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Get out of jail free card
by Kevin Good
| July 5, 2007 |
Testimony, part of the compensation package;
Conviction, not part of the job description;
Commutation, priceless.
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Kevin Good
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Just gets spot on-er and spot on-er
by JR Mooneyham
| July 5, 2007 |
This one may be an oldie but a goodie.
3-21-04: If the Bush Administration is trying to prove America would be just
as well off with no government at all than its present one, I'd say they're
doing a great job.
Marie and connecting the dots
by The Canadian
| July 5, 2007 |
Re Reply to Marie
Yes, like you, I am of the same opinion when it comes to a healthy critique
of Israeli foreign Policy.
But this article was not about that.
Here is a well-written article exemplifying my understanding of Marie K's
message.
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Jews and the Forged Protocols
Jews returned as prime candidates for Satanic collusion after circulation of
the forged anti-Semitic propaganda tract, The Protocols of the Learned
Elders of Zion, the root source in this century of anti-Semitic allegations
of a vast Jewish conspiracy.88
The Protocols grew out of propaganda intrigues within the secret police of
Czarist Russia in the late 1800s.89 The main Russian print source of the
Protocols first appeared as an appendix in The Big in the Small, and
Antichrist as a Near Political Possibility; Notes of an Orthodox Person by
Sergei A. Nilus, published in 1905 but republished to wider audiences in
1911 and 1917.90 The Protocols itself is inspired by (and plagiarized from)
earlier works that allege conspiracies, especially a satiric 1865 French
work, Dialogue in Hell between Machiavelli and Montesquieu, by Maurice Joly;
and a 1868 German novel, Biarritz, by Hermann Goedsche.91 Equally dubious
documents claiming proof of similar secret conspiracies have circulated for
centuries.92
The text of the Protocols purports to be minutes of the secret meetings of a
Jewish ruling clique conspiring to take over the world. The Protocols
incorporate many of the core conspiracist themes outlined in the Robison and
Barruel attacks on the Freemasons, and overlay them with anti-Semitic
allegations about anti-Czarist movements in Russia. The Protocols reflect
themes similar to more general critiques of enlightenment liberalism by
those supporting church/state oligarchies and other theocratic -- and thus
anti-democratic -- forms of government. The interpretation intended by the
publication of the Protocols is that if one peels away the layers of the
Freemason conspiracy, past the Illuminati, one finds the rotten Jewish core.
According to the Protocols, Jews work through Masonic lodges and thus Jews
are behind the plan for global conquest. The list of charges in the
Protocols is long, and includes false claims that Jews: use liberalism to
weaken church and state, control the press, work through radicals and
revolutionaries, manipulate the economy, especially through banking
monopolies and the power of gold, encourage issuing paper currency not tied
to the gold standard, promote financial speculation and use of credit, seek
to replace traditional educational curriculum to discourage independent
thinking, encourage immorality among Christian youth, use intellectuals to
confuse people, control "puppet" governments both through secret allies and
by blackmailing elected officials, weaken laws through liberal judicial
interpretations, and will suspend civil liberties during an emergency, then
make the measures permanent.93
After the Russian revolution, Czarist loyalists emigrated to countries in
Europe and to the US, and brought copies of the Protocols claiming they were
the plans used by the Judeo-Bolsheviks to seize power.94 The Protocols
became a core source of allegations by Hitler and his allies in the German
Nazi movement of a Judeo-Masonic-Bolshevik conspiracy. In early 1920 a
private English translation was printed in Britain, and that summer London's
Sunday Post published a series described by Norman Cohn as "eighteen
articles expounding the full myth of the Judeo-Masonic conspiracy, with of
course due reference to the Protocols."95 The newspaper's correspondent in
Russia, Victor Marsden, produced a new English translation of the Protocols
that is still in print and sold today.96 The Protocols are circulated in the
US by anti-Semitic conspiracists across the political spectrum, and are
posted on the Internet. Walter Laqueur reports that the Protocols are still
circulated by contemporary anti-Semitic Russian nationalists.97 "
[Continues....]
"Many of the anti-Semitic allegations made during this century come from the
allegations found in the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. These
charges continue to circulate today in the anti-Semitic US far right, but if
the scapegoated Jew is replaced with the more diffuse target of cosmopolitan
globalist liberal secular humanism, many of the same allegations form the
core critique of the contemporary US populist right and Christian Right.
According to historian Richard Landes, the Protocols is "behind much current
anti-modern discourse, especially the paranoid and conspiracist texts, which
are widespread on the Web."98 Given the centuries-old Christian charge
linking evil with magical or devious Jews, at least some form of
anti-Semitism is intrinsic to most conspiracist thinking in Western
cultures, even when it is unconscious.
One of the most prolific conspiracists in this genre, from the mid-1960s to
the mid-1970s, was Phoebe Courtney, who also co-authored several books with
her husband Kent Courtney. The Courtneys' and the John Birch Society helped
spread the anti-government concept called "constitutionalism," which
embodies the claim that secret elites manipulate the economy and the
political process, use the Federal Reserve and the IRS as political weapons,
and have created a huge federal bureaucracy, all of which violates basic
elements of the original, unamended, US Constitution.119
In the 1960s, a great deal of right-wing conspiracist attention focused on
the United Nations as the vehicle for creating the One World Government.
Mary M. Davison, in her 1966 booklet The Profound Revolution, traced the
alleged "New World Order" conspiracy to the creation of the Federal Reserve
by international bankers, who she claimed later formed the Council on
Foreign Relations. At the time the booklet was published, "international
bankers" would have been interpreted by many readers as a reference to a
postulated "international Jewish banking conspiracy." Davison included the
standard call for the people to rise up against internationalism and rebuild
a constitutional form of government -- a call echoed later by various right
wing populist groups including the contemporary armed militia movement.120
Davison later wrote tracts that were overtly anti-Semitic and tied to
Christian Biblical passages.121"
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Helen, do you see my point now?
Marie postulates all the same themes, but uses the word Israel instead of
Jew. Does she even give one factual historical example of her premise? -- No.
To tell you the truth, I am not even sure she realizes what she is saying as
she has not presented a single original thought of her own.
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I see what you're saying, sure, but cordially, I don't see it in Marie. She's basically a stranger to me, and she's all frantic about Israel, but a lot of people are in a perpetual tizzy about Israel and they aren't all reading the Protocols. I refuse to believe the worst about people until they show me they're the worst.
