More Fuel for Wal-Mart Haters

CNN.com - Shooting suspect holed up in Wal-Mart
Of course, I am being facetious -- but, one never knows what those organization that hate Wal-Mart will do with a story like this:)

SIMI VALLEY, California (AP) -- A suspect in a shooting that killed two people over the holiday weekend was chased into a Wal-Mart store Tuesday morning after wounding a sheriff's deputy, authorities said.
The store was evacuated, and about 40 to 50 officers surrounded it, sheriff's Sgt. Patti Salas said.
In all, two people were killed and two wounded in the crime spree northwest of Los Angeles, and at least one vehicle was carjacked, authorities said. One of those shot was a onetime business partner of the suspect.

Makes Sense to Me

Captives told to claim torture-insider.washingtontimes.com
Sure it makes sense -- it is well known the United States media and liberals will believe a negative story about it's own from al Qaeda before the US Military on any given day.

An al Qaeda handbook preaches to operatives to level charges of torture once captured, a training regime that administration officials say explains some of the charges of abuse at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp.

National ID Card - What's the Problem?

Buffalo News - New Social Security card proposed
I really do not see the problems here - maybe cost, which is not addressed in the concerns?

WASHINGTON - Congress is moving to replace the paper Social Security cards issued to 280 million Americans with plastic, harder-to-counterfeit versions to try to curtail identity theft and the use of Social Security cards and numbers by some undocumented immigrants to obtain jobs.
Critics fear the cards could become de facto national IDs and eventually play the role that identity papers have played over history in repressive societies. Some worry that the proposal could mean trouble for immigrant workers and even criminal fines for employers.
If the Illegal Immigration Enforcement and Social Security Protection Act of 2005 became law, every person seeking a job in the United States - citizen and undocumented immigrant alike - would have to present the card to his or her prospective employer.

I have decided to pick on a couple of concerns:

1. Critics fear the cards could become de facto national IDs
- Like it has not already become such a thing -- really, for all us honest citizens can you go to the doctor, dentist, etc. and not be asked you for your SSN? Heaven forbid you are a military member, anyone that has every served in the last 30 years has the SSN memorized, why, because it is the only number they knows us by. Come on the SSN is already a National ID not matter what was promised when SS started or the delusions the critics are spewing.
2. Some worry that the proposal could mean trouble for immigrant workers and even criminal fines for employers
-- well shucks, you mean that all employed might actually have to be legal, oh no God forbid such a thing - what a lame excuse.

Oliver Stone Arrested - Was he Stoned?

FOXNews.com - Oliver Stone Arrested on Drug, DUI Charges
Well Mr. Conspiracy Theory himself was arrested - was he stoned - how long has he been stoned - this could explain a lot of his theories and comments.

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone was arrested for investigation of drug possession and driving while intoxicated, police said Saturday.
Stone, 58, was arrested Friday night at a police checkpoint on Sunset Boulevard after showing signs of alcohol intoxication, police Sgt. John Edmundson said.
A search of his Mercedes turned up drugs, Edmundson said. He did not specify what kind.

Could This Be True

World Peace Herald - King Fahd of Saudi Arabia reported dead
What do you think - could this be true? If yes, what could it mean to the region short term and long term? Currently no reports in any US media...

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Reliable sources in the Saudi capital Riyadh said Friday King Fahd is dead, reports the Saudi Institute.
King Fahd of Saudi Arabia has been dead since late Wednesday, according to several well-placed sources in the capital Riyadh who spoke to the Saudi Institute, a pro-democracy think tank in Washington, on condition of anonymity.
The government also canceled all military leave, "a sure sign that something is happening," said the Saudi Institute.

Another Hostage Murdered

CNN.com - Japanese hostage killed by captors
Another hostage has been murdered -- executed! This man was Japanese and I am sure the liberal message boards and forums will have American citizens claiming it is Bush's, the Military's, or both’s fault... This is amazing; all heck is breaking loose over the treatment of a book and no concern for murder. The media refuses to call these less then human individuals - terrorist, electing to refer to them as captors, insurgents, or kidnappers -- what is the deal. Besides electing to be more concerned about a book (the Koran) than this man, where is the concern about the hundreds of Muslims killed by the terrorist in the last month -- strange that a book holds more value then human life.

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The Iraqi government has confirmed that Japanese hostage Akihiko Saito has been killed by his captors.
Saito, who worked in Iraq for a British security company, was among five foreign workers ambushed by insurgents in the Anbar province west of Baghdad in early May.
The other four were confirmed dead.
An Islamic Web site previously used to publish insurgent announcements posted a video showing Saito before and after his his death.

Lott in on Compromise

KR Washington Bureau - Work on nominees could return Lott to ranks of GOP leadership
All I will say for now - if the man is openly saying one thing while doing something else -- it is politics as usual and I have a problem with it and the problem I have has nothing to do with the where he stands or doesn't stand on the "particular issue"... Sounds like he may have some delusions of grandeur.

