Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Overboard would be an understatement...

I have worked with some kids who have spent so much energy trying to get out of trouble, if they would have spent half that energy doing the right thing, they wouldn't be in trouble in the first place. My educated guess says that this woman never did learn that lesson:
An investigation concluded that a Des Moines woman faked her own death to avoid paying traffic tickets.Polk County investigators said Kimberly Du, 36, faked her own obituary and forged a letter telling a Polk County judge she was dead.Du is spending time in the Polk County Jail in connection with a forgery charge.Court documents show that Du tried to avoid paying several tickets by sending a letter to the courthouse.

The letter is allegedly signed by Du's mother and said Du died on Dec. 5, according to court documents.Investigators said the information submitted include a phony obituary made to look like a page from The Des Moines Register's Web site that said Du died in car accident, and her mother's signature was forged.Du's mother said she didn't write or sign the letter. It's a case that leaves a legal expert scratching his head."
And in the "goes without saying" department:
The state still has to convince a jury of 12, but faking your own death is not a good idea," said Bob Rigg, of the Drake Law Clinic.
Well, neither is believing a CBS poll, but I guess when it comes down to it, there's no stopping stupid.

(Filed under miscellany)

More cases of blatant bias...

RedState.org has this post regarding Zogby's move toward incredulity with respect to its ever burgeoning bias:
My first diary. I await the shellacking from my intellectual superiors.

I have been a member of Zogby's polling panel for several years now. Usually when I get the request marc@mail2.zogby.com it is only to take part in one of the surveys. Today to my surprise was different.

In the message area was the title "Zogby: US troops in Iraq: 72% say end the war." I opened it up and was shocked to see this survey results. Here is the linked page: http://www.zogby.com/news/ReadNews.dbm?ID=1075

Nothing like these results have ever been talked about by anyone, including the anti-war talking heads. But in the third paragraph was the answer to how these numbers came about: the sponsor--Le Moyne College's Center for Peace and Global Studies.

The Center for Peace is another far left outfit that blames America for anything and everything. For example, it is the proud sponsor of something known as the CNY Peace Consortium. The conference is always filled with the usual supsects that find fault with America first. The keynote speaker for 2005's conference was Colman McCarthy. One of his numerous statements was, "On April 4, 1967, Martin Luther King, Jr., said that "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today is my own government." He was right then and is right now. In only the past 20 years, the U.S. government has sent troops to kill or threaten to kill people in etc, etc." Other speakers listed were not so moderate as Mr. McCarthy in their remarks.
Not to be outdone, were the usual suspects at CBS:
In addition we have now the CBS poll with 409 Dem respondents and 272 Repub respondents (337 "independents). Last I looked Repub control the WH, Senate and House, yet in this poll they are outnumbered by a 10-7 margin.
So CBS comes out with a bogusly constructed poll, and the dinosaur media trolls are already out of the starting gates, as if what is being reported is gospel truth.

Don't let poor methodology get in the way of a good Bush-bashing. Fact checking be damned. Screw the truth.

And then the dinosaur MSM still has no clue why they have no credibility? Haven't they learned from Rathergate??

Gads, I now can only look upon what was once a great American institution of investigation and truth, the American media--with a deep sense of sadness at what is lost.

***UPDATE***

Newsbusters has more.

(Filed under the fifth column)

It's about time!

In a stunning (to me) 8-0 decision, the Supreme Court overturned an earlier 7th District Court decision that made it allowable to utilize RICO against anti-abortion protesters who protest at abortion clinics:
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court dealt a setback Tuesday to abortion clinics in a two-decade-old legal fight over anti-abortion protests, ruling that federal extortion and racketeering laws cannot be used to ban demonstrations.


The 8-0 decision ends a case that the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had kept alive despite a 2003 ruling by the high court that lifted a nationwide injunction on anti-abortion groups led by Joseph Scheidler and others.

Anti-abortion groups brought the appeal after the appellate court sought to determine whether the injunction could be supported by charges that protesters had made threats of violence.

In Tuesday's ruling, Justice Stephen Breyer said Congress did not intend to create "a freestanding physical violence offense" in the federal extortion law known as the Hobbs Act.

Instead, Breyer wrote, Congress chose to address violence outside abortion clinics in 1994 by passing the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which set parameters for such protests.

There is, thankfully, no corresponding congressional oversight for groups that perform true acts of terrorism.


(Filed under defense of life)

Monday, February 27, 2006

On placing responsibility..where it belongs...

From Drudge:

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX FEB 27, 2006 18:01:23 ET XXXXX

BUSH NOW ADMITS BIN LADEN HELPED HIM BEAT JOHN KERRY

**Exclusive**

President Bush now says his 2004 victory over Sen. John Kerry, who is mulling a comeback in 2008, was inadvertently aided by al Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden.

And Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman, who steadfastly refused to defend Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth when he ran Bush’s campaign, now calls them “heroes” who played a crucial role in vanquishing Kerry.

Bill Sammon, Senior White House Correspondent for the WASHINGTON EXAMINER, scores another exclusive for Tuesday editions with explosive excerpts from his new book, STRATEGERY.

For the first time, the president says he was helped by bin Laden, who put out a videotaped diatribe against Bush the Friday before the 2004 election.
Bush has it wrong. Bin laden's videotape was merely the catalyst by which John Kerry went down in flames, not the reason. The reason that Kerry went down is merely that he chose to place himself on the wrong side of the issue. Bin laden's tape merely cemented what the people already knew regarding Kerry: that he was limp-wristed on national security.


(Filed under moonbat adventures)

A different kind of translator..

Got a cousin in New Orleans and need a web page translated quickly in a form that he can understand? I have just the solution!

Called "The Dialectizer", this is a tool that translates a selected web page into any one of eight dialects, including: redneck, cockney, Elmer Fudd, moron, Swedish Chef, and hacker.

For instance, here's The Ice Palace translated into "moron" (yeah, I know, it didn't need much help).


(Filed under fun stuff)

The slippery slope...

Even while the Terri Schiavo affair was still front page news, My friend Jon (The Night Writer) was following the story of 11-month old Charlotte Wyatt, a handicapped child whose parents were fighting to keep alive despite the government's attention to pull the plug. Well, Jon today notes that the government has won over the wishes of Charlotte's parents in their decision to place a mandatory "Do Not Resuscitate" (DNR) order on Charlotte. It appears to have been an economic decision, in a system where the pragmatics demanded of socialized medicine have served to override a child's right to live. Jon has a very insightful followup story regarding this matter here, and Doug from Bogus Gold also displays some great insights here. As I commented on Doug's blog:
"This is what happens when you value the sanctity of human life only by the subjective barometer of perceived functionality.