Something more abstract has intrigued me, though ... Reading your excerpts, I get the impression you've studied up on this Protocols stuff? I've never had any interest in it. Even before Google, it was obvious to me it was horse manure.
But my years and years of political life and activism on the fringe has meant years and years of exposure to conspiracy theories, whether I'm interested or not (and generally, I'm not). And over and over again I've noticed, if you let your average conspiracy theorist talk long enough, more likely than not any alleged conspiracy will lead to the Jews. Sometimes I'll cut a conspiracy theorist off and just ask, Did the Jews do it? Sadly, the answer is usually something like, "Oh, you've already read our pamphlets?"
So you've got me wondering, was Protocols the first big "conspiracy theory", the granddaddy of present-day conspiracy theories? Did other conspiracy theories spring from that big lie? And is that why "Rothchilds" and "bankers" and "rich foreign powers" seem to be at the bottom of so many of the kooks' conspiracy theories?
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Mr frickin' Rogers?
Blame it on Mr. Rogers: Why
young adults feel so entitled
by Jeff Zaslow, The Wall Street Journal
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Excerpt: "They're just children." When kids are rude, self-absorbed or
disrespectful, some parents allow or endure it by saying, "Well,
they're just children." The phrase is a worthy one when it's
applied to a teachable moment, such as telling kids not to stick
their fingers in electrical sockets. But as an excuse or as
justification for unacceptable behavior, "They're just children"
is just misguided. |
My generation would have been risking getting their tails tanned
for that kind of behavior.
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Excerpt: "Call me Cindy." Is it appropriate to place kids on the same level
as adults, with all of us calling each other by our first names?
On one hand, the familiarity can mark a loving closeness between
child and adult. But on the other hand, when a child calls an
adult Mr. or Ms., it helps him recognize that status is earned by
age and experience. It's also a reminder to respect your elders. |
Never ever did I or any one that I knew call our parents anything
but mother and father or mom and dad. Some where required to use
Sir and Mame.
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Excerpt: "Tell me about your day." It is crucial to talk to kids about
their lives, and that dialogue can enrich the whole family.
However, parents also need to discuss their own lives and
experiences, says Alvin Rosenfeld, a Manhattan-based child
psychiatrist who studies family interactions. |
My parents did not give a wet slap about my day, unless I got
in trouble. Then they were real interested.
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This guy Zaslow might be making some valid points, but the excerpts you provided were so full of crap I didn't bother reading the article. Mr Rogers, bless his soul, never told kids to call him Fred. All he did was make the world a better place, made millions of kids and adults feel better in a crazy world, and make himself a fond memory to just about everyone who watched. Zaslow and the academic egghead he's quoting can both kiss my ass, one cheek per idiot.
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Sounds so good it's gotta be true
Bush on the Constitution: 'It's just a goddamned piece of paper'
Interesting if true.
I guess you are right.
I know that a lot that's written on the web is out and out bullshit.
But considering the way he acts it deem seem somewhat plausible.
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The most effective lies are the ones that seem perfectly plausible, like this one. It's in keeping with everything we know about GW Bush -- but pour me enough beer and I could make up several more stories about the empty-headed president. The stories would all sound true ... but none of them would be true. |
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Helen & Harry
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A stereotype about bigots
by Angry Annie
| July 5, 2007 |
Re Reply to Marie
Hmmmmmmmm. OK, I re-read Marie's letter from Tuesday, and I just want to tell you, Helen, I think you got it approximately right. She's boring, not (yet) offensive.
I'm Korean-American, and many times I've been called super-sensitive to racism, but you can't throw the book of Protocols of the Elders at everyone who rambles on and on and on about Israel. Besides, I don't think Marie's stupid enough to be anti-Semitic, and I mean that sincerely as a compliment to Marie. Bigots are generally quite obviously stupid, and Marie quite obviously isn't stupid.
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Angry Annie
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Not the Nine O'Clock News
by Provocateur
| July 5, 2007 |
Re America, your president is about to launch World War III
As the "Not the Nine O'Clock News" team joked 25 years or so back, the Americans are determined to make amends for being really late to the last two world wars by being really early for the next one.
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Provocateur
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No way of knowing more than a tiny bit
Re Cowardice
It is possible that people do not see the same situation the way you do. Powell may have acted the way he did out of his own ideas of duty. I ask you what would have happened if Powell came out totally against the war? Would we not be there now? I doubt it. He may have looked at his decision to stay silent as the best one given the circumstances.
I think its easy to call some one a coward after the fact, the same way its easy to explain why something happened after it already did. It's very difficult to see the right decision when you are actually in it. I don't think Powell's situation was so easy as him knowing the right course of action and being too afraid to act.
So my answer to your original question is that you could be right, but I find the more likely event to be Powell did not know everything that we know now. I take issue with anyone who can be so sure of something they have no way knowing more than a tiny bit about.
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"It's very difficult to see the right decision when you are actually in it." Adam, that's just disingenuous.
I was pretty sure that Colin Powell was lying his ass off as I watched him on the telly from the U.N., and within days I had read enough to be certain of it. And I'm a janitor. Powell was Secretary of State -- he was privy to exponentially more information than you or I.
So how come I could see the difference between right and wrong as it happened, but Colin Powell couldn't and you still can't?
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Helen & Harry
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Cleaning up after
Hypothetical question. (And some shameless test-marketing) If I were to have rolls of novelty toilet paper made up with copies of the American Constitution printed on them and had them sent to the White House, would the Bush Administration ease off on using the real thing?
Other novelty TP showcases:
NAFTA
The PATRIOT Act
The Byrd Amendment
Nazi Paraphernalia
Chick Tracts
KKK Propaganda
100$ Bills
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I don't think there's any public stunt that could shame these monstrous men. Shame is beyond them. But I'd be pleased and perhaps willing to pay a few pennies more to use toilet paper printed with the faces of Bush and Cheney.
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Helen & Harry
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Reply to Marie
by The Canadian
| July 4, 2007 |
Re Facts that may not be facts
Thank you for your reply and willingness to discuss. I have highlighted your key points in italics.
I appreciate your personal perspective and your personal experiences.
Iranian troops going into Iraq -- why would they do such a thing? Do they WANT to provoke an attack? I don’t think so.
My Reply:
The troops were reported to have entered Iraq just on the other side of their border. This is not the 1st time that Iran has staged provocative cross-border incursions ie. "Embassy" in Irbil and the capture of the 15 British sailors.
