The Russian Federation has signed the flawed Kyoto treaty that is supposed to limit greenhouse gases to below 1990 levels. The Russians did this to gain entry into the World Trade Organization with the support of the European Union, which had been encouraging Moscow to sign the treaty.
Most observers do not think that Russia will obey the terms of the treaty as it will fall way short of the goals that are now imposed on it by other nations.
The other bad news is that since Russia signed the accords, it now goes into effect worldwide and now all nations who are signatories will have to abide by the treaty.
The treaty calls for nations to cut their emission levels to 5% below 1990 levels by the year 2012. If any signatory nation falls short, it has to cut industrial production under the terms of the treaty.
I’m all for cutting greenhouse gases, but not at the cost of hundreds of thousands of jobs. We ought to be building “green” plants to replace the older ones that feed pollution into the atmosphere and then transfer those workers into the new plants. We don’t simply cut back on industrial production, which will harm our economy more than any other on the planet. We make the processes better by making them cleaner, not by stopping them outright and under threat of international sanctions.
It's better to spend more on building new plants and reducing our greenhouse emissions that way than having a treaty that is based on flawed and tampered-with research to impose penalties on us. The major research done to sell the treaty was exposed as being manufactured and influenced by environmental groups. This is very unfortunate.
You can’t get a straight answer from any group that has dedicated itself to a cleaner Earth. You also can’t get a straight answer from industry either. It’s kind of like the Presidential campaign.
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Wednesday, September 29, 2004
Fox News Beats Combined Rating of Its Competition
No wonder the left wing is so angry with Fox News! They are howling with rage over these just-released ratings and demanding that Fox News play in the sandbox a little nicer with the competition! They've been attacking Fox for months now, while at the same time realizing that Fox was beating them soundly in the daily ratings.
Fox TROUNCED the competition, drawing in more viewers than all of its competition combined! According to Neilson Media Research:
Fox News vs. CNN for 3rd Quarter of 2004:
1.8 million viewers vs. 882,000 viewers
Fox News vs. MSNBC for 3rd Quarter of 2004:
1.8 million viewers vs. 441,000 viewers
Fox News vs. CNN Headline News for 3rd Quarter of 2004:
1.8 million viewers vs. 226,000 viewers
Fox News vs. CNBC
1.8 million viewers vs. 133,000 viewers
Fox News vs. combined total
1.8 million viewers vs. 1.7 million viewers
Bill O’Reilly’s interview with President Bush earlier this week on the “O’Reilly Factor” drew 4.6 million viewers, which is unprecedented. He averages 2.4 million viewers per show. In fact, Fox owned nine of the top 10 rated talk shows in the 3rd quarter of 2004. CNN’s Larry King Live was #6.
Here’s the article.
The question that I have is this: do the results have anything to do with the political leanings of the country right now? Conservatives and right-leaning voters are more likely to get their news from Fox News, while liberals and liberal-leaning voters gravitate more toward CNN, MSNBC and other more-established networks. If these results do reflect the mood of the country, Kerry's in deep trouble going into the debates.
Time will tell.
Fox TROUNCED the competition, drawing in more viewers than all of its competition combined! According to Neilson Media Research:
Fox News vs. CNN for 3rd Quarter of 2004:
1.8 million viewers vs. 882,000 viewers
Fox News vs. MSNBC for 3rd Quarter of 2004:
1.8 million viewers vs. 441,000 viewers
Fox News vs. CNN Headline News for 3rd Quarter of 2004:
1.8 million viewers vs. 226,000 viewers
Fox News vs. CNBC
1.8 million viewers vs. 133,000 viewers
Fox News vs. combined total
1.8 million viewers vs. 1.7 million viewers
Bill O’Reilly’s interview with President Bush earlier this week on the “O’Reilly Factor” drew 4.6 million viewers, which is unprecedented. He averages 2.4 million viewers per show. In fact, Fox owned nine of the top 10 rated talk shows in the 3rd quarter of 2004. CNN’s Larry King Live was #6.
Here’s the article.
The question that I have is this: do the results have anything to do with the political leanings of the country right now? Conservatives and right-leaning voters are more likely to get their news from Fox News, while liberals and liberal-leaning voters gravitate more toward CNN, MSNBC and other more-established networks. If these results do reflect the mood of the country, Kerry's in deep trouble going into the debates.
Time will tell.
Ring of Fire Acting Up?
The zone around the Pacific Rim known as the "Rim of Fire" seems to be entering a more active phase. Mount St. Helens is preparing to blow it's top, there was a magnitude 6 earthquake in California yesterday, last week there was an earthquake in Japan, and in the last two days there have been swarms of magnitude 3 earthquakes on the Alaskan part of the Rim. In addition to the magnitude 6 quake shaking California, they have had well over a thousand aftershocks, which is normal for a major earthquake.
In addition to the aftershocks, there have been over a thousand earthquakes in California, Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, Montana (from Mount St. Helens) and Baja California, Mexico. Hawaii has seen some earthquakes in the last week as well.
The debate has started up again whether all of these events are interconnected. I'm no expert on earthquake prediction, nor on earthquakes, nor on plate tectonics, but something's up. The expected Mount Saint Helens eruption is expected to be smaller than the 1980 explosion that leveled and buried communities for miles around the mountain and blew volcanic ca-ca (ash) all over the country.
The government is tracking the increase in activity at their web site. It's updated once every five minutes.
It should be interesting to see what develops.
In addition to the aftershocks, there have been over a thousand earthquakes in California, Nevada, the Pacific Northwest, Montana (from Mount St. Helens) and Baja California, Mexico. Hawaii has seen some earthquakes in the last week as well.
The debate has started up again whether all of these events are interconnected. I'm no expert on earthquake prediction, nor on earthquakes, nor on plate tectonics, but something's up. The expected Mount Saint Helens eruption is expected to be smaller than the 1980 explosion that leveled and buried communities for miles around the mountain and blew volcanic ca-ca (ash) all over the country.
The government is tracking the increase in activity at their web site. It's updated once every five minutes.
It should be interesting to see what develops.
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
International Parental Kidnapping: International Scourge
There are currently 11,000 American kids who are being held in Islamic countries against the wishes of their non-Muslim parents.
They have been kidnapped.
How did this happen? Typically, an American woman marries a Muslim man, has kids, decides she doesn’t like how she is treated under Islamic law, tries to get a divorce and is left for dead as her husband returns to his country of origin with the kids, never to be seen or heard from again.
This is an ugly situation, and one that has been going on for years.
This has lead to some remarkable stories of mercenaries being sent in to take the kids back, shootouts with the man’s family member and friends, kids being reunited with their mother; or kids, mercenaries, father, father’s family and friends ending up dead. For more details, do a search on "international parental kidnapping."
International parental kidnapping is a serious crime. There is an international treaty that treats this as a crime, but dozens of Islamic countries haven’t signed the treaty or have shown any interest in returning these American kids.
We should stop giving foreign aid to those countries that have American victims of international parental kidnapping. This means Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Turkey, Yemen, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Pakistan, Oman and other countries need to condemn this crime, punish the kidnapping parent and return the kids to their countries of origin. This is not just an American problem, but a Western problem. Every Western nation has cases like this. Here’s a Newsday story on this problem.
If they (non-complying nations to the Hague treaty) do nothing to help the problem, then they support it. Just because an idea is popular in a culture doesn't make it right.
They have been kidnapped.
How did this happen? Typically, an American woman marries a Muslim man, has kids, decides she doesn’t like how she is treated under Islamic law, tries to get a divorce and is left for dead as her husband returns to his country of origin with the kids, never to be seen or heard from again.
This is an ugly situation, and one that has been going on for years.
This has lead to some remarkable stories of mercenaries being sent in to take the kids back, shootouts with the man’s family member and friends, kids being reunited with their mother; or kids, mercenaries, father, father’s family and friends ending up dead. For more details, do a search on "international parental kidnapping."
International parental kidnapping is a serious crime. There is an international treaty that treats this as a crime, but dozens of Islamic countries haven’t signed the treaty or have shown any interest in returning these American kids.
We should stop giving foreign aid to those countries that have American victims of international parental kidnapping. This means Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Libya, Turkey, Yemen, Morocco, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Pakistan, Oman and other countries need to condemn this crime, punish the kidnapping parent and return the kids to their countries of origin. This is not just an American problem, but a Western problem. Every Western nation has cases like this. Here’s a Newsday story on this problem.
If they (non-complying nations to the Hague treaty) do nothing to help the problem, then they support it. Just because an idea is popular in a culture doesn't make it right.
Monday, September 27, 2004
Copper Country Celebrates 100 Years of Professional Hockey
Many people do not realize this, but professional hockey began in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Copper Country and spread throughout North America, laying down the roots for other leagues that followed, including today’s National Hockey League.
As part of the celebrations, the Michigan Tech Huskies alumni took on the Detroit Red Wings alumni team and the Stanley Cup was on display in Houghton. Gordie Howe, Randy McKay and Dennis Hextall were among the hockey alumni who were present.
Here’s a link to the birthplace of organized professional hockey. Congratulations to the Copper Country on this great event!
As part of the celebrations, the Michigan Tech Huskies alumni took on the Detroit Red Wings alumni team and the Stanley Cup was on display in Houghton. Gordie Howe, Randy McKay and Dennis Hextall were among the hockey alumni who were present.
Here’s a link to the birthplace of organized professional hockey. Congratulations to the Copper Country on this great event!
France and Germany Snub Kerry's Promise to Internationalize Iraq War
On Friday the 24th, I wrote about Kerry's disasterous NPR interview. In it I said: I can’t see any difference between the two, except that Kerry is making promises to internationalize the Iraq solution that he can’t keep. France and Germany won’t send troops to Iraq; they’ve already said so.
Well, France and Germany reiterated what they've already said today. Here's the story. Will Kerry keep making promises that he has no way of keeping?
Well, France and Germany reiterated what they've already said today. Here's the story. Will Kerry keep making promises that he has no way of keeping?
Strange CNN Headline on Abu Ghraib Scandal
CNN is reporting that a soldier featured prominently in the Iraqi prison scandal photos will face a court-martial next year.
That’s good.
However, the way cnn.com is reporting it is strange. The headline on their story reads: “Pregnant soldier faces Abu Ghraib court-martial”
Excuse me, but she wasn’t pregnant when the abuse happened. She got pregnant as the abuse was going on.
The way that CNN has carefully worded it, it’s to draw sympathy for the soldier as she faces her trial for abusing Iraqi prisoners.
Odd way to describe a war crime if you ask me.
That’s good.
However, the way cnn.com is reporting it is strange. The headline on their story reads: “Pregnant soldier faces Abu Ghraib court-martial”
Excuse me, but she wasn’t pregnant when the abuse happened. She got pregnant as the abuse was going on.
The way that CNN has carefully worded it, it’s to draw sympathy for the soldier as she faces her trial for abusing Iraqi prisoners.
Odd way to describe a war crime if you ask me.
U.S./Taiwan Arms Deal Should Go Forward
We should support Taiwan's bid for independence from China by making sure the deal to sell American anti-missile defense systems, diesel-electric submarines and aircraft goes through.
Taiwan is a fledgling democracy and we should not allow a democracy to fall to the evil of communist aggression without lifting a finger. If we can deter Chinese aggression against one of our trading partners, and encourage the Chinese to come to a peaceful settlement, that would be even better. The best-case solution would be for China to unilaterally recognize Taiwan's freedom and independence from China. That will, of course, never happen. If it did, the entire world could recognize Taiwan's government immediately and establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Taiwan cannot beat China in an arms race, or in a war if Chinese shock armies and marines invaded the island. The Red Chinese numbers are too great.
