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Libertarian
War on the News, 17 - 23 February, 2008
Mama's Note: We're so sorry that the commentary was delayed so long this
week. An email glitch lost it in cyberspace on Sunday and we just got
things straightened around Tuesday. Thanks for your patience and we'll
work hard not to let this happen again.
Afghan
front:
Afghanistan: Suicide blast
kills 80
MSNBC
“A suicide bombing at an outdoor dogfighting competition killed
80 people and wounded scores more Sunday, an Afghan governor said, in
what appeared to be the deadliest terror attack in Afghanistan since the
fall of the Taliban in 2001. Officials said the attack apparently targeted
a prominent militia commander who had stood up against the Taliban. He
was believed to have died in the attack.” (02/17/08)
Didn’t
hear a lot about this today – perhaps the MSM thought that anyone
attending a dogfighting event deserved to die?
Baboons:
Congress considers
measure giving school choice to foster kids
School Reform News
“Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) has introduced in Congress the School
Choice for Foster Kids Act, a measure that would amend an existing federal
program to allow states to offer K-12 tuition scholarships to children
in foster care. Bachmann, who has served as a foster parent to 23 children,
discussed how her personal experience motivated her to offer the legislation
this past December.” (02/08)
What Bachmann
does not understand is that every new “benefit” added to those
“given” to foster children results in more and more institutionalization
even in the foster homes: exactly what foster care is SUPPOSED to prevent.
Not only that, but it will increase control of the private schools by
the gov-goons, as well.
Mama's
Note: Indeed! The only honest and effective way to give all parents school
choice is to remove government from the whole affair. Unfortunately, this
is going to be very difficult to accomplish because so many people truly
seem to think that education is a legitimate government function, in spite
of its total failure and its contribution to the destruction of families
over the last century. The idea that government education is somehow "free"
seems to outweigh all of the destruction and damage it causes. Sad...
Baboons:
IN: Know-Nothing legislation advances
Indianapolis Star
“Businesses that knowingly hire undocumented workers would be
tried in an administrative rather than a criminal court under one of several
changes lawmakers approved to an immigration bill Monday. The change was
among many backed by Democrats, who said they strengthened the bill. But
some Republicans argued the legislation had become watered down, with
Democrats making mandatory provisions optional. Hispanic business leaders
said the bill was the same in their eyes: a bad piece of legislation they
still hope will die. … The bill would punish businesses for knowingly
hiring illegal immigrants. It would require employers to use a federal
system to verify citizenship, and, as originally drafted, it would revoke
the state license of a business found in violation of the law three times
within a 10-year period. In one of the changes made Monday, House Democrats
reduced that time frame to five years.” (02/19/08)
Oh, yeah,
“administrative law courts” would certainly strengthen this:
these little petty Star Chambers can and do dispense with most of the
safeguards of centuries of fighting against judicial tyranny, and become
nothing but kangaroo courts. As for the rest of the bill… gag me
with a maggot. Notice that the Democrats are making it worse, not better.
Mama's
Note: And, of course, I'm wondering just where the "state" got
any authority to "license" business in the first place? How
easily we get caught in the coils of tyranny.
Baboons:
Biden, Bond seek probe of vehicle
delay
Monroe News Star
“Two senators are urging the Pentagon to investigate a Marine
Corps report that bureaucrats refused an urgent request from battlefield
commanders in 2005 for blast-resistant vehicles. ‘We need an official
investigation to figure out why this happened and to make sure it never
happens again,’ said Sen. Joseph Biden Jr., D-Del. Biden, chairman
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has been a longtime advocate
of building and deploying more of the vehicles, called MRAPs.”
(02/18/08)
Too little,
too late. 2005? This is 2008, you people!
Mama's
Note: Makes you wonder, though... Since congress loves to spend our money,
I wonder what the holdup was for this? Surely this was pork for at least
some of them. Guess we'll never know.
Baboons:
Capitol
Hill “pork” reformer faces uphill battle
Christian Science Monitor
“After years of bashing congressional ‘pork’ on the
floor of the House — and losing on lopsided votes — Rep. Jeff
Flake is seeing his signature issue become a party bandwagon. But he’s
not on it. When the House Republican Steering Committee had to find someone
to fill a vacancy on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, aka
Pork Central, they chose a newcomer to reform, Rep. Jo Bonner of Alabama,
over Representative Flake and several others. ‘Of those candidates,
JO Bonner was chosen because he symbolizes the changing perspective in
the House Republican ranks on the role of earmarks, and the emerging consensus
among Republicans on the need to fundamentally change Washington’s
broken spending process,’ said House Republican leader John Boehner
in a statement announcing the appointment last week.” [Editor’s
note: IOW, Bonner will stay in line and make “changes” as cosmetic
as possible - SAT] (02/20/08)
Bonner,
it turns out, voted FOR 49 of 50 pork-barrel project lists that came up
for a vote this last session; so don’t even expect “cosmetic
changes” from him: just hypocrisy. Flake, Shadegg, Paul, and maybe
a few others are serious about it, but for the rest it is just another
issue to hype in getting reelected and ignore as soon as possible.
Baboons:
OR:
Anti-Terrorism Bill sparks protest
Portland Press Herald
“A bill that would set up a government commission to study U.S.-based
terrorism was the target of a protest by civil libertarians Tuesday in
downtown Portland. The measure, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Susan
Collins, R-Maine, would establish a 12-member commission to examine and
report on what the bill calls “violent radicalization,” “homegrown
terrorism” and “ideologically based violence.” The bill,
which contains language about protecting civil rights and civil liberties,
drew broad bipartisan support in a House vote last year. But to the speakers
at Tuesday’s rally, the proposed government panel is reminiscent
of the House Un-American Activities Commission, which investigated suspected
Communists during the 1950s and is now seen widely as part of a shameful
chapter in U.S. history.” (02/20/08)
Violent
radicalization like that of Obama, Clinton, McCain, and Huccabee? Ideologically-based
violence like that of the BATFE, DEA, and FBI? Sounds like a good idea
to me.
Mama's
Note: Dream on...
Chinese
front:
Chinese
think tank urges political reform and press freedoms
Guardian [UK]
“China must embrace political reforms that would cut back censorship
and curb the Communist party’s powers, its top thinktank says in
a new report warning that the alternatives are economic damage, worsening
corruption and public discontent. The recommendations fall far short of
democracy or unlimited press freedom, but they offer an important insight
into debates within the party and the hunger of some officials for greater
change.” (02/19/08)
They have
a VERY long way to go.
Culture
wars, Government ruined tax funded schools:
Divided panel puts evolution in the
books
The Ledger (FL)
“Science won Tuesday. But not by knockout. Over the objections
of religious conservatives, a sharply divided Florida Board of Education
adopted new science standards Tuesday that embrace evolution. But, in
an attempt at political compromise, the board majority also agreed to
re-word the standards to refer to evolution as a ’scientific theory’
- a technically accurate description that defused several key opponents
but left scientists grumpy about the process.” (02/20/08)
Despite
this biased article, both sides are claiming at least a partial victory
in this tussle.
