Tuesday, July 31, 2007
A tour de farce
By Creature
The vice president's media tour continued tonight with a trip to Larry King's desk. Between reading the Petraeous tea leaves--"significant progress" is likely to be reported--cheerleading a convicted Libby--"he still has a very difficult road"--embracing a lying attorney general--"Al's a good man, good friend, and in a difficult assignment"--and doing a bit of lying himself--he had no recollection of sending Gonzales on his sick-bed visit--the vice president managed to smear a sitting senator with the classic aiding the enemy charge.
All in a days work for a man who occupies his own branch of government [an argument revived by the VP in yesterday's CBS interview] and is accountable to no one.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
The vice president's media tour continued tonight with a trip to Larry King's desk. Between reading the Petraeous tea leaves--"significant progress" is likely to be reported--cheerleading a convicted Libby--"he still has a very difficult road"--embracing a lying attorney general--"Al's a good man, good friend, and in a difficult assignment"--and doing a bit of lying himself--he had no recollection of sending Gonzales on his sick-bed visit--the vice president managed to smear a sitting senator with the classic aiding the enemy charge.
All in a days work for a man who occupies his own branch of government [an argument revived by the VP in yesterday's CBS interview] and is accountable to no one.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
How is Congress doing?
By Carol Gee
Headline: "Democrats push domestic front" - The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate are about to leave for an August recess. Juan Cole reports that the Iraqi Parliament is also on vacation. Josephine Hearn, writing for Politico.com (7/29/07) provided a rather good story on what is currently happening in our Congress. To quote from the story following my opening headline,
Headline: "Critics claim ethics bill watered down." Even though many newly elected lawmakers were swept into office in 2006 on a wave of "throw the rascals out" voter sentiment, it is hard for Congress to discipline itself. Chris Frates at Politico.com writes (on 7/30/07) in more detail about pending ethics reform legislation. To quote,
Former lawmakers' opinions about how Congress is doing - Former leading Texas Democrat Martin Frost was a well respected member of Congress until he got caught in the DeLay Texas redistricting machinations of 2006. Martin Frost's Congressional leadership assessment should matter more to thinking people than Tom DeLay's*. DeLay was dismissed in disgrace. Now about all Delay can manage is a few appearances on TV's (unthinking) political shows and a little blog. Politico.com carried recent guest columns by both men (7/23/07). Texas Rep Frost opined that Democratic leaders have been remarkably successful "under difficult circumstances." The headline reads - "Frost: Pelosi, Reid deserve high marks." To quote some Frost specifics:
*Tom DeLay writes (on 7/23/07) at Politico.com that the "Democratic Congress is a failure." I include this quote only to "remain fair and balanced:"
My own congressional report card contains mostly grades of "B" (for domestic legislation), and "C" (for the war in Iraq), as well as an occasional "A" (for leadership tactics). On this I agree with my former Congressman, Martin Frost.
(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)
Headline: "Democrats push domestic front" - The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate are about to leave for an August recess. Juan Cole reports that the Iraqi Parliament is also on vacation. Josephine Hearn, writing for Politico.com (7/29/07) provided a rather good story on what is currently happening in our Congress. To quote from the story following my opening headline,After a spring and early summer dominated by the Iraq war, congressional Democrats are at last pounding out accomplishments on the domestic front, hoping to boost dismal approval ratings for Congress and avoid a “do-nothing” label as they head into the August recess.
Last week’s achievements in agriculture, lobbying reform and homeland security will give Democrats something positive to bring up with voters during the month-long break. . . . The lobbying bill negotiated last week requires news disclosure of fundraising activities while the anti-terrorism bill passed Friday enacts many recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.
. . . The week ahead will see another flurry of activity, with plans for Democrats to expand children’s health insurance and pass energy and defense bills. . . On other bills, though, Democrats adopted a bipartisan approach to speed legislation through Congress. The anti-terrorism bill passed the House on a bipartisan vote of 371 to 40 after Democrats dropped provisions that would have drawn the ire of Republicans, including one allowing collective bargaining by Transportation Security Administration screeners.
Headline: Republican corruption investigated - Today brings another (not surprising) Republican lawmaker scandal. I have to admit I can find little sympathy for the Senator's problems. Yahoo! News/AP's Dan Joling headlined, "FBI, IRS search home of Senator Ted Stevens" (8/31/07).
Federal agents searched the home of U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens on Monday, focusing on records related to his relationship with an oil field services contractor jailed in a public corruption investigation, a law enforcement official said.
. . . The Justice Department's probe into Allen's relationships has led to charges against state lawmakers and contractors. Last year, FBI raids on the offices of several Alaska lawmakers included Stevens' son, former Alaska Senate President Ben Stevens.
Headline: "Critics claim ethics bill watered down." Even though many newly elected lawmakers were swept into office in 2006 on a wave of "throw the rascals out" voter sentiment, it is hard for Congress to discipline itself. Chris Frates at Politico.com writes (on 7/30/07) in more detail about pending ethics reform legislation. To quote,
Drawing particular scrutiny were two provisions that would force lawmakers to disclose their requested earmarks and their lobbyist bundlers.
Lawmakers changed the earmark disclosure process and raised the threshold from $5,000 to $15,000 for reporting campaign contributions raised by lobbyists.
. . . Though hurdles remain, passage of the legislation also could provide a big credibility boost for a congressional majority at least as unpopular with voters as President Bush.
. . . Senate Democrats complained that DeMint's obstruction forced them to rewrite the bill with the House.
Former lawmakers' opinions about how Congress is doing - Former leading Texas Democrat Martin Frost was a well respected member of Congress until he got caught in the DeLay Texas redistricting machinations of 2006. Martin Frost's Congressional leadership assessment should matter more to thinking people than Tom DeLay's*. DeLay was dismissed in disgrace. Now about all Delay can manage is a few appearances on TV's (unthinking) political shows and a little blog. Politico.com carried recent guest columns by both men (7/23/07). Texas Rep Frost opined that Democratic leaders have been remarkably successful "under difficult circumstances." The headline reads - "Frost: Pelosi, Reid deserve high marks." To quote some Frost specifics:
The deadlock over immigration was a Republican failure, plain and simple. To describe it any other way is demagoguery in the greatest Tom DeLay tradition.
. . . bringing an end to our involvement in Iraq. Pelosi and Reid have skillfully handled this issue so that it is now clear to the public that the only thing standing in the way of an orderly change in policy is an incredibly blind and wrong-headed president. . . . Instead, Pelosi and Reid kept their respective caucuses united in favor of a series of benchmarks and deadlines for ultimate U.S. withdrawal. . . . now the stage is set for a real showdown in September over war funding.
Given the Democrats' small majorities in both the Senate and the House, the party leadership's handling of this explosive issue has been masterful and "just right."
. . . They kept the heat on until the president finally accepted a significant increase in the minimum wage . . . Congress passed a budget resolution for the next fiscal year on time this spring . . . on time. . . And both houses passed significant ethical reforms.
. . . Democrats in the Senate have already passed significant energy legislation, and hopefully the House will soon follow suit. Democratic leaders also are making progress on legislation reauthorizing "No Child Left Behind" and our nation's farm support programs.
None of this has been easy, but Reid and Pelosi deserve high marks for their first six months in office.
*Tom DeLay writes (on 7/23/07) at Politico.com that the "Democratic Congress is a failure." I include this quote only to "remain fair and balanced:"
In sum, the style, substance and management of the new Democrat majority has been an abject failure. The leaders do not lead. The back-benchers do not follow. They have no unified agenda. They espouse no underlying principles. It's a good thing their presidential candidates are having such substantive debates.
My own congressional report card contains mostly grades of "B" (for domestic legislation), and "C" (for the war in Iraq), as well as an occasional "A" (for leadership tactics). On this I agree with my former Congressman, Martin Frost.
(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)
Quote of the Day
By Creature
Even if the war had gone exactly according to plan, the neocons' grand vision of regional transformation had about as much chance of success as throwing a hand grenade into a printing press and it spitting out a copy of "Hamlet." - Gary Kamiya on War, chaos and Bush's faith
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
Even if the war had gone exactly according to plan, the neocons' grand vision of regional transformation had about as much chance of success as throwing a hand grenade into a printing press and it spitting out a copy of "Hamlet." - Gary Kamiya on War, chaos and Bush's faith
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
SCARLETT JOHANSON- TO STAR AS JENNA JAMESON ?