By selling the Taiwanese the defensive weapons, we could possibly help Taiwan delay the Chinese onslaught and buy some time to come up with a diplomatic solution in the event that Red China ever did decide to take over Taiwan by force.
The Nationalist army settled on Formosa in 1945 after being driven into the sea by the Chinese communist armies on the mainland. This happened after the end of World War II and following a Chinese civil war. The Nationalists rejected communism as foreign to their way of life and fought for control of the mainland. They lost.
For us to allow Red China to take over Taiwan by use of force would be like Europe handing over Austria and Czechoslovakia to Hitler (in 1938-1939) in exchange for peace. I hope China's new leaders take advantage of the goodwill it would earn IF it forgot about conquering Taiwan and sponsored Taiwan's membership in the United Nations as a free and independent state.
Taiwan's latest bid to join the U.N. failed three weeks ago due to China's interference as it still clings to outdated "one China" diplomacy. There are two Chinas, one a communist superpower, and the other a struggling democratic nation that we should support.
Taiwan is a fledgling democracy and we should not allow a democracy to fall to the evil of communist aggression without lifting a finger. If we can deter Chinese aggression against one of our trading partners, and encourage the Chinese to come to a peaceful settlement, that would be even better. The best-case solution would be for China to unilaterally recognize Taiwan's freedom and independence from China. That will, of course, never happen. If it did, the entire world could recognize Taiwan's government immediately and establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
Taiwan cannot beat China in an arms race, or in a war if Chinese shock armies and marines invaded the island. The Red Chinese numbers are too great.
By selling the Taiwanese the defensive weapons, we could possibly help Taiwan delay the Chinese onslaught and buy some time to come up with a diplomatic solution in the event that Red China ever did decide to take over Taiwan by force.
The Nationalist army settled on Formosa in 1945 after being driven into the sea by the Chinese communist armies on the mainland. This happened after the end of World War II and following a Chinese civil war. The Nationalists rejected communism as foreign to their way of life and fought for control of the mainland. They lost.
For us to allow Red China to take over Taiwan by use of force would be like Europe handing over Austria and Czechoslovakia to Hitler (in 1938-1939) in exchange for peace. I hope China's new leaders take advantage of the goodwill it would earn IF it forgot about conquering Taiwan and sponsored Taiwan's membership in the United Nations as a free and independent state.
Taiwan's latest bid to join the U.N. failed three weeks ago due to China's interference as it still clings to outdated "one China" diplomacy. There are two Chinas, one a communist superpower, and the other a struggling democratic nation that we should support.
Carter Says Florida Not Ready For Election
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has said that Florida is not ready to handle an election. If he's right, this is bad news for not only Florida, but the entire country as well.
With less than six weeks to go before the nation heads to the polls, the much sought-after reforms that would have taken care of 2000-style electoral problems have yet to be implemented. In addition, Florida is still reeling from the onslaught of four hurricanes, including Jeanne, which is continuing to cause devastation throughout the region at this hour.
Looks like we will be waiting for Florida again. Hopefully the election will be decided with a wide-enough margin that Florida’s electoral votes will not be enough to turn the tide and throw the entire election into turmoil again. We go to the polls to decide questions, not to end up with indecision as we did in 2000.
The first one to go to court on November 2nd ought to be given a swift boot in the butt and be shown the door. The loser should have the grace to acknowledge the loss and go home and write a book.
A prediction:
If it’s close, Kerry will litigate. Bush won’t (unless Kerry does first).
With less than six weeks to go before the nation heads to the polls, the much sought-after reforms that would have taken care of 2000-style electoral problems have yet to be implemented. In addition, Florida is still reeling from the onslaught of four hurricanes, including Jeanne, which is continuing to cause devastation throughout the region at this hour.
Looks like we will be waiting for Florida again. Hopefully the election will be decided with a wide-enough margin that Florida’s electoral votes will not be enough to turn the tide and throw the entire election into turmoil again. We go to the polls to decide questions, not to end up with indecision as we did in 2000.
The first one to go to court on November 2nd ought to be given a swift boot in the butt and be shown the door. The loser should have the grace to acknowledge the loss and go home and write a book.
A prediction:
If it’s close, Kerry will litigate. Bush won’t (unless Kerry does first).
Sunday, September 26, 2004
Russia Threatens Georgian Republic
As predicted, a military conflict between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Georgia came a step closer after the Kremlin announced it was suspending all air flights from Russia to Georgia next week. This step is seen by Tblisi as confirmation that Moscow is going to launch preemptive strikes against Georgian territory that the Russians suspect is being used by Chechan guerillas in their war against the Russian occupation of Chechnya.
There's more to this story than first meets the eye.
Georgia is currently embroiled in a confrontation similar to Russia's in Chechnya; the South Ossetia region of Georgia declared independence and Georgia is using force to try and reign it in. Complicating matters, the Russian government has recognized a rebel government in South Ossetia against Georgia's wishes and has sent Russian troops to keep the peace following the unilateral withdrawal of Georgian troops.
Georgia is also trying to join NATO; U.S. Marines are currently in Georgia training the Georgian Army in NATO and U.S. tactics and procedures to prepare Georgia for entry into the alliance. This annoys Russia to no end.
Georgia's problems do not end in South Ossetia; it has another breakaway province near Chechnya called Abkhazia. The Russians are claiming that Chechans are using this province as a staging area to attack Russian forces in Chechnya.
The Russians have vowed to deal with the terrorists using any means necessary. The questions being asked by a worried Georgian public are: will Russia invade? Will it launch air strikes? What will happen?
This preemptive strike strategy being followed by the U.S., Israel and Russia seems very reckless. The U.S. attack on Iraq did not meet the criteria called for by Article 51 of the United Nations charter, Israel's assassination of a Hamas leader in Syrian territory (yesterday) doesn't either, and Russia's threatening Georgia doesn't either.
Very complex situation.
There's more to this story than first meets the eye.
Georgia is currently embroiled in a confrontation similar to Russia's in Chechnya; the South Ossetia region of Georgia declared independence and Georgia is using force to try and reign it in. Complicating matters, the Russian government has recognized a rebel government in South Ossetia against Georgia's wishes and has sent Russian troops to keep the peace following the unilateral withdrawal of Georgian troops.
Georgia is also trying to join NATO; U.S. Marines are currently in Georgia training the Georgian Army in NATO and U.S. tactics and procedures to prepare Georgia for entry into the alliance. This annoys Russia to no end.
Georgia's problems do not end in South Ossetia; it has another breakaway province near Chechnya called Abkhazia. The Russians are claiming that Chechans are using this province as a staging area to attack Russian forces in Chechnya.
The Russians have vowed to deal with the terrorists using any means necessary. The questions being asked by a worried Georgian public are: will Russia invade? Will it launch air strikes? What will happen?
This preemptive strike strategy being followed by the U.S., Israel and Russia seems very reckless. The U.S. attack on Iraq did not meet the criteria called for by Article 51 of the United Nations charter, Israel's assassination of a Hamas leader in Syrian territory (yesterday) doesn't either, and Russia's threatening Georgia doesn't either.
Very complex situation.
What Happens If a Hurricane Hits Florida on November 2nd?
What will happen if Florida takes another hurricane hit on November 2nd when millions of Floridians are to be voting in the national election?
Does this mean we will be waiting for Florida again to find out who the next President will be?
How long would it take for Florida to be prepared to hold an election if another Category 3 or 4 hurricane slams into Florida just before the elections are to start?
What's the deal? Has this ever happened before?
Does this mean we will be waiting for Florida again to find out who the next President will be?
How long would it take for Florida to be prepared to hold an election if another Category 3 or 4 hurricane slams into Florida just before the elections are to start?
What's the deal? Has this ever happened before?
Saturday, September 25, 2004
ROTC Causes Firestorm in Michigan's Copper Country
I am really torn over whether to write about this next topic since I’ve worked alongside the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) unit involved in this situation, but their current crop of cadets went WAY over the line.
The firestorm of controversy began last Thursday when a front-page article appeared in the Daily Mining Gazette, the local newspaper for the Copper Country area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The article described a program that was put on for a group of local sixth graders at Camp Nesbit, a Forest Service camp that is used by many of the local school districts for outdoor camping experiences. I attended this camp as a sixth grader myself and then as a counselor. According to the Gazette article, “…course activities included physical fitness training such as marching and running, along with military exercises such as grenade tossing and a "buddy crawl" using plastic guns.
Of particular concern was a cadence used in the marching exercise that repeated the phrase "I want to hurt someone. I want to kill someone."
The course was put on by Michigan Tech ROTC cadets who were part of a so-called “leadership training” course. Who was in charge of this disaster? And why was this farce allowed to happen? Where were the teachers and the administration? Where were the ROTC commanders? It sounded like the officer in charge wasn't even around when this happened.
I worked with the Michigan Tech ROTC as a Scouting professional and they helped us with staffing some of our events. The cadets that helped us were totally professional and at least one of their commanding officers were there to make sure that things were done right. I got to know several of the cadets personally and followed their careers with great interest. Two of them are in harm's way in Iraq right now and I know that they would be horrified about this.
I am a supporter of the military and it's a shame to see ROTC cadets tarnish the image of those brave men and women in uniform who have graduated from the ROTC and are fighting and dying to spread democracy to other parts of the world.
The Michigan Tech ROTC has let us all down. They should be barred from participating in any school-related activities short of talking to high schoolers for recruitment purposes. Teaching an eleven year-old to throw a dummy grenade. What a bunch of utter BS!
The firestorm of controversy began last Thursday when a front-page article appeared in the Daily Mining Gazette, the local newspaper for the Copper Country area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The article described a program that was put on for a group of local sixth graders at Camp Nesbit, a Forest Service camp that is used by many of the local school districts for outdoor camping experiences. I attended this camp as a sixth grader myself and then as a counselor. According to the Gazette article, “…course activities included physical fitness training such as marching and running, along with military exercises such as grenade tossing and a "buddy crawl" using plastic guns.
Of particular concern was a cadence used in the marching exercise that repeated the phrase "I want to hurt someone. I want to kill someone."
The course was put on by Michigan Tech ROTC cadets who were part of a so-called “leadership training” course. Who was in charge of this disaster? And why was this farce allowed to happen? Where were the teachers and the administration? Where were the ROTC commanders? It sounded like the officer in charge wasn't even around when this happened.
I worked with the Michigan Tech ROTC as a Scouting professional and they helped us with staffing some of our events. The cadets that helped us were totally professional and at least one of their commanding officers were there to make sure that things were done right. I got to know several of the cadets personally and followed their careers with great interest. Two of them are in harm's way in Iraq right now and I know that they would be horrified about this.
I am a supporter of the military and it's a shame to see ROTC cadets tarnish the image of those brave men and women in uniform who have graduated from the ROTC and are fighting and dying to spread democracy to other parts of the world.
The Michigan Tech ROTC has let us all down. They should be barred from participating in any school-related activities short of talking to high schoolers for recruitment purposes. Teaching an eleven year-old to throw a dummy grenade. What a bunch of utter BS!
Use Nuclear Weapons To Stop Hurricanes?
It's been suggested (foolishly) that in the light of all the devastation in Florida, we ought to use nuclear weapons to stop hurricanes before they come ashore.
That's all we need. A radioactive hurricane spreading nuclear radiation at 145 mph over an area for HOURS or DAYS. Really smart. Florida would be left uninhabitable after that. So would any other state that the hurricane or tropical storm touched. That would mean radioactive contamination of huge swaths of land as well.
No nuclear weapon in existence is big enough or powerful enough to stop a hurricane. If we used multiple weapons, it still wouldn't blow apart a hurricane. It would just be more radioactive.
The idea is not bad, but the means to do it is.