WASHINGTON - For months, Sen. Trent Lott pulled a list of names from his pocket and told anyone who listened that he had the votes to trigger the 'nuclear option' - the change in the Senate's rules that would ease the way for President Bush's judicial nominees.
At the same time, the Mississippi Republican worked quietly to avert it.
Lott wasn't among the 14 senators who signed the pact on Monday that forestalled a Senate showdown. Publicly, he was dismissive.
'Whenever that coalition needs to be picked apart,' he said, 'we'll pick it apart.'
But senators involved in the talks say Lott was instrumental in pushing the Senate to the brink of a historic clash - and in pulling it back. It was a remarkable role for the former Senate leader whose career was nearly ruined by an ill-advised tribute to the late Sen. Strom Thurmond two-and-a-half years ago that made him sound nostalgic for the days of segregation.

That is Dedication

2 WWII soldiers still in hiding?- washingtontimes.com
If this story proves to be accurate this is real dedication or real fear - not sure which... It is an interesting story I am going to try and follow it.

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines -- Sixty years after the guns of World War II went silent, reports that two Japanese Imperial Army soldiers had been found in the mountains of the southern Philippines sent Japan's diplomats on a frantic mission yesterday to try to contact them.
The two men, in their 80s, reportedly have lived on the restive southern island of Mindanao since they were separated from their division, staying on for fear they would face court-martial if they returned to Japan.

I'm Not Satisfied Either

Group shuns Filipino mother of slain soldier - MSNBC.com
I am not satisfied at all with the response from the "American Gold Star Mother, Inc." -- this is a travesty, in my opinion... At the very lest we should be able to make her an honorary citizen if she does not want to be a actual naturalized citizen -- but her son giving his life should be enough, would you agree?

Her 27-year-old son, Army Staff Sgt. Anthony Lagman, was killed last year in Afghanistan when his unit came under fire during a mission to drive out remnants of Taliban and al-Qaida forces.
But the largest organization of these women, the American Gold Star Mothers Inc., has rejected Lagman, a Filipino, for membership because - though a permanent resident and a taxpayer - she is not a U.S. citizen.
"There's nothing we can do because that's what our organization says: You have to be an American citizen," national President Ann Herd said Thursday. "We can't go changing the rules every time the wind blows."
That explanation isn't satisfying the war veterans who sponsored Lagman's application, some other members of the mothers' group or several members of Congress.

56 Hours On High

CNN.com - Police grab suspect after 56 hours atop crane
Finally he gives up... I watched this case with interest because I could not help to think how his actions will help or hurt his defense. Logically you might say it will hurt, but then again there is always the old insanity plea.

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Police on Saturday arrested a suspect in a Florida slaying who had spent 56 hours atop a crane high above an Atlanta construction site.
Carl Edward Roland, 41, was taken into custody after more than two days of negotiators' round-the-clock efforts to convince him to come down, said Atlanta Police Operations Chief Alan Dreher.
Roland ascended the crane via its elevator about 4 p.m. ET Wednesday, walking out on its horizontal arm.

Green Acres is The Place for Me - RIP Eddie

CNN.com - 'Green Acres' star Eddie Albert dies
I remember watching Eddie Albert and his 'dingy' city wife when I was a kid - remember Arnold the pig... I Hope he reset in peace - goodbye.

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Eddie Albert, the actor best known as the constantly befuddled city slicker-turned-farmer in television's 'Green Acres,' has died. He was 99.
Albert died of pneumonia Thursday at his home in the Pacific Palisades area, in the presence of caregivers including his son Edward, who was holding his hand at the time.
'He died so beautifully and so gracefully that literally this morning I don't feel grief, I don't feel loss,' Edward Albert told The Associated Press.

Taking Fiction to Reality - Tragic Results

"Sith" Fans Maimed in Lightsaber Mishap - Yahoo! News
Well while taking some time off from blogging I took in "Revenge of the Sith" - Star Wars Episode III... Good movie and by far the best of the second trilogy - but these guys took it to far - it would be comical if not for the tragedy.

Two British Star Wars fans sustained critical injuries after constructing their own lightsabers from fluorescent light tubes filled with liquid fuel.
According to British media reports, a 20-year-old man and his 17-year-old female friend were filming a mock duel in homage to Star Wars: Episode III--Revenge of the Sith, the latest chapter of George Lucas' record-breaking franchise.
The duo were reportedly emulating one of Sith's key battles, a lightsaber clash between Ewan McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker.
The two Brits suffered severe burns when their homemade sabers exploded. The two had been videotaping their clash. They have been hospitalized at Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire since the accident Sunday.

Been Out

Sorry of the lack of post this week! I decided to take a break and since I had some personal things to take care -- what better time. I will get back to regular posting...

Guess Back On Again

N.Korea says will respond to US moves on nuke talks
Well the on again off again talks with North Korea is back on -- I guess for awhile anyway... Expect to hear later this week that they are off again and it is all the US's fault -- of course the media will support this claim, as usual. Look through this blog and you will see the times they are on they are off and they are on again -- you will also find my outline of how this political game has gone on for half a century.

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea said on Sunday it would respond to an overture by the United States which seeks to reopen six-country talks aimed at persuading Pyonyang to scrap its declared nuclear arsenal.
The country confirmed it had spoken with the United States on May 13 at the United Nations and would respond at 'an appropriate time.' It was not clear whether its response would include a decision on returning to the talks.
A North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman said the government stuck to its hope any nuclear talks would be 'successful,' according to its official news agency.

