earth2you2

Shocking news from Homeland Security

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:01:00 +0000

A senior Homeland Security official is interested in a device that will deliver a disabling shock to all wearers.

Is this for suspected terrorists? Nope. This guy wants the bracelet to replace the boarding pass for all air travelers.

According to a letter from DHS official, Paul S. Ruwaldt of the Science and Technology Directorate, office of Research and Development, to the inventor whom he had previously met with, he wrote, “To make it clear, we [the federal government] are interested in…the immobilizing security bracelet, and look forward to receiving a written proposal.” The letterhead, in case you were wondering, came from the DHS office at the William J. Hughes Technical Center at the Atlantic City International Airport, or the Federal Aviation Administration headquarters.

What idiots we have in positions of authority in this country!

Rest in Peace George Carlin

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:13:00 +0000

George Carlin on The American Dream

Will Bush Attack Iran or Not?

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:56:00 +0000

The Bush Administration flatly denies it plans to attack Iran before the end of George Bush's reign of terror. The attack allegation was reported in the Jerusalem Post.

The White House on Tuesday flatly denied an Army Radio report that claimed US President George W. Bush intends to attack Iran before the end of his term. It said that while the military option had not been taken off the table, the Administration preferred to resolve concerns about Iran's push for a nuclear weapon "through peaceful diplomatic means."

Okay, since when did anyone in this administration ever believe in peaceful, diplomatic means?

Oh, wait, there's this:

The official reportedly went on to say that "the hesitancy of Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice" was preventing the administration from deciding to launch such an attack on the Islamic Republic for the time being.

Okay, it makes sense now. They are waiting for the right time. After all the diplomatic talk with Iranian officials.

What's that? They're not talking with Iran?

Oh, geez. We're in deep shit now.

Using Bad Real Estate News to Her Advantage

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 13:46:00 +0000

We have a friend - let's call her Carol, primarily because that's her name - who decided a couple of years ago to quit her teaching career to go into the lucrative business of selling homes. She has one son in college, another finishing high school and two more younger children, so you can understand why she made the change in professions.

Following her training and subsequent licensing she went to work for a broker and did fairly well - earning about what she made in the classroom while having enough time to attend to her family.

The came the bad real estate news. The subprime mortgage industry was going belly-up, foreclosures were rising and the market was being flooded with unsold homes.

Suddenly, her decision to become a real estate agent didn't look so promising. But she didn't panic or throw her ands up in despair everytime she turned on the news channels.

She changed her focus and began finding homes that were on the verge of foreclosure and paired the owners with investors she had cultivated over the years through her social and school contacts.

Today, the news for our intrepid real estate friend is rosier than it's been in some time.

She told us recently that not only is she making a decent living from her real estate business, but she gets some satisfaction from helping people who have found themselves in a tight spot.

Carol has even been able to fully fund her oldest son's college expenses and save enough to assist her other cildren when they are ready to leave the nest.

Now that's really good news.

These Folks Call Themselves Christians?

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:05:00 +0000

Picture this: an elementary school in Wisconsin has a tradition called Wacky Week where the students dress up in costumes all week. One day the students can opt to dress up as an older person or a member of the opposite sex - boy could dress as girls, or girls could dress as boys.

Just some good clean fun, right?

Wrong. At least in the eyes of a group called the Voice of Christian Youth America. It Seems these wackos fit right in with Wacky Week.

Here's what they had to say:

"We believe it's the wrong message to send to elementary students," said Jim Schneider, the network's program director. "Our station is one that promotes traditional family values. It concerns us when a school district strikes at the heart and core of the Biblical values. To promote this to elementary-school students is a great error."

Can someone please explain to us what "traditional family value" says elementary school kids can't dress up for fun? And what alleged Biblical value is being violated?

Hell, what are Biblical values, anyway?

Oh, and get this:

"We became aware of this from constituents in your area. Anything that concerns the populace is important enough to talk about," Eliason said. "This is tax-funded� This is not a dress-up party in somebody's house. There are parents, taxpayers who do not appreciate the imposition of a particular lifestyle being portrayed as a normal lifestyle for the kids."

