Libertarian Commentary on the News for the week of 30 July to 5 August, 2006 --Page 2

Our Right to Defend Ourselves
BATFE's boss just resigned, but the agency seems to continue on unabated. Makes me appreciate the tee-shirt slogan even more: "Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency."

CA: ATF steals firearms from gun dealer
PR Newswire
"Special Agent in Charge John A. Torres, Los Angeles Field Division, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), today announced the execution of a seizure warrant for all firearms from the Dodge City gun dealership in Santa Barbara and served the dealer with a Notice of Revocation of his federal firearms license. Torres said Richard Allen Dodge, owner of the gun shop at 4010 Calle Real in Santa Barbara, 'has consistently and repeatedly violated the Gun Control Act and its implementing regulations by failing to account for the acquisition and disposition of hundreds of firearms in violation of federal law and the transferring of firearms in violation of California State law.'" (07/27/06)

So take him to court and PROVE the allegations - rather than stealing things from him. But like the criminals it nominally is fighting against, BATFE would rather behave like criminals.

VA: Man forced to shoot son
Richmond Times-Dispatch
"A Henrico County man shot his son in the leg inside their home yesterday after the son demanded money and forced his way inside the father's bedroom, police said. ... The son 'started banging on a locked bedroom door,' said Henrico police spokesman Sgt. Doug Parker. During that time he was demanding money, police said, and eventually broke in the door. Parker said the father retrieved a weapon and shot his son in the leg. The son, whose name was not released, was arrested on outstanding grand-larceny warrants unrelated to yesterday's disturbance, Parker said. The father has not been charged in the shooting." (07/26/06)

At least the father didn't have to kill the son - this is hard enough, I'm sure.

TX: Barber shoots robber
KLTV News
"What seemed like a normal morning at an East Texas barber shop, ended with gunfire. Just before 10'clock today, police say a man entered Ervin's Barber Shop on Old Noonday Road and asked for a haircut. He then pulled out a gun, demanded money from the barber and threatened to kill him. Demetrius Ervin has worked out of his barber shop for almost seven years. He says he always keeps a gun in a drawer at the shop, but before today, he's never had to use it." (07/27/06)

Seven years - but then, "bang" - you need it. Lesson learned, anyone?

CO: Teacher feels sorry for intruder he shot
CBS 4 News
"An Aurora High School teacher who shot and killed a burglar inside his home said he feels sorry for the man he shot and wishes more could've been done to help him. Lawrence Kintz said he was terrified when he woke up on the morning of July 18 to the sounds of something crashing in his living room. James Edward Cannon, 54, got in the house at 17th and Fulton by pushing an air conditioning unit out of a window. Kintz confronted the Cannon with a shotgun and told him to put his hands up and get down on the ground. At first, Cannon complied by lying on his stomach, but Kintz said as he tried to call 911, Cannon tried to get up on his knees. Kintz told him 'Freeze. I will shoot you if you don't stop.' Cannon continued anyway and with only 5 or 6 feet separating them, Kintz said he feared for his life and fired a single shot killing him. On Friday, District Attorney Don Quick said the shooting was justifiable under Colorado's 'Make My Day' law." (07/29/06)

Funny, the guy sounds like a liberal (and is about what I'd expect from APS, anyway, at least the high schools). But he behaved with common sense, and frankly, he gave him every benefit of the doubt. Kintz would have been justified (at least by state law) to have plugged Cannon as soon as the air conditioner fell out of the window.

AZ: New trial sought for Harold Fish
Payson Roundup
"The jury did not make a hasty decision when it convicted Harold Fish of second-degree murder despite accusations from the defense, said jury foreman Michael Nelson. In fact, he said, the jury rigorously deliberated the evidence and testimony given at trial regarding the shooting death of Grant Kuenzli. And the two days of deliberations came down to one crucial witness -- the medical examiner who examined Kuenzli's body, Nelson said. If Fish's claim of self-defense were true, why did Kuenzli's body have 'defensive wounds' as the medical examiner testified? ... After Fish's conviction, the defense filed a motion seeking a new trial, citing Fish deserved a new trial, in part, because one of the jurors appeared to make a hasty decision of 'guilty' in order to open a new business." (08/01/06)

Just because you want to get it over with doesn't mean that you made a hasty decision. More to come on this one.

TN: Woman sues after pepper spray attack
Nashville City Paper
"An excessive force lawsuit against the Metro Nashville Police Department, which arose after a Nashville woman was pepper sprayed during a 2005 traffic stop, has been transferred to federal court. Janine Bilyeu sued the Metro Police Department last month, alleging she was the victim of excessive force after Metro Officer Phillip Shuler pulled her over for 'not [stopping] completely at a stop sign' and proceeded to use pepper spray to subdue her after believing her license was suspended. The civil suit was filed in Davidson County Circuit Court in June, but was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee last week." (08/02/06)

I hope she has witnesses. Another possible example of jackbooted thugs, in the heart of Tennessee.

Mama's Note: Excuse me? Which one of these "offenses" were threatening to the cop? Millions of people don't bother to come to a complete stop - probably daily - without injury to anyone, and the "license" status doesn't threaten anyone either. This is open and shut, if anyone in that insane place is paying the least attention.

Urban crime hits national forests
Christian Science Monitor
"Fighting fires isn't the only big problem facing Smokey the Bear these days. Urban-style violence against forest rangers is intruding more than ever into the nation's public forests. Drug smugglers, armed robbers, and hard-partying or alienated city dwellers are setting up camp in the deep woods and clashing more with rangers, US Forest Service personnel say. What such incidents have in common is an urban grittiness, they say. ... 'It's really a microcosm of where we are with society,' says Jack Gregory, a special agent who heads the Law Enforcement and Investigations Branch of the US Forest Service's southern region, which includes 13 states and Puerto Rico. 'We've even had stickups in our campgrounds -- these guys are doing armed robbery right there in the woods.'" (08/02/06)

Keep in mind that many recreation areas (and all NPS properties) PROHIBIT weapons, and refuse to accept even CCW permission slips - not that a lot of us pay attention to their silly prohibition, which would NOT, I suspect, hold up in court. Some National Forests have very restrictive policies, as can be seen in one from George Washington and Jefferson National Forests (in Virginia and West Virginia).: "this law requires that all firearms on National Forest be unloaded and kept in a case" and "Discharging a firearm, crossbow, or bow and arrow in or across a road or within the right-of-way of any road is prohibited by both State and Federal Law."

I suspect that both presidents would take a very dim view of these policies. And although this official USFS site implies that it is state regulations that make this prohibition, the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries website makes it clear that it is an "agreement" that causes the ban. To be honest, there is apparently a tremendous network of people trying their best to force the USFS to ban all guns in the Forests (along with hunting, dogs, cattle grazing, shepherding, firewood gathering, Christmas tree cutting, and, no doubt, sneering at wildlife). I've found references in various Environmental Impact studies back in the 90s where cattle, dogs, and guns were singled out for comments by what I suspect were organized campaigns; and there is a study going on in the Boulder Ranger District near Denver (CO) considering outlawing all target shooting and perhaps even the carrying of weapons - this in a state where a brown bear was recently captured in a tree on the Main Street of a city of 8,000 with the nearest Forest Service land almost 15 miles away.

