Gridlock News

Send All Those Collection Calls Straight to Voice Mail with Google Voice

2010-03-10T11:51:00.001-05:00

This recession has been dubbed as possibly one of the worst in history, maybe even worse than the recession experienced during the Great Depression in economic terms. Therefore it is becoming more and more common for people that previously had great credit, great jobs, great income and even a great deal of savings to suddenly find themselves on the other end of a barrage of collections calls.

With collectors getting access to not only home and work number but also cell phone numbers, the calls can seem to come at 15 minute intervals all day long. This ironically makes it very difficult to get any work done, find a job, drum up new business or even think straight....

Article syndicated from Home Loan Focus.

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Mass Casualties Reported in Middletown Connecticut after Gas Plant Explodes

2010-02-07T14:44:00.001-05:00

The plant explosion has been reported to have shaken homes off their foundation in the community around the plant. Towns from miles away felt the explosion and thought it might be an earthquake. Police and fire officials report mass casualties. The plant was only in a testing phase and had not opened up yet. The coincidence of the explosion on the same day as the Super Bowl leaves much for consideration.

There were reports of “Bodies everywhere” and 20 ambulances on the scene with more rescue personnel on the way.

Enter the WordPress ‘License to Design’ Theme Contest 2.0

2009-09-24T03:43:00.001-05:00

Note: Cross posted from Softduit Media.

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Between now and the end of BlogWorld in mid October, we are going to run a WordPress Theme design contest for new designers or people that want to learn how to design a WordPress theme for the first time....

Note: Cross posted from Softduit Media.

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Social Media Trends & Statistics

2009-08-19T12:09:00.001-05:00

Note: Cross posted from Softduit Media.

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Here’s a very good video that shares some insights in where social media is at today, where its been, and likely where its going.

This is probably one of those videos that you will want to watch a couple times, just to make sure you understand the insights and information within.

Note: Cross posted from Softduit Media.

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Labs on the Lake | Monetizing Blogs and Traffic Building by Networking-Week of 5/18

2009-05-18T02:53:00.001-05:00

Note: Cross posted from Softduit Media.

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This week we are kicking off two more Labs on the Lake. This week we will hold two labs. One today, Monday(5-18 at 2pm est), covering the topic of Blog Monetization, walking through some blog revenue sources, adding some new ones to the list and giving some advice on how to navigate these options which can be murky on a good day. [Meetup RSVP link]

This like many of our topics will be covered several times. Blog Monetization is definitely not something that can be covered in a single day, let alone a single lab. Many people are looking for ways to earn extra money, raise revenue to market their companies more, or even start their own business. We will help people get started with the process of making money with a blog (a blog is required to follow along with this lab in person or on our live show at Mogulus.com/wificove ).

Then on Thursday(5/21 2 pm est) we are going to cover the topic of building traffic through networking. [Meetup RSVP link]

Again this is a very deep topic and one we will revisit many times in the future, but you can tune into either lab at 2 PM est or if you are in the Charlotte area, RSVP through our Meetup group (cost $5 to attend) and spend an afternoon on the lake learning some great web skills that will make you money.

We are following up on our first Lab on the Lake last week, which covered WordPress Installation, WordPress Configuration, & WordPress Theme design with our favorite WordPress Theme Generator-Artisteer. The video from this event (our first live broadcast) didn’t take to well, but we got the bugs worked out the next night when we held our weekly WordPress Meetup in Charlotte and do expect this weeks events to go off without a hitch.

Note: Cross posted from Softduit Media.

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How Could this Not Be Excessive Force?

2009-03-02T15:02:00.001-05:00

This 15 Year old girl accused but not charged with stealing an automobile is kicked then has her face bashed into a brick wall, then she is thrown to the floor by her hair. She is punched in the back or the back of the head several times while a guard has her pinned on the floor. She is then picked up to her feet by her hair and is taken out of the camera frame where who knows what happens next.

Surveillance footage recently made public shows a deputy roughing up a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell -- apparently striking the girl, pulling her hair and pushing her to the ground, prosecutors said. Watch Video Seattle officer charged with assault after suspect "roughed up" on camera. Assault on Camera close Deputy Paul Schene is charged with fourth-degree assault after prosecutors said the tape showed him beating a teen girl at a suburban Seattle jail last November when she was arrested for stealing a car, the Associated Press reported. "We believe this case is beyond just police misconduct, it's criminal misconduct," King County Prosecutor Daniel Satterberg told the AP. "This is clearly excessive force.

Caught on Tape: Deputy Charged with Assaulting Teen Girl | NBC Washington

U.S. Ends ban on Pictures of Returning Military Coffins with Family Permission

2009-02-26T22:52:00.001-05:00

By Ann Scott Tyson Washington Post Staff Writer Thursday, February 26, 2009; 2:12 PM Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates announced today that he is lifting a 1991 ban on news coverage of the return of the remains of fallen service members to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, although he will leave the decision about press coverage up to the family of the dead. The controversial ban on photography and other media coverage of the solemn return of flag-draped coffins -- upheld by both Republican and Democratic administrations -- has generated lawsuits as well as conflicting emotions on the part of military familiies. Gates said he is asking a group of advisers to come up with a plan on how to implement the new policy.

U.S. to End Ban on Media Coverage of Returning Military Coffins - washingtonpost.com

Democrats Assail Withdrawal Plan - washingtonpost.com

2009-02-26T22:50:00.001-05:00

By Anne E. Kornblut and Paul Kane Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, February 27, 2009; Page A03 President Obama sought yesterday to quell growing complaints from members of Congress about his plans for drawing down troops in Iraq, inviting lawmakers to a White House meeting on the eve of a North Carolina speech in which he is expected to announce that he will pull out many combat troops by August of 2010. After House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) complained that the level of troops -- 50,000 -- who would remain in Iraq is too high, other senior Democrats voiced similar concerns. Not one member of the Democratic leadership, except for Sen. Richard Durbin (Ill.), defended the new Obama plan, which will take three months longer than he promised and still leave a significant force structure on the ground.

Democrats Assail Withdrawal Plan - washingtonpost.com

Air Traffic Control Tapes of Plane Landing in Hudson

2009-02-05T15:14:00.001-05:00

533k Americans Lose Jobs in Nov., Most Since '74

2008-12-05T17:33:00.001-05:00

The total number of job losses on the year is now at 1.9 million: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/…/28067433/

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What Does Your Local Unemployment Look Like?

2008-12-03T08:54:00.001-05:00

This morning as I came in with the local paper, I read a story about unemployment in North Carolina where we have been hit with layoffs from Wachovia and Freightliner and many many other companies of smaller sizes.

We have over 12 counties in the state where the unemployment rate is over 9%.We have 4 counties with rates under 6% and 21 counties where the unemployment rate is between 6% and 9%.

Nationally unemployment rates went to 6.5% last month.

I've heard that unemployment rates in Michigan are in double digits and going up.

I'm curious what everyone else around the country or the world for that matter is looking at for unemployment levels at a local or semi local level.

To contrast this discussion, Black Friday sales at the local Sears TV department came in at $49k, when expectations for sales were expected to be about $26k. (heard this from a friend :) )

So it would seem that while our county has an unemployment rate of 9.1%, people turned out to buy more TV's (No Interest until 2012).

Are people in your area preparing to hit the streets and get a job?

or

Are they preparing to hit the couch and sit the winter out?

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We're Americans and we're here to take you home

2008-11-12T15:04:00.001-05:00

This is the story of one of the most daring and successful U.S. hostage-rescue missions in years.

http://www.armytimes.com/…110708WEB/

Well done!

Now why won't hollywood make a movie showing the tenacity and bravery of our troops instead of the steaming piles of bs that they've been making in an effort to offend them?

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CNN Projects too

2008-11-04T23:04:00.001-05:00

Congrats Barack

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Short Lines to Vote

2008-11-04T13:21:00.001-05:00

There were very short voting lines at 8:45 AM. Almost everyone took advantage of early voting and it was obvious. It almost made me feel bad for the folks who waited in line for 9 hours to early vote. Almost.

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Camera Man at the Polling Station

2008-11-04T12:30:00.001-05:00

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2008-11-04T12:16:00.001-05:00

Wynnefield residents wait patiently in line to cast their vote.

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Election Day

2008-11-04T12:15:00.001-05:00

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Pic. DC & voter lines #voterreport

2008-11-04T06:47:00.003-05:00

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>From dntn DC #voterreport

2008-11-04T06:47:00.001-05:00

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Obama Assassination Plot Disrupted

2008-10-27T15:39:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest breaking news on a new plot to kill Obama that has apparently been thwarted.

"The ATF says it has broken up a plot to assassinate Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and shoot or decapitate 102 black people in a Tennessee murder spree."

http://washingtontimes.com/…srupted-1/

http://news.google.com/news/url

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The Dow Dives: Bailout in Action? Who can tell?

2008-10-09T15:34:00.001-05:00

Got the above screencap from here: http://is.gd/3MTw (a live graphic of the Dow at NYTimes.com).

Now, I can't remember where I read this, but apparently that bailout bill that got passed won't kick in until after the election. So, all those billions of dollars won't go anywhere until it's too late. Now we watch as the Dow, the NYSE's main guidepost, nosedives to just above 8,000. So, no, this isn't the bailout at work, it's the bailout not existing for another month. Why should the market care about what will happen in a month's time if businesses can't function now?

It seems like no matter what the USG does it just can't follow it's own rules. First, the free market is supposed to be fine on its own. Then the bailout is supposed to help save the free market. And now... ?

OK, just checked the latest and now, at closing, it's back up to 8711. That puts the Dow down nearly 6% from yesterday. Specifically, it's down 547 points.

Can you say "weeee!"?

In case you're wondering, the Dow does not represent the market as a whole. It's just a chunk of it--the most important chunk. According to Wikipedia.org's entry for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (here: http://en.wikipedia.org/…l_Average), the DJIA is an average value : "...of 30 of the largest and most widely held public companies in the United States."

In short, when it goes down, people panic. Ultimately, though, the Dow usually climbs the day after a spectacular drop. However, it's kind of like how you feel so much better after you puke. It's not that you legitimately feel good, it's just that after your previous ordeal ANYthing feels better.

Then again, these days, everything's screwy and hard to predict, so who knows?

I mean, hey, the USG said that we had to move quickly, so why is all of that bailout money sitting around doing nothing during all of this? What was all that rush and lack of public discussion for?

Oh and it looks like I had my numbers wrong above--just checked the numbers again and while it looked like the Dow had rebounded a bit, it just went ahead and dropped again, making it down to 8579--that's a percentage drop of over 7% and a point drop of almost 680.

I guess that was the last drop of a really good rollercoaster ride--just when you were thinking "Oh, that was quite a ride! There's the exit coming up--WAHHHH!!!"

It's times like this when I ask just what the hell are our leaders up to?

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Barr Answers Questions Bipartisans Ducked

2008-10-08T15:19:00.001-05:00

Since he wasn't invited to participate in the debates (and was denied the opportunity even after asking) Bob Barr sat down to answer questions provided by YouTube viewers.

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Bob Barr on the Bailout

2008-10-01T12:47:00.001-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch for the video page.

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Protesting the Bailout

2008-10-01T11:52:00.001-05:00

In front of a Citbank branch on the corner of K and 17th st in DC

Andy from the Andycast at andycast dot net

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PhotoShop Attack Ads in the Mail

2008-10-01T10:11:00.000-05:00

Could have been worse, it could have been an ad for acne free clear skin treatment showing Hoyle all pimpled up.

This morning I received this funny little attack ad in the mail. At first I thought this was a piece of junk mail. Then I realized that it was supposed to look like junk mail, but it was actually a political attack ad focused on one of our local politicians, State Senator David Hoyle.

The claims against this local politician, a state senator, said he bought a bunch a land then joined government and steered some road projects rate through his land so they could sell it at a profit to a number of strip malls and other types of businesses that would like to pop up next to this new interstate area.

So they're basically Photoshop is headed on to that guy that you see on infomercials on TV late at night that walks around in a green jacket with dollar bills all over it, actually I guess those are dollar signs not actual dollar bills.

There's nothing else remarkable about this particular ad, I decided to share some of the local flavor that were seen in Gastonia, North Carolina these days as we get closer and closer to the election in November.