Iran rationing their gasoline -- Yes, they could be stockpiling it in preparation for a US attack, which the US might be crazy enough to do, but Iran does refine oil. Before the Iran-Iraq war (1980 - 1988) the Abadan refinery was the largest in the world. It was damaged during that war, but I would guess that it has been repaired by now.
My Reply:
A lack of refining capacity is not just an Iranian problem, it is a world-wide problem. Capacity has risen, but demand has risen much faster. Please note the following article:
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Iran's crude oil refining capacity doubles in 25 years
01-02-04 Iran's crude oil refining capacity has doubled to 1.6 mm bpd from 750,000 bpd in the 25 years since the victory of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Director of Planning at National Iranian Oil Derivatives Refining and Distribution Company Asadollah Mikaeeli said that Abadan refinery had a capacity of refining 480,000 barrels of crude oil in 1979 but with outbreak of the war in 1980, the refinery's capacity reached zero.
Mikaeeli said Iran's gasoline output showed a growth of 4.3 %, kerosene 2.4 %, diesel 4.5 %, liquefied gas 3.71 %, and kiln oil 2.4 % on average over the past 25 years. He said liquid gas consumption showed a growth of 6.75 %, gasoline 6 %, kerosene 0.7 %, diesel 4.2 %, and mazute 2.5 % on average over the past 25 years.
Kerosene imports followed upward trend in the beginning of the 1979 Islamic Revolution but the commissioning of Arak refinery in 1994 it began to decline. Iran halted import of the product from 1998, turning into its exporter. The official said average kerosene exports stood at about 2 mm liters a day in 2003 and it is predicted to reach 2.6 mm liters a day in 2004.
Iran's diesel imports continued rising until 1979, but began to decline in the 1989-1994 period when Arak refinery went into operation. Iran hence turned into an exporter of gas and oil from 1998. Iran is to import 1.6 mm liters of diesel next year, said the official.
Iran has never been able to achieve self-sufficiency in gasoline, said Mikaeeli, adding that Iran started importing 438,000 liters of gasoline a day in 1982. The imports showed steady growth until 1993, when Arak refinery was put into operation, said the official, adding that the imports showed sluggish rise in 1997-1998 period following operation of Bandar Abbas refinery.
He deplored continued growth in gasoline imports, which is expected to reach about 23 mm liters a day in 2004. The budget for the next financial year forecasts about 23 mm liters of gasoline imports a day, said Mikaeeli. He predicted that Iran's liquid gas output would reach 10.80 mm liters a day next year with oil exports standing at 51.8 mm liters. (Source: Tehran Times, reprinted via LINK) |
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Moscow has released nuclear fuel to Iran for the Bushehr reactor -- yes, I’ve also heard this. However, as is well-documented, the Bushehr reactor is a NUCLEAR POWER STATION. As I understand it, enriching uranium to produce energy and enriching it for weapons are quite different. They even require different equipment and facilities. In addition, the UN has verified that the nuclear reactor is for power. However, if the nuclear power station is now up and running, bombing it would be probably be like bombing Chernobyl.
My Reply:
My personal belief follows that of the following article. This web-site is right wing and supportive of Israeli foreign policy, but I cannot refute the fact that most of the articles have turned out to be correct. Other media articles from other mainstream sites indicate that the reactor fuel is to be delivered within 6 months of completion. Iran has stated that the Bushehr reactor will be ready by September 2007, other articles disagree. Russia and Iran have settled their payment dispute and Russia has publicly agreed to supply Iran with fuel once the reactor is ready.
In any event, do I think the current US government cares about blowing up a hot reactor. No, I honestly don't. (as per ConPlan 8022.
But that is my opinion.Anti-Iranian propaganda is in full-swing -- that’s for sure, but that IS what it is: PROPAGANDA.
My Reply:
Yes, but you must ask yourself why? Propaganda has a purpose. It is not created without intent and purpose.
Politicians on all sides have a vested interest in war -- surely you are joking. Why would Iran want to be attacked? They aren’t crazy. It’s a beautiful country. Some great pictures have been on the Internet. Would they want their country or part of it destroyed? I’m sure that families there are still mourning the loss of their sons during the Iran-Iraq war. Would their President want to increase their misery?
My Reply:
Your key assumption is that both leaders actually care about their Citizens. I think it is important to distinguish between the Citizen's desire for war and the Leaders desire for war. Both leaders are struggling for control of their political agendas within their own countries. War has been used in the past to create unity between citizen's and their leaders (popular or not) and of course, to consolidate their power.
For President Bush, his intentions concerning war is evident by his actions over the past years.
As for Ahmadinejad, please research his positive thoughts concerning the mobilization and use of the Basij Mostazafan during the Iraq/Iran war.
As for Turkey and Turkish troops near their border with Iraq -- it’s possible that troops are there. I wouldn’t know how many. However, they aren’t there because they expect WWIII to start. The Turkish military wants to carry out a cross-border incursion to attack what they consider to be the hiding places of the Kurds who have caused terror attacks in Turkey. Turkey has a history of these sorts of brief incursions. However, at this time they do recognize that things are different and much more risky and the government has not taken the steps needed, calling an extraordinary session of parliament, to gain parliamentary approval for an incursion.
In addition, an election in Turkey is just under 3 weeks away and politicians are on a tight campaign schedule. In fact, the party currently in power has gotten a lot of criticism for being soft on terrorism, but they’ve tried other ways to reassure the public that they are serious about Turkey’s security. However, even though I don’t think there will be an incursion before the election, I’m not sure what will happen after the election.
My Reply:
You are correct, and insightful. I was suggesting, however, that the current NATO ally could provide a dual role with its troops.NOTE: As for Hamas “taking over” the Gaza strip -- Hamas was the party that won the elections there, so they don’t need to “take over” anything. In fact, they were unjustly taken over.
My Reply:
Sure, just like Bush was really elected last time.
As for the main premise that war is close, with the largest naval armada assembled off the coast of Iran since 2003 (if that fact is correct), I can only say that I pity them all since they’d have little chance of surviving. Surely, Iran would retaliate. It would just be lunacy on the part of the US. I’d like to think some sanity will prevail.
My Reply:
Iran's military is absolutely no match for US firepower. Let's take a reality check on this one. I don't think you appreciate the offensive/defensive capabilities of a US Carrier Strike group x 3 with other large fleet support in close reserve.
PS. As you can tell, I am only giving open source references that are closest to what my friends report to me.
* * *
Re The big picture: When not understood, the dots cannot be connected
Great... another diatribe espousing the "Jewish Conspiracy" theory of world pandemonium.