Economic
news:
Microsoft ready to get rough with
Yahoo
San Francisco Chronicle
“Microsoft Corp. is poised to try a hostile takeover of Yahoo
Inc. by nominating its own slate of directors if the Sunnyvale Web portal
fails to start negotiating its sale, according to a person familiar with
the matter. Microsoft’s plan comes a little more than a week after
Yahoo formally rebuffed a $44.6 billion acquisition proposal that would
combine the two technology industry pioneers. The unsolicited offer substantially
undervalued Yahoo and was not in the interest of its shareholders, Yahoo’s
board said. Unwilling to take no for an answer, the Redmond, Wash., software
behemoth is preparing a hostile bid — a proxy fight — that would
ratchet up what is already among Silicon Valley’s most high-profile
takeover sagas.” (02/20/08)
Sounds
like fun, and although the stakes are high, they should be left alone
to fight it out between themselves. Eventually, IF allowed to, the market
will compensate for the costs of fighting or merging (or both).
Euro-front:
US, European powers recognize
Kosovo
MSNBC
“The U.S. and the European Union’s biggest powers quickly
recognized Kosovo as an independent nation Monday, widening a split with
Russia, China and some EU members strongly opposed to letting the territory
break away from Serbia. The rift was on view for a second day at the U.N.
Security Council, which was holding an emergency session to discuss the
declaration of independence issued Sunday by Kosovo’s ethnic Albanian
majority.” (02/18/08)
A good
precedent for the rest of the world: a peaceful departure from an ill-fated
relationship. Yugoslavia is finally dead.
Mama's
Note: I was actually surprised by this recognition, but glad. Too bad
a similar claim by Wyoming and Montana, etc. would not be greeted with
the same approval.
Euro-wars:
Kosovo: Parliament declares independence
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
“Revelers fired guns, waved red-and-black Albanian flags and set
off fireworks over Kosovo Sunday after parliament proclaimed independence
in defiance of Serbia and Russia, which condemned the declaration of the
world’s newest nation. A decade after a bloody separatist war with
Serbian forces that claimed 10,000 lives, lawmakers pronounced the territory
the Republic of Kosovo and pledged to make it a ‘democratic, multiethnic
state.’ Its leaders looked for swift recognition from the U.S. And
key European powers — but also braced for a bitter showdown.”
(02/17/08)
It has
been expected for days and weeks, and is almost certain to lead to more
killings and violence, if not outright war. Russia, belatedly true to
its client state, has condemned it.
Government-ruined,
theft-funded schools:
US educators seek new ideas abroad
eSchool News
“To be sure, educational and political leaders in many countries
besides the United States understand that their people’s well-being
depends more than ever on the strength of their educational systems. They
also understand the power of technology. But in the U.S., where the belief
that more young people must acquire ’21st-century skills’ has
become a mantra in education circles, American students’ comparatively
poor showing on international tests, notably in math and science, has
raised the level of concern among many school administrators, parents,
business leaders, and government officials. They see growing evidence
that U.S. students are being outperformed by their counterparts elsewhere
in the world, and they have questions.” (02/19/08)
Oh, yeah,
just like the Prussian system we imported 150 years ago – the rest
of the world, being less free even than we are, and less innovative, is
very likely to have educational systems that make even ours look good.
Why are we falling behind? In very large part, due to the very efforts
(more government control, more institutionalization) that the baboons
and others claim are making our schools “better.”
Home front:
UK:
Elderly council tax rebel jailed
Daily Mail [UK]
“Handcuffed and clearly distressed, a 76-year-old ex-serviceman
is led away to begin a prison sentence. His crime? Non-payment of council
tax. …. Mr. Fitzmaurice, who spent 22 years in the Royal Army Ordnance
Corps, had declared in court: “I am here on a matter of principle.
The way old age pensioners are being treated is shameful.” He said
that rising fuel and food costs, along with council tax rises, were making
life unbearable for many elderly people. Mr. Fitzmaurice, who has high
blood pressure, added: “I can afford to pay it but there are very
many people on fixed incomes who cannot. This morning there will be pensioners
making cups of tea while they are standing in their overcoats. There will
be many sitting in front of one-bar electric fires. Is that fair? Pensioners
in this country are the worst treated in Europe. It is not fair and it
is not right. I have no other way of protesting.” (02/19/08)
Mama’s
comments: This gentleman fails to see that theft from pensioners is no
better or worse than theft from anyone else. I suspect he doesn't have
a problem with high taxes, just as long as those being taxed are not in
his particular victim group. I wonder if he protests the "free"
health care, etc. I wonder if he even thinks about how all that "free"
stuff can be paid for if he doesn't pay HIS part of the tax. sigh...
Nathan’s:
Still, ANY rebellion, whatever their motives, is a good sign and will
make more people wake up to the total truth..
Mama's
Note: We can hope so...
Home front:
Amtrak to step up security measures
Lincoln Courier
“Amtrak will start randomly screening passengers’ carry-on
bags this week in a new security push that includes officers with automatic
weapons and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolling platforms and trains. The initiative,
to be announced by the railroad on Tuesday, is a significant shift for
Amtrak.” (02/18/08)
Not that
I ever was really enamored of riding Amtrak, but this ends any desire
I have to do so.
Home front:
Willie Nelson: Impeach Bush, “throw
the bastards out”
Prison Planet
“American icon Willie Nelson says he supports efforts to impeach
President Bush and ‘throw the bastards out,’ adding that the
administration will do anything to stay in power, including staging an
event to cancel the election. In his second appearance this month, Nelson
told The Alex Jones Show Monday that he supported Dennis Kucinich’s
attempt to impeach Bush, adding, ‘If you break the law you have to
pay for it one way or another and if these guys haven’t broke the
law nobody has. The deck’s been stacked and we need to figure out
a way to get a new fresh deck in there in the deal and I don’t know
how else to do it except throw the bastards out,’ said Nelson.”
(02/18/08)
Not surprising,
given Mr. Nelson’s past record. And while I certainly don’t
argue with him, I do have to ask, what difference does it make that Willie
Nelson thinks this? Is HE any more an expert and to be trusted than any
other entertainer or celebrity? Yes, a lot of people might listen to him
because he IS a celeb, but is that right?
Home front:
UK:
British citizenship tests planned
BBC News
“Immigrants who want to become British and settle permanently
in the UK will need to pass more tests to “prove their worth”
to the country under new plans. Some migrants may also have to pay into
a fund towards public services and have a period of “probationary
citizenship”.Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the UK should expect
a “demonstration of commitment” and the process of becoming
a citizen should be “more exacting”. The Tories called the plans,
which do not cover EU citizens, a “gimmick”.” (02/20/08)
Some interesting
ideas, at least. But for the UK, it is likely too late.
Local tyranny:
Canada:
Privacy watchdog orders pawnshop database destroyed
Edmonton Journal [Canada]
“Alberta’s privacy commissioner has ordered the city of Edmonton
and city police to stop collecting personal information from pawn shops
and secondhand stores. Information and Privacy Commissioner Frank Work
has also ordered that a database established to store the information
be destroyed. The city has long required pawn shops to keep detailed records
of the people who sell and buy merchandise from their stores, and to make
the data available to police on request.” (02/20/08)
Well, the
only place I would expect this to happen in the Dominion is in the future
Republic of Alberta – it is normal practice in thousands of cities
across the US and Canada.