Image via Wikipedia

Dow Jones Down 513 Points

2008-09-29T13:03:00.001-05:00

The house is currently voting on the Bailout package. Right now the votes are coming in at 205 for and 227 against 1 not voting. That's a total of 433 votes, the house has 435 members.

The bailout package has a lot of supporters mostly trying to do something as opposed to nothing and many more people that see no benefit in throwing a trillion dollars after bad money.

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WaMu Just Failed, Seized by FDIC sold Off

2008-09-25T21:43:00.001-05:00

CNN's reporting that WaMu just failed. It was seized by the FDIC. The FDIC sold off the company/assets to JP Morgan Chase.

They are reporting that all deposits in WaMu including those over $100k are safe. Shareholders in WaMu just lost all value remaining in the company.

Separately, the meeting at the White House tonight failed again with House Republicans very unhappy, a new meeting scheduled without House Republicans is set for 11:30 am.

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Keeping With The Theme

2008-09-19T19:58:00.002-05:00

Keeping with the theme of economics this week, the Dow Jones Industrial's rallied again today to finish down a mere 100 or so points for the week. This week has been the strangest week in regards to the markets that I have ever seen.

Lets recap:

Monday the 15th, stocks plunged over 500 points in the worst day of trading since the Sept. 11th attacks in 2001. The massacre, due to the crisis at Lehman Brothers and the short sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America.

Tuesday the 16th, the markets rebounded approximately 140 points as the fed announced that it may lower interest rates once again to help stabilize the economy. Although rates were not lowered, the fed and treasury assured consumers that they would have something in the works to help stave off recession (that we are already in).

Wednesday the 17th, stocks take another dive down an additional 450 points on the news that AIG was facing a Lehman Brothers-esque crisis. The blood o the trading floor apparently got quite deep and both presidential candidates pounced on the issue for clearly partisan reasons. Disgusting how both McCain and Obama are acting like little children instead of offering a solution that goes beyond finger pointing.

Thursday the 18th, traders were gaining back their sanity based upon the near $65 billion dollars of aid delivered via the American taxpayer through another Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury and Presidential brainstorm session. The session may be to the tune of $1 trillion by weeks end. Where was Congress during all of this? Personally, I think they were off sipping fine wine and eating cheese.

Friday the 19th, Stocks rebounded nearly 400 points to break close to even for the weekend. Who knows where it will go Monday, but at least for now America can sleep soundly.

Seriously, what a bizarre week. I guess the days of living the cheap, care free and easy life is over for most anyone who had not diversified their portfolio with precious metals and t-bills. Who would have known that both stocks and bonds would take this colossal hit in such a short time. I guess the check-out lines at Wal-Mart will be a bit longer as folks head towards the discounts and away from the more expensive and possibly better quality products in order to save money.

I have to wonder what this will look like for organic farmers and their industries as well as other health conscious supplement providers like EAS, orovo and the like? It ought to be interesting to see not only what goes down at the start of next week, but also where these industries wind up.

I don't know about all of you, but I'd be interested in hearing from Congress about this enormous redirection of taxpayer money. Where is our representation in all of this. Granted, the economy effects us all, but doesn't this feel like some type of financial shotgun wedding?

Pakistan Issues Orders to Fire on US Invaders

2008-09-16T13:35:00.001-05:00

It would appear that the US has dropped the last straw on the camel before that camel's back will break in Pakistan. Pakistan issued orders to its military to fire on any US troops that cross the Pakistan border from Afghanistan, following US commando raids last month and missile attacks as the US fought to chase rebels on the western border of Pakistan where it is thought Osama Bin Laden is hiding.

YouTube - Pakistani Troops Ordered to Fire It U.S. Raids

Market Dropping - War on Terror to Get Serious?

2008-09-16T04:25:00.001-05:00

If you are waking up this morning and checking in with the markets, things are still dropping. European markets have been down all morning on concerns over the massive insurer AIG which has a trillion dollar balance sheet.

Oil continues to drop this morning and is right now at $92.76.

It is going to be a long day for finance. As its September 15, just 4 days after the anniversary of 9/11, I can't help but think that I do not want to see the terrorist win by defeating us financially.

People have been talking about how the people of the United States have not really gotten involved in the War on Terror, in part because we did not have to field a personal and direct price. I would agree that this is mostly true for most Americans due to the way that our country went to war.

That said, as the markets move towards directions that have not been witnessed since the precursors to the Great Depression, I can't help but think that there will really be hell to pay once Americans do have to pay a personal price. Americans may have gotten a little bent out of shape on 9/11/2001, but I suspect that in retrospect that will be nothing compared to what will come as a consequence of multiple years of very high oil prices.

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WSJ-Baby Formula Contaminated Like Pet Food

2008-09-11T13:27:00.001-05:00

I was digging below many of the headlines that are above the fold today and came across this story in the Wall Street Journal. http://adjix.com/rh84

The Chinese Ministry of Health is reporting that Melamine has been found in baby formula or baby powder. This is the same substance that was deemed to have killed thousands of pets last year. The chemical was added to pet food in order for the protein levels in the food to appear higher.

So far 59 infants have come down with cases of kidney stones in China this year. So far China has not identified if or how much of this baby formula may have been exported around the world.

This is not China's first problem with baby formula. In 2004, 13 or more babies died after drinking fake formula with no nutritional value.

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Charlie Rangel on His Own Mini Tax Scandal

2008-09-11T10:09:00.002-05:00

Charlie Rangel found himself embroiled in a Mini Tax Scandal and as far as I can see this is primarily relevant in that the US tax system is so complex that not even a member of Congress with several accountants and advisors is unable to stay on top of things.

Obviously, there is indeed a need for a change, but a change that simplifies the tax code instead of adding additional layers, exceptions, and breaks.

YouTube - Rangel: I Should Be Held to a Higher Standard

Man With Rifle and Grenade Arrested in Washington, DC

2008-09-05T17:08:00.002-05:00

This report just came in off the AP Wire.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Capitol Police arrested a man Friday after they found a grenade and several weapons in his car several blocks from the Capitol building.
Christopher Shelton Timmons, 27, of Orange, Va., was charged with carrying a deadly weapon and possessing unregistered firearms and ammunition, said Capitol Police spokeswoman Sgt. Kimberly Schneider.
Timmons was detained after he stopped to ask a police officer for directions and the officer saw a rifle case in the car.
A search of the car, a Jeep Cherokee, turned up a rifle, a live grenade, a pistol, ammunition, magazines with ammunition in them and several other "items of concern," Schneider said.
Police closed nearby streets for several hours while conducting the search. The incident occurred near the Library of Congress southeast of the Capitol.
The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and District of Columbia police assisted in the investigation.
AP

During the week of the convention it seems like the crazies have really come out of the wood work on all sides. That was probably to be expected but I think we have to hand it to law enforcement for being on top of things, strapped in on the streets and roof tops picking out the loons with Nikon binoculars and so far arresting them before anything bad happened.

We do need a major over haul in this country, but I do not believe that it should be spurred on about violence.

WasillaAlaska Reacts to Palin's Daughter's Pregnancy - Teen Father to Attend Convention

2008-09-03T12:59:00.003-05:00

YouTube - Father of Bristol Palin's Baby to Attend RNC

So now Republicans are going to show case teen parents at the Republican National Convention. For a Governor that vetoed benefits for teen mothers in her own state, believes in abstinence and does not believe in providing teens with birth control, this RNC event is shaping up to be either the height of hypocrisy for Republicans or possibly the opportunity of a political lifetime for Republicans to get real, grow up, and take a step towards the middle ground of America when it comes to teen sex and teen pregnancy.

Regardless, the Republicans have finally figured out how to get back in the saddle and they didn't do it by placing a lady on an english saddles riding sideways, they went straight at the thing with a down to earth woman charging into the fight riding bareback on a Mustang).

Early Word on Scores of Protestors and Reporters Arrested in St Paul

2008-09-01T23:17:00.001-05:00

Additional Stories on this Topic
Scores arrested as protests turn violent outside GOP convention
San Francisco Chronicle, USA - 1 hour ago
Police used pepper spray and tear gas to quell breakaway demonstrators from an otherwise peaceful antiwar demonstration today outside the Republican ...
As Throngs of Protesters Hit Streets, Dozens Are Arrested After ...
New York Times, United States - 2 hours ago
By PATRICK HEALY and COLIN MOYNIHAN ST. PAUL — Thousands of protesters, many of them demonstrating against the war in Iraq, marched on Monday through the ...
Police, protesters clash near convention
Reuters - 2 hours ago
ST. PAUL - Police in riot gear used pepper spray and smoke bombs against a few hundred violent protesters on Monday, and at least a dozen were arrested ...

Police, protesters clash near Republican convention
Reuters - 3 hours ago
By Andy Sullivan ST. PAUL (Reuters) - Police in riot gear battled hundreds of protesters with pepper spray and smoke bombs and arrested 130 people on Monday ...

Nagin Cries Flee Ahead of Gustav Impact

2008-08-31T15:55:00.002-05:00

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded with Big Easy residents to heed his warning to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Gustav which threatens the city in an eerily familiar fashion to that of Katrina in 05'. Gustav, expected to arrive onshore as either a powerful category 3 or weak category 4 early this week, has led Mayor Nagin not only to plead for residents to evacuate, but also promise that looters would be sent directly to jail. Apparently any "Get Out of Jail Free cards" will not be honored this time around.

As of Sunday afternoon, the vast majority of residents have fled, leaving New Orleans a virtual ghost-town. Many of The cities residents have been "battening down the hatches" by boarding up windows, securing items with outdoor furniture covers into garages and even locking up their homes to stay with friends and relatives outside the state.

In addition to the city, almost 90% of Louisiana's coastal region residents have fled further inland or out of the region completely, said Col. Mike Edmondsen, a Louisiana state police commander, to the AP.

Only time will tell if Gustav will pack a similar punch to that of Katrina. It is apparent that Mayor Nagin isn't taking anything for granted this time around. President Bush is also standing by in neighboring Texas, ready to visit the storm-effected region and help deliver aid and comfort.

20 Videos on Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska

2008-08-31T12:46:00.001-05:00

Governor Sarah Palin is John McCain's new Vice Presidential Pick. Here are over 20 videos, most featuring important actions she has taken as Governor that will likely demonstrate her position on a large number of important areas.

Who Is Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska?

2008-08-29T10:48:00.002-05:00

Here are the Wikipedia details on Sarah Palin as of Aug 29th, 2008. You can bet this profile is going to update fast an often over the next few months

Sarah Heath Palin (born February 11, 1964) is the current Governor of Alaska, and a member of the Republican Party. She is the youngest and first female governor of Alaska. She is the Republican vice presidential candidate for the November 2008 election. Brought to statewide attention because of her whistleblowing on ethical violations by state Republican Party leaders, she won election in 2006 by first defeating the incumbent governor in the Republican primary, then a former Democratic Alaskan governor in the general election.
On August 29, the Associated Press reported that "speculation [has] moved to [Palin as a] darkhorse" pick for the vice president running mate slot by presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. The CNBC news service is now reporting that Palin will in fact be the GOP vice-presidential nominee. She is reported to be a possible choice for the Republican Party's nomination as Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election. Formal announcement of the presumptive nominee will be made in Dayton, Ohio on August 29, 2008, by Presidential candidate John McCain.
Family and personal background

Palin was born as Sarah Louise Heath in Sandpoint, Idaho, the daughter of Charles and Sally (Sheeran) Heath. Her family moved to Alaska when she was an infant. Charles Heath was a popular science teacher and coached track. The Heaths were avid outdoors enthusiasts; Sarah and her father would sometimes wake at 3 a.m. to hunt moose before school, and the family would regularly run 5k and 10k races.
Palin was the point guard and captain for the Wasilla High School Warriors, in Wasilla, Alaska, when they won the Alaska small-school basketball championship in 1982; she earned the nickname "Sarah Barracuda" because of her intense play. She played the championship game despite a stress fracture in her ankle, hitting a critical free throw in the last seconds. Palin, who was also the head of the school Fellowship of Christian Athletes, would lead the team in prayer before games.
In 1984, Palin was second-place in the Miss Alaska beauty pageant after winning the Miss Wasilla contest earlier that year, winning a scholarship to help pay her way through college. In the Wasilla pageant, she played the flute and also won Miss Congeniality.
Details of Palin's personal life have contributed to her political image. She hunts, eats moose burgers, ice fishes, rides snowmobiles, and owns a float plane. Palin holds a lifetime membership with the National Rifle Association. She admits that she used marijuana when it was legal in Alaska, but says that she did not like it.
Palin holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Idaho where she also minored in politics. She briefly worked as a sports reporter for local Anchorage television stations while also working as a commercial fisherman with her husband, Todd, her high school sweetheart. One summer when she was working on Todd's fishing boat, the boat collided with a tender while she was holding onto the railing; Palin broke several fingers. Outside the fishing season, Todd works for BP at an oil field on the North Slope and is a champion snowmobiler, winning the 2000-mile "Iron Dog" race four times. The two eloped shortly after Palin graduated college; when they learned they needed witnesses for the civil ceremony, they recruited two residents from the old-age home down the street. Todd is a Native Yup'ik Eskimo. The Palin family lives in Wasilla, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Anchorage.
On September 11, 2007, the Palins' son Track joined the Army. Eighteen years old at the time, he is the eldest of Palin's five children. Track now serves in an infantry brigade and will be deployed to Iraq in September. She also has three daughters: Bristol, 17, Willow, 13, and Piper, 7. On April 18, 2008, Palin gave birth to her second son, Trig Paxson Van Palin, who has Down syndrome. She returned to the office three days after giving birth. Palin refused to let the results of prenatal genetic testing change her decision to have the baby. "I'm looking at him right now, and I see perfection," Palin said. "Yeah, he has an extra chromosome. I keep thinking, in our world, what is normal and what is perfect?"