Mama's Note: Never mind the bear, it's the JBTs that worry me the most. There are a LOT more of them, and they are meaner.

LA: Business owner justified in shooting
KTBS News
"Shreveport business owner was justified in shooting and killing a burglar he caught in his business last month, Caddo District Attorney Paul Carmouche said Wednesday. The district attorney's office reviewed the shooting and determined no charges should be filed against 74-year-old Dudley Hay. Hay went to his business in the middle of the night after a burglar alarm alerted him to trouble at the tax-service and gun-cleaning and repair shop located next door to his house on Rightway Avenue. Hay got a gun and went to investigate on his own and found a man hiding in a bathtub, Carmouche said. Hay said 19-year-old Eric Bryant of Shreveport stood up and confronted him, so he fired one shot." (08/02/06)

Sounds like a tall tale, doesn't it - dying in a bathtub because you were too stupid not to burglarize a place.

Mama's Note: Indeed, and then too stupid to surrender when he was cornered. Suits me, however. One less damned fool underfoot.

TX: Clerk fatally shoots masked gunman
Ft. Worth Star Telegram
"A clerk fatally shot a masked gunman in an exchange of gunfire at an east Dallas convenience store late Tuesday, police said. ... 'Apparently, this man came into the store wearing a mask,' Crowther said. 'The store clerks realized immediately that they were about to be robbed, so they took cover behind the counters.' The man said, 'Don't run,' and fired a shot at one of the clerks. The clerk got his own gun, Crowther said, and fired back at Davis, fatally wounding him." (08/02/06)

At least this didn't happen in Navajo Country, where people would stop using the convenience store or trading post because they believed his chindi would haunt the death site! These people were alert and prepared.

OH: Man shot by thief in his home
Lorain Morning Journal
"An Elyria man was shot Tuesday night after firing at an intruder in what was the second burglary attempt in his home in less than a year, police said yesterday. Phillip Benko, owner of Benko's Driving Range, exchanged gunfire with a burglar inside the home he shares with his 85-year-old mother and was shot in the stomach, according to a report. ... Benko, 56, told police he was sleeping on a couch in his living room when he heard a voice say, 'Where's the money at?' 'I reached over and grabbed my gun and cocked the trigger and told the guy to get out,' Benko told police. 'I fired one shot at the bastard. I don't know if I hit him or not.''' [Editor's note: And he lived to tell the tale - MLS] (08/03/06)

Sometimes, sadly, the homeowner doesn't win, even when he's prepared. But as Mary Lou said, he lived!

Mama's Note: As usual, this guy needs to get some training with his weapon, and seriously practice with it. Then, if there is a next time, he'll be much better prepared to survive and prevail.

FL: Homeowner fires on two burglars
Tampa Bay News
"Two burglary suspects got an unexpected surprise when a Charlotte County homeowner opened fire on them. According to the Sheriff's Office, Eric Theen and a friend armed themselves yesterday with shotguns when two men pounded on a door and tried to crawl in through a window. Deputies say the suspects fled in a car, but had to return when they reached a dead end. Theen said the car swerved and grazed him, so he fired into the passenger door. A shotgun pellet grazed one man's back and went through the other's shirt. A short time later, the two suspects -- William Schork and Jacob Jenkins -- called authorities to report two men screaming and firing a shotgun at them. ... Deputies charged Schork and Jenkins with burglary. The men said they went to the house to see a friend, not to burglarize it." [Editor's note: Hey, I always crawl in through windows when I go to visit MY friends :-0 - MLS] (08/03/06)

Stupid crooks! Very stupid.

Stupid Government and People Tricks of the Week
As always, I put a lot of ash and trash stories in this part. Remember, some of this stuff is funny - don't forget to laugh. It is better than crying about it.

House OKs minimum wage hike
Washington Times
"Before leaving town for a month, the House yesterday morning approved the first minimum-wage increase in nearly a decade, as well as provisions that ease the estate tax and extend popular tax cuts. House Republican leaders crafted a bill that combined the contentious minimum-wage increase, demanded by many liberal Republicans, with tax breaks and estate-tax relief prized by more conservative members. The measure was approved on a vote of 230-180." (07/30/06)

Just another form of pork, with someone else's money (as always). Fortunately, the politics got SO bad that it dies (see the story farther on!).

FL: Boy threatened with jail as "deadbeat dad"
Local 6 News
"A childless teenager in Orange County, Fla., was threatened with jail for not paying thousands of dollars in child support despite efforts by his mother to clear up the identity mistake. The report featured Timothy Williams, who received letters asking that he pay child support for several children. 'At first I thought it was funny but it just kept coming and coming and coming,' Williams said." (07/27/06)

Laugh - unless you are having to pay an attorney to end this kind of harassment. I know a woman who was harassed by social workers and court servers and sheriff's deputies because she had the same name as a deadbeat mom - even though she took her medical records down to the court to show that the only two children she had ever had were still living with her in her home, and NOT wards of the court that was demanding she pay for their support.

Efforts grow to keep tabs on sex offenders
Christian Science Monitor
"Hundreds of cities and 15 states have laws that restrict where sex offenders can live. Now, private businesses are getting into the act of protecting residents from this group, too. A Texas developer, for instance, is building 'sex offender free subdivisions' [in Houston, Texas] and in Kansas, and a new national website, started by a Texan, lists homes for sale that have no registered sex offenders living within a half-mile radius. It's all part of a wide-ranging effort to address Americans' concerns about sex offenders living next door." [FND Editor's note: If these registries and systems only applied to those who force themselves on others, or take advantage of young children, it would be one thing; that these "lists" include "consensual" acts between teenagers -- as well as false accusations, entrapment and other questionable conditions, including people moving away from houses now occupied by folks with NO record of any sort -- is what makes this whole approach just wrong! - SAT] (07/30/06)

I can't add much to Steve's comments - good job! Now, to see some businesses that will go to the effort to separate out who really are predators and who are just people caught in a bad system.

MA: Firm can't find warning on deaths
Boston Globe
"Officials at the Big Dig construction company where safety officer John J. Keaveney worked in 1999 have been unable to locate a memo that Keaveney said he wrote warning his superiors that the Interstate 90 connector ceiling could collapse, a construction industry official said yesterday. Keaveney was interviewed yesterday at his home by investigators from the attorney general's office and the FBI, who are probing the tunnel collapse that killed Milena Del Valle on July 10, according to people familiar with the meeting. Keaveney had volunteered to speak with investigators. His lawyer, Edward Boyle, who also attended the meeting, said after it ended that he had no reason to doubt Keaveney's veracity. 'The memo speaks for itself,' Boyle said. 'He's a hardworking man with a proven record of almost 15 years in the construction safety field.'" (07/29/06)

One reason to keep good records, I guess. Things have a tendency to disappear when they make someone look bad.