Massa wannabes:
Obama takes Wisconsin primary, Hawaii
caucus
Washington Post
“Sen. Barack Obama won the Wisconsin Democratic primary and the
Hawaii caucuses decisively last night, extending his winning streak to
ten consecutive contests and dealing another significant blow to Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose imperiled presidential candidacy now hangs
on the outcome of showdowns in Ohio and Texas in two weeks. After a week
of sparring that included the first negative ads of the campaign, Obama
emerged victorious in the critical general-election battleground state
of Wisconsin, and was treated to favorite son status with a lopsided win
in Hawaii, where he was born. … In Wisconsin’s Republican primary,
Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) won an easy victory over former Arkansas governor
Mike Huckabee, moving him ever closer to clinching the party’s nomination.”
(02/20/08)
As Obama’s
chances grow, I hear more and more from people in my dealings about the
threat that Obama poses, and many of them are not exactly happy with McCain
in the catbird’s seat in the GOP, either. It will be a very disappointing
election season for so many people.
Mama's
Note: Actually, it won't be all that different than usual except that
this time a lot more people will finally realize that they lost and nobody
really "won" anything except the tyrants and their corporate
welfare queens as they spend us into even more crushing debt and a dilly
of a depression. Just maybe it will finish the job of waking up enough
of the population to start changing that. Maybe...
Massa wannabes:
Bush the elder endorses McCain
Los Angeles Times
“Sen. John McCain, trying to solidify his support among conservatives
amid resolute competition from former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, today
won the endorsement of former President George Bush. Welcoming ‘an
old friend back to Texas,’ Bush called McCain — who served as
a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War and was captured and tortured by the
Viet Cong — ‘a remarkable patriot.’ … Asked about
conservative unease with McCain, the 41st president read from the diaries
of former President Ronald Reagan, who was also assailed by the Right
during his presidency for being ‘a turncoat.’ Bush dismissed
conservative criticism of McCain as ‘an unfair attack,’ and
said the Arizona senator has ‘a sound conservative record but not
above reaching out to the other side.’” [Editor’s note:
Actually McCain was shot down over Hanoi — his captors/torturers
were probably People’s Army of Viet Nam regulars, not National Liberation
Front guerillas - TLK] (02/18/08)
This should
be a kiss of death – but of course, it just confirms what the conservatives
have been saying about McCain.
Mesopotamian
front:
Iraqi
[sic] official: Troop shortage delaying Mosul offensive
Agence France-Presse
“A lack of forces has delayed the start of what Iraqi Prime Minister
Nuri al-Maliki has vowed will be a ‘decisive battle’ against
Al-Qaeda in the war-torn city of Mosul, an official said on Thursday.
The operation, which two weeks ago officials said would start within ‘days’
is now only likely to be launched in the coming weeks, said Khorso Korane,
deputy governor of northern Nineveh province of which Mosul is the capital.
… Maliki on January 25 promised a ‘final war’ against Al-Qaeda
in the city, considered by the US military to be the last urban bastion
of the Iraqi branch of Osama bin Laden’s jihadist network. Two days
earlier, a cache of munitions stored by insurgents blew up in a building
in west Mosul’s Zanjili suburb, killing up to 60 people according
to the Iraqi Red Crescent. A suicide bomber killed provincial police chief
Brigadier General Salah al-Juburi and two other officers the next day
when they went to inspect the carnage.” (02/21/08)
Mosul and
its hinterland account for the vast majority of the problems right now
in Mesopotamia, but it will be a thorn in everyone’s side for a bit
longer, it seems. The real question is, will Al-Qaeda just relocate, or
is this truly their last stand?
Mesopotamian
front:
GI guilty of aggravated
assault in Iraqi’s death
MSNBC
“A soldier who had been charged with murder in the shooting death
of an unarmed Iraqi was convicted by a military jury Wednesday of aggravated
assault. Spc. Christopher Shore, based in Hawaii, had insisted that his
platoon leader ordered him to kill the Iraqi man on June 23 near Kirkuk
and that he intentionally fired to miss.” (02/20/08)
Good. “Befehl
ist Befehl” (orders are orders) is garbage.
Nazgul:
Employer
retaliation cases reach SCOTUS
Christian Science Monitor
“Employers, managers, and supervisors wield enormous power in
the workplace over the lives and well-being of their employees. Congress
has recognized that sometimes this power can be abused by managers who
retaliate if they don’t like something that employee has said or
done. This week, the US Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two
cases examining how, when — or even if — employees can fight
back against such abuses of power. On Tuesday, the high court will examine
whether a US postal worker can claim retaliation in a lawsuit under the
Age Discrimination in Employment Act because she says her supervisor refused
to let her return to her old job because he didn’t like her personally.
Instead, he hired a younger, less experienced worker.” (02/19/08)
Of course,
the USPS is a government agency, whatever games they play with the words,
so this isn’t about employer power, it is still about government
power, and no doubt it will be decided in favor of government.
Nazgul:
SCOTUS
rejects domestic spying appeal
Wired
“The Supreme Court, without comment, turned down an appeal from
the American Civil Liberties Union to let it pursue a lawsuit against
the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program. ….
The court’s action underscored the difficulty of mounting a challenge
to the eavesdropping, which remains classified and was confirmed by President
Bush only after a newspaper article revealed its existence. The ACLU sued
on behalf of itself, other lawyers, reporters and scholars, arguing that
the program was illegal.” (02/19/08)
One more
piece of evidence that the Nazgul cannot be counted on doing anything
but destroying our liberties. This does not exactly build my confidence
in the Nine as to what they will decide RE the Second Amendment.
Nazgul:
SCOTUS: 401(k) participants can sue
Yahoo! News
“The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that individual participants
in the most common type of retirement plan can sue under a pension protection
law to recover their losses. The unanimous decision has implications for
50 million workers with $2.7 trillion invested in 401(k) retirement plans.
James LaRue of Southlake, Texas, said the value of his stock market holdings
plunged $150,000 when administrators at his retirement plan failed to
follow his instructions to switch to safer investments. The issue in the
LaRue case was whether the Employee Retirement Income Security Act permits
an individual account holder to sue plan administrators for breaching
their fiduciary duties. The language of the law refers to recovering money
for the ‘plan’ rather than for an individual, raising the question
of whether a participant can sue solely for himself.” (02/20/08)
If this
is indeed what ERISA says, I suspect that an honest court (which of course,
leaves out the Nine) would determine the law to be unconstitutional, because
it interferes with private contracts. Unfortunately, most government laws
dealing with commerce do that, but it doesn’t make it right.
Nazgul:
AZ: Courts unable to keep up with
border arrests
Arizona Republic
“The government has started cracking down on illegal border crossers
in the Tucson Sector. But limited resources in Arizona’s federal-court
system are blocking the goal of prosecuting everyone who enters the country
illegally. The Border Patrol has referred 757 cases to authorities since
the government began prosecuting illegal crossers in the Tucson area on
Jan. 14. Up to 42 are prosecuted daily, and there are plans to prosecute
up to 100 cases a day in the busiest human-smuggling area on the border.
But federal courts in Tucson can hold only 60 immigration defendants a
day, and even if they could handle the 100-a-day workload, that amounts
to prosecuting only 10 percent of those arrested by the Border Patrol.
Still, officials expect the threat of prosecution and prison time to deter
illegal crossers.” (02/20/08)
Not like
the courts can keep up with anything, these days, let alone the crackdown
on crossers by the BP. It won’t deter as many people as they think,
not if the crossers can do any simple math at all, and compare the risk
to the rewards and the downside of being stuck in Mexico.