Pre-gubernatorial political experience

Palin served two terms on the Wasilla City Council from 1992 to 1996. In 1996, she challenged the incumbent mayor, criticizing wasteful spending and high taxes. The ex-mayor and sheriff tried to organize a recall campaign, but failed. Palin kept her campaign promises, reducing her own salary, as well as reducing property taxes 60%. She ran for reelection against the former mayor in 1999, winning by an even larger margin. Palin was also elected president of the Alaska Conference of Mayors.
In 2002, Palin made an unsuccessful bid for Lieutenant Governor, coming in second to Loren Leman in a four-way race. After Frank Murkowski resigned from his long-held U.S. Senate seat in mid-term to become governor, Palin interviewed to be his possible successor. Instead, Murkowski appointed his daughter, then-Alaska State Representative Lisa Murkowski.
Governor Murkowski appointed Palin Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, where she served from 2003 to 2004 until resigning in protest over what she called the "lack of ethics" of fellow Alaskan Republican leaders, who ignored her whistleblowing complaints of legal violations and conflicts of interest. After she resigned, she exposed the state Republican party's chairman, Randy Ruedrich, one of her fellow Oil & Gas commissioners, who was accused of doing work for the party on public time, and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail. Palin filed formal complaints against both Ruedrich and former Alaska Attorney General Gregg Renkes, who both resigned; Ruedrich paid a record $12,000 fine.

Governorship

Governor Palin visits a wounded soldier in Landstuhl, Germany, July 2007
In 2006, Palin, running on a clean-government campaign, executed an upset victory over then-Gov. Murkowski in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Despite the lack of support from party leaders and being outspent by her Democratic opponent, she went on to win the general election in November 2006, defeating former Governor Tony Knowles. Palin said in 2006 that education, public safety, and transportation would be three cornerstones of her administration.
When elected, Palin became the first woman to be Alaska's governor, and the youngest governor in Alaskan history at 42 years old upon taking office. Palin was also the first Alaskan governor born after Alaska achieved U.S. statehood. She was also the first Alaskan governor not to be inaugurated in Juneau, instead choosing to hold her inauguration ceremony in Fairbanks. She took office on December 4, 2006.
Highlights of Governor Palin's tenure include a successful push for an ethics bill, and also shelving pork-barrel projects supported by fellow Republicans. Palin successfully killed the Bridge to Nowhere project that had become a nationwide symbol of wasteful earmark spending. "Alaska needs to be self-sufficient, she says, instead of relying heavily on 'federal dollars,' as the state does today."
She has challenged the state's Republican leaders, helping to launch a campaign by Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell to unseat U.S. Congressman Don Young and publicly challenging Senator Ted Stevens to come clean about the federal investigation into his financial dealings. Palin supports holding occasional legislative sessions outside the state capital, and municipal revenue sharing to help local governments.
In 2007, Palin had an approval rating often in the 90s. A poll published by Hays Research on July 28, 2008 showed Palin's approval rating at 80%.

Energy policies

Palin's tenure is noted for her independence from big oil companies, while still promoting resource development. Palin has announced plans to create a new sub-cabinet group of advisors, to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions within Alaska.
Shortly after taking office, Palin rescinded an appointment by Murkowski of his former chief of staff Jim Clark to the Alaska Natural Gas Development Authority, one of thirty-five appointments made by Murkowski in the last hour of his administration that she reversed. Clark later pled guilty to conspiring with a defunct oil-field-services company to channel money into Frank Murkowski's re-election campaign.
In March 2007, Palin presented the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA) as the new legal vehicle for building a natural gas pipeline from the state's North Slope. Only one legislator, Representative Ralph Samuels, voted against the measure, and in June Palin signed it into law. On January 5, 2008, Palin announced that a Canadian company, Transcanada, was the sole AGIA-compliant applicant.
In response to high oil and gas prices, and in response to the resulting state government budget surplus, Palin proposed giving Alaskans $100-a-month energy debit cards. She also proposed providing grants to electrical utilities so that they would reduce customers' rates. She subsequently dropped the debit card proposal, and in its place she proposed to send Alaskans $1,200 directly and eliminate the gas tax.

Social issues

Palin is strongly pro-life and belongs to Feminists for Life. She opposes same-sex marriage, but she has stated that she has gay friends and is receptive to gay and lesbian concerns about discrimination. While the previous administration did not implement same-sex benefits, Palin complied with a state Supreme Court order and signed them into law.
She supported a democratic advisory vote from the public on whether there should be a constitutional amendment on the matter. Alaska was one of the first U.S. states to pass a constitutional ban on gay marriage, in 1998, along with Hawaii.
Palin's first veto was used to block legislation that would have barred the state from granting benefits to gay state employees and their partners. In effect, her veto granted State of Alaska benefits to same-sex couples. The veto occurred after Palin consulted with Alaska's attorney general on the constitutionality of the legislation.

Matanuska Maid Dairy closure

When the Alaska Creamery Board recommended closing Matanuska Maid Dairy, an unprofitable state-owned business, Palin objected, citing concern for the impact on dairy farmers and the fact that the Dairy had just received $600,000 in state money. When Palin learned that only the Board of Agriculture and Conservation could appoint Creamery Board members, she simply replaced the entire membership of the Board of Agriculture and Conservation. The new board, led by businesswoman Kristan Cole, reversed the decision to close. The new board approved milk price increases offered by the dairy in an attempt to control fiscal losses, even though milk from Washington was already offered in Alaskan stores at lower prices. In the end, the dairy was forced to close, and the state tried to sell the assets to pay off its debts but received no bids.

Budget

In the first days of her administration, Palin followed through on a campaign promise to sell the Westwind II jet purchased (on a state government credit account) by the Murkowski administration. The state placed the jet for sale on eBay three times. In August 2007, the jet was sold for $2.7 million.
Shortly after becoming governor, Palin canceled an 11-mile (18-kilometer) gravel road outside of Juneau to a mine. This reversed a decision made in the closing days or hours of the Murkowski Administration.
In June 2007, Palin signed into law the largest operating budget in Alaska's history ($6.6 billion). At the same time, she used her veto power to make the second-largest cuts of the construction budget in state history. The US$237 million in cuts represented over 300 local projects, and reduced the construction budget to nearly US$1.6 billion.

Commissioner dismissal

On July 11, 2008, Governor Palin dismissed Walter Monegan as Commissioner of Public Safety and instead offered him a position as executive director of the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, which he subsequently turned down. Monegan alleged shortly after his dismissal that it may have been partly due to his reluctance to fire an Alaska State Trooper, Mike Wooten, who had been involved in a divorce and child custody battle with Palin's sister, Molly McCann. In 2006, before Palin was governor, Wooten was briefly suspended for ten days for threatening to kill McCann's (and Palin's) father, tasering his 11-year-old stepson, and violating game laws. After a union protest, the suspension was reduced to five days.
Governor Palin asserts that her dismissal of Monegan was unrelated to the fact that he had not fired Wooten, and asserts that Monegan was instead dismissed for not adequately filling state trooper vacancies, and because he "did not turn out to be a team player on budgeting issues." Palin acknowledges that a member of her administration, Frank Bailey, did contact the Department of Public Safety regarding Wooten, but both Palin and Bailey say that happened without her knowledge and was unrelated to her dismissal of Monegan. Bailey was put on leave for two months for acting outside the scope of his authority as the Director of Boards and Commissions.
In response to Palin's statement that she had nothing to hide, in August 2008 the Alaska Legislature hired Steve Branchflower to investigate Palin and her staff for possible abuse of power surrounding the dismissal, though lawmakers acknowledge that "Monegan and other commissioners serve at will, meaning they can be fired by Palin at any time." The investigation is being overseen by Democratic State Senator Hollis French, who says that the Palin administration has been cooperating and thus subpoenas are unnecessary. The Palin administration itself was the first to release an audiotape of Bailey making inquiries about the status of the Wooten investigation.
Wooten and the police union alleged that the governor had improperly released his employment files in his divorce case. However, McCann's attorney released a signed waiver from Wooten demonstrating that Wooten had authorized the release of his files through normal discovery procedures.

She has had a great deal of interesting types of experience, and with that kind of background, it is hard not to like her. She has appeal to almost every category or lifestyle of people like someone created a checklist of characteristics of everyone from the Democratic and Republican parties and then went down the checklist confirming that she met the qualifications:

Moose Hunting - Check
pilot a plane - Check
kick out corrupt republicans - check
fight the oil industry - check
Have 5 kids - check
Sports Jock - check
Public Speaking education and skills - check
couple decades of public service - check

Only thing she seems to be missing is:

worked as a nun
served in the military
brokered an international peace accord
Brought a lawsuit against retailers for buying dollhouses, and then marking them up to overpriced levels and selling them to orphans at christmas time

Barack Obama Accepting Nomination In Audio

2008-08-28T23:02:00.001-05:00

www.BlackPerspective.net

“Ya know, John McCain says he’ll follow Bin Laden to the gates of hell; but he won’t even follow him to the cave when he lives.”

Yobachi's Mobile post sent by brettbum using Utterz. Replies. mp3

Many Major Clinton Donors Now Donating to McCain

2008-08-28T12:30:00.001-05:00

Check out this ABC News article on some of the major campaign donors that previously donated to Hillary Clinton and are now donating the maximum amount possible to John McCain.

http://abcnews.go.com/…ions/Story

Per the story, in addition to these serious campaign contributors saying,

"I talk to plenty of people like me who just won't accept an unqualified president."

Obama has heretofor raised a lot of money, but the real race starts Friday. Those hundreds of millions of dollars raised so far, only convinced Democrats to vote for Obama. That's only 1/3 of the US population. There is another 1/3 that are swing voters, independents etc that don't vote along party lines.

Obama has to raise money to reach those people if he is going to win. That means he has to raise all that money all over again and he has to do it within 2 months.

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Olympic Inspired Political Empowerment

2008-08-25T15:44:00.004-05:00

The 29th Olympiad has come to an end and despite numerous scandals and propaganda the games have been deemed an incredible success. In fact, the games may be even more than successful when it comes to the future of Hu Jintao's possible successor Vice-President Xi Jinping. Jinping, who was placed in charge of Olympic operations has reinforced his standing as well as his political clout due to the success of the games.

Having pulled over a million cars off the streets, shutting down factories and launching rockets skyward to germinate clouds to repel smog, Jinping would stop at nothing to ensure the highest level of approval of the Beijing games. In addition to creating favorable conditions for the games, Jinping also managed to quell the masses of human rights activists and political protests staged at the games.

There are however, a number of "scandals" pending in which all the propaganda in the world couldn't prevent, such as the lip synching at the opening ceremony, the underage female gymnastics team as well as judging inconsistencies. Granted, you can almost always count on one scandal or another at the quadrennial event, but when gymnasts don't even appear old enough to have ever even needed acne products, questions are bound to arise.