Scarlett Johansson Picked To Play Jenna Jameson
Hollywood beauty Scarlett Johansson has landed the lead role in the x-rated biopic of the world's biggest porn star. The 22-year-old was personally picked by Jenna Jameson to chart her transformation from ballet dancer to stripper, before making it big in the adult film industry.
Jameson says of her casting, "I tapped up Scarlett for the part and I'm very excited about the film.
"It was my decision not to play the role because I've lived that tale already and anyone can play themselves."
The movie will be based on Jameson's bestselling autobiography, How To Make Love Like A Porn Star.
LOOKS LIKE THIS WAS JUST A RUMOR!
JOE PESCI ENGAGED TO ANGIE EVERHART
FUNNY? DO I MAKE YOU LAUGH AM I SOME KIND OF CLOWN FOR YOUR AMUSEMENT? WHAT WAY AM I FUNNY? WHAT THE F*CK IS SO FUNNY ABOUT ME ???
Joe Pesci To Wed Angie Everhart
Joe Pesci and Sylvester Stallone's ex Angie Everhart have become Hollywood's oddest couple after becoming engaged in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Tough guy Pesci, 64, proposed to leggy model/actress Everhart, 37, during a weekend getaway - after deciding the couple's seven-year-old friendship should move up to the next level. Insiders claim the couple is now planning a spring wedding.
Pesci has been married three times before, while flame-haired Everhart has romanced Stallone and Prince Albert of Monaco, among others. She was briefly married to George Hamilton's son Ashley.
Joe Pesci To Wed Angie Everhart
Joe Pesci and Sylvester Stallone's ex Angie Everhart have become Hollywood's oddest couple after becoming engaged in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Tough guy Pesci, 64, proposed to leggy model/actress Everhart, 37, during a weekend getaway - after deciding the couple's seven-year-old friendship should move up to the next level. Insiders claim the couple is now planning a spring wedding.
Pesci has been married three times before, while flame-haired Everhart has romanced Stallone and Prince Albert of Monaco, among others. She was briefly married to George Hamilton's son Ashley.
REPUBLICANS SHUN "YOUTUBE" DEABTE
WELL, WHO WANT TO ANSWER A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS FROM "BOOTY SHAKING" TEENAGERS ANYWAY?
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The CNN-YouTube debate featuring the Republican presidential candidates could be delayed after at least two contenders said they won't be able to make it to Florida on September 17.
Although a decision might not be made for several days, it's becoming increasingly likely that the debate will be moved in order to accommodate the candidates. Only three -- Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson -- have committed to the event. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have said that they can't make the current date for the debate, which will be held at the Mahaffey Theatre in St. Petersburg, Fla.
"We're still in discussions with the campaigns to resolve scheduling issues," CNN Washington bureau chief David Borman said.
It's a change from CNN's first debate using YouTube video, which was held this month in Charleston, S.C. The Democratic National Committee's approval made it mandatory for all of the party's candidates to attend. That isn't the case for the Republican candidates, who are campaigning nationwide as the primary season ramps up.
CNN has been trying to work with the candidates to find an appropriate time for the debate, which features video questions of less than 30 seconds directed to either one candidate or all of them. The Democrats' debate included two hours of questions picked from 2,000 entries on YouTube.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) - The CNN-YouTube debate featuring the Republican presidential candidates could be delayed after at least two contenders said they won't be able to make it to Florida on September 17.
Although a decision might not be made for several days, it's becoming increasingly likely that the debate will be moved in order to accommodate the candidates. Only three -- Texas Rep. Ron Paul, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson -- have committed to the event. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney have said that they can't make the current date for the debate, which will be held at the Mahaffey Theatre in St. Petersburg, Fla.
"We're still in discussions with the campaigns to resolve scheduling issues," CNN Washington bureau chief David Borman said.
It's a change from CNN's first debate using YouTube video, which was held this month in Charleston, S.C. The Democratic National Committee's approval made it mandatory for all of the party's candidates to attend. That isn't the case for the Republican candidates, who are campaigning nationwide as the primary season ramps up.
CNN has been trying to work with the candidates to find an appropriate time for the debate, which features video questions of less than 30 seconds directed to either one candidate or all of them. The Democrats' debate included two hours of questions picked from 2,000 entries on YouTube.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Monday, July 30, 2007
The Toy Commandments
By Vivek Krishnamurthy
A new toy Moses doll. Didn't he say something about graven images?
****
The BBC has a great story about a new line of faith-based toys that's about to hit Wal-Mart. One2Believe Toys is launching its new "Tales of Glory" line of action figures, featuring Samson and Goliath action figures, a Moses doll accompanied by a story book, and a 12-inch high talking Jesus doll. As company founder David Socha explained to BBC News, "If you go in a toy aisle in any major retailer, you will see toys and dolls that promote and glorify evil, destruction, lying, cheating." Surely this is why a Goliath doll was included in the range. As of blog posting time, the company's theologians have not yet concluded their due-diligence review of whether the toys constitute "graven images" or "false idols," in violation of the First and SecondAmendments to the United States Constitution Commandments of the Holy Bible.
A new toy Moses doll. Didn't he say something about graven images?****
The BBC has a great story about a new line of faith-based toys that's about to hit Wal-Mart. One2Believe Toys is launching its new "Tales of Glory" line of action figures, featuring Samson and Goliath action figures, a Moses doll accompanied by a story book, and a 12-inch high talking Jesus doll. As company founder David Socha explained to BBC News, "If you go in a toy aisle in any major retailer, you will see toys and dolls that promote and glorify evil, destruction, lying, cheating." Surely this is why a Goliath doll was included in the range. As of blog posting time, the company's theologians have not yet concluded their due-diligence review of whether the toys constitute "graven images" or "false idols," in violation of the First and Second
Myth busting at NASA
By Carol Gee
(NASA Image: "Comet Buster")
NASA on collision course with scandal - An expose broke last week that breaks the hearts of "space junkies" like me and my friend, Capt. Fogg at The Reaction. Every time a similar NASA story appears another part of the "heroic space astronauts" myth gets peeled away. Details of the story were well-covered by CBS News (on 7/27/07). The lurid headline and associated info laid it all out: "Panel Finds Space Disgrace: Drunk Astros Report Says NASA Officials Twice Knew Crew Members Were Intoxicated, Let Them Fly Anyway." Quoting from the story,
Southwest news views - The hometown of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is Houston, Texas. Their paper is the Houston Chronicle. Reading feature stories is a useful way to assess just how much Houston's space community is shaken by the facts of the story. The question is what the leadership of that proud community does to reconcile old myths and current reality. Linked below are a few interesting sidebar pieces probably not found elsewhere:
Russian space program statement - A few days later, a CBS News (7/29/07) report predictably maintains the myth, "Russia Denies Drunk Astronaut Report. Official Rejects Report That Russian Astronaut Was Drunk Aboard Soyuz Space Flight." To quote,
Back in the Southwest a possible fix for the problem turned up in the Dallas Morning News. Here is my idea for something that might work in the high tech world of space sobriety, though it does not exactly go with the mythology of gritty space explorers: On Saturday (7/28/07) this headline appeared: "New celeb trend: ankle alcohol monitors . Lohan's bracelet isn't just for show." To quote,
Space Travel is a magnificent human adventure. At its best it is courageous, heroic, selfless and ennobling. At their best people in the space program travel on behalf of humankind. Their discoveries add to the progress of science, and offer inspiration to young and old alike. I conclude this post with the following story. It is much more in line with what I prefer to be blogging about, more like what Mondays should be in Texas. It is from C/Net News (7/30/07), and is titled, "How to land a spacecraft on an asteroid." To quote,
The important truth to ascertain is whether it is still safe to fly. That is always the central question for me in the midst of these revelations. The space program is challenged to confront reality while honoring those who have died in the service of space exploration, myths and all.
(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)
(NASA Image: "Comet Buster")NASA on collision course with scandal - An expose broke last week that breaks the hearts of "space junkies" like me and my friend, Capt. Fogg at The Reaction. Every time a similar NASA story appears another part of the "heroic space astronauts" myth gets peeled away. Details of the story were well-covered by CBS News (on 7/27/07). The lurid headline and associated info laid it all out: "Panel Finds Space Disgrace: Drunk Astros Report Says NASA Officials Twice Knew Crew Members Were Intoxicated, Let Them Fly Anyway." Quoting from the story,
. . . Deputy Administrator Shana Dale said the panel provided no details and did not verify the troubling revelations and promised the space agency would pursue the truth.