UK, California make global warming deal
Yahoo! News
"Arnold Schwarzenegger announced an agreement Monday to bypass the Bush administration and work together to explore ways to fight global warming. The two leaders announced the pact as they met with business leaders on clean energy and climate issues against the backdrop of a BP oil tanker at a terminal in the Port of Long Beach. ... The agreement calls for collaboration on research into cleaner-burning fuels and technologies, and looking into the possibility of setting up a system whereby polluters could buy and sell the right to emit greenhouse gases. The idea is to use market forces and market incentives to curb pollution. Environmental groups questioned the value of the agreement, calling it little more than a symbolic gesture." (07/31/06)

Gee - why doesn't California just secede and join the Empire?

MO: Gambling scapegoats plead not guilty
International Herald Tribune [France]
"Seven defendants named in a U.S. indictment of one of the world's largest online gambling companies, BetOnSports, pleaded not guilty Monday to federal racketeering and mail and wire fraud charges. Neil Kaplan and Lori Kaplan Multz, the brother and sister of the founder of BetOnSports, Gary Kaplan, were among those pleading not guilty to a 22- count indictment. The government claims that BetOnSports and its employees fraudulently took billions of dollars in wagers from U.S. residents by phone and over the Internet without paying excise taxes." (07/31/06)

Gambling is wrong, gambling is illegal, but the government gets to collect taxes on it - right? Of course, as with the Post Office, the real problem is that government wants and usually has a monopoly on gambling - whether we are talking about Deadwood gaming houses or PowerBall or "church" basement bingo - the state is a very un-silent partner raking in the bucks.

NC: Guilty plea in party switch
Houston Chronicle
"A former state legislator who changed parties in 2003, enabling Democratic House Speaker Jim Black to stay in power, pleaded guilty Tuesday to taking $50,000 in campaign contributions to make the switch. Former Rep. Michael Decker, 61, could get up to five years in prison at sentencing Nov. 1. Prosecutors said Decker supported a particular candidate for speaker in exchange for the money. ... Decker switched to the Democratic Party just before the 2003 legislative session after 18 years as a GOP legislator. ... Decker switched back to the Republican Party after the session but was defeated in the 2004 primary." (08/02/06)

So he is a crooked politician? Surprised? So he didn't stay bought. Surprised? So he should be branded on the forehead (with an old-fashioned branding iron) as "CP" (Corrupt Politician) - he'd still be a threat to the body politic. Instead, he gets a paid vacation in some white-collar country club place (after all, this was a "nonviolent" crime and only had the entire state electorate as victims).

Mama's Note: I fail to see how he hurt anybody by switching political parties, paid or not. When he switched, for whatever reason, the people had every chance to vote for someone else instead, or have him recalled if they cared enough. I can't see how this matters in the least.

San Francisco: Residents asked to volunteer
San Francisco Chronicle
"Mayor Gavin Newsom today will call on all San Francisco residents to take time out and give a day to their city. Plant a tree. Hand out clothes to the homeless. Deliver dictionaries to a classroom. Teach someone how to surf the Web. Following in the footsteps of presidents George Herbert Walker Bush, who tried (and failed) to get Americans to volunteer, and John F. Kennedy, who formed the Peace Corps, Newsom is making his own attempt to inspire the masses through a program called SF Connect, which he hopes will get residents to pick up a shovel or maybe even write a check to help make the city a better place to live." [FND Editor's note: If this is indeed a matter of "encouraging volunteerism," then more power to it. If it is instead merely another cunning disguise for making such action mandatory in the future ... that's a very different color of fish! - SAT] (08/01/06)

Steve, knowing San Francisco rather better than I care to, expect it to be mandatory as soon as a reasonable number of people fail to volunteer. Of course, I might be wrong, and it might just be a way to get more political clients on the city payroll as "paid" volunteers or by "reimbursement for expenses" or in paid positions as "volunteer coordinators."

Mama's Note: Steve, fish don't generally have much "color." They do, however, have quite an odor - just as much as this idea does. In every city and town across the nation there are hundreds or thousands of people doing such volunteer activities every day, and the last thing they need or want is government organization or "help."

MS: University's key to R&D ... the right senator
Christian Science Monitor
"Like most public universities, Mississippi State wants to help improve the state economy -- the nation's poorest. But unlike most schools, MSU is getting $37.2 million this year in special help from Congress to get the job done. It's a magnet for money -- call it pulled 'pork' -- that few schools can rival. By comparison, North Carolina State University, which serves a population four times larger, got $500,000 this year. The $37.2 million speaks to the school's efforts in research and development and in industrial outreach. But it also signals MSU's political connections in obtaining federal earmarks -- money for pet projects that lawmakers add anonymously to spending bills. It's a trend that's growing prodigiously in academia. 'Ten years ago, earmarks in academia were viewed as dirty pool, but now it's just a different approach to the federal government fostering academic research,' says MSU's Marty Wiseman, director of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government." (08/01/06)

Pork, pork, pork. Gee, ain't it wonderful? Notice how quickly the corruption sets in: "ten years ago." Although we don't talk about it in those terms, this is one very strong reason to prohibit any federal or state or local government funding of any kind of arts - whether fine or mechanical or healing: the funding isn't based on merit or on need or on popular support, but strictly on political grounds: as pork and more pork.

Mama's Note: It wouldn't matter at all if it was based on need or anything else if the money is stolen from taxpayers. "Popular support" with private donations would be the only honest solution. If a school can't survive on the tuition and donations, then it doesn't deserve to survive.

Las Vegas sued over homeless feeding law
Yahoo! News
"Activists sued Wednesday to strike down a new city law that makes it illegal to feed homeless people in parks. The law violates free speech, free assembly and other rights, says the federal suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. The suit was filed on behalf of five activists and the local chapter of Food Not Bombs, a national organization that describes its objective as 'sharing free vegetarian food with hungry people and protesting war and poverty.' The group and its members regularly served meals to homeless people in a Las Vegas park, angering neighbors and sparking the debate that led to the ordinance, passed July 19. It prohibits 'providing food or meals to the indigent for free or for a nominal fee' in a city park and defines indigent as a person whom a reasonable ordinary person would believe to be entitled to county public assistance. ... Violators face a fine up to $1,000 and as many as six months in jail. Seven people have been issued summonses, and three have been arrested." (08/02/06)

Why not take them home and show some hospitality? Or to a local church? Or just on the sidewalk? Or even in a parking lot?