I still harken back to the 1950s Twilight Zone episode, when it comes time for the librarian to die, the government proclaims: YOU ARE OBSOLETE!

While it was probably viewed as fanciful by the Twighlight Zone viewers at that time, they probably had no idea exactly how prescient it was."
(Filed under defense of life)

"Evangelicals" can engage in propaganda, too...

This is really rich.. environmentalist propaganda clothed in Christian evangelicalism, including this gem:
The What Would Jesus Drive educational campaign

The campaign began in November 2002 and its message was that our transportation choices are moral choices for three basic reasons: impacts of transportation pollution on human health, particularly that of children; the problem of global warming and its impacts on the poor, and the consequences of our oil dependence on national and economic security.
not to mention:
Claim 1: Human-Induced Climate Change is Real

Since 1995 there has been general agreement among those in the scientific community most seriously engaged with this issue that climate change is happening and is being caused mainly by human activities, especially the burning of fossil fuels. Evidence gathered since 1995 has only strengthened this conclusion.

Because all religious/moral claims about climate change are relevant only if climate change is real and is mainly human-induced, everything hinges on the scientific data. As evangelicals we have hesitated to speak on this issue until we could be more certain of the science of climate change, but the signatories now believe that the evidence demands action...
I wonder if these supposed "Bible Thumping" enviro-whackos have read this:
Careful Tests

The global-warming hypothesis, however, is no longer tenable. Scientists have been able to test it carefully, and it does not hold up. During the past 50 years, as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have risen, scientists have made precise measurements of atmospheric temperature. These measurements have definitively shown that major atmospheric greenhouse warming of the atmosphere is not occurring and is unlikely ever to occur.

The temperature of the atmosphere fluctuates over a wide range, the result of solar activity and other influences. During the past 3,000 years, there have been five extended periods when it was distinctly warmer than today. One of the two coldest periods, known as the Little Ice Age, occurred 300 years ago. Atmospheric temperatures have been rising from that low for the past 300 years, but remain below the 3,000-year average.

Why are temperatures rising? The first chart nearby shows temperatures during the past 250 years, relative to the mean temperature for 1951-70. The same chart shows the length of the solar magnetic cycle during the same period. Close correlation between these two parameters--the shorter the solar cycle (and hence the more active the sun), the higher the temperature--demonstrates, as do other studies, that the gradual warming since the Little Ice Age and the large fluctuations during that warming have been caused by changes in solar activity.
IMO, this is nothing more than an arm of the whacko environmentalist left, couching their "environmentalism" in Christian Evangelicalism in a transparently lame (IMO) attempt to gain credibility with the Right.



(Filed under enviro-whackism)

The stuff of nightmares...

In this case, I believe the headline says it all...

Sen. Clinton Says Rove Obesses About Her
Feb 27 12:58 PM US/Eastern

I don't think so.

Now pardon me while I expel the remainder of the contents of my stomach.



(Filed under moonbat adventures)

A waste of a voice..

Say what you want about singer George Michael...IMO, he has one of those golden voices that come along only once in a generation. He not only sang the notes, he sold the song with the raw emotion that is all too absent with today's singers (I present the songs "Careless Whisper" and "A Different Corner" as evidence toward that assertion). In that vein, it's really a shame to read that Michael was recently caught in a drug bust:
Posted on Mon, Feb. 27, 2006
George Michael says arrest was his fault
Associated Press

LONDON - George Michael said his arrest for suspected drug possession in London this weekend was "my own stupid fault, as usual."

The 42-year-old pop singer was arrested Saturday after he was found slumped at the wheel of his car at Hyde Park Corner in central London.

He was bailed out and is to return to a police station next month.

"I was in possession of class C drugs which is an offense and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout," Michael - who rose to fame as half of the 1980s pop duo Wham! - said Monday in a statement.

"I have been through enough in 24 years of dealing with the media to know what I am in for from them this week," Michael's statement said. "Much of it will be inaccurate or simply untrue. I can handle that, it is my own stupid fault, as usual."

I never quite understood how people from John Belushi to Chris Farley to, yes, George Michael--people with more talent than they knew what to do with--can get their lives so messed up--like the high that goes with fame is never quite enough. But then again, I've never been blessed with that much talent.

Despite how it looks from the outside, it must be a horrible existence.


(Filed under miscellany)

They ride to honor those who gave their all...

As you know, there are some blithering idiot cro-magnons disrupting the funerals of fallen soldiers in the U.S., saying that it's God's will that soldiers die because America supports gay rights. If you've been wondering what you can do to these abominable freaks, here's your chance to help:
Patriot Guard Riders Mission Statement

 The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.

We don’t care what you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a "hawk" or a "dove". It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn't matter where you’re from or what your income is. You don’t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect.

Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives.

1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.

2. Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.

We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.

It's not mandatory that you be a rider in order to join--you just need to agree with their mission. I joined today, and currently there are over 11,000 registered members. If you're as sickened as I am regarding these protests at military funerals, please think about supporting this organization today. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than thwarting the agenda of these dunderheads and honoring what should be a solemn occasion.



(Filed under Iraq, heroes, the fifth column)

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Which "Holy Grail" character are you?

You are Sir Bedevere! Wise and creative, you are able to counsel others as well as come up with some really ingenious plans of attack...sort of.
You are Sir Bedevere! Wise and creative, you are

able to counsel others as well as come up

with some really ingenious plans of

attack...sort of.


Which Monty Python & the Holy Grail Character are you REALLY?
brought to you by Quizilla

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Rest in Peace, Mr. Fife

From Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Don Knotts, who won five Emmys for portraying the bungling deputy Barney Fife on "The Andy Griffith Show," has died, media reports said on Saturday. He was 81.

Knotts died on Friday night at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre in Beverly Hills, California, of pulmonary and respiratory complications, according to media reports.

Knotts' bug-eyed, high-strung character h
elped make "Andy Griffith," a sitcom about a folksy sheriff in small-town America, one of the most popular U.S. television shows of the 1960s.

Knotts also had a string of successful comedic movies, including "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" and "The Incredible Mr. Limpet," and later appeared as a regular in the TV comedy series "Three's Company."

Knotts began his entertainment career as a ventriloquist in his hometown of Morgantown, West Virginia, and began working as a stand-up comedian entertaining troops after enlisting in the Army during World War Two.

He landed a small role in the Broadway play "No Time for Sergeants," marking the first time he worked with Griffith, who was the play's star. Griffith and Knotts also worked together in the 1958 movie version of "No Time for Sergeants."

Knotts began perfecting his twitchy, high-strung persona in 1956 as a regular in man-on-the-street interview segments on "The Tonight Show" during Steve Allen's years as host. From there, he ended up on Griffith's new show, which premiered in 1960.

