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589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Guess I liked it... http://www.icongrill.net/promotion_winners.htm |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | CBS news urlLink article concerning the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by members of the US and British Army here's another urlLink link with more of the aforementioned photos; proceed with caution - these are not pretty. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | amusing; be sure to read the last line for some added fun urlLink Schwarzenegger: Stop making bobblehead dolls |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | read your email - listen to your phone messages! tomorrow night instead of tonight! dinner and movie! alert jason! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | NICK! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | hello from ohio! we arrived at the origins game con this past wednesday; if anyone's interested, i've been posting daily updates on my urlLink secret city blog. hope everyone is doing well; we will return this monday. woot! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I was reading a book full of odd trivia the other day. In it was a list of original movie endings versus what was released in the film. The one that blew me away was 'Blade Runner'. According to this book, which supposedly got its info from the producer or director (sorry, I never can keep who does what, but that is a different topic), Decker is replicant in both the released version and the original version. Where the hell did that come from? I have seen the movie at least a half dozen times, but have never thought that. Am I just way out in la-la land? [avoid the temptation on that one Mir ;) ] Did I miss something? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | So I have no gall bladder now. In order to remove it, I had to be inflicted with four small surgical stab wounds. Not pleasant. Luckily I have good babysitters. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | ...because not one of the options Ben mentioned for the Blog, past or present, are available in the view we Apple users are given. All we have are stupid drop-down arrows that we have to click on to read each post. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | ...for a new age. that, and i was bored with the old one. now everyone can see the members of the circle, in a handy list to the right. enterprising members (read: those with nothing better to do) might take the opportunity to create a profile for themselves. if you do, remember to utilize one of the following techniques: - vague, obscure information (in an attempt to look cool) - ridiculously detailed information (in an attempt to seem interesting) - wildly inaccurate information (in an attempt to be funny) you may have noticed that the links are gone. you may not care. they will return, or not... please let me know if you'd like them to. for those who tend to post hyperlinks reasonably often, please see me after class. shouldn't take any more than a few minutes. hope everyone is well. i love all of you, hurt by the cold. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Another urlLink violation of international law! Congratulations Bush Team! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | is do we want religion as a part of secular society? me - i personally don't. i think religion belongs in churches and in the home and not in the public forum. and i believe this simply because we are a country of diversity - you can believe whatever you want here so there's no way you can generalize religion enough so it appeals to everyone. but do i hate the richmond 'unity' tree. damn right i do. it's stupid not to call it a christmas tree. what, were we just suddenly inspired to put up a tree in december to represent our city unity? sheesh. at least call it the 'winter tree' or the 'holiday tree' or something. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | here's the straight dope on urlLink how long the power would stay on if urlLink zombies took over. even stranger, urlLink here's a positive review of michael moore's upcoming film urlLink fahrenheit 911 from fox news! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I would just as soon that the issue go away, but it won't. So, the court just ducked an issue that will be back. Why not just rule on it and get it over with? Now, I heard someone speculate that the reason they kicked it back was to smack the 9th Circuit on the hand for letting it get this far 'improperly'. I don't buy that. I was surprised when I saw the breakdown of the votes. I assumed that Scalia and Thomas would have been on the side of not hearing it (for fear of losing the case), but they (and someone else) basically said the case was without merit. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | John, Why is this particular issue so important to you? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I cannot believe the Supreme Court used a technicality to avoid hearing the case of 'Under God' in the pledge of allegiance. This needs to be resolved and will be back in front of the Court in the next year or two. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | samsung's urlLink olympic spirit urlLink for the JLS in your life urlLink potato chips as ad space urlLink wall street to shut down on friday in memory of reagan (interesting symbolism; check urlLink here for bernard sherman's take on 'reaganomics') and finally, urlLink real life superheroes, superheroines and supervillians (a must-read; many links to see, such last week's urlLink man creates armor-plated bulldozer to level his hometown ) |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink http://www.angryflower.com/limes.gif |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | From Ebert.... 'Films like 'The Chronicles of Riddick' gather about them cadres of fans who obsess about every smallest detail, but somehow I don't think 'Riddick' will make as many converts as 'The Matrix.' In fact, I owe an apology to fans of the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy. When Richard Roeper reviewed the current two-disc DVD of 'Lord of the Rings: Return of the King' on TV, I noted that a four-disc set of the movie was coming out later this year. He observed that the complete trilogy will come out on 'an accordion size set that will take up the next six years of your life.' I observed that 'LOTR' fans should 'get a life.' I meant this as an affectionate ironic throwaway, but have received dozens of wounded e-mails from Ring devotees who believe 'LOTR' has, indeed, given them a life, and after seeing 'The Chronicles of Riddick,' I agree. They have a life. The prospect of become an expert on 'Riddick,' in contrast, is too depressing to contemplate.' |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | check your email! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Is this also visible from the US? urlLink Live Images of the Transit of Venus 2004 |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | the whole article: urlLink http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23373-2004Jun7.html Memo Offered Justification for Use of Torture Justice Dept. Gave Advice in 2002 By Dana Priest and R. Jeffrey Smith Washington Post Staff Writers Tuesday, June 8, 2004; Page A01 In August 2002, the Justice Department advised the White House that torturing al Qaeda terrorists in captivity abroad 'may be justified,' and that international laws against torture 'may be unconstitutional if applied to interrogations' conducted in President Bush's war on terrorism, according to a newly obtained memo. If a government employee were to torture a suspect in captivity, 'he would be doing so in order to prevent further attacks on the United States by the Al Qaeda terrorist network,' said the memo, from the Justice Department's office of legal counsel, written in response to a CIA request for legal guidance. It added that arguments centering on 'necessity and self-defense could provide justifications that would eliminate any criminal liability' later. The memo seems to counter the pre-Sept. 11, 2001, assumption that U.S. government personnel would never be permitted to torture captives. It was offered after the CIA began detaining and interrogating suspected al Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the wake of the attacks, according to government officials familiar with the document. The legal reasoning in the 2002 memo, which covered treatment of al Qaeda detainees in CIA custody, was later used in a March 2003 report by Pentagon lawyers assessing interrogation rules governing the Defense Department's detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. At that time, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld had asked the lawyers to examine the logistical, policy and legal issues associated with interrogation techniques. Bush administration officials say flatly that, despite the discussion of legal issues in the two memos, it has abided by international conventions barring torture, and that detainees at Guantanamo and elsewhere have been treated humanely, except in the cases of abuse at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq for which seven military police soldiers have been charged. Still, the 2002 and 2003 memos reflect the Bush administration's desire to explore the limits on how far it could legally go in aggressively interrogating foreigners suspected of terrorism or of having information that could thwart future attacks. In the 2002 memo, written for the CIA and addressed to White House Counsel Alberto R. Gonzales, the Justice Department defined torture in a much narrower way, for example, than does the U.S. Army, which has historically carried out most wartime interrogations. In the Justice Department's view -- contained in a 50-page document signed by Assistant Attorney General Jay S. Bybee and obtained by The Washington Post -- inflicting moderate or fleeting pain does not necessarily constitute torture. Torture, the memo says, 'must be equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such as organ failure, impairment of bodily function, or even death.' By contrast, the Army's Field Manual 34-52, titled 'Intelligence Interrogations,' sets more restrictive rules. For example, the Army prohibits pain induced by chemicals or bondage; forcing an individual to stand, sit or kneel in abnormal positions for prolonged periods of time; and food deprivation. Under mental torture, the Army prohibits mock executions, sleep deprivation and chemically induced psychosis. Human rights groups expressed dismay at the Justice Department's legal reasoning yesterday. 