Seemingly Random 2

Spore

2008-09-22T18:02:31Z

This is a widget which is supposed to let you see my spore creations within LJ. Let's see if it works ... (goes off to publish this)

Okay it took a bit of tweaking to figure out how to make it work but it wasn't too bad. Now I need to make more cool looking creatures to populate this with. :)

Figures

2008-05-09T17:50:18Z

I knew there was a good reason (besides his cutting Medicaid to hundreds of thousands of poor people) why I didn't like Matt Blunt.

The Republican War on Voting

I'm glad he's decided he can't win if he runs again and won't run for a 2nd term.
And I think this is also why "republicans" always seem to be cutting the education budget. If people aren't educated then I think it's less likely they'll notice or know what to do about people disenfranchising them. Or taking away their other rights.

And combined with McCain's support of Bush's judicial appointees, this makes me fear the future.
http://docket.medill.northwestern.edu/archives/003741.php
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/05/mccain-criticiz.html

I was going to ask why people do this but I think I know, ruthless pursuit of power and money. What we need today I think is a statesman rather than a politician. :(

To Our Friends Who Are Still In The Desert

2008-04-21T17:04:02Z

"To Our Friends Who Are Still In The Desert"

(I've used this title before it seems.)

This is an old, old French Foreign Legion toast. I tried to look it up on wikipedia with nothing and google it without result. I likely read it in a book on the foreign legion years ago but I can't recall which one now.

I think of this when I read reports of the numbers of soldiers we've lost in Iraq (and Afghanistan). Or recently when one of the bloggers I regularly read told us her sister's national guard unit has been mobilized and will deploy to Iraq. I would find her news ironic since she's a staunch conservative and was a Bush supporter. If it wasn't too serious for that. If I had absolutely no idea of the anguish she's going through now. But I can't. We've disagreed before but she's shown herself to be intelligent and articulate and the facts of an issue will sway her point of view. I used to think that my mother never worried about me while I was stationed in Germany (1982-1986). A few years after I came back she disabused me of this notion. And that tour wasn't nearly as dangerous as current tours in Iraq or Afghanistan (although we did have four deaths in our battalion - 500-600 men - during those four years). I think I can say nothing affects a soldier the same way as those boots with the helmet on top that are set before the podium in the chapel during a memorial service. Or the lone bugle playing Taps afterwards. Especially not an officer.

I can't really say I know how they (deploying soldiers) feel, it's been too long since I've been a soldier. But I can empathize with their desire to "get the job done". If they don't seem to accomplish anything over there then all those deaths (American and Iraqi) would be pointless. And that thought is simply abhorrent. So I can understand that from their point of view we can't leave until the job is done. The problem comes from politicians not defining what "the job" is before sending troops into combat. And the platoon and squad leader or even the grunt on the ground can't really influence this. But since it's an all volunteer Army now, they've chosen to be in the Army and thus have to take it all. Eventually the number of deployments a soldier goes on may wear even this commitment away. That will be a sad day.

But what does this quote mean? I've used it before but I don't really think anyone who heard it understands. It refers to the comrades that Legionnaires have left behind in the desert dead. It links to the Legion motto "March or Die" from their very earliest days in the North African desert. And their indomitable spirit. Get the mission done regardless of cost. If you won't march, you'll die. An American quote I've heard soldiers use is often "To Absent Friends". This is the same.

This I think, is the spirit of our soldiers, sailors and airmen deployed. In that same spirit I can only support our soldiers (but not the people who sent them there with no clear goal) and raise my glass to repeat the toast.

"To Our Friends Who Are Still In The Desert"

This is why

2008-02-19T17:35:44Z

the president appointed the supreme court judges he did.

Supreme court won't review Bush domestic spying case

On the one hand they do have a point, proof of injury or involvement. On the other hand since all the information obtained illegally by the warrantless wiretapping is classified, the plaintiff won't have access to or knowledge of it, so it's impossible to prove involvement. Very clever tactic.

The NEW Granola State

2008-01-24T22:19:14Z

It used to be California, the land of "fruits, nuts and flakes". But I submit to you that the new granola state is the District of Columbia, Washington in fact.