White House: Let's formalize the police state
Washington Post
"A draft Bush administration plan for special military courts seeks to expand the reach and authority of such 'commissions' to include trials, for the first time, of people who are not members of al-Qaeda or the Taliban and are not directly involved in acts of international terrorism, according to officials familiar with the proposal. The plan, which would replace a military trial system ruled illegal by the Supreme Court in June, would also allow the secretary of defense to add crimes at will to those under the military court's jurisdiction. The two provisions would be likely to put more individuals than previously expected before military juries, officials and independent experts said." (08/0/06)

You DON'T put Enemy Prisoners of War (EPW) in front of courts for actions committed as part of their combat - and when you charge them for normal crimes (theft, murder, torture, etc.) you do so in accordance with their own laws and military regulations, if at all possible - and even with court-martial boards ("military juries") made up of their comrades in arms. Even when they aren't "legal" combatants under the Geneva Conventions, this should still be done. The military has more to worry about than replace a national or international court system.

US: Unemployment hits 5-month high
Forbes
"Hiring slowed in July as employers added just 113,000 new jobs, propelling the unemployment rate to a five-month high of 4.8 percent and providing fresh evidence that companies are growing cautious amid high energy prices. Wages grew solidly. The latest snapshot Friday from the Labor Department added to the evidence from a variety of economic barometers that the economy is slowing and inflation is rising." (08/04/06)

Meanwhile, government agencies (including the supposedly-private Federal Reserve Bank) dither, unsure of exactly what to do. I suspect that much of this inflation and economic stagnation comes from a single problem: Gasoline and Diesel prices at $3+ per gallon, when they should be at $1/gallon.

Mama's Note: I'll bet there is no slowing of government hiring and pay raises all across the board, especially at the federal level. Somehow, they always seem to be exempt from the economic pressures the rest of us must face.

Civil Rights Crime Act goes to Senate
Jackson Clarion-Ledger
"The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation Thursday that would establish a unit to pursue unpunished killings from the nation's civil rights era. It now goes on to the full Senate. ... The Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act would set up a Justice Department section and an FBI office to help local authorities pursue prosecutions of pre-1970 killings. Since 1989, authorities in Mississippi and six other states have reexamined 29 killings and made 27 arrests, leading to 22 convictions, including Edgar Ray Killen, convicted last summer of orchestrated the Ku Klux Klan's 1964 killings of three civil rights workers -- James Chaney, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman." (08/04/06)

While we are at it, why don't we go ahead and create another unit to track down the descendants of Loyalists who committed atrocities against Patriots between 1775 and 1783? And another one to go around and dig up G.A. Custer's and Chivington's bones and stage show trials for the Washita and Sand Creek Massacres? How about digging up Churchill and bringing him to trial for ordering German pilots who parachuted into the sea shot, or for allowing Dresden? I'll bet there are still some crewmen from those missions that we can put in the docket as well - and then hang their octogenarian bodies. This is as sick as tracking down 80-year-olds who happened to be assigned as concentration camp guards when they were 16.

Senate sends pension overhaul to Bush
Casper Star-Tribune
"Congress passed major pension legislation designed to assure American workers, including millions of baby boomers nearing the end of their working careers, that the pensions they have been promised will be there when they retire. The Senate, in its last vote before adjourning for a four-week summer break, approved the 900-page bill that compels employers with defined-benefit pension plans to meet their funding obligations and seeks to prevent companies from terminating plans and shifting the financial burden to the taxpayer. The House passed the bill last week." [Editor's note: One would think that this kind of thing was already covered by regular laws against theft and fraud - TLK] (08/04/06)

Gee, you really think this thing doesn't have so many loopholes that it will end up allowing even more theft and fraud? 900 pages of law means about 9000 pages of regulations - plenty of room to sneak all kinds of stuff in there. And best of all (from the politicos' point of view) no nasty legal action against the companies that contribute millions to their pockets--- campaign pockets, ah, funds, I mean.

Mama's Note: One obvious result of such stupidity is the potential for business to stop offering pensions of any kind. If I owned a business, I certainly wouldn't stick my arm into that lion's mouth. The unintended consequences of these things are usually worse than the intended ones.

States Ask EPA To Require Full Disclosure Of Ingredients In Pesticides
Environmental Protection E-News
On Aug. 1, 14 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands petitioned EPA to require pesticide manufacturers to disclose on the label of their products all hazardous ingredients. More disclosure will lead to greater consumer awareness of the potential health and environmental impacts of using pesticides, the state officials said. EPA now requires that pesticide labels disclose only the product's "active" ingredients; that is, those toxic materials that are intended to kill insects, weeds or other target organisms. However, pesticide products also contain many other "inert" ingredients. Although intended to preserve or improve the effectiveness of the active ingredients in particular pesticides, these "inert" ingredients often are toxic themselves, the state officials said.

Look, anyone who doesn't treat a pesticide, whether it comes in a 55-gallon drum or a nice shiny red can, as toxic, is crazy or a child. And usually the crazies don't read and the children (at least those from GRTF schools) can't read. Not only that, but this is a duplication of work (and have you looked at the modern "label" on a simple herbicide like Round-up T recently? - six pages of 6-point type in a little booklet that is glued to the bottle) since MSDS listing ALL hazardous ingredients are also required by several federal and many state laws. This is a stupid idea, a waste of time, and more hidden taxes out of our pockets.

Mama's Note: Indeed, at least for the sprays farmers use, but most people can eliminate bug sprays from their lives quite easily. For example, I use plain rubbing alcohol in a sprayer to kill flies (and some other insects). Works like a charm, doesn't hurt things it's sprayed on (wipe it off if needed), and doesn't pollute my lungs. It's really cheap too.

KS: Evolution opponents lose in primary
Forbes
"Conservative Republicans who pushed anti-evolution standards back into Kansas schools last year have lost control of the state Board of Education once again. The most closely watched race was in western Kansas, where incumbent conservative Connie Morris lost her Republican primary Tuesday. The former teacher had described evolution as 'an age-old fairy tale' and 'a nice bedtime story' unsupported by science. As a result of Tuesday's vote, board members and candidates who believe evolution is well-supported by evidence will have a 6-4 majority." (08/02/06)

The very idea that the truth can be decided by popular vote is one of the great fallacies of "democratic" rule - and this is a perfect case of it. Still, I wish that the opponents of forced evolutionary teaching in Kansas would instead devote their efforts to permanently separating school and state - and abolishing this relict of tyranny, the "State Board of Education." Just because the tyrant sometimes believes the same thing we do does NOT mean that it isn't a tyrant.

Gibson's remarks in spotlight after arrest
Bradenton Herald
"Despite an apology by Mel Gibson, Hollywood insiders and the star's fans sought more details about his reported anti-Semitic tirade during an arrest for drunken driving and whether sheriff's deputies gave him preferential treatment. Gibson's publicist, Alan Nierob, would not elaborate beyond an apology Gibson issued Saturday in which the star admitted he uttered 'despicable' things to deputies. ... Gibson was arrested after deputies stopped his 2006 Lexus LS 430 for speeding at 2:36 a.m. Friday. Sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore said deputies clocked him doing 87 mph in a 45 mph zone. A breath test indicated Gibson's blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent, Whitmore said. The legal limit in California is 0.08 percent." (07/31/06)

No matter how good an actor, how good a director, how much he was responsible for putting an important and valuable movie together, this man has demonstrated that he cannot be trusted to be accountable for his own actions. Drunkenness is an excuse for his language, but there is NO excuse for his being drunk and behind a wheel, and therefore put himself into a position where he could be led into saying such stupid things, and thereby jeopardizing his life's work. At the same time, it should not distract from the good things he has done in the past. But the man, clearly, is an idiot.