That's all we need. A radioactive hurricane spreading nuclear radiation at 145 mph over an area for HOURS or DAYS. Really smart. Florida would be left uninhabitable after that. So would any other state that the hurricane or tropical storm touched. That would mean radioactive contamination of huge swaths of land as well.
No nuclear weapon in existence is big enough or powerful enough to stop a hurricane. If we used multiple weapons, it still wouldn't blow apart a hurricane. It would just be more radioactive.
The idea is not bad, but the means to do it is.
Friday, September 24, 2004
OPEC Loses Control of Oil Market
According to a brief article from the World Tribune, OPEC members have lost control of oil prices.
Well, duh! That was obvious.
The oil surplus that OPEC produces daily is no longer enough to have an impact on the price of a barrel of crude oil. Are they really unhappy about this development? Higher oil prices=more profits for them.
New York light crude oil hit $48.88 a barrel today.
Well, duh! That was obvious.
The oil surplus that OPEC produces daily is no longer enough to have an impact on the price of a barrel of crude oil. Are they really unhappy about this development? Higher oil prices=more profits for them.
New York light crude oil hit $48.88 a barrel today.
Kerry on NPR: On-Air Disaster
I listened to John Kerry’s interview on National Public Radio with Robert Seigel this week and came away with some major impressions of the Senator’s comments. First of all, I noticed that he was confrontational when Seigel questioned him about what was different between Kerry’s position and what the Bush Administration was doing. He was completely negative and highly combative when he was laying out the differences between his position and Bush’s. I can’t see any difference between the two, except that Kerry is making promises to internationalize the Iraq solution that he can’t keep. France and Germany won’t send troops to Iraq; they’ve already said so.
Senator Kerry also laid out a plan and demanded that President Bush implement it immediately. How can a man who was sent home after four questionable months in Vietnam and THEN become an antiwar activist lay out a battle plan for a sitting U.S. President and his generals to follow? Kerry’s credibility is stretched almost beyond belief. In fact, he has NO credibility here. If he had kept his focus on the economy and domestic issues (including national security) and international relations, he’d be in a much stronger position than he currently finds himself in.
I’m no military expert, and I don’t know what the military needs for victory, but I know how politics work, and Kerry’s politics are way off-center. Nader, anyone?
I don’t think there has been a more hapless candidate in modern times than Kerry. His flip-flops have become so severe that his base is faltering. He’s down in the polls (if you believe them), he has no clear vision, and people still don’t know who he is. His NPR interview was a disaster.
When Osama bin-Laden is captured next month, Kerry’s going to be foaming at the mouth.
Senator Kerry also laid out a plan and demanded that President Bush implement it immediately. How can a man who was sent home after four questionable months in Vietnam and THEN become an antiwar activist lay out a battle plan for a sitting U.S. President and his generals to follow? Kerry’s credibility is stretched almost beyond belief. In fact, he has NO credibility here. If he had kept his focus on the economy and domestic issues (including national security) and international relations, he’d be in a much stronger position than he currently finds himself in.
I’m no military expert, and I don’t know what the military needs for victory, but I know how politics work, and Kerry’s politics are way off-center. Nader, anyone?
I don’t think there has been a more hapless candidate in modern times than Kerry. His flip-flops have become so severe that his base is faltering. He’s down in the polls (if you believe them), he has no clear vision, and people still don’t know who he is. His NPR interview was a disaster.
When Osama bin-Laden is captured next month, Kerry’s going to be foaming at the mouth.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
2004 NHL Lock-Out: Week 1
The first week of the NHL lock-out has come and gone.
There has been no progress. In fact, there has been no communication between the two sides, and no meetings.
They ought to get off their duffs and GET BUSY!
There has been no progress. In fact, there has been no communication between the two sides, and no meetings.
They ought to get off their duffs and GET BUSY!
Dan Rather Target of E-mail Campaign
Dan Rather has been targeted by an e-mail campaign for his role in the memo scandal at CBS. The campaign seeks to have him replaced as anchor of CBS News; affiliates across the country are getting the petitions.
This campaign was organized by rathergate.com, a conservative blog operated by someone (not me) who is very upset with CBS for the memo scandal and for other media blunders.
Rathergate.com is so big that they are mentioned in the mainstream media. Amazing!
This campaign was organized by rathergate.com, a conservative blog operated by someone (not me) who is very upset with CBS for the memo scandal and for other media blunders.
Rathergate.com is so big that they are mentioned in the mainstream media. Amazing!
War of Words: Bush Press Secretary vs. Clinton Press Secretary
Joe Lockhart, President Clinton's former press secretary during the Lewinsky scandal, took to the airwaves to snarl about the White House (under Bush) not communicating enough with the press, which led to President Bush's press secretary to return fire.
The press secretaries are clashing now? Or is Lockhart trying to deflect some heat away from his own involvement in the CBS memo scandal?
Whatever. He'll probably be subpoenaed as the CBS libel lawsuit proceeds.
I always thought Lockhart was the only honest person in the Clinton White House. I hope I wasn't wrong about that.
The press secretaries are clashing now? Or is Lockhart trying to deflect some heat away from his own involvement in the CBS memo scandal?
Whatever. He'll probably be subpoenaed as the CBS libel lawsuit proceeds.
I always thought Lockhart was the only honest person in the Clinton White House. I hope I wasn't wrong about that.
CBS Being Sued Over Memo Scandal
In a new twist to the CBS memo saga, it was announced that CBS is being sued by the former TexAirNatGrd officer who supplied CBS and the Kerry campaign with the forged documents.
According to reports, the individual is claiming that he warned CBS that they had to verify the authenticity of the documents. The lawsuit accuses CBS of libel and defamation of character.
He further accused CBS of violating a (non-binding) confidentiality agreement in which CBS promised to keep the source's identity a closely guarded secret. When the story began to collapse, the agreement unraveled as well.
If this man was so worried about his identity or character being questioned on national TV, he should have said NO to the interview. He MADE that bed, now he should SLEEP in it!
According to reports, the individual is claiming that he warned CBS that they had to verify the authenticity of the documents. The lawsuit accuses CBS of libel and defamation of character.
He further accused CBS of violating a (non-binding) confidentiality agreement in which CBS promised to keep the source's identity a closely guarded secret. When the story began to collapse, the agreement unraveled as well.
If this man was so worried about his identity or character being questioned on national TV, he should have said NO to the interview. He MADE that bed, now he should SLEEP in it!
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
CBS Conspiracy with Kerry Campaign?
Now that the CBS document scandal has been partially settled, new questions need to be asked: how much collaboration went on between CBS, the Kerry campaign, and the liar who passed the documents to both parties?
I've let CBS off the hook for not doing enough research before they ran with the report, but they're still in the hot seat with me on other matters, including the question I've asked above.
We saw the Congressional Democrats get up on stage to blast Bush like I've described in previous posts. I predicted that the Dems would remain silent rather than admit that they screwed up. Much to my surprise they spoke up and did the old "Well, we know what's true and false now, but..." and then totally buried the entire issue. This makes it look like they're avoiding responsibility for defaming another's character.
So we now know that there is a definite connection between CBS and Joe Lockhart, who was President Clinton's spokesperson and a senior Kerry campaign advisor. Lockhart got the memos after getting a tip from CBS staffers that a former Texas Air National Guard officer who has been after Bush for four years. Kerry mentioned the memos before they were aired on 60 Minutes.
So who typed the false memos? I wouldn't be surprised if it came from an ultra-liberal "527" group that hates Bush.
I've let CBS off the hook for not doing enough research before they ran with the report, but they're still in the hot seat with me on other matters, including the question I've asked above.
We saw the Congressional Democrats get up on stage to blast Bush like I've described in previous posts. I predicted that the Dems would remain silent rather than admit that they screwed up. Much to my surprise they spoke up and did the old "Well, we know what's true and false now, but..." and then totally buried the entire issue. This makes it look like they're avoiding responsibility for defaming another's character.
So we now know that there is a definite connection between CBS and Joe Lockhart, who was President Clinton's spokesperson and a senior Kerry campaign advisor. Lockhart got the memos after getting a tip from CBS staffers that a former Texas Air National Guard officer who has been after Bush for four years. Kerry mentioned the memos before they were aired on 60 Minutes.
So who typed the false memos? I wouldn't be surprised if it came from an ultra-liberal "527" group that hates Bush.
Monday, September 20, 2004
CBS Admits Mistake
True to his word, Dan Rather took to the airwaves and apologized for not doing more to investigate the memos that have unleashed a firestorm against CBS News. I believed what he was saying and that he wouldn’t have used the falsified documents if he knew that the source was lying to hurt President Bush.
I think that CBS and other networks will soon tighten their journalistic standards of proof and verification as is taught in most journalism classes. It seems like many of the networks are ignoring the two-or-more source rule to get their stories onto the airwaves and onto the Internet before their competition does.
Dan Rather’s interview was quite good. His responses were delivered much better than the interviewer’s questions were, that’s for sure. She seemed to be intimidated to be asking her boss these kinds of tough questions. He seemed genuinely sorry that he and his team didn’t do as much as they could have to verify the documents before they went on the air. Rather’s excellent speaking style saved the interview from the reporter doing the interview, who appears to need a little more time in front of the mike and camera.
Now that CBS has admitted it screwed up, it can get back to reporting the news instead of being the news. One interesting note: the other networks are not taking advantage of CBS’s vulnerability and sticking it to Dan Rather because they all know that they may be in a similar situation down the road. As hard as they try, honest mistakes do happen, and I hope all the networks are big enough to admit when they’ve made a royal screw-up.
I would be even happier if the major networks would keep their politics to themselves and just report the news. The way that I see things, Fox News is a needed conservative counterbalance to more liberal networks which do a poor job of presenting both sides of an argument. Fox does not do a good job of presenting both sides either, but we can watch both liberal and conservative news outlets and decide where we stand on the issues. That's what's great about having a free press.
When it crosses the line and writes the news instead of reporting it, that's when we ought to stand up and demand that networks follow their own rules and forget about what their competition is doing.
There are many more questions to be answered, but it was a good start tonight.
I think that CBS and other networks will soon tighten their journalistic standards of proof and verification as is taught in most journalism classes. It seems like many of the networks are ignoring the two-or-more source rule to get their stories onto the airwaves and onto the Internet before their competition does.
Dan Rather’s interview was quite good. His responses were delivered much better than the interviewer’s questions were, that’s for sure. She seemed to be intimidated to be asking her boss these kinds of tough questions. He seemed genuinely sorry that he and his team didn’t do as much as they could have to verify the documents before they went on the air. Rather’s excellent speaking style saved the interview from the reporter doing the interview, who appears to need a little more time in front of the mike and camera.
Now that CBS has admitted it screwed up, it can get back to reporting the news instead of being the news. One interesting note: the other networks are not taking advantage of CBS’s vulnerability and sticking it to Dan Rather because they all know that they may be in a similar situation down the road. As hard as they try, honest mistakes do happen, and I hope all the networks are big enough to admit when they’ve made a royal screw-up.
I would be even happier if the major networks would keep their politics to themselves and just report the news. The way that I see things, Fox News is a needed conservative counterbalance to more liberal networks which do a poor job of presenting both sides of an argument. Fox does not do a good job of presenting both sides either, but we can watch both liberal and conservative news outlets and decide where we stand on the issues. That's what's great about having a free press.
When it crosses the line and writes the news instead of reporting it, that's when we ought to stand up and demand that networks follow their own rules and forget about what their competition is doing.
There are many more questions to be answered, but it was a good start tonight.
New Election Year Timetable Needed
Has anyone gotten sick and tired of Bush and Kerry hammering away at one another?
An eight month campaign is TOO long! It should be set up so that the primaries run from May to August and then the campaign between the two (or more) parties runs from September to November.