"I've covered the space program for over 20 years, and I have to believe these are isolated incidents," says CBS News space analyst Bill Harwood. "I’ve never heard even a whisper of this kind of behavior during a shuttle launch countdown, and certainly not a case of an inebriated astronaut actually getting on a space shuttle."
He adds, "The problem here is that this report is based on unverified allegations, and until NASA can go carry out the kind of extensive review needed to pin this down, it's really impossible to say whether they are widespread or isolated."
Southwest news views - The hometown of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is Houston, Texas. Their paper is the Houston Chronicle. Reading feature stories is a useful way to assess just how much Houston's space community is shaken by the facts of the story. The question is what the leadership of that proud community does to reconcile old myths and current reality. Linked below are a few interesting sidebar pieces probably not found elsewhere:
- July 26, 2007, 11:59PM - How much would being impaired hurt a launch?
- July 27, 2007, 11:02AM - NASA's hangover won't easily go away
- July 27, 2007, 1:14AM - Owner at NASA hangout doubts fliers were drunk
Russia is a NASA's partner in space. One wonders what the Russians think about this report. The Russian "official" news view can routinely be found at RIA Novosti. This source reports that, "U.S. space shuttle launch to go ahead as planned - NASA expert" (15:32 27/ 07/ 2007 MOSCOW). I quote news story elements related to both scandal issues,
The launch of space shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station (ISS) will go ahead as scheduled on August 7, and will not be delayed due to earlier reported sabotage, a NASA expert in Russia said Friday.
. . . The reported act of sabotage is not the only incident that is tainting NASA' image, Aviation Week & Space Technology international aviation weekly said Thursday, that a NASA medical panel had established U.S. astronauts flew while heavily intoxicated on at least two occasions.
The weekly, which obtained the panel's findings, said "flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so intoxicated that they posed a flight-safety risk."
The launch of the NASA STS-118 mission is targeted for August 7. It will be the 22nd flight to the International Space Station (ISS) and the first flight for Endeavour since 2002.
Russian space program statement - A few days later, a CBS News (7/29/07) report predictably maintains the myth, "Russia Denies Drunk Astronaut Report. Official Rejects Report That Russian Astronaut Was Drunk Aboard Soyuz Space Flight." To quote,
"We categorically deny the possibility that this could have happened at Baikonur," Igor Panarin, spokesman for the Russian Space Agency, Roskosmos, told The Associated Press. "In the days at Baikonur before the launch, this is absolutely impossible. They are constantly watched by medics and psychiatrists."
Back in the Southwest a possible fix for the problem turned up in the Dallas Morning News. Here is my idea for something that might work in the high tech world of space sobriety, though it does not exactly go with the mythology of gritty space explorers: On Saturday (7/28/07) this headline appeared: "New celeb trend: ankle alcohol monitors . Lohan's bracelet isn't just for show." To quote,
Since then, she had been seen around town and in paparazzi photos wearing the ankle bracelet, a high-tech device known as a Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitor. It measures alcohol content emitted through perspiration in the skin and relays the information to authorities or, in this case, her attorney, Blair Berk.
Space Travel is a magnificent human adventure. At its best it is courageous, heroic, selfless and ennobling. At their best people in the space program travel on behalf of humankind. Their discoveries add to the progress of science, and offer inspiration to young and old alike. I conclude this post with the following story. It is much more in line with what I prefer to be blogging about, more like what Mondays should be in Texas. It is from C/Net News (7/30/07), and is titled, "How to land a spacecraft on an asteroid." To quote,
NASA is exploring the possibility of sending astronauts to an asteroid, with hopes of making deep-space exploration more feasible.
. . . according to David Morrison, a senior scientist in NASA's Astrobiology Institute.
"The concept of human flights to near-Earth objects is exciting for science, and it's a logical, technological stepping stone to Mars because it's intermediate in flight length," said Morrison. "It's not literally on the way, but it's on the way for developing the technology for deep space."
The important truth to ascertain is whether it is still safe to fly. That is always the central question for me in the midst of these revelations. The space program is challenged to confront reality while honoring those who have died in the service of space exploration, myths and all.
(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)
A New York Minute: Things To-Do Edition
By Creature
This wonder wall of Post-its did not exist yesterday. It's art, it's way cool, and the picture does not do it justice.
And here is my contribution to this massive To-Do list:
If you're in NYC and want to contribute to the wall it's on the corner of 6th Street and 1st Avenue in the East Village.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
This wonder wall of Post-its did not exist yesterday. It's art, it's way cool, and the picture does not do it justice.
And here is my contribution to this massive To-Do list:
If you're in NYC and want to contribute to the wall it's on the corner of 6th Street and 1st Avenue in the East Village.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
Sustainable Summer Recess
By Creature
Reuters: Iraqi parliament adjourns in blow to Bush
A blow to Bush or another hundred American troops blown to bits? Disgraceful.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
Reuters: Iraqi parliament adjourns in blow to Bush
A blow to Bush or another hundred American troops blown to bits? Disgraceful.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
A word from our Stickings
By Creature
Reaction readers, I have received a missive from my boss, and pal, Michael J.W. Stickings. He would like you all to know that he has not forgotten about you, but that he is on vacation trying to forget everything Bush and having a great time doing so.
Michael will be returning August 12. He may post intermittently, so we all still need to be on our best behavior. Either way, the rest of The Reaction team will be on duty and we hope you continue to check in regularly.
-Creature
P.S. And, if Michael were posting, I'm sure he'd be posting about this.
Reaction readers, I have received a missive from my boss, and pal, Michael J.W. Stickings. He would like you all to know that he has not forgotten about you, but that he is on vacation trying to forget everything Bush and having a great time doing so.
Michael will be returning August 12. He may post intermittently, so we all still need to be on our best behavior. Either way, the rest of The Reaction team will be on duty and we hope you continue to check in regularly.
-Creature
P.S. And, if Michael were posting, I'm sure he'd be posting about this.
Swedish Film Icon Ingmar Bergman Dead At 89 ; Police Depressed, Working Through Emptiness, Not Ruling Out Foul Play
By J. Thomas Duffy
Internationally-known film director Ingmar Bergman died today, at the age of 89.
Bergman, the iconic and celebrated director of over 60 films, including three Academy Award winners ("The Virgin Spring" (1960), "Through a Glass Darkly" (1961), and "Fanny and Alexander" (1982), died at his home on the Baltic islet of Faro, north of the tourist island of Gotland, Sweden.
Mr. Bergman's body was discovered in an empty, all white, emotionally-barren room, a stale twinge of sadness hanging thickly in the air, with discarded nuances strewn about.
While it appears Bergman passed away from natural causes, police, depressed, and working through emptiness, are not ruling out foul play, after the discovery of a second body found nearby on Bergman's property.
It was a large, older man, dressed in a full-length robe, with a hood. Near the body of the second person, a large, long-handled scythe was found, next to a chess set, and what appeared to be a completed match, with black winning over white.
Police refused to comment if the two deaths are related, but did issue a statement that the area in which the two bodies were found reeked of erotic tension and isolated cruelty, while intertwined with unparalleled beauty.
"It was, all at once, eerily terrifying, yet serenely peaceful, washing over you a sense of powerlessness that leads to unfulfilled despair," noted the police report.
Links
IHT: Ingmar Bergman is dead at 89
Edward Copeland on Film
IMBD: Ingmar Bergman
Wikipedia: Ingmar Bergman
(Cross Posted at The Garlic.)
Internationally-known film director Ingmar Bergman died today, at the age of 89.
Bergman, the iconic and celebrated director of over 60 films, including three Academy Award winners ("The Virgin Spring" (1960), "Through a Glass Darkly" (1961), and "Fanny and Alexander" (1982), died at his home on the Baltic islet of Faro, north of the tourist island of Gotland, Sweden.
Mr. Bergman's body was discovered in an empty, all white, emotionally-barren room, a stale twinge of sadness hanging thickly in the air, with discarded nuances strewn about.
While it appears Bergman passed away from natural causes, police, depressed, and working through emptiness, are not ruling out foul play, after the discovery of a second body found nearby on Bergman's property.