Mama's
Note: Nobody even mentions the fact that the whole operation could be
downsized substantially if only violent crime was dealt with at all. No
individual victims = no crime.
Nazgul:
SCOTUS: Firms not responsible for
FDA-approved products
San Francisco Chronicle
“Patients who are injured by federally approved medical devices
can’t collect damages if the manufacturers complied with government
standards, the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday. The 8-1 decision in a New
York case applies to the riskiest devices, like heart valves and pacemakers,
which need Food and Drug Administration approval before they can be sold.
The court said the 1976 federal law that required FDA clearance for those
products would be disrupted by negligence suits under state law, just
as it would be impaired by varying state regulations.” (02/21/08)
And of
course, why bother to try and sue the government? This just reinforces
the government’s control of a very large sector of the economy, and
again impairs the validity of private contracts.
Mama's
Note: Fortunately, there is often an even better alternative: don't use
chemical "medicine" or devices at all. Too many people are fooled
into thinking they are without risk because government has approved them.
This might just give them a good reason to rethink that idea.
Stupid
New media and stupid cop tricks:
FL: Wheelchair-dumping
deputy charged
MSNBC
“A Florida sheriff’s deputy who was videotaped dumping a
paralyzed man out of his wheelchair onto a jailhouse floor has turned
herself in. Jail records show Charlette Marshall-Jones was booked into
the Orient Road Jail early this morning. … The incident, captured
on surveillance video and viewed by thousands on the Internet, occurred
on Jan. 29 when Sterner was being booked in the county jail. … The
incident came to light only in the past week when Sterner, still angry
at the treatment he received, called a Tampa television reporter, who
obtained the tape and broke the story. The Hillsborough County deputy
has been charged with one count of felony abuse of a disabled person.”
(02/16/08)
Only ONE
felony count? Still, once again, the outlaw “alternate media”
shows that evil is exposed by light.
New media
and stupid cop tricks:
Feds to probe police brutality charge
Jackson Sun
“Police chief Henry Whitehorn said Wednesday the district attorney
and the Justice Department will investigate the case of a woman who is
seen in a police department video lying in a pool of blood in an interrogation
room. Angela Garbarino, 42, said she was beaten after her Nov. 17 arrest
on a drunk driving charge. Wiley Willis, the the police officer who was
fired Feb. 5 in connection with the case, said through his attorney that
Garbarino fell.” (02/21/08)
Once more,
without someone having the common sense and courage to post this where
more than the insiders could see it, this would not be getting the attention
it needs.
Mama's
Note: I don't understand why the police actually film this stuff! One
wonders how much more of this goes on with the cameras shut off...
New media
and stupid government tricks:
US court censors
whistle-blower web site
BBC News [UK]
“A controversial website that allows whistle-blowers to anonymously
post government and corporate documents has been taken offline in the
US. Wikileaks.org, as it is known, was cut off from the internet following
a California court ruling, the site says. The case was brought by a Swiss
bank after ’several hundred’ documents were posted about its
offshore activities. … Wikileaks claimed that the order was ‘unconstitutional’
and said that the site had been ‘forcibly censored.’ …
The case was brought by lawyers working for the Swiss banking group Julius
Baer. It concerned several documents posted on the site which allegedly
reveal that the bank was involved with money laundering and tax evasion.”
(02/19/08)
Hopefully,
a dozen more will spring up in its likeness. But expect an uphill battle
as politicos start to realize what a tremendous power spreading the word
like this has.
New media
and stupid government tricks:
Finland
censors anti-censorship site
The Register [UK]
“Finnish police are blocking more than 1,000 legal websites, including
one belonging to a well-known internet activist, under a secretive system
designed to prevent access to foreign sites that contain child pornography,
according to a group that advocates for individual rights online. Among
the estimated 1,700 destinations on the secret block list is lapsiporno.info,
which has vocally criticized the Finnish censorship program, according
to Matti Nikki, the site’s creator and a long-time activist. Of the
700 or sites that have been tested, only two are known to contain inappropriate
images of children, said Tapani Tarvainen chairman of the Electronic Frontier
Finland (EFFI).” (02/18/08)
Yet another
example of where alternative, outlaw media is making a difference. Evil
does NOT like to be exposed in the light. Once upon a time, the mainstream
media did this sort of thing.
New media
and stupid people tricks:
Google reinstates
anti-U.N. news agency
Fox News
“Google News quietly reinstated Tuesday the articles of a news
service that routinely exposes U.N. corruption, a day after FOXNews.com
ran a story about the Internet giant’s decision to remove Inner City
Press from its search engine. Inner City Press returned to the Google
News search late in the day, but much sooner than the “couple weeks”
a Google representative had promised. The week of stories the news service
ran since Google News dropped it on Feb. 13 were not restored. The news
outlet, run by journalist Matthew Lee, has been critical of the U.N. And
internal corruption within the organization. Lee was informed that Google
News would drop his organization in a Feb. 8 e-mail.” (02/20/08)
Unfortunately,
too many internet companies (like Google and Microsoft) have allied themselves
with the Dark Side on such things as exposure of corruption, freedom of
the press, and actions to help people retain or regain their liberty.
New media
and tyranny in general:
Invisible dots left by printers “breach
privacy”
Telegraph [UK]
“European Union justice watchdogs are concerned that ‘Big
Brother’ computer printer technology that allows security agencies
to track printed documents might breach privacy laws. Most consumers are
unaware that many popular colour laser printers, including those made
by Brother, Cannon, Xerox and HP, embed almost invisible tracking dots
onto documents, uniquely identifying the machine that printed them.”
(02/18/08)
A fact
to keep in mind as things heat up more and more. There are ways around
these, but it takes work.
Mama's
Note: Indeed. Buy a used printer at a yard sale... go to Kinko's or Staples.
New Religions:
global warming
Winter
chases away global warming
NewsMax
Are the world's ice caps melting because of climate change, or are
the reports just a lot of scare mongering by the advocates of the global
warming theory? Scare mongering appears to be the case, according to reports
from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that
reveal that almost all the allegedly ?lost? ice has come back. A NOAA
report shows that ice levels which had shrunk from 5 million square miles
in January 2007 to just 1.5 million square miles in October, are almost
back to their original levels. Around the world, vast areas have been
buried under some of the heaviest snowfalls in decades. Central and southern
China, the United States, and Canada were hit hard by snowstorms. In China,
snowfall was so heavy that over 100,000 houses collapsed under the weight
of snow. Jerusalem, Damascus, Amman, and northern Saudi Arabia report
the heaviest falls in years and below-zero temperatures. In Afghanistan,
snow and freezing weather killed 120 people. Even Baghdad had a snowstorm,
the first in the memory of most residents.
This article
is kind of a follow-up to yesterday’s story, thanks to Dana for a
hat-tip. It gives me a chance to point out that the idiocy of government
in dealing with this manufactured crisis proves that we need something
better (and reaction to this is a perfect way to show people that liberty
MUST be restored).
The rot
is just as prevalent in state and local government as in DC, and even
private business is corrupted. This is the hardest winter in more than
a decade, and probably one of the top ten for the last century, but the
baboons in Denver are busy passing new laws to “solve” this
crisis by further tyrannizing both individuals and business, including
carbon taxes and mandates on what can and can’t be done; the executive
director of the state’s Department of Public Health and Environment
lusts after the kind of draconian micromanagement that California has,
and proposes new fees “on business” that consumers will end
up paying.
