a week retainers ... while those still ON TennCare died for lack of prescription coverage! - SAT] (01/26/06)