What lifestyle are they talking about? Do they imagine there is a secret cabal of cross-dressing school administrators in Reedsburg, WI, trying to warp children's minds?

We bet the kids had no idea what a cross-dresser was until the meddling Christians got their panties in a wad.

Media Love Affair with McCain Continues

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:03:00 +0000

He's a United States Senator running for president. He has a house paid for by his wife's money. He's a Vietnam Vet now worth millions of dollars. He was against the Bush Tax cuts.

He's John McCain.

Surprised? Well, why wouldn't you be when the media refuses to treat the Republican running for the presidency with the same microscope the use on the Democratic candidates.

Here's what Jamison Foser at Media Matters for America has to say:

In 2001, John McCain voted against President Bush's tax cuts, noting that they were skewed toward the wealthy. In a Senate floor statement, McCain explained that he could not "in good conscience support a tax cut in which so many of the benefits go to the most fortunate among us, at the expense of middle class Americans who most need tax relief."

But now, John McCain supports making the Bush tax cuts permanent rather than allowing them to expire, as they are scheduled to do under current law. Now, John McCain runs around saying things like, "The Democrats have already ... told us they will increase our taxes."

Who do you think McCain means when he says "our"?

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have both made clear that they would roll back the Bush tax cuts only for the super-wealthy; Obama has said only "the top 1 percent" would be affected, and Clinton has said she would roll back the tax cuts only for "people making more than $250,000 a year."

So, for the overwhelming majority of Americans -- those making less than about $250,000 per year -- Clinton and Obama would not roll back the Bush tax cuts.

Indeed, McCain himself has previously acknowledged that the Bush tax cuts unfairly benefited the wealthy. So, when he says the Democrats would "increase our taxes," maybe that's who he is referring to. Indeed, Money magazine estimates John McCain's net worth at $40 million.

If you are not afraid of being totally disgusted, read Foser's entire piece, Media ignore McCain's finances after obsessing over Dems'

Justin Timberlake với vai trò mới

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 12:33:00 +0000

Công ty sản xuất Reveille Studios cho hay ca sĩ Justin Timberlake mới kiếm được công việc là nhà sản xuất cho một chương trình truyền hình thử nghiệm tại Mỹ có tên là ‘My Problem with Women’ hay ‘Vấn đề của tôi với Phụ nữ’.

Chương trình truyền hình này dựa vào nguyên mẫu từ một chương trình hài kịch trên TV của Peru, nói về một anh chàng độc thân muốn tìm hiểu những thất bại về chuyện tình cảm bằng cách tham gia các liệu pháp.

Timberlake, năm nay 27 tuổi, bắt đầu sự nghiệp ca hát với ban nhạc N’Sync và ra mắt album hát riêng đầu tay vào năm 2002.

Anh cũng tham gia diễn xuất trong một số phim, trong đó có phim ‘Alpha Dog’.

Gần đây, Timberlake còn đóng chung với Samuel L Jackson và Christina Ricci trong phim ‘Black Snake Moan’. Năm ngoái, anh tham gia lồng tiếng cho phim hoạt hình Shrek tập ba.

Ngôi sao từng đoạt giải Grammy này năm ngoái còn tung ra một nhãn đĩa thu thanh và đứng ra đồng sáng lập nhãn hiệu thời trang William Rast với người bạn là Trace Ayala.

Letter From Robert Wexler, American Hero

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:51:00 +0000

Received this letter from Congressman Robert Wexler who is trying to hold the Bush administration responsible for its criminal behavior.

Two weeks ago, the House took a bold step demanding accountability for the Bush/Cheney Administration by holding former White House Council Harriet Miers and White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten in Contempt of Congress for blatantly ignoring congressional subpoenas for over 8 months.

Though it was not a surprise, Attorney General Michael Mukasey, wrote a letter to the House of Representatives stating that he refuses to call a Grand Jury to enforce those contempt citations.

The Attorney General's letter, effectively claiming that members of the executive branch are immune from congressional subpoenas, calls for quick action.