It was a large, older man, dressed in a full-length robe, with a hood. Near the body of the second person, a large, long-handled scythe was found, next to a chess set, and what appeared to be a completed match, with black winning over white.
Police refused to comment if the two deaths are related, but did issue a statement that the area in which the two bodies were found reeked of erotic tension and isolated cruelty, while intertwined with unparalleled beauty.
"It was, all at once, eerily terrifying, yet serenely peaceful, washing over you a sense of powerlessness that leads to unfulfilled despair," noted the police report.
Links
IHT: Ingmar Bergman is dead at 89
Edward Copeland on Film
IMBD: Ingmar Bergman
Wikipedia: Ingmar Bergman
(Cross Posted at The Garlic.)
HOLLYWOOD A-LIST BIKINI CONTEST
1 LINDSAY LOHAN 2 EVA HERZIGOVA 3 EVA LONGORIA 4 BRITNEY SPEARS 5 PENELOPE CRUZ
6 COURTNEY LOVE 7 JENNIFER ELLISON 8 KEIRA KNIGHTLEY 9 PAMELA ANDERSON 10 SIENNA MILLER 11 UMA THURMAN 12 PARIS HILTON
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Japan's upper house election: Big win for the opposition
By AviShalom
In Sunday's election for half the seats in Japan's upper house, the House of Councilors (HoC), the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), is winning most of the single-seat districts and will be the largest party in that body.
The DPJ is really cleaning up in the single-seat districts (SSDs) where voters were given a clear choice of LDP vs. DPJ candidate. (There are 73 seats up in prefectural districts that elect one to five members and in which the voter votes for one candidate; there are 48 seats elected by nationwide proportional representation from a separate party-list vote.) The Okayama prefecture, which forms a SSD for the upper house, offers a glimpse of clever one-on-one campaign tactics:
That a leader of the governing LDP's caucus lost is, of course, a big deal, and it was not the only such case. In another district, Shimane, a candidate of the People's New Party (PNP) defeated a deputy secretary general of the LDP caucus. There were several districts in which the DPJ jointly endorsed candidates with the PNP, which is one of the parties founded by the "traitors" who were expelled from the LDP in 2005 for opposing then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatization program. (The PNP also is the party that placed former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on its national list for this election; apparently he will not be elected.)
According to The Daily Yomiuri (first link above), many of the races won by the DPJ were won with policy-based and anti-government campaigning.
The success of such campaign tactics is significant for Japan, given that breaking with the old pork-barrel and special-interest-focused campaigns that long sustained the LDP was one of the goals of the lower-house electoral reform back in 1993. The LDP still has not lost an election for the lower house (partly due to its alliance with New Komeito), although the 2005 "snap" election that the LDP won big under Koizumi was fought almost entirely on a single national policy issue: postal privatization. Koizumi craftily used that issue to advertise the repositioning of his party as a policy-reform vehicle and to catch the DPJ off guard.
This election suggests that the voters are no longer buying the reform image of the LDP and have finally decided that the DPJ is the more reformist party. The LDP apparently will be reduced to being the second largest party in the HoC for the first time in about 50 years. (There was a period in the 1990s when the LDP was not the majority, but remained the largest party.)
Nonetheless, this election is not necessarily fatal for the LDP government headed by Koizumi's successor, Shnzo Abe. Unlike in Italy, for example, the elected upper house in Japan has no authority to withdraw "confidence" from the cabinet. Only the lower house can do that, and no election is due for the lower house until 2010. Nonetheless, almost all legislation must clear the upper house, and so Abe's agenda will be greatly weakened. Will the LDP dump him? Will he decide he has to call an early election and challenge the voters to either oust his party entirely or reinforce his party's authority vis-a-vis the upper house? I hope some readers more familiar with Japanese politics will weigh in.
(Cross-posted at Fruits & Votes.)
In Sunday's election for half the seats in Japan's upper house, the House of Councilors (HoC), the largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), is winning most of the single-seat districts and will be the largest party in that body.
The DPJ is really cleaning up in the single-seat districts (SSDs) where voters were given a clear choice of LDP vs. DPJ candidate. (There are 73 seats up in prefectural districts that elect one to five members and in which the voter votes for one candidate; there are 48 seats elected by nationwide proportional representation from a separate party-list vote.) The Okayama prefecture, which forms a SSD for the upper house, offers a glimpse of clever one-on-one campaign tactics:
Toranosuke Katayama, secretary general of the LDP's upper house caucus, lost his seat to Democratic Party of Japan rookie Yumiko Himei, a former member of the Okayama Prefectural Assembly backed by the People's New Party.
Himei won with her slogan "Hime no Tora Taiji," a play on both candidates' names that means "The princess [hime] will wipe out the tiger [tora]."
That a leader of the governing LDP's caucus lost is, of course, a big deal, and it was not the only such case. In another district, Shimane, a candidate of the People's New Party (PNP) defeated a deputy secretary general of the LDP caucus. There were several districts in which the DPJ jointly endorsed candidates with the PNP, which is one of the parties founded by the "traitors" who were expelled from the LDP in 2005 for opposing then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's postal privatization program. (The PNP also is the party that placed former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori on its national list for this election; apparently he will not be elected.)
According to The Daily Yomiuri (first link above), many of the races won by the DPJ were won with policy-based and anti-government campaigning.
During the campaign [in Tokyo, DPJ candidate and director of an environmental NGO] Masako] Okawara, 54, stressed her achievements in dealing with food safety and environmental problems. She garnered support among housewives and swing voters. [...]
[ Also in Tokyo, DPJ candidate Kan] Suzuki, 43, emphasized his six years of activities as an expert on educational and medical issues throughout the campaign. He called for a change of government, saying, "The current administration cannot carry out real reforms." [...]
[In Tochigi constituency, DPJ candidate Hiroyuki] Tani apparently gained wider support by capitalizing on public criticism of the ruling coalition over the pension record-keeping blunder and a series of scandals involving Cabinet members.
The success of such campaign tactics is significant for Japan, given that breaking with the old pork-barrel and special-interest-focused campaigns that long sustained the LDP was one of the goals of the lower-house electoral reform back in 1993. The LDP still has not lost an election for the lower house (partly due to its alliance with New Komeito), although the 2005 "snap" election that the LDP won big under Koizumi was fought almost entirely on a single national policy issue: postal privatization. Koizumi craftily used that issue to advertise the repositioning of his party as a policy-reform vehicle and to catch the DPJ off guard.
This election suggests that the voters are no longer buying the reform image of the LDP and have finally decided that the DPJ is the more reformist party. The LDP apparently will be reduced to being the second largest party in the HoC for the first time in about 50 years. (There was a period in the 1990s when the LDP was not the majority, but remained the largest party.)
Nonetheless, this election is not necessarily fatal for the LDP government headed by Koizumi's successor, Shnzo Abe. Unlike in Italy, for example, the elected upper house in Japan has no authority to withdraw "confidence" from the cabinet. Only the lower house can do that, and no election is due for the lower house until 2010. Nonetheless, almost all legislation must clear the upper house, and so Abe's agenda will be greatly weakened. Will the LDP dump him? Will he decide he has to call an early election and challenge the voters to either oust his party entirely or reinforce his party's authority vis-a-vis the upper house? I hope some readers more familiar with Japanese politics will weigh in.
(Cross-posted at Fruits & Votes.)
Orrin Hatch, your toolness is showing
By Creature
Soon after agreeing that "of course" Alberto Gonzales has credibility problems, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), appearing on This Week, made sure his ass-kissing bona fides were still intact [h/t my dvr]:
Orrin Hatch is right on three points: Gonzales certainly has a credibility problem, he will not retire, and he will not resign. As the New York Times opines today, he must be impeached.
And, it seems, Senator Hatch was the only one willing to go on the TeeVee and defend the attorney general. ThinkProgress brings us this from FOX News Sunday:
I guess FOX News lost Orrin's number: 1-800-GWB-TOOL.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
Soon after agreeing that "of course" Alberto Gonzales has credibility problems, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT), appearing on This Week, made sure his ass-kissing bona fides were still intact [h/t my dvr]:
HATCH: Let me tell you: Alberto Gonzales is not going to retire. He is not going to resign. I have a lot of respect for the man. He is willing to hang in there. I think he's done a lot of good things down there, even though, yeah, he's been used as a punching bag by the Democrats and, I might add, some Republicans who I chatted with, and said, yeah, they have gone too far. Not just Democrats, but some of the Republicans themselves. All I'm saying is, is that you know, we've had all of these hearings, we've had of this bluster, we've had all of these documents, and there isn't one evidence of impropriety and yet they've built this like it's some sort of a big scandal and it's not.