EPA Chief Defends Shielding of Global Warming Papers

And Mister Johnson is right, California doesn't need it's own standard. There should be a Federal standard that everyone has to follow. But since "president" bush's government won't enact one, some states see the problem and the urgent need for action and decided to take it on their own. Perhaps hoping to shame the Federal government into action.

And then trying to claim that he needs to keep things secret for court action. Cheers for Representative Boxer for calling bullsh!t on him.

Taxi to the Dark Side

2008-01-18T20:01:37Z

Taxi to the Dark Side

I heard about this on NPR this morning on the way to work. I want to see it, maybe even own it. It sounds truly disturbing and ties in directly with what I've been thinking about posting about for awhile now.

Congress is all up in arms about the CIA's destruction in 2005 of tapes of "harsh" interrogations of suspected terrorists in 2002.

House Panel Criticizes CIA Tape Destruction

I agree that it's deplorable that they've destroyed this sort of thing without getting anyone's permission or anything. However in all the hue and cry I think one serious issue has been overlooked. That these CIA interrogators TORTURED PEOPLE IN THE FIRST PLACE. All while our "president" was telling us (and the world) that "the US doesn't torture people (so we don't need any new rules or laws or anything)".

Just how far down are we going to allow our leaders to let America fall before we do something about it?

Have I mentioned

2007-11-30T22:51:49Z

that I love irony?

Why Science Can't Save the GOP

Hahahahahahaha

To begin with, this is a man who has Parkinson's. So stem cell research could very well have a significant impact on his life and that of his family. So, while he's not a doctor or medical researcher, he has a vested interest and I think his opinion might be more important than mine (except, perhaps, to me).

And I find another kindred soul in his phrase

"the small but intense minority who believe that a clump of a few dozen cells floating in a petri dish has the same human rights as you or I."

I've posted here before my amazement that the rights of this hypothetical person are more important than the rights of a living, breathing person standing right here in front of you asking this very question.

And he points out that the cause of the creation of all these embryos is the in-vitro fertilization clinics. Which aren't illegal and may be receiving federal monies. And don't seem to be the target of attack for the rabid forced-pregnancy proponents and their anti-research cronies. None of them seem to address the concept that if we stopped these procedures there wouldn't be extra embryos which needed to be protected.

But then, if I recall correctly other reading I've done, logic has little impact on these people ...

So Resign

2007-11-02T18:27:56Z

If you don't want to do your job then.

Why Diplomats Won't Go to Iraq

I saw this topic come up yesterday and I'm still of the same opinion. I find it amazing that they're given a choice of their assignment in the first place. True you can ask for an assignment in the military but it's a well known fact that you go where you're sent.

If they don't want to go to Iraq then they can resign the Foreign Service. That's very simple. The military doesn't even have that option. Once you sign up your done. You go where you're told when you're told to or you're brought up on charges and face a Courts Martial. Until you're mustering out date. Also very simple.

It very much strikes me as

"WAAAAA Coach, I don't want to wear the pink polka dot shorts!"

To which I respond, "tough".

This time he didn't save the ship!

2007-10-29T20:18:15Z

Okay, I may have been, just slightly, one of the Trek fans who was of the "Die Wesley Crusher, DIE!" variety.

It seemed, back then, that lazy writers who had little idea of good science fiction would, too often, after having gotten the Enterprise and her crew into trouble, resort to using a brilliant idea by Wesley as the "Deus ex Machina" to get the ship out of the jam. That got old even the first time we saw it, given the other badness they gave Wil Wheaton as dialog. But he was just a teenager and didn't realize it or didn't really care about it. I won't dwell on this too much except to put it into context. I didn't think much of the actor and really didn't like the character. I did see "Stand By Me", it was a good movie and I enjoyed it, but I couldn't really bring Wil to mind recalling the film.

Then, and I don't recall how, I found his blog at http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/ (these days). I started reading because I was in our operations center and sometimes we don't have much to do except wait for the phone to ring with people calling about problems. He was a geek like me, got to work on Star Trek and was a pretty good writer. Enough to come back. And in the days when lots of people were blogging but they mostly didn't have a lot to say. I even ended up buying his first two books, "Dancing Barefoot" and "Just a Geek". I enjoyed JaG but haven't actually read the first yet.