Click HERE to watch my latest video discussing Mukasey's outrageous response.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Judiciary Chairman Conyers have smartly decided to pursue a civil lawsuit to force Bolton and Miers to appear before Congress. We should pursue a lawsuit – but I think we can do even more.

While a court may order – months from now –that Miers and Bolten must appear before Congress, by then George Bush and Dick Cheney will have largely accomplished their goal of running out the clock on the investigation into this Administration's politicization of the Justice Department. Even a successful outcome in federal court might only mandate that they appear, at which time the witnesses are likely simply to continue their obfuscation by claiming executive privilege of the 5th Amendment in person.

The House of Representatives must re-establish its legitimate rights as a co-equal branch of government. Congress cannot allow its power to be summarily ignored and justice delayed.

The House was correct to hold these renegade White House officials in contempt, and much credit should be given to Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Conyers for pushing for that outcome. Now, we must go further: The House must immediately consider taking the following actions:

- Initiating impeachment hearings that would likely break through the reckless claims of executive privilege made by the Bush Administration.

- Approve a resolution that calls for an inherent contempt citation which would give the House Sergeant at Arms the power to bring Miers and Bolton before Congress.
As you may know, 17 of my colleagues, including four of my fellow members of the Judiciary Committee have joined my call for impeachment hearings.

This is not an issue between Democrats and Republicans. As members of Congress, we have an absolute duty to enforce the checks and balances prescribed by our Constitution.

We have ceded too much for too long, enabling George W. Bush to assume a unitary imperial Presidency. It is long past time to secure accountability for those who have, by all appearances, committed significant breaches of our laws and trust.

Mukasey's claims are simply the latest in a long line of outlandish legal arguments ranging from the idea that we can selectively cherry-pick from torture laws to the concept that the Vice President is no longer part of the Executive Branch (except, of course, when he needs to claim Executive Privilege).

Over the past months, I have received tens of thousands of emails and letters from you expressing your great support for my efforts. Your encouragement and activism on these causes are much appreciated. I continue to work hard on your behalf and hope you feel these updates are valuable.

With kind regards,

Congressman Robert Wexler
www.WexlerForCongress.com

Participatory Journalists: Use a Grammar Checker

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:31:00 +0000

We are all for the new "participatory journalism."

We like the idea of the Average Joe out there writing about current events, putting their own personal spin on things, keeping public servants honest.

But, good grief, would it hurt them to take advantage of a grammar checker so they don't look like complete morons? Seems that some of them relish the idea of bad grammar - subject-verb disagreement, improper pronoun reference, bad verb tense choices, and modifier out of place.

They may think they are avant-garde, but all they are really doing is showing their ignorance. No wonder some of the "citizen journalists" are upset because they feel their messages are being ignored.

Well, listen up, bad grammar is not cool.

Do yourselves, and your readers (if you have any) a favor and write in such a way that makes sense.

Or shut the hell up!

Making Life Easier with Requirements Management Software

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:17:00 +0000

Human nature being what it is, we all seem to be looking for shortcuts, anything to make our jobs easier and to make us more efficient.

Now, if you are a product manager responsible for gathering and managing requirements and feature requests for the products and services you oversee, a company called Accompa has just the thing for you.?

Managing these requirements eats up a lot of your time and resources, and on a daily basis you face a lot of
problems not only managing the requirements, but also in sharing the progress with other teams, not to mention making sure they are implemented and meet the needs of your customers.

Accompa's Requirements Management Software will make your professional life easier by freeing up your time. And because it is web-based, any member of your team can access the project from any available computer.

You will no longer be dependent on emails, Post-It notes and chance encounters in the hallway to get the information to track the progress, your team members can enter it themselves and with a click or two of the mouse you can make sure the requirements are complete and on time.

The program is also fully customizable so adding fields, such as priority or dependencies, doing so is simple.

If you are a try-it-before-you-buy-it kind of guy, Accompa offers a 30-day free trial period. So you have nothing to lose and a lot of time to gain.

Kiefer Sutherland Walks Out of Jail

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 14:20:00 +0000

Kiefer Sutherland, star of the right-wing favorite pro-torture TV series 24, walked out of jail after completing his sentence on drunk driving charges hours before the media thought he would. Consequently, no paparazzi were there to document his further humiliation.