Orrin Hatch is right on three points: Gonzales certainly has a credibility problem, he will not retire, and he will not resign. As the New York Times opines today, he must be impeached.
And, it seems, Senator Hatch was the only one willing to go on the TeeVee and defend the attorney general. ThinkProgress brings us this from FOX News Sunday:
Chris Wallace revealed that no conservative would willingly defend Gonzales on Fox. "By the way, we invited White House officials and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee to defend Attorney General Gonzales," said Wallace. "We had no takers."
I guess FOX News lost Orrin's number: 1-800-GWB-TOOL.
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
Breaking News! "That's al-Qaeda Talking" On Riff Between Maliki And Golden Boy General
President Blaming Terror Group; Claims Classified Wiretap Program Shows Scripted Dialog Given To Iraqi PM
By J. Thomas Duffy
President Bush, first setting the stage with his weekly radio address, came out squarely blaming the terrorist group al-Qaeda for the burgeoning squabble between Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S General David Petraeus.
The Bush Grindhouse would only say they blamed al-Qaeda, alternately citing al-Qaeda in Iraq, and al-Qaeda central, based in their safe haven in Pakistan.
"We know", offered White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, "that al-Qaeda is - literally - putting words in his mouth."
This revelation came after reports of growing tension between Maliki and Bush's 'Golden Boy" General mushroomed to the point that Maliki appealed directly to President Bush to replace Petraeus, to remove him from operations in Iraq.
When pressed by reporters how the President knew it was al-Qaeda, Snow referred to the controversial Terrorist Surveillance Program.
"Now, understand, I can't go into specifics," Snow pleaded, "so, let's say that our intelligence from a classified surveillance program gave us this valuable information."
Snow would neither confirm or deny if it was the same TSP, the one the President confirmed, and that Crony General Alberto Gonzales lied about in his appearance testifying this week, or if it was Gonzales additional lie of it being "other intelligence activities".
Coincidently, in his weekly radio address, The Commander Guy badgered Congress to update the The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
"The President needs a better FISA program," said Snow. "We had the terrorists pulling dry runs last week... We have to be able to take action and can't be stopping and asking this judge, or this senator if it's okay if we listen to a phone call ... Or read an email ... American lives are at stake here."
"It's all part of al Qaeda in Iraq strategy," Snow continued. "They attack us on September 11th, fan an insurgency after we liberate the country, and now want us to leave so they can take over the country. They're telling Maliki what to say in an effort to push us out."
Snow would not confirm if the latest NIE report offered evidence that al-Qaeda in Iraq was putting words in Maliki's mouth, citing the most sensitive information is classified.
Snow wouldn't comment on the reports of a growing rift with Saudi Arabia, that has the Saudis distributing fake reports that lie about Maliki and his government.
"I can't comment on that at this time, confessed Snow. "We still looking that one over ... It could be al Qaeda in Iraq's work, or it could be coming from al Qaeda Central ... We are pretty certain it has al Qaeda fingerprints on it..."
Snow, also, would neither confirm or deny reports circulating around Washington that al Qaeda was responsible for attempting to send electrical interference in the area near the hospital where Vice President Dick Cheney was having his heart defibrillator replaced.
Sources tell The Garlic that there was tension between the Bush Grind House and the Vice President's office, after the Secret Service picked up the stray currents of unexplained electricity.
The Bush Grindhouse argued that al Qaeda should be blamed for it, while the OVP lobbied that it was clearly coming from Iran, and a full, military response should be ordered.
Furthermore, Senator Joe Lieberman (I&R- CT) was said to side with Cheney and the OVP, and was prepared to call the Senate into session, and sponsor legislation for an attack on Iran.
Both plans stalled, after Crony General Alberto Gonzales was said to be "totally confused" on which set of intelligence - Iraq or Iran - he was to lie about next.
Bonus Links
Think Progress: The Ever Changing Definition of ‘Mission’ In Iraq
Glenn Greenwald: Various items ...(Update III -- with Bush's radio address tomorrow re: FISA)
TalkLeft: NewSpeak: Bush's FISA Proposal
President Bush is said to be outraged, and blaming al Qaeda for the rift between General David Petraeus and Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki
(Cross Posted at The Garlic.)
By J. Thomas Duffy
President Bush, first setting the stage with his weekly radio address, came out squarely blaming the terrorist group al-Qaeda for the burgeoning squabble between Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and U.S General David Petraeus.
The Bush Grindhouse would only say they blamed al-Qaeda, alternately citing al-Qaeda in Iraq, and al-Qaeda central, based in their safe haven in Pakistan.
"We know", offered White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, "that al-Qaeda is - literally - putting words in his mouth."
This revelation came after reports of growing tension between Maliki and Bush's 'Golden Boy" General mushroomed to the point that Maliki appealed directly to President Bush to replace Petraeus, to remove him from operations in Iraq.
When pressed by reporters how the President knew it was al-Qaeda, Snow referred to the controversial Terrorist Surveillance Program.
"Now, understand, I can't go into specifics," Snow pleaded, "so, let's say that our intelligence from a classified surveillance program gave us this valuable information."
Snow would neither confirm or deny if it was the same TSP, the one the President confirmed, and that Crony General Alberto Gonzales lied about in his appearance testifying this week, or if it was Gonzales additional lie of it being "other intelligence activities".
Coincidently, in his weekly radio address, The Commander Guy badgered Congress to update the The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
"The President needs a better FISA program," said Snow. "We had the terrorists pulling dry runs last week... We have to be able to take action and can't be stopping and asking this judge, or this senator if it's okay if we listen to a phone call ... Or read an email ... American lives are at stake here."
"It's all part of al Qaeda in Iraq strategy," Snow continued. "They attack us on September 11th, fan an insurgency after we liberate the country, and now want us to leave so they can take over the country. They're telling Maliki what to say in an effort to push us out."
Snow would not confirm if the latest NIE report offered evidence that al-Qaeda in Iraq was putting words in Maliki's mouth, citing the most sensitive information is classified.
Snow wouldn't comment on the reports of a growing rift with Saudi Arabia, that has the Saudis distributing fake reports that lie about Maliki and his government.
"I can't comment on that at this time, confessed Snow. "We still looking that one over ... It could be al Qaeda in Iraq's work, or it could be coming from al Qaeda Central ... We are pretty certain it has al Qaeda fingerprints on it..."
Snow, also, would neither confirm or deny reports circulating around Washington that al Qaeda was responsible for attempting to send electrical interference in the area near the hospital where Vice President Dick Cheney was having his heart defibrillator replaced.
Sources tell The Garlic that there was tension between the Bush Grind House and the Vice President's office, after the Secret Service picked up the stray currents of unexplained electricity.
The Bush Grindhouse argued that al Qaeda should be blamed for it, while the OVP lobbied that it was clearly coming from Iran, and a full, military response should be ordered.
Furthermore, Senator Joe Lieberman (I&R- CT) was said to side with Cheney and the OVP, and was prepared to call the Senate into session, and sponsor legislation for an attack on Iran.
Both plans stalled, after Crony General Alberto Gonzales was said to be "totally confused" on which set of intelligence - Iraq or Iran - he was to lie about next.
Bonus Links
Think Progress: The Ever Changing Definition of ‘Mission’ In Iraq
Glenn Greenwald: Various items ...(Update III -- with Bush's radio address tomorrow re: FISA)
TalkLeft: NewSpeak: Bush's FISA Proposal
President Bush is said to be outraged, and blaming al Qaeda for the rift between General David Petraeus and Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki(Cross Posted at The Garlic.)