Knott's Fife loved to flaunt his authority in small-town Mayberry and always dreamed of solving a big case but was so inept that Griffith's Sheriff Andy Taylor would not allow him to keep his gun loaded. Instead, Barney carried a single bullet in his shirt pocket.
I'll always remember (even though I was only 6 years old) going to the drive in theater in our brand new Ford Country Sedan station wagon with my parents and my siblings back in 1966 to watch "The Incredible Mr. Limpet," and "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken".. ("Munsters Go Home" was the third feature). "The Shakiest Gun in the West" was another of my favorites, as was "The Apple Dumpling Gang".

Thanks for the laughs.. rest in peace, my friend...

(Filed under miscellany)

Talent on loan from God?

I'm a Talent!

You're a risk-taker, and you follow your passions. You're determined to take on the world and succeed on your own terms. Whether in the arts, science, engineering, business, or politics, you fearlessly express your own vision of the world. You're not afraid of a fight, and you're not afraid to bet your future on your own abilities. If you find a job boring or stifling, you're already preparing your resume. You believe in doing what you love, and you're not willing to settle for an ordinary life.

Talent: 70%
Lifer: 26%
Mandarin: 48%

Take the Talent, Lifer, or Mandarin quiz.



h/t Doug.


(Filed under fun stuff)

Friday, February 24, 2006

Another slimeball assumes room temperature...

Score another one for the good guys! From here:

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Al Qaeda in Iraq's leader in northern Baghdad was killed in a raid Friday, the U.S. military said.

The military identified Abu Asma, also known as Abu Anas and Akram Mahmud al-Mushhadani, as an explosives expert with close ties to important car bomb manufacturers in Baghdad.

He died in a northern Baghdad raid conducted by coalition forces with the help of Iraqi police, a military statement said.

"Intelligence reports indicated Abu Asma was in possession of and expected to use suicide vests against the Iraqi people and security forces," the statement said. "He was directly responsible for many deaths and injuries of coalition and Iraqi security forces."

Hope he has fun with his "70 virgins"... in a parody of the Harry Belafonte song:

Osama bin laden, now he's a big liar!! (Air Force come and dey flatten our home!)

No virgins here now, only hellfire! (Air Force come and dey flatten our home!)


(Filed under Iraq, religion of peace?)

To tell the truth...

Bob Stephenson from Minnesota Families United wrote an editorial the other day defending the much maligned television ads that have been appearing on Minnesota TV stations this past month:
... Bob Stephenson: I appeared in that ad to help spread the truth; Such commercials are needed when media won't acknowledge the progress in Iraq.
February 20, 2006
Minneapolis Star Tribune

By Bob Stephenson

As a Marine who served at a forward operating base in Iraq, I was discouraged to read Nick Coleman's misleading column about an ad supporting the War on Terror that I appeared in ("Troops back from Iraq being deployed on the front lines of spin war," Feb. 11).

Every day, we see reports of terrorist attacks, wounded soldiers and kidnapped journalists. If I hadn't been there myself, I would guess that the whole operation has been a failure. Nothing could be further from the truth, and if an advertisement is the only way to get that point across, then so be it.

While car bombings might make for exciting news, they do not encompass the broad reality of our efforts in Iraq. Our soldiers are busy rebuilding schools, bridges and infrastructure. They are paving the way for democracy in an extremely oppressive region. And I can assure you that America's fighting men and women are pleased with our incredible progress and willing to see their mission through in the Middle East.

I volunteered to go to Iraq in October 2004 because, as a 20-year Marine, I felt that was my duty. To be honest, I wasn't sure what I would find upon arrival. What I saw there is drastically different from the Iraq most Americans see on their news reports or read about in their newspapers. Certainly, I saw hostility, as my base endured more than two dozen rocket and mortar attacks. But I saw a more complete picture, and that picture is largely positive.

Iraqis are far more appreciative of our efforts to secure and democratize their country than most Americans stateside realize. A survey by the nonpartisan, taxpayer-funded International Republican Institute found that 62 percent of Iraqis feel their country is headed in the right direction. This is a far cry from the collective opinion of mainstream media.

Perhaps because we live in a free nation with rights and liberties, we forget that they are a tremendous gift. Thanks to our efforts, millions of Iraqis are just beginning to open that gift.

Let us examine what has taken place in three short years. A tyrant has been apprehended and now stands trial for crimes against humanity. Iraq has held the first three free elections in its history. Since then, Iraqis have ratified their Constitution. To put this into context, the United States of America declared its independence in 1776. Yet our own Constitution was not ratified until 1789 -- 13 years later.

I know firsthand that the Iraqi people are deeply appreciative of our success. I only wish we could say the same for detractors here at home. Ads reporting the positive side of the war are necessary because our nation's media outlets are unwilling to acknowledge that progress is being made. And that's a travesty.

Lt. Col. Bob Stephenson served with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Iraq during 2004 and 2005. He is cochair of Minnesota Families United for Our Troops and Their Mission.

Here here. It's too bad when people have to literally spend millions of dollars to put out the truth that the MSM, in the interests of advancing an agenda, refuses to tell.

(Filed under Iraq, heroes, the fifth column)

Here's to a productive friendship..

The U.S. scored big in this deal:
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India and the United States have made progress toward a landmark nuclear deal, an Indian statement said on Friday, days before President George W. Bush visits New Delhi to cement a new friendship between both nations.

The deal, first agreed to in principle last July, aims to give India access to long-denied U.S. nuclear equipment and fuel to meet its soaring energy needs.

But it had run into trouble with the U.S. insisting that a plan to separate India's civilian and military nuclear programmes, on which the deal hinges, must be credible and transparent to prevent proliferation.

"The two sides had detailed and productive discussions. There was greater clarity on the issues under discussion. Progress has been made in the talks," a statement from the Indian Foreign Ministry said.

There was no comment from U.S. officials after two days of talks between Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.

But a U.S. source told Reuters that the talks had gone well and any likely announcement would be left for Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh next week.

When Burns was asked ahead of Friday's talks whether the two sides could resolve the tangle before Bush arrives next week, he said: "President Bush and Prime Minister Singh have really given a clear signal, they both want to have this agreement done."

This is big. An alliance with India is sorely needed as a hedge against total Chicom influence in the southeast Asian sphere. Jeff, as usual, does a flawless analysis of the U.S.'s realization that, despite our highest aspirations, China is hopelessly becoming a grizzly bear, not a panda bear in its pursuit of world dominance. Bringing on board the second most populous nation, both regionally and geopolitically, can only serve to help us breathe a little easier.


(Filed under world affairs)

Senior Shoplifter



An 80 year old woman was arrested for shop lifting.

When she went before the judge he asked her, "What did you steal?"

She replied, “A can of peaches.”

The judge asked her why she had stolen them and she replied that she was hungry.