Don't you just feel sorry for the camera-laden vultures?

We don't either.

A Sweet Candy Wedding

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 17:22:00 +0000

My daughter got married last week, and she is in no means a traditionalist, which is why she decided to offer candy wedding favors to all her guests. I've been to a lot of weddings in my time, but never have I received a box of candy mints.

She had a hard time deciding on what to order. Should she offer Mint to Be Bride and Groom Mints, personalized "Lovesavers," or how about foil wrapped Jordan almonds. One of her good friends is named Jordan, so she was leaning toward them. In the end, she opted for the Mint to Be mints because she could have them personalized with their name and date of the wedding.

As the father, I was more than a little concerned about the cost, but when I saw their prices, I was amazed. How they can provide such a service for what they charge and still make a profit is beyond me. But, I'm not complaining.

We got the order in plenty of time (faster than expected, in fact), and everything was spelled right. That may not be a problem if your name is Smith or Jones, but if you have a Slavic surname with few vowels like we have, then you really appreciate it.

If you are looking for something a little bit different as favors for you wedding guests, go ahead and order some candy. It will make the ceremony that much sweeter.

What's the status of the Cheney impeachment resolution?

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:08:00 +0000

The resolution called for impeachment hearings on Vice President Dick Cheney has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee where it is expected to die a slow death. But will it?

Vice President Dick Cheney: the most subversive political villain of our time was let off the hook yesterday and the Democrats did all of the heavy lifting to make it happen. Dick Cheney: a man who has proudly committed innumerable high crimes, among them a trillion dollar fraud perpetrated upon the American people and the world -- a fraud which has resulted in nearly 30,000 American casualties and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi casualties. And now he's trying it again with Iran.

And there's this:

But wouldn't it be nice if the whole thing backfired -- if millions of people let their lawmakers know that they support impeaching Darth Cheney and the Repubs' whole procedural game backfired. After all, the only thing that makes the move to impeach a marginal idea is the fact that the traditional media keeps telling us it is. If the notion that lying about a blow-job was a grave offense worthy of impeaching a duly-elected president of the United States could gain traction, surely the idea that lying the country into a disastrous and illegal war can't wouldn't be that hard to sell.

Today, Kucinich's resolution, and the millions of Americans who support impeachment, are being marginalized from all sides. CBS is running a column today lumping impeachment in with a belief that UFOs are frequent visitors -- 'it's crazy,' they say -- and the Huffington Post features a piece by Gold Star Mother Rosemary Palmer accusing Kucinich of gamesmanship and chiding him for seeking "vengeance" (an argument one never hears for letting lesser crimes go unpunished).

Keep your fingers crossed.

Promote Your Product With Affiliate Elite

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 15:37:00 +0000

We got a tip on an upcoming software program that allows people to find profitable ways to promote their products through affiliates and want to pass it along.

It's called Affiliate Elite and is the latest in the "Elite" products developed by Brad Callen. Shawn Pringle, no slouch when it comes to making money on the 'Net, has reviewed the software and offers four sneak-peak videos on major features.

Don't have a product of your own? Affiliate Elite will show you all the profitable affiliate products available to help you in your decision on what to sell.

The software also offers a reverse Google search so you can find the Adwords listings and keywords from an individual web site which is useful to see what your competition is doing; all the Adwords used to promote a particular keyword; and to find the most profitable affiliate site, those who have the most success in affiliate marketing.

Like Pringle says, this is powerful information to have on hand.

On top of the the video reviews of the features offered by Pringle, if you preorder the software through his site, you will receive a transcript of a chat between Pringle and Callen featuring tips and tricks in using the software not available to regular purchasers.

Now, some may see the to-be-determined monthly fee as a downside, but the software pulls its reports from several different sources and the fee is to help offset the bandwidth charges. For the serious marketer, this should be no problem, but the get-rich-quick crowd may balk.

If you are wanting to make some serious money promoting products online, this is the software for you.