Another Crime Against a Child in Florida

CNN.com - Florida girl found buried alive in landfill
Thank God she was found alive.

Police found an 8-year-old Florida girl buried alive with minor injuries in an abandoned landfill Sunday morning, hours after she was reported abducted, according to officials in Lake Worth.

FYI - Google Feature

Google Introduces Internet Portal Feature

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (AP) -- Google Inc. on Thursday introduced a new option that will enable visitors to display more information on the online search engine leader's bare-bones home page, a departure that pushes the company a step closer to operating an Internet portal in the mold of rivals Yahoo and MSN.com.

Doing What He Said

CNN.com - Bush threatens veto on stem cell research bill
What will the criticism be - President Bush is doing what he said or Christopher Reeve would be walking if not for Bush.

(CNN) -- President Bush on Friday threatened to veto a bill expanding public funding for embryonic stem cell research that could make it to his desk by early next week.
'I made [it] very clear to the Congress that the use of federal money, taxpayers' money, to promote science which destroys life in order to save life, I'm against that,' Bush told reporters. 'Therefore if the bill does that, I will veto it.'

Will They Get Their Story Straight

Newsweek retracts story on Koran under pressure
Let see - they reported falsely, apologized, blamed the military/Pentagon, now retracting that report... Maybe someday they will just admit they made a mistake - they failed - and take their lumps. Notice the olive branch stretch out to the military - I like the fact the Pentagon is not sitting back and taking the allegation lightly instead standing up for themselves and the military.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newsweek magazine on Monday retracted a report that U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay had desecrated the Koran after the story triggered protests in Afghanistan that killed 16 people and the White House criticized it.
'Based on what we know now, we are retracting our original story that an internal military investigation had uncovered Koran abuse at Guantanamo Bay,' Newsweek Editor Mark Whitaker said in a statement, a day after apologizing for the report.
The retraction came as the White House, the Pentagon and the State Department all heavily criticized the report and said it had damaged the U.S. image abroad. White House spokesman Scott McClellan had said it was 'puzzling' that Newsweek had not retracted the story a day after apologizing for it.
'A retraction is a good first step,' McClellan said after Newsweek issued its statement. 'This allegation was unsubstantiated and it was contrary to everything that we value and all that our military works to uphold. We encourage Newsweek to now work diligently to help undo what damage can be undone.'

Will This Says It All

(via Cox & Forkum)

Example of Irresponsible Reporting

Newsweek says erred in Koran desecration report
Would you consider this irresponsible - a lie that resulted in people dieing - can we hope that this will be an eye opener to reporters to use caution in their "gotcha reporting".

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Newsweek magazine on Sunday said it erred in a May 9 report that said U.S. interrogators desecrated the Koran at Guantanamo Bay, and apologized to the victims of deadly Muslim protests sparked by the article.
'We regret that we got any part of our story wrong, and extend our sympathies to victims of the violence and to the U.S. soldiers caught in its midst,' Editor Mark Whitaker wrote in the magazine's latest issue, due to appear on U.S. newsstands on Monday.

Democrat to Present SS Plan!

Democrat to break ranks, unveil retirement bill
This is interesting and refreshing -- agree or don't agree with the plan a democrat is acknowledging we do need a change in Social Security.

WASHINGTON, May 14 (Reuters) - A Florida Democratic congressman plans to unveil next week a proposal to bolster Social Security finances, in a break with his party's rejection of a White House push to revamp the retirement system.
The proposal by Florida U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler would raise taxes on those making more than $90,000 a year, with a goal of relieving expected financial strains on Social Security as the baby-boom generation retires, a spokeswoman said. Wexler is to unveil the plan on Monday at a luncheon in his district.
The move amounts to a break with Democratic strategy. The party has remained mostly unified in its refusal to take up U.S. President George W. Bush's offer to negotiate on changes to Social Security. Democrats want Bush to first abandon his drive to establish private retirement accounts within the Social Security program, and the party's leadership has shown no signs of wavering.

On Again, Off Again, It's On Again (NK)

BBC NEWS Asia-Pacific N Korea to open talks with South
Well the game continues! You can see the United States is not the only ones North Korea likes playing it's on again and off again game with. However, I can assure you when the "off again" is given to South Korea, North Korea will again blame the United States.

The North proposed the resumption, it said, 'to put relations between the two Koreas on a normal track'.
Seoul accepted on Saturday, saying it wanted to discuss North Korea's nuclear programme, as well as relations between the two countries.

Iraq is Where the War on Terror Is - Huh?

War in Iraq looks like last stand for al Qaeda
I have always thought that Iraq was a move, the correct one, to fight terrorist there and not here - out in the open if you were... I know they are not "out in the open" but they are much more visible there then they would be here and this effort of theirs in Iraq has them disorganized and limits their ability to plan another 9/11 -- again good move in my mind and it appears in the mind others smarter then I. I know opponents will never accept this or concede it is accurate but it does not change the validity of the theory.