So when he published his latest book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives I bought that one too, after reading about how much fun he had packing envelopes to the folks who had already bought it. There is a warning in the first few pages that most of the material in there he's published on his blog already. And as I read the stories I recalled first reading them. But that doesn't seem to matter. I just finished it today and I enjoyed it very much. I just passed it to a friend of mine who on reading the first few pages already laughed out loud. I think he'll like it. And I'm fairly certain he doesn't read Wil's blog so all the stories will be new to him. And he'll relate to them just like I did because he's a geek too.

So without going into much detail about the book itself, I will heartily recommend it to anyone whose youth may have included;

playing Atari
playing pacman (or any other arcade game) in any of a variety of stores, offices or other places
geeks growing up in the 80s
role playing geeks
gaming geeks
computer geeks
geeks who are parents

Or anyone else who enjoys good, well told stories that will make you feel something. :)

Try it, you'll like it.

If not you can come back here and hit me with a fish!

And now for something

2007-10-18T14:40:09Z

totally strange.

123,910 People

JustSayHi - Dating

Unusual Deaths in 1961

* On march 23, soviet cosmonaut trainee Valentin Bondarenko died from shock after suffering third-degree burns over much of his body, due to a flash fire in the pure oxygen environment of a training simulator. this incident was not revealed outside of the soviet union until the 1980s.

People who died on November 21 (various years)

* 2006 - Pierre Amine Gemayel, Lebanese Cabinet minister (assassinated)
* 2005 - Alfred Anderson, last Scottish World War I veteran
* 1993 - Bill Bixby, American actor and director
* 1969 - Mutesa II of Buganda, President of Uganda (1924)
* 1963 - Robert Stroud (The Birdman of Alcatraz), American prisoner
* 1924 - Florence Harding, American First Lady
* 1916 - Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria
* 1899 - Garret Hobart, Vice President of the United States
* 1844 - Ivan Krylov, Russian fabulist
* 1361 - Philip I, Duke of Burgundy (plague)
* 496 - Pope Gelasius I

Hmmm. What's a fabulist ... ah, that makes sense.

Winning?

2007-10-03T15:21:39Z

Let me ask you this, if we're fighting a "War on Terror" and we're allegedly winning it, don't you think the amount of terror in our lives would go down?

How is your terror?

I find mine still alive and well but it doesn't seem to be terrorist that I'm terrified of. Lately I'm terrified of losing my cherished American Freedoms. Having them striped away by my government and then being declared an "enemy combatant" and imprisoned indefinitely without being charged if I speak out.

Ironic, isn't it?

Kind of sounds like what's going on in Burma right now, doesn't it?

So are we winning the war on terror? Is there less terror in the world now? What emotion will they declare war on next? I'll put five dollars on "logic" (yes I know that's not an emotion, also ironic, isn't it?).

Ironic?

2007-09-06T16:18:34Z

When I was a teenager I did what many of them do. I did goofy things in an attempt to be unique, different, me. Mostly with no idea why I wanted to be different (that idea and it's cause wouldn't crystallize for a few years yet).

But one of my "slogans" was "Elect me Democratic Dictator" in an odd attempt at humor. My subtitle was "I'll make the world a better place to live in if I have to kill every man, woman and child to do it!".

I was obviously a big fan of irony at the time. I don't think that particular personality trait as disappeared as I've gotten older. The Irony I appreciate may have gotten more subtle, but there is still a kernel at my core which can perceive and enjoy it.

At least until sad meanings from my teenage slogans come true.

When "Pro-Life" Means "Terrorist"

Now in my old age I've come to realize that choice is key. I can't stop people from being hateful, mean, bigoted assholes. It's their right and I spent about 13 years of my life protecting their right to be asshat fucktards. Simply because the other side of the coin is freedom of choice for important things for everyone else too. For every one mean person I think there are three (or four or five? no idea how many but certainly more than one) good people who want everyone to live in peace and happiness and are willing to help us as a species get there.

Despite no hard sources that I saw, this piece indicates that there have been no pro-life leaders assassinated by pro-choice proponents. While it lists a few pro-choice doctors who have been killed by pro-life protesters.
I would ask these people (if I actually knew any and assuming they actually could communicate in a human fashion) why the life of an unborn baby, a potential, is so screamingly more important than a doctor. Or a nurse. Or a woman of any type. Or anyone who is already alive and breathing. How does the old saying go? "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."?