An outright
liar, he claims that the scientists who don’t believe in global warming
could have a convention in a phone booth. Here locally, hundreds of residents
in Archuleta County (home of Wolf Creek Pass) were stranded for up to
a week, without power and unable to leave their homes because of the snow
and the fact that the county was apparently the only one in the state
withOUT a snow emergency plan, and had a commissioner who has bankrupted
the county but didn’t think the 4-6 feet of snow all at once was
an “emergency.” (Wolf Creek has gotten over 500 inches of snow
so far this winter.) Thousands of people were trapped in remote ranches
and hogans on the Navajo Rez – and the global warming freaks apparently
think this is all in our heads.
Meanwhile,
the car rental companies have found a way to grab a few dollars more by
capitalizing on our fears and guilt: you can now pay a “voluntary”
carbon offset fee of $1.25 a day when you contribute to destroying our
world by driving a rental car. This deal is indeed the gateway to socialism
and a new form of communism that sadly will be accepted by many more people
that straight Marxism-Leninism ever was.
Quote of
the week: "Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the
good of its victim may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live
under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber
baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be
satiated, but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without
end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." (
C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist)
New religions:
global warming:
Global
Warming? Coldest winter in decades
Daily Express (UK)
NEW evidence has cast doubt on claims that the world’s ice-caps
are melting, it emerged last night. Satellite data shows that concerns
over the levels of sea ice may have been premature.
As I sit
here in balmy 15F Four Corners, after a weekend with an inch or more of
rain in Phoenix (they thought it was cold, I thought it was great!), and
see the weather maps for the entire world, I am trying to believe those
people (not this paper) who claim this is a result of global warming.
As the highest snows in 11 years slowly melt across the Colorado Plateau
and local news reports that Lake Mead may be at above-normal water levels
this spring, come snowmelt time, the national news (including Paul Harvey)
tout a “study” claiming that Lake Mead will be bone-dry in 15
years. Sadly, it appears that no matter who has control of the White House
and Capitol starting in 2009, that they have become dyed-in-the-wool believers
in the Apocalypse of Manmade Global Warming, and will use that to initiate
a new round of tyranny that makes the “water-empires” of the
past look like pikers.
North American
union:
Cuba: Castro to step down
Los Angeles Times
“Cuban leader Fidel Castro told compatriots early today that he
would not accept another term as president, throwing open the Communist-ruled
island’s leadership for the first time in nearly 50 years. Castro,
81, and ailing with an undisclosed intestinal disorder, announced in a
statement carried on the state-run Granma International newspaper website
early today that he was stepping down as head of state. … The Cuban
National Assembly is due to convene Sunday to reappoint the 31-member
Council of State, which Fidel Castro has headed since his band of revolutionaries
took power in January 1959. But in a message to Granma, Castro said he
‘does not aspire to and will not accept, I repeat, I neither want
nor will accept, the position of president of the Council of State and
commander in chief.’” (02/19/08)
As expected,
Raul was swiftly elected on Sunday to “replace” his big brother,
in hopes that Castro’s regime will not go the way of Tito’s
or dozens of other Communist governments. Long live the proletariat!
Our right
to defend ourselves:
Woman
dodges bullet, misses thug
WMAR-TV
(Longview, TX) The woman was working behind the counter when a man
walked in and pointed a gun at her face. The woman leaned to the right
and ducked just as the man pulled the trigger. The bullet missed her head
but that's not where the story ends. The woman grabbed her own pistol
from behind the counter and pointed it at the crook. The man ran out of
the store and the clerk fired a shot, but missed.
Practice
makes perfect.
Mama's
Note: Nothing a good defensive handgun class and some range time wouldn't
cure. She's got the main part down: resist with everything you've got!
Our right
to defend ourselves:
AL:
Intruder killed as he sought ex-girlfriend
Dothan Eagle
“Authorities said a 38-year-old Henry County man was shot and
killed over the weekend after he broke into a mobile home near Kinsey,
where his ex-girlfriend was staying with another man. …. “There
had been an ongoing domestic dispute with a female living at the residence
where the shooting occurred and the deceased,” said Houston County
Sheriff Andy Hughes. “The Sheriff’s Office has answered several
domestic calls at that residence before.”Hughes said Proctor came
to the trailer, parked his vehicle at the rear of the house and forcefully
entered through a rear door.“When he got in, he made some verbal
threats toward the man who shot him. The man pulled a firearm and told
the guy to back off. He cocked the gun and attempted to retreat to the
master bedroom/bathroom area.”Hughes said the shooter repeatedly
asked Proctor to stop. “But the suspect continued to come at him.
He shot him once in the leg. The suspect kept coming and he shot him several
more times with a 9 mm handgun.” (02/17/08)
Sounds
like the homeowner did all the right things.
Mama's
Note: Yes, but now he needs to get a more effective gun, as well as work
on his aim.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
MI:
Passing motorist saves the day
Ann Arbor News
“The victim was outside Falsetta’s Market at 2200 Pittsfield
Blvd. at about 4 p.m. Wednesday when he saw a man loudly arguing with
a woman and trying to push her into a van, said Detective Lt. Steve Heller.
The victim said he asked if everything was OK and told the woman she didn’t
have to get into the vehicle. He said the man told him to mind his own
business, and they left in the van. The victim went into a nearby store
and called police before he left. While stopped at a red light at Carpenter
and Packard roads a few minutes later, the victim said the driver of the
van confronted him and began yelling. He said he exited his vehicle and
was punched in the face and knocked to the ground, Heller said. Two women,
including the woman he tried to help, got out of the van and began hitting
and stomping the victim while he was on the ground, Heller said. A passing
motorist stopped his car, pulled a gun and demanded the trio stop beating
the man, Heller said. Police responded to several calls reporting a man
holding people at gunpoint. Officers determined the man with a gun had
a legitimate concealed weapons permit and was trying to help, Heller said.”
(02/18/08)
If the
victim had been armed himself, at the time of the first confrontation,
things would have gone down a whole lot easier. This does point out that
passers-by can be dangerous to your health if you are abusing someone,
but also if you are trying to keep someone from getting abused.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
KY: Man says shooting
was self defense
Herald-Leader
“Police say 27-year-old Mike Dunn fatally shot 46-year-old Greg
Rudd on Sunday. Dunn tells WKYT in Lexington that he had no choice but
to shoot Rudd. Dunn says Rudd pointed a gun at him and threatened to kill
him before he fired. He says he went to find out why Rudd and another
man were on his property without his permission. And when he approached
the men, he says they began arguing.” (02/18/08)
Isn’t
this fun? Invade your property and then threaten to kill you if you ask
why. Sounds like this Rudd was working for a government, doesn’t
it? Or acted like he was.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
VA:
Home-invader bill defeated
Richmond Times Dispatch
“The Courts of Justice Committee yesterday killed a Henrico delegate’s
bill that would have protected from prosecution and civil liability homeowners
who use “any degree of physical force,” including deadly physical
force, against an intruder they consider a threat. In a bipartisan vote,
the committee voted 11-4 to shelve House Bill 710, sponsored by Del. William
R. Janis, R-Henrico. A similar, so-called “castle” bill proposed
by Janis last year met a similar fate. Three Republicans joined the ranks
of Democrats in voting against the measure.” (02/19/08)
Virginia
is bucking the trend, as many states are again recognizing this G-d-given
right. This doesn’t mean that the homeowners still don’t have
the right – just that they will have to fight as hard after they
use it as before. Sad.