The war in Iraq is increasingly looking more like a showdown with Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda followers than a battle primarily against Saddam Hussein loyalists.
The shift is making the fight a focal point of the U.S. global war against Islamic terrorists and one that might dictate whether the U.S. wins or loses, said a senior official and an outside expert.
'If they fail in Iraq, Osama and his whole crew are finished,' said retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Tom McInerney, a military author and analyst.
The changing dynamic was highlighted this week when the U.S. military launched a major offensive in western Iraq, primarily against foreign jihadists who crossed the border with Syria to join the al Qaeda network in Iraq led by Abu Musab Zarqawi. In a troubling sign, U.S. officers said Zarqawi's terrorists seemed well-trained and well-equipped.

Finger Identified

BBC NEWS Americas US police identify chilli finger
Well this accuser seems to be cooked better then her friend's finger was.

A finger allegedly found in a bowl of chilli at a Wendy's restaurant has been identified, US police have said.
It belonged to a family friend of Anna Ayala, the woman who said she discovered the finger as she ate in a restaurant in San Jose, California.
Police say the finger had been lost in an industrial accident in December.
Ms Ayala, 39, was arrested last month on larceny charges. Her claim cost Wendy's millions of dollars in lost sales.
Mystery solved

Another Officer Disciplined for Abu Ghraib

Military punishes key Abu Ghraib scandal figure
I sure this will not silence those that live to criticize, but this and the General being demoted (read it here) does show that "high ranking officers" have "dirt on them" and are being disciplined.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The military has reprimanded and fined Army Col. Thomas Pappas, a key figure in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal, but will not bring criminal charges against him, a U.S. Army official said on Wednesday.
Pappas, the former top military intelligence officer at Abu Ghraib, became the second senior officer to be disciplined in the scandal over the physical abuse and sexual humiliation of Iraqi prisoners at the jail on the outskirts of Baghdad.
Following an administrative disciplinary proceeding in Germany on Monday, Pappas was given a letter of reprimand by Maj. Gen. Bennie Williams and was docked $8,000 for committing dereliction of duty at Abu Ghraib in late 2003 and early 2004, said the Army official, who asked not to be named.

No Not a Frenchman

U.S. Senate accuses Galloway, Pasqua over Iraq oil
Who would have guess a Frenchman would have benefited? Me, and I will bet there are many more just like this guy.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate committee said on Thursday that British parliamentarian George Galloway and former French Interior Minister Charles Pasqua benefited from the U.N. oil-for-food program for Iraq.
A report by the non-partisan committee said Galloway had been given 'allocations' for 20 million barrels of oil while Pasqua got 11 million barrels, with the personal approval of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

On Tough "Ole Broad"

Woman, 70, survives nine-story fall
A little good news out of Florida after all the bad news recently -- I don't think I would be in good shape at all, man she must be tough.

A 70-year-old woman survived a nine-story fall from a condominium tower Wednesday when she landed on a canopy, officials said.
Gloria Jummati was cleaning her balcony at Coral Ridge Towers when she fell and landed on a first-floor canopy, according to the Fort Lauderdale Fire-Rescue.
Jummati was alert and talking when rescuers arrived.

No SS Cuts - Been Saying it All Along

Wanted: Responsible Demagoguery - New York Times
Honesty from the Maureen Dowd's slot - of course, Matt Miller is feeling in for her.

So farsighted Democrats who want to (1) win back power and (2) use that power to fix big problems should quit carping about Bush's evil 'cuts' and punish him instead with what I call Responsible Demagoguery: harsh politics that leaves sound policy intact.
Why do I say this? Start with this poorly understood fact: Under today's system of "wage indexed" benefits, every new cohort of retirees is guaranteed a higher level of real benefits than the previous generation. Workers retiring in 2025, for example, are scheduled to receive payments 20 percent higher in real terms than today's retirees. Today's teenagers are slated to get a 60 percent increase. When Democrats cry about "cuts," they mean trims from these higher levels.
A Democrat might ask: Why would we ever change this way of calculating benefits, other than from some Scroogelike desire to slow the rise in future benefits? Well, we probably wouldn't think about it if we weren't on the cusp of the biggest financial crunch in American history. But we are. And with the baby boomers' retirement looming, Democrats need to think beyond Social Security alone to think intelligently about achieving progressive goals.
Indeed, if you care about social justice and economic growth, the big policy question for the next generation is this: How do we square the needs of seniors with the needs of the rest of America, at levels of taxation that don't strangle the economy?

Great Illustration - "Blame Game"

This is a great illustration of my comments in Same Games Different Day


(via Cox & Forkum)

Courts Rule for Cheney

Appeals Court Tosses Out Suit Against Cheney
Well liberals pretty much have to accept this ruling since they swore by the courts in Florida only a month ago - or will they?

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. appeals court threw out a lawsuit against Vice President Dick Cheney today and ruled that he was free to meet in secret with energy industry lobbyists while drawing up President Bush's energy policy.
The president and vice president have no duty to tell the public when they seek advice from outsiders, the appeals court said.
"In making decisions on personnel and policy, and in formulating legislative proposals, the president must be free to seek confidential information from many sources, both inside the government and outside," said Judge Ray Randolph in an opinion for the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Therefore, the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch had no legal right to demand to know who met with Cheney's energy policy task force in 2001, the court said.
The ruling all but ends a four-year-old legal battle over Cheney's task force, one that drew in the Supreme Court and Justice Antonin Scalia.