Fox: Discrimination suit near settlement
Raw Story
"Fox News Channel is close to settling a sex discrimination suit filed by the Feds on behalf of four former female employees. In a deal expected to be announced as soon as Monday, sources said Fox will pay a nominal sum -- less than $250,000 -- to the four women involved, but admits no wrongdoing. Suit, filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in November, alleged Fox marketing veep Joe Chillemi sexually harassed freelance production assistant Kim Weiler and the other unnamed women "to a hostile work environment because of their sex.'" (07/30/06)

Like DA's making spectacular cases out of piddling little violations (or like the big EPA lawsuit above), this smells like someone's posturing to get a raise or get reelected.

Mama's Note: Don't these women have any brains or guts? Good grief! More than 20 years ago I had a male "boss" who tried to get fresh once. I slapped his face and told him to mind his manners. That was the END of it. He knew perfectly well that his wife would be the next to hear the little story, and he didn't want to go there. There's a place for a lawsuit in some cases, I'm sure, but most of this would simply go away if women took responsibility for themselves.

Meetro: Frat-house culture meets venture capital
San Francisco Chronicle
"Tucked away on a leafy Palo Alto street lined with manicured, multimillion-dollar homes is a low-slung apartment building that houses the Meetro commune. Not a commune in the Haight-Ashbury sense. Meetro is six guys and an Internet startup crammed into a three-bedroom walkup. It's the quintessential post-adolescent male fantasy of the business world: a grungy remix of the Revenge of the Nerds frat house with bunk beds and Snoopy sheets, a refrigerator packed with soda and beer, and a garage that doubles as the company break room, where employees can channel surf from the couch or take a dip in the inflatable swimming pool. There is no firewall between life and work for these young entrepreneurs, who live together while they build a social networking site that connects people in geographic proximity." (07/30/06)

Sounds more like a futurist technopop science-fiction commune and something which could ultimately replace our government-oriented R&D culture built around vast mega-universities (GRTF ones, usually) and all that infrastructure directly or indirectly supported by theft.

Sure it's a Maine lobster? Check for an ID
Boston Globe
"At restaurants throughout the world, menus feature 'Maine lobster,' that sweet, succulent stuff that makes grown people don bibs and make a delicious mess. Like Idaho potatoes, Vermont maple syrup, and Florida oranges, Maine lobster has become a name brand. The state produces 75 percent of the lobster catch in the United States, and it brings a premium price, both at the docks and on the table. But are you really getting Maine lobster, or is it what some Mainers call an 'impostor lobster,' from Canada or elsewhere? Under a new program that kicks off today in Portland, lobster dealers will be encouraged to tag the catch, identifying it as being caught in Maine waters. The plastic tags will hang from the claw knuckles and state simply: 'Certified Maine Lobster.' On the front will be a picture of a lobster and a lighthouse; on the back, 'lobsterfrommaine.com.' At a press conference, Governor John Baldacci will tag the first 'official' lobster, caught in Casco Bay." (07/31/06)

IF this is voluntary and NOT funded by taxpayers (not everything in Maine revolves around lobsters), this is a good idea. Many states are seeking brand-name recognition for their made instate products, but too often it is done with taxpayer money and run as yet another government bureaucracy.

Mama's Note: It's probably like the beef "checkoff" thing that collects a mandatory fee for each head, used for advertising and political lobby activity. If it is voluntary now, it probably won't be so for long.

Clinton unveils global warming initiative
Los Angeles Times
"On a stage of political all-stars Tuesday afternoon at UCLA, former President Clinton announced a new initiative to help cities combat global warming. Joined by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and London Mayor Ken Livingstone, Clinton laid out the challenges ahead. 'We have to reduce about 80% of our greenhouse gases over the next 10 years,' said Clinton, whose foundation sponsored the initiative." (08/02/06)

Well, if anyone knows his hot air.

OH: Girl Scout leader stealing cookie money?
Fox News
"A Girl Scout leader has been charged with stealing $5,000 raised by a central Ohio troop through cookie sales and other fund-raisers. Teresa Wickline, 42, of Lewis Center, was scheduled to be arraigned Thursday on a felony theft charge. Prosecutors accuse her of raiding the checking account of Troop 225 to pay for cell phone bills and other personal expenses. She could spend up to 18 months in prison and be ordered to pay back the money if convicted. 'Five thousand dollars is a lot of Thin Mints,' Delaware County Prosecutor Dave Yost said. 'The only reason she had access to these funds is because people trusted her.' Parents noticed the troop had only $8 in the bank in January and alerted the Girl Scouts Seal of Ohio Council. Police became involved after checks written from the troop account bounced." (08/02/06)

Sounds like she needs to go to work for the government, which would value her skills.

Media bid for Gibson tapes
The Age [Australia]
"The video and audio of Mel Gibson's anti-Semitic tirade at a deputy sheriff who pulled him over may never be released if the actor and law enforcement authorities prevail. But at least one US media outlet is seeking access immediately to the potentially explosive video and audio of Gibson's drink driving arrest. ... TMZ, an internet celebrity news site which first released leaked sections of Gibson's booking report, maintains the tapes should be seen and heard by the public to assess whether the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department gave Gibson preferential treatment." (08/04/06)

Why should the media, supposedly so concerned about anti-Semitism and other kinds of hate, want to broadcast these so very nasty remarks? Apparently, in order to continue to rack up points against Gibson, kind of like a powerful basketball team decides to run up the score in the last quarter of a game in which they already have been given a win. And, of course, to sell those sleazy magazines that infest supermarket checkout lanes, and advertising on even sleazier TV celebrity shows. If anyone NEEDS to see these, it should be the jury deciding whether the cops failed to perform their duties properly.

Beach closings spur lawsuit
Chicago Tribune
"Chronic beach closings along Lake Michigan and the nation's other shorelines prompted an environmental group Thursday to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to adopt tougher water quality standards. The lawsuit filed by the National Resources Defense Council comes as health officials in Chicago and other municipalities struggle with delayed test results and how to warn the public about high levels of disease-causing bacteria in the water. EPA officials have missed several deadlines set by Congress to come up with faster and more thorough tests to protect beachgoers from waterborne illnesses, the suit said. The group also alleges the agency isn't doing enough to study water conditions that make people sick." (08/04/06)

This smells like another one of those "friendly" lawsuits that EPA is so famous for - getting environists to use the courts to "force" the EPA to do something that EPA's bosses in Congress and the White House aren't willing to fund. And of course, the courts have the ability to force scientists to invent new test methods to order - everyone knows that.