Mama's
Note: The Wyoming legislature just passed a similar bill. Not perfect,
but it might help.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
WI:
Convenience store owner stops two robbers with own gun
Journal Times
“A convenience store owner who was robbed earlier this month stopped
two would-be-robbers before they even reached the service counter Friday
afternoon when he pulled out a handgun. Numan Pasqualine, the owner of
Quick Market at 4303 16th St., said he saw two men approaching his store
on the video surveillance camera. “I thought there was something
wrong,” he said. “They had their heads down, so you couldn’t
see their masks.” The men entered the Quick Market, and one of them
waved a gun. Pasqualine said he grabbed his own gun from behind the counter.
“I told him to get down twice,” he said. The man, who was standing
in the corner near the entrance, and the second suspect, who was already
by the door, then fled the store and ran south on Indiana Street. They
didn’t take anything from the store.” (02/15/08)
At least
he learned from his past mistake. Maybe the would-be robbers learned too?
Our right
to defend ourselves:
IL:
New gun law under scrutiny
Yahoo! News
“Illinois lawmakers moved swiftly after last year’s massacre
at Virginia Tech to make it harder for anyone with a history of mental
illness to buy guns, fortifying what were already some of the nation’s
toughest weapons laws. … John Boch, like many other gun-rights activists
in Illinois, said the answer is for the state to loosen its gun laws,
not tighten them, so that students could have been able to shoot back
during the NIU attack. Illinois is one of only two states with an outright
ban on carrying concealed weapons. Wisconsin is the other. ‘This
guy at NIU committed murder, for god’s sake,’ Boch said. ‘What
are a few more gun laws going to do to protect human life? There are a
lot of laws he violated in killing those kids, but one more law won’t
make a difference to guys like that.’” (02/18/08)
I really
don’t expect Illinois’ baboons to pay attention to Boch’s
commonsense. They are, after all, the “Land of Lincoln” and
all that implies about their attitude towards liberty.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
MO: Woman shoots intruder
Springfield News-Leader
“On Saturday, The Ozark County Sheriff’s Department received
a report of a domestic dispute near Longrun, a rural area in the county.
When the officers arrived, they learned a man broke into the house and
was shot by the 38-year-old female in the home. After being shot, he fled
the residence.” (02/17/08)
Ouch! He
got shot in his home? That must have hurt, but it might have been better
if she’d aimed for his heart or his torso, don’t you think?
Mama's
Note: I sure do. If a situation calls for self defense and a shooting
is at all justified, then the way to stop the threat is a center of body
mass shot. Anything else could get you killed. She might not be so lucky
next time.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
UT:
Bill would allow open carry of firearms
Daily Utah Chronicle
“If a bill proposed by Utah lawmakers passes, U students with
concealed weapons permits won’t have to cover up their guns when
they go to class. Current U policy requires weapons carriers to keep their
guns concealed, a position administrators argue is backed up by state
law. House Bill 473 would amend the firearm code to ensure that permit
holders are allowed to visibly carry firearms statewide, including the
campuses of state universities and public schools. A committee of representatives
in the Utah State Legislature unanimously passed the bill Monday. The
measure will now move to the full House.” (02/19/08)
Wow! This
WOULD help, as Utah and other states work slowly to restore basic rights
that have been illegally taken away from its citizens over decades.
Mama's
Note: Indeed, but I would caution everyone to keep in mind that what a
state "allows" can easily be disallowed the next time the legislature
meets. Eventually, people have got to understand that their basic rights
to life and self defense, property and use of their own bodies are simply
not subject to the whims of legislation.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
TN:
neighbor runs to women’s aid, shoots and kills attacker
Commercial Appeal
“A Brighton man shot and killed a 44-year-old registered sex offender
who attacked two women in their home early this morning, officials said.
According to Dist. Atty. Gen. Mike Dunavant, David Fleming charged into
the home of two women at about 3 a.m. Fleming bound the women but one
escaped and ran to a nearby home. Dunavant said Fleming, who lived in
Munford, intended to rape the women. The woman who escaped went to the
nearby home of Keith Ingram for help, Dunavant said. Ingram, carrying
a .40-caliber handgun, ran to the house and found Fleming attacking the
other woman, officials said. When Fleming tried to attack Ingram, Dunavant
said Ingram shot Fleming once. Tipton County Sheriff’s deputies and
Brighton Police officers found Fleming dead on the front porch of the
home.” (02/19/08)
Neighbors
help neighbors. Especially when blatant assaults like this take place.
Mama's
Note: Good shot!!! We all need more neighbors like this.
Our right
to defend ourselves:
GA:
Homeowner shoots at thief, thief runs
WJBF News
“There is a $1,000 reward offered for the capture of a burglary
suspect in Columbia County. That reward is being offered by the West Lake
Homeowners Association. Investigators say the thief was confronted by
a homeowner. When the thief pulled a gun, the homeowner shot at him. The
thief then ran off. Investigators say the suspect’s gun was stolen
from another car in the subdivision.” (02/19/08)
Good news
on two counts: a homeowner willing and ABLE to defend himself, and a HOA
willing to do more than dictate the color of someone’s roof.
Mama's
Note: The bad news is that some people are so stupid they leave their
guns where crooks can steal them! Keep your sidearm with you! Then it
can't be so easily used to threaten or hurt other people.
South
Asian front:
US strikes within Pakistan
— without notice
MSNBC
“Having requested the Pakistani government’s official permission
for such strikes on previous occasions, only to be put off or turned down,
this time the U.S. spy agency did not seek approval. The government of
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was notified only as the operation
was underway, according to the officials, who insisted on anonymity because
of diplomatic sensitivities.” (02/18/08)
Is this
a sign that the US has decided that recent elections have so weakened
Musharraf and his government that they can ignore him and it?
South Asian
front:
Pakistan: Musharraf refuses to step
down
Associated Press
“President Pervez Musharraf will not step down as head of state
and intends to serve out his five-year-term, his spokesman says, despite
a sweeping election victory by his opponents — some of whom want
to drive him from power. Final results from this week’s parliamentary
poll were expected Wednesday, but with the count nearly complete, two
opposition parties had won enough seats to form a new government, though
they will likely fall short of the two-thirds needed to impeach the president.
Musharraf’s spokesman Rashid Qureshi said Tuesday the president intends
to work with the new government and will serve out his term, which expires
in 2012.” (02/20/08)
No fooling,
eh? But then, Bush didn’t resign in 2004, and neither did Clinton
in 1994, so?
Space wars:
Missile hits
dying US spy satellite
Kansas City Star
“A Navy missile soaring 130 miles above the Pacific smashed a
dying and potentially deadly U.S. Spy satellite Wednesday and probably
destroyed a tank carrying 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel, officials said.
Officials had expressed cautious optimism that the missile would hit the
satellite, which was the size of a school bus.” (02/21/08)
This generated
a whole lot of interest, even more speculation, and a whole bunch of misunderstandings.