'It is by leaps and bounds the worst thing I've seen since this whole Abu Ghraib scandal broke,' said Tom Malinowski of Human Rights Watch. 'It appears that what they were contemplating was the commission of war crimes and looking for ways to avoid legal accountability. The effect is to throw out years of military doctrine and standards on interrogations.' But a spokesman for the White House counsel's office said, 'The president directed the military to treat al Qaeda and Taliban humanely and consistent with the Geneva Conventions.' |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink which of the greek gods are you? urlLink miriam's result: Aphrodite/Eros * edited by admin b/c of formatting errors; original content is intact |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i am seriously bored out of my mind. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | is like a very, very good afterschool special. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | This is a bit of a long shot, but does anyone know anybody who might need somewhere to stay in London over July and August? I'm trying to fill my flat (apartment, sorry) while I'm over there getting Eva'd up. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i watched the speech last night and richard actually clapped at one point. i still believe al sharpton (yes, al sharpton - don't ridicule until you heard the speech or read the transcript) gave the best speech but kerry was inspiring and made me want to vote for him as opposed to just against w. i think the democrats can win this thing - but only if the electorate comes out in droves, everybody who has the right to vote is granted that right, there is no sudden terrorist attack to stop the election, or osama bin laden is suddenly captured november 1 and people are too naive to see the con game. i haven't given up on virginia - the democrats can win this state. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | my good friend john robinson asked me an excellent question about a month ago, on the road to ohio: 'ben, are you voting for john kerry, or just against george bush?' i replied, 'i'm voting against bush. i don't know kerry, but i know bush.' john, thank you for that question; but i've changed my mind as of last night. i'm voting for kerry, now, and have volunteered to work for his campaign here in virginia. We are here tonight because we love our country. We are proud of what America is and what it can become. My fellow Americans: we are here tonight united in one simple purpose: to make America stronger at home and respected in the world. A great American novelist wrote that you can't go home again. He could not have imagined this evening. Tonight, I am home. Home where my public life began and those who made it possible live. Home where our nation's history was written in blood, idealism, and hope. Home where my parents showed me the values of family, faith, and country. Thank you, all of you, for a welcome home I will never forget. I wish my parents could share this moment. They went to their rest in the last few years, but their example, their inspiration, their gift of open eyes, open mind, and endless world are bigger and more lasting than any words. I was born in Colorado, in Fitzsimmons Army Hospital, when my dad was a pilot in World War II. Now, I'm not one to read into things, but guess which wing of the hospital the maternity ward was in? I'm not making this up. I was born in the West Wing! My mother was the rock of our family as so many mothers are. She stayed up late to help me do my homework. She sat by my bed when I was sick, and she answered the questions of a child who, like all children, found the world full of wonders and mysteries. She was my den mother when I was a Cub Scout and she was so proud of her fifty year pin as a Girl Scout leader. She gave me her passion for the environment. She taught me to see trees as the cathedrals of nature. And by the power of her example, she showed me that we can and must finish the march toward full equality for all women in our country. My dad did the things that a boy remembers. He gave me my first model airplane, my first baseball mitt and my first bicycle. He also taught me that we are here for something bigger than ourselves; he lived out the responsibilities and sacrifices of the greatest generation to whom we owe so much. When I was a young man, he was in the State Department, stationed in Berlin when it and the world were divided between democracy and communism. I have unforgettable memories of being a kid mesmerized by the British, French, and American troops, each of them guarding their own part of the city, and Russians standing guard on the stark line separating East from West. On one occasion, I rode my bike into Soviet East Berlin. And when I proudly told my dad, he promptly grounded me. But what I learned has stayed with me for a lifetime. I saw how different life was on different sides of the same city. I saw the fear in the eyes of people who were not free. I saw the gratitude of people toward the United States for all that we had done. I felt goose bumps as I got off a military train and heard the Army band strike up 'Stars and Stripes Forever.' I learned what it meant to be America at our best. I learned the pride of our freedom. And I am determined now to restore that pride to all who look to America. Mine were greatest generation parents. And as I thank them, we all join together to thank that whole generation for making America strong, for winning World War II, winning the Cold War, and for the great gift of service which brought America fifty years of peace and prosperity. My parents inspired me to serve, and when I was a junior in high school, John Kennedy called my generation to service. It was the beginning of a great journey a time to march for civil rights, for voting rights, for the environment, for women, and for peace. We believed we could change the world. And you know what? We did. But we're not finished. The journey isn't complete. The march isn't over. The promise isn't perfected. Tonight, we're setting out again. And together, we're going to write the next great chapter of America's story. We have it in our power to change the world again. But only if we're true to our ideals and that starts by telling the truth to the American people. That is my first pledge to you tonight. As President, I will restore trust and credibility to the White House. I ask you to judge me by my record: As a young prosecutor, I fought for victim's rights and made prosecuting violence against women a priority. When I came to the Senate, I broke with many in my own party to vote for a balanced budget, because I thought it was the right thing to do. I fought to put a 100,000 cops on the street. And then I reached across the aisle to work with John McCain, to find the truth about our POW's and missing in action, and to finally make peace with Vietnam. I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war. I will have a Vice President who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a Secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States. My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime. The stakes are high. We are a nation at war a global war on terror against an enemy unlike any we have ever known before. And here at home, wages are falling, health care costs are rising, and our great middle class is shrinking. People are working weekends; they're working two jobs, three jobs, and they're still not getting ahead. We're told that outsourcing jobs is good for America. We're told that new jobs that pay $9,000 less than the jobs that have been lost is the best we can do. They say this is the best economy we've ever had. And they say that anyone who thinks otherwise is a pessimist. Well, here is our answer: There is nothing more pessimistic than saying America can't do better. We can do better and we will. We're the optimists. For us, this is a country of the future. We're the can do people. And let's not forget what we did in the 1990s. We balanced the budget. We paid down the debt. We created 23 million new jobs. We lifted millions out of poverty and we lifted the standard of living for the middle class. We just need to believe in ourselves and we can do it again. So tonight, in the city where America's freedom began, only a few blocks from where the sons and daughters of liberty gave birth to our nation here tonight, on behalf of a new birth of freedom on behalf of the middle class who deserve a champion, and those struggling to join it who deserve a fair shot for the brave men and women in uniform who risk their lives every day and the families who pray for their return for all those who believe our best days are ahead of us for all of you with great faith in the American people, I accept your nomination for President of the United States. I am proud that at my side will be a running mate whose life is the story of the American dream and who's worked every day to make that dream real for all Americans Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. And his wonderful wife Elizabeth and their family. This son of a mill worker is ready to lead and next January, Americans will be proud to have a fighter for the middle class to succeed Dick Cheney as Vice President of the United States. And what can I say about Teresa? She has the strongest moral compass of anyone I know. She's down to earth, nurturing, courageous, wise and smart. She speaks her mind and she speaks the truth, and I love her for that, too. And that's why America will embrace her as the next First Lady of the United States. For Teresa and me, no matter what the future holds or the past has given us, nothing will ever mean as much as our children. We love them not just for who they are and what they've become, but for being themselves, making us laugh, holding our feet to the fire, and never letting me get away with anything. Thank you, Andre, Alex, Chris, Vanessa, and John. And in this journey, I am accompanied by an extraordinary band of brothers led