Google, AP reveal news payment deal
ZDNet
"Google has agreed to pay the Associated Press for use of its news stories and pictures, according to a statement released by the two companies on Wednesday. The deal settles a dispute between Google and the AP and has implications for a lawsuit Google is facing from the Paris-based Agence France Presse news agency, which sued the search powerhouse last year for allegedly infringing its copyrights on Google News. Agence France Presse, which is seeking $17.5 million in damages, hopes that Google's revelation of payment to another news source for content will add weight to its argument, according to published reports. Though it wasn't made public until Wednesday, the agreement between AP and Google has been under way for several months." (08/03/06)

We are rapidly reaching the point where I would be violating the law on copyrights if I gave someone else my paper to read after I am done with it. Where McDonalds or a barbershop will have to pay a special "franchise" fee because their customers read the paper or magazine - and where people trying to spread information will be viewed as thieves and pirates.

Theft By Government
There are lots of ways they still steal from us - and it seems like there are more ways everyday.

ACLU Accused of Profiting at Taxpayer Expense
CNS News.com
The American Civil Liberties Union is guilty of "judicial blackmail," according to the American Legion, which is pushing for legislation to end one of the ACLU's streams of revenue...

Gee, sounds like government, doesn't it? And this sounds just like something I've been talking about quite a bit, even recently: environmental groups who receive most of their funding from lawsuit settlements as a result of them suing the EPA to do things that the EPA wants to do but Congress or the Administration don't want EPA to do?

MA: Commuter crashes eyed as a cash cow
Boston Globe
"Looking for new ways to collect from some of the half-million suburbanites who drive into Boston each day, a city councilor is proposing a surcharge on those who cause accidents. An automatic charge of several hundred dollars levied on out-of-town motorists who are deemed by police to be at fault in accidents would defray costs of emergency services, under a proposal by Councilor Robert Consalvo to be submitted to the council today. With Boston property taxes up 58 percent since 2002 and the city's cost of doing business rising, the proposal is finding support from people who say money should be raised from those who use city services but don't pay for them. Consalvo said his plan could bring additional revenues of more than $1 million annually." [Editor's note: Charging a fee for use of public services ... now where have we heard that before? - SAT] (08/01/06)

Pure and simple theft. Steve may consider this a "fee for service" plan, but that is not the way it is written: it would be automatic based on a POLICE decision that the person is responsible, and not any decision by a court, and it would not be based on their actual use of services, but on an arbitrary price set by the council. Smells like a tax to me. And worse, goes to support the spending habits of one of the biggest bindlestiff cities in the nation.

NM: Battle brewing over land theft
Clovis News Journal
"A three-year-old land dispute between a Clovis property owner and the city grew more tangled last month when the owner declined the city's offer to purchase a strip of his land. His decline allows the city to seize the strip under the law of eminent domain, which gives government entities the right [sic] to acquire private lands for public use, with or without the owner's consent. City officials intend to construct a 30-foot open drainage channel across 1.3 acres of Daniel and Pauline Griego's 15-acre farm .... The Griegos earlier this year asked the city to consider building an underground drainage ditch instead of an open channel, acknowledging its higher cost but contending it would require less maintenance and offering to contribute land to the city." (08/04/06)

Just one more example of local tyranny and of government thugs who are never wrong and refuse to consider anything except what they have already decided.

Tech and Medical News Items

FDA to consider OTC "morning after" pill
San Jose Mercury News
"The Food and Drug Administration unexpectedly announced its willingness Monday to make the emergency contraceptive, Plan B, available without prescription -- but only to women ages 18 and older. Monday's announcement is the most concrete indication to date that the FDA, after more than two years of delays, is nearing a final decision on the controversial application to sell the so-called 'morning after pill' over the counter. But lawmakers and women's rights activists, who have accused the agency of foot-dragging, remained skeptical because the decision isn't final and could be subject to more delays." (07/31/06)

As much as I believe that any abortion which is not a matter of choosing the life of the mother over the life of the child is wrong, the government is in the wrong place at the wrong time with requiring (or not requiring) a prescription for this drug. The FDA, though, delays EVERYTHING - including flu vaccines, so this is no surprise.

FAA clearing the way for mini jets
CNN
"A new light, cheap and fast jet is expected to be certified for flight Thursday. Eclipse Aviation's E500 will be the first 'very light jet,' or VLJ, to receive a provisional certification by the Federal Aviation Administration. Thousands more are expected to take wing over the next decade. The announcement, at the annual AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, is one of the biggest things to happen to general aviation in years." (07/30/06)

This combined with the just-arriving air-taxis (short takeoff and landing vehicles) and the sports pilots licenses, and we MIGHT start to see the promise of private aviation shine a bit better.

Nickelodeon tells kids to turn off TV, go play
Fox News
"It's the heart of the summer, a time when a kid's thoughts may well turn to watching television -- lots of television. But one television network is telling kids to turn off their sets, put aside their remotes and go outside and play. 'Our whole mantra is about a balanced lifestyle,' said Marva Smalls, an executive vice president with the Nickelodeon cable channel, whose summer promotion this year is a series of specials called Let's Just Play Go Healthy Challenge. 'Part of a balanced lifestyle,' Smalls added, 'is not to spend all of your waking hours watching TV.' Not that kids aren't encouraged to keep tuning in when they're not playing. One time the network wants them watching is Sunday at 8:30 p.m. (EDT/PDT) when the Lets Just Play Go Healthy Challenge kicks off its third and final month with a special program." (07/30/06)

Wow - what a strange idea in today's world.

Mama's Note: Sadly, many children live in areas where it is not safe to go outside to play and there is no competent supervision from parents. This is a good idea, certainly, but we have an awful lot to mend in our society before it will be practical for all of our children.

UltraCell To Deliver Fuel Cell Systems To USAF Research Lab
Space War Daily
UltraCell has announced that it has received a contract award for delivery of its XX25, a 25-watt reformed methanol fuel cell system, to the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, for use as an airman power device. The contract was awarded by GTS, with the fuel cell units scheduled for delivery in September 2006.

Good - that means we should also seem them showing up in consumer applications very soon.

Alternatives to Fossil Fuels
Space War Daily
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have developed a new storage system to hold large quantities of hydrogen fuel that may one day power cars in a more cost-effective and consumer-friendly way. In the Journal of the American Chemical Society, published online July 6, Jena and his team describe the theoretical composition of a material - a lithium-coated buckyball - that may have the potential to serve as a storage vessel for hydrogen atoms. A buckyball is a soccer ball-shaped nanoparticle containing 60 carbon atoms. Essentially, the lithium buckyballs absorb the hydrogen, which means that one lithium atom can store five hydrogen molecules. According to Jena, the theoretical buckyball, which was designed using computer modeling, has 12 lithium atoms and can store 60 hydrogen molecules.