So is it ironic that one of the construction workers figured out that the building in Aurora was going to be for Planned Parenthood by noticing that the windows ordered for installation were bulletproof glass?

I'm off to finish reading the piece. I signed the petition.

Honorable?

2007-08-28T21:34:13Z

Honorable??

Bush: Gonzales' 'good name dragged through the mud'

honorable

adjective
1. not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent; "honest lawyers"; "honest reporting" [syn: honest] [ant: dishonest]
2. worthy of being honored; entitled to honor and respect; "an honorable man"; "led an honorable life"; "honorable service to his country" [ant: dishonorable]
3. adhering to ethical and moral principles; "it seems ethical and right"; "followed the only honorable course of action" [syn: ethical]
4. deserving of esteem and respect; "all respectable companies give guarantees"; "ruined the family's good name" [syn: estimable]
honorable

How exactly can anyone use the word "honorable" to describe what "Mister Torture" has done? If we consider nothing else besides his "legal" justification for torturing people. I won't dispute the talented part. I mean he went to Harvard Law School.

Alberto Gonzales
Hmmm, but he was an enlisted man in the Air Force and even went so far as to enroll in the Air Force Academy. But he bailed before his third year (which would have incurred a service obligation) to transfer out. Almost like say, joining the Air National Guard instead of going to Vietnam. (well that was a bit snide but then I didn't bail on my service commitment)

Whoa. The more I read the scarier it becomes.
Gonzales Questions Habeas Corpus
He says that while the Constitution says you can't take Habeas Corpus away except under certain circumstances, it does grant that right. A new definition of "double speak"? (note, this is only an opinion piece)

We go back into that place where he believes the president has the lawful right to declare anyone, US citizen or not, an "enemy combatant" and imprison them for as long as he wants, torture them for whatever information he may believe they have and pretty much do anything he wants to them with no recourse for them.

Optimus Prime?

2007-08-22T15:16:00Z

I AM
72%
OPTIMUS PRIME Take the Transformers Quiz

Can it happen to you?

2007-08-17T20:49:45Z

The Real Verdict on Jose Padilla

Well can it?

"Of course not." you say. "I'm not a terrorist!"

Well neither is Padilla is my guess. (yes it's a guess) He just became a muslim, made a few poor choices in places to visit, people to talk to and topics of discussion.

Okay, this piece is an opinion piece and it's in a notably left wing newspaper. But it was written by a law professor who defended him so I presume she knows very well of what she speaks. And her words chill.

Sept. 11 attacks cast a shadow over Padilla trial

They introduced over 300,000 (illegally) wire tapped conversations and only 7 of them contained material relevant to the "threat" he posed. Think about everything you've ever said? Is there some small number of them that might get you in trouble if a judge heard them in court?

Whose justice? Which rationality?

Who's next?
How long are we going to put up with this? Until it happens to someone we know? Or even us?

?

2007-07-27T18:06:10Z

The brain is full and needs to be emptied.

Work is still work. Not much to say (or rather saying much would be counter productive).

Reading Midnight Tides, the latest book in the Malazan Book of the Fallen series by Steven Erikson.

Head spinning. After about 650 pages it's getting to the resolution so lots of stuff has started to happen.

And I've decided that the way he handles magic is pretty cool and I want to make an rpg mini-campaign where I can show it to our game group. Lots of research to do. Got some ideas of the place in all that madness to set it and a few ideas of what to have happen (major events since with this group it's impossible to plan intricately). Lots of setting material to absorb and reorder in ways they can understand.

Origins was fun. Got a few games including "With Great Power" (from Incarnadine Press), "Hollow Earth Expeditions" (from Exite Games Studio) and "Federation Commander: Romulan Border" from Amarillo Design Bureau.

So my head is filled with shield strengths, warp speeds, turn radius, overloaded photon torpedoes and ship sheets as I reread the rules and relive my love for Star Fleet Battles from all those years ago.

Went back to karate two weeks ago. Friday and then Sunday were trying but I don't think I overdid it. I was sore for a few days but the back pain didn't return. Last week Friday got canceled because Yvonne won concert tickets and they were in St. Louis. Sunday was okay though. Tough workout and I wasn't up for much after it but it was still good. There was some talk about canceling tonight because Yvonne got a new job but Marlin was convinced by Bethany to hold class. But he's got some respiratory problems, the sinus infection that's going around, so we should watch him. The workout prolly won't be too bad.