The problem was the half-ton of hydrazine, in a pressure tank that probably
could have withstood reentry and then either exploded in the lower atmosphere
or shattered on impact and contaminated someplace (or some water). This
5,000-pound satellite, the size of a bus, was never able to operate in
orbit as intended: if it had, the reentry would have come AFTER the hydrazine
had been used for maintaining and relocating in orbit.
Stupid
cop tricks:
CA: Oakland needs cop cars on streets,
too
San Francisco Chronicle
“Putting more cops on the street isn’t Oakland’s only
crime-fighting problem — the city isn’t having much luck getting
its new squad cars on the road, either. Dozens of brand new Ford Crown
Victoria police cars have been sitting idle for months at the city’s
corporation yard, waiting to be outfitted with lights, radios, cameras
and computer equipment. As of last week, there were still 40 cars collecting
dust at the yard on Edgewater Drive, more than half the 69 patrol cars
that began arriving seven months ago.” (02/18/08)
Duh! I
guess one should not expect thuggish bureaucrats to understand how to
order parts, schedule installation, and otherwise deal with things that
all of us do every day. Perhaps they expect their slaves to do it without
asking?
Mama's
Note: And, of course, if the police went back to keeping the peace they
wouldn't need these multimillion dollar rolling monstrosities either.
Stupid
cop tricks:
CA: Berkeley
taxpayers hit with $93,000 for cops’ OT
Fox News
“The tab for just overtime pay for Berkeley cops to keep the peace
at Tuesday’s Marine protest outside City Hall was reported to be
$93,000. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, about 140 Berkeley
police worked at the protest, which drew more than 2,000 demonstrators.
Anti-war groups such as Code Pink mixed with pro-military groups, rallied
over whether lawmakers should change their anti-Marine position. Only
four arrests were made on Tuesday, all of them misdemeanors, the Chronicle
reported.” (02/17/08)
And peace
was had by all…
Stupid
government tricks:
U.S. issues its largest beef recall
in history
Tennessean
“The U.S. government on Sunday ordered the largest beef recall
in U.S. History— 143.4 million pounds — and said the meat has
been used in school lunches and food assistance programs. The government
portrayed the action as precautionary and classified it as a Class II
recall, meaning there is little likelihood of illness. The beef dates
to cattle slaughtered two years ago, starting Feb. 1, 2006. The USDA said
it believes most already has been eaten. It will remove the rest from
inventories. ‘We don’t know exactly where all the product went’
but will ‘cast a wide net to make sure that we can find all the product
that we can find,’ Ken Petersen at the USDA’s Food Safety and
Inspection Service said in a conference call with reporters Sunday.”
(02/18/08)
I suggest
reading the entire story to see the sordid tale of laxness, stupidity,
and panic. The recall is, in my opinion, completely bogus and based on
a ridiculous law that has no business being in existence. We have grown
so rich and risk-adverse that we are unable to distinguish between bad
food and good food, and as a result we all pay a phenomenal cost in money,
health, and stress.
Stupid
government tricks:
UK:
Patients kept in ambulances up to 5 hours
Daily Mail [UK]
“Seriously ill patients are being kept in ambulances outside hospitals
for hours so NHS trusts do not miss Government targets. Thousands of people
a year are having to wait outside accident and emergency departments because
trusts will not let them in until they can treat them within four hours,
in line with a Labour pledge.” (02/18/08)
Unintended
consequences, especially when the medi-crats job ratings are at stake.
Mama's
Note: You might be unpleasantly surprised to learn how much of this kind
of thing goes on in the US... and think about how much more of it will
go on once government takes over medicine completely. Ah yes, the "benefits"
of socialized medicine.
Stupid
government tricks:
Report: CIA set up bogus companies
after 9/11
Raw Story
“Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, the US Central Intelligence
Agency set up 12 bogus companies in Europe and other parts of the world
in the hope of penetrating Islamic organizations, The Los Angeles Times
reported on its website late Saturday. But citing current and former CIA
officials, the newspaper said the agency had now shut down all but two
of them after concluding they were ill-conceived. The firms were part
of an ambitious plan to increase the number of CIA case officers sent
overseas under what is known as ‘nonofficial cover’ in order
to increase the agency’s potential for penetrating Islamic networks,
the report said.” (02/17/08)
Act first,
think later. Hardly an inspiring motto, but accurate, at least.
Stupid
people tricks:
Retailers crack down on serial returns
Boston Globe
Jimmy Deignan’s first time was with a $500 portable DVD player.
He bought it a few years ago at Best Buy for a Boston-to-Los Angeles flight,
knowing he would return it for a full refund when he got back. More recently,
in November, rather than spending $600 to rent a LCD projector for a business
presentation, the Holden resident purchased one at Staples, then returned
it a few days later and got his money back. The way Deignan sees it, he
is just a smart shopper: … But to retailers, this is wardrobing,
a practice they say is unethical, damaging to their bottom line, and increasingly
common. Nearly two-thirds of merchants had items wardrobed in 2007, up
from 56 percent the year before, the first year the National Retail Federation
started tracking the trend. Merchants blame tough economic times and a
‘customer-is-always right’ mentality gone too far.”
(02/18/08)
Always
the con artists we have with us. Expect an attempt to get new laws to
“ban” this, and expect them to fail, just as anti-piracy laws
take away more than they can possibly ever benefit.
Stupid
people tricks:
Backlash targets JuicyCampus.com
MSNBC
“JuicyCampus’ endless threads of anonymous innuendo have
been a popular Web destination on the seven college campuses where the
site launched last fall, including Duke, UCLA and Loyola Marymount. It
recently expanded to 50 more, and many of the postings show they’ve
been viewed hundreds and even thousands of times. But JuicyCampus has
proved so poisonous there are signs of a backlash. In campus debates over
Internet freedom, students normally take the side of openness and access.
This time, however, student leaders, newspaper editorials and posters
on the site are fighting back — with some even asking administrators
to ban JuicyCampus.” (02/17/08)
Freedom
of speech is a right intended to protect speech other people don’t
like, and apparently these children don’t understand that if their
campus bans this site, that next it will be their own ox gored. Frankly,
if you don’t want to read this stuff, don’t sign into the web
site! What, are you being FORCED to do so? I didn’t think so.
Stupid
people tricks:
CA: Officials panic, shut
down LAX over joke
Daily Breeze
“Travelers were evacuated from a Los Angeles International Airport
terminal for about two hours Sunday afternoon after a passenger joked
about explosives in his checked luggage, officials said. Airport police
shut down the Southwest and U.S. Airways terminal around 2 p.m., delaying
at least 450 passengers on five planes …. [The passenger] is in custody
and being questioned by federal authorities.” (02/17/08)
Don’t
know who is more stupid here: the idiot baiting the thugs, or the thugs
for their panic response.
Stupid
people tricks:
Silent CD
tops charts
Ananova [UK]
“A song that is inaudible to humans has become a top-selling hit
in New Zealand is set to be released worldwide. A Very Silent Night, said
to be recorded at a frequency that can be heard only by dogs, was issued
as a charity CD by the Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals. To widespread surprise, it rocketed to the top of
the charts, reports the Daily Telegraph. Now distributors in the US and
Australia are vying for the rights to international sales, the society
has announced.” (02/18/08)
Of course,
this is even more stupid than the above action. And remember – these
people drive cars on the same streets as you and I, and they vote!
Theft by
government:
CA: City government
moves ahead with land theft
Sacramento Bee
“The city of Sacramento headed to court Friday to wrest control
of two key blocks of the K Street Mall from property owner Moe Mohanna.