Very Interesting

HoustonChronicle.com - Pope calls for media to be responsible
Well it appears everyone one is TRYING to get on the same sheet of music where journalist are concerned... Earlier this week we had the NY Times (here) saying they were NEEDED to improve their reporting - now a statement from the Pope. Will anything change?

VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI said today that the media can spread peace but also foment violence, and he called on journalists to exercise responsibility to ensure objective reports that respect human dignity and the common good.

Same Games Different Day

N.Korea blames U.S. for 'fuss' on nuclear tests
What a shock - it is the United States' fault... Me I will really be shocked when a honest comment comes out of North Korea.

SEOUL (Reuters) - Reports it could soon conduct an underground nuclear weapons test were speculation cooked up by Washington, North Korea said on Tuesday, but the secretive state did not deny outright that one might be planned.
Media reports have said spy satellites show North Korea has apparently stepped up activity in its northeastern region of Kilju. The area has been suspected of being where the North would conduct a test, U.S. and South Korean officials have said.

London Witch Hunt

ThisisLondon
Just a sad story -- I think some of those Londoners worried about US fanatics need to police their own.

An eight-year-old girl was tortured and was about to be killed after being accused of being a witch, the Old Bailey heard today.
The child had been placed in a laundry bag and was about to be thrown into a river to drown when one of her tormentors managed to stop the others, said Patricia May, prosecuting.
Her months of ill-treatment had started when another child told his mother that the girl had been using witchcraft against the family.

Breaking News

Marines mount offensive against Iraq insurgents

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Marines said on Monday they had killed 75 guerrillas in the first 24 hours of an offensive against foreign fighters and insurgents in western Anbar province.
A U.S. military statement said coalition and Marine aircraft were taking part in the offensive.

More Hate Fake Hate Crimes

As discussed in Creating Hate, we have even more fake hate being created... Girl Admits She Faked Gay-Bashing Incidents

A 17-year-old top female wrestler at a local high school faked a series of gay-bashing incidents that prompted a police investigation, authorities said.

The rash of gay-bashing incidents at Tamalpais High School, dating to November, was the work of a student who claimed she was the victim of hate crimes, said police Capt. James Wickham.

I would say the popularity of hate or "fake hate" crimes is a rousing success.

Maybe the NY Times Gets It?

Times Panel Proposes Steps to Build Credibility - New York Times
I have said on many occasions that the time of trusting your local paper or a single "news god" to tell you the news is gone... With the internet and the infinite information available the biggest problem is discerning fact from fiction -- the internet has and will change campaigns and news going further. I want hold my breath for any immediate changes at the NY Times though -- this is just damage control, in my opinion.

As examples, the report cited limiting anonymous sources, reducing factual errors and making a clearer distinction between news and opinion. It also said The Times should make the paper's operations and decisions more transparent to readers through methods like making transcripts of interviews available on its Web site.
[...]
The report comes as the public's confidence in the media continues to wane. A recent study from the Pew Research Center found that 45 percent of Americans believe little or nothing of what they read in their daily newspapers...
[...]
One area of particular concern to Mr. Keller at the outset was the relentless public criticism of the paper, amplified by both the left and right on the Internet...

Democrats' Bluff

Calling Democrats' Bluff - New York Times
David Brooks has a good article on the Democrats hokum -- smoke screen in mirrors to hide their true agenda, simply oppose President Bush on anything and everything.

Over this time, Democrats have been hectoring President Bush in the manner of an overripe Fourth of July orator. The president should be summoning us to make shared sacrifices for the common good. The president should care for the poor, and stop favoring the rich. He should make the hard choices and impose a little fiscal discipline on government.
[...]
Over the past few weeks, the president has called their bluff.
[...]
The Democratic leadership has dropped all that shared sacrifice talk and started making demagogic appeals to people's narrow self-interest. Nancy Pelosi cries out that Bush's progressive indexing idea means "cutting the benefits of middle-class seniors." Representative Sander Levin protests it "would result in the biggest benefit cut in the history of Social Security." [Read more here]

Well I Guess Prisoners do Have Useful Information

CNN.com - U.S. military: Al-Zarqawi aide captured
Well what do you know - prisons do have information with they decided or are made to talk. The hit list continues!

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An aide to terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi had been captured by Iraqi security forces in Iraq, the U.S. military said Sunday.
U.S. forces identified him Ammar al-Zubaydi, also known as Abu Abbas.
Al-Zubaydi was captured in Baghdad on Thursday, the military said. He is responsible for many recent suicide car bombings, the military said, and an attack on Abu Ghraib prison in April that wounded U.S. troops and detainees at the facility. (Full story)
Al-Zubaydi is not the same Abu Abbas who masterminded the terrorist hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in 1985. That man, leader of the Palestinian Liberation Front, was captured in Iraq in the early days of the war and died in custody.
Another al-Zarqawi associate -- who was captured on April 26 -- helped U.S. and Iraqi forces kill six insurgents Sunday and capture another 54 in western Iraq near the Syrian border, the U.S. military said.