Despite everything else, the Beijing Olympics were an incredible success and the host nation should be proud of its hard work. The bar has clearly been raised, it will be interesting to see how London does as a host city in 2012.

The TSA - Airline Industry Honeymoon is Definitely Over

2008-08-21T15:25:00.001-05:00

The TSA and the Airline industry this week got into a big battle over airline safety. It would seem that a TSA inspector attempting to determine whether or not airplanes had been securely protected overnight, while not in use, attempted to breach the security of said airplanes, by trying to climb up and into them.

That was apparently part of the inspectors job.

The thing is, in climbing up and into the planes, he used special temperature gauges fastened to the exterior of the planes as hand holds, damaging the gauges and causing almost 10 airplanes to be grounded for serious safety concerns while they were repaired.

The TSA is now threatening to fine the Airlines for not keeping their planes secure enough from an assault by terrorists, ninjas or TSA inspectors, while the Airlines are thinking about litigating the TSA for lost business and damages, not to mention failing to notify the airlines that the inspector had damaged critical airline systems.

This would appear to demark the end of the honeymoon between the TSA and the airline industry. Theirs was never a marriage of love, and always a forced affair, but all pretenses would appear to be out the window now as they start focusing on working against each other like a Mesothelioma lawyer hunting an asbestos tainted factory. It is unlikely that consumers will benefit from the battles leading up to the divorce.

I've Got 2 Tickets To Putin-dise, Pack Your Bags We'll Leave Tonight!

2008-08-18T21:28:00.003-05:00

If you are a Georgian citizen of Gori, chances are, you already left. As of this evening, Russian forces are entrenched on the outskirts of the city waiting on marching orders to return home at dusk. The question on everyones mind is whether or not the Russian troops will return to the August 6th levels as the cease-fire would indicate. Apparently, the troops had been ordered or requested to return to South Ossetia, but are yet to heed the word of the Russian government. Is this an example of the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, or is it a case of the left hand is tightening its grip while the right hand prepares to draw the knife?

Personally, I think that this is a test of the resolve of the west and the European Union. Recently, in what may very well be an attempt to "shine on" the Russians, Poland agreed to house the United States' missile defense shield. Obviously this action didn't please the Russians very much, how long will it be before Russian armor is on the outskirts of Warsaw? Paris?

YahooNews

Russian Order Halts Bombing in Georgia

2008-08-12T11:32:00.002-05:00

After an all out assault on the breakaway republic of Georgia, Russian forces announced early Tuesday morning that they had ordered a halt of hostilities. The Georgian government insists that hostilities remain as Russian forces have delved deeper into their territory, including the Kodori Gorge where about 3,000 civilians fled the advance of more than 100 Russian tanks.

Hours after Russian President Medvedev announced the precarious ceasefire, Georgian officials claimed that Russian jets had taken action against the government offices and outdoor market in the city of Gori. The majority of residents have fled on foot from the central region toward the capital of Tsibili, where they will presumably attempt to put their affairs in order and possibly get some quotes for online auto insurance due to the fact that their vehicles might still be under mortar fire.

It appears, at this time, that Russia is reabsorbing the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and may have plans of pushing further into Georgia and unseating the popular President Sakaashvili. It is still unclear what effect all this upheaval will cause in the worlds oil markets. BP has already shutdown 1 of 3 major pipelines that run through the country. This is a situation that could quickly escalate and draw in more nations.

YahooNews

Russian Army Pushes further into Georgia

2008-08-11T15:06:00.003-05:00

Monday morning, Russian forces began a westward push further into Georgian territory and managed to capture the city of Gori. The city, centrally located in Georgia acts as a main east to west thoroughfare and hub of communications for Georgia's military. Earlier Monday, top Russian generals dismissed the possibility of pushing further into Georgia.

The head of the Security Council Alexander Lomaia mentioned that it was still unclear whether or not Russian forces would advance into the capital city of Tbilisi. Prior to this move, only South Ossetia was under siege by the Russian advance forces, but with today's offensive into Abkhazia province the stakes have suddenly risen.

President Bush and other Western leaders have sharply criticized the Russian government for authorizing this aggression against the autonomous Georgian provinces. In turn, Prime Minister Putin criticized the United States for viewing Georgia as the victim instead of the aggressor.

Georgia is a key nation due to the Caspian Sea oil pipeline which runs through the nation. It is unclear whether or not the continued deteriorating conditions will effect global oil supply over the foreseeable future.

Source: Yahoonews

China Smog Apology Absent - IOC Blames Athletes

2008-08-06T09:42:00.001-05:00

The Chinese government has so far refused to apologize for the Super Sized Smog Cloud hanging over the Olympic Games as athletes arrived forced to wear masks to protect their lungs. The Chinese Government had promised the International Olympic Committee that the air would be clean for the games.

China generates the majority of its power burning coal in power plants that do not scrub the smoke to remove pollution. That generates a massive amount of smog and pollution, so much that clouds travel from China all the way to the West Coast of America damaging air quality across the Pacific Rim.

This week as athletes arrived, several wore masks issued by the USOC. Their action drew criticism from the USOC that did not want to offend the Chinese for their failure to clean up their air as promised. Instead of installing air scrubbers on their coal power plants, the Chinese have taken to using measures such as preventing cars on the streets on alternate days.

Cars do not constitute the majority of air pollution in China, and stopping people from driving one day will only push them to drive more the next.

As the games drew nearer and the Chinese realized in advance that the city of Beijing would be Smoggy during the games, the Chinese attempted to house athletes as far as 90 minutes away, but the alternate location itself is smogged over.

Meanwhile, the press in the United States likes to cover the offense given by athletes to the Chinese for wearing the masks issued to them by the Olympic Committee.

http://www.nytimes.com/…masks.html

If your career, depended on your optimal health. If you relied on your own physical performance within a day or even a 5 or 20 minute or even several our performance in order to generate an income would you take measures to protect your lungs with a mask?

I would.

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Toxic Martians?

2008-08-05T14:01:00.003-05:00

Whether or not life exists or existed on the surface of Mars has been a hot topic since the 50's, and scientific data obtained from NASA's Phoenix Spacecraft has determined it is possible, but not probable. It turns out, that the spacecraft discovered the presence of a "chemically reactive salt" on the red planets surface which is hostile to potential life. Prior to this discovery, scientists believed that Mars' polar region had soil rich with nutrients capable of possibly supporting and/or sustaining life.

The soil, which is now believed to be rich in perchlorate, could very well be a dominant feature on the planets surface. Apparently the Phoenix's chemistry test detected the salty soil while running comparisons with sample soils brought from Earth. After running multiple inconclusive tests, Some experiments found the aforementioned perchlorates while others did not. I am beginning to think that maybe they should bring some of the soil back to Earth and let me run tests with my Sony Vaio. The Phoenix Lander has made significant scientific discoveries since touching down earlier this summer and will undoubtedly discover more breakthroughs as time passes on the surface of Mars.

Source: Yahoo News

Planes May not Have Pilots but Will Have WiFi!

2008-08-05T13:15:00.001-05:00

The airlines don't really seem to completely get it. They are still charging about the same prices for airline tickets, but they are raising prices on every other little thing they can, while their core business of flying people from A to Z falls apart.

Within the last 6 days my sister-in-law flying on an un-named airline that goes through Atlanta, uses a greek letter for their name that starts with D, and just rolled out a Wi-Fi service, managed to lose their pilot for her flight on both the departing flight and the return flight.

They lost the pilot!

The pilot would seem to be a central or core part of their business. The plane for example, CANNOT fly without a pilot! In both cases they could not find the pilot for the flight. In the first instance, they found a pilot 5 hours later and the late flight finally took off. In the second situation, they just gave up and sent everyone home or to a hotel for the night only to try their luck with the pilot lottery the next day.

So it surprises me a bit when that same airline rolls out a service that will charge $10 - $13 for Wi-Fi access while in flight. (They don't offer electrical hook ups so you better have a great battery and a backup to get your money's worth).

It's the dawning of a new age, folks. In-flight Wi-Fi is slowly catching on with domestic airlines in the U.S. Now Delta is looking to capitalize on the popularity of in-flight Wi-Fi by outfitting its entire domestic fleet of aircrafts with Aircell's GoGo service.
GoGo will cost Delta flyers $9.95 on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 for flights that are longer than three hours. Delta says it expects to begin to offer in-flight Wi-Fi early 2009.
American Airlines and Virgin America have been on-board for some time with in-flight Wi-Fi. Both have announced testing of Wi-Fi aboard its airliners for a limited number of flights. But Delta is making a big splash with an ambitious rollout of Wi-Fi to all its domestic fleet. This is big news coming from an airline that has been struggling lately.

PC World - Business Center: Delta Adds Wi-Fi to Entire Domestic Airline Fleet

I suppose with your Wi-Fi access while flying on Delta, you can post a job to hire a pilot if one doesn't show up or possibly bails out of the airliner with a parachute, or maybe you can buy a big inflatable thingy on sale so that if you have to jump out yourself you'll have something soft to land on. Maybe Amazon or Buy.com can promise super rapid shipping and setup for a life saving fee. Apparently, that would be easier than just hiring enough pilots to show up for work on time.

Church Members Tackle Man Firing Shotgun in Church

2008-07-27T17:41:00.001-05:00

In a heroic and necessary action church members in a church in Knoxville Tennessee tackled a man that opened fire in the church with a shot gun.

A quiet Sunday morning turns violent in Knoxville. A gunman opened fire in a church sanctuary killing one person and wounding eight others.
"It's the one place you expect to be safe," eyewitness and Chattanooga native Amy Broyles said.
But the sanctuary of the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church was everything but safe this morning.
Broyles and her family were among the nearly 2-hundred congregants in the church when a man walked in and opened fire.
"He was an older man, mid 60s. He didn't say anything, he was just very calmly shooting," Broyles described.
Broyles says she was with her 2-year-old daughter inside the church's "quiet room" when she heard a loud boom.
"Right outside the quiet room was a man standing with a shotgun to his shoulder. I dropped down against the door so he couldn't see us," Broyles said.
Broyles then heard several men tackle the gunman. Among them, her husband Jamie Parkey.

Chattanooga Native Describes Knoxville Church Shooting | WDEF News 12 | News, Weather and Sports for Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley

This is one of those incidents that we often view as heroic, but historically, this is an action that is just plane necessary. When a crazed person starts killing people, someone needs to step up and stop them. It goes against human group psychology to do this, but it is possible to rise above that and stop a tragedy from developing any further. It doesn't take special training, it doesn't take advanced levels of bravery or adrenalin, a super latte from Starbucks, or Ephedrasil Hardcore energy pills. It takes a will to survive and a will to stop the killing of your friends, family and even strangers around you.

People of the World, we are in this thing together whether we like the situation or even each other or not. We have to get better at taking care of each other like the people of Knoxville, TN did today or the people of Flight 93 did on 9/11. Together we can harness the violence and check its impact. There are more sane people than crazy people, we just have to work together.

Black Soldiers Cleared of Lynching Charges 64 Years Late

2008-07-27T17:19:00.001-05:00

The Army and military in general always seems to have to apologize for things decades after the fact. It makes me as an Army veteran seriously wonder sometimes why the Army is so consistently and historically screwed up?

Why can't they be a little quicker to get to the bottom of things and the truth.

In this situation a 28 African American members of the military were improperly prosecuted for lynching an Italian man. The prosecutor for the military convinced the Judge to withhold information from the Defense that would have and eventually did clear the men.

In a system that lets no bad deed go unrewarded that prosecutor was later named as the special prosecutor in the Nixon Scandals of the seventies where he promptly continued to prove he was not a useful public servant.

The Army didn't stop there of course. Their screw ups and cover ups from Pat Tillman's killing to Abu Grahib to whatever they are covering up this week are enough to make you doubt their morals and intelligence. How is covering up wrong doing in the Army protecting the Constitution?

The answer is that it does not protect the Constitution. After serving in the military, I know that there are hundreds of thousands of extremely smart and capable people, but all to often they get engaged in politics or scandals with no oversight and the result is that the service, the country and many people suffer for years and decades.

We are not talking about a simple screw up on some a car insurance policy, we are talking about imprisonment for crimes never committed, career ending actions, things that can detour a person for the rest of their life and possibly detour entire families.

These are not simple clerical errors, but serious attempts to subvert justice and it is happening today just like it happened 64 years ago. The Army has not learned this historical lesson yet.