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Global Interdependence Explored
By Carol Gee
Biggest sneeze in 5 years - Yesterday the U.S. stock market took the biggest plunge in five years. The Financial Times called it a " ‘Wake-up call’ for investors." Reporters Michael Mackenzie and Saskia Scholtes in New York and Paul J Davies in London authored the July 27 2007 story from which I quote,
Chinese currency unhealthy? Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will be visiting China next week to talk about economic issues and also about global warming (excuse me - "climate change.") And, as usual, the current Republican administration does not want Congress to stick its nose into what it thinks is Bush's business. According to the The Washington Post, "U.S. lawmakers have grown increasingly unhappy as America's trade deficit with China has soared, hitting $233 billion last year, the largest ever recorded with a single country and one-third of the U.S. total deficit with the rest of the world." In a related story, "The Senate Finance Committee voted 20-1 on Thursday to give the U.S. government new tools to press China to raise the value of its currency, but the Bush administration said it opposed the bill." Of course China has its own ideas about the currency question, posting this story: "US Treasury opposes currency bill" (China Daily) 2007-07-28. To quote,
What about imported food safety? It will take us a long time to get over this stomach ache. Our pets got sick and died, our teeth were jeopardized, and we were forced to back off seafood consumption. This is what China says it is doing about the problems. ChinaDaily (7/28/07) headlined, "China issues new regulation* on food safety." Quoting the story,
During the cold season, it is good to wash your hands often. It is useful to remember to take precautions when going out and about with strangers. China and the U.S. have long been strangers. And for far too long China and the United States have taken the status quo for granted. The Chicago Tribune's China Bureau Chief, Evan Osnos integrates all of the above questions into a very useful article titled, "Safety of Imports Tests Trade Partners" (7/20/07). To quote from it,
The health of the east/west relationship will be put to another test in 2008. People from all over the world will come together in China next year for the Summer Olympics. It is an open question what effect this will have. Several questions loom over the event. CNN.com highlights just one of those questions in this recent story, "Human rights questions remain for China."
What will the next big sneeze be about? The Far East and the West are now inextricably interdependent. Questions of power, culture, dependence and interdependence need to be explored more fully. We have been financing our incredible national debt via China and other Far East economies. China's governmental system is evolving. Is the direction of the evolution healthy? How can the health of the earth's environment be managed to avert global catastrophe? The questions remain. They will be revisited most Saturdays at this blog. Stay tuned.
References:
(Image: ChinaDaily)
The Far East and The West have deeply intertwined economies. Electronic communication happens in a very small world. We know almost immediately what happens among trading partners and in the global stock markets. To quote a Phillippine blogger, Ceilito Habito,
It is often said that when the US economy sneezes, Asia – and much of the world, for that matter – catches a cold. And the reason for this is that as the biggest economy in the world, the US tends to be at or the near the top of many countries’ list of biggest trading and investment partners.
Biggest sneeze in 5 years - Yesterday the U.S. stock market took the biggest plunge in five years. The Financial Times called it a " ‘Wake-up call’ for investors." Reporters Michael Mackenzie and Saskia Scholtes in New York and Paul J Davies in London authored the July 27 2007 story from which I quote,
Wall Street closed lower on Friday after a tumultuous week in which the S&P 500 index experienced its worst performance since September 2002 as heightened credit market concerns battered stocks.
London saw all this year’s gains wiped out. There were also heavy falls in Asian stock markets, European stocks were lower and corporate debt markets saw further sell-offs.
Chinese currency unhealthy? Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will be visiting China next week to talk about economic issues and also about global warming (excuse me - "climate change.") And, as usual, the current Republican administration does not want Congress to stick its nose into what it thinks is Bush's business. According to the The Washington Post, "U.S. lawmakers have grown increasingly unhappy as America's trade deficit with China has soared, hitting $233 billion last year, the largest ever recorded with a single country and one-third of the U.S. total deficit with the rest of the world." In a related story, "The Senate Finance Committee voted 20-1 on Thursday to give the U.S. government new tools to press China to raise the value of its currency, but the Bush administration said it opposed the bill." Of course China has its own ideas about the currency question, posting this story: "US Treasury opposes currency bill" (China Daily) 2007-07-28. To quote,
The US Treasury Department said it continues to believe that the robust Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) is the best means of achieving progress, when opposing a bill aimed at pressing China to raise the value of its currency.
. . . The overwhelming vote shows Congress is headed toward passing legislation by a big enough margin to overcome any presidential veto, said Senator Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat who helped craft the measure.
. . . Meanwhile, China has made it clear on many occasions that the country would carry out the exchange rate reform in an independent, controllable and gradual way to maintain the yuan's strength.
What about imported food safety? It will take us a long time to get over this stomach ache. Our pets got sick and died, our teeth were jeopardized, and we were forced to back off seafood consumption. This is what China says it is doing about the problems. ChinaDaily (7/28/07) headlined, "China issues new regulation* on food safety." Quoting the story,
China has faced a barrage of international criticism over the state of its food industry in the first six months of the year following a series of scandals.
Japan, Singapore, Australia and other countries sent back millions of toothpaste tubes and Canada halted imports from China.
During the cold season, it is good to wash your hands often. It is useful to remember to take precautions when going out and about with strangers. China and the U.S. have long been strangers. And for far too long China and the United States have taken the status quo for granted. The Chicago Tribune's China Bureau Chief, Evan Osnos integrates all of the above questions into a very useful article titled, "Safety of Imports Tests Trade Partners" (7/20/07). To quote from it,
. . . China and the U.S. share a delicate challenge: how to respond to consumer demands for tougher import protections without letting a tit-for-tat dispute undermine one of the world's most robust trade relationships.
. . . U.S. trade with China topped $343 billion last year, ranking it as the second-largest American trade partner, behind Canada. China's vast reserves of U.S. Treasury bonds have also helped the U.S. government fund its budget deficits and keep interest rates low.
For China, U.S. trade is no less indispensable. More of China's $1 trillion in exported goods went to the U.S. than anywhere else, allowing the Chinese Communist Party to create jobs and shore up domestic support.
The health of the east/west relationship will be put to another test in 2008. People from all over the world will come together in China next year for the Summer Olympics. It is an open question what effect this will have. Several questions loom over the event. CNN.com highlights just one of those questions in this recent story, "Human rights questions remain for China."
With a year to go before the 2008 Olympics get under way, questions linger over China's efforts to improve its human rights record.
Observers and pressure groups have criticized the efforts of the Chinese government and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since Beijing won the bid in 2001, rejecting assertions by both that the Games will lead to lasting positive change in the world's most populous nation.
What will the next big sneeze be about? The Far East and the West are now inextricably interdependent. Questions of power, culture, dependence and interdependence need to be explored more fully. We have been financing our incredible national debt via China and other Far East economies. China's governmental system is evolving. Is the direction of the evolution healthy? How can the health of the earth's environment be managed to avert global catastrophe? The questions remain. They will be revisited most Saturdays at this blog. Stay tuned.
References:
- *"New regulations" from ChinaDaily:
The main points are:(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)
-- Inspection and quarantine authorities, as well as commercial and drug supervisors, should establish positive and negative records for Chinese food exporters and submit the records to the media regularly.
-- Local governments at county level and above are mainly responsible for the supervision of food product safety.
-- Exporters of food products who provide fake quality certificates or evade quality and quarantine inspections will be fined three times the product's value.New York Times - "China Rises" (Interactive website & video) New York Times - "China Courts Africa" (2006) GlobalIssues.org -"Corporate Social Responsibility Ranking Scale of Countries" (Includes good article. Note: U.S.=18th and China, Hong Kong=20th)
NEW MAUI TV STATION K - UNT ???
THE call letters KUNT have landed at a yet-unbuilt low-power digital television station in Wailuku, Maui.
Alarmingly similar to a word the dictionary says is obscene, the call letters were among a 15-page list of new call letters issued by the Federal Communications Commission and released this week.
The same station owner also received KWTF for a station in Arizona.
From Skokie, Ill., comes a sincere apology "to anyone that was offended," said Kevin Bae, vice president of KM Communications Inc., who requested and received KUNT and KWTF. It is "extremely embarrassing for me and my company and we will file to change those call letters immediately."
On the Net:
» svartifoss2.fcc.gov/reports7/callsign.cfm
He thanked your columnist for bringing the matter to his attention and pledged to, "make sure I don't fall asleep on the job when selecting call signs again."
One might understand how Bae's eyes could glaze over during selection, as KM has some 80 sets of call letters and alpha-numeric callsigns for TV and radio stations in several states.
No KM station is yet on the air in Hawaii but its mainland TV stations carry programming from America One Network, My Network TV and the CW.
The call letter snafu was a source of great mirth for Bae's attorney.
"I can't tell you how long he laughed at me when he learned of my gaffe," Bae said.
Broadcasters for generations have joked among themselves about call letters resembling off-color words or acronyms knowing the FCC would never approve their assignment -- but that was before computerization.
