Year: 2007

Republicans Hate Brown People More than They Value Their Word

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Republicans protest pensions for Filipinos
By Rick Maze – Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 24, 2007 15:46:17 EDT

Republicans on the House Veterans Affairs Committee are trying to scuttle a committee-passed plan to provide pensions for World War II-era Filipino Scouts by getting a major veterans’ service organization to question whether this is the highest priority for improved benefits.

In a letter, the 13 Republicans on the committee complain about being blocked on July 17 from offering amendments that would have redirected the $875 million being spent on disability pay and pensions for Filipino veterans, including those who are not American citizens and who don’t even live in the U.S.

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Filner said during the July 17 session in which the bill was passed that he was trying to fulfill a promise made at the end of World War II to provide benefits to people who fought on behalf of U.S. interests but were not part of the U.S. military.

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It should also be noted that they were citizens of the US when the fought. The Philippines were a US colony at the time.

This is all about another phony way to cast Democrats as N***** lovers.

Internet Radio Reprieve a Trojan Horse

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It appears that the olive branch that was offered by SoundExchange contained a hornet’s nest.It comes with a requirement that they use DRM (digital rights management)

Along with the myriad of software issues, particularly across operating systems, that come a DRM scheme, it also reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the nature of Internet radio.

If people want to store songs on disk, the go with P2P solutions. They tune into Internet radio because they want to listen, not rip.

This is How Much George W. Bush is Hated

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If only the degenerate sots who spend their evening at Sally Quinn’s parties got it.

Harold Lischner, and anti-war protestor is suing for false arrest. The defense team for the Upper Darby Township asked the judge to prohibit any mention of George W. Bush, whom Mr. Lischner was protesting, because they fear that he is so unpopular that his name will prejudice the jury.

The judge turned it down. In fact, he turned it down more quickly than I would, because I’d be giggling hysterically for an hour or so.

Back to the Good Old Days of the Cold War

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Yet another benefit of the Bush admin’s boneheaded missile defense plan for Europe is that Russia has resumed bomber flights to gage the response of the air defense systems of NATO countries:

Fighter planes from Britain and Norway scrambled on Friday to keep watch on Russian bombers that were approaching the countries’ air space, officials said.

The incidents occurred amid high tensions between Britain and Russia, as each country ordered the expulsion of four diplomats from the other side. There was no indication the fighter plans were connected to the row.

A spokesman for Britain’s defense ministry said two Russian Tu-95 bombers briefly entered British air space in the first incident about 2 a.m. (0100 GMT), but turned back after British F-3s intercepted them. He did not specify where the interception took place.

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This is making us so much safer.

Bush to Congress: Drop Dead

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The Bush admin has denied a congressman whose responsibility is to oversee homeland security access to the White House’s emergency plans.

Congressman Denied Access To Post-Attack Continuity Plans
By JEFF KOSSEFF
Image
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. (Photo by Faith Cathcart)
c.2007 Newhouse News Service

WASHINGTON — Constituents called Rep. Peter DeFazio’s office, worried there was a conspiracy buried in the classified portion of a White House plan for operating the government after a terrorist attack.

As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, DeFazio, D-Ore., is permitted to enter a secure “bubbleroom” in the Capitol and examine classified material. So he asked the White House to see the secret documents.

On Wednesday, DeFazio got his answer: DENIED.

“I just can’t believe they’re going to deny a member of Congress the right of reviewing how they plan to conduct the government of the United States after a significant terrorist attack,” DeFazio said.

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This is how Bush and his Evil Minions™ operate. Even if congress has a constitutional right to review such things as a part of the budget process, give no information.

It’s a fundamentally unproductive policy, as this secrecy reinforces the idea that the Bush administration has plans for implementing martial law.

ONLY $2 Million???? ONLY?????

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The New York times has an article on the difficulties of finding a family sized apartment in New York.

In truth, they mean Manhattan, because they can be found in good neighborhoods Brooklyn and Queens, but generally it would be no never mind to be, but for this quote:

The elusiveness of these large apartments is hitting people with budgets of, say, $8 million just as hard as buyers with only $2 million to spend. And the fights for the apartments that are available are being won or lost in bidding wars.

Only $2 million? What the hell is up with that? Based on a simple rule of thumb, that means that these folks are making at around $700K/year.

Only in the Times real estate section is this poverty.

Spanish Satire Mag Closed for Speaking Truth

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The Regester reports that the Spanish satirical humor magazine El Jueves was been shut down because of a cartoon about the Spanish prince.

All existing copies were collected and destroyed, and the judge ordered the “printing plates” destroyed (not up on modern printing tech, I guess)

The Spanish government has decided to pay €2,500 (about $3500 US) for each child that Crown Prince Felipe and Princess Letizia have.

Well, El Jueves published a cartoon (No, you’ll have to find it on Google) with the Crown Prince and Princess in bed, with the caption, “Do you realise that if you get pregnant . . . It will be the closest thing to work I’ve done in my life?“.

Funny, and made even funnier by the banning.

BTW, there are copies of the magazine on Ebay when I last checked

Bush Admin Rules: The Poor Deserve Formaldehyde

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Lovely. This is certainly bringing back honor and dignity to the government.