Good news - yet another possible way of storing hydrogen efficiently: this method promises to have twice the density of liquid hydrogen, and without cryogenic equipment LH needs.

Mama's Note: Sounds terribly expensive and I wonder how you would refuel? It will be interesting to see what happens.

Senate moves forward on Gulf drilling
Houston Chronicle
"The Senate today narrowly agreed to shut off debate on a bill to allow oil and gas producers to drill in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, all but ensuring senators will approve the legislation as early as Tuesday. But questions remain as to whether Senate negotiators will be able to reach a compromise with their counterparts in the House, who have passed a bill that would open up much more offshore acreage to oil and gas exploration. ... Oil and gas producers have long eyed the eastern Gulf. The U.S. Minerals Management Service has estimated those waters could hold some 1.26 billion barrels of recoverable oil and 5.8 trillion cubic feet of natural gas." (07/31/06)

Good news as this might be, I expect to see it go away just like ANWR legislation did. And expect to see Cuba come in and become a new Venezuela.

Study: Honey heals faster than antibiotics
Navhind Times
"A new study into an ancient remedy now proves that honey helps the treatment of some wounds better than most modern antibiotics. The study, by researchers from the University of Bonn, Germany, has found that medihoney is a very effective healer, even healing chronic wounds infected with multi-resistant bacteria within a few weeks. The study was conducted in collaboration with colleagues from Dusseldorf, Homburg and Berlin. Dr. Arne Simon from the cancer ward of the Bonn University Children's Clinic said that with doctors being faced with germs resistant to all current antibiotic, honey was once again being seen as a viable treatment." (07/30/06)

An interesting piece of research, indeed. If you can keep the ants away.

Mama's Note: If you read the whole thing you'll see that they are using a highly technical and refined product, not plain honey. This may well be an important improvement, however. I've seen plain honey (and many other things, like yogurt) used for wounds, but the problem of fungal infection has usually made it counterproductive. If they've eliminated that problem, I'm all for it.

Study: Marijuana may sabotage pregnancy
Fox News
"Marijuana's active ingredient may thwart pregnancy, a new study shows. The key ingredient -- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -- may make it hard for a fertilized egg to implant in the womb, says the study in The Journal of Clinical Investigation. Vanderbilt University's Haibin Wang, PhD, and colleagues studied mice, not people. But they write that their findings have 'high clinical importance' for women. The bottom line from Wang's study: If you're trying to get pregnant, abstaining from marijuana may be important for pregnancy success. Of course, marijuana isn't legally available in the U.S. But it's 'still one of the most widely used illicit drugs in the world, and often by pregnant women,' write Wang and colleagues." [Editor's note: Actually, this news should do two things: (1) remind some women that smoking ANYTHING while pregnant might not be smart; and (2) make pot the new "Plan B" of choice! - SAT] (08/02/06)

Oh, great. Another way to further rile up controversy about THC. Steve, we can add a third item: (3) it gives the prohibitionists yet another argument to make for outlawing it.

X-rays reveal Archimedes' secrets
BBC News [UK]
"A series of hidden texts written by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes are being revealed by US scientists. Until now, the pages have remained obscured by paintings and texts laid down on top of the original writings. Using a nondestructive technique known as X-ray fluorescence, the researchers are able to peer through these later additions to read the underlying text. The goatskin parchment records key details of Archimedes' work, considered the foundation of modern mathematics. ... Revealing Archimedes' writings presents a huge challenge to the imaging team. The original texts were transcribed in the 10th Century by an anonymous scribe on to parchment. Three centuries later a monk in Jerusalem called Johannes Myronas recycled the manuscript to create a palimpsest. Palimpsesting involves scraping away the original text so the parchments can be used again." (08/02/06)

Just an interesting item worth sharing.

UK: Top scientist makes climate plea
BBC News [UK]
"World leaders have been urged to put more money into developing new energy technologies to tackle global warming. Royal Society president Martin Rees wants a publicly funded international research programme, he says in the US journal Science. ... Public funding for energy research across the world has halved in real terms since 1980, and in the UK it is now one-tenth of what it used to be. Lord Rees says the UK and US have taken some steps towards tackling the problem but there is an urgent need to increase efforts in research and development." [Editor's note: Hmm ... "public" funding cut in half, yet innovation has skyrocketed. I wonder if old Royal Society president Isaac Newton had a law to describe that phenomenon? - TLK] (08/04/06)

Tom's comments are right on the mark. Fortunately the market drives innovation (not the courts or the legislatures of the world). This essentially "government scientist" just plain has it wrong: there are dozens of "new energy technologies" out there that can reduce greenhouse gases (not that such reduction will actually "tackle global warming", but that's another discussion) - but most are stymied by government regulations and the illicit alliance between firms trying to preserve market shares by cheating and their government shills.

Antarctica under siege
Christian Science Monitor
"At the bottom of the world, more than two miles beneath the wind-blasted surface of Antarctica, sits a wonder of the last untouched continent. Locked deep in the Antarctic ice is Lake Vostok, the seventh-largest body of fresh water in the world, yet one that has never been glimpsed by human eyes. To scientists, it is nothing less than an alien world, where the surroundings are so extreme that they could harbor previously undiscovered forms of life. Yet just 420 feet above its unseen surface, a Russian drill is poised, ready to break through and potentially pollute a pristine and unique environment. The Russians' goal is scientific, but it points to a growing threat in the Great White South, as a new boom of activity erodes Antarctica's isolation. Once the domain of doughty explorers such as Scott and Shackleton, Antarctica is becoming increasingly crowded by curious tourists, spellbound scientists, and countries hungry for oil and minerals." (08/03/06)

Almost all of this has to do with government funding and actions - and Antarctica may be the second largest example of the tragedy of the commons - the open sea being the largest: since Antarctica belongs "to the world" then no one has ownership control and the Soviets (now the Russians) used this status to their advantage in the past.

A Bit of History for Global Warmers: Look at 1930
People sweltering from a heat wave in the Mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. might find cold comfort in the fact that the temperatures of the past few days were not the hottest on record. That "honor" belongs to a summer 76 years ago -- decades before the controversy over "man-made global warming" began...

Man's efforts to control the climate pale in comparison to what a single series of sunspots or a very minor change in the solar wind can do.

The World at War
I put the various things that don't really fit into the Mideast section, the European section, or the North American section here.

Gitmo: New wing to open
Independent [UK]
"The controversy over the US-run detention centre at Guantanamo Bay is to erupt anew with confirmation by the Pentagon that a new, permanent prison will open in the Cuban enclave in the next few weeks. Camp 6, a state-of-the-art maximum-security jail built by a Halliburton subsidiary, will be able to hold 200 prisoners. Commander Robert Durand, a spokesman for Joint Task Force Guantanamo, said the $30m, two-story block was due to open at the end of September. He added: 'Camp 6 is designed to improve the quality of life for the detainees and provide greater protection for the people working in the facility.' This development will refuel the controversy about the jail, which still holds 450 prisoners from President George Bush's 'war on terror.'" (07/30/06)

The "greater protection" makes sense, the "improve quality of life" makes none, when you look at how US troops live in Afghanistan and Iraq. Reports this week of how prisoners are fighting against guards (next story) should make this controversy a little more balanced, but I'm not holding my breath.