House Debates Impeachment of George Bush in Judiciary Today

2008-07-25T15:39:00.001-05:00

I have been watching the House debate over the limit of Presidential Powers in the House Judiciary committee as a result of the impeachment article sets offered up by Representative Dennis Kucinich this spring and again this summer.

The crux of the discussion seems to founder around the concept of the power that Congress has to check the Executive Branch entirely with impeachment and no other measure. The problem is that all of the powers held by Congress can be trumped by an Executive Branch that hides behind executive privilege which has been hijacked more than one time over the last 40 years.

Executive privilege has become a massive wound on the American Constitution and not just a blemish acne cream like actions can be used to cure. It is a cancer causing problem that creates the need to remove a President from power that has become cancerously abusive of the power given him to protect the Constitution.

The House has no other authority to act outside of impeachment. That means the American people have no other protection from an abusive President rather than to have their representatives in Congress stand up and take the actions available to them as provided by the founders of our country.

Congress Getting Serious about Bush Impeachment

2008-07-14T16:16:00.001-05:00

Just as the Bush Administration was showing some signs of leadership as they prepared to bail out Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the backbone of mortgage lenders around the country, Congress is finally starting to find some of its own Backbone.

It started last week as Dennis Kucinich offered up an abbreviated version of an Impeachment article (he had offered about 35 articles last month), to have the House vote on whether or not the President should be impeached. It would appear that Kucinich has gained significant political ground and even Nancy Pelosi, who stated after coming to head the House of Representatives in 2006 on the winds of change, that change (post 2006 election) would not include impeachment and that impeachment would be off the table.

Well, she has to run for re-election in 2008, and is finally getting the message that the people of the United States not only want change, but they want accountability for the crimes committed in our name and against us and our Constitution.

Breaking News. This from the desk of Florida Congressman Robert Wexler, one of the co-sponsors of the 35 articles of impeachment introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich:
“Capitol Hill is buzzing today with major developments regarding our campaign for impeachment hearings for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Just today, in what could be described as a perfect impeachment storm:
"After stating unequivocally that impeachment "is off the table," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated to CBS News today that the House Judiciary Committee should address the issues that Rep. Kucinich's has raised in his impeachment resolution.... This issue now reaches far beyond the substance of the Judiciary Committee's original inquiry regarding the firing of US Attorneys for political purposes. The crisis at hand relates to our most fundamental laws and of our Constitution. It is, in many ways, more serious than the Constitutional crisis surrounding Watergate."
Nancy Pelosi’s comments reflect the growing pressure of impeachment supporters on all elected officials and the heat from Cindy Sheehan’s courageous campaign to unseat her in the coming November elections. Cindy has made the impeachment of Bush, and Pelosi’s previous refusal to allow impeachment to proceed, a centerpiece of her campaign.

VotetoImpeach.org

Call to Stop Donations to Obama over FISA Back Stabbing

2008-07-13T21:18:00.001-05:00

Not Just Words, Real Action that Harms America
For a man that has never really had to look for employment, he is quick to throw away our rights without cause or reason.

I came across Dave Johnson, from SeeingTheForest.com's, article titled "Obama's FISA Screw up". His article basically spins off an article by Dave Winer at Scripting News. Despite the fact that my first name is not Dave (it's Brett), I'd like to spin off their thoughts as I agree with what they have written thus far (Dave Johnson' first then quoting Dave Winer):

The issue of our Congress giving the big telecom companies immunity from being sued for illegally enabling the Republican Party to listen to our calls and read our emails is a very, very big deal to non-Republicans. Republicans, of course, are happy as clams about it. (They are also happy as clams that America now tortures people.)
I have talked to a number of friends who were major Obama supporters during the primaries, and not one of them is happy today because of Obama's reversal on telecom immunity in FISA. He had pledged, promised, sworn, committed to oppose telecom immunity -- then after securing the nomination reversed himself and voted for it.
So today I'm cruising the internets and come across Dave Winer, another Obama supporter. He articulates my own thoughts well. Obama's FISA screwup (Scripting News),
First, the conservative pundits who say that Obama turned his back on the extreme left by voting for the new FISA bill have it wrong. He turned his back on people of all persuasions who believe in our form of government.
. . . He was right if he assumed he had our vote. I will not vote for McCain to prove this point. But I'm also not going to give him any more money. I'm going to save that for causes I believe in.
I no longer believe there is a cause to Obama other than getting Obama elected. It's up to him now to prove otherwise. The FISA vote can be undone, but he has to actually do the undoing.

CALL TO STOP DONATIONS TO OBAMA

So here's how I see it. Barack Obama is in this for number 1, himself. He's in it to get elected President for all the wrong reasons despite his ability to articulate good reasons to further his progress.

He obviously doesn't pay attention to anyone's REAL concerns unless there is a significant amount of money involved. With that in mind, the only way to make him pay attention is to pull financial support from him.

STOP DONATING IMMEDIATELY

As Dave W. mentions we do not have to give him any more money. In fact, save it for the ACLU or the EFF, odds are even if Obama is elected, we're going to need them just to protecting the remaining things we call liberties.

Treasury Department Deploys to Save Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae

2008-07-13T20:53:00.001-05:00

It doesn't take a digital frame full of pictures of the economy to read this as a very dangerous premonition of where the economy is and where it is going.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson indicated Sunday evening that the Federal Government will be taking action to attempt to save Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from failing after their stock prices sank more than 50% on Wall Street last week.

Based on the Treasury response it would appear that the Federal Government, including Treasury, the SEC, and the Federal Reserve all feel that these institutions are in serious jeopardy. Unlike the Bear Stearns bail out last winter, this government bail out is likely to cost the government a very large amount of money, possibly making the Iraq War look cheap.

Below is a complete text of the statement by Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac play a central role in our housing finance system and must continue to do so in their current form as shareholder-owned companies. Their support for the housing market is particularly important as we work through the current housing correction. GSE debt is held by financial institutions around the world. Its continued strength is important to maintaining confidence and stability in our financial system and our financial markets. Therefore we must take steps to address the current situation as we move to a stronger regulatory structure. In recent days, I have consulted with the Federal Reserve, OFHEO, the SEC, Congressional leaders of both parties and with the two companies to develop a three-part plan for immediate action. The President has asked me to work with Congress to act on this plan immediately. First, as a liquidity backstop, the plan includes a temporary increase in the line of credit the GSEs have with Treasury. Treasury would determine the terms and conditions for accessing the line of credit and the amount to be drawn. Second, to ensure the GSEs have access to sufficient capital to continue to serve their mission, the plan includes temporary authority for Treasury to purchase equity in either of the two GSEs if needed. Use of either the line of credit or the equity investment would carry terms and conditions necessary to protect the taxpayer. Third, to protect the financial system from systemic risk going forward, the plan strengthens the GSE regulatory reform legislation currently moving through Congress by giving the Federal Reserve a consultative role in the new GSE regulator's process for setting capital requirements and other prudential standards. I look forward to working closely with the Congressional leaders to enact this legislation as soon as possible, as one complete package.

Weekend Packed With News - Cable News & Networks Cover Almost Nothing

2008-07-13T19:34:00.000-05:00

This weekend has been packed with one important news story after another, but if you tried to get your news from Cable or Network news this weekend you would have struggled to hear anything.

The Cable News channels covered how reporters were covering politics most of the weekend without ever really reporting anything. It begs the question, whether or not we could learn anything from the nearly dead fourth estate.

In a few more years it will be highly unlikely if the news even exists at all. By then it might even be hard to find news on the internet. Who knows maybe we'll have to share news virally on MP3 players or something if things keep degenerating.

Tony Snow Dies of Cancer - Will an Expose Follow?

2008-07-12T16:02:00.001-05:00

Tony Snow the former White House Press Secretary and former Fox News person, passed away early this morning of cancer. He had been fighting cancer even while serving as press secretary for some of the darkest hours of the Bush Administration.

He seemed to enjoy his verbal sparring with reporters almost as if he were waging his war against cancer both internally and externally in the press room in the White House. Despite my severe dislike for the cover ups and illegal actions performed by the Bush Administration that Tony Snow managed to gloss over with flippant remarks, I wish no one a battle with cancer and hope that Tony Snow will rest in peace and his family will find comfort some day.

Even more so, I hope he managed to squirrel away a tell all book, that his family might benefit from financially that could hit the book shelves as soon as possible. I'd be more than happy to support his family by picking up a best buy on a grumbles from the grave styled tell all.

Faith Based Pandering - Obama To Be Like GW Bush

2008-07-01T13:30:00.002-05:00

Above are my insights into Barack Obama's planned initiative to be more like George W Bush and extend the extremely troubled Faith Based Initiative programs funded by the tax dollars through the Federal Government.

Here is a quote out of the NY Times

“Now, I know there are some who bristle at the notion that faith has a place in the public square,” Mr. Obama intends to say. “But the fact is, leaders in both parties have recognized the value of a partnership between the White House and faith-based groups.”

Mr. Obama is proposing $500 million per year to provide summer learning for 1 million poor children to help close achievement gaps for students. He proposes elevating the program to the “moral center” of his administration, calling it the Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

He called for rules to make certain the new council wouldn’t violate the separation of church and state. Groups receiving money, aides said, would have to demonstrate the effectiveness of their programs.

End of NYTimes Quote http://www.nytimes.com/…gncnd.html

Below are transcripts of my podcast recording above. (Note - The transcripts are roughly edited for accuracy. Most VR errors of the type substituting "Barack Obama" with "Morroco Coma" have been fixed, but a few small errors may persist...)

Not quite a hundred years ago my great-grandfather learned a lesson about getting money to faith-based organizations he witnessed a priest in the local Catholic church that he and the family attended quite some time stealing money from the poor box and nobody in the church to do anything about it the money was there supposed go to an orphanage run by the church and the priest at the money out and used it for lets say a ulterior reason was for moral reasons I great-grandfather quit Catholic Church and our segment of the family has not been Catholic sense into certain extent that might explain some of my own reluctance in the concept of extending money to faith-based organizations but just like George W. Bush Barrack Obama wants to do just that he wants to give faith-based organizations a half billion dollars in alleged that my great-grandfather learned is that if you give a dollar to a church to give to the poor for basically just lost a dollar if we get a half billion dollars to churches give to the poor and the poor just lost a half billion dollars that they could potentially use and think radical bomb a like George W. Bush is flat-out crazy looking to invest in faith based organizations for one thing the obvious reason it violates the Constitution supposed to have a separation between church and state and when the state starts funding churches you can't really have a separation all sorts of crazy things pop into the equation when churches have to comply with federal laws especially discrimination laws that's just one small aspect of the problem the real problem is that when you give faith-based organizations money corruption enters into the equation substantially especially when that money comes very easily from the US government or any large group and a half billion dollars sent out the faith-based faith-based organizations do the job at federal government doesn't seem to be able to do is just not if Barack Obama can come up with a better solution to solving a problem that the dole it out and something akin to pork barrel spending except this time it's going to a religious group as opposed to a lobbyist which may not be any different and maybe he shouldn't take the money and all these on confident that he has relied on a religious group to get things done and maybe he should've stayed in his church and got some things done to the church as opposed to running for office and personally I don't think churches can get things done terribly well think that they've accomplished a whole lot of good in many of the attempt they've done especially with the George W. Bush back faith based initiatives which brought the bonnet is not only trying to emulate but he's trying to expand is a good thing it's extremely ironic that Barack Obama constantly points to George W. Bush as a person it's been extremely ineffective and without calling them evil achieving evil results through you know the inability to reason through something or the inability to identify a problem for happened yet he's trying to take George W. Bush's initiative of giving money to faith-based initiative groups with little oversight and little controls and regular customers on same basket at the same time this is one of the most troubling things I see in Barack Obama in this way is far too similar to George W. Bush and pandering to religious and religious groups and I do think it's true pandering I don't think that Barack Obama for George W. Bush really give two hoots about religious groups or religion in general and I don't believe any of the crap and I will call it crap that they spout about their religion because in reality it's the actions speak louder than their political words and I don't see either of achieving any results derived from their religious philosophies so if you take a look at this and it supposedly new you know condition of Barack Obama's to accidentally extend George W. Bush's term as relates to faith based initiatives and you remove the fact that religious faith-based groups don't accomplish much to accomplish results that can be measured by the federal government and just look at it for what it is Barack Obama promising to give a half billion dollars from our government from taxpayers from the coffers that don't have the money in them in the first place he looking to simply raise the debt by giving religious groups to half billion dollars to do something that they can do to achieve results they have achieved yet and can achieve and probably to incite them to more corruption it's crazy and stupid and pandering is basically just trying to buy a boat and I don't buy any of it myself, nor smug John McCain by any stretch of the imagination but it's definitely an example of Barack Obama failing before he begins, and maybe setting up the christian left for the same type of fall that the christian right has suffered from over the last seven years. The last thing we need is another time waisting preacher scandal, this time around probably will be some sixty plus preacher that likes to dress up in lingerie while skydiving or something, but whatever it is, our tax dollars shouldn't fund it.