The judge then asked her how many peaches were in the can.

She replied, “6.”

The judge then said, "I will give you 6 days in jail."

Before the judge could actually pronounce the punishment, the woman's husband spoke up and asked the judge if he could say something.

The judge said, "What is it?"

The husband said, "She also stole a can of peas."

(h/t to Jack from Unto the Breach)

Thursday, February 23, 2006

The Washington Times hits it spot on...

In this op ed:
Democrats, after 11 years as the minority party in Congress, still can't get it right with their own voters, a poll shows.

By objecting to virtually every initiative and proposal of the Bush administration and congressional Republican majority, Democrats are undermining their party's chances of regaining the majority this fall, the John Zogby poll of 1,039 likely voters suggests.

While House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and other visible Democrats in Washington pick fights with Republicans, the poll shows that 58 percent of rank-and-file Democratic voters say their leaders should "accept their lower position in Congress and work together with Republicans to craft the best legislation possible."

Only 6 percent of Democratic respondents say the No. 1 goal for their party's lawmakers in Congress should be to bury Republican bills.
And in a factoid that should drive a stake through the very heart of the moonbat-driven DNC:
The poll suggests that many Democratic voters accept their party's minority status. Nearly a quarter of Democrats -- 23 percent -- say Republicans do a better job running Congress.
Of course, the dems persist down their perrenial voyage down that long river in Egypt:
The Democratic National Committee disputes that interpretation.

"The poll reconfirms what Americans have been saying for months: Under Republican leadership, America is headed in the wrong direction," said DNC communications director Karen Finney. "The truth is, a lot of Democrats know that Republicans aren't doing a good job running Congress, and a strong majority have faith in Democratic leadership and ideas."
That's it in a nutshell. The dems have no ideas. Perpetual stonewalling and caterwalling do not leadership and ideas make. But as long as Reid, Finney, et al. remain delusional, I guess republicans will remain in the majority. Like I've stated before:
"Until the MSM and the entire "elite liberal" culture finally realize that "not everyone shares their prejudices," I'm afraid they will continue to alienate themselves, have continued downslides in ratings and newspaper circulation, and continue to lose elections.

And they still won't have the slightest clue as to why."
This latest Zogby poll appears most illustrative of that assertion.


(Filed under elections, moonbat adventures, limousine liberals)

I think he read the book...

No doubt Islamo-fascist screwball extraordinaire Ahmadinejad read Prayers for the Assassin. In the book, Islamic terrorists blow up Mecca, then blame it on Israel, which starts an insurmountable jihad against the West.

Read on:
Jerusalem Post | Breaking News from Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World: "President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed the United States and Israel on Thursday for the blowing up of a Shi'ite shrine's golden dome in Iraq, saying it was the work of 'defeated Zionists and occupiers.'

Speaking to a crowd of thousands on tour of southwestern Iran, the president referred to the destruction of the Askariya mosque dome in Samarra on Wednesday, which the Iraqi government has blamed on insurgents.

'They invade the shrine and bomb there because they oppose God and justice,' Ahmadinejad said, referring to the US-led multinational force in Iraq."
Ya think so??

(Filed under Iraq, religion of peace?)

They can't even do petitions without voter fraud!

Embarrassment: Dem Front-Runner Disqualified for Ohio Ballot -- 02/23/2006: "Embarrassment: Dem Front-Runner Disqualified for Ohio Ballot
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
February 23, 2006

(CNSNews.com) - In what Republicans are calling a 'high-profile gaffe,' a Democrat running for Congress in Ohio's 6th Congressional District has been disqualified from running in the Democratic primary.

State Sen. Charlie Wilson failed to get the minimum number of petition signatures, election officials said on Wednesday.

To qualify for the May 2 primary ballot, Wilson needed 50 signatures of registered Democratic voters, and although he submitted 96 signatures a few days before the filing deadline, only 46 were found to be valid, elections officials said. (Many of the signatures were from Democrats who live outside the 6th District, press reports said.)"

Kinda gives creedence to the snark that I posted the other day, doesn't it?

Geeze--can't they do anything without being underhanded about it??



(Filed under elections, moonbat adventures)



That's my Pope!

From here:

By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor

PARIS (Reuters) - After backing calls by Muslims for respect for their religion in the Mohammad cartoons row, the Vatican is now urging Islamic countries to reciprocate by showing more tolerance toward their Christian minorities.

Roman Catholic leaders at first said Muslims were right to be outraged when Western newspapers reprinted Danish caricatures of the Prophet, including one with a bomb in his turban. Most Muslims consider any images of Mohammad to be blasphemous.

After criticizing both the cartoons and the violent protests in Muslim countries that followed, the Vatican this week linked the issue to its long-standing concern that the rights of other faiths are limited, sometimes severely, in Muslim countries.

Vatican prelates have been concerned by recent killings of two Catholic priests in Turkey and Nigeria. Turkish media linked the death there to the cartoons row. At least 146 Christians and Muslims have died in five days of religious riots in Nigeria.

"If we tell our people they have no right to offend, we have to tell the others they have no right to destroy us," Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican's Secretary of State (prime minister), told journalists in Rome.

This is one big difference, I believe, between Pope Benedict and Pope John Paul II.. Not to take anything away from John Paul II; but he was born and raised in a socialist country, and was laregely a socialist, politically. I believe that Benedict will be much more outspoken, and much more politically conservative in his views.

(Filed under religion of peace?)

Those fine folks at Planned Parenthood...

Had a wonderful, compassionate founder...

"The most merciful thing that a large family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."
Margaret Sanger, Women and the New Race
(
Eugenics Publ. Co., 1920, 1923)

Copyright © 2001 Diane S. Dew www.dianedew.com


Margaret Sanger (1883-1966) On blacks, immigrants and indigents:
"...human weeds,' 'reckless breeders,' 'spawning... human beings who never should have been born." Margaret Sanger,
Pivot of Civilization, referring to immigrants and poor people

On sterilization & racial purification:
Sanger believed that, for the purpose of racial "purification," couples should be rewarded who chose sterilization. Birth Control in America, The Career of Margaret Sanger, by David Kennedy, p. 117, quoting a 1923 Sanger speech.

