Dyre PortentsDyre PortentsThe Political Rantings and Raving of a Radical Moderate. Speaking truthiness to power since February. Articles
Chuck Hagel on The Daily Show
2008-04-03 06:14:00 Stewart raises an interesting point around 4:50 More About: Daily , Chuck Hagel , Show , Daily Show , The Daily Show
Things I Have Learned
2008-04-02 16:04:00 Writing fake news is harder than blogging. More About: Things , Learned
Pennsylvania Primaries Postponed
2008-04-02 08:29:00 Looks like a significant portion of their voting machines are on the fritz...From Fox News:April 1 2008 -Philadelphia- Pennsylvania secretary of the commonwealth Pedro Cortes announced that thousands of voting machines were malfunctioning. In a press conference late Tuesday evening he stated,"Simply put, they (the voting machines) won't start up. We are working closely with the manufacturer Diebold to solve this problem. However, due to the large number of machines affected we are forced to postpone the Democratic primaries until all volunteers are trained to process paper ballots or all of the machines are repaired whichever happens first."..."All voting machines will be repaired as soon as possible however the cost of retraining volunteers would have to be covered by the Pennsylvania Democratic Party."...Following an emergency meeting party chairman T.J Rooney issued the following statement," The costs of retraining exceeds the amount of funds we have on hand. We have, however,... More About: Primaries
Is Google in the Spy Buisness?
2008-04-01 07:54:00 Not exactly. What they are doing is allowing the CIA and the NSA to search their databases with greater efficiency and maintaining a wiki for the intelligence community.From The Times Online:CIA enlists Google 's help for spy work Google has been recruited by US intelligence agencies to help them better process and share information they gather about suspects. Agencies such as the National Security Agency have bought servers on which Google-supplied search technology is used to process information gathered by networks of spies around the world. Google is also providing the search features for a Wikipedia-style site, called Intellipedia, on which agents post information about their targets that can be accessed and appended by colleagues, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. The contracts are just a number that have been entered into by Google's 'federal government sales team', that aims to expand the company's reach beyond its core consumer and enterprise operations. Firs... More About: Buisness
How Far We've Fallen
2008-04-01 06:13:00 We've detained and tortured at least one innocent person for five years . The worst part is that we knew he was innocent for over four and a half years.From CBS News:Ex-Terror Detainee Says U.S. Tortured HimTells 60 Minutes He Was Held Underwater, Shocked And Suspended From the CeilingAt the age of 19, Murat Kurnaz vanished into America's shadow prison system in the war on terror. He was from Germany, traveling in Pakistan, and was picked up three months after 9/11. But there seemed to be ample evidence that Kurnaz was an innocent man with no connection to terrorism. The FBI thought so, U.S. intelligence thought so, and German intelligence agreed. But once he was picked up, Kurnaz found himself in a prison system that required no evidence and answered to no one...."They stopped the bus and because of my color, I?m much more different than Pakistani guys," says Kurnaz, who is lighter-skinned. "He looked into the bus and he knocked on my window.""He" was a Pakistani cop who pulled K... More About: Fallen
Its midnight, do you know where your nukes are?
2008-03-28 06:24:00 Findmyhappyplacefindmyhappyplacefindmyhap pyplace...From CNN:Pentagon: Inventory ordered of all U.S. nukesDefense Secretary Robert Gates has formally ordered the Air Force, Navy and Defense Logistics Agency to conduct an inventory of all U.S. nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon-related materials to make sure all items are accounted for, according to a Pentagon memo released Thursday.The order comes in the wake of the discovery last week that four nuclear warhead fuses were accidentally shipped to Taiwan in 2006.Ummm...can I get the results of that inventory sent to my cell phone?And then there is this:Colombia seizes uranium from leftist guerrillasBOGOTA, March 26 (Reuters) - Colombia said it seized at least 66 pounds (30 kg) of uranium from the country's biggest left-wing rebel group on Wednesday, the first time radioactive material has been linked to the four-decade-old guerrilla war.The uranium was found in a rural area long considered a Marxist guerrilla stronghold just south of ... More About: Nukes , Midnight
Of Note
2008-03-27 05:58:00 Michael J Totten is back in Iraq and giving a bug's eye view of the situation there. He also notesthat one of his stories about the horrid conditions in an Iraqi prison he visited prompted a military investigation into the matter.Last month I published a piece here called The Dungeon of Fallujah about my visit to the wretched jail in the city. As it turns out, the place was worse than I thought. Prisoners had to supply their own food or starve. I didn't report that detail because I didn't know it. But Marine Major General John Kelly (whom I don't think I met) read my report, investigated the jail, and fixed it. No one in the military talked to me about this.The UPI did a short piece on the investigation and cited Michael Totten's blog as being the impetus of the investigation.Kelly's visit followed a report on conditions at the jail by independent journalist Michael Totten. Totten found a facility built to hold 120 prisoners housing 900 without even minimal provision for sani... More About: Note