For F*@K's Sakes! Why do people continue to believe this crap!?
Simple minds require simple patterns and explanations, I guess. But, if one were to give this just a hint of critical thought, one would quickly perceive the last name and heritage of powerful people spans a multitude of cultures, languages and religions.
Oh what's the f'n point!?
Marie K:
You disappointed me greatly. I thought I was having a discourse with an intelligent and perhaps culturally insightful person and all I got in return was a few thinly veiled crappy rewrites of concepts fresh off the fetid pages of "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion" and "Mein Kampf".
I suppose the welcome mat in front of your door reads "Arbeitet macht frei"?
Go back to sleep, Guantanamarie. And remember, Never let your sense of morals get in the way of doing what's right (oops I forgot, you actually have to have read great fiction to understand this little quote from Isaac Asimov. Oh but I forgot, he's Jewish and can't be trusted and not worth reading because it will BRAINWASH us.
Quick Marie, you better get down to your Bank, I bet he is there right now trying to steal all your money!!!!! And, after that he is going to attend his weekly meeting in the Synagogue so he can continue planning how to fuck up your personal life. You see, he is different from the "others", he does not want to take over the world HA HA HA HA, no.... he just wants to take over ....you.
Have a nice day you witless moron.
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Urg. Picture me making a face. I hate dealing with this stuff, but it comes with the territory when we're hosting a fairly open discussion. So let's deal with it. Here's what's in my head as I sort through this.
I didn't read Marie's last letter closely, because I was rushed and it touched on (hell, it banged on, it beat mercilessly on) two topics that quickly bore me -- Israel and the Fed. Now, I've read Marie's letter more slowly and ... I dunno. I'm still more bored than angry. Maybe I'm missing something important?
Marie goes on about how evil Israel is, and the pro-Israel lobby in America, and she says that Israel is one third of "the crisis facing the United States" (or more, judging by the sheer volume of words). It isn't. I don't know how you prioritize such things, but if there are only three dots to be connected to understand "the big picture" of America's crisis, Israel isn't anywhere near being one of those dots.
Israel is far from perfect and treats its Arabs and neighbor nations quite crappy, and it's fair game to criticize Israel, and I get weary when Israel-defenders say any criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism. It isn't.
But when it comes to repressive policies, Israel ain't even Saudi Arabia -- that's a much more evil country, in my estimation. And on an international scale, so's America. The Biblical warning comes to mind about the speck in your neighbor's eye and the mote in your own -- whatever Israel's misdeeds, America's are worse, and America's my nation so its actions are by far my biggest concern.
And when someone goes on and on about Israel, it's sometimes a signal for anti-Semitism. And forty years after the fact I don't give a silent fart about the attack on the USS Liberty. And for all the influence Israel's money has on American politicians, so what, it takes two to tango -- nobody can bribe an honest politician, and anyone with money can bribe a crooked one. America's politicians are owned by giant corporate concerns, much more than by Israeli lobbyists.
The worries about Israel are overhyped, I think, by millions and by Marie, but was there something she said that amounts directly to thinly veiled Protocols, or was it just the repeated mentions (I count twenty) of Israel, Israel, Israel? My first response to the endless Israel, Israel, Israel mantra is boredom and a big yawn ...
And the second thing that bores me is the Federal Reserve, a subject that crops up like weeds in springtime, pull 'em up and watch 'em sprout again. It's a subject some people devote their endless passion to, and a subject that just baffles me. I never took economics, but I think I have a fairly firm understanding of the basics of corporate capitalism, and it would take a lot more lecturing (which I'd no doubt sleep through) to convince me that the Fed is one of the three major problems facing America. There are some minor and mid-sized problems with a privately-controlled federal bank, and when it's explained in a level-headed manner I can sometimes see some big problems ... but I have to admit, after the conversation is over I can never quite remember what the big concerns really are. Fed, Schmed.
The Federal Reserve is a bank, of course, and I do recognize that loud worries about banks and bankers and banking are often code words for worries about Jews, Jews, Jews, just like Israel, Israel, Israel can be code words for anti-Semitism.
But again, I didn't see that in Marie's last note, so I was bored, not angered. But like I said, maybe I'm missing something?
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Bury your feelings deep down, Luke
Re Revised Pledge and an objective claim to realityThe essential problem is that the deluded in the later category argue themselves into believing that their error is superior to the error of the former, emotionally reactive, types. In fact the later category of fools can be shown unequivocally to do much, much more harm than the former, as they rationalize the most heinous crimes against others as consistent with some logically defensible bullsh*t.
What my father called "Logic tight compartments".
This is not what I meant. I do not believe I said to
totally ignore one's feelings, but to only use them
as another source of information and understand where
they come from and why you are feeling the way you do.
Nor do I believe that rationalizing everything is the way to
go ether. We are far to good at rationalizing the most
heinous behaviors, generally to further our own agendas.
After all, the Nazis were very good at rationalizing
everything they did, but knew there would be hell to
pay if they lost. That is why at the end they tried to
destroy all the evidence of what they did. (Remind you
of anyone we know??)
I should have put more emphasis on enlightenment, for
this is what I was referring to. A truly enlightened
individual will use all information at hand before
considering a plan of action. This includes how they
feel about what is going on at the time.
Unfortunately are feelings are a product of our life
experience as much as anything else. Which means the
way we react to things is also a product of this.
Someone who has had an abusive childhood will react
quite differently than one who has not.
A woman who has been abused sexually will have a very
different view and reaction to men that one who has not.
However by putting too much trust in one's feelings, one
can very easily be manipulated.| |
"Your insight serves you well. Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit,
but they could be made to serve
the Emperor."Obi-Wan Kenobi |
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Chris M.
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What's coming up next
Re America, your president is about to launch World War III
Well, the truth is that Bush is setting this up. Unfortunately, the next Prez in 2008 will have to deal with all of the shit that he has caused. It's a tough job, we'd better elect someone that can handle what's coming up next.
Power of the police state
by The Alchemist
| July 4, 2007 |
Don't it make you prouder'n'shit?
Cop lobby flexes its muscle
Sigh.
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The Alchemist
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Bush's great economy?
Home loan foreclosures on the rise in Cuyahoga
So the economy is booming????
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Wig
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Israel speaks through American politicians
(Republican) Specter pushes bill to rein in presidential signing statements
Well, you can't blame the Democrats for not getting a hell of a lot done... they are all
so busy running for President and trying to figure out how to outdo each other in pleasing
Israel, that they just don't have TIME or the energy to worry about us, the
people.... (Besides, they actually believe that they WON the last election, and don't
understand that we just wanted to send a message to the Republican!) Listening is not
part of THESE politicians' job, it seems.