On the right of married couples to bear children:
Couples should be required to submit applications to have a child, she wrote in her "Plan for Peace." Birth Control Review, April 1932

On the purpose of birth control:
The purpose in promoting birth control was "to create a race of thoroughbreds," she wrote in the Birth Control Review, Nov. 1921 (p. 2)

On the rights of the handicapped and mentally ill, and racial minorities:
"More children from the fit, less from the unfit -- that is the chief aim of birth control." Birth Control Review, May 1919, p. 12

On religious convictions regarding sex outside of marriage:
"This book aims to answer the needs expressed in thousands on thousands of letters to me in the solution of marriage problems... Knowledge of sex truths frankly and plainly presented cannot possibly injure healthy, normal, young minds. Concealment, suppression, futile attempts to veil the unveilable - these work injury, as they seldom succeed and only render those who indulge in them ridiculous. For myself, I have full confidence in the cleanliness, the open-mindedness, the promise of the younger generation." Margaret Sanger, Happiness in Marriage (Bretano's, New York, 1927)

On the extermination of blacks:
"We do not want word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population," she said, "if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members." Woman's Body, Woman's Right: A Social History of Birth Control in America, by Linda Gordon


I guess you don't espouse a philosophy that it's okay to kill innocent babies by being a nice person, do you?

Click on the link above for even more gems...

(Filed under defense of life)

Another view.. regarding the "Port situation"...

From a correspondent who is in the know:

I did not say that I did not have reservations with a UAE corporation owning a portion of a number of US ports. I do. However, we must look at why the anticipation. Are we simply racist in our hesitation because of the ancestral herritaige of our enemy? The UAE has been a staunch ally in the GWOT. They have consistently provided vital information regarding terrorist activities worldwide, have actively sought out and exterminated terrorists on their soil, and have paid the price with their own blood. They serve with me here in Afghanistan as a Coalition Partner. That's just the stuff the media reports. Much of the intel provided by our allys cannot be reported for OPSEC reasons.

The UAE will not have "total control". U.S. Customs Service Security Authorities, U.S. Coast Guard Security Authorities, and the relevent Port Authorities will not relinquish their control to anyone. The idea of that is just absurd.

BTW:Federal law authorizes the Coast Guard to board any vessel subject to the jurisdiction, or operation of any law, of the United States in order to make inquiries, examinations, inspections, searches, seizures, and arrests for the violations of U.S. laws. The Coast Guard may order and force any vessel to stop and may engage in land, water, and air patrols. Federal law also authorizes the Coast Guard to control the anchorage and movement of vessels in the navigable waters of the U.S.

The Coast Guard regulates the handling of dangerous cargo at all waterfront facilities, the use of dangerous cargos on inspected vessels, and the carriage of cargoes by vessels. The Secretary of Treasury, at the request of the Secretary of Transportation, may refuse or revoke the clearance to enter any port of the United States when it is believed a vessel carrying dangerous cargo or other hazardous materials has violated U.S. law. Vessels carrying dangerous cargoes are built and inspected to Coast Guard standards. Coast Guard marine inspectors conduct annual inspections to ensure these vessels meet and maintain these standards and make unannounced boardings to monitor transfers of dangerous cargos.

Further, the Customs Service physically inspects, not five, but only two percent of imported, and one percent of exported cargo. However, the majority of containers selected for inspection are not randomly chosen. The Customs Service uses information from a database on shipping and trade activities called the Automatic Manifest System (AMS). Using a targeting system that operates within AMS, the Customs Service is able to pick out cargo manifests that appear unusual, suspect, or high-risk, for further evaluation.


This person has been involved with security issues for some time now, and I consider him a most credible source on the matter...

(Filed under war on terror)

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

South American moonbat.. receives her come-uppance...

From here:

LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) - A Bolivian senator, a close ally of President Evo Morales known for her raucous chanting of "Long live coca, Death to the Yankees!", said on Wednesday the United States had canceled her entry visa.

Leonilda Zurita, who is seen as one of the leftist president's closest confidantes, told local media U.S. consular officials had told her she was considered a terrorist, something she dubbed "an offense against Bolivian women".

Zurita, from the region of Chapare -- the focus of U.S.-funded coca eradication programs -- was a prominent figure in the December election that returned Morales, who took power promising to develop his country's coca crop.

Zurita said she realized the visa had been canceled when she tried to travel to Miami to take part in a meeting organized by a Florida university.
I wonder which Florida university? Could it be this one? Imagine that... an America-hating leftist gets invited to speak at an American University... Will wonders never cease? But I digress.

Back to this:
Leonilda Zurita, who is seen as one of the leftist president's closest confidantes, told local media U.S. consular officials had told her she was considered a terrorist, something she dubbed "an offense against Bolivian women".
No, it's a slap in the face to you, personally, you leftist heap of dung. You chant "Death to the Yankees!" yet you have the unmitigated gaul to expect the red carpet treatment when you try to visit your leftist moonbat bretheren in America?

You want an "offense"?

I got your offense right here:

DON'T GIVE ME THAT, YOU SNOTTY-FACED HEAP OF PARROT DROPPINGS! SHUT YOUR FESTERING GOB, YOU TIT! YOUR TYPE MAKES ME PUKE! YOU VACUOUS STUFFY-NOSED MALODOROUS PERVERT!!!

There. There's your "offense".

I feel better now.


(Filed under moonbat adventures, the fifth column)

Graham Chapman...

I've just been watching The Best of Monty Python on PBS tonight...

Came across this sketch... (Graham Chapman's best)

Angry man: WHADDAYOU WANT?
Man: Well, Well, I was told outside that...
Angry man: DON'T GIVE ME THAT, YOU SNOTTY-FACED HEAP OF PARROT DROPPINGS!
Man: What?
Angry man: SHUT YOUR FESTERING GOB, YOU TIT! YOUR TYPE MAKES ME PUKE! YOU VACUOUS STUFFY-NOSED MALODOROUS PERVERT!!!
Man: Yes, but I came here for an argument!!
Angry man: OH! Oh! I'm sorry! This is abuse!
Man: Oh! Oh I see!
Angry man: Aha! No, you want room 12A, next door.
Man: Oh...Sorry...
Angry man: Not at all!
Angry man: (under his breath) stupid git.
Gads..they were the best...

(Filed under fun stuff)

A challenge to Roe.. and a challenge to Planned Parenthood...

Thought I'd apply some of my new-found truth serum here and see what comes out...

From My Way News

SIOUX FALLS, South Dakota (Reuters) - South Dakota's state senate voted on Wednesday for an abortion ban aimed at giving the conservative-tilting Supreme Court an opening to overturn rulings granting women the right to the procedure.

Only an unlikely veto by Republican Gov. Michael Rounds could prevent the legislation from becoming law, people on both sides
of the issue said.

"We hope (Rounds) recognizes this for what it is: a political tool and not about the health and safety of the women of South Dakota," said Kate Looby of Planned Parenthood, which operates the sole clinic providing abortions in South Dakota.(emphasis added)
After truth serum application:
"We hope (Rounds) doesn't recognize Planned Parenthood's opposition to this for what it is: a blatant attempt to keep our cash cow going and to continue to give us carte blanche to, among other methods, split an otherwise perfectly healthy baby's skull open to suck its brains out, causing the baby untold pain in the process.