Clinton's Bosnia Problem
2008-03-26 06:06:00 is that when you grossly exaggerate events that happened to you that are documented it casts a rather disparaging light on your claims of off the record experience.Of course its possible that this became the equivalent of a tall tale and she forgot to tell the unembellished version. But given how sharp she is that just doesn't seem in character. Plus there is the fact that your average person tends to remember days that they were shot at pretty well. Heck, I was only an innocent bystander near a firefight once and I remember that day with crystalline clarity. One thing is for certain and that's if Clinton get the nomination the 527s that support the GOP will have a field day with this. More About: Problem , Bosnia
Clinton's Off The Record Experience
2008-03-25 18:43:00 It looks like the recent release of Hillary Clinton's schedule from back when she was first lady is casting shadows of doubt on the amount of experience she accrued during that time.From the NY Times:Clinton?s Schedules Offer Chance to Test AssertionsWhen the World Trade Center was attacked for the first time on Feb. 26, 1993, President Bill Clinton flew to New York to be briefed on the attack and the response by city, state and federal authorities. According to newly released White House calendars of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton?s time as first lady, Mrs. Clinton stayed behind in Washington to attend a photo shoot with Parade magazine and a performance of ?Jesus Christ Superstar.? Seven years later, in October 2000, Mr. and Mrs. Clinton were enjoying a quiet weekend at their new home in Chappaqua, N.Y., when word came that the Cole, an American destroyer, had been attacked in a Yemen port. Mr. Clinton rushed back to the White House to deal with the crisis. Mrs. Clinton returned ... More About: Experience , Record , The Record
Baby Pix
2008-03-21 06:36:00 We finally got around to taking a few digital baby pix.I'll be deleting this post in about 24 hours. More About: Baby
Quick Thought on Obama's Speech
2008-03-20 07:11:00 I hope to be able to delve into it in depth a little later in the week however it is in my mind the single greatest speech given by an American political leader since Ronald Reagan's speech at Point Du Hoc. More About: Barack Obama , Thought , Quick , Speech
Weird
2008-03-19 05:18:00 At my home it is raining mud. Does anyone have a dictionary of omens I can borrow? More About: Weird
Argh
2008-03-18 06:44:00 At work we have this rare thing called mandatory overtime. Its in effect today and tomorrow so I'll not be posting till Weds.
Doctor Death Goes to Washington?
2008-03-13 06:18:00 This sure as heck beats blogging about a lawyer/governor getting busted for hiring hookers.Looks like Jack Kevorkian is going to run for congress....From CNN:Jack Kevorkian, the assisted suicide advocate currently on parole from prison, is planning a run for Congress, a Detroit newspaper reported Wednesday. According to the Oakland Press, Kevorkian is planning to mount an independent bid in Michigan's 9th District seat currently occupied by Republican Joe Knollenberg. "We need some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington ," Kevorkian told the paper. He also said his plans are in the "formative stage" and he would make a formal announcement next week....The one-time pathologist needs to gather 3,000 signatures in order to appear on the ballot as an independent candidate.It may be a publicity stunt. But I'll see if I can't drum up an email interview with the good Doctor once his campaign launches and get the low down. More About: Death
Ferraro's Flub
2008-03-12 14:56:00 Just in case you missed it....From the LA Times:"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position," she said for an article aptly headlined "Geraldine Ferraro lets her emotions do the talking." She went on: "And if he was a woman (of any color) he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."It turns out she said something similar about Jesse Jackson during his run for president. But the funny thing is that she is right on the first part. A white male wouldn't have had to overcome certain biases to get to where Obama is. So I can see where that adds to Obama's allure. But she is dead wrong on the second part. If Obama were a woman all he/she would have to have done to achieve his position is marry someone who eventually became president. (Not exactly a ringing endorsement for the status quo inside the beltway I'll admit.)However I for one would be curious as to whether or not she has similar op... More About: Barack Obama
Poor Poor Pluto
2008-03-12 05:42:00 After being stripped of its planet status it has now officially been named asteroid number 134340. Will the indignities ever cease? "I'm not a number! I'm a real planet!" More About: Pluto , Poor
The Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men
2008-03-11 06:11:00 Some nights babies and blogging don't mix. More About: Mice , Plans
Things I Have Learned
2008-03-09 07:37:00 The Irish whiskey thats available in America tastes like crap, even a week before St. Patty's day. More About: Things , Learned
This Blog is Now Rated ...