No matter how much money they boast about accumulating, WE still have the power!
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E13
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Two hornets' nests
by Sick of Fools
| July 4, 2007 |
Re America, your president is about to launch World War III
He already launched it by planting a boot in TWO hornets' nests named Iraq and Afghanistan.
Now our military is stretched thin and being slandered to bad recruitment is in the dumpster. Our southern border is wide open to any Muslim who can afford airfare to Mexico.
I would give anything to turn back the clock and somehow convince Bush to play "Fortress America". At least our armed forces would be doing their primary mission - defending our country.
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Sick of Fools
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ABC covers China
by UselessEater
| July 3, 2007 |
China finds problems with kids' snacks| |
Excerpt: Chinese authorities have struggled with recalls following the widespread sale of fake polio vaccines, vitamins and baby formula. Such incidents threaten both public health and faith in the government's ability to control crime and corruption and ensure safety of food and drug supplies. |
In this story there's no specific mention that any of these toxic snack products (mmmm
snacks) are exported. Does that mean none of them are to be found outside China? At
Wal-Mart? Down the street at the local 7/11?
Why doesn't it say that??
Revised Pledge and an objective claim to reality
by Herb Ruhs, MD
| July 3, 2007 |
I pledge allegiance to King George and the flag he has captured, one
Nation under Him, indivisible, with liberty and justice for those who
owe him fealty.
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Re Fivefer
I am not surprised that Chris has misunderstood my meaning, and I take full responsibility for that failure. To react emotionally, to the exclusion of critical self examination of first impulse, is, as he states, a poor approach and one that we observe all too often in people who should be more mature for their age. To react logically, to the exclusion of the need to consult one's feelings, is an equally poor approach, another thing we see all too often in people who should know better and provides us with an unlimited supply of tiny Eichmanns, the acolytes of banality.
The essential problem is that the deluded in the later category argue themselves into believing that their error is superior to the error of the former, emotionally reactive, types. In fact the later category of fools can be shown unequivocally to do much, much more harm than the former, as they rationalize the most heinous crimes against others as consistent with some logically defensible bullsh*t.
Emotional reactors set out to ruin themselves and their close associates and families. True believers, the logical reactors, set out to ruin the world. The point, which is oh-so-hard to get across to people trapped in their heads, is that to adopt either UNBALANCED approach is to court folly and destruction. This is especially true on the left where people swear fealty to ideas and persist in serving those ideas long past those ideas having any emotional appeal. In both cases fact and evidence are not consulted in a critical way prior to action.
People in this culture have been so programmed to the Calvinist ideal of salvation that they have not noticed that LOGIC and REASON, wonderful things that they are, have taken the place of GODS WILL in the deluded system where proof of salvation is claimed for those with material possessions and social position granted them not by God in this case, but by a superstitious belief in a MERITOCRACY OF THE INTELLECT that lacks any objective claim to reality, much less superiority.
A person whose head is separated from his heart is dead by virtual decapitation.
* * *
Re Colin Powell is not a coward
I agree. Coward is too favorable a term to use with Powell. It
implies some innocence by moral infirmity. Powell made his place in
the military hierarchy, and thereby in the elite establishment, by
serving the interests of those military commanders at whose door the
responsibility for the My Lai massacre should have placed. The My Lai
cover up was a dastardly thing. My vote for appropriate appellation
is pathetic suck up.
He is also an nepotist as shown by his pushing of his son into a
position of power for which he is very much not qualified at the FCC.
He is a war criminal to boot and very much a part of the national
tragedy we are experiencing.
* * *
Who ya gonna believe?
Your President or your lying eyes?
An inconsistency?
“But given the fact that the judge has set up a process for appeal and given
the way that the President has handled this for the past year or so, he’s not
going to intervene.”White House spokesperson Dana Perino, 6/5/07
VERSUS
“I respect the jury’s verdict. But I have concluded that the prison sentence
given to Mr. Libby is excessive. Therefore, I am commuting the portion of Mr.
Libby’s sentence that required him to spend thirty months in prison.”
President Bush, 7/3/07
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Diesel
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The big picture: When not understood, the dots cannot be connected
The crisis facing the United States (US) cannot be dealt with unless the big picture is really understood. For me, it's as simple as that. Failing to understand the big picture means believing some or all of the lies, misinformation, and propaganda offered by the mainstream media, being easily distracted away from the major issues, supporting solutions that will probably be Band-Aid solutions, and in general becoming very confused and prone to feeling helpless. So what are the components of the big picture? As I see it, they are the excessive influence of the pro-Israel lobby -- a complicated network of individuals and organizations, the privately owned Federal Reserve Banking System, and corporations granted the rights of individuals or corporate personhood. Each create huge problems for the US.
The Excessive Influence of the Pro-Israel Lobby -- this has been well documented in articles by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, from the Univ. of Chicago and Harvard University respectively, Paul Findley, a former Congressman, and former President Jimmy Carter among others. Some would believe that the US and Israel have identical interests. In fact, they do not. Having lived overseas for some time now, it is clear to me that every country due to the groups that make up its population and due to its history, resources, level of technology, and location ends up with unique interests. Its population and history determine its culture, religious leanings, values, and the language or languages used. Its location determines what other countries are its neighbors along with what resources it will have. The resources themselves determine what agricultural and industrial products it can produce or not produce. The level of technology will influence the methods used to produce whatever is feasible to produce. The neighboring countries are important because they can supply needed products and aid quickly if a spirit of cooperation is developed. Neighboring countries that have become enemies can cause the disruption of needed products and aid. All of these factors will determine what alliances and interests a country will focus on. Thus, no two countries will have identical interests. Due to Israel's excessive influence on the US, the pro-Israel lobby seems to determine which persons can become candidates in US elections. The amounts the lobby gives to politicians and to which politicians is well presented in the magazine, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA). Also, the US has made foreign policy decisions (and other decisions) based on Israel's interests. The US now has its soldiers dying and becoming maimed for the sake of Israel. Since Israel has a policy of trying to weaken its neighbors, that is where our soldiers are. It now seems that Iran is next in line. In addition, a great deal of the money collected from US tax payers has been given to Israel leaving some US citizens homeless and most less well-off, less healthy, and less educated than they could be while faced with infrastructure problems. As Paul Findley explains in his articles, the pro-Israel lobby has gained greater and greater power over the US in the last 40 or so years. This can be seen clearly by studying who controls various sectors of the economy such as the film industry, the media, telecommunications, security at some airports, and others. A great many powerful governmental positions are held by lobby members, some who actually have dual citizenship. Using these levers of power, the pro-Israel lobby exerts its influence for the "benefit" (in their view) of Israel and to the detriment of the US. One might ask if there are any ways that Israel aids the US. I see none at this time. In fact, Israel provides untrue information and carries out false flag operations that get innocent persons blamed, Arabs or Muslims, for instance. One example of this was Israel's attack on the USS Liberty meant to implicate Egyptians. Israel also has/sends spies to the US who, when discovered, are usually merely deported. Israel takes and takes and takes. The US along with Israel are now the most disliked and feared countries in the world.