Now some would say that this timetable is not not enough time to "vet out" the candidates, but I disagree. We would find out no more about the candidates than we have after a five-month (and counting) campaign between Kerry and Bush. We still don't know the truth about Bush's or Kerry's respective (barely) Vietnam records.
We don't know who John Kerry is yet. We don't know if Bush will start a draft in 2005. We don't know, we don't know, WE DON'T KNOW! So much for an informed public. Two of the most deceptive men in modern politics are running for President and the public can't tell which of them is being more truthful. (Actually, I know who is...read my previous posts to figure out where I stand on that one yourself!)
So why prolong this agony and discord? Do the primaries, then do the conventions (as unnecessary as they are) and get on with the general election! This process should stop wasting time!
An eight month campaign is TOO long! It should be set up so that the primaries run from May to August and then the campaign between the two (or more) parties runs from September to November.
Now some would say that this timetable is not not enough time to "vet out" the candidates, but I disagree. We would find out no more about the candidates than we have after a five-month (and counting) campaign between Kerry and Bush. We still don't know the truth about Bush's or Kerry's respective (barely) Vietnam records.
We don't know who John Kerry is yet. We don't know if Bush will start a draft in 2005. We don't know, we don't know, WE DON'T KNOW! So much for an informed public. Two of the most deceptive men in modern politics are running for President and the public can't tell which of them is being more truthful. (Actually, I know who is...read my previous posts to figure out where I stand on that one yourself!)
So why prolong this agony and discord? Do the primaries, then do the conventions (as unnecessary as they are) and get on with the general election! This process should stop wasting time!
CBS Reverses Course on False 60 Minutes Document
CBS has finally come to its senses and reversed course on the Bush/National Guard memos that were presented on the September 8th edition of 60 Minutes. They are expected to announce as early as today that they were deceived about the authenticity of the documents, which originated in a Kinko's copy shop somewhere in Texas.
It's about time.
There were dozens of mistakes in the CBS document ranging from grammar and spelling errors to type errors to margin errors to language errors to every conceivable type of error that there is. Take a look for yourself (GIF, 316k). Thanks to the Washington Post for the excellent graphic.
In any case, one has to wonder if CBS is admitting its mistake because they were wrong, or because of the negative impact this scandal has had on their viewership.
And what about the Congressional Democrats who (on September 9th or thereabouts) stood up in front of a microphone to blast Bush after they heard the erroneous report? They sure got left with egg in their faces. They will, of course, remain silent. After all, it's an election year and all's fair in politics and elections. I think that's bull, but that's the way it is.
It's about time.
There were dozens of mistakes in the CBS document ranging from grammar and spelling errors to type errors to margin errors to language errors to every conceivable type of error that there is. Take a look for yourself (GIF, 316k). Thanks to the Washington Post for the excellent graphic.
In any case, one has to wonder if CBS is admitting its mistake because they were wrong, or because of the negative impact this scandal has had on their viewership.
And what about the Congressional Democrats who (on September 9th or thereabouts) stood up in front of a microphone to blast Bush after they heard the erroneous report? They sure got left with egg in their faces. They will, of course, remain silent. After all, it's an election year and all's fair in politics and elections. I think that's bull, but that's the way it is.
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Campaign Scare Tactics and Terrorism
The Republican and Democratic tickets continue to take election-year potshots at one another over the terrorist issue.
Cheney has aired views that terrorists would take Kerry’s winning the election in November as a green-light to launch devastating terrorist attacks on America, while Kerry-Edwards have suggested a Bush victory would mean more wars for America.
Now seems to be a good time to take a look at a few hot spots where our forces might be sent into action:
Iran. Some are predicting a low-intensity war with Iran that sees the fighting centered on nuclear hotspots in Iran. It’s been suggested that U.S. Special Forces would be used to destroy Iran’s nuclear-weapons making potential. The chances of this happening are pretty low right now as the Bush Administration has made it clear that they will pursue diplomatic solutions. I don’t think they want Iranian special forces stirring up trouble in Iraq.
Iraq. Insurgents have taken over large parts of Iraq and the government of Iraq may request additional troops to retake parts of the country. An overwhelming American sledgehammer force will be needed to destroy the opposition. The chance of this happening is close to 100% in my view.
North Korea. We won’t start a fight over there, but North Korea is crazy enough to try something stupid and then try to throw the blame on the U.S. With so many nations trying to get North Korea to come to their senses, the chance of unilateral action on the part of any one nation is slim to none. Kerry wants to talk directly to North Korea and cut the other nations out of the discussion, but I think the other regional governments who have to worry about North Korea firing Nodong missiles over their territory should be in on this.
Afghanistan. Until the Afghan army is strong enough to fight the Taliban, the coalition will continue to do the bulk of the fighting. If the Taliban or al-Qaeda reconstitutes enough, we may have to send more troops over there. I would say that there is a 60% chance of this happening.
Taiwan Strait. With the total makeover of the Chinese government under new leader Hu Jintao, China’s policy toward Taiwan is a big question mark. The previous government said that it would invade Taiwan if it declared independence from Chinese rule. There will probably be statements coming from the red Chinese press about where the new government stands on the issue. If China does invade, what will the U.S. do? If it decides to defend Taiwan, it will be a war that is largely fought by the U.S. Navy and Air Force. Slim to no chance of U.S. intervention right now. I think Taiwan should be independent, but should we fight a naval and air war with China over it? Fighting China will not help us stop al-Qaeda.
Saudi Arabia. There are going to be lots of diplomatic and economic rows between the U.S. and the Saudi government. They are involved in the war on terror only because al-Qaeda has threatened the house of Saud. They like high oil prices. If al-Qaeda starts attacking Saudi oil terminals and pipelines, expect enthusiastic support from the Saudis. Jerks. I don't forsee U.S. troops protecting Saudi pipelines.
Philippine Islands. We are assisting the government there fight Marxist and Islamic terror groups by sending the Philippine government arms, advisors and money. I don’t see 50,000 American troops heading over there anytime soon.
Conclusion: There is no greater chance of wars on the scale of Iraq and Afghanistan, unless Osama bin-Laden is elected President of Iran or North Korea or Cuba. If Bush tried to push us into a full-scale war with Iran or Syria, without proving to the American people or Congress that the intelligence is rock-solid, he'll be impeached. I would say that under Bush, we would have to send more troops to support the battlefronts that we are already engaged in, not start new ones. Iran is a problem, but there may be a coalition with our friends the French and Germans over this issue. They should take the lead on this since they're making lots of noise over how unhappy they are with Iran.
Conclusion: There is no greater chance of terrorist strikes on the U.S. under Bush or Kerry. The chance is equally great.
My advice to both campaigns would be: stop trying to scare people. It’s good to make them aware of what might happen in the future under EITHER Bush or Kerry, but politicians scaring the American public isn’t a good idea. Election-year BS.
Cheney has aired views that terrorists would take Kerry’s winning the election in November as a green-light to launch devastating terrorist attacks on America, while Kerry-Edwards have suggested a Bush victory would mean more wars for America.
Now seems to be a good time to take a look at a few hot spots where our forces might be sent into action:
Iran. Some are predicting a low-intensity war with Iran that sees the fighting centered on nuclear hotspots in Iran. It’s been suggested that U.S. Special Forces would be used to destroy Iran’s nuclear-weapons making potential. The chances of this happening are pretty low right now as the Bush Administration has made it clear that they will pursue diplomatic solutions. I don’t think they want Iranian special forces stirring up trouble in Iraq.
Iraq. Insurgents have taken over large parts of Iraq and the government of Iraq may request additional troops to retake parts of the country. An overwhelming American sledgehammer force will be needed to destroy the opposition. The chance of this happening is close to 100% in my view.
North Korea. We won’t start a fight over there, but North Korea is crazy enough to try something stupid and then try to throw the blame on the U.S. With so many nations trying to get North Korea to come to their senses, the chance of unilateral action on the part of any one nation is slim to none. Kerry wants to talk directly to North Korea and cut the other nations out of the discussion, but I think the other regional governments who have to worry about North Korea firing Nodong missiles over their territory should be in on this.
Afghanistan. Until the Afghan army is strong enough to fight the Taliban, the coalition will continue to do the bulk of the fighting. If the Taliban or al-Qaeda reconstitutes enough, we may have to send more troops over there. I would say that there is a 60% chance of this happening.
Taiwan Strait. With the total makeover of the Chinese government under new leader Hu Jintao, China’s policy toward Taiwan is a big question mark. The previous government said that it would invade Taiwan if it declared independence from Chinese rule. There will probably be statements coming from the red Chinese press about where the new government stands on the issue. If China does invade, what will the U.S. do? If it decides to defend Taiwan, it will be a war that is largely fought by the U.S. Navy and Air Force. Slim to no chance of U.S. intervention right now. I think Taiwan should be independent, but should we fight a naval and air war with China over it? Fighting China will not help us stop al-Qaeda.
Saudi Arabia. There are going to be lots of diplomatic and economic rows between the U.S. and the Saudi government. They are involved in the war on terror only because al-Qaeda has threatened the house of Saud. They like high oil prices. If al-Qaeda starts attacking Saudi oil terminals and pipelines, expect enthusiastic support from the Saudis. Jerks. I don't forsee U.S. troops protecting Saudi pipelines.
Philippine Islands. We are assisting the government there fight Marxist and Islamic terror groups by sending the Philippine government arms, advisors and money. I don’t see 50,000 American troops heading over there anytime soon.
Conclusion: There is no greater chance of wars on the scale of Iraq and Afghanistan, unless Osama bin-Laden is elected President of Iran or North Korea or Cuba. If Bush tried to push us into a full-scale war with Iran or Syria, without proving to the American people or Congress that the intelligence is rock-solid, he'll be impeached. I would say that under Bush, we would have to send more troops to support the battlefronts that we are already engaged in, not start new ones. Iran is a problem, but there may be a coalition with our friends the French and Germans over this issue. They should take the lead on this since they're making lots of noise over how unhappy they are with Iran.
Conclusion: There is no greater chance of terrorist strikes on the U.S. under Bush or Kerry. The chance is equally great.
My advice to both campaigns would be: stop trying to scare people. It’s good to make them aware of what might happen in the future under EITHER Bush or Kerry, but politicians scaring the American public isn’t a good idea. Election-year BS.
Friday, September 17, 2004
Chair-Throwing Texas Ranger Pitcher Suspended
The chair-throwing pitcher from the Texas Rangers has been suspended for the rest of the season.
My response: good.
Maybe the time off will give him some time to grow up. He threw a chair at a fan and ended up hitting the fan's wife and breaking her nose.
He was subsequently arrested and taken to jail while the woman made up her mind whether or not to press charges. She has since decided to press charges and file a lawsuit.
Totally irresponsible behavior. He has apologized, but he is not nearly as sorry as he will be once the court action gets underway. That's for sure. Hothead.
My response: good.
Maybe the time off will give him some time to grow up. He threw a chair at a fan and ended up hitting the fan's wife and breaking her nose.
He was subsequently arrested and taken to jail while the woman made up her mind whether or not to press charges. She has since decided to press charges and file a lawsuit.
Totally irresponsible behavior. He has apologized, but he is not nearly as sorry as he will be once the court action gets underway. That's for sure. Hothead.
North Korea Tricks Diplomats
North Korea had a group of foreign ambassadors and other diplomats inspect a site that was the subject of much debate over the last two weeks since a two mile wide mushroom cloud and seismic event were detected in North Korea.
Hoping to dispel the controversy, the communist state allowed diplomats to visit the site to verify that it wasn’t a nuclear test. Everything looked fine to the diplomats.
Unfortunately, the North Koreans pulled a fast one.
The site that the North Koreans allowed the diplomats to inspect was more than sixty miles away from the site of the blast!