2008-03-07 05:36:00 E for Excellent. Thanks to Carrie at Carrie's Nation who was awarded it by Archcrone Awww shucks Carrie. Thank you.I'm now supposed to pick ten blogs to bestow this award to.1: The woefully unappreciated Divided We Stand2: Done With Mirrors 3: Sideways Mencken 4: Thought Theatre 5: Buck Naked Politics 6: Independent Liberal 7: The Glittering Eye 8: Foreign Policy Watch 9: Polimom Says 10: DonklephantDon't forget to pass it on. More About: Blog
I Was Wrong, Huckabee Bows Out, and Clinton Wins
2008-03-06 06:43:00 Ok, first I have to admit that I was wrong. I called Texas for Obama for a small margin and instead Clinton pulled it off by a small margin. But its not my fault. Rush Limbaugh conspired against me.Meanwhile Huckabee bowed out giving McCain the official green light.Clinton won in Rhode Island, Ohio, Texas, and placed second in Vermont. The problem with that? She only gained eighteen delegates and Obama is looking to cut into that when the Texas caucuses finally report the numbers.For those of you already suffering from primary fatigue there's good news! Only ten states left!Next up, Wyoming! (I probably won't be blogging that one.) More About: Bows , Wrong , Wins
Record Turnout in Texas Curtails Caucusing
2008-03-05 07:42:00 I went to go participate in the Texas Democratic caucuses today which in my precinct was being held at a middle school half a mile away from my home. I left work half an hour early to be sure I got there in a timely manner. Upon arrival at the school first thing I noticed was that the parking lot and surrounding streets were packed with cars. I noticed a few stray Huckabee supporters that strongly resembled some extras from the movie Deliverance holding signs at the correct mandated distance from the polling place. I parallel parked on a side street (took two tries to get it right) and entered the school.There were three precincts voting/caucusing there and I guesstimated that there was around 150 people there for the caucuses. I then checked the line for voters and it was then I realized we were going to hit a snafu. At 15 minutes before the caucus was to begin the number of primary voters exceeded the number of caucus goers. There were three people processing voters and four voti... More About: Record
Showdown at the OH Corral
2008-03-04 08:19:00 You might be wondering what The Buckeye state and the wild west have to do with each other. To anybody but Hillary Clinton the answer would be"Not much." Unfortunately for Senator Clinton her hopes of being the Democratic nominee for president are riding on both Texas and Ohio and the picture isn't exactly pretty. The Texas polls have her and Obama in statistical dead heat:Rasmussen:Clinton 47%Obama 48%Zogby:Clinton 44%Obama 47%Other polls report similarly close results. However in Ohio Clinton seems to have a lead that is above the margin of error in some polls.Rasmussen:Clinton 50%Obama 44%Zogby:Clinton 45%Obama 47%Additionally if you do a little light statistical analysis of the trends of all polls Obama is on an upward trend in Texas while Hillary's and Obama's support remains constant in Ohio with Clinton having the lead. The problem for Clinton is that, depending on who you listen to, she needs at least a ten to fifteen percent victory over Obama in each state in order to s...
Obama to Appoint a Bipartisan Cabinet?
2008-03-03 07:48:00 According to one source he seriously considering it. Much to the chagrin of some.From the Times Online:Obama is hoping to appoint cross-party figures to his cabinet such as Chuck Hagel, the Republican senator for Nebraska and an opponent of the Iraq war, and Richard Lugar, leader of the Republicans on the Senate foreign relations committee. Senior advisers confirmed that Hagel, a highly decorated Vietnam war veteran and one of McCain?s closest friends in the Senate, was considered an ideal candidate for defence secretary. Some regard the outspoken Republican as a possible vice-presidential nominee although that might be regarded as a ?stretch?. Asked about his choice of cabinet last week, Obama told The Sunday Times: ?Chuck Hagel is a great friend of mine and I respect him very much,? although he was wary of appearing as though he was already choosing the White House curtains. But after winning 11 primary contests in a row after Super Tuesday, he is ready to elbow Clinton off the ... More About: Barack Obama , Cabinet
Things I Have Learned
2008-03-02 05:32:00 Wii controllers and ceiling fans don't mix. More About: Things , Learned
How's Your Internet Security?