by that American hero, a patriot named Max Cleland. Our band of brothers doesn't march together because of who we are as veterans, but because of what we learned as soldiers. We fought for this nation because we loved it and we came back with the deep belief that every day is extra. We may be a little older now, we may be a little grayer, but we still know how to fight for our country. And standing with us in that fight are those who shared with me the long season of the primary campaign: Carol Moseley Braun, General Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt, Bob Graham, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Lieberman and Al Sharpton. To all of you, I say thank you for teaching me and testing me but mostly, we say thank you for standing up for our country and giving us the unity to move America forward. My fellow Americans, the world tonight is very different from the world of four years ago. But I believe the American people are more than equal to the challenge. Remember the hours after September 11th, when we came together as one to answer the attack against our homeland. We drew strength when our firefighters ran up the stairs and risked their lives, so that others might live. When rescuers rushed into smoke and fire at the Pentagon. When the men and women of Flight 93 sacrificed themselves to save our nation's Capitol. When flags were hanging from front porches all across America, and strangers became friends. It was the worst day we have ever seen, but it brought out the best in all of us. I am proud that after September 11th all our people rallied to President Bush's call for unity to meet the danger. There were no Democrats. There were no Republicans. There were only Americans. How we wish it had stayed that way. Now I know there are those who criticize me for seeing complexities and I do because some issues just aren't all that simple. Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so. Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesnt make it so. And proclaiming mission accomplished certainly doesn't make it so. As President, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence. I will immediately reform the intelligence system so policy is guided by facts, and facts are never distorted by politics. And as President, I will bring back this nation's time-honored tradition: the United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to. I know what kids go through when they are carrying an M-16 in a dangerous place and they can't tell friend from foe. I know what they go through when they're out on patrol at night and they don't know what's coming around the next bend. I know what it's like to write letters home telling your family that everything's all right when you're not sure that's true. As President, I will wage this war with the lessons I learned in war. Before you go to battle, you have to be able to look a parent in the eye and truthfully say: 'I tried everything possible to avoid sending your son or daughter into harm's way. But we had no choice. We had to protect the American people, fundamental American values from a threat that was real and imminent.' So lesson one, this is the only justification for going to war. And on my first day in office, I will send a message to every man and woman in our armed forces: You will never be asked to fight a war without a plan to win the peace. I know what we have to do in Iraq. We need a President who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side and share the burden, reduce the cost to American taxpayers, and reduce the risk to American soldiers. That's the right way to get the job done and bring our troops home. Here is the reality: that won't happen until we have a president who restores America's respect and leadership -- so we don't have to go it alone in the world. And we need to rebuild our alliances, so we can get the terrorists before they get us. I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as President. Let there be no mistake: I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security. And I will build a stronger American military. We will add 40,000 active duty troops not in Iraq, but to strengthen American forces that are now overstretched, overextended, and under pressure. We will double our special forces to conduct anti-terrorist operations. We will provide our troops with the newest weapons and technology to save their lives and win the battle. And we will end the backdoor draft of National Guard and reservists. To all who serve in our armed forces today, I say, help is on the way. As President, I will fight a smarter, more effective war on terror. We will deploy every tool in our arsenal: our economic as well as our military might; our principles as well as our firepower. In these dangerous days there is a right way and a wrong way to be strong. Strength is more than tough words. After decades of experience in national security, I know the reach of our power and I know the power of our ideals. We need to make America once again a beacon in the world. We need to be looked up to and not just feared. We need to lead a global effort against nuclear proliferation to keep the most dangerous weapons in the world out of the most dangerous hands in the world. We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances. And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win. The future doesn't belong to fear; it belongs to freedom. And the front lines of this battle are not just far away they're right here on our shores, at our airports, and potentially in any town or city. Today, our national security begins with homeland security. The 9-11 Commission has given us a path to follow, endorsed by Democrats, Republicans, and the 9-11 families. As President, I will not evade or equivocate; I will immediately implement the recommendations of that commission. We shouldn't be letting ninety-five percent of container ships come into our ports without ever being physically inspected. We shouldn't be leaving our nuclear and chemical plants without enough protection. And we shouldn't be opening firehouses in Baghdad and closing them down in the United States of America. And tonight, we have an important message for those who question the patriotism of Americans who offer a better direction for our country. Before wrapping themselves in the flag and shutting their eyes and ears to the truth, they should remember what America is really all about. They should remember the great idea of freedom for which so many have given their lives. Our purpose now is to reclaim democracy itself. We are here to affirm that when Americans stand up and speak their minds and say America can do better, that is not a challenge to patriotism; it is the heart and soul of patriotism. You see that flag up there. We call her Old Glory. The stars and stripes forever. I fought under that flag, as did so many of you here and all across our country. That flag flew from the gun turret right behind my head. It was shot through and through and tattered, but it never ceased to wave in the wind. It draped the caskets of men I served with and friends I grew up with. For us, that flag is the most powerful symbol of who we are and what we believe in. Our strength. Our diversity. Our love of country. All that makes America both great and good. That flag doesn't belong to any president. It doesn't belong to any ideology and it doesn't belong to any political party. It belongs to all the American people. My fellow citizens, elections are about choices. And choices are about values. In the end, it's not just policies and programs that matter; the president who sits at that desk must be guided by principle. For four years, we've heard a lot of talk about values. But values spoken without actions taken are just slogans. Values are not just words. They're what we live by. They're about the causes we champion and the people we fight for. And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families. You don't value families by kicking kids out of after school programs and taking cops off our streets, so that Enron can get another tax break. We believe in the family value of caring for our children and protecting the neighborhoods where they walk and play. And that is the choice in this election. You don't value families by denying real prescription drug coverage to seniors, so big drug companies can get another windfall. We believe in the family value expressed in one of the oldest Commandments: 'Honor thy father and thy mother.' As President, I will not privatize Social Security. I will not cut benefits. And together, we will make sure that senior citizens never have to cut their pills in half because they can't afford life-saving medicine. And that is the choice in this election. You don't value families if you force them to take up a collection to buy body armor for a son or daughter in the service, if you deny veterans health care, or if you tell middle class families to wait for a tax cut, so that the wealthiest among us can get even more. We believe in the value of doing what's right for everyone in the American family. And that is the choice in this election. We believe that what matters most is not narrow appeals masquerading as values, but the shared values that show the true face of America. Not narrow appeals that divide us, but shared values that unite us. Family and faith. Hard work and responsibility. Opportunity for all so that every child, every parent, every worker has an equal shot at living up to their God-given potential. What does it mean in America today when Dave McCune, a steel worker I met in Canton, Ohio, saw his job sent overseas and the equipment in his factory literally unbolted, crated up, and shipped thousands of miles away along with that job? What does it mean when workers I've met had to train their foreign replacements? America can do better. So tonight we say: help is on the way. What does it mean when Mary Ann Knowles, a woman with breast cancer I met in New Hampshire, had to keep working day after day right through her chemotherapy, no matter how sick she felt, because she was terrified of losing her family's health insurance. America can do better. And help is on the way. What does it mean when Deborah Kromins from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania works and saves all her life only to find out that her pension has disappeared into thin air