We have to ask ourselves: why would the North Koreans allow outsiders to see one of their missile bases? The answer: they wouldn’t and didn’t.
What happens next?
Hoping to dispel the controversy, the communist state allowed diplomats to visit the site to verify that it wasn’t a nuclear test. Everything looked fine to the diplomats.
Unfortunately, the North Koreans pulled a fast one.
The site that the North Koreans allowed the diplomats to inspect was more than sixty miles away from the site of the blast!
We have to ask ourselves: why would the North Koreans allow outsiders to see one of their missile bases? The answer: they wouldn’t and didn’t.
What happens next?
Prince Harry Lifts Princess Diana's Torch
Great Britain’s Prince Harry has taken up Princess Diana’s causes in helping the sick and needy.
British ITV1 is set to air a documentary about the prince who spent eight weeks helping people with AIDS in the poverty-stricken African nation of Losotho. He sat down with the camera crew and did an in-depth interview.
Prince Harry’s decision to lift his mother’s torch is particularly noteworthy, since the world press (and in particular the British tabloids) have been so nasty to him when dealing with some of his youthful “indiscretions” that he has more than made up for.
Princess Diana was well-known in the U.S. and around the world for her good works (and the scandals around her). Her decision to take on the landmine issue around the world was a courageous one. Her visiting AIDS countries and helping the poor endeared her to millions and I think it is great that Prince Harry is taking on her humanitarian mission to the poor.
Prince Harry will be entering the British military in the near future. I hope that he never forgets the lessons that he learned when he was in the AIDS camps. There can be no substitute for good character.
Good luck, Prince.
British ITV1 is set to air a documentary about the prince who spent eight weeks helping people with AIDS in the poverty-stricken African nation of Losotho. He sat down with the camera crew and did an in-depth interview.
Prince Harry’s decision to lift his mother’s torch is particularly noteworthy, since the world press (and in particular the British tabloids) have been so nasty to him when dealing with some of his youthful “indiscretions” that he has more than made up for.
Princess Diana was well-known in the U.S. and around the world for her good works (and the scandals around her). Her decision to take on the landmine issue around the world was a courageous one. Her visiting AIDS countries and helping the poor endeared her to millions and I think it is great that Prince Harry is taking on her humanitarian mission to the poor.
Prince Harry will be entering the British military in the near future. I hope that he never forgets the lessons that he learned when he was in the AIDS camps. There can be no substitute for good character.
Good luck, Prince.
CBS News in Major Decline
The latest overnight numbers have confirmed that people have turned away from watching CBS News as their house of cards continue to collapse over the falsified Bush memos that 60 Minutes aired.
CBS’s insistence that the documents are authentic and then insisting that the “gist of the memos is accurate” show that CBS is having second thoughts about the entire situation. Their viewership is in sharp decline and all of their competitors are laughing at the predicament that CBS has gotten itself into.
The perception is that CBS has gone from reporting the news to making the news up.
Dan Rather is said to be very worried. It is never easy for a newsman to go on the air and admit that he and his organization made a mistake, and he’s probably sweating bullets over it.
CBS screwed up and it hasn’t rectified the situation yet. The question now is how much damage CBS is willing to accept before it admits its mistake and gets back to reporting the news. The damage from this scandal could cause several high-profile firings and resignations.
CBS can kill this story immediately, but the impact of this will be felt for years to come.
CBS’s insistence that the documents are authentic and then insisting that the “gist of the memos is accurate” show that CBS is having second thoughts about the entire situation. Their viewership is in sharp decline and all of their competitors are laughing at the predicament that CBS has gotten itself into.
The perception is that CBS has gone from reporting the news to making the news up.
Dan Rather is said to be very worried. It is never easy for a newsman to go on the air and admit that he and his organization made a mistake, and he’s probably sweating bullets over it.
CBS screwed up and it hasn’t rectified the situation yet. The question now is how much damage CBS is willing to accept before it admits its mistake and gets back to reporting the news. The damage from this scandal could cause several high-profile firings and resignations.
CBS can kill this story immediately, but the impact of this will be felt for years to come.
Thursday, September 16, 2004
NHL Lock-Out Begins
The NHL lock-out has begun.
The immediate result is that there will be no National Hockey League games for the foreseeable future.
No Red Wings.
I know some members of my family will be very disappointed by this turn of events. I think everyone was hoping that the team owners and the players would resolve their differences at the bargaining table to avert the partial or total cancellation of the 2004-2005 hockey season.
Some are saying that this might go into the 2005-2006 season as well. I hope it doesn’t come to that.
If the lock-out goes on into the scheduled season, the NHL had better treat the fans like royalty when pro hockey resumes a full schedule. Discounted tickets, discounted prices at the stadiums, the whole works.
My advice to both sides would be to resolve their issues quickly and get the teams onto the ice as soon as possible.
The immediate result is that there will be no National Hockey League games for the foreseeable future.
No Red Wings.
I know some members of my family will be very disappointed by this turn of events. I think everyone was hoping that the team owners and the players would resolve their differences at the bargaining table to avert the partial or total cancellation of the 2004-2005 hockey season.
Some are saying that this might go into the 2005-2006 season as well. I hope it doesn’t come to that.
If the lock-out goes on into the scheduled season, the NHL had better treat the fans like royalty when pro hockey resumes a full schedule. Discounted tickets, discounted prices at the stadiums, the whole works.
My advice to both sides would be to resolve their issues quickly and get the teams onto the ice as soon as possible.
'Goofy' accused of shoving 2 at Disney
CNN.com - 'Goofy' accused of shoving 2 at Disney - Sep 16, 2004: "ORLANDO, Florida (AP) -- A Walt Disney World worker who was acquitted of charges he fondled a 13-year-old girl while dressed as Tigger has been suspended again, accused of shoving two people while in a Goofy costume. His lawyer said the man was just 'goofing around because he was Goofy.'"
Yeah, right. Time for this guy to find another occupation!
Yeah, right. Time for this guy to find another occupation!
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Batman and Robin Take On Buckingham Palace
British security forces in charge of securing the Royal Family seem to have holes in their security net. Yesterday a Fathers 4 Justice protestor dressed up as Batman scaled the front face of the palace and stood on a ledge for five hours mere feet from a balcony used by the Royal Family for important events.
This group is made up of fathers who have been denied access to their kids in custody cases that result from the parents divorcing. They dress up in superhero costumes and climb onto buildings and other objects to draw attention to their plight. A member of their group dressed up as Spider-Man and climbed up a 450 foot Ferris wheel in London a few days ago and unveiled a Fathers 4 Justice banner.
This breach of security also represents another major embarrassment for the officials who are in charge of security around the Royals and the British government. Two Fathers 4 Justice protestors were arrested four months ago after they penetrated security around the House of Commons and threw purple powder in condoms at Prime Minister Tony Blair as he was engaged in Prime Minister’s Questions with Parliament. The powder was harmless, but it provoked a huge security alert and a major review of the security procedures after it was determined that it was not a terrorist attack.
A popular British comedian also crashed Prince William’s birthday party dressed up as a woman, and a British reporter got a job as a server in Buckingham Palace before President Bush visited to prove that security wasn’t up to the task.
Batman was lucky the guards didn’t think he was a threat, because if they thought he was, he would have been shot, according to security officials.
I thought the protest was funny, but it also highlights the plight of fathers in other countries who are battling the legal system, and it definitely proves that security needs to be tighter around critical people and places, whether it’s in Great Britain, or in the United States or anywhere in the world.
This group is made up of fathers who have been denied access to their kids in custody cases that result from the parents divorcing. They dress up in superhero costumes and climb onto buildings and other objects to draw attention to their plight. A member of their group dressed up as Spider-Man and climbed up a 450 foot Ferris wheel in London a few days ago and unveiled a Fathers 4 Justice banner.
This breach of security also represents another major embarrassment for the officials who are in charge of security around the Royals and the British government. Two Fathers 4 Justice protestors were arrested four months ago after they penetrated security around the House of Commons and threw purple powder in condoms at Prime Minister Tony Blair as he was engaged in Prime Minister’s Questions with Parliament. The powder was harmless, but it provoked a huge security alert and a major review of the security procedures after it was determined that it was not a terrorist attack.
A popular British comedian also crashed Prince William’s birthday party dressed up as a woman, and a British reporter got a job as a server in Buckingham Palace before President Bush visited to prove that security wasn’t up to the task.
Batman was lucky the guards didn’t think he was a threat, because if they thought he was, he would have been shot, according to security officials.
I thought the protest was funny, but it also highlights the plight of fathers in other countries who are battling the legal system, and it definitely proves that security needs to be tighter around critical people and places, whether it’s in Great Britain, or in the United States or anywhere in the world.
Russia Demands Lithuania Remove Web Site
There is a controversy brewing between Russia and Lithuania over a pro-Chechen web site that offers a $20 million reward for the capture of Russian President Vladimir Putin. It started when someone in Russia noticed the web site and contacted the Russian government to complain. The Lithuanian Ambassador to Russia was summoned to the Russian Foreign Minister’s office on Monday and requested that the web site be taken down.
The Ambassador relayed the request to his government and got a response that Lithuania couldn’t do that without court authorization, saying that it would also be unconstitutional.
The web site article accused Putin, a Russian citizen who is “currently acting as President of the Russian Federation” of war crimes and genocide. That’s the same language found in the indictment of Slobodan Milosovitch, former President of Yugoslavia and accused war criminal who is currently on trial in the Hague. Very clever way of linking the two leaders.
There’s no way to tell what is fact and fiction. The Russians are furious over the accusations and are putting pressure on Lithuania to remove the web site. This is part of the Kremlin's new hard-line policy toward Chechnya.
Here’s the web site and the story.
The Ambassador relayed the request to his government and got a response that Lithuania couldn’t do that without court authorization, saying that it would also be unconstitutional.
The web site article accused Putin, a Russian citizen who is “currently acting as President of the Russian Federation” of war crimes and genocide. That’s the same language found in the indictment of Slobodan Milosovitch, former President of Yugoslavia and accused war criminal who is currently on trial in the Hague. Very clever way of linking the two leaders.
There’s no way to tell what is fact and fiction. The Russians are furious over the accusations and are putting pressure on Lithuania to remove the web site. This is part of the Kremlin's new hard-line policy toward Chechnya.
Here’s the web site and the story.
Monday, September 13, 2004
North Korean Explosion Near Missile Base
North Korea is trying to pull a scam.
That explosion that I've been writing about happened near the underground missile base where North Korean nuclear weapons development is believed to be underway.
Some intelligence agencies believe that a rocket motor blew up and caused the entire missile launcher to explode as well. It may have been a Nodong missile test that went bad.
That's even more plausible that the North Koreans claiming they were demolishing a mountain and more plausible than a forest fire.
That explosion that I've been writing about happened near the underground missile base where North Korean nuclear weapons development is believed to be underway.
Some intelligence agencies believe that a rocket motor blew up and caused the entire missile launcher to explode as well. It may have been a Nodong missile test that went bad.
That's even more plausible that the North Koreans claiming they were demolishing a mountain and more plausible than a forest fire.
Teacher in Trouble for Tearing Up Bible In Class
An English teacher destroyed a Bible in class to make her students feel like people did in the book "Fahrenheit 451" when their society ordered them to destoy all literature.
Totally unacceptable behavior from a teacher!
No respect for the religious beliefs of others, no courtesy. The point she was trying to make was fine, but she shouldn't have destroyed the Bible to do it.
Here's the story.
Totally unacceptable behavior from a teacher!
No respect for the religious beliefs of others, no courtesy. The point she was trying to make was fine, but she shouldn't have destroyed the Bible to do it.
Here's the story.
Assault Weapons Ban Set to Expire
I’m all for protecting the Second Amendment from government and court interference.