The Federal Reserve Banking System (the Fed.) -- this privately owned system of banks controls the money supply of the US. This system came into being in 1913. Earlier versions of it also existed in the US prior to 1913. A few presidents tried to abolish the system and were assassinated. An excellent video on the Internet about the Fed. called The Money Masters (a transcript of the video is also available) provides a great deal of information about the history and workings of this banking system and the harm it causes. There are also books such as one by G. Edward Griffin called The Creature from Jekyll Island. Many articles about the Fed. can be found using the Internet. They explain how the Fed. came to obtain the gold supply belonging to the US government and how the government prints US bonds, which the Fed. holds, and money, which the Fed. then loans to the government -- both just pieces of paper. Thus, it is the Fed. that is controlling the money supply and not the US government since the government is now so hopelessly in debt to the Fed. Monies borrowed from the Fed. do not come free. Interest is paid using the tax monies collected from all of us. Thus, those who control the Fed. have an interest in seeing that more and more monies are borrowed, and these persons will work to create situations where borrowing is required -- wars, for example. The Money Masters video recommends that the Federal Reserve System be abolished. In modern times John F. Kennedy supported this idea and now the presidential candidate Ron Paul supports it. He also supports cutting the monies paid to Israel which already has a high standard of living. Because the Federal Reserve controls the money supply they can restrict it and cause recessions or depressions or they can expand it and cause a variety of bubbles. When the bubbles burst they can rush in and buy up whatever is available -- land, houses, companies, etc. They are so wealthy and powerful that it is probably hard for an ordinary citizen to imagine it. It is clear that the Fed. can control the US. Also, some articles point to connections between the Fed. and the pro-Israel lobby network. In fact, the Fed. literally holds the life or death of the US economy in its hands. A look at the economy reveals that they are now restricting the money supply. The housing bubble has also burst, so they are no doubt buying up the housing stock. In this way, more and more Americans will lose income and some even their homes.
Corporations Granted the Rights of Individuals/Corporate Personhood -- this involves the fact that corporations after the Civil War began to claim rights from the Bill of Rights that were actually given to individual persons. Over time based on court decisions they gained the right to personhood along with 1st Amendment, 14th Amendment, and 5th Amendment, etc. rights. A book by Thom Hartmann called Unequal Protection: the Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Theft of Human Rights explains the history and consequences of this development (Mike Hoy also mentions this book in his commentary). The interpretations of the various rights they have gained for themselves are almost unbelievable. Freedom of speech was interpreted as the right to voice their opinions about candidates and issues which with the huge amounts of money they accumulate can mean a lot of splashy ads and bribery and blackmail. 4th Amendment privacy rights were interpreted to mean that they weren't to face surprise inspections by regulatory agencies of the government. 14th Amendment rights related to discrimination were interpreted to mean that large chains couldn't be blocked from entering a particular location or that the taxes of large interstate corporations had to be equal across the US. 5th Amendment rights were interpreted to enable them to keep secret what they knew of the dangers of their products. However, unlike human persons who die and leave their wealth to others, corporations today are allowed to continue over the generations (they weren't in the past). No estate or inheritance taxes are paid, either. Humans also have social responsibilities, but corporations can and do put profit ahead of all other goals. They seem to have no social conscience. Given their wealth and influence they have gained unrestrained power. So now we have, for example, extreme corporate corruption, corporate tax avoidance, fraud, undemocratic management, very excessive executive pay, lack of transparency, conflicts of interest, off-shoring and outsourcing, and cuts in the benefits and wages of employees. Corporations need to be stripped of the their personhood status and be regulated properly. It probably will take a lot of time and effort.
Clearly, it is time for change. With the big picture in mind, more appropriate measures can be taken. Also, measures should be taken to prevent these big picture components from being "exported" to other countries and to assisting other countries who have already acquired them to become aware of the problems they cause. As far as I see it, it is only by researching and understanding the big picture outlined above that connecting the dots becomes at all possible.
Clinton was not guilty of perjury and obstruction of justice; Libby was guilty
by Kevin Good
| July 3, 2007 |
Re Days are numbered and dollar's down
If they tax you they will take 15 cents out of every dollar in your pocket.
If they raise the debt you can keep the dollar but it's only worth 85 cents.
* * *
I have been listening to the known news today comparing the Clinton and Libby perjury and obstruction of justice charges. There is one problem, Bill Clinton was acquitted and Scooter Libby was found guilty twice after he appealed and a second court upheld the conviction and sentence. A few hours later Bush commuted Libby's sentence.
Pardons and commutations are nice on Christmas but hours after an appeal is denied without consulting the Justice Department?
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Surely you don't expect equal justice under law, for people who are above and beyond the law?
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Helen & Harry
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Chertoff's new look
by Carol Rawle
| July 3, 2007 |
Re Chertoff Transformer
I found a clip where you can see the "new look", but you have to sift through about one extremely disgusting minute of Michelle Malkin. http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=741142 It's right at the one minute spot on the tape. Tell me his eyebrows don't look painted on! One of the very few comments on the look stated that the TV set make-up person got a bit carried away. Right.
This administration is so disgusting and I'm feeling a bit helpless in the face of it all, that the only thing left is to still be able to ridicule them for all they're worth.
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Sorry to be difficult, but Yahoo Video doesn't work on our computer. Neither does Google Video. YouTube is the only video site that works on our antique computer, and we never upgrade until it's absolutely necessary.
On the bright side, this means I don't have to look at Michelle Malkin's hateful face.
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Helen & Harry
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Bombs away
While Libby breathes easier and the media is engrossed in that, Bomb hits Baghdad market.