and the executive who looted it has bailed out on a golden parachute? America can do better. And help is on the way. What does it mean when twenty five percent of the children in Harlem have asthma because of air pollution? America can do better. And help is on the way. What does it mean when people are huddled in blankets in the cold, sleeping in Lafayette Park on the doorstep of the White House itself and the number of families living in poverty has risen by three million in the last four years? America can do better. And help is on the way. And so we come here tonight to ask: Where is the conscience of our country? I'll tell you where it is: it's in rural and small town America; it's in urban neighborhoods and suburban main streets; it's alive in the people I've met in every part of this land. It's bursting in the hearts of Americans who are determined to give our country back its values and its truth. We value jobs that pay you more not less than you earned before. We value jobs where, when you put in a week's work, you can actually pay your bills, provide for your children, and lift up the quality of your life. We value an America where the middle class is not being squeezed, but doing better. So here is our economic plan to build a stronger America: First, new incentives to revitalize manufacturing. Second, investment in technology and innovation that will create the good-paying jobs of the future. Third, close the tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping our jobs overseas. Instead, we will reward companies that create and keep good paying jobs where they belong in the good old U.S.A. We value an America that exports products, not jobs and we believe American workers should never have to subsidize the loss of their own job. Next, we will trade and compete in the world. But our plan calls for a fair playing field because if you give the American worker a fair playing field, there's nobody in the world the American worker can't compete against. And we're going to return to fiscal responsibility because it is the foundation of our economic strength. Our plan will cut the deficit in half in four years by ending tax giveaways that are nothing more than corporate welfare and will make government live by the rule that every family has to follow: pay as you go. And let me tell you what we won't do: we won't raise taxes on the middle class. You've heard a lot of false charges about this in recent months. So let me say straight out what I will do as President: I will cut middle class taxes. I will reduce the tax burden on small business. And I will roll back the tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals who make over $200,000 a year, so we can invest in job creation, health care and education. Our education plan for a stronger America sets high standards and demands accountability from parents, teachers, and schools. It provides for smaller class sizes and treats teachers like the professionals they are. And it gives a tax credit to families for each and every year of college. When I was a prosecutor, I met young kids who were in trouble, abandoned by adults. And as President, I am determined that we stop being a nation content to spend $50,000 a year to keep a young person in prison for the rest of their life when we could invest $10,000 to give them Head Start, Early Start, Smart Start, the best possible start in life. And we value health care that's affordable and accessible for all Americans. Since 2000, four million people have lost their health insurance. Millions more are struggling to afford it. You know what's happening. Your premiums, your co-payments, your deductibles have all gone through the roof. Our health care plan for a stronger America cracks down on the waste, greed, and abuse in our health care system and will save families up to $1,000 a year on their premiums. You'll get to pick your own doctor and patients and doctors, not insurance company bureaucrats, will make medical decisions. Under our plan, Medicare will negotiate lower drug prices for seniors. And all Americans will be able to buy less expensive prescription drugs from countries like Canada. The story of people struggling for health care is the story of so many Americans. But you know what, it's not the story of senators and members of Congress. Because we give ourselves great health care and you get the bill. Well, I'm here to say, your family's health care is just as important as any politician's in Washington, D.C. And when I'm President, America will stop being the only advanced nation in the world which fails to understand that health care is not a privilege for the wealthy, the connected, and the elected it is a right for all Americans. We value an America that controls its own destiny because it's finally and forever independent of Mideast oil. What does it mean for our economy and our national security when we only have three percent of the world's oil reserves, yet we rely on foreign countries for fifty-three percent of what we consume? I want an America that relies on its own ingenuity and innovation not the Saudi royal family. And our energy plan for a stronger America will invest in new technologies and alternative fuels and the cars of the future -- so that no young American in uniform will ever be held hostage to our dependence on oil from the Middle East. I've told you about our plans for the economy, for education, for health care, for energy independence. I want you to know more about them. So now I'm going to say something that Franklin Roosevelt could never have said in his acceptance speech: go to johnkerry.com. I want to address these next words directly to President George W. Bush: In the weeks ahead, let's be optimists, not just opponents. Let's build unity in the American family, not angry division. Let's honor this nation's diversity; let's respect one another; and let's never misuse for political purposes the most precious document in American history, the Constitution of the United States. My friends, the high road may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And that's why Republicans and Democrats must make this election a contest of big ideas, not small-minded attacks. This is our time to reject the kind of politics calculated to divide race from race, group from group, region from region. Maybe some just see us divided into red states and blue states, but I see us as one America red, white, and blue. And when I am President, the government I lead will enlist people of talent, Republicans as well as Democrats, to find the common ground so that no one who has something to contribute will be left on the sidelines. And let me say it plainly: in that cause, and in this campaign, we welcome people of faith. America is not us and them. I think of what Ron Reagan said of his father a few weeks ago, and I want to say this to you tonight: I don't wear my own faith on my sleeve. But faith has given me values and hope to live by, from Vietnam to this day, from Sunday to Sunday. I don't want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side. And whatever our faith, one belief should bind us all: The measure of our character is our willingness to give of ourselves for others and for our country. These aren't Democratic values. These aren't Republican values. They're American values. We believe in them. They're who we are. And if we honor them, if we believe in ourselves, we can build an America that's stronger at home and respected in the world. So much promise stretches before us. Americans have always reached for the impossible, looked to the next horizon, and asked: What if? Two young bicycle mechanics from Dayton asked what if this airplane could take off at Kitty Hawk? It did that and changed the world forever. A young president asked what if we could go to the moon in ten years? And now we're exploring the solar system and the stars themselves. A young generation of entrepreneurs asked, what if we could take all the information in a library and put it on a little chip the size of a fingernail? We did and that too changed the world forever. And now it's our time to ask: What if? What if we find a breakthrough to cure Parkinson's, diabetes, Alzheimer's and AIDs? What if we have a president who believes in science, so we can unleash the wonders of discovery like stem cell research to treat illness and save millions of lives? What if we do what adults should do and make sure all our children are safe in the afternoons after school? And what if we have a leadership that's as good as the American dream so that bigotry and hatred never again steal the hope and future of any American? I learned a lot about these values on that gunboat patrolling the Mekong Delta with young Americans who came from places as different as Iowa and Oregon, Arkansas, Florida and California. No one cared where we went to school. No one cared about our race or our backgrounds. We were literally all in the same boat. We looked out, one for the other and we still do. That is the kind of America I will lead as President an America where we are all in the same boat. Never has there been a more urgent moment for Americans to step up and define ourselves. I will work my heart out. But, my fellow citizens, the outcome is in your hands more than mine. It is time to reach for the next dream. It is time to look to the next horizon. For America, the hope is there. The sun is rising. Our best days are still to come. Goodnight, God bless you, and God bless America. urlLink johnkerry.com |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | from the new republic, july 8 [as previously blogged]: ... a third source, an official who works under ISI's director, Lieutenant General Ehsan ul-Haq, informed tnr that the Pakistanis 'have been told at every level that apprehension or killing of HVTs before [the] election is [an] absolute must.' What's more, this source claims that Bush administration officials have told their Pakistani counterparts they have a date in mind for announcing this achievement: 'The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [ul-Haq's] meetings in Washington.' Says McCormack: 'I'm aware of no such comment.' But according to this ISI official, a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that 'it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July' - the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. what happens today? 