But…
What do civilians need AK-47s for? Home defense? Let’s go with a home defense scenario: If someone were to cut loose with an AK-47 in their house to shoot a bad guy, it’s very likely that the rounds would go through two more houses next door before they stopped. It’s like using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito.
During the North Hollywood shootout a few years ago (1997), bank robbers armed with AKs opened up on the police and the bullets were hitting the police cruisers so hard that they were punching clean through the cars and hitting the crouching cops who were valiantly returning fire with everything they had in their arsenal. One squad car took 57 AK hits in a few seconds; it took over 350 police officers to stop the criminals.
1980 saw a bank robbery in Norco, California that was similar: five men robbed a bank with assault weapons and explosives and wounded eleven police officers, killing one. They then fled and shot down a police helicopter that was in hot pursuit. Eventually the police tracked down and captured/killed all of the criminals, but the damage was done.
And it might now be possible to freely acquire fully automatic assault weapons?
If the ban expires, the next time we have a Columbine-like situation, and two nutters acquire machine guns, there will be ten times as many dead students as in Littleton, Colorado.
I can’t imagine seeing a hunter firing at a deer with an AK-47. There might not be anything left to eat.
Another way to look at this: why should a civilian need to outgun their police department? Some police departments in the country still use older weapons and would be no match for a single AK-47 in the hands of a lunatic.
Keep the machine guns in the hands of the military and the SWAT teams. Assault weapons are too powerful for most civilian uses.
The last thing we need is someone blazing away at a bad guy in his house and then having to go to jail for killing his next door neighbor, who dies after the bullets start coming in through the walls or floor of his house or apartment.
That already happens, but we don’t need a bigger problem.
If I had a chance to buy an AK-47, I would decline it and go with something a little more contemporary like a nice shotgun or rifle, then buy a computer or something else. I wouldn’t want to accept the additional responsibility of an AK.
I am no gun control freak, but I see no need for AK-47s or similar weapons to be available for purchase. They’re much too powerful to be on the streets.
But…
What do civilians need AK-47s for? Home defense? Let’s go with a home defense scenario: If someone were to cut loose with an AK-47 in their house to shoot a bad guy, it’s very likely that the rounds would go through two more houses next door before they stopped. It’s like using a sledgehammer to kill a mosquito.
During the North Hollywood shootout a few years ago (1997), bank robbers armed with AKs opened up on the police and the bullets were hitting the police cruisers so hard that they were punching clean through the cars and hitting the crouching cops who were valiantly returning fire with everything they had in their arsenal. One squad car took 57 AK hits in a few seconds; it took over 350 police officers to stop the criminals.
1980 saw a bank robbery in Norco, California that was similar: five men robbed a bank with assault weapons and explosives and wounded eleven police officers, killing one. They then fled and shot down a police helicopter that was in hot pursuit. Eventually the police tracked down and captured/killed all of the criminals, but the damage was done.
And it might now be possible to freely acquire fully automatic assault weapons?
If the ban expires, the next time we have a Columbine-like situation, and two nutters acquire machine guns, there will be ten times as many dead students as in Littleton, Colorado.
I can’t imagine seeing a hunter firing at a deer with an AK-47. There might not be anything left to eat.
Another way to look at this: why should a civilian need to outgun their police department? Some police departments in the country still use older weapons and would be no match for a single AK-47 in the hands of a lunatic.
Keep the machine guns in the hands of the military and the SWAT teams. Assault weapons are too powerful for most civilian uses.
The last thing we need is someone blazing away at a bad guy in his house and then having to go to jail for killing his next door neighbor, who dies after the bullets start coming in through the walls or floor of his house or apartment.
That already happens, but we don’t need a bigger problem.
If I had a chance to buy an AK-47, I would decline it and go with something a little more contemporary like a nice shotgun or rifle, then buy a computer or something else. I wouldn’t want to accept the additional responsibility of an AK.
I am no gun control freak, but I see no need for AK-47s or similar weapons to be available for purchase. They’re much too powerful to be on the streets.
North Korea Nuclear Update
North Korea is reporting that the two-mile wide mushroom cloud spotted on satellite photos and the resulting seismic activity that was registered hundreds of miles away was them demolishing a mountain to make room for a power plant.
That’s more plausible than a forest fire.
Still, I’ll believe it when a power plant is built at ground zero.
Does North Korea manufacture its own dynamite? It seems like it is a waste of money when thousands of North Koreans are facing starvation.
That’s more plausible than a forest fire.
Still, I’ll believe it when a power plant is built at ground zero.
Does North Korea manufacture its own dynamite? It seems like it is a waste of money when thousands of North Koreans are facing starvation.
Hurricanes and the NHC: Incomplete System
Has anyone noticed how inaccurate the National Hurricane Center is in predicting where a hurricane will hit?
When Charlie and Frances were on the way in, the NHC changed its prediction of where each one would hit. They were very wrong when Charlie hit further south than they thought, and many people who fled south to escape Charlie took the full brunt of Charlie’s fury.
Frances didn’t do what they thought either.
Now with Hurricane Ivan approaching, they’re doing it again, changing their predictions several times, with Ivan looking like it may hit Florida or the Gulf Coast.
One would think that they would be able to tell where a monster hurricane (the size of Texas) would be going, given the prevailing wind direction, water temperature, warm or cold fronts that collide with the storm, solar winds, barometric pressure, plus other variables that impact on the direction of a hurricane. Apparently it’s not that simple.
I’m not blaming the Hurricane Center, but it’s become glaringly obvious that much more research needs to be done. This morning they were predicting a hit on the Gulf Coast, but they apparently cannot establish that it will come ashore at Nowhere City, USA on Thursday morning. What are they going to do, evacuate everyone living near the Gulf of Mexico? What if it doesn’t go to the Florida panhandle? What if it hits Texas instead?
If we knew three days ahead of time exactly where it was going to hit, disaster relief agencies could marshal their resources ahead of time and be proactive, rather than reactive. People could also evacuate days ahead of time, instead of hours.
It costs money to board up your house and leave, driving hundreds of miles to escape a killer hurricane. Most lose wages when they leave, and most businesses lose money too.
The disruption to people’s lives should be minimized as much as possible and accurate hurricane forecasting would go a long ways toward achieving that.
When Charlie and Frances were on the way in, the NHC changed its prediction of where each one would hit. They were very wrong when Charlie hit further south than they thought, and many people who fled south to escape Charlie took the full brunt of Charlie’s fury.
Frances didn’t do what they thought either.
Now with Hurricane Ivan approaching, they’re doing it again, changing their predictions several times, with Ivan looking like it may hit Florida or the Gulf Coast.
One would think that they would be able to tell where a monster hurricane (the size of Texas) would be going, given the prevailing wind direction, water temperature, warm or cold fronts that collide with the storm, solar winds, barometric pressure, plus other variables that impact on the direction of a hurricane. Apparently it’s not that simple.
I’m not blaming the Hurricane Center, but it’s become glaringly obvious that much more research needs to be done. This morning they were predicting a hit on the Gulf Coast, but they apparently cannot establish that it will come ashore at Nowhere City, USA on Thursday morning. What are they going to do, evacuate everyone living near the Gulf of Mexico? What if it doesn’t go to the Florida panhandle? What if it hits Texas instead?
If we knew three days ahead of time exactly where it was going to hit, disaster relief agencies could marshal their resources ahead of time and be proactive, rather than reactive. People could also evacuate days ahead of time, instead of hours.
It costs money to board up your house and leave, driving hundreds of miles to escape a killer hurricane. Most lose wages when they leave, and most businesses lose money too.
The disruption to people’s lives should be minimized as much as possible and accurate hurricane forecasting would go a long ways toward achieving that.
North Korea: Nuclear Accident Last Week?
News broke this weekend that there was a major explosion in North Korea that caused a two mile wide mushroom cloud to form.
So how much dynamite would it take to produce a mushroom cloud two miles wide and cause seismic readings hundreds of miles away?
According to experts, about a thousand tons of dynamite would do it.
Question: why would the North Koreans have that much dynamite in one location?
Our government says the cause was a “forest fire.” I think that’s a boatload of hooey.
I think North Korea has been setting off nukes, whether accidentally or intentionally. This is the second time North Korea has had a “disaster” like this. If you recall, a train exploded, leveling everything within two miles of the train and causing two thousand casualties. That accident took place not far from China.
I think that North Korea had a nuclear accident which resulted in a partial-yield detonation on Thursday. Since it happened in open air, it stands to reason that something went wrong and the bomb detonated prematurely. Nuclear radiation may have been contained to ground zero.
We should know within a couple days what the real deal is. “Forest fire” indeed. Forest fires do not cause seismic activity. I can accept a lot of non-nuclear possibilities, but not a forest fire. If there is a forest fire, it happened after the explosion.
So how much dynamite would it take to produce a mushroom cloud two miles wide and cause seismic readings hundreds of miles away?
According to experts, about a thousand tons of dynamite would do it.
Question: why would the North Koreans have that much dynamite in one location?
Our government says the cause was a “forest fire.” I think that’s a boatload of hooey.
I think North Korea has been setting off nukes, whether accidentally or intentionally. This is the second time North Korea has had a “disaster” like this. If you recall, a train exploded, leveling everything within two miles of the train and causing two thousand casualties. That accident took place not far from China.
I think that North Korea had a nuclear accident which resulted in a partial-yield detonation on Thursday. Since it happened in open air, it stands to reason that something went wrong and the bomb detonated prematurely. Nuclear radiation may have been contained to ground zero.
We should know within a couple days what the real deal is. “Forest fire” indeed. Forest fires do not cause seismic activity. I can accept a lot of non-nuclear possibilities, but not a forest fire. If there is a forest fire, it happened after the explosion.
Saturday, September 11, 2004
9/11 Remembered
As we pause to remember those who lost their lives on September 11th, we should also pause to remember those who have given their lives to stop terrorism around the world.
Terrorism isn't going away. It's here to stay; the question then becomes: what are we going to do about it? Sit around and wait for it to happen again, or be proactive?
We owe it to all those who died three years ago today to do all we can to protect others from the plague of terrorism. Every government on earth should be tracking down terrorists so that their own citizens are safe from the plague of our time.
Hold the phone!
Enter politics. As we continue to debate our course of action until we're blue in the face, the terrorists have continued to attack countries that have upcoming elections: Australia and Indonesia were recently attacked by terrorists who tried to destroy the Australian embassy in Jakarta. The Madrid terror bombings showed the terrorists that they can cause governments to fall if they hit hard enough and fast enough before an election. They are on the move.
In the meantime, WE are arguing about Vietnam, thirty years after that war ended. We are arguing about whether Iraq posed a threat to us. We are arguing about the conclusions of the 9/11 Commission. We are arguing about this and that. We are arguing about what some jackass said about another jackass. Who cares!
Here's what we are NOT doing: we are not moving fast enough on the 9/11 Commission recommendations. We are not moving fast enough to secure our borders. We are not moving fast enough to catch bin-Laden. We are definitely not getting body armor to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan fast enough, nor are we retrofitting their transports with armor quickly enough. We are not dealing with al-Sadr's thugs in Iraq quickly enough or forcefully enough. All of this because of ELECTION YEAR POLITICS!
I don't give a hoot about election year brownie points anymore. I've already decided who I'm voting for. If Democrats and Republicans see that they have a job to do, then they should get on with it and quit wasting time! The terrorist vermin will not wait until we decide on a course of action.
He/she who does the job and gets results will get the undecided votes on Election Day. So there!
Friday, September 10, 2004
CBS Fraud Story Deepens
This story gets bigger as the hours tick away.
Congressional Democrats took to the airwaves and blasted President Bush for lying about his Vietnam record. Their feigned outrage was based on the (increasingly likely) erroneous 60 Minutes story.