Give me a Break (Global Warming)

Clear skies end global dimming - Earth's air is cleaner, but this may worsen the greenhouse effect.
Give me a break - now that we have made progress improving pollution, quick someone tell AlGore, we are speeding up global warming... Does this not prove that the scientist making all these claims really and truly don't have a clue? Wasn't pollution the cause of global warming and had to be corrected - man I am so confused I can't keep up with the ever changing line.

Our planet's air has cleared up in the past decade or two, allowing more sunshine to reach the ground, say two studies in Science this week.
Reductions in industrial emissions in many countries, along with the use of particulate filters for car exhausts and smoke stacks, seem to have reduced the amount of dirt in the atmosphere and made the sky more transparent.
That sounds like very good news. But the researchers say that more solar energy arriving on the ground will also make the surface warmer, and this may add to the problems of global warming. More sunlight will also have knock-on effects on cloud cover, winds, rainfall and air temperature that are difficult to predict.

Lebanese anti-Syria Returns

Lebanese anti-Syria leader Aoun returns from exile - Yahoo! News
Interesting story and my first reaction -- "more good news"!

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's most prominent anti-Syria Christian leader returned to a hero's welcome in Beirut on Saturday, ending more than a decade in exile 11 days after the last Syrian soldier withdrew from the country.
"A black cloud oppressed Lebanon for 15 years. Today the sun of freedom is shining. I'm returning to look to the future and rebuild Lebanon together," he said, flanked by his daughters and grandchildren.

Happy Mother's Day

My Mother - the greatest of course... She was there for me when I needed comforting, she was there for me when I need guidance, she was there when I needed a nudge off a 'bad track', she was there when I needed support, and she has always been there to just give me her Motherly love. I say thank you and thank God she is still with me...

Happy Mother's day.

Continue Complaining or Find Something Else

Growth casts doubt on 'soft patch'
Wonder if the "gloom and doom" naysayers will continue to dwell on the economy or if they will move on to something else that will end the world and our country as we know it - one only can wait and see.

A surge of 274,000 new jobs last month in health care, education, construction, finance and other service- and housing-related industries cast doubt on assertions the economy is going through a 'soft patch.'
The robust jobs report from the Labor Department yesterday offered estimates of job growth that were 93,000 higher in the past three months and brought the monthly average of new jobs to nearly a quarter million.

Abortion Causes Death

This is not just a zygote as I was told only a few days ago - again, having heard this callus description of a "human baby" before.

WorldNetDaily: Will justice be done for baby Rowan?

This is Rowan. At 5 1/2 months, Rowan was born April 2, 2005, in Orlando, Fla., inside an abortion clinic. Rowan's mother, Angele, thought she wanted an abortion. She took the medication to begin the procedure according to the instructions provided by the clinic.
[...]
Angele delivered her baby alone into a toilet at the clinic. She had little more than a wet blanket and cold, blood-stained room to assist her.
Despite the calculated decision to end her son's life, he was born alive. Panic stricken, Angele instinctively cried for help as she cradled her son in her hands. No one came, and Rowan died.

Read previous WND report - Abortion staff ignores baby boy born alive -- some excerpts:

A woman who was scheduled to have her 22-week-along pregnancy ended at a Florida abortion clinic instead delivered the baby alive in a restroom and says her pleading for help from medical staff went unheeded, even when an employee saw that the tiny boy was moving.

Creating Hate

Newsday.com: Pastor Charged With Setting Church Fire
Creating hate crime is becoming popular.

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. -- A pastor and his wife have been charged with arson in a fire that gutted their church last week, authorities said Tuesday.
The Monday arrests of The Rev. Harold Hunter and Patricia Hunter came just one day after the pastor gave a sermon in which he said he prayed for the 'sick, sadistic' person who burned down the church. No one was hurt in the blaze.

Hat tip: La Shawn Barber -- see more examples of "Fake Hate" - here, here, and here.

Gun-Control PAC Fined

Newsday.com: Gun-Control Group, PAC Pay $12K FEC Fine
I found this very interesting.

WASHINGTON -- A gun-control group and its political action committee have paid a $12,000 fine to settle a campaign finance case from the 2000 election.
At issue were ads and endorsements by the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence and its Brady Voter Education Fund involving various Democratic candidates in 2000.
The American Conservative Union, in a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, accused the Brady organizations of making illegal corporate contributions to the Democrats' campaigns.

Be Prepared for a Bitter Outburst

Top News Article | Reuters.com
Well liberals may not believe this is punishment, but none us of knows what it means for a General to be demoted... However, the liberals may not be happy about the punishment but they might be happy about the "bitter remarks" possibly coming from the now demoted General, which will be sad and demeaning for her, in my opinion.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A one-star Army Reserve general became the first high-level military officer punished in the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal on Thursday when President Bush demoted her to the rank of colonel.
Brig. Gen. Janis Karpinski was disciplined after Army leaders deemed her job performance 'seriously lacking' and accused her of concealing a past shoplifting arrest.
The Army said in a statement Karpinski had been reduced in rank to colonel, although an investigation by the Army inspector general's office 'determined that no action or lack of action on her part contributed specifically to the abuse of detainees at Abu Ghraib.'
Karpinski said last year she was being used as a "convenient scapegoat" for detainee abuse that was the fault of others.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi Speaks

CNN.com - Italy PM disputes U.S. Iraq report
Some highlights that I am sure just irritates the heck out of journalist, Giuliana Sgrena.