'Security forces have captured a high-level al Qaeda operative in a raid in central Pakistan, Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat said.' judge for yourself. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | about elizabeth edwards - she does kind of look like ben's mom. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | ...but if they're gay then watch out! urlLink stem cell research |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I remember the comic convention in '82 ('83?) where I saw posters for 'Revenge of the Jedi.' Dad wouldn't buy one. Soon after the title was changed. What those posters are worth now.... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Episode III has been officially named 'Revenge of the Sith.' I guess it is okay for the sith to have revenge but not the jedi. Only 10 months to one of the least anticipated moves in history (or at least since Gigli) |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink pie chart of empty supervillian threats |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I saw this on the Today Show this morning. It is hysterical and slams both candidates equally. Well worth the few minutes it takes to load. urlLink http://www.jibjab.com |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: LAW ENFORCEMENT:I was arrested in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1976 for driving under the influence of alcohol. I pled guilty, paid a fine, and had my driver's license suspended for 30 days. My Texas driving record has been 'lost' and is not available. MILITARY:I joined the Texas Air National Guard and went AWOL. I refused to take a drug test or answer any questions about my drug use. By joining the Texas Air National Guard, I was able to avoid combat duty in Vietnam. COLLEGE:I graduated from Yale University with a low C average. I was a cheerleader. PAST WORK EXPERIENCE:I ran for U.S. Congress and lost. I began my career in the oil business in Midland, Texas, in 1975. I bought an oil company, but couldn't find any oil in Texas. I bought the Texas Rangers baseball team in a sweetheart deal that took land using taxpayer money. With the help of my father and our right-wing friends in the oil industry (including Enron CEO Ken Lay), I was elected governor of Texas. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS GOVERNOR OF TEXAS:I changed Texas pollution laws to favor power and oil companies, making Texas the most polluted state in the Union. During my tenure, Houston replaced Los Angeles as the most smog-ridden city in America. I cut taxes and bankrupted the Texas treasury to the tune of billions in borrowed money. I set the record for the most executions by any governor in American history. With the help of my brother, the governor of Florida, and my father's appointments to the SupremeCourt, I became President after losing by over 500,000 votes. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AS PRESIDENT:I am the first President in U.S. history to enter office with acriminal record. I invaded and occupied two countries at a continuing cost of over one billion dollars per week. ECONOMY:I spent the U.S. surplus and effectively bankrupted the U.S. Treasury. I shattered the record for the largest annual deficit in U.S. history. I set an economic record for most private bankruptcies filed in any 12-month period. I set the all-time record for most foreclosures in a 12-month period. I set the all-time record for the biggest drop in the history of the U.S. stock market.In my first year in office, over 2 million Americans lost their jobs and that trend has continued for the majority of my time in office. CABINET: I'm proud that the members of my cabinet are the richest of any administration in U.S. history. My 'poorest millionaire,' Condoleeza Rice, has a Chevron oil tanker named after her. I set the record for most campaign fund-raising trips by a U.S. President. I am the all-time U.S. and world record-holder for receiving the most corporate campaign donations. PRIVILEGE: My largest lifetime campaign contributor, and one of mybest friends, Kenneth Lay, presided over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. history, Enron. My political party used Enron private jets and corporate attorneys to assure my success with the U.S. Supreme Court during my election decision. I have protected myfriends at Enron and Halliburton against investigation or prosecution. More time and money was spent investigating the Monica Lewinsky affair than has been spent investigating one of the biggest corporate rip-offs in history. CORRUPTION:I presided over the biggest energy crisis in U.S. historyand refused to intervene when corruption involving the oil industry was revealed. I presided over the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history. I changed the U.S. policy to allow convicted criminals to be awarded government contracts. I appointed more convicted criminals to administration than any President in U.S. history. FOREIGN RELATIONS: I created the Ministry of Homeland Security, the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government. I've broken more international treaties than any President in U.S. history. I am the first President in U.S. history to have the United Nations remove the U.S. from the Human Rights Commission. I withdrew the U.S. from the World Court of Law. I refused to allow inspectors access to U.S. 'prisoners of war' detainees and thereby have refused to abide by the Geneva Convention. I am the first President in history to refuse United Nations election inspectors (during the 2002 U.S. election). ACCESS:I set the record for fewest number of press conferences of any President since the advent of television. I set the all-time record for most days on vacation in any one-year period. After taking off the entire month of August, I resided over the worst security failure in U.S. history. WORLD IMAGE: I garnered the most sympathy for the U.S. after the World Trade Center attacks and less than a year later made the U.S. the most hated country in the world, the largest failure of diplomacy in world history. I have set the all-time record for most people worldwideto simultaneously protest me in public venues (15 million people), shattering the record for protest against any person in the history of mankind. I am the first President in U.S. history to order an unprovoked, pre-emptive attack and the military occupation of a sovereign nation. I did so against the will of the United Nations, the majority of U.S. citizens, and the world community. I have cut health care benefits for war veterans and support a cut in duty benefits foractive duty troops and their families -- in wartime. MILITARY INTELLIGENCE: In my State of the Union Address, I lied about our reasons for attacking Iraq, then blamed the lies on our British friends. I am the first President in history to have a majority of Europeans (71%) view my presidency as the biggest threat to world peace and security. I am supporting development of a nuclear 'Tactical Bunker Buster,' a WMD. I have so far failedto fulfill my pledge to bring Osama Bin Laden to justice. RECORDS AND REFERENCES: All records of my tenure as governor of Texas are now in my father's library, sealed and unavailable for public view. All records of SEC investigations into my insider trading and my bankrupt companies are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public view. All records or minutes from meetings that I, or my Vice-President, attended regarding public energy policy are sealed in secrecy and unavailable for public review. PLEASE CONSIDER MY EXPERIENCE WHEN VOTING IN 2004. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | John -- Given that if I die her options in life greatly diminish -- and given that others with similar conditions do not have access to the benefits that I can provide, albeit with difficulty -- I will opt for affordable. That said, I don't consider the two goals (affordability and high quality) necessarily to be mutually exclusive -- but that, as with most things, is a matter of individual conclusions drawn from the available data. And yes, I do indeed subscribe to a number of absolutes -- while accepting that acting on those absolutes is not entirely effective in all cases, despite the times when I do anyway. They're also subject not only to change, but to wide variation based on past and future conditions. I try to adapt and accept that any given conclusion I form may be wrong, but I don't often succeed. The curse of consciousness: the only universe I will ever truly know is the one I perceive, physically, mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. If anything is a recipe for godhood, that's it. Fraught with unseen dangers, human consciousness is. That said, I wish there was a Republican I could vote for. But conservative ideology has replaced judgment; guiding principles have become a careening, unthinking thrillride. I'd say the same of a Democrat if such was the case; but so far, Kerry has not alarmed me. Perhaps he will. To be fair, very likely he will. We left the altruistic politician (of any ideology) far behind some 200+ years ago (if he or she ever existed at all). Until either party stops trying to stir its base into a frothy frenzy, the only option available to me is to do my part to keep the pendulum from swinging too far either way. This administration has swung it too far, too fast. Any party could have done it. The pendulum's arc needs to be tempered. Lacking a leader I can trust, I will opt for tempering until something better comes along. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i don't like the comments section - i think it makes it harder to keep up with threads because you have to look at each post and see if it has any comments attached to it. me don't like. and yes, i agree with ben about blade runner. didn't notice it at first either john but it's very cool when you realize it. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Johnathan - On the healthcare issue, assuming that the two are mutually exclusive (and I certainly do not believe that are and hope they are not), which would you prefer to have - high quality or affordable healthcare? As for absolutes, I think you (collective) have to have them to make decisions. You either think something is right or wrong. You believe something or you don't. You think something is true or false. I would bet that you (Johnathan) have more absolutes than realize, and that they help you form your outlook on life and opinion of things. I think a strong leader has to see the world in absolutes, or else they are not strong. Whether you agree with that leader is a reflection of your personal absolutes and how they compare with his (or hers). |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | look urlLink here for confirmation on the 'missing buttons' issue, if you're one of our mac bloggers. for others who may be interested - here's a comparision, taken from the publishing side of blogger, under the 'posting' and 'create' tabs, respectively: windows users see this. mac users see this; no HTML hotkeys, just spellcheck. perhaps a future version of blogger will resolve this issue... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I will vote for the candidate who will bring my country closer to providing affordable health care for my wife. As a secondary value, I am unable to accept an individual, group, or nation striking first in any scenario. On these I am currently unbendable, though I willingly acknowledge the danger of absolutes. I am at peace with the paradox. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Luc -- People vote for the individual who will most likely represent what they value. If it is impossible to imagine someone who might legitimately value a different thing than you, then most likely you perceive a universe of absolutes. Thus, in a matter of speaking, you are a believer. Which brings us back to your previous posting, which compared a believer to one who is drunk. So perhaps you cannot fathom someone voting for Bush because you're drunk. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I will ask you the similar question. Why would anyone vote for John Kerry? I'm not asking why you hate George Bush, but why should I consider voting for Kerry? I have not seen many people excited about voting for him. I have seen plenty of people seething with hatred toward a man who has led us through a recession, terrorist attack, and massive corporate scandals, to the point that the Federal Reserve had to raise interest rates to 'cool down the economy' (on a side note, I never have understood that reasoning). I know plenty of people who hate him because he says what he believes and he does (or trys to do) what he says. I asked Ben that question and got the very honest answer that he really wasn't voting for Kerry but against Bush. I am probably in the same boat, on the opposite side. I am a conservative. I am for small government. I believe that people are the answer to problems, not government. I am probably more Libertarian than Republican, but until the Libertarians get off the 'legalize pot' argument as their primary campaign issue, I'll have to settle for the Republicans. Don't misuderstand me, I think pot should be legalized and regualted, but they make a major PR gaff by making that their primary issue. George Bush has disappointed me in many ways. He has introduced some radically liberal, big government, social programs that I disagree with. But, he has many more of my values than John Kerry. In fact, I think that I only share one value with John Kerry - we both like living/breathing (as versus being dead). Add to that the fact the he will not make a stand on an issue (i.e. waffling back and forth), then I have no respect for him at all. I also like the hypocrisy of the talk of the 'Two Americas', considering his wealth and his running mates wealth. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Because...if you don't vote for Bush, you hate freedom. Duh! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Labor-backed group says new revisions to work rules will still mean lost overtime for millions July 14, 2004: 2:00 PM EDT NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Revised changes to overtime rules proposed by the Bush administration will still fail to protect overtime pay for 6 million workers, according to a new study. you can read the article urlLink here . honestly, and i really want to know, why would anyone vote for Bush? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | an excellent urlLink interview with Ralph Nader. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | site looks very cool. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | ...still has a urlLink blog , you geeks. log on and post, damn you! ideally, the link to this site and other will return when i get around to recreating the 'links' section of this blog. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | is it wrong to be insulted if your significant other calls you a pet name that they have called other people? not the generic honey or sweetie type of thing - i.e. i called my ex-boyfriend, 'snickerbuns' and then i start calling my current boyfriend 'snickerbuns' - and he finds out that this moniker has been used before - does he have a right to be offended and ask that i no longer call him that? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | on the heels of the recent star trek convention, i discovered this; urlLink Stovokor , a band of Klingons who urlLink play heavy metal . heee. googling about for other trek-themed rock bands will prove fruitful. there are a number of them. you have been warned. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact than a drunken man is happier than a sober one. -George Bernard Shaw, writer, Nobel laureate (1856-1950) |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | concerning HVTs, or 'high value targets' such as Osama Bin Laden and other Al Qaeda operatives: ...Pakistani security officials have been told they must produce HVTs (high-value targets) by the election. According to one source in Pakistan's powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), 'The Pakistani government is really desperate and wants to flush out bin Laden and his associates after the latest pressures from the U.S. administration to deliver before the [upcoming] U.S. elections.' Introducing target dates for Al Qaeda captures is a new twist in U.S.-Pakistani counterterrorism relations - according to a recently departed intelligence official, 'no timetable[s]' were discussed in 2002 or 2003 - but the November election is apparently bringing a new deadline pressure to the hunt. Another official, this one from the Pakistani Interior Ministry, which is responsible for internal security, explains, 'The Musharraf government has a history of rescuing the Bush administration. They now want Musharraf to bail them out when they are facing hard times in the coming elections.' (These sources insisted on remaining anonymous. Under Pakistan's Official Secrets Act, an official leaking information to the press can be imprisoned for up to ten years.) A third source, an official who works under ISI's director, Lieutenant General Ehsan ul-Haq, informed tnr that the Pakistanis 'have been told at every level that apprehension or killing of HVTs before [the] election is [an] absolute must.' What's more, this source claims that Bush administration officials have told their Pakistani counterparts they have a date in mind for announcing this achievement: 'The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [ul-Haq's] meetings in Washington.' Says McCormack: 'I'm aware of no such comment.' But according to this ISI official, a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that 'it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July' - the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston. read the rest of the article urlLink here . concerning reports of Iraqi children being held in U.S. detention centers: 'According to information from the International Red Cross, more than a 100 children are imprisoned in Iraq, including in the infamous prison Abu Ghraib. The German TV magazine 'Report' revealed that there has been abuse of children and youth by the coalition forces. Mainz - 'Between January and May of this year we've registered 107 children, during 19 visits in 6 different detention locations' the representative of the International Red Cross, Florian Westphal, told the TV station SWR's Magazine 'Report Mainz'. He noted that these were places of detention controlled by coalition troops. According to Westphal the number of children held captive could be even higher.' read the rest of the article urlLink here , and tom tomorrow's commentary and additional information urlLink here . |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | that's it. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | 'A Bush appointee to the newly created urlLink 'Election Assistance Commission' is concerned that there are no guidelines for canceling or rescheduling elections in the event of a terrorist attack.' or? i'd like to think that was a misprint. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Nick, I hope you're kidding when you ask if anyone was there...being that Joriel and Jason are in the bottom picture. Silly head. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | A friend forwarded me this. Was anyone there? Oh, and what's a 'freeper'? I'm assuming 'helocopter' is just a typo - or a vehicle that greets everyone? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | 'who?' you may ask. the vets on here know of whom i speak; allen went to high school with me, and later we worked on the entertainment staff at KD. he's been a member of the Circle since the beginning, but hasn't posted in almost 2 years, and no one's seen him for the most part. anyway, i ran into him yesterday afternoon at the state capitol, where a urlLink protest had been organized against a ban on same-sex unions. allen is moving to williamsburg at the end of the summer, and planning on getting an MBA at william and mary. so now you know. and with this knowledge, you can take wing... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | gorgeous yesterday! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | ...to convince me that he's a clueless dunce. His urlLink response when asked what he thought of the final report from the 9/11 commission: 'It reads like a mystery, a novel. It's well written,' Bush told The Associated Press in a brief interview just outside his home in Crawford. Asked what he was gleaning from the report, he said, 'I'm gleaning that was a well-thought-out plot by the enemy.' yeah, is suppose it did, george. i'm sure it was chock full of twist and turns and surprises for you concerning the events that led up to the september attacks of 2001. must have something to do with you being on vacation for over 40% of that time period, rather than GOING TO WORK AND DOING YOUR FUCKING JOB. and i don't want to hear any whiny, tit-for-tat crap about how Clinton should have done a better job in regards to terrorism. HE'S NOT PRESIDENT ANYMORE. bush IS. bush is responsible for what happened on his watch. if he'd focused on terrorism and al-quaeda at least as much as his predecessor (or at all, for that matter), and the september attacks had happened anyway, maybe i would've cut him some slack. but we'll never know, and i find his performance on this issue completely unsatisfactory. anyone who doesn't (no matter what else we may disagree on regarding bush) is maintaining a interpretation of the facts that apparently my tiny brain can simply not manage. or you're simply biased; whichever. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | ...he's the only candidate likely to help out folks like our own angie, re: urlLink medicinal marijuana . currently, the only way one can legally get pot for medical use (such as in cases of terminal illness and/or intractable pain) is to live in one of nine urlLink states : Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon or Washington. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | a serious urlLink security bungle on the part of the US; 'outing' a mole within al quaeda. this person is a computer expert who was working with the Pakistani government, providing valuable intel for them concerning the members and movements of al quaeda. this is the 'high visibility terrorist', an individual named Mohammad Naeem Noor Khan, whose capture in early july was not reported until the last day of the DNC; the information gained from him was part of the Bush admin's reasoning for last week's 'orange level' alert, but the timing was regrettable for several reasons... from the article: 'Security experts contacted by Reuters said they were shocked by the revelations that the source whose information led to the alert was identified within days, and that U.S. officials had confirmed his name. 'The whole thing smacks of either incompetence or worse,' said Tim Ripley, a security expert who writes for Jane's Defense publications. 'You have to ask: what are they doing compromising a deep mole within al Qaeda, when it's so difficult to get these guys in there in the first place? 'It goes against all the rules of counter-espionage, counter-terrorism, running agents and so forth. It's not exactly cloak and dagger undercover work if it's on the front pages every time there's a development, is it?' you can read the rest of the article urlLink here . oh, and the prime minister of Iraq has urlLink shut down Al-Jazeera in Baghdad. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | an interesting urlLink article concerning the prohibition of vehicles weighing over 6000 pounds on certain streets of cities in California (for which every SUV qualifies). makes me wonder if cities in other states have such laws on the books; richard, any thoughts? this might be an interesting assignment. i feel like i've seen similar signs in Richmond, but i couldn't swear to it... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Wow. The war on terror means my compatriots urlLink can no longer smile . |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | for the republican con: urlLink http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0431/travsd.php |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink Anti-Kerry vet retracts criticism |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink Hairy Pop-Tart-eatin' corporate shill |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Ay-yi-yi: urlLink Scrabble Scrapple Why can't this guy be president?: urlLink McCain defends Kerry's war record |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | But is there a cure? From an honest-to-god, real, not-from-The-Onion urlLink Philadelphia Inquirer article about how the GOP are pursuing the all-important Amish vote: 'We hate that abortion issue,' said Sam Stolztfus, 60, an Amish farmer and gazebo maker in Lancaster County, where an estimated 27,000 Amish live. 'We're totally against it. And as far as gay issues, that's completely contrary to the Bible.' The bearded Stolztfus proudly says the Amish are 'sort of swept up with Bush fever.' Democrats have all but ceded the Amish vote to Republicans. 'If I know Republicans and their grass-roots operations, they'll spend most of their time trying to phone bank the Amish,' said Kerry spokesman Mark Nevins. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | this site urlLink http://www.chickenpoop.com/ |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | OK, so Bush's soldiers torture naked prisoners and now Kerry's got to go out and prove what a big warrior he is by urlLink shooting an unarmed teen in the back . When is this going to end? ... Wait. You mean these are just lies in a crappy book funded by the Bush attack machine? Who would have guessed! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Any of you seen this yet? urlLink whitehousewest.com It's a hilarious short film starring Will Ferrell as Dubya, showing 'outtakes' from his campaign ads filmed on the ranch in Crawford, Texas. Oh, and if you are one of the few remaining people in America who know how to use the Internet and don't get the JibJab reference, go here: urlLink JibJab Personally, funny though it is, it sounds too much like urlLink Jar Jar to me ... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | ...via the nagging reality of the urlLink electoral college . |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | this topic has certainly gotten a lot of press over the last year or so; however, urlLink this is the most conclusive and comprehensive article i've read so far. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | yum! urlLink yum ! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | it's not popular to stand up for the rights of prisoners, but urlLink here it is. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | My children need wine! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | 'It has been months since the now-infamous urlLink photographs from Abu Ghraib revealed that American soldiers tortured Iraqi prisoners - yet the Bush administration has failed to get to the bottom of the abuses. 'There are some serious unanswered questions,' says Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican on the Armed Services Committee. The Pentagon is stalling on several investigations, and congressional inquiries have ground to a halt. The foot-dragging is astonishing, given that Congress has access to classified documents detailing the abuses outlined by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba in his report on Abu Ghraib. Rolling Stone obtained those files in June and offers this report on their contents. The new classified military documents offer a chilling picture of what happened at Abu Ghraib - including detailed reports that U.S. troops and translators sodomized and raped Iraqi prisoners. The secret files - 106 'annexes' that the Defense Department withheld from the Taguba report last spring - include nearly 6,000 pages of internal Army memos and e-mails, reports on prison riots and escapes, and sworn statements by soldiers, officers, private contractors and detainees. The files depict a prison in complete chaos. Prisoners were fed bug-infested food and forced to live in squalid conditions; detainees and U.S. soldiers alike were killed and wounded in nightly mortar attacks; and loyalists of Saddam Hussein served as guards in the facility, apparently smuggling weapons to prisoners inside.' read the rest of the article urlLink here . i'd warn you in advance about the graphic content, but it should hardly surprise anyone at this point. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | what the fuck is up with those goti brothers? they have exactly the same stupid haircut and exactly the same pose - and why do i care? but it just really, really bugs me. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | ...or a hoax? if it's the latter, somebody has entirely too much time and skill on their hands. urlLink ROTJ mod this seems like a good place to mention that the abbreviation for the next film is ROTS. not a good sign. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | 'We declared war on terrorits not even a noun, so, good luck. After we defeat it, Im sure well take on that bastard ennui.' Jon Stewart |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Mir has informed me that my earlier posting was crude. I was really going for disturbing, so my apologies for not going far enough. Nah -- sorry for lowering the discussion. Just trying to be a little funny with my first post. Now maybe I won't have to sleep on the sofa tonight, Richard |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | This is my virgin post, so I thought I'd get things off to a rousing start. Thanks for the invite, Ben. Anybody seen the news about the new politically charged film coming out from Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of 'South Park'? Slated for theatrical release two weeks before the November election, 'Team America' is a spoof on the war on terrorism starring ... puppets! Puppets, man! (Mir should love this.) It looks like it will skewer those on both sides of the aisle, from Bush and Cheney to Kerry and Michael Moore ... taking no prisoners! LOL urlLink teamamericamovie.com urlLink drudgereport story urlLink Ain't It Cool Story Rico ... suave! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | same feed from before, but this one was much easier to confirm; it's a far cry from her urlLink point of view just four years ago... urlLink Nancy Reagan to Bush: 'We Don't Support Your Re-Election' The widow of former President, and Republican icon, Ronald Reagan has told the GOP she wants nothing to do with their upcoming national convention or the re-election campaign of President George W. Bush. Nancy Reagan turned down numerous invitations to appear at the Republican National Convention and has warned the Bush campaign she will not tolerate any use of her or her late husbands words or images in the Presidents re-election effort. Mrs. Reagan does not support President Bushs re-election and neither to most members of the Presidents family, says a spokesman for the former First Lady... ...The Reagans split with Bush and the party centers around stem cell research which many believe can help find a cure for Alzheimers, the disease that crippled President Reagan in his final years. Bush and the ultra-conservative wing of the Republican Party oppose use of new stem cells. The Reagans, with the exception of Michael [Reagan], support such use. Theres more to the feud than that, however. Nancy Reagan has told close followers she believes Bush and the current Republican leadership have divided America with their extreme views. She has told Republican leaders she wants nothing to do with the party or Bush. During the week of Reagans funeral, the former First Lady went ballistic when she learned the Bush campaign was test marketing new ads that used Reagans photos and speeches in an effort to show he supported Bush and his re-election. She personally called Republican Party Chief Ed Gillespie to demand the ads be destroyed. read the rest of this article urlLink here ; the 'missing' bit from what i posted here concerns the adopted Reagan son Michael, who does indeed support Bush. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i'm still running this story down, to find out if there's truth to it (yes, i recognize that the feed is quite biased). as it is, it sounds more like a mean-spirited 'Onion' article than anything else; but then, these are strange days. if anyone finds something solid one way or another, please comment immediately! urlLink Sullen, Depressed President Retreats Into Private, Paranoid World A sullen President George W. Bush is withdrawing more and more from aides and senior staff, retreating into a private, paranoid world where only the ardent loyalists are welcome. Cabinet officials, senior White House aides and leaders on Capitol Hill complain privately about the increasing lack of 'face time' with the President and campaign advisors are worried the depressed President may not be up to the rigors of a tough re-election campaign. 'Yes, there are concerns,' a top Republican political advisor admitted privately Wednesday. 'The George W. Bush we see today is not the same, gregarious, back-slapping President of old. He's moody, distrustful and withdrawn.' Bush's erratic behavior and sharp mood swings led White House physician Col. Richard J. Tubb to put the President on powerful anti-depressant drugs after he stormed off stage rather than answer reporters' questions about his relationship with indicted Enron executive Kenneth J. Lay, but White House insiders say the strong, prescription medications seem to increase Bush's sullen behavior towards those around him. 'This is a President known for his ability to charm people one-on-one,' says a staff member to House Speaker Dennis J. Hastert. 'Not any more.' read the rest of this frightening article urlLink here . |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 21,May,2004 | You know, the music teacher at my kid's elementary school is a dear, dear woman, but I question her thinking sometimes. Yesterday afternoon I spent almost an hour with my wife, two youngest boys, my daughter, my mother-in-law, and probably 100 other kids and family members watching a school music program in a church parking lot, in 90 degree weather, cooking like a steak on the asphalt of the parking lot. Now, this morning, I'm being aggravated by the sunburn I aquired. To top it off, I cooked out last night for my father-in-law's birthday and didn't have a chance to shower last night or this morning(okay, I could have showered this morning if I'd pulled my lazy butt out of bed early enough), so I smell like a bar-b-que. Oh well, I guess it could be worse, I could just stink. |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 20,May,2004 | Here are the contest particulars... Beginning Monday morning, 5/24, there will be a voucher hidden somewhere in the Clovis area that you need to find and bring to the KKYC studios at 10th and Sycamore to redeem for the pair of Shania Twain tickets. Beginning Monday morning we'll begin giving clues to the location of the voucher. At the end of each day I will post the day's clue here. The person who finds the voucher and brings it to the studio will win a pair of 15th row tickets to Shania Twain June 26th in Lubbock. Good hunting!! |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 19,May,2004 | Yes, today is the day advocated in an e-mail making the rounds to boycott and don't buy any gas. My thought is that only hurts the little guy here in Clovis who owns the stores(okay, maybe not Allsups). My thought is if you DO plan to not buy gas today as a protest, still stop in the local convenience stores and buy a drink or a bag of chips or something. Don't punish a store owner that is just as much at the mercy of the supplier as we are, maybe even more so. What do you think? |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 18,May,2004 | Hey, got acouple pair of tix to the Merle/Wille show in Roswell July 3rd. Giving them away this morning. |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 18,May,2004 | Been a long day, gonna pack it in and head to Casa Daniels. Maybe I can get more than 4 hours of sleep tonight. Just found out that there are Van Halen tix still available for the Lubbock show in September, and they're cheaper than I was told they would be. Maybe I can still get the wife to go, but she said she'd go if I went with her to see Jessica Simpson in Lubbock in July. Is the trade worth it? I think so, may be the final chance to see the VH boys. |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 17,May,2004 | Here is the URL for the link to the Cicada recipes... Let me know if you have a favorite...http://www.urhome.umd.edu/newsdesk/pdf/cicada%20recipes.pdf |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 17,May,2004 | Well, overslept this AM, but got the day back on track. Typing is tough this morning because I'm injured. Took a line-drive off the pinky finger playing softball last night and now I'm whining about it. I'm a whiner, what can I say? WAAAAA! I'm posting this here first, before it makes it on the air...Listen starting Thursday morning at 7:20 and I'll start giving the details on our contest for the Shania Twain concert tickets. And don't be surprised if I post those details here BEFORE then. |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 17,May,2004 | I want to welcome everyone to my blog. Who am I? Well, since you are here you probably know who I am, but just in case you blundered in by accident, here goes. I'm Joe Daniels, and I am the Operations Manager for KKYC-FM and KICA-AM & FM in Clovis, New Mexico. I'm also the morning dude on KKYC and the afternoon dude on KICA-FM. I have an incredibly tolerant wife and 4 beautiful children that are my entire life. I also have an Associates Degree in Web Technologies from Clovis Community College, as well as a General Studies Associates from CCC. And I am seriouly considering going to law school in the future. Or becoming a greeter at Wal-Mart, I haven't quite decided. |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 28,May,2004 | Here is the clue for Friday in the 'Search For Shania': 'Off the beaten path' So, all the clues together now: 1)North of the BNSF 2)Rest a minute 3)Smell the flowers 4)Flashing lights 5)Off the beaten path If you have been looking for the voucher, leave me a comment and let me know where you have looked. I'm curious to know what ideas you're getting from these clues, and how cold of hot you all are. Also, we will not give new clues over the weekend. We'll start giving more new clues on Monday. Bet someone finds it this week. |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 27,May,2004 | You know, I'm not a fan of the Buffaloes or their head football coach Gary Barnett. He's a putz on a good day. At best he's an insensitive jerk, and at worst he knows about and has condoned rape. He should have been fired for the insensitive comments he made about the rape accusations made by 9 women, and the rape allegations levelled by Katie Hnida, who tried to be a kicker for the Buffaloes, and eventually transfered to UNM and became the first woman to score in a men's Division I football game. If you don't know what I'm talking about, when told about alegations by Hnida made in a Sports Illustrated article that she had been raped by a teammate while at Colorado, Barnett said, 'Well, she wasn't much of a player anyway'. Colorado got a blackeye in all this, and then yesterday poked their eye out by reinstating Barnett. Barnett stayed because he usually wins. Who wants to bet if the team goes 3-8 or 2-9 this season, Barnett is looking for a new job? And even sadder, who wants to bet he's not looking long? |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 27,May,2004 | No winner yet...the 'Search For Shania' continues...Adding clue #4 to the list... 1)North of the BNSF 2)Rest a minute 3)Smell the flowers 4)Flashing lights Clue 5 is on the way Friday morning between 6 and 10... |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 27,May,2004 | Sorry I'm a little late with this post. Dealing with a sick child last night. Think the antibiotic is starting to work, though. He has strep throat, by the way. Anyhoo, here is clue #3 in the 'Search For Shania': 'Smell the flowers' So, thus far we have: 1) North of the BNSF 2) Rest a minute 3) Smell the flowers Clue #4 is on the way this morning between 6 and 10. Stay tuned, same bat time, smae bat channel.... |
3,367,100 | male | 39 | Communications-Media | Libra | 26,May,2004 | Why do we pronounce Wednesday with a silent 'd'? Anyway, apologies for being late this morning. Was getting ready about 5:35 when the wife called out to me and said Zachary, our almost 2 yeaqr old, was burning up. He's had to fever induced seizures since last October, and the one in March left him in the hospital for a week, so as you might imagine, the thought of any fever at all kinda freaks us out. So, I stayed until I was pretty sure he was ok. We think he was just real hot because he slept all night wrapped up in his favorite goosedown blanket. Probably not the blanket he needs to use during the hotter part of the year huh? Search For Shania clue #3 on the way before 10. |
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