KCUF-FM near Aspen, Colo. got its F-word-in-reverse call letters in August of 2005 and has been on the air since December, "Keeping Colorado Uniquely Free," its Web site says. Uh, yeah.
Station officials could not be reached, but the automated pop-music slinger has been written about twice in the Aspen Daily News. The paper said radio regulators "blessed the call letters."
However, assignment of call letters actually is an automated process, according to Mary Diamond of the FCC's Office of Media Relations. Broadcasters use the FCC Web site to request and receive call letters with no oversight from Beavis, his partner, or any FCC regulator.
Dude, seriously. Even after years of concerns over broadcast indecency and the debate about fines for fleeting profanities that hit the air.
The Code of Federal Regulations allows applicants to request call letters of their choice as long as the combination is available. Further, "objections to the assignment of requested call signs will not be entertained at the FCC," it states.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at: eengle@starbulletin.com
Alarmingly similar to a word the dictionary says is obscene, the call letters were among a 15-page list of new call letters issued by the Federal Communications Commission and released this week.
The same station owner also received KWTF for a station in Arizona.
From Skokie, Ill., comes a sincere apology "to anyone that was offended," said Kevin Bae, vice president of KM Communications Inc., who requested and received KUNT and KWTF. It is "extremely embarrassing for me and my company and we will file to change those call letters immediately."
On the Net:
» svartifoss2.fcc.gov/reports7/callsign.cfm
He thanked your columnist for bringing the matter to his attention and pledged to, "make sure I don't fall asleep on the job when selecting call signs again."
One might understand how Bae's eyes could glaze over during selection, as KM has some 80 sets of call letters and alpha-numeric callsigns for TV and radio stations in several states.
No KM station is yet on the air in Hawaii but its mainland TV stations carry programming from America One Network, My Network TV and the CW.
The call letter snafu was a source of great mirth for Bae's attorney.
"I can't tell you how long he laughed at me when he learned of my gaffe," Bae said.
Broadcasters for generations have joked among themselves about call letters resembling off-color words or acronyms knowing the FCC would never approve their assignment -- but that was before computerization.
KCUF-FM near Aspen, Colo. got its F-word-in-reverse call letters in August of 2005 and has been on the air since December, "Keeping Colorado Uniquely Free," its Web site says. Uh, yeah.
Station officials could not be reached, but the automated pop-music slinger has been written about twice in the Aspen Daily News. The paper said radio regulators "blessed the call letters."
However, assignment of call letters actually is an automated process, according to Mary Diamond of the FCC's Office of Media Relations. Broadcasters use the FCC Web site to request and receive call letters with no oversight from Beavis, his partner, or any FCC regulator.
Dude, seriously. Even after years of concerns over broadcast indecency and the debate about fines for fleeting profanities that hit the air.
The Code of Federal Regulations allows applicants to request call letters of their choice as long as the combination is available. Further, "objections to the assignment of requested call signs will not be entertained at the FCC," it states.
Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at: eengle@starbulletin.com
COP PULLS OVER AN AIRPLANE ???
OK I NEED TO SEE YOUR LICENSE AND INSURANCE, I CLOCKED YOU AT 170 MPH !
Friday, July 27, 2007
That reminds me
By Creature
AP: Cheney's ticker battery to be replaced
In a related story...
[I'm still not sure where exactly Lil' Bush falls on the funny scale, but the moment Lil' Cheney opens his mouth the GF and I are quickly thrown into spasms.]
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
AP: Cheney's ticker battery to be replaced
In a related story...
[I'm still not sure where exactly Lil' Bush falls on the funny scale, but the moment Lil' Cheney opens his mouth the GF and I are quickly thrown into spasms.]
(Cross-posted at State of the Day.)
HIGHEST PAID TV STARS Oprah Winfrey : $260 million
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Talk might be cheap, but Oprah is not, topping a list of the highest-paid television stars in the United States.
ADVERTISEMENT
Oprah Winfrey, host and supervising producer of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," earns an estimated $260 million a year, according to a list in TV Guide magazine's July 23 issue.
Music producer Simon Cowell, the blunt and often contentious British judge of "American Idol," placed a distant second to Winfrey, with $45 million for his role on the Fox network's smash hit talent show and other projects.
Courtroom chief Judge Judy (Judith Sheindlin), CBS News anchor Katie Couric and "Scrubs" actor Zach Braff round out the top five.
The list breaks down star salaries by category -- prime-time TV, daytime, cable and news with a partial listing below:
TOP FIVE (all salaries are per year)
Oprah Winfrey ("The Oprah Winfrey Show"): $260 million
Simon Cowell ("American Idol"): $45 million
Judge Sheindlin ("Judge Judy"): $30 million
Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News Anchor"): $15 million
Zach Braff ("Scrubs"): $6.3 million
NETWORK PRIME TIME (all salaries are per episode)
William Petersen ("CSI"): $500,000
Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men"): $350,000
Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000
Chris Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000
Hugh Laurie ("House"): $300,000
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("New Adventures of Old Christine"): $225,000
Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy"): $200,000
Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives"): $200,000
DAYTIME (all salaries are per year)
Judge Judy: $30 million
Bob Barker: $10 million
Maury Povich (per year plus profits): $7 million
Ellen DeGeneres: $5 million
Jerry Springer: $3 million - 4 million
Tyra Banks: $3.5 million
NEWS ANCHORS (all salaries are per year)
Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News" anchor): $15 million
Matt Lauer (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $12 million
Meredith Vieira (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $10 million
ADVERTISEMENT
Oprah Winfrey, host and supervising producer of "The Oprah Winfrey Show," earns an estimated $260 million a year, according to a list in TV Guide magazine's July 23 issue.
Music producer Simon Cowell, the blunt and often contentious British judge of "American Idol," placed a distant second to Winfrey, with $45 million for his role on the Fox network's smash hit talent show and other projects.
Courtroom chief Judge Judy (Judith Sheindlin), CBS News anchor Katie Couric and "Scrubs" actor Zach Braff round out the top five.
The list breaks down star salaries by category -- prime-time TV, daytime, cable and news with a partial listing below:
TOP FIVE (all salaries are per year)
Oprah Winfrey ("The Oprah Winfrey Show"): $260 million
Simon Cowell ("American Idol"): $45 million
Judge Sheindlin ("Judge Judy"): $30 million
Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News Anchor"): $15 million
Zach Braff ("Scrubs"): $6.3 million
NETWORK PRIME TIME (all salaries are per episode)
William Petersen ("CSI"): $500,000
Charlie Sheen ("Two and a Half Men"): $350,000
Mariska Hargitay ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000
Chris Meloni ("Law & Order: SVU"): $350,000
Hugh Laurie ("House"): $300,000
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("New Adventures of Old Christine"): $225,000
Ellen Pompeo ("Grey's Anatomy"): $200,000
Eva Longoria ("Desperate Housewives"): $200,000
DAYTIME (all salaries are per year)
Judge Judy: $30 million
Bob Barker: $10 million
Maury Povich (per year plus profits): $7 million
Ellen DeGeneres: $5 million
Jerry Springer: $3 million - 4 million
Tyra Banks: $3.5 million
NEWS ANCHORS (all salaries are per year)
Katie Couric ("CBS Evening News" anchor): $15 million
Matt Lauer (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $12 million
Meredith Vieira (NBC "Today" co-anchor): $10 million
The FBI takes the front page
By Carol Gee
(Image from "Free Images-UK")
Read behind the headlines - Steve Benen wrote an excellent post at The Carpetbagger Report regarding the striking testimony of FBI Director Robert Mueller yesterday before the House Judiciary committee. In his appearance Director Mueller, who is very widely respected, contradicted the man for whom he works, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The AG's Senate Judiciary Committee testimony had made the headlines of the previous day.
Florida Democratic Rep takes different tack - Given the FBI's assigned responsibility for domestic counter terrorism following 9/11, the agency has a very large helping on its plate. At the same time its responsibility for fighting crime has not gone away. Watching the "House Judiciary Committee hearing on FBI Oversight" yesterday on C-SPAN, viewers saw a well-prepared U.S. Representative Debbie Wassermen Schultz (D-Fla) ask FBI Director Robert Mueller to look into the large disparity between the number of agents (2000+) assigned to white collar crime and the (200+) focused on the proliferation of internet child pornography rings. Noting limited resources, the director agreed to look into it.