… The city is seeking control of the 700 block of K Street so it
can bring in Joe Zeiden, owner of the Z Gallerie furniture chain, to revamp
the historic storefronts into a row of upscale retailers.” (02/16/08)
Blatant
theft, indeed.
Theft by
government:
CO: Rally protests land theft
Rocky Mountain News
“About 90 people, several of whom have been on the blunt end of
condemnation proceedings, rallied under snowy skies in Civic Center on
Sunday to hold a tailgate party against what they see as government abuse
of eminent domain. They spoke about cases in Commerce City, Boulder, Lakewood
and Denver, but the thread that ran through their talk was concern over
the way in which cities and agencies such as RTD acquire property by condemning
it. The rally — which featured a pig roast — was sponsored by
the Colorado Property Rights Coalition. Several people spoke in favor
of House Bill 1178, a proposal that would prohibit RTD from condemning
homes and businesses for commercial development.” (02/18/08)
Sadly,
the CPRC didn’t bother to tell a lot of people in the state about
this – like no one outside the Denver Metro area that I could hear
about, so they didn’t get as many people as they could (and should)
have had.
War on
some drugs:
MI:
That’s not what’s meant by extra credit
Yahoo!News
“Students in a University of Michigan biology project had been
assigned to grow herbs, vegetables, annuals and perennials. Police are
trying to find out whether someone’s green thumb also was being used
to grow pot. The Ann Arbor News reports 11 small green plants believed
to be marijuana were seized from a greenhouse in the school’s Matthaei
Botanical Gardens in Ann Arbor Township, near its main Ann Arbor campus.”
(02/19/08)
Believed
to be? They probably don’t really know, do they? This sounds like
a stupid cop trick to me.
War on
some drugs:
Colombian soldiers convicted of killing
narcotics cops
CNN
“A cashiered army lieutenant colonel and 14 soldiers were convicted
Monday of murdering 10 elite counternarcotics police agents in an ambush
that showed how deeply drug corruption threatens Colombia’s security
forces. Lt. Col. Byron Carvajal and his soldiers face prison sentences
of up to 60 years. Prosecutors want Judge Edmundo Lopez to impose the
maximum.” (02/18/08)
Power corrupts…
and money is power. One of the many bad side-effects of a war on drugs
that is worse than living with the drugs, especially since we are still
having to live with them.
World wars:
Aging Air Force wants big bucks fix
Port Clinton News Herald
“Air Force officials are warning that unless their budget is increased
dramatically, and soon, the military’s high-flying branch won’t
dominate the skies as it has for decades. After more than six years of
war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Air Force’s aging jet fighters,
bombers, cargo aircraft and gunships are at the breaking point, they say,
and expensive, ultramodern replacements are needed fast.” (02/19/08)
Frankly,
a lot of officers and men would settle for nothing more than newly manufactured
versions of the tried and true workhorses, which have had the bugs worked
out, at least.
Mama's
Note: I'm sure the Navy, Army and Marines will be in line very soon with
the same sad story. The ever expanding empire and world policeman insanity
is certainly at the heart of this. Eliminate everything but what is truly
needed for defense of the continental US, and this problem will vanish
like so many others.
World wars:
Philippines:
Protests greet US war games
Reuters
“Thousands of people protested against U.S. soldiers involved
in humanitarian missions in Muslim areas of the southern Philippines on
Monday, saying the troops’ presence could be provocative. About 6,000
U.S. troops are taking part in annual training exercises with Philippine
troops over two weeks but they will only hold humanitarian missions in
the south of the archipelago, where Muslim communities are suspicious
of their activities. Zainab Ampatuan, head of the Suara Bangsamoro (Voice
of the Moro People) political party, said about 20,000 people gathered
in the southern cities of Davao, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, Cotabato
and Pikit to protest the presence of U.S. Soldiers” (02/18/08)
Notice
the protest is against even the humanitarian missions, because the Islamists
which run the Moro region know that time and again, American troops have
won over far more of their villagers through helping than through fighting,
and each time, starting in about 1899, it has taken a long time for Ampatuan’s
predecessors to cultivate a proper spirit of hate for the farengi in the
Moro people. These 20,000 are obeying the orders of their sheiks (elders)
and their imams, not necessarily because they really object.
World wars:
Satellite shootdown could occur Wednesday
USA Today
“The military’s attempt to shoot down a wayward U.S. Spy
satellite as it falls toward Earth could happen as early as Wednesday
night, but no final decision on timing has been made, officials said.
Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Tuesday that senior military
officers, including Gen. Kevin Chilton, the head of the U.S. Strategic
Command, are evaluating the situation and will advise Defense Secretary
Robert Gates on the best time to carry it out.” (02/19/08)
Mama’s
comments: The skuttlebutt on some message boards is that this was planned
to coincide with the eclipse tonight. Lots of conjecture as to the
nature of the satellite and the reasons for shooting it down when most
others have been allowed to burn up - many a lot larger than this one.
It will be interesting to see what happens.
Nathan:
The problem with this one (from old news stories) is that it is a failed
unit that never did deploy properly. Virtually all of the war-sats
that have fallen back to earth in the past have pretty much spent all
their fuel first (which is why they couldn't stay up any longer, in fact).
This one never did operate, and has a full load of fuel. It may
have (indeed, probably does have) a lot of classified items on board,
and may even have some weaponry, though I would guess it would be defensive,
not anything that could be used against an earthly target.
Two weeks
ago when it was announced that it was going to reenter, the outcry (from
both environists and various foreign governments) was that it would create
an "environmental catastrophe" and that it could kill hundreds
of people; now that the US has responded to THAT panic with panicked reactions,
all the same actors have switched their rhetoric 180 degrees, and the
US is STILL evil. I can't imagine any reason to do it at the same
time as a eclipse, and sometimes things are purely coincidental, despite
what a lot of people like to think. What this DOES show is that the government’s
idiotic management of a “space program” (what a joke) for the
last 50 years has been an abysmal failure: we should have three or four
different methods of retrieving a multi-million dollar machine from orbit
to fix and relaunch, and should have far better ways to launch them that
don’t damage 5% or so of the payloads like this.
Mama's
Note: Amen. The bottom line is that they have lost all credibility and
few believe anything they say or do anymore. This is good, just sometimes
confusing.
World wars:
Liberia: Protests
against Bush illegal
All Africa
“Amid threats of major demonstrations when the American president
arrives in Monrovia Thursday, police have warned that protests will be
against the law. Police Inspector-General Beatrice M. Sieh says no permit
has been issued by the justice ministry for any protests during the visit
of President George W. Bush. Prominent among the groups wanting to stage
what they say will be a peaceful demonstration is the Forum for the Establishment
of a War Crimes Court in Liberia.” (02/20/08)
I’m
sorry, didn’t I hear that liberty and democracy had been restored
in Liberia some time ago? The cops must not have gotten the news yet.
World wars:
Bush: No plans for more bases
in Africa
New York Sun
“President Bush said yesterday that talk of America building new
military bases in Africa to expand its influence is ‘baloney.’
The Defense Department created Africa Command last October to consolidate
operations that had been split among three other regional commands, none
of which had Africa as a primary focus.” (02/21/08)
Whew. Glad
to hear it: we have enough already, don’t we?
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