FEMA knew of formaldehyde in trailers:
July 20, 2007

By David Goldstein McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Federal officials knew that hurricane evacuees housed in temporary trailers were worried about dangerous levels of formaldehyde but took little action, government documents show.

Their primary concern was the legal fallout if the temporary housing presented a health hazard, according to records obtained by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

“Do not initiate any testing until we give the OK,” a lawyer for the Federal Emergency Management Agency wrote. “Once you get the results … the clock is running on our duty to respond to them.”

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When Christian Dominionists Get Jiggy

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He’s president of the Christian Action League of North Carolina, and he’s 74,so hew rented himself a prostitute.

At 74…I’m impressed…That being said, I’m not impressed that he paid the woman with a check.

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The 74-year-old Cabarrus County commissioner was arrested at his home in Kannapolis early Thursday. He appeared before a Rowan County magistrate on six misdemeanor charges and was released on a promise to appear in court Aug. 22. He did not return e-mails or calls to his cell and home phones, and no one answered the door at his Kannapolis home.

Privette, a prominent Republican with a 30-year career, is one of the state’s most vocal opponents against alcohol sales and legal gambling. He also serves on the State Baptist Convention of North Carolina and as president of the Christian Action League of North Carolina.
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Let There Be No Kings

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During the constitutional convention, there was much debate over the impeachment clauses.

It was finally settled when Ben Franklin said that these provisions were not there, the only way to remove a President who was attempting to install himself as king would be assassination.

Bush is now claiming that if the president wants it, it’s not contempt.

So he is claiming, as Nixon did to David Frost, and as Stalin and Mussolini did, that if he orders it, it is legal.

Impeach Dick Cheney today. Impeach George W. Bush tomorrow.

And the Winner in the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Category………

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This is just whack. These guys are impersonating an officer because it’s convenient.

Your Republican morality at a glance: Laws for the but nor for me.

Romney aide’s bogus badges: Sources detail ‘illegal’ security tactic
By Casey Ross/ Exclusive
Boston Herald Reporter
Friday, July 20, 2007 – Updated: 12:21 PM EST

In an apparent violation of the law, a controversial aide to ex-Gov. Mitt Romney created phony law enforcement badges that he and other staffers used on the campaign trail to strong-arm reporters, avoid paying tolls and trick security guards into giving them immediate access to campaign venues, sources told the Herald.
The bogus badges were part of the bizarre security tactics allegedly employed by Jay Garrity, the director of operations for Romney who is under investigation for impersonating a law enforcement officer in two states. Garrity is on a leave of absence from the campaign while the probe is ongoing.

A campaign source said Garrity directed underlings on Romney’s presidential staff to use the badges at events nationwide to create an image of security and to ensure that the governor’s events went smoothly.

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Talking Turkey

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There is a lot of talk about the “shocking” victory of Recep Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party in Turkey’s elections.

Some are touting this as proof that democracy can occur amongst a predominantly Islamic population.

Some are arguing that Turkey is beginning a slide towards theocracy.

Neither is accurate.

There are Islamic countries that have maintained democracys, just not Arab ones, and Turkey is not Arab.

As to the victory of Erdogan, it has very little to do with Islam, or Islamism, and much more to the very basic fact that, absent some sort of major crisis, people vote for government that works.

The secular parties in Turkey have been, at least by western standards, extraordinarily incompetent and corrupt.

Edrogan ran promising competence and relatively clean government, and he has largely delivered.

Whatever concerns that the electorate has, this outweighs the concerns of the population about a possible move toward Sharia law in the long term.

I would note that the same phenomenon is why Hugo Chavez wins elections, despite being far more alarming in some significant ways than Erdogan.

If people want to turn Chavez out of government, what they really need to do is to show that their interest is governance, not divvying up spoils.

Blowback from the Blackberry Case Continues

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Significant patent reform is heading down the pike, and the Supreme Court has already made changes with its Teleflex ruling, and now Congress is weighing in.

Patent Fight Pending
Brian Wingfield, 07.20.07, 6:00 AM ET

Remember the patent dispute surrounding the BlackBerry wireless device? Last year a communications catastrophe was avoided when BlackBerry maker Research in Motion agreed to settle with NTP over a patent infringement lawsuit.

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This glosses over what happened. NTP was shaking down Blackberry using an injunction as a threat. When they got an injunction against all non-government service, Blackberry responded that they could not separate the business, and that they would comply by shutting everything down in the US.

Blackberries are used by 90% of congressional aids, most of the White House Staff, and most of the Supreme Court clerks, and a lot of congressmen and perhaps a few of the Justices too, so when this happened, they all freaked, and started talking to each other about a fix.

NTP blinked, not Blackberry, and so they settled for far less than they were originally demanding, but the damage had been done. The political establishment is now aware that IP has run amuck, and this bill is an attempt to fix this.

I do not believe that it goes far enough. I believe that the special patent court, which views everything as a nail since all it has is a hammer, should be abolished, and I believe that the bar for injunctive relief should be set much higher, but the fact politicians are finally seeing this as a problem is a very hopeful development.