Gitmo guards often attacked by detainees
Traverse City Record-Eagle
"The prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay during the war on terror have attacked their military guards hundreds of times, turning broken toilet parts, utensils, radios and even a bloody lizard tail into makeshift weapons. Pentagon incident reports reviewed by The Associated Press show Military Police guards are routinely head-butted, spat upon and doused by 'cocktails' of feces, urine, vomit and sperm collected in meal cups by the prisoners." (07/31/06)

This comes as a bit of embarrassment to much of the mainstream media, which portrays these people as selfless martyrs to the evil American monster.

Korean troops exchange border fire
CNN
"Soldiers from North Korea and South Korea exchanged fire along their border late Monday, but no one was hurt, a South Korean military official said Tuesday. The incident happened shortly before sunset when North Korean soldiers fired two bullets towards a South Korean guard post in the eastern part of the Demilitarized Zone, said Maj. Kim Tae-hoon of the Joint Chiefs of Staff office." (07/31/06)

By this time, with floods killing thousands in NK, these guards might be hoping to trigger an invasion of the North; expecting a rapid collapse. Of course, this is the last thing South Korea wants - they've paid attention to the problems the reunification of Germany has created.

Next troublesome missile test: Taiwan?
Christian Science Monitor
"As Asia grapples with the fallout from North Korea's projectile posturing, another military flashpoint in the region -- the Taiwan Strait -- is in the midst of missile tensions as well. A private TV station reported earlier this month that Taiwan's military was preparing to test-fire a tactical missile in September capable of striking targets in China. While the details were sketchy and the claim was swiftly denied by the Ministry of National Defense, they struck a chord with analysts who have heeded the frustration among hawks in Taiwan over the island's vulnerability in the face of China's military might, including its expanding missile arsenal." (07/31/06)

Taiwan's missiles present virtually none of the threat of those controlled by an infantile, unstable, and generally hideous regime presiding over a failed economy in North Korea. Clearly, ChiComm has made it clear that they intend to add Taiwan to Hong Kong, Macao, and Tibet, to name a few recent acquisitions. Like Switzerland faced by the Third Reich or the Fourth - excuse me, the European Union - Taiwan needs a very strong defensive military system that (again, like Switzerland) has many concealed parts, possibly including even nuclear weapons.

Sri Lanka: Civilians killed as fighting rages
Khaleej Times [United Arab Emirates]
"Artillery fire killed 10 civilians sheltering from fighting in northeast Sri Lanka on Thursday, the army said, as troops battled Tamil Tiger rebels and the island slipped back toward civil war. More than 800 people have died this year and ambushes, air strikes and naval clashes had become commonplace, but it was a dispute over a rebel-held water supply that led to the first major ground fighting last week since a 2002 ceasefire. The centre of fighting on Thursday appeared to be the government-held and mainly Muslim town of Mutur, just south of Trincomalee harbour. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels moved into Mutur on Wednesday." (08/03/06)

Strange, isn't it? Things are much worse in Sri Lanka than in Iraq, compared to the population and size, but we hear very little about this "approaching" civil war.

Somalia: "Transitional government" near collapse
Christian Science Monitor
"Somalia's Transitional Federal Government (TFG) began life without a home -- conducting business in a Kenyan sports center. Since returning to battle-scarred Somalia in February, it rapidly found itself without a country to govern. By early June, Islamist militias seized the capital, Mogadishu, and took control of wide swaths of central and southern Somalia. Now, the TFG is facing complete collapse after 38 ministers and assistant ministers have quit in the past nine days." [Editor's note: Not especially surprising. The US and other states have cobbled together several foreign-based Somali "governments" and tried to impose them, with uniform lack of success - TLK] (08/04/06)

The latest cycle continues to unwind in Somalia. Attempts like this make "of the people, by the people, and for the people" to be nothing but hypocritical ravings.

New North Korean Missile Bases Target US Military In Japan
Space War Daily
North Korea has been building new underground missile bases along its east coast, targeting Japan and US military facilities in Japan, a report said Thursday. Some 200 Rodong missiles with a range of up to 2,200 kilometers (1,360 miles) and 50 SSN-6 missiles with ranges of 2,500 to 4,000 kilometers are at the new bases, the state-run Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) said in the report carried by Yonhap news agency.

I wonder if we can see these things on Google Earth? Notice that these missiles are NOT the ones which failed a few days back - these (especially the SSN-6 Russian-made ones) are proven and heavy hitters. NK missiles might not be able to bring nuclear destruction to the US (unless launched from "merchant" ships off the US coast) but they could turn Japan to toast.

North American Aerospace Defense Combat Operations Center To Be Mothballed
Space War Daily
The North American Aerospace Defense Combat Operations Center inside Colorado's Cheyenne Mountain is being mothballed. The NAADC, or NORAD, was founded in 1958 by the United States and Canada to provide aerospace control and security for North America's airspace. NORAD's Combat Operations Center was built in the 1960s. The center's 15 steel buildings are mounted on 1,319 massive springs to absorb the shock from a nuclear blast. When built, the center was originally designed to provide a 70 percent survival rate if a five megaton nuclear weapon exploded three miles away, but the facility was ultimately hardened to withstand a thermonuclear blast as close as 1.5 nautical miles. The Canadian Globe and Mail newspaper reported Monday that the Cheyenne Mountain facilities would be maintained on "warm standby," ready for use on short notice. Over the next two years, 230 NORAD personnel, including 30 Canadians, will be moving out of the mountain and to an aboveground building at the at nearby Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. NORAD commander, Adm. Timothy Keating, said during a recent interview, "A missile attack from Russia or China is very unlikely." He told reporters, "Moving the missions from a hardened facility to Peterson AFB does not change the level of security. An assessment is underway to ensure that the security level is commensurate with the threats."

The end of an era is upon us - even though more people know this place as the supposed location of SG Command (from "Stargate: SG-1) than as NORAD these day. I drive past Cheyenne Mountain every few weeks (went by very early on Tuesday, this week in fact, looking at the lights of the road and the vast portal from I-25, across the width of Fort Carson), and it was one of the purely defensive things that the US Government IS authorized to do - protect the country from enemy attack; and one of the examples of voluntary international cooperation that was NOT an unfair burden on the US.

Though sweltering in the Black Hills of South Dakota and Wyoming now, it is still nice to get back into a more regular schedule that doesn't involve so much driving. Not that I can afford to drive much with gas prices very much over $3.00/gallon thanks to government and too many people who are too shortsighted.