Dan Rather has also gone out a limb, insisting that the story is accurate.
The evidence against the documents being authentic are getting stronger and stronger as the hours go by. The other news networks have picked up the story and have been asking type experts what the real deal is, and the leading experts have said that the documents were created in Microsoft Word and not on a typewriter in 1972.
Some Democrats were saying at noontime that the Republicans set them up; that’s unlikely as well. The Republicans wouldn’t want to damage their own candidate and sitting President; the Democrats are far more likely to do something like this to level the playing field between Bush and Kerry.
It looks like a Bush-hater tried to pull a fast one and got nailed, leaving Congressional Democrats, Dan Rather and CBS with egg in their faces.
I took a journalism class last spring and they were talking about stuff like this happening and what most credible news organizations do to protect themselves from this kind of screw-up. It looks like someone fell asleep at the wheel when the story was being checked out.
Congressional Democrats took to the airwaves and blasted President Bush for lying about his Vietnam record. Their feigned outrage was based on the (increasingly likely) erroneous 60 Minutes story.
Dan Rather has also gone out a limb, insisting that the story is accurate.
The evidence against the documents being authentic are getting stronger and stronger as the hours go by. The other news networks have picked up the story and have been asking type experts what the real deal is, and the leading experts have said that the documents were created in Microsoft Word and not on a typewriter in 1972.
Some Democrats were saying at noontime that the Republicans set them up; that’s unlikely as well. The Republicans wouldn’t want to damage their own candidate and sitting President; the Democrats are far more likely to do something like this to level the playing field between Bush and Kerry.
It looks like a Bush-hater tried to pull a fast one and got nailed, leaving Congressional Democrats, Dan Rather and CBS with egg in their faces.
I took a journalism class last spring and they were talking about stuff like this happening and what most credible news organizations do to protect themselves from this kind of screw-up. It looks like someone fell asleep at the wheel when the story was being checked out.
CBS May Have Royally Screwed Up
The much-talked about Bush/National Guard documents that aired on CBS’s 60 Minutes program appear to be forgeries.
Questions began to be asked after experts discovered that the supposed 30+ year-old documents that were part of an Air Force officer’s official records were in fact made on Microsoft Word recently.
CBS may have been the victim of a fraud intended to defame President Bush’s assertions that he did his duty during the Vietnam War. In the last few hours CBS launched an internal investigation to find out if they were hoodwinked or if someone at CBS decided to take Bush down a few pegs by lying.
The story began to unravel when experts noticed that the print on the paper was from Microsoft Word, and not from a 30 year-old typewriter. The font in question, Times New Roman, is the default font in Word. There was no Times New Roman back then. Typewriters were using a font that featured straight hash-marks for quotation marks, and not the comma-like ones used in Microsoft Word and other computer programs. The spacing was wider apart with typewriters, while fonts today are much closer. In the 60 Minutes story, the documents were in Times New Roman.
Dan Rather is said to be shocked and has promised to deliver an on-air apology if the accusations of fraud turn out to be correct. The question everyone is asking now is “whodunit.”
More to follow on this.
Questions began to be asked after experts discovered that the supposed 30+ year-old documents that were part of an Air Force officer’s official records were in fact made on Microsoft Word recently.
CBS may have been the victim of a fraud intended to defame President Bush’s assertions that he did his duty during the Vietnam War. In the last few hours CBS launched an internal investigation to find out if they were hoodwinked or if someone at CBS decided to take Bush down a few pegs by lying.
The story began to unravel when experts noticed that the print on the paper was from Microsoft Word, and not from a 30 year-old typewriter. The font in question, Times New Roman, is the default font in Word. There was no Times New Roman back then. Typewriters were using a font that featured straight hash-marks for quotation marks, and not the comma-like ones used in Microsoft Word and other computer programs. The spacing was wider apart with typewriters, while fonts today are much closer. In the 60 Minutes story, the documents were in Times New Roman.
Dan Rather is said to be shocked and has promised to deliver an on-air apology if the accusations of fraud turn out to be correct. The question everyone is asking now is “whodunit.”
More to follow on this.
Thursday, September 09, 2004
Dog Shoots Man in Self-Defense
A man who was shooting his Shepard-mix puppies was himself shot by one of the puppies after it put its paw onto the trigger. Seems he was holding the puppies in his arms and as he was shifting his arms and puppies around, the puppy snagged the trigger.
This accident is so ridiculous that it defies belief.
This idiot was charged with animal cruelty and is being treated for a gunshot wound to his wrist. Serves him right for killing puppies.
Here’s the story. What a moron.
This accident is so ridiculous that it defies belief.
This idiot was charged with animal cruelty and is being treated for a gunshot wound to his wrist. Serves him right for killing puppies.
Here’s the story. What a moron.
International Interference in U.S. Elections
Here we go with polls again.
A group did a poll in thirty-five countries outside the United States on who they favored to win the U.S. election on November 2nd. Kerry carried thirty of thirty-five countries, some in very wide margins.
So?
That’s over there and I don’t care what the world thinks about our elections. Personally, I think Kerry would do a better job of running France than French President Chirac. That’s a debate for another day. I also think some of these other nations should be getting their own houses into order before they try telling us how to run ours.
If it came out that any country had tried to influence the U.S. elections, I would consider that an extremely unfriendly act, whether or not they support the candidates I favor. The principle of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations says that one nation does not campaign for or fund specific candidates in the election process of another nation or nations. Some nations have interfered and it's caused some scandals in past elections.
This is why the U.S. is keeping a hands-off approach to the Afghan elections and the upcoming Iraqi general elections. Iraq is again a sovereign nation. So is Afghanistan.
International governments and agencies (like the International Monetary Fund) should stay out of the internal political affairs of the United States. The American people will deal with the U.S. elections without help from overseas, thank you very much.
A group did a poll in thirty-five countries outside the United States on who they favored to win the U.S. election on November 2nd. Kerry carried thirty of thirty-five countries, some in very wide margins.
So?
That’s over there and I don’t care what the world thinks about our elections. Personally, I think Kerry would do a better job of running France than French President Chirac. That’s a debate for another day. I also think some of these other nations should be getting their own houses into order before they try telling us how to run ours.
If it came out that any country had tried to influence the U.S. elections, I would consider that an extremely unfriendly act, whether or not they support the candidates I favor. The principle of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations says that one nation does not campaign for or fund specific candidates in the election process of another nation or nations. Some nations have interfered and it's caused some scandals in past elections.
This is why the U.S. is keeping a hands-off approach to the Afghan elections and the upcoming Iraqi general elections. Iraq is again a sovereign nation. So is Afghanistan.
International governments and agencies (like the International Monetary Fund) should stay out of the internal political affairs of the United States. The American people will deal with the U.S. elections without help from overseas, thank you very much.
Wednesday, September 08, 2004
Russian 9/11 Rhetoric Threatens Terrorists
There are confusing signals coming from the Russian Federation on what their course of action will be following a major terrorist attack on a school in southern Russia, the bombing of the Moscow subway, and the terrorist strikes on two Russian airliners. Chechan separatists and international Islamic fighters are believed to be responsible.
One one hand, Russia has ruled out nuclear strikes. On the other, a top Russian general has said that Russia will strike terrorist bases around the region. This could be big trouble for the former Soviet republic of Georgia as it has been accused by Russia of harboring terrorists. It’s looking like Russia may attack parts of Georgia that terrorists may be hiding in.
The post-Russian 9/11 rhetoric is familiar: preemptive strikes on terrorist bases worldwide, security, fighting Islamic terrorism, etc. Israel was the first nation to come to Russia’s aid in the form of sharing its databases with Russia and Russia gladly agreed to work with Israel on fighting international terrorism. I’m surprised the U.S. hasn’t joined in too.
Russia wants two Chechan spokespeople turned over to them that are currently in Great Britain and the United States. The Chechan in Britain has been granted sanctuary by the British government and the U.S. government has been silent on the issue.
It’s starting to get interesting.
One one hand, Russia has ruled out nuclear strikes. On the other, a top Russian general has said that Russia will strike terrorist bases around the region. This could be big trouble for the former Soviet republic of Georgia as it has been accused by Russia of harboring terrorists. It’s looking like Russia may attack parts of Georgia that terrorists may be hiding in.
The post-Russian 9/11 rhetoric is familiar: preemptive strikes on terrorist bases worldwide, security, fighting Islamic terrorism, etc. Israel was the first nation to come to Russia’s aid in the form of sharing its databases with Russia and Russia gladly agreed to work with Israel on fighting international terrorism. I’m surprised the U.S. hasn’t joined in too.
Russia wants two Chechan spokespeople turned over to them that are currently in Great Britain and the United States. The Chechan in Britain has been granted sanctuary by the British government and the U.S. government has been silent on the issue.
It’s starting to get interesting.
Kerry & Guns
Tasteless!
Kerry co-sponsored S-1431 (“The Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003”), yet here he is playing to a West Virginia audience on Labor Day with one of the the very guns he tried to ban! That is a Remington Model 11-87 that is favored by many hunters and outdoorsmen.
The Second Amendment needs to be preserved, not played around with by politicians like this!
I think it would be better if they tried to classify PEOPLE as “semi-automatic assault weapons” since people can kill people with ANYTHING they can find. A firearm is but a tool for the hand that wields it. People (gun control advocates especially) need to remember that always.
People have been killing people for many thousands of years before guns came on the scene. To insist on a total ban would take guns out of the hands of people who accept and exercise the responsibility of being a firearm owner and leave guns in the hands of criminals who have no such sense of responsibility and are the ones who are in the news today for staging disasters like the Columbine slaughter.
Who would gun-ban advocates have protecting the innocent from criminals? The police? We are already cutting police services across the country. Who does that leave? Unarmed Johnny and Jane? I think not.
Kerry needs to explain his position more clearly and stand by his record, not play to different groups of people.
Kerry co-sponsored S-1431 (“The Assault Weapons Ban and Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2003”), yet here he is playing to a West Virginia audience on Labor Day with one of the the very guns he tried to ban! That is a Remington Model 11-87 that is favored by many hunters and outdoorsmen.
The Second Amendment needs to be preserved, not played around with by politicians like this!
I think it would be better if they tried to classify PEOPLE as “semi-automatic assault weapons” since people can kill people with ANYTHING they can find. A firearm is but a tool for the hand that wields it. People (gun control advocates especially) need to remember that always.
People have been killing people for many thousands of years before guns came on the scene. To insist on a total ban would take guns out of the hands of people who accept and exercise the responsibility of being a firearm owner and leave guns in the hands of criminals who have no such sense of responsibility and are the ones who are in the news today for staging disasters like the Columbine slaughter.
Who would gun-ban advocates have protecting the innocent from criminals? The police? We are already cutting police services across the country. Who does that leave? Unarmed Johnny and Jane? I think not.
Kerry needs to explain his position more clearly and stand by his record, not play to different groups of people.
Sunday, September 05, 2004
Polls & Elections: What a Bunch of Hooey
President Bush seems to have gotten the bounce that John Kerry didn’t get at his own convention. Bush appears to hold a double-digit lead over John Kerry, after weeks of being behind an average of six points in the polls.
But past experience has taught us not to place too much faith in the polls.
The difference between a poll and a vote is that the poll reflects how a person feels at that particular moment. A vote is the final decision of the person and may change at the last possible moment.
An 11% advantage for Bush or Kerry may be 2% five minutes later and a 3% advantage to the previous underdog ten minutes later.
Polls do not decide elections. Votes do. Everything else is secondary to that.
But past experience has taught us not to place too much faith in the polls.
The difference between a poll and a vote is that the poll reflects how a person feels at that particular moment. A vote is the final decision of the person and may change at the last possible moment.