Brits Cutting Iraq Force

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:36:00 +0000

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is bringing home half his country's troops in Iraq. The U.S. has no such plans. Too much money left to be stolen.

Mr. Brown said the reductions down from the current 5,000 British soldiers were possible because of the progress made in training Iraq security forces. He described the situation in Basra in southern Iraq, where the British troops are based, as “calmer.”

In his formal statement to the Parliament, Mr. Brown said that a decision would be made in the spring as to how long that reduced force of 2,500 would remain in Iraq.

At a briefing at the Foreign Office after Mr. Brown’s statement a senior British official said of the 2,500 troops that “there was no guarantee they will be there beyond the end of 2008.”

The Bush administration has made clear that the bulk of American troops will remain in Iraq at least until the end of President Bush’s term, and Mr. Bush has spoken of a military commitment extending beyond his administration.

Virtual Reality Benefiting Real Estate Sales

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:09:00 +0000

Since the early 1990s real estate agents have looked at the Internet as a marketing tool. At first their Web sites were no more than static catalogs of their listings, the more tech-savvy agents and brokers soon discovered the benefits of virtual reality to their real estate sales.

The first attempts were crude by today's standards, no more than panoramic static photos of the homes for sale. Motion was added to the photos with scripts written just for that purpose. Some real estate sites added music and titles, and some even offer audio voice overs to give a more you-are-there feel to their attempt at virtual reality.

The latest in the area of real estate sales on the Internet is the use of video. Talk about virtual reality! When done correctly, you can imagine actually being in the home with the agent guiding you on a tour.

Some of the benefits to using video virtual reality tours on a real estate site include the fact that visitors stay at the site with video nearly 80 percent longer than sites that have no video. In addition, almost 90 percent of visitors will watch the on-site video. Hard to argue with numbers like that.

Real estate sites offering virtual tours of their listed properties also enjoy more benefits.

It's estimated that 50 percent of online visitors that participate in the virtual tour will visit will visit homes they've seen at the site. The agents report the tours stimulate decisions to buy and traffic to their listed homes is greatly increased.

We can hardly wait to see what happens next with virtual reality technology.

We lost the war on terror

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 14:38:00 +0000

Doug Thompson at Capitol Hill Blue makes a chilling case on how and why the United States has lost the war on terror.

Osama and his buddies wanted to destroy the American way of life.

They succeeded.

Six years after the attacks, America is a paranoid, corrupt, rotting shell of itself: A country divided by political extremes, economically devastated by a war based on lies.

Gone are the freedoms we used to cherish and take for granted: Buried not under the rubble of the twin towers of the World Trade Center but by a callous Presidential administration that considers the Constitution an “outdated document” and individual rights a disposable commodity.

The Department of Homeland Security, created in the aftermath of 9/11 and now the largest federal bureaucracy in history, decides who can or cannot board a commercial airliner in this country, who can or cannot obtain a passport and who can or cannot even criticize their government.

In a non-descript building on Fairfax Drive in Arlington, Virginia, a giant government computer developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) monitors everyday financial transactions and tracks day-to-day travel of millions of Americans. If either fits a pre-determined “profile” an investigative file is opened on those Americans.

FBI agents, armed with thousands of “National Security Letters” swoop in on banks, employers and Internet service providers to secretly obtain records on Americans. A federal judge recently found such tactics unconstitutional but stayed an order banning the practice so the government can appeal.

On street corners in many large cities, cameras scan the faces of people just going about their business and feed the images into “facial recognition” software programs, looking for those “suspected” of terrorist involvement. Americans who fall into the web of “suspected” involvement are grabbed off the streets and whisked away to secret detention centers out of the country where “enhanced interrogation techniques” are used to try and obtain confessions.

Idaho Senator Says He is 'not gay'

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 22:42:00 +0000

Idaho Sen. Larry Craig says he is not gay, following his plea of guilty to a lesser charge after being arrested at the Minneapolis airport earlier this summer.

Craig, a three-term lawmaker, who has voted against gay marriage, was caught in an undercover sting operation.

The airport incident occurred June 11. Craig signed his plea papers on Aug. 1, and word of the events surfaced Monday. The senator issued a statement Monday night that said, "In hindsight, I should have pled not guilty."