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Wig
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Piss 'n vinegar (chock full o' links)
I know I'm not the only one who's suffered from bouts of outrage fatigue, but I also know that those in power are not going to stop what they're doing until millions upon millions of us figure out a way to stop them. We have to find a way to transform the disgust and anger into transformative action. I dare you, I triple dog dare you to look at this, maintain your distance and not care. This civilization is killing us. These people (if the term still applies) have no qualms about openly murdering, bombing and deforming generations of people -- no matter what country they're from or what religion they are! The events in the UK this week are already being used to clamp down even more on what little pretense of freedom remains. Well, I'm not fatigued anymore, I'm PISSED (again)! Who's with me?!?!
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Sandra
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About the Mennonites
Re Mennonites
For those who are unaware of Mennonites, most are descended
from the original religion that was heavily persecuted in Switzerland,
Austria and parts of Germany. The original name was Anabaptist.
They have no formal church hierarchy or central governing body. The
Mennonites do have local churches, but no theological training for
their church leaders. Most do accept modern conveniences except for
the most conservative branches.
The Amish are very conservative off shoot of the Mennonite church
that dress in hand made plain cloths and live without any modern
conveniences except maybe tractors or other devices to help with
the farming. Unlike Mennonites, Amish do not work at "Jobs" per say
but live in communities of farms. They do not have a church but rather
meet in a families farm house to worship. There is no pastor or leader
but a council of elders that make decisions for the community. The
children will quite often attend public school but only up to the eighth
grade. They will quite often marry young, usually by the age of 20 or
so choosing their own bride, which the community must give their OK
too. They are not required to participate in conscription not do they
pay taxes, since they do not make any money. They build or make nearly
everything they have and are very skilled craftsmen.
The downside of all of this is that do to so much inter marriage, they
suffer from a number of genetic diseases.
There is quite often a coop the proceeds of which go to the community.
They are quite probably the most humble and unassuming people I have known.
I used to live in Northern Eastern Ohio where there is the third largest
Amish settlement in this country.
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Chris M.
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Cowardice
Re Colin Powell is not a coward
Its not his job to question decisions publicly. You have no idea what
he was doing behind closed doors.
A lot of people are cashing in on their dissent now that its popular.
Powell did his job and resigned over differences of opinion. Hind
sight is always 20/20 and its very easy to look at this situation and
say "what were we /they thinking?" but I think very few people thought
it would be the total failure it has been.
I find it hard to believe that Colin Powell was quiet out of fear.
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It's irrelevant whether the attack on Iraq turned out "a total failure" or not. Had America quickly and effectively quashed Iraq and everything had gone gloriously from an American perspective, Powell's lies would still have been lies and his silence as the slaughter continued would still be silence.
If his actions and lack of actions, his lies and subsequent silence as hundreds of thousands of people have been killed, weren't driven by cowardice, I ask again, what word would you use? Sheer evil? Optimism? A love of war? Hatred of the troops? Boredom?
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Throw the bums out, and then, as much
as possible, un-do the damage they've done
by Herb Ruhs, MD
| July 2, 2007 |
Dreams are what reality is made of. Dream the world you want to live in.
... MORE ...
My 15 minutes of fame
by The Canadian
| July 2, 2007 |
Interesting series of responses to my initial article, not so for my rebuttals... ;-)
I believe we may have actually captured some of the 10 sec attention span of a few people. I had some fun and searched the net for various Blog/Discussion Forum threads concerning the article and found a few. It was interesting to read through the comments pages.
I liked your editorial panache. Attracting new readers to Unknown news is always good.
The failed attacks in the UK were amateur. I hope all attacks are managed by amateurs.
The timing of these attacks again is quite interesting, don't you think?
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There are enough bumbling boobs with daydreams of destruction, I'm sure it would be possible to create a "JFK plot" panic or hype a "London airport attack" every day of the week. When the powers that be need to amp up the fear factor, one of these buffoonish amateurs becomes an international propaganda star.
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Helen & Harry
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9/11 truth
I often hear the phrase “That’s old news” or something along those lines anytime I bring up 9/11/01 - that’s one of the easiest disinformation tactics that have been developed to keep us from Truth. Just because something happened in the past does NOT make it irrelevant, especially if we don’t know what really happened. Here are some of the most recent links in the ongoing search for 9/11/01 Truth. We deserve the Truth!
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Sandra
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Enron shows the way
by JR Mooneyham
| July 2, 2007 |
US consumers pay highest energy bills in decades| |
Excerpt: Energy is now sucking money out of Americans' bank accounts at a record level - hitting $612 billion at an annual rate in the month of April, the last month of data. Over the past two years, energy bills as a share of income have risen and are now at their highest point since 1987, but still below the levels of the 1970s and early 1980s. For low-income households, some economists estimate energy consumption as a percentage of income is closing in on 10 percent. |
California was just the first victim of Enron-style energy policies, in 2001. Bush/Cheney adopted those for the entire nation after that.
* * *
AT&T-funded study says net neutrality would cost more
An AT&T funded study says net neutrality would cost [AT&T] more. But that's the whole point of net neutrality: to keep freedom of speech for citizens as cheap as possible, and maximize citizens' options in the marketplace. Which means a more competitive environment and less profits for AT&T and their ilk.
That's the extra costs AT&T is talking about: hits to their bottom line: fewer opportunities to gouge webmasters and others, both coming and going.
AT&T wants to make us pay more than today to be able to reach others with our message (and likewise receive messages from others). Of course, many people couldn't afford the extra fees, and so publishers would effectively be censored, taken off-line or made less accessible by such rules.
This could apply to our emails as easily as our web sites, folks. AT&T would love to make email cost so much we were all forced not to send more than a handful a month -- sort of like cell phone minutes today.
Yes, American rights like free speech entail more complicated and robust systems than the zero rights of places like North Korea. As North Korea already operates like that, why doesn't AT&T relocate there?
In a true 'free market', any giant corporate competitor (like AT&T) who can't figure out how to compete is SUPPOSED to LOSE MONEY and GO OUT OF BUSINESS -- not get a government bail-out in the form of protective laws which warp the market into their favor, by increasing the hassles and costs to everyone else!
Threefer
No challenges to "faith-based" government allowed, says Supreme Court| |
Excerpt: Giving the majority ruling, Justice Samuel Alito said the group had 'set out a parade of horribles that they claim could occur' if the faith-based initiative were not stopped.
"Of course none of these things has happened," he wrote, adding that Congress could quickly step in if there were a problem. |
When has Congress quickly stepped in with any problems in the last 6 years?