Our opposition to this bill to ban abortion is not about protecting the health and safety of the women of South Dakota; rather, it is a move to protect Planned Parenthood's own selfish financial interests; since our financial interests are necessarily furthered by our infanticidal practices"
said Kate Looby of Planned Parenthood, which operates the sole clinic providing abortions in South Dakota...
Can one can come to any other conclusion, seeing as how Planned Parenthood cannot cite ONE CASE in which the killing of the baby in late term status was required to protect the health nor safety of any woman.

To label Planned Parenthood a nest of ghouls would be to pay them a compliment.

Hey--I like this truth serum stuff.

(Filed under defense of life)

In a bizarre, sad story...

From here:

NEW ORLEANS, February 22, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Just after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans rumors circulated that at least one hospital had euthanized patients during the mayhem. LifeSiteNews.com reported in September 2005, that an unnamed doctor admitted to a UK newspaper that such activities had taken place at Memorial Medical Center (http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/sep/05091205.html ). In October another doctor at the hospital confirmed in a CNN interview that he suspected such activities and admitted he left the hospital saying he would rather abandon patients than actively kill them. (see coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/oct/05101303.html ) Later in October hospital workers were subpoenaed for an investigation (http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2005/oct/05102806.html ).

National Public Radio now reports on its access to court documents in the case. In a February 16 report, NPR says it has reviewed secret court documents related to the investigation and not yet released to the public. The documents, says NPR "reveal chilling details about events at Memorial hospital in the chaotic days following the storm, including hospital administrators who saw a doctor filling syringes with painkillers and heard plans to give patients lethal doses. The witnesses also heard staff discussing the agonizing decision to end patients' lives."

The allegations revolve around a group of patients left on the seventh floor at Memorial Medical Center. This floor was leased to a different entity, LifeCare Hospitals. According to NPR, the patients on the seventh floor were all DNR patients -- they had "do not resuscitate" orders.

The report describes the deplorable conditions in the hospital which was left without power, without sewage removal facilities, and in soaring temperatures with looters attempting to enter the hospital.

Not Dead Yet, a national disability rights organization that leads the disability community's opposition to legalized assisted suicide, euthanasia and other forms of medical killing, points to a section of the NPR report suggesting the staff wanted to eliminate the patients so they could themselves escape.

While I sympathize with the plight that they faced in those days, if this is indeed true, I can then find no excuse for their decision to end the lives of those in their charge. When one willingly accepts the responsiblity to care for dependent others, it necessarily goes with the territory. Again, if what is in this story is true, those involved need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent that the law will allow.


(Filed under defense of life)

Now the pen comes out?

If there was ever a day for surprises, it is today. Take this whole shipping port situation, for instance. What surprises me regarding this situation, first of all, is that Bush is at all surprised regarding the reaction that this is getting. Very reminiscent of the "deer in the headlights" response that he got when he nominated Harriet Miers to SCOTUS. The second big surprise is that this issue garnered Bush's first threat in his entire administration to wield his veto pen should efforts come from Congress to try to block the deal. Why the veto pen now? With all due respect, where was Bush's veto pen when it really would have done some good? Bush has never even so much as hinted at the use of a veto up until this point. What is it about this issue that makes him so determined, especially in light of the fact that:
Feb. 22, 2006 — President Bush did not know that an Arab-owned company was to take over operations at major American seaports until the deal was already completed, the White House admitted today.

"He became aware of it over the last several days," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Has Bush really had time to examine the issue to the point where he's willing to kick and scream and drag his heels to support its passage?

Or could President Bush's determined stance on this issue merely be another example of the loyalty and total trust that Bush puts into his staff? Possibly so.

But at the same time you gotta admit that it's a little more than baffling that thought wasn't given beforehand as to the reaction that this would engender. Whether the threat is real or merely perceived, in turning control of major shipping ports into Arab hands in a post-9/11 world, given the current climate of Arab unrest and anti-American sentiment, could one really blame people for being the least bit queasy regarding this situation?

Now I have no doubt that thought was given at various levels as to security issues of having a UAE state-owned company to manage those ports. However, even given that Homeland Security would continue to monitor those ports, the UAE-owned concern would still have the authority to hire and to fire. What type of screening process would be utilized, and would an Al Qaeda mole have an easier go of being hired by the UAE concern than if it remained in British hands?

Even given this, I am wholly surprised that there are democrats, who by their previous behavior suggested that 9/11 never happened or was at best an anomaly, that now seem to be suddenly interested in homeland security. Is this sudden interest on their part an attempt to divide and conquer republicans by dividing the ranks?

This issue has more facets than a house of mirrors and is every bit as confusing.


(filed under world affairs, war on terror, religion of peace?)

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

They know not of what they speak...

Liberalism/socialism has reared its ugly head, to the point where it is now poised to take over a nation we shed blood to liberate...

From here:
Nearly half of South Korean youths who will be old enough to vote in the country's next elections say Seoul should side with North Korea if the United States attacks the communist nation, according to a poll released Wednesday.

At the same time, 40.7 percent of the 1,000 young people surveyed said Seoul should remain neutral in the event of hostilities between Washington and Pyongyang, according to the poll by The Korea Times and Hankook Ilbo dailies. Only 11.6 percent said the South should back its longtime U.S. ally.

The poll, conducted Feb. 16-19, surveyed youths between 17 and 23 years old who will be old enough to vote in next year's presidential election. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

I'll bet you anything that North Korea has a pretty strong propaganda machine working in South Korea's institutions of "higher learning." The cohort of youngsters now in South Korean colleges are too young to know the ravages that communism has exacted on its northern neighbor, and the threat that it continues to pose to the south.



This satellite picture of the Korean peninsula, taken at night, should be plastered on the dorm walls of every South Korean college, and every teenager's bedroom. It is quite indicative of the pall that is cast by this insidious form of government that has been nothing short of a plague to humanity, and why communism must be defeated at all costs for freedom to survive.

As Ronald Reagan so eloquently stated,
"Freedom is a fragile thing and is never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. Those who have known freedom, and then lost it, have never known it again."
The South Korean youth would do well to acquaint themselves well with these words, as would our own youth.

South Korea is a textbook study of the successful use of tactics by the communist left to push their agenda, not through force of arms, but by indoctrination of a nation's youth. It behooves us to remember that lesson as similar tactics are practiced by the left in our own country in this very day.


(Filed under world affairs, the fifth column)

An amber alert close to home..

I just happened to look up at the amber alert banner at the top of my blog, and saw this:
Amber Alert Issued for 5-7 Year Old South Dakota Boy
Posted: Tuesday February 21, 2006 8:03 PM CST


The Watertown Police Department and the State of South Dakota issued the Amber Alert on Tuesday evening after witnesses saw a boy taken while walking home from Mellette Elementary School.