"We have no intention of establishing any connection between the assessment of the case in which our official lost his life and the role of our country in Iraq," the conservative premier said.

Notice the word conservative thrown in there like a four letter adjective.

"We must insist in our commitment and assist the forces of a free and democratic new Iraq," Berlusconi told lawmakers.
Our friendship has overcome more difficult problems than this," he said.
[...]
But, the statement said, America and Italy "remain solid in their work in favor of the people and the Iraqi government, for the reconstruction of a stable, free and democratic Iraq."

Terrorist Attack?

CNN.com - Blasts at UK Consulate in NYC - May 5, 2005
If it was they failed "how to kill" 101 - a low-grade explosives device placed within concrete at the bustling hour of 3:35AM, I don't think so... Do I believe it is a coincidence that it happened when England began voting - no... Do I believe it was a "nut job" or a wannabe "terrorist" - yes, but not a Al-Queda operative.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Two 'improvised explosive devices' made from 'novelty-type grenades' have exploded in front of the building that houses the British Consulate in New York City, police said.
The early Thursday morning blasts shattered windows but did not cause significant damage or any injuries, the New York Police Department said.
The devices, which contained black gunpowder and fuses, blew out a chunk of concrete in the flower box where they were planted outside the building.

Interesting Twist

Judge throws out Abu Ghraib guilty plea - Iraq's new chapter - MSNBC.com
Here is an interesting twist -- looks like we are in for another circus.FORT HOOD, Texas - A military judge Wednesday threw out Pfc. Lynndie England's guilty plea to prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, saying that he was not convinced that she knew that her actions were wrong at the time.
[...]
The mistrial for England, a 22-year-old reservist who appeared in some of the most notorious photographs from the 2003 abuse scandal, means the case gets kicked back to the military equivalent of a grand-jury proceeding.

Eat What Soldiers Eat

Army secret unwrapped
I remember when I was a kid I wanted TANG because the astronauts drank it... This might be successful.

Heard, understood, acknowledged: A toothsome U.S. Army secret is about to go civilian.
It's sweet. It crunches. It remains fresh for three years. And come June, the HooAH! nutrition bar arrives on store shelves nationwide for red-blooded Americans who fancy a special-forces snack.
Developed as a high-energy combat ration for Army Rangers and U.S. Marines almost a decade ago at the Army Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts, the HooAH! name and formula officially have been licensed by a trio of California brothers who know a good thing when they see it.

Well it Has Started

As I stated here - "I believe this circus the Democrats are creating over Tom Delay is going to cost them dearly" -- here we go... GOP calls Nancy Pelosi's ethics stance hypocritical.

House Republicans called Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi a hypocrite yesterday for not demanding investigations into new ethics questions that have arisen about the travel of her fellow Democrats.
"She demanded an investigation into [Majority Leader] Tom DeLay, but hasn't said a word about these Democrats who have done the same thing," said Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican. "If she doesn't call for investigations into her fellow Democrats, then it's clear she's being a hypocrite." [Read more here]

Another One Bites the Dust

CNN.com - Pakistan-seizes top terror suspect
More good news on the battle against terrorism.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- Abu Farraj al-Libbi, a senior al Qaeda suspect wanted in two attempts to assassinate President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been arrested in Pakistan, the government said Wednesday.
Al-Libbi, a native of Libya with a $1 million bounty on his head, was arrested earlier this week, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told The Associated Press.

Letter to Al-Zarqawi Gives Insight

USATODAY.com - Forces in Iraq recover letter believed for al-Zarqawi
A letter believed to be intended for Zarqawi gives a little insight to possible problems within the insurrgency... Also, it covers jihad of course.

But it also described low morale, weakening support for the insurgency and the incompetence of many militant leaders, the statement said. The author also reportedly admonishes the 'the sheik' for abandoning his followers since Fallujah - an insurgent stronghold that was the subject of a major U.S.-led assault in November.

Michael Kinsley Moves Right?

Bush Gets B+ for Honesty, Even Courage, on Social Security
Mr. Kinsley may loose his key to the executive(liberal) bathroom at the LA Times building... Nonetheless, he is on the semi-right track...

Above all, Bush was honest and even courageous about Social Security. Social Security is about writing checks: Money goes in, money goes out. As Bush has discovered in the last few months, there are no shadows to hide in while you fiddle with it. The problem is fewer and fewer workers supporting more and more retirees, and there are only two possible solutions: Someone has to pay more in, and/or someone has to take less out.

On Thursday, Bush didn't exactly go from explicitly denying this to explicitly admitting it. But he went from implicitly suggesting that his privatization scheme is a pain-free solution to implicitly endorsing a plan for serious benefit cuts. For a politician, that's an admirable difference.

Hat tip: Michelle Malkin

Where do We Find People Like This

USATODAY.com - Despite hardships of war, many soldiers reenlist
Stories like this just drives liberals crazy -- we are so blessed as a nation to have men and women like this. Also, it speaks volumes for how it "really" is in Iraq for the soldiers.