There seems to be discussion of the next Ravenloft game being Sunday instead of next weekend. Apparently Andy is coming back from Chicago tomorrow instead of later. I had thought Sharon was also out of town but she's hasn't answered yet. And it seems John will be in Indianapolis. I thought GenCon was later in August ... goes off to look ... nope, 30 August to ... well it seems there's more one nowadays. Yea, later in August. But Brand said he'd be out of town. Must be something else.

But we're very close to the end and it's been a ton of fun.

The problem with wicked cool fun games like this is the sorrow and sadness when they're over. Two (or three? I forget) years later we're still lamenting Andy's Vampire Campaign. (Jeff made a way cool soundtrack for it a few months ago, Garrett made a "picture book" last year)

And Origins did reveal again that same old thing we find out. That our gaming group is tops and few can beat it. I played in a few games including;

With Great Power: This one was run by the designer's wife and she's an incredible GM. Late in the game I found myself playing my mid range cards in an effort to lose contests because the stakes she set for her victory were so much cooler than the lame things I came up with. And with Jeff, Garrett and two other guys (who were also good players it turned out) named Charles (both of them) we constructed a wicked cool comic book.
Terrorwerks: a live action shootout thing which was way cool in concept but a little lacking in execution. To be honest I wouldn't have wanted to be the guys running it, it looked exhausting and they ran it every hour and a half. They did a good job and I had fun but the other half of the group we ran it with (Jeff, Garrett, John, Jay, Brand and I were our half of the group) were pretty lame gamers. I was a tech (engineer) and ended up being eaten just as I was inserting two of the control rods to stop the reactor from going critical (John was the one who put the last rod in and won for us).
7th Sea: This was nearly the lamest game I played in. Ever. It was part of a continuing "living" campaign and should have been for people who knew how to play the game already. So we were at a disadvantage immediately. Plus some of the folks we played with were nearly the ultimate munchkin gamers (some were cool though). Plus the story was linear to the extreme and it wasn't a very "swashbuckling" adventure. Traps and tricks to figure out while nearly everyone had a hack-n-slash character (that's what I made). And I didn't get to sit next to Garrett and Jeff so it was even worse (no offline jokes between us).
Call of Cthulhu: Which is normally a lot of fun. The adventure sounded cool too, we were Japanese soldiers on a small island in the pacific in 1945. But it was linear and not much fun, although Jeff and Garrett made it tolerable. It was a way cool idea which started out well run and neat but ended up being a railroad with nearly no decisions by the players necessary or wanted. Jeff and I talked about how much better it could have been run later and that would have been a cool game.
Hollow Earth Expedition: This was just a demo but it was impressive enough to cause me to buy the game. And to tell John to pick up their next tidbit at GenCon when he goes. The fellow who designed the game ran us through a demo (thanks Jeff! you know all the cool kats).

So we, again, learn how great our group and it's games are by being exposed to what everyone else has to endure for role playing games. And we get tons of ideas for the next year's worth of games. Plus we see new games coming out.

So I need to make sure I get to either Origins or GenCon next year for sure.

Okay, the brain appears to be empty (or at least have more room now).

HAHAHAHAHA

2007-07-17T18:30:32Z

This is rich ...

Beckham an LA wannabe

"The heavily scripted show - which saw Victoria Beckham swilling champagne with frozen-faced Beverly Hills socialites, getting pulled over by police for bad driving and discussing her film star friends Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes - was slammed in the US media for its lack of substance."

I want to say "black_pot == black_kettle;" but some of the few people who read this won't get the joke (pot calling the kettle black).

A Reality TV Show with no content? No! Say it isn't so!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

::gasp::

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

::gasp::

::crawls across floor trying to get his breath back::

"The New York Post gave the show a zero-star review and described the 33-year-old as "relentlessly self-promoting" with "vapid, condescending behavior" in a show described as "an orgy of self-indulgence"."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

My meager efforts to become a Master of the Blatantly Obvious pale by comparison to the New York Post.

Given that description of Beckham's behavior I, too, would have predicted instant celebrity! How can you avoid the comparison to Paris, Lindsay and Britany. How could someone not endeavor to cash in on the apparent opportunity?