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Why Should I meet Barack Obama's Fund Raising Deadline?

2008-06-30T10:12:00.001-05:00

Today I received an email from Barack Obama. He wants me to send him $25 before midnight to meet his fund raising deadline for the end of June.

Its not bad enough that I have deadlines of my own to meet, but now I have to meet financial fund raising deadlines for Presidential candidates too?

Well, I have a deadline for Barack Obama. Before you get any fund raising money out of me, I want to see a plan. I want to see a substantive plan for your cabinet and administration. I want to see a plan for the energy crisis. I want to see a plan for the economy and not just the tax the rich to bring more money into government vaults. I want to see where and how that money will be spent to actually fuel the economy.

I want to see a plan for foreign relations in the middle east including a policy on Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.

Now, some will say that it is premature to offer up plans before he is President, but from my perspective Barack Obama has no job experience. So if he wants to get the job, I want to see his plans to get things done, how he will achieve it and where he will begin.

Oh, and while he is at it, I want to see him offer up a plan for equal rights between the sexes.

Show me a plan, show me the right plan, and I'll show Barack the money. Send me high pressured emails like a salesman trying to meet quota for the month in a modern furniture store running their monthly 'Going Out of Business, Half Off, Everything Must Go Sale' for the 25th month in a row, and he will not see a great deal of support from me.

Addington Tells the Senate that he is Not War Crimes Court Material

2008-06-26T19:47:00.001-05:00

David Addington, one of Dick Cheney's top advisors, told the Senate that he was not the person responsible for drafting the legal memo that outlined torture techniques to be utilized in Guantanamo and Abu Grahib by the Department of Defense. Although he didn't rule out his potential for influencing the CIA's adoption of torture techniques in secret prisons by creating guidelines to prevent the use of torture by the CIA.

Addington appeared along with the lawyer, former Justice Department attorney John Yoo, before a House Judiciary subcommittee investigating the role of Bush administration lawyers in approving interrogation procedures. The tactics were far harsher than those traditionally used by the U.S. military.
The Associated Press learned in April that administration officials from Cheney on down signed off on the techniques after asking the Justice Department to endorse their legality.
Addington denied several reports that he was involved in the drafting of a key memo that the Justice Department later rescinded. The August 2002 memo narrowly defined torture as resulting in "death, organ failure or serious impairment of bodily functions."
Addington said he attended a White House meeting during which it was discussed; he said Yoo outlined for him and the president's counsel at the time, Alberto Gonzales, the subjects he planned to address.
Addington also said he was more involved in CIA interrogation policies than those used by the Defense Department at its detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Basically, Addington has only proven that he does not want to be the target of a War Crimes Tribunal in an effort to literally save his own neck. That said, most of the attempts by the Bush Administration and the Cheney Department these days are fairly transparent.

I doubt Addington will be able to get a decent life insurance quotes anytime in the near future. He probably better keep his own lawyers on speed dial with an international calling plan...

NY Congressman Wants to Import Models - American Girls Not Hot Enough for the Big Apple

2008-06-14T01:16:00.001-05:00

There is one New York Congressman hard at work spending your tax dollars trying to bring in 1,000 foreign super models each year for the next few years to come. He apparently thinks that there are not enough (if any) hot American girls that might be capable of taking Super model jobs in New York City and wants to attract the poor, sulking, whimpering, bag of bones girls lining up to take Phentermine without prescriptions so they can qualify for the runways here in the states.

What is even sadder is that these poor starving and pouting girls are regularly beat out for H-1B visas by nerdy scientists and engineers eager to come to American and make this a better place as opposed to make everyone wish they looked better.

A New York congressman has introduced a bill that would create 1,000 new visa slots for foreign fashion models. Democrat Anthony Weiner said the measure would boost New York's fashion industry.
Overseas models currently compete for so-called H-1B visas, which are intended for highly skilled foreigners who may be computer experts or doctors. The models have not done well, with only 349 slots going to models out of the 85,000 available, the New York Post reported.
New York's tabloid newspapers said Weiner, 43, is currently dating Huma Abedin, a Hillary Clinton aide who has posed for Vogue magazine.

Sometimes its just too bad that the founding fathers of the United States didn't draft a clause into the Constitution that would enable the removal of idiots from office. We could get a BOGO with Congressman Weiner (D) and George W Bush (R).

By the way, there is no word on whether or not GW would support this measure would it actually go anywhere at all, but Bill Clinton probably would jump on this bandwagon, slide trombone in hand.

Vote Today-Send Impeachment Articles Forward

2008-06-11T14:05:00.001-05:00

1) House members are expected to vote Wednesday (today) on sending articles of impeachment against President Bush to the Judiciary Committee. The 35 articles introduced by Dennis J. Kucinich, D-Ohio, on Monday are pressuring the Democratic Party to make good on a promise many of them made before the 2006 elections: to impeach!

2) Calling it "a sworn duty" of Congress to act, U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida signed on yesterday to Dennis Kucinich's 35 Articles of Impeachment. "President Bush deliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq to the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachment resolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power," Wexler said in a statement.

So, you can get out your eyeglasses and read through the 35 articles or soon, you will be able to listen them as we record and publish them on the internet, but please do check them out and make the House Judiciary Committee and your own House Representative aware of your support for the impeachment of George W Bush. George W Bush still has over 6 months to further spoil this country, act now!

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The Elites Come Marching One by One to Choose a Presidential Candidate

2008-05-31T14:39:00.001-05:00

The Democratic Party is making history today by subverting the principles of Democracy. First they managed to shut out states from the United States from the democratic process. Some would argue that they broke the rules, and that is true, but the Democratic Party together failed to bring all states into the democratic primary election process together. No matter how you look at it, they failed to get the vote out fairly and this election cycle will always hold a big caveat by it demonstrating how the United States for the second time in 8 years failed to bring off a proper election yet again. With the way they have pulled things off, they might as well just have a lottery or random drawing or even for that matter just use Ebac dehumidifiers to make the choice. Who is to say that something even more arbitrary than an elitist party member versus a computer or even semi intelligent mold on a dehumidifier even, what's the difference?

The Press and Protesters Outside Democratic Presidential Choosing Meeting in DC

2008-05-31T14:25:00.001-05:00

Here are some additional great sections of the scene in Washington today. With the press covering the press covering the press all the way to women's suffrage protesters and people just wanting to bring democracy back to the Democratic party which has been anything but Democratic in recent years. The press is definitely having a field day with what would seem to be the end of the season for primaries and the beginning of the pre-season for the actual Presidential Campaign.

Leave it the Democrats to even make Orlando vacations even a political hot potato.

Kicking Off Coverage of Washington Insiders debate to Determine Democratic Candidate

2008-05-31T14:19:00.001-05:00

Below you can view the first few reports of Jeremy a reporter on the ground at ground zero in Washington DC where Washington DC insiders and insiders from the Democratic Party will determine the next Democratic Presidential candidate in a very un-democratic process.

While Howard Dean tries to spin this in a positive light illustrating that millions of people turned out to attempt to make their votes count, the Democratic Party still managed to silence and waste all of those record setting votes, by giving the decision over to their own Super Delegates. If Republicans were not so very unpopular this year, the Democratic Party would be dead. Looks like we will see just how long the memory is for those record number of voters come both November and the next election cycle.

What Are You Going to do on Stacation this Year?

2008-05-23T07:01:00.002-05:00

With Gas prices pushing above $4 a gallon all over the country, many people are opting out of vacations and planning on taking a Stacation (stay home vacation) this weekend, this summer and maybe this year.

- If you are staying home this year, what are your plans?

- Are you going to find something fun and local to do?

- Just buy more Wii games?

- Make more kids to help raise a garden for the upcoming food shortages?

- or something else?

Drop us a comment with your ideas, suggestions, and plans on how to keep upbeat during the oncoming recession.

I guess we might all save a little money on travel supplies this year . . .

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Pain at the Pump Profit Reinvestment

2008-05-22T18:37:00.002-05:00

You should rest easier (and pay faster) knowing that this week Oil Company executives defended their profits by stating that they reinvest all of their profits into R&D.

I guess this is a good example of those profits reinvested.

In the meantime your average joe consumer is just left to pay an arm and a leg and at best laugh when ever they see funny t-shirts on the topic.

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7.5 Earthquake Hits China

2008-05-12T11:15:00.001-05:00

Business paused in Beijing, the home of the next Olympic games, when buildings around the capital swayed for several minutes during an earthquake that struck about 700 miles away.

People evacuated buildings and traffic was clogged with evacuees on the streets and sidewalks of the city. Many evacuees did not remove themselves to safe distances away from the swaying buildings pointing to either lax or unprepared safety plans in the capital of China. .

History has shown that China tends to focus on the superficial aspects and benefits of growth throwing less resources towards caution, redundancy, human rights and back up plans. Getting China to approach these soft side considerations, as they race to the Olympics and more business in general might be almost as difficult as getting a twenty something actress to drug rehab

Obama Wins Guam by Seven Votes

2008-05-04T00:25:00.002-05:00

You may have never heard of this tiny island in the South Pacific where teva flip flops are standard issue gear for the military personnel on the island. As protectorates go, Puerto Rico is better known state side, but in the Democratic Primary race for Delegates, every vote counts and in this race, Barack Obama edged out a victory by just 7 votes!

Guam's Mayor, "We can't vote for president, but this is our part of the process."
Residents cannot vote in the presidential election but Guam, which is less than a fifth of the size of the smallest U.S. state of Rhode Island, sends eight delegates with half a vote each to the Democratic convention in August.

Obama wins Guam by a whisker - International Herald Tribune

Technorati tags: where is guam, obama wins guam

Stimulus Time

2008-05-01T22:32:00.000-05:00

President Bush was pleased as punch this afternoon to deliver a little bit of good news to Americans regarding the hotly contested economic stimulus checks. It turns out, that some households will begin receiving their checks as early as Monday the 5th.

There have been many rumors emanating from conversations around the water cooler in regards to the stimulus program. Some folks seem to think that the money they receive will be taken from their tax return for ’08, other folks seem to be under the impression that the checks will be taxed additionally with their return this year.

Isn’t it funny how the only thing we know for sure is when we’ll receive this “mystery” check?

Can anyone out there tell me where the money actually came from?

We all know that it will go towards "saving" the economy by buying cars, and food, and electronics and a suit or dress or ac compressor or computer or school supplies or the more obvious credit card debt.

McCain-icare Part D

2008-05-01T22:23:00.000-05:00

Rejecting calls for universal healthcare from his Democratic counterparts, John McCain released his free market healthcare alternative earlier this evening.

Mirroring Medicare Part D, McCain’s plan relies more upon individual customization of coverage while reducing government regulation.

McCain’s plan encourages individuals to move away from their employers coverage by offering tax rebates of up to $5,000. The Arizona senator believes that, left to their own devices, families will be able to better customize their coverage to suit their individual needs. McCain’s stance promises to be a hot button topic during the general election this fall, if the Democrats ever select a nominee. In this case, it is at least a legitimate issue for McCain to wrangle with as opposed to the shallow cat calls about McCain's own age like he needs to invest in the best anti wrinkle cream campaign money can buy.

Obama on Gas Tax Holiday

2008-05-01T22:17:00.000-05:00

Barack Obama went on the record earlier this evening in opposition of Sen. McCain’s moratorium on the $.18 gas tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Sen. Obama said that the “tax cut” would do little to help consumers in the long run and is simply a tactic to get through an election.