He repeated that assertion at the Idaho news conference. "In June, I overreacted and made a poor decision," he said. "I chose to plead guilty to a lesser charge in hopes of making it go away."

Craig was at times defiant, at others apologetic on Tuesday.

"Please let me apologize to my family, friends and staff and fellow Idahoans for the cloud placed over Idaho," he said. "I did nothing wrong at the Minneapolis airport. I did nothing wrong, and I regret the decision to plead guilty and the sadness that decision has brought on my wife, on my family, friends, staff and fellow Idahoans."

The conservative three-term senator, who has represented Idaho in Congress for more than a quarter-century, is up for re-election next year. He said he would announce next month whether he would run again and suggested he still considers himself a politician with a future.

"Over the years, I have accomplished a lot for Idaho, and I hope Idahoans will allow me to continue to do that. There are still goals I would like to accomplish. And I believe I can still be an effective leader for our state," he said.

Craig, who has voted against gay marriage, finds his political future in doubt because of the case, which has drawn national attention.

Calgary Dentist Restores Smile

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 16:00:00 +0000

We've known Johnny since grammar school. All the time we were growing up together he had the most infectious smile and people flocked to him like moths to a flame.

Flash ahead 20 years.

We ran into Johnny at a conference in Canada and the first thing we noticed was that his smile had changed. No longer was it the wide, happy-to-see-you look that we remembered. Don't get us wrong, he was just as friendly as we remembered, just didn't smile as much. We did notice as we talked to him that his teeth didn't seem to be as bright as they once were.

Three years later - at the same conference - we saw Johnny again and his full smile was back and his teeth looked as white as when he was younger.

When we commented on it he said he had found a Calagary dentist that was unlike any he had ever known.

Dr. Wasik, Johnny said, not only whitened his teeth, but the dentist's OneBody Denistry approach helped him alleviate the headaches he had been having lately. The dentist had recognized that Johnny's teeth were a bit misaligned and his muscles were working harder to correct it which was causing his headaches.

Once Johnny's teeth were properly straighten, his jaw muscles relaxed and his headaches went away. Learn something new everyday, it seems.

We were just glad the old Johnny smile was back.

Outsourcing Web Services

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 22:07:00 +0000

Ordinarily we are not big fans of outsourcing. We know too many people who have lost their jobs overseas. We even know of a hospital that has all its radiology needs handled by physicians in Pakistan for pete's sake.

However, there is one company providing Web services, including SEO Outsourcing, at a fraction of the cost in the West.

We know what you're going to say, so don't even try. There is plenty of Web business to go around so no one is going to be hurt if you have design work, scripting, ad creation, etc., done at a fraction of the cost.

This can be a lifesaver for many small web business owners who can't afford the big boys. They quality is just as good and the results are remarkable.

They also have different levels of service to fit whatever your needs are.

We don't know how the came up with the name techndu.com, but they do deliver on time and on budget. Guaranteed.

A Cornered Bush is a Dangerous Bush

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 13:20:00 +0000

Pretty much by now, all intelligent people know how out of touch with reality George W. Bush is. Now using applied psycho analysis, we know how dangerous Bush can be when he becomes cornered.

Things are going to hell in a hand basket for this administration, and Bush/Cheney have shown a willingness to act in extra-Constitutional ways, as they see fit.
While Bush and his advisers make a fetish of it, he is nonetheless commander in chief of the armed forces and the question becomes how he might feel justified in using them and is there still any restraining force—any checks on the increasing power of the executive in our three-branch government.
We have a president whose psychological makeup inclines him to do as he pleases. Because Congress has been cowed, and the judiciary stacked with loyalists, he has gotten away with it—so far.

Bush Broadens Executive Privilege

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 18:40:00 +0000

The administration of George W. Bush continues to make up laws as they go along. This time broadening the definition of executive privilege to mean anything the president says it does.