Speaking of "white collar crime" - Since the FBI now has significant responsibility for counter terrorism, it has also meant a larger foreign presence. Overseas work involves coordination of efforts with other nations, and not merely in the al Qaeda arena. This was the recent FT headline reporting that, "China joins FBI in piracy operation." It was written by Mure Dickie in Beijing Financial Times and published: July 24 2007. To quote from the article,
How is your computer system doing, Mr. Director? It is the proverbial inquiry whenever Director Mueller comes before any congressional committee. At each such appearance, he is asked about the current progress with the FBI's computerization program. In December of last year, the Washington Post described the program's saga and the size of the problem.
It is like an old joke - Asked the question again yesterday, Director Mueller described the size of the task as having "miles of files" (paper) all over the nation that have yet to be digitized. Given the magnitude of what seems an almost insurmountable problem, Director Mueller has yet to meet the challenge of fundamentally changing an entrenched FBI culture.
Leftovers from another era catch up with the FBI - This is today's Boston Globe headline: "US ordered to pay $101.7m in false murder convictions; FBI withheld evidence in '65 gangland slaying." I quote from the story by Shelley Murphy and Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff, July 27, 2007:
If the FBI Director had his way, he would probably prefer to stay out of the headlines. Robert Mueller is a good man trying to do his very best in extremely difficult times, and given the administration for whom he works. We can imagine that it was a tired man who hit his front porch last night. And he might have skipped his morning paper upon arising today.
My “creativity and dreaming” post today at Good Second Mondays is an antiwar poem.
(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)
(Image from "Free Images-UK")FBI Director Robert Mueller testified before the House Judiciary Committee for the first time in six years yesterday, making headlines with the committee. His candid and careful testimony about his beleaguered boss also made the overseas papers.
"FBI chief contradicts Gonzales testimony" was the headline of a story by Edward Luce of the Washington bureau - Financial Times - on Friday, July 27 2007. To quote the gist of this very big story,Robert Mueller, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on Thursday flatly contradicted sworn testimony given by Alberto Gonzales in a blow that sharply raises the chances that the attorney-general will be investigated for perjury.
Mr Mueller’s testimony came a few hours after four senators called for the appointment of an independent prosecutor to investigate Mr Gonzales for giving allegedly misleading testimony about the Bush administration’s secret wiretapping programme. Mr Gonzales, who has maintained that there was no dispute between the White House and the Justice Department over the National Security Agency’s surveillance programme, has repeatedly been contradicted both by officials and lawmakers.
Read behind the headlines - Steve Benen wrote an excellent post at The Carpetbagger Report regarding the striking testimony of FBI Director Robert Mueller yesterday before the House Judiciary committee. In his appearance Director Mueller, who is very widely respected, contradicted the man for whom he works, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. The AG's Senate Judiciary Committee testimony had made the headlines of the previous day.
Florida Democratic Rep takes different tack - Given the FBI's assigned responsibility for domestic counter terrorism following 9/11, the agency has a very large helping on its plate. At the same time its responsibility for fighting crime has not gone away. Watching the "House Judiciary Committee hearing on FBI Oversight" yesterday on C-SPAN, viewers saw a well-prepared U.S. Representative Debbie Wassermen Schultz (D-Fla) ask FBI Director Robert Mueller to look into the large disparity between the number of agents (2000+) assigned to white collar crime and the (200+) focused on the proliferation of internet child pornography rings. Noting limited resources, the director agreed to look into it.
Speaking of "white collar crime" - Since the FBI now has significant responsibility for counter terrorism, it has also meant a larger foreign presence. Overseas work involves coordination of efforts with other nations, and not merely in the al Qaeda arena. This was the recent FT headline reporting that, "China joins FBI in piracy operation." It was written by Mure Dickie in Beijing Financial Times and published: July 24 2007. To quote from the article,
An “unprecedented” joint crackdown on software piracy by Chinese police and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation has led to 25 arrests and the seizure of counterfeit software worth $500m, the FBI said on Tuesday.
. . . The FBI, which has had a liaison office in Beijing since 2002, stepped up its co-operation with local law enforcement authorities two years ago amid concerns that disputes over piracy were putting the Sino-US trade relationship at risk.
How is your computer system doing, Mr. Director? It is the proverbial inquiry whenever Director Mueller comes before any congressional committee. At each such appearance, he is asked about the current progress with the FBI's computerization program. In December of last year, the Washington Post described the program's saga and the size of the problem.
The Justice Department's inspector general warned yesterday that funding for the FBI's new Sentinel computer system is uncertain and that the program's final price tag could exceed its $425 million budget.
It is like an old joke - Asked the question again yesterday, Director Mueller described the size of the task as having "miles of files" (paper) all over the nation that have yet to be digitized. Given the magnitude of what seems an almost insurmountable problem, Director Mueller has yet to meet the challenge of fundamentally changing an entrenched FBI culture.
Leftovers from another era catch up with the FBI - This is today's Boston Globe headline: "US ordered to pay $101.7m in false murder convictions; FBI withheld evidence in '65 gangland slaying." I quote from the story by Shelley Murphy and Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff, July 27, 2007:
A federal judge held the FBI "responsible for the framing of four innocent men" in a 1965 gangland murder in a landmark ruling yesterday and ordered the government to pay the men $101.7 million for the decades they spent in prison. The award is believed to be the largest of its kind nationally.
If the FBI Director had his way, he would probably prefer to stay out of the headlines. Robert Mueller is a good man trying to do his very best in extremely difficult times, and given the administration for whom he works. We can imagine that it was a tired man who hit his front porch last night. And he might have skipped his morning paper upon arising today.
My “creativity and dreaming” post today at Good Second Mondays is an antiwar poem.
(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)
Blast off!
by Capt. Fogg
Old timers like me remember laughing at comedian Bill Dana's comic character Jose Jimenez' astronaut routine that was so popular during the 60's that even the Project Mercury astronauts, if the movie The Right Stuff is to be believed, adopted him as a mascot. Although the comic stereotype may seem a bit questionable to today's sensibilities, it's not hard to identify with the sentiment. Getting into a vintage vehicle with a few million miles on the odom
eter, built by the lowest bidder and filled with enough high explosives to light up the night sky 200 miles away is something that I couldn't do without a heavy slug of the right stuff either - better make it a triple.
It shouldn't be a surprise that some astronauts are alleged to have had similar feelings and according to Aviation Week & Space Technology's Web site, a special panel studying astronaut health found that on two occasions, astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so drunk they posed a safety risk.
There was a time when I viewed NASA as a wonderland; a golden gate leading to a brave new world, but that wonderland has become as shabby to look at as any Motel 6 in rural Alabama. One by one, all the reasons I once had to brag about the United States of America have been tarnished, debauched or sold down the river. This doesn't come lose to the embarrassment I feel at living in a country that has George W. Bush as a president, but it doesn't help.
(Cross posted at Human Voices.)
The most important thing in rocket travel is the blast off. I always take a blast before I take off! Otherwise, I wouldn't go near that thing!
-Jose Jimenez
-Jose Jimenez
Old timers like me remember laughing at comedian Bill Dana's comic character Jose Jimenez' astronaut routine that was so popular during the 60's that even the Project Mercury astronauts, if the movie The Right Stuff is to be believed, adopted him as a mascot. Although the comic stereotype may seem a bit questionable to today's sensibilities, it's not hard to identify with the sentiment. Getting into a vintage vehicle with a few million miles on the odom
eter, built by the lowest bidder and filled with enough high explosives to light up the night sky 200 miles away is something that I couldn't do without a heavy slug of the right stuff either - better make it a triple.It shouldn't be a surprise that some astronauts are alleged to have had similar feelings and according to Aviation Week & Space Technology's Web site, a special panel studying astronaut health found that on two occasions, astronauts were allowed to fly after flight surgeons and other astronauts warned they were so drunk they posed a safety risk.
There was a time when I viewed NASA as a wonderland; a golden gate leading to a brave new world, but that wonderland has become as shabby to look at as any Motel 6 in rural Alabama. One by one, all the reasons I once had to brag about the United States of America have been tarnished, debauched or sold down the river. This doesn't come lose to the embarrassment I feel at living in a country that has George W. Bush as a president, but it doesn't help.
(Cross posted at Human Voices.)
Thursday, July 26, 2007
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