An 11% advantage for Bush or Kerry may be 2% five minutes later and a 3% advantage to the previous underdog ten minutes later.
Polls do not decide elections. Votes do. Everything else is secondary to that.
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Election Day Nightmare: Tie in Electoral College
USA Today had a list of scenarios that could happen on November 2nd in the event of a close election. The first and only time there was a tie in the Electoral College was in 1800 and the House of Representatives elected the President and the Senate elected the Vice President. Here are some of the nightmare scenarios:
Both candidates end up with 269 votes, one vote shy of being elected President. In this case, the election goes to the House of Representatives and the President is chosen from the top three vote-getters. Each state is allowed one vote. In the Senate, they choose the Vice President; each Senator gets one vote.
However, if there is enough of a shift in the general election that both parties are of equal strength, this scenario could get very weird. We could end up with Bush as President, and John Edwards as his Vice President. Or Kerry as President and Cheney as Vice President. The Kerry-Cheney combo would be explosive as they are not being nice to one another right now.
How could something like this happen? Here’s what USA Today says:
•For a tie: Every state votes the way it did four years ago, except for two. New Hampshire and West Virginia, which voted for Bush last time, go Democratic this time. Kerry is competitive in both states.
•For a divided result that elects Bush: Every state votes the way it did four years ago, giving Bush an electoral-vote majority of 278. (That's a more comfortable edge than last time, a side effect of the redistribution of congressional seats and electoral votes after the 2000 Census. In 2000, Bush got 271 votes, one more than required.) But Kerry carries the popular vote, as Al Gore did, by rolling up big totals in such strongholds as California and New York.
•For a divided result that elects Kerry: Every state votes the way it did four years ago, except for one. Kerry wins Florida, for a majority of 287 electoral votes, or Ohio, for 280. They went Republican in 2000; state polls released Sunday show Kerry and Bush tied in both. But Bush carries the popular vote by scoring oversized margins in his home state of Texas and in the South and Mountain West.
So what does this mean? It means get out and vote so we have a clear winner and no confusion. Having a clear winner will clear the air about stolen elections and put the 2000 Presidential Election to bed forever.
The ideal result would be to have the candidate win the popular vote and the Electoral College in a landslide, but that is unlikely to happen.
Here is the story.
Both candidates end up with 269 votes, one vote shy of being elected President. In this case, the election goes to the House of Representatives and the President is chosen from the top three vote-getters. Each state is allowed one vote. In the Senate, they choose the Vice President; each Senator gets one vote.
However, if there is enough of a shift in the general election that both parties are of equal strength, this scenario could get very weird. We could end up with Bush as President, and John Edwards as his Vice President. Or Kerry as President and Cheney as Vice President. The Kerry-Cheney combo would be explosive as they are not being nice to one another right now.
How could something like this happen? Here’s what USA Today says:
•For a tie: Every state votes the way it did four years ago, except for two. New Hampshire and West Virginia, which voted for Bush last time, go Democratic this time. Kerry is competitive in both states.
•For a divided result that elects Bush: Every state votes the way it did four years ago, giving Bush an electoral-vote majority of 278. (That's a more comfortable edge than last time, a side effect of the redistribution of congressional seats and electoral votes after the 2000 Census. In 2000, Bush got 271 votes, one more than required.) But Kerry carries the popular vote, as Al Gore did, by rolling up big totals in such strongholds as California and New York.
•For a divided result that elects Kerry: Every state votes the way it did four years ago, except for one. Kerry wins Florida, for a majority of 287 electoral votes, or Ohio, for 280. They went Republican in 2000; state polls released Sunday show Kerry and Bush tied in both. But Bush carries the popular vote by scoring oversized margins in his home state of Texas and in the South and Mountain West.
So what does this mean? It means get out and vote so we have a clear winner and no confusion. Having a clear winner will clear the air about stolen elections and put the 2000 Presidential Election to bed forever.
The ideal result would be to have the candidate win the popular vote and the Electoral College in a landslide, but that is unlikely to happen.
Here is the story.
Friday, September 03, 2004
Russian Bear Awakened
Russia is going to level Chechnya.
After murdering 156 Russian children and 200 others, Islamic terrorists have shown their true colors.
There can be no peace with Islamic terrorists. If they can make war on children, they can make war on anyone, anywhere or at anytime. They are too dangerous to be allowed to continue to exist.
Russia won't stand for this slaughter of the innocents. Question: what is to stop terrorists like the ones who seized the school in Russia from doing the same thing here? At least ten of the terrorists were not even Chechan; they were from Arab countries.
I think it is time to give some of our reluctant allies a kick in the butt to get them moving on stopping terrorists in their territories. Kerry ought to forget about waiting around for the terrorist threat to materialize and start advocating going after them in their hiding places.
One thing is certain: Russia won't be asking for international permission to retaliate for this naked aggression. I think Russia's reaction will go beyond anything we have seen so far; I don't think the course of action they're talking about taking will solve the problem.
Blame can also be put on Russia for having troops in Chechnya in the first place. I do not think that Russian public opinion will favor pulling those troops out now; the Russians haven't been this enraged in decades. No good can come of this.
Attacking a school to get Russia to pull it's troops from Chechnya? What were they thinking?
After murdering 156 Russian children and 200 others, Islamic terrorists have shown their true colors.
There can be no peace with Islamic terrorists. If they can make war on children, they can make war on anyone, anywhere or at anytime. They are too dangerous to be allowed to continue to exist.
Russia won't stand for this slaughter of the innocents. Question: what is to stop terrorists like the ones who seized the school in Russia from doing the same thing here? At least ten of the terrorists were not even Chechan; they were from Arab countries.
I think it is time to give some of our reluctant allies a kick in the butt to get them moving on stopping terrorists in their territories. Kerry ought to forget about waiting around for the terrorist threat to materialize and start advocating going after them in their hiding places.
One thing is certain: Russia won't be asking for international permission to retaliate for this naked aggression. I think Russia's reaction will go beyond anything we have seen so far; I don't think the course of action they're talking about taking will solve the problem.
Blame can also be put on Russia for having troops in Chechnya in the first place. I do not think that Russian public opinion will favor pulling those troops out now; the Russians haven't been this enraged in decades. No good can come of this.
Attacking a school to get Russia to pull it's troops from Chechnya? What were they thinking?
Thursday, September 02, 2004
Alien vs. Predator: Gloom and Doom Debunked
For weeks, film critics have been predicting that the sci-fi movie “Alien vs. Predator” would leave Fox millions of dollars in the red.
Several critics predicted that the film might break even after it begins to play in foreign markets.
They were wrong. Again.
As of today, the 2nd of September, the film has made $73 million. It cost $60 million to make. That puts it firmly into the moneymaker category. The foreign ticket sales will pay for the domestic and worldwide advertising campaign that Fox put into it.
Granted, the plot had some major problems (the scientist joining the hunt, short fights between the Predators and the Aliens, and the Alien-Predator hybrid that defies all the rules of the previous movies.) But the public doesn’t seem to mind it. It was entertaining.
Perhaps some of these professional film critics should stick to chick flicks and drama stuff because they are clearly missing something when it comes to action and sci-fi movies.
Several critics predicted that the film might break even after it begins to play in foreign markets.
They were wrong. Again.
As of today, the 2nd of September, the film has made $73 million. It cost $60 million to make. That puts it firmly into the moneymaker category. The foreign ticket sales will pay for the domestic and worldwide advertising campaign that Fox put into it.
Granted, the plot had some major problems (the scientist joining the hunt, short fights between the Predators and the Aliens, and the Alien-Predator hybrid that defies all the rules of the previous movies.) But the public doesn’t seem to mind it. It was entertaining.
Perhaps some of these professional film critics should stick to chick flicks and drama stuff because they are clearly missing something when it comes to action and sci-fi movies.
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Moore at GOP Convention as a Reporter
A curious story going on at the GOP convention is the presence of Michael Moore, director of the anti-Bush “Fahrenheit 9/11” film, as a USA Today reporter. Scores of reporters are following Moore around and not even paying attention to the event going on around them.
He got booed when his film was mentioned.
Maybe Moore will be converted into a Republican by all the energy around him. Yeah, right! If you believe that will happen, then I’ve got some land in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean that I’d like to show you.
He got booed when his film was mentioned.
Maybe Moore will be converted into a Republican by all the energy around him. Yeah, right! If you believe that will happen, then I’ve got some land in the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean that I’d like to show you.
Bush's "Flip-Flop": The Real Flip-Flop and The Rest of the Story
The press and the Democrats are going on and on about President Bush’s “flip flop” on terror.
Bush said in a candid interview that the war on terror couldn’t be won. The Kerry campaign latched onto this statement and then went on the offensive when Bush clarified his statement yesterday.
The Democrats took this as blood in shark-infested water, but I took it thus: FINALLY, we have some truth about how the war on terror is really going. For the Democrats to attack such a truthful statement and then say the war on terror CAN be won to score election year points is irresponsible. Kerry/Edwards will not win the war on terror either.
Let’s face it: al-Qaeda will not be face to face with the United States at the bargaining table negotiating the unconditional surrender of all al-Qaeda forces around the world or on a battlefield. Bush was absolutely right on this point. They will fight to the death if they can or commit suicide. If we are fortunate, our people in the field may capture them.
I believe Bush compounded his mistake by saying the next day that “we will win the war on terror.” No, no, no. He should have clarified his mistake as he did, but not said we will win. That is the Bush flip-flop that the Democrats are attacking. He should have thought that one through a little more. He was hasty.
The war on terror is not about winning, or being sensitive. It’s about prevention and deterrence. It’s about making sure that our mortal enemies never hurt us again as they did on September 11th. It’s a long-term fight, not a conflict that will end after a hundred hours of ground combat or by fighting a war that lasts two months. Anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves. Stopping terrorist activities will not involve only the military, but law enforcement and intelligence agencies as well. If any politician is naïve enough to declare victory against all future terrorism, then they deserve to lose their office.
Hopefully no politician is stupid enough to do something like that, but the rumblings coming from the campaigns is disturbing enough to make me think that they might do so if they thought it was the best political thing to do. That kind of politicking must STOP!
Bush said in a candid interview that the war on terror couldn’t be won. The Kerry campaign latched onto this statement and then went on the offensive when Bush clarified his statement yesterday.
The Democrats took this as blood in shark-infested water, but I took it thus: FINALLY, we have some truth about how the war on terror is really going. For the Democrats to attack such a truthful statement and then say the war on terror CAN be won to score election year points is irresponsible. Kerry/Edwards will not win the war on terror either.
Let’s face it: al-Qaeda will not be face to face with the United States at the bargaining table negotiating the unconditional surrender of all al-Qaeda forces around the world or on a battlefield. Bush was absolutely right on this point. They will fight to the death if they can or commit suicide. If we are fortunate, our people in the field may capture them.
I believe Bush compounded his mistake by saying the next day that “we will win the war on terror.” No, no, no. He should have clarified his mistake as he did, but not said we will win. That is the Bush flip-flop that the Democrats are attacking. He should have thought that one through a little more. He was hasty.
The war on terror is not about winning, or being sensitive. It’s about prevention and deterrence. It’s about making sure that our mortal enemies never hurt us again as they did on September 11th. It’s a long-term fight, not a conflict that will end after a hundred hours of ground combat or by fighting a war that lasts two months. Anyone who says otherwise is deluding themselves. Stopping terrorist activities will not involve only the military, but law enforcement and intelligence agencies as well. If any politician is naïve enough to declare victory against all future terrorism, then they deserve to lose their office.
Hopefully no politician is stupid enough to do something like that, but the rumblings coming from the campaigns is disturbing enough to make me think that they might do so if they thought it was the best political thing to do. That kind of politicking must STOP!
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