Sen. Obama backed up his rhetoric with fact. Stating that the “tax cut” would hurt highway construction and ultimately cost North Carolina up to 7,000 jobs. Sen. Obama went on further to suggest that the “tax cut” was merely a tactic to appeal to voters this election year. Coincidentally, Sen. Clinton also supports the proposed “tax cut”. Which might take on the evil specter of a franchise opportunity in opium or some other taboo trade.

Obama's Mistakes in Choice of Reverend Could Put Hillary in White House

2008-04-29T16:59:00.001-05:00

While it might be a little premature for Hillary to call the New York Movers to get her and her husband out of New York and back to Washington DC, it does appear that Barack Obama's reliance and mistake in choosing a Pastor could keep him out of the White House.

Podcast on Topic including the Words of Obama Today Attacking Wright

There has been a great deal of gridlock in politics over the last 8 years in large part due to the heavy influence of one of the world's oldest special interest groups, organized religion. Barack Obama may not take PAC money, but he has and does continue to accept the influence and guidance of religion. In the past that has come in the form of his spiritual mentor turned hostile ex mentor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Barack is learning that religious leaders like to control the people they help bring to power. When they sense that they are loosing control over the powerful they helped to create, they work rapidly to put down the demon and start fresh. That appears to be exactly what Wright is doing. He helped to create Barack Obama and bring him to power and when Obama failed to support Wright or defend his reputation after Wright's comments were vetted on YouTube, Wright chose to exorcise Obama. That is the peril of politicians that choose religion over the Constitution. The United States was set up as a secular country with a purposeful separation of church and state. Obama, the Constitutional Professor, seems to have ignored this lesson of history and he is now paying the price. Better him now, than the entire country a year from now when another puppet President enters the White House.

Former Nazi Turned Pope Reminds Bush Administration that Human Rights are Important

2008-04-19T15:59:00.001-05:00

The Bush Administration was served a notice by the Pope via the United Nations this week when he called on the world to protect human rights so that victims of violence would not become violators of the peace.

He could have easily been talking about Americans victimized on 9/11 becoming violators of the peace in Iraq or Iraqi's victimized by the violence of war in Iraq becoming violators of the peace as insurgents or Al Qaeda in Iraq.

“The promotion of human rights remains the most effective strategy for eliminating inequalities between countries and social groups, and for increasing security,” Benedict told the United Nations General Assembly.
“Indeed, the victims of hardship and despair, whose human dignity is violated with impunity, become easy prey to the call to violence, and they can then become violators of peace,” he said.

Vigorous Defense of Human Rights Is Urged by Pope in U.N. Address

This address comes just a week after it was revealed that Condoleeza Rice, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld had engaged in closed door meetings to discuss, simulate and demonstrate exactly which types of torture techniques would be used in Guantanamo. Those torture techniques then magically flew across the Ocean to Iraq where they were used by enlisted soldiers that had never been to Guantanamo at Abu Grahib. But of course the administration was later found not responsible for Abu Grahib as if the consequences were as minor as a model found not responsible for starving herself on an Orovo diet.

Democrats Get Nasty Wake Up Call during ABC Debate

2008-04-17T18:51:00.001-05:00

Democrats are running around scared today after receiving a nasty wake up call during the ABC debate last night. Their front running candidate, Barack Obama, did very poorly and showed that he is a weak candidate on several levels.

He refused to close the deal and push Hillary out last night
He stumbled on old issues that he should have practice at dealing with
He showed that when not pitched softballs from the press, he's not such a quick thinker
He's no match for John McCain when under fire

Things weren't much better for Hillary Clinton and by extension Democrats either.

Hillary either had a camera person out to get her or suffered from shifty eye syndrome. During her responses she couldn't or wouldn't focus on the camera and it hurt the credibility of her responses
When the moderators took the discussion into negative territory, she followed along like a hyena and took a pound of flesh herself, which will likely increase her negativity rating
Even when Barack was down, she couldn't bring any excitement to the debate. If Barack is down for the count, there is no charisma left in the Democratic party

Democrats all lined up to attack ABC for the debate in which their candidates floundered but the reality is that THEIR CANDIDATES FLOUNDERED and showed that despite months on the campaign trail they are not quite up for the big time political games that will be taking place in November. If they want to take the White House, they need to buckle down and get serious.

WaMu Banking Unusual Results in Big Time Loss

2008-04-16T18:48:00.000-05:00

You have probably seen the great commercials by WaMu. They offer up example after situational example of how they offer banking relationships and experiences that are more human, less expensive and covered with less red tape than your average bank. This is to encourage you to sign up for one of their savings accounts and start amassing some wealth.

Unfortunately, they also dabbled in the Sub Prime mortgage business and are paying the piper now. They ended up taking a $1.7 billion loss on that other type of unusual banking practice, mortgages.

That led them to seek $7 billion in a financing infusion this week, which means that they are financially in the safety zone, but I suspect their lending practices will be a little less outside the box in the future.

More Stories on WaMu's loss and capital Infusion

Earthtimes
Analysts widen '08 loss estimates on WaMu
Reuters - Apr 16, 2008
He does not expect WaMu to return to profitability until late 2009. Miller said the $7 billion capital raise by WaMu should be sufficient, ...
DAVID WEIDNER'S WRITING ON THE WALL: The Real Execs Behind GE ... CNNMoney.com
Ahead of the Bell: WaMu estimates, price target slashed Houston Chronicle
A House-Poor Quarter for WaMu Motley Fool
CNNMoney.com - Wall Street Journal
all 239 news articles » WM - GE - FBR
WaMu loss tied to late mortgages
Orlando Sentinel, FL - Apr 16, 2008
Seattle-based Washington Mutual, known as WaMu, posted a $1.87 billion deficit in last year's fourth quarter. Chief Executive Officer Kerry Killinger ...WM
WaMu director quits, others voted down; thrift loses $1.14B in Q1
Bizjournals.com, NC - Apr 16, 2008
WaMu reported a first-quarter loss of $1.14 billion, or $1.40 per share, which compares with net income of $784 million, or 86 cents per share a year ...
Shareholders Score at WaMu BusinessWeek
WaMu Director Resigns Under Pressure TheStreet.com
WaMu board director forced out FT Alphaville
Conde Nast Portfolio - Salon
all 141 news articles » WM
Movers: Intel, WaMu, JPMorgan, Merrill Lynch, Blackrock, CSX
BusinessWeek - Apr 16, 2008
Washington Mutual (WM) posts $1.40 first quarter loss per share, vs. $0.86 EPS a year ago, reflecting a higher level of provisioning as steep declines in ...
JPMorgan CEO says Bear deal doesn't stop bank hunt
Reuters - Apr 16, 2008
Last week, there were reports JPMorgan approached the country's largest savings & loan, although WaMu chose instead to sell a large stake to private equity ...
JPMorgan, Wells Fargo profits decline, but beat forecasts The Associated Press
all 617 news articles »

PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)
Wells Fargo Ahead Of The Curve
Forbes, NY - 17 hours ago
In its first quarter, WaMu suffered a net loss of $1.1 billion, or $1.40 per diluted share, as it doubled its bad loan provisions, to $3.5 billion. ...
Wachovia's Loss a Grim Sign for Banks FOXNews
Banks See A Bright Side In Dour Numbers Forbes
Sector rallies after results from JP Morgan, Wells MarketWatch
all 343 news articles » LON:JMI - WB
Citi CEO Pandit to cut cost base by up to 20%: report
MarketWatch - 4 hours ago
Well, they are obviously trying get some fluff on this stock so when they issue their loss release tomorrow, it (the stock price) will have some buffer on ...
UPDATE: WaMu To Raise $7 Billion, Cut Dividend; Big 1Q Loss Seen
CNNMoney.com - Apr 8, 2008
The mean estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial was for a 50-cent loss. WaMu has made a series of strategic mistakes that put the company on ...WM

Boston Globe
Earnings Engine To Power Wednesday Trade
Forbes, NY - Apr 15, 2008
WaMu also said it successfully closed its $7 billion equity issuance, shoring up its capital position. (See: "WaMu And Friends") Intel (nasdaq: INTC - news ...
Intel, JPMorgan cheer Wall Street MSN Money
all 1,124 news articles »
WaMu gets $7 bln infusion, sees big quarterly loss
Reuters - Apr 8, 2008
WaMu, as the thrift is known, also said it will reduce its quarterly dividend per share to 1 cent from 15 cents, saving $490 million a year. ...

Trust is the Major Factor in North Carolina

2008-04-07T15:43:00.001-05:00

A recent poll conducted by the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina indicates that Hillary's Bosnia fibs have hurt her significantly. Trust has turned out to be the major factor for North Carolina residents.

But the poll also found that four in 10 voters are still undecided. That suggests that the contest could lie in the hands of people such as John Clark, a Charlotte salesman.
"Until either of them can distinguish between their policy positions or electability, I'm probably going to stay on the fence," said Clark, 29.
The poll, based on 803 telephone interviews conducted March 29 to April 1, found that trust is most voters' top consideration. Nearly nine in 10 said it would play a big role in determining their votes.
Only 25 percent of voters gave Clinton high marks for trustworthiness, compared with 54 percent for McCain and 48 percent for Obama. Even Democrats ranked Clinton lower.

Poll: Trustworthiness trumps experience

Flaw in Charlotte Observer Flaw - April Fool's Day Polling Outlier

There is an obvious flaw in the Poll conducted between March 29 and April 1. The flaw is that the poll was conducted over April Fool's day, a day when we are conditioned to fool each other and break trust.

Seriously, I suspect that the trust issue is going to be substantial for all three candidates nationwide. Personally, I live in North Carolina. I do not trust John McCain due to his flip flopping to gain Christian Conservative support. I do not trust Barack Obama for his dealings with Tony Rezko and his implausible statement about why he stuck with his Pastor. I definitely do not trust Hillary Clinton either based on her past working for Wal-mart and for both Clinton's fund raising scandals during the nineties.

Americans have to choose a President to fix a very broken country. We are not talking about computer rental at an internet cafe or choosing a car or even a mortgage rate. Hillary needs to do some Missouri style politics and exercise her show me skills, showing visitors that she can deliver with concrete examples. McCain needs to repudiate Christian conservative leaders and Barack Obama needs to start being honest for a change instead of masterfully pandering to the nation.

Call me a skeptic, but I doubt any of the three will do what's needed to actually establish trust among voters.

Popular Tax Filing Season Reduces Gridlock Stress

2008-04-06T21:44:00.001-05:00

This might just be one of the most popular tax filing seasons on record. Unlike past tax credits issued by the buy your loyalty Bush Administration, Americans have to file a tax return this time to get the check.

If you want to receive your $600 (per adult) and $300 (per child dependent) then you have to file a tax return. File late and you will get paid or credited late. Return checks for the stimulus package will not be paid out until May at the earliest. That means if you file early, you might get your real income tax refund first and your stimulus check second.

With fuel prices at $3.50 a gallon a $600 check from the government will keep your car running for about 171 gallons or about 11 fill ups with a 15 gallon tank. To put it another way that's about 3,400 miles on the road or 68 days of work if you drive 25 miles one way.

If you have a child that $300 will buy 20 gallons of milk and 20 boxes of cereal and leave you with enough money for about 3.5 days of day care.

Let's face it, its not much but going into a recession no one turns away money. Grab yours soon, while the dollar is still worth something and spend it wisely. Your cat can sleep at the foot of your bed instead of in a new cat condo. Make your kids wait another year or two for a cell phone, or give them your old one. Recycle your aluminum cans yourself instead of giving them away to the city. Find some ways to bootstrap your way through the recession and you might walk out smelling like a rose, if the bank doesn't kick you to the curb first. (I say that in sympathy hoping that the same doesn't happen to me, but what will be will be.)

Charlton Heston Dead at 84

2008-04-06T13:14:00.001-05:00

Charlton Heston, the actor known for his role as moses and later for his stance on creating a gridlock defense against gun control laws, suffered from Alzheimer's disease and passed away this weekend at the age of 84.

YouTube - Actor Charlton Heston dies

Charlton Heston, the Oscar winner who portrayed Moses and other heroic figures on film in the '50s and '60s and later championed conservative values as head of the National Rifle Association, has died. He was 84.
The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said. He declined to comment on the cause of death or provide further details.
"Charlton Heston was seen by the world as larger than life. He was known for his chiseled jaw, broad shoulders and resonating voice, and, of course, for the roles he played," Heston's family said in a statement.
Heston revealed in 2002 that he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease.