SANTA ROSA, Calif. - In Iraq, there were the days that ran together in a never-ending stream of patrols, mission after mission that left him cursing the superiors who sent him out into the teeth of the insurgency. There were the nights when mortars crashed nearby, close enough to smell the sulfur. And there was the question that went unanswered every time a friend was ripped by shrapnel or cut down in an ambush: Why are we fighting this war?
Yet when the time came for Sgt. Jason Waits to decide what he would do when his tour in the Army National Guard ended, he barely paused. Before he even left Iraq, Sergeant Waits reenlisted. And if he is sent back, he 'won't have a problem."

Frozen Digit - This Time Maybe True

CNN.com - Customer finds employee's finger in frozen custard
I used to like stopping and "grabbing something" on the way home. However, with all the "cut fingers" being discovered I may have to rethink that.

WILMINGTON, North Carolina (AP) -- A man who ordered a pint of frozen chocolate custard in a dessert shop got a nasty surprise inside -- a piece of severed finger lost by an employee in an accident.
Unlike a recent incident at a Wendy's restaurant in California, no questions of truth have been raised about the finger served up to go at Kohl's Frozen Custard and found later at home by Clarence Stowers.

Well That is Something

Top News Article | Reuters.com
Well duh - no kidding it was not intentional... This is was an unfortunate wartime incident and as with all unfortunate incidents, wartime or peacetime, hindsight will be 20/20.

ROME (Reuters) - Italy on Monday said the killing of an Italian agent by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad was not intentional, but a government report criticized the U.S. military for the way it organized the roadblock where the shooting took place.

Democrats Guilty Too!

DRUDGE REPORT FLASH 2005
Well the Dems are quilting too -- I believe this circus the Democrats are creating over Tom Delay is going to cost them dearly... Don't get me wrong if rules were broken they must be held accountable, but universal accountability must be enforced.

The controversy over lobbyist-funded Congressional travel has brushed yet another Member. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) took a five-day jaunt to Miami in February. The original travel disclosure Dicks' office filed with the House Clerk listed the sponsor as the Spectrum Group, a defense lobbying firm in Alexandria, Va.

That would be a violation of House Rules, ROLL CALL reports on Monday.

And in recent days, Dicks' office has appended two "corrections" to its initial filing.

LA Times Deceives

The LA Times runs a story by Reuters, which you can read here, ending their piece with:

A team of 18 forensic scientists will begin an examination of the Toyota Corolla in which the Italians were traveling.

Now the whole article released by Reuters, which you can read here, continues with the following conveniently left out by the LA Times article.

A U.S. Army official earlier this week said Italy was disputing two factual issues in the report: the car's speed as it approached the checkpoint and the nature of communications between the Italians and U.S. forces before the incident.

The army official said one of the "trip wires" in the incident was that "there was, in fact, poor communications between the Italians and the Americans."

Italy's government has said the Italians had been driving slowly, received no warning and had advised U.S. authorities of their mission to evacuate Sgrena from Iraq.

CBS news has reported that a U.S. satellite had filmed the shooting and that it had been established the car carrying Calipari was traveling at more than 60 miles per hour as it approached the U.S. checkpoint in Baghdad.

The Italians say they are unaware of any recording of the incident.

Why would the LA Times leave this portion out? The speed of the vehicle is one of the major disagreements and this after all sourced to CBS News of all things (you think they think it a conservative news network)... No, they had their motives or I guess it could be simply lazy reporting -- but either way it is proof you never trust one source and especially the LA Times.

Same Tactic

Blair saw legal caveats a year before invasion
Does anyone else find it odd or comical that the same tactics are deployed against Mr. Blair of Britain that were used against Mr. Bush of America? I mean didn't we hear or don't we hear how everything was planned in advance Bush knew everything before and lied about it -- deja vu Mr. Blair has the same powers.

Mr Blair has always maintained he was not aware of any ambiguity in his legal right to go to war. But today we reveal that he saw Foreign Office caveats a year before the Attorney General's infamous advice that has put his reputation in the balance this week. Raymond Whitaker reports.

UPDATE: More from Reuters.

No Nothing to Fear - Right!

The New York Times > Health > 19 on H.I.V. Drugs After Needle Prick
These are children, children -- haven't we heard there is nothing to be fearful from individuals with HIV... Well maybe not for adults but that obviously doesn't apply to children. How would you feel if one of these children were yours?

PHILADELPHIA, April 30 (AP) - Nineteen elementary schoolchildren who were pricked with a diabetes-testing needle by another student are taking strong drugs to fight H.I.V. after one of the children tested positive for the virus, officials said.
The authorities have ruled out the possibility that the child who tested positive for the virus, which causes AIDS, could have been infected by the needle prick.

Beware How You Google

Beware How You Google
Be careful and make sure you updates are current.

A simple misspelling of Google's domain name could lead to a Web surfer's worst nightmare.
In a new twist to the old practice of 'typosquatting,' virus writers have registered a slight variation of Google Inc.'s popular search-engine site to take advantage of any users who botch the spelling of the google.com URL.