From The Washington Post:

But administration officials argued yesterday that Congress has no power to force a U.S. attorney to pursue contempt charges in cases, such as the prosecutor firings, in which the president has declared that testimony or documents are protected from release by executive privilege. Officials pointed to a Justice Department legal opinion during the Reagan administration, which made the same argument in a case that was never resolved by the courts.
"A U.S. attorney would not be permitted to bring contempt charges or convene a grand jury in an executive privilege case," said a senior official, who said his remarks reflect a consensus within the administration. "And a U.S. attorney wouldn't be permitted to argue against the reasoned legal opinion that the Justice Department provided. No one should expect that to happen."

- - -

Mark J. Rozell, a professor of public policy at George Mason University who has written a book on executive-privilege issues, called the administration's stance "astonishing."

"That's a breathtakingly broad view of the president's role in this system of separation of powers," Rozell said. "What this statement is saying is the president's claim of executive privilege trumps all."

Bush Under Fire From GOP on Iraq

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 19:28:00 +0000

From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON - Two prominent Senate Republicans have drafted legislation that would require President Bush by mid-October to come up with a plan to dramatically narrow the mission of U.S. troops in Iraq.

he legislation, which represents a sharp challenge to Bush, was put forward Friday by Sens. John Warner and Richard Lugar and it came as the Pentagon acknowledged that a decreasing number of Iraqi army battalions are able to operate independently of U.S. troops.

"Given continuing high levels of violence in Iraq and few manifestations of political compromise among Iraq's factions, the optimal outcome in Iraq of a unified, pluralist, democratic government that is able to police itself, protect its borders, and achieve economic development is not likely to be achieved in the near future," the Warner-Lugar proposal said.

Bush has asked Congress to hold off on demanding a change in the course of the war until September, when the top U.S. commander, Gen. David Petraeus, and U.S. Ambassador Ryan Crocker, delivers a fresh assessment of its progress.

Warner, R-Va., and Lugar, R-Ind., are well regarded within Congress on defense issues. Warner was the longtime chairman of the Armed Services Committee before stepping down last year, while Lugar is the top Republican on the Foreign Relations Committee.

The Warner-Lugar proposal states that "American military and diplomatic strategy in Iraq must adjust to the reality that sectarian factionalism is not likely to abate anytime soon and probably cannot be controlled from the top."

Bush Thumbs Nose at Congress

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:58:00 +0000

President Bush thumbed his nose at the two congressional committees trying to get to the bottom of the Justice Department firing of U.S. attorneys. No surprise from a man who thinks he is above the law.

From AP:

WASHINGTON - President Bush, moving toward a constitutional showdown with Congress, asserted executive privilege Thursday and rejected lawmakers' demands for documents that could shed light on the firings of federal prosecutors.

Bush's attorney told Congress the White House would not turn over subpoenaed documents from former presidential counsel Harriet Miers and former political director Sara Taylor. Congressional panels want the documents for their investigations of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' stewardship of the Justice Department, including complaints of undue political influence.

The Democratic chairmen of the two committees seeking the documents accused Bush of stonewalling and disdain for the law, and said they would press forward with enforcing the subpoenas.

"With respect, it is with much regret that we are forced down this unfortunate path which we sought to avoid by finding grounds for mutual accommodation," White House counsel Fred Fielding said in a letter to the chairmen of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees. "We had hoped this matter could conclude with your committees receiving information in lieu of having to invoke executive privilege. Instead, we are at this conclusion."

Thursday was the deadline for surrendering the documents. The White House also made clear that Miers and Taylor would not testify next month, as directed by the subpoenas, which were issued June 13. The stalemate could end up with House and Senate contempt citations and a battle in federal court over separation of powers.

Facts not necessary for conservative web site

noreply@blogger.com (earth2you2) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:25:00 +0000

Unhappy with the world as it is, Andy Schlafly is creating "a conservative encyclopedia you can trust."

The problem is, it's tainted with a literal interpretation of biblical scripture.

Example from a LA Times report:

Take the Pleistocene Epoch. Most scientists know it as the ice age and date it back at least 1.6 million years. But Conservapedia calls it "a theorized period of time" — a theory contradicted, according to the entry, by "multiple lines of evidence" indicating that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old, as described in the Book of Genesis.

The future of America?