The Associated Press: Film Legend Charlton Heston Dead at 84

Heston was a powerful presence in entertainment and later as a figure head for conservative causes. In his absence the NRA will need to identify a new figurehead to lead their charge at a time in American history where a person can be arrested for utilizing weapons of mass destruction that take the form of shot guns and shot gun shells. Many Americans these days are more concerned with acne treatment than defending their rights to bear arms under a Constitution that has been savaged ironically by a 'conservative' President more intent on gaining power for a centralized government dominated by the executive branch.

Freed Ex-Governor of Alabama Fingers Karl Rove

2008-03-30T13:51:00.001-05:00

Former Governor of Alabama, Don Siegelman, served nine months in prison on corruption and bribery charges for what many people including the courts are starting to believe was nothing more than politics. On appeal he was released from prison on bond, and he's now speaking out identifying Karl Rove and the Republican presidential administration of George Bush as the sources for his political imprisonment.

There has been a large number of situations and issues pointing to the very strong likelihood that the George Bush administration acted inappropriately when it investigated indicted and works convict a large number of Democratic leaders in state and federal government positions from Governor to Senator to Congressman to mayors and more. There was also a major scandal when the Bush administration attempted to fire a number of US attorneys that wouldn't play ball and go after political figures. That ultimately led to Alberto Gonzalez having to step down as the Attorney General of the United States.

So far the Bush of ministration has stalled and obstructed justice by not delivering e-mail and other evidence related to all of these situations. There is definitely a cover-up going on in the Bush administration. Indeed that cover-up in stopping the abuse of power that is taking place is definitely going to be a difficult Curvelle problem and one that might take the next administration several years to weed through. The number of pardons that will be provided this fall as Bush prepares to leave office will likely be eye-opening and staggering.

Speaking by telephone in his first post-prison interview, shortly after he had left the federal penitentiary at Oakdale, La., Mr. Siegelman said there had been “abuse of power” in his case, and repeatedly cited Karl Rove, the former White House political director.
“His fingerprints are smeared all over the case,” Mr. Siegelman said, a day after a federal appeals court ordered him released on bond and said there were legitimate questions about his case. He was sentenced to serve seven years last June after a guilty verdict on bribery and corruption charges a year earlier.
In measured tones after spending nine months at the prison, the former governor, a Democrat, said he would press to have Mr. Rove answer questions to Congress about his possible involvement in the case.
“When Attorney General Gonzales and Karl Rove left office in a blur, they left the truth buried in their documents,” Mr. Siegelman said, referring to Alberto R. Gonzales. “It’s going to be my quest to encourage Congress to ensure that Karl Rove either testifies, or takes the Fifth.”
Freed Ex-Governor of Alabama Talks of Abuse of Power - New York Times

There must be a little justice left in the system somewhere as this appeals court finally released Siegelman from prison in a way that was reminiscent of the French Bastille or Russian Gulag. Who will be next is difficult to determine.

Could Obama Lose the War in Texas after winning the Battle?

2008-03-30T13:41:00.001-05:00

If El Paso is any sign of things to come in Texas, Barack Obama may lose the war there. You may not realize it but the delicate fight in Texas is not over. There are 67 delegates in Texas that are still up for grabs. There were a number of caucus regularities in several counties throughout Texas and they were forced into a redo. Barak Obama was attempting to get certain delegates that were elected to support Hillary Clinton replaced with delegates supporting himself.

He didn't succeed at this and essentially things seem to have worked out and Hillary's favor in this situation now there are more and more Hillary people going to the final state convention to determine who will get the last 67 delegates from Texas. This type of fight is not unusual for Texas and many of the states have a similar process. The primaries and caucuses of many states are just a way for people to determine which way the wind blows in the actual process that leads into a state convention. After the state convention the actual delegates are sent to the national convention for the Democrats that will be in Denver. And it's at that point that the delegates at the convention actually make a decision and determine who will be the Democratic presidential candidate.

I guess the lesson here is that the fight is not over until its over. Politics is not liking selling a used cisco router on Ebay. The political machine keeps going and going without any closure until someone wins an election and serves an entire term without being removed from office.

Obama wins just 7 of 127 at caucus - El Paso Times

Calls for Condoleezza Rice's Resignation Rumbling After Security Failure with Obama

2008-03-20T20:50:00.001-05:00

People are already starting to call for the Resignation of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice following reports that her State Department withheld information from her about Security lapses relating to private information about a Democratic leading Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama.

Contractors working for Rice's State Department improperly accessed information about Senator Barack Obama's passport and consular files three times in three months. The Security lapses eluded Secretary Rice until 2 days ago. Her inability to manage her own department call her leadership abilities into question. Rice has been heavily criticized for her efforts relating to the War on Terror, the War in Iraq and even here expertise in managing the United States relationship with Russia.

It would appear that in this situation contractors were able to simply call up information about Senator Obama on their regular computers plugged in with a CAT6 cable or Ethernet cable without having to go through any further security controls. This access did trigger automatic notifications, but did not prevent the breech.

Other Related Stories

Breaking News - Obama Security Breeched at State Department

Gridlock on Rye: State Department Confirms Cover Up of Obama Security Breech for 2 Months

Barack Obama's Speech Writers Hit Many Bases

2008-03-18T11:18:00.001-05:00

I just finished watching Barack Obama's speech to respond to the hate filled comments of his own pastor the Reverend Jeremiah Wright. The speech appears to have been written by several speech writers with handy access to megabytes of polling information on a usb flash drive probably sitting around a big conference room in a hotel somewhere. The speech had some very good high points that had the potential to do some good, but it also hit every polling segment with a good deal of talk that was clearly aimed at appeasing and pandering to those polling groups.

On the hole, I believe that anyone that watches then entire speech will likely take an improved view of Barack Obama the man, who obviously chose a brave road less traveled. However, the end result will likely be over shadowed by Obama's own speech segments that clearly pandered and struck hollow from point to point. These parts will over time take on more history as they will be exploited in sound bites where the context cannot be conveyed with an entire repeat of the speech.

Barack Obama essentially chose the brave road of trying to do some good, but chose this at the expense of doing what was politically necessary to win the election. All his words will not achieve anything if he doesn't win the office. This was a hard lesson that Al Gore and Democrats learned back in 2000. When you take the high road and concede, you are choosing to lose regardless.

Barack had to deal with new claims that he was aware of his Pastor's comments and other similar comments. In many ways he made the claim that his Pastor's comments came from a man that suffered at the hands of racism and was unable to see the changes in America. Overall, Obama made one of the most telling remarks when he said that the most segregated hour in America each week is conducted in churches around the country. That seems to emphasize the common flaw with Barack Obama as well as predecessors before him that included George Bush and Richard Nixon. Their religious roots serve to separate them from the country as a whole and advance the religions they serve as opposed to the country and Constitution that they swear to uphold and defend and serve.

YouTube - NEWS - Obama knew about the REV at least a year ago

Following the Other Obama Scandal - Rezko Money on Cover of Chicago Tribune

2008-03-14T22:46:00.001-05:00

Barack Obama is having a bad bad week this week. He's having to fire his pastor for preaching to God to 'Damn America' and making comments that Hillary Clinton is not fit for office since she is not an African American man like Barack Obama (except Barack's Pastor used a word that is not fit to publish).

Barack definitely walked away with egg on his face over the bigoted words of his own campaign pastor, but when we follow the money Barack Obama may have even bigger problems as the Chicago Tribune breaks news about the real size of Tony Rezko's contributions to Barack Obama over the years.

Rezko raised over $250,000 for Obama.

Obama was quick to admit that his own judgement failed to detect a potential conflict of interest with Rezko.

In politics, career politicians often times will work to apologize for their lapses in judgement and within 24 hours several of Barack's have come to light now, but the problem for Barack is that his track record for 'judgement' is all that he has on his resume.

Barack Obama has no record of results, he has no record of achievements. All he had to hang his hat on was the judgement to be against the Iraq resolution before he was in a position to even vote on it.

So when we now learn that Barack Obama's actual decisions, and results and judgements resulted in choosing a bigoted pastor and partnering with a man that raise over $250,000 before being indicted in Chicago, we start to see just another career politician that not only has no judgement but has no record of success and in fact seems to surround himself with flawed individuals when it comes to fund raising and flawed individuals when it comes to spiritual advisors.

That leaves us with the question, just what exactly has Barack Obama done well?

At this point, I'd doubt that he even had the ability to save a lot of money on his car insurance.

George Bush Expected to Veto Bill to Protect Americans from Terrorists

2008-03-14T20:30:00.000-05:00

George Bush has had his bluff called. The House of Representatives passed the FISA bill today which if penned into law would give the intelligence community the powers requested by George Bush to continue surveillance for terrorist activity. You would think President Bush would be eager to sign the bill into law, but on the contrary he is not interested in protecting Americans if it means that telecommunications companies can not receive amnesty for their illegal actions at the request of the Bush Administration.

Mr Bush wants any telecommunications company that participated in his warrantless surveillance programme to receive retroactive immunity.
Mr Bush has promised to veto the Democrat-sponsored bill
The Senate has already approved a bill that grants such immunity.

US House passes surveillance law

Many lawsuits are starting to enter into the system against telecommunications companies like at&t that enabled the Government to tap the phone calls, read the emails and review the web surfing habits of regular Americans and even political opponents of the Bush Administration. America has a long history of the little guy seeking justice in court against corporations that have done them wrong from love canal to tobacco lawsuits to mesothelioma cases.

The President would protect one of the most recent groups committing these travesties even after he helped to instigate the behavior.

Can a Muslim Nation Sue You for Defaming their Religion?

2008-03-14T18:35:00.001-05:00

In an effort to improve their standing and perception in the world, Muslim leaders gathered this week to consider taking away freedom of speech from people around the world. They would like to do this the old fashioned way by litigating people that say anything about their religion that might be construed by their own leaders as blasphemy.

"I don't think freedom of expression should mean freedom from blasphemy," said Senegal's President Abdoulaye Wade, the chairman of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference. "There can be no freedom without limits."

Muslims Nations: Defame Islam, Get Sued?

Muslim nations from the middle east and east are trying to improve their relationships with the west, but in taking away sovereign authority from other countries and their citizens they couldn't be closer to increasing the divide.

There is no way in the world that a newspaper editor in Denmark or even a Billy Bob Smith in Texas is going to take to kindly to a lawsuit if they utter something that is unacceptable to a madrassa in Senegal or Iran or anywhere.

I have to think they are more intelligent than that. After all, these are humans that we are talking about. They can't actually think that non-muslims or even non-religious people would go for this hogwash. When I give them that level of respect and consideration for their intelligence, I can only then consider that they are purposefully trying to denigrate people in the west, and attack our freedom of speech.

To put it less diplomatically, I think they are nuts. I'd no sooner pay attention to a religious fundamentalist in the east any more than I'd pay attention to a religious fundamentalist in my own backyard (and there are lots of those). I need that like a painting contractor needs more ladder racks mounted on their van.

Power Outage from Miami to Jacksonville to Tampa

2008-02-26T14:53:00.001-05:00

For people have lost power in Florida today following a number of lightning and thunder storms it went to the area. The power outage is mass in scale and ranges from Miami to Jacksonville on the East Coast and from Miami to Tampa on the Gulf Coast side of Florida.

Apparently there have been up to eight power plants that were off-line or are still off line across the region according to the North American electric reliability Council. So far there is no word on why the power plants are off-line or what triggered the outage.

On the positive side, this power outage does not seem to have triggered a chain reaction of power outages over multiple states like the power outage seen just a few years ago that wiped out most of the Northeast and parts of Canada. In that regards it would appear that we are making some progress, or Florida's grid is stronger than that of the Northeast.

I suspect the number of people in Florida today are asking themselves, "what do you do when the powers out?"

There's only so much work you can do on the laptop battery. You can stay indoors in the dark, and if it eats up outside you can even run the air conditioning. Maybe today will be a good day to just head to the beach. Then again if you have the drive to the beach you might want to skip it if the pumps are running. Movie theater seating will be empty as normal build go to the movies nor the malls nor restaurants. It's not exactly like a situation such as a snowstorm or everybody just hunkers down in their homes, huddling closely to stay warm.

It could be a good day to golf or do some yard work, or take a walk and get some exercise.

What would you do in Florida with no power?