::gasp::
::gasp::
::gasp::

More shenanigans

2007-06-22T14:01:41Z

~~Is that how that word is spelled? (I don't use it much I guess)~~ (spell check took care of it)

Cheney Fighting Efforts to Monitor Classified Activities

These days his shenanigans only register a "figures" comment from me. It's so painfully obvious that this man isn't to be trusted with a six year olds lunch money much less anything important. When you mix this with his desire to not be held accountable for his actions (see a previous post) and his use of RNC email accounts to avoid the Presidential Records Act ... well if you don't get the picture then you truly deserve the screwing he's going to give you.

Facing an Enemy that Wields Kids as Weapons

This was a pretty chilling story. From a strictly military point of view in a Sun Tzu perspective they have a point. From one side, when a combatant has the will to identify and exploit a cultural weakness of this sort, overcoming them becomes orders-of-magnitude more difficult. From the other side, this combatant is obviously so Evil (capital on purpose) that all humans must band together to ensure their removal from the gene pool. Absolutely and without remorse. In a rabid dog sort of way.

Deputy AG Says His Testimony Was 'Incomplete'

The bozos that work over there now are making a mockery of the Department of "Justice". Sad. The pols need to be tossed out and control given back to the career law enforcement types. Until their reputation is repaired sufficiently for them to function.

More and more it seems like everyone the Republicans put into positions of power or trust are more concerned with keeping power rather than whatever their purpose is. But are democrats going to be any different?

Clashes between White House, Congress could get bumpy
Congressman: Cheney challenges classified oversight

WTF?

Not come in possession of classified information? What was the status of Valerie Plame working for the CIA? Popcorn?

I think we have a brand new definition for the phrase "lying sack of sh!t". Where's my dictionary?

Satisfied for now

2007-06-14T20:16:49Z

Libby must begin perjury prison sentence: judge

I'm satisfied that the judge is standing up to this. I'm also dismayed that all these "constitutional scholars" are jumping on his bandwagon to appeal that he remain free during his appeals process. While what he did isn't, in my opinion, quite as bad as what they were investigating, he did lie while under oath and if the judicial system allows that to happen and sets a tone for that kind of behavior then the whole system will become a farce (or perhaps I should say "even more of a farce").

Combine that with

Google Search

I can't bring myself to actually click on any of these but I didn't avoid managing to find out that she was released from jail after 3 days of her 45 day sentence. A "medical condition". Then when prosecutors and the judge found out and complained to the state prison system, they hastily recalled her back to prison. Her "acting agency" dropped her (I suppose I shouldn't pan the agency, from their perspective they'll cover anyone regardless of "talent", in our country today even the most moronic untalented "actors" can make big bucks, just look at this reality TV crap that floods the airwaves (like a backed up sewer)).

And between those two what could that leave the rest of the world thinking about the American Legal system?

Mostly Male

2007-06-13T20:54:15Z

Your Score: Masculine

You scored 66 masculinity and 33 femininity!

You scored high on masculinity and low on femininity. You have a traditionally masculine personality.

Link: The Bem Sex Role Inventory Test written by weirdscience on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Amazed

2007-05-17T21:43:54Z

I thought I had a definite image in my mind of the limits of human incompetency. That I knew, or had some inkling, just how badly people could screw things up if they had absolute no freaking clue what they were doing.

Apparently I was wrong. I stand amazed at the depths of corruption, incompetency and even malice. I figured that the republicans and Bush being in charge couldn't be that much more corrupt than democrats. I mean they're all politicians. Heck we even have a representative from Louisiana who keeps his bribe money in his freaking freezer (and is this a new definition for idiocy? or simply a new poster child for stupidity?).

Almost every day I hear more stories coming out about corruption and incompetency. NPR has a series about how badly the reconstruction in Iraq has been bungled.

Rebuilding Iraq: A Contract Goes Awry
What Went Wrong with the Rebuilding of Iraq?

Yesterday part one talked about shipping 12 billion dollars (billion) in $100 bills to Iraq. On pallets in bundles wrapped in cellophane. Just how smart is that? And they still have no idea where eight billion of it went. I think this is the definition of the phrase "What the fsck?". How is it that the folks responsible for this aren't in prison? And whose the genius who came up with the idea of the "no-bid" contract? How could they not see that it was a recipe for disaster?

To top things off, Mister Cheney thinks that he shouldn't be responsible for what he's done.