* * *
Mom sues over killer's 90-minute execution| |
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Excerpt: It took almost 90 minutes to carry out the execution of Joseph Clark in May 2006. The lawsuit, filed in a Cincinnati federal court, said the execution amounted to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. Executions last about 20 minutes on average. |
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You've probably run this, but I need to go be sick now. Most veterinarians won't use those chemicals to euthanize pets, and that's when it goes right.
* * *
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life
I don't usually recommend books I haven't read but I bet some of your readers would love Barbara Kingsolver's new book on eating locally-grown food, Animal, Vegetable Mineral.
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Cassandra
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Days are numbered and dollar's down
by Kathy Fisher
| July 2, 2007 |
Re Permission please
Alec, I agree with you. What a difference a year makes.
All the birds and the flowers and a few million people might just suddenly be gone.
* * *
Dollar drops to 26-year low vs. Pound
I'm thinking about all those dollar stores out there, where every single item is only a dollar. Well, considering what our dollar's worth these days, most of these items are actually worth about 29 cents. The avg price of a home right now in NJ is 190 thousand devalued dollars. The goods are worth more than the worthless dollars we use to pay for them. Insane!
Are Democrats listening?
"Let's Impeach him!" Calls are getting louder and more frequent. Are Dems listening?
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
So, the US is about to take real ownership of Iraq. Again. Like in the time of the Shah.
Is the State Dept. getting the Shah's son ready for returning? And is Israel getting ready
for the oil pipeline from Iraq that Netanyahu promised?
An interesting lesson for those of us who had never experienced the colonization of
another country. Is this a great 4th of July gift for the US, or a time to lock all doors
and windows and stay in?
LINK
LINK
LINK
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E13
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Facts that may not be facts
Re America, your president is about to launch WWIII
I am a US citizen who has lived in Turkey for a long time. I also lived in Iran for a few years. My concern with what is stated are THE FACTS. Are they really facts about Iran and Turkey or not?
Iranian troops going into Iraq-why would they do such a thing? Do they WANT to provoke an attack? I don’t think so.
Iran rationing their gasoline-Yes, they could be stockpiling it in preparation for a US attack, which the US might be crazy enough to do, but Iran does refine oil. Before the Iran-Iraq war (1980 - 1988) the Abadan refinery was the largest in the world. It was damaged during that war, but I would guess that it has been repaired by now.
Moscow has released nuclear fuel to Iran for the Bushehr reactor-yes, I’ve also heard this. However, as is well-documented, the Bushehr reactor is a NUCLEAR POWER STATION. As I understand it, enriching uranium to produce energy and enriching it for weapons are quite different. They even require different equipment and facilities. In addition, the UN has verified that the nuclear reactor is for power. However, if the nuclear power station is now up and running, bombing it would be probably be like bombing Chernobyl.
Anti-Iranian propaganda is in full-swing-that’s for sure, but that IS what it is: PROPAGANDA.
Politicians on all sides have a vested interest in war-surely you are joking. Why would Iran want to be attacked? They aren’t crazy. It’s a beautiful country. Some great pictures have been on the Internet. Would they want their country or part of it destroyed? I’m sure that families there are still mourning the loss of their sons during the Iran-Iraq war. Would their President want to increase their misery?
As for Turkey and Turkish troops near their border with Iraq-it’s possible that troops are there. I wouldn’t know how many. However, they aren’t there because they expect WWIII to start. The Turkish military wants to carry out a cross-border incursion to attack what they consider to be the hiding places of the Kurds who have caused terror attacks in Turkey. Turkey has a history of these sorts of brief incursions. However, at this time they do recognize that things are different and much more risky and the government has not taken the steps needed, calling an extraordinary session of parliament, to gain parliamentary approval for an incursion.
In addition, an election in Turkey is just under 3 weeks away and politicians are on a tight campaign schedule. In fact, the party currently in power has gotten a lot of criticism for being soft on terrorism, but they’ve tried other ways to reassure the public that they are serious about Turkey’s security. However, even though I don’t think there will be an incursion before the election, I’m not sure what will happen after the election.
NOTE: As for Hamas “taking over” the Gaza strip-Hamas was the party that won the elections there, so they don’t need to “take over” anything. In fact, they were unjustly taken over.
As for the main premise that war is close, with the largest naval armada assembled off the coast of Iran since 2003 (if that fact is correct), I can only say that I pity them all since they’d have little chance of surviving. Surely, Iran would retaliate. It would just be lunacy on the part of the US. I’d like to think some sanity will prevail.
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I'm in a rush here, so I'll leave most of your questions to The Canadian, and just respond to the last sentence: I'd like to think that too, that sanity will prevail … but sanity is something I haven't seen from the White House since Bill Clinton left office. |
Stainless steel rat-a-tat-tat
by Mr. Chuckles
| July 2, 2007 |
This is a threefer. First the funnies:
1) The Pentagon researched laughing gas releasing, non-lethal bullets. That reminds me of, I think it was "The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You" (and by the way, I spied an old hardback S.S.R. trilogy at a used bookstore for $1 -- betcha I'll go back for it just because I love The Rat so much...) Anyway, The Rat was doing a B&E at the Internal and External Revenue Service and used a combination of tiny bomblets -- lachrymotic, diarrhetic, regurgitants and laughing gas. Quite humorous to imagine the chaos :-)
Laughing bullets
2) Windows Vista is FAR worse than heretofore imagined!!!
It sounds as if every little chunk of code in Vista is spyware and wants to phone home. Worse, many functions are required, so what this may mean is that MSFT is building in a planetary Single Point of Failure -- if cannot connect to MSFT servers via internet then no more computing! I must get busy on moving to Linux for my hobby computing -- cannot just go cold turkey, as I think most people will discover, there is hard work needed to cutover seamlessly!
Needless to say? This bodes well for Apple... MSFT is a disaster unfolding! This could be huge one day, and in the meantime some users revolt and some quietly slip out the back...
Windows Vista harvests user data for Microsoft
Vista is watching you
3) The Key To Everything: improved batteries
and energy storage. That is the Holy Grail...
(remember I told you that :-)
So this may be interesting:
High-performance energy storage| |
Excerpt: North Carolina State University physicists have recently deduced a way to improve high-energy-density capacitors so that they can store up to seven times as much energy per unit volume than the common capacitor. High performance capacitors would enable hybrid and electric cars with much greater acceleration, better and faster steering of rockets and spacecraft, better regeneration of electricity when using brakes in electric cars, and improved lasers, among many other electrical applications. |
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Mr. Chuckles
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Fivefer |