A male suspect pulled up along side the boy, jumped out of the car and picked the child up and carried him to the car. The suspect then placed a red bandana over the face and mouth of the child and placed the child into the back seat of the car. The child appeared to be kicking and squirming during the incident. The suspect then drove off with the boy northbound on 2nd Street West in Watertown, SD.

Unknown 5-7 year old child White male, 5-7 years old, 3 ft. to 3 ft 6 inches tall, average build, brown hair Wearing blue pants, red shirt, blue coat and carrying a lime green backpack.

The suspect is described as a White male, about 50 years old, average height and build, gray hair, clean shaven Wearing blue pants, blue waist length coat and carrying a red bandana.

The vehicle is an Older red four door sedan with a 6 inch gold star on the driver's side rear quarter panel. Possible rust on the vehicle. Vehicle is square shaped in back. Unknown license plates.

Anyone with information should call 605-753-6166 or dial 911.

The scumbag(s) who perpetrated this must be caught. Let's bring that little boy home safe.


****UPDATE****

From here:
The Watertown Police Department and the State of South Dakota canceled the Amber Alert on Wednesday. The alert was canceled after all of the students at the school were accounted for and no children were reported missing. The investigation is continuing.
Strange.

(Filed under miscellany)

...Now where did I leave that lie detector?

Don't you sometimes wish you could have truth serum to force moonbats to tell the truth behind their actions?

Like in this case here:

PHILADELPHIA — Gov. Ed Rendell says he will veto a bill that would require voters to show identification at the polls because he believes it would disenfranchise some of the state's most vulnerable residents.

"At a time in our nation's history when voter participation is dropping to alarming levels, the government should not be taking action that will turn away bona fide voters from our polls," Rendell said Monday.

He said people such as nursing home residents and poorer voters might not be able to meet the ID requirements.
After truth serum:

"I, Ed Rendell, democrat moonbat extraordinare, will veto this bill because I believe that it would disenfranchise some of the state's most vulnerable residents make it harder for us to register fake democrat voters.

At a time in our nation's history when voter participation is dropping to alarming levels opportunities for voter fraud are dropping to alarming levels, the government should not be taking action that will turn away bona fide fictitious democrat voters from our polls," Rendell meant to say on Monday. "How the hell do you expect us to win elections if we can't stuff the ballot boxes?

He said people such as nursing home residents and poorer voters dead folks and duplicate voters might not be able to make the ID requirements.

Now wouldn't that be slick?



(Filed under elections, moonbat adventures)

The City of St. Cloud's water emergency has now ended!:
...

02/21/2006 3:05 p.m.

BOIL WATER NOTICE ENDED

The BOIL WATER NOTICE issued to residents in the City of St. Cloud and St. Augusta has ended. Continued boiling water for consumption is no longer necessary.

Samples results taken from the Water Treatment Facility and representative water distribution system locations are negative and indicate no E-coli in the City tap water.

PLEASE NOTE: E-COLI BACTERIA WAS ONLY FOUND AT THE WATER TREAMTMENT FACILITY AND WAS NEVER FOUND IN THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.

Since E-Coli has not been found in the water distribution system and chlorine has remained at sufficient levels, the need to flush water lines/softeners or home treatment devices is not necessary.

The BOIL ORDER NOTICE was a regulatory requirement and a precaution to ensure public health. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.

Time to drink 'em, if you got 'em... (Filed under miscellany)

Okay..that's it... mind's made up...

Regarding the move that is making even enemies stand up and take notice, I have been somewhat reserving judgment as to the Bush administration OK to turning over management of major shipping ports to United Arab Emirates control. But now my mind has just been made up, and there's no turning back:

It is A BAD IDEA!!:

Carter backs Bush's stand on seaport-operations deal

Former President Jimmy Carter downplayed criticism of White House support of an Arab-owned company's purchase of a major seaport-operations firm.

BY LESLEY CLARK
lclark@MiamiHerald.com

President Bush is taking a battering from fellow Republicans, even the governors of New York and Maryland, over the administration's support for a decision that gives an Arab company control of some commercial operations at six major seaports -- including Miami-Dade's.

But he got a boost Monday from an unlikely source, frequent critic and former president Jimmy Carter, who downplayed fears that the deal poses a risk.

''The overall threat to the United States and security, I don't think it exists,'' Carter said on CNN's The Situation Room. ``I'm sure the president's done a good job with his subordinates to make sure this is not a threat.''

Believe me, Mr. President--when the architect of the most failed presidential administration in recent history backs you on an idea, it's time to give it the once over. And toss it. There are bigger fish to fry, Mr. President.

(Filed under war on terror)

A requiem for academic freedom?

Harvard is dead. From here (subscription required):

Summers Quits Harvard Presidency

By DANIEL GOLDEN and ZACHARY M. SEWARD
February 21, 2006 1:21 p.m.

Lawrence H. Summers, losing a power struggle with faculty after a turbulent five years as president of Harvard University, resigned Tuesday.

The former U.S. Treasury secretary was expected to announce his resignation in advance of a faculty vote a week on a motion of no confidence in his leadership. Former Harvard president Derek Bok is expected to serve as interim president.

[Lawrence Summers]

Backing for Mr. Summers from Harvard's seven-member governing board, known as the Corporation, has eroded in recent weeks in the face of renewed criticism from many arts and sciences faculty members, the people familiar with the matter said. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, a Corporation member who pushed for Mr. Summers's appointment in 2001, remains a supporter and was making calls on his behalf to at least one key Harvard official last week, one person familiar with the situation said. Several board members, including former Duke University president Nannerl Keohane and Urban Institute president Robert Reischauer, have been interviewing deans, faculty members and alumni in recent weeks about Mr. Summers's performance.

Mr. Summers and Corporation members couldn't be reached for comment. A Harvard spokesman declined to comment.

Mr. Summers's supporters, and even some of his detractors, say they are worried it will be difficult for Harvard to find a strong successor now that the faculty has demonstrated its clout. His propensity for controversial comments on educational and national issues was regarded by admirers as a welcome change from other college presidents who devote themselves primarily to fund raising. His resignation could renew concerns about whether presidents of elite universities can use their "bully pulpit" as they once did to express opinions on vital issues without risking their positions.

Academic freedom on today's college campii goes only as far as the limits of liberal dogma. Articulate any idea that goes against that liberal dogma and you won't last long. Especially in any position of consequence.




A sorry state of affairs; especially for a centuries-old proud institution of learning that sports the latin word for "truth" in its very crest:


A monumental decision in the making...