Immunity Sought for Cheney, Top Officials

We can hope the judge calls bullsh!t on this.

Odd Assortment

2007-04-26T15:47:29Z

Just for reference. This

My Coke Reward

has got to be the stupidest web site design. It's too flashy, got too much crap, too much eye candy (most of which will make your eyes hurt) as well as making your browser scream and thus become show as sh!t.

No, don't ask my why I'm collecting these coke codes, the few times I've gone to see what they have I could get with my 1100 points I haven't found crap worth crap. However I drink the stuff anyway. (and diet pepsi is just as craptastic)

And now they have an "unknown error" which prevents login. (hint: I'll tell you guys what your error is, you write poor code!)

This morning I heard on the radio more about the Office of Special Counsel and their investigation of the White House Political office.

White House Political Office Subject of Probe

It's heartening that the administration is being investigated but the leader of this office was appointed by Mister Bush. So I wonder how impartial he and his office can be. However it does indicate that he was confirmed by the Senate so at there's a little appearance of propriety.

We'll have to wait and see what the investigation reveals (ie, how much it appears to be covering up). Man I sound cynical!

So many stories are adding more and more shame to me (and perhaps others who have served in the Army).

Hill Panel Probes Army's Story on Tillman, Lynch

I had heard the other day that the rescue of Private Lynch had been delayed a day in order to arrange to have it filmed.

I never received any training on planning for propaganda in operations. Pity that seems to have changed. I wonder who our "Propaganda Minister" is?

Members of Military Make War Views Known

Not all the members of the military and keeping the "stiff upper lip". I don't know quite how I feel about that but then I haven't been deployed twice to a combat zone either.

And clear identification of goals and objectives by civilian leadership was a lesson supposedly learned after Vietnam. And after Grenada. And again after Bosnia. And again after Mogadishu. Hell, his dad even learned the lesson the first time we went to the sandbox.

How many more times do our politicians have to learn this lesson? And what of the generals who should be saying to them "what is our mission, sir(/madam)?".

"Me and the clipboard"

2007-04-24T15:04:29Z

Okay. I was wrong. Men do need to do the thinking about abortion so that they have an idea where they stand. This is why.

My Views on Abortion

I have no words for what this guy went through.

"Only now, my wife is so out of it, from blood loss, from the painkillers, that the doctor said she is no longer able to legally consent."

"Made worse by being a decision of either kill the baby or potentially watch both my wife and the baby die."

"It was my wife. And I didn't have exactly a lot of time to think about it. It was just me and the clipboard. An empty line there, marked for my signature."

Things got worse and they discovered that the baby was doomed.

"This was what went through my mind as I sat there, waiting to see if, after my baby died, my wife had died as well."

And he started thinking about the politicians. The pro-lifers (whom I call "forced pregnancy proponents"). Until they've been in this guys shoes they can shut the fsck up.

Another Firefly quiz

2007-04-20T13:22:45Z

Your results:
You are Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)

Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		75%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		70%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		60%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		60%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		50%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		50%
River (Stowaway)		45%
Wash (Ship Pilot)		45%
Alliance		35%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		25%
Inara Serra (Companion)		25%

Honest and a defender of the innocent. You sometimes make mistakes in judgment but you are generally good and would protect your crew from harm.

Click here to take the Serenity Personality Quiz

Evil by Inferance?

2007-04-03T21:08:22Z

I never really considers Mister Bush to be a Truly Evil man (like say, "Mister" Cheney is, shooting lawyers and all). He was certainly a few apples short a pie and not very articulate, but he seemed to be well-meaning in a moronic sort of way.

But at what point do you become Evil(tm) by allowing Evil to be perpetrated by those around you (or who work for you)? How much Evil does it take for that? How Evil does it make you?

I mean it's been clear for a long time (almost since the beginning) that his interests were in no way, shape or form related to that most people would think the American People's were (except that one or two percent who are corporate CEOs or multi-millionaires). Tax cuts for those who least need it, cuts in corporate taxes, easing of restrictions on corporations and now rewriting environmental policies (since rewriting the laws won't float at this point) so that more pollution can be dumped onto the planet.

Add that to torture, indefinite imprisonment, mutilated civil liberties and thousands dead in a war of choice. How can he not be considered Truly Evil?