2008-02-29 08:00:00 If you know it could be better meaning you don't have a firewall, have let your anti-virus subscription lapse, or don't know if you have anti-spyware programs installed the good news is there are quality free programs out there to help protect your computer, your identity, and your piece of mind.Anti-VirusAVG Free Anti-virus is a free basic anti-virus program that does a great job if you aren't downloading stuff from strangers or sites you wouldn't want your kids to visit. I have it installed on my laptop which is normally just used for email and web surfing. Its one major plus is that there no subscription to renew. Well, that and its free. FirewallIf you have Windows XP or Vista just turn your firewall on.If you'd like something a little more secure there also ye olde Zone Alarm Free FirewallIt has a handy feature that totally locks your computer down when the screen saver engages and its pretty easy to configure. I've used it off and on for years.Anti-SpywareThere are more ... More About: Security , Internet , Internet Security
Bloomberg Won't Run for President
2008-02-28 08:01:00 Which he announced today in a NY Times Op Ed piece. In it he charges the candidates to tell America the truth about the issues facing the nation and to work towards common sense solutions to solve America's problems.from the NY Times:WATCHING the 2008 presidential campaign, you sometimes get the feeling that the candidates ? smart, all of them ? must know better. They must know we can?t fix our economy and create jobs by isolating America from global trade. They must know that we can?t fix our immigration problems with border security alone. They must know that we can?t fix our schools without holding teachers, principals and parents accountable for results. They must know that fighting global warming is not a costless challenge. And they must know that we can?t keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals unless we crack down on the black market for them.The vast majority of Americans know that all of this is true, but ? politics being what it is ? the candidates seem afraid to... More About: President , Bloomberg
The Coming Robotic Apocalypse
2008-02-28 07:27:00 Gadzooks! My evil plan has been discovered!From the AFP:Automated killer robots 'threat to humanity': expertIncreasingly autonomous, gun-toting robots developed for warfare could easily fall into the hands of terrorists and may one day unleash a robot arms race, a top expert on artificial intelligence "They pose a threat to humanity," said University of Sheffield professor Noel Sharkey ahead of a keynote address Wednesday before Britain's Royal United Services Institute. But up to now, a human hand has always been required to push the button or pull the trigger. It we are not careful, he said, that could change. Military leaders "are quite clear that they want autonomous robots as soon as possible, because they are more cost-effective and give a risk-free war," he said. Several countries, led by the United States, have already invested heavily in robot warriors developed for use on the battlefield. South Korea and Israel both deploy armed... More About: Robotic , Apocalypse
Obamacans Looming Large in Texas?
2008-02-27 08:07:00 Obama and Clinton are currently virtually tied in Texas however the Texas polls may not be accurately reflecting the reality on the ground.From CNN: In the CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Monday, 50 percent of likely Democratic primary voters said Obama is their choice for the party's nominee, while 46 percent backed Clinton. But taking into account the poll's sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for Democratic respondents, the race is a virtual tieThere is some evidence to suggest that since McCain basically has the nomination in the bag some Texas Republican's are opting to vote against Clinton in the Texas Democratic primary.From The San Antonio Express News: Republican and Republican-leaning insiders report that a number of their GOP friends ? their own presidential race all but sewn up ? are planning to vote in the Democratic primary March 4. They suspect that many independents and moderate Republicans intrigued with Obama's surge will cast Demo... More About: Large
Moving Over to the Dark Side
2008-02-26 08:00:00 Over at Captain's Quarters Captain Ed announced that he will be shutting down his blog to join the blogger whose name is not spoken here but whose initials are MM.From CQ:I will close out Captain’s Quarters sometime in March. This saddens me, as it has become my ever-ready home and because of the terrific community it has generated. I hope that the CapQ community comes with me to Hot Air, and Hot Air will have open registration today for 12 hours in order to allow CapQ commenters to join me at my new digs. Michelle and I have different voices, and sometimes different points of view. Rest assured that Michelle respects these differences and wants them as part of Hot Air. My writing and my viewpoints will continue, and find even more encouragement than before. In fact, we look forward to debating on some of these points between her personal blog and Hot Air, much as we have between her personal blog and CapQ – with respect, affection, and the absolute belief that we have it rig... More About: Moving , Dark , The Dark , Side , The Dark Side
Egads! I'm a Democrat.
More articles from this author:2008-02-26 07:53:00 This weekend I voted in my first ever primary. I've never voted in a primary for three reasons the first being that I've never strongly identified with either political party secondly most of my life I've lived in states that had closed primaries, and finally for the past three or four elections I was mainly voting to keep someone out of office. But this weekend I trotted on down to the library and voted in the Democrat ic primary for Barack Obama. Which means for the next two years I'm a registered Democrat.I did so for several reasons almost none of which have anything at all to do with Obama's policies. At the top of my list is the anti-Hillary factor. I really just couldn't bear the thought of her getting the nomination. As I've stated several times before I don't believe that replacing another Bush with another Clinton is what America needs or what the founding fathers intended when they set this experiment into motion. Additionally I don't see how replacing the most po... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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