From here:
Justices to Weigh Late-Term Abortion Ban
Feb 21 12:40 PM US/Eastern

WASHINGTON

The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will consider the constitutionality of banning a type of late-term abortion, teeing up a contentious issue for a new-look court already in a state of flux over privacy rights.

The Bush administration has pressed the high court to reinstate the federal law, passed in 2003 but never put in effect because it was struck down by judges in California, Nebraska and New York.

The outcome will likely rest with the two men that President Bush has recently installed on the court. Justices had been split 5-4 in 2000 in striking down a state law, barring what critics call partial birth abortion because it lacked an exception to protect the health of the mother.

But Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was the tie-breaking vote, retired late last month and was replaced by Samuel Alito. Abortion had been a major focus in the fight over Alito's nomination because justices serve for life and he will surely help shape the court on abortion and other issues for the next generation.

Alito, in his rulings on the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, has been more willing than O'Connor, the first woman justice, to allow restrictions on abortions, which were legalized in the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973.

The federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act prohibits a certain type of abortion, generally carried out in the second or third trimester, in which a fetus is partially removed from the womb, and the skull is punctured or crushed.

Justices on a 9-0 vote in a New Hampshire case reaffirmed in January that states can require parental involvement in abortion decisions and that state restrictions must have an exception to protect the mother's health.

The federal law in the current case has no health exception, but defenders maintain that the procedure is never medically necessary to protect a woman's health. (no duhhhhh!--(emphases added)

Even if Roberts and Alito do vote to uphold the ban on partial-birth abortion, the innocents are not out of the woods yet:
Even with O'Connor's retirement, there are five votes to uphold Roe, the landmark ruling that established a woman's right to an abortion.

Alito's views "are not going to change the outcome of the central principle of Roe v. Wade," said John Garvey, the dean at Boston College Law School. "In some ways, these are tokens or markers in ... a symbolic tug of war."

It is my fervent hope that the ban on this abhorrent practice is upheld by the highest court in the land. At the same time, it is hoped that further attention drawn to this horror will give people pause as to the atrocity that abortion is, in all stages of fetal development.


(Filed under defense of life)

this partially explains the delay...

From here:

02/21/2006 8:15 a.m.
Important Drinking Water Warning Update

Safe Operation Guide

Additional bacteria testing conducted at Water Treatment System indicate no E-coli bacteria at the Water Treatment Facility.

The E-coli test incubation period is 24 hours. Samples from the weekend, which were read back on Monday, were positive for E-coli at the St. Cloud Water Treatment Facility (WTF). Preliminary results Tuesday morning indicate no E-Coli at the Water Treatment Facility.

Additional test results will be available throughout the day. As a precaution, the BOIL WATER NOTICE is still in effect until the additional testing results are available.

Updated Information will be Posted on Channel 19 (emphases added)

Okay, so the samples become "readable" after only after a 24-hour incubation period; but according to this:
Robinson said the Water Treatment Facility tests its water daily for bacteria. After receiving positive results on Saturday and Sunday, the city put out an alert as outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency, he said.

The tests requires the water to go through a 24-hour incubation period. That's why Sunday's results didn't come out until Monday.
The 24 hour incubation period explains the delay in Sunday's results, but if Saturday's sample also tested positive, why the delay until Monday? As I have suggested before, public health hazards (like weather hazards) have a funny way of happening at times outside the 40-hour work week. Hopefully some mechanism will be put into place that, when applicable, will allow for a warning before the start of the next business day.

(Filed under miscellany)

Ode to H2o..

All day I face the barren waste without the taste of water,
Cool water.
Old Dan and I with throats burned dry and souls that cry for water,
Cool water.

The night are cool and I'm a fool each stars a pool of water,
Cool water.
But with the dawn I'll wake and yawn and carry on to water,
Cool water.
(-Sons of the Pioneers-)

As I posted yesterday, and as King has also posted, St. Cloud is under a drinking water warning due to the presence of e coli bacteria (the kind that will make you lose weight, really fast). There is a big hubbub right now in St. Cloud (and rightly so, IMO) regarding the lack of communication that led to the warning come out so late during the day. It appears that the water tested positive for e coli bacteria this past Saturday the 18th, as well as Sunday Feb 19th. Word has it that the area nursing homes and hospitals allegedly were warned around 5pm on Monday the 20th, but the general public was not informed until around 7pm. And even then, efforts to get the word out appeared paltry, at best. Announcements were put over Cable Channel 19 (the city information channel that nobody ever really watches).. Even the St. Cloud police department was reportedly unaware of the threat until after they started receiving phone calls from the public regarding same.

At any rate, the timeline between discovery of the bacteria and the alerting of the public suggests that the general public had the possibility of being unknowingly exposed to the bacteria since at least Saturday, and they weren't informed until Monday night.

The City of St. Cloud has some serious 'splainin' to do regarding this time lapse, especially at a time when public safety was at stake.

The "good" that hopefully come from this (as in all bad situations) is that lessons will be learned. There is quite evidently a need for better communication to take place in times of a health emergency, which has every bit a chance of happening during weekends and holidays as it does during 9-5 business hours.



(Filed under miscellany)

When the only tool you have is a hammer...

As I posted yesterday, Surly Dave gave Mike Hatch a thorough fisking regarding his brainiac idea of suing pharmaceutical companies for the costs associated between sudephedrine and its resultant use in methamphetamines. Now the Pioneer Press (note, NOT THE STRIB) has given it their best shot at batting Mike Hatch over the head with his own gavel:

 

It's early in the campaign season, but we think we've come across the first "What were you thinking?" idea to be proposed in the slew of legislative races. This gem comes from Attorney General Mike Hatch, who'd like to move across the hall at the Capitol and replace Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

 

On Friday Hatch proposed going after about six large pharmaceutical companies that make pseudoephedrine and ephedrine, two ingredients used to make cold medicines that are also used to make methamphetamine, the nefarious, highly addictive drug that's destroying lives and communities from Bloomington to Bemidji. The purpose of the lawsuit would be to recover the government's costs for meth-related problems.

That's a novel idea that may guarantee Hatch the tort bar's endorsement in the gubernatorial race. But it begs the question: What's next? Will Hatch propose suing GM to recover costs related to car accidents? After all, cars, like pseudoephedrine, are perfectly legal products with perfectly good, legal uses that are sometimes abused by the general public.

 

How about hockey sticks? About 99.9 percent of the time they're used without incident on ponds and in arenas across the state. But if someone goes berserk with a hockey stick, will Hatch next target Christian Brothers, the Warroad maker of wooden hockey sticks?

 

We could go on, but you get the point...
And the point is well made. The Pioneer Press has hit it spot on. Will the STRIB follow suit? (heh--no pun intended)

Don't hold your meth breath.


(Filed under moonbat adventures, elections)